What do you call a cowboy with his brains kicked out? A bronc rider. Ben Jones and Howdy Lewis, heaven help them, are bronc riders. Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda portray the pair who are cowboy enough to do just about any job, except for the one at hand. That job: Saddle a clever, ornery, blaze-faced roan named Old Fooler and make him as gentle as a milk-pen calf. Can’t be done – and that gets the cowpokes to thinking. Maybe they can make a dollar or two by wagering that no one at the rodeo can stay atop him either. Place your bets as filmmaker Burt Kennedy matches the warmth of his two stars with an unadorned ease that makes this modern Western as welcome as a get-together with old friends at a Sunday social.

For thoughts on The Rounders, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Warner Archive provided The Rounders with an exquisite 1080p master transfer in 2.35:1 when it was released in 2017 sourced from a new 2K scan of the Interpositive. The film delivers earthy colors within the landscape and costumes, although some of the women show up in clothing with bold shades that leap off the screen. This transfer delivers the utmost accuracy when it comes to the hues. Highlights stay firm during the runtime and black levels are largely deep outside of some fleeting milky evening scenes. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such issues do not arise as an issue in this transfer. The label has eliminated nearly all imperfections with no outright instances of damage or dirt detected. Outside of some optical shots, you are blessed with a transfer rich with great detail and clarity. The natural film grain enriches the cinematography of Paul Vogel. Warner Archive put forth a good effort.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a steady DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono track that holds up just fine with only a few odd signs of age. Dialogue and environmental noises work together with the score so everything has the appropriate presence in the mix. Exchanges come through clearly with no elements commanding undue focus. The score from Jeff Alexander sets the lighter tone while staying clear of unwanted anomalies. The more rollicking moments of bronco busting are handled well and give the track a bit of personality. There is no serious damage to the track such as hissing, dropouts, or popping. Warner Archive has not skimped on the audio. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

Trailer (2:43)

Final Thoughts

The Rounders is a pretty jovial Western that is almost episodic in its low-stakes narrative, but you come to love the characters so much that you are never bored. Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda are very charming in the central roles, and having the lovable adversary of the film be a horse leads to many fun moments. The last twenty minutes or so veer off in some very unnecessary directions, but we were still quite taken by the picture. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that sports a fantastic A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. Any fan of Western comedies should keep this in mind. Recommended

The Rounders 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.