Stagecoach

Starring:Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, Louise Platt, George Bancroft, Donald Meek, Berton Churchill, Tim Holt, Tom Tyler, Chuck Stubbs, Mary Kathleen Walker, Dorothy Appleby, Nora Cecil, Jim Mason, Artie Ortego, Edward Brady, Francis Ford, Helen Gibson
Director: John Ford
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

There may be no better representation of America's love of the old West than the 10-disc John Ford-John Wayne Collection. The iconic star and iconic director collaborated on 14 films, eight of which appear here. Four--Fort Apache (1948), The Long Voyage Home (1940), The Wings of Eagles (1957), and 3 Godfathers (1948)--are appearing for the first time on DVD, and the two most famous, Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956), are represented in brand-new two-disc editions that add new and old featurettes as well as the outstanding American Masters documentary John Ford/John Wayne: The Filmmaker and the Legend. (This Ultimate Edition of The Searchers adds a variety of printed materials as well, such as reproductions of press materials and a 1956 comic book.) Two other landmark films previously available on DVD, They Were Expendable (1945) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), round out the set. The three non-Westerns in the set have military settings, with They Were Expendable arguably the greatest World War II picture ever.

The Movies:
A favorite film of some of the world's greatest filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, John Ford's The Searchers has earned its place in the legacy of great American films for a variety of reasons. Perhaps most notably, it's the definitive role for John Wayne as an icon of the classic Western--the hero (or antihero) who must stand alone according to the unwritten code of the West. The story takes place in Texas in 1868; Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a Confederate veteran who visits his brother and sister-in-law at their ranch and is horrified when they are killed by marauding Comanches. Ethan's search for a surviving niece (played by young Natalie Wood) becomes an all-consuming obsession. With the help of a family friend (Jeffrey Hunter) who is himself part Cherokee, Ethan hits the trail on a five-year quest for revenge. At the peak of his masterful talent, director Ford crafts this classic tale as an embittered examination of racism and blind hatred, provoking Wayne to give one of the best performances of his career. As with many of Ford's classic Westerns, The Searchers must contend with revisionism in its stereotypical treatment of "savage" Native Americans, and the film's visual beauty (the final shot is one of the great images in all of Western culture) is compromised by some uneven performances and stilted dialogue. Still, this is undeniably one of the greatest Westerns ever made.

The landmark Western Stagecoach began the legendary relationship between Ford and Wayne, and became the standard for all subsequent Westerns. It solidified Ford as a major director and established Wayne as a charismatic screen presence. Seen today, Stagecoach still impresses as the first mature instance of a Western that is both mythic and poetic. The story about a cross-section of troubled passengers unraveling under the strain of Indian attack contains all of Ford's incomparable storytelling trademarks--particularly swift action and social introspection--underscored by the painterly landscape of Monument Valley. And what an ensemble of actors: Thomas Mitchell (who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as the drunken doctor), Claire Trevor, Donald Meek, Andy Devine, and the magical John Carradine.

Fort Apache stars Wayne as a Cavalry officer used to doing things a certain way out West at Fort Apache. Along comes a rigid, new commanding officer (Henry Fonda) who insists that everything on his watch be done by the book, including dealings with local Indians. The results are mixed: greater discipline at the fort, but increased hostilities with the natives. Ford deliberately leaves judgments about the wisdom of these changes ambiguous, but he also allows plenty of room for the fullness of life among the soldiers and their families to blossom. Fonda, in an unusual role for him, is stern and formal as the new man in charge; Wayne is heroic as the rebellious second; Victor McLaglen provides comic relief; and Ward Bond is a paragon of sturdy and sentimental masculinity. All of this is set against the magnificent, poetic topography of Monument Valley. This is easily one of the greatest of American films.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, the second installment of Ford's famous cavalry trilogy (which also includes Fort Apache and Rio Grande), continues the director's fascination with history's obliteration of the past. It features one of John Wayne's more sensitive performances as Capt. Nathan Brittles, a stern yet sentimental war horse who has difficulty preparing for his impending military retirement. It's a film about honor and duty as well as loneliness and mortality. And Oscar-winner Winton C. Hoch beautifully photographs it in Remington-like Technicolor tones. The combination of melancholy and farce (Victor McLaglen makes a perfect court jester) evokes comparisons to Shakespeare. Best of all, the scene in which Wayne fights back tears when receiving a gold watch from his troops is unforgettably bittersweet. If you view the whole trilogy, it actually makes sense to save this for last.

It's hardly shameful that Three Godfathers ranks as the slightest John Ford Western in a five-year arc that includes My Darling Clementine, Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Wagon Master, and Rio Grande. The story had already been filmed at least five times--once by Ford himself. Just before Christmas, three workaday outlaws (John Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz, Harry Carey Jr.) rob a bank and flee into the desert. The canny town marshal (Ward Bond) moves swiftly to cut them off from the wells along their escape route, so they make for another, deep in the wasteland. There's no water waiting for them, but there is a woman (Mildred Natwick) on the verge of death--and also of giving birth. The three badmen accept her dying commission as godfathers to the newborn. Motley variants of the Three Wise Men, they strike out for the town of New Jerusalem with her Bible as roadmap. Ford's is the softest retelling of the tale, but it's all played with great gusto and tenderness--especially by Wayne, who's rarely been more appealing. Visually the film is one knockout shot after another. This was Ford's first Western in Technicolor, as well as his first collaboration with cinematographer Winton Hoch. What they do with sand ripples and shadows and long plumes of train smoke is rapturously beautiful. It's also often too arty by half, but who can blame them?

Eugene O'Neill loved The Long Voyage Home, the feature-length adaptation of his one-act sea plays, with intelligent bridging material written by Dudley Nichols and a final movement, both hellish and elegiac, appropriate to the onset of World War II. John Ford directed, in his more self-consciously arty vein but with no loss of power or passion. The focus is on the working seamen aboard a merchant ship making its way from the Caribbean to New York harbor and then England, with dangerous cargo on the transatlantic leg. Thomas Mitchell (who had won a 1939 Oscar in Ford's Stagecoach) gives a career-best performance as Driscoll; Ian Hunter plays the enigmatic shipmate known only as "Smitty"; Ford regulars Barry Fitzgerald, John Qualen, Ward Bond, Arthur Shields, and Joseph Sawyer fill key roles; and the top-billed John Wayne contributes a surprisingly effective supporting performance as Ole, a gentle Swedish giant who really belongs on a farm somewhere. Although neglected in recent years, this movie has a permanent place of honor in one of the most amazing three-year creative streaks any director ever had.

John Ford had a big emotional investment in The Wings of Eagles, and his favorite star John Wayne rewarded the director with one of his strongest performances. The subject is Frank "Spig" Wead, Naval aviation legend turned Hollywood screenwriter, who had written Ford's very good 1932 movie Air Mail and his magnificent WWII elegy They Were Expendable (1945). Ford was fond of exploring the theme of "victory in defeat." Wead's life was made to order for that. The hell-raising flyboy shenanigans, and his flailing marriage to a scrappy Irish redhead (The Quiet Man's Maureen O'Hara reporting for duty), were abruptly curtailed by a fall that left him with severe spinal damage. He should never have been able to walk again, but he fought his way back to limited mobility and built a new career as a writer. And when WWII broke out, Wead made a key contribution to the Pacific air war. It would be satisfying to report that The Wings of Eagles is a triumph--that the broad comedy of the early reels cuts brilliantly against the raw pain of the Weads' marriage, the grief of a family broken and mended and broken again, the film's specters of death and deep frustration. There are powerful moments, but the low comedy is very low, the visual style sometimes stark but more often just drab, and the screenplay is very choppy about the passage of time.

They Were Expendable is the greatest American film of the Second World War, made by America's greatest director, John Ford, who himself saw action from the Battle of Midway through D-day. Yet it's been oddly neglected. Or perhaps not so oddly: for as the matter-of-fact title implies, the film commemorates a period, from the eve of Pearl Harbor up to the impending fall of Bataan, when the Japanese conquest of the Pacific was in full cry and U.S. forces were fighting a desperate holding action. Although stirring movies had been made about these early days, they were gung ho in their resolve to see the tables turned. They Were Expendable, however, which was made when Allied victory was all but assured, is profoundly elegiac, with the patient grandeur of a tragic poem. "They" are the officers and men of the Navy's PT boat service, an experimental motor-torpedo force relegated to courier duty on Manila Bay but eventually proven effective in combat. Their commander is played by Robert Montgomery, who actually served on a PT and later commanded a destroyer at Normandy (he also codirected the breathtaking second-unit action sequences). John Wayne's costarring role as Montgomery's volatile second-in-command initially looks stereotypically blustery, but as the drama unfolds, Wayne sounds notes of tenderness and vulnerability that will take Duke-bashers by surprise. They Were Expendable is a heartbreakingly beautiful film, full of astonishing images of warfare, grief, courage, and dignity. This is a masterpiece.

Description

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

Customer Reviews:

What a Deal........2007-04-28

A lot has been said about this collection. I would just like to point out that the price can't be beat either. The Searchers disk alone would set you back 35 dollars. The Stagecoach another 20. The other six DVD's are free. About 60 to 70 dollars worth. Man you can't do any better. I already had The Wings of Eagles and The Long Voyage Home. The set DVD's are identical to the DVD's I already had, so this isn't a stripped down set at all.

Superb John Wayne.......2007-03-22

An excellent selection of John Wayne movies. The Searchers has been rated one of his best with She Wore a Yellow Ribbon my all time favorite. Fort Apache is excellent also. The Long Voyage and They were Expendable were minor roles for him but all in all a great collection of films. The man became the all american hero even before his passing.

8 Films By Two Screen Legends.......2007-03-19

This is one of the larger collections that came out last year and whatever else you may think about John Wayne, he was the most prolific star of his (perhaps of all) time, twice the output of Humphrey Bogart, for example.

John Ford was also quite prolific but many of his early ones are lost. Still, his place and time as one of the great auteurs intrigues many of cinephile.

Some favorites are missing but are available, such as "Rio Grande", "The Quiet Man" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". The extras for this set are in some cases, non existant, while some are repeats, but the main reason to own this set is for the films themselves.

"Stagecoach" - This 1939 Western stands as the turning point for both Ford's and especially Wayne's careers. This is also quite an ensemble piece for which Donald Meek, Thomas Mitchell (was Oscar for this), John Caradine, Andy Devine, George Bancroft, Louise Pratt and Berton Churchill spend much screen time as the occupants of the stagecoach along with JW and Clair Trevor. Wayne and Trevor provide the love story, she as the whore being run out of town, he the vengeful outlaw who Bancroft wants to lock up for Wayne's own good. But all are misfits in this journey and even though quite laughable today, a fun movie to watch. Alas, the native Americans are basically just ducks in a shooting gallery.

"The Long Voyage Home" is another ensemble piece and does have the odd casting of Wayne as the big Swede who doesn't hit back. Mitchell returns and is actually the main character in this movie, which does have the great bittersweet language of Eugene O'Neil. This offers what a good actor Ward Bond was when called to be when he has his death scene.

"They Were Expendable" Ford won two Oscars for documentaries shot in World War Two. Wayne made many war pictures but this is my favorite one. The dialogue and settings are quite believable for the most part and Robert Montgomery displays dignity as the one in charge. A nice haunting scene is when Wayne gets caught off talking to Donna Reed with the realization he might never see her again. This also has none of the crazy heroics that many films had (Wayne guilty in many of those) and a good humor with the supporting characters.

"3 Godfathers" is truly an offbeat film. Wayne, Pedro Amadariz and Harry Carey, Jr., are actually bank robbers, quite likable though, who save a woman's baby while running away from sheriff Ward Bond. It is through this baby that the three find redemption though it's only Wayne who has the happy ending. In its way, this is a very spiritual film.

"Fort Apache" is actually my favorite film here. Fords prints the facts and shows them distorted by Wayne for his benefit who he can effectively lead the troop. Henry Fonda plays quite the unsympathic custer character who tricks Cochise to come back. The scene that Fonda has with Cochise, who laments in Spanish the deplorable conditions but chills the white man's chilling response, is brilliant. The adult Shirley Temple provides support here with the bland John Agar. Also very good, Ward Bond, Victor McLagden and Pedro Armandariz.

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is quite a melodramtic film with Wayne talking to tombstones and weeping half the time. Still, great comedic support from Victor McLagden. "Don't apolagize, it's a sign of weakness" Wayne repeats over and over. However, both Agar and Carey, Jr., aren't given much to do. Ben Johnson does what he does best. It's interesting that George O'Brien was Ford's big star in the silent era and here and Fort Apache just strictly a sad character actor. Still, John Wayne makes this watchable and the gold watch scene quite effective.

"The Searchers" which along with "Stagecoach" gets a second disk of extras. This is the definitive Wayne-Ford movie, as good as any film noir as the antihero makes good. Wayne plays the racist Ethan Edwards and Jeff Hunter co stars as the other searcher who must accompany Wayne before Wayne finds and murders his niece, played by the beautiful Natalie Wood. The firing into the dead Indian's eyes, the shooting of buffalo, the shooting of Indians in the back, the digust of looking at white women are among the most powerful scenes Wayne or Ford have ever done. It would have been interesting if Wayne actually killed Wood because that's the actual story, but thank God he didn't. This film is not a comfortable film to watch and it's not intended to be. The race issues it addresses still hold true today.

"The Wings of Eagles" is in my opinion, the weakest Wayne-Ford movie. There's no sense of period. The slapstick doesn't work for me and Maureen O'Hara's character's alcoholism is never addressed. However, Wayne's determination to move that toe, strongly assisted by Dan Dailey, makes up for a lot. Also, way too briefly, Ward Bond as John Ford. Also fun is hearing Wayne's comment of bringing in the seventh calvary when viewing an early Clark Gable movie.

SPANISH SUBTITLES MISSING - IT'S A PITY!!!!.......2007-03-11

Despite the DVD label states subtitles available in English, French and Spanish, NO SPANISH SUBTITLES ARE AVAILABLE IN THIS FILM. Unbelievable such a top level collection with this mismatch!

I would have enjoyed a complete understanding of the film, given I am an enthusiastic cinematography student, and even worse: I am a Spanish speaker!!! My sister is now writing for me!!

Thanks to Amazon for its fine service in Argentina.

PABLO GALARZA

Duke classic collection.......2007-03-09

From his first efforts in "The Long Voyage Home" to the classic "The Searchers"-this set is a must have for those who are truly John Wayne fans. Watch them in chronological order to get a real feel for these movies and how John Wayne grew into the star he was. Again, John Ford utilizes supporting players who are great actors in their own rights. If you love the Duke-you'll want this collection.

Average customer rating:

Stagecoach
John Ford and John Wayne, a pairing for the ages.
SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON
region 1 DVD
Gorgeous Scenery and Intricate Characters

Stagecoach (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Claire Trevor , John Wayne , Andy Devine , John Carradine , and Thomas Mitchell
Director: John Ford
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000F0UUJ6
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Amazon.com essential video

This landmark 1939 Western began the legendary relationship between John Ford and John Wayne, and became the standard for all subsequent Westerns. It solidified Ford as a major director and established Wayne as a charismatic screen presence. Seen today, Stagecoach still impresses as the first mature instance of a Western that is both mythic and poetic. The story about a cross-section of troubled passengers unraveling under the strain of Indian attack contains all of Ford's incomparable storytelling trademarks--particularly swift action and social introspection--underscored by the painterly landscape of Monument Valley. And what an ensemble of actors: Thomas Mitchell (who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as the drunken doctor), Claire Trevor, Donald Meek, Andy Devine, and the magical John Carradine. Due to the film's striking use of chiaroscuro lighting and low ceilings, Orson Welles watched Stagecoach over and over while preparing for Citizen Kane. --Bill Desowitz

Description

Nine disparate travelers are thrust together on a Stagecoach destined for Apache territory...and movie immortality. As the Ringo Kid, director John Ford casr a lanky veteran of 70 B-movies, serials and shorts named John Wayne. Each rifle shot and closeup rang out the news: a new star is born. Claire Trevor, Thomas Mitchell (his Academy Award?-winning* performance) and others made memorable imptressions. Stunt legend Yakima Canutt provided hair-raising thrilles. And 17 American folk songs formed the basis of an Oscar?-winning* score. This adventure ushered in a 30-year era of great Westerns, many featuring its top practitioners ? Ford and Wayne.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by Scott Eyman
Documentary:AMERICAN MASTERS: John Ford/John Wayne: The Filmmaker and the Legend
Featurette:Stagecoach: A Story of Redemption
TV Spot:May 4, 1946 Academy Award Theater Broadcast
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Stagecoach.......2007-06-21

The landmark "A" western, and star-making vehicle for Wayne. Director Ford's, undisputed American masterpiece. Terrific ensemble cast including Claire Trevor, Thomas Mitchell and a host of Ford regulars like Andy Devine, all help make this film spin.

John Ford and John Wayne, a pairing for the ages........2007-05-12

Stagecoach (John Ford, 1939)

Both John Ford and John Wayne had made nearly one hundred films by the time of Stagecoach, but this is the one almost universally regarded as the movie that catapulted both to the status of legends. Deservedly so; I'd say this is one of the five best westerns I've ever seen.

The plot seems simple enough: a stagecoach has to get from point A to point B, with the path travelling through Geronimo's territory, and he's not a happy guy right now. There is, however, a great deal more to it than that; one of the stagecoach's passengers is the wife of an officer who's fighting Geronimo, and the motley band of characters riding in it end up not just going from point A to point B, but C, D, and E as well, with various escapades along the way. It's the western version of a Bunuel film, but with tension mixed into the absurdity. This is not an idle comparison; a lot of the seemingly extraneous shots Ford uses should put one in mind of Bunuel's later work.

The characters, also, are a far cry from what one would expect in such movies. The entire core cast is well-developed and three-dimensional; no one is here just for comic relief, or just to be the action hero. Everyone has a backstory, and it informs each character. That's still rare today; back then it was groundbreaking.

If you've never seen Stagecoach, I recommend giving it a look. Even if you're not fond of westerns, this one's got something to offer. ****

SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON.......2007-02-14

SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON AND OTHER JOHN WAYNE MOVIES WERE ENJOYED BEFORE TODAY'S "LIGHT SHOW" MOVIES AND THE LANGUAGE WAS MORE CIVIL. THE MOVIES MAY APPEAR SIMPLE AND YOU MAY BE MISSING A LOT BECAUSE YOU EXPECT THEM TO BE SIMPLE. THEY WERE AWARD WINNERS IN THEIR HEYDAY. OTHERS, LIKE
STAGECOACH, FORT APACHE AND RIO GRANDE ARE IN BLACK AND WHITE AND YOU MAY
SKIP THEM FOR THAT REASON, BUT WHAT DO YOU MISS. THEY ARE AMERICANA AND
THEY SHOW HUMAN INTEREST VALUE. CHECK OUT THE FINE POINTS. WAS THAT
REALLY A UFO CAUGHT ON CAMERA IN THE FILMING OF RIO GRANDE IN LATE 1940'S ? BY TODAY'S LIGHT SHOW STANDARDS YOU MAY NOT NOTICE THIS "SOMETHING" THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE MOVIE. HECK, YOU MAY NOT SEE IT. AS FOR THE RATING YOU APPLY TO "SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON", DO YOU DO IT BY COMPARISON TO MOVIES OF ITS DAY OR TO THE LIGHT SHOW MOVIES OF NOW ?
JUST ENJOY IT.

region 1 DVD.......2007-02-11

It was impossible to review this item as the discs were for region 1, whereas I live in region 2. Please be careful when dispatching DVDs

Gorgeous Scenery and Intricate Characters.......2007-02-03

Stagecoach is a black and white classic "disparate strangers tossed together" kind of story - and this is the original 1939 version starring John Wayne. You've got all sorts on the stagecoach - Wayne as the goodhearted outlaw out for revenge, a sweet prostitute, a high-class lady, a southern gentleman gambler, a drunkard doc, and so on.

Each person has their own motivation for going on the stagecoach - most are escaping one thing or another in the town. The problem is that the Apaches are out causing trouble, being stirred up by Geronimo. They're told this by another indian - apparently "The Cheyenne hate Apaches worse than we do". One of the hotels in town is named the "Tonto Hotel". Lone Ranger lovers will enjoy the reference. Rumor has it that the friend of the Lone Ranger was named after the Spanish word for "fool".

Soon of course there are Indian troubles for the travelers. They head up higher into the hills because, as one of the men wryly comments, "those beach crowd Apaches don't like snow." The only real Apache they run into is the "squaw" wife of a local Mexican trader. She's one of Geronimo's people - but she sings Spanish song and wears a Spanish looking blanket. She also takes off as soon as she can, and her loss isn't missed much by her husband. He regrets the horse she took more than her loss!

The movie packs a lot into under two hours. First, the scenery - even though it's in black and white - is simply gorgeous. No wonder westerns became such a popular genre, with the fascinating rock formations and wide open skies. Next, the characters are great. You really feel each person has a history, a complex character. The banker is all bluster - but something drove him to betraying his business and taking off with the money, deserting his wife and profession. Characters that start the movie believing in something strongly are often made wiser by the end.

Anyone looking to this to get any sense of what the natives were like back in the wild west won't get much to learn from. Most of the time the Indians are represented by an arrow flying in a window or a scary noise outside the window. The Indians are a faceless, ever-present menace.

On the other hand it's really amazing that this film from 1939 survived this long, in any form. It was very nearly lost. It is great to watch this version and then the 1966 remake with Ann-Margret and Bing Crosby. See just what a difference a few decades make in how things are portrayed.

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Stagecoach
Starring: Claire Trevor , John Wayne , Andy Devine , John Carradine , and Thomas Mitchell
Director: John Ford
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000O59A02
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Description

Nine passengers ride a stage through Apache territory...and into movie immortality. The John Ford classic that won two Academy Awards(R) and made John Wayne a star. Year: 1939 Director: John Ford Starring: Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine,

Average customer rating:

The highwaymen star in a movie together
Remake of the original.................again
Still better than the original
Not up to other remake & can not touch John Waynes original !

Stagecoach
Starring: Willie Nelson , Kris Kristofferson , Johnny Cash , Waylon Jennings , and John Schneider
Director: Ted Post
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000E5KUJM
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Amazon.com

The idea of remaking a John Ford classic as an all-star country-Western TV movie may seem blasphemous to Western fans, but this loose-and-lanky version of Stagecoach is surprisingly entertaining. While sticking close to the original plot (involving a cultural cross-section of passengers on a dangerous trip aboard the Overland Express stagecoach), this good-natured adaptation (from the original story by Ernest Lee Haycox and screenplay by Dudley Nichols) allows ample room for Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson to play off each other like the old friends they are. As directed by Ted Post (best known for helming Clint Eastwood's Hang 'Em High), the entire production has a light, friendly atmosphere, but the story remains earnestly well-served, and the cast (which also includes Elizabeth Ashley, Mary Crosby, Tony Franciosa, and Dukes of Hazzard alumnus John Schneider) thankfully avoids the in-joke frivolity that typically ruins all-star vanity projects like this one. It's obvious that Willie (as "Doc" Holliday) and his fellow musicians are playing thinly veiled versions of themselves, but they each bring their own legendary qualities to their roles. Gary Graver's cinematography adds to the inviting, outdoorsy warmth of the show, and with many of the cast no longer with us (including June Carter Cash in a cameo role, and Merritt Butrick from Star Trek II, who died of AIDS in 1989), this respectful rendition of Stagecoach is also a memorial to some of the most beloved talents of the 20th century. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Country music stars Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings team up for this version of the popular Western story about a group of desparate travellers on a dangerous stagecoach ride to Arizona.

Customer Reviews:

The highwaymen star in a movie together.......2007-05-08

What a thrill to see all the member's of the Highwaymen together in a movie and playing such memorable roles. I can only imagine the fun they all had while filming this picture. A must see for any fan.

Remake of the original.................again.......2006-01-25

Johnny Cash is the Marshal taking in his prisoner Kris Kristofferson (playing the John Wayne part), Waylon Jennings as the gambler rides along with Willie Nelson as Doc Holliday (there was a physician in the original but not a gun fighting dentisit) and a couple of female roles in this redo of the John Ford classic stagecoach journey through indian territory. Mr Ford has not to worry. Fine to watch this gagle of county western stars walk through a familiar story line. Nothing new.

Still better than the original.......2005-10-19

It's not often remakes are better than originals. But both the 1966 version and this one are infinately superior to the 1939 version. Why anyone would like the original is beyond me. However, I would rate this one as 2nd, with the 1966 version as the best. Kristofferson is indeed a little old for the Ringo Kid, but neither John Wayne nor Alex Cord were particularly "kids" in this role either. Waylon Jennings is a long time favorite of mine, I enjoyed his role of the gambler/Southern gentleman "Hatfield" even more than Mike Connors in the 1966 version (which was outstanding). The endings of these two are also better and more imaginative than the original. It's my second choice of the three "Stagecoach" movies, but it's a very good movie with a good cast.

Not up to other remake & can not touch John Waynes original !.......2005-10-17

I just watched Willie Nelson's version of Stagecoach.

The only thing good in this movie was
Willie Nelson's guitar playing.No one can fault him there.
The acting by all was second rate by all of the other stars
that have done much better work in their earlier movies.

Especially Elizabeth Ashley who was superb in the older movie "The Carpetbaggers",
I never miss a chance to watch that when it reruns on TV.

And Willie Nelson never scratched the surface as Doc as
Thomas Mitchell did in the 1st Stagecoach.
Willie's 'Tongue in Cheek' one - liners did not appeal
to me at all.
You better save that kind of stuff for your Concerts Willie.

The Cash family both looked like they were trying hard ;
but they were never convincing in their roles either. I
loved them both in "The Little House on the Praire" series
that they made ; but they seemed to just fit into those roles.

They just looked out of place in their Stagecoach roles .

Willie Nelson is a great Country & Western Artist he needs to
leave the acting to someone else .
The 2 Stars I gave the movie went to his guitar playing .

The John Wayne Signature Collection (Stagecoach / The Searchers / Rio Bravo / The Cowboys)

Average customer rating:

My dad was HAPPY!
Very vicious, racial films! Politically incorrect films!
John Wayne signature collection
john wayne collection
doesn't get better than this

The John Wayne Signature Collection (Stagecoach / The Searchers / Rio Bravo / The Cowboys)
Starring: John Wayne , Jeffrey Hunter , Vera Miles , Ward Bond , and Natalie Wood
Director: John Ford , and Howard Hawks
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B0002Y4TLA
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Customer Reviews:

My dad was HAPPY!.......2007-02-12

I tell you, my father is a pain to shop for. But for ONCE I got him something he thouroughly enjoyed. :) Good buy, fast delivery, and all is well for one more year....

Very vicious, racial films! Politically incorrect films!.......2007-01-10

John Wayne, one of the most politically incorrect actors all time(probably the most politically incorrect), was teamed many times with a racist and very politically incorrect director "John Ford" and a very commercial and politically incorrect director "Howard Hawks".

John Ford described the native brutally,falsely and the white innocent in his technically famous films "The Searchers", "Stagecoach", and he twisted the story of the great novel "The grapes of wrath" by the view point of the ruler. Is he a good director? Yes, he is a technially good director, but he informed the audience of wrong history done by most whites. The native were killed in their land by the white, and the white took the native's property. So "The Searchers", "Stagecoach" can not be good any sense for the society even though those movies were technically great.

John Wayne was worse than John Ford(they were almost the same). In 1950's which-hunt, some Hollywood liberals made the film "High Noon" to attack the extreme right wing. After watching the film "High Noon", John Wayne and Howard Hawks decided to attack the Hollywood liberals, so they made the film "Rio Bravo". The result was a politically incorrect film(a very falsely informed and extremely right wing propaganda film).

Did we need a extremely right wing propaganda fim in 1950's?

Some people say a film should be decided by itself (technical standards only). I don't agree with that opinion because a film influence the audience. That's why only Jim Morrison(lead singer of "doors") liked Marlon Brando, the other UCLA class mates liked the racist, extremist John Wayne. I hope to watch technically good films with human conscience.

John Wayne signature collection.......2006-07-20

I have watched the DVD's many time already and enjoy them very much.

john wayne collection.......2006-02-25

there were two of the movies that my wife wanted in this collection and so i got them for her was there a way to make them full screen

doesn't get better than this.......2006-01-29

this is a great collection of John Wayne! The cowboy is just as good as when i saw it as a boy. Men were men enven when they were just boys......

Average customer rating:

Best "Western" Ever Made
Classic western-John Wayne
classic Duke
john ford and john wayne bring the western to the adults in this great movie
ford and wayne team for the first time to reinvent the western

Stagecoach
Starring: Claire Trevor , John Wayne , Andy Devine , John Carradine , and Thomas Mitchell
Director: John Ford
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6304696582
Release Date: 1997-10-29

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Best "Western" Ever Made.......2007-05-28

It's only a "western" because it takes place in a western setting. It's a drama, like "Lifeboat" is a drama. You wouldn't call "Lifeboat" a war movie.

I have nothing to add to the praise that so many others have given "Stagecoach." Instead, I'll add a few observations, pro and con.

The characters are stereotypes. But they are beautifully defined and superbly acted stereotypes. It's not important whether they are "realistic" or not. The point is, they serve the dramatic story, which is the whole point of having characters at all.

The army officer's wife is a wimp. She's supposed to be army, for crying out loud. If I were that officer, I'd dump her.

There's also something strange about the movie not telling us she's pregnant until she actually gives birth.

In the chase scene, the Clair Trevor character gets to do a little shooting, rather than standing by and screaming while the men do the fighting, as is so often the case in films.

But earlier in the movie, after she has sat up all night with the ailing officer's wife, the sleeping men awake and immediately ask HER to make THEM some coffee. Pul-eeze! Was the script writer asleep, too?

And then of course, there are the Apaches, beautifully portrayed by Navajo extras from the Monument Valley area. No whites in darkface here.

But alas, the usual one-sided battle ensues, with the cowboy marksmen effortlessly picking off the pursuing Apaches. Come on!

First of all, though John Wayne uses a rifle, the others use handguns. It's almost impossible to hit anything accurately at a distance with a handgun, not to mention when firing from from a jouncing stagecoach at rapidly shifting targets.

Second, real Apaches of that period, exceptional fighters and tacticians, would never have chased the stagecoach from BEHIND and exposed themselves so stupidly. They would have intercepted it from in front, and the whites would have been easy pickings.

Another reviewer asked why the Apaches didn't simply shoot the horses to stop the stage. The film doesn't deal with that question, but the right answer would have been that the horses were more valuable to them than the stage or the people in it. Shooting the horses would have rendered the attack itself a bit pointless.

The cavalry coming to the rescue is an embarrassing cliché, but it is somewhat saved by the beautifully framed deep shot, a John Ford trademark, of the stage slowly coming to stop as it approaches the camera, while the soldiers recede into the distance chasing the Apaches.

I never tire of watching this film. I can say that of few others.

Classic western-John Wayne.......2007-02-12

Wonderful movie. Too bad only made it black and white. Classic for the nursing home.
Received promptly.
Thank you.

classic Duke.......2006-12-05

Very entertaining, action-packed adventure. Makes an important social comment as well regarding respect.

john ford and john wayne bring the western to the adults in this great movie.......2006-04-18

this is "the one" the movie that saved and brought the western back for near death and the film that made john wayne a star for the rest of his life.
john ford's stagecoach is one of his best works and the template for all westerns to follow. it might feel like you have seen all this in a million other movies,but this was the first.
the story of a group of people on a stage to the town lordsburg is a great character study of people under stress and how the good in people is on the inside and that some people who look nice are just the opposit in real life. the action is fast and the story is just the best. won oscers for music score and for thomas mitchell as the drunken doctor who is quick witted and quick drinking man who finds himself again as the trip goes along. belongs in every collection of the greatest movies ever made

ford and wayne team for the first time to reinvent the western.......2006-01-23

this is the one,the film orson welles used to get ideas for "citizen kane", the movie that made john wayne a star, the film that won thomas mitchell an oscar as a drunk doctor who knows people better than you would think, and the film that brought the western back from "kiddie" films to the adult side of films. not one false note in this western that set the bar for what good westerns should be. if it looks a little like some other movies you have seen rember this one was first.

Average customer rating:

Excellent well-paced Randolph Scott western with a good supporting cast
Albuquerque
An Action-Filled Western From The Forties
"another great Paramount Western ~ Randolph Scott"
Great little Randy Scott western

Albuquerque
Starring: Randolph Scott , Barbara Britton , George 'Gabby' Hayes , Lon Chaney Jr. , and Russell Hayden
Director: Ray Enright
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001FVDVO
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Customer Reviews:

Excellent well-paced Randolph Scott western with a good supporting cast .......2007-01-14

ALBUQUERQUE aka SILVER CITY a big-budget full 90-minute western from 1948. Based on a Luke Short novel and starring the ever dependable Randolph Scott and most peoples favourite western sidekick George "Gabby" Hayes. Although Hayes always played the old timer he was in fact less than 13 years older than the unusually (at times) cheerful Randolph Scott as seen here! Also starring Russell Hayden a real westerner he was probably best known as Hopalong Cassidy's (William Boyd) sidekick `Lucky' Jenkins.

Juke (George `Gabby' Hayes) is the stagecoach driver bound for Albuquerque, New Mexico from El Paso, Texas. On board is Celia Wallace (Catherine Craig) co-owner (with her brother) of the Wallace Freight Company she is delivering a $10,000 business bankroll. Also on board is former Texas Ranger Cole Armin who is taking a job for his uncle John, en-route the stage is held up a man is killed and Miss Wallace is relieved of her bankroll. On arriving in Albuquerque, Cole soon realises that Armin is a dirty word around town, suspecting his uncle knows something about the bankroll heist Cole sets about retrieving the bankroll then switches allegiance to Ted Wallace (Russell Hayden) and his sister. Meanwhile wheelchair-bound John Armin (George Cleveland) who runs the rival Monarch Freighting Company, hires a pretty female spy Letty Tyler (Barbara Britton) to infiltrate and set a trap for the newly formed Wallace (Cole) Armin Freight Company who have just won a contract with the Angel Roost Silver Mine to haul ore down a perilous shale-filled one-way mountain track into town using a ten wagon mule train. Despite a runaway sabotaged wagon with faulty brakes, they still managed somehow to safely negotiate the hill. Celia Wallace met them at the bottom of the hill having come warn them of an ambush by a bunch of hired guns led by John Armin's henchman Steve Murkill (Lon Chaney Jr.) As they set out for town Cole plans a counterattack as they head for the final showdown.

Ray Enfield was the director here; he also directed several more Randolph Scott westerns including the third version of the oft-filmed western THE SPOILERS (1942) in which Scott co-starred with John Wayne and Marlene Dietrich.

This original Cinecolor Paramount film maybe nearly sixty years old (2007) but the transfer to DVD with scene select option is first class. Released under the Universal Western Collection label this is good all round western fare, well worth the money!

Albuquerque.......2006-07-04

Another wholesome western starring Randolf Scott. Gabby Hayes is also good in a supporting role. There are many good scenic views throughout the movie and the story keeps your interest. It's just another example of movies that can be entertaining without bad language. Enjoy with the family.

An Action-Filled Western From The Forties.......2005-07-25

If you're fond of older movies which were essentially programmers, you might enjoy this. It's a better-than-average Randolph Scott Western with some good elements. Cole Armin (Scott) arrives in Albuquerque ready to take up a job offer made by his uncle, John Armin (George Cleveland). John Armin, aging and confined to a wheelchair, runs things in Albuquerque with a ruthless fist, the sheriff in his pocket, a thug on call and a merciless inclination to destroy any competition. Cole quickly sees what the "job" will call for, quits, and joins up with a brother and sister, Tom and Celia Wallace (Russell Hayden and Catherine Craig), who are trying to start a hauling business. They plan to sign contracts with mine owners to bring ore down from the nearby silver mines. Juke (Gabby Hayes), who has become friends with Cole, signs on to show them the ropes of mule train hauling. There are holdups, fist fights, shootings, fires and a lovely spy (Barbara Britton) as Cole takes on the criminal hirelings of his uncle. The climax comes when Juke and Cole lead ten 12-mule wagons laden with ore down a dangerous shale-filled mountain road from the Angel's Roost mine into town, to be met by his uncle's hired guns.

As I say, it's not bad. Scott always seemed to me to be a credible Western hero. Catherine Craig as Scott's love interest is no actress but she has a calmness about her which is nice and she has a great, low speaking voice. George Cleveland, who one critic called "round and twinkling," was a long-time character actor who usually played granddads. He turned in an effective performance as a ruthless man who will not be denied. Lon Chaney Jr. played his thug with a nice combination of thickness and meanness. The only real drawback for me was Gabby Hayes, who by this time could only play Gabby Hayes. I'm not sure who was the biggest ham in late Thirties and Forties movies, Hayes or Lionel Barrymore. For me, a little Gabby goes a long way.

I think Albuquerque is a better than average Western, made during the time when Hollywood was churning out double features. The DVD picture is a little soft and slightly orange but not enough to be distracting. There are no extras.

"another great Paramount Western ~ Randolph Scott".......2004-09-25

Paramount Pictures release of "Albuquerque" (1948/91 mins), featuring a who's who in great western action, drama and thrill-packed adventure ~ Cole Armin (Randolph Scott) heads the cast with John Armin (George Cleveland), Letty Tyler (Barbara Britton), Celia Wallace (Catherine Craig), Juke (George "Gabby" Hayes), Ted Wallace (Russell Hayden), Steve Murkill (Lon Chaney Jr) ~ under director Ray Enright, screenplay by Gene Lewis and Clarence Upson Young, from the novel "Dead Freight for Piute" by Luke Short, a wonderful western story just waiting to be made into a major film.

With the good guys Scott, Hayes and Hayden ready to set-up a small wagon-freight-hauling business to compete with Cleveland, Chaney and Britton, things are starting to get a little rough with family members Scott and Cleveland (his tyrant Uncle) ~ the freight business isn't big enough for the two of them ~ Scott & Hayden decide to work together as partners to get the big contract with the miners ~ but lookout for Chaney, he wants a piece of Scott and put him permanently in "boot hill" ~ the action quickens with some great hard riding ~ someone has tampered with Scott's brakes on his wagon, all going down a steep trail right behind Gabby's wagon...will everything work out...are the wagons going to make it...can Gabby get out of the way of Scott's wagon...does Scott have what it takes to survive without losing his life are the life of others ~ this is a greedy bunch bent on revenge against our favorite western hero ~ Randolph Scott.

This is not a B-Western, but a major film with a story that will keep you glued to your seat ~ the characters are very real with a fine performance by Barbara Britton, you don't know till the very end which side she's on ~ wonderful portrayal by George "Gabby" Hayes, who has worked with the best John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Gary Cooper and William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy)...Gabby is one of the biggest scene stealers in the business, voted the favorite sidekick of all-time in western films during the '30s, '40s and '50s...gotta love it!

Total Time: 91 mins ~ Universal Studios Home Video 24928 ~ (6/01/2004)

Great little Randy Scott western.......2004-06-29

I collect westerns. And when I saw a Randolph Scott available, I bought it, despite never having seen it before. Was very pleasantly surprised, which hasn't always been the case with these kinds of purchases. Great little story, good cast, characters well drawn, plenty of action and Gabby Hayes as well. Transfer is good with only two minor blips that didn't detract from the watching. Good enough to tell when they were using a painted background(not often), rather than the real thing. Color was great. And learned what an early teamster had to do.

Average customer rating:

Violent and rough
dino goes bad out west and shows he can still act
Martin's Best Western
I hoped for more
UNUSUAL DINO WESTERN ! STILL GOOD !

Rough Night in Jericho
Starring: Dean Martin , George Peppard , Jean Simmons , John McIntire , and Slim Pickens
Director: Arnold Laven
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00000JZHE
Release Date: 1999-10-19

Customer Reviews:

Violent and rough.......2007-04-16

I saw this one when it came out. I remember at the time that it savaged by the critics as too violent. I saw it again recently on tv and I remembered that comment and laugh. You see this came out in the middle of the Italian westerns. The Italian westerns were beginnig to turn to violence to keep the audience that they had started with the Dollar movies. American westerns were just trying to survive, so they looked to the Italians for help. JERICHO was more violent than what US westerns were but not violent enough for the Italian western audience. This caused this one to die which was a shame. JERICHO had good blood lines. The story was based on a AL Cody novel and had very "cool" actors in Martin and Peppard. The story is tight and the characters are well drawn and the violence...well later American movies and American audiences took to violence with black ganster moview and biker movies. God for bid that someone try to change the American western. JERICHO today is a very good western and one must keep in mind the time in which it was made when they watch it. For you see it is also a time capsule of American movie history too.

dino goes bad out west and shows he can still act.......2006-01-25

can you believe it , dean is the BAD guy in this film and he's good at it. i always liked this film and was happy to find it on dvd and in widescreen.not for the whole family but a good adult western.check it out and you won't be sorry.

Martin's Best Western.......2005-02-16

Dino made a number of Westerns, everything from the comic Western Pardners with Jerry Lewis, to a whodunit Western, Five Card Stud with Robert Mitchum, to playing an alcoholic lawman in Rio Bravo. But Martin had a field day playing the villain in Rough Night In Jericho, a hard-bitten, violent movie.

Martin plays Jason Flood, an ex-lawman who has taken over the town of Jericho. George Peppard and John McIntire plays former lawmen as well, who have been contracted to provide a stage to Jean Simmons, who Flood is trying to force into going into business with him. Flood is also an ex of Simmons, which makes him even more determined not to let Peppard and McIntyre help her out.

Things get increasingly violent until the final showdown, where the blood flows freely. Everyone is good in this film, fro mthe three leads to McIntire, who was always superb, particularly in Westerns, as well as the great Slim Pickens as one of Flood's henchmen. Rough Night In Jericho is overlooked, but it's very entertaining.

I hoped for more.......2000-07-06

I expected more from this when I rented it, but overall it wasn't too bad either. The name of the movie gives you most of the storyline: A rough night in Jerico. Too bad though, this movie had potential

UNUSUAL DINO WESTERN ! STILL GOOD !.......2000-06-30

This movie is not a high tension western like Rio Bravo or even Bandolero. Dean plays a chracter called Alex Flood, a bad guy. This movie provides a rare opportunity to see Dean Martin playing a bad man. And this is also a very rare opportunity to see an actor playing a bad guy can be charming. As long as your initials are D.M., it is not possible to be nasty, even when you are playing a bad guy ! So whether or not Dean Martin was the best choice for this role is arguable. Probably, the character that George Peppard played (good guy) would be much suitable for Dean Martin as people are always used to see him as a kind and happy-go-lucky persona.

Customer Reviews:

Stereotypes and Poor Dialogue / Costumes / etc........2006-07-24

A white schoolteacher is raped by 5 men when her stagecoach is attacked. An Apache warrior comes in to save her and nurses her back to health. He tries several times to return her to other whites, but she stays with him. Finally he trains her how to shoot and she tracks down and kills the rapists. Unfortunately, she goes mad, the sheriff shows up and shoots the Apache as a heathen. The Apache (and his few friends that you see briefly) are both very stereotyped and usually shown in western style clothing.

This could have been an excellent story about a straight laced woman learning the beauty of nature, a white woman learning to trust a red man, a woman learning how to shoot and ride, etc. etc. Instead there are jarring cut scenes, really bizarre Zardoz-style music, and gratuitous nudity. The stereotypes are really clear. Yes, part of the point of the movie is that everyone assumes the indians must be involved and the "hero" is shot without even a second glance. However, the Indians are dressed as you might imagine one in a Halloween costume. I suppose the three or four words used could be authentic, but there is no real sense of culture, or language, or song, or anything else here.

The relationship seems very forced and unnatural. The dialogue is pretty cheezy at times. Even the lure of gorgeous scenery - which usually is found in great plenty in movies like this - is missing. Things are faded, grainy, and look as if it was shot on a back lot of Hollywood. I really found the heroine's voice to be quite odd - almost as if she were a cartoon mouse or something.

Again, it could've been an excellent story and a stunning movie. It just never made it.

POOR QUALITY.......2006-01-25

The story is interesting, but the poor quality makes it hard to enjoy. The colors are washed out and it is pan-and-scan. I think this film tried to show the vast emptiness of the west but the cinematography is lost in this DVD. I think(although I don't know) that this edition has been edited. There are a couple of abrupt splices. As it is, a few unsettling scenes remain. Just as an aside, Michele Carey has a very strange voice. Almost like a cartoon character or small child. She's a stunner though. Geneon [Pioneer]

Average customer rating:

THE WILD WEST AT IT'S BEST: FROM A WOMAN'S VIEW
Oh the humanity!
A Must See For Men Who Love Big Breasts
Lousy simulated sex at best
Not at all rowdy enough

Rowdy Girls (Unrated Edition)
Starring: Shannon Tweed , Julie Strain , Deanna Brooks , Richie Varga , and Daniel Murray
Director: Steven Nevius
Manufacturer: TROMA ENTERTAINMENT INC.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 6305805849
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Customer Reviews:

THE WILD WEST AT IT'S BEST: FROM A WOMAN'S VIEW.......2006-02-02

THOSE GUYS WHO RATED THIS MOVIE AND SAID THE PRODUCER SHOULD OF TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF JULIE STRAIN AND SHANNON TWEED IN A LESBIAN SCENE, OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T KNOW THEIR WESTERN HISTORY; AND DISTORTS WHAT MOST FOLK ASSOCIATE WITH THE WILD WEST; GUN FIGHTS, BANK ROBBERIES, STAGECOACH ROBBERIES; TRAIN ROBBERIES,, HANGINGS,, BARS, AND SALOON GIRLS,,,COME ON GUYS,, WHOEVER HEARD OF LESBIANS OUT WEST IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY,, SURE THERE PROBABLY WERE SOME,, BUT COME ON,,, NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THAT IN A WESTERN..;AT LEAST I DON'T; ;. IT SPOILS THE PLOT; THE THEME OF THE OLD WEST I GREW UP SEEING,AND LOVING;, WITH WAGON TRAIN,, BONANZA, GUNSMOKE,, ETC,,, I PERSONALLY LOVE THE MOVIE,, AND GIVE IT 5 STARS PLUS RATING,,, WAY TO GO JULIE AND SHANNON...

Oh the humanity!.......2004-02-17

Alas, poor Troma! We should all salute Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Hertz for their selfless dedication and their willingness to act as a lightening rod for the insults heaped upon bad cinema! It takes an awful lot of verve to dedicate your life to making and distributing films like "The Toxic Avenger," "Terror Firmer," and this schlock epic, "Rowdy Girls." It takes an awful lot of guts to stand up and brag about making and distributing films like "The Toxic Avenger," "Terror Firmer," and this schlock epic, "Rowdy Girls." It takes an awful lot of missed lithium treatments to attach your name for all posterity to movies like "The Toxic Avenger," "Terror Firmer," and this schlock epic, "Rowdy Girls." Brazen, tacky, shrill, pathetic--all of these terms, and a few better left unsaid in a public forum, apply to Kaufman and company for passing off yet another piece of dreck, another heap of steaming refuse, as a legitimate motion picture. If there is an omniscient, omnipresent deity somewhere in this wide-open universe, that being must surely have a very special fate in store for anyone remotely associated with "Rowdy Girls."

Shannon Tweed. Julie Strain. Some blonde with the acting skills of a cow chip. This is the magical triumvirate that makes "Rowdy Girls" what it truly aspires to be: silicone enhanced refuse. Cast your mind back, if you dare, to the western part of the United States in the late 19th century. Three women endowed with saucy attitudes, toting firearms, and sporting enough plastic surgery to keep all the cosmetic quacks in Los Angeles in BMWs for a decade embark on a heartfelt mission to survive in a man's world. No mere rubes, these three, oh no. One girl is a prostitute with a plan to head west with a sack of money. Another girl is the lover of a dumb desperado who robs stagecoaches. The third gal is a southern dumbbelle who wishes to go to San Francisco to seek her fortune, whether she is married or not. Hijinks ensue, lots of hijinks. Tweed dresses up as a nun and spews forth a lot of saucy language decidedly risqué for a lady of the church. Strain cracks her bullwhip and swigs tequila. Cow chip girl still cannot act. A grade Z George Strait intermittently appears to move the narrative along with a jingle and a jangle. Somewhere, a message lurks just below the surface, waiting for us to discover its innermost meaning. What is that message? It is a message that differs from viewer to viewer. Some might hear its whisper and remember to call their mother to express their love. Some detect its dulcet tones and may volunteer for charity work. I heard its call and learned to better police my DVD rental habits.

O Tempora! O Mores! Only in this sad world could such a monument to human stupidity rear its ugly head! "Rowdy Girls" slouches towards Bethlehem and woe unto those near a movie theater in Bethlehem. Woe unto me for sticking it out until the closing credits of "Rowdy Girls." I fear I will always carry the scars horrifically etched on my brain by watching this film. Do not make the same mistake I did; run, run as far and as fast as your feet will carry you away from this film. Read a book, take a stroll through the forest, hug a loved one, pet a dog, or check your navel for lint--do something other than put this DVD in your player. If you love life, you will listen to my sage advice. Remember: Tweed. Strain. Some blonde with the acting skills of a cow chip. What else do I have to say to get you to avoid this movie?

Not content with merely presenting the picture, Troma decided to punch up the DVD release with the usual plethora of extras. Lots of stuff on the goodies screen, from interviews with a topless Strain, trailers for other Troma films, and a tour of Troma's studio. If you have seen a Troma disc in the past, you have a good idea what sorts of extras appear here. Better you should watch the extras and skip the film! That way, you might, just might, emerge from this experience still able to count from one to twenty on your fingers and toes, comb your own hair, and help pick out your clothes in the morning. I think I have done all I can here. It is up to you to take heed and not make the same mistake I made. Please, people love you and don't want anything bad to happen to you!

A Must See For Men Who Love Big Breasts.......2002-10-13

There's an unwritten rule that all movie fans know: If you see the name Shannon Tweed in a movie's credits (she also co-produced this one) the movie will be garbage. Sure, you're guaranteed there'll be scenes of gratuitous nudity, but the movie itself will stink worse than Mickey Rourke after an all night bender.
THE ROWDY GIRLS is basically Troma's attempt to make a soft porn western, as the video slick says "Careful not to shoot your load!" Clever.
The plot: A prostitute and an unhappy bride (both Playmates) liberate themselves in the Wild West 1886; but are taken captive by another liberated, big breasted woman (Playmate) and her posse. After that not a lot happens, except this awful country-western balladeer keeps popping up for no discernable reason. ROWDY GIRLS also features the daftest clmactic shootout your'e ever likely to see.
Obviously this is not one of Troma's best, but they have made far worse (like FEMME FONTAINE and DEMENTED DEATH FARM MASSACRE which I also recommend for guys who like big breasts). I just hope (again) there's no sequel in the works. Actually Shannon Tweed's acting is OK in this, which is a big surprise. Still it could have been worse. It could have starred Ron Jeremy and Divine.

Lousy simulated sex at best.......2001-11-21

I have to say I was extremely disappointed in this movie. If you buyers out there are expecting to see great sex scenes from 3 former Playboy playmates, don't waste your money here. While I was a little amused at seeing Shannon Tweed nude, the acting in this movie was just horrible. There was no plot and it seemed like the lines to the movie were strung together by a high school play director. Miss Deanna Brooks couldn't act her way out of a shoe box, and what little nudity we see of her isn't enough to hide her acting skills. Her simulated sex scenes were a joke, which are surprising considering she used to be a nude dancer. You couldn't tell it here. I also wasn't impressed with Julie Strain's role as I have definitely seen her in better movies, and this seemed to have been a somewhat less than stellar career move for her. This movie looks like it was put together in less than a day for a shoestring budget. Don't waste your time watching this, and for sure don't buy it. I have a feeling we will be seeing some of these actors in a grocery store checkout line asking us if we want paper or plastic soon.

Not at all rowdy enough.......2001-05-31

A very disappointing effort at creating a sexy western action spoof. The producers put tall former Playmate Of The Year/B-Movie star Shannon Tweed (good girl) and tall former Penthouse Pet of The Year/B-Movie star Julie Strain (bad girl) together in a western setup, and somehow fail to exploit this casting coup. Next to no face-to-face rivalry between these two, and at times Tweed and Strain seem to be playing in two different films, shooting on two separate sets. The two might have been paired in a sexy girl/girl scene, or certainly set against each other in a catfight parody of the Old West showdown. But neither possibility is explored--- haven't the producers learned the true meaning of the word "Exploitation"?? Film is competently made, but has no real raunchiness or gusto to its concept. A golden opportunity wasted.

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