Reviews (10)

It's magic with Doris Day in her film debut.
Janis Paige would just once like to go on a honeymoon vacation with her husband, Don DeFore (Hazel tv series), but everytime their anniversary comes up, he has got business to take care of. Meanwhile, Doris day plays a nightclub singer. She dreams of going on a trip somewhere. She is obsessed with going to the travel agency. Even has seven passports. Janis paige and Doris Day get their passports done the same day, but Janis got Doris' passport. They meet again and Janis has an idea. Janis wants to spy on her husband in secret. She invites Doris on the same cruise trip with expenses paid under Janis' name.
Watch the fun begin!
Doris day is a delight in this her film feature film debut. She sings "It's Magic!".
***Be sure to buy the CD "Doris day--A Day At The Movies". Tunes from this movie and other Doris Day films are included.

DUMB, DUMBER, DUMBEST
This is one of those movies which, in memory, seems so much funnier, sweeter, sillier, downright BETTER than it actually is: mainly because of the presence of Doris Day.

The script makes no sense whatsoever: rich, spoiled, battling, married couple hires snoops to follow their supposedly cheating mates. And neither one suspects a thing. The movie keeps churning out dumb and dumber dialogue in each succeeding scene. All the characters, if taken seriously, would be horribly unlikeable, but none of the characters is even an inch thicker than one dimensional cardboard. Jack Carson, in many movies a clever comedian, is lost as Doris Day's romantic interest; Janis Paige is shrill as Doris' bratty employer; Oscar Levant contributes his usual neurotic presence; and then there's Doris. Her voice, her face, her charm, her simplicity all make this movie watchable.

None of Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne's songs is memorable except...and it's a big exception..."It's Magic" which is one of the most beautiful songs Day ever recorded.

What A Magical Film
I love Doris Day Movies and I own all 39/39 of her movies but I have to say that this is my favorite one. Doris was so magical in this role as Miss Georgia Kent and Who can forget Jack Carsons fantastic Role as the Detective. Elvira Kent (Janis Page) thinks that Her Husband is being unfaithful and her husband thinks the same about her. So they both make the other one think they are going on their honeymoon so they each send a spy but they don't know that the other one didn't go. Well Georgia uses the name of Elvira Kent and The Detective thinks she is Elivra Kent and they go on a merry little chase. This movie was Doris's Film Debut and she sings my personal favorite song in this movie It's Magic. And who can forget the catchy tune the Tourist Trade. What a beautiful movie. This is a great movie for the whole family to enjoy.

DAY'S FILM DEBUT IS "MAGIC"
Doris Day began her long and phenomenally successfully screen career when she arrived on the Warner Brothers lot in 1947 to begin filming "Romance on the High Seas".
The project had been kicking around the lot for a while and there had been, at various times, talks about borrowing Judy Garland from MGM or Betty Hutton from Paramount to star in it.
At the time Doris Day was a recognized singer with a very successful six year career as a top big band and solo vocalist to her credit, including a couple of Gold Records. She had no interest in pursuing a film career but was heard singing at a Hollywood party, was screen tested, and the rest is cinema history.
"Romance on the High Seas" is a glossy, bon-bon of a film, decked out in lush settings, with a lot of nice-looking people, pleasant tunes, and wrapped up in some breathtaking technicolor. It's irresistable.
The plot involves a married couple who don't trust one another. The husband hires a private eye to follow the wife on a cruise she is taking to find out if she is being faithful. In the meantime, the wife hires someone to take her place on the cruise so she can remain in New York City to check up on the husband. The private eye falls in love with the woman who is purporting to be the wife and by the closing minutes of the film all of the confusion has been settled to everyones' satisfaction, especially the audiences.
Thanks to the skill of Director Michael Curtiz, who keeps the proceedings moving along smoothly and the attractive cast making the improbabilities rather believable, it works much better than it sounds.
The husband and wife are played by Don DeFore and Janis Paige. It's clearly evident why Defore's movie career was never stellar. On television's "Hazel" he was more at home.
Miss Paige handles her limited screen time with grace and charm. She wears a stylish wardrobe attractively but displays not one iota of chemistry with DeFore.
Jack Carson, as the detective, tends to overact in a number of scenes but in his scenes with Doris Day there is genuine warmth and, at times, subtlety. This was the first of three films they made together and it is clear that their personal friendship contributed to their on-screen playing.
Although billed fourth in the credits, Doris Day stole the picture and received the lion's share of acclaim from critics and moviegoers.
She is a natural, and it's difficult to believe that this is her first film. She has a natural affinity with the camera and it has a love affair with her. In color, she is a radiant dream, genuine, sincere, unaffected, and heartfelt. There are already traces of the comic timing and skill that would serve her so well in her later box-office blockbusters in the 1950's and 60's.
As a "dreamer" who hangs around a travel agency wanting to go someplace, there are traces of Betty Hutton in her style, but once she gets her chance to masquerade as Paige's wife, she develops her own unique personality that has the audience clearly on her side.
S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall is his usual self and Oscar Levant, the famed author, wit, and musician, is wry and sarcastic as Day's longtime boyfriend. Year's later he boasted that he knew Day "...before she was a virgin...", a remark that has followed her to this day.
Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne put together a pleasing group of songs for this film including "I'm in Love", "It's You or No One", "Put em in a Box...." and the film's mega-hit, "It's Magic". Doris Day's recording of this Oscar nominated song, topped the charts for months, becoming a Gold Record hit and a tune forever identified with her. When she initially sings it during a lovely scene with Carson at an outdoor cafe, a star was indeed born.
If you're looking for an entertaining film that won't place any demands upon you but will leave you feeling warm, fuzzy, and uplifted by the time the end credits roll, then set sail for some "Romance on the High Seas".

Do Not Disturbed
I have looked and looked for this movie and can not find it if any one knows where I can get would you please let me know I sure would like to have thank you very much ... Read more

Description

Fess Parker captured the hearts of millions with his strong, confident portrayal of the legendary king of the wild frontier. There's never been a folk hero quite like Davy Crockett, and you'll see why when you watch him "grin" down a bear, battle an Indian chief in a tomahawk duel, and fight for freedom at the Alamo. Disney's popular action-adventure inspired millions of children to sport coonskin caps and sing "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett," which topped the nation's hit list for 13 weeks! As Walt Disney himself proclaimed, the story of Davy Crockett, with its entertaining blend of drama, humor, and adventure, will always be a colorful reflection of the frontier spirit. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

The original Disney trilogy of Davy Crockett adventures
I missed out on the Davy Crockett craze, which means I did not have a coonskin cap and was not running around the neighborhood singing 'The Ballad of Davy Crockett" over and over again. By the time I was watching television Fess Parker was Daniel Boone and not Davy Crockett, so it took a bit of mental rearrangement to get my young mind around the idea that he was both when "The Wonderful World of Disney" rebroadcast the three adventures of Davy Crockett that were combined into the theatrical film, "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier." They made enough of an impression that my brother and I compelled our parents to buy us the Disney record that had audio versions of the three adventures. So it has been nigh on thirty, thirty-five years since I done seen these original adventure of Davy Crockett and I was a might surprised to learn they hold up pretty well.

"Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" combines "Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter," "Davy Crockett Goes to Congress," and "Davy Crockett at the Alamo." Davy and his sidekick Georgie Russell (Buddy Ebsen) stop a Creek uprising and convince Chief Red Stick (Pat Hogan) to return to the ways of peace despite the help of Captain Norton (William Bakewell) and with the tactic approval of General Andy Jackson (Basil Ruysdael), spends some time speechifying in the United States Congress, and then joins the small band of volunteers led by Jim Bowie (Kenneth Tobey) defending the Alamo against the Mexican army of General Santa Ana. The middle part of the trilogy is the weakest of the adventures seeing as how Davy has to dress up in fancy duds to walk around the halls of Congress. The conclusion at the Alamo is the most memorable sequence, having a more serious tone and some impressive production values when you consider the entire battle is being shot on a soundstage (for years when I drew the Alamo it was the Disney version and not the real one that I was drawing).

Directed by Norman Foster and written by Thomas Blackburn, the biggest surprise in these episodes is Davy's attitude towards the Indians. Instead of just killing Red Stick in their tomahawk duel Davy persuades the chief to return to the land. He stops Bigfoot Mason (Mike Mazurki) from stealing the land of Charlie Two Shirts (Jeff Thompson), gives a speech in Congress defending the right of Indians to their tribal lands, and befriends the brave Busted Luck (Nick Cravat) on the way to the Alamo. The climatic battle has an appropriate gravity and does a tolerable job of sticking to history beyond reducing the role of Colonel Travis (Don Megowan). When Davy sings a final song on the last night of the battle there is an unexpected poignancy, which contrasts well with the simple determination to stay there until the end. The sight of Davy swinging old Betsy as a club while about to be overwhelmed by the Mexican troops is a memorable final image of our hero.

Ultimately the main strength of these stories are the performances of the two leads. Parker completely natural in the role and Ebsen shows an understated comic touch throughout. The friendship between Davy and Georgie becomes the one constant throughout the adventures. There are several fine supporting performances as well, particularly Ruysdael as Andy Jackson and Tobey as a fatalistic Jim Bowie. Veteran character actor Hans Conreid plays Thimbelrig, a gambler the boys pick up on their way to Texas. Granted, the nostalgic aspects of "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" is going to be a strong part of the entertainment value here, but these are very good yarns for the Fifties. Walt Disney made two more adventures in the series, "Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race" and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates," both of which are much more comedic than the original trilogy while making more of an attempt to present Davy as a proper role model for the younguns.

What Legends Are Made Of
Davy Crockett is one of Walt Disney's most endeared and remembered live action characters from the television and silver screen as personified by Fess Parker. This colorful and entertaining film was re-edited from three segments of Disney's TV show for theatrical distribution. Parker, with his coonskin cap and homespun drawl and witticism created a nationwide phenomenon in 1955. Who can forget "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" composed by George Bruns and Tom Blackburn. Buddy Ebsen played his sidekick George Russel, whose adventures take them from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. to the Alamo. The film's third act focusing on the defense of the Alamo, though well remembered, is somewhat labored until we see the final image of Davy Crockett passing into legend and glory. This straightforward and beautifully photographed film expounds the virtues of honesty, integrity and bravery. Highly recommended family viewing personally produced by Walt Disney.

My favorite movie
There has never been a greater movie (in my estimation) than Davy Crockett. I'm a seventeen year old girl and I think this is great! There is so much action, and Fess Parker portrays Crockett as a good clean honest citizen who aims for the freedom of all men everywhere. This is an All-American classic.

delightful
Fess Parker is just wonderful to behold in this role. Buddy Ebsen is a great sidekick, too. The technicolor is gorgeous. The matte shots of Davy riding toward old Washington City; the costumes; the wonderful sayings; the earnestness....if this doesn't make you nostalgic for old-fashioned television, nothing ever will! An absolute gem. It's out of print so get it on eBay or something and please make sure your kids see it. If any facts are wrong, it's more than made up for in the kindheartedness with which the tales are told. My 8-year-old daughter loved it too.

Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier
Disney's Davy Crockett is a classic, and a slice of americana.
to many people, Fess Parker is and always will be Davy Crockett.

King of the Wild Frontier explores the life of Davy Crockett, from his days of fighting bullies, to indians, to running for congress, and finally, to his final moments at the Alamo.

there are some excellent speeches in this one, espically his speech in congress.

but the best part of course, is for what Davy Crockett is mostly well known for, his participation in the battle of the alamo.

here, Disney created a miniature sized Alamo fortress which looks like more fun to play paintball in than for the actual movie.
regardless, the battle scene is excellent.

you will truly enjoy Disney's Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier. ... Read more

Reviews (77)

Best Picture Winner of 1929-1930
'All Quiet On The Western Front' was released in 1930 and won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1929-1930. When you watch it, you will see why.

The films leading star is Lew Ayres, and he gives a very fine performance as a German college student who enlists in the Army during the First World War, along with the other students in his class, because of the professor at the college who makes them all want to become brave soldiers. We then watch the brilliantly shot action scenes, which are very realistic and sad to watch, as they go to fight on the front lines. They certainly discover the horrors of war, while we watch it. The movie is directed by Lewis Milestone, and has a very powerful, and sad ending, that you wont forget it.

Now for this Universal Region 1 DVD. Sadly, the print and sound quality are not really too great in all honesty. However, the film is very old, and still, even if its not in the condition some might like it to be, it is still very watchable. Overall, the DVD is not too bad.

This is an absolute must-have for classic film fans. So if you can pass by the fact that the print used here on this DVD is not brilliant, you will absolutely love this movie.

A heart-breakingly honest portrayal of war
Upon returning to his hometown school from which he had enlisted into duty in WWI, Paul Baumer (Lew Ayres) tells prospective recruits: "When it comes to dying for one's country, it's better not to die at all." This is the essence of "All Quiet..." In the film, war is stripped of all its glory, all its valor, all its heroism, and shown in its true state: a hell in which men are taught to kill each other and become animals, fighting not for a cause, but for survival. The film's most powerful scene is its very last, when Paul reaches out of his trench for that beautiful butterfly, a vain attempt to recapture some sense of humanity amongst the horrors that surround him. Notice that many scenes in the movie begin with director Lewis Milestone showing us marching lines of soldiers and flag-waving crowds framed by windows or doorways. This is cinematography at its finest: we see the war not as a part of humanity, but as something foreign, something unknown, like the monster that lurked in your closet when you were a child. Only this monster is real. It is war.

A generation of men destroyed by war
For a movie in the 1930's, Lewis Milestone's adaptation of All Quiet On The Western Front, based on Erich Maria Remarque's novel, follows the book reasonably well. However, rather than starting with the soldiers lining up to get the cook Ginger's stew per the novel (that part comes later), it starts with Paul Baumer's school teacher telling him and his fellow students that they are the light of the Fatherland, the iron men of Germany, the brave heroes who will repulse the enemies when called to do so. In other words, he's exhorting them to enlist, which they do, pressed into patriotism in what was initially thought to have been a quick war with small losses.

From the start, the recruits are eager to get into uniform and to the front, and are puzzled by the behaviour of burned-out experienced soldiers like Tjaden and Kat. This latter, a large, pleasantly ugly man has a knack for scrounging for food and finding enough for the group, and soon, all the recruits stick with and respect this man, especially after their first bombardment. When one of the recruits realizes he has wet his trousers, Kat tells him not to worry about it, as it's happened to better men.

The stages of attacking, the bombardment, attack, counterattack, and repulse, is presented in graphic detail for that period, with the shots of men dying by artillery shells, being bayoneted, or machine-gunned. Some recruits go crazy waiting in the bunker during the bombardment, and one of them rushes outside, only to get cut down by bullets. And the aftermath isn't pretty for some. Franz Kemmerich ends up in the infirmary and has his leg amputated. From the grueling experience of phantom limb pain to the realization that one has lost his limb, the greed of some like Muller who wants Franz's nice boots, to the unconcern of the doctors who see Franz's death as another free bed, war is hell.

War changes people's perspectives. Paul fights and stabs a French soldier at close quarters in a foxhole, and he pleads and apologizes to the dying man, telling him that without these uniforms, they could be friends, and promising to write to his wife. And on leave, Paul is clearly alienated from the older civilians who have no clue that war has burned out his soul, and just keep telling him to give those Frenchies a licking and push on to Paris. I'd go for Tjaden's solution to war: get the politicians and generals wearing just their underpants into a big field and fight it out with clubs. But the discussion of the soldiers yields something still relevant: manufacturers want a war to sell more arms.

The subplot involving the butterflies is new, but the shot of the soldier reaching for the butterfly before being shot by a sniper symbolizes a soldier's whose burned out soul is suddenly heartened as seeing something beautiful, and suddenly thus illuminated within, reaches toward it.

All Quiet On The Western Front deservedly went on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, in the US. However, Joseph Goebbels' antics in Berlin demonstrates how Germany was in a state of war denial. The incident at a theatre of the second night showing of the movie involved Goebbels' men starting disturbances and yelling anti-Semitic epithets that resulted in the film's termination after ten minutes. Goebbels hadn't even seen the film; he merely wanted to demonstrate Nazi power in Berlin and discredit Albert Grzesinski, Prussia's Interior Minister who was a Social Democrat. When the film was banned by the Board of Censors because it "endangered Germany's image abroad", the headlines of Goebbels' newspaper Der Angriff (German for The Attack) read "Grzesinski Defeated."

One of the few war films I'll watch due to its pacifist message, denouncing the glorification of war. The prologue at the movie's beginning, taken from Remarque's book, says it all: this story is neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all, an adventure. For death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men, who even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war.

Pitch Perfect Adaptation of the Best War Novel Ever
For only $12, this movie is a steal. AGOTWF won the academy award for best picture the year it came out and, over 70 years later, it is easy to see why. A blistering indictment of war as wasteful and tragic. The way the movie captures the enthusiasm and innocence of the boys as they fight and die for reasons they don't understand is brilliant. Note the progress of the prized pair of boots as it goes from soldier to soldier. Especially relevant movie in our troubled times.

The only true anti-war movie
It would be a mistake to think of this movie as a war movie rather it is the only true anti-war movie I've ever seen. Unlike most so-called anti-war movies there is no glory, no heroics and no over-dramatized deaths in this movie, it is perhaps the most realistic movie I've seen about war, or to put it more aptly, the most likely depiction of war. Put that doesn't mean this movie is boring or an escapade of Art, no this movie is both entertaining and chilling and it is definitely a movie you should see before you die, otherwise you'll regret it, as it will probably be one of Gods favorites, lousy hippie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Davy Crockett wasn't only a celebrated hero, warrior, and backwoods statesman, he was the subject of a popular Disney television series that made star Fess Parker a household name. (Parker had a hard time breaking the perceived image of himself as a frontiersman, and eventually went on to star in another TV series, Daniel Boone.) Starring Parker and a pre-Beverly Hillbillies Buddy Ebsen, this boy-oriented series was well known for lots of action in its frontier setting. Davy Crockett and the River Pirates consists of two episodes of the television show--it's as bright and vibrant as any current television show and the story, about Davy and George (Ebsen) heading downriver toward New Orleans, is still fresh. Given television budgets of the day, the production values are notable. The villains will be recognizable to anyone who watched Walt Disney Presents because they were standards. This 1956 offering was certainly designed with boys in mind. Look for lots of river rafting, fight scenes, and braving of rapids--and, of course, the catchy "The Ballad of Davy Crockett," which topped the nation's hit list for 13 weeks. (Ages 7and older) --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Davy Crockett: Nearly 50 years old and still good.
I was born nearly 20 years too late to enjoy the Crockett Craze, but I still enjoy this DVD set. I have seen the movie versions; seeing them as originally presented, but colorized, was a treat. I find the 2nd Disc better than the first, as I prefer the Davy/Fink relationship as well as the beautiful river scenery. It does seem odd when the show slips from color to an odd black & white, but I feel it just reminds people of how it was originally shown.

I was disappointed in the Fess Parker interview. Perhaps Fess was not up to it the day he talked.

I did enjoy the talk about the Crockett Craze, as I found it fascinating. I did feel it was too short, however.

I also don't understand how come 2 discs were necessary; 1 disc should have held all 5 episodes plus the additional commentaries.

Still, a wonderful DVD.

Now, if only they will releaee "Follow Me Boys" on DVD.

Fantastic DVD with all five episodes
The Walt Disney Treasures- The Complete Davy Crockett Television Series is a great DVD that is a must have for fans of the show. Telling the adventures of frontiersman Davy Crockett and his sidekick Georgie Russel, the five episodes follow the two men through the Creek Indian War, Davy's trip to Congress, the battle of the Alamo, a keelboat race with Mike Fink, and a showdown with river pirates. All five episodes look great. I never saw the original episodes so after seeing Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier for so many years, it was great to see the episodes as they were originally presented. This is a great DVD that tells the story of a larger than life frontier hero.

Fess Parker is the image many people think of when they hear the name Davy Crockett and its for a reason. Parker's performance is truly great as the frontiersman, hunter, adventurer, and Congressman, Davy Crockett. Equally as good is Buddy Ebsen as Georgie Russel, Davy's loyal sidekick. The relationship the two men have is what holds all of these episodes together. The series also starred William Bakewell as Major Norton, Basil Ruysdael as Andrew Jackson, Pat Hogan as Chief Red Stick, Mike Mazurki as Bigfoot Mason, Hans Conreid as Thimblerig, Nick Cravat as Busted Luck, Kenneth Tobey in two roles as Jim Bowie and Jocko, and Jeff York as Mike Fink. The DVD offers all five episodes(Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter, Davy Crockett Goes to Congress, Davy Crockett at the Alamo, Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race, and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates), introductions by Leonard Maltin, an extensive photo gallery, an interview with Fess Parker, and a mini-documentary about the Crockett craze. Fans of this great tv series should have this DVD in their collection. Check out this DVD!

Disneyland USA: One to Really Look Forward To!
Walt Disney Treaures Review 4 of 11

Sorry, no easter eggs on this set. (hidden DVD features)

Disneyland USA, the fourth and final volume of wave 1, is probaly the most important. Here, as with all the others, the DVD is enclosed in a numbered tin, along with a lithograph of the poster for Autopia, and a program booklet with a list of features and a letter from Leonard Maltin, the host of the series. On disc 1, we trace the early years of Disneyland with two complete episodes from the original TV show. Each have an intro by Maltin

The Disneyland Story: The very first episode of the Disneyland Television series, which give clips of whats to come in each section of the Disneyland television series anthology. There is a sneak peek of Disneyland, a peek at the new Davy Crockett series, and a tribute to Mickey featuring two entire cartoons.

Dateline Disneyland: Join your hosts Art Linkletter, Ronald Reagan, and Bob Cummings as they cover live, the inagural day at Disneyland, with the late Reagan covering the dedication. This is the most important of the set, and is a treat for Disneyland film buffs and fans alike.

On disc two, there are two more shows in full color, with intros by Maltin.

Disneyland After Dark: Here, we get to meet amazing stars from the sixties, journey through Disneyland after dark, and meet a couple of the famous "Mouseketeers," including Annete Funicello.

Disneyland 10th Anniversary: This piece has two parts. One showing new attractions at Disneyland, mainly the then in progress Pirates of the Carribean, Haunted Manision and Its a Small World. Then the history of the park, during construction, new attractions and a lot of other juicy stuff.

Finally there are the bonus features.

The Magic Kingdom and the Magic of Television: This documentary gives a short history of the park and the Disneyland TV Show with Leonard Maltin

Gallery: A gallery of photographs and posters, as well as merchandise.

The smallest of the four in wave 1, Disneyland USA could have a little more material. However, that is a small price to pay for the historical broadcasts in this wonderful set. I'll write the reviews for Wave 2 tomorrow. See you then.

List of Reviews of Walt Disney Treasures:

Silly Symphonies
Mickey Mouse in Living Color
Davy Crockett
Disneyland USA
Mickey Mouse in Black and White
The Complete Goofy
Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney Studios
Mickey Mouse in Living Color Volume 2

The Chronological Doand Volume 1
On Front Lines
Tomorrowland

All with the complete list of features, including Easter Eggs! (hidden DVD features)

Davy Crockett: The Complete Televised Series
Walt Disney Treasures Review 3 of 11

This review tells you where to find the Easter Eggs! (hidden DVD features)

The third Walt Disney Treasure of Wave 1 is Davy Crockett, the Complete Televised Series. Here, there is a showcase of the complete episodes, with Walt's intros on the set. As all of them, this set features a limited numbered tin, a lithograph of the movie poster Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, and a program booklet with the list of features and a letter from Leonard Maltin, host of the series.

On disc 1, there is an into that both discs share, then the fun begins. Each episode includes an intro by Leonard. Most of the show is in color, but there are parts where color footage could not be located.

Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter: This is the show that started it all. Basically all Davy does in this episode is fight indians, which results in piece with the Creeks at the end.

Davy Crockett Goes to Congress: Here, Davy tends to be more peaceful towards the indians. His whole amazing career begins when moving to find a cabin, buys the land, and fights Bigfoot Mason, who stole a piece of indian land. He gets elected to the state legislature and later to congress. He defends the indians in his brief stint there.

Davy Crockett at the Alamo: Walt admitted he would not kill of his hero here if he didn't know how popular he would be. This is one of the most accuracte portraits of a great moment of American history. (Unlike the crappy new Alamo Disney pumped out)

Well, that's disc one. 3 hours of fun. On disc 2, we get into a couple of legends of Davy.

Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race: The first of two films with Mike Fink, King of the River, Crockett race Fink to keep his furs he hunted for over a year that his partner, Russel, bet they could win while drunk.

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates: The indians are going to hit the warpath if they do not find out who the pirates hiding out in the cave are. Davy, along with Mike Fink, set out to kill the pirates.

EASTER EGG! On the bonus features menu, click on Davy's hat and see a clip from "The Disneyland Story" TV Show about Crockett.

The Davy Crockett Craze: Maltin is joined by Paul Anderson, auther of the book The Davy Crockett Craze, and talk about how successful and amazing the series was.

A Conversation with Fess Parker: At his winery in California, Leonard joins Fess Parker, the actor who played Davy in the series, to talk about his role in the series and the history of it.

Gallery: As with the otheres, here is a gallery of production photos and merchandise.

That is a smaller DVD and didn't take up as much space. I could tell you one thing, the quality is stunning, and the features are amazing. Now onto the final set in Wave 1.

Definitive Disney Entertainment!!
Davy Crockett is sometimes cheesy but it never fails to entertain. It has that Disney magic to it that we dont see anymore and probably never will see again from Disney. This collection of all of Davy's adventures gets its deserving treatment in the Walt Disney Treasures series and it truly is just that. I will admit, I bought this really to just complete my Treasures collection, but when I first saw it I was wowed. I was born a long time after this first aired, yet I could imagine what it would have been like. A great hero of American history coming to the tv screen on Sunday night back in the 60's. Davy Crockett, played by Fess Parker, starred in 5 features, all presented uncut as they were seen then, only now they are in color. That is a good thing though. All of the features have the original Walt Disney introduction from "Frontierland" and it is great to see classic footage restored this beautifully. The episodes included are:
Davy Crockett Indian Fighter
Davy Crockett Goes to Congress
Davy Crockett at the Alamo
Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates

Davy dies in the third installment, only to return in two more adventures. Walt Disney explains why this is, as he was brought back due to the popularity of the character. This, along with the extras make this a great set to own, or at least watch once. Extras include:
"A Conversation with Fess Parker" Leonard Maltin & Fess Parker
"The Davy Crockett Craze" with Leonard Maltin
Easter Egg: "The Ballad of Davy Crockett"
Still Gallery

Normally I dont like watching cowboy/frontier/indian movies but I instantly loved these episodes. It is pure and simple entertainment that you wont see in today's more complicated time. But this is a great set, and also has a cool collectible tin to hold the case. This is a nice set, and although out of print you can find this without paying too much for it. No complaints on this dvd from me though, and I highly recommend it to Disney fans or anyone else in general. All I can say is check it out for yourself. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What Legends Are Made Of
Davy Crockett is one of Walt Disney's most endeared and remembered live action characters from the television and silver screen as personified by Fess Parker. This colorful and entertaining film was re-edited from three segments of Disney's TV show for theatrical distribution. Parker, with his coonskin cap and homespun drawl and witticism created a nationwide phenomenon in 1955. Who can forget "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" composed by George Bruns and Tom Blackburn. Buddy Ebsen played his sidekick George Russel, whose adventures take them from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. to the Alamo. The film's third act focusing on the defense of the Alamo, though well remembered, is somewhat labored until we see the final image of Davy Crockett passing into legend and glory. This straightforward and beautifully photographed film expounds the virtues of honesty, integrity and bravery. Highly recommended family viewing personally produced by Walt Disney. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Jazz is hell and paradise
They were two brothers who were both in jazz but so different that they could not work together. At least till after the death of their father which brought them together for the production of the concerto of Janet Blair's husband's concerto, and yet under the conducting of a third party. But when they were together they made miracles particularly in their trombone-saxophone duets. The film shows how difficult life was for jazzmen at the beginning, but also how the radio transformed the spreading of this music, and then this spreading was amplified by the recording of their music on records. Jazz is typically American in its use of rhythm and new instruments like the saxophone, and old instruments like the clarinet and the trombone which are perfectly transformed in the process. But most of all, jazz would not have existed if they had not used the radio and records to reach the wider public. Jazz is the first music of modern ages. It was also a great success because it expresses life in our modern times of cars, factories, machines, industrialisation and mechanisation. People expected a new type of music in phase with this new life and jazz provided it to them. This film is thus both historically and humanly true and sensitive.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

"You remind me of a man." "What man?" "The man with the power...." Ah,so you remember the lovely nonsense of The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer.This lighter-than-air comedy puts playboy writer Cary Grant in company with17-year-old schoolgirl Shirley Temple, although he's more interested in oldersister Myrna Loy. (She's as sober as a judge, and indeed is one.) The Oscar®- winning script by future bestselling novelist Sidney Sheldon boasts fun '40sslang, but the main draw is Grant's willingness to play the fool. His gift forslapstick shines when his aging bachelor decides to act like an inane teenagerin an effort to burst Shirley's fanciful image of him. As usual, Grant seems toconspire with the audience (watch his double takes in the background) in makinga somewhat standard movie into a giddy experience. Toss in deadpan Rudy Valleeas a sappy third wheel, and you've got a near-classic. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Funny, 40's Screwball Comedy
The Bachelor & The Bobby Soxer is an amusing, feather-light comedy about a playboy artist (Cary Grant) who to avoid jail is commended by a judge (Myrna Loy) to date her seventeen year old sister (Shirley Temple) who has a major crush on him. The move is made to curb the playboy excesses of Mr. Grant and to help get him out of Ms. Temple's system. Mr. Grant shows off all his comedic skills as he plays up the part by dressing like a teenager, adopts the slang of the day and makes a fool of himself in athletic events. For those use to seeing Ms. Temple as a preteen, will be surprised to see her as almost an adult. Ms. Loy is a bit too icy and stern in her role, but she's such a good actress, you can look past that. The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Sidney Sheldon who would go on to create I Dream Of Jeannie and become a best-selling novelist.

"The Power of Whoo-doo!"
I rented this movie and watched it last night--hadn't seen it in close to thirty years since I was a little girl--and nearly freaked from the deja-vous experience of hearing the "You remind of a man/what man?/the man with the power/what power?/ the power of whoo-doo". And my older sister knowingly said, "Yes, TutorGal, this is where that comes from." I used to chant and chant that as a kid! So much for memory lane; now down to business about "The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer." The movie has a bit of a slow start, with pretty static direction, up until the point when high school student Shirley Temple sees ladykiller artist Cary Grant at high school assembly delivering a lecture. Pow! she sees him as a knight in shining armor and is off to corral him. She doesn't know of course that big sis judge Myrna Loy has just had him in her courtroom and has formed a low opinion of his reputed womanizing. Shirley even finds a way to gain access to the unknowing Cary's apartment, where he then unjustly gets slammed with a jailbait charge. Hey, where's this going? Well, Myrna and her assistant DA beau Rudy Vallee decide that the only way for Shirley to get over Cary is for him to date her and probably bore her with his adult ways. And of course, nothing works out like anyone has planned, least of all smug Myrna. As I wrote above, the movie really picks up after about 15-20 minutes and then becomes quite hilarious, with Rudy Vallee particularly good as an eccentric WASP, the sort of thing he does so well . Cary appears to be genuinely enjoying himself, and Shirley has certainly grown to be a real cutie. Myrna's okay, but nothing spectacular this time around. Make a date to watch "The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer" and see the whoo-doo first hand!

Witty and Fun
I simply adore this movie. It's pure silliness and you'll want to watch it with a friend so that you can occasionally tell them "You remind me of a man..." Pick it up to see a teenage Shirley Temple and to laugh out loud at the wit and ridiculousness of it all. A guaranteed smile. :0) If you like this, you'll want to watch "I was a Male War Bride" as well.

Amiable, Slight
A rather uninspired but harmless enough movie that goes around the world and back again to establish its goofy premise. Cary Grant gets many chances to show off his flair for physical comedy, Shirley Temple is no less grating as a young adult than she was as a child, and Myrna Loy (who I watched this for) is in the movie a lot, but never given very much to do.

Grant fans will probably enjoy this one, but fans of Loy can find vehicles that better display her talents.

Grade: B-

1940's Revealed
Want some insight into what titillated movie-goers in the post-war 1940's? This 1947 RKO production is a good place to start. There's the marquee value of a seductively handsome Cary Grant coupled with that spunky symbol of all-American innocence Shirley Temple, enough at the time to draw in ticket-buying throngs with its naughty innuendo of daring departure and forbidden pleasure. In fact, the underage subtext lingers beneath much of the movie's plot and humorous settings, but in a totally innocent manner, proving that this is not yet the more permissive 1960's. One slip, however, and this light-hearted souffle could easily have become burnt-toast of the most tasteless variety. Fortunately, there are no slips.

Once the pace picks up, this comedy sparkles as brightly as any other Cary Grant madcap, which is to say, about as good as comedy gets. The night club scene is an absolute triumph of timing, staging, and scripting. The laughs build as the party table becomes more and more chaotic, interrupted by one petty annoyance after another, finally reducing the worldly Grant to speechless exasperation. This is the type of soaring comedic architecture that requires real artistry, but has been sadly replaced in contemporary film by a dumbed- down world of bathroom jokes, insult gags, and other cheap forms of humor that appeal mainly to juveniles. The movie itself, directed by an unheralded Irving Reis, is literally brimful of bounce and charm, leaving no one in doubt that the big war is over and America is ready for the future even if its libido is showing. With: a slyly endearing Ray Collins, a bemusedly prim Myrna Loy, a pompously befuddled Rudy Vallee, and a well-deserved Oscar for writer Sidney Sheldon, along with a final scene that could not be more apt. Despite the shift in public mores, audiences now as then should find this a highly entertaining ninety minutes of expert movie-making. ... Read more

Description

Bio-pic of operatic soprano Grace Moore, starting with her childhood in Tennessee ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Interesting true story of one womans determination.
Although Grace Moore's true story is much more interesting than this movie the music alone would make me rent or buy this film. Grace was born in a small valley in the hills of Tennessee and became one of the most famous women in her time. It's too bad Columbia doesn't release all her films on video so that people can see and hear this true talent. This movie is famous for being the only film that had Merv Griffen as a romantic lead and featured the first open mouthed kiss on film (according to Griffen). There is also a great dance sequence in this film. Grace Moore was voted one of the 10 most beautiful women by Flo Zeigfeld and the lovely Kathryn Grayson does a superb job of showing Grace's beauty and determination at a time when women were not truly valued. I bought this movie and even gave one to a friend that loves musicals.

Singing
The picture can be dull but the singing by Kathryn Grayson is as usual spectacular. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

South Seas Sinners
Marlene Dietrich stars as Bijou, a South Seas singer who keeps getting deported from different islands because her allure drives men to fight for her attention. As she moves from place to place, she is accompanied by Broderick Crawford and Mischa Auer. On one island, she meets and falls in love with Navy lieutenant John Wayne. He falls for her as well, but her reputation makes her less than desirable company for those around him. In the end, somebody must make a sacrifice. Director Tay Garnett keeps the film moving along with plenty of action, stunning shots of Dietrich, and lots of South Seas atmosphere. The over-the-top brawl at the end is the film's highlight. Wayne, in one of his early major film appearances, does little more than look earnest, while Dietrich is as exotic as usual. It's not a great film, but it is entertaining.

marvelous marlene!
i really didn't expect much when i first watched this movie. As many Dietrich fans will attest, Miss Dietrich is normally by far the best part of many of her movies. This one, however, is an exception. All parts are played by able actors, and the story itself is quite good. John Wayne is good in his role, even if he really doesn't have to stretch much in the role. Miss Dietrich offers one of her best, yet subtle, presentations. Her Bijou is pert, tart, flirty, romantic, and finally resigned to her fate. This movie has developed into one of my favorite oldies. Perhaps it's not Gone With the Wind or Wizard of Oz, but it's still a very good movie, with many fine points to recommend it.

DIETRICH AND THE DUKE
In this first of three movies Marlene made with Wayne, we find the setting being the Seven Sinners caberet in the South Seas. Wayne's part was originally meant for Tyrone Power, but it was discovered that Wayne and Dietrich had a certain (if a little eclectic) chemistry together and this made their love scenes believably passionate. Marlene is marvelous in her role as Bijou as she parodies every South Seas island siren ever known to the hilt for the screen, and John is a fine rugged counterpart to Dietrich's sultry image. Dietrich sings three songs and her throaty voice caresses her numbers with her own brand on smoldering sensuality. The supporting cast is generally good: Broderick Crawford, Oscar Homolka, Albert Dekker, Billy Gilbert and Anna Lee.

A very good film
Marlene Dietrich plays the sexy saloon girl Bijou Blanche in SEVEN SINNERS, which, in my opinion, is one of her finest films.

She plays opposite John Wayne and Anna Lee, in a story of love, revenge and retribution, and she sizzles with the songs 'I've Been In Love Before' and 'The Man's In The Navy', co-written by Frederick Hollander, who also co-wrote songs for her in THE BLUE ANGEL and A FOREIGN AFFAIR.

Bijou gets deported off more islands than she can get on, mainly through the way she inflames men to start riots, and she breaks more hearts than she does her nails.

She soon falls in love with Lt. Brent (John Wayne) and begins a torrid love affair, and when they are torn apart by a former lover of Bijou, she discovers that she will do anything for the man she loves.

Available seperately or in a box set with PITTSBURGH and GOLDEN EARRINGS.

Entertaining.
I enjoyed this film, especially when Marlene gets to really act. That part comes near the end, when she gets a bit shook up. John Wayne seems rather awed in Marlene's presence (affair, maybe?), but is perfect as a Navy man. My favorite parts are Marlene's song "The Man's in the Navy", which she sings dressed in a Navy uniform, and the part where her character (Bijou. What a name.) is embarrassing the Navy guys with their stolen property. Broderick Crawford and Mischa Auer are in their element, also. The fight near the end is worth the price of the video. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Davy Crockett: Nearly 50 years old and still good.
I was born nearly 20 years too late to enjoy the Crockett Craze, but I still enjoy this DVD set. I have seen the movie versions; seeing them as originally presented, but colorized, was a treat. I find the 2nd Disc better than the first, as I prefer the Davy/Fink relationship as well as the beautiful river scenery. It does seem odd when the show slips from color to an odd black & white, but I feel it just reminds people of how it was originally shown.

I was disappointed in the Fess Parker interview. Perhaps Fess was not up to it the day he talked.

I did enjoy the talk about the Crockett Craze, as I found it fascinating. I did feel it was too short, however.

I also don't understand how come 2 discs were necessary; 1 disc should have held all 5 episodes plus the additional commentaries.

Still, a wonderful DVD.

Now, if only they will releaee "Follow Me Boys" on DVD.

Fantastic DVD with all five episodes
The Walt Disney Treasures- The Complete Davy Crockett Television Series is a great DVD that is a must have for fans of the show. Telling the adventures of frontiersman Davy Crockett and his sidekick Georgie Russel, the five episodes follow the two men through the Creek Indian War, Davy's trip to Congress, the battle of the Alamo, a keelboat race with Mike Fink, and a showdown with river pirates. All five episodes look great. I never saw the original episodes so after seeing Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier for so many years, it was great to see the episodes as they were originally presented. This is a great DVD that tells the story of a larger than life frontier hero.

Fess Parker is the image many people think of when they hear the name Davy Crockett and its for a reason. Parker's performance is truly great as the frontiersman, hunter, adventurer, and Congressman, Davy Crockett. Equally as good is Buddy Ebsen as Georgie Russel, Davy's loyal sidekick. The relationship the two men have is what holds all of these episodes together. The series also starred William Bakewell as Major Norton, Basil Ruysdael as Andrew Jackson, Pat Hogan as Chief Red Stick, Mike Mazurki as Bigfoot Mason, Hans Conreid as Thimblerig, Nick Cravat as Busted Luck, Kenneth Tobey in two roles as Jim Bowie and Jocko, and Jeff York as Mike Fink. The DVD offers all five episodes(Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter, Davy Crockett Goes to Congress, Davy Crockett at the Alamo, Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race, and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates), introductions by Leonard Maltin, an extensive photo gallery, an interview with Fess Parker, and a mini-documentary about the Crockett craze. Fans of this great tv series should have this DVD in their collection. Check out this DVD!

Disneyland USA: One to Really Look Forward To!
Walt Disney Treaures Review 4 of 11

Sorry, no easter eggs on this set. (hidden DVD features)

Disneyland USA, the fourth and final volume of wave 1, is probaly the most important. Here, as with all the others, the DVD is enclosed in a numbered tin, along with a lithograph of the poster for Autopia, and a program booklet with a list of features and a letter from Leonard Maltin, the host of the series. On disc 1, we trace the early years of Disneyland with two complete episodes from the original TV show. Each have an intro by Maltin

The Disneyland Story: The very first episode of the Disneyland Television series, which give clips of whats to come in each section of the Disneyland television series anthology. There is a sneak peek of Disneyland, a peek at the new Davy Crockett series, and a tribute to Mickey featuring two entire cartoons.

Dateline Disneyland: Join your hosts Art Linkletter, Ronald Reagan, and Bob Cummings as they cover live, the inagural day at Disneyland, with the late Reagan covering the dedication. This is the most important of the set, and is a treat for Disneyland film buffs and fans alike.

On disc two, there are two more shows in full color, with intros by Maltin.

Disneyland After Dark: Here, we get to meet amazing stars from the sixties, journey through Disneyland after dark, and meet a couple of the famous "Mouseketeers," including Annete Funicello.

Disneyland 10th Anniversary: This piece has two parts. One showing new attractions at Disneyland, mainly the then in progress Pirates of the Carribean, Haunted Manision and Its a Small World. Then the history of the park, during construction, new attractions and a lot of other juicy stuff.

Finally there are the bonus features.

The Magic Kingdom and the Magic of Television: This documentary gives a short history of the park and the Disneyland TV Show with Leonard Maltin

Gallery: A gallery of photographs and posters, as well as merchandise.

The smallest of the four in wave 1, Disneyland USA could have a little more material. However, that is a small price to pay for the historical broadcasts in this wonderful set. I'll write the reviews for Wave 2 tomorrow. See you then.

List of Reviews of Walt Disney Treasures:

Silly Symphonies
Mickey Mouse in Living Color
Davy Crockett
Disneyland USA
Mickey Mouse in Black and White
The Complete Goofy
Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney Studios
Mickey Mouse in Living Color Volume 2

The Chronological Doand Volume 1
On Front Lines
Tomorrowland

All with the complete list of features, including Easter Eggs! (hidden DVD features)

Davy Crockett: The Complete Televised Series
Walt Disney Treasures Review 3 of 11

This review tells you where to find the Easter Eggs! (hidden DVD features)

The third Walt Disney Treasure of Wave 1 is Davy Crockett, the Complete Televised Series. Here, there is a showcase of the complete episodes, with Walt's intros on the set. As all of them, this set features a limited numbered tin, a lithograph of the movie poster Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, and a program booklet with the list of features and a letter from Leonard Maltin, host of the series.

On disc 1, there is an into that both discs share, then the fun begins. Each episode includes an intro by Leonard. Most of the show is in color, but there are parts where color footage could not be located.

Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter: This is the show that started it all. Basically all Davy does in this episode is fight indians, which results in piece with the Creeks at the end.

Davy Crockett Goes to Congress: Here, Davy tends to be more peaceful towards the indians. His whole amazing career begins when moving to find a cabin, buys the land, and fights Bigfoot Mason, who stole a piece of indian land. He gets elected to the state legislature and later to congress. He defends the indians in his brief stint there.

Davy Crockett at the Alamo: Walt admitted he would not kill of his hero here if he didn't know how popular he would be. This is one of the most accuracte portraits of a great moment of American history. (Unlike the crappy new Alamo Disney pumped out)

Well, that's disc one. 3 hours of fun. On disc 2, we get into a couple of legends of Davy.

Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race: The first of two films with Mike Fink, King of the River, Crockett race Fink to keep his furs he hunted for over a year that his partner, Russel, bet they could win while drunk.

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates: The indians are going to hit the warpath if they do not find out who the pirates hiding out in the cave are. Davy, along with Mike Fink, set out to kill the pirates.

EASTER EGG! On the bonus features menu, click on Davy's hat and see a clip from "The Disneyland Story" TV Show about Crockett.

The Davy Crockett Craze: Maltin is joined by Paul Anderson, auther of the book The Davy Crockett Craze, and talk about how successful and amazing the series was.

A Conversation with Fess Parker: At his winery in California, Leonard joins Fess Parker, the actor who played Davy in the series, to talk about his role in the series and the history of it.

Gallery: As with the otheres, here is a gallery of production photos and merchandise.

That is a smaller DVD and didn't take up as much space. I could tell you one thing, the quality is stunning, and the features are amazing. Now onto the final set in Wave 1.

Definitive Disney Entertainment!!
Davy Crockett is sometimes cheesy but it never fails to entertain. It has that Disney magic to it that we dont see anymore and probably never will see again from Disney. This collection of all of Davy's adventures gets its deserving treatment in the Walt Disney Treasures series and it truly is just that. I will admit, I bought this really to just complete my Treasures collection, but when I first saw it I was wowed. I was born a long time after this first aired, yet I could imagine what it would have been like. A great hero of American history coming to the tv screen on Sunday night back in the 60's. Davy Crockett, played by Fess Parker, starred in 5 features, all presented uncut as they were seen then, only now they are in color. That is a good thing though. All of the features have the original Walt Disney introduction from "Frontierland" and it is great to see classic footage restored this beautifully. The episodes included are:
Davy Crockett Indian Fighter
Davy Crockett Goes to Congress
Davy Crockett at the Alamo
Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates

Davy dies in the third installment, only to return in two more adventures. Walt Disney explains why this is, as he was brought back due to the popularity of the character. This, along with the extras make this a great set to own, or at least watch once. Extras include:
"A Conversation with Fess Parker" Leonard Maltin & Fess Parker
"The Davy Crockett Craze" with Leonard Maltin
Easter Egg: "The Ballad of Davy Crockett"
Still Gallery

Normally I dont like watching cowboy/frontier/indian movies but I instantly loved these episodes. It is pure and simple entertainment that you wont see in today's more complicated time. But this is a great set, and also has a cool collectible tin to hold the case. This is a nice set, and although out of print you can find this without paying too much for it. No complaints on this dvd from me though, and I highly recommend it to Disney fans or anyone else in general. All I can say is check it out for yourself. ... Read more

Amazon.com

While all Hollywood was gearing up for sound, Douglas Fairbanks lavished money and attention on this ambitious period adventure, a jaunty, jubilant sequel to his early swashbuckler The Three Musketeers. The Iron Mask is set 20 years later, and Fairbanks (by now 43 years old) reprises his role as D'Artagnan as the older and more mature personal protector of young Louis XIV. When he tips a plot by the powerful cardinals to replace the heir to the throne with his twin brother, D'Artagnan reunites his aging compatriots of old for one last hurrah. Energetically directed by Allan Dwan, who guided Fairbanks through his biggest hit, Robin Hood, and handsomely designed by William Cameron Menzies (The Thief of Bagdad), this action-packed film moves through plot twists and conspiratorial machinations with quicksilver speed (it begins and ends with breathless chase scenes), but it also carries a dimension of melancholy: the musketeers are aging and the era of chivalry fading. The touching denouement, a scene both ebullient and affecting, becomes Fairbanks's farewell to the silent screen. In a way the film is a farewell to the grace and energy of the silent cinema that almost disappeared in the early sound years. Fairbanks only appeared in five talkies before retiring in 1935. Kino's edition features the 1952 reissue with narration by son Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and an orchestral score by Allan Gray. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (4)

one of the top 5 greatest silent films
This is a magnificent film that has been overlooked for too long.It's Fairbank's shortest swashbuckler and this really helps.
The film just flies by and is not bogged down by too much pagentry or an inane love story. The brief wooing of Constance by D'Artagnan is adorable and the musketeers only "defeat" - though pure slapstick - is simply wonderful. There are other bits of comedy but this a is a very dark film. At the end, eight of the films ten leading characters have died and only one by natural causes Director Dwan has you really caring for Constance and the Musketeers and their deaths are very moving. And best if all is the conclusion - one of a handful of greatest in all film. Only the hardest soul could not shed tears yet feel the warmth as the four great friends go on to "greater adventure."

The Original Film with a Great Score
This is actually a new issue (for 2002) of The Iron Mask from Kino featuring a new print from the Museum of Modern Art and a score written by Carl Davis. Kevin Brownlow is one of the producers. There are two brief scenes where Douglas Fairbanks speaks to the audience that has been remastered for this version of the film. The print is flawless, and it was a pleasure to see such a loving restoration. Carl Davis does an excellent job with the score; it fits the mood of the film perfectly. Even if you have the older issue by Kino you will want to see this new edition, if nothing else, for the excellent music. Having seen the 1952 re-release of this film with spoken narration by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. I much prefer the film the way it was first presented. The narration, good as it may be, is more of a distraction and an accommodation to an audience used to sound pictures. Sorry to have to correct Amazon but Fairbanks was 46 when he made this film not 43. It had been eight years since he did The Three Musketeers.

With the many positive reviews already posted for this film all I can say is that it is well cast and acted and is a memorable farewell to the silent era by one of its brightest stars.

Doug's Last Great Film
The Iron Mask is Douglas Fairbanks's last great film. It is one of those rare birds, a sequel which improves on the original. The Three Musketeers is a fine film, a fun swashbuckling romp, but The Iron Mask has a better story and has a depth which the earlier film lacks. Fairbanks was coming to the end of his career when he made The Iron Mask and seems to have put everything into it. The sets and costumes look authentic, the extras are numerous and the cast are uniformly first rate. Nigel de Brulier reprises his role as the scheming Cardinal Richelieu. He is a good villain because he is not wholly malevolent. He is the enemy of D'Artagnan, but the two respect each other and behave towards each other honourably. Richelieu is cruel but it is the cruelty of the statesman who will do anything in the interest of the state. Marguerite de la Motte is, once again, the lovely Constance. Her romantic scenes with D'Artagnan show why he will go to any lengths to save her from Richelieu's plots. Fairbanks is his usual athletic self. He performs amazing stunts, all the more remarkable because he was nearly fifty when he made The Iron Mask. But Fairbanks's performance is not merely a matter of swordplay and gymnastics. His acting shows greater depth of emotion than in some of his earlier films. This story is at times poignant, but Fairbanks has the acting skills to be equal to the changes of mood. He is wonderful as the aging musketeer full of regret, saddened and chastened by life, but still willing to give his all for his King.

The print used for this Kino DVD is wonderful. It scarcely has a blemish and the black and white photography is shown in all its glory. There are two brief talking sequences in The Iron Mask one at the start and one half way through. There is thus the chance to hear Fairbanks talk. The sound crackles a bit, but is about as good as can be expected from the sound systems of 1929. The rest of the film has a fine orchestral score by Carl Davis. This sounds great and fits the action and the mood of the film very well. Davis uses Wagnerian themes as the film darkens its mood and his score really adds to the whole viewing experience. The DVD contains a good few extras. There are three sets of out-takes, which show how Fairbanks performed some of his stunts. It is extremely rare for out-takes from silent pictures to survive so we are fortunate indeed to be able to see these. Next there is a five-minute extract from the film with Douglas Fairbanks Junior providing narration. This is interesting, but shows most of all why narrating silents does not work. There is a collection of stills from the film and a good collection of informative essays. Altogether this is a very fine DVD of one of Fairbanks best films.

The Swan Song Of The Silent Film.
This has always been my favorite Douglas Fairbanks feature as well as one of my favorite silent films. It has everything. Comedy! Drama! Spectacle! Adventure! Pathos! And in this new restoration grand sweeping music from the John Williams of the silent film score, Carl Davis. For years this film was available in an abridged 1952 version with no intertitles and voiceover narration by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. or in an extremely worn out version from the Killiam Collection. Now Kino International in conjunction with the Museum of Modern Art and Britain's Photoplay Productions have given us this beautifully restored version of the original 1929 film complete with Fairbanks Sr's original spoken introduction and interlude. A fitting end to Doug's silent film career and to silent film itself as by the time this came out sound was here to stay and an art form that was born, developed and refined within the space of only 30 years perished. Of the many film adaptations of THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK, this one remains the most compelling. The DVD comes loaded with a number of bonus features including outtakes and a portion of the 1952 reissue. Needless to say an absolute must for the silent film or Douglas Fairbanks buff and an ideal introduction to the art of the silent film for those not familiar with it. Great for kids too. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Radar Men From the Moon (DVD)
Radar Men From the Moon is one of those Republic Serials that you either love or hate. It was one of their later serials, borrowng heavily from footage of Republic's glory days. Regardless, this serial is fun to watch in any format. This DVD edition has a fine picture transfer, especially since it did not come from Republics original master. My only problem with this Roan release is that I purchsed it more than twice. Each time I purchased it I got the first 6 chapters on both sides. Until they fix their production problems I can't reccomend this edition.

great fun
Picked this up because it was cheap and gave it a look and loved it. From the reviews on here there are some awful copies out there, but mine is fine and not by Whirlwind. This is a good time and as 'hokey' as it is I really love this serial.

There are much better serials
Well, you know, a good old-time serial needs either a wonderful hero or a wonderful villain, or preferably both. The Flash Gordon series has both in the persons of Buster Crabbe and Charles Middleton. The Dick Tracy series has Ralph Byrd as the detective. The Phantom Creeps and the Return of Chandu have Bela Lugosi as a superb villain and surprisingly good good guy, respectively. I could go on. Unfortunately, Radar Men from the Moon has neither. The acting is stilted and stiff and one can hardly imagine why anyone would be afraid of the villain, the leader of the Moon who plans to invade the Earth. It has its campy moments and an occasional good special effect, like Commando Cody's frequent flying and a melting mountain, but these only make the film OK, not good. The list of better serials is long, but if you already have them, this is tolerable as background while you are answering email.

Larry Smith, the Lone Masked Guy
OK, a fun serial released the year of my birth. Moon men, Rocket ship/s, art deco design cool looking lab machines. a flying heroic scientist and inventor of the flying suit, when he wears it he is known as COMMANDO CODY, Sky Marshall of the Universe who ' flies 'in long shots by the same method created for the 1941 serial ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL, a lifesize mannequin sliding down (or up depending on the camera trick) a wire but it looks cool to me. Moon men want to invade the Earth and send their first group to prepare the way. Only ONE man can hope to stop them (since this serial does'nt have Superman, Batman or any other heroes): Commando Cody who by the way is a basic human BUT maybe more of a 007 James Bond type human so he stands a chance. Glorious B&W with slam bang action but NOT modern movie hairy chested action mind you. Kids may watch lots of R rated movies today but in 1952, there were hardly any movies like these then and Cody was a family type action adventure movie in 12 or more parts with cliffhangers. A cliffhanger was where at the end of a part, someone usually the hero or one of the hero's friends looked like they might die and so you had to see the next part to see what happens. If you ever get the chance, see KING OF THE ROCKET MEN too, the first Commando Cody serial.

Beginning of the end...
This was a reasonable attempt to keep the serial genre going, but this was when such science fiction movies as DESTINATION MOON, THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, and even ROCKETSHIP XM and THE MAN FROM PLANET X were starting an era of science-fiction movies of variable quality. Also, TV was encroaching on the territory... And so Republic tried to get on the s-f bandwagon. But this serial hardly had the sense of wonder of FLASH GORDON: THE SPACE SOLDIERS, THE UNDERSEA KINGDOM, BUCK ROGERS, etc. Much of it is earthbound, and mired down in typical failed attempts of the bad guys to get the needed materials with which to conquer the world. This does belong in any serial lover's library, but there are classics that I would recommend buying first, and then include this one after you have several of the unquestionable greats. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Sentimental story that starts out on Christmas Eve...
This is a little-known black and white movie that is, in many ways, a treasure. The story begins on Christmas Eve in a large city (NYC, I believe), with three elderly gentlemen business partners who prepare to spend Christmas Eve together. Alas...at the last minute the invited guests cancel. The three elderly men make a bet -- they take three gift wallets, placing a business card and $10 in each of them, and they toss the wallets out onto the street...just to see if anyone will return the wallet.

Needless to say, from this humble beginning two kind souls return the wallets, friendships are built, and even romance ensues.

The part I think is most interesting about the movie though, is that the story really does go "Beyond Tomorrow," following the elderly gentlemen and their opinions, interests, and concerns for their new friends, even beyond the grave -- in an uplifting way.

This is an extremely enjoyable movie. I encourage you to give it a look, especially if you are tired of watching the same line-up of Christmas specials and movies.

Top-notch holiday entertainment, though not quite in the same class as "It's a Wonderful Life" or "A Miracle on 34th Street"...both better known 5-star offerings.

Merry Christmas!

Alan Holyoak

Moral and funny at the same time
Three old gentlemen, rich and engulfed in industrial adventures, come to their last Christmas. One of them engages the others into some social caper : to invite for their Christmas dinner and subsequent follow-up events the people who will bring back the billfolds containing ten dollars that they throw in the street. It is of course two rather poor and solitary people, a young man and a young woman, who do this whereas the third billfold is carelessly thrown away by a rich girl. Dishonesty is not the main quality of this selfish girl. Of course the young woman and the young man fall in love, but the young man is a singer and he gets into business rather fast and thus gets involved with a female star who is a shark and a vulture looking for men she can eat alive and raw. The young man falls into the trap. During that time the three old men meet with some mishap in a blizzard and they come back as ghosts, waiting for their being called on the road to some eternal fate. But one of them will look after the dramatically trapped young man and will eventually get his salvation, after him being killed by the previous husband of the cannibal star, and all will end well that started well and turned sour in the middle.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Jazz is hell and paradise
They were two brothers who were both in jazz but so different that they could not work together. At least till after the death of their father which brought them together for the production of the concerto of Janet Blair's husband's concerto, and yet under the conducting of a third party. But when they were together they made miracles particularly in their trombone-saxophone duets. The film shows how difficult life was for jazzmen at the beginning, but also how the radio transformed the spreading of this music, and then this spreading was amplified by the recording of their music on records. Jazz is typically American in its use of rhythm and new instruments like the saxophone, and old instruments like the clarinet and the trombone which are perfectly transformed in the process. But most of all, jazz would not have existed if they had not used the radio and records to reach the wider public. Jazz is the first music of modern ages. It was also a great success because it expresses life in our modern times of cars, factories, machines, industrialisation and mechanisation. People expected a new type of music in phase with this new life and jazz provided it to them. This film is thus both historically and humanly true and sensitive.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU ... Read more