I’ve always felt that Fred F. Sears’ work was sadly overlooked. So what do I do when Apache Ambush (1955) is announced for DVD release? I overlooked it.
Coming out the same day (February 5) as Sears’ Ambush At Tomahawk Gap (1952), which is very good, Apache Ambush stars Bill Williams, along with Richard Jaeckel, Ray Teal, Ray “Crash” Corrigan and Tex Ritter. Its big appeal for me is James Griffith as Abe Lincoln. Can’t wait.
This year has hardly started and already its looking to be a great year
for B Movie nuts in particular.
Not to be outdone by Sony, Warner Archive has just announced a batch
of really rare Noirs on their website.Most Western fans that I know at least;
also collect Film Noir.
The two that I am really “stoked” (a Tobyism I really like) about are the
two Allied Artists B pictures MURDER IS MY BEAT and DEATH IN SMALL
DOSES both remastered in widescreen.The former is from cult director
Edgar Ulmer,the latter from the reliable Joseph Newman.
Rounding off the batch are a couple of MGM rarities CODE TWO from
Fred Wilcox (Forbidden Planet) with a dynamite cast and Roy Rowlands
SCENE OF THE CRIME.
This new FILM NOIR imprint from the archive promises much to look
forward to in the future.
Wish they’d give the same treatment to their Westerns, but noir seems pretty hip these days, and they’re right to make the most of it.
Murder Is My Beat is a good one.
Toby, thanks for the heads-up on these great Western releases, have added to my list to watch for, and thanks to John K for the great Warner Archive news. Headed straight over there to check out the new listings.
I recommend SCENE OF THE CRIME which I’ve seen twice — most recently at last year’s Noir City Fest, with Norman Lloyd in attendance — and I think it deserves more attention. A top-flight cast in a very well-done production from MGM. Universal Western fans will love seeing John McIntire in this one, the man was such a chameleon. His bespectacled, somewhat fragile detective is a total contrast from his tough grizzled mountain man in MGM’s Cavalry Western AMBUSH, made around the same time.
CODE TWO is MGM “B” movie bliss — as John K says it has a terrific cast. Hard to find a more gorgeous movie couple than Elaine Stewart and Jeff Richards, plus it’s got Keenan Wynn, Chuck Connors, James Craig, Robert Horton, Sally Forrest, Ralph Meeker. Plays kind of like a DRAGNET episode; Southern Californians may particularly enjoy the look back at an earlier time around L.A. It appeared the actors did a lot of their own motorcycle riding.
Have to check out the other titles the Archive just brought out! I agree with Toby, would love to see a special label for Warner Archive Westerns.
Best wishes,
Laura
Thanks Laura,for the much appreciated info on the two MGM titles
I simply cannot wait. CODE TWO sounds right up my street.
I am very excited about this new (ish) Archive Noir imprint.
Not only are there lurking treasures in the Warner,MGM and RKO vaults
but also I look forward to more obscure Allied Artists pictures;especially
if some of them appear in remastered widescreen.
Some Allied Artists Thrillers/Noirs I would love to see are as follows:
I have never seen the following three Coleen Gray films but would sure like
to.In JOHNNY ROCCO and HELLS FIVE HOURS Coleen is again paired with
Stephen McNally.In LAS VEGAS SHAKEDOWN she again is teamed with
Dennis O Keefe.
There are several Allied Artists thrillers directed by the interesting and
underrated Harold Schuster.PORT OF HELL stars Dane Clark and
Wayne Morris.LOOPHOLE stars Bary Sullivan and Dorothy Malone.
FINGER MAN stars Frank Lovejoy,Forrest Tucker,Peggie Castle and
Timothy Carey.There are other AA goodies like Nathan Jurans
improbable yet diverting HIGHWAY DRAGNET with Joan Bennett,
Richard Conte and Wanda Hendrix.NIGHT FREIGHT stars Forrest
Tucker and Barbara Britton and THE HUMAN JUNGLE stars Gary Merrill
and Jan Sterling and Chuck Conners.There is also THE COME ON
a film I know nothing about except that it stars Sterling Hayden and
Anne Baxter and was shot in Superscope.All I can say to the Archive
is “bring em on”
Laura,
Just read your brilliant take on LARCENY.
I would have commented on your blog but I do not have a Google
account;besides being somewhat Cyberphobic!
Thought I would comment here instead as I have hi-jacked this thread
to be a take on Noir.
At first I thought the film was about to be shown on TCM or something
so I could source an upgrade.
Duryeas final line is a classic.LIke you I would love to see a Universal
Vault release of this film.
There is so much Universal Noir that needs a DVD release.
On my Allied-Artists wish list I forgot REVOLT IN THE BIG HOUSE.
The fact that the film stars Gene Evans,Robert Blake and Timothy
Carey makes it a must-see for me.
There a couple of MGM “A” Noirs that have yet to be released by
The Archive:HOUSE OF NUMBERS with Jack Palance and ROGUE COP
with Robert Taylor,Janet Leigh and George Raft.
I do wish Universal Vault would follow Warners example and have a Noir
imprint on their future releases. One of my “most wanted” titles is
THE TATTERED DRESS with Jeff Chandler,Jeanne Crain directed by
Jack Arnold.
Toby,
In an attempt to return to Westerns Audie Murphy fans might like to
check out the screen grabs for the latest Murphy Westerns released by
Sidonis on the French Western fansite:
http://www.westernmovies.fr
THE KID FROM TEXAS looks very faded and in dire need of restoration.
Considering all the money Murphy made for Universal and this was his
first Western the film does have an historical importance.
TUMBLEWEED looks OK;not great.
Looking better is GUNPOINT but for some reason is 4×3 very odd for a
Sixties film.
Follow the link “dictionary of Westerns” on the home page then click on
the thumbnails on the right hand side.
These Sidonis titles normally turn up in Spain on Llamentol without
those horrible “forced” subtitles.
Gunpoint was shot full frame to be cropped to 1.85. Seeing it full frame is a strange experience — there is so much dead space at the top and bottom, and if I remember right, a stuntman can be seen in the bottom of the frame waiting his cue.
Thanks very much for the kind feedback, John K! I was fortunate to get a reasonably good print of LARCENY from a friend. Have no idea where she got it and didn’t ask, LOL. Let’s cross our fingers for the Universal Vault! Or a TCM Vault/Noir release.
I enjoyed your list of Allied Artists films you’d like to see out from the Warner Archive. I really loved HIGHWAY DRAGNET — which had great location shooting in Apple Valley — although it’s interesting to note that my dad, whose tastes are typically similar to mine, didn’t care for it. On the other hand Dad and I both really enjoyed THE TATTERED DRESS; that one simply cries out for a Universal Vault release, great cast and nice widescreen B&W photography.
I haven’t tried it but if you’d like to try it sometime in the future, I think if you click “Open ID” under “Choose an Identity” at Blogspot blogs, it will let you sign in with the same ID you use here at WordPress. (Wish the commenting could be less restrictive but if I open it wide up I have all sorts of problems with spam comments.) I appreciate you stopping by to visit my blog in addition to Toby’s!
Best wishes,
Laura
Again Laura,many thanks for your kind comments.
Someone has sourced a scope print of THE TATTERED DRESS for me and
I am really looking forward to it.
I seem to have been watching lots of Richard Conte films lately and
think he was undervalued as an actor.
TCM UK showed TARGET ZERO recently and I really enjoyed it.
Apart from Conte the film also stars Peggie Castle,Charles Bronson
L.Q.Jones,Chuck Conners and Richard Stapley (Wyler)
Would love a remastered widescreen edition of this one from The Archive.
I too really enjoyed HIGHWAY DRAGNET with Conte.
Also recently saw CRY OF THE CITY a great Fox Noir which I have not
seen since the mid Sixties.Again another great Conte performance and
Victor Mature at his very best too;loved the film.
I am having a break from Westerns at the moment but it will not last long.
I have given up on Olive Films ever releasing any John Payne films so
I am sourcing them myself.Got a lovely upgrade of CROSSWINDS a
really fun movie.This one has Payne having to contend with crooked
Forrest Tucker,crocodiles,headhunters and a couple of really nasty Brits.
He still finds time for romantic interludes with lovely Rhonda Fleming.
Speaking of Rhonda ( I am a huge fan) I did manage to source the
very rare LITTLE EGYPT with Mark Stevens but the copy is very poor
and with about twelve minutes missing!
A shame because it looks a most interesting film;another one that cries
out for a Universal Vault release.
Finally someone is sending me THE BIG TIP OFF a little known Noir
with Richard Conte and the very troubled(in real life) Constance Smith.
Again I think its one of those obscure Allied Artists pictures.
Thank goodness for the “Digital Underground” I say.
It is always a pleasure to visit your blog,Laura and I love the way you
champion these obscure “lost” gems as well as the more well known films.
Just checked out THE BIG TIP OFF on imdb;it certainly looks a most
interesting movie. Apart from Richard Conte and Constance Smith film
also stars Bruce Bennett,Cathy Downs,James Millican,Harry Guardino and
Spade Cooley.I must say though; having Smith and Cooley in the same film
does seem rather sad in a Hollywood Babylon..ish sort of way.
I am really looking forward to some of these obscure Noirs turning up
on this great new Archive series.
Toby,thanks again for letting me hi-jack your blog in this way!