Just remembered that Antenna TV is running Three Stooges shorts all day today. Woulda been a good day to call in sick!
Archive for the ‘Pre-1950’ Category
April Fools Day.
Posted in Columbia, Pre-1950, Television on April 1, 2013 | 4 Comments »
TCM Alert: Fighting Man Of The Plains (1949) In Cinecolor.
Posted in Randolph Scott, DVD reviews, releases, TV, etc., Pre-1950, Dale Robertson on March 21, 2013 | 30 Comments »
One of my favorite things about this blog is how everyone looks out for each other. Many of the screenings, DVDs, books, etc. that are mentioned here come to my attention from one of y’all out there in Blogsylvania.
Tom Settles came through yesterday with this one. On Saturday, May 4, at noon EST, TCM will air the rare Randolph Scott picture Fighting Man Of The Plains (1949). It’s one of his better pre-Boetticher Westerns, I’d say, and almost impossible to see it with its Cinecolor intact. According to TCM’s schedule, they’ll be running it in color. Dale Robertson has a good early role here.
It’s at times like these I wish I still had that DVD recorder.
Thanks, Tom.
50s Westerns DVD News #117: Canyon Ambush (1952).
Posted in 1952, DVD reviews, releases, TV, etc., Johnny Mack Brown, Monogram/Allied Artists, Pre-1950 on March 15, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Volume 5 of Warner Archive’s Monogram Cowboy Collection offers up a slew of Johnny Mack Brown and Raymond Hatton pictures. Canyon Ambush (1952), directed by Lewis Collins and co-starring Phyllis Coates, was the last of Johnny Mack Brown’s films for Monogram. (No Hatton this time).
The three-disc set also includes Brown and Hatton in The Texas Kid (1943), Partners Of The Trail (1944), Law Men (1944), Ghost Guns (1944), Gun Smoke (1945), Frontier Feud (1945), Border Bandits (1946) and Raiders Of The South (1947).
South Of St. Louis (1949).
Posted in Joel McCrea, Pre-1950, Ray Enright on March 8, 2013 | 7 Comments »
Just noticed that someone was led to this blog by the search term “which western had cowboys with bells on spurs.” If you didn’t figure it out, it’s South Of St. Louis (1949), starring Joel McCrea, Alexis Smith, Zachary Scott and Dorothy Malone.
The climactic scene, with the three brothers’ spurs jingling as they blast away, is one of the most satisfying wrap-ups I can think of. I sure wish Warner Archive would get around to this one!
50s Westerns DVD News #116: Universal Classic Westerns.
Posted in 1950, 1951, Alan Ladd, Audie Murphy, DVD reviews, releases, TV, etc., George Sherman, Joel McCrea, John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Paramount, Pre-1950, Randolph Scott, Ray Enright, Universal (-International), Van Heflin, Yvonne DeCarlo on March 6, 2013 | 5 Comments »
If you don’t have these, consider this essential. If you do, it’s a good way to free up some shelf space. Universal has packaged 10 previously-released Westerns — including a couple only available on DVD-R — in a snazzy package. You get:
When The Daltons Rode (1940) George Marshall directs. Randolph Scott leads an incredible cast — Kay Francis, Brian Donlevy, Broderick Crawford, Andy Devine, George Bancroft, Edgar Buchanan. I prefer Scott with more age on him, but this picture has do much action, you don’t have time to care.
Texas Rangers Ride Again (1940) A 67-minute Paramount Western — a sequel to their Texas Rangers (1936) — starring Ellen Drew, John Howard, Broderick Crawford and Anthony Quinn.
The Spoilers (1942) John Wayne and Randolph Scott in the same movie. (Yet some people still wonder if there’s a higher power.) Marlene Dietrich and Harry Carey are in it, too. The climactic saloon brawl is terrific.
The Virginian (1946) Joel McCrea is stunning Technicolor. Universal’s getting a lot of mileage out of this one — it’s also available on DVD-R from the Universal Vault Series and as part of the Joel McCrea Westerns Collection.
Albuquerque (1948) Ray Enright directs Randolph Scott again, this time in color and with Gabby Hayes, Scott Hayden and Lon Chaney on hand.
Whispering Smith (1948) Any movie that has both William Demerest and Frank Faylen in its cast is worth seeking out.
Comanche Territory (1950) The great, and unsung, George Sherman directs Maureen O’Hara and Macdonald Carey.
Sierra (1950) Audie Murphy is joined by Wanda Hendryx, Burl Ives, Dean Jagger, Tony Curtis, Houseley Stevenson and James Arness. It was directed by Alfred E. Green, in Technicolor. Murphy and Hendryx were husband and wife at the time.
Kansas Raiders (1950) Audie Murphy again,backed by Brian Donlevy, Marguerite Chapman, Scott Brady, Tony Curtis and Richard Arlen. Ray Enright directed.
Tomahawk (1951) stars Van Helfin and Yvonne De Carlo and was directed by George Sherman. Also available as part of the Universal Vault Series, where this one film costs more than the set we’re looking at here. Do the math, order one today.
By the way, its release date is Tuesday, March 12. Thanks to Mike for the tip.
Gallery: Tim Holt.
Posted in Lesley Selander, Lew Landers, Pre-1950, RKO, Tim Holt on February 6, 2013 | 4 Comments »
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.
50s Westerns DVD News #103: Three More John Wayne Republics.
Posted in DVD reviews, releases, TV, etc., George Sherman, Joe Kane, John Wayne, Olive Films, Pre-1950, Republic on November 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
I haven’t seen the first three Blu-rays of John Wayne’s Three Mesquiteers films from Olive Films. But I’ve heard very good things.
Three more early Wayne Republics are on the way, with one being The New Frontier (1939), directed by George Sherman. They list it under its TV title, Frontier Horizons. This is probably because they’re also bringing out the other John Wayne Republic called The New Frontier (1935)! The 1939 film co-stars Jennifer Jones.
The third title in this batch is King Of The Pecos (1936), directed by Joe Kane. Republic put this one out on DVD several years ago. Confused yet?
Republic Pictures And The Universal Backlot, 1940s.
Posted in Universal (-International), Republic, Pre-1950, Making Movies on October 2, 2012 | 3 Comments »
My wife brought this site to my attention. On it, Gary Alinder wrote:
These images were shot by my father, Ed Alinder, on 35mm Kodachrome film in Southern California in 1940-44, and on a visit in 1947.
Be sure to visit the site to see more.
Netflix Alert: Hellfire (1949).
Posted in DVD reviews, releases, TV, etc., Forrest Tucker, Marie Windsor, Pre-1950, Republic, William Elliott on September 24, 2012 | 2 Comments »
One of my favorite Westerns can be seen on that Netflix streaming thing — Hellfire (1949) starring Bill Elliott, Marie Windsor, Forrest Tucker and Jim Davis. It’s a real gem from Republic and director R. G. Springsteen. And it’s in Trucolor.
But don’t just take it from me. Of all the wonderful films Marie Windsor made, she always listed this, The Narrow Margin (1952) and The Killing (1956) as her favorites.
Pre-50s Westerns DVD News #98: Ramrod (1947).
Posted in Andre de Toth, DVD reviews, releases, TV, etc., Joel McCrea, Olive Films, Pre-1950 on September 7, 2012 | 4 Comments »
Olive Films is continuing its string of Westerns on DVD and Blu-ray with Andre de Toth’s Ramrod (1947), which will arrive on November 20.
Based on a Luke Short story, Ramrod is an early example of the kind of psychological Western the 50s would be full of, taking a strange approach to the usual cattle ranchers vs. sheepherders story. Veronica Lake inherits her fiance’s ranch (when he’s run out of town), and hires Joel McCrea to help her run it and deal with pressure from the cattle ranchers. Before long, things get rough.
Veronica Lake was married to Andre de Toth at the time, a union that sounds rather hellish. Of course, she and McCrea had already appeared together in Preston Sturges’ Sullivan’s Travels (1941). Not long after Ramrod, her career would go into decline.
The press release from Olive Films says a 35mm fine grain was used for the transfer. It’ll be nice to see this film looking like it should.
