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Archive for April, 2026

Blu-Ray News #402: Hopalong Cassidy – The Legacy Collection, Volume 2 (1936).

Posted in ClassicFlix, DVD/Blu-Ray News, George "Gabby" Hayes, Hopalong Cassidy, Howard Bretherton, Paramount, William Boyd on April 25, 2026| 4 Comments »

The first volume of the Hopalong Cassidy Legacy Collection was a real Cadillac. ClassicFlix has announced that the second volume is on the way.

This time, we’ll get the first three Hoppy pictures from 1936. All three were directed by Howard Bretherton and shot by the great Archie Stout.

Call Of The Prairie (1936)
Directed by Howard Bretherton
Starring William Boyd, James Ellison, Muriel Evans, George “Gabby” Hayes, Chester Conklin

When Johnny (James Ellison) is framed for robbery and a shooting, and it’s up to Hoppy to set things right. George Hayes is one of the bad guys in this one.


Three On The Trail (1936)
Directed by Howard Bretherton
Starring William Boyd, James Ellison, Onslow Stevens, Muriel Evans, George “Gabby” Hayes, Claude King

Though George Hayes was already a fixture of the series, Three On The Trail was the first time he played Windy Halliday. Hayes (and Windy) left the series in 1939, with Hayes moving to Republic.

This one has a gang of rustlers doing stage holdups as their side hustle, giving Hoppy twice as much justice to deliever.

Heart Of The West (1936)
Directed by Howard Bretherton
Starring William Boyd, James Ellison, George “Gabby” Hayes, Sidney Blackmer, Lynn Gabriel, Fred Kohler

Hoppy, Johnny and Windy get caught up in a range war. The big stampede sequence (complete with dynamite) is terrific.

The Hopalong Cassidy pictures turned the B Western on its ear. The budgets are bigger, the writing an acting are better, the locations and photography are incredible — and the “trio western” was established with William Boyd, James Ellison and George (not yet “Gabby”) Hayes.

Of course, Poverty Row was still cranking out three-day cowboy movies, but the Hoppy pictures were something different. They played large, first-run theaters in places that would turn their nose up at a Bob Steele or Tom Tyler movie.

ClassicFlix hasn’t set a release date for Volume 2 — just “later this year.” The list of extras, and there will be plenty of them, hasn’t been nailed down. I’ll update this when those announcements are made. Of course, the three features will look like a million bucks.

I’m sure this second Blu-Ray set will be just as nice as Volume 1 — and every bit as essential. Can’t wait!

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Blu-Ray News #401: Cannon For Cordoba (1970).

Posted in DVD/Blu-Ray News, Imprint, United Artists on April 20, 2026| 2 Comments »

Directed by Paul Wendkos
Starring George Peppard, Pete Duel, Giovanna Ralli, Raf Vallone, Pete Duel, Don Gordon

I’ve learned over the last couple years that I really like George Peppard. And I can thank the folks at Imprint for that realization. Their terrific Film Focus: George Peppard set gathered up four of his late-60s and early-70s action pictures — beyond the usual Operation Crossbow, The Blue Max and Tobruk — and I dug ’em all. (It was limited to 1,500 copies, so if you come across one, snatch it!)

Now, here comes Cannon For Cordoba (1970), a cool Mexican Revolution picture from Paul Wendkos. Peppard leads a team of misfits (Magnificent Seven style) into Mexico to retrieve some cannons stolen from the US Army. Beautifully shot in Spain by Antonio Macasoli, I was really taken by the look of this thing — and the really terrific action stuff.

Paul Wendkos is a director some have a hard time taking seriously since he committed the “sin” of working largely in TV movies. If you take a look at a few of his features — like maybe this one, The Burglar (1958) and Face Of A Fugitive (1959) — you’ll see that Wendkos certainly had it goin’ on. And when your TV work includes the Hawaii Five-O pilot and The Legend Of Lizzie Borden (1975), I don’t see why he doesn’t get the appreciation he deserves.

I did a commentary for this, and it was a lot of fun to pull together. My yapping is just one of the extras on this Blu-Ray, and it’s limited to just 1,500 copies. Highly, highly recommended.

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Blu-Ray News #400: The Texas Rangers (1936).

Posted in DVD/Blu-Ray News, Fred MacMurray, George "Gabby" Hayes, Kino Lorber, Paramount on April 16, 2026| 4 Comments »

Directed by King Vidor
Starring Fred MacMurray, Jack Oakie, Jean Parker, Lloyd Nolan, Edward Ellis

Kino Lorber’s bring The Texas Rangers (1936) to Blu-Ray in June. It had been ages since I’d seen it, and I was really impressed with it — the scope of it and some of the stunt work. There’s a horse fall at the end that’s really something.

This was Fred MacMurray’s first Western, in a part originally meant for Gary Cooper. Of course, in the 50s, MacMurray made a couple of my favorites. I’m not a big Jack Oakie fan, but he’s really good here. Jean Parker is cute as a bug. And George “Gabby”Hayes has a great part as a judge (this was around the same time he was doing the first Hopalong Cassidy pictures).

The transfer is stunning. And it’ll have two commentaries: one by Max Allan Collins and Heath Holland, and a second from some clod named Toby.

It’s easy to recommend the King Vidor The Texas Rangers. Would love to see the 1951 Phil Karlson one, too.

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4K News #399: El Dorado (1967).

Posted in Arthur Hunnicutt, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Howard Hawks, John Wayne, Kino Lorber, Paramount, Robert Mitchum on April 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Directed by Howard Hawks
Starring John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Charlene Holt, Paul Fix, Arthur Hunnicutt, Michele Carey, Christopher George

“The Big One With The Big Two” is coming in the Big 4!

Kino Lorber has announced that they’re working on a 4K disc of El Dorado (1967). Can’t wait to see how this one looks — the Blu-Ray from Paramount a few years back was a disappointment.

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Blu-Ray News #398: Monogram Matinee, Volume 3 (1946, 1949).

Posted in DVD/Blu-Ray News, Johnny Mack Brown, Lambert Hillyer, Monogram/Allied Artists, Raymond Hatton, Warner Archive on April 7, 2026| 9 Comments »

Two Johnny Mack Brown Monogram Westerns on Blu-Ray? Better check my blood pressure before I fall out. The third installment in Warner Archive’s Monogram Matinee series is right up my alley.

Under Arizona Skies (1946)
Directed by Lambert Hillyer
Starring Johnny Mack Brown, Reno Browne, Raymond Hatton, Riley Hill, Tris Coffin, Reed Howes

Johnny Mack Brown shoots a rustler and is soon on the hook for murder. His pal Raymond Hatton comes to the rescue. Reno Browne only made a handful of movies — this might be her first.


Range Justice (1949)
Directed by Ray Taylor
Starring Johnny Mack Brown, Max Terhune, Tris Coffin, Riley Hill, Sarah Padden, Eddie Parker

This time, Johnny helps an old lady who’s being cheated out of her ranch. Director Ray Taylor was great with action — he did Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe (1940).

These Poverty Row marvels will look terrific in high definition. Highly recommended.

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