Comments on: Winchester 73 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/ Mainly Western and Noir reviews Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:07:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.0 by: John Hodson http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-2545 Tue, 13 May 2008 09:41:29 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-2545 No, not an experience I would recommend; but then I think of Burma, or China and scold myself for self-pity over such a trivial matter. Mrs H has been to the gym and put that bit of extra effort into her 'combat' class... BTW, I agree that 'Canyon Passage' is a truly terrific hidden gem of a western, and Andrews is surprisingly wonderful in it (I smile when watch him soak anything within touching distance in that opening sequence in the store; it's a 'Mr Muckle' moment...). No, not an experience I would recommend; but then I think of Burma, or China and scold myself for self-pity over such a trivial matter. Mrs H has been to the gym and put that bit of extra effort into her ‘combat’ class…

BTW, I agree that ‘Canyon Passage’ is a truly terrific hidden gem of a western, and Andrews is surprisingly wonderful in it (I smile when watch him soak anything within touching distance in that opening sequence in the store; it’s a ‘Mr Muckle’ moment…).

]]> by: Livius http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-2542 Tue, 13 May 2008 08:51:53 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-2542 Good news is never OT :) Let's hope it's sooner rather than later. I have a hunch that Sony are at long last on the verge of doing something with their back catalog. BTW John, I was sorry to read elsewhere about your recent bad luck - something like that's always a rotten experience. Good news is never OT :)
Let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later. I have a hunch that Sony are at long last on the verge of doing something with their back catalog.

BTW John, I was sorry to read elsewhere about your recent bad luck - something like that’s always a rotten experience.

]]> by: John Hodson http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-2541 Tue, 13 May 2008 08:34:05 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-2541 Not to go too far OT, but I recorded 'The Tall T' off C4 recently and it was a quite frankly gob-smacking presentation; an umarked print with gorgeous colours provided by Sony themselves which stokes up the anticipation for a mouth-watering DVD release. I just wish they'd get on with it. Not to go too far OT, but I recorded ‘The Tall T’ off C4 recently and it was a quite frankly gob-smacking presentation; an umarked print with gorgeous colours provided by Sony themselves which stokes up the anticipation for a mouth-watering DVD release. I just wish they’d get on with it.

]]> by: Livius http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-2510 Mon, 12 May 2008 19:50:19 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-2510 Ian, if you enjoyed 'Seven Men fron Now' then I think you would have a great time with the other movies as, in many ways, it is maybe one of their lesser collaborations. That's not to take anything away from what is a high quality western, rather it's meant to emphasise the excellence of the rest of the Boetticher & Scott movies. Ian, if you enjoyed ‘Seven Men fron Now’ then I think you would have a great time with the other movies as, in many ways, it is maybe one of their lesser collaborations. That’s not to take anything away from what is a high quality western, rather it’s meant to emphasise the excellence of the rest of the Boetticher & Scott movies.

]]> by: Ian W http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-2500 Mon, 12 May 2008 14:01:43 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-2500 This is my favourite of the Mann/Stewart westerns, even allowing for Rock Hudson as an Indian. Stephen McNally and Dan Duryea are great villains and Stewart's performance is one of his best. Like John (and no doubt many others) I'd love to see more of the Boetticher/Scott westerns on DVD. I've only seen Seven Men from Now (and that only recently) but I was very impressed with it. This is my favourite of the Mann/Stewart westerns, even allowing for Rock Hudson as an Indian. Stephen McNally and Dan Duryea are great villains and Stewart’s performance is one of his best.

Like John (and no doubt many others) I’d love to see more of the Boetticher/Scott westerns on DVD. I’ve only seen Seven Men from Now (and that only recently) but I was very impressed with it.

]]> by: Livius http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-1530 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:56:05 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-1530 Yes John, you're right that the commentary is actually an interview with Stewart. As far as I know it was done as he watched a screening of the movie - either way, it's one of my favorite extras on any DVD and the kind of thing I wish had been done more often while there was still a chance. Speaking of influential and genre defining stuff, I just wish Sony would get their finger out and release their Budd Boetticher movies - if only to expose a wider audience to what Randolph Scott was capable of on screen. Yes John, you’re right that the commentary is actually an interview with Stewart. As far as I know it was done as he watched a screening of the movie - either way, it’s one of my favorite extras on any DVD and the kind of thing I wish had been done more often while there was still a chance.

Speaking of influential and genre defining stuff, I just wish Sony would get their finger out and release their Budd Boetticher movies - if only to expose a wider audience to what Randolph Scott was capable of on screen.

]]> by: John Hodson http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-1529 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:37:39 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-1529 I think it goes without saying (but I'm gonna say it anyhoo) that the war was the watershed for the western; it changed the people who watched movies and the people that made them. There's a steel and an anguish to the post-war Jimmy Stewart that suggests that he'd gone through a life-changing experience (which he rarely talked about) and I think his Anthony Mann westerns, in particular reflect that. There are plenty of 'speed bumps' to be found in the genre, and while Leone and Peckinpah are often talked about in this respect, there's no doubt Mann is particularly significant. Stewart's commentary is more of an extended interview wouldn't you agree Colin? Fascinating stuff. I think it goes without saying (but I’m gonna say it anyhoo) that the war was the watershed for the western; it changed the people who watched movies and the people that made them.

There’s a steel and an anguish to the post-war Jimmy Stewart that suggests that he’d gone through a life-changing experience (which he rarely talked about) and I think his Anthony Mann westerns, in particular reflect that.

There are plenty of ’speed bumps’ to be found in the genre, and while Leone and Peckinpah are often talked about in this respect, there’s no doubt Mann is particularly significant.

Stewart’s commentary is more of an extended interview wouldn’t you agree Colin? Fascinating stuff.

]]> by: Livius http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-1527 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:57:50 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-1527 Thanks. I'm not sure you are in the minority - Anthony Mann's stock has been steadily rising over the years, especially his western work with Jimmy Stewart. I think he is still relatively undervalued, but I also think that most of those who appreciate the western are aware that he took the genre in a new direction - much as Ford had done with 'Stagecoach'. Thanks. I’m not sure you are in the minority - Anthony Mann’s stock has been steadily rising over the years, especially his western work with Jimmy Stewart.
I think he is still relatively undervalued, but I also think that most of those who appreciate the western are aware that he took the genre in a new direction - much as Ford had done with ‘Stagecoach’.

]]> by: clydefro http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-1519 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 06:05:15 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2008/04/16/winchester-73/#comment-1519 That's a great screen capture of Stewart. It probably goes without saying, but I do hold this film as on the same level with The Searchers and Red River, even if I'm in the minority. Not to be disagreeable, but I sort of see Ford as creating the western as we know it and Mann revolutionizing it. He's the speed bump between Ford and Peckinpah, in my mind. The Stewart collaborations are just incredibly underappreciated and absolutely vital works. That’s a great screen capture of Stewart. It probably goes without saying, but I do hold this film as on the same level with The Searchers and Red River, even if I’m in the minority. Not to be disagreeable, but I sort of see Ford as creating the western as we know it and Mann revolutionizing it. He’s the speed bump between Ford and Peckinpah, in my mind. The Stewart collaborations are just incredibly underappreciated and absolutely vital works.

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