“I like a messy bed.”
—JOHNNY CASH in Door-to-Door Maniac
“Mystery I had read somewhere is not the absence of meaning, but the presence of more meaning that we can comprehend.”
—DENNIS COVINGTON in Salvation of Sand Mountain
THE MATERIAL COVERED HERE EXAMINES JOHNNY CASH from his first appearances in the 1950s to the last material he recorded in 2002. Cash’s career as epitomized by these DVDs reveals a deep sense of mystery and meaning that ran throughout all of Cash’s work, whether his music or acting. Professor Dennis Covington’s comment that “mystery . . . is the presence of more meaning than (one) could possibly comprehend” correlates to Cash’s body of work. The Man in Black’s mysterious aura permeated his music and his whole career.
Cash considered himself a simple man and yet his presence commanded the respect of people as influential as President George W. Bush and the Reverend Billy Graham, to prominent rock bands like U2 and the Grateful Dead, along with songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, and Kris Kristofferson and performance art Punk icons like G. G. Allen and the Murder Junkies. Cash had a broad range of appeal that included hardened convicts, murderers, and criminals, Native Americans, patriots, and Armed Forces personnel to punk rockers, Goths, college fraternities, and women, young and old.
Cash’s music has so much honesty and meaning that he transcends all those class and professional barriers, which are so often a part of people’s everyday lives. From the very beginning of his career, it has been difficult (if not impossible) to pigeonhole Johnny Cash as one type of artist (despite his often being considered a country artist). His music was popular, not only on the country charts, but the rock charts as well. From his first single, “Cry Cry Cry,” to his last, “Hurt,” his music always had an edge that made him different from the typical musical artist.
The same edge that separated his music from the rest could be applied to Cash’s film career. His movie and television roles show him to a be a artist of great depth, from playing murderers in Door-to-Door Maniac and Columbo, to an illiterate but loving father in The Pride of Jesse Helm, to honest officers of the law in Murder in Coweta County and Stagecoach. In every role he played, every song he recorded, and every concert he gave he remained the “Man in Black: Johnny Cash.” He was a complicated, but a very simple man, and it is utterly impossible to compartmentalize him and say, “This is what Johnny Cash was.” The DVDs discussed here are a testament to that power.
This essay covers many of the appearances of Johnny Cash on DVD, ranging from well-known ones to the more obscure. I do not cover Cash on VHS, which at this point is a much larger body of work. However, that does point out the need for more Cash-related items to be transferred to DVD. It is divided into the following sections: documentaries, concert films (and videos), and acting appearances. Not every appearance of Cash on DVD is included, but I have tried to cover some of the major and more interesting ones that have significant Cash content. There is also a short list of other Cash-related DVDs toward the end of the essay, ones not analyzed in detail, because if a writer attempted to catalog every Cash appearance it would fill volumes.
Johnny Cash—The Man, His World, His Music, 1969
Originally produced for British Television in 1969, this ninety-minute film documents the world of Johnny Cash during the late sixties. Produced by Arthur and Evelyn Barron and directed by Robert Elfstrom (Nashville Sound, Gospel Road Story of Jesus [also featuring Cash], and cinematographer for American Experience) this film is a combination of concert, studio, and interview footage. It includes an inside look at the day-to-day life of Cash and his wife, June, on the road. In it, Cash comments that, “Love is the main theme of all music,” and talks about the true sadness of country music that describes a “simple way of life.”
We are treated to Carl Perkins singing “Blue Suede Shoes” and footage of Cash and Perkins playing “Devil to Pay” together. One of the most amazing sequences is footage of Cash signing autographs and listening to several songwriters sing and play their songs for him. He shows great patience in talking to the public and would-be songwriters. After hearing two songs from one folksinger, he goes the extra mile and gets the budding writer an audition for Columbia records.
Throughout the film, Cash drives the tour bus as he tells stories from his childhood. He even takes his family back to his childhood home where he worked as a “water boy,” and the film provides a glimpse into early Southern life when the sharecropper’s quarters are viewed.
There is a wonderful studio sequence with Cash and Bob Dylan during the Nashville Skyline sessions. Johnny and June attend the Second Annual Country Music Awards, where he is awarded album of the year for Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. The most moving scene in the film is when Cash plays for some Native Americans and goes to Wounded Knee.
The end of the film shows Cash and the Carter family playing for a group of convicts. He states that he likes to play for convicts because “a prison is a prison and that’s all it is.” Cash sees convicts as real people instead of outcasts, which no doubt was responsible for his appeal. The concert footage features a smoking version of “Big River.” This film is an amazing examination of Cash, covering all aspects of his life as an artist. The film also shows more than just Johnny Cash the artist and really portrays Johnny Cash the man. It presents his warmth and gives a historic glimpse into the South and life on the road.
Good Rockin’ Tonight—Legacy of Sun Records, 2001
This documentary is part of the American Masters series. It traces the history of Sun Records from its humble beginnings (January 3, 1950), when it recorded rhythm and blues, to becoming the first to record rock greats like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Billy Lee Riley, Roy Orbison, and, of course, Johnny Cash. The early recordings featured artists like B. B. King, Howlin’s Wolf, Junior Parker, and many others. Sun’s motto was, “We Record Anything.”
This film features interviews with key musicians (Scotty Moore), producers (e.g., Jack Clement), and songwriters, including founder Sam Phillips. Considering Phillips has been in the business for more than fifty years, he looks surprisingly hip and is lucid throughout. Phillips’s vision was to turn white kids on to black music or “race records,” and black kids on to white artists. He wanted to get artists who were just learning their craft, and Sun captured the rawness, energy, and hunger of these artists. It broke all the existing rules for recording and made magic. Sun Records stands as the longest living independent label in history.
This film also serves as a modern-day tribute to Sun Records. Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun put together a CD tribute as a companion to the film. We see various artists reworking some Sun classics. This includes Paul McCartney in the studio with Scotty Moore doing the Elvis classic “That’s All Right” and Ben Folds doing “Honey Don’t.”
The best performances on the DVD include Sonny Burgess doing “Ain’t Got a Thing” and Billy Lee Riley doing “Red Hot.” Matchbox 20 also plays with Jerry Lee Lewis on “Great Balls of Fire.” Some of the other artists featured include Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Brian Ferry, Mark Knopfler, Johnny Hallyday, Malcolm Yelvington, and Kid Rock, among others.
In this documentary, Cash is neither interviewed nor discussed very much. However, what is said about Cash is worth hearing. As Phillips states, [Johnny Cash] “has a special way of being Johnny Cash.” He is one of the “great writers of all time, and the stories in his songs are real and true. Cash has the ability to hit on both joy and sadness, and listeners knew he was the real thing.” According to those interviewed, Cash is the “perfect songwriter” and can’t be put into a box.
The band Live pays tribute to Cash, playing its version of “I Walk the Line.” The band members then discuss how Cash is an inspiration because “Cash is real” and his words come from a life lived. There is also a version of “Cry Cry Cry” done by Third Ear Band, which is listless and cold with no energy, and should have been left out. Despite there being little Cash content on this DVD, it should be watched by Cash aficionados and anyone interested in the history of rock ’n’ roll.
Amazing Grace with Bill Moyers, 1990
This 1990 documentary traces the story of what could possibly be the most well-known song in the English-speaking world, “Amazing Grace.” No other song recorded and sung has the power to move people as much. Englishman John Newton wrote the song as part of the Olney Hymns series (circa 1760–1770). Newton, a former slave trader and rogue, had such a profound conversion experience that he wrote several songs about it. The song has gone through numerous melodies and reenvisioning throughout its long tenure.
The real gem in this documentary is Johnny Cash singing “Amazing Grace” live. Cash talks about singing the song while working in the cotton fields when he was a boy in Dyess, Arkansas, and how they sang the song when his brother died. According to Cash, there are all kinds of prisons created by drugs, alcohol, or some other kind of habit. One could be in a “dungeon (and be) free as bird” while singing this song. “This is a song with no guilt that frees the spirit,” he said. It is a song that makes a difference in people’s lives. The lyrics are “straight ahead and honest at a guttural heart level.”
Seeing Cash perform and hearing how it influenced him makes this documentary worth watching. Certainly no other song has become a part of our everyday culture for such a long period.
Johnny Cash Ridin’ the Rails: The Great American Train Story, 1974
This 1974 documentary on the history of the railroad features Johnny Cash narrating and performing throughout. Nicholas Webster, who also directed the infamous Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (one of the worst movies of all time), directed this fifty-minute film. Cash describes how, from his childhood on, he has been fascinated with railroads and his imagination was stirred by hearing that “lonesome whistle cutting through the night.” As a boy, the railroads inspired him to think that “anything would be possible” in life.
Interspersed with footage and historical information on the early railroad is Cash performing. He sings a traditional song that describes how the railroads became “the curse of the country” to those employed in the Waggoner and Canal, and suggest that the “devil take the man who came up with the plan” of the railroads.
The April 1862 hijacking of “The Confederate General” by Union spies is the most well-known event retold in the documentary (and the subject of the brilliant Buster Keaton movie, The General). This segment features Cash singing The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”
One of the ways men received some relief from the hard drudgery of building the railroads was through the power of song. A caller would sing out a verse and the rest of the men would follow his lead. Cash sings the song about the legendary African-American folk hero, John Henry—“The Legend of John Henry’s Hammer”—and similar songs that became inspirations to the working man.
Cash then describes how the early cowboys, after their long cattle drives, would get much-needed relief in drink, song, and women in the railroad towns. In addition to the commerce of transporting freight, the railroads afforded ordinary folks the ability to buy land from the railroad companies, thus furthering Westward Expansion. By the early twentieth century, stories and songs about the railroads were firmly in place in the American consciousness. Cash sings the story of the most famous locomotive engineer, “Ballad of Casey Jones” (also performed and recorded in an excellent version by the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band. The Grateful Dead also performed the traditional ballad as well as an original song based on it called “Casey Jones”).
Cash sings songs that lament the decline of the railroads as new innovations, like the automobile, became the nation’s primary means of transportation. He laments the fact that no one comes to the train station and “nobody knows his name.” There are great shots of Cash and the trains at night.
It is to Rhino’s credit that they have released this excellent documentary on DVD. Each historical segment also features Cash singing a song with his voice in good form. The extras on the disc feature various outtakes and footage of Cash, so it is a little more than the bare bones found on many documentaries of this kind. Other songs include “Train Robbers,” “City of New Orleans,” “The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore,” “Collage of Yesterday,” “Doesn’t Anybody Know My Name” (see above), and “Shave and a Hot Bath,” among other traditional pieces.
Johnny Cash: The Anthology, 2001
Johnny Cash: The Anthology contains two separate documentaries examining the life and career of the legendary musician. One is a fifty-minute documentary featuring videos for songs throughout Cash’s career through 1994. It features interviews with producers, friends, songwriters, and Cash’s contemporaries, like Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, and George Jones, as well more recent artists like Marty Stuart and Rodney Crowell. There are a total of fifteen performances on this film.
Cash had more than 100 hit singles throughout his career, and the Anthology portion features a few of those numbers. Most of the songs are in black and white and there is no indication of the source footage. The “Folsom Prison Blues” video starts out with Jennings as the backup guitarist and solo lead.
During an interview session, Jennings points out that Cash would have been a star in any era. He describes Cash as the most intelligent man he knows, with the ability to understand the simplicity of life, as well as the big issues. Some of the other tracks include “Big River,” “Cry Cry Cry,” “If I Were A Carpenter,” “Daddy Sang Bass,” “Bird on a Wire,” and the autobiographical “Man in Black.”
The most interesting story is about the formation of the song “Ring of Fire.” A former producer describes how Cash had a dream about “Ring of Fire,” hearing Mexican trumpets in the background. Nobody at the time of the song’s release had attempted such an approach to a pop song.
The real gem in this collection is the ninety-minute Johnny Cash: Half Mile A Day. It features many of the video clips and interviews from Anthology, but also includes interviews with folks like Billy Bob Thorton, Judy Collins, and Kris Kristofferson.
Cash discusses being stationed in Germany during a stint in the Armed Forces in the early fifties. On a whim, he took the last five dollars he had and walked through a terrible snowstorm just to buy a guitar. In an interview, producer and Sun Record’s founder Sam Phillips is interviewed. He describes how Cash landed at Sun and the artist’s first single, “Cry Cry Cry,” going to number one.
Rodney Crowell describes how he first heard “I Walk the Line,” written for Cash’s first wife. Crowell says he had never heard anything like that before; it was raw, powerful, and yet, personal. Marty Stuart describes Cash as a larger-than-life character in the same league as Paul Bunyan and Davy Crockett.
Cash’s entire career is covered, from his storybook romance with June Carter to his infamous performances at Carnegie Hall when he had laryngitis. The disk includes his cause for Indian rights and history, the start of his playing to prisoners, and his problems with drugs.
Merle Haggard discusses how Cash convinced him to talk about his prison time before an American audience when he performed. He told Haggard, “People will be on your side if you are honest.”
By the 1990s, Cash considered retiring from recording and touring. He did not have a record label, but Rick Ruben, who produced the Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chile Peppers, asked Cash to make a record with him. Cash’s American Recordings renewed his career both critically and with the record-buying public. Cash suddenly was cool again with a new audience. Ruben stripped Cash down to the basics of the man and his guitar with great songs and no slickness.
Despite the fact that there is no complete video of any song without some kind of narration or interview, these two documentaries are worth watching. With the success of the movie Walk the Line, the public’s fascination with Cash is far from over. Those who liked the movie should watch this documentary to supplement the movie’s story.
The Unauthorized Biography of Johnny Cash, 2005
This film starts out with a photoplay of Cash smashing up a hotel room in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1961. The narrator describes Cash as a “devout Christian who sinned.” The narrator describes Cash as a split personality—Johnny is the good boy and Cash is evil.
The DVD begins with a description of Cash’s early life in Dyess, Arkansas. It includes early footage of him from the Singing Brakeman film. The documentary ably covers Cash’s early life, including his first marriage, time in the Air Force, and relationship with June Carter. However, the focus is on Cash’s drug use and his wild antics.
Long before bands like Led Zeppelin and The Who made headlines by trashing hotel rooms, Cash and his group were trashing hotel rooms and getting away with it. Cash’s arrests, self-destruction at a Grand Ole Opry performance, airplane antics (which caused an early landing), and drug use are the main focus of this film.
The makers of this film completely ignore Cash’s career from the 1970s to 1990s, except to say that by the latter decade, Cash was a “has been” who was saved by producer Rick Ruben. This documentary is fairly good on Cash’s early career and there are some interesting clips and photos, but as a portrait of Cash’s life it fails miserably. There is too much focus on the negative and the scandalous parts of Cash’s life and not on his career as a whole, thus a good reason why it is “unauthorized.” The company that produced this has done other similar films that are sensationalistic.
This does not mean, however, that Cash fans should simply avoid this DVD altogether. There are more than thirty minutes of interviews featuring Cash’s brother, Tommy, and his drummer, W. S. Holland. Tommy’s interview provides a unique insight into Cash’s childhood and early career. Drummer W. S. Holland’s interview is a goldmine of information about life on the road during the early years of rock.
Biography: Johnny Cash, 1998
This is a re-release of the 1998 Biography program on Johnny Cash. It begins by describing Cash’s genealogy. Within the first five minutes of this program, the viewer learns more pertinent information about Cash’s life than in many of the other documentaries about the legendary musician.
Throughout the program, Cash’s sister Louise is interviewed, as is daughter Roseanne and brother Tommy. The “single most significant event” in Cash’s life was the death of his brother, according to his daughter Roseanne. The film contains footage of various rare forty-five-picture sleeves and a poster that is a real treat. Cash’s drug use is mentioned throughout, but it is never emphasized in a sensational way.
The DVD has no extras, but is the most balanced of the biographical documentaries. Watching it, a viewer really can see why Cash earned the nickname, “Quintessential American Troubadour.”
I Walk the Line: Country Legends, 2005
This CD/DVD package (filmed after Cash’s death) features a DVD of the program County Legends that pays homage to Cash. After this brief introduction with footage—but none of Cash’s music—the film goes into a tribute by various musicians, friends, and producers.
The people interviewed include Randall Jamaill, Billy Joe Shaver, Mitch Jacobs, John Evans, Jason Allen, Jamie Richards, and Mark Zeus, who tell personal stories about knowing Cash or stories about how he influenced their careers. They all discuss how Cash did things on his own terms and never followed trends. He was the first true “outlaw” musician. As Billy Joe Shaver states, “Like Frank Sinatra, Cash picked the best songs to record.”
In this film, several musicians play their own songs, displaying how Cash influenced their style. Country Legends is really less of a documentary than a tribute to the man and his music. The thirty-minute CD includes some of the best of Cash, including “I Walk the Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Big River,” and “Ways of a Woman in Love.” While this package is a good deal—priced under ten dollars—there is little to recommend it to anyone but hardcore Cash fanatics. The Country Legends program is interesting in parts, but it really contains no new information or Cash music and it is obvious why it is unauthorized.
Johnny Cash Live at Montreux, 1994
This DVD documents Cash’s 1994 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Sweden. Hot on the heels of his first American Recordings release, Cash performs with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. His band featured his son, John Carter Cash, Bob Wooton on guitar, Dave Roe on bass, and long-time (thirty-five-plus years) drummer W. S. Holland. Holland plays like he is on fire and it is very apparent why Cash stuck with him all those years. While the transfer is fairly good, there is a blue tint throughout that is sometimes distracting.
There are an astounding twenty songs in the sixty-five-minute DVD. Cash opens up with a fine version of “Folsom Prison Blues,” and then goes into a sprightly version of “Get Rhythm.” “Ring of Fire” is upbeat, despite no horns, and then there’s a terrific “I Walk the Line,” which Cash prefaces with a story about when he first heard Holland’s drumming on Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes.”
In the middle of the show, Cash showcases a couple of acoustic numbers from the American Recordings, which are conveyed with a personal intimacy. He explains the rationale behind the “stripped down” album, which contains songs that communicate both the dark and the light sides of Cash’s personality. Some of the songs performed include “Bird on a Wire,” “Delia,” “Beast in Me,” and a song that relates Cash’s longtime love of the railroads, “Let the Train Blow the Whistle.” He wraps up the acoustic set with a lovely “Redemption.” Then the band goes into a terrific version of “Big River,” but the highlight of the concert is Cash’s performance with his wife, June Carter, on “Jackson,” followed by the old Carter family’s gospel theme “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” The concert wraps up with “Orange Blossom Special,” “San Quentin,” and the “Next Time I’m in Town.” There are no extras on the DVD, but there is a booklet featuring liner notes by writer Michael Heatley.
Road to Nashville, 1967
Road to Nashville packs thirty-eight songs in its 102 minutes and is touted as the “biggest country music jamboree ever filmed.” Unfortunately, the producers (one of whom was Marty Robbins) decided to film Road to Nashville as a variety show when just taping the music would have been more appropriate. Directed by Will Zens, who directed Hell on Wheels, To the Shores of Hell, and Hot Summer in Barefoot Country, this film provides a glimpse of country music in 1967.
In the film, a Hollywood bigwig (Richard Arlen) sends his bumbling assistant Colonel Feitlebaum (Doodles Weaver) to go to Nashville and scout for talent for (what else) a country music film in Nashville. Weaver is so cornball that it is almost painful to watch, and the jokes are not even funny (e.g., Batman doesn’t get kissed much because of his “bat-breath”). At the time, I suppose this was high humor for the masses, but it did not age well.
The real meat of this DVD is the performances. They provide an interesting look at some legendary and not-so-legendary country music performers. There are amazing versions of Waylon Jennings’ “Anita,” Marty Robbins “Begging to You,” and “Devil Woman,” with “El Paso” closing the show. Some of the other artists include Hank Snow, Bill Anderson, the “Queen of Country” Kitty Wells, The Osborne Brothers, Porter Wagonner, Dottie West, and the now forgotten Margie Singleton and Bobby Sykes. The Stonemans do an instrumental that makes them look more like a 1960s swinging combo rock group than a traditional family of country musicians. There is also a bizarre attempt at humorous music in the vein of Homer and Jethro by Quinine Gumstump & Buck, which leaves the viewer scratching his head.
The Carter family does Cash’s “I Walk the Line” in fine form, and with the Man in Black himself they perform a rousing “Were You There” with deep feeling and honesty. Solo, Cash performs “The One on the Right.” While this film is a disappointment for fans wanting a high dose of Cash, it does provide insight into popular country music in 1967. As a historical document, Road to Nashville is priceless and, thank goodness, the chapter stops are for the songs, so that much of Weaver’s excruciating humor can be left out.
Johnny Cash: A Concert Behind Prison Walls, 1977
This 1977 television special (directed by Johnny Carson’s brother Dick) documents a variety show featuring Cash at the Tennessee State Prison. Cash’s backup band, which includes Carl Perkins, is tight throughout. Cash begins with “Folsom Prison Blues” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down.” The producers tell Cash not to include the word “stoned” in the lyrics because he was performing to inmates, but in typical Cash fashion, he does what he wants to and sings the verse. Cash then sings a heartfelt version of “Jacob Green” as though he were talking to the convicts directly.
“America’s favorite drunk” Foster Brooks does a brief comedic sketch, which certainly seems out of place, telling drunken jokes to a group of prisoner inmates. There is some sort of weird irony there. His humor feels very dated, despite coming off as a “well-oiled” machine. A very young and adorable Linda Ronstadt (in a very skimpy dress) does versions of “Desperado” and “You’re No Good,” then later during the second half of the show, sings “Silver Thread and Golden Needles.”
Cash wraps up this sixty-minute program with rousing versions of “Hey Porter” and “Orange Blossom Special,” playing the harmonica as though it were an extension of his body. The show wraps up with what is the definitive live version of “A Boy Named Sue.” Cash is on fire when he does this number for the inmates.
While there is simply not enough of Cash on this release, it is still a fine record of the event. Watching brings to light how badly those who own the rights to Cash’s other televisions specials and The Johnny Cash Show need to sort out their financial concerns and release that material on DVD. This DVD is also packaged with an audio CD that has some extra tracks.
Pete Seeger’s Rainbow Quest: Johnny Cash and Roscoe Holcombe
This DVD documents Rainbow Quest folk singer Pete Seeger’s music program from the mid-1960s. While the transfer is a little muddy and jerky, considering the rareness of this material, it holds up well. The first part of this two-hour program features Seeger and Cash singing, telling stories, and improvising together. Seeger does the opening melody and introduces the program. He has such a conversational style that one feels as though he is actually in your living room. He talks about how the Carter family influenced his career and life.
Cash comes out and performs “I Am a Pilgrim.” June then discusses the early Carter family and together they perform “Worried Man’s Blues” (trading verses) at Seeger’s request. Cash talks about his life as a child and the first songs he ever learned. Then he performs a nice version of “There’s a Mother Always Waiting.”
Cash discusses the origins of “Five Feet High and Rising” and performs “Pickin’ Time.” Each song is prefaced with stories. Cash and Seeger discuss their love for Native American songwriter Peter Lafarge. Cash talks about having Cherokee blood and they both do their favorite Lafarge compositions. Seeger sings the tribute to the canine coyote “Ki Yo Ti,” and Cash does “As Long as the Grass Shall Grow.”
Cash and Seeger hold a fascinating discussion about how the Cherokee language originated before chatting about the “Ballad of the Talking Leaves” and its history. This provides interesting tidbits about a too often overlooked songwriter and activist. Cash requests that Seeger sing “Cripple Creek,” and then June finishes the show with “I’m Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes.” There are no extras on this disc, but it is well worth seeking out as a true glimpse into the mind and world of Cash.
Johnny Cash: Hurt, 2003
This is a promotional video for the song “Hurt,” Cash’s last major hit before his death. “Hurt” is taken from his critically acclaimed 2002 album American IV: The Man Comes Around. Written by Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor, and performed on the Downward Spirial album (1994), Hurt is directed by music video and feature film (One Hour Photo) director Mark Romanek.
The video features Cash singing, while playing his guitar, at the dinner table with his wife, June, hovering in the background. The food on the table looks rotten, which makes the overall effect of the film all that more potent. Throughout this four-minute piece the viewer is treated to various snippets of Cash throughout his career. Cash memorabilia, which is scattered around, includes a broken gold record and the House of Cash museum sign. Images of Christ nailed to the cross make the ache of the song all the more apparent. During the climax, Cash pours wine all over the dinner table and the film’s end shows him putting the cover over the piano. Cash’s frail state and the heart-wrenching lyrics make the pain of the song all the more apparent.
The video won the 2003 Country Music Award for Video of the Year and the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. This is the definitive version of the song, and even Trent Reznor has claimed that he no longer owns it after hearing and seeing Cash’s version.
While watching the song over and over again is enjoyable and enlightening, the director could have included a commentary or interview describing his experience with Cash and what he was trying to achieve with the video. The producer, Rick Rubin, should also have been interviewed to explain why he asked Cash to record this song. The video is also featured on the CD and on the DVD The Work of Director Mark Romanek (Palm Pictures 2005). Considering that June Carter Cash died two months after the filming and Cash died four months later, this video is a haunting epitaph to his career.
The Highwaymen—On the Road Again, 1993
Country music’s only real supergroup, the Highwaymen featured Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson for a couple of critically acclaimed albums and tours. This DVD features the group in Aberdeen, Scotland, during its 1992 tour. The video packs seventeen songs into this sixty-minute program, which also features interviews with the audience, June Cash, and the band members. One can see the confidence of the four as they take the stage.
Cash does nice tight versions of “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Get Rhythm,” and a song that the Grateful Dead covered no less than 397 times from 1971–1995, “Big River.” Cash is in fine form during these numbers. There is also footage of the band backstage.
During the interview segments, the band members describe how much they enjoy playing together and how since they don’t really “have to tour,” playing together is a real joy. They describe how wonderful it is to “bring freedom” to country music away from record company suits, producers, and executives. Cash talks about how his family roots are in Scotland and that in 1667 the first Cash came to America.
Both Jennings and Cash wax philosophically as to how long they will keep playing. The back-up band is tight but very subdued, and no member is showcased. This is appropriate because the real stars of the show are the “big four.” This DVD stands as a nice testament to one of the most important historic events in the history of country music.
There is also a videotape of a 1990 Highwaymen’s concert in New York, Highwaymen Live! (2000), but it has not been released on DVD. Since two of the members have already died, a DVD release of that concert is needed.
Johnny Cash at Town Hall Party, 1958–1959
This amazing concert performance of Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two was taken from two appearances (November 15, 1958 and August 8, 1959) on the television show Town Hall Party. Cash historian Peter Lewry briefly describes the history of the show in the liner notes. Town Hall Party aired from 1952–1961 and was country music’s largest “barn dance.” It was broadcast every Saturday night from Compton, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. The show is a kinescope or “kinny,” which, according to the liner notes, “is motion picture of a live television program . . . taken by photographing the picture directly off of a television screen.”
Cash begins the set with a nice “Get Rhythm” with Luther Perkins’ guitar solos being spotlighted. The band then goes into “You’re the Nearest Thing to Heaven” and the current Sun single, the gospel-tinged, “I Was There When It Happened.” Cash’s persona is modest throughout. His first Columbia album (The Fabulous Johnny Cash) was just about to come out and they play a number of western album tracks, including “Don’t Take Your Guns To Town” and “Frankie’s Man Johnny.” The second set opens with the hit “I Walk the Line,” to roaring applause. Cash plays the somber “The Ways of a Woman In Love” and “Give My Love to Rose.” This performance ends on a gospel note with “It Was Jesus” and “Suppertime.”
The August 8, 1959 performance begins with the countrified “Guess Things Happen That Way” and the autobiographical single “Five Feet High and Rising,” which the audience seems to recognize. Cash introduces his back-up band, which includes a drummer and piano player in addition to the Tennessee Two. He does his latest single, the jailhouse number “I Got Stripes,” which is performed also as the encore by audience demand. There are a number of repeats from the 1958 show: “The Ways of a Woman in Love,” “I Walk the Line,” “Frankie Man’s Johnny,” “I Was There When It Happened,” and “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town.” Cash and his band are on fire when they rip through a fantastic “Big River” and “Folsom Prison Blues.” They perform another autobiographical number, “Pickin’ Time,” about Cash’s boyhood days in the cotton fields. The highlight of the program is Cash impersonating Elvis Presley, even to the point of changing his hair. Cash claims that he is impersonating an Elvis impersonator. He does an impromptu “Heartbreak Hotel” with the crowd egging him on and laughing while he pretends to be out of breath. During “I Walk the Line,” the camera pans over to some girls in the audience who are swaying in what looks to be like an attempted dance of some kind.
As with all of the Bear Family releases, the packaging is fantastic, with a beautiful color booklet and informative liner notes. It is a shame that Cash’s first 1957 Town Hall appearance is not included (if it even exists), but what is available is a real gem and worth the extra money that most Bear Family releases cost. The program is in black and white and the footage is a little spotty at times, but considering how little footage of Cash and the Tennessee Two exists, the Town Hall Party performances are a welcome and vital addition to Cash products on DVD. This is Cash “without a net” at his rawest and most energetic best.
Johnny Cash Live From Austin, 1987
On January 3, 1987, Cash took the stage on one of the world’s most beloved music programs: Austin City Limits. Only about thirty minutes of the concert was actually shown on PBS, but this DVD presents the entire fifty-minute program. The band starts up with a wonderful “Ring of Fire” complete with horns. It goes into an upbeat “Folsom Prison Blues,” with a smooth guitar solo by Bob Wooton. Next, Cash introduces Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” and then sings “I Walk the Line,” with drummer W. S. Holland, who is obviously enjoying himself. Cash does a number of rarities during this concert, including the prison suicide song “The Wall,” merging into “Long Black Veil,” and the obligatory “Big River.” He performs Tom T. Hall’s “I’ll Go Somewhere and Sing My Songs Again” and Texan Guy Clark’s “Let Him Roll.” The band performs a fine “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” but the highlight of this DVD is June Carter and Cash performing Dave Loggins’s “Where Did We Go Right.” Although not written by Cash, the song tells the real tale of June and Johnny’s relationship and romance. It is heartwarming to see them hold hands while performing. The show ends with an “I Walk the Line” reprise.
While Cash’s voice is in fine form throughout this concert, his band is just too subdued and slick. The rawness and energy that is a Johnny Cash concert is lacking in this release (despite some critics’ arguments that this was one of Cash’s finest performances). It is certainly heartfelt and honest, but the band is too well-produced and sounds sterile. However, the fact that this DVD contains songs not on other DVDs makes it a worthy purchase for Cash aficionados. The DVD comes with a small booklet that has liner notes by Austin City Limits producer Terry Lickona.
Murder in Coweta County, 1983
This 1983 made-for-television movie features both Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith in major roles. It was directed by Gary Nelson, who directed Murder Me, Murder You, Kojak, The Pride of Jesse Helm (see review below), and many other television movies and series. This film was based on a true story documented in the book Murder in Coweta County by Margaret Anne Barnes.
The basic story is set in Merriwether County, Georgia, in 1948, where John Wallace, played by Griffith, brutally murders another man to “teach” him a lesson. The hero of the story is the sheriff of Coweta County, Lamar Potts, played by Cash, who smells something fishy about the death, which actually occurred in Coweta. Wallace believes that he owns Merriwether County and is above the law because of his wealth and community standing. He pretends to be a God-fearing man who cares about the community, but he is a mean and heartless man.
Griffith is simply incredible in this role—the personification of evil and a far cry from the sheriff of the Andy Griffith Show and the lawyer of Matlock. The ability to capture the true essence of a person like Wallace shows Griffith’s versatility as an actor.
Cash is amazing as Potts. The way he deduces that Wallace committed cold-blooded murder makes for an interesting mystery and story. He plays the role straight, with gusto, portraying Potts as an honest man seeking to do what is right regardless of the unpopular consequences. Watch for June Carter Cash as the psychic. This DVD has no extras, which is really a shame for such a good film. The director could have at least produced a commentary track or interview. This film was also released on video as Last Blood.
The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James, 1986
This 1986 television movie features three of the Highwaymen—Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson (in a cameo)—and does a decent job of documenting the last days of outlaws Frank and Jesse James. Kristofferson plays Jesse James with grace, class, and recklessness. Cash plays his brother Frank with zest and is as sensible and ornery as one would expect. Frank James was a man of contradictions, which Cash portrays admirably. When Cash says, “I murdered a man,” the viewer believes him. The bulk of the movie is about the last couple of raids the brothers did. Frank seeks to just “get out” of the business of robbing. Frank only wants to farm and take care of his family. In fact, when he finally faces trial for murder, he is so popular that he is acquitted.
June Carter Cash plays the James brothers’ mother and her role, though small, is vital to the story. For a television film, it is a pretty good telling of the real-life story. Jesse’s killer, Bob Ford, made a cottage industry out of telling “How He Killed Jesse James.” Frank waited ten long years to get his revenge, only to have Bob killed by someone else. Cash sings the opening and closing song for the picture. This DVD has no extras, but a director’s commentary or interview would have been nice.
Little House on the Prairie: The Collection, 1976
This 1976 episode of Little House on the Prairie: The Collection features both Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash in major roles. Directed by star Michael Landon, it features Cash as Caleb Hodgekiss, a conman posing as a minister in an attempt to take advantage of the people of Walnut Grove. June plays Hodegkiss’ wife, Mattie, who is distraught over her husband’s plans. Cash has one of the best lines when he explains his rationale to his wife: “Take what you can when you can get it or it gets taken away from you and that’s the way the world is.” Cash’s character is gathering money on the pretext of helping the folks in the town, Grave’s Corner, whose lives had been decimated by a fire. He learns that perhaps he was wrong in attempting to “pull one over” on the good folks of Walnut Grove and finds humility and understanding. The most moving scene is when he comforts a little girl who lost her puppy.
Columbo: Swan Song, 1974
Johnny Cash is featured in the 1974 Columbo television movie Swan Song, also starring Peter Faulk. In this movie, Cash plays Tommy Brown, a popular gospel/country singer. Brown’s wife (based on Tammy Faye Baker and played by the legendary Ida Lupino) is blackmailing him to squeeze money from his songs and concert appearances. Apparently Brown had an affair with a sixteen-year-old girl and is threatened by his wife with exposure if he does not comply with her wishes.
Brown poisons a thermos of coffee with sleeping pills and, while flying an airplane, parachutes out while his wife and the sixteen-year-old girl plummet to their deaths. At the request of Brown’s brother-in-law (who believes his sister was murdered), the LAPD sends Lieutenant Columbo to investigate. After the plane crash, Cash’s character is free to pursue his carnal pleasures of wine, young women, and song.
Cash plays Brown with much believability, and it is obvious he enjoys the role. Since both Brown and Columbo are “smooth operators,” it is fun to watch them try to “out smooth” one another and pit their wits against each other, while playing a game of words. There is one particularly funny moment when Columbo eats some squirrel chili. Throughout the movie, Cash’s music, including “I Saw the Light” and “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” is featured.
Any fan of Cash should not miss this movie. It is featured on the Columbo: The Complete Third Season DVD set. As Columbo states after Cash’s character gives himself up, “Any man who can sing like that can’t be all bad.” Indeed!
The Pride of Jesse Hallam, 1981
The 1981 television movie stars Cash (as Jesse Hallam) and Brenda Vaccaro. Directed by Gary Nelson, the movie tells the story of Hallam, a widower who must move his daughter and son from their home in Kentucky to the big city of Cincinnati, Ohio, in order for his daughter to have special spinal surgery. Hallam, however, is illiterate and, when he tries to find work to support his family, doors keep slamming shut. Eventually, he realizes that in order to survive in the big city, he must learn to read.
The film, supposedly based on real-life events, is a touching “feel good” story. Cash’s character goes through all the human emotions one might expect, from denial and pride to humility and acceptance. Cash should have won an Emmy for this performance, because it is one of the most honest and emotive roles in his filmography. The viewer empathizes with his frustration of attempting to survive in a world where reading is imperative.
There are several very touching sequences in the film, one of which involves Hallam reading to his daughter in the hospital and another when he starts reading Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea with his tutor. By the end of the movie, Hallam goes to ninth grade with his son and is proud to be there. As he states in the film, “We’re goin’ to high school and we’re goin’ to graduate and nobody or nothin’s goin’ to stop us. We’re goin’ to learn to read.”
Cash’s music for the film includes three originals, “Moving Up,” “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal,” and “Paradise.” The only extras on this DVD are two trailers, and Madacy did not use the best print—this one is scratchy and poorly edited. The content more than makes up for that, however.
There are supposedly several versions of the film on DVD, including one that includes a CD interview with Cash, published by Westlake Entertainment and also released by Unicorn Entertainment as Johnny Cash 2 on 1 with Five Minutes to Live. With more than twenty-four million functional illiterates in the United States, this film brings to the surface the problems these people face. The Pride of Jesse Hallam is an honest tribute to the human will and not to be missed.
Five Minutes to Live: A.K.A. Door-to-Door Maniac, 1961
Cash made his feature film debut in 1961’s Five Minutes to Live, also the last movie by Bill Karn, who directed Ma Barker’s Killer Brood, Gun’s Don’t Argue, and Dangerous Assignment. Cash plays Johnny Cabot, a hood on the run from the law because he was “fingered” for killing a couple of police officers during a “heist” that went bad.
This black-and-white film was one of the last true film noir movies—in the same vein as Stanley Kubrick’s 1956 The Killing and 1961’s Night Tide, which featured a very young Dennis Hopper. In typical film noir style, Dorella narrates Cabot’s story while in custody. On the run from the police, Cabot is holed up in a hotel waiting for some action. He finds out that a certain crime boss, who also knows the person that sold Cabot out to the police, needs a “good heater man.”
Cabot’s girlfriend has something to do with snitching on him, so he promptly kills her. Dorella comes up with a scheme to rob a Federal Trust bank by kidnapping Nancy Wilson (played by screenwriter Kay Forrester), who is the wife of bank vice president Ken Wilson (played by Donald Woods). The plan is not a very good one. While Cabot holds Wilson captive in her home, under threat of death unless a certain phone call is received, Dorella goes into the bank and demands the money.
In typical Cash fashion, he plays Cabot as smooth, but with an edginess that is not found in some of his other roles. While Dorella and Cabot are casing the bank officer’s house in a nice suburban neighborhood, Cabot states that he “never saw so much nothing.” Dorella responds, “People here live the lives magazine ads tell about.” Without reading too much into these statements, they do seem to indicate that suburbia may not be all that it is cracked up to be.
The scene shifts to inside the home of the bank vice president and his wife while they are having breakfast. Little Ronnie Howard’s character complains about having to “eat mush” (the oatmeal does not look very appetizing). This family is not the picture-perfect family of suburbia. Ken and Nancy are arguing about nothing in particular, and the bank officer actually plans on asking his wife for a divorce. He is having an affair and plans to run off with his girlfriend, but Nancy won’t let him get a word in edgewise, and he does not ask her for the divorce.
While Dorella goes to the bank to get the ransom money, Cabot goes up to the house and pretends to be a door-to-door salesman, selling musical instruments. He is very cool and collected as a salesman. Nancy does not want to take the time to talk to him, but Cabot asks for some water and goes into the house with gun in hand, much to the horror of his captive.
The criminal sings her the song “Five Minutes to Live,” which Cash also wrote. When asked if he was an entertainer, Cabot replies, “No, I’m a killer.” Cabot tells her to dress up, since he “likes a broad to look sharp.” When she goes to the bedroom to make the bed, Cabot delivers one of the best lines in history of film:, “I like a messy bed.” When he attempts to violently rape her, the oven buzzer going off saves her. Cabot continues to act psychotic and begins smashing things in the house, but strangely enough has a soft spot for kids.
This is an interesting film, not just for Cash aficionados, but for anyone who likes a gritty crime drama and is a fan of the genre. The print on this DVD is actually pretty good considering the fact that Five Minutes to Live, which had its title changed to Door-Door-Maniac in 1965, would probably be a forgotten film if not for Cash’s involvement.
The Critic’s Choice DVD has as an extra feature, the twenty-minute, 1962 TV Western television pilot The Night Rider, starring Cash, Merle Travis, Eddy Dean, Johnny Western, and Dick Jones. This photoplay was filmed before a live television audience as part of the Galloway House showcase. Cash’s portrayal of Johnny Laredo is the highlight of an otherwise dismal show.
The premise is an interpretation of the song “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town,” but the script is flimsy. Half of the program consists of songs done by Travis and others, but little Cash. The story is so poorly written that it is not surprising that the series never made it into primetime. However, Cash is always Cash and plays the character with charm, despite weak dialogue and story. The print on this DVD is very good and is in color.
Bear Family records has released both Five Minutes to Live and Night Rider as separate deluxe editions on DVD. Like with all Bear Family products, they used the best masters and the packaging is outstanding. Their versions are the first time the films have been remastered from the original 35mm film and both come with extensive booklets, filled with photographs, tidbits of information, and notes by friend Johnny Western. There is even a trailer for the Door-to-Door Maniac version of the film.
Considering how expensive Bear Family releases are, it is odd that they released these films as separate DVDs. The Critics Choice version is not bad, so unless one is a hardcore Cash collector, it will do the job as well as the Bear Family releases.
This Is Your Life: Ultimate Collection Volume 1, 1953–1987
This is one of the oddest Cash-related programs on DVD. The three-disc set features various episodes of This Is Your Life. Cash’s show, which originally aired on February 28, 1971, is on the first disc. The show is preceded by a 1986 introduction by Ralph Edwards. The show was filmed before a live audience at the Grand Ole Opry and its first guest is the Reverend Billy Graham, who gives a heartfelt tribute to Cash via video.
From the beginning, Cash seems overwhelmed and gets choked up several times during the show. Cash’s grade-school teacher is brought out and talks about how Cash sang and acted in the school plays. His first band, the Landsberg Barbarians, formed when he was stationed in Germany, is also featured, along with a rare recording playing in the background. Tennessee Two bassist Marshall Grant then comes out. Both men give heartfelt praises of the late guitarist Luther Perkins. Cash’s former manager, Stu Carnall, then tells the story of how they once took 100 baby chickens on tour with them. Edwards describes Cash’s drug use and personal problems, as well as his advocacy for prisoners and Native Americans. The man who once gave Cash a room for a night in a Lafayette Georgia jailhouse, Sheriff Ralph Jones, also appears, and prisoner Glen Sherely, who composed “Greystone Chapel,” tells via video how much he appreciates the fact that Cash reached out to him. At this point, Cash is practically in tears.
June Carter then arrives, as do Cash’s mother, father, brothers, and sisters. His daughters also wish him well via video from California, and Maybelle Carter and his baby son, John Carter, come out to end the show. Despite the guests saying Cash is the “tallest man” they ever saw, Cash is shown to be a man of great feeling and humility. This DVD set also features Boris Karloff, Betty White, Laurel and Hardy, Jayne Mansfield, and Vincent Price, among others. A booklet detailing each episode comes with the set. It is a bizarre, but interesting, Cash appearance on DVD.
Stagecoach, 1986
This television remake of the John Ford/John Wayne classic stars the four Highwaymen: Cash as Sheriff Curly, Waylon Jennings as Hatfield, Willie Nelson as Doc Holliday, and Kris Kristofferson as Ringo Kid. Guest stars include Waylon’s wife Jesse Coulter, June Carter Cash, and a brief appearance by Cash’s son John Carter. Willie Nelson produced the film and orchestrated the music along with David Allen Coe.
Cash plays the role of Sheriff Curly straightforward, much like he played his role as sheriff in Murder in Coweta County. He is a man that believes in justice, and when he learns that the Ringo Kid is innocent of the charges against him, he lets him go. Everything you expect from a western is in this film: wide-open spaces, the outlaw, Indian raids, gamblers, tough-talking women, and, most of all, the great shootout at the end where justice is finally served.
While no film could ever live up to the 1939 John Ford original, this is a fun film to watch. Seeing the Highwaymen together on one screen is a real treat. When all four highwaymen walk the street together, it is awe-inspiring. Despite the fact that every single Western cliché is embedded in this film, it is a better film than the 1966 Gordon Douglas remake.
This section provides a quick look at other Cash appearances on DVD.
Johnny Cash Singing at his Best, Passport Video, 2004
This DVD is a complete rip-off of the Bear Family Town Hall DVD, with three extra songs. It also uses footage from The Anthology DVD. The quality and print is not as good, and how Passport got the rights to put out this shoddy product is a mystery. Get the real, complete DVDs discussed above; it is obvious as to why this is unauthorized.
The Appalachians, Evening Star Productions, 2005
This three-DVD set tells the story of the people and the land of Appalachia. It features interviews and rare excerpts from a July 2003 interview with Cash. It is highly recommended.
Festival! The Newport Folk Festival, performances gathered from 1963–1965
On this DVD, Johnny Cash performs “I Walk the Line,” and the performance also features Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Son House, Peter, Paul and Mary, and many others.
Johnny Cash: The Man in Black A Documentary, Timeless Media Group, 2005
This is a seventy-five-minute documentary about Cash’s life. The bonus features includes short documentaries on “Origins of Country” and “The Fifties”—not a bad documentary at all.
Johnny Cash: Legend Box Set Limited Edition, Columbia/Legacy, 2005
This expensive, limited, four-CD book features a bonus DVD that includes some rare footage/sounds, including Cash’s old “Home Equipment Company Advertisements” and other gems. It also has Johnny Cash: The First 25 Years, the complete 1980 CBS TV special, and a lithograph portrait of Cash by Marc Burkhardt.
The Gospel Road, Twentieth Century Fox, 1973
Robert Elstrom directed this eighty-four-minute movie written by Cash, who narrates and performs, along with June Carter, Mary Magdalene, and Kris Kristofferson. It is a biographical tale about the life of Jesus Christ that forces the viewer to experience the life of Christ in vivid detail. It is much better than most “Jesus” movies and highly recommended.
Walk the Line, Twentieth Century Fox, 2005
The Oscar-nominated biopic stars Joaquin Phoenix as Cash and Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon as June. The special edition features commentary, deleted scenes with commentary, and three extended music sequences featuring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. The special edition also contains the documentary “Celebrating the Man in Black: The Making of Walk the Line,” and features interviews with Rosanne Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, and Kid Rock. The DVD includes the featurettes “Folsom, Cash and the Comeback” and “Ring of Fire: The Passion of Johnny and June.”
I Walk the Line, Sony Pictures, 1970
The 1970 John Frankenheimer movie stars Gregory Peck and was inspired by Cash’s music. The basic story is that a sheriff falls in love with a teenage girl and has an affair. He also gets involved in various “gray” activities, which cannot remain secret in a small Tennessee town.
North and South, BBC Warner, 1985
This groundbreaking Civil War television series features Cash throughout.
Flip Wilson Show Parts 3 & 4, 1970
Johnny Cash and Flip perform “Oklahoma Hills” together.
Hee Haw Collection Volume 2, 1973
Cash performs “Big River” and “City of New Orleans.”
Willie Nelson My Life, White Star, 2000
Features an interview with Cash.
Tribute to Hank Williams and His Music, Eagle Eye Media, 2002
Cash performs “Men With Broken Hearts” and “Kaw-Liga.”
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, CBS, 1993–1998
Cash plays Kid Cole and June Carter plays Sister Ruth.
George Jones Same Ole Me, 1969
Features an interview with Cash.
Country Legends Live, Time Life, 2005
Cash performs “Sixteen Tons.”
Country Legends Live Volume 2, Time Life, 2005
Cash performs “Folsom Prison Blues.”
Roger Miller: Life on the Road, White Star, 2003
Features an interview with Cash.
Skiffle, Video Beat, 2004
Features an interview with Cash.
Special thanks go to Emily Smith; her work in interlibrary loans made this essay possible. Also, thanks to Texas Tech University staff.
ROBERT G. WEINER first became interested in Johnny Cash when he saw the Grateful Dead perform “Big River,” and he sought out the original version. He bought a tape of Cash’s Greatest Hits, which he quickly wore out. In 1986, on his way to a Public Image Limited Concert in Dallas, he read Cash’s autobiography, Man in Black, and on the trip back, he read Cash’s novel about St. Paul, Man in White. He is co-author of The Grateful Dead and the Deadheads and editor of Perspectives on the Grateful Dead. Weiner’s articles about Lubbock and gospel music appear in West Texas Historical Journal and the East Texas Historical Journal. He published the article “Atomic Music: Country Conservatism: Folk Discontent” in On the Culture of the American South, edited by Dennis Hall, and the “Cowboy Songs in Nature” in the Cowboy Way, edited by Paul Carlson. He most recently has book chapters in The Gospel of Superheroes and Landscape of Hollywood Westerns. Currently, Weiner can be seen in the music documentary “Lubbock Lights;” see www.lubbock-lights.com for more information about this film. Weiner also wrote the Johnny Cash article featured in the Guide to United States Popular Culture, edited by Ray and Pat Browne. He has graduate degrees in history and information science and is currently a reference librarian at the Mahon Library in Lubbock, Texas.
Amazing Grace with Bill Moyers. Films for the Humanities, Inc., 2003.
Biography: Johnny Cash. A&E Home Video, 2005 (1998).
Five Minutes to Live a.k.a. Door-to-Door Maniac. Dir. Bill Karn. Perf. Johnny Cash and Donald Woods. Critics Choice, 2006 (1961).
Good Rockin’ Tonight—Legacy of Sun Records. Dir. Bruce Sinofsky. Image Entertainment, 2001.
The Highwaymen—On the Road Again. White Star, 2003 (1993).
I Walk the Line: Country Legends. BCI Eclipse Company, 2005.
Johnny Cash: The Anthology. Dir. Al Greenfield. Image Entertainment, 2002 (2000).
Johnny Cash at Town Hall Party 1958–59. Dir. Wesley Tuttle. Bear Family, 2002.
Johnny Cash: A Concert Behind Prison Walls. Dir. Dick Carson, Eagle Vision USA, 2003 (1977).
Johnny Cash Live at Montreux 1994. Eagle Vision USA, 2005 (1994).
Johnny Cash Live from Austin TX. New West Records, 2005 (1987).
Johnny Cash—The Man, His World, His Music. Dir. Robert Elfstrom. Sanctuary Records, 2005 (1969).
Johnny Cash—Ridin’ the Rails: The Great American Train Story. Dir. Nicholas Webster. Rhino, 2005 (1986).
The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James. Dir. William A. Graham. Perf. Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. Lions Gate, 2003 (1986).
Little House on the Prairie: The Collection. Dir. Michael Landon. Perf. Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon. Good Times Video, 2001 (1976).
Murder in Coweta County. Dir. Gary Nelson. Perf. Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith. Sterling Entertainment, 2001 (1983).
Pete Seeger’s Rainbow Quest, Shanachie, 2005.
The Pride of Jesse Hallam. Dir. Gary Nelson. Perf. Johnny Cash and Brenda Vaccaro. Westlake Entertainment, 2003 (1981).
Road to Nashville. Dir. Will Zens. Rhino, 2000 (1967).
Reznor, Trent. Hurt. Dir. Mark Romanek. Perf. Johnny Cash. American Recordings/Lost Highway, 2003.
Stagecoach. Dir. Ted Post. Perf. Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings. MGM, 2006 (1986).
“Swan Song,” Columbo. Dir. Nicholas Colasanto. Perf. Peter Faulk, Johnny Cash, and Ida Lupino. Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2005 (1974).
This is Your Life: Ultimate Collection Volume 1. Dir. Richard Gottlieb, Axel Gruenberg. Perf. Ralph Edwards, Bob Warren. R2 Entertainment, 2005 (1953–1987).
The Unauthorized Biography of Johnny Cash. Highland Video, 2005.