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25 of 25 found the following review helpful:
Dig that crazy score, pardner!Mar 23, 2004
By Robert Huggins "Shotgun Slade" has often been referred to as "Peter Gunn meets the Old West" and, after viewing the episodes in this 2-disc set, that's a reasonably apt description. B-movie star Scott Brady stars as the title character, a Denver-based private detective who carries a special combination rifle/shotgun, though Slade uses his fists more often than his gun. The series ran from 1959 to 1961 and was notable for Gerald Fried's jazzy musical score. The score was innovative for its time but, to these ears, sounds out of place in a Western series, though the opening and closing theme IS very good . . . for a contemporary detective series of the late 1950s/early 1960s.Platinum Disc Corporation includes 15 episodes of this largely forgotten series on two dual layer discs. At the time of its release (March 2004), this set represented the largest collection of "Shotgun Slade" episodes released on DVD. As with other classic television releases from Platinum, this one is far from perfect . . . you'll find some film specks, scratches, occasional audio hiss, and Platinum's logo that sometimes appears in the bottom right corner. On the whole, these episodes are very watchable and enjoyable. Give Platinum Disc Corporation some credit for releasing some harder to find television Westerns. In addition to the "Shotgun Slade" episodes, other recent releases have included a 9-episode single DVD of "Sheriff of Cochise/United States Marshal" episodes (under the "U.S. Marshal" title) and a 2-disc set of episodes from "Stories of the Century" under the title "Legends of the Old West." The "Shotgun Slade" episodes included on the two discs are as follows: Disc 1 Backtrack The Spanish Box The Deadly Key Donna Juanita The Fabulous Fiddle The Golden Tunnel A Flower for Jenny A Flower on Boot Hill Disc 2 Ring of Death The Charcoal Bullet Sudden Death Lost Gold The Smell of Money Crossed Guns Killer's Brand
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Shotgun Slade . . . not much new hereMar 21, 2007
By Robert Huggins "Shotgun Slade" meshed two popular television genres of the late 1950s/early 1960s into one . . . a private detective in the Old West. B-Movie actor Scott Brady starred as Slade (no first name) and his weapon of choice was a rifle/shotgun combination. The series ran for two years (1959-1961) and a number of episodes from the first season haven fallen into the public domain. Here are the episodes that are included in this collection:
1. Lost Gold
2. A Flower For Jenny
3. The Fabulous Fiddle
4. Ring Of Death
5. Crossed Guns
6. Sudden Death
7. The Golden Tunnel
8. The Salted Mine
9. The Killer Brand
10. Donna Juanita
While there has never been an official release of the series, several companies specializing in public domain material have released episodes. One of those releasing companies, the Platinum Disc Corporation (now Echo Bridge Entertainment), released a 2-DVD set containing 15 episodes of the series in 2004. That collection remains the largest collection of "Slade" episodes on commercially available DVDs. This newer collection of episodes from the Timeless Media Group contains 10 episodes from the series; unfortunately, all but one of the episodes, "The Salted Mine," appeared on the Platinum set making this collection redundant. Frankly, the low selling price would be the primary reason to consider acquiring this set.
I've yet to see a great release of this series on DVD and, given the series' comparative obscurity, it's not likely that we'll ever see one. The Timeless set is your standard public domain release . . . the episodes are watchable but are sourced from the usual beat-up 16 millimeter syndication prints. Further, Timeless has an annoying habit of eliminating the opening title sequence of each episode on many of its "Timeless Television" releases (including this one), preferring to show the titles once, before the main menu appears. Incidentally, the Platinum set wasn't perfect either; while the opening title sequence did appear on each episode, the company's logo flashed several times in the bottom right corner of each episode.
Bottom line: If you're looking for a low cost collection of "Shotgun Slade" episodes, this collection will suffice. If you already own the Platinum set, you can pass on this collection unless you want to pick up "The Salted Mine" episode which, to the best of my knowledge, has not previously appeared on commercially available DVDs of the series.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A good way to pass a snowy afternoonFeb 18, 2007
By Lee A. Vercoe
"TangSooPap"
Growing up in the 50's I remember watching "Shotgun Slade". It was on late (after "Have Gun Will Travel" I think) but I was allowed to stay up on Saturday night to watch it. Looking at these now it was more story than action (sometimes he didn't even shoot his rifle) so I'm not sure what the attraction was for a young kid. My wife found them boring. I remember some people being turned off by the music and it does take a little getting use to.
0 of 3 found the following review helpful:
the score has got to go,but the show is great funJun 06, 2006
By John D. Page
"movie fan"
i had never heard of this show till i bought a disc that had a few shows on it,and while i agree the score is the worst,the show is really a fun mix of western/p.i. show! great western family fun!!!
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