Harry Carry Sr.

HI JWAngel,just thought i'd take this time to welcome you to the forums here and hope you enjoy your stay.
-IHW

Hi JW Angel

Harry Carey was the silent movies. One of the early western heroes he appeared as Cheyenne Harry in numerous westerns both in his own right, and later with John Ford. At one time Ford tried to court Olive Carey or as she was then Olive Fuller Goulden, and after she married Harry Carey the three were almost inseperable. Ford would often stay at their house as a guest.

Inevitably the two had a falling out just over what I'm not sure but by the 1930s he had fallen from favour, as had the western. When Ford made Stagecoach it was his first western for thirteen years.

Harry Carey had made the transistion to sound with no problem but caught up in the unpopularity of the western he had to look elsewhere and in 1931 he appeared in the picture Trader Horn. This gave him a new lease of life not as a star but as a character actor and from then he appeared quite regularly in other genres up to the time of his death. See him as the speaker of the house in Mr Deeds goes to Washington with James Stewart.

His last picture was Red River in which he appeared with his son. On the set of Three Godfathers Ford shot a scene with Harry Carey jnr and then told him to leave the lot. While he was gone Ford shot the tribute to Carey the Bright star in the western sky. It would be another six years and the finale of the Searchers before Wayne would be able to add his own tribute.

Regards

Arthur

JWAngel,

Just last night we enjoyed the talents of Harry Carey in The Spoilers. We were pretty impressed with the fight scene between the Duke and Randolph Scott.

Altogether, Harry Carey was in 4 pictures with the Duke. They are:

Angel and the Badman (1947)
Red River (1948)
The Shepherd of the Hills (1941)
The Spoilers (1942)

Arthur, what is the significance of the bright star in the western sky? Also, thanks for your very informative comments!

Chester

Hi Chester

The fight scene between Randolph Scott and John Wayne in The Spoilers has been compared as on a par with the one between Wayne and Victor McLaglen in The Quiet Man, whatever your choice both are memorable.

With Regard to Harry Carey Snr. In Three Godfathers at the beginning or end of the picture I can't recall which, Cliff Lyons dressed like Harry Carey and riding his horse Sunny rode to the crest of a hill tilted his hat back put his right hand on the horses rump looking into the sunset. Appearing on the screen were the words:

TO THE MEMORY OF HARRY CAREY BRIGHT STAR OF THE EARLY WESTERN SKY.

Harry Carey jnr had been told to leave the set but had met his fathers horse and had seen Cliff Lyons dressed as his father. He was so emotional that it took a long while before he could drive home.

For a more detailed explanation read Company of Heroes by Harry Carey jnr page 43, If any of you haven't read it yet it's a very good book.

Regards

Arthur

JWAngel

Not too many I would guess one would be how Harry Carey's agent ruined him getting a part in a Ford Film by asking for too much money. I suppose the major part would be how Ford cracked a couple of his ribs while they were making Two Rode Together.

Regards

Arthur

Arthur,

Somehow, I lost track of this and stumbled upon it again tonight. Could you tell us a little more about John Ford cracking ribs on Harry Carey, Sr.

And how much money was the agent asking for, and for which movie?

Thanks!

Chester

Hi Chester

Sorry I haven't answered I lost the thread slightly and had to search around a bit to reply.

The film where Ford broke Dobe's ribs was in Two Rode Together. He referes to the incident in Company of Heroes pages 188-89.

The other part I can't find the exact reference..

Regards

Arthur

Hi,
I have the pleasure, of having an autographed copy
of Harry Carey Jnr's Book, Company of Heroes,
and a couple of personal notes and e-mails, he has sent me.
Arthur is correct to point out,
this is an incredibly good book,
both humorous and knowledgable,
and the way Harry, puts into words, the way Duke
drawled is brilliant.
Just to clarify, it was Dobe,
who broke his ribs.

Aw, c'mon guys!

I hate to admit it, but I don't own the book - yet. Can you just tell me what it says on pages 188 and 189? Ple-e-e-e-e-ease ?

I can't stand the suspense!

Chester

Hi Chester

Just for you and the missus

Quote

Between one of the takes, Uncle Jack came over to the three of us while we were lying on the ground. I was lying on my stomach head to toe besides Dick (Widmark), trying to catch my breath. Uncle Jack made out he wanted to adjust Dick's neckerchief. He came up beside me and fell to his kness. One knee buried itself in my back between my ribs. He leaned as hard as he could on that knee while he reached over and fiddled with Dick's neckerchief. Then I heard a sound like a dry stick of wood breaking in half.
Andy Devine who was a considerable distance away said "There goes Dobe's Ribs".
I was so exhausted, I hardly gave them much attention and did the fight again. By that time I didn't care if I died. By the time I got back to La it hurt so much every time I took a breath that I went to my doctor, wh told me I had two broken ribs.

Regards

Arthur

Doesn't sound like "Uncle Jack" liked to play nice!!!

Hi JWAngel

Its easy to share your thoughts. I think it was freely acknowledged that Ford was a monster but in those times - and possibly still - most of the directors were like that.

Ford used every device to humiliate an actor in order to bring he best performance out of them. Duke Wayne was humiliated on the set of Stagecoach, They Were Expendable, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. he was hired for the Horse Soldiers at a meeting Ford had with the poducers when he just said and I'll throw in Duke Wayne as well.

Victor McLaglen, and Tyrone Power were caught by Ford's tecnique. Before the actors were to shoot important scenes for The Informer and The Long Grey Line he called both actors and told them they would not be requred the next morning. Both men went out and got very drunk, only to be woken up at five the next morning by Ford telling them he had changed his mind and needed them on the set. McLaglen won a Best Actor Academy Award for the Informer.

Ford was very astute, and vindictive it has to be said his treatment of Ben Johnson was absymal, andwho but Ford would recognise for example that James Stewart beloved by everyone had a problem with coloured actors, and by that I don't wish to imply that he was a racist, but that he was uncomfortable being around colured actors, and if you study The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance this becomes apparent.

Despite the bullying and vindictiveness, he must have had a certain charm, and on his day he could be charming, because people recognised his talent and worked for him time and time again. Other directors sought his opinion and a couple of days before his death Howard Hawks spent some ime at Fords' house saying his last goodbyes. he turn out at the funeral says a lot about the measure of the man.

But Ford wasn't alone Edward Dymtrick was a bully, and on the set of Back to Bataan tried every trick he knew to put Wayne through as much hardship as possible because Duke supported the HUAC.

Josef von Sternberg was a monster on his films shouting at his actors, John Farrow of Hondo and the Sea Chase was a womanzer always pursueing his actresses. Otto Preminger madeTom Tyrons life hell on the set of In Harms Way, but despite reducing he actor to a quivering mass of jelly, he used him later in the starring role in The Cardinal.

Even Cecil Be DeMlle was reckoned to be occasionally a sarcastic nasty peice of work. But they all made good films and the same actors and actresses turn up time and time again working for the same directors.

I suppse it comes down to if you are dealing with egotistical, delicate people you have to know your business, you have to know when to flatter, to cajole or if the worst comes to the worst be a downright bully to achieve the required effect, and that imo is why they were able to make the films that they did.

Regards

Arthur