Below is the latest In the continuing series of excellent scenes (previous here and here) from the outstanding television mini-series of Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Lonesome Dove.
In this one, Tommy Lee Jones as Capt. Woodrow F. Call delivers one of the most frightening beatings in the history of cinema to a scout for a U.S. Army troop who attempts to take by force a horse from one of Call’s men. That’s Houston’s Danny Kamin playing the part of the U.S. Army Captain who directs his men to gather up what’s left of the scout after Call is done with him.
The title to this post — which is Call’s brief post-beating explanation to the dumbfounded townsfolk of the reason for his rather drastic action — is my wife’s and my favorite line from the movie.
In Streets of Laredo, the excellent mini-series (Georg Carlin, among others, are outstanding), and even better novel, Call goes off on another rude person.
I wish I could do that and get away with it.
J.D., James Garner as the older Call in “Streets of Laredo” is an enormously under-appreciated great job of acting.
And you’re right that that licking he puts on the rude sheriff is every bit as good as the one above. It may even be better because it’s so unexpected.