Film Review: Rio Grande (1950)

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 Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke (John Wayne) is stationed on the Texas frontier, trying to defend the territory against marauding Apaches. His job is difficult not only because his regiment is undermanned, but because the Apaches ride across the border into Mexico where Yorke and his troops cannot follow them. Further developments arrive when, after flunking West Point, Yorke's son (Claude Jarman Jr.) comes to the fort as one of the new recruits and Yorke's estranged wife (Maureen O'Hara) comes to try to take their son back east.

 Directed by John Ford and filled with a classic cast, Rio Grande (1950) latched itself onto my list of favorite western films even before I finished watching it for the first time. Something about it felt so very real. From the beginning of the film when Lt. Col. Yorke and his troops return to the fort tired, dusty, and wounded from their patrol to when the new recruits are being broken into western troopers. As the Sons of Pioneers lead the troops in song while on patrol or while resting around the campfire, and even to the daring rescue towards the end of the film. Everything feels natural and genuine.

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 As I mentioned, this film has a stellar cast who all not only turn in great performances individually but work well with each other. John Waynes gives, in my personal opinion, one of his best performances. (As a quick rabbit trail, my opinion of John Wayne as an actor sways with each movie I see of his. With some I feel like he's just acting the John Wayne persona in each film and then, with others, I am sitting going "Wow! You really could act!" It really depends on the movie.) Anyhow, his portrayal of Lt. Col. Yorke is splendid as a man who is trying to do the best job he can in a difficult situation.

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 Maureen O'Hara turns in another good performance per usual as Mrs. Yorke and Victor McLaglen will bring a smile to your face in the role of Sgt. Maj. Quincannon as he tries to whip the newest recruits into shape. The actors who really grabbed my attention in this movie, however, were Claude Jarman Jr., Harry Carey Jr., and Ben Johnson. That trio really stands out as the newest batch of troopers, with Jarman Jr. playing Yorke's son. Not to mention, Carey Jr.'s character has some great lines. Or maybe it's just the way he delivers them.

 Anyway, this is currently my favorite western and I have my doubts as to if it will ever be replaced. The studio executives of Republic Pictures, who would only let John Ford make The Quiet Man (1952) if he made a western with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara first, have my undying gratitude.

 The Legends of Western Cinema Blog Week is currently going on! Visit Emma at A Lantern In Her Hand and Olivia at Meanwhile, In Rivendell to find out more about the event and read their posts.

Roy Rogers: My Introduction to The Western Film

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 The Legends of Western Cinema Blog Week starts today! Visit Emma at A Lantern In Her Hand and Olivia at Meanwhile, In Rivendell to find out more about the event and read their posts.

 I saw my first Roy Rogers movie a little over ten years ago. We were driving home from a long family trip and still had a long way to go. My parents bought three DVDs at a store we stopped off at. The first had episodes from The Rifleman, while the second had two Roy Rogers movies (Young Bill Hickok and My Pal Trigger) and third had four episodes of The Roy Rogers Show. Those two DVDs were my introduction to the western genre outside of The Rifleman, Little House on the Prairie, and the Disney Davy Crockett films with Fess Parker. My siblings and I fell in love with Roy Rogers's movies and spent the next several years tracking down every Roy Rogers VHS we could get our hands on at our local book sale. We ended up securing a collection of most of Roy Roger's movies over time and, with online streaming, I have seen a total of 75 of the 105 films on Roy Roger's Wikipedia filmography.

 Roy Rogers was my introduction to the Western film and recently I've been having fun re-watching some of my old favorites, including a few in their uncut theatrical prints instead of the cut television prints. They may be B-Westerns with predictable plots and villains but I still love them dearly. Here are three of my too many to mention favorites.

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Roll On Texas Moon (1946)
 Trouble brews between a community of cattle ranchers and sheep ranchers when a sheep rancher is murdered and found on the property of cattleman Gabby Whittaker (George "Gabby" Hayes). Although Gabby is cleared of murder charges, the tension between the two factions increases. Afraid of a range war breaking out, Roy Rogers is sent to try to find the problem behind the growing troubles and eventually finds an ally in the niece (Dale Evans) of the murdered man, who also wants to stop a range war from erupting. The saga of Gabby and lamb that won't stop following him, much to his consternation, adds a great comedic side plot. | The film is currently available to watch on YouTube here.

Man From Cheyenne (1942)
 Rustlers are plaguing a community of ranches raising cattle for the government and every detective sent has been unsuccessful in tracking the thieves. During a meeting to find a new angle to resolve the problem, however, Roy Rogers stumbles into the picture. The government agent asks Roy, a former member of the community, to return and try his hand at finding the criminals, figuring it would be easier for him instead of a stranger to hunt them out. A good supporting cast of the Sons of the Pioneers, George “Gabby” Hayes, Gale Storm, Sally Paine (always a fun addition to a Roy Rogers movie) and a pair of fairly more complex villains make this one you shouldn’t miss. | Currently available on YouTube here.

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Bells of San Angelo (1947)
 Smugglers are bringing silver illegally into the United States from Mexico and Roy Rogers has been sent to find them and put a stop to it. A man with information is shot before he can speak to Roy and framed by his murderers as a thief when they plant silver on his body. To top off Roy’s troubles, popular Western mystery writer Lee Madison (Dale Evans) comes to town and an Englishman in search of a man called George Wallingford Lancaster arrives, much to the consternation of the sheriff (Andy Devine). | Currently available on YouTube here.

Have you ever seen any of Roy Rogers's films or episodes from his television show? What are some of your favorites?

Wodehousian Medicine (aka The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award)

A few weeks back Emily Ann Putzke of Taking Dictation tagged me with The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. It has taken me far too long to put this together but here it is.

1. Post a paragraph or a stanza of your latest writing project. (I guess that wasn't really a question ... will you please post a paragraph or stanza?) My newest writing project is currently in the outlining stage of things and so I don't really have a nice juicy paragraph for you. I'll give you one from Lee Ames instead.
 Colin snatched a croissant off the a la carte tier of serving plates. “I am not scheduled to fly until tomorrow night. So, I thought I would hop on the train and spend today and tomorrow morning with my favorite people. Ropery Street is as dull as tombs when you are alone. There is no one to hear me play Minnie the Moocher.” He winked at Gilbert who giggled.


2. Do you prefer writing with pens or pencils? Probably pens, although I do like to pull out my mechanical pencils every now and again.

3. What is one blog/blogger that inspires you to write? Please share why and provide a link! I am going to have to go with Elisabeth Grace Foley of The Second Sentence. I have been following The Second Sentence since its first day and her previous blog before that. It is because of her I discovered some of my favorite movies and books. By the way, she writes wonderful books herself. You should go check them out. I wrote a review for one of them here.

4. Are you scared of spiders or do you think they are fun pets? I do not like spiders. The tiny ones don't scare me too much, but make them big and hairy... *shudders*

5. Would you prefer to own a dog or a cat better (if any)? A dog. Cats and I don't get along very well. Okay, okay, I'm terrified of them. I am definitely more of a dog person.

6. Do you know any languages besides English and are there any other languages you would like to learn? No, I don't. I took Latin during high school but I am not proficient in it enough to say I "know" Latin. I would like to learn French and German, though.

7. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Introvert. I like being by myself, but when I need to be refueled I go hunt out people.

8. What’s your favorite part about today so far? Seeing the beautiful French scenery while watching the Tour de France and finishing The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse. If you need cheering or are ill and need a good read you should definitely pick it up. Nothing like a good dose of Wodehousian medicine to put a smile on your face.

9. What's one place and time in history that you'd love to travel back to? New York City in the 1950s. I would go see Judy Holliday in Bells Are Ringing on Broadway.

10. Which do you like better: Tea, Coffee, or Hot Chocolate? Of all the horrible questions to ask! How will I decide? I like tea, but I also really like my coffee with chocolate almond milk and there is nothing quite like a cup of hot chocolate during the cold days of winter. I'll choose coffee because that is what I have been drinking the most of lately.

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I know I have been very absent this month but I hope to remedy that next week during the Legends of Western Cinema Blog Week hosted by Emma of A Lantern in Her Hand and Olivia of Meanwhile, In Rivendell. Be warned, I have a feeling my western loving heart is going to show itself in unrestrained ways.

The Mid-June Report

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 Life has been extremely busy of late. A friend's wedding, siblings' sports games, and work has been keeping me busy these past couple days, leaving me with very little energy and time for blogging. However, I am determined not to slack off if I can help it. So here's a small glimpse of what I've been up to in the world of literature, writing, music, and film.

Reading

 The last book I finished was Cards On the Table by Agatha Christie. It was brilliant and probably my favorite Hercule Poirot mystery of the ones I have read. Currently, I am in the midst of London Afresh by E.V. Lucas and The Fisherman's Lady by George MacDonald. London Afresh I picked up at a book sale last year and apparently it is a rarity. I had to add it into the Goodreads database so I could shelve it!

Writing

 I began the process of reading through and marking the obvious mistakes in my recently finished first draft of The Letters of Lee Ames this past weekend. My sister is going through it with me. It is her first time reading past the first chapter, making it amusing when I notice a plot/character name discrepancy and start scribbling a note on the side of the paper to change it. I am also printing the manuscript in portions as needed. I think our printer might die if I printed all 311 pages in one go.

Listening

Brother - NEEDTOBREATHE

The Book Thief Soundtrack composed by John Williams

The Dancing In Gold album by The Von Trapps

Back Beat Boogie by Harry James and his orchestra is still a favorite too.

I have been falling in love with a couple pieces from The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns as well.
The score and vintage songs from The Help soundtrack.
I have eclectic tastes to say the least.

Watching

 Most recently, I watched By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) starring Doris Day. It was the sequel to another Doris Day musical, On Moonlight Bay (1951). On Moonlight Bay is definitely my favorite of the two and it's a delight to watch Mary Wickes as the family's maid/cook. Did I mention that it takes place during the First World War?

What have you all been up to? Have you read any good books, discovered a new favorite song, or seen any good films lately?

Book Review: "Pied Piper"

 I stumbled upon Pied Piper while going through a list of Nevil Shute’s works. The synopsis of the book piqued my interest and I almost bought it soon after while making an Amazon purchase (I opted out to buy Steal Like An Artist instead). Several weeks back, I received Pied Piper as a birthday gift from my parents and started reading it a few days later.

 In the most simple of terms, I loved it. The idea of an old man trying to return to England as the Nazis invade France and taking refugee children with him appeals to my imagination and Nevil Shute did not disappointment. Pied Piper was everything I wanted it to be and then some.

 As with the majority of my favorite books it was the characters that captured my heart most. John Sidney Howard might be an unlikely hero at the ripe old age of seventy but he is a compelling one. Feeling useless in England during the stalemate of the winter of 1939, he journeys to Southeast France in the spring of 1940 determined to fish and enjoy himself, unaware of the Nazi invasion of France about overtake him. When his perilous position finally does rouse him into returning to England, he is entrusted to take two English children to their aunt in England as well. Their journey is difficult from the outset but Mr. Howard is completely unprepared for just how arduous and difficult it becomes. As they straggle towards the coast, he finds himself taking more children under his wing even though he hardly knows what he will do with them.

 Fans of historical fiction and WWII history buffs will find Pied Piper a treat, though be on the look out for occasional smatterings of language throughout. The bulk of foul language comes from the mouths of two RAF men Howard and the children travel with briefly.

The Summer of Reading

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 Last week I realized to my horror that I hadn't put together my summer reading list yet. So, I promptly went to work compiling such a list. By the time I finished thirty-five individual titles looked back at me. I have since narrowed it down a bit to only thirty-one and decided to share the list with you all.

Fiction:

The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim

Plenilune by Jennifer Freitag

The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington

Sundown Slim by Henry Herbert Knibbs

Pied Piper by Nevil Shute (I actually finished this one a few days ago and plan on writing a review of it at some point in time. In short, I loved it.)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard

Stella Dallas by Olive Higgins Prouty

N or M by Agatha Christie

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield

A Fair Barbarian by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Cyrano De Bergerac by Edmund Rostand

The Zion Chronicles Series by Bodie Thoene

Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock

Non-Fiction:

Reckless Abandon by David Sitton

The Day of Battle by Rick Atkinson

London Afresh by E.V. Lucas

Spies of the First World War by James Morton

Norman Rockwell: My Adventures as an Illustrator by Norman Rockwell

Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss

Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung

Mission at Nuremberg by Tim Townsend

Land of the Burnt Thigh by Edith Eudora Kohl

Rereads:

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Random Harvest by James Hilton

 It is an ambitious list for someone who only managed twenty-five books last summer, and I probably will switch out quite of few of them for others as the summer goes by, but I will be quite happy and contented if I can top last summer's book count by even a little bit.

What are you reading/planning on reading this summer?