There was a time in my life when the last thing I ever wanted to watch was a black & white movie. I grew up in the wonderful world of color. Once Walt Disney launched his television program when I was ten years old, I left the colorless world behind. I first watched Disney’s Wonderful World of Color at our neighbors house, and waited impatiently for probably several years before my parents bought their own set. I soon became a black & white snob and only in retirement began to catch-up on some of the classics.

This week has been “Western Week,” inspired by the James Lee Burke book, New Iberia Blues. Burke is such a descriptive writer that I will have to read it twice to fully absorb his artistry – another recent change in my stubborn habits. In this case, I’ve read it to solve the mystery and started backtracking to satisfy my understanding of his complex text. His character, “Smiley,” was a very intriguing hit-man whose moniker and mannerisms were far from why they called me the same name in high school. I was also fascinated with his discussions about John Ford’s use of black & white imagery in the movie Oh My Darling Clementine (1946). This was the start of “Western Week.”

I also viewed the George P. Cosmatos movie,Tombstone, although in color, and did not remember a single segment of the production, despite the strong feelings that I saw it when it was released in 1993. This continues to be a frightening aspect of retirement, watching movies “again for the first time.” Right now, I’m engaged in High Noon (1952), but there does seem to be some flashes of recall. I’m thinking maybe I watched it two years ago when I first retired as part of a list of the 100 greatest movies of all time. As an exercise in “Practicing for Retirement,” I had compiled a notepad full of things to do. Movies, Books, Travel, and Personal goals were listed to keep me busy and entertained in the transition from office to home.

In addition, I certainly appreciated another great John Ford contribution to the “Wild West of Motion Pictures,” The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962).
“Right, Pilgrim?” It did not even spark a faint note of recognition, even those famous words from John Wayne. I was just eleven years old when this one was released, and far too fascinated with the newer colorful innovations. My sister was the Cowboy – not me. I was into reading the Hardy Boys or over at the neighbor’s house in front of their color television.

Today, it was The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) that got crossed-off my “Greatest” list. We recently went to the theater to see Clint Eastwood in The Mule, so to watch him acting forty-two years earlier was striking – like observing myself in the mirror. At least, he’s alive today and still in technicolor even back then, as opposed to Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Lloyd Bridges, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin, Henry Fonda, Walter Brennan. and Cathy Downs that now only live through the movie projector. I’ve really enjoyed these classics regardless of whether I’ve seen them or not. In fact, “Western Week” could easily turn into weeks after potentially adding The Magnificent Seven (2016 and 1960); Unforgiven (1992); The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966); The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007); The Wild Bunch (1969); Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969); The Searchers (1956); and Once Upon A Time In The West (1968).