Yesterday, I complained about the DVD packaging for The Oregon Trail (1959). So today, it’s nice to feature something a little more pleasing to the eye, the upcoming and highly recommended Masterson Of Kansas (1954) from the (renamed?) Choice Collection. This new template has been put to use for all their Western releases for October 2, such as Buchanan Rides Alone (1958).
Speaking of Buchanan, Laura recently wrote on the film, and found it the weakest of the Scott/Boetticher pictures. While I agree to a point — it’s certainly not as strong as, say, The Tall T (1957), seeing it as a kid might have been the beginning of my 50s Westerns obsession.
The Sony packaging blows away what Fox are offering in their MOD
series. Not only that they remaster every title and most of their post
1954 films are presented in lovely widescreen.
Fox cannot even be bothered to issue original Cinemascope films in
widescreen;so many of their scope films are dreadful pan & scans.
They have without doubt the most wretched MOD program of them all!
I enjoyed Lauras take on Buchanan;but must admit the film has kinda
grown on me over the years.
I really enjoy reading Lauras Western reviews which I find most helpful
and informative. I liked very much Lauras take on COW COUNTRY and
am trying to track this one down.I was never too keen on Edmond O
Brien as a Western lead;though I admire him greatly as an actor.
Sadly his best Western role in WARPATH was due for release by
Olive Films but I understand now has been withdrawn.
I am literally counting the days until I can get my paws on a lovely
widescreen version of MASTERSON!
I’m with ya on Masterson. Can’t wait.
Just a reminder, John, that although it’s a character role and not a lead, Edmond O’Brien had one of the best roles of his career in THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE.
Edmund O’Brien was reportedly non too fond of his western roles in the 50’s
but he was great later on in “The Wild Bunch”
Toby, thank you so much for the link, and John K, I’m very appreciative of your kind words!
Toby, loved following your link to your 2010 post, that was a neat essay. 🙂 I included a link to this post in my latest comment in the thread over at “my place.” Although I think most Boetticher-Scott fans seem to like BUCHANAN more than I did (while still not ranking it very high among their films), I always enjoy reading the different takes — especially as I always hope that I might find more to enjoy in a film on a possible later viewing. (Although those Agry bad guys were real disappointments to me…and Craig Stevens *could* have been really good with a more fleshed-out role, the potential was sure there. But I digress, LOL.)
It has obviously been too long since I last saw THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE because I had zero memory of Edmond O’Brien being in it, isn’t that amazing? I’m glad Blake mentioned that. Time to pull the DVD off the shelf and give it a fresh look for the first time in many years. I do favor the Ford films from the late ’30s through the mid ’50s over his later, more somber films, and am not sure I’ve seen LIBERTY VALANCE more than once or twice in my lifetime, whereas I’ve seen titles like his Cavalry pictures and WAGON MASTER far more times than I could ever count.
John K, hope you can get COW COUNTRY. That was such an enjoyable movie to me; I would have been happy if it had even run a little longer to flesh out the characters just a bit more, as what was on screen was so entertaining. I continue to find that there are so many interesting little-known Westerns out there to discover, the recently seen MAN OR GUN being another which brought great pleasure. It certainly makes me willing to keep trying random titles because you never know when you’ll stumble over one that’s a real winner.
I recorded MASTERSON OF KANSAS from TCM a while back but am thinking maybe I should get the DVD for my first viewing instead. 🙂 George Montgomery and Nancy Gates are A-OK in my book.
Best wishes,
Laura
Thanks to you, too, for the link to my old piece on Buchanan.
Blake’s comment on your post pretty much nails it, as I see it. It seems like a bit of a spoof of the other Ranown pictures, and very conscious of itself at times — zigging where their other films zagged.
This takes me back to the Corman/Price/Poe films I mentioned in my old post on Buchanan — after doing a number of those films, they found it necessary to play one for comedy with The Raven.
Taking that logic a bit further, is this why Martin & Lewis broke things up with The Stooge?
Laura (and everyone else), you can pre-order Masterson Of Kansas at Amazon for a good price — and use their shipping-saving thing, too.
Thanks for the tip, Toby! 🙂
PS I liked that line of yours about “zigging” and “zagging.” 🙂
Best wishes,
Laura