The Naked Spur (1953) {Warner Archive Blu-ray Review}

Reviewed by Jason Lockard

James Stewart was a prolific actor, shining in everything he decided to put his skills to. Whether it was drama, comedy, biographies, thrillers or westerns, one thing is for sure, Jimmy Stewart was amazing.  Than there was Anthony Mann a director known for his work in film noir and westerns. These two amazing men joined forces on 5 different occasions.

In 1953 they brought to the cinema in my opinion their greatest collaboration, The Naked Spur. Now the great folks at Warner Archive are giving this classic western adventure a Blu-ray release it so richly deserves.

The film follows bounty hunter Howard Kemp (Stewart), who is tracking an outlaw named Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan) through the Colorado Rockies in the mid 1800s. Kemp teams up with prospector Jesse Tate (Millard Mitchell) and former Union soldier Roy Anderson (Ralph Meeker). Once they catch Vandergroat and his girlfriend Lina (Janet Leigh) they demand an equal share of the $5,000 bounty. As they make their way back to civilization they must rely on each other to survive.

This western is a true pulse pounding tense adventure, complete with rockslides, shootouts, fist fights and drama. James Stewart really shines in this role of the tough as nails bounty hunter. As for the supporting actors I felt everyone was perfectly cast. Plus the direction of Anthony Mann makes for one of the best westerns of the 1950s.

Warner Archive have transferred this western classic in 1080p in it's original full screen format in 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The audio is a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio. This seems to be a 4K scan of a newly restored version. The picture is crisp and the colors are gorgeous. This transfer is remarkable.

Now as beautifully stunning as this film transfer is, Warner Archive have added some amazing bonus features top this disc. Take a look at what is included in this Blu-ray.

Things We Can Do Without: A Pete Smith Specialty shorts in which Dave O'Brien shows off a bunch of different modern household items and furniture with hilarious results.

Little Johnny Jet A B-29 bomber plane named John is looking for work but B-29's are being put out to pasture by jets. When his wife Mary announces she is having a baby he is excited until he finds out the baby is a jet.

Theatrical Trailer

Watch the trailer below:


I saw this film on TV once as a kid on an afternoon after school. I remember enjoying the film, but watching it again years later and now with this new scan looking far better than I ever remembered. I can truly say I enjoyed it so much more this time around.

So if you are a fan of James Stewart of 50s westerns I highly recommend you treat yourself to, in my opinion, one of the best westerns of the 50s on Blu-ray from Warner Archive. Head over to Amazon.com and order your copy today.

Out of 4 Film Reels (4 Being the Best) Warner Archive's Blu-ray of The Naked Spur receives...