Will Penny (1968)

A grizzly aging cowpoke (Charlton Heston) is out of work and out of money. He takes on a job to look after cattle living in the far off boundaries of a cattle ranch. But he's being stalked by a madman (Donald Pleasence) who holds him responsible for the death of his son. Written and directed by Tom Gries (THE HAWAIIANS) and based on an episode Gries wrote for the TV series THE WESTERNER. I flat out love this western! It still hasn't received its due although it has a strong cult following among western movie buffs. It was Heston's favorite of all his films and indeed, he gives a career best performance. It's a realistic western and at the heart of it is a lovely low keyed love story between the aging cowboy and a pioneer woman (Joan Hackett) heading west with her son (Jon Gries). It's smartly written and gives a sense of authenticity, you feel like maybe this was what the west was really like. Then there's the outstanding cinematography by Lucien Ballard (RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY) with impressive location work shot in Inyo County. The movie is not without its flaws however. Notably, Donald Pleasence's over the top bonkers performance which is out of place here. With Bruce Dern, Ben Johnson, Anthony Zerbe, Lee Majors, Slim Pickens and Lydia Clarke (Mrs. Heston).