Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Reviews
From Amazon.co.uk
Alvarez Kelly (1966) doesn't really justify the description of "Western Classic" which Columbia Tristar attach to it, but it's a pleasant enough Western directed by Edward Dmytryk. The rather convoluted plot (adventurer plays one side off against the other on a cattle drive from Mexico during the Civil War) relies heavily on the charm of the two stars, William Holden and Richard Widmark, but the two prove as reliable as ever. There are some so-so action scenes, but it's the battle of wits between the two principals that supplies all the fireworks. By contrast Janice Rule is just adequate as the love interest.
On the DVD: It's a good-looking DVD transfer, with a 1:2.35 aspect ratio and Dolby Digital sound. Subtitles are available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch and Polish with dubbing into French, German, Italian and Spanish. For extras there are trailers and some filmographies, so partial as to be not much use. --Ed Buscombe
Product Description
DVD Special Features:
Trailers
Filmographies
Dolby Digital Mono
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
Subtitles: English, French, German, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Hindi, Turkish, Danish, Arabic, Bulgarian, Swedish, Finnish, Icelandic, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, Italian.
This widescreen version is presented in letterbox widescreen format, preserving the 1:2.35 aspect ration of its original theatrical exhibition. Enhanced for 16:9 widescreen TVs.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Aquinas
Format:DVD
A story of starving Confederates 'borrowing' Yankee cattle during the closing stages of the war. Generally entertaining, provided you don't take it too seriously. The truth about the 'Last Full Measure', for those interested, was a lot nastier.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Edward Dmytryk made a few decent films in his time. The Canadian born director made the memorable "The Caine Mutiny" with Humphrey Bogart and that fine western "Warlock" starring another Hollywood legend Henry Fonda. this one is some way below those high standards. "Alvarez Kelly" merely passes the time pleasantly. It is undemanding and throws in a decent bit of action at the end.
William Holden is an implausible Mexican cattleman during the American Civil War who is employed to deliver cattle for the Union army but ends up being kidnapped by a Confederate officer played by Richard Widmark. Holden was beginning to show the ravaging effects of alcoholism and was struggling for credibility in the virile male lead role, although those same ravaged features were perfect 3 years later when he played Pike Bishop in Sam Peckinpah's masterful "The Wild Bunch". Widmark struggles manfully with an unfamiliar southern accent resplendent in a Rooster Cogburnesque style eye patch.
The filming in Louisiana reminded me of Holden's earlier film with John Wayne "The Horse Soldiers". The film is long on talk but short on action and with a longish running time the tedium builds. This is alleviated a little at the end by an impressive cattle stampede. Too little too late alas! The support cast is also strangely lacklustre, with only Harry Carey jnr being of any note. This is a very average western at best by a director in decline. Dmytryk made the even worse "Shalako" a couple of years later. Only really for diehard western movie completists!
William Holden is an implausible Mexican cattleman during the American Civil War who is employed to deliver cattle for the Union army but ends up being kidnapped by a Confederate officer played by Richard Widmark. Holden was beginning to show the ravaging effects of alcoholism and was struggling for credibility in the virile male lead role, although those same ravaged features were perfect 3 years later when he played Pike Bishop in Sam Peckinpah's masterful "The Wild Bunch". Widmark struggles manfully with an unfamiliar southern accent resplendent in a Rooster Cogburnesque style eye patch.
The filming in Louisiana reminded me of Holden's earlier film with John Wayne "The Horse Soldiers". The film is long on talk but short on action and with a longish running time the tedium builds. This is alleviated a little at the end by an impressive cattle stampede. Too little too late alas! The support cast is also strangely lacklustre, with only Harry Carey jnr being of any note. This is a very average western at best by a director in decline. Dmytryk made the even worse "Shalako" a couple of years later. Only really for diehard western movie completists!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Spike Owen
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
Alvarez Kelly is directed by Edward Dmytryk and stars William Holden & Richard Widmark. It's written by Elliott Arnold & Franklin Coen (Dan Taradash uncredited for tidying it up), the locations for the shoot are Baton Rouge & Clinton, Louisiana, with Joseph MacDonald on photography (Panavision). Story is apparently based on a true US Civil War incident in 1864, it sees Alvarez Kelly (Holden) kidnapped by Confederate's led by Tom Rossiter (Widmark) and forced to drive a herd of Union owned cattle to the hungry Reb troops in Richmond.
Slow moving and blighted by a tepid script, Alvarez Kelly relies on its stars and photography to keep it out the trough. Evidently the makers were going for a social conscious piece based around an historical incident. All that is achieved is an overly talky piece, with periods of inane conversations; that is only briefly lit up by its action packed finale. And even then it can be argued that the "battle for the bridge" and the subsequent "stampede" isn't worth waiting 90 minutes for. The acting is solid, where Holden plays a role he could do in his sleep, and Widmark, sporting an eye patch, convinces as a rough and ready Colonel. Most pleasing is MacDonald's photography, not just for capturing the essence of the barren South in Baton Rouge, but also his choice of lenses for the top notch costuming (take a bow Seth Banks) afforded the ladies of the piece (Janice Rule & Victoria Shaw). There's a lovely print for this film, where in High Definition the colours positively ping from the screen.
Dmytryk (Broken Lance/Warlock), Holden (The Horse Soldiers/The Wild Bunch) & Widmark (The Last Wagon/Cheyenne Autumn) owe Western fans nothing, but this is one from the three guys that's easily forgotten once the end credit rolls. 5/10
Slow moving and blighted by a tepid script, Alvarez Kelly relies on its stars and photography to keep it out the trough. Evidently the makers were going for a social conscious piece based around an historical incident. All that is achieved is an overly talky piece, with periods of inane conversations; that is only briefly lit up by its action packed finale. And even then it can be argued that the "battle for the bridge" and the subsequent "stampede" isn't worth waiting 90 minutes for. The acting is solid, where Holden plays a role he could do in his sleep, and Widmark, sporting an eye patch, convinces as a rough and ready Colonel. Most pleasing is MacDonald's photography, not just for capturing the essence of the barren South in Baton Rouge, but also his choice of lenses for the top notch costuming (take a bow Seth Banks) afforded the ladies of the piece (Janice Rule & Victoria Shaw). There's a lovely print for this film, where in High Definition the colours positively ping from the screen.
Dmytryk (Broken Lance/Warlock), Holden (The Horse Soldiers/The Wild Bunch) & Widmark (The Last Wagon/Cheyenne Autumn) owe Western fans nothing, but this is one from the three guys that's easily forgotten once the end credit rolls. 5/10
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 18 reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
