The Commies made their own westerns in the 1960s from the perspectives of the indians to condemn American Imperialism.
These have since been released in the West to home video on arty farty DVD labels.
http://firstrunfeatures.com/defawesterns.html
Westerns with a Twist is part of the DEFA Collection.
Like Spaghetti Westerns, the Red Westerns are classic American Westerns created far, far from the American West – in this case, by Communist East Germany’s legendary DEFA Film Studios. Turning the traditional American cowboy and indian movies on their head, these beautifully shot films made the Native Americans the heroes, and cast the American Army and white settlers as villains – with obvious Cold War overtones.
Gojko Mitic, the famous Serbian actor, stuntman, director and author, stars in all three films.
Includes the films:
Apaches
The year is 1822, and the Mimbreno Apache Indians enter into an agreement with a Mexican mining company, relinquishing all mining rights and pledging the safety of the copper town of Santa Rita del Cobre. In return, the company guarantees the livelihood of the Indians, whose hunting grounds are fast disappearing. Unfortunately, American companies are also interested in the precious metal deposits, and the Apaches are ultimately massacred under their orders. On the eve of the Mexican-American war, Ulzana, a young Apache warrior, sets out to avenge the extermination of his tribe.
The Sons of Great Bear
When gold is discovered on lands belonging to a clan of the Dakota Indians, the area’s ruthless white settlers attempt to drive the Indians away, ultimately murdering the clan’s chief in front of his son, Tokei-ihto. Tokei-ihto refuses to move to a reservation in an infertile area with his tribe and is incarcerated. When the Dakota Indians have been defeated and resettled, he is released, and Tokei-ihto immediately sets out to avenge his father’s murder and reclaim his clan’s ancestral lands.
Chingachgook: The Great Snake
Based on James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Deerslayer. When English troops attempt to seize the French colonial settlements in North America in 1740, the local Indian tribes become involved as mercenaries - the Huron on the French side, and the Delawareans on the English side. Wahtawah, the daughter of the Delawarean chief, is promised to the young warrior Chingachgook, but before the nuptials can take place, the Huron raid the Delawarean camp and run off with Wahtawah. Together with his friend Deerslayer, Chingachgook sets out to free Wahtawah from her captors - and to convince the Huron that the war between the whites ought not concern the Indians.
“Westerns with a twist!” - The Hollywood Reporter
Links
Read That Was the Wild East: Film Culture, Unification, and the “New” Germany by Leonie Naughton
Read the rave review in the NY Sun...
‘Cheyenne’ and ‘Have Gun Will’ Travel are my only two real favorite old time TV westerns. Some of the early Gunsmoke and Bonanza’s were good, but then they went of in the vane of the Big Valley and became soap operas (I said SOAP Opera not Horse Opera! Example is for a women falling in love with a Cartwright was a DEATH SENTANCE!) set in the old west.
One newer Western that I also rank high is AMC’s Hell on Wheels. The grittiness and the authenticity of everything from clothing, setting, living condidtions is spot on and makes me a cowboy dreamer glad I didn’t live then.
But of all the fictional Western Men that were ever portrayed on the big screen or the small these are the ones I wish I could me and would be men that I would respect and would honored to have met:
Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) Open Range
Charley Waite (Kevin Costner) Open Range
Prentice Ritter (Robert Duvall) Broken Trail
Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church) Broken Trail
Hondo Lane (John Wayne) Hondo
J.B. Books (John Wayne) The Shootist
Cheyenne Bodie (Clint Walker) Cheyenne
Sam Burgade (Charlton Heston) The Last Hard Men
Samuel Jones (Tommy Lee Jones) The Missing
Con Vallian (Sam Elliott) The Quick and the Dead
Capt. Nathan Cutting Brittles (John Wayne) She wore a Yellow Ribbon
Sgt. Tyree (Ben Johnson) She wore a Yellow Ribbon
Captain Stephen Maddocks (Richard Boone) A Thunder of Drums
Dan Evans (Van Heflin) 3:10 to Yuma
Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) 3:10 to Yuma
Probably more of a frontier show than a western.
-PJ
Shane...
Last gunfight. Alan Ladd v Walter (Jack) Palance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1l3TboL5MI
And this scene.. watch to the end
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ternps0JFwo
I seem to enjoy the vintage western genre more and more with each passing year. As America continues its rapid descent into utter cultural decay and moral degeneration, going back to these old shows which reflect my values and sensibilities, at very least, offer a welcome respite. Like fresh oxygen to someone suffocating.
I’ve collected on dvd just about all the old tv-series that have been made available. “Have Gun Will Travel,” “Wagon Train,” “Gunsmoke,” and dozens of others. Lately I’ve even been delving further back into the era of silent westerns... Hoot Gibson, Tom Mix, Jack Hoxie, and the like. All of it fascinating americana.
I have watched Big Valley for a number of years, cince I don’t have pay TV.
I am fascinated with the outstanding quality & beauty of the clothing for Barbara Stanwyck. Her wardrobe person was a man- Jack Mohs, and everything she wore was top notch. I realize she was petite, and that is an easier body to clothe, but the colors, materials & such are really beautiful.
Makes me wish I had a reason to sew again & A place to wear such.
A really great, but short-lived, western tv-series was “The Dakotas,” from around 1963. Starred Jack Elam, Larry Ward, and Chad Everett. Got axed for basically being too violent and too hard-edged, with a rather shocking episode involving a shootout inside a church causing the final blow. The episode was entitled “Sanctuary at Crystal Springs,” and has an archly ANTI-liberal message about criminals and their eradication.
Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain: Television’s original “Psycho Dad.”
Our favorites so far are “The Big Valley,” “Maverick” (the original), “The Texan” (sponsored by Viceroy Cigarettes!), and “Have Gun-Will Travel.” Next in the line-up: “Bonanza,” “Wagon Train,” and “Cheyenne.”
Those are good also Laredo, Yancy Derringer, The Lone Ranger, Gene Autry, Roy,Rodgers,Wanted Dead or Alive, Rawhide, the Rebel. There were just so many.
Lonesome Dove is the finest TV miniseries I ever saw. Nothing else has come close to it.
Any western before 1968, and especially any western with RANDOLPH SCOTT John Wayne, Joel McCrea, Errol Flynn, Audie Murphy, Jeff Chandler, Jimmy Stewart,Henry Fonda.
My personal favorites are all those made in the 1950s.
Jared, Heath, Nick: Audrey is in trouble again!! lol
Loved “The Big Valley”. Learned you don’t cross Barbara Stanwyck!