John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy"
11-04-05, 09:44 PM
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John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy"
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.
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.
11-04-05, 10:32 PM
#2
DVD Talk Legend
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.
DVD Talk Review of She Wore A Yellow Ribbon by Glenn Erickson
DVD review for Rio Grande - Collector's Edition by Aaron Beierle
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.
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.
DVD Talk Review of She Wore A Yellow Ribbon by Glenn Erickson
DVD review for Rio Grande - Collector's Edition by Aaron Beierle
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.
Last edited by Cameron; 11-04-05 at 10:35 PM.
11-04-05, 11:43 PM
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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.
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.
11-04-05, 11:44 PM
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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.
11-05-05, 02:57 AM
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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.)
11-05-05, 05:01 AM
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Originally Posted by 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.
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
11-05-05, 05:39 AM
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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.
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.
11-05-05, 07:20 AM
#8
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
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
Dirk
Last edited by DirkUSA; 11-05-05 at 07:29 AM.
11-05-05, 08:50 AM
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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)
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)
11-05-05, 08:51 AM
#10
DVD Talk Gold Edition
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.
FWIW FORT APACHE is not only a great Ford/Wayne Western, I think it contains Henry Fonda's greatest performance.
11-07-05, 01:03 AM
#11
DVD Talk Legend
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.
11-09-05, 10:07 AM
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Originally Posted by 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.
11-09-05, 10:53 AM
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DVD Talk Gold Edition
Originally Posted by John Hodson
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.
11-09-05, 11:15 AM
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DVD Talk Special Edition
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?
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?
11-09-05, 11:19 AM
#15
DVD Talk Legend
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.
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.
11-09-05, 12:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Cameron
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.
UCLA Film and Television Archive - Feature Films Preserved 1977-2002 and Exposing classic film to new audiences.
11-10-05, 05:20 AM
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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!
I'll be first in line, when Paramount finally releases it!
11-10-05, 10:18 AM
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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.
I'm expecting - hoping, praying - for the same standard with The Quiet Man.
11-10-05, 11:13 AM
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Originally Posted by ken_572002
I'll be first in line, when Paramount finally releases it!
Being rated the 5th greatest director of all-time is not too shabby... linky.
John Ford is definitely the "Curtis Martin" of film directors.
11-10-05, 03:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Al_Tahoe
Being rated the 5th greatest director of all-time is not too shabby... linky.
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...
11-11-05, 05:28 AM
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Originally Posted by Cameron
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...
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.
11-12-05, 03:28 AM
#23
DVD Talk Legend
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
MAN IN THE VAULT
PLUNDER OF THE SUN
RING OF FEAR
SEVEN MEN FROM NOW
TRACK OF THE CAT