The Shootist (1976)

Posted on June 30, 2014 by 4 Star Films

In his last film performance, John Wayne stars alongside Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, and James Stewart in this tale about a notorious old gunfighter, who comes to stay in a small western town. J.B. Books gets a medical diagnosis from an old friend, and the doctor confirms that he is slowly dying from cancer.

Books pays for a room in the home of a local widow (Bacall) where his reputation and actions one night scare off tenants. He receives a visit from the uneasy local sheriff (Harry Morgan), gets an offer for a book to glorify his life, has an old flame drop in on him, and old rivals and young guns are bent on killing him.

His lifestyle impresses the young man Gillom (Howard), but his mother openly disapproves of Books. Amidst all this, Books desires to live his last days in peace and he is waited on by Bond, and the two of them become to respect each other as her boy also comes to idolize Books more. The shootist sets everything up to die on his 58^thbirthday, going so far as ordering a special tombstone and sending three separate notes to different gunmen in town. He leaves his horse to Gillom and bids farewell to Bond before heading off for one last showdown.

In the saloon, he is met by three men bent on killing him. Books is wounded but proves his skill one last time. In a cruel moment, however, Books is gunned down right in front of the horrified Gillom, who in a single instant ceases to be an innocent boy and becomes a man.

This film was the perfect swan song for Duke because in many ways the character he plays mirrors his real-life western persona. Gone were the days when he was a kid in Stagecoach, a courageous sheriff in Rio Bravo, or even the gritty old codger in True Grit. He was truly reaching the twilight of his career.

Even it was one of the most storied of acting careers it was finally coming to an end. In just three years he would die of stomach cancer, and there was no gunshot to go with it this time around. During this movie, he still has life in him though, and even when he shares scenes with the whitening and tired-looking icon James Stewart, Wayne seems as resilient as ever. The Shootist is certainly not his greatest film or best performance, but I think it can be said John Wayne went out on his own terms just like Books.

4/5 Stars

Rio Bravo (1959)

Posted on June 19, 2014 by 4 Star Films

Starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, and Angie Dickinson with direction by Howard Hawks, Rio Bravo is a great western. A sheriff (Wayne) is faced with a difficult task. He must hold a prisoner in jail while the man’s buddies stake out all around town. His only help is the town drunk (Martin) and a crippled old man (Brennan). To make matters more complicated he takes interest in the new girl in town (Dickinson) and to top it off an old friend is shot (Ward Bond). Despite the odds and adversary, the sheriff stays tough and keeps the prisoner. Furthermore, the deputies all prove their value, including a young sharpshooter (Nelson). With a great cast and storyline, this movie is well worth watching. Howard Hawks does it again teaming up with John Wayne in the western genre.

Most any western with John Wayne is easily watchable, but this film boasts a extraordinary cast including some mainstays of the genre including Brennan and Ward Bond. However, you also have some other stars that you do not associate with westerns. Namely Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, and Ricky Nelson. Each one delivers a fun, likable, and even moving performance.

This western has been allegedly labeled as an answer to High Noon since that tale was supposed to be an allegory for the McCarthy era in Hollywood. That aside the western elements are certainly good and it is an entertaining set piece.

All of this is great, but any film can have this. Rio Bravo has great little sequences interspersed through the action that make you chuckle or really appreciate the characters. It is hard not to like John Wayne because he is larger than life. Here the rest of the cast also is good even down to lesser supporting players. The names are great too! John T. Chance, Dude, Feathers, Colorada, and of course good ol’ Stumpy.

5/5 Stars

Red River (1948)

Posted on June 9, 2014 by 4 Star Films

In one of Howard Hawk’s best westerns, John Wayne plays a rough and callous cattle rancher who adopts an orphaned boy as his son. Wayne attains his dream of a ranch and yet if he wants to survive he must drive his herd somewhere to make a profit. Despite the hardships, the fanatical Wayne will not turn back or budge on his convictions. As often happens, a conflict builds between Wayne and his son (Montgomery Clift), ending in Clift taking charge of the herd. The young cow herder succeeds in leading the cattle and yet his step-father is now bent on revenge. In the final showdown the two men face off one against the other. However, by the end their true feelings are revealed and they are reconciled. Overall this is a good western with a supporting cast including Walter Brennan and Noah Beery Jr.

4.5/5 Stars

Some Like it Hot (1959)

Posted on June 7, 2014 by 4 Star Films

Often considered one of the greatest comedies of all time, this film is certainly hilarious and special. This was one of Marilyn Monroe’s best performances, and her costars were absolutely brilliant. As far as humor goes it cannot get much zanier and crazier than this.

*May Contain Spoilers

In this Billy Wilder directed comedy, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and of course, Marilyn Monroe teamed up in making a great movie. In the era of Chicago gangsters, two male musicians witness a shooting that they wish they had not. In order to escape, they join a traveling band. The only catch is that it’s an all-women group, and so they get dressed up to win the job.

The rest of the film follows their crazy cross-dressing antics with the band as they spend their time at a beach resort in Florida. It includes two tremendous love stories on completely different ends of the spectrum! One involving a wealthy young yacht owner and Sugar. The other involving Daphne and well…The movie was filmed in black and white to camouflage all the makeup but as you will find out no movie’s perfect! However, the script from Billy Wilder as well as Lemmon’s performance are the real attraction to keep an eye out for.

Watching this film certainly gave me tremendous respect for the writing. The double talk between Josephine and Daphne is great. There is tremendous comedic irony, and some of the sequences are downright hilarious. First and foremost, I think Jack Lemmon is a wonderfully funny man, but he plays so well off of Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, and Joe E. Brown. The basic concept of male musicians masquerading as women was a good idea, but I think these actors with Wilder’s directing really made it work well.

The juxtaposition of the two love stories is important too because you could call Some Like it Hot a romance or even a crime-drama initially, but above all, it is unabashedly a comedy. All you need to see is Jack Lemmon with maracas or hear the last line of the film and that remains completely evident.

It was fun to finally see the Hotel Del Coronado, as I thought to myself that this is where some of the film was shot. Tony Curtis even spoke those four eponymous words on the same beach over 50 years ago now. It may be over 50 years later, but in my mind this film is timeless. I could not help but think of Jack Lemmon’s line as I reclined on the beach, “I’m a boy. I’m a boy. I wish I were dead. I’m a boy. Boy, oh boy, am I a boy.” Hopefully, I never run into the same problems they did.

“Syncopators. Does that mean you play that very fast music…jazz?”
“Yeah. Real hot.”
“I guess some like it hot. I personally prefer classical music.”
~Tony Curtis to Marilyn Monroe

5/5 Stars

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Posted on June 6, 2014 by 4 Star Films

Telling an amazing story of bravery, Saving Private Ryan is both inspiring and moving. Beginning with the invasion of Normandy on D-Day June 6, 1944, the film follows a group of American soldiers as they look for a Francis Ryan. Since all three of his brothers are dead their mission is to find him and send the private home . Despite the dangers and the subsequent deaths of many comrades, they finally complete their mission after one last heroic fight. The movie flashes forward to the present day Ryan as he kneels at the graves of those brave men who saved him. Unsure he asks his wife if he lived a good life because those soldiers payed the ultimate price for him. With director Steven Speilberg, Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, and other good character actors, this is a powerful war film with great battle sequences as well as amazing heroism.

5/5 Stars