Vera Cruz

Starring: Burt Lancaster, Gary Cooper Director: Robert Aldrich Original UK Premiere: 1954 Dvd Release: 11th June, 2001 Number Of Discs: 1 Format: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen, Region 2 Encoding Subtitled In: Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish Dubbed In: French, German, Italian, Spanish

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DVD Extras: Not much in the way of extras but the mono sound has been expertly remastered to the benefit of Hugo Friedhofer's spirited score. Above all, the film's presented in its full Superscope ratio , a blessed relief after all those years when it showed up panned-and-scanned on BBC1. If ever a movie needed widescreen, it's this one--if only to fit in all Burt's teeth. You can see why they called him Crockery Joe.

Vera Cruz was only director Robert Aldrichs second Western , but its such an assured, stylish affair that he might have been roaming the sagebrush for decades. In the aftermath of the American Civil War two lone adventurers make their way south of the border, where Mexico is fighting a civil war of its own to rid the country of the French-imposed Emperor Maximilian. Neither the dour Benjamin Trane nor the grinning, devil-may-care Joe Erin has much in the way of idealism, but Trane still retains a thin bitter edge of integrity, a quality quite alien to the cheerfully amoral Erin. In uneasy alliance, constantly looking to outwit or double-cross each other, the two find themselves escorting a beautiful French countess & a shipment of gold across country. Cooper & Lancaster create a superb double-act, using their contrasted screen personas to point up the humour & the cynicism of the two mercenaries relationship. Darcel makes less than she might of the femme fatale role, but there are relishable cameos from Cesar Romero as a suavely duplicitous aristo & Ernest Borgnine as another gringo with an exceptionally vicious streak. The script, according to Aldrich, was written on the run, always finished about five minutes before we shot it, but you wouldnt guess it from the laconic wit of the dialogue. It looks great, too, Ernest Laszlos widescreen photography makes the most of the handsome Mexican locations.

With its irreverent take on the accepted moral conventions of the genre, Vera Cruz ushered in a new kind of Western, & its central love-hate relationship would be replayed in Sam Peckinpahs Ride the High Country & Sergio Leones The Good, the Bad & the Ugly .

Burt Lancaster was an American film actor. Born Burton Stephen Lancaster in New York City, he was one of five children of a postal worker. He grew up in East Harlem & spent much of his time on the streets, where he developed great interest & skill in gymnastics. Later, he worked as a circus acrobat until an injury forced him to give up the profession. During WWII, Lancaster performed in Army shows. Though initially unenthusiastic about acting, he returned from service, auditioned for a Broadway play & was offered a role. Though the play was not successful, Lancasters performance drew the attention of a Hollywood agent who had him cast in the 1946 motion picture The Killers. The actor won significant acclaim & appeared in two more films the following year. Subsequently, he played in a variety of movies, but especially in dramas, thrillers, military & adventure films. In two of the adventures, The Flame & the Arrow & The Crimson Pirate, his mate & friend from the circus years, Nick Cravet, played a leading role & both actors impressed audiences with their acrobatic prowess. Posters Of Burt Lancaster

Editors Choice: Tough Guys, Local Hero, Atlantic City, Zulu Dawn, Moses The Lawgiver, Conversation Piece, Scorpio, Ulzanas Raid, View DVDology

Gary Cooper was an American film actor who received five Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, winning twice. He also received an Honorary Award from the Academy in 1961. Cooper was born as Frank James Cooper & changed his name to Gary in 1925, following the advice of his agent. Cooper was born in Helena, Montana, but lived in England with his mother & attended school there for seven years. When he was thirteen years old he was injured in an automobile accident & had to move to his fathers cattle ranch in Montana to recuperate, which is where he gained his riding skills. During this time he became friendly with 10 year old Myrna Loy, who lived near him. In 1924 he moved to Los Angeles with the intention of becoming a commercial artist, but was not very successful. After three months he became an extra in the motion picture industry. A year later he had a chance at a real part in a two reeler with Eileen Sedgewick as his leading lady. After the release of this short film he was called to Paramount Studios & offered a long-term contract, which he accepted. Posters Of Gary Cooper

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Robert Aldrich was a United States film director, writer & producer notable for a number of films including What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte & The Dirty Dozen. Robert Burgess Aldrich was born in Cranston, Rhode Island, the son of Lora Lawson & newspaper publisher Edward B Aldrich & grandson of US Senator Nelson W Aldrich. Robert was educated at Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island & went to the University of Virginia to study economics. He dropped out in 1941 to begin his film industry career with a minor job at RKO. He quickly worked his way up the production ladder, as an assistant director he worked with men including Jean Renoir, Abraham Polonsky, Joseph Losey & Charlie Chaplin. He moved into television direction in the 1950s & directed his first feature film, The Big Leaguer, in 1954.. Posters Of The Dirty Dozen

Editors Choice: The Dirty Dozen, The Mean Machine, The Grissom Gang, Ulzanas Raid, The Killing Of Sister George, Too Late The Hero, The Flight Of The Phoenix, Attack, View DVDology

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