I just got through reading the transcript of last night's Warners chat. I thought one of the most interesting answers occurred right near the beginning. Ben _ Jennings asked the excellent question:
"I'm wondering if you will release a boxed set of early Cinemascope western, adventure and epic Films like Moonfleet, The Command, Drum Beat, The Silver Chalice, King Richard and the Crusaders (sic). Sure they aren't the most famous (one is infamous), but releasing them in a box set could make them an attractive purchase."
Warners repsonded:
"There will be some surprising releases coming from us in June which we can't announce yet, that are similar to those you are mentioning, but not any of the specific titles. Moonfleet will probably be released next year. We no longer have rights to Drum Beat."
When they said "similar to the ones you are mentioning" that suggests that are talking about westerns and/or adventure films and/or epics from the 1950's.
For those of us that are great fans of westerns and adventure movies that raises some potentiallly welcome possibilities. As far as westerns from the 1950's (and late 1940's) are concerned here are a few of the top notch films that Warners has at its disposal that are either similar to "The Command" (an outstanding western in its own right) and "Drum Beat", or at least in the same genre.
Escape From Fort Bravo (MGM-1953 with William Holden and directed by John Sturges who directed The Magnificent Seven, Gunfight at the O.K Coral, The Great Escape, etc.
The Law and Jake Wade (MGM-1958-in cinemascope with Robert Taylor and Richard Widmark and also directed by John Sturges)
The Charge At Feather River (WB-1953-was in 3D-with Guy Madison and directed by Gordon Douglas who also directed Rio Conchos, Them!, etc.)-was sort of a prototype western version of the "Dirty Dozen".
Fort Dobbs (WB-1958-in black and white)-with Clint Walker and Virginia Mayo also directed by Gordon Douglas-a real gem
Yellowstone Kelly-(WB-1959)-also with Clint Walker and directed by Douglas-in color this time
The Iron Mistress (WB-1953)-with Alan Ladd playing Jim Bowie-also directed by Gordon Douglas
The Sheepman (MGM-1958-in cinemascope)-with Glenn Ford-however perhaps they would save that for what I hope is a Glenn Ford box set because it may be the best unreleased Glenn Ford movie they have in their control
Tribute to a Badman (MGM-1956 in cinemascope) with James Cagney and directed by the great Robert Wise
Rocky Mountain (WB-1950-in black and white)-with Errol Flynn and directed by William Keighley-the initial episode of the hit western television series Cheyenne was a condensced version of this film
Montana (WB-1950-in color) with Errol Flynn and directed by Ray Enright
Blood on the Moon (RKO-1948-black and white) with Robert Mitchum and directed by Robert Wise-based on a novel by the most influential western writer of that era, Luke Short-the best example of film noir in westerns, and one of the greatest westerns of all time
Colorado Territory (WB-1949-black and white) with Joel McCrea and directed by the great Raoul Walsh who also directed They Died With their Boots On, White Heat, Captain Horatio Hornblower (which is being released in early March), High Sierra, The Roaring Twenties, etc.-it is a remake of Walsh's own High Sierra in a western setting, and is just as good
Wagon Master (RKO-1950 in black and white) with Ben Johnson and Ward Bond and directed by the master of the Western, John Ford
Station West (RKO-1948 in black and white)- with Dick Powell, Raymond Burr and Jane Greer of "Out of the Past" fame and also written by Luke Short- perhaps the second best example of film noir in the western genre-a little gem.
Many Rivers to Cross-MGM-1955 in Cinemascope) with Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker
The Lusty Men (RKO-1952)-with Robert Mitchum directed by Nicholas Ray-the greatest of all rodeo films
Ambush (MGM-1949 in black and white)-with Robert Taylor
Best of the Badmen (RKO-1951) with Robert Ryan, Robert Preston and Walter Brennan-one of Ryan's best staring roles
I will post some speculations as to possible adventure films from the 1950's in the next post.
c Jim Bur
"I'm wondering if you will release a boxed set of early Cinemascope western, adventure and epic Films like Moonfleet, The Command, Drum Beat, The Silver Chalice, King Richard and the Crusaders (sic). Sure they aren't the most famous (one is infamous), but releasing them in a box set could make them an attractive purchase."
Warners repsonded:
"There will be some surprising releases coming from us in June which we can't announce yet, that are similar to those you are mentioning, but not any of the specific titles. Moonfleet will probably be released next year. We no longer have rights to Drum Beat."
When they said "similar to the ones you are mentioning" that suggests that are talking about westerns and/or adventure films and/or epics from the 1950's.
For those of us that are great fans of westerns and adventure movies that raises some potentiallly welcome possibilities. As far as westerns from the 1950's (and late 1940's) are concerned here are a few of the top notch films that Warners has at its disposal that are either similar to "The Command" (an outstanding western in its own right) and "Drum Beat", or at least in the same genre.
Escape From Fort Bravo (MGM-1953 with William Holden and directed by John Sturges who directed The Magnificent Seven, Gunfight at the O.K Coral, The Great Escape, etc.
The Law and Jake Wade (MGM-1958-in cinemascope with Robert Taylor and Richard Widmark and also directed by John Sturges)
The Charge At Feather River (WB-1953-was in 3D-with Guy Madison and directed by Gordon Douglas who also directed Rio Conchos, Them!, etc.)-was sort of a prototype western version of the "Dirty Dozen".
Fort Dobbs (WB-1958-in black and white)-with Clint Walker and Virginia Mayo also directed by Gordon Douglas-a real gem
Yellowstone Kelly-(WB-1959)-also with Clint Walker and directed by Douglas-in color this time
The Iron Mistress (WB-1953)-with Alan Ladd playing Jim Bowie-also directed by Gordon Douglas
The Sheepman (MGM-1958-in cinemascope)-with Glenn Ford-however perhaps they would save that for what I hope is a Glenn Ford box set because it may be the best unreleased Glenn Ford movie they have in their control
Tribute to a Badman (MGM-1956 in cinemascope) with James Cagney and directed by the great Robert Wise
Rocky Mountain (WB-1950-in black and white)-with Errol Flynn and directed by William Keighley-the initial episode of the hit western television series Cheyenne was a condensced version of this film
Montana (WB-1950-in color) with Errol Flynn and directed by Ray Enright
Blood on the Moon (RKO-1948-black and white) with Robert Mitchum and directed by Robert Wise-based on a novel by the most influential western writer of that era, Luke Short-the best example of film noir in westerns, and one of the greatest westerns of all time
Colorado Territory (WB-1949-black and white) with Joel McCrea and directed by the great Raoul Walsh who also directed They Died With their Boots On, White Heat, Captain Horatio Hornblower (which is being released in early March), High Sierra, The Roaring Twenties, etc.-it is a remake of Walsh's own High Sierra in a western setting, and is just as good
Wagon Master (RKO-1950 in black and white) with Ben Johnson and Ward Bond and directed by the master of the Western, John Ford
Station West (RKO-1948 in black and white)- with Dick Powell, Raymond Burr and Jane Greer of "Out of the Past" fame and also written by Luke Short- perhaps the second best example of film noir in the western genre-a little gem.
Many Rivers to Cross-MGM-1955 in Cinemascope) with Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker
The Lusty Men (RKO-1952)-with Robert Mitchum directed by Nicholas Ray-the greatest of all rodeo films
Ambush (MGM-1949 in black and white)-with Robert Taylor
Best of the Badmen (RKO-1951) with Robert Ryan, Robert Preston and Walter Brennan-one of Ryan's best staring roles
I will post some speculations as to possible adventure films from the 1950's in the next post.
c Jim Bur