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...

...Ace is blasted in the chest and laid out in the dust:

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: 

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.

Movie Trivia Time! 

New Question: Ok, smarty pants, quickly, whose the kid in this movie who had hardly begun to shave, playing opposite Sharon Stone shown below? No wonder the boy is smiling!

Answer: Lickety-Split, Peter answers: a very young Leonardo DiCaprio opposite Sharon Stone in the quick and dead movie.  Peter also asks, Is there a scene in quick and dead with Gene Hackman in his union suit too?

Yes, there is, Peter. Look for an all new posting of the movie, "The Quick and The Dead."

Can you determine from what western movie this scene is taken?

             Answer: The Quick and The Dead (1995)

Peter Kenth was the first to solve this trivia. The movie was "The Quick and The Dead."  See his comments below. Coming in second place was Lonestar Mike who named the actor and the character he portrayed. Super job fellas. I thought this one would stump everyone. 

Here is one early Trivia puzzles I presented and was solved by Peter back in September, 2020:

Well, that didn't take long. Peter Kenth answered correctly the name of the movie in which a pleasant drunk wildly danced outside the Red Dog Saloon in his union suit. See my previous posting of September 16th where I posed the question. The film was Warner Brothers "The Frisco Kid," filmed in 1979 and, as Peter pointed out, starred Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford. I'm not absolutely certain, but believe the long underwear clad actor was Alex Romero:

Hey Limelighter Fans!

Can't believe it has been nearly a month since I've posted anything to this blog. Well, mainly I've been busy posting almost daily in my other blog, Union Suit Fans! If for some reason you've missed those postings, switch over to USF and see stories of some really extraordinary union suit devotees.

Now, here it is about three weeks from the official day of summer. But have no fear, union suit stories, anecdotes and photos will continue even as many of us wait for cooler weather to again don our favorite underwear.

To kick off this season, here's SPLASH! sent in by Retro Jeff who found this cool, or should I say "cold" video.... 

It's Easier Than It Looks: Ice Bucket Challenge:

Just copy and paste to view:

https://youtu.be/uwCzrUphkDg

Coming to Union Suit Fans in the Limelight soon:

He wasn't the quickest but sure was one of the deadest! 

Watch for it!