Hello my friends. Since I know many of you like me love both TCM and silent movies, here is a listing of the silent films that will be on TCM for June, 2024.
Sunday June 2nd
The Cossacks (1928) Director: George Hill. Starring John Gilbert and Renee Adoree. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.
Friday, June 7th
Sherlock Jr. (1924) Director: Buster Keaton. Starring Buster Keaton and Kathryn Mcguire. 6am Pacific. 9am Eastern
City Lights (1931) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Virigina Cherrill. 7am Pacific 10am Eastern.
Sunday, June 9th
Our Modern Maidens (1929) Director: Jack Conway. Starring Joan Crawford and Rod La Rocque. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.
Wednesday June 11th
It (1927) Director: Clarence Badger. Starring Clara Bow and Antiono Moreno. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.
Thursday June 13th
Speedy (1928) Director: Ted Wilde. Starring Harold Lloyd and Ann Christe. 10am Pacific. 1pm Eastern.
Sunday, June 16th
Wolf Lowry (1917) Director: William S. Hart. Starring William S. Hart and Margery Wilson. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez (1915) Director: William S. Hart. Starring William S. Hart and Bob Kortman. 10pm Pacific. 1am Eastern.
Sunday, June 23rd
The Red Lilly (1924) Director: Fred Niblo. Starring Enid Bennett and Ramon Novarro. 10:30pm Pacific. 1:30am Eastern.
Sunday, June 30th
Matrimony's Speed Limit (1913) Director: Alice Guy-Blaché. Starring Fraunie Fraunholz and Marian Swayne. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern.
The Crowd (1928) Director: King Vidor. Starring James Murray and Eleanor Boardman. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.
When many people think of westerns, the idea of shoot-em-up action films may come to mind. This movie though is anything but. This is a slow-paced picture with little action. While this may not be for everyone as it requires much concentration and patience on the part of the audience, for the right audience this is a great movie. At first the slow pace and non-liner storytelling required some work on my part. However, as the film went on, I became hooked on the characters and the storytelling to where I couldn't look away from the screen. The story itself is very simple but it is the characters and the atmosphere that make this movie a must-see. Though Viggo Mortensen directs, writes, produces and acts in this film, the real star of the picture is a woman played by Viky Krieps. This woman trying to survive often times alone in the old west, is the personification of a strong tough person. This is not the type of tough person you see in an action flick, but someone who simply pushes through tragedies and tough situations without letting them stop her from being the beautiful person she is. This is the type of admirable person that we can relate to and who feels completely real to us in a way most action heroes can't. As the film goes on we grow to truly care about this woman as well as admire her and this leads to some great emotional scenes. This film will make you feel many complex and powerful emotions. By the time the end credits rolled I simply found myself overcome with emotion in the best way possible.
Like many of the great westerns this is a very handsome movie. Shot heavily in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada as well as Durango, Mexico, this film features beautiful shot after beautiful shot. Many of these shots were reminiscent of the best classic John Ford westerns. Yet these shots also serve their purpose in the film, often increasing the feeling of isolation with the vastness of everything around the very few main characters. The setting becomes just as much a character in this film as any of those played by actors.
I don't want to give much away about this film as it is best seen with little idea of what it is truly about. While it may take patience and concentration, it greatly rewards anyone willing to give it just that.
A very entertaining animated sports film from Japan.
This movie takes place over the course one volleyball game. However, this game is interspliced with various flashbacks. The flashbacks follow the main character's relationships with two friends. One on his own team and one on the opposing team. This format works very well and as the film goes on, we care less about who wins and more about the characters themselves. The relationships the main character has with these two other characters are very well thought out. Though he has a friendship with each one in each friendship the dynamic is different. As we see him in these flashbacks, he is a bit of a different person than he is in the modern-day scenes. This film does a wonderful job of conveying how both of these friendships helped form who he is now. This is not conveyed in a heavy-handed or overly obvious way. Instead it comes naturally through the story and characters. This gives the film a nice slice of life feel that is unique to many sports movies. As for the volleyball game, I admit that I really don't like sports. So those who like sports will probably find it more exciting than I did. However, I did very much appreciate and enjoy the visual filmmaking here. This was excellent, especially in the ways it used animation to tell the story in ways a live action film couldn't. The scenes where we saw the game the way the player pictured it in their minds (with larger-than-life visuals) were fantastic, as was the animated POV shot as the main character was pushing himself as far as he could go. This movie also benefited from a good sense of humor, as there are some good laughs here.
This movie does have its problems though. One is that it moves at a breakneck space rarely stopping to take a break. It can be too much all at once and make certain parts seem really rushed. This movie also features wall to wall dialogue, and this just isn't necessary. It becomes distracting when we constantly hear the characters narrating what is going on. This works in smaller doses but when it used through a whole feature film, it becomes distracting. Also because of the fast pace we never get to really know any of the other characters besides the main three (I know this is adapted from a manga and TV series, but a movie should be able to stand on its own).
This may not be a perfect film but it is simply a lot of fun.
In this second episode, Khamla and Bruno try to explore Khamla's newfound superpowers. Meanwhile, he meets she meets a boy that she has a huge crush on.
This episode centers around probably my favorite part of superhero origin stories. This is superheroes trying to get used to and understand their new powers. The truth is if any of us got superpowers, we wouldn't immediately know how to use them but would need to take some time to get used to them. This gives these stories and characters a great deal of relatability and believability. It also helps that Khamla is still such an incredibly likable character and Iman Vellani still brings the same delightfully quirky charm to the role. As she spends time with her crush in this episode, this quirky charm shines even more. In fact, this episode has probably the most adorable conversation about Bollywood ever.
This episode has some surprisingly intelligent dialogue about Khamla finding out who she is especially as she looks at her own Pakistani heritage, while living in the U.S. This especially seen in the scenes where she talks to her friend Nakia Bahadir (played by Yasmeen Fletcher). These scenes are easy the highlight of this episode and the relationship between the two is very sweet.
The climatic scene, where we first get to see her being a real superhero is fantastic. It is both very exciting and well written. This is especially true of how well it captures that she is trying to find her footing as a superhero while also being a very fun action scene.
Really my biggest problem with this episode the awful humor during the scene where Bruno is talking to the school counselor. It is a very brief scene, but it is painfully unfunny. Still if a brief scene is my biggest problem than this is obviously an excellent episode.
This show continues to be a real delight for this Marvel fan.
This movie follows the son and grandson of Rudolf Höss, the Commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp. The son who actually lived next to the camp with his father as kid never knew what horrors were happening next door. The grandson, a pastor of a Christian church in the U.S. has always had trouble coming to terms with the fact that he could be related to a real-life monster. We also see his daughter, who seems to be in complete denial as to how horrible of a person her father was, probably because if she faced it, it would simply be too much to bear. This is interspersed with texts being read from Rudolf Höss' autobiography.
No matter how ready you think you may be for this movie, you can never be prepared for the sheer emotional impact this film will have on you. There is not a moment here that is pleasant to watch and there are times it becomes almost unbearable. However, that is exactly why it must be seen. After this, it is impossible to any longer simply view the holocaust as some words you read in a history book. It instead becomes all too real and all too hard to take. It makes us face the fact that those who were behind these atrocities, were people like the ones we meet every day. That there were kids who called these people, "dad." This also causes us to look at antisemitism and any form of prejudice and remind ourselves that we can never let this happen again. This is why we study history and why we need to not just view it as some words in a book. This movie makes us greatly uncomfortable and that is why it serves as a stark and important warning of what people are truly capable of. This is especially disturbing when we hear Rudolf Höss' words themselves. They are so cold and vivid, that it is startling to hear that a real-life human being wrote them. The scene where the son and grandson went to Auschwitz and saw the legacy of Rudolf Höss is powerful beyond anything words can describe. They are at a loss of words after seeing it and so are we. As the end credits to this film rolled, I found myself so overcome with emotion that I just sat and stared silently at the screen. It is rare when any film can have this kind of impact on you, but I this is one of the few.
Though it may be difficult to sit through I believe that every single person in the world should see this movie. And I am so grateful to director Daniela Volker and everyone involved with this film.
An excellent start to this Marvel streaming series.
Kamala Khan is a teenager who is a superfan of the Avengers. While she is looking forward to going to Avenger-con dressed as her favorite Avenger Captain Marvel, her family and her school are trying to make her stop daydreaming and focus more on what she wants to be when she grows up.
I love that this show does not rush into the super-heroics but instead focuses on us getting to know these characters before getting into the typical superhero stuff. Instead, this first episode plays as a teen dramedy and a really good one. Kamala is an instantly likable and relatable character. Young actress Iman Vellani brings such a charm and energy to this character. There is a real quirky charm to her performance that is simply irresistible. Her situation is also incredibly relatable. She is very much like me in high school spending much of her time daydreaming and feeling like one of the few teenagers in the world that does not have her own big plan for after high school. However, many more teenagers than just me felt like this and this episode captures what it feels like. Because of this anyone who has been in this situation can see a lot of themselves in her. Her relationship with her best friend and her family are also very well realized and help make her feel like a real character. The scenes between her and her family are quite heartfelt. Though we relate to our main character, we also understand her family and feel from them as well. The banter between her and her best friend is a lot of fun, and it is hard not to get caught up in it. The humor in this episode is also pretty funny at times. Though does not rank among the funniest entries in the MCU, it still made me laugh a few times.
An okay biopic about singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse.
Despite all its flaws this movie is worth watching for Marisa Abela’s incredible performance as Amy. She is simply incredible here. Her performance simply draws you in and makes it hard to look away. This is of course seen in her musical performances (she did all her own singing). Not only does her voice sound great but she puts so much energy and charisma into all she does on that stage. This charisma is what makes you feel like you are not just watching a talented singer but a real genuine star. This is something that must be captured when playing someone like Amy Winehouse and this young actress captures it perfectly. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that these are great songs in general, but her performance is what sells it. Yet she is just as great in the quieter scenes. She brings a lot of emotion to this performance and that really sells many of the scenes. The scenes where she is depressed about not having had kids are heartbreaking heavily because of her performance.
The last act of this movie is where it really shines with a mixture of some very emotional scenes with some great musical performances. Though we have seen movies about famous singers dealing with alcohol and drug problems before, it is still done fairly well here. During these scenes the film puts you in her place and this works well enough for you to want to forgive this film’s major flaws.
This movie has one of the strangest flaws for a musical biopic. It seems utterly disinterested in Amy’s actual music career. With all the focus on her romantic problems and alcohol addiction, we learn little to nothing about her musical career. Any scenes that have to do with her musical career are so rushed that I felt as if I missed parts of the film. For those who don’t know a whole lot about her career, this film will leave more questions than it answers. For instance, when did she go from hoping that she would make it to being a major star? How is she now singing in front of a sold-out concert when the last time we saw her performing she was singing a small bar? How did she go from having trouble with her stage presence to feeling so comfortable on stage? The truth is that we get no insight when it comes to her as a performer and a songwriter. This is part of what audiences want to see from a musical biopic and it is something the filmmakers seem to not understand. Similarly, much of the early parts of this movie can feel rushed to, almost if the film is simply trying to get to the part of her life that it really wants to tell.
Though this film is incredible flawed there are enough things that worked to make me glad I saw it.
What really makes this movie work is the Furiosa herself. This is simply a wonderful character. Though she only says a few words throughout the whole film, we identify with and sympathize with her. We only grow to care more about her as the film goes on and we find that she has more depth than one might first expect. Anya Taylor-Joy (adult Furiosa) and Alyla Browne's (kid Furiosa) great performances as this character truly help make this character something special as well.
Chris Hemsworth is also wonderful as an over the top and very fun villain. There is nothing subtle about this character but the is exactly what makes him work. However, no matter how over the top he gets, the character always feels like a major threat that is not to be taken lightly. No matter how over the top he gets he never becomes a joke. This makes him the perfect villain for a larger-than-life action movie that also has a bit of depth to it.
When you watch a Mad Max movie, you know you are in for a visual treat. That is definitely the case here. The whole look of the Wasteland is wonderful. It creates an incredible atmosphere that makes this post-apocalyptic future seem completely real to us. Of course, the action scenes are jaw droppingly well done. They are larger than life in the best way ever. While there is CGI, George Miller (who has directed all the Mad Max movies) also mixes in a good deal of practical effects, which adds a weight that many modern-day action films don't. Yet the use of CGI is also fantastic as is the timing and choreography on these scenes. These action scenes also have a wonderfully stylized look that makes them stand out from your standard action flick.
The movie is however longer than it needs to be. For a mostly simply revenge storyline, there is no need for this to be nearly two and a half hours. This can cause it to really drag at times, especially during the early scenes. The man whom Furiosa teams up with is a very bland and forgettable character and his relationship with our heroine never feels really devolved.
This movie's flaws are easily overcome by the last few scenes of this movie. These scenes take what has been a rather simple revenge story and add some real depth to it. They are fully of very clever and smart dialogue and a wonderfully gruesome and demented punchline.
While it has its flaws this movie also provides all you could want from a Mad Max film.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with The Sons of the Pioneers with The King's Highway. This recording comes the group's most recent album, 2024's Campfire Spirituals.
This is followed by Kris Kristofferson with Burden of Freedom. This version of the song comes from Kris' 1972 album, Border Lord. He would later make another version for his 2006 album, This Old Road. A year before Kris wrote this song, he had responded to an alter call and this song and Why Me Lord were responses to what that spiritual experience, one that Kris himself admitted he didn't fully understand yet. Around this time a resurgence was happening with Christian music. A lot had happened in recent years and as many young people had turned to God, they brought along their own types of music, that meant something to them personally. Therefore, much Christian music was no longer hymns but mire contemporary sounding music that paid tribute to God while reflecting the world these young Christians had grown up in. Johnny Cash would often play before these audiences as part of concerts mostly made up of the younger artists. Feeling it would be good for Kris to be in such an environment, John invited Kris and his wife Rita Coolidge to perform as well. Kris would play his own songs like Burden of Freedom or Why Me Lord. Yet Kris felt decidedly uncomfortable at these concerts. He would say about the experience, "I was singing songs, I thought were spiritual, but people wanted to hear more songs specifically about Jesus. Eventually I had to tell John that I couldn't do these type of shows anymore I felt like a hypocrite."
Afterwards is Wade Mainer and Zeke Morris with their 1936 recording of If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again.
Next comes Bobby Helms with What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Though today Bobby Helms is really only known for his Christmas hit, Jingle Bell Rock, his career is so much more than that. This is perfectly shown from his beautiful version of this classic hymn. Despite being Joseph Medlicott Scriven's most famous composition, when he made a collection of his writings entitled Hymns and Other Verses it did not appear. It has been assumed that the reason for this is that he probably wrote it for his mother when she was sick and not for the public. It is believed that it is through his mother that the hymn reached the public. It first appeared in 1865's Social Hymns, Original and Selected credited as anonymous.
This is followed by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Jesus Loves the Little Children. Jesus would state, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." There is no doubt that Jesus did love the little children and he loves us big children too. If we will humble ourselves and become like little children, the blessings he has for us are immeasurable.
Afterwards is Anne Wilson with My Father's Daughter. Blending country music and contemporary Christian music, Anne is one of the finest young Christian singers today. This is especially true as she not only writes her own songs but draws from her only life and puts her heart and soul into each song. This comes from her 2024 album, Rebel.
Next comes Johnny Cash with Oh Bury Me Not. This recording comes from John's 1994 album, American Recordings. This was his first album for the American Recordings record label. This record label was not known for country music, but rather heavy metal and rap. The Black Crows, The Beastie Boys, Sir Mix-A-Lot and Slayer were among those he had recorded there. What drew John to this unlikely label was the complete musical freedom he would have. For this album, producer Rick Ruben had John simply record whatever songs he felt like (from any genre and any time period), just him and his guitar. This was a success and revived John's musical career which had been on a downslide commercially, critically and creatively. Reviews said that this was not just one of John's best recent albums, but one of the best albums he had ever done. John now found himself with a new young audience whose musical taste consisted of heavy metal, hip hop, punk, alternative and rap. The reason, Bury Me Not is included in this week's Cowboy Church is that it has a spoken introduction that is a prayer from the point of view of a cowboy.
Today's musical selection ends with George Strait with Love Without End Amen. This song comes from his 1990 album, Livin' it Up and reached no.1 on the Country Music charts. This song was written by Aaron Barker, who also wrote two other no.1 hits for George, Baby Blue and Easy Come, Easy Go.
Now for a message from the Rev. Billy Graham.
Now for an episode of Roy Rogers' radio show.
The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2
Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
My grace is all you need, for my power is the greatest when you are weak. 2 Corinthians 12:9
Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually! 1 Chronicles 16:11
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love. Ephesians 3:16-17
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26
Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. Romans 14:1
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy Trails to you until we meet again.
With a filmography that includes Double Indemnity (1944), The Lost Weekend (1945), Sunset Boulevard (1950), Sabrina (1954), The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Some Like it Hot (1959), writer/director Billy Wilder is one of the most cherished filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age. So, when I say The Apartment is one of his best films this is anything but faint praise.
Even the premise of this film is ingenious. A bachelor (Jack Lemmon) works his way up the corporate ladder by renting out his apartment to higher up's so that they can cheat on their wives. Though this often leaves him without a place to stay at night, he feels that it is worth it as he is truly making progress in the company. He becomes disillusioned when he discovers that the girl he has a major crush on, an elevator operator (Shirley McClaine) is the woman the big boss of the company (Fred MacMurray) has been seeing in the apartment. One Christmas Eve after lending his apartment to this boss, he finds the girl in his bed having taken an overdose of sleeping pills in a suicide attempt. He takes it upon himself to save her life and help her recover.
What makes this movie so spectacular is the way it brilliantly handles a wide variety of tones and emotions. This movie serves as a charming romantic comedy, a sharp satire, a biting social commentary, a darkly serious drama and a character study. Not only do all these various elements work extremely well but none of them get in the way of each other. Instead, all of them seem to flow naturally and effortlessly out of the story and characters. The wide variety of tones also allows this movie to go to some very dark places, while not becoming unpleasant to watch. Though the comedy lightens up and makes this dark storyline entertaining, the film always takes the story and characters seriously even in the film's funniest moments. Because of this we can laugh while still being very moved by the storyline. This is something that many movies that try to balance comedy drama try and fail at. Yet as we watch this movie, we are so engrossed in the film that we don't even notice the mastery of filmmaking that is before us. The film is also held together by truly great performances by Jack Lemmon, Fred MacMurray and Shriley McClaine. All of them give some of their best performances here.
The Christmastime setting may at first seem superficial, but it adds so much to this movie. Christmastime is a time we associate with togetherness with your family and loved ones. Yet while this association can cause great happiness in many, for some people it increases their feeling of loneliness and isolation. Unlike most films that take place during the holidays, this movie delves into the darker side of the most wonderful time of the year. Having the film's darkest and most tragic scene (the suicide attempt) happen on Christmas Eve, just makes the tragedy all the more emotional. The same can be said about the scene in the bar. Though being locked out of your own apartment to spend a lonely and sad night in a bar is already sad, having this happen on Christmas Eve makes it truly heartbreaking. Even the office Christmas party is lacking in any real Christmas magic and consists of drinking and meaningless sexual flings.
Billy Wilder first had the basic idea for this film after seeing the classic British movie, Brief Encounter (1945) during a scene in which an adulterous couple uses the home of a friend. However he knew that censorship in Hollywood would make such a movie impossible and so the idea stayed only in his mind. After Wilder made Some Like It Hot (1959) with Jack Lemmon, he decided that Jack would be perfect for the main role in this film idea he had. Also knowing how censorship had loosened over the years, he knew that such a picture would know be possible. He and co-writer I. A. L. Diamond (who also co-wrote Some Like it Hot with Wilder) began working on a script with Jack Lemmon in mind.
Billy Wilder had to convince Fred MacMurray (whom he had directed in Double Indemnity) to take the role here. MacMurray had a very family friendly image around this time. In fact just a year earlier he had made The Shaggy Dog (1959) for Disney and was soon to begin shooting on the TV series My Three Sons. MacMurray would later tell a story of visiting Disneyland and having a woman whack him with her purse telling him that this was not a children's movie. Fred MacMurray replied, "No ma'am it wasn't."
The movie was a major box office success earning double its $3 million budget. The movie was also a major success at the Academy Awards. It won five awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Story and Screenplay, Best Art Direction – Black-and-White, Best Film Editing) and was nominated for five more (Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography – Black-and-White, Best Sound). When the award for Screenplay was handed out, Wilder simply said, "Thank you, I. A. L. Diamond." Diamond responded, "Thank you Billy Wilder." Even Wilder (who was known to be harsh on his own films) called The Apartment, "the picture with the fewest faults." Watching it today this movie has not dated at all and still stands as a pure classic.
Hello, my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with Mr. Magoo in Magoo's Moosehunt (1957). This short film was directed by Robert Cannon, one of my favorite UPA directors. He also directed the studio's most popular short, Gerald McBoing Boing (1950). One of the writers for this movie was Bill Scott, who is best known for being the voice of Bullwinkle the moose.
Up next is Mighty Mouse Meets Jekyll and Hyde Cat (1944). This is one of the best Mighty Mouse cartoons and the movie truly lives up to its delightful premise.
Next up is Tex Avery's next to last black and white cartoon, The Haunted Mouse (1941). By this time Tex had moved from working on the black and white Looney Tunes to the color Merrie Melodies. He had not made a black and white cartoon since 4 years earlier with Porky's Garden (1937). After this film, he would make one more black and white short, Porky's Preview (1941). This movie was the first Looney Tune to not feature any reoccurring characters. Before this Looney Tunes always featured a star character, at first Bosko, then Buddy, then Beans and then Porky. This star character would appear in every cartoon for the series, while the Merrie Melodies would include cartoons without any of the main characters. This movie also features the first writing credit for Michael Maltese who would go on to write Chuck Jones' best cartoons.
Now we join our good friends The Terry Bears in Thrifty Cubs (1953). 17 Terry Bears cartoons were made from 1951 to 1955. Despite the characters' short-lived span as cartoon characters, they did have a life outside of theatrical cartoons. St. John Publishing included them in their series of Terry-Toons comic books entitled Paul Terry's Comics. Sometimes they would even appear on the cover of these comic books. They would even briefly receive their own Terry Bears comic book. This would only receive three issues though which were released in 1952-53.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for a Garfield Quickie.
Now for a true Disney classic, Alpine Climbers (1936). Though this film teams Mickey, Donald and Pluto, it follows the same format as the Mickey, Donald and Goofy cartoons that Disney made around this time. Like those films, here each of the characters goes his separate way and has a separate adventure. Mickey tries to collect an eagle's egg. Donald tries to pick flowers. Pluto has a run in with a St. Bernard dog (designed by Joe Grant). This other dog actually has a name, and that name is Bolivar. The character however is unnamed in the film, nor would he ever be used again in an animated cartoon. Instead, the character would be named in the Disney comics. He started appearing in 1938 in Al Taliaferro's Donald Duck newspaper comic strip. Bolivar would soon become the family dog of the duck family and would even be a reoccurring character in Carl Barks' beloved Donald Duck comic books. Despite this being an odd name for a cartoon animal the name had almost been used before. A cartoonist named Pinto Colvig (best known to cartoon fans today as the original voice of Disney's Goofy) was interested in entering the making of animated cartoons when sound came to the movies. He felt due to the fact that he was a cartoonist, who was also capable of doing various voices and playing multiple musical instruments, he felt sound cartoons were a wonderful opportunity for him. He created a character named Bolivar the Talking Ostrich. Teaming with Walter Lantz (later of Woody Woodpecker fame), he made a film with this character called Blue Notes (1928). In this film, the animated ostrich interacted with a live action Pinto Colvig. Unfortunately, this film is considered lost and despite Colvig's best efforts, a series never materialized. Colvig would however talk much about this ostrich in later years, however Lantz would barely ever mention the character. It may be possible that Al Taliaferro named the dog character after Colvig's ostrich character, but there is no real proof either way. Alpine Climbers would be reissued to movie theaters in 1948. The short film would make its TV debut on an episode of TV's Disneyland entitled, The Adventures of Mickey Mouse (1955). The following is a review of Alpine Climbers from a 1936 issue of World Film News. "I laughed immoderately at the latest Mickey Mouse, Alpine Climbers. The spectacle of the frozen Pluto getting tiddly with his savior, a St. Bernard with a handy keg around his neck is wonderful. - Ian Coster"
Now it is silent movie time with the Aesop's Film Fables cartoon, The Spendthrift (1922).
Now to close with one of the finest moments in the history of musical theater.
Thanks for joining me come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by David Gerstein and J.B. Kaufman
The appeal of Garfield in any iteration is the main character himself. He is such a relatable and instantly likable character that his fans (amongst which I am one) will want to watch or read anything as long as he is the star. While this movie may not provide a deeper exploration of this character, he is still very much the character we know and love. This is especially true of the early scenes in this movie with Garfield at home, many of which feel pretty much cut out from the comic strip. Some of his famous personality traits are only shown briefly, such as his hatred of Mondays and spiders as well as his coffee addiction. Also, his sarcasm seems a little toned down from the strip, but never too much to where it isn't the same character. Other personality traits are front and center such as his love of food and his preference to sit inside and be lazy. The last works especially well as this becomes a fish out of water story as an indoor cat who would rather watch TV is forced to have a big adventure, all the time dreaming of going home. Honestly this kind of reluctant hero is one that can more easily be related to than a more gung-ho hero who wants to risk their lives. Speaking of Garfield as a hero this movie understands the most important part of who this character is, that can easily be missed. This is that though he can be self-centered he does have a conscience. He may reluctantly do the right thing, but he will still do it. The relationship with his father here may familiar and cliche but it still works very well. It helps us see a side to this loveable cat, we haven't seen before and is very effective.
The story itself is simple and charming. There is little we haven't seen before but it works for what it is and for a reason to get this usually lazy cat out on an adventure. It also has a few geniune tug on your heartstring moments involving Garfield and his dad that work very well.
The humor in this film may not always be laugh out loud funny (though there are a few laugh out loud moments), but it is rather the type of humor that will simply make you smile. With a warm and familiar character like Garfield, this type of humor works perfectly. I do think a few of the pop culture references are neither as funny nor clever as the filmmakers think they are.
This movie is unfortunately too predictable and familiar at times. It could have also used a stronger villain. I also think that Odie here, feels out of character and a bit too much smarter than his comic strip counterpart.
This film's director is Mark Dinal. While his name may not be fully familiar to you, any animation fan will know the previous movies he directed, Cats Don't Dance (1997), The Emperor's New Groove (2000) and Chicken Little (2005). While Chicken Little may not have the greatest reputation the other two are favorites among many animation fans and stand as true gems of films today. He does bring much of the same charm to The Garfield Movie.
John Howard is one of the many names of classic Hollywood that should receive more recognition. He is best remembered for the (rather thankless) of George Kittredge in The Philadelphia Story (1940) and as Ronald Coleman's younger brother Lost Horizon (1937). Some might also know him as the leading man in Universal's The Invisible Woman (1941). Through the 1950's, 60's and 70's he appeared in many popular TV shows, sometimes in larger roles and sometimes in smaller. However, he came to this blogger's attention playing the character Bulldog Drummond in 7 highly entertaining B-movies. If you enjoy fast paced B movies, I couldn't recommend these films enough.
The following is a 1936 article about John Howard from Picture Play Magazine. If you have trouble reading it just click on the pages below and use your touch screen to zoom in.
This movie was personally made for IMAX and on that big screen it looks absolutely amazing. This film is about the elite group of Navy flyers, The Blue Angels and the highlight of the movie is whenever we see them in the air, it is absolutely breathtaking. This is truly top-notch aerial cinematography that truly captures the excitement of what these incredible pilots do in a way that is completely cinematic. While this will still look great on a smaller screen on a big IMAX screen it is truly incredible. The amazing feats we see from the pilots is just as incredible as the cinematography. Even those who don't have much of an interest in aviation will be greatly impressed by what they are capable of.
Besides the flying scenes, the rest of this movie is made of the pilots talking about their jobs. Much of what they say is quite interesting and they are fun to listen to. However, I couldn't help but wish that they would have gone into greater depth. This feels like very basic surface-level information about The Blue Angels. There are some truly interesting insights into the life of a Blue Angel brought up, but we only look at these briefly and don't get into anything below the surface. Instead, too much time is spent on various pilots simply saying the same things, making parts feel too repetitive and can even make the movie drag. Yet it is interesting when we get little glimpses into who these pilots are as people, which makes this documentary feel all the more relatable to us.
While this may leave you wishing for more, it still is a very entertaining documentary with some great moments.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Sons of the Pioneers with The Mystery of His Way. This song was written by Bob Nolan, one of the founding members of the Sons of the Pioneers and one of my favorite songwriters. Though they have recorded this song multiple times before this version comes from their newest album, 2024's Campfire Spirituals.
Hank Williams wrote How Can You Refuse Him Now for his wife Audrey Williams, who recorded it in March 1950. However, he made a demo recording of the song also in 1950 and that is the version that is present here. Unlike his most famous gospel compositions (I Saw the Light being a prime example), this song is much slower paced and sung in a much more emotional style. However, this song contains the pure lyrical poetry that only Hank could master. This song makes us realize how much Jesus has done for us and how little he truly asks of us. With this in mind why would we refuse his extreme generosity and grace when it is given to us as a free gift.
Now for J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers with their 1938 recording of Just Over in the Glory Land.
This is followed by Iris DeMent with Leaning On the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began with a man named Anthony Showalter. As a fan of gospel music and an elder in a Presbyterian church, he held many "singing schools" at various churches in the south. One day he received two letters from former students who were struggling after their wives had passed. To respond to these letters, Showalter consulted scripture. He came across Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." After reading this verse lyrics for a song chorus went through his head and he wrote down, "“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.” After using this in the letters to his former students he sent this chorus to his friend hymnist, Elisha Hoffman. In the letter he also wrote, “Here is the chorus for a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27, but I can’t come up with the verses.” Hoffman then wrote the rest of the lyrics to which Showalter put to music. The hymn was published in 1887. This version of the hymn comes from her 2004 album Lifeline.
Then comes Anne Wilson and Lainey Wilson (no relation) with Praying Woman. This comes from Anne Wilson's 2024 album, Rebel.
Up next comes Johnny Cash with Jesus Was a Carpenter. What I love about this song is that it takes about what happened back when Jesus was on Earth, but it puts it in a modern context even looking at many of today's political and social issues. This shows that the Bible is just as true today and that even after all these centuries we can still apply it to what is going on in our world today. The very idea of praising Jesus in socially conscious folk song, paints a great picture of what Johnny Cash and his music were all about. This recording comes from his 1970 album, Hello I'm Johnny Cash.
Next is Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Softly and Tenderly. The song was written by an Ohio businessman named Will Thompson in 1880. As well as writing gospel songs Thompson also wrote quite a few secular songs and parotic songs. When the songs he wrote were rejected by publishers he created his own company, Will L. Thompson & Company. This company would not only publish music by sell musical instruments. Softly and Tenderly first appeared in 1880's Sparkling Gems, Nos. 1 and 2, a collection of songs from the company. When evangelist Dwight L. Moody was on his death bed he told the songwriter, "Will, I would rather have written ‘Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling’ than anything I have been able to do in my whole life." This was appropriate as Will decided to make songwriting his career while at a meeting held by Moody.
Today's musical selection ends with Bonnie Owens with Where Could I Go But To The Lord. his song was written in 1940 by James Buchanan Coats. He was standing beside a dying neighbor, an African American man named Joe Keyes. Coates asked Keyes if he knew where he was going after he died. Keyes responded, "Where Could I Go But to the Lord."
Next is an episode of Roy Rogers' radio show.
Now for a message from Bill Graham.
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalms 4:8
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love. Ephesians 3:16-17
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with Mighty Mouse in The Cat's Tale (1951). In this short film, we see how terrifying Mighty Mouse can be from a cat's perceptive. This movie also offers an origin story for Might Mouse, which of course contradicts the origin story from his first film. Because back in the 1950's cartoons gave little thought to continuity.
Next comes classic Looney Tunes short, Eatin' on the Cuff or The Moth Who Came to Dinner (1942). This cartoon was included in Jerry Beck's book, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes and has become a favorite of some cartoon buffs. The oddball nature of this short becomes obvious from the very opening in which a live action piano player begins to tell us the story. The actor used here is silent era veteran Leo White, who will be familiar to a lot of my fellow Charlie Chaplin fans. However, the voice we hear is not that of Leo but rather of Mel Blanc, who voiced countless characters in the Looney Tunes shorts. It is easy to see why Looney Tunes fans love this short so much. It is a fast paced and crazy short with a wild anything for a laugh attitude. It should come as no surprise that the film was directed by Bob Clampett, whose work was often wild and energetic even by Looney Tunes standards. It also features some excellent animation such as Virgil Ross' scene of the bee and the spider's duel and Rod Scribner's animation of the spider's huge nose emerging from her wig (a dirty joke that would have only been attempted in a Clampett cartoon). A reviewer for The Film Daily stated, " This cartoon is interesting chiefly because it veers away from the usual formula for this type of short."
And now for something we hope you'll really like.
Up next comes an early Looney Tunes cartoon, The Tree's Knees (1931). This movie does not star Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig or any of the other well-known Looney Tunes characters. Instead, it stars Bosko, who was the first Looney Tunes character. The Looney Tunes title card that appears at the start was not the original to play with this short in movie theaters. You can tell because it features a character named Buddy who was not created at this time.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now it is silent movie time. So enjoy Koko the Clown in False Alarm (1923).
Next comes one of the most famous and important of Disney's Silly Symphonies cartoons, Flowers and Trees (1932). This film was the first Silly Symphony in color and it is obvious that even from this first attempt the Disney cartoons had a mastery of color in a way few film would ever reach. Walt knew that color was not just a novelty or a way to make films look pretty but could be a vital part of storytelling. The colors in these cartoons often added to mood of the scene in a way an audience can feel. Walt was alone in believing Technicolor would help boost the quality of his cartoons and many tried to talk him out of it but as was always true of Walt, he stuck with his instinct and it paid off. The short received much praise (including an academy award) and it still remains a great cartoon to this day. Walt signed a contract with Technicolor for three years, giving them exclusive right to the process in the field of animation. This is why some of the other studios would soon use less famous and less effective color processes for their cartoons of this period. The cartoon itself was directed by Burt Gillett, who would soon direct the most famous Silly Symphony, The Three Little Pigs (1933). J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt's book, Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series states, "David Hand animated most of the film, partly by himself and partly with apprentices." David Hand would later be supervising director on the Disney features, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942). The following is a short article from The Film Daily (dated Sept. 17, 1932), "As a result of the tremendous reception at the Grauman's Chinese in Los Angles and the Roxy in New York of the first Silly Symphony, in natural color, Walt Disney, its creator says all the Symphonies released this year by United Artists will be done in Technicolor and that later the Mickey Mouse may also be photographed in natural color. The first Silly Symphony in Technicolor 'Flowers and Trees,' was in the nature of a feeler. It was made to touch [sic] out the public reaction to color in an animated short feature. After the first showing in Hollywood, in conjunction with MGM's 'Strange Interlude,' Disney had decided that he hit upon one of his most popular moves. Sid Grauman also was highly enthusiastic about 'Flowers and Trees.' The same thing happened at the Roxy. And now the second Silly, 'King Neptune' will have its premiere at the opening of 'Mr. Robinson Crusoe,' Douglas Fairbanks new feature, at the Rivoli next Wednesday."
Now for possibly the greatest Woody Woodpecker cartoon, Barber of Seville (1944). This is the only Woody Woodpecker film to appear in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons.
Now to end by singing a song we all know.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes edited by Jerry Beck
The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck
Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt
This is a very different movie from the one the trailers were hinting at. The trailer made this look like a Ryan Renyolds comedy. However, while this film has Ryan Renyolds and some comedy, neither is the movie's focus. Instead, this is a sweet and heartwarming movie about imaginary friends that centers around a young girl (played by Cailey Fleming (who is simply wonderful)) who is at the age when kids seem to outgrow imaginary friends. While this may disappoint some who simply wanted to watch a Ryan Reynolds comedy, I found this whole film a sheer delight.
This movie starts as this type of film should. It starts rather slowly building up its atmosphere before moving into the fantasy. This allows you to be sucked up into the story and to truly care about our protagonist. One of the most important rules of any fantasy story is that if we believe the main character than we believe the fantasy. That is completely the case here. How much we care about her also helps the more emotional parts of the story work so well. I did not expect this movie to tug on my heartstrings, but it truly did. There are some very emotional scenes here, many of which may make you tear up a little. One scene in particular is a sure-fire tearjerker. Yet at the same time, this movie has a lot of joyous moments as well that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. These moments feel like a nice warm hug. At the same time this is a film with an incredibly effective message. This film tells us in a mature and heartfelt way about how even though we have to grow up in certain ways that never means we should put away our childlike hope and wonder. We may think we have grown beyond such things, but it is as we become adults that we need them more than ever. This message also makes it so like all the best family films, kids and adults will enjoy it on different levels. Director/writer/actor John Kransinki (with a slight change of pace after his A Quiet Place films) has stated that this is a very personal movie for him. However, even if he hadn't, we could tell this from just how heartfelt it is.
Of course, for me it is hard to resist a modern movie that references such classic films as Harvey (1950) and Footlight Parade (1933) as well as featuring vintage jazz music on the soundtrack.
The humor in this film can range for laugh out loud funny to falling completely flat. However, I feel that the truly funny moments are great enough to make up for the comedy that doesn't work.
This movie is a little too predictable at times and I personally saw the big twist coming from very early on.
Max Linder's importance to silent movie comedy often times goes too overlooked. The early short films of this French comedian had a major impact on many of the most popular silent comedians. Charlie Chaplin always cited Max Linder as one of his main influences. Some of Charlie Chaplin's short comedies even borrowed gags and stories for some of Linder's films. When Linder died in 1925 (at only the age of 41), Chaplin closed his studio for a day. Even those who worked behind the camera, were heavily influenced by Linder including comedy producer Mack Sennett and one of the best directors of the silent era, King Vidor.
The following is a tongue in cheek 1917 article from Photoplay magazine about Max Linder. If you have trouble reading it, click on the pages below and use your touch screen to zoom in.
Now for a great comedy short starring Linder, Max Takes a Bath (1906).
This is not a perfect movie, but it is obviously a very personal film for director/writer/star Daniel Yoon. Because of this you can feel the filmmaker's personal connection to this movie in every scene. There is such a passion to this film that it simply becomes hard to resist. Also, because this film is so personal it perfectly conveys the main character's situation of feeling like he is not the success his parents wanted him to be. Because of this anyone watching can understand and feel for what this character is going through regardless of how their life has been. And those who have felt this way before or currently do will immediately relate and find a lot of truth in this film. The movie also perfectly explores his loss of faith in God and how he has to come to acceptance that life will always be a mystery to him. Meanwhile as he attempts to make a documentary about people's faith, this film intelligently studies how the faith that people either have or were raised with has shaped them as a person. Though this movie takes an agnostic (or even atheistic) view of faith, it never mocks any faith but rather shows respect and understanding for each of these characters. This is especially expressed very well towards the last act of the movie which will leave you with a lot of food for thought as you leave the movie. This film becomes a very intelligent look at dealing with a life that is far different from what you planned and may or may not have any meaning. It is not a movie about finding meaning in life but rather in finding beauty in a possibly meaningless life.
This movie is also told in a very clever way. It is told in the style of a film festival style documentary, like the one our main character is making. This is not simply a gimmick, but it helps us see the story from our main character's eyes. As well as this it also gives the film a more relaxed and introspective feel.
The main problem with this movie is that it is not as funny as it should be. This film is in equal parts a comedy and a drama. While the comedy is not really bad, it simply never feels as funny as it is trying to be. The immatureness of the main character's friends also wears thin very quickly.
While flawed, the personal passion put into this movie makes it great watching for any movie fan.
Flora Finch is one of those movie stars that was incredibly popular in her day but has become unjustly forgotten today. She was nothing if not prolific appearing in well over 300 films. She was at her most prolific in the silent era, where she was constantly working. Movie audiences knew her best for her 160 short comedies she made with the incredibly popular John Bunny. She can also be seen in many films from the legendary director D.W. Griffith, including The Helping Hand (1908), Those Awful Hats (1909), His Wife's Mother (1909) and the feature length Orphans of the Storm (1921). One of her best-known silent films today is the classic horror/comedy The Cat and the Canary (1927). During the sound era she appeared mostly in smaller roles with the occasional larger role. These movies included The Scarlet Letter (1934), Laurel and Hardy's Way Out West (1937) and The Women (1939).
Below is a 1923 article from Motion Picture Magazine about Flora. If you have any trouble reading it click on the pages below and use your touch screen to zoom in.
Her is a short film starring John Bunny and Flora Finch, Her Crowning Glory (1911).
This film tells the true story of Irena Gut, a young woman, who while working as a housekeeper for a Nazi officer hides a group of Jewish people in the cellar. The movie understands the importance of this story in this or any other era. People like Irena deserve to be remembered and put down in history. While the world today often throws around a word like hero, this is a true hero. It also understands the importance of putting others in front of ourselves. When times get rough, and the world is filled with tragedy that is when egos need to disappear, and people need to put others in front of themselves. Yet the movie never preaches these messages to us but instead they all simply come out of the story and characters.
One of the best things about this movie is how it delves into what drives this young woman to make such incredible sacrifices. We see how she was horrified and shocked when she saw a Nazi officer kill an innocent mother and baby. However instead of letting this fear make her try to avoid or ignore the horrors in the world she lives in, it drives her to do something about it. Since we understand and can relate to what drives her, this makes us feel closer to her and admire her even more. Sophie Nélisse's (who as a child actress starred in a similar themed movie, The Book Thief (2013)) performance as the titular character is truly extraordinary. She has an incredible presence on screen that draws us to her but at the same time her performance is always real with a great subtlety in many scenes. Also great is Dougray Scott as the Nazi officer she is working for. This is a great character, who is not the over-the-top Nazi villain we are used to seeing. Instead, he is a man who would simply seem like a normal and even charming person, if it wasn't for his being a Nazi. This expresses perfectly what is so terrifying about such things as Nazism, that this pure evil belief can creep into even your average person. Scott's performance truly captures this, in an often subtle and powerful way.
Director Louise Archambault (a great Candian director for whom this is her first English Language theatrical film) also does a wonderful job creating suspense scenes. There are many moments here which truly keep you on the edge of your seat with their great suspense filmmaking. This and an intelligent script by Dan Gordon (Wyatt Earp (1994), The Hurricane (1999), Let There Be Light (2017), Rambo: Last Blood (2019)) help do justice to a great and inspiring true-life story.
Hello, my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with The Sons of the Pioneers with The Land Beyond the Sun. This recording comes from their newest album 2024's Campfire Spirituals.
This is followed by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with their 1950 recording of May the Good Lord Take a Likin' to Ya.
Then comes Anne Wilson with Dirt Roads in Heaven from her 2024 album, Rebel.
Afterwards is Bonnie Owens with What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Despite being Joseph Medlicott Scriven's most famous composition, when he made a collection of his writings entitled Hymns and Other Verses it did not appear. It has been assumed that the reason for this is that he probably wrote it for his mother when she was sick and not for the public. It is believed that it is through his mother that the hymn reached the public. It first appeared in 1865's Social Hymns, Original and Selected credited as anonymous. This hymn still has an important message for us today. When it seems like there is no one to turn to at any moment of our lives, Jesus is always there. He is always there to listen to us, no matter what. More than that though he deeply cares about every single one of us. A better friend than Jesus could never be found no matter how hard we try. What a friend we have in Jesus indeed. This recording comes from Bonnie's 1970 gospel album, Mother's Favorite Hymns.
Next is The Blue Sky Boys with their 1946 recording of Won't it be Wonderful There.
Afterwards is J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers with their 1936 recording of I Am Walking in the Light.
Now for Johnny Cash and U2 with The Wanderer. This song was written by Bono in 1993 (under the working title The Preacher). The song was inspired by the book of Ecclesiastes but takes place in a future time with a narrator who is worried about the lack of God in society. It is considered to be one of Bono's best songs, but for some reason whenever he tried to record it himself, it didn't work for him. Then he came up with the brilliant idea of having Johnny Cash sing the song (this idea came to Bono when he learned Johnny was going to be in Dublin). Bono would say that Johnny would teach him a lot about how to deliver a song like this during this recording section giving advice about how to put over each word effectively. Johnny told a reporter, "I don't know if it will ever be released or even what it's called." The song would be released on the U2 album, Zooropa (one of U2's most experimental albums) and John would state that this song gave him a sense of artistic renewal.
Today's musical selection ends with The Sons of the San Joaquin with Dale Evans performing In the Sweet By and By. This song came about because of a friendship between composer, Joseph Webster and poet, Dr. Sanford Fillmore Bennett. One day Webster was depressed, and Dr. Bennett recognized this. Dr. Bennett asked his friend what was wrong. Webster replied, "Oh nothing. Everything will be alright by and by." These words brought up an idea in Bennett and he wrote down three verses and a chorus to this song as soon as he could. He handed it to his friend saying, “Here is your prescription, Joe.” Webster loved the lyrics and wrote music for them in practically no time at all. Dr. Bennett later said, “It was not over thirty minutes from the time I took my pen to write the words before two friends with Webster and myself were singing the hymn.” The hymn was first published in 1868 and went on to great fame since.
Today's movie is Home in Oklahoma (1946) starring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. This film is directed by William Whitney. Quention Tarantino has referred to Whitney as "one of the greatest action directors in the history of the business." Though not as well-known as he should be Whitney left behind a wonderful filmography. He directed many of Roy Rogers' best westerns as well as many starring Rex Allen. He also directed Audrey Murphy in Apache Rifles (1964), Arizona Raiders (1965) and 40 Guns to Apache Pass (1966) as well as various movie serials for Republic and the TV series The Wild Wild West. He also served as 2nd unit director on Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie (1964). Also in Home in Oklahoma is George "Gabby" Hayes (the greatest sidekick in the history of B-Westerns), Carol Hughs (Dale Arden in the classic movie serial, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)), the Sons of the Pioneers and of course Trigger (The smartest horse in the movies).
Now for a message from the Reverand Billy Graham.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." John 6:35
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25
Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. Proverbs 22:9
For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ Deuteronomy 15:11
All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along. Galatians 2:10
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
