r/ClassicWesterns

This week's pre-1970 movie is the 1966 comedy, "A Big Hand for the Little Lady." This one stars Henry Fonda and Joanne Woodward. Supporting roles were played by Burgess Meredith, Jason Robards, Paul Ford, Kevin McCarthy and Robert Middleton. None of these actors were new to me but this is some of their earlier work for me, especially Burgess Meredith. I liked all the characters.

The Movie- A farmer bets the farm on a high stakes hand of poker.

The Comedy- There are no laugh out loud moments in the movie, just a couple of ridiculous situations. The story leaves you feeling good and smiling.

The Story/Dialogue- The movie doesnt really have a "twist" per se, but has different layers. There's a couple of things happening at the same time. It does keep you interested and the poker keeps the tension going. I didn't have a problem leaving my phone alone.

The photography- During the opening credits, there is a horse drawn carriage driving thorough a mountain countryside. There's even a shot from inside the carriage as it drives along a dangerous cliff. It was incredibly beautiful and shot well. The rest of the movie stayed in-town and looked like any western TV show you've seen.

This is a good movie. After misses the last 2 weeks, it was good to find. I was thinking just alright, but the last 30 minutes bumped it up to "good." The story keeps you interested and the actors did a great job with all their characters. Burgess Meredith isn't necessarily young and spry, but certainly younger and more active than in other movies I've seen from him so far. I'm going to look for more of his work. I saw this one on HBO/MAX. Have you seen it?

https://youtu.be/cKHcrcdeSkA?is=PN3Np0Zw3amvJJes

One of the more deceptively marketed cereals. There are no grapes or nuts in the recipe. Grape refers to something called "grape sugar." With the original version (not flakes), I was always left with mush in my mouth after swallowing the milk. But there was something about that heavy little box that compelled me to at least try to like it.

Ken Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates) was a highly versatile American actor and singer, best remembered for his iconic role as the scruffy, twangy-voiced deputy Festus Haggen on the legendary Western television series Gunsmoke.

Born on July 2, 1916, in Lamar, Colorado, he grew up in an authentic Western environment—his father was a local sheriff. Before capturing America's heart on television, Curtis enjoyed a remarkably successful career as a big-band and Western vocalist.

Big Band Era: In 1941, he joined the famous Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, briefly replacing Frank Sinatra as the lead male vocalist. It was Dorsey who suggested he change his name to Ken Curtis.

Curtis transitioned into Hollywood movies during the late 1940s, initially starring as a "singing cowboy" in B-Westerns. His career expanded significantly when he entered the inner circle of legendary director John Ford (who also became his father-in-law after Curtis married Ford's daughter, Barbara)

Through this connection, Curtis appeared in several revered John Wayne film classics:

• The Quiet Man (1952)
• The Searchers (1956)
• The Horse Soldiers (1959)
• The Alamo (1960)