Herb Kane
Screenwriter
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- May 7, 2001
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John Ford is best known for his memorable series of classic western films (Stagecoach, The Searchers), however, and ironically, his impressive four Best Director Academy Awards were for titles outside the western genre; The Informer (included in this set), The Grapes of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley and The Quiet Man.
Sergeant Rutledge
Ford crafts the story of Sergeant Rutledge (Woody Strode), a 9th Cavalry officer on trial for rape and murder in 1866. Lt. Cantrell (Jeffrey Hunter) defends Rutledge as witnesses give testimony (relived in flashbacks) revealing the sergeant's gallantry - and the shocking truth behind the alleged crimes. Ford, who attacked racism in The Searchers, explores similar territory in this landmark Western, the power of which still rings out with uncommon force decades later.
Mary of Scotland
Directed by the legendary John Ford and adapted from Maxwell Anderson's powerful play, Mary of Scotland gave Katharine Hepburn (Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story) one of her finest early roles. Both fierce and fragile as the headstrong queen, Hepburn is brilliantly matched by Fredric March (Anna Karenina, I Married a Witch) as her courageous lover Bothwell and by Florence Eldridge (March's real life wife) as Elizabeth, who is everything Mary is not: physically plain, politically shrewd...and victorious.
Cheyenne Autumn
The last Western from director John Ford ranks as one of his most ambitious and moving works. Ford outfits his Trail-of-Tears-like saga with a strong cast, stunning cinematography by long-time collaborator William Clothier and a stirring Alex North score. To play the Cheyenne nation desperately struggling to return to the Yellowstone homeland across 1,500 treacherous miles, Ford recruited hundreds of Navajo tribesmen, many of them veterans of Ford movies dating back to 1939's Stagecoach. The location (which Ford used for the ninth time) is "John Ford Country" - the canyons, buttes and mesas of Monument Valley. Cheyenne Autumn is compassionate, epic artistry from one of Hollywood's most revered filmmakers.
Its all-star cast was headed by Richard Widmark (The Alamo, How the West was Won), Carroll Baker (Baby Doll, Harlow), Karl Malden (On the Waterfront, Gypsy), Sal Mineo (Rebel Without a Cause, Exodus), Dolores Del Rio (Wonder Bar, The Fugitive), Ricardo Montalban (Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn, "Fantasy Island") and Gilbert Roland (Our Betters, The French Line).
The Informer
In this RKO film set in Dublin circa 1922, John Ford earned his first Best Director Academy Award and star Victor McLaglen took home a Best Actor statuette. Timely in its portrait of murderous political strife between occupier and insurgent and timeless in its exploration of the tortured netherworld of human guilt, The Informer is filmmaking for the ages.
The Lost Patrol
Filmed in the scorching Arizona desert, John Ford guides this powerful tale of men and mortality set in World War I Mesopotamia. Victor McLaglen, who would claim the following year's Best Actor (1935) Oscar® as Ford's protagonist in The Informer, plays a stalwart sergeant who takes charge as he and his men try to escape the unseen snipers who felled their captain. Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) is a religious firebrand whose zeal turns to feverish madness. And the unforgiving terrain is as much an enemy as the snipers it conceals.
The Features:
Sergeant Rutledge 3.5/5 :star::star::star:1/2
Mary of Scotland 2.5/5 :star::star:1/2
Cheyenne Autumn 3.5/5 :star::star::star:1/2
The Informer 4/5 :star::star::star::star:
The Lost Patrol 3.5/5 :star::star::star:1/2
Video:
The weakest or perhaps more accurately put, most weathered of the group is The Lost Patrol (which starts with windowboxed credits - in fact all three of the earlier B&W titles start with windowboxed credits) is presented in 1.33:1 and shows reasonably well. You'll notice some heavy grain and a fair amount of shimmer (presumably due to shrinkage) which is more noticeable during the lighter background shots (i.e. shots with the desert in the background). Image detail is excellent - on par with what we would expect for a film 70 years old, and the grayscale is satisfactory. Contrast and shadow detail are fine. There are more marks and blemishes here than I was anticipating, but still, given the period, this is a fine effort. The Informer is a definite step up in terms of a cleaner image with terrific blacks and exceptional detail. The image is still somewhat jittery but not as noticeable as The Lost Patrol. Mary scores slightly higher marks with a cleaner print, superior grayscale and a slightly more stable image.
Sergeant Rutledge shows up in it's OAR of 1.85:1 enhanced for widescreen and looks very good. Colors are vivid - but slightly less than vibrant - though skin tones are slightly pasty. Blacks and shadow detail are excellent. Image detail is terrific and the film is full of texture. The print appears mostly clean and stable. Cheyenne Autumn - GORGEOUS. Presented in it's OAR of 2.20:1, this transfer has everything going for it; fantastic color, smashing blacks and razor sharp definition. The print is exceptionally clean and terrifically textured with plenty of depth. Most definitely the crown jewel of the collection in terms of video.
Overall Video: 4/5
:star::star::star::star:
Audio:
I found my notes relating to the audio portion of these films rather redundant, so I'll summarize the grade overall. The three older films are most similar in terms of fidelity. A faint amount of hiss can be heard throughout; however, it never becomes distracting or bothersome. The overall depth of the track is rather thin and dialogue can be slightly on the edgy side, however, these are mere limitations of the period rather than problematic transfers. SR is slightly more forward with a greater sense of fidelity and heft to the dialogue which was always bold and intelligible. The track was absolutely clean and free of any hiss or other noisy distractions. Similar, is the track for CA, which is presented in stereo with the original track intact. The track does a good job at providing the audio portion of this film - very nice.
Overall Audio: 3.5/5
:star::star::star:1/2
Special Features:
Not a lot here in terms of special features. The set looks like this:
The Informer
The Informer: Out of the Fog is a short but informative featurette which discusses the premise of the film and the various influences Murnau and Lang had on Ford and his handling of the film. The production is also discussed including the set, the film's miniscule budget and the film’s colorful star, Victor McLaglen. Among others, Peter Bogdanovich appears relating various Ford anecdotes. Duration: 9:59 minutes.
The Theatrical Trailer is also included and shows fine - albeit contrasty and slightly soft. Duration: 1:25 minutes.
Sergeant Rutledge
The only feature present here is the Theatrical Trailer which looks slightly muddy and is presented in full screen. Duration: 2:26 minutes.
Cheyenne Autumn
First up is a Commentary By Joseph McBride. The John Ford researcher and biographer is probably more qualified than anyone on the planet to provide two+ hours of running Ford trivia and information. McBride starts with a brief overview of Ford's film career and his emphasis on the western genre. He spends a great deal of time talking about the treatment of Indians in Ford's films and the general perception (or acceptance) of movie-goers at the time and how that theme became almost obsessive to him over time. Though the commentary isn't all that scene specific, Mr. McBride offers up a boatload of information relating to Ford and his film.
Narrated by Jimmy Stewart, Cheyenne Autumn Trail is a featurette which focuses on the Cheyenne Indian band - which is presented in fullscreen. Duration: 18:36 minutes.
And lastly, the Theatrical Trailer appears here and shows in excellent condition. Duration: 4:34 minutes.
Special Features: 3/5
:star::star::star:
**Special Features rated for the quality of supplements, not the quantity**
Final Thoughts:
Described as "the greatest director who ever lived" by Ingmar Bergman and "the greatest poet movies have given us" by Orson Welles, there is very little room for argument that John Ford was responsible for some of the greatest American films ever produced - period. Known for his simplistic style, Ford perfected the "invisible technique" whereby making the audience forget they were watching a movie. Nominated for an astounding seven Academy Awards (and winner of four), Warner Home Video finally brings many of Ford's earlier works to DVD and has given them their just due. Though the Collection is light on special features (and that's forgivable given the content and era), the presentations surpassed my wildest expectations. June 6th is a big day for Ford fans and I can't imagine any fan of classic film not being interested in this important set.
Overall Rating: 4/5 (not an average)
:star::star::star::star:
Recommended...!!
Release Date: June 6th, 2006