PALOMINAS RIDE JUNE 14TH!

Writer/Director THADD TURNER informs me he's planning to roll camera Monday, June 14th, on PALOMINAS, with location work at the Eaves Movie Ranch and Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch, both in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The story takes place at the turn of the century, near the border with Mexico, where a rancher and sheriff must face down hired gunmen. I should have cast info in the next week or two. Turner has previously written and produced MIRACLE AT SAGE CREEK (2005) and SEVEN MUMMIES (2006).

WES STUDI MAKES IT COWBOYS AND INDIANS AND ALIENS

Wes Studi is the newest cast member of the Jon Favreau-directed COWBOYS AND ALIENS, joining Daniel Craig, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford and Keith Carradine.

BIG VALLEY CASTS 'HEATH'

Travis Fimmel will be playing the Lee Majors-created role of Heath Barkley in the feature film version of THE BIG VALLEY, which starts shooting July 19th in Baton Rouge. The Ausie-born sctor played continuing roles in TARZAN (2003) and THE BEAST (2009). He joins Jessica Lange as Victoria Barkley, Jason Alan Smith as Nick, and Bruce Dern, Richard Dreyfus, and Lee Majors, who portrays the never-seen-in-the-series Tom Barkley, who sired all the Barkley kids, legit and otherwise.

Writer/Director Daniel Adams may be new to westerns, but not to period films. He's recently written and directed two films set and shot in Cape Cod. In 2009 he made LIGHTKEEPERS, currently in limited release, starring Richard Dreyfus as a lighthouse keeper who finds an amnesiac washed up on his shore. In the romantic comedy GOLDEN BOYS (2008), David Carradine, Rip Torn and Bruce Dern are turn-of-the-century retired sea captains, determined that one of them will marry Mariel Hemingway.

HEY JEFF, WHERE'S THE PATCH?

Photographer Joe O'Connell posted the picture above, of Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn on the set of theTRUE GRIT remake. The production will be moving this week from small Central Texas towns to downtown Austin.

MOVIE REVIEW – ‘REEL INJUN’

I’m not in the Academy, and I don’t know the criteria involved in Oscar nominations, but I do know that REEL INJUN is one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in years. Opening with a group of Indian children watching the climax of THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON -- the death of Errol Flynn as Custer at Little Big Horn -- director Neil Diamond narrates: “Growing up on the reservation, the only show in town was movie night in the church basement. Raised on cowboys and Indians, we cheered the cowboys, never realizing that we were the Indians.”
A Cree living on a reservation near the Arctic Circle, Diamond decides to journey across the United States, to Hollywood, by way of numerous landmarks and reservations, to tell the story of the Indian portrayal in American film and culture, and the parallel story of the lives of real Indians.
By turns it’s enlightening, heartbreaking, and extremely funny – from the sly wit of Indian stand-up comic Charlie Hill; to the goofiness of some westerns, playing dialog backwards to simulate Indian speech; to the self-effacing humor of Diamond and others. His description of ‘the rez car’ alone is worth the price of admission. Editor Jeremiah Hayes seamlessly flows the documentary footage and western movie clips together.
We visit Pine Ridge Reservation, the poorest in the nation, and meet a Lakota chief who is a direct descendant of Red Cloud, standing at the spot where Crazy Horse was murdered.
We hear the fascinating, sometimes tragic stories of ‘movie Indians’ like Buffalo Child Long Lance and Iron Eyes Cody. And speaking of ‘movie Indians,’ we see the homogenization of all the distinct tribes into generic ‘Plains Indians.’ We learn why, among many Indians, LITTLE BIG MAN is better thought of than DANCES WITH WOLVES, why BILLY JACK was so important, and why Jesse Wente, an Ojibway film critic calls John Ford’s great STAGECOACH, “One of the most damaging movies for native people in history.”
The film also takes an amused look at the ‘Indian cool’ fashions of 1960s hippies, and the tribal elements of summer camp that brings a counselor all the way from Austria to lead his ‘Sioux’ band. Sacheen Littlefeather, who was a fashion model at the time, shares the story of Brando asking her to refuse his Oscar, and the importance of that gesture to Indian activists during the occupation of Alcatraz and Wounded Knee. I must confess that, prior to seeing the story of those occupations from the prospective of activists John Trudell and Russell Means, I simply thought they were crazy. Now I understand.
Among the familiar faces who add their perspectives are Clint Eastwood, Jim Jarmusch, Graham Greene and Wes Studi. Additionally we hear from actor Adam Beach, and directors Chris Eyre and Zacharias Kunuk, who are in the forefront of a renaissance of films made by Indians.
In addition to screenings in Canada, REEL INJUN will be shown in New York at The Museum of Modern Art from June 14th through June 20th. October 12th through the 17th it will be screened at The Indigenous Film Festival in Denver, Colorado. Beyond those screenings, I don’t know how available this film will be to see, prior to airing on PBS stations in the future, but I’ll keep you informed. In the meantime, CLICK HERE to see the trailer and visit the official website, which has more information.

DENNIS HOPPER DIES

The actor who made indellible impressions in films as varied as REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE and SPEED, was born in Dodge City, Kansas, an appropraite locale for an actor who did so many western roles so well. His first feature film appearence was in JOHNNY GUITAR, and he followed that by playing the title character in the pilot episode for THE RIFLEMAN, 'The Sharpshooter,' seen in the picture above. He appeared in GIANT (1956), played Billy Clanton in GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL (1958), played Billy The Kid in an episode of SUGARFOOT, was seen in SONS OF KATIE ELDER (1965), HANG 'EM HIGH (1968), episodes of CHEYENNE, ZANE GREY THEATER, WAGON TRAIN, BONANZA and GUNSMOKE. In 1971 he wrote, directed and starred in THE LAST MOVIE, a film about making a western while surrounded by South American Indians. His last western was BLOOD RED, in 1989.

JOHN DAVIS CHANDLER DIES

The actor whose whiny voice and piercing blue eyes made him a natural for portraying all manner of despicable villains, was born and bred in West Virginia. He made his film debut as the title character in MAD DOG COLL (1961), about the perpetrator of the Harlem Baby Massacre. It would be his only lead. He leant his villainy to three Sam Peckinpah westerns, RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY(1962), MAJOR DUNDEE (1965) and PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID (1973). In addition to episodes of THE RIFLEMAN, THE VIRGINIAN, HIGH CHAPARRAL, GUNSMOKE and THE TRAVELS OF JAMIE MCPHEETERS, he appeared in RETURN OF THE GUNFIGHTER (1967), BAQUERO (1970), SHOOTOUT (1971), and for Clint Eastwood in OUTLAW JOSEY WALES (1976). He did many non-western roles as well.

SAM PECKINPAH DOUBLE-BILL AT NEW BEVERLY

Hollywood's New Beverly Cinema will be showing DUCK, YOU SUCKER! and BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA from Sunday, May 30th through Tuesday, June 1st.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD AT LANDMARK THEATRES

To read my review of The Good, The Bad and The Weird, check out May 9th's entry. It's currently playing at the Mayan Theatre in Denver, and opens at the Main Arts Theatre in Detroit on June 4th.

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.

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 THE LONE RANGER at 1:30 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.

That's about it, folks. I haven't even looked at what's on cable TV yet. I'll try to later on in the week, but I make no guarantees. Don't forget that it's not just a three-day weekend, it's Memorial Day: FLY YOUR FLAG!

Adios!

Henry

All Contents Copyright May 2010 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved

MUSICAL CHAIRS AT THE BARKLEY RANCH!

As the theatrical version of TV's THE BIG VALLEY gets set to roll camera on July 19 in Baton Rouge, they keep switching the chairs (see photo of Barkleys waiting anxiously for music to begin again). This time, Susan Sarandon is out as Victoria Barkley, and Jessica Lange is in. The EMMY winning actress, for GRAY GARDENS, will be taking on the role made famous by Barbara Stanwyck in the long-running series. Listed in the cast are Bruce Dern and Richard Dreyfus, who both guested on the original series, Jason Alan Smith in Peter Breck's role as fiery Nick Barkley, and Lee Majors, not as Heath, but as his illegitimate father, Tom Barkley.

Conspicuously absent from current listings is Ryan Phillipe, who had been announced as Jarrod, the Richard Long role. Billy Bob Thornton had also been rumored for an unannounced role, but his name has stopped popping up.

KEITH CARRADINE JOINS THE ALIENS

Or maybe the cowboys. Keith, of the great Carradine acting dynasty, has had many western roles, frequently portraying real people: he was Jim Younger in LONG RIDERS (1980), Buffalo Bill Cody in WILD BILL (1995), starred on Broadway as WILL ROGERS, and was Wild Bill Hickock in the first five episodes of DEADWOOD. (And for the record, the biggest mistake the producers of DEADWOOD ever made was to kill off their most interesting character so soon!) Now he joins Danile Craig, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford and Heavy D in COWBOYS AND ALIENS, for Director Jon Favreau. Incidentally, Favreau will be working with his same cimenatographer and editor from IRON MAN 2, Matthew Libatique and Dan Lebental, respectively.

BEST THING ON TV ALL WEEK! JOHNW WAYNE AND INDIANS FACE OFF!

Turner Classic Television continues with their NATIVE AMERICAN IMAGES ON FILM series on Tuesday and Thursday, and Wednesday, smack in the middle, is John Wayne's Birthday! TMC will be showing a whole passel of Duke B-westerns, capped by STAGECOACH. Next I'll be reviewing a fascinating documentary, REEL INJUNS, examining Hollywood's portrayal of Indians from an Indin's point of view, and a look at several Indian-made films, including SMOKE SIGNALS (1998), which plays on TMC on Tuesday. Here's the whole line-up:

Tuesday, May 25th

5:00 p.m. THE SQUAW MAN (1914) The one that started it all -- DeMille this film, purported to be the first western made in Hollywood.

6:30 p.m. LAKOTA WOMAN: RETURN TO WOUNDED KNEE (1994)

8:30 p.m. SMOKE SIGNALS (1998) When his best freind's father dies, an Indian funds their trip to deal with his remains. Starrin Adam Beach.

10:15 p.m. NATURALLY NATIVE (1999) Three Native American sisters decide to try and sell a line of cosmetics.

Wednesday, May 26th

12:15 a.m. RAMONA (1910) D.W.Griffith directs Mary Pickford in this two-reel version of the classic tale.

12:45 a.m. LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1920) Rarely seen silent version of James Fenimore Cooper's tale, starring Wallace Beery, and directed by Maurice Tourneur and Clarence Brown.

THE JOHN WAYNES

3:00 a.m. HAUNTED GOLD (1932)

4:00 a.m. RIDE HIM, COWBOY (1932)

5:00 a.m. THE BIG STAMPEDE (1932)

7:15 a.m. SAGEBRUSH TRAIL (1934)

8:15 a.m. SOMEWHERE IN SONORA (1933)

11:00 a.m. THE MAN FROM MONTEREY (1933)

12:00 p.m. THE TELEGRAPH TRAIL(1933)

1:00 p.m. RANDY RIDES ALONE (1934)

2:00 p.m. THE STAR PACKER (1934)

3:00 p.m. STAGECOACH (1939)

MORE NATIVE AMERICAN IMAGES ON THURSDAY MAY 27TH

5:00 p.m. NANOOK OF THE NORTH (1922)Ground-breaking Robert Flaherty documentary.

6:15 p.m. THE EXILES (1961)Three young Indians feel isolated when they leave the reservation for the big city.

8:00 p.m. INCIDENT AT OGLALA (1992) A trial follows a deadly shootout between federal agents and Native Americans, directed by Michael Apted.

10:00 p.m. BROKEN RAINBOWS (1985) The government relocation of 10,000 Navajo sheds light on continuing mistreatment of Native Americans. Stars Martin Sheen, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Burgess Meredith, directed by Victoria Mudd.

11:15 p.m. THE SILENT ENEMY (1930) The story of the Ojibway Indians before Columbus, starring Cheekah, Chief Akawanush, Chief Yellow Robe.

Friday, May 28th

12:45 a.m. RETURN OF A MAN CALLED HORSE (1976) starring Richard Harris, Gale Sondergaard, directed by Irvin Kershner.

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.

WESTERN MOVIES ON TV
Note:AMC=American Movie Classics, EXT= Showtime Extreme, FMC=Fox Movie Channel, TCM=Turner Classic Movies. All times given are Pacific Standard Time.

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 THE LONE RANGER at 1:30 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.

Happy Trails!

Henry

All contents copyright May 2010 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved

LOCK YOUR DOORS! FRANK AND JESSE ARRIVE TUESDAY!

AMERICAN BANDITS: FRANK AND JESSE JAMES

The new western from writer-director-producer Fred Olen Ray arrives at video stores on Tuesday, May 18th. See the review below.

ANOTHER DUKE CLASSIC TO BE REMADE

Even as cameras are grinding away on the TRUE GRIT remake, Warner Brothers is planning a remake of THE COWBOYS (1972). The original is a classic, from the novel by William Dale Jennings, and a screenplay by him and the great husband and wife western team of Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch, who also scripted HOMBRE (1967),THE REVIERS (1969), and THE SPIKES GANG (1974). In addition to non-western work, director Mark Rydell made THE REVIVERS as well as ten GUNSMOKE episodes. The story, about a rancher who hires a bunch of schoolboys for his cattledrive, showcased several fine young actors, including A. Martinez and Robert Carradine, and a wonderfully hateful villain in Bruce Dern. The excellent 2nd unit action was directed by Buzz Henry.

The new version is being produced by Donald DeLine, whose BURLESQUE is out soon, and who last year produced the comedy I LOVE YOU, MAN. Director Jonathan Mostow made last year's SURROGATES, and back in 1997 wrote and directed the excellent BREAKDOWN. Screenwriter Les Bohem is no stranger to the western form, having written 2004's THE ALAMO, and back in 1989 scripted the TV movie BADLANDS JUSTICE, part of the Elmore Leonard-created DESPERADO franchise. It all sounds promising!

'KING OF THE COWBOYS' SUBJECT OF BIOPIC

Singer Clint Black, whose squinty eyes have oft been compared to Roy Rogers' pair (see photo above) will be playing Roy in a movie tentatively titled HAPPY TRAILS. Clint's beautiful bride, actress Lisa Hartman-Black will portray Roy's beautiful bride Dale Evans. Clint can currently be seen as the wrangler in the new FOX direct-to-video release FLICKA 2. Attached as director is Walter Hill, whose many fine westerns include LONG RIDERS (1980), GERONIMO (1993), WILD BILL (1995), the pilot for DEADWOOD (2004) and BROKEN TRAIL (2006). The script will be based on a pair of books by Chriss Enss and Howard Kazanjian.

RED DEAD REDEMPTION VIDGAME LAUNCHES TUESDAY, MAY 18TH

This gritty western-themed video game for Play Station 3 and XBOX 360 has an elaborate website with a lot of clips and info -- to check it out, CLICK HERE.

MOVIE REVIEW - AMERICAN BANDITS: FRANK AND JESSE JAMES

Opening with the James gang’s murderous robbery of a military payroll, you know that you’re in for something unusual, because within minutes one of the protagonists is gravely wounded. With the brothers in need of medical help, and their accomplices in need of escape, there’s no time for a split of the loot. Amidst grumbling, they plan to regroup four days hence in a ghost town – not knowing that instead of being deserted, it's but populated with a handful of refugees from a recent stage coach hold-up, stranded without transportation.

That’s the framework for AMERICAN BANDITS: FRANK AND JESSE JAMES, an obvious labor of love from prolific writer/director/producer Fred Olen Ray. Unlike most westerns, the point of view is decidedly Southern, depicting border-state residents as much-abused victims of an occupying Northern Army. During Reconstruction, their men were not allowed to vote, to serve on juries, and their preachers were not allowed to preach. This goes a long way towards explaining the aid the James boys, veterans of Quantrill’s Raiders, received from much of the local populace.

The film stars George Stults, veteran of six seasons of 7th HEAVEN as Jesse, and Tim Abell, of Soldiers of Fortune Inc. (1987-1999) and Miracle of Sage Creek (2005) as Frank, and both men are well cast, good in action and on horseback. For a change, the title lists Frank James before Jesse, which makes sense as Frank carries the majority of the film’s action. Abell’s portrayal of Frank’s wise calculation makes a nice contrast to Stults’ playing of Jesse’s impulsiveness.

Among the fine actors featured are Lauren Eckstrom as the beautiful and chillingly bitter preacher’s granddaughter who tends Jesse’s wounds, Peter Fonda in a low-key performance as the Marshal who wants the James boys brought in, and Jeffrey Combs as Ed Bass. Combs, an actor with a large following for his RE-ANIMATOR horror films, is truly frightening as the James accomplice who wants to take over the gang, his antics bringing to mind the ‘heavy’ work of Claude Akins and Lee Marvin.

Cinematographer Theo Angell gets takes full advantage of the beauty of rural locations as well as Melody Ranch and Peetzburgh. Editor Randy Canter keeps the film moving at a steady clip, without rushing through the dramatic scenes that need time to build tension. Director Ray, with over a hundred features to his credit, draws thoughtful performances from his actors – one senses this is a much more personal project than most, and the care in production belies the fact that this is a film made with more love than money. To see a trailer, CLICK HERE.

SWEETGRASS AT LANDMARK THEATERS

To read my review of Sweetgrass, check out last week's entry. Sweetgrass is currently showing at the Mayan Theatre in Denver, The Ritz at The Bourse in Philadelphia, and opens at the E Street Cinema in D.C. on Friday, May 21st.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD AT LANDMARK THEATRES

To read my review of The Good, The Bad and The Weird, check out last week's entry. It's currently playing at the Midtown Art Cinema in Atlanta, Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley, Lumiere Theatre in San Francisco, The Ken Cinema in San Diego, Varsity Theatre in Seattle, E Street Cinema in D.C., Lagoon Theatre in Minneapolis, and opens on Friday the 31st at the Mayan Theatre in Denver and The Tivoli Theatre in St. Louis.

'BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK' - FILM FORUM - NEW YORK CITY

For one week only, Friday May 21st through Tursday May 27th, the Film Forum will be screening a brand-spanking-new 35mm scope print! John Sturges directed this excellent, tough, noirish post-war western from a script by Millard Kaufman, and Millard's son Frederick Kaufman will introduce the Friday 8:20 p.m. show. It start Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin.

WESTERN MOVIES ON TV
Note:AMC=American Movie Classics, EXT= Showtime Extreme, FMC=Fox Movie Channel, TCM=Turner Classic Movies. All times given are Pacific Standard Time.

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 THE LONE RANGER at 1:30 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.

Tuesday May 18th

TCM 5:00 p.m. DAVY CROCKETT, INDIAN SCOUT (1950) One of Davy Crocxkett's decendants leads a wagon train through perilous territory. Georege Montgomery, Ellen Drew, Philip Reed. D> Lew Landers

TCM 9:30 p.m. A MAN CALLED HORSE (1970) An English lord kidnapped by Indians becomes a part of the tribe. Starring Richard Harris, Judith Anderson, Manu Tupou. Directed by Elliot Silverstein, who, to show his western range, also directed CAT BALLOU.

TCM 11:30 p.m. WINDWALKER (1980) A dead chief returns to help his tribe fight off invaders. Stars Trevor Howard, Nick Ramus, James Remar, directed by Keith Merrill.

Wednesday May 19th

TCM 1:30 a.m. THE VANISHING AMERICAN (1925) Rarely seen silent version ofthe Zane Grey novel. An American Indian college star meets with racial intolerance when he returns to the reservation. Stars Richard Dix, Lois Wilson, Noah Beery Sr. Directedd by George B. seitz.

FMC 3:00 a.m. RIO CONCHOS (1964) Richard Boone, Anthony Francisoa, STuart Whitman and Edmund O'Brien fight over a shipment of guns. Directed by Gordon Douglas. Clair Huffaker adapted his own novel, with the help of Joe Landon.

FMC 7:00 a.m. THE PROUD ONES (1956) Marshal Robert Ryan must protect his town when a Texas herd arrives with murderous Jeffrey Hunter. Directed by Robert D. Webb, also starring Virginia Mayo, Walter Brennan, Robert Middleton. Verne Athanas's novel was adapted by Edmund North and Joseph Petraca.

Thursday May 20th

FMC 7:30 a.m. TREASURE OF THE GOLDEN CONDOR (1953) The remake of 'Son of Fury' concerns a young man (Cornel Wilde) cheated out of his inheritance by his uncle (George Macready) who travels to the Mayan hills of Guatamala seeking a hidden treasure. Based on the Edison Marshall novel, written and directed by the excellent Delmer Daves.


TCM 1:00 p.m. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) The finest of John Ford's later films, and his last great film with John Wayne. James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck adapted Dorothy M. Johnson's story, told in flasback, about a Senator (James Stewart) whose career turns on the fact that he shot outlaw Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin).

TCM 3:15 p.m. THE MAN FROM LARAMIE (1955) Tough-as-nails Anthony Mann/James Stewart story about a wandering cowpoke caught between an elderly rancher's ruthless sons. With Arthur Kennedy, Donald Crisp, Alex Nicol -- great performance. Story by Thomas Flynn, screenply by Philip Yordan and Frank Burt.

TCM 5:00 p.m. DEVIL'S DOORWAY (1950) An Indian Civil War hero returns home to fight for his people. Starring Robert Taylor, Louis Calhern, Paula Raymond, directed by the great Anthony Mann from Guy Trosper's screenplay.

TCM 6:30 p.m. LITTLE BIG MAN (1970) As a little big fan of director Arthur Penn and screenwriter Calder Willingham, I couldn't wait to see this adaptation of Thomas Berger's novel about an incredibly old Dustin Hoffman recalling his upbringing by Indians and fighting alongside Custer. But it's just ghastly, nearly unwatchable, and absolutely pointless, for 140 minutes! It strives to be funny on occasion, but fails utterly. Hoffman doesn't suck, but he can't save it. Faye Dunaway is fetching as she seduces Hoffman. Chief Dan George was nominated for as Oscar, in a performance that reminds you of Bela Lugosi's later work -- when he was at such a higher level of professionalism than those around him that you wondered how he could stand it. Great make-up by Dick Smith. Burn the negative.

TCM 9:15 p.m. THUNDERHEART (1992) An FBI man gets back in touch with his native roots investigating a murder on a reservation. Stars Val Kilmer, Sam Shepard, Graham Greene, directed by Michael Apted.

TCM 11:30 p.m. JIM THORPE - ALL AMERICAN (1951) The famous Native American athlete figts prejusdice in his pursuit of sports stardom. Burt Lancaster, Phyllis Thaxter, Charles Bickford, directed by Michael Curtiz.

Friday May 21st

TCM 1:30 a.m. THE LAST HUNT (1956) Two frontiesrmen clash over the slaughter of a buffalo herd. Stars Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, Lloyd Nolan. Directed by Richard Brooks.

AMC 1:30 p.m. SILVERADO (1985) Larry Kasdan directs from a script he wrote with his brother Mark. Lots of good stuff in it, but at 133 minutes, it's at least a half hour too long. Starring Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn and Kevin Costner.

Saturday May 22nd

FMC 3:00 a.m. The Big Trail (1930) Raoul Walsh directed John Wayne in his first lead in this epic from Hal G. Evarts' story, and good as it was, it was a box-office disappointment, sending the Duke to do leads in Bs until Stagecoach (1939). Beautiful telling of the story of a wagon train, with Marguerite Churchill, El Brendel, Ty Power Sr., with uncredited early roles by Ward Bond and Iron Eyes Cody. Shot in 35 MM by Lucien Andriot, and 70MM by Arthur Edeson -- I don't know which version they show.

FMC 5:30 a.m. THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940) A delight! Rouben Mamoulian directs John Taintor Foote's adaptation of the Johnston McCulley story. Ty Power, Basil Rathbone, Linda Darnell et al have great fun, and the audience has even more.

AMC 8:00 a.m. THE COMANCHEROS (1961) John Wayne arrests Stuart Whitman, but they must join forces to defeat evil gun-running comanchero Lee Marvin. Great fun, written by James Edward Grant from a novel by Paul Wellman. It was Michael Curtiz's last film. When he became too ill, John Wayne took over the directorial reins, but refused credit. Fine Elmer Bernstein score. Biggest weakness: Lee Marvin is supposed to be horribly scared from surviving being scalped, but he actually looks like he's wearing a horse-shoe crab on top of his head.

AMC 10:30 a.m. THE STALKING MOON (1968) An aging cavalry scout (Gregory Peck) tries to protect a woman (Eva Marie Saint) and her half-Indian child. Directed by Robert Mulligan from Theodore V. Olsen's novel.

FMC 7:30 p.m. BROKEN ARROW (1950) James Stewart is an ex-soldier, and Jeff Chandler is Apache Chief Cochise, trying together for peace. D:Delmer Daves, W:Albert Maltz(another writer's name may be one the credits -- Maltz was blacklisted and had someone 'front' for him).

AMC 10:00 p.m. PALE RIDER (1985) Clint Eastwood directs and stars as a mysterious stranger (can you believe it?) protecting a town from bad guys. Moody and effective, script by Michael Butler and Dennis Shyrack, and featuring Carrie Snodgrass and Michael Moriarty.

Sunday May 23rd

AMC 8:00 a.m. PALE RIDER (1985) Clint Eastwood directs and stars as a mysterious stranger (can you believe it?) protecting a town from bad guys. Moody and effective, script by Michael Butler and Dennis Shyrack, and featuring Carrie Snodgrass and Michael Moriarty.

FMC 1:00 p.m. THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER (1982) An Australian 'western' based on a poem by A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson, scripted by Cul Cullen, directed by George Miller. Stars Jack Thompson, Tom Burlinson, Kirk Douglas, and the lovely gal from the under-appreciated series, PARADISE, Sigrid Thornton.

AMC 6:00 p.m. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969) Directed by George Roy Hill from William Goldman's original screenplay. This film and WILD BUNCH, about the same people, came out the same year. Very different treatment, and both excellent - this one won four Oscars. Starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Katherine Ross.

Adios,

Henry

All contents copyright May 2010 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

SAM ROCKWELL JOINS 'COWBOYS AND ALIENS' CAST

In The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, he played Bob Ford's brother Charley (see photo above). In Cowboys and Aliens, Sam Rockwell will play 'Doc,' a saloon-keeper who joins forces with Daniel Craig in his fight against alien invaders. This is Rockwell's second film in a row for director Jon Favreau, and it was while Favreau was directing Rockwell in the current release IRON MAN 2 that Rockwell voiced interest in the project. Screenwriters Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof reportedly re-thought and built up the role for the actor who first gained attention as one of the villains in the PETE & PETE series on Nickelodeon.

Rockwell joins a cast that includes Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde and Clancy Brown. Just this past Wednesday auditions were held at Peetzburgh, Peter Sherayko's western movie-town in Agua Dulce (see photo above, right), where actors were tested not only for line-delivery but horse-riding ability as well. Cameras are set to roll in June, when Favreau will be finished with his Iron Man 2 related duties, and the picture is set to reach theatres on July 29th, 2011. And speaking of Peetzburgh, I'll be running an interview with Peter Sherayko, alias Texas Jack Vermillion of Tombstone (1993) very soon!

'AMERICAN BANDITS: FRANK AND JESSE JAMES' HITS STORES

The film, which top-lines Peter Fonda, and stars Tim Abell as Frank and George Stults as Jesse, will released on DVD on Tuesday, May 18th. Prolific Writer/Director Fred Olen Ray, whose previous films include the western The Shooter (1997) starring Michael Dudikoff and Randy Travis, is now tackling a horror picture, but soon will be doing another western, about the life and death of Billy the Kid. Next week I'll be reviewing American Bandits, aand featuring an interview with Fred Olen Ray.

HARVEY KEITEL JOINS CAST OF 'CUT THROATS NINE' REMAKE

The Scorcese and Tarantino-associated star whose previous westerns were Buffalo Bill And The Indians (1976) and Il Mio West (Gunslinger's Revenge) (1998) will join Mads Mikkelsen and Roy Dupuis in a remake of the infamous 1972 Spaghetti-and-gore western directed by Joachin Luis Romero Marchent. This time the reins are held by first-time feature director Rodrigo Gudino, publisher of the horror-movie periodical Rue Morgue Magazine. He scripted with fellow Canadian Joseph O'Brien, and says that it was the quality of their script that attracted the actors.

The plot concerns a wagon of convicts being escorted by Cavalry to prison, when they're attacked by bandits. The only survivors are a sergeant, the beautiful daughter he has stupidly brought along, and seven sadistic convicts. Asked by Opium why he wanted to remake this lurid pic, Rodrigo exlained, "Because it has an amazing story at its core and yet is a movie that is far from perfect. I always refered to it as a tarnished gem. ...I also saw a lot of of potential to expand on themes that I thought were bigger than a cult movie, themes having to do with human evil and violence."

SPEAKING OF MOTHERS DAY

Although there is a tendency to think of westerns as ‘guy’ entertainment, they’ve always been popular with women – my sister, Deirdre, took me to all the John Wayne movies when we were kids. In fact, I know of an occasion when that basic knowledge was the undoing of what could have been a major TV western series. My mentor in the film business, producer Saul David (Von Ryan’s Express, Our Man Flint, Fantastic Voyage, Westworld) had, when president of Bantam Books, bought and published Louis L'Amour’s first novels, and it was with Saul that he went to meet with network execs to discuss an anthology series based on L'Amour’s writings. Everything was going well until Louis asked what night of the week they were thinking of, and an exec responded, “Any night but Monday.”
“Oh. What’s wrong with Monday?”
“Louis, that’s Monday Night Football. Men are your audience, and we’d lose them all.”
“Actually, slightly more women than men read my books.”
“No they don’t.”
“I know who reads my books.”
“Men read your books, Louis, and men are the audience for westerns. We know what we’re talking about.”
And with that exchange, the deal fell apart. Louis felt he was being insulted, and by idiots.

I was reminded of this exchange this past week, when I was in the teachers’ lounge of a local school, and overheard a conversation between a group of female teachers, about TV westerns. There were fans of BONANZA, THE BIG VALLEY and HIGH CHAPARRAL, and a lot of discussion about whether Heath was cuter than Little Joe, and what was Blue’s problem anyway, and the inevitability of death for any woman than a Cartwright proposed to – even before the term ‘jumping the shark’ was coined, the producers knew better than to toy with a set-up that was working.

With the understanding that westerns are not just guy entertainment, and in recognition of Mother’s Day, I’d like to invite our female readers to put in comments about what are their favorite westerns, and why.

MOVIE REVIEW – SWEETGRASS

‘SWEETGRASS,’ the documentary produced by Ilisa Barbash and recorded by Lucien Castaing-Taylor, documenting a sheep drive, contains some of the most startlingly beautiful images ever put on film. From the mountain vistas of Montana,
to the endless green pastures, to the inconceivable number of sheep, the movie is frequently overwhelming. We have seen cattle-drives in the movies, but rarely in such staggering thousands, and besides, these are sheep, and cute as can be, which can’t be said of cattle.

After some minutes on a ranch, where sheep are shorn, and lambs are delivered – all with a roughness that will upset the audience but which doesn’t seem to phase the sheep – the drive begins. There are a handful of men and women at the start, but quickly it is just two cowboys in charge of a seething ocean of wool traveling over the mountaintops. Of course, purists will say they are shepherds, not cowboys, but cowboys is what they call themselves.

The two cowboys are, themselves, quite interesting. The older, more easy-going fellow sings cheerfully, if not melodiously, to his wooly charges. His younger compatriot curses endlessly at the critters, and at the few dogs who generally do an admirable job of guiding the flock. There is an extended sequence where the younger man talks and whines and cries on the phone, and curses such a blue streak you want to shout at the screen, “Hey stupid, do you remember it’s your mother you’re talking to?”

There is fear as well, as when the men, awakened by the dogs' barking, fire guns into the darkness at who knows what -- and when we finally see the target, it's even more frightening.

The takes are remarkably long, usually lasting for minutes, but the action within the frame is so involving that, although we are used to rapid cutting, we do not mind the change. The most curious aspect of the film is the filmmakers’ seeming indifference to whether the audience understands what it is seeing and why it is seeing it. There is no narration. There are no titles of explanation. Here and there you catch bits of conversation, and can piece together what is happening at that precise moment, but just as often you can’t quite catch what is being said. Then, at the very end of the movie, after the fade-out, two title-cards appear: “Since the late 19th Century, western ranchers and their hired hands have ranged animals on public land for summer pasture. In 2003, over three months, and 150 miles, the last band of sheep trailed through Montana’s Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains.” Why such information is placed at the END of the film, rather than the BEGINNING is baffling to me. Moreover, WHY is this the last sheep drive? Has the wool market disappeared? Are private sheep no longer permitted on public land? I’m not saying that this is what the film should be about, but that a little explanation at the beginning would place the movie in a more understandable context. But any confusion is more than compensated for by the sheer beauty of the images. To see the trailer, and find out more about this extraordinary movie, CLICK HERE.

SWEETGRASS AT LANDMARK THEATERS

Sweetgrass starts Friday, May 14th at the Ritz at the Bourse in Philadelphia, and at a Denver area Landmark Theatre.

MOVIE REVIEW - THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD

You may lose your place in the narrative as the story spirals away with the action, but you definitely know where you begin: a crime lord assigns an operative to obtain a map carried on a train and deliver it to a high-paying buyer. Then, unknown to the first, the crime lord assigns a second operative to steal it back, so it can be resold.

And from there, hold onto your popcorn, as you're rocketed through 1930s Manchurian desert in this breathless and exuberant 'Asian Western', as the titles describe it (is this the original Asian title?). Made by South Korean director Ji-woon Kim, from a script he wrote with Min-suk Kim, the tale involves desert warlords, Japanese cavalry, Manchurians, Chinese, Koreans, and is a riot of dazzling color, confusing (to westerners) politics and unrelenting action.

The extended shootouts at the 'Ghost Market' and the unceasing desert chase are each easily worth the price of admission. Although obviously an homage to Sergio Leone, it owes almost as much to the best of Speilberg's Indiana Jones films (i.e., excluding the last one), and by extension to Republic Studios and Yakima Cannut. And as opposed to Sukiyaki Western Django, which is a long series of spaghetti-western references transposed into Japanese, The Good, The Bad and the Weird stands on its own merits: there is no other film you must first have seen to appreciate this one.

The performances of the Good and the Weird are fine. The Bad role suffers somewhat from an anachronistic wardrobe and attitude that mark him as more of a 1960s James Bond enemy than a Lee Van Cleef. The one lesson the filmmakers have not learned properly from Hollywood or Rome -- actualy from Hitchcock -- is to not waste time on the MacGuffin, which is all the map truly is. If you do, you need a payoff on a Maltese Falcon/Lost Ark level, which it lacks. But the it's a minor failing -- the film is a display of astonishing production skills, from action staging to camera movement to editing. I loved it, and I think most western fans will. CHECK OUT THE TRAILER HERE.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD AT LANDMARK THEATRES

It's currently playing at the Ritz At The Bourse in Philadelphia, the Lumiere in San Francisco, the Varsity Theatre in Seattle, the Kendall Square Cinema in Boston, and will open on Friday the 14th at Ken Cinema in San Diego, the Lagoon Cinema in Minneapolis, the E. Street Cinema in Washington, D.C., and the Midtown Art Cinema in Atlanta.

WESTERN MOVIES ON TV
Note:AMC=American Movie Classics, EXT= Showtime Extreme, FMC=Fox Movie Channel, TCM=Turner Classic Movies. All times given are Pacific Standard Time.

TCM SCREENS 'NATIVE AMERICAN IMAGES ON FILM'

Throughout the month of May, Turner Classic Movies will be showing dozens of westerns, showing a wide range of portrayals of American Indian characters in the movies on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Tuesday May 11th

TCM 5:00 p.m. DRUMS ALONG THE MOWHAWK (1939)
John Ford directed with gusto from the Lamar Trotti, Sonya Levian script, based on the Walter D. Edmonds novel. Claudette Colbert and Henry Fonda star in one of the finest of 'eastern' westerns, a Revoltionary War story packed with Ford stock company greats like John Carradine, Arthur Shields and Ward Bond. In a more normal year, it might have been named Best Picture, but in 1939 it received only two Oscar nominations, for Edna Mae Oliver's comic turn as Best Supporting Actress, and for Ray Rennahan and Bert Glennon's glorious Technicolor photography -- and it won neither. Highly recommended.

TCM 7:00 p.m. NORTHWEST PASSAGE (1940) True story of Roger's Rangers and their fight to open up new frontiers for Colonial America. Stars Spencer Tracy, Robert Young, Walter Brennan. Directed by King Vidor.

TCM 9:15 p.m. LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1992)

TCM 11:30 p.m. GERONIMO (1962)

Wednesday May 12th

TCM 1:15 a.m. MOHAWK (1956)

TCM 2:45 a.m. CHUKA (1967)

Thursday May 13th

TCM 4:30 a.m. GUN FURY (1953) A cowboy trails the outlaws who kidnapped his fiance during a stagecoach robbery. Rock Hudson, Donna Reed, Lee Marvin. D: Raoul Walsh.

TCM 6:00 a.m. THEY RIDE WEST (1954) A Cavalry doctor defies orders to treat Native Americans. Robert Francis, Donna Reed, Philip Carey. D:Phil Carlson.

TCM 2:15 p.m. GOOD DAY FOR A HANGING (1958)

TCM 3:45 p.m. THE HIRED GUN (1957)

TCM 5:00 p.m. THE UNFORGIVEN (1960)

TCM 7:15 P.M. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990) Actor Kevin Costner's directorial debut won him an Oscar, and there were seven more: best picture; Dean Semler for cinematography; Neil Travis for editing; John Barry for his score; Michael Blake for his adapted screenplay; and Russell Williams II, Jeffrey Perkins, Bill W. Benton and Gregory H. Watkins for sound. Starring Costner as an army officer who befriends the Lakota Souix. With Mary McDonnel.

AMC 8:00 p.m. PALE RIDER (1985) Clint Eastwood directs and stars as a mysterious stranger (can you believe it?) protecting a town from bad guys. Moody and effective, script by Michael Butler and Dennis Shyrack, and featuring Carrie Snodgrass and Michael Moriarty.

TCM 10:30 P.M. THE BLACK ROBE (1991)

Friday May 14th

TCM 12:15 a.m. RUN OF THE ARROW (1957)

TCM 1:45 a.m. WHITE COMANCHE (1968)

TCM 3:30 A.M. RACHEL AND THE STRANGER (1948)

TCM 5:00 A.M. DUEL IN THE SUN (1946)

AMC 6:30 a.m. THE STALKING MOON (1968) An aging cavalry scout (Gregory Peck) tries to protect a woman (Eva Marie Saint) and her half-Indian child. Directed by Robert Mulligan from Theodore V. Olsen's novel.

FMC 9:00 a.m. FLAMING STAR (1960) An early film from the soon-to-be-great Don Siegal, working from Nunnally Johnson's script of a Clair Huffaker novel. Elvis Presley, playing a role planned for Marlon Brando, is the half-breed son of white John McIntire and Kiowa Dolores Del Rio, forced to take sides in a local war between white and Indian. Surprisingly good, you realize how good an actor Elvis could have been if Col. Parker hadn't steered him into mostly inane crap. With Steve Forrest and Barbara Eden.

FMC 11:00 a.m. BANDOLERO! (1968)Great fun with Stewart and Martin as feuding brother outlaws. Featuring Raquel Welch, Harry Carey Jr., Jock Mahoney, Don 'Red' Barry, Roy Barcroft, D:Andrew McLaglen, W:James Lee Barrett (If you want to see an incredible list on stuntmen, check out the listing on IMDB)
FMC 11:a.m.

AMC 2:30 p.m. PALE RIDER (1985) Clint Eastwood directs and stars as a mysterious stranger (can you believe it?) protecting a town from bad guys. Moody and effective, script by Michael Butler and Dennis Shyrack, and featuring Carrie Snodgrass and Michael Moriarty.

AMC 8:00 p.m. UNFORGIVEN (1992) Clint Eastwood starred in and directed one of the greatest of later westerns, playing a gunman-turned-farmer who takes on one more job. Costarring Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris. Script by David Webb Peoples who wrote this: "Helluvah thing. killing a man. Take a away everything he's got, everything he's ever gonna have."



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 THE LONE RANGER at 1:30 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.

It's way too late for me to continue tonight -- I'll try and get the TV listings done on Monday -- make that Tuesday.

Happy Trails,

Henry

All contents Copyright May 2010 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved

HEX MARKS THE (TV) SPOT

The trailer for JONAH HEX, the comic book-based horror-western, has just been released – to see it CLICK HERE , along with a new poster, seen above. The Josh Brolin – Megan Fox – John Malkovich starrer will hit the big screen on June 18th. I think the trailer looks pretty good, but there’s been a lot of negative reaction to the poster -- which one online writer described as looking “…like Wild Wild West meets Van Helsing.” I think the earlier one, seen here on March 12th, was much better.

And there’s been other negative buzz in regards to the picture. MTV quoted Josh Brolin as saying that even as the release-date approaches, the filmmakers are still in the process of figuring out the movie’s tone. “I’d like it to become even more absurdist than it already is. My feeling is, this isn’t a straightforward Western. There are supernatural elements to it, and the more campy humor we go for, the better. We’re still in the process of solidifying that tone. There’s a lot of humor to use in this cut. We’ve been going, ‘How much humor do we use? Do we stay with the emotional line of the story? How can we release some of the exposition so we can just rely on the action? All this kind of sh-t.”

And while he can see it as a possible franchise, he’s not eager to do it with all of the involved prosthetic make-up. “It’s the toughest movie I’ve ever done. The stunts and the make-up…a lot of pain. The prosthetics on my face, they were holding my mouth back, then putting in a mouthpiece in that held my mouth back further. And then painting it and filling in the beard. I was walking around New Orleans with half a beard for three months, which was horrible. F-cking horrible! That combined with being in 100 degree heat, 98% humidity, three layers of wool on – I don’t know if I’d do it again.”

And something more to worry about – reelzchannel.com notes that months after director Jimmy Hayward wrapped the picture, Francis Lawrence, who directed the horror/scifiers Constantine and I Am Legend was brought on to consult with Hayward on reshoots.

FIRST PEEK FROM 'TRUE GRIT' LOCATION

The still of the street scene, above right, was snapped on one of the True Grit exteriors, and comes courtesy of aintitcool.com.

'THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY' WRITER DIES

Furio Scarpelli, thrice nominated for Oscars, died in Rome at age 90, from a long-term heart condition. Although best known in the English speaking world for UGLY, Scarpelli was primarily a writer of comedies, with his longtime writing partner 'Age', with whom he'd collaborated since the 1940s. He was nominated for Oscars for The Organizer, Casanova '70, co-written with Age, and for Il Postino, which he wrote with other partners. UGLY was written by Scarpelli, Age, Sergio Leone and Luciano Vincenzoni.

TCM SCREENS 'NATIVE AMERICAN IMAGES ON FILM'

Throughout the month of May, Turner Classic Movies will be showing dozens of westerns, showing a wide range of portrayals of American Indian characters in he movies. Kicking things off on Tuesday afternoon will be a quadruple bill of John Fords: Stagecoach (1939), The Searchers (1956), Cheyenne Autumn (1964) and Fort Apache (1948).

BOLD RENEGADE CARVES 'Z' WITH HIS BLADE - TWICE!

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, a Zorro double bill will be shown Wednesday May 5th at the Aero Theatre at 1328 Montana Ave., at 14th Street in Santa Monica. The creation of pulp-writer Johnston McCulley, the thrilling Mark Of Zorro (1940), direced by Rouben Mamoulian stars Tyrone Power, Basil Rathbone, Linda Darnell and Gale Sondegaard. The Sign Of Zorro (1958) is a feature compilation from episodes of the delightful Disney TV series, starring Guy Williams, and directed by Lewis Foster and Norman Foster.

FREE WESTERN TRIPLE-BILL FRIDAY AT SPUDIC'S

Eric Spudic has been hosting free Friday night movies at his store, Spudic's Movie Empire, for over a year, but this is his first western-night, so let's have a big turn-out! He's selected a really interesting trio: at 6:30, SMOKE IN THE WIND (1975) stars John Ashley, John Russell, Myron Healy and Walter Brennan. It's the last film directed by Republic's greatest western director, Joe Kane. In fact, Walter Brennan's son, Andy, had to finish when Joe wasn't up to it. At 8:00 p.m., KEOMA (1976) also known as Django Rides Again, with Franco Nero and Woody Strode, directed by the only great spaghetti western director not named Sergio, Enzo G. Castellari. At 9:30 p.m., HIS NAME WAS KING (1971), directed by Giancarlo Romitello, and starring Richard Harrison and one of the biggest spaghetti western stars, Klaus Kinski. I haven't seen this one, but the score by Luis Bacalov is splendid. Spudic's Movie Empire is at 5910 Van Nuys Blvd., in Van Nuys, and he sells all VHS tapes for $3, all DVDs for $6 - and if you're coming, please be there by 8:00 p.m.!

SWEETGRASS AT LANDMARK THEATERS

"SWEETGRASS is an unsentimental elegy to the American West. The documentary follows the last modern-day cowboys to lead their flocks of sheep up into Montana's breathtaking and often dangerous Absaroka-Beartooth mountains for summer pasture. The astonishingly beautiful yet unsparing film reveals a world in which nature and culture, animals and humans, vulnerability and violence are all intimately meshed. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times calls the film 'a really intimate, beautifully shot examination of the connection between man and beast,' while Ronnie Scheib of Variety considers it 'a one-of-a-kind experience...at once epic-scale and earthbound.'" Okay, none of those Brokeback Mountain (2005) cheap-shots -- I'm sure these poor shepherds have heard 'em all. I just saw this film, and it is astonishingly beautiful -- I'll have a full review next week. Sweetgrass is playing at the Lagoon Cinema in Minneapolis. The trailer looks beautiful -- check it out HERE.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD AT LANDMARK THEATRES

I just saw this picture today, and it's an absolute knock-out -- I'll have a full review next week. It's a South Korean 'western' set in Manchuria in the 1930s. CHECK OUT THE TRAILER HERE. The movie continues through Thursday at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles and Kendall Square Cinema in Boston. On Friday, May 7th it opens in San Francisco at the Lumiere Theatre and Shattuck Cinemas, in Seattle at the Varsity Theatre, and in Philadelphia at The Ritz.

WESTERN MOVIES ON TV
Note:AMC=American Movie Classics, EXT= Showtime Extreme, FMC=Fox Movie Channel, TCM=Turner Classic Movies. All times given are Pacific Standard Time.

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 THE LONE RANGER at 1:30 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.



I'll do the tv listings on Monday -- the only pseudo-western movie on Monday is THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946) on TCM at 10:30 p.m.

WESTERNS ON TV

BEST DARN THING ON TV ALL WEEK -- 4 JOHN FORDS IN A ROW!

TCM Tuesday May 4th, at 5:00 p.m. - STAGECOACH, 7:00 p.m. THE SEARCHERS, 9:15 p.m. CHEYENNE AUTUMN, 12:00 Midnight FORT APACHE.

Thursday May 6th

TCM 4:00 a.m. BUGLE SOUNDS (1942) An old-time cavalry sergeant's resistance to 'progress' could cost him his post. With Wallace Beery, Marjory Main, Lewis Stone. Story by Cyril Hume and Lawrence Kimble, screenplay by Hume. Directed by S. Sylvan Simon.

FMC 5:00 a.m. PRINCE OF PLAYERS (1955) Playwright Moss Hart wrote the fascinating screenplay from Elearnor Ruggles' story. John Derek is assasssin John Wilkes Booth, Richard Burton is his brother Edwin, who must live of after his brother's despicable act. With Raymond Massey as their father, Maggie Macnamara, Charles Bickford, directed by Philip Dunne.

TCM 5:45 a.m. APACHE TRAIL (1942) An outlaw and his brother are on opposite sides of a stagecoach robbery. Starring Lloyd Nolan, William Lundigan and Donna Reed, directed by Richard Thorpe. Screenplay by Maurice Geraghty, from a story by Ernest 'Stagecoach' Haycox -- and reportedly outtakes from STAGECOACH (1939) were used. If you can spot them, please let us know in a comment or e-mail!

FMC 7:00 a.m. O. HENRY'S FULL HOUSE (1952) A collection of five O. Henry short stories directed by five directors: Henry Hathaway, Henry King, Henry Koster, Jean Negulesco, and doing the western segment, The Ransom of Red Chief, Howard Hawks. Writing this one segement, uncredited, were Ben Hecht, Nunnally Johnson and Charles Lederer! Starring Fed Allen and Oscar Levant as the kidnappers, and Rin Tin Tin star Lee Aaker as the 'victim', narrated by John Steinbeck!

TCM 7:00 a.m. GENTLE ANNIE (1944) Perhaps inspired by the James brothers (with a touch of Ma Barker), after the Civil War, frontierwoman Marjorie Main turns her family into bank robbers. With Donna Reed and Henry Morgan. Screenplay by Lawrence Hazard, from the MacKinlay Kantor novel, directed by Andrew Marton.

AMC 5:00 p.m. THE OUTLAW JOSIE WALES (1976) Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, John Vernon and Sheb Wooley. Clint's a Missouri farmer who becaomes a Confederate guerilla -- reportedly Clints favorite among his films. Screenplay by Philip Kaufman, from Forrest Carton's novel.

TCM 7:00 p.m. WALK THE PROUD LAND (1956) Audie Murphy plays real-life Indian Agent John Philip Clum, who tried to give Indians autonomy, and helped organize the first Indian Tribal Police Force, which captured Geronimao (Jay Silverheels). Also with Anne Bancroft, Pat Crowley, directed by Jesse Hibbs. Screenplay by Gil Doud and Jack Sher, from the book by a Clum descendent, Woodworth Clum.

AMC 8:00 p.m. LAST OF THE DOGMEN (1995) - Tab Murphy wrote and directed this story about a bounty hunter tracking three escaped convicts, and supernatural events that ensue. Starring Tom Berenger, Barbara Hershey, Kurtwood Smith and, Parley Baer, the original 'Chester' from the radio drama GUNSMOKE.

TCM 9:00 p.m. THE FAR HORIZONS (1955) Fred MacMurray is Lewis, Charlton Heston is Clark, and Donna Reed is Sacajawea in this romanticized telling of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, directed by Rudolph Mat. Based on Della Gould Emmons' novel, scripted by Winston Miller and Edmund North.

TCM 11:00 p.m. APACHE (1954) Burt Lancaster is the renegade Indian Massai, who fights a one-man war against the U.S. Cavalry. With Jean Peters, Charles Bronson (when he was still Charles Buchinski) and Monte Blue as Geronimo. Directed by Robert Aldrich, scripted by James R. Webb, from a novel by Paul Wellman.

Friday May 7th

AMC 12:15 p.m.LAST OF THE DOGMEN (1995) - Tab Murphy wrote and directed this story about a bounty hunter tracking three escaped convicts, and supernatural events that ensue. Starring Tom Berenger, Barbara Hershey, Kurtwood Smith and, Parley Baer, the original 'Chester' from the radio drama GUNSMOKE.

TCM 12:45 a.m. NAVAJO JOE (1967) An Indian (Burt Reynolds) takes revenge on the outlaws who wiped out his people. With Aldo Sambrell, Fernando Rey, directed by Sergio Corbucci, from a story by Ugo Pirro, script by Fernando DiLeo.

TCM 2:30 a.m. STAY AWAY JOE (1968) Elvis Presley is a young Indian trying to save the 'res' by selling grazing rights to a corrupt tycoon. With Burgess Meredith and Joan Blondell. Directed by Peter Tewksbury, from Dan Cushman's novel, scripted by Michael A Hoey.

TCM 6:00 a.m. MAN OF THE WEST (1958) The great Anthony Mann directs the great Gary Cooper in this tale of a reformed outlaw whose past associates rob a train he's on. With Lee J. Cobb and Julie London, scripted by Reginald Rose from Will C. Brown's novel.

FMC 1:00 p.m. THE UNDEFEATED (1969) D:Andrew V. McLaglen, W:James Lee Barrett, from a story by Stanley Hough. At the close of the Civil War, Confederate officer Rock Hudson leads a group of southern loyalists to Mexico and Emperor Maximillian -- unless John Wayne can stop him. Rock Hudson later described the movies as "crap." Ironic, considering it's one of his more convincing performances. With Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr.

AMC 5:00 p.m.THE OUTLAW JOSIE WALES (1976) Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, John Vernon and Sheb Wooley. Clint's a Missouri farmer who becaomes a Confederate guerilla -- reportedly Clints favorite among his films. Screenplay by Philip Kaufman, from Forrest Carton's novel.

Saturday May 8th

AMC 9:00 a.m. WINCHESTER '73 (1950) One of the finest, darkest collaborations between director Anthony Mann and James Stewart. It's all about the quest for "one out of one thousand," the special Winchester rifle that men will do anything to possess. The chilling script is by Robert Richards and Borden Chase, from a story by Stuart Lake. Stars Shelly Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, and, among a lot of great faces, a very young Roch Hudson and Tony Curtis.

AMC 11:15 a.m. TELL THEM WILLIE BOY IS HERE (1969) The largely true story of a 1909 manhunt, Robert Blake is Willie Boy, an American Indian who goes on the run after killing the father of his girlfriend, Katherine Ross. Robert Redford is the sheriff on his trail. Written and directed by blacklisted Abraham Polonsky (who never denied nor gave up his Marxist ways)from Harry Lawton's book.


Adios!

Henry

All contents copyright May 2010 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved