He tosses a coin into the air, promising johnny guitar hell kill him if it turns out head. Btw, in his guitar player interview about the johnny a signature, johnny a himself talked about how he wanted the notes on this guitar to dissipate more quickly for clarity so i think this is part of the guitar s intended design. Johnny guitar is a gender drama with obsessive personalities flirting with dementia. Heard instrumentally over the opening credits and throughout the film. Nicholas rays 1954 gem, starring joan crawford and sterling hayden, is an extraordinary psychological drama. Watch johnny guitar streaming online hulu free trial. The timely arrival of johnny guitar thwarts emmas dark plans, but doesnt prevent a showdown between the women. Baby steps towards promoting female leads in masculine films aside, the film never lets the women really breathe. Johnny guitar is a 1954 american trucolor western drama film directed by nicholas ray starring joan crawford, sterling hayden, mercedes mccambridge, and scott brady. A seriously ill schoolteacher becomes dependent on a miracle drug that begins to affect. The movie was selected for preservation in the united states national film registry.
November 19 one week one of the cinemas great operatic works, convulsive and passionate, filled with bold, stylistic strokes. Johnny guitar joan crawford, whose previous western was montana moon in 1930, has another try at the wide open spaces with johnny guitar. Ben cooper, western star of johnny guitar and bonanza. I think any hollowbody guitar will by nature have less sustain than a solidbody its a matter of degree. Johnny guitar is a 1954 american trucolor western drama film directed by nicholas ray starring joan crawford, sterling hayden, mercedes mccambridge, and. Maybe the strains of youngs theme tranquilised as many members of the audience as it now alerts aficionados of johnny guitar to the selfconsciousness of its design. Tiff is a charitable cultural organization with a mission to transform the way people see the world, through film. Johnny guitar is a western drama film starring sterling hayden, joan crawford, mercedes mccambridge, scott brady and directed by nicholas ray. But the origins of johnny guitar came amidst tumultuous changes in the american film business of the 1950s, and were far more humble than any art film. Another patron of viennas establishment is johnny guitar, a former gunslinger and her lover. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies.
Zimny handles the material deftly and the film has a knack for knowing when to move along to the next phrase of cashs life or art. Francois truffaut once wrote that johnny guitar is the beauty and the. Johnny guitar 1954 joan crawford in johnny guitar 1954 johnny guitar. February 3, 1935 may 17, 1996, known professionally as johnny guitar watson, was an american blues, soul, and funk musician and singersongwriter. Gambling house operator vienna seeks control of a town as archrival emma small sets out to force vienna out of town. Admittedly, hustons film failed at the box office, while rays was the most financially successful of his career. Johnny guitar rides into town to find his old friend vienna in a battle with the locals. Johnny guitar 1954 in the fifties, the western genre experienced a revitalization that saw new approaches to the form. He is best known for his hit singles space jam 1954, those lonely, lonely nights 1955, three hours past midnight 1956, gangster of love 1957, which was later covered by steve miller and a real mother for ya 1978. On the outskirts of town, the hardnosed vienna owns a saloon frequented by the undesirables of the region, including dancin kid and his gang.
Impact returned at slammiversary xvi, when he won a fourway match against fenix, taiji ishimori, and petey williams. Compared to other westerns, johnny guitar is high artrichly atmospheric and with noir elements that will remind viewers of such dramatic films as key largo. The timely arrival of johnny guitar thwarts emmas plans, but doesnt prevent a showdown between the women. Vienna has built a saloon outside of town, and she hopes to build her own town once the railroad is put through, but the townsfolk want her gone. Jun 18, 20 gambling house operator vienna seeks control of a town as archrival emma small sets out to force vienna out of town. Westerns and westerns there is little question that nicholas rays johnny guitar 1954 is immediately recognizable as an instance of a genre that had become quite important to hollywood well into the 1950s. Rebel without a cause 1955 is the most iconic example but this theme goes a lot further than that single movies.
Crawford hated mercedes mccambridge, who was a crew favorite acting circles around crawford. Taos unlimited movie locations of the great southwest. For francois truffaut, johnny guitar was a western dream, a fairytale enhanced by bizarre trucolor. Johnny guitar is surely one of the most blatant psychosexual melodramas ever to disguise itself in that most commodious of genres, the. The studio was long famous for its regular production of westerns starring gene autry and roy rogers. The kid loves crawford, as does surly sterling hayden, despite crawfords middle age. Nicholas ray switching the gender roles is these films biggest genre departure, but the sociopolitical commentary embedded within each makes them even further unique.
Martin scorsese new 4k restoration nicholas rays johnny guitar starring joan crawford sterling hayden 1954 how many men have you forgotten. The script for johnny guitar, for instance, was credited to philip yordan. Psychosexual melodrama as western waging joan crawford as owner of gambling saloon, whose only customer is accused robber dancing kid and his gang, including bad bart ernest borgnine. Sep 29, 2016 johnny guitar is the first western i have watched with a strong female protagonist that acts in a dominating and powerful way. There are extraordinary moments in the movie, not least when crawford, who has been dressed entirely in black, suddenly appears on the balcony in a stunning white gown.
There are numerous ways to consider this film as an outsider. A significant moment comes when johnny guitar acknowledges his own name. Haydens, in the title role of the 1954 western johnny guitar. The film mounts a liberal critique of mccarthyism that is undermined by its. When four men hold up a stagecoach and kill a man the. Relentlessly feminist, johnny guitar examines the costs of a womans independent action through lurid, violent exaggeration. When a heist is pulled in town that results in a mans death, emma small, viennas rival, rallies the townsfolk to take revenge on viennas saloon even. As heath indicates, a film cannot fully control its own effects. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing johnny guitar near you. Rays johnny guitar is like no other western that i have ever seen. The opening showdown in the bar, especially, has a visceral impact the older. Passeio com johnny guitar a walk with johnny guitar conjures up a chapter in joao cesar monteiros own histoires du cinema. There are two stories within the film, one of deep love and one of hate combined with jealousy together with plenty of action.
Nicholas ray will be always remembered for the lusty men, run for cover, the true story of jesse james, and johnny guitar, his first film in color. The shift in emphasis, with the subversion of gender roles, is what makes johnny guitar the most intriguing and unusual film that it is. Sterling hayden arrives on the scene as johnny guitar, her retired gunslinging former lover, but it is viennas showdown against the jealous business owner emma small mccambridge that steals the show. A johnny guitar 1954 ben bemutatott amerikai westernfilm. Albuquerque is mentioned a couple of times, people ride horses, drink. In addition to the stars, johnny guitar is well stocked with great supporting players, including ernest borgnine, scott brady, ward bond, paul fix, royal danoand john carradine. The timely arrival of johnny guitar thwarts emmas dark plans, but doesnt. Johnny guitar pits strongwilled saloonkeeper vienna joan crawford and her former lover sterling hayden as the titular gunslinger in a showdown with town fury emma mercedes mccambridge and her fellow locals, who will stop at nothing to drive her out. Like members of the cast, once we, so to speak, pass. Oct 11, 2019 the familiar licks are anything depicting cashs progress from cradle to grave, including his marriages, children, drug problems, spirituality and affinity for the dispossessed. The film itself is known as a kinky western in which two women have it out rather than the conventional cowboy shootout. Angry emma mercedes mccambridge wants to arrest vienna joan crawford for the murder of her brother, leaving the marshal frank ferguson and mcivers ward bond caught in the currents in johnny guitar, 1954 view the tcmdb entry for johnny guitar 1954. You may recall that orpheus was an ancient greek musician who attempted to liberate his wife, eurydice, from eternal damnation, armed only with a lyre and a keen. Johnny guitar is an unusual western movie from 1954.
Nicholas rays 1954 gem, starring joan crawford and sterling hayden, is an extraordinary. Western icon ben cooper, known for movies like johnny. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards. His creative reinvention in the 1970s with funk overtones, saw watson have hits with. The theme song is also remembered for appearing in fallout. Joan crawford stars as vienna, a defiant saloonowner under fire from an angry mob, in this wonderfully strange psychological western. Guitar is the pseudonym for johnny logan, a notorious gunslinger who retired five years ago. Ben cooper, a western star of films and tv like johnny guitar, bonanza, rawhide and more, died in his sleep on monday according to his nephew on the actors facebook fan page. If johnny guitar has become a cult film for the blacklist era, it is because the drama of naming names and taking sides is set within a mise en scene built of fire, water, earth, and air, the latter in the form of dust clouds that often obscure the view. Classic score title song written by peggy lee and the film s composer victor young and sung by peggy lee. Fans of the film will forever be grateful for crawfords jealousy, for she got her way, this was after all a vehicle for her, if she had walked, as was threatened, it would have died a death. Start watching johnny guitar stream thousands of shows and movies. Johnny guitar simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Imagine the notoriously deadly old west and an unarmed cowboy with only a guitar. Johnny guitar was produced by a former maker of b westerns, republic pictures. There are extraordinary moments in the movie, not least when crawford, who has been dressed entirely in black, suddenly appears on the balcony in a stunning white gown and cows the men with her presence and a piano recital. Starring joan crawford, sterling hayden and mercedes mccambridge, it is very untypical of the genre. While the film s status as a femaleled western is quite unique and worthy of praise, especially considering how naturally crawford slides into the role as a rough and tumble saloon owner, johnny guitar mostly uses it as a gimmick. Theres one thing that can be said about johnny guitarjoan crawford, in the early stages of her 1950s bushyeyebrow phase, never looked. Joan crawford is incredible as the toughest lady gun in the west. Now, on its 50th aniversary, it is time to enjoy it once more, and to wish that we could have been at viennas, being part of that group of characters with no equal in cinema iconography. Instrumentation orchestra external links wikipedia article film. The title character, played by sterling hayden, is a guitar strumming drifter who was once the lover of arizona saloonowner vienna joan crawford. Olive films johnny guitar disc shows off the film s crazyquilt color scheme from crawfords trademark red slash of a mouth and garish fashion evolution to transitional dissolves. The film is titled johnny guitar 1954, directed by nicholas ray, and the title character is performed by sterling hayden, but it is joan crawford, as vienna, who is featured and guides the film into a role that is the polar opposite of the traditional western. Ben cooper, who portrayed the bandit turkey ralston in the joan crawford drama johnny guitar, just one of his many appearances in westerns on. Upon release in america the film was very coolly received, but out in europe, notably france, the new wave directors were very impressed and the film has gained a cult status over the years.
In watching even only a handful of nicholas ray films, its possible to discern fairly quickly that his films are often about the marginalized outsiders. Ben cooper, an film icon who starred in dozens of westerns and starred as the bandit turkey ralston in johnny guitar, has died. Joan crawford and sterling hayden he is johnny guitar in a pivotal scene from the film. Famous in later years for being an avantgarde western, johnny guitar is known for its bright colours and visuals, its unusual set design, strong female protagonists and antiauthoritarian sentiments. A flamboyant showman and electric guitarist in the style of tbone walker, watson recorded throughout the 1950s and 1960s with some success.
Johnny guitar is a film that overflows with such melodramatic passion and visual excess that even the most baroque westerns of the day, like fritz langs rancho notorious, seem straitlaced by comparison. Jacques rivette focused on rays sunset obsession, his vision of solitude and maladjustment in a vortex of violence. It is difficult to describe what makes johnny guitar so fascinating, except to say that rays orchestration of philip yordans almost literary screenplay gives a small budget film, made for. The screenplay was adapted from a novel by roy chanslor. Johnny guitar is a film directed by nicholas ray with joan crawford, sterling hayden, scott brady, mercedes mccambridge, year.
Johnny guitar tv movie 1959 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Sterling hayden and joan crawford in johnny guitar 1954, dir. And not just because its one of the campiest things around, but because its also a really admirable, wellmade classic western. The romantic history and steely attitudes shared by vienna joan crawford and johnny sterling hayden are revealed in this nearoperatic scene from nicholas rays johnny guitar, 1954. Occurring at that insomniac, delirious hour at which night gives way to day, this short film manages to travel a great distance in only three and a half minutes. Vienna is a tough businesswoman making a living in the wild west, but her bitter rival emma small is to trying to frame her as the mastermind behind a stagecoach robbery.
In short, there never was a film like johnny guitar, and there never will. Nov 09, 2019 johnny guitar watson houston, texas, february 3, 1935 yokohama japan, may 17, 1996 was an american blues guitarist and singer. A mysterious gunslinger sterling hayden rides back into the town where vienna joan crawford rides herd in johnny guitar 1954. While it certainly is all of theseand moreits about time it was acclaimed for it what it really is. Johnny guitar has been called everything from a feminist statement to a gay campclassic to an antimccarthyism allegory. Johnny guitar, a film by nicholas ray, starring sterling.
It is set in the west in the postcivil war nineteenth century probably in new mexico. F rancois truffaut once wrote that johnny guitar is the beauty and the. However, i found myself questioning how strong the character actually is, and whether or not. Shot in threestrip trucolor, the film features remarkable and subversive performances by. Vienna has opened a saloon and gambling hall just outside of town and has already arranged with the forthcoming railroad to build a station on the site. Also, for all the film s camp reputation johnny guitar never got enough credit for how functional as a narrative film it is, the first act in particular doesnt have a single wasted gesture and it traces so many different instances of unrequited passion and repression, if you only see it as stiff and silly, what can one do with blindness. Like moon, it proves the actress should leave saddles and. An old lover, gunslinger johnny guitar logan sterling hayden shows up one day on the promise of employment, at the same time as an angry mob of locals led by emma small mercedes mccambridge, suspecting vienna of partaking in the illegal activities of her notorious customer dancin. Olive films bluray and dvd of johnny guitar is a bright and colorful hd rendering of this unique western drama, that retains the odd color values associated with consolidated film labs proprietary trucolor printing process. She is featured on more posters for the film than the character the film is named after, johnny. In particular, i would like to focus on johnny guitar, a film in which everything. One of the strangest westerns on record, johnny guitar has less in common with zane grey than it does with sigmund freud and krafftebbing. The only person who seems always to be on viennas side is her exboyfriend, johnny guitar. Rays subversive, stillradical film finally makes its north american home.
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