Pour one out for John Smith, and Bruce
Some 30 years ago this week, the ultimate Prohibition-era anti-hero hit the screen in Walter “every film I’ve ever done has been a Western” Hill’s Last Man Standing, featuring Bruce Willis as dual-1911-equipped John Smith, passing through the off-map Texas town of Jericho.
Twin shoulder holsters, 1911s, three-piece suits, and fedoras should be sold in sets
John/Bruce duly becomes caught between two rival bootlegging gangs, Strazi and the Italians vs. Doyle and the Irish.
The ensuing 1920s take on Yojimbo and A Fistful of Dollars is almost spectacularly over the top in terms of gunplay, but probably sold another million 1911s.
John Smith long ago hung up his crushed fedora, and Bill is, well, not Bill any more, but you have to love it.
Walter Hill’s homage to Kurosawa is definitely a classic! I love Last Man Standing! It makes me want to head down to the Rio Grande Valley and walk the streets of some dusty little Texas pueblito with my fedora pulled low over my eyes.
My other Walter Hill favorite is Extreme Prejudice–also set in Texas–which re-creates Sam Peckinpah’s epic gunfight from The Wild Bunch. The film stars Nick Nolte, Powers Boothe, Michael Ironside, Rip Torn(!) and a .45 (9mm in the film, to fire blanks) Colt Commander that Nolte carried in a beautiful, matched belt and holster rig patterned after that of famed Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson.
These two films would make a great drive-in double feature!
Thank you, Chris!
Bob G.