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Born to Battle (1926)
Born to Battle (1926) poster
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Born to Battle (1926)

Western • 50m

Director: Robert De Lacey

Cast: Jean Arthur, Tom Tyler, Ray Childs, Fred Gamble, Frankie Darro, Buck Black, LeRoy Mason, Ethan Laidlaw

Letterboxd
IMDbThe Movie Database (TMDB)

Best English-friendly & video release

HD Streaming
Video notes:

Youtube HD Streaming apparently from Library of Congress but not officially. This is a significant improvement over previous public domain sources though, so it's enough reason to believe it's a newer scan

Updated 5 months ago


About the film

Dennis Terhune, ranch foreman for John Morgan, an eastern capitalist, discovers that there is oil on Morgan's ranch shortly after Morgan has deeded the ranch to Daley, western manager for the Morgan properties. Dennis rides after Daley and retrieves the deed, saving Morgan's ranch and securing for himself the love of the financier's daughter, Eunice.

More Western on Blu-ray

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Plaion Germany Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

4K Blu-ray said to be coming from Criterion, per Bill Hunt

Video Notes:

Includes Director's Cut and Roadshow Version

Same master as old WB Blu-ray but better encoding

Director: Sam Peckinpah

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray or Germany Plaion Blu-ray or WB DVD depending on the cut.

Best Video:

First Preview (Turner): Germany Plaion Blu-ray

Second Preview (Final Preview): Germany Plaion Blu-ray

Theatrical: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

2005 Cut: WB DVD

2024 Cut: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Director: George Stevens

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has unusually strong encode but only a minimal upgrade over the excellent Eureka Blu-ray

Director: Samuel Fuller

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-Ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: John Ford

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Japan IVC Blu-ray

TV series

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative for all episodes

TV series

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Anthony Mann

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow Video Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Arrow's deluxe presentation is a fantastic package with great supplements, art and printed materials. Sadly the master is a heavily processed Paramount affair. It has seemingly been severely grain managed and the mono audio is horribly thin when it shouldn't be. Stereo and 5.1 options are also given but they seem to be more of home video remixes. They do not have the fidelity issue of the compromised mono but also show marked differences as if they were remixed from stem sources. This seems to have suffered lesser degrees of the problems that plagued The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance's 4K master. This is the best version to date but one wishes Paramount could leave scans alone.

Director: Anthony Mann

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow Video Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Additional Info:

The Arrow Video Blu-ray is the best iteration so far coming from a new restoration complete with great supplements and package. The original limited edition version included a second disc with the alternate 2.0:1 framed version. The primary disc is 1.85:1. Older releases pre-2008 were all in Academy ratio. 1.85 is the best compromise ratio for the visuals. As good as this release is, the master is showing its age and sadly has a number of frozen grain artifacts.

Director: Anthony Mann

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray reissue (4K restoration)

Video Notes:

Massive picture upgrade as the 4K restoration addresses the massive color fringing that has plagued all previous dated masters. Oddly the titles are a different color now.

Additional Info:

4K restoration is a gigantic and essential picture upgrade but only available on the Kino Blu-ray reissue. No UHD has been made or announced by anyone. 

Edit history

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Researched and maintained by

vanshady

· last reviewed 5 months ago

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