"Lonesome Dove" (1989) TV mini-series

Director:

Simon Wincer

Writers (WGA):

Larry McMurtry (novel)
William D. Wittliff (teleplay)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

5 February 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Western

Plot:

Epic story about two former Texas rangers who decide to move cattle from the south to Montana. Augustus...

Plot Keywords:

Montana | Cattle | Texas | Texas Ranger | Cattle Drive

Awards:

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 14 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Robert Duvall

...

Augustus 'Gus' McCrae (unknown episodes)

Runtime:

384 min | Brazil:145 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Alamo Village - Highway 674, Brackettville, Texas, USA

Company:

Motown Productions

Trivia:

Virtually every major role from this film has also appeared in one of its sequels, and almost all of them have been recast, sometimes several times. In three cases, original cast member have been able to work with one of their successors. Timothy Scott reprised his role in the unofficial sequel "Return to Lonesome Dove" (1993), but died before production began on the official sequel, "Streets of Laredo" (1995). He was replaced by Sam Shepard, who had directed him in Silent Tongue (1994). Tommy Lee Jones was replaced in "Streets of Laredo" by James Garner, with whom he appeared in Space Cowboys (2000). Danny Glover was replaced in the prequel "Comanche Moon" (2008) by Keith Robinson, with whom he appeared in Dreamgirls (2006).

Goofs:

Factual errors: Cavalry "Captain" Weaver wears a uniform with the double-breasted three times, three button pattern of a major general. Even if the captain had been wearing a frock coat as he is in the film, it would have been single-breasted without the three separate groupings of buttons.

Quotes:

[referring to the Hat Creek Cattle Company sign]
Woodrow Call: ...and if that ain't bad enough you got all them Greek words on there, too.
Gus McCrae: I told you, Woodrow, a long time ago it ain't Greek, it's Latin.
Woodrow Call: Well what does it say in Latin?
[Gus blusters some gibberish]
Woodrow Call: For all you know it invites people to rob us.
Gus McCrae: Well the first man comes along that can read Latin is welcome to rob us, far as I'm concerned. I'd like a chance t' shoot at a educated man once in my life.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)

This is the finest Western film ever made, bar none.

The Lonesome Dove mini-series contains every core element of a classic story of the mythic Old West: romance, tragedy, courageous and independent yet very human heroes, vicious yet believable villains, plenty of action, and the overall grit and determination of frontier life. These elements are all woven into an enthralling story centered on an epic journey across the American frontier--a cattle drive from Texas to Montana undertaken shortly after the Custer massacre. The movie is extremely faithful (in plot, dialogue, and characterizations) to the excellent novel by Larry McMurtry, and especially benefits from McMurtry's genius at narrative and story construction. What makes the film even better are the truly exceptional performances by the first rate cast, that includes Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Ulrich, and Anjelica Huston, and the great musical score, which won a well-deserved Emmy. This is the kind of film about the Old West that only comes along once in a blue moon, and lovers of Old West stories and movies (as well as real-life cowboys) watch it over and over. In my view, it ranks above even the classics of Western film, including Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and Shane--and I love all of those films. Even though it is over six hours long, and technically a TV mini-series, it should be considered a great film.