Adventures of Red Ryder [Serial]

Rating:
Summary: THE ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER!
Review: DON BARRY is the cowboy hero RED RYDER in this 12-PART SERIAL from Republic Pictures, circa 1940. It seems there is a CROOKED BANKER who is trying to steal land from good, honest, hard-working LANDOWNERS! So it is up to RED RYDER to save the day! NOAH BEERY plays Ace Hanlon while TOMMY COOK plays Little Beaver! You will THRILL to the CLIFFHANGERS in this serial, which is definitely an above-average example of the long forgotten art form! The EXTRAS are pretty sweet this time around too, partner! There is the PILOT for the RED RYDER TELEVISION SERIES, an interview with Don Barry himself and reproductions of LOBBY CARDS and POSTERS! If you were not a fan way back when, you sure shooting can become one now!

Rating:
Summary: THE ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER!
Review: DON BARRY is the cowboy hero RED RYDER in this 12-PART SERIAL from Republic Pictures, circa 1940. It seems there is a CROOKED BANKER who is trying to steal land from good, honest, hard-working LANDOWNERS! So it is up to RED RYDER to save the day! NOAH BEERY plays Ace Hanlon while TOMMY COOK plays Little Beaver! You will THRILL to the CLIFFHANGERS in this serial, which is definitely an above-average example of the long forgotten art form! The EXTRAS are pretty sweet this time around too, partner! There is the PILOT for the RED RYDER TELEVISION SERIES, an interview with Don Barry himself and reproductions of LOBBY CARDS and POSTERS! If you were not a fan way back when, you sure shooting can become one now!

Rating:
Summary: Whether or not you ever read the strip, you'll love this!!
Review: First, the casting seemed perfect. Don "Red" Barry is a far better lookalike than Wild Bill Elliot ever was. Tommy Cook as Little Beaver is the impudent, tough little Native American kid as portrayed in the comic strip. The Duchess is suitably tough and Ace Hanlon is as rascally as you can get.

The action is terrific, with cinematic touches that maximize the pace. I noticed expert touches such as constant body movement during "slow" expository sequences, alternating of scenes so that the actiobn is from left to right in one scene, and right to left in the next...sounds like nitpicking little details, but it all shows how lovingly made this serial is.

I've heard the phrase "pulse pounding action"..well that phrase fits well. If the chapter endings had been a bit more innovative, I would've given this five stars, but as is, it's definitely a superior serial, and arguably one of the best two western serials.

red"

Rating:
Summary: Whether or not you ever read the strip, you'll love this!!
Review: First, the casting seemed perfect. Don "Red" Barry is a far better lookalike than Wild Bill Elliot ever was. Tommy Cook as Little Beaver is the impudent, tough little Native American kid as portrayed in the comic strip. The Duchess is suitably tough and Ace Hanlon is as rascally as you can get.

The action is terrific, with cinematic touches that maximize the pace. I noticed expert touches such as constant body movement during "slow" expository sequences, alternating of scenes so that the actiobn is from left to right in one scene, and right to left in the next...sounds like nitpicking little details, but it all shows how lovingly made this serial is.

I've heard the phrase "pulse pounding action"..well that phrase fits well. If the chapter endings had been a bit more innovative, I would've given this five stars, but as is, it's definitely a superior serial, and arguably one of the best two western serials.

red"

Rating:
Summary: ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER
Review: I don`t believe this one ever got to the U.K. when i was riding the range at Saturday cinema. One word. Wonderful. My memories of serials in the early 50`s here in U.K. were Blackhawk. Possibly the best ever. Jungle Girl, Captain Video,SirLancelot,Superman,and White Eagle. Now at almost 60 years old to be able to relive those happy years once again with a serial like Red Ryder plus a TV episode with one of my favorite cowboys Rocky Lane is beyond words.The D V D transfer is very good its a treat to be able to see a good quality picture at last. I`ve had enough of poor quality slow speed video copy`s and as for some of the material some people get away with on the net. I urge you forget the rubbish and go for D V D and make Red Ryder your first choice. Come on company`s lets have some more...

Rating:
Summary: Long Live the Silver Screen Heroes
Review: I have just finished watching The Adventures of Red Ryder with my son who is 6 and we had a blast, as corny as some of the scenes were we had fun watching it together. If you're any kind of serial or western fan this is one for your collection. I bought it for a Fathers Day gift for my dad, but had to check it out for defects before I gave it to him (you understand right). He was so surprised and happy to see one of his favorite boyhood characters brought back on DVD format I don't' think it mattered much that it had been opened. What the extra features on the box and Amazon don't tell you is that there's a 40-minute T.V. pilot episode with Rocky Allen Lane (playing Red Ryder), and James Best (you remember Roscoe on the Dukes of Hazard) on it that was really worth watching also. Almost every chapter ending has a cool cliffhanger promising to be back next week with the next exciting chapter. Luckily you won't have to wait that long to see how Red escapes the hangman's noose or survives the fall down a ravine (are will he). If you can do without all the special and sound effects from today's big budget movies and want some clean family violence you'll love this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Sets a standard
Review: If you love this stuff -- as I do -- you'll love this DVD. The transfer is excellent for a 60-year-old serial, and the extras are special: an interview with the late star, Don Barry, and even the full-length pilot of a Red Ryder TV show starring Rocky Lane (the latter isn't even mentioned on the package). And the full chapter endings are here, not clipped off as on some misguided serial transfers.

"Adventures of Red Ryder" isn't the best serial ever made ("Blackhawk" is my pick for that honor). But this release sets a standard for how other serials should be spiffed up and made available on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: 1940's Red Ryder and Little Beaver Volume 1, come to DVD!
Review: Many now only relate to "Red Ryder's Genuine Carbine Action Two-Hundred Shot Lightning Loader Range Model Air Rifle" made famous in the 1983 Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story". This story was about a 10 year old boys obsession with getting Red Ryder's air rifle for Christmas.

Well now, we can all see this famous no-nonsense cowboy and his little sidekick Indian boy, Little Beaver in action. This was a perfect pair & their complete honorable taming of the west.

Red Ryder & Little Beaver adventures dominated the comic strips in the 1930's - 1950's. Late in the 30's REd Ryder came to the screen in a 12 action packed episode serial. Pretty good stuff and a sample coming attraction of this early Red Ryder serial is included on this double feature DVD.

The 1940's Red Ryder introduced the most popular Red Ryder with Wild Bill Elliot and Robert Blake an Little Beaver. This duo went on to make over a dozen Red Ryder movies in the 40's.
This Double Feature remastered DVD Full Screen Black/White includes 2 of thier movies.

An Antonio Kid (1944 / 52 minutes) - greedy outlaws pursuit of the coveted "Black Gold" by terrorizing ranchers.

Cheyenne Wildcat (1947 / 50 minutes) - Red becomes the object of desire of 2 ladies while he & Lil' Beaver pursue outlaws.

This is wholesome fun family entertainment. Red & Lil' Beaver compliment each other and there is genuine onscreen friendship chemistry between them. This is fun stuff. Nice addition to the old western DVD library. Also included is a movie billboard & comic strip montage extra.

Also, now we see why Ralphie Parker from "A Christmas Story" obsessed over Red Ryder!!! Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: 1940's Red Ryder and Little Beaver Volume 1, come to DVD!
Review: Many now only relate to "Red Ryder's Genuine Carbine Action Two-Hundred Shot Lightning Loader Range Model Air Rifle" made famous in the 1983 Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story". This story was about a 10 year old boys obsession with getting Red Ryder's air rifle for Christmas.

Well now, we can all see this famous no-nonsense cowboy and his little sidekick Indian boy, Little Beaver in action. This was a perfect pair & their complete honorable taming of the west.

Red Ryder & Little Beaver adventures dominated the comic strips in the 1930's - 1950's. Late in the 30's REd Ryder came to the screen in a 12 action packed episode serial. Pretty good stuff and a sample coming attraction of this early Red Ryder serial is included on this double feature DVD.

The 1940's Red Ryder introduced the most popular Red Ryder with Wild Bill Elliot and Robert Blake an Little Beaver. This duo went on to make over a dozen Red Ryder movies in the 40's.
This Double Feature remastered DVD Full Screen Black/White includes 2 of thier movies.

An Antonio Kid (1944 / 52 minutes) - greedy outlaws pursuit of the coveted "Black Gold" by terrorizing ranchers.

Cheyenne Wildcat (1947 / 50 minutes) - Red becomes the object of desire of 2 ladies while he & Lil' Beaver pursue outlaws.

This is wholesome fun family entertainment. Red & Lil' Beaver compliment each other and there is genuine onscreen friendship chemistry between them. This is fun stuff. Nice addition to the old western DVD library. Also included is a movie billboard & comic strip montage extra.

Also, now we see why Ralphie Parker from "A Christmas Story" obsessed over Red Ryder!!! Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: "Red Ryder in 1944 ~ William Elliott & Republic"
Review: There is no doubt in anyone's mind that Gordon Elliott (6/15/1903 - 11/26/1965) from Pattonsburg, Mo, later known at William "Wild Bill" Elliott (the Peaceable Man) was the best Red Ryder on the big screen ~ he got the name of "Wild Bill" after starring in a Columbia serial "The Great Adventurers of Wild Bill Hickok" back in 1938, went on to make a multitude of westerns during the '40s and '50s ~ it was then Republic Studios was looking for a star to be featured in Fred Harman's Red Ryder comic strip series coming alive and on the big screen ~ it's no small wonder that William Elliott's name was at the top of the list ~ working with the top directors of the day Howard P. Bretherton, Spencer Gordon Bennett, Joseph Kane, Wallace A. Grissell, Leslie Selander and R.G. Springsteen all under Republic Pictures banner.

First up is "The San Antonio Kid" (1944-B&W-59 mins), featuring William Elliott as Red Ryder, Bobby Blake as Little Beaver, Alice Fleming as the Duchess (Reds Aunt), Duncan Renaldo (later to become The Cisco Kid, Robin Hood of the Old West) as Johnny Bennett (the San Antonio Kid), Glenn Strange as Ace Hanlon, LeRoy Mason as Walter Garfield, Linda Stirling (of Republic Serial fame) as Ann Taylor and Jack Kirk as Ben Taylor...with a cattle car full of Republics ace stuntmen Yakima Canutt (king of the stunt department), Henry Wills and Tom Steele (Ryder's stunt double) ~ plenty of action to go around ~ oil is discovered and it looks like some slick villainy is afoot to drive the Taylor's and neighboring ranchers off their land ~ time for Red and his horse Thunder to go into action.

Second on this double bill is "Cheyenne Wildcat" (1944-B&W-54 mins), again Elliott, Blake and Fleming star in a bank fraud involving some very savory characters, such as Tom London, Roy Barcroft (King of the Badmen) was so good at being Bad! ~ on the same bill is Peggy Stewart as the daughter of an honest deceased banker who was shot on the stage for mysterious reasons ~ it's up to Red Ryder and Little Beaver to see beyond such treachery ~ director Leslie Selander takes several turns in this delightful story, all of which involve the stuntwork of Republic's best in the business.

If you enjoyed this first volume the next six volumes will have you roped and hogtide ~ the Red Ryder Double Feature Series is a must have for all of us who grew up riding the trails with Fred Harman's newspaper comic strip character which was popular during 1936 to 1964 ~ during that time I discovered Dell Comics and the stories and artwork of Harman's hero Red Ryder...now on DVD we can relive those early days when Red Ryder, Little Beaver and the Duchess made the west a safe place live ~ B-Westerns reigned for all the little cowboys and girls who made a trip to the local theater to watch their favorite hero Red Ryder!

Total Time: 113 mins ~ VCI/Entertainment 8330 ~ (06/25/2002)