So, Hamlette of Hamlette's Soliloquy and Heidi of Along the Brandywine in their celebration of Legends of Western Cinema Week have a tag to go along with collecting posts dedicated to film and TV westerns.
They ask:
"List a character that you found memorable for each role below (and
include the name of the film or show they are from). Elaborate as much
or little as you like!"
1. Cavalryman:
OK. This one is a bit of a stretch. In The Twilight Zone episode "The 7th is Made Up of Phantoms" there are 3 modern day National Guardsmen who are doing maneuvers on the site of Little Big Horn. At the end of the episode they end up back in time with George Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn, essentially joining the 7th Cavalry. My favorite of the three is Cpl. Langsford (Warren Oates).
2. Stagecoach driver:
It's a tossup between Andy Devine in the 1939 version of Stagecoach and Slim Pickens in the 1966 version of Stagecoach.
3. Doctor:
Ummm... OK, you didn't REALLY expect the first answer in this tag to be the ONLY outre choice in this tag, did you? (Tell me you didn't...) Dr. Maria Frankenstein (Narda Onyx), the titular "daughter" in Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter.
4. Judge:
Paul Newman did a good job as Judge Roy Bean, but I thought Walter Brennan was better in The Westerner.
5. Sheriff:
It'd be a crime to leave John Wayne off this tag. Sheriff John Chance (Wayne) in Rio Bravo.
6. Cowboy:
Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) in Cowboys vs. Aliens. (There's that outre thread again...)
7. Homesteader:
Van Heflin, as either Dan Evans in 3:10 to Yuma or Joe Starrett in Shane, but the tiebreaker would have to go with Evans.
8. Gambler:
He doesn't get near enough screen time, but Jeff Goldblum as Slick in Silverado.
9. Native American:
Hard one to answer. Do I go with a real Native American actor's portrayal, or do I go with one played by a white actor? I liked Henry Brandon as Scar in The Searchers, but he was a white actor playing a Native American. If I have to go with a real Native American portraying one, I'd have to pick Chief Dan George in as Lone Watie in The Outlaw Josey Wales.
10. Outlaw:
No question. Paul Newman and Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
11. Storekeeper:
Oh, yeah! Col. Stonehill (Strother Martin) in True Grit.
12. Schoolteacher:
Can I get away with Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen) in Back to the Future Part III?
Footnote: the 1966 version of Stagecoach is scheduled to be reviewed later this year as a part of my Semiquincentennial Movie Project and will be retroactively linked when it is done. I have no idea at this time when I'll get around to The Westerner.... and The Searchers is long overdue. Maybe next month.
That's it for now.
Quiggy
Enjoyed your answers. And Back to the Future 3 absolutely counts. I always seem to forget about it till about halfway through Western week, so thanks for the reminder. I know what we'll be watching tonight... Thanks for filling out the tag!
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