Audie Murphy Collection I [The Duel at Silver Creek/Ride a Crooked Trail/No Name on the Bullet] (Blu-ray)

This collection includes three 1950s classic Westerns starring the great Audie Murphy. THE DUEL AT SILVER CREEK (1952) From Don Siegel, the legendary director of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Lineup, Two Mules for Sister Sara, Dirty Harry, Charley Varrick and The Shootist, comes this two-fisted, action-packed western, starring celebrated war hero turned movie star Audie Murphy (Night Passage). Stephen McNally (Woman in Hiding) is Lightning Tyrone, the quick-drawing marshal of Silver City who’s intent on capturing a ruthless gang of claim jumpers that have been terrorizing and murdering local miners—including his best friend. After losing the use of his famed trigger finger in a shootout, Lightning deputizes the sharp-shooting Silver Kid (Murphy), whose own father was killed by the gang, to help bring the outlaws to justice. But their plans are complicated when Lightning falls for the beautiful new lady in town (Faith Domergue, This Island Earth), whose interest in the marshal is a thin disguise for her own dangerous agenda. This unforgettable adventure, brimming with pulse-pounding thrills, danger-tinged romance and gun-blazing glory, co-stars Susan Cabot (Son of Ali Baba) and screen great Lee Marvin (Prime Cut) in one of his first screen appearances. RIDE A CROOKED TRAIL (1958) In a refreshing change-of-pace role, Audie Murphy (No Name on the Bullet) plays Joe Maybe, an outlaw who assumes a U.S. Marshal’s identity and is appointed sheriff of Webb City, a rough river town, after local lawmaker Judge Kyle (Walter Matthau, Charley Varrick) takes a shine to him. The only reason Maybe goes along with the ruse is to gain easy access to the town bank and plan a robbery. This scheme goes dangerously awry when Tessa (Gia Scala, The Price of Fear), a former flame from New Orleans, shows up in town and is persuaded to pose as his wife. The couple’s masquerade is further complicated by the arrival of Sam Teeler (Henry Silva, Code of Silence), Maybe’s rival in crime, who plans to rob the bank with his own gang of outlaws. A fast-paced action-adventure full of unexpected plot twists, Ride a Crooked Trail also displays a surprisingly light comic flair which is capped by Walter Matthau’s delightful, rambunctious performance as the wily Judge Kyle. Directed by Jesse Hibbs (To Hell and Back) and written by the great Borden Chase (Red River, Winchester ’73, Backlash). NO NAME ON THE BULLET (1959) From Jack Arnold, the acclaimed director of It Came from Outer Space, The Glass Web, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Incredible Shrinking Man and Man in the Shadow, comes this thrilling and suspenseful western starring World War II hero turned movie star Audie Murphy (The Duel at Silver Creek) as a “good” bad guy in a tense tale of retribution. When hired killer John Gant (Murphy) rides into town, no one is sure whose name is on his bullet. Several townsfolk, knowing they have enemies, each believe that the professional assassin is there to kill them. While they wait for him to make his move, paranoia starts taking over in this exciting story of payback on the wide-open plains. Beautifully shot in CinemaScope by Harold Lipstein (Ride a Crooked Trail, Pillars of the Sky) and featuring a stellar cast that includes Charles Drake (The Price of Fear), Joan Evans (A Strange Adventure), Virginia Grey (Strangers in the Night), Warren Stevens (40 Pounds of Trouble), R.G. Armstrong (White Lightning), Willis Bouchey (Panic in Year Zero), Whit Bissell (Not as a Stranger), Edgar Stehli (4D Man) and Jerry Paris (Marty).