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The Westerner release on DVD (1 Viewer)

Flashgear

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These 13 episodes should look great, even if they use the existing tape transfers from the '90s...really looking forward to this and hope Shout is planning on giving us Trackdown and Black Saddle...Off the top of my head, I don't know if The Westerner had a pilot shown on Zane Grey Theatre the previous season...Shout hasn't released those later seasons on dvd, so I'm not sure...

You wonder why a Great show like The Westerner didn't catch on, maybe lost in the shuffle with too many other Westerns in the fall of 1960...although it was up against the Great Route 66 on CBS and The Flintstones on ABC... both in their premiere seasons also...and The Westerner had the soon to be cancelled Dan Raven as the NBC Friday night lead in (Skip Homeire's Dan Raven night club cop show sounds intriguing, loaded with guest stars like Bobby Darin, Paul Anka and Buddy Hackett)...

Besides having Brian Keith as The Westerner, and John Dehner recurring, "Brown" the dog was also a veteran performer...having risen from the dead in his previous role as "Old Yeller" in the famous Disney movie...so much to like about this short lived show!
 
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Peter M Fitzgerald

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Wasn't the pilot an episode of ZANE GRAY THEATER?

Off the top of my head, I don't know if The Westerner had a pilot shown on Zane Grey Theatre the previous season...Shout hasn't released those later seasons on dvd, so I'm not sure...

Besides having Brian Keith as The Westerner, and John Dehner recurring...

Fortunately for us, The Westerner pilot, "Trouble at Tres Cruces", is on the Shout/Timeless Zane Grey Theatre - Complete Third Season set (located on Disc 3 of the set).

Also worth checking out is Peckinpah's first theatrical feature, The Deadly Companions (1961), made in color and widescreen just after The Westerner left the airwaves, starring Brian Keith as a somewhat-similar character, who accidentally kills Maureen O'Hara's son in a shoot-out, and helps her take his body to be buried where his late father rests --deep in Apache territory. VCI offers it on DVD in a decent, anamorphic-widesceen transfer, fairly cheaply.

There's one other related bit of television they could include on The Westerner set, as a bonus --although I guess they aren't going to do it, since this appears to be a "bare-bones" collection-- an episode of Dick Powell Theatre, "The Losers" (1963), in which series creator Sam Peckinpah (who directed and provided the story, which was fleshed out by scripter Bruce Geller) tried to resurrect The Westerner as a contemporary-set comedy/drama --putting it into the neighborhood of something like Stoney Burke-- with Brian Keith's "Dan Blassingame" recast with Lee Marvin in the part, and Keenan Wynn taking over from John Dehner as "Burgundy Smith", plus co-stars Rosemary Clooney, Mike Mazurki and Dub Taylor, among others. TV Land (back in the 1990s, when it was still a worthwhile channel) ran it a couple of times, as part of its Museum of TV & Radio Showcase program. So, another Four-Star program that was transferred to tape for cable play (like Zane Grey Theatre and The Westerner), but perhaps there's additional rights issues involved, or they just aren't aware of its existence or connection to the short-lived series, or some combination of same.
 

Dave B Ferris

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Also worth checking out is Peckinpah's first theatrical feature, The Deadly Companions (1961), made in color and widescreen just after The Westerner left the airwaves, starring Brian Keith as a somewhat-similar character, who accidentally kills Maureen O'Hara's son in a shoot-out, and helps her take his body to be buried where his late father rests --deep in Apache territory. VCI offers it on DVD in a decent, anamorphic-widesceen transfer, fairly cheaply.

There was also a thread here, although in a different forum, many, many years ago by a poster who bought a Japanese release (DVD, not Blu, I think - this was years before the VCI release). The poster stated that the Japanese release allowed him to gain an entirely new appreciation for the film.
 

Flashgear

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Fortunately for us, The Westerner pilot, "Trouble at Tres Cruces", is on the Shout/Timeless Zane Grey Theatre - Complete Third Season set (located on Disc 3 of the set).

Also worth checking out is Peckinpah's first theatrical feature, The Deadly Companions (1961), made in color and widescreen just after The Westerner left the airwaves, starring Brian Keith as a somewhat-similar character, who accidentally kills Maureen O'Hara's son in a shoot-out, and helps her take his body to be buried where his late father rests --deep in Apache territory. VCI offers it on DVD in a decent, anamorphic-widesceen transfer, fairly cheaply.

There's one other related bit of television they could include on The Westerner set, as a bonus --although I guess they aren't going to do it, since this appears to be a "bare-bones" collection-- an episode of Dick Powell Theatre, "The Losers" (1963), in which series creator Sam Peckinpah (who directed and provided the story, which was fleshed out by scripter Bruce Geller) tried to resurrect The Westerner as a contemporary-set comedy/drama --putting it into the neighborhood of something like Stoney Burke-- with Brian Keith's "Dan Blassingame" recast with Lee Marvin in the part, and Keenan Wynn taking over from John Dehner as "Burgundy Smith", plus co-stars Rosemary Clooney, Mike Mazurki and Dub Taylor, among others. TV Land (back in the 1990s, when it was still a worthwhile channel) ran it a couple of times, as part of its Museum of TV & Radio Showcase program. So, another Four-Star program that was transferred to tape for cable play (like Zane Grey Theatre and The Westerner), but perhaps there's additional rights issues involved, or they just aren't aware of its existence or connection to the short-lived series, or some combination of same.
Fascinating info Peter, thanks for sharing it...I do have Peckinpah's The Deadly Companions and like it very much, I hope it's released in restored HD someday, ala Criterion's recent blu of One Eyed Jacks...a real showcase role for Brian Keith, working with Maureen O'Hara...and later with her again, along with Jimmy Stewart, in The Rare Breed...the guy really had depth, and was under rated...it seemed quite obvious, in retrospect, that Brian Keith carried a burden in life that informed his brooding and downbeat portrayals...rest in peace...

I have 19 episodes of Dick Powell Show / Theatre, sourced from 16 mm...but "The Losers" isn't among them...that sounds like an intriguing premise and casting for another potential series pilot...for which The Dick Powell Show was known, already having launched Saints and Sinners and Burke's Law with pilot episodes...Dick Powell Show / Theatre is another almost forgotten treasure...fans of Peter Falk know his two memorable episodes, which garnered Emmy awards...among many strong episodes in this prestige anthology series...Very much looking forward to seeing Shout's The Westerner...
 
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JoeDoakes

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So is this based on the set up of the Gary Cooper film or is it something else?
 

Flashgear

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No connection between this 1960 series and the Great 1940 William Wyler film that I know of, Ray...just a coincidence of a generic title...

Incidentally, because The Westerner only had 13 episodes, it was packaged with other 4 Star shows Law of the Plainsman (1959-60), Johnny Ringo (1959-60) and Black Saddle (1959, 1959-60) back in the '90s by Fox for cable TV syndication under the umbrella title The Westerners...of those, I dearly hope that Shout has Black Saddle in the works...and apart from that little gem... Trackdown (1957-59) of course!
 

Richard Gallagher

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Walmart just dropped the price of The Westerner to $14.96. Those who have pre-ordered should receive an e-mail about a price adjustment.
 

BobO'Link

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Walmart just dropped the price of The Westerner to $14.96. Those who have pre-ordered should receive an e-mail about a price adjustment.
I had no idea WM did price adjustments on pre-orders. That's nice to know! Target doesn't - you have to cancel and reorder (or that's what I had to do the one time I did a pre-order from them). I think BB is like Target, but don't know for sure as I've never pre-ordered anything from them.
 

Richard Gallagher

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I had no idea WM did price adjustments on pre-orders. That's nice to know! Target doesn't - you have to cancel and reorder (or that's what I had to do the one time I did a pre-order from them). I think BB is like Target, but don't know for sure as I've never pre-ordered anything from them.

It's the first time I've seen Walmart do it. There also is something on their website about two-day shipping but I didn't have time to read the details.
 

BobO'Link

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It's the first time I've seen Walmart do it. There also is something on their website about two-day shipping but I didn't have time to read the details.
Orders of $35 or more get "free" two day shipping. And they're touting "no membership needed" as a dig at Amazon only offering "free" two day shipping to Prime members - although that has no minimum to get the benefit (although they *did* change most [all?] media $5 and under to "Add-on" items which is $25 or more to ship at all).
 

Richard Gallagher

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My Walmart store received my order today and I just picked it up. The package lists all 13 episodes plus "Trouble at Tres Cruces," the unofficial pilot which appeared on "Zane Grey Theatre."

There also are commentaries by five film historians, including Twilight Time's Nick Redman.

I'll report back after I have a chance to check out the PQ and audio quality.
 

Flashgear

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Wow, I wasn't aware of those added commentaries...I look forward to your review of the set, Richard...

Very Grateful to Shout for going the extra distance and giving the care of a deluxe treatment to the release of The Westerner...the show itself is truly worthy of it...I expect these episodes to look Great...at least the equal of The Loner...
 

Richard Gallagher

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If episode one("Jeff") is representative of the rest of the set, everyone should be very happy. The picture quality is very good, a few specks here and there but overall the transfer is fine. The running time is 25:32, including the Four Star logo at the end. There are no issues with the audio. Good contrast throughout and solid black levels. Three of the first seven episodes have commentary tracks and there are two commentary tracks on Disc Two.
 
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Flashgear

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Thanks for that encouraging info, Richard! I'm very excited about getting this, although I will likely have to wait for it's wide release date...Walmart Canada doesn't carry them unfortunately...but I've had no trouble getting all of the Shout Walmart exclusives upon wide release...so, I'll likely be waiting 90 days or so to get my filthy paws on The Westerner...

Glad to hear of Nick Redman's commentary...it would be great to have a Julie Kirgo essay as well, ha, ha... I wonder who delivers the other commentaries? Perhaps Cary and Toby Roan or Boyd Magers? I did some searches on the web and have yet to find those details...

Once again, much Love to Shout Factory!
 

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