Set in the American West of the 1870s, Colt .45 stars Wayde Preston as Christopher Colt, a giant of a man who works undercover on a special assignment for the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps to combat the lawlessness on the young country’s frontier. Using the guise of salesman for his family’s arms manufacturing company, Colt travels alone, bringing law to the dangerous West at the barrel of his family’s signature weapon–the Colt .45. This action-packed series made Preston an instant TV favorite, and the series itself featured an impressive list of guest stars including Dan Blocker, Peter Brown, Robert Conrad, Angie Dickinson, Troy Donahue, Alan Hale Jr., and future TV icons Leonard Nimoy and Adam West. During the series’ third season, the character of Sam Colt Jr. (portrayed by Donald May) was introduced as Christopher’s cousin, taking on the family mantle to combat the nefarious villains and outlaws introduced in each episode. Long unavailable and out of public view, now all 67 episodes of COLT .45 are making their home video debut in this Blu-ray collection, which have been meticulously remastered from 4K scans of the original camera negatives.
For thoughts on Colt .45: The Complete Series, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents the complete run of Colt .45 with a tremendous 1080p transfer sourced from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negatives. This set provides all 67 episodes spread across 10 discs which allows plenty of room for this half-hour show to thrive. The series features some lovely black-and-white photography which shines with the perfect amount of natural film grain intact. Black levels are deep with resolute stability throughout, and the contrast holds firm with nothing appearing overly bright or blown out. The dusty landscapes provide a world of texture and clarity throughout the series.
This is a series that has been out of circulation for some time, but the source seems to have been maintained quite carefully. As is typical with Warner Archive, the quality is unimpeachable. The show is free of damage with no trace of wear and tear or dirt specks. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such anomalies are likewise avoided for a stunning viewing experience. There are no corners cut when it comes to this picture. We knew Warner Archive could handle classic movies, but it is great to know they put just as much care into its older television output.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray set comes with a restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio presentation that captures these journeys with favorable fidelity. The restoration has eliminated nearly all instances of distortion to the track such as popping, hissing, and dropouts. This track translates every distinct sonic puzzle piece into a beacon of clarity. Dialogue and background noises are rendered with peerless accuracy along with the rousing score. Exchanges always come through impeccably without being drowned out by other elements. The more lively moments such as gunfire are handled carefully as they give the track some substance. Warner Archive has offered up a first-rate audio presentation. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the episodes.
Special Features
There are no special features provided for this set.
Final Thoughts
Colt .45 is a Western series that has been all but forgotten due to exigent circumstances that kept the series out of circulation for decades. While it may not be a stone-cold masterpiece like more well-known outings, it is certainly worthy of your eyeballs thanks to its steady string of entertaining adventures across these handful of seasons. The change in lead performer did not work out the best for the series creatively, but we still had a good time throughout. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray set that features a jaw-dropping A/V presentation but no supplemental features. If you are a fan of Western television shows, this is worth your time and money. Recommended
Colt .45: The Complete Series can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through 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.