Will Penny, le solitaire

Charlton Heston's saddle-sore cowpuncher is one of the most understated-and underrated- performances in an outstanding career: he's a man nearing the end of the proverbial ride, and he's all too aware of it. He questions his choices, he makes mistakes... but he plugs stubbornly on. Makes more mistakes. Moves on. There are only a handful of unglamorous but wistful westerns that ring true due to character: WILL PENNY is one of the best of them. It's amazing that this low-key classic was done around the time of PLANET OF THE APES (which boasts a tour de force performance by Heston): the difference in the characters (both of whom are rendered believably, with the craft of a consummate professional) only points up the amazing range of this superstar. ALWAYS interesting, even in bit parts, Charlton Heston never failed to rise to the occasion... or to come back down to earth when the situation warranted it.

Aging cowboy Will Penny gets a line camp job on a large cattle spread and finds his isolated cabin is already occupied by a husbandless woman and her young son. The picture was based upon an episode of the 1960 Sam Peckinpah television series "The Westerner" called "Line Camp," which was also written and directed by Tom Gries. Charlton Heston mentioned that this was his favorite film in which he appeared. Some, including Bruce Dern, say it is his best role. And yet, it is not one he is widely known for. Roger Ebert wrote, "The admirable thing about the movie is its devotion to real life. These are the kind of people, we feel, who must really have inhabited the West: common, direct, painfully shy in social situations and very honest." This is true. This is not an action film, or a heist film, or anything that turns the West into mythology. It is everyday life.