Arizona

Having directed one epic Western already—1931's Cimarron, an Oscar-winner for Best Picture—Wesley Ruggles seemed like a perfect choice to helm this 1940 spectacular set in and around Old Tucson. Jean Arthur, heretofore best known for her performances in Frank Capra films, played a high-spirited hellion who flouts convention by starting her own cattle ranch, ultimately battling rustlers and Indians both. She's aided by a California-bound adventurer (newly minted star William Holden in a role originally intended for Gary Cooper), who cheerfully takes on bad guys Warren William and Porter Hall (and venerable character actors Edgar Buchanan, Regis Toomey, Paul Harvey, George Chandler, and Byron Foulger also contribute first-rate supporting turns). Visually, the production is sumptuous: Ruggles actually rebuilt Old Tucson in the desert outside the real city, erecting a full-sized town of adobe buildings used by subsequent filmmakers as recently as 10 years ago. The director's insistence on authenticity helped immeasurably, and the film climaxes with a thrilling cattle stampede that's among the best ever committed to celluloid. Not quite a classic horse opera, Arizona still ranks pretty high with fans of Westerns and still makes for top-drawer entertainment. Presented with a fine transfer on an extra-less disc, this is recommended. (E. Hulse)