San Antonio w/ Errol Flynn

[BoyScoutKevin]

Finally saw "San Antonio" w/ Errol Flynn. And the gunfights in the Alamo are justifiablely famous, but watching it, I realized why yesterday's action scenes are often better then today's action scenes.

It is because yesterday's stunt coordinators and 2nd unit directors realized it is not massive amounts of CGI, which often looks fake anyway, which makes a great action scene, it is the little vignettes in the action scene, which make for a great action scene.

It is the man jumping down from the balcony onto the bar and then being shot.

It is the man being shot and becoming entangled in the curtain ropes, so that his dead body is now hanging upside down.

It is the woman hitting the man, who is aiming at the hero, over the head with a chair, then fainting, when she realizes the danger she put herself into.

It is the man, killed not by a gunshot, but by a hurled knife in the back, and then the knife thrower, being shot and killed immediately afterwards.

It is the fight spilling out into the street and causing a runaway wagon to overturn.

It is the runaway wagon smashing into a fruit stand. 1945. Is that that first time that action cliche was ever seen in a film?

It is also the realization how important music is to a great action scene. And the filmmakers got one of the best to compose the music for the film. Max Steiner. And his music really enhances the action scenes. So they are much better then many of the action scenes you see today.

[Scott]

Though I don't remember the Alamo part in SAN ANTONIO at this moment, but I do remember this being a very fine film. (Deej will probably pop up any moment.) Another one of course is DODGE CITY as Deej will tell you. Both great films for our Western collections.

[Jim H]

Equally important in old action scenes is they don't overedit them.  Point in fact, they don't overedit the entire film like they do now.

I'm not sure if they are always better, but certain kinds usually are - most of the best sword fighters I've seen in American films are 50+ years old.

[BoyScoutKevin]

That's a good suggestion, Jim H. I hadn't thought about that. Though, I have heard other people mention the same thing. I guess that is something else we can blame the "MTV Generation" for.

As for swordfights in American films. I agree for the most part, but here are some after 1955 that I enjoyed.

Candleshoe (1978)
David Niven vs. Leo McKern

Four Musketeers (1975)
Michael York vs. Christopher Lee

Lionheart (1987)
Eric Stoltz vs.Gabriel Byrne

Parent Trap (1998)
Lindsay Lohan vs. Lindsay Lohan

Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)
Johnny Depp vs. Orlando Bloom

Princess Bride (1987)
Cary Elwes vs. Mandy Pantinken