DUTCHMAN'S FLAT AND BLACK ROCK COFFIN-MAKERS

Two short stories of the Old West in the mythic John Ford tradition. The full dramatization of "Dutchman's Flat" is meticulously produced and atmospheric. The actors perform with commitment and convincing accents. But the listener will have to provide the suspense and characterization upon which the story's punch depends, for director Lon Bender and his crew have neglected them. Aside from his marquee value, Willie Nelson, who narrates "Dutchman" and reads the undramatized "Black Rock Coffin-Maker," gets an A for comprehension and a C for theatricality. Curiously, the cast members aren't identified. Y.R. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JAN 97]