The Quick and the Dead!
Did you ever see this 1995 offbeat western movie from Sony Pictures Entertainment and TriStar Pictures, filmed at Old Tucson Studios in Arizona? It's a really different kind of film. I just recently discovered it on Netflix. How could I have missed it as I love westerns?!
This film stars Gene Hackman (John Herod), Sharon Stone (The Lady), Russell Crowe (Cort), a very youthful Leonardo DeCaprio (The Kid), and a cast of dozens.
Of interest to us union suit fans in a couple of scenes about one hour into the movie, is the demise of an excessively vain gambler and excellent gunman, Ace Hanlon, a man who takes great pleasure in his looks and clothing.He had joined in a strange game wherein the territory's best gunslingers are pair off against each other to see who is the fastest draw. It's a dangerous amusement of elimination.
The evil, narcissiistic Ace is gunned down in the middle of mainstreet in front of the town's citizens by an even more sinister man (John Herod) who runs the town and the people in it. After surriving gunshots to both hands and dancing from salvos aimed at his toes from Herod...
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...Ace is blasted in the chest and laid out in the dust:
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Within mere minutes, a half dozen denizens converge on the man and promptly steal his boots, silver spurs and hat:
And then, the vultures who had been circling, proceed to strip him of his vest, shirt and britches, taking all his clothes except for his socks and union suit.
After absconding with his attire, the deceased is left laying in the street in his underwear until the undertaker drags him off for burial in the town's ever increasing cemetery!
Whether by accident or design, a little observed blood spot appears in the shape of the ace of hearts, and coagulates in the middle of Ace's union suit:
Before Ace's scene, The Kid is shown in his long johns, wearing a buttoned-down Henley undershirt after having pulled on his britches. He had just spent the night with The Lady and appeared mighty happy about it.
Later at daybreak, John Herod sits alone in his union suit at his table, comtemplating his next involvement in gunplay:
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John Herod sitting at his desk
in his union suit |
The plot of this film is like none I have ever seen. And, I've viewed bunches of Westerns in my life.
Typically, a number of others who lost their gunfight were stripped of their clothes by observers to this unusual sport, but none were shown laying in the middle of town, left in their underwear as Ace was. The point probably being, none were as vain about their looks as he. Just as in "The Emperor's New Clothes, there's a moral to this story.
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Chris, I've seen this movie 3 or 4 times over the years and never noticed the red ace of heart on the front of Ace's white union suit. I'd love to know if that was coincidental or planned by the director of the movie. Good thing he was wearing white long underwear instead of red or you'd have never been able to see that heart to point out to us. I'm a long time union suit wearer who loves both your blogs but especially this "Limelight" one. It's interesting and enjoyable to see a collection of actors and singers, etc. wearing their union suits. Keep up the great work! ....Robert, Pueblo, CO
ReplyDeleteI saw this movie many times and just now noticed the heart of ace on his union suit which is pretty cool. Lonestar Mike.
ReplyDeleteThat was a different movie! Super you recommended it or I would have missed a darn good action packed western, sort-of-a Russian Roulette plot. The ace of hearts coagulating on Ace's long underwear was particularly eerie. Like Lonestar Mike, I would have missed that so thanks for pointing that out...Ray, Quincy Mass / Union Suit fan.
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