A while back, I asked for Want Lists of the 50s Westerns still lost on the high-def trail. Here they are, presented in chronological order. The titles in bold are the ones that were brought up most frequently.
With the recent news about Fox/Disney’s lack of interest in their back catalogs appearing on shiny silver circles, getting this finished and posted seemed very timely. Many of these, mind you, haven’t even turned up on DVD yet.
The Virginian (1946)
Albuquerque (1948)
Coroner Creek (1948)
Whispering Smith (1948)
3 Godfathers (1949)
Colorado Territory (1949)
Hellfire (1949)
Streets Of Laredo (1949)
Ambush (1950)
Branded (1950)
Devil’s Doorway (1950)
The Nevadan (1950)
Saddle Tramp (1950)
Short Grass (1950)
Showdown (1950)
Trail Of Robin Hood (1950)
Across The Wide Missouri (1951)
Along The Great Divide (1951)
Apache Drums (1951)
Best Of The Badmen (1951)
The Great Missouri Raid (1951)
Inside Straight (1951)
Man In The Saddle (1951)
Red Mountain (1951)
The Redhead And The Cowboy (1951)
The Secret Of Convict Lake (1951)
The Texas Rangers (1951)
Westward The Women (1951)
Vengeance Valley (1951)
Warpath (1951)
The Big Sky (1952)
Bugles In The Afternoon (1952)
Hangman’s Knot (1952)
The Lawless Breed (1952)
The Lusty Men (1952)
The Naked Spur (1952)
Ride The Man Down (1952)
The Savage (1952)
The Story Of Will Rogers (1952)
Untamed Frontier (1952)
Ambush At Tomahawk Gap (1953)
Charge At Feather River (1953)
City Of Bad Men (1953)
Devil’s Canyon {1953)
Escape From Fort Bravo (1953)
The Great Sioux Uprising (1953)
Jack McCall, Desperado (1953)
Last Of The Comanches (1953)
The Last Posse (1953)
The Silver Whip (1953)
The Stranger Wore A Gun (1953)
Wings Of The Hawk (1953)
Tumbleweed (1953)
Apache (1954)
The Bounty Hunter (1954)
Cattle Queen Of Montana (1954)
The Command (1954)
Dawn At Socorro (1954)
The Law Vs. Billy The Kid (1954)
The Outcast (1954)
Ride Clear Of Diablo (1954)
Silver Lode (1954)
Wyoming Renegades (1954)
The Yellow Tomahawk (1954)
At Gunpoint (1955)
Chief Crazy Horse (1955)
The Last Frontier (1955)
The Man From Bitter Ridge (1955)
Shotgun (1955)
Smoke Signal (1955)
Tennessee’s Partner (1955)
The Violent Men (1955)
Wichita (1955)
Backlash (1956)
Dakota Incident (1956)
Fastest Gun Alive (1956)
Fury At Gunsight Pass (1956)
Great Day In The Morning (1956)
The Last Wagon (1956)
The Lone Ranger (1956)
The Maverick Queen (1956)
Reprisal! (1956)
Seven Men From Now (1956)
Stagecoach To Fury (1956)
Tribute To A Bad Man (1956)
Copper Sky (1957)
Domino Kid (1957)
Dragoon Wells Massacre (1957)
Hell Canyon Outlaws (1957)
From Hell To Texas (1958)
Frontier Gun (1958)
The Lone Ranger And The Lost City Of Gold (1958)
Face Of A Fugitive (1959)
Last Train From Gun Hill (1959)
No Name On The Bullet (1959)
Thunder In The Sun (1959)
Yellowstone Kelly (1959)
The Alamo (1960)
Hell Bent For Leather (1960)
Cheyenne Autumn (1964)
Firecreek (1968)
Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid (1973)
As this was being compiled, a few titles actually made their way to Blu-Ray, one of them being the exquisite new Wagon Master (1950) from Warner Archive.
50 Westerns From The 50s. 
Great list! I would add Walk Like a Dragon (1960) to it. It used to be available to stream thru Amazon Prime Video. I recently purchased a beautiful HD copy of Hellfire on iTunes. It’s still one of my favorite films you’ve turned me on to. (iTunes also sells The Longhorn (1951) with Bill Elliott, although not in HD.) With Hellfire residing among Martin Scorsese’s Republic Rediscovered series, we can hope to see it getting a Blu-ray release in the near future.
It makes me so happy when people tell me I turned them onto a particular movie, and Hellfire more than almost all the others.
I have APACHE, BACKLASH, CHIEF CRAZY HORSE, THE LAST FRONTIER, THE LAST WAGON, MAN FROM BITTER RIDGE, NO NAME ON THE BULLET, and THE VIOLENT MEN on BLU-RAY from Amazon in Germany and France. You simply need an all-region player for Region Bs. I’m surprised THE YELLOW TOMAHAWK is one of the most requested.
RIDE A VIOLENT MILE and STAR IN THE DUST?
Thanks for the list .I just ordered THE STORY OF WILL ROGERS..I would also like to see WALK LIKE A DRAGON get a DVD release.I have it on DVDr.
I’d add California Passage (1950) and The Vanishing American (1955)
Doctor people keep ignoring me….
“Next patient please” 🙂
If you may recall Toby I sort of started this some time back with my
list of thus far unreleased Westerns on Blu Ray,but my list only included
Westerns unreleased internationally!
That thread gained a huge response and I do recall you mentioning
compiling a list when all the suggestions are in.
As Mike quiet rightly mentions several of these films have been released
in Europe on Blu Ray. To add to Mike’s list I would add THE VIRGINIAN (46)
just out in France from ESC Editions.
UNTAMED FRONTIER is out on DVD from Koch Germany and the
film is excellent shape so a Blu Ray would not be out of the question.
THE GREAT SIOUX UPRISING,also out on Koch on DVD is in not
so good shape so I suspect a Blu Ray release will not happen.
It’s a shame that so many of Universal’s masters are in such poor shape.
The Koch Blu Ray of THE LAST WAGON is excellent and with the Fox/
Disney debacle I wonder if it will ever attain a domestic release.
I’m very surprised Twilight Time never issued this one.
I recently got the German WVG Media version of WARLOCK from the
same 4K master as the Twilight Time version and it’s simply stunning.
Finally,I wonder where this Fox/Disney thing will leave Twilight Time as
they issue so much Fox product.
With all this going on I wonder how long it will be before Kino start
releasing Sony/Columbia titles,so many great Columbia titles,still unreleased.
According to some of the Blu Ray Forums,it would seem that
the recent Blu Ray of THE GUNFIGHTER from Explosive Media,is from
an older master. Originally it was supposed to be released in the UK ages
ago now; from a brand new 4K master.
If,in fact a new 4K master does actually exist will it now actually appear,
now that Disney seem to be dis-interested in Fox catalogue titles.
If anyone has the Explosive release it would be great to have some feedback.
Great to see this list, Toby. Many of the titles are out on DVD and quite satisfactory for me. BUT…. the film that REALLY needs a release (even DVD would be good!) for me is “RIDE THE MAN DOWN” (Numero Uno on the list). After that would be ‘scope or widescreen aspects of “AT GUNPOINT” & “DRAGOON WELLS MASSACRE”. And “THE YELLOW TOMAHAWK” in restored colour.
I really hope we can look forward to a BluRay of “HELLFIRE”. That would make a lot of us happy!
John k ,speaking of Universal ,I wish that a film called WILD,WILD,WINTER would get a DVD release .Ok ,so it’s just a Beach Party movie but a song called SNOWBALL by Jackie & Gayle is included .Yesterday ,I watched WILD ON THE BEACH and I thought it was in that .Toby,you may know what I’m talking about being a bit of a surf music fan .
Jerry,I’m with you on your suggestions .Great minds think alike .HA,HA.I would also include BADMAN’S COUNTRY on the list,even if it does run for only 68 min.
HELLFIRE the new restored version; has been available for any Euro
imprint to release from Park Circus,for over a year, no takers as yet.
No interest so far on all the first wave of Republic remasters including
THE PLUNDERERS and THE OUTCAST.
I do understand they are available to stream,but I’m not into that,but sadly
it seems this is the only way we will get to see these films,beautifully
restored.
Kino Lorber who are going gangbusters with releases at the moment seem
to have closed the door on Republic titles;I guess the few that they did
release were poor sellers.
Sadly,Germany in the past a gold mine for Western fans now seem to have
more or less given up on Westerns.
The sales demand for “traditional” Westerns is just not there especially
those starring the likes of Rod Cameron,George Montgomery and Rory
Calhoun.
BADMAN’S COUNTRY will eventually surface from Warner Archive and it’s
a shame Warners do not own the Allied Artists titles AT GUNPOINT,
DRAGOON WELLS MASSACRE and several others,their release seems
highly unlikely.
Sifting through the Park Circus library I note that they have a 4K version
of George Sherman’s SON OF ROBIN HOOD a most engaging romp
with a Feminist twist on the Sherwood Forest legend.
SON OF ROBIN HOOD starred David Hedison who passed away recently;
it’s fun to see Sherman away from his home turf directing a great veteran
British cast.
SON OF ROBIN HOOD played top of the bill at a major UK cinema
circuit. The support feature was Paul Landres’ FRONTIER GUN but sadly
I missed it at the time.
What I wouldn’t give to hop into a time machine and see those two on the
giant cinema screen of my local Odeon or Gaumont.
John, as you know, l have bought both Hellfire and The Outcast from Amazon. Both are wonderful, especially Outcast in widescreen. I would much prefer the Blu Ray discs in my collection, but how long should l (we) wait ?
Wanted :
JACK SLADE (1953)
CATTLE EMPIRE, HOUND DOG MAN, ESCAPE FROM RED ROCK, SNOWFIRE. SHOWDOWN (Audie Murphy). WILD AND THE INNOCENT (SCOPE) SIERRA BARON (SCOPE). SEVEN CITIES OF GOLD (SCOPE) ,TENSION AT TABLE ROCK, TONKA, TEN WHO DARED, HE RIDES TALL. Just a few mentions .
stevens733…….eclectic, not to say inspired choices.
CATTLE EMPIRE out on Blu Ray in France on an OK transfer.
WILD & THE INNOCENT was issued by Universal,France on DVD as a 4×3
pan & scan…the forthcoming Sidonis version will be the same,I guess…..
a victim of the Universal fire perhaps,so many Universal CinemaScope films on
the missing list.
SHOWDOWN out on Blu Ray from Koch,Germany,a lovely 1.85 widescreen
version. SEVEN CITIES OF GOLD has not even had a DVD version,
although not a Western.TENSION AT TABLE ROCK Warner Archive say
they will release,no idea when, but possibly only as a MOD DVD.
SNOWFIRE out as a Warner Archive DVD,I guess that’s all we will get.
TONKA and TEN WHO DARED;Disney,so no hope there.
ESCAPE FROM RED ROCK another “lost” RegalScope title.
Finally there’s HOUND DOG MAN…..Don Siegel,Stuart Whitman,
Arthur O’Connell,Royal Dano,Claude Akins,Edgar Buchanan,L.Q.Jones,
Jane Darwell and Lovely Carol Lynley who passed away the other day.
Why has that not even had a DVD release…..now I guess it never will….
thanks Disney.
HOUND DOG MAN a “backwoods drama” not a Western BTW but it would
be great to see it get some sort of release.
Thank you for your reply! BTW, what gives on the U-I CINEMASCOPE TITLES being ‘lost’? Do you why this was? Although not a western, ISTANBUL (1957) is STILL wanting a release and STILL the only ERROL FLYNN title not out there!) It had an early VHS version release long ago which was probably FLAT…). You might have noticed this incredible fact; UNIVERAL-INTERNATIONAL only made around 20 features combining SCOPE and TECHNICOLOR-for the whole decade ( the latter half , obviously) 1950-1960)!!?? An absolute insane tactic resulting in the less costly more fade-in-a month EASTMAN COLOR TITLES, AS POLICY until 1964. When One looks at all of the titles that were filmed in that wretched process, SCOPE or FLAT (from 1957-64), scream- time-screenings exist, for sure! NO KIDDING, these prints started fading before they had any projection ! At least we can thank UNIVERSAL for finally RETURNING to TECHNICOLOR, in 1964!). (20th CENTURY FOX, tragically, DID NOT do the same).
Just been over to DVD Beaver and enjoyed very much Gary’s
review of the German Blu Ray of THE GUNFIGHTER.
As Gary so rightly states this film is worthy of the Criterion or Indicator
treatment-especially if the new 4K version is used.
One that has got lost in the mix is the Umbrella (Australia) new Blu Ray of
TO HELL AND BACK….not a Western but a film many readers of FWOTF
will want in high def.
P.S. I am real sure that THE SON OF ROBIN HOOD was screened on STARS-ENCORE in anamorphic CinemaScope. I’m sure because after they had been screening it in miserable pan&scan, this original format was finally presented earlier this year and resulted from me, at least , a triple-jump Jimmy Finlayson DOE!!
stevens 733
The Fox MOD/DVD of SON OF ROBIN HOOD was wretched 4×4
and in very poor shape. The film is a fun romp and should look great in
widescreen.
There are a whole heap of Universal CinemaScope films on the missing
list including,as you quiet rightly say ISTANBUL which I am sure
would have been released by now even as a Universal Vault MOD/DVD.
Also missing is NEVER STEAL ANYTHING SMALL with Cagney.
All sorts of Universal CinemaScope films have never even had a DVD
release: THE SECOND GREATEST SEX,FOUR GIRLS IN TOWN,THE
TATTERED DRESS,MAN AFRAID and others. Then there are the much
sought after Universal CinemaScope Westerns DAY OF THE BADMAN
and THE SAGA OF HEMP BROWN.
The Universal Studios fire is generally the reason given for “lost”
titles but really who knows,one hopes the master negs for several of
these much sought after films will surface at some point.
The infamous Universal fire, I guess a book will be written about it one day. It was recently revealed that far more was lost than originally thought. This is regarding the music side of the library. Universal owns Motown, Blue Note, Verve, Capitol, American Decca, Polygram, Chess Checker group, etc.
Over half a million original master copy recordings were lost, effecting Jazz, country, Rock & roll, easy listening, from Ray Charles to Bing Crosby, from Ella Fitzgerald to Chuck Berry. Many artists that are still living are only just finding out that their music is lost, and law suits are being prepared.
As the music library was in the same building as the TV and film libraries, then we surely aren’t getting the full story of the film titles lost yet.
ALSO wanting in Blu Ray MONTANA (1950), ROCKY MOUNTAIN (1950). And also with ERROL FLYNN in a non-western THE WARRIORS (1955); and also THE MASTER OF BALANTRAE (1953). Concerning the ‘ORIGINAL SCOPE FORMAT bail-out’ by FOX : WHY CAN’T they RETURN to the simple 2-SIDE- DISC , with REGULAR ‘FLAT’ VERSION on one side, and SCOPE VERSION on side 2? ?? Anyone know why this simple old tactic was discontinued?
TCM ran a lost , forgotten, never- heard- of (by me, anyway) titled APACHE WAR SMOKE, a “B” CO-HIT GEM– and coming from from MGM, what a gripping 67 minute B &W surprise this was, Would anybody out there have any bits of info on this one? Good little cast headed by GILBERT ROLAND.