I guess my late father, Sterling Roger Franklin, gets much of the credit for this blog’s existence.
A veteran of the Pacific Theater in World War II — thanks again for your service, dad — he raised me on a steady diet of Westerns and war movies.
The love of Westerns stuck. So much so that I became determined to watch and collect every Western feature film I could find.
Fortunately, the finding part is much easier these days. Does anyone else remember watching old films on UHF channels? And having to go outside and turn an antenna so the picture would come in clear enough that you could watch?
Which, in an odd sorta roundabout way, brings me to the blog’s name: Once Upon a Time in a Western.
It pays homage to Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West,” the greatest Western ever made. Even if it took me several years to realize the film’s greatness.
I recall watching it as a teenager on one of those old UHF stations. I’d endured a fuzzy image as water slowly dripped on Woody Strode’s cowboy hat, as a fly buzzed around Jack Elam. I endured about 45 minutes of screen fuzz until I decided I didn’t have a couple of hours to waste watching incomprehensible crap.
In my defense, I was probably watching a chopped up version of the film. I know I didn’t watch it again until years later, when it was released on VHS, a movie so long it required two tapes.
But I stuck it out and, by the time the credits rolled, realized I’d just watched a masterpiece.
Will a better Western ever be made? I doubt it. I still watch “Once Upon a Time in the West” at least once a year as a reminder of how masterful a Western can be.
Which brings me back to Once Upon a Time in a Western. Here, you’ll find a synopsis, a review and my favorite quotes from more than 2,000 Westerns.
I’ve rated each film from one to six bullets, with a loaded gun being the best, of course. If anyone would like to send me a gratis drawing of a broken six-gun, there are a couple of turkeys I’d love to reward with that rating.
And, hey, I’ve also recently added a plug-in so you can rate the films as well. Just be sure to do so on the main blog page, not a photo page, so all the votes are tabulated property.
If you see an error other than an occasional typo — I’m sure you can find lots of those because I’m my own editor — please let me know. That’s especially true of the cast photos for Spaghetti Westerns. Just leave a comment or email me at [email protected].
In the meantime, enjoy the blog. Hopefully, it will point you to some Westerns you’ll enjoy as well.