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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: March 31st, 2016, 12:29 pm
by pvitari
Anyone here or near NYC? (Theresa? Wendy?)

Starting today, the Film Society of Lincoln Center is holding a Sam Peckinpah retrospective with screenings of all his feature films. The retrosopective lasts through April 7. The line-up of course includes four films with Ben: Major Dundee, The Wild Bunch, Junior Bonner and The Getaway. If only they'd also been able to include Peckinpah's TV drama Noon Wine. Go to the Film Society of Lincoln Center website for more information: https://www.filmlinc.org/press/bring-me ... 1-april-7/.

Jessica Kiang also has posted a substantial essay on Peckinpah's films at Indiewire: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/ ... h-20160331

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: April 2nd, 2016, 12:53 pm
by mongoII
Hi Paula, while I was watching an episode of Gunsmoke called "Quaker Girl" I noticed that Ben Johnson was in it and he played a mean SOB. No doubt that the actor was a jack of all trades.

Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: April 5th, 2016, 9:55 am
by pvitari
Dear Mongo, yup, he was a real mean SOB in that episode -- and all three of his Gunsmoke episodes. :) I made a bunch of screencaps from an "unofficial copy" of "Quaker Girl" (it hasn't been released on DVD yet) but I'm going to have to look for them. I just checked my fanpage and they're not posted there. Hmmmm. Ben gets to do some roping in "Quaker Girl." The entire guest cast is wonderful -- William Shatner, Timothy Carey and Tom Reese. IMDB says that Danny Borzage (Frank's brother) also had an uncredited role as a "Quaker."

Meanwhile, a syndicated newspaper column dated March 31, 1985, by James Coates of the Chicago Tribune, about the ProRodeo Hall of Champions in Colorado Springs. The article mentions some items that Ben donated to the Hall, although the 1922 loving cup must have been won by his father, as Ben was only four years old that year.

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: April 10th, 2016, 1:51 pm
by pvitari
I should have posted this on Friday but it's the busiest time of the year for me and some things have to slip. ;( But here it is, finally.

The 20th anniversary of Ben's death was this past Friday, April 8. Here are some pages from the August 1996 issue of American Cowboy, including a tribute ad from Roper and a poem about Ben by Ted Newman and Marshall Trimble.

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: April 15th, 2016, 12:09 pm
by pvitari
On the set of The Wild Bunch.

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: April 20th, 2016, 11:14 am
by pvitari
This is a double fold-out of pics from Ben's movies, from a Japanese magazine called Cine Study, dated November 11, 1972. The pages are too long to scan -- I had to take photos. :)

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: April 27th, 2016, 9:06 am
by pvitari
Well, it's off to the TCM festival. Can't wait for She Wore a Yellow Ribbon on Sunday!

Ben's 1977 western Grayeagle (directed by Charles B. Pierce, who also directed The Town That Dreaded Sundown), is now out on Blu-ray on a double disc with another western directed by Pierce, Winterhawk. This is a new transfer derived from elements in the MGM vault and it is a big improvement over the old DVD. Here are a few screencaps from the Grayeagle Blu-ray. You can find more on the BJ Fanpage, here: https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.com/movies/66768

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: May 6th, 2016, 12:36 pm
by pvitari
Back from the TCM fest! ;)

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon looks gorgeous in the new transfer. WAC has not made an official announcement yet but it will be coming out on Blu-ray. Keith Carradine introduced and he said that Ben was the best horseman in Hollywood, and mentioned the scene where Ben rides his horse down the hill into the herd of bison. Ben looks back as he begins his ride and Keith stated that making sure everyone knew it was you doing the riding was the mark of a real actor. :)

So here's Keith at SWAYR:

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And in other news, Dillinger is now out on Blu-ray (the set includes a DVD, too). It's a new transfer from a 2K scan of original elements and it looks very nice. There are a whole bunch of extras (commentary, interviews) that I haven't had time to go through yet. Here are three frame grabs I lifted from Blu-ray.com. ;)

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: May 10th, 2016, 8:11 am
by pvitari
Here's a third picture from the Laramie episode "Hour After Dawn."

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: May 20th, 2016, 10:01 am
by pvitari
I just got back from a trip to Ben's home town, Pawhuska, and while there I learned they're working on the "Ben Johnson Memorial Project," a large bronze statue from a design by the late sculptor John D. Free. You can visit the work in progress, which of course I did. I'll be posting pics to the Fanpage soon. Meanwhile, here is a poster and a brochure with information about the project. They're hoping to unveil the completed statue next year.

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: June 6th, 2016, 1:09 pm
by pvitari
In case anyone wants to see photos from my Oklahoma trip, here is the link: https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.co ... allery/940

Also, posted today: 13 new prints from slides, of Ben with Willie Nelson at the Sixth Annual Golden Boot Awards, held August 19, 1988. Here are five of the prints. You can see all 13 (and download big versions from) here: https://benjohnsonfanpage.shutterfly.co ... llery/1253

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: June 10th, 2016, 12:34 pm
by pvitari
I really like this publicity still from Grayeagle. ;)

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: June 13th, 2016, 10:33 am
by pvitari
Happy 98th birthday to Ben Johnson! Here's a repost of a picture of Ben during the filming of Wild Stallion, and a picture of his parents.

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Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: June 13th, 2016, 4:47 pm
by Professional Tourist
Happy birthday, Ben! :)

Re: Ben Johnson

Posted: June 19th, 2016, 6:55 am
by pvitari
Happy Father's Day! Today we celebrate Ben Johnson, Sr.

Yesterday Osage County held the 63rd annual Ben Johnson (Sr.) Memorial Steer Roping.

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And today's post is from Osage County Profiles, a large, heavy leather-bound volume published by the Osage County Historical Society. The book contains profiles of the prominent families and citizens of Osage County as well as articles on the towns and other features of the county (schools, railroads, the Indian tribes, memorable historical incidents, etc.) and tributes to family members contributed by citizens of the county. The book is a treasure trove of historical information and photographs and surely invaluable to anyone researching Osage County. It has a short biography of Ben, Sr., as well as his children, and two poems about Ben, Sr. contributed by two of his children, Helen Johnson Christenson and Ben Johnson, Jr.

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