The Searchers 4K (1956/4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/The Spanish Main (1945/RKO/Blu-ray)/The Tall Target (1951/MGM/Blu-ray/all Warner Archive releases)

4K Ultra HD Picture: A- Picture: B Sound: B- Extras: B/C+/C+ Films: B+/C+/B-

PLEASE NOTE: All three of these releases are now only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner Archive series and can be ordered from the link below.

Now for some classic films that try their hand at history....

John Ford's The Searchers 4K (1956) has been fully restored, painstakingly so and the result is up there with the best restorations of the 1950s and the best VistaVision restorations, including several Hitchcock classics, White Christmas and The Ten Commandments. One of the best of many key films Ford directed over the many decades of his career, I previously wrote extensively on it way back in its previous restoration for regular HD formats (Blu-ray and HD-DVD) and you can read more about it at this link:

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4200/The+Searchers+(1956/HD-DVD

A film that sports more Noir elements than might first be obvious and one of the few 'art films' Ford ever directed, he has always argued that he is not an auteur, or a director whose films you can tell are the director's just by looking at them and their themes. I understand how and why he would see himself as a journeyman, but if we were to argue for the auteur banner, this would one of the films to look at.

Ironically, John Wayne and his films continue to be very popular and make more money than you'd think, even as his political stances and crude roles are as politically incorrect than ever before. Is role here is something a bit different, playing a man who is more of a sociopath or even psychopath than had been seen in film before and especially by such a high profile star. I would also argue his popularity is also based on his humor, unique charm and knack for picking unusual scripts that only he and a few other actors could have taken the lead role in. This has led to other triumphs (The Shootist, True Grit, Rio Bravo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) mixed releases (The Alamo, Jet Pilot) and duds (The Conquerer, The Green Berets) so he also took risks. It all led to way more hits than misses.

This film deals with the split between Wayne as hero and Native Americans as always 'evil' and 'the enemy' in a way none of his previous films did. It could have gone further, but the screenplay has other things to deal with and that is why the film has aged so well. Also so well shot and set up, it is a great watch from the opening scene to the final, dark shot that speaks volumes about Wayne, The West and the U.S. itself. A huge influence on Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, the first film in nearly half a century to be shot in Ultra Panavision 70, a major competitor to VistaVision, The Searchers influence continues to grow as the film continues to impress. It is a great Western, even a film for those who do not watch Westerns. We'll have more to say about the film soon, but in the meantime, my analysis of the playback performance of the Blu-ray and especially 4K disc versions.

The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 1.85 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image is from a new 13K scan (both halves of the VistaVision frame scanned at 6.5K) and is superior to all previous transfers on home video and superior to most prints of the film ever struck. Turns out the original camera negative was not in as bad a shape as had been reported when it arrived on the HD formats, but the blue layer of the full color negative had totally faded away, so the backup color separations (the three strips that could also produce dye-transfer Technicolor prints) were pulled out of the vault for the blue strip. Even that was missing frames at times, but they figured it all out.

Also using an actual Technicolor dye-transfer print, they painstakingly restored and re-color graded the whole film and the results are stunning, the kind of restoration that reminds one of Lawrence Of Arabia. Depth and detail are amazing, color range superior, with some vibrant colors showing up against an often drab desert background and the great compositions just make everything more engrossing. Some demo shots are so amazing, they even rate above my rating, but most important is that this hugely influential classic endures and looks the best it has in decades.

The sound has been upgraded to a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mix from the original theatrical monophonic elements (the film was never issued in Perspecta Sound apparently like several of Hitchcock's films and some other non-Paramount VistaVision releases) versus the lossy sound from lesser elements most versions were issued on home video with over the years. This sounds as good as it ever will and the hard work to restore it paid off.

Extras repeat most from the past editions and this has all the extras from the Blu-ray and HD-DVD editions, including an archival feature length audio commentary track with the late, great director/film scholar Peter Bogdanovich (a big Ford fan and Ford scholar) doing his first non-Bogdanovich film commentary since Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, as featured on both disc versions. The regular Blu-ray adds The Searchers: An Appreciation featurette, the Original Theatrical Trailer, 1996 Patrick Wayne introduction, four segments from the TV series Warner Bros. Presents hosted by Gig Young with Jeffery Hunter (about 4 minutes,) a look at Monument Valley (about 6 minutes,) then just over six minutes with Natalie Wood and just over six minutes on Setting Up Production and a 1998 documentary A Turning Of The Earth, John Ford, John Wayne and The Searchers by John Milius, the writer/director behind hits like Conan The Barbarian and Francis Coppola's screenplay for Apocalypse Now. New extras include about 12 minutes of outtakes and 44 seconds of the film's premiere in Chicago.

Frank Borzage's The Spanish Main (1945) is a comical battleship swashbuckler with Paul Henreid as a falsely imprisoned Dutch trade of the sea, drifting by accident into Spanish waters, upsetting the arrogant governor (a scenery-chewing Walter Slezak) who intends to hang him. Of course, he plans an escape and this all leads to battles on the sea that are amusing, but the obvious model work is something to applaud instead of groan about. Add the production design and the makers do go all out, withy humor as good or better than any of the overrated, and now played out Pirates Of The Caribbean films. Add Maureen O'Hara as the woman forced into an arranged marriage with said governor and you can guess what will happen next.

Even when you do, it is still am using and the screenplay leaves no stone unturned, with maybe more humor than it should have had. Still, it has its moments and its worth a look, one of RKO's few full color films and made towards the end of the studio's mostly glorious run as a major. Director Borzage was an actor in the 1910s, when he started to direct films and permanently turned to helming films for the rest of his career, including films like Humoresque (1920,) Street Angel (1928) and Lucky Star (1929, both with Janet Gaynor,) several films for Joan Crawford at MGM among others at the studio and Stage Door Canteen (1943,) with this film being one of his biggest productions.

Henreid (Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Casablanca, Now, Voyager, Night Train To Munich) more than handles the lead here, more charismatic than you might expect, in the middle of a great career, as was O'Hara also on a roll as one of the biggest female leads in the business. Slezak was known for his work going back to the silent era and made it big when arriving in Hollywood as a major lead, now in character actor mode by this film. He continued successfully this way playing The Clock King on the second Adam West season of Batman and up to 1980 where he also found success on TV. Casting these three really works here.

Cheers also to the energetic supporting cast including John Emery, Binnie Barnes, Jack LaRue, Barton MacLane, Fritz Leiber, Nancy Gates, Mike Mazurki, Ian Keith, Antonio Moreno, Victor Killian, Curt Bois and many others without whom this would have played much worse. Borzage obviously had a way with actors and this film proves it. Definitely worth a look for those who like this kind of film.

The 1080p 1.33 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer can sort of show the age of the materials used in small ways, but this is far superior a transfer to all previous releases of the film with the color very lavish and accurate. Originally issued on 35mm film in dye-transfer, three-strip Technicolor, it helps the film look richer, even as some visual effects and the like dates the film. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mix is fine and its the best this film will ever sound.

Extras include an Original Theatrical Trailer, classic Warner Technicolor short Movieland Magic and classic Warner Technicolor cartoons Buccaneer Bunny and Captain Hareblower.

Anthony Mann's The Tall Target (1951) is also a Noir that takes place further in the past, this time involving the possible assassination of Abraham Lincoln before he can be sword in a President of the United States. Looking mostly period, Dick Powell plays a police officer (ironically named John Kennedy before anyone knew who he was) who is certain there is a plot to kill Lincoln, but no one will believe him. He even gets his gun and badge pulled before boarding a train to go where Lincoln is to give an Inauguration speech before a party crowd.

Taking place in 1861 (!!!) and mostly looking period (save those electric lights before they were invented!,) it is still a Noir and having the characters trapped on a train while Powell tries to figure out who might try to kill Lincoln, it is more effective and suspenseful than expected. Cheers to Director Mann, a master of Noir, who keeps up the suspense and mystery for a long time, though the film is only 78 minutes (too short) with an ending that is slightly too abrupt, this could have been at least a little longer and even with a few false notes, I really liked this one and am surprised it is not more well known, but that is the case with dozens of gems form the past. Good thing entities like Warner Archive are saving and reissuing these films.

Based on a real life story about Lincoln, you can buy most of it and this has few cliches. Also good here adding to the suspense are, again, the solid cast. Adolphe Menjou, Paula Raymond, Marshall Thompson, Will Geer, Leif Erickson, Florence Bates and a very young Ruby Dee among them, help make this more and more suspenseful.

Though Powell did a few dramas early on, he was primarily known for comedy and musical films, but that changed with Murder My Sweet (1944) and suddenly, he had street cred, was a Noir star and expanded his big screen career, along with two hit radio detective shows and multiple TV turns. He died way too young at 58, but he more than carries this film and its a gem everyone should see, especially mystery and movie fans.

The 1080p 1.33 X 1 black & white digital High Definition image transfer hardly shows the age of the materials used, with a transfer far superior to all previous releases of the film offering some fine sharpness, detail and depth, adding to the palpable atmosphere and enhances the solid script. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mix is really good and is also the best this film will ever sound.

Extras include an Original Theatrical Trailer, Edward Arnold hosting the half-hour radio special Mr. President (1949) and two classic Technicolor MGM Tom & Jerry cartoons: Jerry's Cousin and Slicked-Up Pup.

To order any or all of these Warner Archive releases, go to this link for them and many, many more great web-exclusive releases at:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/ED270804-095F-449B-9B69-6CEE46A0B2BF?ingress=0&visitId=6171710b-08c8-4829-803d-d8b922581c55&tag=blurayforum-20

- Nicholas Sheffo