DVD Collectors Online

3 Godfathers/Night Passage, a review by Rogmeister

I haven't posted any reviews for a few days so how about a double-feature?


3 Godfathers
Cast: John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, Harry Carey Jr., Ward Bond, Mae Marsh, Jane Darwell, Ben Johnson, Mildred Natwick.
Director: John Ford

This was a popular story...it was told at least four times. This version is probably the most popular because it starred John Wayne, was directed by the great John Ford and was the most recent. It deals with three badmen who bungle a bank job in Arizona with one of them being shot in the shoulder during the getaway...but get away they do. While in the desert, they take refuge during a sandstorm, but their horses get lose and are gone the next morning. They soon find a wagon which contains a woman about to give birth. She is in a bad way, however, and soon passes on but not before she names the three men her baby's godfathers. The remainder of the movie deals with their trying to care for the infant and get it to civilization while a lawman and his posse are on their trail.

The movie is dedicated to the late Harry Carey, an old-time western star of his own (Ford used him several times, including a couple movies with Wayne), who had passed away before the film's release. This movie also marks the film debut of his son, Harry Carey Jr. This film has lots of humor as well as action and it contains some incredible color photography. It's not the best-known John Wayne film out there so people should look it up. It was included as one of the movies in the DVD box set The John Wayne-John Ford Movie Collection. It looks great, though its only extra is the original movie trailer.  This is a full frame picture because this was originally released in 1948, back in the pre-widescreen era.


Night Passage
Cast: James Stewart, Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, Dianne Foster, Elaine Stewart, Brandon De Wilde, Jack Elam, Hugh Beaumont
Director: James Neilson
Music: Dimitri Tiomkin

About a week ago (on cable TV), I got to see Kirk Douglas sing and play the banjo in "Man Without A Star". Now, in "Night Passage", I got to see Jimmy Stewart sing and play the accordian. I guess these were the most expensive singing cowboy pictures ever made. I wonder who else got musical in the big pictures? Did John Wayne ever play the guitar? Did Randolph Scott ever play a fiddle? Somehow, I don't think so...

The accordian actually played a plot point in this movie. It involves Jimmy who, having once worked for the railroad, being offered a job again. An outlaw band has been robbing the train of its payroll for those who are laying the track. It turns out that one of the gang is The Utica Kid (Audie Murphy) who happens to be Stewart's brother. It culminates in a big climactic gunfight. And this is one of the few gunfights I can remember where we actually see the hero reloading. In some movies, you'd swear a pistol might hold 20 bullets. Brandon De Wilde is in this movie...he was the kid in the classic Shane.  Other notable supporting polayers include Jack Elam and Paul Fix.

As with 3 Godfathers, the only extra here is the movie trailer.  The film is presented in it's original widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35: 1.  We have a nice color print and a fine music score by Dimitri Tiomkin.

(From Roger's Ongoing Westerns Marathon on July 2nd, 2009)

In the City of Sylvia, a review by goodguy

In the City of Sylvia (ES/FR 2007)

Cover Blurb:

The name-dropping in the cover blurb isn't entirely wrong, but it is a bit misleading. You need to think of Hitchcock without plot and Rohmer without dialogue. The film celebrates (and, with a soft irony, also criticizes) the obsessive romantic pursuit of an idealized image. Despite the lack of a traditional narrative, there is plenty of dramatic tension and suspense, but it is created through composition, visual and aural, through patterns, structure and style.

This is one of the most remarkable, beautiful and pure films of recent years. During the last few days, I have watched it three times, and I could so again. Very highly recommended.


(From goodguy's Watch Log on March 21st, 2010)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

HOME IMPROVEMENT - SERIES ONE - PILOT



First aired: 9/17/1991   
After Jill explicitly tells Tim not to touch the dishwasher, he breaks it in an attempt to make it more powerful; more of a "man's" dishwasher. Jill has a job interview, but she doesn't get it and when Tim tries to comfort her, he only makes matters worse. After talking to Wilson, Tim tries again and succeeds.
Sickly nice Tim Allen (he must have something bad about him!) stars in this long running series, viewing the pilot after having watched quite a few episodes from different seasons on tv. This is what I call perfect dinnertime viewing, doesn't need huge amounts of concentration and you can take your eyes off it for a few minutes and not miss anything. Standard sitcom fare, I will watch this on and off over time, nothing bad to say about it, it is was it is!


(From My PILOT Marathon on May 19th, 2008)