movieman1957

> I hope I didn't sound offended or anything! You didn't. I was thinking I didn't explain myself well. You mentioned "Monte Walsh." We were thinking the same thing. That movie did cross my mind especially early on.

That was a fun part of the film. Every time Hart would dunk him he would do him the favor of putting his hat back on him. *JF* I didn't mean to suggest, if I did, that he should have recreated Ford's land rush. It most likely would have been too big for this movie. It was just by way of comparison. Pure entertainment is what this picture was about. Enough of a story to carry it along. Some good action. Some good characters, mainly his sidekick. Good guys, bad guys, ladies and horses. Yep, a Saturday matinee. That two gun stance must have been his signature as he did it in both movies. On another note I saw "Hombe" but that is a discussion for a later time.

*Mini Spoiler* *One other little (very little) criticism too... was the bad guys sure did seem to give up awfully easily at the end.. compared to how ROTTEN and awful they were throughout the rest of the story.. but I might be remembering it wrong.* You're not.

May I suggest -

I watched "Tumbleweeds" this morning. I liked it was well. One thing about Hart is that if they can call Keaton "The Great Stone Face" he runs a close second. The boyish good looks of "Hell's Hinges" are barely there but they do come across now and then. Overall I like him here. He is still a tough guy that goes to mush as soon as he meets a pretty girl but after that he is still the toughest man around. Beautiful cinematography. The first shot that caught me was early on when the homesteaders are coming to town and they comment on the passing of the west. There is a shot of the five men on a ridge in shadow all with their hats off as paying respect for a friend who has died. Beautifully done. I wouldn't say the land rush is as good as "The Iron Horse" but it is exciting. As beautiful as watching Hart ride through the rest of the crowd it is a bit of a stretch to think that he could start that late, run the horse that hard for that long past that many people and live to tell about it. It was a sight though. A good supporting cast with a pretty good back story. Some humor thrown in for good measure and you have a fun 90 minutes. I saw the DVD that has Hart's "Farewell Address." While heartfelt it seems way over the top. I kept thinking why couldn't he deliver it the way he acted. It is good to hear his voice.

Let me pass on my congratulations to you. Thanks for sharing so much with us. We can always count on you to make things fun and interesting here.

I'm such a slacker as I only now finished "Hell's Hinges." What started out as an intense drama that just happens to be a western finishes as only a western could. It has a bit of everything. There is some humor, action, redemption and some pretty good acting. (Maybe even the first curse word 23 years before Mr Gable uttered his line.) Hart, I thought, was one of the few that weren't too broad in their approach. Some things were done for the sake of time. The sister turns Hart into a pussycat in less than two minutes. The preacher seems alcoholic after one night. And so on. What was interesting and troubling at the same time was the lengths a town would go to destroy not only a man but a town's faith. You'd think they would have just ignored him. It's not even enough to ruin his reputation they have to rid the town of any trace of God. In the end they have revenge exacted on them. The climax was really exciting. Hart as avenger. He not only comes after the town for what they did to the preacher but God himself has been insulted and he can't have that. In his wake the town is gone. No grace, no mercy except most of the people are spared. It was visually striking. I wish I could play piano like that. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Maybe "Tunbleweeds" tomorrow.

I had not seen "Devil's Doorway" until about a year ago. I really enjoyed it. The premise is interesting and I found Taylor's part novel. The idea of living in both worlds and then be pushed out of the one that has so highly rewarded him make for a sad tale. Watching his strength in defending his land and his heritage against in an ultimately lost cause makes you respect the character.

Lafitte: Where have you been? I've been looking for you to tell you I saw "Eroica." A very interesting film. THe premise is really interesting. I really enjoyed it. Glad you suggested it.

I've only ever heard of "Amos Burke." Looking at "Man In A Suitcase" I thought it might have ties to a British production. In addition to Norman Rossington, who played The Beatles agent in "A Hard Day's Night" it also listed the Second Unit Director as John Glen. He only went on to direct James Bond films.

Thanks for the covers. No challenge would be complete without the fine work on these covers. I appreciate it.

TCM does generally show the bug all the way through the short films.

I think "Speedy" is one of the Essentials, Jr. selections this year.

Variations On A Dress. Nice. Very nice.

That reminded me of "The Big Country." Peck comes out on his first morning at the ranch. Two different sets of people respond to his "Good morning" with a "howdy." Peck then says "howdy" to the next group by only to be met with a "good morning" in return.

I am more familiar with the westerns (although "El Cid" wuld be good because it is so rare.) "Winchester '73" is good for the reasons mentioned before. It also has Dan Duryea as a first class jerk. A really good shoot out climax and a much darker sense than westerns before. "The Naked Spur" would be a good choice as well because it shows Stewart in a different light. A good cast of people trying to cross up each other and some great outdoor locations. A nice evil turn by Robert Ryan helps.

That picture must be Steed's place. who else would have roses and dueling pistols on the wall. She still is a very attractive woman. She did a "Law and Order" a few years ago. She wasn't so pleasant but looked good.

There are probably a couple of things that went on when Ewell shows up at the Robinson's. They son know "the way things are." Tom is already in trouble. Anything they do, no matter how justified, will only put them right in the same place. Also, Atticus is there. I don't think they would have dreamed of doing anything with him there. I think they respect him too much to do that. Atticus shows no fear. When everyone comes to the jail cell I think he would have been enough to hold them off. What Scout said was really a tension breaker but he stands there resolute and unafraid. I think he still would have held them off. The best part of Cal and how the kids love and respect her is when she gets after Scout for insulting Walter for all the syrup he put on his dinner. Cal scolds her and pops her on the butt and Scout doesn't complain to her father. Scout may not have liked it but she respected Cal's authority.

Whenever someone leaves the house - "Have fun storming the castle." (The Princess Bride.) My daughter likes to use "What's all this then?" (John Cleese in "Silverado.") When my wife and I call each other I answer "Woman of the house." (The Quiet Man.)

This is a special film that my children and I watch once in awhile. I took them to see it on the big screen several years ago. We had a fine time. Two things get to me in the movie. One is the shot of Peck sitting on the porch swing listening to the kids talk. The other is Peck's exit from the courtroom. (I think that is LZ's favorite scene.) There is a lot to be said about it. It holds a special place for my daughter because she told me that when the day comes she wants her children to call me Atticus. It's a nice thought but little kids tend to make up their own names for their grandparents. I am sure mine will be no different. Edited by: movieman1957 on Jun 21, 2010 10:39 AM

Keep checking back.

*NOTE:* Keep checking back over the next couple of days there is a surprise coming you won't want to miss. It is not from me but it is something you'll want to look for.

I'll have some comments after ward but here are the final totals of the 16th Programming Challenge. The winner is *COUNTESSDELAVE* Countessdelave - 11 Sansfin - 3 Fedya -3 Audreyforever - 2 Rdmtimp - 2 Lonesomepolecat - 2 Capuchin - 1 Kingrat - 1 I am very happy with the way this turned out. Save for a few people who had planned on participating and couldn't we received wonderful schedules from everyone. I am not sure (and I am not really inclined to check) but I don't think anyone has won by the margin "countessdelave"did. With all the fine schedules it is all the more amazing they won by that count. I am very glad everyone got a vote. Several of you are first timers and you are to be congratulated for putting up a schedule. They are hard work. Just completing it should be a reward. That someone liked it above all others is something to give you confidence for the next one. I thank you for taking the time and making the effort to "play." Thanks to all who voted. That you also made comments to congratulate and encourage those who you didn't vote for should also be of great encouragement for them. I appreciate the thoughts of those who wrote to me. Twice now my fear was not enough schedules and not enough votes. I'm glad that was not the case. Countessdelave, you will now get to decide when and how the next challenge will be held. Good luck to you. If I can be of service just say the word.

*Sansfin:* There are parts of this that are time consuming. Copying all the schedules and getting them the way people wanted to show them, with underlining or in bold type, etc. can be tiring, at least the only way I knew how it was. But once it is out and ready for others to read and consider it is a good feeling. Though I hosted I had the pleasure of having people enjoy and vote for my schedule in the las contest. That is how I got to host this one. *MissG:* Thank you for the compliment. You would be better at this than you know. Maybe someday. Thanks.

Votes are still coming and there is still time. You can check in through midnight Pacific time. (3am Eastern time.) Sometime late in the morning I will announce the winner. Good night all.