Westerns With Dad

The TV miniseries that took 1950s American by storm, the focus of this episode is Walt Disney’s Davy Crockett franchise, starring Fess Parker as the titular frontiersman. Appearing on ABC’s Disneyland television show starting in 1954, this was the crown jewel of Walt Disney’s TV empire and the cornerstone of the beloved Frontierland in Anaheim’s … Continue reading DISNEY’S DAVY CROCKETT

There are two notable films entitled 3:10 To Yuma, and we’ll be taking a look at both in this episode. There’s the 1957 original, a B&W studio Western directed by Delmar Davis, and the 2007 remake from James Mangold, with a cast full of famous names. It turns out both are pretty worthwhile, and in … Continue reading 3:10 TO YUMA (1957 & 2007)!!

In this episode, we have a discussion about another listener request, 1959’s Last Train From Gun Hill, a John Sturges potboiler revenge yarn starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn. And this one is pretty damn kickass. Telling the story of Marshall Matt Morgan’s quest for justice after the rape and murder of his wife, it … Continue reading LAST TRAIN FROM GUN HILL!

Far and away one of the strangest films we’ve discussed on the podcast, right up there with the cannibal movies, is My Name Is Nobody, a comedic send-up of the Spaghetti Westerns from the very people who created them. Starring the legendary Henry Fonda and a goofy blonde himbo named Terence Hill, it kind of … Continue reading MY NAME IS NOBODY!

In this episode, we take a good long look at last year’s Best Picture nominee, Hell of High Water, an entry into the modern Western subgenre, with elements of the Crime Thriller and a hint of Noir. It’s the socially relevant story of two brothers driven to bank robbery by a broken system that preys … Continue reading HELL OR HIGH WATER!

1968’s Hang ‘Em High is Clint Eastwood’s first American Western and the first film of his production company Malpaso, marking it as a significant entry in the canon of American westerns. Following the journey of a lawman who survives his illegal lynching, it explores the fine line between justice and revenge set against the backdrop … Continue reading HANG ‘EM HIGH!

One of the few Westerns to see major release in the Aughts, Open Range is a great collaboration between Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner, proving correct the notion that all a movie needs is to be a good story, well told. One of Dad’s favorites, and in my opinion the best Costner Western, this is … Continue reading OPEN RANGE!

It’s the holiday season, and despite the near complete dearth of overlap between Westerns and Christmas movies, we have gone out of our way to find one, and are met with mixed success! The Christmas film in question is 3 Godfathers, a John Ford film from 1948 that ostensibly retells the story of the Three … Continue reading 3 GODFATHERS!

This episode focuses on Maverick, an adaptation of the old TV show, featuring Mel Gibson in his only stab at the Western. It’s a goofy romp, very laid back and upbeat, and probably a bit better than its reputation at this point, by virtue of being so lightweight. Featuring a script by William Goldman, it’s … Continue reading MAVERICK!

Described as ‘The Citizen Kane of Westerns’ (by some guy on Rotten Tomatoes), this 1962 John Ford film certainly has a murderer’s row of great Western talent, starring no less than John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Lee Marvin. It’s also a deeply considered rumination on the building of America, and all civilization, and the role … Continue reading THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE!