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Rating: 
Summary: A Classic revenge western plus THREE ordinary ones
Review: Five stars is given for these reasons: a. Mr Brando's directorial effort resulted in one of the best REVENGE westerns ever made. I rate it up with UNFORGIVEN and worth frequent revisiting. It is the FIRST of FOUR films on this collection. Mr Brando is also one of the most beautiful men ever to grace the cinema, and his movements, whether killing, jumping, standing, or throwing over a table and exclaiming " Stand up you scum sucking pig (and die) "are balletic and poetic in form. b. The films stand alone with no extras and that's fine by me. c. .... True Western lovers, of which I am one, can watch just about any western and get something out of it. Although the other three films aren't masterpieces, they're ok (we call them oaters )with some sterling actors. Enjoy - hey, for ten bucks it's better than a poke in the eye with a stick!
Rating:
Summary: A Classic revenge western plus THREE ordinary ones
Review: Five stars is given for these reasons: a. Mr Brando's directorial effort resulted in one of the best REVENGE westerns ever made. I rate it up with UNFORGIVEN and worth frequent revisiting. It is the FIRST of FOUR films on this collection. Mr Brando is also one of the most beautiful men ever to grace the cinema, and his movements, whether killing, jumping, standing, or throwing over a table and exclaiming " Stand up you scum sucking pig (and die) "are balletic and poetic in form. b. The films stand alone with no extras and that's fine by me. c. .... True Western lovers, of which I am one, can watch just about any western and get something out of it. Although the other three films aren't masterpieces, they're ok (we call them oaters )with some sterling actors. Enjoy - hey, for ten bucks it's better than a poke in the eye with a stick!
Rating: 
Summary: Four Entertaining Films, Memorable Actors and Great Scenery
Review: This review refers to "Legends of the West" 4 movie DVD(BCI Elipse LLC 2002)......Four action packed, entertaining Westerns, a host of great actors and some wonderful photography is what you get in this package.There are 2 discs with 1 film on each side.Here's a list with a little about each film and the quality of the picture. The first is "One-Eyed Jacks"(1961). This one, the first and only film directed by Marlon Brando, is worth the price of admission by itself. Brando("Rio") stars with Karl Malden("Dad Longworth") as two bank robbers on the run from the Federales in Mexico, They are pinned down and only one can get away to get fresh horses for their escape. Dad is the one to go, but greed gets the best of him. He takes off with the loot and leaves Rio to be captured, and sent to a Mexican Jail for 5 long years. He escapes and goes looking for Dad, he finds him in Monterey, California, where "Dad" is now a Sheriff and has a beautiful step-daughter, Louisa. The action and the romance heat up along the beautiful California coastline.Pina Pellicer won a Best Actress for her role as Louisa at the Sebastion International Film Festival, and Charles Lang was nominated for the exquiste cinematography. The film also stars Katy Jurado(always wonderful), and western legends Slim Pickens and Ben Johnson.This one is in widescreen, and looks and sounds pretty good on this DVD.Colors are nice and dialouge clear. Not much sign of age on this one.
"The Sundowners" is next.(NOT the 1960 one with Robert Mitchum)This one was made in 1950. It stars Robert Preston, and Robert Sterling. Sterling plays Tom Cloud, a rancher who hires a notorious gunman to help protect his cattle. There have been a rash of thefts and some neighbors are suspect. The town is in an uproar that Cloud would bring such a villanous thug to their community, but Tom has his reasons,and as the story unfolds we find out why.The film also stars such greats as Chill Wills as "Sam" and Jack Elam as "Earl".Filmed in Texas, it's pure Western action and entertainment. The film is in dire need of a restoration. It really showed it's age and the technicolor it was filmed in seemed wash out.But worth watching to see these great stars way back when.(Preston even does a little singing). "The Big Trees"(1952), Stars Kirk Douglas, as a lumberman intent on claiming ownership and cutting down the beautiful Redwood trees in Northern, California. His oppostion are a group of Quakers who feel that God gave them those trees for their church and do everything in their power to protect the trees from the money hungry businessman! The most outspoken of the group is of course a beautiful woman(Eve Miller), that Douglas falls for, and must decide between the trees and her. Also look for Edgar Buchanan as "Yukon". This one looks great on the DVD. The original technicolor is beautiful and the picture and sound quality are good.It also includes some biographical info on Kirk Douglas. Last is "Vengeance Valley"(1951).This one stars Burt Lancaster as Owen Daybright, the "good brother"(how could you not be good with a name like that?), and Robert Walker as Lee Strobel his evil brother. Owen has spent his life covering up for Lee's mistakes. When Lee gets one of the local girls "in trouble",Lee puts the blame on Owen, her brothers come after him with a vengeance. He has to fight them off and take care of their vast cattle empire all in 83 minutes!Who else but Burt Lancaster can handle all this? The film was directed by Richard Thorpe(Jailhouse Rock) and also look for such notables as John Ireland, Hugh O'Brien, Ellen Corby, and Alan Hale Jr. This one also is a nice clear picture with good color and sound.Included is some biographical info on Burt Lancaster. So saddle up for some Western Adventure..enjoy...Laurie
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