Posted in 1957, 1958, 1959, Budd Boetticher, Burt Kennedy, Claud Akins, Columbia, Criterion, DVD/Blu-Ray News, James Coburn, Karen Steele, Lucien Ballard, Nancy Gates, Noah Beery Jr., Old Tucson, Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Skip Homeier on April 19, 2023| 8 Comments »
The Criterion Collection has announced an upcoming 4K set of Randolph Scott and Budd Boetticher’s Ranown Cycle: The Tall T (1957), Decision At Sundown (1957), Buchanan Rides Alone (1958), Ride Lonesome (1959) and Comanche Station (1960).
It’s coming in July, so get to shopping for 4K players and TVs!
Wish someone would convince the John Wayne estate to pave the way to get Seven Men From Now (1956), the film that launched the Scott-Boetticher collaboration, out on Blu-Ray.
Posted in 1950, Charles Starrett, Gene Autry, George "Gabby" Hayes, Hopalong Cassidy, Randolph Scott, Roy Rogers, The Durango Kid, Tim Holt, William Boyd on February 17, 2023| 3 Comments »
We looked at Exhibitor magazine’s top cowboy stars for 1951 a while back. Here’s the 1950 list.
By the way, this was the year that Gabby Hayes left theaters with the Randolph Scott picture The Caribou Trail.
Posted in 1958, Budd Boetticher, Randolph Scott on January 23, 2023| 14 Comments »
George Randolph Scott
(January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987)
Let’s raise a glass to Randolph Scott, born 125 years ago today. He’s seen here in Budd Boetticher’s Buchanan Rides Alone (1958).
Posted in 1957, Budd Boetticher, Randolph Scott on September 17, 2022| 16 Comments »
Henry Silva
(September 23, 1926 – September 14, 2022)
The great character actor Henry Silva has passed away, a few days short of his 96th birthday.
From Westerns like The Tall T (1957, above) and The Bravados (1958) to gangster pictures like Johnny Cool (1964) to Rat Pack things like Oceans 11 (1960) to a slew of foreign action movies, it was always a good sign to see Silva’s name pop up in the credits. He rarely got a role that wasn’t a villain of some sort, but when he did, he was terrific.
Posted in Audie Murphy, Budd Boetticher, Joel McCrea, LQ Jones, Randolph Scott, Sam Peckinpah on July 10, 2022| 16 Comments »
L. Q. Jones (Justus Ellis McQueen, Jr.)
(August 19, 1927 – July 9, 2022)
The great Western character actor L.Q. Jones has passed away at 94.
His real name was Justus Ellis McQueen, Jr., but for the screen, he took his name from his first picture, Battle Cry (1955).
Jones worked with some of the greats of 50s Westerns: Randolph Scott (1958’s Buchanan Rides Alone, above), Joel McCrea and Audie Murphy. Sam Peckinpah made him a member of his stock company, casting Jones in five of his films. He stayed extremely busy on TV, often in Westerns, throughout the 60s and 70s. And he wrote, produced and directed the 1975 science fiction film A Boy And His Dog.
He was a great storyteller, as the many YouTube videos of him will prove. 
L.Q. is T.C., the bad guy on the far right, in this promo still from Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch (1969). He became close friends with Strother Martin (upper left).
Posted in 3-D, Andre de Toth, Arthur Hunnicutt, Budd Boetticher, Burt Kennedy, Cameron Mitchell, Claire Trevor, Claud Akins, Columbia, Dorothy Malone, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Edgar Buchanan, Ernest Borgnine, Forrest Tucker, Frank Faylen, Glenn Ford, Gordon Douglas, James Coburn, John Russell, Joseph H. Lewis, Karen Steele, Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef, Mill Creek Entertainment, Noah Beery Jr., Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Richard Dennings, Skip Homeier on March 25, 2021| 14 Comments »
Mill Creek has announced the six-disc, 12-movie Blu-Ray set The Randolph Scott Collection, which gives us a great batch of Scott’s Westerns for Columbia.
The Desperadoes (1943)
Directed by Charles Vidor
Starring Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, Glenn Ford, Evelyn Keyes, Edgar Buchanan
Scott plays a sheriff after two separate bands of outlaws who rob the same bank at about the same time. Turns out the first robbery was an inside job.
The Nevadan (1950)
Directed by Gordon Douglas
Starring Randolph Scott, Dorothy Malone, Forrest Tucker, Frank Faylen and George Macready
Scott’s a Marshal who lets an outlaw (Forrest Tucker) escape so he can recover $250,000 in stolen gold.
Santa Fe (1951)
Directed by Irving Pichel
Starring Randolph Scott, Janis Carter
Scott’s trying to help build a railroad, with even his own brothers trying to stop him.
Man In The Saddle (1951
Directed by Andre de Toth
Starring Randolph Scott, Joan Leslie, Ellen Drew, Alexander Knox, Richard Rober, John Russell, Alfonso Bedoya, Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams, Clem Bevans, Cameron Mitchell, Tennessee Ernie Ford
Scott’s a farmer who locks horns with Alexander Knox, who wants his land. The first, and maybe best, of the Scott pictures directed by Andre de Toth.
Hangman’s Knot (1952)
Directed by Roy Huggins
Starring Randolph Scott, Donna Reed, Claude Jarman, Jr., Frank Faylen, Richard Denning, Lee Marvin
Confederate soldiers, led by Scott, steal a shipment of Yankee gold and end up with a posse after ’em.
The Stranger Wore A Gun (1953)
Directed by Andre de Toth
Starring Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, Joan Weldon, George Macready, Alfonso Bedoya, Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine
This time, Scott’s a Confederate spy who’s in in a big robbery but has a change of heart. Originally in 3-D, widescreen (1.85) and stereophonic sound, it’ll be interesting to see what we get here.
A Lawless Street (1955)
Directed by Joseph H. Lewis
Starring Randolph Scott
Then we get four of the Budd Boetticher/Burt Kennedy Ranown cycle, some of the finest Westerns ever made. What’s missing from the unofficial series are Batjac’s Seven Men From Now (1956) and Warner’s Westbound (1959) which aren’t available on Blu-Ray.
The Tall T (1957)
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Starring Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Maureen O’Sullivan, Arthur Hunnicutt, Skip Homeier, Henry Silva
Scott and Maureen O’Sullivan are held captive at a way station by a bunch of crooks. This is an incredible movie, based on a story by Elmore Leonard.
Decision At Sundown (1958)
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Starring Randolph Scott, John Carroll, Karen Steele, Valerie French, Noah Beery Jr., John Archer, Ray Teal
Scott rides in Sundown to kill John Carroll., who had an affair with his wife.
Buchanan Rides Alone (1958)
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Starring Randolph Scott, Craig Stevens, Barry Kelley, L.Q. Jones
Tom Buchanan (Scott) rides into the border town of Agry and is robbed and framed for murder. Naturally, Scott isn’t happy about this and does something about it. This was my entry point into the films of Randolph Scott, and it remains a favorite.
Ride Lonesome (1959)
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Starring Randolph Scott, Karen Steele, Pernell Roberts, Lee Van Cleef, James Coburn
Ben Brigade (Scott) is a bounty hunter trying to take Billy John to Santa Cruz and turn him in. Standing in the way are Billy John’s brother and a group of Indians.
Comanche Station (1960)
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Starring Randolph Scott, Claude Akins, Nancy Gates, Skip Homeier
Scott rescues a women from the Comanches, not knowing her husband has a $5,000 reward for her return, dead or alive. Along come some dirtbags, lead by Claude Akins, who know about the five grand and want her for themselves.
This set is essential. Some of these are available on Blu-Ray elsewhere, some are not. Order yours now.
Posted in 1950, A Night At The Movies, Edwin L. Marin, Lloyd Bridges, Randolph Scott, Ruth Roman, Warner Bros., Zachary Scott on March 18, 2021| 20 Comments »
Posted in 1953, 3-D, Andre de Toth, Columbia, Fred MacMurray, Gordon Douglas, Guy Madison, Harry Keller, Joan Weldon, Joel McCrea, Randolph Scott, Warner Bros. on March 5, 2021| 8 Comments »
Joan Weldon
(August 5, 1930 – February 11, 2021)
Joan Weldon, a lovely actress who appeared in some terrific pictures in the 50s, has passed away at 90.
She appeared with Randolph Scott in two Westerns, The Stranger Wore A Gun (1953) and Riding Shotgun (1954), both directed by Andre de Toth, along with The Command (1954) with Guy Madison, Gunsight Ridge (1957) with Joel McCrea and Day Of The Badman (1958) with Fred MacMurray. But the big one, the one she’s known for, is Gordon Douglas’s great giant ant picture Them! (1954).
She was quote a singer and did a lot of musical theater, including appearing with Forrest Tucker in The Music Man.
Posted in 1951, Arthur Kennedy, Columbia, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Edgar Buchanan, Forrest Tucker, George Marshall, George Waggner, Gordon Douglas, Harry Joe Brown, Joe Sawyer, John Ireland, John Sturges, Noah Beery Jr., Pre-1950, Randolph Scott, Ray Enright, Wallace Ford, Walter Brennan on November 30, 2020| 6 Comments »
While I was off in the mountains over Thanksgiving, with no Internet, John, Graham and an assorted cast of characters kept the lights on with a steady stream of comments. Y’all are sure something for me to be thankful for!
Anyway, one of the new released that was name-dropped was The Randolph Scott Collection from Via Vision out of Australia. It’s a pretty eclectic set, leaning towards the Harry Joe Brown pictures.
The Texans (1938)
Directed by James P. Hogan
Starring Randolph Scott, Joan Bennett, Walter Brennan
A post Civil War picture from Paramount.
When The Daltons Rode (1940)
Directed by George Marshall
Starring Randolph Scott, Kay Francis, Brian Donlevy, Broderick Crawford, Andy Devine, George Bancroft, Edgar Buchanan
About 80 minutes of nonstop action as the Daltons blast their way from one robbery to the next, with Scott a lawyer friend who tries to help out.
Corvette K-225 (1943)
Directed by Richard Rosson
Starring Randolph Scott, James Brown, Ella Raines, Barry Fitzgerald, Robert Mitchum
Howard Hawks produced this World War II picture, with Scott going after the U-boat that sank his ship and machine-gunned his crew.
Gunfighters (1947)
Directed by George Waggner
Starring Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, Bruce Cabot, Forrest Tucker
A cool Cinecolor picture produced by Harry Joe Brown.
Coroner Creek (1948)
Directed by Ray Enright
Starring Randolph Scott, Marguerite Chapman, George Macready, Edgar Buchanan, Wallace Ford , Forrest Tucker, Joe Sawyer
Ray Enright directs that spectacular cast in Cinecolor. It doesn’t get much better than that.
The Doolins Of Oklahoma (1949)
Directed by Gordon Douglas
Starring Randolph Scott, George Macready, Louise Allbritton, John Ireland , Charles Kemper, Noah Beery Jr.
This is just a terrific movie that gets everything right. 
The Walking Hills (1949)
Directed by John Sturges
Starring Randolph Scott, Ella Raines, Edgar Buchanan, Arthur Kennedy, John Ireland, Josh White
A group of men head to together in search of a lost wagon train loaded down with gold. Sturges’ does a great job, and the Alabama Hills and Death Valley locations are put to good use.
Santa Fe (1951)
Directed by Irving Pichel
Starring Randolph Scott, Janis Carter
Scott’s trying to help build a railroad, with even his own brothers trying to stop him.
Most of these pictures can be found elsewhere — some even on Blu-Ray, so there’s likely some duplication with something you already have. But there’s plenty of good stuff to recommend it. Sure wish there was a Blu-Ray version available, too (especially of Doolins).
Posted in 1951, Bob Steele, Chubby Johnson, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Edwin L. Marin, Randolph Scott, Ray Teal, Warner Archive, Warner Bros. on July 30, 2020| 20 Comments »
Directed by Edwin L. Marin
Starring Randolph Scott, David Brian, Phyllis Thaxter, Helena Carter, Dickie Jones, Ray Teal, Michael Tolan, Paul Picerni, Emerson Treacy, Bob Steele, Walter Sande, Chubby Johnson
Warner Archive has been righting a few wrongs lately, bringing some pictures back to DVD that’ve been missing for a while. One of the latest to be announced is Edwin Marin’s Fort Worth (1951). (Click the lobby card for the Warner Archive link.)
It’s a pretty good one, with a great cast and gorgeous Technicolor photography from Sid Hickox. It was the seventh Western Scott and Marin did together. It was also the last, with the director passing away a couple months before it opened. (Wish a Blu-Ray was also on the way.)
50 Westerns From The 50s. 