Western Classics Triple Feature, Vol. 5 (Judge Priest / Tumbleweeds / Yellowstone)

Customer Reviews:

Historical Records Disguised as Entertainment.......2006-09-23

I haven't watched Judge Priest yet, but "Yellowstone" and "Tumbleweeds" were magnificent.

2 classics and neat bonus film.......2006-08-02

This disc is quite a bargain with not one but three movies on it. Will Rogers as "Judge Priest" is a real charmer about a long-gone slow paced south. The second feature is a landmark silent film. "Tumbleweeds" is arguably William S. Hart's finest performance. The film has a poignant spoken preface with Hart himself saying good-bye to the old west. The musical soundtrack was specially produced for this 1939 re-release of the 1925 film. The third feature(titled "Yellowstone"), while strictly a "B" movie, is fun to watch because of the beautiful exteriors actually shot at Yellowstone National Park. Though out-of-print, this disc is worth seeking out.

Charming "B" Mystery-Romance.......2006-05-17

This fantastic little 1936 programmer from Universal looks and feels more like one of those topflight RKO productions of the period minus all the big stars. Beautiful outdoor locations and a good story directed with charm and style by Arthur Lubin make for a nifty little "B" with no wasted moments.

The story begins in Yellowstone Park when Ruth Foster (Judith Barrett) comes to Yellowstone and meets the father she hasn't seen for 18 years. She also meets Ranger Dick Sherwood (Henry Hunter) and a very nice mood is set by director Rubin as a romance quickly develops between the couple.

Her dad is being followed, however, and his past in San Quentin and search for a buried treasure others are after will nearly drive the young lovers apart when his body is washed up by a steaming geyser in the park. The discovery that he was murdered will form a cloud over the couple not easily removed.

Andy Devine offers comic relief as Dick's pal who wants to be a Ranger also. There is a nice outdoor atmosphere and some warm and charming scenes between Dick and Ruth enjoying tales by the campfire and songs of the west sung by firelight. When it becomes apparent that Ruth's father was murdered with Sherwood's gun only finding the hidden money in a cave near the geyser and confronting the true culprit can bring the couple together again.

This is a warm and romantic "B" film with a good little mystery and some nice performances from the two leads. Don't miss Andy Devine trying to get the Chinese cook to make him a chicken sandwich! This is definitely a good one for fans of "B" films.

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