Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0024543512585
Format: Box set
Label: 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
Number Of Items: 3
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2008-05-13
Running Time: 272
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Theatrical Release Date: 1954-07-09

Related Items
Man of the West The Westerner The Day of the Outlaw El Cid (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (The Miriam Collection) The Man with the Gun

Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary: A fantastic bargain for three great westerns!
Comment: All three of these westerns are superb. The Gunfighter is perhaps one of Gregory Peck's best films, before he became maudlin and uninteresting, before To Kill A Mockingbird. But compare this Gunfighter film with The Bravados, e.g.)

The Garden of Evil has sweep and color and a use of CinemaScope never seen in westerns, until The Tall Men. The Bernard Hermann score is riveting, and Susan Hayward..tremendous, as are Richard Widmark and Gary Cooper.Widmark is always great, and underrated. He was the glory of westerns.

Rawhide has Tyrone Power and Susan Hayward trapped by killers at a stagecoach station. The insanity of both Hugh Marlowe (underrated) and Jack Elam makes it look as though the whole world is in chaos, light years away from unity or peace. Tyrone Power, always stupendous, and Susan Hayward, adjetives cannot describe, respond to this wave of evil with fear and trembling, and finally...

Get this set and play it for years.

Customer Rating:

Summary: GARDEN OF EVIL highlights Forgotten Classic Westerns
Comment: 1954's GARDEN OF EVIL is a Western rich with characterization that seems stereotypical on the surface, but on analysis, runs much deeper. Susan Hayward (an enigmatic heroine) hires a group of stranded travelers in a Mexican waterfront town to follow her to a remote mine where her husband is trapped. The adventurous group is comprised of Gary Cooper (the upright, moralistic hero), Richard Widmark (a cynical witticism spouting gambler), Victor Manuel Mendoza (the good-natured Mexican guide) and Cameron Mitchell (the back-shooting kid gunslinger). They must traverse perilous and dangerous Indian territory to get to the mine, but their motives are unclear. Is it the trapped man, the lure of gold or the subdued sexual attraction that Hayward exudes that drives them? The narrative is a study of personalities in conflict, their motivations, loyalties, cowardice and heroism. Richard Widmark's character comes off as the most interesting. He lingers in the viewer's mind long after the film is over and the question is raised - which is the more honorable: the moralistic hero or the dubiously elegant yet noble rogue? Henry Hathaway is a director known for atmosphere, character and authentic locations. He combines mood and action. This film has all those elements. It is beautifully photographed, yet the picturesque landscapes are juxtaposed with disturbingly photographed death scenes, menacing ever-lurking Indians (always photographed from a distance) and even mysterious looking set designs. The church bell tower sprouting up from the dried lava is all that remains of the town outside the mine and is symbolically ominous in appearance. Frank Fenton's screenplay is filled with vague dialog and only adds to the total feeling of uneasiness that permeates this film. Bernard Herrmann's score accentuates the moodiness of this haunting adventure tale, itself also vague and non-specific. It is very untypical of the Hollywood Western. He achieved a recurrent sense of ominous fate throughout this entire film without the score ever entering into the psychological realm. This is by no means a minor score by Herrmann and I rank this as one of his great scores. GARDEN OF EVIL under Henry Hathaway's direction intelligently yet emotionally integrates the psychological aspects of his characters and even the threatening locale into the action elements found in the standard Western genre to create an unnerving and very thought provoking experience.

1950's THE GUNFIGHTER directed by Henry King is a great character study of the larger than life notion of the hired gunman. Gregory Peck's performance breaks down the mythology of the Western gunman and makes him a real a man who had hopes and aspirations and saw those dreams slip through his fingers and blow away like tumbleweed. The script by William Bowers, William Sellers, Andr De Toth and Nunnally Johnson develop a familiar theme that is so central to many Westerns since. The focus is on the one way of life that has been outlived by time, the collapse of open space and the indistinct progress of civilization. And if that way of life has been characterized by human failures and transgressions, is redemption through a return to a conventional life possible? Alfred Newman's score is very thought provoking and subtle and is a important enhancement to this central theme. THE GUNFIGHTER also has a strong cast that strengthens the narrative with the likes of Karl Malden, Skip Homeier, Richard Jaeckel, Kenneth Tobey, Ellen Corby, Helen Westcott and Alan Hale Jr.

1951's RAWHIDE also directed by Henry Hathaway is a solid entry in the Western genre strong on character motivations and building suspense as outlaws hold citizens captive in a stagecoach station. It has a superlative cast including Tyrone Power, Susan Hayward, Dean Jagger, Jack Elam, Edgar Buchanan, Hugh Marlowe, Kenneth Tobey and George Tobias. Thomas Little and Stuart A. Reiss designed the primary sets with art designs by Lyle Wheeler and George W. Davis and great camera work by cinematographer Milton Krasner all essential to the central story. Composers Sol Kaplan and Lionel Newman turned in an interesting score.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Three Awesome Westerns In One Great Collection
Comment: Three long overdue for DVD Westerns are together in one collection. Each of these movies are great individually, but together, makes this a must-have Western film. Here are the three films -

Rawhide - Rawhide deserves not only a DVD release, but recognition as one of the greatest Westerns ever. Taut, masterful direction by the great Henry Hathaway, and excellent perfomances by everyone makes this a must have film for anyone who loves the Western genre.

Tyrone Power and Susan Hayward are trapped at a stage way station by a gang of desperate criminals. Surprises and tragedy unfold as Power, Hayward, and Hayward's baby try to survive and outwit the criminals.

There are scenes in this film that are so tense that even today's hardened, jaded moviegoers will appreciate. This was not a film with larger than life heroes or cardboard cutout villains, but real people well portrayed with great lines from a magnificent script.

The Gunfighter - Gregory Peck, with his natural, spare acting style, and his folksy, plain demeanor, was a natural for Westerns, and his greatness in this genre was never more evident in this 1950 film, which was one of the earlier psychological Westerns.

Peck plays Jimmie Ringo, the most notorious gunfighter in the West, is running from the brothers of a man he killed. He shows up in a town where his ex-wife lives with their young son. Ringo holds up in the town saloon as a favor to the town marshal, who an old friend, while he waits for an opportunity to see his wife.

Meanwhile, the town is taken over with the nervous enthusiasm of people wanting to see a celebrity, a shootout, or a dead celebrity. At the same time, a young punk, would-be gunfighter has heard that Ringo is in town, and is itching to make his reputation off of killing Ringo.

Everyone delivers excellent performances, and the movie has a lot to say about voyeurism, celebrity, longing, and regret. This is a fantastic movie, and without question, one of the best Westerns ever made.

Garden of Evil - This great Western was never even released on VHS, much less video, which is a shame since it had great performance from two great Western actors, Gary Cooper and Richard Widmark. Cooper, Widmark, and two other soldiers of fortune, played by Cameron Mitchell and Victor Manuel Mendoza, arrive in Mexico having responded to an add to make lots of money. They are greeted by Susan Hayward, who takes them on a perilous journey to rescue her husband, who has been injured in a mining accident. If the journey and the rescue weren't hard enough, the location of the mine in in Indian territory. Soon, alliances are made, broken, and remade, and emotions, greed, and violence ensues.

This film may be regarded as the least of the three by some, but it has terrific acting by all, and is a wonderful showcase of Cooper beginning the twilight phase of his magnificent career, where he tended to play veteran loners who find that they still have lots to live for, and who usually finds love and renewed courage along the way.

All three films are excellent, and should have merited individual releases, making this release combining all three is even more special.

Customer Rating:

Summary: "FOX WESTERN CLASSICS"- 3 DVD BOX SET
Comment: At long last "The Garden of Evil"(Color 1954) even if it is included in a trilogy with two other great western movies "Rawhide" and "The Gunfighter", in a collection called "Fox Western Classics". These are great western films, but to me the crown jewel is "Garden of Evil". An extraordinary western with a star studded cast that includes, Gary Cooper, Susan Hayward, Richard Widmark, Cameron Mitchell, Victor Manuel Mendoza and Rita Moreno. This one alone "is worth the ticket". You will not be sorry in purchasing the unique box set. If you like westerns, do not miss this one. I highly recommend it.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Wonderful Western Classics
Comment: Here's a terrific 3 western movie set from Fox Home Entertainment which
comprises THE GUNFIGHTER(1950), GARDEN OF EVIL(1954) and one that was becoming quite elusive the marvellous RAWHIDE(1951).

THE GUNFIGHTER available on Region 2 for the past two years or more is here making its belated debut on Region 1. Why the delay is anybody's guess! The movie is of course one we are all familier with and one of the most cherishable classic westerns ever. Gregory Peck is in fine form as the now world weary notorious and legendary gunfighter Jimmy Ringo who arrives back in town to see his estranged wife (Helen Westcott) and their small son. Hoping for a reconciliation, his presence causes a great stir among the town's people and attracts all sorts of young guns out to make a "reputation" for themselves, one of whom will be responsible alas for the protagonist's doom in the final reel. Crisply photographed in Black and White by Arthur Miller it is expertly directed by Henry King and fleshed out with an excellent supporting cast in Millard Mitchell as the reformed town Sheriff, Karl Malden as the amiable saloon owner, Jean Parker as an ex-girlfriend and Skip Homier as the errant young gun.

GARDEN OF EVIL is the second movie of the set and a very welcome inclusion it is. It too is making a belated debut on Region 1.
"If the world was made of gold men would die for a handful of dirt"
So goes the theme of this somewhat unusual western directed by Henry Hathaway in 1954. With lovely locations in Mexico this was Fox's first western in the then new process of Cinemascope and Stereophonic Sound
and boasted a sterling cast in Gary Cooper, Richard Widmark and Susan
Hayward. Cooper, Widmark, Cameron Mitchell and Victor Manuel Mendoza
play four adventurers contracted by Leah Fuller (Hayward) to go back with her into the wilds of Mexico to rescue her husband (Hugh Marlowe)who lies
trapped and injured in a gold mine. They journey to the mine and perform the rescue but on their way back they are pursued by Apaches and must ward off a very well staged Indian attack on a hazardous cliff-face trail.
A good adventure yarn if a tad slow in parts but the widescreen picture
looks great and the cast are excellent - Cooper as Hooker is at his
laconic best, Hayward is as gorgeous as ever and Widmark shines as Fisk the droll and garrulous gambler who cuts for highest card to determine who goes and who stays.
Beautifully photographed in Cinemascope and colour by Milton Krasner it
is excitingly handled by Hathaway and has a splendid score by Bernard Herrmann. The only real western he ever scored if you discount some
obscure episodes of TV's "The Virginian" he worked on in the sixties.

RAWHIDE is the final film in the set and the most anticipated one. This
movie has been quite elusive over the years, available only on a VHS tape
it is great to see it at last on DVD.
Tyrone Power - making one of his rare forays into a western - and again the lovely Susan Hayward head the excellent cast in what is essentially a Film Noir with a western setting. The story set in an isolated Stagecoach Relay Station has its occupants being held hostage by a gang of outlaws intent on robbing the gold bullion when the morning stage arrives and recounts the efforts of Power and Hayward to escape their captors and thwart their plans.
From a splendidly written screenplay by Dudley Nichols the film has a palpable dramatic thrust which it maintains throughout. Sharply photographed in Monochrome by Milton Krasner this is edge of seat stuff thanks to Henry Hathaway's seamless direction, the atmospheric music by Sol Kaplan and the excellent performances of the individual cast members. Outstanding is Hugh Marlowe as Zimmermann the educated gang leader, the wonderful gravelly voiced Edgar Buccanan as Sam the ill-fated station boss, Dean Jagger as Yancy the harmless "one horse horse thief" and making his debut the quintessential baddie Jack Elam as the unscrupulous and violent gunman Tevis ( to emphasize his wickedness he even takes pot-shots at a year old baby girl). Listen out too for Gary Merill (uncredited) doing the narration over the film's opening and closing scenes.
The following year Fox took the picture's basic premise and turned it into
a movie called "Outcasts Of Poker Flat" starring Dale Robertson and Anne Baxter but it had little success. Pity Fox didn't include it in this package to allow for comparison.

However, as it stands this is an excellent package of three superlative westerns and are excellent examples of the genre and how westerns should be made. Producers of modern westerns take note and learn something from these kind of movies that are exciting to watch, beautifully shot and written, have charismatic players and above all - entertain!

Classic line from "Rawhide":
Ty Power asking Susan Hayward why she is locking the door of her room and is it because of Coyotes, Hayward wryly replies "Yeh, the kind with boots on!"

Late news just in ..................
The three discs are heaped with superb extras ............

THE GUNFIGHTER -
Arthur Miller Painter with Light Featurette.
The Western Grows Up Featurette.
Restoration Comparison.
Original Theatrical Trailer.
Advertising and Still Gallery.

GARDEN OF EVIL -
Audio Commentary by film and music historian John Morgan,
Nick Redman, Steven Smith and William Stromberg.
Isolated Music Track.
Travels Of A Gunfighter:Making Of Garden Of Evil Featurette.
Henry Hathaway: When The Going Gets Tough Featurette.
Restoration Comparison. Original Theatrical Trailer.
Interactive Pressbook. Advertising & Still Gallery.

RAWHIDE -
Susan Hayward: Hollywood's Straight Shooter Featurette.
Shoot It In Lone Pine! Featurette.
Restoration Comparison. Original Theatrical Trailer.
Interactive Pressbook. Advertising & Still Gallery.

Wow! The extras are worth another five stars!

More Reviews

Editorial Reviews:
Disc 1: Garden of Evil (1954) Feature Film Disc 2: The Gunfighter (1951) Feature Film Disc 3: Rawhide (1951) Feature Film