TITLE...........: The Ranown Westerns Bonus Disc
RUNTIME.........: 4h 27mn
SIZE............: 1.55 GB
VIDEO ..........: HEVC @ 720p
AUDIO...........: English HE-AAC
SOURCE..........: Criterion Blu-ray
ENCODE DATE.....: 2023-08-21


The five briskly entertaining, vividly performed westerns made by director Budd Boetticher and strapping star Randolph Scott in the second half of the 1950s transcend their B-movie origins to become rich, unexpectedly profound explorations of loyalty, greed, honor, and revenge. Often grouped under the name Ranown (after producer Harry Joe Brown and Scott’s production company) and colorfully scripted by Burt Kennedy and Charles Lang, these films seem to unfold in a world unto themselves, staking a claim between traditional westerns and the subversive genre revisionism of the 1960s—and representing the crowning achievement of the underappreciated auteur Boetticher.


• Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That (2005) - This archival documentary examines the life and legacy of Budd Boetticher. Included in it are clips from interviews with Clint Eastwood, Peter Bogdanovich, Taylor Hackford, Robert Stack, Robert Towner, and Boetticher, amongst others. (85 min).

• Boetticher Rides Again (1995) - Presented here is an archival episode of the French TV program Cinema, de Notre Temps in which Budd Boetticher discusses his transformation into a "western director" and career in Hollywood. The episode was first broadcast on September 13, 1995. In English and French, with imposed French subtitles and English subtitles where necessary. (60 min).

• Budd Boetticher: A Stury in Self-Determination (1971) - In this archival documentary, Taylor Hackford interviews Budd Boetticher about his experiences as a bullfighter in Mexico, which were eventually recreated in Bullfighter and the Lady. (61 min).

• Visiting Budd Boetticher (1999) - In this archival program, Budd Boetticher recalls various experiences he had with Randolph Scott and Burt Kennedy while working on the Ranown westerns and discusses the evolution of the American western and his decision to exit Hollywood. (38 min).

• Budd Boetticher and Jim Kitses (1969) - In this archival audio interview, film scholar Jim Kitses questions Budd Boetticher about the various westerns he made with Randolph Scott. (63 min).

• Farran Smith Nehme on Randolph Scott - This new visual essay was created by critic Farran Smith Nehme. (26 min)