Reviews (5)

The Long Night
This was a very cool film. Henry Fonda did an excellent job as a man who is hiding from the law. Vincent Price plays the guy that gets killed by Henry Fonda at the very beginning. Almost the entire film is flashback, which explain why Fonda is in this predicament in the first place, and how it came to be that he killed Price. A great suspense movie.

1947 FORGOTTEN NOIR GEM
Henry Fonda is Joe Adams, a man pinned inside his third floor apartment after gunning down a mysterious magician Vincent price. Joe's fractured memories are told in an intricate web of flashbacks that reconstruct the events leading up to the murder. Barbara Bel Geddes plays the third corner of the tragic, complicated and mesmerizing love triangle. Exceedingly mody and atmospheric direction by the masterful Anatole Litvak ("The Snake Pit," "Sorry Wrong Number"). The DVD is a pristine transfer made from a 35 MM nitrate negative. Bonus material includes a gallery of photos and artwork as well as excerpts from Marcel Carne's Le Jour se Leve. (Full Frame, B&W, 68 minutes, Not Rated)

the long night
It is wonderful to discover forgotten gems and this is such a title. Too bad the producers, Kino Video, could have taken time to produce better sound. On Chapters #5 & #16 the sound cuts out on front speakers when using surround sound and comes only from the back. Very annoying. Kino Video offer a disclaimer sayin thisis due to the age of the film....bull. It is due to someone cutting out the sound when the film was being reproduced. I hope others will take time to write Kino Video...someone should be horsewhipped. Otherwise the picture quality is super.

Good story, GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY
A simple, tightly-told story with amazing art direction, sets and photography. Effective, hammy acting all around adds to the mix to make a very enjoyable short movie. The disc supplements are an entertaining and informative icing on the cake.

Underrrated film noir drama.
I liked this forgotten film, i think it is very well directed by Anatole Litvak. Henry Fonda gives a fine performance as the doomed fugutive, who barricates himself in an attic room while the police tries to make him surrender and come out. During the night he thinks back on the events leading up to a murder, and the situation he is in now. Much of the story is told in flashbacks, interrupted by scenes where the police try in different ways to make him come out. Vincent Price plays an evil magician with whom Fonda has a dramatic encounter, Price is both smarmy and unplesent in this role, and he plays very well. Both Barbara Bel Geddes and Ann Dvorak are good in their roles as a naive young girl, and a more down to earth woman. The photography by Sol Polito is very good, giving it a wonderful noir sheen, also the sets by Eugene Lourie are intriguing, giving the film a dark, dirty look, that at the same time is glossy, but filled with low key images that makes shadows on the walls. This was an american remake of a french film by Marcel Carne called Le Jour Se Leve, and it is by no means as inferior as many filmguides might lead you to think, its more dramatic and has more background musik. The original film is intense in a restraind way, more poetic while the remake goes more out for dramatic effects, and is more hard boiled. The Long Night uses almost the same screenplay as in the original, ecept for the ending which is different. The story is grim and gloomy, but i think this is one of the more visually dynamic american films from the 40s, very well directed by Anatole Litvak, no camera tricks were used in the scene where Price performs his magic show, Litvak wanted the actor to learn to make tricks from a real magician, so he could make a realistic magic performence. This film is a minor gem. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Captain Kidd
Not the Sea Hawk or Captain Blood by any means,but still enjoyable.With a cast like Laughton,Carradine and Scott it can't be too bad.Historicaly not very accurate and a little hokey.But then again it doesn't claim to be factual.Laughton is great as the scheaming Kidd and Scott as the hero is his usually heroic self.If you are a fan of this type of film,and i am,you will enjoy this picture. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

FORGOTTEN NOIR GEM NEW ON DVD
Originally released in 1948, "Raw Deal" is the story of a bitter, tough gangster (Dennis O'Keefe again) who seeks revenge after being framed and sent to the big house. With the help of an innocent woman he seduces, the ex con carries out his murderous scheme of vengeance, eventually coming face to face with the psychopathic pyromaniacal creep (Raymond Burr) responsible for his jail time. John Ireland, Marsha Hunt, Chili Williams and Claire Trevor co-star -- with Trevor responsible for the terrific, fatalistic voice over narration.

Mann's direction is as tight and stylized as the screenplay. The often low angle black and white photography by John Alton, who also did "T Men," is a perfect match for this tale of dark justice. A very young, surprisingly trim, Raymond Burr is a standout as the bad guy. In the scene that introduces him, he gleefully burns the ear of one of his flunkies with a cigarette lighter. It's a cruel joke and Burr obviously relishes the role of the sadistic heavy. The quality of the full frame print is pretty good. The sound could be a tad cleaner. The extras are limited to some great noir trailers and "video liner notes" by mystery writer Max Collins. Definitely entertaining and better than might be expected.

Ever So Raw!!!
I am honored to be the first reviewer of this film! This is definitely a "B" noir flick in terms of the look and feel, but the script is taut and the acting is tough as nails.Some of the visuals (shot by John Alton) are as dark and as well-composed as any in Noirville--great low angle shots especially! See a pre-Perry Mason/Ironside Raymond Burr as a power-mad pyromaniac, and John Ireland as his hapless flunkie. And of course Claire Trevor as the co-dependent floozie following her man all the way to the gutter. Her laconic, downbeat voice-overs are superb, and set the emotional tone for the movie throughout. I had never seen the lead actors before--Dennis O'Keefe and Marsha Hunt, but found their portrayals quite compelling. The love story was a bit soapy but tolerable. The quality of the disc by VCI was very good in terms of the picture quality, though sound was a bit muffled. Some fun extras, including trailers from several other unrelated noir films, like Impact, and a really cool behind the scenes interview with Sinatra, Preminger, Kim Novack on the set of Man With the Golden Arm--what these are doing on this disc is beyond me, but it is a nice non sequitor nonetheless. Also, a film critic does a little analysis of Anthony Mann's style, and it is pretty darn interesting. See the companion DVD, T-Men, also an A. Mann film, but Raw Deal is the Real Deal!!

Brilliantly Redefines Noire -- Mann at his best
Anthony Mann's films -- whether they are Noire, War Film, Western, or Costume Epic -- are all about one thing: characters doomed to self-destruction. In that light "Raw Deal" is probably his best, because here *everyone* is going down.

O'Keefe escapes from prison, bent on collecting his dough from Crime Boss Raymond Burr, and leaving the country. But on the way he becomes trapped between the woman who broke him out, and the beautiful parole officer they kidnapped. Meanwhile the sadistic pyromaniac Burr has sent killer John Ireland to make sure O'Keefe meets a sticky end.

"Raw Deal" starts as an exercise in classic film-noire style: tough-guy dialogue, gun-play, and simple low-key sets. Forunately (and unlike most directors), Mann is aware that these are just *noire motifs*. So rather than produce a cliche by playing *to* them, Mann (and his collaborators Alton and Sawtell) produces a masterpiece by playing *against* them.

What would normally be a conventional revenge flick, becomes a complicated emotional journey, in the guise of an equally meandering -- occaisionally surreal -- road trip across post-war middle-America.

John Alton photographs it beautifully (the Greg Toland of B-Movies): a fight in a bait-shop takes place under a grid of black fishing nets; a woman's face reflected in the face of a ships' clock (also under a net... hmmmm); a forest at night; an alleyway choked with fog -- all of it exquisitely illuminated (or NOT illuminated, depending on your lighting philosophy).

And instead of the standard -- Dum-Da-Dum-Dum Dragnet score, composer Paul Sawtel (the Bernard Herrman of B-Movies) gives it a quivering, supernatural flavour -- with a Theramin.

The cast is perfect, particularly Ireland whose moral ambivalence can't conceal his distain for Burr and respect for O'Keefe. And Whit Bissel does a run throught in one of the films more surreal moments.

As i said before, the characters in a Mann film are always trapped by their own weaknesses. This is a standard B-movie/noir device, usually explained to the audience by a cynical Private-I with words like lust, betrayal, murder, etc. etc. What sets "Raw Deal" apart from the ordinary Noire fodder is that we don't just observe, we sympathise. In "Raw Deal" the trap isn't "greed" or "lust" -- it's loyalty, devotion, duty, and self sacrifice. Anthony Mann's characters are doomed by their virtues, not their vices.

And they take us with them. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Along Came Jones is one of the most oddball artifacts from Hollywood's golden age. Gary Cooper (who doubled as producer) plays Melody Jones, a "common ordinary useless bronc-stomper" who moseys into the town of Payneville--or is it Painful?--just after legendary bad ass Monte Jarrad has held up the stagecoach. The townsfolk eyeball the "MJ" on Melody's stirrup, leap to hysterically wrong conclusions, and start giving him a wide berth--in some cases, the better to lie in ambush for "Jarrad" while planning how to spend the bounty money. Now, as it happens--and as his crusty sidekick George (the insuperably irreverent William Demarest) keeps reminding him--Melody can barely get his gun out of the holster without blowing his own kneecap off. All that stands between him and extinction is the quick-thinking intervention of a local maiden, one Cherry de Longpre (Loretta Young). Melody, of course, promptly becomes hogtied with love, not suspecting Cherry's the childhood sweetheart of the real Monte Jarrad (Dan Duryea)....

Stylistically the film is a wild mix, with director Stuart Heisler paying close attention to down-the-gun-barrel point of view in several scenes, yet also sitting still for floaty back-projection photography so egregious that it may bring on motion sickness. Still, Nunnally Johnson's script is droll; Cooper clearly relished the chance to poke fun at his strong-silent stereotype; and he and Preston Sturges stalwart Demarest establish a sardonic comic rapport. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Cooper was Hollywood's greatest simpleton.
Too bad they didnt give him any material to work with in this turkey.

Cooper plays a dimwitted cowpoke (not much of a stretch) mistaken for a notorious outlaw. Some light moments, but no humor. Actually, about the only highlight here is a gorgeous Loretta Young as the outlaw's reluctant girlfriend. OK, I'm out of compliments.

An interesting but overlong diversion, only for huge fans of the genre, or Gary Cooper.

Mr. Deeds Goes to the Wild West
Overall, this is an entertaining movie though it moves slowly. It's not a great film, but definitely worth seeing and a bit of a curiousity in the sense that the hero (Cooper) can't shoot a gun, bumbles around falling over himself and is ultimately rescued by a woman, Loretta Young. Not standard fare for 1945. In many ways, it's Mr. Deeds placed into a western. Cooper as Melody Jones seems a slow-witted innocent but is much smarter than he appears.

The downside is the DVD. While not a horrible copy, it certainly isn't good. It appears as if no effort has been made to restore the film. In fact, you're left with the impression they grabbed whatever copy was handy. Some scenes are so dark you can't make out any detail beyond silouettes and many scenes are scratched or otherwise blemished. And of course, nothing to speak of in terms of features. It's a good price but it would be nice if MGM treated their films with a bit more respect.

It's worth seeing however and, if you like Gary Cooper as I do, worth having. Also, if you like westerns this is a nice one to have because it is such a strange duck (as a western). ... Read more

Amazon.com

Bob Hope is in top form in this Technicolor parody of pirate pictures, doing his best vaudeville shtick as an inept performer trying to save princess Virginia Mayo from the evil clutches of governor Walter Slezak and pirate Victor McLaglen. It's all ridiculous fun, of course, but if you're a fan of Hope, you never tire of his self-effacing gags and double-entendres. His out-of-place show biz jabs were always clever, and they're all the funnier in this period setting--particularly the Bing Crosby jokes. But Walter Brennan nearly steals the film as a wacky pirate scheming to steal buried treasure, and tattooing the map on Hope's chest. Yet the two best routines are when Hope tries to conceal his chest while taking a bath with Slezak, and when he tries to impersonate McLaglen as "the Hook." Unfortunately, the film element used for this DVD edition shows signs of color fading, but it doesn't detract from Bob Hope's distinct brand of entertainment. --Bill Desowitz ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Bob Hope as the classic cowardly pirate
"The Princess and the Pirate" is one of my favourite Bob Hope comedies right up there with "My Favourite Blonde" and "The Ghost Breakers". During the war years escapism was high on peoples wish list and the period saw an influx of top grade pirate adventures set in far off lands on screen such as "The Sea Hawk", and "The Black Swan". Bob Hope, ever quick to pick up on the latest popular trends created his own mini classic here in "The Princess and the Pirate", with a roushing send up of the whole Pirate genre that suited his comic talents to a tee.

This film has it all, from cut throat pirates to beautiful maidens in distress, fantastic galleons filled with treasure, beautiful technicolour, swashbuckling sword play and at the centre the comic Hope in one of his famous coward roles filled with hilarious one liners. Of course no Hope film would be complete without a few Bing Crosby jokes and they are laid on in abundance here. Even San Goldwyn who produced this film comes in for a comic slaying! Bob Hope plays Sylvester the Great a second rate performing act who unknowingly gets involved with a group of cut throat pirates headed by the notorious "The Hook' played superbly by Victor Mclaglen. In a plot too convoluted to lay out here Hope unknowingly gets a rare treasure map tatooed onto his chest and thus becomes the target for the greedy pirates bent on retreiving the treasure. Along the way Sylvester becomes involved with the Princess Margaret (played by the lovely Virginia Mayo)who is being held as a captive by the pirates and who in a surprise twist at the finale, after romancing Hope throughout the entire film suddenly runs into the arms of a well known rival of Hope's whos name I wont mention here!!

The film is full of wonderful scenes and performances. Walter Brennan in a distinct change of pace literally steals the show as the wacky featherhead, the giggling pirate who tattoes the map onto Hope's chest. Bob Hope's quip upon hearing him giggling to "hurry up and lay that egg" is probably one of the funniest lines in the whole film. Virginia Mayo while perhaps not the best leading lady that Bob Hope had in his films is cooly beautiful as Princess Margaret but does perhaps lack a bit of the fire that a Maureen O'Hara type would have brought to the role. Bob Hope I feel has one of his very best roles here. Whether he is playing the wisecracking Sylvester ducking from cut throat killers or dressed as a cackling old gypsy woman to avoid detection on the pirate ship, romancing the Princess or deceiving the dreaded Hook and the govenor, he is in fine form full of the lovable quips and Crosby insults that were his stock in trade. Hilarious scenes abound throughout "The Princess and the Pirate". Stand outs are the priceless scene where Hope and the princess arrive at the boarding house in port to find a room for the night and find that the previous occupant had mysteriously "checked out" while leaving all his clothes! and the absolute rib tickler where Bob ends up sharing a bath with the corrupt governer La Roche (Walter Slezak in another funny performance) and tries to hide the tattoo of the treasure map from him, that one is guaranteed to have you laughing till you drop!.

The overall look of this production is lavish and no expenses was ever spared on Bob Hope films around this time. The colour is beautiful and the costumes, sets, and period flavour are top notch. For a fun filled, hour and a half of pure mayhem and Hope madness "The Princess and the Pirate", is unsurpassed. If you are a Hope fan like I am you cannot miss this one to see him at the absolute peak of his abilities and comic timing. Enjoy a rousing time on the high seas with Bob Hope at his cowardly best!!

a great and beautiful film!
This film is very good, so entertaining and colorful. It's packed, with glamoour, romance, comedy, and adventure. A little of everything. Virginia Mayo is wonderful in it and so is Bob Hope.

Classic Gut-buster
My siblings and I caught this movie on Sunday afternoon TV once, and laughed until we cried. Very silly gags interspersed with hilarious one-liners make this oldie stay fresh. I'm not someone who generally likes classic comedy, and I LOVE this movie!

Good, simple pic
Everytime Bob Hope made a picture in a costume, people would cringe. It doesn't have to be that way, as this movie is heads and tails above "Cassanova's Big Night". This is a fun, silly pirate movie that I loved as a kid, and still love now as a twenty-something unemployed male unable to graduate from a state college.

Total Brilliance!
This, in my opinion, is by far the best Bob Hope film I've seen. I have watched it repeatedly, and it never fails to make me laugh hysterically. I just love this film and would recommend it to anyone of any age. Just brilliant! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour reunite in entertaining comedy
Bob Hope made many movies for Paramount during the 1940's when he was at the peak of his career. "My Favorite Brunette" is one of the best and is well written with some very funny comic situations. Hope is reunited with his co-star from the "Road" series - Dorothy Lamour - and they work well together. "Brunette" has an impressive supporting cast including Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney Jr, John Hoyt, Ann Doran, Reginald Denny, Ray Teal, Jack la Rue, and features a couple of surprise star cameos.

Hope plays baby photographer Ronnie Jackson but his heart is set on becoming a private detective ("All my life I've wanted to be a hard boiled detective like Humphrey Bogart, or Dick Powell, or even Alan Ladd!"). Dorothy Lamour is Carlotta Montay and she mistakes Hope for Sam McCloud who is a qualified private detective and has the office next door to Hope. Lamour hires Hope to look for her missing uncle who has been kidnapped but after various misadventures she realises just how inexperienced he is! After being exposed to great danger and becoming a target for the villains Hope begins to regret his deception. ("I don't know how much more of this I can take - you've had me in hot water so long I feel like a tea bag").

Some favourite lines from the film:

Bob Hope (to Peter Lorre): "Nice cheerful place - what time do they bring the mummies out?".

Bob Hope: "It always looked so easy in those Tarzan pictures!".

Hope was best known for his series of "Road" comedies with Crosby and Lamour but in "Brunette" proved he could handle a leading role on his own. Around this time he also made "My Favorite Blonde" with Madeleine Carroll and "My Favorite Spy" with Hedy Lamarr but played different characters in each film. The Bob Hope films of the forties were popular light hearted entertainment and can be viewed with increasing pleasure over and over again. Clive Roberts.

"My Favorite Brunette" with my favorite Bob Hope!
Baby photographer Ronnie Jackson (Bob Hope) would more than anything love to become a private eye. But while while taking calls for the detective agency next door, who should walk in but drop dead gorgeous Carlotta Montay (Dorothy Lamour). Mistaken for the destective himself, Ronnie cannot refuse helping out the lovely lady. It's not long before our favorite comedian, (who can't even handle a gun!), is caught up into dangerous plot with dangerous bad guys (Lon Chaney Jr. and Peter Lorre). Will Ronnie and Carlotta be able to sort everything out before they're 'silenced' forever?

I can't help but love the old screwbal comedies from the golden black&white age where movies were tons of fun. And with such an all-star cast, what could go wrong with this film? Nothing!

Bob Hope of course stands out in the movie with the most comedic power. He has such talent and seems to effortlessly pull off gags, give out hysterically funny one-liners, and make us laugh with his slapstick comic routines. Dorothy Lamour is a great actress but seems to be stuck in the sidelines under the light of Bob Hope. But that's ok because it's fun just to see her in fabulous costumes and pull Ronnie into the dangerous plot. But besides Bob Hope, Peter Lorre is the bad guy everyone can't help but love. It's great to see him give his innocent puppy dog face which he's so famous for!

Also, don't forget to check out Alan Ladd and Bing Crosby in their cameo appearances (Alan Ladd as the detective, Sam McCloud, and Bing Crosby as an attendant.)

My advice to you is that if you love Bob Hope, watch "My Favorite Brunette", which I've nicknamed, "Our Favorite Bob Hope"! Also check out these other Bob Hope classics; "My Favorite Spy", "The Lemon-Drop Kid", "The Ghostbreakers", and all the "Road To..." Series.

Above Average Bob Hope Movie - LOUSY DVD!
This review refers to the Alpha (Gotham Distribution, as listed on Amazon) version of this movie on DVD. The print used for this DVD is absolutely horrible. The opening credits are barely readable, and the movie itself looks murky and has tons of scratches and dust. It's a shame that Alpha couldn't find a better print, but from some of the reviews I've read it seems that some other companies have had the same problem. It would be better not to release it at all than to use such a bad print. This is a really fun movie, and it deserves a lot better than this. Wait for a cleaner copy to surface - one will eventually.

It sucks!
What is this? The whole idea with DVD sucks with this title! The picture and sound quality is worse than a heavily used standard 8 mm film!
The movie ...and of course Dorothy Lamour, is worth something better than this. Take it out of your stock and replace it with an appropriate copy.
No recommendations what so ever!

A private eye that does not get the picture of the situation
A photographer turned private eye by accident and becoming involved in a very important plot to eliminate a couple of people in order to appropriate a uranium mine. Every single detail is hilarious, upside down, wrong. This poor photographer does everything the wrong way and misses all the details or fails all the possibilities, and yet he succeeds because of his great luck. Nothing much more can be said without reducing the fun of the film. So go and rush to it. Its worth a good laugh.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Surprise! CLASSIC Film Noir!
100% fun film-noir rollercoaster in which Mickey Rooney plays an amoral mechanic who makes one horrible decision after another, getting himself stuck deeper and deeper in the quicksand of his predicament. The plot is hokey, but so satisfying...it includes a great femme-fatale and a swell part played by Peter Lorre. The photography is top-notch, and the San Francisco boardwalk (nighttime, natch)scenery is wonderful. Rooney is actually very good in this...he makes you root for him even though he acts like a jerk all the way through the picture. If you've ever dug yourself into a well of trouble, you'll really relate to this one! Enjoy!

Mickey Rooneys acting very good as usual but plot weak.
The story line was not up to the standards of a Mickey Rooney film of that era. The story starts off with Rooney oweing $100,00 for a watch and snowballs into a series of crimes that lead to 'murder'. If your not a Mickey Rooney fan save your money and time. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

1940's Red Ryder and Little Beaver Volume 1, come to DVD!
Many now only relate to "Red Ryder's Genuine Carbine Action Two-Hundred Shot Lightning Loader Range Model Air Rifle" made famous in the 1983 Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story". This story was about a 10 year old boys obsession with getting Red Ryder's air rifle for Christmas.

Well now, we can all see this famous no-nonsense cowboy and his little sidekick Indian boy, Little Beaver in action. This was a perfect pair & their complete honorable taming of the west.

Red Ryder & Little Beaver adventures dominated the comic strips in the 1930's - 1950's. Late in the 30's REd Ryder came to the screen in a 12 action packed episode serial. Pretty good stuff and a sample coming attraction of this early Red Ryder serial is included on this double feature DVD.

The 1940's Red Ryder introduced the most popular Red Ryder with Wild Bill Elliot and Robert Blake an Little Beaver. This duo went on to make over a dozen Red Ryder movies in the 40's.
This Double Feature remastered DVD Full Screen Black/White includes 2 of thier movies.

An Antonio Kid (1944 / 52 minutes) - greedy outlaws pursuit of the coveted "Black Gold" by terrorizing ranchers.

Cheyenne Wildcat (1947 / 50 minutes) - Red becomes the object of desire of 2 ladies while he & Lil' Beaver pursue outlaws.

This is wholesome fun family entertainment. Red & Lil' Beaver compliment each other and there is genuine onscreen friendship chemistry between them. This is fun stuff. Nice addition to the old western DVD library. Also included is a movie billboard & comic strip montage extra.

Also, now we see why Ralphie Parker from "A Christmas Story" obsessed over Red Ryder!!! Enjoy.

Red Ryder-Memories
These two western "B" movies from the 40's are typical of the westerns of the war years. The second movie, "Cheyene Wildcat" is the best of the Elliott "Ryder" movies. A big plus is Robert Blake (Baretta) playing Little Beaver! Another big plus, is Roy Barcroft as the mean villian. As with all the old movies coming out in DVD, the quality is very good.
If you are over 60 you'll enjoy the memory-if you are under 60 you get to see a time when good triumphed over evil!

ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER
I don`t believe this one ever got to the U.K. when i was riding the range at Saturday cinema. One word. Wonderful. My memories of serials in the early 50`s here in U.K. were Blackhawk. Possibly the best ever. Jungle Girl, Captain Video,SirLancelot,Superman,and White Eagle. Now at almost 60 years old to be able to relive those happy years once again with a serial like Red Ryder plus a TV episode with one of my favorite cowboys Rocky Lane is beyond words.The D V D transfer is very good its a treat to be able to see a good quality picture at last. I`ve had enough of poor quality slow speed video copy`s and as for some of the material some people get away with on the net. I urge you forget the rubbish and go for D V D and make Red Ryder your first choice. Come on company`s lets have some more...

THE ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER!
DON BARRY is the cowboy hero RED RYDER in this 12-PART SERIAL from Republic Pictures, circa 1940. It seems there is a CROOKED BANKER who is trying to steal land from good, honest, hard-working LANDOWNERS! So it is up to RED RYDER to save the day! NOAH BEERY plays Ace Hanlon while TOMMY COOK plays Little Beaver! You will THRILL to the CLIFFHANGERS in this serial, which is definitely an above-average example of the long forgotten art form! The EXTRAS are pretty sweet this time around too, partner! There is the PILOT for the RED RYDER TELEVISION SERIES, an interview with Don Barry himself and reproductions of LOBBY CARDS and POSTERS! If you were not a fan way back when, you sure shooting can become one now!

Sets a standard
If you love this stuff -- as I do -- you'll love this DVD. The transfer is excellent for a 60-year-old serial, and the extras are special: an interview with the late star, Don Barry, and even the full-length pilot of a Red Ryder TV show starring Rocky Lane (the latter isn't even mentioned on the package). And the full chapter endings are here, not clipped off as on some misguided serial transfers.

"Adventures of Red Ryder" isn't the best serial ever made ("Blackhawk" is my pick for that honor). But this release sets a standard for how other serials should be spiffed up and made available on DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

A True Masterpiece
This is true spellbinding stuff. A Great story, depicting the sad tale of "Rio" (Marlon Brando) and his quest to get even with the evil Dad Longworth (Karl Maldon) for the betrayal of some stolen lute, friendship and trust. The one an only film directed by Marlon Brando, is a film of epic proportions, that twists and turns until you feel eventual sympathy with the "Rio" character, after all the nastiness of the ill fated outlaw he once was. Excellently shot using panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop, a stirring film score, taught direction, A moody and magnificent Marlon Brando, The sultry Pina Pellicer, (who sadly died shortly after the film) A rousing story...and I just love the script, This film has it all. A follow up would have been super, but alas it wasn't to be. So sit back and enjoy "One Eyed Jacks", and don't let the critic books put you off. So go on! Make that saturday night special watch this movie now!

HORRENDOUS DVD QUALITY
I bought this 2003 Westlake Entertainment Group release of One-Eyed Jacks thinking that because of the price, it was the best version of the movie available on DVD. If it is, I'm disgusted. It is not in widescreen and the image is not sharp, much less crisp. I paid about $14.95 for this disc. To my great disappointment it's a horrible transfer. And I don't think I'm being picky. Granted, it is only my opinion, but I was not satisfied with the quality at all. I'm going to wait for the studio that made the film to eventually (hopefully) release a more acceptable version. I give this DVD version one star because zero stars is not an option.

terrific directorial debut
Brando fine as director. He does excellent turn as the Rio
character in the film. Malden, as usual, top notch as menacing heavy. Beautifully photographed. It's too bad Brando didn't direct a few more films.

A Great Movie - Really A Greek Tragedy Set in the West
Based on Charles Neider's Novel,"The Authentic Life of Hendrick Jones", this is truly the finest Western you will ever see. It even surpasses "Shane" and that is a true compliment,indeed. Beautiful scenery, an absolutely intrigueing story with many unexpected turns that will hold you to your seat. As for Brando and a marvelous supporting cast,Karden Malden,Pina Pellicer,Ben Johnson,a fabulous performance by Katy Jurado, and others,see it, you will love it. Not often mentioned in reviews is the wonderful theme song by Hugo Friedhoffer as background music.Absolutely a MUST SEE-to be chewed and digested.

Don't buy the Madacy DVD
As many reviewers have noted, the video quality is terrible in many editions. I have only experienced the Madacy edition -- that's the one where the cover has the original poster, surrounded by a white outline and the actors' names below -- and it's terrible. I will be sticking with my laser disk until (or if) Paramount releases a studio version. My two star rating is therefore an average of a "zero" for the technical quality of the Madacy DVD and a "four" for the movie itself (which features some of the most memorable dialog ever in a western, which I understand was in no small part due to Ben Johnson -- Brando would ask him, "Ben, what's a better way to say that?" and Johnson would come up with some wonderfully colorful expression like "I hear there's dirt between ya" or "Don't be doin' her like that"). So pray for a studio edition, as this movie certainly deserves first class treatement. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

A True Masterpiece
This is true spellbinding stuff. A Great story, depicting the sad tale of "Rio" (Marlon Brando) and his quest to get even with the evil Dad Longworth (Karl Maldon) for the betrayal of some stolen lute, friendship and trust. The one an only film directed by Marlon Brando, is a film of epic proportions, that twists and turns until you feel eventual sympathy with the "Rio" character, after all the nastiness of the ill fated outlaw he once was. Excellently shot using panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop, a stirring film score, taught direction, A moody and magnificent Marlon Brando, The sultry Pina Pellicer, (who sadly died shortly after the film) A rousing story...and I just love the script, This film has it all. A follow up would have been super, but alas it wasn't to be. So sit back and enjoy "One Eyed Jacks", and don't let the critic books put you off. So go on! Make that saturday night special watch this movie now!

HORRENDOUS DVD QUALITY
I bought this 2003 Westlake Entertainment Group release of One-Eyed Jacks thinking that because of the price, it was the best version of the movie available on DVD. If it is, I'm disgusted. It is not in widescreen and the image is not sharp, much less crisp. I paid about $14.95 for this disc. To my great disappointment it's a horrible transfer. And I don't think I'm being picky. Granted, it is only my opinion, but I was not satisfied with the quality at all. I'm going to wait for the studio that made the film to eventually (hopefully) release a more acceptable version. I give this DVD version one star because zero stars is not an option.

terrific directorial debut
Brando fine as director. He does excellent turn as the Rio
character in the film. Malden, as usual, top notch as menacing heavy. Beautifully photographed. It's too bad Brando didn't direct a few more films.

A Great Movie - Really A Greek Tragedy Set in the West
Based on Charles Neider's Novel,"The Authentic Life of Hendrick Jones", this is truly the finest Western you will ever see. It even surpasses "Shane" and that is a true compliment,indeed. Beautiful scenery, an absolutely intrigueing story with many unexpected turns that will hold you to your seat. As for Brando and a marvelous supporting cast,Karden Malden,Pina Pellicer,Ben Johnson,a fabulous performance by Katy Jurado, and others,see it, you will love it. Not often mentioned in reviews is the wonderful theme song by Hugo Friedhoffer as background music.Absolutely a MUST SEE-to be chewed and digested.

Don't buy the Madacy DVD
As many reviewers have noted, the video quality is terrible in many editions. I have only experienced the Madacy edition -- that's the one where the cover has the original poster, surrounded by a white outline and the actors' names below -- and it's terrible. I will be sticking with my laser disk until (or if) Paramount releases a studio version. My two star rating is therefore an average of a "zero" for the technical quality of the Madacy DVD and a "four" for the movie itself (which features some of the most memorable dialog ever in a western, which I understand was in no small part due to Ben Johnson -- Brando would ask him, "Ben, what's a better way to say that?" and Johnson would come up with some wonderfully colorful expression like "I hear there's dirt between ya" or "Don't be doin' her like that"). So pray for a studio edition, as this movie certainly deserves first class treatement. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

1940's Red Ryder and Little Beaver Volume 1, come to DVD!
Many now only relate to "Red Ryder's Genuine Carbine Action Two-Hundred Shot Lightning Loader Range Model Air Rifle" made famous in the 1983 Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story". This story was about a 10 year old boys obsession with getting Red Ryder's air rifle for Christmas.

Well now, we can all see this famous no-nonsense cowboy and his little sidekick Indian boy, Little Beaver in action. This was a perfect pair & their complete honorable taming of the west.

Red Ryder & Little Beaver adventures dominated the comic strips in the 1930's - 1950's. Late in the 30's REd Ryder came to the screen in a 12 action packed episode serial. Pretty good stuff and a sample coming attraction of this early Red Ryder serial is included on this double feature DVD.

The 1940's Red Ryder introduced the most popular Red Ryder with Wild Bill Elliot and Robert Blake an Little Beaver. This duo went on to make over a dozen Red Ryder movies in the 40's.
This Double Feature remastered DVD Full Screen Black/White includes 2 of thier movies.

An Antonio Kid (1944 / 52 minutes) - greedy outlaws pursuit of the coveted "Black Gold" by terrorizing ranchers.

Cheyenne Wildcat (1947 / 50 minutes) - Red becomes the object of desire of 2 ladies while he & Lil' Beaver pursue outlaws.

This is wholesome fun family entertainment. Red & Lil' Beaver compliment each other and there is genuine onscreen friendship chemistry between them. This is fun stuff. Nice addition to the old western DVD library. Also included is a movie billboard & comic strip montage extra.

Also, now we see why Ralphie Parker from "A Christmas Story" obsessed over Red Ryder!!! Enjoy.

Red Ryder-Memories
These two western "B" movies from the 40's are typical of the westerns of the war years. The second movie, "Cheyene Wildcat" is the best of the Elliott "Ryder" movies. A big plus is Robert Blake (Baretta) playing Little Beaver! Another big plus, is Roy Barcroft as the mean villian. As with all the old movies coming out in DVD, the quality is very good.
If you are over 60 you'll enjoy the memory-if you are under 60 you get to see a time when good triumphed over evil!

ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER
I don`t believe this one ever got to the U.K. when i was riding the range at Saturday cinema. One word. Wonderful. My memories of serials in the early 50`s here in U.K. were Blackhawk. Possibly the best ever. Jungle Girl, Captain Video,SirLancelot,Superman,and White Eagle. Now at almost 60 years old to be able to relive those happy years once again with a serial like Red Ryder plus a TV episode with one of my favorite cowboys Rocky Lane is beyond words.The D V D transfer is very good its a treat to be able to see a good quality picture at last. I`ve had enough of poor quality slow speed video copy`s and as for some of the material some people get away with on the net. I urge you forget the rubbish and go for D V D and make Red Ryder your first choice. Come on company`s lets have some more...

THE ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER!
DON BARRY is the cowboy hero RED RYDER in this 12-PART SERIAL from Republic Pictures, circa 1940. It seems there is a CROOKED BANKER who is trying to steal land from good, honest, hard-working LANDOWNERS! So it is up to RED RYDER to save the day! NOAH BEERY plays Ace Hanlon while TOMMY COOK plays Little Beaver! You will THRILL to the CLIFFHANGERS in this serial, which is definitely an above-average example of the long forgotten art form! The EXTRAS are pretty sweet this time around too, partner! There is the PILOT for the RED RYDER TELEVISION SERIES, an interview with Don Barry himself and reproductions of LOBBY CARDS and POSTERS! If you were not a fan way back when, you sure shooting can become one now!

Sets a standard
If you love this stuff -- as I do -- you'll love this DVD. The transfer is excellent for a 60-year-old serial, and the extras are special: an interview with the late star, Don Barry, and even the full-length pilot of a Red Ryder TV show starring Rocky Lane (the latter isn't even mentioned on the package). And the full chapter endings are here, not clipped off as on some misguided serial transfers.

"Adventures of Red Ryder" isn't the best serial ever made ("Blackhawk" is my pick for that honor). But this release sets a standard for how other serials should be spiffed up and made available on DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Captain Kidd
Not the Sea Hawk or Captain Blood by any means,but still enjoyable.With a cast like Laughton,Carradine and Scott it can't be too bad.Historicaly not very accurate and a little hokey.But then again it doesn't claim to be factual.Laughton is great as the scheaming Kidd and Scott as the hero is his usually heroic self.If you are a fan of this type of film,and i am,you will enjoy this picture. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

A True Masterpiece
This is true spellbinding stuff. A Great story, depicting the sad tale of "Rio" (Marlon Brando) and his quest to get even with the evil Dad Longworth (Karl Maldon) for the betrayal of some stolen lute, friendship and trust. The one an only film directed by Marlon Brando, is a film of epic proportions, that twists and turns until you feel eventual sympathy with the "Rio" character, after all the nastiness of the ill fated outlaw he once was. Excellently shot using panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop, a stirring film score, taught direction, A moody and magnificent Marlon Brando, The sultry Pina Pellicer, (who sadly died shortly after the film) A rousing story...and I just love the script, This film has it all. A follow up would have been super, but alas it wasn't to be. So sit back and enjoy "One Eyed Jacks", and don't let the critic books put you off. So go on! Make that saturday night special watch this movie now!

HORRENDOUS DVD QUALITY
I bought this 2003 Westlake Entertainment Group release of One-Eyed Jacks thinking that because of the price, it was the best version of the movie available on DVD. If it is, I'm disgusted. It is not in widescreen and the image is not sharp, much less crisp. I paid about $14.95 for this disc. To my great disappointment it's a horrible transfer. And I don't think I'm being picky. Granted, it is only my opinion, but I was not satisfied with the quality at all. I'm going to wait for the studio that made the film to eventually (hopefully) release a more acceptable version. I give this DVD version one star because zero stars is not an option.

terrific directorial debut
Brando fine as director. He does excellent turn as the Rio
character in the film. Malden, as usual, top notch as menacing heavy. Beautifully photographed. It's too bad Brando didn't direct a few more films.

A Great Movie - Really A Greek Tragedy Set in the West
Based on Charles Neider's Novel,"The Authentic Life of Hendrick Jones", this is truly the finest Western you will ever see. It even surpasses "Shane" and that is a true compliment,indeed. Beautiful scenery, an absolutely intrigueing story with many unexpected turns that will hold you to your seat. As for Brando and a marvelous supporting cast,Karden Malden,Pina Pellicer,Ben Johnson,a fabulous performance by Katy Jurado, and others,see it, you will love it. Not often mentioned in reviews is the wonderful theme song by Hugo Friedhoffer as background music.Absolutely a MUST SEE-to be chewed and digested.

Don't buy the Madacy DVD
As many reviewers have noted, the video quality is terrible in many editions. I have only experienced the Madacy edition -- that's the one where the cover has the original poster, surrounded by a white outline and the actors' names below -- and it's terrible. I will be sticking with my laser disk until (or if) Paramount releases a studio version. My two star rating is therefore an average of a "zero" for the technical quality of the Madacy DVD and a "four" for the movie itself (which features some of the most memorable dialog ever in a western, which I understand was in no small part due to Ben Johnson -- Brando would ask him, "Ben, what's a better way to say that?" and Johnson would come up with some wonderfully colorful expression like "I hear there's dirt between ya" or "Don't be doin' her like that"). So pray for a studio edition, as this movie certainly deserves first class treatement. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good Ole Oater...But....Not The Best Buy...
Rage At Dawn": From 1955, this one is in technicolor and is based on the Reno Brothers. Robbing banks, terrorizing the good townspeople, and just being a general menace to society, these guys needed to be stopped! Enter one brave lawman James Barlow( Randolph Scott), who infiltrates the outfit and tries to restore law and order to the community. It's not easy though, as the town leaders are getting kick backs from the bad guys are are not willing partcipants to seeing justice done! More wonderful stars include Forrest Tucker and an appearance by Edgar Buchanan. Directed by Tim Whelan.

This film may also be purchased in a set of 4 other "oaters" by Platinum disc. The set is called "Great American Western Vol 1".
The other films included are "To The Last Man"/1933,"The Fighting Westerner"/1935, and "Abilene Town"/1946. They all star Randolph Scott, and include lots of famous faces from the era. There are many of these sets available with up to 40 films, and for those who love these old oaters is a much more inexpensive way to go. These films are not pristeen. The older ones show their age. There are scatches from the prints, and there is occasional humming noise in the background. But for the most part the pictures themselves were surprisingly clear and all have had the sound enhanced in DD5.1.The color seemed a little off in "Rage At Dawn"....But hey..for the price, I thought Platinum, did a great job of putting together so many of these packages for us Western lovers to choose from. There isn't anything on these transfers that take away from the enjoyment of the view, and from what I have read here, there isnt anything better about this more expensive edition.

Happy Trails...and enjoy...Laurie

Roan needs to go back to the studio on this one
This is a great old "B" western, starring Randolph Scott, and some great character actors in Edgar Buchanan and Denver Pyle.

As for Roan Group's transfer of this movie...I'm sure it is better than those cheapy pan and scan transfers offered by other companies of public domain movies.

However....

While I've been pretty impressed with Roan up to now, I'd have to say that this...the first anamorphic widescreen movie I've purchased from them...needs a lot of work.

From the outset, the picture is jittery, making the opening credits quite challenging. Add to that, quite a bit of source damage, a general picture softness, and, toward the end, a good amount of grain, and you have what would be considered a "bad" transfer by a major studio.

Odd thing about the DVD is....the theatrical trailer has a superb picture...quite the opposite of most releases. This shows that most of the problem with this DVD was probably the source movie. I'd recommend Roan take another shot at this one...or at least learn a lesson on their future anamorphic releases.

Sturdy Randolph Scott Western...
Another offering from the Roan Group.

"Rage at Dawn" is an interesting, but not particularly classic western. What makes it stand apart from most is the introduction of espionage.

Sturdy as ever, Scott is a "Peterson" man, an obvious allusion to the famous Pinkerton Detective Agency. He must infiltrate a gang of murderous outlaw brothers, and trick them into causing their own downfall. Their beautiful sister, a non-crook, and Scott naturally hit it off.

Familiar faces? How about a clean-shaven Denver Pyle? Pyle, best known to TV viewers of the 1970's as the white-bearded Mad Jack on "Grizzly Adams", or Uncle Jessie Duke on "The Dukes of Hazzard", Pyle was a supporting player in many westerns. Here, he plays the good brother who won't join in with his brothers' crookery.

Then there's Edgar Buchanan, famous as old Uncle Joe from "Petticoat Junction". In this film, he plays a crooked judge, on the bad brothers' payroll.

Of course, Forrest Tucker is the head bad guy, and J. Carrol Naish is along as another bad brother.

A good, sturdy western, with Scott playing his usual smiling tough guy (kind of a non-emoting Gary Cooper). Always fun to see Scott playing it cool in the face of the bad guys. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Captain Kidd
Not the Sea Hawk or Captain Blood by any means,but still enjoyable.With a cast like Laughton,Carradine and Scott it can't be too bad.Historicaly not very accurate and a little hokey.But then again it doesn't claim to be factual.Laughton is great as the scheaming Kidd and Scott as the hero is his usually heroic self.If you are a fan of this type of film,and i am,you will enjoy this picture. ... Read more

Description

All Day Entertainment's ongoing DVD celebration of the films of legendary indie pioneer Edgar G. Ulmer began in 1999 with two DVD volumes that have since become very hard to find collector's items. This deluxe boxed set collects these first two special edition discs, covering three complete features and a bounty of extras. Disc One includes "The Strange Woman" (99 min.), a 1946 riff on "Gone with the Wind" restaged in New England, without the Civil War, but with Hedy Lamarr as a conniving manipulator who exploits her sexual allure to destroy the men around her. "A beautifully shot melodrama with Ulmer's balletic camerawork and set design shown off their best" raves Film.com. This disc also includes the rarely seen 1939 noir musical, "Moon Over Harlem" (68 min.), which Ulmer likened to a "Black Porgy and Bess." Disc Two includes "Bluebeard" (73 min.), a 1944 horror thriller starring John Carradine as a murderous puppeteer. One of Ulmer's most highly regarded works, in a deluxe DVD edition that the San Francisco Examiner calls "very highly recommended." This disc also features never-before-seen color footage from the famous puppet opera sequence and a reproduction of the pressbook. ... Read more