Winchester 73 (1950)

Winchester 73: Directed by Anthony Mann. With James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally. A cowboy’s obsession with a stolen rifle leads to a bullet-ridden odyssey through the American West.

“Winchester u0026#39;73 is one of the most enduring and popular films of James Stewartu0026#39;s career, for several reasons; it was the first of five teamings with brilliant, underrated director Anthony Mann, who retooled Stewartu0026#39;s drawling, u0026#39;aw-shucksu0026#39; persona into a laconic, edgier, more flawed hero; it featured a brilliant cast, including Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, John McIntyre, and, in VERY early appearances, Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis; visually, it is spectacular, one of the most beautiful Black and White films ever made, with deep-focus photography highlighting rugged Arizona settings that literally leap from the screen; and, most of all, it is a terrific variation of u0026#39;Cain and Abelu0026#39;, told through the premise of the search for a u0026#39;one-of-a-kindu0026#39; rifle Stewart wins in a competition, then loses through treachery. Itu0026#39;s the kind of film that offers new insights each time you view it, as the actions and motivations of u0026#39;goodu0026#39; brother Stewart and u0026#39;badu0026#39; brother McNally become better understood.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat truly makes this DVD an u0026#39;essentialu0026#39;, though, is the bonus track…Described as an u0026#39;interviewu0026#39; with Stewart, it is actually an audio commentary that runs through the film, offering not only his reflections about the making of Winchester u0026#39;73, but insights about his career, working with John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, and his great friends Henry Fonda and John Wayne, even a nice story about his long-time mount, Pie. Recorded several years ago for the laserdisc edition of Winchester u0026#39;73, it provides a rare opportunity to hear a screen legend reminisce (and makes you wish Wayne and Fonda had lived long enough to have offered personal observations about THEIR classic films!)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a DVD NOT to be missed!”