Directed by Henry Hathaway
Starring Steve McQueen, Karl Malden, Brian Keith, Arthur Kennedy, Suzanne Pleshette, Martin Landau, Pat Hingle, Paul Fix, Gene Evans, John Doucette, Lyle Bettger, Ted de Corsia
It’s about time on this one! Kino Lorber is bringing Henry Hathaway’s Nevada Smith (1966) to Blu-Ray from the camera negative.
It’s a prequel to The Carpetbaggers (1964) with Steve McQueen playing a younger version of Alan Ladd’s character. It was beautifully shot by Lucien Ballard in a number of incredible locations. For 50s Western fans, its biggest appeal might be its supporting cast of great Western character actors. Highly recommended.
Archive for the ‘Henry Hathaway’ Category
Blu-Ray News #348: Nevada Smith (1966).
Posted in Alan Ladd, Arthur Kennedy, Brian Keith, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Henry Hathaway, John Doucette, Karl Malden, Kino Lorber, Lucien Ballard, Lyle Bettger, Paramount, Paul Fix, Ted de Corsia on September 12, 2022| 27 Comments »
Blu-Ray News #307: The Sons Of Katie Elder (1965).
Posted in Dean Martin, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Henry Hathaway, John Doucette, John Wayne, Lucien Ballard, Martha Hyer, Paramount, Paul Fix on July 20, 2020| 14 Comments »
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Martha Hyer, Michael Anderson Jr., Earl Holliman, George Kennedy, Paul Fix, James Gregory, Dennis Hopper, John Doucette, Strother Martin, Percy Helton
Paramount has announced a September Blu-Ray release of The Sons Of Katie Elder (1965). It’s a terrific movie, with an incredible cast and gorgeous cinematography from the great Lucien Ballard. Paramount’s Blu-Rays of pictures like this can be stunning, if they’re not overly processed like El Dorado (1966) was. Still, it comes highly recommended.
With this announcement this week, and last week’s news of The Gunfighter (1950) from Criterion, things are looking pretty good.
Blu-Ray News #305: The Shepherd Of The Hills (1941).
Posted in DVD/Blu-Ray News, Fuzzy Knight, Henry Hathaway, John Wayne, Kino Lorber, Paramount, Ward Bond on July 7, 2020| 3 Comments »
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Starring John Wayne, Betty Field, Harry Carey, Beulah Bondi, Ward Bond, Marjorie Main, John Qualen, Fuzzy Knight
Kino Lorber has announced a Fall Blu-Ray release of Henry Hathaway’s The Shepherd Of The Hills (1941). It’s not a Western, really, since it takes place in the Ozark Mountains, but some Western elements were worked into the novel’s plot to make it more of a John Wayne movie. Wayne was well on his way to becoming a major star — this was just a couple years after Stagecoach (1939).
It was Wayne’s first time working with director Henry Hathaway. They’d do a number of pictures together. It was also the first time we got to see John Wayne in Technicolor, and that gorgeous color will certainly be one of the delights to be found in this new Blu-Ray. This is a beautiful movie. Highly recommended.
Screening: True Grit (1969).
Posted in Festivals, screenings, Henry Hathaway, John Doucette, John Wayne, Paramount on May 1, 2019| 6 Comments »
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Starring John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Kim Darby, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin, John Doucette
To mark the 50th anniversary of True Grit (1969), TCM has put together a string of screenings in hundreds of theaters this Sunday and Wednesday, May 5 and 8. To find a theater near you, click the lobby card above.
Henry Hathaway At The 54th New York Film Festival.
Posted in 1951, 1954, 1958, Cameron Mitchell, Edgar Buchanan, Festivals, screenings, Gary Cooper, Harry Carey Jr., Henry Hathaway, Jack Elam, James H. Griffith, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Susan Hayward, Tyrone Power on September 12, 2016| 31 Comments »
The lineup for the 54th New York Film Festival — which runs from September 30 to Octoebr 16 — includes a terrific Henry Hathaway retrospective that doesn’t skimp on his Westerns.
Rawhide (1951)
Starring Tyrone Power, Susan Hayward, Hugh Marlowe, Dean Jagger, Edgar Buchanan, Jack Elam, George Tobias, James Millican
Garden Of Evil (1954)
Starring Gary Cooper, Susan Hayward, Richard Widmark, Hugh Marlowe, Cameron Mitchell
From Hell To Texas (1958)
Starring Don Murray, Diane Varsi, Chill Wills, R.G. Armstrong, Jay C. Flippen, Harry Carey, Jr.
North To Alaska (1960)
Starring John Wayne. Stewart Granger, Ernie Kovacks, Fabian, Capucine, Joe Sawyer, James H. Griffith
The Shepherd Of The Hills (1941), Kiss Of Death (1947) and Niagara (1953) are among the other Hathaway pictures being shown. Good stuff.
The restored One-Eyed Jacks (1961) is also part of the festival.
50s Westerns Blu-ray News #211: Legend Of The Lost (1957).
Posted in 1957, DVD reviews, releases, TV, etc., Henry Hathaway, John Wayne, Olive Films, United Artists on April 8, 2016| 14 Comments »
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Starring John Wayne, Sophia Loren, Rossano Brazzi, Kurt Kasznar
Legend Of The Lost (1957) isn’t a Western, and it can’t hold a candle to some of the other pictures Wayne made with Henry Hathaway. But it’s certainly big and it was shot by Jack Cardiff in Technicolor and Technirama, so it should make for a great Blu-ray. And it’s coming from Olive Films in May.
Screening: How The West Was Won (1962) In Las Vegas, Chicago And Maybe Elsewhere.
Posted in George Marshall, Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda, Henry Hathaway, Jimmy Stewart, John Ford, John Wayne, Lee Van Cleef, Richard Widmark on January 12, 2015| 4 Comments »
Directed by John Ford, Henry Hathaway and George Marshall
Starring Carroll Baker, Lee J. Cobb, Henry Fonda, Carolyn Jones, Karl Malden, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Robert Preston, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, Eli Wallach, John Wayne and Richard Widmark. Walter Brennan, Andy Devine, Agnes Moorehead, Russ Tamblyn, Lee Van Cleef. Narrated by Spencer Tracy.
How The West Was Won (1962), the star-studded three-strip Cinerama blockbuster, is scheduled for the Century 16 Suncoast Theater in Las Vegas, January 25 and 28. Check for other theaters in the Cinemark chain. The screen won’t be curved, but at least it’ll be bigger than your television.
Of the epic’s many segments, I’ve always felt Ford’s Civil War segment was the best thing in the picture.
Thanks to Noel for the tip.
Looking For Something To Do In Dallas?
Posted in 1952, 1956, 1959, Ben Johnson, Burt Kennedy, Dean Martin, Dimitri Tiomkin, Festivals, screenings, Hank Worden, Harry Carey Jr., Henry Hathaway, Howard Hawks, Jeffrey Hunter, Jimmy Stewart, John Ford, John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Lee Marvin, Maureen O'Hara, Republic Pictures, Richard Widmark, Ward Bond on April 24, 2014| 11 Comments »
50s Westerns DVD News #106: From Hell To Texas (1958).
Posted in 1958, DVD reviews, releases, TV, etc., Henry Hathaway on November 24, 2012| 21 Comments »
There’s been some speculation on this one. Is it actually coming? Will it be widescreen? Has Fox dumped it MOD program? Movies Unlimited now has it listed for pre-order with a release date of December 16. And they say it’ll be widescreen — good news, since the CinemaScope picture is unwatchable pan-and-scan.
From Hell To Texas (1958, also known at The Hell Bent Kid and The Manhunt) is a very good late-50s Western from Henry Hathaway, one that has never received the attention it deserves. Don Murray is excellent as the young man on the run, and he’s backed by a terrific cast: Diane Varsi, Chill Wills, Dennis Hopper, R.G. Armstrong and Jay C. Flippen.
This is the film that lead to Dennis Hopper being blackballed in Hollywood for nearly 10 years.
Dennis Hopper: “[Hathaway]’d give you line readings. I was now trying to ‘live in the moment’ and doing things without preconceived ideas, and I walked off the picture three times on location. He’d beg me to come back… So the last day on the picture… He said ‘We’re gonna do this scene till you do it my way’… we started about eight o’clock in the morning. Around eleven at night, after 85 takes, I finally cracked, and said ‘Okay, tell me what you want to do.’ I did it, then I walked out. It wasn’t like somebody sent a black ball around after that, but word got around that I wasn’t somebody you wanted to work with. Soon after that, I was dropped from my contract at Warner Bros. I went back to New York and I studied with Strasberg for five years. I didn’t have another major role in a studio picture for nearly 10 years, until Hathaway hired me again for The Sons Of Katie Elder in ’65.”*
* From an interview that appeared in Venice magazine.
Cameron Mitchell.
Posted in Henry Hathaway, John Ford, Television on August 16, 2012| 9 Comments »
INSP TV is adding The High Chaparral to its stable of shows, and kicking things off with a marathon on September 15. This has me thinking about Cameron Mitchell, who played Buck Cannon throughout the show’s run.
Mitchell had a pretty incredible career, beginning with offers to pitch for the major leagues — which he turned down to pursue acting — and serving as an Air Force bombardier in World War II. He played Happy Loman in Death Of A Salesman both on Broadway and film. Then there’s his film credits: John Ford’s They Were Expendable (1945), Command Decision (1947), House Of Bamboo (1955), Monkey On My Back (1957). Ride In The Whirlwind (1966, a great film) — even the voice of Christ in The Robe (1953).
He was very visible in 50s Westerns, too. Man In The Saddle (1951), Powder River (1953), Garden Of Evil (1954) and Tension At Table Rock (1956, above with Richard Egan), to name a few. Then came a busy period in Europe that resulted in Mario Bava’s Blood And Black Lace (1964), Minnesota Clay (1964) and Knives Of The Avenger (1966), among others.
But it’s probably The High Chaparral (1967-1971) for which he’s best known.
He did some really terrible horror films in the 70s and 80s — The Toolbox Murders (1978) is atrocious — and he worked steadily on TV. (Name a show, and there’s a good chance he was on it at least once.) What always struck me was that he never seemed to walk through a part. He was too professional for that, the perfect example of a working actor. And while it sometimes seems beside the point, he was good. And quite often, as in Ride In The Whirlwind or The High Chaparral, he was excellent.