Slim Pickens, Revisited

[THE PILGRIM]

Today I re-watched a Slim Pickens bio on YouTube.
I didn't remember this trivia bit-
Ever watch that great movie The Big Country?
Remember when Charlton Heston put greenhorn Gregory Peck on that badass pony?
Turns out that was actually Slim on his personal trained trick horse, Dear John.
Slim of course was a real cowboy and a pro Rodeo Rider.
He had trained that horse to do a number of tricks including buck.
Here's Slim and Dear John going over a buckboard.

 

[Onomea]

To me, Slim Pickens will always be Major TJ King Kong in Dr. Strangelove:

"Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff." YouTube

 

[jack the toad]

Dont recall that particular movie but liked Slim in all his movie roles.
Dr. Strangelove is first to come to mind.

 

[Rudi]

I love Slim. Esp. in Strangelove. The original line was "Dallas". But this was just when the President was shot. So the studio dubbed in "Vegas".

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I will always remember Slim Pickens in this scene:Imaage slim pickens riding a bomb - Yahoo Search Results Video Search Results

 

[okiegtrider]

 

[RobertJ.]

Yesterday I heard the song "Knocking on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan, and immediately the scene from "Pat Garret and Billy the Kid" came to mind, the scene where Slim gets shot by Kris Kristofferson, and he and his wife both know he's going to die. One of the saddest scenes in a movie, ever.

My favorite of all his movies is Dr. Strangelove.

 

[monsai52]

Not a huge role, but I think he was great in "The Getaway".

Best regards,

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Me two!
Slim was great in the Getaway,
Even if he had a small junky role!

 

[crazyphil]

I liked Slim in Honeysuckle Rose.

 

[soFlaNative]

"Has anybody got a dime?".

 

[Marshwheeling]

My favorite Slim Pickens role was in "Rancho Deluxe", as stock detective Henry Beige.

 

[CH4]

Loved him in Blazing Saddles! I am sure if I quote any of his lines I'll get excommunicated from the forum.

 

[OLDSTER]

How about his role in Blazing Saddles. "What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is goin' on here"

 

[Kurusu]

Loved him in Blazing Saddles! I am sure if I quote any of his lines I'll get excommunicated from the forum.

Loved him there too.

You can rewatch this little bit. It's safe.

[ame="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fLpmswBKVN4"]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fLpmswBKVN4[/ame]

 

[Watchdog]

Slim Pickens was probably one of the most unlikely people ever to become a "movie star". Probably would've been really difficult to find a more ordinary looking guy to be in the movies.

He created some memorable characters, made all the more memorable because he made them real, no matter how unrealistic they might have been.

What made his role in Strangelove so realistic for me is that although he talked like a hillbilly rube from the sticks, you realize that to be the command pilot of a B-52, he had to be intelligent and probably well-educated. Watching the film, you know it's a parody, but his character seems entirely feasible.

He had a lot of good roles. His small part at the end of Peckinpah's The Getaway is a real gem, and again he plays a totally believable character. He's probably onscreen less than ten minutes, but he totally steals the scenes from Steve McQueen.

I'm actually surprised he wasn't included in the cast of Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch. Maybe he wasn't available at the time, who knows?

 

[03hemi]

Saw him in an episode of "Gun Smoke" last weekend. He played Festus's friend before he was the deputy, go figure.

 

[Kurusu]

And here Slim Pickens when he was still "slim"(even though is stage name had nothing to do with slimness).

 

[Alpo]

The Sheepman, with Glenn Ford and Shirley MacLaine.


Slim played the sheriff, who rather than get involved in the war between the sheepman and the cattleman, decided to go fishing.

 

[JohnHL]

I read someplace that Stanley Kubrick didn't tell Slim Pickens that Dr. Strangelove was a comedy and Slim played the role straight.

John

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

"Noo-ku-lar combat toe to toe with the Russkies" Gotta love it!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ynY5NvYsZY[/ame]

 

[ParadiseRoad]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWN6R0G1HyY[/ame]

 

[jrm53]

One of his great roles was the rube in the "Flim Flam man" with George C Scott, George had pulled a found wallet trick on him and fleeced him out of his money, a great film from about 1966. Jeff

 

[Rudi]

I read someplace that Stanley Kubrick didn't tell Slim Pickens that Dr. Strangelove was a comedy and Slim played the role straight.

John

Originally Peter Sellers was to play Maj. Kong as well, a 4th. role. But he broke his ankle and moving around the cockpit set would not work. That was when Slim was picked for the part.

 

[Watchdog]

I don't know if it was the bone and muscle structure in his face or what, but to me he looked as if he just about always had a chaw of baccy in his cheek. Maybe just a pinch between his cheek and gum. Then again for all I know, he did.

And he did have that long-waisted cowboy look that some men have when they've spent a good deal of time on horseback.

 

[jack the toad]

Knowing it was a stage name, until this thread, I wasn't aware of and had never thought about his real name...

Louis Burton Lindley Jr. (June 29, 1919 – December 8, 1983), better known by his stage name Slim Pickens, was an American rodeo performer and film and television actor. During much of his career, Pickens played mainly cowboy roles, and is perhaps best remembered today for his comic roles in Dr. Strangelove, Blazing Saddles and 1941.

 

[Wyo]

I actually met Slim one time in the museum at Cody. He was, of course, immediately recognizable even though he wasn't in "old west" duds. I wouldn't normally have spoken to him but it was a social function where it was OK. We visited for a few minutes, just small talk, but you could tell he was one of those guys you would really like if you got to spend more time with him. Seemed like just a really decent, normal sorta fella.

 

[robvious]

how's this for full circle... the 2 bombs on Dr Strangelove were "Hi There" and "Dear John"... he was supposed to go down on Dear John, his beloved horse... but they messed up and he went down on Hi There...

 

[ace22]

Yesterday I heard the song "Knocking on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan, and immediately the scene from "Pat Garret and Billy the Kid" came to mind, the scene where Slim gets shot by Kris Kristofferson, and he and his wife both know he's going to die. One of the saddest scenes in a movie, ever.

I agree a very sad scene, including the look in Garrett's eyes after he shot a man he used to ride with, but kristofferson wasn't in that scene and wasn't either of the 2 guys that shot slim.


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ftz-Xs1bGc"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ftz-Xs1bGc[/ame]

slim was a once in a lifetime talent and all around good guy, there won't be another slim pickens and there shouldn't be!

 

[Watchdog]

how's this for full circle... the 2 bombs on Dr Strangelove were "Hi There" and "Dear John"... he was supposed to go down on Dear John, his beloved horse... but they messed up and he went down on Hi There...