Search - The Texan - 2 DVD Collector's Tin! on DVD

The Texan - Lite!

Robert Huggins | Suburban Philadelphia, PA United States | 06/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 2008, the Timeless Media Group issued 70 episodes, eight shy of the entire two year series titled The Texan which starred Rory Calhoun as "Bill Longley," another in a series of men who traveled from town-to-town in the Old West trying to right wrongdoings. The series ran from 1958 to 1960 on CBS and continued in syndication until 1962, supposedly the last time it was broadcast. Although Longley would shoot when he was forced to do so, his preference was to resolve differences in a peaceful way whenever the opportunity presented itself.

I liked Calhoun's acting in this series . . . . low key and human, yet forceful when he needs to be. The guest star list is solid with folks like Lon Chaney, Michael Landon, Neville Brand, Cesar Romero, Ralph Meeker and Jack Elam, among others, seen in this collection. The image quality of the episodes in this collection is excellent. While not quite the level of CBS Paramount classic TV releases, this release is, perhaps, just a notch below. The description on the back of the DVD cases indicates that the episodes were pulled from 35 millimeter masters and, judging by the consistently good images on the set, I believe this to be accurate. Among all of the TV Westerns released to date by the Timeless Media Group, this one's near the top from a visual perspective.

This release contains 10 episodes spread across two discs and packed in an embossed tin. Those who have already purchased the 70 episode collection of "The Texan" can skip this set as none of the eight missing episodes are included here; the episodes in this collection are simply derived from the larger set. There are no extra features included, not too surprising for a 50 year old television series. I can't recall ever seeing this series when I was growing up and was a little reluctant to purchase the 70 episode set, not knowing how well I would like it, so this "sampler" set was a good choice for me. Obviously, if you're familiar with this rare-to-see series, the larger set would likely be a better choice. Suffice to say, "The Texan" is a very solid entry among TV Westerns from the classic era (1950s and 1960s) and is a very easy recommendation for fans of TV Westerns and vintage television shows."