Search - Great American Western, Vol. 5 on DVD

8 Films, Fabulous Cast Lists, Action, Adventure and Romance

L. Shirley | fountain valley, ca United States | 11/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This review refers to the Great American Western, 2 DVD pack, Vol 5.(includes single Volumes 7 and 8).

Those of you that have been collecting these GAW series from Platinum already know that there are many of these discs to choose from. Over 30 I have seen so far. There are single volumes with 4 or 5 films on each disc, and there are multi packs ranging anywhere from 2 to 10 discs. Each volume is in it's own keepcase,and most, but not all have been enhanced in 5.1 audio. The pictures are not Criterion like transfers,some are very old, and show their age, but usually there is nothing to detract from the fun of these films. Individual volumes are usually devoted to a particular star, or theme(tough guys, frontier women, American Indians, etc). I haven't gotten much further on the later volumes after 20, except for a John Wayne package, that includes Vol.24(John Wayne 2DVD).Just to confuse us, Platinum calls the multipacks as well as the single volumes, Vols 1,2,3, etc. You can usually tell by the price how many are in each item, and sometimes they will even say in the product info. Also, some of the multi-packs have an 's' after the word Western, to make them plural.Oater lovers, really can't go wrong for this price.

So..This Vol 5 is a two disc set, that contains Vols 7 and 8 of the single editions(are ya still with me?). I will be reviewing the 2 volumes separately as well, and will talk more about the individual films, but this review is just to let you know what you will get with this package. I did load up the discs to make sure that the films were what the box says.I love Platinum for putting together these oaters for us, but every once in a while they make a goof on the box listings. This package has the films correctly printed, but there are a couple of confusing details. First of all the outter holder does not state that this is Vol 5., but when I put in the bar code from the box(096009101992) in the search, this is where it takes me. Also my DVD player did not decode the 5.1 that these films are supposed to be. If you purchase from an outside seller, you may want to check with them as well, to make sure, you are getting this package.

With all that said, these 2 volumes range from 1946 to 1977, and just getting a peek at the wonderful names in the cast list of some of them, makes them worth the price of admission. each disc has 4 films.You can veg out with these oaters all day!

So..What's In the Box?...

Vol 7...1956..."The Naked Hills"(I did view this one in it's entirety)... A Young David Wayne, becomes obsessed with striking it rich in gold country.Also stars Keenan Wynn and James Barton.
1977..."She Came To The Valley" based on Cleo Dawson's Novel of the same name) A woman's hardships while settling in the west is chronicled during the time of the Spanish-American war. Dean Stockwell, Scott Glenn,Freddy Fender.
1946..."Northwest Trail"...A mountain man agrees to guide a woman through rough country, and they meet with danger along the way. George Meeker, Bob Steele Ian Keith and Raymond Hatton.
1967...."Any Gun Can Play"..okay this one, from the little I saw of it, appeared to be a spaghetti western and a "Fistful of Dollars" wanna be. But it looked like it could be pretty good with stars like Ed Byrnes("Kookie", from 77 Sunset Strip), and Gilbert Roland in the Cast.

Vol 8...1949..."Tulsa"....This one looked like a winner. A Walter Wanger film, listen to this cast. Susan Hayward, Robert Preston, Pedro Armendariz and Chill Wills! Whoa Nellie!...Cattleman's daughter wreaks vengeance on the encroaching oilmen in Oklahoma.
1972..."Fair Play" A boy visits his uncle's saloon, a haven for outlaws. Two warring factions create the action. Stars Paul Ford, Terry Wilson.
1956..."Mohawk" 18t century Boston Artist is sent to Mohawk Valley to paint landscapes and Native Americans, but becomes embroiled in a war between the Indians and a land baron. Scott Brady, Rita Gam, Neville Brand.
1959..."The Young Land"...Dennis Hopper, Patrick Wayne, Dan O'Herlihy, Yvonne Craig. Mexican-Americans are anxious to see the justice system at work, as a man is tried for killing a Mexican.

I have made a listmania of other volumes and films I have reviewed so far in this series. You can find it by clicking on my Listmanias from my profile page and going back through them.

Happy Trails to All..Enjoy..Laurie

"