Watched "Stagecoach" with John Wayne today, and saw...

[Cyrille]

Now that last bit of information is a gem! something I didn't know. and am happy to learn, but back then a whole lot of Horse Opera actors did do their own stunts and a lot were former wranglers. Cannutt was one of the best stunt men to ever trod leather

[Stillwater]

John Ford and John Wayne one of the great pairings in cinema history and argrueibly the greatest in western genre cinema history.

You need to include the John Ford "Stock Company" with Ford and Wayne too.

Do any of you remember Henry Worden? He was the skinny old guy, that played "Old Mose" in the "Searchers." What a great addition it was to have him in John Wayne movies.

Bill

[Drayton Calhoun]

Now that last bit of information is a gem! something I didn't know. and am happy to learn, but back then a whole lot of Horse Opera actors did do their own stunts and a lot were former wranglers. Cannutt was one of the best stunt men to ever trod leather

I got a chuckle out of an issue of Guns of the Old West with an article about Victor Mature where he had made the comment that he didn't even step off of a curb without a stuntman.

[Stillwater]

Now that last bit of information is a gem! something I didn't know. and am happy to learn, but back then a whole lot of Horse Opera actors did do their own stunts and a lot were former wranglers. Cannutt was one of the best stunt men to ever trod leather

The late Ben Johnson was acknowledged the best horse rider in the movie industry. Johnson was an authentic cowboy and a champion rodeo rider, before he was hired by the movies.

The story I heard, or I should say I read, was that Johnson, from Oklahoma, delivered some horses to a movie company. Somebody working for the movie studio saw Johnson gentling some of the horses and offered him a job on the spot.

Then a movie producer heard Johnson's Oklahoma drawl and slow manner of speaking, that, along with his ability with horses, put Ben Johnson in the movies. It probably didn't hurt any either, that he and John Wayne, had became good friends.

Bill

[Doc Cuervo]

Ben Johnson was one of the best and they don't make em like that any more.

[Stillwater]

Ben Johnson was one of the best and they don't make em like that any more.

You are absolutely right...!

Bill

[Tascosa Joe]

I am a big fan of Ben Johnson as well. 

I also liked Slim Pickens, I have seen pictures of him in the old "Western Horseman" Magazine topping a bronc in his younger years.

[Dead I]

You need to include the John Ford "Stock Company" with Ford and Wayne too.

Do any of you remember Henry Worden? He was the skinny old guy, that played "Old Mose" in the "Searchers." What a great addition it was to have him in John Wayne movies.

Bill

I could not agree more!  He is in a few more Duke westerns including "The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance".  He's "Pompey" there.  Duke's character shines in "Liberty" as it does in "The Searchers" same fella.  I like him in "The Shootist" too.  I like him in all of his movies.  Every time I watch "The Quiet Man" I drag pull wife out side and drag her around the front yard for a while. First I remove a shoe. 

[Cyrille]

  I could not agree more!  He is in a few more Duke westerns including "The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance".  He's "Pompey" there.  Duke's character shines in "Liberty" as it does in "The Searchers" same fella.  I like him in "The Shootist" too.  I like him in all of his movies.  Every time I watch "The Quiet Man" I drag pull wife out side and drag her around the front yard for a while. First I remove a shoe. 

I beg to differ--- Pompey was played by Woody Strode, Henry Worden isn't mentioned as a cast member but he may had a small part as the undertaker's assistant (I don't really remember who showed the coffin) who showed Rance Stoddard (spl?) (James Stewart) Tom Doniphen's (John Wayne's) coffin at the beginning of the movie.

[Dead I]

By the way, Yak also speaks the first lines in the film--as a scout warning of the Apache outbreak.  Yak was an amazing stuntman.  He paired regularly with Wayne and co-stars in many of Wayne's B-westerns prior to Stagecoach.  He was also a leading man in the silent era.  His rather wooden delivery didn't transition well to sound movies, but he more than made up for it with his stunt work.

Coal Creek

He did a lot of rodeo work in the Pendleton Roundup in Oregon in the 1920's.  He was a famous rodeo cowboy.  He also directed the stunt work in "Ben Hur".  Remember the chariot race, right?  That's Yak's work. I don't think he rode, he was getting pretty long of tooth by then.

[Stillwater]

I beg to differ--- Pompey was played by Woody Strode, Henry Worden isn't mentioned as a cast member but he may had a small part as the undertaker's assistant (I don't really remember who showed the coffin) who showed Rance Stoddard (spl?) (James Stewart) Tom Doniphen's (John Wayne's) coffin at the beginning of the movie.

You're right about part of Pompey being played by Woody Strode.

Bill

[Dead I]

Ben Johnson was one of the best and they don't make em like that any more.

The scene showing Ben Johnson riding from the Indians in one of the Wayne westerns "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"? is one of my favorite of all time.  It get those John Ford westerns a little mixed up.  They become, in my memory, one long western many with the same actors, which is fine.

[Stillwater]

The scene showing Ben Johnson riding from the Indians in one of the Wayne westerns "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"? is one of my favorite of all time.  I get those John Ford westerns a little mixed up.  They become, in my memory, one long western many with the same actors, which is fine.

I think one the best "movie demonstrations" of Ben Johnson's riding ability, was when he was being chased by Indians in the movie "Rio Grand." I liked the scene where Ben Johnson road by an Indian, at full gallop, hit him with his six gun and yelled, "Look out Indian."

The three movies which are called the "John Ford Cavalry Trilogy," "Fort Apache, "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" and "Rio Grand," are some of the finest old west cavalry movies ever made. And, that is fine with me too...!

Bill

[Dead I]

I wonder what the remake of "True Grit" is going to be like?

[Cyrille]

I wonder what the remake of "True Grit" is going to be like?

That's like asking "I wonder how a a remake of of Casa Blanca will be like.
No where near the original I believe.

[kflach]

The one early review I've seen was very favorable. I think their main point was that the character of Mattie (or Maddie?) was played much better by the new actress than by Kim Darby. We'll see...

[Deadeye Dick]

The new trailer for True Grit looks very promising. I for one plan to see it. No one can to it as well as the Duke, but I think Jeff Bridges comes close.
Deadeye Dick

[Stillwater]

The new trailer for True Grit looks very promising. I for one plan to see it. No one can to it as well as the Duke, but I think Jeff Bridges comes close.
Deadeye Dick

Jeff Bridges is anti gun so I think I will pass on seeing this movie...

Bill

[kflach]

Here are two reviews I've seen. This site (Ain't It Cool News) is run by regular people who love movies. They aren't the artsy-fartsy types like so many reviewers. They've made big enough names for themselves that I've seen their names - both Harry and Quint - on big budget movie promotional materials. They are in personal contact with people like Sylvester Stallone, Robert Rodriguez and Peter Jackson. I figured I needed to point that out since any idiot with an opinion can post a page on the Internet. I know I do. I don't always agree with them, but I definitely give weight to what they say when they review something.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/47628

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/47626

[Cyrille]

I just have to say the first review is the better one, the second with it's "gutter language" immedentely turned me off.
  I do not know the language content of this remake but if it is anything like the second reviewer's language I'll pass on this film and gladly. I don't consider myself an angel or a prude. After six years in the Navel srevice of this country I have heard and used such language. But it has been years since I last used such four letter words as was used in the second review. I have never used such language in writing.
I have learned that the English language is strong, vigorious and has many diffierent ways of expressing ideas without using such language.