Outlaws

I want to keep this discussion going about the Luke Short movie but I have a burning question that just needs to be asked. Why do criminals like Jesse James and Billy the Kid get a free pass? Oh, you can add Ike Clanton to that lists also. I just don't understand why this is. We go out of our way to tear down the men who risk their lives to end the careers of there outlaws and we try our best to find something, anything to make the bad guy look good, why ? Can anyone help me understand this ? Why is there such a need to make excuses for career criminals ? Who else can be added to this list ?

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Luke Short, the movie - Tobey Maguire

Another hat has been tossed into the ring for the part of Luke Short, it is Tobey Maguire. A quick check at IMDb tells me the Tobey stands 5' 8" tall, making him just an inch or so taller than the real life gambler and gunfighter, Luke Short. It has also been brought to my attention that Tobey with a mustache is a dead ringer for Luke, so what do you think? And, he starred in Ride with the Devil so he has an understanding of the time period Luke grew up in. I believe it is very important to have someone who fits Luke's height and weight as that will be an important part in getting the message across about how tough this guy was in a big mans world. You can view more photos of Luke at: http://captyak.tripod.com/

Frontier Gambling, back to gambling for a monent

Gambling in the Old West has been an interest of mine for some time. There are a number of excellent books written dealing with certain aspects of 19th Century gambling but it seems that no one has put together a complete book on all the games played in the mining camps and the cow towns.

Card games played back then were mainly poker style games like; Bluff, Stud, Whiskey and Monte. Other games played with cards included banked games like Vingt-Et-Un ( pronounced Van-Ta-Un ) which is French for 21 ( Blackjack) and Faro - the game of choice back then. It seems everyone wanted to Buck-The-Tiger. And, contrary, to what Doc Holliday ( Val Kilmer) had to say in the Movie Tombstone, Faro was a game that offered the very best odds a player could get. That is part of the reason it is no longer played today.

Other games of chance ranged from dice games such as Chuck-A-Luck, Craps, High Dice ( also known as Beat the Dealer, The Bartender's Game and Bing), Grand Hazard ( advanced form of Chuck-A-Luck), Diana, Crown & Anchor and Slot Machine Dice.

Wheel games such as Wheel of Fortune and Roulette were also played. Slot machines first premiered in 1895 in San Francisco and didn't make it to the Old West until later but there were Trade Stimulators, forerunner of the Slot Machine, that could be played in many saloon's in the 1890's.

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Luke Short, the Movie

Things are starting to heat up now. It has been suggested that Witherspoon is to huge an actress which translates into to high a priced actress and that Nicole Kidman or Winona Ryder should be considered for the part of Hettie, Luke's wife. And, Tom Cruise has been mentioned for the part of Luke. What's that going to cost ? Just a thought, has Tom Cruise ever done a Western ? Maybe he isn't interested in Westerns. Anyways, keep those suggestions coming and sooner or later we will get this figured out.

Luke Short, the Movie

Well, it seems we have the right gal for the part in Reese Witherspoon but the leading man remains a question mark. If Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon are to tall for the part then who?

Elijah Wood has been suggested since he is closer in height and build to Luke. Can you see Wood as a scrapie gambler/gunfighter with a beautiful young wife played by Witherspoon?

Remember, the setting is 1880's on the Western Frontier. A gambler then was considered the upper crust of society. Bat Masterson once said, " A gambler ranked nearly as high as a Doctor and above a Dentist or Undertaker." Plus, gamblers loved to play the part up. They dressed better then any one in town and had an air about themselves.

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