Quigley vs. Valdez

[TexasMac]

I watched Valdez Is Coming for the umpteenth time last night. The shots Quigley made were spectacular but the ones Valdez made were even better.

Wayne

[DAVE ROELLE]

Great movie for sure Wayne, wanna guess the range, see ya next Saturday

[kenny sd]

yes, great movie, My wife's uncle was dialog director, and he and Bert visited her in RI after the movie and brought her a piece of turquoise from Mexico when they were shooting it. NO my wife will NOT let me have it to make a watch chain fob.

If I was there I would have told Bert. ' It's a Sharps, and they RECOIL!!!

great movie though....bases on Alfego Baca.
Ken

[Yellowhouse]

Another featuring long distance shots that comes to mind is Legends of the Fall and this obscure 1981 production called The Tracker starring Kris Kristofersen. The Tracker is actually pretty good and can be seen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9bulhCKfLg

[Griff]

I'd recommend the book that "Valdez is Coming" is based on. Elmore Leonard first wrote a short story that covered the opening sequence about the crowd gathered around the cabin of an accused murderer. The short story had an epilogue which didn't fit the later novel. Later, Leonard reworked the short story and extended it into the novel. Take a look--the book is well worth it.

Griff

[august west]

I just rewatched Valdez too. It's not only a great Sharps movie, it's one of the best Westerns, period. The long range scenes could have been done better - more recoil - more lag time between firing and the bullet hitting, to give you a sense of the distance, etc. but it has real heart. Everybody in it plays it to the hilt, probably because they're glad to be working with a heavy hitter like Lancaster, but I think El Segundo stole the show.

And the book is great, too - Elmore Leonard is the king of the tight action novel. "Hombre" is another example of a great movie made from a great Elmore Leonard novel.

Quigley is solid fun too, but Alan Rickman elevated it and gave it real gravitas.

[John Bly]

One big difference, Quigley used a vernier tang sight and Valdez used the Lawrence barrel sight. Big difference!

[TexasMac]

Quigley is solid fun too, but Alan Rickman elevated it and gave it real gravitas.

I certainly agree. He did the same for Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves staring Kevin Costner in which he played a similar character, the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. I was real sorry when I read that he has passed away.

Wayne

[Griff]

I'll note that Burt Lancaster's 1960 film, "The Unforgiven" showed the cast using Sharps rifles during an Indian attack of their dugout. The scene also shows Burt doing a little loading of cartridges, including cutting the sprue off of the cast bullets, although I'm not certain that all of it is exactly right (others here could certainly educate me on this). The scene certainly does not involve long-range shooting, but it is still fun to watch.

Griff

[august west]

Quigley is solid fun too, but Alan Rickman elevated it and gave it real gravitas.

I certainly agree. He did the same for Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves staring Kevin Costner in which he played a similar character, the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. I was real sorry when I read that he has passed away.

Wayne

A great loss. He literally stole that movie out from under Costner, and Costner was furious about it. Make sure you catch one of his last films where he plays Louis XIV - really good.

[august west]

I'll note that Burt Lancaster's 1960 film, "The Unforgiven" showed the cast using Sharps rifles during an Indian attack of their dugout. The scene also shows Burt doing a little loading of cartridges, including cutting the sprue off of the cast bullets, although I'm not certain that all of it is exactly right (others here could certainly educate me on this). The scene certainly does not involve long-range shooting, but it is still fun to watch.

Griff

Lillian Gish looks like she's done some shooting before! She stood up to evil Robert Mitchum in "Night of the Hunter", too.

[George Babits]

I recall an old flick where the hero asks where his son's toy (lead) soldiers are so he can melt them down for bullets. I'm wondering if that was in "the Unforgiven?" May have to see if I can find that on a DVD. Ditto "Valdez is Coming."

George

[Tomklinger]

In the movie Valdez Is Coming, the people chasing him stated “Those shots had to be 800yds.“ Valdez said “closer to 1000”
I haven’t seen the movie in ten years, but I believe that’s how it went.....that movie started me dreaming about Sharps when I was a kid.....
Tom Klinger

[Griff]

I recall an old flick where the hero asks where his son's toy (lead) soldiers are so he can melt them down for bullets. I'm wondering if that was in "the Unforgiven?" May have to see if I can find that on a DVD. Ditto "Valdez is Coming."

George

You're correct, that scene was in "The Unforgiven", although it the character's brother. The book (written by the same author as "The Searchers") also includes that detail.

Griff

[DeadEye]

If I'm not mistaken it was in the Patriot where Mel Gibson melted down his son's toy soldiers over a campfire to cast round balls.

Paul