A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Budd Boetticher Collection (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Sony has released an important, and overlooked (by many) collection of films encompassing most (but not all) of the films directed by Budd Boetticher (pronounced Betticker) and actor Randolph Scott.

The five films, Tall T (1957), Decision at Sundown (1957), Buchanan Rides Alone (1958), Ride Lonesome (1959) and Comanche Station (1960) are nicely packaged as a complete set of the work by the pair at Columbia. For the record, they also created a production at WB, Westbound (1959), as well as the 1956 Seven Men from Now, produced by Batjac, John Wayne's production entity, which is available on DVD via Paramount.

These are important films to the western genre of the '50s, and as such have been among the missing (and requested) for a long period. I've been able to view two of them, Tall T and Ride Lonesome, and both have been scanned and treated to a good dose of high level color correction to get them looking good -- very good, actually, considering their problems.

All of these films were shot on Eastman 5248 and I'm going to make the assumption that all originals have faded. These are nice transfers, which look very filmic, grain and all, with full detail in the dupes, which some will undoubtedly see not as optical dupes, but as some sort of deadly digital anomalies, which they are not. IMHO, color-wise, a great save.

Those who know these small wonderful films are already aware of their charm as well as their position within the history of the American western. Those who do not, are in for a treat, especially at $45 for five films.

Recommended.

RAH

 

[Eric Peterson]

I've never seen any of these films, but ever since seeing "Seven Men From Now" a few years ago, I've been thirsting to see the other Boetticher/Scott films. Thankfully, I now can.

 

[Tim Tucker]

Did Boetticher direct Tall Man Riding? I thought it was Lesley Selander.

 

[Robert Harris]

Of course it was Selander. That's what occurs when writing while switching computers. Correction made. Thank you!

 

[WadeM]

I have to admit that I don't like Randolph Scott, and never have. Except in 2 movies. One, a comedy with Cary Grant, and the other, Seven Men From Now. Given that, I may pick this up one day.

 

[OliverK]

If you like Seven Man from Now you should like some of the movies in this box set.

The Tall T, Ride Lonesome and Comanche Station are all very good IMO and up there with Seven Men from Now.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Robert,

I have just posted my review. I did notice that in The Tall T there is some noticeable grain shift during scene transitions -- where the grain stands out momentarily and then subsides somewhat. I also saw a little of this in Decision at Sundown, none in the other three.

I'm hoping that you can tell what accounts for this.

I am quite impressed with how well the colors have been restored.

Rich

 

[Robert Harris]

What you're seeing are function dupes, ie. fades or dissolves, that were duped and cut into the OCN at the point of the function, as opposed to creating A and B rolls for clean original negative functions. There is nothing that could have been done to make these in any way more transparent. Grover Crisp knows these elements better than anyone, and I have total faith that what we have is the absolute best attainable.

RAH

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Robert,

Thanks for the explanation -- I greatly appreciate it.

 

[chas speed]

That means you didn't even like him in Ride the High Country. Can't imagine why you are even reading this thread.