There’s not a lot I need to say here, is there? Two of the finest Westerns ever made — John Ford’s Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956), both starring John Wayne — will run at New York’s Film Forum on Monday, August 28th.
And yes, that’s one of the coolest photos to ever turn up on this blog.
50 Westerns From The 50s. 
Great great movies John Wayne was on top of his game …..an Oscar should of been given to him for both movies
Add Red River to the Oscar narrative.
I have seen The Searchers many times on the big screen and would never pass up another opportunity. Stagecoach in a theatre is still a dream.
Which movie set Is that photo from? The Searchers or The Horse Soldiers?
I’m thinking it’s from The Horse Soldiers set.
The photo is identified online, as being from THE ALAMO, photographed by Phil Stern. Note the vest riding up on Wayne’s back, so not Horse Soldiers or Searchers. Behind the scenes photos and ads from the Alamo show Wayne wearing that dark hat, along with the coonskin hat, and directing in is Hondo hat.
I think it is The Alamo. I’ve been dying to use it and this was as good a time as any!
I think, the Hondo hat was his Rio Bravo hat, too, and in the Cavalry Trilogy.
Bob G, thanks for clearing that up. It’s a knockout photo.
Is anyone here familiar with LAWMAN, the 1958-62 program starring John Russell and Peter Brown? I noticed on imdb that the great Bert Glennon photographed 64 episodes. I’m thinking about getting it. The program any good?
Lawman was one of my favourites of the Warner TV westerns, John Russell and Peter Brown work well together. John Russell makes a tough marshal.
Like most Warner TV westerns, there’s a great theme song over the titles.
Whether you will need all seasons is another matter, but give season one a try.
You’ll probably see Jack Elam, Lee Van Cleef and maybe Skip Homeier somewhere in the support cast, they all appeared in Warner TV westerns.
I agree with Mike, Richard. I rate it is one of the very best TV westerns from Warners (or any other outfit). I call it a straight, no-nonsense western. You would need Season Two as well though if you want to enjoy Peggie Castle in her regular starring role of saloon owner Lily Merrill.
I like LAWMAN too. If you want to see John Russell in a less stern role check out his series SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE, 1955-57, with the great Chick Chandler. It’s on unrestored DVD, from Timeless Media/Shout!. (I always like to mention, that the original pilot for SOF starred Tim Holt and Charles Bronson.)
I didn’t know that, Bob! A TV series with Tim Holt would have been something!
Especially if they had Richard ‘Chito’ Martin as Holt’s sidekick instead of Bronson.
The Holt/Bronson pilot was called AVENTURE IN JAVA and was according to IMDB shown on a show called CHEVRON THEATER. Tim Holt’s biography by David Rothal said it was on THE SCHLITZ PLAYHOUSE OF THE STARS. It could have been both as sometimes anthology shows sometimes reran shows from other programs. Chevron was a gasoline company and Schlitz was a beer company.
Yes, actually Schlitz Playhouse featured some pretty good shows, including in 1956 ‘A Tale Of Wells Fargo’, which was thankfully picked up to become one of the most successful of TV westerns and one of my biggest favourites.
Jerry, one of the many good things about TALES OF WELLS FARGO is that 99% of the time the stagecoaches are pulled by six horses, just like the Wells Fargo logo. Most TV shows and movies used four horses to save money.
It’s also fun to compare the stories of TOWF with STORIES OF THE CENTURY when both Jim Hardy and Matt Clark would be on hand at the demise of a famous real world outlaw.
“… one of the many good things about
TALES OF WELLS FARGO is that 99%
of the time the stagecoaches are pulled
by six horses, just like the Wells Fargo
logo. Most TV shows and movies used
four horses to save money.”
That’s the sort of detail I appreciate in a western. There are re-enactors today who still insist on authenticity and getting the details right. Old Tucson Studios used to sub-contract coaches and coach driving to a local family that owned period stagecoaches and did the six-up teams correctly and safely. They were terrific folks to work with, too.
Actually, one of the best stagecoach shots I’ve ever seen only lasts a few seconds. It’s in Tombstone. It comes in the second half when Wyatt closes the door on Josie and the actors in the coach and it pulls away. It’s a shot that could have come out of early an John Ford. One of the few shots remaining from Kevin Jarre’s direction.
Thanks for the input everybody. Okay, I’ll pick up LAWMAN seasons one and two for starters. See the influence you folks have on me?
I’m watching THE HIRED GUN (mgm 1957) again. Saw it once before when the m.o.d. came out. I’m too old to still be lusting after Anne Francis, but I can’t help it. I don’t even mind that she wears pants in this western. At 24:15 there’s a majestic shot where she turns her back to camera, puts her hands on hips and spreads her feet wide on a tall rock overlooking a vast Lone Pine valley. You just know the director told her to do that. He likes to watch her move, and ride. He must have been as infatuated with her as everybody else. Did I mention THE HIRED GUN is a neat and tidy western. About three smartly shot and edited gunfights. 64 minutes of western compositions, muscular action and characterization directed by Ray Nazarro. The cast includes Anne Francis, Rory Calhoun, Anne Francis, Chuck Connors, Anne Francis, Vince Edwards, Anne Francis, Guinn ‘Big Boy” Williams and Anne Francis. MGM were too cheap with this one — it deserved color.
Richard, I don’t think you can get away with just Seasons One and Two of LAWMAN. Per IMDB, the Bert Glennon episodes are in Season Three and Four.
Thanks, for the reminder about THE HIRED GUN, it’s time to revisit my Rory Calhoun collection and Miss Francis in HONEY WEST.
Now you tell me. Well, it’s best to start at the beginning. Seasons 3 and 4 will have to wait til next payday.
I’ve seen a few episodes of STORIES OF THE CENTURY. I like the docudrama approach. TALES OF WELLS FARGO will be coming up soon, maybe in a month or two.
Chevron was a gasoline company
and Schlitz was a beer company.
Was?
“Was?”….Richard, I plead old man brain freeze.
I had an old man brain freeze when I neglected to buy TCM’s THE RANDOLPH SCOTT COLLECTION, a 4-disc set that included The Walking Hills, 7th Cavalry, The Doolins of Oklahoma and the superb Coroner Creek. I want all the films, but mostly I want Coroner Creek, which isn’t available anywhere else. TCM’s set went out of print so abruptly it took me by surprise. They even deleted the amazon page.
If anyone has an extra copy or wants to part with their copy of TCM’s THE RANDOLPH SCOTT COLLECTION I’m your customer. Toby will give you my email, please.
Richard W,I had a good look on the internet to see if anyone had a copy of the TCM RANDOLPH SCOTT COLLECTION .Maybe one might turn up on E BAY .
Barnes & Noble have 50% of the Criterion Collection at the moment,so now would be the time to stock up on their westerns if you haven’t already I already have a few of the Criterion westerns plus one of the best comedies ever made -ITS A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD.
Maybe there will be a RANDOLPH SCOTT ROUND UP: Vol. 3, with those four plus, the not even released on VHS , GUNFIGHTERS.
GUNFIGHTERS is one of my most-wanted. The DVD-R I recorded off Encore Westerns channel is actually better quality than the French DVD.
It’s not western, but for those who love old movies, Scarlet O’Hara herself is going up for auction again at Sotheby’s:
http://www.sothebys.com/en/news-video/blogs/all-blogs/sotheby-s-at-large/2017/07/vivien-leigh-collection.html?cmp=email_L17148_sal_Vivien-Leigh-Collection_11-jul-2017