I dread going to Walmart like some people dread going to the dentist. Wound up in one last night — and walked out with a copy of Fury At Showdown (1957).
It’s one of those twin-bill $5 DVDs from TGG Direct, paired with Gary Cooper in Along Came Jones (1945), and dumped in those big bins full of DVDs. TGG has been licensing stuff from Fox/MGM, some of which I’ve mentioned before.
Fury At Showdown is a real gem, one of those neglected little masterpieces that are so fun to discover. It’s got solid performances from John Derek and Nick Adams — and superb direction from Gerd Oswald. And it was shot in a week.
It’s a sharp full-frame transfer, with rich blacks and just enough dirt and dust to remind you you’re watching a movie. Widescreen would’ve been terrific, but to see this thing finally available — and for just $5 — who’s complaining? I’ve recommended this picture many times, and I’ve been researching it for the book and blog recently (with a big thanks to Thomas Chadwick), so you haven’t heard the last of it.
Fury At Showdown will make a nice addition to your Labor Day weekend. It’s even worth a trip to Walmart.
UPDATE (9/6/12): This DVD is now available from Amazon at a higher price.
50 Westerns From The 50s. 
So wait a sec … are there MGM films that have been released exclusively thru this TGG Direct outfit? Anybody have a list?
I still haven’t seen it in a wider AR and I’d like to but Oswald’s care in framing and composition are still evident full frame. On every level, his direction is just brillilant–this movie, his very best, should have led him to a better career than he had because I just don’t think anyone could miss how much he did with it, not only in visual style but in his profound understanding of the story, guidance of these actors (Nick Adams, who I never expect much from, is so good it’s startling to me). Made in five days as Toby says, it shames all those directors, especially these days, who spend so many months and come up with nothing but emptiness.
Toby mentions this one a lot and he’s right to. It’s a gem, and shows the artistic level that even so superficially humble a movie could come to at this stage of the 50s Western, and with no pretension–still, in every aspect, a Western in the tradition of all the others.
I’m really looking forward to Toby’s full piece on this when it’s written and richly deserves a place in his book.
Sounds great. I hope I can find it without walking into Walmart!
I did, but it’s $15, is it worth $10 to avoid Walmart? Usually my Walmart carries mainly spanish dvds anyway, so even if I ventured in, I probably won’t find it.