Paul Colt's Blog, page 6
September 15, 2024
Rope 'em an Throw 'em
Ropin’ and throwin’ events begin with the oldest timed event in rodeo, calf-roping or tie-down roping as it is more commonly known today. The event owes its origin to ranch work where calves were roped and tied for branding or to administer medical treatment. In rodeo, contestants break from their shoot in pursuit of a calf without breaking a barrier rope designed to insure the calf a fair head start. The calf is roped around the neck. Cowboy and horse do the rest of the work. The horse holds the calf, backing slowly to keep the rope taught while the cowboy dismounts, tracks the calf, throws the calf to the ground and ties three feet using a ‘piggin’ string. Time is called when the tying is complete. The cowboy remounts, while the horse holds the calf rope taught. The calf must remain tied six seconds for time to become official.
Calves get growed-up. Next thing you know, team roping takes over. Still rooted in real ranch work, team roping is the only team event in rodeo. As in calf roping, bigger calves get a head start too. Two ropers compete in this timed event, the header ropes the steer by the horns, turning the steer into the heeler’s throw, capturing two hind legs to bring the calf down. Header and heeler face each other holding the calf to complete the time. Heeler’s must rope both hind legs, one leg results in a five second penalty.
Steer roping is similar to calf roping, at least as similar as you can get with steers weighing in a 400 – 600 lbs. In this event, nowhere near as common as the other two, the cowboy ropes the steer by the horns, tosses the rope around the steer’s right hip, turning his horse left to pull the steer to the ground. With the steer down, the cowboy ties three feet as in calf roping. The tie must again hold six seconds.
What’s more fun than roping a steer? How about wrestling one to the ground without using a rope in an event some call bulldogging. Oh, and then there is that part about jumping off a galloping horse onto the horns of a running steer to engage the wrestling match. Corriente steers, a smallish Spanish breed are commonly used for the event. Bulldoggers are assisted by a hazer, riding on the opposite side of the steer to hold the animal on a line the contestant can reach. In rodeo’s tradition of sportsmanship competitors most often haze for each other.
Next Week: WPRA Barrels & Breakaway
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Ride easy,
Paul
Calves get growed-up. Next thing you know, team roping takes over. Still rooted in real ranch work, team roping is the only team event in rodeo. As in calf roping, bigger calves get a head start too. Two ropers compete in this timed event, the header ropes the steer by the horns, turning the steer into the heeler’s throw, capturing two hind legs to bring the calf down. Header and heeler face each other holding the calf to complete the time. Heeler’s must rope both hind legs, one leg results in a five second penalty.
Steer roping is similar to calf roping, at least as similar as you can get with steers weighing in a 400 – 600 lbs. In this event, nowhere near as common as the other two, the cowboy ropes the steer by the horns, tosses the rope around the steer’s right hip, turning his horse left to pull the steer to the ground. With the steer down, the cowboy ties three feet as in calf roping. The tie must again hold six seconds.
What’s more fun than roping a steer? How about wrestling one to the ground without using a rope in an event some call bulldogging. Oh, and then there is that part about jumping off a galloping horse onto the horns of a running steer to engage the wrestling match. Corriente steers, a smallish Spanish breed are commonly used for the event. Bulldoggers are assisted by a hazer, riding on the opposite side of the steer to hold the animal on a line the contestant can reach. In rodeo’s tradition of sportsmanship competitors most often haze for each other.
Next Week: WPRA Barrels & Breakaway
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
September 8, 2024
Rough Stock
PRCA and WPRA sanction standard rodeo events. Rodeos you may attend in your area will feature some or all of these events along with popular local events, some with long standing traditions. Let’s start with the sanctioned ‘rough stock’ events – broncs and bulls.
Bronc riding comes in two divisions, bareback and saddle bronc. Bareback pretty well speaks for itself. The rider sits a horse bred to buck using only a girth grip called a surcingle or “rigging,” no rein or bridal is used. In saddle bronc riders use a modified western saddle (no horn, short set stirrups) along with a single heavy lead line rein called a bronc rein. In both events riders are subject to a ‘mark out’ rule. Riders mark out with their boots above the points of the horse’s shoulders on the first jump out of the chute, beginning the spur ride from that position. To qualify for a score (qualified ride) riders are required to stay aboard for :08 seconds. Scores are judged 50% for the difficulty posed by the horse and 50% for the skill and style of the rider. Style points are given for spur action and free arm motion with the arm not permitted to touch the horse.
Usually, the first events in a competition, rodeo owes its origin to informal ‘bragging right’ saddle bronc competitions among ranch cowboys. Who could have guessed what might come of that? In rough stock we go from the first event to the last, bull riding. Arguably the most dangerous event in rodeo due to the unpredictability of the bulls, bull riding has become a particular fan favorite. The sport has taken on a life of its own, with establishment of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit. You may find PBR events in your area where some of the worlds best bull riders compete exclusively in these events. Hold on to your wallet at the ticket prices.
Bull riding like broncs is an :08 second timed event. Riders take a seat using a rig called a bull rope, similar to the bareback bronc surcingle. The bull rope is just that – a rope wrapped around the riders hand without the handhold used by the bronc rider. Scores again are 50:50 bull and rider, with the rider’s free arm not permitted to touch the bull. Qualified bull rides are nowhere near as common as bronc rides. When thrown, riders are at risk of serious injury from bulls with a snout full of mean. Send in the clowns. Not those clowns. They’re bull fighters, trained to confuse the animal. An occupation along with the riders – not for the faint of heart.
Next Week: Rope ‘em an Throw ‘em
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
Bronc riding comes in two divisions, bareback and saddle bronc. Bareback pretty well speaks for itself. The rider sits a horse bred to buck using only a girth grip called a surcingle or “rigging,” no rein or bridal is used. In saddle bronc riders use a modified western saddle (no horn, short set stirrups) along with a single heavy lead line rein called a bronc rein. In both events riders are subject to a ‘mark out’ rule. Riders mark out with their boots above the points of the horse’s shoulders on the first jump out of the chute, beginning the spur ride from that position. To qualify for a score (qualified ride) riders are required to stay aboard for :08 seconds. Scores are judged 50% for the difficulty posed by the horse and 50% for the skill and style of the rider. Style points are given for spur action and free arm motion with the arm not permitted to touch the horse.
Usually, the first events in a competition, rodeo owes its origin to informal ‘bragging right’ saddle bronc competitions among ranch cowboys. Who could have guessed what might come of that? In rough stock we go from the first event to the last, bull riding. Arguably the most dangerous event in rodeo due to the unpredictability of the bulls, bull riding has become a particular fan favorite. The sport has taken on a life of its own, with establishment of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit. You may find PBR events in your area where some of the worlds best bull riders compete exclusively in these events. Hold on to your wallet at the ticket prices.
Bull riding like broncs is an :08 second timed event. Riders take a seat using a rig called a bull rope, similar to the bareback bronc surcingle. The bull rope is just that – a rope wrapped around the riders hand without the handhold used by the bronc rider. Scores again are 50:50 bull and rider, with the rider’s free arm not permitted to touch the bull. Qualified bull rides are nowhere near as common as bronc rides. When thrown, riders are at risk of serious injury from bulls with a snout full of mean. Send in the clowns. Not those clowns. They’re bull fighters, trained to confuse the animal. An occupation along with the riders – not for the faint of heart.
Next Week: Rope ‘em an Throw ‘em
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
September 1, 2024
PRCA Who?
In 1936 a rodeo promoter at Boston Garden refused to add entry fees to the rodeo purse. Cowboys and one cowgirl (not all that common in the ’30s) walked out. The promoter folded. The cowboys and the cowgirl won. The ‘win’ led to organization of … wait for it … Cowboy Turtle Association. Turtle. Really? Really. Organizers admitted they’d been slow to organize but were willing to stick their necks out when called for. The Turtles became the Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1945 before becoming the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) we know today in 1975. Headquartered in Colorado Springs PRCA is home to the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy. Oh, and that cowgirl? She grew into the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA).
Today PRCA is organized in twelve regional circuits – Badlands, California, Columbia River, First Frontier, Great Lakes, Montana, Mountain States, Prairie, Southeast, Texas, Turquoise, and Wilderness. Contestants compete in regional circuit events, crowning circuit champions in sanctioned events and all around champions, top money winners in two or more events. Top money winners in each event annually qualify to compete in the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) held each December in Las Vegas
Rodeos feature a fairly standard lineup of sanctioned events with room for special ‘features’ rooted in local tradition. Rodeo owes its roots to informal cowboy competitions in saddle bronc riding. ‘Breaking’ wild horses to saddle was stock in trade work for ranch hands, before ‘Starting’ a young or wild horse became the kinder gentler preferred method of introducing a horse to saddle and rider. Back in the day, ‘bronc busting’ invited competition for ‘bragging rights.’ A number of traditional rodeo events trace their histories to everyday ranch work. Tie-down, for example, demands roping skill and a trained horse needed for branding. Team roping employs similar skills where larger animals need be restrained for care or treatment. We’ll dig into sanctioned events and ‘special’ events like ‘mutton-busting, and wild pony races.
One thing we know, with all the regional PRCA and WPRA events available, there is rodeo action within reach of all those reading these lines within the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and all our Aussie friends. Saddle up. We’re in for a ride, watching those who ride – not so easy …
Next Week: Sanctioned Events
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
Today PRCA is organized in twelve regional circuits – Badlands, California, Columbia River, First Frontier, Great Lakes, Montana, Mountain States, Prairie, Southeast, Texas, Turquoise, and Wilderness. Contestants compete in regional circuit events, crowning circuit champions in sanctioned events and all around champions, top money winners in two or more events. Top money winners in each event annually qualify to compete in the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) held each December in Las Vegas
Rodeos feature a fairly standard lineup of sanctioned events with room for special ‘features’ rooted in local tradition. Rodeo owes its roots to informal cowboy competitions in saddle bronc riding. ‘Breaking’ wild horses to saddle was stock in trade work for ranch hands, before ‘Starting’ a young or wild horse became the kinder gentler preferred method of introducing a horse to saddle and rider. Back in the day, ‘bronc busting’ invited competition for ‘bragging rights.’ A number of traditional rodeo events trace their histories to everyday ranch work. Tie-down, for example, demands roping skill and a trained horse needed for branding. Team roping employs similar skills where larger animals need be restrained for care or treatment. We’ll dig into sanctioned events and ‘special’ events like ‘mutton-busting, and wild pony races.
One thing we know, with all the regional PRCA and WPRA events available, there is rodeo action within reach of all those reading these lines within the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and all our Aussie friends. Saddle up. We’re in for a ride, watching those who ride – not so easy …
Next Week: Sanctioned Events
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
August 25, 2024
Best of COVID
It might be an exaggeration to suggest anything good came out of COVID, but entertainment desperation does breed inspiration. Exaggeration maybe, but not far off. If you recall entertainment in any form of mass gathering was paused, recessed, abrogated, forbidden, and cancelled for good measure. What was one to do? Solitaire holds only so much charm.
Trish read Lucia St. Claire Robson’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Ride the Wind, the Cynthia Ann Parker story, all 600+ fine print pages. Fabulous book pandemic or no. Past that we are not big TV watchers. Jeopardy and sporting events mostly. No baseball. No Brewers. For a blessing pandemic largely spared America’s team football season. No, not the imposters from Dallas. The real America’s team. The one with a game-day dedicated bar in every city, town, and most hamlets in America. Yeah, that one. The one from Green Bay. May not be Jerry Jones but I am an owner and yes, actually attended the Ice Bowl. Speaking of cold, back to COVID.
With Jeopardy gone to reruns and sports cancelled, inspiration added The Cowboy Channel to our cable package. Low and behold rodeo wasn’t cancelled. Cowboys and Cowgirls are tough. Given our love of the west we’ve long enjoyed a rodeo now and then. Doubt that qualified as a fan until COVID came along with 100 rodeos in 100 days. From the Texas Swing to Calgary’s Stampede, to The Daddy of ‘Em All in Cheyenne, to a National Finals moved out of Vegas to tolerant Texas and everything in between, we had entertainment! Still do.
Rodeos are community affairs. They come with rich histories and long standing traditions. A couple of years ago I had the privilege of judging short non-fiction for the Will Rogers Medallion Awards. Included among the articles submitted was a history of the Ellensburg Washington Rodeo. Great story gave me the idea for this series. Getting started with a little research. Just found a key resource to get us started.
Meantime if you haven’t attended a rodeo recently, they are great fun and a reminder of values that make this country what it is. Every rodeo opening ceremony starts with a prayer and the national anthem. Folks stand, remove cover, and bow their heads. Not a kneeler in sight. It’s glorious. The horses, steers, calves, and bulls are a feast for the eye. The contestants are honest, hardworking, humble stars you’d be happy to share a bite to eat or a beer with. So, buckle up. We're ready to Rodeo!
Next Week: PRCA Who?
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
Trish read Lucia St. Claire Robson’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Ride the Wind, the Cynthia Ann Parker story, all 600+ fine print pages. Fabulous book pandemic or no. Past that we are not big TV watchers. Jeopardy and sporting events mostly. No baseball. No Brewers. For a blessing pandemic largely spared America’s team football season. No, not the imposters from Dallas. The real America’s team. The one with a game-day dedicated bar in every city, town, and most hamlets in America. Yeah, that one. The one from Green Bay. May not be Jerry Jones but I am an owner and yes, actually attended the Ice Bowl. Speaking of cold, back to COVID.
With Jeopardy gone to reruns and sports cancelled, inspiration added The Cowboy Channel to our cable package. Low and behold rodeo wasn’t cancelled. Cowboys and Cowgirls are tough. Given our love of the west we’ve long enjoyed a rodeo now and then. Doubt that qualified as a fan until COVID came along with 100 rodeos in 100 days. From the Texas Swing to Calgary’s Stampede, to The Daddy of ‘Em All in Cheyenne, to a National Finals moved out of Vegas to tolerant Texas and everything in between, we had entertainment! Still do.
Rodeos are community affairs. They come with rich histories and long standing traditions. A couple of years ago I had the privilege of judging short non-fiction for the Will Rogers Medallion Awards. Included among the articles submitted was a history of the Ellensburg Washington Rodeo. Great story gave me the idea for this series. Getting started with a little research. Just found a key resource to get us started.
Meantime if you haven’t attended a rodeo recently, they are great fun and a reminder of values that make this country what it is. Every rodeo opening ceremony starts with a prayer and the national anthem. Folks stand, remove cover, and bow their heads. Not a kneeler in sight. It’s glorious. The horses, steers, calves, and bulls are a feast for the eye. The contestants are honest, hardworking, humble stars you’d be happy to share a bite to eat or a beer with. So, buckle up. We're ready to Rodeo!
Next Week: PRCA Who?
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
August 18, 2024
Zane Grey Filmography
Randolph Scott started his film acting career in 1931. His first lead role in 1932 marked several firsts. Paramount cast him in Heritage of the Desert, his first western, his first film directed by Henry Hathaway, and first film based on a novel by Zane Grey. The film would make him a western star. ‘B’ western Wild Horse Mesa followed in 1932 cementing the Scott Hathaway collaboration in Zane Grey adaptations over the next several years.
Scott’s Zane Grey adaptations feature creative casting by Hathaway along with miserly 'B' feature budgeting by Paramount Studios. Many of these films were remakes of earlier silent films. Hathaway and Paramount made use of ‘stock footage’ from earlier versions of the stories to hold down production costs. Remember those scenes when the ‘horses ran fast’ as in frames per second fast? Now we know why.
In keeping with the ‘retro’ theme, supporting actors Ray Hatton, Noah Berry, Buster Crabbe, and others were cast to reprise roles played in original versions of the films. An interesting technique where actors might appear in stock scenes years younger than they appeared in scenes for the then current version. In 1933’s Thundering Herd and Man of the Forrest, Scott had his hair colored along with sporting a mustache to allow scene doubling 'stock' of Jack Holt from the earlier films.
In 1933 Paramount loaned Scott to Monogram studios for Broken Dreams. He returned to Paramount, Hathaway, and Zane Grey for 1934’s Last Roundup. He went on to do three more Zane Grey adaptions without Hathaway, Wagon Wheels in 1934 and Home on the Range and Rocky Mountain Mystery in 1935.
Many of us who love western film got our taste for it growing up on ‘B’ Westerns. Randolph Scott surely got his start in the B’s but by the time he got to, To The Last Man, B work had taken him to the threshold of ‘A’ feature films. He got there with Hathaway’s direction, quality supporting casts, and film adaptations of Zane Grey worthy of the stories. Stories still selling today. Books, films, what is the contemporary western writer to do? Oh, well …
Next Week: The Best Thing to Come Out of Covid
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
Scott’s Zane Grey adaptations feature creative casting by Hathaway along with miserly 'B' feature budgeting by Paramount Studios. Many of these films were remakes of earlier silent films. Hathaway and Paramount made use of ‘stock footage’ from earlier versions of the stories to hold down production costs. Remember those scenes when the ‘horses ran fast’ as in frames per second fast? Now we know why.
In keeping with the ‘retro’ theme, supporting actors Ray Hatton, Noah Berry, Buster Crabbe, and others were cast to reprise roles played in original versions of the films. An interesting technique where actors might appear in stock scenes years younger than they appeared in scenes for the then current version. In 1933’s Thundering Herd and Man of the Forrest, Scott had his hair colored along with sporting a mustache to allow scene doubling 'stock' of Jack Holt from the earlier films.
In 1933 Paramount loaned Scott to Monogram studios for Broken Dreams. He returned to Paramount, Hathaway, and Zane Grey for 1934’s Last Roundup. He went on to do three more Zane Grey adaptions without Hathaway, Wagon Wheels in 1934 and Home on the Range and Rocky Mountain Mystery in 1935.
Many of us who love western film got our taste for it growing up on ‘B’ Westerns. Randolph Scott surely got his start in the B’s but by the time he got to, To The Last Man, B work had taken him to the threshold of ‘A’ feature films. He got there with Hathaway’s direction, quality supporting casts, and film adaptations of Zane Grey worthy of the stories. Stories still selling today. Books, films, what is the contemporary western writer to do? Oh, well …
Next Week: The Best Thing to Come Out of Covid
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
August 11, 2024
Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall’s directing credits didn’t go past Open Range. Good as that film is, it doesn’t make for a director profile. Add to that a week in which other priorities soaked up this keyboard and necessity leads to Duvall in a different light. Previously we recognized Duvall as a contemporary Western star whose work keeps Western film alive today.
Duvall began his acting career in the late 50’s on stage. Film and television roles followed in the 60’s and beyond. He enjoyed a prolific film career lending his talents as an actor to a wide variety of roles. Colleagues said of his portrayals, Duvall had the ability to thoroughly “inhabit” a character such that he became the character he played. One co-star said she never got to know Robert Duvall, only his character.
Robert Duvall’s contributions to Western film over the course of his career are considerable. He got his start in 1969, playing “Lucky” Ned Pepper to John Wayne’s Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. Who can forget that thrilling “Fill your hands, you . . . “, reins in their teeth, gun down gallop? Lawman (’71) came next, followed by The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid and Joe Kidd (’72).
Lonesome Dove hit our screens in ’89. OK, OK, I know this is a little screen miniseries, but some of those little screens epics are pretty big and was there ever a little screen Western as big as Lonesome Dove? I don’t think so. Duvall won a Golden Globe and a hat crush for his portrayal of retired Texas Ranger Captain Agustus “Gus” McCrae. Paired with Tommy Lee Jones as the dour Woodrow Call, Gus and Call make two of the most compelling pards to ride a Western film trail.
Duvall went back to the big screen in 1993 opposite the incomparable Wes Studi in Geronimo: An American Legend. The films that followed kept Westerns alive and relevant in a new millennium. Duvall played General Robert E. Lee in Gods and Generals (’03), a fitting role for a man whose maternal ancestors include the General himself. Open Range followed later that year as Duvall's only directing credit.
Next Week: A Bit More Scott
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
Duvall began his acting career in the late 50’s on stage. Film and television roles followed in the 60’s and beyond. He enjoyed a prolific film career lending his talents as an actor to a wide variety of roles. Colleagues said of his portrayals, Duvall had the ability to thoroughly “inhabit” a character such that he became the character he played. One co-star said she never got to know Robert Duvall, only his character.
Robert Duvall’s contributions to Western film over the course of his career are considerable. He got his start in 1969, playing “Lucky” Ned Pepper to John Wayne’s Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. Who can forget that thrilling “Fill your hands, you . . . “, reins in their teeth, gun down gallop? Lawman (’71) came next, followed by The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid and Joe Kidd (’72).
Lonesome Dove hit our screens in ’89. OK, OK, I know this is a little screen miniseries, but some of those little screens epics are pretty big and was there ever a little screen Western as big as Lonesome Dove? I don’t think so. Duvall won a Golden Globe and a hat crush for his portrayal of retired Texas Ranger Captain Agustus “Gus” McCrae. Paired with Tommy Lee Jones as the dour Woodrow Call, Gus and Call make two of the most compelling pards to ride a Western film trail.
Duvall went back to the big screen in 1993 opposite the incomparable Wes Studi in Geronimo: An American Legend. The films that followed kept Westerns alive and relevant in a new millennium. Duvall played General Robert E. Lee in Gods and Generals (’03), a fitting role for a man whose maternal ancestors include the General himself. Open Range followed later that year as Duvall's only directing credit.
Next Week: A Bit More Scott
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
August 4, 2024
Randolph Scott Filmography
Over the one hundred two weeks we’ve reviewed ‘not so classic’ western films, that’s right 102 not so classic films, we’ve reviewed more than a few starring Randolph Scott. More than a few is quite a few fewer than the Randolph Scott films we found. Why? Scott starred in fifty nine westerns from 1932 to 1962. More than half the number of films we did in this, the longest post series we have done in over ten years at this keyboard. Since Scott is a favorite of so many of you, you might ask why didn’t we do more of his films? The answer is more than a few lack so much as a lobby poster to record the fact they were made. We set those aside when we encountered them in researching this series. We set aside enough of them to suggest we should take a broader look at Scott’s filmography.
The full body of Scott’s work spans thirty four years. We confine our interest to his westerns which constitute a hefty part of his filmography but by no means all of it. If you throw in comedies, dramas, fantasies, horror, musicals, and war films the filmography goes north of one hundred. Makes you wonder if the man slept. So, what do we do with all this? Where do we go from here?
I think we take a page out of our directors sub-series. We interspersed profiles of elite western directors in the not-so-classic series. We still have a couple of those directors to do. We’ll finish those up along with doing periodic chunks of Scott’s western filmography, organized around years in which relevant groups were made. All that while researching the idea for a new series.
Some years ago, we did a series on Great American Ranches. It was very popular with the following it received. The idea for a new series is to profile the history of Great Professional Rodeos. Based on a little preliminary work, this one has the potential to be fun.
We know the big rodeos and they come with interesting histories. We bring the idea up now to give you opportunity to nominate your favorite rodeo for inclusion the series. We’ll take nominations with the caveat; they have to pass research muster. For example, is the event PRCA sanctioned? Does the event have a website? Things like that will determine if we have enough information to do your favorite or not.
Next Week: Robert Duvall
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
The full body of Scott’s work spans thirty four years. We confine our interest to his westerns which constitute a hefty part of his filmography but by no means all of it. If you throw in comedies, dramas, fantasies, horror, musicals, and war films the filmography goes north of one hundred. Makes you wonder if the man slept. So, what do we do with all this? Where do we go from here?
I think we take a page out of our directors sub-series. We interspersed profiles of elite western directors in the not-so-classic series. We still have a couple of those directors to do. We’ll finish those up along with doing periodic chunks of Scott’s western filmography, organized around years in which relevant groups were made. All that while researching the idea for a new series.
Some years ago, we did a series on Great American Ranches. It was very popular with the following it received. The idea for a new series is to profile the history of Great Professional Rodeos. Based on a little preliminary work, this one has the potential to be fun.
We know the big rodeos and they come with interesting histories. We bring the idea up now to give you opportunity to nominate your favorite rodeo for inclusion the series. We’ll take nominations with the caveat; they have to pass research muster. For example, is the event PRCA sanctioned? Does the event have a website? Things like that will determine if we have enough information to do your favorite or not.
Next Week: Robert Duvall
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
July 28, 2024
The Nevadan
Mix an undercover U.S. Marshal, jailed stage robber, $250,000 in unrecovered gold, with a ruthless rancher and you have the recipe for The Navadan. One thing we learned from this ‘Not so classic’ western film series; Randolph Scott left us a rich legacy in western film. We came upon it film by film over the last year or so. We’ll step back and take a wide angle look at it before we finish, but first down to business with this 1950 offering.
U.S. Marshal Andrew Barclay (Scott) is out to recover a quarter of a million dollars in stolen gold. Serious money in the nineteenth century. What better way to find it? Let the guy who stole it, a guy named Tanner (Forrest Tucker), lead you to it. All you have to do is let him break jail. We’re off and running. Well off and following to put a fine point on it. Tucker notices he’s being followed and ambushes Barclay. You need to put your Hollywood glasses on for this next part. They trade clothes and go to a bank where Tanner recovers a map leading to the gold. Really?
Map in hand Tanner and Barclay are held up. In true Randolph Scott character, Barclay bests the bandits. He then convinces Tanner he is a fugitive, and they should work together. Tanner agrees until Barclay beds down for the night. Adios partner, Tanner makes off with the map. Tanner’s trail leads Barclay to Edward Galt’s ranch and his lovely daughter, Karen (Dorthy Malone). You knew we needed a romantic interest. She trades a fresh horse for Barclay’s lame mount.
Barclay catches up with Tanner in the nearby town of Twin Forks saloon. Rancher Galt catches on to Barclay and Tanner out to find the stolen gold. Galt sends one of his men to Tanners room for the map. Tanner shoots him. Galt has him charged with murder and jails him. Barclay pulls a second ‘get out of jail free’ card for Tanner’s agreement to split the loot.
The map leads to an abandoned mine on Galt’s ranch and a shoot out with Galt and his men. In true Radolph Scott character, Galt and his men pay the price of their misdeeds. The gold is recovered. Tanner is recaptured and taken to jail, while Karen waits wistfully, knowing Barclay must return. Cue credits. The End.
Got to love a filmography the Stadtler Brothers immortalized in song … “Whatever happened to Randolph Scott … Tune in next week.
Next Week: Randolph Scott Filmography
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
U.S. Marshal Andrew Barclay (Scott) is out to recover a quarter of a million dollars in stolen gold. Serious money in the nineteenth century. What better way to find it? Let the guy who stole it, a guy named Tanner (Forrest Tucker), lead you to it. All you have to do is let him break jail. We’re off and running. Well off and following to put a fine point on it. Tucker notices he’s being followed and ambushes Barclay. You need to put your Hollywood glasses on for this next part. They trade clothes and go to a bank where Tanner recovers a map leading to the gold. Really?
Map in hand Tanner and Barclay are held up. In true Randolph Scott character, Barclay bests the bandits. He then convinces Tanner he is a fugitive, and they should work together. Tanner agrees until Barclay beds down for the night. Adios partner, Tanner makes off with the map. Tanner’s trail leads Barclay to Edward Galt’s ranch and his lovely daughter, Karen (Dorthy Malone). You knew we needed a romantic interest. She trades a fresh horse for Barclay’s lame mount.
Barclay catches up with Tanner in the nearby town of Twin Forks saloon. Rancher Galt catches on to Barclay and Tanner out to find the stolen gold. Galt sends one of his men to Tanners room for the map. Tanner shoots him. Galt has him charged with murder and jails him. Barclay pulls a second ‘get out of jail free’ card for Tanner’s agreement to split the loot.
The map leads to an abandoned mine on Galt’s ranch and a shoot out with Galt and his men. In true Radolph Scott character, Galt and his men pay the price of their misdeeds. The gold is recovered. Tanner is recaptured and taken to jail, while Karen waits wistfully, knowing Barclay must return. Cue credits. The End.
Got to love a filmography the Stadtler Brothers immortalized in song … “Whatever happened to Randolph Scott … Tune in next week.
Next Week: Randolph Scott Filmography
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Ride easy,
Paul
July 21, 2024
John Ford
From 1917 to 1965 John Ford directed 140 films from silent film infancy to talkies, to technicolor features. He won four Oscars for Best Director, none of them for a western. Yet his classic western, The Searchers is the American Film Institute’s twelfth rated Top 100 Film of All Time. In some ways the anomaly suits the lack of respect western film receives as a genre. As far back as 1939 Ford struggled to gain studio backing for his classic film Stagecoach. The ‘30s wore out western film with low budget ‘B’ features. The Searchers put western genre back on the screen, proving westerns could deal in sophisticated themes, provide great entertainment and do it profitably. Perhaps Hollywood today should peek in the rear-view mirror. The ‘Golden Age’ was golden for a reason; and westerns played an important part in that gold.
Ford went on to make classic western films we continue to enjoy to this day. Notably his ‘Cavalry Trilogy’, Fort Apache (’48), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (’49), and Rio Grande (’50) established foundations for Ford’s western credits. He built those credits on a talented ‘Stock Company’ of actors in lead and supporting roles along with iconic locations and camera work. Foremost among Ford’s staring talent string of course is John Wayne, an American icon in his own right. He was joined by Henry Fonda, Maureen O’Hara, and James Stewart along with support from Ward Bond, Ken Curtis, Andy Devine, Jeffery Hunter, Ben Johnson, Victor McLaglen, Vera Miles, and Chill Wills.
Ford’s creativity with the camera is as much his western signature as his characters and scripts. He kept his scripts spare of dialog and was known to cut them by tearing out pages. On one occasion when a producer complained a Ford film was behind schedule, Ford took the script, tore out three pages and observed, ‘Back on schedule.’ His scenes and sequences were shot from his head without storyboards or notes. He used wide angles to set his characters in ‘the west’ as iconified by breathtaking vistas of Monument Valley Utah and Iverson Ranch, locations that became the west for those of us who grew up on western film.
Ford left his mark with films like Drums Along the Mohawk (’39), My Darling Clementine (‘46), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (’62), Cheyenne Autumn (’64), and many others along with last week’s favorite, Two Rode Together.
Next Week: The Nevadan
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Ride easy,
Paul
Ford went on to make classic western films we continue to enjoy to this day. Notably his ‘Cavalry Trilogy’, Fort Apache (’48), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (’49), and Rio Grande (’50) established foundations for Ford’s western credits. He built those credits on a talented ‘Stock Company’ of actors in lead and supporting roles along with iconic locations and camera work. Foremost among Ford’s staring talent string of course is John Wayne, an American icon in his own right. He was joined by Henry Fonda, Maureen O’Hara, and James Stewart along with support from Ward Bond, Ken Curtis, Andy Devine, Jeffery Hunter, Ben Johnson, Victor McLaglen, Vera Miles, and Chill Wills.
Ford’s creativity with the camera is as much his western signature as his characters and scripts. He kept his scripts spare of dialog and was known to cut them by tearing out pages. On one occasion when a producer complained a Ford film was behind schedule, Ford took the script, tore out three pages and observed, ‘Back on schedule.’ His scenes and sequences were shot from his head without storyboards or notes. He used wide angles to set his characters in ‘the west’ as iconified by breathtaking vistas of Monument Valley Utah and Iverson Ranch, locations that became the west for those of us who grew up on western film.
Ford left his mark with films like Drums Along the Mohawk (’39), My Darling Clementine (‘46), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (’62), Cheyenne Autumn (’64), and many others along with last week’s favorite, Two Rode Together.
Next Week: The Nevadan
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Ride easy,
Paul
July 14, 2024
Two Rode Together
Let’s see, we have a John Ford film about the rescue of white Comanche captives … that would be the Searchers, right? It would unless it were Two Rode Together. Ford agreed to do the film as ‘a favor for a friend’ along with $250K plus 25%. Serious money in 1961. Some favor. Worst of all he hated what he considered an inferior return to a story he’d already done to critical acclaim in the Searchers.
The film featured a strong cast, starring Jimmy Stewart, Richard Widmark, and Shirley Jones, with Linda Cristal, John McIntire, and Andy Devine. Jones plays Marty Purcell who has kin taken captive by the Comanche. She demands the U.S. Cavalry do their job and rescue her folks. Major Frazer (McIntire) convinces former scout Guthrie McCabe (Stewart) to see if he can ransom the captives. He assigns Lt. Jim Gary (Widmark) to accompany McCabe.
Comanche Chief, Quanah Parker helps McCabe and Gary locate four prisoners. Two refuse to return to white civilization. A boy, Running Wolf and the Mexican wife of Parker rival Stone Calf, Elena de la Madriaga (Cristal) return with the pair. Stone Calf attempts to rescue his wife and is killed by McCabe to Parker’s gratitude and respect.
Neither captive is welcomed into ‘civil’ society. Elena is dismissed as a fallen woman for having had a Comanche husband. Running Wolf is taken in by a grief torn woman who thinks him her long lost son. The boy kills her when she tries to cut his hair. A murder for which he is to be lynched, only to have Purcell recognize him for her captive brother. McCabe and Elena fall in love and ride off to California and a fresh start.
Critics panned the film, labeling it the worst western of John Ford’s illustrious career. Two Rode Together is the first of three films Ford did with Jimmy Stewart. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence and Cheyenne Autumn burnished the western resumes of both actor and director.
Next Week: John Ford
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Ride easy,
Paul
The film featured a strong cast, starring Jimmy Stewart, Richard Widmark, and Shirley Jones, with Linda Cristal, John McIntire, and Andy Devine. Jones plays Marty Purcell who has kin taken captive by the Comanche. She demands the U.S. Cavalry do their job and rescue her folks. Major Frazer (McIntire) convinces former scout Guthrie McCabe (Stewart) to see if he can ransom the captives. He assigns Lt. Jim Gary (Widmark) to accompany McCabe.
Comanche Chief, Quanah Parker helps McCabe and Gary locate four prisoners. Two refuse to return to white civilization. A boy, Running Wolf and the Mexican wife of Parker rival Stone Calf, Elena de la Madriaga (Cristal) return with the pair. Stone Calf attempts to rescue his wife and is killed by McCabe to Parker’s gratitude and respect.
Neither captive is welcomed into ‘civil’ society. Elena is dismissed as a fallen woman for having had a Comanche husband. Running Wolf is taken in by a grief torn woman who thinks him her long lost son. The boy kills her when she tries to cut his hair. A murder for which he is to be lynched, only to have Purcell recognize him for her captive brother. McCabe and Elena fall in love and ride off to California and a fresh start.
Critics panned the film, labeling it the worst western of John Ford’s illustrious career. Two Rode Together is the first of three films Ford did with Jimmy Stewart. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence and Cheyenne Autumn burnished the western resumes of both actor and director.
Next Week: John Ford
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
