The Western III Hall of Fame

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Meek's Cutoff
Only heard about this one and watch-listed it since yesterday, CR must be tracking my laptop

The Grey Fox
Looking forward to seeing this one, 80's is my era!

Red River + The Big gundown
Both very good Westerns and very recently viewed, so easy write-ups.

The Scalphunters
Never seen it but Three Days of the Condor, Tootsie, Jeremiah Johnson are all favorites of mine so expectations are high, can't wait to see it.

Dirty Little Billy
Never seen this dark spaghetti, I'll be happy to explore this unknown title.



This list looks great. I predict I'll end up giving Red River 3 stars. It looks like one of the better John Wayne's. I think it won Best Picture didn't it? The Grey Fox looks great, it's been on my radar. The Scalphunters looks interesting, I hadn't heard of it before. I like Lee Van Cleef, so The Big Gundown should be good.

I can see why you thought Meek's Cutoff was my nom, Citizen, but I wanted a blind pick for this HoF. Meek's was definitely in my mind when you said it was probably my first pick, but I wasn't quite sure. My first pick was McCabe & Mrs Miller. That movie looks so incredible, and I've been meaning to watch it for a long time now.

Dirty Little Billy is a movie that I've been looking for, but so far haven't been able to find. I may have to order it online just to see it.

Here's my Westerns to-watch list. I want to watch as many of these before the countdown as I can:

The Long Riders (1980)
Will Penny (1967)
The Professionals (1966)
Day of Anger (1967)
Deadly Companions (1961)
Barbarosa (1982)
Bad Company (1972)
Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
The Kentuckian (1955)
Ride Lonesome (1959)
The Shootist (1976)
The Ballad of Little Joe (1993)
Black Jack (1979)
No Name on the Bullet (1959)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Shane (1953)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
Death Rides a Horse (1967)
My Darling Clementine (1946)
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
3:10 to Yuma (1957)





The Grey Fox (1982)
Nominated by: edarsenal

I'm happy to be the first to complete a film in this HoF. The Grey Fox was a slow burner based on the real life story of the legendary Bill Miner, a famous stage coach robber who performed Canada's first train robbery in 1904. A classic bandit from the Old West, released from prison in his old age to a world that had all but forgotten the cowboy. But Miner just couldn't settle for a normal life, his ambitions lead him back towards his old life of crime. But he was honorable and smart, and would see where this new life would take him. Richard Farnsworth delivered a powerful performance in this character driven story. Jackie Burroughs was also a strong supporting role. I enjoyed the emphasis on realism.




The Grey Fox 1982 Directed by Phillip Borsos



'In 1901 after 33 years in San Quentin Bill Miner "The Gentlemen Bandit" was released into the twentieth century.'

Watched this in VHS-quality, it was pretty hard to find. But that didn't take away from enjoying some of the very nice landscape, railway, and moving train shots. There is also some nicely done editing with footage of The Great Train Robbery 1903.
The story and atmosphere are somewhat reminiscent of Robert Redford's recent film The Old Man & the Gun.
Although we kind of know how the story is going to unfold, it's always interesting to see the final chapters of infamous heist figures. In this film I found the ending,ending very well done. Great lead performance by Farnsworth, pacing is on the slow side but fitting to the story and the run-time is just fine. Very relaxing and enjoyable first watch of this HoF.



Red River 1948 Directed by Howard Hawks


"STAMPEDE!!"
We follow tough self-made cattle ranch owner Thomas Dunson and his protege an orphan named Math Garth on a very risky and dangerous first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas.
Big traditional classic Western, features some impressive epic monochrome cinematography. Great story telling by Howard Hawks who succeeded in taking me along for the ride on this adventurous, dangerous and incident filled journey. Conflicts involving pride, leadership and loyalty are very well conveyed through strong performances by lead actors John Wayne and Montgomery Clift. The finale however was very abrupt, unfitting, anti climactic and silly in my opinion. And I'm curious how other HoF participants experienced it. Aside from the ending it's evident why this film is considered a classic in the genre and on many Western viewers favorite list.




The Grey Fox (1982)

An award winning, biographical Canadian film, that's not like other westerns. The Grey Fox is an introspective, personal tale of a 'gentleman bandit' who robbed stage coaches in the 19th century and eventually was caught and set to prison for 33 years. When The Grey Fox (Richard Farnsworth) finally gets out of prison, it's the 20th century and he's now a senior citizen. The film is done in a subtle manor and mostly non violent with the emphasize on the aged outlaw trying to cope with the changing times. I liked the personal tale style of the movie and the more low key approach which fits the filming style of the movie. The filming sites were in British Columbia Canada and in my state of Washington, which I thought was cool and gave the film a much different look and feel than the typical hot, dry and dusty western.

++



The trick is not minding
Red River 1948 Directed by Howard Hawks


"STAMPEDE!!"
We follow tough self-made cattle ranch owner Thomas Dunson and his protege an orphan named Math Garth on a very risky and dangerous first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas.
Big traditional classic Western, features some impressive epic monochrome cinematography. Great story telling by Howard Hawks who succeeded in taking me along for the ride on this adventurous, dangerous and incident filled journey. Conflicts involving pride, leadership and loyalty are very well conveyed through strong performances by lead actors John Wayne and Montgomery Clift. The finale however was very abrupt, unfitting, anti climactic and silly in my opinion. And I'm curious how other HoF participants experienced it. Aside from the ending it's evident why this film is considered a classic in the genre and on many Western viewers favorite list.
In regards to the ending, I seem to remember reading. That the producers stepped in and forced it, as they were unhappy with the original ending. Can’t remember all the details, but Hawks himself was unhappy with what he seemed a “Hollywood” ending as a result



In regards to the ending, I seem to remember reading. That the producers stepped in and forced it, as they were unhappy with the original ending. Can’t remember all the details, but Hawks himself was unhappy with what he seemed a “Hollywood” ending as a result
That's got to be one of the worst things that can happen to a director/artist/creator when producers limit your creative freedom like that.



Watched this in VHS-quality, it was pretty hard to find. But that didn't take away from enjoying some of the very nice landscape, railway, and moving train shots...


The great news is that a brand new 4K restoration of The Grey Fox is coming to BluRay from Kino/Lorber sometime in 2020! The disappointing news is that it isn't going to be out in time for MoFos to watch it before the Westerns lists are due.

Oh, well.
__________________
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra



The trick is not minding
In regards to the ending, I seem to remember reading. That the producers stepped in and forced it, as they were unhappy with the original ending. Can’t remember all the details, but Hawks himself was unhappy with what he seemed a “Hollywood” ending as a result
That's got to be one of the worst things that can happen to a director/artist/creator when producers limit your creative freedom like that.
Wait. I think I’m remembering it wrong. I think it had something to do with Howard Hughes suing them over the ending...



This list looks great. I predict I'll end up giving Red River 3 stars. It looks like one of the better John Waynes. I think it won Best Picture didn't it?
No, Red River did not win Best Picture. It wasn't even nominated. That year Olivier's Hamlet won Oscar's Best Picture (John Huston won Best Director for Treasure of the Sierra Madre). The only two Academy Awards Red River was up for were Best Writing and Best Editing. It won neither.

The only Westerns to win Best Picture to date are Cimarron (1931), Dances with Wolves (1990), and Unforgiven (1992). Plus No Country for Old Men (2007) if that fits your definition of a modern Western. Red River was not nominated. Nor was The Searchers. Of that classic era of the '40s and '50s the only Westerns nominated for Best Picture were Stagecoach, The Ox-Bow Incident, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, High Noon, Shane, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Friendly Persuasion, and Giant. The Alamo, How the West Was Won, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were the only nominees in the '60s, there were none in the '70s or '80s, and since the two wins in the early '90s there has only been Brokeback Mountain, True Grit, Django Unchained, The Revenant, and Hell or High Water.

There are a few big acting wins from Westerns: Gary Cooper as Best Actor for High Noon, Wayne got his Best Actor for True Grit, DiCaprio got his for The Revenant, and Daniel Day-Lewis' Daniel Plainview towers above them all in There Will Be Blood. Lee Marvin won Best Actor for his dual role in the comic Western Cat Ballou and going back to the first couple years of the Oscars Warner Baxter was named Best Actor for playing The Cisco Kid in In Old Arizona. There were a bunch of winners for Best Supporting Actor from Westerns, too: Thomas Mitchell in Stagecoach, Walter Brennan in The Westerner, Walter Huston in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Anthony Quinn in Viva Zapata!, Burl Ives in The Big Country, Melvyn Douglas in Hud, Jack Palance for City Slickers, and Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained (plus Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men).

Patricia Neal's Best Actress for Hud is the only female role in a Western to earn an Oscar. There have only been a handful of nominees including Julie Christie for McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Mary McDonnell for Dances with Wolves, Irene Dunne for Cimarron, Mercedes McCambridge for Giant, Lillian Gish and Jennifer Jones for Duel in the Sun, Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit, and Madeline Kahn for Blazing Saddles.




Red River 1948 Directed by Howard Hawks
...The finale however was very abrupt, unfitting, anti climactic and silly in my opinion.

And I'm curious how other HoF participants experienced it...
The ending of Red River was a hot topic of discussion on the first Western HoF. It starts with my review and criticism of the ending and then we proceed to discuss it.

https://www.movieforums.com/communit...09#post1502109



The trick is not minding
Red River 1948 Directed by Howard Hawks
...The finale however was very abrupt, unfitting, anti climactic and silly in my opinion.

And I'm curious how other HoF participants experienced it...
The ending of Red River was a hot topic of discussion on the first Western HoF. It starts with my review and criticism of the ending and then we proceed to discuss it.

https://www.movieforums.com/communit...09#post1502109
Yeah, reading this confirms Hughes stepped in and caused havoc



The ending of Red River was a hot topic of discussion on the first Western HoF. It starts with my review and criticism of the ending and then we proceed to discuss it.

https://www.movieforums.com/communit...09#post1502109
Thanks for clearing that up CR, Hawks stole Hughes 'The Outlaw' ending, like Matt stole Dunson's cattle.



Meek's Cutoff
Only heard about this one and watch-listed it since yesterday, CR must be tracking my laptop
Not only tracking your laptop I copied your avatar too

Thanks for clearing that up CR, Hawks stole Hughes 'The Outlaw' ending, like Matt stole Dunson's cattle.
Did you think Cherry Valance died or lived at the end of the movie?




Did you think Cherry Valance died or lived at the end of the movie?
In his last second of the movie 3 men tend to 'a shot Valance' not 'a dead Valance'. Half hour after the scene he could be dead or patched up 50/50 outcome possibility.



In his last second of the movie 3 men tend to 'a shot Valance' not 'a dead Valance'. Half hour after the scene he could be dead or patched up 50/50 outcome possibility.
Thanks I'll have to pay close attention to that scene when I watch the movie.