Zephyrinus always features the finest in genre music, whether sacred or secular: “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” both music and lyrics written ca. 1948 by American Southwest music legend Stanley Davis Jones (d. 1963) is a mysterious, highly vivid Cowboy ballad inviting the listener to scan the vast Southwest night sky for the ghost herd and their spectral drivers.
Jones, born in Douglas, Arizona at the end of the Wild West period, for some years was a tour guide and park ranger at Death Valley National Monument, and he often entertained visitors at the evening park campfires with his vast repertoire of original Western songs. Meeting some Hollywood location advance men during his park service work, he soon became acquainted with Western movie legendary director John Ford, for whom he composed even more Western genre songs, including the theme to “The Searchers” and “Rio Grande,” along with many other films.
This particular ballad is among those cited by the Western Music Hall of Fame as one of the top “Cowboy Western” songs of all time—and certainly perhaps the most memorable to the casual listener. Outstanding, Zephyrinus! -Note by Dante P
A most comprehensive and illustrative contribution from our Hollywood Western Correspondent, Dante P, to whom we are indebted.
This is a riveting “histoire” of Cowboy Westerns and associated genres, which totally captivated millions of folk before the global advent of television. Everyone would remember the associated music of all the “Big Westerns” and be able to hum, whistle, or even sing them.
We all have our favourite Westerns (“Red River” is one of Zephyrinus's): The Alamo; Stagecoach; The Big Country; Destry Rides Again; High Noon, etc.
We all have our favourite actors in Westerns: Gary Cooper; John Wayne; Tyrone Power; James Stewart; Randolph Scott, etc.
A spin-off of Zephyrinus's love of “The Big Western Movies” was his fascination with actually reading The Credits at the end of a Movie (does anyone else do that ?). As a consequence, an early interest was to see who was “The Make-Up Artist”. Inevitably during the forties and fifties, it was always one of “The Westmores”
The family named “Westmore” were always associated with the Make-Up Department in Movies. The family comprised many sons, brothers, cousins, including: Wally Westmore; Bud Westmore; George Westmore (the English Founder of the Make-Up dynasty in Hollywood in 1917); Percy (“Perc”) Westmore; Montgomery (“Monte”) Westmore; Michael Westmore (won nine “Emmys” for Make-Up work in Star-Trek productions.
The result is that, nowadays, Zephyrinus cannot watch a Movie without waiting for the Credits to come up at the end. Then, of course, he is looking for “the Make-Up Artist”.
Let's see if any Readers of this Blog now adopt this compulsion. If so, do let us know by dropping a Comment in the Comment Box.
A big “Thank You” to Dante P for inducing Zephyrinus to “go off at a tangent” on this theme.
Stanley Davis Jones also wrote several well-known TV Cowboy themes, including: Cheyenne. Available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/NLHo7XvPBWY?si=DcqbwuBeQU59ga8X
@ Zephyrinus: And this “Colonies” correspondent never knew of the Westmores and the “English” connection to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Now he will have to look for the “make-up artist” credits at the end of the Great Movies period. Thank you, Zephyrinus! -Comment by Dante P
Delighted, Dante P, that you , also, will now be “hooked” on looking for “The Make-Up Artist” on the Film Credits at the end of a Golden Age Movie.
Almost guaranteed to be one of the Westmores. Sometimes, it might be Gordon Bau (SMA) (Society of Make-Up Artists).
[Gordon Bau was born on 1 July 1907 in Minnesota. He is known for The Omega Man (1971), Dial M for Murder (1954) and Dirty Harry (1971). He was married to Bonnie L. Szabo. He died on 21 July 1975 in Los Angeles, California].
If the name appears as Perkins, or, Jeeves, it is Fake-News !!!
Zephyrinus always features the finest in genre music, whether sacred or secular: “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” both music and lyrics written ca. 1948 by American Southwest music legend Stanley Davis Jones (d. 1963) is a mysterious, highly vivid Cowboy ballad inviting the listener to scan the vast Southwest night sky for the ghost herd and their spectral drivers.
ReplyDeleteJones, born in Douglas, Arizona at the end of the Wild West period, for some years was a tour guide and park ranger at Death Valley National Monument, and he often entertained visitors at the evening park campfires with his vast repertoire of original Western songs. Meeting some Hollywood location advance men during his park service work, he soon became acquainted with Western movie legendary director John Ford, for whom he composed even more Western genre songs, including the theme to “The Searchers” and “Rio Grande,” along with many other films.
This particular ballad is among those cited by the Western Music Hall of Fame as one of the top “Cowboy Western” songs of all time—and certainly perhaps the most memorable to the casual listener. Outstanding, Zephyrinus! -Note by Dante P
A most comprehensive and illustrative contribution from our Hollywood Western Correspondent, Dante P, to whom we are indebted.
DeleteThis is a riveting “histoire” of Cowboy Westerns and associated genres, which totally captivated millions of folk before the global advent of television. Everyone would remember the associated music of all the “Big Westerns” and be able to hum, whistle, or even sing them.
We all have our favourite Westerns (“Red River” is one of Zephyrinus's): The Alamo; Stagecoach; The Big Country; Destry Rides Again; High Noon, etc.
We all have our favourite actors in Westerns: Gary Cooper; John Wayne; Tyrone Power; James Stewart; Randolph Scott, etc.
A spin-off of Zephyrinus's love of “The Big Western Movies” was his fascination with actually reading The Credits at the end of a Movie (does anyone else do that ?). As a consequence, an early interest was to see who was “The Make-Up Artist”. Inevitably during the forties and fifties, it was always one of “The Westmores”
The family named “Westmore” were always associated with the Make-Up Department in Movies. The family comprised many sons, brothers, cousins, including: Wally Westmore; Bud Westmore; George Westmore (the English Founder of the Make-Up dynasty in Hollywood in 1917); Percy (“Perc”) Westmore; Montgomery (“Monte”) Westmore; Michael Westmore (won nine “Emmys” for Make-Up work in Star-Trek productions.
The result is that, nowadays, Zephyrinus cannot watch a Movie without waiting for the Credits to come up at the end. Then, of course, he is looking for “the Make-Up Artist”.
Let's see if any Readers of this Blog now adopt this compulsion. If so, do let us know by dropping a Comment in the Comment Box.
A big “Thank You” to Dante P for inducing Zephyrinus to “go off at a tangent” on this theme.
Stanley Davis Jones also wrote several well-known TV Cowboy themes, including: Cheyenne.
DeleteAvailable on YouTube at https://youtu.be/NLHo7XvPBWY?si=DcqbwuBeQU59ga8X
@ Zephyrinus: And this “Colonies” correspondent never knew of the Westmores and the “English” connection to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Now he will have to look for the “make-up artist” credits at the end of the Great Movies period. Thank you, Zephyrinus! -Comment by Dante P
ReplyDeleteDelighted, Dante P, that you , also, will now be “hooked” on looking for “The Make-Up Artist” on the Film Credits at the end of a Golden Age Movie.
DeleteAlmost guaranteed to be one of the Westmores. Sometimes, it might be Gordon Bau (SMA) (Society of Make-Up Artists).
[Gordon Bau was born on 1 July 1907 in Minnesota. He is known for The Omega Man (1971), Dial M for Murder (1954) and Dirty Harry (1971). He was married to Bonnie L. Szabo. He died on 21 July 1975 in Los Angeles, California].
If the name appears as Perkins, or, Jeeves, it is Fake-News !!!
As a Post-Script, Dante P, you might find the Wikipedia Article on The Westmores of interest.
DeleteIt is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westmore_family