The latest installment in the Universal Vault program, offered through Amazon, includes Man In The Shadow (1957), directed by Jack Arnold in black and white CinemaScope (a favorite combination). It’s a modern-day Western starring Jeff Chandler and Orson Welles, and it’s quite good.
Also available is Joel McCrea in The Virginian (1946). It’s not a 50 Western, but it’s got Joel McCrea in it. And that’s good enough for me.
May 2nd seems to be the release date.
Man in the Shadow isn’t bad at all. I have the German DVD, which I should be featuring in a week or so.
BTW, Universal released The Virginian in the UK years ago and it can be had for very little expense.
The Southern Storms have really started making the news
big-time over here in Blighty.Even more surprising because
we are all caught up in Royal Wedding Mania!
As Colin mentions its a pity Universal decided to release
“The Virginian” especially as the UK version can be purchased for peanuts on Amazon!
I have always wondered about “The Virginian” it was the
first film directed by editor Stuart Gilmore. The film was a
huge hit in its day yet Gilmore went on to direct little
else. (a couple of Tim Holts,”The Half Breed” and a cheapo
sci-fi thing.) I have often wondered if anyone else had a
hand in directing it.In those days directors of hits were usually flooded with work offers.Gilmore was a top editor
at Fox during the Fifties.
What a shame Universal did not see fit to release one of
McCreas Fifties Westerns like “The Lone Hand” or “Saddle
Tramp” two personal favourites of mine.
Ive asked this question elsewhere but does anyone
have the lowdown on “Ghost Town” (1956) or “Oklahoma
Territory” (1960) With all the Western channels you guys
have over there somebody must have seen them! The
films are coming up from MGM in May but I feel that I should
proceed with caution;they are a bit too obscure even for me!
Always liked MAN IN THE SHADOW, even if it’s not very good. Supposedly Orson Welles agreed to be in it as part of the bargain that permitted him to direct TOUCH OF EVIL, so I’ve always seen the Arnold film as a sort of “bonus feature” to that.