Posted in 1956, Festivals, screenings, Hank Worden, Harry Carey Jr., Jeffrey Hunter, John Ford, John Wayne, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Warner Bros. on July 7, 2017| 25 Comments »
There’s not a lot I need to say here, is there? Two of the finest Westerns ever made — John Ford’s Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956), both starring John Wayne — will run at New York’s Film Forum on Monday, August 28th.
And yes, that’s one of the coolest photos to ever turn up on this blog.
Posted in Arthur Kennedy, Ben Johnson, Denver Pyle, Festivals, screenings, George O'Brien, Harry Carey Jr., Jimmy Stewart, John Carradine, John Ford, Post-1959, Richard Widmark, Warner Bros., William H. Clothier on April 26, 2017| 41 Comments »
Directed by John Ford
Starring Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, Karl Malden, Sal Mineo, Ricardo Montalban, Delores Del Rio, Gilbert Roland, Arthur Kennedy, James Stewart, Edward G. Robinson, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey, Jr., Denver Pyle
Cheyenne Autumn (1964) is a picture I’ve always wanted to see on the big screen, on film. And here’s my chance — they’re running a 35mm IB Technicolor print at the New Beverly Cinema on May 21 and 22. Shame it’s 2,554 miles from my front door.
Cheyenne Autumn isn’t Ford’s finest work, but it has plenty to recommend it — and it just might be William Clothier’s best work (he shot it in Super Panavision 70, which is why I want to see it in a theater).
Posted in John Ford on April 4, 2017| Leave a Comment »
I have a good feeling about the Dodgers this year. Baseball’s a game with plenty of superstitions, so let’s hope posting this photo of John Ford, his Dodgers cap and Monument Valley does as well for them this year as it did in 2016. Play ball!
Posted in 1950, 1952, 1954, 20th Century-Fox, Barton MacLane, Ben Johnson, Beverly Garland, Budd Boetticher, Burt Kennedy, Claud Akins, Criterion, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Edwin L. Marin, Elisha Cook, Jr., Ernest Borgnine, Frank Ferguson, Fritz Lang, Gregory Peck, Hank Worden, Harry Morgan, Jesse Hibbs, Joel McCrea, John Ford, John Ireland, John Wayne, Katy Jurado, Kino Lorber, Monogram/Allied Artists, Nancy Gates, Nicholas Ray, Olive Films, Paul Fix, Post-1959, Pre-1950, Randolph Scott, Republic Pictures, Richard Widmark, RKO, Scott Brady, Sterling Hayden, Thomas Carr, Universal (-International), Warner Archive, Wayne Morris, William Wellman, Zane Grey on January 27, 2017| 15 Comments »
Back in 2014, gathering everybody’s favorite DVD and Blu-Ray picks for the year turned out to be a lot of fun. It’s since become an annual thing.
Thanks to everybody who sent in their picks for 2016. This was a great year for 50s Westerns on DVD and Blu-Ray (and 2017 is shaping up to be just as good, or maybe better). Here’s the Top 10, according to your votes.
10. Desperado (1954, Warner Archive, DVD)
It was a tie between this Wayne Morris picture and his earlier Desert Pursuit (1952). They’re both solid, offbeat little Westerns — and it’s real treat to have them available in such stellar condition.
9. Yellow Sky (1948, Kino Lorber, Blu-Ray)
Thanks to William Wellman, we didn’t have to wait till the 50s for Hollywood to start making 50s Westerns. The town of Yellow Sky is populated by only an old prospector and his daughter — until some slimy outlaws come riding up.
8. Western Union (1941, Kino Lorber, Blu-Ray)
Randolph Scott in Fritz Lang’s second Technicolor movie. There’s so much cool stuff in this movie, and it looks wonderful.
7. Black Horse Canyon (1954, Universal Vault, DVD)
For years, Joel McCrea’s Universal Westerns were missing on DVD. It’s great to have them so easy to track down. This is a good one.
6. Comanche Station (1960, Explosive Media, Blu-Ray)
The last of the Scott-Boetticher Westerns turns out to be the first to make its way to Blu-Ray, and as I see it, the others can’t get here soon enough. This thing’s incredible.
5. She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1948, Warner Archive, Blu-Ray)
John Ford’s She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1948, above) is one of the most beautiful color movies ever shot. The proof is pressed oh-so-magnificently into this Blu-Ray. It also features one of John Wayne’s finest performances.
4. Roughshod (1949, Warner Archive, DVD)
This gets my vote as the best of the “noir Westerns.” I was real happy to see the response this picture got. It’s a shame it’s not better known.
3. Cariboo Trail (1950, Kino Lorber, DVD/Blu-Ray)
The transfer here is a minor miracle, demonstrating how good CineColor can look. They wisely didn’t go overboard with the cleanup, so it still retains its true film look. And, of course, this is a solid picture from Edwin Marin and Randolph Scott.
2. Johnny Guitar (1954, Olive Films Signature Edition, DVD/Blu-Ray)
Olive’s new Signature edition is a marked improvement over their old release, which was terrific. The restored 1.66 framing makes a big difference, and the supplemental stuff is excellent.
1. One-Eyed Jacks (1961, Criterion Collection, DVD/Blu-Ray)
Opinions of Marlon Brando’s Western are all over the place, so I was really surprised to see it land in the top spot. However, judging it simply in terms of its superb presentation, I don’t see how anything could beat it. It’s stunning, a big fat reward to all of us who’ve suffered through those awful tapes and discs over the years. I’m proud and honored to have been involved with Criterion’s work here. (Note: Having worked on the One-Eyed Jacks extras, I did not feel comfortable taking part in the vote this time around.)
In closing, the discs on this list highlight the impact the video presentation can have on our appreciation of these old movies. Many of these have been available, in some form, for years. One more thing: your reasons for not buying a Blu-Ray player are rapidly running out.
Posted in Ben Johnson, DVD reviews, releases, TV, etc., George O'Brien, Harry Carey Jr., John Agar, John Ford, John Wayne, Pre-1950, RKO, Warner Archive, Winton C. Hock on May 16, 2016| 29 Comments »
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, George O’Brien, Arthur Shields
A spiffed-up restoration of John Ford’s She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949) was unveiled at this year’s TCM Festival. I heard it was gorgeous.
Warner Archive is bringing that same transfer to our Blu-ray players soon. It’ll be a real treat to see Winton C. Hoch’s Technicolor cinematography in high definition. Lest we forget what an incredible artist he was.
UPDATE: Ford’s They Were Expendable (1945) is also coming to Blu-ray from Warner Archive the same day. In my opinion, which is worth pretty much nothin’, it’s the greatest war movie ever made.
Posted in John Ford on April 1, 2016| 6 Comments »
I just love this photo of John Ford sitting in Monument Valley in his Dodgers cap. When I posted it last year to mark the start of the baseball season, I decided it was going to become a tradition around here.
The Dodgers don’t play their first regular-season home game till April 12th, and I ain’t waiting that long. Go Dodgers!
Posted in 1950, John Ford, John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara on October 24, 2015| 11 Comments »
Maureen O’Hara
August 17, 1920 – October 24, 2015
When I came upon this image from Rio Grande (1950) the other day, I had no idea this is what I’d end up using it for. The great Maureen O’Hara passed away today at 95.
