Winchester 73

What truly makes this DVD an 'essential', though, is the bonus track...Described as an 'interview' with Stewart, it is actually an audio commentary that runs through the film, offering not only his reflections about the making of Winchester '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 '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!)

This is a DVD NOT to be missed!


Anthony Mann creates a classic   July 20, 2004
Mykal Banta (Boynton Beach, FL USA)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful

The story goes that in 1950 Jimmy Stewart was looking around for something a little different for himself, something where he could play a character less folksy and warm. He sure did find it in this film, as well as all the other magnificent westerns he did with gritty, noir director, Anthony Mann (T-Men, Raw Deal, Railroaded, etc). This is the first of their collaborations.

When the film was first shown to test audiences, there were titters in the crowd when Jimmy Stewart's name appeared in the credits. "Mr. Smith" in a western? Shooting people? Please. By the end of the film, the tittering was all done and Stewart had established himself as a viable western hero (although in truth the magic of these Mann/Stewart westerns is that the characters Stewart plays are hardly "heroic." They are usually driven, neurotic men, nearly shifty-eyed, with a mean streak a mile wide - bitter men, and always very, very angry and eager to kill.

The basic set-up of this film is beautifully simple: Jimmy Stewart has a prize rifle stolen from him, a Winchester Model 1973 (which at the time the film takes place was state-of-the-art in the world of firearms), and he spends the rest of the movie hunting the man that stole it.

The story unfolds, however, as the movie rolls quickly along to something much more complex, culminating in one of the finest shootouts in movie history. The two principal actors of the film, James Stewart and Stewart McNally, spent a great deal of time practicing with their rifles (in Stewart's case Mann often found him walking around the set with bleeding knuckles, the results of his hours of self-training working the classic lever-action Winchester). Their hard work paid of in a tremendous realism.

Anthony Mann brought in cinematographer, William Daniels, for Winchester '73, a veteran who most notably had worked a great deal with Garbo in the 30's. Daniels brought his tremendous sense of lighting to the table to create one of the most beautiful looking Westerns of all time. Daniels' light, combined with Mann's unmatched visual sense, made things look nearly 3-demensional in their reality. When viewing this film, watch for the staggering long shots, or the scenes near dusk or at night. Pure texture and light - at once glamorous yet real.

This film also has my favorite depiction of aging Western legend, Wyatt Earp, the Law in Dodge, played with easy authority by Will Greer. Greer always offers his suggestions to town folks with a warm smile, as when he asks Stewart to give up his gun in an early scene. There is always a bit of steel in the old gunfighter's eyes, though, and folks always do just as he suggests. Quickly.

All in all a great treat and a must-have for any fan of the Western (or for that matter, any lover of movies). A true classic all the way. --Mykal Banta


Great Western, Incredibly Poor DVD Transfer   May 9, 2003
Scott Clifton
16 out of 22 found this review helpful

It's a real shame how badly this film was transferred to DVD. Much of the DVD is fine; some sections of it look better than I've ever seen in any other format, displaying the excellence of the black-and-white photography. But other sections are grainy and marred by distracting visual noise, and that isn't the worst of it: In several places during the film, the DVD "jumps" from one scene to another because obviously the source material was so poor! It's like watching a worn-out, popping film in a run-down theater! This is something I can't ever recall on a DVD transfer of a film as exciting and important as "Winchester '73."

The interview with Jimmy Stewart as he watches the film with the interviewer is interesting, but the "Winchester" DVD overall ranks as a *MAJOR* disappointment.


Important Landmark Movie Negated By Shabby DVD Transfer   September 21, 2003
Chick Copp (Chuluota, Florida)
12 out of 18 found this review helpful

This movie is meant to be in Black & White, but comes across as muted greys, an extremely poor "restoration"? I cannot believe this movie HAS been "restored"! It is in very bad condition. It looks flat and grainy beyond belief, there are no pure blacks or pure whites, it looks to me like a television print, the visual "noise" is abominable, in one scene Dan Dureya's shirt erupts in a moire pattern so violent it almost hurts your eyes! The sound is good, I'll give you that. The inteview with Stewart is poor, the interviewer is obvioulsy reading off of a prepared list of questions and often fails to follow up on interesting points as he rushes to get to the next benal question.
Nope, this is another of those great lost opportunities whereby a landmark movie suffers at the hands of the distributors either too lazy or too mean to spend some money restoring the picture to it's original glory. The depth of focus is lost in the mud!!!
Shame on all those involved in this shabby release, it is NOT a fitting tribute to those who made and starred in the original. Don't waste your $$$$ on this DVD as you will be annoyed and frustrated, it is like looking at an old worn out VHS tape played through a knackered VCR on an old portable TeeVee in your kitchen. Instead badger your local Art House Cinema or Film Society to run it, get together some like minded friends,pool your resources, have yard sales, anything to raise the cash to pay to have it shown on the big screen..Just don't judge this movie by this lacklustre DVD, & to think you pay mre for a DVD as you expect it to be better quality than a VHS tape!


THE LIFE STORY OF A CLASSIC RIFLE   September 14, 2003
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

The rifle is a coveted prize at a western shooting contest hosted by the western legend, Wyatt Earp (Will Geer). It is a perfect Winchester that won't be sold, only won. Two brothers compete for the prize; both trained by the same man, one good, and one evil. Right prevails is the shootout.

But Evil will not accept the results and steals the rifle. What follows then is a series of changes of hand for the "One of a Thousand" Winchester. From wily gun traders to Indian raiders to quick-draw outlaws, the gun's odyssey is followed in this classic western with the good brother (James Stewart) seeking not only to regain his treasure but to put an end to a lifelong obsession.

Shelly Winters comes along for the wild ride and look for Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson in very unpredictable cameo appearances.