Minnesota Clay (1965) + Silver
Lode (1954/VCI DVDs)
Picture: C+ Sound: C Extras: C Film: C+
VCI has built its
survival on issuing many key and unusual films in many genres, including
Westerns. Now, they have issued one
interesting later film by the great Allan Dwan in Minnesota Clay (1965) and reissued the anti-McCarthy witch-hunt
film Silver Lode (1954) on separate
DVDs. Clay has a blind gunman hero as its title character, while Silver wants to be High Noon and is not as good.
In the
Zatochi and Daredevil tradition, Clay
is directed by Sergio Corbucci, who is best known for the first Django film, Hellbenders and Castle Of
Blood. He can direct and this
Revenge Western with a twist has some good moments, but it does not stay with
you and though Cameron Mitchell is good in the title role, it is for genre fans
only. As oversimple as Silver was and is, it should still get
credit for being bold and likely got some of its players blacklisted. The villain is named McCarty, though the back
of the case erroneously spells it McCarthy.
Despite
its limits, it has a mood and good cast in John Payne, Lizabeth Scott, Dan
Duryea, Harry Carey, Jr., Dolores Mann, Stuart Whitman, Hugh Sanders, Frank
Sully and even Alan Hale Jr. among others.
Seeing it again, I am reminded that Westerns were peaking as the reality
of the country in a state of witch-hunt siege was cutting into the celebratory
basis of the genre (a myth) that we “won” The West, it was somehow a holy gift
and anyone in our way deserves to suffer.
Even this film was a sign that was about to be permanently
deconstructed, which makes it at least worth a look.
The anamorphically
enhanced 1.85 X 1 image on Clay is
not bad, but it shows it age, while the 1.33 X 1 image on Silver is an improvement over the older
VCI DVD. However, both are not the best
examples of three-strip, dye-transfer Technicolor and could use some more work
should the company add it to their Blu-ray releases. The Director of Photography on Silver is no less than the great John Alton,
José F. Aguayo lensed Clay. Both have some good shots in playback, but
not enough and it makes me want to see both in 35mm film.
The Dolby Digital 2.0
Mono in both cases show their age and Silver
still needs some audio work. Maybe a
lossless upgrade on both would help when they do Blu-ray; by then which they
may find better audio elements if not already available. Extras include a John Payne retrospective and
look at Dwan in Allan Dwan – Sherwood
Forest To The Sand Of Iwo Jima featurette on Silver
living up top its Special Edition claim with more extras than the first DVD,
while Clay has its Original Italian
Ending (which does not work) and an original theatrical trailer.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
