Amazon has the Harry Tracy DVD.

Hello, I read the liner notes to the Songbook collection, and got the name of the movie that Gordon was in, and went on a search to see if it was available. Amazon has this DVD ready to ship by the end of December, so I ordered a copy. With shipping, it's just over $12, but if you buy other things, then the movie by itself is about $10. Is the movie good? Does anybody have an opinion? Just thought you'd want to know.
Thanks a lot.
Matthew

[brink]

It is watchable, I am not Bruce Dern fan. No Oscar performances though.

[Borderstone]

Given Gordon's review of himself in the film,I wouldn't expect it to be in the ranks of,"A Beautiful Mind". Unless the Academy just overlooked this movie as a contender? Later!

[closetcanadian]

I just picked up a copy of "Harry Tracy" on DVD at my local Best Buy Electronics Store for the princely sum of $5.99. They had it in their "bargain bin!"

Not a bad movie but I think GL made a wise decision not to pursue an acting career!

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"be calm in the face of all common disgraces...and know what they're doin' it for..."

[Borderstone]

I live near Best Buy!!!! I'm headin' out!!

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"A knight of the road,going back to a place where he might get warm." - Borderstone

[Borderstone]

Well,all riiiiiiiight!! It's 11:17am and just 25 minutes ago at 10:52 am,I checked out at Best Buy 2,I repeat,2 copies of Harry Tracy:Last Of The Wild Bunch!! The only 2 they had at all,on the inexpensive movie rack. I was also almost tempted to grab a copy of Blue Thunder!

Anyhow,from what I've read on the back of it it's a Sid & Marty Krofft production! No wonder Brink says there's no Oscar caliber acting! These are the same guys who gave us H.R. Puff N' Stuff & Land Of The Lost Actors!

So,as Closet Canadian and myself have done,check your local Best Buy store and they may have it. Maybe only 1,2 or 3 but it's there!

Boy,all I need now are The Two Tones and Early Lightfoot (and maybe the Yellow Bird bootleg) and I can truly dclare I'm the biggest Lighthead ever! Been me,gonna go watch Lightfoot in Tracy!!

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"A knight of the road,going back to a place where he might get warm." - Borderstone

[This message has been edited by Borderstone (edited June 22, 2004).]

[Kenyon]

Contrary to what a lot of people think about this movie, it actually is quite an accurate period drama. The sets are authentic, the script is actually quite good, and I think it really gives an accurate depiction of what life was like back then. I also think Gord gives quite a good performance. His scruffy beard and wardrobe make for quite a convincing performance IMHO. It's a pity he didn't consider anymore acting, as I think he's got the perfect face for Marshall Morrie Nathan-esque characters.

Kenyon

[brink]

Watchman do you mean Hotel and he was a drinking singer that was trying to salvage his marriage and a relationship with his son?

[Borderstone]

Kenyon,you took my review right out of my brain! Seriously! I thought I was going to get one of those unintentionally funny dramas (or westerns.) You are right though,almost the whole movie is periodically acurate. I found the fur lined ski-wear the women had to be a bit much (their make-up looks late 70's/early 80s.)

The story was quite good and Gordon's acting wasn't bad at all. If you think about it,real lawmen would not be overly dramatic like say John Wayne,about making a capture. In that time they'd be pretty much like he was,just getting the job done.

It was sort of funny to see Gordon be mean to Bruce Dern by throwing a bucket of cold water on him after keeping him out in the freezing cold,not to mention seeing Gord taking a bath in quite a small tub (eeeew!) I hardly recognized him at first by the way,he did have a bit of a belly then.

Harry Tracy falling in love and ending up walking barefoot by the sea with Katherine also made me laugh because it's hard to picture a western outlaw doing that! Speaking of love,the closing theme,"My Love For You",is now my favorite all time GL love song. Hands down! Why? Tears actually come into my eyes when it plays. When a love song can do that to me,then it has certainly hit me where I live.

Overall,I'd rate this 4 and 25% stars (I don't know the #'s for that one.) As a movie seperate from the fact of Gordon being in it,it's realy good entertainment. Sid & Marty Krofft actually did something that can appeal to a mass audience and not just the kids that were the people in my age group.

Gordon,if you're reading,you were A-O.K.-go back & watch again! Aurvoir,all!

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"A knight of the road,going back to a place where he might get warm." - Borderstone

[This message has been edited by Borderstone (edited June 24, 2004).]

[Dan O'Malley]

I also thought Gord did a good job, especially for a first timer. not a bad movie either, although no classic! In Leonard Maltins movie guide regarding this movie, it says something like "good work from canadian stalwart Lightfoot!" Must admit though, i would have preferred seeing Gord as the outlaw rather than the sheriff!

[Borderstone]

How about as the "Painter"?

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"A knight of the road,going back to a place where he might get warm." - Borderstone

[johnfowles]

In the course of replying to my small talk topic on futuristic air transport at:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000483.html
Cathy has reminded me that I have just rediscovered an old (Betamax) video cassette onto which I had copied from the original
VHS tape all the scenes with Gord in from the film that was called "Wanted Dead or alive" when I saw and recorded it from BBC
television a number of years ago. and my memory was correct.In the early scene where Harry Tracy and his idiot sidesman dug
a hole in front of Morrie's outside loo then wait for him to come out whereupon he fell into it, In my old recording Gord very clearly says "Oh Shit"!! but this has been cut from the version recently issued on DVD. It is some small consolation for the UK version completely omitting the two instances of Gord singing "My Love For You" plus the omission of it in the
closing credits.
Very strange
John Fowles

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My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

I actually bought the DVD a couple of weeks ago and sat down to watch it, then the kids had me running ragged around the house and I didn't get to finish seeing it, but, my husband did. He enjoyed it. I kept wondering, which one was Gordon? The sheriff looked so stern -- could that be the warm, wonderful, sexy GL I knew?? (Too much serious face and a too heavy coat!! Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's winter and it's cold, but, hey, give the girls something to look at, ya know??) And, I admit, I was looking very forward to that bathtub scene which is on the cover of the tape!! Luckily, I have no PTA meetings or other such stuff tonight, so I'll get to watch it in full! From what I saw, however, (and I AM a Bruce Dern fan), I really liked it. I also have several movies with Helen Shaver. She certainly shaped up as an actress as she went along. This was a good early try. And as for Gordon, what can I say? The man can do no wrong in my opinion!! Love ya, Big Guy!

Sheryl

[This message has been edited by Sheryl Klein (edited November 18, 2004).]

[Cathy]

quote:Originally posted by Sheryl Klein:
I actually bought the DVD a couple of weeks ago and sat down to watch it, then the kids had me running ragged around the house and I didn't get to finish seeing it, but, my husband did. He enjoyed it. I kept wondering, which one was Gordon? The sheriff looked so stern -- could that be the warm, wonderful, sexy GL I knew?? (Too much serious face and a too heavy coat!! Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's winter and it's cold, but, hey, give the girls something to look at, ya know??) And, I admit, I was looking very forward to that bathtub scene which is on the cover of the tape!! Luckily, I have no PTA meetings or other such stuff tonight, so I'll get to watch it in full! From what I saw, however, (and I AM a Bruce Dern fan), I really liked it. I also have several movies with Helen Shaver. She certainly shaped up as an actress as she went along. This was a good early try. And as for Gordon, what can I say? The man can do no wrong in my opinion!! Love ya, Big Guy!

Sheryl

[This message has been edited by Sheryl Klein (edited November 18, 2004).]

Well, the sherriff is Gordon. In the tub scene, the blond woman behind him is Cathy Coonley, Gord's girlfriend at the time, and mother to his son Eric.

Cathy http://www.cathycowette.com

Thanks, Cathy. I told my husband it was him, but, he said, "No, that's another actor. I know him." Sheesh! So, how'd his girlfriend land the role? You guys know so much more than I do, this being new to me. You guys have followed him for years, whereas I'm just picking up strands now and loving every minute of it. Thanks for any and all additional information. (And John, DON'T tell me to Google!!)

Sheryl

O.K, watched half of it, then it was 12:30 a.m. and I had to go to sleep. LOVED it. Loved Gordon. (what else?!) Very funny when he fell in the outhouse hole. Ewwwwwwwww! (He took it pretty well, though.) I'm still waiting to come to the bathtub scene... heh heh

Sheryl

[Borderstone]

You naughty naughty girls!!! Peeking at a man whilst he does bathe!

I'm going to tell! (I don't know who but I will! )

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"A knight of the road,going back to a place where he might get warm." - Borderstone

Girls wanna have fun, too, right?

Sheryl

O.K, finished the movie -- LOVED IT! It was long, but, good. My eyes are falling shut, my head's about to hit the keyboard I'm so tired, but, I'm glad I saw the whole thing. Shame about Harry Tracy dying, but, hey, that's the life of a gunfighter. And, yes, I finally did see that bathtub scene. And I'd actually seen it the other night, but, forgot. I kept waiting for "more," but, that was it!! ("Not bad," says I, "Not bad.")A very enjoyable movie. Now I'm going to bed before I literally fall asleep as I type this. Night all!

Sheryl

[jj]

glad most enjoyed it...i kinda got sleepy but i didn't even know this was a real character or i might have perked up a bit more, wow, the real HT looks pretty disturbed

i sent a hardcased vhs version to a big GL fan once i had viewed it and dubbed My Love For You...i had been in a video store and saw it in the discard bin for $3.99 CDN...the guy said that all videos that hadn't been rented for over a year go there, lol

the dvd's not at amazon.ca only at the US site...didn't know if there were any bonus features? like how about some out takes or deleted scenese, or was that THE entire movie itself ok, not funny, way to go Gord!

[charlene]

JJ - Lisa loves HT-it's a fave of hers!
lol
I love it when you think of me whilst rummaging thru the discard bins...
lol

[jj]

quote:Originally posted by jj:
the guy said that all videos that hadn't been rented for over a year go there

but atleast you've been out in the past year

lol, poor char...i did send you that dusty Stephen Foster relic also, eh...oh well

[charlene]

yes you did!
lol
hey! i was (and still am) a stay at home mum for 21 years!!! i've got a LOT of catching up to do !! So much to do--so little money....
so many men....oh never mind-I was daydreaming again!
lol
you got around pretty good before Harrison showed up!hell in those days you even could make it to my place!
lol

[imported_Next_Saturday]

Amazon Prime members can now stream the movie for free.
Amazon.com: Harry Tracy: Bruce Dern, Helen...

[Kelly Davis]

I think 'Harry Tracy' is quite a good film. It's not flashy-glamorous like a big-budget film, but , I think, pretty realistic.

I had Gordon sign my dvd case after a 2007 concert. I told him I liked the movie.

He replied, " I about got ran over by a train. I wasn't watching." Gord went on to talk about how it was really cold and they got snowed in. Said it was up in the Rockies.

Anyway, I think 'Harry Tracy' (even without Gordon in it) is a safe bet to purchase. I love Bruce Dern in most everything he has done.


Kelly Davis