YOU MIGHT WIN THIS BEAUTIFUL WESTERN CALENDAR! PLUS 'SIX BULLETS TO HELL' HOLLYWOOD PREMIERE!

WIN THIS BEAUTIFUL WESTERN CALENDAR!

Last year I said Asgard’s was the most beautiful Western Calendar I’d ever seen.  Well, they’ve done it again!  The 2015 model is a pip – using Western Pulp covers from 1936 through 1949, and featuring the kind of florid colors and over-heated action that drew your eye and made you eagerly plunk down your dime.  The format is big – 11” by 15” – and the pulps featured include TEXAS RANGERS, RANCH ROMANCES, MASKED RIDER, SPEED WESTERN and THRILLING WESTERN.  They’re printed on high-quality heavy stock, and perforated to become a 12-piece print collection when the year is finished.   There’s also a smaller desk-top version.  It retails for $21.95.  HERE is the link to Asgard Press, who have many other beautiful calendars as well. 

BUT IF YOU’D LIKE TO TRY AND WIN YOUR CALENDAR instead of buying, here’s your chance!  Answer these three questions about three great Western writers who started out in the pulps and other magazines:

      1.) Max Brand, under his own name and five pseudonyms, wrote more than 500 novels and about as many short stories.  He died young, in 1944 when, as a Harper’s Magazine war correspondent in Italy, he was killed by shrapnel.  Although best known for his cowboy stories, his most famous character was in another profession, featured in a hugely successful series of MGM features in the 1930s and 1940s, and on TV in the 1960s.  Name the character.

       2.) Writer Frederick Dilley Glidden is my favorite Western writer, because every line of dialogue he wrote sounded like Randolph Scott said it.  In fact, two of his novels were adapted into Randolph Scott movies – CORONER CREEK and ALBUQUERQUE.  RAMROD and BLOOD ON THE MOON were also based on his novels.  Name his nom de plume, borrowed from a real Old West gunfighter and Tombstone and Dodge City regular.          

 3.)   Once a dentist (like Doc Holliday), Zane Grey’s many novels include RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE, THE VANISHING AMERICAN, and have been filmed over a hundred times.  Always athletic, he went to college on a baseball scholarship, but in later life his interest turned to a far different sport, one more commonly associated with Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck.  Name the sport.

Send your answers to swansongmail@sbcglobal.net , and please put WESTERN CALENDAR CONTEST in the subject line!  On Friday I’ll put on a mask – not the Masked Rider or Lone Ranger kind, but one I can’t see through – pick a winner from among all correct entries, and I’ll put it in the mail on Saturday!  Good luck!

NEW SPAGHETTI WESTERN ‘6 BULLETS TO HELL’ PREMIERES IN L.A. THURSDAY!

On Thursday, January 15^th at 7 p.m., ‘6 BULLETS TO HELL’ will have its Hollywood premiere at the Chinese Theatre #4, as part of the monthly HollyShorts Screening Series.   If you’re a Round-up regular, you’ve been hearing about 6 BULLETS since they first rolled camera in July of 2013.  

An outgrowth of friendships formed at the Almeria Western Film Festival, this homage to oeuvre of Sergio Leone was filmed in Tabernas, Almeria Spain, at MiniHollywood and at Fort Bravo, the fabled stomping grounds of Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Jack Palance, Franco Nero – really everyone involved with the roughly 800 Spaghetti Westerns produced in the 1960s and 1970s.

It’s the story of former lawman-turned-farmer Billy Rogers (Crispian Belfrage), who once again straps on his guns to avenge the brutal murder of his wife by ruthless bandit Bobby Durango (Tanner Beard) and his despicable gang.  

It’s co-directed by Tanner Beard, who previously directed the excellent LEGEND OF HELL’S GATE, and Russell Quinn Cummings who co-starred in HELL’S GATE, and plays Sheriff Morris in 6 GUNS.  Also in the cast is Spaghetti Western veteran Antonio Mayans (TOWN CALLED HELL, MORE DOLLARS FOR THE MAGREGGORS), and Aaron Stielstra, who gave a chilling performance in the recent THE SCARLET WORM.  Members of the cast and crew are expected to attend.  To reserve your ticket, go HERE.

SHORELINE VILLAGE HOLDS 1^ST ANNUAL ‘BUCKAROO DAYS’ 

SAT. & SUN. JAN 17&18

Shoreline Village in Long Beach, a place better known for fishing than fast-draws, will celebrate the first of what’s planned as an annual free event, BUCKAROO DAYS.  The fun starts at one p.m. both days, and run ‘til 6 on Saturday and 4:30 on Sunday – don’t miss the ‘Farewell Shoot-out’ at 4 pm!  Among the activities and entertainments will be black-smithing, gold panning, Faro playing, shootouts (they often follows Faro playing), line-dancing, swearing-in of junior deputies, gun-slinging, trick roping, and music by The Fiddle and Pine Band, and the BillHillys – who’ll give your kids lessons for playing on a washboard!  There’ll be a rope-maker working in front of RainDance, the American Indian store, and the Kids’ Corral, with games and such for the youngins’, will be open all day, both days.

Shoreline Village is located at 401-435 Shoreline Village Drive, Long Beach, CA 90802.  562-435-2668.  Or visit them at www.shorelinevillage.com  

‘TRUE GRIT’ – THE WAYNE ONE – SATURDAY AT THE AUTRY!

Saturday, January 16^th, at 1:30 pm in the Wells Fargo Theatre, The Autry will screen TRUE GRIT (1969) as part of their ‘What is a Western?’ series.  It’s easy to think the glory days of American Westerns were over by 1969, but that was also the year of THE WILD BUNCH, BUTCH CASSIDY, THE UNDEFEATED, and MACKENNA’S GOLD.  Guys like Wayne were getting old, but they knew their stuff, as did director Henry Hathaway.  When the Coen Brothers did their excellent remake forty years later, the original was widely dis’d and dismissed by folks who had clearly not seen it in years, and recalled it as corny.  Nonsense: TRUE GRIT is a very tough movie, beautifully shot by Lucien Ballard, with a wonderful score by Elmer Bernstein, and directed with the unflinching guts that only a tough old bastard (and I mean that in the most respectful way) like Hathaway could muster.  The wonderful cast, in addition to the Oscar-winning performance by Wayne, includes Robert Duvall, Jeremy Slate, Dennis Hopper, and Strother Martin – who was also in both WILD BUNCH and BUTCH CASSIDY: what a year he had!  Glen Campbell, a great musician but untrained actor, was always sheepish about his performance, but he did just fine.  And Kim Darby, as Mattie Ross, the bossy little gal who hires Wayne to catch her dad’s killer, gives the performance of her career. 

With the remake, much was said, by the Coen brothers among others, about it not being a remake, but a return to the original novel.  That’s a load of crap, because it implies that the Hathaway version strayed far from the Charles Portis book.  The only major difference plot-wise, is that the Coens used the original Portis ending.  But the fact is Portis, who was on-set for the 1969 film, thought he could come up with a better ending than he’d written in the novel, and he certainly did.  SPOILER ALERT!  Incidentally, I have it on good authority that when word got out that the Coens were going with the novel’s ending, featuring an old Addie Ross, Kim Darby  very much wanted to play that role.  Elizabeth Marvel did an admirable job in the part.  But it would have meant so much more if Kim Darby had played it.

TRUE GRIT will be introduced with a discussion led by Jeffrey Richardson, curator of Popular Culture and of the Gamble Firearms Collection. 

THAT’S A WRAP!

Sorry I’m posting a day late!  I thought it would be Sunday, but I had to finish reading a novel and writing a cover blurb, had to steam wallpaper off the dining room walls, and when I came home had to help an elderly neighbor who was calling – “Help! I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” Honest!  I’ve just read a wonderful book, KNOTT’S PRESERVED, about the fabled California theme park Knott’s Berry Farm.  I interviewed one of its authors, J. Eric Lynxwiler, last week, and will have my review and interview in the next week or two.

Happy Trails,

Henry

All Original Contents Copyright January 2015 by Henry C. Parke – All Rights Reserved

REMEMBERING ERNEST BORGNINE

Ernest Borgnine, who earned his Oscar as MARTY, and was unforgettable as Dutch Engstrom in THE WILD BUNCH, has died at 95.  From FROM HERE TO ETERNITY to JOHNNY GUITAR, VERA CRUZ, BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, THE DIRTY DOZEN, Borgnine was unique, not only switching deftly between drama and comedy, but also between hero and villain.  Never idle, over the past few years he gained a new children’s audience voicing Mermaidman in SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS. 

Having written his autobiography, ERNIE, over the past several years he’d been travelling the country doing book-signings and personal appearances at venues big and small, even appearing at the North Hollywood Public Library for a MARTY screening.  He never seemed to be in anything but a great mood, and I’ve never heard a bad word about him from anyone who worked with him.  And he never stopped working.  When I asked him last July when he was going to do another Western, he laughed, “I'm doing one right now! It's called THE MAN WHO SHOOK THE HAND OF VINCENTE FERNANDEZ. It's a Western, but it takes place in a nursing home.”  I understand the film has been completed, and Borgnine won the Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award at this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival.

INSP CELEBRATES EXPANSION OF SADDLE-UP SATURDAY WITH CONTEST

SADDLE-UP SATURDAY, featuring episodes of BONANZA, THE BIG VALLEY, DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN,and sometimes movies, now starts at 1 p.m. ET, 10 a.m. PT, and runs all day and all night!  You can learn more about the line-up HERE.   To celebrate the expansion, INSP is sponsoring a sweepstakes that will win some lucky viewer an all-expenses-paid four-day Dude Ranch getaway for two worth $5000! The second prize is a Weber Barbecue, Omaha Steaks and groceries worth more than $1300! Third prize – these are worth $300, and there are a dozen of them – are BIG VALLEY and BONANZA DVDs, plus a new pair of Levis and a Fisher Gold Mining Kit! To find out more, click under the banner below, and good luck!  Let's make sure these prizes are won by Round-up readers, and not someone less deserving! 

CLICK HERE

CALIFORNIA PERMANENTLY RECOGNIZES ‘THE NATIONAL DAY OF THE COWBOY’

Only Wyoming has beaten California to the punch!  On Monday, July 2^nd, California became the 2^nd state in the Union to recognize the National Day of the Cowboy and Cowgirl as July 28^th, in perpetuity.  Other states that are currently on board for this year, either by State Senate resolution, or Governor’s proclamation, are Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas.  If you’d like to watch the proclamation pass in California, featuring politicians and NDOC National Director Bethany Braley, go to the video here: https://vimeo.com/45099474

Speaking of the National Day of the Cowboy, events are happening all around the country, and as we get closer I’ll have more and more details, but to start, author J.R. Sanders, the man who created the READ ‘EM COWBOY Barnes and Noble Bookfair last year in Redlands, is at it again, and there are at least 8 READ ‘EM COWBOY events this year, including Redlands, Santa Clarita, and Valencia, California.  If you make a copy of the voucher below, when you make a purchase at any Barnes and Noble, in-store or on-line, from July 28^th through August 2^nd, a percentage will be contributed to organizations who encourage kids to read.  J. R.’s planned a week-long series of events, starting on July 22^nd with a 50^th Anniversary screening of THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE at the Fox Theatre in Old Town Redlands.  www.foxeventcenter.com.  There will be all manner of related music, writing and reading events for kids and adults all week long.

(I'm having technical difficulties getting the voucher to appear -- I'll have it in place as soon as I can)

All manner of celebrations are to be held in Sedona, Arizona; the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame; Sullivan, Missouri; Slippoff Hollow, Alabama; and Jefferson, Amarillo and El Paso, Texas.  You can find out details at the NDOC website here: http://nationaldayofthecowboy.com/wordpress/?post_type=tribe_events&eventDisplay=month

The Autry plans a day packed with activities including gun-slinger Joey Dillon, trick-ropers, square dancing, music, arts and crafts, gold-panning, screening of GENE AUTRY SHOW episodes and so much more.  Learn more here: http://theautry.org/programs/music-festivals/national-day-of-the-cowboy-and-cowgirl-2012

If you have an event related to the Nation Day Of The Cowboy planned, please share it with the Round-up, so we can share it with the Round-up Rounders (our readers)!

HENRY FONDA and THE DEPUTY -- a book review

It’s hard to say what kind of roles the public thinks of when they think of Henry Fonda, because he was so damned good at all of them.  This may come off as blasphemy in the Round-up, but I usually think of him first in comedy, especially Preston Sturges’ THE LADY EVE; then as Tom Joad in the GRAPES OF WRATH; and third as Wyatt Earp in MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, and all those other great Western roles, both comic and dramatic.

We don’t think of him as the star of a Western television series, but that’s exactly what he was in 1959 and 1960, starring in THE DEPUTY, and the story of how that series came about, as well as its demise, is the subject of Glenn A. Mosely’s illuminating book.

Mosely’s previous book, JEFFREY HUNTER AND TEMPLE HOUSTON (see my review HERE http://henryswesternroundup.blogspot.com/2011/11/yellow-rock-nabs-red-nation-top-prizes.html ) examined a series that didn’t make it to a full season.  THE DEPUTY lasted two, and NBC wanted to renew for a third, and extend the show from a half to a full hour.  And yet, it was doomed from the start by creating expectations that the makers had no intention of fulfilling.

Television in 1959 was a very different medium than it is today, and both the public and actors looked on it very differently.  For many years, certainly well into the 1970s, established actors did not want to appear regularly in a TV series.  Guest appearances were fine, but it was believed that audiences would never pay to see an actor once they’d gotten used to seeing them for free, so doing a TV series was considered the kiss of death to a career.  So why did an actor who’d just starred in MR. ROBERTS, Hitchcock’s THE WRONG MAN, 12 ANGRY MEN and THE TIN STAR agree to do a series?  “Many of my friends have asked why I’ve picked this season to debut in my own western series.  Gold convinced me.  Residuals is a magic word.  It means it rains gold.  It is the only chance an actor has to save money these days.  The thought of having an annuity from the residuals is very satisfying.” 

So it was more for love of money than love of westerns, but whatever it took to get Henry Fonda in the door was fine.  The premise was clever: Fonda plays Marshal Simon Fry in 1880 Arizona Territory, and he’s forever conning gunman-turned-shopkeeper Clay McCord (Allen Case) to ‘temporarily’ don a deputy’s badge, and help him on a case.  The plots were dramatic, but if the setup sounds a little more humorous than westernish, it’s no surprise when you learn THE DEPUTY was the first series created by soon-to-be sitcom powerhouse Norman Lear, and VERA CRUZ and CRIMSON PIRATE author Roland Kibbee.  And Norman Lear reveals that he and Kibbee borrowed that marshal-conning-deputy gag from Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s THE FRONT PAGE, better known as the Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell remake HIS GAL FRIDAY.

So, what went wrong?  Notice the series isn’t named THE MARSHAL, after Fonda’s character, but THE DEPUTY, after Case’s.  Fonda agreed to be ‘in’ every episode of the series, but to ‘star’ only in a few.  In the first season, he was the lead in seven out of 39 episodes!  In the other thirty-two, he did appearances so brief that they could shoot as many as five Fonda segments a day!  Fonda’s real love was the theatre, and his deal on THE DEPUTY made it possible to do plays or movies for nine months out of the year.  But would the public stand for it?

Mr. Mosley is a booster for the series, both the Fonda and non-Fonda episodes, and describes each in the fifty page episode guide.  He makes the point that if the quality of each script isn’t uniformly brilliant, shows of that period were expected to churn out 39 or 40 episodes per season, compared to our current fifteen or ten.  True, but it must be remembered that shows of the same period and with the same production schedule, like HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, GUNSMOKE, THE REBEL and THE RIFLEMAN, hit a tremendous amount of home runs per season.  Of course, they had a steady writing and directing staff – GUNSMOKE even had a decade of radio scripts to fall back on.  But after the creators of THE DEPUTY, Lear and Kibbee, turned in their pilot, Lear never wrote another episode, and Kibbee only wrote one.  Perhaps having a consistent vision when the show was getting established would have helped.

Mr. Mosley is the director of Broadcasting in the School of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho.  He brings the thoroughness of academia to his study of entertainment.  He demonstrates that many television westerns were not so much the reduced offspring of film, as they were the visual descendents of the radio western.  He also makes a convincing case that one reason for the tremendous number of westerns on television at the time – over thirty – was partly attributable to the quiz show scandals. 

THE DEPUTY board game

If you’re a fan of Fonda’s, a fan of Western TV, or just interested in how network deals were struck in TV’s early days, you’ll find HENRY FONDA AND THE DEPUTY very entertaining and informative.  It’s published by BearManor Media, and available through them, Amazon and other dealers, priced at $19.95.  The forward is by Read Morgan, who played Sgt. Tasker in season two; the prologue is by Christian I Nyby II, who, like his father, was a talented and prolific director, but who began his career on the ‘labor gang’ at Republic, where THE DEPUTY and so many other westerns, big-screen and small, were shot. 

Incidentally, if the book whets your appetite to see THE DEPUTY, you can find the entire run for sale on eBay for as little as $42. 

TWO MORE NEW ‘MORGAN KANE’ BOOKS

WR Films, the folks preparing to film MORGAN KANE: THE LEGEND BEGINS, have been releasing e-book versions of the novels to familiarize English-speakers with the most successful series of European-written Western novels since Karl May wrote about Winnetou and Old Shatterhand.  The stories are by Louis Masterson, pen-name for the prolific Kjell Hallbing, Norway’s most popular author.  Morgan Kane is sometimes a lawman, sometimes a bandit, sometimes a Texas Ranger.  The covers have all been eye-catching, but #13, REVENGE!, is their sexiest yet.  It and #12, GUNMAN’S INHERITANCE, have been released, and are available through Amazon and wherever e-books are sold, as are #1-11 -- and you definitely want to start at the beginning.

LOS ENCINOS DAY OF CELEBRATION SUNDAY JULY 15^TH

As regular readers know, Los Encinos Park in Encino is one of the California treasures threatened with closure by a bankrupt and incompetent state government.  An anonymous donor stepped up and gave them enough money to keep afloat through the 2012-2013 fiscal year!  The Docent Association, the park, and community invite you to join them on Sunday, July 15th from 11-3:30 for an extra special celebratory Living History day. It's B.Y.O.P.--bring your own picnic!  Also, from 1 to 2 p.m., they’ll be filming park visitors, asking what makes Los Encinos, locally known as ‘the duck park,’ special to them, and why they chose to make a donation to keep the park open.  Questions? Contact us: 818.784.4849 or LosEncinos@parks.ca.gov

A ‘HELL ON WHEELS’ APPETIZER

Season two of HELL ON WHEELS won’t begin until Sunday, August 12^th, but while we’re waiting, here are some season one behind-the-scenes pictures featuring, top to bottom, Anson Mount, Common and Wes Studi.

That'll have to do it for this week -- what with getting called for jury duty this week, I'm amazed I got half this much done.  Oh, and let's not forget to wish a happy birthday to an actress who, with a single performance, made a great addition to the Western film, Kim Darby!

Happy Trails,

Henry

All Original Contents Copyright July 2012 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved

JOHN WAYNE TRIBUTE PACKS CINERAMA DOME

On Thursday night, November 10^th, more than 800 of Marion Robert Morrison’s closest friends and biggest fans filled the Arclight Cinerama Dome in Hollywood for a tribute to Oscar-winning movie star John Wayne.  Wayne, who died more than thirty years ago, has been in the Harris Poll of Top Ten Movie Stars every year for over fifteen years – and he’s the only deceased actor on the list.  It was a perfect location for the tribute, as so many John Wayne movies, among them, HOW THE WEST WAS WON, had played there over the years.

(Nikki Pelley shows off buckle)

Folks in Western costume and regalia massed outside the theatre, and filled the lobby.  One I spotted was trick-rider and costumer Nikki Pelley, showing off the John Wayne Rodeo buckle she’d won at the Dean Smith Tribute to John Wayne Rodeo, where she and Western actor Ben Cooper were penning partners.  Also spotted were SILVER SPUR AWARD producer Cyndi Tracy and Western film and TV producer Rob Word. 

The orchestra section of the theatre was quickly filling up as the 7:30 start of the program neared, and sizing up the remaining spots, I grabbed the last seat in the first row of the balcony, reasoning that any farther back and I’d be looking through a sea of Stetsons. 

(Tommy Morgan and Clyde Lucas)

Music was provided, at an on-stage campfire set, by harmonica virtuoso Tommy Morgan, accompanied by singer and guitarist Clyde Lucas.  Morgan’s distinctive sound can be heard in John Wayne movies like HOW THE WEST WAS WON, THE WAR WAGON, RIO BRAVO, RIO LOBO, CHISUM, THE COWBOYS, and other Westerns from THE WILD BUNCH to BLAZING SADDLES, DANCES WITH WOLVES, and the current video game RED DEAD REDEMPTION.  He even plays solos on The Hollies’ ‘HE AIN’T HEAVY, HE’S MY BROTHER’, and the Beach Boys’ ‘GOOD VIBRATIONS.’ 

After a well-deserved hand for Morgan and Lucas, and ‘a word from our sponsor’ – in this case Land Rover of Encino -- the program began with Jules Verne Festival co-founders Jean-Christophe Jeuffre and Frederic Dieudonne speaking about their organization and its many good works – their annual Legendaire Award is their principal fund-raiser.  To underline where their inspiration comes from, they showed an original 1871 edition of Verne’s 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, which they’ve carry around for inspiration, from the Arctic to the Amazon when making their documentaries. 

Next onstage was John Wayne’s son Patrick Wayne, who commented, “If you had told me, in 1980 that my father’s popularity and celebrity would be as it is today, I would have said you were crazy.  I am in awe and amazed and humbled – and happy to have you all here – and I’m not alone.”  He asked his siblings, nieces and nephews, and step-mother to stand up, and it was a quite a group – well over a dozen.  He pointed out that the poll that still puts Wayne in the top ten movies stars, is taken with people from eighteen to twenty-six, none of whom were alive when Wayne died. 

Patrick next did an onstage Q&A with Nick Redman, whose WILD BUNCH documentary was Oscar-nominated.  “My dad was driven; he was driven to be successful.  He was focused.  When he was in high school he wanted to go to the Navy Academy, but they didn’t have the political connections to get him in there.  By the way – if he got into the Navy Academy he would have been the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  He was offered a football scholarship to S.C..  He played football his freshman year, and during the summer he broke his shoulder showing off for the girls in Newport Beach.  He couldn’t play football; he lost his scholarship.  But the kids who played football at S.C. worked at the studios for summer jobs, So he started working as a prop man, a stunt man…and went on to become John Wayne.  He was going to be successful wherever he went, and it just turned out by fate that it was to be in films...  He was encouraging.  He never tried to tell any of his children what they should do in their lives, he was always supportive.  But I think he was proud that Ethan and I decided to work with him.” 

Patrick Wayne was just a boy when John Ford offered him a whopping five bucks a day to work along with his dad in movies.  “It was a very special experience for me, because at that time I had four brothers and sisters, and none of (them were) interested in working in film.  So when I’d go on a film with my dad, I had him to myself, and didn’t have to share him.  It was special.”  He talked about how Ford was, “…brilliant, cynical, acerbic,” and how anyone who worked with Ford knew that one day they would become his target.  Patrick actually fared pretty well, outside of playing gin rummy with Ford.  “I thought I was pretty good, so I thought, ‘Well, I’ll let this old man win one.’  He catches on and says, ‘From now on, just play with Ward Bond and young boys.’”

Patrick held up the TRUE GRIT eye patch, which he explained was actually ‘a’ TRUE GRIT eye patch, because Wayne decided, what with dirt and sweat and make-up, to use a new one every day, so there were something like sixty eye patches. 

(Patrick, Marisa, Ethan and Pilar Wayne admire Legendaire Award)

Next to speak, briefly, was Ethan Wayne, and then Duke’s daughter Marisa and former wife Pilar were brought onstage to receive the Jules Verne Legendaire Award.

Next was Robert Mitchum’s son Christopher, who appeared with Duke in BIG JAKE.  “Duke was one of three mentors in my life.  My father of course, and much later Charlton Heston.  But in the middle I did three films with Duke, and he was my mentor.  And he took me from a two-line part in CHISUM, introduced me to Howard Hawks, to a co-starring role in RIO LOBO.  He asked me, ‘How’d you like to play my son?’  How do you say ‘no’ to that?  I love this family.  And I’m delighted and proud to be here.”

(Earl Holliman and Christopher Mitchum)

Next up was Duke’s brother from the SONS OF KATIE ELDER, Earl Holliman.  “It was a thrill for me.  I was a movie usher, and I used to see all these John Wayne movies.  I could never call him ‘Duke.’  It was always ‘John’ and ‘Big John.’  I was never a member of that inner clan.  I was like an orphan on THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER, because John had all these other people he’d worked with all these years – it was like a family.  And there was Dean Martin, who was in a world of his own – who was a great guy, a wonderful guy.  So I just kind of stood aside and watched all these folks, and it was really a great experience.  I think John at first kind of doubted my potential, because he didn’t know me at all.  And when he found out that I could fight and I could shoot and actually act, he was wonderful.”  And turning to Chris Mitchum, he added, “And your father, I played with too, in ANZIO.  It was a great experience.  It’s great fun to be here – thank you for letting me come.” 

Next onstage was John Wayne’s costar from TRUE GRIT, Kim Darby.  “I want to thank the Wayne family for asking me to be here tonight, and always being so supportive of me.  There is one story that sticks out in my mind, and that was at Paramount.  We had been on location, and we were back at the lot shooting.  And there was a big picture being taken of all the stars at Paramount.  They were shooting there (on the lot) all at the same time: Barbra Streisand, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Goldie Hawn, and there were some others in there.  There was this big room, and in the middle was (Paramount boss) Bob Evans.  So I was standing on the side watching this, and – I never called him Duke either – Mr. Wayne stepped out of the picture, walked over to me and said, ‘You’re not going to be on the side,’ and put me right in the middle of the picture with him.”

(Ethan and Pilar Wayne, Kim Darby, with Councilman Tom LeBonge presenting a proclamation)

There was one last surprise before the screening of TRUE GRIT on the Dome’s giant screen.  A filmed greeting was shown from Glen Campbell, who looked very well, and showed no signs of the Alzheimer’s Disease he’s been diagnosed with.  He told the story of John Wayne coming backstage after one of his concerts, because one of his daughters thought Campbell had talent, and offering him the part of LeBoeurf in TRUE GRIT.  When Campbell worried that he had no acting experience, Wayne assured him, “…that he could drag me through it alright.”  He had a great time on the film, though he was put out by the fact that, because he had little riding experience, “…what they gave me was a Shetland pony,” and Wayne enjoyed needling him with, “You understand that when we all ride off, you’re supposed to keep up with us!”  Always modest, Campbell claims that it was his own poor performance that helped make Wayne look so good that he got his Oscar.  But as we all saw a little while later, Campbell’s performance is solid, and considering his lack of experience, compares well to Matt Damon’s as the same character in the recent remake.  And yes, Campbell’s horse does appear to be a Shetland pony.        

EX-GOVERNOR ARNOLD BLOODIED BUT UNBOWED

Former California Governor and action movie-star Arnold Schwarznegger Tweeted this picture of himself, direct from the set of THE LAST STAND his modern-day Western directed by the Korean director of the wonderful THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD, Jee-Woon Kim. "Got a little banged up on set today. Thanks to the medical staff who got me back in action an hour later!"

The story about a small-town sheriff tracking down drug dealers who escape from court, the picture also stars Oscar Winner (for LAST KING OF SCOTLAND) Forest Whitaker (in the role previously announced for Liam Neeson), Rodrigo Santoro, Johnny “JACKASS” Knoxville, and one of the greatest of all Western villains, Harry Dean Stanton.

RFD-TV UNVEILS ROY ROGERS TOURNAMENT OF ROSES FLOAT

The Annual New Years Day Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena will feature an RFD-TV-sponsored float honoring the 100^th birthday of the King Of The Cowboys, Roy Rogers!  And though they’ve been gone longer than Roy, riding the float will be Trigger, the smartest horse in the movies, and Roy’s wonder-dog, Bullet!  The artfully taxidermied pair has been touring the country, making public appearances, for about a year, since network owner Patrick Gottsch purchased the dynamic duo at the big Roy Rogers Estate Auction.  RFD-TV shows an episode of the Roy Rogers Show every Sunday, and a Roy Rogers movie – this week it’s JESSE JAMES AT BAY – every Tuesday, with repeats.  To get you in a Roy Rogers mood, click HERE to watch him on HEE HAW, singing a song about an auctioneer.

NEW TV TRAILER FOR INSP’S NOV 25^TH ‘WHIPPERSNAPPER FEST’

The Friday after Thanksgiving, when all those dummies are standing on lines to buy gifts they could as easily buy a week later for the same price, many smart characters like myself will be sitting at home watching the Big Valley Young Whippersnapper Marathon on INSP, featuring guest performances by youngsters on the edge of stardom.  Here’s a preview:

 

TV WESTERNS ALL OVER THE DIAL!

More and more, classic TV Westerns are available all over the TV universe, but they tend to be on small networks that are easy to miss. Of course, ENCORE WESTERNS is the best continuous source of such programming, and has been for years. It’s not in my current satellite package, which is why I often forget to mention it, but currently they run CHEYENNE, MAVERICK, LAWMAN, THE VIRGINIAN, WAGON TRAIN, HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, GUNSMOKE, BRET MAVERICK, CIMMARON STRIP, and HOW THE WEST WAS WON. (I’d get it in a minute, if I didn’t have to buy a huge package of STARZ and ENCORE channels just to get the one!)

But there are several new, or at least new-to-me, channels showing sagebrush fare. GEB, which stands for Golden Eagle Broadcasting, is largely a religious-programming cable outlet that runs at least one Western on Saturdays – the ones I’ve caught have been public domain Roy Rogers and John Wayne pictures – and sometimes have weekday afternoon movies as well.

For those of you who watch TV with an antenna, there are at least a couple of channels that exist between the standard numbers – largely unavailable on cable or satellite systems – that provide Western fare. ANTENNA TV is currently running RIN TIN TIN, CIRCUS BOY, HERE COME THE BRIDES, and IRON HORSE.

Another ‘in between’ outfit, ME-TV, which stands for Memorable Entertainment TV, runs a wide collection: BIG VALLEY, BONANZA, BRANDED, DANIEL BOONE, GUNS OF WILL SONNETT, GUNSMOKE, MARSHALL DILLON (the renamed black and white GUNSMOKE), RAWHIDE, THE RIFLEMAN, and WILD WILD WEST. Some of these channels are hard to track down, but if they show what you’ve been missing, it’s worth the search. 

TCM FANATIC - WESTERN NOW ONLINE!

That's right, the segment I was interviewed for is now viewable here:

THE AUTRY NATIONAL CENTER

Built by cowboy actor, singer, baseball and TV entrepeneur Gene Autry, and designed by the Disney Imagineering team, the Autry is a world-class museum housing a fascinating collection of items related to the fact, fiction, film, history and art of the American West. In addition to their permenant galleries (to which new items are frequently added), they have temporary shows. The Autry has many special programs every week -- sometimes several in a day. To check their daily calendar, CLICK HERE. And they always have gold panning for kids every weekend. For directions, hours, admission prices, and all other information, CLICK HERE.

HOLLYWOOD HERITAGE MUSEUM

Across the street from the Hollywood Bowl, this building, once the headquarters of Lasky-Famous Players (later Paramount Pictures) was the original DeMille Barn, where Cecil B. DeMille made the first Hollywood western, The Squaw Man. They have a permanent display of movie props, documents and other items related to early, especially silent, film production. They also have occasional special programs. 2100 Highland Ave., L.A. CA 323-874-2276. Thursday – Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. $5 for adults, $3 for senior, $1 for children.

WELLS FARGO HISTORY MUSEUM

This small but entertaining museum gives a detailed history of Wells Fargo when the name suggested stage-coaches rather than ATMS. There’s a historically accurate reproduction of an agent’s office, an original Concord Coach, and other historical displays. Open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Admission is free. 213-253-7166. 333 S. Grand Street, L.A. CA.


FREE WESTERNS ON YOUR COMPUTER AT HULU

A staggering number of western TV episodes and movies are available, entirely free, for viewing on your computer at HULU. You do have to sit through the commercials, but that seems like a small price to pay. The series available -- often several entire seasons to choose from -- include THE RIFLEMAN, THE CISCO KID, THE LONE RANGER, BAT MASTERSON, THE BIG VALLEY, ALIAS SMITH AND JONES, and one I missed from 2003 called PEACEMAKERS starring Tom Berenger. Because they are linked up with the TV LAND website, you can also see BONANZA and GUNSMOKE episodes, but only the ones that are running on the network that week.

The features include a dozen Zane Grey adaptations, and many or most of the others are public domain features. To visit HULU on their western page, CLICK HERE.

BONANZA and BIG VALLEY

Every weekday, TV LAND airs a three-hour block of BONANZA episodes from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They've stopped running GUNSMOKE.  INSP is showing THE BIG VALLEY every weekday at noon, one p.m. and nine p.m., and Saturdays at 6 p.m., and have just added DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN to their schedule.

NEED YOUR BLACK & WHITE TV FIX?

Check out your cable system for WHT, which stands for World Harvest Television. It's a religious network that runs a lot of good western programming. Your times may vary, depending on where you live, but weekdays in Los Angeles they run DANIEL BOONE at 1:00 p.m., and two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.. On Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. it's THE RIFLEMAN again, followed at 2:30 by BAT MASTERSON. And unlike many stations in the re-run business, they run the shows in the original airing order. There's an afternoon movie on weekdays at noon, often a western, and they show western films on the weekend, but the schedule is sporadic. 

AMC has been airing a block of THE RIFLEMAN episodes early Saturday mornings, usually followed by Western features.

And RFD-TV is currently showing THE ROY ROGERS SHOW at 9:30 Sunday morning, repeated several times a week, and a Roy feature as well -- check your local listings.

Have a great Thanksgiving, and take a minute to think about what you've got to be thankful for -- I mean besides getting the drumstick!

Much obliged,
Henry

All original content copyright November 2011 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved

IT’LL BE HELL ON WHEELS WHEN MEEK’S CUTOFF MEETS REDFORD’S CONSPIRATOR!

Three major new Westerns, two for the big screen and one for the small, are growing on the horizon! And all are based on historical fact!

MEEK’S CUTOFF

MEEK’S CUTOFF will open on the day taxpayers crave a distraction most, April 15th. The story of a wagon train lost in the Oregon desert in 1845, the film stars the beautiful Michelle Williams of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN fame, fresh from her Oscar-nominated turn in BLUE VALENTINE. Co-starring is Paul Dano, who startled audiences by playing two roles in 2007’s THERE WILL BE BLOOD, and who will soon be seen in COWBOYS & ALIENS. Also in the cast is stuntman/actor Rod Rondeaux, whose legendary work with horses can be seen in almost every important Western of the last few years, and who played Roman Nose in INTO THE WEST (2005). The film is directed by Kelly Reichardt and written by Jonathan Raymond, whose previous collaboration, OLD JOY (2006) received strong critical notices. You can see the trailer for MEEK’S CUTOFF HERE.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3293026841/

(photos top to bottom: poster and still from Meek's Cutoff; poster and still from Conspirator; still from Hell On Wheels; National Day of the Cowboy poster; WestFest poster and two shots from last year's Rodeo; Kim Darby and John Wayne in True Grit; Kim Darby when I met her and she smiled real nice but still wouldn't give me an interview; Chief John Yellow Flower of the Utes; Chief Keokuk of the Sac & Fox)

THE CONSPIRATOR

Set to open on the same fateful day, and more to the point, the day in 1865 that the President succumbed to his wounds, is THE CONSPIRATOR, the story of the trial of Mary Surratt, one of those accused of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of President Lincoln, and the attempted murders of Vice President Johnson and Secretary of State Seward. Historians have never reached a consensus on Mary Surratt’s guilt or innocence (I think she was guilty as Hell). Directed by Robert Redford, who won the directing Oscar for ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980), and was nominated for QUIZ SHOW (1994), the screenplay is by James D. Soloman, from a story by Soloman and Gregory Bernstein. The film stars Robin Wright as Mary Surratt, James MacEvoy as her lawyer, Rachel Evan Wood as her daughter, with Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkerson, Alexis Bledel and Danny Huston. To see the trailer for THE CONSPIRATOR, click HERE.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3695417881/

HELL ON WHEELS

AMC, reportedly delighted with the pilot, has ordered a full season (with the pilot that makes ten episodes) of HELL ON WHEELS. The story is set just after the Civil War, during the building of the Transcontinental Railroad – the title refers to the make-shift, portable towns that sprung up along the way to service the railroad-workers’ needs. It stars Anson Mount as an ex-Confederate whose quest for revenge has led him to a job on the railroad. Rapper and DATE NIGHT star Common plays a freed slave, and also in the cast are Colm Meany of Star Trek fame (and also in CONSPIRATOR) and Eddie Spears of INTO THE WEST and the up-coming YELLOW ROCK. The series is being shot in Alberta, Canada, with financial help from the Alberta Film Development Program. The pilot is directed by David Von Ancken, who brought you SERAPHIM FALLS (2006). It’s created and written by Joe and Tony Gayton, brothers known for big action movies like BULLLETPROOF (1996) and FASTER (2010). An airdate has not yet been announced.

NATIONAL DAY OF THE COWBOY RIDES THROUGH NEW MEXICO!

Another state gets with the program, designating July 23rd to be the National Day of the Cowboy. As Santa Fe campaign-worker Richard Beal reports, the events of Wednesday, March 2nd, “Representative Brian F. Elgof talked for five minutes about the history of NDOC and why he thought it was important. The clerk then read the resolution. About 20 legislators stood up and told storoies about how their grandfather had been a cowboy, or they were a rodeo queen back in the day, etc., and each thanked Egolf for doing this and honoring the many cowboys in New Mexico. At the end, they presented us (NDOC) with the official certificate and the entire legislation sang Home on the Range.” Incidentally, Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is still recovering from the assassination attempt against her, has been a longtime supporter of NDOC.

On Monday March 7th, in Austin, Texas, the legislature will be meeting on the same matter. If you’d like to take part in this movement to make the National Day of the Cowboy an official national holiday, visit the official website HERE, and find out if your state is on board yet.

http://www.nationaldayofthecowboy.com/cms/

PALM SPRINGS ‘WESTFEST’ MARCH 24TH-27TH

There’s going to be so much going on at the Palm Springs Convention Center from Thursday through Sunday that I hardly know where to begin. There will be a PRCA Rodeo every day – including bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding; the Twangfest musical festival; Western Design Expo; a rodeo parade; barbecue; chili cook-off; a carnival; a Gene Autry Film Fest; talks by Bob Boze Bell of True West Magazine; talks by John Wayne co-star Eddie Faulkner remembering the Duke…. So much more than I can’t begin to fit it all in here – and aside from the rodeo, admission to everything is just five bucks a day! Also, although they officially say Westfest starts on March 24th, their event schedule starts on March 20th. CLICK HERE to go to the official site and learn more!

http://palmspringswestfest.com/index.php/home

KIM DARBY'S NOT TALKING

Apparently I lack grit. When I met Kim Darby recently I snapped a picture (see left), and asked for an interview. She referred me to her manager, who just called and told me, “Sorry, but no. I just got off the phone telling U.S.A. Today the same thing.” I can’t really blame her – with the huge success of the Coen Brothers’ TRUE GRIT remake, Kim has spent the last four months answering questions about the original film she made in 1969 with John Wayne and Henry Hathaway. She feels there’s nothing I can ask her about TRUE GRIT that she hasn’t answered a dozen or more times, and maybe she’s right. (I’ll try again later, with some really obscure and pointless questions like what kind of shoes Strother Martin wore, just to be different.) But if you’d like to get her take on the movie, CLICK HERE to visit her website, and follow the links to several recent interviews.

http://www.kimdarby.com/

ON THE TUBE

HAPPY TRAILS THEATER ON RFD-TV THURSDAY, MARCH 10TH

When Roy Rogers heard that Cole Porter had written a Broadway musical parody of B westerns, but couldn’t get it financed, he contacted Cole, and bought the theme song, which was the genesis of DON’T FENCE ME IN (1945), the story of reporter Dale Evans’ search for retired outlaw Wildcat Kelly. It also features great non-Cole Porter songs like The Last Roundup and Tumbling Tumbleweeds, and the cast includes Gabby Hayes, Robert Livingston, and one of the greatest of all screen gangsters, Marc Lawrence. At RFD-TV they pre-empted the Saturday morning airing, and the midnight one as well -- something with a title like The Country Family Reunion is returning to that slot, so the only time to catch DON'T FENCE ME IN is Thursday at 2:30 pm eastern and 5:30 western. I've sent an inquiry to the good folks at RFD-TV to ask, what gives?

COMING ATTRACTIONS – EVENTS IN MARCH

UCLA EVENTS AT THE BILLY WILDER THEATRE

Screenings as part of their Preservation Festival include, on Saturday, March 12th, a double bill of RAINBOW OVER TEXAS (1947) starring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, and HEART OF THE RIO GRANDE (1942) starring Gene Autry and the lovely Smiley Burnette. On Monday, March 14th, it’s THE FORGOTTEN VILLAGE (1941) from a screenplay by John Steinbeck, preceded by MEXICO IN THE HEARST METRONONE NEWS COLLECTION. And on Saturday, March 19th at 2:00 p.m. they will present the program BABY PEGGY: HOLLYWOOD’S TINY TITAN. The daughter of a cowboy and stuntman, Baby Peggy, co-starring with Brownie the Wonder-Dog, was a hugely popular star of Western child action comedy films in the 1920s. Few of her films have survived, but Baby Peggy has – she’s now known as Diana Serra Carey, and she will be present for the screening of several of her short films, and existing fragments of several more. (Here’s a historical note: a Baby Peggy film was the first movie to play at the Vista Theatre in Hollywood when it was opened in the early 1920s. The theatre was built at the intersection of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, where the Babylon sets for D. W. Griffith’s INTOLERANCE once stood. Over the decades the theatre and neighborhood lost its luster, and the Vista became a gay porn theatre. When it was turned into a revival house in the 1980s, Baby Peggy, who had attended the original opening decades before, attended the new ceremony, where gay porn director Fred Halsted handed the theatre keys over to her.)

LOS ANGELES SPAGHETTI WESTERN FESTIVAL MARCH 19th!

The historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood will play host on Saturday, March 19th to the Los Angeles Spaghetti Western Festival. This all-day event will feature live music, screenings, and some very special guest stars, leading men Robert Woods (GATLING GUN, read our review HERE -- read our interview with Woods HERE); Michael Forest (NOW THEY CALL HIM SACRAMENTO, read our review HERE); Richard Harrison ($100,000 FOR RINGO); Brett Halsey (WRATH OF GOD); Dan van Husen (LIGHT THE FUSE…SARTANA IS COMING) and Jack Betts –a.k.a. Hunt Powers (DJANGO AND SARTANA), as well as actor, stunt coordinator and Western historian Neil Summers. The movies to be screened will include the one that started it all, Sergio Leone’s A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, plus GATLING GUN (courtesy of Dorado Films – click HERE for their site) and DEAD MEN DON’T COUNT (courtesy of Wild East productions – click HERE for their site). A live musical tribute to Ennio Morricone will be presented by The Insect Surfers, playing music from the album FOR A FEW GUITARS MORE. You can save $10 if you register before February 28th, WHICH IS TOMORROW! For all the details, go to the official website HERE.

PAPERBACK COLLECTOR SHOW AND SALE SUNDAY, MARCH 27th

If you’re a reader of Westerns as well as a watcher, here is an event you should not miss! From 9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. you can search the wares of dozens of book dealers from around the country. They run from the very rare and pricey to the battered and cheap. Serious paperback collectors go for unopened books in perfect condition, but I go for what are disparagingly called ‘reader copies,’ and have found dozens of obscure Luke Shorts and Zane Greys for a dollar or two each. Also, more than 45 authors will be signing their books, and unlike other autograph shows, THERE IS NO CHARGE! Most of the authors are sci-fi and mystery types – for a complete list and schedule, click HERE. The event is at the Valley Inn and Conference Center, 10621 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills, CA 91345. For more information, call Tom Lesser at 818-349-3844 or Black Ace Books at 232-661-5052.
http://www.la-vintage-paperback-show.com/

BREAKING INTO WESTERN PRINT (BOTH ‘E’ AND PAPER) MARCH 27TH

If you’ve ever wanted to write a western novel or story – of if you’ve written it, but don’t know how to get it published (my hand is raised), make plans to go to Out West, at 24265 Main Street in Newhall on Sunday, March 27th at 2:00 p.m. Author C. Courtney Joyner, the very talented and prolific screenwriter and western film historian, will discuss breaking into the western print market, agents, editors, networking, the changes at Leisure Books, ‘E’ publishing, university presses, contests, and publishers across the pond. Mr. Joyner knows whereof he speaks: in addition to a long string of screen credits, both as writer and director, he wrote the fascinating interview-book THE WESTERNERS (see my review HERE), and his excellent tale, The Two-bit Kill, is featured in the new western story collection, LAW OF THE GUN. The event is free. For reservations call 661-255-7087.

THE AUTRY NATIONAL CENTER

Built by cowboy actor, singer, baseball and TV entrepeneur Gene Autry, and designed by the Disney Imagineering team, the Autry is a world-class museum housing a fascinating collection of items related to the fact, fiction, film, history and art of the American West. In addition to their permenant galleries (to which new items are frequently added), they have temporary shows. The Autry has many special programs every week -- sometimes several in a day. To check their daily calendar, CLICK HERE. And they always have gold panning for kids every weekend. For directions, hours, admission prices, and all other information, CLICK HERE.

HOLLYWOOD HERITAGE MUSEUM

Across the street from the Hollywood Bowl, this building, once the headquarters of Lasky-Famous Players (later Paramount Pictures) was the original DeMille Barn, where Cecil B. DeMille made the first Hollywood western, The Squaw Man. They have a permanent display of movie props, documents and other items related to early, especially silent, film production. They also have occasional special programs. 2100 Highland Ave., L.A. CA 323-874-2276. Thursday – Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. $5 for adults, $3 for senior, $1 for children.

WELLS FARGO HISTORY MUSEUM

This small but entertaining museum gives a detailed history of Wells Fargo when the name suggested stage-coaches rather than ATMS. There’s a historically accurate reproduction of an agent’s office, an original Concord Coach, and other historical displays. Open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Admission is free. 213-253-7166. 333 S. Grand Street, L.A. CA.


FREE WESTERNS ON YOUR COMPUTER AT HULU

A staggering number of western TV episodes and movies are available, entirely free, for viewing on your computer at HULU. You do have to sit through the commercials, but that seems like a small price to pay. The series available -- often several entire seasons to choose from -- include THE RIFLEMAN, THE CISCO KID, THE LONE RANGER, BAT MASTERSON, THE BIG VALLEY, ALIAS SMITH AND JONES, and one I missed from 2003 called PEACEMAKERS starring Tom Berenger. Because they are linked up with the TV LAND website, you can also see BONANZA and GUNSMOKE episodes, but only the ones that are running on the network that week.

The features include a dozen Zane Grey adaptations, and many or most of the others are public domain features. To visit HULU on their western page, CLICK HERE.

TV LAND - BONANZA and GUNSMOKE

Every weekday, TV LAND airs a three-hour block of BONANZA episodes from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They run a GUNSMOKE Monday through Thursday at 10:00 a.m., and on Friday they show two, from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.. They're not currently running either series on weekends, but that could change at any time.

NEED YOUR BLACK & WHITE TV FIX?

Check out your cable system for WHT, which stands for World Harvest Television. It's a religious network that runs a lot of good western programming. Your times may vary, depending on where you live, but weekdays in Los Angeles they run DANIEL BOONE at 1:00 p.m., and two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.. On Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. it's THE RIFLEMAN again, followed at 2:30 by BAT MASTERSON. And unlike many stations in the re-run business, they run the shows in the original airing order. There's an afternoon movie on weekdays at noon, often a western, and they show western films on the weekend, but the schedule is sporadic.

Well, March is sure shaping up to be a busy month for Western fans. Hope you're enjoying it!

Adios,
Henry

All Contents Copyright March, 2011 by Henry C. Parke - All Rights Reserved