Passage West 1951 DVD - John Payne, Dennis O'Keefe, Arleen Whelan

Description: Item Description A FILM WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME This is certainly not your average 1950s popcorn flick! After an opening sequence that quickly and efficiently sets up the story, we learn that John Payne will, unexpectedly, play one of Hollywood's very first anti-heroes! Payne leads a group of escaped convicts that take a religious group bound west as hostages, turning their lives upside down. As the wagon train that Payne and his cohorts take over makes its way to California, the usual hardships occur but they seem a bit starker than usual. A baby dies from lack of milk, its mother drifts into madness, a calf greatly valued by its elderly owners breaks its leg and must be destroyed, a schoolteacher's prize collection of seedlings gets tossed by the side of the road, a father must bury his child. All of this drama happens while being held at gunpoint by Payne's group of psychopaths. Only at the end of their journey do these pioneers find any respite from their troubles but even then there is a tragic turn of events. A film that seems made to spit in the face of the "good guy vs bad guy" Hollywood formula, Passage West is an obscure western that offers so many satisfactions and surprises that it certainly merits the designation of "lost gem." Written by blacklisted writer Alvah Bessie (one of the "Hollywood Ten"), it is little wonder why the story and structure are so unique. This is a film WAY ahead of it's time and outside the norm, particularly with regard to Payne's character - there's no attempt to soften his image by suggesting he'd been unjustly convicted and no inference that he was abused while incarcerated. He is simply what he appears to be - a thuggish, almost sadistic criminal trying to get a second chance at freedom and if he has to abuse some folks along the way, so be it. There is also the extremely unusual inclusion of Dooley ("Casablanca") Wilson at a time when black faces were rarely featured in movies in general and in westerns in particular - his story and plight as an escaped slave are also not glossed over. Even the romantic subplot between Payne and Arleen Whelan does not follow normal guidelines or pan out like we would expect. All of these unusual elements add up to give the story a much deeper impact then other films from this era. Loyal Griggs, who later won an Oscar nomination for "The Ten Commandments," provides the cinematography which is heavily slanted toward exterior shots. In fact, the first interior, (a saloon), comes at the movie's three-quarters mark. A very entertaining western with great supporting cast to the stars! REGION 0 - WILL PLAY WORLDWIDE INTERACTIVE MENUS / SCENE SELECTION 1951 / COLOR / FULLSCREEN / ENGLISH / 80 MIN DVD ART WITH INSERT AS SHOWN. A GREAT COLLECTOR'S ITEM - AND A GREAT GIFT FOR ANY FAN OF CLASSIC FILMS! PLEASE NOTE: THIS PRODUCTION HAS NEVER BEEN AVAILABLE ON DVD AND IS NOT AVAILABLE IN STORES. This is not an "official" release or copy thereof. All media came from public domain sources. This is a good-quality copy with interactive menus and packaging designed by myself. This DVD is boxed exactly as pictured above, and is brand new and factory shrink-wrapped. All screenshots are taken directly from the DVD. All files used in the production of this DVD are not in violation of copyright laws or Ebay guidelines. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DVD is professionally assembled & shipped to you straight from the factory - no low quality stick-on labels or homemade burns! Any defective disks happily replaced! Please allow 3 business days for shipment to be sent out. Orders within the United States will usually arrive within one week of purchase but I have seen it take up to 10-15 days during Christmas time. International orders can sometimes take up to 14 to 21 business days. If you are unhappy for any reason, please contact me before posting negative feedback! I have a 100% satisfaction policy and will gladly iron out problems. I love these neglected films and have spent years tracking down quality copies! I aim to give these films the loving attention they deserve, with quality packaging and interactive menus. I'm always on the hunt for rare & neglected gems so check back often! I'm happy to answer any and all questions you may have! Just drop me a line!

Price: 12 USD

Location: Sparks, NV

End Time: 2024-07-31T03:25:40.000Z

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