The Unforgiven (1960)

The neighbors of a frontier family turn on them when it is suspected that their adopted daughter was stolen from the local Kiowa tribe.

Large-scale, star-cast, epic Western with a blatant anti-racist message is ambitious but somehow misses the point it wants to make.

Halliwell*: "Good-looking, expensive but muddled racist Western, hard to enjoy."

Maltin***: "Gish and Bickford are outstanding in stellar-cast story, with rousing Indian attack climax."

The Red Badge of Courage (1951)

A Civil War Union soldier struggles to find the courage to fight in the heat of battle.

From memory: Classic ant-war drama is short (due to cuts ordered by MGM to minimize the negative impact on the audience!), but is to the point with excellent cinematography, memorable scenes and a good ensemble of characters.

Halliwell**: "Fresh, poetic, but dramatically unsatisfactory filming of a classic American novel."

Maltin***1/2: "Stephen Cranes' Civil War novel receives both epic and personal treatment by director. Sweeping battle scenes and some truly frightening Rebel cavalry charges highlight this study of the fine line between cowardice and bravery. Many memorable vignettes..."

New acquisition: Audie Murphy

A gift from my pal Ludwig.