One of my favorite actors in cinema is James Stewart, mainly for some of his great unforgettable roles he had over the years, be it from Anatomy of a Murder, Rear Window, Vertigo and It’s a Wonderful Life. He was a brilliant actor, often playing likeable characters. In 1939 he starred in a comedy Western, Destry Rides Again, which was an early dip into the Western genre. Westerns would become one of the genres he would star in quite a bit during his film career in the fifties and sixties, starring in, to name a few Winchester ’73, Broken Arrow andthe 1966 comedy Western drama known as The Rare Breed.
The Rare Breed the story is believe it or not, about a bull! James Stewart plays Sam “Bulldog” Burnett who is hired by an Englishwoman, Martha Price (Maureen O’Hara, Miracle on 34th Street) and her daughter Hilary (Juliet Mills, Beyond the Door) to transport a rare breed of bull, a Hereford, named Vindicator to the United States. They want to fulfill the dreams of her late husband who wanted to bring this breed of bull to America and flourish. But they need help to deliver the bull. Charles Ellsworth (David Brian, The Damned Don’t Cry) buys the bull for ownership rights of the bull so that it can be delivered to a wealthy breeder in Texas, Alexander Bowen(Brian Keith, Meteor). Along the way on the trail, they face dangerous obstacles and people, mainly by an antagonist named Simons (Jack Elam, Kansas City Confidential).
While not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, The Rare Breed is a solid effort with the usual superb acting by the leads. The comedy was a low point to the film, but the action, particularly during the first half with Jack Elam and James Stewart made the picture and saved it. Jack Elam was superb playing yet another heel character. Brian Keith and Maureen O’Hara, who were both in The Parent Trap bring the same style of comedy to the film. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, Keith’s Scottish accent in this movie was atrocious. The latter half of the film became rather dialog heavy, lacking the usual Western gunslinging action that we normally are accustomed to. The scenes with Vindicator the bull added some mild amusement and a few chuckles. The cinematography by William H. Clothier is outstanding with many great breathtaking shots of the landscape. Worthy of note is that The Rare Breed was one of the earliest productions to be scored by John Williams, called “Johnny Williams” during the credits.
Kino Lorber debuts The Rare Breed on Blu-ray on a dual-layered BD-50 disc. The picture quality for the movie is marvelous and a major revelation. The contrast is so much clearer and cleaner due to the higher bitrate. Colors are lively and bright throughout the video presentation. The outdoor scenery with beautiful blue skies above and various landscapes shine the brightest in high definition boasting amazing details and deep textures. Skin tones look accurate and have no waxy appearance. Easily an upgrade over the previous DVD offerings.
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is also loud and clear without any drop-offs or hissing. Dialog is flawless, while gunshots and music tend to sound the most aggressive. Optional English subtitles are available.
Extras include a new commentary track by Film Critic and Author Simon Abrams. During the commentary he discusses the history of the film and various aspects of it, including the bull. He provides some behind the scenes information about the production of the film, including the fact that Maureen O’Hara didn’t get along with each other which to me was the most fascinating tidbit. The other extra in this package is a boatload of theatrical trailers. In addition to The Rare Breed, trailers include Made for Each Other, Ffolks, The Devil’ Brigade, The Way West, Broken Arrow, Night Passage, Bend of the River and No Highway in the Sky.
While not up to the level of James Stewart Westerns directed by Anthony Man, The Rare Breed is still an entertaining watch. The audio and video quality for this release are top-notch and with a couple of extras to boot, make this release recommended!
The Rare Breed
Director- Andrew V. McLaglen
Cast- James Stewart, Maureen O’Hara, Brian Keith
Country of Origin- US
Distributor – Kino Lorber
Date 6/21/20
Number of Discs – 1
Reviewed by – David Steigman