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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
John Wayne Legendary Heroes Collection
directed by William A. Wellman, John Sturges, John Farrow, Edwin L. Marin and
Burt Kennedy
USA 1944 -
1974
Tall in the Saddle The Sea Chase The Train Robbers Blood Alley McQ
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DVD Review: Warner Home Video Boxset - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC
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| Distribution | Warner - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC |
| Audio | English (Dolby Digital original), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0) NOTE: No French DUB in Tall in the Saddle or Blood Alley |
| Subtitles | English, Spanish, French, None |
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Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect
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With a lot of John Wayne's films already on DVD this is a quite a patchwork of some of the remaining ones. They have no link excepting they star the "Duke" and are, of course, being released by Warner. None of the films would be considered to be his best (see Red River, Rio Bravo or The Cowboys - one of his best performances!) but there are no real flops either. John Wayne was a strong cinematic presence and has a devout following who will be pleased to see these releases on DVD. Many will be thrilled at the adherence to the extreme wide ratios of 2.46:1, 2.40:1, 2.38 and Blood Alley in 2.51:1 !
These DVDs are encoded for Regions 1 - 4 NTSC. The quality varies a bit and I have decided to make individual comments about each DVD below. The extras are a little weaker than in previous Warner boxset editions. No commentaries and only featurettes in Blood Alley and McQ. All have the extensive John Wayne trailer gallery. "Tall in the Saddle" , "The Train Robbers" and "Blood Alley" have no French DUB option where the other three releases do. Subtitles are excellent as is the consistency of the original audio.
NOTE: Buying the boxset outright is still the best way of saving as
opposed to buying separately. Purchasing the entire set gives you 1.5
extras DVDs over buying individually.
Good job Warner !
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directed by Edwin L. Marin
USA 19
44
What do you think of when you think of John Wayne? The pigeontoed swagger? The squinty gaze? The slow vocal delivery? All were born in Tall in the Saddle, a film that put Wayne in Sedona -- even if he never set foot here on the shoot.
John Wayne, the man, was born in Winterset, Iowa, in 1907, but you might make a case that "John Wayne," the cultural icon, was born in Sedona in 1944.
While "the Duke" cemented his stardom in John Ford's classic 1939 western Stagecoach, it wasn't until Tall in the Saddle, shot partially on location here, that many of the character traits and mannerisms we now commonly associate with the actor -- the deliberate, pigeontoed gait; the squinty-eyed gaze; the measured speech -- were seen by movie audiences for the first time, all against a backdrop of Sedona's landmarks.
Oddly enough, Wayne himself may not have seen Sedona's red rocks until he watched the movie. Tall in the Saddle pioneered a technique that allowed editors to realistically splice scenes Wayne shot in a Hollywood studio with exteriors filmed in Sedona. Moviegoers might have sworn the actor was standing in the Southwestern sun, but in truth he never crossed the California border.
And while John Wayne was hardly synonymous with feminism, Tall in the Saddle is also notable for providing the blueprint of a staple of Wayne's westerns for years to come -- the strong, independent woman who digs in her heels as a rival until romantic sparks fly. Of course, while the film makes no bones about the smarts and self-sufficiency of the female lead character, played by Ella Raines, it wasn't above exploiting her beauty, either -- the film's advertising prominently featured cowgirl Raines wearing a sexy hot pants outfit (see right). Apart from not being very practical for ranch work, it's a costume you never see Raines wear in the film.
Excerpt from the Sedona Monthly Online located HERE
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Theatrical Release: September 29th, 1944 - USA
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| Runtime | 1:27:06 |
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1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Chapters : 22 |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Very good image quality here. Sharp, excellent contrast and film grain
peeking through. The oldest film of the boxset but one of the better
transfers. No extras save the "Trailer Gallery". Great 16X9 menus. A nice
innocent western.
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directed by John farrow
USA 1959
John Wayne plays a "good" German in this World War II movie. The jacket cover makes excellent use of the film's original advertising artwork. The movie fits on one platter, but runs a full two hours, so that by the time it is over you really feel like you sat through a minor epic. The CinemaScope picture has been letterboxed with an aspect ratio of about 2.25:1. At times the image looks squeezed and at other times so much of the top and the bottom of the picture are on view that flaws on the sides of the image flash by at regular intervals. The color transfer is rich, though the image has some speckling and scattered lapses in intensity. If it were a highly regarded classic, the transfer might seem sloppy, but for a film of little renown, the disc is gorgeous. The stereo surround track is also imperfect, but super. Although there are volume dropouts and other minor flaws, the movie has an old-fashioned sound mix that is full of enjoyable separation effects, well worth amplifying past the point of distortion. The movie is as strange as they come. Wayne portrays the captain of a German merchant marine vessel caught in an Australian harbor at war's outbreak. He sneaks out, and is dogged all the way back home by British destroyers. Also aboard is a spy fleeing the British, played by Lana Turner, and although the captain dislikes her immensely, they're making out before the side break.
Excerpt from Doug Pratt's DVDLaser.com review located HERE
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Theatrical Release: June 4th, 1955 - USA
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| Runtime | 1:56:56 |
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1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Chapters : 31 |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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This transfer shows some marks and damage although colors are
excellent. It can be a bit hazy at times, but I adore the widescreen
ratio. Nicely appointed menus and subtitles but only the "Trailer Gallery"
again as an extra.
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directed by Burt Kennedy
USA 1973
The Train Robbers is a late film of the Duke's, but it is still an entertaining one. Directed by Burt Kennedy, the story follows a strong, proud widow, Mrs. Lowe (Ann-Margret), who employs Lane (John Wayne) to escort her to a cache of hidden gold that is said to have belonged to her recently deceased husband. Joining Lane are a couple of old compadres tagging along for effect. Director Kennedy chooses to remove many visual excess from camera's frame - a good choice - almost Bressonian. It simplifies the content giving more closeness to the under-expressive characters. Although not the purity of a John Ford or Howard Hawks western, this still has some redeeming qualities and a valued viewing experience for the genre fan in you.
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Theatrical Release: February 7th, 1973
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| Runtime | 1:31:42 |
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1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Chapters : 24 |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Very nice transfer - sharp - vibrant colors - one of the best looking
images of the boxset. Nicely appointed menus and subtitles - 2 featurettes
("The Wayne Train" and "Working with a Western Legend") as well as the
"Trailer Gallery".
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directed by William A. Wellman
USA 1955
(aka "William A. Wellman's Blood Alley ')
The opening scene has Capt. Wilder (John Wayne) burning
his mattress in a Chinese hoosegow, drunk, and reading a letter he pulls from
his pocket. He clamors for a new mattress, and one is brought in containing, to
his surprise, a pistol and a Red Army officer's uniform, with which he makes his
escape. Next he's wearing the uniform down in the fishing village dominated by
the fortress of his incarceration. It fits him very well, exactly like the
Soviet Army officer's uniform the waiter (Oskar Homolka) draws from his serving
cart in Ken Russell's Billion Dollar Brain.
A village elder named Tao (Paul Fix) prevails upon Capt. Wilder to carry the
villagers by steamboat to freedom in Hong Kong. En route, the captain must
contend with agents among the passengers, an incendiary revolt in the engine
room, and an attack on the bridge (filmed silently by Wellman from outside in a
storm). Lauren Bacall gives his bloodied face a Veronica wipe as he stands at
the helm.
They are nearly obliterated by a Chinese warship. The villagers pull the
steamboat through high grasses on long ropes, up to their chins in the marsh.
Capt. Wilder is moved by this sight, like something out of Exodus.
What it owes to Jet Pilot it repays to Firefox. An exciting voyage down the
muddy, misty Chinese coast in a rickety steamboat only larger than the African
Queen by a factor of CinemaScope, a hop, skip and a jump ahead of one mammoth
Red frigate.
All of Wellman's vast art is put to depicting China viewed along the marge.
Incredibly, this film was shot off the California seacoast, one of the most
distinctive topographies you can name.
Excerpt from Christopher Mulrooney user comments on IMdb located HERE
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Theatrical Release: October 1st, 1955
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Cover and Individual purchase link: |
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| Runtime | 1:55:04 |
| Video |
1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Chapters : 39 |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Unfortunately the worst transfer of the Boxset. Very hazy at times and
either a shade saturated or dull and pasty. A shame because this was an
anticipated film on DVD. Two 'filler' shorts that are more-or-less
unrelated to the film. Super widescreen ratio but overall a
disappointment.
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directed by
John SturgesUSA 1974
McQ, the story of a tough cop, is delightful change
of pace from the typical John Wayne movie. Gone are the endless Western vistas,
the tumbleweeds, the trail dust, and the saloon brawls, replaced by a business
suit, a Firebird 400, and a S&W 44 Magnum. The original choice for Dirty Harry,
Wayne turned the role down, later proving he had what it takes by playing tough
cop Lon McQ in this entertaining film.
Set in Seattle, McQ is the story of a drug deal gone bad. It opens with a
mysterious series of hits performed by a guy who turns out to be a cop. Then the
cop is hit himself… It turns out the rogue was none other than McQ’s partner,
out moonlighting. Police Captain Kosterman (Eddie Albert) orders McQ to stay
away from the case, so McQ resigns from the force. Kosterman believes it’s
radicals and McQ believes it’s organized crime. It turns out they are both
wrong…
Wayne is very believable as an aging detective who has had a few hard knocks and
yet remains a decent guy. There is none of Dirty Harry’s viciousness in Wayne’s
McQ; still he means business and doesn’t take “no” for an answer. Wayne’s
romantic scenes with the lovely Diana Muldaur and Colleen Dewhurst have
sincerity stamped all over them and there is no doubt in my mind he was going to
get the girl.
The cast was well-chosen and the supporting players including Eddie Albert, Clu
Gulager, David Huddleston, and Al Lettieri were superb and played far better
than the average detective cast. Colleen Dewhurst, always a favorite, and Diana
Muldaur did wonderfully as the leading ladies. Finally, Roger C. Moseley (Magnum
PI) did a bang-up job as a flashy pimp – one of McQ’s stool pigeons.
Director John Sturges did a fine job of putting the Lawrence Roman story on
celluloid. It is a tribute to Sturges’ directorial ability that all the
performances were believable and contributed to the story, unlike many of the
throwaway scenes so often seen in typical detective movies. As always, the Elmer
Bernstein score is impeccable, lending a sense of urgency to McQ’s quest to find
out what happened to the dope and who killed his friend.
Excerpt from EOpinions.com located HERE.
Poster
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Theatrical Release: February 6th, 1974
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| Runtime | 1:51:08 |
| Video |
1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Chapters : 28 |
| Bitrate:
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Very sharp transfer! One of Wayne's last films its more recent
production values show through with very clear image (reminding me
somewhat of a television broadcast transfer). I saw a few scratches but it
appears this has had no digital tampering (bravo!) and could be quite dark
at times. The short featurette, "McQ: John Wayne in Action" is in
horrendous condition - virtually unwatchable _ I am surprised Warner
included it although it appears that they struggled to obtain some decent
extras for this boxset.
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Gary Tooze
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Many Thanks...