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Sunday, October 20, 2013

Western Movie Wit & Wisdom: A Book Review


For the past few days I and my husband have been visiting friends in Kerrville, Texas, about 200 miles southwest of our home in Fort Worth. With a population of around 21,000, Kerrville is a jewel set in the heart of the beautiful Texas hill country. It’s home to a number of retirees in search of a warm climate, including our transplanted Minnesota friends.

Guadalupe River dam in Kerrville Shriners Park 

Pretty in pink along river bank; Photos courtesy of Chuck Russell

Kerrville and neighboring Ingram boast three playhouses, my favorite used book store, “Books to Share” and the Museum of Western Art. Yesterday, we spent a couple hours viewing the museum’s fabulous collection of paintings, prints, bronzes and a delightful children’s exhibit. I also found a book I simply had to add to my personal library. Today, I'll share a few quotes from:



Authored by Jim Kane, a longtime lover of the western movie genre, this book offers over “2,000 quotations from more than 1,100 western movies ranging from the 1920s to present-day films. In addition to traditional movies, it includes silent films (via title cards), serials, miniseries, and even a few cowboy cartoons.” ~~quoted from dust jacket, front flap

Arranged in alphabetical order by topic, the quotations deal with every topic under the sun. Here are a few examples.

ACCIDENTS

Gus: It’s an accident she’s even on this trip!
Clara: Well, I never noticed you having accidents with ulgy girl.
Gus McCrae played by Robert Duvall and Clara Allen played by Angelica Huston in Lonesome Dove (1989)

DANCING

Captain: The lady and I were trying to dance.
Alejandro: Your were trying. She was succeeding.
Captain Harrison Love played by Matt Letscher and Alejandro Murrieta played by Antonio Banderas in The Mask of Zorro (1998)

DRINKING

You're not going to solve anything by turning yourself into a whiskey bottle.
Dr. Jonathan Mark played by Walter Brennen in Singing Guns (1950)

FLOWERS

Calem: And how is the flower of the west this morning?
Molly: Gone to seed.
Calem Ware played by Randolph Scott and Molly Higgins played by Ruth Donnelly in   A Lawless Street (1955)

GRIM REAPER

Cornelius: I could see death looking right at me, the Grim Reaper staring me right in the face.
Veronica: My, it must have been pretty horrible for both of you.
Cornelius J. Courtney played by Jimmy Durante and Veronica Whipple played by Barbara Jo Allen in Melody Ranch (1940)

GUNS

God may have created man but Sam Colt made him equal.
Davis Healy played by Bruce Boxleitner in Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice (1994)

IMITATION

That was a one-hundred-percent genuine imitation.
Gabby Whitaker played by George "Gabby" Hayes in Don't Fence Me In (1945)

LAND

Ramona: You speak of the earth as if it were a woman.
Alessandro: Well, isn't it always a woman who gives life?
Ramona played by Loretta Young and Alessandro played by Don Ameche in Ramona (1936)


Wherever they get to, all good stories begin and end in the same place. and that's the heart of a man or a woman.
Narration by Wilford Brimley in Last of the Dogmen (1995)

That pretty much captures the spirit of Western Movie Wit & Wisdom. I highly recommend this wonderful collection of movie quotes! For any western lover they will bring back memories of great movies and television series.

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Movie-Wit-Wisdom-Kane/dp/1931721971

19 comments:

  1. Lyn--I love a post that entertains me, and this one did. Sarah's was entertaining, too.
    Making lists and collect bits a wisdom is fun, and these quotes were classic. I wish I'd found that book. It's been many years since I've been to Kerrville, but when I was there, I liked one little shop that had a bit of everything--sort of like a museum. I have no idea if it's still there or not.
    Thanks for sharing your little adventure with us. And listen, I love your banner--or however you made it. Just perfect.

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  2. I loved these quotes, especially the one about the Grim Reaper. If I lived in Minnesota, I'd be headin' down to Texas, too. I'm not a big fan of snow and ice.
    What a wonderful road trip. Texas is a beautiful place to live. As much as I like North Carolina, sometimes I miss Texas.
    Great blog, Lyn.

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  3. Thanks for sharing the book and your photos. I love the Kerrville, Medina, and Bandera area. I hope you get to Lost Maples State Natural Area while you're so close.

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  4. Kerrville sounds like a great place to visit. I love that book you got--I'd have wanted it too. Great quotes, and like Sarah, my favorite was the one about the Grim Reaper. LOL
    Cheryl

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  5. Those quotes were great fun. Thanks for sharing them.

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  6. Celia, I'm aiming to entertain more as per advice from Kristen Lamb. So glad you enjoyed the quotes and my new banner! I scanned in one of my business cards, made some adjustments and added the author photo. I enjoy putzing round with stuff like that. :)

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  7. Sarah, I like the Grim Reaper quote best too. These are just a small taste of the 1,100 gems in the book.

    We skedaddled south as soon as we could from Minnesota. It's a lovely place to live in summer, but winters are a you-know-what!

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  8. Caroline, I'm sorry to say we didn't make it to the Lost Maples Area. We'll have to put it on our itinerary next time. Thanks for telling me about it.

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  9. Hi Cheryl. Yes, Kerrville is a very nice little city. Our friends love it there -- when they're home. They travel a lot. We caught them in between trips.

    That quote gave me a good laugh. :)

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  10. My pleasure, Charlene. I'm glad you enjoyed them.

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  11. Hi Lyn,
    What a lovely post, sounds like you had a wonderful holiday. The pictures were great so were the quotes.

    Regards

    Margaret

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  12. Hi Lyn,
    What a lovely post, sounds like you had a wonderful holiday. The pictures were great so were the quotes.

    Regards

    Margaret

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  13. Thank you, Margaret. Yes, we did have a lovely vacation and visit with our friends. We have known them for many years. Chuck, the man who supplied the photos, was in our wedding all those eons ago.

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  14. Terrific post. I had to smile at the quotes. They brought back lovely memories; my husband enjoyed watching old Westerns on TV--well, I did too:) One piece of dialogue became a sort of catchphrase for us. I don't recall the name of the movie or even who was in it. The scene: two bad guys rushed toward their horses. One turned to the other and said, "Meet you at the ambush."

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  15. You're right about the quotes bringing back fond memories, Lyn! What a fun book this one must be.

    The Kerrville area is one of my favorite parts Texas. It's lovely there.

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  16. LOL! Barb, that's a good one! I don't remember hearing it before, but I love it. Thanks for popping over.

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  17. Hi Kathleen, this book is a great source for ideas and just plain fun! It's making me laugh!

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  18. I love reading your posts, Lyn, thanks for sharing your photos too. :-)

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  19. Thanks, Mel. Glad you enjoyed the quotes and pics!

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