Ask Clint Eastwood to select personal favorites from amongst his movies and you might be surprised by one choice. “It’s an old-fashioned theme,” Eastwood says, “but if, as a film director, I ever wanted to say something, you’ll find it in Bronco Billy.” “One of the funniest and most touching films you’ll see this or any year” (ABC-TV) casts Eastwood as the ace sharpshooter and head of a modern Wild West tent show. Life’s been hard for Billy and his ragtag troupe. But their luck might change – in the unlikely person of a highfalutin society dame (Sondra Locke). You may already have a favorite Eastwood role. Watch Bronco Billy and, chances are, you’ll have another.
For thoughts on Bronco Billy, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Bronco Billy with a terrific 1080p master transfer released in 2019 in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 2K scan of the Interpositive. We have never seen this film in any other format, but we can only imagine this is a monumental improvement over the ancient DVD master. One of the elements that stands out immediately is the depth and vibrancy of the colors on display under the big tent. Bronco Billy and his band of band of misfits aim to put on a spectacle for the crowd, and this translates over to the audience. Each hue is ideally saturated throughout our journey. Black levels are deep with immense stability, and highlights hold pretty firm with only fleeting moments getting overly hot. Detail and clarity are first-rate with the lovely natural film grain intact and resolved consistently. There are not any digital fumbles such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such issues. Warner Archive has treated this one with great care.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that fits the material perfectly. Dialogue is the most prominent element here, and it comes through crisp and clear. The soundtrack and the circus music are used effectively to settle you into this environment. The environmental noises come alive with gunfire from the show, galloping horses, and all other manner of unique sounds the characters come across. Even when things get more active during a memorable train scene, every element remains distinct and in harmony with one another. There is no egregious age-related wear and tear to the track such as drop-outs, hissing, or popping. Warner Archive has knocked it out of the park with the audio. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Theatrical Trailer: A nearly three-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Bronco Billy is an extremely entertaining outing from Clint Eastwood that manages to play with his western persona while also leaning on his comedic chops. There are a handful of elements that have not aged as gracefully, but the themes of found family still resonate to this day. Eastwood is in good form, but Sondra Locke steals the show away from him alongside a more-than-capable ensemble. Warner Archive has released Blu-Ray featuring a wonderful A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. If you are an Eastwood fan and this is not in your collection yet, you should change that. Recommended
Bronco Billy can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive 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.
