Universal has just released on DVD Classic Western Round-up Volumes 1 and 2. I have had an opportunity to view all the films in each volume. Universal deserves a pat on the back for having done a great job in the presentation of thse films. The transfers appear to be stunning. The picture quality is unsurpassed.
Each volume consists of 4 western films presented in one case on 2 separate discs. There are two films on each disc, however the films are all on the same side, so you have no potential for the kind of problems that sometimes occur on some DVD players when you have films on both sides of the disc. I would expect that these films will play flawlessly on any player. The 2 discs are also expertly placed in each case in a way to ensure against the possibility of stratching.
All of the 8 films on these 2 volumes are entertaining.
The highlight of the entire collection is "Canyon Passage" contained in Volume 1. Canyon Passage was brilliantly directed by Jacques Tourneur ("Out of the Past", "Stars In My Crown", "Cat People", "I Walked With A Zombie", "Night of the Demon", etc). It is based on a novel by one of the foremost western writers, Ernest Haycox, who also wrote the source material for John Ford's "Stagecoach" and for such other westerns as Union Pacific, Man In the Saddle, Bugles in the Afternoon, etc. Canyon Passage is a very intelligent and literate western with a feel of authenticity about it. It is also one of the greatest examples of technicolor you could ever hope to see, and the presentation on this DVD is visually striking. Canyon Passage also features some outstanding original songs by Hoagy Carmichal, which are effectively incorporated into the score. The acting is remarkably effective. Dana Andrews is as good in this film as he was the same year in The Best Years of Our Lives, in which Hoagy Carmichael also effectively co-starred. Ward Bond gives perhaps the best villanious performance of his career. Lloyd Bridges has never been better in a key supporting role. Andy Devine not only gives his usual great and amiable supporting peformance, his real life children also appear as his children in the movie. Although Brian Donlevy often played the villain, he does it in a very unique and atypcial fashion in this film. Susan Hayward is great as usual, and looks terrrific in technicolor. The film also imported one of England's most popular and beautiful actresses, Patricia Roc for a key role, and she is quite effective. All in all this is not only one of the greatest and underappreciated westerns of all time, it is one of the great films of the 1940's. I doubt you will see a better example of 1940's film making released on DVD this year. I'm actually glad to see it released in this kind of format, instead of on its own, because more people who were not previously aware of this film, will hopefully discover it by buying it as part of this collection.
Volume 1 also contains a strong Raoul Walsh western, "The Lawless Breed". Raoul Walsh has proved himself to be the greatest of all action directors ("They Died With Their Boots On", "Captain Horatio Hornblower", "White Heat", "The Roaring Twenties", 'The Bowery", "'They Drive By Night", "High Sierra", "Pursued", "Colorado Territory", "The Tall Men", "Gentleman Jim". etc),
and he doesn't disappoint here, though one might argue that Rock Hudson is miscast in the lead as John Wesley Hardin. Julie Adams is wonderful as usual, and another highlight is the dual performance of the great character actor, John McIntire. The picture quality on this DVD is superlative, which greatly adds to the enjoyment of this film.
Volume 1 also features the King Vidor directed epic western "The Texas Rangers", starring Fred McMurray, who does a solid job as usual. This film had been slated for Paramount's biggest star, Gary Cooper, so it has the big budget and high production values behind it. Its an above average western, though the script is not without its flaws. This is a black and white film. The picture quality on this DVD is outstanding, and they even throw in the old film trailer from 1936.
The other film on Volume 1, Kansas Raiders is an early Audie Murphy film, in which he is playing a young Jesse James. Once again the picture quality is outstanding. This film is from 1950. I personally prefer the films Audie Murphy did for Universal in the late 1950's such as "Seven Ways From Sundown" and "No Name on the Bullet", however this film in enjoyable. Hollywood routinely stretched the historical truth in its western filmaking, however they went way over the top in this film. If you don't mind overlooking those kind of flaws the film is fun.
I would also recommend Volume 2. The best film in that volume is Budd Boetticher's "The Man From the Alamo'. which is aided by an outstanding performance by Glenn Ford in the lead role (he always seems to do a good job). I think it is the best of Boetticher's westerns which don't feature Randolph Scott (i.e Seven Men From Now, The Tall T, Comanche Station, Ride Lonesome, etc.). The picture quality is outstanding, and there is a fine score form the old pro Frank Skinner.
I believe that Universal has in these two volumes set the standard for the presentation of classic western films on DVD. After seeng these two volumes my main regret is that Univeral doesn't have all that many more top notch unreleasd western films left in its library. Now that they have mastered the presentation, one wishes that they could have more top notch western films to present in this superlative fashion. They do have some good Joel Mcrea westerns from the early 1950's such as "Lone Hand", "Cattle Drive", "Saddle Tramp", etc, but outside of those, and a few others, their remaining supply is fairly thin. Maybe, Lions Gate and/or Paramount would be willing to sublicense the numerous classic Republic and other westerns in its library (i.e. "Ramrod", "Johnny Guitar", "Ride the Man Down", "Pursued, "Four Faces West", "South of St. Louis", "Angel and the Badman", etc to Universal so that these films can be at long last released in the proper fashion. Perhaps, Sony, which quit releasing westerns a couple of years ago, will license its remaining numerous unreleased classic Columbia westerns to Universal. If anything, Universal has at least shown these other companies how it can be done, and the proper way to do it.
c Jim Bur
Each volume consists of 4 western films presented in one case on 2 separate discs. There are two films on each disc, however the films are all on the same side, so you have no potential for the kind of problems that sometimes occur on some DVD players when you have films on both sides of the disc. I would expect that these films will play flawlessly on any player. The 2 discs are also expertly placed in each case in a way to ensure against the possibility of stratching.
All of the 8 films on these 2 volumes are entertaining.
The highlight of the entire collection is "Canyon Passage" contained in Volume 1. Canyon Passage was brilliantly directed by Jacques Tourneur ("Out of the Past", "Stars In My Crown", "Cat People", "I Walked With A Zombie", "Night of the Demon", etc). It is based on a novel by one of the foremost western writers, Ernest Haycox, who also wrote the source material for John Ford's "Stagecoach" and for such other westerns as Union Pacific, Man In the Saddle, Bugles in the Afternoon, etc. Canyon Passage is a very intelligent and literate western with a feel of authenticity about it. It is also one of the greatest examples of technicolor you could ever hope to see, and the presentation on this DVD is visually striking. Canyon Passage also features some outstanding original songs by Hoagy Carmichal, which are effectively incorporated into the score. The acting is remarkably effective. Dana Andrews is as good in this film as he was the same year in The Best Years of Our Lives, in which Hoagy Carmichael also effectively co-starred. Ward Bond gives perhaps the best villanious performance of his career. Lloyd Bridges has never been better in a key supporting role. Andy Devine not only gives his usual great and amiable supporting peformance, his real life children also appear as his children in the movie. Although Brian Donlevy often played the villain, he does it in a very unique and atypcial fashion in this film. Susan Hayward is great as usual, and looks terrrific in technicolor. The film also imported one of England's most popular and beautiful actresses, Patricia Roc for a key role, and she is quite effective. All in all this is not only one of the greatest and underappreciated westerns of all time, it is one of the great films of the 1940's. I doubt you will see a better example of 1940's film making released on DVD this year. I'm actually glad to see it released in this kind of format, instead of on its own, because more people who were not previously aware of this film, will hopefully discover it by buying it as part of this collection.
Volume 1 also contains a strong Raoul Walsh western, "The Lawless Breed". Raoul Walsh has proved himself to be the greatest of all action directors ("They Died With Their Boots On", "Captain Horatio Hornblower", "White Heat", "The Roaring Twenties", 'The Bowery", "'They Drive By Night", "High Sierra", "Pursued", "Colorado Territory", "The Tall Men", "Gentleman Jim". etc),
and he doesn't disappoint here, though one might argue that Rock Hudson is miscast in the lead as John Wesley Hardin. Julie Adams is wonderful as usual, and another highlight is the dual performance of the great character actor, John McIntire. The picture quality on this DVD is superlative, which greatly adds to the enjoyment of this film.
Volume 1 also features the King Vidor directed epic western "The Texas Rangers", starring Fred McMurray, who does a solid job as usual. This film had been slated for Paramount's biggest star, Gary Cooper, so it has the big budget and high production values behind it. Its an above average western, though the script is not without its flaws. This is a black and white film. The picture quality on this DVD is outstanding, and they even throw in the old film trailer from 1936.
The other film on Volume 1, Kansas Raiders is an early Audie Murphy film, in which he is playing a young Jesse James. Once again the picture quality is outstanding. This film is from 1950. I personally prefer the films Audie Murphy did for Universal in the late 1950's such as "Seven Ways From Sundown" and "No Name on the Bullet", however this film in enjoyable. Hollywood routinely stretched the historical truth in its western filmaking, however they went way over the top in this film. If you don't mind overlooking those kind of flaws the film is fun.
I would also recommend Volume 2. The best film in that volume is Budd Boetticher's "The Man From the Alamo'. which is aided by an outstanding performance by Glenn Ford in the lead role (he always seems to do a good job). I think it is the best of Boetticher's westerns which don't feature Randolph Scott (i.e Seven Men From Now, The Tall T, Comanche Station, Ride Lonesome, etc.). The picture quality is outstanding, and there is a fine score form the old pro Frank Skinner.
I believe that Universal has in these two volumes set the standard for the presentation of classic western films on DVD. After seeng these two volumes my main regret is that Univeral doesn't have all that many more top notch unreleasd western films left in its library. Now that they have mastered the presentation, one wishes that they could have more top notch western films to present in this superlative fashion. They do have some good Joel Mcrea westerns from the early 1950's such as "Lone Hand", "Cattle Drive", "Saddle Tramp", etc, but outside of those, and a few others, their remaining supply is fairly thin. Maybe, Lions Gate and/or Paramount would be willing to sublicense the numerous classic Republic and other westerns in its library (i.e. "Ramrod", "Johnny Guitar", "Ride the Man Down", "Pursued, "Four Faces West", "South of St. Louis", "Angel and the Badman", etc to Universal so that these films can be at long last released in the proper fashion. Perhaps, Sony, which quit releasing westerns a couple of years ago, will license its remaining numerous unreleased classic Columbia westerns to Universal. If anything, Universal has at least shown these other companies how it can be done, and the proper way to do it.
c Jim Bur
