The Painted Stallion (Serial/VCI)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: C Chapters: C+
Though
Disney’s new Alamo (2004) was one of the year’s big
bombs so far, all the companies who have anything related to the story or
characters are coming out on DVD one way ort another. To add to the several Alamo-related DVDs we
have already covered is the 1937 Republic serial The Painted Stallion, which brings a pre-teen Kit Carson
together with Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.
It is preposterous, but this is the same company who put John Wayne in a
1933 serial version of The Three
Musketeers.
With that
said, this is energetic fist-fighting, horse riding Western action that
involves the title horse, Native Americans (still as “Indian” stereotypes) who
shoot the noisiest arrows in cinema history (think a small bi-plane plummeting)
and more silly talk than we needed. The
12 chapters are uneven, but have their moments and some of the cliffhangers
work, while others are a hoot. It may be
choppy and sillier with the more you know about The Alamo, but the spirit of
the piece is not bad, which helps it from aging badly.
The full
frame monochrome image shows its age and looks like it is off of an NTSC analog
master, which explains the extra darkness in darker scenes. Otherwise, the film material it was made with
is not bad and this is the best version of the serial on DVD just the
same. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is a
bit small sounding and slightly warped at times, but serviceable for its
age. It is a couple generations
down. The only extras include four other
serial trailers, a promo for all the VCI serials already issued (which are
many), a photo gallery set to music and biography info on some of the
participants.
Ray
“Crash” Corrigan, best known for the wacky Republic serial Undersea Kingdom (finally back in print from VCI) lost the “Crash”
as the lead here with Hoot Gibson and serial regulars Duncan Reynaldo, Jack
Perrin, Yakima Canutt, Duke Taylor and Charles King. William Witney, Alan James and Ray Taylor
co-directed the happenings and it makes for yet another twisted, amusing
chapter in the mis-history of those involved in The Alamo, even if this was
“the early years” for kids.
- Nicholas Sheffo
