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I’m sorry I didn’t get to watch more this month - life got in the way - but I’m glad to have gotten back in the saddle, so to speak, with this genre. There are definitely certain types of western stories I enjoy more than others, and I’m going to make an effort to include more westerns in my...

30. Have Gun Will Travel, “Broken Image” (Season 4, Episode 32) - 3/28 -This one was a nice follow-up to the Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, which I had revisited the night prior. Paladin is summoned to a small town who needs its local hero to saddle up against an armed threat. But once Paladin is...

3/27 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. An all time favorite of mine in the genre. I don’t watch it as often as I’d like. It’s about so many things, and will never not be relevant. The leads might be too old for their parts, but what they bring to the table is so important that it makes the age...

3/26 My Little Chickadee This western comedy is arguably the best known film in the filmographies of W.C. Fields and Mae West, though I’d suggest it’s neither’s very best film. It’s sort of a greatest hits reel of both of their best comedy tics and zingers, and at 80 minutes it runs a little...

3/25 The Far Country Maybe my favorite Stewart/Mann. I love the unusual Seattle and Alaskan settings. And there’s a nice touch of humor about it too. The Arrow BD is the best home video release out there but is more functional than revelatory. I like the 2.00:1 version on the second disc...

Revised Naked Spur in the earlier part of the evening, and then just as the movie ended, everyone in the house woke up sick. I’m glad I was able to squeeze it in. The WAC BD is a massive improvement over the old DVD!

Last week was a bit hectic, the kids were under the weather and I had some review discs to get through, so the best I was able to do was watch some "Have Gun" with the hopes of writing about them later. Unfortunately, I let too much time pass and I can't really remember the particulars of most...

Yes, each individual episode is a point, just gotta list them that way in your tally. Take a look at how I’m listing Have Gun Will Travel episodes in my list if you want a template to copy :)

If you can find the time, my memory is that it’s worth it. It’s a bit leaner, maybe 10 or 15 minutes shorter, better pacing, and the performances seem a little more dialed in. The spectacle isn’t as large scale but the human drama comes through in a greater way. It’s a fascinating comparison.

March 17: McLintock! I usually watch “The Quiet Man” on St. Patrick’s Day but after eight years in a row I felt like giving it the year off. So I explained the premise of this movie to my wife, mentioned that it starred John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara and was director by Andrew (son of Victor)...

This and The Far Country are probably my favorites of the Stewart/Mann westerns. I haven’t had a chance to watch as many films as I’ve wanted to so far, but I’m going to try really hard to at least finish Stewart/Mann by the end of the month.

March 15: Have Gun Will Travel, “Fragile” (Season 3, Episode 7) - 3/15 I didn’t have a lot of time yesterday and was in the mood for something a little more humorous, so I went back to revisit this episode I had first seen a few years ago. It’s a rare comedy for this show, with a dry humor...

His work on the show really contributes to it often feeling more like short movies than TV episodes. Ida Lupino also directed a bunch of episodes and hers are reliably good. She’s great with both the physical action staging as well as getting above average performances out of her cast.

March 14: 17. Have Gun Will Travel, “The Gold Bar” (Season 4, Episode 26) - 3/14 This one was a nice change of pace - Paladin is hired by a bank owner to retrieve a bar of gold an employee stole from the safe, and Paladin must get it back before the bank inspector is due to visit. But when...

March 13: 16. Have Gun Will Travel, “The Last Judgment” (Season 4, Episode 25) - 3/13 Paladin stumbles upon a town where the local doctor is being unjustly tried for murder by a self-appointed lawman. The doctor’s crime? A patient who’s life the doctor once saved went on to commit a murder...

From March 12: 14. Hell or High Water - 3/12 This is a favorite movie of mine - great script from Taylor Sheridan, and fantastic performances all around. The movie is well structured in that you have cops who clearly have laws to uphold, but bank robbers (brothers) who you’re not ready to root...

I’m a fan of the few Alaskan westerns out there - a fun change of scenery within the familiar genre.

March 10: Night Passage - On the one hand, I get the criticisms that this is a lighter, more easy-going, less dramatically potent bit of storytelling than the Stewart/Mann westerns. On the other hand, I really enjoy the accordion songs, the performances and photography are great, and it’s a...

I had the same debate myself and then saw your post and figured I’d go with your precedent - it’s my selection tonight. I really liked this film when the Twilight Time disc came out but haven’t had a chance to see it again since. I love the CinemaScope photography here. (It reminds me a bit...

March 8: Rio Bravo A special extended length episode of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," Rio Bravo features Ricky Nelson as he tries to make friends with his hero, John Wayne, and the singer Dean Martin. (Martin demonstrates incredible range in ability to play drunk.) Ricky must also...

Speaking of audio commentaries, the Jimmy Stewart commentary on Winchester 73 is a great listen, and Toby Roan does a great job on Bend of the River.

March 7th: 9. Unforgiven - 3/7 Believe it or not, I’ve never seen this one - a 4K rental from AppleTV fixed that. I’m not a big fan of spaghetti westerns, including the acknowledged greats - nothing wrong with those films, they’re just not for me. But as a result of Eastwood’s strong...

March 6th: 7. Bend of the River - 3/6 A fantastic film that I never fail to enjoy. The Kino BD is the best version currently out there (and despite complaints isn’t bad in my book despite a few misregistered shots on the master they were handed), though apparently Universal and Film Foundation...

March 5th: 5. Outland - 3/5 Peter Hyams’ early 1980s space western has been a favorite of mine since the VHS days. After years of seeing poor quality versions, Warner’s Blu-ray is a revelation - one of the great joys of home theater is being able to view favorite films in a quality better than...

From March 4th - Have Gun Will Travel, “Shadow of a Man” (Season 4, Episode 20) I began watching this show back in 2019, and have been trying to spread it out rather than binging it, and given that it has nearly 40 half-hour episodes per season, I average more than half but less than a full...

March 2nd: -Winchester ‘73. Like many here, saved the new 4K UHD for this. Looks and sounds amazing. It’s not even my favorite Mann/Stewart western but it’s so good. I’ve been rewatching their collaborations maybe every other year, they’re familiar and enjoyable films. -Pals of the Saddle. The...

My first viewing for this challenge is the 1973 film version of “Westworld”. Before this challenge, I had been viewing a loose thematic collection of 1970s era science fiction, and Westworld was originally planned to be part of that group, but works perfectly as a bridge out of sci-fi into...

1. Westworld (1973) - 3/1 2. Winchester ‘73 - 3/2 3. Pals of the Saddle - 3/2 4. Have Gun Will Travel, “Shadow of a Man” (Season 4, Episode 20) - 3/4 5. Outland - 3/5 6. Have Gun Will Travel, “Long Way Home” (Season 4, Episode 21) - 3/5 7. Bend of the River - 3/6 8. Have Gun Will Travel...