Customer Reviews

Saddles Saloons & Six-Shooters - The Wild Westerns Collection

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SADDLES, SALOONS & SIX-SHOOTERS contains a few historic movies, including the first American film to tell several stories at once, via the use of intercutting edits. Edison Studios shot THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1903) in rural New Jersey. Original prints of this historic 12 minute work were hand-tinted (example: at the end, a pistol fired directly at the camera has red smoke emanating from it).

D.W. Griffith's 1909 short, THE RED MAN'S VIEW, is a sympathetic portrait of the plight of Native Americans. This film demonstrates Griffith's career-long penchant for historical drama. Among the cast is Mack Sennett, who would eventually become the leading comedy director of his day.

The grim hour-long HELL'S HINGES (1916) features the screen's first cowboy superstar, William S. Hart. A friend of Wyatt Earp, Hart's stage career began in 1899 when he played Messala in an adaptation of BEN HUR. In the early '20s, an unsuccessful paternity suit caused his popularity to wane. Hart's last film was TUMBLEWEEDS (1925).

Based on a Zane Grey novel, THE VANISHING AMERICANS (1925) is about a conquered people's attempts to adapt and become good American citizens. Filmed in part at Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon, this is a gorgeous-looking movie, even if the story's a sad one. One of the last great silent-era films.

The balance of this DVD set are the more common public domain westerns. All are of good quality. The best of the lot just may be ONE-EYED JACKS (1961), a story of betrayal and revenge that stars Marlon Brando and Karl Malden. This unusual western was filmed principally in Monterey, California.

Another western collection worth consideration is MEAN GUNS 20 MOVIE PACK. Lots of great action here and many fine actors!

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The following alphabetized program list includes 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings for each title, plus years of release and leading actors.

(6.3) Abilene Town (1946) - Randolph Scott/Edgar Buchanan/Ann Dvorak
(6.4) Arizona Bound (1941) - Buck Jones/Tim McCoy/Luana Walters
(5.0) Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer (1956) - Bruce Bennett/Lon Chaney Jr./Faron Young
(5.1) The Desert Trail (1935) - John Wayne/Mary Kornman/Paul Fix
(5.8) Fighting Caravans (1931) - Gary Cooper/Lili Damita/Eugene Pallette
(7.5) The Great Train Robbery (silent-1903) - (no credited actors)
(6.5) Hell's Hinges (silent-1916) - William S. Hart/Clara Williams/Jack Standing
(7.1) One-Eyed Jacks (1961) - Marlon Brando/Karl Malden/Ben Johnson/Slim Pickens
(5.5) The Outlaw (1943) - Jane Russell/Walter Huston
(5.6) The Painted Desert (1931) - William Boyd/Clark Gable
(6.4) The Red Man's View (1909) - Owen Moore/James Kirkwood/Mack Sennett
(6.0) Santa Fe Trail (1940) - Errol Flynn/Ronald Reagan/Olivia de Havilland
(4.8) Trouble in Texas (1937) - Tex Ritter/Rita Hayworth/Yakima Canutt/Glenn Strange
(7.2) The Vanishing American (silent-1925) - Richard Dix/Lois Wilson/Noah Beery

This review is for the contained Hell's Hinges.

To many contemporary viewers the idea of a silent western is as bizarre as a silent musical or silent Shakespeare. To counteract that, one could easily point to the popcorn pleasures of many a Tom Mix western, such as The Great K & A Train Robbery (1926) or Just Tony (1922). However, dipping back a mere ten years before Great K & A we find William S. Hart's Hell's Hinges (1916) to prove just how bizarre the silent western could get.

Hart was the direct opposite of Mix, yet both actors had an authentic western past. Where Mix's film were flashy, over the top, stunt-oriented, dime-store pulp western family fare, Hart offered up a gritty, dusty realism. Yet, Hart's "realism" was also mixed (often uncomfortably) with a heavy-laden, dated pathos that could compete with Charlie Chaplin at his soggiest (Limelight).

"Hell's Hinges" is, perhaps, the quintessential example of one of these uncomfortably strange William S. Hart hybrids mixing sentimentality with violence. Both qualities are presented with all the subtlety of a pair of brass knuckles wrapped in a tear-drenched handkerchief.

Hart , who co-directed with Charles Swickard, plays Blaze Tracey, the meanest hombre in the town of Hell's Hinges, a rowdy town similar to Chaplin's "Easy Street." The titles amusingly describe Hell's Hinges as a "gun-fighting, man-killing, devil's den of iniquity." Hart's Blaze lords over Hell's Hinges, much like Eric Campbell lorded over Easy Street. Blaze has vowed that neither law nor religion shall ever come to Hell's Hinges. Enter, on cue, Reverend Robert (Jack Standing) and his pure as the driven snow sister, Faith (Clara Williams), who have been assigned to pastor over the local church. Hart's partner in crime, the beautifully named Silk Miller (Alfred Hollingsworth), informs Blaze that the new preacher has arrived. Blaze departs the saloon to "welcome" the new intruder."


Greeting the town, Rev. Robert beams a big smile (that smile must have been excruciatingly difficult, and painful, to maintain), but the good reverend clearly becomes nervous as he discovers what he and Faith are up against.

Blaze is ready, willing and able to deliver an old west comeuppance to the whippersnapper preacher--that is, until he spots Faith in her Sunday bonnet. Suddenly, upon seeing this lovely maiden, Blaze's heart must have grown three sizes that day, because the titles explain, "One who is evil, looking for the first time upon that which is good." Faith, for her part, melodramatically extends her welcoming hand towards saturnine, tough guy Blaze. She bats her big, doe-like eyes, smiles, and clutches her lacy valentine virgin heart. The townspeople are expecting the worst, bugging their eyes and dropping their mouth in a "whoa Nellie, here it comes" expression. Blaze hand moves up and... removes his hat. Blaze walks away, not sure how he just got hit so hard with cupid's arrow. The townspeople and Silk are just as mystified.

With the exception of Blaze, the townspeople follow the Rev. Robert and Faith into the church (a barn) and start turning the service into a barnyard orgy dance! Blaze, standing outside the ruckus, starts to walk off when he hears the virgin Faith offer up a prayer to the Lord. Images of Jesus on the cross, against a raging tide, mix with images of ever sweet Faith in prayer.

What's a man-killing gunman with a heart of gold to do? At gunpoint, Blaze drives the interlopers out of the church. Silk is not quite sure just what has happened to his evil buddy! Even worse, Blaze sits down and listens to the sermon, hat in lap. (In a title, decorated in golden light beams) Faith asks, "Is there anybody here today who wants to give his heart to Jesus?" Blaze walks the walk forward, and tells Miss Faith, "I reckon the Lord ain't wantin' the likes of me, but when I see your face, I realize I been ridin' on the wrong trail."

Now a saved man, Blaze, along with several of the townspeople, helps Rev. Bob and Faith build their new church. However, Silk does not like the idea of his buddy being neutered. Playing the part of tempter, Silk starts to scheming and gives Rev. Bob a sip of the devil's whiskey. Every time Rev. Bob drinks from Old Nick's brew he reacts like a bouncing-off-the-walls Speedy Gonzales after smokin' some of that `Reefer Madness.'

With that Jack Daniels sip, Pandora's Box has been opened and this leads to yet another fall. Rev. Bob gallivants with the local floozy and succumbs to sloth and drunken reverie. With the fall comes death. Rev. Bob is murdered by Silk and crowd. Of course, the murderers do not stop there, and burn the church down. Faith cradles her dead brother like Mary clutching Jesus in the pieta.

Now, the film turns a somber 180 degrees. Upon discovering Silk's aftermath, the music swells and Blaze is out for revenge. Like Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter (1973), Blaze sets fire to the entire town, torching every building in sight, including the saloon. Of course, before setting the bar on fire, Blaze walks in, gun in each hand, and kills dozens upon dozens of men, coming off a bit like Victor Mature's Samson slaughtering the Philistines. With the town up in smoke, and hundreds of people dead and burning, the ashen-faced Blaze walks away, looking every bit like God's retribution, towards the outskirts of town, retrieving Faith and her brother's corpse. Together, they walk towards a divine sunset.

I have to admit that I could not take my eyes off this ultra bizarre, archaic curio. It is available, along with other films including the famous Great Train Robbery (1903), on this inexpensive public domain DVD set titled "Saddles, Saloons & Six-Shooters."

*My review was originally published at 366 weird movies.

As a lot this is a great bargain and you get lots of movies spanning nearly 60 years from 1903-1961....including 4 silent movies! (the great train robbery. 1903, The Red Man's View 1909, Hells Hinges 1916, & The Vanishing American 1925.

The Great Train Robbery: Well as a famous early film this is a must for every collector. As a movie... pretty bad. Poor continuity, and sort of half documentary ish and half action. Thankfully it's short but it is a historic peice and for that alone it's important.

The Red Man's View. This wasn't particularily memorable...but hey 1909 that's cool by itself.

Hells Hinges: Wow! This was a great movie! Far above 1916 standards! And interesting in a historical way too. I'd watch this one over again easily. Since I watched them all in order I can't comment on the movie as well now, except to say that I really enjoyed this one,very intreaguing indeed. Excellent even by later western standards, but Outstanding considering how early this one is.

The Vanishing American: The KEY MOVIE of the set. Finaly I see a movie that tells the truth about just how the Indians were treated. Well this was bitter sweet. The heroin was very wonderful and we were always hoping things would work out...they do...sort of...only to once again snatch victory from us. Quite a frustrating movie in many ways.

It starts out kind of weird. A whole half hour is dedicated to seeing the Indians history through time on the continent. I didn't get this beggining at first, but at the end of the movie the beggining made really "poetic" sence. I don't use that word often, but as screwy as the beggining of the movie was,it, at the end of the movie seemed to fit perfectly.

The heart of the movie was frustrating. You always were rooting for the hero, but the white man's ongoing treatment of the hero and his people was a constant interuption to their getting ahead. And I guess that was the point of the movie. Really a good look at the other side of racism...from the recieving end. A great statement movie, but sad that never ever does the hero get a break. But his understanding of a single scripture at the end sort of makes up for the dissapointing nature of the Indians plight. Makes you think. I highly reccomend this one.

Arizona Bound: Apparently part of a series.It had poor camera work...especialy when there was a lot of sky in the shot.
However it was a typical But CLASSIC western in every other regard. And I don't use the word "CLASSIC" lightly. One thing I found really intreaging about this movie was just how incredible some of the horse riding scenes were, near the end of the movie. I mean it really made you marvel at the ridership and the imagery, and you really got the sence that here were the heros or "calvary" coming. Especialy in one scene where the three heroes rode fast and in close formation. It's worth it just for this scene. In this regard the camerawork was good in capturing these riding scenes very well. Great story. and great fun

Many other movies on this set a good bargain and some very interesting movies all around. A good selection or "western" movies. Normally I can take or leave westerns but the vast majority of these movies were very watchable.

The Howard Hughes directed "Billy the Kid" was really cool and a fabulous "alternative" ending. The smile on Jane Russels face (In context) at the end makes the movie. Brilliant! And the camera work was superb! Made up for the previous one that was poor. If a black and white movie can have good scenery, this was it. Very good tonal balance.

Abilene town. loads of fun and even though you knew what the end was going to be(including what girl gets who) it was fun getting there.

Sante fe trail (See My review under that movie)

This was an incredibly great selection of movies to package together,and virtualy every one of them was worth buying in thier own right.. so this is an incredible bargain...at any price. Only one movie had low quality camerawork that was distracting, as mentioned above but it's riding scenes were far above average to make up for the low quality filming.

The Brando Movie (One Eyed Jacks) took lots of turns and though you knew the eventual end there were strange twists getting there. The movie that shows you Can change your mind...sort of.

And I had no trouble loading any of the discs, so quality was up in that department.