Forgotten Music: THE LEGIONS LAST PATROL

Way back in '63 anyone who went to the movies in the UK to see 'The Day Of The Triffids' sat through a Stewart Granger B-movie called 'The Legions Last Patrol'.
This was a German/Italy/Spain co-production that was noticeable for just one thing - the theme tune.
In Italy it was a hit for Nini Rosso under the title Concerto Disperato which was written by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino.
In the UK it was the surprise chart for Ken Thorne and His Orchestra - with an emotional solo trumpet played by Ray Davies.
One thing that never appeared in the UK charts back in the early sixties were film themes but 'The Legions Last Patrol' reached No.4. A phenominal success then - but rather forgotten these days.
Except that I can still hear every note and whistle the theme - just as I did way back when I walked out of the cinema.
With all the compilations of film music around today it is just surprising that this theme has never been included.
If you have never heard this theme then it can be heard on You Tube and is now available to download on MP3.

THE LEGEND OF TORNADO TESS by Terrell L. Bowers

Terrell L. Bowers and I have two things in common. We were born in the same year and our first Robert Hale Westerns were published in the same year.

The legend that is Tornado Tess is a dime novel heroine - the invention of writer A.J.Cole. Tess solves mysteries in the wild west, a place that the author has never been.
A letter from a fan asking for help changes all that as Amanda Jane Cole sets out for the outlaw fortress known as Little Babylon in the wastelands of New Mexico.
Also, heading there is Whitney Scott who is hunting down the men who killed his family, burned down the ranch and took the horse herd.
Travelling aboard the same stage Scott agrees to act as Amanda's bodyguard.
Little Babylon is a full blown town run on rigid rules that has it's own law. All presided over by Justin Dante Huntley - a man with a vision.
Although, Scott finds no one he knows in town, someone knows him and there are two attempts on his life.
Amanda goes on a mission to prove the innocence of a man.

This book is that good that to say any more would be like throwing out a fistful of spoilers. The main reason is that this book is so full of characters that the plot lines take a back seat and yet the story tells itself.
Terrell L. Bowers writes good books but 'The Legend Of Tornado Tess' is something else. It is like a combination of the way westerns were told with a dash of pulp and that something new that lifts this book above the norm.
If you only read one Black Horse Western this year, then this should be that book.
It is released at the end of this month.

LEGALLY BLONDE

The other Sunday I was wondering what do while waiting for the latest episode of 'Being Human'. I didn't fancy 'Larkrise To Candleford' mainly because I didn't think that it was up to the standard of the last series. So I flicked through the multitude of channels - as you do - and this little gem was being announced.
At first, I thought, oh, a 'Clueless' clone. But I was wrong.

Basic story is about a blonde fashion major, Elle Woods, who goes to dinner thinking that her boyfriend is about to propose to her. He dumps her and says that she doesn't fit in with his family - and family tree. And he's off to study law at Harvard.
With the intention of getting the boyfriend back she enrols at Harvard with the help of a rather sus resume. Elle soon discovers that Harvard is not like College or High School. Elle is out of her depth for a start and then discovers that the boyfriend is engaged to someone else. They shame her by inviting her to a swish party but tell Elle that it is fancy dress. Enter Elle as a bunny girl. (Not sure but which came first - this movie or Bridget Jones?).
Anyway Elle gets her act together along with a pile of law books and a pink laptop.
And impress she does for she finds herself part of the legal team defending an old school friend on a murder charge.

This is a good movie and, for a change, is funny. Pure escapism.
I felt that this movie turned the usual dumb blonde character right on it's head. There is some clever stuff in there and the Perry Mason like ending worked quite well.

Reese Witherspoon is excellent as Elle turning what could have been a cardboard character into a living, breathing person.
I realised that this was the fourth thing that I had seen her in. She impressed as Oliver Reed's child like wife in 'Return To Lonesome Dove'. Just as she did in 'Cruel Intentions' and 'Sweet Home Alabama' - a very underrated film.

There is a 'Legally Blonde 2' where Elle takes on Washington.

Friday's Forgotten Book: MacKinley Kantor's 'ANDERSONVILLE'

This 1955 novel about the Confederate Prison Camp at Andersonville, Georgia won the author, MacKinley Kantor, the 1956 Pulitzer Prize.

This novel is epic in scale on the same sort of level as 'War And Peace' and just that tad difficult to read - yet worth it.

The novel itself is a blend of fact with fictional as well as factual characters. And the book opens before the camp is constructed and see John Winder's survey and eventual construction of the stockade.
Then there is Henry Wirz, the camp commandant. A man who has been wounded and is still healing; unable to deal with the day to day running of the camp. He is also hampered by a Government that has no interest in the Union prisoners (which would top at 45,000). There are no medicines for the prisoners let alone the Confederate troops guarding them. No proper sanitation - just four acres of bog covered with excrement that stank to high heaven.
MacKinley Kantor drew heavily on the memoirs of former prisoners of war like John McElroy who wrote the biased 'Andersonville: A Story Of Rebel Military Prisons' and diarist John Ransom who recorded his capture, imprisonment and, eventual, escape. Both men appear in this book along with Boston Corbett, the man who killed John Wilkes Booth.
As I have said Andersonville lack sanitation and shelter. Open ground where a wild bunch known as the 'Andersonville Raiders' led by the real life William Collins prey on the other prisoners. Eventually, other prisoners fought back and this group called Regulators would hold the Raiders to account. Collins and five others were hanged.
In 1864 the prison camp was enlarged with labour coming from the prisoners themselves.
With Sherman driving down to Atlanta it was decided to evacuate the camp but at the war's end there were still 5,000 prisoners still there.
This is not an easy book to read, some of the scenes are quite harrowing. There are times when you just have to sit back and take stock.

AFTERWORD
Henry Wirz was put on trial, after the war, for war crimes and hanged in 1865. It served a purpose of encouraging hatred in the North towards those who had supported and served with the Confederacy.
And in the South they got the message - the war was not yet over.

GUNS OF PONDEROSA by Chuck Tyrell

Five hard men angle their way into Main Street just as the whistle blows for the noonday break at the Comstock sawmill. Amongst these men are the outlaw leader Nate Cahill and his sadistic younger brother, Wynn.
It takes just one look to convince Nate Cahill that there are opportunities in this town that beats robbing trains.
The gang cross the creek into that area of Ponderosa known as Bogtown and settle down in the saloon known as Old Glory. In the time that it takes to pull a gun and trigger a shot the owner and the bartender are dead and Nate Cahill has taken possession. Enter the law who quickly follows the others who have just met the Cahill gang.
As the town has no law, it falls to one of the gang to take up the badge.
When word reaches Fletcher Comstock, the owner of the sawmill, he doesn't like what he is hearing so sends for his old friend, Matt Stryker, to take over as Town Marshal.
Stryker, former lawman turned bounty hunter, doesn't want the job but out of friendship goes to see Comstock as he wants to turn the man down to his face.
Only Cahill is waiting and when Stryker arrives he is so badly beaten up that his face is disfigured. To add insult to injury the gang geld Stryker's Arabian stallion.
But Stryker bounces back and starts to clean up the town. The first target is to get the badge back and pin it on his own shirt.
Believe it hell has come to Ponderosa.
The job doesn't come easily. Although he has the help of deputy Dan Brady and old friend, Tom Hall there are those who do not like his brand of law. Not least of these is the editor of the local paper, Prudence Comstock - sister of Fletcher - who's editorials are a touch vitriolic to say the least.
All in all this story drives forward at quite a pace and was hard to put down. But it does reach and unexpected and fully satisfying ending.

It has been four years since the publication of Chuck Tyrell's last book. And like London buses after a long wait three come along at once. This book - Guns Of Ponderosa - published under Robert Hale's Black Horse Western brand due out at the end of February 2010; 'The Killing Trail' in August 2010 and one other in 2011.
In my opinion Chuck Tyrell delivers - and gives value for money.

Chuck Tyrell now has his own blog The Outlaw Trail (there is a link in the sidebar) where he is currently running a series called 'The Making Of Guns Of Ponderosa'.

PRIVILEGE - 1967

PRIVILEGE, directed by Peter Watkins and a script by Norman Bogner and Johnny Speight, was heavily criticised for being 'hysterical' when it was first released, briefly, in the UK - however, it went over better in the US.

In 1967 the UK Critics said:
The Guardian: "Watkins has produced not so much a film as a hotchpotch of film and television and it simply does not come off."
The Sun: "The Goverment in Coalition and the slogan 'We Will Conform'. No, we won't and you should know that by now, Mr Watkins"

Over on the other side of the pond in an unexpected moment of unity both 'Playboy' and the 'Christian Monitor' were in accord with their praise of the film.

Modern day critics have written on the IMBD website to underline how relevant 'Privilege' is today's society.
The biggest complaint is that this movie is not on DVD - well, it is now and released by the British Film Institute - who back in 1967 stated that 'with 'Privilege' the result is a mere farce.

So....what is the movie about.
Steven Shorter (played by ex-Manfred Mann front man, Paul Jones) is a successful rock singer who appeals to all from pre-teens to grandparents. His public image is perfect with no bad habits or drug abuse. Just the kind of guy that the Government sees who could bring the country to heel. At first he is used to promote the healthy eating of apples to boost an ailing industry. With this venture hailed as a success he is manipulated into selling God and Country.
Look out for the rock version of 'Onward Christian Soldiers' with rocking monks and a bit of candle waving - in good modern day stadium style.
Then he meets artist, Vanessa Ritchie (played by none other than The Shrimp - fashion model and 60s icon Jean Shrimpton) through who's eyes Steven sees what he has become.

The story is set in 1970 but the relevance to today is far more apparent. For example The Beatles selling Nike; Janis Joplin selling Mercedes-Benz - get the picture.

The director, Peter Watkins, began his directorial career in television and introduced the docudrama style of film with 'Culloden' and the controversial 'The War Game'. 'The War Game' was commissioned for the BBC's 'The Wednesday Play' but was banned as it's depicts of the aftermath of a nuclear war and wasn't deemed suitable. However, it did receive a cinema release and it was not until 1985 that it appeared on the BBC.

Writer Johnny Speight was the man behind Alf Garnett of 'Til Death Us Do Part' fame.

Being one of the lucky ones to see this when it was in London back in 1967 my own thoughts were that it was a great bit of 'sci-fi' future cinema. It couldn't possibly happen - could it? Fast forward to today - and, yes, it did.

Friday's Forgotten Book: RAWHIDE by Frank C. Robertson

"Weeks of hard work had gone into the collecting of those three thousand head of Texas longhorns behind the rails of John Nuttall's Bar N pasture. In the morning, if nothing happened, that herd would be hitting the trail for Sedalia, Missouri, more than a thousand miles distant. But things could happen and Gil Favor, the trail boss, made a final ride around the fence only too well aware that if anything stampeded these long horned, narrow hipped brutes they would go through that fence like sourdough from a broken jug."

So opens 'Rawhide' by Frank C. Robertson, a novel that first appeared in the UK in hardback in 1963.
All the characters that we knew from the TV series are there - Gil Favor, Rowdy Yates and Wishbone.

This time Gil Favor has a problem before he even gets on the trail. John Nuttall has made a bet with an old friend, Tim Worthen, for $5000 that Gil Favor will get the herd to Sedalia ahead of Worthen's. Just to make matters worse Rowdy Yates arrives with the news that Worthen's crew is already on the move.
The rival trail boss is Clay Whipple, Worthen's nephew and it is clear that this is a man who will stop at nothing to win. To make matters worse part of his crew is made up of the outlaw band of Lafe Tipton.
No sooner is Favor on the move with a herd of 3000 cattle covering a mile and a half of road than the crew are hit by a bout of food poisoning. One of Tipton's men is discovered with a bag of saltpetre that he has mixed with the salt supplies.
Frank C. Robertson avoids the usual TV series spin-off type novel with this book. There is action, shoot outs and the odd hanging but mixed into this is a story about the real life on the trail drive. There is tension and tragedy amongst the thirty odd drovers that echoes the real life trail drives.

Most people remember the series but this book does give a lot more and gives both Gil Favor a depth of character that was not present on screen. But, then, this was one of Frank C. Robertson's traits. He is a writer that does not figure in the usual lists of well-known western writers and yet he started writing before many of them and should be better known today.