Quantez (1957)
Directed by Harry Keller
Starring Fred MacMurray, Dorothy Malone, James Barton, Sydney Chaplin, John Gavin, John Larch, Michael Ansara
Just finished recording a commentary for Harry Keller’s Quantez (1957), a film I appreciate more every time I see it. It feels awkward to plug these things when I work on ’em, but this one is something special. The movie is ripe for rediscovery — and I think it’s the best commentary I’ve done.
It’s also a picture with superb art direction and cinematography, so high-definition will be a big plus.
Horizons West (1952)
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Starring Robert Ryan, Julia Adams, Rock Hudson, John McIntire, Raymond Burr, James Arness, Dennis Weaver
Horizons West (1952) has the great cast of contract players — Adams, Hudson, McIntire, Dennis Weaver — and gorgeous Technicolor we expect from Universal International Westerns of the early 50s. It’s a post-Civi War story of Ryan’s ambitions getting the best of him. Budd Boetticher keeps it short on running time and long on action.
The color will make this one really pop on Blu-Ray. I’ll be recording a commentary for it next week. Both pictures are expected in May from Kino Lorber.
There haven’t been many 50s Westerns riding up on DVD or Blu-Ray lately. These will help make up for it.
50 Westerns From The 50s. 
It’s sad that I’m gonna miss the Toby commentary on QUANTEZ as
I already have the Koch Blu Ray which is just fine BTW and I cannot
afford to double dip especially with all these Noir sets Indicator are
releasing.
It hurts even more that The Tobester rates this as his best yet!
I’m stoked about HORIZONS WEST as the old DVD certainly looked
as if it could use an upgrade-for me it’s Budd’s finest Universal Western.
Toby, on the topic of commentaries, I ran the man Who Died Twice earlier this week and thought the film wanting, starting with production values, reminding me of early fifties television, but with an excellent underused cast. Cameron, the titular star had nothing to do, sort of a lesser version of Bud Abbott. The two gangsters were as good as Joe Kane allowed them to be, and the kitten bit lingers. Mike Mazurki, on first viewing, was excellent, did not hold up quite as well the second time around, as for Vera Ralston, she was excellent, and if I am not mistaken, at one point you commented she struggled with a speech; not so in my opinion. She was warm, controlled, and thoughtful throughout. I like her a lot. The other film I feel that way about is Wyoming, a film close to my heart. Sort of Shane from an opposing point of view. Obviously, she is not as effective in something like Angel on the Amazon, but that was close to impossible.
Was thinking the other day that I’d like to revisit The Man Who Died Twice. Cool little movie. Glad you brought it up.
I don’t mind Vera Ralston too much in most things, but if I picture that movie with, say, Marie Windsor or Peggie Castle in the part, I think it could’ve been better.
“Controlled,” the word you used, really fits. Her dialogue is very mannered and doesn’t come off as natural — not to me, anyway. Remember, that was at the tail end of her movie career, and she’d gotten a LOT better.
Vera was an immigrant and that is what she usually plays, as in I, Jane Doe. As for Marie Windsor and Peggie Castle, Peggie is a real turn on, talent looks and overall appeal. I’ve no interest in Marie.
On second thought: Just ran a black market copy of Hellfire with inconsistent sound, but other than its being a fine film, Marie Windsor in this was definitive, and Forrest Tucker, at his best. Bill Elliott was better than that. Hard to believe that instead of jumping ahead in the western sweepstakes, he began a downward spiral. None of these final Republic films were successful, The Savage Horde way above average to good, At AA, as intelligent as the films were, the level of production and distribution put them and him in the pasture; had he only been at Universal, or even Columbia, the results, and his life, may have ended differently.
Couldn’t agree more, Barry. I think Elliott’s beef with Republic over Hellfire stopped what could’ve been a very good thing.
But I love the Monogram/AA pictures, even though they’re a little rough around the edges. The scripts and Elliott’s performances lift them up — and, of course, the likes of Peggy Stewart and Beverly Garland don’t hurt either.
Barry, I’m glad that you have some nice comments about the much maligned Vera Hruba Ralston. I also think she was quite good in THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE(filmed 1957, released 1958). She wasn’t the movie destroyer that some so-called critics of that time and later tried to portray her as. Another movie that Vera was good in is JUBILEE TRAIL(filmed 1953, released 1954). I think this movie has a lot going for it and shouldn’t be avoided just because it’s just another Ralston movie. She was a hard worker and got better with each movie.
For those of you who are interested in Western and Western Movie History Jeff Arnold is back blogging. He can be found now at https://www.jeffarnoldswest.com/post/howdy
Jeff, is always a good informative read.
Walter, I did not think Jubillee Trail was a bad picture at all, with Vera and Joan Leslie, especially Vera coming through just fine, although the men, Forrest Tucker, Ray Middleton, underperformed, Pat O’Brien thrown away, although Buddy Baer effective. Direction and production more than adequate..
You keep changing/challenging my “what do you want for your birthday” list.
Looking forward to these, Toby!!
Best wishes,
Laura
Testing…….
Ah…that horrid “WordPress Gremlin” popped up and when I disable the darn
thing my comments vanish.
I enjoyed JUBILEE TRAIL Republic’s answer to GONE WITH THE WIND or so
they thought. Somebody should have pitched a musical to Joe Kane he sure
liked his musical interludes and JUBILEE TRAIL is top heavy with them but
overall the film is OK.
The films main sin just when things start to drag sudddenly Jack Elam and
James Millican turn up,mean as snakes, a bad guy dream team if ever there
was one,but sadly no sooner they enter the picture they are gunned down….
what a waste.
Yes,Barry Peggie Castle wonderful in Noir or Westerns so underrated.
I don’t normally like to give bad reviews to films,but I just watched THE SPECIALISTS with Johnny Hallyday and found it to be probably the worst western I have ever seen and yet most of the reviews rave about it.There were 4 characters in it that were more like louts making a nuisance of them selves.These were the ones that made the whole town strip naked and made them lay on their stomachs.huh!!!The music was good.The film bears similarities to HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER where it focuses on revenge.I thought it was a bit over done.I know some of you will may probably enjoy it and maybe think I don’t understand it.It’s not that,it’s just that I did not enjoy it.Oh well!!
Graham, what the heck is “THE SPECIALISTS” and when was the ghastly-sounding thing made??
Jerry,THE SPECIALISTS was made in 1969 and issued from EUREKA classics.It has a partly English audio.
Graham, I think you hit the nail on the head concerning THE SPECIALISTS. I think I’ll stick with HORIZONS WEST AND QUANTEZ any day of the week.
Walter,I’m with you there .I just watched THE BIG LAND,a great western with Alan Ladd.This is one I’d like to see on BLU RAY.The film suffers from poor colour,fading in scenes.Does any tech minded person out there know if that colour fault can be fixed?I can’t see WB doing much with a restoration but this was one of Ladd’s better efforts.
Graham, I haven’t viewed THE BIG LAND(filmed 1856, released 1957) in a very long time. Sadly, as you say, Warner Bros., which is now owned by AT&T, probably won’t spend anything for a restoration, but you never know. I don’t have a DVD of this movie, but it is one that I think I’ll seek out, because I remember liking it at the time I first saw it on WMC Channel 5 Memphis, Tennessee back in the 1970’s.
This movie has a good director at the helm in Gordon Douglas, along with David Dortort scripting from a Frank Gruber novel titled BUFFALO GRASS(1956). Dortort is the creator/producer of TV’S BONANZA(1959-73) and THE HIGH CHAPARRAL(1967-71). Also, the movie was produced by Alan Ladd’s Jaguar Productions.
Walter ,Anthony Caruso who played the bad guy was a good friend of Ladd’s and starred in 11 of his films.Virginia Mayo who I’ve always loved in westerns said that Alan Ladd was her favourite leading man and of all her leading men,he worked best with her.She said he was charming and gentle ,but very shy.I thought she was great in THE PROUD ONES.
Graham, Anthony Caruso, in my opinion, was a really good actor, because he could portray bad guys as well as good guys, so well. He and Alan Ladd went back a long way together. At the Pasadena Playhouse, where he met a young and very broke Alan Ladd, for whom he bought a meal. Later on, when Ladd became a star, he showed his gratitude by getting Caruso parts in many of his movies. In THE IRON MISTRESS(1952) I remember, so well, when as Louisiana gambler “Bloody Jack” Sturdevant, Caruso and Ladd(Jim Bowie) had a fight, in which he came off the better in this no-holds bared wild knife fight, leaving Bowie(Ladd) severely wounded.
Virginia Mayo, a favorite of mine, was also in THE IRON MISTRESS, which was directed by Gordon Douglas and scripted by James R. Webb from a novel by Paul I. Wellman. I think Mayo was superb in two of director Raoul Walsh’s best films, the gangster drama WHITE HEAT(1949), and the western COLORADO TERRITORY(filmed 1948, released 1949). The ending of COLORADO TERRITORY is one of the great western movie climaxes.
Talking of Virginia Mayo, Graham and Walter, I thought she was good in a number of westerns, but especially “FORT DOBBS” where she brought a very natural feel to her role opposite Clint Walker.
I thought Virginia’s two be westerns were Colorado Territory and Along the Great Divide, both of which provided her with opportunities to be effective, which she seized.
I love Fort Dobbs, a very underrated little movie with another great script from Burt Kennedy. Virginia Mayo’s terrific in it.
https://fiftieswesterns.wordpress.com/2010/12/29/dvd-review-fort-dobbs-1958/
Jerry, Barry, and Toby I couldn’t agree with you more concerning Virginia Mayo. I think her best roles, during the 1950’s were in Westerns.