1959: "Face of a Fugitive" with Fred MacMurray

Do you always think of "My 3 sons" when you see Fred MacMurray?   Well, I do.   By the way, where is Uncle Charlie?

Before that famous TV show, MacMurray made many movies, including "Face of a fugitive" in 1959.

This is from TCM:   

One night, when a train stops at a small Western town, a deputy sheriff ushers convicted bank robber Jim Larson aboard, on his way to serve a prison term. At the train's next stop, Jim overpowers the deputy and is about to escape when his younger brother Danny unexpectedly appears with two horses. As the brothers ride off, the deputy shoots at Danny, badly wounding him, and Danny fires back, hitting the lawman. 

The story is good and worth watching.   

You can click here to watch it.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Elvis and "Flaming Star"

Elvis Presley's "Flaming Star" was the featured film on one of those retro western channels.   I had never seen that movie before.    

It turned out to be a rather good movie to watch, quite different than the other Elvis movies that I've seen.    In other words, it was no "Fun in Acapulco" or "Girls girls girls".    In fact, Elvis only sings a couple of songs, and one of them is the movie's opening theme.

Elvis plays a mixed blood Texan.   His mother was Indian and the father was white.  He is forced to choose between the two cultures and I won't tell you the ending.

Overall, a good movie.   Barbara Eden, a few years before "I dream of Jeannie" and Dolores del Rio are in the movie.   The latter plays his Indian mother.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1984: The Tigers and the 35-5 start

Back in 1984, the Detroit Tigers got off to a 35-5 start.    That's winning 87% of your first 40 games.

The Tigers ended up with 104 wins.   They beat KC in the ALCS and defeated San Diego in 5 games in the World Series.   

Great team.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1984: Luis Aparicio, Harmon Killebrew, and Don Drysdale elected to the Hall of Fame

On this day in 1984, Luis Aparicio, Harmon Killebrew and Don Drysdale, were elected to The Hall of Fame.

Aparicio was a great shortstop born in Venezuela in 1934:  .262 batting average, 2,677 hits and 506 stolen bases in 2,599 games.  He was an excellent defensive shortstop.

Killebrew was born in Idaho in 1936 and became one of the best power hitters of our generation:  573 HR, 1,584 RBI, AL MVP 1969 and several HR titles. 

Drysdale was born in California in 1936 and played his entire career with the Dodgers:   209 wins, 167 complete games and a 2.95 ERA.  In 1968, he pitched 58 straight scoreless innings including six straight shutouts.

They were great.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column.

1917: We remember Father Flanagan and Boys Town

It's one of my favorite stories, and movies, too.   

On this day in 1917, Father Edward J. Flanagan, a 31-year-old Irish priest, opened the doors to what we would later call "Boys Town".

Years later, the story was made into a movie.  What a great movie it was!

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, click send drop a dime here.

---

“Shane” the 3rd best Western ever?

Had a little time and watched “Shane”, a movie that I had seen bits and pieces of many times before.    

It was great.    

Shane is played by Alan Ladd.  He meets Joe Starrett (Van Heflin) and his wife, Marian (Jean Arthur) who are small farmers in Wyoming.    He learns that there is a campaign of intimidation against the farmers.    

What a great movie.    The rest is up to you.    Watch it!  

“Shane” is # 3  in the American Film Institute’s Top 10 Westerns.     By the way, # 2 is “High noon”, another one of my favorites.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1983: Brooks Robinson and Juan Marichal elected to the Hall of Fame

Brooks Robinson and Juan Marichal were elected to The Hall of Fame on this day in 1983.     

Robinson broke into the majors with the Orioles in 1955.   He played his last game in 1977.   Along the way, he won 17 Gold Gloves for his work as a third baseman.   He was a great clutch hitter, a very tough out when the game was on the line:   .267 career average, 268 HR & 1,357 RBI, 2,484 hits in 2, 986 games.    He hit .303 in the post season with 22 RBI in 39 games.   Robinson was the 1964 AL MVP and 1970 World Series MVP. 

Marichal pitched his first game in 1960 and played until 1975.   He pitched primarily with the Giants but did finish his career with Boston.    Marichal's numbers were spectacular:  243 wins, 244 complete games, 52 shutouts, and a 2.89 ERA.   He did not win the Cy Young Award in large part because he was competing with Koufax so many times.

Two of my favorite players!

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column.

John Wayne and "El Dorado"

It's time to watch another John Wayne movie.    

"El Dorado" is from 1966 and it includes Robert Mitchum and James Caan.   In this movie, Wayne plays a gunfighter who gets in the middle of a fight over water.

It is a good movie.   Wayne is "Cowboy # 1" in my book.   

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1981 and Steve Carlton set NL mark for K's

The great Steve Carlton made some National League history on this day in 1981.   Carlton set the NL mark for K’s!

Over an amazing career, Carlton 329 games with a 3.22 ERA.   He also completed 254 games with 4,136 strikeouts.   His best season was 1972:  27-10, a 1.97 ERA, 30 complete games, 8 shutouts and 320 strikeouts.   The amazing thing is that he pitched for a team that won 59 games.   It may have been the greatest pitching performance ever.

Great pitcher.   Maybe the best lefty after Koufax with all due respect to Randy Johnson!

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

We remember Hugo Montenegro (1925-81)

Hugo Montenegro was born in New York on this day in 1925.   He spent some time in the US Navy and then started writing and arranging music in the 1950’s.     We remember him for all of those Western film themes, such as “The good the bad and the ugly”.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column.