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Archive for the ‘Lydecker Brothers’ Category

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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Montana Belle (1952).

Posted in 1952, Allan Dwan, Andy Devine, Forrest Tucker, Iron Eyes Cody, Jack Marta, Jane Russell, Lydecker Brothers, Ray Teal, Republic Pictures, RKO, Roy Barcroft, Scott Brady on October 31, 2019| 4 Comments »

Directed by Allan Dawn
Produced by Howard Welsch
Screen Play by Horace McCoy & Norman S. Hall
Story by M. Coates Webster & Howard Welsch
Director Of Photography: Jack Marta
Film Editor: Arthur Roberts
Special Effects: Howard & Theodore Lydecker
Music by Nathan Scott

Cast: Jane Russell (Belle Starr), George Brent (Tom Bradfield), Scott Brady (Bob Dalton), Forrest Tucker (Mac), Andy Devine (Pete Bivins), Jack Lambert (Ringo), John Litel (Matt Towner), Ray Teal (Emmett Dalton), Rory Mallinson (Grat Dalton), Mike Ragan (Ben Dalton), Roy Barcroft (Jim Clark), Glenn Strange, George Chesebro, Iron Eyes Cody

__________

That photo of Jane Russell’s gorgeous Mercedes prompted me to revisit Allan Dwan’s Montana Belle (1952), which I’ve been meaning to do for quite a while.

I really like Jane Russell. She made some really cool movies, including Son Of Paleface (1952), one of my all-time favorites. She didn’t take herself too seriously, didn’t take any crap from Howard Hughes (or anybody else, it seems) and wasn’t afraid to be who she was. Plus, she drove that car!

In late October and November, 1948 — the same year she appeared in The Paleface, Russell made Montana Belle. It was produced by Howard Welsch for his Fidelity Pictures. Welsch had an arrangement with Republic to use their facilities, standard crew (such as DP Jack Marta) and Trucolor. Allan Dwan, who was directed pictures for Republic at the time, signed on. Republic would handle distribution.

Detail from a Serbin Golfer ad, promoting Montana Belle as a Republic picture.

In April of ’49, Welsch sold the completed Montana Belle to RKO for $875,000 — he and Republic split about $225,000 in profits. Then, the picture fell victim to the typical RKO/Howard Hughes weirdness. It was released by RKO in November of 1952, a full four years after Dwan shot it.

The story has Belle Starr (Russell) involved with the Dalton gang, then forming her own outlaw band, and finally giving it all up for the love of a saloon owner (George Brent). Along the way, Jane impersonates a fella and dons a blonde wig to pass as a saloon singer and gambler.

Montana Belle is at its best when all the riding, robbing and shooting’s going on — well directed by Dwan and captured in Trucolor by Jack Marta (would love to see this get the restoration other Trucolor pictures have received lately).

Jane Russell isn’t as comfortable in front of the camera as she’d later become, with pictures like Macao and Son Of Paleface (both 1952), but she handles herself pretty well here. George Brent has an interesting part, or maybe he makes the part interesting. And the rest of the cast is made up of real veterans at this kind of stuff: Scott Brady, Forrest Tucker, Andy Devine, Jack Lambert, Ray Teal, Roy Barcroft and Iron Eyes Cody. Dwan and Brady would later do another overlooked little 50s Western, The Restless Breed (1957).

Montana Belle is available overseas in a PAL DVD that I’ll bet looks pretty crummy. Since it’s officially an RKO picture, it’s not part of the Republic stash over at Paramount. With Allan Dwan getting a much-deserved mini-reappraisal in recent years, it’d sure be great to see this one get a decent DVD, or better yet Blu-Ray, release. It’s no classic, but it’s easy to recommend it anyway.

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Screenings: Republic At The Museum Of Modern Art.

Posted in 1950, 1956, Allan Dwan, Dale Evans, Denver Pyle, Festivals, screenings, Forrest Tucker, George Sherman, Hank Worden, Jack Marta, Jim Davis, Joe Kane, Kino Lorber, Lydecker Brothers, Marie Windsor, Paramount, Paul Fix, Pre-1950, R.G. Springsteen, Republic Pictures, Roy Rogers, Skip Homeier, Vera Ralston, William Witney on January 12, 2018| 10 Comments »

Republic Trucolor logo

Martin Scorsese has curated a retrospective of Republic movies, for February and August at the Museum Of Modern Art, from the restored material at Paramount.

There’s some great stuff in February’s lineup, including Trigger, Jr. (1950), Stranger At My Door (1956) and one of my all-time favorite films, Hellfire (1949). Three of my favorite directors are represented: William Witney, George Sherman and Allan Dwan.

Working with the fine folks at Kino Lorber on commentaries for some of their Republic releases, the quality of the material coming out of Paramount is incredible. (I’m in the middle of Singing Guns right now.) So glad to see these films are being treated with the respect they deserve.

Thanks to Laura for the news!

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Pre-50s Westerns DVD/Blu-Ray News #222B: Dakota (1945).

Posted in DVD/Blu-Ray News, John Wayne, Kino Lorber, Lydecker Brothers, Republic Pictures, Rod Cameron, Vera Ralston, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond on January 3, 2017| 7 Comments »

a_duk738

Directed by Joseph Kane
Starring John Wayne, Vera Hruba Ralston, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond

Kino Lorber has announced a March 21 release date for Dakota (1945), a John Wayne Republic directed by Joe Kane. Ward Bond, Walter Brennan, Nick Stewart and Mike Mazurki round out the cast — along with Vera Ralston. It was shot by the great Jack Marta, and the special effects come courtesy of the mighty Lydecker Brothers.

The DVD and Blu-Ray will include a trailer and a commentary by some guy named Toby Roan.

UPDATE 1/4/2017: Kino Lorber has also announced an upcoming release of the Republic noir picture The Man Who Died Twice (1958), which starred Rod Cameron and Vera Ralston — and was shot in Naturama.

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50s Westerns Blu-Ray News #225: Johnny Guitar (1954).

Posted in 1954, Denver Pyle, DVD reviews, releases, TV, etc., Ernest Borgnine, Frank Ferguson, Lydecker Brothers, Nicholas Ray, Olive Films, Paul Fix, Republic Pictures, Scott Brady, Sterling Hayden, Ward Bond on September 19, 2016| 33 Comments »

johnny-guitar-np-ad

I’m gonna make this quick because time’s running out. Olive Films’ Signature Edition of Nicholas Ray’s Johnny Guitar (1954) comes our tomorrow. Today, the pre-order price at Amazon is only $16.99 (the list price is $39.95).

Picture 2

Get the new Blu-Ray of Johnny Guitar, or Frank’ll let you have it.

Watched it over the weekend, and I really urge you to get it (a real review will be coming soon). Don’t have a Blu-ray player? Well, now’s the time. This thing’s incredible. As much as I love this movie, seeing it in hi-def and its proper 1.66 framing, I love it even more. Essential.

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Wild Bill Wednesday #7: Coming Soon.

Posted in Adrian Booth, Andy Devine, Forrest Tucker, Joe Kane, Lydecker Brothers, Pre-1950, Republic Pictures, William Elliott on September 24, 2014| 10 Comments »

last bandit coming

This is a bit of a cheat. Came across this while researching something else and had to use it.

A post on The Last Bandit (1949) IS in the works, however.

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Howard & Theodore Lydecker

Posted in Lydecker Brothers, Republic Pictures on August 23, 2010| 2 Comments »

As part of the Republic Pictures 75th event, Bob Burns and George Lydecker will speak on the work of Howard and Theodore Lydecker, Republic’s incredible special effects team — and two of my all-time cinematic heroes.

From the fleet of planes, trains and rockets they built for the many Republic serials to their miniature work on Flying Tigers (1942), Flame Of Barbary Coast (1945), and what may be their masterpiece, The Great Train Robbery (1941), the Lydecker brothers gave Republic production values far beyond what Herbert J. Yates was actually spending on these things.

While looking for a picture of a Lydecker rocket or something to put on here, I came across a site dedicated to Howard’s terrific Los Angeles home, which thankfully has remained much as it was when he lived in it.

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