"Paint Your Wagon".. this had better be worth my time.

Cafe Society
1

Now, just for understanding’s sake, PYW is one film that I have avoided seeing for decades as I imagine a musical featuring the vocal talents of Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood would sound absolutely dreadful… yet here I am, about to watch it. Fortunately, misery loves company and my wife is joining me on this journey.

However… I just noticed PYW was 164 minutes long… or, 2 hours, 44 minutes… 16 minutes fewer than 3 hours.

I wouldn’t have really cared if this thing was 90 minutes - that’s not a major investment in time. But 2:45? This had better be worth it.

I’ll let y’all know…

2

I liked it when I was a kid. Eastwood’s voice wasn’t that bad - limited, but not awful.

3

Unless I’m ninja’d while typing this; Yay!!!

I get to be the first to do this :smiley:

Fact is that this clip is the sole reason that I ever watched the movie.

I won’t give an opinion one way or the other for fear of imposing bias -but enjoy!.

Zeke

4

By now the OP has suffered through Clint Eastwood butchering “I Talk to the Trees” and will be trying to sever his own ears.

OTOH he has also listened to Harve Presnell sing “They Call the Wind Maria,” which is chilling in its beauty.

On the gripping hand, Ray Walston can carry a tune, so Lee Marvin has some support on “The Best Things in Life are Dirty.”

5

The whole movie is worth sitting through for the following exchange:

*Mr. Fenty: Horton, how did that bottle get in your pocket? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING HARD LIQUOR?

Horton: Well, since this afternoon. I know you don’t approve, Pop, but believe me, until you’ve had a good cigar and a shot of whiskey, you’re missing the second and third best things in life.

Rumson: Horton!

Pardner: Where’d you take him, Ben?

Elizabeth: Damn you, Ben Rumson. What are you going to teach this boy next? How to cheat at cards, or just physical education with one of Willie’s floozies?

Horton: That’s the best one, Pop!

Rumson: Horton!

Elizabeth: Is that what you did today, Ben?

Rumson: That’s what he did today, Elizabeth! I tell you, that boy’s got a talent for dissipation that is absolutely unique!*

6

Yeah, that’s a good one. I didn’t realize until much later he was the father-in-law in Fargo.

7

My favorite scene is the one in which Ben, Elizabeth and Pardner decide to be a three cornered marriage.

8

I like it.

For some reason, Lee Marvin snatching the chicken and putting it in his coat always cracks me up.

And I often think of ‘What’s a ‘Mormons’?’

9

Back then Eastwood talked to trees. But then they cut down all the trees and made them into furniture. Now he talks to chairs.

10

I was shocked the first time I saw this listed in the cable guide on TCM. I thought it was just something the Simpsons made up for that hilarious musical clip show.

11

I love the sheer amount of animation they did for a two-minute gag for a clip show.

12

Proof that Jean Seberg must have (or had) the worst singing voice ever. Eastwood and Marvin do their own singing, but Seberg was dubbed.

Just googled her while writing this post. I had no idea she died so young.

13

And pretty tragically :(. Whatever the wisdom of her politics, her treatment by the FBI was disgraceful.

14

Ugh, well, at least that’s over.

Positives:

… It looked great, especially in some of the wide-angled shots
… Some of the songs were decent. I actually liked that one that Lee Marvin did towards the middle of the film
… There were a few chuckles and LOL’s in this one, especially the scene quoted above
… I was surprised at the number of names I recognized, both in front of and behind the camera

Negatives:

… OMG, the complete sexism! Easily the most off-putting part of the movie
… Most of the songs sucked. But not as much as I had thought
… Too long, the movie seemed to lose its way. I felt the town was destroyed as the author didn’t know how to end it (yes, I know it was a play beforehand… maybe it worked better on the stage)
… All those big names, all that talent, all that money… for this. :frowning:

15

It also gave the world a good trivia question, what was Pardner’s real name?

16

Sylvester Newell

17

AND the infamous Simpsons clip from post #3 which is pure gold :D. 'course whether a nearly three hour production was worth a two minute animated joke…

18

There was also a book published that I guess was some kind of condensed version of the movie. I read the book a lot more times than I saw the movie – the great advantage was that there was no singing at all in the book, and they kept a lot of the good lines. Sorry if this is corrupted by a degenerating memory, but (paraphrased):

*Horton: I had a long talk with my ma and pa, and I’ve realized the error of my ways. I’ve decided to give up all of my vices.

Rumson: (disappointed) Really?

Horton: Except one.

Rumson: (more hopefully) Which one?

Horton: Lyin’.
*

19

Newel. One “l.”

20

Yes.