Thursday, January 29, 2015

Boot Hill-1969


Bud Spencer and Terence Hill starred as Hutch Bessy and Cat Stevens in a trio of late-60s westerns. Hill was cast and given his new name due to his strong resemblance to spaghetti western star Franco Nero. When it looked like Nero was going Hollywood with Camelot, Italian cinema was pleased to find a replacement.


This third movie in the loose trilogy is unique in that it features a bit of an all-star cast. US film veterans Woody Strode, Lionel Stander (a longtime expatriate due to his problems with the House Un-American Activities Committee) and Eduardo Cianelli and relative newcomer Victor Buono (BATMAN's King Tut) holds his own.


Hill and Spencer would redefine their roles into lighthearted versions soon afterwards in THEY CALL ME TRINITY. The pair would go on to make 18 films together covering just about every genre.


Hill would later take his lighthearted cowboy to International TV with LUCKY LUKE.


Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Monday, January 26, 2015

Gunsmoke


In the long run, it's hard to deny that GUNSMOKE--radio's greatest western drama--was also TV's greatest. Running for more than 20 years and later restricted by new television guidelines against violence, it nonetheless featured moving stories of unforgettable characters headed by James Arness as Matt Dillon. Always publicity-shy, the late TV GUIDE appearance seen here shows that Arness couldn't even bring himself to show up for photo ops!


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

DC Westerns


The DC comics westerns, some of the last in mainstream comics, continued until the early 1980s.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Tex Ritter Comics


John Ritter's dad, Tex Ritter, had retired from acting by the time his old films reappeared on TV in the 1950s, choosing instead to continue on as a country and western recording artist. This didn't stop his Fawcett comic books from cashing in on his newfound popularity and when Fawcett got out of the comics business, Charlton picked up the title!




Friday, January 16, 2015

A Selection of B Western Posters


The art of the B Western poster, although logically dominated by sixguns, ten gallon hats and horses, was unique in the field, as witness these few colorful examples.











Thursday, January 15, 2015

Friday, January 9, 2015

Wild West Picture Library


This UK ad gives a mild indication of just how popular stories of the American West had become in Great Britain.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Alias Zorro



Here's a nice, long vintage article on Guy Williams' now classic Disney ZORRO series!




Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Rare Lone Ranger


Here's the cover to a 1939 Lone Ranger book. It's too thin to be a pulp but it's similar with lots of illustrations highlighting a basically text story. 

The Marketing of Hopalong Cassidy