Petticoats & Pistols » Western Movies

Kat Martin’s All time favorite movies

Guest Blogger — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 06:05:38 +0000

Since Academy Awards Night is one of my favorite evenings, I thought it might be fun to talk movies. Old favorites, new favorites, worst picks of all time. Let’s start with the positive. Who doesn’t love ET? Star Wars? Gone with the Wind? Wizard of Oz? They’re classics, never to be forgotten. Sometimes I look back and realize some of the books I’ve written were probably inspired by films I had seen and loved. Gone with the Wind, at least the pre-civil war time in the South, elegant hoop skirts and Georgia mansions led to Captain’s Bride and Creole Fires. I went on to follow Creole Fires with Savannah Heat and Natchez Flame. Actually stayed in a gorgeous old plantation house inNatchez built in the 1840’s. I’m a Star Trek fan, a total Trekie. Maybe that’s how I got interested in UFO’s and wound up writing Season Of Strangers. I did a ton of research for that one and was amazed to find myself convinced there’s a very good possibility UFOs are real. I love Western movies. Quigley Down Under with Tom Selleck is a personal all-time favorite (if you haven’t seen Tom in a pair of chaps you are really missing out!). There’s a scene in my book, The Secret, a modern-day Western set inMontana, that was definitely inspired by the movie. I’m excited that the publisher is re-issuing the book next year. I loved True Grit, both versions, love some of the great old Westerns like Wagon Master, Wagons West, Brigham Young. My husband, who still writes Western novels, and I belong to Western Writers of America. We love attending the conferences and plan to be in Albuquerque, New Mexico mid-June this year. I love high action adventure movies. Old ones like The African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Kathryn Hepburn, new ones like Taken, with Liam Neeson. The plot for my new book, Against the Night, may have developed from the abduction theme of the movie. Against the Night is Johnnie Riggs’s story, a fish out of water tale about a kindergarten teacher who braves the LA underworld to find her missing sister. Its clear Amy needs help, and John Riggs is just the man for the job. Unfortunately, Johnnie is more interested in Amy’s luscious little body than the money she can’t afford to pay him. It’s a romp that starts on L.A.’s Sunset Strip and travels all the way to the tropical jungles of Belize, a fast-paced, high-action, hot-blooded adventure I’m hoping readers will enjoy half as much as I enjoyed writing it. Here’s the back cover copy: He knows what goes on in the dark. She’s got the face of an angel and the body of…well, isn’t that what he’d expect from an exotic dancer? But there’s something about this girl that Johnnie Riggs can’t shake. The former army ranger is hot on the trail of an elusive drug lord—and suddenly very hot under the collar, as well. Amy’s got her own agenda to pursue: her sister is missing and Amy seems to be the only one who cares. She’ll enlist Johnnie's help and do her best to ignore her growing attraction to finally get some answers. But when the two trails begin to converge and reveal something even more sinister than they imagined, their mutual desire is the least of their problems. They’ll bring the truth to light…or die trying. Johnnie is a hunk and the cover of the book looks just like him. I hope you’ll watch for Against the Night and other of the books in my AGAINST series. Out the end of May is AGAINST THE SUN, Jake Cantrell’s story, another fast-paced, heart-pounding tale. In the meantime, have fun and happy reading. Warmest, Kat Miss Kat is giving away a copy of AGAINST THE NIGHT to one lucky commenter. Join the conversation to be entered to win.

It All Started With A Wagon Train . . .

KarenW — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:01 +0000

Readers and interviewers often ask about what got me interested in writing western romances. Well, there's a reason my logo features a wagon wheel. It all started with a wagon train. The early seeds were planted with Laura Ingalls and Little House on the Prairie, both the books and the television series. But it wasn't until the late 80's when I was a senior in high school that the love affair truly began. I can still recall standing in a bookstore during one of those high school band trip time killers - you know, the ones where the bus pulls up to the local mall and lets the kids loose on the food court and shops with the only perameter being, "Meet back here by 5:30." Well, where else would I spend time but in a bookstore? Besides, I needed something to read on the bus ride home. I sat staring at the shelves, picking up book after book but not realy finding anything I liked. Then a friend (a boy, no less!) suggested I try Dana Fuller Ross's Wagon's West Series. Apparently his sister liked them. I picked up Independence!, the first in the series, and was instantly hooked. I can't remember how many I ended up reading, but I think I read at least the first 8, up through Nevada! There were 24 total in the series. Now that my appetite for romance and adventure on the western trail had been whetted, I sought more. Imagine my delight when I stumbled across Saturday reruns of the old westerns from the 50's and 60's. Bonanza. The Big Valley. The Rifleman. I loved them all. Yet when I saw a promo for Wagon Train, teenage heart palpitations nearly sent me into a swoon. I'd thought Pernell Roberts was to-die-for as Adam Cartwright, but when I caught a glimpse of Robert Fuller as the trail scout, Cooper Smith, I was in love. And the fact that the channel only showed Wagon Train for a short time before discontinuing it, only made my heart grow fonder. We were star-crossed lovers, Cooper and I, held apart by a tragic whim of fate. About this same time, my best friend got me hooked on old movies. We'd go to the video store and try out everything from Audrey Hepburn to Fred Astaire. I started watching the classic movie channel on TV as well. And that's where I found it. My favorite western movie of all time. Westward the Women. Never heard of it? Don't feel bad. Most haven't. It doesn't star John Wayne or Gary Cooper. In fact, nearly the entire cast is female. Odd for a western, right? But that's part of the reason I loved it. That and the fact that it all takes place on a . . . you guessed it . . . wagon train. In the story, a land developer arranges for the transport of moral, able-bodied women to travel from Chicago to his settlement in California to become wives to the frontiersmen there. The women have a variety of motivations for joining the train. Some are in financial straits. Some have lost husbands and have no where else to go. Some are simply looking to make a new start. The wagon master has serious doubts about their ability to cope with the arduous demands of the journey and tries to convince the land developer to give up on the scheme. The women prove tougher than he expects, though, and with a little training on firearms and team driving, they set out. As the wagon master's respect for the women in his care grows so do the women's respect for themselves. The film destroys sterotypes of women as the weaker sex. And the central love story between the wagon master and the French saloon dancer who is looking to leave her past behind demonstrates that love really does conquor all. Westward the Women came out in 1951 and was based on a concept idealized by Hollywood legend, Frank Capra, after he read an article in a 1940's magazine about a group of South American women who crossed the Isthmus to become brides for a group of male settlers. It was filmed the Utah mountains and California desert and all the actresses were given extensive training in handling frontier weapons, bullwhip cracking, blacksmithing, horseback riding, mule driving, and assembling and disassembling covered wagons. My writer's research heart is drooling in envy. Alas, Netflix doesn't carry it, so I might have to find a copy I can purchase. Because even though I haven't seen it in probably 20 years or more, I still remember it in vivid detail. I still want to be like those women--tough, determined, and ready to take on any challenge this journey of life throws at me. So what about you? What got you started on western romances? Books, movies, television, growing up on a ranch? I'd love to hear your story!

Cowboy Crushes

KarenW — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:00:57 +0000

Why do I write western romances? Even more telling—why do I read western romances? There are many reasons, but the most compelling one is simple. I do it for the cowboys.

Those rugged, hard-working men, so capable, so honorable, so devoted to the women who capture their hearts. I can see the silhouette of a man on horseback, sitting straight in the saddle, and my heart starts fluttering before I even see his face. Crazy, huh? But the image stirs the romantic in me like nothing else. After all, if you're going to ride off into the sunset with a hunky hero, he needs to have a horse. It probably started back in my early teen years. I'd outgrown Saturday morning cartoons, so I turned instead to the Saturday westerns. It was the 80's, the decade that introduced MTV and video games. Westerns were the last thing on anyone's mind. Well, except for me. I found channels that aired re-runs of wonderful shows like Bonanza, Wagon Train, and The Big Valley. I couldn't get enough. I started daydreaming my own episodes, writing myself into the script so that I could win the heart of the cowboys I fancied. I had desperate crushes on Adam Cartwright (Pernell Roberts, at left) from Bonanza and Cooper Smith (Robert Fuller, at right) from Wagon Train. I guess I have a thing for dark-haired men in black hats. That theme continued into the 90's when the western made a slight comeback in the television world with shows like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, The Young Riders, and The Magnificent Seven. I've been re-watching The Young Riders on Netflix with my 13 year-old daughter. We both agree that Josh Brolin makes a very dreamy Jimmy Hickok. Although I think the beautiful Palomino he rode played a role in the attraction, too. I haven't introduced her to Eric Close in The Magnificent Seven yet, but he was another cowboy who made my heart pitter-patter. Then we could talk about those cowboys from down under. Tom Selleck is now a western icon, but I first discovered him in chaps and hat in Quigley Down Under. I had never been that impressed with him when he was driving around Hawaii in a red sports car, but give him a western makeover and stick him atop a horse, and I couldn't resist. A man that impresses me in any setting is Hugh Jackman. And he made me sigh mightily when he donned western garb for the movie Australia. Hugh proved to me that you're never too old for a new cowboy crush. And of course, with the release of Cowboys and Aliens, I would be remiss if I failed to mention my latest crush. Daniel Craig makes a fabulous James Bond, but there's no comparing 007 to Jake Lonergan to my way of thinking. The cowboy's gonna win every time. So what about you? Who are some of your cowboy crushes?

Cowboys and Aliens and Dinosaurs….oh my! ~Tanya Hanson

Tanya Hanson — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:03:34 +0000

Well, I admit hubby is not a syfy aficionado, but he does like Westerns and he does love me, so last Friday —Cowboys and Aliens release day— he took me to see it after I worked at the horse rescue in the morning. Being retired and cheap, we always go to a weekday matinee. Which we did, only to find the theatre amazingly crowded. At least it’s stadium seating, so I didn’t have to whine when folks sat in front of us. And enjoy the movie, we did, in addition to a giant bag of buttered popcorn despite our recent vows at weight-loss. Oh yes. Archetypes, stereotypes, fun plot. Not all that much gore. Nothing we didn’t expect to see. (Although, no spoilers here, a woman romance writer probably would have treated the ending a tad differently. But we knew what we’d find, knowing past works of many of the producers and director.) About this same time, I read a newspaper article about the new DVD set, “A Big Box of Cowboys, Aliens, Robots and Death Rays” now available. I reckoned I ought to check out C and A’s predecessors. Apparently, most of the collection are B-grade grainy western films from the 1930’s, but they’re still worthy of hee-hawing about to die-hard Western fans. Likely the most famous is Gene Autry’s 12-part serial The Phantom Empire. In 1935, this series was not only the first musical Western but also The Singing Cowboy’s initial starring role. He and his pals find themselves face to face with an evil scientist in an underground world called Murania, filled to the brim with robots, death rays and other sci-fi gew-gaws. The series is claimed to be a quarter-century ahead of its time. (For those unwilling to sit through a dozen installments, the series was condensed into Radio Ranch.) Tim McCoy, 1930’s “cowboy and serial hero” at Columbia pictures, went by such monikers as Lightnin’ Bill and Trigger Tim, and found a starring role in Ghost Patrol. The low-budget western had planes full of money and valuable bonds crashing without any apparent reason in an abandoned mining town full of outlaws. Cowboy-turned G-man Tim is called in to save the day. Disguised as a much-wanted outlaw, he must shoot his way out of trouble when his true identity is discovered. Tombstone Canyon features true-life world champion rodeo performer Ken Maynard. Atop his wonder horse Tarzan, he tracks down a mysterious phantom killer in a B-western full of chills, solid camera work, and surprisingly good plot twists. (Or so it’s said. I haven’t watched any of these.) Riders of the Whistling Skull is a paranormal Western with “The Three Mesquiteers” going on an archeological expedition to find a lost Indian city of gold called Lukachuke. Some say the B-classic is a precursor to Indiana Jones. More a horror flick than adventure, Vanishing Riders features cowpoke star Bill Body and his real life son. Father-and-son cowboys in the film, they dress up themselves and their horses as skeletons to drive outlaws out of ghost town Silver Springs. Not part of this collection is 1969’s West German flick, The Valley of Gwangi, set about 1880. Here a Mexican circus showman enlists cowboy James Franciscus to enter the Forbidden Valley and wrangle the giant T-Rex, Gwangi, for the show. These all found like fun. * Any of you out there know of any other supernatural tales involving our favorite kind of hero, the cowboy? * Without spoiling things for anybody still wanting to see Cowboys and Aliens…if you have seen it, that did you think? Five Star Review The Romance Studio Four Star Web Exclusive Review, Romantic Times Five Star Review The Romance Studio

Oh, The Dastardly Villain … by Charlene Sands

Guest Blogger — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 06:05:38 +0000

It All Started With A Wagon Train . . .

KarenW — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:01 +0000

Cowboy Crushes

KarenW — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:00:57 +0000

Why do I write western romances? Even more telling—why do I read western romances? There are many reasons, but the most compelling one is simple. I do it for the cowboys.

Cowboys and Aliens and Dinosaurs….oh my! ~Tanya Hanson

Tanya Hanson — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:03:34 +0000

Oh, The Dastardly Villain … by Charlene Sands

Guest Blogger — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 06:05:38 +0000

Petticoats & Pistols » Western Movies

Guest Blogger — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 06:05:38 +0000

It All Started With A Wagon Train . . .

KarenW — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:01 +0000

Cowboy Crushes

KarenW — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:00:57 +0000

Why do I write western romances? Even more telling—why do I read western romances? There are many reasons, but the most compelling one is simple. I do it for the cowboys.

Cowboys and Aliens and Dinosaurs….oh my! ~Tanya Hanson

Tanya Hanson — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:03:34 +0000

Oh, The Dastardly Villain … by Charlene Sands

KarenW — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:01 +0000

Petticoats & Pistols » Western Movies

Guest Blogger — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 06:05:38 +0000

It All Started With A Wagon Train . . .

KarenW — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:01 +0000

Cowboy Crushes

KarenW — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:00:57 +0000

Why do I write western romances? Even more telling—why do I read western romances? There are many reasons, but the most compelling one is simple. I do it for the cowboys.

Cowboys and Aliens and Dinosaurs….oh my! ~Tanya Hanson

Tanya Hanson — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:03:34 +0000

Oh, The Dastardly Villain … by Charlene Sands

KarenW — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:00:57 +0000

Why do I write western romances? Even more telling—why do I read western romances? There are many reasons, but the most compelling one is simple. I do it for the cowboys.

Petticoats & Pistols » Western Movies

Guest Blogger — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 06:05:38 +0000

It All Started With A Wagon Train . . .

KarenW — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:01 +0000

Cowboy Crushes

KarenW — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:00:57 +0000

Why do I write western romances? Even more telling—why do I read western romances? There are many reasons, but the most compelling one is simple. I do it for the cowboys.

Cowboys and Aliens and Dinosaurs….oh my! ~Tanya Hanson

Tanya Hanson — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:03:34 +0000

Oh, The Dastardly Villain … by Charlene Sands

Tanya Hanson — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:03:34 +0000

Petticoats & Pistols » Western Movies

Guest Blogger — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 06:05:38 +0000

It All Started With A Wagon Train . . .

KarenW — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:01 +0000

Cowboy Crushes

KarenW — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:00:57 +0000

Why do I write western romances? Even more telling—why do I read western romances? There are many reasons, but the most compelling one is simple. I do it for the cowboys.

Cowboys and Aliens and Dinosaurs….oh my! ~Tanya Hanson

Tanya Hanson — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:03:34 +0000

Oh, The Dastardly Villain … by Charlene Sands

Charlene Sands — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:00:11 +0000

Before we get into the world of villains, desperados and scoundrels, I’d like to say how happy I am to be rejoining the Fillies at Petticoat Junction! Thank you for having me back. As usual, life has a way of dictating to you, rather than the other way around – I find I’m destined (gratefully so) to write strong hunky western heroes set in small towns! It’s where I belong and where I’m most comfortable. Now on to the VILLAIN: When I picture a villain, the cliché image comes to mind – a moustache-twirling, evil-eyed man wearing a sinister smirk. Wikipedia describes a villain this way: A villain (also known in film and literature as the "bad guy", "black hat", or "heavy") is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters. A female villain is sometimes called a villainess (often to differentiate her from a male villain). Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines villain as "a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; or a character in a, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot.” In this quote by film critic, Roger Ebert, we see how much importance he places on villainy. "Each film is only as good as its villain. Since the heroes and the gimmicks tend to repeat from film to film, only a great villain can transform a good try into a triumph.” In westerns, often the villain is the greedy land baron, the corrupt sheriff or the wicked stepfather. Villains give a good story, conflict. They can be the diverse opposite of the hero. A good villain makes the hero, “heroic.” I’ve certainly written my share of villains, who were evil and sometimes, murderers. I have written villainesses as well and by far, they are the most fun to write. But sometimes, a villain isn’t all that evil. Sometimes, they are merely, selfish, uncouth and greedy. Not nice traits, to be sure, but those characteristic are just bad enough to make a story truly entertaining. I really believe the success of my last Harlequin Desire, Carrying the Rancher’s Heir, which spent two weeks on the USA Today Bestseller List and 3 weeks on the Borders Top Ten List had a great deal to do with the sworn enemy theme. Yes, it was a sexy story with an intriguing hero and heroine, but there was a villain that just couldn’t be brought down and his true appeal, to me, was that he really believed he was protecting his daughter, Callie, (heroine) the way any father would. On one level readers could relate to him. He was believable in his dastardly ways. Thank you Hawk Sullivan! Sometimes a villain isn’t so much a person, per se, but a reputation or occurrence the hero or heroine has to live down. That’s the case in my newly released Kindle romance, Smooth-Talking the Hometown Girl. Kyle Warren comes back to his hometown of Bentley, Arizona to settle his father’s estate. While there, he learns some things about his “Pop” but even more things about himself. Wealthy and successful now, Kyle fights to change one woman’s opinion of him and debunk her wary perception about him, even if he has to be slightly devious to do it. I’ll challenge you to guess which of these Great Villains of the Silver Screen, holds the #1 Spot. The Joker - Batman Darth Vader – The Empire Strikes Back Norman Bates – Psycho Hannibal Lecter – Silence of the Lambs Wicked Witch of the West – The Wizard of Oz Mr. Potter – It’s a Wonderful Life Nurse Ratched – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Did you guess? Hang on – I’ll tell you at the end of this blog… According to AMC these are the Top Seven Western Villains… some might surprise you.

Walter Brennan - My Darling Clementine
John Wayne – Red River
Jack Palance – Shane
Eli Wallach – The Magnificent Seven
Lee Marvin- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Lee Van Cleef – The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Richard Boone – Hombre

My favorite villain(ess) from a movie is the character Kathy Bates played in Misery. She scared the stuffing out of me. My Western villain has to be, more recently, Russell Crowe, in 3:10 to Yuma. So what famous villain from a novel or movie scares you the most? Who’s your favorite dastardly scoundrel and do you secretly love to hate them? Did you guess right? Post a comment and you’ll be entered into a RANDOM drawing for a $10 Amazon Gift Card. #1 Villain of the Silver Screen: Hannibal Lecter