Men, Don't Wait for the Movie

Howdy, Y'all. And now for something completely different. I am not in the habit of reviewing books, but I am in the habit of speaking my mind (much to the dismay of some people). Since I said that I was going to do this, here we go.

There are no graphics of stars to put here, so I will tell you that I give The Art of Manliness by Brett and Kate McKay four out of five stars. Hey, to be manly about this, I have to be honest! Don't feel bad, Dude and Dudette, top marks from me are extremely rare. So four stars is good; it means I'm glad I have it, and recommend it to other men. Keep reading and I'll explain why.

As an aside, yes, I am giving links to Amazon.com. I am not an affiliate of Amazon, so no kickbacks here. My copy came from there, and the service is reliable. (They have their electronic "Kindle" edition, but this book really needs to be held, pages flipped, smelled and so on.) Order the book and add, say, Colonel Conk's Shaving Mug (like I did), and your shipping for both items is covered. You can ask your local bookseller to carry it, of course.

Note the damaged cover. That is actually clever graphic design. This book will be a manual for your frequent reference, so it will not be pristine after the frequent use that it will have when you grab it in a "How do I..." moment. It covers many areas in a man's life, not just the "man about town" image front and center.

The Art of Manliness tells us what manliness really is, and that it has been lost in modern society. True manliness is undergoing a renaissance, and I am all in favor of that. This book fits right in. You get inspiration and instruction in manliness without preaching. Page 5 tells us that "any ruffian can turn into a proper gentleman". The term is precise, because nobody is talking about being a foppish London dandy from 1880.

Listen to me. I feel very strongly that I need to point something out because so many women are wary of men building each other up. True manliness does not gain anything from putting other people down. Women do not need to fear this book, it is positive and women are not disparaged.

I consider many of the topics in this book to be "starting points", introductions to topics that you may want to give further research. (After all, if the authors filled out every topic that they addressed, it would be a multi-volume set.) The McKays use humor to keep it interesting. Also, there are great quotes throughout that give inspiration. It covers a great deal of material.

There are many interesting bits about "traditional" manliness, things that I call trappings. For instance, double-edge (DE) razor shaving. I'm not interested in doing it the way my father and grandfather did it, but many men like the experience. If you get intrigued and want to try DE shaving, read it in the book first and then go online (hint: go here for a highly respected shave tutor). Do you know how to tie a necktie? The book has you covered, but there are instructions online to supplement it. See what I mean about starting points? For that matter, it's full circle for me, because I learned about the book through the Art of Manliness site and community. Funny how that works.

The Art of Manliness also has, amongst so many other useful things, etiquette instruction. Yes, that's a lost art. (Frankly, I think that when men act like ill-mannered brutes, ultra-feminists feel justified in referring to our entire gender as cavemen.) Spend some time with the McKays on this, I implore you. And stop smacking your food before I smack you, capice? They can save you some embarrassment. There is a mix of traditional etiquette to modern etiquette, including text messaging and the Internet. This new etiquette is long overdue!

There is a section on how to "fight like a gentleman". It describes the almost-lost self-defense art of Bartitsu, developed by E. W. Barton-Wright. While fascinating, I find the chapter to be impractical. You cannot learn it from a book. Also, in my world, you do not fight like a gentleman, you fight to win. I fight dirty because the other guy (a) has no honor, and (b) wants me dead. Sorry, Brett and Kate. But anyway, Bartitsu looks and sounds great. Again, the book is a starting point. From there, find actual instruction. Addendum: Brett tells me that "Bartitsu was meant to be more fun than practical-just good, interesting man knowledge". The same applies to a section on "how to land an airplane".

The section called "The Lover" is one I could have saved them time on because I could have written it. But I don't think the McKays would have appreciated all of the, uh, intimate details that I would describe. In fact, it's not a sex talk at all. Instead, it talks about chivalry (no, it's not dead), what message you're sending with the flowers you select for your girl, deciding if you're ready for marriage and so forth. This chapter is just in time, because what it describes is sorely lacking from modern society.

A section on kite making and paper airplane making should, frankly, have been left out because a reader needs copious illustrations and possibly videos if first-hand instruction is not available. The book is a refresher if you already know these things, though.

As you can see, the book covers a great deal of material. Hey, do you know how to tie some basic real knots instead of that jumbled mess a lot of people throw together? Check the book. Camping. Navigation. Leadership skills. Speechifying (OK, so that's my term, not theirs, I'm a cowboy after all).

The Art of Manliness ends with a chapter on "The Virtuous Man". And I'm glad, because manliness "trappings" (your razor, after shave, pocket square, clothing, things you own and things you do) are nothing without manly character. (I like the things that I call the "trappings", because physical things are powerful reminders of what you are supposed to be in life.) It involves a discussion on Ben Franklin's virtues. For me, this was the most interesting chapter in the book. But that's just me; someone else may be thrilled with the chapter on being a good father.

So there you have it. I highly recommend The Art of Manliness. (I liked it so much that they didn't even have to pay me to write this review!) Some things I already knew, and they were reinforced. There was so much more that I didn't know, and I hate to admit that because my readers expect so much of me. I'll go one further: I actually learned from it. Nicky was shocked at my admission, the guys in the crew put me on a pedestal and it actually gets embarrassing.

Women, great gift idea for the men in your lives. Men, either get one for yourselves or for other men. Or do both. So, here you go.

This is a dual post, also seen at the highly inflammatory, controversial and politically incorrect Stormbringer's Thunder.

Whatever Happened To...

Things have been frantic at the ranch lately, so I haven't been posting. And I feel bad about it. Here is something that will do two things. First, it will show you that I'm still alive and thinking about you. Second, it's really good.

This is a kind of slide show. The song is "Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott". You will see the classic stars and co-stars, and — aw, how about if I just clam up and let you see it?

Take a look here: http://oldfortyfives.com/thoseoldwesterns.htm

Hard Truths and Right Reasons

Howdy. Yours truly had the experience of being pleasantly surprised by a picture called The Last Wagon. I thought it would be lame and depressing, but it was surprisingly good. If I don't tell you too much and ruin it for you, I hope you'll give it a look.

All aboard the Spoiler Express? Let's go!

An hombre called Comanche Todd (Richard Widmark) is on the run for murdering three white men, and he is captured by a sheriff. He is treated brutally until they meet up with a wagon train. Although the sheriff is vicious and inhumane, the travelers want to treat Comanche Todd in a Christian manner. The sheriff disagrees, even pulling his gun. He chases away people that want to show kindness to Todd, even attempting to shoot one of the teenage boys. During the fracas, Todd gets an axe and manages to fling it, killing the sheriff. Nice throw!

Todd is left tied to the wheel of a wagon.

During the night, several of the teenagers, both boys and girls, slip away for a moonlight swim. When the kids return, the camp is in ruins and everyone is dead due to an Apache sneak attack. In this way, the movie is merciful because those attacks were unthinkably brutal, and I will not describe what went on so you do not get nightmares. Suffice to say that there is no honor in such extreme brutality, and it is even worse when innocent people are the victims (including women and children).

Comanche Todd's wagon was pushed over a small cliff, but he survived because of the way it landed. The kids manage to pull the wagon up, but they argue about setting him free. One girl hates all Indians (including her own half sister), and refuses to trust Todd because he was raised by Comanches. Some of the youngsters even accused him of helping, or refusing to warn the travelers. The oldest, a girl named Jenny (Felicia Farr), has sense and is willing to trust Todd.

After some discussion, the kids realize that he is their best chance at survival. He does not help matters by telling them the truth, that they cannot even bury their dead because the Apaches would know that there were survivors and hunt for them. The group manages to assemble a wagon and ride out, but they have to be on guard every step of the way. He is telling them some hard truths, but they need to know so that they have a chance at surviving. This is not a time for sentiment.

During the journey, Todd and one of the boys become friends. While Todd is teaching him how to snare a rabbit, a lone Apache attacks, but Todd is able to kill him before he harms the boy. Later, the Indian-hating girl manages to get bitten by a rattlesnake. She makes a great deal of noise, and one of the boys shoots the snake. Oh, great. May as well put up a sign to help the Apaches find them.

Todd helps the girl who was bitten. Then, two Apaches show up to find out what the ruckus was about. Todd challenges them to hand-to-hand combat and manages to kill them both. Obviously, the would have either killed the travelers just then, or brought more Apaches to participate in the killing of the group. The injured girl is coming out of her delirium from the snakebite and starts to warm up to Todd.

One night, Todd and Jenny watch the Apaches as they get worked up for their next planned massacre. The next morning, Todd notices a small detachment of cavalry. They are heading towards the Apaches and certain death, so he signals them. Remember, Todd is a wanted man. He could have let the soldiers get killed.

But by this time, the kids have all come around and are willing to trust Todd. They even tell the soldiers that he is their father.

To get out of there, Todd and the soldiers set up the equivalent of smoke and mirrors, to run off the Apaches. Shooting, explosions and all kinds of good stuff so that they make their escape. Unfortunately, the leader of the cavalry figures out who Comanche Todd really is, so he is taken into custody after they are all safe.

During the hearing about Todd at Redrock Bluff, the truth comes out. He was taken by the Comanches and had been married. He had children. But his wife and children were brutally murdered, and he killed their murderers. The judge gave the typical song and dance about taking justice into your own hands and so on, and Todd even said that he would do it again. After all, it was Comanche justice, and there was no white man's justice to be had anywhere near there.

Jenny could no longer stay silent. She came forward and talked about justice. Sure, Todd killed those men who deserved it. But what about saving lives? Not only did he save the lives of the teenagers, but he could have let the cavalry men get killed as well.

Fortunately, the officer in charge had sense and a good heart. He remanded Todd into Jenny's "custody" after he learned that they loved each other; it was doggone near a short marriage ceremony.

What caught my attention is that Todd was going to do what needed to be done, when it was needed. There was no chance of survival if people gave in to hand wringing or creature comforts.

But he was no so hard line that he only thought of himself. He could have betrayed the kids and let them die, and he could have let the soldiers get ambushed. In addition, his skill and creativity got all of them out of those bad situations. Even though he was technically a murderer, he was still good at heart.

I can vouch for the fact that sometimes doing a good deed can blow up in your face and you're sorry that you did it. But deep inside, you know that what you did was right. And there are times that doing the right thing pays off.

My belief is in doing the right thing for its own sake. That "for its own sake" can come about from your conscience, and your conscience can be led by God and good teachings. You'll have the right reasons, trust me.

Impressions and Assumptions

"I don't hold too much for first impressions. The way I figure it, the last impression is important." — Tom Destry (Audie Murphy)

I tend to agree with Destry's remark, there. What was it, a dandruff shampoo or something that was using the saying, "You never get another chance to make a good first impression"? If we go around trying too hard to make a good first impression on people, it causes a lot of anxiety. Heck, if the first impression was all that mattered, I'd have quit trying because I'd be judged and sentenced by everybody I meet within minutes or seconds.

I had a good time with Destry (based on the novel Destry Rides Again by Max Brand). Perhaps it is because I wasn't spoiled by the 1939 version with James Stewart (which I want to see anyway); people compare so much that they can't appreciate something for what it is. And this movie was good entertainment. Humorous trivia: The same director did both versions.

Hear that sound? The Spoiler Express is late, but moving full steam ahead.

Sheriff Bailey was trying to set something right about a land grab that Phil Decker (Lyle Bettger) and his cronies are pulling. They control all the land, and all of the drovers would have to pay a toll when the brought their cattle through. But Henry Skinner was cheated out of his ranch in a card game. When Bailey tried to put things right, he got a bullet in his back for his trouble. The crooks in charge (including the mayor) forced the doctor to fake the paperwork and say that he died of a heart attack.

Since the sheriff is dead, the townspeople appoint the town drunk to be the new sheriff. Obviously, they just want a figurehead, not law and order. But Reginald ("Rags") Barnaby (Thomas Mitchell) wants to take the job seriously, and quit drinking. Rags sends for some competent help with the job and wants Destry to be his deputy. Destry is big, mean, quick with a gun and all that.

When the stage arrived, Tom Destry (Audie Murphy) is underwhelming, to say the least. He's a little guy, pleasant mannered, soft spoken — and doesn't carry a gun. Rags is disappointed to find out that this is the son of the famous Destry! When a scrap between women in the saloon ensues (one of whom is a part of Decker's swindlers), he breaks up the fight but still looks bad in the process.

Looks like a bad day for first and second impressions.

Decker tries to claim the ranch that he swindled away from Skinner. Rags and Tom ride out to stop the shooting. Destry is not making any friends by upholding all of the law, not just parts of it. As far as he can tell, the ranch is the lawful property of Decker. But certain remarks get him thinking that this may not be the case, and he investigates further. He finds out that the town doctor never examined the body, but was forced to sign at gunpoint that it was a heart attack.

Late, some shooting action in the saloon gets his attention. Some of Decker's toughs are shooting up the place, and Destry wants them to put a stop to "this promiscuous shooting". Then Destry proceeds to startle everyone by borrowing the guns of the shooters and giving them a display of marksmanship. Looks like the first impression as well as the assumption that he did not know how to shoot were both wrong! Ha!

Then Destry proceeds to dig the bullets out of the saloon wall and gave them an introduction to what would become the new science of ballistics. He tells them that each gun makes its own marks on bullets. (The doctor shows up just then.) Tom further informs them that the doctor examined the body, and now they knew who fired the bullet that killed Sheriff Bailey. Curly Adams was taken into custody.

I need to throw in a bit here that Jack Larsen (Alan Hale, Jr., before he put on pounds and became Gilligan's "Skipper"), a resentful drover, went through the ranch land "legally" owned by Decker by means of assault, and did not pay the toll. Destry locked him up to prove a point, but let him go to tend to his cattle. Tom told Larsen that he expected him back at the jail by sundown because he knew he had character and would live up to it.

The crooked mayor wants to do a hurry-up trial, but Destry said that a judge had already been sent for.

>> Fast forward.

Rags has been shot in the back and Curly removed from jail while Brandy the saloon girl distracts Destry. Tom goes back to his hotel room and opens up his suitcase. He carried his father's gun around in the case, and then he strapped it on. Knowing his skill with a gun, and seeing the look in his eye, the bad guys got very nervous.

Destry found a way into the saloon to settle things. After a bit of shooting and jumping, he is creeping up on Decker while the mayor is standing by his easel, attempting to do some painting. But his paint kit also contains a pistol, and Destry is ignoring him (making his own bad assumption that he was not packing heat). At that moment, the doctor and Larsen came in and placed some excellent shots, saving Tom's hide.

Here's the stuff I want to point out. Larsen could have been an enemy, but turned into an ally. In fact, he came through uninvited to help Destry in a tough situation. That was because Destry saw decency in the man and also let him keep his dignity. No, I'm not saying to just assume everyone is good deep down inside. Use your discernment like Tom did.

Another point that I want to make is that when you are standing up for what is right, you can have good people come through for you. Sometimes, and this has happened to me, people will see someone struggling and add their strength. Heck, I just remembered pulling my car over, jumping out and help people push a stalled car out of the intersection. Haven't you done something like that yourself? Bet it's happened to you, too.

Destry made a lousy first impression. After he was able to prove himself, it turned out that he was right: The last impression is important. This can be useful, too. Unless you are like certain Italian businessmen that I know, you do not have to make a good first impression or show of power. Sometimes, it is in your best interest to let people underestimate you. Let 'em. Then you can show them what you're made of when it really matters.

Hard Homecoming

"I thought you escaped that night,
but you didn't.
They killed the Jim I knew."
— Chris Palmer (Dianne Foster)

Howdy. I'm glad you could make it today. Fresh pot of coffee on the fire if you're interested.

One of the oldest themes in Westerns is for a man to have to prove his innocence. Heh. Isn't that the way it is in life, sometimes? Never mind "innocent until proven guilty", when someone gets a notion that you did something, it's a steep climb up the mountain to try to prove yourself.

That's what happened in Three Hours to Kill. This is the first time I was able to see Dana Andrews in a picture. I'd like to see him in a few more Westerns, even though this one didn't exactly draw extensively on his acting skills. Still, it's a good picture and worth spending an hour and a half on, even though the Spoiler Express is going to tell you a good part of it.

Jim Guthrie returned to town after a three year absence. He lets the nervous townspeople know that he was there to settle a score: Someone else did the killing for which he had been blamed.

Three years ago, Jim was at a party with his fiancée, Laurie Mastin (Donna Reed). Nobody knew that they were going to be married the next day, and Laurie's brother did not approve. Outside, her brother took a swing at Jim and knocked him down because Jim was not good enough for his sister. Two shots rang out, and Jim found the brother dead. He was stupid enough to pick up the gun that killed him and stand there staring when the crowd reached them.

The crowd immediately decided that Jim did the killing and tried to lynch him, even getting as far as getting the rope around his neck and putting him in the back of a buckboard. People he had known, who should have known his character, were caught up in that powerful thing known as "mob rule"; there is almost no reasoning with a mob. They wanted a hangin'!

Laurie came out of her shock, grabbed a gun and commanded that they turn him loose. The gun went off into the air and frightened the horses on the buckboard, and they took off. Several times in the out-of-control ride, the rope was tangled and Jim was almost hung by accident, and given a nasty mark on his neck from the rope.

Naturally, several people are nervous and act guilty when Jim comes back into town. Although they were certain that he was the killer, they knew that he was angry about the attempted lynching. But Jim Guthrie kept insisting that he did not do it, and wanted to find out who was actually guilty. The sheriff gave him three hours to solve the problem, then he had to get out of town.

An old flame of Guthrie's, Chris Palmer (Dianne Foster), still had feelings for him. She wanted him to give up on his mission. They would run off together and start over somewhere else, but Jim was determined to follow through. She said, "I thought you escaped that night, but you didn't. They killed the Jim I knew." He replied, "That's right. They did." Well, having your lifelong friends turn on you and want to see you dead can change you in an instant. But when you're on the run, carrying the blame for a crime you did not commit and having bitter resentment grow in you — there can be quite a few changes in you, and they can grow deep roots.

When Guthrie confronted his former fiancée, Laurie, he learned that she had married his rival in romance. As a kicker, her son was his son; they got too frisky before the wedding day. She got married for the sake of the child, but still loved him. But she also believed that he was the killer.

Jim had several suspects, especially the man that Laurie married. All of his suspects had something or another to gain from the killing.

|> Fast forward. Guthrie has the drop on four of his former friends. Some are afraid, some are angry. But they begin talking and going over the events of that night. And Jim figures out who really did the killing.

After I pour more coffee, I'm going to tell you. Stop now if you don't want to know who the killer is before you see the picture.

The killer is the sheriff. Yep, that explains a few things. First, he was awfully confident that Guthrie wouldn't figure it out. Second, he was in a hurry to "be friendly" and help Guthrie get out of town. When confronted, they shot it out and the Sheriff Ben East got what was coming to him.

Guess what? The town wanted to string Jim up again! But this time, the other four men put a stop to it and stood up for him. They tried to get Guthrie to stay, but he told them that they would always be seeing that rope scar on his neck, and he knew he could not forget how they treated him. No, it would be best for all for him to move on. He said his goodbye (a blessing of sorts) to Laurie and her husband.

I like the very, very end: Chris Palmer grabbed a horse and chased after him. Obviously, she meant what she said at the beginning about wanting to be with him.

This picture illustrates why I hate crowds. They can turn on you in a moment. Your friends may turn on you, too, if they're caught up in that stuff. True friends will not, but who wants to find out like that? But sometimes, some people still believe in you despite the way things look at first.

And sometimes you can prove your innocence if you persevere.

There weren't a lot of lessons in this picture, as you can see. What I got out of it, I told you above, and I liked how it showed the way people act.

Coffee pot's empty, and I gotta go. I really gotta go. Talk to you later!

Down to the Nitty Gritty

"You can't serve papers on a rat, baby sister.
You gotta kill him or let him be."
— Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (John Wayne)

Yep, it's time to talk about True Grit. Just because John Wayne won an Academy Award for best actor doesn't mean that it's his best film, let's get that straight. (Also, I thought that it followed the book much closer than many other films, including some of the snappy dialogue. Fortunately, when the movie ended, it left out the back pages of the book.) Many of us like this picture, and there is considerable discussion about whether or not the award was "genuine", or a more clandestine "Life Achievement Award" because he should have won for other pictures. You can discuss that amongst yourselves after I'm done.

The fire's just right and the coffee's ready. Anyone else want some while I'm pouring?

If you're one of the few people that has not seen True Grit, I have a pleasant surprise for you. This will not be a full synopsis Spoiler Express today. Instead, I just want to bring up a couple of points.

The annoying Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) wants Marshall Cogburn to track down and arrest Tom Chaney, the man that killed her father. He runs with Ned Pepper's gang.

I love this scene. During one of their discussions, the besotted Cogburn sees a rat eating grain that his landlord owns. Rooster says, "Mr. Rat, I have a writ here says you're to stop eating Chin Lee's cornmeal forthwith. Now it's a rat writ, writ for a rat, and this is lawful service of the same." He looks over at Mattie and says, "See, doesn't pay any attention to me", and quickly shoots the rat dead. Good shot!

Chin Lee comes running in and yells, "Outside is place for shooting!"

Rooster replies, "I'm servin' some papers!" Then he says to Mattie, "You can't serve papers on a rat, baby sister. You gotta kill him or let him be." Obviously, that's right. But there's a deeper truth to that as well. You can go through the legal motions by making arrests, serve restraining orders, give a summons or whatever else. But if the party of the first part (the felon) is no respecter of the party of the second part (the law), then the party of the second part has to use more than just words to get the attention and respect of the party of the first part. That is, if talk is worthless, maybe they'll respect force. If they begin to respect handcuffs and a cell, great. However, there are times when the rats of society (such as the aforementioned Tom Chaney) can only be persuaded with bullets.

That's a cold, hard truth of life, like it or not.

Another point I want to bring up is that Rooster Cogburn seems like the unreliable (and undesirable) kind of man to have around. A few times he tried to play fast and loose with finances and do some cheating. Also, he was a boozer and was lazy. Then he tried to leave Mattie behind, even attempting to ditch her. At a critical moment, she thought he was running out on her.

But when it counted, Cogburn was there and doing his job. In fact, he went above and beyond because he seemed to actually care about mouthy Mattie. He was clever, brave and perhaps ruthless. Rooster was easy to underestimate, but he stayed on the trail and got the job done. Perhaps he had more character than even he knew.

"Well, sister, the time has come for me to ride hard and fast." Me, too. I'll catch up to you later.

A Sense of Right and Wrong

I'm going to take a departure from almost everything else and speak straight from the heart. Don't worry, I'll be brief; you could call this a "ride-by posting". If I lose some readers, so be it. But I hope you can at least respect my honesty.

Today is the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. (I don't think I need to go into detail about the total lack of character and honor that those scumbags have.) I was hearing Joe Scarborough on his radio show this morning talk about how everyone was "all in this together" during that time, and we need to get that back. Sorry, Joe, but that will not happen because the human heart is normally selfish; to change from selfishness takes an active transformation. That's why the unity didn't last before.

What of cowboys that have good hearts? Well, this cowboy thinks that he is not overly selfish and is willing to help others. Good-hearted cowboys have a sense of right and wrong, and want justice to be done. They want to set things right with family, friends and neighbors. It also applies on a larger scale, with communities, states and the entire nation. (I believe that if there were an extraterrestrial menace, good people that were cowboys at heart would be ready to right the wrongs in that situation, as well.)

And cowboys will not forget the injustices. Not the good cowboys, anyway.

We cannot afford to forget September 11, 2001. I have a couple of links for you to see. Here is the "Have You Forgotten" link, followed by the September 11 Memorial. Thanks for reading.