Search - Darn Good Westerns Vol 1: Hellgate, Fangs of the Wild, Train to Tombstone, Panhandle, Operation Haylift, Wildfire: The Story of a Horse on DVD

"Darn Good" movies and price!

B. Cathey | Wendell, NC United States | 04/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"VCI Entertainment has a history of releasing excellent material that somehow has escaped notice of the major releasing companies. This present release (of six movies and several bonus features) brings to the viewer two very good, classic larger-budgeted Westerns (HELLGATE and PANHANDLE) and four "B" features. All films come from the Kit Parker Collection (mostly Lippert Productions, but some from other studios as well).

PANHANDLE was one of the first major productions by Monogram Picture's bigger budget releasing company, Allied Artists, and it may well be Rod Cameron's best outing in a Western. Done is Sepia tone, the film also stars the cavern-voiced Reed Hadley (as the 'baddie'). The VCI print is fine, in fact, the best I've seen for this film (which is given to us in its original sepia tone). It's an entirely enjoyable Western, with all sorts of nice touches that make it well-worth replaying. Watch for Cameron singing a little song...

HELLGATE may have been Lippert's best production during its short existence, and in fact, it far outclasses many higher budget oaters of the period. Starring Sterling Hayden and Ward Bond, it's a replay of sorts of the classic "Prisoner of Shark Island" (the ordeal of Dr. Mudd) out West. Hayden, a veterinary doctor, tends to the wounds of a Confederate raider, and for his trouble, gets sent to a dreary prison in the middle of the desert. How he redeems himself and deals with commandant Bond make for a tense and exciting drama. Both Hayden and Bond excel in their roles. Dialogue is terse and sharp all round. The print is excellent, sharp and clear.

TRAIN TO TOMBSTONE stars Don "Red" Barry and, albeit a "B" Western, is superior to most B's being released in the early 1950s. Robert Lowery co-stars. Excellent print, good dialogue, and believable action and story line make this very entertaining.

WILDFIRE offers us early Eddie Dean (before he began his stint at PRC studios) and Bob Steele, co-starring. It's in Cinecolor, and believe it or not, the color holds up in this 1945 Western. Fine print and very entertaining, if a bit more intended for the (then) younger set....

OPERATION HAYLIFT and FANGS OF THE WILD are equally entertaining, with similar fine quality prints.

The Bonus material includes several "shorts" and some trailers, all well done and in great quality.

VCI calls this volume I; let's hope that volume II (and III?) are equally as good as this. Highly recommended!

"

Panhandle

06/26/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was amazed about the multitude of titles that goes with this disc.
"Panhandle" is one of my old favorite classic western movies from long ago.The story is clear-cut and has no unnecessary "fillers".
One wishes that all "badies" are dealt with likewise, now and then.
"