Here’s Gloria Talbott, Fred MacMurray and the great John Dierkes in The Oregon Trail (1959), which after much speculation and lots of blog-commenting time, is finally available from the Fox Cinema Archives MOD program. As one of the CinemaScope films Lippert Pictures produced for 20th Century-Fox in the late 50s (The Fly was one, too), it’s something I’m looking forward to.
Though I’m thrilled about this release, which has been officially listed as widescreen, I have a gripe. If what you see at left is indeed what the packaging looks like, I’m disappointed. A quick Google image search turns up better stuff than that — in color, too. Maybe they should reach out to the collector community — namely, us — for access to better material.
Thanks to John Knight for the tip.
On a completely unrelated note: my daughter and I watched a couple episodes of The Lone Ranger last night — one with James H. Griffith and the other with Hank Worden. What a treat.
I didn’t know that THE FLY was a Lippert. I thought it was a real first class “A” Fox production even if it is a sci-fi/horror movie–it certainly looks it. Not the usual Fox main feature, but one of their best and most moving of the 50s–for me a masterpiece in its genre and whatever his good work in other movies it elevates Kurt Neumann (who died right about the time his career peaked with this) suggesting richer gifts as a director than we would have expected.
Ok, I guess I’ve ridden off trail…
Yep, it was done by the Lippert folks. It’s a really good film and certainly holds up.
Blake, I hope you’re stoked about some concrete news on The Oregon Trail.
Yes, I’m stoked, especially after remembering that Gene Fowler Jr. directed the excellent SHOWDOWN AT BOOT HILL and I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE.
I want Showdown At Boot Hill so bad I can taste it. Hurry up, Olive!
MacMurray was doing a western marathon in 1959. Two others: GOOD DAY FOR A HANGING and FACE OF A FUGITIVE.
Those are both terrific films, and this blog’s gotten a lotta mileage out of them!
Eh, it wouldn’t be MOD without shitty box art!
Guys,I hope you are not expecting TOO much from THE OREGON TRAIL.
In terms of quality it is nowhere near QUANTEZ,FACE OF A FUGITIVE
or I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE.
The film was part of a deal Fox had with Lippert to run in tandem with
the Regalscope pictures.
This meant a few bigger budget films were part of the mix:CATTLE
EMPIRE,SIERRA BARON,FORTY GUNS,CHINA GATE,DESIRE IN THE
DUST and so on. And of course THE FLY.
Kurt Neumann was an interesting director. He toiled away in B films for
nearly two decades. Then in the early Fifties he did several films for
Universal on bigger budgets. His two Universal Westerns (THE KID FROM
TEXAS,CATTLE DRIVE) looked great.
Neumann however during the Fifties mostly worked for independent
producers (Lippert,King Brothers,Alperson) He wanted to do the type
of films that interested him (Sci-Fi,Native American sagas)
Sadly these producers could not afford him the type of budgets he needed
so he ended up making HIAWATHA for Allied Artists and THE DEERSLAYER
for Lippert. OK I know these film are probably not very good but I would
love to see them! His two Lippert Sci-Films ROCKETSHIP XM and
KRONOS look terrific and look far more expensive than they actually
were. KRONOS a Regalscope film in widescreen looks stunning!
Olive Films say they are going to release SHE DEVIL a Sci-Fi Horror
film and one of the very best Regalscopes.
The Lipperts usually liked to use young hungry directors (Sam Fuller,
Allen Miner,Bill Claxton,Maurey Dexter,Elmo Williams)
Though Neumann was a veteran by the time he worked for Lippert they
knew here was a guy who worked fast…..real fast;and could make
something out of nothing.
Neumann has other interesting stuff in his portfolio; THE RING
a boxing/racial drama worthy of re-discovery. Also his last picture the
jungle film WATUSI starring George Montgomery. Hopefully a
widescreen version from Warner Archive will not be too long in coming.
With THE FLY Lippert gave him more money to play with;about three
times the cost of the average Regalscope epic! The film was a huge
box office smash! As Blake says I am sure had Neumann lived doors
would have opened for him. Oddly enough the popular Winnetou
Euro Westerns starring Lex Barker (and Stewart Granger) would have
been right up Neumanns street!
It would seem that Lou Lumenick of the New York Post is the best
source as to whats coming in MOD land! He has already given us a taster
of the October Fox Archive releases. Only one Western this time
THE SECOND TIME AROUND with Debbie Reynolds and Andy Griffith.
Have not seen this one………….any good?
There is also a post Regalscope Lippert film from API;THUNDER ISLAND
written by Jack Nicholson of all people. All the API films were made in
Cinemascope but the ones Fox Archives have released so far have all
been pan & scans……….disgusting!
A widescreen version of THUNDER ISLAND seem unlikely;and thats a
shame because there is a ton of interesting API titles in the Fox vaults.
Mr Lumenick also informs us that Warner Archive will soon release
THE TREASURE OF MONTE CRISTO a British swashbuckler starring
Rory Calhoun in color and Dyaliscope!
I am a total sucker for this oddball stuff.
Now Mr Blake Lucas, many thanks for pointing me towards THE
SLEEPING CITY in our recent George Sherman appreciation comments
a while back. I found the film a total knockout. The rooftop scene you
mentioned with Richard Conte and Coleen Gray was pure magic!
Also tracked down THE RAGING TIDE which starts off as classic Noir
then becomes a fisherman saga,but very interesting nonetheless,one
of Shermans most offbeat films. Now i have to track down TARGET
UNKNOWN and SPY HUNT among others!
I am on a real Alex Nicol kick at the moment;aside from the Sherman
titles I have been watching a few of his British thrillers or Brit Noirs
as people call them these days. I really want someone to give us
a widescreen version of GREAT DAY IN THE MORNING.
Also the Euro Western THE SAVAGE GUNS that apart from Nicol also
starred Richard Basehart and Don Taylor. I hope a Warner Archive
DVD will be sooner rather than later.
Hey, John, glad you liked THE SLEEPING CITY.
I believe this was Alex Nicol’s debut wasn’t it? And of course, Sherman directed him a number of times, especially interesting character for me being the gunman in DAWN AT SOCORRO, another of my favorite Shermans. Sure wish that would get a DVD release.
GREAT DAY IN THE MORNING is a beauty (what Tourneur Western isn’t?) and I guess there’s no need to mention Nicol’s important role in one of the greatest of all Westerns, THE MAN FROM LARAMIE.
A friend sent me a lovely “off air” copy of SON OF ROBIN HOOD this
weekend.Like OREGON TRAIL this film was part of the Fox/Lippert deal.
Also its in the batch of films released by Foxs MOD imprint.
As a George Sherman completest I knew this film was going to be a minor
entry. However I was most amazed to discover how good the film actually is.
Even as a pan & scan it looks great;I just wonder how much better it would
be in widescreen. Its lightweight to be sure but Sherman keeps the film
moving at such a clip you just go along with it.The tongue in cheek stuff
is well balanced with darker elements;dungeons,torture chambers and the
like. Its fun to see Sherman away from his home turf working with a stellar
cast of Brits (apart from leading man Al (David) Hedison)
The players enter into the spirit of the thing I really liked Delphi Lawrence
who plays a sort of 13th Century cougar!
The climatic swordfight between Hedison and David Farrar is a doozy as
you Americans say (love that word!)
Had the Fox MOD been widescreen as opposed to pan & scan I would
have been happy to pay the asking price;dreadful artwork and all.
Will these people ever learn!
Over here in the UK the film played as a main feature supported by a
Regalscope Western;FRONTIER GUN I believe.
We mentioned Kurt Neumann earlier and i have since found out that
HIAWATHA was in fact the last Monogram picture. Sadly it is also
considered to be lost. Apart from his producer/director role at Regalscope/
Fox he also wrote the script for Elmo Williams very fine APACHE WARRIOR
one of the very best Regalscope Westerns;I would love to get a
widescreen version of that.
Has anyone noticed that the Warner Archive have just released a fine
batch of Swashbucklers. Oddly enough the last Flynn Swashbuckler is
not included. (THE WARRIORS a.k.a THE DARK AVENGER.)
While a far cry from Flynns glory days at least its as good as several
films in the batch Warners have just released.
Another Allied Artists film that should have been included is Lesley Selanders
THE HIGHWAYMAN;his only entry in that genre and reputedly very good.
We certainly need more Allied Artists titles from The Archive.
Just in case anyone is still reading this thread;the dreaded Sidonis now
have SAGA OF HEMP BROWN listed for 2013;it was announced this year
but vanished. Hopefully Llamentol in Spain will also release the film;
they normally release Sidonis titles at a later date. Llamentol DVDs do
not have those “forced” subtitles that we all hate so much.
Also Sidonis are due to release THE WONDERFUL COUNTRY on Blu-Ray!
John k, there is a Broadway, Meir, Stoke-on-Trent, programme card for August, 1959, on my flickr photostream that advertises the programme “The Son of Robin Hood” / “Frontier Gun”. It’s about time that “The Sign of Zorro” was released on DVD as well. The programme card, which I picked up at the time in the Broadway foyer when I was 12 and a half, is now over 53 years old.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35455749@N06/5519586939/