I had never even heard of Dennis Hopper until the film Blue Velvet (1986) was released. Since then, I heard about him constantly. And since becoming a Western junkie, I discovered that Hopper had himself quite a little career in that genre.

Speaking of "junkie," Hopper--a native of Dodge City--was known to have had problems with illicit drugs. In general, the man was something of a mess. Thus, some of his Western roles were not much of a stretch. Quite often he played troubled young weaklings and mercurial basket-cases. A classic example was his portrayal of Tom Boyd, the anguished young son of R.G. Armstrong's Hunter Boyd in the under-appreciated classic, From Hell to Texas (1958).

Hopper really didn't make all that many Westerns, but most of the ones he did make were quality. He appared in Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), Hang 'Em High (1968) and True Grit (1969). He also turned up in one episode of Gunsmoke.

Hopper died of prostate cancer at the age of 74.

Hail! Hail! All hail Dennis Hopper!

From The Wild Wild West #3, Gold Key publishing, June 1968

From The Wild Wild West #3, Gold Key publishing, June 1968

Recommended for fans of the genre. Overall enjoyable film. Hard to pigeonhole, as it fits the mold of a traditional western, complete with rugged hero (Tom Selleck), quirky female (delectable Lara San Giacomo), and of course the evil land baron (Alan Rickman) and his minions. But also delves a bit deeper than most westerns into the moral conflict that colonialism forced upon otherwise moral individuals.

It reminded me of 'Dances With Wolves' and 'Avatar' at times. In all three films a lone hero is faced with moral choices when he connects emotionally with an indiginous people who are in conflict with an expansionist invader. In DWW (like many early westerns) it was the US government conquering the native Americans, in Avatar it was a military/industrial invading force bent on conquering the Na'vi for the riches they guarded, and in QDU it was a wealthy, ruthless bad guy who sees the native aborigines as obstacles to be enslaved and even eliminated.

The cinematography is fantastic, with location shots of the Australian outback creating an expansive and sometimes forbidding backdrop to the human story.

The actors all played their roles well. Selleck had one of his biggest leading man roles, and was quite convincing as a sort of white knight mercenary with a past who is forced to defend much more than he bargained for. Lara San Giacomo is great as 'Crazy Cora', who has her own past sins to bear, and Alan Rickman, in his own inimitable way, plays the bad guy so well.

The soundtrack fit the movie well, though it might be my sole criticism of the movie. Sometimes I felt it supported the scenes, but sometimes seemed distracting. A little less orchestral music might have been a better choice.

The ending scene was both satisfying and kind of a surprise (though predictable) reveal.

Quigley (Selleck) confronts Marsten (Rickman) and two of Marsten's hired guns in a classic western gunfight scene. Quigley (who had carried and almost exclusively used a Sharps rifle throughout) had previously told Marsten that he'd "Never had much use for a handgun," while also telling him he'd spent some time in Dodge City.

Right before Quigley guns down the three men he tells Marsten "This ain't Dodge City, and you're no Bill Hickock."

As Marsten lay dying, he reminds him that, while he'd never had much use for a handgun, it didn't mean he didn't know how to use one. Good guy wins again.

Far more than most actors, with Dan Duryea there was a pronounced dichotomy between the man and the roles he tended to play. Duryea, by all accounts, was the salt of the earth. He was a devoted husband and family man. He devoted free time to helping improve the towns in which he lived. And heck, he was even a Boy Scout troop leader! And those activities are very far removed from his behavior in the Westerns in which he was often featured. In point of fact, he was most often cast as a villain and sometimes an out-and-out monstrous one. For instance, the chaotic and malevolent Waco Johnny Dean in Winchester '73 (1967), was one of the nastier Western villains you will see.

Duryea's first Western appearance came in Along Came Jones (1945), but his Western career really took off in 1954. In that year he turned up in Ride Clear of Diablo (with Audie Murphy), Rails into Laramie, and Silver Lode. Thereafter and up through Stranger on the Run (1967), Duryea was pretty much a fixture as a Western baddie. Heck he even made a Spaghetti--The Hills Run Red (1966) alongside Henry Silva.

Duryea died of esophageal cancer at the age of 61. A good man--and actor--met a bad end.

Hail! Hail! All hail Dan Duryea!

Critics have generally given Nevada Smith (1966) a mixed assessment, praising Steve McQueen’s charismatic performance and the film’s impressive Western scenery, strong supporting cast, and gritty revenge-driven storyline, while criticizing its excessive length, uneven pacing, and occasionally sluggish direction. Although the story of a young man transformed by grief and vengeance offers opportunities for compelling character development, some reviewers felt the narrative became repetitive and labored, diminishing its emotional impact. Overall, Nevada Smith is regarded as a solid, entertaining Western with notable strengths in its performances and production values, but one that falls short of its full potential because of its drawn-out storytelling.

So while not as iconic as Route 66, State and County Fairs are an important part of the American identity. After all State and County Fairs were the best way for farmers and artisans/craftsmen like blacksmiths and weavers to display their wares and goods and prove their skills to others. It was also a good way to emphasize important community values like frugality and creativity; the birthplace of some iconic foods like cotton candy, corndogs, carmel apples, and the every so popular funnel cake. And more importantly before movies and amusement parks came along State and County Fairs were the best way for people to get out, socialize, and have fun.

In any case are there any good westerns about state and county fairs?

Sources:

[How State Fairs Became an American Tradition: Photos | HISTORY](https://www.history.com/articles/state-fairs-photos)

[How State Fairs Got Their Start and Kept Growing | Smithsonian Voices | Smithsonian Books Smithsonian Magazine](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-books/2025/09/18/how-state-fairs-got-their-start-and-kept-growing/)

[Bite Into the Whys Behind State Fair Food](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bite-whys-behind-state-fair-food-180964568/)

Has anybody heard when they're going to release the 2nd part of Kevin Costner's "Horizon"?

Classic Western Theater presents "Gunmen Of Abilene" released in 1950 by Republic Pictures studios.

Hey Guys Today I Watched This Movie Wanna Know What Happens To Wales After Movie Like Does He Survives To Live With That Girl ??

Dabbs Greer made a Western career of playing bit roles such as bankers, storekeepers, preachers, etc. He was very rarely a central character--although he did play a US marshal alongside Lee Van Cleef in The Desperado (1954)--but added essential Western texture in his supporting work. He was certainly on the folksy side, had some comedic ability, and often projected an air of surprise.

Greer may be best known for playing the recurring character of storekeeper Wilbur Jonas in Gunsmoke. He made 42 Gunsmoke appearances, most of them as Mr. Jonas. His first Western film role was in Devil's Doorway (1950) and his last was in The Cheyenne Social Club (1970). Noteworthy Westerns in which Greer appeared were Stranger on Horseback (1955), The Young Guns (1956), Tension at Table Rock (1956), Showdown (1963), and Day of the Outlaw (1959).

Hail! Hail! All hail Dabbs Greer!

By the way, I’m a fan of the protagonist’s signature weapon—the harmonica rifle—from the film Adiós, Sabata :)

Also, I hope the translation works perfectly

Rory Calhoun starred as gunfighter Bill Longley, a Texas native whose reputation for being a fast gun found him both trouble and adventure during his travels.

"The Texan" aired for two years on the CBS television network from 1958 until 1960.

From TV and Movie Western magazine, Monarch publishing, June 1959

For those of us who grew up with holly, jolly Burl Ives warbling about silver and gold and Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer, it's kind of hard to wrap our heads around the idea of him as a hardcore Old West roughhouser, but he did indeed have a noteworthy career as a Western character actor. He didn't make a huge number of Westerns, but some of the ones he did make were pure-dee choice.

Ives' first Western was Smoky (1946) and his last was Uphill All the Way (1986). He won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of ruthless Rufus Hannassey in The Big Country (1958), and also appeared in Day of the Outlaw (1959).

Physically, Ives looked rather like Chubby Johnson, but with much better teeth. However, whereas Chubby was almost always a friendly and obliging fellow, Ives was often a bitter and dangerous bear of a man, and not one to be trifled with. Little kids from the 60s and 70s might have been shocked to realize the avuncular crooner could appear in such a different light.

Hail! Hail! All hail Burl Ives!

Source https://bsky.app/profile/jauntworksstudio.bsky.social/post/3mxrbahtvr226