"Streets of Laredo" (1995) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers (WGA):

Larry McMurtry (novel)
Larry McMurtry (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

12 November 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

Captain Woodrow Call, now retired from the Rangers, is a bounty hunter. He is hired by an eastern rail baron to track down Joey Garza...

Plot Keywords:

Man Hunt | Child In Peril | Child Murder | Child Burning | Sharpshooter

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

James Garner	...	Capt. Woodrow F. Call
Sissy Spacek	...	Lorena Parker
Sam Shepard	...	Cpl. Pea Eye Parker
Ned Beatty	...	Judge Roy Bean
Randy Quaid	...	John Wesley Hardin
Wes Studi	...	Famous Shoes (Kickapoo tracker)
Charles Martin Smith	...	Ned Brookshire (railroad accountant)
George Carlin	...	Billy Williams
Alexis Cruz	...	Joey Garza
Kevin Conway	...	Mox Mox
James Gammon	...	Charles Goodnight
Tristan Tait	...	Deputy Ted Plunkert
Sonia Braga	...	Maria Garza
Miriam Colon	...	Estrella
Anjanette Comer	...	Beulah

Also Known As:

Larry McMurtry's Streets of Laredo

Runtime:

300 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | Australia:M (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Alamo Village - Highway 674, Brackettville, Texas, USA

Company:

De Passe Entertainment

Trivia:

"The Streets of Laredo" was author Larry McMurtry's original title for the screenplay that later became his novel, "Lonesome Dove".

Goofs:

Factual errors: Judge Roy Bean is killed in this film, and John Wesley Hardin survives. The manner of Bean's death does not conform to historical fact; Bean actually drank himself to death; but his reputation as a "hanging judge" who was hanged outside his own courthouse is a popular legend. However, John Wesley Hardin died in 1895. Judge Roy Bean died eight years later in 1903.

Quotes:

Capt. Woodrow F. Call: I will not tolerate rude behavoir!

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Comanche Moon" (2008)

Comparing Movies is like comparing fruit!

One of the first things I do after watching a movie I really like, is checking reviews of others...professionals and amateurs, as listed here. It's very frustrating reading some of them. Why do people compare them? Why do they look for faults? Why do they not see and praise the positive aspects and ease up on critical commentary? It's like comparing apples & oranges & bananas & strawberries, etc. Comparing a film to the book or a previous film seems overly critical to me. It always bothered me when Siskel & Ebert & Roeper, et al. rated films as bad or good...thumbs up or down...see it or don't see it. Streets of Laredo is a perfect example. A lot of superb work was put into this fascinating sequel by the director, the cinematographer, the actors, the music composer, the art directors and more. It deserves more than comparisons with the equally superb mini-series Lonesome Dove and its fabulous other sequels. James Garner's Woodrow Call was terrific, so was Tommy Lee Jones' but is it fair to compare them? Cissy Spacek's Lorena was just as good as Diane Lane's as were Sam Shephard's and Tim Scott's Pea Eye interpretations. How do you rate cake and pie? Is one better than the other? Should you condemn it to thumbs down or tell others to avoid it? Maybe to some people this is the way. One constant in all the LD sequels is Larry McMurtry's brilliant characterizations. And don't complain about character development. It takes time to develop a character's nuances and profile. E.G Archie Bunker, Mary Richards, Barney Miller and friends. How long a movie do you want to watch? To wrap it up, Streets of Laredo is a superb film with great acting, directing, cinematography, and a stirring musical score and more. So was Lonesome Dove, Return to Lonesome Dove, Dead Man's Walk, Comanche Moon and the TV series. They're all different but great!