"Why the Hell isn't this on DVD yet?" -- Number 53
HELLFIRE (1949 Republic) Starring Wild Bill Elliott, Marie Windsor, Forrest Tucker, Jim Davis, Paul Fix, Grant Withers, Emory Parnell, H. B. Warner. Directed by R. G. Springsteen.
Elliott is a crooked cardsharp whose life is spared when minister Warner takes a bullet meant for the gambler. In gratitude Elliott vows to honor Warner’s dying wish: that he not only raise the funds needed to build Warner’s church, but do it strictly “by the Good Book”. Meanwhile female bandit Windsor is being sought by marshal Tucker and vengeful Davis with a $5,000 reward on her head. Elliott sees the reward money as the means to his goal, but his newfound vow requires non-violent, persuasive methods of capture, a limitation her other pursuers lack.
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A western about an outlaw who gets religion sounds like a preachy, tiresome endeavor, but director Springsteen and the McGowans deftly evade the potential pitfalls. Elliott is no more successful at raising donations from townspeople than Warner is, with his fundraising attempts meeting indifference and contempt in roughly equal measure for most of the film. His reception improves, but at HELLFIRE‘s end the church remains unbuilt. The influence of Christianity is shown to be positive (Elliott's life is definitely changed for the better) but limited. He abandons liquor and gambling but not his gun. Two out of three ain't bad?
Genre stalwarts Tucker, Davis, Fix and Withers provide fine support, but this show belongs to Elliott and Windsor, and it’s easy to see why both cited HELLFIRE as a personal favorite. According to Springsteen, Elliott told him HELLFIRE was “the best picture I’ve ever done”. I agree, and Windsor joins him in giving a career-best performance. In the end it‘s left up to the viewer whether Windsor‘s life was saved or just her soul.
So....why isn't this on DVD yet?
As I noted in reviewing ROCK ISLAND TRAIL and CALIFORNIA PASSAGE, Republic's westerns of the late 1940's and 1950's remain largely unreleased on DVD, despite fairly frequent showings over the past decade on Encore's Westerns Channel.
Why it should be on DVD:
Puzzling why it isn't. It is arguably Elliott's best remembered and most popular film with modern audiences, and one of Windsor's as well.
It may not be available on DVD yet, but this Trucolor western is now available for streaming on Netflix Instant. Well worth watching, HELLFIRE is a true gem and arguably the most glaring DVD omission from Republic.
3 comments:
Been meaning to commend you on this post. If I hadn't seen the film (about a million times), I'd certainly be compelled to do so.
This remains one of my favorite Westerns and firmly establishes Marie Windsor as my favorite actress of all time.
I've always been a bit of an evangelist for this film, so thanks for helping spread the word. Folks, you need to see this one!
yes this truly is a masterpiece
it shows the talents of MARIE WINDSOR AND BILL ELLIOTT but not only that there is a very good story behind it so come on all those people who like good westerns and purchase it from online
Malcolm evans
WHATS more this movie was made during the golden years of HOLLYWOOD
Malcolm evans
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