Mill Creek Entertainment has announced another set of films — the 7 Western Showdown Collection. Many of us may have these on separate discs, but it’s got some excellent 40s and 50s Westerns (along with the 1971 rodeo picture J.W. Coop).
The Black Dakotas (1954)
Directed by Ray Nazarro
Starring Gary Merrill, Wanda Hendrix, John Bromfield, Noah Beery, Jr.
This is the highlight for me, a Ray Nazarro Technicolor picture I’ve never seen. It was put out a few years ago as part of Sony’s MOD program, and I believe it was widescreen.
The set also includes:
Texas (1941)
Directed by George Marshall
Starring William Holden, Glenn Ford
Blazing Across The Pecos (1948)
Directed by Ray Nazarro
Starring Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette, Charles Wilson
They Came To Cordura (1959)
Directed by Robert Rossen
Starring Gary Cooper, Rita Hayworth, Van Heflin, Tab Hunter
The Man From Colorado (1948)
Directed by Henry Levin
Starring William Holden, Glenn Ford, Ellen Drew, Edgar Buchanan
Gun Fury (1953)
Directed by Raoul Walsh
Starring Rock Hudson, Donna Reed, Philip Carey, Lee Marvin, Leo Gordon
The old DVD of Gun Fury was full-frame (and 2-D) instead of its intended 1.85. Not sure if Columbia will provide Mill Creek with new material or not, but a widescreen version would be reason alone to pick up this set.
50 Westerns From The 50s. 
THE BLACK DAKOTASv Sony MOD was indeed a lovely
widescreen print. The story is pretty goofy but Nazarro keeps
the thing moving at such a clip you don’t have time to think about
it to much-which is probably just as well.
The usual hodge-podge from Mill Creek a mis-matched bunch if ever
there was one. For my 15 bucks I’d rather have a couple of UNRELEASED
Columbia Westerns,heaven knows there is enough of ’em out
there.
Why can’t we get titles like WHEN THE REDSKINS RODE,STAGE TO
TUCSON and INDIAN UPRISING all due from Sidonis France.
If Sidonis can do it why not Mill Creek.
I’d be more than happy to pay $20 for a Blu Ray of GUN FURY in 1.85
Do wish Mill Creek would up their game as they did with those lovely
William Castle/Hammer double bills they gave us recently-certainly
a case of less is more!
The Universal Vault MOD program has just released Joel McCrea’s BLACK HORSE CANYON.
I just want to chip in to say I recently bought and received two 1958 Universal International Westerns on DVD from Spain, THE LAST OF THE FAST GUNS and MONEY, WOMEN AND GUNS, both starring Jock Mahoney and both in full 2.35:1 CinemaScope and vivid Eastman Color and both 16 x 9 enhanced. This marks the first time in 57 years that I’ve seen them in full CinemaScope, having last seen them at the pictures in 1959 when I was 12. So I can now get rid of my old pan and scan VHS videos that I recorded off television twenty years ago. I highly recommend these DVDs, they look beautiful. The DVD covers are in Spanish, but they are the original American versions with English opening and closing titles and dialogue in either English or Spanish (you choose) and all you require is to know a few words of Spanish to negotiate the menus. Such as the Spanish words for Play, Scene Selection and Without Subtitles and you’re away. They can be obtained from either Amazon or eBay from a seller named Great4DVD.
I can second David’s recommendation, having bought both these Spanish releases myself a few months ago. The transfers are stunning.
I was going to get the Rory Calhoun Universal International CinemaScope and Eastman Color Western THE SAGA OF HEMP BROWN (1958) from the same source, but on reading the back of the DVD cover on screen, it appears that the transfer is actually in 4 x 3 pan and scan. So I won’t buy it.
I’ll get this when it comes out. I just got back from Perth visiting my daughter and took some DVDs with me including RANDOLPH SCOTT ROUNDUP Vol 2 which arrived the same day I left .My daughter doesn’t have a multi region player and disc 1 of ROUNDUP played ok but disc 2 said different region ,cannot play.I would have thought they would have the same region for both DVDs in the same pack .Has anyone else encountered this?It does not worry me because I have a multi region player.