Vengeance Valley

Vengeance Valley


Starring:Burt Lancaster, Robert Walker, Joanne Dru, Sally Forrest, John Ireland, Carleton Carpenter, Ray Collins, Ted de Corsia, Hugh O'Brian, Will Wright, Grayce Mills, Jim Hayward, James Harrison, Stanley Andrews, Robert J. Wilke, Paul E. Burns, John McKee (II), Louis Nicoletti, Dan White, Tom Fadden
Director: Richard Thorpe
Studio: WESTLAKE ENT. GROUP
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
The charms of DVD sometimes passeth understanding. Vengeance Valley is an 83-minute B Western directed (barely) by the dullest of MGM hacks, Richard Thorpe, and based on one of the genre's hoariest formulas--the bad natural son (Robert Walker), the good foster son (Burt Lancaster), and the range empire they respectively imperil and rescue. Everyone on board was marking time: Walker, who otherwise spent 1951 playing Bruno Anthony in Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, and who would be dead within the year; Lancaster, whose glum performance hints at neither the gusto of his early-'50s swashbucklers nor the fact that he would soon be collecting Oscar nominations; Joanne Dru (playing Walker's recent bride), who only a year earlier was working for John Ford; and screenwriter Irving Ravetch, who would draw a much more auspicious ranch-land assignment a decade later with Hud (1963). No, we can't make exalted claims for Vengeance Valley--but that's just the point: this is an absolutely typical slice of moviegoing life in 1951, and watching this DVD is as uncanny as a trip in a time machine. The aura is perfected by the true three-strip Technicolor print, not a latterday Eastmancolor approximation of the real thing. Throw in a supporting cast of such sagebrush perennials as John Ireland, Will Wright, Glenn Strange, Jim Hayward, and TV's Wyatt Earp-to-be, Hugh O'Brian, and you've got a quintessential Saturday at the Bijou. Now if only the great color films of the period could all look this good.... -- Richard T. Jameson
Vengeance Valley
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Great Title and Some Good Performances
  • OK Western, poor quality tape
  • A Good Cast in an Average Western
  • Sturdy Western
 Vengeance Valley
Starring: Burt Lancaster , Robert Walker , Joanne Dru , Sally Forrest , and John Ireland
Director: Richard Thorpe
Manufacturer: WESTLAKE ENT. GROUP
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
Bruce LeeBruce Lee | Action Stars | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
Burt LancasterBurt Lancaster | Action Stars | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
AdventureAdventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
ClassicsClassics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
Andrews, StanleyAndrews, Stanley | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Carpenter, CarletonCarpenter, Carleton | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Collins, RayCollins, Ray | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Dru, JoanneDru, Joanne | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Ferguson, AlFerguson, Al | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Forrest, SallyForrest, Sally | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Ireland, JohnIreland, John | ( I ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Lancaster, BurtLancaster, Burt | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
O'Brian, HughO'Brian, Hugh | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Strange, GlennStrange, Glenn | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Walker, RobertWalker, Robert | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Wilke, Robert JWilke, Robert J | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Wright, WillWright, Will | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Thorpe, RichardThorpe, Richard | ( T ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
Action & AdventureAction & Adventure | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video
Independently DistributedIndependently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video
( V )( V ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0002GLWQ8
Release Date: 2004-01-01

Amazon.com

The charms of DVD sometimes passeth understanding. Vengeance Valley is an 83-minute B Western directed (barely) by the dullest of MGM hacks, Richard Thorpe, and based on one of the genre's hoariest formulas--the bad natural son (Robert Walker), the good foster son (Burt Lancaster), and the range empire they respectively imperil and rescue. Everyone on board was marking time: Walker, who otherwise spent 1951 playing Bruno Anthony in Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, and who would be dead within the year; Lancaster, whose glum performance hints at neither the gusto of his early-'50s swashbucklers nor the fact that he would soon be collecting Oscar nominations; Joanne Dru (playing Walker's recent bride), who only a year earlier was working for John Ford; and screenwriter Irving Ravetch, who would draw a much more auspicious ranch-land assignment a decade later with Hud (1963). No, we can't make exalted claims for Vengeance Valley--but that's just the point: this is an absolutely typical slice of moviegoing life in 1951, and watching this DVD is as uncanny as a trip in a time machine. The aura is perfected by the true three-strip Technicolor print, not a latterday Eastmancolor approximation of the real thing. Throw in a supporting cast of such sagebrush perennials as John Ireland, Will Wright, Glenn Strange, Jim Hayward, and TV's Wyatt Earp-to-be, Hugh O'Brian, and you've got a quintessential Saturday at the Bijou. Now if only the great color films of the period could all look this good.... -- Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Great Title and Some Good Performances.......2006-11-03

"Vengeance Valley" (1951) is not just a great title for a western, but a well-made, intelligent feature that should please Burt Lancaster and Robert Walker fans. A cattle baron (Ray Collins) takes in an orphaned boy (Owen Daybright) and raises him. His own son (Lee Strobie) is about the same age. Although Lee resents Owen they generally get along and share a lot of coming of age adventures on the ranch. But as they mature Lee's (Robert Walker) resentment causes him to become a slacker and the classic prodigal son. After a long absence he returns with a wife, appears to have cleaned up his act, and reconciles with his father.

But Lee's past includes a girl named Lily that he got pregnant. Owen covers for him, but this causes Lee to resent his stepbrother even more. When he suspects that his father's ranch and his new wife are slipping away from him, he sets up Owen to be killed by Lily's two brothers. Although this prodigal son-Cain and Abel stuff is hardly original, the two stars are excellent in their respective parts. Lancaster reins in his excesses and gives a nice controlled performance, with his suppressed energy just visible enough to give Owen a nice dimensionality.

Walker in convincing as a two-faced villain, still motivated by childhood jealousy but able to conceal it from everyone but the audience. Walker is relatively forgotten today, but was the 1940's version of James Dean; although his looks and style are more like a young Robert Vaughn.

When not occupied with its melodramatic story, "Vengeance Valley" has the look of an extremely well-produced documentary, going into great detail about the process of a spring roundup and providing a lot of very scenic backgrounds. A ranch hand named Hewie (Carleton Carpenter) provides an informative voice-over. The film features some great cattle scenes, a lot of good riding sequences, and a couple well staged fights. Watch for an early appearance by young Hugh O'Brian-just a few years away from starring in television's "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp".

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

1 out of 5 stars OK Western, poor quality tape.......2004-02-24

I purchased Front Row Entertainment's VHS version of "Vengeance Valley" and was bitterly disappointed. The video quality is poor and the sound track is no better. The story, from what I could make of it, is humdrum. If you're a Lancaster fan, however, the movie is worth having in your collection. And if you're a fan of wasting 20 bucks on a poor quality video, this is a tape for you!

3 out of 5 stars A Good Cast in an Average Western.......2001-04-29

Vengeance Valley is an average Western. Its best feature is a remarkably strong cast. This alone means that it ought not to be classified as a B film, for second features could not afford so many familiar faces, nor could they afford the fine location shooting which is to be found in Vengeance Valley. The cast perform quite well. Robert Walker always makes a better villain than a good guy. He portrays both weakness and malevolence in a performance which bears comparison with his more celebrated role in Strangers on a Train. It is always a pleasure to watch Burt Lancaster, but his acting lacks the authority which would be present in his later films. I always look out for Joanne Dru films, but this is not one of her best. The feisty and beautiful heroine of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Red River seems to have faded somewhat and it is possible to see in this film the seeds of her decline as a star. She would make no more important films after this.

The story is interesting without being original. Walker and his foster brother Lancaster fight it out over Dru and Cattle. Strangely the `vengeance' of the film's title does not refer to this aspect of the plot, but to a sub-plot in which two cowboys seek vengeance on the man who made their sister pregnant. Still Vengeance Valley makes a more snappy title than Battling Brothers.

This is by no means a classic Western, but it is perfectly competent. It may not linger long in the memory, but fans of the genre will certainly enjoy the ride while it lasts.

3 out of 5 stars Sturdy Western.......2001-04-11

This is a sturdy western featuring beautiful color photography, and an interesting character study. Burt Lancaster plays a stolid, depedable foster son who reluctantly has to face down his reckless foster brother played by Robert Walker. Walker and Lancaster play off each other well, their naturally opposing acting styles heightning the conflict between these two. Unfortunately, Robert Walker, who made quite an impression in his short film career -- especially in Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" -- would be dead shortly after this film was released. A sad footnote to an overlooked but interesting film.
Vengeance Valley
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Great Title and Some Good Performances
  • OK Western, poor quality tape
  • A Good Cast in an Average Western
  • Sturdy Western
 Vengeance Valley
Starring: Burt Lancaster , Robert Walker , Joanne Dru , Sally Forrest , and John Ireland
Director: Richard Thorpe
Manufacturer: ROAN
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
ClassicsClassics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
Andrews, StanleyAndrews, Stanley | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Carpenter, CarletonCarpenter, Carleton | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Collins, RayCollins, Ray | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Dru, JoanneDru, Joanne | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Ferguson, AlFerguson, Al | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Forrest, SallyForrest, Sally | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Ireland, JohnIreland, John | ( I ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Lancaster, BurtLancaster, Burt | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
O'Brian, HughO'Brian, Hugh | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Strange, GlennStrange, Glenn | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Walker, RobertWalker, Robert | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Wilke, Robert JWilke, Robert J | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Wright, WillWright, Will | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Thorpe, RichardThorpe, Richard | ( T ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $7.49DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
( V )( V ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: 630549388X
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Amazon.com

The charms of DVD sometimes passeth understanding. Vengeance Valley is an 83-minute B Western directed (barely) by the dullest of MGM hacks, Richard Thorpe, and based on one of the genre's hoariest formulas--the bad natural son (Robert Walker), the good foster son (Burt Lancaster), and the range empire they respectively imperil and rescue. Everyone on board was marking time: Walker, who otherwise spent 1951 playing Bruno Anthony in Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, and who would be dead within the year; Lancaster, whose glum performance hints at neither the gusto of his early-'50s swashbucklers nor the fact that he would soon be collecting Oscar nominations; Joanne Dru (playing Walker's recent bride), who only a year earlier was working for John Ford; and screenwriter Irving Ravetch, who would draw a much more auspicious ranch-land assignment a decade later with Hud (1963). No, we can't make exalted claims for Vengeance Valley--but that's just the point: this is an absolutely typical slice of moviegoing life in 1951, and watching this DVD is as uncanny as a trip in a time machine. The aura is perfected by the true three-strip Technicolor print, not a latterday Eastmancolor approximation of the real thing. Throw in a supporting cast of such sagebrush perennials as John Ireland, Will Wright, Glenn Strange, Jim Hayward, and TV's Wyatt Earp-to-be, Hugh O'Brian, and you've got a quintessential Saturday at the Bijou. Now if only the great color films of the period could all look this good.... -- Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Great Title and Some Good Performances.......2006-11-03

"Vengeance Valley" (1951) is not just a great title for a western, but a well-made, intelligent feature that should please Burt Lancaster and Robert Walker fans. A cattle baron (Ray Collins) takes in an orphaned boy (Owen Daybright) and raises him. His own son (Lee Strobie) is about the same age. Although Lee resents Owen they generally get along and share a lot of coming of age adventures on the ranch. But as they mature Lee's (Robert Walker) resentment causes him to become a slacker and the classic prodigal son. After a long absence he returns with a wife, appears to have cleaned up his act, and reconciles with his father.

But Lee's past includes a girl named Lily that he got pregnant. Owen covers for him, but this causes Lee to resent his stepbrother even more. When he suspects that his father's ranch and his new wife are slipping away from him, he sets up Owen to be killed by Lily's two brothers. Although this prodigal son-Cain and Abel stuff is hardly original, the two stars are excellent in their respective parts. Lancaster reins in his excesses and gives a nice controlled performance, with his suppressed energy just visible enough to give Owen a nice dimensionality.

Walker in convincing as a two-faced villain, still motivated by childhood jealousy but able to conceal it from everyone but the audience. Walker is relatively forgotten today, but was the 1940's version of James Dean; although his looks and style are more like a young Robert Vaughn.

When not occupied with its melodramatic story, "Vengeance Valley" has the look of an extremely well-produced documentary, going into great detail about the process of a spring roundup and providing a lot of very scenic backgrounds. A ranch hand named Hewie (Carleton Carpenter) provides an informative voice-over. The film features some great cattle scenes, a lot of good riding sequences, and a couple well staged fights. Watch for an early appearance by young Hugh O'Brian-just a few years away from starring in television's "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp".

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

1 out of 5 stars OK Western, poor quality tape.......2004-02-24

I purchased Front Row Entertainment's VHS version of "Vengeance Valley" and was bitterly disappointed. The video quality is poor and the sound track is no better. The story, from what I could make of it, is humdrum. If you're a Lancaster fan, however, the movie is worth having in your collection. And if you're a fan of wasting 20 bucks on a poor quality video, this is a tape for you!

3 out of 5 stars A Good Cast in an Average Western.......2001-04-29

Vengeance Valley is an average Western. Its best feature is a remarkably strong cast. This alone means that it ought not to be classified as a B film, for second features could not afford so many familiar faces, nor could they afford the fine location shooting which is to be found in Vengeance Valley. The cast perform quite well. Robert Walker always makes a better villain than a good guy. He portrays both weakness and malevolence in a performance which bears comparison with his more celebrated role in Strangers on a Train. It is always a pleasure to watch Burt Lancaster, but his acting lacks the authority which would be present in his later films. I always look out for Joanne Dru films, but this is not one of her best. The feisty and beautiful heroine of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Red River seems to have faded somewhat and it is possible to see in this film the seeds of her decline as a star. She would make no more important films after this.

The story is interesting without being original. Walker and his foster brother Lancaster fight it out over Dru and Cattle. Strangely the `vengeance' of the film's title does not refer to this aspect of the plot, but to a sub-plot in which two cowboys seek vengeance on the man who made their sister pregnant. Still Vengeance Valley makes a more snappy title than Battling Brothers.

This is by no means a classic Western, but it is perfectly competent. It may not linger long in the memory, but fans of the genre will certainly enjoy the ride while it lasts.

3 out of 5 stars Sturdy Western.......2001-04-11

This is a sturdy western featuring beautiful color photography, and an interesting character study. Burt Lancaster plays a stolid, depedable foster son who reluctantly has to face down his reckless foster brother played by Robert Walker. Walker and Lancaster play off each other well, their naturally opposing acting styles heightning the conflict between these two. Unfortunately, Robert Walker, who made quite an impression in his short film career -- especially in Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" -- would be dead shortly after this film was released. A sad footnote to an overlooked but interesting film.
Vengeance Valley
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Great Title and Some Good Performances
  • OK Western, poor quality tape
  • A Good Cast in an Average Western
  • Sturdy Western
 Vengeance Valley
Starring: Burt Lancaster , Robert Walker , Joanne Dru , Sally Forrest , and John Ireland
Director: Richard Thorpe
Manufacturer: Brentwood Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
ClassicsClassics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
Andrews, StanleyAndrews, Stanley | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Carpenter, CarletonCarpenter, Carleton | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Collins, RayCollins, Ray | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Dru, JoanneDru, Joanne | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Ferguson, AlFerguson, Al | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Forrest, SallyForrest, Sally | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Ireland, JohnIreland, John | ( I ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Lancaster, BurtLancaster, Burt | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
O'Brian, HughO'Brian, Hugh | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Strange, GlennStrange, Glenn | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Walker, RobertWalker, Robert | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Wilke, Robert JWilke, Robert J | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Wright, WillWright, Will | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Thorpe, RichardThorpe, Richard | ( T ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
4-for-3 All DVDs4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
WesternsWesterns | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $7.49DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
All DealsAll Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Kids & Family | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
( V )( V ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0000CNY5H
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Amazon.com

The charms of DVD sometimes passeth understanding. Vengeance Valley is an 83-minute B Western directed (barely) by the dullest of MGM hacks, Richard Thorpe, and based on one of the genre's hoariest formulas--the bad natural son (Robert Walker), the good foster son (Burt Lancaster), and the range empire they respectively imperil and rescue. Everyone on board was marking time: Walker, who otherwise spent 1951 playing Bruno Anthony in Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, and who would be dead within the year; Lancaster, whose glum performance hints at neither the gusto of his early-'50s swashbucklers nor the fact that he would soon be collecting Oscar nominations; Joanne Dru (playing Walker's recent bride), who only a year earlier was working for John Ford; and screenwriter Irving Ravetch, who would draw a much more auspicious ranch-land assignment a decade later with Hud (1963). No, we can't make exalted claims for Vengeance Valley--but that's just the point: this is an absolutely typical slice of moviegoing life in 1951, and watching this DVD is as uncanny as a trip in a time machine. The aura is perfected by the true three-strip Technicolor print, not a latterday Eastmancolor approximation of the real thing. Throw in a supporting cast of such sagebrush perennials as John Ireland, Will Wright, Glenn Strange, Jim Hayward, and TV's Wyatt Earp-to-be, Hugh O'Brian, and you've got a quintessential Saturday at the Bijou. Now if only the great color films of the period could all look this good.... -- Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Great Title and Some Good Performances.......2006-11-03

"Vengeance Valley" (1951) is not just a great title for a western, but a well-made, intelligent feature that should please Burt Lancaster and Robert Walker fans. A cattle baron (Ray Collins) takes in an orphaned boy (Owen Daybright) and raises him. His own son (Lee Strobie) is about the same age. Although Lee resents Owen they generally get along and share a lot of coming of age adventures on the ranch. But as they mature Lee's (Robert Walker) resentment causes him to become a slacker and the classic prodigal son. After a long absence he returns with a wife, appears to have cleaned up his act, and reconciles with his father.

But Lee's past includes a girl named Lily that he got pregnant. Owen covers for him, but this causes Lee to resent his stepbrother even more. When he suspects that his father's ranch and his new wife are slipping away from him, he sets up Owen to be killed by Lily's two brothers. Although this prodigal son-Cain and Abel stuff is hardly original, the two stars are excellent in their respective parts. Lancaster reins in his excesses and gives a nice controlled performance, with his suppressed energy just visible enough to give Owen a nice dimensionality.

Walker in convincing as a two-faced villain, still motivated by childhood jealousy but able to conceal it from everyone but the audience. Walker is relatively forgotten today, but was the 1940's version of James Dean; although his looks and style are more like a young Robert Vaughn.

When not occupied with its melodramatic story, "Vengeance Valley" has the look of an extremely well-produced documentary, going into great detail about the process of a spring roundup and providing a lot of very scenic backgrounds. A ranch hand named Hewie (Carleton Carpenter) provides an informative voice-over. The film features some great cattle scenes, a lot of good riding sequences, and a couple well staged fights. Watch for an early appearance by young Hugh O'Brian-just a few years away from starring in television's "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp".

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

1 out of 5 stars OK Western, poor quality tape.......2004-02-24

I purchased Front Row Entertainment's VHS version of "Vengeance Valley" and was bitterly disappointed. The video quality is poor and the sound track is no better. The story, from what I could make of it, is humdrum. If you're a Lancaster fan, however, the movie is worth having in your collection. And if you're a fan of wasting 20 bucks on a poor quality video, this is a tape for you!

3 out of 5 stars A Good Cast in an Average Western.......2001-04-29

Vengeance Valley is an average Western. Its best feature is a remarkably strong cast. This alone means that it ought not to be classified as a B film, for second features could not afford so many familiar faces, nor could they afford the fine location shooting which is to be found in Vengeance Valley. The cast perform quite well. Robert Walker always makes a better villain than a good guy. He portrays both weakness and malevolence in a performance which bears comparison with his more celebrated role in Strangers on a Train. It is always a pleasure to watch Burt Lancaster, but his acting lacks the authority which would be present in his later films. I always look out for Joanne Dru films, but this is not one of her best. The feisty and beautiful heroine of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Red River seems to have faded somewhat and it is possible to see in this film the seeds of her decline as a star. She would make no more important films after this.

The story is interesting without being original. Walker and his foster brother Lancaster fight it out over Dru and Cattle. Strangely the `vengeance' of the film's title does not refer to this aspect of the plot, but to a sub-plot in which two cowboys seek vengeance on the man who made their sister pregnant. Still Vengeance Valley makes a more snappy title than Battling Brothers.

This is by no means a classic Western, but it is perfectly competent. It may not linger long in the memory, but fans of the genre will certainly enjoy the ride while it lasts.

3 out of 5 stars Sturdy Western.......2001-04-11

This is a sturdy western featuring beautiful color photography, and an interesting character study. Burt Lancaster plays a stolid, depedable foster son who reluctantly has to face down his reckless foster brother played by Robert Walker. Walker and Lancaster play off each other well, their naturally opposing acting styles heightning the conflict between these two. Unfortunately, Robert Walker, who made quite an impression in his short film career -- especially in Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" -- would be dead shortly after this film was released. A sad footnote to an overlooked but interesting film.
Vengeance Valley
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Vengeance Valley

    Manufacturer: Synergy Ent
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
    DVDs Under $9.99DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
    ASIN: B000QTD6DI
    Release Date: 2007-05-15

    amazon.com

    A cattle baron takes in an orphaned boy and raises him, causing his own son to resent the boy. As they get older the resentment festers into hatred, and eventually the real son frames his stepbrother for fathering an illegitimate child that is actually his, seeing it as an opportunity to get his half-brother out of the way so he can have his father's empire all to himself.
    Sundowners/Vengeance Valley
    Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    • OK Movies- poor presentation
    		 Sundowners/Vengeance Valley
    Starring: Sundowners , and Vengeance Valley
    Manufacturer: Krb Music
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
    ( S )( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
    4-for-3 All DVDs4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
    ASIN: B000244FTG
    Release Date: 2006-04-04

    Product Description

    Double Feature DVD. Also includes a Superman Cartoon and a Popeye Cartoon. Running time is for both movies.

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars OK Movies- poor presentation.......2005-01-13

    They say that you get what you pay for and in this bargain price DVD you get two pretty good public domain westerns from the early 1950s, a couple of cartoons and several vintage TV commerials, mostly for children's toys. In all a pretty entertaining package, but greatly marred by a general lack of care in presentation. The print of The Sundowners is especially poor, with washed out color, deep emulsion scratches and missing frames- too bad, it's a pretty good movie with a great performance by Robert Preston as the villian/antihero. The source print for Vengence Valley, a glossy M-G-M release starring Burt Lancaster, is much better, but the presentation is marred by poor mastering which causes the picture to appear fuzzy throughout.
    Vengeance Valley & Rage at Dawn (2pc)
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Two From The 50's..Great Western Adventure, Wonderful Stars
    		 Vengeance Valley & Rage at Dawn (2pc)
    Starring: Burt Lancaster , Robert Walker , Joanne Dru , Sally Forrest , and John Ireland
    Director: Richard Thorpe , and Tim Whelan
    Manufacturer: Good Times Video
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
    GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
    ClassicsClassics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
    Andrews, StanleyAndrews, Stanley | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Carpenter, CarletonCarpenter, Carleton | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Collins, RayCollins, Ray | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Dru, JoanneDru, Joanne | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Ferguson, AlFerguson, Al | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Forrest, SallyForrest, Sally | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Ireland, JohnIreland, John | ( I ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Lancaster, BurtLancaster, Burt | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    O'Brian, HughO'Brian, Hugh | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Strange, GlennStrange, Glenn | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Walker, RobertWalker, Robert | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Wilke, Robert JWilke, Robert J | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Wright, WillWright, Will | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Thorpe, RichardThorpe, Richard | ( T ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
    Whelan, TimWhelan, Tim | ( W ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
    4-for-3 All DVDs4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
    DVDs Under $7.49DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
    All DealsAll Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
    ( V )( V ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
    ASIN: B0000687CT
    Release Date: 2002-06-25

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Two From The 50's..Great Western Adventure, Wonderful Stars.......2007-01-29

    Western lovers..kick off your boots and set a spell..here are two from the 50's that should satisfy your hankerin for some good ole fashion western adventure.

    "Vengeance Valley" from 1951, stars Burt Lancaster as Owen Daybright, the "good brother"(how could you not be good with a name like that?), and Robert Walker as Lee Strobel his evil brother. Owen has spent his life covering up for Lee's mistakes. When Lee gets one of the local girls "in trouble",Lee puts the blame on Owen, and her brothers come after him with a vengeance. He has to fight them off and take care of their vast cattle empire all in 83 minutes! Who else but Burt Lancaster can handle all this? The film was directed by Richard Thorpe(Jailhouse Rock) and also look for such notables as John Ireland, Hugh O'Brien, Joanne Dru and Sally Forrest .

    This film may also be purchased in a 4 pack "Legends of the West", DVD(BCI Elipse LLC 2002), with three more action packed, entertaining Westerns. It includes "One Eyed Jacks"(starring and directed by Marlon Brando), "The Sundowners"(NOT the 1960 one with Robert Mitchum) from 1950, starring Robert Preston, and "The Big Trees" from 1952 starring Kirk Douglas.

    "Rage At Dawn": From 1955, this one is based on the Reno Brothers. Robbing banks, terrorizing the good townspeople, and just being a general menace to society, these guys needed to be stopped! Enter one brave lawman James Barlow( Randolph Scott), who infiltrates the outfit and tries to restore law and order to the community. It's not easy though, as the town leaders are getting kick backs from the bad guys and are not willing participants to seeing justice done! Some wonderful stars include Forrest Tucker, Edgar Buchanan, Denver Pyle and J. Carrol Naish. It is Directed by Tim Whelan.

    This film may also be purchased in a set of 4, by Platinum disc. The set is called "Great American Western Vol 1".
    The other films included are "To The Last Man"/1933,"The Fighting Westerner"/1935, and "Abilene Town"/1946. They all star Randolph Scott, and include lots of famous faces from the era.

    So saddle up for some great Western Adventure..
    Happy Trails...Laurie
    Vengeance Valley/Rage at Dawn
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Two From The 50's..Great Western Adventure, Wonderful Stars
    		 Vengeance Valley/Rage at Dawn
    Starring: Randolph Scott , Forrest Tucker , Mala Powers , J. Carrol Naish , and Edgar Buchanan
    Director: Tim Whelan , and Richard Thorpe
    Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
    ClassicsClassics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
    Randolph ScottRandolph Scott | Western Stars | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
    Buchanan, EdgarBuchanan, Edgar | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Healey, MyronHealey, Myron | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Moore, DennisMoore, Dennis | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Naish, J CarrolNaish, J Carrol | ( N ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Powers, MalaPowers, Mala | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Pyle, DenverPyle, Denver | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Scott, RandolphScott, Randolph | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Space, ArthurSpace, Arthur | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Teal, RayTeal, Ray | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Tobey, KennethTobey, Kenneth | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Tucker, ForrestTucker, Forrest | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Thorpe, RichardThorpe, Richard | ( T ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
    Whelan, TimWhelan, Tim | ( W ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
    4-for-3 All DVDs4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
    DVDs Under $7.49DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
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    Similar Items:
    1. The Man Behind the Gun / Thunder Over the Plains / Riding Shotgun
    2. Hangman's Knot
    3. Colt .45 / Tall Man Riding / Fort Worth
    4. Randolph Scott Double Feature, Vol. 2
    5. Randolph Scott: Fighting Westerner/Man of the Forest

    ASIN: B00004VVMX
    Release Date: 1999-06-29

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Two From The 50's..Great Western Adventure, Wonderful Stars.......2004-08-04

    Western lovers..kick off your boots and set a spell..here are two from the 50's that should satisfy your hankerin for some good ole fashion western adventure.

    "Vengeance Valley" from 1951, stars Burt Lancaster as Owen Daybright, the "good brother"(how could you not be good with a name like that?), and Robert Walker as Lee Strobel his evil brother. Owen has spent his life covering up for Lee's mistakes. When Lee gets one of the local girls "in trouble",Lee puts the blame on Owen, and her brothers come after him with a vengeance. He has to fight them off and take care of their vast cattle empire all in 83 minutes! Who else but Burt Lancaster can handle all this? The film was directed by Richard Thorpe(Jailhouse Rock) and also look for such notables as John Ireland, Hugh O'Brien, Joanne Dru and Sally Forrest .

    This film may also be purchased in a 4 pack "Legends of the West", DVD(BCI Elipse LLC 2002), with three more action packed, entertaining Westerns. It includes "One Eyed Jacks"(starring and directed by Marlon Brando), "The Sundowners"(NOT the 1960 one with Robert Mitchum) from 1950, starring Robert Preston, and "The Big Trees" from 1952 starring Kirk Douglas.

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

    This film may also be purchased in a set of 4, by Platinum disc. The set is called "Great American Western Vol 1".
    The other films included are "To The Last Man"/1933,"The Fighting Westerner"/1935, and "Abilene Town"/1946. They all star Randolph Scott, and include lots of famous faces from the era.


    So saddle up for some great Western Adventure..
    Happy Trails...Laurie

    Vengeance Valley
    Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    • Great Title and Some Good Performances
    • OK Western, poor quality tape
    • A Good Cast in an Average Western
    • Sturdy Western
    		 Vengeance Valley
    Starring: Burt Lancaster , Robert Walker , Joanne Dru , Sally Forrest , and John Ireland
    Director: Richard Thorpe
    Manufacturer: St Clair Vision
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
    ClassicsClassics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
    Andrews, StanleyAndrews, Stanley | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Carpenter, CarletonCarpenter, Carleton | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Collins, RayCollins, Ray | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Dru, JoanneDru, Joanne | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Ferguson, AlFerguson, Al | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Forrest, SallyForrest, Sally | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Ireland, JohnIreland, John | ( I ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Lancaster, BurtLancaster, Burt | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    O'Brian, HughO'Brian, Hugh | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Strange, GlennStrange, Glenn | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Walker, RobertWalker, Robert | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Wilke, Robert JWilke, Robert J | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Wright, WillWright, Will | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Thorpe, RichardThorpe, Richard | ( T ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
    4-for-3 All DVDs4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
    WesternsWesterns | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
    All DealsAll Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
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    ASIN: B0001GH76S
    Release Date: 2004-02-10

    Amazon.com

    The charms of DVD sometimes passeth understanding. Vengeance Valley is an 83-minute B Western directed (barely) by the dullest of MGM hacks, Richard Thorpe, and based on one of the genre's hoariest formulas--the bad natural son (Robert Walker), the good foster son (Burt Lancaster), and the range empire they respectively imperil and rescue. Everyone on board was marking time: Walker, who otherwise spent 1951 playing Bruno Anthony in Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, and who would be dead within the year; Lancaster, whose glum performance hints at neither the gusto of his early-'50s swashbucklers nor the fact that he would soon be collecting Oscar nominations; Joanne Dru (playing Walker's recent bride), who only a year earlier was working for John Ford; and screenwriter Irving Ravetch, who would draw a much more auspicious ranch-land assignment a decade later with Hud (1963). No, we can't make exalted claims for Vengeance Valley--but that's just the point: this is an absolutely typical slice of moviegoing life in 1951, and watching this DVD is as uncanny as a trip in a time machine. The aura is perfected by the true three-strip Technicolor print, not a latterday Eastmancolor approximation of the real thing. Throw in a supporting cast of such sagebrush perennials as John Ireland, Will Wright, Glenn Strange, Jim Hayward, and TV's Wyatt Earp-to-be, Hugh O'Brian, and you've got a quintessential Saturday at the Bijou. Now if only the great color films of the period could all look this good.... -- Richard T. Jameson

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Great Title and Some Good Performances.......2006-11-03

    "Vengeance Valley" (1951) is not just a great title for a western, but a well-made, intelligent feature that should please Burt Lancaster and Robert Walker fans. A cattle baron (Ray Collins) takes in an orphaned boy (Owen Daybright) and raises him. His own son (Lee Strobie) is about the same age. Although Lee resents Owen they generally get along and share a lot of coming of age adventures on the ranch. But as they mature Lee's (Robert Walker) resentment causes him to become a slacker and the classic prodigal son. After a long absence he returns with a wife, appears to have cleaned up his act, and reconciles with his father.

    But Lee's past includes a girl named Lily that he got pregnant. Owen covers for him, but this causes Lee to resent his stepbrother even more. When he suspects that his father's ranch and his new wife are slipping away from him, he sets up Owen to be killed by Lily's two brothers. Although this prodigal son-Cain and Abel stuff is hardly original, the two stars are excellent in their respective parts. Lancaster reins in his excesses and gives a nice controlled performance, with his suppressed energy just visible enough to give Owen a nice dimensionality.

    Walker in convincing as a two-faced villain, still motivated by childhood jealousy but able to conceal it from everyone but the audience. Walker is relatively forgotten today, but was the 1940's version of James Dean; although his looks and style are more like a young Robert Vaughn.

    When not occupied with its melodramatic story, "Vengeance Valley" has the look of an extremely well-produced documentary, going into great detail about the process of a spring roundup and providing a lot of very scenic backgrounds. A ranch hand named Hewie (Carleton Carpenter) provides an informative voice-over. The film features some great cattle scenes, a lot of good riding sequences, and a couple well staged fights. Watch for an early appearance by young Hugh O'Brian-just a few years away from starring in television's "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp".

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

    1 out of 5 stars OK Western, poor quality tape.......2004-02-24

    I purchased Front Row Entertainment's VHS version of "Vengeance Valley" and was bitterly disappointed. The video quality is poor and the sound track is no better. The story, from what I could make of it, is humdrum. If you're a Lancaster fan, however, the movie is worth having in your collection. And if you're a fan of wasting 20 bucks on a poor quality video, this is a tape for you!

    3 out of 5 stars A Good Cast in an Average Western.......2001-04-29

    Vengeance Valley is an average Western. Its best feature is a remarkably strong cast. This alone means that it ought not to be classified as a B film, for second features could not afford so many familiar faces, nor could they afford the fine location shooting which is to be found in Vengeance Valley. The cast perform quite well. Robert Walker always makes a better villain than a good guy. He portrays both weakness and malevolence in a performance which bears comparison with his more celebrated role in Strangers on a Train. It is always a pleasure to watch Burt Lancaster, but his acting lacks the authority which would be present in his later films. I always look out for Joanne Dru films, but this is not one of her best. The feisty and beautiful heroine of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Red River seems to have faded somewhat and it is possible to see in this film the seeds of her decline as a star. She would make no more important films after this.

    The story is interesting without being original. Walker and his foster brother Lancaster fight it out over Dru and Cattle. Strangely the `vengeance' of the film's title does not refer to this aspect of the plot, but to a sub-plot in which two cowboys seek vengeance on the man who made their sister pregnant. Still Vengeance Valley makes a more snappy title than Battling Brothers.

    This is by no means a classic Western, but it is perfectly competent. It may not linger long in the memory, but fans of the genre will certainly enjoy the ride while it lasts.

    3 out of 5 stars Sturdy Western.......2001-04-11

    This is a sturdy western featuring beautiful color photography, and an interesting character study. Burt Lancaster plays a stolid, depedable foster son who reluctantly has to face down his reckless foster brother played by Robert Walker. Walker and Lancaster play off each other well, their naturally opposing acting styles heightning the conflict between these two. Unfortunately, Robert Walker, who made quite an impression in his short film career -- especially in Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" -- would be dead shortly after this film was released. A sad footnote to an overlooked but interesting film.
    PopFlix - Western (One-Eyed Jacks / Vengeance Valley)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		PopFlix - Western (One-Eyed Jacks / Vengeance Valley)
      Starring: One-Eyed Jacks Vengeance
      Manufacturer: Pop Flix
      ProductGroup: DVD
      Binding: DVD

      GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
      ( O )( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
      4-for-3 All DVDs4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
      ASIN: B000F8O3KA
      Release Date: 2006-05-09

      Description

      Total Running Time: 3 hrs 44 min

      One Eyed Jacks (1961) 141 min. COLOR Starring: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Pina Pellicer; Director: Marlon Brando After robbing a bank, Kid Rio (Marlon Brando) is double-crossed by his partner Dad Longworth (Karl Malden) and is jailed in a brutal Mexican prison. After five long years, Rio escapes and seeks revenge in Monterey, but complications arise when he finds that Longworth has become the town sheriff - and Rio falls in love with his ex-partner's beautiful stepdaughter.

      Vengeance Valley (1951) 83 min. COLOR Starring: Burt Lancaster, Robert Walker, John Ireland; Director: Richard Thorpe In this gorgeously filmed western, the famous "Cain and Abel" theme gets a Wild West twist! A cattle baron raises an orphaned boy, causing resentment in his own son. As the boys grow into manhood, the animosity festers until the son discovers an opportunity to finally get his half-brother out of the way so he can have his father's empire all to himself. Stars Burt Lancaster in his first western role!
      Vengeance Valley
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Vengeance Valley
        Starring: Stanley Andrews , Margaret Bert , Paul E. Burns , Roy Butler , and Carleton Carpenter
        Director: Richard Thorpe
        Manufacturer: Vidtape
        ProductGroup: DVD
        Binding: DVD

        GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
        ClassicsClassics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
        Andrews, StanleyAndrews, Stanley | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
        Burns, Paul EBurns, Paul E | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
        Carpenter, CarletonCarpenter, Carleton | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
        Collins, RayCollins, Ray | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
        Dru, JoanneDru, Joanne | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
        Ferguson, AlFerguson, Al | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
        Forrest, SallyForrest, Sally | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
        O'Brian, HughO'Brian, Hugh | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
        Strange, GlennStrange, Glenn | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
        Wright, WillWright, Will | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
        Thorpe, RichardThorpe, Richard | ( T ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
        4-for-3 All DVDs4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
        ( V )( V ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
        ASIN: B0002Z3QZ4
        Release Date: 2005-01-31

        Product Description

        Based on the thrilling novel and the Saturday Evening Post serial by Luke Short, Vengeance Valley combines a strong story about rivalries and honor with terrific cattle sequences and rousing fights.

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