The Big Country

The Big Country.

BIG … and a Western Classic with Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Burl Ives, Carroll Baker, Jean Simmons, Chuck Conners …

“This is the west, Jim, a man is still expected to defend himself. If he allows people to think he won’t, he’s in trouble. Bad trouble.”

The Big Country

FilmAffinity.com / Wikipedia.com

Below; The classic fight scene from The Big Country
or ‘How to pull your britches on, Western style’.

Not many folks can deliver a volley of insults like Heston:

“All I can say, McKay, is you take a helluva long time to say good-bye.”

The Big Country

“This is the west, Jim, a man is still expected to defend himself. If he allows people to think he won’t, he’s in trouble. Bad trouble.”

The Big Country
FilmAffinity.com / Wikipedia.com 

Below: The classic fight scene from The Big Country
or ‘How to pull your britches on, Western style’.

Not many folks can deliver a volley of insults like Heston:

“All I can say, McKay, is you take a helluva long time to say good-bye.”

URGENT APPEAL

Dear Readers,

A situation has arisen concerning Google that is very negatively impacting many Blogs and Websites. This regards Google’s new image handling format.

Many sites are recording dire drops in viewership – and loss of their image property.

Please read:

FEBRUARY 6, 2013 BY 

Hail Google! So much for freedom

http://teepee12.com/2013/02/06/hail-google/?replytocom=10844#respond

We are asking you – our viewers – to help us maintain our sites and freedom by writing Google at this address to express your concerns and urge them to reverse this.

Contact Google: http://www.google.com/intl/en/contact/

also:  Google Watchdog:  http://insidegoogle.com/takeaction/file-a-complaint/  has an easy setup to file a complaint.

The existence of many sites and blogs is in jeopardy.

Here is a few quotes from Web owners and Bloggers: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/webmasters/x8CnRPITLg8 :

– “Really It’s a horrible change for publishers who depend entirely on Google image search …”

– “As a webmaster I think it is a horrible thing. My traffic dropped and all images are now HOTLINKED! So google got my images and I got no traffic in return. In google’s blog post they said test show click trough rate to host sites were increasing, but this is bullshit. I got hit hard from 40.000 to 20.000 visitors daily. Now my question is: is it still worth letting google indexing your images? I mean big G is only stealing your bandwidth?”

– “I Have a website and sell a lot of products on Trademe.co.nz. I think the new google images is horrendous. It seems to slow my computer down, it can’t make it’s mind up if it wants to show you the picture or not, you have to click numerous times to get rid of the image, you have to hover over the picture for ages to get an idea if the size and there aren’t as many images as there used to be.”

– “I use it many times every day and am absolutely FED UP with it already.
I wish there was an alternative. I thought this was supposed to be an improvement.
It is UTTER CRAP !!”

– “Google’s entire search apparatus makes it now impossible to log hits to pages with referrer details, so you won’t know any more how a visitor came to the page: from a search (web or image) or directly. No referrer is provided from all logged in visitors which now account for a very, very large percentage of Google users.”

– “So now they are STEALING all images by letting people lift and copy images without even going to the author’s site!!!! Full size images, too!!! This is unethical and totally breaks copyright law. So now those of us who actually create these images – cartoonists, artists, designers, photogs – will not only lose traffic, we’ll lose our only work – OUR OWN CARTOONS!!!!

– “Before I used code to break the frames, so at least Google could only steal the images for a few seconds. Now they totally are scum. I am beyond disgusted and am going to disallow all images immediately.”

– “Very bad move from Google. Hotlinking and showing full size pictures on THEIR SITES without any regards to copyright and terms of use.”

Thank you.

Please do it now.

Yours sincerely,

jcalberta
myfavoritewesterns.com

 

The Appaloosa … parting shots …

Et tu Brando …

Screenshots: The Appaloosa 

The Appaloosa - Brando
The Appaloosa – Brando
“Amigos, Gringos, Compadres …“
The Appaloosa - Brando
The Appaloosa – Brando
“This was the noblest Gringo of them all.”
The Appaloosa - Brando
The Appaloosa – Brando
“To be, or not to be … “
The Appaloosa - Brando
The Appaloosa – Brando
“Whether ’tis nobler in the mind …”

The Appaloosa - Brando
The Appaloosa – Brando
“Alas, poor Pedro! I knew him … “

“I have decided to tell the story of my life as best I can, so that my children can separate the truth from the myths that others have created about me, as myths are created about everyone swept up in the turbulent and distorting maelstrom of celebrity in our culture.” ― Marlon BrandoSongs My Mother Taught Me

 

The Appaloosa Grande … Amigos …

3 Amigos

Don’t be fooled by their smiles …

The Appaloosa - 2 amigos
The Appaloosa – 3 amigos
John Saxon, Emilio Fernandez, Alex Montoya

… these are not your friends.

Nothing frames the face like a sombrero …
The Appaloosa - Sombero 6
The Appaloosa – Emilio Fernandez
The Appaloosa - Sombero 8
The Appaloosa – Brando

“There’s a line in the picture where he snarls, ‘Nobody tells me what to do.’ That’s exactly how I’ve felt all my life.”
Marlon Brando
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/marlon_brando.html#5a8E93hCQ888oQ4c.99

The Appaloosa - Saxon Sombrero 1
The Appaloosa – John Saxon
The Appaloosa - Saxon Sombrero 2
The Appaloosa – John Saxon

“There certainly have been a lot of changes, although they come in such gradations that most people have either forgotten, or, if they’re too young, they never knew about them in the first place.”
– John Saxon
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_saxon.html#zdllIyCM3o8rPKck.99

The Appaloosa - Alex Montoya
The Appaloosa – Alex Montoya
The Appaloosa - Sombero 9
The Appaloosa – Alex Montoya
The Appaloosa - Emilio Fernandez
The Appaloosa – Emilio Fernandez

The Appaloosa … American Spaghetti …

Close Up and Personal 

Director Sergio Leone didn’t invent Close-Up shots, but he certainly was influential in their use. This is partly why The Appaloosa is often referred to as the “American Spaghetti Western” – as Director Sidney J. Furie uses close-ups extensively. The movie was also made during the height of Spaghetti Western popularity (1966) and has more than it’s share of Mexican banditos.

Leone’s Eyes … guess who ?

Leone's Eyes ...
Leone’s Eyes …

Eastwood, Van Cleef, Wallach, Bronson

Furie’s Eyes … In your face Amigo 

The Appaloosa - Close Ups
The Appaloosa – Screen shots – uncropped 

“The truth is, whether your film is about the great mythological character you have to do right, or it’s a little movie that nobody ever heard of, you still approach it like it’s the most important thing in the world. But failing goes with the territory. Filmmakers are like gunslingers, and you don’t win every duel.”

– Sydney J. Furie

Sydney J. Furie - Director
Sydney J. Furie – Director

Robert Duvall …

“When I knew nothing, I thought I could do anything.”
Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall - Open Range
Robert Duvall – Open Range

Lonesome Dove / Open Range / Broken Trail / True Grit / Joe Kidd / Lawman /
The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid

Kevin Costner – Producer / Director / Actor …

Kevin Costner and Modern West – “Intense”

Open Range - Kevin Costner
Open Range – Kevin Costner

“I haven’t lived a perfect life. I have regrets. But that’s from a lifetime of taking chances, making decisions, and trying not to be frozen. The only thing that I can do with my regrets is understand them.” 
– Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner Western Filmography

Silverado (1985) / Dances With Wolves (1990) / Wyatt Earp (1994) /
Open Range (2003)

Kevin Costner – Producer / Director / Actor …

Kevin Costner and Modern West – “Intense”

Open Range - Kevin Costner
Open Range – Kevin Costner

“I haven’t lived a perfect life. I have regrets. But that’s from a lifetime of taking chances, making decisions, and trying not to be frozen. The only thing that I can do with my regrets is understand them.” 
– Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner Western Filmography

Silverado (1985) / Dances With Wolves (1990) / Wyatt Earp (1994) /
Open Range (2003)

Open Range – Bronze Wrangler Award Winner 2003

Open Range
Winner of the Bronze Wrangler Award 2003

Open Range - Bronze Wrangler Award 2003
Open Range – Bronze Wrangler Award 2003

The Bronze Wrangler is an award presented annually by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum to honor the top works in Western music, film, television and literature.

The awards were first presented in 1961. The Wrangler is a bronze sculpture of a cowboy on horseback, and is designed by artist John Free.

The awards program also recognizes inductees into the prestigious Hall of Great Westerners and the Hall of Great Western Performers as well as the recipient of the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award, named in honor of the Museum’s founder.

Bronze Wrangler Award
Bronze Wrangler Award

Previous Winners of the Bronze Wrangler Award

1961 The Alamo /1962 The Comancheros /1963 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance /1964 How the West Was Won /1965 Cheyenne Autumn /1966 The Sons of Katie Elder /1967 Appaloosa /1968 The War Wagon /1969 Will Penny / 1970 True Grit / 1971 A Man Called Horse / 1972 The Cowboys / 1974  The New Land / 1976 Bite the Bullet /1981 Heartland / 1984 Never Cry Wolf  / 1989 Young Guns / 1991 Dances With Wolves / 1992  Thousand Pieces of Gold / 1993 Unforgiven / 1994 Geronimo: An American Legend / 1995 Legends of The Fall / 1999 Hi-Lo Country /2003 Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron /2004 Open Range / 2006 The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada / 2007 Truce / 2008 3:10 to Yuma / 2009 Appaloosa / 2011 True Grit / 2012 Yellow Rock …

Past individual winners have included Owen Wister, William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, Ken Maynard, Tim McCoy, Harry Carey, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Tex Ritter, Rex Allen, John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, Richard Widmark, James Stewart, Buck Taylor, Howard R. Lamar, Ben Johnson, Pernell Roberts, and Tom Selleck …

(MFW: lots of worthy films and folks on those lists. Surprised to see Never Cry Wolf (1984) on there though – not really a Western (IMO) – but a great movie to be sure. (I have a couple of ‘suspect’ inclusions on my own lists so I can’t say much). However in researching 1984 I find it truly was a bad year for Westerns. BUT one film that was made in 1984 (that I have never seen) was Draw with Kirk Douglas and James Coburn. It’s listed as a TV Movie, but you’d figure that anything with Douglas and Coburn would automatically be pretty good. ?? I’ll have to check that out.)

Open Range … Posters/Media

Open Range posters
Open Range posters
Open Range posters
Open Range posters
Open Range posters
Open Range posters
Open Range posters
Open Range posters

Celebrating ‘Open Range’ …

No place to run.  No reason to hide.

Open Range Soundtrack

Open Range poster
Open Range poster
Open Range Title Banner
Open Range Title Banner
Open Range Title Banner 2
Open Range / Trailer

 

Starting my Open Range page …

Celebrating ‘Open Range’ …

No place to run.  No reason to hide.

Open Range Soundtrack

Open Range poster
Open Range poster
Open Range Title Banner
Open Range Title Banner
Open Range Title Banner 2

Starting my Open Range page …

The Appaloosa …

 A Breed of Renown …

Appaloosa - Wikipedia

Strangely, in The Appaloosa we don’t get to see the Appaloosa pony all that much – the movie is not really about the horse. But I still wish they had shown him more.  Truly a beautiful animal.
The pony in the movie was named Rojo.

Cojo Rojo

Curiously enough, the recent film Appaloosa (2008) starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen also has nothing to do with a horse either. One wonders if the title isn’t a nod to The Appaloosa.

The Appaloosa - Brando
Brando with the Appaloosa – alas, one of the few good images in the movie.

The history of the Appaloosa Horse breed is much too involved to put here, but the Nez Perce Indians were responsible for the North American breed.

File:Nezperceindians1895ish.jpg
Nez Perce Indians with Appaloosa / 1895
 

… in the West

Once Upon a Time in the West ... Charles Bronson

“I guess I look like a rock quarry that someone has dynamited”.

– Charles Bronson 

Once Upon a Time in the West ... Charles Bronson 6

Once Upon a Time …

Once Upon a Time in the West ... Charles Bronson
Once Upon a Time in the West … Charles Bronson

“When you hear a strange sound, drop to the ground”.

Home on the Range …

Where to go next … ?? There is no end of possibilities.  So many great Westerns … so little time.

I’ve received two suggestions: Eastwood’s Academy Award winning Unforgiven – Academy Awards Best Picture in 1992. (Wow, was it really that long ago?)

And Open Range (2003) a worthy duster (also shot in Alberta) with Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall.

Unforgiven 1992
Open Range wallpaper
Open Range (2003)
Unforgiven

I worked as a set painter on Unforgiven which was shot near Longview, Alberta – the small Western town set was built on some (well guarded and secluded) private property. I wish I could tell you that it was a glorious experience where I smoozed with Movie Stars, Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, and Richard Harris. But it wasn’t.The set was tight and strict – high security. I never saw any of the Stars at all, but there was strict rules not to approach or talk to them unless invited.
My work has hot, dirty and tough. And even dangerous. I recall being up 3 storeys on a rickety scaffold – painting the back a building – by myself – that never even appeared in the film.
I made 8 dollars an hour – working alongside carpenters who were making 100 dollars an hour – or more.
Aw yes … the romance of film. Eastwood had a couple of henchmen whose only job seemed to be to go around kicking ass and hustling chicks on the set … who all mysteriously got better jobs. It’s not what you know …
We worked hard long days – bused in at 5 in the morning and often leaving sometimes late in the evening.
As I said, I never saw any of the Stars. There were several Locations in the area and I always seemed to working somewhere else.
Later, I got a temporary job with an outfit called F&D (Fast & Dirty) Scene Changes building the train station that was used in the movie – in a large hanger in Calgary. The station was then dismantled and shipped down to Senora California (that’s where the train was) and reassembled for some scenes that really take very little time in the movie. Clint has a blank cheque in Hollywood – his movies make money.
I hope I don’t sound too jaded – it was a worthy experience.
I’m sure I can come up with a few dozen  more anecdotes surrounding my experience with Unforgiven … and I will.

Westward Ho !!!

 

The Appaloosa (1966) …

The Appaloosa (1966) 

When you do a search on Google for ‘Western Movies of 1966′ here is what you will likely find:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Professionals, Nevada Smith, El Dorado,
Alvarez Kelly, Duel at Diablo, The Shooting, Navajo Joe,
… and a few others …

A few Western Classics mixed in with a few clunkers. But, all in all, a pretty impressive year for Westerns.

Yet on most of these lists there is one glaring omission:
The Appaloosa.
Why?

The Appaloosa a a good Western. It is well directed by Sydney J. Furie and has excellent Cinematography, and it has Brando and Saxon.
It also contains one of the most famous and powerful scenes in Western Film:
The famous scorpion arm wrestling scene with the between Saxon and Brando.

The Appaloosa - 1966
The Appaloosa – 1966

I am at a loss to figure out why this movie seems to have been so overlooked? Was there a big ‘hate on’ for Brando at the time?
Or was it a case of merely being overshadowed by two of the Greatest Western Classics of All Time: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and The Professionals?
???

I hope to see it eventually take it’s rightful place.

Updating … My Darling Clementine …

Thot I’d trot back and fill in a bit on some of My pages. John Ford’s classic My Darling Clementine has been undated. Not all content is new, but I hope to add some fresh materials as able.

Quite a few of My pages need some work also. Such as,
The Last of the Mohicans.

Much to do …

Fonda
Fonda
my-darling-clementine-henry-fonda-everett
Fonda
Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan

My_Darling_Clementine_03

The Missouri Breaks … Death in the wind …

Death in the wind …
Nickolson
Nicholson

Blood on the mind …

The Missouri Breaks - Blood on the mind ...
Nicholson

Vengeance in the Heart …

Nicholson

Vengeance.

Not all it’s cracked up to be?

The Missouri Breaks - Confirmed ...

The Missouri Breaks - Brando