When the Legends Die

Over the years I have always enjoyed the great acting of Richard Widmark and remember his crazy laugh while he pushed a lady in a wheel chair down a flight of stairs in a 1940's film called,"Kiss of Death",'47, which started his career. In this picture, Richard Widmark,(Red Dillon),"Madigan",'68 plays a rough and tough character from the West who lives and dies for the love of showing off his great skills with horses. Red Dillon becomes great friends with Frederic Forrest,('Killer',Tom Black Bull),"The Two Jakes",'90, who is a Native American and is a great horse lover and wins big prizes in Rodeo's through out the West. If you love this type of film, you can't miss this great Classic film and the great performance of Richard Widmark.

I sent for a video of a film I fondly remember from more than 30 years ago, but was surprised that Widmark's role as the drunken, exploitative Red was relatively small. Forrest was never better than in his first starring role; presumably, despite his name, he is a Native American, and his riding skills cannot be wholly have been usurped by stunt riders. Anyway, he is excellent, as is the gloriously non-PC Widmark. But there are gaps in the story which I hope to fill by at long last reading the novel. I'm not sure that 'no animals were hurt in the making of this picture' - I was distressed when 'brother bear' was driven into the wilderness, and despite Tom's alleged love of horses his reputation as 'killer seems well deserved - but hey, the women hardly fare better. A film of its time, then, but well worth preserving.

Perhaps the best of the "aging rodeo cowboy" movies that mysteriously began to appear in 71-72 (Cliff Robertson's "J.W. Coop," Steve Inhat's "The Honkers" with James Coburn, and Sam Peckinpah's "Junior Bonner" with Steve McQueen). What makes the difference is Richard Widmark who seems more appropriately cast than the stars of the rival rodeo films. Widmark is excellent in perhaps the best of his later period roles.

As the great cowboy stars of the fifties hit middle age, every other film in 1972 seemed to be about an aging rodeo star. This is probably one of the best of that short-lived genre thanks to Richard Widmark's obvious pleasure to be playing a nice guy for once.

Young Native American, Frederic Forrest, uneducated but with a great knowledge of horses is taken under the wing of alcoholic ageing rodeo expert, Richard Widmark who shows him how to make money out of his talents.

Slow moving, but mature, intelligent drama looking at the relationship between the 2 men and how each changes each other. The key attraction here is the performances of the 2 leads with a young Forrest on top form in an early role and Widmark giving what must surely be in his top 10. He is terrific in this good guy role, mostly drunk and laughing throughout - a great pleasure to watch him.