Films/DVD Asylum

RE: Olmi and Leone? Gimme a friggin....'

74.140.141.202

Tom Brennan

In Reply to: RE: Olmi and Leone? Gimme a friggin....' posted by jamesgarvin on January 02, 2008 at 09:43:10

In Ford pictures characters often look grubby on the trail or when working but well groomed when in town or entertaining. And lots of male characters don't carry guns.

Many photos of the old West show people looking pretty well groomed with men having short hair and being clean shaved or sporting only a mustache. Made it easier to control vermin. One notices in Civil War photos that later war photos show the troops with shorter hair and less beards than earlier photos, the result of experience no doubt.

Follow Ups:

RE: Olmi and Leone? Gimme a friggin....' - jamesgarvin 14:29:53 01/02/08 (1)
"In Ford pictures characters often look grubby on the trail or when working but well groomed when in town or entertaining. And lots of male characters don't carry guns."

Case in point. Go to IMBD.com, look at Wayne in a picture from The Searchers, after having beein the desert trailing the Indians who took Wood. Not a spot on his shirt, which sure looks dapper for a guy who has spent days in the desert. Almost no facial hair. A scarf that looks just like the costuming department laid it on him just so. Look at the trailer. He has been out in the desert, finally finds Wood, who has her freakin' hair perfectly dolled, and made up like she was going to an Oscar ceremony. You mean, Indians not only traded for guns and booze, they also traded for make up and curling irons? Wayne? He is wearing the perfectly pressed button down plaid shirt.

Look at the trailer on the same site of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. Soldiers, in the dusty desert, with nary a spot on their just washed spotless blue uniforms, not a hair out of place, hats with no wear or tear, and nicely trimmed mustaches. And this is in the desert. Not near a town.

Or the trailer for Stagecoach. Wayne, in shackles, still manages to have a perfectly new white hat, sitting perfectly on his head as though he was sitting for a promotional shot, no facial hair growth of any kind. Oh yea, that all important scarf is perfect.

"Many photos of the old West show people looking pretty well groomed with men having short hair and being clean shaved or sporting only a mustache."

We are not talking about those photographs taken after the subject has been dolled up. We are talking about those photographs of people out on the trail, having ridden for days. People tending to animals and crops. Point is that Ford, as great as a director as he was, was not above selling the western myth, complete with star actors looking good for the camera. Who wants to see John Wayne sweaty, with week old growth on his face, in tattered clothes, looking like he smells plenty bad.

"One notices in Civil War photos that later war photos show the troops with shorter hair and less beards than earlier photos, the result of experience no doubt."

Look at photos of General Grant in the field, who saw little actual combat, and compare his appearance, beard, and hair, to those of infantrymen depicted in films. Stark contrast.
- Enough, already! You win, and not only do I agree, but always have. Moreover... - clarkjohnsen 09:28:13 01/04/08 (0)
  ...those problems don't affect just westerns.
  
  One must imagine that in the movies all the characters, a la Candidate Edwards, travel with their costumers and hairdressers.
  
  clark

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