Search - Clark Gable Collection, Vol. 1 (Call of the Wild / Soldier of Fortune / The Tall Men) on DVD

Clark Gable's Fox movies better than ever on dvd.

Jimmy the gent | Springfield, MO USA | 08/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Clark Gable only made three movies for Fox studio. The three are complete in this fine Fox collection. Each movie is enclosed in a plastic snap case, displayed with movie poster art. The Clark Gable photo covered on the box slip-case is very attractive. The image resolutions are high standard for these movies which are available for the first time on dvd. Watching "Call of the Wild" added to my delight with the crystal clear beautiful black and white digital image of this 1935 golden age Hollywood classic. Who can beat Clark Gable, Loretta Young, and Jack Oakie for classic movie viewing from Hollywood's golden era! If you haven't seen "Call of the Wild", then do consider my assessment that it is a delightful production that will hold your attention from beginning to end. Fox has also included an optional commentary from an author who offers an informative backstory on the making of this film. A fair amount of the commentary is devoted to Clark Gable and Loretta Young's relationship during the filming of "Call of the Wild".As for the other two movies, I have only been able to skim through. From viewing those briefly, the image resolution appears to be very good. "Soldier of Fortune" was a box office win at the time of its premiere release. I do remember viewing it years ago on tv. From what I recall, the movie was entertaining and the tv image quality was not as pleasing as it is on this Fox dvd, so I'm sure my interest will be peaked while viewing an entertaining movie projected from a higher standard dvd. Highly recommend this product. Kudos to Fox for providing a superb collection for Clark Gable fans, movie classic enthusiasts, and/or those who simply appreciate good movies!"

"He's what every boy thinks he's going to be when he grows u

Trevor Willsmer | London, England | 11/08/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This collection of Clark Gable's three films for 20th Century Fox is probably more for fans than casual viewers, but there's still much to enjoy here. The big disappointment is that William Wellman's 1935 version of The Call of the Wild is only the cut (by some 14 minutes) wartime reissue version rather than the original. Any resemblance to anything written by Jack London is purely coincidental: it's set in the Yukon, and there's a dog called Buck in it who has to pull a thousand pound weight in one scene for a bet, but that's about it. But this Buck is a huge St Bernard and he's only a bit player in a gold rush romp tailored for Clark Gable - but then at the height of his popularity, audiences would probably have burned the theatres to the ground if he'd played second fiddle to a hound. More famous for Gable and co-star Loretta Young emerging from the snowed-in on-location shoot with an illegitimate child, it's an enjoyable enough yarn even in the abridged reissue cut that now seems to be the only version surviving, although it shamefully throws away Reginald Owen's excellent villain, who deserves a much better exit than he gets here.

Best of the bunch is Soldier of Fortune, a crowd-pleasing potboiler from the days when Technicolor was glorious (okay, it was shot in De Luxe, but the same principle applies) and CinemaScope really was CINEMAScope. There's not much action (the final rescue is laughably easy), but Ernest K. Gann's script is snappy fun, Clark Gable and Susan Hayward play well off each other, Michael Rennie and the colourful supporting cast more than earn their pay, Hong Kong probably never looked better on screen and there's a pleasingly lush romantic score from Hugo Friedhofer. Curious to see director Edward Dmytryk, the one member of the Hollywood Ten to recant (after being appalled at the Party's treatment of his family while he was in prison), turning in such an anti-Communist oater, but he handles it with flair. A deathless classic? Hell, no - but grand entertainment.

The Tall Men has a great opening half hour, but once the snow clears it's pedestrian and overlong all the way despite the combined star power of Clark Gable, Robert Ryan and Jane Russell. The DeLuxe color is problematic throughout - the early scenes and studio footage look wonderful, but out in the wide-open country it tends to make everything on the trail look bleached out and lifeless, the early CinemaScope lenses probably exacerbating the limitations of the system. Still, there's some great dialog and Ryan gets to deliver the definitive description of his co-star - "There goes the only man I ever respected. He's what every boy thinks he's going to be when he grows up and wishes he had been when he's an old man."

Not an essential purchase by any means, but on the whole an entertaining one."

Good deal...

Gary Tooze | Toronto | 08/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What the reviewer prior to me fails to notice are the films he mentioned are already on DVD where none of these have seen the light yet. I have reviewed these DVDs closely - image quality is great - there are 2 commentaries (on Call of the Wild and Soldier of Fortune). The Tall Men is a very underrated film - one I am glad to now own.
Overall, at thsi price, I strongly recommend!"

Excellent Box Set

James J. Hunt | Tenino, Washington United States | 11/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this set really to get 'The Tall Men' which I had been looking for for some time. What a deal the rest of the set turns out to be as good. Even though the movies are from a period long ago the quality of the picture and audio is awesome. Recommended buy."