Ben Johnson

Discussion of the actors, directors and film-makers who 'made it all happen'
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pvitari
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Joined: January 30th, 2010, 8:26 am

Re: Ben Johnson

Post by pvitari »

Are you all having a nice summer? I've been busy watching the new Blu-rays of Ben movies -- Chisum, something big, and (best of all) She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. I'm planning to screencaps from all (esp. SWAYR). First up, I did 106 screencaps from Chisum and you can see (and download) them all from here: https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.com/movies/66813

It's a very nice transfer (new 2K interpositive with color-correction), though I think the flesh tones are too red. But overall a big improvement on the DVD.

Here are a few for you to enjoy right now. :)

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pvitari
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Joined: January 30th, 2010, 8:26 am

Re: Ben Johnson

Post by pvitari »

Congratulations to Dee on achieving her doctorate! ;)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.... some screencaps from the recent Blu-ray of something big, a rather dopey comedy with a creepy storyline (kidnapping, potential rape and actual male rape, and a massacre to finish things up). What keeps it going (and actually does make it occasionally amusing) is the professionalism of the actors, especially Brian Keith as the officious cavalry officer and Ben, playing straight man beautifully, as civilian scout Jesse Bookbinder. This is one of the few movies I don't like Dean Martin in (although I adore Dean Martin), because I hate everything his character does.

Next I'm going to work on some screencaps of the gorgeous Blu-ray of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. I did 106 screencaps of the Blu-ray of Chisum and 74 of the Blu-ray of something big, but with SWAYR -- I hope to do quite a bit more. :) Here is the link to all the screencaps for the something big Blu-ray:
https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.com/movies/66920

And some screencaps to tempt you to look at the entire album. :)

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The older gentleman at the front of this picture is former B-western star Bob Steele. He plays a stagecoach driver.
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pvitari
Posts: 3016
Joined: January 30th, 2010, 8:26 am

Re: Ben Johnson

Post by pvitari »

Finally did some She Wore a Yellow Ribbon screencaps. That is one gorgeous movie and now has a gorgeous Blu-ray to match. You can see all 229 screencaps here: https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.co ... ilms/30081

But here are some to enjoy now. ;)

Batch one

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----->
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pvitari
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Joined: January 30th, 2010, 8:26 am

Re: Ben Johnson

Post by pvitari »

Batch Two

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pvitari
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Re: Ben Johnson

Post by pvitari »

This is an article in the August 1961 issue of Western Horseman about rodeo man Bob Maynard. On the first page, Ben is mentioned as introducing Bob to the rodeo and there's also a picture of Ben and Terry Moore taken for Mighty Joe Young. I've seen other photos from this publicity shoot, but not this one, so I was really glad to get a copy of this magazine.

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And today's post at the BJ Fanpage is a still from Will Penny.

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pvitari
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Re: Ben Johnson

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Still from Mighty Joe Young. Unfortunately I do not have an original of this, but a rather blurry modern reproduction. Fingers crossed an original shows up on ebay or other auction sites someday.

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pvitari
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Re: Ben Johnson

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This one (another still from Mighty Joe Young) has been sitting around the house for about five years. I don't know why I waited so long to scan it!

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pvitari
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Re: Ben Johnson

Post by pvitari »

Woo hoo! Today (August 11) is the sixth anniversary of the Ben Johnson Fan Page. Yep, we opened our saloon doors on August 11, 2010, back when it was the Ben Johnson Screencaps page.

To celebrate, I just posted a brand new interview, with actor and stuntman Denis Le Hane, who knew Ben and Carol Johnson very well. He has some great stories and also provided photos. :) Go here to read: https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.com/

Hope you enjoy! ;)
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pvitari
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Re: Ben Johnson

Post by pvitari »

All kinds of great Blu-ray/DVD news!

Shout! Factory will release The Monroes: The Complete Series in a DVD set on September 6. It's a Walmart exclusive, so you'll have to buy it at Walmart or order it from them online. (I wouldn't be surprised if eventually it was released through other retailers). This was Ben's only regular series role, as Sleeve, the trail boss for a large cattle ranch owned by English investors. The episode "War Arrow" has what I think is one of Ben's most touching performances on television.

http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Monroes-Th ... ries/22568

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The Criterion Collection will release a Blu-ray and a DVD of the new restoration of One-Eyed Jacks on November 22. Reports from the screening at Cannes are that the restoration looks absolutely glorious. The Criterion release will have all kinds of extras, including a video essay by my pal Toby Roan, who is working on a book about the troubled production history of OEJ.

https://www.criterion.com/films/28979-one-eyed-jacks

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pvitari
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Re: Ben Johnson

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The newest addition to the collection -- a publicity still from She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. Ben is fourth from the right.

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pvitari
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Re: Ben Johnson

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The Monroes is now out on DVD. I received the set yesterday, 50 years to the day since its original broadcast on ABC (September 7, 1966). (And Star Trek debuted 50 years ago today -- now that broadcast I do remember, because I was completely dazzled by it.)

The bad news is that Shout!Factory, who released the Monroes set, used the "best available video sources" and those "best" videos are... well... horrible. The picture quality is awful -- fuzzy, murky, dark, brownish and lots of print damage. It's a huge disappointment, especially considering how gorgeous the location shooting in the Grand Tetons was, and how those vast, cold, stormy, windswept landscapes really add to the characters' isolation on a remote farm in the old West.

That said, I don't think we're going to get anything better, at least not until 20th Century-Fox wants to commit resources to remastering the original elements (that should happen about the 12th of Never). So I'm going ahead with my project and screencapping Ben's scenes anyway, despite the lousy PQ. If you want to see the entire album of screencaps from the first episode, "The Intruders," it's here: https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.com/tv

Meanwhile, some sample pics.

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pvitari
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Re: Ben Johnson

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Some screencaps from the Monroes second episode, "Night of the Wolf." This episode was directed by Tom Gries, who would also direct Ben in Will Penny (which he also wrote) and Breakheart Pass. You can find the album with all the screencaps from this episode here: https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.com/tv/37076

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pvitari
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Re: Ben Johnson

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Sorry, I've fallen behind on posting screencaps from Monroes episodes! Here they are from the three latest episodes with Ben.

Wild Dog of the Tetons (all screencaps here: https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.com/tv/37464)

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Albert Salmi as the episode's bad guy
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pvitari
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Re: Ben Johnson

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Next episode is "Incident at Hanging Tree." Guest stars include Robert Middleton as paranoid pop and James Brolin and Tim O'Kelly as his feckless sons. All the screencaps are here: https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.com/tv/37665

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pvitari
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Re: Ben Johnson

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And now "Ordeal by Hope." Does Big Twin have rabies? Watch and find out. :) All the screencaps are here: https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.com/tv/37804

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Guest star Ed Faulkner as a guy who could charitably be called a jerk. It's actually just a small, one-scene role but Ed makes the most of it. I met him once at the TCM Festival and he was super-nice!
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The ever elegant Major Mapoy -- Liam Sullivan. Dirt, mud, nasty weather, you name it -- the major always looks like he stepped out of a 19th century men's fashion magazine.
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