Andrew, without giving too much away, not only wasn't JR's assailant born yet when this picture was taken, but Bing Crosby was still married to his first wife.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that this is a BTS production still from Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Yes? No?
Actually, before I read your tags at the end, I correctly identified this as a BTS still from the set of the politically themed, left leaning 1952 Stanley Kramer Western film High Noon. I studied it in my college film course. The movie generated controversy and pissed many people off including John Wayne who concluded in an interview that the film was "the most un-American thing I've ever seen in my whole life." In response, The Duke teamed with director Howard Hawks to make the "answer movie" Rio Bravo to show the world how real men, real American Western heroes are supposed to act.
Happy 121st birthday in heaven to Gary Cooper, one of my favorite actors. Plus, a big shout out to Lon Chaney, Jr, one of my favorite character actors and horror film stars. Look for my Shady's Place series Grace Kelly Rear Window coming soon!
Shady, if you studied it in a college film course, perhaps you were taught that it's considered by some film historians to be the first "anti-Western" due to its decidedly unsentimental portrayal of frontier settlers (and, allegorically, 1950s America.) It wasn't just Stanley Kramer who was left-leaning. During the film's production it came out that coproducer and screenwriter Carl Foreman briefly had been a member of the Communist Party ten or so years earlier. He decided it wasn't for him, but nevertheless refused to rat on his former fellow travelers when called to do so before a committee. Kramer hadn't known about Foreman's political walk on the wild side when he had partnered with him to form an independent film company, and the revelation created a rift between the two men that never closed. Now, you know who was much, much less upset over Foreman's flirtation with the Reds? Conservative Republican and right-leaning Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals cofounder Gary Cooper, that's who! Coop apparently liked Foreman on a personal, nonpolitical level, and fought to have Foreman's name remain in the credits. A short time afterwards Cooper became an investor in a new production company Foreman founded. Unfortunately (and this is why I chose not to write an essay about all this) Cooper's loyalty to his friend then takes a hit. Pressure from both the studios and Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper (which amounted to the same thing) forced Cooper to pull out of the deal. Foreman was blacklisted and spent the rest of his career in England, yet he bore no ill will towards Gary Cooper, stating, “He was the only big one who tried.” You can read more about it here:
Debra, it's actually the 1951 World Series, often referred to as a "subway series", between the New York Yankees and the New York Giants, which the Yankees won in six games.
Since Gary Cooper once played Lou Gehrig in a movie, I'm guessing he's rooting for the Yankees.
In order to keep the hucksters, humbugs, scoundrels, psychos, morons, and last but not least, artificial intelligentsia at bay, I have decided to turn on comment moderation. On the plus side, I've gotten rid of the word verification.
What a great shot!
ReplyDeleteThat's why I didn't saddle it with a lot of prose, Mitchell.
DeleteNews from the war, but which one?
ReplyDeleteIt would have been during the Korean War, Andrew.
DeleteOr perhaps who shot JR?
ReplyDeleteAndrew, without giving too much away, not only wasn't JR's assailant born yet when this picture was taken, but Bing Crosby was still married to his first wife.
DeleteHi, Kirk!
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that this is a BTS production still from Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Yes? No?
Actually, before I read your tags at the end, I correctly identified this as a BTS still from the set of the politically themed, left leaning 1952 Stanley Kramer Western film High Noon. I studied it in my college film course. The movie generated controversy and pissed many people off including John Wayne who concluded in an interview that the film was "the most un-American thing I've ever seen in my whole life." In response, The Duke teamed with director Howard Hawks to make the "answer movie" Rio Bravo to show the world how real men, real American Western heroes are supposed to act.
"Shoot first... ask questions never." - Denny Crane.
Happy 121st birthday in heaven to Gary Cooper, one of my favorite actors. Plus, a big shout out to Lon Chaney, Jr, one of my favorite character actors and horror film stars. Look for my Shady's Place series Grace Kelly Rear Window coming soon!
Have a great weekend, good buddy Kirk!
Shady, if you studied it in a college film course, perhaps you were taught that it's considered by some film historians to be the first "anti-Western" due to its decidedly unsentimental portrayal of frontier settlers (and, allegorically, 1950s America.) It wasn't just Stanley Kramer who was left-leaning. During the film's production it came out that coproducer and screenwriter Carl Foreman briefly had been a member of the Communist Party ten or so years earlier. He decided it wasn't for him, but nevertheless refused to rat on his former fellow travelers when called to do so before a committee. Kramer hadn't known about Foreman's political walk on the wild side when he had partnered with him to form an independent film company, and the revelation created a rift between the two men that never closed. Now, you know who was much, much less upset over Foreman's flirtation with the Reds? Conservative Republican and right-leaning Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals cofounder Gary Cooper, that's who! Coop apparently liked Foreman on a personal, nonpolitical level, and fought to have Foreman's name remain in the credits. A short time afterwards Cooper became an investor in a new production company Foreman founded. Unfortunately (and this is why I chose not to write an essay about all this) Cooper's loyalty to his friend then takes a hit. Pressure from both the studios and Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper (which amounted to the same thing) forced Cooper to pull out of the deal. Foreman was blacklisted and spent the rest of his career in England, yet he bore no ill will towards Gary Cooper, stating, “He was the only big one who tried.” You can read more about it here:
Deletehttps://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/02/high-noons-secret-backstory?msclkid=96f5c204ce8e11ec92faf35a0cd6e608
As for John Wayne, he seems to have run hot and cold over the whole controversy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZyA49IOXVk
Whatever it is, they're engrossed!
ReplyDeleteDebra, it's actually the 1951 World Series, often referred to as a "subway series", between the New York Yankees and the New York Giants, which the Yankees won in six games.
DeleteSince Gary Cooper once played Lou Gehrig in a movie, I'm guessing he's rooting for the Yankees.
I'm not sure that table looks strong enough to hold that TV up for any length of time. DON'T BUMP THE TABLE!
ReplyDeleteYour warning may go unheeded, Mike. After all, it's the Wild West.
Delete