HF Westerns

[MAJOR DUNDEE]

There's a "sequel" to the original "Gunfight at the OK Corral" from the same director (John Stuges), it's "Hour of the gun", it starts with the famous gunfight, and the rest of the film depicts the next month (years ?), against the Clanton's gang.

 

[TallTallMan]

There's a "sequel" to the original "Gunfight at the OK Corral" from the same director (John Stuges), it's "Hour of the gun", it starts with the famous gunfight, and the rest of the film depicts the next month (years ?), against the Clanton's gang.

I prefer GATOKC to HOTG. The latter is, IMO, the most dull of the Hollywood Earps (I say that to rule out low budget stuff.)

 

[MAJOR DUNDEE]

John Sturges is celebrated mostly for "The Magnificient Seven"... have a close look at that movie, it's not so good ; there's a great opening half hour (cemetery scene, the recruiting of the team...), good performances from a solid cast, and.....not much more, the rythm is completely broken by the "surrender' of the team and their coming back, the final battle is completely missed and half of the heroes dies in a 5 minutes gap , just when their mexicans foes seems defeated (after dying stupidly at the dozen, like indians sometimes in Westerns).

I suppose "The magnificient Seven" has experienced the fate of some films that have been butchered for some reasons (often they wanted them to be shorter, in order to host the film one or two more times during a day), famous cases beeing "The Alamo" and "Major Dundee", that would explain it's curious final impression.

 

[MAJOR DUNDEE]

I said some bad things about "The magnificient 7" but I consider John Sturges anyway as a master in the genre.
He directed many great Westerns.
"The law and Jake Wade"
"Fort Bravo"
"Gunfight at the OK Corral"
"Backlash"
and even "Joe Kidd", who's not so bad after all !

 

[Kurtlg]

I said some bad things about "The magnificient 7" but I consider John Sturges anyway as a master in the genre.
He directed many great Westerns.
"The law and Jake Wade"
"Fort Bravo"
"Gunfight at the OK Corral"
"Backlash"
and even "Joe Kidd", who's not so bad after all !

One of his best was the " modern" Western " Bad Day at Black Rock "

 

[huskerblitz]

I just caught Lonesome Dove on GET yesterday. It's been awhile since I've seen it and I have to say it holds up really well. I use to watch it on VHS...take a day and binge all 6 hours. Such good acting from several of the cast, good storytelling and cinematography. For my money, it's one of the greatest westerns of all time, if not #1.

 

[RedRover]

I recently watched Audie Murphy's "No Name on the Bullet." Never saw it before. Definitely one of his best.

Murph plays a creepy bounty hunter, who strikes not with a quick draw, but by fear. As the townsfolk sweat over WHO he might be in town after (he won't say). An interesting game of wits ensues with the local Doctor, etc.

 

[RedRover]

I suppose "The magnificient Seven" has experienced the fate of some films that have been butchered for some reasons (often they wanted them to be shorter, in order to host the film one or two more times during a day), famous cases beeing "The Alamo" and "Major Dundee", that would explain it's curious final impression.

There's lots of Magnificent Seven sequels to choose from to see where they might get it right. I always enjoyed the third installment, "Guns of the Magnificent Seven" with George Kennedy taking the role of Chris (formerly Brenner).

RIP Joe Don Baker, d. 2025, who played the one-armed sharp-shooter Slater.

 

[RedRover]

I prefer GATOKC to HOTG. The latter is, IMO, the most dull of the Hollywood Earps (I say that to rule out low budget stuff.)

An Earp picture that gets little attention is 1971's "Doc" with Stacy Keach as Doc Holiday.

Wyatt Earp is played with great menace in that one by Harris Yulin, who just passed away recently.

The depiction of the Earps and Mr. Holiday in that motion picture, is the closest to that in the 1968 Star Trek Episode, "Spectre of the Gun" where the Melktonians capture and condemn Capt. Kirk and his officers to a live-fire reenactment of the OK Corrall gunfight against their recreation of the Earps, etc.

If the Melktonians based their 23rd Century Earp and Holiday recreations on ancient Human motion pictures... they probably based them on "Doc."

 

[Library Lady]

New in the library this morning was a book Western aficionados should like: Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West by Peter Cozzens. It was released today.

DEADWOOD | Kirkus Reviews

A rootin’-tootin’ history of the famed Western town.

www.kirkusreviews.com

Deadwood by Peter Cozzens: 9780593537855 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

The true story of the Black Hills gold rush settlement once described as “the most diabolical town on earth” and of its most colorful cast of characters, from Wild Bill Hickok to Calamity Jane...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

 

[Library Lady]

Another new nonfiction Western book in the library today was The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West by Paul Andrew Hutton. It was released on August 5, 2025.

THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY | Kirkus Reviews

Biographically based history of westward expansion by a well-published scholar of that movement.

www.kirkusreviews.com

 

[dgfred]

An Earp picture that gets little attention is 1971's "Doc" with Stacy Keach as Doc Holiday.

View attachment 557261

Wyatt Earp is played with great menace in that one by Harris Yulin, who just passed away recently.
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The depiction of the Earps and Mr. Holiday in that motion picture, is the closest to that in the 1968 Star Trek Episode, "Spectre of the Gun" where the Melktonians capture and condemn Capt. Kirk and his officers to a live-fire reenactment of the OK Corrall gunfight against their recreation of the Earps, etc.

View attachment 557262

If the Melktonians based their 23rd Century Earp and Holiday recreations on ancient Human motion pictures... they probably based them on "Doc."

Big Nose Kate is always a looker... in the movies. lol

 

[SJU]

Visited Tombstone last month. Looks like a cool place but everything closes early. Got there about 5:30 and the place was basically shut down.

 

[SJU]

Stopped here a couple of days later.

The Battle at Apache Pass - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[SJU]

Had fun here. From the Marty Robins song.

 

[MAJOR DUNDEE]

Does anybody here remember "The hangman" ? Starring Robert Taylor and Fess Parker, nobody gets killed in that almost "comedy" Western, it's at least distracting.

 

[RedRover]

Does anybody here remember "The hangman" ? Starring Robert Taylor and Fess Parker, nobody gets killed in that almost "comedy" Western, it's at least distracting.

I've never seen or heard of it. Thanks for the heads-up. Will look out for it.

 

[MAJOR DUNDEE]

Robert Redford died today...he was involved in -perhaps- the best Western ever made about the mountain men : "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972). RIP.

 

[Sivart]

Visited Tombstone last month. Looks like a cool place but everything closes early. Got there about 5:30 and the place was basically shut down.View attachment 559764
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View attachment 559766
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Looks like a cool place to visit! I'll put it on my bucket list. Sad to hear it wasn't too active.

 

[Sivart]

Robert Redford died today...he was involved in -perhaps- the best Western ever made about the mountain men : "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972). RIP.
View attachment 561115

Aww that's sad to hear. He was a great actor with some great films to his name. Rest in peace.