John Wayne Movie Review: Rio Bravo (1959)

 Sheriff Chance (John Wayne) arrests a man Joe Burdette for murder, and his brother Nathan Burdette (John Russell) doesn't like it.  John is a big land owner and is complicit in a murder himself, paying people to do his evil work.  Chance has two deputies, Stumpy (Walter Brennan) who is crippled and Dude (Dean Martin) who has been on a two year bender after things went sour with a girl.  But they do have the fortress of the jail.  There is a woman (Angie Dickinson) new in town, who befriends Chance.  Also a young gun man, Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson) whose boss is murdered by Burdette's men, and becomes a third deputy.  Finally the dye is cast, when Burdette's men kidnap Dude, and arrange an exchange for Joe Burdette.  This sets up the final gun battle.  With the help of some dynamite things do not go well for the crooks.

I enjoyed this movie.  The action was very nice, as was the romance.  The nicest part was a couple of songs the deputies sang while they holed up in the jail where they thought they could defend against the criminals.  One of the songs the Tabernacle Choir has also sung, "Cindy." 

Western Movie Review: The Over the Hill Gang (1969)

The Over the Hill Gang: TV Movie:  This was originally a TV movie and I have watched it on the Western Movie Channel.    In this movie we have an ex captain of the Texas Ranger whose son-in-law is being bullied in his attempt to unseat the mayor.  The mayor has the sheriff and judge under his thumb.  The son-in-law is a newspaper man and would like to expose the mayor, but the law forces him out of this.  The Captain calls some of his old Ranger’s to help.  They are all old men, and at first they don’t succeed.  However, they take up the strategy of divide and conquer.  The influence the officials to get away or to kill each other.  However, the mayor has already hired replacements who appear even more ruthless.  Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan, Pat O'Brien and Chill Wills star as the Texas Rangers. 

Movie Review: ****Tammy and the bachelor and Song: Debbie Reynolds - Tammy

I have always loved this song, and the movie.  I have a cousin Tammy, and this song reminds me of her.
Debbie Reynolds portrays tammy, a young woman living on the Bayou in a houseboat.  When her grandfather (Walter Brennan) rescues a young man, Peter Brent (Leslie Nielsen) from a plain accident, and brings him home to mend him, Tammy falls in love with him.  Brent eventually heads home to his family estate, with the invitation that should anything happen to grandfather, she should come to Brent Hall.  Grandfather is arrested a couple weeks later for moonshining, and tammy takes up the offer and arrives at Brent Hall.
This is a story about two different worlds mixing.  Most of Brent's friends, especially his girlfriend are dead set against letting a country bumpkin into their crowd.  Brent's mother dislikes her.  Especially when she learns Tammy's grandfather is in jail.
Brent Hall is not currently self sustaining.  Brent is trying to develop a tomato to change that.  He is also offered a job in the city.  tammy struggles with her feelings for Hall and whether they are returned.
Tammy dresses in a gown loaned to her by Brent's Aunt and previously worn by great grandmother for Pilgrimage, an annual event.  Tammy is charming.  However when a hail storm destroys the tomatoes Brent decides to take the job offer.  Tammy is devastated and runs away back to the bayou.  Brent realizes he returns her love, and seeks her out.  the movie ends with a kiss.