Search - Essential John Wayne on DVD

John Wayne before he became famous.

J. Hoelscher | Texas | 11/30/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"These are films from early in John Wayne's career before he became a big star. In fact, they're so old that they've entered the public domain, so $90 might be a bit much for this collection. Contemporary viewers will see a side of Wayne that is rarely presented anywhere. He's younger than we tend to think of him, the scripts and direction are "B" quality, he isn't supported by the stellar casts of his later career, and he still has some developing to do as an actor. Nevertheless, John Wayne fans will be pleased to see him as a young man and will enjoy watching him grow into the great actor we all grew up with. Fans of "B" Westerns will get a kick out of seeing John Wayne in them.

Y'all might consider, as a less expensive alternative, the "John Wayne 20 Movie Pack" which includes these movies and more, including "McClintock!". The product description there gives a brief synopsis of each movie and the whole set is much less expensive ($15), although not as attractively packaged. Also, it has a different documentary and comes on only 4 DVDs. But, given that these are not Wayne's best and are all in the public domain, the cheaper set (which I have not watched) might be a better choice for most people."