The Reivers (1969)

They were talking about horse racing movies on the radio this morning, and I thought about The Reivers, which is one of those films they used to show a lot on TV and don't anymore (not on the channels I get, anyway).

'Course, it's not a horse racing movie, per se, but there is a race in it, which the little boy participates in and Boon (McQueen) bets upon. It's an ace film, but you tend not to see films like this anymore. To me, it's like the Sunday afternoon version of High Plains Drifter, you know what I'm talking about.

I've read the book, too. It's far more enjoyable than anything else William Faulkner wrote (he wrote it late in the day, too, towards the end of his life). I'd say he was in the same kind of mood John Steinbeck was when he wrote Sweet Thursday.

Steve McQueen made a lot of films like this; he's more famous for other roles, but it's films like this one and Love With the Proper Stranger that made him the star he was.