Promotional stills and movie poster art for "Ramrod", dir: Andre de Toth, starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake, 1947

A "ramrod" is a ranch foreman who is hoodwinked by a femme fatale in the Old West. This film is notable for combining the genres of noir femme fatale and Western. Lake plays a woman desperate to avoid marriage to a man she hates (Preston Foster), manipulating McCrea's character into protecting her. She leaves her ranch (being run by Foster) and tells ranch hand McCrea she'll make him a foreman, and then goes so far as to convince his best friend to stampede her own cattle to frame Foster.

The sheriff tries to step in and gets killed. Foster ambushes McCrea, who kills one of his men and gets wounded, then chased down and shot in the back.

The two men then duke it out and McCrea comes out on top, killing Foster's character. Lake thinks he'll dump his girlfriend for her and she's wrong, because he doesn't and tells her to never talk to him again.

Kirk Wilson, cover art for "Ramrod" by Luke Short, 1943

On this day in queer history: 10 November 1980

In New York City’s Greenwich Village, a former police officer opened fire with a submachine gun inside two gay bars — the Ramrod and Sneakers — killing two men and wounding six others. The shooter, Ronald Crumpley, attacked without warning, shouting anti-gay slurs as he targeted patrons in one of the city’s most visible queer neighborhoods. Witnesses described chaos and terror as bullets tore through the packed bars late that night.

The killings shocked the city but also exposed how deeply violence against queer people was dismissed at the time. Many mainstream outlets minimized or ignored the story altogether. Crumpley later told police, “The gays ruined my life,” and was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

The victims — including Vernon Kroening and Jorgen Hansen — are remembered as part of the long, painful history of LGBTQ people whose lives were taken simply for existing.

Bruce Springsteen - Ramrod (1980) Bruce Springsteen from: “The River” (LP|CD | CD2) "The River" / "Ramrod" (Single|France) "Point Blank" / "Ramrod" (Single|EU)

Roots Rock and Roll

Tumblr (left click = play) (256kbps)

Personnel: Bruce Springsteen: Lead Vocals / Guitar Steven Van Zandt: Rhythm Guitar / Backing Vocals Clarence Clemons: Saxophone Roy Bittan: Piano Danny Federici: Organ Garry Tallent: Bass Max Weinberg: Drums

Produced by Jon Landau / Bruce Springsteen / Steven Van Zandt

Recorded: @ The Power Station in New York City, New York USA on June 12, 1979