UCLA Celebrates Director Budd Boetticher

Last summer UCLA had an excellent series of Robert Mitchum Westerns. This summer UCLA has another treat in store: Ride Lonesome: The Films of Budd Boetticher.

Although I've seen many of the films in this series, I've never seen a single one on the big screen, and I'm hoping to have the opportunity to catch at least a couple at UCLA in July or August.

The series opens Friday, July 13th, with one of my very favorite Randolph Scott movies, SEVEN MEN FROM NOW (1956). The film costars Gail Russell and Lee Marvin, and it was shot in beautiful Lone Pine, which I'll be driving through at the end of next week! From its opening moments, SEVEN MEN FROM NOW is simply unforgettable.

SEVEN MEN FROM NOW is on a double bill with DECISION AT SUNDOWN (1957); John Carroll and Karen Steele costar with Scott.

The next night, July 14th, the double bill consists of two more Scott Westerns, THE TALL T (1957) and BUCHANAN RIDES ALONE (1958). Scott battles wits with a very evil Richard Boone in THE TALL T, which also stars Maureen O'Sullivan; he costars with Craig Stevens in BUCHANAN RIDES ALONE.

Two more Scott Westerns are shown the 21st, RIDE LONESOME (1958) and COMANCHE STATION (1960). RIDE LONESOME costars Karen Steele and Pernell Roberts, while Nancy Gates and Claude Akins appear with Scott in COMANCHE STATION.

There's a wonderful opportunity to see the unique, memorable BULLFIGHTER AND THE LADY (1951) on July 22nd. This movie, starring Robert Stack, Gilbert Roland, Katy Jurado, and Joy Page, was produced by John Wayne. It's being shown in the "director's cut" as restored by UCLA in 1987.

On July 29th there's another Westerns double bill, consisting of HORIZONS WEST (1952) with Robert Ryan, Rock Hudson, and Julie Adams, and THE MAN FROM THE ALAMO (1953), costarring Adams and Glenn Ford. (July 14th Update: It was announced at last night's screening that UCLA was unable to secure the print of HORIZONS WEST and will instead be showing the 1953 film SEMINOLE on the 29th.)

Westerns are left behind in favor of crime on August 6th. The evening leads off with the very good suspense film THE KILLER IS LOOSE (1956), in which police detective Joseph Cotten is on the hunt for mad killer Wendell Corey. It's paired with THE RISE AND FALL OF LEGS DIAMOND (1960) starring Ray Danton and frequent Boetticher leading lady Karen Steele.

The series come to a conclusion with a really interesting set of "B" movies, ESCAPE IN THE FOG (1945), starring Nina Foch, and BEHIND LOCKED DOORS (1948) with Richard Carlson and Lucille Bremer.

I thought BEHIND LOCKED DOORS was a terrific little movie when I caught it on a Kino DVD, and the only reason I won't be going to see it at UCLA is that I'll be at D23's Destination D that weekend!

Toby has some dandy posters from Boetticher-Scott Westerns up at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

Thanks to regular reader Jane for passing on the good word on this series, as well as the news that the Boetticher films will be followed by a series of Jean Arthur films!