The Man From Laramie

Columbia/Tristar | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

An arms dealer has sold some rifles to the Apaches, who then used the guns to attack a Cavalry unit, with lethal results. Among the dead is the younger brother of Will Lockhart (James Stewart), who will not allow the death of his brother to go unavenged. As such, he and his half Indian sidekick Charley begin a search for the party responsible for supplying the Apaches with the weapons. The search leads Lockhart to the town of Coronado, which doesn't seem different from other towns, but holds some secrets as well. The town is controlled by a local cattle rancher, Alec Waggoman (Donald Crisp), who has an off rocker son and a level headed ranch foreman, Vic. When Will arrives in town, he meets a storekeeper who catches his eye, even though she is engaged to the local ranch foreman. Will then learns of a salt deposit in the desert, and decides to load his wagons with the freight, take it back to Laramie, and make some cash in the process. While he's loading up his wagons, the rancher's sadistic son and friends arrive, claiming the salt belongs to them. Instead of accepting Will's apology and offer to pay for the salt, the men burn his wagons, shoot his mules, and assault Lockhart himself. Vice shows up just in time to stop the assault, but Will is not going to let the events end there. When Will returns to town, he sees the crazy son that attacked him, and picks a fist fight with him. Alec arrives to break up the fight, and when he hears what his son has done, he offers to compensate for the events. A rival rancher enters the fray here, and Will learns things aren't as harmless as they seem.

When you think of classic westerns, I doubt this one comes to mind, but it stands as one of my favorites in the genre. While most westerns follow a typical path, which is expected, this one takes a different turn, which offers a fresh entry in the genre. The characters are explored more than usual western fare, but there is action present as well. While most western fans will be pleased with this film, the more traditional genre fans will want to look this over before adding it to their shelves. The camerawork is outstanding, and the widescreen format is very well used. While camera movement isn't that impressive, the character and object placement is excellent, and the film reflects a more epic scope because of it. I recommend this movie to fans of James Stewart and the western genre, although a rental should be sought out by first time viewers. If you are a hard-core western lover or a fan of the film, your money will be well spent when adding this to your collection.

The writing is very good for this movie, and is quite complex, especially for a western. The story was first published in the Saturday Evening Post, and Philip Yordan and Frank Burt wrote the screenplay. Director Anthony Mann creates a unique entry in the genre, and added another notch on his considerable resume. Mann also directed Railroaded, Strategic Air Command, Cimarron, among others. The main star of The Man From Laramie is screen legend James Stewart, who plays the role of the vengeful cowboy quite well. While he had played mostly romantic, clean cut characters before, Stewart (It's A Wonderful Life, Bell Book & Candle) makes the transition to a rough and tough character without a hitch, and easily carries the movie. Arthur Kennedy (Champion, Lawrence of Arabia) and Donald Crisp (Wuthering Heights, The Battle of Midway) also supply noteworthy performances, helping to create a fuller world for the film's events. The supporting cast also includes Jack Elam (Suburban Commando, Cannonball Run), Alex Nicol (Law and Order, Tomahawk), Wallace Ford (Spellbound, Freaks), Cathy O'Donnell (Ben-Hur), and Aline McMahon (The Search, Ah Wilderness).

The Man From Laramie is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame version is also included. The colors are derived from an earthy, natural spectrum, so while the tones appear muted, that is intentional. The landscape shots look very impressive, but keep away from the full frame version, as it hacks the scenes to death. Contrast levels are consistent, with high visible detail levels and deep shadow levels.

The disc offers Dolby Digital 3.0 and 2.0 surround tracks, and I chose the 3.0 version for this review. While the track is superior to the original mono, it can't measure up to a full on 5.1 track. Even the gunshots lack impact, although the lesser audio is well replicated. Dialogue is presented in a clean and consistent manner, so every word can be easily heard. I do think a fully remastered 5.1 track would be impressive, but this one is adequate.

Some sparse production notes can be found in the insert booklet, and the theatrical trailer and a still photo of the poster used to promote the film are on the disc itself.