Winchester '73

Starring:James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, Millard Mitchell, Charles Drake, John McIntire, Will Geer, Jay C. Flippen, Rock Hudson, John Alexander, Steve Brodie, James Millican, Abner Biberman, Tony Curtis, James Best, Jennings Miles, Steve Darrell, Bill McKenzie, John Doucette
Director: Anthony Mann
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

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Winchester '73 is the first in a remarkable string of five classic westerns that James Stewart made with Anthony Mann in the 1950s (followed by Bend of the River, The Man from Laramie, The Naked Spur, and The Far Country). It is also distinguished for having helped revive the Western at the box office, and for being the first film in which the star forsook a huge up-front salary in favor of a share of the profits--a strategy that made Stewart rich and forever changed the way that Hollywood does business. The movie itself is pretty darned impressive, too. Stewart traces a stolen Winchester rifle through several owners until he finds the man he's looking for. The final spectacular shootout in craggy, mountainous terrain is justly famous. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

james stewart what can i say........2007-06-28

starting with winchester )73 and the far country an night passage these are what westurns are all about.

Winchester '73.......2007-06-27

James Stewart wanted a change from his folksy, everyman roles, and in a risky move, chose a western to give his image a harder edge. Director Anthony Mann and he would collaborate on four more oaters after this outing, which proved a huge success. "Winchester" brought a new complexity of character to the Western form, literally resuscitating a fading genre. This role also revived Stewart's career by displaying the actor's impressive range: Stewart's McAdam is a dark, conflicted, angry fellow, far removed from the Mr. Smiths and Elwood P. Dowds of the world. Film also features sterling support from Dan Duryea, Millard Mitchell, and a comely Shelley Winters as a sweet-natured showgirl. Also look fast for Rock Hudson playing an Indian brave.

Review of "Winchester 73".......2007-05-12

This movie was fun to watch. An old fashioned western with plenty of colorful characters and shoot'em up scenes. Jimmy Stewart does a great job playing the focused and determined manhunter. If you love character actors such as Will Geer, Jay C. Flippen, and Millard Mitchell, you got to get this. Will Geer does a wonderful job playing the aging but still very well respected Wyatt Earp. Dan Duryea's "Waco Johnny Dean" was worth the price of admission alone. Highly recommended! Pass the popcorn!

Stewart Makes A Good Cowboy.......2007-05-07

James Stewart's performance in Winchester 73 should dispell any myth that he could not convincingly portray a tough, edgy character. His portrayal of a determined cowboy in Winchester 73 showed that his acting skills were wide in range. The plot involves a "repeating rifle" that marked the demise of the single shot Springfield rifle. The rifle acts as the catalyst for the film as it is coveted by many men intent on owning it. As it passes from man to man themes such as jealousy, revenge, love, cowardice, and greed paint the film. The film boasts a quality cast with Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, and Will Geer in supporting roles. The film also features two actors in small parts who would later become Hollywood stars: Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis. I don't consider this film a 5 star western classic like many of the reviewers because in my opinion it does not reach the heights of a Shane or The Wild Bunch. The one unlikely scene is the shooting contest. At one point actor Will Geer is tossing coins and buttons in the air. The contestants Stewart and McNally are hitting them every time. All this while a woman is clearly sitting calmly in the direction of their rifle shots! The DVD is definitely one to own, because it offers a wonderful commentary by the great James Stewart.

Anthony Mann and James Stewart team up for WINCHESTER '73.The gun that won the West........2007-03-17

James Stewart's first Western was DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939) eleven years later he played the former army scout Tom Jeffords in BROKEN ARROW (1950). Directed by Delmer Daves, then came WINCHESTER '73. But it was Anthony Mann's WINCHESTER '73 that was given its public release first, which also revealed to the public a hitherto unknown harder-edged Stewart which was to continue with a series of Mann / Stewart Westerns culminating in THE MAN FROM LARAMIE (1955). Sadly they fell out in the early pre-production stages of NIGHT PASSAGE (1956) and never worked together again!

Produced by Aaron Rosenberg for Universal International. Fritz Lang had been originally earmarked as Director of WINCHESTER `73 but he wasn't available so Mann was chosen to direct his first Western. Robert L. Richards and Borden Chase wrote the screenplay from a story by Stuart N. Lake Beautifully shot in black & white with riders on the skyline images and night time campfire scenes reminiscent of John Ford's best work.

Lin McAdam (James Stewart) and his sidekick High-Spade Frankie Wilson (Millard Mitchell) ride into Dodge City on the trail of Dutch Henry Brown (Stephen McNally). McAdam befriends dance hall girl Lola Manners (Shelley Winters) who is about to run out of town by Wyatt Earp (Will Geer). He then finds himself up against Dutch Henry Brown in a 4th of July Centennial shooting match for a one-in-a-thousand Winchester Rifle Model 1873. Lin McAdam wins the contest and is presented with The Prize Winchester by Wyatt Earp. On returning to his hotel room Stewart is bushwhacked by the runner up (Dutch Henry Brown) who steals the rifle and beats a hasty retreat of town.

With McAdam and High-Spade in hot pursuit the rifle falls into the hands of various Western characters along the way, first it's gun-salesman Joe Lamont (John McIntyre) who losses it to Indian Chief Young Bull (Rock Hudson), then it's found by young Trooper Doan (Tony Curtis) who hands it to Sgt Wilkes (Jay C Flippen) who in turn gives it to Steve Miller (Charles Drake) then it's stolen by Waco Johnnie Dean (Dan Duryea) who surrenders it back to Dutch Henry Brown. Finally after a long drawn out chase McAdam catches up with Dutch Henry Brown for a spectacular final shoot-out on a mountain precipice.

Released by Universal Studios 2003 on DVD with the original theatrical Trailer and a unique one-and-only (audio) interview with James Stewart conducted over and above a latter-day private screening of WINCHESTER '73. They discuss the film, cast and other highlights of Stewart's career. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The James Stewart Hollywood Legend Collection (Vertigo / Rear Window / Harvey / Winchester '73 / Destry Rides Again)

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Stewart rides again
Great old-school stuff by a Grand Master director and a world-class actor!
Four Aces and a Joker
Captures Jimmy Stewart in top form
Amazing collection....all bonus features intact!!!

The James Stewart Hollywood Legend Collection (Vertigo / Rear Window / Harvey / Winchester '73 / Destry Rides Again)
Starring: James Stewart
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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James Stewart - The Signature Collection (The Cheyenne Social Club / Firecreek / The FBI Story / The Naked Spur / The Spirit of St. Louis / The Stratton Story)
The Hepburn & Tracy Signature Collection (Woman of the Year / Pat and Mike / Adam's Rib / The Spencer Tracy Legacy)
The Cary Grant Signature Collection (Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House / Destination Tokyo / The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer / My Favorite Wife / Night and Day)
The Far Country
The Humphrey Bogart Collection (The Big Sleep/The Maltese Falcon/Casablanca/Key Largo)

ASIN: B00023P4RY
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Customer Reviews:

Stewart rides again.......2006-06-15

James Stewart won over the masses with a drawl and slight stutter, a good guy image, and some endearingly ordinary good looks.

And he also had a long and distinguished career, with everything from suspense to westerns to... giant white rabbits. "The James Stewart Hollywood Legend Collection" brings together five of his best known movies in pristine condition, although it could have used a tad more diversity.

"Vertigo" afflicts James "Scottie" Ferguson after a traumatic event on a rooftop, forcing him to retire. But when an old classmate asks him to investigate his wife Madeleine's (Kim Novak) odd behavior, Scottie agrees. When he falls in love with the woman -- and loses her to suicide -- Scottie begins to pursue a woman who is her mirror image, as he descends into madness...

"Rear Window" is a somewhat less shocking Hitchcock movie. L.B. Jeffries has a nasty broken leg, so he's stuck in a wheelchair. He passes the time by spying on his neighbors, and contemplating his incompatibility with his pretty rich girlfriend (Grace Kelly). But L.B. spots someone acting suspiciously, and believes that the man has murdered his wife...

"Harvey" remains one of the most enchanting movies to come out of Hollywood. Elwood P. Dowd is a sweet, considerate man who has a giant white rabbit (invisible, of course) named Harvey as his companion. Unfortunately, it's driving his sister Veta (Josephine Hul) and niece Myrtle May (Victoria Horne) completely nuts. Soon a bunch of mental health professionals are after Elwood... but is he crazy, or has he just found a way to be happier than everyone else?

Apparently Stewart was searching for something a little less cuddly than his past roles, so he tried out westerns with a noir sensibility. "Winchester '73" is a gun that Lin McAdam wins in a shooting contest, and which is soon stolen by his rival, Dutch Henry Brown (McNally). Since McAdams already has a grudge against McNally, he goes on an obsessive quest to get his gun back... no matter what.

But he had done some previous western roles, like in "Destry Rides Again." It takes place in the town of Bottleneck, whose sheriff has just died in suspicious circumstances. The town bad guy (Brian Donlevy) arranges for a drunk to be the new sheriff -- but the new sheriff brings in Tom Destry, the mild-mannered son of a local hero. And Tom Destry is going to clean up the town of Bottleneck... in his own unique way.

There aren't really any flaws with this collection, in terms of the movies' quality -- all of them were brilliant in their respective ways. The only problem is that it doesn't really give a glimpse of all the roles that Stewart could do; for example, he was also great in romantic comedies like "Philadelphia Story." So where is it?

But whatever movies he was in, Stewart was outstanding as a wry photographer, a lovable "nut," an unstable detective, and two cowboys. He nailed every one of those roles, no matter how odd or creepy. He's deeply unsettling in "Vertigo" and "Winchester 73," likably crusty in "Rear Window," and completely lovable in "Harvey." You love him or hate him as his character demands.

And the movies themselves are top-notch: two are vintage Hitchcock, and one had the unique twist of taking place entirely in one room. They're all well-written and intelligent; wry humor is peppered through them, giving Stewart some of the best lines ("I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it!").

James Stewart's excellent acting is on display in the "James Stewart Hollywood Legend Collection," which shows us some of the films that made him a Hollywood legend.

Great old-school stuff by a Grand Master director and a world-class actor!.......2005-12-13

Jimmy Stewart has been my favorite actor since I was a teenager (I'm in my thirties now), and two of my top three Stewart movies are in this set (Harvey and Winchester 73), so it was a no-brainer that I buy it when Amazon had a 50 percent off sale last week!

The other three films (Vertigo, Rear Window and Destry Rides Again) are all three great, and the two Hitchcock films are clearly the best two in the set, even if they aren't among my favorites (If only Rope, my third favorite, could have been in the set).

I found it unique and quaint when I put in the first disc (Vertigo) that there was no title menu. Instead, the movie just started playing. At first, that seem so darn cheap, but then I thought of how much time I had wasted over the last few years on DVD menus. Now I wish more discs just went straight to the good stuff! Why isn't that done more?

All five movies here are quite famous, so I'll concentrate on technical matters. These versions are all fully restored enough that they are again theatre-quality, and if - like me - you first saw these movies on local TV during afternoon matinees using bad copies, then it will be like seeing them for the very first time. Vertigo in particular was a much more powerful experience than any previous copy I had seen (this is the restored version that played several years back on limited release at theatres). The b and w tones on Harvey, Winchester 73 and Destry are all crisp and beautiful. These are nice copies all around!

A nice package!

Four Aces and a Joker.......2005-07-07

I don't know, it's a great collection but I disagree with the other reviewers who claim that this is one boxed set with no clunkers. I admire Stewart's work in the movies, and four of his greatest are here, but although HARVEY does have "classic status," and Stewart clearly loved the movie, to me it's a tedious bore. I want to like it, but it just doesn't have much staying power. There must have been a whole genre of Hollywood movies back then, these light fantasies like ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, Broadway comedies with zany old folks lost in the fog belt, and younger people joining in the fog. During World War II these plays were especially in vogue. HARVEY was a big Broadway hit by the Denver playwright in 1944, featuring Frank Fay as Elwood P. Doud (what we think of as the Jimmy Stewart part, but when Stewart made Harvey he had to overcome people thinking that he had stolen away the part from the beloved Frank Fay, the man who married Barbara Stanwyck before Robert Taylor did.) People loved Frank Fay the same way we love Tom Hanks now. But the rights to film HARVEY were so tangled up that it took years to bring to the screen, and by the time it did the vogue was pretty much over for ther kind of light, bibulous trifle it represented. It's a tough picture to enjoy because all the actors (including Stewart) seem to be trying too hard. The complications of the plot may have worked onstage, but characters just keep mounting up and Elwood P. Doud seems more sinister as time goes by.

Sorry to be a naysayer, but HARVEY sticks out in this collection--it may have been one of Jimmy Stewart;s signature roles, but times have changed to the point where we like Stewart in his tortured persona (VERTIGO, BEND OF THE RIVER, ANATOMY OF A MURDER, ROPE, TWO RODE TOGETHER) than when he plays the kook.

However, the set is still a bargain and you can always use the HARVEY disk as a coaster, so I give this 5 stars.

Captures Jimmy Stewart in top form.......2004-10-11

By the time James Stewart returned from World War II he was a changed man. The horrors that he witnessed in the war almost made him give up acting because he thought it might be too trivial a profession. Luckily for us he didn't. Ironically, it deepened his art as an actor and this terrific boxed set has five of Stewart's greatest movies with four from the latter part of his career and one early classic.

Hitchcock found in Stewart the quintessential American hero. Originally, Cary Grant wanted the role in "Vertigo". Hitchcock knew he was absolutely wrong for the role and turned to the only actor that could portray both the world weariness, sense of obsession and the longing needed for the role of Scotty the police officer who develops a fear of heights after when he nearly dies in pursuit of a criminal. Scotty retires prematurely from the force but is hired by a college friend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) to follow his wife Madeline (Kim Novak). It seems she has become obsessed with the fact that she is the reincarnation of an ancestor who went insane and died. Gavin believes that she possibly may harm herself. Scotty saves her from drowning and gradually falls in love with her when tragedy strikes him again.

Brilliantly restored, Hitchcock's "Vertigo" is one of his best films and features one of Stewart's best performances. Highly recommended.The widescreen anamorphic transfer looks dazzling with the restoration reclaiming the lost, rich colors of the film. Re-released to theaters and on DVD in the late 90's, the film still looks remarkable considering how badly it had faded.

There's an interesting commentary by associate producer Herbert Coleman, restoration producers James Katz, Robert Harris and Steven Smith the author of a book on music composer Bernard Herrmann. We get an alternate European ending that has never been seen in the US, storyboards, production drawings, advertising materials and "Obsessed with Vertigo" a great AMC documentary narrated by Roddy McDowall produced in 1999.

"Rear Window" stars Stewart as L.B. Jeffries a photography confined to a wheelchair with two broken legs due to an accident while shooting a race. His girlfriend Lisa (the wonderful and beautiful Grace Kelly)stops by to keep him company from time to time. Jeffries becomes fixated on his neighbors in the apartment building he lives in observing their lives from his back window. When he sees suspicious behavior by one of his neighbors (Raymond Burr) suggesting that he has murdered his wife and and Lisa become amateur sleuths to try and determine if, indeed, the woman was murdered and why.

Another marvelous restoration, "Rear Window" doesn't quite look as dazzling as "Vertigo" but then the film's use of color wasn't as impressive as Hitch's ultimate masterpiece. Nevertheless, the restoration adds lost luster to a classic that had disintergrated considerably while Hitch retained ownership of it. It's a remarkable movie and one of Hitch's and Stewart's best. Extras include a featurette with writer John Michael hayes, "Rear Window Ethics" which discusses the restoring of the film, production photos and a re-release trailer narrated by James Stewart. there's also a DVD-Rom which has the original script (which is great since the copy I had obtained years ago from the UCLA library is faded beyond belief).

"Winchester '73" is one of director Anthony Mann's best westerns and helped bring the genre back into vogue with its success in the 50's. Stewart plays Lin McAdam who engages in a marksmenship contest with rival he has been hunting named Dutch Henry Brown (Stephen McNally)for a unique Winchester rifle. McAdam wins the rifle only to have it stolen by Brown. McAdam pursues Brown to reclaim the rifle, settle a quarrel and, ultimately, face him in a memorably shot show down.

The transfer looks quite good for "Winchester '73" but it's clear that the source transfer was the same laserdisc master that the audio commentary track featuring Stewart was recorded for in 1989. It looks quite good but could look much more impressive.

Finally we get Stewart with Marlene Dietrich in the early classic western (1939) "Destry Rides Again". This western classic combines comedy and drama in a unique winning package. Unfortunately, the DVD transfer here is pretty poor. The print has faded signficiantly (no chance to restore the negative either as Universal had many of their negatives dropped in the Pacific during a bonehead administration in the late 40's)but there was the possibility of restoring the print from other prints available around the world like "Vertigo" and "Rear Window" Sadly, this doesn't happen here. Still, it's a great little gem of a film. Unfortunately, there's no extras with this disc.

There's the round up of a series of classic Stewart films in this boxed set. Each is packaged individually in their own case (and can be purchased that way as well).

Amazing collection....all bonus features intact!!!.......2004-09-09

This is a wonderful collection.....normally in box sets you get a lot of fluff with a classic or two if your lucky....well this set offers up pretty much nothing but classics. Harvey is of course a legendary film and performance by Stewart and the bonus features on this DVD being the introduction by Stewart himself is wonderful. The two Westerns are interesting because Destry Rides Again is a very very early film for Mr Stewart and something of a minor classic while Winchester '73 is a major movie which many feel brought back the Western in the early 50's and also ignited a decade plus reign of Mr Stewart as a major star of Westerns as well as working with this same director Anthony Mann on many occaisions. This version of Winchester '73 ..while showing some age on the negative is pretty high quality but the BONUS audio track which runs the feature length with Mr Stewart is priceless. So ...what's left? Ony two of Alfred Hitchcocks greatet films...Vertigo and Rear Window.....the remastered versions which look great and feature wonderful bonus materials on the makings of the films and restorations of them....
I don't want to waste your time with plot lines etc...for all 5 films....but want to congratulate Universal for giving us "all killer , no filler" on this James Stewart "collection" ....a great value and a wonderful look at some of the most important work by this Hollywood Legend!

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Complete Winchester 73 with Larry Crow
Starring: Larry Crow
Director: Lenny Magill
Manufacturer: Lenny Magill Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Winchester '73

ASIN: B0002DVA9A
Release Date: 2002-09-01

Description

Master Gunsmith Larry Crow from Competitive Edge Gunworks shows you everything you need to know for disassembly and reassembly of the Winchester Model 73 lever action rifle for increased accuracy and reliability. He shares his expertise with special emphasis to Cowboy Action Shooters and those who look for any advantage that will shave tenths of a second from your scores. If you own a Winchester Model 73 or just love this classic rifle you will love this program. Over 80 minutes, produced by Lenny Magill Productions/GunVideo, the world's leader in firearm video production.

Average customer rating:

james stewart what can i say.
Winchester '73
Review of "Winchester 73"
Stewart Makes A Good Cowboy
Anthony Mann and James Stewart team up for WINCHESTER '73.The gun that won the West.

Winchester '73 [Region 2]
Starring: James Stewart , Shelley Winters , Dan Duryea , Stephen McNally , and Millard Mitchell
Director: Anthony Mann
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video