MGM and 20th Century Fox have announced a few more 50s Westerns for their MGM Limited Edition Collection. George Montgomery and Bel-Air Productions feature prominently in this batch. While it’s terrific to have these pictures available, most of the transfers thus far have been full-frame rather than the 1.85 ratio that was becoming standard (and still is today) — and that make good use of our new widescreen TVs.
Robbers’ Roost (1955, above) stars George Montgomery, Richard Boone, Bruce Bennett, Warren Stevens (who passed away a week or so ago) and Peter Graves. Based on a Zane Grey novel, it was directed by Sidney Salkow. Montgomery’s Westerns from the latter part of the 50s are a mixed bag. This one isn’t one of his best — I’d recommend Masterson Of Kansas (1954) and Black Patch (1957). His hat in this one is really, really cool.
Tomahawk Trail (1957) puts Chuck Conners in a Bel-Air picture directed by Lesley Selander. This was one of Harry Dean Stanton’s first films.
War Drums (1957) stars Lex Barker, Joan Taylor (who also recently passed), Ben Johnson and Stuart Whitman. Reginald LeBorg directed for Bel-Air Productions.
Toughest Gun In Tombstone (1958) is another George Montgomery picture, with support from Beverly Tyler, Don Beddoe, Jim Davis and Hank Worden. It was directed by Earl Bellamy.
Noose For A Gunman (1960) comes from director Edward L. Cahn and stars Jim Davis, Ted De Corsia, Barton MacLane, Lyn Thomas, Harry Carey, Jr. and Kermit Maynard. It runs a brief 69 minutes — my kinda movie.
Thanks to Paula for passing along the announcement.
Last year I had a long e-mail discussion with a rep from Allied-Vaughn, which manufactures the MGM Limited Collection discs, about the open matte transfers for their (mostly) 1950s titles. The specific title under discussion was Rebel in Town and I had contacted him in advance of its DVD release to complain about the open matte transfer of a film that played in theaters in 1:85. He conveyed the information to the people at MGM and then replied they had searched for a 1:85 master but couldn’t find one, so open matte it would remain. In other words, unlike the Warner Archive Collection or Sony/Columbia Classics, which will remaster a film to make sure it’s released in its proper aspect ratio, MGM will hand over to Allied-Vaughn whatever is on the shelf with the advisory before the movie starts that they used the “best available material” (or words to that effect) as their excuse. It’s a miracle that Fort Bowie was released in 1:85 but I’m sure it’s only because for some unknown reason they actually already had a widescreen video master available. Nonetheless, I am especially looking forward to War Drums (even open matte) for obvious (Ben Johnson!) reasons. Plus I get a retro kick out of its bizarrely inconsistent treatment of the female lead, beautiful, tempestuous Joan Taylor. She is abducted by hunky, body-shaved Lex Barker, the world’s most Caucasian Indian ever, who treats her like she’s his favorite new piece of livestock — but after turning down a trade proposal from Johnson (rifle for girl!) he decides to train Taylor to be a female warrior and marries her! Love conquers all or something. Reginald LeBorg didn’t think much of this movie, apparently; in a book of interviews about his films he barely has a word about it.
P.S. Sorry, I guess I should have included a spoiler warning for the above — but actually the Barker-Taylor marriage in War Drums takes place fairly quickly; the rest of the story has to do with the breakdown of relations between the local white people, the authorities, and the Apaches. Barker plays Mangas Coloradas, who was a real-life leader of the Apaches, and there actually are scenes in the film based (loosely) on historical events.
RUNNING TARGET (1956), a modern day Western is also in the mix.
Never seen that one. Sounds good.
Susan Cummings in Tomahawk Trail is offered a calvary trooper’s uniform in order to get out of her dirty dress by Chuck Conners but doesn’t offer the Indian princess the same courtesy of putting on a clean calvary trooper’s uniform. Susan readily accepts putting on men’s pants and tall riding boots.; the pants of course fits her like stretch stirrup ski pants or ” glove ” . Susan is now a sexy cross-dresser and is accosted by a young trooper who can’t resist her feminine form being displayed so emphatically. She kills him and Chuck Conners orders the dead trooper’s body to be discarded like it was a piece of trash. The dead trooper was only acting naturally towards a seductive woman. Chuck Connors now can’t keep his hands off of her as she wears soldier’s skin tight unifm , especially the r