50s Westerns DVD News #123: Short Grass (1950).

Warner Archive has announced another group of Westerns, with only one from the 50s: Short Grass (1950). Directed by Lesley Selander, it boasts quite a cast: Rod Cameron, Cathy Downs, Johnny Mack Brown, Alan Hale Jr. and Morris Ankrum.

Based on the novel by Thomas W. Blackburn, who also wrote the screenplay, Short Grass is quite ambitious for an Allied Artists picture from the period. The cowboys here are cowboys, not gunfighters — which really distinguishes what could’ve been just another series Western range war tale. This is a good one.

Blackburn wrote a number of excellent Westerns films throughout the 50s — Colt .45 (1950), Riding Shotgun (1954) and Cattle Queen Of Montana (1954, story only), to name just a few — before making the move to TV — often for Walt Disney. He not only wrote the Disney Davy Crockett shows (which of course became the 1955 film Davy Crockett: King Of The Wild Frontier).  His place in popular culture history is secured by the fact that he wrote the lyrics for “The Ballad Of Davy Crockett.”

Another tip from John Knight.

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50s Westerns DVD News #119: Warner Archive Wild West Hero Sale.

You’ve got till 4/6 at 11:59PM PST to head ‘em off at the pass. Mount up!

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50s Westerns DVD News #113: Cole Younger, Gunfighter (1958).

Warner Archive has announced another wagonload of Westerns, and there are a few good 50s ones in there.

Cole Younger, Gunfighter (1958) is an Allied Artists CinemaScope concoction with Frank Lovejoy as the famous outlaw. The always capable R.G. Springsteen directed.

Fort Vengeance (1953) is a Cinecolor Canadian Mountie picture from Lesley Selander, starring James Craig and Rita Moreno.

Hiawatha (1953) is an adaptation of the Longfellow poem from Kurt Neumann. John Knight pointed out that this was the last film to bear the Monogram logo.

The Boy From Oklahoma (1954) stars Will Rogers, Jr., Lon Chaney, Wallace Ford and Merv Griffin. Michael Curtiz directed. It was the basis of the Sugarfoot TV series.

The Gun Hawk (1963) isn’t a 50s Western but with Rory Calhoun and Rod Cameron in it, it might as well be. A quick glance at the still below will tell you where some of it was filmed.

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Gallery: Tim Holt.

Here’s a stack of photos of Tim Holt, courtesy of Shaeffer Holt, Tim’s grandson.

A Norman Rockwell illustration of Tim for The Magnificent Ambersons (1942).

This publicity photo with Richard “Chito” Martin is probably from The Stagecoach Kid (1949) — judging from the TSK in the lower right corner. The Stagecoach Kid was directed by Lew Landers, who only did a handful of these films among his hundreds of credits — the majority of the RKO Holts were directed by Lesley Selander.

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50s Westerns DVD-R News #83: Robbers’ Roost (1955), Tomahawk Trail (1957), etc.

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.

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50s Westerns DVD News #68: The Monogram Cowboy Collection, Vol. 2.

Warner Archive has announced the second volume in their Monogram Western series, appropriately titled The Monogram Cowboy Collection, Volume 2. This time, they turn their attention to Whip Wilson (six titles) and Rod Cameron (two pictures).

Rod Cameron stars in Fort Osage (1951) and Wagons West (1952). Monogram Pictures seemed to spend a bit more money on these Cameron Westerns, and both of these are in Cinecolor. Fort Osage was directed by Lesley Selander, a real expert at this sort of thing.

Whip Wilson came along a bit too late to make a big splash in series Westerns, but his pictures are quite good. Directors Thomas Carr and Lewis D. Collins and writer Dan Ullman were also working on the excellent Wild Bil Elliott Monograms around the same time as the films in this set, which are: Canyon Raiders (1951), Stage To Blue River (1951), The Gunman (1952), Night Raiders (1952), Montana Incident (1952) and Wyoming Roundup (1952).

 

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50s Westerns DVD News #63: The Monogram Cowboy Collection Vol. 1.

Warner Archive is serving up an odd one, but a good one. The Monogram Cowboy Collection Volume 1 presents nine late-period Monogram Westerns. First up are four Jimmy Wakely pictures, all directed by Lambert Hillyer:

Oklahoma Blues (1948)

Partners Of The Sunset (1948)

Cowboy Cavalier (1948)

Gun Law Justice (1949)

Next are four Johnny Mack Browns:

Outlaw Gold (1950)

Man From Sonora (1951)

Oklahoma Justice (1951)

Texas Lawmen (1951)

And finally, there’s Cavalry Scout (1951), starring Rod Cameron and Jim Davis and directed by Lesley Selander — in CineColor. This was a bigger picture than the usual Monogram product.

Stay tuned. More new release stuff coming on the noon stage!

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50s Westerns DVD News #60: The Tim Holt Western Classic Collection, Vol. 3.

Tim Holt’s back with a third volume of DVD-Rs from Warner Archive. This is cause for celebration.

As I’ve said many times (and I’m not finished), these Tim Holt RKO pictures are among the best series Westerns ever made. They’re tight, a bit more adult, and benefit from the presence of real craftsman like cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca.

This collection contains Storm Over Wyoming (1950), Rider From Tucson (1950), Border Treasure (1950), Rio Grande Patrol (1950), Law Of The Badlands (1951), Saddle Legion (1951), Gunplay, (1951) Hot Lead (1951) Road Agent (1952) and Target (1952).

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Shotgun (1955).

Laura has posted a review of Lesley Selander’s Shotgun (1955), a tough, gritty Western with Sterling Hayden, Yvonne De Carlo and Zachary Scott.

This is one I haven’t given much coverage on this blog. It has an interesting production history, and one of these days I’ll get around to it. Luckily, I second most of Laura’s thoughts on the picture, especially when it comes to Yvonne’s hairstyle. It was an odd, and unfortunate, choice.

VCI has done a wonderful job with the DVD, part of their Darn Good Westerns Vol. 2. Recommended.

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50s Westerns DVD News #58: Fort Yuma (1955).

The MGM Classics Collection is at it again. This time with Peter Graves in Bel-Air’s Fort Yuma (1955). Directed by Lesley Selander, it was pretty rare for Bel-Air to splurge on Technicolor. Graves’ leading lady Joan Vohs was a Rockette and appeared in William Castle’s Fort Ti (1953).

Other titles are post-1959:

Gunfighters Of Abilene (1960), starring Buster Crabbe, and Gun Street (1961) — both directed by Edward L. Cahn.

California (1963), an AIP picture with a great cast: Jock Mahoney, Faith Domergue, Michael Pate and Nestor Paiva. Alas, a great cast does not always make for a great movie.

 

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