Pour one out for John Smith, and Bruce

Some 30 years ago this week, the ultimate Prohibition-era anti-hero hit the screen in Walter “every film I’ve ever done has been a Western” Hill’s Last Man Standing, featuring Bruce Willis as dual-1911-equipped John Smith, passing through the off-map Texas town of Jericho. Twin shoulder holsters, 1911s, three-piece suits, and fedoras should be sold in sets John/Bruce duly becomes caught between two rival bootlegging gangs, Strazi and the Italians vs. Doyle and the Irish. The ensuing 1920s take on Yojimbo and A Fistful of Dollars is almost spectacularly over the top in terms of gunplay, but probably sold another million 1911s. John Smith long ago hung up his crushed fedora, and Bill is, well, not Bill any more, but you have to love it.

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