The Sundowners Review

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(More customer reviews)THE SUNDOWMERS (1950) was a Alan LeMay/Templeton production, via Eagle-Lion, which competed briefly with some of the larger releasing studios in the later 1940's early '50s. Until VCI's release I'd never seen a good print of it, either on VHS or DVD. The VCI technicolor print is very good, and purchasers will not be disappointed. The film boasts stellar performances by an underrated Robert Preston and, in a sometimes comic role, Chill Wills. Robert Sterling is fine as well, but Preston steals the show. A young John Barrymore, Jr., plays the younger brother to Sterling and Preston. Eagle-Lion followed THE SUNDOWNERS with a sequel, HIGH LONESOME, starring Barrymore....it's an okay film [VCI has it out as well, in another fine technicolor print], although Barrymore lacks the panache of a Preston. Still, at the inexpensive price asked, worthwhile investigating....
As an earlier reviewer commented, the liner notes mix up Preston and Sterling, but this should in no way deter you from purchasing THE SUNDOWNERS, an enjoyable film and very welcome. Extras include cast bio's and scene selections. Our thanks to the adventuresome folks at VCI who contine to do great work in releasing good prints of some B (and A) level Westerns, classic horror, film noir, adventure films, and serials!

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This compact little western, from the legendary westernnovelist Alan LeMay ("The Searchers"), has Robert Preston and RobertSterling portraying two brothers who find themselves on opposite sides ofthe legal fence. Sterling, toting the mustache this time, is the bad guy.Preston's son is caught in the crossfire, menaced by Sterling. The 1950version should not be confused with the 1960 Warners film of the same name,which is set on an Australian sheep ranch. Bonus Features: Digitally Re-mastered from 35mm negative| Scene Selection Menu| Bios| PhotoGallery| VCI Western Promo| Bonus Episode from "Stories of the Century" TVSeries. Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital Mono; 83 minutes; Color; 1.33:1Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1950; SRP - $9.99.

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How the West Was Won (1963) Review

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(More customer reviews)A massive, sprawling epic shot in the three camera Cinerama Process popular during the early 60's, "How the West Was Won" spans from 1830 to 1880 covering the history of the westward expansion. Directed by three directors (John Ford, Henry Hathaway and George Marshall with a forth Richard Thorpe providing uncredited linking pieces)"How the West Was Won" was produced during the twilight of the western as the most popular type genre.
Warner has done a painstaking job of restoring this classic film and although it isn't perfect, it's an exceptional job that deserves kudos. The film has never looked this good with colors that pop and accurate fleshtones. More important the seams that one could see for the separate cameras aren't quite as glaring as before. The image quality is exceptionally crisp with terrific detail. Audio sounds extremely good with a nice 5.1 mix.
The film is spread over two discs with the original Overture and Alfred Newman's marvelous score included as part of the package. We get a terrific feature length commentary track from "West" stuntman Loren James who provides plenty of background details about the physical shooting of the film, filmmaker David Strohmaier, film scholar Rudy Behlmer, Cierama's John Sittig and music historian Jon Burlingame. My only complaint is that Burlingame will make a comment about listening to Newman's marvelous score and then whomever edited his comments continues to play them right over the music cue we should be listening to without interruption.
The only other complaint that I have is that while the dirt and grit has been removed making the film look marvelous, there's one sequence that has always bugged me--there is a bit of dirt right in the middle of the frame of the opening fly over sequence that I wish they could have figured out how to remove. Other than that, it's pretty smooth looking throughout the presentation despite an occasiona bit of image unsteadiness as characters move across the screen and span of the three cameras lenses.
We also get a terrific hour and a half documentary on the Cinerama process on the third disc.
There are three different versions of the film in re-release: the first is a three disc DVD edition with just the film; the second is the three disc set postcards, a reproduction of the original press book, souvenir book and photos as part of the package;there is no equivalent for this SCE in the Blu-ray edition although it does have a booklet as part of that package.
The image and sound quality in this restored edition improves on the original single disc edition of the film with a terrific commentary track and documentary to round out the set. With a stunning casts (James Stewart, Gregory Peck, Carolyn Jones, Debbie Reynolds, Carol Baker, Lee J. Cobb, George Peppard, John Wayne, Lee Van Cleef, Karl Malden, Agnes Moorehead and others)this was truly one of the last epic, lyrical westerns to be produced in Hollywood. Highly recommended.


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From 1839 to 1889, this epic story follows four generations of a courageous New England farm family as they travel to the fertile Ohio Valley during America's westward expansion. This wondrous historical saga is set against the Louisiana Purchase, the Civil War, buffalo hunters, the Pony Express and the first transcontinental railroad. How The West Was Won won three Academy Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Sound and Best Editing.

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