Tag Archives: High Plains Drifter

Movie Wisdom – Geoffrey Lewis Edition

9 Apr

Today, word came through my Twitter feed that Geoffrey Lewis passed away. He was one of those character actors who appeared in movies and a ton of television shows. I have seen him many times but never knew his name. I also did not know that he was the father of Juliette Lewis.

With his passing, I thought it would be appropriate to search for wisdom in his movies. For those who have not read one of the Movie Wisdom posts, there are a few rules. First, it must be a movie in which Geoffrey Lewis appeared. Second, it must be a movie that I have seen. Third, the wisdom can be spoken by any character in the film.

With that being said, I must admit that my favorite role of his was not in a movie. It was in a Magnum, P.I. episode called I Never Wanted to Go to France, Anyway.

Now, he is some of the wisdom of Geoffrey Lewis.Geoffrey

From High Plains Drifter

It’s what people know about themselves inside that makes ’em afraid.

From My Name Is Nobody

Folks that throw dirt on you aren’t always trying to hurt you, and folks that pull you out of a jam aren’t always trying to help you. But the main point is when you’re up to your nose in shit, keep your mouth shut.

If a man is a man, he needs someone to believe in.

The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.

Dying is not the worst thing that can happen to a man.

Two things go straight to a man’s heart, bullets and gold.

There was never any “good old days”.

From The Great Waldo Pepper

The biplane’s gone the way of the Dodo.

From Every Which Way But Loose

I’m not afraid of any man, but when it comes to sharing my feelings with a woman, my stomach turns to royal gelatin.

From Tom Horn

If you really knew how dirty and raggedy-assed the Old West was, you wouldn’t want any part of it.

From Bronco Billy

I think every kid in America ought to go to school… at least up to the eighth grade.

From Any Which Way You Can

A hand out is what you get from the government, a hand up is what you get from a friend.

From Fletch Lives

It takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong.

From Tango and Cash

Too much television can hurt your eyes.

Crazy people aren’t afraid of anybody.

From The Man Without a Face

People spend too much time thinking of the past. Whatever else it is, it’s gone.

From Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

If you’re thirsty, a drink will cure it, if you’re not, a drink will prevent it. Prevention is better than a cure.

To understand the living, you got to commune with the dead.

It’s better to be on the edge of a party.

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In Memory of Stefan Gierasch

13 Jan

The latest edition of Cowboys & Indians magazine has arrived with sad news. September saw the death of Stefan Gierasch, who played Del Gue in Jeremiah Johnson.Stefan

Gierasch created a great representation of mountain men as he showed Robert Redford the ways of survival in the mountains. At the end of the movie, Del and Jeremiah were saying their goodbyes, and Gierasch spoke the lines that epitomize the thinking of mountain men – both real and imagined. He said:

Ain’t this somethin’? I told my pap and mam I was comin’ to the mountains to trap and be a mountain man; acted like they was gut-shot. Says, “Son, make your life go here, son. Here’s where the peoples is. Them mountains is for animals and savages.” I says, “Mother Gue, the Rocky Mountains is the marrow of the world,” and by God, I was right.

As the two men parted ways, he continued:

I ain’t never seen ’em, but my common sense tells me the Andes is foothills, and the Alps is for children to climb! Keep good care of your hair! These here is God’s finest scupturings! And there ain’t no laws for the brave ones! And there ain’t no asylums for the crazy ones! And there ain’t no churches, except for this right here! And there ain’t no priests excepting the birds. By God, I are a mountain man, and I’ll live ’til an arrow or a bullet finds me. And then I’ll leave my bones on this great map of the magnificent…

Geirasch appeared in several productions that I have watched – The Hustler, High Plains Drifter, Carrie, Silver Streak, and The Champ. However, he will live in my mind as the crusty mountain man, Del Gue.

Rest in Peace, Stefan Gierasch. As Del Gue, you said, “I decided that when I depart from this life I’d like to leave something.” You left a great performance in one of the great movies.

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Movie Wisdom – John Mitchum Edition

24 Nov

It is probably too soon for another edition of Movie Wisdom, but I have been inspired by one of my favorite movies, which is on television at this very moment. El Dorado stars John Wayne, James Caan, Robert Mitchum and a ton of character actors. One of those actors is Robert Mitchum’s brother, John.

John Mitchum was never a leading man like his brother, but he was in a bunch of good movies. In honor of finding this gem deep in the heart of my satellite dish, this is the Movie Wisdom that can be found in the movies of John Mitchum.John Mitchum

From Stalag 17

Just because they are dumb doesn’t mean that they’re stupid.

From My Fair Lady

The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated.

The French don’t care what they do actually, as long as they pronounce it properly.

There even are places where English completely disappears; in America they haven’t used it for years.

Women are irrational, that’s all there is to that!

From El Dorado

Next time you shoot somebody, don’t go near ’em till you’re… sure they’re dead!

Faith can move mountains, but it can’t beat a faster draw.

From Bandolero!

There things a man ought never do – spit in church, scratch his self in front of his ma, and pick his nose.

From Chisum

Because no matter where people go, sooner or later there’s the law. And sooner or later they find God’s already been there.

We may have to be neighbors, but I don’t have to be neighborly.

From High Plains Drifter

It’s what people know about themselves inside that makes ’em afraid.

They say the dead don’t rest without a marker of some kind.

From Magnum Force

A man’s got to know his limitations.

From The Outlaw Josey Wales

Dyin’ ain’t much of a livin’.

Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you’re not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean.

It’s sad that governments are chiefed by the double tongues.

Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.

Don’t piss down my back and tell me it’s raining.

Without a doubt, those are wise words.

 

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Winding Down at the King Kamehameha Club

10 Sep

People have different ways of winding down after a long day at work. Some people take naps. Other people have an adult beverage or two. There are also people who spend time at the gym. Through time, I have had several winding down habits. The treadmill is always waiting for me, but there are times when I cannot get on it until later in the evening. Blogging has also proven useful as a relaxation tool.

Lately, I have found another way of getting my mind off the events of the day. It takes me to the days of my childhood when I would come home from school and watch afternoon reruns. Each afternoon, Magnum, P.I. comes on, and it is awesome. I kick back on the couch and watch one of my all time favorite shows. Daisy Dog sits beside me and watches, too. I think she is a fan of Zeus and Apollo, otherwise known as the Lads.Lads

I already know what is going to happen in each episode, but that is not the point. For 45 minutes without commercial interruption, I can disappear into the world of Magnum, Higgins, T.C. and Rick and let my mind go free. Of course, most television shows are means of escape, but how can you go wrong with a private investigator who gets to live in a mansion and drive and Ferrari for free. On top of that, he gets to do it in Hawaii.

Magnum, P.I. is one of the classic shows from the 1980s and, with a run from 1980 to 1988, took up most of the decade. This decade was filled with characters trying to solve crimes, but none did it better than Thomas Magnum. He did it with a laid back style and with a lot of help from his friends.

As I have been watching the episodes, I have wondered what happened to the gang in the years after the show went off the air. Tom Selleck has gone on to other series and a bunch of made-for-television movies. However, he never made it as a huge star on the silver screen. There were a few decent movies scattered through the years, but most of his work has been on television. This tends to happen to a lot of television stars. They never reach the glory of that one great series, and they never gain a foothold in the theaters. Despite that, I am sure Tom Selleck has made a nice living. He is now 69 years old.

John Hillerman, the Texan who could do a great British accent, was a character actor in a few great movies before Hawaii came calling. They Call Me Mister Tibbs. The Last Picture Show. High Plains Drifter. Blazing Saddles. Chinatown. However, he is best known as Higgins. After the show’s run, he was in a couple of television shows and a few made-for-television movies, but that was about it. He is now in his early 80s and, I assume, retired.

Roger E. Mosley was the helicopter pilot. Everyone needs a friend who can fly a helicopter. Heck, I even bought a “Island Hoppers” t-shirt. It is very fashion forward. If you do not believe me, then ask my wife. Anyway, he has also been in a few series since Magnum, P.I. went of the air. In the last one, he played a character called Grandpa Faison. Mosley is 75 years old.

Larry Manetti played Rick, the friend with underworld connections. Everyone needs a friend with underworld connections. He recently showed up on Hawaii 5-0 but has also been in some movies where the plot is built around several sex scenes. Oh yeah, there is also a book about his days on Magnum, P.I. The youngest of the group, he is 67 years old.

Watching the reruns, it is hard to realize that the show went of the air 26 years ago and that the actors are older now. When Magnum revs up the Ferrari in the opening credits, it is as if that scene was filmed yesterday. I guess the same can be said for all of the old movies that I watch.

Anyway, I watch a show that aired over a quarter of a century ago to wind down after a day of work. While I watch, I wonder what happened to the people on the screen. Now, I have a few questions for you. Why do you think actors in popular shows have a difficult time regaining that fame? What do you do to wind down at the end of the day?

 

 

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