Errol Flynn Western Collection – DVD Review

The legacy of Errol Flynn was screwed decades ago when a spiteful biography declared him a bisexual Nazi spy. While both of these claims were disproved, the lies took hold and were exploited. Disney had no qualms with Timothy Dalton’s Flynn-like character in The Rocketeer being a servant to Hitler. Flynn’s image took a hit as viewers thought of him as a perverted traitor. His films didn’t get the same action on TV stations’ late night movie slot like Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum’s titles. Thankfully his theatrical image has been reclaimed in the DVD age with the box sets covering his career as a dashing soldier, a swashbuckling pirate and Robin Hood. Errol Flynn Western Collections collects four of his cowboy experiences. The man knows how to look good on top of a horse.

Virginia City (1940 – 121 minutes) is a Civil War adventure that takes the action way out west. In the dying days of the Confederacy, Miriam Hopkins promises to give a large amount of gold to beef up the rebel war chest. She and Randolph Scott head out to Virginia City, Nevada to retrieve the treasure. Errol Flynn, Guinn “Big Boy” Williams and Alan Hale (father of the Skipper on Gilligan’s Island) escape from Scott’s Richmond prison. The Union sends them west to stop their old warden from smuggling the gold to Jefferson Davis. In a great piece of casting, Humphrey Bogart appears in the stagecoach with a mustache that makes him look like John Waters’ dad. He’s got a secret that Flynn unravels during the ride. Hopkins leads the dance hall girls in showing a little leg to the miners. There’s plenty of Wild West excitement as Flynn, Scott and Bogart fight over the precious metal that can destroy a country. The final action scene is all gun blazing, but the finale is really cheesy. Honest Abe sorts things out.

San Antonio (1945 – 108 minutes) brings in the cows. Flynn has gone down to Mexico to raise his cattle, but he returns over the Rio Grande to settle a score and expose corruption. He has proof that the mayor of San Antonio controls the cattle rustling industry. It’s not all fisticuffs as Flynn falls for a nightclub performer played by a brunette Alexis Smith. She stuns the screen in a white dress that pushes the Technicolor process. Turns out the mayor also wants her attentions. It’s a deadly love triangle. The finale features a shoot out inside the Alamo. Robert Shayne has a supporting in this film. This is notable since he has bigger roles in a batch of short Westerns in the bonus features.

Montana (1950 – 76 minutes) is Technicolor coverage of the Range War. There’s a fight between the cattlemen and the sheep herders for grazing land in the Big Sky state. Flynn is a sheep man who discovers the extremes the cattle barons will go to control the land. He goes undercover in a medicine show to infiltrate the Bovine brigade. He gets more than expected when his subterfuge sneaks him into the heart of Alexis Smith, a cattle woman. He even breaks out the guitar for a musical moment with her. Smith’s red hair sizzles in the Technicolor film stock. It burns when she realizes she’d had the wool pulled over her eyes by a shepherd. This role lets Flynn be himself since his character is an Australian who has come to America. He can turn on the Aussie charm.

Rocky Mountain (1950 – 83 minutes) puts Flynn on the other side of the Civil War. General Robert E. Lee wants the wild West to swing for the Confederacy. Flynn and his gang head out to California to spur up insurrectionists. The gang discover that they’re going to fight more than Union soldiers to survive in the frontier. Slim Pickens (Blazing Saddles) rides with Flynn. He’s actually Slim in this film. Can Flynn come out a hero in a film that puts him on the wrong side of the battle?

The four films aren’t the cream of Flynn’s career, but they’re all perfect cowboy shoot ‘em ups for a lazy Saturday afternoon on the recliner. The mixing of Civil war action on the Wild West landscape keeps up the tension on Rocky Mountain and Virginia City. Flynn excels combining the cowboy action with the military instincts. Montana and San Antonio remind us that even with wide open prairie, there were plenty of issues involving cattle. Flynn was a perfect matinee idol as he strode the dusty streets of these frontier with his six-shooters ready for the draw. Only a shame Flynn couldn’t have a showdown with the muckracker that tainted his cinematic legacy with lies.

Video for all four films is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers are high quality with only the occasional scratch in the frame. Montana and San Antonio are in color. The audio is Dolby Digital Mono. You can hear the hooves clicking across the desert. The subtitles are in English and French. Rocky Mountain has a commentary track from biographer Thomas McNulty. He focuses on Flynn’s career in the Westerns and how he ended up marrying co-star Patrice Wymore. Virginia City‘s commentary by historian Frank Thompson deals with the stars and director Michael Curtiz.

San Antonio trailer (2:04) has all the gunfighters riding out to San Antonio. You know this film will be riddled with bullets.

Vintage Newsreel (1:52) is “Nation Mourns General Patton.” See the military legend before George C. Scott played him.

Story of a Dog (10:05) is an Oscar-nominated live action short. The film explains how dogs are trained to work with the Coast Guard. It’s cute to see a puppy transform into a War Dog.

Frontier Days (17:05) has Jim Blake going after law breakers and raiders on the prairie. We see how Civilization, Kansas was born as a town.

Peeks at Hollywood (8:53) lets starlets hang out at the Griffith Observatory and peep on Los Angeles. There’s a revealing shot of the Hollywood Bowl from behind. Arthur Lake who played Dagwood in the Blondie films makes a comic cameo. Errol Flynn wanders past their view while going to work at the Warner studio.

A Tale of Two Mice (7:30) is a Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The two mice are based on Abbott and Costello. Years later, Tashlin would direct feature films with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. He had a way working with comedy duos.

Wagon Heels (7:10) is a Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Robert Clampett. Porky Pig leads a wagon train into Injun Joe’s territory. Plenty of stereotypes to offend every professor at a liberal arts college. Injun Joe is a terrifying character as he does a one man rampage on the settlers in their wagons.

The Corn Is Green trailer (1:37) promotes the Bette Davis film.

Montana Trailer (2:22) promises that we’ll see the history of the Big Sky state. There’s plenty of cattle stampedes. The gun is the only law here.

Chain Lightning trailer (2:09) has Humphrey Bogart being a stud pilot. (When is this film coming out on DVD?)

Vintage Newsreel (0:32) features a plague of frogs are being hosed back into the Seine River by firemen in Paris.

So You Want a Raise (10:50) is a Joe McDoakes live-action comedy short. Joe’s wife nags him into asking for a raise. But will there be consequences for his money request? Joe is played by George O’Hanlon. You finally have a chance to see the face that goes with the voice of George Jetson. His interaction with the boss does seem to reflect his future fun with Mr. Spacely.

It’s Hummer Time (7:03) is a Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Robert McKimson. The titles sounds dirty, but it’s really about a hummingbird and the cat that wants to eat him. It plays like a faster Sylvester and Tweety short. A bulldog tortures the cat with creative activities like the sinister “Happy Birthday.” Not happy birthday!

Santa Fe Trail Series Western Shorts: Oklahoma Outlaws (19:51), Wagon Wheels West (17:28) and Gun to Gun (17:34) star Robert Shayne. These are true low budget two reelers that use action footage lifted from big budget Westerns. They don’t spend too much time developing characters as they quickly go to shoot outs and chases. “Gun to Gun” has Shayne destroy a man’s town by causing a cattle stampede. The footage of the cows ripping apart buildings is true destructive glory and probably lifted from another Western.

Virginia City Trailer (2:00) lays out the film with plenty of bandit infested action.

Vintage Newsreel (2:17) presents Admiral Byrd’s visit to the South Pole. See icebergs before the whole global warming business started.

Cinderella’s Feller (19:30) is a Technicolor live action featuring Juanita Quigley and Scotty Beckett. It’s a musical fairytale with dazzling colors mixed with song and dance.

The Flag of Humanity (19:28) is a Patriotic short about the Red Cross. Nana Bryant plays Clara Barton, the Civil War nurse.

The Light Brigade Rides Again (5:17) is the behind the scenes footage for this Errol Flynn classic.

Cross Country Detours (9:39) is a Merrie Meolodies cartoon directed by Tex Avery. It’s great travelogue hilarity as we see the bears, boy scouts and deer go nuts. This cartoon alone is worth the price of the box set.

Confederate Honey (7:03) is a Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. Elmer Fudd (called Ned) fights for the South in order to look brave for his Belle.

Rocky Mountain trailer (2:02) hypes the outlaw Civil warriors.

A Dispatch from Reuters (2:29) takes us back to a time when news wire reports were sexy. Edward G. Robinson plays the legendary newsman who changed journalism.

Vintage Newsreel (2:11) focuses on record floods in the West. The sound is missing from the disaster footage.

The Breaking Point trailer (2:16) promotes a boat’s captain who likes to play with danger. John Garfield and Patricia Neal go hard-boiled in this Michael Curtiz flick adapted from Ernest Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not.

Santa Fe Trail Series Western Shorts: Roaring Guns (19:10), Wells Fargo Days (20:27) and Trial by Trigger (21:24) gives us another batch of quickie shoot ‘em ups. Robert Shayne stars in the first and last. “Trial by Trigger” does not feature Roy Rogers’ horse in a judge robe.

Two’s a Crowd (6:54) is a Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. It’s a cat and puppy fighting for house control plot. Claude the yellow cat has to defend his turf.

So You Want to Move (10:44) is a Joe McDoakes comedy short. Joe forgets that he’s moving to a new house. The sensible wife has to go off to her weekend of Army reserve duty. Joe decides he can move himself cheaper than what the wife is paying the movers. This is what happens when you do it yourself.

If Errol Flynn Western Collection was just the four films, it would be a gift for the devoted. This would be a good thing to pick up for the father who likes his cowboy action. With the inclusion of the Warner Night at the Movies shorts and cartoons, the box set is a treasure trove for fans of old Hollywood. It’s time to get in with Flynn.

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Warner Home Video presents Errol Flynn Western Collection. Starring: Errol Flynn, Randolph Scott, Allan Hale and Humphrey Bogart. Box set Contents: 4 movies on 4 discs. Rating: Not Rated. Released on DVD: August 26, 2008. Available at Amazon.com