John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy"

[lawyer goodwill]

I conducted a search for this topic with no luck ... If there is a listing, my apologies in advance ...

Anyhoo, just checking to see if there was any talk of releasing John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy" in a box set. I think Fort Apache is the only one not released yet (as a solo product). Since I have yet to pick up the other two, I was figuring I would just wait for a set if it was in the works. I wouldn't even mind a quick and dirty collection (a la The Man with No Name Westerns).

Thanks.

[Cameron]

Glad to see another John Ford fan on the boards. You might peak through some of the recent John Wayne threads, for small blurbs on this, but I'll try to break it down.

Rio Grande has been releases by Republic (aka: artisan, Lions Gate) However their entire John Wayne catalog liscense is over at the end of the year. All of these titles will be under the Paramount banner, and it should see a Special Edition release in the John Wayne Collection. Fort Apache has not been release on dvd yet. It is owned by Warner Brothers, who has tenative plans to release a John Ford/ John Wayne Box Set in 2006. This should include Special Editions of Fort Apache, and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. (Not to mention...The Searchers, Stagecoach, 3 Godfathers) and if they wanted to toss in a non western, They were expendable. No release date has been set, but a full restoration of both The Searchers and Stagecoach are getting the finishing touches.

Bad news is, you probably won't see a box set of this trilogy. Paramount made a lot of money off High & the mighty, Island in the Sky, Hondo, and Mclintock! They see John Wayne as a very lucrative market, and fought and beat out Warner for the Batjac bid last year. Paramount has done good work thus far and hopefully that will continue well into the future. I just hope they retain the short doc, and commentary from the artisan title. I am not sure if that is owned by the Wayne Estate, or Lions Gate.

So if you don't want to double dip, hold off. Because Special edition, non snapper versions are on the way in the not so distant future it seems.

this is what is avaiable at the moment.


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000063K1U.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006JMRF.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

DVD Talk Review of She Wore A Yellow Ribbon by Glenn Erickson (http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=4005&___rd=1)

DVD review for Rio Grande - Collector's Edition by Aaron Beierle (http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=4856&___rd=1)



and a article from TCM for Good measure...

John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy
by Cino Niles

"My name's John Ford and I make Westerns." Unlike the generations of filmmaking 'auteurs' he inspired, John Ford never thought of himself as an artist. He was a director who defined the frontier spirit in films that embodied honor, justice and determination...as well as the darker side of valor.

Ford began directing in 1917. By 1924 his name was already associated with the Western genre when he made The Iron Horse (1924), a sweeping tale of the construction of the first transcontinental railroad. Fifteen years later, Ford found his ideal onscreen voice in John Wayne. Although the star and director had worked together in six films before Stagecoach (1939), this tale of the Wild West helped to make stars of both Ford and Wayne.

A decade after their breakthrough in Stagecoach, Ford and Wayne relocated to Monument Valley, Utah, to shoot three films that would become known as 'The Cavalry Trilogy." Harry Carey Jr., who appeared in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande, once told me that the series of films was never meant to be a 'trilogy': "It just happened that way." Ford's cavalry trilogy solidified Hollywood's western values with heroism, stoicism, bawdy humor and colorful character actors. These three films--Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande (1950) defined the quintessential Western.

After serving in the Civil War, Lt. Col. Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda) is transferred to Fort Apache, resentful of his loss of rank. The arrogant Thursday immediately imposes rigid authority on the undisciplined soldiers. He's also particularly eager to attack the local Indians. Captain Kirby York (John Wayne) counsels the colonel against this aggression but in the end Thursday leads his troops to certain death. Through Wayne, Ford summoned the strength of restrained silence, duty and self-control against the hubris of overconfidence.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon was the only installment of the so-called trilogy produced in Technicolor and cinematographer Winston Hoch won an Academy Award for the lush tones and sweeping vistas. Wayne considered Cavalry Captain Nathan Brittles to be his favorite role. Brittles, on the verge of retirement, must surmount one final challenge--a full-scale attack from savage Indians. The 42-year-old Duke was challenged to play the sixty-ish senior officer and, for any naysayers, Wayne proved that he could act. When awarded a gold pocketwatch by his troops, Wayne fumbles for his eyeglasses and struggles to hold back his tears as he reads the inscription. This emotional moment was perhaps the Duke's finest on film.

In Rio Grande, Duke returns as Lt. Col. Kirby York, now a bitter figure. His single-minded devotion to the service has drained all emotion from his marriage (to Maureen O'Hara). When his son is assigned to his post, York denies the cadet any preferential treatment. In the final installation of the trilogy, Ford confronts more personal issues leading to reconciliation.

John Ford created a vivid portrait of life on the range by populating his outposts with players from his stock company. These actors had a rare authenticity, a true grit and unrefined genuineness rarely tapped in tinsel town. Victor McLaglen, a former boxer and one of the few men who could stand up to Duke Wayne in a drunken brawl, appeared in all three films. The director's older brother Francis Ford, who quit directing in the 1920s to personify grizzled outdoorsmen in character roles, appears unbilled in Fort Apache and Yellow Ribbon. Take a good look at the troops in these three films to see some familiar faces--Harry Carey Jr., John Agar, Ben Johnson, Ward Bond, Paul Fix, Chill Wills, Grant Withers, Jack Pennick and Pedro Armendariz. In his movies, John Ford defined the values of the open frontier and created a legend and mythology that is still very much alive today and an essential part of each and every American's national identity.

[lawyer goodwill]

Thanks for the informative post, Cameron.

I think I have a gameplan now. I already own two of my fav John Ford/Duke flicks, The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and I have been looking to round out my collection. I'm glad that you also mentioned 3 Godfathers; I have recorded that off of TCM so many times that I am thrilled to know they are finally giving the film the DVD treatment.

I also recorded Stagecoach (also on TCM) a couple of years back and have not watched it yet; need to check that out, especially considering the great notice it always receives.

Not sure yet if I will upgrade The Searchers; I reckon if the extras are worthy, I may consider. I have just an average video/audio setup, so no enhancements on that end will really tempt me. Still, I consider it a Top 5 movie personally, and that may make it double-dip worthy in itself. :)

[D.Zero]

Glad to see another John Ford fan on the boards. I don't know how anyone can call themsleves a fan of film and not be a fan of Ford. The more I watch his the films, the more I come to the conclusion he is the great American director.

[RevKarl]

If you're too impatient to wait for the rumored WB disc, Fort Apache is available on a R0 NTSC DVD from a Hong Kong company named BoYing. I don't have it, but I've picked up some of their other discs and the quality ranges from fair (VHSish) to pretty good. (If you're interested, check eBay's DVD listings or the websites of some of the HK dealers recommended in the International DVD Forum.)

[Al_Tahoe]

Glad to see another John Ford fan on the boards. I don't know how anyone can call themsleves a fan of film and not be a fan of Ford.Agreed. Hopefully there will be lots more 'Ford talk' when they finally release Fort Apache and/or some of the others Cameron mentioned.

Cameron, will Paramount also have the rights to The Quiet Man? Now there's a great movie in desperate need of a new DVD presentation :mad2:

[ken_572002]

Cameron...great insights into the upcoming Warner Ford/Wayne box set, and also on Paramount's excellent job so far with their "John Wayne Collection" line. I would love for Warner to release the rest of the Ford/Wayne films in their library onto DVD. These would include:

The Wings Of Eagles
3 Godfathers
Fort Apache
The Long Voyage Home (not sure if they own the rights to this one)

But I'll certainly be picking up the supposed special edition releases next year of The Searchers and Stagecoach.

[DirkUSA]

I got tired of waiting for an US release of Fort Apache and 3 Godfathers so I just got them a few weeks ago. I bought 3 Godfathers as an R2/UK and Fort Apache R2/German. I also got Circus World (not a John Ford, but a John Wayne that was missing in my collection) as an R2/German DVD. Now, were I bought them after wating for years, they should be released here soon. That always happens to me when I buy another region because I don't want to wait any longer.

Dirk

[Cameron]

Paramount has shown interest in releasing A Quiet man Special Edition, but I am not sure if any restoration work has begun on the title. The People at Lions Gate informed me that they would have a sell through time period in 2006, and I'm not sure how long Paramount will want the market dried up before they release it. They did release Mclintock! while several poor versions were out, so there is hope..

Warner does own the long voyage home. I don't think it has been decided if the Ford/Wayne set will be westerns only or not. At this point its a marketing desicion. They could do a set complete with all of the titles they own, or just the westerns. Long Voyage Home, Wings Of Eagles, and They were Expendable could all easily show up in the box, buy nothing has been hashed out.

I think John Ford is looked over to often in the history of film, as are most american westerns. The truth is, hollywood isn't making westerns anymore. Every few years, someone will get a big budget western made, and it will be loved by many...but for the most part it is abandoned to made for tv specials, and cheap Direct to video releases. You don't see nearly as many dvd releases of western classics...the market is dry. I hope that when this John Ford set sees the light of day it will find a home and revive the genre (like warner did with the film noir releases)

[Doc Moonlight]

Last year I was in Mexico and was discussing my DVD collection with a business associate. I mentioned that FORT APACHE was not available in the US and he looked at me with shock and incredulity and said "There is a John Wayne movie that is not available in the United States?????!!!!"

FWIW FORT APACHE is not only a great Ford/Wayne Western, I think it contains Henry Fonda's greatest performance.

[Cameron]

yah, believe it or not, there are still a great many John Wayne films without a proper release here in the states. I am hoping that by the end of 2006 Paramount and Warner will have remedied that.

[John Hodson]

Paramount has shown interest in releasing A Quiet man Special Edition, but I am not sure if any restoration work has begun on the title.

The Quiet Man has already been restored by Robert Gitt and his team at UCLA - it's just awaiting a decent transfer. The Artisan transfer is so offensively horrible that Paramount will, IMHO, sell a mountain of 'em.

[Easy]

The Quiet Man has already been restored by Robert Gitt and his team at UCLA - it's just awaiting a decent transfer. The Artisan transfer is so offensively horrible that Paramount will, IMHO, sell a mountain of 'em.
Well, there is a bit of good news I didn't know. Thanks for the info. I agree that the Artisan disc is truly awful and dumped mine long ago.

[Sex Fiend]

I too am waiting (eagerly) for Fort Apache, The Long Voyage Home, and a good release of The Quiet Man, so this all sounds like great (possible) news to me.

But how about two more apparently forgotten Ford classics: The Informer and The Lost Patrol? Anyone know who owns the rights and how likely we are to get those out in R1 sometime soon?

[Cameron]

turner owns both the informer, and the lost patrol?... so they will be warner titles as well. Hopefully the ford/wayne set will sell strong and they will do another box soon after.

Great news about the transfer already being done. I am not terribly familiar with Robert Gitt's work, but trust it will be leaps and bounds a stronger show than the artisan disc.

[John Hodson]

Great news about the transfer already being done. I am not terribly familiar with Robert Gitt's work, but trust it will be leaps and bounds a stronger show than the artisan disc.

No, the transfer hasn't been done; but the restoration of the film has (that's the reason it doesn't appear on this list (http://www.paramount.com/filmpreservation/projectsrep.html)), check out -

UCLA Film and Television Archive - Feature Films Preserved 1977-2002 (http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/collections/allFilms.html) and Exposing classic film to new audiences (http://www.today.ucla.edu/2003/030812classic_film.html).

[Cameron]

thanks....

[ken_572002]

Excellent news, in regards to 'The Quiet Man'. I've been watching this movie on TV...Video...Laserdisc...and DVD for the last 30 years, and have yet to see a decent print of it.

I'll be first in line, when Paramount finally releases it!

[John Hodson]

I might add that it was Robert Gitt who oversaw the restoration of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and as anyone who owns the Warners DVD can testify, it is breathtakingly gorgeous (the German R2, BTW, from Kinowelt also uses the same restored print but adds as a bonus an excellent hour long BBC interview with a brilliantly irascible John Ford - well worth seeking out).

I'm expecting - hoping, praying - for the same standard with The Quiet Man.

[Al_Tahoe]

I'll be first in line, when Paramount finally releases it!The line forms behind me. -smile-

Being rated the 5th greatest director of all-time is not too shabby... linky. (http://www.theyshootpictures.com/gf1000_top100directors.htm)

John Ford is definitely the "Curtis Martin" of film directors.

[Cameron]

Being rated the 5th greatest director of all-time is not too shabby... linky. (http://www.theyshootpictures.com/gf1000_top100directors.htm)


that list isn't bad...

I keep hoping Paramount will make its batjack announcements before years end. I was hoping for that when the last two titles hit though. I did notice recently that Artisan had discontinued all of the box sets and two packs they had floating around...

[Falc04]

I keep hoping Paramount will make its batjack announcements before years end. I was hoping for that when the last two titles hit though. I did notice recently that Artisan had discontinued all of the box sets and two packs they had floating around...

Didn't Paramount just delay the release of some non-John Wayne Batjac films? It certainly would be nice if they'd announce some "John Wayne Republic" releases before the end of the year.

Hmm, some ones I'd like to see released are:

'The Quiet Man' (previously mentioned)
'War Of The Wildcats'
'The Fighting Kentuckians' (with a decent print)
and the ones he made in the 1930s...before Stagecoach came along.

[Cameron]

yah all of these have been delayed from the 12.20.05 date at the moment...i need to update the big list

MAN IN THE VAULT
PLUNDER OF THE SUN
RING OF FEAR
SEVEN MEN FROM NOW
TRACK OF THE CAT

[John Hodson]

Cameron; many etailers are still showing Seven Men From Now as coming Dec. 20, so one at least that looks to be on track.

[Cameron]

lets hope that holds strong...

[wendersfan]

Glad to see another John Ford fan on the boards. I don't know how anyone can call themsleves a fan of film and not be a fan of Ford. The more I watch his the films, the more I come to the conclusion he is the great American director.I'm a huge Ford fan, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the great American director might be Howard Hawks. Either way you can't go wrong.

[Cameron]

Hawks vs. Ford....

thats a good match.

[Falc04]

Hawks vs. Ford....

thats a good match.

Well, lets not leave out John Wayne's other great director...Henry Hathaway. He was behind the lense for such great films as 'Shepherd Of The Hills', 'North To Alaska', 'The Sons Of Katie Elder', and 'True Grit'. Like Ford and Hawks, Hathaway knew how to get the best performance from Wayne.

[Doc Moonlight]

I remember in the late 70's The Carnagie Hall Cinema in NYC had a double feature of THE SEARCHERS and RIO BRAVO in newly struck 35mm prints. I remember a critic from the Village Voice (but it wasn't Andrew Sarris) saying: "Quite simply, the two greatest films from the two greatest directors."

[Cameron]

thought I would bring these two threads to attention.


Warner Classics exclusive to Target 12/20? (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=448473)

John Wayne Signature Series ? (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=448228&highlight=John+ford)

[Falc04]

WOW...3 Godfathers!! I had no idea this was being released. Thanks for the heads-up Cameron...I'll be at my local Target the morning of 12/20!

[ken_572002]

3 Godfathers!!!

:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[John Hodson]

3 Godfathers!!!

:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

Which should look like this...

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0001XLY7E.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

...and Mogambo should also replicate the current R2...

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0001Z642W.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[ken_572002]

John...thanks for the artwork. Interesting picture of Wayne looking into the eyes of a girl, seeing as he had no romantic interests in the film.

[Cameron]

i just hope they announce the box set already...i can wait....just a little longer...

[lawyer goodwill]

Thanks for the post, Cameron! 3 Godfathers, just in time for Christmas!

[unclehulot]

just a nit pick: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is great restoration work, and mostly a great transfer, but is rather heavily cropped in the transfer process.

[John Hodson]

Cropped? How so?

[ken_572002]

Good question. It was filmed at the standard ratio of 1:37 - 1 (for a 1949 lensed film). The framing looks accurate to me.

[John Hodson]

Good question. It was filmed at the standard ratio of 1:37 - 1 (for a 1949 lensed film). The framing looks accurate to me.

And here, and I have both these versions (http://www.celtoslavica.de/chiaroscuro/vergleiche/shewore.html); unclehulot, are you getting confused with The Searchers (which is cropped)?

[unclehulot]

I don't mean cropping, as in an incorrect aspect ratio, but cropping too much of the edges of the frames. I did some comparisons with previous transfers, which were better in this regard, but, of course, were completely trounced by the the actual video quality of the dvd. I would refresh my memory with something more specific but my LD player seems to have bitten the dust.

[ken_572002]

So, I got to my Target this morning, right when the doors opened. Found out that they had put out '3 Godfathers' Sunday morning, and are now sold out. Nice, eh? They advertise the movie being released on the 20th, and then put it out for sale on the 18th. Oh well, looks like I'll have to take Cameron's advice, and just wait for it to be included in the '06 Ford/Wayne boxset....

[DirkUSA]

As I said earlier in the post, as soon as I buy something from a different region (3 Godfathers R2/UK in November), it comes out here too but I didn't hear anything about this R1 3 Godfathers release until I saw the Target ad.
Fort Apache must be coming so soon now because I bought that too in R2.

Dirk

[Falc04]

Which should look like this...

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0001XLY7E.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


Picked up '3 Godfathers', and John, you were exactly right...that is the cover art. Can't wait to watch this one on Christmas Eve. Thanks again Cameron, for bringing this release to my attention!

[Cameron]

well i took a look at it...and nearly caved....but holding strong for the box....someone needs to get a review up quick.

[John Hodson]

If the transfers are as good the R2s, then they are excellent (particularly 3 Godfathers). I was hoping that the R1 releases would have some extras though, and I can't see these being any different to the ones that will eventually make their way into boxed sets.

[Cameron]

yah, but I have a feeling that a nice bonus disc will accompany the box set. I think enough people cried foul on the lack of extras in the Hitchcock set that warner has started to make a point to include them...see the Flynn, Garbo, and Lewton sets most recently. Should fill out the extras quiet nice. I just hope that the box set is along the lines of a 8-10 disc set as opposed to just the Wayne stuff.

And a Gable Box is coming next year, so Mogambo might hold over for that, who knows. I hope they start promotion about the time the Peckinpah site arrives.

[Neeb]

With all the talk od Ford, Hawks, and Hathaway; does anyone know or want a Howard Hawks Box from WB? I could go for 'Land of the Pharohs' myself...

[Doctor Gonzo]

Wonder if the box art will look like this... http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/reviews/details.asp?Index=2206...

[John Hodson]

No; that's Universal's appalling effort in R2 (they hold the UK rights); in R1 there will be no Cavalry trilogy set (Warners owns She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Fort Apache, Paramount now has Rio Grande), it will probably be a John Wayne/John Ford set, though nothing has been confirmed by Warners. Fingers crossed.

[dom56]

I'm still waiting for word in when Warner ever going to release Ford's last great western Cheyenne Autumn on DVD.

[Falc04]

I'm still waiting for word in when Warner ever going to release Ford's last great western Cheyenne Autumn on DVD.

I've never really considered Ford's Cheyenne Autumn to be a great western. I found it to be somewhat boring, with a pessimistic and overbearing message. Reminded me (somewhat) of his earlier 'Two Rode Together', which also carried a very cynical look at the old west. Without John Wayne, Ford would not have made anything of significance in the 1960s. But, of course, that's just my opinion.

Here's an interesting article on the film:

Offered in the guise of a Western film, John Ford's Cheyenne Autumn is released by Warner Brothers on December 19th, 1964.

John Ford was born Sean O'Feeny in 1894. He moved to Hollywood from Maine in 1913 and soon began picking up bit parts in several films, including D.W. Griffith's influential Birth of a Nation. He learned the movie-making trade and directed his first film in 1917--a silent Western starring Harry Carey. He followed that effort by directing at least 30 others during the next four years. By the 1930s, he had earned a reputation as a talented director and began to produce a number of more "serious" films, including the The Grapes of Wrath and The Informer.

Despite his success with other themes, Ford always returned to Western movies, continually pushing the boundaries of the genre so that it could be a vehicle for studying larger social and political issues. His 1939 film, Stagecoach, set the standard for other western films to follow, raising the genre above its usual B-grade status with first-rate directing and acting (John Wayne played the lead) and Ford's masterful use of the haunting western landscape of Monument Valley, Arizona. The director-actor Orson Welles claimed to have watched Stagecoach more than 40 times before he made Citizen Kane, and when asked to name three directors he considered his superior, Welles replied, "John Ford, John Ford, and John Ford."

In the post-World War II period, Ford's Westerns became noticeably darker and more pessimistic. Having spent the first half of his career creating movies that celebrated a mythic West of brave heroes and grand adventure, Ford began undermining this perspective by creating the first "anti-Westerns," films that emphasized the negative side of America's frontier experience. Rejecting the formulaic plots in which the "good guys" always won out over the outlaws and Indians, films like She Wore a Yellow Ribbon(1949) offered a brutal vision of the West in which warfare between settlers and Indians produced much tragedy but no clear victors. In his 1956 film, The Searchers, Ford created one of the first western anti-heroes, a fanatical racist played by John Wayne who believes a white woman kidnapped by Indians deserves to die simply because she would rather stay with the tribe than return to "civilization."

Deeply moved by the Civil Rights movement and troubled by the racism of his own earlier films, Ford's 1964 Cheyenne Autumn emphasized the tragic fate of the American Indian and tried to rectify the racist stereotypes he had once propagated. The last of Ford's great Westerns, it strongly condemned the U.S. treatment of the Cheyenne that forced them into intolerable living conditions and then violently suppressed any rebellion. Foreshadowing the even more pointed critiques of later films like Little Big Man and Soldier Blue, Cheyenne Autumn featured the Indians as the heroes of the film and the army as the force for evil, completely reversing the roles his earlier films had developed.

[ken_572002]

well i took a look at it...and nearly caved....but holding strong for the box....someone needs to get a review up quick.

Cameron...you may just want to cave. Absolutely stunning transfer....you need to pick this one up!

[John Hodson]

3 Godfathers (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews19/3_godfathers_dvd_review.htm) and Mogambo (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews19/mogambo_dvd_review.htm) at DVD Beaver.

[ken_572002]

3 Godfathers (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews19/3_godfathers_dvd_review.htm) and Mogambo (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews19/mogambo_dvd_review.htm) at DVD Beaver.

Thanks for the link John, but those screencaps for '3 Godfathers' doesn't do the image transfer justice.

[Al_Tahoe]

Hawks vs. Ford....

thats a good match.I don't know. If the hawks fly too low they'll definitely get owned. But if they stay up high they can crap all over the Ford day and night.

Seriously, these retailer-exclusive deals really f*cking piss me off! I'd love to get Three Godfathers, but since it's at least an hour's drive to the nearest Target, Best Buy, Walmart, etc., I'm sh*t outta luck again. :mad2: :chainsaw:

[Amos Dundee]

"3 Godfathers" & "Mogambo" are both terrific releases--I picked up "3 Godfathers" yesterday & will watch it tonight.

In the John Ford catalog, a release of two of his late westerns "Two Rode Together" & "Cheyenne Autumn" would be welcome. Although not great Ford, they both tend to be underrated (the same goes for his final film "7 Women"--a strange but very interesting film.)

But the film that no one has mentioned is "Wagon Master" from 1950. I don't know who owns the rights; but this title along with "Fort Apache" and "The Long Voyage Home" are crying out to be released on DVD. "Wagon Master", because it does not star John Wayne probably will not get a big push for release. It was a small personal film for Ford, where he tried to make a star out of Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson did not become a star actor; but it is a beautiful film and the interplay between Johnson & Harry Carey Jr is a joy to behold (a whole series of films could have been made with these two guys.)

While I'm on the subject of John Ford; a release of some of his silents would be nice too--especially his epic "The Iron Horse" and "Three Bad Men."

Thanks for letting me ramble.

[John Hodson]

This is a copy of a list I prepared for another forum, which could be useful:

The filmography below is mostly culled from IMDB; the notes I've made on the various titles are from my personal experience or a trusted second hand source.

Chesty: A Tribute to a Legend (1976)... aka Chesty (USA: informal English title)
Vietnam! Vietnam! (1971)
7 Women (1966)
Young Cassidy (1965) (uncredited)
Cheyenne Autumn (1964)... aka John Ford's Cheyenne Autumn (USA: complete title) said to be coming in R2 in Germany.
Donovan's Reef (1963) - R1 (Paramount), R2 (Paramount), no extras, nice transfer, R2 review here (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=5497)
How the West Was Won (1962) (segment 'The Civil War') - R1 (Warners), poor, but rumoured to be being worked on, R1 review here (http://www.dvdlaunch.com/howthewestwaswon.html)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - R1 (Paramount), R2 (Paramount), barebones, but excellent transfer, R1 review here (http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=1332), and another R1 review here (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=4178).
'Alcoa Premiere' (1961) TV Series (episode 'Flashing Spikes')
Two Rode Together (1961), said to be coming in R2 in Germany; coming to R2 UK Feb. '06
The Alamo (1960) (uncredited) - R1 (MGM), R2 (MGM), there is material used in the film shot by the great man; decent transfer but we want the full Roadshow version, R1 review here (http://einsiders.com/features/columns/alamo_part5.php)
Sergeant Rutledge (1960)
The Horse Soldiers (1959) - R1 (MGM), R2 (MGM), poor transfer, no extras, R1 review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s268horse.html)
Korea (1959)
The Last Hurrah (1958) - R1 (Columbia), excellent transfer, no extras
Gideon's Day (1958)... aka Gideon of Scotland Yard (USA)
'Wagon Train' (1957) TV Series... aka Major Adams, Trail Master
The Rising of the Moon (1957)
The Wings of Eagles (1957)
The Searchers (1956) - R1 (Warners), R2 (Warners), pretty good transfer but will be superceded by what promises to be a stunning 2-discer next year, R2 review here (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=4809)
'The Bamboo Cross' (1955) (TV)
'Screen Directors Playhouse' (1955) TV Series (episode 'Rookie of the Year')
Mister Roberts (1955) - R1 (Warners), co-directed by Ford (after his spat with Fonda) fair transfer and extras, R1 review here (http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/misterroberts.php)
The Long Gray Line (1955) - R1 (Columbia), barebones but decent transfer, R1 review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s410gray.html)
Mogambo (1953) - R2 (Warners), R4 (Warners), barebones but decent transfer, R4 review here (http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/Reviews/Reviews.asp?ID=5130)
Hondo (1953) - R1 (Paramount), Ford was invited to direct the climatic battle after John Farrow was called away. One of the 'Batjac' CE discs, superb in every way, review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1764hond.html)
The Sun Shines Bright (1953)
What Price Glory (1952) - R1 (Fox), R2 (BFI) - barebones but good transfers, R1 review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1216glor.html), R2 review here (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews17/what_price_glory_dvd_review.htm).
The Quiet Man (1952) - R1 (Lions Gate), R2 (UK; Universal), (Germany, Kinowelt), the only good thing to be said is that the extras are decent on the R1, in all cases the transfers are terrible. Only Paramount can come to the rescue, R1 CE review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s645quiet.html)
This Is Korea! (1951) (as Rear Admiral John Ford USNVR Ret.)
Rio Grande (1950)... aka John Ford and Merian C. Cooper's Rio Grande (USA: complete title) - R1 CE (Lions Gate), R2 (UK; Universal, Germany; Kinowelt), the R1 is pretty good, nice transfer, good extras. The UK R2 isn't. Paramount now own the Republic library and this may come again, R1 CE review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=4856)
Wagon Master (1950) - R2 (France; Èditions Montparnasse)
When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950)
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) - R1 (Warners), R2 (UK; Universal (Germany; Kinowelt), superb transfer from both Warners and Kinowelt, awful from Universal. The German DVD features an hour long BBC interview with Ford, the R1 some interesting 16mm home movies. UK R2 review here (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=4711), German R2 review here (http://dvdscan.com/sheworeayellow.htm), R1 review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s513ribbon.html)
Pinky (1949) (uncredited) - another where Ford was replaced, by Kazan in this case, but some of his footage remains; due from Fox in R1 January '06.
'Fireside Theatre' (1949) TV Series
3 Godfathers (1948) - R2 (UK; Warners), R4 (Warners), barebones but decent transfer, R4 review here (http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/Reviews/Reviews.asp?ID=5096)
Fort Apache (1948)... aka War Party - R2 (France; Èditions Montparnasse, UK; Universal, Germany; Kinowelt), poor all round, again may come from Warners in 2006. R2 review here (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=4803)
The Fugitive (1947)... aka Fugitivo, El (Mexico) - R2 (France; Èditions Montparnasse)
My Darling Clementine (1946)... aka John Ford's My Darling Clementine (USA: complete title) - R1 (Fox), R2 (Fox), excellent presentation again in R1 on the 'Studio Classics' label, features the pre-release cut, commentary etc. Review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1065clem.html)
They Were Expendable (1945) - R1 (Warner), older title, may be spruced up for the 2006 rumoured Ford / Wayne box from Warner. R1 review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s154expendable.html)
December 7th (1943)... aka December 7th: The Movie (video title (restored version)) - R1 (VCI). R1 review here (http://www.dvdtown.com/review/December_7th_The_Pearl_Harbor_/7263/1220/)
We Sail at Midnight (1943)
The Battle of Midway (1942) - R1 (Delta)
Sex Hygiene (1942)
Torpedo Squadron (1942)
How Green Was My Valley (1941) - R1 (Fox), R2 - (Fox), superb presentation in R1 in the 'Studio Classics' range. R1 review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s701green.html)
Tobacco Road (1941)
The Long Voyage Home (1940) - R2 (Universal), only currently available at the moment in a box set.
The Grapes of Wrath (1940) - R1 (Fox), R2 - (Fox), superb presentation in R1 in the 'Studio Classics' range. R1 review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1161wrath.html)
Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) - R1 (Fox), R2 (UK; Optimum, France; GCTHV, Germany MC One) - The R1 and R2 (UK) discs boast very nice if not stellar transfers, comparison here (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare11/drums-along-the-mohawk.htm).
Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) - R2 (France; GCTHV, UK; Optimum, Germany; MC One) - coming from Criterion in January 2006, one of several Fords they are said to be releasing. Review here (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews8/youngmrlincoln.htm)
Stagecoach (1939) - R2 (France; Èditions Montparnasse) (UK; Universal), R1 (Warners), decent in R1 but better is coming 2006. R1 review here (http://dvdmg.com/stagecoach.shtml)
Submarine Patrol (1938)
Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938) (uncredited)
The Hurricane (1937) - R1 (HBO), now OOP
Wee Willie Winkie (1937)
The Plough and the Stars (1936)
Mary of Scotland (1936) - R2 (France; Èditions Montparnasse)
The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936) - R2 (France, GCTHV), also coming January 2006 release on the 'Masters of Cinema' label in the UK, and coming in Germany on November 23, 2005
Steamboat Round the Bend (1935)... aka Steamboat Bill - R2 (UK; Optimum)
The Informer (1935) - R2 (France; Èditions Montparnasse)
The Whole Town's Talking (1935)... aka Passport to Fame (UK)
Judge Priest (1934) - R1, R2 - various appalling public domain releases. Avoid
The World Moves On (1934)
The Lost Patrol (1934) - R2 (France; Èditions Montparnasse)
Doctor Bull (1933)
Pilgrimage (1933)
Flesh (1932)
Airmail (1932)
Arrowsmith (1931) - R1 (MGM) excellent transfer, barebones, R1 review here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1540arro.html)
The Brat (1931)
Seas Beneath (1931)
Up the River (1930)
Born Reckless (1930)
Men Without Women (1930)
Salute (1929) (uncredited)
The Black Watch (1929)... aka King of the Khyber Rifles (UK)

You should be aware that all but a handful of Ford's silent pictures are considered lost forever; but as these things continue to pop up from time to time, there's always a slim chance...

Strong Boy (1929)
Riley the Cop (1928) (uncredited)
Napoleon's Barber (1928)
Hangman's House (1928) (uncredited)
Four Sons (1928)
Mother Machree (1928) (uncredited)
Upstream (1927)... aka Footlight Glamour (UK)
The Blue Eagle (1926) (uncredited)
3 Bad Men (1926)
The Shamrock Handicap (1926)... aka 1732
Thank You (1925)
The Fighting Heart (1925)... aka Once to Every Man (UK)
Kentucky Pride (1925)
Lightnin' (1925)
Hearts of Oak (1924)
The Iron Horse (1924) (uncredited) - R2 (UK) decent presentation, but barebones by BFI of the UK cut of the picture, R2 review here (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews5/ironhorse.htm)
Hoodman Blind (1923)
North of Hudson Bay (1923) (as Jack Ford)... aka North of the Yukon (UK)
Cameo Kirby (1923)
Three Jumps Ahead (1923) (as Jack Ford)
The Face on the Bar-Room Floor (1923) (as Jack Ford)... aka The Love Image (UK)
The Village Blacksmith (1922) (as Jack Ford)
Silver Wings (1922) (as Jack Ford) (prologue only)
Little Miss Smiles (1922) (as Jack Ford)
Jackie (1921) (as Jack Ford)
Sure Fire (1921) (as Jack Ford)
Action (1921) (as Jack Ford)... aka Let's Go
Desperate Trails (1921) (as Jack Ford)
The Wallop (1921) (as Jack Ford)
The Freeze-Out (1921) (as Jack Ford)
The Big Punch (1921) (as Jack Ford)
Just Pals (1920) (as Jack Ford)
Hitchin' Posts (1920) (as Jack Ford)... aka The Land of Promise (UK)
The Girl in Number 29 (1920) (as Jack Ford)... aka The Girl in the Mirror
The Prince of Avenue A (1920) (as Jack Ford)
Marked Men (1919) (as Jack Ford)... aka Trail of Shadows
A Gun Fightin' Gentleman (1919) (as Jack Ford)... aka The Gun-Fighting
Gentleman (USA: review title)
Rider of the Law (1919) (as Jack Ford)... aka Jim of the Rangers
Ace of the Saddle (1919) (as Jack Ford)
The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1919) (as Jack Ford)
Riders of Vengeance (1919) (as Jack Ford)
By Indian Post (1919) (as Jack Ford)... aka The Love Letter
The Gun Packer (1919) (as Jack Ford)... aka Out Wyoming Way
Gun Law (1919) (as Jack Ford)... aka The Posse's Prey
Bare Fists (1919) (as Jack Ford)... aka The Man Who Wouldn't Shoot
A Fight for Love (1919) (as Jack Ford)... aka Hell's Neck
The Fighting Brothers (1919) (as Jack Ford)... aka His Buddy Roped (1919) (as Jack Ford)
The Last Outlaw (1919)
Rustlers (1919) (as Jack Ford)... aka Even Money
Three Mounted Men (1918) (as Jack Ford)... aka Three Wounded Men (USA)
The Craving (1918)
A Woman's Fool (1918) (as Jack Ford)
Hell Bent (1918) (as Jack Ford)... aka The Three Bad Men (USA: bowdlerized title)
The Scarlet Drop (1918) (as Jack Ford)
Thieves' Gold (1918) (as Jack Ford)
Wild Women (1918) (as Jack Ford)
The Phantom Riders (1918) (as Jack Ford)
Bucking Broadway (1917) (as Jack Ford)... aka Slumbering Fires (UK)
A Marked Man (1917) (as Jack Ford)
The Secret Man (1917) (as Jack Ford)... aka The Round Up / Up Against It
Straight Shooting (1917) (as Jack Ford)... aka Joan of the Cattle Country / Straight Shootin' (USA: cut version) / The Cattle War
Cheyenne's Pal (1917) (as Jack Ford) ... aka A Dumb Friend / Cactus My Pal
The Soul Herder (1917) (as Jack Ford) ... aka The Sky Pilot
The Scrapper (1917) (as Jack Ford)
Trail of Hate (1917)
The Tornado (1917) (as Jack Ford)
Red Saunders Plays Cupid (1917)

---
Publications:
John Ford; The Complete Films (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump.php?url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/3822830933/thedvdforums-21) - excellent book, containing some wonderful photographs, nice quotes and titbits of information, plus a complete filmography and more. Dirt cheap and super value for money.
Searching for John Ford (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump.php?url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0571225004/thedvdforums-21) - Joe McBride's amazing examination of the life and work of Ford. Not just the best book on this film maker, but one of the best biography's around IMHO.
---

[ken_572002]

Nice compilation of the Ford films John, although I have to disagree with your assessment of 'The Horse Soldiers' having a poor transfer. It's the best (by far) that has ever been released to home video. Head-and-Shoulders above the lousy laserdisc release in the 1990s. Although not as nice as say 'She Wore A Yellow Ribbon', still...a very worthy effort.

[John Hodson]

It might be the best so far but typically for an MGM release, it's 1.66:1 non-anamorphic, there's some wobbling, and a very nasty tear in the print at one point - it's not a patch on SWAYR, but then again it's not had half the care and attention lavished on it.

Although he's got the AR wrong in his review, Savant says "MGM's DVD of The Horse Soldiers is not much of an improvement on the older laserdisc. I don't know if this is the same master or not, but it simply doesn't look very good: it's grainy, the colors are inconsistent, and there's a lot of unnecessary film damage." And I agree with him.

[ken_572002]

Again, there is no comparison between the soft, fuzzy laserdisc release of 'The Horse Soldiers', and the very clear print that MGM put out on DVD. While the laserdisc only had one clear scene (after Lukey dies, and John Wayne stands up), the DVD's entire presentation was clear. I do agree with you about the tear, but that is for like a second of the entire 2 hour film....no big deal. If anything, we should agree on the absolutely horrid release of 'The Quiet Man'. Can't wait till Paramount releases this one!

[Falc04]

Hey John...excellent list! Really enjoyed reading your comments about the films. My only disagreements with you would be on 'Stagecoach' and 'The Horse Soldiers'.

I think 'Stagecoach' has a below average transfer. I've had this film on VHS, Laserdisc, and now DVD, and the image has always been the same...very scratchy. I had read a story once that when time came to find a decent copy of the film, none were available. John Wayne came to the rescue, when he loaned the studio a 16mm print he had in his garage. That could be the very one we are seeing nowadays. Anyway, I'm certainly looking forward to getting this one again in 2006!

As for 'The Horse Soldiers', I too feel MGM did a nice job on the current DVD release. True, there is a major splice in one scene, but the overall look of the transfer is MUCH improved over the old widescreen laserdisc release.

Well, thanks again for the excellent list. Do you have something similar in terms of John Wayne films released on DVD? I'd love to read your comments on those as well!

[RevKarl]

According to Barrie Maxwell, over at Digital Bits:

"There is further confirmation that a John Ford box set will be forthcoming later this year, probably in the second or third quarter. Titles likely to be included are: The Informer, Stagecoach, The Long Voyage Home, Fort Apache, The Searchers, and Cheyenne Autumn. Writer Scott Eyman is involved in some of the supplementary content (commentary, interviews) being assembled for these releases."

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/barriemaxwell/maxwell012506b.html

[Cameron]

awesome

[ken_572002]

Great news indeed. Every one of those films are classics in their own right. And glad to see 3 Godfathers is not included, as I already have the excellent release that Target put out last month.

[Cameron]

yah...looks like I will head over to Target and grab those dvds now

[Falc04]

Great news indeed. Every one of those films are classics in their own right. And glad to see 3 Godfathers is not included, as I already have the excellent release that Target put out last month.

Great box set indeed. Although, I don't know if I'd go so far as to say 'Cheyenne Autumn' is a classic. Watchable, yes...Classic, not quite.

[joliom]

Holy crap, I'm all over it! I've been waiting for The Informer and Fort Apache for what seems like forever and have held off on The Searchers and Stagecoach in favor of the looooong awaited Two-Disc SE's. This plus the recent Peckinpah set makes 2006 quite a year for Western fans.

[D.Zero]

Holy crap, I'm all over it! I've been waiting for The Informer and Fort Apache for what seems like forever and have held off on The Searchers and Stagecoach in favor of the looooong awaited Two-Disc SE's. This plus the recent Peckinpah set makes 2006 quite a year for Western fans.
Agreed. Now if we can get good looking versions of Mann's The Naked Spur and Man of the West on the shelves, well, I'll be a happy camper.

[joliom]

Btw, are all the previously released John Wayne films from Paramount like The Shootist, True Grit, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Sons of Katie Elder, etc. that are now appearing under the "John Wayne Collection" banner with new coverart just repackagings, or do they sport new transfers and/or extras?

[Cameron]

just new artwork....disc are the same

[RevKarl]

yah...looks like I will head over to Target and grab those dvds nowGood luck...my local Target stores never got any Mogombo DVDs in stock during the promotion week (Later, I got lucky and talked to an great sales clerk who not only offered to called other Oregon stores and ask them to check their stock, but he convinced one store...which was 100 miles away...to transfer a copy of Mogambo to his store for me...and yes, I did called Target's consumer relations line to report the excellent service.)

[Dr. DVD]

Any word on a Searchers DVD re-issue?

[ken_572002]

Great box set indeed. Although, I don't know if I'd go so far as to say 'Cheyenne Autumn' is a classic. Watchable, yes...Classic, not quite.


Yeah, your probably right. Guess I was really looking at the first 5 titles in the box set when I wrote the post.

And 'The Long Voyage Home'...WOW, can not wait to see a decent print of that film!

[kevin75]

from today's digital bits:

There's a new John Wayne/John Ford Collection on the way, which will include The Searchers: 50th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition (1956), along with a Stagecoach: Two-Disc Special Edition (1939), Fort Apache (1948), The Long Voyage Home (1940), The Wings of Eagles (1957), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), They Were Expendable (1945) and 3 Godfathers (1948).

There's also The John Ford Collection that will include The Lost Patrol (1934), The Informer (1935), Cheyenne Autumn (1964), Mary of Scotland (1936) and Sergeant Rutledge (1960).


:drool::drool::drool:

[ken_572002]

from today's digital bits:

There's a new John Wayne/John Ford Collection on the way, which will include The Searchers: 50th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition (1956), along with a Stagecoach: Two-Disc Special Edition (1939), Fort Apache (1948), The Long Voyage Home (1940), The Wings of Eagles (1957), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), They Were Expendable (1945) and 3 Godfathers (1948).

There's also The John Ford Collection that will include The Lost Patrol (1934), The Informer (1935), Cheyenne Autumn (1964), Mary of Scotland (1936) and Sergeant Rutledge (1960).


Certainly hope these come out as seperate releases, as I already own 'They Were Expendable', '3 Godfathers', and 'She Wore A Yellow Ribbon'. I also own 'Stagecoach' and 'The Searchers', but I'll double-dip to get the 2-disc SE versions...

[joliom]

The box set should have She Wore a Yellow Ribbon in a keepcase at the very least (if not an altogether new edition). So that's one less snapper to blight my shelves.

[Doctor Gonzo]

That John Wayne set sounds great. I've never seen Long Voyage Home, They Were Expendable or Wings of Eagles - can anybody tell me how good they are? Are they worthy additions to a DVD collection? Thanks in advance!

[kevin75]

the wings of eagles is a fantastic movie. john wayne, maureen o'hara, ward bond, john ford...you can't go wrong.

[Ambassador]

Actually, I have to say that I find "Wings of Eagles" rather dull. It's a loving biopic of Frank "Spig" Wead, who wrote a number of screenplays for Wayne's and Ford's movies, including "They Were Expendable." Wead was paralyzed from the waist down due to a freak accident, and it tends to oversentimentalize the whole road to recovery routine. That's purely my opinion, though. (And it does have Ward Bond doing a great impersonation of "John Dodge," a.k.a. John Ford.)

"They Were Expendable" and "Long Voyage Home" are superb, though. "TWE" is one of the best and most authentic war movies made during WWII, thanks to Robert Montgomery's own personal knowledge of pt boats. And Eugene O'Neill adored "LVH" -- which is a compilation/adaptation of a set of short one-act plays he wrote. "LVH" also features incredibly rich camerawork from Gregg Toland.

[ken_572002]

Actually, I have to say that I find "Wings of Eagles" rather dull. It's a loving biopic of Frank "Spig" Wead, who wrote a number of screenplays for Wayne's and Ford's movies, including "They Were Expendable." Wead was paralyzed from the waist down due to a freak accident, and it tends to oversentimentalize the whole road to recovery routine. That's purely my opinion, though. (And it does have Ward Bond doing a great impersonation of "John Dodge," a.k.a. John Ford.)

"They Were Expendable" and "Long Voyage Home" are superb, though. "TWE" is one of the best and most authentic war movies made during WWII, thanks to Robert Montgomery's own personal knowledge of pt boats. And Eugene O'Neill adored "LVH" -- which is a compilation/adaptation of a set of short one-act plays he wrote. "LVH" also features incredibly rich camerawork from Gregg Toland.

Good analysis of the films. I would disagree with you on 'Wings Of Eagles' though. Anyone who says John Wayne was a one-dimensional actor should watch this film...

[Cameron]

great news...so now I pass on 3 godfathers, and the double feature they were expendable/flying leathernecks

[Cameron]

looks like 06.13.06 for the searchers

[John Hodson]

From the HTF, we have a date:

USA Today has a blurb in the Life section about the John Wayne/John Ford Collection from Warner coming on June 6th-SRP $80. Will include 2 disc SE The Searchers; 2 disc SE Stagecoach; Long Voyage Home; They Were Expendable; She Wore A Yellow Ribbon; Fort Apache; Three Godfathers and Wings of Eagles.

[FilmFanSea]

Warner press release:

THE JOHN WAYNE-JOHN FORD COLLECTION

THE SEARCHERS: ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION
(Newly Remastered and Restored from VistaVision Film Elements)

STAGECOACH: TWO-DISC COLLECTOR'S EDITION
(Newly Remastered from Best Available Film Elements)

FORT APACHE - THE LONG VOYAGE HOME - WINGS OF EAGLES (New to DVD)

SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON ~ THEY WERE EXPENDABLE ~ 3 GODFATHERS

Collection Arrives June 6 Loaded with Bonus Materials including Introduction by Patrick Wayne, John Ford/John Wayne: The Filmmaker & the Legend, the New Feature Length American Masters Retrospective Profile, Expert Commentaries and Additional New Featurettes

Burbank, Calif. March 6, 2006 - One of the greatest director-star combinations in the history of Hollywood gets the Warner Home Video deluxe DVD treatment with the June 6 release of The John Wayne-John Ford Collection, a ten-disc set featuring eight of the team's finest collaborations. Anchoring the Collection, and arriving just in time for Father's Day, is The Searchers: Ultimate Collector's Edition which includes a Two-Disc Special Edition DVD with extensive all-new bonus features, plus a full color 36-page press book, a 36-page reproduction of the original Dell comic book, filmmaker memos and correspondence, several behind-the-scenes photos and a mail-in theatrical poster.

The collection also features Stagecoach: Two Disc Special Edition, newly remastered and restored from original VistaVision film elements and loaded with new bonus content and three titles making their DVD debuts: the classic western Fort Apache, and the stirring war films The Long Voyage Home and Wings of Eagles. Rounding out the set are the timeless classics She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and They Were Expendable (in new Amaray packaging) plus 3 Godfathers, which is available for the first time in wide release with this Collection.

The Searchers will be available individually in both the 50th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition for $26.99 SRP and the Ultimate Collector's Edition priced at $34.92 SRP. The Stagecoach: Two-Disc Special Edition will be available for $26.99 SRP and the single disc titles will sell individually for various prices from $12.97 - $19.97 SRP. The price for the entire ten-disc Collection is $79.92 SRP.

In the now well-established WHV DVD Classics tradition, The Searchers has been painstakingly remastered and restored from original VistaVision film elements. Also restored from original and best available elements are Fort Apache and Stagecoach and Wings of Eagles is newly remastered in 16x9 format, enhanced for widescreen televisions (1.85:1 aspect ratio). The Collection bonus materials include an introduction by Patrick Wayne (John's son), an all-new feature length documentary American Masters: John Ford/John Wayne: The Filmmaker & the Legend produced by WNET/American Masters, commentaries by noted film director Peter Bogdanovich and Ford biographer Scott Eyman, several new featurettes, audio only segments plus John Wayne home movies.

John Ford was easily one of the greatest, most prolific and versatile directors Hollywood ever produced. Combined with a star of the caliber and magnetism of John Wayne and what emerges is pure cinematic magic.

John Ford was responsible for making John Wayne a star when he cast him in Stagecoach, but their friendship dates back to the silent era. Wayne was a former University of Southern California football player working as a prop boy at Fox, where Ford was one of their top directors. The two were friendly and Ford cast Wayne in bit roles in several of his films (i.e., Mother Machree, Salute, Four Sons). After the arrival of sound, Ford introduced the young actor to director Raoul Walsh, who put him in the super Western The Big Trail and changed his name to John Wayne (he was born Marion Morrison). The Big Trail was a box-office failure and Wayne spent the remainder of the '30s appearing in mostly "B" westerns, while Ford's career soared with such classics as The Lost Patrol, The Informer and The Hurricane.

When Ford purchased the rights to a Saturday Evening Post short story by Earnest Haycox entitled "Stage to Lordsburg," he developed the lead character with Wayne in mind. While Ford fought studio executives to cast Wayne in the role (the studio wanted a star name), their ensuing complicated relationship on the set baffled outsiders. Ford constantly browbeat his star, told him he was a lousy actor, said he walked funny and generally picked on him at every opportunity until Wayne's co-stars came to his rescue. Andy Devine later realized the cast had been fooled to prevent the name actors from being jealous of a newcomer.

Ford's infuriating treatment of John Wayne didn't end with their first film. Throughout Wayne's career -- and he made many films with Ford -- the director continued to taunt him on the set. In fact, he treated many of his actors this way. "If he liked you," Dobie Cary said, "he mistreated you. If he ignored you, then you'd probably never work with him again." The irony of it was that most of Wayne's finest performances were in the 13 films he and Ford made together: Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Horse Soldiers (1959), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), How the West Was Won (1962) and the titles included in this Collection.


The Searchers: Ultimate Collector's Edition & The Searchers: 50th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition (1956)

John Wayne and John Ford made The Searchers a landmark Western with an indelible image of the frontier and the men and women who challenged it. Although not nominated for any awards at the time of its release, the film has since been widely acknowledged as one of the supreme triumphs of the genre. The Searchers was placed on the National Film Registry in 1989 and ranked number 96 on the American Film Institute's list of "100 Greatest Movies."

Wayne plays an ex-Confederate soldier searching for his niece (Natalie Wood), captured by the 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 (four-time Academy Award winner), thrillingly scored by Max Steiner (21 Academy Award nominations, 3 wins) and memorably acted by a wonderful ensemble including Jeffrey Hunter (King of Kings, The Longest Day), Vera Miles (The Wrong Man, Psycho), Natalie Wood (Rebel Without a Cause, Gypsy, West Side Story) and frequent Ford cast member Ward Bond (My Darling Clementine, The Quiet Man), The Searchers endures as "a great film of enormous scope and breathtaking physical beauty." (Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic).

Special Features:
Disc 1
Newly remastered and restored from original VistaVision film elements
Introduction by Patrick Wayne (John's son)
Commentary by Director Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show, What's Up, Doc?)
Theatrical trailer
Disc 2
The Searchers: An Appreciation
A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and The Searchers
Behind the Cameras
Meet Jeffrey Hunter
Monument Valley
Meet Natalie Wood
Setting Up Production


Stagecoach Two-Disc Special Edition (1939)

Nine disparate travelers are thrown together on a stagecoach destined for Apache territory...and movie immortality. In the lead role of the Ringo Kid, director John Ford cast a lanky veteran of 70 B-movies, serials and shorts named John Wayne. Each rifle shot and close-up rang out the news: a new star is born. This first collaboration between director and star made both their reputations as talents to watch in the Western genre yet focuses on carefully etched character studies. Marked by deft and efficient editing, as well as remarkable camera work, Stagecoach transcends the traditional shoot-'em-up.

Winner of two Academy Awards (Best Supporting Actor and Best Music, Scoring) and nominated for an additional five (including Best Picture and Best Director), Stagecoach was placed on the National Film Registry in 1995 and ranked number 63 on the American Film Institute's list of "100 Greatest Movies." In addition to a stellar performance by Wayne, Stagecoach boasts an unusually strong cast, including Claire Trevor (Best Supporting Actress winner for Key Largo), Thomas Mitchell (in his Oscar-winning performance), Andy Devine (Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves), John Carradine (The Grapes of Wrath, Satan's Cheerleaders) and silent star George Bancroft (Old Ironsides, 3 Bad Men, Underworld). This adventure ushered in a 30-year era of great Westerns, many featuring its top practitioners - Ford and Wayne.

Special Features:

· Newly remastered from best available film elements.

· New feature-length American Masters: John Ford/John Wayne: The Filmmaker & the Legend retrospective profile

· New documentary Stagecoach: A Story of Redemption

· Commentary by Scott Eyman, author of "Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford"
· Audio-only bonus: radio adaptation with Claire Trevor and Randolph Scott

· Theatrical trailer

· Subtitles: English, Français & Español (feature film only)


Fort Apache (1948)-FIRST TIME ON DVD

John Wayne 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 free rein in this moving, thought-provoking film that, even as it salutes a legend, gives reasons to question it.

The stellar cast includes the distinguished Henry Fonda (The Grapes of Wrath, On Golden Pond), former child star Shirley Temple (reunited with her director from Wee Willie Winkie), Temple's then-current husband John Agar making his film debut and Ford regulars Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond and George O'Brien.

Special Features:

· Digitally remastered and restored from original nitrate elements

· New featurette Monument Valley: John Ford Country

· Theatrical trailer

· Subtitles: English, Français & Español (Feature Film Only)


The Long Voyage Home (1940)-FIRST TIME ON DVD

Director John Ford and screenwriter Dudley Nichols adapted four Eugene O'Neill one-act dramas into this compelling, lyrical look at men at sea that O'Neill considered his favorite of all his filmed works. As his sailors, Ford cast members of his so-called "Stock Company": Thomas Mitchell (Gone with the Wind), Barry Fitzgerald (Academy Award winner for Going My Way), Arthur Shields (How Green Was My Valley), Ward Bond (It's a Wonderful Life), John Qualen (Casablanca) and the star of the previous year's Stagecoach, John Wayne. As sunny, sweet-natured Ole Olsen, Wayne does winning work in an atypical role that required the stalwart star to sport a Swedish accent. Nominated for an impressive six Academy Awards incuding Best Picture, The Long Voyage Home is a journey to remember.

Special Features:

· New featurette Serenity at Sea: John Ford and the Araner

· Subtitles: English, Français & Español (feature film only)


Wings of Eagles (1957)-FIRST TIME ON DVD

Cmdr. Frank "Spig" Wead was a pioneer aviator, renowned screenwriter (whose work included John Ford's They Were Expendable) and a man of war. The skies beckoned Spig to action; a crippling injury ultimately left him powerless to act, propelling him to discover the power of his pen. He was talented, driven, flawed, a friend of Ford -- and the subject of this compassionate biography.

John Wayne plays Spig and Ford directs The Wings of Eagles, which also offers a fascinating glimpse into the ways and world of Ford. Ward Bond plays moviemaker John Dodge, a role modeled on Ford. Maureen O'Hara, Wayne's five-time co-star (including Ford's The Quiet Man), and Dan Dailey (of Ford's 1952 What Price Glory?) play Spig's indomitable wife Min and cigar-chomping sidekick "Jughead" Carson.

Special Features:

· Newly remastered in 16x9 format, enhanced for widescreen televisions (1.85:1 aspect ratio)

· Theatrical trailer

· Languages: English & Français

· Subtitles: English, Français & Español (feature film only)


3 Godfathers (1948)

John Ford remade one of his classic silent Westerns 3 Bad Men (1926), a story of three bandits who come upon a dying mother and child while escaping the law. Two of them die trying to get the child to town and safety. Starring John Wayne (in the role originated by George O'Brien), the cast also features Pedro Armendáriz (The Fugitive, Fort Apache), perennial Ward Bond, the luminous silent star Mae Marsh (Birth of a Nation, Intolerance), who frequently appeared in uncredited roles in Ford's films and, making his screen debut, Harry Carey, Jr. (son of Ford's "stock company" regular Harry Carey, in whose memory the film is dedicated).

· Theatrical trailer


She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949)

A masterpiece of mood and heroics, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, was the centerpiece in director John Ford's renowned cavalry trilogy (Fort Apache and Rio Grande bookend it) and features one of John Wayne's most moving performances as a cavalry officer in his final week of service on the frontier.

Under makeup aging him some 20 years, Wayne inhabits the role of a wily veteran who knows the sting of war and vows to make his last mission one of peace. The ritual of outpost life, the sweep of battle, the advance of the patrol beneath ominous skies: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, an Academy Award winner for its color cinematography, paints a memorable portrait of the honor, duty and courage in the finest tradition of the cavalry.

With Wayne in She Wore A Yellow Ribbon are Joanne Dru (Red River, All the King's Men), John Agar (Fort Apache), Ben Johnson (Mighty Joe Young, Shane), Harry Carey, Jr. (3 Godfathers) and Victor McLaglen (The Informer).

Special Features:

· John Ford home movies

· Theatrical trailer

· Languages: English & Français

· Subtitles: English, Français, Español & Português


They Were Expendable (1945)

Director John Ford's World War II tale knows its battle-scarred topic firsthand: Robert Montgomery (The Big House, Here Comes Mr. Jordan) was a Pacific PT-boat commander and a valorous Bronze Star recipient and Ford filmed the Academy Award-winning documentary Battle of Midway. John Wayne creates a portrait of patriotic resolve as only he can. They Were Expendable salutes all who dedicated themselves to the cause of freedom during some of the war's bleakest hours.

Supplies are dwindling. Troops are hopelessly outnumbered. But even in defeat, there is victory. The defenders of the Philippines -- including PT-boat skippers John Brickley (Montgomery) and Rusty Ryan (Wayne) -- will give the U.S. war effort time to regroup after the devastation of Pearl Harbor.

Special Features:

· Theatrical Trailer

· Subtitles: English & Français


JOHN WAYNE - JOHN FORD COLLECTION

Street Date: June 6, 2006

Pricing: $79.92 SRP

[ken_572002]

Thanks for the article on the upcoming releases FilmFanSea. Glad they will be available to purchase individually, as I already own three of these.

[John Hodson]

DVDTimes links for both The John Wayne-John Ford Collection (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=60701) and The John Ford Collection (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=60702).

Fantastic - my poor wallet!

Warner Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of The John Ford Collection for 6th June 2006. Celebrating one of the true masters of American cinema, Warner are honoring John Ford with this separate collection which goes beyond his best known Westerns and collaborations with John Wayne (showcased in The John Wayne-John Ford Collection). The John Ford Collection runs the gamut of genres and shows the diversity and genius of John Ford at his most impressive. Featured here will be the DVD debuts of five classic titles. The Lost Patrol, The Informer and Cheyenne Autumn will be available individually for $19.97 SRP. Mary of Scotland and Sergeant Rutledge will be exclusive to the five-disc boxed set which will sell for $59.92 SRP.

Ford is best known for his incredible series of classic westerns (Stagecoach, The Searchers); however, his impressive four Best Director Academy Awards® (The Informer, The Grapes of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley, and The Quiet Man) were for work outside the western genre and remain somewhat overlooked today.

The Informer, for which John Ford earned his first Best Director Academy Award and star Victor McLaglen took home a Best Actor statuette, makes its DVD debut here, restored and remastered from the original camera negative. It’s included in WHV’s new Collection along with political drama The Lost Patrol (1934) also starring Victor McLaglen as well as Boris Karloff, and restored to its original theatrical release running time, plus the poignant and impressive epic Mary of Scotland which starred Katharine Hepburn and Fredric March. Rounding out the collection is Cheyenne Autumn, a 1964 widescreen epic, restored to its full roadshow length and glory with a new 5.1 soundtrack. It turned out to be Ford’s last Western which ranks as one of his most ambitious and moving works. And lastly is the cult favorite Sergeant Rutledge, another landmark Western notable for exploring racism in the West, starring Woody Strode in the title role.

Orson Welles referred to John Ford as the greatest “poet” movies have given us. Welles actually viewed Stagecoach 40 times before filming began on Citizen Kane (1941), noting that his directing style was influenced by the old guys, the “classical” film makers. When asked who, he replied, “John Ford, John Ford and John Ford.”

Ford's directing style was one of measured simplicity. His pace is slow and his shots unpretentious. He keeps the camera at eye-level with hardly a dolly-shot in site. Early in his career, Ford talked about what he called "invisible technique" or making an audience forget they were watching a movie. And though it’s possible to trace the much-vaunted lighting style and deep focus of Orson Welles Citizen Kane to Ford's earlier films, his later Technicolor works are just as visually imaginative.

The Lost Patrol
Filmed in the scorching Arizona desert, John Ford guides this powerful tale of men and mortality set in World War I Mesopotamia. Victor McLaglen, who would claim the following year’s Best Actor (1935) Oscar® as Ford’s protagonist in The Informer, plays a stalwart sergeant who takes charge as he and his men try to escape the unseen snipers who felled their captain. Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) is a religious firebrand whose zeal turns to feverish madness. And the unforgiving terrain is as much an enemy as the snipers it conceals.

The Informer
John Ford earned his first Best Director Academy Award and star Victor McLaglen took home a Best Actor statuette for this searing four-time Oscar® winner set in 1922 Dublin. Timely in its portrait of murderous political strife between occupier and insurgent and timeless in its exploration of the tortured netherworld of human guilt, The Informer is filmmaking for the ages.

Special Features:
New Featurette The Informer: Out of the Fog
Theatrical trailer

Mary of Scotland
Directed by the legendary John Ford and adapted from Maxwell Anderson’s powerful play, Mary of Scotland gave Katharine Hepburn (Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story) one of her finest early roles. Both fierce and fragile as the headstrong queen, Hepburn is brilliantly matched by Fredric March (Anna Karenina, I Married a Witch) as her courageous lover Bothwell and by Florence Eldridge (March’s real life wife) as Elizabeth, who is everything Mary is not: physically plain, politically shrewd…and victorious.

Sergeant Rutledge
Ford crafts the story of Sergeant Rutledge (Woody Strode), a 9th Cavalry officer on trial for rape and murder in 1866. Lt. Cantrell (Jeffrey Hunter) defends Rutledge as witnesses give testimony (relived in flashbacks) revealing the sergeant’s gallantry – and the shocking truth behind the alleged crimes. Ford, who attacked racism in The Searchers, explores similar territory in this landmark Western, the power of which still rings out with uncommon force decades later.

Special Features:
Theatrical trailer
Languages: English & Français
Subtitles: English, Français & Español (feature film only)

Cheyenne Autumn
The last Western from director John Ford ranks as one of his most ambitious and moving works. Ford outfits his Trail-of-Tears-like saga with a strong cast, stunning cinematography by long-time collaborator William Clothier and a stirring Alex North score. To play the Cheyenne nation desperately struggling to return to the Yellowstone homeland across 1,500 treacherous miles, Ford recruited hundreds of Navajo tribesmen, many of them veterans of Ford movies dating back to 1939’s Stagecoach. The location (which Ford used for the ninth time) is “John Ford Country” – the canyons, buttes and mesas of Monument Valley. Cheyenne Autumn is compassionate, epic artistry from one of Hollywood’s most revered filmmakers.

Its all-star cast was headed by Richard Widmark (The Alamo, How the West was Won), Carroll Baker (Baby Doll, Harlow), Karl Malden (On the Waterfront, Gypsy), Sal Mineo (Rebel Without a Cause, Exodus), Dolores Del Rio (Wonder Bar, The Fugitive), Ricardo Montalban (Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn, “Fantasy Island”) and Gilbert Roland (Our Betters, The French Line).

Special Features:
New digital transfer from restored roadshow length picture and audio elements
Archival behind-the scenes featurette Cheyenne Autumn Trail
Commentary by Joseph McBride
Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1
Theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English, Français & Español (Feature Film Only)

[Cameron]

:drool:

[lawyer goodwill]

Wow, great stuff! I was really hoping to pick up Sgt. Rutledge individually, but it looks like it is exclusive with the pack. Do y'all vouch for the other flicks in this set? Oddly enough, I have seen almost all of the titles from the Wayne-Ford set, but haven't viewed as many from the Ford collection.

[JiM T]

Great Scott! What a day that will be!!! :) :) :)

[Falc04]

Apprears some of the artwork for this is up at DVDTimes

http://dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=60701

[ken_572002]

Great artwork for 'The Long Voyage Home'. Reminds me of a what an under-rated gem that picture is. It is funny to see a large picture of John Wayne on the front, knowing that he can't have more than a dozen lines in the film. I'm guessing that poster was a re-issue, after he started to become immensely popular (late 40s perhaps).

Looking forward to seeing how Warner does with the transfer of this title. I use to own the laserdisc of 'The Long Voyage Home', and it was in terrible shape. Think somewhere along the lines of a Madacy DVD release from today...

[Ambassador]

Looking forward to seeing how Warner does with the transfer of this title. I use to own the laserdisc of 'The Long Voyage Home', and it was in terrible shape. Think somewhere along the lines of a Madacy DVD release from today...

TCM showed a print of LVH a couple of months ago, and I presume it's the print they'll be using for the DVD. Anyway, it looked better than the old VHS tape I used to own. There's still significantly more damage than most Warner titles, but it was nowhere near the realm of PD/Madacy titles.

[Cameron]

more artwork is up at dvdtimes