Customer Reviews

To the Last Man [VHS]

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

 

 

Roan Group dvd of To The Last Man. The picture quality is clear with reasonable sound. Now for the bad news, watching this dvd is like viewing a movie thru a shower of rain. Seldom have I seen such a scratched copy, plus it is was taken from a splicy print. Such a good film deserves far better treatment, and if this has been "digitally remastered from the finest elements" you could have fooled me. Don't waste your money.

VCI Entertainment and Paramount Pictures present "TO THE LAST MAN" (1933) (70 mins/B&W) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- relive those thrilling days when Randy Scott and Buster Crabbe took us down the dusty trails with hard riding and straight shooting hitting the bull's eye with excitement every time... the Scott and Crabbe series of B-Westerns were a staple of Saturday matinees in the 1930s and 1940s ... don't miss any of the Scott and Crabbe features loaded with action that will leave you wanting more of their B-Western adventures.

Under Henry Hathaway (Director), Harold Hurley (Producer), Jack Cunningham (Screenwriter), Zane Grey (Short Story Author), Benjamin F. Reynolds (Cinematographer), Earl Hedrick (Art Director) ------ the cast includes Randolph Scott (Lynn Hayden), Larry "Buster" Crabbe (Bill Hayden), Esther Ralston - Ellen Colby), Jack LaRue (Jim Daggs), Noah Beery, Sr (Jed Colby), Barton MacLane (Neil Stanley), Muriel Kirkland (Molly Hayden), Fuzzy Knight (Jeff Morley), Shirley Temple (Mary Stanley), Gail Patrick (Ann Hayden Stanley), Egon Brecher (Mark Hayden), James C. Eagles (Ely Bruce), Eugénie Besserer (Granny Spelvin), Harlan Knight (Grandpa Spelvin), Russell Powell (Greaves), Delmar Watson (Tad Standing), Jay Ward (Lynn Hayden as a Child), Rosita Butler (Ann Hayden as a Child), James Burke (Sheriff ), Erville Alderson (Judge), Cullen Johnson (Bill Hayden as a Child), John Carradine (Pete Garon), Harry Cording (Joe Malone) . . . . . . our story takes place in Old Kentucky with a feud between the Hayden and Colby clan right after the Civil War ... enters our hero Randolph Scott and his brother Buster Crabbe who only want to leave in peace and end this feuding ... but there is a twist to this plot, as Esther Ralston who is a member of the Colbys falls in love with Scott against the wishes of her father Noah Beery Sr. ... is there any hope for the two families, will the lovebirds live happily ever after or will the Paramount cast keep on feuding ... keep your eyes peeled for a young Shirley Temple in a early small role ... beautifully photographed by Cinematographer benjamin F. Reynolds and outstanding direction from one of my favorites directors Henry Hathaway --- another great B-Western under the Paramount Picture banner.

Special footnote, George Randolph Scott better known as Randolph Scott, was an American film actor whose career spanned the sound era from the late 1920s to the early 1960s ... his popularity grew in the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in such films as "Gung Ho"! (1943) and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" (1938); but he was especially famous for his numerous Westerns including "Virginia City" (1940) with Errol Flynn and Humphrey Bogart, "Western Union" (1941) with Robert Young, "Seven Men from Now" (1956) with Lee Marvin, "The Tall T" (1957) with Richard Boone, "Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend" (1957) with James Garner, and "Ride the High Country" (1962) with Joel McCrea (a coin was flipped to see whether Scott or McCrea would receive top billing, and Scott won despite having a slightly smaller role) ... his long fistfight with John Wayne in "The Spoilers" (1942) was frequently cited by critics and the press as the most thrilling ever filmed; they were fighting over Marlene Dietrich ... another smash hit film together that same year called "Pittsburgh" (1942) once again with Dietrich, Scott and Wayne

Second special footnote, actor Buster Crabbe graduated from the University of Southern California and won the 400 meter freestyle in which he medaled in the 1932 Olympics, went to work for Paramount in "King of the Jungle" (1933), next role was "Tarzan the Fearless (1933), Crabbe returned to Paramount Pictures was featured in Zane Grey Westerns which were well received, then came the roles that made him a household word "Flash Gordon" and "Buck Rogers" at Universal Picture Serials (1936-1940), meanwhile PRC Studios was looking for a leading hero "Billy the Kid" and "Billy Carson" in the 1940's B-Western series and ran its course for six years, later made several televison appearances and appeared in a series "Captain Gallant and the Foreign Legion" (1955-1957).....

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Randolph Scott (aka: George Randolph Scott)
Date of birth: 23 January 1898 - Orange County, Virginia
Date of death: 2 March 1987 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
2. Buster Crabbe (aka: Clarence Linden Crabbe II)
Birth Date: 2/17/1907 - Oakland California
Died: 4/23/1983 - Scottsdale, Arizona

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "To the Last Man" (1933) -
Randolph Scott & Buster Crabbe, the digital transfere with a clean, clear
and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the
vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns...order your
copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of
copies available on DVD and VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch
action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just
the way we like 'em

Total Time: 70 min on DVD/VHS ~ VCI Home Video ~ (11/27 2000)

ROAN's dub of THE LAST MAN STANDING looks very similar to the one on TGG DIRECT's bargain-priced box set, 20 GREAT WESTERNS: HEROES & BANDITS. Multiple persistent scratch lines, stress, fading and edit splices are rather distracting here.


Action highlight of Henry Hathaway's fine Zane Grey adaptation is a dynamite-caused rockslide that kills all but one of a large group of vengeful riders.

Hathaway uses superimposed white letters to introduce characters/actors as they first appear. This goes on for almost 15 minutes. Seen in an uncredited role is adorable 5-year-old Shirley Temple, who is twice almost hit with rifle fire!

The two families in this Hatfield/McCoy feud story are the Haydens and the Colbys.

After Mark Hayden (Brecher) testifes against him, Jed Colby (Beery) is sentenced to 20 years for killing Mark's father-in-law. Jed stews in jail while the Haydens relocate from Kentucky to land near the Sierras (features beautiful outdoor cinematography of California's Big Bear Lake region).

Mark wants to end the bloody inter-family war but Jed has other ideas. Once paroled, he moves his clan west and renews hostilities with their sworn enemies. The above-mentioned rockslide is one of his ploys, as are cattle and horse rustling plus an arson attack on the Hayden property in which little Shirley is twice almost killed.

Despite its age, this PARAMOUNT western drama holds the attention. Highly recommended!


Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.

(6.5) To the Last Man (1933) - Randolph Scott/Esther Ralston/Jack La Rue/Buster Crabbe/Noah Beery/Barton MacLane/Egon Brecher/Gail Patrick/Fuzzy Knight (uncredited: Shirley Temple/John Carradine)

VCI Entertainment and Paramount Pictures present "TO THE LAST MAN" (1933) (70 mins/B&W) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- relive those thrilling days when Randy Scott and Buster Crabbe took us down the dusty trails with hard riding and straight shooting hitting the bull's eye with excitement every time... the Scott and Crabbe series of B-Westerns were a staple of Saturday matinees in the 1930s and 1940s ... don't miss any of the Scott and Crabbe features loaded with action that will leave you wanting more of their B-Western adventures.

Under Henry Hathaway (Director), Harold Hurley (Producer), Jack Cunningham (Screenwriter), Zane Grey (Short Story Author), Benjamin F. Reynolds (Cinematographer), Earl Hedrick (Art Director) ------ the cast includes Randolph Scott (Lynn Hayden), Larry "Buster" Crabbe (Bill Hayden), Esther Ralston - Ellen Colby), Jack LaRue (Jim Daggs), Noah Beery, Sr (Jed Colby), Barton MacLane (Neil Stanley), Muriel Kirkland (Molly Hayden), Fuzzy Knight (Jeff Morley), Shirley Temple (Mary Stanley), Gail Patrick (Ann Hayden Stanley), Egon Brecher (Mark Hayden), James C. Eagles (Ely Bruce), Eugénie Besserer (Granny Spelvin), Harlan Knight (Grandpa Spelvin), Russell Powell (Greaves), Delmar Watson (Tad Standing), Jay Ward (Lynn Hayden as a Child), Rosita Butler (Ann Hayden as a Child), James Burke (Sheriff ), Erville Alderson (Judge), Cullen Johnson (Bill Hayden as a Child), John Carradine (Pete Garon), Harry Cording (Joe Malone) . . . . . . our story takes place in Old Kentucky with a feud between the Hayden and Colby clan right after the Civil War ... enters our hero Randolph Scott and his brother Buster Crabbe who only want to leave in peace and end this feuding ... but there is a twist to this plot, as Esther Ralston who is a member of the Colbys falls in love with Scott against the wishes of her father Noah Beery Sr. ... is there any hope for the two families, will the lovebirds live happily ever after or will the Paramount cast keep on feuding ... keep your eyes peeled for a young Shirley Temple in a early small role ... beautifully photographed by Cinematographer benjamin F. Reynolds and outstanding direction from one of my favorites directors Henry Hathaway --- another great B-Western under the Paramount Picture banner.

Special footnote, George Randolph Scott better known as Randolph Scott, was an American film actor whose career spanned the sound era from the late 1920s to the early 1960s ... his popularity grew in the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in such films as "Gung Ho"! (1943) and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" (1938); but he was especially famous for his numerous Westerns including "Virginia City" (1940) with Errol Flynn and Humphrey Bogart, "Western Union" (1941) with Robert Young, "Seven Men from Now" (1956) with Lee Marvin, "The Tall T" (1957) with Richard Boone, "Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend" (1957) with James Garner, and "Ride the High Country" (1962) with Joel McCrea (a coin was flipped to see whether Scott or McCrea would receive top billing, and Scott won despite having a slightly smaller role) ... his long fistfight with John Wayne in "The Spoilers" (1942) was frequently cited by critics and the press as the most thrilling ever filmed; they were fighting over Marlene Dietrich ... another smash hit film together that same year called "Pittsburgh" (1942) once again with Dietrich, Scott and Wayne

Second special footnote, actor Buster Crabbe graduated from the University of Southern California and won the 400 meter freestyle in which he medaled in the 1932 Olympics, went to work for Paramount in "King of the Jungle" (1933), next role was "Tarzan the Fearless (1933), Crabbe returned to Paramount Pictures was featured in Zane Grey Westerns which were well received, then came the roles that made him a household word "Flash Gordon" and "Buck Rogers" at Universal Picture Serials (1936-1940), meanwhile PRC Studios was looking for a leading hero "Billy the Kid" and "Billy Carson" in the 1940's B-Western series and ran its course for six years, later made several televison appearances and appeared in a series "Captain Gallant and the Foreign Legion" (1955-1957).....

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Randolph Scott (aka: George Randolph Scott)
Date of birth: 23 January 1898 - Orange County, Virginia
Date of death: 2 March 1987 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
2. Buster Crabbe (aka: Clarence Linden Crabbe II)
Birth Date: 2/17/1907 - Oakland California
Died: 4/23/1983 - Scottsdale, Arizona

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "To the Last Man" (1933) -
Randolph Scott & Buster Crabbe, the digital transfere with a clean, clear
and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the
vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns...order your
copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of
copies available on DVD and VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch
action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just
the way we like 'em

Total Time: 70 min on DVD/VHS ~ VCI Home Video ~ (11/27 2000)