Rio Bravo: 50 years young

Wall Street Journal writer Allen Barra celebrates Howard Hawks' classic Western, which he claims may be the most popular cult movie ever made. Seriously. "The phrase 'cult favorite' conjures up images of wobbly hand-held camera shots and little-known actors," Barra admits. "But Rio Bravo was shot in glorious Technicolor and starred perhaps the most popular star in movie history. Most cult films are too hip to be popular, and most big hits are too popular to be hip. But Rio Bravo is that rarest of films -- both popular and hip."

R.I.P.: Hank Locklin (1918-2009)

Country music singer-songwriter Hank Locklin enjoyed a career that spanned more than half a century, with many enduringly popular hits -- including "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" and "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" -- and 47 years' worth of Grand Ole Opry appearances to his credit. Happy trails, pardner!

Tom Selleck cracks Top 10

Tom Selleck -- who graced the cover of our biggest-selling issue last year -- notched another Nielsen ratings success last week with Jesse Stone: Thin Ice.

Paisley leads the pack

Country superstar Brad Paisley -- who'll be performing March 12 at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo -- leads all finalists for the Academy of Country Music Awards, with no fewer than six nominations (including a nod for Entertainer of the Year). Heidi Newfield also scored impressively, picking up nominations in five categories. Other multiple nominees include Kenny Chesney, Jamey Johnson -- and, of course, George Strait. Winners will be announced April 5 during an ACM awards presentation airing on CBS.

Dancing cowboys (and cowgirl)

Former Cowboys & Indians cover girl Jewel and rodeo star Ty Murray will be the first husband-and-wife couple ever to compete against each other on Dancing With the Stars when the popular series returns for Season 8. Country singer Chuck Wicks also will be among the celebrity contestants when the fancy footwork begins March 9 on ABC.

Thanks, pardners!

The Cowboys & Indians readership continues to expand -- and we're extremely grateful. More important, we'll continue to work hard to keep you coming back for more.

Viewing alert: Ricardo Montalban

Turner Classic Movies has tossed out its previously announced Jan. 23 lineup of films to program a seven-movie retrospective honoring the late Ricardo Montalban. Of particular note to C&I readers: William A. Wellman's Across the Wide Missouri -- the epic 1951 drama in which Clark Gable leads a group of 19th century pioneers westward. To see why the latter film was so significant for Montalban -- for all the wrong reasons -- check out this Wikipedia article.