settima

western

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (John Huston, 1948)

Jun

30

campfire grub

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Curtin (Tim Holt), Dobbs (Bogart), and Howard (Walter Huston) eating campfire grub. DP: Ted D. McCord.

“Say, mister. Will you stake a fellow American to a meal?”

– Dobbs

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (John Huston, 1948)

Jun

29

National Handshake Day

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Fred (Humphrey Bogart) and Curtin (Tim Holt) shake hands witnessed by gruff prospector Howard (Walter Huston). DP: Ted D. McCord.

Cheated out of their wages, broke Americans #Bogart and Holt are approached by a former prospector. There's #gold in the #SierraMadre mountains, he tells them.

“I know what gold does to men's souls.”

– Howard

Seemingly character driven, Huston's The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is an adventure moved by a relentless #landscape, the urge to drift, and #greed.

The Searchers (John Ford, 1956)

Jun

21

National Arizona Day

The Searchers (1956)

Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) facing the endless desert. DP: Winton C. Hoch.

“Welcome home, Ethan.”

Doc (Frank Perry, 1971)

May

16

Doc (1971)

A tense scene in a dark saloon, the table littered with empty bottles. DP: Gerald Hirschfeld.

“If it weren't for bad people, what would you do for a living, Marshal?”

– Doc Holliday

Limonádový Joe aneb Konská opera [Lemonade Joe or The Horse Opera] (Oldřich Lipský, 1964)

Apr

27

Kola Loka

Limonádový Joe aneb Konská opera (1964)

A tough cowboy takes a bite out off a fiddle. DP: Vladimír Novotný.

“The Kola Loka is the law!”

– Limonádový Joe

Distant Drums (Raoul Walsh, 1951)

Apr

24

Scream Day

Distant Drums (1951)

The Scream happening to Judy Beckett (Mari Aldon) and Capt. Quincy Wyatt's (Gary Cooper) dismay. DP: Sidney Hickox.

One joyous day, Pvt. Wilhelm gave his dear life for movie geeks everywhere. The Gary Cooper (super duper!) western Distant Drums (1951) is the origin of what's known as the Wilhelm #scream. During a dramatic action scene, our dearly beloved private is hit in the thigh with an arrow.

– GATORS! GATORS!! – AAH! – AH!

That bloodcurdling scream was part of a sounds effect reel voiced by Sheb Wooley, known better for his 1958 rock 'n roll novelty song The Purple People Eater than fighting off hostile natives. Later, other screamers popped up in anything from A Star Is Born (1954) to Reservoir Dogs (1992).

 

And yes, even a long time ago. In that galaxy far far away.

Dirty Little Billy (Stan Dragoti, 1972)

Feb

25

National Billy Day

Dirty Little Billy (1972)

Michael J. Pollard as Billy the Kid. He looks rather unwashed. DP: Ralph Woolsey.

A mucky, nihilistic #punk adaptation of the Billy the Kid saga foreshadowing Alex Cox's Straight to Hell by 15 years.

– All right, Billy. All right. You still haven't answered my question. What do you want to do?

– Nothin'.