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Archive for the ‘Fess Parker’ Category

Blu-Ray News #387: Springfield Rifle (1952).

Posted in 1952, Alan Hale, Andre de Toth, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Fess Parker, Gary Cooper, Phil Carey, Warner Archive, Warner Bros. on March 12, 2025| 3 Comments »

Directed by Andre de Toth
Starring Gary Cooper, Phyllis Thaxter, David Brian, Paul Kelly, Philip Carey, Lon Chaney Jr., James Millican, Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams, Alan Hale Jr., Fess Parker

A Civil War picture starring Gary Cooper — directed by Andre de Toth. Count me in! Springfield Rifle (1952) is coming to Blu-Ray from Warner Archive.

Gary Cooper plays a Union soldier, exposed as a Confederate spy. Or is there something else going on? Cooper’s as great as ever, and here he’s got a great 50s Western cast along for the ride (even a pre-Them Fess Parker). And nobody could make something out of a mediocre script quite the way Andre de Toth could. It’s a picture more than deserving a second look.

Andre de Toth, Gary Cooper and a Springfield Rifle

In the late 1920s, cinematographer Edwin B. Dupar was one of the key DPs figuring out how to shoot sound movies. He also experimented with WarnerColor (Eastmancolor) in the early 50s on films like this — “Mr. Dupar, can you make this not look terrible?” Andre de Toth wrestled with the process on Carson City (1952).

It’ll be interesting to see what a nice Warner Archive Blu-Ray of this will look like (and the announced extras sound like a lot of fun). Recommended. (OK, so how about Carson City on Blu-Ray?)

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Happy Birthday, Randolph Scott.

Posted in 1953, Andre de Toth, Charles McGraw, Fess Parker, Lex Barker, Randolph Scott on January 23, 2024| 13 Comments »

George Randolph Scott
(January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987)

Randolph Scott, my favorite actor and most probably the source of the obsession that spawned this blog (and eventual book), was born 126 years ago today.

Here he is in Andre de Toth’s Thunder Over The Plains (1953), a cool little movie that has been overshadowed by the Ranown cycle and Ride The High Country (1962). The best of the de Toth Scotts, such as Man In The Saddle (1951) and Carson City (1952), are terrific.

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Olive Films: A Westerns Checklist.

Posted in Allan Dwan, Audrey Totter, Ben Cooper, Brian Donlevy, Budd Boetticher, Burt Lancaster, Charlton Heston, Clark Gable, Clint Walker, Dorothy Malone, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Edwin L. Marin, Ernest Borgnine, Fess Parker, Forrest Tucker, Frank Ferguson, Gary Cooper, George Sherman, Glenn Ford, Glenn Strange, Gregory Peck, Hank Worden, James Arness, Joe Kane, Joel McCrea, John Ford, John Sturges, John Wayne, Lydecker Brothers, Margia Dean, Marie Windsor, Maureen O'Hara, Nicholas Ray, Olive Films, Paramount, Paul Fix, Peggie Castle, Raoul Walsh, Republic Pictures, Robert Mitchum, Roy Rogers, Scott Brady, Skip Homeier, Sterling Hayden, William Castle, William Witney, Zachary Scott on August 27, 2023| 11 Comments »

You may remember a recent post about Olive Films shutting down. They put out some great DVDs and Blu-Rays over the years, particularly things from Republic and Paramount. (In fact, I watched their The Night Riders this morning, one of my favorite B Westerns.)

Some of these titles have already been re-issued by others (or are on the way). But some may never see the light of day again, given the current state of physical media. From Republic’s Three Mesquiteers series with John Wayne to a handful of Regalscope pictures, there are some real jewels here.

For those trying to pick these things up before they’re either gone or getting crazy collectors’ prices, here’s a list of their Westerns, ranging from the Silents into the 60s. If I missed anything, please let me know.

Special thanks for Laura from Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings, who was a HUGE help with bringing this thing together. 

Wagon Tracks (1919)
Neath The Arizona Skies (1934)
The Lawless Nineties (1936)
The Lonely Trail (1936)
King Of The Pecos (1936)
Overland Stage Raiders (1938)
Red River Range (1938)
Santa Fe Stampede (1938)
Pals Of The Saddle (1938)
The Night Riders (1939)
Three Texas Steers (1939)
Wyoming Outlaw (1939)
Westward Ho (1939)
Man Of Conquest (1939)
Frontier Horizon (AKA New Frontier) (1939)
Dark Command (1940)
In Old Oklahoma (AKA War Of The Wildcats) (1943)
Ramrod (1947)
Angel And The Badman (1947)
Pursued (1947)
The Fighting Kentuckian (1949)
South Of St. Louis (1949)
Rio Grande (1950)
Silver City (1951)
Bullfighter And The Lady (1951)
Only The Valiant (1951)
High Noon (1952)
Denver & Rio Grande (1952)
Pony Express (1953)

Woman They Almost Lynched (1953)
Johnny Guitar (1954)
Run For Cover (1955)
The Americano (1955)
King And Four Queens (1956)
Stranger At My Door (1956)
Gun The Man Down (1956)
The Quiet Gun (1957)
Showdown At Boot Hill (1958)
Ambush At Cimarron Pass (1958)
The Hangman (1959)
The Jayhawkers! (1959)
McLintock! (1963)
The Hallelujah Trail (1965)
The Night Of The Grizzly (1966)

I’ll forever appreciate the folks at Olive Films. Night Of The Grizzly was my first commentary track.

The non-Westerns list is now available over at The Hannibal 8.

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DVD Review: Daniel Boone – The First Season (1964-65).

Posted in Carl Guthrie, Dan Duryea, Disney, DVD reviews, releases, TV, etc., Fess Parker, George Marshall, George Sherman, Hank Worden, James H. Griffith, Jay Silverheels, John McIntire, Joseph H. Lewis, Nathan Juran, TV on May 3, 2016| 2 Comments »

Daniel B lunchbox

Since starting this blog and allowing myself to really wallow in 50s Westerns, it’s been interesting to note how many of the 50s Western “practitioners” made the move to television in the 50s and into the 60s. For them, it probably wasn’t a real decision — they simply went where the work was.

Daniel Boone (1964-70) is one of the programs that really benefited from the Western pedigree of its cast and crew. Boone was developed to leverage Fess Parker’s incredible popularity as Disney’s Davy Crockett. Fact is, the show was to be about Crockett, but Disney wouldn’t give up the rights.

Parker at Boone Forest

Shout Factory has released the show’s first season in a 6-disc Collector’s Edition — 29 episodes with bonus material. Making your way through the set, you’re immediately struck by the familiar names and faces. This first season, the only one not in color, supplements its regular cast — Parker, Patricia Blair, Albert Salmi, Ed Ames, etc. — with the likes of Claude Akins, Dan Duryea, James H. Griffith, Jay Silverheels, Robert J. Wilke, Michael Pate, John McIntire and Hank Worden. Directors include Joseph H. Lewis, George Sherman, Thomas Carr, Nathan Juran and George Marshall — who all some some outstanding 50s Westerns.  The first episode, “Ken-Tuck-E,” directed by Marshall, was written by Borden Chase and shot by Carl Guthrie. Quite an impressive bunch.

The set looks terrific, with print quality varying a bit from episode to episode — but solid overall. The extra stuff is well done. And as for the shows themselves, I’ve always felt this first season was stronger than what came later. But you know, Parker’s so likable, that hardly seems important. Recommended.

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The Great Locomotive Chase (1956).

Posted in 1956, Fess Parker, Jeffrey Hunter on March 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Came across this in the Art Of Disney store at Downtown Disney. It reminded me not just of the Disney World Railroad, but of The Great Locomotive Chase (1956), Disney’s “remake” of The General (1926) — both pictures are based on the same event from the Civil War, Andrews’ Raid.

Walt being such a train nut, or “railhead,” this picture must’ve been near and dear to his heart. He gave it a great cast that includes Fess Parker, Jeffrey Hunter and Kenneth Tobey — and filmed it in Georgia and North Carolina in Technicolor and CinemaScope. It was directed by Francis D. Lyon, whose 50s Westerns include Gunsight Ridge (1957), The Oklahoman (1957) and Escort West (1958)

Released in June 1956, The Great Locomotive Chase was not a success, which is a shame, since it’s got some good performances and some really great train footage. However, another Jeffrey Hunter picture from the same year, The Searchers, did quite well.

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