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The Warriors (1955) Errol Flynn, Joanne DruDirector: Henry LevinCo-stars: Peter Finch, Yvonne Furneaux, Michael Hordern, Robert Urquhart85 minutes, TechnicolorDVD-R: Region ALLFlynn's final swashbuckler is a rousing costumer shot in Hertfordshire, England, which doubles as 14th-century France. Hordern is Edward III, whose men have defeated the French in the Hundred Years' War. Hordern comes back to England and allows his son, Flynn, to stay on the continent and keep watch over the Empire's new acquisitions in Aquitaine. The French king is a captive, but his countrymen still don't accept the defeat and have decided to begin a counterattack. Since Hordern returned to England with a great many troops, there is but a skeleton crew in France and the rebels know it. Further, French leader Finch has taken Dru, a British noblewoman, as a hostage. Finch is no great patriot, though, and he wants to take back Aquitaine for selfish reasons. He's a count with a mean disposition and cunning ways. He takes Dru to a castle, where she will be kept until the war is finally over, thinking his plot will cause Flynn to walk right into a trap with his men. Flynn, however, has other ideas. He masquerades as an itinerant knight, joins Finch's army, and gathers information as to the weaknesses of Finch's forces. In the exciting final sequence, Flynn leads his men in a defense of Hordern's castle. (This was the same castle used in IVANHOE--also shot at the Elstree studio in England.) Dru is rescued and Flynn, once again, is at the forefront of a revision of history. The picture looks totally authentic; the dialog is sparse when it should be and never becomes overblown. It's a good example of the genre, although Flynn, at age 46, was becoming a bit wrinkled and grizzled for this type of role. Yvonne Furneaux sings "Bella Marie, " and while it's a pleasant air, it has nothing to do with the picture and seems to have been shoehorned in.

Starring Ralph Byrd, Ramsay Ames, Lyle Talbot, Goerge Offerman Jr., Robert BarronDirected by Wallace FoxColumbia's 33rd serial (made between "Jack Armstrong" and "The Sea Hound") was based on the character that first appeared in "Action Comics" No. 42, who was a radio singing cowboy who doubled as a crime-fighting, motorcycle-riding crime-fighter with a pre-teen Chinese boy, Stuff, as his answer to Batman's Robin, although Stuff ran a lot or errands that Robin didn't have to do since the Dynamic Duo had Alfred the Butler (both versions) to do those. In the serial version, Stuff became a white, draft-age sidekick played by George Offerman Jr.(and we are still looking for any film made in the 30's and 40's that this actor was billed as the incorrect George Offerman rather than the correct George Offerman Jr), which fit right in with the costume changes that Columbia tagged The Vigilante character with; a snappy-brim fedora and a Montgomery Ward catalog white Gene Autry- style shirt instead of the large flat-brimmed hat and double-button blue shirt he wore in the comic books. The nose-chin covering bandana is about all that survived the comic book to screen transfer. They also changed Greg Sanders, the Vigilante's alter-ego from a radio troubador to a western film actor and miscast Ralph Byrd in the role (they could have held John Hart over from the previous serial who would have fit the role better) as a government agent known as the Vigilante investigating the case of the "100 Tears of Blood", which are rubies sought by a gang led by the unknown (ha!)X-1 and the mysterious Prince Amil Hassan (Robert Barron.) While not the worst of the Katzman-produced serials, the best thing about it remains Ramsay Ames, coming toward or going away from the camera.

Starring Basil Rathbone, Victor McLaglen, Sigrid Gurie, Robert Cummings, Leo Carrillo, Billy Gilbert, Irving BaconDirected by John BrahmThough running a mere 75 minutes, Rio has enough plot for ten movies. Basil Rathbone and Sigrid Gurie, previously teamed in The Adventures of Marco Polo, head the cast as crooked French financier Paul Reynard and his wife Irene. Sentenced to a ten-year term in a French penal colony for bank fraud, Paul wonders if his wife will remain faithful to him. At first glance it seems that he has nothing to worry about: Irene and family friend Dirk (Victor McLaglen) head to Rio to arrange for Paul's escape, with Dirk vowing to shield Irene from any and all sexual predators. But once she's landed in the Brazilian capital, Irene falls in love with red- blooded American engineer Bill Gregory (Robert Cummings). Upon emerging from his dank prison cell, Paul realizes that he's lost his wife forever to a better man. Seeking revenge, he prepares to shoot Bill in cold blood, but good old Dirk intervenes, paving the way for a happy ending — for everyone but Paul, that is. Though he plays a thoroughly unsavory character, Basil Rathbone ends up the most sympathetic person in the film, and as such he's the only real reason to sit through the melodramatic convolutions of Rio.

Watch It (1993) Peter Gallagher, Suzy AmisDirector: Tom FlynnCo-stars: John C. McGinley, Tom Sizemore102 minutes, ColorDVD-R: Region ALLPeter Gallagher, who became a patron saint of the yuppies-in-distress sub-genre with SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE, heads a capable cast in this above-average contemplation of modern urban mores, marking a promising debut by writer/director Tom Flynn.Gallagher plays John, whose aimless wandering since leaving college has landed him on the Chicago doorstep of his estranged first cousin Michael (Jon Tenney). Immediately, John is recruited as a pawn in an ongoing game played by Michael and his two roommates, wounded romantic Rick (John C. McGinley, who also co-produced) and goofy sports car mechanic Danny (Tom Sizemore). Called "Watch It, " the game consists of the three playing stupid, sometimes elaborate, practical jokes on each other--Michael, for example, crams a confused John into the house refrigerator so that he can spring out and scare Rick.Soon afterward, John meets and is smitten with veterinarian Anne (RICH IN LOVEs Suzy Amis), without knowing that she has just broken up with Michael, a remorseless womanizer. Rick, meanwhile, fears making a commitment to his girlfriend Ellen (THE PLAYERs Cynthia Stevenson), while Danny, the only one of the trio to lack sex appeal, depends on bar pickups for fleeting fulfillment. John is also skittish where commitment is concerned, making his budding relationship with Anne vulnerable when Michael decides to reclaim his former territory. John prepares to relinquish Anne and hit the road again, but changes his mind and puts into motion a "Watch It" prank that results in the permanent separation of Michael and Anne, the temporary separation of Rick and Ellen, and some tense moments for Danny. John then gets a job and sets about trying to win Anne back, but breaks with his cousin over the latters immaturity and callousness. These qualities in Michael, though, are revealed to have resulted from a dysfunctional childhood; we learn that Michael envies John for the stable upbringing he received, and is constantly trying to revenge himself on womankind for having had to grow up with an alcoholic mother.WATCH IT is awash in "mens movement" psychobabble, including a particularly lamentable tendency to excuse men for their swinish behavior by attributing it to their painful childhood experiences. It finally redeems itself, however, by illustrating the need for individual responsibility, exposing the typical "Iron John" excuses for what they are. Rather than stressing the boyish boisterousness of the title game, Flynn makes it clear that it functions as a substitute for real involvment with the outside world, and particularly with women. Ultimately, the "sensitive" discussions in which the men confront their problems come to seem like the same thing, but on a more sophisticated level; its only when John learns that some things about human behavior cant simply be explained away or talked through that he begins to show some promise as a decent human being.

The Raid (1954) Van Heflin, Anne BancroftDirector: Hugo FregoneseCo-stars: Richard Boone, Lee Marvin, Tommy Rettig, Peter Graves83 minutes, TechnicolorDVD-R: Region ALLHeflin is a Confederate officer who escapes a Northern prison camp with some of his men. They flee to Canada, where they reorganize and plan to strike the Union from the north, hoping to draw forces away from the main fighting. Heflin disguises himself as a Canadian businessman and goes to the sleepy Vermont town of St. Albans to scout it, taking up residence at a boarding house run by widow Bancroft, with whom his relations become something more than formal. When the time comes for his plan to swing into action, Heflin is stymied by the unexpected arrival of a column of Union cavalry. Hotheaded rebel officer Marvin wants to fight them, and his recklessness endangers the whole mission until Heflin shoots him. The raid is delayed 48 hours, then goes off as planned; the bank is robbed, and the town ransacked and set ablaze. Helfin leaves a note for Bancroft, apologizing and telling her that what he did was for the Confederacy. This interesting action film is based on a real incident from 1864. Heflin was at the peak of his popularity, and he contributes a subtle and effective performance here, taking a character that is ostensibly the storys villain and effectively showing his conflicted loyalties and the difficulties of command. A number of other performances are also arresting. Boone scores as a veteran Union soldier who has lost his arm to the war. Marvins rambunctious rebel and Bancrofts kindly landlady are similarly effective. Direction by Fregonese is tight and strong, much aided by the somber camerawork.

Sudan (1945) Maria Montez, Jon HallDirector: John RawlinsCo-stars: Turhan Bey, Andy Devine, George Zucco76 minutes, TechnicolorDVD-R: Region ALLIt's another one of Montez's patented "sand and sex" movies, with lots of dancing girls, brief costumes, and the ubiquitous desert lurking outside the tent. Montez is the new queen of her land of Khemmis, somewhere near ancient Egypt, because her father has been assassinated. She is determined to discover the perpetrator of the dirty deed, and her unctuous chamberlain, Zucco, suggests that the crime was committed by Bey, leader of a pack of recently escaped slaves. Montez believes Zucco (not yet knowing that it was Zucco himself who actually did the deed) and doffs her royal robes in favor of peasant gear in order to masquerade as a civilian and personally wreak revenge on Bey. She thinks she can trap Bey and take his life, and Zucco is all for it, hoping that she will somehow get killed out there so he can assume the throne. On the off-chance that she might actually survive the rigors of the desert, Zucco takes no chances, hiring Robert Warwick, a slave trader, to kidnap her and dump her body out where the camels roam. Montez, however, is made of stronger stuff and manages to escape her fate with the help of Hall and Devine, two itinerant Egyptian hobo/pickpockets who also steal horses when they can find a willing buyer. Devine and Hall don't know that Montez has the blue blood of royalty pounding in her lovely veins and treat her as they would any woman on the run: with humor and a touch of disdain. Just when it seems they've gotten away, they are recaptured by Warwick and his henchmen. Their deaths are imminent when Bey, at the forefront of his band of slaves, sweeps into the village where the executions are to take place and saves them all, exhibiting lots of derring-do and looking like a Turkish Errol Flynn. (Bey was actually born in Vienna of a Turkish father and Czech mother.) Montez appreciates Bey's intervention but is still convinced that he was the man who slew her beloved father, although she doesn't tell him that. The group returns to the capital city and, once there, Montez reveals her power and has Bey thrown in jail. No sooner is that accomplished than Zucco shows his true colors (yellow on yellow) and marshals his powers to have Montez tossed in the same prison. Hall and Devine have watched Montez and Bey and realize that the two love each other. They manage to break Bey out of jail, then all flee to the mountains, where Bey has been gathering his forces for an eventual assault on Zucco's army. Zucco then uses pain to extract the location of Bey's headquarters from Montez and takes her and his men to the hideout. In a spectacular finish that sees Montez miraculously spared, there are several thousand rocks just waiting to be released on anyone who comes that way; Bey lets the boulders fly and the advancing evil-doers are crushed into fodder.This time, Bey gets the female star and Hall is only used as comedic counterpoint with Devine. Hall had gained some weight and was no longer the svelte leading man he was in ALOMA OF THE SOUTH SEAS, ARABIAN-KNIGHTS, ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES, and a host of other costume pieces. Dominican-born Montez was only 25 when this was made but her career was already waning. She had weight problems and eventually embarked on a too-strenuous diet and died in her tub from a heart attack at the age of 31. Most of her movies were good examples of well-made B pictures and usually coined money. She ended her career overseas in a series of second-rate French and Italian movies, with her final appearance being in THE PIRATE'S REVENGE (LA VENDETTA DEL CORSARO).

Dirigible (1931) Jack Holt, Fay WrayDirector: Frank CapraCo-stars: Ralph Graves, Hobart Bosworth100 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD-R: Region ALLThis was another adventure yarn in a series Columbia produced with the Holt-Graves combination (WAR CORRESPONDENT, FLIGHT, HELL'S ISLAND), but what made it a standout was the direction by imaginative Frank Capra. The story deals with Graves flying over the South Pole a la Admiral Byrd and landing so that the US flag can be planted. The plane cracks up and the occupants are thrown free to begin their freezing trudge back to civilization. It's hopeless, of course, until a US Navy dirigible comes to the rescue under the command of Holt. This film was one of the first big-budget productions approved of by studio mogul Harry Cohn. Capra received a great deal of cooperation from the US Navy and was given the giant, lighter-than-air dirigible Los Angeles for many of his scenes. When doing preliminary takes in Lakehurst, New Jersey, where the great airship was stored in a huge hangar, Capra's production was shut down by union officials insisting that technicians from New York and New Jersey be hired to double those from California. The two union groups actually fought a pitched battle to see which one would receive the pork-barreling payoff, almost destroying the Navy offices in Lakehurst. (It was at this same docking tower that the dirigible Hindenburg would burn up two years after Capra's film was made.) Cohn allowed Capra to spend thousands of dollars re-creating the arctic wastes in the San Gabriel Valley (thousands of tons of cornflakes were used as snowflakes). The entire scene was realistic except that Capra realized that men laboring through the snow would have puffs of steam coming from their mouths. "I've got to see their breaths, " he told technicians. Impossible, they told him; the temperature was 95 degrees. Someone suggested that little cages be built and inside of these cages pieces of dry ice be placed. These were then inserted into the mouths of the actors to produce the necessary cold-breath effect. But the trouble was that no one could pronounce their words with the contraptions in their mouths. In frustration, Hobart Bosworth took out the cage, removed the dry ice, and shoved it into his mouth. He began to give his speech but then screamed and collapsed. He was taken to a hospital where a dental surgeon worked on him for hours. He lost five teeth, part of his jawbone, and a lot of tissue but he was able to speak again in some months. DIRIGIBLE was a huge success, the first Columbia film to be premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater where only important films were first seen. Capra was elated to hear, following the film, a standing ovation. He turned about and saw Harry Cohn in the center aisle, taking bows. The mogul had packed the theater with his cronies to make sure of his success. It wasn't necessary. Audiences across the country flocked to see DIRIGIBLE, fascinated by its exaggerated heroics and mostly the wonderful aerial shots captured by Capra's cameras.

Torrent (1926) Ricardo Cortez, Greta GarboDirector: Monta BellCo-stars: Gertrude Olmstead, Edward Connelly88 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD-R: Region ALLGreta Garbo made a smashing American film debut as a Spanish peasant who becomes an opera diva in TORRENT, a well-made and poignant love story based on the novel by Vincente Blasco-Ibanez.Spanish aristocrat Don Rafael Brull (Ricardo Cortez) falls in love with Leonora Moreno (Greta Garbo), the beautiful daughter of one of his familys peasant tenants. His cruel mother Dona Bernarda (Martha Mattox) tries to break up the romance by dispossessing Leonoras family. Rafael promises to come to Leonoras aid, but his mother forbids him to meet with her. Leonora goes to Paris to pursue a singing career and she becomes a phenomenally successful opera star called "La Brunna." Rafael is pushed into a career in politics by his mother and is forced into a loveless engagement with Remedios (Gertrude Olmsted), the daughter of pork king Don Mattias (Mack Swain).Leonora returns home to visit her family and Rafael tries to rekindle his romance with her, but shes still angry with him for abandoning her earlier, and bitterly rejects him. After Rafael marries Remedios, the town is hit by a torrential storm and Rafael risks his like to save Leonora. She admits her love for him and they plan to leave for Paris together, but his mother once again coerces him into leaving Leonora. Years go by and "La Brunna" has become the idol of Paris, while Rafael settles down into an unfulfilling routine of marriage and public service. They meet one more time--when the gray and middle-aged Rafael goes backstage after an opera performance and Leonora barely recognizes him. He leaves to return to his wife and three children, and as the tearful Leonora gets into a limousine, she hears a fan say "She must be very happy. She has everything."From the very first moment that Garbo appears in TORRENT, it becomes immediately apparent why she became such a huge star, and eventually, a legend. More than just physical beauty, she possesses a kind of innate sadness, and her mysterious and exotic looks seem to be hiding unknowable secrets about the tragedies of life. The role of Leonora is a perfect showcase for Garbos paradoxical qualities of glamorous sexuality and shy innocence, and her love scenes with Ricardo Cortez have a raw carnality and animalistic sensuality unseen on the American screen at the time. When she brushes his body with her tousled hair and wraps her long arms and legs around him with reckless abandon, the result is electrifying.The film itself is very handsomely mounted, featuring stylish art deco sets and an impressively staged flood sequence. Its also beautifully photographed by William Daniels, filled with lovely soft-focus shots of orange-blossom trees and nocturnal trysts in the shimmering moonlight. Daniels, one of Hollywoods greatest cinematographers, whose career stretched from the 1920s to the 70s, would become Garbos favorite cameraman and trusted collaborator. He shot the majority of her films and his contribution to her allure and mystique is often overlooked, but impossible to overstate. Though the specifics of the plot may be dated and melodramatic, its themes of lost dreams and the choices one makes in life, are timeless and still touching, and Garbo makes the whole thing seem fresh and alive.

The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on CDTwentieth Century-Fox undertook a truly monumental production in order to bring Irving Stone’s epic historical biography to the screen. Starring Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison, and directed by Carol Reed (The Third Man, 1949), the film did an outstanding job of bringing the pageantry of the Renaissance to life while telling the tale of the celebrated ceiling. Twentieth Century-Fox’s 1965 film would come just two years in the wake of the studio’s colossal mega-production of Cleopatra. Mounting an elaborate epic of the scale of The Agony and the Ecstasy in the aftermath of such a financial cataclysm was an enormous risk. Reed cast his film carefully and wisely. Moses himself (Charlton Heston) would be brought on to play the tormented artist Michelangelo. To play the warrior Pope, Julius II, Rex Harrison, Cleopatra’s own Emperor, Julius Caesar, returned to don the immaculate papal recreations of costume designer Vittorio Nino Novarese. The scope of the production was enormous. For their to-scale re-creation of the Sistine Chapel, Fox constructed in Rome the largest indoor set that had been built anywhere in the world up to that time. The film was captivating and the performances were wonderful. But the score … well, the score was a work of genius.Another veteran of Cleopatra, composer Alex North seemed to go from strength to strength. Spartacus was an unparalleled masterpiece. Cleopatra was mesmerizing and even more groundbreaking. Agony sent North into an altogether different world and he produced a stirringly emotional and thrilling score that ranks with the all-time greats. Joining with Spartacus and Cleopatra, Agony concluded the composer’s trio of epics in grand style, ensuring that North would be considered one of the masters of the genre forever. It is a designation that not only lasts until today but North’s scores seem on an even higher and more unattainable plane when viewed from a distance of 50 years.Of considerable concern to the filmmakers and studio was that audiences might need an introduction to, or at the very least a refresher course in, the work and significance of Michelangelo. Further, the notion that the artist of what is now one of the most famous of all paintings was, in fact, an artist who never considered himself a painter at all, needed to be emphasized. To do this, after production of The Agony and The Ecstasy had already had been completed, the studio decided to produce a documentary prologue to be shown before the film. Titled The Artist Who Did Not Want to Paint, the twelve and a half minute documentary was beautifully photographed, narrated by voice actor Marvin Miller and scored by the not-yet-legendary Jerry Goldsmith. In his score for this moving study of genius, Jerry Goldsmith produced an absolutely stirring work. In fact, it remained one of the composer’s personal favorites through to the very end of his career. Though scored for full symphony orchestra, the orchestra actually speaks only occasionally. Despite the grandeur of the locations and works of art shown, Goldsmith’s composition is actually one of the most fragile and delicate he ever wrote. The Prologue, twelve and a half minutes in length, was composed in five movements (Rome, Florence, The Crucifix, The Stone Giants, The Agony of Creation), played without a break. As stunning a work as it is, the piece was not included on the original soundtrack album of Alex North’s score. Finally, and for the first time, it is here reunited with the score it was written to precede. Alex North and Jerry Goldsmith were lifelong friends. Given the friendship and mutual respect the two composers shared, it seems particularly fitting and poignant finally to unite such thrilling examples of some of each man’s finest work.This is truly one of the greats!TRACK LIST:The Artist Who Did Not Want To Paint:1. Prologue — The Artist Who Did Not Want To Paint (12:2

Starring Colin Tapley, Jayne Regan, Mamo Clark, Herbert De Souza, Fred PullenDirected by Clyde E. ElliottA young-stiff-upper-lipped British officer, Robert Rogers writes a book about a white tiger and sacrifices of native girls by the Sakai tribe in Malaya. But the critics ridicule the book. Since the book was based on stories Robert's father had told him, there isn't anything Robert can do but trek off to Malaya (after freshening up in Singapore) and prove his old daddy had given him the straight scoop. Especially since the London Explorer's Society had removed the elder Roberts' plaque from its hallowed walls. (Back off...nobody claimed it was going to be "Four Feathers.") Some credibility is lost when, warming up before going after the white tiger, Roberts lassos a Saladang which is advertised as being the most feared animal in the world. Evidently, this Saladang doesn't know his reputation and just reacts to getting roped as calmly as your-everyday water buffalo chewing on his cud. But later on Roberts is captured by a fierce tribe of natives...

Conrack (1974) Jon Voight, Paul WinfieldDirector: Martin RittCo-stars: Madge Sinclair, Tina Andrews, Antonio Fargas, Hume Cronyn106 minutes, ColorDVD-R: Region ALLThis is the true story of Pat Conroy (he wrote the book the film is based on), a teacher who went to a small island off the coast of South Carolina where black children were offered little in the way of education. The students' difficulty pronouncing Conroy's name resulted in the title. Voight is most sympathetic to the young people as he arrives on the island of St. Simon's, Georgia, in 1969 (used to duplicate the Carolina island where the filmmakers could not shoot, for various reasons). To the many illiterate or retarded children, Voight becomes a latter-day Mr. Chips. He opens their eyes to the wonders of the Great Out There: a life that includes classical music, other religions, baseball, and much more that they never dreamed existed in their insular world. At first, the kids and their parents are against Voight's methods, but they are gradually taken into his camp by his sweetness and dedication. There has to be a villain, and it's Cronyn, an official of the local school board, a strict 3 R's man and a Southerner of the old school. Cronyn arranges to have Voight removed; but when the idealist leaves, it is clear that his influence will be lasting. Winfield is excellent as an island resident whom everyone thinks is mad. Ritt was the ultimate New York actor as a young man but in later years fell in love with the South and has spent many happy films below the Mason-Dixon line (SOUNDER, NORMA RAE, HOMBRE, and HUD). As a former Group Theatre actor, he understands the problems of actors and has been able to elicit outstanding performances from people one would not expect depth from. CONRACK did not do the kind of box office business the studio had expected. Surely it had nothing to do with the quality of the work, and the consensus was that the paying customers didn't much care for a film that might have been made in 1950.

Alaska: The Inside PassageStarring: Chenoa Egawa60 minutes, DVD: Region 1Discover one of the most beautiful waterways in the world — the Blue Highway, a major North American sea route that stretches 1, 000 miles from the Puget Sound in Washington state, past the rugged Canadian coast to the channels and islands in southeast Alaska. Learn how the area has changed over thousands of years, from canoes to cruise ships. This travel film's a “road” trip through time you won’t want to miss!Discover the Blue Highway One minute, you are paddling through smooth water along quiet coastal islands and inlets on your way to visit a neighboring tribe. The next, you are steering an ancient sailing ship through dangerous white caps and rocky shores in search of a new northwest route. Experience it all in high definition in Alaska: The Inside Passage!.Beautiful History Mountains and ocean, calm shoreline and soggy forests. Discover one of the most beautiful waterways in the world the Blue Highway, a major North American sea route that stretches 1, 000 miles from the Puget Sound in Washington state, past the rugged Canadian coast to the channels and islands in southeast Alaska. The area is one of the most culturally compelling, as well. Learn how it has changed over thousands of years, from canoes to cruise ships. Its a road trip through time you wont want to miss!Legends of the Land & Sea The Native people of the Inside Passage know from our creation stories that weve lived here since the beginning of time. These islands, channels, bays and beaches have always been central to our existence. The Passage sustains us. -Host Chenoa Egawa, a member of the Lummi and S Klallam nations

Amazon (1990) Kari Väänänen, Robert DaviDirector: Mika KaurismäkiCo-stars: Rae Dawn Chong, Minna Sovio96 minutes, ColorDVD-R: Region ALLAMAZON is a jungle adventure with an ecological angle and Finnish director and co-screenwriter Mika Kaurismaki's English-language feature debut. It throws some intriguing twists into an old genre.The film opens with Kari (Kari Vaananen, who costarred as the "village idiot" in LENINGRAD COWBOYS GO AMERICA, a film by Mika's acclaimed younger brother, Aki Kaurismaki) and his two preteen daughters, Nina and Lea (Minna Sovio and Ailo Sovio), speeding along the grandly named Trans Amazonica Highway, actually a two-lane dirt road that runs north from Rio de Janeiro. Having already fled from his native Finland, Kari is now on the run from Brazilian authorities as well. In flashbacks we see how Kari, a successful businessman in his home country, saw his world fall apart when a car accident left his wife in an irreversible coma. After causing her death by disconnecting her life-support apparatus, Karl bundled his daughters off to Brazil, where he thought the Finnish authorities would never bother looking for him.In Rio, he's promptly robbed and led into a shady scheme to transport contraband. When his partner is killed at a police roadblock, Kari decides to flee once again, even though the police let him go, thinking he's an American. Now on the road, out of money and, later, out of gas, Kari and his daughters are saved by Dan (Robert Davi), a cynical American expatriate pilot-adventurer who helps them get out of the jungle to his village and enlists Kari in a shady scheme of his own to use earth-moving equipment for diamond mining that would make them both rich, even though further damaging the already devastated rain forest environment.Also at the village, Kari meets and falls in love with a teacher, Paola (Rae Dawn Chong), an ecological activist trying to instill in her students a sense of pride in their culture and environment in the hope they'll grow up to resist the destruction of the rain forests. Under her influence, Kari comes to have second thoughts about his partnership with Dan.Dan is killed when his plane crashes in the jungle with Kari on board. Kari is found and nursed back to health by a tribe of Indians, eventually making his way back to his village and into Paola's arms. It's a happy ending, to be sure.The supporting cast is engaging and the cinematography is rich and expressive, as is the moody musical soundtrack.AMAZON is finally most memorable for its powerful, though incidental, indictment of the ongoing destruction of the South American environment. Eerie recurring aerial shots expose once-lush forests that have been scarred, eroded and reduced by human greed and callousness to something resembling arid Martian landscapes.

The Lost World (1960) Michael Rennie, Jill St. JohnDirector: Irwin AllenCo-stars: David Hedison, Claude Rains, Fernando Lamas97 minutes, ColorDVD: Region 1When not writing about Sherlock Holmes, author Doyle penned an occasional fantasy, such as this one about a zoologist who finds a lost world. Rains stars as the man of science who claims he found a lost world in South America on a prior trip. He leads another group to the Amazon area where he intends to prove that dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures still live. His cadre includes St. John, the daughter of a newspaper publisher who is putting up the money for the expedition; Rennie, a playboy-adventurer; Richard Haydn, a serious scientist who doesn't believe Rains; Ray Stricklyn, St. John's brother; and Hedison, a photographer/reporter. They are joined by guitar-playing helicopter pilot Lamas and guide Jay Novello. Into the dense jungle they go and are quickly set upon by dinosaurs, Indians who want to eat them, huge arachnids, and other unpleasantries. The beasts destroy their gear and the explorers are stranded on a plateau. Eventually, they make their way back to civilization, and Rains has a little relic with him; a small dinosaur egg that he plans to take back to England. Irwin Allen, who in the 1970s would become the "master of disaster" with films such as THE TOWERING INFERNO and BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE to his credit, here first tried his hand at directing a special-effects opus.  St. John looks gorgeous and Hedison is handsome. Allen must have liked his work, for he starred the actor in the TV series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" several years later. Doyle's story was originally filmed as a silent in 1925 with Wallace Beery.

The Sound of Music (1965) Julia Andrews, Christopher PlummerDirector: Robert WiseCo-stars: Eleanor Parker, Richard Haydn174 minutes, ColorDVD: Region 1We'd give anything to be little Von Trapp children, living our lives in the confines of this film. We'd refuse to wear clothes made from curtains. We'd sing loudly (like off-key Ethel Mermans) when we were hiding from Nazis, and never compromise our talent to sing before Papa's guests. We'd snatch Eleanor Parker's Eva Gabor wig, moon nuns, and wet Julie's bed during "My Favorite Things." What fun we'd have. Despite the political danger, we know it's leading to music swells and Andrews's million-dollar wedding gown--enough to make Grace Kelly and Princess Di and Elizabeth Taylor slap their mothers. It's so perfectly contrived and mechanical and fresh as a daisy, it's infuriating. And only the sly, insistently subversive Christopher Plummer is on our side.Maria (Julie Andrews) is a young postulant at a nunnery who quickly realizes that the cloister is not for her. Yet she still believes in the values espoused by the church, so she goes out into the world and radiantly attempts to bring what she's learned to the lay world. Soon Maria is hired by Austrian widower Capt. Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) as a governess for his seven singing children. Noting that the children seem cowed by their disciplinarian father, she strives to open their lives to joy. They live in one of the most beautiful sections of the Alps, but only learn to appreciate the surrounding vistas when Maria, with her fresh outlook, shows them what they have. All that is soon threatened by Nazi rule in Austria, forcing the Von Trapps to flee while en route to Salzburg for a musical festival in which they are to perform. A staple of 1960s Hollywood films, THE SOUND OF MUSIC delivered an unforgettable Julie Andrews performance, and presented a most postcard view of Austria. The songs are hard to forget--"The Sound of Music, " "Do Re Mi, " "My Favorite Things, " "Edelweiss", "Climb Every Mountain", and our pick of the litter, "The Lonely Goatherd"--but we're trying. So you expected a serious review?In a nutshell: lovely to look at, scripted competently, with a few chilling moments about the lurking Nazis. And who does Eleanor Parker think she is--Anne Baxter standing in for Joan Crawford?

The Miracle Woman (1931) Barbara Stanwyck, David MannersDirector: Frank CapraCo-stars: Sam Hardy, Beryl Mercer90 Minutes, Black and WhiteDVD-R: Region ALLThe subject of phony evangelists is a tricky one, entailing the risk of offending believers. Barbara Stanwyck is convincing as the daughter of a pastor who has just been discharged from his parish and, as a result, has died of a broken heart. Stanwyck goes in front of the congregation and delivers a stinging denunciation of their hypocrisy. Sam Hardy, a two-bit promoter and con man, realizing that Stanwyck is mighty handy with her mouth, talks her into becoming an evangelist. Soon she is one of the most important pulpit pounders in the land, and, caught up in the furor of phony cripples "healed" and testifying to the pigeons, Stanwyck is too successful to stop. David Manners, a blind ex-pilot who is about to kill himself by leaping out a window, hears Stanwyck preaching on the radio and decides that she might be able to cure him. He goes to the tent and volunteers to step inside a lions cage. His faith brings him closer to Stanwyck, and she is soon in love with him. Russell Hopton, the press agent for the group, wants a larger piece of the spoils, but Hardy wont hear of it and knocks Hopton off. Helped by his love for Stanwyck, Manners overcomes his shyness enough to declare himself through his ventriloquists dummy. When Hardy sees that Manners and Stanwyck are getting close, he arranges a trip to the Holy Land to get her away from the blind lad. Stanwyck is beginning to understand that her faith healing is a lot of nonsense and that the people whom she has really healed just needed something--anything--to believe in. Riskin, who became Frank Capras favorite screenwriter, went on to write such classics as IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN, LOST HORIZON, YOU CANT TAKE IT WITH YOU and and MEET JOHN DOE. THE MIRACLE WOMAN was an expensive film for its day, and every penny shows on the screen. Theres hardly a wasted word or frame of film in the movie. It is a fine film, although it would have been even better had Capra and the writers had the freedom to attack their subject with sabers instead of pins.

The Lawless (1950) Macdonald Carey, Gail RussellDirector: Joseph LoseyCo-stars: John Sands, Lee Patrick, Herbert Anderson, Martha Hyer83 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD-R: Region ALLThe Lawless was director Joseph Losey's second feature-length film. The story concerns a group of Mexican-American migrant workers who are subjected to all sorts of abuse and intolerance by their California bosses. A violent clash between whites and Latinos at a dance results in a torrent of bigotry. Seemingly the only Californian willing to champion the workers' cause is crusading newspaperman Larry Wilder, and soon he too is the victim of senseless mob violence. The story boils to a manhunt for a fugitive fruit-picker who has been accused of fomenting the aforementioned riot. Director Losey, producers William Pine and William Thomas and screenwriter Geoffrey Homes (aka Daniel Mainwaring) are to be commended for tackling a controversial issue in an honest, no-nonsense fashion; even so, the film ends in standard Hollywood-liberal fashion with a white man coming to the rescue.

Song of Norway (1970) Florence Henderson, Toralv MaurstadDirector: Andrew L. StoneCo-stars: Christina Schollin, Frank Porretta, Robert Morley, Edward G. Robinson, Oskar Homolka138 minutes, ColorDVD-R: Region ALLRobert Wright and George Forrest, who adapted themes by Alexander Borodin for KISMET (1955), added English lyrics to Edvard Grieg's music for this biopic of the famed composer. Toralv Maurstad, a popular Norwegian actor, portrays Grieg from his post-conservatory poverty to his marriage to his cousin, Nina (Florence Henderson), causing a family scandal, and on to the success he must find in Rome before he is respected in his native Norway. Along the way, Therese Berg (Christina Schollin), a wealthy former classmate who loves Grieg, makes a deal with her father: if he will arrange a concert for Grieg in Stockholm, she will end her involvement with the young composer. Later, however, she aids Grieg in his quest for recognition in Rome, and her gift of a grand piano overshadows the sacrifice Nina has made to purchase a modest upright piano for her husband. Following the death of friend and fellow composer Rkark Nordraak (Frank Porretta), Grieg realizes his future lies back in his homeland with his wife, who has been living a bare bones existence in his absence, and with his search for music that is truly Norwegian. Shot on location at a cost of $4 million, SONG OF NORWAY makes the most of its magnificent landscapes. The London Symphony Orchestra performed the score based on Grieg's music (as adapted by Wright and Forrest) with John Ogden and Brenda Lucas, pianists, and violin soloist Manoug Parikian. Musical selections include "Strange Music" (performed by Maurstad), "The Song of Norway, " "The Little House, " "Be a Boy Again, " "Three There Were" (performed by Porretta), "A Rhyme and a Reason, " "Wrong to Dream, " "I Love You, " "The Solitary Wanderer" (performed by Henderson), "Hill of Dreams" (performed Porretta, Maurstad, Henderson), "Opening Concerto--The Life of the Wife of the Sailor, " "Solvejg's Song--Norwegian National Anthem, " "Betrothal Hymn, " "Midsummer's Eve" (performed by Chorus), "A Welcome Toast" (performed by Secombe), "Freddie and His Fiddle" (performed by Chorus), "In the Hall of the Mountain King, " "At Christmas Time, " "Ribbons And Wrappings, " "When We Wed, " "John Heggerstrom."

Director: R.G. SpringsteenStars:Tony Young, Dan Duryea and Dick ForanNewly arrived settlers are attacked by local ranch owner Ben Blazer and his men. Kent Taggart sees his parents killed by Blazer's son, whom he tracks home. Taggart kills the boy in front of Blazer, himself dying of a wound, who then puts a price of $5, 000 on Taggart's head, an offer enthusiastically taken up by ruthless killer Jason. Taggart has no option but to head out into hostile Apache country followed by Jason and other no-goods.

The Roots of Heaven (1958) Errol Flynn, Juliette GrecoDirector: John HustonCo-stars: Trevor Howard, Eddie Albert, Orson Welles, Paul Lukas, Herbert Lom121 minutes, ColorDVD-R: Region ALLTHE ROOTS OF HEAVEN deals with the misguided attempts of zealot Howard to save the elephant herds of French Equatorial Africa from the depredations of both hungry natives and big-game hunters. He portrays a man who has spent years in a Nazi POW camp, only thinking about the elephants and their freedom. When he comes to Africa after the war he tries to drum up support for his crusade, but everyone around him in the pestilence-ridden community is either unconcerned or actively engaged in profiting from the continued slaughter. The only support he can muster is from Greco, a prostitute who was also a victim of the Nazis, and Flynn, a drunken former officer in the British army who is accused of betraying his men to the Germans. When Howard is stymied at every turn by official indifference, he takes his campaign into the bush, sabotaging hunting parties. When American radio personality Welles shows up for a little hunting, Howard fills his backside with rock salt from a shotgun. But instead of being furious, Welles goes back to the States and begins boosting Howard over the airwaves. In time Howard is joined in the bush by Greco and Flynn, as well as photojournalist Albert, Danish scientist Friedrich von Ledebur, and German nobleman Olivier Hussenot, who has refused to speak any more as a protest against humanity. The campaign is also joined by a Pan-African liberation group that hopes to co-opt it for its own ends, though these two factions soon split and the liberation group, headed by Edric Connor, throws in its lot with the ivory poachers under Lom. The poachers set out in force to wipe out a herd and Howard gets wind of it. A gun battle breaks out in which Flynn and some of the others are killed. As the film ends, Howard, Greco, and Albert head off into the bush to continue their crusade.The location was one of the worst places in the world, where the daytime temperatures sometimes reached 130 degrees and the nighttime temperatures never dropped below 90. Shooting could only go on until noon, when the heat would stop everything. Actors were constantly sweating off their makeup. At one time or another nearly everyone got sick with malaria or dysentery or some other tropical disease. One member of the cast caught something that even the Pasteur Institute in Paris couldnt identify. Flynn recalled that one Italian in the cast forgot to take his malaria pills and caught "the most virulent type of African malaria, the mortality rate of which is so tremendously high, and he died." Greco had to be flown out when she too contracted the disease. Only Flynn and Huston stayed reasonably healthy, probably because they avoided the local water and drank vodka continually. Welles recalled that Flynn was in constant need of heroin, which the nursing order of nuns at the local hospital refused to give him until Zanuck promised to build them a new wing on the building. Eddie Albert was stricken with a fever and spent three weeks shaking naked on the concrete floor of his hut. Zanuck would have him tied to a pole and carried to the latrine, though when Albert recovered he refused to believe any of it. William Holden was originally cast in the Howard part, but he turned it down, a decision he was probably happy with. Flynn, in the last real movie of his life (after this there was only CUBAN REBEL GIRLS, and death within a year) though the alcohol manages to show a bemused nobility that audiences had almost forgotten he had. The second-unit photography of African fauna and flora by Skeets Kelly, Henri Persin, and Gilles Bonneau is fine. Author Gary might then more readily have gotten personally involved in the production; at the time, he was French consul general in Los Angeles.

Secrets (1933) Mary Pickford, Leslie HowardDirector: Frank BorzageCo-stars: C Aubrey Smith, Blanche Friderici, Mona Maris90 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD-R: Region ALLIn the late 1800s New England, banker William Marlowe and his wife Martha have arranged for their daughter Mary to marry the officious and older Lord Hurley of England. Mary does not want to marry Lord Hurley, but rather John Carlton, a lowly clerk at her father's bank. The two fell in love at first sight. When John and Mary's relationship is discovered by her parents, William discharges John. Knowing he can't get another job in New England, John decides to move west to California to start a new life off the land. Despite the probable hardships, Mary wants to go along and the two elope. They do face those initial hardships, most specifically an especially violent encounter with cattle rustlers, but they are able to carve out a successful life as ranchers. Twenty years, several children and a mansion of their own later, John is a popular choice to run for governor. Some past indiscretions may not only threaten his gubernatorial run but his marriage altogether.

Manslaughter (1922) Leatrice Joy, Thomas MeighanDirector: Cecil B. DeMilleCo-stars: Lois Wilson, John Miltern100 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD-R: Region ALLThis Cecil B. DeMille morality play came at just the right time -- the Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle scandal and William Desmond Taylor murder were both still fresh in the public's mind. Leatrice Joy plays Lydia Thorne, a rich society girl who is addicted to thrills. Because of her reckless driving, she is responsible for the death of a motorcycle cop and is brought to trial. The prosecutor is none other than her fiancé, Daniel O'Bannon (Thomas Meighan). Feeling that prison is her only means of mending her ways, he guarantees her conviction by making a speech in which he depicts the decadence and downfall of Rome (this gave DeMille the opportunity for one of his historical fantasy sequences). After Lydia is found guilty, the miserable O'Bannon becomes an alcoholic, but Lydia does learn from the experience and when she is released she searches out O'Bannon. Her new outlook on life brings him around, and they are together once again. This film is, perhaps, the epitome of the DeMille formula of the '20s -- as long as the characters paid for their sins by the last reel, DeMille could show all the debauchery he wanted. This pleased both the Hayes office's need for censorship and filmgoers' hunger for sensation.

Starring Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Noah Beery, Gregory Gaye, George Cooper, C. Henry Gordon, Bela Lugosi, Noah Beery Jr., Victor JoryDirected by Victor FlemingIn this action-adventure opus, Deucalion (Warner Baxter), Machwurth (Noah Beery), Mordiconi (C. Henry Gordon) and Biloxi (George Cooper) are four members of a desert patrol fighting off godless villains amidst the sand dunes. The four soldiers are lured away from their mission by Eleanore (Myrna Loy), a beautiful but dangerous women who persuades them to abandon their cause and join forces with the enemy. In time, Deucalion and his men discover the evil that lurks beneath Eleanore's seductive exterior, but have they come to their senses in time to rejoin their comrades before the cause is lost? Keep an eye peeled for a pre-Dracula Bela Lugosi, who plays one of the bad guys (no great surprise there).

Starring: Rosemary Lane, Johnny DownesDirected by: William NighA newspaper columnist and host of his own national network radio program, interviewing more film personalities on his show than any other commentator, is searching for a story for a Sunday column carried by newspaper from coast to coast. Hanging out in Hollywood's famed Trocadero restaurant and night-spot, he gets his story when "Troc" owner and band-leader Eddie LeBaron, relates to him the sage of the famed screenland nitery. And hears plenty of music furnished by four of the top name-bands in the land, including that of Bob Chester, who formed his own swing band in 1935 after being top saxophonist with the bands of Ben Pollack and Ben Bernie. Singer Ida James and the Chester band led off with "Shoo Shoo Baby" in their screen debut.

Starring Fernando Lamas, Rhonda Fleming, Brian Keith, Morgan Farley, Rita Moreno, Lon Chaney Jr.Directed by Edward LudwigAt Rio Galdez's remote Brazilian trading post live assorted outcast Americans and Europeans, including Jerry Russell, ex-engineer who became obsessed with the Jivaro headhunters' treasure, quit his job, and took up with the bottle and local girl Maroa. But he still gets letters from his nominal fiancée in California, and unexpectedly the shapely, glamorous Alice Parker arrives, expecting to marry a rich planter. Disillusioned, Alice is almost ready to fall into Rio's arms when news comes that Jerry is missing in Jivaro country.

This Is My Affair (1937) Robert Taylor, Barbara StanwyckDirector: William A. SeiterCo-stars: Victor McLaglen, Brian Donlevy, John Carradine100 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD-R: Region ALLA combination crime-love story and semi-musical set against some true facts, THIS IS MY AFFAIR was the second teaming for off-screen lovers Taylor and Stanwyck. The results may or may not have been what caused them to wait 27 years until they worked together again in THE NIGHT WALKER. The story is set in the early years of the twentieth century. Taylor is a young navy man who had served heroically at Manila under McWade (as Adm. Dewey). A gang of bank robbers have been terrorizing the Midwest; using modern methods, they appear to have been able to bypass security systems, have ways of obtaining bank keys, and seem to take whatever they want whenever and wherever they want. This series of robberies is causing the populace to wonder if banks are safe, so money is being withdrawn and stuffed back into the mattresses whence it came. The President himself, Conroy (as the ill-fated McKinley), arranges to have Taylor resign his commission and disappear, then emerge again as another person with no history, the reason being that Taylor has been secretly handed the role of breaking up the bank robbery gang. The only person who knows about it is the President. Now undercover, Taylor arrives in Minnesota where he begins hanging around with nefarious types. He soon meets Stanwyck, a singer in a saloon owned by McLaglen, who is the leader of the bank robbers. McLaglens sidekick is Donlevy, the half-brother of Stanwyck. Taylor uses Stanwyck to worm his way into the bank robbers confidence, and he is soon accepted. He is bothered by the fact that he is falling in love with Stanwyck, but his duty to his country is more important to him so he continues his plan to expose the crooks. Taylor becomes one of the mob and goes on a job with them. They dont know that hes anonymously tipped off the authorities so when they are all captured, he is one of them and he assumes he can get out by calling upon Conroy. The entire group is sentenced to be executed and that includes Taylor, because McKinley is assassinated by crazed anarchist Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition on September 6th, 1901, in Buffalo, New York. (The wounds were not dressed correctly and McKinley lived eight more days until dying of gangrene.) Blackmer (as Teddy Roosevelt) takes over the reins of the nation and Stanwyck has to make a direct appeal to him in order to get Taylor out of the shadow of the gallows. By this time, Taylor has the names of the higher-ups who have been providing McLaglen with the information on the banks, but it may be too late. Stanwyck has to use all sorts of wiles to get to the closely guarded Blackmer but she is desperately in love with Taylor and just manages to catch Blackmers ear. Taylor is released once Blackmer hears the truth and the two lovers wind up in a clinch at the fadeout. Darryl F. Zanuck was in charge of production at the studio and used his pen name of "Melville Crossman" to supply the story, which had some basis in fact. Since Zanuck was so busy, the film was actually produced by Kenneth MacGowan, who received "associate producer" credit on the picture. There really was no novel by the name of The McKinley Case that we could uncover. Franchot Tone and Alice Faye were the first choices, then Don Ameche was announced. Taylor was under contract to MGM and must have been on a loan-out. He and Stanwyck married two years after this. Despite having once been a chorus girl in the "Ziegfeld Follies" and other stage reviews, Stanwyck never had much of a singing voice. She was coached by composer Jule Styne in the singing of the Mack Gordon, Harry Revel tunes, which included: "I Hum a Waltz, " "Fill It Up, " and "Put Down Your Glasses, Pick Up Your Girl." Blackmers portrayal of Roosevelt was so well done and his face was so well disguised that he submerged his per

Starring Bud Flanagan, Chesney Allen, Hazel Court, Dick Francis and Philip WadeDirected by John BaxterBud Flangan and Chesney Allen, members in good standing of Britain's Crazy Gang comedy troupe, carry the story in Dreaming. The story involves a cheeky British soldier who is knocked unconscious and begins...yes, dreaming. Our hero imagines himself at New York's Stage Door Canteen, at the Ascot races, in Northern Africa and in the middle of Nazi Germany. There's not much in the way of plot, but Flanagan & Allen seldom needed plots, merely premises. Hazel Court shows up in several different characterizations as the hero's dream girl. It might prove interesting to compare Dreaming to the similar 1945 Fred MacMurray vehicle Where Do We Go From Here?

The Road To Denver (1955) John Payne, Mona FreemanDirector: Joseph KaneCo-stars: Lee J. Cobb, Ray Middleton, Lee Van Cleef90 minutes, TrucolorDVD-R: Region ALLThough running 90 minutes, Road to Denver moves along at a much faster clip than most Republic "A" westerns. John Payne and Skip Homeier star as the Mayhew brothers, Bill and Sam. Tired of pulling his headstrong younger brother Sam out of his various scrapes, Bill heads off to Denver alone. Here he takes a job as a stagecoach driver for livery stable owner John Sutton (Ray Middleton). Meanwhile, Sam falls in with crooked saloonkeeper Jim Donovan (Lee J. Cobb), the secret head of an outlaw gang. Inevitably, Bill and Sam find themselves on opposite ends of the law--not to mention rivals for the affections of Sutton's daughter Elizabeth (Mona Freeman). Andy Clyde, who hadn't been seen in a big-budget film in years, steals the show as a believeably comic stablehand. Also featured is Lee Van Cleef in one of his then-typical "laconic bad guy" roles.

Director: Earl BellamyStars: Neville Brand, James Drury and Doug McClureTrampas, a cowhand from Medicine Bow, Wyoming, is sent to Mexico to buy a bull for his employer. The ranch foreman warns him to watch out for himself in Laredo, a tough town on the Texas/Mexican border. Despite the warning, in a western version of the Dumas classic, "The Three Musketeers", Trampas manages to get himself engaged to fight three separate Texas Rangers within an hour of his arrival. Unlike D'Artagnan, he has no notion of actually fighting the Rangers: all he wants is out of Laredo. He's on his way out of town when he runs into the three Rangers--who turn out to be partners--on their way to track down a missing train carrying a payroll. The Rangers, learning Trampas is headed in the same direction they are, suggest they all ride together--that way, they can fight him after they have fulfilled their mission. Without much choice, Trampas wryly agrees. When they find the train...

Director: R.G. SpringsteenStars: Bill Elliott, Marie Windsor and Forrest TuckerZeb Smith is a gambler with a larcenous streak, but when an itinerant preacher takes a bullet meant for him, Zeb vows to fulfill the preacher's mission of building a church. Frustrated in his attempts to get donations, Zeb attempts to capture fugitive Doll Brown in order to obtain the reward. But he finds that there's more to Doll than meets the eye. When his old friend Bucky McLean shows up gunning for Doll, Zeb sees a chance to redeem them all... one way or another.