A Celebration of Western Movies… Pardner!
john prine / how lucky
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I’m guessing John’s first beer endorsement was Rheingold Beer.
Introduced in 1883, Rheingold Beer was an American product
created in New York (1950 to 1960).
Shut down in 1976. Revived in 1998.
Bud was next …
Then Coors … with cars
Mein Stein
Coming … John’s guns
storms never last / allison moorer
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“Life is hard. It’s even harder if you’re stupid.”
– John Wayne
I don’t know when John Wayne was first approached to sponsor Whisky,
but it was obviously a natural fit.
Like spurs on a cowboy boot.
Just in case you didn’t get that.
Duke Bourbon / 88 proof
Duke Brandy
Cheers !
Real Men bond with booze.
Next:
John has a beer …
ain’t nothin’ to me / johnny winter
Much of my ’70’s is kinda hazy. We drank and doped without moderation. For whatever reasons, I felt compelled to run that gauntlet. Some of the people I did this with aren’t around anymore. And although I don’t advocate or recommend such an experience, I have no regrets. And I know that some of the survivors are still practicing that lifestyle. Sometimes a deathstyle.
In Canada, Booze, in the ’70s, was legal, very available, and cheap. I could go into any local bar with just $5 in my pocket and drink all night – and still often have enough money left to take a taxi home. Draft beer was only 10 cents a glass. 10 glasses of beer for a dollar! Insane.
I eventually got over all this and stopped drinking (and doping). Along with the substances most of my so-called friends also disappeared. Our whole relationship revolved around drinking and substance abuse. So when I stopped it all, I didn’t fit there anymore.
I walked away. Without regret.
Glass of Canadian Draft Beer 1970 / 1980
Glass of Canadian Draft Beer 1970 / 1980
One minute later.
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“I never trust a man that doesn’t drink.”
– John Wayne
John Wayne’s general movie image is that of a man who liked a drink and it’s generally believed that in his real life he was a fairly heavy drinker – part of the the Manly Arts – along with guns, fighting and smoking. Yet it appears he was a man who could hold his booze and who was not a drunk or an alcoholic. His sons, Patrick and Ethan say that his hard drinking image was exaggerated and not a problem – and that he didn’t drink every day and could do without it. Yet in another article son Michael says “He liked to drink. I once saw him drink a bottle of tequila before a meal, and a bottle of brandy after a meal. ???
I figure John was a guy who liked and appreciated a good drink, but could handle it.
And there is at least one telltale movie scene that attests to this – in his last Western The Shootist. It’s the final shootout scene – which takes place in a saloon no less – John strides up the bar and announces: “This is my birthday. Give me the best in the house.” In the movie, it was also his death day. ‘One for the road’.
Next:
The Selling of John Wayne, Part 3 …
“Leave the bottle”
Anyone Can Tell / The Heavy Horses
1938 / Pals of the Saddle / George Sherman (Director) starring John Wayne, Stoney Brooke, and Max Terhune, and Yakima Canutt (uncredited). The first of eight films Wayne did in Republic’s “Three Mesquiteers” series.
George Sherman was an American film director and producer of about 110 low-budget films – many of them Westerns. Pals of the Saddle as the first of 10 films he directed John Wayne. Over the next 30 years, Sherman directed Wayne in Overland Stage Raiders (1938), Santa Fe Stampede (1938), Red River Range (1938), The Night Riders (1939), Three Texas Steers (1939), Wyoming Outlaw (1939), New Frontier (1939), and Big Jake (1971), Sherman’s last and most successful feature film as a director. Sherman also produced Wayne’s 1961 film The Comancheros.
You’d think a guy who made 110 movies – several with John Wayne – would get more recognition. I could find only one picture of George Sherman on the net. He appears to be almost unknown.
John gets top Bill with the Mesquiteers.
In 1937, John is 30 years old.
Pals of the Saddle has another claim to fame: the only Western with a sidekick (Max Terhune) who had a ventriloquist dummy (Elmer) sharing his saddle.
Sheesh.
But, you know what? If it made some kid smile, I guess it’s OK with me.
(I must be getting soft.)
It sure made John smile.
Doreen McKay plays John’s gal.
See ya up the trail pardner …
– jeff bridges
Pearl Zane Grey
(1872 – 1939)
There’s-a-long-long-trail / robert-mandell-with-the-romantic-strings-voices
CRIMSON-STREAKED ROMANCE HITS THE TRAIL!
It took six murdering rustlers and a girl to make a reckless rover settle down to love!
Next:
John Wayne Filmography cont. Born to the West / Hell Town / Part 2
the outlaw way / railbenders
I hadn’t intended to do a post on The Shootist until I reached it via my series on John Wayne’s Filmography. But Hugh O’Brian’s passing and his role in the important Western Classic moved it up the ladder. I won’t do a full posting on it here, but there’s some interesting things about this movie and O’Brian’s involvement.
I have to confess I’m puzzled why all these posters are different in coloration?
“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
– origin unknown – Often attributed to Mark Twain
Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) says this:
“Contrary to popular belief, John Wayne did not have cancer when he made this film. His entire left lung and several ribs had been removed in surgery on 17 September 1964, and in 1969 he was declared cancer-free. It was not until 12 January 1979, almost three years after this movie had been filmed, that the disease was found to have returned. According to a 2014 biography “John Wayne: the Life and Legend” by Scott Eyman, Wayne had been found to have stomach cancer in 1975 but it had gone into remission before filming began on this movie.”
MFW: The contention here, of course, is that John didn’t know this was his last film/Western. I’m no detective, but I do know that almost the entire cast of The Shootist – including Director Don Siegel – were handpicked and invited by Wayne to be in this movie. Does that sound like somebody that doesn’t know this is the end of line?
Hugh O’Brian’s role in The Shootist is interesting. He seems to get a bit of preferential treatment. His role basically reprizes his previous portrayal of Wyatt Earp from his popular TV series “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp” (1955–1961). Also, in The Shootist, Hugh’s character is a Faro dealer in the saloon. This was Earp’s real life side occupation when he was a Marshall in Tombstone.
Hugh also wears the gentleman’s garb of vest and tie vest – almost identical to O’Brian’s portrayal of Earp in his popular TV series.
Next, when John goes to the bar at the start of the final shootout scene, he pours himself a drink – and salutes only one of the three patrons in the bar: Hugh O’Brian. Ignoring Richard Boone and Bill McKinney. I’d say that’s a hell of a compliment – from the Dean of Western Heroes.
Hugh salutes back. ‘See ya John’.
When the final shootout takes place, Hugh – a true gentleman – doesn’t enter the fray until Boone and McKinney are dispatched.
Epic stuff … all the way around.
So long Hugh.
The Good Old Hockey Game / Stompin’ Tom Connors
In 1937 John appeared in a real head scratcher:
Idol of the Crowds – a hockey movie!
Yes, John made an occasional non-Western,
but I never knew he ranged this far afield!?
I couldn’t access any video, but it looks like John
really knows what he’s doing out there!
Amazing!
In the synopsis you can see that John plays a guy called Johnny Hanson. This is rather interesting coincidence, because one of my favorite (guilty pleasure) movies is Slapshot (1977) – a hockey sendup Starring Paul Newman! (believe it or not) and these amazing characters: The Hanson Brothers, who have become big Canadian celebrities.
The Hanson Brothers deserve a Post to themselves
so I’ll get back to them later.
Meanwhile … John Wayne plays a chicken farmer who plays hockey. With all due respect to chicken farming, how does one go from
being a Western Hero to a chicken farmer hockey player?
Sheila Bromley
dust in the wind / Melanie
Stagecoach Run is Winds of the Wasteland – the same movie restored and colorized by Legend Films. I couldn’t find any new posters or advertising media for it though. Just a few clips.
Yakima Canutt does plenty of stunt work in this movie – plus some acting (as a badguy) – but receives no Credit on the Bill !! Those stunt guys don’t get no respect !
Lew Kelly provides a little Comedy relief inside the coach.
Not sure how many stagecoach stunts Yakima Canutt performed in his career,
but there was plenty. This one is pretty tame by his standards.
Then Yak jumps into the driver’s seat and magically transforms to John Wayne.
Most of Yak’s and John’s stunts were seamlessly done – you honestly
believed it was John performing the action.
But Yak’s not finished yet – he jumps onto the horses !
Below: Not sure how this was done, but it appears
John is doing a bit of stunting himself?
There’s a bit of a wardrobe screw-up here though as John and Yak
appear to have different colored vests on. ??
Those Actors – always wanting to do their own stunts.
Onward …
dust in the wind / kansas
John keeps making ’em – I keep posting ’em. John is 29-years-old now and Winds of the Wasteland being his 5th of 7 Westerns he made in 1936. Though interesting, the movies are not that great. But as long as the images and Posters are good, (and they are) I’ll keep putting them up …
Ben Hur Theme / Miklos Rosza
There’s only one good thing about Falling off a horse. It’s damn easy.
(Especially galloping full speed, handling a weapon, or without a saddle)
Making it look good however – and landing safely – is another matter.
So Saddle up … or not … we’re goin’ Stunting!
Yakima Canutt. was a Rodeo Champion, before and during his career as a Western Film Stunt Artist. He knew what Falling was all about – and it’s obvious side effects – injury and death – though he obviously Fell a lot less than most cowboys. But his experience in Rodeo is definitely what led to his place as a Western Film Stunt Master.
But getting bucked off in a Rodeo, and Falling in a Western movie, are not quite the same thing. In Rodeo you don’t want to Fall. And if you do, you aren’t very concerned about how it looks. In Stunt Falling you’re trying to Fall – and make it look good – the more sensational, the better – higher, farther, faster …. always pushing the envelope. And in Rodeo, and especially Stunting, Yak pushed the envelope big time. He pretty well invented the Stunt industry. In either case however, you still need to land safely. Not an easy thing to do.
But before we ride any further, there’s one thing that needs to be mentioned … the Horses.
Early Western Horse Stunts seemed to demonstrate a tremendous disregard for the safety of the horses.
One example: Stunt Falls from horses sometimes employed trip lines that tripped/yanked the horses down – while galloping at full speed. The Stuntman, of course, knew a Fall was coming – the horse did not. I haven’t seen any statistics, but I can surmise there was a considerable toll on the horses. This was rightfully criticized and eventually stopped. Nowadays Stunt horses are extensively trained in Falls and any other Stunts involving horses. To Yak’s credit he later took great care and pride in inventing techniques which greatly limited injury to both man and beast – culminating in his masterpiece – one of the greatest Stunt events in film history – the spectacular (and dangerous) – Chariot Race in Ben Hur (1959) – a monumental stunting achievement that took Yak two years of planning and preparation. And despite urban legends to the contrary, there is no evidence that any horses (or actors) were killed.
There’s-a-long-long-trail / robert-mandell-with-the-romantic-strings-voices
I’m guessing you noticed that those rascals used a couple of the same posters from King of the Pecos – an annoying, but not uncommon practice in those days. Not bad posters though.
This movie is hard to come by – I could find no clips, previews – hardly anything – just a few pics – though it appears to be shown on TCM occasionally.
One average Review, one friendly Review, and one trashing Review …
DVD Talk
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/60347/lonely-trail/
The Lonely Trail /April 30, 2013 /
Review by Stuart Galbraith IV | posted May 26, 2013
“A Reconstruction-era Western with John Wayne battling a scurrilous carpetbagger, the meaninglessly titled The Lonely Trail (1936), is fairly good, early Republic production. Though cheap ($20,000, of which Wayne received $1,750), it lacks the sausage factory mechanicalness of many of that studio’s later Westerns. The company style hadn’t quite set yet, and the picture is fresher and a bit more adult, if creaky and less fine-tuned.
Yakima Canutt, the great actor-stuntman-second unit director who helped shape Wayne’s screen persona, plays Holden’s main henchman. In an early scene, Canutt gets to demonstrate his dexterity with a pair of six-shooters that still impresses today. And it might very well have been him doubling for Wayne in a terrific stunt where Wayne’s character leaps from a galloping horse onto a runaway buckboard.
Parting Thoughts: It looks great and, for fans of B-Western, loads of fun, The Lonely Trail is heartily Recommended.”
“Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”
LONELY TRAIL, THE (director: Joseph Kane)
“Standard Western.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz 10/4/2005 GRADE: C
Standard Western directed by Joseph Kane from a story by Bernard McConville, who also handles the screenplay with Jack Natteford. Republic boss Herbert Yates was a NYC stockbroker who went to Hollywood and began Monogram Studios. His cinema philosophy was all about the money–not giving two cents about a film’s artistic worth. Yate’s philosophy was that a film should make back at least three times of what it costs to make. In John Wayne, Yates found a dependable and bankable star. For Wayne, these cheapie films became his school where he learned how to act. This is one of those middling film where if Wayne wasn’t in it, it would be of little interest.
I really had to wonder if my difficulty in finding this movie had something to do with it’s depiction of Black Americans in that era. It is clearly an outdated Social/Political depiction – even though it may be of some historical accuracy. I also wonder then, if future social climates will permit this film to return to our Libraries and Archives ?? I have to wonder.
From Rotten Tomatoes:
Actress Etta McDaniel made her stage debut along with her seven siblings as a member of H. M. Johnson’s Mighty Modern Minstrels, a Denver-based musical troupe. In the late 1920s, McDaniel and her older brother Sam headed to Hollywood, where both found steady work in bit parts. In keeping with Hollywood’s racial attitudes of the 1930s and 1940s, she was confined to the stereotypical roles usually assigned black actresses of the era: housekeepers, maids, mammies and African natives. Unlike her younger sister Hattie McDaniel, who eventually attained co-star billing and an Academy Award (for Gone with the Wind), Etta McDaniel spent her entire Hollywood career in minor roles.
Clapton / the breeze (jj cale)
Four pretty damn good posters:
John demonstrates his quick draw fanning technique:
Lonely Hobo Lullaby / Hollies
John’s second Western of 1936. Not much to say about it. Average ratings. Only one (not too bad) poster …
Alright … your next Stunt is another location shot. It’s pretty simple – no riding or shooting involved.
I just need you to climb out of the speeding stagecoach and get on it’s roof … nothin’ to it.
What? You want a safety harness!!??? Wellll … we don’t have any of those … how about an extra five bucks?
Good … here we go …
Action !! … Open the door … out you go !
Hold ‘er steady boys !!!
Just climb up there … !!
Hey! Not bad! – Didn’t fall or anything.
We might make a Stuntman outta you yet.
Here’s your 15 bucks.
Next:
Stunt 3:
Western Stunt Gun Handling
Stunt 3 is mostly a series of ‘close up’ shots – so to speak – done in the studio.
You’re playing Andy Devine‘s role – stagecoach driver. You’ll only have to pretend to handle the reins – but there’s no horses on the set. Just try to look like you know what you’re doing; Handling a real team of horses would be Advanced Western Stunt Horsemanship ...
Here’s an interesting anecdote from Stagecoach (IMDB): “(Director) John Ford liked to bully actors on the set, and this was no exception. At one point he said to Andy Devine, “You big tub of lard. I don’t know why the hell I’m using you in this picture.” Undaunted, Devine replied, “Because Ward Bond can’t drive six horses.” Point taken.
Because Andy Devine usually played a ‘comic relief” role in Westerns, his skills as a Western Actor are massively under-appreciated. He was a really a very accomplished gun handler and rider. And obviously could do other things – like drive a rig.
Now for Stunt 3 … this scene will clearly demonstrate some of the dangers of Western Gun Handling / Firearms.
After you (Yakima Canutt) climb up on the roof of the stagecoach the shooting starts in earnest …
But he keeps on shootin’…
Marshal Curley Wilcox (George Bancroft) is ‘riding shotgun’ … and let’s fly …
John gets smoked again …
Note the huge muzzle flash from the shotgun … about 3 feet long!
Imagine standing in front of that?!
Doc (Thomas Mitchell) starts shootin’ too …
Did you notice Actress Louise Platt covering her ears?
She’s not Acting …
That idiot is shooting his pistol about a foot from her face !!!.
The boys keep blasting away …
OK … time to get you into some action !!
Hold still … while we blast a shotgun off beside your head …
No whining.
Here comes Johnny !
Ooops, missed …
Did I detect a Wilhelm?
Good work.
Hello?
Next:
Advanced Canutt Stunting …
Read carefully:
Stunting is dangerous.
Injuries sustained by Yakima Canutt during his career:
Wikipedia: “In the five years between 1925 and 1930, fifty-five people were killed making movies, and more than ten thousand injured. By the late 1930’s, the maverick stuntman willing to do anything for a buck was disappearing. Now under scrutiny, experienced stunt men began to separate themselves from amateurs by building special equipment, rehearsing stunts, and developing new techniques.” – from Falling – (How Our Greatest Fear Became Our Greatest Thrill by Garrett Soden)
In early Stunting there were no rules, no guidelines, no techniques, no unions … nothing. Stuntman and horses were cannon fodder. Somebody would walk up to the Stunt guys and say: “I’ll pay 10 dollars for someone to fall off a 30 foot cliff.” Fall – not jump – not mentioning the rocks. Some stunt guy would jump up and say” I’ll do it.” Hey, it was the 20’s and 30’s – 10 bucks was a lot of money. Off he’d go. And possibly return. But maybe not.
But I figure Stunting accidents and injuries are greater than reported. The Stuntmen didn’t want anyone to know they got hurt – nor did the Filmmakers. Especially animals.
Because of all this Yakima Canutt rose to forefront of modern Stunt innovators – creating techniques and devices that enhanced Stunting while saving life and limb.
So … let’s practice some Elementary Western Stunt Horsemanship and Weapon Handling.
We’ll use the famous chase scene from Stagecoach (1939) (Directed by John Ford and Starring John Wayne) as an exercise backdrop:
OK … here we go:
Western Horsemanship: Though many people wouldn’t consider riding a horse much of Stunt, over the years a great many Stunt injuries occured from riding and horse Stunting – probably more than any other Western Stunt. Good Horsemanship in Westerns is therefore, a requirement. But in Western Stunting EXCELLENT Horsemanship is a necessity.
Weapon Handling in Westerns: Guns can kill you – and are meant to do so. Over the years there have been accidental deaths and many injuries caused by firearms in Westerns and Action movies. Even prop guns employed in Film Making and using blank cartridges are dangerous. And as I said before, there’s likely been a lot more incidents than have been reported.
Gun Handling in Westerns opens a particularly rather large can of worms. Why? Because the Stars of the Westerns are required to handle guns (Hand Guns and Rifles …) and perform some Stunting/shooting. And Stars, in a lot of instances, are most likely not experts in Weapon Handling – NOR Stuntmen. Therefore …
Training is required – by experts. If you have no training or expertise in Weapon Handling you are a danger to yourself and and a risk to your co-workers. Movies, these days, employ Licensed Weapon Specialists to ensure the safety of the actors and crew production insurance premium as well. None of this existed in Yak’s day.
There are at least 2 ways in which Western prop firearms they can injure you:
Blank cartridges. There was notion conveyed in early Westerns was that blanks couldn’t hurt you – blank cartridges essentially being bullets with the lead projectile removed. As already noted people have been seriously injured – and killed – by guns firing blank cartridges. The initial concussion/blast – muzzle flash discharge from the barrel of the gun is deadly. I’d say it’s generally unwise to stand less that 8 feet away ?? Let’s make that 10 if possible. And often it’s not.
“Firing Blank Guns are REAL guns that have been modified to use blank ammunition. These firearms are to be considered extremely dangerous and should never be handled by anyone other than a legitimate firearms expert” – The Entertainment Weapons Specialists: http://propguys.com/gundanger/
Listen carefully: The second way in which guns can harm you is NOISE!!: BOOOM!! BWAM!! POW!!! Guns are very loud and can be damaging to your eardrums. Use earplugs when necessary/able.
Got it?
OK. For your first Stunt we’ll start you off easy:
Stunt 1
While galloping at full speed …
I want you to reload your rifle – then fire it.
This will require that you ride using no hands –
Yeah … again it would be useful if you had some experience in riding and handling firearms …
and sorry … you’re required to use blanks for this. We need to see some flash and smoke.
I’d prefer duds – safer for you – the horse – and everybody else. But …
OK … now go ahead, try it …
Got it loaded yet ??? … Good …
Now …. try leveling the rifle and shooting at something. Anything.
Uh huh …
Easy eh?
Now … do it again.
(I won’t wait)
Here’s your ten bucks.
There you go – Lesson 1: Elementary Western Stunt riding and Weapon Handling.
Next:
Advanced Western Horse Stunting and Weapon Handling
and Stunt 2:
Lucy / The Hollies
In 1936, John Wayne appeared in 7 more B Westerns – 5 for Republic and 2 for Universal. The Oregon Trail was the first – also Starring Yakima Canutt.
Shot on location in Lone Pine, California, this film is ‘Lost’ – completely missing. Oddly, 40 stills were found in 2013. That is all that remains. Thus no Reviews.
And the existing poster are not all that great. ??
Seems to have been a lot of hand to hand fighting in this movie. In most of these early Westerns such fights mainly consisted of sloppy wrestling matches. Yakima Canutt is credited with eventually improving the fight choreography and fake punches that were thrown – thus improving the action and the safety of the stunts.
The Wayward Wind / The Browns / 1960
John Wayne’s 8th and last Western of 1935 – B Movies all – and I get the impression this is was not one of the better ones. AllMovies reviews it as 1.5 out of 5. Ouch! Nor does it have any bounty of posters as some of John’s other movies of the era. But we are definitely starting to see the famous John Wayne persona evolving – the confidence, the swagger, his manner of talking. If you make 50 of these things you better learn something …
I couldn’t say which decade was the greatest era for Western Poster art. There was great posters all the way from the late 20’s to the late 50’s. Spectacular work – fit to be be framed. Then, as the popularity Westerns seemed to decline in the late 50’s, Poster Art in general seemed to decline also ? with most poster images moving to photos instead.
One thing is for sure, John was riding high.
