Joel McCrea

Joel McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990). Had a paper route and delivered the Los Angeles Times to, Cecil B. DeMille. Who gave him the opportunity to watch the filming of the film, Intolerance.

While still in high school, he worked as a stunt double and held horses for cowboy stars: William S. Hart and Tom Mix. He was working as an extra, when he signed a contract with MGM. He was cast in, The Jazz Age (1929) and landed his first leading role in, The Silver Horde.

In the 1930s, McCrea starred in the film, Bird of Paradise (1932), directed by King Vidor, causing controversy for his nude scenes with Dolores del Río.

Please click here to learn more about the film Bird of Paradise(1932)

The Most Dangerous Game(1932). Pre-Code plot is about a big game hunter on an island who chooses to hunt humans for sport. The film stars Joel McCrea, Leslie Banks and King Kong leads Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong.

Video: Full length movie.

Bed of Roses (1933). Pre-Code/comedy, about a couple of happy- go-lucky prostitutes, who get their male pursuers drunk before robbing them, which eventually lands them in jail. Joel McCrea, plays the skipper of a small cotton boat who saves Bennett's character from drowning, after she's dived off a ship to escape capture.

In 1934, he made his first performances with actress: Miriam Hopkins, who he made five films with and Barbara Stanwyck, in which they made six films together. Later, he was the first actor to play "Dr. Kildare", in the film, Interns Can't Take Money (1937).

He starred in the westerns, Wells Fargo (1937) with his wife Francis Dee, in a film about how the US Post Office meet the demands for communication in a fast growing country of the 1840s. Joel McCrea, plays one of the early riders, who loses his family, because of his dedication.



Cecil B. DeMille's, Union Pacific (1939). The story is based on the novel Trouble Shooter, written by Western fiction author, Ernest Haycox.

The 1862 Pacific Railroad Act signed by President Lincoln authorizes building the Union Pacific Railroad toward California, but Asa Barrows, hopes to profit from obstructing it. Jeff Butler, comes up against Barrows' agent, gambler Sid Campeau and his partner Dick Allen, who is Jeff's war buddy and rival suitor for Molly Monahan.

McCrea, was in the peak of his career when he performed in the films:

Foreign Correspondent (1940).
Please click to learn more about the film Foreign Correspondent(1940).

The More the Merrier(1943),

Pleas click here to learn more abot The More the Merrier(1943)

Sullivan's Travels (1941). A comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges. It is about a movie director, played by Joel McCrea, who wants to direct a drama, but learns that comedies are better suited for him. The film features one of Veronica Lake's first leading roles.

The Palm Beach Story (1942).
Please click here to learn more about the film,foreign-correspondent(1940)

McCrea, also starred in the westerns:

The Great Man's Lady (1942). A western film about a pioneer woman over the course of her long life and the two men who love her. It was based on the short story "The Human Side" by Viña Delmar.

Buffalo Bill(1944), with Edgar Buchanan and Maureen O'Hara. The story oflegendary William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, from his days as an army scout to owner of a Wild West show.

Please click here to learn more about the film Colorado Territory(1949)

After the success of, The Virginian(1946), a story based on the Owen Wister novel, with Joel McCrea as the Virginian and Brian Donlevy as Trampas. The film was directed by Stuart Gilmore and remains widely regarded a remake of the 1929 movie with Gary Cooper and Walter Huston. There have been several versions of the story, beginning with a 1914 film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and including a lavish 1960s television series. McCrea continued to make westerns for the rest of his career.

In 1959, Joel McCrea and his son Jody McCrea starred in the NBC-TV series Wichita Town, which lasted only one season.

A few years later, McCrea along with, Randolph Scott in, Ride the High Country (1962), which was to be his last feature film for four years, when he made The Young Rounders (1966). Four more years were to pass before his next release, but 1970 saw the release of two films: Cry Blood, Apache, again with his son Jody, and Sioux Nation McCrea made his last film, Mustang Country.

Katharine Hepburn, was a friend of McCrea's and McCrea's wife Frances Dee. Hepburn, felt that McCrea was one of the best actors she had ever worked with and was always disappointed that his career wasn't more successful.

HELL ON WHEELS is a great new Western series

The new western series, Hell on Wheels, which premiered on AMC back in November of last year is winding down for the season with one more new episode left for this Sunday night. Set in the 1860's it centers on former confederate soldier Cullen Bohannan, whose quest for vengeance has led him to the Union Pacific Railroad's westward construction of the first Transcontinental Railroad. Newcomer Anson Mount is great as Cullen. And he is supported by a great cast. Including Colm Meaney as railroad baron Durant. Common as Elam, Cullen's right hand man. Tom Noonan as the local reverend. Dominique McElligott as the headstrong Lily Bell, a woman whose husband worked for Durant and was killed by Indians. And Christopher Heyerdahl as The Swede, who runs the railroad camp with a strong hand.

Anson Mount as Cullen

Colm Meaney as Durant

Common as Elam

Dominique McElligott as Lily

Cullen is looking for the men who killed his wife and as he finds them, he kills them one by one. Along the way he works as the boss of the railroad and makes friend with Elam. Which riles the other men since Elam is a Negro and is seen as nothing but a slave. And he buts head with The Swede on a daily basis. And plus there is conflict with the local Indians as the railroad is forging ahead through the land where they live.

All in all, there is so much going on here, that it is a joy to watch each and every week. If you love westerns, then this is a very entertaining series. It is quite graphic and the language is raw but not as strong as Deadwood was. Catch this great series, now airing on AMC. Oh and if you're wondering, Hell on Wheels is the name of the town where it is set. And it has this awesome theme music that grabs you right away.

Montana Belle (1952).

Montana Belle (1952). Western directed by Allan Dwan. Cast: Jane Russell. The story is a fictionalised biography of Montana outlaw Belle Starr.

Russell plays notorious outlaw sharp shooter Belle Starr, who after being saved by the Dalton Gang from the hangman's noose, falls in love with Bob Dalton. This doesn't stop Belle and Dalton from trying to stab one another in the back. Things take a turn for the better,(for a short time) after Belle Starr meets gambler Tom Bradfield who finally offers Belle a new start in life.



Supporting players George Brent and Forrest Tucker, who take turns getting out of Jane's way. Russell, makes a perfect Belle, you will enjoy seeing her in the saloon singing, "The Gilded Lily".

Jane Russell (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011). Was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s.

Russell moved from the Midwest to California, where she had her first film role in 1943 with The Outlaw. She starred in over 20 films throughout her career.

Western Woman.

There are many wonderful stories of courageous women who helped to settle the West, told through dramas, musicals and comedy. Here is a list of some of the better known.. Western Woman Classic films:

Belle Starr (1941). Director: Irving Cummings. Based on the life of outlaw Belle Starr. Cast: Gene Tierney, Randolph Scott and Dana Andrews.

After her family's mansion is burned down by Yankee soldiers for hiding Captain Sam Starr, Belle Shirley promises to take revenge. Breaking Starr out of prison, she joins his group who make plans to attack banks and railroads and enemy troops. Belle and Sam are married and trouble begins when Sam lets a couple of ruthless rebels into the gang.

I remember seeing this film many years ago and fell in love with it. I have always liked civil war films. Gene Tierney is beautiful as always, but..did not care much for her southern accent throughout the film. Randolph Scott is wonderful as captain Sam Starr. I do not want to give the ending away.. Good performances at end.

FUN FACT: Originally, Alice Faye was to play the title role.

Annie Oakley (1935). D: George Stevens. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Preston Foster, Melvyn Douglas, Pert Kelton, Andy Clyde. Biography of female sharpshooter Stanwyck and her on-again off-again romance with fellow performer Foster. Moroni Olsen, plays Buffalo Bill. I have not seen this one yet.

Annie Get Your Gun (1950). Musical biography of sharpshooter Annie Oakley. Cast: Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Edward Arnold. Dir: George Sidney. Fun Facts: Judy Garland and Frank Morgan, who appeared together in The Wizard of Oz (1939), were scheduled to reappear together in this film. Garland was fired because of health problems, and Frank Morgan died shortly after filming began. As a result of this, Betty Hutton took over Judy Garland's role as Annie Oakley, and Louis Calhern succeeded Frank Morgan as Buffalo Bill. Howard Keel broke his leg during filming when a horse fell on it. I thought Betty Hutton was wonderful in this film. She may not have been the singer that Garland was, but she did a excellent job with her performance, as Annie with her amazing personality and humor.

Show Boat(1951). A beautiful musical of riverboat lives and loves. Cast: Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner and Howard Keel.

Westward the Women (1951) Director: William A. Wellman. Cast: Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel and John McIntire.

In 1851, Roy Whitman decides to take a group of women west to join his lonely men, hoping they will put down roots and settle down in his California valley.

Roy has the women pick their prospective husbands from pictures he has posted to a board. Two saloon girls, Fifi Danon and Laurie Smith, change their clothes when others like them are rejected. Roy is not fooled, but believes they are sincere in trying to change their ways and decides to let them join the other ladies. Roy hires a hardened trail boss, Buck Wyatt, to lead the wagon train.

On the trail, Buck shoots one of his men for raping Laurie. All but two of the trail hands leave in the middle of the night, taking eight of the women with them. This leaves only the Japanese cook, and Jim Stacey, who has fallen in love with an already-pregnant Rose Meyers to lead the train. Buck, decides the group must turn back. The women refuse to accept his decision. Roy believes that the women can learn to do "a man's job". The women go through one hardship after another. Will Fifi's bravery and determination change Buck's opinion of women?

This movie is very entertaining! It's funny, It's touching, It's violent. It's everything you'd expect from a film called Westward the Woman.

Mail Order Bride (1964). An aging cowhand tries to help a young rancher settle down by buying him a wife. Cast: Buddy Ebsen, Keir Dullea, Lois Nettleton. I have not seen this one yet.

Montana Belle (1952). The Daltons force Belle Starr to help them on a dangerous raid. Cast: Jane Russell,
George Brent and Scott Brady. I do not remember if I have seen this one or not.

Red River(1948).

Red River(1948). Directed by Howard Hawks. Cast:John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Joanne Dru, Walter Brennan, Coleen Gray, Harry Carey, John Ireland, Hank Worden, Noah Beery Jr. and Harry Carey, Jr.

Thomas Dunson, is a man who has big dreams of running a successful cattle ranch in Texas. As he begins his journey to Texas with his trail hand and best friend, Nadine Groot, Dunson learns that the woman he loves was killed in an Indian attack. Heartbroken, Dunson and Groot ride on, only to come upon a orphaned boy named Matthew Garth, who Dunson takes under his wing.

With only a cow and a bull, Dunson and the boy cross the Red River and Dunson, quickly stakes his claim. Two Mexican men appear on horseback and tells Dunson that the land belongs to their boss. Dunson, kills one of the men and tells the other man to inform his boss that Dunson, now owns the land. Dunson, names his new ranch the Red River D and promises to add M to the brand, after Matt has earned it.

Fourteen years have passed and Dunson, now has over ten thousand cattle. After the Civil War, the price of cattle in Texas has dropped. Dunson, decides to drive his herd hundreds of miles north to Missouri, where he believes they will find a better price.

After, hiring some extra men to help out with the drive, including professional gunman Cherry Valance, they set off on their cattle drive. Along the way, a stampede started by one of the men making noise while trying to steal sugar from the chuck wagon.

The real trouble begins, when Dunson's temper affects the rest of the men. When Dunson, attempts to lynch two of the men who tried to desert the drive, Matt stands up to Dunson. With the help of the other men, Matt takes over of the drive and heads for Abilene, Kansas. Dunson, now vows to track down Matt and kill him.

On the way to Abilene, Matt and his men save a wagon train from Indians. One of the people they save is Tess Millay, who falls in love with Matt.

He leaves one night in the middle of a rain storm. Later, Tess meets up with Dunson, who is hot on Matt's trail, and tries to change his mind.

Matt reaches Abilene, and accepts a good offer for the cattle. The next morning, Dunson arrives in Abilene, with a group of men to kill Matt. The two men begin a fight for their lives, will Dunson be successful in his promise.

The film Red River, ranks as one of the great epic westerns. Montgomery Clift and John Wayne, give some of their best performances.

Fun Facts:

Texas Longhorn cattle had been nearly extinct as a breed for about 50 years when this film was made. Only a few dozen animals were available. In the herd scenes most of the cattle are Hereford crosses with the precious Longhorns prominently placed in crucial scenes.

The theme song, "Settle Down" was later used under the title "My Rifle, My Pony and Me" in Rio Bravo, another John Wayne western.

Five dams were built to bring the San Pedro River in Arizona, where the crossings were shot, to flood stage.

In a 1974 interview, Howard Hawks said that he originally offered the role of Thomas Dunson to Gary Cooper but he had declined it because he didn't believe the ruthless nature of Dunson's character would have suited his screen image.
Cary Grant (who had worked with Howard Hawks on Bringing Up Baby and Only Angels Have Wings) turned down the role of gunslinger Cherry Valance, a part that was subsequently minimized in the final film.

During production, many members of the cast and crew caught illnesses and injuries. Howard Hawks was hospitalized for several days after being stung by a centipede. John Wayne caught a severe cold. Joanne Dru suffered from influenza.

The only film that father, Harry Carey, and son, Harry Carey Jr. appeared together in.

Joanne Dru (January 31, 1922 – September 10, 1996). After moving to Hollywood, she found work in the theater. Dru was spotted by a talent scout and made her first film performance in, Irish Rose (1946).

She was cast often in western films such as Howard Hawks's, Red River (1948), and John Ford's, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Wagon Master (1950).

She gave a well-received performance in the dramatic film, All the King's Men (1949) and co-starred with Dan Dailey in, The Pride of St. Louis (1952).

She performed in, Thunder Bay (1953) and then a Martin and Lewis comedy, 3 Ring Circus (1954). Her film career faded by the end of the 1950s, but she continued working  in television, as "Babs Wooten" on the 1960-61 sitcom, Guestward, Ho!. She performed for the rest of the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s, with one feature film performance, in Sylvia (1965).

Along The Great Divide(1951).

Along the Great Divide(1951).Directed by Raoul Walsh. Cast: Kirk Douglas, Virginia Mayo, John Agar, and Walter Brennan.

The story begins when, Federal marshal Len Merrick and his two deputies save cattle rustler and murder suspect Tim "Pop" Keith, from a lynch mob headed by rancher Ned Roden, whose son was killed. Roden, sends his other son, Dan James Anderson, to round up his men. After Roden leaves, Merrick finds a pocket watch.

Keith suggests that they spend the night at his home and Merrick begins to regret his offer when Keith's daughter Ann, starts shooting at them.  Merrick, is able to get her gun from her. When they leave, Ann decides to go with them. Thinking he won't be followed Merrick, decides to take an the long hot desert route. Unfortunately, he is overtaken by Roden and his men. In the gunfight, Merrick's best friend and deputy, Billy Shear, is wounded and dies.

Merrick and Ann start falling in love. The marshal tells her why he takes his job so seriously, is because the one time he didn't, it cost his father his life. He was a deputy to his marshal father, and refused to help escort two prisoners. All three were lynched. Ann, warns him that her first loyalty is to her father.

Dan convinces the deputy, Lou Gray, to help him escape by promising him a ranch. When the group reaches a waterhole, they find the water undrinkable. Everyone, except Merrick want to head south. Knowing the river is on the Mexican border, Merrick insists on continuing on to Santa Loma. Gray draws his gun, but Merrick shoots it out of his hand.

Later exhausted,  Merrick falls from his horse. Keith grabs his gun, but can not bring himself to shoot. When Gray goes for his rifle, Keith kills him, then hands the gun back to Merrick.

At the trial in Santa Loma, Merrick tells the jury that Keith is not a killer, but all the evidence is against him, and  he is found guilty.  Will Merrick save Keith from being hanged?

This Western , has everything you need : Gunfights, fistfights and the scenery is beautiful. Most of the film was shot in the Alabama Hills, just west of Lone Pine, California. Over 300 movies have been filmed at the base of Mt. Whitney. 

Ray Teal (January 12, 1902 – April 2, 1976), performed in more than 250 movies and some 90 television shows in his 37-year career. His longest running role was as Sheriff Roy Coffee in the western, Bonanza (1960–1972). He also played a sheriff in the film, Ace in the Hole.

Teal had a recurring role as a police officer in the 1953-1955 Where's Raymond?, renamed The Ray Bolger Show. Ray Bolger played Raymond Wallace.

In 1955, Teal played a ruthless cattle baron in the episode "Julesburg" Cheyenne, starring Clint Walker, the first hour-long western series.

Teal, a saxophone player, worked his way through UCLA as a bandleader before becoming an actor. He was a bit part player in western movies for several years before landing a role in, Northwest Passage (1940). Another of his roles was as Little John in, The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946). In his most memorable movie role he played one of the judges in, Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) with Spencer Tracy.

Roy Rogers: "King of the Cowboys".

Roy Rogers, (November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), was a singing cowboy actor. He and his wife Dale Evans, his golden palomino, Trigger, and his German Shepherd dog, Bullet, were featured in more than 100 movies and The Roy Rogers Show. His shows usually featured a sidekick: Pat Brady, (who drove a Jeep called "Nellybelle"), Andy Devine, or George "Gabby" Hayes.

Roy Rogers, moved to California to become a singer and formed the Sons of the Pioneers, in 1934. The group's most popular songs include: "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds".



Rogers, played a supporting role in the John Wayne film, Dark Command (1940).

Most of his films were in Trucolor during an time when B-movies were filmed in black-and-white. Some of his movies his horse Trigger, would go off on his own for a while, with the camera following him.

There were Roy Rogers action figures, cowboy adventure novels, as well as a comic strip, Roy Rogers Comics, written by Gaylord Du Bois. Roy Rogers was second only to Walt Disney in the amount of items featuring his name.

Rogers and Evans were also well known as advocates for adoption and as founders and operators of children's charities. They adopted several children In Apple Valley, California, where they made their home, numerous streets and highways as well as civic buildings have been named after them in recognition of their work.

Rogers and Evans's famous theme song, "Happy Trails", was written by Evans; they sang it as a duet to sign off their television show. In the fall of 1962, the couple co-hosted a comedy-western-variety program, The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show. He also made numerous cameo or guest appearances on other popular television shows, starring as himself or other cowboy-type characters, such as in an episode of Wonder Woman called "The Bushwackers". Rogers also owned a Hollywood production company which handled his series.

Rogers owned a Thoroughbred racehorse named Triggairo, who won 13 career races including the 1975 El Encino Stakes at Santa Anita Park.