HF Westerns

[TallTallMan]

Speaking of Cold War propaganda, I recently picked up (thrift store) a copy of Wayne's "Green Berets", which I have not seen since my 12 inch B/w TV days, and find I am in no rush now.

See post #142.

 

[damYankee]

High Noon was a great flick, I have never figured out why the FBI declared it communist propaganda, but then, the FBI said that about 'It's a Wonderful Life."
The Oxbow Incident is another great western that the FBI declared propaganda, talk about paranoid
Just shut up and enjoy the movie.

 

[TallTallMan]

High Noon was a great flick, I have never figured out why the FBI declared it communist propaganda, but then, the FBI said that about 'It's a Wonderful Life."
The Oxbow Incident is another great western that the FBI declared propaganda, talk about paranoid
Just shut up and enjoy the movie.

Anybody who reads such things in entertainment needs to turn off the TV, shut the laptop, and go outside for a while.

Unfortunately I know people who believe these things.

(All three of those films are favorites of mine)

 

[carptrash]

High Noon was a great flick, I have never figured out why the FBI declared it communist propaganda, but then, the FBI said that about 'It's a Wonderful Life."

Here is a chunk out of wikipedia about that. "
The production and release of High Noon intersected with the Second Red Scare in the United States and the Korean War. In 1951, during production of the film, screenwriter Carl Foreman was summoned before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) during its investigation of "Communist propaganda and influence" in the motion picture industry. Foreman had once been a member of the Communist Party, but he declined to identify fellow members or anyone he suspected of current membership. As a result, he was labeled an "uncooperative witness" by the committee, making him vulnerable to blacklisting by the movie industry.[10]

After his refusal to name names was made public, Foreman's production partner Stanley Kramer demanded an immediate dissolution of their partnership. As a signatory to the production loan, Foreman remained with the High Noon project; but before the film's release, he sold his partnership share to Kramer and moved to Britain, knowing that he would not find further work in the United States.[10] Kramer later asserted that he had ended their partnership because Foreman had threatened to falsely name him to HUAC as a Communist. Foreman said that Kramer feared damage to his own career due to "guilt by association". Foreman was indeed blacklisted by the Hollywood studios due to the "uncooperative witness" label along with pressure from Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn, MPA president John Wayne, and Los Angeles Times gossip columnist Hedda Hopper.[10]"
And it goes on, "John Wayne was originally offered the lead role in the film, but refused it because he believed that Foreman's story was an obvious allegory against blacklisting, which he actively supported. Later, he told an interviewer that he would "never regret having helped run Foreman out of the country"." Way to go, John.

 

[TallTallMan]

Here is a chunk out of wikipedia about that. "
The production and release of High Noon intersected with the Second Red Scare in the United States and the Korean War. In 1951, during production of the film, screenwriter Carl Foreman was summoned before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) during its investigation of "Communist propaganda and influence" in the motion picture industry. Foreman had once been a member of the Communist Party, but he declined to identify fellow members or anyone he suspected of current membership. As a result, he was labeled an "uncooperative witness" by the committee, making him vulnerable to blacklisting by the movie industry.[10]

After his refusal to name names was made public, Foreman's production partner Stanley Kramer demanded an immediate dissolution of their partnership. As a signatory to the production loan, Foreman remained with the High Noon project; but before the film's release, he sold his partnership share to Kramer and moved to Britain, knowing that he would not find further work in the United States.[10] Kramer later asserted that he had ended their partnership because Foreman had threatened to falsely name him to HUAC as a Communist. Foreman said that Kramer feared damage to his own career due to "guilt by association". Foreman was indeed blacklisted by the Hollywood studios due to the "uncooperative witness" label along with pressure from Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn, MPA president John Wayne, and Los Angeles Times gossip columnist Hedda Hopper.[10]"
And it goes on, "John Wayne was originally offered the lead role in the film, but refused it because he believed that Foreman's story was an obvious allegory against blacklisting, which he actively supported. Later, he told an interviewer that he would "never regret having helped run Foreman out of the country"." Way to go, John.

Rio Bravo was intended as an anti-High Noon. JW's also thought that Cooper's character was effeminate. I love both films.

 

[Pollaco]

When I was younger it was kind of a thrill to see Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) twirl his revolver. Then it dawned on me that it's not a very bright thing to do. At every twirl of the gun you have a loaded gun aimed right back at part of your anatomy.

 

[Cavalier]

I love John Wayne's The Alamo, cold war propaganda or not. I love High Noon too. More propaganda, just from the other side I guess?

Personally, I never figured out the propaganda aspect from either one of them. To me they were just movies, and I still like them.

John

 

[TallTallMan]

When I was younger it was kind of a thrill to see Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) twirl his revolver. Then it dawned on me that it's not a very bright thing to do. At every twirl of the gun you have a loaded gun aimed right back at part of your anatomy.

Duke twirls that repeater, too.

 

[TallTallMan]

I love John Wayne's The Alamo, cold war propaganda or not. I love High Noon too. More propaganda, just from the other side I guess?

Personally, I never figured out the propaganda aspect from either one of them. To me they were just movies, and I still like them.

John

They were, but good propaganda, because it doesn't smash it into your face, like the ham-fistedness of The Green Berets or the Marvel movies of the last ten years.

 

[Philip Leigh]

Here is a chunk out of wikipedia about that. "
The production and release of High Noon intersected with the Second Red Scare in the United States and the Korean War. In 1951, during production of the film, screenwriter Carl Foreman was summoned before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) during its investigation of "Communist propaganda and influence" in the motion picture industry. Foreman had once been a member of the Communist Party, but he declined to identify fellow members or anyone he suspected of current membership. As a result, he was labeled an "uncooperative witness" by the committee, making him vulnerable to blacklisting by the movie industry.[10]

After his refusal to name names was made public, Foreman's production partner Stanley Kramer demanded an immediate dissolution of their partnership. As a signatory to the production loan, Foreman remained with the High Noon project; but before the film's release, he sold his partnership share to Kramer and moved to Britain, knowing that he would not find further work in the United States.[10] Kramer later asserted that he had ended their partnership because Foreman had threatened to falsely name him to HUAC as a Communist. Foreman said that Kramer feared damage to his own career due to "guilt by association". Foreman was indeed blacklisted by the Hollywood studios due to the "uncooperative witness" label along with pressure from Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn, MPA president John Wayne, and Los Angeles Times gossip columnist Hedda Hopper.[10]"
And it goes on, "John Wayne was originally offered the lead role in the film, but refused it because he believed that Foreman's story was an obvious allegory against blacklisting, which he actively supported. Later, he told an interviewer that he would "never regret having helped run Foreman out of the country"." Way to go, John.

The story is arguably a fictional representation of Carl Forman's own tribulation with the House Un-American Activities Com. He tried repeatedly to get other Hollywood Artists to join him in fighting HUAC. But nobody would. In the end, like the Sheriff in the movie, he had to stand alone against the gang of bad guys at high noon.

 

[damYankee]

Here is a chunk out of wikipedia about that. "
The production and release of High Noon intersected with the Second Red Scare in the United States and the Korean War. In 1951, during production of the film, screenwriter Carl Foreman was summoned before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) during its investigation of "Communist propaganda and influence" in the motion picture industry. Foreman had once been a member of the Communist Party, but he declined to identify fellow members or anyone he suspected of current membership. As a result, he was labeled an "uncooperative witness" by the committee, making him vulnerable to blacklisting by the movie industry.[10]

After his refusal to name names was made public, Foreman's production partner Stanley Kramer demanded an immediate dissolution of their partnership. As a signatory to the production loan, Foreman remained with the High Noon project; but before the film's release, he sold his partnership share to Kramer and moved to Britain, knowing that he would not find further work in the United States.[10] Kramer later asserted that he had ended their partnership because Foreman had threatened to falsely name him to HUAC as a Communist. Foreman said that Kramer feared damage to his own career due to "guilt by association". Foreman was indeed blacklisted by the Hollywood studios due to the "uncooperative witness" label along with pressure from Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn, MPA president John Wayne, and Los Angeles Times gossip columnist Hedda Hopper.[10]"
And it goes on, "John Wayne was originally offered the lead role in the film, but refused it because he believed that Foreman's story was an obvious allegory against blacklisting, which he actively supported. Later, he told an interviewer that he would "never regret having helped run Foreman out of the country"." Way to go, John.

there was nothing in the plot or script that could be "pro communist."
Just like in "It's a Wonderful Life"
J. Edgar hated anyone who got more limelight than he did. Talk about a show boat .

 

[TallTallMan]

there was nothing in the plot or script that could be "pro communist."
Just like in "It's a Wonderful Life"
J. Edgar hated anyone who got more limelight than he did. Talk about a show boat .

He also hated MLK but loved skirts.

 

[TallTallMan]

Here's a fun factoid: all those freaky weapons in Spaghetti Westerns were mostly real:

Shobarys Spaghetti Westerns -Guns-

 

[Cavalier]

@PeteHale I don't know about Marvel movies of the last ten years but I believe lots of old movies, many now considered classic, were propaganda of one sort or another.

John

 

[Pollaco]

Duke twirls that repeater, too.

View attachment 494309

Thanks for pointing that out but I'm a little puzzled on this one.Wouldn't the rifle at that point have an empty chamber when it's pointed at guy doing the twirling? Or is it already loaded by then? I almost get dizzy just watching that short video of Ringo spinning the carbine.

 

[Pollaco]

Was it John Wayne's doing or the movies producers who tried to use "teen idols" like Ricky Nelson, Fabian, or Frankie Avalon in some of his movies? I almost looks like an attempt to try and capture a younger audience.

 

[Cavalier]

@Polloco I would think that appealing to as wide an audience as possible, thereby generating as much profit as possible, would have been the goal of almost all movies?

If they could manage to draw a substantial young female audience to a movie that they otherwise would have little desire to see by having a current young male heart throb in the cast I would imagine they would do that, whoever the producer was.

John

 

[Pollaco]

Even the suave Dean Martin was equally at home in either a Tuxedo or western garb.

 

[A. Roy]

I feel like Books sets up the final meeting in the saloon as a way to die, avoiding the painful death in store for him, and yet he's a better gunman than the other three, so he doesn't die by their hands. If it weren't for the bartender, he would survive. And then die from cancer. So what is the point of setting up the bar encounter? Just to settle old feuds?

The book version of The Shootist had a darker ending. I read that John Wayne had the script rewritten to make it more heroic for both Books and Gillom. (Trying not to issue a spoiler for the book....)
ARB

 

[Kurtlg]

Duke twirls that repeater, too.

View attachment 494309

I think Chuck Connors did the same thing in the Rifleman.