Cattle Drive Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Cattle Drive Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 14, 2025

Kurt Neumann's "Cattle Drive" (1951) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. There are no supplemental features on the release. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The troublemaker

It is such a shame that Kurt Newman’s Cattle Drive does not have the reputation of a minor classic. It deserves it. It is wonderfully acted, it looks great, and its messaging is of the type that can instantly resonate with kids and adults.

On a train heading West, Chester (Dean Stockwell), the spoiled boy of the man (Leon Ames) running the ever-expanding railroad system, repeatedly creates problems for anyone who dares to tell him that he is expected to behave like every other passenger. When eventually the conductor slaps him for fighting another boy and nearly pushing him off the moving train, Chester attempts to get him fired, telling his father that he has been badly mistreated. Some hours later, when the train stops in the desert of New Mexico so that its water tank is refilled, Chester gets off and begins playing with a tiny lizard, convinced that he has all the time in the world to do whatever he wants without supervision. But he goes too far and the train leaves without him.

Luckily for Chester, soon after Dan Matthews (Joel McCrea) appears, chasing a gorgeous black stallion that he wants for his future ranch. Dan, the top hand of a cattle drive heading toward Santa Fe, instantly figures out that Chester is a spoiled kid facing certain death, so he makes him a simple offer. Chester can go back, follow the railroad tracks, and try to reach the nearest town, which should be hundreds of miles away, or join him and his pals and reunite with his father in Santa Fe. When Chester reluctantly agrees to join the cattle drive, Dan declares that, like every other cowboy, he would have to work hard to earn his grub.

In the days ahead, while riding, sweating, and herding cattle on some of New Mexico’s most treacherous terrains, Chester gradually evolves into a young man that every father will be proud of.

Despite being a rather short film, Cattle Drive tells its rich story without rushing any parts of it. More than half of this story is structured as a casual but enormously effective lesson about maturation, highlighting timeless truths that all young men discover and years later pass on to their sons. Also, the lesson is never preachy. It is crystal clear but presented with a warmth that quickly becomes one of the biggest strengths of Cattle Drive.

While the great chemistry between Stockwell and McCrea fuels the warmth, the two do not do all the heavy lifting in Cattle Drive. Several great supporting actors have wonderful contributions that add plenty to it. For example, the enigmatic Chill Wills frequently slices McCrea’s statements with that unmistakable, famous wit that has immortalized many of the characters he played in various terrific westerns. Henry Brandon plays a very different cowboy. He is tough and unsympathetic, frequently questioning McCrea’s desire to help Stockwell complete his transformation.

Newman and Maury Gertsman visited various locations in Arizona, Utah, and California. The footage from these locations is outstanding and easily could have been used in one of John Ford and Howard Hawks’ famous westerns. For example, in the second half, Stockwell initiates a massive stampede that looks every bit as impressive as the one Hawks shot for the iconic Red River.

Cattle Drive was produced by Aaron Rosenberg, whose name appears on several of Anthony Mann’s popular westerns, including Winchester '73, which transformed Jimmy Stewart’s career. Rosenberg also produced Jesse Hibbs’ To Hell and Back, which many consider the greatest film Audie Murphy made.

Cattle Drive Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Cattle Drive arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older master supplied by Universal. I would describe the overall quality of the visuals it produces as good. However, these visuals do have a dated appearance and in several areas there are small yet unmissable registration issues. In my opinion, these issues are very similar, possibly even identical, to the ones observed on Kino Lorber's release of Anthony Mann's classic western Bend of the River. Also, they pop up during some of the more striking outdoor footage, which is hardly surprising because it is where Technicolor's strength would have been most impressive. The good news is that there are no traces of problematic digital corrections, so even in these areas the visuals have a decent filmic quality. It is just not fresh and ideal. Delineation, clarity, and depth are quite nice. In fact, I was rather surprised to see how nice they remained when I projected the film. Density levels are good, too. I noticed a few areas with minor instability, but it was never distracting. A few nicks and blemishes are present as well. So, while it is unfortunate that Cattle Drive has not been recently remastered in 2K or 4K, I think that this release still offers a fine presentation of it. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Cattle Drive Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any serious age-related anomalies to report in our review. All exchanges are clear and easy to follow. However, in some areas, minor dynamic unevenness is easy to notice. I suspect that some most of it is inherited because there is plenty of outdoor footage with mass action. However, I also suspect that some minor yet meaningful adjustments can be introduced. Regardless, the overall quality of the lossless track is good.

Cattle Drive Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer Reel - a small collection of traders for other Kino Lorber releases.

Cattle Drive Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Entitled troublemakers like the one Dean Stockwell plays early in Cattle Drive always reach a point in their lives where fate forces them into a profound educational experience. Some emerge from it fully transformed, better individuals, and permanently redirect their lives. Some do not. They remain the same, last a little longer, and eventually crash and burn. Joel McCrea helps Stockwell evolve into a good young man while they ride through New Mexico's most treacherous terrains, and despite being short, from start to finish their journey is terrific, so it is unfortunate that Cattle Drive does not have the reputation of a minor classic. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.