Classic Western Round-Up, Vol. 1 4xwestern R1

R1 originaali, ei suomitekstejä. 

Classic Western Round-Up, Vol. 1 (The Texas Rangers / Canyon Passage / Kansas Raiders / The Lawless Breed)

Product Description

Journey back to the Old West for timeless adventures in the Classic Western Round-Up: Volume 1! Relive all the gunfights, barroom brawls and romance with The Texas Rangers, Canyon Passage, Kansas Raiders and The Lawless Breed. Starring Hollywood favorites Rock Hudson, Fred MacMurray, Audie Murphy and Dana Andrews, this action-packed collection features some of the most exciting films ever to hit the silver screen! The Texas Rangers (1936) Two crooks (Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie) reluctantly enlist in the Texas Rangers as a means of staying one-step ahead of the law. Canyon Passage (1946) Adventure awaits when a pack-mule express owner (Dana Andrews) escorts a young woman (Susan Hayward) home to a remote Oregon town. Kansas Raiders (1950) Jesse James (Audie Murphy) and his brothers join William Quantrill (Brian Donlevy) and his vengeful raiders in an effort to save the Confederacy. The Lawless Breed (1953) When famed outlaw John Wesley Hardin (Rock Hudson) is released from prison, he gives an in-depth account of his scandalous life to a local newspaper.

Bonus Content:
Disc 1 - The Texas Rangers:

• Theatrical Trailer






 
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• Disc 2 - Kansas Raiders:


• Theatrical Trailer






 
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• Disc 2 - The Lawless Breed:


• Theatrical Trailer

Amazon.com

This DVD set indeed qualifies as a "round-up," gathering a quartet of otherwise unrelated Westerns on two discs. Despite its seeming randomness, this set has a fine pedigree (three excellent directors are represented) and offers good value for fans of the oater.

The Texas Rangers is a 1936 Paramount picture (the other titles are Universal) from director King Vidor, working from a story of his own concoction. Two shady characters, Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie, join the Rangers as subterfuge, but slowly find themselves cottoning to the idea of nobility. Although it's a minor effort in the director's career, Vidor shows his feeling for the American land (he'd just come off the salt-of-the-earth classic Our Daily Bread) and the redemptive plot is hard to resist. Lloyd Nolan, in one of his early roles, makes a very offbeat bad guy--eventually named "The Polkadot Bandit"!

The gem of the collection is Canyon Passage, a relaxed 1946 Northwestern directed by Jacques Tourneur. Dana Andrews plays an Oregon frontier entrepreneur who keeps getting dragged into romantic triangles, Indian reprisals, and bailing out his irresponsible best friend (Brian Donlevy). He's a little like Rick in Casablanca, allegedly out for himself but thawed by the needs of his friends. Tourneur's use of color and forest-y locations is beautiful to behold, and the movie has a wry Greek chorus in the form of Hoagy Carmichael's mandolin-strumming shopkeeper (he sings "Ole Buttermilk Sky," among others). Susan Hayward and Patricia Roc provide the lingering looks toward Andrews, and Ward Bond makes a particularly brutal bad guy.

Kansas Raiders (1950) weds two popular Western subjects: the James gang and Quantrill's Raiders. The film's story tracks the arrival and disillusionment of Jesse and Frank James (and the Younger brothers) into the service of Rebel agitator William Quantrill (Brian Donlevy). The movie pretty thoroughly romanticizes Jesse James and co. (a narrator has to remind us at the end that these future bank robbers were "warped" individuals), but it's an enjoyable enough Western outing. Audie Murphy, the Texas war hero, brings his sullen charisma to the role of Jesse, and the gang includes Tony Curtis and Richard Long.

Even more historical whitewash is applied to the legend of John Wesley Hardin in The Lawless Breed (1953), starring Rock Hudson as the notorious killer. The film bends over backwards to prove that Hardin killed in self-defense, which might be why it feels so flavorless (the usually robust director Raoul Walsh is defeated here by the blah conception of the character and Hudson's stolid performance). Quintessential Universal babe Julia Adams is Hardin's showgirl ladyfriend.

This is a no-frills package, which works out just fine. Most importantly, the films look very good, especially the three color pictures. Canyon Passage has a few moments of wobbly color separation, but is otherwise a particularly vivid transfer. --Robert Horton

• Director : King Vidor, Jacques Tourneur, Ray Enright, Raoul Walsh
• Media Format : Multiple Formats, Color, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
• Run time : 5 hours and 54 minutes
• Release date : May 8, 2007
• Actors : Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward, Brian Donlevy, Audie Murphy, Rock Hudson
• Subtitles: : French
• Language : Unqualified (DTS ES 6.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Studio : Universal Studios Home Entertainment
• ASIN : B000N3T0G4
• Number of discs : 2

The four movies on this set are the old-style of westerns that I find most enjoyable. They are made with good story lines, good production values, and excellent casts and direction. All four movies are recommended.

"Canyon Passage" - One of the most beautifully-filmed westerns ever made. Made on location in the spectacular scenery of Oregon. Beautiful Technicolor. Dana Andrews is the believable star and Ward Bond is the really evil bad guy. Susan Hayward does well and never looked better. Brian Donlevy, always good, here plays a likeable but fallible gambling addict. Hoagy Carmichael is really enjoyable as a sort of a wandering minstrel character, and sings his Academy Award-winning composition, "Ole Buttermilk Sky". If you enjoy good, solid westerns with beautiful Technicolor photography this is possibly the ideal western for you. This 1946 movie is the reason I bought this set.

"The Lawless Breed" - Rock Hudson does an excellent job in this highly sanitized biography of John Wesley Hardin, possibly the worst killer in the old west. Julie Adams has a great role. This movie surprised me as to how good it is.

"Kansas Raiders" - An early (1950) Audie Murphy action western. Audie plays Jesse James but with a conscience. Really! Highly fictionalized. Brian Donlevy is the notorious Quantrill, an evil character of so many older westerns. Tony Curtis is in an early role. A typical drawback I notice about so many westerns is that, whereas this is supposed to take place in Missouri and Kansas, the filmmakers chose to film the movie midst all the rocks, mountains, and forests of California. You're not supposed to notice those details but I always do.

The Texas Rangers" - This 1936 western was a surprise to me. Fred MacMurray in a good action western. Excellent story and production values. One drawback, for me, is the overdone ebulliance of Jack Oakie which is a bit much at times. A pleasant surprise was a cameo by Gabby Hayes as the judge; and another cameo by the great bad guy, Fred Kohler. Very enjoyable movie.

You cannot go wrong with this set.

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