“Bronc stomper” Melody Jones rides into the sleepy little hamlet of Paynesville, with his saddle pal George, where the good townsfolk have mistaken Melody for another man with the initials “M.J.” The gentleman in question is “Monte Jarrad,” a bad hombre with a $1,000 price on his head for a recent stagecoach robbery. Unaware of the peril brought about by their presumed identities, Melody and George get a little help from Cherry De Longpre who’s eager to get them out of town ahead of an anxious posse.
Cherry’s motives aren’t entirely pure, however, as she hopes her scheme will ensure the successful escape of her wounded boyfriend — none other than the Monte Jarrad himself. But Melody becomes wise to Cherry’s plotting and uses the situation to his advantage by trying to capture Jarrad, gain the reward and fame, all the while trying to escape the long arm of the law.
An actor who always rode tall in the saddle, Gary Cooper spoofs his laconic cowpoke image in Along Came Jones, playing an unconventional cowboy who can’t even shoot straight! Loretta Young co-stars as Cherry, with William Demarest as Coop’s loyal sidekick and Dan Duryea as the villainous Jarrad.
For thoughts on Along Came Jones, please check out my piece on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Along Came Jones makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to ClassicFlix with a 1080p master from a 4K restoration that is quite excellent. The film opens up with a message about the poor state of the source material and how the company still wanted to release this delightful film despite some deficiencies. Just take a look at the restoration comparison in the special features to see what a minor miracle this presentation has provided. A great deal of work has been put into stabilizing this film and cleaning up all of the damage.
The contrast is well defined, and the track experiences very little in the way of damage. There is a grand amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the settings. The transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. The most unstable moments appear to be in the optical dissolves. The lovely black-and-white photography shines in high definition with natural grain intact and only the smallest amount of occasional density fluctuation. Black levels are deep with no notable occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. ClassicFlix has done some excellent work here and anyone who purchases it should be beyond pleased with the quality.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a suitable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that nonetheless serves this movie well enough. This track does present some amount of age-related wear and tear, as it sometimes struggles with the heights of the score. There are also certain instances of dialogue that sound a bit hollow, but typically it sounds natural. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. The music never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Even with some core source issues, ClassicFlix has done their best to provide the most stable track possible for this one.
Special Features
- Image Gallery: A collection of rare stills, promotional material and more is provided here.
- Restoration Comparison: A four-minute piece which shows a side-by-side comparison of how the film looked before and after the extensive restoration. It really is a night and day difference.
Final Thoughts
Along Came Jones is an impeccably executed western that offers up action, drama and romance in equal measure. The entire ensemble is delivering truly great work, especially the multi-faceted Gary Cooper and the strong, radiant Loretta Young. This is not the most well-known western, but it is one that deserves a larger spotlight for everything it achieves so confidently. ClassicFlix has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a couple of brief special features. If you are a fan of westerns or any of the talent involved, this one is a great addition to your collection. Recommended
Along Came Jones is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: ClassicFlix has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
