2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Buy for Fans Of The Duke..., July 9, 2005
These films are both 5 stars in my book! First up is "Stagecoach" from 1939. Wayne is a wanted man who is along for the ride with a group of passengers, each not only battling their own demons and prejudices, but the elements of the rugged terrain and Indian attacks as well. And what a group...it also stars Claire Trevor, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, and Donald Meek. This one is directed by the great John Ford and the black and white cinemaptogrpahy of this journey is absolutley stunning. The DVD transfer of this 65 year old film is not as pristeen as some other B/W classic of the era, but certainly looks good. a few scratches here and there, a little flickering, but once you are involved with this film, you won't even notice. The Dolby Dig sound is very good, all the sounds of the old west clear and distinct. The DVD includes some production notes, seven trailers, and has subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
"The Searchers" from 1956 is up next. Do they come any better than this? The Duke is a war weary ex-confederate who becomes obsessed with hunting down the Comanche tribe who has massacred his family and kidnapped his young niece. We follow him for years as he will not let go of his mission or his beliefs. Wayne is amazing in this role as we see his hatred turn into humanity. This one is also from Director John Ford, and may just be his masterpiece. It is filmed in technicolor, and the stunning scenery may be viewed in the original widescreen, but also has the option of a standard version. It also stars Hollywood greats Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond and Natalie Wood. I thought the transfer was pretty nice. The picture was clean and clear with very good sound. There are a couple of documentary shorts included, made at the time of the shoot, one has a brief interview with Natalie Wood(glowing from her recent Oscar nomination for "Rebel Without A Cause"). It may be viewed in or with subtitles in English, French and Spanish, and it also contains some production notes.
There are two of this double pack of "The Searchers"/"Stagecoach" for sale here at this time. This one by far is the better deal pricewise right now. The ASIN for this one is B0007VY4E0. These two films are also sold in a 3 pack that includes the film "The Cowboys", also a good deal for fans of The Duke. If you are interested in that one the ASIN is B00004XMRX, just put it in the products search to get to the buying/product page. Each DVD is in it's own snap case. The three pack has an outer sleeve as well.
Saddle Up With The Duke and Happy Trails....Laurie
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