Western Movie Reviews

As for the acting, the cast is very strong. Henry Fonda's performance as Wyatt and his locked kneed saunter makes his portrayal all more natural. Walter Brennan excels as the heartless patriarch of the Clanton family, whose sons draw Earp into an unavoidable blood feud. Brennan's performance, like Bond's, is magnificently understated, as is pretty much everything else about this film -- director John Ford imbues every scene with an economy of presentation that takes the western genre into the level of high art. Everything about this film rings true... well, other than the romantic melodrama surrounding 'Doc' Holliday, and Victor Mature's mannered portrayal of the tubercular gunman... with fronteir life evoked with the same richness of detail that Ford later recreated in another black and film we won't mention here. Here, though, the choke of dry dust and sense of fast danger are much more present. The Clantons are a much more sinister set of badmen than Lee Marvin's exaggerated schoolyard bullies; Brennan and his boys simply sidle up and ooze menace and dark violence. A number of Ford regulars such as Russell Simpson, and Linda Darnell provide solid support and there is not one false moment to be found in Cathy Downs' Clementine Carter.

This western is moody and often looks like a western version of a "film noir". The film also delivers the most tension of any Earp film to date, yet remains very touching and sympathetic. For instance, there's a justly famous scene in which the camera watches Wyatt while he builds up the courage to ask Clementine Carter to dance. And he's a picture of languid, dangerous grace as he keeps order in Tombstone while leaning back in his chair and resting a booted foot on a post. Fonda is cool and collected as Wyatt. The patient and deliberate manner in which Ford and Fonda allow scenes to unfold with a minimum of dialog gives this film a quality unique among films of the era, which tended to be filled with vastly more talking than today's films.

Many of the elements that help create the film's effect are common to other Ford films: the extraordinary photography (veteran Joseph MacDonald, though Ford's eye was so good that he functioned as a second cinematographer), the sparse, spartan sets, the rituals that individuals wittingly or unwittingly follow in the concourse with one another, the use of music to create especially powerful moments (in this case, the title of the film as well), the themes of individual responsibility and compassion, and the stellar cast of Ford regulars. But in this film, many of the great moments derive from Ford supporting cast of excellent actors.

Admittedly, the gunfight could use more excitement, but Director John Ford's approach to the final action scenes avoids being overly made-up, a curious choice given the film's nature. But this course of action is correct in order to maintain the film's "down-to-earth" integrity. This film has some excellent entertainment value and probably one of the top five ever westerns made. Ford was the master of filming outdoor pictures in black and white. Several scenes, such as the dance at the church, are visually stunning. Needless to say, the B&W cinematography is typically gorgeous, and Ford never misses a beat in his calm, patient direction. Really, it's beautiful, low-key, has excellent vignettes, but I feel that much of the excellent cinematography will be lost in a small screen. This is a great film from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

Walter Brennan is excellent as the menacing Old Man Clanton.

Of course, the movie ends with the shootout at the OK Corral.

The story of the Earps, the Clantons, and Doc Holliday led to many other movies, but this great Western from the 1940's set the standard.

One of the most memorable scenes occurs when Sheriff Earp reluctantly agrees to dance with (if I recall correctly) Clementine Carter (Cathy Downs). This scene may have inspired a similar scene in a later film when Shane dances with Marion Starret while her husband and friends beam with approval. The community of Tombstone is evolving toward churches, schools, shops selling consumer goods, social events, etc. all of which require respect for law and order to flourish. Property rights will be respected only when they are properly protected.

What to make of the tubercular Doc Holliday (Victor Mature)? As presented in this film, he is a deeply troubled person although well-educated and cultured. His reputation, however, is that of a dangerous gunslinger. He and Wyatt Earp respect each other and even seem genuinely fond of each other. At one point, they need each other but for different reasons. The arrival of Clementine Carter evokes in Holliday all manner of memories, frustrations, disappointments, regrets, etc. She also complicates his relationships with the Earps as well as with Chihuahua (Linda Darnell). Even with these and other sub plots, Ford carefully guides the narrative to the inevitable showdown.

My own vivid memories of this film include the aforementioned scene in the street when Wyatt stoically but gracefully dances with Miss Carter, his brief discussion of women with Mac (James Farrell MacDonald), the performance by Granville Thorndyke (Alan Mowbray) which Holliday helps him to complete, and of course the brief but dramatic climax in the O.K. Corral.

One final opinion: The black-and-white cinematography (Joseph MacDonald) and set design (Thomas K. Little and Fred J. Rode) seamlessly support the narrative and the acting. They also establish a credible physical context within which to tell the story. I could be very wrong about this, I realize, but I think that if it were possible to travel back in time and visit Tombstone in the 1880s, it would resemble the town portrayed in this classic film. For John Ford, having an authentic location (one which almost becomes one of the characters) was always very important; for My Darling Clementine, it was imperative.

Marlene Dietrich is the sparkle which makes this film far superior to most other westerns and she is the reason it will remain a classic for a long time. A strong supporting cast includes Samuel S. Hines, Jack Carson, Mycha Auer and Allen Jenkins.

The movie received no Oscar nominations undoubtedly because of the stiff competition provided by its numerous first-class competitors in 1939 such as GONE WITH THE WIND. George Marshall also directed YOU CAN'T CHEAT AN HONEST MAN starring W.C. Fields in that same year.

Either way, you should own both of movies, I and II. Get them. NOW.

Out of the two Young Guns movies this is the more well known story of the life of Billy the Kid. You don't actually need to have seen the original to enjoy this movie but the original is pretty good too so you might as well.

The trailer for the movie is also included which is pretty interesting to see how it was marketed in the USA. There's also a featurette which is a sort of behind the scenes, interview with the actors type thing. It's pretty interesting. You can also just watch the credits if you want to listen to Jon Bon Jovi's Blaze of Glory and Billy get Your Guns songs.

Like Young Guns this movie has an excellent cast with Keifer Sutherland, Emilio Estevez, Christian Slater and Lou Diamond Phillips being the most famous ones. My only criticism is that they used William Petersen a different actor to play Pat Garrett than Patrick Wayne who played him in Young Guns. Once you get used to this it doesn't matter. This is a sensational DVD you should buy it as well as Young Guns. If you love the movie consider buying Blaze of Glory the solo album inspired by the film by Jon Bon Jovi as it'll take you back memory wise to the film each time you play it.

I'm not going to recapitulate the plot, others have done that; suffice it to say I've read and loved the book, and the movie faithfully captures the mood and the morality of the book.

I first saw this film years ago, and I'm glad it is now available on tape and DVD. Buy it, you'll not regret it.

Highly Recommended.

This movie is a spellbinding drama that came out in the midst of WWII. One can often enjoy many of the "propaganda" slants of the movies of that era. However, this is a very sobering message that suggests that the evils we were then fighting could become our own if we weren't careful. Perhaps the director chose this movie as a way of making a statement about the Japanese internments of the time. If so, it was an excellent yet subtle message. It is a timeless reminder to all of us.

OUATITW is quite different than Leone's other well known westerns starring Clint Eastwood, although he does still capture some of their magic here . Where this film differs is in it's characters and sheer scope. Leone's style is still well intact, but his storytelling is much more diverse here, not simply relying on one mechanic throughout.

The DVD was very well done with a good quality picture and adequate sound. The second DVD in the set is loaded with features including documenteries and various featurettes. The commentary tracts are also well done and very informative as well as entertaining.

All in all, this DVD was well worth the wait. For fans of the film, this is a gem for the collection that must be bought.

This is a great transfer. Images are crisp and clear. You can even see the details of the back lit Mitten Buttes in Monument Valley. Now, you can kiss goodbye to the VHS tape you had for years.

When I saw "Once Upon a Time in the West" for the first time, I was 14. Seeing Cardinale's buggy cross Monument Valley made me shed tears. It's such stunning beauty! I could feel Leone's deep affection to the western in this scene. This is his homage to John Ford and all western movies.

There are not so many directors who know how to use wide screen effectively. In Leone's films, space seems to expand to form massive cosmos. No other director could perform this type of magic (perhaps with an exception of David Lean).

This is a movie that deserves the word "masterpiece" in every sense. And this is an utmost form of film as art. The tempo throughout the movie is meticulously calculated. Camera movement and editing are extremely creative and cinematic. Morricone's haunting music flows with the images (I don't hesitate to say Jill's theme is the most beautiful music on earth). Dialogue is limited to optimize its dramatic effect and superbly well written. Movements of actors are deliberately slow and stylish. Carlo Simi's art direction for set and costume designs plays a great role also to help Leone's perfectionism and realism.

This is not just the best spaghetti western. Some dare to say this is the best western ever made. And so do I.

Three documentaries on the second disc are wonderful treat to Leone fans. Through numerous interviews, you can learn how "Once Upon a Time in the West" was started and how it was produced. Very briefly, you can see Leone himself in one of the documentaries. My only regret is that other key people like Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Ennio Morricone and Sergio Donati were not interviewed.

One of the noteworthy special features is Location Gallery. I'd like to thank Don Bruce for contributing valuable photos of locations used for "Once Upon a Time in the West" to make comparisons to actual scenes in the film.

This is one great DVD made with passion to reflect diehard Leone fans' never-ending love for this monumental film.

The movie pays homage to the great American westerns in the past (movies such as "The Searchers" and "Shane", plus many others), while putting on a revisionist twist of its own in the story. Curiously, among the spaghetti westerns made by Leone, this is the only one which features a woman as its central character. This movie talks about the passing of the era of gunfighters into the modern industrial era (represented by the advent of railroads). One of the great features of this movie is the classic soundtrack by Ennio Morricone.

I really love this Western and it only gets better through the passage of time. The 2-DVD set is great -- it features a commentary on the first disc and several featurettes (a 3-part documentary which interviews cast members, the director, cinematographer and admirers of the movie; another documentary on the revolution of the railroad) on the second disc. There are some scenes included in this DVD which were absent in the video version (the complete version). The picture and sound quality are excellent. If you love classic westerns and are a fan of Sergio Leone's westerns, you will definitely love this movie. It is a must-have!

Others here have reviewed this top-notch movie better than I could, so I'll just give my impressions of the quality of this release.

I don't know how many different DVD versions of this movie were ever released, but as far as I'm concerned, this is the best one, with remastered audio and video. The sound quality is simply superb--I have many DVD movies, and this one is by far the best, both in terms of audio and video quality. Considering it comes in the flimsier fold-out cardboard flap over plastic case, I was surprised at how good the quality of the actual disk is. The picture quality is simply stunning; I don't know how else to adequately describe it. It's the widescreen "letterbox" format, which gives you the entire theater screen including the left and right sides that fullscreen releases chop off in order to fill up the whole screen. Letterbox is the only way to go if you want to see the entire wide picture you get at the theater. Most of you already know this; I only mention it because I know there are still some who do not. This release is dual-layer format and is enhanced for widescreen TVs. The movie itself runs 2 hours and 15 minutes. Special features: Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1. 1976 Documentary "Eastwood In Action" (approx. 8 minutes). 1999 Documentary "Hell Hath No Fury: The Making Of The Outlaw Josey Wales" (approx. 30 minutes and a fascinating look behind the scenes including documentary footage from the making of the movie showing Eastwood in the act of directing). A very brief introduction to the movie itself by Clint Eastwood (approx. 1 minute). Subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. Languages in English and French. Production notes. Theatrical trailer. Scene Access.

Again, I cannot stress how good this edition looks and sounds. Even the darkest scenes are vivid and clear. Image throughout the film is extremely crisp. A very slight pause midway as the player switches layers, but that's normal with the Dual-Layer format, and it was hardly noticeable. The audio is amazing, with gunshots and explosions reverberating through my floorboards. Turned up through a simple decent stereo system, you will *feel* this movie. Whoever did the audio/video remastering did a fantastic job. The best I've ever seen. This would be worth it at twice the price. The only giveaway to the low price is the cardboard-flap-type case. You simply can't go wrong here.

Sondra Locke is unforgettable as the young girl that Eastwood's Josey Wales meets in his adventures. An unforgettable picture.

Others here have reviewed this top-notch movie better than I could, so I'll just give my impressions of the quality of this release.

I don't know how many different DVD versions of this movie were ever released, but as far as I'm concerned, this is the best one, with remastered audio and video. The sound quality is simply superb--I have many DVD movies, and this one is by far the best, both in terms of audio and video quality. Considering it comes in the flimsier fold-out cardboard flap over plastic case, I was surprised at how good the quality of the actual disk is. The picture quality is simply stunning; I don't know how else to adequately describe it. It's the widescreen "letterbox" format, which gives you the entire theater screen including the left and right sides that fullscreen releases chop off in order to fill up the whole screen. Letterbox is the only way to go if you want to see the entire wide picture you get at the theater. Most of you already know this; I only mention it because I know there are still some who do not. This release is dual-layer format and is enhanced for widescreen TVs. The movie itself runs 2 hours and 15 minutes. Special features: Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1. 1976 Documentary "Eastwood In Action" (approx. 8 minutes). 1999 Documentary "Hell Hath No Fury: The Making Of The Outlaw Josey Wales" (approx. 30 minutes and a fascinating look behind the scenes including documentary footage from the making of the movie showing Eastwood in the act of directing). A very brief introduction to the movie itself by Clint Eastwood (approx. 1 minute). Subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. Languages in English and French. Production notes. Theatrical trailer. Scene Access.

Again, I cannot stress how good this edition looks and sounds. Even the darkest scenes are vivid and clear. Image throughout the film is extremely crisp. A very slight pause midway as the player switches layers, but that's normal with the Dual-Layer format, and it was hardly noticeable. The audio is amazing, with gunshots and explosions reverberating through my floorboards. Turned up through a simple decent stereo system, you will *feel* this movie. Whoever did the audio/video remastering did a fantastic job. The best I've ever seen. This would be worth it at twice the price. The only giveaway to the low price is the cardboard-flap-type case. You simply can't go wrong here.

Sondra Locke is unforgettable as the young girl that Eastwood's Josey Wales meets in his adventures. An unforgettable picture.

While the plot can be a little confusing at times (I had to watch it twice to understand everything), this is a well-made western, with great music and lots of action. One day a mysterious stranger rides into a town, in which a conflict is ocurring between two families, both of which want the other out and to rule the town. The Stranger takes up a job with one of the families, the Rojos. But thanks to his quick wit & quick draw, he ends devises a plan that will destroy both families. The main thing that bugs me is that the DVD sound is so lousy that I need to set it up so that it has English subtitles at the bottom. Otherwise, you can't understand a word anyone's saying!
Rating: 3 outta 5

FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE

A step up from the first one. This time, the Man With No Name (now a bounty hunter) forms a partnership with an old adversary of his, in order to track down a ruthless killer. Plenty of plot twists, more first-rate music by Ennio Morricone, and again plenty of action. (Plus: I don't need subtitles with this one!)
Rating: 4 outta 5

THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY

A true "epic western", that by far surpasses both of the previous two. This time around, the Man With No Name has a smooth-going parntership with Elli Wallach. They soon learn of a cache of $200,000 in gold hidden somewhere, and set out to find it. But another man is also searching for the money (Lee Van Cleef). The movie is full of betrayals and re-partnerships, and more betrayals, until all three men meet up in a spectacular climactic showdown. An excellent western, with absolutely brilliant music. One of the five greatest westerns ever made, as well as the most influential.
Rating: 5 outta 5

Overall, this is perhaps the best western series ever made. True, to non-western/non-Eastwood fans, all three films would surely seem boring and overlong (especially the third one). But to fans of westerns and/or Eastwood, this set is definitely a must-buy.

A Fistful of Dollars - A true genre classic!

A Fistful of Dollars is truly one of the big classics in the western genre and one that began a newer, better style of western films. First in a string of Clint Eastwood's "spaghetti" westerns, it has a style and cinematic class all to itself. This is where Clint Eastwood began his style of western hero who doesn't say much, but gets his point across through his facial expressions and of course his actions, more specifically with his six shooter at his side.

The premise:

Clint Eastwood plays "the man with no name" other than the name given to him by one of the characters in the film, Joe. In what is now a classic style, he rides into town on a mule and witnesses the brutality of the town bullies. Without saying a word to them, they harass him and he calmly goes into one of the town bars, has some food and listens to what the bar owner has to tell him about the town's situation. He casually decides to stay and do something about the entire situation, walks out and takes out four of the bad guys. What follows from there is such an outstanding film that is fraught with a certain degree of humor as he deftly plays both sides against his middle and walks away with "A Fistful of Dollars."

If you're a fan of the western genre and haven't seen this classic, I highly suggest you pick this DVD up. Some might be put off by the age of this movie, that is simply not the case though as this movie is timeless. Despite the fact that it was made in Spain, with many European actors and in a foreign language, it's just pure fun!

For A Few Dollars More - An outstanding sequel!

For A Few Dollars More is, in my opinion, by far the best of the "Man With No Name" trilogy! In "A Fistful of Dollars," director Sergio Leone bowled the viewers over with Clint Eastwood's character being a gruff gunslinger of few words and lots of action. In this sequel Eastwood's character has a lot more depth and even a little bit of humor. I am highly impressed with the script and acting in this particular film, especially in comparison with its predecessor. One can even consider it funny but useful that a few of the villains from the first film that were quite dead at the end of that one, are back now with new names! Magnificent performances by both Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef serve to enhance this movie's style.

The premise:

This movie has a wonderful beginning as we are introduced to Lee Van Cleef's character while he's in the performance of his role of a bounty killer. We are then treated to the reintroduction of Clint Eastwood's character, which actually does have the name of Monco, while he is taking care of his business as a bounty killer as well. Once the director has shown these two acts, he deftly shows how they end up on the same path as they both find out that they can score it big by killing Gian Maria Volonte's character, Indio and his gang. From there, we're taken to El Paso where the film's intrigue and suspense kick into high gear as both Eastwood and Van Cleef's characters meet.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly - A great adventure!

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in my opinion is the best among the trilogy. Sporting the largest budget and the best script among "The Man With No Name" trilogy, this movie blazes across the screen brilliantly. Of course, Clint Eastwood is back and his name is Joe once again although I don't believe you ever hear him referred to as anything other than Blondie. Lee Van Cleef is back as well and he most definitely performs memorably as one of the bad guys. Eli Wallach's performance as the pseudo bad/good guy Tuco is nothing short of spectacular. The style and class of this movie is dead on with Sergio Leone's film making, making it a classic in the genre and one of the top films of the sixties. The entire film comes off as a box office success and a treasure for your home DVD collection!

The premise:

Clint Eastwood is back as Joe/Blondie - The Good guy. Eli Wallach shows up as Tuco - The Bad guy and Lee Van Cleef makes a return as Stenza the Ugly guy. The film starts wonderfully by deftly making the introductions of the three primary characters doing what they do best. Blondie ends up capturing Tuco and they make a comical deal. Stenza makes a dramatic first appearance as well.

Blondie and Tuco have a dramatic parting of the ways that also brings them back together in classic Sergio Leone style. They literally stumble across some fortunate information which leads them down the path of the civil war in the hopes off retrieving a rather large sum of money. This also forces them to run across the path of Lee Van Cleef's character, Stenza and his quest for the same information and treasure.

All of this combines to make this film a "must see" for those that are fans of this genre as it leads to the ultimate climatic ending and a classic Clint Eastwood shootout. I highly recommend this film and the entire trilogy to Eastwood and western fans. {ssintrepid}

It really doesn't seem that long. The storyline moves out smoothly through three men and their intertwined stories in their search for gold, and every minute there's some new catchy dialogue, action scene, or nice bit of character development to keep you interested.

In many ways, its an epic in and of itself. Blondie, Tuco, and Angel Eyes are all caught up in the Civil War, and in a Kurosawa-like style they experience it on many different levels: the wounded hospitals, the POW camps, and the front line itself. The mere scope and range of the storyline is amazing, and it makes you feel like you really are seeing a period of the old west as it was. In fact, I've heard that Sergio Leone would actually sit in his director's chair with pictures of the Old West laid out across his lap.

If you're a Sergio Leone fan, you must simply see this as its one of his best. If you like westerns, you should see it simply to gain experience. If you're just a film goer, you should at least give it a shot. Hey, it helped get me into westerns.

I grew up in a time when westerns ruled the television airwaves of the early sixties - Bonanza, Gunsmoke, etc.

In the mid-sixties, as a young teenager, I recall seeing the advertisments for a new motion picture called "A Fistful of Dollars". When I saw it, it had the same effect on me as hearing The Beatle's Sgt Pepper's album for the first time - this film was different from anything I had ever seen before. And notwithstanding my youth, I was vividly aware of having seen something so different, so revolutionary that it took me some time to get my bearings.

And I quickly became a disciple of this amazing Italian film maker - Sergio Leone.

And so a few years later, when The Good, The Bad and the Ugly was released, it was a foregone conclusion that I would see it. And see it. And see it over and over again. Over a three week period, I paid to see it 19 or 20 times with advances on my allowance. On the 18th or 19th time, the cashier just looked at me and said in a very monotone and deadpan voice "You like this film, don't you..??".

An understatement if there ever was one.

Almost 40 years later, I still love The Good The Bad & The Ugly and with the exception of Leone's magnificent Once Upon A Time In The West, I think this is the greatest western ever made.

The Man With No Name has defined the anti-hero perhaps better than any other character before or after him. Prior to Eastwood's character, westerners were relatively one dimensional characters identified by the color of their hat (if white it was a good guy and if black, it was a bad guy). The Man With No Name redefined all of that. In fact, the idea of the anti-hero transcended westerns and in the sixties, we were seeing them in every film genre.

Images of the poncho clad Eastwood with the small cigar in his mouth became an iconic symbol of the 60's and contributed to the change that the 60's entailed.

Eastwood as the enigmatic Man With No Name - Eli Wallach as the memorable Tuco in perhaps his finest role and the late, great Lee Van Cleef as Angel Eyes. These three men created these memorable characters that still live on so many years later.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly follows the trails of three very different individuals, each of whom discovers that there is $250,000 in gold buried in a soldier's coffin in a cemetary. Uneasy alliances are formed between these characters and the film builds towards a powerful climax when Leone once again stages a memorable gunfight, complete with the pocket watch music we first heard in For A Few Dollars More. The gunfight is perhaps my favorite moment of any film as Leone's close-ups of the eyes and "twitchy" hands of the three gunfighters is drawn out with Morricone's powerful soundtrack in the background.

Ennio Morricone again created a soundtrack that is instantly recognizeable and an integral part of the film. In fact, I don't think there has ever been a musical score/composer that has contributed so much to the success of a film as has Morricone. It would be impossible to even contemplate a Leone film without Morricone's haunting, majestic scores in the background.

I've probably seen this movie a hundred times and yet if I'm home with little to do and come across this movie on television, I wouldn't hesitate to watch this movie.

And each time I see it, I'm transported back in time to a theater in Toronto, Canada where a cashier once remarked to a young 14 year old boy 35+ years ago "You like this movie, don't you..?"

Close - I actually love this movie..!!!

John Wayne always played himself in his films. I don't know whether he could 'act', because the characters he played were always the same. I loved him and the stories he played in.

This was probably his best. I loved the Rooster Cogburn parts as well, but this one was, I think, his best.

A tired old gunman discovers he is dying of cancer. In fact, Wayne WAS dying of cancer when he made the film, which makes it the more poignant.

The supporting cast was excellent as well, each in their own role, and the casting was superb. Ron Howard fit the role of a snot-nosed kid who eventually developed some character, and Lauren Bacall was perfect as the widow--at first outraged, and finally sympathetic to Wayne. Hugh O'Brien was great as the conniving gunslick gambler, and Richard Boone was perfectly cast as a rotten bastard. I never cared for him in the part of Paladin, in the series, but this part was made for him. Harry Morgan acted the part of the marshal as if it were written for him.

All in all, this was a great film, and a fitting end to the great John Wayne's career.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

This final film of the Duke could not have been more fitting. Wayne plays an old gunfighter who's dying of cancer. He knows he's dying, and tries to live out his final days in peace. The real tragedy of the story is that no one will let him--he is constantly harassed by would-be heroes, newspapermen, and people seeking to play a part in the death of a legend. The role is a different one for the Duke--he doesn't play the tough-as-nails cowboy this time--and yet he seems to fit it perfectly.

This is perhaps the most fitting farewell of a Hollywood legend conceivable. No matter what people think of him, few can deny the everlasting impact that John Wayne has had on American society. This film is the last hurrah, the blaze of glory. Wayne's character, and Wayne himself, senses the end of his era, and goes out with style.