Reviews (8)

Excellent oldie.....
A view FROM THE TERRACE is what Paul Newman's character David Alfred Eaton has of his future wife Mary (JoAnne Woodward). The screen play was based on a best-selling novel of the same name by John O'Hara. Given it was released in the 1950s when sex on the screen was verboten and not much more explicit in novels (ban a book in Boston), one must appreciate the work it took for Newman and Woodward to give these performances.

Like many other teenagers of my generation, I was "in love" with Paul Newman. Newman could make female hearts flutter by simply looking at the camera with his big blue eyes. Many other teens preferred Marlon Brando, his peer and rival for female affection. I believe these two actors were the Leonardo de Caprio and Brad Pitt of their day, although in the long run, Newman (like de Caprio) has had more staying power and gracefully made the transition to mature roles.

In the 1950s, to see a film one had to attend a theater, where the screen was usually covered with a huge velvet curtain. FTT played at the Center theater in my small town, and I saw the film six times after it was released. I was able to get into the theater for a quarter, and as my allowance was $3, this was no small sacrifice. So, you might say this film was one of my all time favorites.

Watching it again almost 50 years later, I wondered how I would react, and of course the passage of time and arrival of many other actors and vast changes in filmmaking have affected the way I view the film and Newman, but I still like him enormously, and this film holds it's own, though the storyline may seem archaic.

This film is about infidelity and divorce and the price of success, a story line that may be lost on generations raised in an age of no-fault divorces and dual earner households. Once upon a time, divorce and infidelity were considered absolutely scandalous, and financially disastrous. In fact, if you divorced, your life was ruined. Many couples stayed together and suffered the ignominy of a cheating spouse. FTT was a ground-breaking film because it tackled these issues head-on.

The DVD version of the film is well done, and the price reasonable (technicolor and cinemascope production). Do your self a favorite, buy this DVD and add it to the shelf where you keep CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF and other 50's favorites.

I absolutely adore this movie
I saw this movie for at least the third time today and I told myself: go ahead and get this on DVD because you watch it every time it comes on TV. Well, I just simply must have it near me. I love the "how do you like them apples" part in the movie. What a move! I love every minute of this movie. It is like a short story! I love the dialogue! Watch it people!

My View From The Sofa
Paul Newman has many more famous roles...but for some reason, this is one of my all time favorite movies of his. It comes on the Love Stories, AMC, or TCM cable channels every here and now...or you could just buy it like I did.

He's nice, determined, well-meaning Alfred Eaton, who starts off with lofty, wealthy ideas about what is important in life...the right woman, the right career, the right friends...and showing them all how important he can be when he has them. Ultimately, he learns that what is important is only what feels right to him alone.

I love his story of personal discovery as much as his love affair story with Natalie. Alfred and Natalie have this beautiful scene where they are saying goodbye, they're barely touching, but it's the most painfully romantic thing to see.

Paul Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward have some excellent scenes in this movie also with real good comeback dialogue. He's the hardworking, decent man and she's the desperate-to-impress and just plain desperate society wife. She self-righteously and hurtfully accuses him of adultery with a girl with no guts when she's been sleeping with her ex-fiancee all along. She actually calls her lover and arranges a tryst while her husband is in the room!!!! She has guts!!!! (if little else) Unbeknownst to her, Alfred has exhaustingly if unaffectedly (if you can look unaffected and disgusted at the same time, that is) done his best to makes her invisible in the room, but she probably just becomes invisible without any real effort on his part to make her so by that point. Their voices just have the most impactful tones...especially when they get to play off of each other. I can play their final scene over and over again where she says she won't give him a divorce and he says,"Any further communication between you and me will be through legal channels." He has the most genuine smile on that handsome face in that moment than through the entire movie!!!!!

This movie is actually pretty long, but not a moment is wasted. It all comes together in the end when Alfred finally chooses what he actually wants instead of what he's supposed to want.

Maybe it's because it's so subtle and not at all like a "movie" that it seems to be largely overlooked by everyone except me and 20 other people. Paul Newman is one fine, naturally classy actor, I say.

Unfaithfully Yours
Every few years, I sit back and enjoy "From the Terrace" for what it is. As good old fashioned "potboiler", John O Hara's screen adaptation is not quite as sprawling as say....Edna Ferber's works, but nonetheless is a decent potboiler in its own right. Alfred (Paul Newman), discharged from the Navy after WW II is the ambitious, disaffected son of nouveau riche steel mill owner Samuel Eaton, (Leon Ames). Seeking to make his own unique mark in the world he spurns his father's hopes of joining the business and decides his fortune is to be made elsewhere. Along the way, he meets his future blue-blooded trophy wife Mary St. John (Joanne Woodward) and soon discovers her appetites are far in excess even to his own ambitions. Landing a job at a prestigious Wall Street firm in an oblique way that is a potboiler's trademark, Alfred comes under the watchful eye of old money and traditional expectations by J.D. MacHardie (masterfully portrayed by Felix Aylmer). I very much enjoyed all the scenes in which Aylmer's MacHardie was highlighted and I can almost smell the stodginess of old money, ritual table manners, wood paneled walls, cigars, and brandy that were part of his ultra-conservative environment. Soon enough, while on a trip to scout business opportunities, Alfred meets Natalie (Ina Balin), the unattached daughter of a wealthy coal mine owner. Knowing full well of his marital status, she consents, even encourages his attention and unfaithfulness. Balin manages to pull this off with a naive sweetness without ever seeming cheap or trashy. Infidelity is a major theme in this work and I'm sure its frank discussion must have sparked many a controversy when this film was released very early in 1960. Veteran actress Myrna Loy was given near top billing as Alfred's alcoholic and unfaithful mother, yet her on-screen performance was limited to the first reel of this nearly 2 1/2 hour film. I enjoyed the brief on screen appearance of young Barbara Eden as a flirtatious socialite. Patrick O'Neal was perfectly cast as the smarmy Dr. Jim Roper, the illicit lover of Mary St. John. Over his long acting career, Paul Newman has delivered solid performances again and again. This is one of his lesser known works but serves as a fine example of why he was so popular with the audience as a silver screen heartthrob. Watching this film today and being mindful of his lasting marriage to Joanne Woodward just serves to make this movie all the more compelling to me. I hope you will agree.

A view of the male in society.
Based on John O'Hara's novel, Alfred Eaton wants success in his own right but also seeks happiness for himself. He ventures out to New York leaving behind his cold, unloving father and alcoholic mother. As he is settled, he meets Mary St. John at a party in Southhampton. She is engaged to a psychiatrist Jim Roper. She rebuffs him at first but laters falls in love with him, calling off her engagement to her fiance. The two marry. However, their marriage is on the rocks. As Alfred gains success and social status, Mary feels isolated from his affection and has sexual affairs outside of the marriage. A business venture in rural Pennsylvania force him to confront his past and his future. Having dinner at the Benzinger home, he falls in love with the daughter Natalie. Strikingly beautiful and raven-haired, she is the one who understands him and is affectionate towards him.
Alfred Eaton, is relatively like most men. They want to gain recognition and respect from the social and economical community and at the same time, be happy with themselves. However, success doesn't always bring happiness. Happiness comes from within. Eaton's lack of affection from his father caused him to seek happiness elsewhere but he was forced to make hard decisions that would not only affect his career, but himself. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Granny wants to serve kangaroo and ostrich for supper
Volume 6 of "The Beverly Hillbillies" collection offers a pair of episodes in which Granny (Irene Ryan) mistakes some big city animals for the critters she knows back home. First up, Episode 52, "The Giant Jackrabbit" (January 8, 1964) sees an escaped kangaroo and starts telling Jed and the rest of the family that she has seen the biggest jackrabbit in the world. They will not believe her, so Granny is determined to catch that jackrabbit and serve it as vittles. This episode features Sharon Tate as Janet Trego. Episode 126, "The Big Chicken" (February 2, 1966) is basically the exact same story except this time Granny is trying to catch an ostrich to cook for dinner. Watching them back-to-back instead of with a two year gap, these episodes are obviously going to seem redundant and repetitive, but then the chief attraction here is Granny and not the varmints.

"Hopping" funny
From the looks of the cover, it looks like it has the episode where Granny finds a kangaroo that escaped from the zoo. She sees the kangaroo, thinking it's a giant jackrabbit, and goes to tell Jed. But by the time he gets there, it's run away, so he thinks Granny is crazy. ... Read more

Reviews (230)

Hitchcock's Masterful Tale of Neurosis and Obsession
Vertigo brilliantly and hypnotically displays many of Hitchcock's famous themes: the ordinary man caught up in a world of intrigue beyond his control (Scotty), the icy, mysterious blonde (Madeline), the smothering maternal figure (Midge), the obsession with the past, and the blurring of the line between illusion and reality. All of the aforementioned elements are enhanced by Bernard Hermann's passionate, romantic music, and combine to make this film one of Hitchcock's most complex, most richly rewarding films.

In "Vertigo," the characters and the viewing audience rarely know what is real and what is illusion. Many of the scenes in the film have a hazy, dreamlike quality: Madeline disappears behind and re-emerges from the Sequoia trees; Madeline steps out of the hazy, hotel light after her transformation as if she is a ghost reappearing from the past. Hitchcock brilliantly uses light, shadow and music to create a dizzingly uncertain atmosphere, forcing the audience to question what is really happening in the scene.

Scotty's obsession with the past and his desire to transform the charater "Judy" into his former love "Madeline" brings up an intriguing question. To what lengths will people go to change themselves to please the one they love? How much of their identities are they willing to give up for love? Madeline poignantly says to Scotty after he has asked her to change one thing after another about herself, "If I let you change me, then will you love me?"

"Vertigo" is a brilliant director working out his neurosis and obsessions through cinema. Luckily for the audience, the director is Hitchcock, and the film he has created is a fascinating, haunting masterpiece.

Absolutely the best film Hitchcock ever made
Everybody's got a favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie. Mine is VERTIGO. Everything about this movie is more than perfect. The performances from Kim Novak, James Stewart and Barbara Bel Geddes- beyond Oscar quality. The film is a masterpiece. There are multiple themes that are repeated throughout the movie, which make it subject to many repeated viewings. I've seen it many times, and I could see it all the time. Every time I see it, I find out something new. When you see John "Scottie" Fergeson going over the top, you'll have a hard time believing that it's Jimmy Stewart up on screen. Kim Novak is a beautiful, shimmering brilliance in her two- actually THREE roles (Madeline, Carlotta Valdes, Judy). And I found it hard not to sympathize with Barbara Bel Gedde's Midge. Alfred Hitchcock's meticulous direction pays off more than ever. The ending delievered such an emotional, psychological shock that I couldn't stop thinking about it. My advice to you: stop reading, go out and see VERTIGO. You won't regret it.

The very first shot is the best.
I watched Vertigo for the first time when I was about 12 years old - I remember I couldn't sleep well afterwards. I guess I was a little too young at the time to fully appreciate its scope. Watched it now again in its restored form on DVD.

In my opinion the best moment in the movie is the very first shot of the woman's mouth and face and her eyes - the look in her eyes - all in black and white - and then the introduction of colour - the spirals etc., and the ingeneous score. The score is incredible. Very efficient. It really gives the whole thing a dreamlike quality.

Generally, I don't like dark haunting movies too much. And Vertigo is haunting.
Most of the other Hitchcock movies have a kind of upbeat humour - an optimistic atmosphere. Take Psycho, for example. Yes, people get killed - but in a strange, almost perverse way the movie is almost funny. And, of course, there is a satisfying conclusion, a happy end. Not so in Vertigo.

Note that Hitchcock returned in subsequent movies - North by Northwest, Frenzy, Family Plot ...to his characteristic dark humour. That's why I think that Vertigo - while it deals with themes also present in his other movies - is something of an exception : there is no happy end and there is no relief for the audience.

Most of Hitchcock's movies deal with horrible things - like murder, the innocent being wrongfully accused and hunted by society, malice and intrigue,.. - but he always balances this with this typical British dark humour which in a way protects the audience and helps it to digest the on-screen violence. So this dark humour, this distancing of the audience, fulfills a very important function. For instance, after the shower scene in Psycho, we witness Norman Bates clean up the bathroom.
The same kind of dark humour - not quite as dark - can be found in some of the James Bond movies. Its always about helping the audience to accept what has just happened.

In Vertigo, this dark humour is missing and this accounts for its dark haunting quality.

Again, I am not much of a fan of obssesive love and all that - and probably neither
are most other people - and certainly Vertigo is not as much fun to watch as, say North by Northwest, but the score and the use of colours in it alone are worthy of our attention.

Darkest Hitchcock
"Vertigo" is a disturbing tour de force. You would probably have to roll forward to David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive" is find comparable weirdness. Is it Hitchcock's best? That's a tough question. Personally, I think "Notorious" is a better film, because the story fits easier into expectations of what a story should be, while at the same time being very edgey in matters of men and women, sex and love, and intrigue that blurs the lines. Everything about "Notorious" is balanced. But "Vertigo" takes chances few directors are willing to attempt, and that has to be recognized - especially when it involves a director with the abilities and genius of a Hitchcock. With that in mind, "Vertigo" is the important film, necessary if you want to fully understand Hitchcock.

"Vertigo" is about obsession. Ex-detective John Ferguson (Jimmy Stewart) is following the wife of an old friend, who fears his wife is losing her mind. It's a deadly scam, but you know that. The real story is Ferguson's descent. Stewart is excellent and increasingly strange as the movie progresses. Novak also works, but in a way she strikes the viewer as a deliberately coarser version of the Hitchcock "blondes." I don't pretend to be a Hitchcock specialist, but I've been spending this summer going through the major Hitchcock films, and I've noticed a few things that have me wondering over Hitchcock's creative arc in general. Blondes, yep. But look at the role of mothers. "Strangers on a Train" has psycho killer Walker's mother as a babying influence, and "Vertigo" has former Stewart girlfriend, played by Barbara Bel Geddes, visiting Stewart/Ferguson, and telling him "mother" is there for him. And check out the Nazi mother to mama's boy Claude Rains in "Notorious." The capper is of course the "mother" of Norman Bates in that movie explosion called "Psycho." What was it with Hitchcock and mothers? Also note that the swirl imagery of "Vertigo" reappears in the swirling drain of "Psycho."

"Vertigo" is a much more free-floating effort, and deserves all the praise. Narrative structure is allowed to slacken, and interior pathologies allowed to take priority, all amazing terrain for a director to explore - and to be allowed to explore by the dollar driven studios. The logic of the "story" is in fact is so suspended, that the fact that there is a murder and a murderer become secondary - they are merely triggers. Oh, Stewart/Ferguson eventually remembers he's a cop, but the difference in "Vertigo," which sets it apart from even "Psycho," is that it doesn't matter and darkness falls. And with it a final madness?

NOT his best! Why is everyone raving about this movie??
It's good, not great. The storyline is just too basic. Nothing really grabbed my attention. As far as the directing aspect of it, it may be one of his best. But also this may be his most boring film. It was a flop at the box-office. I'd like to know why it's considered his masterpiece. Am I missing something? This movie has little intrigue in comparison to his other films.

"North By Northwest" was by far his best.
"Rear Window" was great.
"The Birds" was very exciting to watch and was a great feat in film-making for its time with all those birds.
"Lifeboat" was good too.
"Psycho" would have been much better if I saw it for the first time without knowing what was going to happen.
"Dial M For Murder" has a great storyline with intrigue.

But as for "Vertigo", ehh.... not as good in comparison. It will be very good if it is your first Hitchcock movie to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Funny!
This is the best three episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies I've seen.Especially the part when Jethro thinks the flamingo is a turkey!Overall I just like it!

Hilarius!
When I first saw it,I have to admit it was kinda lame.But when I saw more episodes,I finally understood the jokes and humor!That was truly hilarius!

Hilarius!
When I first saw the first three episodes I didn't really understand them.But then I finally started to understand the jokes and gags.Now I think they are HILARIUS! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

AWFUL
My title sums it up. This movie struck us as sad and drawn out. The ending though satisfying is preceeded by a series of rather shocking scenes. It caught us totally unawares. I shall never watch this movie again.

Good early Stewart and Lombard
This is an early film is the careers of stars James Stewart and Carole Lombard. They star as a young impulsively-married couple who go through all the tribulation that entails. The performances are all top-rate and the cast includes Charles Coburn as Stewart's hearing-impaired boss and a cameo by Ward Bond as a reluctant pilot.

It is a light comedy-drama with a good script and great acting. My one complaint is that the last half-hour is mostly taken up with a soap-ish baby sickness scare that does little to expand the story, but gives Lombard an opportunity for an "Oscar clip" level crying scene and to look beatific praying to a statue of Jesus. This is in retrospect, however, as I was riveted to the screen throughout the ordeal.

All in all, a good (not excellent) film and a realistic portrayal of married life (sans housekeepers, of course) buoyed by terrific acting all around.

LOMBARD ROCKS!!!!
Although not her best, this film still stands the test of time. The film is simple, but that is what makes it a classic. Lombard will make you fall in love with her character. Not many actresses can do that today. Jimmy Stewart is as dependable as ever as the husband. If you like Lombard, check out "Nothing Sacred" as well. It is a great comedy with a wonderful screenplay by Ben Hect.

MEDIOCRE SOAP
The trials and tribulations of a young married couple. Carole Lombard was that rarest type of actresses - a beautiful woman who was also funny. Seen today, it is very much a film of the Hollywood past, and without the pleasing performances of the leads, would have little to recommend it. By 1939, she had established herself as a top-flight comedienne, and it had begun to bother her; she felt that she needed to prove her dramatic abilities. David O. Selznick agreed with her and commissioned Jo Swerling to write an original screenplay about the problems of a young married couple. Lombard's humour shines through, even though the part doesn't call for comedy, and Stewart is in his element as the shy but sunny, diffident yet optimistic all-American. Both Selznick and Lombard felt that the perfect actor to play the husband would be James Stewart, which required a loan-out from MGM in order to play in this United Artists production. The film was a modest success but not the winner Selznick had hoped for; the scene in which the serum is brought to the baby (he has pneumonia) via a plane in snowstorm barely passed muster in 1939, today it borders on the ludicrous.

Soap Poisoning
My wife and I expected SOME comedy - after all, Carol Lombard and Jimmie Stewart have BOTH done excellent work in that field, and the reviews we'd seen CALLED it a "comedy-drama". But alas, the only funny part of this movie was unintentional humor, particularly the "dramatic" sequence at the end, with a biplane pilot flying precious "serum" (on New Year's Eve, apparently) over the Rockies in a blinding blizzard (some wing spars on that plane!) and eventually bailing out somewhere over the Susquehannah (some fuel tanks that biplane had!) while newspaper headlines track his progress - all in one night? As a (former USAF) pilot, I laughed myself out of my seat throughout THIS sequence - it is totally ludicrous.

This "weepie", made in 1939, is infinitely dated. It looks much like a prototype for "It's A Wonderful Life", and maybe film buffs can check it out bearing *that* in mind, but if you are expecting ANY sort of humor, forget it. Stewart lurches from one setback to another, while his wife stays home with the baby and the mother-in-law (and the maid - don't forget the maid....). Trying to think of a single "funny" scene, I suppose the two seconds Stewart spends poking a bottle at the baby could bring a smile, but the scene where he comes home completely drunk is like watching a train wreck.

As another reviewer wrote, the DVD transfer is awful. The sound seems to come from the bottom of a 55-gallon drum stuffed with cotton - turning the volume up only gets you an earful of hiss and crackle. And extras....well, what do you expect at this price? The "art work" is a single lobby card (and that's shown so small that I can't imagine why it was even included), and "biographies" is a single page for Stewart, nothing for Lombard or anyone else.

The film this reminded me of most was "Cavalcade", but without the high spots. Even if you like "weepies" like "Penny Serenade", there is precious little in this archaic creaker to interest you. I highly recommed passing. Or better yet - go for "It Happened One Night". ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Although it wasn't a box-office success when originally released in 1958, Vertigo has since taken its deserved place as Alfred Hitchcock's greatest, most spellbinding, most deeply personal achievement. In fact, it consistently ranks among the top 10 movies ever made in the once-a-decade Sight & Sound international critics poll, placing at number 4 in the most recent survey. (Universal Pictures' spectacularly gorgeous 1996 restoration and rerelease of this 1958 Paramount production was a tremendous success with the public, too.) James Stewart plays a retired police detective who is hired by an old friend to follow his wife (a superb Kim Novak, in what becomes a double role), whom he suspects of being possessed by the spirit of a dead madwoman. The detective and the disturbed woman fall ("fall" is indeed the operative word) in love and...well, to give away any more of the story would be criminal. Shot around San Francisco (the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of the Legion of Honor are significant locations) and elsewhere in Northern California (the redwoods, Mission San Juan Batista) in rapturous Technicolor, Vertigo is as lovely as it is haunting. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (230)

Hitchcock's Masterful Tale of Neurosis and Obsession
Vertigo brilliantly and hypnotically displays many of Hitchcock's famous themes: the ordinary man caught up in a world of intrigue beyond his control (Scotty), the icy, mysterious blonde (Madeline), the smothering maternal figure (Midge), the obsession with the past, and the blurring of the line between illusion and reality. All of the aforementioned elements are enhanced by Bernard Hermann's passionate, romantic music, and combine to make this film one of Hitchcock's most complex, most richly rewarding films.

In "Vertigo," the characters and the viewing audience rarely know what is real and what is illusion. Many of the scenes in the film have a hazy, dreamlike quality: Madeline disappears behind and re-emerges from the Sequoia trees; Madeline steps out of the hazy, hotel light after her transformation as if she is a ghost reappearing from the past. Hitchcock brilliantly uses light, shadow and music to create a dizzingly uncertain atmosphere, forcing the audience to question what is really happening in the scene.

Scotty's obsession with the past and his desire to transform the charater "Judy" into his former love "Madeline" brings up an intriguing question. To what lengths will people go to change themselves to please the one they love? How much of their identities are they willing to give up for love? Madeline poignantly says to Scotty after he has asked her to change one thing after another about herself, "If I let you change me, then will you love me?"

"Vertigo" is a brilliant director working out his neurosis and obsessions through cinema. Luckily for the audience, the director is Hitchcock, and the film he has created is a fascinating, haunting masterpiece.

Absolutely the best film Hitchcock ever made
Everybody's got a favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie. Mine is VERTIGO. Everything about this movie is more than perfect. The performances from Kim Novak, James Stewart and Barbara Bel Geddes- beyond Oscar quality. The film is a masterpiece. There are multiple themes that are repeated throughout the movie, which make it subject to many repeated viewings. I've seen it many times, and I could see it all the time. Every time I see it, I find out something new. When you see John "Scottie" Fergeson going over the top, you'll have a hard time believing that it's Jimmy Stewart up on screen. Kim Novak is a beautiful, shimmering brilliance in her two- actually THREE roles (Madeline, Carlotta Valdes, Judy). And I found it hard not to sympathize with Barbara Bel Gedde's Midge. Alfred Hitchcock's meticulous direction pays off more than ever. The ending delievered such an emotional, psychological shock that I couldn't stop thinking about it. My advice to you: stop reading, go out and see VERTIGO. You won't regret it.

The very first shot is the best.
I watched Vertigo for the first time when I was about 12 years old - I remember I couldn't sleep well afterwards. I guess I was a little too young at the time to fully appreciate its scope. Watched it now again in its restored form on DVD.

In my opinion the best moment in the movie is the very first shot of the woman's mouth and face and her eyes - the look in her eyes - all in black and white - and then the introduction of colour - the spirals etc., and the ingeneous score. The score is incredible. Very efficient. It really gives the whole thing a dreamlike quality.

Generally, I don't like dark haunting movies too much. And Vertigo is haunting.
Most of the other Hitchcock movies have a kind of upbeat humour - an optimistic atmosphere. Take Psycho, for example. Yes, people get killed - but in a strange, almost perverse way the movie is almost funny. And, of course, there is a satisfying conclusion, a happy end. Not so in Vertigo.

Note that Hitchcock returned in subsequent movies - North by Northwest, Frenzy, Family Plot ...to his characteristic dark humour. That's why I think that Vertigo - while it deals with themes also present in his other movies - is something of an exception : there is no happy end and there is no relief for the audience.

Most of Hitchcock's movies deal with horrible things - like murder, the innocent being wrongfully accused and hunted by society, malice and intrigue,.. - but he always balances this with this typical British dark humour which in a way protects the audience and helps it to digest the on-screen violence. So this dark humour, this distancing of the audience, fulfills a very important function. For instance, after the shower scene in Psycho, we witness Norman Bates clean up the bathroom.
The same kind of dark humour - not quite as dark - can be found in some of the James Bond movies. Its always about helping the audience to accept what has just happened.

In Vertigo, this dark humour is missing and this accounts for its dark haunting quality.

Again, I am not much of a fan of obssesive love and all that - and probably neither
are most other people - and certainly Vertigo is not as much fun to watch as, say North by Northwest, but the score and the use of colours in it alone are worthy of our attention.

Darkest Hitchcock
"Vertigo" is a disturbing tour de force. You would probably have to roll forward to David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive" is find comparable weirdness. Is it Hitchcock's best? That's a tough question. Personally, I think "Notorious" is a better film, because the story fits easier into expectations of what a story should be, while at the same time being very edgey in matters of men and women, sex and love, and intrigue that blurs the lines. Everything about "Notorious" is balanced. But "Vertigo" takes chances few directors are willing to attempt, and that has to be recognized - especially when it involves a director with the abilities and genius of a Hitchcock. With that in mind, "Vertigo" is the important film, necessary if you want to fully understand Hitchcock.

"Vertigo" is about obsession. Ex-detective John Ferguson (Jimmy Stewart) is following the wife of an old friend, who fears his wife is losing her mind. It's a deadly scam, but you know that. The real story is Ferguson's descent. Stewart is excellent and increasingly strange as the movie progresses. Novak also works, but in a way she strikes the viewer as a deliberately coarser version of the Hitchcock "blondes." I don't pretend to be a Hitchcock specialist, but I've been spending this summer going through the major Hitchcock films, and I've noticed a few things that have me wondering over Hitchcock's creative arc in general. Blondes, yep. But look at the role of mothers. "Strangers on a Train" has psycho killer Walker's mother as a babying influence, and "Vertigo" has former Stewart girlfriend, played by Barbara Bel Geddes, visiting Stewart/Ferguson, and telling him "mother" is there for him. And check out the Nazi mother to mama's boy Claude Rains in "Notorious." The capper is of course the "mother" of Norman Bates in that movie explosion called "Psycho." What was it with Hitchcock and mothers? Also note that the swirl imagery of "Vertigo" reappears in the swirling drain of "Psycho."

"Vertigo" is a much more free-floating effort, and deserves all the praise. Narrative structure is allowed to slacken, and interior pathologies allowed to take priority, all amazing terrain for a director to explore - and to be allowed to explore by the dollar driven studios. The logic of the "story" is in fact is so suspended, that the fact that there is a murder and a murderer become secondary - they are merely triggers. Oh, Stewart/Ferguson eventually remembers he's a cop, but the difference in "Vertigo," which sets it apart from even "Psycho," is that it doesn't matter and darkness falls. And with it a final madness?

NOT his best! Why is everyone raving about this movie??
It's good, not great. The storyline is just too basic. Nothing really grabbed my attention. As far as the directing aspect of it, it may be one of his best. But also this may be his most boring film. It was a flop at the box-office. I'd like to know why it's considered his masterpiece. Am I missing something? This movie has little intrigue in comparison to his other films.

"North By Northwest" was by far his best.
"Rear Window" was great.
"The Birds" was very exciting to watch and was a great feat in film-making for its time with all those birds.
"Lifeboat" was good too.
"Psycho" would have been much better if I saw it for the first time without knowing what was going to happen.
"Dial M For Murder" has a great storyline with intrigue.

But as for "Vertigo", ehh.... not as good in comparison. It will be very good if it is your first Hitchcock movie to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Incredible Christmas Consolidation of Three Shows!
It's a rare moment in TV history as the corny casts of three rural sitcoms unite for a Christmas extravaganza. The characters from "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Green Acres" and "Petticoat Junction" gather for a wild romp. Banker Drysdale plays Scrooge and gets the Dickens in a dream sequence. Farmhand Eb courts bucolic beauty Elly May. Granny schemes to snag Sam Drucker, the general store keeper -- and goldigger Uncle Joe contemplates money-motivated matrimoney to the elderly hillbilly. Fun for the whole family, this show was "lost" after its first run in 1968 and only uncovered a few years ago. Well worth discovering!

Christmas In Hooterville
It's funny,especially when Granny dresses up as a girl. Excellent
choice for a Beverly Hillbillies lover. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The first two episodes of the classic rural situation comedy
Here is your opportunity to go back and watch the first two episodes of the story of a man named Jed Clampett (Buddy Ebsen), a poor hillbilly living in the Ozarks who discovered a fortune in oil while out shooting for some food. Paid $25 million by John Brewster of the OK Oil Company for drilling rights, the Clampetts moved to Beverly Hills where they moved into a mansion with a big cement pond right next door to their banker, Milburn Drysdale (Raymond Bailey). Jed brought along his daughter Elly Mae (Donna Douglas), a gorgeous blonde who loved all sorts of critters; his mother-in-law Daisy Moses (Irene Ryan), called Granny, who was always working on potions and was the meanest rassler in the world; and nephew Jethro Bodine (Max Baer), a giant of a man who was as stupid as he was strong. Fortunately, Jed has more common sense that everybody else on the show put together, so even though the Clampetts did not understand big city ways, they would always triumph in the end. The show made Buddy Ebsen a star, almost a quarter of a decade after the old song and dance man missed his opportunity for stardom when he was originally cast as the Tin Man in "The Wizard of Oz"; the silver makeup poisoned him and he was replaced.

"The Beverly Hillbillies" was an instant hit, finishing in the top spot for the Nielsens its first two seasons, and one of CBS' longest-running situation comedies, running from 1962 to 1971. The show defined the Rural Sitcom Era of prime time programming ("The Andy Griffith Show," "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.," "Green Acres," etc.) and its cancellation marked the new emphasis in demographics for Madison Avenue, where young adults with disposable income mattered more than rural families. This video provides the first two episodes of the classic sitcom, which taken together establish the premise of the series: (1) "The Clampetts Strike Oil" (September 26, 1962, written by Paul Henning & Phil Shuken) is the pilot episode where Jed discovers that underneath his swamp there is a giant lake of oil. John Brewster (Frank Wilcox) strikes a deal for the drilling rights and Jed's cousin Pearl Bodine (Bea Benaderet) convinces him to move his family to a 35-room mansion in Beverly Hills. (2) "Getting Settled" (October 3, 1962, written by Henning) finds the Clampetts arriving at their new mansion where they are mistaken by Miss Hathaway (Nancy Kulp) as backwoods servants. This sets the pattern for the entire series, as the big city folks assume the country folks are yokels, but the hillbillies win out in the end. Yes, it got redundant and repetitive over the years (most sitcoms do), but Jed Clampett had dignity, Granny was feisty, Elly Mae was beautiful, and Miss Jane has spunk (Jethro and Mr. Drysdale quickly wore on my nerves). Final Bit of Trivia: Buddy Ebsen's given name is Christian Rudolph Ebsen.

One of the best T.V. shows of all time!
I love this video! I watch it over and over again! It is so funny ... Read more

Reviews (1)

More attempts by Phil Silvers to bilk the Clampetts...
During season 8 of "The Beverly Hillbillies" the Clampetts visited to New York, where Jed ended up buying Central Park and several landmarks from Shifty Shafer, the con-man played by Phil Silvers. Early on in season 9, the final year of the show, the Clampetts basically did the exact same thing except this time around the setting was Washington, D.C. Episode 252, "The Clampetts in Washington" (September 22, 1970), has the Clampetts visiting the capital so that Jed (Buddy Ebsen) can give away his fortune to help the government fight air pollution. That is until the family runs into "Honest John" Shafer again. Kathleen Freeman plays Flo Shafer and you might recognize character actor Richard Erdman as the guard. Episode 253, "Jed Buys the Capitol" (September 29, 1970) continues the story in what is essentially a two-part episode. The fact that the two Washington, D.C. episodes were selected for Volume 2 while the New York City episodes show up on Volume 3, is interesting. Although the opportunity for political humor in Washington, D.C., is exploited for a couple of good jokes, I think the whole bit worked better the first time around. Whichever set you see second is going to suffer in comparison, even though we are talking Phil Silvers as the guest star. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Elly May likes Henry Gibson and Jethro plays Robin Hood
Volume 13 of "The Beverly Hillbillies" collection is a rather odd combination of episodes. Episode 51, "A Man for Elly" (January 1, 1964), turns out to be the rather shy Quirt Manly, played by Henry Gibson. You just know from the start that this one is not going to work out, although I guess he does sort of remind Elly Mae (Donna Douglas) of one of her critters. Episode 173, "Robin Hood and the Sheriff" (October 4, 1967) is really the second of two episodes dealing with the Jethro (Max Baer) dressing up like Robin Hood. In the previous episode when the Clampetts return from England Jethro, Elly and her chimp, Bessy, have moved out to Griffith Park to rob from the rich and give to the poor. There they meet up with a hippie named Buddy (Alan Reed, Jr.) and his girlfriend. In this particular episode everybody else on the show comes to park to try and find Jethro and Elly Mae. Buddy brings his hippie friends to party and the big goal becomes smoking crawdads. The police show up and when Granny (Irene Ryan) explains that she "needs a little pot" so she can smoke crawdads, you can imagine what happens next. The first episode is the better of the pair because it is more character driven than the comedy of errors and "drug humor" of the second. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

How about "The Manhattan Hillbillies" instead?
During the 8th and penultimate season of "The Beverly Hillbillies," after the marriage of Elly Mae (Donna Douglas) to backwoodsman Matthew Templeton (Roger Torrey) is called off, Jed took the family to New York City to continue the quest to find his daughter a husband. Volume 3 of this video tape series of the classic rural sitcom offers up the first two of the three episodes set in the Big Apple: (230) "Jed Buys Central Park" (October 29, 1969) from conman Honest John (a.k.a. Shifty) Shafer (Phil Silvers). (231) "The Clampetts in New York" (November 5, 1969) finds the family fixing to work on their cabin in Central Park while Shifty Shafer sells them several other New York City landmarks. The third episode in the New York trilogy, "Manhattan Hillbillies," is not included, but that is where Mr. Drysdale (Raymond Bailey) and Miss Jane (Nancy Kulp), show up to persuade the Clampetts to come back to Beverly Hills so they do not have to change the title of the show. These two shows are a mixed bag; on the one hand there is nothing new here in terms of the stories except for the new location in New York City. But on the other you do have Phil Silvers hamming it up while he tries to bilk the Clampetts (oh, come on, you saw that one coming). These are not classic episodes of the show, with the Clampetts interacting as you would expect with stewardesses and muggers, but they do rise to the above average standard. At least these confirm that Beverly Hills was indeed the place they ought to be... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Granny has a couple of reasons to get her shooting iron
For Volume 4 of "The Beverly Hillbillies" collection Granny (Irene Ryan) goes back to the days of her youth, fighting Indians and Yankees. First up, Episode 158, "The Indians Are Coming" (February 1, 1967), because of a boundary dispute. There is an Indian reservation bordering the O.K. oil fields back home and Chief Running Wolf (Stanley Waxman) wants to discuss the boundary with Jed. But when Granny hears Indians are coming she is convinced they are on the warpath and coming to Beverly Hills to scalp them all, so she gets her gun. Of course Mr. Drysdale (Raymond Bailey) helps things along by hiring actors to pretend they are Indians and attack the mansion. John Wayne has a cameo appearance at the end of this episode. Then, Episode 181, "The South Rises Again" (November 29, 1967) offers similar confusion when Granny sees actors from a Civil War movie and spies that low down, no good General Grant (William Mims). She remembers him from the Civil War and if she can just capture him then she came make those Yankees surrender and the Confederacy will rise again. I just never understood how the South lost if they had Granny in the first place. I always liked the episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies" where Granny got her dander up and the feisty old lady went off on some weird storyline that involved winning the Civil War, catching a kangaroo that she thought was a giant rabbit, or whatever. These are a pair of better episodes from the show's 5th and 6th seasons respectively. ... Read more

Description

Al Capone: The Untouchable Legendis a new one-hour biography of the most notorious gangster in history. On January 17th, 1999, Al Capone would have celebrated his 100th birthday. His exploits in the early part of the century have inspired authors, journalists and filmmakers. Myths have always been woven around the figure of Al Capone. Born in Brooklyn, he began his career in crime as protege to New York underworld boss Frankie Yale in the early 1920's, and then moved to Chicago where he made himself a multi-millionaire from the protection business, gambling, brothels, and speakeasies. He is most infamous for planning the massacre of seven members of a rival gang on Valentine's Day in 1929. This was also the year the Justice Department named Eliot Ness to form a special crime-busting squad which came to be known as "The Untouchables." In 1931 Alphonse Capone was convicted on income tax evasion and began an eleven year sentence in the Federal Prison on Alcatraz Island. Capone died in 1947 and is buried in Chicago's Mount Carmel Cemetery.But who really was this man? How did this child of Neapolitan immigrants become the most legendary gangster of the "Roaring Twenties." Using historical film footage, movie scenes, and dramatic recreations filmed on location in Chicago, Brooklyn, Ellis Island, Florida's Palm Island, and Alcatraz, Al Capone: The Untouchable Legend not only depicts the rise and fall of "Scarface," but also looks behind the myths at the private family man. Interviews with Capone's nephew Harry Hart, and with Capone experts John Binder, Dennis Hoffman and William Balsamo all help to illuminate the social and economic milieu of the '20s and '30s that led to the rise of the "Mafia." ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Mold for the Untouchables.
This film, arguably, set the mold for the famous TV series The Untouchables, it was released only one year before the series was launched so the connection is obvious.
Rod Steiger stages Al Capone brilliantly, he gives the character an incredible ruthlessness, without overacting his part.
The film is presented almost as a documentary one. An impeccable black & white photography creates a very special climate. The epoch reconstruction is great and accurate, the cars, the clothing, the machine guns, every detail is taken into account.
The cast is very compact with Martin Balsam as Mac Keeley, a corrupt reporter; Nehemiah Persoff as Johnny Torrio, the gang leader immediately preceding Al Capone, and Robert Gist as the Irish ring leader Dion O'Banion in high performances.
The story line follows the rise of Capone from his start as an ordinary "gang soldier" to Chicago's Big Boss and then to his sudden decline and imprisonment.
The movie shows all the backstage of political corruption and different gangs competing to take control of one of the biggest cities of USA. There are some very violent scenes as The Saint Valentine's Massacre and other showdowns among the gangsters.
The director Richard Wilson tells the story masterfully, giving a very crisp tempo to all the film, specially the action sequences.
The time elapsed since the release of the movie (1959) do not affect the product in any way. Very commendable for the lovers of the genre.
Total duration 104 minutes.

Great film!
I've reviewed that documentary about AL CAPONE and I found that this was a very interesting one giving a great overview of Al Capones story with interesting interviews as well! Great to see!

average
This video had the great makings of an Al Capone documentary,but alas seems to have fallen short of the mark.Many things were omitted such as Al's top killers Anselmi and Scalise along with Jack Mcgurn.Excellent top Capone historians used on this program such as Mr. Binder,Mr.Matt Luzi and Mr.William Balsamo probably had no say whatsoever in the accuracy of the timelines cause some of them were way out there! They mention Al Capone being in Alcatraz when prohibition is repealed?Duh? Al entered Alcatraz in 1934 and prohibition was repealed in 1933.They also mention Torrio being hit and retiring after Hymie Weiss is killed.Wrong! Hymie was on the hit against Torrio in 1925.Hymie was killed in 1926.This video might fly by the average Joe Lunchpail and Sally Housecoat who have no inkling about Capone,but it just doesn't cut it knowledge wise.A good Capone documentary to see is called Al Capone Chicago's Scarface(Narrated by Geraldo).Another good one is by A&E called Al Capone "Scarface".Again,this is my personal opinion and your entitled to make your own mistakes.I speak from living and breathing Al Capone as my hobby for the past thirteen years.

Al Capone: The Untouchable Legend
This video is more like a home movie than a serious documentary. There was not enough pictures and information of Al Capone or the era in which he lived. On the other hand there was much too many pictures and inserts of the film makers friends , family, and stuff unrecognizable to most viewers. A big disappointment. The other review must be from friends or family to incourage the films makers, but you do an injustice to them and the general public. Certainly these reviews are to incourage buyers, not make them leary of their purchases.

Best Bio on Capone
This is a tremendous biography; it tells the story of the legendary gangster better than any other Capone bio I've seen. ... Read more