Average customer rating:
- two very different westerns for the price of one
- DON'T TAKE SIDES
- History lesson sorely needed
- Two good films, in good condition.
- Rousing but inaccurate adventure movie
|
Santa Fe Trail/Abilene Town
Starring:
Errol Flynn ,
Olivia de Havilland ,
Raymond Massey ,
Ronald Reagan , and
Alan Hale
Director:
Michael Curtiz , and
Edwin L. Marin
Manufacturer: Marengo Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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The Prince and the Pauper
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Objective Burma
ASIN: B00004WL4Y
Release Date: 2001-02-28 |
Description
200 minute double feature film DVD.
Customer Reviews:
two very different westerns for the price of one.......2007-08-07
The picture quality of Abilene Town on this DVD is marginal:rather fuzzy at times,
but it didn't really bother me that much. The story involves a familiar theme of cattlemen vs. sod busters, but with the added ingredient of non-saloon shopkeepers as a third major block in the politics of Abilene. It's Marshal Randolph Scott's job to try to keep these 3 groups from destroying each other and to ease the inevitable transformation of Abilene from a rowdy cow town into a more civilized place. The limited humor mostly derives from the love-hate relationship between Scott and dance hall canary Ann Dvrak. Edgar Buchanan's character is more pathetic than humorous. He is unbelievably cowardly: Let sleeping dogs lie and run from barking dogs. Why does Scott tolerate him as often his only potential helper in his various duties as marshal. In fact, Scott lies about Buchanan's role in the capture of a desperado in order to help him keep his job as county sheriff.
Though an older film, the quality of the Santa Fe Trail DVD is much better. This story exploits some big names in the coming Civil War, who supposedly all graduated from West Point at the same time and all were newly assigned to keep order in bleeding Kansas. Clean-shaven mild-mannered Ronald Reagan reminds us much more of the Gipper than of George Custer. Again, Errol Flynn is a remarkably clean-shaven representation of normally hirsute Jeb Stuart. Ramond Massey makes an unbeatable characterization of fanatic John Brown, even if many of the details are historically inaccurate. Van Heflin's character is purely fictitious, but does add another dimension to the film story. It offers an alternative explanation for the unexpected arrival of Federal troops at Harper's Ferry during Brown's raid. Actually, Brown made a fatal blunder in allowing a train from the west to procede to Washington. Before these troops arrived, local militia actually sealed off the bridge across the Potomac, which was Brown's intended escape route. If you can stomach all the gross historical inaccuracies in this film, it is an action-packed entertaining story, mostly carried by the charisma of Flynn and Massey, the banter between and within several buddy pairs and the well-established cinematic romantic partnership of Flynn and Olivia. Van Heflin's difficult character and betrayal adds an additional dimension.
DON'T TAKE SIDES.......2007-07-16
Based on an original screenplay by Robert Buckner, SANTA FE TRAIL was shot by Michael Curtiz in 1940. There are two ways to get onto this movie nowadays, more than 65 years after its release. You could enjoy, like I did, its rythm, the actors or the strange idea, in a film made in Hollywood, to depict the abolitionists as fanatics and the unionists as sensible people.
You could also take the time to think about the message conveyed by SANTA FE TRAIL through the actions of its main character Errol Flynn. Jeb - Errol Flynn - Stuart is a man who doesn't take sides, who just obeys orders and waits for the happy ending History will certainly provide to the American nation. The description of this passive demeanour shocked me a lot and, while I was watching SANTA FE TRAIL, I couldn't but think that, the same year, another American director, Charles S. Chaplin, was desperately trying to alert the world about what was going on in Europe with The Great Dictator (2 Disc Special Edition).
A DVD zone mixed feelings.
History lesson sorely needed.......2007-06-02
How many school children in 21 st century know about John Brown? How many know about the causes of this horrible war that pitted former comrades against one another? Is this movie entirely accurate and does take artistic license with the characters and storyline? Yes and No, but and so do many contemporary films such as 'Saving Private Ryan' or 'Patton' take liberties with actual events. As a number of reviewers have noted, we see events in history through politically correct eyes. My major fault with the movie is that southerners did not have a distinctive regional drawl, especially Errol Flynn's character, Jeb Stuart. Having your children watch this movie will provide them an insight into a forgotten epic American history while at the same time entertaining them with battles and other action scenes. John Brown may have been right in his core principles but he is a prime example of excessive zeal clashing with established law and order.
Two good films, in good condition........2005-11-14
I don't very often write reviews (although I enjoy reading those of others), but I must just tell anyone wondering which version of "Santa Fe Trail" to buy that the Marengo version (the one that includes "Abilene Town" as a bonus) is excellent. I was not familiar with either of these movies before - I don't know why, as they are both really good movies, and better than many others that I have bought individually and paid more money for. "Santa Fe Trail" is a really unusual, and interesting movie. The combination of Curtiz and Flynn gives it something - a depth, or thoughtfulness, perhaps - that most movies just don't have. It is also, IMHO, a better movie than Errol Flynn's other cavalry outing, "They Died With Their Boots On", so I don't know why the former is in the public domain, as if nobody cares about it, with numerous versions available (some of which don't sound very good), while the latter is presumably still owned and guarded exclusively by Warner Brothers, who have recently brought out a lavish DVD version of it, with various "extras" on it.
As for "Abilene Town", that also is a surprisingly good movie, its plot not unlike that of "Dodge City". On a trivial note: it looks to me as if Gary Cooper's famous, iconic "look" in "High Noon" (reproduced in books and posters so often) was in fact inspired by the outfit that Randolph Scott wears in "Abilene Town".
Rousing but inaccurate adventure movie.......2005-07-06
The title may well lead people to expect a Western and indeed this is how the movie has been packaged ,but I would argue it is nothing of the sort .While the Santa Fe Trail is mentioned and the role of the railroad in opening up the West is touched upon the movie is really about the origins of the Civil War .
Flynn stars as J E B Stuart -arguably the most famous cavalry commnader in the Confederate army .We first meet him as a West Point cadet, along with several other men who became prominent in the military in subsequent years chief among them being Custer (Ronald Reagan ) Phil Sheridan ( David Bruce) and George Pickett( Willam Marshall ) .His nemesis at the Academy is "Rader" played by Van Heflin ,a fervent abolitionist and disciple of the firebrand preacher John Brown .The two get involved in a brawl and Rader is sent down for having abolitionist pamphlets in his locker .Already the Civil war is casting its shadows over the military -;we meet Lee and Davis ,men who were to play a key role in events in the following decade .
Stuart ,Custer and Sheridan are sent to "Bloody Kansas" to keep the peace in the face of John Browns agitation for it to become a free state .They clash early on when they foil a gun running bid by Brown and his followers who now number the embittered and mercenary Rader in their ranks (it is made clear he fights for money ,not belief in the cause) .Further confrontations with Brown arise ,culminating in the bloody affray at Harper's Ferry
There is no shortage of movies dealing with the Civil War but very few have adressed its origins which makes this aspect of tghe movie so disappointing .Perhaps mindful of the need not to damage its potential in the South ,scriptwriter Robert Bruckner has come up with an evasive screenplay which sits on the fence politically .Brown is depicted as a fiery psychopath and an irrational madman whose cause is founded on the need for someone to hate rather than any love of the blacks or sense of moral righness ,while the Heflin character is a vain ,envious opportunist who loves only money and betrays any cause he feels does not value his contribution to it .He is shown as interfering in a system which Stuart claims is reforming itself from within ,and by so doing bringing about an avoidable conflict This is a gross distortion of the facts .Thus ,faced with such moral equivocation ,the best thing to do is enjoy it on an action movie level and here it works well .The action is lively and plentiful and the acting is pretty solid .Flynn is ideally cast as the archetypal military man -one who fights nobly for his cause ,despite his own doubts and de Havilland is excellent as the feisty tomboyish Kit Carson Halliday over whom Custer and Stuart bicker .Raymond Massey is hypnotic if hammy as Brown and there is a solid "best friend of the leading man "turn from Reagan ,whose character is allowed a few tentative pro-Brown remarks
One scene stands out -when Custer ,Sheridan ,Stuart and Pickett consult an Indian seeress they are told they will all be generals but will never again all meet as friend ;they react with uneasy laughter but in the scene we see the gathering clouds of the impending war ,
Muddy monochrome photography from the usually dependable Sal Polito does not help while Max Steiner's score is not his best by a long eway
Enjoy it as a vigorous and robust action picture from the great Michael Curtiz and this is okay but as a serious treatment of the issues it is sunk by its own timorousness and refusal to address reality
Average customer rating:
|
The Telegraph Trail
Starring:
John Wayne ,
Duke (II) ,
Frank McHugh ,
Marceline Day , and
Otis Harlan
Director:
Tenny Wright
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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ASIN: B000O599UI
Release Date: 2007-05-22 |
Description
Army scouts assist the workers building the first transcontinental telegraph line.
Average customer rating:
- Still ANOTHER version
- WIDESCREEN IN NECESSARY ..!!!!!
- Great beginning
- What a great Western!!!
- Boo for this edited version
|
The Big Trail
Starring:
John Wayne ,
Marguerite Churchill ,
El Brendel ,
Tully Marshall , and
Tyrone Power Sr.
Director:
Raoul Walsh , and
Louis R. Loeffler
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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The Spoilers
ASIN: B00008MTXR
Release Date: 2003-05-20 |
Amazon.com
One of very few widescreen productions filmed at the dawn of the talkies, The Big Trail was dismissed by reviewers of the day, little seen, and soon shelved and forgotten--for more than half a century, as it turned out. For movie buffs, it became a sort of Holy Grail. After all, the esteemed Raoul Walsh had directed, the early 70mm angle was tantalizing, and wasn't this the movie that was intended to make a star of Duke Morrison, a 22-year-old former prop man whom Walsh had rechristened John Wayne for the occasion? For curiosity value alone, surely it rated a look.
Restored in the late 1980s and warmly embraced by film festival audiences, The Big Trail proved to be more than just a historical footnote. What were those 1930 reviewers thinking?! Wayne is fresh, exuberant, matinee-idol handsome, and irresistibly charming (only a little purple prose trips him up, and no one should have been asked to speak such early-talkie flapdoodle anyway). The scenario winds through epic settings from the banks of the Mississippi by way of the Grand Canyon to the snows of Oregon and the mountain vistas of Washington, marking both a wagon train's journey and the settling of a personal score between trail guide Wayne and Tyrone Power Sr. as a veritable ogre of a villain. (A villain off-camera, too: Legend holds that Walsh had the actor beaten nearly to death for attempting to force himself on leading lady Marguerite Churchill.) The Big Trail is now an authentic classic, and a swell movie. Probably always was. --Richard T. Jameson
Description
In this sweeping pioneer adventure, a courageous young scout (WAYNE) leads hundreds of settlers across treacherous cliffs, though brutal snowstorms, Indian attacks and buffalo stampedes to their destiny out West. Along the way, he loses his heart to a beautiful pioneer woman (MARGUERITE CHURCHILL) and never stops trying to win her love. TYRONE POWER co-stars in this visually spectacular epic.
Customer Reviews:
Still ANOTHER version.......2007-08-08
Just thought I'd add to all the talk of different extant versions of this film. The Key Video VHS from 1988 offers yet ANOTHER incarnation of this film. As opposed to the edited 35mm version on Fox VHS and DVD, the Key version was a pan and scan version of the 70mm film, and ran 121 mins., even though the box listed it as 110.
WIDESCREEN IN NECESSARY ..!!!!!.......2007-06-20
This is an historical film that was made in 70mm widescreen and it MUST be shown that way!! What a travesty to show this in 1:33 square format!! History deserves better and so do we film buffs!!!
Great beginning.......2007-03-27
I had a copy of this movie several years ago and lost it. I found it on Amazon and was very happy. I liked John Wayne when I was growing up (he was my hero then). I think that this movie showed what talent Mr. Wayne had. (even though he was twenty at this time). This will be a great addition to my ever growing collection of John Wayne movies.
What a great Western!!!.......2006-12-17
I confess that I did not purchase this video; however, I did watch this movie today on TV. It is a wonderful Western, full of charm, a little corniness, some great humorous scenes, as well as a realistic-looking tale of pioneers crossing the wide-open country through the wild, Indian-settled plains, to a glorious new life in the American Northwest. It is interesting to see John Wayne already taking the moral high ground in several scenes throughout this early movie from 1930, much as he did the rest of his movie career. The long straight-on shot of pretty Marguerite Churchill leaning out the back of her conestoga wagon with a glimpse of cleavage is quite risque for 1930, though maybe not surprising just coming out of the "Roaring Twenties." The scenery is awesome, even in black & white, and the sub-plots are set-up quickly and perfectly early in the film. The scene of lowering people, cattle, and conestoga wagons down the cliff by ropes is a little unbelieveable, but who knows! Some of the scenes like the wagon swept away in the river with paniced women and children being rescued, and the wagon that fell down the cliff look like they were possibly not staged, but the footage was well incorporated into the movie. (It would be interesting to know whether or not these scenes were staged.) This is a hidden gem, not only for John Wayne fans, but for all fans of Westerns!
Boo for this edited version.......2006-12-12
John Wayne's first important screen appearance, this Raoul Walsh picture about a wagon train crossing the plains is quite a major production for its day. Much longer than most pictures of the time (though for some unknown reason shortened by 20 minutes on this DVD release, an unfortunate decision disparaged by other reviewers here), the movie tells a vivid story with the camera. There isn't much plot, but various incidents - a buffalo hunt, an Indian attack, a near-disastrous crossing of a rain-swollen stream - are all captured wonderfully on film. Unfortunately, the spotlight that shined so brightly on Wayne here flicked out after the picture was released, and he would be relegated to churning out numerous quick oaters and action flicks for the next nine years before getting another big break in STAGECOACH. Maybe Fox or somebody will do this picture the justice it deserves and put the whole thing out on DVD so we can get rid of this edited version once and for all.
Average customer rating:
- two very different westerns for the price of one
- DON'T TAKE SIDES
- History lesson sorely needed
- Two good films, in good condition.
- Rousing but inaccurate adventure movie
|
Santa Fe Trail
Starring:
Errol Flynn ,
Olivia de Havilland ,
Raymond Massey ,
Ronald Reagan , and
Alan Hale
Director:
Michael Curtiz
Manufacturer: Digital Gold Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Westerns
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| DVD
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Classics
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| DVD
| Video
Baxter, Alan
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Bond, Ward
| ( B )
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| Stores
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| Video
Brown, Charles D
| ( B )
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Bruce, David
| ( B )
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Cavanaugh, Hobart
| ( C )
| Actors & Actresses
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Flynn, Errol
| ( F )
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Hale, Alan
| ( H )
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| ( H )
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| ( L )
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| ( L )
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| ( M )
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| ( O )
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| ( R )
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| ( R )
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| ( S )
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| ( S )
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Similar Items:
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Dodge City
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They Died with Their Boots On
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Objective Burma
ASIN: B00005Q4E7
Release Date: 2001-10-02 |
Customer Reviews:
two very different westerns for the price of one.......2007-08-07
The picture quality of Abilene Town on this DVD is marginal:rather fuzzy at times,
but it didn't really bother me that much. The story involves a familiar theme of cattlemen vs. sod busters, but with the added ingredient of non-saloon shopkeepers as a third major block in the politics of Abilene. It's Marshal Randolph Scott's job to try to keep these 3 groups from destroying each other and to ease the inevitable transformation of Abilene from a rowdy cow town into a more civilized place. The limited humor mostly derives from the love-hate relationship between Scott and dance hall canary Ann Dvrak. Edgar Buchanan's character is more pathetic than humorous. He is unbelievably cowardly: Let sleeping dogs lie and run from barking dogs. Why does Scott tolerate him as often his only potential helper in his various duties as marshal. In fact, Scott lies about Buchanan's role in the capture of a desperado in order to help him keep his job as county sheriff.
Though an older film, the quality of the Santa Fe Trail DVD is much better. This story exploits some big names in the coming Civil War, who supposedly all graduated from West Point at the same time and all were newly assigned to keep order in bleeding Kansas. Clean-shaven mild-mannered Ronald Reagan reminds us much more of the Gipper than of George Custer. Again, Errol Flynn is a remarkably clean-shaven representation of normally hirsute Jeb Stuart. Ramond Massey makes an unbeatable characterization of fanatic John Brown, even if many of the details are historically inaccurate. Van Heflin's character is purely fictitious, but does add another dimension to the film story. It offers an alternative explanation for the unexpected arrival of Federal troops at Harper's Ferry during Brown's raid. Actually, Brown made a fatal blunder in allowing a train from the west to procede to Washington. Before these troops arrived, local militia actually sealed off the bridge across the Potomac, which was Brown's intended escape route. If you can stomach all the gross historical inaccuracies in this film, it is an action-packed entertaining story, mostly carried by the charisma of Flynn and Massey, the banter between and within several buddy pairs and the well-established cinematic romantic partnership of Flynn and Olivia. Van Heflin's difficult character and betrayal adds an additional dimension.
DON'T TAKE SIDES.......2007-07-16
Based on an original screenplay by Robert Buckner, SANTA FE TRAIL was shot by Michael Curtiz in 1940. There are two ways to get onto this movie nowadays, more than 65 years after its release. You could enjoy, like I did, its rythm, the actors or the strange idea, in a film made in Hollywood, to depict the abolitionists as fanatics and the unionists as sensible people.
You could also take the time to think about the message conveyed by SANTA FE TRAIL through the actions of its main character Errol Flynn. Jeb - Errol Flynn - Stuart is a man who doesn't take sides, who just obeys orders and waits for the happy ending History will certainly provide to the American nation. The description of this passive demeanour shocked me a lot and, while I was watching SANTA FE TRAIL, I couldn't but think that, the same year, another American director, Charles S. Chaplin, was desperately trying to alert the world about what was going on in Europe with The Great Dictator (2 Disc Special Edition).
A DVD zone mixed feelings.
History lesson sorely needed.......2007-06-02
How many school children in 21 st century know about John Brown? How many know about the causes of this horrible war that pitted former comrades against one another? Is this movie entirely accurate and does take artistic license with the characters and storyline? Yes and No, but and so do many contemporary films such as 'Saving Private Ryan' or 'Patton' take liberties with actual events. As a number of reviewers have noted, we see events in history through politically correct eyes. My major fault with the movie is that southerners did not have a distinctive regional drawl, especially Errol Flynn's character, Jeb Stuart. Having your children watch this movie will provide them an insight into a forgotten epic American history while at the same time entertaining them with battles and other action scenes. John Brown may have been right in his core principles but he is a prime example of excessive zeal clashing with established law and order.
Two good films, in good condition........2005-11-14
I don't very often write reviews (although I enjoy reading those of others), but I must just tell anyone wondering which version of "Santa Fe Trail" to buy that the Marengo version (the one that includes "Abilene Town" as a bonus) is excellent. I was not familiar with either of these movies before - I don't know why, as they are both really good movies, and better than many others that I have bought individually and paid more money for. "Santa Fe Trail" is a really unusual, and interesting movie. The combination of Curtiz and Flynn gives it something - a depth, or thoughtfulness, perhaps - that most movies just don't have. It is also, IMHO, a better movie than Errol Flynn's other cavalry outing, "They Died With Their Boots On", so I don't know why the former is in the public domain, as if nobody cares about it, with numerous versions available (some of which don't sound very good), while the latter is presumably still owned and guarded exclusively by Warner Brothers, who have recently brought out a lavish DVD version of it, with various "extras" on it.
As for "Abilene Town", that also is a surprisingly good movie, its plot not unlike that of "Dodge City". On a trivial note: it looks to me as if Gary Cooper's famous, iconic "look" in "High Noon" (reproduced in books and posters so often) was in fact inspired by the outfit that Randolph Scott wears in "Abilene Town".
Rousing but inaccurate adventure movie.......2005-07-06
The title may well lead people to expect a Western and indeed this is how the movie has been packaged ,but I would argue it is nothing of the sort .While the Santa Fe Trail is mentioned and the role of the railroad in opening up the West is touched upon the movie is really about the origins of the Civil War .
Flynn stars as J E B Stuart -arguably the most famous cavalry commnader in the Confederate army .We first meet him as a West Point cadet, along with several other men who became prominent in the military in subsequent years chief among them being Custer (Ronald Reagan ) Phil Sheridan ( David Bruce) and George Pickett( Willam Marshall ) .His nemesis at the Academy is "Rader" played by Van Heflin ,a fervent abolitionist and disciple of the firebrand preacher John Brown .The two get involved in a brawl and Rader is sent down for having abolitionist pamphlets in his locker .Already the Civil war is casting its shadows over the military -;we meet Lee and Davis ,men who were to play a key role in events in the following decade .
Stuart ,Custer and Sheridan are sent to "Bloody Kansas" to keep the peace in the face of John Browns agitation for it to become a free state .They clash early on when they foil a gun running bid by Brown and his followers who now number the embittered and mercenary Rader in their ranks (it is made clear he fights for money ,not belief in the cause) .Further confrontations with Brown arise ,culminating in the bloody affray at Harper's Ferry
There is no shortage of movies dealing with the Civil War but very few have adressed its origins which makes this aspect of tghe movie so disappointing .Perhaps mindful of the need not to damage its potential in the South ,scriptwriter Robert Bruckner has come up with an evasive screenplay which sits on the fence politically .Brown is depicted as a fiery psychopath and an irrational madman whose cause is founded on the need for someone to hate rather than any love of the blacks or sense of moral righness ,while the Heflin character is a vain ,envious opportunist who loves only money and betrays any cause he feels does not value his contribution to it .He is shown as interfering in a system which Stuart claims is reforming itself from within ,and by so doing bringing about an avoidable conflict This is a gross distortion of the facts .Thus ,faced with such moral equivocation ,the best thing to do is enjoy it on an action movie level and here it works well .The action is lively and plentiful and the acting is pretty solid .Flynn is ideally cast as the archetypal military man -one who fights nobly for his cause ,despite his own doubts and de Havilland is excellent as the feisty tomboyish Kit Carson Halliday over whom Custer and Stuart bicker .Raymond Massey is hypnotic if hammy as Brown and there is a solid "best friend of the leading man "turn from Reagan ,whose character is allowed a few tentative pro-Brown remarks
One scene stands out -when Custer ,Sheridan ,Stuart and Pickett consult an Indian seeress they are told they will all be generals but will never again all meet as friend ;they react with uneasy laughter but in the scene we see the gathering clouds of the impending war ,
Muddy monochrome photography from the usually dependable Sal Polito does not help while Max Steiner's score is not his best by a long eway
Enjoy it as a vigorous and robust action picture from the great Michael Curtiz and this is okay but as a serious treatment of the issues it is sunk by its own timorousness and refusal to address reality
Average customer rating:
- William Hurt is excellent
- Mediocre or a flawed masterpiece?
- Good plot poorly presented
- remarkable !
- remarkable !
|
The Big Brass Ring
Starring:
William Hurt ,
Nigel Hawthorne ,
Miranda Richardson ,
Irène Jacob , and
Ewan Stewart
Director:
George Hickenlooper
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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In Enemy Hands
ASIN: B00002SSKS
Release Date: 2000-01-11 |
Amazon.com
Orson Welles wrote The Big Brass Ring in the early 1980s--his last attempt to create a commercial Hollywood film--but the dynamic, rich screenplay was never produced. Nearly two decades later, independent filmmaker and documentarian George Hickenlooper (Hearts of Darkness) purchased and rewrote Welles' script, updating the tale of an independent presidential candidate in the cynical post-Watergate years to a more modest gubernatorial race in the media-saturated 1990s. The generally reserved William Hurt is excellent as the firebrand candidate whose secret, repressed past is dredged up when estranged father figure and political rebel Nigel Hawthorne (in a wry, flamboyant performance) reappears on the eve of the election. While the world's attention is focused on a political contest between two independents, Hurt searches his soul to come to peace with the compromises and sacrifices of his youth.
Where Welles' script is suffused with the melancholy sense of loss of an old man looking back on past mistakes, the film is brightened with the hope and possibilities of a younger man looking ahead to unlimited possibility. Hurt gives his best performance in decades as a man whose confidence is cracked by guilt. Less convincing is French beauty Irène Jacob as an international reporter while Miranda Richardson, though excellent, gets lost as the story sidesteps her sad alcoholic character. We'll never know what Welles could have done with his story, but Hickenlooper delivers a handsome, compelling drama. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews:
William Hurt is excellent.......2007-06-22
William Hurt is just excellent as a Missouri governatorial candidate who has a few skeletons in his closet, walking the tightrope between keeping true to his ethics and wanting to win the election.
A believable, low-key suspense movie. Believe it or not, it was written by Orson Welles, I think it was one of his last works before he died.
Great performances by Miranda Richardson and Nigel Hawthorne.
Very recommended!
Mediocre or a flawed masterpiece?.......2001-07-27
This may be a flawed masterpiece or perhaps a mediocre movie with a lot to recommend it. I enjoyed it and would like to see it again, partly to make sure the plot worked and partly to catch some nuances that I missed. And also because, as my esteemed colleague, flickjunkie, notes below, the audio is atrocious and my ears are not as sharp as they once were. But life is short and the entire opus of film is long...but maybe I can edit with the fast forward!
Okay, let's look at the evidence. Script by Orson Welles: somewhat amazing since he died in 1985. His last work. That alone may make this worth watching. William Hurt plays a southern pol, Blake Pellarin, running for governor of Missouri. Miranda Richardson plays his rich, alcoholic wife, and she is very good. Nigel Hawthorne is Kim Mennaker, Blake's one time mentor, a shadowy, behind the scenes political figure, a cynical character who is writing a 27,000-page memoir, which no doubt includes much about his love for the Pellarin boys. Irene Jacob plays Cela Brandini, a TV reporter fascinated with Blake. The one-time protege of French-Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski is not shown to advantage here. I'm not sure why, but there is little subtlety in the way she plays the part. To really appreciate what she can do, see her in La Double vie de Veronique (1991) or Trois Couleurs: Rouge (1994), both directed by Kieslowski. She is beautiful and very winning.
William Hurt, contrary to some opinion, was excellent. His characteristic laid-back, almost languid style works strangely well for a southern pol. He is certainly different, but believable, although I don't think his style would have worked had his character been running for president, as in Welles's original script. (Incidentally, they really wanted Louisiana, not Missouri, for the locale.) Hurt's performance reminds me in some ways of his work in the outstanding but now somewhat neglected, Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), for which he won an academy award.
The Big Brass Ring never had a theatrical release, and it is not hard to see why. The print is too dark and the story too murky and hard to follow. It appears that the brothers changed identities when young and never bothered to change back. Apparently Blake's brother and not Blake was the subject of the homosexual photo, but I'm not sure. To make this movie work for a mass audience, the true status of the boys then, and during the time of the action, must be made clear.
Good plot poorly presented.......2000-04-18
This is a murky story of politics, scandal, sex and deception. Sounds like it should have been a great film, but it wasn't. The basic plot was sound as we might expect from Orson Welles. But the way it was presented was too disjointed and abstruse. Without reading the original script, it is hard to tell if the responsibility for this lies with Welles, Oja Kodar (who did the adaptation) or George Hickenlooper, the director. I suspect it is the latter two.
The biggest problem I had was character development. By the end of the film one should reasonably expect the pieces to fit together. Good character development should give us insight into the characters' motivation. I found this lacking. The flashbacks didn't really help us to understand the motivations of the characters as much as they should have. It seems that the brothers voluntarily switched identities, since Billy was wearing a name tag that said "Romero" on his uniform when he left to go to war. So, Blake really didn't steal his brother's identity as it appeared. This wasn't made very clear.
There were lots of loose ends here. What motivated the limo driver to do what he did? Was it a need to be close to power, or some personal vendetta? Who knows?
From a directorial and cinematography point of view, the film was far too dark, that is, underexposed. I'm certain they were trying for that look, but it made the photography look as if it were shot on 30 year old film of poor quality. Also, the audio was very bad. It was very difficult understanding a lot of the dialogue.
William Hurt was miscast in this role. For certain films, his puling, self tortured style of delivery are appropriate to the character (Big Chill, Broadcast News, Children of a Lesser God). However, in this film his character required a more dynamic and confident portrayal, which he was unable to deliver.
Nigel Hawthorne gave the best performance as Kim Mennaker, the Senator who brought the boys up. His ability to portray the old political warhorse, seduced by the trappings of power was excellent.
Irene Jacob gave a good performance as Cela, the reporter with an obsession for the candidate and the truth behind him.
Overall, the whole was less than the sum of the parts. The presentation was ponderous and uneven and the direction mediocre at best. Worth a 5/10. If you are looking for political campaign stories, there are better choices (Primary Colors, The Candidate, with Robert Redford).
remarkable !.......2000-01-25
It's an up-to-date topic, more then ever - political scandals, lies and deceit. but this plays the essential part: in the end Pellarin ( W. Hurt ) decided for his brother and the truth! There were good actors, first of all William Hurt, he plays every part expressive, believable and convincing. Who 's interested in high-quality movies should go and see this film.
remarkable !.......2000-01-25
It's an up-to-date topic, more then ever - political scandals, lies and deceit. but this plays the essential part: in the end Pellarin ( W. Hurt ) decided for his brother and the truth! There were good actors, first of all William Hurt, he plays every part expressive, believable and convincing. Who 's interested in high-quality movies should go and see this film.
Average customer rating:
- two very different westerns for the price of one
- DON'T TAKE SIDES
- History lesson sorely needed
- Two good films, in good condition.
- Rousing but inaccurate adventure movie
|
Santa Fe Trail
Starring:
Errol Flynn ,
Olivia de Havilland ,
Raymond Massey ,
Ronald Reagan , and
Alan Hale
Director:
Michael Curtiz
Manufacturer: Diamond Ent. Corp.
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005BI96
Release Date: 2003-01-01 |
Customer Reviews:
two very different westerns for the price of one.......2007-08-07
The picture quality of Abilene Town on this DVD is marginal:rather fuzzy at times,
but it didn't really bother me that much. The story involves a familiar theme of cattlemen vs. sod busters, but with the added ingredient of non-saloon shopkeepers as a third major block in the politics of Abilene. It's Marshal Randolph Scott's job to try to keep these 3 groups from destroying each other and to ease the inevitable transformation of Abilene from a rowdy cow town into a more civilized place. The limited humor mostly derives from the love-hate relationship between Scott and dance hall canary Ann Dvrak. Edgar Buchanan's character is more pathetic than humorous. He is unbelievably cowardly: Let sleeping dogs lie and run from barking dogs. Why does Scott tolerate him as often his only potential helper in his various duties as marshal. In fact, Scott lies about Buchanan's role in the capture of a desperado in order to help him keep his job as county sheriff.
Though an older film, the quality of the Santa Fe Trail DVD is much better. This story exploits some big names in the coming Civil War, who supposedly all graduated from West Point at the same time and all were newly assigned to keep order in bleeding Kansas. Clean-shaven mild-mannered Ronald Reagan reminds us much more of the Gipper than of George Custer. Again, Errol Flynn is a remarkably clean-shaven representation of normally hirsute Jeb Stuart. Ramond Massey makes an unbeatable characterization of fanatic John Brown, even if many of the details are historically inaccurate. Van Heflin's character is purely fictitious, but does add another dimension to the film story. It offers an alternative explanation for the unexpected arrival of Federal troops at Harper's Ferry during Brown's raid. Actually, Brown made a fatal blunder in allowing a train from the west to procede to Washington. Before these troops arrived, local militia actually sealed off the bridge across the Potomac, which was Brown's intended escape route. If you can stomach all the gross historical inaccuracies in this film, it is an action-packed entertaining story, mostly carried by the charisma of Flynn and Massey, the banter between and within several buddy pairs and the well-established cinematic romantic partnership of Flynn and Olivia. Van Heflin's difficult character and betrayal adds an additional dimension.
DON'T TAKE SIDES.......2007-07-16
Based on an original screenplay by Robert Buckner, SANTA FE TRAIL was shot by Michael Curtiz in 1940. There are two ways to get onto this movie nowadays, more than 65 years after its release. You could enjoy, like I did, its rythm, the actors or the strange idea, in a film made in Hollywood, to depict the abolitionists as fanatics and the unionists as sensible people.
You could also take the time to think about the message conveyed by SANTA FE TRAIL through the actions of its main character Errol Flynn. Jeb - Errol Flynn - Stuart is a man who doesn't take sides, who just obeys orders and waits for the happy ending History will certainly provide to the American nation. The description of this passive demeanour shocked me a lot and, while I was watching SANTA FE TRAIL, I couldn't but think that, the same year, another American director, Charles S. Chaplin, was desperately trying to alert the world about what was going on in Europe with The Great Dictator (2 Disc Special Edition).
A DVD zone mixed feelings.
History lesson sorely needed.......2007-06-02
How many school children in 21 st century know about John Brown? How many know about the causes of this horrible war that pitted former comrades against one another? Is this movie entirely accurate and does take artistic license with the characters and storyline? Yes and No, but and so do many contemporary films such as 'Saving Private Ryan' or 'Patton' take liberties with actual events. As a number of reviewers have noted, we see events in history through politically correct eyes. My major fault with the movie is that southerners did not have a distinctive regional drawl, especially Errol Flynn's character, Jeb Stuart. Having your children watch this movie will provide them an insight into a forgotten epic American history while at the same time entertaining them with battles and other action scenes. John Brown may have been right in his core principles but he is a prime example of excessive zeal clashing with established law and order.
Two good films, in good condition........2005-11-14
I don't very often write reviews (although I enjoy reading those of others), but I must just tell anyone wondering which version of "Santa Fe Trail" to buy that the Marengo version (the one that includes "Abilene Town" as a bonus) is excellent. I was not familiar with either of these movies before - I don't know why, as they are both really good movies, and better than many others that I have bought individually and paid more money for. "Santa Fe Trail" is a really unusual, and interesting movie. The combination of Curtiz and Flynn gives it something - a depth, or thoughtfulness, perhaps - that most movies just don't have. It is also, IMHO, a better movie than Errol Flynn's other cavalry outing, "They Died With Their Boots On", so I don't know why the former is in the public domain, as if nobody cares about it, with numerous versions available (some of which don't sound very good), while the latter is presumably still owned and guarded exclusively by Warner Brothers, who have recently brought out a lavish DVD version of it, with various "extras" on it.
As for "Abilene Town", that also is a surprisingly good movie, its plot not unlike that of "Dodge City". On a trivial note: it looks to me as if Gary Cooper's famous, iconic "look" in "High Noon" (reproduced in books and posters so often) was in fact inspired by the outfit that Randolph Scott wears in "Abilene Town".
Rousing but inaccurate adventure movie.......2005-07-06
The title may well lead people to expect a Western and indeed this is how the movie has been packaged ,but I would argue it is nothing of the sort .While the Santa Fe Trail is mentioned and the role of the railroad in opening up the West is touched upon the movie is really about the origins of the Civil War .
Flynn stars as J E B Stuart -arguably the most famous cavalry commnader in the Confederate army .We first meet him as a West Point cadet, along with several other men who became prominent in the military in subsequent years chief among them being Custer (Ronald Reagan ) Phil Sheridan ( David Bruce) and George Pickett( Willam Marshall ) .His nemesis at the Academy is "Rader" played by Van Heflin ,a fervent abolitionist and disciple of the firebrand preacher John Brown .The two get involved in a brawl and Rader is sent down for having abolitionist pamphlets in his locker .Already the Civil war is casting its shadows over the military -;we meet Lee and Davis ,men who were to play a key role in events in the following decade .
Stuart ,Custer and Sheridan are sent to "Bloody Kansas" to keep the peace in the face of John Browns agitation for it to become a free state .They clash early on when they foil a gun running bid by Brown and his followers who now number the embittered and mercenary Rader in their ranks (it is made clear he fights for money ,not belief in the cause) .Further confrontations with Brown arise ,culminating in the bloody affray at Harper's Ferry
There is no shortage of movies dealing with the Civil War but very few have adressed its origins which makes this aspect of tghe movie so disappointing .Perhaps mindful of the need not to damage its potential in the South ,scriptwriter Robert Bruckner has come up with an evasive screenplay which sits on the fence politically .Brown is depicted as a fiery psychopath and an irrational madman whose cause is founded on the need for someone to hate rather than any love of the blacks or sense of moral righness ,while the Heflin character is a vain ,envious opportunist who loves only money and betrays any cause he feels does not value his contribution to it .He is shown as interfering in a system which Stuart claims is reforming itself from within ,and by so doing bringing about an avoidable conflict This is a gross distortion of the facts .Thus ,faced with such moral equivocation ,the best thing to do is enjoy it on an action movie level and here it works well .The action is lively and plentiful and the acting is pretty solid .Flynn is ideally cast as the archetypal military man -one who fights nobly for his cause ,despite his own doubts and de Havilland is excellent as the feisty tomboyish Kit Carson Halliday over whom Custer and Stuart bicker .Raymond Massey is hypnotic if hammy as Brown and there is a solid "best friend of the leading man "turn from Reagan ,whose character is allowed a few tentative pro-Brown remarks
One scene stands out -when Custer ,Sheridan ,Stuart and Pickett consult an Indian seeress they are told they will all be generals but will never again all meet as friend ;they react with uneasy laughter but in the scene we see the gathering clouds of the impending war ,
Muddy monochrome photography from the usually dependable Sal Polito does not help while Max Steiner's score is not his best by a long eway
Enjoy it as a vigorous and robust action picture from the great Michael Curtiz and this is okay but as a serious treatment of the issues it is sunk by its own timorousness and refusal to address reality
Average customer rating:
|
Gold Mountain Jeep Trail DVD
Manufacturer: Customflix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Genres
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
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| Kids & Family
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| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
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| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
ASIN: B000PMGHG4
Release Date: 2007-04-23 |
Amazon.com
The GOLD MOUNTAIN JEEP TRAIL is one of Big Bear's most Challenging!! Rated MOST DIFFICULT, our DVD Video Guide, with over one hour of trail coverage, will lead you over the trail so you know what to expect. Bonus Features!! The DVD also includes Video Directions to the Trailhead An Off Road Test of the Nissan Xterra Off Road Tire Tech Driving Tips - Spotting & Jeep Off Roading Tips PLUS A Computer file folder containing: A full color PDF, printable Trail Guide Product Info Useful Web Links
Customer Reviews:
Don't waste your money!.......2007-09-17
It is a DVD about a few vehicles that drive down a fairly smooth but rocky road in California, and talk the entire way about some guy that struck gold years ago. The Camera footage is Helmet Cam quality. The narrator is very boring. The DVD put me to sleep...Literally. I am disappointed that Amazon would carry such garbage in their inventory. Amazon...Please remove from your inventory to avoid future dissapointed customers.
Average customer rating:
- two very different westerns for the price of one
- DON'T TAKE SIDES
- History lesson sorely needed
- Two good films, in good condition.
- Rousing but inaccurate adventure movie
|
Santa Fe Trail
Starring:
Errol Flynn ,
Olivia de Havilland ,
Raymond Massey ,
Ronald Reagan , and
Alan Hale
Director:
Michael Curtiz
Manufacturer: ROAN
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Westerns
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Classics
| Westerns
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Baxter, Alan
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Bond, Ward
| ( B )
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| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Brown, Charles D
| ( B )
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Bruce, David
| ( B )
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Cavanaugh, Hobart
| ( C )
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Flynn, Errol
| ( F )
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Hale, Alan
| ( H )
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| ( R )
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| ( R )
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| ( S )
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| ( S )
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-
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-
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-
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Objective Burma
ASIN: 6305636508
Release Date: 1999-10-26 |
Customer Reviews:
two very different westerns for the price of one.......2007-08-07
The picture quality of Abilene Town on this DVD is marginal:rather fuzzy at times,
but it didn't really bother me that much. The story involves a familiar theme of cattlemen vs. sod busters, but with the added ingredient of non-saloon shopkeepers as a third major block in the politics of Abilene. It's Marshal Randolph Scott's job to try to keep these 3 groups from destroying each other and to ease the inevitable transformation of Abilene from a rowdy cow town into a more civilized place. The limited humor mostly derives from the love-hate relationship between Scott and dance hall canary Ann Dvrak. Edgar Buchanan's character is more pathetic than humorous. He is unbelievably cowardly: Let sleeping dogs lie and run from barking dogs. Why does Scott tolerate him as often his only potential helper in his various duties as marshal. In fact, Scott lies about Buchanan's role in the capture of a desperado in order to help him keep his job as county sheriff.
Though an older film, the quality of the Santa Fe Trail DVD is much better. This story exploits some big names in the coming Civil War, who supposedly all graduated from West Point at the same time and all were newly assigned to keep order in bleeding Kansas. Clean-shaven mild-mannered Ronald Reagan reminds us much more of the Gipper than of George Custer. Again, Errol Flynn is a remarkably clean-shaven representation of normally hirsute Jeb Stuart. Ramond Massey makes an unbeatable characterization of fanatic John Brown, even if many of the details are historically inaccurate. Van Heflin's character is purely fictitious, but does add another dimension to the film story. It offers an alternative explanation for the unexpected arrival of Federal troops at Harper's Ferry during Brown's raid. Actually, Brown made a fatal blunder in allowing a train from the west to procede to Washington. Before these troops arrived, local militia actually sealed off the bridge across the Potomac, which was Brown's intended escape route. If you can stomach all the gross historical inaccuracies in this film, it is an action-packed entertaining story, mostly carried by the charisma of Flynn and Massey, the banter between and within several buddy pairs and the well-established cinematic romantic partnership of Flynn and Olivia. Van Heflin's difficult character and betrayal adds an additional dimension.
DON'T TAKE SIDES.......2007-07-16
Based on an original screenplay by Robert Buckner, SANTA FE TRAIL was shot by Michael Curtiz in 1940. There are two ways to get onto this movie nowadays, more than 65 years after its release. You could enjoy, like I did, its rythm, the actors or the strange idea, in a film made in Hollywood, to depict the abolitionists as fanatics and the unionists as sensible people.
You could also take the time to think about the message conveyed by SANTA FE TRAIL through the actions of its main character Errol Flynn. Jeb - Errol Flynn - Stuart is a man who doesn't take sides, who just obeys orders and waits for the happy ending History will certainly provide to the American nation. The description of this passive demeanour shocked me a lot and, while I was watching SANTA FE TRAIL, I couldn't but think that, the same year, another American director, Charles S. Chaplin, was desperately trying to alert the world about what was going on in Europe with The Great Dictator (2 Disc Special Edition).
A DVD zone mixed feelings.
History lesson sorely needed.......2007-06-02
How many school children in 21 st century know about John Brown? How many know about the causes of this horrible war that pitted former comrades against one another? Is this movie entirely accurate and does take artistic license with the characters and storyline? Yes and No, but and so do many contemporary films such as 'Saving Private Ryan' or 'Patton' take liberties with actual events. As a number of reviewers have noted, we see events in history through politically correct eyes. My major fault with the movie is that southerners did not have a distinctive regional drawl, especially Errol Flynn's character, Jeb Stuart. Having your children watch this movie will provide them an insight into a forgotten epic American history while at the same time entertaining them with battles and other action scenes. John Brown may have been right in his core principles but he is a prime example of excessive zeal clashing with established law and order.
Two good films, in good condition........2005-11-14
I don't very often write reviews (although I enjoy reading those of others), but I must just tell anyone wondering which version of "Santa Fe Trail" to buy that the Marengo version (the one that includes "Abilene Town" as a bonus) is excellent. I was not familiar with either of these movies before - I don't know why, as they are both really good movies, and better than many others that I have bought individually and paid more money for. "Santa Fe Trail" is a really unusual, and interesting movie. The combination of Curtiz and Flynn gives it something - a depth, or thoughtfulness, perhaps - that most movies just don't have. It is also, IMHO, a better movie than Errol Flynn's other cavalry outing, "They Died With Their Boots On", so I don't know why the former is in the public domain, as if nobody cares about it, with numerous versions available (some of which don't sound very good), while the latter is presumably still owned and guarded exclusively by Warner Brothers, who have recently brought out a lavish DVD version of it, with various "extras" on it.
As for "Abilene Town", that also is a surprisingly good movie, its plot not unlike that of "Dodge City". On a trivial note: it looks to me as if Gary Cooper's famous, iconic "look" in "High Noon" (reproduced in books and posters so often) was in fact inspired by the outfit that Randolph Scott wears in "Abilene Town".
Rousing but inaccurate adventure movie.......2005-07-06
The title may well lead people to expect a Western and indeed this is how the movie has been packaged ,but I would argue it is nothing of the sort .While the Santa Fe Trail is mentioned and the role of the railroad in opening up the West is touched upon the movie is really about the origins of the Civil War .
Flynn stars as J E B Stuart -arguably the most famous cavalry commnader in the Confederate army .We first meet him as a West Point cadet, along with several other men who became prominent in the military in subsequent years chief among them being Custer (Ronald Reagan ) Phil Sheridan ( David Bruce) and George Pickett( Willam Marshall ) .His nemesis at the Academy is "Rader" played by Van Heflin ,a fervent abolitionist and disciple of the firebrand preacher John Brown .The two get involved in a brawl and Rader is sent down for having abolitionist pamphlets in his locker .Already the Civil war is casting its shadows over the military -;we meet Lee and Davis ,men who were to play a key role in events in the following decade .
Stuart ,Custer and Sheridan are sent to "Bloody Kansas" to keep the peace in the face of John Browns agitation for it to become a free state .They clash early on when they foil a gun running bid by Brown and his followers who now number the embittered and mercenary Rader in their ranks (it is made clear he fights for money ,not belief in the cause) .Further confrontations with Brown arise ,culminating in the bloody affray at Harper's Ferry
There is no shortage of movies dealing with the Civil War but very few have adressed its origins which makes this aspect of tghe movie so disappointing .Perhaps mindful of the need not to damage its potential in the South ,scriptwriter Robert Bruckner has come up with an evasive screenplay which sits on the fence politically .Brown is depicted as a fiery psychopath and an irrational madman whose cause is founded on the need for someone to hate rather than any love of the blacks or sense of moral righness ,while the Heflin character is a vain ,envious opportunist who loves only money and betrays any cause he feels does not value his contribution to it .He is shown as interfering in a system which Stuart claims is reforming itself from within ,and by so doing bringing about an avoidable conflict This is a gross distortion of the facts .Thus ,faced with such moral equivocation ,the best thing to do is enjoy it on an action movie level and here it works well .The action is lively and plentiful and the acting is pretty solid .Flynn is ideally cast as the archetypal military man -one who fights nobly for his cause ,despite his own doubts and de Havilland is excellent as the feisty tomboyish Kit Carson Halliday over whom Custer and Stuart bicker .Raymond Massey is hypnotic if hammy as Brown and there is a solid "best friend of the leading man "turn from Reagan ,whose character is allowed a few tentative pro-Brown remarks
One scene stands out -when Custer ,Sheridan ,Stuart and Pickett consult an Indian seeress they are told they will all be generals but will never again all meet as friend ;they react with uneasy laughter but in the scene we see the gathering clouds of the impending war ,
Muddy monochrome photography from the usually dependable Sal Polito does not help while Max Steiner's score is not his best by a long eway
Enjoy it as a vigorous and robust action picture from the great Michael Curtiz and this is okay but as a serious treatment of the issues it is sunk by its own timorousness and refusal to address reality
Average customer rating:
|
Big Bend National Park
Manufacturer: Finley-Holiday Film Corp.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Genres
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
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| Art House & International
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Product Features:
- DVD Extra - Big Bend Overture Music Video - Enjoy the vast and varied landscapes of Big Bend National Park set to captivating music. Be sure to watch this on a BIG TV screen with a good sound system!
- DVD Extra - Bonus Park Carlsbad Caverns
- DVD Extra - Interactive Menus Chapter Search
ASIN: B000ELOPW4 |
Product Description
The variety of landscapes to be explored is incredible. In the heart of the Chisos Mountains you'll visit the Basin, spectacular Lost Mine trail and South Rim Overlook. Hike a nature trail and investigate ruins near Hot Springs and Castolon. Discover the diversity of wildlife and plant communities here, including flourishing mountain and desert environments. See javelina, whitetail deer, great horned owl, road runner and rattlesnake.
Average customer rating:
- two very different westerns for the price of one
- DON'T TAKE SIDES
- History lesson sorely needed
- Two good films, in good condition.
- Rousing but inaccurate adventure movie
|
Santa Fe Trail
Starring:
Errol Flynn ,
Olivia de Havilland ,
Raymond Massey ,
Ronald Reagan , and
Alan Hale
Director:
Michael Curtiz
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Westerns
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Baxter, Alan
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Bond, Ward
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Brown, Charles D
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Bruce, David
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Cavanaugh, Hobart
| ( C )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Flynn, Errol
| ( F )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hale, Alan
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
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| DVD
| Video
Havilland, Olivia De
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
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| DVD
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Heflin, Van
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Litel, John
| ( L )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
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Lundigan, William
| ( L )
| Actors & Actresses
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| DVD
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Massey, Raymond
| ( M )
| Actors & Actresses
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Olsen, Moroni
| ( O )
| Actors & Actresses
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| DVD
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O'Neill, Henry
| ( O )
| Actors & Actresses
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Reagan, Ronald
| ( R )
| Actors & Actresses
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| DVD
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Reynolds, Gene
| ( R )
| Actors & Actresses
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Sawyer, Joe
| ( S )
| Actors & Actresses
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| DVD
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Simpson, Russell
| ( S )
| Actors & Actresses
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| DVD
| Video
Williams, Guinn Big Boy
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
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Curtiz, Michael
| ( C )
| Directors
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( S )
| Titles
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Similar Items:
-
Dodge City
-
They Died with Their Boots On
-
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition)
-
The Prince and the Pauper
-
Objective Burma
ASIN: B00009QNVP |
Customer Reviews:
two very different westerns for the price of one.......2007-08-07
The picture quality of Abilene Town on this DVD is marginal:rather fuzzy at times,
but it didn't really bother me that much. The story involves a familiar theme of cattlemen vs. sod busters, but with the added ingredient of non-saloon shopkeepers as a third major block in the politics of Abilene. It's Marshal Randolph Scott's job to try to keep these 3 groups from destroying each other and to ease the inevitable transformation of Abilene from a rowdy cow town into a more civilized place. The limited humor mostly derives from the love-hate relationship between Scott and dance hall canary Ann Dvrak. Edgar Buchanan's character is more pathetic than humorous. He is unbelievably cowardly: Let sleeping dogs lie and run from barking dogs. Why does Scott tolerate him as often his only potential helper in his various duties as marshal. In fact, Scott lies about Buchanan's role in the capture of a desperado in order to help him keep his job as county sheriff.
Though an older film, the quality of the Santa Fe Trail DVD is much better. This story exploits some big names in the coming Civil War, who supposedly all graduated from West Point at the same time and all were newly assigned to keep order in bleeding Kansas. Clean-shaven mild-mannered Ronald Reagan reminds us much more of the Gipper than of George Custer. Again, Errol Flynn is a remarkably clean-shaven representation of normally hirsute Jeb Stuart. Ramond Massey makes an unbeatable characterization of fanatic John Brown, even if many of the details are historically inaccurate. Van Heflin's character is purely fictitious, but does add another dimension to the film story. It offers an alternative explanation for the unexpected arrival of Federal troops at Harper's Ferry during Brown's raid. Actually, Brown made a fatal blunder in allowing a train from the west to procede to Washington. Before these troops arrived, local militia actually sealed off the bridge across the Potomac, which was Brown's intended escape route. If you can stomach all the gross historical inaccuracies in this film, it is an action-packed entertaining story, mostly carried by the charisma of Flynn and Massey, the banter between and within several buddy pairs and the well-established cinematic romantic partnership of Flynn and Olivia. Van Heflin's difficult character and betrayal adds an additional dimension.
DON'T TAKE SIDES.......2007-07-16
Based on an original screenplay by Robert Buckner, SANTA FE TRAIL was shot by Michael Curtiz in 1940. There are two ways to get onto this movie nowadays, more than 65 years after its release. You could enjoy, like I did, its rythm, the actors or the strange idea, in a film made in Hollywood, to depict the abolitionists as fanatics and the unionists as sensible people.
You could also take the time to think about the message conveyed by SANTA FE TRAIL through the actions of its main character Errol Flynn. Jeb - Errol Flynn - Stuart is a man who doesn't take sides, who just obeys orders and waits for the happy ending History will certainly provide to the American nation. The description of this passive demeanour shocked me a lot and, while I was watching SANTA FE TRAIL, I couldn't but think that, the same year, another American director, Charles S. Chaplin, was desperately trying to alert the world about what was going on in Europe with The Great Dictator (2 Disc Special Edition).
A DVD zone mixed feelings.
History lesson sorely needed.......2007-06-02
How many school children in 21 st century know about John Brown? How many know about the causes of this horrible war that pitted former comrades against one another? Is this movie entirely accurate and does take artistic license with the characters and storyline? Yes and No, but and so do many contemporary films such as 'Saving Private Ryan' or 'Patton' take liberties with actual events. As a number of reviewers have noted, we see events in history through politically correct eyes. My major fault with the movie is that southerners did not have a distinctive regional drawl, especially Errol Flynn's character, Jeb Stuart. Having your children watch this movie will provide them an insight into a forgotten epic American history while at the same time entertaining them with battles and other action scenes. John Brown may have been right in his core principles but he is a prime example of excessive zeal clashing with established law and order.
Two good films, in good condition........2005-11-14
I don't very often write reviews (although I enjoy reading those of others), but I must just tell anyone wondering which version of "Santa Fe Trail" to buy that the Marengo version (the one that includes "Abilene Town" as a bonus) is excellent. I was not familiar with either of these movies before - I don't know why, as they are both really good movies, and better than many others that I have bought individually and paid more money for. "Santa Fe Trail" is a really unusual, and interesting movie. The combination of Curtiz and Flynn gives it something - a depth, or thoughtfulness, perhaps - that most movies just don't have. It is also, IMHO, a better movie than Errol Flynn's other cavalry outing, "They Died With Their Boots On", so I don't know why the former is in the public domain, as if nobody cares about it, with numerous versions available (some of which don't sound very good), while the latter is presumably still owned and guarded exclusively by Warner Brothers, who have recently brought out a lavish DVD version of it, with various "extras" on it.
As for "Abilene Town", that also is a surprisingly good movie, its plot not unlike that of "Dodge City". On a trivial note: it looks to me as if Gary Cooper's famous, iconic "look" in "High Noon" (reproduced in books and posters so often) was in fact inspired by the outfit that Randolph Scott wears in "Abilene Town".
Rousing but inaccurate adventure movie.......2005-07-06
The title may well lead people to expect a Western and indeed this is how the movie has been packaged ,but I would argue it is nothing of the sort .While the Santa Fe Trail is mentioned and the role of the railroad in opening up the West is touched upon the movie is really about the origins of the Civil War .
Flynn stars as J E B Stuart -arguably the most famous cavalry commnader in the Confederate army .We first meet him as a West Point cadet, along with several other men who became prominent in the military in subsequent years chief among them being Custer (Ronald Reagan ) Phil Sheridan ( David Bruce) and George Pickett( Willam Marshall ) .His nemesis at the Academy is "Rader" played by Van Heflin ,a fervent abolitionist and disciple of the firebrand preacher John Brown .The two get involved in a brawl and Rader is sent down for having abolitionist pamphlets in his locker .Already the Civil war is casting its shadows over the military -;we meet Lee and Davis ,men who were to play a key role in events in the following decade .
Stuart ,Custer and Sheridan are sent to "Bloody Kansas" to keep the peace in the face of John Browns agitation for it to become a free state .They clash early on when they foil a gun running bid by Brown and his followers who now number the embittered and mercenary Rader in their ranks (it is made clear he fights for money ,not belief in the cause) .Further confrontations with Brown arise ,culminating in the bloody affray at Harper's Ferry
There is no shortage of movies dealing with the Civil War but very few have adressed its origins which makes this aspect of tghe movie so disappointing .Perhaps mindful of the need not to damage its potential in the South ,scriptwriter Robert Bruckner has come up with an evasive screenplay which sits on the fence politically .Brown is depicted as a fiery psychopath and an irrational madman whose cause is founded on the need for someone to hate rather than any love of the blacks or sense of moral righness ,while the Heflin character is a vain ,envious opportunist who loves only money and betrays any cause he feels does not value his contribution to it .He is shown as interfering in a system which Stuart claims is reforming itself from within ,and by so doing bringing about an avoidable conflict This is a gross distortion of the facts .Thus ,faced with such moral equivocation ,the best thing to do is enjoy it on an action movie level and here it works well .The action is lively and plentiful and the acting is pretty solid .Flynn is ideally cast as the archetypal military man -one who fights nobly for his cause ,despite his own doubts and de Havilland is excellent as the feisty tomboyish Kit Carson Halliday over whom Custer and Stuart bicker .Raymond Massey is hypnotic if hammy as Brown and there is a solid "best friend of the leading man "turn from Reagan ,whose character is allowed a few tentative pro-Brown remarks
One scene stands out -when Custer ,Sheridan ,Stuart and Pickett consult an Indian seeress they are told they will all be generals but will never again all meet as friend ;they react with uneasy laughter but in the scene we see the gathering clouds of the impending war ,
Muddy monochrome photography from the usually dependable Sal Polito does not help while Max Steiner's score is not his best by a long eway
Enjoy it as a vigorous and robust action picture from the great Michael Curtiz and this is okay but as a serious treatment of the issues it is sunk by its own timorousness and refusal to address reality
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