Journey back to the Old West for timeless adventures in the Classic Western Round-Up: Volume 1! Relive all the gunfights, barroom brawls and romance with The Texas Rangers, Canyon Passage, Kansas Raiders and The Lawless Br... more »eed. Starring Hollywood favorites Rock Hudson, Fred MacMurray, Audie Murphy and Dana Andrews, this action-packed collection features some of the most exciting films ever to hit the silver screen! The Texas Rangers (1936) Two crooks (Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie) reluctantly enlist in the Texas Rangers as a means of staying one-step ahead of the law. Canyon Passage (1946) Adventure awaits when a pack-mule express owner (Dana Andrews) escorts a young woman (Susan Hayward) home to a remote Oregon town. Kansas Raiders (1950) Jesse James (Audie Murphy) and his brothers join William Quantrill (Brian Donlevy) and his vengeful raiders in an effort to save the Confederacy. The Lawless Breed (1953) When famed outlaw John Wesley Hardin (Rock Hudson) is released from prison, he gives an in-depth account of his scandalous life to a local newspaper.« less
B. Cathey | Wendell, NC United States | 02/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is volume I of the two volume set of Classic Westerns to be issued by Universal, and it includes four excellent oaters, and if past history is any guide, Universal will give us great transfers in excellent color (where the movies are in color). Fred MacMurray (THE TEXAS RANGERS) was an accomplished Western actor, with not only THE TEXAS RANGERS to his credit but classics such as AT GUNPOINT, GUN FOR A COWARD, GOOD DAY FOR A HANGING, QUANTEZ, and others demonstrating his prowess in the genre. He doesn't disappoint here. CANYON PASSAGE was one of Dana Andrews finest roles, and it's a excellent picture, with Hoagy Carmichael providing some delightful music. Audie Murphy stars in KANSAS RAIDERS, and doesn't disappoint (his legion of fans will be delighted!). Finally, Rock Hudson, again a fine Westerner, is very fine in THE LAWLESS BREED. In sum, four very fine and entertaining Westerns, which, along with volume II, should please Western fans and movie viewers in general."
"Canyon Passage" makes the package worth the money!
Eduardo Randallo | La Pine, OR | 09/07/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Canyon Passage" with Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward, Brian Donlevy, and Hoagy Carmichael is the best movie in this set and is good enough to make this set a worthwhile purchase. "Canyon Passage" was filmed in the Diamond Lake area of Oregon and has wonderful scenery featuring Mt. Thielson as the background in many of the scenes. Mt. Thielson is a sharply pointed peak just north of Crater Lake National Park and Crater Lake is briefly seen in the background as Dana Andrews and Susan Hayward ride past it. The story is interesting and well written and the acting is believable by all the actors which includes Ward Bond and a young Lloyd Bridges. The addition of Hoagy Carmichael singing his songs during the film, especially "Ol' Buttermilk Sky", make this a classic western which should have been released separately but at least it is now available on DVD."
Classic Western Roundup
William Pociengel | West Central Wisconsin | 07/01/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Well going in I had high hopes based on earlier reviews concerning Canyon Passage. That turned out to be a pretty good old style western. If all of the other movies had the same standard then the disk would have been rated 5 stars. The others are good but not as good as CP and that is what brought it down. All of the fils were pretty well played, good plot development and any fan of the old stuff should like this collection."
Western roundup
Antonio Petersen | 07/20/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of those movies you want to see over and over.The Texas Rangers is one of those movie that was made over call The Streets of Lorado with William Holden thats no longer available/Kansas Raiders is Audie Murphy at his best.I also was suprise to see Tony Curtis in a western, A must see movie for all western fans.Audie Murphy has another very good movie call Seven Ways from Sundown with Barry Sullivan that is no longer available/The lawless Breed very good story line a must see all classics."
CANYON PASSAGE MAKES IT WORTHWHILE
Kenneth V. Barnes | Benfleet, Essex. U.K. | 07/16/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The biggest shortcoming with this collection is the inclusion of the 1936 film "The Texas Rangers." A big hit in its day, it has not weathered the years at all well. It was Fred MacMurray's first western and he looks decidedly uncomfortable - especially in his scenes with the irritating Jack Oakie. Universal would have done better to use the 1949 remake
entitled "Streets of Laredo" with William Holden and William Bendix playing the same parts and making it all believable. ( Don't pay any attention to Leonard Maltin's put-down of "Laredo" - it's ten times better than "The Texas Rangers" and it's in technicolor too ). The Audie Murphy film "Kansas Raiders" is adequate western fare and the Rock Hudson first starring role "The Lawless Breed" is a very solid piece of story telling, but it's Jacques Tourneur's expertly crafted 1946 western "Canyon Passage" that makes this release worthwhile. Beautifully photographed, well-written and perfectly performed by an excellent cast, it's everything a western should be. Dana Andrews is a believable hero with certain character flaws such as stubborness, Susan Hayward is an attractive female lead who can't seem to make up her mind which man she really wants and Brian Donlevy manages to be both likeable and villainous at the same time as a weak willed gambler. And Ward Bond is a magnificent town bully. I would have paid the price just to get this film on its own. If Universal had given us "Streets of Laredo" instead of "The Texas Rangers" I would have given this a full five-star rating."