It’s a lot of fun putting this list together every year, seeing what people are coming across for the first time. Remember, though these things are 60-something years old, if you’ve never seen it, it’s a new movie!
To make the list, a picture has to be mentioned by at least three people. This year, there were fewer titles brought up, but the frequency was a lot higher. We ended up with a solid lineup of fairly obscure, medium-budgeted 50s Westerns — and if you haven’t discovered them yourself, search them out.
And I hope this blog helped you discover some of these.
Dragoon Wells Massacre (1957)
This was my personal favorite discovery of the year, and I was so happy to have others finding it, too. William Clothier’s camerawork deserves a solid CinemaScope transfer — and Jack Elam’s performance needs to be seen by more people. (Stay tuned for the Allied Artists blogathon, where I’ll give this thing some much-deserved attention.)
Cave Of Outlaws (1951)
William Castle directs a 50s Western for Universal — shooting at Carlsbad Caverns, Vasquez Rocks and the Iverson Ranch. Needs a DVD release.
Wyoming Mail (1950)
A fairly obscure U-I Western starring Stephen McNally and Alexis Smith. Reginald Le Borg keeps things moving at a brisk pace and Russell Metty makes sure the Technicolor looks terrific.
Gunsmoke In Tucson (1958)
A number of people picked up the DVD from Warner Archive, and it seems like most of us were impressed. If you still haven’t tracked this one down, get to it!
Thunderhoof (1948)
A Phil Karlson horse picture with a cast of only three (and the horse). Can’t to track this one down.
Four Guns To The Border (1954)
This one was on last year’s list, too. We keep bumping into, and we all seem to like it. It’s a great example of what a Universal 50s Western can be: terrific cast, gorgeous Technicolor, plenty of action.
50 Westerns From The 50s. 
Great list
Wonderful list!!
I’ve seen 2/3 of the list and liked them all, so I need to get moving on DRAGOON WELLS MASSACRE and THUNDERHOOF. Given the favorites in the casts I think I’ll like them also.
Best wishes,
Laura
Nice mix, some I’ve seen and some I still need to see. I wasn’t that impressed by Cave of Outlaws when I first saw it but I need to check it out again – I bought the Blu-ray very cheap but it’s still in its wrapping.
All except CAVE are well worth your time.
That’s one nice list, Toby! “FOUR GUNS TO THE BORDER” would have to top the list for me ( very good western) but “DRAGOON WELLS MASSACRE” is not so far behind. If only a great restored ‘scope print would surface…….
Colin,
The Koch DVD of CAVE OF OUTLAWS was very good so
this bodes well for the Blu.
Yet another in your now legendary “to be viewed” heap!
It’s actually very cheap at the moment – 6.50 Euro – even less than I paid. Most Koch titles can be had for a song if you’re prepared to watch and wait.
Yes Colin,
These Koch titles turn up on Amazon de at ultra
cheap prices,they change day by day-the next day they can
double in price….my advice- “grab ’em while you can”
CAVE OF OUTLAWS,I thought was a pretty good movie,
offbeat,with the high production values that we expect from
Universal.
Lovely looking movie without question – I think it was the casting that didn’t quite do it for me last time, but I need to check it out again.
The only one I’ve never seen is THUNDERHOOF which
I intend to get at some point.
WYOMING MAIL is very good for a Le Borg picture,a hack
if ever there was one.Film would have been lots better if say,
Boetticher or Ray Enright directed.
Interestingly,those cats at Shout Factory have a most
interesting Blu Ray double bill in the works for later this year.
They are Charles B Pierce’s WINTERHAWK and GREY EAGLE.
I’ve never seen a Charles B Pierce picture but he seemed to
be a one-man indie producer director with a considerable Seventies
output.
At any rate these films are chock full of great veteran actors and the
High Def 2.35 ratio attracts me to them very much.
Anyone here at FWOTF seen any of ’em?
(Re FOUR GUNS TO THE BORDER) “…It’s a great example of what a Universal 50s Western can be: terrific cast, gorgeous Technicolor, plenty of action…”
Not to mention eroticism, which is it’s calling card above all other things (and it does have all those other things you mention too). After more than sixty years, this still gets my vote for sexiest love scene in any movie ever.
You can read more of what I say about this in my piece “Saloon Girls and Ranchers’ Daughters: The Woman in the Western” in THE WESTERN READER and I hope to write about the movie at greater length one of these days.
.
I’m going back to watch it again…………
That’s great news about WINTERHAWK and GREY EAGLE… but what is the source? Because the DVD of GREY EAGLE, while widescreen, has a lot of print damage and looks pretty soft.
Just to answer my own comment — I messaged Shout and they’ve informed me that the WINTERHAWK/GRAY EAGLE Blu-ray is sourced from new HD transfers from film elements in the MGM vault.
Thanks Paula,
and welcome back to FWOTF. 🙂
Shout Factory/Kino Lorber normally do a great job
on sourcing HD masters.
BTW a pal loaned me the Blu of CHERRY 2000 not the sort of
thing I go for these days but the sort of thing I’d eaten up
in cinemas during the Eighties.
Ben certainly raised the game of the entire film!
I liked the comment in the extras-Ben made his salary demand,
they matched it….simple as that.
Great to see Ben & Dobe back together I must say!
Shout Factory does some really nice work. I’ve been impressed with everything of theirs I’ve seen.
Those Pierce movies are pretty good, and I’m sure SF will have ’em looking swell.
BTW Paula,
What’s the low-down on Charles B Pierce.
Some of his films seem very interesting and the veteran casts
in many of them attract me very much.
I hope this brief “cameo appearance” will mean we are treated
to more regular Paula on FWOTF in 2016…your comments and
insights have been sorely missed.
I agree — good to see you posting on here, Paula.
dvd Artus films: JACK SLADE (1-19-2016) cancelled
Chip, I have just been on the Artus Facebook page and from what I could gather Jack Slade has been delayed to an unknown date and is not 100% certain .I tried to translate it. Is that how you read it ?Let’s hope it gets released somewhere down the line.
Very bad news Chip,
This great Western should be far more well known,
yet another very fine film trapped in the vaults of ghastly Paramount.
Thanks for including an original British Front-of-House still from DRAGOON WELLS MASSACRE, Toby. One of my favourite childhood Westerns from the 1950s and one long overdue for a DVD release in full CinemaScope. I’ve only ever been able to find two stills from this set and so yours is the third one I’ve seen since I went to see the film as an eleven year old in April, 1958. The film was very popular at the time and was widely shown.