Blu-Ray News #354: The Mississippi Gambler (1953).

Directed by Rudolph Maté
Starring Tyrone Power, Piper Laurie, Julie Adams, John McIntire, Paul Cavanagh, John Baer, Ron Randell, Ralph Dumke

Kino Lorber is bringing Rudolph Maté’s The Mississippi Gambler (1953) to Blu-Ray — and that’s a really good thing.

The thing I’ve always wondered about this movie is “Why is this called a Western?” The question still stands, but who cares? It’s really good.

For a vehicle for a major star, Tyrone Power, it’s interesting that it has so many rich character roles — a good part for John McIntire and a great one for Paul Cavanaugh. And it parades a steady stream of others through its 98 minutes. That’s what made doing the commentary for it so much fun — the chance to shine a little light on guys like Ralph Dumke and Bill Walker.

Coming in April. Recommended.

Read Full Post »

DVD/Blu-Ray News #342: The Rawhide Years (1955).

Directed by Rudolph Maté
Starring Tony Curtis, Colleen Miller, Arthur Kennedy, William Demarest, Robert J. Wilke, Chubby Johnson, I. Stanford Jolley

Explosive Media is really coming through for the rest of the year, bringing some prime 50s Westerns from Universal-International to DVD and Blu-Ray. I’ve already covered Seven Ways From Sundown (1960) and Hell Bent For Leather (1960), excellent Audie Murphy pictures, coming in May and June.

Watch this blog, since we’ll do one of these releases a day through the week.

Coming in July is Rudolph Maté’s The Rawhide Years (1955). Tony Curtis is a riverboat gambler who flees when he’s implicated in a murder. He returns three years later to clear his name, track down the real killers and be reunited with his girl (Colleen Miller).

Curtis is cool and Arthur Kennedy makes a nasty villain here. Irving Glassberg shot this in Technicolor and 2.0. Rudolph Maté and editor Russell Schoengarth keep things moving at a steady pace. Can’t wait to see this in high-definition. Highly recommended.

Read Full Post »