AtDTDA (7) 186. 1-19

[John BAILEY]

The Terror of Tiny Town (1938) is probably yr original All Midget Western, entirely populated by little people (I can't remember if they were actually midgets or dwarves or a mix). It's not a very good film, but it was very popular, and the fact that it was also a musical would probably have appealed to Pynchon.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On Behalf Of Tore Rye Andersen
Sent: Tuesday, 17 April 2007 9:05 PM
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Cc: monte.davis at verizon.net
Subject: RE: AtDTDA (7) 186. 1-19

Monte:

>You make a strong case for conscious allusion to 'High Plains Drifter' 
>-- I'd forgotten about the red paint in that.
>
>As for simultaneous midget sheriffs in 1973... hell, that was a year 
>when you couldn't turn around without tripping over a midget sheriff.

Yeah, there was certainly no shortage of midget sheriffs in 1973 (no pun intended).

After seeing 'High Plains Drifter', John Wayne famously wrote an indignant letter to Eastwood, "objecting that this was not what the spirit of the West was all about" (quoted from All Movie Guide). I wonder whether he sent a similar letter to Pynchon - but perhaps he didn't have the time to read Gravity's Rainbow. After all, in 1973 Wayne was busy starring in both Denis Sanders' documentary 'The Great American West' and Burt Kennedy's 'The Train Robbers' (can't seem to recall any midget sheriffs in either....)

_________________________________________________________________
Opret en personlig blog og del dine billeder på MSN Spaces:  
http://spaces.msn.com/


The information contained in this e-mail message and any accompanying files is or may be confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, reliance, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail or any attached files is unauthorised. This e-mail is subject to copyright. No part of it should be reproduced, adapted or communicated without the written consent of the copyright owner. If you have received this e-mail in error please advise the sender immediately by return e-mail or telephone and delete all copies. Fairfax does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in this e-mail or attached files. Internet communications are not secure, therefore Fairfax does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message or attached files.