Rage at Dawn & To the Last Man - Western Movie Double Feature DVD | Classic Cowboy Films for Movie Nights & Western Fans

This review refers to the Platinum Disc DVD edition of "The Great American Western:Volume 1"....7/5/12 UPDATE _ PLEASE NOTE:Amamzon has listed two different editions, and reviews for both are mixed together.There is a 1 disc set:Great American Western V.1, The - it runs 309 minutes total/has 4 films(see below in my review) There is also a 2 Disc set:The Great American Western, Vol. 1: Randolph Scottwhich runs 680 minutes(must be at least 8 films) - but other than the same 4 listsed on the 1 disc edition, the titles are not shown.You may want to check with outside sellers to see what other films are in the edition they are selling and also to make sure you are getting the edition you want, if purchasing from the outside merchants.I have sent Amazon a note asking them to correct this. Hopefully they will.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Review of 1 disc edition:Randolph Scott is the feller that sets the ladies hearts a flutter, and saves the day not once, but four times in these old 'oaters' that will cure that hankerin' for the sights and sounds of the old west so many of us love. Four fun films, with great stars, notable filmmakers and writers, and definitive Western fare from the 1930's, 40's and 50's at a price you can't refuse! Such a deal!The films: "To The Last Man", from 1933 based on a Zane Grey story, is truly the story of who will be the last man standing, as two families' fussin' and feudin' takes it's toll on all over the years.And to boot, the Romeo and Juliette theme takes over as our guy Randy falls for the wrong woman! It's directed by Henry Hathaway, and what a cast..Esther Ralston, Jack La Rue, Buster Crabbe, Noah Berry, Gail Patrick and Fuzzy Knight. Also look for John Carradine and a little tiny Shirley Temple."The Fighting Westerner"...This one made in 1935 is another adapation of a Zane Grey novel("Rocky Mountain Mystery"). Scott stars as a detective sleuthing a sudden outbreak of mysterious murders at a mining co. Suspect no one, suspect everyone! Lots of twists and turns, and a little romance as well. It is directed by Charles Barton and costars Ann Sheridan, Kathleen Burke, Willie Fung and Charles "Chic" Sale who adds quite a bit of humor to the story."Abilene Town"(1946)...A three way mini civil war breaks out in the town of Abilene, Kansas. Cattle drovers,the town merchants, and the new homesteaders go at it.Can't we all just get along???...It's up to our guy to come up with a plan for all to leave in peace. Fabulous faces to look for..Lloyd Bridges, Rhonda Fleming, Edgar Buchanan, Ann Dvorak and Helen Boyce. It is directed by Edwin L. Marin."Rage At Dawn": From 1955, this one is in technicolor and is based on the Reno Brothers. Robbing banks, terrorizing the good townspeople, and just being a general menace to society, these guys needed to be stopped! Enter one brave lawman James Barlow(Scott), who infiltrates the outfit and tries to restore law and order to the community. It's not easy though, as the town leaders are getting kick backs from the bad guys are are not willing partcipants to seeing justice done! More wonderful stars include Forrest Tucker and another appearance by Edgar Buchanan. Directed by Tim Whelan.Okay, so these films are not pristeen. They do show their age. There are scatches from the prints, and there is occasional humming noise in the background. But for the most part the pictures themselves were surprisingly clear and all have had the sound enhanced in DD5.1.The color seemed a little off in "Rage At Dawn"....But hey..for the price, I thought Platinum, did a great job of putting together so many of these packages for us Western lovers to choose from. There isn't anything on these transfers that take away from the enjoyment of the view.The films are all on one disc and all on one side. There are 4 chapter stops per film.The films run from about an hour to an hour and a half.When I ordered this DVD, other then that they all starred Randolph Scott, I didn't know what I would be getting. As of yet, Amazon, does not list the titles, so it's kind of a grab bag. But as I was getting ready to order volume 2(the Lee Van Cleef series), and going through the list available, I did notice that there are also package deals with anywhere from 5 to 10 discs at an even lower price then buying them seperately.You can also just look for your favorite star(John Wayne,Gary Cooper, etc).It's a tough decision to wrastle with.So if you git a hankerin for watchin the good guys vs. them lily livered pole cats,check out these "Great American Westerns".Five stars to Platinum for bringing us all these package deals and making it easy and inexpensive for us Western fans to get our daily dose of 'oaters'.Happy trails.....Laurie