![]() ![]() IMO the best part about owning this collection is being able to observe McQueen's metamorphosis from novice performer into solid actor over a three-year period in chronological fashion. Wouldn't you like to know more about the mare's leg? The extras aren't much, but they do provide background material that should please old fans and enlighten new viewers. The black and white images are uniformly crisp and free of artifacts, and the monaural soundtrack is clean. Happily, the original negatives were preserved and have been properly handled for this DVD set. The show is as good and solid as I remembered it so is McQueen, who launched his amazingly successful film career on its popularity and critical acclaim. I hadn't seen Wanted: Dead or Alive since it ended in 1961, so being able to own and watch all 92 episodes now has been a treat. Despite the obvious back-lot sets, you believed he was bounty hunter Josh Randall, plying his notorious trade around the Old West. His graceful athleticism enhanced his believability as an action hero he rode horses, handled weapons and performed fight scenes with enviable skill. I matured enough along with the series to appreciate McQueen's acting style: spare, intense and so cool you could make ice cubes with it. Whoa! Sex appeal, presence and star power: Steve had it all even then. ![]() His boyish looks, big sky-blue eyes, charming grin and lithe body were striking - and oh my, that mare's leg rifle! I loved watching him saunter up to the bulletin board every week and rip that wanted poster off, then look at us with steely-eyed intent. I was just old enough to start noticing boys when Wanted: Dead or Alive began its run, so Steve McQueen caught my eye. Steve McQueen was a star back then, and today, some 30 years after his death, his legend will go on. This is a series I would definitely recommend for enjoyment, and reliving the past with a touch of Nostalgia. ![]() Such support actors in the show include: James Coburn, Michael Landon, Alan Hale, Warren Oates, Jay North, DeForest Kelley, Michael Pate, Clu Gulager, Lee Van Cleef, Lon Chaney Jr, Dyan Cannon, Wayne Rogers, Martin Landau, John Carradine, Claude Akins, Harold J Stone, Mary Tyler Moore, Cloris Leachman, Richard Anderson, Noah Beery Jr, and many others. Picking out these old actors is easy, as faces do not change much, they just weather and get more wrinkles. Many of these support actors went on to be stars themselves, as well as having their own shows. The other aspect I loved watching this old series was the support cast used. Back in the 1950's, television antennae and reception was of very poor quality, so it was a pleasure to see these episodes replayed in cinema quality reproduction. I am not sure if these DVD released have been remastered at all, but the quality of the episodes is excellent. Two of these movies, The Magnificent Seven (1960) and Nevada Smith (1966) saw him play a similar cowboy role. It was in Wanted: Dead or alive that McQueen as Josh Randall really excelled and he soon rocketed to fame in great movies. ![]() McQueen also starred in a forgettable sci-fi movie called The Blob. At the same time of the release of this series. Until this western series began, Steve McQueen was relatively unknown. Widows and others inconvenienced by misfortune, often received the bounty collected from Randall. He stood for law and order, and if he believed his prey was innocent, he would defend them with his life seeking out the guilty at the same time. With the bigger gauge bullet, his victims never stood a chance. In this series, Josh Randall never used a six-gun, but a sawn-off Winchester 1892 model carbine rifle. They never killed for the sake of killing and only defended themselves to avoid being killed. Like Paladin in Have Gun Will Travel, and Vint Bonner in The Restless Gun Josh Randall had both morals and ethics. Steve McQueen plays the role of Josh Randall, a bounty hunter in the days where there was no law and murders were an everyday occurrence. This attractively packaged set covers all three seasons spanning 94 episodes from 1958 to 1961. I still rate Have Gun Will Travel as the doyen of westerns, closely followed by Wanted: Dead or Alive and The Restless Gun. I can vividly recall watching the series on television in the late 1950's in Australia which was only one of three westerns worthwhile watching. I recently purchased the complete series of the classic western show, Wanted Dead or Alive. ![]()
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