Zane Grey Collection: Light of the Western Stars

I got this because I wanted to see Victor Jory as a good guy, but I quite enjoyed it. I has a good music score by Victor Young, most famous for his scores of Around the World in 80 Days.

Bought this for my mom and she loved it! Zane Grey is one of her favorites!

I purchased this for my father. He told me it was great. It brought back great memories of when he was younger and watched shows with his family.

VCI Entertainment and Paramount Pictures presents "ZANE GREY WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURE Vol 1: (Light of Western Stars & Fighting Phantom)" (1948) (124 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) ---For all the B-Western fans and Zane Grey collectors --- Check out this action packed double bill based on the tales from the pen of Zane Grey.The first feature -- "THE LIGHT OF THE WESTERN STARS" (17 April 1940) (67 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- Story line and plot, Victor Jory stars as Gene Stewart, and opens the story by betting Sheriff Tom Hawes (Tom Tyler) that he'll marry the first girl who arrives in town --- Boston socialite Madeline Hammond (Jo Ann Sayers) turns out to be the sister of Jory's best friend Al Hammond (Russell Hayden). Learning this, all bets are off! --- The cast alongside the villainous Nat Hayworth (Morris Ankrum). Together, they form a gunrunning alliance across the border into Mexico --- There's a great cast of supporting players here, including Eddie Dean, Ruth Rogers, and although you don't get to see his face much, future star Alan Ladd on the verge of bigger and better things.Under the production staff of:Lesley Selander - DirectorHarry Sherman - ProducerZane Grey - Screenwriter / Book AuthorNorman Houston - ScreenwriterRussell Harlan - CinematographerVictor Young - Composer (Music Score)Sherman A. Rose - EditorLewis Rachmil - Art Directorthe cast includes:Victor Jory ... Gene StewartJo Ann Sayers ... Madeline 'Majesty' HammondRussell Hayden ... Alfred 'Al' HammondMorris Ankrum ... Nat HayworthNoah Beery Jr. ... Poco - Stewart's SidekickJ. Farrell MacDonald ... Bill Stillwell - RancherRuth Rogers ... Florence 'Flo' Kingsley - Al's GirlTom Tyler ... Sheriff Tom HawesRad Robinson ... Monty - Stilwell Ranch HandEddie Dean ... Nels, Stillwell HandEsther Estrella ... Bonita - Adobe Saloon GirlAlan Ladd ... Danny - Stillwell Ranch HandGeorgia Ellis ... Helen - Majesty's Boston Pal (as Georgia Hawkins)Earl Askam ... Sneed - Hawes' DeputyLucio Villegas ... Justice of the Peace Don ManuelTed Billings ... Saloon WaiterRoy Bucko ... HenchmanBob Burns ... InformerBIOS:1. Victor JoryDate of Birth: 23 November 1902 - Dawson City, Yukon Territory, CanadaDate of Death: 12 February 1982 - Santa Monica, California, USAThis is the second on our double bill -- "FIGHTING PHANTOM" (20 January 1933) (57 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- Story line and plot, The ranchers have given money through Wade Benton (Kent Taylor) to the crooked lawyer Cliff Harkness (Irving Pichel) to save the titles to their land --- Getting a better offer Harkness, Benton steals the receipt for the money --- Benton is jailed and to fight back, Benton escapes jail at night to become the Phantom --- And then the action begins with plenty of gunplay --- The film's director was Fred Allen, not the comedian but a one-time film editor who specialized in cinematic sagebrushers.Under the production staff of:Fred Allen - DirectorHarold Hurley - ProducerHarvey Harris Gates - ScreenwriterZane Grey - Book AuthorRobert N. Lee - ScreenwriterLouis Clyde Stoumen - Cinematographerthe cast includes:Kent Taylor ... Wade Benton/Phantom RiderLona Andre ... DorothyBerton Churchill ... Mark KingIrving Pichel ... Cliff HarknessWarren Hymer ... 'Jitney' SmithGail Patrick ... Mary Benton FosterCora Sue Collins ... 'Jo-Jo' FosterE.H. Calvert ... Sheriff Matt ArnoldSherwood Bailey ... Matt Arnold, Jr., aka as 'Sheriff'Clarence Wilson ... Hezekiah GentryNiles Welch ... John FosterSilver Tip Baker ... RancherRalph Bucko ... CowhandRoy Bucko ... CowhandBob Burns ... RancherFred Burns ... RancherKen Cooper ... HenchmanBen Corbett ... RancherFrank Ellis ... HenchmanBIOS:1. Kent TaylorDate of Birth: 11 May 1907 - Nashua, IowaDate of Death: 11 April 1987 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, CaliforniaHats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- If you're into the memories of B-Westerns with high drama, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --- please stand up and take a bow --- all my heroes have been cowboys!Total Time: 124 min on VHS/DVD ~ VCI Entertainment ~ (2/22/2005)

B-westerns such as Paramount's 'The Light of the Western Stars' were cranked out in the '30s and '40s like Bosco. And although this particular picture boasts the cachet of having best-selling author Zane Grey and prolific film and TV director Lesley Selander attached to it, the result really isn't any better or worse than the hundreds of other oaters produced during the period (routine storyline, cornball dialog, overtheatrical performances, bland camerawork, etc.), making for little more than a fun and forgettable 65-minute trip down nostalgia lane. The print offered on this Lionsgate DVD, while not restored to any appreciable extent and showing signs of wear throughout, is still fair to good in terms of audio and video quality. 2 stars overall.

There are no Closed-Captions available on this video.The product is advertised as being Closed-Captioned. It is not as advertised. This was an important feature in my decision to order the video and am disappointed.

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