come and see a fat, old man sometime

D_____ and his buddy Q___ ventured out at dusk to see the original True Grit at the outdoor Forest Theatre. Bonfires at the corners of the stage and coozied beers in your hand. It's juice pouch if you're nasty.

Heading up the hill toward the dirt connector in the foggy twilight was sublime. I almost took a picture then. Wished I had a camera capable of catching those 2 bumbling their way down, across, and up on the way home; stiff, cold, and in the dark. Dark. Little headlamps pushing short cones into the fog, at nipple height to a one eyed fat man. But still- willing.

It makes me fog up meself, watching them pick up that torch. Westerns? The Duke? Filmed in Ridgeway? (D tripped on the location of the film when I explained it's nearness to his accustomed winter retreat- the Mountain Belle hut above Ouray.) But mostly the bumbling home in the dark aboard the bicycle.

Willing.



If you got 5:48 to spare, and you're willing, I think these 2 videos are ones to watch.



By now you know how we feel about Ry Cooder.

where the only Law is Right

The old lady and meself watched the Coens' remake of "True Grit".



This is a movie I had to love. Being a Texas Brushpopper, I have loved The Duke as you might expect, and it pleases me to say my own sons follow in this. And plus, the original was filmed in part in our old stompin ground- near Telluride. The True Grit Cafe is still a spot to eat bad/overpriced food in Ridgeway, and it looks like the above scene shows Lizard Head in a couple shots.

Bridges did not disappoint. Damon did a fine job of making Campbell's LaBeef both more real and more (rodeo) clownish. The dialog was well paced, very well timed; to my ear it was authentic (but then, I have never actually heard anyone from the 1870s speak). It smacked of Cormac McCarthy before he wrote the terribly, darkly hopeless "The Road" when he was writing the terribly, brightly hopeless Border Trilogy or, more so, "Blood Meridian".




My mind kept focusing on the clothes and gear. It was all so useable...from the wool everything to the leather saddle strings for to tie on waxed-cotton bedrolls. They had what they had and used it up. That appeals to me.

It's a seesaw, balancing weight and use in bicycle touring. Remember the cowboys vs. the Big Dummy? I'm still thinking about that. In the end I am the horse, so it matters more to me than it might to Rooster Cogburn, but we both want the same thing...a big ride and a little whiskey in some far back spot.

Fill your hands, you sons of bitches.

I don't know why you're upset. I was thinking about it in English.

So. Up last night on the TV screen was Elmore Leonard's Hombre starring Paul Newman as the 1/2 breed blue-eyed White Mtn. Apache John Russell. Richard Boone in his finest hour, even including being the voice of Smaug the Worm from Rankin-Bass' The Hobbit, as the (truly) bad man.


As this is close on the heels of the Louis L'Amour controversy, I feel I must say: this is POSSIBLY the best western ever. And Elmore Leonard wrote it, so I guess I'll smoke that shuttlecock. Hombre has several of Leonard's subtly effective throw-away lines that feel so authentic it makes me holler.The only time I'd seen this film before, I'd come in 1/2 way through it. The beginning is worth watching. If you need a western...here you go.

Hmmm, I think I'll rewatch Hud soon.

shoot his right profile

So D_____ is watching all my old westerns. I found out about this when I walked into the "playroom" (the drywalled and carpeted garage, half of which is kid play and half bike room for papa play) and he was watching Red River.

"Are you watching Red River?", I said.
"Yeah.", said the boy.
"Why?", I said. Now, this is not as foolish a question as it may appear- because how did he know about Red River? and it is in black and white, and there're no spaceship chases or lasers or flying wizards or animated whatevers, etc. It is a kickass western from 1948! Howard Hawks' 1st western starring John Wayne, Montgomery Clift (in his 1st movie role), Walter Brennan...
"Because it's cool.", said the boy.

And that was true.

He has since watched The Searchers (my personal favorite, and which I warned him was sad and which he later thought was "not so sad. Everbody dies though. And those indians were not very nice.") and True Grit ( he said he recognized the guy who played Rooster Cogburn), but The Cowboys is out of it's case and presumed lost. He will be starting on Hang 'em High, A Fistful of Dollars, etc. soon.

That's one apple that landed pretty close.

Who wants to wrassle?

In a separate communique, it has been argued that Louis L'Amour is not the greatest writer in the western genre:

Hello to all who receive this message--I was reading the Church blog and came across an inaccuracy so astounding that I simply could not let it pass unchallenged...Louis L'Amour is NOT the greatest writer of Westerns ever known. Elmer Kelton is without doubt the finest practitioner of the greatest form of literature known to modern man. A close second would be Elmore Leonard. Please also note Larry McMurtry who penned the greatest Western novel ever written. Lamour is a witless hack who couldn't carry Elmer's sweaty horse blanket to the barn. As a plus, almost all of Elmer Kelton's books feature the great state of Texas as a backdrop. Stories of men and boys overcoming evil and the elements, while always doing the right thing; being true to the code and protecting the womenfolk and little kids.

Huh.
I personally find Elmer Kelton to be boring. It is the truth though, that Texas is a fine place.
Larry McMurtry gets (deserved) accolades for the Lonseome Dove book ONLY, if for no other reason than the moccasin ball in the river. OK, maybe it's sequel too, but none more for anything else ever.
Elmore Leonard is perhaps the True Master.

But, hackneyed and formulaic as he can be, I very much like L'Amour's bareknuckle fisticuffs, his knowledgeable use of the 4 Corners region, and all the injuns in say, Last Stand at Papago Wells, for example or, perhaps...Hondo!?!


Also, let's not forget Frank O'Rourke, who wrote The Professionals(!) and , my favorite, Range War... "Bryan could smell violence in the air when he rode in. The whole town was packing iron. The high country was about to explode in a bloody struggle for land..."

That's what I'm talking about!

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must add that I am currently reading Six Fingered Stud, by Lance Horner, who also penned such classics as Mandingo, and The Mustee. So there's my bona fides. Take it as you will.