USA 1958
I love William Wyler films. Pretty much all of them. You always know you are
in for a well-balanced and professional presentation.... with a little humanity
kick. In this, a return to westerns for the veteran director, he takes the
testosterone out, and leaves in the unassuming protagonist. Returning home sea
captain, James McKay (Gregory Peck), looks out-of-place as seen by the seasoned
Texans of the open west. He seeks his lot with fiancée (Carroll Baker) yet all
think he is a nancy-boy - unable, and unworthy. Future father-in-law and land
baron (Charles Bickford) feuds with similar cattleman (Burl Ives) over the water
for their cows owned by school marm Julie Maragon ( sexy Jean Simmons) - another
character not given her deserved respect by the rough and rugged gun-toting,
horsemen. Ives steals the show and wins the Oscar, as does the soundtrack. Chuck
Connors and Charlton Heston lead the respective gangs. The film is masterpiece
material convincingly ranking with the best westerns of all time. A personal
favorite! 
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Theatrical Release: October 1st, 1958
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DVD Review: MGM - Region 1 - NTSC
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution | MGM Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC | |
| Runtime | 2:46:28 | |
| Video |
2.32:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.43 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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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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| Bitrate: |
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0) | |
| Subtitles | French, Spanish, None | |
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Release Information:
Edition Details: • Theatrical
Trailer (2:50 - widescreen - non -anamorphic)
DVD Release Date: March 20th, 2001 |
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| Comments: |
DVD image is
acceptable for MGM, if not Warner standard. Sharp through most, it has
moments of dullness in both detail and colors. No boosting and black
levels are convincingly good.
No English subtitles, original
audio and only a trailer as an extra. I am biased, but the film surely
deserves better, but as far as MGM goes - this is a one of their
superior titles - HD film sourced and dual layered. Only 'good enough',
not magnificent. I'll live.
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Recommended Reading for Western Genre Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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The Crowded Prairie: American National Identity in
the Hollywood Western (Cinema and Society) by Michael Coyne |
The Invention of the Western Film : A Cultural
History of the Genre's First Half Century (Genres in American Cinema S.) by Scott Simmon |
The Searchers (Bfi Film Classics) by Edward Buscombe |
The Western Genre by John Saunders |
Westerns: Films through History (AFI
Film Readers) by Janet Walker |
The Encyclopedia of Westerns (The Facts on File
Film Reference Library) by Herb Fagen, Tom Selleck |
Gunfighter Nation: The Myth of the Frontier in
Twentieth-Century America by Richard Slotkin |
The Western (Inside Film) by David Lusted |
Red River (Bfi Film Classics) by Suzanne Liandrat-Guigues |
Check out more in "The Library"
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| Distribution | MGM Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC | |
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