Classic Film Review: The Red Pony (1949)

The Red Pony stars Peter Miles as Tom, a rancher's son who longs for a pony. When he's given one, however, he learns sharp lessons about responsibility and pain. The cast also features Myrna Loy as Alice Tiflin, Shepperd Strudwick as Fred Tiflin, Robert Mitchum as farmhand Billy Buck and Louis Calhern as Grandfather with a brief appearance from Margaret Hamilton as a schoolteacher. Also watch out for an eight year old Beau Bridges as one of Tom's friends. Based on an episodic novella by John Steinbeck, the screenplay was also written by him.

This is a gentle film where, really, very little happens. It hinges on Tom and, fortunately, Peter Miles does a very good job as the boy. Rather surprisingly - for me anyway - Robert Mitchum has a good rapport with Miles, making their scenes together some of the best of the film. While I enjoyed Mitchum, Loy and Calhern, it felt as though they were all bigger than their parts. The same couldn't be said for Shepperd Strudwick, who feels tacked on as an afterthought, both in terms of character and actor.

It does a very good job of grounding the story in its time and location and it's delicately shot. There are moments which feel a little outlandish - Tom imagining leading an army on the way to school, for instance - and it's fairly obvious from the outset that disaster's going to strike. If you don't have a high tolerance for films with child leads then you won't like this one. However, as part of Robert Mitchum's filmography, I found it fascinating. Probably not one I'll watch again, but I'm glad I saw it.

Classic Film Review: How the West Was Won (1962)

How the West Was Won is an epic Western focusing on three generations of the same family. As well as three tremendous directors, it boasts a phenomenal cast: Carroll Baker, Lee. J. Cobb, Henry Fonda, Carolyn Jones, Karl Malden, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Robert Preston, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, Eli Wallach, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Walter Brennan, Agnes Moorhead, Harry Morgan, Thelma Ritter and Russ Tamblyn. Oh, and it's narrated by Spencer Tracy.

There are distinct sections in this film and it's rather difficult to review in light of all the separate bits. I will say that I enjoyed the opening parts with parents played by Karl Malden and Agnes Moorhead and the daughters played by Carroll Baker and Debbie Reynolds, the first of whom captures mountain man James Stewart and the second toys with Robert Preston before entrapping Gregory Peck. This is one of those films where it's much easier to refer to people by their actor name because it's a film where characters are symbols, the means by which we live through outlaws, white water, civil war, the railroad and Indian battles. The only character who lasts the film out is Lily (Debbie Reynolds), but even she only appears in three of the five sections. It makes latching onto character difficult, though Thelma Ritter makes an impact as a woman in search of a husband and Jimmy Stewart, despite being too old for his part, is as enjoyable as ever.

That said, it's certainly a film that merits watching at least once for what it depicts. It feels like an amalgamation of every Western every filmed and including some of the heavyweights of the genre certainly helps its credentials. There are some spectacular sequences including the white water scene in the first section and a brilliant train battle towards the end. Ultimately, these scenes are more memorable than any of the characters and, more memorable than even those, is the overarching ideal of the West that comes across via Spencer Tracy's narration.

Classic Film Review: Rooster Cogburn (1975)

Rooster Cogburn stars John Wayne as the title character, a marshal who has his badge taken away because the criminals in his area seem to end up dead and not in prison. He's given it back on the proviso that he can catch Hawk (Richard Jordan), the leader of a gang who have stolen explosives to blow up a bank, and bring him back alive. Rooster sets off after them, coming across a settlement that the men have ransacked. Eula Goodnight (Katharine Hepburn), a preacher's daughter, is mourning the death of her father at their hands and she and Wolf (Richard Romancito) are taken along with Rooster so he can leave them somewhere safe. Eula has no intention of letting that happen - she and Wolf go with Rooster to catch the men responsible for murdering her father and friends.

It's remarkable, given the age of the two stars (both were born in 1907 so were 68 at the time this was released), the amount of energy this film exudes. At no point do you get the impression you're watching an old Katharine Hepburn as she shoots and rides her way through the country. It's quite evident that she and Wayne enjoyed making this film and their back and forth, quips and comments, are a joy to watch. Of course there are comparisons to be made with Hepburn's The African Queen (1951, reviewed here), and there are similarities, though The African Queen remains the superior article. However, Rooster Cogburn still occupies a prime space in Hepburn's later filmography and is thoroughly enjoyable.

I have to say, Westerns aren't my forte and I think it was the presence of Hepburn and Wayne that made this one so good from my perspective. However, the characterisation and portrayal of Rooster is good and several bit characters also make an impression. One person I wasn't sure about was Richard Jordan as villain Hawk. For me, he wasn't balanced enough. He often switches from calm to angry in a disjointed way which, while expressing his volatility, doesn't feel normal.

There are a couple of memorable scenes, most notably the rapids (another similarity with The African Queen) and the shoot-out in the woods where Eula shows off her shooting prowess. There are also some nice, quiet scenes between the leads, the best of these coming when Rooster gives Eula a massage. This is a gorgeous little film, worth watching for any Hepburn fan, even those who aren't too sure about Westerns.