Joe Kidd, Hang 'em High, Two Mules: Your favorite?

[KC]

       Imteresting thing about Hang Em' High is the role of Tommy is played by actor Jonathan Goldsmith who today makes the Dos Equis beer commercials..Stay thirsty my Frends.....

Interesting, if not the most interesting trivia factoid in the world. He went by Jonathan Lippe then.

[Perry]

I enjoy being a factoid junkie and the most interesting person in this website.

                                    OxBo

[Jed Cooper]

Hang 'Em High, no contest.  And not because I happen to share the last name of Clint's character in the film, either.  I'm not a big fan of the other two but out of these 3, I'd choose Joe Kidd next and then Two Mules For Sister Sara. 

[Lucky Punk]

I like all three of these films. Two Mules for me, Don Seigel directing and yummy redhead Shirley MacLaine as female lead. Hang 'Em High next, although an interesting script and we'll acted I find Ted Post's directing to be a bit flat and the set bound scenes make me think of TV shows like Bonanza (loved Bonanza btw but not right feel for an Eastwood movie). Joe Kidd is the weaker movie for me here and although there is much to enjoy it is disappointing considering the talent involved - Robert Duval, John Saxon and Don Stroud should have brought a grittier tone to this. John Sturges directing a script by Elmore Leonard suggests quality on paper. But it never quite settles into it's stride. Lalo Schiffrin's score is the one thing that holds up all the way through yet there are many enjoyable scenes in the film so I still watch it now and again.

[Rawhide7]

Watched Hang em high last night and watched two mules the night before and am watching Joe Kidd tonight.  These three are defenately the weakest westerns Clint made.  All the others are some what close to each other.  For me personally I liked Hang em High better than Two Mules.  Basically because Hang em High has more to it than two mules plus it is a more serious western as well.  Two mules is more of a western comedy.  Which western comedies are good and fun to watch and I liked the fact that Clint did a western that was a little different and comical.  But I just prefer and like the serious type westerns better.  With that said I do like Two Mules a lot as well.  And these two movies are way better than Joe Kidd not even close.

[The Man With No Aim]

Haven't watched Two Mules at all and only watched Kidd in a fragment on broadcast tv many years ago today. But very recently watched Hang Em in good watching conditions.

So, can't make a good comparison statement, but can say that Hang Em is worth the time.


Manwith

[bdc28]

I have to admit I am surprised I never weighed in on this one...man I have missed lots.

Ok, I have a simplistic problem with Hang em high. Aside from the fact it was the first "American formula" western that Clint attempted....but on a simpler sense...he was clean shaven all thru the movie. I know that sounds very superficial, but it really isnt. Part of the reason that I loved Eastwood was his ground breaking in westerns. He was the anti John Wayne....and this just felt very John Wayne ish. American Western formula...constantly clean clothes...harmonica as his theme when he walked down the main strip.....very.....blah.

Joe Kidd, now this is different. I disliked aspects of this for a different series of reasons, most importantly John Saxon. I found it odd that Eastwood could get Reni Santoni for Chico in Dirty Harry...but there was a sudden shortage of Hispanic actors to play a hispanic person. John Saxon fumbling thru his "Speedy Gonzalez" accent is racist, whiny and a sad sign of the times. His voice breaking every third word like ALL HISPANIC people have whiny breaking voices is just atrocious. It reminded me of how white people were cast to play Native Americans in the 50s westerns....pathetic. Now, OTHER than that, I thought it was a reasonable departure from Clints normal roles...interesting..and very stylistic. A little bit too much as sixties fashion found its way into western clothing.

Now, TWO MULES is a winner to me. For one its not a straight movie, its tongue in cheek. Its Clint poking fun of his own enigma, with his enigma, which I have to admit I personally like...but hey I loved it when he did it in CITY HEAT, so then again my taste can be questioned. But one thing cannot...ANY MOVIE that finds a way to get a YOUNG SHIRLEY MACLAINE cast as a prostitute dressed as a nun??? THAT IS PURE GENIUS (and downright yummy).

[KC]

Interesting point about Saxon. But what about Eli Wallach in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly?

So nice to have bdc back on the premises!

[bdc28]

Thank you KC, its good to be back.

I have to disclude Eli Wallach, because he wasnt doing a charature of a Hispanic, he played TUCO specifically. He was Eli Wallach thru the entire role, he didnt take on any "racial" things that he thought hispanic people did. Tuco was Tuco....did he try a hispanic accent? A little, but he didnt feel his character needed it to be heavy handed.

The same applies for any of the bandits in FFD and FAFDM. Now I dont know how they sounded in Italian in the original version, but the voiceover\dubs also werent as heavy handed and racial. They attempted to put in A accent.....but not a stereotype.

Saxon sounded like "Slowpoke Rodriguez". I get the feeling if they had cast him to play a half black\half white person he would have started all his sentences with "Yes'm".

[icnmedia]

out of the three I would say JOE KIDD is more my fave.