Westerns and Burt Lancaster

[UncleEd]

I liked John Wayne but when it comes to Westerns that I really like, I think of Burt Lancaster.

Lancaster's career, roles were certainly varied but here's a list of his Westerns and I don't think of any of them as cookie cutter except Vengeance Valley:

Ulzana's Raid; about the best picture ever depicting Apache fighting.

Valdez is Coming; a man of great principal involving a debt of $100.

Lawman; a dark and mean picture but filled with excellent characterizations

Scalphunters; very funny and one where Lancaster makes fun of himself.

The Professionals; my all time favorite Western.

Hallelujah Trail; a minor effort but it had its fun moments and again Lancaster made fun of himself.

Unforgiven; the other half of LeMay's books on Comanche, Kiowa hatreds--the other being The Searchers with John Wayne

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral; historically off but still a decent work.

The Kentuckian; often forgotten but a decent film about an honorable man

Vera Cruz; an often fun film with Lancaster as a charming, vicious, uncouth lout.

Apache; a nice effort to portray the plight of the Apache at the end of the wars in 1880s.

Vengeance Valley; a stinker which I really don't like.

Yes, I have favorite Wayne films, his best being Red River and The Searchers.

 

[CQB27]

Valdez is Coming was one of my father's favorite westerns, and he was a John Wayne fan above all. It's number 2 on my list, The Searchers is my number one.

 

[CATI1835]

The Professionals; my all time favorite Western.

+1 for The Professionals. In my top three. Burt was good, so was Lee Marvin and Claudia Cardinale is easy on the eyes...

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I also like the Professionals.
I saw part of it just the other day on TV.
My favorite movie of his is From Here to Eternity.
Sort of a Western it's happened West of CA!

 

[gruntshot]

I remember Valdez is coming,it was a good movie.From Here to Eternity also was a good movies I think.

 

[UncleEd]

I specifically stuck with Westerns.

To bring up Lancaster's other films is to open a subject miles and miles long.

For instance, The Killers, Brute Force, Seven Days in May, Judgment at Nuremberg, From Here to Eternity, The Rainmaker,
Birdman at Alcatraz, The Train, Atlantic City, Sweet Smell of Success and on and on.

And for absolute acrobatic fun The Crimson Pirate or The Flame and the Arrow.

 

[the ringo kid]

My favorite Lancaster Westerns are (not necessarily in this order)

The Professionals, Vera Cruz, Gunfight At the OK Corral. I also like the one where he carried a Kentucky long rifle, just cant think of its name off-hand?

However, id have loved to see him one way or the other in westerns like: Winchester 73, Hondo, Major Dundee, Arrowhead etc.

 

[UncleEd]

Ringo,

Where he carried a Kentucky long rifle, I mentioned it....hmmmm, was it The Louisianan? Oh, no, no,
how about the Georgian?

And Walter Matthau was the ultimate bad guy with a whip!

 

[the ringo kid]

Ringo,

Where he carried a Kentucky long rifle, I mentioned it....hmmmm, was it The Louisianan? Oh, no, no,
how about the Georgian?

And Walter Matthau was the ultimate bad guy with a whip!

Thats the one--with Matthau. Id forgotten he was the baddie in a western. Shame he didnt do more westerns or of this kind. He was good. Id almost got this one mixed up with an early Kirk Douglas title.

DOH, The Kentuckian. Ive been up too long today already. )

 

[steveno]

another non-western for Burt was Castle Keep

 

[Step N. Mud]

Yes, Really enjoyed watching all these B.L movies.
'Valdez is Coming' on DVD and remember reading the book previous to the movie. That sawed off shotgun is just for hunting rabbits LOL. His hat/scout outfit is one I kinda copied for cowboy action shooting.

 

[Abbynormal]

"Tell then Valdez is coming" made me aware of .45-70 Springfield's and Sharp's!

 

[SilentKnight]

Burt Lancaster was a great actor and he had some great western roles. Love his movies. One of my favorites is Comancheros with John Wayne and Stewart Whitman but the dates and weapons used are horrific historically. Can't believe John Wayne used those dates and guns for the movie. If you can get beyond that, it is a great flick.

 

[armadillo]

Ulzana's Raid is one of my all time favorites westerns.

It was one of at least 3 westerns he did with director Robert Aldrich - others: Vera Cruz and Apache.

 

[UncleEd]

And one of my all time favorite lines from Ulzana's Raid is when the lieutenant asks when will Ulzana fight.

And Lancaster, the scout, drily comments Ulzana has no intention of fighting. Just killing.

That pretty much sums up just about any guerrilla war.

 

[rog8732]

He was great in most all the westerns, and they are some of my favorite movies,( Valdez my first choice); but his real "stretch" as an actor has to be as Elmer Gantry in the movie of the same name.

Can't think of any of our present-day actors who could walk in his shoes.

 

[ace22]

the professionals is among my favorites. burt and lee marvin were both great in it, we don't have believable macho cool actors like them anymore. I liked many of the others mentioned too and my favorite non western burt film has to be the train.

 

[cougar14]

Woody Strode

I don't want to start a new thread, but he sure played some great characters in Westerns, notably The Professionals and Liberty Valance (short). He had it rough his first few years, especially football.

 

[UncleEd]

Cougar,

For whatever reason, Wayne picked on Woody Strode, Strode said, and Strode in later years said it was only because he didn't want to deck an old man that he didn't floor Wayne.

 

[Beruisis]

Valdez rules!!!!!!!!!