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Archive for the ‘Ben Cooper’ Category

Here’s another Critics’ Choice release, the appropriately-named Audie Murphy Western Double Feature. It gathers up a couple of mid-60s pictures Murphy did for Admiral Pictures, distributed by Columbia. Both were in Techniscope and Technicolor.

Arizona Raiders (1965)
Directed by William Witney
Starring Audie Murphy, Michael Dante, Ben Cooper, Buster Crabbe, Gloria Talbott

Shot at Old Tucson, this one has Murphy and William Witney keeping the 50s Western thing going as long as they can. It’s a remake of Texas Rangers (1951), and it’s always good to see these folks at work.

The Quick Gun (1964)
Directed by Sidney Salkow
Starring Audie Murphy, Merry Anders, James Best, Frank Ferguson, Ted De Corsia, Raymond Hatton

Sidney Salkow directed this one. Shot at Iverson, it’s got a great cast (I’d watch Frank Ferguson in anything).

Both of these were part of Columbia’s MOD program, and it’s great to see them paired up at a great price.

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It was an honor to be the guest on Robert’s podcast yesterday. He turned it around quick, and it’s ready now. Check it out.

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Ben Cooper
(September 30, 1933 – February 24, 2020)

Got word this morning that Ben Cooper has passed away at 86.

He did a lot of pictures for Republic, from Woman They Almost Lynched (1953) to Johnny Guitar (1954, above, on the right) to A Strange Adventure (1956) — and he kept at it in movies and TV (mostly Westerns) into the 1990s.

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Happy Thanksgiving.

Here’s Ben Cooper as Turkey in Johnny Guitar (1954), with Royal Dano and Scott Brady. As this demonstrates, it’s hard to find Thanksgiving references in 50s Westerns.

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Ben Cooper, Joan Crawford and Scott Brady in Johnny Crawford (1954).

Was doing some research on The Last Command (1955) and A Strange Adventure (1956), two Republics starring Ben Cooper that are on the way from Kino Lorber.

I don’t like what I found. Turns out, Ben’s in a memory care facility in Memphis, Tennessee. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with his expenses.

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