Firstly, a massive thank you to our Patreon supporters. Your generosity touches me deeply. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance has become essential.

 

What do Patrons receive, that you don't?

 

1) Our weekly Newsletter sent to your Inbox every Monday morning!
2)
Patron-only Silent Auctions - so far over 30 Out-of-Print titles have moved to deserved, appreciative, hands!
3) Access to over 50,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!

 

Please consider keeping us in existence with a couple of dollars or more each month (your pocket change!) so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. Thank you very much.


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Directed by James Neilson
USA 1957

 

Former railroad worker Grant McLaine (James Stewart) is hired by boss Ben Kimball (Jay C. Flippen) to help transport the railroad's payroll. The train carrying the payroll has been robbed multiple times in the past, and Kimball hopes that McLaine can successfully guard the money from the robbers. But matters are complicated for McLaine when he finds out that one of the robbers is his brother, who is now going by the name of the Utica Kid (Audie Murphy)

***

This minor (and obscurely titled) Stewart Western was to have been directed by Anthony Mann, who pulled out at the last minute because he felt Borden (Winchester '73) Chase's script wasn't up to scratch. Stewart plays a railroad worker who discovers that the robbers bent on stealing the payroll with which he has been entrusted are being led by his brother (Murphy). Neilson wades through the good brother/bad brother plot like an ox through mud, Stewart whiling away the time by playing accordion.

Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: July 24th, 1957

Reviews                                                                                                   More Reviews                                                                                         DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Universal - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

   

 

 

 

 

 

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Universal Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC Elephant Films
Region FREE -
Blu-ray
Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:30:03  1:30:09.237 1:30:24.419
Video 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 6.34 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s 

2.35:1 Disc Size: 22,147,121,816 bytes

Feature Size: 17,461,819,584 bytes

Total Bitrate: 20.05 Mbps

Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

2.35:1 Disc Size: 29,681,610,242 bytes

Feature Size: 28,329,043,968 bytes

Total Bitrate: 37.91 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

Bitrate Elephant Films: Blu-ray

Bitrate Kino: Blu-ray

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0)  DTS-HD Master Audio English 1577 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1577 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio French 1566 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1566 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio French 887 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 887 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 16-bit)

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1559 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1559 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Subtitles English, French, Spanish, None French, and none English, None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Universal

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1

Edition Details:

• Theatrical  trailer - 2;32

set contains - Destry Rides Again / Winchester 73 / Bend of the River / The Far Country / Night Passage / The Rare Breed

DVD Release Date: May 20th, 2008

Slim transparent Case (6 inside box)

Chapters: 18

Release Information:
Studio:
Elephant Films

 

2.35:1 Disc Size: 22,147,121,816 bytes

Feature Size: 17,461,819,584 bytes

Total Bitrate: 20.05 Mbps

Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

 

Edition Details:
• 
Le Film Par Jean-Pierre Dionnet (10:21)

• Stills Gallery (3:54)
• Credits / trailer
• Second disc DVD included!
 

Blu-ray Release Date: March 15th, 2017

Transparent Blu-ray case inside cardboard slipcase

Chapters 13

Release Information:
Studio:
Kino

 

2.35:1 Disc Size: 29,681,610,242 bytes

Feature Size: 28,329,043,968 bytes

Total Bitrate: 37.91 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

 

Edition Details:

• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Toby Roan
• Theatrical Trailer (2:34)


Blu-ray Release Date:
March 10th, 2020
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 9

 

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino - Region 'A'- Blu-ray - February 2020: Short story: Kino raises the bar another notch with a dual-layered, more technically robust, 1080OP transfer that looks nothing short of spectacular. The substantially boosted bitrate has done wonders here with one of the best image quality HD presentations that I've seen this year.  

NOTE: 14 more high resolution Blu-ray captures (in, lossless, PNG format) are available for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE.

The audio is the same - as good as my ears can detect - a DTS-HD Master still in 16-bit. Advancing the film's western themes is the score by the iconic Dimitri Tiomkin (High Noon Angel Face, Strangers on a  Train, The Men, Dial M For Murder, The Thing From Another World etc. etc.) with Follow the River and You Can't Get Far Without a Railroad performed by James Stewart on the accordion (DUB'ed by Carl Fortuna). There are fully optional English subtitles - and the Kino Blu-ray disc is  'Region A'-locked.

Supplements include a new Toby Roan (author of A Million Feet Of Film: The Making Of One-Eyed Jacks) commentary where he discusses how Anthony Mann was supposed to direct, but there was a parting of the waves between Stewart and Mann who never worked together (or spoke) ever again. Roan surmises why. It's filled with his vast knowledge of the cast, crew and details of the production. There is also an SD trailer and other western trailers.

The Kino Blu-ray, easily wins with the superior and very impressive video and commentary (plus the optional English subtitles). Not Anthony Mann - but a pretty darn good western - definitely well above average. Genre fans should buy with confidence! 

***

ADDITION: Elephant Films - Region FREE- Blu-ray - March 17': This comparison is a prime example of what we used to accept as a 'good image'. The DVD, beside the new Elephant Films Blu-ray, is green, hazy, dark and cropped on the top and side edges. Wow, this single-layered transfer looks excellent. There are beautiful colors, tight lines and plenty of depth - the 2.35:1 scope looks tremendous.

Only a pittance of extras and only in French but the film presentation has improved dramatically in HD making this very desirable for fans of Stewart and the genre. Strongly recommended!

***

ON THE DVD: I don't own the original DVD (still available HERE) that was released in 2003, but I can tell you that this edition, in the James Stewart - The Western Collection which containing Destry Rides Again / Winchester 73 / Bend of the River / The Far Country / Night Passage and The Rare Breed is an exact duplicate. It has the same dated VOB files. So the only difference would be the slim transparent keep case and black/white art.

This DVD looks remarkably strong considering it is single-layered. Colors are a little washed but detail is there and the transfer is very consistent. It looks pretty darn good 'pardner'.

I'm VERY high on this James Stewart - The Western Collection - we've reviewed/compared all titles now (links in paragraph above). For these six western gems the price amounts to $5 a piece which is really a ridiculous deal. Strongly recommended!  

Gary W. Tooze

 

 


James Stewart - The Western Collection package
 



DVD Menus


 

Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

 

Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Subtitle Sample

 

1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

Box Cover

   

 

 

 

 

 

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Universal Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC Elephant Films
Region FREE -
Blu-ray
Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 





 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

Mail cheques, money orders, cash to:    or CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!