John Wayne Collection - 5 Pack

Rating:
Summary: John Wayne heads north of the border in this sub-par western
Review: "The Trial Beyond" is the ninth of the B Westerns that a young John Wayne made for the poverty row studio Lone Star/Monogram and is one of the most unusual because for once the usual cast of characters is different. In addition to the Duke (before he was really the Duke) we have come to expect to see George Hayes (before he was Gabby), the legendary stunt man Yakima Canutt, and character actor Earl Dwire. The last one on that list is around, again playing a henchman, and Canutt is doing the stunts, without a specific on screen role for once, but instead of Hayes we have both Noah Beery and Noah Berry, Jr. You have to wonder why things were different this time around, but I have yet to uncover an explanation.

In terms of the action sequences this is one of the better Lone Star efforts. I have seen this 1934 film cited as showing how Canutt and Wayne had developed by this point the "pass system" that is now the standard technique for on-screen fight scenes. However, the story is pretty standard. Canutt does several of his better stunts, performing a leap from a moving train off a bridge into a river and riding horses off of a cliff. Another great stunt man, Ed Parker, plays Ryan the Mountie (it is in Canada, another interesting difference, so there has to be a Mountie).

Set in Canada but beautifully photographed in California around Mammoth Lakes by Archie Stout, "The Trail Beyond" has Wayne playing Rod Drew, who is up in French-Canadian country trying to track down Felice Newsome (Verna Hillie), the daughter of an old friend. On the way he encounters an old college friend, Wabi (Beery, Jr.) who has to be rescued from some card cheats who frame him for a murder. What ups the ante is that they find a skeleton with a map, which, of course, means there is a gold mind out there. The bad guys after the gold mind are Jules LaRocque (Robert Frazer) and his henchman Benoit (Dwire), a pair of trapper with the worst French-Canadian accents you have ever heard. Things then proceed so that everybody has repeated occasion to get very wet (you will see what I mean).

I suppose the reason Canutt was not given a regular role was because he is kept pretty busy in this one doubling for Wayne and everybody else and is the main attraction of the movie. The story and the acting are sub-par and while the quality of the video on this VHS tape is not especially good it did not appear to be as bad as what many are bemoaning is what they are finding on a DVD version of "The Trail Beyond." But on balance those accents are just so bad they drag this one down a notch despite the work turned in by Canutt.

Rating:
Summary: One of Wayne's Best B Films
Review: After a whole lot of creaky, bad B westerns, Wayne triumphs here. The locations are great, the stuntwork is great, and his teaming with Beery is great. Some of the editing of previous stuntwork into the climax is ridiculous, but this film works pretty well in a fun, old movie way.

Rating:
Summary: Very Sad Transfer
Review: I bought this box set of " John Wayne Collection " because ever since i was a small boy i have been a big fan of the Duke (j.wayne)that most of his early films have never been seen in London,England (Great Britan). so for many years they have been showing nearly the same films over and over again ( E.G Rio Bravo,The Alamo and True Grit). But now that Dvd is here with great sound and picture,I thought now is the chance to buy not only John Wayne's movies but some other great action,comedy and various other dvd.... I have to say most films are great on dvd and i have had 5 or so very bad ones..... When i saw this box set i was very happy until now : 5 discs,early 1933 films ( great i thought,never seen them in my life ) And now that i am watching the first dvd while writing these words..... Here is what i am thinking What the hell was the company thinking of,this box set is cheap very bad picture quality so dark..... it's like a bad vhs to vhs copy then transered to dvd,I can not see the actors,let alone the scenery.And even the sound is so low..you can not hear it. please if you are interested in buying the collection stay away from the 5 pack (madacy) collection it's so bad.

So last word look around for a better deal. If any one out there knows if they are going to release the same movies with better picture and sound please let me know..Thank you

Rating:
Summary: Poor picture quality
Review: I purchased this DVD set recently and was very disappointed by the transfer quality used. Some of the films were actually clear in both visual and sound, but others were so poor that they looked like they were transferred from a 3rd or 4th generation copy VHS tape.

Rating:
Summary: Wrong item sent TWICE
Review: Ordered 5 CD collection, received vol. 4 ONLY. Sent Amazon e-mail about it and they sent vol. 4 ONLY again. Had to send back for refund, as I am NOT paying that much for one DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing video quality
Review: Ten terrific early John Wayne black-and-white westerns, but most suffer from inferior source materials. Being bargain priced is no excuse for such poor quality in the DVD medium,

Rating:
Summary: A Trip in Time: a Vision of Yesteryear
Review: The 5 DVD collection of John Wayne rates high in my book. It takes the viewer back not only in the early life of a most notable actor but also in the early years of film making. The 10 movies in this set were all made in 1933 and 1934. Consider that Talkies didn't exist until 1930-31 you have the rare oportunity to see what highlighted the movies top billing and see the movies as did the viewing audience saw them at that time.

If you are expecting the quality of "The Alamo" or "North to Alaska" forget it. The technology at the time was pressed one sided, paper, records that had to be correctly timed to the movie you were watching. Dolby and surround sound wasn't even heard of.

What you get to see is John Wayne as the movies earliest "Singing Cowboy" billed as "Singing Sandy". These are great if you view them with the knowledge of how and when they were produced and enjoy seeing how John Wayne started a career that ended with the United States Mint striking a special medal simply stating "John Wayne - American".

Rating:
Summary: very bad
Review: These 10 movies in 5 DVDs from Madacy Entertainment are of the poorest quality that you will find. Most of them look like they are 5th generation copies of VHS tapes that were then copied to DVD. I was looking forward to adding to my collection of John Wayne DVDs, but I would not keep these if they gave them away. I will never buy another DVD from Madacy again.

Rating:
Summary: John Wayne Collection - 5 Pack
Review: These 10 movies in 5 DVDs from Madacy Entertainment are of the poorest quality that you will find. Most of them look like they are 5th generation copies of VHS tapes that were then copied to DVD. I was looking forward to adding to my collection of John Wayne DVDs, but I would not keep these if they gave them away. I will never buy another DVD from Madacy again.

Rating:
Summary: very bad
Review: very bad quality and waste of money. Will never buy from madacy again