The John Wayne Collection

Starring:John Wayne
Studio: Madacy Records
Product Type: DVD

Description

Working together for the 12th time, John Wayne and director John Ford forged The Searchers into an indelible image of the frontier and the men and women who challenged it. Wayne plays ex-Confederate soldier Ethan Edwards, a believer more in bullets than in words. He's seeking his niece, captured by Comanches who massacred his family. He won't surrender to hunger, thirst, the elements or loneliness. And in his obsessive, five-year quest, Ethan encounters something he didn't expect to find: his own humanity.

Customer Reviews:

John Fords greatest film.......2007-05-18

The Searchers is one of the greatest films ever made.
However, you will only find this out by watching it a few times.
I bought the DVD on the strength of Scorcese rating as one of his top five films. On first viewing I thought it was OK, but subsequent viewings have confirmed Scorcese's view.
You have to view the film in context. This was made in 1956, by a director who had been working in films from the 1930's. Unlike modern films the pace is leisurely and the character development is measured. Even compared with say the first Clint Eastwood dollars movie (8 or 9 years later) this is filmmaking from a different era.
The story is simple Ethan's niece (a young Natalie Wood) is kidnapped by Indians. Ethan (John Wayne) vows to find her and then (after time has gone by) to kill her (as she has presumably been abused by the Indians). There is no question this is John Waynes best acting performance.
A previous reviewer has critised the portrayal of Indians as savages, and some of the interior (exterior) sets - but like I said above this is a film that has to viewed in context. The special effects options when shooting in the studio in 1956 were very limited.
The use of Monument Valley is marvellous, and many scenes benefit from this natural wonder, however the greatest scene is reserved for the climax to the film which I'm not going to tell you about!
John Fords direction is mostly straightforward, but occasionally a classic shot will happen (like the framed doorway) and you realise what an influence this film has had.

The Rescuers Down Under (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

Average customer rating:

If you dont like this, your no true Disney fan.
sooooooooooooooo good
Happy with my order
I remember this better
Ok sequel

The Rescuers Down Under (Disney Gold Classic Collection)
Starring: Bob Newhart , Eva Gabor , John Candy , Tristan Rogers , and Adam Ryen
Director: Mike Gabriel , and Hendel Butoy
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Rescuers
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ASIN: B00004R99O
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Amazon.com

No, this isn't a quickie, direct-to-video sequel, cashing in on the success of the 1977 animated hit about adventurous mice, but a full-blown theatrical effort. This time around, Bernard (voiced by Bob Newhart) is trying to pop the question to Bianca (Eva Gabor) when they're summoned to Australia, where a young boy has been kidnapped by a pallid, gray-faced poacher (who looks like and is voiced by George C. Scott). Wilbur, a chatterbox of an albatross (John Candy, replacing the late Jim Jordan's character Orville), and Jake (Tristan Rogers), a kangaroo mouse--Bernard is jealous of the dashing rodent--assist the Rescuers in saving the day and imparting a mild environmental message. The film opens with an absolutely breathtaking aerial sequence--this was made near the beginning of Disney's animation renaissance--so impressive it would seem the story, literally, has nowhere else to go but down, but some smart gags, excellent animation, and rollicking adventures ensue. So why isn't it better known? It had the bad luck to open, in 1990, opposite another kids' film--Home Alone. --David Kronke

Description

Hold on tight for a thrilling, fast-paced adventure unlike any other with THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER! The world's bravest mice, Bernard and Miss Bianca, answer a call for help from deep in the heart of Australia's vast and unpredictable Outback! With a crazy crew of local critters, these top mouse agents rush to the aid of Cody, a young boy struggling to save a magnificent eagle from a ruthless poacher. But with restless natives and unexpected dangers popping up at every turn, who knows if they'll come to the rescue in time! Say "G'Day" to a classic Disney adventure full of unforgettable characters and incredible animation in this down-under delight you'll cherish for years to come!

Customer Reviews:

If you dont like this, your no true Disney fan........2007-05-01

This was a superb entry in the Disney canon. The best sequel to a animated feature as well. Faithful and underrated. This is great people, Walt Disney would have been proud.

sooooooooooooooo good.......2007-04-21

the picture and the sound was soooooooooooo good and clear also the price was good

Happy with my order .......2007-03-12

I received my DVD in a timely manner and was package so it would not get damage, i would differently order again from the sender

I remember this better.......2007-01-15

Released a full 13 years after the original, The Rescuers Down Under was the first Disney sequel, but was also considered a failure at the box office, which stopped Disney releasing later sequels theatrically. Hence, the reason why Disney now have a long line of straight-to-DVD sequels, which no one ever buys, and all end up in the bargain bin.

This is definitely my favourite out of the two Rescuers movies, mainly cos I was going through a fascination with Australian accents at the time - and why I later moved on to watching Home & Away and Neighbours - but it was so colourful, and bright. And the Australian accents. I remembered this more before seeing it than I did the original, even though it must have been the same amount of time (years) since I'd seen them.

It's a shame there were never more in the series, but because of the death of Eva Gabor (Miss Biana) in 1995, they were never made, and the two movies never became Disney classics.

Listen out also for the late and sorely missed John Candy, voicing Wilbur, the brother of Orville from the first one. He's hilarious as Wilbur.

Other reviewers have mentioned various flaws in the film (Cody's lack of Australian accent for example), but for me, I have to remain loyal. You can keep your Emperor's New Groove, Brother Bear, and the awful sequels to Cinderella & Little Mermaid (which are now two a piece by the way!), I'll have this over the rest of them any day.

Ok sequel.......2007-01-12

Not as good as the first, but still a good movie. A few scary parts for small children.

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

Average customer rating:

What a Deal.
Superb John Wayne
8 Films By Two Screen Legends
SPANISH SUBTITLES MISSING - IT'S A PITY!!!!
Duke classic collection

John Wayne-John Ford Film Collection (The Searchers Ultimate Edition / Stagecoach Two-Disc Special Edition / Fort Apache / She Wore a Yellow Ribbon / The Long Voyage Home / They Were Expendable / 3 Godfathers / The Wings of Eagles)
Starring: John Wayne
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Clark Gable - The Signature Collection (Dancing Lady / China Seas / San Francisco / Wife vs. Secretary / Boom Town / Mogambo)
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ASIN: B000F0UUI2
Release Date: 2006-06-06

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.

The John Wayne Century Collection (Big Jake, Donovan's Reef, El Dorado, Hatari!, Hondo, In Harm's Way, Island in the Sky, McLintock!, Rio Lobo, The High and the Mighty, etc.)

Average customer rating:

Great Value
This box set does NOT contain THE QUIET MAN

The John Wayne Century Collection (Big Jake, Donovan's Reef, El Dorado, Hatari!, Hondo, In Harm's Way, Island in the Sky, McLintock!, Rio Lobo, The High and the Mighty, etc.)
Starring: John Wayne
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Westerns | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

All Titles | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

Boxed Sets & Collections | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video
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John Wayne: Screen Legend Collection (Reap the Wild Wind / Rooster Cogburn / The Hellfighters / The War Wagon / The Spoilers)
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The John Wayne Film Collection (Without Reservations / Allegheny Uprising / Tycoon / Reunion in France / Big Jim McLain / Trouble Along the Way)
John Wayne-John Ford Film Collection (The Searchers Ultimate Edition / Stagecoach Two-Disc Special Edition / Fort Apache / She Wore a Yellow Ribbon / The Long Voyage Home / They Were Expendable / 3 Godfathers / The Wings of Eagles)
The John Wayne Western Collection (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance / True Grit / Hondo / McLintock! / Big Jake / The Shootist / Rio Lobo / The Sons of Katie Elder / El Dorado)

ASIN: B000O179G8
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Product Description

DONOVAN'S REEF
Acclaimed director John Ford and screen legend John Wayne team up for what would be their final collaboration in this boisterous, rowdy South Seas escapade. The Duke, Lee Marvin and Jack Warden play World War II navy buddies who have made the French Polynesian island of Haleakaloha their post-war paradise. Local headquarters is Donovan's Reef, Wayne's rough-and-tumble watering hole where bragging, brawling, and full-blown misbehavior are the order of the day. But destined to create more turmoil than any barroom fisticuffs is the sudden arrival of Elizabeth Allen, a straight-laced Boston blue blood. She's hoping to locate her long-estranged father (Warden), affirm that he is "not of good moral character," and then assume control of the family's shipping dynasty back home in the States. Suave, debonair Cesar Romero and a sarong-clad Dorothy Lamour add to the laughs - and mayhem - in this tropical comedy treat.

IN HARM'S WAY
In Harm's Way, based on James Bassett's novel Harm's Way, has enough plot in it for four movies or a good miniseries (when it was shown on network television in prime time, it was broken into two very full nights). On the morning of December 7, 1941, a heavy cruiser, commanded by Captain Rockwell Torrey (John Wayne), and the destroyer Cassidy, under acting commander Lieutenant (jg) William McConnell (Thomas Tryon), are two of a handful of ships that escape the destruction of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Under Torrey's command, the tiny fleet of a dozen ships carries out its orders to seek out and engage the enemy fleet. But lack of fuel and a daring maneuver (but tragic miscalculation) by Torrey causes his ship to be seriously damaged. He's relieved of command and assigned to a desk job routing convoys in the shakeup following the attack, and his exec and oldest friend, Commander Paul Eddington (Kirk Douglas), is reassigned after a brawl, the result of his anger after identifying the body of his wife (Barbara Bouchet) who was killed during the attack while cavorting with an Marine Corps officer. Torrey's shore assignment leads him to reestablish contact on a very hostile level with his estranged son, Ensign Jere Torrey (Brandon de Wilde), his estranged son from a long-ended marriage, who is also serving at Pearl Harbor; he also establishes a romantic relationship with Lt. Maggie Haines (Patricia Neal), a navy nurse; he also befriends Commander Egan Powell (Burgess Meredith), a special-intelligence officer. Through his son's boasting during their bitter first meeting, Torrey learns of a top-secret offensive called Sky Hook — he figures out enough of it to impress Powell, and when Sky Hook gets bogged down by the indecisiveness of its commander, Vice Admiral Broderick (Dana Andrews), Powell convinces the commander of the Pacific Fleet (Adm. Chester Nimitz, unnamed here but played by Henry Fonda) that Torrey is the man to salvage the operation. Promoted to rear admiral, with Eddington — who'd been rotting away on a shore assignment, drunk most of the time — assigned as his chief of staff, Torrey gets Sky Hook rolling and finally finds his purpose in this war, gaining the belated admiration of his son in the process. Eddington is similarly motivated but is still haunted by the violent, ultimately self-destructive demons that blighted his marriage and his life — he is particularly attracted to a young nurse, Annalee Dohrn (Jill Haworth), not knowing that she is already involved romantically with Jere Torrey. Meanwhile, McConnell survives the sinking of his ship and is ordered to join Torrey's staff. Matters all come to a head when the Japanese begin a counter-offensive to Torrey's planned troop landing. And just at the time Torrey needs his men at their best, Eddington's violence and rage boil to the surface in a way that will destroy him and blight both men's lives. In a final attempt at redemption, Eddington provides Torrey with the information he needs to set up a battle that he has at least a chance of winning, pitting his small task group of destroyers and cruisers against the Japanese task force led by the Yamato, the largest battleship ever built.

HATARI!
Hatari! is Swahili for "danger"—and also the word for action, adventure and broad comedy in this two-fisted Howard Hawks effort. John Wayne stars as the head of a daring Tanganyka-based group which captures wild animals on behalf of the world's zoos. Hardy Kruger, Gérard Blain and Red Buttons are members of Wayne's men-only contingent, all of whom are reduced to jello when the curvaceous Elsa Martinelli enters the scene. In tried and true Howard Hawks fashion, Martinelli quickly becomes "one of the guys," though Wayne apparently can't say two words to her without sparking an argument. The second half of this amazingly long (159 minute) film concerns the care and maintenance of a baby elephant; the barely credible finale is devoted to a comic pachyderm stampede down an urban African street, ending literally at the foot of Martinelli's bed. The other scene worth mentioning involves comedy-relief Red Buttons' efforts to create a fireworks-powered animal trap. Not to be taken seriously for a minute, Hatari is attractively packaged and neatly tied up with a danceable-pranceable theme song by Henry Mancini.

RIO LOBO
After the Civil War, a Union Colonel goes to Rio Lobo to take revenge on two traitors.

BIG JAKE
An aging Texas cattle man who has outlived his time swings into action when outlaws kidnap his grandson and wound his son. He returns to his estranged family to help them in the search for Little Jake.

THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE
Like Pontius Pilate, director John Ford asks "What is truth?" in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance—but unlike Pilate, Ford waits for an answer. The film opens in 1910, with distinguished and influential U.S. senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) and his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) returning to the dusty little frontier town where they met and married twenty-five years earlier. They have come back to attend the funeral of impoverished "nobody" Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). When a reporter asks why, Stoddard relates a film-long flashback. He recalls how, as a greenhorn lawyer, he had run afoul of notorious gunman Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), who worked for a powerful cartel which had the territory in its clutches. Time and again, "pilgrim" Stoddard had his hide saved by the much-feared but essentially decent Doniphon. It wasn't that Doniphon was particularly fond of Stoddard; it was simply that Hallie was in love with Stoddard, and Doniphon was in love with Hallie and would do anything to assure her happiness, even if it meant giving her up to a greenhorn. When Liberty Valance challenged Stoddard to a showdown, everyone in town was certain that the greenhorn didn't stand a chance. Still, when the smoke cleared, Stoddard was still standing, and Liberty Valance lay dead. On the strength of his reputation as the man who shot Valance, Stoddard was railroaded into a political career, in the hope that he'd rid the territory of corruption. Stoddard balked at the notion of winning an election simply because he killed a man-until Doniphon, in strictest confidence, told Stoddard the truth: It was Doniphon, not Stoddard, who shot down Valance. Stoddard was about to reveal this to the world, but Doniphon told him not to. It was far more important in Doniphon's eyes that a decent, honest man like Stoddard become a major political figure; Stoddard represented the "new" civilized west, while Doniphon knew that he and the West he represented were already anachronisms. Thus Stoddard went on to a spectacular political career, bringing extensive reforms to the state, while Doniphon faded into the woodwork. His story finished, the aged Stoddard asks the reporter if he plans to print the truth. The reporter responds by tearing up his notes. "This is the West, sir, " the reporter explains quietly. "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." Dismissed as just another cowboy opus at the time of its release, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance has since taken its proper place as one of the great Western classics. It questions the role of myth in forging the legends of the West, while setting this theme in the elegiac atmosphere of the West itself, set off by the aging Stewart and Wayne.

THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER
Henry Hathaway directs the 1965 psychological Western The Sons of Katie Elder. Four sons reunite in their Texas hometown to attend their mother's funeral. John (John Wayne) is the gunfighter, Tom (Dean Martin) is the gambler, Matt (Earl Holliman) is the quiet one, and Bud (Michael Anderson Jr.) is the youngest. They soon learn that their father gambled away the family ranch, leading to his own murder. The brothers decide to find their father's killer and get back the ranch, even though they are discouraged to do so by local Sheriff Billy Wilson (Paul Fix). When the sheriff turns up dead, the Elder boys are blamed for the murder. Deputy Sheriff Ben Latta (Jeremy Slate) joins forces with the only witnesses of the murder: Morgan Hastings (James Gregory) and his son Dave (Dennis Hopper). A gunfight breaks out between the Hastings gang and the Elder gang. After his brother Matt is killed, John decides to settle the ranch dispute in a court of law with a judge (Sheldon Allman). However, Tom decides to take matters into his own hands by kidnapping Dave. After the final climactic gunfight, John and the wounded Bud retreat to a rooming house owned by Mary Gordon (Martha Hyer).

TRUE GRIT
In 1970, John Wayne won an Academy Award. for his larger-than-life performance as the drunken, uncouth and totally fearless one-eyed U.S. Marshall, Rooster Cogburn. The cantankerous Rooster is hired by a headstrong young girl (Kim Darby) to find the man who murdered her father and fled with the family savings. When Cogburn's employer insists on accompanying the old gunfighter, sparks fly. And the situation goes from troubled to disastrous when an inexperienced but enthusiastic Texas Ranger (Glen Campbell) joins the party. Laughter and tears punctuate the wild action in this extraordinary Western which features performances by Robert Duvall and Strother Martin.

THE SHOOTIST
About ten minutes into The Shootist, Doctor Hostetler (James Stewart) tells aging western gunfighter John Bernard Books (John Wayne) "You have a cancer." Knowing that his death will be painful and lingering, Books is determined to be shot in the line of "duty". In his remaining two months, Books settles scores with old enemies, including gambler Pulford (Hugh O'Brian) and Marshall Thibido (Harry Morgan) and reaches out to new friends (including feisty widow Lauren Bacall and her hero-worshipping son Ron Howard). In the end, is shot to death, but in so doing he is able to dissuade another from following his blood-stained example. Throughout the film, Book's imminent demise is compared with the decline of the west, as represented by the automobiles and streetcars that have begun to blight the main street of Wayne's home town. It is unknown if John Wayne was aware that he was dying of cancer when he agreed to film The Shootist; whatever the case, the film is a powerful valedictory to a remarkable man and a fabulous career.

EL DORADO
Legendary producer-director Howard Hawks teams with two equally legendary stars, John Wayne and Robert Mitchum, in this classic Western drama. Mitchum plays to perfection an alcoholic but gutsy sheriff who relentlessly battles the dark side of the wild West, ruthless cattle barons and crooked "businessmen." The Duke gives an equally adept performance as the sheriff's old friend who knows his way around a gunfight. Filled with brawling action and humor, El Dorado delivers the goods. James Caan and Ed Asner co-star.

THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY
When a commercial airliner developes engine problems on a trans- Pacific flight and the pilot loses his nerve, it is up to the washed-up co-pilot Dan Roman to bring the plane in safely.

ISLAND IN THE SKY
A transport plane crash-lands in the frozen wastes of Labrador, and the plane's pilot, Dooley, must keep his men alive in deadly conditions while waiting for rescue.

HONDO
Based on the Louis L'Amour story "The Gift of Cochise," this sparkling western has Wayne as a half-Indian Cavalry scout who, with his feral dog companion, finds a young woman and her son living on a isolated ranch in unfriendly Apache country. A poetic and exciting script, outstanding performances, and breathtaking scenery make this an indisputable classic. Page's debut.

MCLINTOCK!
Wayne shows off his funny side in this 1963 western, a comedy inspired by The Taming of the Shrew. Starring as wealthy cattle baron G.W. McLintock, Wayne shows a real sense of comic timing in several scenes filled with slapstick humor. After his wife (Maureen O'Hara) and daughter leave him for the East, McLintock attempts to win them back. The dynamics between O'Hara and Wayne are the strong suit of this film, the actors having worked together previously on

THE QUIET MAN
As this is by no means a revisionist western, McLintock's chauvinistic attempts to "tame" his wife fit within the problematic ideology of the larger western genre. The ultimate example of this comes at the end of the film when McLintock settles his marital dispute by publicly "spanking" his wife in what is now a notorious cinematic moment.

Customer Reviews:

Great Value.......2007-06-14

This collection is an outstanding deal at $70. THis contains many of Wayne's most sought-after films at a bargain price.

This box set does NOT contain THE QUIET MAN.......2007-05-23

Contrary to Amazon's editorial description above, the John Wayne Century Collection contains 14 movies, but does NOT include THE QUIET MAN. Still, it is a good bargain and contains a new Special Edition release of TRUE GRIT.

John Wayne: Screen Legend Collection (Reap the Wild Wind / Rooster Cogburn / The Hellfighters / The War Wagon / The Spoilers)

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John Wayne: Screen Legend Collection (Reap the Wild Wind / Rooster Cogburn / The Hellfighters / The War Wagon / The Spoilers)
Starring: John Wayne , Ray Milland , Paulette Goddard , Susan Hayward , and Charles Bickford
Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: B000NNUWZC
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Description

John Wayne is one of the most popular and recognizable leading men ever to hit the silver screen. Five memorable films capture his unforgettable career in the John Wayne: Screen Legend Collection. Co-starring an impressive roster of talent including Katharine Hepburn, Kirk Douglas, Marlene Dietrich and Randolph Scott, these films highlight an American icon who will always be remembered as a true screen legend. Reap the Wild Wind Cecil B. DeMille directs John Wayne and Ray Milland as two sailors battling pirates and competing for the affections of a southern belle (Paulette Goddard) in 1840s Key West. The Spoilers John Wayne joins Marlene Dietrich and Randolph Scott in an all-star adventure classic about gold and greed in an Alaskan boomtown during the 1890s. The War Wagon A rancher (John Wayne) recruits a brash gunslinger (Kirk Douglas) along with a raucous crew of misfits and readies them to pull off one of the most impossible heists of all time. Hellfighters A Texan demolition specialist (John Wayne) battles a perilous oil-well fire and hopes to reunite with his daughter and the wife who left him 20 years ago. Rooster Cogburn The saga of True Grit continues as John Wayne reprises his role as a Deputy Marshall who helps a missionary (Katharine Hepburn) bring justice to the Wild West.

TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 1 (Waterloo Bridge 1931 / Baby Face / Red-Headed Woman)

Average customer rating:

Excellent collection of its kind.
Three great movies and three great performances
Forbidden Pleasures !
An Informative Analysis/Comparison (Babyface, pre- and post-Code)
No virgins here. It's neck & neck

TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 1 (Waterloo Bridge 1931 / Baby Face / Red-Headed Woman)
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck , George Brent , Donald Cook , Alphonse Ethier , and Henry Kolker
Director: Alfred E. Green , Jack Conway , and James Whale
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000I2JDF8
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Amazon.com

Here are three films that couldn't and wouldn't have been made at any other time. Contrary to popular belief, the history of Hollywood permissiveness, what filmmakers could "get away with" on screen, is not a steadily rising graph from puritanical early days to the party-hearty present. In the early 1930s, a national mood of shock over the stock market crash and impatience with Prohibition licensed a relaxation of the movie industry's self-censorship policies. Sexuality--always a driving force in movie plots and characterizations, even when repressed--became a more explicit presence, with costuming that sometimes pushed the envelope for exposure of epidermis and dialogue that could be shockingly blunt.

Baby Face (1933) was made at Warner Bros., the golden-age studio with the grittiest style and the most street cred. The gutsy Barbara Stanwyck stars as a young woman from a factory town who hops a boxcar to the big city and sleeps her way to the top--a progress famously indexed by a camera ascending floor by floor outside a Gotham office building as she trades up, one corporate suitor after another. No other major-studio film was more explicit about sex as a tool and a commodity, yetBaby Face is curiously less sexy than any number of movies that weren't so outspoken about it. This TCM collection features both the theatrical-release version familiar for decades and a recently rediscovered preview version that is markedly superior, runs five minutes longer, and includes more sexual liaisons. It also happily lacks an absurd final scene that got tacked onto the release version to explain how the heroine learned to be content with a modest lifestyle.

Red-Headed Woman (1932) is arguably the raunchiest movie Jean Harlow made at MGM (though not as raunchy as her scenes in Howard Hughes' 1930 Hell's Angels). Unlike Stanwyck in Baby Face--a proletarian heroine grimly selling herself to beat capitalism and the patriarchy at their own game--Harlow's character brazenly relishes both the sex and the posh life it wins for her. The lion's share of this sardonic comedy, scripted by Anita Loos and an uncredited F. Scott Fitzgerald, focuses on Harlow's seduction of her married boss (Chester Morris) and the havoc she wreaks in his upper-crust world. Charles Boyer has a role (his first Hollywood credit) as a French chauffeur who knows how to give satisfaction, and the film's air of breezy ribaldry even allows the star a casual flash of bare breast.

The rarest item in the collection, the 1931 Universal version of Waterloo Bridge, has long been unseen because MGM bought the film in order to do a 1940 remake (starring Vivien Leigh) and locked the original away in the vault. Directed by James Whale the same year he did Frankenstein (1931), the picture charts the romance of a chorus-girl-turned-streetwalker (Mae Clarke) and a well-born young soldier (Kent Douglass) on brief furlough from the trenches during WWI. Apart from a zesty prelude in a London music hall and two scenes on the titular bridge, the film remains yoked to its talky theatrical source, a Robert E. Sherwood play flogging the hoary conceit that no fallen woman, however pure of heart, could be permitted to marry into a good family. Unlike the Hays Code-compliant remake, the film leaves no doubt how the heroine makes her living. --Richard T. Jameson

Product description

Includes: Waterloo Bridge (1931), Baby Face (1933), and Red-Headed Woman (1932).

Customer Reviews:

Excellent collection of its kind........2007-06-27

The three films in this collection are fine examples of pre-code Hollywood. In this edition the prints are at release quality. It's wonderful to be able to travel back to the period and experience the movie industry back then. Of the three Baby Face is the superior film, perhaps so because Barbara Stanwyck was so outstanding even back then in her mid-20s.

Three great movies and three great performances.......2007-06-11

These movies are outstanding in many ways, but in two especially. First they let us know that our grandparents and parents had just as many conflicts with romance, love and sexual congress as we do. Second, they may help to bring recognition to two largely forgotten actresses, Jean Harlow and Mae Clarke.
A few days ago, after watching China Seas with a friend he asked me, "what is the whole Harlow Legend about" I told him to watch Red Dust, or better still Red Headed Woman. In her early movies Jean was young healthy and full of sass. In her later films as illness overtook her the light was gone. Miss Harlow was always best in comedy. The dramatic roles assigned to her were generally so one dimensional that no actress could have made anything of them. Red Headed Woman is a comedy and Jean sparkles. The movie was a 'succes de scandale' in 1932 and audiences were laughing despite themselves. The kind of raw-naked ambition Jean gives Lill has now become so familiar to us that some people may not get the point. Please bear in mind that in 1932 girls like Lill could not have careers in Law or Politics. Remember, this is a comedy.
Mention Mae Clark and if people know who you are talking about they will probably recall Jimmy Cagney and the grapefruit. There was so much more and Waterloo Bridge will introduce you to it. Miss Clarke as Myra Deauville is always genuine in a role that could easily become maudlin, cloying and artificial. James Whale created a movie that was sixty or seventy years ahead of it's time. And yes, that is Bette Davis before the wiggling, grimacing and scene-stealing took over.

Forbidden Pleasures !.......2007-05-31

Oh man ! What a treat to have these movies together. And the knockout punch was having BOTH versions of "Baby Face". The quality was excellent and I am thrilled with my purchase. I am looking forward to Volume 2.

An Informative Analysis/Comparison (Babyface, pre- and post-Code).......2007-05-13

Exactly what I was looking for. While taking a law in literature course in law school this past year, the professor directed the class to watch Babyface and observe how it was transgressive in light of the Hays Production Code. Pretty neat that one's able to watch both the pre- and post-Code versions of Babyface and see how the versions essentially reflected the prevailing moral code at the time, and how that moral code differed depending on other related socio-economic factors (e.g. the Great Depression). Anyway, I'd recommend this set for the sole reason stated above. I did also think Babyface pre-Code was an extremely intelligent and witty movie and thoroughly enjoyed watching it although it was required as an assignment. I also enjoyed the other films included in this set.

No virgins here. It's neck & neck .......2007-04-21

between the two tramps most likely to "sleep" their way to the top. There's Jean Harlow as Lil in Red Headed Women & Barbara Stanwyck as Lily in Baby-Face, the movie with the famous song of the same name. Mae Clark as Myra, trolling for men off of Waterloo Bridge, completes this trio of trollops. She is out of the running simply because she's lovable & sympathetic as a World War I hooker in London, trying to keep it together. She actually falls in love with a GI. I give it by a lovely nose to Barbara. The movie is simply better & made batter. At this point, she is a better actress that Jean. Lily's been damaged by her barkeep father who pimps her out in steel town. He dies in a fire that burns the saloon down & she heads for NYC. There she selects a high rise bank & goes to work. She has a plan. It's simple. Use sex to work her way up the corporate ladder. She disposes of a young, love-struck John Wayne early on. There is a long list of leading men & I'm sorry I lost count & track. But she works her way thru lots of men discarding each as she moves up the hierarchy. Men die & kill for her. She doesn't appear to like sex that much, only to use it. Rich & notorious, she reaches the top & marries the CEO. But the company is headed for the rocks & her husband is broke & in trouble with the law. She is rich & at first refuses to help. He shoots himself. At this point, she suddenly realizes that she loves this man. That should be the end of the movie, Lily wallowing in the grief she deserves. But the brains at Warner couldn't leave it alone. They tagged another ending on it. Lily's husband recovers from a bullet in the head & they return to poverty & happiness in steeltown. Stanwyck did not appear in that scene. which was obviously shot later. There's a little S&M in Red Headed Women if that's your taste but Baby-Face is still slightly better. You can get all three together, & you should. Together they are *****.

The John Wayne Film Collection (Without Reservations / Allegheny Uprising / Tycoon / Reunion in France / Big Jim McLain / Trouble Along the Way)

Average customer rating:

Awesome
Diverse collection
A Centennial Birthday Present for John Wayne Fans!
The John Wayne Film Collection
the Duke pays his dues

The John Wayne Film Collection (Without Reservations / Allegheny Uprising / Tycoon / Reunion in France / Big Jim McLain / Trouble Along the Way)
Starring: John Wayne
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000O599XA
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Pilgrim, let's talk. John Wayne starred in something like 150 feature films, and the most loyal Duke devotee cannot insist that all of them were U.S. Grade A, even if the man himself never stinted. So what we have in this boxed set--now that the classics have been corralled in previous collections--is a mixed bag. A couple of these movies should be happy discoveries. A couple are honorable misfires. A couple are downright (to borrow a disturbing word from McLintock!) unprepossessing. But all are new to DVD and all are welcome, because there's no such thing as a John Wayne movie that isn't worth checking out.

The likable Allegheny Uprising (1939) was made at RKO half a year after Wayne achieved stardom in Stagecoach. It's an odd little picture: a "Western" set in Pennsylvania, a "forgotten footnote of history" about a rebellion against King George III's forces a decade-and-a-half before the American Revolution, and a basically B-movie production (over and done with in 80 minutes) with some middling-large action scenes and lots of fresh air and sunlight. Wayne plays a thoughtful fellow named Jim Smith who leads his "men of the Conococheague" in a brief shooting war in which they scrupulously strive not to kill anybody; they're still loyal British subjects, for all their buckskinned orneriness. Just as buckskinned and just as ornery is love interest Claire Trevor, and George Sanders gives yeoman service as the obdurate Brit officer responsible for a lot of the civil unrest.

Reunion in France (1942) finds Wayne out of his element at chintzy MGM in a Parisian-set WWII melodrama conceived for and dominated by Joan Crawford--the only occasion these stars worked together. She's a cosseted but curiously principled fashionista shaken by the Nazis' inconsiderate invasion of France--and still more by the willingness of her millionaire industrial designer fiancé (Philip Dorn) to collaborate with Hitler's war machine. The Duke makes a delayed entrance as a Yank whose RAF plane has crashed in the French countryside. Crawford shelters him, against her better judgment, then begins to be drawn to someone with even more imposing shoulders than her own. In later years everybody involved in this film preferred to forget it had ever happened, but its wackiness can be endearing.

In Without Reservations (1946), the Duke again is essentially a featured player in a woman's picture, with Claudette Colbert as a novelist searching for "the Man of Tomorrow" to play the main character in the film version of her visionary bestseller. That turns out to be the Marine she bumps into on the transcontinental train taking her to Hollywood. The script, like their much-interrupted journey, is all over the map, and the comedy scenes are shockingly mishandled--though it looks as if director Mervyn LeRoy was trying to imitate Preston Sturges in some of them and Ernst Lubitsch in others. Cary Grant has a charming cameo, as himself.

Tycoon (1947) inspired a sublime one-sentence review from James Agee: "Several tons of dynamite are set off in this movie; none of it under the right people." Wayne's an engineer trying to drill and blast through the Andes, and his worst obstacle is the aristocratic railroad magnate (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) he's working for--chiefly because Wayne and the magnate's daughter (Laraine Day) have fallen for each other. The script spins its wheels (the film runs two hours plus), and neither the corporate politics nor the romance makes a lick of sense, but fans of vibrant Technicolor will O.D. on this movie's psychedelic palette. The supporting cast (able but wasted) includes James Gleason, Anthony Quinn, Judith Anderson, and Paul Fix, and the Andes are played by the Alabama Hills at Lone Pine, Calif.

The kindest and most damning thing to say about the 1952 Big Jim McLain is that it's a Cold War artifact, a snapshot of that American moment when Sen. Joseph McCarthy could pass for a patriot and a hero. Wayne, companioned by equally big Jim Arness, actually plays an investigator for McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee, searching out Commies in Hawaii. The Red agents on view are a robotic bunch who look as if they couldn't menace a dog pound, but that was consistent with such contemporary portrayals of fifth-column lifestyle as the TV series I Led Three Lives. Latterday liberal sentimentality about the Party can be as absurd as '50s paranoia was, so the point here is not to condemn Wayne's politics, but to deplore how completely he lost his moviemaking savvy whenever he set out to crusade. This personal production of the actor's own company is an embarrassingly shoddy piece of work. Still, it is a window into its time.

Even John Wayne fans have tended to skip the dubious-sounding Trouble Along the Way. Well, don't. This comedy-drama about a former big-time football coach signing on at a venerable Catholic college turns out to be an intriguingly complicated entertainment. The title invokes the sentimental classic Going My Way, with the great Charles Coburn taking the doddering-but-sly priest (and school administrator) role. Besides the threatened shutdown of the college, there's the vicious campaign of Wayne's ex-wife Marie Windsor to regain custody of daughter Sherry Jackson, who pretty much lives out of the bar where her disreputable dad runs a bookie operation. Donna Reed plays a social worker who has to make the call in this contest. The script by future Bob Hope writers Melville Shavelson and Jack Rose and direction by Michael Curtiz combine to scuff up Wayne's heroic image, and instead of the sappy big-game climax we think we see coming a mile away, the movie veers toward a finale in which several "happy endings" are put on hold. For his part, Wayne gets to deliver more syncopated dialogue than usual, and seems both refreshed and startled by the experience.

The packaging of the six feature DVDs falls a mite short of the wraparound "Warner Night at the Movies" extras in other collections: one live-action short, one cartoon, and sometimes the movie's trailer. The cartoons are fine, and the live short packaged with Allegheny Uprising is one of those Technicolor history lessons featuring studio contract players that Warners used to win awards for--the 1939 "The Bill of Rights." There are no commentaries. --Richard T. Jameson

Studio description

Includes: Without Reservations (1946), Allegheny Uprising (1939), Tycoon (1947), Reunion in France (1942), Big Jim McLain (1952), Trouble Along the Way (1953).

Customer Reviews:

Awesome.......2007-06-28

It got here in a timely manner and was a great gift for my dad!

Diverse collection.......2007-06-26

This is a welcome release from WB, 6 very different films. The quality overall is good, although I do not think any of the films have been fully restored they are all reasonable prints. All discs have a period related extra and some have trailers. I would have liked to have seen the colorized version of Allegheny Uprising included as a bonus. The box set discs are identical to the individual releases at a good saving in price.

A Centennial Birthday Present for John Wayne Fans!.......2007-06-19

As part of the celebration of John Wayne's 100th birthday, "The John Wayne Film Collection" offers an unusual but fascinating collection of titles without a cowboy hat in sight...and while not his best, all are worth watching!

"Allegheny Uprising" (1939): While under contract to Republic, much of Wayne's value was as a loan-out to other studios; when United Artists' March release of John Ford's "Stagecoach" was a hit, RKO snapped him up, re-teamed him with Claire Trevor, and prayed for 'Colonial' lightning, as the film was released a week after Ford's "Drums Along the Mohawk", in November. While only a modest hit, Wayne received good reviews, and Republic prepared it's own big-budget 'debut' for the new superstar, "Dark Command". This is an important title in Wayne's emerging career...(4 stars out of 5)

"Reunion in France" (1942): With most of Hollywood's leading men in uniform, Wayne's availability and rising popularity made him a very hot commodity, and MGM was quick to 'borrow' him for Joan Crawford's first 'war-themed' drama. While in a supporting role, he received billing above Crawford's actual leading man, Philip Dorn, and Wayne's image was LARGER than either Crawford or Dorn in much of the film's advertising! A routine film, but Wayne's presence guaranteed box office... (2 1/2 stars out of 5)

"Without Reservations" (1946): Released just months after the war's end, this RKO-Claudette Colbert vehicle, while not top-notch, was directed by the legendary Mervyn LeRoy, and provided the Duke a chance to do his first service comedy...and he was excellent! Teamed with veteran comic actor Don DeFore, he'd offer intellectual author Colbert a taste of the 'real world'; their growing romance, if convoluted, was charming...and don't miss Cary Grant's brief 'cameo'! (3 1/2 stars out of 5)

"Tycoon" (1947): Most of Wayne's films of the late forties were westerns, and this inept 'action/drama' may be a reason why! As an engineer dynamiting a railroad tunnel through a mountain, he steamrolls through romance and friendships to become the 'heel' he perfected in "Pittsburgh", and neither critics nor fans liked either him, or the film. It would take Howard Hawks to make Duke's 'dark side' believable, and sympathetic, in "Red River". (1 1/2 stars out of 5)

"Big Jim McLain" (1952): Wayne's 'love letter' to the House Un-American Activities Committee, and proof that "Homeland Security" isn't the first time the government has trampled on civil liberties in the name of patriotism. Duke attempted to justify the 'witch hunt' with this flag-waving piece of propaganda; Commies were all secret agents of the Kremlin, and Duke, at his brawling, romancing 'best', was the Committee investigator out to stop them, in Hawaii. It's sad, it's silly, but it does reflect the paranoia of the times...and offers a warning for today. (2 stars out of 5)

"Trouble Along the Way" (1953): Released 8 months after "McLain", this delightful comedy/drama, offering one of Wayne's most rounded performances, was largely ignored by critics. As a disgraced college coach who uses illegal methods to attempt to save a small Catholic school, and retain custody of his daughter, Wayne is completely natural and believable, with a first-rate cast and legendary director Michael Curtiz, in a small gem...(4 stars out of 5)

If you want a more 'complete' view of the Duke, 'warts and all', away from his westerns and war movies, you'll never find a better collection!

The John Wayne Film Collection.......2007-06-13

This collection of John Wayne movies comes out right in time for the 100 year anniversary of his birth. He stars with Claire Trevor in Allegheny Uprising, his costar in Stagecoach. This was made in 1939 as he was beginning his rise to super-stardom. Reunion in France was made in 1942 and costarred Joan Crawford. Without Reservations was made in 1946 with Claudette Colbert. Tycoon came out in 1947 with Laraine Day as his costar. Big Jim McLain released in 1952 saw Wayne fighting a Communist espionage ring in Hawaii with James Arness as his partner, who Wayne would later recommend for the part of Matt Dillon on TV's Gunsmoke. Trouble Along the Way teamed Wayne with Donna Reed and had Wayne as a win at any cost football coach who reforms in the end to keep from losing his daughter. Three decades of movies that demonstrate the range of an actor that still ranks as one of the top three actors of all time. And he did not play the cowboy in a single one. A must have collection for anyone who has ever seen the great man's movies.

the Duke pays his dues.......2007-06-11

This six disk collection gathers together some of John Wayne's movies that have not been available on DVD or VHS before, and for that reason alone deserves space in the collection of Wayne fans. John Wayne made over 100 movies, yet the same twenty or so keep getting release while the bulk of his work is ignored, so it is nice to see some of his "forgotten" movies seeing the light of day.

These movies are from an interesting period in John Wayne's career. They were made as he was transitioning from a second-rate actor into a star. The first - "Allegheny Uprising" - dates from the same year as his breakout hit "Stagecoach" which elevated him from a low-rate cowboy serial actor into a hot studio property. It is interesting to note that in both movies, Claire Trevor actually had higher billing than John Wayne - something that seems odd to those of us who grew up watching movies in the years when he was a superstar. "Allegheny Uprising" is probably the best movie in this collection.

The second movie in the collection "Reunion in France", from 1942, is from the War era, when John Wayne was one of the few movie stars who did not join the armed services, as a result he found himself in demand both as a supporting actor and leading man and, as he said in interview after the war years - he started making money for the first time, and had a family to support. "Reunion" is interesting in that Wayne is, once again, not the star of the movie, and seems to be hired mainly for his rugged good looks rather than his acting ability. He doesn't even get the girl.

The third movie in this set is a romantic comedy "Without Reservations", from 1946, and is one of the last few movies Wayne made in which he did not receive top billing. It is one of a handful of comdedies John Wayne made over the years, and people who were surprised at his comedic performances in "True Grit" and "Rooster Cogburn" probably weren't paying attention. The Duke had a gift for dry comedy, which is demonstrated in this film.

The fourth movie in the set is "The Tycoon" and is the first in which he has top billing. It is an interesting railroad story burdened with an added-on romance that makes the movie drag. Movies like this were probably one of the reasons John Wayne began to want full control over his career. That would come a few years later after he starred in John Ford's cavalry trilogy, which turned him into a star who could write his own destiny.

The fifth movie in this collection is "Big Jim McLain" fromn 1952, and is an early product of John Wayne's Batjac Productions. It is one of two pure propaganda films that he made in order to put his personal political opinions before the public. This was made during the Macarthy era, when the House Unamerican Committee, under the leadership of Joseph Macarthy, was trampling citizen's rights and accusing anybody who disagreed with them of being a communist. Many Holliwood actors, directors and workers ended up being blacklisted because they refused to testify before the committee. John Wayne supported witch-hunt looking for commies under every rock, and this film was his way of trying to turn people who were trampling human rights and creating hysteria for their own political ends into heroes. "Big Jim" is actually much more watchable than his second propaganda film - The Green Berets - in which he tried to portray the Vietnam war as a "Good War" like World War II and utterly failed. "Big Jim" is worth watching as a warning against those who tell us "If you are not with us, you are with our enemies" and then try to subvert our constitutional rights.

The final movie of the set is "Trouble Along the Way" - the second comedy in the collection. This 1953 gem was made after Wayne finally became a first rate star and could write his own ticket. The great Cavalry Trilogy is now behind him, and his best work (as well as some of his worst work) are yet ahead of him. Wayne plays a single father and defrocked football coach who is called upon to rescue a failing Catholic college by turning a pathetic football team into winners, while trying to keep custody of his tomboy daughter and romancing the girl's social worker (Donna Reed). Sherry Jackson, playing Wayne's daughter, steals the show and turns what might have been a second rate movie into a little gem.

This collection is worth adding to your library because the films fill a void in available Wayne movies. But the extras - a featurette and cartoon or comedy short of the same vintage as each film, are icing on the cake. They bring back the days when you went to the movies for fifty cents and got a B-movie, a featurette, a cartoon and a main feature for your money. None of the movies are great, but they are all worth watching.

The Black Cauldron (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

Average customer rating:

doesn't deserve the reputation it's received...
Sort of a let down
Disney could of done better....
I wish Disney would release an Un-Cut/Remastered version of this...
If you enjoy disney classics

The Black Cauldron (Disney Gold Classic Collection)
Starring: Grant Bardsley , Susan Sheridan , Freddie Jones , Nigel Hawthorne , and Arthur Malet
Director: Ted Berman , Richard Rich , and Jack Hannah
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Disney Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

The Sword in the Stone (Disney Gold Classic Collection)
The Great Mouse Detective
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under (Disney Gold Classic Collection)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

ASIN: B00004R99W
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Customer Reviews:

doesn't deserve the reputation it's received..........2007-04-04

THE BLACK CAULDRON has continually been dismissed by Disney enthusiasts and moviegoers since it was originally released in 1985. It was definitely one of the more ambitious animated projects undertaken by the studio. Ten years in the making, it was also the most expensive project since 1940's "Pinocchio" and the first 70mm widescreen movie since "Sleeping Beauty" in 1959. In THE BLACK CAULDRON, Disney attempted to cram Lloyd Alexander's densely-written "Prydain Chronicles" books into one movie, and the result was hardly a hit, but it's not a flop, either.

Taran (voiced by Grant Bardsley) is a dreamer, looking to find his place in the adventurous world beyond the cottage of his master, Dallben (Freddie Jones). Taran spends his days tending to a mystical clairvoyant pig called Hen Wen. The life of Hen Wen hangs in the balance when the evil Horned King (John Hurt) decides to use her powers to find the location of the Black Cauldron, where all the evil forces of the world are kept. Hen Wen is spirited away to the Horned King's castle with Taran in hot pursuit. Once at the castle, Taran teams with young Princess Eilonwy (Susan Sheridan), eccentric musician Fflewddur (Nigel Hawthorne), and a cute little furry creature called Gurgi (John Byner). Their only hope lies in finding the Black Cauldron before it's evil powers fall into the wrong hands...

This is not your usual Disney fare. It's very dark, there are no musical numbers, no real "happily ever after" ending, and the overall tone of the piece does not sit well with the previous Disney animated movies. I believe the animators were trying to capture a feeling and mood that had been earlier established in other animated films of the period (Don Bluth's "The Secret of NIMH" and Ralph Bakshi's "Lord of the Rings" immediately spring to mind). Elmer Bernstein's music perfectly underscores every mood.

THE BLACK CAULDRON is a thrilling medieval adventure, and will appeal to those with a taste for that. Disney purists are sadly always going to have a problem with it, but hopefully it will be appreciated for what it is.

The DVD includes a set-top game called "Quest for the Black Cauldron"; the vintage Donald Duck cartoon "Trick or Treat"; still galleries, and the trailer.

Sort of a let down.......2007-03-09

I'm a big fan of Disney movies and when I heard this one was for sale, I had to see it - the rumors of the forgotten/hidden/canned Disney film, maybe because of that infamous PG rating, were far too tempting. It turns out, there are some scary images (the Horned King is not exactly the prettiest burning eyed skull you've ever seen), but that's cool. Now I understand the rating. But the story line leaves a lot to be desired. I can't say how close the movie followed the books by Lloyd Alexander (despite being an avid reader as a kid, I somehow missed this series), but as a film, there didn't seem to be a good reason for any of the characters' actions. The first scene was pretty dull and from there it just got weird. You never really get a good sense of the world around the characters (it's like extras were at a premium, and yes, it's animated). When the princess appeared pretty much out of nowhere, I found her moderately annoying and pointless. Our hero, Taran, had so many wacky sidekicks that none of them really had the chance to be developed. And the ending is strangely unsatisfying.

Pros: the pig is really cute. Cons: everything else. I would recommend The Sword in the Stone over this one for a tale of a boy and his sword, but if you really want to see it, borrow it or rent it. It's probably not one you'll want to keep.

Disney could of done better...........2007-02-27

Okay, I made that mistake and read the Prydain Chronicles before actually seeing this movie. Honestly I didn't think Disney did a good job on this film. Characters were left out and I didn't like how they merged "The Book of Three" and the "Black Cauldron" together. They changed some of the events a bit which didn't make sense to me and the movie seemed rushed, especially when it came to finding the black cauldron. I think this film would of done better as a live action movie, such as Disney's sucsessful "Narnia". And it could have been done in parts, since the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexandre consists of 5 books. 6 including "The foundling". Another thing I didn't like was that the movie was too dark, too scary for children to enjoy.

I think I would of enjoyed the film more if I have never read the books. XD

I wish Disney would release an Un-Cut/Remastered version of this..........2007-02-15

I saw this when I was a kid and loved it because it wasn't your typical Disney flick; it was dark and it didn't have any stupid musical numbers. Now that I'm older, I still believe that this is a cool flick, but after doing some investigation on Wikipedia I found out that this movie has a lot of scenes cut out because it wasn't Kosher for children. Also, this version is not anamorphic or re-mastered. Disney may see this as a stain in their career, but there are many people who would love to see this movie uncut and cleaned up. I'm pretty sure that Disney will bury this gem again, so I would snatch it up before they lock it up in the vaults forever.

If you enjoy disney classics.......2007-01-12

When I bought this item I did it in the soul purpose for my daudhter. Since she likes just about every stinking Disney movie out there...now I must remember she is 5. When we all sat down to watch the movie she lost intrest in 5-10 mins, I guess because the story line wasn't appealing to her, or the picture wasn't as sharp looking as the new movies. All I know she said "mommy this is boring." As an adult I find it a must to have if you collect Disney movies. I will admit this movie was very hard for me to find and I was surprized I found it on Amazon.

John Wayne - An American Icon Collection (Seven Sinners/ The Shepherd of the Hills/ Pittsburgh/ The Conqueror/ Jet Pilot)

Average customer rating:

Great American at some of his best
Not Iconic but Interesting
The Shepherd of the Hills
J.W. an american icon
The Shepherd of the Hills

John Wayne - An American Icon Collection (Seven Sinners/ The Shepherd of the Hills/ Pittsburgh/ The Conqueror/ Jet Pilot)
Starring: John Wayne
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video