On the surface, Nicholas Ray's Wind Across the Everglades (1958) should have a lot going for it: it's got an entertaining performance by veteran actor Burl Ives, an early lead appearance by Christopher Plummer, a unique setting, and a premise that's at least a decade ahead of its time. Our story follows conservationist Walt Murdock (Plummer), who's hired by the Audubon Society to investigate rampant bird poaching in southern Florida. The leader of the poachers is "Cottonmouth" (Ives), who wants nothing to do with Murdock's attempts to stop his lucrative law-breaking. It's even got the added bonus of being based on true events: Murdock is an obvious stand-in for game warden Guy Bradley, whose valiant real-life attempts to stop poaching in the Everglades during the final years of his life (1870-1905) led to the creation of federal and state laws protecting endangered birds of the region.

But even at just 93 minutes, Wind Across the Everglades struggles to maintain momentum for what should be a riveting, back-and-forth struggle between both stubborn sides. It's only during the film's final stretch that the story tightens up: we're treated to a showdown that's given plenty of room to breathe, but ultimately left wondering why the rest of this film wasted so much time elsewhere. Part of its problems undoubtedly stem from creative differences near the end of filming---and why I probably shouldn't have referred to it as "Nicholas Ray's Wind Across the Everglades" up there---when the director was reportedly fired, leaving writer Budd Schulberg in command (along with his younger brother Stuart, who produced). The end result is obviously not a singular vision: that doesn't mean that there aren't occasional glimmers of hope during Wind Across the Everglades, but you'll have to wait for them.

Aside from its rousing final stretch, the film's other saving graces are both lead performances. Ives carries the bulk of the load as Cottonmouth: his imposing stature and gruff demeanor make him a believable bully, and his fiery red beard stands out from the muddy Florida swampland. Plummer does a respectable job with Walt Murdock: his quiet confidence suits the role, at least enough to match wits with Cottonmouth and his unruly band of poachers (two of them are Peter Falk in his first film appearance, and former circus clown Emmett Kelly). Along with other highlights---including decent supporting performances by Gypsy Rose Lee and Chana Eden---it seems like the framework of Wind Across the Everglades should produce a solid film. But there's just not enough here to make it anything more than a curiosity, although anyone who keeps their expectations in check might enjoy it a little more than I did.

Speaking of which, I'd imagine that most interested parties will be watching Wind Across the Everglades for the first time here: it wasn't exactly a solid hit for the studio, and the film's complete absence on Region 1 home video up until now hasn't exactly bolstered its legacy. So I'd love to tell you that Warner Bros. does the film right here, but this burn-on-demand disc isn't anything to write home about. Featuring a questionable A/V presentation, no real bonus features, and a high price tag, this isn't exactly a textbook example of physical media at its best.

It doesn't take long to realize that this 480p, 1.78:1 transfer (likely opened up from its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio) was taken from extremely limited source material and there obviously wasn't much clean-up done. Image detail, textures, black levels, and contrast are all very inconsistent and a moderate amount of dirt, debris, scratches, and vertical lines also appear along the way. Color timing is also inconsistent: on several occasions, characters in conversation appear to have been shot on different days or weather conditions, and it's very distracting. But again, it's also obvious that many of these problems are most likely due to the original elements, and there's no way that Warner Bros. is dropping six figures on a complete restoration of an obscure film. Despite these distractions, Wind Across the Everglades shows occasional moments of clarity and die-hard fans will simply be glad to have it on disc.

The audio is presented in its original Dolby Digital mono format and defaults to a two-channel spread, but this is very much a thin presentation that reflects the era in which Wind Across the Everglades was made. Dialogue and music are often clear but not especially dynamic, and the complete lack of low end doesn't give the action a great deal of punch. Still, it sounds exactly like a 57 year-old drama ought to---especially a low-budget one shot under difficult conditions---and I'd rather have flat mono than a faux-surround "upgrade". Defects are minimal, and the only other distractions are a few stray moments of questionable ADR along the way. Unfortunately, no optional subtitles or Closed Captions have been included on this release, which continues to be a problem for Warner Archive releases.

Wind Across the Everglades is a film whose intent---and the prospect of seeing a young Christopher Plummer in action---is much better than the end result. It's a wildly uneven ride that has trouble keeping momentum at times, most likely due to the real-life creative differences near the end of its production. As a whole, though, Wind Across the Everglades is strongest during its final stretch when our two immovable objects finally get a chance to butt heads for more than a few moments, but the feeling of "too little, too late" will probably leave a bad taste in your mouth. Fans of the cast may want to watch this out of curiosity, but Warner Archives' weak DVD package serves up a middling A/V presentation, no real extras, and a price tag that should be reserved for a better disc. Rent It at the most.