Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about…™ The Naked Spur – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer) (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

As three-strip Technicolor productions go, Anthony Mann's The Naked Spur was heading toward the barn.

As Eastmancolor was introduced, fewer Technicolor were made, the final being The Ladykillers, a 1954 production, released two years after The Naked Spur.

The final couple of years used acetate for the negatives, which strangely can be more problematic than nitrate. Naked Spur is one of them, but you'd never know it.

Naked Spur is yet another of those perfect Warner Archive releases, with a meticulously registered image, and magnificent color.

It's also a very fine western.

No downsides here, and a must for Stewart completists.


Image – 5

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Highly Recommended

RAH


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[Josh Steinberg]

I’m extremely happy with my Blu-ray edition of this. Great western, stunning location work, beautiful new master.

 

[PatrickDA]

Should've won the OSCAR for Best Screenplay instead of that stupid Titanic movie.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

I watched it last weekend. Stunning picture quality.

 

[Bert Greene]

The disc looked astonishingly good. Allows you to really relish the scenery.

Very pleased with my purchase.

 

[Marc Hampton]

Blind purchase for me. Have heard so many good things about this film over the years... excited to finally watch it.

Tho to be honest ....Technicolor Anything from Warner Archive ... I'll likely buy it no matter what the film is. (is Technicolor addiction a thing?)

 

[Rodney]

What an upgrade from the DVD. So happy to finally have this in blu and looking so good.

 

[Santee7]

Makes my day to read Mr Harris review. I have it currently but...saving it. See we got Thanksgiving break coming up, in the blink of an eye really.
and on the day during the break when I have all my students 100 plus speeches graded(online of course, think of it, public speaking, online, what a world) but I digress.
I intend to have a Mann-Stewart Marathon since I know have them all in blu ray now at last. So Starting with Winchester and ending that particular week with Night Passage, ( I know that Mann didn't direct that one but it sure feels like a Mann-Stewart western that I always include it in my mind, and actually it really is a good one. Maybe not great, but def good. ) Spur was the one I thought might never appear so this so far has been a good year. And I know it won't be a disappointment! Old guy pleasures you know. We gotta make the most of em.

 

[old mole]

Makes my day to read Mr Harris review. I have it currently but...saving it. See we got Thanksgiving break coming up, in the blink of an eye really.
and on the day during the break when I have all my students 100 plus speeches graded(online of course, think of it, public speaking, online, what a world) but I digress.
I intend to have a Mann-Stewart Marathon since I know have them all in blu ray now at last. So Starting with Winchester and ending that particular week with Night Passage, ( I know that Mann didn't direct that one but it sure feels like a Mann-Stewart western that I always include it in my mind, and actually it really is a good one. Maybe not great, but def good. ) Spur was the one I thought might never appear so this so far has been a good year. And I know it won't be a disappointment! Old guy pleasures you know. We gotta make the most of em.

To my knowledge Winchester is not out yet on Blu-ray. Hope I'm Wrong.

 

[dpippel]

To my knowledge Winchester is not out yet on Blu-ray. Hope I'm Wrong.

Not yet, but it's available to stream in HD on various services, including iTunes...

 

[OliverK]

Winchester 73 has been out for some time now in Germany and I think there is also a review on DVD Beaver:

See on Amazon


Not the same quality of course as what Warner has provided for The Naked Spur but I am pretty sure it will be better than the streaming versions.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

It’s from the same master as the streaming versions. I bought the streaming version one of the times iTunes had it onsale for $4.99 and I’m very pleased with it.

 

[Santee7]

yes I paid the price for the German version- I need hard copies, here in Big Spring Texas we don't always have the best streaming, mucho buffering. And it do look good. I first saw the remake of Winchester, ( it also has Dan Duryea in it) and didn't like it at all. One night found the original on late night, the midnight movie and loved it. Though it was a snowy picture that was "in and out" . But I loved it. A truly great western. Later I had a poor vhs transfer and it was the film I first bought on laser disc as it had a sorta commentary by Jimmy Stewart. He didn't really say much, the "host" kept asking questions like "theres Tony Curtis, do you remember him?" "Yes. he showed up, knew his words, did his job. Yes he did." That was about it. Jimmy said the same about Rock Hudson and Mcintire. Not a great commentary the host guy really sucked and Jimmy was elderly but the picture for its time was great, but this blu ray is, comparitively amazing. Not as good as Warners if they did the job, I'm sure, but still the best I've seen so far.

 

[jim_falconer]

Just finished watching the BD of this incredible film. Amazing experience. Everything about this film is top notch…direction, acting, cinematography, the list goes on and on.

 

[mskaye]

Just finished watching the BD of this incredible film. Amazing experience. Everything about this film is top notch…direction, acting, cinematography, the list goes on and on.

Agree with you! It's a revelation and the WBA transfer is amazing. One of my top viewing experiences of anything in 2022.

 

[Dick]

Agree with you! It's a revelation and the WBA transfer is amazing. One of my top viewing experiences of anything in 2022.

I wish Universal would re-do FAR COUNTRY and BEND OF THE RIVER, both of which have mediocre transfers of Technicolor movies, and give us WINCHESTER 73. Then, Paramount, perhaps you will give us THE TIN STAR. Anthony Mann still hasn't been given the TLC he deserves.

 

[jim_falconer]

Really incredible to see Stewart and Meeker doing their own stunts in some shots. Climbing rock ledges or forging rivers. Gosh, this movie is so darn good. The saying “they don’t make em like that anymore” could sure be used as a reference to this film

 

[OliverK]

I wish Universal would re-do FAR COUNTRY and BEND OF THE RIVER, both of which have mediocre transfers of Technicolor movies, and give us WINCHESTER 73. Then, Paramount, perhaps you will give us THE TIN STAR. Anthony Mann still hasn't been given the TLC he deserves.

Too little TLC indeed.

Anthony Mann was a very visual film maker, much more so than others so many of his movies will benefit more from a great Blu-ray release than movies of other directors.

Yet really great looking Mann movies like THE LAST FRONTIER, EL CID and FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE look very bad on Blu-ray and others like THE TIN STAR are missing completely.

Time to change that my dear studios and rights holders.

 

[mskaye]

Too little TLC indeed.

Anthony Mann was a very visual film maker, much more so than others so many of his movies will benefit more from a great Blu-ray release than movies of other directors.

Yet really great looking Mann movies like THE LAST FRONTIER, EL CID and FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE look very bad on Blu-ray and others like THE TIN STAR are missing completely.

Time to change that my dear studios and rights holders.

And his noirs of course -T MEN and RAW DEAL-both avail in great blu ray transfers. With cinematography by the great John Alton. Visionary stuff. You see that visual style in The Naked Spur. Great compositions and unique non-cliche framing. Every character clearly defined.

 

[OliverK]

And his noirs of course -T MEN and RAW DEAL-both avail in great blu ray transfers. With cinematography by the great John Alton. Visionary stuff. You see that visual style in The Naked Spur. Great compositions and unique non-cliche framing. Every character clearly defined.

Yes, those are among the really good releases of Mann movies, off the top of my hat:

T-Men
Raw Deal
The Furies
The Naked Spur
Strategic Air Command
The Man From Laramie
Cimarron