Singing Cowboys on the Trail (DVD)

The flavor, the music and the FUN of the West are all captured in this quintet of vintage short subjects.

CALGARY COWBOY STAMPEDE: Thrilling footage shot at this yearly Canadian event, publicized as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Highlights include Brahma bull riding, calf-roping, a chuckwagon race and even Slim Pickens as a death-defying rodeo clown.

ON THE TRAIL: Tenderfoot tourists enjoy the simple pleasures of the frontier - and an exciting wildcat hunt.

RANCHO LIFE: Watch as a vast ranch is established in 1835 Spanish California. Oxen plow the land and vaqueros round up cattle, brand calves and make their own elaborate lariats.

SONGS OF THE PRARIE: A group of roundup-weary cowpokes do a bit of vocalizing. Among them is veteran Western bad guy (and future Frankenstein Monster) Glenn Strange!

THE SINGING COWBOYS: Hard-ridin' buckaroos provide a series of musical numbers... amidst much clowning and lasso-spinning.

• western