Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Showdown Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 16, 2023

George Seaton's "Showdown" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include an exclusive new audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell and a vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

If train robbing in the Wild West was as civilized and fun as it is depicted in Showdown -- or The Train Robbers or One More Train to Rob or Red Sun or countless other films that have been made over the years -- then it makes perfect sense why so many men that were good at riding a horse thought it was a terrific profession. You get on the train, at the right time wave your gun, demand and collect all valuables from the men and women around you, and then get off the train and ride into the night with your partners. If you do this twice a month, a couple of years later you head down to Mexico with a smile on your face and retire in style. You could not care less, even if all those suckers digging for gold back up North somehow found their fortune. They earned it, right?

But train robbing was not that kind of civilized, fun, and extremely rewarding profession. If you took a break from viewing films like Showdown and spent a couple of months researching archival records, you will very quickly realize that the men who chose this life seldom lived long enough to consider retiring. Many of them were chased like rabbits, and the few that temporarily managed to stay ahead of the posses that were sent after them suffered greatly from awful diseases. In the end, they all died a miserable death.

In case you are wondering, I am not trying to prematurely destroy the integrity of Showdown. I think that it is a pretty good film, but like so many films like it, it sells a beautiful fantasy. And I realize that you are fully aware of it too, so this is not exactly a shocking revelation either. But I felt that it was worth mentioning because Showdown does insist on being taken seriously, or at least a little bit, and it is impossible because it is just another entertaining but utterly unbelievable film about the way things supposedly were in the Wild West. Making ends meet there -- as a train robber, rancher, cowhand, or sheriff -- was a lot like playing Russian Roulette.

Sheriff Chuck Jarvis (Rock Hudson) is informed that his best childhood friend Billy Massey (Dean Martin) and several well-known outlaws have robbed a train. Stunned by the news, Jarvis immediately hires several trackers and goes after the robbers, but somewhere along the way begins questioning whether his loyalty to the badge is more important than his old friend. Eventually, Jarvis and Massey meet again, and the former cooks up a story to save the latter’s life after he agrees to name his partners. Jarvis then locks up Massey and while waiting for the trial to begin decides to take his wife on a short romantic trip to the nearby city. But a vindictive prosecutor takes advantage of Jarvis’ absence and proceeds to hang Massey, who then promptly reclaims his freedom and becomes a fugitive again. When Jarvis returns and learns about Massey’s escape, he vows to bring him back but this time without help from the trackers. Massey’s partners, all itching to gun down Massey and the loot he has kept for himself, begin following Jarvis.

George Seaton directs Showdown with admirable confidence and plenty of style, often allowing its two famous stars to do a fair bit of improvising that produces some of its greatest moments. Virtually all the outdoor locations that were chosen are wonderful, too.

But despite doing what it is supposed to do to impress and look good, Showdown is just a buddy film that happens to be following Hudson and Martin in the Wild West. In other words, the Wild West could have been New York, Chicago, Paris, or Rome, and in any of these alternative locations Hudson and Martin still would have played their characters the same way. They only would have changed their clothes and upgraded their pistols. While they have good chemistry together, it is virtually impossible to see them as anything else but aging actors who signed up to do what looked like a very easy gig.

The most obvious flaw of Showdown is its inability to balance drama and comedy. It feels like Theodore Taylor’s screenplay wanted to emphasize the drama, but neither Seaton nor Hudson and Martin were willing to compromise. Martin’s one-liners, in particular, are all over the place and frequently very successfully alter the nature of situations that ought to be quite serious.

Showdown was one of the last films that Oscar winning cinematographer Ernest Laszlo lensed. Laszlo’s credits include such film noir classics as Kiss Me Deadly, D.O.A., The Steel Trap, and The Big Knife.

Showdown Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Showdown arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older but very solid organic master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. Close-ups and wider panoramic shots look very good and a few times even excellent, but I was particularly impressed with the latter because they hold up really well on a larger screen. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. A few minor density fluctuations can be seen, most notably at the very beginning of the film, but I would describe density levels as excellent. Color balance is very convincing, too. The primaries are solid and natural, while the supporting nuances are properly balanced. Is there any room for improvement? Yes. At the beginning of the film, I noticed very light color pulsations, so some minor stability enhancements can be introduced. Ideally, some saturation tweaks can be introduced as well so that in darker areas some of the light crushing is avoided. However, the color temperature and balance are already managed very well. Image stability is good. I noticed a few blemishes and nicks, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, this release offers a very fine organic presentation of Showdown. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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).

Showdown 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.

The lossless track is very healthy. I had my volume turned up quite a bit and did not notice any signs of aging. The upper register, in particular, is very clean and stable. Dynamic intensity is good for a film from the 1970s. However, despite several shootouts, you will not encounter any truly memorable dynamic contrasts.

Showdown Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell. The commentary follows a familiar format and produces plenty of observations about the production history of Showdown as well as the careers of director George Seaton and stars Rock Hudson and Dean Martin. Also, there are some good comments about the evolution of the western genre.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Showdown. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Showdown Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Do not be discouraged by my comments about the credibility of Showdown because this film was never supposed to be a gritty and realistic western. It could have managed its drama and comedy better, but this almost certainly would have affected the quality of the improvisations that produce the best material in it. Rock Hudson and Dean Martin are not in their prime, but if you have enjoyed their work in earlier films, it is practically guaranteed that you will have a good time with Showdown. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older but very solid organic master that was supplied by Universal. RECOMMENDED.