THE TALL T (1957) - Randolph Scott and Richard Boone star in this excellent Western that played on Encore Western Channel today. It's a simple story of stagecoach passengers held hostage by a gang of killers who are waiting for the ransom. Real terror in this film as the killers are really brought to life and make for a convincing film. Also great scenery and crisp camera work by director Budd Boetticher. The film appears to have been filmed in the Lone Pine area of California in that rocky area made famous by THE LONE RANGER along the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
(http://www.bergen-filmklubb.no/images/The_Tall_T.jpg)
MAJOR DUNDEE (1965) - Directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring a big cast of stars like Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, Warren Oates, James Colburn, Ben Johnson, and even Slim Pickens. My favorite character was Jim Hutton playing the Luitenant Graham. The film is very bloody and you have a strange assortment people like the Apache, Union, Confederate, French, African Americans, Juaristas, Scouts, and other rabble all mixed together to make this story that was filmed in Mexico. It's a good Western film just over 2 hours long that I felt could have been shortened.
(http://www.cyberscriptus.org/cyber31/dundee64.jpg)
Major Dundee is one of the few, non sci-fi, Charlton Heston flicks that I enjoy. He seems to keep his outrageous over acting and Heston-isms in check. As you mentioned, the cast in this movie is basically a western fan's dream team. James Coburn, as always, kicks ass, though it took me half the movie to realize that the character WAS James Coburn, he's practically unrecognizable. I completely agree with your take on this film, Scott. Good western, a bit long.
Never been a Randolph Scott fan. However, the one Randolph Scott movie that I've always enjoyed is also directed by Peckinpah. Ride The High Country, co-starring Scott and Joel Mcrea as aging lawmen. Not as gory as Peckinpah's later stuff, good story, good acting, all around cool western flick!
MAJOR DUNDEE also had an interestiing style to it like the music wasn't like most Westerns and they used narration through portions of the film.
I've seen and enjoyed Randolph Scott in both RIDE LONESOME and RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, but THE TALL T rates right along side of them both. The ones I haven't seen yet are DECISION AT SUNDOWN and COMMANCHE STATION, but they are on my list. Randolph Scott can be a bit much with that happy smile, but he's ok. Richard Boone was good in THE TALL T.
Welcome back Deej ! Where have you been? I had a chance to see DODGE CITY back in August and really enjoyed it. The bar fight was great with Alan Hale trying to change his ways and making a speech with the religious women next door and he ends up joining the bar fight as it spills into the other place.
Post Edited (10-05-04 09:27)
Scott wrote:
> Welcome back Deej ! Where have you been? I had a chance to see
> DODGE CITY back in August and really enjoyed it. The bar fight
> was great with Alan Hale trying to change his ways and making a
> speech with the religious women next door and he ends up
> joining the bar fight as it spills into the other place.
Thanks Scott. I've had a busy couple of months, so I haven't been able to check in as much. Hopefully, I'll have more time to devote to our bad movie crusade.
You watched Dodge City!! Outstanding!! I hope I didn't over-hype it. As I've mentioned many times, Dodge City is my favorite old fashioned western. The photography may be in color, but the plot is strictly black and white...good guy vs. bad guy. No ambiguity about the protagonist's background and motives, no deep moral undertone...just hero vs. villain. Helluva good flick. Glad you enjoyed it.
Speaking of Randolph Scott. In Virginia City, the quasi-sequel to Dodge City,Errol Flynn is pitted against none other than evil doer Randolph!!! Scott is definitely the most affable villain of all time. Virginina City also features Humphrey Bogart as an evil MEXICAN BANDIT!!!! Not even half as good as Dodge City, but still worth a look for the curious casting choices.
Also enjoyed Scott in The Spoilers with John Wayne and Marlene Dietrich! Hella good barfight in that one too!
The older I get the more I appreciate the Scott/Boetticher series of Westerns just like I didn't get the JImmy Stewart/Anthony Mann westerns. Haven't seen "The Tall T", but I'll be on the lookout for it, it has Richard Boone anyway. He's fun to watch even in mediocre stuff like "Rio Conchos".
As much as I like most of Peckinpah's films, I've never liked "Major Dundee". I love the cast and on paper it sounds right up my alley, but has always disappointed me when would watch it. Maybe it reminds me too much of Peckinpah's last few films: rambling, messy and self-indulgent. Just not his best work, I'd say.
I loved "Major Dundee" the first time I saw it, but it soon was surpased by other Peckinpah films. I re-watched it again very recently and I think that despite a very good beginning it quite falls apart during the last third. Dundee's drunkeness in Mexico may have been a daring idea back then, when main characters used to be solid as a rock, but it makes the movie too long, and the final battle is poorly staged, no matter if Peckinpah trioes to disguise it with his camerawork. Still, I think it is an over average western.
"Major Dundee" was a film I liked, when I saw it on television, even though it was both a critical and boxoffice failure, when it was first released to theaters. Probably more from studio interference, then from any failure by Peckinbah. If anyone has seen the recent special on Peckinbah on the Western Channel, the special does point out, that if it had not been for "Major Dundee," there would not be a "Wild Bunch."
caught part of that Pekinpah Western documentary BoyScoutKevin and it was a good one. It's going to be on again later this month, so hopefully I'll get to check it out again.