Drums Across the River (1954) Review

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(More customer reviews)Drums Across The River is one of Audie Murphy's better westerns, thanks to a great script, great performances, and great direction.
Murphy stars as a young man who runs a freight company along with his father, played by Walter Brennan. The Colorado town they live in is drying up, and the citizens have become restless, so much so that some of the leading citizens have decided to go across the river to the neighboring San Juan mountains. But Utes Indians live in these mountains, and aren't wlecoming to anyone trying to take gold frol their land.
Murphy helps to organize an expedition to dig for gold on the Ute's territoty, which puts him at odds with his father, who is friendly with the Ute's chief. Further complicating matters is a gang led by perennial western villain Lyle Bettger, who are pushing for the gold expedition for their own reasons.
The acting is top-notch, with everyone giving a solid performance. The direction, by veteran director Nathan Juran is crisp, and the movie flows at a very rapid, exciting pace. The script by John K. Butler and Lawrence Roman reveals lots of emotions and subtexts that lie under the surface, and is more thoughtful and intelligent than many western scripts.
Drums Across The River is one of Murphy's best, and one can only hope it will be included when the inevitable conversion of Murphy's westerns to DVD takes place.

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The Lone Ranger (Special Edition) (1956) Review

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(More customer reviews)Without any knowledge of what this DVD 2 pack contained, I bought it based on my love of Clayton Moore and the Lone Ranger! I was completely surprised by the quality of the film print! This film looks better than many of the feature films today. It is prestine. The trailers, interviews with Dawn Moore and Michael Ansara and photo gallery were the iceing on the cake. This was Clayton Moore's favorite LONE RANGER feature film and rightfully so. This film should have been re-released to the theaters instead of making the forgetable film of the late 1970's and Moore never should have been in a legal battle over the mask he, and only he, deserved to wear. Rick Goldschmidt (Author of THE MAKING OF A RANKIN/BASS HOLIDAY CLASSIC: RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER)

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Wild West Shootout 4 Movie Pack Review

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(More customer reviews)There are many western multi-packs on the market, some with as many as 100 films in them. None of the sets I've examined and/or reviewed contain any of these movies. That alone makes this a desirable collection. There's a couple of fine old Italian-made films here, which is a big plus as well.
SYNOPSES:
"And God Said To Cain" - Euro-western directed by horror specialist Antonio Margheriti. Cast includes Gina Lollobrigida's cousin. Familiar but still exciting story of a wrongly convicted man released from prison after ten years who then seeks revenge on the guilty.
"Blood City" - A reworking of the "Westworld" theme. Several amnesiacs awaken in an Old West town and are forced into slavery. They must engage in and win showdowns in order to eventually face off against the town sheriff.
"Border Shootout" - A young rancher who is appointed deputy in a small town is tyrannized by the son of one of the town's founders.
"The Ruthless Four" - A long-time prospector strikes it rich, then gets double-crossed by his partner. He engages the help of an old friend and two others to retrieve the rest of his gold. They endure many travails on their journey. A variation of "Treasure of the Sierra Madre."
LAW & THE LAWLESS 10 MOVIE PACK has a nice selection of more common public domain westerns, including the excellent "One-Eyed Jacks" with Marlon Brando.
.
Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.
(6.9) And God Said To Cain (Italy/W Germany-1970) - Klaus Kinski/Peter Carsten/Marcella Michelangeli/Guido Lollobrigida
(5.1) Blood City ("Welcome to Blood City") (UK/Canada-1977) - Jack Palance/Keir Dullea/Samantha Eggar
(3.3) Border Shootout) (1990) - Michael Forest/Cody Glenn/Michael Horse/Jeff Kaake
(6.5) The Ruthless Four (Italy/W Ger-1968) - Van Heflin/Gilbert Roland/Klaus Kinski/George Hilton

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The Outlaw (1943) Review

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(More customer reviews)There's no need to recap the plot's synopsis, therefore I'll focus the bulk of my observations on the DVD itself, since this is the information I look for in Amazon reviews of items of this type.
This review covers the edition released by The Roan Group. The disk does fulfill its promise of a 117 minute running time, including credits. A running time of two hours is cited in the trailer, but I don't know that I'd call this an accurate indication of the existence of a more complete version; 117 minutes is awfully close to 120. I don't see any evidence of the extras mentioned in Amazon's editorial, including the letterboxing of credits, although I had no trouble reading them all on my TV set. I suspect the reviewer is referring to a different release, although I can't imagine which one.
Roan mastered this release from what must have been a very high-quality print because it shows very few signs of age. The sound is fine--very clear with no need of volume cranking (often the case on older films, in my experience). The movie is an entertaining male-bonding romp with great performances all around and Miss Russell looks fabulous. Frankly, there wasn't a boring moment in the whole film--no complaints there. Another nice touch is its keep case; I'm really annoyed with the cheesy snap cases in which so many new releases are packaged.
The lack of extras, however, is very disappointing, even for a budget release. One has the option to view the trailer or the film by means of a barely visible prompt, PERIOD. There's no menu, so one can't navigate the specific chapters (although they're numbered on the back cover of the case), and there are no subtitles ("Japanese?"). There's NOTHING but the movie and the trailer. At least one can fast-forward and reverse; I understand that even that option's not available on some disks.
Despite this movie's being lots of fun, it rates fewer stars for being a little too bare-bones in this release. 3.5 stars would be perfect but since I can't assign halves, I decided to err on the side of generosity based on its being a really good transfer of an entertaining film. (Yeah, yeah--we all KNOW it's not historically accurate...so what?) A shame Roan didn't go the extra mile; so little more is needed.

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Studio: Wea-des Moines VideoRelease Date: 08/16/2005Run time: 117 minutes

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Gone to Texas (1986) Review

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(More customer reviews)Gone to Texas is a good TV movie about the life of Sam Houston. It follows Houston from his days as the Governor of Tennessee all the way through to his time as the commander of the army during the Texas War for Independence. Interweaved through it all is depictions of the fall of the Alamo, the Goliad massacre, and also the government convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos. This is also one of the only movies to show the taking of San Antonio by the Texans three months before the siege of the Alamo.
This may not be very interesting to people who do not already know something about Houston or at least some background about the time. Sam Elliott is pretty good as Sam Houston with Michael Beck giving a decent performance as the knife fighter Jim Bowie. There is a very good presentation of the battle for San Jacinto as well. Interesting movie which does take a while to get going.

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Castaway Cowboy (1974) Review

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(More customer reviews)In the early '70's, James Garner made two films for Disney studios, "One Little Indian" and "The Castaway Cowboy." Of the two, "Cowboy" is by far the best: a slight but entertaining little comedy-western co-starring the lovely Vera Miles (who was also in "Indian"). She plays Henrietta McAlvoy, the owner of a failing Hawaiian (known here as the Sandwich Islands) potato plantation whose native workers fish a nearly drowned deserter named Costain (Garner) out of the ocean. While Costain waits for a ship home to Texas, he hatches a plot to save the farm by turning it into a cattle ranch, using the Hawaiian workers as ranch hands. Of course, in Disney films of the era, there is always a villain, and "Cowboy" features Robert Culp as Bryson, a local businessman who romances Henrietta in order to get her land and when she won't sell, stoops to some nasty business to sabotage Garner's plan.
Everything is predictable and ends just like you think it might. Also quite predictably, Henrietta is a widow with an irrepressibly cute (i.e. cloying and obnoxious) preteen son played by "The Poseidon Adventure"'s young Eric Shea, who gives an even more annoying, don't-say-your-line-shout-it performance than he gave in the previous film. The only other performances of note are given by native Hawaiians playing the workers as stereotypes who exist merely as goofballs to be laughed at. (More about that later.) Only Elizabeth Smith as Henrietta's housekeeper escapes with her dignity intact, since she manages to make her character more than a one-note stereotype.
Finally, about Anchor Bay's DVD presentation. Even though the copy I received was in fullscreen format (instead of the advertised widescreen--grumble, grumble) I kept it because of the excellent remastered print and the addition of a cool copy of the original poster art from the 1974 release on the back of the scene breakdown card. I still would prefer widescreen, but at least the picture and sound are much better than the awful transfers Disney have been ripping us off with on its own lazy releases.
Now, a word of warning about the presentation of the native Hawaiian characters: if you are sensitive about racial issues and potential racism in the movies, you may want to steer clear of this film. The Hawaiian workers are stereotyped as lazy and undisciplined men-children who would rather swim and play than work. This fact may make the film as offensive to some as "Song of the South" is to African-Americans. However, the natives do become better, more competent workers by the end of the film, so proceed at your own risk!

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The Good Old Boys (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)Tommy Lee Jones brings the Elmer Kelton western classic to life with The Good Old Boys. Like Monte Walsh, the story follows a tried and true cowboy's nostalgic efforts to hold on to the only life he knows. Even being roped down in order to help his brother keep his homestead and an appealing lady friend aren't enough to make Huey Calloway (Jones) settle down.
A wonderful movie, The Good Old Boys features terrific performances by Jones, Sissy Spacek, Francis McDormand, Sam Shepard, Wilford Brimley and Matt Damon.
A cameo performance by Larry Mahan, one of the greatest rodeo cowboys ever, adds some wonderful spice and authenticity,
As Jones rides off into the sunset, like Tom Selleck in Monte Walsh, the hope and the dream that cowboys will continue to ride is very artfully expressed.
Where in the heck is the DVD for this one?

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Charles Bronson: Cabo Blanco/U.S. Marshal Review

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(More customer reviews)"Cabo Blanco" is must-have DVD for true Bronson fans--and not the least reason is because you actually get to see the man act. But the most surprising thing about this Laserlight DVD is that the transfer, picture and sound, is actually quite good. And, unlike most budget dvds of contemporary films, this one is presented in widescreen. I know another reviewer mentioned that the film was originally shot in 'scope ("scope" is a term for generic Cinemascope techniques) but the aspect ratio here seems to be the correct one--no panning or scanning, and no actors cut in half on either side of the screen.
Now, it's certainly not a "restored" version of this obscure film, but they did find a very nice print which only shows wear at the reel-change spots.
And, as a bonus, you get to see a very young Bronson in an episode of the 1950s drama series "U.S. Marshall."
This is one of the few budget dvds of a public domain Bronson film that's actually worth buying.

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Cahill: United States Marshal (1973) Review

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(More customer reviews)There is a group of people who love to feel superior by disdaining things that everyday people enjoy. One of those things is a John Wayne movie. I am one who really enjoys John Wayne movies. He had a great screen presence, even when he was older, as he was here, in the Rooster Cogburn movies, and especially in the great movie "The Shootist".
This movie is really about fathers and sons, and particularly absent fathers and sons who find the wrong path and try to get back to the right way. Wayne plays the title character, J. D. Cahill. The opening scene is him on the road taking on a band of five bad guys in a shootout that ends the way you would expect the hero to play in a John Wayne film.
Cahill is an older man and we learn that he has young sons, one, Danny, a young teen and the other, Budger, a young boy. Their mother died. In a touching conversation with Danny, regretting his not being around for them, he acknowledges that he has focused too much on his job. He does note that when Danny's mother (Cahill's dear wife) was dying her last words to Cahill were, "Go Get `Em!". And so, he has been ever since.
George Kennedy plays one of his best and menacing bad guys, Abe Fraser. I don't want to get into the plot, but he does suck Danny and Budger into his plans. And it is the boys trying to extricate themselves without letting their father in on their problems that ends up causing most of the problems. The crisis comes when some innocent men are facing death for the crimes the boys know they and Abe's gang committed and they have to get things right in time.
You expect things to turn out a certain way in a film like this. There aren't any big surprises, but there are some funny and some touching moments along the way. And Wayne is still quite good as he holds the screen with his unique presence. And Neville Brand as Lightfoot provides some very fine moments in the film.
I don't think it is one of the best things Wayne did, but it is still better then most films and suitable for families. It can provide some good discussion with your kids, as well.
And it is a John Wayne film.

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Lawman J.D. Cahill can stand alone against a bad-guy army. But as a widower father, he's on insecure footing raising two sons. Particularly when he suspects his boys are involved in a bank robbery - and two killings. Filmed on location in the high desert of Durango, New Mexico, Cahill: United States Marshal offers a hearty helping of the stoic charisma that made John Wayne a lomg-time box-office champion. Summer of '42 discovery Gary Grimes - as Cahill's rebelllious older son - joins a cast of tough-guy favorites (Neville Brand, Denver Pyle, Harry Carey Jr. and George Kennedy) and such other Hollywood greats as Marie Windsor and Jackie Coogan in a deft blend of trigger-fast action and heroic sentiment. DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by Andrew McLaglenFeaturette:"Justice Under the Star" "The Man Behind the Star"Theatrical Trailer

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The Master Gunfighter (1975) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're looking for a sophisticated, well written and well acted western, look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for a unique western that will provide you with silly entertainment, get this movie. The movie can simply be described as a "Billy Jack" movie set in the old west and Billy Jack is armed with a samurai sword and a special revolver (and he, of course, knows how to use them both). If you're a fan of the "Billy Jack" movies or you're just looking to expand your 1970's cultural awareness, you'll enjoy this movie.

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John Wayne-John Ford Film Collection (The Searchers Ultimate Edition / Stagecoach Two-Disc Special Edition / Fort Apache / She Wore a Yellow Ribbon / The Long Voyage Home / They Were Expendable / 3 Godfathers / The Wings of Eagles) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)First...the films
Stagecoach and The Searchers...two of the all time greatest movies ever made....Fort Apache and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon...perhaps only a notch below and the other films while not on that level...wonderfully enjoyable. The transfers are typically excellent as WB tends to do...the cover art is the original 1sheet...very fun stuff. The Searchers edition included is the ULTIMATE edition with tons of extra paper goodies!
Second..the extras!
Stagecoach...the American Masters documentary airing this month on the tube on Ford/Wayne is a nice bonus...the NEW 30 minute documentary on the actual making of Stagecoach is REALLY GREAT....and i noticed its done by SPARKHILL , who did Wizard of Oz and some of the other great WB re-issues... THeir bonus featurettes on Fort Apache (Monument Valley) and the Searchers are also wonderful....truly there are hours of extras included in this package that will let the viewer learn much about both John Wayne...who people think they know but perhaps don't and John Ford...who just might be the greatest director of all time.
CHEERS to WB for releasing these films in lovingly done transfers and packing them with new and vintage featurettes to make them truly worth owning instead of waiting to catch on TCM some day.....and the overall package and price...well..terrific!
A collection of movies from arguably the greatest film director and starring arguably the greatest film star in history....stop reading and BUY!

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John Ford was easily one of the greatest, most prolific and versatile directors Hollywood ever produced. Combined with a star of the caliber and magnetism of John Wayne, what emerges is pure cinematic magic. WHV now introduces a ten-disc set featuring eight of the team's finest collaborations: The Searchers: Ultimate Collector's Edition (1956) Stagecoach: Special Edition (1939) Fort Apache (1948) The Long Voyage Home (1940) Wings of Eagles (1957) She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1948) They Were Expendable (1945) 3 Godfathers (1948)

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The Sacketts (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a motion picture I could watch over again and again, if only to see the terrific collection of Western film icons. An early scene features Ty Sackett (Jeff Osterhage) trying to sign on with a cattle drive. Around the campfire sit the owner of the cattle (L.Q. Jones), the foreman (Glenn Ford), and the top hand (Ben Johnson). Right then the viewer knows that he's in for first-rate entertainment.
The story line is split between Tell Sackett (Sam Elliott) trying to steer clear of three brothers (Jack Elam, Gene Evans, and Slim Pickens) out to revenge Tell's killing of their card shark brother, and Orrin and Ty Sackett (Tom Selleck and Osterhage) doing their best to bring law and order to Sante Fe despite the diabolical dealings of the town's richest man (the always oily John Vernon).
But the focal point of the picture is the underrated Glenn Ford as the mysterious Tom Sunday -- one time attorney, marshal, and even murderer. He begins the film as a mentor to Orrin and Ty, but eventually time and fate pit the three against each other.
Don't get me wrong, "The Sacketts" is not in the league of "The Wild Bunch," "High Noon," or "Ride the High Country," but I can't think of a much better way to spend three hours of my time.
Except for maybe doing a little riding on my old Buckskin on a cool, clear Saturday morning.

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Avenger (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Soft-spoken, hard-eyed, and traveler of a million rough-and-tumble miles, Sam Elliott plays Calvin Dexter, an ex-army special forces warrior who served as a tunnel rat in Vietnam. Armed with a .45 and a flashlight, these guys faced enemies and traps as they wound through miles of underground tunnels. In AVENGER, Dexter is grieving over his daughter's murder and putting his gun out for hire to people who have had loved ones murdered by predators the law won't touch. Contracted by Stephen Edmonds, an affluent businessman, Dexter travels to Bosnia to find out what happened to Edmonds's grown son. Then he has to travel to South Africa and confront a covert op team put into place by the United States to bag his prey.
Sam Elliott is one of those guys you just don't forget. His presence on the screen -- whether as cowboy (THE SACKETTS, CONAGHER), cop (FATAL BEAUTY, SHAKEDOWN), military officer (THE HULK), or hunk (LIFEGUARD) -- leaves a lasting impression. Frederick Forsyth, bestselling author of several thrillers (AVENGER, THE DOGS OF WAR) wrote the book the movie was based on.
I'm a Sam Elliott fan. The man can simply do no wrong in my eyes. I loved him in THE SACKETTS and in MASK (he co-starred with Cher), and I enjoyed him in AVENGER. The made-for-TV movie is a solid piece of work, not like the over-the-top action of "24," but a nice movie to watch and relax while enjoying a story that grips you enough and a character that warms to you. Although the movie doesn't have the frentic pacing of many of today's films, and doesn't rely on a lot of violence or computer generated effects (I love those too, but they are a different venue), it delivers a great story. The scene cuts and movement through the various viewpoint characters is solid as well, pushing the story along quickly.
People who might find Jack Bauer too violent or too unbelievable will probably enjoy AVENGER. And for Elliott's many fans, this is another dependable delivery.

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Hell to Pay (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love a good western. That being said, I didn't love "Hell To Pay". It was o.k. and that's it. The box said it was nominated as "...best western of 2006", so I guess it was the only western out in 2006, and it didn't win the catagory. It had a lot of "legendary" western stars in it, returning for "...a final shootout". That was, kind of, cool but, it wasn't a whole lot different than say, "Maverick". A movie that I enjoyed a lot more, by the way. The dialog in "Hell To Pay" was written poorly, and the acting wasn't much better. I have a compulsion, at times, to count the shots taken in movie shootouts. I resisted this time but, I know more than 6 shots were taken by shooters in their scenes; a sure sign of inattentive editing or, not caring and going for the action shot. The actors, also (another pet-peeve) acted like they were shooting bb guns. No recoil even hinted at. I would think that, a movie that has SASS (Single Action Shooting Society, kind of a Creative Anachronism Society for the old west) associated with it might be more, for lack of a better term, realistic, maybe accurate works. I think it was just an excuse for SASS'ers to go out and play western, and get it on film. The main reason I purchased the movie was the purported nomination for the Golden Boot Award. I guess I should have investigated the organization that gives out this "award". 3 stars is being generous, It was, after all, a "try".

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Western Film Noir, Vol. 1 (Little Big Horn / Rimfire) (1949) Review

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(More customer reviews)VCI Video and Kit Parker Films have released LITTLE BIG HORN (1951) and RIMFIRE (1949) under the Western Film Noir banner.
These two almost forgotten Lippert westerns deserve the new life they have been granted on DVD in an impressive double feature format; and, above all, they should carry their noir stamp proudly.
LITTLE BIG HORN and RIMFIRE as well achieve their undeniably striking visual effectiveness through Ernest Miller's masterful camera work. Cinematographer Miller (who, by the way, was behind the camera for most of the moody Lippert westerns) imparts to both films a foreboding, fatalistic ambiance, which he renders in low-keyed black-and-white cinematography. And in addition, by frequently utilizing stark camera angles, Miller creates an undercurrent of uneasiness, which is a major noir ingredient in these somber westerns.
LITTLE BIG HORN tells the story of a small U.S. Cavalry unit that challenges destiny when it is ordered to deliver an urgent message to Custer warning him of impending mortal danger at Little Big Horn. The suspense mounts as members of the patrol commence to be eliminated by hostile Indians in a and-then-there-were-none manner.
John Ireland, Lloyd Bridges, and Marie Windsor in standout performances elevate the human drama to a nearly Shakespearean level, as patrol commander Bridges is confronted by his inner demons of jealousy and suspicion involving his wife Windsor and lower-ranked officer Ireland.
The supporting cast also shines; with Reed Hadley, Hugh O'Brian, King Donovan, and Wally Cassell tensely reacting to the dangers surrounding them.
Charles Marquis Warren guides LITTLE BIG HORN with strong, sure-handed direction. Warren exhibits a special liking for visual narrative rather than extended verbal communication. Consequently, close-ups of facial features expressing apprehensiveness, and concentration on natural objects that are present in the often shadowy western landscape abound while nature itself remains a calmly objective and impartial observer of human behavior. What a magnificent film noir this is- without an asphalt jungle but with a rocky western terrain!
Here it might be of interest to note that Charles Marquis Warren also made HELLGATE (1952), perhaps the darkest film this side of Murnau's NOSFERATU to appear in the lineup of Lippert westerns. HELLGATE (again phtographed by Ernest Miller) is not yet available on DVD; but let's hope it will show up soon, and give us a noir fix lasting at least a month.
RIMFIRE relates the story of an undercover agent in post-Civil War Texas who has problems staying alive while snooping around, looking for a stolen gold shipment in a town run by corrupt gamblers.
Well directed by B. Reeves Eason, this very obscure film benefits immensely from Ernest Miller's eerily atmospheric cinematography. But it is also the unusual script written by Frank Wisbar (together with Arthur St. Claire and producer Ron Ormond) that gives RIMFIRE much added strength and substance.
Wisbar had earlier directed STRANGLER OF THE SWAMP (1945), for which he wrote the screenplay based on his own original story. This intentionally out-of-focus, mist-drenched, and otherworldly B-horror film with a pronounced German Expressionist flavor, did actually enjoy a minor cult following and is still quite interesting today (available from Amazon). The reappearance of a man wrongly executed was the center of attention in Wisbar's STRANGLER. Interestingly, a variation on that theme found its way into RIMFIRE, helping to make it such a beautifully realized little western noir with a nice ghostly touch.
Also, James Millican; Mary Beth Hughes; Reed Hadley; and Henry Hull lend good acting talent to this film.
After almost 6 decades, both LITTLE BIG HORN and RIMFIRE hold up amazingly well today. VCI Video and Kit Parker Films deserve a standing ovation for letting us now own and enjoy these darkly stylized and engrossingly suspenseful horse opera noirs.
5 stars, unhesitatingly (10 even, had Amazon granted additional star space for this great double feature)!

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Posse Review

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(More customer reviews)One of the truly unique American Westerns, Posse finds Kirk Douglas as a pompous U.S. marshal--fittingly named Howard Nightingale (he's great at singing his own praises)--doing everything he can to drum up support in his bid for Senator from the great state of Texas.
Key to his campaign is the capture of Bruce Dern's infamous Jack Strawhorn, a cucumber-cool, sharpshooting robber whose bad luck in finding a gang worthy of his own smarts is echoed by Nightingale's great fortune at having a posse who never fails him.
Or so he thinks....
When Strawhorn is captured, the whole town cheers, but this is offset by Wesley, one of Nightingale's best posse guys, having a go with the mayor's wife...and with two other posse members finding love, as it were, with two younger members of the female gender in the town. Seems Nightingale's boys aren't too shy.
Things come to a head when the tables are turned, and the ending is a total shock for those expecting things to turn out the way they "should" in a Western which, let's face it, is supposed to typify the core of what's good and true in American civilization. The editor of the local newspaper, a former soldier now missing an arm and a leg, is intriguingly similar in his perspective to Strawhorn; this comes out in some subtle and not so subtle ways.
Douglas himself directed this piercing look at American greed and lust and acquitted himself admirably. One of the better entries in the American Western canon, Posse is all too close to political reality even today.
Definitely recommended.


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Chisum (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)Based upon historical fact, this film follows the famous range war in which Billy the Kid made his name, but chiefly from the viewpoint of aging cattle baron John Chisum (Wayne in the title role). It's 1878 in New Mexico Territory, and Chisum rides into the local town of Lincoln to meet his niece Sallie (Pamela McMyler) off the stage. His foreman and long-time Good Right Hand, Pepper (Ben Johnson practically stealing the movie--he should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor), remarks upon the many acquisitions being made by would-be real-estate magnate Lawrence J. Murphy (Tucker in a cheerfully malevolent role), but Chisum isn't looking for trouble. Still, he is inexorably drawn into the escalating situation when lawyer Alex McSween (Andrew Prine), whom Sallie befriended on the journey, finds it impossible to turn a blind eye to Murphy's machinations, and helps stake the idealistic Easterner to a store to run in competition with the one Murphy bought out from under its original owner. Not until his friend and neighbor, Britisher Henry Tunstall (Patric Knowles), is murdered on the road by two deputies of Murphy's hand-picked sheriff (Bruce Cabot), does Chisum's temper finally come unglued, and the story continues through the siege (canonical) of the McSween store by Murphy's forces, the shooting down of McSween in the street, and at last a classic brawl (in an ultimately burning building) between Chisum and Murphy that always reminds me of two old range bulls butting heads. As always, the supporting cast adds immeasureably to the movie: Geoffrey Deuel as Billy Bonney; Christopher George (who also played a villainous role in the Duke's "El Dorado") as his old enemy, gimpy, half-crazy bounty hunter Dan Nodeen; Richard Jaeckel as Jess Evans, with whom Billy once rode; Glenn Corbett as Billy's friend (and future killer) Pat Garrett. The mild liberties that are taken with history (such as Sallie's attraction to Billy) only serve to fill out the characters better. There's plenty of classic Old West action and a good score (Merle Haggard's vocal, "Turn Me Around," should be released on a retrospective of his songs), and Chisum is portrayed as a decent man who loves the land and wants the best for the people who live on it (interestingly, he isn't expected to carry a romantic relationship at all, though it's strongly hinted that he came close to marrying Sallie's mother). A solid entry to the Wayne oeuvre and one well worth your time.

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Chisum showcases John Wayne in the twilight of his remarkable 200+-film career. As John Chisum, a real-life cattle king determined to protect his empire against a land-grabbing developer (Forrest Tucker). Wayne's no-nonsense persona snugly fits this lively reworking of the events of New Mexico's 1878 Lincoln County War. "Directed in fine sagebrush style by Andrew V. McLaglen and beautifully photographed by William H. Clothier" (The Warner Bros. Story), Chisum is the kind of sweeping, brawling Western that made Wayne endure as a star. DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary w/ Andrew McLaglen Featurette:"John Wayne and Chisum" Theatrical Trailer

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