Josey Wales - Good shoot-em-up but...

[Joewisc]

Just finished rewatching The Outlaw Josey Wales. One of Clint's best movies, but two problems:

One, Eastwood claims this is an anti-war film yet he winds up killing a couple of dozen "bad guys."

Two, I believe he used as many as five 1847 Walker Colt Dragoon revolvers, each containing six .44-caliber ball shots, stuck in his gunbelt and never once did they misfire. However, according to historians the Colt Walker had numerous flaws including ruptured cylinders after firing and many of the original 1,000 were returned for repair especially when using 60-grain loads as opposed to 50-grain as recommended by Colt. Sure looked like Josey was shooting hot loads. Some of these guns were notorious for blowing up.

I suppose one must overlook such technicalities and just sit back and enjoy one of the better Westerns on the screen. Johnny Carson called it the "best Western of all time."

Thoughts appreciated.

 

[10mmauto]

I think that to enjoy most of Hollywood's fare, there always has to be some degree of "suspension of disbelief."

In this case (Josey Wales) I am more than happy to do it!

 

[bloo]

PICKY PICKY PICKY



Ted

 

[fat tom]

I suppose one must overlook such technicalities and just sit back and enjoy one of the better Westerns on the screen.

Those are my thoughts.
f.t.

 

[DustyJacket]

Best westerns:
Josey Wales
Silverado
Quigley Down Under

Some movies are so technically incorrect to enjoy, but these are not...
they have a couple of minor flaws, but...

 

[Joewisc]

Best westerns:
Josey Wales
Silverado
Quigley Down Under

Some movies are so technically incorrect to enjoy, but these are not...
they have a couple of minor flaws, but...

Good point. The fact is that every movie has goofs of one sort or another. The ones that are especially annoying are anachronisms or unexplained plot holes. I sometimes watch more for mistakes and that detracts from enjoyment.

 

[CajunBass]

I wasn't aware it was a documentary.

 

[Alpo]

I wasn't aware it was "anti-war".

 

[Joewisc]

I wasn't aware it was "anti-war".

That's what Clint said.

 

[WardenRoss]

I'm certainly no cowboy movie expert, but I thought Appaloosa was very authentic.

Not taking anything away from all of Clint's great movies.

 

[keith44spl]

I must not be payin close enough attention...Or, all that must be happen on the big screen

When they's sizes it down to fit my ol B&W tv,

I can't see what's going on...On the sides out thar!


Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[sipowicz]

However, according to historians the Colt Walker had numerous flaws including ruptured cylinders after firing and many of the original 1,000 were returned for repair especially when using 60-grain loads as opposed to 50-grain as recommended by Colt. Sure looked like Josey was shooting hot loads. Some of these guns were notorious for blowing up.

I suppose one must overlook such technicalities and just sit back and enjoy one of the better Westerns on the screen. Johnny Carson called it the "best Western of all time."

Thoughts appreciated.

In the original script, Josey mentioned that these revolvers were notorious for ruptured cylinders.

From "The Outlaw Josey Whales" (First Draft)

Josey: I'm going to kill you...if my gun doesn't malfunction.
Bad guy: Why would it?
Josey: I have 60 grains of powder in this...it might rupture the cylinder.
Bad guy: That would be good for me though.
Josey: I guess so.

BANG! Bad guy hits the floor.

Josey: Looks like it didn't rupture afterall.

Jose spits some tabacco on the bad guy and walks off.



But the producers felt that this kind of technical information might not appeal to the average movie goer not so knowledgeable of 19th century firearms, so they took out that scene and put in a bar fight.

 

[NFrameFred]

I'll bet that's the scene you were in that got cut, Sip !

 

[Mickey D]

I prefer bar fights over knowledgeable history facts any day.

 

[amazingflapjack]

Everyone is different, but I can't see how this film could be viewed in its overall prospective as anything but anti-war.

 

[Marshwheeling]

From "The Outlaw Josey Whales" (First Draft)

Josey: I'm going to kill you...if my gun doesn't malfunction.
Bad guy: Why would it?
Josey: I have 60 grains of powder in this...it might rupture the cylinder.
Bad guy: That would be good for me though.
Josey: I guess so. Do you feel lucky, punk? Do ya?

BANG! Bad guy hits the floor.

Josey: Looks like it didn't rupture afterall.

Jose spits some tabacco on the bad guy and walks off.

Fixted.....

No buts about it. Josey Wales remains for me one of the most watchable and rewatchable Westerns.

 

[Lenshappy]

Outlaw Josey Whales was written as an anti-war movie,and,
Silverado was written as a Warner Brother cartoon.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

One of my favorites for sure! And I love Westerns. I consider the river crossing sequence starting with Grandma on the porch and the meeting of the Cherokee- Chief George to be two of the finest things ever filmed. Way better than most entire movies.
Best Western ever made? I love Yellow Ribbon so much it's impossible for me not to name it as No1.
Best Cowboy Movie? I vote for Will Penny.

 

[sierra255]

I am a huge cowboy movie junkie, and as far as Clint is concerned I think his movie Unforgiven rates pretty high with me. Other westerns I would rate highly: Open Range, Silverado, The Quick and the Dead.......

_____________
Rodger-retired LEO

 

[M3Stuart]

"..he's an easy man to follow. He leaves dead people whereever he goes..."