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List Price: $14.99 | | Label: Vci Video
Salesrank: 89653
Released: October 31, 2006 |
| Our Price: $8.03 |
| Used Price: $6.79 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
From Lippert Pictures: The Lonesome Trail: Back from the Indian wars, a cowboy wages a single-handed war against a land baron and his henchmen. After his shooting hand is disabled, he masters the bow and arrow to take on the gang one arrow at a time! From the original 35mm widescreen negative. The Silver Star: A third generation deputy sheriff doubts whether or not he has the guts for the job that killed both his father and grandfather. His doubts are re-enforced when three vicious gunmen arrive in town. From the original 35mm widescreen negative. Bonus Features: Scene selections| Interview with Producer-Star Earle Lyon| Bios| Trivia| Trailers. Specs: DVD9; Dolby Digital; 14 minutes; B&W; 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA – NR; Year – 1955; SRP - $14.99.
Western Double Feature (The Lonesome Trail / The Silver Star) Reviews:
B-Western Revival 
2009-08-11 - This is another quality package from VCI, nicely preserving a couple of 2nd-run Westerns featuring some neat performances and low-budget ingenuity. As for the reviewer complaining about high ratings for this double feature: it's all about rating the product! These are a couple of minor genre gems worthy of 4 or 5 stars from viewers who thought they'd never get another chance to view them with any quality at all. Most collectors will be quite satisfied adding this DVD to any film library.
What those three others saw in this? 
2007-12-23 - These films are very cheap and look it. One has to love B-westerns in order to like them. I have watched westerns since 1955 and believe I can rate what is good and what is not. OK, one can see some of those great western character actors in these films. It is small bonus. Lonesome Trail is a one star picture and Silver Star three star picture, maybe even a bit better. It has a good story.
What should be given to Shane, Seachers, Magnicent Seven and Warlock if these are given five stars? Perhaps these are participating in an amateur contest and the ratings reflect it.
THIS SHOULD BE VCI'S "WESTERN FILM NOIR", EXCELLENT ! 
2006-12-23 - "The Lonesome Trail" has some of the best character acting you'll ever see.Edgar Buchanan,one of the best character actors ever, has a small part but played it well.Douglas Fowley's "Crazy Charlie" role was excellent,not quite a sidekick,but very much like many of Gabby Hayes' character roles.Richard Bartlett is such an effective bad guy,his characters in both this and "The Silver Star" are just sickening !Bartlett was also the writer and director of this fine western. This picture was my introduction to Adele Jergens,whose performance as a hard drinking saloon gal was fantastic.I don't know if she was as tall as Marie Windsor who was 5' 9", but I found Jergens to have a presence just as commanding.You also wont want to miss Wayne Morris as the shotgun toting bartender ! I just loved this Picture.
"The Silver Star" was excellent too.I bought this to see my favorite actress,Marie Windsor and was not disappointed.Windsor actually plays somewhat of a good girl in this one although she still just smoulders with sex appeal.This picture is really tense.It reminded me of "The Gunfighter",not alot of action but a very tense drama.Again we have a bonanza of great characters.Edgar Buchanan plays a really good part of a retired sheriff that is somewhat combat fatigued,lucky to be alive in the brutal,wild west.He wants to leave the sheriffing to the popular newly elected sheriff,played by Earle Lyon, who's father and grandfather were both gunned down while serving in the office.As soon as the town celebrates his election,the trouble begins.Richard Bartlett ,who also co wrote the screenplay and directed this picture, was as effective as an actor could be as the hired gunfighter,King Daniels.Sickening,just sickening,I hated the character ! Also look for Lon Chaney Jr as John W. Harmon,the town's crooked lawyer ! I would rate this picture a bit higher than "The Lonesome Trail" but I can honestly give both of these the full five stars.
"Western Double Feature ... The Lonesome Trail & The Silver Star (1955) ... VCI Home Video"
2006-11-07 - VCI Entertainment and Kit Parker Films presents "WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURE: The Lonesome Trail & The Silver Star (1955) --- (Dolby digitally remastered)....relive those thrilling days from the early '30s, '40s and '50s when western action took us down the dusty trails and the plains to exciting adventures --- some of the best B-Westerns ever to grace the Saturday Matinee Screen --- just remember double thrills, mystery and suspense hitting the bull's eye with excitement ... don't miss any of the features loaded with top notch directors and actors that will leave you wanting more of their B-Western adventures ... so pop some popcorn, sit back and enjoy your favorite film noir westerns.
First up we have Lippert Pictures & L&B Production Company - "THE LONESOME TRAIL" (1955) (73 mins/B&W) --- Under Richard H. Bartlett (Director / Screenwriter), Earle Lyon (Producer), Ian MacDonald (Screenwriter), Gordon D. Shirreffs (Book Author), Leon Klatzkin (Composer (Music Score) ------ the cast includes Wayne Morris (Dandy Dayton), John Agar (Johnny Rush), Margia Dean (Pat Wells), Edgar Buchanan (Dan Wells), Adele Jergens (Mae), Earle Lyon (Hal Brecker), Ian MacDonald (Gonaga), Douglas Fowley (Charlie), Richard Bartlett (Baker), Betty Blythe (Mrs. Wells), Diane DeLaire (Julie) . . . . . . . our story takes place after the Indian Wars and our hero John Agar discovers things aren't what they use to be at home ... not only is his land gone but also the girl he left behind is now engaged to the rich cattle baron, Earle Lyon ... everyone in town is afraid of Lyon and they won't back Agar except old Charlie (Douglas Fowley), Ian MacDonald (Gonaga) and Wayne Morris (bar tender) ... Agar is shot and left for dead, the wound in his shoulder is bad ... Agar learns to shoot with a bow and arrow ... the final showdown in the last scene is between gun and bow, which is a first in B-Westerns during the 50s . . . . . . special footnote, another favorite character actor is Douglas Fowley best-known for his performance in the musical "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), he played a film director trying to ease a silent-film star into her first talking picture, Fowley's best-known television role was as Doc Holliday in the popular ABC western series "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955 - 1961), Fowley played Old Charlie in "The Lonesome Trail" (1955), just about stole the picture with his wonderful performance.
BONUS FEATURES:
1. Lonesome Trail (Advertising Gallery)
2. Silver Star - (Advertising Gallery)
3. Producer Earle Lyon talks about "Lonesome Trail" and "Silver Star"
TRAILERS:
1. Bandit Queen (1950) - Barbara Britton, Willard Parker, Phillip Reed and Barton MacLane
2. Great Jesse James Raid (1953) - Willard Parker, Barbara Payton, Tom Neal and Wallace Ford
3. I Shot Billy the Kid (1950) - Don "Red" Barry, Robert Lowery and Tom Neal
4. Return of Jesse James (1950) - John Ireland, Ann Dvorak, Henry Hull, Hugh O'Brian and Reed Hadley
5. Massacre (1956) - Dane Clark, James Craig, Martha Roth and Jaime Fernandez
BIOS:
1. Wayne Morris (aka: Bert DeWayne Morris)
Date of birth: 17 February 1914 - Los Angeles, California
Date of death: 14 September 1959 - Oakland, California
2. John Agar
Date of birth: 31 January 1921 - Chicago, Illinois
Date of death: 7 April 2002 - Burbank, California
3. Robert L. Lippert (Producer)
Date of birth: 31 March 1909 - Alameda, California
Date of death: 16 November 1976 - Unknown City & State
4. Richard Bartlett (Director)
Date of birth: 1922 - USA
Date of death: 11 June 1994 - Havre de Grace, Maryland
5. Earle Lyon (Producer)
Date of birth: 25 February 1926 - Waterloo, Iowa
Date of death: Still Living
Second on the double bill is a Lippert Pictures & L&B Production Company - "THE SILVER STAR" (1955) (73 min. B/W) --- Under Richard H. Bartlett (Director / Screenwriter), Earle Lyon (Producer), Ian MacDonald (Screenwriter), Guy Roe (Cinematographer), Leon Klatzkin (Composer (Music Score), Jimmy Wakely (Ballad: The Silver Star - composed & sung by), George Reid (Editor) ------ the cast includes Edgar Buchanan (Will 'Bill' Dowdy), Marie Windsor (Karen Childress), Lon Chaney Jr. (John W. Harmon), Earle Lyon (Sheriff Gregg Leech), Richard Bartlett (King Daniels), Barton MacLane (Henry 'Tiny' Longtree), Morris Ankrum (Charlie Childress), Edith Evanson (Belle Dowdy), Michael Whalen (The old sot), Steve Rowland (Bainy (the young man), . . . . . . our story poses a question, does a man stand or run when the odds are against him ... this is what Sheriff Earle Lyon must decide when three outlaws come into town looking for the new Sheriff ... great script by actor Ian MacDonald, supporting cast is some of the best character actors in the business with Edgar Buchanan as the retired Sheriff, Edith Evanson as the Sheriff's wife, Marie Windsor as is girl, Morris Ankrum as the girl's father and saloon owner, Barton MacLane as the towns Blacksmith, Lon Chaney Jr. as the towns legal person ... the scene stealers of the film are Earle Lyon as the Sheriff (also producer of the film) and Richard Barlett as the gunman hired to kill the new Sheriff ... must make mention that screenwriter/actor Ian MacDonald played the badman Frank Miller, that got off the train to gun down Gary Cooper in "High Noon" (1952) ... the haunting song you hear throughout "Silver Star" was composed and sung by legendary Jimmy Wakely. . . . . . .there's a great deal of entertainment here for all the B- Western film noir fans out there ... all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features like this one.
BIOS:
1. Edgar Buchanan (aka: William Edgar Buchanan)
Date of birth: 20 March 1903 - Humansville, Missouri
Date of death: 4 April 1979 - Palm Desert, California,
2. Marie Windsor (aka: Emily Marie Bertelsen)
Date of birth: 11 December 1919 - Marysvale, Utah
Date of death: 10 December 2000 - Beverly Hills, California
3. Barton MacLane
Date of birth: 25 December 1902 - Columbia, South Carolina
Date of death: 1 January 1969 - Santa Monica, California
4. Lon Chaney Jr. (aka: Creighton Tull Chaney)
Date of birth: 10 February 1906 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Date of death: 12 July 1973 - San Clemente, California
Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Western Double Feature: The Lonesome Trail & The Silver Star" (1955), digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '40s and '50s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with riding the range with B-Westerns that only VCI Entertainment (King of the Serials) can deliver...just the way we like 'em!
Total Time: 146 mins on DVD ~ VCIV561DVD ~ (10/31/2006)
Two More Great Lippert Gems From VCI!
2006-09-17 - Robert L. Lippert, known as "The Quickie King" put out a considerable number of "B" movies during the late forties and early fifties...some were real klunkers, however tucked away amongst the tripe are a few real diamonds in the rough. "The Lonesome Trail" and "The Silver Star" are two real gems.
Both features were produced by Earle Lyon and directed by Richard Bartlett, and both producer and director took acting roles in the movies. OK, let there be no doubt about it, these are real low budget works...the casts in both features are filled out with names from Hollywood's 'Poverty Row' and the production values are extremely limited. Having said that the film makers do the most with their limited budgets.
"Lonesome Trail" concerns a small rancher (John Agar) who returns home from the Indian Wars to find his valley has been co-opted by baddies (Lyon and Bartlett). When Agar is seriously wounded in his gun arm, he develops a profficiency with bow and arrow and seeks revenge. A nice twist on a standard western.
But the REAL jewel here is "The Silver Star." Written by Ian McDonald, who played Gary Cooper's nemesis in "High Noon" we are presented with an anti-High Noon theme. Earle Lyon as the less than brave Sheriff, runs to the train station to buy a ticket out of town when the baddies arrive, rather than stand tall, like Coop and utter "I think I ought to stay." Despite the low budget there is a real story being told here, and it is in some respets, more realistic than it's inspiration,"High Noon."
In addistion to Earle Lyon as the Sheriff and Richard Bartlett as the Gunman, the cast is rounded out with veteran western heroine Marie Windsor, and features Edgar Buchanan, Lon Chaney and Barton Maclain. Oh, did I mention the killer ballad sung throughout by Country music legend Jimmy Wakely? This is a GREAT western for all lovers of the old beat up B movies.
Thanks VCI and Kit Parker for bringing these movies to light after so many years.
