Just a quick post here to acknowledge the fact that this place will have been open for business for six years tomorrow. Sadly, as I’m sure regular visitors have noticed, my output of late has slowed down considerably. Frankly, I’ve been hard pressed to find the time to post due to some pretty heavy work commitments. I think readers here have come to expect a certain level of quality and I don’t wish to knock out sub-standard material just to satisfy some notional quota. Suffice to say I’ll be posting when I find the time to write something which I feel has some worth. Anyway, I didn’t want the anniversary to slip by without thanking all those whose visits and contributions are the life blood of this site. More articles and the like will follow guys, just not quite as often as before.
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Riding the High Country 
Your readers will be here, patiently waiting. No doubt. Best to you, Colin.
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Thanks Mike. You’ve offered plenty of great support down the years and spread the word about this place.
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Dear Colin, congratulations on your anniversary (sugar or iron on the sixth, apparently) – and let me echo what Mike had to say – we’re gladly sticking around pardner … and gratefully! Grazie mille.
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Too kind Sergio. Hectic days for me lately but I wanted to let people know why I’ve scaled things back a bit, and I will update the place when I get the opportunity.
And I guess sugar is highly appropriate considering the amount of sweet black coffee I spend my time guzzling!
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Wonderful site Colin.in my heart of hearts I always knew that there was a “day-job” lurking
somewhere and have often wondered how you manage to maintain such a high quality
interesting and diverting site.
No rush,buddy I just wish that I had discovered RTHC earlier.
Keep up the great work and remember we are ready any time you are!
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Cheers John. You’ve become one of the major contributors here, and that’s greatly appreciated. Recently, it’s been a day job, an evening job, and plenty of other stuff to occupy the gaps in between! I’ve just had to ease back a little.
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Colin —
First, congrats on the anniversary. That’s terrific. The web’s a better place for your work.
Now to the other thing. I completely understand, and am going through some similar stuff myself (lost my job and am having to build a freelance business from scratch). Your blog raised the bar quite a bit and once I discovered it, it made me work harder on my own.
So while the news is a king-sized drag, the drop in quantity will just make each post more of a treat when it arrives.
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Thank you Toby – some very kind words there. I’m sorry to hear about your own difficulties, tough times all round. Still, perhaps it’s an opportunity to strike out on your own in a different direction. I wish you every success freelancing.
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Just want to add my congrats on the anniversary and wish you the best of luck with any work issues you may be facing (I can definitely relate!)
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Thanks for that. This work stuff can be a royal pain at times, and something many of us can identify with I guess.
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congrats on your blogiversary, love reading your posts and will do, whenever you write them. best!
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Thanks Kristina. I’m grateful for your efforts to drive traffic this direction via your own site, and I do intend to post stuff on a semi-regular basis.
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Congrats on the milestone, Colin. All the best with the continued success of your site.
Chad
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Yes, six years is a fair old chunk of time, so cheers for that Chad.
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6 Years of great stuff.
No need to put something up every day. We’ll keep watching.
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Cheers JC. Right now I don’t want to set myself any specific targets that I may not be able to meet so I’m just taking it as it comes.
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Congratulations on the anniversary. Six years is indeed a milestone. As for the long gaps – hah, I should know. A recent move from a foreign assignment back home, heavy work commitments and no time to spare means I haven’t posted in months. Just do your best, the readers will always be there.
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Thank you Rez. There’s a great bunch of people who keep popping in here and that means a lot when the energy is flagging a little.
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Congratulations on six years, Colin! I’m another one who will keep on reading as and when you have the time to post – and will also keep on dipping into your archives to catch up with the goodies you have covered in the past!
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Cheers Judy. You’ve been one of the long time regulars & I appreciate the way you often draw my thoughts back to stuff I posted in the past – it’s actually encouraged me to reexamine my original assessments on a few occasions.
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Happy 6th Anniversary! I have been to this blog practically everyday for the past 6 years. Congrats and best wishes.
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Thank you Chris – I always value your comments and contributions to the site.
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Congratulations, Colin! Six years is a terrific achievement, and your posts always display a polish and care that demonstrates your hard work in composing them. I understand how time commitments can cut into writing time…take all the time you need, we’ll be here. All the best, mate!
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Cheers Jeff, very kind. I really need to work out some way to restore a bit of balance at the moment.
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I too will simply wait for your next post whenever that may be.
It’s wonderful all that you have contributed over 6 years.
As someone who only started blogging in 2012, I am so grateful to you for your support from the beginning.
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Thanks Vienna. I really like what your doing over at your place and visiting it is a pleasure.
For myself, as long as blogging remains fun, I’ll keep doing it.
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I scanned through the other comments and have to say, “blogiversary” is going in my vocabulary tout suite!
And congratulations on yours, Colin. Keeping something going at all for six years is an achievement in my book, even more so while retaining the quality. Well done!
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Cheers Richard. You haven’t been slack at turning out quality pieces at an impressive rate yourself. Looking back, it doesn’t actually seem that long since I started off with the old FilmJournal site.
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Everybody needs to shift gears and freshen up once in a while. The quality of your reviews has built up quite a following, Colin. You have the busiest film blog I’ve come across. Rest assured your backpages will continue to be consulted by those looking for informative and accurate reviews of films noir and westerns.
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Very kind of you to say Richard. But you know, it’s all those folks like yourself who keep coming back and driving the discussions which arise who make the site a joy for me to run and, I hope, a nice place to visit.
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Congratulations on reaching six years Colin. I don’t stop by as much as I would like because I am struggling with my own balance of work for money and work for my site. Hope things settle down soon.
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Thanks Andrew – it’s quite a common problem I think, and gets to most of us at one time or another.
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I would like to join the chorus of well deserved congratulations, Colin. Although I have not contributed to comments recently, I still read and enjoy RTHC.
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Thanks very much Rod. It’s good to hear from you and know you’re still following the site.
Can I just say that I’ve missed your contributions and I hope all is well with you.
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Colin, many congratulations on the sixth anniversary of your blog. Although I have been visiting your highly insightful and informed blog, I haven’t commented as often as I’d have liked to because I couldn’t add value to the solid comments in response to your posts. I’m a rookie in the midst of seasoned professionals like you and Sergio. Nonetheless, I’ll be checking in periodically although I hope you’ll post in your own time and on your own terms and when the mood suits you. All the best to you, Colin.
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Cheers Prashant – all comments are welcome and valued here you know. I will be posting when the time’s right for me, rather than trying to hit some kind of target.
“Seasoned professionals”, eh? 🙂
I like the sound of that, but maybe you’re thinking of these guys.
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I only discovered your excellent site quite recently, Colin, but I would like to echo many of the comments above. Six years is some achievement, particularly the level of in-depth quality you attain. I will continue “dropping in” regularly, discovering past blogs and looking forward to future reviews whenever you have time. Very many thanks.
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And thank you too Jerry. It’s always great to hear about a new reader enjoying their visits. Feel free to pop in any time you’re in the mood and comment if you feel like it.
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Six years, such a huge achievement and rightly deserved for a blog of this calibre.
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It’s been a fun ride vinnie, and still is to be honest – if it weren’t, I would have given up years ago.
And thank you.
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As everyone else has said, will be glad to just wait for whatever you write when you write it. The pieces are always so good and some of the discussions so enjoyable. Right now, I’m thinking especially of the Western Directors one, which was on a subject I care about a lot.
Congratulations on six years–and many more.
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Thanks a lot Blake. It has to be said that your contributions to some of those discussions played a big part in making them so interesting.
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I hope your pressing work schedule won’t prevent you from watching movies occasionally just for fun, without the added pressure of writing reviews. You might enjoy watching the westerns directed by Gordon Douglas, whose films I’ve recently discovered. Few of his westerns were available until now. He turns out to be one of the strongest directors of the classic period. He liked putting western characters into hardboiled situations. There is unflinching drama in all his films. He pushed violence further than most directors did at the time. He staged some truly rugged action sequences. He turned out one excellent western after another, including Fort Dobbs (1958), Yellowstone Kelly (1959), Gold of the Seven Saints (1961), Rio Conchos (1964), the under-rated remake of Stagecoach (1966), Chuka (1967) and Skin Game (1971) to name a few. He didn’t always get big budgets or the best scripts, but he could juice them for everything they’re worth, and challenge a viewer’s expectations. I was mighty impressed last night by Gold of the Seven Saints, in which young Roger Moore plays an *Irish* treasure hunter. I had no idea Moore had western skills in him, but he is more than up to the challenge, and more than holds his own against Clint Walker (puns intended). You’ll have a good time with Gordon Douglas westerns, Colin, when you find the time to indulge again.
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Richard, even my viewing time is not as generous as it once was. Still, I do get the chance to watch a number of movies. I’m familiar with the underrated work of Gordon Douglas, although I haven’t seen all his westerns yet. I’ve heard good comments before about Gold of the Seven Saints and hope to see it at some point.
Of the others you mention, I have an unwatched copy of Yellowstone Kelly around and I fully endorse your recommendation of Fort Dobbs and Rio Conchos. I’m also very fond of the seemingly unloved Only the Valiant.
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Very under-rated director, Gordon Douglas, always considered “workmanlike”. As well as the 3 westerns mentioned by Richard–W starring Clint Walker, I would also mention 3 earlier westerns of his – “The Doolins Of Oklahoma” (1949) and “The Nevadan” (1950), both starring Randolph Scott, and “Charge At Feather River”, a big hit in 1953. I am a big fan of “The Nevadan” in particular.
Roger Moore is not known as a westerner of course but he did star in the “Maverick” TV series for a season or two. Also he proved his chops as an action star in “The Saint”.
I too hope you still have time for watching westerns, Colin. Best relaxation from stress out there!
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Agreed on The Nevadan Jerry. I’ve never seen The Doolins of Oklahoma but I’ll be picking it up on the new Randolph Scott DVD collection.
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“Doolins” is a pretty downbeat movie really, fairly typical of the then current fashion for movies (mainly noir) about people finding themselves forced into a life of crime by circumstance. I like it. But then Scott is up at the top of the totem pole for me – I have every movie he made from 1946 on and although I find one or two of a lesser nature most satisfy me hugely, and some like “Seven Men From Now” and “Ride The High Country” I view as absolute classics of western film-making.
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Sounds like my kind of movie Jerry. I’m very much looking forward to this new box set.
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I would be very interested to hear your take on the movie when you have seen it, Colin.
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Scott is about my favorite western actor so any new (to me) film of his is highly anticipated.
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Whoops………..Colin’s anniversary has sort of morphed into a Gordon Douglas discussion!
Sorry Colin but I cannot resist chipping in here especially in relation to previous comments
Firstly I think we all love the Clint Walker trilogy with GOLD OF THE SEVEN SAINTS the
weakest of the three IMHO. Film is only marred by an overlong mid-section.
Roger Moore in his autobiography tells of an amusing time making the film when Gordon Douglas
(“Gordie”) had a very hard time trying to get big Clint to smile in one scene!
Sadly like Henry Hathaway and Richard Fleischer Douglas’ work hit many low points later in his
career……..WAY WAY OUT anyone?.
By the time SLAUGHTER’S BIG RIP OFF came down the pike we all knew that he was just
riding it out for the bread.
Have only seen STAGECOACH once and have no wish to see it again,great set pieces but
terrible casting. Alex Cord’s charms have completely eluded me. As for CHUKA the less said
the better.Did not know that he had a hand in the amusing SKIN GAME
The last great Douglas Western was RIO CONCHOS…………Blu Ray please Fox Home Video
Then there are all those great early films.
BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN is a crackerjack Noir decent straight-arrow cops (Mark Stevens
Edmond O Brien) clearing out the city’s scum. They are firm but fair to the local slum kids and
even share a room together and fancy the same girl (Gale Storm) Film is given a real dynamic
by underrated Donald Buka as a vicious and seemingly unstoppable mobster.
This Noir should be far more well known.
KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE is even considered a better Noir than WHITE HEAT by many
Noir buffs.At any rate it has Cagney in blistering form and an awesome supporting cast.
THE DOOLINS OF OKLAHOMA is more like a classic Warners gangster film than a Western with
its low key photography and grim highly moralistic ending. This surely did not go unoticed by the
suits at Warners as Douglas thereafter became Warners “house” director in the fifties
THE NEVADAN is complex fast moving film that rewards on repeated viewings.
THEM! of course is the greatest of all the Fifties “giant bug” movies and proved just how
stylish a director Douglas could be.
Gordon Douglas films may have been erratic but when he was good he was “damn good”
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Douglas’ noir films are all worthwhile and frequently very good.
John, I guess the career did dip in later years but I remain quite fond of his trio of late 60s movies with Sinatra. I don’t know what the critical consensus is regarding those films but I like them a lot.
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Hello Jerry BTW.
From Toby’s blog it’s great to hear that you were a veteran of Colin Momber’s wonderful B
Western conventions.
So sad that the last one was more or less three years ago……end of an era really.
I forgot to mention that Gordon Douglas made many films with Alan Ladd with THE IRON MISTRESS a personal favorite. I also really like THE BIG LAND, a bit slow moving but saved
at the end by a classic gunfight that crackles with tension.CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER I have
seen in 3-D and will be very happy when Warners get around to giving this fine Western a
DVD release. There is a “buzz” going around that this may be a 3-D release but I guess Warners
are going to see how many takers they have for past hits like HOUSE OF WAX in that format.
I am not into the 3D TV thing myself but its great that when they issue these things they give
us both versions!
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Hello again, John K. Good to chat again.
I think the point with later films of most of the directors is that after 1960 the studio system was effectively over and, for me anyway, the best films had by then been made, for the most part. There have been many good movies made since 1960 of course but somehow it is a case of picking them out of an awful lot of dross. That’s just my personal viewpoint.
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No doubt John K is the same John K from Chicago who also posts at an historical place?
There is a lot to be said for being a “professional house director.” Professional directors are frequently responsible for the best films. Not all films have to be personal works of art. I would liken Gordon Douglas’s career to that of Richard Fleischer or Alfred L. Werker. They could take any project at any budget level and make a worthwhile film out of it, and a profitable film. They did so all the time. To work in the business and be paid for your skills is what life is all about. There is no disgrace in being a “house” director. Douglas’s direction of SLAUGHTER’S BIG RIP OFF is much better than the material warranted; he makes the film legit and entertaining.
I’ve seen THE CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER (1953) projected in authentic 3-D twice at the World 3-D Expos in Hollywood. It’s one superb western with state of the art stereoscopic cinematography. I think it influenced John Ford on THE SEARCHERS; in fact I’m sure it did. I have called for Warner Brothers to release this on blu-ray on a forum they monitor.
I share the admiration for Gordon Douglas’s other films and in particular for his detective trilogy with Frank Sinatra. I actually saw THE DETECTIVE in 1968 on the big screen when I was too little to understand what was going on. My father always went to see Sinatra films and sometimes he took me along. Tony Musante frightened me, and the only thing I “got” was that there was something weird about Sinatra touching Musante’s hand during the interrogation. Of course now that I’m grown up I’ve become a dedicated listener (I own all the Sinatra box-sets) and I find THE DETECTIVE a fascinating and authentic neo-noir. LADY IN CEMENT and TONY ROME are exciting entertainments, but THE DETECTIVE has gravitas. I do think the film compresses the story too much; the novel is an epic crime saga.
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I wouldn’t say calling someone a house director, studio pro, or whatever could be regarded as disparaging – and I certainly don’t believe John used it with any negative implications in mind – so no arguments here on that score. I feel there is room for and reason to celebrate the work of both the artists and craftsmen of the cinema.
On the Douglas/Sinatra late 60s trio, I enjoy all of them but I agree that The Detective is a far more serious picture.
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I have been accused of many things but never of being from Chicago.
I am a Muswell Hillbilly by birth, now living on the Isle Of Wight.
I am a frequent visitor to London,in fact I am there at the moment.
A lot of directors that I really like were “house” directors like George Sherman and Jesse
Hibbs at Universal to name but two.Then of course there is Joe kane and William Witney
at Republic;I could go on and on.
Nice that Alfred L Werker was name-dropped and interesting that he ended his career with a
whole raft of Westerns most of them offbeat and interesting with THE LAST POSSE an
outstanding film that should be far more well known.
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Seeing as Alfred L Werker has come up, I have to say I was very favorably impressed by both Three Hours to Kill and At Gunpoint.
Does anyone have an opinion on Pirates of Monterey? I’ve been thinking of picking this one up for a while now.
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As you no doubt know Colin I am a huge Rod Cameron fan but PIRATES OF MONTEREY is
one of his lesser films.Hybrid of swashbuckler and western just does not work;its a handsome
looking film but that’s all. The Sony MOD of THE LAST POSSE comes with my highest
recommendation. PIRATES OF MONTEREY would have been a far better film if Yvonne de Carlo
was the female lead.
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I see, thanks. I saw the Spanish DVD was going for next to nothing and wondered if it was worth a punt.
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Oops. I confused John K with the other John K who posts similar thoughts at other places. You may have a doppleganger out there in cyberspace. A thousand pardons. If there were an edit function I’d go in and fix.
Regarding Alfred A. Werker, I like THE LAST POSSE very much. Broderick Crawford surprised me in that one, but he surprises me all the time. He had a broad range that exceeded his character type. His brief appearance as an obsessed gunman at the beginning of THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE (1956) remains one of his most memorable performances, and his shortest. Getting back to Werker, AT GUNPOINT (1955) and DEVIL’S CANYON 3-D (1953) haven’t had a DVD release in the states. I haven’t seen PIRATES OF MONTEREY but I’ll make a point of catching up with it.
Since Joseph Kane has been mentioned, may I recommend RIDE THE MAN DOWN (Republic, 1952). It’s his best film, a Luke Short western noir like BLOOD ON THE MOON, and one of the most off-beat and under-rated westerns of the decade. It’s only been released on a VHS, now long out of print. Olive Films had it on their DVD schedule but they got nervous over the Trucolor process and cancelled.
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Alfred L. Werker is not a very big name, yet as mentioned above, he directed some cracking little westerns in the 50s. I am particularly fond of “At Gunpoint”. For nearly 60 years I was aware of the movie “The Last Posse” (directed by Werker) but had never seen it until this year when I got hold of an excellent copy. I think it an outstanding western.
Also like to agree with Richard–W about “Ride The Man Down”, an adult, well-written and acted film which stars one of my absolute favourite western actors, Rod Cameron. Under-rated.
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I like that group of late Werker Westerns overall. For me, too, THE LAST POSSE is the most outstanding one, It is a real gem of a 50s Western, beautiful on all counts. John K., thanks for the good word on the MOD of this because I was unaware of it and will get it. I have made a point in following these blogs of taking note of things like this and now have significantly improved my own collections of Westerns as a result.
I had a very valuable experience with Werker perhaps ten or twelve years ago now. I watching his (also excellent) AT GUNPOINT in what I felt was the only available way on the Western channel, meaning it was pan and scan. It was at some point during that movie that I finally decided, after many years, that this was unfair to a movie and I haven’t watched any anamorphic film that way since. It wasn’t that it was one of the most brilliant uses of ‘Scope ever–though very solid (and I had seen it theatrically on its first release)–but maybe the fact that it was simply very good and composed that way kind of made me see the light at that moment. Fortunately, more and more movies are getting released in proper aspect ratio now; like many others, my earlier years catching up with things on TV simply gave no choice but now I make a point of going back to anything I only saw that way or saw it that way last.
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I have similar feelings Blake. I just can’t bring myself to watched a chopped up scope movie any more. I also spent many years viewing stuff on TV and somehow the messed up aspect ratios didn’t trouble me greatly back then. These says though it does bug me. I can tolerate an open matte version of a 1.66:1 or a 1.85:1 movie, but any hacking up of scope features is out of the question.
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Glad to hear all this appreciation for Alfred L. Werker’s westerns.
Right now I’m gathering the B westerns directed by Edward L. Cahn in 1959-61. Cahn directed one of the truly great and important westerns of the 1930s, LAW AND ORDER (Universal, 1932) starring Walter Huston followed by an endless number of shorts, mostly for United Artists. By the 1950s he was a specialist in low-budget genre programmers. He ended his career shooting a dozen genre fllms per year. These were extremely cheap & fast poverty-row productions, and I’m curious to see how Cahn handled them.
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I don’t believe I’ve seen any westerns directed by Edward L Cahn, although I’m familiar with a number of his low budget science fiction movies.
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I have only seen two of Edward L. Cahn’s later povert-row movies – “Noose For A Gunman” (1960) and “The Gambler Wore A Gun” (1961). Production values were low, it has to be said, but they were at base pretty traditional action westerns. Really old B-Westerns updated for a 1960 audience. I enjoyed both of them and they both starred Jim Davis, always a bonus for me.
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Even the sci-fi films I’ve seen were frugal affairs albeit quite entertaining ones – I always thought The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake was a marvelous piece of hokum.
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My thoughts on 1930s westerns, a body of work in a decade that needs to be re-evaluated:
http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6391
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Interesting link Richard. I’m not nearly as familiar with 30s westerns as I’d like to be. I have seen a reasonable number, but some significant gaps remain.
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Great link Richard,many thanks for that!
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Congratulations, Colin, for writing one of my very favorite blogs and also hosting wonderful conversations! I hope you’ll be around here for many years to come. 🙂
Best wishes,
Laura
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Thanks Laura. I’ve always appreciated your support. And don’t worry, I’m still open for business – just easing back a little.
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Wow! such a lot of ground to cover considering the last few posts. I really do not know where to begin,so this is going to be a bit scattershot……anyway here goes.
Firstly screen ratios; sadly AT GUNPOINT is one of those Allied Artists films not owned by Warners so a USA DVD release seems unlikely. Colin, has this film been released in Europe in decent quality in widescreen?
I may be wrong but a reviewer on Amazon France seems to think that DAY OF THE BAD MAN from Sidonis is pan & scan. The French Western fansite has not reviewed this one yet. It’s rather disturbing that more and more of these Universal CinemaScope films are turning up as pan & scan. I really wanted that film as it’s one on the few Universal Fifties Westerns that I have never seen.
Like Colin and Blake I just cannot watch P & S versions of widescreen films anymore.
Richard name-dropped Edward L Cahn a director who during the Fifties worked extensively on poverty row productions. I have never seen LAW AND ORDER and really want to; it’s reputation is very high.
The only Westerns that I have seen of his recently are GUNFIGHTERS OF ABILENE and OKLAHOMA TERRITORY both very low budget and very routine to say the least, only of interest to die-hard fans of the films stars.
Some of his Fifties Sci-Fi stuff is very entertaining especially CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN. THE SHE CREATURE has moments of genuine quality, it shows that Cahn certainly could make something out of nothing. INVISIBLE INVADERS is really wacky and great fun if you are in a silly sort of mood.
I have not seen possibly the best known of his Fifties flicks GUNS, GIRLS AND GANGSTERS but would really like to,for the cast alone.
Richard also mentioned Thirties Westerns and I too would like to see more of these. The thing that really interests me about this period is that the “real West” was not too much in the distant past,and in some ways still existed in parts of rural America.
I have become very interested in a director called Louis King and I think that I have mentioned him here and over on Toby’s blog. I note that he made several early Thirties Westerns starring Buck Jones and would like to catch more of them.I find him a most interesting director, his films are full of neat little touches that raise the bar on the most middling material. I love the films that he made for Paramount in the “G-Man” era; titles like TIP-OFF GIRLS, PRISON FARM, UNDERCOVER DOCTOR, ILLEGAL TRAFFIC and PERSONS IN HIDING. Later he seemed to like to make animal related films films about horses or dogs.
I really want to see SAND as it stars three of my personal faves:Mark Stevens,Rory Calhoun and Coleen Gray..THE LION AND THE HORSE is another on my wants list just to see the great Steve Cochran in a family type film. Thankfully, Warner Archive say this is on their to be released list. I also note that Fox Cinema Archives have just released King’s THUNDER IN THE VALLEY which is not a Western but a Scotland set drama about sheepdogs. At least the Technicolor should be stunning. I admit that King’s last feature MASSACRE is a very bad film but it had a very troubled production. Filmed in South America the crew got caught up in a revolution and had to move out fast. King was saddled with a largely Native cast and leads Dane Clark (who I really like) and James Craig were not much help either. Plus the fact that King had Bob Lippert on his case wanting to churn the thing out. King was an old school pro and just did not work this way.
The fact the thing got made at all is some sort of miracle and it’s a sad end to a very interesting career – feature wise at least.
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John, the DVD situation with At Gunpoint is a really odd one. There are editions available from both Spain and Italy – but both releases have either a Spanish or Italian dub and no English soundtrack!
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I knew that I had forgotten something-back to Alfred L Werker. One of his films that we forgot to highlight is the impressive REBEL IN TOWN. As grim and downbeat a Western as you will ever see low budget; but powerful nonetheless. It’s one of those films that provides no easy answers; deeply flawed characters get themselves more and more embroiled in the aftermath of tragic events. Werker’s background in Noir and Thrillers really come to the forefront in this little gem – well worth seeking out, but I have to admit it’s not an easy view!
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I have a copy of Rebel in Town on the shelves and unwatched as it happens. It’s good to hear you recommend it.
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Hi Colin,
Far better to retain “the quality rather than the quantity”. This quality, is evidenced by the increasing number of your many faithful followers – both those who “comment”, and the many “silent” readers that you have attracted over an incredibly successful six years.
Your willingness to accept the opinions of others is an encouragement to those who want to contribute to the discussion, and, to share their own knowledge; this has resulted in a most interesting and informative web site – certainly one that I, as well as your many supporters are happy to follow, even when faced with less frequent postings.
Congratulations.
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Thanks for that Rod. I really enjoy hearing the various and varied opinions that are expressed by yourself and others. I certainly do accept them all, indeed I welcome them. I feel I’ve learned a great deal through running this site and continue to do so all the time – it’s only by taking on board the thoughts of others that we’re able to expand our own knowledge and appreciation after all.
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Reading through the subsequent conversation in the above comments, it struck me once again what a great community you’ve established on your site, Colin. I grew up loving westerns, and if possible, love them even more now, but there are just so many titles that I’ve never seen or heard of before; all the vast genre knowledge shared here by the likes of yourself, John K., Blake, Richard, Jerry and others has been fascinating, educational reading and grown my DVD wish list exponentially. This sort of insightful roundtable discussion is quite rare in the blogging world and you should be proud of yourself for fostering such an environment. Long may it continue.
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Very kind words Jeff. I think that over time, this site had developed into something that has much less to do with me or my opinions on the movies I watch. Instead it is more about the movies themselves and the great people who stop by to talk about them and take the discussions off in various directions. Frankly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. My original short post was meant, at least in part, to be as much a celebration of the diverse contributors as anything – a terrific bunch of people to whom I’m most grateful.
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Very well said, Jeff. Exactly how I feel too, Colin!
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