Ford At Fox Collection: The Essential John Ford Collection (1946)

This film collection is devoted to legendary director John Ford. Included are the films DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK THE GRAPES OF WRATH MY DARLING CLEMENTINE HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY and the documentary BECOMING JOHN FORD. See individual titles for synopsis information.System Requirements:Run time: 611 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/CLASSICS Rating: NR UPC: 024543483113 Manufacturer No: 2248311 Product Description

Ford at Fox

John Ford and Frank Capra were masters of their craft and all of their films from the 30's and 40's still hold up today. In this Ford set I particularly enjoyed How Green was My Valley and the Grapes of Wrath because issues they dealt with are as current today in 2008.

Bravo! April 12, 2008

Very Good Image Quality

I'd previously seen all these movies and played one of the DVDs after buying the set. Image quality was very good for a remastered 70 year old film. Amazon shipped super fast even with free shipping. April 9, 2008

Henry Fonda & John Ford

Buy the box set for "Clementine" and "Grapes of Wrath". The other films are mediocre. Ford and John Wayne (instead of Henry Fonda) make a better boxed set with their western triolgy plus "Stagecoach". But, I did not hesitate to buy this set. Here's what you get: "Frontier Marshall" with Randolf Scott is not Ford's best, nor does Scott stand out as Wyatt Earp. It is a highly fictionalized part of Earp's life, which begs the question "Why not film Earp according to the facts of his life?" It looks like it was done by all concerned to fulfill studio contracts. 'My Darling Clementine" is closer to the Earp saga (roughly 30% accurate). Forgetting that it is about a fictional Wyatt Earp, the western itself is one of Ford's best, and Henry Fonda's best. The cinematography is surperb, but the absence of multiple close-ups is notable, and regrettable. Also, Ford disagreed with the final cut. Included in this box set are Ford's original film scenes without the additional music and added scenes -- you might agree that his version carries more impact. "Drums Along The Mohawk" is rather boring, which is a surprise for a John Ford film, and the genre. There is no build up to the indian battle scenes, therefore no excitement, no anticipation. It is a routine melodrama about a married couple on the frontier. Nothing special. At any time during this film, you may feel free to get and go to the kitchen and order a pizza, without missing anything important in the film. "How Green Was My Valley" is a standard John Ford drama. The critics have vacillated over the years with regard to the quality of this John Ford film. It has never received a "10", at the most a "7" and with the passage of time, today a mediocre "4". "The Grapes Of Wrath" is a powerful film, both for Ford and Fonda. Critics have claimed that Ford was pro-communist, or at least an extremely pink socialist. The film definitely cries out for the workers of the world to unite. As a depression era drama, it hits all bases to tear your heart out. The cinematography is matched only by "Clementine". But in this film Ford paints graphic pictures with close-ups of every lead. At times it is almost film noir. It is better casted than any other film in this boxed set. This film is a definite "10" and has stood the passage of time to keep it in the top 100 films of all time. It is said that Stalin's favorite American picture was "Clementine" and FDR's was "Grapes Of Wrath". It is recorded that both watched their Ford favorites over 20 times. Perhaps FDR was inspired to formulate his "New Deal" after the 20th viewing. Buy this boxed set used, to get full value. February 16, 2008

FORD AT FOX A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO FILM "LITERATURE"

Congratulate Fox on separating their enormous full collection of Ford's work at the studio with three smaller but potent boxes: The Classics, The Silents, and The Comedies. Although these classics have already been issued, the addition of 1939's "Frontier Marshall," which was the precursor to "My Darling Clementine," in a beautifully remastered version, and the documentary "Becoming John Ford" are worth the price of the whole set (I bought it at Amazon for $24.99!). In fact, the Ford documentary also includes "The Battle of Midway" with additional footage, "December 7th," and the much-neglected "Torpedo Squadron" (1942). Commentary has also been added to "Drums Along The Mohawk."

All these films represent "must have" classics for your collection. The packaging is compact and colorful.

February 8, 2008

Great Movies, Cheap Packaging...

I expected more with the release of this boxed set. In this boxed set the discs come in cheap thin cases. The box in which they are housed is thin, lightweight cardboard. My Darling Clementine has two discs (one of which is two-sided) and when the thin case is compressed, the discs can rub against each other.
Not a lot of care seems to have gone into the quality of the presentation of this set. Alan Dwan's 1939 film Frontier Marshall (which, like Clementine , is based on Stuart Lake's Wyatt Earp book) is included as a special feature with My Darling Clementine. However, on the back of the box containing the disc, it shows a picture of a movie poster of ANOTHER, earlier version of Frontier Marshall (from 1934), not the version included as the extra. This seems to be a good example of the lack of attention to detail taken with this set.
The documentary included, "Becoming John Ford", was also a disappointment. It is really only a documentary about Ford's time at Fox (and Universal before it). It is not the comprehensive documentary I had hoped for. It mentions (only in passing) Stagecoach and never, to my memory, mentions The Searchers. In fact, any western after My Darling Clementine (1946) is ignored. The documentary consists mainly of talking heads filmed from arty angles and frequently blathering while not looking directly at the camera. Pretentious in look and content.
Great movies deserved better. December 10, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...