Concrete Cowboys (1979)

[waverider]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9at10h20uA&ob=av1e

[From Wikipedia: Concrete Cowboys is a 1979 American TV Movie directed by Burt Kennedy and starring Jerry Reed and Tom Selleck. It was also a short-lived 1981 TV series with Jerry Reed reprising his role as J.D. Reed and Geoffrey Scott taking over Tom Selleck's role as Will Eubanks.]

I kind of started to watch, but uh, had to run off and do something else. If anyone makes it through the whole movie, feedback please! It runs a tad over 90 minutes.

[AmandaByNight]

I was just thinking about Jerry Reed yesterday. I thought I had this movie on a cheap dvd, but I haven't seen my copy floating around, so I probably just thought I had it (happens, we have way too many movies!)...

If I wasn't in school, I'd be running to watch it. Unfortunately this site is my stop before I start my paper! Thanks for the linkage. I hope to get to it soon!

[Mr. Greene]

I remember this the movie with Selleck was pretty good, cant quite remember the plot but remember he was was always reading thru the encyclopedia. I remember the tv show a little, didnt they have a cool truck of some kind?

[AmandaByNight]

I have it on a four disc DVD collection. I think it's called Dangerous Curves. Haven't watched it yet though. Me and my guy love Jerry Reed, so I know he'll want to see it with me...

[ConchRepublican]

It's on youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9at10h20uA

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

The Concrete Cowboys (1979)
This TV movie stars Tom Selleck and Jerry Reed as two broke Montana roustabouts who arrive in Nashville on a freight train, just as the 3 Stooges
used to do when down on their luck.
Only the Stooges flicks had a budget of at least $800 dollars and did retakes to fine tune the comedic bits if they were flubbed.
However in Concrete Cowboys there are several scenes where the actors' offhand/bored delivery of lines, and the action/fighting, plainly didn't come off as designed.
The actors body language screamed they knew the scenes weren't working so they just played it out knowing this was going to be re-shot.
Only obviously there was no new takes as the budget precluded it.
The cheapness of this production is also evident in the schlock writing, not to mention many scenes are under lit because they didn't want to spring
for more than two 40 watt bulbs. The cemetery scene is so dark it's hard to figure out whats going on during the shooting. In this case it might be because
they were too cheap to make/rent the fake headstones needed in some Hollywood productions because many people object to seeing their family plots on TV shows
without being recompensed, or for moral reasons.
Much of the filming takes place at various Nashville landmarks but to no useful effect.
The City evidently let the production film at these attractive sites to promote tourism.
Though the supposed Nashville Wax Museum looked pretty shabby, it surely must have been a cheap set as I don't think legit wax figures would have wicks
on the top of their heads.
As for the actors Reed is in there pitching but this production is strictly Little League.
Tom Selleck is his usual charming self but even he can't save this awful, awful mess.
The plot is so bad it's not worth the effort to describe it in detail.
For instance, the 200 grand in blackmail money that everyone has been looking for? Selleck had all along secretly cached the money in the tops of his
cowboy boots, the top part of the bundles sticking out when he rolled his pants legs up to show Reed the money.
Give me a break, even Magnum Mania poster Terry from Kerry can't stuff more than $90,000 in his brogans when he walks over to the pub in Innisfree and he
uses $1,000 bills!
The Concrete Cowboys rates the cement overshoes treatment with all known copies weighted down and thrown off a Nashville bridge into the Cumberland River.
What a stinker. PU.
When I buy the farm some day I am going to rue the time I lost watching this movie and demand a refund from the Big Guy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Magnum in-joke:
Episode - The Hotel Dick
Around the 29/ 30 minute mark Magnum explains to Clyde the hotel manager that he wasn't talking to anyone in his room, rather

"I had the TV on. You know one of those silly family sitcoms with these cute little kids and the father, see, he's a doctor".

At the time this episode aired, October 17, 1985,The Cosby Show, about a Doctor and his family, was running on NBC opposite Magnum PI.

[NotthatRick]

I met Jerry Reed about 40 years ago. Seemed like a nice guy.

[MagnumsLeftShoulder]

When I buy the farm some day I am going to rue the time I lost watching this movie and demand a refund from the Big Guy.

LOL! I bought a copy of it on DVD at the Salvation Army thrift store for a dollar. I watched it once then put it in a yard sale and got my dollar back!

[K Hale]

Hahahaha! Now I kind of want to try it!

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

When I buy the farm some day I am going to rue the time I lost watching this movie and demand a refund from the Big Guy.

LOL! I bought a copy of it on DVD at the Salvation Army thrift store for a dollar. I watched it once then put it in a yard sale and got my dollar back!

Thanks for the laugh MagnumsleftShoulder, it makes up some for having to watch Concrete Cowboys. On the other hand does your conscience wake you
at night for selling the DVD to some poor unsuspecting soul? For shame, MLS, for shame.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miss Lane and Jimmy Olsen have acquired the same powers as Superman so when a hood empties his revolver into them it has no effect.
Hood: "The bullets bounce off of them just like Superman!"
Jimmy: "That's because we are just like Superman. And you 2 crooks are washed up. Allow me Miss Lane."
Jimmy takes out both bad guys with one punch.
Jimmy: "That will teach them to fool around with Super Olsen!"
Just like Superman(George Reeves) Miss Lane and Jimmy jump off into the air - complete with Superman flying sound effect - and zoom off into the sky
in their regular clothing. Funniest bit of the series.
The Adventures of Superman

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Hahahaha! Now I kind of want to try it!

Hi KHale,
There is something about a train wreck that makes one want to watch it. Like Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space, which was so bad it was fun for the camp
value. But Concrete Cowboys is just dreary and wastes many country stars in 2 minute walk on roles.
It does boast one of my fave actors, Claude Akins in a tiny part. At the time he was quite popular, especially in the South and Midwest, because of his
iconic role as Sonny Pruitt in the unofficial Route 66 remake "Movin' On" with Frank Converse(entire series on Youtube), about two long haul truckers.
To this day "do it like Pruitt" is still slang for scoring, as Akins trucker became an unlikely sex symbol. Magnum vet Sheree North appeared as his ex-wife.
But I digress. Khale, if you are at all like me, you just have to see anything Tom Selleck was in. So I would still watch this movie even knowing going in
how bad it is. What the heck, Conch has even provided a free link to it in this thread, would he steer you wrong?
Please let us know what you think of it.

[K Hale]

Hahahaha! Now I kind of want to try it!

Hi KHale,
There is something about a train wreck that makes one want to watch it. Like Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space, which was so bad it was fun for the camp
value. But Concrete Cowboys is just dreary and wastes many country stars in 2 minute walk on roles.
It does boast one of my fave actors, Claude Akins in a tiny part. At the time he was quite popular, especially in the South and Midwest, because of his
iconic role as Sonny Pruitt in the unofficial Route 66 remake "Movin' On" with Frank Converse(entire series on Youtube), about two long haul truckers.
To this day "do it like Pruitt" is still slang for scoring, as Akins trucker became an unlikely sex symbol. Magnum vet Sheree North appeared as his ex-wife.
But I digress. Khale, if you are at all like me, you just have to see anything Tom Selleck was in. So I would still watch this movie even knowing going in
how bad it is. What the heck, Conch has even provided a free link to it in this thread, would he steer you wrong?
Please let us know what you think of it.

I'm going to give this the old college try. I will watch anything Hillerman is in -- and he has been in some bad, bad movies as well as some great ones -- so I'll give Selleck a chance in this one.

[K Hale]

OK, I watched it! My expectations were very low and I have to admit I was pretty pleased with it. It’s just your typical 1979 TV movie, no better, no worse. I have to say, a very enthusiastic Jerry Reed threw himself into the part and stole the show, because Selleck is just not believable as a hick. If that was supposed to be a southern accent, he needs a real voice coach. And I will also admit I did not see the plot twist coming involving Morgan Fairchild. Had no idea. This also means she has appeared in two things with Selleck and three things with Hillerman, that I know of.

All in all, I give it two cheesy stars out of five.