Texas Across the River Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Texas Across the River Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 26, 2021

Michael Gordon's "Texas Across the River" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include new audio commentary by critic Samm Deighan and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

If ‘swinging western’ was a legit subgenre then Michael Gordon’s Texas Across the River would have been one of its masterpieces. It looks like it was conceived by a very young and inexperienced Mel Brooks but reedited and put together by Gordon after some studio boss became concerned with its wild sense of humor. Simply put, it is a genuinely loony film.

The single and supposedly exceptionally romantic Spanish nobleman Don Andrea Baldazar (Alain Delon) is about to marry the wealthy and highly desirable Louisiana belle Phoebe Ann Naylor (Rosemary Forsyth). On the day when their union is to be legitimized, however, Don Andrea is confronted by another very feisty bachelor and after an uneven fight that transforms him into a target he is forced to flee across the river to Texas. Soon after, he meets Sam Hollis (Dean Martin), a crook whose luck isn’t as good as it used to be, and his Indian partner, Kronk (Joey Bishop), who are on their way to Moccasin Flats where they plan to sell a large load of rifles. Don Andrea’s athleticism and wit very quickly impress Sam and he decides to use him during the trip while pretending to be interested in his friendship. The arrangement makes sense to Don Andrea too, though only because he senses that for a foreigner like him the vast and fiercely independent Texas might be even more ‘complicated’ than Louisiana. However, while waiting to reunite with Phoebe in Texas, Don Andrea accidentally saves the Indian beauty Lonetta (Tina Aumont) and angers her people, which instantly complicates his arrangement with Sam who very much plans to stay alive and close his deal in Moccasin Flats. The reemergence of Phoebe then puts their already brittle arrangement to the test because Sam suddenly finds her every bit as ‘inspirational’ as Don Andrea does and decides to make a move for her heart.

While it is easy to guess that Delon agreed to appear in Texas Across the River so that he could expand his popularity outside of France, the film does not even remotely function as a one-dimensional promotional piece. Indeed, it is very much an ensemble project that does many interesting things to bend the western genre in ways that feel quite bold for the era in which it was conceived. For example, the screenplay produces a myriad of situations where large group of performers engage in complex acts of the kind that a couple of years later will emerge in Support Your Sheriff. These are finely choreographed acts where a lot has to happen in a very particular way, and while they last, the stars are almost unrecognizable. (If it occasionally appears otherwise, it is only because the stars have more lines to utter before the camera. But pay close attention and you will quickly realize that a lot has to happen around them so that the act works as intended). The camera is fully aware of this crucial balance as well, which is why it routinely captures seemingly minor gags that make the film extremely colorful. Then there is the manner in which the music removes the film even further away from the conventional western traditions – it is very groovy, infusing the narrative with unbridled energy that feels like it was borrowed by mistake from an unfinished comedy about swingers wreaking havoc in London’s fanciest night clubs. Of course, the film uses the music as it is entirely by design, not because some frugal producer had picked up the rights for it at a bargain price. It works in unison with the wide range of exaggerations that ultimately transform Don Andrea, Sam, and Kronk’s journey into a hilarious mockery on the especially popular at the time classic cinematic image of the Old West.

Martin looks slightly older and definitely slower than needed to legitimately challenge Delon, but is still quite entertaining. Forsyth looks gorgeous before the camera, though her southern accent won’t fool too many people that she was born and raised in Louisiana. The very young and striking Aumont probably benefitted the most from her contribution because after it she was routinely booked by European directors to appear in their films.

Texas Across the River Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.36:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Texas Across the River arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. This master has a few rough spots that exhibit minor density fluctuations, but it is actually quite good. Clarity and delineation, for instance, range from good to very good, while depth is always pleasing. Yes, small but meaningful improvements can be made in all three areas, but the film still has a solid organic appearance. I also like the grading job. The primaries are very nice and the overwhelming majority of the supporting nuances look surprisingly nicely balanced and healthy. Again, a proper new 4K master will introduce some meaningful improvements that will strengthen the color scheme as well, but there is nothing on the current master to be disappointed with; it just looks slightly dated. Image stability is fine, but there are a few shaky frames (see the opening credits). There are no large distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Bu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Texas Across the River 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. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

There are no technical or encoding anomalies to report in our review. The audio is clear, sharp, and stable. Dynamic intensity is good for a film from the 1966 as well. In fact, Frank De Vol's soundtrack, which is quite unusual for a western, often sounds seriously energetic. I was quite surprised. The upper register is very healthy.

Texas Across the River Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage trailer for Texas Across the River. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - exclusive new audio commentary by critic Samm Deighan.

Texas Across the River Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I had a pretty good idea what to expect from Texas Across the River but was still quite surprised by its energy and sense of humor. Dean Martin looks a tad too old for his character, but the chemistry that exists between him and Alain Delon is good. I honestly enjoyed the film quite a lot, though I would not rank it amongst the best of its notorious stars. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older but quite good master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. RECOMMENDED.