Western Wednesdays: In the Days of the Thundering Herd (1914)

     In the Days of the Thundering Herd was released on November 30th, 1914. Directed by Colin Campbell and Francis J. Grandon. It was produced by the Selig Polyscope Company and distributed by the General Film Company. This film stars Tom Mix as Tom Mingle, a Pony Express rider who accompanies his girl Sally (Bessie Eyton) to California, where her father has discovered gold.

     When the wagon train is attacked by Indians everyone is killed except for Tom and Sally who are taken captive. The Indian chief (played by Wheeler Oakman) is attracted to Sally while his sister, Starlight (played by Red Wing), is enamored with Tom. Starlight eventually helps them to escape and they come upon a band of buffalo hunters. The hunters help Tom fend of the pursuing Indians while Sally goes to get help from a larger camp they were told about by Starlight. She arrives with reinforcements in the nick of time and the Indians are beaten but the chief and his sister are both killed in the fighting.
  

     In the Days of the Thundering Herd is filled with thrilling sequences: Tom's rescue of Sally from stampeding buffalo; the massacre of the wagon train; the massive final battle in the canyon. Interestingly, Starlight was actually played by a Native American actress, a Winnebago woman named Lillian St. Cyr (Red Wing was her stage name). Lillian was the first Native woman to star in a feature film (Cecil B. DeMille's The Squaw Man, released earlier the same year). She gives, perhaps, the best performance in this movie.

     Nonetheless, my biggest problem with the film is Starlight's character, I find her actions to be non-nonsensical. Having her aid Tom in Sally in, eventually, wiping out most of her people is a pretty hard pill to swallow. There's also a character (Sally's brother) who is introduced but is never seen or mentioned after the film's opening, making his scenes feel sort of pointless.

     This was Mix's first five reel feature. Later on it was re-edited to three reels and re-released as The Wagon Train. This version, which is about 15 minutes shorter, is the one I watched. As a result of the cutting the movie feels very rushed incomplete and the editing is very haphazard. The plot is also confusing at times. For instance, according to the IMDB synopsis there were scenes of Tom being made to "run the gauntlet" (a popular trope in frontier westerns) and then trying to escape with Starlight's help. In the version I watched, he escapes with no real explanation only to be recaptured.

    One of Tom Mix's earliest pictures, In the Days of the Thundering Herd is a strange one. Though Tom is ostensibly the star it's Bessie Eyton's Sally who is really the main character and her decisions drive the story. Tom is saved by her and Starlight multiple times throughout the movie. His most heroic moment in this version is his rescue of Sally at the beginning of the picture.

     In the end, though it has some stirring scenes In the Days of the Thundering Herd is too incoherent to really work. I'm sure I would enjoy the original cut more but, sadly, it has not been released on home video.

Score: 4/10

Saturday Evening Cartoons: The Jungle Book (1967)

Those of you who were following my blog back in 2016 may recall that I really liked the remake of The Jungle Book though I had never seen the original animated film at the time. Well I've finally gotten around to it...

     The Jungle Book was released October 18th, 1967. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman (One Hundred and One Dalmatians) and produced by Walt Disney himself, it is the last animated feature the storied mogul was involved in.

     Having seen the remake and read the Rudyard Kipling stories first, I can't help but compare this film to that. Like the book it's more episodic then the live action version. It's also less dark then either. The film's original writer, Bill Peet, wanted to follow the book much more closely and the first draft of the script was much more dark and violent. Walt was not happy with this and eventually he fired Peet and told the new writer, Larry Clemmons, not to read the book at all. He wanted a more straightforward narrative and a more family friendly story, which is what the film delivers.

     Although, as I said, this film is more episodic then the remake it does use Bagheera's quest to get Mowgli to the man village, and Mowgli's reluctance to leave, as the through line to tie the story together. Along the way Mowgli meets a variety of colorful jungle characters including Kaa the Python (voiced by Winnie the Pooh himself, Sterling Holloway), King Louie (Louis Prima) and his pack of mischievous monkeys, Colonel Hathi (J. Pat O'Malley), an elephant who fancies himself a military colonel and leads a patrol of elephants through the jungle, the vicious tiger Shere Khan (George Sanders), and of course the carefree bear Baloo (Phil Harris). In the end it's not a realization that he has become a man that leads Mowgli back to the man-village (as in the book) but a chance meeting with a village girl, with who Mowgli becomes immediately smitten. This is certainly less psychologically complex then Kipling's story but it works for this film and it has universal resonance.

     The characters really are the best thing about this movie and all of them are memorable and entertaining to watch. The friendship between Baloo, Bagheera and Mowgli is really charming and I like how they remain friends despite their differences in the end. Shere Khan somehow manages to be one of Disney's more menacing villains despite appearing in maybe a third of the movies runtime. The animation, though certainly not the most creative the studio has done, is quite good. The unique way each different animal moves and the amount of expressiveness the animators are able to pull from that movement is really impressive.

     The Sherman brothers work here is not among their best but the songs in The Jungle Book are still uniformly good. The one that really stands out is "I Wan'na Be like You" though this is probably more for Louis Prima and Phil Harris' vocals then anything else. The film's best song was not written by the Sherman's but by Terry Gilkyson who had written a whole bunch of songs but, like Bill Peet, was removed from the project when Disney found his material too dark. "The Bare Necessities" is the only of his songs that survived and is rightfully a classic.

     The Jungle Book is a solid entry in the Disney animated canon. Though I don't love how he treated the source material I can respect old Walt for putting so much personal care and attention into the films his studio put out and this is a fitting final film for the great producer who died in December 1966 ten months before this film was released.

Score: 8/10

Western Wednesdays: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

     The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was released on November 9th, 2018. Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It is an anthology film comprising six western vignettes. It was one of the best reviewed films of 2018 and received three Oscar nominations.

    The first story were presented with is "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" and features Tim Blake Nelson as the titular character, a singing cowboy and a wanted man. Buster gets in a variety of confrontations thanks his provocative demeanor but, thanks to his skills with a gun, he comes out with a smile every time. Scruggs is a cross between singing cowboys like Gene Autry (the song "Cool Water" was originally sung by the Sons of the Pioneers and is featured in the Roy Rogers films Along the Navajo Trail) and some of the more playful figures from Spaghetti westerns like Terence Hill's Trinity. The Coen's are clearly using Buster to subvert the archetype of the western hero and Nelson does a good job playing this rather obnoxious character but the gag where thin pretty quickly and the ending is kinda dumb.

     In "Near Algodones" a outlaw, played by James Franco attempts to rob the bank of Tucumcari (a reference, I suspect, For a Few Dollars More, which also features the Mexican town) but his efforts fall short when the teller turns out to be more resourceful then he expected. Franco's character barely escapes hanging by a band of vigilantes only to be caught with stolen cattle and convicted once again. This segment feels very much in line with the Coen's other work, it's filled with black humor and quirky characters. It ultimately feels a little pointless but perhaps that is the point, to show how absurd and futile life can be at times.

     "Meal Ticket" eschews the (comparatively) light-hearted tone of the first two stories to tell a really grim, piteous and ultimately disturbing tale about a young man with no arms or legs (played by Harry Melling) who makes a living as a traveling actor alongside an impresario (played by Liam Neeson). As the story progresses, the pair become less and less able to make a living from the young man's performance until, finally the impresario finds another source of income, leading to a rather shocking ending. Harry Melling puts in an outstanding performance as the limbless actor and Neeson is also great as the scrupulous impresario.

     "All Gold Canyon" is the most uplifting story of the bunch, following a prospector played by Tom Waits in his search to find a vein of gold in an isolated valley. Waits carries this vignette single-handedly for most of the runtime and you become really invested in his search for the gold vein (that he dubs "Mr. Pocket") by the end. The mountains of Colarado make for a picturesque location for this story of man and nature. A simple but effective vignette.

     "The Gal Who Got Rattled" is more of a character study then the previous shorts. It follows Zoe Kazan's Alice Longabaugh who is traveling to Oregon on a wagon train along with her brother Gilbert (Jefferson Mays). When Gilbert dies suddenly from cholera Alice is left to fend for herself. She meets and eventually falls in love with Billy Knapp (Bill Heck), one of the train's leaders, who offers to marry her. The ending is utterly tragic and somehow this didn't bother me despite feeling slightly contrived. Alice and Billy manage to be well written and fully fleshed out characters despite the short runtime thanks in no small part to Zoe Kazan and Bill Heck, who have excellent chemistry together. The rest of the cast do a fine job as well especially Grainger Hines as Billy Knap's crotchety partner, Mr. Arthur.

     "The Mortal Remains" is more of a horror story then a western and follows five characters who are riding to Fort Morgan on a stagecoach: Thigpen, an eccentric Englishman played by Jonjo O'Neill; an Clarence an Irishman played by Brendan Gleeson; René, a Frenchman played by Saul Rubinek; an old Trapper played by Chelcie Ross; and Mrs. Betjeman an opinionated ministers wife played by Tyne Daly. It is implied that the three latter passengers are actually dead and on their way to the afterlife, though they don't seem to realize this, while Thigpen and Clarence are some sort of reapers or “Harvesters of Souls” as the Englishman puts it. The script imbues all the characters with really interesting and distinctive personalities and the cast all play off each other wonderfully.

     The vignettes are routinely well directed. The Coens are master's of visual storytelling and know how to bring together strong scripts, unique performances and beautiful cinematography to strong effect. The cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel (who also worked with the Coens on Inside Llewyn Davis) is quite good and, incidentally, the first time the pair have used digital film. The various segments were shot on location in Colorado, New Mexico, and Nebraska and the natural scenery is used to great effect. The score by frequent Coen Brothers collaborator Carter Burwell is great as well. Utilizing a variety of folk songs (as well as new material written for the film) the music fits the movie's western story collection theme really well.

     The problem with most anthology films is that they often lack a unifying force tieing all the short stories together. This film does not avoid that pitfall. At first I thought there was a common theme of mortality running throughout the vignettes, as three first three all feature the protagonist dying but "All Gold Canyon" broke that trend. In addition to this "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" and "The Mortal Remains" both feel tonally at odds with the rest of the shorts, which are generally much more grounded and down to earth.

     "Buster Scruggs" is the only segment I didn't care for while "Mortal Remains" doesn't embrace it's concept soon enough to fully work. "Near Algodones"was the most innocuous out of the bunch and didn't leave too strong an impression either way. "Meal Ticket" and "All Gold Canyon" were both pretty great and contained the strongest performances of the film. "The Gal Who Got Rattled" was easily my favorite of the shorts and contained the most involving and well written story. At it's best it recalled Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove which may be my favorite western novel ever. In general watching the film is like reading a collection of short stories, it's an enjoyable experience even if the whole is never quite transcends as the sum of it's parts.

Score: 7/10

Musical Mondays: White Christmas (1954)

     White Christmas was released on October 14th, 1954. Directed by Micheal Curtiz (Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy) it stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. It is the third and final collaboration between Crosby and songwriter Irving Berlin who had previously worked together on Holiday Inn (1942), where the title song for this film debuted, and Blue Skies (1946), both of which co-starred Fred Astaire.

     White Christmas was originally intended to reunite Crosby and Astaire but Astaire wasn't interested so a replacement had to be found. When Donald O'Conner had to drop out due to illness Danny Kaye was finally hired to co-star with Crosby and new material had to be added to fit his character. This lead to new songs by Berlin and a complete re-write of Norman Krasna's script by Mel Frank and Norman Panama, which was rushed out in eight weeks.

     Perhaps because of this, the story is a little sloppy in places. The drama between Crosby's Bob Wallace and Rosemary Clooney's Betty Haynes is pretty contrived and based upon an easily resolved misunderstanding. On the other hand the story concerning Dean Jagger's Major General Tom Waverly is really quite touching and well done. After the war Waverly, Crosby and Kaye's commanding officer, struggles to get by in civilian life with his inn (which they just happen to stay at) failing due to the lack of snow in Vermont that year. Feeling sorry for the old man, the two hot young entertainers decide to give him a hand by moving their entire musical show to his Columbia Inn and, as a surprise, invite all of the generals former men to come to the inn on Christmas Eve.

     Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye have good comedic chemistry with Kaye brilliantly playing off of Crosby's nonchalant coolness with his earnest, boyish charm. Vera-Ellen also plays well with Kaye and their dancing duet in the middle of the film is a joy to watch. Crosby and Clooney don't fair quite as well as they spend too much of the filming sniping at each other but, in the moments when they fall for each other, they do sell it. Dean Jagger is great as the grizzled old commanding officer who can't figure out how to stop soldiering. Finally. Mary Wickles is a hoot as Waverly's noisy housekeeper Emma Allen.

     Berlin's songs are (mostly) great. While you may not remember the admittedly insipid lyrics of "Snow" or "Mandy" ("the wedding chimes, Bring happy times, For Mandy and me!") but with a grand total of 17 songs there's more then enough great material to make up for it. Highlights include "The Old Man", Crosby and the troops moving tribute to their retiring CO; "Sisters", which introduces Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen's sisterly duo and is later lip-synced by Crosby and Kaye to great comedic effect; and "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing", which is accompanied by a brilliant dance number from Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen. "Count Your Blessings", which serves to consummate the romance between Bob and Betty, is deservedly a classic  and works beautifully in the film. The new version of "White Christmas" sung by Crosby in the film's opening and reprised by the whole cast at the end of the film, is also great.

     While not a perfect film, White Christmas is a thoroughly enjoyable holiday romp and well worth watching for it's charming cast, delightful music and rock solid dance choreography.

Score: 8/10

The Muppet Christmas Carol (Musical Mondays)

This was originally intended for Monday but I caught the flu over the weekend. Better late then never!

   
     Most people probably grew up with one version or another of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. I experienced a few different adaptations growing up. The most prominent (and the one we'd watch annually as a family) was the musical Scrooge (1970) with Albert Finney but we also frequently watched the Mister Magoo version and The Muppet Christmas Carol. Released on December 11th, 1992, The Muppet Christmas Carol is Directed by Brian Henson from a screenplay by Jerry Juhl. It is the first Muppet movie produced after Jim Henson's death in 1990.

     With Henson gone many of the Muppet's had to be recast. Steve Whitmore does a great job with the unenviable task of replacing Henson as Kermit the Frog and would continue to voice the character for another 24 years . David Goelz fills in as Waldorf and David Rudman as the Swedish Chef while Rowlf makes no appearance. Muppet performer Richard Hunt had also passed away just before production started and Beaker and Statler also had to be recast (by Whitmore and Jerry Nelson respectively).  

     The decision to cast Gonzo (David Goelz) as "Charles Dickens" was an inspired one and it allows the film to include much of Dicken's delightful prose that is usually cut out in other adaptations. Unfortunately, Gonzo often comes across rather subdued and out of character in this film as a result. The rest of the Muppets are all perfectly cast, from Kermit and Piggie (Frank Oz) as Mr. and Mrs. Cratchit; Robin (Jerry Nelson) as Tiny Tim; Fozzie (also Oz) as Fezziwig (renamed Fozziwig of course); Statler (Jerry Nelson) and Waldorf (David Goelz) as the Marley brothers (Jacob is humorously given a brother named Robert in this adaptation);  and Sam the Eagle (Oz once again) as Scrooge's pompous schoolmaster.

     Despite all the usual Muppet lunacy this is a largely respectful adaptation of Dicken's Classic. It strikes a good balance between Scrooge's redemptive arc and the message of social responsibility that is so central in the novel. Micheal Caine is great as Ebenezer Scrooge, playing the role perfectly straight in contrast to all the antics around him. The other human actors all do a fine job as well especially Meredith Braun, who plays Belle, and Steven Mackintosh as Scrooge's nephew.

     The Muppet Christmas Carol is a fine musical. Paul Williams, who had worked on the soundtrack for The Muppet Movie along with Ken Ascher, returned to write the songs for this film. Though they don't have the same satirical brilliance of that film's score, the songs in this film still manage to be alternatively funny and heartwarming. We start off with "Scrooge" an irony filled introduction to the film's main character, sung by the Muppety citizens of London. Then, "One More Sleep 'til Christmas", sung by Kermit's Bob Cratchit, is a more uplifting and subdued number, showing the characters quiet optimism. "Marley and Marley" is a particularly spirited song, as Scrooge's former business partners bewail their "avarice and greed" and warn him to change lest he share their fate. Sung by the Ghost of Christmas Present (a wonderful new puppet voiced by Jerry Nelson) "It Feels Like Christmas" is a feel-good number as the jolly spirit shows Ebenezer everything he's missing out on by rejecting Christmas. "Bless Us All" is a heartwarming little song sung by Tiny Tim (Jerry Nelson's Robin) as his family gathers around the table for Christmas dinner. Finally "Thankful Heart" sung by Scrooge himself, is a delightful little ditty which shows the characters change of heart.

     Two songs were cut from the final film, and a third was never shot. "When Love is Gone", which was restored for the VHS and LaserDisc releases (but sadly left off on the DVD and Blu-ray) really should have been kept in the film. Not only does it help explore Scrooge's failed relationship with Belle (Meredith Braun), which the theatrical release covers all too briefly, it also recurs at the end of the film with "When Love Is Found" which is essentially an inversion of the cut song. An alternate version of the song sung by Martina McBride can be heard in the film's end credits (making it's absence in the film even more noticeable). The other song which was cut (though it can be heard on the soundtrack album) is "Room in Your Heart" sung by Dr. Honeydew (Dave Goelz) and Beaker (Steve Whitmire) which was a good song but far less essential for the story. Finally a song by Sam the Eagle called Chairman of the Board was written for the movie but supposedly never shot (though again it can be heard on the album).

     The Muppet Christmas Carol is easily the best of the early Disney Muppet movies, and the only film that stands up next to the classics of the Henson era. It's also one of the best, and most faithful, adaptations of Dicken's beloved tale.

Score: 9/10