Kino Lorber Studio Classics proudly announces the Blu-ray and DVD releases of two early films by one of American cinema’s greatest filmmakers, John Ford: STRAIGHT SHOOTING (1917), Ford’s first feature-length film, and HELL BENT (1918), presented in stunning new 4K restorations conducted by Universal Pictures.
Both films star the legendary Western actor Harry Carey, whose strong, silent character of “Cheyenne Harry” was a major influence on Western stars to follow, from John Wayne to Clint Eastwood.
Produced by Universal Pictures, STRAIGHT SHOOTING and HELL BENT were made at the very beginning of one of the most remarkable directing careers in film history, and already demonstrate Ford’s masterful eye for composing Western landscapes and the genre elements of the Western that he would later perfect with such masterpieces as Stagecoach (1939), My Darling Clementine (1946), and The Searchers (1956).
STRAIGHT SHOOTING will become available on Blu-ray and DVD July 14, with a SRP of $29.95 for the Blu-ray and $19.95 for the DVD, packed with special features including audio commentary by film historian and Ford biographer Joseph McBride (author of the acclaimed biography, Searching for John Ford), a video essay by film critic Tag Gallagher, and the lone surviving fragment of Ford’s 1920 Western Hitchin’ Posts, preserved by the Library of Congress, and a music score by Michael Gatt. The Blu-ray edition also includes a booklet essay by Tag Gallagher.
HELL BENT will be released on Blu-ray and DVD August 25, with a SRP of $29.95 for the Blu-ray and $19.95 for the DVD. Bonus features on both include an archival audio interview with John Ford by Joseph McBride, an audio commentary by McBride, a video essay by Tag Gallagher, and music score by Zachary Marsh.
STRAIGHT SHOOTING (1917)
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM UNIVERSAL PICTURES!
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: July 14, 2020
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95
DVD SRP: $19.95
Straight Shooting (1917) is a landmark in the history of the Western. It is the first feature directed by the legendary John Ford (here credited as Jack Ford), who revived the career of Harry Carey, one of his greatest stars, to a rough-and-tumble performance as a hired gun of cattle rustlers. “Cheyenne Harry” is a role Carey would play into the 1930s, an amiable antihero who pals around with outlaws but who really has a heart of gold. In Straight Shooting Harry is hired by rancher Thunder Flint (Duke Lee) to intimidate the kindly Sweetwater Sims (George Berrell) off of his farmland, but has a change of heart after getting to know Sims’ family. It becomes a war of ranchers against farmers as Flint organizes a siege of Sims’ property, with Harry and other local farmers banded together against them. It is a thrilling adventure that proves John Ford was born to film the American West.
Director: John Ford
Starring Harry Carey, Molly Malone, Hoot Gibson, Ted Brooks, Duke Lee, George Berrell, Milt Brown, Vester Pegg.
Blu-ray Extras Include:
Audio commentary by film historian Joseph McBride, author of Searching for John Ford
Hitchin’ Posts (1920, directed by John Ford, fragment preserved by the Library of Congress)
Video essay by film critic Tag Gallagher
Booklet essay by film critic Tag Gallagher
Music by Michael Gatt
DVD Extras Include:
Audio commentary by film historian Joseph McBride, author of Searching for John Ford
Hitchin’ Posts (1920, directed by John Ford, fragment preserved by the Library of Congress)
Video essay by film critic Tag Gallagher
Music by Michael Gatt
HELL BENT (1918)
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM UNIVERSAL PICTURES!
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: August 25, 2020
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95
DVD SRP: $19.95
Hell Bent (1918) is a rousing Western from the series of Cheyenne Harry adventures that director John Ford (still credited as Jack Ford early in his career) made with star Harry Carey (Straight Shooting). Cheyenne Harry was an outlaw with a heart of gold, played with stoic warmth by Carey, whose performances were a pivotal influence on John Wayne. In Hell Bent Harry flees the law after a poker game shootout, and arrives in the town of Rawhide, where he becomes friendly with local cowboy Cimmaron Bill (Duke Lee) and the kindly dance hall girl Bess Thurston (Neva Gerber), who is tending to her sick mother. Gang leader Beau Ross (Joseph Harris) falls hard for Bess, and kidnaps her. Cheyenne Harry goes to desperate lengths traveling across the deadly desert in order to free Bess from the hard-bitten Ross.
Director: John Ford
Starring Harry Carey, Duke Lee, Neva Gerber, Vester Pegg, Joseph Harris
Blu-ray and DVD Extras Include:
Archival audio interview. with John Ford by Joseph McBride
Audio commentary by Joseph McBride, author of Searching for John Ford
Music by Zachary Marsh
Video essay by film critic Tag Gallagher
ABOUT KINO LORBER:
With a library of over 2,800 titles, Kino Lorber Inc. has been a leader in independent art house distribution for 35 years, releasing 30 films per year theatrically under its Kino Lorber, Kino Repertory and Alive Mind Cinema banners, garnering seven Academy Award® nominations in nine years, including documentary nominees Fire at Sea (2017) and Of Fathers & Sons (2019). In addition, the company brings over 350 titles yearly to the home entertainment and educational markets through physical and digital media releases. With an expanding family of distributed labels, Kino Lorber handles releases in ancillary media for Zeitgeist Films, Carlotta USA, Adopt Films, Greenwich Entertainment, Raro Video, and others, placing physical titles through all wholesale, retail, and direct to consumer channels, as well as direct digital distribution through over 40 OTT services including all major TVOD and SVOD platforms. In 2019, the company launched its new art house digital channel KinoNow.com which features over 1000 titles from the acclaimed Kino Lorber library.
Editor-in-Chief | Seat42F, a leading source of entertainment news, information, television and movie resources.
