Reviews

I like the show and tried to see them all because I learn a lot from travel shows. One show he was at 4 Corners USA, and in June 1999, my sister and I went to see it. Another travel show I liked was "Promised Land" Gerald MacRaney travelled the country pulling an Airstream Camper with his wife, mother, and 3 kids. I saw a lot of the country from my recliner.

Anything Jimmy Stewart, Maureen O'Hara, and Jack Elam is in, you can count on being a great movie. I have it on tape and have watched it at least 4 times. Just last night I watched it and something caught my attention. When the stampede started and the wagon was turned over, where did Vindicator go? Next time I saw him, he was following the wagon with the injured man in it. Wonder why he didn't join the stampede and go with the herd. He appeared unshaken and uninjured. Just wondering. It was a great movie, many interesting twists.

I saw this movie while living at Cumberland MD, at a Drive in Theatre. I went to see it because Audie Murphy was in it as well as one of my old favorite "voices" Victory Jory. It was reported earlier that this movie would not be shown in the United States, but it was in 1972-or 73. I ought to know because that's when I lived in Cumberland. As a child listening to the radio in the 1930s and '40's, I could recognize the voice instantly of Victory Jory, Howard Duff (Sam Spade)and Curly Bradley as Tom Mix. There also was a time when I recognized the voice of Gordon Nance (Wild Bill Elliott)on certain mystery shows. By the time I was going to the movies, I knew all those voices and was so happy to see their faces for the first time.

Dale Robertson has always been a great actor, and Jock Mahoney was one of the most talented horseman, stuntman, and gunslinger in Hollywood. This movie was not right for Dale Robertson, because he was always better than this. I don't really know how Jan Merlin fit in at all. We were never told he and Dale were old friends. However, the female role Mara Cordey,threw me. I thought for certain that she was Margaret Field (or later Maggie Mahoney) who became Jocks real wife. I had to check that out to make sure she didn't use another name. Margaret did some acting in Mahoney westerns so I was sure that was her. I couldn't tell the difference...but I guess Jock could. Her role did make the movie interesting. I never say Mahoney in a bad movie, and my favorite was Slim Carter.

This is a great movie and had to watch it about 3 times in order to get all the "flashbacks" put together. These sudden changes were similar to the quality of David Lynch, but done a little better. After a few flashbacks, when Dolorles was crying in front of Vera, I began to realize that Very was telling in a quiet way, the her husband's death was no accident when the brakes failed. Vera's eyes had an indication of evil all the way through the movie. Delorles worked for Vera for 22 years and saved her money, but her husband stole it. It was never known why Vera left her $1,600,000 in her will, and that is what kept the detective going, trying to prove Delorles murdered her. This was acting at it's best, and a storyline worthy of these fine actors.

As I watched this movie again, seems like each time I see something I missed in it before, so I'm glad I did tape it as I did many others I have reviewed here. I was impressed with something I missed before, and this was after they got back home and Willie was trying to explain where they had been to his "grown up" daughter. (As you know by now Willie and Frank had been frozen for 29 years in Pomona CA). He said to her, "Do you remember the times we would catch all those trout and when we couldn't eat them all, we would freeze them, and when we got them out to eat them a long time later, they were just as handsome as they were when we first caught them? Well, that's what happened to Frank and me for 29 years". It was a very touching scene!!

This movie was a bit slow moving but it well directed, as Alexander Payne alway does, filming with no flip-flopping scenes around the way David Lynch likes to do. Nicholson portrays a retired man, soon his wife dies, and he does not know what to do with himself, then finds out that his daughter is about to marry what he thinks is a no-good hippie. Of course, with Payne, his movies are usually based around Omaha. Schmidt drives his motor home to Denver to try to stop the wedding. As he writes to a homeless boy, his real thoughts are on paper, such as...where did all the wrinkles come from? Who is this old woman sleeping in my bed? The last few years has gone by like a blur..Well, I am 81 and have thoughts the same way. It was really a sentimental trip in movie land. Since it was not a very exciting movie, I couldn't give it more than a 5, and only "Citizen Ruth" deserves a "10".

There must have been 20 actors or more playing Wyatt Earp. The first one I saw was Richard Dix "Tombstone, the town too tough to Die", then Randolph Scott Frontier Marshal, and many to follow. A lot of recent movies indicate that Virgil and Morgan were shot the same night, when actually Virgil was December 1881, and Morgan killed three months later in March. In this movie with James Garner, I noticed there was no mention of Sheriff Johnny Behan, a large character in the true story. Also Wyatt did not kill Ike Clanton and it showed at the end of the movie. From my info Ike was killed rustling cattle years later after Wyatt had left Tombstone for good. The character Doc and Wyatt were alway played by older men, actually Wyatt was 33 at the time and Doc was about 35. The best one was Bruce Boxleitner "I married Whatt Earp". Also there was no mention of any women, Mattie Earp, Josephine Marcus Earp, Allie Earp (Virgil's wife) or Big Nose Kate Elder. A lot was left out.

When I saw the movie "He Rides Tall" on Encore Westerns, I immediately noted that his voice struck a chord in my memory. I am pretty good at recognizing voices of movie actors and people that I have met or listened to for many years. I still recognize the voice of Gabriel Heatter. When I found out Tony was in the Air Force, I felt that I had met him. Even his face became familiar. I just can't remember where I saw him, because I had been to so many places between 1951 and 1965. I served at Patrick AFB; K-14 Korea; Orlando AFB; Washington DC (twice); Hickam AFB, Hawaii; and Edwards AFB, CA. I have also lived in a lot of different places. I hope if someone sees this, they could give me some information on where we might have met.

I had taped and watched this movie several times and I always see something new in it. Lane Frost had three tries at Red Rock and finally rode him after the bull had thrown some 316 or so, bull riders. There was some confusion about the bull in Cheyenne Wyoming. As he got on the bull there, there was a lot of background noise as the announcer was talking and we did not hear the name of that bull that killed Lane Frost. I backed the tape up over and over but it did not come out. Later, I started researching the internet finally got the name of that bull. For anyone who is a curious as I am, the actual name of the Bull was "Taking Care of Business". Thanks.

This was a fair western but Jock and Tim Hovey worked well together. He finally got his chance to show his stuff. Actually, my mom's favorite western was "Slim Carter" about a man changing his ways over a kid. Mr. Mahoney was in a lot of movies but for a long time you never saw his face, just his riding skill on a white horse. Eventually he was shown as a Texas Ranger chasing the Durango Kid over rooftops and finally jumping off a roof onto the white horse. Part of the time Jock was literally chasing himself. My favorite DK series was "Bandits of El Dorado". There were so many well known names..John Dehner,Fred Sears, Lewis, and of course...Clayton Moore, whose voice I recognized instantly as the future Lone Ranger. In the movie of this subject, Jock looked like a powerful man, large shoulders small waist, and could ride a horse like he was part of it. Thanks for letting me share.

Last of 1952 and part of 1953, I was at K-14 in Korea. That was a great year, and there were many unforgotten activities that year. When I left for Korea I had never seen a TV except through a store window, and when I got back almost everybody had one. Two of the greatest movies ever, were made during that period. "High Noon" and "From Here to Eternity". I think all the actors in both movies have passed on but never forgotten and TV stations occasionally still show both movies. Sept 21, '53, a North Korean Pilot Named No Kum Sok brought in a MIG 15 that the AF wanted badly. This pilot took the name of Ken Rowe and is retired, living in Florida, but still goes to AF reunions. A great year, indeed. Thanks.

I saw the movie the first time back in the late 1940's after reading the book "Twin Sombreros". When I taped it recently from the Westerns Channel, I noted that R. Scott's name was Brazos Keene in the book, but Brazos Kane in the movie. Also I still had a hard time telling the girls apart. The story drifted away a little from the book, the names were still familiar, Kiscaden, Inskip, Johnny, Beth and Jane. One of the greatest lines in Westerns was uttered by Kiscaden when he told Brazos that his badge represented the law..."if the man wearing it goes down, it just gets up and jumps on the pocket of another man, and keeps right on coming" (that's as close as I can remember the statement). You can still watch the movie, it was very interesting.

Since I watch Westerns very closely, taping them and watching them over, sometimes I see things I missed earlier. This movie kept you at the edge of your seat much of the time, especially when Santee did not have a gun or any money. One part of special interest was when he and the girl went into a saloon and asked for a glass of water because he had lost his money in a scramble to get away from R. Middleton and his boys earlier. At the bar was a rifle that Santee had his eye on. Next to the rifle, standing, was an old timer I recognized to be Kermit Maynard. In the list of actors, he was not even credited as being in the movie. I watched it over and over, and I am pretty sure K. Maynard was the guy at the bar, who picked up the rifle and left. Anybody see it that way??? Thanks.

Robert Culp died today at 79, said to be from a fall. He was credited with lead roles in movies and shows, and appeared in many movies and TV series as guest. Although many things were mentioned about his career, my Favorite series was "Trackdown" as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman, and this was not mentioned. One special show that I considered a "edge of the chair" movie was called "The Town". He chased a robber in a town, and was relieved of his gun and horse. He was in a jam, and no one would help him. It was a long time ago, back about 1957 when I first saw the movie and saw it again in reruns. All shows in the series were very interesting and it was just about my favorite Western series, and at that period there were Westerns everywhere. Thanks

I always liked John Ridgeley in about anything he did, but he was surely a perfect tintype of a pilot. Since I spent years in the Air Force, I though he looked like an officer and a pilot and in this movie, acted the part like it was made for him. This was another side to the Pearl Harbor story that very little is known about. 9 B-17s, which is an unbelievable large airplane until you walked into one, were scheduled to leave California on the night of Dec 6, 1941 and arrive at Hickam AFB around 8 a.m. on the 7th. They arrived right in the middle of the attack, out of fuel, and no ammunition or guns. Part of the story was true and I'm sure some was added for excitement, but it was a bad spot to be in. I have it on tape and will keep it.

I liked Andrew Duggan as a pappy who brought home his lost sheep, one from the city, and one was an Outlaw. My favorite episode was called "Murdock's Birthday", where the boys got his present and ended up giving the stuff to other families in need. It was too bad that James Stacy had the accident which left him crippled. Mr. Duggan was earlier connected with a large detective outfit with four offices, Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, Burbon St. Beat,(Duggan and Richard Long) and something in Miami. It seemed like Family Westerns were hot during that period..and I enjoyed stories that went beyond hot lead and gunsmoke. Best part of those family westerns was the great color scenery. We know it didn't really look like those scenes in Big Valley, and Bonanza, but who cares. It gave us a nice evening.

This is one of my mom's favorite Westerns..and she doesn't like too much gunsmoke, but this was a great movie as you watched a man change because of a kid. I looked up Tim Hovey and am so sorry that that kid died of drugs. I have seen him in other movies, another of Jock's and he was a great little actor. I learned later in life that old Jock was a great stuntman and did the stunts for the Durango Kid before his face was ever seen. I first saw him in "Hoedown" with Eddie Arnold in 1950, where he played a broken down cowboy actor who couldn't even drive a car. In Slim Carter, he played a movie cowboy afraid of heights. I don't think Jock Mahoney was really afraid of anything. He worked with Dick Jones and they could fall off a horse at full gallop and not get hurt. Impossible to say enough about this great star.

This movie seemed so realistic, it was almost like being involved in it. After watching it over 20 times I still see small real things, like when the Judge asked to see Ruth in his office, he pushed to door shut, and immediately, for his own protection, opened it a crack before telling her "If you want to see a doctor while in jail...you can go". He didn't want that to get out but it did. I can sympathize with the Judge, he wanted to save the state a million dollars over the next 18 years. Mr. Payne really had it together and didn't miss a beat. He was slick too, for at the end he made Ruth the "bad guy" and was able to keep the pro-choice and baby savers evenly balanced, not giving way to either. Norm worked in a hardware store, and like Harlan, was very realistic. Every person seemed so real...and I think some of the cops WERE real. I first saw this movie on TV by accident, nothing else on. The second time I taped it. This movie made me go and rent or buy every Laura Dern movie I could find. This is my favorite movie.