Many can identify Chuck Connors as the “The Rifleman” but perhaps not nearly as many know he was once a Dodger and always remained a Dodger in his heart.
Chuck Connors, christened Kevin Joseph Aloysius Connors, was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 10, 1921. His parents of Irish descent, Allan and Marcella Connors, had emigrated to the United States from what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland and now the Province of Newfoundland in Canada. Chuck had a sister Gloria who early on learned he did not like his first name. As he got older and taller he looked for a nickname, trying “Stretch” and “Lefty” but those didn’t really seem to fit. While playing first base, he would always yell, “Chuck it to me, baby, chuck it to me!” to the pitcher. The rest of his teammates and fans soon caught on and he became “Chuck”.
Chuck Connors grew up loving the Dodgers even though they were somewhat less than successful in the 1930s. Realizing he had athletic abilities he dreamed of the day he would be a Dodger. Those abilities earned him scholarships to Adelphi Academy, a private high school, and then to Seton Hall, a Catholic college in South Orange, New Jersey.
He left Seaton Hall after two years to join the army in October of 1942. He served primarily as a tank warfare instructor stationed at Camp Campbell and lastly at West Point. He was honorably discharged in 1946 and began to forge what he hoped would be a career in the world of sports.
He became a two-sport professional athlete specializing in basketball and baseball, one of a handful to ever play both sports professionally. In 1946 he played for the newly formed Boston Celtics of the Basketball Association of America. Trying to earn a living by playing two sports he would leave early in the spring for baseball spring training.
Perhaps his only claim to fame as a basketball player was that he became the first player to break one of the new glass backboards being used for the first time in professional basketball. The damage was not caused by a vicious slam dunk. He explained: “During the warm-up, I took a harmless 15 to 20 foot set shot, and crash, the glass backboard shattered.” Connors played with the Celtics during the 1946 and 1947 seasons. He then turned his attention to his first love – baseball – and his goal of becoming a Dodger.
Initially signed by the New York Yankees he was waived in 1946. He then wrote to the Dodgers asking them to acquire him. Branch Rickey agreed to sign him and he became a spring training teammate of Jackie Robinson and also his teammate for a while with the Montreal Royals before being assigned to the Newport News Dodgers. With Newport, he hit .293 with 19 stolen bases and a Piedmont League-leading 17 home runs.
In 1947 Connors helped the Mobile Bears to their first Southern Association title in 25 years while homering 15 times, six behind teammate George “Shotgun” Shuba. The following season he hit .307 with the AAA Montreal Royals with 36 doubles,17 home runs and 88 runs batted in.
The Rifleman’s dream came true in 1948 as he had made the Dodgers roster, unfortunately, it was as a first baseman behind Gil Hodges. He sat on the bench until May 1, 1949, when manager Burt Shotton called on him to pinch-hit for Carl Furillo. The story should end with a shot heard around the world. In fact, Chuck Connors said he knew he was going to crush it as he gripped the bat so tightly he was almost reducing it to sawdust. He did hit the ball hard but right back to pitcher Russ Meyer who started an inning-ending double play. That would be Connors only at-bat as a Dodger.
Shortly after that he was returned to Montreal and finished the season with the Royals hitting .319 with 20 home runs and 108 RBIs. He played with Montreal again in 1950 where his production decreased and his realization he would never be a Dodger increased. He asked for a trade. His request was granted when he and Dee Fondy were traded to the Chicago Cubs for Hank Edwards and cash. Connors could not have guessed that he now would be in competition with Fondy for the first base position with the Cubs.
During the first half of the 1951 season with the Los Angeles Angels, the Cubs top farm club, Connors excelled compiling a .321 batting average in 98 games, with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs. He was called up to the Cubs in July but hit only .239 in 66 games with just two homers and 18 RBIs. That was to mark his last appearance at the major league level as he was again assigned to the Los Angeles Angels following the season. In the meantime, Dee Fondy went on to play five years as the Cub first baseman.
Chuck Connors was soon to find his real niche in life. Hollywood came calling and he answered the call. He retired from baseball following the 1952 season and devoted his life to acting. The rest is history and Chuck Connors became synonymous with Lucas McCain, “The Rifleman.” Connors loved acting but never lost his love for baseball or the Dodgers.
Those that played with Chuck Connors remember him as much for his sense of humor and zest for life as his baseball accomplishments. On more than one occasion he was creative in running the bases following a home run. It was not unusual for him to do a cartwheel as part of his home run trot or to slide into a base, He especially loved to bait umpires and during his arguments with them, he would often use memorized passages from Shakespeare. One of his favorite passages seemed to be: “The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune I can take, but your blindness is ridiculous!” Needless to say, the surprised and perhaps confused umpires often would respond with: “You’re outta here, Connors.”
During his career, Connors was eager to bargain for what he felt was a fair wage. He didn’t always win but was not the least bit hesitant to bargain for a better deal. Tommy Lasorda who spent a number of years with Connors in the minors recounts an exchange between Connors and Branch Rickey. Rickey cautioned Connors: “Young man I don’t want you telling anyone how much money the Dodgers are paying you this year.” The young man replied: “I don’t blame you Mr. Ricky and you don’t have to worry. I’m just as embarrassed with the contract as you are.”
His negotiating skills were developing as a young man and demonstrated in 1947 when he played hard-to-get with Boston Celtics owner Walter Brown. He convinced Brown he had a deal to be a player-coach with the Birmingham team in the new Southern Basketball League. Celtics owner Brown eventually caved into Connors’ contract demands.
Dodger fans will remember the holdout by Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale at the beginning of the 1966 baseball season. Most of us didn’t know that Chuck Connors played an off-field role by helping to end the celebrated holdout when he acted as an intermediary during negotiations between the team and the players. In an Associated Press photo, he can be seen with Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax and Dodgers general manager Buzzie Bavasi announcing the pitchers’ new contracts.
The Rifleman died in 1992. Before his death, he was to have said he would rather have been Gil Hodges than Lucas McCain.
Biographer David Fury wrote that his stationary even said “Go Dodgers”, and you’d invariably find Chuck at Dodger Stadium on opening day and as often as he could make it to a ball game. The Dodger logo is etched on his tombstone as are the logos of the Cubs and Celtics.
Gun nickname trivia: On May 1, 1949, Chuck Connors (“The Rifleman”), Carl Furillo (“The Reading Rifle”) and George “Shotgun” Shuba all had plate appearances with the Dodgers. Connors and Shuba were hitless as pinch hitters and Furillo was hitless in three plate appearances. Former Dodger “Pistol” Pete Reiser was a member of the Boston Braves on that day but did not play.
To me, the only thing better at 5 AM than an episode of the Rifleman would be an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies following at 5:30.
I appreciate all the writers on this website. I learn something new everyday. Thank you.
Love to read stories like this – thanks; it brings back many fond memories. I remember when 6′ 8″ pitcher Gene Conley ( Braves – Boston & Milwaukee, Phillies, and Red Sox) played for the Celtics winning three rings. Bill Sharman also played for Celtics, coached the Lakers, and was a Dodgers minor leaguer.
I remember Gene Conley.
I also remember Bill Sharman. When I was asked to coach junior high basketball, with no experience as a first year teacher, I bought some books. The first was called, Sharman on Basketball Shooting, and the second was Blitz Basketball by Bob Samaras. Both were my early Bibles and served me well over 40 years.
If I recall correctly, Sharman holds the distinction of being ejected from a Major League game but never experiencing a minute on the playing time on the field. He was a September callup and during the Pennant stretch, there was a rhubarb on the field and the entire Dodger dugout was ejected by the home plate umpire. Sharman was one of the guys forced to go to the locker room early. I’ll have to look it up but I’m pretty sure that is how it went down.
Never took the field for the Dodgers but was thrown out of a game when the ump cleared the Brooklyn bench.
Thanks DC, your post filled in quite a few holes in my knowledge of Chuck’s story.
MLB Rumors listed Hernandez as one of 6 potential bounce back players.
Enrique Hernandez, UTIL, Dodgers:
“The versatile Hernandez was quite effective in 2018, during which he posted 3.2 fWAR, but that number checked in at a far less impressive 1.2 last season. The problem? A massive decline in offensive production. Hernandez’s wRC+ (88) represented a 30-point fall, while his OPS (.715; .237/.304/.411) lost 91 points. It didn’t help that Hernandez endured a 4-plus percent increase in strikeouts and a 3 percent decrease in walks.”
DC,
Great article. Have been a fan of the Rifleman and Chuck Conners for years. Conners also starred in a series called Branded and it is very good as well. Thanks for all of your hard work.
If you ever get caught short for a topic, I would love to read how you and all of the posters on this site became Dodger fans. I have an interesting tale on this topic and am sure that others do as well. Think it might be fun to take this time without baseball to share some personal Dodgers stories. Just a thought.
Connors also had some nice movie credits, including The Big Country with Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, Jean Simmons, and Burl Ives.
Dave De Busschere was another baseball and Basketball player. Won an NBA championship with the Knicks in the 69-70 season.
Dick groat played for Pirates and was a basketball all-American. Don’t remember if he played in NBA.
Folks, I can only say that everyone be safe and avoid large crowds if at all possible. Was just wondering that if the All Star Game was not played this year due to Covid 19, I would hope that Dodgers would still host it in 2021 because in no way should we be passed over if it’s not played this year. I have cancelled my MLB Extra Innings due to this season postponement and anyone who has already paid for MLB.TV should make sure money is refunded until we know if and when the season will start. And if it does start in the middle of June, no way can an entire 162 game scedule could be played.
I did not renew last year because I was not going to be home. I went to California to help out my sis who had knee replacement surgery. I ended up staying there 3 months. I did get to see most of the games since my sis has the station on her cable. And we went to a couple of games, one, Pollock hit a 3 run jack to beat the Reds, and the second one, Will Smith hit his walkoff against the Phillies. I got home the middle of June and I checked to see what the rest of the season was going to cost me. I must have timed it perfectly because I got the rest of the year for 40.00. They had some sort of sale going on. I would think they want their subscribers back, so there is going to be some sort of special run just before they announce the return of baseball. Be that whenever.
Chuck Connors. Loved The Rifleman. Was one of my favorite shows. In those days most of my favorites were westerns. The guy who played the marshal, Paul Fix, appeared in over 20 John Wayne movies. By far the Duke’s most prolific co-star. Ward Bond was right there with him. I took basic training with Johnny Crawford, yep, the Rifleman’s kid. Winter of 65 at Ft. Bliss Texas, He was not the only so called celebrity in our training unit. I do not know how many of you remember the roller derby, but the LA T-Birds player, Georgie Copeland took basic with us too. I also met John Russell, known to many as The Lawman. He was at a Dodger game at the coliseum about 2 rows from us. Nice guy. Among Connors movie credits is a rather comedic turn in a James Garner movie ” Support Your Local Gunfighter” Co- star in that was Jack Elam….it was a sequel to Support Your Local Sheriff. Both were pretty funny. Connors played the gunfighter Garner was impersonating.
Lol, I just saw Jack Elam on ‘The Twilight Zone’ less than a half hour ago. Don’t know why I needed to share that.
The Rifleman and Dodger baseball! Thanks so much DC, this really brightened up my morning! Two of my favorite memories from my youth! Lucas McCain and Mark McCain were regular visitors into my living room as I watched their adventures on my round screen black and white television.
A Lucas McCain quote is timely today: “.a time a town or even a country is really lost is when the people who live in it get careless and stop paying attention to how it’s being run…”
My favorite cowboy show from that era was “The Range Rider” starring Jock Mahoney.
I actually met him 2D2. We were doing a benefit show at Alpine Village in Torrance. The band I was in was the main act, and Bob Wills Jr, Jock Mahony, and Lee Aaker came. Aaker, who was Rusty on Rin Tin Tin, and Mahony represented the stunt man association, that is what Mahony did after his star faded some. You remember him on Range Rider, I remember him as Yancy Derringer.
That’s neat that you met him and Rusty. Rin Tin Tin was another show I frequently watched. Although “The Range Rider” came out in the early 50’s before Yancy Derringer, we didn’t have a television until 1960, I never saw Derringer, but did see the afternoon reruns of “The Range Rider.” Jock was my cowboy hero when I was young. He was a different sort of cowboy that didn’t wear cowboy boots which, at the time, I thought was pretty cool.
Mahoney also played Tarzan in 2 movies. And he appeared on Ron Ely’s TV series about Tarzan. Another little tidbit, Mahoney was Sally Fields step dad., Her mom was his second wife. Burt Reynolds movie “Hooper” was based on a stuntman somewhat like Mahoney. Brian Keith’s character in the movie was named Jocko. Who was also Sally Fields dad in the movie. He died in Bremerton, Washington in 1989 of stroke, just 2 days after he had been involved in a car accident. He was 70 and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean. Oh yeah, his given name was Jacques.
Thank you for sharing this information. This was information I did not know and now can store in that area of my brain where I keep all the trivia from the past.
Someone else mentioned Torrance on this board, I forget who. I was living in Torrance from 6 months old to age 11. I had thought of bringing up ‘Tordondo’ where Little League was then and I think still played. Anyone who was a kid in those days, living in that area would have to know of that LL park. I lived on Talisman, My older sister worked at Broadway at the same time the “someone else” stated their mother worked there. Again – I’m not sure what’s gotten into me – other than ADD.
Late 50’s, early 60’s – Rawhide was my favorite western; Gil Favor and Rowdy (Clint Eastwood) Yates
Thank you DC for the wonderful article about Chuck Connors. Loved his sense of humor and interesting how he got the name “Chuck”, always wondered.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_westerns_on_television
thanks for the link — that was fun reading through the shows and stars. “Wanted Dead or Alive” – Steve McQueen. Loved the show
Without looking at the entire list, I can tell you that I watched almost all of them. As apparently most were on this site, I was a huge western fan and to this day I look forward to the Western Channel.
I became a Dodger fan in the 50’s. I was raised on a farm. We worked 6 days a week and on Sunday we had chores that needed to be done. All we had was the game of the week on Saturday. The very first one I listened to was the Dodgers. Roy Campanella was my favorite. I was a catcher. Dad would get so mad at me because I would slip away whenever possible from work and go to the house to listen to the game.
There were so many westerns back then. Have Gun Will Travel. I had a Paladin holster set. Gunsmoke, Wagon Train. never was the same after Ward Bond died. Bonanza. The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp with Hugh O’Brien, who was in Wayne’s last film, The Shootist along with Richard Boone. Great memories.
Along with Rawhide, Gunsmoke and others, I also enjoyed Bret Maverick, Death Valley Days and The Virginian. One if the more current ones I loved was called Longmire but I do not think it was on regulator tv so do not know if anyone saw it. Lou Diamond Phillips was in it and he was wonderful.
I watched all of the Longmire shows. Starred Robert Taylor..not the movie star, a different guy. Set in Wyoming. Not only was Lou Diamond Phillips in the cast, but so was Graham Greene and A. Martinez, who some may remember as Cimaron in the John Wayne movie, The Cowboys. Which made Bruce Dern pretty much the most hated man in America after the brutal slaying of Wayne’s character in the movie. Gerald McRaney, also known as Major Dad, had a recurring role. Longmire originally was aired on A&E. It ran for 2 seasons there and then was cancelled. The show was picked up by Netflix and ran for an additional 4 seasons. It is still available on Netflix. Well done show with some excellent actors. Greene has always been a favorite of mine ever since “Dances With Wolves” He also did a great comedic turn in Mel Gibson’s Maverick.
Robert Taylor who starred in Longmire was from Australia. I watched all 4 seasons on Netflix. Wish they had not cancelled it.
I loved Longmire!! Even though it was set in Wyoming, it was filmed in New Mexico. I was bummed it was cancelled, but they had pretty much exhausted all of their story lines.
I think there were 5 seasons.
Nope Mark, 6. I watched every single episode, and then re watched them. Check Wikipedia Mark. In the final episode, he rides off into the sunset.
Lou Diamond Phillips is quality actor. Primarily a Filipino, he played a great Ritchie Valens and was fantastic as an Native American in Longmire. He does have some American Indian on his father’s side. I cheated on this one. I knew he was Filipino but did not realize he has some Native American blood.
He did a re-make of John Wayne’s The Angel and the Badman. Was in quite a few movies including Young Guns and Young Guns II.
Longmire yes, great show.
If you ever watched any old westerns and TV series’ you saw Bing Russell. He was in everything. Much like John Dehner, Bing was not a star but played a million supporting roles. Maybe his most recognizable role was Deputy Clem Foster on Bonanza. Bing was the unofficial Yankee’s mascot as a kid growing up by their training camp in St. Pete.
I played A ball against his son Kurt Russell who played 2nd base for the Bend Rainbows, owned at the time by the AAA Hawaiian Islanders. In the late 70’s, Bing owned the famous independent franchise in the Northwest League, The Portland Mavericks.
Bing was another actor with strong baseball ties.
I saw Kurt play AA ball at El Paso when Norm Sherry was managing the team. He hit .563 in 6 games, then he was hurt and his minor league career pretty much ended. His dad was at the stadium a couple times to see him. Bing was a well worked character actor who sometimes was in a movie for just a few minutes. His biggest part in a movie I can remember was in John Wayne’s ” The Horse Soldiers”. He had a lot of lines in that movie. And he dies after having his leg amputated by William Holden’s character in the movie. Ken Curtis, Festus, and Denver Pyle, who was in the Duke’s of Hazzard are also in the movie. Russell had a small part in The Magnificent 7, and another Wayne movie, Rio Bravo where he is gunned down in the opening minutes of the film by Claude Akins. I do not know if anyone ever saw the Bruce Willis film, Sunset. It centers around Wyatt Earp coming to Hollywood, James Garner as Earp to have the OK corral gunfight put on screen starring Tom Mix, played by Willis. Russell has a role as a studio security guard. Greatest thing about this movie, is the cars. Mix’s Dusenberg, and some other oldies are just so cool to see. Malcolm McDowell plays the sadistic studio head.
Okay, now we are talking about one of my all-time favorite topics…TV Westerns. Bear already discussed some of my favorites; Lawman (John Russell and Robert Fuller), Have Gun Will Travel (Richard Boone), Wyatt Earp (Hugh O’Brien), Yancy Derringer (Jock Mahoney). SoCalBum added Wanted Dead or Alive (Steve McQueen), and Rawhide (Eric Fleming and Clint Eastwood). And DBM added Death Valley Days (Ronald Reagan), Virginian (James Drury, Lee J. Cobb, Clu Gulager, Doug McClure). The Virginian had that great cast and was 1 ½ hours. Others picked the three big classics, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and Wagon Train.
Because these are brain games that I like to play, from memory some of my other favorites.
High Chaparral – Leif Erickson, Cameron Mitchell, Henry Darrow, Linda Cristol, Mark Slade (Yes a big time favorite)
Bat Masterson (Gene Barry)
Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett – Both starring Fess Parker
Wild Bill Hickock – Guy Madison
Cheyenne – Clint Walker
Rebel – Nick Adams as Johnny Yuma
Laramie – Robert Fuller
Sugar Foot – Will Hutchins
Tall Man – Barry Sullivan and Clu Gulager (Billy the Kid)
Wild Wild West – Robert Conrad and Ross Martin
Zorro – Guy Williams
Guns of Will Sonnett – Walter Brennan – No brag, just fact (and spit)
All the Mavericks – James Garner, Jack Kelly, Roger (James Bond) Moore
Cimarron Strip – Stuart Whitman (who just died at 92)
Big Valley
Texan – Rory Calhoun
Laredo – Neville Brand, Peter Brown, and Philip (Granny Goose) Carey
Americans – Darryl Hickman (Cheating – Civil War)
I can still sing the song for Tombstone Territory – “Whistle me up a memory, Whistle me back where I want to be, Whistle a tune that will carry me, to Tombstone Territory.”
Of course, the silly ones like F Troop.
And a couple as I grew older – Alias Smith and Jones (Pete Duel and Ben Murphy)
The Quest – Kurt Russell and Tim Matheson
How The West Was One – James Arness and Bruce Boxleitner
All Time Classic – Lonesome Dove with a couple of super stars in Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones and a youngish Ricky (Silver Spoons) Schroeder.
I am going to have to start on my Western Movies memory. It starts with no matter where I am or how many times I have seen it…Tombstone. I can practically recite that movie.
Wow! You pretty much touched them all AC! Quite impressive. Thinking back on all the old Western’s has been an enjoyable diversion today. As along as baseball is not being played, we need to do this more often.
You left out Cheyenne. Clint Walker as Cheyenne Bodie. Disney had some notable western characters in recurring roles also, Texas John Slaughter with Tom Tyron, and The Life and Times of Elfego Baca. Based on a true person, and starring Robert Loggia, who you all remember from Big, and Independence Day as the Marine General.
It was on my list. It was a never miss.
Who played ‘Sugarfoot’?
My mother socked Neville Brand in his face and the fans cheered her at Dodger Stadium. He deserved it.
Wow, that was impressive AC. Did you actually do that without going to Google for any of it or did you have to cheat a little? I agree, Tombstone was great.
Darryl Hickman – was he Dwayne Hickman’s brother (Dobie Gillis)?
Anyone here watch Yellowstone (on the Paramount network, starring Kevin Costner)? If so, what do you think of it?
Dwayne was in Cat Ballou with Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin, who will always be remembered as Liberty Valance. But he won an Oscar for Cat Ballou. His turn as Kid Sheelen and his brother, who had a silver nose was classic, He said at the ceremony that he owed the Oscar to a horse out in the valley. The horse he rode in the movie was pretty memorable……..Kid Sheelen, whats wrong with your eyes, what do you mean whats wrong with my eyes, their all red and blood shot, kid, you ought to see them from my side!
I remember Lee Marvin on M Squad where he played a Chicago cop. That show ran for a long time.
M Squad lasted 3 seasons. I remember it a little. Was more into The Highway Patrol with Broderick Crawford. If anyone ever wants to watch a very under rated western, try and find, The Fastest Gun Alive. Glenn Ford and Broderick Crawford are the main stars.
Don’t remember Yellowstone it but I find Dances With Wolves and Open Range two of his most rewatchable movies. Also on my list of rewatchable movies (maybe not the best) Avatar, The Godfather, Jurassic Park, A Few Good Men, The Big Lebowski, Goodfellas, Titanic, The Unforgiven, Oh Brother Where Art Thou (anything the Coen Brothers do) Gladiator, the Star Trek movies with Chris Pine, The Notebook……… (I just threw that in to elevate Bear’s heart rate)…………I’m sure I have more, but I also have a salad to make.
Yellowstone is a currently running series on the Paramount network if you have access to that. You might also be able to stream it somewhere.
The Notebook? Seriously? Independence Day, the original War of the Worlds, any Indiana Jones movie. Star Trek, Wrath of Khan, and The Voyage Home. Open Range was great. Outlaw Josey Wales, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and The Ten Commandments. A couple of war movies, All the Young Men with Sidney Poitier and Alan Ladd. And Hell is For Heroes, Steve McQueen, Fess Parker, Bob Newhart, Bobby Darin, Nick Adams, and James Coburn.
Yes I did. My brain does not hold much anymore, but music and westerns obviously have a special place in my brain.
Wow, maybe for the first time since I joined this blog family, I have absolutely zero to contribute to the topic at hand! (of course, some here would argue that I already contribute zero)
Clu Gulager, who is now 91, was also in a western called, The Tall Man where he played Billy the Kid. I can recite the lines from a lot of westerns. I have well over 5000 DVD’s and blu rays. There are some other made for TV westerns that were never released on the big screen that were pretty good, Lonesome Dove is a great example, but they did all of the McMurtry novels pretty much, including one where Garner takes over Tommy Lees role. But there was The Sacketts, Selleck and Elliot with Ben Johnson along for the ride, The Shadow Riders. Elliot made some pretty good movies for TNT including Conager, You Know My Name, true story of Bill Tilgman, and the Quick and the Dead. Selleck did the same with Last Stand At Saber River and Monte Walsh. As for movies, to me the best western ever made was The Searchers. Shane and High Noon were close, but the intensity of The Searchers was a standout. But I also love Tombstone, The Unforgiven, and True Grit, the original not the remake….Mr. Rat, I have a writ here that says you are to quit eatin Chen Lee’s corn forthwith, now it’s a rat writ writ for a rat and this is lawful service of same….see….they never listen, BAM=== Wayne kills the rat. Oh yeah, a couple of more old TV series you might have forgotten, The Cisco Kid, Buffalo Bill Jr. The Roy Rogers show, with Pat Brady and Nellebelle.
What a great memory Bear! I’m impressed. That’s a funny quote!
Another was, What ya got in your tote sack sister>? By God girl, that’s a Colts Dragoon! What’s a girl like you doin with all that horse pistol? Ya might be able to hit somethin if ya was to set it on a fence post.
Tom Selleck is a more modern day (as modern as you can be at 75) cowboy star. He was as natural on a horse as he was in a red Ferrari with a Tigers cap. Plus he is a Trojan. The Sacketts with Sam Elliott is also a favorite. Quigley Down Under.
High Noon was probably my first western movie that I remember. The Searchers was fantastic.
He did a baseball movie too. Mr. Baseball. Set in Japan. Dennis Haysbert, who played Cerrano in the Major League movies was also in it. Personally, I love the Jesse Stone mystery movies he did. There are 9 of them and I have them all. Selleck also had a very small part in the original Midway which was remade last year starring Dennis Quaid and Woody Harrelson.
Nobody mentioned ‘Chill Wills’ unless I missed it.
Silverado is a classic that is often missed. Also, a big fan of My Darling Clementine as well as any many made by John Ford, especially the original Stagecoach with the Duke.
Blazing Saddles.
The Quick and the Dead
310 to Yuma
Quigley Down Under
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmOLJERZPa4
They call me Trinity
We watched Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin in Paint Your Wagon yesterday. Saturday is often Cowboy day.
Not a cowboy series but one we liked was Justified. Lacked horses but otherwise cowboy like.
Loved Justified!
Here’s another vote for Justified. Great series.
Ranking the Top 10 MLB Lineups:
https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/news/top-lineups-in-mlb-2020
Hint: Dodgers are #1
You all covered the good stuff very well. I want to make my nomination for all time worst western movie: Pocket Money, starring Paul Newman and Lee Marvin. I guess I should apologize for bringing it up.
Any spaghetti western without Clint Eastwood were pretty awful. Nomination for the worst? Hands down, Heaven’s Gate. It had a really good cast, and still it bombed. Lost the studio 37 million, which at the time was a ton of money. Kristofferson, and Christopher Walken were the main stars, but Jeff Bridges, Joseph Cotton, John Hurt, Sam Waterston, Geofrey Lewis, Willem Defoe, and Mickey Roarke were also in the movie. Based on the Johnson County Wars.
I think ‘Once upon a Time in The West’ was a pretty good spaghetti western.
One of the best scenes ever. 3 bad guys waiting at the train station, Jack Elam, Woody Strode and some Italian guy. Elam passes time catching a fly in the barrel of his gun. Train stops, Charles Bronson gets off. Elam looks at him and says, looks like we’re a horse short! And they giggle, Bronson reply’s, nope, you brought 2 too many, and then kills all 3 of them. One of the few times you will see Henry Fonda as a bad guy. The only other time I can remember was in a movie called Firecreek with James Stewart.
https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/news/connor-joe-has-surgery-for-testicular-cancer
Sorry to hear that. Will put him on my prayer list.
I really liked Randolf Scott & Joel McCrea in their westerns.
He made some good ones. Was in The Spoilers with Wayne. Statler Brothers did a song with him in it, Whatever happened to Randolph Scott, ridin the range alone.
2 that I almost forgot and were very funny movies. Shanghai Noon, and Shanghai Knights. Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson. Both were really well done, and the out takes at the end of the movie were hilarious. It is a wonder Chan was not injured more seriously.
By the way, Connors baseball cards are not cheap. Most start around 10 bucks and go up.
Just another thought about Lou Diamond Phillips in Longmire. He did not speak in contractions. Instead of “I can’t” or I didn’t or I’m”, he always said, “I can not, I did not or I am.” Wonder if he talked like that all the time, or it was in the script written that way. Quite refreshing though.
On another note, my neighbor’s mother was Doris Baker in the “Cinder Ellers” (way before my time). Anyways, at the beginnings of The Virginian, there was a scene where a bunch of babies were laid on a bed. He was one of them. Not in the credits, but a claim to fame.