Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Major Flaw in Unforgiven

That's the gist of it.

Geez! Was that movie supposed to be a historically precise rendering of fact or a source of entertainment?

The clock struck 12 for Julius Caesar, and no one threw Shakespeare's works into the garbage.

I have no idea about historical accuracy, but it was indeed edifying.

Tom Horn was the real deal as far as a manhunter.
Read "Life of Tom Horn by himself"
"Blood on the Moon" By Chip Carlson
"Joe Lefors I slickered Tom Horn" by Carlson
His 30WCF 94 Button magazine rifle is on display in Cheyene, another gentleman is working on proving another 94 in the Fort Collins area was part of the same shipment and also is tied to Horn.
The museum in Buffalo Wy has a Marlin 93 30/30 connected to Horn.
Google "Tom Horns Rifle" and there are several web sights.

I agree.

I also think that Audie Murphy's performance in "The Unforgiven" was the finest performance of his career.

L.W.

Sometimes even the best continuity girl (or guy) can not keep it straight, when the director, actors, and even the producer's favorite squeeze-at-the-moment, get involved in changing the script every day.

(BTW, before "political correctness" laws were instituted in "the Biz," they were known as "script girls.")

I've seen shooting scripts that had so many revised pages it's lucky they ever finished shooting the picture, much less coming up with a flick that is somewhat watchable and makes any sense.

L.W.

Steve McQueen's performance in the title role in "Tom Horn" was one of the more realistic portrayals of a flawed western "hero" ever done. Great movie, although they got the caliber of his rifle wrong. And the young Candace Bergen skinny-dippin' in a stock tank wasn't bad, either.

Sheriff: "Any last words?"

McQueen: "I never saw such a bunch of pasty-faced sheriffs in my life."

I used to be a film editor I understand that one.

I just checked I think it was Linda Evans

He just did not want top get shot, why else would Bill offer him a pistol?

I'll bet you wouldn't go to a western movie if you knew John Wayne was wearing pajamas instead of chaps...

Here's a western with Gene Autry that is an obvious mistake.

Everybody knows that television in the background wasn't invented until 1889.

Did a lot of that with Roy Rogers too.

That was not Candice Bergen in the movie..

It was Linda Evans...

That 30/30 thing in Unforgiven has bothered me every one of the several times I've seen it,starting in the theater when it first came out.
Did some googling on Tom Horn and the movie.They're saying McQueen "thoroughly reseached" it and carried an 1873 in 45/60.Guess that's just Hollywood gack.
I was under the impression that Horn favored the 38/55 all these years.....guess I was mistaken.
McQueen was not diagnosed with cancer until after the filming of Tom Horn was completed.

To be an award winning film The "Unforgiven" had some sloppy editing. I remember them showing the same shot at least twice of Eastwood and his friend riding through a wheatfield on what was to be a cross country trip. Not huge, but this film was supposed to be a masterpiece.

A good film editor has saved many more than one really discombobolated flick before.

L.W.

Some points...

Unless I'm mistaken, there was also an 1886 Winchester in the film although it supposedly took place in 1878.

Leanwolf, I agree that Murphy was at the height of his prowess as an actor in The Unforgiven.

Hawkeye, you really should check The Unforgiven out. It was written by Alan LeMay, who also wrote The Searchers. While The Searchers is the better movie, The Unforgiven is excellent as well and features a whole cast of old Hollywood. Charles Bickford, Doug McClure, and a host of others. Eastwood's movie IMO, is only great due to the timeframe in which it was made. Hollywood produced many movies that were better during the heyday of westerns in the 50's.

As far as English Bob goes. Little Bill was just illustrating the fact that English Bob was a sure-thing-killer and wasn't the type to face up to a man in an equal setting. He had just told the story of English Bob shooting down the man who was hitting his favorite prostitute and how Bob killed him in cold blood after the guy lost his hand when his Walker Colt blew up in it. To hammer home the point, he offers Bob the opportunity to grab the gun and kill him, if it is loaded. The Duck doesn't grab for it because he only wants a sure thing.

I think ya pegged it.
At that point the writer drops the duck like a hot rock and takes up with Bill.

The conversation in the scene where Bill had the duck loaded up in the stagecoach and sending him out of town cracks me up. The duck yelling at everyone through swollen lips and with that Brit accent gets me every time. He mad as hell and nothing he can do about it, just funny chit.

The more historically accurate, the more entertaining. [/quote]

Agreed.

By the way, Gilligan did get off the island.