Customer Reviews

Rodeo Racketeers [VHS]

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

 

 

This is collection of three of John Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, made in the early part of his career, a short time after he was released by Warner Brother's. They are remastered in color. The color is outstanding, especially when compared to the black and white prints of these three movies that are available. There one serious draw back, however, to this DVD. All three of these movies have had 33 minutes edited out of them. Each is only 22 minutes long. Because of this, each of these films has been renamed. Rodeo Racketeers is the Man from Utah. Claim Jumpers is the Lucky Texan. The Shadow Gang is the Star Packer. Also there has been a musical song track added to each of these films. In the originals, there was no music. One wishes the producers of the YOUNG DUKE SERIES, who attempted to refurbish these old film, would not have cut them as they did. The music may appeal to younger audiences, but it is not how these films should or ought to be seen. I give 5 stars for the color, but only 1 for the other changes.

Growing up watching the western action of Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger and other staples, I found many of the action scenes in these three movies thoroughly predictable. The good guy jumping off his horse to unhorse the fleeing bad guy, the stiff movement of a man that has supposedly taken a bullet and the horse that falls down with the rider flying off the front. When watching one of those scenes I turned to my wife and said "I hope that guy was wearing protection."
It was interesting to see John Wayne in some of his early roles, when both he and the western genre were becoming established. Wayne is less of the hardened tough guy than he was later in his career, he is not as emphatic in delivering his lines and the other actors don't take their cues from him like they do after he became a major star.
The three movies suffer from a case of "plot leaps" and I was puzzled about that until I learned that significant portions had been edited out. While you can still understand what is happening, it takes some thought at times to reason it out.
While the action is western boilerplate, the real point of interest is in seeing John Wayne in his early years as an actor. The coloration is good, so there are no weaknesses in that area. People born after the era of John Wayne movies will probably not enjoy these short features, but those that grew up watching him will like watching him early in his career.