Category: Western Classics

Robert Redford / Cowboy / Part 2

Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head / sung by BJ Thomas
written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David 1969

“There are certain friendships that are sometimes too good
and too strong to talk about.”
– Robert Redford

              Robert Redford as the Sundance Kid / Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid


Star Power Deluxe

It’s no secret that Redford and Newman
were like brothers in their relationship.

“Paul is the most generous man with whom I’ve ever worked.
We had a fantastic rapport shooting.
It was one of the happiest experiences of my life.”
– Robert Redford

Paul Newman was Billed as the Star.
He’s up front on most every pic and poster.
I’m sure Robert thought that was just fine.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Movie - Where To Watch

The Slickest Pair: Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid

Katherine Ross, Robert Redford and Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1968 – Hilton Contemporary

Katherine Ross was basically along for the ride. She was still feasting on the success of The Graduate. But her Star was never in the same sky
as Newman and Redford.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | 20th Century Studios

Reviews?:

“8” out of 10. Generous for IMDB.

WOW! Critics and the Public agree!
And that’s not a ‘given’ on Rotten Tomatoes.

This was Redford‘s second Western whereby he portrayed a famous  character who had really existed:
Jeremiah Johnson and The Sundance Kid.

What they REALLY looked like:

BUT again,this wasn’t a documentary.

Time for a re-watch.

Next:
Part 3: Lefty or Righty?

Robert Redford / Cowboy / Part 1

“We do not own this place, we are just passengers”
– Robert Redford

Robert Redford made 2 notable Westerns – both now considered
Western Classics: Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).
A fistful of others ride the fringe.

Robert Redford Today - ROBERT REDFORD - JEREMIAH JOHNSON, 1972 “His name was Jeremiah Johnson, and they say he wanted to be a mountain man.” | Facebook

I always challenged Redford‘s casting as Jeremiah Johnson.
He didn’t look like the Johnson at all, in either in stature or appearance.

The True Story Behind 'Jeremiah Johnson': What We Know (and Don't)
Jeremiah Johnson

But this wasn’t a documentary.
And Director Sydney Pollock (who Directed Redford in 7 Films)
knew that Redford‘s Star Power would guarantee success.
It did.
All in all, Redford did a great job and this is a great Western
that I watched several times.

Will Geer, Jeremiah Johnson 1972

Coming:
Robert Redford / Cowboy / Part 2

Kirk Douglas: Western Filmography Part 2 of 3

Continuing …
Top Ten Favorite Western Actors

A good Western with Anthony Quinn.
Directed by John Sturges.

Debatable as a Western but …
I always sort of felt sorry for Olivier in this one because
despite that fact that he was a great Shakespearean Actor
he didn’t really have great Star Power/Charisma.
Yet Kirk and Olivier appeared together again in Spartagus.

Never seen this one.

A great Movie.

Not a great Movie.

Star Power can’t save everything.

6 to go …

 

Kirk Douglas: Western Filmography Part 1 of 3

My Top Ten Favorite Western Actors:

Kirk made 18 Westerns so I’m going to run  them in 3 parts.
I reworked all the images.

Most of these early Westerns can be seen in full for free
on a few different sites on the net.  Some can be downloaded as well.
The image quality varies from poor to excellent.

Along the Great Divide 1951 with Kirk Douglas, Virginia Mayo, John Agar, and Walter Brennan. – Bing video

Directed by Raoul Walsh
Also Starring Walter Brennan.
Kirk was 35.

The Big Trees (Western, 1952) Kirk Douglas, Eve Miller, Patrice Wymore | Movie, Subtitles – Bing video

Axe practice for The Vikings?
Kirk said: “It’s a bad movie.”
But IMDB gave it 5.7 out of 10.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7rky7m

Directed by Howard Hawks.
Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Arthur Hunnicutt and Dewey Martin also appeared.

Man without a Star 1955 with Kirk Douglas, Jeanne Crain, Claire Trevor and William Campbell – Bing video

Directed by King Vidor
Richard Boone was the Badguy.

The Indian Fighter 1955 – Kirk Douglas – Bing video

Walter Matthau is the badguy.
On the Poster, Kirk looks exactly like his son Michael Douglas.

Gunfight at the OK Corral 1957 HD – Bing video

Lancaster and Douglas in their prime.
Easily one of the Top Ten Westerns of all time.

12 to go …

 

My Top Ten Favorite Western Actors: Kirk Douglas: Part 2


I’ve seen very few Actors who looked as comfortable
‘in the saddle’ as Kirk Douglas.
(Maybe Ben Johnson).

He looked like he was born there and lived there.

Kirk Douglas | Portraits de célébrités, John wayne, Célébrités

This is what happens when you love what you do.
It shows.
And Kirk was a consummate Craftsman/Artist in his profession.
When he took a role, he owned it.
He wasn’t just Acting – he became that character.
He was ‘all in’.

And I figure that if you were going to work with Kirk,
you better get ‘on board’ pretty fast – or get lost.
He wasn’t fooling around.

Well … not much anyway.

I once found a pic once of Kirk standing on his horse looking around.
Now I can’t locate it.
I’m not sure he was copying Tom Mix, who was seen to do
this a while back. Probably not.

Tom Mix and Tony Postcard - Etsy

Tom Mix was a real Cowboy of course,
and could do most any horse stunt he wanted.

Digressing …

Did Tom Mix actually jump over Beale’s Cut in California?

He said he did. But the film footage that would have
proven it was lost in a fire.

I believe he did though because it’s known
that other riders had done this jump.
So it definitely was possible.
If not foolhardy.

But some folks
just seem to be ‘larger than life’ …

Coming …
Kirk’s Filmography continued.

My Ten Favorite Western Stars … Kirk Douglas Westerns: Part 1…

I am no expert on Western Movies/Film.
Don’t pretend to be.
Just a fan.
Feel free to disagree with anything  – and everything – I say.

“Obey the voice within – it commands us to give of ourselves and help others.
As long as we have the capacity to give, we are alive.”
– Kirk Douglas

Un Indien Au Phare Ouest: Le cow-boy Kirk Douglas a rejoint les étoiles

Kirk Douglas was/is indeed an Iconic Western Film Star.
He made 18 Westerns.
(Bet you didn’t know that.)
Most every one is watchable.
Some are Western Classics:

Along the Great Divide / 1951
The Big Trees / 1952
The Big Sky / 1952
Man Without a Star / 1955
The Indian Fighter / 1955
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral / 1958
Last Train from Gun Hill / 1959
The Devil’s Disciple / 1959
The Last Sunset / 1961
Lonely Are the Brave / 1962
The Way West / 1967
The War Wagon / 1967
There Was a Crooked Man / 1970
A Gunfight / 1971
Posse / 1975
The Villain / 1979 film
The Man from Snowy River / 1982 film
Draw! / 1984

Impressive indeed.

Coming up:
Kirk’s Western Filmography Part 1