Where have all the cowboys gone? My dear old dad would be rolling in his grave now if he knew that television and movies had abandoned them all. A good Western movie, TV program or paperback was my dad’s absolute favourite entertainment.
So much so that Johnny Cash’s ‘Streets Of Laredo’ farewelled my dad at his funeral.
Lost to history now – Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wyatt Earp, High Noon, Wagon Train and even The Lone Ranger and Tonto. The Cisco Kid, Rawhide, Deadwood and The Virginian. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly lost along with My Name Is Trinity, The Magnificent Seven and True Grit.
All replaced by ultra cheap and tacky reality television, which, by the way, is so inappropriately named as it is about as unreal as one can get.
Movies that are rehashed remakes of 60’s television comedies and sitcoms. Either that or cop movies and TV series with characters that look like they fell out of the centerfold of Playboy. (And tell me, why do all female cops in movies and on TV need to show so much cleavage? Not like cops in my neck of the woods.)
Thankfully, Bruce Willis is still around. Unfortunately, he does not appear in Westerns, but in some odd way, his characters always seem to have a bit of cowboy about them.
Thankfully, my dad is not around to witness this deplorable de-cowboying of our entertainment. Bring ‘em back, I say.
I hear you! One of my future projects will be a western fantasy trilogy. We need our cowboys back!
I have not managed to find a bullet proof vest that showed my cleavage. I also can't run in high heels, so guess what? I don't wear them. To fulfill my need for real cowboys I turn to true west magazine. If you visit, tell Bob Boze Bell that Suzie sent you.
I so agree with you about reality tv – What is real about it! I too miss the cowboy programmes of my childhood…
Pat Newcombe
What about epics like "The Way the West was Won"? Trouble is Derek, no one in Hollywood aka lala land has an original thought any more. Plus the bean counters don't want to risk dollars on something new. Sad, very sad. :(
PS I would love to see the revival of the Spaghetti Westerns to :)
Oh Jack, I just loved the Trinity movies. Great comedy spaghetti westerns. And I don't ever see John Wayne movies anymore on any TV channel. Oh well :(
Ha badluckdetective ! Just trying to imaging a bullet proof vest with 'cleavage' ! Maybe a special drop down flap? lol
Practically every day here in the UK on one TV channel or another you will see an old b/w Cowboy movie, like Shane or Johnny Ringo, but never at peak viewing times. Most get shown during the afternoon. Funny you should mention John Wayne Derek. Wake of the Red Witch is on tomorrow afternoon. :)
I'm going to try this again – I don't think the first one went through (or it did I a now look like an idiot – either way…).
My dad liked those old westerns too. I grew up trying to stay awake to watch "late night movies" or huddled in the back seat of the family car at the drive-in while Clint Eastwood sauntered across the screen. It was great.
You might give "310 to Yuma" a try. It stars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. I thought it was quite good.
Derek, what about the High Chapparal? All of the young girls were "in love" with the youngest son Blue played by Mark Slade (who's name I only remember because I was one of those girls).
I’ve just finished watching “The Man with No Name” trilogy – Fistful of Dollars, A Fistful More and The Good, The Bad & The Ugly – thoroughly enjoyed all of them! Quality, fabulous movies with Clint – cool as a cucumber!
I would love to see more westerns made – bring back the cowboys! I’ve just seen an advertisement on a bus however for “Cowboys vs Aliens” – I think they must be running out of ideas over in Hollywood!
All cop shows aren’t bad! Try Psych! Or Dexter! Or Castle (which btw is about a writer) :) And Beckett, the female cop, isn’t the kind too! Damn! You’re watching all the wrong cop shows!