A tornado, actually more than one, touched down in Raleigh this afternoon, knocking down lots of trees and leaving lots of people without power (and homes) — and causing a lot of damage around Shaw University.
We were out running errands and ducked into a Walmart when things started looking bad. While we were there, I spent some time in the DVDs and found this four-picture Universal set for $5. You get Whispering Smith (1948), Albuquerque (1948), War Arrow (1953) and The Duel At Silver Creek (1952). Not bad for a buck-and-a-quarter each.
There’s also a war pictures set including WAKE ISLAND (1942, Brian Donlevy), TO HELL AND BACK (1955, Audie Murphy), BATTLE HYMN (1957, Rock Hudson) and GRAY LADY DOWN (1977, Charlton Heston).
Movies Unlimited has announced a DVD set of four Audie Murphy Universal westerns coming in June 2011.
RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO, DRUMS ACROSS THE RIVER, SIERRA, and RIDE A CROOKED TRAIL.
Hope all is well at your house, sounds scary! But looks like a great DVD find.
Best wishes,
Laura
We’re all fine.
There are some really sad stories coming out of this thing, and it’s terrible to see some of Raleigh landmarks all beat up. (Shaw University has suspended classes for the rest of the semester.)
Guess I’ll always think of that DVD as what I was doing when Raleigh was falling apart.
Just viewed some of the new releases from MGM/UAs
DVD/R MOD series:
FORT MASSACRE (1958)
A really good widescreen transfer of this underrated
western.This one should have made it to DVD years ago!
DVD includes trailer.
FORT BOWIE (1958)
A real surprise this tough little programmer from the
Bel-Air fifties fun factory (bad horrors;good westerns).
DVD is very sharp and presented in widescreen.
Ben Johnson is a bit of a babe magnet in this one with
not one but two women lusting after him!
Carl Guthries photography and Les Baxters score help this
one no end.
DVD includes trailer.
FORT DEFIANCE (1951)
Excellent all-outdoors action packed little gem.
A lovely Cinecolor transfer;highly recommended.
No trailer.
I should have added that Fort Defiance was photographed
by Stanley Cortez no less!
MGM/UA have just added 4 more obscure B westerns to
their May 3 release roster!
GHOST TOWN (Allen H Miner 1956) Kent Taylor
GUN BROTHERS (Sidney Salkow 1956) Buster Crabbe
THE BRASS LEGEND (Gerd Oswald 1956) Hugh O Brian
OKLAHOMA TERRITORY (Edward L Cahn 1960)Bill Williams
Also two rare non westerns from cult directors:
PARK ROW (Sam Fuller)
THE FEARMAKERS (Jacques Tourneur)
No Fifties Westerns from Columbia in the next batch
although they do have a couple of Forties Bs from
Bill Elliott and Charles Starrett.
RETURN OF DANIEL BOONE (1941)
LARAMIE (1949)
Glad all is OK with you personally, Toby, but so very sorry to hear about the impact to your community.
Thanks to John Knight for the info on the MGM DVD-R program. Was unaware there were so many recent releases. I see that DAVY CROCKETT FRONTIER SCOUT, with George Montgomery and Ellen Drew, is also out. I have recorded FORT BOWIE and FORT DEFIANCE and look forward to seeing both.
FORT BOWIE is recorded from Encore so it’s pan & scan — am not sure of original screen ratio. I’d love to know whether or not the DVD is widescreen.
Thanks much,
Laura
Hi Laura,
The DVD of FORT BOWIE is presented in widescreen 1.1:85
the original film was not a scope picture. The DVD transfer
is very sharp.
DAVY CROCKETT INDIAN SCOUT is just an excuse to re-use
tons of stock footage;its a very cheap western with some
truly awful sets;but in a strange way its sort of a fun movie!
The cast is pretty good but I do not what Ellen Drew is doing in this nonsense;especially considering the class A movies she was doing at the time. (The Swordsman,Stars In My Crown,The Crooked Way,Man In The Saddle and so on.)
John, thanks so much for the DVD info. FORT BOWIE just went on my “buy” list, I think I’m going to wait to see the DVD instead of watching my Encore recording. I love Ben Johnson!
Thanks also for the DAVY CROCKETT feedback. I enjoy both Montgomery and Drew so sounds like it’s worth my time to watch if I know what to expect going in.
Best wishes,
Laura