Movie Review: ***^Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Cool Hand Luke (1967)  This is the chain gang movie of them all.  Luke (Paul Newman) is sentenced to two years on the chain gang because he destroyed municipal property.  While there he runs into the biggest prisoner, Dragline (George Kennedy, and takes him on in a fight.  He loses the fight badly, but wins Dragline’s respect.  All is going well.  Luke’s momma comes and visits before she passes away.  To prevent Luke from running, he is put in the hot box for no reason.  This leads to a different attitude.  Now Luke is determined to escape.  He makes a couple attempts.  He gets away but is eventually caught.  After the second time he goes through a serious reconditioning program with forced work all night and cane beatings.  He finally admits he has been broken.  However, he makes another break, and this time Dragline comes with him.  In this instance, instead of being captured again he is murdered, which brings an end to his life but not his spirit. 

Movie Review: ****Cahill: U.S. Marshal

This is a John Wayne, and almost all of his movies, including this one, are classics.  This is a Western, which focuses on father-son relationships, and the problems you can have if you put yourself in the victim role.  Turns out the Marshall's (John Wayne) son's are involved in a bank robbery.  Other men are convicted of the robbery, and sentenced to hang.  That is a very interesting premise.  What will the boys do?  This situation is worse as they are in with some very bad men, Abe Fraser (George Kennedy) and his gang who will kill them if things go wrong; and likely will kill them if things go right.  Marshall Cahill is on their trail, and needs to resolve things before innocent men (at least innocent in this instance) get hanged.  He is helped by Lightfoot (Neville Brand) a half-Comanche scout.  Things do not turn out all well in the end.  This is a very good film, and I enjoyed seeing John Wayne in the double role as law-men but also father.  In this case the kids blame him for their getting into problems, because father is always away from home.