Posted in 1959, Andre de Toth, Howard Hawks, John Wayne, Making Movies, Ward Bond, Warner Bros. on May 8, 2013 | 8 Comments »
Eric Hilliard “Ricky” Nelson
(May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985)
Ricky Nelson only made one Western, but what a Western he made — Howard Hawks’ Rio Bravo (1959). His birthday seems like a good excuse to post this rather odd behind-the-scenes photo from my favorite cowboy movie.
Incidentally, Ricky’s older brother Dave also made a great Western in ’59, Andre de Toth’s Day Of The Outlaw.
Posted in Dimitri Tiomkin, John Wayne, Making Movies, The Real West on March 7, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
This week marks the 177th anniversary of the fall of The Alamo. I’d just typed John Dierkes’ name when my wife brought the anniversary to my attention. So as a tiny tribute to those who fought and died in the Texas Revolution, a photo of Dierkes in John Wayne’s The Alamo (1960) seemed an obvious choice.
And it seemed downright wrong to not include Wayne, too. (Plus, Dimitri Tiomkin turned up in a Jack Benny episode last night.)
As long as this country values freedom and bravery — we still do, don’t we? — we’d better not forget these “Texians.”
Posted in 1954, Anthony Mann, Jimmy Stewart, Making Movies on March 6, 2013 | 3 Comments »
Jay C. Flippen
(March 6, 1899 – February 3, 1971)
Jay C. Flippen’s birthday seems like a good excuse to post this incredible behind-the-scenes photo from Anthony Mann’s The Far Country (1954). Left to right: Walter Brennan, John McIntire, Flippen and James Stewart.
Posted in 1952, 1954, 1956, 1959, Barbara Stanwyck, Howard Hawks, John Sturges, Kirk Douglas, Making Movies, Mara Corday, Republic, Rex Allen, Richard Widmark, Robert Mitchum, Ronald Reagan, Roy Rogers on February 25, 2013 | 7 Comments »
Rex Allen and Roy Rogers, somewhere on the Republic lot.
Mara Corday studies the Raw Edge (1956) screenplay.
Donna Reed and Richard Widmark at work on Backlash (1956). That’s John Sturges obscured in the ball cap.
Howard Hawks shows Kirk Douglas how to do a fight scene for The Big Sky (1952).
Ronald Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck discuss the arms situation on the set of Cattle Queen Of Montana (1954).
Satchel Paige and Robert Mitchum shoot the breeze between takes on The Wonderful Country (1959).
Posted in 1952, Jane Russell, Making Movies, Roy Rogers on February 19, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Frank Tashlin
(February 19, 1913 – May 5, 1972)
Today would’ve been writer-director-genius Frank Tashlin’s 100th birthday. Here he is (second from right) on the set of Son Of Paleface (1952) with Jane Russell, Cecil B. DeMille (who has a cameo in this scene) and Bob Hope.
A number of people have written in to say they don’t like comedy Westerns (or is it Western comedies?). But every so often, I have to pay tribute to this film. It’s hysterically funny, Roy Rogers is terrific in it, and Ivan likes it as much as I do. One of my favorites.
Posted in 1953, Making Movies, Randolph Scott, Warner Bros. on October 16, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Here’s a production photo of Randolph Scott and Patrice Wymore from Felix Feist’s The Man Behind The Gun (1953). Ms. Wymore was Mrs. Errol Flynn, by the way.
My guess is that the hand and light meter belong to director of photography Bert Glennon.
Posted in Making Movies, Pre-1950, Republic, Universal (-International) on October 2, 2012 | 3 Comments »
My wife brought this site to my attention. On it, Gary Alinder wrote:
These images were shot by my father, Ed Alinder, on 35mm Kodachrome film in Southern California in 1940-44, and on a visit in 1947.
Be sure to visit the site to see more.
Posted in 1959, Hank Worden, John Ford, John Wayne, Making Movies on September 12, 2012 | 4 Comments »
Here’s a stack of production photos from John Ford’s The Horse Soldiers (1959). In them, you’ll see Ford, John Wayne, William Holden, Constance Towers and Willis Bouchey hard at work.
This last one isn’t a production shot, but it’s too beautiful to pass up.
Posted in 1954, Burt Lancaster, Ernest Borgnine, Gary Cooper, Making Movies, Robert Aldrich on September 9, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Cowboys And Indians magazine has an interview with the late, great Ernest Borgnine in its October issue. Here’s a short piece on Gary Cooper and Vera Cruz (1954).
Ernest Borgnine: “When I got into this business, I’d have to say Gary Cooper was a huge role model. What a gentleman. I remember we were in a car together on the Vera Cruz movie set down in Mexico. I was going to get in the front with the driver to give him his privacy, but he said, ‘No, no, come back here with me.’ So we’re sitting there talking and he says to me, ‘Y’know, I sure wish I could act like you.’ Can you believe that? I said to him, ‘You’re Gary Cooper. You’ve got two Oscars in your house and you wish you could act like me?’ He said, ‘Aw, I just got them for saying ‘yup.’’ What a sweetheart of a man and an incredible talent he was. As unassuming as anything, but I learned a ton just by watching him… Just being honest, y’know? Being natural. Listening — I mean really listening — and responding in kind instead of just reciting lines and forgetting that you’re portraying an actual person. It sounds basic, and maybe it is, but it’s deceivingly hard and I think a lot of actors never really get it.”
You can read the whole thing here.
Image (L-R): Gary Cooper, Jack Elam, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Burt Lancaster in Robert Aldrich’s Vera Cruz (1954).
Posted in 1955, Ernest Borgnine, Making Movies, Republic, Sterling Hayden on July 12, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Ernest Borgnine’s passing brought to mind The Last Command (1955) — Republic’s version of the Alamo story, made after John Wayne left the studio. (Yates strung Wayne along for a while, then turned the project down as too expensive. Once his contract expired, Wayne never worked for Republic again — and made his own The Alamo in 1960.)
Above, Sterling Hayden and Borgnine on the set.
Ernest Borgnine (from his book Ernie): “Sterling Hayden was a great Jim Bowie… I died with a bayonet stuck in me, in a pool of my own blood. It was a pretty dramatic death — but they cut it out because the picture was too long.”
Next, a model of the mission set.
Cast and crew working on that set.
Richard Carlson outside the mission in costume (as Col. Travis) and sunglasses.
