Never knew he was a child actor.

Watched this one the other day—I'm sure like a lot of people, Shane was my introduction to Alan Ladd. And while he's great in Shane (which is a stone-cold classic no matter how you slice it), I prefer him here, in The Proud Rebel.

He's an ex-Confederate widower, traveling the west trying to find a doctor for his mute son (Alan Ladd's real life son). With their dog in tow, they come through a town and immediately cross the wrong side of a local family, unfairly accused of starting a brawl. A local woman rancher (the wonderful Olivia de Havilland) pays off Ladd's fine, and he goes to work for her to pay her back, while that local family try to bully her off her land.

I really loved this one, impressed by the dialogue and the overall acting. The domestic drama works well, especially building up to a satisfying showdown. The movie tugs at your heartstrings in the right ways.

I'll also always welcome Harry Dean Stanton, showing up here really young.

Everyone else's thoughts?

Rewatching Texas Rangers(2001) with Dylan McDermott. It had a troubled production and flopped in the theaters. It isn't a great movie but it seems like there is a better movie in there than we got. A better script and better editing might have turned out a better movie.

Haunted by their past, with a lust for violence and lost deep in the wilderness of the American West, two British immigrants on the Oregon trail have their loyalty put to the test when finding stolen gold.