I just noticed that this is the last of John Wayne's traditional westerns. He made Rooster Cogburn after this, a movie that I really like, but that was a special character of Wayne's, with really heavy accent on the comedic interplay with Katherine Hepburn, and the Shootist was totally different in feel, an elegiac fond farewell for the Duke. This was the last time he'd play his traditional cowboy with the vest and bandana in just a fun enjoyable western.
shareyes I think you are right. never thought of it that way but your right. you must be watching it on HDnet movies. I just love watching these old movies in HD! they are just spectacular to look at. in glorious 56 inches of widescreen duke! just watched "appaloosa" in blue ray and wow, not the greatest western of all time but amaazing looking in blue ray. this movie the train robbers, who the hell cares if it ain't the best western, it's got the duke, and it's got great scenery so that's good enough for me. not to mention the other classic actors that are in these old movies.
you know just last night watching appaloosa, I was thinking, sure it's got the great scenery, great actors that I like, etc, but, it just lacks something. most all modern westerns just seem to lack a certain something that these old movies from the 60's and 70's had. part of it I think is the music. the music is either lacking altogether or it stinks in modern westerns. you need great orchestral music to go with the sweeping vista's of the west.
The awful Cahill came after this one, that was easily the worst of Wayne's post-Stagecoach westerns.
While The Train Robbers has a fair share of good points, it spends too much time on worshiping its star during the camp fire scenes. Despite the extra money spent on it, the film doesn't have the skills of a Boetticher as director and Kennedy's script for this quite resembles those of Ride Lonesome and Comanche Territory. Ride-a-bit, camp-a-bit, repeat, repeat. However, there is no counter villain to the heroic figure as in the Boetticher films, just a bunch of faceless bad guys.
In Ricardo Montalban, Kennedy also revisits the shadowing figure of an observer that was in his previous western, Hannie Caulder and played by Stephen Boyd. But that film had three incredible villains in Elam, Borgnine and Martin.
It ain't easy being green, or anything else, other than to be me
Thanks for reminding me that I have to watch Hannie Caulder again. Elam, Borgnine, and Martin - talk about GOLD.
shareAren't you forgetting true grit?
Another great Wayne movie
But you are probably right
End of an era. Sadly
I am so grateful for the many movies he made