Well, edgar. He was a bad guy in this one, along with Dina Merrill of the skinny eyes. What was the name of that movie that starred opie AKA Ron Howard? AHA! The Courtship of Eddie's father. Damn, I'm still operating on all cylinders.
Was little Ronnie Howard NOT the cutest thing?! I love that movie for his performance alone.
eoe, Well, my goodness, honey. You're back. And yes little Ron was adorable and grew into a fine director. Hope all is well with someone who is ill.
Ron was in (maybe directed) a film from Edward Abbey novel "Fire on the Mountain"
speaking of Ed Abbey, a truely fine film "Lonely are the Brave" with Kirk Douglas made from the Abbey novel "the Lonely Cowboy" B&W about 1960 one of my top ten and was filmed here in Albuquerque on Sandia Mountain.
Peter Ibbet. A vague remembrance of that movie with Gary Cooper. Got it confused with Mayerling. I do believe that T.S.Eliot's Wasteland was an allusion to that movie.
I love Lonely Are the Brave. Kirk's best film, in my estimation.
Glad to see you back, eoe. Hope you are feeling better.
I was very sad to read in your paper that author Edward Abbey ("Thoreau of the American West") has died (Part 1, March 16). In your detailed obituary, I was astonished that no mention was made of his book "The Brave Cowboy.""
I came across a paperback edition of this book around 1960, and was deeply moved. I bought the movie rights and finally persuaded Universal to allow my company, Bryna, to make the film, which was brilliantly written by Dalton Trumbo and produced by Eddie Lewis. In the cast with me were Gena Rowlands, Walter Matthau and William Shatner, and introducing Carrel O'Connor in a small role. They all gave marvelous performances.
In the opening scene, I played Jack Burns (Edward Abbey), who rides across a wide plain and comes up to a large wire fence. I get off my horse, taking a pair of pliers, cut the fence and ride on. In your article you quote Abbey: "I am the one who loved un-fenced countries."
I never met Mr. Abbey, but we wrote to each other several times. I apologized to him that the studio insisted on changing the title of "Brave Cowboy" to "Lonely Are the Brave."
In the more than 60 films that I've made, this is my favorite. I am very pleased when I get a letter, or someone comes up to me saying it is also their favorite.
Hollywood was capable of transferring the feelings of this great environmentalist to film. People will always be able to see as well as read the beliefs of this great man in "Lonely Are the Brave."
KIRK DOUGLAS
Beverly Hills
Thanks for the thoughts guys. I'll let you all in on what's been happening here next week when there's more time.
Lightwizard wrote:Unfortunately, I believe that double-pack contains the edited version of "Streetcar." Does it include the entire scene on the staircase where Stella is considerably more erotic and the entire rape scene which was cut many decades ago for the TV version, and became the acceptable video version for many years?
The dvd version that is out there is called the "original director's version" and is distributed by Warner Home Video. According to IMDb, the "director's cut" is 125 minutes, three minutes longer than the original version, and the dvd is listed at 125 minutes as well, so I assume that the dvd is identical to this "director's cut" that was released in 1993. I have this dvd and I can't recall any obvious cuts.
Whether it was clipped or not I can't guess, due to my ignorance in the matter. But, on my first and only watching of the scene a week ago, I had the distinct feeling it should have went on a bit longer before entering this discussion. There's nothing to be done for it now, anyway.
I recall watching a VHS of some old movie, perhaps THe Wagon Master, with Ward Bond, perhaps not. The jacket described it as "lovingly restored." What they did was take the clippings off the floor and jamb them in, showing alternative scenes and endings, garbling an otherwise standard western and taking out much of my enjoyment.
Speaking of old Westerns, have you ever seen "Red River", Edgar? I watched it again the other day for the third time (over a period of years) and enjoyed it as much as when I saw it in the Fifties. It has a great cast of character actors, Walter Brennan, Noah Beery, Jr., Harry Carey, Jr. , John Ireland, and stars John Wayne and Montgomery Clift. It's a must if you've never seen it.
I love Red River, almost as much as The Searchers. Dynamite acting and well prepared script. The cast is superb. Once, I taped it off PBS, then promptly lost the tape.
Aaaah. You'll have to get that one again for your video library. And, if you've never seen "Jubal" with Glenn Ford, Rod Steiger, Ernest Borgnine and lots of the other standard character actors, give it a try. It's not shown on TV too often and I never understood why.
Oh, and I just remembered "Tension at Table Rock" 1956, with Richard Egan, Dorothy Malone, John Dehner, Royal Dano, Angie Dickinson, et al. I think you'd like that one, too.
I have a Glen Ford collection that has Jubal in it. "Pinkie" Rod Stieger makes an unexpected cowboy in that one.
Cowboy, with Ford and Jack Lemon, is another fave of mine.
Do you get the Westerns channel on cable? Once my father found that station, well, he had no need for any others.
I don't have cable at all, just rabbit ears.
Poor, dlowan, edgar.
I saw tonight on the news that Million Dollar Baby is in the center of a controversy. Some critic divulged the ending and now there is a big row over the message. Sheeeeeze. I think I'll take a vioxx.
All things being considered, I think I would rather be in the Red River Valley. Not to worry, I won't sing it.
I missed it, Letty. Really wasn't aware of such a film.
edgar, it's nominated for the Oscar, and stars Clint Eastwood who, I think, also directed it. I haven't seen it either.
Where's the Wizard?
That movie is a long way from "I found a Million Dollar Baby in a five and ten cent store."