BEST WESTERN MOVIES: Winning Pictures, Favorite Films and Hollywood "B" Entries [Paperback]

John Howard Reid (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1847281818 | ISBN-13: 978-1847281814 | Publication Date: July 8, 2006

This grab-bag of movie westerns ranges from the best to the worst; from lavish, no-expense-spared Cecil B. DeMille epics to Poverty Row double bills; from big-budget John Wayne vehicles like "In Old Oklahoma", "The War Wagon" and "The Fighting Kentuckian" to the sort of bottom-drawer product delivered by Sherman Scott and Monogram; from prestige, star-studded westerns like "My Darling Clementine" and "How the West Was Won" to the depths of "The Toughest Man in Arizona"; from the expertly crafted, super-popular "B" stables of Gene Autry, William Boyd, Roy Rogers, Charles Starrett and company to the fly-by-night efforts of long-forgotten brands like "The Range Busters." All reviews carry detailed credits. The book is rounded out with a Hopalong Cassidy filmography and many reproductions of original film posters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Lulu.com (July 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847281818
• ISBN-13: 978-1847281814
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #408,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Howard Reid is the creator of Merryll Manning, the Miami-based police sergeant who made his debut in "Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mystery Island". This book was followed by "Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders" and "Merryll Manning: Beachfront Holiday". Next up is "Merryll Manning On the Rim of Heaven."

All 12 books in the series were published overseas from 1985 through 2001. All, except "Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mystery Island", were runaway bestsellers and ran through many editions, including hardcover, paperback (both trade and mass market) and Large Print.

All 12 novels except "Merryll Manning: Beyond Vengeance", on which the critics were divided, attracted highly favorable and indeed overwhelmingly enthusiastic reviews. The author was favorably compared with both Agatha Christie and Graham Greene.

Reid's historical novels, especially "In All His Glory" (set in Ancient Egypt), have also won wide acclaim. His short stories and poems have gained many prizes and commendations. Published prose collections include "Mexican Autumn" and "Micaela Morris in Jo's Heaven". Poetry anthologies include "Anyone for Love?", "Escape to Paradise and Other Poetic Fancies" (published under his "Tom Howard" pseudonym) and "A Salute to Spanish Poetry: 100 Masterpieces from Spain and Latin America rendered into English verse."

Reid is also a widely acknowledged expert on Hollywood movies. His latest book in this field is "Mystery, Suspense, Film Noir and Detective Movies on DVD: A Guide to the Best in Cinema Thrills".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Best Western Movies" is a Must Read for Western Fans!, May 13, 2010

By 

RCBR - See all my reviews

This review is from: BEST WESTERN MOVIES: Winning Pictures, Favorite Films and Hollywood "B" Entries (Paperback)

Western films may have fallen from Hollywood's grace in the past few decades; however, a loyal following of obsessed fans and collectors remain. If you are just beginning a Western movie DVD collection or are a seasoned aficionado of all things Western, Best Western Movies-Winning Pictures, Favorite Films and Hollywood B Entries by John Howard Reid is a must.

This is the twentieth title in Reid's "Hollywood Classics" series. The research needed for a book of this nature is remarkable. Mr. Reid names Westerns among his favorite genres and his dedication to these classics is admirable. His more than 20,000 reviews on file and collection of over 3,000 titles on VHS and DVD provide the resource for the bulk of the informative text.

More than 160 titles are examined. You'll recognize some of the all-time greats such as Yellow Rose of Texas, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and They Died With Their Boots On. Mixed in with the well-known films are B-movie gems like Cyclone Prairie Rangers, Arizona Bound, and Buckaroo from Powder River. Reid takes an in-depth look at the 162 minute epic, How the West Was Won and includes an index of all 66 Hopalong Cassidy films.

For each title Mr. Reid has included the entire cast and the parts played by name. The director, screenplay writer, editor, music composers, and producers are listed, as well as copyright date, studio, worldwide release dates and run times. Most selections include the dates when the movie was shot and the cost of production. Mr. Reid gives his own personal review and summery as well as other reviewers' comments. Parents will appreciate the "Viewers Guide" with most entries receiving an "Okay for all," "Adults" or "Strictly Adults Only" type recommendation.

For me, the actors from these films stand out as much or more than the films themselves. Larger than life men like the legendary John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and William Boyd carried many of these films when script quality, production values, and budgets were questionable. Mr. Reid has included more than 60 movies posters that, alone, make this an enjoyable book.

Best Western Movies by John Howard Reid is a must read for the Western movie enthusiast or collector. If you are looking for a cinema experience that is a little different from current movie offerings, or perhaps you enjoyed these classics during their first run and wish a nostalgic second look, this book is as essential as your VCR/DVD remote. Highly Recommended.

Reviewed by William Potter for Reader's Choice Book Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Best Western Movies" Delivers Winning Pictures, Favorite Films and "B" Movies, January 1, 2008

By 

John Howard Reid (Wyong, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: BEST WESTERN MOVIES: Winning Pictures, Favorite Films and Hollywood "B" Entries (Paperback)

In a book of 239 large pages, it's simply not possible to write a complete list of Winning Pictures, Favorite Films or any other Western category. All an author can hope to do is to spread out a representative selection. However, a cover that presents John Wayne on horseback and William Boyd as "Santa Fe Marshal" indicates to me a book obviously strongly angled on "B" movies. Which it is. But very few of these I would describe as "obscure". In fact, I saw just about all of them within the last two or three years either on cable TV or DVDs like "The Great American Western" series. My chief worry was that the book covered comparatively few lesser known titles but concentrated on those that were readily available. I like to draw attention to "new" old movies that will delight fans. "Big Timber" with Roddy McDowall, "The Dalton Gang" with the lovely Julie Adams, and "The Daltons Ride Again" are three such splendid movies that jostle for attention in the book among the series pictures of Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Bill Boyd, William Elliott, Tim Holt, etc., and the big "A" productions that I presumed we all know and love: "The Big Sky", "Cheyenne Autumn", "Duel in the Sun", "The Fighting Kentuckian", "Frankie and Johnny", "The Gay Desperado", "Go West", "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral", "How the West Was Won", "In Old Oklahoma", all three versions of "Law and Order", "My Darling Clementine", "Pirates of Monterey", "The Plainsman", "Rangers of Fortune", "Roseanna McCoy", "Rose of the Rancho" (both versions), "The Round-Up", "Texas", "The Texas Rangers" and its sequel, "They Died With Their Boots On", "To the Last Man", "The War Wagon", "When the Daltons Rode", "Winchester '73", etc.