Category: Action

The Unforgiven: John Huston creates a mirror image of John Ford’s ‘The Searchers’ in this offbeat Western featuring Burt Lancaster, Audie Murphy and Audrey Hepburn

The Unforgiven (1960), directed by John Huston and starring Burt Lancaster, Audie Murphy and Audrey Hepburn, is an offbeat Western that tackles the prickly subject of racism against Native Americans & Half-breeds in the Old West. Long before Clint Eastwood made his very famous, multiple-Oscar winning Western, "Unforgiven (1992)," the great director, John Huston (The … Continue reading The Unforgiven: John Huston creates a mirror image of John Ford’s ‘The Searchers’ in this offbeat Western featuring Burt Lancaster, Audie Murphy and Audrey Hepburn →

Buck and the Preacher: Sidney Poitier’s directorial debut is a gritty & funny Western that details the plight of slaves after the American Civil war

Buck and the Preacher(1972) was the directorial debut of the great actor, Sidney Poitier. Poitier starred alongside Harry Belafonte and Ruby Dee in this Western that broke genre conventions by casting African-American actors in the lead and portraying the not formerly tackled subject of the plight of the newly freed slaves in the post-Civil War period. By the … Continue reading Buck and the Preacher: Sidney Poitier’s directorial debut is a gritty & funny Western that details the plight of slaves after the American Civil war →

The Spikes Gang: Lee Marvin is terrific as the amoral outlaw mentoring a trio of young boys in this gritty ’70s Western

The Spikes Gang is a 1974  Western  directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Lee Marvin, Gary Grimes, Charles Martin Smith and Ron Howard. The film was adapted from the novel The Bank Robber by Giles Tippette. "I've left men dead behind me. I've left men dying behind me. And I've left 'em calling my name. What you do is shut your ears and close … Continue reading The Spikes Gang: Lee Marvin is terrific as the amoral outlaw mentoring a trio of young boys in this gritty ’70s Western →

Alvarez Kelly: William Holden as the charming Irish Senor caught between Unionists and Richard Widmark in this Civil-war-era Western

Alvarez Kelly (1966), directed by Edward Dmytryk, is a big scale Western adventure set during the Civil War and stars William Holden and Richard Widmark in lead roles. “In every war, in every age, the forgotten weapon is food… a herd of cattle is as vital as a herd of cannon.” Edward Dmytryk's 1966 Civil-war … Continue reading Alvarez Kelly: William Holden as the charming Irish Senor caught between Unionists and Richard Widmark in this Civil-war-era Western →

The Great Locomotive Chase: Disney’s live action Civil War Western featuring Fess Parker and Jeffrey Hunter is an exciting, edge-of-the-seat adventure

"The Great Locomotive Chase (1956)," starring Fess Parker and Jeffrey Hunter, was the second live action film produced by Walt Disney. The film tells the real story of the Andrews Raid that took place during the early days of the American Civil war. James J. Andrews was a Kentucky-born civilian serving as a secret agent and … Continue reading The Great Locomotive Chase: Disney’s live action Civil War Western featuring Fess Parker and Jeffrey Hunter is an exciting, edge-of-the-seat adventure →

The Proud Ones: Robert Ryan is superb as the proud marshal in this classic ’50s Town Western inspired from ‘High Noon’

The Proud Ones (1956), directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Robert Ryan, Jeffrey Hunter and Virginia Mayo in lead roles, is a solid Western dealing with the archetypal theme of an upright marshal cleaning up a corrupt old west town. "Pride can kill a man faster than a bullet" As the title and the … Continue reading The Proud Ones: Robert Ryan is superb as the proud marshal in this classic ’50s Town Western inspired from ‘High Noon’ →

Duel at Diablo: Sidney Poitier is one dandy broncobuster and James Garner is the tough frontier scout in this thrilling ‘Cavalry Vs Indians’ Western

Duel at Diablo (1966), directed by Ralph Nelson, is a thrilling, action-packed Western starring James Garner in his first Big screen Western,, Sidney Poitier in his first Western and Bibi Andersson in her first American film. There are three things that immediately strike you once you start watching Ralph Nelson's "Duel at Diablo (1966)." First, … Continue reading Duel at Diablo: Sidney Poitier is one dandy broncobuster and James Garner is the tough frontier scout in this thrilling ‘Cavalry Vs Indians’ Western →

Shenandoah: James Stewart stars as the family patriarch driven to rescue his young son from the Yankees in this fine Civil-war-era family saga

Shenandoah (1965), directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, stars James Stewart in the lead role of a politically neutral Virginian farmer who gets caught up in the civil war and loses most of his family during the 1864 campaign by the North to capture the Shenandoah valley. The Shenandoah Valley, or the Valley of Virginia, was, … Continue reading Shenandoah: James Stewart stars as the family patriarch driven to rescue his young son from the Yankees in this fine Civil-war-era family saga →

The Tall T: Richard Boone excels as the charismatic villain opposite Randolph Scott in this lean, mean Western from Budd Boetticher

The Tall T (1957), directed by Bud Boetticher and written by Burt Kennedy, is the Western that Boetticher made with Randolph Scott immediately after the success of "Seven Men from Now"; and it's the first of the five Westerns made by Scott's company, 'Ranown.' The film stars Richard Boone and Maureen O'Sullivan alongside Scott and, … Continue reading The Tall T: Richard Boone excels as the charismatic villain opposite Randolph Scott in this lean, mean Western from Budd Boetticher →

Garden of Evil: Gary Cooper and Richard Widmark comes to Susan Hayward’s rescue in this lush Western scored by Bernard Herrmann

Garden of Evil (1954), directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Gary Cooper, Richard Widmark and Susan Hayward, is a handsomely mounted character-driven Western that explores the evil effects of gold on men. if the earth were made of gold, men would die for a handful of dirt. Another Western that deals with greed, gold lust … Continue reading Garden of Evil: Gary Cooper and Richard Widmark comes to Susan Hayward’s rescue in this lush Western scored by Bernard Herrmann →

Man of the West: Gary Cooper is terrific as the reformed outlaw battling kinsman Lee J. Cobb in Anthony Mann’s dark & gritty Western

Man of the West (1958), directed by Anthony Mann, is a gritty western that finds all-American hero, Gary Cooper, stepping into the shoes of the morally ambiguous Mann protagonist from his 1950s Westerns that usually starred James Stewart. 1950s is considered the decade when Westerns finally came of age. The simplistic White hat\Black hat, cowboys … Continue reading Man of the West: Gary Cooper is terrific as the reformed outlaw battling kinsman Lee J. Cobb in Anthony Mann’s dark & gritty Western →

The Killers: A slick Lee Marvin and a quirky Clu Gulager are fantastic together in Don Siegel’s Technicolor Noir

The Killers (1964), directed by Don Siegel, is the second film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's eponymous short story. The film features Lee Marvin, Clu Gulager, Angie Dickinson and Ronald Reagan in his final film role. "I approve of larceny; homicide is against my principles" That's Ronald Reagan talking to his lieutenants- sitting on a big … Continue reading The Killers: A slick Lee Marvin and a quirky Clu Gulager are fantastic together in Don Siegel’s Technicolor Noir →

Charley Varrick: Walter Matthau excels as the titular antihero in Don Siegel’s solid Crime Thriller

Charley Varrick (1973), starring Walter Matthau, Andy Robinson, John Vernon and Joe Don Baker, is a thrilling Crime\gangster drama directed by genre veteran Don Siegel. Siegel made this film immediately after his iconic cop thriller, "Dirty Harry," and in many ways this film is the definitive Don Siegel film. Director, Don Siegel, is most famous … Continue reading Charley Varrick: Walter Matthau excels as the titular antihero in Don Siegel’s solid Crime Thriller →

The Wild Geese: Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Roger Moore are aging mercenaries in this action-packed ‘Men on a Mission’ adventure

The Wild Geese (1978), directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Roger Moore as aging 'soldiers of fortune' fighting in Africa, is a worthy addition to the subgenre of 'Men on a Mission' war\action picture. In 1968, British thespian, Richard Burton teamed up with then up and coming American star. … Continue reading The Wild Geese: Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Roger Moore are aging mercenaries in this action-packed ‘Men on a Mission’ adventure →

The Spy Who Loved Me: In the year of ‘Star Wars,’ James Bond kept the ‘British end up’ with the best Roger Moore Bond film

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) was the third film to feature Roger Moore as Ian Fleming's James Bond. With the massive success of this film, directed by Lewis Gilbert, James Bond made a grand comeback after a tumultuous decade that saw diminishing box office returns and three different actors embodying Bond. The year 1977 … Continue reading The Spy Who Loved Me: In the year of ‘Star Wars,’ James Bond kept the ‘British end up’ with the best Roger Moore Bond film →

Mr. Majestyk: Elmore Leonard mixed colorful characters, quirky dialogue and explosive action in creating one of the best ’70s Charles Bronson Actioners

Mr. Majestyk (1974) is an action thriller written by Elmore Leonard and directed by Richard Fleischer. The film stars Charles Bronson as a Colorado Watermelon farmer who comes into conflict with gangsters lead by Al Lettieri. So, after 'breaking his back' for more than two decades - starting out with bit parts, progressing to villainous … Continue reading Mr. Majestyk: Elmore Leonard mixed colorful characters, quirky dialogue and explosive action in creating one of the best ’70s Charles Bronson Actioners →

The Gauntlet: Clint Eastwood’s over-the-top send-up of his ‘Dirty Harry’ films is fun, fast-paced and packed with baroque action sequences

The Gauntlet(1977), directed by and starring Clint Eastwood and co-starring Sondra Locke, was an attempt by Clint to send up his 'Dirty Harry' films by exaggerating and parodying the tropes associated with those cop thrillers. Originally conceived as a starring vehicle for Marlon Brando and Barbara Streisand, and then, after Brando's withdrawal, as a vehicle … Continue reading The Gauntlet: Clint Eastwood’s over-the-top send-up of his ‘Dirty Harry’ films is fun, fast-paced and packed with baroque action sequences →

Flaming Star: Elvis Presley at his very best as a dramatic actor in Don Siegel’s dark & violent Western

Flaming Star(1960), directed by Don Siegel, is a dark & violent Western that deals with racism and culture-clash in the old-West. The film has Elvis Presley, in a full-fledged dramatic role, giving a terrific performance as a half-breed torn between his white father and Kiowa mother. Apart from being the 'King of Rock & Roll" … Continue reading Flaming Star: Elvis Presley at his very best as a dramatic actor in Don Siegel’s dark & violent Western →

Coogan’s Bluff: Don Siegel’s solid Cop drama transformed Clint Eastwood from a ‘Western’ hero into a modern action hero

Coogan's Bluff(1968) was the first collaboration between director Don Siegel and Star, Clint Eastwood. The film effectively transformed Clint from a star of Westerns into a modern, urban action hero. Clint Eastwood is a multitalented movie superstar; he acts, directs, produces and even composes music, but, over and above all this, what I find most … Continue reading Coogan’s Bluff: Don Siegel’s solid Cop drama transformed Clint Eastwood from a ‘Western’ hero into a modern action hero →

Superman: Richard Donner’s dazzling, delightful & star-studded superhero epic set the template for comic-book adaptations

Superman (1978), directed by Richard Donner and starring Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman and Christopher Reeve as the eponymous 'Man of Steel,' was the first serious attempt at making a big budget studio feature film about a comic-book superhero, and it also remains one of the best. "This is no Fantasy" This is the first line … Continue reading Superman: Richard Donner’s dazzling, delightful & star-studded superhero epic set the template for comic-book adaptations →