Review for Rawhide: Season 2 (8 Discs)

'Rawhide Series 2' is even better than Series 1 - official. All the top-notch ingredients are still here that made the first set so great (great picture quality, entertaining plots, good writing, great cast etc) but this time round we see Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood in his first starring role) start to nudge towards centre stage.


Which is odd because Rowdy is a mean and moody guy; a man of few words who is shy and polite with women and quiet (unless it's fightin' time) with the men-folk. In many ways, this was the proto-type of Eastwood's 'quiet man/tough guy' schtick and it's notable that it clearly differentiated him from the herd enough to get bigger and bigger roles.


But this increase inn prominence doesn't mean this is a one star show. It remained an ensemble piece and Eastwood retained mere second-billing behind his boss, Eric Fleming, until Fleming quit some seven series into the 8 series run.
 

This series, which originally aired in 1959, actually kicks off with an episode about Rowdy Yates which really brings out the quiet man with a mean streak characteristics, as he tries to break in a new horse where others have failed. His 'quiet man/horse whispering' demeanour wins the day.


Standout episodes in this bumper set also include the standard cattle drive dramas as well as a fantastically tense episode where Pete Nolan becomes a kidnapped victim to three ex-cons. There are also a couple of quirky episodes where superstition gets the better of the crew, and there are plenty of episodes that pull firmly at the heart strings. After all, these may be rough cow-handlers, but they all have a collective heart of gold.

The entire cast look and feel comfortable with other and, though much of 'Rawhide' is like an extended road movie, the core team soon become familiar and incredibly likable. Wishbone the cook, for example, may provide the laughs but he is a good and fiercely loyal and moralistic man.


In common with many series at the time, Rawhide was filmed at a furious pace with an episode a week being scheduled. It's remarkable that it stands up as well as it does given these incredible constraints.


Picture quality in Series 2 is every bit as good as Series 1, and if the sampler episode from Series 3 is anything to go by, it looks as though these high standards look set to be retained for the entire release.


There are no real extras here but a whole heap of episodes so you won't feel short-changed. The set is great value for money. Although the plots get a bit predictable, it's great escapism and if you ration your viewing to an episode or two a week then you're going to thoroughly enjoy it.