THE PLOT THUS FAR
Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood) is promoted to trail boss as the iconic Western with the classic theme song rides on into the sunset.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Rawhide” enters its final season with a bit of a whimper. Wishbone seemed to get a lot more screen time, but who doesn’t love the cook? Everyone else just kinda faded to the background, as CBS started milking Rowdy for what he was worth. Rowdy gets kidnapped, the gang fights a bear and they get brought into a leftover Civil War conflict. There’s trouble around every corner and no one knows what’s going to happen next. It’s exciting, right?
Clint Eastwood had done the first of the Dollars Trilogy by the time that this season aired. He was starting to become an International star and people were growing a little tired of the TV western. If anything, this last season of Rawhide is a frozen moment in time where American entertainment tastes were changing and a star was being born. Sure, it’d be another 6 years before Eastwood became a superstar, but the path to recognition started here. While I watched the Rawhide reruns on FX, I’m sure that this development was stunning for those that watched the show live. All I’ve got is history and easily archived entertainment to build a look back at a classic western. At least, Rawhide had the sense to end it all before it became as tired as “Gunsmoke”. Gunsmoke was pretty damn rough in those last few years.
The DVD comes with no special features. The A/V Quality is pretty strong for a classic series. That being said, it’s on par with the last few releases. The transfer is flat, while the Dolby track does the best with what it’s got. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase for fans. Complete the series, you guys.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!