Legendary Outlaws Collector’s Set (VCI)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: C     Films: B-

 

 

Released in one big set and three separately packaged DVDs, VCI’s Legendary Outlaws series collects six low budget B-movie Westerns from the Lippert Studios form 1946 to 1953.  On their own, none are spectacular, but they are at least competent.  The films include:

 

1)     The Great Jesse James Raid

2)     Renegade Girl

3)     Return Of Jesse James

4)     Gunfire

5)     Dalton Gang

6)      I Shot Billy The Kid

 

 

Except for Renegade Girl and Gunfire, the titles are self-explanatory about what films are about, though Western fans will recognize those two as typical Revenge Westerns.  It is no surprise that these are some of the last films of their kind before TV kicks in and transitional Westerns High Noon, Broken Arrow and Johnny Guitar changed the film Western forever.  Ray “Crash” Corrigan, Barbara Payton, john Ireland, Ann Dvorak, Hugh O’Brien, Tommy Noonan, Don “Red” Barry and Julie Adams are among the more familiar names these productions were lucky enough to land.  If you are a big fan of the genre, you’ll find these very watchable.  Others might want to pass.

 

All six films have a 1.33 X 1 aspect ratio and except for The Great Jesse James Raid, all are black and white.  All the prints are aged for the most part, with a lack of fine detail.  The color on The Great Jesse James Raid is on the plugged up side.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono on all the films has limited fidelity, shows their age, sounds more than one generation down and shows their low-budget origins.  Extras include text bios, stills and promo trailers on all three volumes.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo