Reviews (1)

El Cid
The best acting that Mr. Heston has ever accomplished. The character of El Cid came alive on the screen with such excitement and realism. He put his heart in this character, and the result was magic. A time, a place and a great hero was honored by the choice of Mr. Heston to play this role. The role was made for him and echoes his own personality amd strength. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

The Way We Were
Almost fifty years after this movie's release date (1955), I am still haunted by the magnificent aerial photography. This movie must be seen for that reason alone! As a time-capsule, the movie also deals with a period when the Air Force was moving to jet bombers and gearing up to fight the cold war.

It is now history. We "won" the cold war, most actors in this film are no longer with us and the largest aircraft ever in active service with the Air Force---the B-36, exists only on film.

Forget the story line, forget the Air Force propaganda pitch from the fifties and just relax and enjoy a spectacular scenic view of what others did to help "protect and defend" during a earlier era.

Today, those who continue to protect us by flying stealth technology bombers stand on the shoulders of those who flew the B-36's and B-47's depicted in this movie.

We are all indebted...enjoy the movie!

Historically Accurate; watch it for the aircraft
For many of us, the cold war now seems impossibly far away. However, for those of us whose fathers were in the military during the peak of the war, the concern was always that we could be attacked at any time by the Soviet Union.

Our first line of defense, before our missiles became more accurate, was huge bombers. When these huge aircraft flew, their power and size seemed awe-inspiring. Looking back at this movie, the B-36 now seems ungainly and incredibly complex. The B-47 seems less ungainly, but technology has clearly superceded both these aircraft.

This movie comes across as a recruiting film for the Air Force, and to a certain extent a patriotic film justifying our strategic air forces. The plot is relatively simple, and trying to spice it up with a sub-story regarding Jimmy Stewart's career as a baseball player and his relationship with his wife becomes a distraction. The focus of this movie is flying big bombers.

What gloriously complex aircraft these were. The scenes showing the takeoff of the B-36 were incredible. For airplane enthusiasts, the portion of the film focusing on the reading of the checklist is unusual (because for most people it would seem boring) and unique. Watching how the plane is powered up is nearly worth the exercise of watching the film.

Later we get to watch as the B-47 is transitioned into the active military. We watch as the B-47 is flown in poor weather conditions, and watch the fatigue and boredom set in as the crews flew incredibly lengthy missions.

Some of the most interesting and now somewhat anachronistic parts of the movies are those portions dealing with the functioning of Strategic Air Command (SAC) bases. These bases were very highly protected, and exercises were continuously run to assure that saboteurs or an enemy invading force would be repelled by base security forces. During their period of duty, crews were either in the air or standing by on alert, ready to jump in their plane and be airborne in less than 15 minutes. I remember well an exercise called a "total recall" where every member of the base is called to duty to be prepared for a possible enemy attack.

While the parts of the movie dealing with Jimmy Stewart the baseball player and husband are relative distractions, they do point out the sacrifice that many people made to be in the military at that time. Military aircraft were huge and complex, and tended to break down a lot. The missions were incredibly long, and the flight systems relatively crude, requiring fatiguing concentration. For all the hardship of flying, the pay was low, and often the working conditions including the noise and cold (military aircraft are generally not well-insulated - note how the flight crew is dressed; it was cold up there) were uncomfortable to say the least.

This movie is a rarity that is close to being a historical artifact. While some of the operational details are simplified, in general the scenes depicted are relatively accurate. Further, the scenes with the aircraft are rare and detailed. Forget the plot of this movie; it's about the airplanes, Jimmy Stewart's love of flying and a time that was not so far away.

James Stewart Preserves Our Freedoms with Conviction
This is a very good film from director Anthony Mann starring James Stewart and June Allyson. The film focuses on the operations of post-war America's modern Airforce and the lives of the men and women who lived it. It is beautifully photographed by William Daniels and Tom Tutwiler. We slept much sounder at night knowing the Strategic Air Command was above us protecting our freedoms around the clock. James Stewart's performance is one of honor and conviction.

If you like propliners of any kind, you must have this!
This is a great, classic movie. Forget June Allyson and Jimmy Stewart -- the real star of this is the rare and awesome ten-engined B-36 bomber featured in the first hour of the movie. From the ground-shaking flyover (with real sound!) to an (admittedly dubbed) takeoff, cruise, and landing, it's fantastic footage not found anywhere else. Seeing the giant rare B-36(which flies no more, unfortunately) gives me goose bumps, especially with the lush, dramatic musical background. Just seeing the ground crew during startup as they are absolutely dwarfed by the huge three-bladed propeller is amazing. What an incredible machine. Even the early jet bombers featured in the last half of the movie are interesting to see. If you are of the "old school" when it comes to video entertainment or are a classic airplane lover, join me in grabbing this video and hoping that it also makes it to DVD sometime!

SPECTACULAR! GREATEST AIR THRILLER!
STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND is the greatest air thriller of alltime! A PICTURE WITH A FORCE SECOND TO NONE!!!! A powerful, stirring music score by VICTOR YOUNG accompaines this classic! The story of air superiority in the western world, and the prepardness of the Strategic Air Command, gives new meaning to the majestic skies above! Starring with my favorite plane of alltime, the grand Convair B-36 Peacemakers, and the graceful Boeing B-47 Stratojets that take to the skies in an effort to keep peace in the world! This was the only motion picture ever filmed with grand B-36s!!!! Especially exciting was the low executed flyover of a B-36, at Al Lang Field, Tampa, Florida at the opening scenes of STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND! Then came the spectacular majestic aerial scenery of the B-36 (#5734), as it flew from Carswell AFB, Fort Worth, Texas (the home of the B-36s) to Alaska and back. The aerial scenes took my breath away! The music played for this sequence was SKY SYMPHONY, which really opened your eyes, not only to this powerful Convair B-36 Peacemaker in flight, but the role that Strategic Air Command played in global security 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! The story was inspired by the Ted Williams recall to the marines!
JAMES STEWART plays former Col. Roert Dutch Holland, a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals who at the height of his career (signing a $70,000 a year contract), is suddenly recalled back to active duty with the U.S. Air Force and assigned to the Strategic Air Command for 21 months of active duty. His job is to help SAC to be combat ready, in peacetime activity, before war comes again! His wife JUNE ALLYSON (Sally Holland) doesn't fare much as a air force wife, but she yet to find out that she also pregnant. Under the command of FRANK LOVEJOY (General Ennis H. Hawkes), Dutch tries to get the feel of SAC, meeting a former B-29 crew member HARRY MORGAN (Sgt. Bible), a former friend for WWII BRUCE BENNETT (General Rusty Castle) and other officers JAMES MILLIGAN Gen. Espy), and BARRY SULLIVAN (as copilot Rocky Sanford). He even teams up with an disguntled navigator ALEX NICOL (Ike Nolan), as part of a B-36 pickup training crew. Fate deals a bad hand when the B-36 they're flying to Greenland for cold weather tests, crashlands on the frozen tundra completely breaking apart. (The B-36 had a very damaging engine fire!) The special-effects of the B-36 crashlanding were memorable, much like the crashlandings of the spaceship JUPITER 2 in the TV series LOST IN SPACE! The crashlanding results in Dutch experiencing a serious shoulder injury, which unfortunately he neglects through the rest of the film! An injury that will be his undoing! Rescued along with Ike, Dutch not only has to face his commanding general Hawkes, but also returns home to Carswell AFB, to see that his wife Sally has given birth to a baby girl. He now recieves a new assignment to fly B-47 Stratojets at Mc Dill AFB, Tampa, Florida. The sequence of the B-47 using RATO is aweinspiring!
When the call comes to fly an oversea flight to Japan, Dutch recieves word that a player named Brewster, broke his leg, and an opening is needed to be filled. Dutch reluctant of being part of SAC at the start, now believes that being there is more important than finishing his baseball career, and immediately signs up with the USAF and the Strategic Air Command permanently! When he breaks the news to Sally she becomes very tearful and upset, and races over to catch Dutch before he takes with 45 other B-47s. She angrily berates Gen. Hawkes, while Gen Castle is there. She soon regrets her behavior! Dutch continues to fly, but has to land his B-47 at Kadena AFB, in Okinawa, due to inclement weather. Ther is a breataking sequence of the midair refueling of the B-47 from Boeing KC-97 tanker!!!! While attempting to land at Kadena AFB, his neglected shoulder injury acts up paralizing his right side, and forcing an emergency landing in pouring rain. This was the 2nd special effects of STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND, and it too was great to watch! Dutch is fnally discharged at Offutt AFB (the headquarters of SAC), in Omaha, Nebraska by Gen Hawkes, and enters the waiting arms of his wife Sally who has come to see him. They makes their apoplgies, and embrace as a flight of B-47s fly overhead, thus ending the film. Two other music selections are noted: the majestic THE AIR FORCE TAKES COMMAND, played durung the opening credits; and the tender memorable love song THE WORLD IS MINE played with great feeling during the bedroom sequence as Dutch leaves Sally to fly to Greenland! All the music I love and especially love to hear THE WORLD IS MINE. STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND takes off to a new realm of high flying adventure and drama. There will never be a film like it ever! It's one will treasure always! A piece of americana and heritage to cherish forever!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Only the names have been changed...
Roy Martin (Richard Basehart) is as cold as an ice pick and as ruthless as teflon. Martin is a burglar, an extortionist, and worst of all, he's a cop killer.
Alfred Werker's HE WALKED BY NIGHT is a taut, moody police procedural. Some have called it a film noir, but it lacks certain key elements to merit that brand. In noir the cops are usually as corrupt as the bad guys. HWBN lacks that moral ambiguity. We never doubt that Martin is evil and the cops are good. Noirs also delight in probing the psyche of the protagonist. HWBN keeps it lead character at arm's length. Martin is a creature of the shadows and the sewers, half emerging into the light only long enough to extort or kill. There's not a shot in this movie that is taken from his point of view. Even when the scene includes only Martin and his dog we're kept at a distance. We're detached observers rather than participants. HWBN wants to exterminate rather than examine and explain. Evil can't be understood by the good, but it can be eliminated.
I wouldn't pick at this point if MGM didn't call HE WALKED BY NIGHT "this film noir classic" on the dvd jacket. The difference between HWBN and film noir is as great as the difference between Faulkner and Hemingway, and fans of the genre shouldn't be misled.
If you looking for comparisons, DRAGNET is a lot more appropriate. Jack Webb has a small role in here, and it was while working on this movie he met the LAPD technical advisor who helped him develop Dragnet for radio (it debuted shortly after the movie opened.) As it goes in most police procedurals, the bad guy is too clever by half and the good guys can prevail only after a painstaking investigation and a slow accumulation of evidence.
What HWBN does share with film noir is a gritty, alienating, urban setting and evocative light-and-shadow photography. Los Angeles is presented here as cold and lifeless, filled with anonymous cottages and enormous storm tunnels.
That said, HE WALKED BY NIGHT is a wonderful movie. Basehart is icily effective as the loner killer. The semi-documentary feeling and naturalistic acting styles employed are just right for the subject matter. If you don't find yourself running out of the room every time an old Dragnet or a newer CSI comes on, you might just enjoy this one.

Only the names were changed...
Roy Martin (Richard Basehart) is as cold as an ice pick and as ruthless as teflon. Martin is a burglar, an extortionist, and worst of all, he's a cop killer.
Alfred Werker's HE WALKED BY NIGHT is a taut, moody police procedural. Some have called it a film noir, but it lacks certain key elements to merit that brand. In noir the cops are usually as corrupt as the bad guys. HWBN lacks that moral ambiguity. We never doubt that Martin is evil and the cops are good. Noirs also delight in probing the psyche of the protagonist. HWBN keeps it lead character at arm's length. Martin is a creature of the shadows and the sewers, half emerging into the light only long enough to extort or kill. There's not a shot in this movie that is taken from his point of view. Even when the scene includes only Martin and his dog we're kept at a distance. We're detached observers rather than participants. HWBN wants to exterminate rather than examine and explain. Evil can't be understood by the good, but it can be eliminated.
I wouldn't pick at this point if MGM didn't call HE WALKED BY NIGHT "this film noir classic" on the dvd jacket. The difference between HWBN and film noir is as great as the difference between Faulkner and Hemingway, and fans of the genre shouldn't be misled.
If you looking for comparisons, DRAGNET is a lot more appropriate. Jack Webb has a small role in here, and it was while working on this movie he met the LAPD technical advisor who helped him develop Dragnet for radio (it debuted shortly after the movie opened.) As it goes in most police procedurals, the bad guy is too clever by half and the good guys can prevail only after a painstaking investigation and a slow accumulation of evidence.
What HWBN does share with film noir is a gritty, alienating, urban setting and evocative light-and-shadow photography. Los Angeles is presented here as cold and lifeless, filled with anonymous cottages and enormous storm tunnels.
That said, HE WALKED BY NIGHT is a wonderful movie. Basehart is icily effective as the loner killer. The semi-documentary feeling and naturalistic acting styles employed are just right for the subject matter. If you don't find yourself running out of the room every time an old Dragnet or a newer CSI comes on, you might just enjoy this one.

Storm Drain Troopers
He Walked by Night is okay, but it isn't classic film noir.

If you want to see how Jack Webb's TV show Dragnet developed its style, this police procedural is the blueprint. Oddly (considering his wooden TV acting), here Jack Webb plays the most interesting cop. Webb is a CSI-type, spending his time in the laboratory comparing bullet striations and playing with explosives. The tough-guy detectives make fun of his soft-spoken manner. He lets the neanderthals mock him because he knows he's smarter than they are.

Except for Richard Basehart's insane killer techno-wizard, the acting is mediocre. You see a couple of the character actors who became regulars in Webb's repertory company for Dragnet.

When a cop is killed, the LAPD rounds up every male alone on the the streets. They roust men out of hotels and arrest everyone who looks suspicious. They handcuff all the scum together and drag them downtown. But they don't get the guy who actually killed the cop because he's a good-looking young white war veteran and doesn't resemble the types they instinctively go after.

As the narrator speaking to us from 1948 describes how the police go about rounding up all these lowlifes, he assumes we won't worry about any rights of theirs that are being violated. After all, it's only been seven years since Japanese-Americans were rounded up and put in camps.

When the cops try to interrogate an old Chinese man dressed like he walked in from a Fu Manchu movie, they can't hide their exasperation at his speaking his own language.

I expected there to be more to Richard Basehart's character. When the police first discover his scientific equipment and weapons, it looks like he's been planning something big, but nothing ever comes of it.

We never find out why someone so intelligent became a thief and killer. Because he uses the sewers under Los Angeles to avoid the police, I expected one (admittedly overdramatic) ending, but the police just track him down.

The ending is flat. You don't feel that justice is served, or order restored.

Often misunderstood.
In response to Jammmer's (from Wyoming) review, let me begin by saying that the prerequisite for liking this movie has nothing to do with "Dragnet." I've seen many, many episodes of "Dragnet," and except for the presence of Jack Webb and a similar overall format, this movie is very little like "Dragnet" (and I doubt that Jammmer has even seen an "original" "Dragnet" episode). I addition, the cops in this movie are not portrayed as "wonder-boy saints." They are portrayed as regular human beings who make mistakes and even get killed (or seriously injured) on the job. This was done to rebel against the super-hero image that cops had been given in Hollywood for a long time, and I'm surprised that such an apparent "expert" in classic films like Jammmer couldn't figure that out. Along these lines, the acting was kept restrained to give the police a less glamorous image, but what I'd like to know is how people like Jammmer expect cops on the job to act. Should they tell some jokes, shed a tear, or chase a dame while they are on a routine job? Look at everyday people's faces while they are working and that is what you are supposed to see on the cops in this movie. In addition, this movie is a semi-documentary that is supposed to illustrate a real crime scene. When police go after crooks, they do not immediately know the crooks' motives, or other things that Jammmer wishes this movie would illustrate. Jammmer's comments and others like it simply prove that many people cannot grasp the original concept of this movie. But I can and the movie pulls it off excellently.

LA Crime, 40s Style
Well--some reviewers consider "He Walked By Night" a masterpiece--at least one other reviewer called it "pathetic". From my three stars, you can guess that I am somewhere between these two extreme views. I can think of a number of 40s "film noir" melodramas that are superior to this one, but I still found it an interesting way of passing 80 minutes.

With respect to acting honours, it is no contest. This is Richard Basehart's movie, hands down. His cold-blooded killer is a very different animal to some of the rough-looking types
( hello Rondo Hatton ) that inhabit some of these movies. We are reminded that, years before his TV fame on "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ", Richard Basehart was a very fine actor. I agree that most of the actors portraying "LA's finest" are stone-faced, cardboard cut-outs--Scott Brady and, of course, Jack Webb are wooden in the extreme. I thought that Roy Roberts fared a bit better, expressing emotion that seemed to be beyond the grasp of those zombies reporting to him. B-movie regular, Whit Bissell, is appropriately nervous as an electronics dealer, who finds he has been doing business with a killer. Also, if you are a B-movie buff, you will spot Kenneth Tobey as a cop, just a couple of years away from his encounter with "The Thing From Another World", and several other nasty, sci/fi creatures.

I found the shots of LA in the 40s very interesting, and I love old cars, so the historical aspect was a plus for me. Of course, we are decades away from computers, so police methods in this film will seem very quaint to younger viewers. The "profile" scene is well done--various citizens are called in to help the police determine what Mr. Basehart looks like, and the results are very effective.

The movie does generate a lot of suspense, and the final showdown in the drainage tunnels is well done.

The DVD has a nice black and white picture--mono sound of course. If you like old-fashioned crime films, that do not wear out their welcome, this modestly-priced disc would fit in your collection. I would also not want to discourage MGM--or any other company--from issuing films of this type and vintage. ... Read more

Reviews (60)

'The Perfect Knight' a PERFECT Film!
'El Cid' is the IDEAL film for any fan of great tales of Knighthood, the Age of Chivalry, and great tales of adventure! Directed by Anthony Mann with reverence to the best elements of the genre, shot on location in Spain, the mammoth production stars perfectly-cast Charlton Heston as Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a warrior held in such respect by both friend and foe, that he is nicknamed 'El Cid' (The Man). Sophia Loren is luminous as his ladylove, Jimena (one might quibble that she NEVER ages through the film, but Loren is so radiant in the role, who cares?) The battle scenes are epically staged, the color photography is rich and tapestry-like, the sets and costumes capture the feel of medieval Spain, Miklós Rózsa's score is sweeping, wildly romantic, and, in its organ finale, triumphant; EVERY element in this film WORKS, and is a labor of love!

The screenplay, by Philip Yordan, Fredric M. Frank, and Ben Barzman, uses Vivar as the definition of Chivalry; noble, with lofty ideals, he opens the film by defending the Crucifix in a small Spanish town, defeating a band of Moors, then showing them mercy, which earns their respect, and gains the blessing of the Church (the symbolism of 'El Cid' and the Cross is clearly juxtaposed; he is truly sent as an answer to Spain's prayers!)

He and the beautiful Lady Jimena, daughter of the King's Champion, are to be wed, but when Vivar is forced to face him in a duel, killing him, as the elder attempts to defeat him by treachery, Jimena is sworn to avenge her father's death!

Inheriting by default the title of Champion, Vivar is immediately thrust into a spectacular combat against a rebelling city's Champion, fought with an array of medieval weaponry; this scene is the first of many highpoints of the film, and is incredible! The hard-fought victory 'vindicates' Vivar's new title, and Christendom and Spain has its true Champion against the Moor!

The film has all the classic elements; heroism and betrayal, pure love and jealous hatred, divine purpose and petty manipulations. Above all of this towers 'El Cid', whose lofty ideals are never compromised, whose only dream is to serve a united Spain. Nothing, not even death itself, will prevent him from fulfilling his destiny!

If you have only one film about Knighthood or Chivalry in your collection, this should be it! No other movie even comes close to 'El Cid'...it is truly a triumph!

A superbly crafted and highly under rated masterpiece
I saw El Cid soon after its release in 1962 when I was just 12. I was then in an armed forces training school at Dehradun, India, and the entire college had to march five miles to the theater to see it as an inspiring and motivational film for future military leaders. We had never heard of the Cid or any other Spanish hero till then. But, when we left the hall, after seeing this 3-hour magnum opus, we were never to forget him. Since then I must have seen this film on video and in theaters scores of times. On every occasion I was moved afresh by the heroism and sacrifice of 'the man who rode away into legend'- El Cid. I do not think, except for Ben Hur, Sound of Music and Titanic, any other English film has made such a lasting impact. Yet, surprisingly and sadly, El Cid has never figured in the all time greats of Hollywood. Both Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren have given splendid and unforgettable performances, probably their best ever. Their characters and role have been superbly etched by a screenplay, which has done justice to a long but very well knit story. Both the indoor settings and outdoor locales, in which the film was magnificently shot, are so beautiful and natural, that one is literally transported into Spain in the Middle Ages. The lance duel on the plains of Calahara is superbly picturized in the timeless tradition of Hollywood immortal scenes. By the time the movie reaches its unforgettable climax you feel a hollowness creeping into your heart, for you realize that the magic of one of the greatest cinematic epics is about to end and you have no choice but to return to the dreary everyday world! I eagerly look forward to replace my ageing video cassette with the newly released DVD, which I am sure will give me viewing pleasure for as many years ahead as the tape and film versions had given me in the past.

Preservation of a magnificent, splendidly cinematic event
My sentiments are pretty much identical with the ones of the gentleman Sri, from India. I am very disapointed that this magnificantly depicted story has not found favor with the DVD formating industry. After all stories such as 'Tale of two cities', 'Count of Monte Christo', 'Man in the iron Mask','Scarlet Pimpernel', the list goes on..;has been formated in DVD format. I can only wonder if the reason for not having 'El Cid' on disc was a matter of preference or economics at time of decision? I understand that not everyone may enjoy this 'Genre'but personally I believe it's one of the best re-telling of a magnificent, by-gone era and is certainly worthy of DVD formating-if for nothing else but to retain History. I truly wish that this masterpiece of cinamatic splendor would be re-formated and re-mastered digitally. It is such a great story and so masterfully depicted that it most certainly worthy of telling to future generations-and what better way to preserve this on DVD format, since it keeps a lot better than Tape?

DVD available on amazon.fr
This film deserves a Criterion DVD complete with a restored print. It certainly is a timely film and I find its vision of mutual tolerance and charity between Christians and Muslims particularly welcome at the present moment (especially with all those frothering neocons yapping about a clash of civilizations). It will be interesting to see Ridley Scott's forthcoming Crusades film, which looks to be an avatar of El Cid.
There is curently a DVD available from amazon.co.uk, but do not buy it. It is full screen, not widescreen. There is a DVD available from Amazon.fr, however, which does have widescreen. I saw the film when I was eight (for my birthday) in 1962 and saw it on television (wth a pan and scan edit) which butchered the 70 mm Technirama print. The fullscreen (tv) format gives one only less than two thirds of the actual frame. It's a wonder to see the French DVD version on my 23 inch flat computer screen. the only problems with htis DVD are that the print is not a great one--there are scratches every now nad then, and hte sound track is momentarily off for a few seconds. More troublesome is that the French subtitles were burned into the print, so they can't be removed when you watch the DVD in English (there is also a French dubbed version). And the various menu features don't work except for film and language tracks. Still, I'm glad I got it and recommend it until a DVD here becomes available.

Rodrigo's Christians against Ben Yussef's Moors
This grand, epic film tells many stories but the main thread is about the selfless, noble sacrifice of the gallant El Cid, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, who was able to effect an alliance of Christians and Moors to defend Spain against Ben Yussuf and the very real threat of a Moorish invasion from North Africa. El Cid faces many trials and tribulations in his quest for peace and freedom in war-torn Spain, where palace intrigue and plots, treachery and assassinations threaten the country's stability. Charlton Heston's Rodrigo is a man of courage and bravery who is also just and sees the senselessness of killing Emirs and spares the lives of five captives after a battle in order to spare the citizens from Emirs seeking revenge for the killing of their soldiers. Thus begins Rodrigo's long, lonely and often thankless struggle to free Spain from the fear of Ben Yussuf. Rodrigo's battle to defend his father's honor against the slurs made by Chimene's father is only the first of many trials he faces until many years later when the final battle and victory against the Moors is at hand and will bring peace and unity to Spain. Sophia Loren is quite lovely as Chimene who finally embraces Rodrigo as her husband and realizes that it is he who represents Spain's only hope for peace and freedom. The battle scenes are well done, with much of the action shown in close-quarters combat and the beauty of Spain's castles and countryside is captured in beautiful widescreen Technicolor. The superb production has a wonderful music score by Miklós Rózsa that is evocative of the beauty and sorrow of this quixotic land on the Iberian Peninsula...a land of contradictions with its own unique character and mystique. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

All right
Erich von Stroheim plays a vaudeville artist Flamarion who works with a gunshot act. Mary Beth Hughes and Dan Duryea are his married assistants. But Mary Beth doesn't want to be with his drunken husband anymore so she seduces Erich into his murder. The two have no chemistry together which makes the Flamarion character look all the more sadder.

This film isn't great but it paved the way for Anthony Mann. This was one of his first films and he would explore noir films further. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

I don't come from anywhere...
Some men arrive with provisions for a store, most of them will return from whence they came. One man, portrayed by James Stewart, may have come from Laramie but its not his home and does not intend to return until he finds out who supplied the rifles to the Apache - rifles which were used to kill a cavalry troop, among them his brother.

His quest brings him into conflict with a local landowner who has dreamt that a man would one day come to kill his son. Is it the man from Laramie?

James Stewart and Anthony Mann made some great films together - this was the last, and by no means the least. I have said it before and I'll say it again - James Stewart was the finest actor ever and this film features another fine performance.

The DVD transfer (anamorphic) is excellent - picture quality and sound are excellent. My only complaint is the lack of features. Trailers for the other Stewart/Mann films at least would have been a worthy addition.

A GREEK TRAGEDY IN THE DESERT
Director Anthony Mann's THE MAN FROM LARAMIE is a movie lover's dream. It's a western shot in the beautiful deserts of New Mexico with enough action to keep your mind occupied while your eyes wander through the landscapes. James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy and Donald Crisp are at their best and the rest of the cast gives a great performance.

Some of the reviewers have already noted the shakespearian flavour of the story so I'm rather going to underline other evident references. OK ! So, in THE MAN OF LARAMIE, we have an old man with a recurrent dream, a dream announcing that a stranger will come and murder his son. When Alec announces to Vic that he's becoming blind, we cannot have any doubts more : we are witnessing another variation of the myth of Oedipus. From this moment on, you're going to have a subtle pleasure to read THE MAN FROM LARAMIE with a pair of freudian glasses ! Let's observe these brothers ( Vic HansBRO ) fight for the love of their old father, let's mourn the disappearance of Alec's wife who created a monster out of her son in order to hurt her macho husband, etc..

Images and sound (stereo) are OUTSTANDING. For once, a production company has forgotten the usual economic laws and takes advantage of the real possibilities of a DVD by presenting 4 or five different subtitles. Thank you Columbia !

A DVD for your library.

Another great James Stewart western
This collaboration between director Anthony Mann and actor James Stewart is another dark character study as Stewart once again is a cowboy on the vengeance trail as he heads for a dusty New Mexico town in search of gun-runners who supplied rifles to the Apaches who wiped out a cavalry troop that included his younger brother. The town of Coronado and the surrounding territory are controlled by a cattle baron who owns the Barb ranch and doesn't take kindly to outsiders meddling in the town's affairs. Rancher Alec Waggoman's neurotic son Dave and tough but high-strung ranch foreman Vic Hansbro resent Will Lockhart's determination to uncover the mystery of Apaches acquiring rifles and why the massacre just happened to take place on Waggoman's land. The film has a few touches of extreme violence without being graphic and Stewart's straight-shooting Lockhart is likeable and believable. The picture's romantic angle is more implied than stated between Lockhart and Barbara Waggoman and is realistic in the way it unfolds during Lockhart's investigation in Coronado. A great cast of supporting actors was assembled for this movie and makes this star western even more enjoyable.

poor colorization
Originally saw this film in Black and White. This colorized version is poor at the best; spend the time and effort to find the B/W; the hokie-ness detracts from the movie itself.

Deserves more attention
Hard to believe I missed this jewel before. Just an outstanding collaboration by Stewart/Mann. I really don't see the brutality here that so many people are quick to scream these days, and who cares about King Lear? This is just a great Western in the classic sense. Jimmy Stewart was always his best in the "I'm gonna get you sucka'" role and he is terrific here. The story outweighs some casting issues but you won't care. Cathy O'Donnell is exactly like Stewart describes her..."beautiful", a fragile genuine treasure.

The DVD transfer is nothing but spectacular. I've never seen colors like this anywhere and there's plenty of scenery to "wow" at. Amazing actually but that's an Anthony Mann trademark. Just jumped into my top five all time list. 5 mules, still standing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Anthony Mann made some of the greatest Westerns of the 1950s, all inpartnership with James Stewart. Perhaps needing to prove himself as his own man,in 1957 Mann dropped out of Night Passage to do this film. It's a ratherschematic character study about a lawman-turned-bounty-hunter (Henry Fonda) whoundertakes the professional shaping-up of an effete young sheriff (AnthonyPerkins) too tentative to police the streets of his town. Those streets arecompositionally present right outside the oversize window of the office wherePerkins undergoes a lot of his soul-searching and arguments with Fonda. That'stypical of the film--scrupulously designed, yet abstract to the point ofdramatic aridity. The VistaVision black-and-white of cameraman Loyal Griggs(Oscar®-winner for Shane) is at once stark and glossy. Fonda's ownreclamation as a social being is accomplished by way of a not-very-interestingsubplot involving Betsy Palmer and a half-breed child played by Michel Ray.--Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (10)

GOES AGAINST MANNs OWN FORMULA
THE TIN STAR seems to go against Anthony Mann's own formula, not so much for its plot, but in its casting of the principal actor Henry Fonda as the catalyst that motivates young sheriff Anthony Perkins (and the film) to live up to the demands of the position. Fonda's casting and presence as the hero seems to make the role static and less complex when compared to what James Stewart could have brought to the role (Stewart was Mann's usual choice for the leading man in his Westerns). Fonda's character is one of a bounty hunter / ex-sheriff who appears to have no moral ambiguities, thus the apprenticeship of Perkins under Fonda's moral stalwartness brings a very straightforward relationship to these main characters. Visually the film also seems to be limited to the town rather than on the wide unclosed vistas of the open range. This claustrophobic effect seems to repress elements of this otherwise interesting screenplay. However, these are only observed peculiarities to Anthony Mann's usual style. This is still a tightly scripted and enticing Western. The showdown between Perkins and Neville Brand is excellently played out. Elmer Bernstein's early Western score is very absorbing and insightful to the film's narrative. I particularly like Henry Fonda's role and his performance in this film. This is a good Western.

Very good but under-appreciated western.
Henry Fonda was one of the greatest movie actors ever -- sometimes I think that he was THE greatest. Somehow Fonda managed to BE whomever he was playing, with no hint that he was acting, despite the wide variety of roles he played over his long career.

In The Tin Star Fonda is superb as an embittered ex-sheriff turned bounty hunter who scoffs at naive but dedicated Anthony Perkins, the newly-appointed sheriff in a town to which Fonda has come to collect the reward for an outlaw he has killed. While waiting in town for his reward money to arrive, Fonda reluctantly mentors Perkins in the art of being an effective sheriff and staying alive while doing it. There is a subplot involving Fonda's developing relationship with a widow (played by Betsy Palmer) and her half-Indian son. Although there is action in The Tin Star, the movie is primarily about the relationships among the principal characters and how they change each other. This is a very good western -- indeed a very good movie -- in every respect. But Fonda's role makes it outstanding. Please don't pass up this under-appreciated classic now that it's available on DVD.

Tin Star
Anthony Mann's THE TIN STAR was a little disappointing. Mann was an early expert in 'psychological' westerns and I guess this one fits that category. Henry Fonda plays bounty hunter Morg Hickman, a man with a past. Hickman rides into town with a bounty trophy and, this being a fairly civilized town, is shunned by the citizens. Doesn't seem to bother him much, though. While waiting for his bounty money to come through he becomes involved with a local widder and her young 'un and helps set young and clumsy sheriff Ben Owens (Anthony Perkins) on the right track.
THE TIN STAR is a little light and domestic for Mann. A run-of-the-mill story with acceptable acting by all involved.

heavy hard star
You can make easily a tin star by cutting that feeble metal from, for example, a fruit can. To carry it is more difficult. From outside the USA it seems public workers aren't so valued as private entrepreneurs.
But not all people serve to do business privately, and some have to choose public work. One of these tasks is being sheriff in old west. In this movie the figure of the sheriff as a public server is well seen: a man not very capable as I suppose were almost all, elected between the people of a small village, honest but without real skills to impose the law against dangerous bandits: So then, that famous tin star should weigh terribly. In contrast there is the gunman: he's very able with firearms but in this film shooting exhibitions pass to a secondary plane. The personage played by Henry Fonda basically knows his profession in full and furthermore, it remains in a slight dark the feeling that he doesn't value life too much, nor those of his preys nor his own, as he's a bitter, lonely, disillusioned man of and uncertain age with not much to lose. That quality, paradoxically, gives him an advantage in all fights owing to a quiet, indifferent mood the sheriff can't attain as he wants to live and hates troubles. The sheriff must risk against his will; the gunman afford these risks without much worry and all these isn't only a matter of mastery with the revolver. The two protagonists are very well chosen, contrasting the sober Fonda with the disquiet Perkins, but in the film at the end, the two men have changed.

THIS STAR SHINES MORE LIKE GOLD THAN TIN!
Henry Fonda's career was never the same after "The Tin Star." Shedding the every man good guy persona that had made him so likeable on screen for so long, on this occasion Fonda's pretty cold, aloof and forboding as a lawman turned bounty hunter. Director, Anthony Mann's in-depth character study of the old west is made even more compelling by a startling performance from Anthony Perkins, as the too gentle for gunsmoke sheriff, to whom Fonda undertakes a shaping-up of.
THE TRANSFER: The VistaVision black-and-white picture elements are in reasonably good shape. Contrast and black levels are nicely balanced. Age related artifacts are present but do not distract. Digital anomalies are also present, but again, do not distract. The audio is mono but nicely balanced.
EXTRAS: Not on this disc!
BOTTOM LINE: "The Tin Star" is an above average western from a time when westerns were a dime a dozen. It's thoughtful and thought-provoking and well worth a second look on DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

One of the best epic westerns
Ford is perfect for this role, and the story is told very well. Fantastic cinematography, including wagons and horses racing to claim land and Ford's strong moral stand at a party with big-time politicians trying to change his views. Timeless and powerful. I loved the ending and Anne Baxter's performance. A great plot with suspense and unpredictable consequences. Very handsome movie, with strong cast.

Magnificent film, one of the best westerns, very artistic
Ford is perfect in this role. The cinematography, including the wagons racing to claim their land, was outstanding. Anne Baxter gives a great performance as the woman Ford leaves for another woman. Great suspense and drama, bold sweeping action, and a wonderful plot perfectly cast and filmed. An essential part of any western collection. I haven't seen the original Cimarron yet, but I cannot imagine telling the story any better. The ending is great too, powerful and patriotic. This is a timeless classic of epic proportions and beautiful storytelling.

Cimarron
I'm glad this is back in print - it's been a while since I've seen it, but it is a classic Glenn Ford role - the deep, rightous, but haunted cowboy. This is definately not a chick movie - the thought processes and emotions that Ford's character explores are no more understood by actual women than they are by his character's wife. My favorite scene is his return from the Spanish American War, and I also thought the ending was well done.

Character of Courage
Clancy (Glenn Ford) portrays the atypical hero of an era gone but not forgotten. His penchant for fun adventure and excitement, always accompanied by goodness and virtue, soon find him at odds with his beautiful new wife. Even though their newspaper business flourishes with potential and periodic problems Clancy's internal restlessness drives him on to War and remote engagements while his dutiful wife attends to the newly founded entity set in the heart of Oklahoma immediately after land rush. Nostalgic movie goers who rarely see the raw character of courage so eloquently presented in films today will relish this return to the adventure of a "humble and reluctant hero." Prepare to shed a tear or two and enjoy a hearty laugh. But Cimmaron will not quickly retire from your memory once you've watched it. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Pushing The Limits
Perhaps one seeing this film for the first time, in this day and age, will not realize just how racy this picture was when it was produced (in 1958). I watch it now, and I still can't believe that they "got away with it". The picture, a yarn concerning a Georgia hayseed family, took the "Ma And Pa Kettle" concept to new heights!

The gist of the story is that Ti-Ti, and his strapping sons, are digging for his pappy's gold, which, legend has it, is buried somewhere on their Georgia farm. They've been digging in the ground for fifteen years.....and haven't found anything yet. The characters seem, to me, to be the basis for the Clampetts on the Beverly Hillbillies........especially Darlin' Jill (who surely was the model for Ellie Mae).

The picture includes one of the hottest forbidden love scenes to ever be committed to celuloid (between Tina Louise and Aldo Ray). This was back in the days when things had to be creatively SUGGESTED (to avoid censorship). Things are different today, when anything goes and a "love scene" is thrown in for mere titillation, showing yet another improbable, sexual acrobatic endeavor between two participants. This scene between "Griselda" and "Will" has actual BEARING on this story. Those were the days.

It might seem quite campy (it is!). It certainly is hilarious, and even tragic at times. I recommend "GOD'S LITTLE ACRE" highly!

ugh, what drivel
I'm a big Mann fan, and i even enjoy his not very good non noir or western films, thunder bay for instance. a great director, but this one stinks. i can't even get up the enthusiasm to criticise it

One of my FAV Tina Films!
I have a lot of Tina Louise's Movies, but I have to say to me this is at the top of my list!( with "Friendships Secrets and Lies" in first place) the plot is terrific and exciting and Tina's role as Griselda proves what a true chameleon she is!! she can play any role and do it beautifully! the acting from everyone in this movie was great! and all of Tina's scenes are touching and powerful. Especially the one tragic scene, and if u see the movie, you will know what scene I am talking about! this is for any die hard classic movie fan! so check it out, and see TINA LOUISE in one of her best roles EVER!!

*TINA*
TinaLouise4ever!!

They don't make movies like this anymore!
Review are you kidding, they just don't make movies like this anymore. Two plots going on at the same time the main being a treasure hunt which causes men to test what their true treasure is and the love story which for its time was almost scandelous. This is a good old fashhion movie. Did I say good. I mean great. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

One of the best epic westerns
Ford is perfect for this role, and the story is told very well. Fantastic cinematography, including wagons and horses racing to claim land and Ford's strong moral stand at a party with big-time politicians trying to change his views. Timeless and powerful. I loved the ending and Anne Baxter's performance. A great plot with suspense and unpredictable consequences. Very handsome movie, with strong cast.

Magnificent film, one of the best westerns, very artistic
Ford is perfect in this role. The cinematography, including the wagons racing to claim their land, was outstanding. Anne Baxter gives a great performance as the woman Ford leaves for another woman. Great suspense and drama, bold sweeping action, and a wonderful plot perfectly cast and filmed. An essential part of any western collection. I haven't seen the original Cimarron yet, but I cannot imagine telling the story any better. The ending is great too, powerful and patriotic. This is a timeless classic of epic proportions and beautiful storytelling.

Cimarron
I'm glad this is back in print - it's been a while since I've seen it, but it is a classic Glenn Ford role - the deep, rightous, but haunted cowboy. This is definately not a chick movie - the thought processes and emotions that Ford's character explores are no more understood by actual women than they are by his character's wife. My favorite scene is his return from the Spanish American War, and I also thought the ending was well done.

Character of Courage
Clancy (Glenn Ford) portrays the atypical hero of an era gone but not forgotten. His penchant for fun adventure and excitement, always accompanied by goodness and virtue, soon find him at odds with his beautiful new wife. Even though their newspaper business flourishes with potential and periodic problems Clancy's internal restlessness drives him on to War and remote engagements while his dutiful wife attends to the newly founded entity set in the heart of Oklahoma immediately after land rush. Nostalgic movie goers who rarely see the raw character of courage so eloquently presented in films today will relish this return to the adventure of a "humble and reluctant hero." Prepare to shed a tear or two and enjoy a hearty laugh. But Cimmaron will not quickly retire from your memory once you've watched it. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Tight, sharp, taut--classic film noir
The short (73 minutes) of this film is not a problem at all; Anthony Mann's direction is so strong that there's no wasted moment. While some films noir suffer from being overly stiff (cf. The Big Combo), this one's fluidity is definitely in evidence. John Ireland is the standout here, but the two female leads--Sheila Ryan and Jane Randolph--are almost as good. A real plus, plotwise, is the 'good girl' falling (at least temporarily) for the bad guy.

Similarly, the 'bad girl' ultimately turns good. These reversals, coupled with the bad guy's peculiar behavior (the infamous perfuming of his bullets) and an unusual shoot-out in a long-after-closing bar full of upside-down barstools make for an interesting film.

Hugh Beaumont's good guy cop is a well-matched foil to John Ireland's Duke Martin, whose occasionally drunk girlfriend meets with Beaumont, near the end, to rat out what she thinks is her two-timing boyfriend.

Definitely one of the better films noir on DVD.

A minor example of film noir from director Anthony Mann
The script for this 1947 gangster film has some major holes in it, but "Railroaded" is worth watching because of the work of director Anthony Mann on this film noir. The dialogue and the acting match each other, which is not a compliment, but seeing Ward Cleaver as a hard-boiled detective is certainly a treat. However, it is Ireland's performance as the crazed killer who likes to perfume his bullets that you will remember. This is not classic film noir, but Mann's visual style is above average for the genre and fans should give this film the once over.

A GREAT MOVIE
John Ireland is sensational in this movie, as always. He is one of the best actors ever, and it is sad he is not remembered that way. RAILROADED and RAW DEAL are both wonderful showcases for his talent. I reccommend any movie with John Ireland in it.

A MOVIE THAT IS NOT SEEN IS A DEAD MOVIE
[I]f you're not a huge fan of both Anthony Mann and the Film Noir genre,
you won't be interested at all in RAILROADED. BUT YOU WILL BE WRONG !
You will miss John Ireland in the role of a sexual perverted bad guy
who likes to perfume his bullets before killing ; in RAW DEAL, another
Anthony Mann's movie shot one year later that you can find in the DVD
standard courtesy of the Roan Group, you will also find one of these
degenerated killers, this time impersonated by a vicious Raymond
Burr.

You will also miss the long bare hands fight between Jane
Randolph and Sheila Ryan, very unusual in Hollywoodian productions of
that period. And there are numerous other anthology scenes that you
will miss.

So make your choice but don't forget that there is only a
scene access as bonus feature if you want to consider Anthony Mann's
RAILROADED as

A DVD for your library.

ONE FOR THE CONNOISEUR
The great Anthony Mann usually had a better than-budget cast for his film noirs, usually including Dennis O'keefe and Raymond Burr. In Railroaded however one has to put up with Sheila Ryan and Hugh Beaumont, but at least the excellent John Ireland is there to lend some credibilty to the acting. What I'm trying to say is that apart from Mann's amazing direction there aren't that many other reasons for seeing this film.

If however you are a connoiseur of the dirtectors art you will get alot out of this movie. As Manny Farber correctly identified this is one of the best examples of the "Germanic Rigour" that Mann brings to his films regardless of the non-existent budget. There are several amazing compositions and camera angles that Mann pulls off in this tour-de-force, and all create an amazing rythym like a well oiled machine. This isn't one for the casual viewer, but it is worth watching to see one of the greatest of all American directors working his magic. One for the purists out there. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

"You cannot escape the person you are."
In the film, "Strange Impersonation" chemist Nora Goodrich (Brenda Marshall) is close to perfecting a new form of anesthesia, and she's also fending off fiance and fellow chemist, Dr Lindstrom. Lindstrom is pushing for a wedding date, but Nora's ambition dictates the conclusion of her experiments before moving on to personal business. Nora decides to accelerate product testing by experimenting with the anesthetic at home. She enlists the help of lab assistant Arline Cole. The experiment, however, goes horribly wrong, and Nora's face is scarred beyond recognition.

Following a bizarre encounter with female blackmailer Jane Karaski, Nora seizes the opportunity to assume Jane's identity. Nora--as Jane--goes into hiding and then undergoes over a year's worth of intense plastic surgery to restore her face.

Director Anthony Mann is considered one of the great film noir directors. So for those interested in the genre, "Strange Impersonation" is a must-see. However, that said, viewers should be aware that the film is seeped in 1940s technology and science (Nora's lab--Nora's experiments, etc), and so much of the film seems extremely dated. There are literally beakers full of smoking concoctions. Also, the film has a very high camp quality. The fights between females, a hideously scarred face hidden by veils, and the nonsensical inability to identify a body because the face is damaged beyond recognition, all add up to a good laugh. While the performances of the main actors are up-to-standard, some of the minor characters are definitely bad actors.

"Strange Impersonation" is absolutely not in the same league as "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "Double Indemnity" or "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers." It's just too campy for that. However, I was extremely interested in Mann's portrayal of females in this film. Nora is a brilliant scientist, Arline is the wicked schemer, and Jane Karaski is a female thug. This is a film about strong women (not necessarily nice) who take fate into their own hands. The characters of the females are fascinating--whereas the males play only dull minor roles on the periphery of the film. "Strange Impersonation" is relatively short--68 minutes long, and if you want to see a "B" cult classic from the 40s, then this film--with all its flaws--is worth your while. This is a restored version of the film, and both the picture and sound were excellent quality--displacedhuman.

A NOTE TO CUSTOMER REVIEWERS...
Please warn readers about potential spoilers at the beginning of your reviews. The ending is revealed in one of the previous critiques. Thanks and happy viewing!

STRANGE "MOVIE".....
A chemist (Brenda Marshall) working on a new anesthetic takes the product home and tries it out. Her assistant (Hilary Brooke), who may be after Marshalls' husband, arranges an "accident" that reults in Marshalls' face being disfigured. Marshall then murders a woman trying to blackmail her over a previous car accident and has to go on the lam with the dead womans' identity. She plots to take revenge and everything snowballs into a nightmare worse than before. The finale sees it all as just a weird hallucination she experienced from the drug. Huh? All this mumbo jumbo is played out in a very short running time. I wouldn't call this a "movie" so much as a cheap experimental student project. There are no production values at all. The sets are cardboard and the acting is dull and at times amateurish. I know that Anthony Mann has a reputation as a low budget film noirist but this is the cheapest attempt at telling a story I've seen in a while. Ulmer's "Detour" is pretty cheap but at least it's interesting. This was interesting at first but the ending just left me flat. Low budget is one thing but out and out cheap is another. I will not fault this films' defenders. To each his or her own. But it's just too cheap for me to see more than once. So it's recommended for Manns' fans and others with their curiosity meter turned WAY up.

SKIN DEEP AND DEEPER
Skin deep is not deep enough.

Jealousy, murder, plastic surgery and revenge in a Hitchcockian tour de force from Director Anthony Mann ("El Cid," "Desperate," "Bamboo Blond," "God's Little Acre").

Mann was widely praised for his meticulous eye for detail and his instinctive sense of mise en scene which he prominently shows in "Strange Impersonation."

The radiant and beautiful Brenda Marshall is a scientist who spurns marriage for her pioneering breakthroughs in the science of anesthetics. That's right, anesthetics. But YOU won't fall asleep watching this very surreal, sly, primitive, artful but low budget tale with a stunning, surprise ending. (Full Screen, B&W, 68 minutes, Not Rated)...

A FEMINIST "DARK PASSAGE"
This cool movie has the production values of a Three Stooges short (Shemp-era), but the writing and acting more than make up for it. The story recalls the best stories by Cornell Woolrich (The Bride Wore Black) and David Goodis (Dark Passage). It's gratifying to see a noir film from the 40's that has so many strong female characters in it. This is an undiscovered gem. Kudos to Kino. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good flick
I thought this movie was good, especially for the time it was made. It didn't get too in depth with psychological facts and explanations, but then again few movies did at this time.

nostalgically psychotic
My father had seen this as a boy when it was first released and had talked about it as one of the scariest he had ever seen. By pure luck, I was at his home when it came on an old movie channel. We sat enthralled for the hour it was on. Well worth the watch and as good as he remembered! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

THE LAST FRONTIER IS ONE OF THE 3 BEST WESTERNS EVER MADE!!!
THE LAST FRONTIER--also known as SAVAGE WILDERNESS--is one of the 3 best westerns ever made!!! #1 is SHANE, #2 is THE UNFORGIVEN, and #3 is THE LAST FRONTIER!!!

Victor Mature shines in his leading role as Jed Cooper, a rough, tough frontiersman who finds his whole world changing around him as he meets the Union officers of a fort in frontier territory, Colonel Marston (Robert Preston) and Captain Riordan
(Guy Madison). This is an adult western, with well developed characters that help the movie to avoid the usual good guys in white hats, bad guys in black hats storyline of most westerns, as the hard drinking and hard living Mature struggles to understand civilization. The title song is great, the photography is great, and so is the directing and acting.

Guy Madison--a former radio announcer--uses his voice extremely well to control his scenes, and Robert Preston is excellent as the obsessed military man. And Anne Bancroft is superb as Preston's military wife, as she is literally swept off her feet by the bold Mature.

Guy Williams--later of "Zorro," and "Lost in Space" has one of his many 1950s bit parts in movies with major stars, constantly in the background--but never seen in closeups--as Private Benton.

THE LAST FRONTIER is different from other westerns in almost every way, from its treatment of Indians to its portrayal of the military, to its development of the romance between an uncivlized frontiersman and a civilized married woman. SHANE had the romance with a married woman--suggested--but no Indians, and THE UNFORGIVEN had neither.

THE LAST FRONTIER IS ONE OF THE 3 BEST WESTERNS EVER MADE!!!

Chari Krishnan
RESEARCHKING

Victor Mature is excellent!
"The Savage Wilderness" tries very hard to achieve a realistic atmosphere but misses the mark under the weight of its Hollywood contrivances. Still, the movie is a very notable attempt at an adult treatment of the genre, and the plot and presentation are intense enough to hook the viewer from the start. Robert Preston plays the most interesting character, a commanding officer determined to go into battle at any cost to his personnel or his marriage, but Victor Mature gives the best performance as a standard semi-savage/semi-civilized trapper-hero. Guy Madison plays the commanding officer who must defer to Preston, and another "Guy"--Guy Williams of "Zorro" and "Lost In Space"--has a minor role as Madison's underling. Handsomely produced and laced with well-directed action scenes. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Only the names have been changed...
Roy Martin (Richard Basehart) is as cold as an ice pick and as ruthless as teflon. Martin is a burglar, an extortionist, and worst of all, he's a cop killer.
Alfred Werker's HE WALKED BY NIGHT is a taut, moody police procedural. Some have called it a film noir, but it lacks certain key elements to merit that brand. In noir the cops are usually as corrupt as the bad guys. HWBN lacks that moral ambiguity. We never doubt that Martin is evil and the cops are good. Noirs also delight in probing the psyche of the protagonist. HWBN keeps it lead character at arm's length. Martin is a creature of the shadows and the sewers, half emerging into the light only long enough to extort or kill. There's not a shot in this movie that is taken from his point of view. Even when the scene includes only Martin and his dog we're kept at a distance. We're detached observers rather than participants. HWBN wants to exterminate rather than examine and explain. Evil can't be understood by the good, but it can be eliminated.
I wouldn't pick at this point if MGM didn't call HE WALKED BY NIGHT "this film noir classic" on the dvd jacket. The difference between HWBN and film noir is as great as the difference between Faulkner and Hemingway, and fans of the genre shouldn't be misled.
If you looking for comparisons, DRAGNET is a lot more appropriate. Jack Webb has a small role in here, and it was while working on this movie he met the LAPD technical advisor who helped him develop Dragnet for radio (it debuted shortly after the movie opened.) As it goes in most police procedurals, the bad guy is too clever by half and the good guys can prevail only after a painstaking investigation and a slow accumulation of evidence.
What HWBN does share with film noir is a gritty, alienating, urban setting and evocative light-and-shadow photography. Los Angeles is presented here as cold and lifeless, filled with anonymous cottages and enormous storm tunnels.
That said, HE WALKED BY NIGHT is a wonderful movie. Basehart is icily effective as the loner killer. The semi-documentary feeling and naturalistic acting styles employed are just right for the subject matter. If you don't find yourself running out of the room every time an old Dragnet or a newer CSI comes on, you might just enjoy this one.

Only the names were changed...
Roy Martin (Richard Basehart) is as cold as an ice pick and as ruthless as teflon. Martin is a burglar, an extortionist, and worst of all, he's a cop killer.
Alfred Werker's HE WALKED BY NIGHT is a taut, moody police procedural. Some have called it a film noir, but it lacks certain key elements to merit that brand. In noir the cops are usually as corrupt as the bad guys. HWBN lacks that moral ambiguity. We never doubt that Martin is evil and the cops are good. Noirs also delight in probing the psyche of the protagonist. HWBN keeps it lead character at arm's length. Martin is a creature of the shadows and the sewers, half emerging into the light only long enough to extort or kill. There's not a shot in this movie that is taken from his point of view. Even when the scene includes only Martin and his dog we're kept at a distance. We're detached observers rather than participants. HWBN wants to exterminate rather than examine and explain. Evil can't be understood by the good, but it can be eliminated.
I wouldn't pick at this point if MGM didn't call HE WALKED BY NIGHT "this film noir classic" on the dvd jacket. The difference between HWBN and film noir is as great as the difference between Faulkner and Hemingway, and fans of the genre shouldn't be misled.
If you looking for comparisons, DRAGNET is a lot more appropriate. Jack Webb has a small role in here, and it was while working on this movie he met the LAPD technical advisor who helped him develop Dragnet for radio (it debuted shortly after the movie opened.) As it goes in most police procedurals, the bad guy is too clever by half and the good guys can prevail only after a painstaking investigation and a slow accumulation of evidence.
What HWBN does share with film noir is a gritty, alienating, urban setting and evocative light-and-shadow photography. Los Angeles is presented here as cold and lifeless, filled with anonymous cottages and enormous storm tunnels.
That said, HE WALKED BY NIGHT is a wonderful movie. Basehart is icily effective as the loner killer. The semi-documentary feeling and naturalistic acting styles employed are just right for the subject matter. If you don't find yourself running out of the room every time an old Dragnet or a newer CSI comes on, you might just enjoy this one.

Storm Drain Troopers
He Walked by Night is okay, but it isn't classic film noir.

If you want to see how Jack Webb's TV show Dragnet developed its style, this police procedural is the blueprint. Oddly (considering his wooden TV acting), here Jack Webb plays the most interesting cop. Webb is a CSI-type, spending his time in the laboratory comparing bullet striations and playing with explosives. The tough-guy detectives make fun of his soft-spoken manner. He lets the neanderthals mock him because he knows he's smarter than they are.

Except for Richard Basehart's insane killer techno-wizard, the acting is mediocre. You see a couple of the character actors who became regulars in Webb's repertory company for Dragnet.

When a cop is killed, the LAPD rounds up every male alone on the the streets. They roust men out of hotels and arrest everyone who looks suspicious. They handcuff all the scum together and drag them downtown. But they don't get the guy who actually killed the cop because he's a good-looking young white war veteran and doesn't resemble the types they instinctively go after.

As the narrator speaking to us from 1948 describes how the police go about rounding up all these lowlifes, he assumes we won't worry about any rights of theirs that are being violated. After all, it's only been seven years since Japanese-Americans were rounded up and put in camps.

When the cops try to interrogate an old Chinese man dressed like he walked in from a Fu Manchu movie, they can't hide their exasperation at his speaking his own language.

I expected there to be more to Richard Basehart's character. When the police first discover his scientific equipment and weapons, it looks like he's been planning something big, but nothing ever comes of it.

We never find out why someone so intelligent became a thief and killer. Because he uses the sewers under Los Angeles to avoid the police, I expected one (admittedly overdramatic) ending, but the police just track him down.

The ending is flat. You don't feel that justice is served, or order restored.

Often misunderstood.
In response to Jammmer's (from Wyoming) review, let me begin by saying that the prerequisite for liking this movie has nothing to do with "Dragnet." I've seen many, many episodes of "Dragnet," and except for the presence of Jack Webb and a similar overall format, this movie is very little like "Dragnet" (and I doubt that Jammmer has even seen an "original" "Dragnet" episode). I addition, the cops in this movie are not portrayed as "wonder-boy saints." They are portrayed as regular human beings who make mistakes and even get killed (or seriously injured) on the job. This was done to rebel against the super-hero image that cops had been given in Hollywood for a long time, and I'm surprised that such an apparent "expert" in classic films like Jammmer couldn't figure that out. Along these lines, the acting was kept restrained to give the police a less glamorous image, but what I'd like to know is how people like Jammmer expect cops on the job to act. Should they tell some jokes, shed a tear, or chase a dame while they are on a routine job? Look at everyday people's faces while they are working and that is what you are supposed to see on the cops in this movie. In addition, this movie is a semi-documentary that is supposed to illustrate a real crime scene. When police go after crooks, they do not immediately know the crooks' motives, or other things that Jammmer wishes this movie would illustrate. Jammmer's comments and others like it simply prove that many people cannot grasp the original concept of this movie. But I can and the movie pulls it off excellently.

LA Crime, 40s Style
Well--some reviewers consider "He Walked By Night" a masterpiece--at least one other reviewer called it "pathetic". From my three stars, you can guess that I am somewhere between these two extreme views. I can think of a number of 40s "film noir" melodramas that are superior to this one, but I still found it an interesting way of passing 80 minutes.

With respect to acting honours, it is no contest. This is Richard Basehart's movie, hands down. His cold-blooded killer is a very different animal to some of the rough-looking types
( hello Rondo Hatton ) that inhabit some of these movies. We are reminded that, years before his TV fame on "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ", Richard Basehart was a very fine actor. I agree that most of the actors portraying "LA's finest" are stone-faced, cardboard cut-outs--Scott Brady and, of course, Jack Webb are wooden in the extreme. I thought that Roy Roberts fared a bit better, expressing emotion that seemed to be beyond the grasp of those zombies reporting to him. B-movie regular, Whit Bissell, is appropriately nervous as an electronics dealer, who finds he has been doing business with a killer. Also, if you are a B-movie buff, you will spot Kenneth Tobey as a cop, just a couple of years away from his encounter with "The Thing From Another World", and several other nasty, sci/fi creatures.

I found the shots of LA in the 40s very interesting, and I love old cars, so the historical aspect was a plus for me. Of course, we are decades away from computers, so police methods in this film will seem very quaint to younger viewers. The "profile" scene is well done--various citizens are called in to help the police determine what Mr. Basehart looks like, and the results are very effective.

The movie does generate a lot of suspense, and the final showdown in the drainage tunnels is well done.

The DVD has a nice black and white picture--mono sound of course. If you like old-fashioned crime films, that do not wear out their welcome, this modestly-priced disc would fit in your collection. I would also not want to discourage MGM--or any other company--from issuing films of this type and vintage. ... Read more