There’s a blogging event going on this week that you know I just couldn’t miss: Legends of Western Cinema Week, hosted by Hamlette of Hamlette’s Soliloquy, Olivia of Meanwhile, In Rivendell, and Heidi of Along the Brandywine—a week-long celebration of anything and everything to do with Western film. I’ve got at least one more fun post coming up later in the week, but today I’m kicking off my participation by answering the event blog tag.
All three event hosts are having giveaways too, and you can visit any of their introductory posts (linked above) to find the ongoing list of participants’ posts.
Now, let the games begin!
– the tag –
1) Do you tolerate, like, or love westerns?
Love, of course! Read ’em, watch ’em, and write ’em.
2) What do you enjoy about them and, more broadly, the west itself (e.g. the history, accompanying paraphernalia, etc)?
Aside from all the horses, which I think were one of the first big draws when I was a kid, I guess my original reasons for enjoying Westerns were the sense of adventure involved in the storylines, and…well, the romance of the wide-open spaces, if you want to indulge in a cliché. But I think the history was always a big part of it too, perhaps more than I realized at the time. Looking back, I can recall that I always enjoyed stuff about the American frontier, from the Little House series and the “Kirsten” American Girl books to the Oregon Trail computer game. And that interest has only grown as I’ve grown older. I find the logistics and details of ranching, homesteading, and railroading fascinating in themselves; and in a broader sense, I think it’s still that sense of adventure and unpredictability in the partly-settled West that still appeals to me—that, and the colorful variety in its landscapes, characters, and events.
3) What’s the first western you can remember watching?
You know, I honestly don’t know. I guess it was too early to remember. It was probably either a John Wayne film or an episode of Bonanza.
4) Who are your favorite western stars, the ones whose presence in a western will make you pick it up off the shelf?
To be honest, I don’t typically pick out movies based on the top-billed stars. These days I’m more inclined to go for a new-to-me film based on the director or the amount of good character actors in the supporting cast. But I will say that when it comes to Westerns, Ben Johnson is always a plus. With his Oklahoma drawl and splendid horsemanship, he’s the closest thing to a real-McCoy cowboy on the screen, and his characters always seem to be among the most believable, too, whether he’s playing a good guy or a bad guy.
5) What’s your favorite performance by an actress in a western?
Olivia de Havilland as Linnet Moore in The Proud Rebel. Partly because I like the character, but I think de Haviland’s performance is wonderful, too, as she gradually transforms from seeming rather tough and brusque to showing her character’s caring and gentler side. It’s not so much a dramatic character change as it is a portrait of a woman who’s been used to fighting all her own battles, learning to let her guard down and let her whole personality blossom once she has a friend to stand by her. Plus, Linnet just seems to me like a more generally realistic portrayal of a frontier woman than a lot of the female characters in Western movies.
(Runner-up: Jean Simmons as Julie Maragon in The Big Country. Even though it’s not one of my personal favorite movies, I loved her character.)
6) What is your ‘go-to’ western, the one you’ll typically reach for?
Rio Grande (1950). Most others I have to be in the right mood for, but Rio Grande is my longtime personal favorite and one that I’ll nearly always be willing to watch.
7) Do your family/friends share your interest in westerns, or are you a lone ranger (pun completely intended)?
My immediate family are all usually game for watching a good Western if they happen to be in the right mood for it, though I don’t think any of them have as lively an interest in the genre/era for its own sake as I do.
8) Pick one western to live inside for a week, and explain why you chose it.
I think I would have to say Shane, simply because of the Wyoming setting. It would almost be worth dodging a few gunfighters to spend a week in the Grand Tetons. And in their more peaceful moments the settlers in Shane seem to have a friendly, close-knit little community among themselves, which is something I’d like being a part of.
9) What are some of your favorite lines from western movies? Are there any you quote regularly?
“That ain’t in my department” from She Wore A Yellow Ribbon is one of my go-to lines. Also for some reason, “We’re gonna have ’em all wore out passin’ ’em back and forth!” from Red River gets a surprising amount of mileage in everyday situations.
Ben Johnson and “That ain’t my department”, and Rio Grande. Oh, you have made me so happy today. Oh, and that picture of Tim Holt. So much happiness!
Happy to have made you happy! 🙂 I just had to stick that picture in somewhere—it’s one of my favorite behind-the-scenes pictures for some reason!
Ben Johnson! I really love him. I wrote him a fan letter when I was a teen. He died after I sent my letter, but before it reached him, and his mom actually sent me back a photo of him and a nice little letter. Have you read his autobiography, The Nicest Fella? I have a copy, but haven’t gotten to it yet.
Olivia de Havilland is becoming one of my favorite actors. I loved her in Proud Rebel too — and she had such good chemistry with Alan Ladd. They both excelled in that film, playing two withdrawn and wary people who gradually allow themselves to trust one another. Mmm, so good.
The world of Shane would be lovely to live in, once all the shooting died down. I’d love to be friends with the Starretts!
So… I already have a copy of A Sidekick’s Tale, but it’s not autographed… so I’m going to enter anyway. But I will not feel bad if I don’t win, since I’ve already got a copy 🙂
No, I didn’t even know Johnson wrote an autobiography, actually! That’s so nice about his mother writing back to you.
The first time I watched The Proud Rebel, I was surprised/impressed just because it was such a different role for Olivia de Havilland—in everything else I’d seen her in before she played a character either very elegant or demure or both, and Linnet is neither! 🙂 Watching it again later I grew to like the character as well as the good acting.
Now that I think of it, it might be a biography, not an autobiography. I know that’s the title, though.
I think Olivia excelled at characters who are outwardly elegant and demure, but that possess an inner core of steel. Think of Melanie in GWTW, how unshakeable she is. Linnett just has a different outer shell. That’s how I see it, anyway — I’ve only seen 4 or 5 of de Havilland’s movies so far.
Thank you for the giveaway. Entered.
You’re welcome! Thanks for entering!
Ben Johnson, yes!! (And WHY does hardly anyone use the name Tyree anymore?)
I actually still have not watched Shane, but the Tetons are one of my all time favorite places on earth. So yeah, there’s that. I’m intrigued.
I already own my own little ol’ copy of A Sidekick’s Tale so I’ll let someone else be the happy winner, but thanks so much for doing the giveaway! 🙂 (And thanks for contributing to the party — looking forward to your upcoming post/s!)
The only other Tyree I can even think of offhand is a David Tyree, remembered by New York Giants fans for making a crazy catch to help them win the Superbowl in 2008. 🙂 It’s a Scottish surname, I understand, but it always makes me think Western, probably because of Sergeant/Trooper Tyree!
Oh, I think you’ve got a treat coming when you watch Shane—if you love classic Westerns you’re pretty much sure to enjoy it. (And Ben Johnson is in it too, incidentally.)
Is this giveaway open to International entries? 🙂
No, I’m awfully sorry, it’s US only! I should probably add that info to my post.
Haha, ok, I thought it probably wouldn’t be, but just wanted to make sure lol! 😉
Westerns are my favorite *heart eyes* Rio Grande is such a good pick for a favorite! I’m more likely to go to a show (probably The Virginian or Range Rider or Maverick) if I’m in the mood for a Western :3
(Also commenting as a giveaway entry :3
Ah, you like The Virginian too! That’s about my favorite TV Western these days; at least the first few seasons.
I’m excited for this giveaway! I LOVED A Sidekick’s Tale when I read it this year. And I loved your description of it in this post. I haven’t ventured into the Western genre often, but I’ve been seeking it out more and more, and enjoying it. (Though I haven’t seen many Western movies.)
I love introducing new people to the genre! 🙂 I should do some more posts soon on my favorite Western books/authors…
Kirsten was my first American Girl doll, and she was responsible for my temporary obsession with the Pioneers! And, oh my goodness, talk about a flashback – I played the Oregon Trail a million times. To the point where I got so bored with winning, I would see how quickly I could kill off my characters (dumping all the food, driving them to exhaustion, hitting all the rocks in the river, etc) and then come up with absurd epitaphs for them. #IAmCruel
Ahh – I LOVE Ben Johnson! It’s always a treat to see him in a film! And I was really impressed with Olivia de Havilland in The Proud Rebel, too, plus Jean Simmons in The Big Country. Now there are two strong female characters that still retain their femininity!
My favorite part about the Rio Grande would HAVE to be Victor Mclaglen. He’s like a big Irish teddy bear – haha.
ARGH – this tag is SOOO fun, I’m sorry I found this so late! Is this an annual blogging event?
Allison, it’s not too late! This runs all week! We’re only just getting started!
This was an annual thing for a few years hosted by bloggers other than myself, and we’ve revived it this year. Not sure if we’ll do it again next year, but I’m guessing we will, as participation has been awesome so far!
Thanks, Rachel! I ended up doing it and had a blast!
It would be great if you jumped in and did the tag! I’d love to read your answers!
I just recently happened to find out that the illustrator of the original Kirsten books is on Instagram, and seeing some of the pictures again brought back such a flood of memories! It was almost as if the schoolhouse and the cabin and so forth were places that I’d visited once.
My most vivid memory of Oregon Trail is the river-crossing part…possibly because I wasn’t the greatest at it. I think I was swept downstream once too often. 🙂
@Elisabeth –
I DID IT!! I couldn’t resist and whipped up a post! 😀
OH MY GOODNESS – REALLY??? I must find that – talk about childhood memories! Those illustrations were amazing: so incredibly lush.
HAHA. Those rocks are treacherous. 😛
YAY! You did it!
The Instagram account is @reneegraef, by the way!
THANK YOU! 😀
Allison!! You could kill off your partners?? My siblings tried to do that, but they couldn’t manage; for some reason it was too hard. 😛
CutePolarBear
HAHA – YES. I became quite experienced at inflicting suffering and death on those guys.
Oh, I know what you mean! There was times when these characters were SUPER HEROES – and no matter WHAT you did, they refused to die!
I loved this when you released it by newsletter! My sister really enjoyed it too.
That always makes me happy to hear! 🙂
You’ve got me curious about question 4! Which directors will make you likely to pick up a film? I would guess John Ford for sure, but are there others whose work you enjoy in particular? I’d love to hear!
Ford would be one, yes, and another that I’ve been very impressed with over recent years is William Wellman (across a variety of genres, but including Westerns). And based on the amount of their films I’ve enjoyed, I’d say Capra and Wyler. Of course, I have favorite movies from other directors, and favorites where I couldn’t even tell you the director off the top of my head, but I tend to like the style in general of those ones.
I love your answers! And you are the second person who has mentioned The Proud Rebel this week so now I’ll have to check that film out.
Thank you! And yes, The Proud Rebel is a good one—one of those slightly-under-the-radar classic films that are very much worth seeing.
I didn’t know that you liked the Little House books and Oregon Trail (computer game)! I guess we have a few more things in common. 😀 I haven’t really watched any western movies (that I remember) but what makes me want to (to some extent–I’m not a movie person as it is) is that I realize that hearing an accent is really useful.
CutePolarBear
Oh, yes, the Little House books were a staple of my childhood, along with plenty of other historical fiction. I wrote a blog post on that topic a while back, and it was interesting to see just how far back my love of history actually goes!
Sounds like a great book. I love historical books. 🙂
Me too. Historical is the best!
I would like to enter!
I haven’t read many westerns, but I have read Shane, and I really enjoyed reading it. It was quite exciting and mysterious.
Shane is indeed one of the best. Thanks for entering the giveaway!
For some reason, I really like the name “Linnet Moore.” Haven’t watched The Proud Rebel, but Olivia de Havilland sounds promising.
I still need to watch Rio Grande! There are several classic John Wayne films I need to see, actually. I should probably work on that. ;-P
Thanks for participating in the party!
‘Linnet’ is such a pretty old-fashioned name, isn’t it? Might have to use it myself in a story one day…
I had so much fun participating in this! Thanks for hosting it!
I would like to enter the giveaway! It sounds like such a fun book! 🙂
Thanks for entering! Glad you like the sound of it! 🙂
I love Rio Grande too! It is a favorite John Wayne of mine.
John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ben Johnson , Paul Fix, Harry Carry JR, and the Sons of the Pioneers. Can it be beat?
Thank you for this giveaway! Your stories are appreciated!
Laura
You’re welcome! Thank you for stopping by!