Customer Reviews

1950s TV's Greatest Westerns

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've come to enjoy the Western genre relatively late (as a kid I thought they were dull, and the number declined through the 60's so I had little chance to develop a taste for them when I became a movie fan in my teens. I can't pretend to be an expert, just a viewer.

With that said, I do recommend this collection. It offers a variety of approaches, from the grim "Tate" (written by "Dirty Harry" creator Harry Julian Fink) to the charming situation comedy of a "Death Valley Days" episode (written by series creaor Ruth C. Woodman). By checking through the Internet Movie Database, I found that many of the writers and directors had long lists of film credits, so this collection is somewhat like a compilation of short "B" western features.

Something else I gleaned from the IMDB...many of these shows are much-beloved, yet have been unavailable in syndication or on pre-recorded tape for many years, so the collection is a valuable introduction to shows that are rare at present. The purchase of this boxed-set is a vote in favor of the re-release of more of these classic programs.

Contents: one half-hour episode each, of:
The Lone Ranger, Bat Masterson, The Cisco Kid, The Roy Rogers Show, Death Valley Days, Sky King, Tate, Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, Judge Roy Bean, Fury, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, and Annie Oakley.

The Cisco Kid episode has segements that are obviously entirely out of sequence. Very poor editing of this episode.

I loved loved loved these three DVD's. Why four stars instead of five? I would have liked to be able to purchase individual DVD's, each featuring a different Western personality, with more episodes of each show. My very favorites? Roy Rogers; followed by the Lone Ranger (and his wonder horse, Silver), and the Cisco Kid; Fury, Annie Oakley, and Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. I did not care for the other six, hence the four-star rating. The digital restoration made the episodes crystal clear. I definitely would recommend this set, but I would suggest looking for individual sets featuring just the programs you like best. Happy Trails!