WESTERN NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: THE WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH (***)

Western Night At The Movies

by Thomas Clagett | Jun 7, 2021 | Western Night At The Movies

This silent film tells the epic tale of a New York engineer sent out West to tame the mighty Colorado River with the promise of bringing water to the California desert to turn it into a prosperous paradise, but avaricious motives are soon revealed. There’s also a love triangle with Willard Holmes (Ronald Coleman), the stodgy engineer, vying with rugged cowboy Abe Lee (Gary Cooper) for the affections of child of the desert, Barbara Worth (Vilma Banky).

WESTERN NIGHT AT THE MOVIES YELLOW SKY (***)

Western Night At The Movies

by Thomas Clagett | Apr 27, 2021 | Western Night At The Movies

David Morrell chose the tough, tense and engaging YELLOW SKY (1948) for our April Western Night at the Movies viewing. This story of dust, lust and avarice set in what remains of the grim and gritty desert town of Yellow Sky concerns a mangy band of outlaws on the run...

WESTERN NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: HUD (****)

Western Night At The Movies

by Thomas Clagett | Feb 1, 2021 | Western Night At The Movies

A contemporary Western and one of the best films about the changing West, HUD (1963) was my selection for our January meeting. It tells the story of a Texas cattle ranching family in bitter conflict over its past and future. Hud Bannon (Paul Newman) is a charming but womanizing scoundrel. His father, Homer (Melvyn Douglas), an honorable old Westerner, can’t abide his son’s reckless, selfish ways. Between them is Hud’s teenaged nephew Lon (Brandon de Wilde) who loves his grandfather but also wants to be like his uncle. And there’s Alma (Patricia Neal), the Bannon’s housekeeper. Vivacious and earthy, she brings some stability, though fragile, to the Bannon home.