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Reviews
The Grass Is Greener (1960)
Triple A....awfully aggravating & annoying
If I had paid for a ticket to see this movie I would have asked for my money back. As it is, I can only hurl expletives at TCM for wasting 2 hours of my life watching this stupid farce. It's hard to believe Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons could ALL be so horribly miscast. The ONLY enjoyment I derived from the film were the scenes the butler, whose name escapes me, was in. He was a pleasant respite from the tedious and irritating characters around him. Not only was the whole premise of the film a bad idea, but the actors all seemed to know it and their performances all made their respective characters unlikable. I will cut Jean Simmons a little slack because she played the least objectionable of the main characters. Anyway, I will certainly NEVER watch this movie again.
Wagon Train: The Lily Legend Story (1963)
Probably the worst episode of the entire series
Absolutely stupid and totally ridiculous. Scott aka Denny Miller was never a great actor, but Susan Oliver WAS.....and this episode is a complete waste of her time and talent. Also wasted in this episode is the talented Richard Jaeckel. Poor Frank McGrath aka Charlie Wooster is also wasted.....even though, for a change, he is the most reasonable and rational character in the episode. That says a lot right there if you are familiar with Charlie Wooster. Some of the episodes away from the wagon train are OK, but not this one. This one is really bad. Don't waste your time. Skip it. Trust me.....you'll thank me later.
Wagon Train: The Lizbeth Ann Calhoun Story (1961)
Bill Hawks takes center stage.
I started watching Wagon Train on STARZ/Encore Western channel when they began airing the series from the beginning. I loved the Ward Bond/Major Adams seasons, but John McIntire is very good as Chris Hale. This particular episode showcased Terry Wilson as Bill Hawks. Dana Wynter, doing an atrocious Southern accent that was very distracting....was still pretty good as Lizbeth Calhoun. Not a bad episode, but not great either. All I kept thinking when I saw Bill 'falling in love' with Lizbeth was.....what the heck happened to Bill's wife and children? They were often featured in the first season.....then merely mentioned in the second season....and now completely forgotten in season five. 😔
Wagon Train: The Annie MacGregor Story (1958)
Unintentionally funny episode
I believe someone else mentioned here that the episode is unintentionally funny and I agree. Honestly, the main reason I kept watching was because I love Richard Long, who played Jarrod Barkley so wonderfully in The Big Valley. He played Jason Campbell in this episode and I quite enjoyed his performance. Tudor Owen plays the head of the MacGregor clan with over-the-top arrogance that is supposed to show how stubborn and prideful Scots are, but if I were Scottish, I wouldn't want this character to 'represent' me. I found it annoying and, yes, laughable. I did love the 'unexpected' usefulness of the bagpipes.....made perfect sense to me! 😂 #SorryNotSorry.
Longmire: Goodbye Is Always Implied (2017)
You had to read the books.
Love the books and the show. Walt and Vic were always meant to be together. From Season One it was obvious Vic was falling in love with Walt. Walt also had feelings for Vic that I think he kept trying to fight for many reasons. He was her boss. She was much younger than him. In the end love won out. Also, Robert Taylor & Katee Sackoff were perfect as Walt & Vic.
The Virginian: Hannah (1970)
Peter Breck & Lisa Gerritsen are great
Watching Lisa Gerritsen as Hannah trick Peter Breck as Lafe into taking her to her mother after she breaks him out of jail is the most entertaining part of this episode.
The Big Valley: The 25 Graves of Midas (1969)
Anne Baxter is the star of this episode
Anne Baxter is definitely the star of this episode. As a grieving widow who has nothing but hatred for Webb Dutton (Arch Johnson), she will do anything to keep stolen Dutton Mining payroll money hidden. She mistakes a wounded Heath for the thief and initially tries to hide him.
Anne Baxter was a great actress and there was one particular scene between her and Peter Breck where Hannah was telling Nick that he and Dutton couldn't hurt her anymore than she already was. Describing digging her husband's grave, one of the 25 graves in the aftermath of the mine collapse. The pain in her eyes and the sympathy in his came right through the screen at you.
Richard Long directed this episode.
The Big Valley: The Midas Man (1966)
Tom Tryon steals the show
Tom Tryon stole the show as Scott Breckenridge in this episode. Before he became a very successful writer of some exceptional fiction, Tom Tryon had roles in several television westerns and he also had a movie career. His portrayal of Scott Breckenridge turned a character that could have been a villain straight out of an old serial into a nuanced performance that was enjoying to watch. He and Linda Evans were wonderful together. Another good Barkley family episode.
The Big Valley: The Stallion (1967)
Paul Fix in another nice performance.
Paul Fix was a wonderful actor in television westerns. He gave Brahma just the right amount of indignation at being put out to pasture and stubborn determination to prove the Barkleys wrong. Virginia Gregg played his daughter and Brooke Bundy played his granddaughter. Both were very good. It was also nice to see Peter Breck's Nick Barkley being reasonable instead of hollering at everyone. I always liked the episodes where all the Barkleys were involved. This one was enjoyable to watch overall.
The Big Valley: By Force and Violence (1966)
Stanwyck and Dern steal the show
My favorite part of this episode is the interaction between Miss Barbara Stanwyck and Bruce Dern. There are a couple of good character actors, L.Q.Jones & Harry (Dean) Stanton playing the bounty hunters who are after Dern's character. There are scenes between Stanwyck and Dern when he's telling her about his rather unfortunate childhood and his really unfortunate reunion with his mother that are movie worthy. Not really surprising that they stole the show in this episode. Miss Stanwyck & Mr. Dern are both great actors.