​Westerns beyond formula

As well as iconic scenery, period settings, costumes and props, the Western genre is noted for its predictable, easy-to-follow morality plays of good vs. evil, even though story subtext might often reflect contemporary concerns. After the success of “Stagecoach” (1939) and especially after World War II, however, major directors at major studios would more frequently use the Western as a framework for psychological drama and social criticism.

A number of memorable westerns produced by 20th Century Fox have come to Blu-ray in recent months. Two in classic Academy-ratio black-and-white released by Kino, and two in color and early CinemaScope released by Twilight Time make a good mini-festival.

Gregory Peck and Richard Widmark play uneasy partners leading a gang of bank robbers in “Yellow Sky” (1948), a character-driven western expertly directed by the versatile William Wellman from a well-plotted script by Lamar Trotti (who also produced the film).

The gang pulls a bank robbery and heads into the dry desolation of Death Valley to escape the pursuing posse. They soon realize they did not bring enough water, but just as they’re on their last legs they happen upon an abandoned mining town inhabited only by a feisty girl (Anne Baxter) and her prospector grandfather (James Barton). When the gang members figure out that the pair have remained because they’ve found a new vein of gold, they plot to steal it. However, the hitherto tough and unsentimental Peck falls for the girl and the gang splits into two factions, one led by Widmark, before an inevitable final confrontation.

Production values and cinematography emphasize the gritty realism of the situation and rough edges of all the characters. There is a lot of talk, giving greater dimension to what would normally be minor characters in a genre picture like this, but also a few good action scenes and spectacular scenery filmed on location.

Picture quality is excellent on Kino’s Blu-ray. Audio is likewise very good. The main bonus feature is a leisurely but interesting audio commentary by William Wellman, Jr. There is also a trailer plus trailers to four other westerns on Blu-ray from Kino.

YELLOW SKY on Blu-ray – Movie: A- / Video: A+ / Audio: A / Extras: C+

Tyrone Power and Susan Hayward lead a great cast in “Rawhide” (1951), a tension-packed noirish western from veteran director Henry Hathaway. The familiar-looking story of people being held hostage by criminals bears some similarities to “The Petrified Forest” (1936) and “Key Largo” (1948), among others.

Hayward is a strong-willed traveler with a young child who takes an instant dislike to Power as the reluctant but clever assistant to stagecoach station manager Edgar Buchanan. They must pose as husband and wife once the station is invaded by bandits planning to hold up the next stage, and then deal with various unexpected turns of events to survive. Everything is very well-plotted in Dudley Nichols’ script and skillfully directed to heighten the suspense. Striking black-and-white cinematography intensifies things all that much more. It may be a familiar formula, but is so well-made it becomes a minor classic.

Kino’s Blu-ray has outstanding picture quality and good sound. Bonus features include two featurettes and a brief restoration comparison. There are also trailers to four westerns Kino has released on Blu-ray.

RAWHIDE on Blu-ray – Movie: A- / Video: A+ / Audio: A / Extras: B-

Henry Hathaway also directed “Garden of Evil” (1954), a laid-back character study masquerading as a western adventure. The film’s set-up has Gary Cooper, Richard Widmark, and Cameron Mitchell getting loosely acquainted in a Mexican saloon until an excited Susan Hayward suddenly enters trying urgently to hire men to help rescue her husband, severely injured and trapped in their gold mine. Then they embark on a dangerous journey across the Mexican wilderness populated by hostile Apaches.

Along the way, the different characters and questionable motivations of each begin to emerge while tensions gradually build and continue when they reach the mine with various confrontations among themselves. The film has a few action scenes but is more concerned with internal character conflict, as well as the process of the journey itself. Shot on location in Mexico, it makes great use of the scenery in its colorful CinemaScope image.

The picture on Twilight Time’s Blu-ray is a bit contrasty with some soft-focus shots, but otherwise is sharp with good color, though some flesh tones are yellowish. The stereo soundtrack has some good directionality, and Bernard Herrmann composed his score specifically for multi-channel stereo playback. The disc includes an isolated music track in DTS 3.0 stereo. Other bonus features include a booklet, an audio commentary, three featurettes, and two trailers.

GARDEN OF EVIL on Blu-ray – Movie: B+ / Video: A- / Audio: A- / Extras: B

Edward Dmytryk’s “Broken Lance” (1954), like Anthony Mann’s “The Man from Laramie” (1955), includes some major plot elements loosely adapted from Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” What appears on the surface to be just another revenge western about family rivalries is actually a character drama of a dysfunctional family dealing with race relations, industrial pollution, and other issues decades before it became fashionable.

Perhaps a bit preachy at times, the film is put over through strong performances by Spencer Tracy, Richard Widmark, Robert Wagner, Katy Jurado, and more. This film also exploits “the miracle of CinemaScope and the wonder of stereophonic sound” to enhance the storytelling experience, thus benefiting greatly from a large screen and good audio system.

Twilight Time’s HD transfer has good color and sharpness, although certain shots are sometimes soft-focus. The DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack is also good. Bonus features include an illustrated booklet, an isolated music track, an audio commentary, a brief newsreel, and two trailers.

BROKEN LANCE on Blu-ray – Movie: A- / Video: A- / Audio: A- / Extras: B-