Reviews (1)

The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet Box Set
This box set is an absolute disgrace to this wonderful old show and what I would like to know is why I was charged $75.00 for this mess. The picuture quality is more than awful. The picture jumps, runs and there are skips in the sound track. Most of the shows can not be viewed due to their poor quality. I have this collection on VHS and the picture and sound are much better. I am returning this set for a full refund. Do not waste your money on this set as you will be very disappointed. ... Read more

Description

One deputy (Dean Martin) is a drunk, one (Walter Brennan) is a cripple and another (Ricky Nelson) is an eager, tinhorn kid. But Sheriff John Wayne knows he can count on 'em when the bullets fly. A landmark salute to heroism, directed by Howard Hawks. ... Read more

Reviews (70)

What a bunch of characters
Characters make the movie. Boring character can ruin a good story and interersting characters can make a dull movie fly. Rio Bravo enjoys both a good story, and good characters, with a bunch of fine performances thrown in.

John Wayne gives his usual fine western performance as the Sherif Chance, but it is the people around him that make this movie great. Walter Bermnan as Stumpy does a great job, A very young Angie Dickerson is frankly hotter than she ever was yet she also remains a strong character who stands up for herself and plays off Wayne well. Ricky Nelson is believeable as a young man with more sense than any that has come before him. All of them round the movie well.

Dean Martin as Dude however steals the show. In my opinion this is the movie that makes him a serious player. Dude is clearly the most interesting character of the lot, his own battles with Chance, Stumpy, Burdette and most of all himself makes the movie much more than other westerns. It is clearly superior to El Dorado which takes some doing, and superior to Rio Lobo which doesn't.

Other than his early pairings with Maureen O'Hara I would recommend this picture as the best example of John Wayne in a pure western.

Hawks and the Duke come up with their own "High Noon"
Director Howard Hawks made 1959's "Rio Bravo" because he refused to believe the citizens of a Western town would refuse to help their sheriff protect the town as happened in 1952's "High Noon." So when John Wayne's character of Sheriff John T. Chance needs help in Tucson, Arizona to keep the brother of the local bad guy in jail, he is able to whip up support in the form of his former deputy Dude (Dean Martin), just coming off a two-year bender, Stumpy (Walter Brennan), an ornery old cripple, and Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson), a young gunslinger. To add a touch of elegance to the proceedings is Feathers (Angie Dickinson), who knows how to wield a razor and provides the Duke with a little bit of romance. Even though the bad guys capture Dude so they can exchange him for the jailed man, Chance and his comrades are able to save the day, with a little help from some dynamite.

"Rio Bravo" is a significant western in movie history for two reasons. First, this classic film marks the end of the psychological westerns such as "High Noon" and "Shane" which had dominated the 1950s. The point of "Rio Bravo" was to provide entertainment and that it certainly does. Second, it added elements of humor to John Wayne's on-screen persona for the first time. For the rest of his career, most movies with the Duke will find his character having a humorous side (e.g., "McClintlock"). As you can well imagine, there is some singing to be done in "Rio Bravo." Martin does the title tune, sings "My Rifle, My Pony, and Me" with Nelson, who in turn gets to sing Cindy with Brennan. Wayne does not do any singing. In 1967 Hawks and Wayne essentially remade "Rio Bravo" with their film "Eldorado," with Robert Mitchum, Arthur Hunnicutt and James Caan providing the support. While I consider it an enjoyable film, in does suffer in comparison to the original.

Bravo, Rio Bravo
One of the best westerns made at the time. Others have been made more recently that use modern technical skill, but for the time and place, Rio Bravo was the epitome of the western genre and still holds up today. Period!

A Western for everybody.
It seems like I meet a lot of people who don't like John Wayne, and just about as many who don't care for Westerns.

Well, whether you love John Wayne and Westerns, or are lukewarm on both counts, this movie might appeal to you anyway.

A lot of it has to do with Howard Hawks' direction. This classic came from the same guy who gave us "Bringing Up Baby," "The Big Sleep," and "His Girl Friday."

That means quick, witty dialogue, fun characters, and an overall stylishness in the proceedings (the cinematography is alarmingly crisp and colorful).

A cowboy, a crooner and a rockin' teen idol-- these three, Wayne, Dean Martin (in one of his earliest roles after leaving Jerry Lewis), and Ricky Nelson, come together in a way that feels symbolic. To fight off the imminent danger-- and in this film one senses it is hopelessly imminent-- the good guys need to stick close. Dean Martin plays the underdog, a drunk, with just the right touch-- humorous like so many Vegas shows, but with a bit of sadness too. Ricky Nelson looks a little uncomfortable in the saddle, and his lines are a little shaky, but the contrast of his usual persona with this fast-shooting kid makes him fun to watch.

Angie Dickinson is more beautiful than ever in this film and has very good chemistry with John Wayne.

Of course, what really adds the frosting to the cake is the incomparable Walter Brennan, just about the grumpiest old buzzard you'll ever lay eyes on. The spontaneity of Hawks' direction makes him even funnier, and I think Brennan alone moves "Rio Bravo" a notch higher than the successful remake-of-sorts "El Dorado."

I happen to like John Wayne, and a lot of Westerns in general, but I prefer The Duke's persona in this setting rather than those of John Ford. At any rate, it doesn't matter if your favorite film is "The Searchers" or "High Society" (that's mine, actually), "Rio Bravo" is sure to win you over.

Ole Stumpy, The Fellow I Left Behind!
This is, without a doubt, one of John Wayne's best.....the character development just builds and builds throughout the movie until a thrilling climax.
The all-time show stopper in this movie has to be Stumpy (Walter Brennan)...every scene in which he is involved, the scene is essentially stolen from the other players (re-watch and you will see). He is at his best when whining about being stuck in the jail yet always is cowed eventually into doing exactly what Chance (Wayne) wants him to do....except at the end of the movie when he unexpectedly shows up and helps the good guys (hence, the title of this review)!

This is just a fun and feel-good movie pitting good vs. evil and along the way throws in a little humor for relief. This is the first of the trilogy by this director and is the best of the three...but El Dorado is not far behind and Rio Lobo is not anywhere near as bad as it has been depicted. I have all three and when I am needing a John Wayne fix, I can't go wrong with one of these. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Jack Lemmon's WWII Adventure
Feb. 1943. The Japanese were stopped at Guadacanal and the Allies hunt for a bright young naval officer to lead an extremely delicate mission. Lt. Rip Crandall (Jack Lemmon) is the commander of their choice and this capable fellow strikes his head against every door-frame. He is so qualified that he has to consult a reference-book on "How to take command of a ship". The USS ECHO is, to put it euphemistically, "in a class by itself" and the "picked crew of specialists" liked life on a ship better than life in jail.

Crandall sinks into despair when he sees this wreck and this crew, but ensign Tommy Hanson (Ricky Nelson, as guileless and polite as Elvis) follows him like a puppy and sings the praises of ship & crew. Crandall's task is to pass trough the Great Barrier Reef and bring the ship to Port Moresby. General MacArthur in person devised this operation. Hanson butters Crandall up and sings a song (what did you expect?) and next morning the new-fledged and morning-afterish commander is more tractable.

The crew is anxious to make a good impression - what does it matter if the lifeboat is not watertight, the engine not functioning and the Coral Sea gale-lashed? The Allies want Lt. Foster (Richard Anderson) to take the ship over. He observes, half appalled, half gloatingly, how the ECHO gets caught in a mine-area and insists on firing the crew. But Crandall is not willing to give up his command. When Port Moresby is attacked he steers for the Salomon Islands to localize the Japanese convoy.

The passage is dangerous (storm, reefs, tidal waves) but they manage to escape a bomber group by dressing up as island beauties. They reach the Salomon Islands, fight their way through the jungle and witness atrocities. They discover the convoy but the ECHO and their commander fall into enemy hands. A Japanese major threatens the POW's with "questioning" and runs a sword through Crandall's breast. But the "inefficient" crew surpass themselves and transmit the position of the convoy: prelude to the little-known but decisive battle of the Bismark Sea.

Ostensibly a true story, the film is typical for the early Kennedy era. During the election campaign the public had an appetite for the president's war time adventures which were also filmed (PT 109) with Lemmon's old rival Cliff Robertson (he married Lemmon's first wife and made the first version of DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES) as JFK. The purpose of those films was to raise patriotic feelings by representing WWII as "boy's own adventure": a motley crew grows together under the moral leadership of stout captain Jack who makes naval heroes out of them in just three days. Lemmon cannot have been too enthusiastic to make this film right after THE APARTMENT, but, to his credit, his performance does not suffer. He is lissome like a cat when he swarms up a mast and most of the film is cheerful and hearty. The scene in the mine-area, however, is nerve-racking and the combat scenes brutal. The production values are higher than you might expect. Not a terribly important film but if it's a rainy afternoon and you have nothing better to do...

Great Story!
I must admit that this wasn't the totally hilarious film I expected(most of the humor is contained in the first half of the film), but I found it a good story anyway. I like drama and action, especially in war movies, and this film has both. The story is engrossing, and it has some twists and surprises. I highly recommend it to any war movie fans!

A Family Favorite!
This movie is one that everyone in our family loves to watch! From Dad down to baby, we all find something to enjoy in this movie. Real life isn't all drama or comedy, but a mixture of both, and this movie blends both in an entertaining way.

This is a good family movie
So many movies from this time frame are just out of step with modern expectations of entertainment. This one is not. It could be re-released and still find a good audience. If you're looking for a good clean movie that tickles the funny bone of parents AND children this is a good choice.

The Wackiest Ship in the Army
I rented this the other day with the full intention of sitting through a rather cheesy comedy from the early 1960s. That is to say, I wasn't expecting much. Jack Lemmon is always a worthwhile watch, and he plays his captain well. And Rick Nelson does a surprisingly effective job of acting, with subtle glances and gestures. Ever the quiet and polite junior officer, you root for the kid with the heart of gold. It is a humorous and entertaining film, with just the right amount of slapstick without becoming too silly, despite the film's title. And there's a bonus...Rick sings in his usual dreamy style. It's good fun for the whole family. Even today. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Tribute to Ricky Nelson
Excellent is all I can say about this DVD. I had it on VHS but the DVD version is so clear and the sound is super. Much better then the VHS version.

What a shame the kids of today do not have someone like Ricky to look up too. He, as well as the whole Nelson family, brought my family and I so many years of laughter.

If you are a fan of Ricky Nelson, this DVD is for you. It's highly recommended! And someday I hope there will be other high quality DVD's available of Ozzie, Harriet, David and Rick. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good family sit-com
Feminists attack O&H for its stereotyped roles (despite the fact that they were accurate for the time period of the series). Sophisticates see it as hokey saccharin family comedy (despite the fact that most American families were two parent households for the time period of the series). What O&H is is a simple, wholesome family sit com that was enormously popular for over a decade - and with good reason. It is warm, family-friendly, amusing (though rarely hilarious - the laugh track is over the top), and people could relate to the situations that still seem familiar to most people. It is too bad that this box set concentrates on the last few years - O&H was at its best when Ricky and David were kids and not married. I bought this and everyone in my family enjoyed it.

poor overview of the series
"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" lasted for 14 years, but this dvd set includes only episodes from the final season -- surely it would be better to show the evolution of the characters over time. Ricky and David aren't even in most of the episodes, which involve an aging Ozzie bonding with neighborhood kids. The extras are a joke, 4 contemporary commercials, not necessarily the ones used during the episodes, and a biography of one paragraph. Even for a discount dvd, not worth the money.

The Quality Isn't That Bad
The picture quality of these "Ozzie and Harriet" episodes is certainly not from a pristine print viewers of the show used to see when it aired on network television. But, it's about as much as you can expect until it's released from a master print.
That having been said, please check out these DVD's of this unbelievably loveable TV show. While these episodes all feature a much older David and Rick, the charm of the Nelson family, from Ozzie and Harriet to Kris and June is something so lacking on television today.
Art Linkletter says this show was the first "Show about nothing," which is what most people would call "Seinfeld" The difference between "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Seinfeld" is the Nelsons and their friends are all the type of people you do want to spend hours upon hours with. Look for the hilarious Skip Young as Dave and Rick's friend, Wally, and his extremely funny girlfriend Ginger. Their humor plays like Fred and Ethel Mertz in college.
This is a truly lovable show, and if you check it out, you'll certainly enjoy it.

Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet
Ever since the invention of DVD, I've waited for someone to release this classic sitcom. Although I have many of the episodes on video tape the quality was usually very poor. When I saw that this great show was releashed on DVD I bought it right away. But I have to say that it has been a great disappointment.

The quality of these two DVD's are the worst I've seen on DVD. The picture is at times blurred and there are skips in the sound. In one episode entitled, "Kris And The Queen" the sound is lost half way thru the show.

Many of the original TV commericals have been included as a "Bonus" but the quality is so bad I could not even make out the picture on some. Although the episodes are classic Ozzie & Harriet, I can not give this set nothing more then a poor rating due to the quality of the disk.

I hope someday someone will release a top quality addition to this great classic TV sitcom on DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

No Ranger retires perpendicular
Nasty and corrupt Mayor Nard Lundy (Edward Andrews) is challenged by idealistic Jeff Rose (Ricky Nelson) in an upcoming election. Lundy has Sheriff Clyde Barnes (Jack Elam) rough the young upstart up some. Rose's visiting father-in-law, retired Texas Ranger Captain Oren Hayes (Pat O'Brien) sends an urgent telegraph to three of his former command (Walter Brennan, Chill Wills and Edgar Buchanan) to come to Boulder immediately and help him clean up the town.
THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG is a 1969 made-for-television movie that was popular enough at the time to lead to a sequel a year later. For old movie fans it's hard to beat the appeal of this veteran character actor laden movie. It's fun to see them play off each other and confront a situation that their advancing years have forced them to deal with more with guile than brute force. What's not so much fun is seeing them saddled with this tired, predictable plot.
Brennan and Buchanan shine brightest in this one; Brennan as the gun slinger who's lost a bit of speed on his quick draw and Buchanan as the scout who's eyesight has deteriorated to the point that he's drawing his guns on stuffed and mounted bears. With a better script, and a more delicate and penetrating examination of what it feels like to suddenly find yourself old and in the way, this one could have been a classic for the ages rather than an amusing piece of fluff.
The print transfer to dvd is so-so. Some of the night scenes are muddy and it's hard to make out what's happening. The dvd also comes with the Little Rascals' short "Hooky Spooky."
Fans of old movies should enjoy the veteran character actors in this, although they may agree that the folks in front of the camera in THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG deserved far better.

One more chance to see some ol' western stars
The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse version.

From the Aaron Spelling stable of TV movies comes this tale with Ricky Nelson (and his wife Kris Nelson) as an idealistic couple. Ricky is running for Mayor of a small western town against Edward Andrews who plays a corrupt town boss. Jack Elam is his Sheriff and Andy Devine is his Judge, both firmly entrenched in his back pocket.

Pat O'Brien comes to town as Ricky Nelson's father-in-law, a retired Texas Ranger who rounds up his old partners (Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan and Chill Wills)!!! Throw in Gypsy Rose Lee as the owner of the local saloon and you got yourself a pretty good (for TV) rip-snorting western. You know how it's going to play out, but watching the all these stars in action makes up for a sub-par script.

Unfortunately the transfer is from a well-used print that looks like it was recorded in long play mode. At times, scenes taking place at night are almost unwatchable. But the chance to see these stars of westerns in their later years is a treat you should not miss if you're a fan of the western genre.

Brentwood/BCI put in their usual extras, six chapter stops, a DVD dictionary, trivia game and a short subject (Hal Roach's "Little Rascals"). This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

Great Family Western Comedy!!
In this film a group of retired Texas Rangers(Walter Brennan,Edgar Buchanan,Pat O'Brien and Chill Wills)take on a corrupt small Nevada town relying on their brains not brawn.Also co-starring Ricky Nelson,Kris Nelson,Edward Andrews and Jack Elam.It's a great family western comedy!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

No Ranger retires perpendicular
Nasty and corrupt Mayor Nard Lundy (Edward Andrews) is challenged by idealistic Jeff Rose (Ricky Nelson) in an upcoming election. Lundy has Sheriff Clyde Barnes (Jack Elam) rough the young upstart up some. Rose's visiting father-in-law, retired Texas Ranger Captain Oren Hayes (Pat O'Brien) sends an urgent telegraph to three of his former command (Walter Brennan, Chill Wills and Edgar Buchanan) to come to Boulder immediately and help him clean up the town.
THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG is a 1969 made-for-television movie that was popular enough at the time to lead to a sequel a year later. For old movie fans it's hard to beat the appeal of this veteran character actor laden movie. It's fun to see them play off each other and confront a situation that their advancing years have forced them to deal with more with guile than brute force. What's not so much fun is seeing them saddled with this tired, predictable plot.
Brennan and Buchanan shine brightest in this one; Brennan as the gun slinger who's lost a bit of speed on his quick draw and Buchanan as the scout who's eyesight has deteriorated to the point that he's drawing his guns on stuffed and mounted bears. With a better script, and a more delicate and penetrating examination of what it feels like to suddenly find yourself old and in the way, this one could have been a classic for the ages rather than an amusing piece of fluff.
The print transfer to dvd is so-so. Some of the night scenes are muddy and it's hard to make out what's happening. The dvd also comes with the Little Rascals' short "Hooky Spooky."
Fans of old movies should enjoy the veteran character actors in this, although they may agree that the folks in front of the camera in THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG deserved far better.

One more chance to see some ol' western stars
The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse version.

From the Aaron Spelling stable of TV movies comes this tale with Ricky Nelson (and his wife Kris Nelson) as an idealistic couple. Ricky is running for Mayor of a small western town against Edward Andrews who plays a corrupt town boss. Jack Elam is his Sheriff and Andy Devine is his Judge, both firmly entrenched in his back pocket.

Pat O'Brien comes to town as Ricky Nelson's father-in-law, a retired Texas Ranger who rounds up his old partners (Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan and Chill Wills)!!! Throw in Gypsy Rose Lee as the owner of the local saloon and you got yourself a pretty good (for TV) rip-snorting western. You know how it's going to play out, but watching the all these stars in action makes up for a sub-par script.

Unfortunately the transfer is from a well-used print that looks like it was recorded in long play mode. At times, scenes taking place at night are almost unwatchable. But the chance to see these stars of westerns in their later years is a treat you should not miss if you're a fan of the western genre.

Brentwood/BCI put in their usual extras, six chapter stops, a DVD dictionary, trivia game and a short subject (Hal Roach's "Little Rascals"). This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

Great Family Western Comedy!!
In this film a group of retired Texas Rangers(Walter Brennan,Edgar Buchanan,Pat O'Brien and Chill Wills)take on a corrupt small Nevada town relying on their brains not brawn.Also co-starring Ricky Nelson,Kris Nelson,Edward Andrews and Jack Elam.It's a great family western comedy!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

No Ranger retires perpendicular
Nasty and corrupt Mayor Nard Lundy (Edward Andrews) is challenged by idealistic Jeff Rose (Ricky Nelson) in an upcoming election. Lundy has Sheriff Clyde Barnes (Jack Elam) rough the young upstart up some. Rose's visiting father-in-law, retired Texas Ranger Captain Oren Hayes (Pat O'Brien) sends an urgent telegraph to three of his former command (Walter Brennan, Chill Wills and Edgar Buchanan) to come to Boulder immediately and help him clean up the town.
THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG is a 1969 made-for-television movie that was popular enough at the time to lead to a sequel a year later. For old movie fans it's hard to beat the appeal of this veteran character actor laden movie. It's fun to see them play off each other and confront a situation that their advancing years have forced them to deal with more with guile than brute force. What's not so much fun is seeing them saddled with this tired, predictable plot.
Brennan and Buchanan shine brightest in this one; Brennan as the gun slinger who's lost a bit of speed on his quick draw and Buchanan as the scout who's eyesight has deteriorated to the point that he's drawing his guns on stuffed and mounted bears. With a better script, and a more delicate and penetrating examination of what it feels like to suddenly find yourself old and in the way, this one could have been a classic for the ages rather than an amusing piece of fluff.
The print transfer to dvd is so-so. Some of the night scenes are muddy and it's hard to make out what's happening. The dvd also comes with the Little Rascals' short "Hooky Spooky."
Fans of old movies should enjoy the veteran character actors in this, although they may agree that the folks in front of the camera in THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG deserved far better.

One more chance to see some ol' western stars
The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse version.

From the Aaron Spelling stable of TV movies comes this tale with Ricky Nelson (and his wife Kris Nelson) as an idealistic couple. Ricky is running for Mayor of a small western town against Edward Andrews who plays a corrupt town boss. Jack Elam is his Sheriff and Andy Devine is his Judge, both firmly entrenched in his back pocket.

Pat O'Brien comes to town as Ricky Nelson's father-in-law, a retired Texas Ranger who rounds up his old partners (Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan and Chill Wills)!!! Throw in Gypsy Rose Lee as the owner of the local saloon and you got yourself a pretty good (for TV) rip-snorting western. You know how it's going to play out, but watching the all these stars in action makes up for a sub-par script.

Unfortunately the transfer is from a well-used print that looks like it was recorded in long play mode. At times, scenes taking place at night are almost unwatchable. But the chance to see these stars of westerns in their later years is a treat you should not miss if you're a fan of the western genre.

Brentwood/BCI put in their usual extras, six chapter stops, a DVD dictionary, trivia game and a short subject (Hal Roach's "Little Rascals"). This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

Great Family Western Comedy!!
In this film a group of retired Texas Rangers(Walter Brennan,Edgar Buchanan,Pat O'Brien and Chill Wills)take on a corrupt small Nevada town relying on their brains not brawn.Also co-starring Ricky Nelson,Kris Nelson,Edward Andrews and Jack Elam.It's a great family western comedy!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

No Ranger retires perpendicular
Nasty and corrupt Mayor Nard Lundy (Edward Andrews) is challenged by idealistic Jeff Rose (Ricky Nelson) in an upcoming election. Lundy has Sheriff Clyde Barnes (Jack Elam) rough the young upstart up some. Rose's visiting father-in-law, retired Texas Ranger Captain Oren Hayes (Pat O'Brien) sends an urgent telegraph to three of his former command (Walter Brennan, Chill Wills and Edgar Buchanan) to come to Boulder immediately and help him clean up the town.
THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG is a 1969 made-for-television movie that was popular enough at the time to lead to a sequel a year later. For old movie fans it's hard to beat the appeal of this veteran character actor laden movie. It's fun to see them play off each other and confront a situation that their advancing years have forced them to deal with more with guile than brute force. What's not so much fun is seeing them saddled with this tired, predictable plot.
Brennan and Buchanan shine brightest in this one; Brennan as the gun slinger who's lost a bit of speed on his quick draw and Buchanan as the scout who's eyesight has deteriorated to the point that he's drawing his guns on stuffed and mounted bears. With a better script, and a more delicate and penetrating examination of what it feels like to suddenly find yourself old and in the way, this one could have been a classic for the ages rather than an amusing piece of fluff.
The print transfer to dvd is so-so. Some of the night scenes are muddy and it's hard to make out what's happening. The dvd also comes with the Little Rascals' short "Hooky Spooky."
Fans of old movies should enjoy the veteran character actors in this, although they may agree that the folks in front of the camera in THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG deserved far better.

One more chance to see some ol' western stars
The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse version.

From the Aaron Spelling stable of TV movies comes this tale with Ricky Nelson (and his wife Kris Nelson) as an idealistic couple. Ricky is running for Mayor of a small western town against Edward Andrews who plays a corrupt town boss. Jack Elam is his Sheriff and Andy Devine is his Judge, both firmly entrenched in his back pocket.

Pat O'Brien comes to town as Ricky Nelson's father-in-law, a retired Texas Ranger who rounds up his old partners (Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan and Chill Wills)!!! Throw in Gypsy Rose Lee as the owner of the local saloon and you got yourself a pretty good (for TV) rip-snorting western. You know how it's going to play out, but watching the all these stars in action makes up for a sub-par script.

Unfortunately the transfer is from a well-used print that looks like it was recorded in long play mode. At times, scenes taking place at night are almost unwatchable. But the chance to see these stars of westerns in their later years is a treat you should not miss if you're a fan of the western genre.

Brentwood/BCI put in their usual extras, six chapter stops, a DVD dictionary, trivia game and a short subject (Hal Roach's "Little Rascals"). This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

Great Family Western Comedy!!
In this film a group of retired Texas Rangers(Walter Brennan,Edgar Buchanan,Pat O'Brien and Chill Wills)take on a corrupt small Nevada town relying on their brains not brawn.Also co-starring Ricky Nelson,Kris Nelson,Edward Andrews and Jack Elam.It's a great family western comedy!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

No Ranger retires perpendicular
Nasty and corrupt Mayor Nard Lundy (Edward Andrews) is challenged by idealistic Jeff Rose (Ricky Nelson) in an upcoming election. Lundy has Sheriff Clyde Barnes (Jack Elam) rough the young upstart up some. Rose's visiting father-in-law, retired Texas Ranger Captain Oren Hayes (Pat O'Brien) sends an urgent telegraph to three of his former command (Walter Brennan, Chill Wills and Edgar Buchanan) to come to Boulder immediately and help him clean up the town.
THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG is a 1969 made-for-television movie that was popular enough at the time to lead to a sequel a year later. For old movie fans it's hard to beat the appeal of this veteran character actor laden movie. It's fun to see them play off each other and confront a situation that their advancing years have forced them to deal with more with guile than brute force. What's not so much fun is seeing them saddled with this tired, predictable plot.
Brennan and Buchanan shine brightest in this one; Brennan as the gun slinger who's lost a bit of speed on his quick draw and Buchanan as the scout who's eyesight has deteriorated to the point that he's drawing his guns on stuffed and mounted bears. With a better script, and a more delicate and penetrating examination of what it feels like to suddenly find yourself old and in the way, this one could have been a classic for the ages rather than an amusing piece of fluff.
The print transfer to dvd is so-so. Some of the night scenes are muddy and it's hard to make out what's happening. The dvd also comes with the Little Rascals' short "Hooky Spooky."
Fans of old movies should enjoy the veteran character actors in this, although they may agree that the folks in front of the camera in THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG deserved far better.

One more chance to see some ol' western stars
The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse version.

From the Aaron Spelling stable of TV movies comes this tale with Ricky Nelson (and his wife Kris Nelson) as an idealistic couple. Ricky is running for Mayor of a small western town against Edward Andrews who plays a corrupt town boss. Jack Elam is his Sheriff and Andy Devine is his Judge, both firmly entrenched in his back pocket.

Pat O'Brien comes to town as Ricky Nelson's father-in-law, a retired Texas Ranger who rounds up his old partners (Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan and Chill Wills)!!! Throw in Gypsy Rose Lee as the owner of the local saloon and you got yourself a pretty good (for TV) rip-snorting western. You know how it's going to play out, but watching the all these stars in action makes up for a sub-par script.

Unfortunately the transfer is from a well-used print that looks like it was recorded in long play mode. At times, scenes taking place at night are almost unwatchable. But the chance to see these stars of westerns in their later years is a treat you should not miss if you're a fan of the western genre.

Brentwood/BCI put in their usual extras, six chapter stops, a DVD dictionary, trivia game and a short subject (Hal Roach's "Little Rascals"). This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

Great Family Western Comedy!!
In this film a group of retired Texas Rangers(Walter Brennan,Edgar Buchanan,Pat O'Brien and Chill Wills)take on a corrupt small Nevada town relying on their brains not brawn.Also co-starring Ricky Nelson,Kris Nelson,Edward Andrews and Jack Elam.It's a great family western comedy!! ... Read more