DVD Reviews

The Louis L'Amour Western Collection – DVD Review

By Jeff Swindoll May 20, 2010, 1:53 GMT

Three hard-riding movie adaptations of the legendary author\'s novels. CATLOW: A renegade outlaw wants to pull off a gold heist but finds it hard because he\'s such a wanted man – by the Mexican Army, his hellcat girlfriend, an Indian war party, a vengeful killer and several hotheaded cowpokes from his former gang. Yul Brynner, Richard Crenna and Leonard Nimoy star. THE SACKETTS: Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott and Jeff Osterhage ...more

Louis L’Amour should be a familiar name to western fans.  This new collection from Warner offers the instant collection for films inspired from his novels, however, if you’re already a fan more than likely you already own all the films in this set.

Louis L’Amour (1908-1988) was primarily known for his western novels.  His works have long been mined by both the small and big screens.  This set collects some of the adaptations together for the first time, yet this is not the first time they’ve been on DVD. 

The Sacketts (1979): Tom Selleck, Sam Elliot and Jeff Osterhage play brother who migrate west to make their fortunes in cattle-herding and gold prospecting. Each aims to make it on his own - but each also stands up for the other when the going gets tough. And their guns blaze a name for themselves in untamed New Mexico Territory.

Conagher (1991): He conquered the range. She conquered his heart. Sam Elliot and Katherine Ross star as a cowhand and a widowed ranch owner who are drawn to each other when ruthless rustlers threaten his livelihood and her homestead.

Catlow (1971): A renegade outlaw wants to pull off a gold heist but finds it hard because he's such a wanted man - by the Mexican Army, his hellcat girlfriend, an Indian war party, a vengeful killer and several hotheaded cowpokes from his former gang. Yul Brynner, Richard Crenna and Leonard Nimoy star.

Fans of L’Amour will be very familiar with the films in this set, and I’d wager that they’re already in their DVD collection.  I already had the Sacketts and Catlow.  Warner did the same thing with a Tom Selleck and Sam Elliot collection years back so this bundling should be no surprise.  Each film offers something grand. 

TNT has been adapting L’Amour’s works the most of late and Conagher features Sam Elliot in his natural environment – the western.  He’s also present in the two part miniseries the Sacketts that was garnered from a series that L’Amour wrote on that family.  He’s joined by Tom Selleck in that one and Selleck has also been a familiar face on TNT’s L’Amour adaptations.

Catlow is the only film to have been in theaters, but it’s an amusing romp with Yul Brynner.  What it may be best known for is Leonard Nimoy’s villainy in trying to get as far away from a certain pointy eared alien. 

Each film has something to offer to the L’Amour or western fan but they may already know that since they probably bought them when they were available separately.  These discs are the same as what was released earlier in any account. 

Both The Sacketts and Conagher were made for television so they’re in fullscreen.  Catlow was a theatrical release and is in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions.  Catlow also features the only special feature on the set, a 2 minute theatrical trailer. 

If you don’t have these in your collection then this set offers you a cheaper way to get them.  If you’re a fan then you probably already have them.  They’re still great westerns and a fun addition to your collection if you don’t have ‘em. 

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