"Wild Times" (1980) TV mini-series

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Richard Compton

Writers:

Don Balluck (teleplay)
Brian Garfield (novel)

Release Date:

24 January 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

A blood and thunder extravaganza [Video] [Australia]

Plot:

A sharpshooting saddle tramp with a price on his head falls for the daughter of a wealthy ranch owner...

Plot Keywords:

Wild West Show | Saddle Tramp | Shooting Contest | Contest | Ranch

Cast

Sam Elliott	...	Hugh Cardiff
Ben Johnson	...	Doc Bogardus
Bruce Boxleitner	...	Vern Tyree
Penny Peyser	...	Libby Tyree
Timothy Scott	...	Caleb Rice
Cameron Mitchell	...	Harry Dreier
Gene Evans	...	Cletus Hatch
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Fitz Bragg
Leif Erickson	...	John Tyree
L.Q. Jones	...	Wild Bill Hickok
Buck Taylor	...	Joe McBride
Pat Hingle	...	Bob Halburton
Geno Silva	...	Ibran
R.L. Tolbert	...	Freight Driver
Ben Zeller	...	1st Judge

Runtime:

195 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Bonanza Creek Ranch - 15 Bonanza Creek Lane, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Metromedia Productions

Trivia:

The Ben Johnson character "Doc Bogardus" is a combination of two professional exhibition shooters who carried on a rivalry from 1877 - 1883. William Frank "Doc" Carver (1840-1927) and Capt. Adam Henry Bogardus (1833-1913). The rivalry ended in 1883 when Carver out shot Bogardus in 19 of the 25 sponsored contests between them.

Quotes:

Harry Dreier: Vern, I told you more than once - that horse is outlaw, as outlaw as you can get. He has to broke nice and easy.
Libby Tyree: 'Fraid Vern can't do things nice and easy.

I decided to comment on this as it reminds me of Louis L'Amour themes.

Originally a 1980 TV Mini Series, this movie is the series turned into a 3 hour video. At least that is what this VHS tape appears to be that I picked up at a local church rummage sale. I somehow missed this show when it was on TV, but I was happy I found it as many of the themes are reminiscent of Louis L'Amour stories. I don't write many commentaries but you will find mine tend to go more into the stories of the actors in the movies than the movie itself (although some of that too). Therefore please excuse the history nut in me. This movie has so many top stars it is truly amazing. So who else for the lead but Sam Elliott, star of a number of Louis L'Amour stories turned to movies like The Sacketts and Conagher (in which he starred with wife Katharine Ross. They met on the set of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where Elliott had a bit part but Katharine took a shine to him and they are still married. That speaks well of them as real people in plastic Hollywood). Sam Elliott almost always plays the tough, wiry part and does it well. He was great in Gettysburg as Cavalry General John Buford. I like the fact that the Wild West Show that becomes part of this story first takes place in the changing West, to keep it a western and not have them running around in the East playing at being westerners. Penny Peyser is his love interest and I remembered that cute face from somewhere else, she was in a number of movies, but I remembered her from The Blue & The Gray where she played a daughter in the central family. For some reason she apparently didn't get much more movie work, but she deserved more as she plays her parts well. Bruce Boxleitner was the bad guy in this and he played it excellently but I like him better as a good guy. Just shows his good acting ability to play either well. He is married to Little House on the Prairie Laura star, Melissa Gilbert (another favorite actress of mine and I was happy to see the two get together). You may remember Boxleitner in some of the Gambler movies with Kenny Rogers, General Longstreet in Gods and Generals and in Babylon 5. Ah and now to one of my favorites from way back, Ben Johnson. I remember him in the old John Wayne movies where he and Harry Carey Jr. (in this movie too) would ride like real cowboys - that's because they were the real thing. Ben Johnson first arrived at Hollywood by bringing in some horses for Howard Hughes and decided to stay and watch. He was a real cow hand and would one day win the World Champion Steer Roper later. He played stand-in for John Wayne, Gary Cooper and James Stewart. John Ford gave him his start but then they had a falling out and Johnson didn't work for him for years. As a testament to Ben Johnson, in The Last Picture Show, producers wanted him so badly that they agreed to let him take out the curse words from his part as they offended him. Well he showed them what is right and won an Academy Award for that part, so Hollywood take note of the garbage you often put out as entertainment today. Dennis Hopper played Doc Holliday in this and I don't know why they bothered as it was just a couple minute cameo part where he went up against Elliott. An old timer who was a great actor was Cameron Mitchell who was on the TV show High Chaparral. He was a head hand on the Tyree ranch. I mentioned Harry Carey, Jr. who was in this and as always, a great actor and real person. Did you know that during WWII he was assigned to the O.S.S. and worked under John Ford, that he spoke Navaho and grew up on a cattle ranch? Do you remember him in Disney's Spin and Marty show? Then there is the fellow who played the foreman for Boxleitner, Buck Taylor. What a family history with this man. A good actor who played the blacksmith and sometimes deputy on Gunsmoke as Newly O'Brien. He is the son of Dub Taylor. Don't remember the name? Well you would know the face as he was in so many supporting roles. He played many parts including the father of Michael Pollard in Bonnie & Clyde. Buck is the father-in-law of actress Anne Lockhart from Battlestar Gallatica and her mother is June Lockhart from Lassie and Lost In Space and Anne's grandfather is the famous actor Gene Lockhart. The history in this family boggles the mind. By the way, I met Anne Lockhart and shook hands one time back in the early 90's and she is still just as lovely and ladylike as ever. There are so many good actors in the movie that I have to stop but first, let me mention Pat Hingle, another great actor. Did you know he was the Commissioner in two of the Batman movies? He stars in an Amish movie from about the 1970s too. Follow Sam Elliott and company through cow punching, sharp shooting, tall tale telling, Indian fighting, Indian friendships, bad guy fighting, fist fights and shooting, love interests, friendship, buffalo hunting, and Wild West Show. If you like westerns, especially ones that have parts that remind you of Louis L'Amour tales, and if you like top level acting, then this is a show you want to see.