"Western Wonderings"

Blame Trump.  I cannot watch the news anymore.  So…

Anybody hear hoofbeats?

Things I wonder, watching westerns on television:

1:  When the settlers circle the wagons, rather than directing their assault, the attacking Indians circle around them.  What good does that do?

“If we attack at one point…”

“I am your chief!  We circle!”

(Reality Check:  This likely only happened in movies.)

2:  When the “Good Guy” and the “Bad Guy” duke it out on top of a rampaging stagecoach and the “Good Guy’s” hat falls off in the tussle, how is he wearing the same hat at the end of the picture? 

Did he literally go back and get it?  Or does he have a stash of identical hats so if one hat blows off he can immediately replace it?  And, if so, where does he keep them?

“What’s in your saddlebags?”

“Hats.”

And finally (for now),

3:  “The Climactic Chase Scene”

Having pondered this mystery for some time, over the decades, I am no closer to an answer.

The Conventional Setup:

After a “lead-filled” shootout, the outlaws are routed – shot dead, or hands in the air.  Watching this distressing turn of events, the boss “Bad Guy” climbs on his horse – or someone else’s horse; what does he care? – and prudently heads for the hills.  (Metaphorical, or otherwise.)

The “Good Guy”, spotting the “Bad Guy’s” escape in the confusion, vaults onto his horse, following the fleeing boss “Bad Guy.”

After an extended pursuit, the “Good Guy” rides up even with the “Bad Guy”, jumps off his horse, knocking the dastardly boss “Bad Guy” to the ground, there is a vigorous scuffle, the “Good Guy” prevails, and peace in the valley is finally restored.

My question is:

During that chase, what caused the narrowing gap between the two galloping horses?

An obvious technical answer is, “They do it in editing.”

“Cut!”

“Move the ‘Good Guy’s’ horse up!”

“Action!”

Frequently diplicating this maneuver, the onscreen “catch-up” is “cut-and-pastingly” constructed.

The thing is, these were extremely low-budget productions.  There was no time for such technical shenanigans.  (And, as we know, time is inevitably money.)

So how did they do it?

How did they insure that the “Good Guy’s” horse overtakes to the escaping “Bad Guy’s” horse?

Do they provide the “Bad Guy” a slower horse?

Require the “Bad Guy’s” horse to wear heavier horseshoes?

Exhaust the “Bad Guy’s” horse before “Action!” (Or deprive it of hay?)

Do they alter the “Bad Guy’s’ horse’s anatomy, reducing his overall interest in life?

Do they devise a damaging “break-up” between the “Bad Guy’s” horse and his girlfriend?  (“I saw her nuzzling ‘Trigger’.”)

Do the “Bad Guys” ride ‘lead saddles’?”

Do they fill the “Bad Guy’s” pockets with B-B’s?

The question is up in the air.  Though I present numerous “possibles.”  (Of varying likelihood.)  All I know is, I am watching this film, I see the “Good Guy’s” horse come from virtually nowhere to catch up, and I have no idea how they did it.

Often, the “Bad Guy” is whipping his horse.  That should make him go faster.  Unless there’s a retributive backlash.  (“Oh yeah?  Well, I’m subtly slowing my pace!”)

My best guess is the simplest:  The comparative speed of the horses.  An explanation confirmed, interviewing Wonder Horse “Blaze, The Black Blur.”  (Formerly, Aaron Blazenberg.  Name changed by the studio.)

In his own words (written by me, but I was channeling the “Source.”)

“They started me out in posses.  Being “Blazingly” too fast; I got ahead of the other horses, spoiling the “composition” of the shot.  It was clear I had no future in posses.

“For a while I was the ‘Bad Guy’s’ horse, but he kept getting away.  The ‘Bad Guy’ getting away?  Terrible lesson for children. 

“Finally they did the only thing possible – they made me the speediest “Good Guy’s” horse.  Breaking with longstanding tradition, ‘Blaze’ was the first black ‘Good Guy’s’ horse in pictures.  It won me an Oscar.  Over Olivier.  Heck of an actor, but ‘The Blaze’ beat him out.”

So there you have it.

The ‘Good Guy’s’ horse was just faster.

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Nah.

I think it ‘s a trick.