Synopsis
Turner Classic Movies and Universal Studios Home Entertainment present the 4-disc Joel McCrea: The Westerns Collection.Presented for the first time on DVD, these four Technicolor Westerns confirm McCreas iconic status as an enduring Western hero and the embodiment of honor, integrity and courage on the untamed plains of America. Starting in the silent era, Joel McCrea rapidly became one of the most popular and versatile leading men of the early thirties. He was ideally cast in everything from Pre-Code dramas (The Common Law, 1931) to exotic adventures (Bird of Paradise, 1932) to suspense thrillers (The Most Dangerous Game, 1932) but his real forte was Westerns. By the late forties, he began to specialize in frontier sagas due to his immense appeal to fans of the genre. THE VIRGINIAN (1946) Based on the best-selling love story of the West, THE VIRGINIAN stars Joel McCrea as a local ranch hand who risks losing his best friend and the woman he loves when forced into a showdown with ruthless cattle thieves. When Molly Wood (Barbara Britton), a well-educated Easterner, arrives in a small Wyoming town to be the new schoolteacher, the Virginian (McCrea) and his best friend, Steve (Sonny Tufts), immediately vie for her affection. Against the warnings of his friend, Steve falls in with the corrupt Trampas' (Brian Donlevy) gang and is caught cattle rustling. The Virginian must choose between their friendship and upholding the severe laws of the West. CATTLE DRIVE (1951) One of Joel McCrea's personal favorites, CATTLE DRIVE is an atmospheric frontier tale variation on the adventure story Captains Courageous. This essential Westerns set also includes BORDER RIVER (1954) and MUSTANG COUNTRY (1976).