Someone asked about Westerns with a Christmas theme. Here’s a few that quickly came to mind.
John Ford’s 3 Godfathers (1948) is often knocked as being sentimental and hokey. I’ve always loved it — partly because it’s sentimental and hokey. Because it’s as pretty in color as My Darling Clementine is in black and white. And because John Wayne’s hat is so cool.
If you watch it this Christmas, note the gun sounds in the early chase scene. I can’t remember any other picture where guns sound like that. (Ford had already done a silent version of the Peter B. Kyne story, starring Harry Carey and called Marked Men. When Carey died, Ford decided on a Technicolor remake dedicated to his friend — and co-starring Harry Carey, Jr.)
There’s The Cowboys And The Indians (1949) with Gene Autry singing “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” A pre-Lone Ranger Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels are on hand.
And then there’s Trail Of Robin Hood (1950), where Roy Rogers and a gang of his cowboy-star buddies (Rex Allen, Monte Hale, Tom Tyler, etc.) come to the aide of Jack Holt’s Christmas tree farm. Directed by William Witney, in Trucolor, this is a really, really cool movie — one of my favorite Rogers pictures. I’d love to see this show up on DVD, uncut. Maybe next Christmas?
If you know of any other Christmas-y Westerns, please let me know.
( I don’t know the first one ) Next is Tom Tyler , Ray “Crash” Corrigan , Rex Allen , Monte Hale , George Cheesbro , Kermet Maynard , — Tom Keene , Roy , Dustin Hoffman , and Jack Holt .. JR )
That cowboy on the far left in the back row is Rex Allen Jr’s pappy, Rex. He had just joined Republic at this junction, and has a few scenes. Jack Holt, now in his sixties, played his part as an retired Western hero, who raises Christmas trees. The older man between Roy Rogers and Jack Holt is NOT Dustin Hoffman. He was William Farnum, an silent Western star (like Holt) who often played priests in Republic westerns. George Chesbro was added as an in-joke because of his villianous portrayals in Westerns and he and Jack Holt did work together at Columbia.