Jubal (1956)

Hmm, eight months. That seems long enough a wait between westerns that they won't run together. I've moved the next western further down my queue to be safe.

For reasons never explained, Jubal (Glenn Ford) first appears half-dead and unhorsed in an unidentified area of the Old West. He later indicates that he'd already been down on his luck, having had to find work as a shepherd, which apparently doesn't suit most cowboy sorts outside of Brokeback Mountain. Rancher Shep (Ernest Borgnine) provides shelter and offers a job more to his liking. For still unexplained reasons, Jubal is reluctant to plant roots, but he gives in. Two factors indicate that his luck hasn't entirely turned around. First, one of Shep's employees, "Pinky" (Rod Steiger), is unfriendly in general, biased against shepherds in particular, and jealous of anyone Shep becomes fond of so quickly. Second, Shep's wife, Mae (Valerie French), has adulterous feelings for Jubal. These factors can work together....

House of Wax (1953)

No, not the 2005 remake that's best known for depicting the death of Paris Hilton. The first movie by this title benefits from starring an icon of the genre, Vincent Price. (I almost called it the original. That would be Mystery of the Wax Museum, also included on the disc but skipped by me.)

In 1890s England, Prof. Jarrod starts as a seemingly good if eccentric fellow, quite enamored of his own purely tasteful Madame Tussaud-style waxworks. But partner Burke, unsatisfied with the profits, decides to commit arson for insurance fraud -- leaving the uncooperative Jarrod inside for dead. It looks as tho Burke will get away with it, until a figure more disfigured than the average Phantom of the Opera kills him and makes it look like a suicide. The body disappears from the morgue. Soon after, a new wax museum under the name of Jarrod includes an exhibit on Burke, boasting the innovation of ripped-from-the-headlines morbidity in addition to more historical grotesque reenactments. It sells well, but some customers find the dummies a little too convincing....

Hard Times (1975)

I think I chose this movie because I enjoyed Charles Bronson and James Coburn for their roles in westerns, including as two of The Magnificent Seven. In a supporting role is Strother Martin, another western staple. It seemed a little odd to see them all together in a non-western, but they're still recognizable in character.

As befits the title, it's set in the Depression Era. The dour, laconic, brawny Chaney (Bronson) drifts into New Orleans and soon forms a partnership with the curiously nicknamed Speed (Coburn), wherein Chaney street-fights and Speed promotes and takes bets on him. This is not the most reliable way to make money, nor does Speed handle his share wisely. He owes a debt to a dangerous sort, but Chaney seems not to care about his partner beyond the terms of their spoken contract...at first.