Cowboy Up

Starring:Kiefer Sutherland, Marcus Thomas, Daryl Hannah, Melinda Dillon, Molly Ringwald, Russell Means, Anthony Lucero, Bo Hopkins, Pete Postlethwaite, Al Corley, Luanne Robinson, Robyn Peterson, Kerstin Caujolle, Eddie Kutz, Kieu Chinh, Dave Kuden, Helena Quintanar, Patrick Cunningham (II), Julian Daly, Judd Leffew
Director: Xavier Koller
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Action, Humor, and John Wayne: Who could ask for more?
Ride boldly ride..
My favorite John Wayne film
A Hired Gun Amidst a Ranchers' War
A Great opening

El Dorado
Starring: John Wayne , Robert Mitchum , James Caan , Charlene Holt , and Paul Fix
Director: Howard Hawks
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Rio Bravo
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The War Wagon

ASIN: 6305754969
Release Date: 2000-03-21

Amazon.com essential video

El Dorado doesn't quite have the scope or ambition of Howard Hawks's greatest Westerns, Red River and Rio Bravo. But this relaxed picture, made near the end of Hawks's marvelous career, still shows the steady, sure hand of a master. Hawks reunites with John Wayne, playing a hired gun mixed up in a range war; Robert Mitchum is Wayne's old pal, now a sheriff in the midst of a hopeless drunken bender. James Caan, in one of his first sizable roles, plays a kid who can't shoot straight and wears a funny hat (every character in the movie makes fun of this hat). As the plot moves along, it begins to resemble Rio Bravo rather closely ("I steal from myself all the time," Hawks was fond of admitting). But in El Dorado the heroes are a bit older, their powers a bit weaker; at the end Wayne must revert to a bit of subterfuge in order to get the drop on the steely gunslinger (ice-cold Christopher George) he needs to put down. As relaxed as the movie is, Hawks and Wayne and company are in good spirits, with plenty of broad humor and easy camaraderie on display. Hawks and Wayne would make just one more film, the disappointing Rio Lobo, before ending their fruitful partnership. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Action, Humor, and John Wayne: Who could ask for more?.......2007-04-18

This movie would be easy to confuse with the movie "Rio Bravo" bacause both movies carry a plot thread involving a drunken lawman who must be sobered up in order to keep him alive, but don't be deceived. These are two different movies with entirely different story lines. I have both titles in my collection and am glad to have both.
In this one James Mitchum gives an outstanding performance as the drunken marshal with John Wayne coming to his aid. John Wayne and James Caan sober him up with a witches brew of which, thank the Lord, we don't have to watch, or smell, the effects.
Mitchum is trying to protect a family of ranchers from the schemes of a land grabbing cattle baron played to cynical perfection by Ed Asner. (this was before he bacame beloved as Lou Grant on tv.) Before the movie is over the plot twists and turns like a coyote covered with fire ants, but everything comes out all right in the end. (except for Ed Asner, He's dead.)
In all a good action adventure, with some violence. It is interesting to note that John Wayne is shot early in the film and is still suffering life threatening effects at the end. A relief from so many movies of the period where the hero suffers major wounds and a couple of days later shoots down a herd of villains and whips the bad guy in a fist fight.
It is also worth noting that while this movie takes some humor from devices to sober up the co-star, neither this movie or "Rio Bravo" treat alcoholism as a humorous condition. In both movies, it is treated as a life-threatening and humiliating condition, with lingering and painful side-effects.
Sorry, neither Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Rick Nelson, or Walter Brennan appear in this movie. It doesn't need them. If you want to see them, buy "Rio Bravo"

Ride boldly ride.........2007-04-02

A great movie however many times you watch it. I'm glad I found it here.

My favorite John Wayne film.......2007-03-28

Yes, El Dorado has a similar plot as Rio Bravo, and it stars the "Duke" and is directed by the same director.
But, El Dorado has a much tighter and leaner script, and doesn't contain any dreaded "filler" like Rio Bravo, nor does it have the woefully miscast Ricky Nelson. (It's still a superior western though)
El Dorado co-stars the much more effective James Caan, and the incomparable Robert Mitchum in a spectacular performance.
A great story, a wonderful and superb cast, lots of great action and masterful direction make this a "must-see" western. (that "splinters in the hand" scene has to be seen to be believed ! )
Highly recommended.

A Hired Gun Amidst a Ranchers' War.......2007-03-01

The setting for this western is Texas sometime after the Civil War. There are a number of unique, or at least uncommon, elements in this flick. It begins with a delightful song, "El Dorado", and the showing of still paintings of Old West scenes. Later, a shootout occurs not only inside and near a saloon, as one might expect in a typical western, but also in a church (belfry and then sanctuary). Women (notably rancher MacDonald's cowgirl daughter) are more prominent in this flick than in most other westerns.

There are many violent scenes in the film. Not only are shootings shown, but so also is a vendetta stabbing. Wounded men (including Cole Thornton) are shown in agony.

The politically correct won't be happy with the start of this film. Cole Thornton (John Wayne) mentions that, before the arrival of rancher MacDonald in the area, "there was nothing here except Indians and coyotes". But of course this film was made at a very different time from today (1967).

Rancher MacDonald's son, Luke, is sent to guard the ranch. This is, later according to Thornton, "A boy doing a man's job." Luke falls asleep and, at the sound of an approaching horseman, wakes up and opens fire wildly. The horseman fires back as a reflex, wounding Luke in the lower abdomen. It turns out that the horseman is none other than Cole Thornton. Luke writhes in agony, explains to Thornton what happened, and then commits suicide with his own gun.

Thornton tells father MacDonald what happened, and the latter sadly accepts the truth. But Luke's cowgirl sister does not. She set up a revenge ambush for Thornton, and fires a rifle at him. She says triumphantly: "There, you won't be killing any more boys!" But it turns out that she only managed to wound Thornton in the lower back. For the rest of the film, Thornton has episodic problems with disabling back pain and arm paralysis from the bullet lodged in his back, which he neglects to have removed promptly.

In time, one of MacDonald's remaining three sons is kidnapped, and Cole Thornton works for his release. The local sheriff at first is of no help. He is constantly drunk, and is a laughingstock for everyone around. But in time he gets sober, returns to the saloon, and has a bit of revenge against those who had been laughing at him.

At one point, Thornton seems to have an upper hand in a gunfight with MacDonald's kidnappers. But then, at the worse possible moment, Thornton is hit with a spell of back pain and arm paralysis. He is totally helpless! What will the kidnappers do to him? Will he at least get out alive? Will MacDonald's kidnapped survive and ever go free? I will not spoil the ending by revealing it.

A Great opening.......2007-01-12

I happen to be a big fan of Olaf Wieghorst and own an original oil. The vehicle of DVD is ideal for the purposes I bought this particular movie. I realize that many purchasers will care less about the item I like the most and that was the eight or more paintings by Olaf that come with the beginning credits. When a picture or painting comes on the screen the DVD can be be paused and the painting can be studied. It is a great experience. I hope that this review will encourage others to watch the movie with the eye of a western art lover.

Average customer rating:

Fun, but a bit much
the war wagon
A Subtle (but Fun) Parody of Traditional Western Movie Conventions
ONE OF JOHN WAYNE'S BEST
Average Western despite star power

The War Wagon
Starring: John Wayne , Kirk Douglas , Howard Keel , Robert Walker Jr. , and Keenan Wynn
Director: Burt Kennedy
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Hondo (Special Collector's Edition)

ASIN: 0783228031
Release Date: 1998-08-18

Amazon.com

John Wayne and Kirk Douglas make a delightful duo in this comedic Western in which Wayne seeks revenge on a ruthless mine owner (Bruce Cabot) who had him framed and sent to prison. Upon his release, Wayne recruits Douglas in a scheme to raid and rob one of Cabot's gold-laden wagons, despite the fact that Douglas had been offered good money to kill Wayne. He joins Wayne instead (the potential profits being much greater), and they set out to ambush the War Wagon, so named because it's heavily armored, mounted with a Gatling gun, and guarded by a dozen gunmen on horses. Costarring Keenan Wynn and Howard Keel as a wise-cracking Indian, The War Wagon was a Western precursor to the action buddy films of the 1980s and '90s, serving up plenty of exciting action and constant comic relief. The interplay between Wayne and Douglas is sharp and sarcastic, and their motley crew of accomplices provides yet another source of character-driven humor. Not one of the greatest Westerns ever made, but certainly one of the most lightly entertaining. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Fun, but a bit much.......2007-04-03

This is a typical John Wayne western from the era when he had some control over what he starred in, and its content. As a result, he plays essentially the same character over and over again (he seems to wear the same red shirt, faded to a washed out pink, in half of the movies) and is just confronted with a different situation each time. In this instance, his character, Taw Jackson, has had his land stolen from him. He wasn't able to stop it because a hired gun shot him and put him in the hospital. The ranch he owned turned out to have gold on it, and the local rich guy, having had him shot, took over the ranch and has become even richer.

So Taw has to return from jail to take back what's his. The twist is that he hires the hired guy, Lomax (nicely played by Kirk Douglas), to help in his plot. Since the rich guy (his name is Pierce) transports the gold out of the territory in an iron-plated wagon called "The War Wagon" Wayne has to come up with a sophisticated scheme to upend said wagon and get his hands on the gold.

While the plot's interesting and the action is reasonably fun, the movie's also very predictable. When one of Wayne's partners is particularly negatively portrayed, you know he's the one who will be killed somewhere towards the end. And I had one big disappointment with this movie. Usually, with one of these old westerns, there's a rousing soundtrack, if nothing else, but here you get this very strange choral thing with silly words about the war wagon and who's following it and so forth. It's one of the most dated soundtracks I've ever heard, embarrassing even to listen to. That aside, this is a fun movie.

the war wagon.......2007-01-19

One of the older movies but still John Wayne at his best

A Subtle (but Fun) Parody of Traditional Western Movie Conventions.......2006-10-19

I didn't like the "War Wagon" when it was first released, I found it rather silly and vaguely offensive. The problem was me, I was not ready to recognize, let alone relate to, a subtle parody of the western genre. I should have been more receptive because in the mid-60s a huge amount of genre parody began to appear on television ("Batman", 'Wild Wild West", "F-Troop", "Get Smart"), which could be traced back to gently tongue-in-cheek series like "Maverick" and "Zorro".

"Cat Ballou" (1965) was the first feature length parody of Western generic clichés. But its parody elements were obvious, even if you were not that familiar with the conventions of the Western genre you could recognize exaggerations and revisions. In addition, up to this point John Wayne films had given the Western genre only very traditional treatments.

But "The War Wagon" was only the first example of director Burt Kennedy's tweaking of the genre. He would follow it up with "Support Your Local Sheriff" (1969), "Hannie Caulder" (1971), and "Support Your Local Gunfighter" (1971). Wayne would toy with parodic elements two years later with "True Grit", and would stay much less traditional with the remainder of his westerns.

"The War Wagon" is also a genre hybrid as western is mixed with buddy picture and big heist movie. Taw (John Wayne) recruits an old enemy Lomax (Kirk Douglas) as he seeks revenge on a ruthless mine owner (Bruce Cabot) who not only framed and sent to him prison, but appropriated his ranch and personal possessions after a huge gold strike was discovered on ranch property (here we go with the exaggeration-the only things missing are stealing Taw's wife, adopting his children, and leaving his toilet seat up). Cabot transports his gold in a "Wild Wild West" inspired armored wagon.

The interplay between Wayne and Douglas (who always seems right on the verge of accepting Cabot's standing offer of $12,000 to kill Wayne) is clever and sarcastic, working with the many exaggerated elements to provide the film's considerable humor.

"The War Wagon" finds Wayne on the wrong side of established authority, for at least the third time as his Ethan Edwards character in "The Searchers" also operated well outside the law and Quirt Evans in "Angel and the Badman" had to be bad enough that he could be reformed by Gail Russell.

Howard Keel plays the civilized Indian sidekick mostly for comic relief and the characters actually demonstrate an awareness of the movie context when they self-reflexively (deliberately drawing attention to their playing characters in a movie) refer to a tactic as an old Indian trick. Ultimately the joke (and the irony) is on Wayne and Douglas, as their seemingly one-sided deal with the Indians (a few blankets in exchange for their participation) causes the Indians to end up with most the rewards.

"The War Wagon's" understated parody style would inspire John Huston ("The Life & Times Of Judge Roy Bean") and George Roy Hill ("The Sting"); and of course many others.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

ONE OF JOHN WAYNE'S BEST.......2006-08-02

I already had this on tape but wanted to replace it with
a DVD. I think this is one of John Wayne's better films,
but then I am a John Wayne fan and I enjoy "old movies".
I enjoy watching John Wayne and Kirk Douglas together,
they make a good team.

Average Western despite star power.......2006-07-11

John Wayne playing Taw Jackson has just returned to Emmet, New Mexico after serving a three year term in prison. He was allegedly framed by bad guy Frank Pierce played by Bruce Cabot, who took over his homestead and land. While Wayne cooled his heels in prison, Cabot uncovered a huge vein of gold on the land and was getting rich mining it. His money bought him the allegiance of the law officers of the town.

Cabot would transport his valuable hoarde from his ranch to El Paso in an armored wagon turreted with a gattling gun and accompanied by almost thirty outriders.

Wayne seeking revenge formed an uneasy alliance with gunslinger Lomax played by Kirk Douglas. Douglas had been recruited by Cabot by a $10,000 bounty on Wayne's head. However Wayne's offer to share in the spoils of $500,000 in gold carried by the war wagon made Douglas a partner. Wayne recruited three other partners, explosives expert Robert Walker, Indian expert Howard Keel and inside man Keenan Wynn. Together they plotted to rob Cabot and his gold ladened wagon.

While the plan was a success the outcome didn't go exactly as planned. Despite the statures of both Wayne and Douglas their collabration lacked chemistry religating "The War Wagon" to less than exceptional status.

Average customer rating:

Ride the High Country
one of the best westerns
"Ride the High Country (1962) ... Randolph Scott & Joel McCrea ... Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Classic Western"
Mythic and Monumental
"All I want is to enter my house justified"...and with that Sam Peckinpah (plus McCrea and Scott) gives us a great Western

Ride the High Country
Starring: John Anderson , R.G. Armstrong , Edgar Buchanan , John Davis Chandler , and James Drury
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000BT96DW
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Amazon.com essential video

Ride the High Country is the one Sam Peckinpah movie about which there has never been controversy--save at MGM in 1962, when a new studio regime opted to dump this beautiful, heartbreakingly elegiac Western into the bottom half of a double-bill. Westerns rarely even got reviewed back then, so it's wellnigh miraculous that critics discovered the movie and raved about it. Newsweek called it the best American picture of the year.

Veteran cowboy stars Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea portray aging gunslingers in the twilight of the Old West. McCrea's character, Steve Judd, signs on to transport a shipment of gold from a remote mining camp. Gil Westrum (Scott), an old crony now trick-shooting in a carnival, agrees to help but really aims to seduce Judd into stealing the treasure. The slow-building tension between longtime friends--one still true to the code he's lived by, the other having drifted away from it--anticipates the tortuous personal dilemmas played out to the death by Peckinpah's Wild Bunch, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, and Benny and Elita in Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.

The action scenes are powerful, if only beginning to suggest the radical technique with which Peckinpah would astonish audiences in just a few years. But his feeling for flavorsome dialogue, Rabelaisian humor, and full-blooded character acting is already unmistakable. Warren Oates, L.Q. Jones, and John Davis Chandler are among the "redneck peckerwoods" complicating the journey, and Mariette Hartley is fresh and saucy in her big-screen debut. As for McCrea and Scott, they are simply superb. The two proposed that they swap roles before filming got underway, and the question of who got first billing was settled by flipping a coin. Both men retired once the film was in the can. They knew they'd never top it. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

An ex-lawman agrees to escort a shipment of gold cross-country, but runs into trouble when the men hired to help him turn out be not be as moral as their boss, and plot to steal the gold.

Customer Reviews:

Ride the High Country.......2007-06-28

Crisp, flavorful entry benefits from poignant premise of two tired, outmoded cowboys struggling to survive in a world they barely recognize (and that barely recognizes them). Veterans McCrea and Scott play off each other beautifully, and Hartley is radiant in her debut role. Stunningly photographed on location, this western has more on its mind than shoot-outs. An early Peckinpah peak.

one of the best westerns.......2007-05-27

You can read all the decriptions of the story on other reviews all I will say is this is required watching for a history of & how to make a western. It has the classic elements of good versus evil & the struggle of a man's conscience between right & wrong. It also has some of the best one-liners & powerful scenes I have come across. This ranks up thar' with Shane & the 1/2 dozen of so of Jimmy Stewart's. What a great start for Sam Peckinpaugh.

"Ride the High Country (1962) ... Randolph Scott & Joel McCrea ... Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Classic Western".......2007-04-13

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents "RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY" (1962) (94 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Starring Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, Mariette Hartley, Ron Starr & Edgar Buchanan --- Directed by Sam Peckinpah and released in July 28, 1962, our story line and film, The time is the early 1900s, when the Old West was slowly and stubbornly giving way to the new. McCrea plays Steve Judd, an ex-lawman living on the fringes of poverty but maintaining his dignity and honesty. Hired to escort a gold shipment from the wide-open mining town of Coarse Gold, he engages his old pal Gil Westrum (Scott) to help him. But Gil hasn't Steve's integrity, and he and his young saddle pal Heck Longtree (Ronald Starr) hope to talk Steve into helping them steal the gold ... Sam Peckinpah's feature film directorial debut was intended as the cinematic swan song for both Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea and this western serves as an excellent valedictory for both men ... A final shoot-out that allows Steve and Gil to reconcile their differences and pave the way for the film's elegiac finale ... Wonderful character actors of the screen John Anderson, Edgar Buchanan, L.Q. Jones, Warren Oates and James Drury soon to be lead in "The Virginian", TV series --- Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea had come to specialize in many fine westerns, set an admirable style in quiet heroism, always courageous, ever dignified, never vulgar... They ride this time together, ruminating over times that used to be ... Both are heroic figures, having been noted lawmen, and yet they are now reduced to taking whatever comes their way in order to live --- Randolph Scott's and Joel McCrea's last film! ... the film is splendidly directed by Sam Peckinpah --- this will satisfy western lovers of Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea fans alike.

Under Sam Peckinpah (Director), Richard E. Lyons (Producer), N.B. Stone, Jr. (Screenwriter), Lucien Ballard (Cinematographer), George Bassman (Composer (Music Score), Frank Santillo (Editor), Leroy Coleman (Art Director), George W. Davis (Art Director), Henry W. Grace (Set Designer), Otto Siegel (Set Designer), William J. Tuttle (Makeup), Hal W. Polaire (First Assistant Director) - - - - the cast includes Randolph Scott (Gil Westrum), Joel McCrea (Steve Judd), Mariette Hartley (Elsa Knudsen), Ron Starr (Heck Longtree), James Drury (Billy Hammond), Edgar Buchanan (Judge Tolliver), Jenie Jackson (Kate), R.G. Armstrong (Joshua Knudsen), L.Q. Jones (Sylvus Hammond), John Anderson (Elder Hammond), Warren Oates (Henry Hammond), Byron Foulger (Abner Sampson), Percy Helton (Luther Sampson), John Chandler (Jimmy Hammond), Carmen Phillips (Saloon Girl) - - - - Randy Scott had a quiet gentleman nature about him which is not seen in the films of today ... Randy took his job and his responsibility to his audience very seriously ,,, would not settle for anything less than his best ... same was true in his personal life.

SPECIAL FEATURES BIOS:
1. Randolph Scott (aka: George Randolph Scott)
Date of birth: 23 January 1898 - Orange County, Virginia
Date of death: 2 March 1987 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California

Special footnote, George Randolph Scott better known as Randolph Scott, was an American film actor whose career spanned the sound era from the late 1920s to the early 1960s ... his popularity grew in the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in such films as "Gung Ho"! (1943) and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" (1938); but he was especially famous for his numerous Westerns including "Virginia City" (1940) with Errol Flynn and Humphrey Bogart, "Western Union" (1941) with Robert Young and "Ride the High Country" (1962) with Joel McCrea (a coin was flipped to see whether Scott or McCrea would receive top billing, and Scott won despite having a slightly smaller role) ... his long fistfight with John Wayne in "The Spoilers" (1942) was frequently cited by critics and the press as the most thrilling ever filmed; they were fighting over Marlene Dietrich ... another smash hit film together that same year called "Pittsburgh" (1942) once again with Dietrich, Scott and Wayne --- Daniel Webster defines "Legend", as being a notable person, or the stories told about that person exploits --- well by the time Randolph Scott made his best films he had long established himself as a legend in the film industry --- they say practice makes perfect, if that is true by 1958 at 60 years of age he was the master with these oaters from the 50s ... "The Cariboo Trail" (1950), "The Nevadan" (1950), "Colt .45" (1950), "Santa Fe" (1951), "Sugarfoot" (1951), "Fort Worth" (1951), "Man in the Saddle" (1951), "Carson City" (1952), "The Man Behind the Gun" (1952), "Hangman's Knot" (1952), "Thunder over the Plains" (1953), "The Stranger Wore a Gun" (1953), "Ten Wanted Men" (1954), "Riding Shotgun" (1954), "The Bounty Hunter" (1954), "Rage at Dawn" (1955), "Tall Man Riding" (1955), "A Lawless Street" (1955), "Seven Men from Now" (1956), "Seventh Cavalry" (1956), "Decision at Sundown: (1957), "Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend" (1957), "The Tall T" (1957), "Buchanan Rides Alone" (1958), "Ride Lonesome" (1959), "Westbound" (1959), "Comanche Station" (1960) --- Scott's age seemed to matter little, they only came to see another Randolph Scott film and always got their money's worth --- Scott's films were good and getting better becoming classics --- so if you wonder "What Ever Happened To Randolph Scott", just rent or purchase one of his films and you'll see he's never left us.

2. Joel McCrea
Date of Birth: 5 November 1905 - South Pasadena, California
Date of Death: 20 October 1990 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California

3. Mariette Hartley
Date of Birth: 21 June 1940 - Weston, Connecticut
Date of death: Still Living

4. Sam Peckinpah (Director)
Date of Birth: 21 February 1925 - Fresno, California
Date of Death: 28 December 1984 - Inglewood, California

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc), Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") and Trevor Scott (Down Under Com) as they have rekindled my interest once again for Film Noir, B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 94 min on DVD ~ Warner Home Video Video ~ (1/10/06)

Mythic and Monumental.......2007-04-13

Peckinpah really hit his stride as director with his second picture, RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY. An intelligent screenplay, gorgeous cinematography, fine acting from a distinguished supporting cast (including a very appealling Mariette Hartley in her film debut), and the picture's crowning glory -- two career-topping performances from stars Scott and McCrea. Both were always underrated actors, and here their work, both economical and rich with the weight of years of experience, is absolutely marvellous. Outfitted in a fine new DVD transfer, complete with a good commentary track from Peckinpah scholars and a fascinating documentary featuring Peckinpah's sister, this is one picture that repays repeated viewings. An essential purchase.

"All I want is to enter my house justified"...and with that Sam Peckinpah (plus McCrea and Scott) gives us a great Western.......2007-04-04

"Partner," says Gil Westrum to Steve Judd, two aging ex-lawmen whose time has past them by, "do you know what's on the back of a poor man when he dies? The clothes of pride...and they're not a bit warmer to him dead than they were when he was alive. Is that all you want, Steve?" "All I want is to enter my house justified," says Judd.

"Partner," says Gil Westrum to Steve Judd, two aging ex-lawmen whose time has past them by, "do you know what's on the back of a poor man when he dies? The clothes of pride...and they're not a bit warmer to him dead than they were when he was alive. Is that all you want, Steve?" "All I want is to enter my house justified," says Judd.

That exchange sums up as well as anything what the heart of Ride the High Country is all about. The time is somewhere past the turn of the century, when gold is still being mined in the High Sierras and motorcars are starting to make their appearance. Steve Judd (Joel McCrea) was a lawman with a code of honor who now needs eyeglasses. His town-taming days are long past. What he's got to show for bringing law to people are a horse, a silver saddle, a $2 watch...and holes in his boots. In the town of Hornitos he takes on a job of traveling up to the mining camp of Coarse Gold to bring the gold back down to the local bank. He meets an old friend and former lawman, his long-time partner, Gil Westrum (Randolph Scott), now reduced to suckering the rubes in fixed carnival shows. Westrum long ago figured out that honor and respect don't go far for an aging lawman when it comes to paying for his dinner. Judd takes Westrum on as help to bring the gold back, and he also accepts Westrum's young partner, Heck Longtree. Judd plans to deliver the gold and earn his money, a last chance to confirm his code of honor. Westrum plans to take the gold. Along the way they encounter a farmer who is a religious zealot and the man's daughter, Elsa Knudsen (Marietta Hartley), who longs for her own life and thinks she has met the man she wants to marry. Billy Hammond and his four brothers work a claim in Coarse Gold. She leaves her father and, reluctantly, Judd and Westrum let her accompany them to Coarse Gold. Ride the High Country is an economical hour and thirty-four minutes long. Peckinpah spends the first half of the movie letting us get to know Judd and Westrum on the ride to the camp, their age, their disappointments, their different ways of looking at self-respect and personal honor. He lets us see how the two respect and like each other, and how Westrum tries to get Judd to think about that gold...and how Judd seems not to understand. It's a long look at the sadness of age. Scott, at 64 and in his last movie, and McCrea at 59 and in his last major movie (he made four more quickie westerns) bring major elements of nostalgia, regret, sand and honor to the movie.

Once we get to the mining camp and from there to the conclusion, nostalgia, regret, sand and honor take over with a steady increase in the action. Billy Hammond and his brothers, ranging from slick and ruthless to just plain dumb, make a case for the dominance of recessive genes. Coarse Gold turns out to be a muddy, cold free-for-all of grubby tents, grubby miners and grubby women. The only wooden building in Coarse Gold is Kate's place, the saloon-brothel with a fat madame and a drunk of a judge. When Elsa is nearly raped on her wedding night by a drunken Billy in the brothel that served as the place for the marriage ceremony, with his brothers leeringly awaiting their turns, Steve's honor requires she be returned to her father. And then we're heading back to Hornitos with the Hammond brothers in pursuit and Westrum more determined than ever to get his hands on the gold. The final shoot-out at the Knudsen farm is a gripping, immensely satisfying confrontation; it also has an overlay of pride and humor when Judd challenges the remaining Hammond brothers with "I want to know if you red-necked peckerwoods are too chicken-gutted to finish this thing in the open!" Ride the High Country reaches a genuine, dramatic emotional peak where honor and self-respect are redeemed and friendship is reaffirmed. "Don't worry about about anything. I'll take care of it, just like you would have," Gill says to Steve. "Hell, I know that. I always did... you just forgot it for a while, that's all." Still, it's clear that for men like Judd and Westrum, their time has passed.

Peckinpah's Wild Bunch and Ride the High Country, in my view, are among the best Westerns made. What I like so much about Ride the High Country is it's restraint, it's bitter-sweet sadness and the history and memories that Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott bring to their roles. They give the movie it's mood and character. It's fascinating to think that they were originally cast to play the other's role. They both felt so uncomfortable they separately went to Peckinpah and asked if they could switch. The three instantly agreed. And why did Scott get first billing? The two old stars just got together privately and flipped a coin.

The DVD transfer looks fine. There are two or three extras, including a commentary, which I didn't sample.

Average customer rating:

Interesting Film
For Kiefer Sutherland fans only
Not half bad..
Wasted Potential
the ending of Cowboy Up

Cowboy Up
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland , Marcus Thomas , Daryl Hannah , Melinda Dillon , and Molly Ringwald
Director: Xavier Koller
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00006AUHQ
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Film.......2007-03-08

Well, it's a fictious story about a bull rider and his familiy. The story is not an effort of imagination but the film depictes very well the life in a ranch and the cowboy way of life.

For Kiefer Sutherland fans only.......2006-08-14

Young Ely Braxton (Marcus Thomas) is an up and coming rodeo bull rider who suffers a movie opening Serious Injury. Brother Hank (Kiefer Sutherland) is the responsible older brother who raises bulls, teaches a zen-ish style of bull riding (`Empty your heart of hate before you ride,' that kind of thing) and is a rodeo clown - the fellow who distracts the bull after its thrown his rider and, reasonably enough from the bull's point of view, wants to crush into pulp the prone body of the thrown rider.

I've kind of made a point of searching out and watching rodeo movies. There aren't a lot of them, and most concentrate on the maverick qualities of the rodeo rider. Always a bull rider, by the way. Most, too, feature some heavy hitters - guys like Steve McQueen and Cliff Robertson - in the lead roles. COWBOY UP is a little different. Bull riding is more of a backdrop here, a setting against which sibling rivalry, a search for a lost father, and some sticky romantic entanglements can be played out. Not that we don't get a LOT of slow-motion shots of mucus draining bulls bucking and snorting and doing their best to toss and trample their tormenters (again, `tormenters' from the bull's point of view.) It's just there's a whole lot more soap than horse in this opera.

Which wouldn't be so bad if the second lead, Marcus Thomas, was a polished actor. Unfortunately his one expression seems to be that of stunned introspection, as thought on the first day of the shoot a crew member had asked him a preposterous question that he couldn't get out of his head. Thomas is talking to a grip, say, on that first day, and the grip wonders out loud whether birds would have to fly if they had opposable thumbs. Thomas guffaws, of course, but every time the studio lights fire up the question returns to gnaw at him, and when he should be `in the moment,' or whatever it is actors say, with movie girlfriend Connie (Molly Ringwald,) instead he's picturing a southbound autumn highway with clusters of hitchhiking ducks.

I'm not sure it matters, anyway. The story's kind of an ill-fitting hybrid to begin with. Things become more complicated later when young Ely hooks up with pretty rodeo horse rider Celia Jones (Daryl Hannah,) brother Hank's old flame, which supplies just enough plot to propel the film to the grand finale. Ely's search for his missing father is resolved, although that search was so unstressed in the movie I didn't even realize it was a Big Issue until it was on me. And, of course, as in almost all rodeo movies, Ely gets to ride the big bull, preferably the one who threw him earlier. In this case the big bull is Zapata, one of brother Hank's bulls, in fact.

I've never been a big fan of Kiefer Sutherland, but he's great in this one. Ringwald, Hannah, and Melinda Dillon - the mother in both `Close Encounters of the Third Kind' and `The Christmas Story' - are wasted as sideline fodder who have little more to do than seduce or wring their hands and hope Ely gets some sense and give up the bull riding. The highlight of the movie for me came when, while Hannah and Thomas were deep in their fling, Ringwald and Sutherland shared a piece of consolation pie at the local diner. Ringwald, inevitably I guess, says to Sutherland, `In a different world you and I would have made a lot more sense.' Hey, Molly - in a different and better movie you and Sutherland would have made a lot more sense, too. COWBOY UP might appeal to hard-core rodeo fans, but the rest of us would be better advised to steer clear of this one.

Not half bad.........2005-07-03

I don't typically like cowboy/rodeo/country-western movies because those types of things aren't really my style. But this movie was a pleasant surprise; I did enjoy the story, and as a film, it wasn't half bad. It may or may not be a favorite in its genre, but I found it entertaining. Sutherland and Thomas play Hank & Eli quite well, and as usual Daryl Hannah is perfect in her role (who, fittingly, is a vegetarian). Molly Ringwald, I'll admit, did seem a tad useless as the movie went on--not Ringwald herself, exactly, but her character's importance. As far as rodeo movies go, this is a pretty cute one. Celia does sort of fall out of the story too fast, and the entire sad ending is focused on--to me at least--showing the absurdity of riding an animal who can kill you, as a sport. It destroyed not only the dead rider's life but his family's too. Thankfully the bull goes free at the end and does not have to pay with its life for the sad fate of the man.

Wasted Potential.......2005-04-01

This movie could have been so much more than it is. It offers up more wasted potential than an "American Idol" audition.

First, there's the angle of the absent father. While we're thrown some teasers - and even a pseudo-reunion between him and Ely - we are not ultimately emotionally satisfied with the outcome. There's no real resolution, no deep truth.

Then there's the angle of the "love triangle." This never took off, simply because Celia and Hank had no further interaction once she and Ely took up together. And then, Ely parted ways with her entirely. Through all this, Hannah delivers no stunning performance. Her character is fairly two-dimensional at best.

And then there's the "drive to win" that Ely is supposed to evince. This never really appears. We're just supposed to understand how driven he is by his brooding looks and foolhardy acts.

I will give kudos to the slow motion filming sequences in the beginning and the end. They are affective. However, we could've done with a little less bull drool flying through the air like a trapeze act.

All in all, this movie is plagued by wasted potential. The waste of Molly Ringwald's character is especially troubling. Why even introduce her, if she isn't going to play a pivotal role in what happens with Ely and Hank? A lot of this film seeming plodding and pointless.

I wanted to like this movie. I truly did. I'm a whopping huge PBR fan, and desperately wanted to like this movie. However, the movie itself prevented me from doing so.

the ending of Cowboy Up.......2004-06-04

The ending was sad but at least Marcus Thomas didn't die. Marcus Thomas was the cutest in the movie though.

Average customer rating:

A charming film, though a little too much corn, but I can forgive that...
I really wanted to see Beverlee McKinsey!
Saddle Up Partners.....
adaveen76
One of Eastwood's Worst Movies...

Bronco Billy
Starring: Pam Abas , Walter Barnes , Sam Bottoms , Eyde Byrde , and Douglas Copsey
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0790751569
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood tried to get mellow--and/or funny--with a series of films in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Bronco Billy works better than most (certainly better than those monkey movies he made), though it's far from perfect. Still, there's something charming about Eastwood as a cowboy wannabe who runs his own version of a Wild West show in modern times. The show is ragged and his sharp-shooting skills are suspect, but he's having fun. At least until a runaway heiress (Sondra Locke) joins his second-rate band of buddies and proves to be both a divisive and jeopardizing force and who ultimately forces Eastwood to admit to his New Jersey roots. Eastwood is nice in a relaxed mood, but one wonders (as he must at this point) what he saw in Locke. --Marshall Fine

Description

An heiress flees from her ill-advised wedding and joins a ragtag Wild West show run by a self-made matinee cowboy hero.

Customer Reviews:

A charming film, though a little too much corn, but I can forgive that..........2007-06-24

This film is quite corny at times, but it's sincere, and that makes up for a lot of the corn. Clint (who also directs) plays a cowboy in charge of an old fashioned, travelling rodeo show. He has a bunch of rag tag people in his company, but they have a deep sense of community, and they do care for each other. Billy ends up in many jams in this film, but his "family" stick it out, with a little help from the people around the country that Bronco Billy has performed for before. They even take in a rich "b**tch" character (played by Sondra Locke, then Clint's girlfriend), and she's a bit much at times, but she isn't nearly as bad as others have said she is. The film is shot on location in the upper Northeast (specifically Idaho), and it really enhances the film. There isn't a trace of "irony" or any smugnes here. The song over the end credits is really cheesy, but the film itself is nicely done.

I really wanted to see Beverlee McKinsey!.......2006-06-06

Since daytime actress Beverlee McKinsey has left daytime in 1992, I needed to get my Beverlee fix. She appears briefly in this film as the wicked stepmother of course to Sondra Locke's character. She has a few scenes but other than that I didn't care for the movie in general. Beverlee has a lot of fans who want to see more of her but she is a reclusive retiree in Southern California of all places where the film, television, and theatre industry could use her nowadays.

Saddle Up Partners............2003-08-13

This review refers to the DVD edition(Warner Bros) of "Bronco Billy".....

Watching this wonderful film you will come to realize that this was a labor of love for Clint Eastwood, who directs as well as stars. He had something to say and said it with this story.It is many things. It is entertaining, amusing, inspiring and poignant. The message is clear. You can do what you want to do, be what you want to be.

Eastwood gathers all the usual suspects together and casts them as a group a misfits who all have a special role as part of "Bronco's Billy's Wild West Show", a modern day attempt to bring the wild west back into the hearts of all the "young partners out there". Of course Eastwood is "Bronco Billy", the rootin tootin sharpshooter who runs the show. His problem (besides never having any money to pay the crew) is holding on to a good assistant. Enter one Miss Antoinette Lilly(Sondra Locke). A snobby, wealthy heiress that has just been deserted by her new husband, in the middle of nowhere and she is presumed dead. She reluctantly becomes Bronco Billy's new assistant and learns the hard way, that there is more to life than money.

It a great story and an inspiring one also.It makes you want to follow your dreams. Most of the actors are recognizably some of Clint's favorites. They have been in many of his other films like "Outlaw Josey Wales","The Gauntlet", and "Pink Cadillac" to name a few, often working together and they do this well. The cast includes Geoffrey Lewis,Bill McKinney, Sam Bottoms, Scatman Crothers and William Prince. It has a great soundtrack and score, with music by Steve Dorff. Also watch for a cameo performance by Merle Haggard as our bar room buddies brawl in the neighborhood saloon.

The DVD is not the best transfer I have seen. This film from 1980 appeared a little washed out, and the colors seemed somewhat dated.(Nothing to take away from the enjoyment of the film though.)It may be viewed in widescreen or the standard format. The sound was good in Dolby Dig Surround Stereo(but could be really great in 5.1). There are subtitles in English and French. Warner brothers...this one is really in need of a remastered Special Edition. (Of course, I always feel that Eastwood films should be given special treatment)

Rated PG, it's one for the family but there are some adult situations that border on PG13.

So saddle up partners and enjoy this ride. It's rootin tootin fun....Happy trails....Laurie

adaveen76.......2003-03-30

Unfortunately a lot of people don't "get" this movie. WHat's really unfortunate is that they have absolutely no sense of irony. This movie shows the Duke in an amazingly touching and funny way. It deconstructs in a hilarious and sentimental way the American cowboy and indian fantasy. On top of that the sound track rocks.

One of Eastwood's Worst Movies..........2002-12-23

The thought of a lord trying to be funny, is ludicrous, but Clint Eastwood did it. "Bronco Billy" is the best shot in the West, so he says. Watch him shoot plates being tossed up into the air. It's pure ability. Yes! I liked watching Billy jump from side-to-side of a galloping horse. It was almost comical. Good thing there was a bar fight in this movie, it was enjoyable. Why did that noisy blonde woman have to join the show? Those poor people who actually paid money for an already bad Wild West Show had to also listen to her? A lord does make a mistake here and there, Schwarzenegger with "Junior" and Eastwood with this. Oh well. But, as long as Clyde, the monkey, didn't show up, this movie would've been a complete nightmare.

Average customer rating:

Una muy buena ilusión
Pathetic
Wedding Crasher
uk release
"Who Do You Love?" ~ "Watching A Wedding Is Like Watching A Sunrise, It's A New Beginning"

Cowboys and Angels
Starring: Adam Trese , Mia Kirshner , Radha Mitchell , Hamilton von Watts , and Carmen Llywelyn
Director: Gregory C. Haynes
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000DBJDN
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Product Description

Left at the alter, heartbroken Danny fears that he will never love again, until the mysterious and angelic JoJo appears in his life. With JoJo as his guide, Danny begins a journey of self-exploration, uncovering the triumphs and tragedies of lust and love. Danny learns to follow his heart, discovering the true meaning of destiny in this moving and uplifting romantic tale.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Una muy buena ilusión.......2007-06-11

Durante el tiempo que dura la película podemos encontrar muchos elementos ilusorios, que basados en el propósito de una producción filmica, cumple con la espectativa.
Las historias de ángeles nos han acompañado desde siempre y esta no es la excepción, siempre un ángel que nos guía o que corre en nuestro auxilio.
Resumen: Muy buena alternativa de entretenimiento.

Pathetic.......2007-03-04

I picked this movie from the video store under "Western". First off, this movie is definitely not a western movie, but that's not what bothered me most about it. Terrible acting, bad storyline, irrelevant scenes... that's what I didn't like. As far as love sotries go, this is one of the worst ones I've witnessed. I was planning to watch it with my boyfriend, but decided I would preview it first to make sure it was worth watching... good thing I did, because it would not have gone over well. Definitely not recommended.

Wedding Crasher.......2007-01-02

-With one look at the plot summary for this movie, one might be led to believe that this is some sappy story about a man deciding to be a cowboy after his bride leaves him, which is total bullplop. Yeah the movie is somewhat about that but that's a pretty small part of the larger picture. The story here is about a man that goes through some fire to finally find the woman of his dreams. It's a fantastic story told amazingly by writer/director Gregory Haynes. It's heartwarming and sweet without being overly sentimental and it has an amazing sense of humor. The line by the little black kid "you two are white" is just hilarious and one of the many great things about this movie.

-The main character in the movie pretty much has to deal with betrayal and heartbreak for most of the movie only to find out what everything was truly about in a "Touched by an Angel" manner. Great credit to Adam Trese for playing the character wonderfully. He's just a sweet guy that falls in love a little too easily. You really root for him and at the end when everything falls into play for him and his life seems to be on the rise. Trese plays the character with a naïve yet burnt style that makes him vulnerable. He's being screwed over by love before and not sure whether it's right to fall in love again. It sounds cheesy when I say it like that but he does a great job of it in the movie.

-My favorite character in the movie is JoJo and Radha Mitchell plays her perfectly in the movie. She's loves going to weddings, but it's not something that she's obsessed with. It just makes her feel complete and is that one thing with her that makes her happy more than anything. She has a line in which she talks about how every time a shooting star falls it means that an angel has fallen from heaven to guide someone and that pretty much applies to her character. She's like the guiding light that leads Danny to find the love of his life which something that complicates their relationship. The very beautiful Mia Kirshner plays the other woman in Danny's life that ends up being the one. It's impossible to watch her in the movie without falling in love with her. Her soft voice and those eyes, it just makes me glad to be straight. She's amazing in the movie like every actor in the movie and I dare anyone not to be a huge fan of her after seeing her in this.

-I don't know what DP Kramer Morgenthau did to the camera in this movie but he made the two leading ladies look spectacularly beautiful. I've seen Radha Mitchell and Mia Kirshner on the screen before and this is by far the best looking they've ever been. Especially Radha Mitchell, it's like the camera has a love affair with her or something. Unlike "Everything Put Together" which had some unflattering shots of her, she looks absolutely beautiful in this. I mean when she smiles it just makes your heart melt, just amazing. Equally achingly beautiful is Mia Kirshner who as one reviewer pointed was nice to see her not kissing another woman or taking her top off. She is stunning in the movie and I just love the way the camera accentuates her lovely eyes. It's like looking into the stars or something. Yes I know that was cheesy as hell but Morgenthau just makes the women look so lovely. He's currently working on "Feast of Love" and that features Radha Mitchell so I'm guessing he's going to bring his magic to that movie too.

-The music in the movie is something to behold. The stuff that sounded like source music taken from country music was all right, but the real treat was the original score by Stephen Edwards. I've seen a lot of low budget flicks and this is by far the best low budget score I've ever heard. That little theme that he plays for Radha Mitchell's character is amazing. He first plays a variation of the theme when we first meet her, and later when on the steps of the church after the wedding vows sequence with JoJo and Danny we hear it in its full glory. The best rendition of it to me will always be the one he does for the dream sequence in the hospital when JoJo comes to visit the injured Danny. I just can't say enough good things about the amazing score to this and it's by far one of the movie's strongest quality. Stephen Edwards is on my radar now, and I look forward to hearing more from the amazing composer. The songs are great too and I hope there's an album release or something so I can hear it whenever I wanted.

-In a world where romantic comedies are sappy and melodramatic, this one sticks out like two white people at a black wedding. I'm glad I'm saw it and hope to add it to my DVD collection soon.

Kudos Gregory Haynes

uk release.......2006-07-05

I love this film.. anyone know if it was released in uk?.. and if the high street shops sell it? I would buy it online, but all the dvd's for sale are for region 1 dvd players, and would not work in my player.

"Who Do You Love?" ~ "Watching A Wedding Is Like Watching A Sunrise, It's A New Beginning".......2006-01-05

'Cowboys and Angels' is a sweet, tender love story about one man's search for the girl of his dreams. Danny (Adam Trese) has been left standing at the altar and begins to doubt if true love really exists. Unexpectedly two attractive women soon come into his life (Mia Kirshner and Radha Mitchell) and before long he must decide which woman is the one fated to become his wife. What he doesn't realize is that angelic forces are present and subtlely guiding him to make the right decision.

I love this movie! Mia Kirshner is absolutely gorgeous as Candice, she is fast becoming one of my favorite actresses. This is a film that can be enjoyed by everyone, old and young, so watch it with your entire family.

Warning to Cowboy Movie Fans: If you're thinking of renting or buying this movie based solely on the presence of the word "cowboy" in the title, don't. It really has nothing whatsoever to do with being a cowboy. One of Danny's love interests happens to live and work on a ranch and you see a couple people ocassionally wearing cowboy hats, but that is the extent of it.

Average customer rating:

Co-stars John Payne and Ronald Reagan join forces as the Gambler and the Cowboy
"all the excitement and gusto of the real west ~ Tennessee's Partner (1955)"
'Classic Western Tale By Bret Harte!'
tennesee's partner

Tennessee's Partner
Starring: John Payne , Ronald Reagan , Rhonda Fleming , Coleen Gray , and Anthony Caruso
Director: Allan Dwan
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Silver Lode (1954)
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ASIN: B00005UWA7
Release Date: 2002-02-12

Description

An intriguing friendship forged between high-stakes gambler Tennessee (John Payne) and quick draw Cowpoke (Ronald Reagan) is tested when temptress gold-digger Goldie (Coleen Gray) bewitches Cowpoke into marrying him. Meanwhile, Tennessee has been maintaining an uneasy relationship with The Duchess (Rhonda Fleming), madame of a gambling establishment which serves as smokescreen to the bordello she operates. In the end, Cowpoke proves to be true-blue when Tennessee is framed on a false rap. Bonus Features: Original Theatrical Trailer| Scene Selection. Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital Mono; 87 minutes; Color; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR: Year - 1955; SRP - $9.99.

Customer Reviews:

Co-stars John Payne and Ronald Reagan join forces as the Gambler and the Cowboy.......2006-05-05

Former song and dance man turned action-man hero John Payne plays Tennessee whilst Ronald Reagan plays Cowpoke (we never know their real names) both had done recent westerns in 1954 under veteran director Allan Dwan, Payne in Silver Lode and Reagan in Cattle Queen of Montana with Barbara Stanwyk. In all Dwan made ten films for producer (including the above) Benedict Bogeaus of which Tennessee's Partner was said to be his favourite. John Alton was the highly regarded cinematographer for all the above westerns.

Payne is the moustachioed gambler in the gold-mining town of Sandy Bar. Reagan is the cowboy who rides into town and saves his life. In return Payne feels he must expose the girl Reagan is about to marry as a gold-digger. Emotions run deep as Cowpoke sets out to track Tennessee down and kill him. Rhonda Fleming plays Tennessee's girlfriend Duchess who runs the saloon called "The Marriage Market" Coleen Gray plays the gold-digging girlfriend aptly named Goldie. Look out for a young Angie Dickinson as Abby Dean one of the saloon girls. Anthony Caruso is the main villain of the piece whilst Leo Gordon turns in a strong performance as the no-nonsense sheriff.

By the 1950's the traditional "B" westerns had more or less faded out, they were replaced by co-features or supporting films as they were sometimes known. Made in Technicolor and running for eighty-odd minutes with western stars of some standing like Joel McCrea, Randolph Scott, Rory Calhoun and others. Now, we can see many of these films again in their true glory thanks to VCI Entertainment for these digitally re-mastered prints. Tennessee's Partner is one the best of these films on DVD.

In 1959 John Payne survived a terrible car accident, putting him out of work for two or more years, as a result of this his film output was never the same again. He died in 1989 aged 77 years. Reagan at this time was President of the Screen Actors Guild and moving into mainline politics became Governor of California in 1966. In 1970 he was elected as the 40th President of the United States of America, surviving a assassination attempt early in his presidency, he went on to serve two full terms. Not bad for a "B" movie cowboy!

"all the excitement and gusto of the real west ~ Tennessee's Partner (1955)".......2005-10-28

VCI Entertainment presents "Tennessee's Partner" (1955) (Dolby digitally remastered)...an RKO Pictures production featuring John Payne, Ronald Reagan and Rhonda fleming...story line is based on a Bret Harte writings as our story takes place in a gold mining town in California where gambler John Payne finds it easier to take money at the poker table than digging for gold...a stranger riding into town played by Ronald Reagan saves Payne from being shot in the back...Reagan only known as Cowpoke becomes Tennessee's partner....but the town is full of rough characters including Coleen Gray who's name is Goldie and that my friend is what she's after...Payne had known her before and is trying to save Reagan from a trip down the aisle, can he succeed....the story lines are excellent with outstanding action scenes and production with over an hours worth of entertainment ...this above average B-Western will keep you guessing to the very last scene...what is the "Marriage Market" and who runs it...who is the gambling man called "Tennessee, and what secret must he keep from his best friend...why has this "Stranger in Town" come calling...what part in this drama does Goldie play, what of her past...at the poker table who holds the winning hand when calling the bet...a map has been stolen, who has it and will murder be the final scene...don't leave the theater you're about to find out...no one will ever forget Tennessee and Cowpoke, even though we never find out their real names...all the guts and gusto of the real west as it really was...never such men, never such women and will be again...relive those thrilling days when good friendship, romance and drama took us down the dusty trails and into the mining camps to exciting adventures.

Under director Allan Dwan, producer Benedict Bogeaus with original story by Bret Harte, screenplay by C. Graham Baker, D.d. Beauchamp, Milton Krims, Teddi Sherman, music composed by Louis Forbes...the cast include John Payne (Tennessee), Ronald Reagan (Cowpoke), Rhonda Fleming (Elizabeth "Duchess" Farnham), Coleen Grey (Goldie Slater), Anthony Caruso (Turner), Morris Ankrum (Judge Parker), Leo Gordon (The Sheriff), Chubby Johnson (Grubstake McNiven), Joe Devlin (Prendergast), Myron Healey (Reynolds), John Mansfield (Clifford), Angie Dickinson (Abby Dean, Saloon Girl)....there is a great deal of entertainment here for "B-Western" fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features like this one.

SCENE SELECT:
1. Marriage Market
2. Tennessee
3. Stranger in Town
4. Goldie
5. The Happy Couple
6. Calling the Bet
7. A Better Idea
8. Grubstake's Gold
9. Gold Craze
10.Murder
11.The Map
12.Stolen Claim

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. "Cattle Queen of Montana (original theatrical trailer)
2. "Tennessee Partner" (John Payne & Ronald Reagan)
3. "The Lone Ranger" (thunders to the motion picture screen) (restored trailer)
4. "The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold" (restored trailer) (Golden Book Entertaiment)

Own them now on DVD....if you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...if you enjoyed this feature check out another as VCI Entertainment presents "Cattle Queen of Montana" (1954) (Dolby digitally remastered)...an RKO Pictures production featuring Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan...story line has Sierra Nevada Jones (Stanwyck) and her father (Ankrum) arriving in Montana to file their claim for some prime ranch land...while camping and bedding down the cattle Natchakoa (Caruso) with his band of renegade tribesmen raid the camp and steal the cattle...land owner and neighbor McCord (Evans) is behind all of the bad events that happen to Sierra...with the help of Colorados (Fuller) son of the chief who has attended the whitemans college is trying to bring peace between the Indian and townspeople...is Farrell (Reagan) who is working for McCord and his henchman Yost (Jack Elam) help Sierra Jones...can Farrell who is a hired gun be working for the army undercover...will his fast gun help turn the tide for the Cattle Queen of Montana...this above average B-Western will keep you guessing to the very last scene.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the "Tennessee's Partner" (1955), digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '50s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with a top notch Westerns from VCI...so saddle up and get ready for some hard riding and adventure that only VCI Entertainment (King of the Serials) can deliver...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 87 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment 8293 ~ (2/12/2002)

'Classic Western Tale By Bret Harte!'.......2003-06-02

'Tennessee's Partner' is a terrific saga based on the novel by the famous Western author Bret Harte.

Beautifully produced by RKO studios in 1955, and filmed in gorgeous Technicolor, this film stars the underated actor
John Payne, as the shrewd, but honest card expert Tennessee. He has no friends in the entire town, except for his dance hall girlfriend played by Rhonda Fleming, whose flaming red hair is spectacular in Technicolor! Tennessee walks into an ambush and is nearly murdered by a losing player,when his life is saved by a cowpoke who wanders into town. He even calls himself Cowpoke, and he is a complete straight-shooting arrow, played wonderfully by Ronald Reagan! Reagan becomes Tennesee's pal and partner, and Tennessee returns the favor by preventing Cowpoke from marrying an obvious goldigger!

In the end, another bushwacker attempts to shoot Tennessee in the back, but loyal Cowpoke deliberately stands in the line of fire, taking the bullet for his pal. Tennessee nearly kills the villain, who is played flawlessly by Anthony Caruso, but instead decides to hand him over to the law. However, Cowpoke dies and a stunned, grief-stricken John Payne stands over his friend's body and says aloud, 'I never even knew his name!' Tennessee buries his only friend, marries his girl and makes for a fresh start out in San Francisco.

'Tennessee's Partner' is a classic, western morality play, directed by Allan Dwan, and the entire cast gives first-rate performances. The DVD quality is top knotch.

tennesee's partner.......2003-05-09

A good movie from RKO in the fifties. The style of the movie is represenative of that era. The stars, John Payne and Rhonda Fleming, do fine with the material. Ronald Reagan in the supporting role fits well. What is distinguishing about this film is the surprise climax. Don't look for realism or the dust and dirt of the old west, just some good entertainment.

MLB - Boston Red Sox - Cowboy Up! The Wild Ride of 2003

Average customer rating:

How times have changed.
A Century of Losing... Ended!
Well Done review with hopefully last "cursed" ending
A century of losing
God Bless the Red Sox

MLB - Boston Red Sox - Cowboy Up! The Wild Ride of 2003
Starring: 2003 Boston Red Sox
Manufacturer: Cramer Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000159EDI
Release Date: 2003-12-16

Customer Reviews:

How times have changed........2005-10-11

I was watching this last night and I realized something, it's only been two years and most of this team is already gone. So far Pedro, Lowe, Burkett, Fossum, Embree, Kim, Williamson, Mendoza, Walker, Grady, Sanchez are all gone. Even our generation's Ted Williams, Nomar Garciaparra is gone(Sometimes it still hurts that he is no longer a Red Sox). Soon to follow will probably be Damon, Mueller, Millar, and possibly Mike Timlin. The 2003 Boston Red Sox were a very magical team. I cried when I watched it last night. That team should have won-no doubt! They always fought so hard and were true dirt dogs. No one cared about their ego or just about me attitude.

2004 was the best year of my life, but this 2003 team will always have a place in my heart. This is a must have!

A Century of Losing... Ended!.......2004-11-23

Did you read that Yankee fan's review above? I couldn't help but think what he makes of this year's "inevitable failure". I look forward to hearing his excuses too.

Well Done review with hopefully last "cursed" ending.......2004-09-04

The 2003 Boston Red Sox were, like the current squad of Sox tearing up the league as of this writing (early September 2004), a colorful, free spirited bunch with various hair styles who took their "cowboy up" attitude all the way to Game 7 of the ALCS where of course the "Curse" did them in once more. In fact if they had been able to beat the Yanks they would most likely have done better against the Marlins than the Bronx Bombers did-- witness the 25-8 drubbing the Sox gave the Fish during interleague play. What the 2003 Sox lacked that the 2004 Sox seem to (finally) be utilizing is a: 1) A balanced offense. Finally more small ball, and less money ball. The 2003 Sox broke all kinds of offensive records and were a jaw-dropping hitting machine from 1 to 9. They pummelled the ball into submission. They still hit like heck in 2004 but with more smarts and creativity(at least after 3 months of failure with money ball and the Garciaparra trade) 2) Stronger starting pitching. Schilling has made a great difference with his experience and poise. Lowe, Arroyo and Wakefield are rising to the occasion. Pedro is Pedro. Burkett and Kim were accidents waiting to happen and were often bailed out by the bashers. 3) Stronger bullpen. Timlin and Embree have never been better and should have been out there to save Martinez in the 8th early against the Yanks last year. Last year's closer-by-committee of Kim et al failed miserably time and time again until the end of the season, and has been replaced by some great middle relieving and of course Keith Foulke as the closer, who has gotten his stuff together like the rest of the team in time for the stretch run 4) The Garciaparra trade. The unhappy, mysterious Sox icon was simply a bad vibe and a person of his influence obviously had a big effect on the team. 5) Better defense. Todd Walker and Nomar could hit the ball in the dark but their defense rarely rose to the occasion. Roberts, Mientkiewicz and Cabrera are lesser offensive players but are many times better in the field and that was a major problem earlier this year and also last year. Bellhorn is getting to be almost as good a hitter as Walker and his defense is better. 6) Was Grady a bad manager? Is Francona a bad manager? Jury is still out on both. Little should have taken Pedro out though. And Francona has done a thousand things wrong this year but seems to be finally listening to the fans' (and management's?) suggestions. The trade and change in clubhouse vibe has certainly helped.

This DVD takes a really in depth look at the entire 2003 season from start to finish for the Sox, featuring a lot of regular season highlights. But I dock it one star for its horrific disaster of an ending, and also for a few too many close ups on players' faces instead of important hits and not enough field views. But it still rocks. Get it.

A century of losing.......2004-07-14

This movie has a great ending. Typical moronic review by the Red Sox nation. The Yankees were "lucky". yeah, just like they were in '78, just like the Mets were in '86, etc. I've never seen so much hoopla about a team that didn't win ANYTHING, even its own division. I give them credit though, that celebration when they clinched the wild card was something, you almost thought they actually came in first. I look forward to hearing the exuses for the Red Sox inevitable failure this year.

God Bless the Red Sox.......2004-06-25

It's a sad story and one that Red Sox fans are all too familiar with. It was a great season for the Red Sox, with a hearbreaking ending. But, we Red Sox fans are a strong willed and loyal group. We all know that the Sox are still the BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL.

This DVD has it all and really does provide a great perspective of the wild ride of the 2003 Boston Red Sox.

As for the many obnioxious Yankee fans who say they knew all along that the "cursed" Red Sox would lose at the end of the 2003 season, (cursed by Don Zimmer? You mean the guy who ditched the Yankees for Tampa Bay and hates George Steinbrenner? Give me a break!), not one of you were so high and mighty last October. You were all scared to death that it was over for your Yankees -- no more incessant bragging -- no more holding the "26 world championships" over every team in baseball. It wasn't until Aaron Boone, just like Bucky Dent - a low (no ) avg. one-hit wonder, took a lucky swing on the last pitch of the 11th inning of game 7 of the 2003 ALCS that the Yankees actually won. It's less that the Sox are cursed than the Yankees just got lucky, which ran out against the Marlins. I guess you Yankee fans have the best team $200 million can buy, but every true baseball fan knows that the best team of 2003 didn't win the ALCS.

Product Description

An old friend of the Mesquiteers strikes gold and plans to give the trio half the claim. But the town's crooked mayor and his ruthless henchmen have their own ideas. Murder follows in their path, and Stony (John Wayne), accused of the crime, faces a lynch mob that wants revenge!

The 3 Mesquiteers
There was no better proof that Republic Pictures was the Cowboy Hero Studio than thei51 rootin' tootin' shootin' Three Mesquiteers westerns produced from 1936ito 1943. As different trios of actors rode under the Mesquiteers' flag, the films remained rattlesnake-tough, a continual series of chases, rescues, gun battles and fistfights all in the name of law and order.

System Requirements:

Running Time 55 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Sturdy Grade B Western from Republic........2000-11-14

Here we have a rip roarin' Saturday matinee "shoot 'em up" with plenty of black-hearted villains and blazing six-guns. Crooks control the law in Santa Fe Junction. The Three Mesquiteers ride into town to see justice served. When a respected local citizen and his young daughter are ambushed, Stony (John Wayne) is framed for the murder. The bad guys incite a lynch mob to take matters in their own hands. Can Tucson and Lullaby (Ray Corrigan and Max Terhune), held captive at the outlaw stronghold, escape in time? Will the beautiful Nancy Carson, rendered unconscious as she tries to unlock Stony's cell, survive the fire set by the angry lynch mob? Will the real killers be brought to justice? Never fear, the distant thunder of drumming hoofbeats are the honest cowboys and ranchers, who ride down the same section of trail and around the same rocky corner at least three times, as they race to the final showdown.

Before he made the big time in John Ford's "Stagecoach," John Wayne was a familiar face in Grade B Westerns. The Three Mesquiteers was a popular series of the '30s and '40s, based on characters created by Western novelist William Colt MacDonald. Over time, different actors played the roles of the three saddle pals. This typical example from Republic studios includes cliff-hanging Western adventure and light humor. The emphasis is on hard-riding action rather than the intrusive musical numbers that plagued some other Grade B Westerns. Old-fashioned, light weight fun. ;-)

The Three Mesquiteers Do it Again! Santa Fe Stampede.......2000-11-01

John Wayne and his friends, Ray Crash Corrigan, And Max Terhune are very good in this film. My rating of four stars is given, based on the type of movie. Certainly, this movie could not stand up to movies of today, but it stands up well to others of it's day. The story line is very good. It is packed with excitement. It seems that the bad guys have all their ducks in a row and Stoney Brook(John Wayne) will be destroyed by the angry mob, but you will have to watch the movie to find out what happens in the end. I recommend that you see Santa Fe Stampede.

Average customer rating:

The Redhead From Wyoming 1953
Provides little beyond some scenic effects.
Redhead From Wyoming

The Redhead From Wyoming
Starring: Maureen O'Hara , Alex Nicol , William Bishop , Robert Strauss , and Alexander Scourby
Director: Lee Sholem
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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