SEASON 3 of RAWHIDE Volume 1 is my favorite collection (so far). Not only are the episodes continuing to be well done with that great classic black-and-white (keep forgetting to mention cinema photographer John Nickolaus who has been there for every episode so far...there has been at least one great horizon, cattle, and silhouetted drovers shot with a sky full of feathered clouds that would make John Ford proud). But Season 3 volume 1 gets points for listing guest stars along with every "Incident" episode synopsis while Not putting discs 1 and 4 ON-covering those episode explanations in the case! Yay! Much easier to read now.
The "Incident at Poco Tiempo" is a well written standout episode revolving around Clint's Rowdy Yates on a stagecoach ride with nuns played by Agnes Moorehead and a very young Gigi Perreau: "Can't blame you for having second thoughts", a rather attractive young lady says to the young nun as they notice Rowdy Yates (Clint). Will anyone give the nun bad advice to benefit him or herself.
I was actually surprised how well Agnes Moorehead played her part as the elder wise nun so 'believably' well.
Another great episode was the historically significant "Buffalo Soldiers " episode with Woody Strode just about stealing the show as impressive soldier who seems to be a victim of circumstance. Even his white captain points out he should not be "only a corporal" but trouble just seems to find him.
Listen to the black soldiers disdain for the Indian: "The Brownskins!" I was reminded of great Civil War movie GLORY while watching this black unit of Buffalo Soldiers and racism within.
Theme song Singer Frankie Rawhide Laine gets a starring role in "incident on Road To Yesterday"!
And had to mention E.G. Marshall, Dick York (good as alcoholic) and Gloria Talbot in same episode where Gill Favor (Eric Fleming) gets to be a western "sleuth".
'Predictability' not an issue on RAWHIDE SEASON 3 Volume 1.
4 1/2 stars.
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Customer reviews
The greatest western series of all time!
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2008
The greatest western there has ever been or will ever be is Rawhide!Outstanding western series! Keep them coming Paramount! We are loving it! It's true that Gil and Rowdy rule and Rawhide is #1!episodes from the first half of Season 3Season 3, Episode 1: Incident at Rojo CanyonSeason 3, Episode 2: Incident of the ChallengeSeason 3, Episode 3: Incident at Dragoon CrossingSeason 3, Episode 4: Incident of the Night VisitorSeason 3, Episode 5: Incident of the SlavemasterSeason 3, Episode 6: Incident on the Road to YesterdaySeason 3, Episode 7: Incident at Superstition PrairieSeason 3, Episode 8: Incident at Poco TiempoSeason 3, Episode 9: Incident of the CaptiveSeason 3, Episode 10: Incident of the Buffalo SoldierSeason 3, Episode 11: Incident of the Broken WordSeason 3, Episode 12: Incident at the Top of the WorldSeason 3, Episode 13: Incident Near the Promised LandSeason 3, Episode 14: Incident of the Big BlowoutSeason 3, Episode 15: Incident of the Fish Out of WaterAll episdoes are outstanding!After years of waiting and the cruel betrayal of Columbia House, who had started making DVDs available in 2003, uncut and in series order but then abruptly stopped August 2004, Parmount has come to the rescue! Now in Paramount's capable hands, we are finally making real progress!Paramount has released more episodes than anyone else to date, even more than Columbia House who had released dozens of VHS tapes(not in episode order). Eric Fleming is amazing as Gil Favor in this seris, there's no one else like him. Rowdy is also incredible in this series. The details of the old west in this series are fantastic. They don't make anything like it nowadays and we'll probably never see anything like it again.Thank you Paramount!Here's a great editorial review for Rawhide belowLike anyone growing up in the late fifties and early sixties I watched as much television as possible. Remember that this was the era of the eleven inch, black and white screen, the single three inch speaker and the universal remote was the youngest family member who had to get up to turn the knobs. This was also the golden years of television. The series that were around back then created the genres that are still around decades later. There was also something special about TV back then, it was the era of the western. Every single boy had a cowboy hat, boots and play six shooter. Even the girls refused to be left out and clamored for a fringe skirt cowgirl outfit and hat. The vast majority of television programming was dedicated to the American old west. Every network, all three of them, filled their schedules with one variation of the theme after another. Most of those series are now only a small footnote in the history of television. Several remain today as cult classics and the undisputed leaders in this field. After `Gunsmoke' one TV western still stands above the rest `Rawhide'. This was `THE' show to watch back then. We kids would put on our cowboy gear, make the coffee table into a covered wagon and sit there mesmerized by the action. This is more than an old television show; for many of us this is a piece of our personal history.The folks over at Paramount Pictures have the most incredible vault of classic television series imaginable. Anybody would love to be able to sit there for a month or two watching the myriad of shows they have on tap. Since this is not a likely prospect it is very fortunate that Paramount has been in a sharing mood. Lately they have been bringing out DVD set after set of series from these golden years. Now they have the second volume of the second season and like the previous ones, it is fantastic. The thing about `Rawhide' is it may have been one of the most famous television westerns but it was not very typical of the genre. Most westerns had the required action. There were good guys with white hats and bad one wearing black and the Native Americans, `Indians' back then, where rarely more than savages. Rawhide took a different slant. It was a dramatic series that just happened to be set in the old west. The six-shooter was there but not as important as the moral and emotional dilemmas the characters faced each week. The stories were centered on the characters over mindless action. It was possible to do this back then. Now so much of television has degenerated into mindless pap that it is easy to forget just how powerful this medium is. In those days everything was new and the studios were willing to take a chance. Rawhide stands the test of time because it dared to be different. So bring in the youngsters and let them see television the way it was meant to be. If they complain just make them stand behind the TV holding a set of rabbit ear antennas like we had to.The premise of the series is elegant in its simplicity following the lives a group of cowboys working on a cattle drive. Many westerns showed cowboys riding around, shooing cattle now and again but it always felt like the cowpokes really didn't have a whole lot to do. This series depicted the arduous struggle to move a heard of cattle from one location to another. It was a daily hardship battling the weather, rustlers, the cattle and even each other. The drama of the series came organically from the realism of the characters and stories. These were the kind of men that built the west. At the head of the chain of command is Gil Favor (Eric Fleming), the trail boss. He is the one in command of the drovers and support staff on the drive. He is a man who has been around and seen it all. Although he is grizzled and tough he is also fair. His right hand man is Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood), the ramrod. It is up to him to work along side the men making sure they do things right. While the men keep the cattle in line it is up to Rowdy to keep them moving in the right direction. Also in constant attendance is Wishbone (Paul Brinegar) the camp cook. He you are responsible for providing a group of hungry cowboys with chow you have to be ready for just about anything. He depends on his assistant Mushy (James Murdock). One of the senior wranglers is Hey Soos (Robert Cabal) he is not a stranger to getting into trouble. Usually there to scout out the land ahead is Pete Nolan (Sheb Wooley).This series doesn't look or feel like a television show at all. It is more like short, 50 minute, movies. The production quality here is spectacular. There is more emphasis on the plot than action. The fight scenes are just a small part of the series and this set it apart from the large pack of westerns back then. Life on a long cattle drive was shown in a realistic fashion. On such a trek boredom was the real enemy. Cowpokes looking for some excitement on their down time would head off to the nearest town and typically get into some mess or another. There are also plenty of slice of life shots. In one the men side around the chuck wagon, the center of cattle drive society, and grab a snack, mend their clothes, get in a snooze or tend to their saddles. These quite times were usually disrupted by some form of mayhem. Either it is a group of cattle rustlers out to steal the heard or an Indiana attack that forces the cowboys into action. Each episode was titles `Incident at ...' which is extremely fitting. These stories are notable incidents on an otherwise routine cattle drive.Every episode begins with Gil waxing philosophically about some aspect of his line of work. Whether it is how the good Lord swells a little stream so it takes days to cross or the economics of bringing in the heard on time and in sellable shape Gil gets to show off his deeper side. This was also the series that made a star out of Clint Eastwood. He is more than an actor; he is a true renaissance man who has achieved fame as an actor, director, jazz musician, composer and even a politician. This is where it all began for him. He could stare down the meanest bad guy with a single stare and if necessary back it up with his six-shooter. Also gaining a good deal of fame here was the singer of the theme song, Frankie Lane. This song has lived on long after the series was cancelled and is known throughout the world.Paramount certainly took care of the original elements of this series. The black and white full screen video is incredibly clear. There is a little speck every so often but over all the video is excellent. This is better than I remember the show ever being. the Dolby 2.0 mono is clear and without flaw. These episodes are completely re-mastered and it shows. Typical of an older television set for Paramount there are no extras included. That really doesn't matter here; the series is a great buy on its own. This is a must have for everyone that appreciates quality television.And here's another good editorial review.More often than not, Rawhide (1960) is remembered as the show that started the long and illustrious career of Clint Eastwood. After all, his appearance in this Western-themed show would eventually lead to his participation in the classic Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns as The Man With No Name. From there he would start directing and then eventually become the Academy Award winning talent that he is today. it's a very successful show in its own right, as illustrated by this release of RawhideRawhide was always a fan favorite for those interested in the Western genre (and those old enough to have seen the show), and even today it is still a standout in the genre, with excellent direction, writing, and acting.The series as a whole revolves around the cattle drives of the old west, but that simple premise leaves plenty of room for the writers to come up with tons of interesting stories, episode after episode. What's fascinating about Rawhide is the fact that it transcends its Western roots to become a full-fledged drama, and even social commentary at times. It's not all guns and hollering in this show, as there is actually a tremendous amount of character development and depth of emotion over the span of even half a season. The episodes themselves have entirely self-contained stories, but there is an over-flowing arc for the interrelationships between the different characters across the season.The show is always well photographed, and oftentimes the cinematography is quite stunning. Long shots of the range show the beauty of the surrounding area, and the countless cattle and horses running around provide an epic scope that belies the lower budget of television shows of the time like Rawhide.The theme song for Rawhide is so engrained in the cultural lexicon that I already knew it before ever watching the show and didn't even realize it. It's a classic western tune that most will probably recognize, and hearing it at the start of every episode ingratiates viewers to Rawhide's trademark charm.Rawhide may look like a stereotypical western on the surface, but it actually has a lot more going on underneath in terms of plotting, themes, and characterization, which is what makes it a classic of the western genre that has stood the test of time. Even if you're not a fan of westerns I would suggest giving it a look, if not for all the strength behind the camera, then for Clint Eastwood and a fine ensemble cast of actors in front of it. And remember: Rollin' rollin' rollin', keep movin' movin' movin'.
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2008
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I Agree with all prior reviewers, who gave this dvd package a 5 star rating. This is "Classic Rawhide" at its Best!!!!
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