dglink A city tenderfoot toughens up on a long cattle drive in "Cowboy," the last of three westerns that Glenn Ford made with director Delmer Daves; the others being "Jubal" and "3:10 to Yuma." Although not a classic like "3:10 to Yuma," the film is well made, and the literate screenplay by Edmund H. North and Dalton Trumbo was based on the memoirs of Frank Harris, a Welsh writer who actually spent time as a cowhand in the 1870's. Jack Lemmon plays the real-life Frank Harris, a hotel clerk with romantic problems and dreams of becoming a cattleman. Harris also has a little money in the bank, and, at a critical moment, he convinces a successful cattle driver named Tom Reese, played by Glenn Ford, to take him on as a cattle hand. Over the course of a long drive to Mexico, Harris learns the rigors and hard facts of the trail. The cattle drive provides the background for a battle of opposing views between Harris, who values human life, and Reese, who puts the value of a steer above all else.Although Lemmon initially has to overcome his light-comic image, he eventually succeeds in the dramatic scenes, if slightly less so in the romantic; his love interest, Marlon Brando's first wife, Anna Kashfi, seems an odd, unattainable match for Lemmon. However, a veteran of many westerns, Glenn Ford is excellent; like his Ben Wade in "3:10 to Yuma," the easy-going good-guy image masks a steely toughness that makes him dangerous to cross. Both Lemmon and Ford ably develop their characters as they spar and influence each other during the drive. The two stars are supported by a bevy of veteran supporting players that includes Brian Donlevy, Richard Jaeckel, and Vaughn Taylor. The fine cinematography by Charles Lawton, who also lensed the other two Daves-Ford western collaborations, captures the beauty of New Mexico landscapes. Glenn Ford was an underrated actor, whose career needs re-evaluation. While "Cowboy" may not be a classic like "Gilda," "The Blackboard Jungle," or "3:10 to Yuma," Ford is in fine form. His biography, Glenn Ford: A Life, penned by his son a few years back, is worthy reading and will re-introduce film lovers to an actor whose star has dimmed since his heyday in the 1940's through 1960's. "Cowboy," among other films, should help restore his reputation and his place in Hollywood history.

morrison-dylan-fan Talking to a friend recently about up coming sales soon to be taking place in the post-Holiday season,I was surprised to hear that HMV were planning to hold a 25% off sale in the next week or so.With having heard for a number of months about HMV being on pretty "shaky" ground,I decided that this would be the best time for me to cash in the £2 which I had gathered in credit on their loyalty card.Walking past the aisles filled with clunky,cheap plastic looking headphones,I originally hoped to pick up Walter Hill's Southern Comfort,but quickly found out that this batch of southern hospitality was no where in sight in the store.Being in the mood of watching a Western very soon,I was pleased to find,in amongst the vastly overpriced other titles ( £10 for a 1 disc edition of The Searchers!) a Western co-starring an actor from the TV show Bewitched!,which,with a little bit of help from my money off points,I could pick up for a wallet breaking £2.The plot:Feeling down after being ordered by his boss to empty the room where his secret love's family has been staying, (who give Frank Harris a special bonus,by telling him that he can not go near their daughter again,after Maria Vidal's dad finds out that Harris has secretly been writing poetry to her) due to one of the most wealthiest cowboys coming to stay in the hotel with his gang,Frank Harris decides to take the first opportunity that arrives,when he discovers that "wealthy" cowboy Tom Reece is planning to leave the hotel after one night,due to having lost all his cash gambling with his buddies. Convincing Tom to stay at the hotel,Frank gives Harris every penny of his savings,so that he can rebuild his reputation at the gambling table.Going back to the table with a new sense of vigour,Reece quickly wipes the floor with his opponents and regains all of the cash that he had previously lost.Thanking Harris for his generously,Tom decides to meet Frank the next day,so that he can give him back his savings,and also give him a "personal" thank you,by including all of the extra cash that he won the previous night with Harris's money.To Tom's complete surprise,Frank tells him that he does not want any of the money to be given back,but to instead be given something that money could never buy:become one of Reece's cowboys.Astonished by getting an offer of his turned down for the first time ever,Reece grudgingly agrees to Harris becoming a cowboy,when his gang tells him,that if Frank is willing to show this much daring to get into the saddle,he should be a perfect fit for their huge upcoming task of safely transferring cattle across a vast distance.Originally expecting to find his new job as a cowboy to be one filled with camaraderie and thrilling adventures,Harris soon finds out that there is a much darker side to being a cowboy than he ever could have expected.View on the film:Opening with a dazzling,stylised title sequence by Saul Bass,director Delmer Daves uses Tecnicolour in the first half to brilliantly put the viewer in the bright red cheeks world of Frank Harris,where every object in the hotel is covered in spilling colours and the opportunity to become a cowboy is connected to a strong sense of wonderment and awe of discovering "the great outdoors" for the first time.Showing the excitement in Franks life,Daves contrasts the shining colours in the first half by giving the film an atmospheric,moody downcast appearance,which shows that Franks dreams are far from the bitter reality,which instead of being filled with shootouts and riding into sunsets,has Harris starting to relies that he is only part of a machine,and also witnessing death at the most unexpected moments.Along with expertly creating two contrasting atmospheres,Daves also makes each of the movies excellent action scenes ones that feel very realistic,with a particular highlight of the film being a scene which involves playing a "game" with a bull,that is intensely shoot close so as to make the viewer feel that the bull could kill the "player" at any moment.Whilst his work on this adaptation of Frank Harris's autobiography would sadly be kept hidden for years,due to being blacklisted at the time (which led to fellow writer/actor Edmund H. North "fronting" as the writer of the movie) the screenplay by Dalton Trumbo gradually shows Harris's changing personality in an expertly handled subtle manner.Making Franks initially encounters with Reece ones that feature a light Comedy touch,Trumbo shows the wide open arm way that Harris's initially treats Frank and his fellow cowboys to harden,as Harris finds all his fantasy crushed,to instead be replaced by a world packed with bitter,mean and cold hearted people.Although the wonderful supporting cast (which includes a charming Dick York and a cute,future Mrs Marlan Brando Anna Kashfi) are disappointingly given half sketch roles,Jack Lemon and Glenn Ford both give mesmerising performances,with Lemon showing the smirk which had hidden behind Harris's innocent smile,and Ford showing Reece's sudden fear that Frank might be transforming into him.

dougdoepke Cowboy (1958) is one of a series of outstanding westerns directed by Delmer Daves that includes the classic 3:10 to Yuma (1957) and the dramatically scenic Jubal (1956). Too bad his body of western work has failed to receive the recognition it deserves. Here he's concerned with de-romanticizing the myth of the trail drive, showing how harsh conditions breed harsh men. Lemmon is well chosen as the cowboy wannabe, worming his way into the rowdy Glenn Ford's trail drive. There he discovers the routine brutalities that help explain behavior as a tenderfoot, he couldn't understand. But in the process he has some civilizing lessons of his own that manage to take hold among the rough cowboy crowd.And whoever thought up that snake twirling episode deserves an award for sheer originality. I've seen nothing like it in years of viewing. Plus the deadly consequences of that witless cowboy fun is put on tragic display in a way that cleverly revises decades of cowboy mythology. To me, it's the movie's brilliant centerpiece. Still, the film is filled with exciting and unusual action, such as the cattle car that could crush a tank, or the pin-the-ring on the angry bull that's more like a test of manhood than a game.No, this is certainly no cliché western. Ford and Lemmon are excellent, especially the latter who's certainly extended out of his usual mild-mannered character. Daves directs with flair and some well-timed tinges of humor. All in all, however, I'm still not sure how to take the movie's overall message even though it appears to have one in mind.

Karl Ericsson We do not live in order to survive, we survive in order to live. He or she that doesn't believe that will only have an interesting life if they happen to be idiots to start with. An intelligent person would consider a life merely in order to survive as being beneath his or her dignity and too dull to go through. However, such a life may be intoxicating if it is challenging enough and if the occasions for afterthought are drowned in alcohol.I know quite a few people, who drown all their given moments for afterthought in alcohol, business, busy-ness, drugs, work-out and other body-culture and mischief. Yes, it is easy to fill out ones life if one is stupid enough.Now, for us who are not content to spend our lives as squirrels in a wheel, this film may also serve as a warning and not just as another example of a movie of a boy becoming stupid (="man").What is life, that is the question. Survival is depressingly obvious.