Rye Miles #13621 Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 First of all I like the movie High Noon , great acting by Gary Cooper, love Grace Kelly but one thing bugs me. Why wasn’t he carrying at least one more handgun and a rifle since he knew 3 men were after him? I would have, would you?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 Two or three handguns, a rifle and last but not least, a double barrel shotgun with a pocket full of shells. Oh yeah; and I wouldn't be facing them. Shooting from ambush is OK by me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 John Wayne did not like High Noon as he felt it was too left wing because the townspeople wouldn't help Will Caine. If you look at the Daltons' attempted multiple bank robberies at Coffeville, KS, and the citizens turning out, at personal risk to shoot the Daltons to dollrags, I'd have to agree. Wonder what The Duke would think of today's society? I thought Marshall Caine did have a second sixgun with him. But I concur...why not place several shotguns around town, and cut the Millers down if they refuse to surrender? OTOH, if they had committed no crimes within his jurisdiction, about all he could have done would have been to order them to leave town. In which case, they could have been waiting for him wherever he went. Kinda like the last fight in the movie, "How The West Was Won", where the marshall and his family were threatened by the bad guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 Probably comes down to available cash. For most people, owning a firearm was a necessary luxury...couldn't afford it, but couldn't live without it. Didn't matter whether it was putting food on the table or providing protection, it was still expensive for the normal, everyday person. I doubt that any sutlers would have provided firearms, or the ammo, for a person that was sure to be killed in the coming gunfight on credit. No difference if it's the town drunk or "savior". Real world differs from Hollywood...even back then...no matter whom the actor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 1 hour ago, Trailrider #896 said: John Wayne did not like High Noon as he felt it was too left wing because the townspeople wouldn't help Will Caine. If you look at the Daltons' attempted multiple bank robberies at Coffeville, KS, and the citizens turning out, at personal risk to shoot the Daltons to dollrags, I'd have to agree. Wonder what The Duke would think of today's society? I've always thought that Wayne's criticism of High Noon on this basis was very wide of the mark; baseless, really. How many Westerns have we seen with the hapless townsmen, who flee into the shops and pull the shutters when the bad guys come to town? Or who seek out the lone gunman, hats in hand, to help with the criminals they can't or won't handle? It's a constant theme, in countless Western movies. As for the Daltons and Coffeville-- that wasn't the movies. Westerns, like other dramas, are built around recurrent themes. One is the brave loner who rescues the townfolk, or the sodbusters, from the forces of wickedness.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted May 25, 2023 Author Share Posted May 25, 2023 2 hours ago, Trailrider #896 said: John Wayne did not like High Noon as he felt it was too left wing because the townspeople wouldn't help Will Caine. If you look at the Daltons' attempted multiple bank robberies at Coffeville, KS, and the citizens turning out, at personal risk to shoot the Daltons to dollrags, I'd have to agree. Wonder what The Duke would think of today's society? I thought Marshall Caine did have a second sixgun with him. But I concur...why not place several shotguns around town, and cut the Millers down if they refuse to surrender? OTOH, if they had committed no crimes within his jurisdiction, about all he could have done would have been to order them to leave town. In which case, they could have been waiting for him wherever he went. Kinda like the last fight in the movie, "How The West Was Won", where the marshall and his family were threatened by the bad guy. I don’t think Caine had another gun until he killed one of the bad guys and took his gun. There was the old retired lawman that wanted to help but thought he’d be a hindrance to Caine. There was also the young boy that wanted to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 18 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said: First of all I like the movie High Noon , great acting by Gary Cooper, love Grace Kelly but one thing bugs me. Why wasn’t he carrying at least one more handgun and a rifle since he knew 3 men were after him? I would have, would you?? 12 hours ago, Trailrider #896 said: John Wayne did not like High Noon as he felt it was too left wing because the townspeople wouldn't help Will Caine. If you look at the Daltons' attempted multiple bank robberies at Coffeville, KS, and the citizens turning out, at personal risk to shoot the Daltons to dollrags, I'd have to agree. Wonder what The Duke would think of today's society? I thought Marshall Caine did have a second sixgun with him. But I concur...why not place several shotguns around town, and cut the Millers down if they refuse to surrender? OTOH, if they had committed no crimes within his jurisdiction, about all he could have done would have been to order them to leave town. In which case, they could have been waiting for him wherever he went. Kinda like the last fight in the movie, "How The West Was Won", where the marshall and his family were threatened by the bad guy. In those days and the way the west was there were a lot of CW and Indian war vets and they would have turned out in force to protect their town. Many town have had vets... and other citizens... stand up until after the Great War. If the leftist antigun pukes would get out of the way it could conceivably happen again... and it should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Gator SASS #29736 Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 21 hours ago, Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 said: I've always thought that Wayne's criticism of High Noon on this basis was very wide of the mark; baseless, really. How many Westerns have we seen with the hapless townsmen, who flee into the shops and pull the shutters when the bad guys come to town? Or who seek out the lone gunman, hats in hand, to help with the criminals they can't or won't handle? It's a constant theme, in countless Western movies. As for the Daltons and Coffeville-- that wasn't the movies. Westerns, like other dramas, are built around recurrent themes. One is the brave loner who rescues the townfolk, or the sodbusters, from the forces of wickedness.... While a lot, probabably most, of the townspeople may have run and hid from the bad guys I think that Wayne's point was that out of a town full of people at least a few would step forward to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 From what I've read about Wayne's complaint, it was not that the townsfolk would not help. It was that the sheriff was asking them to help. Rio Bravo was, supposedly, his showing the way it should be. He turned down help. "MuchBUNCH of cowboys and wagon drivers, who wonWHEN it comes down to it they'll be thinking about their wives and children." Apparently he believed that the only people that should defend the town against enemies would be professional gunmen. Like the toothless old cripple in the jailhouse. I suppose if Geronimo attacked the town, the townspeople - instead of fighting the Indians - should hide in the cellar and wait for the professionals - the cavalry - to show up to fight off the bad guys. After all, they get paid to risk their lives. Dumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 In the hour of trial, when all fall away but one, is an old, old theme. And movies tend to elaborate on old themes. "Before the cock crows, you' will deny me three times." No, I won't..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Bullweed Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 I have read a lot of US history, just like many of you cowboys. I have never found a town like the ones in High Noon or Firecreek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 On 5/25/2023 at 11:35 AM, Trailrider #896 said: John Wayne did not like High Noon as he felt it was too left wing because the townspeople wouldn't help Will Caine. If you look at the Daltons' attempted multiple bank robberies at Coffeville, KS, and the citizens turning out, at personal risk to shoot the Daltons to dollrags, I'd have to agree. Wonder what The Duke would think of today's society? I thought Marshall Caine did have a second sixgun with him. But I concur...why not place several shotguns around town, and cut the Millers down if they refuse to surrender? OTOH, if they had committed no crimes within his jurisdiction, about all he could have done would have been to order them to leave town. In which case, they could have been waiting for him wherever he went. Kinda like the last fight in the movie, "How The West Was Won", where the marshall and his family were threatened by the bad guy. yes indeed , the people of northfield MN turned out when the james gang showed up , but that wouldnt happen today , those were tuff pioneers , today we have pockets of weak urbanites and collegiate elitist's that lean to communism without any clue what that will mean , one of two states that passed a law circumventing parental rights in the current rush to push kids into gender changing surgery - im looking to leave , just gotta get the wife to agree , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeaconKC Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 1 hour ago, watab kid said: yes indeed , the people of northfield MN turned out when the james gang showed up , but that wouldnt happen today , those were tuff pioneers , today we have pockets of weak urbanites and collegiate elitist's that lean to communism without any clue what that will mean , one of two states that passed a law circumventing parental rights in the current rush to push kids into gender changing surgery - im looking to leave , just gotta get the wife to agree , Come on down to Arkansas! You will like it here, getting out of Illinois was wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 id love to move to arkansas , my family moved north from eureka springs - my great grandfather was the station master at the railroad depot there and my father developed pattents for some RR equipment before he moved north , we visited a number of times back when i was a kid and i love it there , oh and i did live in illinois for a bit in 1980-81 ill not think to go there again , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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