The Ox-Bow Incident

Based on Walter van Tilburg Clark's realistic novel (inspired by an actual incident that occurred in Nevada in 1885), William Wellman's beautifully filmed 1943 western opens with Gil Carter (Henry Fonda) and Art Croft (Henry Morgan) riding into the small town of Bridger's Wells, where they learn that a popular farmer named Larry Kincaid has been murdered. With the sheriff out of town, a number of residents are quick to form a posse with the headstrong deputy sheriff and an old Confederate war hero at their helm, and Carter and Croft tag along. Before long, they stumble upon three men in the wilderness with 50 head of Kincaid's cattle. The trio, led by Donald Martin (Dana Andrews), say they bought the cattle from Kincaid, and that Kincaid agreed to send a bill of sale by post, but no one believes them, especially after one of Martin's partners, Juan (Anthony Quinn), is frisked and found to be carrying Kincaid's pistol (which he claims he found along the road). Will mob psychology or levelheaded reasoning win the day, the Oscar-nominated The Ox-Bow Incident asks, sounding a universal cautionary note that seems eerily apropos today under the gunslinger-terminology-inflected Bush administration. One of the wonderful "Fox Studio Classics" editions, the DVD debut of Wellman's classic boasts pristine image and sound qualities, as well as a number of solid extras, including an informative (if sometimes sparse) commentary track featuring scholar Dick Eulain and William Wellman, Jr. (recorded separately), the Biography documentary Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quietest Hero, and an eye-opening film restoration segment. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—June 14, 2016—Kino, 75 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its debut on Blu-ray, 1943's The Ox-Bow Incident features a decent transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary by Western scholar Dick Eulain and actor William Wellman Jr., the documentary “Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero” (45 min.), a restoration demo (3 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a classic Western makes a welcome Blu-ray debut.]