January 25th, 2010

If you’re looking for a cool comeback to a tough character, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship, fed up with the office hussy, or need a new job, there’s nothing like snappy lines from a great western book or film to draw from. I thought I’d start the week off with bits of dialogue from some of my favorite westerns. They remind me of that there’s independent western spirit inside each of us. The exchange between Carroll Baker and Chuck Conners gets pretty heated in the 1958 movie Big Country – “Miss Terrill, aren’t you going to introduce me to your fiancé?” Chuck asks. “I wouldn’t introduce you to a dog.” Carroll responds. In Destry Rides Again Marlene Dietrich sets James Stewart straight about what her profession involves. “You’d better mind your own business or you’re heading for trouble.” James Stewart’s character warns Marlene Dietrich. “Trouble is my business,” she snaps back. Christopher George had a great line in the movie El Dorado. “Faith can move mountains. But it can’t beat a faster draw.” One of my favorite lines of dialogue is in the movie Giant. Wealthy Elizabeth Taylor’s character shares with the poor James Dean character that “Money isn’t all, you know?.” Dean responds, “Not when you got it.” I began preproduction on a short subject western last week. I hope the dialogue in the short is as tough and memorable as these lines. After several months of waiting for the financing for the film version of Thunder Over the Prairie to materialize, the official word from the backers of the project is that the check should be in the producer’s hands by next month. While I wait I’ll work on the Libbie Custer bio and the book A Most Deadly Lie. I’m the least patient person I know with a job that requires nothing but. Oh, the irony. Whenever I think about venturing into another line of work that offers immediate results the line John Wayne uttered in Red River echoes in my head. “I don’t like quitters. Especially when they’re not good enough to finish what they started.” Thanks, Duke. I needed that.