'Liberty Valance' among new DVDs

An interesting mix of new and old films have found their way to DVD this week, led by a couple of remastered Westerns starring John Wayne.

"Centennial Collection: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"(Paramount, 1962, b/w, $16.99). This is a fine example of how a movie can rise above studio interference and budget restrictions with the right director, script and cast. John Ford would likely have filmed this in color on vivid outdoor locations except that Paramount was in a cost-cutting mood, so it was filmed on studio soundstages.

But the film still approaches perfection — it's filled with clever, witty dialogue (most famously, "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend") and is perfectly cast: John Wayne is confident and authoritative as a tough, rough-hewn cowpoke in love with an intelligent woman (Vera Miles). But she is naturally drawn to a city slicker, a new-in-town lawyer (James Stewart) who dreams of taming the West using the law instead of violence. His dream is waylaid by the terror wrought by a local thug (Lee Marvin in a starmaking turn as the ruthless, wild-eyed title character).

This was the last great movie for the 68-year-old Ford, whose direction is as sharp as with anything he made in his prime (and that includes a lot of classic films), and whose terrific supporting cast includes Woody Strode, Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, Strother Martin, Lee Van Cleef and John Carradine.

Extras: widescreen, audio commentary (by Peter Bogdanovich with his archival recordings of Ford and Stewart), selected-scene commentary and introductions by Ford's son Dan (along with his archival recordings of Ford, Stewart and Marvin), featurettes, trailer, photo/art galleries

"Centennial Collection: El Dorado" (Paramount, 1966, $16.99). Howard Hawks essentially reworked his 1959 classic "Rio Bravo" for this rich, funny, highly entertaining Western about a drunken sheriff (Robert Mitchum) who is sobered up by a pal (John Wayne) so they can take on a passel of bad guys (led by Edward Asner).

Wayne and Mitchum have a warm, easy chemistry, and the supporting cast is a fine mix of up-and-comers and seasoned veterans — including James Caan, hilarious as a young gambler whose firearm skills are so poor that Wayne gets him a sawed-off shotgun, and crusty Arthur Hunnicutt, who knows his way around a wisecrack.

The Western paintings under the opening credits are stunning; watch the vintage featurette about the artist, who has a cameo in the film (where he tells a hilarious story about the aforementioned shotgun).

Extras: widescreen, audio commentary by Peter Bogdanovich, Richard Schickel, Todd McCarthy and Asner, featurettes, trailer, photo/art galleries