Customer Reviews

Johnny Mack Brown Double Feature, Vol. 1

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This presenation by VCI of Johnny Mack Brown's B westerns is magnificent. This release has been described as the first in the series and we can expect many more. After all, Johnny Mack Brown appeared in a LOT of westerns.

The Bad Man from Red Butte has very good production values. There's a lot of horse riding, shooting, fisticuffs and the other stuff that makess B westerns exciting. Unlike others of the genre, this particular film stands out because Universal did not apply Poverty Row techniques. There is hardly use of stock film, so common in other B westerns. There are so many hired extras and people appearing in this feature that this has the feel of an A western. Universal is definitely not Lone Star Productions or any of those [other] companies of that time. This is recommended viewing for fans of the genre.

Rawhide Ranger was produced by Commonwealth Films but still under Universal. So, despite the use of more stock film, the production values are still high and would be considered among the better B westerns produced.

The quality for both features is good. Picture clarity and contrast and sound are excellent. You hardly notice any film deterioration and VCI must have obtained well preserved copies of these two films, though some scratches were very noticeable in the first feature.

A notable extra to this package is the more than 15 minute Chapter One of a Johnny Mack Brown western serial.

Another plus are the trailers. When I saw the Lone Ranger trailer, I decided to buy a copy for my collection for the picture quality is pristine.

You should not miss this VCI DVD introduction to Johnny Mack Brown B westerns.

VCI Entertainment has given us two classic Johnny Mack Brown B-western, beautifully and cleanly transferred. Brown was never at the level of Gene Autry or Roy Rogers, but his long career at Universal and later Monogram, give proof to his popularity. Bad Man from Red Butte and Rawhide Ranger are two of his better Universals Westerns. Production values are high in these Universal releases, and sidekick Fuzzy Knight and other stock Brown B-Western cast members help make this two offerings very enjoyable. VCI should be encouraged to release more of these. Highly recommended.

Born in 1904 Johnny Mack Brown was an All-American college footballer, he turned down professional football offers and instead headed for Hollywood. In 1927 he signed a contract with MGM and played the lead in many top-budget films. In 1930 he enjoyed great success in the title role of King Vidor's BILLY THE KID from then on for the next twenty odd-years it was B-Westerns all the way! This double feature DVD from VCI Entertainment (Dolby Digitally Remastered) is a perfect introduction to Johnny Mack Brown westerns. In 1940 he was ranked at number 6 out of the 10 highest Money-making B-Western Stars, top places at that time going to Gene Autry, William Boyd and Roy Rogers. A bonus with this DVD is Chapter1 of "Wild West Days (1937) and among the first-class color previews look out for the two top-notch "Lone Ranger" trailers. Excellent, B-Western-fare for all cowboy aficionados.

BAD MAN FROM RED BUTTE (1940 Universal - 58 Minutes)
Johnny Mack Brown plays the dual-role of the good and bad twin-brothers. Buck Halliday (Goodie) rides into town with his two sidekicks frontier lawyer Gabriel Hornsby (Bob Baker) and snake oil Peddler Spud Jenkins (Fuzzy Knight). Brady is mistakenly arrested for crimes committed by his twin brother who calls himself Gils Brady (Baddie). The love interest is the new schoolmarm (Anne Gwynne) Bob Baker and others sing a song or two with Fuzzy Knight providing the comedy

RAWHIDE RANGERS (1941 Universal - 56 Minutes)
Texas Ranger Brand Calhoun (Johnny Mack Brown) is sent on mission to find the boss of a local gang of outlaws. In a gunfight was the gang Calhoun's brother Steve (Roy Harris) is killed. Calhoun hands in his badge and goes under cover to infiltrate the gang and route out their leader. The love interest here is the daughter of a local rancher Joanne (Kathryn Adams) Once again Fuzzy Knight provides the comedy and the "Texas Rangers" singing group provides the songs.

VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Bad Man from Red Butte" (1940) (digitally remastered), long running Johnny Mack Brown series turned out in the early '40s...the storyline is excellent with outstanding productions...Johnny Mack plays a dual role of a gunman Gils Brady and our hero and good guy Buck Halliday...when a shootout starts Benson and his henchman try to pin a murder on Buck who they believe is Brady the gunmen...when a lynch mob is out for blood, can Buck be saved by his friends Gabe and Spud...will the trio be able to prove Benson is the guilty party...well it's not over yet so stay in the saddle and see the final chapter of this exciting story.

Under director Ray Taylor with screenplay by Sam Robins...the cast include a very young Johnny Mack Brown (Gil Brady/Buck Halliday), Bob Baker (Gabriel 'Gabe' Hornsby), Fuzzy Knight ('Spud' Jenkins), Anne Gwynne (Tibby Mason), Bill Cody Jr (Skip Toddhunter), Norman Willis (Hal Benson), Earle Hodgkins (Hiram T. Cochran), Roy Barcroft (Hank - Henchman), Lafe McKee (Dan Toddhunter), Lloyd Ingraham (Turner), Buck Moulton (Jitters - Henchman)...another great Johnny Mack B-Western provided by Universal Pictures during their heyday of the early '40s.

CHAPTERS
1. Unlawful
2. Mistaken Identity
3. Survey Plans
4. Wrongfully Accused
5. Politics
6. Justice

The second feature on the bill from VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Rawhide Rangers" (1941) (digitally remastered), long running Johnny Mack Brown series turned out in the early '40s...the badmen running the territory is a gang of outlaws lead by Blackie...Ranger Brand Calhoun and his brother stumble onto a stage holdup the brother is killed...shortly after that Brand quits the Rangers and becomes an outlaw...Brand is taking all the loot and Blackie's gang capture him and make him one of their gang....can Brand alert his fellow Rangers of the next planned robbery...will he discover who the real brains is behind the outlaws...will Sing Lo the cook catch Fuzzy stealing his pies once again...or does Sing Lo have other plans for Fuzzy...don't leave the theater because things are just about to break loose.

Under director Ray Taylor with screenplay by Ed Earl Repp...the cast include a very young Johnny Mack Brown (Brand Calhoun), Fuzzy Knight (Porky), Kathryn Adams (Jo Ann Rawlings), Nell O'Day (Patti McDowell), Riley Hill (Steve Calhoun), Harry Cording (Blackie), Al Bridge (Rawlings), Ed Cassidy (Alec Martin), Frank Shannon (Ranger Captain McDowell), Bob Kortman (Dirk - Henchman), Chester Gan (Sing Lo, the cook)...Johnny Mack Brown's films were a step above other B-Western...he was a better actor than many of his contemporaries...Brown had a long and prosperous career as a B-Western star well into the 1950s.

CHAPTERS
1. Assignment
2. Hijack
3. Ranger to Outlaw
4. Joining the Gang
5. The Plan
6. Shootout

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
Johnny Mack Brown
Fuzzy Knight
Anne Gwynne
Nell O'Day
Ray Taylor (Director)

VCI TRAILERS:
Cattle Queen of Montana (Ronald Reagan & Barbara Stanwyck - in color)
Tennessee's Partner (Ronald Reagan & John Payne - in color)
The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore & Jay Silverheels - in color)
The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (same cast - in color)

BONUS:
"Wild West Days" (featuring Johnny Mack Brown) (Chapter One) (1937)

Own them now on DVD....if you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure enjoyed this serial check out other western double features by Johnny Mack Brown:

JOHNNY MACK BROWN WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURES:
1. Raiders of San Joaquin/Law of the Range (VCI #7226)
2. Pony Post/Ragtime Cowboy Joe (VCI #7238)
3. Brand A Coward/Rogue of the Range (VCI #7244)
4. Guns in the Dark/Partner of the Trail (VCI $7260)
5. Bar Z Bad Men/Between Men (VCI #7282)

Ask Amazon.Com to carry the above five titles as they are not available on Amazon as of yet...you can order and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment...if you enjoyed "Bad Man from Red Butte" and "Rawhide Ranger" why not pick up other copies of Johnny Mack Brown Double Features...also the latest Bobby J. Copeland's book on "Johnny Mack Brown: Up Close & Personal" is chuck full of answers to all the questions his fans had from early on, published by Empire Publishing and available on Amazon.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '40s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with a top notch B-Western from VCI...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 225 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment 8419 ~ (6/21/2005)

Johnny Mack Brown was from my home town of Dothan, Alabama
And a real good actor.