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Author Topic: Westerns  (Read 46076 times)

Corndog

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Re: Westerns
« Reply #210 on: April 14, 2017, 09:58:12 AM »
Yea, themes of revenge, redemption, reform all are draws for me as well.
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1SO

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Re: Westerns
« Reply #211 on: May 08, 2017, 01:48:25 PM »

Corndog

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Re: Westerns
« Reply #212 on: May 08, 2017, 03:29:37 PM »
Life has gotten busy and I've neglected my best girl...

I will be back on the trail soon.
« Last Edit: May 09, 2017, 02:48:02 PM by Corndog »
"Time is the speed at which the past decays."

Corndog

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Re: Westerns
« Reply #213 on: June 05, 2017, 12:09:50 PM »
Tall in the Saddle (Edwin L. Marin, 1944)

It has been a while since I’ve spent time on the trail that is my Westerns marathon, so I am very thankful to return to the project with a film from John Wayne, the quintessential Western star that everybody knows and loves. Previously, I had mentioned how it felt as though at this point in the marathon that Wayne had not quite “broken out” in stardom quite yet. Sure, his turn in Stagecoach was memorable, but he hasn’t featured in as many film, or had as many truly memorable roles you would expect from The Duke. He’s also quite good in The Spoilers and A Lady Takes a Chance, but Tall in the Saddle just feels like his breaking out party in what I have come to know as John Wayne’s persona. He’s rough, tough, and well, rides Tall in the Saddle.

While on a overland coach, driven by a colorful old man (Gabby Hayes), to his new job Rocklin (John Wayne) discovers the ranch owner who hired him is a fellow passenger’s (Audrey Long) great uncle, and that he has recently been murdered. After arriving in town, Rocklin is confronted by Arly Harolday (Ella Raines), who resents how he treated her brother in a poker game. He seems to suspect the town lawyer (Ward Bond) of suspicious activity. And he even gets shot at. After the cold welcoming to town, Rocklin sets out to uncover the cattle rustling plot that left his employer murdered and Arly and her ranch at great risk.

What stands out most about this western is John Wayne, more specifically his character and on screen presence. He won’t take anything from anybody. After walking into town right into a poker game where he’s being cheated, Rocklin simply goes upstairs, grabs his guns, and demands the money that’s rightfully his. In what is probably the best scene of the film, the day after the poker game, Arly comes at Rocklin, threatening to shot him, but he just keeps walking, even as Arly fires a few warning shots near his head. Rocklin is such a memorable and completely unflappable character; the type you would easily associate with John Wayne, which is where I get the idea, after seeing Wayne work within this marathon before, that this film might be where the legend of John Wayne begins to truly skyrocket.

That claim, of course, will play out and we’ll see just how right (or wrong) I may be. As for the rest of the film, the cattle rustling plot has been seen many times before. It is quickly becoming a staple western tale in this marathon, so I suppose I should just get used to it. As far as cattle rustling plots go, Tall in the Saddle is one of the better ones in how it sets up the dilemma and as the culprit is slowly revealed. It may be a quick read in terms of the audience being able to figure it out, but the characters are smartly constructed and performances are delivered quite well from the cast, even if Ella Raines is too girlishly beautiful to pull off the fiery cowgirl rancher.

Tall in the Saddle is very clearly a John Wayne vehicle, as director Edwin L. Marin’s filmography shows a very craftsman like career. The film is also devoid of pretty much any other major stars. The closest thing resembling one is Ward Bond, who is a more than capable character actor who has shown his face here before, and will again. I wouldn’t call Tall in the Saddle a lasting western film, but it is one of the better “throwaway” westerns that we will see here on the trail. Come for John Wayne, stay for John Wayne, celebrate John Wayne. This is his film through and through. Definitely worth a look for fans of The Duke.

*** - Very Good


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Corndog

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Re: Westerns
« Reply #214 on: June 05, 2017, 01:11:06 PM »
Along Came Jones (Stuart Heisler, 1945)

Where Tall in the Saddle, the previous installment in this marathon, felt very much like a vehicle specifically for John Wayne's star, Along Came Jones, while lead by legendary western actor Gary Cooper, feels much more polished and well rounded. Featuring such great co-stars as Loretta Young and Dan Duryea, Along Came Jones is able to marry Cooper's affable nature with the serious threat of an outlaw on the loose, which results in a film that very much has its laughs, but also has time to take itself serious as well. The result is a western which helps highlight the danger of frontier life, the lack of structure in its justice system, and just how easy it might be to be somebody you're not, or be exactly who you want to be, for better or for worse.

While on a leisurely journey into town, Melody Jones (Gary Cooper) and his friend George Fury (William Demarest) make a wrong turn, which puts them smack dab into uncharted territory. After a stagecoach robbery, everyone in the territory is on the lookout for outlaw Monte Jarrad, so when Jones strolls into town with the same initials branded into his saddle, he finds his swagger gets him more than he bargained for. But with the help of the beautiful Cherry de Longpre (Loretta Young), who is secretly hiding the real MJ, Jones tries to avoid the wrath of vigilante justice while also falling for Cherry, a dangerous thing to do with the woman of an outlaw.

As with most Gary Cooper westerns, it's Cooper's personality which makes Along Came Jones as fun a time as it is. When I was first introduced to Cooper and his acting style, which is very much informed by the silent era, I did not take an immediate liking to it. But within the landscape of some of the other more outlandish and mannered performances in early westerns, Cooper's stoicism is very welcome. His stoicism also helps boost his sense of humor, which is bar none better than any other early western star. The comedy is westerns in general often gets underplayed, but anytime Gary Cooper pops up, you can expect a few well earned laughs along the way.

Speaking of the comedy, the plot here is obviously intentionally humorous, a case of mistaken identity. But the stakes are not as light as all that. When Dan Duryea, who has been great in everything I've seen him in, pops up as Monte Jarrad, the threat to the likable Jones becomes very real. Good win out over evil is perhaps the single most central theme in the western genre, but when pitting two great actors against each other, as in this situation, the tension is real, not just manufactured. I never thought Jones may not win, but the filmmakers do well to envision a scenario which heightens both the tension and doubt by making Jarrad a formidable and intimidating opponent.

The most compelling story element, however, just might be the internal struggle of Cherry, who is forced to play both sides, both good and evil, and chose between Gary Cooper and Dan Duryea (not an easy choice, I'm sure). Stuck in the middle, her dilemma is the main point of the film, the struggle to chose between good and evil, to do the right thing or the wrong thing. Morality plays a big part in westerns and Along Came Jones features one of the better moral dilemmas in recent memory within the marathon. Loretta Young is spectacular as the more than capable Cherry and by crafting a strong female lead, the filmmakers manage to make one of the better female-centric westerns thus far on the trail. Only The Wind might be its rival.

*** - Very Good
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Corndog

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Re: Westerns
« Reply #215 on: June 05, 2017, 02:49:23 PM »
Don't Fence Me In (John English, 1945)

Roy Rogers is almost a mythical figure within the Western genre. As a part of this marathon, he is mostly absent, with this, Don't Fence Me In, as his only appearance. And yet, when I hear his name I can't help but think of the genre, and his is a name I know off hand. He is not Gary Cooper, John Wayne, James Stewart or any other number of mega western stars, but when you hear his name you can't help but think of the genre. As I am not a Western expert, I can't say exactly what it is, or why he didn't have more major films because as much as I build Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger up as mega-western stars, Don't Fence Me In, the only one of their films on my marathon list, is also one of the more obscure films on my list, with just 171 votes on IMDb.

The plot of Don't Fence Me In is simple, with it's actors essentially playing themselves, or at the very least borrowing their names. Dale Evans plays a magazine reporter who'll do just about anything to get a scoop. So when she hears about a old gunslinger called Wildcat Kelly, she heads west to the ranch of Roy Rogers, where she meets Gabby Hayes. As it turns out, Wildcat Kelly didn't die, but rather retired and became Gabby Hayes. When word gets out after Dale publishes the story in her magazine, against Roy's wishes, Roy and Dale must fight to protect Gabby, who is now under prosecution from the law for crimes that went unpunished.

This film plays mostly like a B-movie and feels very much like a quick production made in a series of production by the same cast and crew. Probably because that is exactly what this is. So I wonder what makes it stand out above the other films in the series? For me, it was a fun little romp through the "west". I use "west" in quotation marks because in reality it takes place in present day (1945), but unlike some of the other non-westerns I've covered in this marathon already, Don't Fence Me In presents a good argument for inclusion, mostly due to the plot focusing on a retired outlaw and his life after the frontier. Gabby Hayes, who we saw as the cantankerous stage driver in Tall in the Saddle is just funny enough, just old enough, and just "off" enough to pull off the comedic role of Wildcat Kelly.

The rest of the cast works very much like an ensemble, Rogers included. Apart from when he is singing and strumming his guitar, Rogers' charisma doesn't exactly seep off the screen like you might expect from someone of his stature. But as I said before, the film feels like a group doing one of many films together, which means they all work well together, and compliment each other perfectly. I was, however, a little disappointed to not get more from Rogers' famed equine companion Trigger. Trigger hardly graces the screen here. In the end, it's a brief 70 minute runtime, which is more than enough time to spend with this gang. Any longer and I may have started to lose my patience.

Of course that is not to say I didn't enjoy the film, I did very much in fact. But it does have a certain low budget charm to it, which places it into the very good for what it is box. When standing the film up against some of the genre giants, it doesn't hold a candle, but that is also not what Don't Fence Me In is trying to be. It is a throwaway film, but one worth spending the short run time with, which makes it a film which is hard to recommend universally, but also one whose charm is easy to give into. It's just zany enough to be fun, just good enough to be included here, and featuring Roy Rogers, a must for my education of the genre. Oh, also, the title song is worth the price of admission, even if it seems a little shoehorned into the film.


*** - Good
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Re: Westerns
« Reply #216 on: June 05, 2017, 03:29:11 PM »
You liked Don't Fence Me In more than I did, though your review is more persuasive.

I should make an effort to watch Along Came Jones, as I'm weirdly fascinated with Stuart Heisler.

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Corndog

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Re: Westerns
« Reply #217 on: June 05, 2017, 03:34:41 PM »
It sounds like we agree insomuch as it is "harmlessly watchable".

Along Came Jones is the only Heisler I have ever seen.
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1SO

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Re: Westerns
« Reply #218 on: June 05, 2017, 11:27:48 PM »
I'm going to spread these out to prolong the possible discussion. Not that I have too much to say about Tall in the Saddle.

Interesting that you theorize this to be John Wayne's breakout after the launch of Stagecoach. I'd be interested to read other theories because Stagecoach is such a mark that most assume he was a legend from that point on, which he wasn't. You know I love The Spoilers and John Wayne is great in it, but he's still not JOHN WAYNE. (Mrs. 1SO says the moment he became legend is when he picked up that slightly slanted way of walking.)

I've seen every John Wayne western from 1940 forward, which makes Tall in the Saddle my 9th Wayne Western. If I had to pick a breakout role post-Stagecoach, it would be Angel and the Badman, which you have coming up soon. It comes right before the John Ford streak of Fort Apache on up to The Searchers (with Red River tucked in that run). By that point he was certainly king of the west.

Curious to see if this marathon alters your opinion of Ward Bond. He's going to come up a lot and you may never see him as more than a dependable character actor, but I'll watch a film just because he's in it. I won't put him on the same level as Walter Brennan, but like Brennan he can shine in roles big or small.

Corndog

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Re: Westerns
« Reply #219 on: June 06, 2017, 07:37:00 AM »
I will be curious to see the next few John Wayne's to test my theory as well, but in terms of the character's he is known for, this one felt like the quintessential embodiment of John Wayne as we know him today. Whether audiences at the time felt the same way and that this was really his springboard to fame after his burst in Stagecoach, who knows. But we could also consider whether this was his own personal springboard that led him to the legendary status among audiences. Was this the movie he got his swagger?

I was looking up the upcoming titles and noticed a lot more of Ward Bond myself, which made me curious to see more of him as well.

Also, sorry for the review dump. I have one more coming soon too after getting back into it.
"Time is the speed at which the past decays."