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Product Description TCM Greatest Classic Films: John Wayne Westerns (4FE/DVD)The Searchers, Fort Apache, Rio Bravo, and The Cowboys.]]> desertcart.com The Cowboys Almost in spite of itself, The Cowboys has taken its place among John Wayne's most beloved films. It wasn't always that way: When it was released in January of 1972, the film was widely criticized for appearing to promote the notion that boys become men through violence. From a politically correct perspective, this apparent message is arguably deplorable (and some interpreted the film's young fighters as a reflection of young draftees into the Vietnam war), but there's no denying that The Cowboys remains as invigorating as it ever was, no matter how dubious its thematic implications. Based on a novel by William Dale Jennings, and adapted with Jennings by the married screenwriting team of Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr. (whose impressive credits include Hud, Hombre, and Norma Rae), the movie opens with aging ranch owner Wil Anderson (Wayne) desperate for ranch-hands to herd 1,500 head of cattle across 400 miles of dangerous territory. With no better options, he reluctantly hires boys from the local schoolhouse (including Robert Carradine in his screen debut), and an experienced, worldly-wise cook named Nightlinger (played to perfection by Roscoe Lee Browne) joins the cattle drive--the first black man the boys have ever seen. A Hollywood liberal who initially felt at odds with Wayne's right-wing politics, Mark Rydell (On Golden Pond) originally sought George C. Scott for the lead, but studio executives urged him to convince Wayne to take the role. It was a happy outcome for both, as Rydell directs Wayne with an enjoyable mixture of Old West humor and grizzled trail-hardiness, and The Cowboys is a top-drawer production with gorgeous cinematography (on location in Mexico and Colorado) by veteran cameraman Robert Surtees. Colleen Dewhurst appears briefly but memorably as the madam of a traveling troupe of prostitutes (in a scene often cut from earlier TV broadcasts and some home-video releases), and the young A Martinez (who would later star in several TV soap operas and the indie-hit Powwow Highway) makes a strong impression in a prominent supporting role. But the real reason for the film's lasting popularity is the hiss-worthy villainy of Bruce Dern (as "Long Hair," leader of the rustlers), who earned a dubious place in movie history for his character's cheating approach to gunplay. No matter how you interpret its themes of fatherly influence and justified vengeance, The Cowboys (later the basis of a short-lived TV series) is undeniably entertaining, dominated by Wayne's reliable presence and bolstered by a rousing, Copland-esque score by John Williams. --Jeff Shannon Fort Apache The soldiers at Fort Apache may disagree with the tactics of their glory-seeking new commander. But to a man, they're duty-bound to obey - even when it means almost certain disaster. John Wayne, Henry Fonda and many familiar supporting players from master director John Ford's "stock company" saddle up for the first film in the director's famed cavalry trilogy (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande are the others). Roughhouse camaraderie, sentimental vignettes of frontier life, massive action sequences staged in Monument Valley - all are part of Fort Apache. So is Ford's exploration of the West's darker side. Themes of justice, heroism and honor that Ford would revisit in later Westerns are given rein in this moving, thought-provoking film that, even as it salutes a legend, gives reasons to question it. Rio Bravo When it comes down to naming the best Western of all time, the list usually narrows to three completely different pictures: John Ford's The Searchers, Howard Hawks's Red River, and Hawks's Rio Bravo. About the only thing they all have in common is that they all star John Wayne. But while The Searchers is an epic quest for revenge and Red River is a sweeping cattle-drive drama ("Take 'em to Missouri! Yeeee-hah!"), Rio Bravo is on a much more modest scale. Basically, it comes down to Sheriff John T. Chance (Wayne), his sobering-up alcoholic friend Dude (Dean Martin), the hotshot new kid Colorado (Ricky Nelson), and deputy-sidekick Stumpy (Walter Brennan), sittin' around in the town jail, drinkin' black cofee, shootin' the breeze, and occasionally, singin' a song. Hawks--who, like his pal Ernest Hemingway, lived by the code of "grace under pressure"--said he made Rio Bravo as a rebuke to High Noon, in which sheriff Gary Cooper begged for townspeople to help him. So, Hawks made Wayne's Sheriff Chance a consummate professional--he may be getting old and fat, but he knows how to do his job, and he doesn't want amateurs getting mixed up in his business; they could get hurt. This most entertaining of movies also achieved some notoriety in the '90s when Quentin Tarantino (director of Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Jackie Brown) revealed that he uses it as a litmus test for prospective girlfriends. Oh, and if the configuration of characters sounds familiar, it should: Hawks remade Rio Bravo two more times--as El Dorado in 1967, with Wayne, Robert Mitchum, and James Caan; and as Rio Lobo in 1970, with Wayne, Jack Elam, and Christopher Mitchum. -- Jim Emerson The Searchers Working together for the 12th time, John Wayne and director John Ford forged The Searchers into a landmark Western offering an indelible image of the frontier and the men and women who challenged it. Wayne plays an ex-Confederate soldier seeking his niece, captured by Comanches who massacred his family. He won't surrender to hunger, thirst, the elements or loneliness. And in his five-year search, he encounters something unexpected: his own humanity. Beautifully shot by Winton C. Hoch, thrillingly scored by Max Steiner and memorably acted by a wonderful ensemble including Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Natalie Wood and Ward Bond, The Searchers endures as "a great film of enormous scope and breathtaking physical beauty" (Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic). Review: Good movies - Good movies Review: “Two thumbs up” - Such a fun collection! Not a single bad installment to be found.
| ASIN | B001PO54OM |
| Actors | Wayne, John |
| Best Sellers Rank | #12,390 in Movies & TV ( See Top 100 in Movies & TV ) #181 in Westerns (Movies & TV) #1,254 in Action & Adventure DVDs |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (708) |
| Director | Howard Hawks, John Ford, Mark Rydell |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item model number | 5072335 |
| Language | Unqualified |
| MPAA rating | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) |
| Media Format | Color, Full Screen, Multiple Formats, NTSC, Widescreen |
| Number of discs | 2 |
| Product Dimensions | 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.55 inches; 5.28 ounces |
| Release date | May 5, 2009 |
| Run time | 8 hours and 39 minutes |
| Studio | WarnerBrothers |
K**E
Good movies
Good movies
F**N
“Two thumbs up”
Such a fun collection! Not a single bad installment to be found.
D**W
4 classic John Wayne westerns at a great price!!!
Can a person go wrong with a classic JW western? How about 4 of them in one pack then!!! What a great buy for these essential JW movies. With "The Searchers," John Wayne turns in a haunting memorable performance as Ethan Edwards, a man returned from the war. After his family is slaughtered by Natives, he sets out to find the capturers of his niece. What ensues is one of the finest performances of his career. This movie has a somber tone, but there are a few laughs thrown in here and there. A must watch. 1972's "The Cowboys" shows Wayne as a rancher that needs to find some hired hands to move his cattle. Because of the lack of man power, he enlists a group of young boys and turns them from greenhorns into full fledged drovers. Another fine performance from Wayne, and one of his most touching westerns. I have to say that although "Rio Bravo" has a stellar cast with JW, Dean Martin, and Ricky Nelson, I still prefer "El Dorado" (which is essentially the very same movie, but with Robert Mitchum in place of Deano, and James Caan in the Ricky Nelson role). Rio Bravo is an excellent movie in its own right, with several memorable one liners like "Sorry don't get it done, Dude. Don't ever do that again." This was voted as the #1 western of all time by "American Cowboy" magazine. If you dont have this group of movies in your collection, what are you waiting for? The western and the Duke live on forever!
C**A
great movies
great movies
K**N
Excellent selection
Excellent collection of movies.
J**K
Four Classic Westerns For Your Collection
I bought this collection for a friend. I have two of the films and two I haven't seen. "The Searchers" is thought by several critics to be the best western ever made. It appears on the best American films lists in England and France. A young child is kidnapped by a band of Comanches on a raid who them kill her parents. Her uncle (Wayne) a Confederate veteran and her adopted brother (a young Jeffrey Hunter) set out to find her. Their search lasts more than five years. There is a growing tension between Wayne and Hunter's characters, as Hunter is afraid that Wayne will kill the girl,now 15 years old (Natalie Wood) if they find her. to her uncle, she is no longer white but " a Comanch" The supporting case includes Ward Bond, Vera Miles, Ken Curtis, Harry Carey Jr., Pippa Schott, and Chief Thundercloud. The director was John Ford. "Rio Bravo" is lighter by comparison, but it has all the classic western personnel and action John Wayne is Sheriff John T. Chance. His deputies are Dude (Dean Martin), a recovering alcoholic; Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson) a young gunfighter working for Chance's old friend Pat Wheeler (Ward Bond); and stumpy (Walter Brennan). The sheriff locks up Joe Burdette (Claude Akins) for a bar shooting which was clearly murder. But the town is soon bottled up by Joe's older brother, a wealthy rancher (John Russell). Complicating the matter for John T. is Feathers (Angie Dickinson), a woman gambler who find herself growing attracted to the sheriff, who is developing feelings also. Look for a cameo appearance by one of the original cowboy heroes - Bob Steele. The film was directed by Howard Hawks. "The Cowboys" stars an older John Wayne as a cattle rancher who is forced to hire a group of young boys to help drive his herd to market. As for "Fort Apache", any time you get John Wayne and Henry Fonda in the same movie, it has to be worth the price of admission.
H**A
Excelente recopilación
N**S
Must Have
This was one of the only combined movie offerings with the main ones I wanted that I could find. They play great and bring me back to my childhood watching them.
W**E
As advertised
R**T
I know that for some people region 1 DVDs are a problem, as they don't play in region 2 DVD players, the ones we have in Europe. For me it's no problem, as I play DVDs with region 2 in the DVD player, and the DVDs region 1 on the computer, connecting the computer to the TV. (I'm getting a multi-region DVD player for Christmas now though!!). But I know that for someone is. Well, I've seen these movies some time ago, but I remember that The Searchers played only in my computer. Rio Bravo though, I'm positive it played on my DVD player!! I really don't remember about the other two, but I think they played on the DVD player. I could check if you want. But anyway, not everyone of these DVDs don't play on our DVD players. About the movies - well, great!! If you love or just like westerns, this is for you! Someone regards The Searchers as one of the best, if not the best, western ever made. Well, I really loved it too!! It is crude, but enjoyable anyhow! Rio Bravo - well, great cast, beside all the rest!!! Along with John Wayne, there are Dean Martin (big fan of Dino), Walter Brennan (what great scenes between him and Dean!), Ricky Nelson (one of his few movie appearances. And he was a cute add to the movie! When they all sing together, that's one of the highlights of the movie!!!) and great character actors, regulars in westerns. Well, the movie would be worth it for just that, but it is well done too! Fort Apache - well, I have to see it again. I've seen it once, and I didn't care much for it. The story is really good, and it is a great cast. I love Henry Fonda and I love his westerns! One of my favorites of all time is My Darling Clementine. So I think I wasn't in the mood when I saw this one. Even though it's good, I didn't appreciate it. Cowboys - one of the last Wayne movies. But as you well know, he remained at the top at the box office to the end, well into the 60s and 70s. This is a 1970 movie, and yeah, it shows. But even though the lack of taste that some 60s, and most definetely the 70s, movies have usually bothers me, there isn't much "lack of taste" in this one, all the contrary. It is a very well done movie, John Wayne is so great, and all the kids too!!
S**H
This doesn't work on UK DVD players. Can only be used in the USA and Canada
J**N
Great classics can't go wrong if your a John Wayne fan, Rio Bravo is the best but the others are good as well. There are so many John Wayne movies I can't say what to buy because John was in the movies a long time and made a lot of movies from black & White to colour in the years. If your a fan go for it.
D**G
Great collection.
Trustpilot
2 months ago
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