Landers, Lew

Maverick (Television Favorites)

Maverick tells the story of Brett and Bart Maverick. These "fancy pants" gamblers roam from town to town during the era of the great old west looking for a good game; inevitably making enemies when they won and extricating themselves from rough situations when they lost.Running Time: 149 min.System Requirements:Running Time 149 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 012569700420

Cheyenne - The Complete First Season

No collection of classic TV Westerns is complete without Cheyenne, the trailblazing 1955 series that premiered within weeks of Gunsmoke. The strapping Clint Walker stars as Cheyenne Bodie, the iconic role that earned him his place in the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Cheyenne is a classic Western hero in the drifter tradition, accepting jobs ranging from frontier scout to trail boss. In this first season, he is accompanied at times by sidekick Smitty (L.Q. Jones). "It takes about a minute to know a man," one character remarks during the course of Cheyenne's first season. But we size up Cheyenne in an instant. He is a man of honor, straight shooting and plainspoken. In one episode, he declines an offered position of ranch foreman. "I don't like the job," he states, "and when I don't like a job, I turn it down." When a woman refers to Indians as "savages" in the first episode, Cheyenne enlightens her, "The Indians think we're the savages." Several episodes, including "Quicksand" and "The Last Train West," echo the John Ford masterpiece, Stagecoach, as Cheyenne finds himself amongst a diverse and disparate group of people who are thrown together by circumstance.

Cheyenne was part of a new breed of "adult Western." The episode "Johnny Bravo" (was this the inspiration for Greg's rock star nom de plume on The Brady Bunch?) deals with a rancher who disapproves of his daughter's affair with a Mexican. Keep a sharp lookout for actors who would later become Hollywood's most wanted. A pre-Maverick James Garner appears as different characters in three episodes. Dennis Hopper is hot-triggered gunfighter the Utah Kid, in "Quicksand." And that's the future Miss Hathaway, Nancy Kulp, as a sassy waitress in "Johnny Bravo." Cheyenne was originally broadcast as one of three rotating series under the banner, Warner Brothers Presents, but it quickly established itself as the runaway hit. Like the best Westerns, it is anything but quaint nostalgia. With its timeless setting, compelling stories, charismatic hero, and positive values, the sun will never set on Cheyenne. --Donald Liebenson

Cheyenne follows the adventures of Cheyenne Bodie. Cheyenne was a big man, a former army scout who went west after the American Civil War and drifted from job to job, here a cowboy, there a lawman, and always a larger-than-life hero.

Adventures of Superman - The Complete Fifth and Sixth Seasons

The first super hero created for comic books Superman leaped from radio to television when Adventures of Superman debuted in 1952. Produced by Robert J. Maxwell (who also produced the radio version) and Bernard Luber (a veteran of Hollywood serials) each episode screens like a classic crime movie where danger and death lurk in the shadows. Seasons 5 and 6 are the final seasons of this classic TV favorite.Running Time: 677 min.System Requirements:Run Time: 676 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 012569825192 Manufacturer No: 82519

Superman's "never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way" on television actually did come to an end in 1957 with the cancellation of the Adventures of Superman series, but not before it completed its sixth season, which is presented in this five-disc set along with its fifth season from 1956. Story-wise, the fifth and sixth seasons trend a fine line between the "serious" tone of the first three seasons (which saw Superman take on gangsters, corrupt scientists, and other villains with roots largely planted in reality) and the more outlandish escapades of the fourth season; examples of the latter include "The Tomb of Zaharan," in which Lois Lane (Noel Neill) is kidnapped by Middle Eastern dignitaries who believe her to be their reincarnated queen; "Mr. Zero," with Billy Curtis (High Plains Drifter) as an alien pressed into illegal service by crooks; and "The Brainy Burro," which features a mind-reading donkey(!) used by nefarious types to commit crimes (the latter is one of three episodes directed by series lead George Reeves). Fortunately, there are plenty of exciting adventures on hand as well, the best of which might be "The Perils of Superman" (also directed by Reeves), which harkens back to Superman's comic book and radio serial origins in its tale of a gang of lead-masked hooligans who subject the Man of Steel and his pals to a series of cliffhanger-style dangers. It's hard to say if modern young viewers will take to these vintage escapades--the special effects remain decidedly primitive, and some of the plotlines will challenge even the most imaginative kid's suspension of disbelief--but for Superman fans and classic TV aficionados, there's still plenty of fun to be found in the Adventures of Superman.

Supplements include a charming chat with co-star Jack Larson in the featurette "Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olson," in which the still spry actor is joined by Neill, special effects expert Bob Burns, and several Superman experts (including actor Jim Beaver of Deadwood fame). A barrage of trailers for previous Superman-related DVDs, including Superman Returns, rounds out the extras. -- Paul Gaita

Adventures of Superman - The Complete Second Season

Containing one of the most instantly recognizable intro sequences to a TV show ("Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!") THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN was the first attempt to bring the comic book character to television screens. Great cinematic characters such as Lois Lane Jimmy Olsen and of course Clark Kent himself were established on the show with Kent attempting to live an anonymous existence as a reporter for the Daily Planet by day but transforming into Superman the last survivor from the planet Krypton when trouble comes calling. George Reeves plays the Man of Steel in this complete collection of episodes from the second season of the show. System Requirements:Running Time: 683 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 012569729742 Manufacturer No: 72974

Adventures of Superman - The Complete Second Season pretty much follows the formula laid out in the first season, building on what made the groundbreaking show so popular. For many fans, season two is the best of the series and it is easy to see why. Each episode has that strong "mini-serial-crime-movie" feel and was again scripted and shot to appeal to adults as well as younger audiences. This would all change once season three, the first color Superman season, rolled around and the producers would strictly tailor the show for children. The biggest difference viewers will notice in this season is the new Lois Lane. Fans had to say goodbye to the wonderfully tough Phyllis Coates, replaced by the perkier Noel Neill who would play the sassy and smart journalist for seasons to come. For many young girls growing up in the 1950s Noel Neill's Lois Lane, the first liberated woman presented to the TV audience in the children's market, was the ultimate role model. Highlights of season two include "Panic in the sky" (the episode many feel is the series best--where Superman saves Metropolis from an asteroid that also erases his memory), "Semi-Private Eye" (where Jimmy Olsen poses as a private eye to stalk the bad guys), and "The Defeat of Superman" (where Superman loses his powers thanks to a dose of Kryptonite). --Rob Bracco

Icons of Horror - Boris Karloff (The Boogie Man Will Get You/The Black Room/The Man They Could Not Hang/Before I Hang)

Boris Karloff was to the Horror Movie what Fred Astaire was to the Musical: the epitome of class and style. No matter how grisly the circumstances he d rise above them with talent poise and even charm. And here for the first time on DVD are four of his finest chillers from his peak years in the 1930s and 1940s all demonstrating his amazing range. In The Black Room he plays twin brothers one good one evil naturally in a small country where beautiful women seem to turn up missing. The Man They Could Not Hang and Before I Hang present him in his classic Mad Doctor persona as forward-thinking scientists who run afoul of the law and become crazed killers. And in The Boogie Man Will Get You he sends up that image in a delightful farce that also stars Peter Lorre (M) and Larry Parks (The Jolson Story). It s a collection all fervent classic-horror fans have been eagerly waiting for!Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: NR UPC: 043396162334 Manufacturer No: 16233

Boris Karloff made his fame during the great horror cycle at Universal Pictures in the 1930s, but he also flaunted his iconic status at other studios. At Columbia, Karloff etched a handful of good mad doctor roles (notably The Devil Commands, available on a separate DVD) and other oddities. Four of these mostly low-budget pictures are gathered in this two-disc set--which, if not a collection of classics, is nevertheless a real boon for Karloffians.

Although it is called the Icons of Horror Collection, the "horror" is more macabre mood than monster mash. The best (and best-looking) film in the set, 1935's The Black Room, is a wonderfully lurid costume romp with Karloff in a dual role: twin brothers who inherit a baronage but live under a family curse. One is good, one bad, and happily enough, the bad brother has the upper hand. Karloff is in terrific form, and the film features a secret chamber (complete with torture pit) that provides just the right Gothic oomph. Director Roy William Neill later did Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man.

The Man They Could Not Hang, from 1939, is a solid mad-scientist picture. Karloff's Dr. Savaard has perfected a re-animation process, but the police arrest him before he can revive a student--and so the doctor is sentenced to death for murder. The hanging isn't a problem, not when the doctor's assistant has the process down pat, and now Karloff can take elaborate revenge. Before I Hang (1940) opens a similar vein, with Karloff once again sentenced to death and this time conducting experiments in prison (aided by Edward Van Sloan, filmdom's original Van Helsing). However, using a murderer's blood in the secret serum proves a fatal mistake.... These cheaply-made films are solid enough programmers of the era, and surprisingly literate--although it would be a stretch to call them scary.

The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942) goes the comedy route, spoofing Karloff's image as a white-haired gentleman who should not be allowed to run experiments in the basement. An Arsenic and Old Lace vibe prevails (Karloff had been starring in the stage production), and the labored comedy has Karloff and Peter Lorre using boarders at an early-American hotel as subjects for experiments. Larry Parks and "Slapsie Maxie" Rosenbloom co-star. Lorre, who's in his slim Maltese Falcon period, is as sly and peculiar as ever; of course, he and Karloff would team up again for more horror-comedy in the 1960s: The Raven and Comedy of Terrors. --Robert Horton

Cheyenne (Television Favorites)

A former army scout Cheyenne Bodie roamed the west after the Civil War as a drifter. Changing jobs in each town he came across Cheyenne encountered more than his share of brawls women and bad guys.Running Time: 142 min.System Requirements:Running Time 142 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 012569734128

Adventures of Superman - The Complete Third and Fourth Seasons

George Reeves returns as Superman (aka Clark Kent) in 26 episodes comprising Season 3 and Season 4 of the program that ran six seasons total. This time his exploits take him to stuffy European monarchy a remote desert isle and even a cave in the year 50000 BC. And now for the first time the Man of Steel's exciting flights fights and super heroics are presented in color!Running Time: 706 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 012569763159 Manufacturer No: 76315

Adventures of Superman - The Complete First Six Seasons (20pc)

"Adventures Of Superman" includes The Completes Seasons 1-6. It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman! The legendary Man Of Steel last survivor of the doomed planet Krypton lives on earth assuming the secret identity of Clark Kent mild-mannered reporter for the Metropolis Daily Planet. But with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men he battles for truth and justice as Superman. This is the first Superman TV series! Originally aired in the 1950's it featured George Reeves as Superman and enjoyed tremendous success during its broadcast. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 085391101529 Manufacturer No: 110152

The Return of the Vampire

CISCO KID DOUBLE FEATURE Vol 1: South Of Rio Grande & The Girl From San Lorenzo

Of all the heroes of the Old West, few are as well loved or as easily recognized as the Cisco Kid, based on O'Henry's famous character. Together with his bumbling, but lovable amigo, Pancho, Cisco has entertained millions of children and adults for many years. This rough-in-tumble double-feature stars Duncan Renaldo as our dashing hero with Martin Garralaga and Leo Carrillo taking turns playing the ever-befuddled Pancho. In South of the Rio Grande (1945), the daring duo go to the aid of a rancher friend and his neighbors, whose ranches are being terrorized by a ruthless dictator and a gang of horse thieves. In the second part of our double-bill, The Girl from San Lorenzo (1950), Cisco and Pancho must track down a criminal gang which has been robbing stagecoaches - disguised as Cisco and Pancho! Bonus Features: Scene Selection| Photo & Poster Gallery| Actor Bios| Bonus Color TV Episode| Interview with Duncan Renaldo. Specs: DVD9; Dolby Digital Mono; 145 minutes; B&W; 1.33.1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1945-1950; SRP - $19.99.