Directed by Kurt Neumann
Starring Barry Sullivan, Marjorie Reynolds, Broderick Crawford, Fortunio Bonanova, Guinn “Big Boy” Williams
We’ve know about this one for a while, but I’ve been meaning to give it a post all its own. Bad Men Of Tombstone (1949) will make its way to DVD from Warner Archive on April 7.
Kurt Neumann is probably best know for a handful of the Weissmuller Tarzan pictures and The Fly (1958, which he produced and directed). I’ve always found him a solid director, able to put every dollar of his limited budgets on the screen, and that certainly applies to his work on Bad Men Of Tombstone. Plus, I like Barry Sullivan in Westerns.
Coming at the same time from Warner Archive is Seven Angry Men (1955) and Black Midnight (1949).
Very interested in this, particularly after John had so many good things to say about Neumann.
Toby ,thanks for the update and info on these .I will have to keep an eye out when they come to Amazon .I see that BLACK MIDNIGHT is an early Bud Boetticher film.
I just received a Spanish copy of TENSION AT TABLE ROCK and BLACK PATCH and thoroughly enjoyed both of them .I also received The 1966 version of THE PLAINSMAN which was ok but not good .The copy of BLACK PATCH from Cornerstonemediaint Media did have a bit of flicker and white specks in parts of the print but overall a good copy.
Good to hear about Black Patch – I’ve been curious about that release.
I’d love to have a nice widescreen Black Patch. Cool movie.
Broderick Crawford and Guinn Williams together. How can you go wrong? Big Boy had a longer movie career than most people realize 1920 – early 1960s.
Un western noir, où aucun protagoniste, n’a la sympathie du spectateur, la fin est stupéfiante. Un western injustement méconnu, enfin tiré de l’ombre. Barry Sullivan est parfait , comme souvent.
Further to my comments on the last thread,regarding THE DAKOTAS,
it would seem from comments on the Warner Archive Facebook page,
this classic series will be remastered and not only include all 20
episodes but also the pilot A MAN CALLED RAGAN which was tacked
onto the CHEYENNE series.
It’s great that Warners have started again answering comments on
their Facebook page.
Lots of exciting stuff in the pipeline including a BILL ELLIOTT
WESTERN COLLECTION which hopefully will include more than
two films (as previous) and hopefully the films that were made in
1.85 widescreen.
There will be a final Tim Holt set but not for quiet a while yet,
and other B Westerns are being remastered at the moment.
I think I will wait for the Warner Archive version of TENSION AT TABLE
ROCK when it finally appears as Spanish DVDs are a bit of a minefield.
Be interested to know what the p.q. is like on the Spanish version,
though.
Never liked BLACK PATCH very much,a film that ends just as it
starts to get interesting.
As far as Allen Miner’s arty low budget Westerns go I prefer THE RIDE
BACK and GHOST TOWN.
Many thanks for the mention regarding Neumann,Colin its a shame that
he passed away before his biggest hit (THE FLY) was released
nationally. He already had three other films in the can before THE
FLY was released. One of them was WATUSI a jungle flick with
George Montgomery that I really want to see. WATUSI was written by
James Clavell (THE FLY,THE GREAT ESCAPE,SHOGUN) and Warner
Archive also have that as a future release.
The Archive also have Neumann’s BAD BOY in the pipeline,Audie
Murphy’s first starring role-really looking forward to that one.
Not wanting to repeat too much of the Neuman stuff I said over at
Colin’s I would also like to put a word in for ROCKETSHIP XM and
KRONOS two exceptional low budget Sci Fi films that look far more
expensive than they actually cost to make.
Neumann had a long standing role with Lippert as a writer,producer
director and APACHE WARRIOR is arguably the best of the RegalScope
Westerns from a Neumann screenplay and directed with real energy
by Elmo Williams.
Neumann was also going to direct a big budget version of 20,000
LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA for Lippert before the project was sold to
Disney. Later Sam Fuller was also going to direct this “Lippert Special”
To follow up THE FLY Neumann was also developing a remake of
THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI for Lippert,but this never happened
due to his untimely passing,.
Neumanns’ deal with Lippert let him make the pictures that he wanted
to make,but I wish that he had made more Universal Westerns,
especially considering the excellent KID FROM TEXAS and CATTLE
DRIVE. I would love to source a CinemaScope version of Neumann’s
THE DEERSLAYER.
Thanks to Toby for directing me towards the Lippert book
“Talks Cheap,Actions Expensive..The films of Robert l Lippert, a
must for any B movie lover,where lots of the above info came from.
John K ,I don’t know much about pqs but it says on the back of the case 1-6 zona which means area and 4/3 f.pantalla which means screen .Hope this helps
Looking forward to THE BILL ELLIOTT WESTERN COLLECTION
John, I really appreciated that info on Neumann you provided – he’s a director I only have a passing acquaintance with so detailed info such as you provided is always welcome.
gcwe 1,
Sorry! these terms confuse me too but p.q. means picture quality.
Thanks for the info,but as it appears to be 4×3 I shall wait for the
remastered widescreen version from Warner Archive,whenever
that may be.
One thing I love about the Warner Archive Facebook page is when
folks start asking for really obscure movies.
A lot of people over time have asked for Joseph Newman’s TARZAN
THE APE MAN (1959) This film,like WATUSI was an attempt by
producer Al Zimbalist to make jungle pictures on the cheap using lots
of left over footage from KING SOLOMON’S MINES.
I know the film has a very bad reputation but I still really want to
see it.Iv’e never seen a Joseph Newman film that i did not like,and I love
the way that guys like Newman (and Neumann) just kept working,bringing
what they could to each project regardless of budget. The same year
Newman also made the much larger budget,star studded THE BIG
CIRCUS a real fun movie that I’d love to see get the Blu-Ray treatment..
At any rate Warners tell us we will not see TARZAN THE APE MAN
until 2016 when they have a sort of “Tarzan Bonanza” lined up.
I DO hope that they can include WATUSI in the mix,I mean,George
Montgomery in a Jungle Flick…what’s not to like!
As long as we get a steady supply of goodies from Warner Archive,
like THE DAKOTAS and the latest “Western Wave” I for one don’t mind
waiting for other much anticipated films no matter how long they take.
John, do you have a link for that Warner info about THE DAKOTAS, Wild Bill Elliott, and Tim Holt? Any word official word on the alleged missing Dakotas 21st episode?
Do you know if WAC has the rights to the three Tim Holt/Chito Zane Grey titles that have been previously released on DVD by LionsGate? If not, Tim Holt Vol.5 may only have seven titles.
Bob G, if you go to the WB shop and put THE DAKOTAS into the search area it will come up .
Bob G,
I only joined Facebook so that I can make comments on the
Warner Archive Facebook Page where most of my information comes
from. I think Brian,from the Rupert Pupkin Speaks Blog asked
regarding THE DAKOTAS and Warners confirmed that the “pilot”
episode will be included in the 21 episode,remastered set.
Warners also stated that they do not own all of the remaining Tim Holt
films so I should imagine that this last volume will only contain seven
films. Remastering has not yet begun so this final set will be a long way
off,I should think.
The Bill Elliott Western Collection,I should imagine will appear sooner
rather than later. I also hope that there will be a Wayne Morris
Western Collection but have no confirmation of this.
I really want to see TWO GUNS AND A BADGE with Beverley Garland,
in widescreen.
A long time ago I asked Warners if they were going to give us
a Dick Foran Western Collection and they said yes but lots of
restoration work was needed on some titles. Yet another “works in
progress” that many of us will want.
Speaking of Dick Foran I would love to see the Technicolor A
Western that he made for Warner Bros. HEART OF THE WEST.(1938
This big budget Mountie film sounds really good.
When Foran left Warner Bros his star seemed to fade somewhat,he
is way down the cast in RANGERS OF FORTUNE,Paramount (1940)
Never seen this one either but the cast is most interesting,headlined by
Fred MacMurray and Patricia Morison who celebrates her 100th
birthday next week.
In RANGERS OF FORTUNE Foran plays a character called Johnny Cash!
Iv’e never seen one of Foran’s Warner Bros B Westerns but would sure
love to and I am awaiting the Foran Western Collection with great
anticipation. I always felt that Foran developed into a fine character
actor in his later years,his performance is the only good thing about
Jacques Tourneur’s THE FEARMAKERS,a film that was the great
directors least favorite of all his films.
John K, it looks like HEART OF THE WEST is called HEART OF THE NORTH in some areas particularly the USA.
gcwe1…….WHOOPS! sorry…my mistake!
Colin,thanks again for the kind words regarding Kurt Neumann.
I would say much of his work should be approached with a certain
degree of caution,purely because of the budgetary constraints.
Certainly Neumann was not above using stock footage to boost some
of his projects.When he approached Lippert with his first draft of
ROCKETSHIP XM he had the guys,(and gal) landing on a planet
of prehistoric monsters,using footage (yet again) from ONE MILLION
BC. Lippert had other ideas and got Dalton Trumbo on board to
come up with something a bit more adult. Trumbo,at the time with the
HUAC crew on his case was no doubt,glad of the work.
In any case ROCKETSHIP XM was a considerable hit in its day.
In the cheesy MOHAWK (1956) the slim budget is boosted by loads
of stock footage from DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK.
Its all rather well done as these cut and paste things go.
The trouble is MOHAWK was very old fashioned even by 1956
standards but it does have a cheesy,even campy charm,excellent
cast helps as well.
MOHAWK like most of these Edward Alperson epics seems to have
fallen into P.D.Hell but I would still love to see MOHAWK remastered
in widescreen,.
Interestingly MOHAWK played in the UK as the support feature to
SLIGHTLY SCARLET…..aah! those were the days!
I should imagine Neumann jumped at the chance to make WATUSI
using all that leftover footage from KING SOLOMON’S MINES and
though Iv’e never seen the film,I am looking forward very much to
the remastered Warner Archive version when it finally arrives.
Toby,if you’re out there,and don’t mind me dipping into Hannibal8
territory have you noticed that Olive Films have just announced a
Blu-Ray of IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE.
Now we have TWO companies (the other being Kino Lorber)
plundering the United Artists Horror/Sci-Fi vaults.
I guess a Blu Ray of Paul Landres’ impressive RETURN OF DRACULA
will follow sooner rather than later.
Does anyone out there know if the Olive Films-Republic deal is still
on-going?
Thanks, for your reply, John. I think I may have read some where that there might be one or two other Tim Holt RKOs that also have rights problems. I hope the Holt fifth vol. does not wind up with only five titles.
I am interested in seeing that Dick Foran Mountie movie. Although I am sure he was in other westerns, the only one I remember him in was MY LITTLE CHICKADEE. Oh, and that horse mounting blooper shown on those Warner Night at the Movies DVD extras. I have never seen his WB western movie series, but would like to.
gcwe1, thanks for your response, I wound up ordering THE DAKOTAS from importcds.com along with a TV-Movie WAC does not carry. It was a few dollars cheaper even with the postage they charge. (The TV-Movie I ordered, in case anyone is interested, was THE NIGHT THAT PANICKED AMERICA from 1975. The movie recreated the famous Orson Welles radio broadcast of War of the Worlds from the 1930s. It a CBS-MOD DVD-R release.)
To John K. :
Barry Monush dans ” the encyclopedia of Hollywood actors” ( édition Applause) et David Quinlan dans ” Quinlan’s illustrated directory of films stars” ( édition Batsford) font naître Patricia Morison en 1914. La date de 1915, est parfois donnée.
To Chip:
On imbd,it states that Patricia’s birthdate was in fact 1915.
It also states that the 1914 birth date was mis-information.
Furthermore on Laura’s blog there are lots of details about events
celebrating Patricia’s birthday,next week.
Laura,if you are out there could you please provide Chip a link to
the mention on your blog.
Although Patricia never made many Westerns she was sensational in
Lesley Selander’s THE ROUND UP.
Patricia was the typical strident Selander heroine and I wish that she
had made more movies with him. As good as Cathy Downs was in
PANHANDLE and SHORT GRASS I feel Patricia would have been
even better.
Patricia’s only other Westerns I can think of off hand are the
aforementioned RANGERS OF FORTUNE and UNTAMED with Ray Milland which was a backwoods drama.
.
Patricia also guest starred in a classic HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL
episode with her friend Vincent Price.
Hi John and Chip!
John, thanks for mentioning what I shared about Patricia Morison’s centennial birthday this week. I’m hoping there will be information published about yesterday’s celebration at the University Club in Pasadena. Here is the link to my post:
http://www.laurasmiscmusings.blogspot.com/2015/03/around-blogosphere-this-week_10.html
Really enjoyed THE ROUND-UP with Morison, Richard Dix, and Preston Foster.
Best wishes,
Laura
Merci John et Laura. Patricia Morison me fait penser à Hedy Lamarr, elles se ressemblent beaucoup.
You’re very welcome, Chip! (And John!) Patricia is someone I appreciate the more I see her, and I love her somewhat unique long dark hair. 🙂
Best wishes,
Laura
Thanks so much for providing the link,Laura.
I tried to get onto the Pasadena link but it’s blocked for some reason.
I hope that this gets resolved as I am sure lots of us will wish to
be informed of this event.
I would love a Universal. Vault release of THE ROUND UP.
Joyeux anniversaire Patricia Morison. Un siècle aujourd’hui 19 mars 2015. Bravo.