Guns of Will Sonnett: Season 2 [3 Discs]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

This three-DVD set looks very slightly better than the preceding volume, but it suffers from most of the same problems that afflicted that earlier set. Timeless Media has licensed The Guns of Will Sonnett from King World, its syndicated distributor, but King World evidently never kept complete editions of each episode, or preservation-quality materials on the edited versions -- so purchasers are getting 21-minute versions of shows that originally ran 25 to 26 minutes, with noticable jump-cuts in each show and dark, grainy visuals, as well as shots in the same scene of such different tones that they look almost mismatched. That said, there are some interesting moments, such as in episode two, "The Trap," where Will Sonnett (Walter Brennan) and his grandson Jeff (Dack Rambo) come to a town whose leaders make a practice of waylaying visitors (including one African-American cavalryman) and forcing them into slave labor -- directed by Jack Arnold, no less, from a somewhat shaky script, it's a nicely drawn mini-drama with Royal Dano in a memorably sinister role. Other episodes include Henry Jones as a psychopathically self-righteous preacher-turned-bounty hunter; Madlyn Rhue as a grieving, vengeful woman who walks through one episode looking like the Angel of Death; Dub Taylor as a gunsmith; and Paul Fix as an outcast from a remote western town. Another added attraction is the presence in several of the episodes of the late Jason Evers as James Sonnett, the son and father, respectively, that Brennan's and Rambo's characters are searching for -- Evers gives a genuinely impressive performance as the hunted, haunted gunman. Those supporting performances, and some clever stories, plus the excellent acting by Brennan, allow one to get past the deficiencies in the image, which is too often grainy and much darker and less distinct than was ever intended, certainly by cinematographer Henry Cronjager. Each episode gets a single chapter marker, and each of the discs opens automatically to an easy-to-use menu that only allows access to individual episodes, rather than a "play all" option. Disc One offers a biography of Brennan as a bonus feature, while Disc Two includes "Lucky 13," an episode of Dupont Playhouse from the mid-1950's starring Brennan, as an extra added bonus, and Disc Three includes episode 50 of The Guns Of Will Sonnett as a bonus. There's no explanation of why it should be an "extra," but it looks as good as any of the other shows, and was the final episode of the series. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: All
• Number of Discs: 3
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Color

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Walter Brennan - Will Sonnett
       Dack Rambo - Jeff Sonnett

• Producer:

  Aaron Spelling

CUSTOMER REVIEWS: