Gene Autry
(September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998)
Let’s remember Gene Autry on the 111th anniversary of his birth. Seems like a good day to sit back and watch about 10 episodes of his TV show.
Archive for September, 2018
Happy Birthday, Gene Autry.
Posted in Gene Autry on September 29, 2018| 18 Comments »
50s Westerns DVD News #268: Gold Fever (1952).
Posted in 1952, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Monogram/Allied Artists, Warner Archive on September 28, 2018| 5 Comments »
Directed by Leslie Goodwins
Starring John Calvert, Ralph Morgan, Ann Cornell
John Calvert is better known as a magician, still at it when he died at 102, than as a movie star. But anybody with Mark Of The Whistler (1944) in their list of credits is OK by me.
Gold Fever (1952) is a cheap little Monogram Western — which for many of us, is all the recommendation we need. It was written by, produced by, and starring Calvert. The female lead, Ann Cornell, was his wife. Ralph Morgan is, well, Ralph Morgan — a character actor who did a ton of pictures like Hitler’s Madman (1943) and The Monster Maker (1944). Director Leslie Goodwins did tons of TV after years doing shorts and stuff like The Mummy Curse (1944). And it’s coming soon from Warner Archive.
And dig that poster art!
RIP, Jack N. Young.
Posted in 1959, Jack Young on September 20, 2018| 28 Comments »
Jack N. Young
(September 25, 1926 – September 12, 2018)
Just heard that Jack N. Young, a veteran stuntman from a slew of 50s Westerns, has passed away at 91.
I interviewed Mr. Young in 2014, and he was a blast to speak with. He performed my favorite stunt in my favorite Western — he’s the guy Dean Martin shoots off the balcony in the saloon in Rio Bravo (1959).
50s Westerns Blu-Ray News #267: Bend Of The River (1952).
Posted in 1952, Anthony Mann, Arthur Kennedy, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Harry Morgan, Jimmy Stewart, Kino Lorber, Rock Hudson, Royal Dano, Universal (International) on September 19, 2018| 10 Comments »
Directed by Anthony Mann
Starring James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Julie Adams, Rock Hudson, Lori Nelson, Jay C. Flippen, Harry Morgan, Royal Dano, Stepin Fetchit, Chubby Johnson
The second of the Anthony Mann/Jimmy Stewart Westerns, and a very gorgeous thing in Technicolor, Bend Of The River (1952) is coming to Blu-Ray from Kino Lorber. I’ll be putting together a commentary for it, and I can’t tell you what an honor that is.
Which of the Mann-Stewart Westerns is best is a matter of personal taste, and probably a good way to get an argument going among fans of this stuff. But it’s easy to say that they’re all among the finest Westerns ever made — and absolutely essential.
DVD/Blu-Ray News #266: Forty Guns (1957).
Posted in 1957, 20th Century-Fox, Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, Criterion, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Hank Worden, Sam Fuller on September 18, 2018| 34 Comments »
Directed by Sam Fuller
Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, Dean Jagger, John Ericson, Gene Barry
Criterion has announced a December 11 date for their edition of Sam Fuller’s Forty Guns (1957). The extras sound terrific and I can’t wait to see its black and white Scope in high definition.
This is one of those movies where you find something new to be dazzled by each time you see it. Absolutely essential.
Happy Birthday, Clayton Moore.
Posted in Clayton Moore, The Lone Ranger on September 14, 2018| 21 Comments »
Clayton Moore
(September 14, 1914 – December 28, 1999)
The great Clayton More was born 104 years ago today. He was a terrific heavy in tons of Westerns and serials. He was a inspiration to kids everywhere as The Lone Ranger. And by all accounts, he was a really nice guy.
Happy Birthday, R.G. Springsteen.
Posted in R.G. Springsteen on September 8, 2018| 40 Comments »
Robert G. Springsteen
(September 8, 1904 – December 9, 1989)
R.G. “Bud” Springsteen was born 114 years ago today.
Springsteen broke into the movie business as an assistant director at Universal in the 30s — and later performed similar duties at Fox and Republic.
Of course, at Republic, he went on to become one of their key directors. Springsteen did quite a few Wild Bill Elliott pictures, from some of the Red Ryder films to Hellfire (1949), along with a few Rex Allen and Allan “Rocky” Lane movies. When Republic came to an end, Springsteen made the move to Allied Artists for a handful of films, where he mixed Westerns like Cole Younger, Gunfighter with stuff like Revolt In The Big House (both 1958).
In the Sixties came a few Westerns for Universal, including a couple with Audie Murphy, then a few of those Westerns A.C. Lyles produced for Paramount. Pictures like Apache Uprising, Johnny Reno and Waco. There were tons of TV shows, too, from Rawhide to Daniel Boone.
Springsteen’s 50s Westerns may not have the snap to them that William Witney or Lesley Selander always provided. But some of them are really, really good.
50 Westerns From The 50s. 