Reviews (75)

DESERVES A TEN!!!
My appreciation for this movie has sky-rocketed this last week. I recently watched the new Sabrina with Harrison Ford... it didn't even compare! This version is much much better! I've read the review for this movie... some think Bogart was too old for this movie or that the interplay between Hepburn and Bogart wasn't good. I definitely disagree! The chemistry between Audrey and Bogart is fantastic... the screen just sparks with it! I'm not sure of the behind the screens of this movie... some say that Bogart and Hepburn didn't work well together... all I know is that is produces something between them that is incomparable! Only couples like Cary Grant & Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall & Bogart can produce this much chemistry on the screen!

I love the story of Sabrina...
Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) is the plain looking daughter of a chauffer. She falls in love with the playboy son, David (William Holden), of the wealthy people her father serves. David doesn't notice her... Her father sends her off to a cooking school in Paris and there she becomes transformed into a dazzlingly gorgeous young lady. She comes home stunningly beautiful and catches the eye of the playboy son, David. Linus (Bogart) has worked out a merger with this company and rich family who owns sugarcane plantations. Part of the deal is that David is marrying their daughter. So Linus has to draw Sabrina away from David, because he's already engaged... and Sabrina falls in love with Linus... I won't give the end away... I'll just say it's worth the watch... It leaves you satisfied. Sometimes you watch a movie and at the end you are like... "So?" ... It didn't end well... Well this is not one of those movies! I love this movie to death! The best Actors, music, and chemistry! A definite watch!

Isn't It Romantic?
Audrey Hepburn simply sparkles as Sabrina Fairchild, the chauffeur's daughter in this enchanting romance classic. Bogart plays the eldest of two brothers (the other played by William Holden), a bookish industrialist who starts off competing for Sabrina's affections but winds up falling in love with her instead. Hepburn is magical as the lead, glittering like an angel atop a Christmas tree. Holden cuts a romantic, charismatic swath and figure as the devil-may-care playboy working himself up to marriage number three. Based on the play, Sabrina Fair, Billy Wilder directs with sardonic wit, charm and the ease of a true master of the cinema. This is a love story that remains timeless. Paramount hasn't restored the film, though there is nothing terribly wrong with the transfer as is. Fine details occasionally shimmer and once in a long while a scratch or chip in the camera negative can be detected by the naked eye. Over all though, this is a great looking DVD. Also included, a featurette that glosses over the making of the movie. Bottom line: Hepburn, Holden and Bogart prove themselves as not only stars, but American pop icons. Isn't it romantic? - Definitely!

Audrey's second film is my favourite
It almost begins like a fairy tale, how once upon a time, on the north shore of Long Island, some 30 miles from New York, there lived a small girl on a large estate. So goes the opening narration by Audrey Hepburn, which sets the story in motion and introduces the Larrabee estate and family, also goes on to describe an English chauffeur named Fairchild and his daughter, Sabrina, played of course by Hepburn, in this romantic comedy based on Samuel Taylor's play Sabrina Fair.

Sabrina's sent to a cooking school in Paris, which not only prepares her for a vocation, but to help her get over her crush over David Larrabee (William Holden), the dashing playboy who spent short periods at many colleges and even shorter periods with his three wives (consecutive, of course). Ironic, considering that Holden had a crush on Hepburn, which led to a brief affair, and for him, a torch he carried through the rest of his life. The advice she gets is "don't reach for the moon." The thing is, she's the last of the romantics, "l'amour toujours" as described by Linus Larrabee, the business brains behind the multimillion Larrabee holdings, which include land and water, copper, construction, and now, a new kind of plastic that's resilient and tastes sweet(!!)

After two years in Paris, she is a vision of beauty, chic, with a new haircut, and transformed, yet still the romantic, as she vows to be in the world and of the world, and "never ever run away from life, or from love either."

Linus plans to marry David off to Elizabeth Tyson, whose father owns the second largest sugar cane in Puerto Rico, the ceremonial part of a $20 million merger with Tyson. This is put in jeopardy with Sabrina's return, and David, who previously ignored her, is bedazzled. Yet Sabrina, who's reluctantly wooed by Linus to salvage the deal, finds out there's more to him than just the "cold businessman...with ice in his veins, ticker tape coming from his heart." She finds out he's nice and quite human.

"Remember, it's the 20th century" is a reminder that the Victorian days of knowing one's place is gone. Fairchild sees life as a limousine: "there's a front seat, there's a back seat, and a window inbetween." He later says "Nobody poor was called democratic for marrying someone rich." Mother and Father Larrabee believe that, as they are scandalized at David's affections towards Sabrina, and see her in terms of class status.

Other great scenes include the cooking school, but the party scene when Sabrina appears in her bare-shouldered white dress and becomes the belle of the ball dancing with David, shows her at her most radiant and resplendent.

Humphrey Bogart is great as Linus, scheduled, sensible, loyal, observant, honest, and yet with a softer side. John Williams is perfect as Tom Fairchild. And Jenny the maid is played by Nancy Kulp, best known as Ms. Hathaway in the Beverly Hillbillies TV series. But Francis X. Bushman as old Mr. Larrabee has some funny moments with a penchant for martinis and cigars (whenever his wife's not around). Hepburn would be reunited with director Billy Wilder in Love In The Afternoon.

However, Sabrina also sees birth of a long-time association between Audrey and a certain Hubert de Givenchy, who did her costumes for many of her films. No Oscar for Hepburn, though she was nominated, but this film got me on my Hepburn kick back in the 90's, and is especially wonderful for those living "la vie en rose" as Sabrina does. To conclude, forget the 1995 remake--watch the original instead.

Sabrina
Personally, I found this movie to be very boring and trite. In fact, I fell asleep through it twice. I am a big Audrey Hepburn fan, so I was very disapointed when I watched this and found it so incredibly dull. I did though very much enjoy the remake and have seen that several times.

A Wonderful Movie but I also like The Remake!
I saw Sabrina on TCM and I liked it and I think it's a wonderful movie and I think Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden were terrific and I recommend this movie and I'm planning on buying the DVD! I will probably get slammed for saying this but I also liked the remake that starred Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear and I plan on buying that movie on DVD too! They are both charming, delightful movies that can be enjoyed on their ownrights and though I have seen remakes that were horrible the remake of this movie was fine but I suspose that since I saw the remake first that I was able to enjoy it because I wasn't comparing it to the original! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A TEPID, MEDIOCRE FILM...
This movie, while cinematically colorful, is a mediocre offering by the usually radiant singing duo, Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. Here, Ms. MacDonald plays the role of Sarah, a Victorian era, young Englishwoman who is about to enter into an arranged marriage with Harry, a stuffy Englishman. Sarah also has a voice teacher named Karl (Nelson Eddy) with whom she makes beautiful music and falls in love. On practically the eve of her wedding, she and Karl declare themselves to each other and run away together to his native Vienna after getting hitched.

There, she lives the impoverished life of a young wife happily married to a struggling composer, as Karl finishes writing his cherished operetta. While in Vienna, Sari, as Sarah is now called, makes the acquaintance of two individuals who are to have a great impact on her life, a rakish Baron and member of the Austrian Emperor's dashing Hussars (George Sanders) and a simpatico English Lord (Ian Hunter). Unfortunately, the Baron ultimately tries to seduce the unwilling Sari with catastrophic results.

This film was understandably a flop, as it pales alongside this singing duo's other cinematic pairings. Jeanette MacDonald is radiant as always, but as she was nearly forty years old at the time, it is difficult to believe her in the role of a young woman in her late teens. Nelson Eddy played the role of Karl as it he were in a state of near catatonic shock. It is hard to believe how he could sweep any woman off her feet, much less anyone as vivacious as Sarah. In fact, the acting in his death scene was little different from that when playing the living Karl in love with the woman his dreams.

George Sanders, however, is excellent as the scheming, villainous Baron, and Ian Hunter is charming in the role of the English Lord. Still, these two performances alone could not save a film that was doomed from the beginning by a weak screenplay, third rate music, and uneven performances. In fact, one of the scenes was downright embarrassing, with Jeanette MacDonald singing a dreadful song with a bizarre French accent. Moreover, the death scene was over in the blink of an eye, as if Nelson Eddy could not disappear from this film quickly enough. It was quite bizarre and totally lacking tension or cinematic fire. It was totally anti-climactic.

This film was apparently based upon a Noel Coward operetta. Until I saw this film, I had no idea Noel Coward was a composer. Now I know why I had never heard of his music, if this is an example of it. Still, those who are fans of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy will find some redeeming value in this sentimental mish-mosh. If, however, you are not a fan of theirs, deduct one star from my rating.

The Title Says It All: "Bitter Sweet"
"Bittersweet" is NOT a favourite of mine... hard to say whether it or "I Married an Angel" is my least favourite J/N flick. Still, due to Nelson's presence, it is somewhat bearable. I really adore both Nelson and Jeanette, don't get me wrong. What I really didn't like was the fact that the entire thing seemed tossed together without much thought or plan for a plot. Like what point did that Tokay scene make?? I mean, it was adorable to see him bouncing Jeanette on that table, but usually the songs and scenes in their films serve some purpose. The storyline in general is just rather obscure.

Jeanette's gowns I found a bit much - it seems Adrian must have been in a wild mood a couple times... some were okay: I really liked the blue one she wore at the beginning and the satin ones she wore at Schlick's. The apricot one at the last café scene was the best! The purple one in the Tokay scene drew all attention away from anything else in the scene and drives my eyes buggy with those perfectly matched, zig-zagging stripes. Good for a laugh only.

I loved Hawwy and Jane. Even though they were both despicable.

I thought the scene where Jeanette breaks down trying to sing that song for Herr Wyler was very touching.

And I love the part where Nelson's two friends start pulling out the pawn tickets. The look on his face when they said, "That's for the bed," was hilarious. And Jeanette, "Oh, Carl, it's just the bed!" Men and their strange values.

And of course the scene when he carried her upstairs was darling. I laughed so hard the first time I saw him toss her over his shoulder and cart her the rest of the way up.

I too hate that Nelson has to die... they adored each other so much... and it WAS too abrupt. Somehow though I start laughing, because I think of one website where a lady put a picture of Nelson in Jeanette's arms in the death scene, with the caption, "Carl! How many times have I told you to stay away from sharp objects??!?" (Of course, she meant it as a joke.) Honestly though I hate that he dies. It's despicable. George Sanders is despicable. Despicable is my current buzzword.

This movie overall is NOT despicable, simply not Jeanette and Nelson's best example of collaboration. If you are new to Nelson and Jeanette, I would recommend "New Moon" or "Maytime" as good films to start with. Save this one for after you become a fan, so you can watch it with a little more sympathy and leniency than otherwise you would.

A grocery list would sound wonderful !
This pair could sing a duet grocery list and I would love it ! I was born in their heyday (30's). Jeanette MacDonald more than any other musican influenced me to pursue a singing career.

Sure, the acting might be uneven, costumes not proper (but this is NOT uncommon for Hollywood) Who cares? These two singers are front and center. I guess I'm sentimental but I love all their movies even with other singers like the wonderful Allan Jones.

Seeing Jeanette and Mr. Eddy in live concert in Wichita Ks was a highlite after seeing them as a child in so many movies.

Don't be too hard on these movies. Listen to the wonderful voices and music. Forget the rest. Think how fortunate we are to have them on film!

MEDIOCRE AT BEST.
A near atrocity from the Hollywood of 1940, this filmization of the Noel Coward play retained the beautiful score, but otherwise was so phoney and ineptly done that Coward himself vowed never to sell anything to Hollywood again (he kept his word). At 37, McDonald is meant to be an innocent girl of 18, and the embarrassingly enept performance of the wooden Eddy as the Viennese rake is just the beginning...Here we spend our time watching the actors ladling on their characterisations - for instance: the supposedly starving Jeanette is dressed in Adrian's plushiest low camp creations...The redeeming advantage of colour doesn't make up for the clumsy, sentimental narrative of which fans were duly disappointed: one of the beloved duos unfortunate unabashed flops. In spite of the film's ineptness, the supporting cast is rather good: George Sanders, Ian Hunter, Veda Ann Borg, Janet Beecher and Lynne Carver and, in a bit, Hans Conreid.

More Bitter Than Sweet
If music was the only criterion for MacDonald/Eddy movies, I'd have to say this movie still could not have made it. Colorful but ponderous, with little plot and non-redemptive scripting, Noel Coward let us down on all fronts. Karl (Nelson Eddy) and Sarah (Jeanette MacDonald) are young newlyweds who flee the establishment to Vienna to live on love with little money. He is a struggling writer, she is the favored singer in 19th century Victorian high society. This spawns trouble for the happy couple when Saxony Baron George Sanders tries to seduce the lovely chanteuse. A duel follows, like none I'd ever seen...it was over before it began. I would have hoped dirctor Van Dyke II could have managed a few fencing lessons for Nelson Eddy to make the scene less clumsy. Of the eight films the couple made together, I see "BitterSweet" as the only missed opportunity..... ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Dino Cheese
You can watch "The Lost World" one of two ways.

1) A maddeningly poor version of the great Arthur Conan Doyle novel, turning memorable characters into crude stereotypes, and adding a half-dozen others so you won't notice there's only one brief sequence featuring "dinosaurs" (magnified lizards with rubber collars, tortured into listlessly attacking each other).

2) As an early '60s camp fest, what with the babealicious cave girl, Fernando "you look mahvelous" Lamas as a vengeful native, and Claude Rains as a peppery pipsqueak Professor Challenger -- not to mention Irwin Allen's trademark colored-lights-on-styrofoam special effects. Best of all, Jill St. John (an Annette Bening without irony) in her pink boots, who announces "I can ride, fly, and shoot better than any man I know" and then spends the balance of the movie shrieking and running for the strong arms of David "Al" Hedison. Or is it Al "David" Hedison?

Anyway, stick with the sweet, rather innocent 1925 silent version... Conan Doyle loved it and it's still miles ahead of every subsequent "Lost World" movie -- including the recent Bob Hoskins "ecologically correct" CGI fiasco.

COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER, BUT STILL WORTH 10 BUCKS!
Irwin Allen's 1960 version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic dinosaur adventure, and the Willis O'Brien 1925 classic of the silent era. A band of explorers travel to an ancient plateu in South America, and encounter gigantic prehistoric beasts. The actors are great (to to Allen form, he made up for the poor special effects with big time actors) including Michael Rennie (THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL), Claude Rains (THE WOLF MAN) Jill St. John (DIOMANDS ARE FOREVER) Fernando Lamas, and many more! Sadly, only lizards with phony make-up aplinces are blown up on film to tremendous size. But using real lizards does have a cetain charm, and the motion is realistic because it is real! So all in all, good production values, good acting, exeptable special effects, a 4 star movie.

Loved Lost World
I loved this movie. I know it's been bashed a lot by today's audiences, but you have to consider that when it was made special effects were not what they are now.
I think it's the story that counts. My two cents anyway.

In addition, what also impresses me, is that several scenes and actors reapeared in "Voyge to the Bottom of the Sea (series)" and other Irwin allen productions. It's great to see earlier performances as well as the inevitable stock footage Irwin and Fox used.

Especially of note are really great performances of David(Al) Hedison (later Capt. Crane in Voyage), and Ms. Marcus (the native girl) who shows up later on Voyage both as the same native girl, and also as a love interest for a ghostly u-boat captain! I think it's rather fun to see the orig. movie while picking out 'hey-that was used over there'scenes)

As I said, the story itself is good. It's entertaining,and doesn't try too hard.

I think it's worth the purchase and I'd like to see it released in widescreen format as it was originally shown. You miss some things in the regular format, but hey, it's not avail.in widescreen, so I'm just glad to have it at all. It hasn't been avai. for awhile at all.

I'd suggest you just settle down in a comfy chair and just enjoy it.

"A land where monsters live"
Poor Willis O'Brien was slated to do stop-motion spx for this film
but due budget oversights future "Towering inferno" director Irwin
Allen handed 20th Century Fox his 1st unintentional "disaster" film

Claude Rains who as the reknowned Professor Challenger leads the
cast including Michael Rennie,Jill St.John,David Hendison,Fernando
Lamas and "frosty the poodle" onto an amazon plateau where time is
frozen and prehistoric animals still exist. Their lives are put in
even more jeopardy when they find themselves stranded.

Dispite it's flaws,I still love this flim for what it tries to be
lavish epic with a supercast of characters, but will always be my
haunt is how at the time of production (released in 1960) could a
special effects crew STILL use the same standards from the early
matinee days of cinema. Right down to the projected green spider
(Bert I.Gordon) when lower case B films such as "lost contintent"
(1951)used stop-motion animation Maybe there was a time factor.

The tape is excellent quality this Fox series also includes the
original trailer which is always a hoot for me but where is Fox's
DVD version in widescreen maybe.....no definitely!

Best Sci-FI Movie for the Time
I remember seeing this movie as an early teenager and found it to be excellent for the time. Compared to movies today it seems very poor but it was a classic "B" movie for the times. I recommend it for anyone's video library ... Read more

Reviews (4)

One of the boys best films of the 1950's
Abbott and Costello were one of the best duos of comedy history and too bad that they had to break up and it is my understanding that Abbott and Costello didn't get along with each other but oh well, during their recent years the Abbott and Costello movies weren't doing very well like they were in the 1940's with classic movies like Hold That Ghost (my favorite one), Hit the Ice, Naughty Ninties and Meet Frankenstein, the best part of the whole movie is when Costello gets his foot stuck on the railroad tracks and he gets off the track within inches of getting hit by a train, I'll never forget my reaction when I watched that part, and if you're looking for a great Abbott and Costello, watch this movie, and avoid Lost in Alaska and Meet the Mummy.

One of Their Best
Abbott & Costello star in this hilarious film set back in 1914 and while searching for a swindler named Gormon, end up in Hollywood. Would recommend for A&C Fans

Not Top Drawer, but Amusing
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were nearing the end of their reign as Universal's top comedians by the time MEET THE KEYSTONE KOPS was made, and it did indeed seem as if the bottom of the barrel were being scraped to find ideas for the boys' films. While hardly a classic, KEYSTONE KOPS at least has an interesting concept that appears to be partly inspired by Lou's early career as a movie stuntman. There is more slapstick than usual for A&C, and a few hair raising stunts, which is appropriate for a comedy set in Hollywood circa 1912. Fred Clark gives the film a real boost as a swindler turned movie director; he is an excellent foil for Bud and Lou. Comedy legend Mack Sennett makes a welcome and all too brief appearance as himself. Keep an eye out for veteran Keystone comedians Herold Goodwin, Hank Mann, and Heinie Conklin. Lou's daughter Carole does a brief bit with her dad at the beginning of the film. Recommended for kids, die hard A&C fans, and anyone wanting to relax with some nostalgic nonsense.

ONE OF ABBOTT & COSTELLO'S BEST FILMS
Abbott & Costello go to Hollywood in search of a swindler and become movie stars. Ed Clark plays 'Gorman' a con-man who cheats the boys out of a small fortune, by selling them the original Thomas Edison movie theatre. The climatic chase scene is a must see as the boys enlist the aid of the famous Keystone Kops,and their attempt to ride a motorcyle with sidecar. A & C at their FINEST. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Enchanting Soap Opera From A Bygone Era
Although the 1935 version of THE DARK ANGEL was a remake of an earlier silent film, it too seems to have disappeared into obscurity--and what a shame! This movie will not appeal to fans of the current brand of Hollywood "love stories", where the hero and heroine (or same sex couples in some cases) slip easily into bed together after only just meeting, several car chases and shoot-outs ensue, and the plots remind you of the last Meg Ryan film you saw because they are all the same--and they are filmed in color. THE DARK ANGEL is from an entirely different era of film making: the glorious 1930s. A time when movies, particularly love stories, depended on a good script and good acting to keep the viewer watching, and if successful in both these areas, the viewer won't notice that the movie is in black and white. And what a wonderful job they did with this film! Although, like most films of the time, it may seem dated to modern viewers, this film is set twenty years earlier during World War 1, and deals with a love triangle between stoic Herbert Marshall, lovely and gracious Merle Oberon, and the always charming and very handsome Frederic March. When Oberon decides to marry March instead of Marshall, she finds there isn't time to get the proper licenses and such before the boys are shipped out to war. Instead, March and Oberon stage a faux wedding and spend an evening together in a hotel on their last night together. Whether they consumated their "union" or not is left up to the viewers imagination--today you'd see everything in graffic detail. Due to a misunderstanding, Herbert Marshall's character (who is March's superior officer) comes to believe that March has spent the night with a prostitute, and to retalitate he refuses March's request for a leave so he can marry Oberon. During an explosion, March is blinded. Afraid to be rejected by Oberon, he goes into hiding after the war and becomes a successful author of children's books. Oberon and Marshall believe him to be dead, and then decide to marry each other. Only then do the couple learn that March is still alive. Will Oberon go ahead and marry Marshall as planned? Will she take March back? Will self-pitying March have her? And will Oberon's obnoxious cousin gets what's coming to him? Sounds like a pretty juicy soap opera, and it is, only the acting, directing, and styling in every area is worlds away from the schlock you're liable to see today. If these vintage "weepies" are not to your liking, go ahead and pick up a Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan film and stare at the screen for 90 mind-numbing minutes and come out thinking you've seen quality acting and a good story. But if you can get past the black and white photography and slightly dated speech and acting style--and this is some darn good acting!--I highly recommend giving this one a watch. Yes, it's a "chick flick" from long ago, but it will leave you sad, happy, and in a romantic mood. Too bad it's "out of stock" at the moment.

Another great 1930's film with Fredric March
Let me begin by saying I have recently discovered Fredric March. I am 40 yrs. old and never saw him in anything until this summer when I saw him in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". After that, I was hooked, and now I have collected over 40 of his films. This man is a wonderful actor that noone should miss. In this film Fredric March plays a man, Alan Trent, who came to live with his aunt and cousin Gerald Shannon(played by Herbert Marshall)in England when he was a boy. The 2 boys grew up together, and are close and great friends. They both happen to love the same girl, Kitty(Merle Oberon). Well, Fred wins Kitty's heart, and they want to be married before he must go to war, but due to circimstances beyond their control,they can't. Kitty spends the night with him before he leaves (they remain chaste), and this scene of them together is very well done. Unfortunately, Gerald gets the wrong idea about the evening Alan had, and later as his commanding officer at the battlefront, sends Alan on a dangerous mission instead of granting him leave so he can marry Kitty.Gerald believes he has died in action, and regrets that he sent Alan on the mission. I don't want to tell too much of the story...but Alan is not dead, only blind. Fredric March is a man of amazing talent. As a blind man, he is totally convincing. One of my favorite scenes is when he is alone in his hotel room, and he feels his way around. We see Fred's hands as he touches a wall lamp. When he stands by the door when the children come in, for two of them have never seen a blind man, it is the most touching and beautiful scenes I have seen Fred in. He was truly a beautiful man. I will say that this film ends happily, with all things right and as they should be. If you like WW1 timeframe movies ( I do), and if you like romances (I do), and if you like to gaze upon Fredric March as a handsome soldier and otherwise (I do), then this movie will in no way disappoint you. It is a hard to find video, but well worth it!

Underated, Tasteful "Golden- Age" Hollywood Melodrama
The Dark Angel has become one of my favorite melodramas from this decade. With production design by Richard Day, cinematography by Greg Toland(future credit would include Citizen Kane), and strong performances from all three princples,The Dark Angel has many attributes worth viewing. Merle Oberon was convincing and sympathetic in this role that was a departure from her previous exotic fare and she was rewarded with a "Best Actress" nomination. Herbert Marshall's usual stalwart acting is somehow appropriate for his character. However, it is Fredric March that has the most compelling scenes in The Dark Angel, especially after he returns from World War I and recovers in a British Hospital that rehabilitates blinded soldiers. Although sentimental at times, I found this movie to be surprisingly well conceived and engrossing. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Bad Adaption
Unfortunately for viewers, this is a bad adaption of a brilliant play. This two-character relationship drama, William Gibson's first play, works extraordinarily well on the stage, with the two characters originally performed by Henry Fonda and Anne Bancroft on Broadway.
However, the drama onstage is lost onscreen; it flounders, and leaves the audience with a bad taste in their mouth.
The theatrical "trick" of a two character play is that it brings the audience close to the characters in a way that many larger plays cannot and most films do. As a film, then, the two character drama seem an artistic conceit rather than dramatic device.
Moreover, some of the better concepts of the play are lost in the film format. Despite the excellent performances of Mitchum and MacLaine, this play just doesn't translate well to film, and the adaption isn't worth much attention.
I would highly recommend seeing this on stage if you should get the opportunity, or renting the film if you're a real classic movie buff, but buying it is not a good idea.
I'm giving it three stars because I know the writing and ideas here are excellent; were it an original screenplay I'd only give it two or even one.

"Feels" Like 'The Hustler', But Without The Billiards
I enjoyed this 1962 black-and-white film very much. It's refreshing to see Robert Mitchum in a softer (non-violent) role. (Although, Bob does manage to get in one good whack in this film. But, Shirley gets him back [twice] later in the picture.) If I'm not mistaken, this picture was made right on the heels of Mitchum's Cape Fear. Talk about 180 degrees of separation. Robert went from hardened criminal Max Cady to his role as a gentle lawyer in "Seesaw". Mitch's superb versatility was never more apparent than in these two outstanding 1962 films.

MacLaine & Mitchum are on screen for darn near the entire 1 hour and 59 minutes here, and (IMO) treat us to some very good, on-target, realistic dialogue. I was never bored with this film. And the ending was a bit of a twist, which is another big plus.

One line I particularly thought hit the mark was when Shirley berates Robert with "Who needs to work THAT hard if things [in a relationship] are going right?!". Makes perfect sense to me. There are several clever lines like that in the film.

As I watched this film, I kept being reminded of "The Hustler", which is very similar in pace, style, and looks. The small confines of the drab apartments and the overall dark visuals are very much the same in both movies.

Two For The Seesaw is a definite winner in my book.

Yeesh. What a dud.
Yeesh. One of those dreadful Sixties Dramas (please note the portentious use of Capital Letters) that are Boldly Adapted from a Stage Play, and full of Psychology-laden monologues and horrendously overwritten, absurdly unnatural-sounding repartee. Shirley MacLaine is a "bohemian" Jewish girl, living in the nutty clamour of Greenwich Village (which we see very little of, sadly), and Robert Mitchum is the "square" from Omaha who barges into her life and begins bossing her around, in an effort to recapture his Lost Masculinity. The film is interminable and way too stagey. MacLaine has some winsome moments, and the B&W cinematography is kinda nice, but nothing can save this overly-mannered shipwreck from foundering, again and again, on the shoals of its own pretensions. I guess in some ways I feel lucky that I wasn't living in New York back in the Kennedy era, when you'd have to go to the theatre and take this sort of boring pseudo-sermonizing seriously.

Tediously talky relationship study
I think my title says it all.

Other reviews I read indicate this movie was an adaptation from a play, and I'm afraid it really shows. There are incessant dialogues between the two main characters which are tedious and rather stilted. It is established early on that both characters have been badly hurt in previous relationships and are having trouble opening up and becoming vulnerable to one another. These issues are stated and restated too many times during several scenes of the movie.

I agree with another reviewer who indicated that there is not a lot of chemistry between the two leads. To tell you the truth, I think Mitchum is miscast. MacLaine is fine; the sweetness and vulnerability underlying her transparent tough-girl facade is a sort of variation on the female lead in her previous film, "The Apartment." Come to think of it, I wonder what this movie would have been with Jack Lemmon in place of Robert Mitchum. Oh, well.

Relationship study
To my knowledge this film didn't receive good reviews when it was released. I believe its because its downbeat and slow. The good points are there is true chemistry between Mitchum and Maclaine (lovers in real life). Both characters are "losers" thrown together out of a need to relieve loneliness. Mitchum, as the divorced, flunky lawyer, and MacLaine as the lost, free spirit are a joy to watch. Believable. Don't expect a typical ending! ... Read more

Reviews (43)

The DVD is Incredible!
This is my all-time favorite of the Disney animated classics; I have seen it countless times, and enjoy it as much as the first time I saw it, way back when I was 7 years old. It is a Halloween fixture for me still, although I watch it all year 'round. Bing Crosby had a wonderful speaking voice, as well as a singing one, and he does great things with the character of Ichabod and his tuneful telling of this timeless tale, set in Sleepy Hollow; I believe that were Washington Irving alive today, he would love this version of his terrific novel, based on old folk tales and legends of that part of New York. I also love Toad; J. Thaddeus Toad, Esquire, the Master of Toad Hall, with his loyal friends, Mole, Angus McBadger and Ratty. I have never seen this favorite classic in such splendor before my DVD version arrived...the colors, the crisp picture, the overall beauty of it took my breath away, and I was 7 years old again, watching it on the big screen. Now I can watch it anytime, and have the same quality as I enjoyed as a child, what a treat! Even if you have a VHS copy, buy the DVD, you won't believe the difference!

THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD!
TWO classic DISNEY short ANIMATED FILMS on one DVD! Actually, these two mini-features were released together in 1949! THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW is one of the SPOOKIEST films Disney every produced. THRILL as Washington Irving's classic tale of the meek little school teacher named ICHABOD CRANE encounters the HEADLESS HORSEMAN! The narration is provided by BING CROSBY! Did you know that? He even sings some tunes, accompanied by the Rhythmaries! Then there is a whimsical adaptation of KENNETH GRAHAME's classic children's story, THE WIND IN THE WILLOW! You will LAUGH at the grand adventures of MR. TOAD, who certainly loves the AUTOMOBILE! This time BASIL RATHBONE provides the narration! When you are done with the films, enjoy the DVD EXTRAS! Can you win the "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" Game? Have your kids help you out! There is even a MICKEY MOUSE short, "Lonesome Ghosts!" ENJOY these with your KIDS soon!

Great Cartoons!
I love this DVD, in fact it is probably my favorite in my whole collection. I watch it all the time and it never fails to entertain me and leave me with a wistful yet happy feeling. This DVD has great picture, good sound, and excellent extra features. I also find if you mute it and watch it with Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother is quite an experience. Anyways if you love cartoons(especially old ones)than this is a must own. The Sleepy Hollow toon is great for Halloween!

A Wacky Thrill Ride.
In this two part Disney movie, Disney brings you two of the more iconic Disney characters. The wild Mr. Toad, and Ichabod Crane. In the first you are inside a great whimsical story inspired by the Wind in the Willows. You meet Mr. Toad, the rat and mole and along the way encounter a group of finicky weasels. In the second half you meet Ichabod, and encounter the legendary Headless Horseman. They are both good fun. I highly reccomend them.

Where Are The Scenes Of Mr. Toad...Driving??
Though I've enjoyed the Mr. Toad characters for many years, not a little because of the Disney ride, I finally settled down recently to enjoy the DVD and see the actual film for the first time. After having the image emblazened in my head of Mr. Toad grasping his steering wheel and blowing in the wind as his motorcar careens here or there (thanks to the ride and a lot of Disney merchandising art and collectibles), I was stunned and very disappointed to see...no scenes of Toad in his car!! I couldn't help but feel a letdown, but the story is still fun and the Ichabod story remains a favorite. I also highly recommend the new-to-DVD Terry Jones version. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1949 Disney feature has never been available on video in itsoriginal form until now. The 68-minute film contains two shorts: The Wind in the Willows and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The former is a lively version of Kenneth Grahame's book of animal adventures, including Mr. Toad, a rambunctious sort with a passion for motorcars. Basil Rathbone narrates the story. Sleepy Hollow is the Washington Irving story of a stuffy schoolmaster and his ability to win the love of the fair Katrina from the brutish Brom Van Brunt. Many fans will see a resemblance to Disney's masterpiece created some 40 years later, Beauty and the Beast, in style and story. The end is still scary enough to send youngsters under the table. Bing Crosby supplies the narration, character voices, and songs. The opening number in a library including two stories has been included in this good-looking restoration. The shorts were made in Disney's prime, a year before Cinderella, and the look is wondrous. The exaggeration of Ichabod's skinny frame and his slumping horse is a glorious example. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (43)

The DVD is Incredible!
This is my all-time favorite of the Disney animated classics; I have seen it countless times, and enjoy it as much as the first time I saw it, way back when I was 7 years old. It is a Halloween fixture for me still, although I watch it all year 'round. Bing Crosby had a wonderful speaking voice, as well as a singing one, and he does great things with the character of Ichabod and his tuneful telling of this timeless tale, set in Sleepy Hollow; I believe that were Washington Irving alive today, he would love this version of his terrific novel, based on old folk tales and legends of that part of New York. I also love Toad; J. Thaddeus Toad, Esquire, the Master of Toad Hall, with his loyal friends, Mole, Angus McBadger and Ratty. I have never seen this favorite classic in such splendor before my DVD version arrived...the colors, the crisp picture, the overall beauty of it took my breath away, and I was 7 years old again, watching it on the big screen. Now I can watch it anytime, and have the same quality as I enjoyed as a child, what a treat! Even if you have a VHS copy, buy the DVD, you won't believe the difference!

THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD!
TWO classic DISNEY short ANIMATED FILMS on one DVD! Actually, these two mini-features were released together in 1949! THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW is one of the SPOOKIEST films Disney every produced. THRILL as Washington Irving's classic tale of the meek little school teacher named ICHABOD CRANE encounters the HEADLESS HORSEMAN! The narration is provided by BING CROSBY! Did you know that? He even sings some tunes, accompanied by the Rhythmaries! Then there is a whimsical adaptation of KENNETH GRAHAME's classic children's story, THE WIND IN THE WILLOW! You will LAUGH at the grand adventures of MR. TOAD, who certainly loves the AUTOMOBILE! This time BASIL RATHBONE provides the narration! When you are done with the films, enjoy the DVD EXTRAS! Can you win the "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" Game? Have your kids help you out! There is even a MICKEY MOUSE short, "Lonesome Ghosts!" ENJOY these with your KIDS soon!

Great Cartoons!
I love this DVD, in fact it is probably my favorite in my whole collection. I watch it all the time and it never fails to entertain me and leave me with a wistful yet happy feeling. This DVD has great picture, good sound, and excellent extra features. I also find if you mute it and watch it with Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother is quite an experience. Anyways if you love cartoons(especially old ones)than this is a must own. The Sleepy Hollow toon is great for Halloween!

A Wacky Thrill Ride.
In this two part Disney movie, Disney brings you two of the more iconic Disney characters. The wild Mr. Toad, and Ichabod Crane. In the first you are inside a great whimsical story inspired by the Wind in the Willows. You meet Mr. Toad, the rat and mole and along the way encounter a group of finicky weasels. In the second half you meet Ichabod, and encounter the legendary Headless Horseman. They are both good fun. I highly reccomend them.

Where Are The Scenes Of Mr. Toad...Driving??
Though I've enjoyed the Mr. Toad characters for many years, not a little because of the Disney ride, I finally settled down recently to enjoy the DVD and see the actual film for the first time. After having the image emblazened in my head of Mr. Toad grasping his steering wheel and blowing in the wind as his motorcar careens here or there (thanks to the ride and a lot of Disney merchandising art and collectibles), I was stunned and very disappointed to see...no scenes of Toad in his car!! I couldn't help but feel a letdown, but the story is still fun and the Ichabod story remains a favorite. I also highly recommend the new-to-DVD Terry Jones version. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Once only pairing of Warners giants Bogart and Stanwyck
I've always been intrigued by "The Two Mrs. Carrolls" and always feel it is a far better film than how it is always judged. The film has a polished look to it and contains a suspenceful story that really keeps you on the edge of your seat, particulary in the second half.

Certainly "The Two Mrs. Carrolls" is no "Casablanca" or "The Maltese Falcon" (but lets face it how many films like that come along in any actors career anyway?) but I feel from repeated screenings of it that it is a most interesting vechicle for Bogart in particular. He plays a character very different from his usual type of personas. I dont see that as a bad thing at all and I feel his craggy looks and dark demeanour are absolutely perfect for the role of Geoffrey Carroll, a psychotic artist who paints portraits of his wives (hence the title) as the Angel of Death and then murders them. His pairing with Barbara Stanwyck is an original and fascinating one which sadly was never repeated but I feel, also contrary to critics belief that they team very well together. Barbara also takes a different stance in this film playing a nice girl who marries Geoffrey for all the right reasons only to discover the dark truth of the man she thought she knew when it is almost too late. Barbara has a sympathetic role here and she performs to her always high standard. She was always excellent as the heroine under threat and she beautifully modulates her performance here, moving from being an inlove new bride to someone witnessing a frightening chain of events that make her fear for her own life . The tension between the two once Sally (Stanwyck) begins to realise what is going on in Geoffrey's mind is the basis for the suspence that occurs in the story. Alexis Smith also scores (no mean task when up against Bogart and Stanwyck)in the role of the slinky and bitchy Cecily Latham who tries to come between Geoffrey and Sally. The scene at the afternoon tea in the Carroll's garden is very funny in a sarcastic kind of way and she is perfect as the femme fatale of the story.

The set up look of this film also adds greatly to its suspense element. The constant chiming of the towns Church Bells, the constant inclement weather through most of the second half as the tension rises, and the dark sombre house really create the right atmosphere of impending doom. Peter Godfrey directed this film and was responsible for guiding Barbara Stanwyck through some interesting and diverse roles like "Cry Wolf" and "Christmas in Connecticut" two of my personal favourites of Stanwyck's work. While not the greatest director at Warner Bros Godfrey here directs with a sure hand and keeps the action bubbling along to the climax of the story.

The other supporting players are also well chosen with the ever reliable Nigel Bruce playing his usual bumbling character, in this case the local doctor Dr. Tuttle who finds himself having to treat Sally for a mysterious "illness' which in reality is Geoffrey trying to slowly poison her. Young Anne Carter really impresses in the role of Geoffrey's strangely mature daughter Beatrice by his first wife. Patrick O'Moore is also excellent as Charles Pennington, "Penny" a former love of Sally's who begins to suspect that all is not well in the Carroll household.

As stated previously the last 30 minutes of the film as Sally begins to suspect Geoffrey's motives and tries to outsmart him are the best in the whole film. It is real nail biting action as Barbara tries to outwit her husband while not letting him know she is on to him. This occurs in the midst of a violent storm once everyone else is out of the house. The scenes where Geoffrey finally loses his mind in homicidal rage and sets out to murder Sally are harrowing to witness and I feel Bogart handles this difficult piece of acting perfectly making Geoffrey a truly terrifing character.

"The Two Mrs. Carrolls" while not a great success on release is a film worth viewing. It certainly contains good work by both stars and is among my favourite Stanwyck performances. Try watching this as a late night treat during a storm, you are guaranteed a real nail biting time indeed!

Stanwyck once again picks Mr. Wrong
"The Two Mrs. Carrolls" may not be one of the great melodramas from 1940s Hollywood, but it is a fine example of the craftsmanship that went into studio pictures in those days. Its primary importance in film history is that this is the only pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck. While Stanwyck is superb, Bogart, I'm afraid, acts like he is only going through the motions, perhaps because this is what would have been considered a 'woman's picture' back then. [Compare this to his amazing performance the next year in the manly "Treasure of the Sierra Madre"]

When the movie opens, Geoffrey Carroll [Bogart] is seen fishing with Sally [Stanwyck] in Scotland. They've recently met and are in love. When she accidentally discovers that he is married, she ends the affair. In despair, Geoffrey goes home to his wife and daughter in London. The story suddenly shifts forward a couple of years. We find out that the first Mrs. Carroll died, and now Geoffrey and Sally are married. They live a seemingly idyllic life in the country, until Geoffrey meets Cecily, played by a ravishingly beautiful Alexis Smith. For a time, Sally is clueless, but when questions about how Geoffrey's first wife died, Sally finally suspects what we already know: There is something very wrong with her husband and her marriage.

The story is somewhat absurd, but no one could play a victim, innocent or otherwise, better than Stanwyck, as she was to prove a year later in "Sorry, Wrong Number". She alone is reason enough to see the movie.

The cinematography by J. Perevell Marley is filled with extraordinary light and shadow. He creates a moody, chilly atmosphere. Composer Franz Waxman, who was creating a film score about every eight weeks in those days, provides some interesting music, although it is not nearly as inspired as his compositions for movies like "Sunset Boulevard" and "A Place in the Sun". Frederick Reynolds' editing is extremely tight for the first thirty minutes or so and is an excellent example of just how spare the art of editing can be.

Another Angel of Death
Humphrey Bogart is an artist who paints pictures of his wives as the angels of death right before he kills them. He's been painting a lot in his studio and he won't let wife Barbara Stanwyck see his portrait of her. Hmmmmm? Could this mean ...? The film starts slowly, and doesn't really hit its stride until Stanwyck starts doing the math and adding up the clues. Up until that time, not much happens. Bogart is O.K., but this certainly isn't one of his top performances. Stanwyck is very good once she's given a chance to act later in the film. Alexis Smith, as the intended next Mrs. Carroll, doesn't much register with a distant performance that reveals nothing of her character (although the script gives her little to do anyways, other than a few good exchanges with Bogart at a tea party). I enjoyed the last thirty minutes a lot, but I wish the script and director had managed to make the first two-thirds more interesting. The story has more potential than the film delivers.

And Bogart is a Bonus
Even with out Bogart this is a glorious film. It stands on it's own providing a wonderful atmosphere, suspenseful plot, stellar acting. Bogart is in peak form as well as a psychopathic artist. He plays the role with understated menise. His mental state isn't drilled into you with a jackhammer but is built slowly with. While not as romantic as Casablanca it stands in my mind as one of his best.

Bogart and Stanwyck cast against type
This Hollywood film starring Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyk was filmed in 1945 but Warners had such little faith in it that it delayed it's release for 2 years. They were probably bewildered at the way director Peter Godfrey used it's two stars since both actors give quiet performances which seem to go against their images. Based on what I presume to be an English play by Marvin Vale, the film is set near London and casts Bogart as an unstable artist who marries Stanwyck to make her the second Mrs Carroll after murdering the first. Bogart's artist predates his paranoid Fred C Dobbs of Treasure of Sierra Madre and his rudeness is funny. Stanwyck gets one shot worth the price of purchase alone. Ascending a staircase, realising Bogart's betrayal with the hourglass-figured Alexis Smith, her acting supported by the expressionist camera angle, her heavy gown and the music of Franz Waxman. The film features a delicious tea party where insults fly and eyes roll. Smith says she is "guarding her diet" and her mother replies "You've practically got a death watch on it". Godfrey gives us a murder without any music and lots of ringing bells to drive Bogart to distraction. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A Good Suspense Thriller
Done in a film-noir style, this movie is entertaining with a neat plot twist. Lucille Ball looks lovely and does a good job as the dancer who ecomes a police decoy to catch a killer. She has great chemistry with George Sanders (it was rumored they had a real-life affair). Boris Karloff also has a small part as a crazy fashion designer. If you're a Lucy fan, you'll want to own this movie.

PERSONAL COLUMN
A long over-looked suspence thriller by the once highly esteemed Douglas Sirk - his films of the fifties were better known - i.e. MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION & IMITATION OF LIFE, et. al. I just recently viewed this film last week and now realise my previous review didn't do it justice. Lucy gave a surprisingly good dramatic performance as an American taxi-dancer working in London. La Ball helps the police catch a madman who's out on the loose by posing as a decoy! Lucy co-stars with the elegantly sinister George Sanders and Charles Coburn is super in his offbeat role as Inspecter Temple. George Sanders (as a trivia note, Lucy and Sanders supposedly had a brief affair during this time) is exceedingly suave as Robert Fleming, Sandra's protective nightclub owner boyfriend. Ball, who had already appeared in dozens of films by this time, displays the inimitable spark which she would ignite into dynamite four years later doing I LOVE LUCY. The supporting cast is quite good : Boris Karloff, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and George Zucco. Our Lucyball even gets to sing! (alas, she is dubbed by Annette Warren).

"I was on guard against everyone except myself."
In the Douglas Sirk film "Lured" a series of young girls disappear after responding to personal ads. The killer taunts Scotland Yard by sending poems describing the girl and announcing the upcoming murder. The police are left with a handful of clues--the personal ads, the flaws of the typewriter used for the poems, and the fact that the killer has a penchant for Baudelaire.

Sandra Carpenter (Lucille Ball) plays an unflappable dance-hall girl whose friend is the latest victim of the killer. Inspector Temple (Charles Coburn) recruits Sandra to operate undercover through the personal ads. Sandra meets a lot of peculiar men through the ads, and soon she's juggling dates with bizarre dress designer Charles van Druten (Boris Karloff) and smooth playboy Robert Fleming (George Sanders).

This is an interesting role for Lucille Ball. Here she's worldly-wise and savvy to every pick-up line in the book. Inspector Temple sagaciously assesses Sandra's character and realizing she can handle men effectively, he adds her talent to his investigation. Lucille Ball fans will be pleasantly surprised by her role in "Lured," and Douglas Sirk fans should enjoy the film too. The characters are well defined, and the plot kept my attention throughout. It's in glorious black and white, and that complements the story and the setting--displacedhuman

Lucille Ball as a beautiful detec¿ive
"Lured" is a forgotten thriller of a movie, starring Lucille Ball as an American in London who helps Scotland Yard capture a serial killer. The subtle plotting is fast-paced and satisfying. Ball sparkles with wit and sophistication and makes the movie special.

You will be kept in suspense until the very end. If you know Ball only through her most famous manifestation as zany Lucy Ricardo, this movie will reveal her ability to fulfill a dramatic/romantic role. Although the real-life chemistry that sizzled between Ball and Desi Arnaz on the tv show is missing here, the supporting cast is splendid, and the city of London as it was in the 40s provides an interesting backdrop. Highly recommended.

not a typical Lucy movie
this is not your typical Lucy movie. but dont get me wrong it was still very good. its good to see that Lucille Ball can do something besdies comide. even though comdey is what she is remembered for. this movie is deffinitly recommened for a lucy fan or a murder mystry fan or both of that matter. it keeps you guessing until the very end. you think its one thing but they throw a cerve ball and its the total oppisite. i'm going to tell you what you can expect because then you wont get it. but i would recommend it. ... Read more