As much as I love Hoppy, the Hollywood inventions in the old movie posters set my teeth on edge. To name just a few: HAT WITH TURNED-UP BRIM: Invented so the audience could see the actors' faces. BUSCADERO GUNBELT: Yuck! LACK OF FACIAL HAIR: Anybody in the West with even a tenuous claim to manhood sported a beard or mustache or both. Clean-shaven men were rare or nonexistant. Any others? Joe West
What? You're saying Texas John Slaughter's didn't really wear a turned-up hat? I'm shocked.
I'm sure you're right, Joe, but we're so used to this stuff that it looks strange to see old photos where cowboys have gunbelts cinched tight around their waists or pistols stuck into their pants.
Hmm one question from one who have no idea: who is Hoppalong Cassidy? I only (and only) know what is a cowboy, published in the Argosy All Story Weekly pages.
Another annoying Hollywood invention is to have the heroes wear spotlessly clean hats and clothes. These guys seldom saw a bathtub or clothes cleaner so howcome their clothes look new?
Another thing, what is this with the shooting guns out of the bad guy's hand. In real life you tried to kill the sob.
Also, there were very few high noon, walk down the street facing your enemy gunfights. Most guys were smart enough to sneak up and shoot from ambush. Why risk your life in a so called fair fight.
Howabout the handsome minimum wage earning cowboy dating the rancher's daughter? Not too likely! Most ranchers would fire any cowboy laborer looking at his daughter.
And where are the Mexican, Indian, negro, cowboys? Most histories say at least a third of the cowboys were minorities. Not according to Hollywood however. They were mostly white, anglo saxon.
Hoppy is best remembered for a long series of films (30s, 40s & 50s) and a TV series the 50s that spawned a bunch of comic books, lunch boxes and other cool stuff. But he first appeared in a a series of books by Clarence Mulford, starting in 1904. Mulford's prose seems a bit eccentric these days, but the films still hold up well.
More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopalong_Cassidy
You might also search "Hopalong Cassidy" on eBay to see the wide variety of collectibles available.
I see. Many thanks, Evan. And about the hollywood/reality stuff. Mythical? Yes. Fun? Yes.
And... thanks to this, we have individuals who made a true, historical research of the west. Which is also fun!
You know? both sides are fun, and that is good. The solution is find a side for the proper moment. Ine for the nyth, and another for the truth. I believe all can coexist together. If we don't fight like rabid snakes, of course ;)
8 comments:
As much as I love Hoppy, the Hollywood inventions in the old movie posters set my teeth on edge. To name just a few:
HAT WITH TURNED-UP BRIM: Invented so the audience could see the actors' faces.
BUSCADERO GUNBELT: Yuck!
LACK OF FACIAL HAIR: Anybody in the West with even a tenuous claim to manhood sported a beard or mustache or both. Clean-shaven men were rare or nonexistant.
Any others?
Joe West
What? You're saying Texas John Slaughter's didn't really wear a turned-up hat? I'm shocked.
I'm sure you're right, Joe, but we're so used to this stuff that it looks strange to see old photos where cowboys have gunbelts cinched tight around their waists or pistols stuck into their pants.
I just can hear Roy singing "Hoppy, Gene and me, we taught you how to shoot straight..."
Hmm one question from one who have no idea: who is Hoppalong Cassidy? I only (and only) know what is a cowboy, published in the Argosy All Story Weekly pages.
Another annoying Hollywood invention is to have the heroes wear spotlessly clean hats and clothes. These guys seldom saw a bathtub or clothes cleaner so howcome their clothes look new?
Another thing, what is this with the shooting guns out of the bad guy's hand. In real life you tried to kill the sob.
Also, there were very few high noon, walk down the street facing your enemy gunfights. Most guys were smart enough to sneak up and shoot from ambush. Why risk your life in a so called fair fight.
Howabout the handsome minimum wage earning cowboy dating the rancher's daughter? Not too likely! Most ranchers would fire any cowboy laborer looking at his daughter.
And where are the Mexican, Indian, negro, cowboys? Most histories say at least a third of the cowboys were minorities. Not according to Hollywood however. They were mostly white, anglo saxon.
Giddy Up!
Hoppy is best remembered for a long series of films (30s, 40s & 50s) and a TV series the 50s that spawned a bunch of comic books, lunch boxes and other cool stuff. But he first appeared in a a series of books by Clarence Mulford, starting in 1904. Mulford's prose seems a bit eccentric these days, but the films still hold up well.
More info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopalong_Cassidy
You might also search "Hopalong Cassidy" on eBay to see the wide variety of collectibles available.
All true, Walker. The West we grew up with on TV and in the movies was mostly mythical, but it sure was fun.
I see. Many thanks, Evan. And about the hollywood/reality stuff. Mythical? Yes. Fun? Yes.
And... thanks to this, we have individuals who made a true, historical research of the west. Which is also fun!
You know? both sides are fun, and that is good. The solution is find a side for the proper moment. Ine for the nyth, and another for the truth. I believe all can coexist together. If we don't fight like rabid snakes, of course ;)
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