6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Cattleman Flint cuts off farmer Sims' water supply. When Sims' son Ted goes for water, one of Flint's men kills him. Cheyenne is sent to finish off Sims, but finding the family at the newly dug grave, he changes sides.
Starring: Harry Carey, Duke R. Lee, Molly Malone (I)Western | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Music: LPCM 2.0
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (A, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Note: This version of this film is available as part of
Straight Shooting.
Harry Carey's film career was long enough that when he was working in the proto noir thriller Among the Living in 1941, part of Paramount's publicity push for the film was
to
cover what at least some of the accounts at the time listed as a 50th Anniversary in Show Business celebration for the venerable actor, where he
was feted and
given (wait for it) a commemorative watch.
That probably questionable number would tend to indicate Carey had been toiling in the movie industry since 1891, but since Carey was born in
1878
and would have
been only 13, not to mention the fact that there really wasn't a movie industry in the United States in any meaningful way in 1891 might
suggest a certain PR hyperbole was at play, but even so, Carey's film career does stretch back to the earliest years of the silent era, with,
according to the IMDb, his
first film appearance coming in 1910. Interestingly in that regard, other "snipes" on the backs of press photos distributed by Paramount in 1941
offer a potentially somewhat more accurate description of the
event as a celebration of Carey's
33rd year in movies, but that designation would take his career back to circa 1908, which may or may not suggest that
there's some unknown or at least unremembered Carey film languishing in some hidden nook and/or cranny somewhere. For those only acquainted
with Carey due to his later in life performances, where he could essay either generally avuncular types (as in his Academy Award nominated
performance in Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington) or more sinister types, as in the aforementioned Among the Living, may be downright surprised to think of Carey
as a Western star, of all things, but he was in fact one of his era's leading lights in that then still nascent genre. Eureka!
Entertainment's Masters of Cinema
imprint has aggregated two relatively early Harry Carey western films, both helmed by the legendary John Ford, into an agreeable package that
offers
generally secure technical merits and some very appealing supplements.
Straight Shooting is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment's Masters of Cinema imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. Eureka! sent only check discs for the purposes of this review, and so I'm not privy to any verbiage included in an insert booklet, but the press sheet accompanying the discs states this release is a UK debut on Blu-ray, fully restored in 4K. I'm assuming this was culled from the same master as the U.S. release from 2020 distributed by Kino Lorber. For those used to watching older silents, this will be a really revelatory viewing experience on many levels, though those unacquainted with the damage the often accrues from such older material may be at least somewhat distressed with some of the recurrent damage that's on display. While there are numerous scratches, nicks, blemishes and even occasional missing frames, the bulk of this presentation is surprisingly solid looking, with decent detail levels and some nice, consistent contrast. Grain looks natural, though in that regard and with regard to damage, I'm wondering if the opening titles and intertitles may have been recreated (despite some apparent wobble in the opening credits), since the backgrounds are jet black, lettering is completely clear and there's absolutely no sign of any age related wear and tear.
Straight Shooting features a new score by Michael Gatt which is delivered via an LPCM 2.0 track. The score is perhaps a trifle more traditional than the one on Hell Bent, with prominent piano augmented by a small ensemble that also includes guitar and a rhythm section. The score is nicely full bodied, despite the lack of a huge orchestra, and sounds clear and inviting throughout the presentation.
Straight Shooting is an important film historically, but it's surprisingly exciting even to modern day eyes, combining both "tried and true" elements which would become staples of Westerns in the talkie era, along with a few unexpected elements. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplements appealing. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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