Screening: Gunman’s Walk (1958).

There’s nothing like seeing a film, on film, with an audience. And here’s a screening I’d sure love to attend: Phil Karlson’s Gunman’s Walk (1958) at Chicago’s Portage Theater — in 35mm CinemaScope.

A terrific 50s Western that’s very hard to see, a personal favorite and maybe your only chance to see Bert Convy fall off a cliff, the Northwest Chicago Film Society is presenting it January 21 at 7:30PM.

Tab Hunter is terrific and Van Heflin is as incredible as ever. Make that more incredible. And make a point of seeing it if at all possible.

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Happy Birthday, George Montgomery.

George Montgomery
(August 29, 1916 – December 12, 2000)

I don’t think George Montgomery has gotten his due. He may not have made a true classic, and most of his Westerns were of the studio product variety, but he can be counted on for a good solid way to spend an hour and a half. And those modest films are looking better and better with each passing year.

A real renaissance man — actor, producer, director, painter, sculptor, craftsman, builder and on and on — Montgomery had a pretty fascinating life.

Montgomery (to the LA Times): “I was real lucky. You know, I was just a farm boy from Montana when I arrived there (Hollywood in 1937). Two days later, I was in a Garbo movie at MGM, getting $35 a day doing some stunt work.”

I’ve been screaming for a while now about the many merits of Masterson Of Kansas (1954). But Montgomery made plenty of good ones, from The Texas Rangers (1951) to the very interesting Black Patch (1957). (Warner Archive has helped us out with nice transfers of a few titles.) Like Rory Calhoun, Montgomery’s 50s Westerns deserve the attention given to those of, say, Audie Murphy or Joel McCrea.

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Documentary: That Guy Dick Miller.

Almost all genre film fans know character actor Dick Miller. Here he is tending bar behind Richard Denning and Peggie Castle in Roger Corman’s The Oklahoma Woman (1956).

There’s a documentary on Miller in the works, one that I’m dying to see. You can help get it done through Kickstarter. And while you’re there, you can see Dick’s home movie footage from the set of A Time For Killing (1967), which Corman began directing, but was completed by Phil Karlson. Mugging for the 8mm camera are Glenn Ford, Inger Stevens, Harry Dean Stanton and Timothy Carey. Be sure to check it out.

UPDATE (August 21, 2012): Elijah did it. If any of you out there pledged to help make this happen, thanks. I’m dying to see it.

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Baltimore: February 23, 1957.

Baltimore was a good place to be on February 23, 1957 — judging from this page out of The Baltimore Afro-American. Take a look at what was playing:

The Searchers (1956), which needs no explanation.

7th Cavalry (1957), a Columbia Randolph Scott picture directed by Joseph H. Lewis — followed by The Gamma People (1956).

The Brass Legend (1956) stars Hugh O’Brien, Nancy Gates and Raymond Burr. It was directed by Gerd Oswald.

Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker in Many Rivers To Cross (1955).

Drango (1957) with Jeff Chandler, paired with The Peacemaker (1956), an early feature credit for Ted Post.

Then there’s Stagecoach To Fury (1957), a Regalscope picture with Forrest Tucker and Mari Blanchard. Looks like a rare booking as the top of the bill.

And sprinkled around other theaters: Clark Gable in Raoul Walsh’s The King And Four Queens (1956); Flesh And The Spur (1957), an AIP Western with John Agar, Marla English and Touch Connors; Phil Karlson’s They Rode West (1954); even James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart in The Oklahoma Kid (1939).

Not sure where I would’ve had my mom drop me off.

UPDATE: Each of these theaters (The Roosevelt, The Met, The New Albert and The Regent) are gone.

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DVR Alert: Gunman’s Walk (1958)

Tonight Turner Classic Movies is running Phil Karlson’s Gunman’s Walk (1958). A prime candidate for the most under-appreciated 50s Western of them all, it kicks off at 8PM (EST) as part of TCM’s birthday tribute to Tab Hunter.

Not available on DVD here in the States, you all really need to check this one out. You’ll thank me for it later.

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50s Westerns (Related) DVD News #31

Laura (she of the Miscellaneous Musings) has reminded me that Phil Karlson’s 99 River Street (1953), starring John Payne and Peggie Castle, is now available through TCM’s on-demand program. Around here, if you can’t find a Western to watch, you start digging for an old crime picture, and this one’s as good as they get. Over the last couple years, Karlson has become one of my favorite directors — and I’ve developed a real appreciation of Payne (thanks largely to his work with Allan Dwan).

You can order 99 River Street here. While you’re there, scroll down and look into Big House USA (1955). It’s a tough, gritty B crime film, directed by Howard W. Koch, with a great cast: Broderick Crawford, Ralph Meeker, William Talman, Lon Chaney (Jr.) and Charles Bronson. In its nasty 83 minutes, a kid is chucked off a cliff; a guy is trapped inside a giant boiler — and promptly steamed like a lobster tail; and Bronson has his face and fingertips seared off with a blowtorch to conceal his identity.

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Test Drive: Gunman’s Walk (1958)

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the word on this release — a French edition of Gunman’s Walk (1958) from Sidonis.

There was some worry about burned-in French subtitles (they’re removable) and whether or not it’d be anamorphic (it is). Colin from Riding The High Country pointed me toward the DVD Beaver review. Judging from their remarks and the screen grabs (that’s one above), this should be a must — that is, until Columbia comes through in the UK or US.

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Van Heflin

Today would be the 100th birthday of Van Heflin, one of the finest actors to ever be projected on a screen. Dying at 60, his life — and his list of credits — were far too short.

Of his Westerns, he’s known for Shane (1953) and 3:10 To Yuma (1957), both true landmarks in 50s Westerns. But his performance in the criminally obscure Gunman’s Walk (1958) is among his very best.

I’ve extolled the virtues of this Phil Karlson picture quite a bit since cranking up this blog, and it breaks my heart that it’s so hard to track down and watch. Maybe that Columbia DVD-R thing will fix this one day. “Dear Santa…”

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Netflix Alert: Byron Haskin and Phil Karlson

Recently posted on the Criterion Forum —

Netflix Instant seems to have added a slew of not-on-DVD Paramount and Republic titles during the last couple of weeks, presumably as a result of this part of the Epix deal, including: Leo McCarey’s My Son John (!); Bride of Vengeance, No Man of Her Own, Captain Carey USA, The Mating Season (all Mitchell Leisen; boy, does the Universal/Paramount purchase do violence to his filmography’s availability); The Sad Sack, Don’t Give Up the Ship, Visit to a Small Planet, It’s Only Money (all Jerry Lewis); Silver City, Denver and Rio Grande, and Warpath (all Byron Haskin); The Redhead and the Cowboy; Flame of the Islands; The Missing Lady, Behind the Mask, and Hell’s Island (all Phil Karlson); Magic Fire (Dieterle); Botany Bay (John Farrow); Jivaro; Alaska Seas; The Vanquished; and Sangaree.

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They Rode West (1954)

You can’t go wrong with Phil Karlson. He’s a real favorite around here — from crime pictures like 5 Against The House (1955) to the terrific Western Gunman’s Walk (1958) to the first of the Matt Helms, The Silencers (1966).

They Rode West (1954), which Karlson did for Columbia,  is turning up on Turner Classics (TCM) on Thursday, May 13 at 9AM.

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