The DVDs
Video
Warners are to be commended for the excellent transfers on these discs. The print damage is negligible and the films look incredibly good for their age with plenty of detail and minimal grain. Tycoon, the only colour film in the set, is probably the best of the bunch with the vivid Technicolor palette presented nicely. The worst transfer is ironically for the best film — Trouble Along the Way looks a little soft at times but it’s really only a minor complaint.
Audio
All the films feature only the original mono track and they do the job well. A 5.1 mix wouldn’t add anything to these films and the audio is clear enough with little audible hiss. There are also English and French subtitles.
Extras
All the films contain a vintage short film, running 10 to 15 minutes each, and a classic Warners cartoon. In some cases the cartoon is more entertaining than the main feature, particularly "Holiday for Shoestrings" that appears on Without Reservations. Some of the DVDs contain the original theatrical trailers and it gives you an idea of how Wayne was marketed by the studios at the time.
The absence of any extra features directly related to the films is a shame, if perhaps understandable. These aren’t classics and this is a fairly inexpensive set; all one could really ask for are good transfers so the addition of any extras is a bonus.
Summary
There are no lost classics in this set. The films range from very bad (Big Jim McLain) to moderately good (Trouble Along the Way), but for a true Wayne fan they are all essential viewing and it’s the Wayne fan this set is aimed at. There is nothing here to attract the casual viewer and the set won’t convert any new fans but it will fill a few gaps in the Duke completist’s collection.
Article comments