Rio Grande (1950)

 

A cavalry officer posted on the Rio Grande is confronted with murderous raiding Apaches, a son who's a risk-taking recruit and his wife from whom he has been separated for many years.

Classic John Ford western Features in best manner many its director's hallmark features: a meandering plot, rollicking scenes alternating with solemn songs and lively action and all in beautiful blacl-and-white cinematography.

Halliwell*: "Thin Ford Western on his favourite theme, with too many pauses for song, too many studio sets, and too little plot. Aficiandos, however, will find much to admire."

Maltin***: "The last of  director Ford's Cavalry trilogy..., and the most underrated: a vivid look at the gentlemanly spirit of the Cavalry during post-Civil Ward days...Beautifully shot by Bert Glennon and Archie Stout..." 

Paradise Canyon (1935)

Sent to find counterfeiters, an investigator joins a medicine show.

Lady from Louisiana (1941)

Northern lawyer John Reynolds travels to New Orleans to try and clean up the local crime syndicate based around a lottery.

McLintock! (1963)

Cattle baron George Washington McLintock fights his wife, his daughter, and political land-grabbers.

Another wildly entertaining John Wayne - Maureen O'Hara variation on The Taming of the Shrew. Not suitable for feminists.

On rewatching: Male-bonding festivity looks like they intended to have as much of fun as possible on set and imagined it would reflect onscreen - unfortunately it does.

Halliwell*: "Sub-Ford Western farce borrowed from The Taming of the Shrew, with much fist-fighting and mud-splattering, and rather too much chat in between."

Maltin***: "Rowdy slapstick seldom stops - a giant mud pit free-for-all and a public spanking for O'Hara are just a few of the stops along the way in this Western version of The Taming of the Shrew. Not recommended for feminists."

John Wayne

The Telegraph Trail (1933)

A greedy businessman-turned-renegade foments an Indian uprising against the coming telegraph to perpetuate his economic stranglehold on the territory.

Mediocre Western with some humor and the usual shoot-outs with villains and Indians.

Halliwell (no star): "A lacklustre Western, with action scenes lifted from the silent The Red Raiders made seven years earlier, though Wayne does get to wear a rather fetching fringed jacket."

Maltin**: "Lesser-grade Warner Bros. B Western."

Legend of the Lost (1957)

An American ne'er-do-well Joe January is hired to take a man on an expedition into the desert in search of treasure.

John Wayne

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wayne

John Wayne

(ph: Sam Shaw)

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wayne

New acquisition: Alamo

Another gift from my pal Ludwig.

El Dorado (1966)

A gunfighter for hire joins forces with an old friend, a sheriff, and together with an old Indian fighter and a gambler, helps a rancher and his family fight a rival rancher that is trying to steal their water.

Sleepy and slow-paced Western which is constantly on the verge of forgetting the plot; nevertheless, the movie is quite entertaining thanks to the director's grip holding it altogether and the casts' easygoing professionalism.

Halliwell*: "Easy-going, semi-somnolent, generally likable but disappointing Western...an old man's movie all round."

Maltin***: "Typically smooth Hawks mix of comedy and action, with zesty Leigh Brackett script and exemplary performances, espacially by Mitchum, Caan as young gambler who can't shoot, and George as ultra-cool hired gun."

The Quiet Man (1952)

A retired American boxer returns to the village of his birth in Ireland, where he finds love.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

On the set: James Stewart, John Ford and John Wayne

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

A senator, who became famous for killing a notorious outlaw, returns for the funeral of an old friend and tells the truth about his deed.

Much-loved classic Western with a dream cast that leisurely spins a tale self-reflecting the genre and its political implications.

Halliwell***: "Clumsy, obvious Western with the director over-indulging himself but providing some good scenes in comedy vein."

Maltin****: "Panned and patronized upon original release, but now regarded as an American classic; one of the great Westerns."

Blue Steel (1934)

A U.S. marshal observes a robbery and the Sheriff thinks he may be the culprit, while the town's leading citizen is planning to rob everybody blind.

Mediocre Western with a highly construed plot, even John Wayne's performance is stiff; great landscapes to be seen, though, in the background.

Halliwell (no star): "Lacklustre Western enlivened by a few stunts."

Rio Bravo (1959)

A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a cripple, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.

Flying Tigers (1942)

A captain's command of the famed American mercenary fighter group in China is complicated by the recruitment of an old friend who is a reckless hotshot.

War actioner that does entertain with less patriotic overtones than usual, but with the usual redemption through heroism message.

Halliwell (no star): "More mock heroics with noisy but unconvincing action sequences."

Maltin**1/2: "Good war film...Exciting dog-fight scenes."

 

Flying Leathernecks (1951)

A Major leads The Wildcats squadron into the historic WWII battle of Guadalcanal.

Mediocre, violent and quite chauvinist flag waver which savours the air battle scenes.

Halliwell (no star): "Empty, violent war actioner full of phoney heroics."

Maltin***: "Solid, if not especially otiginal, WW2 actioner, with good aerial scenes and nice turnby Flippen as crafty sergeant."