Reviews (58)

The best romantic comedy ever!
This is my all-time favorite romantic comedy (and I am a veteran film fan). YOU'VE GOT MAIL is OK, but the modern film makers had to upgrade Hanks' character to make him rich and threw in unnecessary sexual complications for both characters, thereby detracting from the main plot. IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, the Judy Garland musical version of the same plot, has the acrimony between the two main characters so strong that it is completely unbelievable when they suddenly fall in love. Only this movie has the perfect touch throughout. The makers of the stage musical, SHE LOVES ME, wisely stuck with the SHOP AROUND THE CORNER plot and produced a most delightful show.Stewart and Sullavan make a superb team, with just the right balance in their developing relationship to make the ending not only possible, but even inevitable. The supporting cast is nearly perfect, especially the always excellent Frank Morgan. Felix Bressart, as Pirovich, and Joseph Schildkraut, as the arrogant but slippery villain, are a delight to watch.Don't just rent this movie--buy it! You will want to watch it again and again. And each time will seem as fresh as the first, because there isn't a false note in the whole film.

James Stewart at his best
I'm a big fan of you've got mail, but i'm an even bigger fan of the SHop around the Corner.

The story: Stewart works as a head clerk in a store in eastern Europe. A new woman comes to work at the store and spoils Jimmy stewart days. At the same time, they are both involved in writing anonymous letters to each other and slowly fall in love with each other.

The movie is full of ironic situation and the entire cast that support Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan do a great job. Unlike you've got mail that tends to drag, this movie is full of energy and you can't see time go by.

When the two main characters finally discover their love for each other, it is the most poignant romantic scene i've ever seen. Any girl would want to be in Jimmy Stewart's arms at this point. He had a gift for really making you feel what the characters were going through, and in this case, you really feel the passion he feels for this woman.

I'm not into romantic comedies too much but if there's one to watch, this is the one, regardless of how old it is, the romance in it is timeless.

Honest & Heartfelt
Here's a movie with charm in spades, and a beguiling premise. A man and a woman begin a correspondence, and through this correspondence they fall in love, while in real life despising each other. And what two better to do this sort of thing than Jimmy Stewart (Alfred Kralik) and Margaret Sullavan (Klara Novak). The setting is an odd goods shop in Budapest, staffed by a superb supporting cast, each tossing into the storyline their own minor dramas. Mr Matuschek with his bothersome home life, Mr Pirovitch who serves as Alfred's confidante, Mr Vadas who holds a clandestine affair, Miss Novodny and her gentleman friend ~ who is he? ~ that presents her with lavish gifts, Pepi with his heart of gold, and my favorite, the mousish Flora who devotes her life to her mother, and whom you just know is dreaming of a romance of her own. It is said that Stewart and Sullavan held a deep personal respect for each other off screen, and this makes for a genuine on-screen chemistry between them. This chemistry is of the intellectual variety, and ~ to this viewer at least ~ their sparring conversations and confrontations are greatly more interesting and engaging than any purely physical romance could ever be. Sullavan is terrific, wavering between what she reads in books and thinks she ought to believe, and what her heart is prompting her to feel. Stewart is marvellously put out by all of this, sniffy and sulky, yet finds himself drawn to the prickly Klara despite himself. Everyone is impeccable in their roles, the wit and the banter sparkles. Here's a film that shall grow on you, that shall take you in completely, and will demand repeat viewings ~ and possibly the use of a tissue or two. Intelligent and heartwarming, and infused with a kind of a quiet magic, 'The Shop Around the Corner' ought melt any heart, save the most unmeltable. A romantic masterpiece. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch, who also did 'Eternal Love', 'Ninotchka', and the original 'Heaven Can Wait'.

Wonderful
I loved this DVD I really sudgest it to any classic Romantic

The Shop Around the Corner
1940's THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER has been remade twice; in 1949 with Judy Garland and Van Johnson in the musical adaptation IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, and again in the late '90s in the internet-based YOU'VE GOT MAIL with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. They can remake it another dozen times. It's hard to believe any will ever better this gem from director Ernst Lubitsch.
Jimmy Stewart stars as Alfred Kralik, chief clerk at Matuschek's, a gift shop in Budapest. Margaret Sullavan is Klara Novak, a feisty new hire. Klara and Kralik seem to have only one thing in common - a vocal dislike for each other. Of course they share one other thing - they are anonymous pen pals who have fallen in love with each other through the mail.
THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER is based on the play 'Parfumerie' by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, and its pedigree as a product for the stage shows. Almost all action takes place within the shop. It is visually static enough to assume that this probably would have made a successful radio production. That said, Lubitsch comes across with one beautiful shot that would have been impossible to duplicate on radio or in a theater. Shot from the inner side of the post office boxes we see #38 being opened and a gloved hand feeling around the empty interior. The hand is removed and Margaret Sullavan's disappointed face appears, framed by the open box.
Lubitsch also has fun with the wonderful character actor Felix Bressart, who plays the wise and timid clerk Pirovitch. The thunderous and intimidating owner of the shop, Hugo Matuschek (Frank Morgan - the wizard in THE WIZARD OF OZ), turns to Kralik a few times in the first half of the movie and begs his honest opinion on this or that. Terrified that his opinion may be asked next, Pirovitch makes like a mouse caught out of the cabinet and Lubitsch catches him scurrying off-screen time and again. This business sets us up for a later scene when Pirovitch confronts Matuschek and gives an unsolicited opinion in defense of his out-of-favor friend Kralik. It's an ennobling moment, one of many in this fine movie.
Stewart and Sullavan are convincing as a couple unknowingly throwing barbs at the object of their tenderest affections. They are average enough looking to make the whole thing plausible - a couple of glamour pusses, say Cary Grant and Rita Hayworth, would have thrown the whole thing off. The story needs a boy and a girl-next-door type.
The dvd's extras include cast and crew biographies, a trailer, "A Great Story is Worth Retelling" (background story of the making of THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER in written text) and the short subject "A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound," which doesn't have much to do with the movie it's bundled with but is delightful nonetheless. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Rags to Riches Four Times over and more!
Boom Town is entertainment. This movie was made in 1940 and is based on a short story. It begins with a partnership/friendship between Gable & Tracey as Big John McMasters & John Sand. The underlying philosophy in the movie is meant to show that no matter how much money you have you were still happier when things were tough! Each man earns and loses about 2 to 3 fortunes apiece. I have lived long enough to have seen the complete movie before our modern day censors got to it, so I can tell you that you cannot get an uncut edition of this movie and this VHS is NO exception. They removed the Indian peace pipe smoking scene when McMasters(Gable) signs a land deal with Oklahoma indians.(pretending that people never smoked.) This subtle cutting is done to a lot of old films and is really silly.Also the "melting" scenes with the sad horn music when people lose all their money have been cut out also. The only one left in is when Compton United goes broke in the oil war with McMasters. Curiously we DO get to see the US Government prosecution of Oil barons and not necessarily in favorable light. This film also takes a shot at the IRS and complains about taxation! (Where are the censors for this stuff?) Anyway, Frank Morgan is great in this work as Luthur Aldridge and young Chill Wills is excellent as a deadly crack shot deputy who just wants to be a ranch cook. The Oil fire scenes received an Academy award for effects and it was top notch for 1940. Girls invade and cause a lot of trouble between McMasters and Sand and their ability to make money but everything comes clean and happy in the end. Well worth a view but please.... if the DVD ever comes out put ALL the film back together!

Good Start, But Then What Happened?
When I was on my Clark Gable kick some years back, I was overjoyed to find a copy of "Boom Town" in the video rental place. I'd seen a clip or two from it, and the prospect of seeing Gable, Tracy, and Colbert all together in one film was delightful to me. I mean, this would be the intersection of two great chemistry sets, Tracy and Gable of "San Francisco" with Gable and Colbert of "It Happened One Night". How could it possibly miss? Well, it did.

The buddy relationship of Gable and Tracy was great. The love triangle between Gable, Tracy, and Colbert was good. But why oh why do we have to go on a bit to have now married Gable cheat on wife Colbert with Hedy Lamarr? First off, I thought that was a terrible plot development, period. Why would he do that? Why was this necessary? No. Bad idea. What really sealed the fate of this being a wrong-o is the fact that Hedy is an awful actress. Yes, she's a beauty all right, but especially in the company of real fine competent acting talent, she stuck out like a sore thumb.

So, "Boom Town" was quite a disappointment for me, after years of expectation. Sometimes two plus two does not equal four, if your script is not good. Catch Gable-Tracy and Gable-Colbert in their separate better films.

Interesting blend of soap opera and buddy flick
First, some movie trivia. Fans of WINGS OF DESIRE, the 1987 Wim Wenders film, should take note of the tailor that Clark Gable summons later in the film to make "twenty" suits for Spencer Tracy. The actor is Curt Bois, and he later played the part of "Homer" in WINGS OF DESIRE, the very old man first found in the library in Berlin, who aspires to be a witness to all he has seen in his life (ironically, one of the things he remembers are the atrocities of WW II, during which time Bois was living in Hollywood).

On one level this movie is about wild catters hunting for oil, but in reality it is about love and friendship. The oil industry actually serves as a backdrop, and after the first few scenes, it serves merely as a backdrop to the ups and downs of the main two characters. To be honest, it might be hard to watch if the three leads weren't played by such superb actors, and if excellent character actors weren't filling key minor roles. Luckily, Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, and especially Spencer Tracy make this film truly worth watching.

I have trouble with Clark Gable in most of his films. He always has a super macho attitude towards women, carries a chip the size of North Dakota on his shoulder, and is more beset by false pride than any actor in the history of film. He also comes across as frequently pretty stupid, a fact emphasized in George Clooney's imitation of him in O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? Still, he did possess an undeniable screen presence. He and Claudette Colbert do not here have the kind of chemistry that they had in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, but they nevertheless match up well onscreen. Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy made several movies together, with Gable always managing a slightly more important role, but in every film they acted in, Tracy managed to walk away with the best acting honors. Tracy had to have had the most penetrating eyes in the history of cinema. The cast is rounded out by Frank Morgan and the inimitably voiced Chill Wills. Hedy Lamarr plays a supporting role. She simply had to be one of the most beautiful women in the history of film. Unfortunately, her voice and acting ability fell far short of her extraordinary beauty. Publicists in the old studio system always tried to tag actors and actresses with nicknames, and Lamarr's was "The Most Beautiful Woman in Films," and I can't disagree with that one.

The plot is essentially guy meets guy, guys become friends, guy accidently steals the girl of the other guy but they all remain friends, guy loses guy and nearly loses gal, guys both have their ups and downs and ups and downs and ups and downs, guy gets guy, guy loses guy, guy and guy and gal all get each other again and live happily ever after. The ups and downs are a bit extreme, and I found them somewhat silly, especially given the fact that the entire action of the film supposedly takes place in less than eight years.

So, by no means a perfect film and one that is very easy to criticize. But nevertheless, this is also a film that is very easy to enjoy, thanks to typical performances by an extremely strong cast.

Best Hollywood Movie Ever About the Oil Industry
This is without question the best Hollywood movie ever made about the oil industry. It truly captures the passion, excitement, adventure and pioneering spirit that has made wildcatting such a wonderful endeavor. It also portrays the extraordinary period in history that the early decades of the 20th century provided for the industry. A time when a man with a dream, desire, and some skill, combined with a bit of luck, could overnight become one of the richest and most successful people in America. Often after having persevered through a long period of bad luck and dry holes. The movie also appears to incorporate in fascinating pieces of the actual histories of a number of the great wildcatters of the era.

It is the closest real life movie of our early oil history
The movie has a great cast with some of the best actors that ever graced Hollywood. You have action from the very beginning that holds your attention throughout the whole movie. You can feel the excitment of every oil discovery and the disappointment of every dry-hole. Boom Town has a story which is simple and is brought together with non complicated characters. The people wre all individuals, with there own ideas and had the guts and determination to risk everything to make there dream come true. I like to think, that was the way people were like in those days. If you like great acting and a movie of old adventure with a story that cannot be repeated in these modern times, then Boom Town is for the old fashioned of heart with romance in the soul. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A MUST SEE
This is a very good movie! I am a Shirley Temple fan, but I think that even if you are not, you will still love this movie! Shirley plays Star, a child that was in a ship wreck and was found by Captain January, a lighthouse keeper. There is an evil truant officer who is trying to take Star away from "Cap". This movie has something for everyone. It has a lot of really funny parts, but it also has a very good plot. There are some good songs in the movie, such as,"At the Codfish Ball","Early Bird",and "The Right Somebody To Love". This is a very good movie, A must see for anyone!

Shirley
This Temple film is very good. Little Shirley stars as the "daughter" of a lighthouse keeper who rescued her when she was a baby. A truant officer learns that "Star" doesn't go to school, makes her take an examination, and when she passes, angrily decides to sent Star to an institution. Unhappy Star gets a surprise from her sympathizing aunt and uncle. Includes lots of dancing. Not too cute like some of the Temple films. Lots of songs.

Great film
This movie has a good dance sequence with Shirley and Buddy Ebsen. Shirley sings some good songs with friends. An uplifting and entertaining film.

Gets Me Everytime
This is probably one of the only films besides for some tear-jerking romance movies that gets me to break down in tears each time I watch it. Shirley Temple gives an excellent performance as Star, a pint-sized orphan living with her savior, Captain January, in a lighthouse on the shore. When Star is ripped out of Captain January's arms as the cold truant officer tries to put her in an institution (I know- these are a likely basis for Temple flicks but who cant love them!), I bawl everytime as she yells to the grief-stricken Cap- "What did I do? Why are they taking me away from you?" It is the sadest thing ever to see a little girl, especially Shirley, break down like that- it gets me everytime.
This movie is indeed a Temple memorable- most def. one of her classics. She shines in this movie- dances surely the best she can with Buddy Ebsen- and bestows this beautiful relationship with the old sea Cap. The cap and Star both take care of each other and it is adorable to watch on screen. The songs in this movie are very cute and any child or Shirley fan will love this movie. I highly recommed it being a major Shirley fan myself. I grew up with her big smile, her bright eyes, her tiny dimples, and her curly top- Shes a big part of my childhood memories. I wish their were movies more like these that exist now...

AT THE CODFISH BALL WITH JED CLAMPETT!
A remake of a 1923 silent with the now-forgotten Baby Peggy, this is an amusing little Temple flick - one in which the little ones should enjoy. This was Shirley's initial 1936 release and it actually turned out to be one of her most fondly remembered movies. Based upon an 1890 novel entitled THE LIGHTHOUSE AT CAPE TEMPEST by Laura E. Richards, its the story of a poor foundling (how unusual for a Temple character!) named Star who is taken in by a kindly lighthouse keeper - the title character played by the talented Guy Kibbee. Shirley sings THE RIGHT SOMEBODY TO LOVE and her dance number with Buddy Ebsen is among her best while doing AT THE CODFISH BALL. During the filming of the latter's sequence, Temple had to climb a 45 foot stairway while a camera crane moved up beside her, catching her lines each time she turned on the stairs - timing the line exactly to the turn - Shirley never missed the synchronization once. Temple was easily the greatest asset the newly formed TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX had and this movie is quite a showcase for the little moppet. It's designed solely as its star's vehicle; Shirley appears in nearly every sequence: grinning, sobbing, dancing, singing, wriggling, pattering downstairs or spitting on her pinafore as the scenerio requires! The colourization process has improved substantially, so the kids won't complain about watching "old black and white movies"! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Perhaps if The Bishop's Wife had lapsed on its copyright and fallen into the public domain like It's a Wonderful Life, it would be as much a Christmas staple as that classic. It certainly deserves to be. Dudley (Cary Grant) is an angel sent down by the prayers of a new bishop (David Niven). The bishop is trying to build a new cathedral, and he's so entrenched in his fundraising that he's watching his own marriage crumble around him. Loretta Young is devoted, moist-eyed, and basically a great date for the tempted Dudley. They drink in the afternoon, go skating at night, and make impulse buys. The skating sequence beats mightily on one's suspension of disbelief, but the rest of the film is an absolute joy. Grant is suave, worldly, and enchanting. A wonderful present for anyone who has not seen it. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (58)

Delightful Holiday Story
Cary Grant stars as an angel named Dudley who suddenly appears and befriends an Episcopal bishop (David Niven) who is completely focused on raising money for his new church, and the bishop's wife (Loretta Young), who has become lonely and unhappy as her husband has gotten lost in his work. Grant uses little bits of heavenly magic and loads of charm to help Niven raise money and to help Young rediscover the joy of life. He also helps Niven and Young rediscover each other and realize that love must be the highest priority for anyone, including an ambitious bishop who's devoted to his job.

The acting is superb, as one would expect from this stellar cast. The story takes place at Christmas and, while not shown as much as other Christmas movies, I think it's one of the best. Cary Grant, all charm and suave coolness, plays this part perfectly, and the viewer even sees a touch of wistful envy in the angel who cannot have the Earthly love and happiness he helps Niven and Young rekindle for themselves. Buy this one and watch it every Christmas (or any other time you need a happiness booster or a reminder of the importance of love and kindness).

P.S.: "It's a Wonderful Life" is a good movie, but definitely I prefer "The Bishop's Wife".

A Family Favorite!
This film is one of the best of the Christmas Classics. The Bishop's Wife tells a story of an angel (Cary Grant) who comes down to earth in answer to a busy Bishop's (David Niven) prayer. The angel helps the Bishop learn to adjust his priorities and comes close to falling in love with Julia, the Bishop's wife (Loretta Young). The movie includes a lovely Skating/ Dance scene that defies description. Make this movie a tradition for your family this year.

Christmas with Cary Grant.
I think overall, this movie is maybe my favourite that was set around Christmas time. It's better than the brilliant - although overrated - Capra classic, "It's a Wonderful Life". I am in no way meaning to compare the two though. "The Bishop's Wife" is not really like that movie. But both films remain the two greatest christmas time classics to come out of the 1940's.

The film is, as one would have already guessed, set around christmas time. The main plot of the story, is that David Niven is this Bishop, who prays for guidance, of how to get a new cathedral built. Dudley (Cary Grant) is an Angel, who has been sent to help, although the Bishop does not take to him being an Angel too seriously, for some time. Dudley helps everyone he meets, but not always in the way they might prefer, to start off with. Dudley spends a lot of time with the Bishop's wife (Loretta Young) and he is not liking it. Dudley becomes the popular friend among all the people he meets, and helps, but the Bishop is the odd one out, becoming more annoyed, and frustrated with him as it goes along. It all ends nicely though, of course.

The film is really wonferful. There is a skating scene, that is inparticularly memorable, among Cary Grant always charming, excellent performance. The acting in this movie, is simply brilliant. I cant possibly have seen it being any better. The script, the story, everything about this movie is great. Repeated viewings are easy, and its one of Cary Grant best movies.

This DVD from MGM has a great print. It contains very few signs of scratching, and the other little artifacts you find in some movies of this age, and is an overall good looking transfer. The extras are lousy. You get the trailer (which is quite fun, might I add) but absolutely nothing else. Oh well, the print is the main thing, and they have done a good job in that part. Highly recommended.

Charming but overlong
Bishop: Are you expecting a letter?
Dudley: Well, you never know. If I did get one, the stamp would certainly be worth saving.

That's because Dudley (Cary Grant) is an angel sent to give guidance to forlorn Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven), and who eventually lights up the lives of everyone else in the Bishop's life, especially The Bishop's Wife in this delightful Christmas film from 1947. When the Bishop prays for help in getting a new cathedral built (the local millionairess widow will only give if her late husband's name is prominently displayed), Cary Grant shows up as his "assistant" but soon makes the Bishop even more miserable by charming his wife Julia (radiant Loretta Young), daughter Debby, and even housemaid Matilda (Elsa Lanchester, always wonderful).

The Bishop's Wife is truly "heavenly" with Grant playing off his tried-and-true persona. Originally Grant and Niven were supposed to have the opposite roles, but Grant decided he could do more with the angel role -- and Grant was a bigger star -- so they were exchanged. Good thing, too: I can't imagine Cary playing the indecisive Bishop any more than I can imagine Niven charming a woman away from Cary Grant.

Only a few things keep The Bishop's Wife from being perfect. There is an overlong ice-skating scene that really stretches the believability (I had to keep telling myself "he's an angel; he can do anything), and the film runs on about twenty minutes too long. In the beginning, Grant is so taken by Young that, if he weren't an angel, those looks would feel really sleazy. Turns out that Cary is just discovering temptations, which makes the ending all the more noble.

Watching The Bishop's Wife in June (during a Cary Grant festival on Turner Classic Movies) is a little strange, but the movie is so ... happy that it's easy to slip into the vibe, especially with all the Christmas carols being bandied about like so many candy canes. I'd certainly recommend that fans of the stars watch it at least once (especially since Loretta Young, whom I don't find all that attractive, is made, through Gregg Toland's photography, into a very appealing woman). Niven is rather on the milquetoasty side and his richest scene involves him being stuck in a chair, but the rest of the film is two hours of Christmas joy.

Charming!
THE BISHOP'S WIFE is a thoroughly charming movie about an "angel" (Cary Grant) who changes the life of a bishop (David Niven) who at Christmas time is trying desperately to raise funds to build an elaborate cathedral and has consequently neglected his wife, Julia (Loretta Young). The three leads give beautiful performances, and there is a wonderful supporting cast, including Monty Woolley as a kindly if doubting professor and James Gleason as a loveable cab driver. The screenplay is subtle, as is the musical score. The scene near the end of the film in which Grant, Young, and Gleason take time out for some ice skating is a delightful respite, very much like a number in a movie musical. THE BISHOP'S WIFE is a relatively recent addition to my video library, but it has quickly become my favorite classic Christmas movie -- next to MIRACLE ON 34th STREET and Alastair Sim's A CHRISTMAS CAROL, that is. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Lovely
An absolute must see for all age groups, but especially the kids. Has to be Shirley's all time best.

poor little rich girl rich in talent & music
This is one of my favorites, not only an engaging storyline but great music engaging charictors & great dance number at the end. This has great songs like you gotta eat your spinach baby & Oh my goodness.

A TEMPLE OF DELIGHTS.
When eight year old Barbara Barry, the daughter of a wealthy, widowed soap manufacturer, sneezes three times at the dinner table, the strict servant Collins (Sara Haden) sends her off to bed. Woodward, (Jane Darwell) another servant - who has a kinder approach - suggests that little Barbara be sent to a school in the Adirondacks where she can be happy with many other children her own age...A thoroughly delightful Temple vehicle, this colorized video will please children from 5-95. The picture bears little resemblance to the 1912 Eleanor Gates novel because many of the incidents in the movie come from a Ralph Spence story entitled BETSY TAKES THE AIR. A highly successful version - which was much truer to the original book - was filmed as a 1917 silent starring Mary Pickford. Amusingly, Shirley sings the song BUT DEFINITELY in a manner a'la Crosby singing WHERE THE BLUE OF NIGHT MEETS THE GOLD OF THE DAY. By 1939, this movie reaped a $2.5 million profit. One of Shirley's better films, to be sure.

Shirleys talent radiates the screen
In this movie Shirleys talents shine. Her singing and dancing are a cut above. I especially love when she sings to her dolls!
The dance sequence in the end with Alice Faye and Jack Haley is incredible! I just LOVE this movie!!!

Shirley Temple
This movie is so funny it is one of my favorits. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Neglected Classic That Teaches Lessons In Life
This simple story offers sentiment without saccharine in its story of a farming family in a small community. Episodic in nature, the film follows the adventures of daughter Selma (Margaret O'Brien) and her friend Arnold (Jackie "Butch" Jenkins) as they, like the crops under her parents' care, grow into caring, loving individuals.

The cast is the great thing here. O'Brien was a gifted little actress, charming in her prissiness, and Jenkins equals her as her slightly pouty friend. Both offer memorable performances--but the truly remarkable performances here, the ones for which the film should be prized, come from Edward G. Robinson and Agnes Moorehead, who are cast against type in the roles of Selma's parents. Robinson, of course, is best remembered for his tough-guy roles, full of energetic bluster; Moorehead is most often recalled as one of the most memorable shrews in Hollywood history. But both show the range of their talents in this film, playing quietly, simply, and very movingly--and one regrets that both (particularly Moorehead) were not given more opportunity to play such in-depth roles more often.

Ultimately, VINES is about how parents teach their children and shape their lives--and about how children, for good or ill, learn lessons in life from their parents. Simply filmed, beautifully performed, and memorable from start to finish, it is a film that deserves wider recognition than it normally receives. An excellent family film that both parents and children will enjoy.

Heartwarming story of father/daughter relationship
I'm surprised that more people have not seen this movie. I saw it on one of the classic movie channels and loved it. Edward G. Robinson steps out of his usual gangster role and is totally convincing as a kind, tolerant, hardworking farmer trying to eke out a living and raise his daughter the best way he knows how. Margaret O'Brien is the daughter, and of course does an excellent job as the sweetest kid I've ever seen and she's believable! Agnes Morehead plays the mother--I was impressed with her as well, she always has played harsh,bitter women from what I've noticed and her portrayal in this movie is a total reversal. Some of the other actors may seem corny and maybe the story isn't as exciting as other movies but I'd recommend this one if you're into sentimental, happy-ending movies!

The Best of Margaret O'Brian and Edward G. Robinson!
I would give this movie 10 stars if I could! I was deeply affected by the acting and plot of this story. At the end of the movie I cried because one, I wished it wasn't over, and two, because I think it's a powerful gift when you can make someone laugh and cry at the same time. I think it's exciting when the characters come alive and you can relate to their feelings. That is exactly what happened to me when I saw this movie. This movie was so perfect. The cast includes Edward G. Robinson as the loving, caring father; Margaret O'Brian is the young, naive daughter; Agnes Moorehead is the over-protctive mother; and (my personal favorite) Jackie Jenkins as the annoying, but cute cousin. These characters all played an important role in this movie. If Jakie Jenkins wasn't there than Margaret O'Brian would not get into trouble. If Margaret O'Brian wasn't there than Edward G. Robinson wouldn't have anyone to wake up in the middle of the night just to go see the circus. I loved all of these characters, and I know you will to!

Excellent old Hollywood B&W movie
More current films do not express the same tones and character dynmaics that are very evident in this film. Just as portrayed later in both the Waltons and Little House on the Prairie, the importance and significance of the family unit is presented here with clear basic story telling from a decade long since past. For a nostalgic journey back in time when what Mom & Dad thought of you as a child mattered, this movie is it.
It is worth having in your collection if you are into B&W, Edward G Rombinson, and a little tear dropping on a rainy afternoon.

Two little angels in the earth Margaret Obrien,Butch Jenking
This movie picture have ALL that not is in present dark days ; the love at the family , the respet at the marriage , love at the land (not words of ecology ; live in the land) a small town with a genuine comunity ; people with if necesary Spirit of Auto-Sacrifice for other ideal Supreme at himself , inocence in the childrens and adults that value (AND PROTEGE NOT FREEDOM , PROTEGE THE INOCENCE OF THE CHILDRENS) this inocence AS THE MOST GREAT OF FULLERTOWN (the town of the picture) and too litle conflicts as City versus Town , as auto-sacrifice or egoism , and christianism since the sincere expression of childrens and i too have a imaginary The End 20 years end personally in my imagination with married of BUTCH WITH THE 1 YEAR OLD MOST OLD (butch in a kayak said ; " i too in future become a adult " , he is 1 year most children of the personage of Margaret Obrien , and Margaret said ," Yes Yes! " at the poor baby Butch ) What difference between this naturale reveldy of young of Butch personage and in example in 1955 Vic Morrow personage against Glend Ford in ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK , around the clock for not wait , not wait for not supreme objetive , not supreme for not Spirit , lost the Spirit . THE LOST SPIRIT ; AND OBVIOUSLY THE GENUINE SPIRIT IS IN THIS MOVIE

The Secret Garden 1949 Original Version (sorry Buth not is here , but yes Margaret Obrien) is other Great Movie

Incidentally and ironically the begining early of the Rock and Roll is in other Margaret Obrien movie of 1944 The Canterville Ghost (1944) ~ Edwin Blum; VHS

FULLERTOWN , (I NOT LOVE AMERICA USA BUT ;) I LOVE FULLERTOWN all in this picture is beautyfull , Ingemar , Edward G. Robinson the Elefants in the nigth , the nigth with the caravan of Circle , the journalist of the town and the new teacher from the city (with initial ice in your blood ) the ice become a water and begining the spring , all is beautifull in this picture , inclusive the disgacies in midle of the a Genuine Comunity become a renobable grace with Power of the Spirit ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Andy Hardy's Double Life
This is a really cute Andy Hardy movie. I like this one a lot! This is a really nice family movie. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Still just as great, over 60 years later
Lucille Ball, Tommy Dix, Virginia Weidler, June Allyson, and Nancy Walker star in this hilarious and refreshing story of a military school student who invites a famous movie actress to the prom.

Bud Hooper didn't know that his letter would ever be answered...but when Lucille Ball writes back to say she'd be delighted to attend his school's senior prom, he's in shock. He frantically wires his girlfriend, Helen, not to come because he is sick. Guilty and depresed, Bud wishes he'd never thought up this crazy scheme. His two roommates are enthusiastic, however, and convince him that Helen will never know.

Meanwhile, Lucille Ball isn't any happier. Jack, her publicity agent, wants to get her on the front page and thinks this is the way to do it. Lucille is skeptical, especially when she hears that she must hide her identity and go to the prom as Helen, because that was the name Bud turned into the faculty two weeks before.

Trouble escalates when Helen shows up just before the prom, having intended to keep her poor bedridden boyfriend company. Then it's just one laugh after another as Lucille Ball's dress is torn off in a frenzy of "souvenir collecting" started by the fuming Helen. Lucy is then forced to hide in a stuffy closet, while Bud and his friends try to plan an escape.

This is a true gem of a movie, with great songs and hysterically funny lines. My favorite line was probably one spoken by the hopelessly ugly blind date (Nancy Walker): "You can't insult me and get away with it. In fact, you can't insult me."

VERY FUNNY ONE LINERS!
This movie has many lines that my sisters and I still quote from today! ("Whoever finds her...I hope it's me!" -- one of our favorites!) Trust me, this is very funny!

Wonderful Forties Musical
If you like college musicals, you'll love this fast paced MGM piece of fluff. The story is simple, a military college cadet wins a date with Hollywood actress Lucille Ball (In one of many performances where she plays herself) This ill conceived publicity stunt designed to re-start her faltering career, turns into a hilarious disaster when the cadet's girlfriend shows-up the night of the big date. You can imagine the fun that ensues with Lucy hiding out in the cadet's dorm room closet which continues to get more crowed by the minute. The musical numbers are all classic, like Harry James' swing version of "Flight of the Bumble Bee," and the rollicking "Barrelhouse, Boogie, and The Blues," beautifully performed by Nancy Walker, June Allison, and Gloria DeHaven. This was their MGM debut film and they all went on to stardom.

This is one of MGM's better musicals from the forties, it is full of great music, lively dancing and just plain fun and let's face it Lucille Ball is absolutely georgous.

I highly recommend this film!

Lucy shines!
Lucy looks absolutely fabulous in this movie, just like she does in every other movie. She is a brilliant actress, and it shows in this film. Her talent comes shining through. She's very funny at times, especially when her fans rip off her clothes and she slaps a man. She's left there in her underwear, and she constantly has to hide in closets(poor dear!). This is a very good movie, so if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and do watch it. If you love Lucy as much much as I do(which I doubt), or even remotely close to how much I do, then watch her shine in Best Foot Forward. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Sparkling MGM Comedy Of Jewel Thieves In High Society
"The Last of Mrs. Cheyney", in my opinion epitomises everything that MGM represented at it's peak in the late 1930's. Based on the famous and often revived stageplay by Frederick Lonsdale, we have here the perfect star vehicle for a highly sophisticated Joan Crawford at the peak of her artistic and glamourous film stardom where we find her yet again moving in levels of society above where she originated from. In this film Joan Crawford's legendary "shop girl", characterisations really came of age in a delightful confection dealing with "street smart" jewel thieves in high society who realise they are not as smart or indeed as street wise as those high society "dupes" they are prepared to fleece. The "MGM", look is rounded out by leading men William Powell (in his only appearance with Joan Crawford), and Robert Montgomery and with a beautiful class "A", production with careful attention to detail expended in every department. Indeed "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney", despite it's strange lack of success at the boxoffice in 1937, provided Joan Crawford with a refreshing change of pace which she handles very well indeed and illustrates the development in her acting abilities since her famous efforts of the early 1930's such as "Grand Hotel", and "Sadie McKee".

The famous play which this film was based on has seen many revivals including an earlier 1929 film version starring Norma Shearer and Basil Rathbone. That version was very successful however in terms of top production values this 1937 version is far superior. Joan Crawford plays Fay Cheyney, an American woman who travels easily in British high society. She possesses all the manufactured refinement, poise and conversation skills to win over the jaded aristocrats and "old money" crowd who when she has won their trust, proceeds to relieve of their ancestral jewels. In her schemes she is aided by her "butler" Charles (William Powell) and a ring of no good types intent upon making themselves rich via Fay's ability to win the trust of England's titled gentry. Setting up residence in London Fay catches the eye of young Lord Arthur Dilling (Montgomery) and elderly Lord Francis Kelton (Frank Morgan)both of whom will be at a lavish weekend party at the country residence of the Duchess of Ebley(a superb Jessie Ralph), who happens to have a valuable jewelry collection. Seeing this as the possible heist of the century Fay manages to be invited for the weekend by charming the Duchess. Fay considers herself above the titled group around her and touchingly sees herself as "a respectable adventuress rather than a criminial"! Carrying off a beautiful and rare pearl necklace however Fay is caught in the act by Lord Arthur who has his own terms and conditions about whether to turn her into the police. Just as Fay is about to abandon her "calling in life" and go away quietly with Charles who also loves her and is very protective of her welfare, highly embarrassing love letters written to Fay by an ardent Lord Kelton are revealed which turns the tables on the priviledged group assembled at the house by painting them in a very unflattering light and showing them to be no better or trustworthy than the jewel thieves currently in their midst. With this solid gold evidence in their hands Fay and Charles threaten to reveal all to the police and the courts upon which to save face a very hasty solution is found to "everyone's" satisfaction", that also sees Fay happily settled afterall with Lord Dilling in a respectable life as Lady Dilling that will definately see "the last of Mrs. Cheyney".

Despite Joan Crawford's shaking standing in Box Office terms in 1937 this film was an all out effort by MGM to provide her with just the right property to hopefully restore her standing in Hollywood. Joan had to wait for 2 more years and the role of Crystal in "The Women", for that to happen but "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney", is a respectable film sadly not well enough known today. It boasts all the expected MGM polish as became an "A" class production at this time. It combines superb art direction and settings courtesy of the celebrated Cedric Gibbons, wonderful costumes in particular for Joan by the legendary Adrian who was always expert at creating clothes for high society settings of whatever age. The supporting players alone could have earned MGM the title of having more stars than there are in heaven in particular Jessie Ralph as the no nonsense Duchess who takes a shine to Fay, Nigel Bruce as befuddled Lord Winton, and Benita Hume, Ralph Forbes and Aileen Pringle lending their always excellent support to the proceedings. The film was marked by tragedy and potential crisis during production when veteran director Richard Boleslawski suddenly died before the film was completed. Although he received sole billing as director of "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney", in actual fact the chore of completing the film was handed to famous female director Dorothy Arzner who took over the direction for the last few weeks of production. She would team again with Joan Crawford in both women's next film "The Bride Wore Red".

As a typical product of late 30's sophistication "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney", makes wonderful entertainment revealing a world removed from day to day reality with no thoughts of war or depression evident. Joan Crawford and William Powell might not be the most memorable screen team in MGM's history however their work together is polished and offers an interesting variation on Powell's work in particular with more regular co stars like Myrna Loy. Enjoy Joan Crawford as a female "Raffles" finding love in high society in the glossy "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney".

CLASSIC CRAWFORD
This movie actually contains a superior Joan Crawford performance. A beautiful example of a "class picture" from the M-G-M of 1937, this movie - surprisingly - wasn't quite successful enough on its own to pull Crawford out of the "box-office poison" category which plagued her in the late thirties. The movie is based on the Frederick Lonsdale evergreen, which was filmed previously in 1929 with Norma Shearer; the critics mostly agreed that this version was a definite improvement. Crawford got special praise for her smooth comedy playing (although she and Bill Powell had an odd chemistry) and the supporting cast was generally excellent. The Leon Gordon-Monkton Hoffe-Samuel Raphaelson script for producer Lawrence Weingarten made few alterations to the play about jewel theives in high society.... Director Richard Boleslawski, died suddenly while the film was still in production.

Joan Crawford shines as jewel thief who meets her match!
I would not consider this movie "dated" in 1999. The cast is superb with Crawford and her partner in crime Powell planning to endear her to a wealthy family,so she can steal their jewels. Crawford does not know all the pitfalls she will encounter-some hilarious ones at that. Robert Montgomery proves Crawford's ultimate test. Can she give up her exciting but shallow life of crime for him, or will he turn her in if he figures out her ploy. Watch it and have fun seeing it all unfold. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The doctor has a secret...
In the 1930's & 40's, one of the most popular movie series was MGM's "Dr. Kildare" that starred Lew Ayres as the young intern James ("Jimmy") Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as his gruff but friendly mentor Dr. Leonard Gillespie as they encountered various patients and crises at Blair General Hospital, a New York City teaching hospital.

This film, number three in the series, is one of the best and perhaps the most representative of the entire series. Ayres and Barrymore play off each other beautifully, and they have fine support from the regular ensemble who played a major part in most of the other "Dr. Kildare" films, including Laraine Day as Nurse Mary Lamont, Alma Kruger as Head Nurse Molly Bird, Walter Kingsford as Hospital Director Dr. S.J. Carew, Nell Craig as Nurse "Nosey" Parker, Marie Blake (Jeanette MacDonald's older sister) as Sally the wisecracking switchboard operator, and Nat Pendleton as the slow-witted ambulance driver Joe Wayman.

"The Secret of Dr. Kildare" especially shows off the technique the series featured of the characters being involved in several intertwined plots. Dr. Kildare attempts to stop Dr. Gillespie from wrecking his health while working on a cure for pneumonia, and at the same time takes up the call for help of a Wall Street business magnate (Lionel Atwill) whose debutante daughter (Helen Gilbert) has begun to behave oddly and eventually develops psychosomatic blindness. While all this goes on, Dr. Kildare's parents (Emma Dunn & Samuel S. Hinds) come to New York supposedly for a friendly visit with their son, but more serious matters lie underneath.

This was Helen Gilbert's second feature film. She is unusual in Hollywood history having formerly been a cellist in the MGM studio orchestra, and even though she didn't achieve major stardom, I enjoyed her performance in this movie as Nancy Messenger.

The baby-boom generation may remember Richard Chamberlain on TV as Dr. Kildare, but for their parents as well as classic movie lovers, there will always be only one Dr. Kildare in Lew Ayres.

A classic classic
If you are a fan of classic movies this is one for your library. You have the richness of Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Gillespie, and the vulnerability of Lew Ayers as Dr. Kildare. The supporting roles help illuminate the danger in putting anothers well-being before your own. There is a drama with just enough humor relief to make for enjoyable evening watching old friends. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The best of the Andy Hardy series, thanks to Judy Garland
The beginning was when debutantes started to wear strapless evening gowns, or so Andy Hardy says as he begins to tell the story of his most recent troubles to his father. Andy Hardy Meets Debutante, the ninth film in the immensely popular Andy Hardy series, is easily my favorite of them all. Comical yet touching, entertaining yet sometimes almost uncomfortably serious, this 1940 classic has the power to make you laugh as well as cry. Judy Garland, a year after attaining superstardom in The Wizard of Oz, makes her second of three appearances in the series, and she was never more beautiful and charming as she was here. While Betsy Booth may fret about her lack of glamour, the teenaged Judy Garland was to my eyes the most beautiful young lady in Hollywood.

As usual, Andy Hardy's troubles are of his own making. After his regular girl Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford) tells Andy she thinks they should start seeing other people, he constructs an emotional wall founded on a lie. He tells Polly and his friend Beezy that Miss Daphne Fowler, New York's top debutante, is mad about him; the only problem is that he has no way of getting to New York to be with her. As luck would have it (Andy's luck, anyway), his father Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) soon announces that the whole family is going to New York in order for him to help settle a dispute threatening to shut down Carvel's home for orphans. Andy's supposed love affair with Miss Fowler is set for publication in the school's paper, and if Andy doesn't return with a picture of Daphne and himself to corroborate his claims, he will be ruined socially.

The Hardys are met in New York by Betsy Booth (Judy Garland), whose crush on Andy has not faded one bit since her last visit to Carvel. As always, Betsy gives Andy all the help she can, despite his refusal to tell her what it is all about. The small town boy in New York City makes some of his biggest and most embarrassing blunders yet, leaving him so distraught that he even offends his magnanimous father by asking why he couldn't be rich and socially placed instead of just a small town judge. Even a lesson in the history and spirit of America leaves Andy unmoved and his father visibly disappointed in him, although it offers a terrific and inspirational message on the equality of man. Judge Hardy has troubles of his own, though. Expecting an easy victory over a big New York law firm in the case of the orphanage, he finds himself feeling out-classed for a time and must struggle mightily to figure out a way to save the orphanage.

Betsy Booth is any young man's dream come true, although Andy Hardy has trouble noticing this obvious fact. Judy Garland contributes two wonderful songs to her entrancing performance, one of which, in the words of her character, will either bring Andy around or prove that he is made of concrete. Her dramatically expressive singing of the song Alone fails to penetrate the blinders on Andy's eyes, but her spirited singing of I'm Nobody's Baby later on finally manages to touch the heart of the boy she adores. This leads to a somewhat melancholy, incredibly tender, deeply touching scene between Betsy and Andy toward the end of the picture.

Andy Hardy Meets Debutante is one of the early Judy Garland movies than any Garland fan simply must have in his/her movie collection. Judy is stunningly beautiful and charmingly vivacious, and her two very different but equally powerful songs stand among the best of her early career. Her acting skills are almost as impressive as her singing, and it really pains me to see the very visible tears in her eyes whenever Andy fails to notice, let alone, reciprocate her love for him. The final scene between the two is a quiet and almost heartbreakingly emotional tour de force that will touch the heart of anyone who has ever loved someone. I simply adore this movie.

Judy and Mickey at top form
This is my favorite of the Andy Hardy series. Judy Garland plays Betsy Booth, the plain-Jane foil to Andy's more glamourous girl interests. Betsy, good natured friend, secretly pines for Andy while helping him connect with another girl, a NY debutante. Judy was never better, offering renditions of "Alone" a comic ballad you may recognize from "A Night at the Opera", and "Nobody's Baby" a swing number that she belts out with characteristic verve. All of Rooney's mugging can't take away from the pair's undeniable appeal, and there is something so sweet in young Judy's eager smile and wide eyes. Sit back and enjoy what our parents flocked to see when they were teens. It was a different world, and this affords you a glimpse back. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Lovely
An absolute must see for all age groups, but especially the kids. Has to be Shirley's all time best.

poor little rich girl rich in talent & music
This is one of my favorites, not only an engaging storyline but great music engaging charictors & great dance number at the end. This has great songs like you gotta eat your spinach baby & Oh my goodness.

A TEMPLE OF DELIGHTS.
When eight year old Barbara Barry, the daughter of a wealthy, widowed soap manufacturer, sneezes three times at the dinner table, the strict servant Collins (Sara Haden) sends her off to bed. Woodward, (Jane Darwell) another servant - who has a kinder approach - suggests that little Barbara be sent to a school in the Adirondacks where she can be happy with many other children her own age...A thoroughly delightful Temple vehicle, this colorized video will please children from 5-95. The picture bears little resemblance to the 1912 Eleanor Gates novel because many of the incidents in the movie come from a Ralph Spence story entitled BETSY TAKES THE AIR. A highly successful version - which was much truer to the original book - was filmed as a 1917 silent starring Mary Pickford. Amusingly, Shirley sings the song BUT DEFINITELY in a manner a'la Crosby singing WHERE THE BLUE OF NIGHT MEETS THE GOLD OF THE DAY. By 1939, this movie reaped a $2.5 million profit. One of Shirley's better films, to be sure.

Shirleys talent radiates the screen
In this movie Shirleys talents shine. Her singing and dancing are a cut above. I especially love when she sings to her dolls!
The dance sequence in the end with Alice Faye and Jack Haley is incredible! I just LOVE this movie!!!

Shirley Temple
This movie is so funny it is one of my favorits. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Melodramatic Moral Decisions
Contrary to what some other reviewers have written, I happen to find this movie quite enjoyable and a prime example of the "Happiness At What Cost?" theme that was explored in many outstanding films of the 30's, 40's and 50's. A few that come to mind are DODSWORTH (Walter Huston), ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO (Bette Davis) and THE SHINING HOUR (Joan Crawford), all of which dealt with people having to ask the question: Do I grab my one and only chance for true love, even though others may suffer for it, or do I follow the noble course of action and sacrifice my own happiness so that the feelings of others will be spared? This film certainly doesn't measure up to any of those classics, but it's still a very entertaining drama. The moral/ethical decision, in this case, involves lonely Lana Turner trying to choose whether to force her lover Ray Milland to leave his wife (an invalid confined to a wheelchair) or to let him go and leave his marriage intact. Soap opera? Maybe, but it's great stuff to watch on a cold winter afternoon.

A Waste of Your Time
A completely forgettable vehicle for Lana Turner, filmed in black and white so not even the clothing can be enjoyed. Turner plays an eager young model who falls in love with a married man. Unfortunately, Ms. Turner looks older than her thirty or so years in this picture, making her unbelievable as the fresh faced girl from Kansas. Her meteoric rise to the top takes about ten minutes and why she can't get a date with anyone but Ray Milland, a married man from out of town, is not too clear. It's the kind of over blown sap-fest contract players were forced to submit to back then. I'm a big fan of Lana's, and this was just too boring to finish watching. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

It Has Its Moments . . . And Its Flaws
The Story: Two brothers (Clark Gable and Robert Sterling) are reporters who come back from Europe just before World War II and cannot convince their editor that war is imminent in Europe. Robert Sterling is in love with a young reporter at the paper, Lana Turner, but the sparks fly when Turner meets Gable, who's the worldly, playboy-type brother. Gable knows Turner would be good for his brother and that he himself wouldn't be good for Turner's character, but also can't keep his eyes off her. Turner gets sent to Asia to see what's happening there. She disappears, and the newspaper sends Gable and Sterling to find her. Then, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor and all three reporters are stuck on the wrong side of the Pacific, safety-wise, but the right side, story-wise.

Commentary: The movie does some things very well, like portraying the chemistry between Gable and Turner, depicting the ugliness of war realistically, and creating the nationalistic atmosphere that existed early in the War (my father backs that view up, and he volunteered in 1942). However, the characters, especially Gable and Sterling, seem caricaturish: Gable is the playboy who's unsettled and dangerous, Sterling is the good boy who's stable but might be boring in the long run. They each show flashes of depth, but not enough. Turner gives a more three-dimensional portrayal of a woman torn between two extremes: the exciting man who won't be good for her and the boring man who will give her a future and fidelity. Some of the dialogue in the film comes off like it was a propaganda film, but many filmmakers at the time saw it as their patriotic duty to support the war effort.

Overall, it is interesting and has episodes of realism that let us peer into that time, but the acting and dialogue are uneven.

The Girl Really IS Hot....
I'd be lying if I said I bought this movie just because I'm a big Clark Gable fan as Lana Turner really is as fantastic as any actress Gable had worked with. The story is compelling and at times feels forced, but Gable carries himself perfectly as an at times despicable character, but as always the heart of gold shines through. Powerful speech to end the movie tells me all I need to know about how Americans in the 40's felt about the war. Something someone my age couldn't ever really know. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

From A Lorre Fan!
This movie is a strange one. Some of the acting is bad, the premise of the story is pretty far out in left field, and Ted Healy's attempt at comedy is irritating. But this is quibbling. The whole movie is no more or no less than a stellar performance by Peter Lorre. His mad Dr. Gogol is one of the most over the top performances ever seen.

Yes, this movie is a strange one, but for a Lorre fan, a must-see! Recommended!

A MACABRE FASCINATION.
The macabre Dr. Gorgol (Peter Lorre) is so madly infatuated with the beautiful wife (Frances Drake) of a concert pianist (Colin Clive) that he conceives a diabolical plan...That there is something twisted behind the shaven head and dead face is indicated by an opening sequence in which, enraptured, Lorre watches a Grand Guignol stage performance in which Drake plays a faithless wife put to torture. Lorre later turns her into a waxwork image to be worshipped, serenaded on the piano, and read poetry to in the privacy of his own weird home...This is by far the best of many versions and variants of Maurice Renard's novel LES MAINS d'ORLAC. Karl Freund, the master cinematographer who won himself an AA for THE GOOD EARTH in 1938, is, however, no more at ease direction-wise than he was making THE MUMMY three years prior. However, the film boasts an astounding performance from Lorre in his American picture debut.

A Good Little Gem
Mad Love is an interesting and well made little picture. You've got Karl Freund,Peter Lorre and Greg Toland all working near their peaks and that alone is something to behold. Another beautiful black and white film, some may want to hold off and see if it hits DVD but VHS is not evil-not like Peter Lorre...Fans of classic cinema (and Citizen Kane in particular as this film influenced a young Welles-he sought out Toland as a collaborator based on his work on this and other films) and the almost always entertaining Lorre should pick this up. Not well known but well worth discovering.

Lorre steals the show
The movie itself is not that good. It's rather ludicrous, really: a murderer's hands are affixed to the stumps of a concert pianist whose hands are crushed in a train accident, and the transplanted hands start flinging knives with deadly accuracy. If this was supposed to be the scary part of the film, it didn't work at all. What _does_ work, however, is Peter Lorre's performance as Dr. Gogol, who does the transplant. He's creepy, yet pathetic. You actually feel sorry for him as you watch his descent into madness. He's a sympathetic monster (although he does go a bit over the edge when he shows up with metallic hands and a neckbrace, claiming he's the murderer with his head sewn back in place). There are also some surprisingly humorous bits; Ted Healy as a newspaper reporter, and Gogol's drunken housekeeper, who sees two of everything and thinks wax figures come to life and talk to her (at the end, so does Gogol). Mostly this is for horror fans, although I think most everyone will be impressed by one of Lorre's best performances.

Wonderful and unnerving study of obsession!
Dr. Gogol is a somewhat bizarre, but brilliant surgeon who is obsessed with the beautiful actress Yvonne. He goes night after night to see her perform in a Grand Guignol-style performance as a victim of sadistic torture. When the theatre is closing for the season, he is upset to hear that Yvonne is not returning as she is married and will be joining her husband. He is able to purchase a wax likeness of her from the theatre and this he keeps and fantasizes over, speaking to it as if it were alive. Yvonne's husband, the famed pianist Stephen Orlac is injured in a train accident and his hands are crushed. Yvonne, wary of Dr. Gogol's attentions, but knowing of his reputation as a surgeon, asks him to help her husband. Dr. Gogol, anxious to do anything to keep the object of his desire close by, agrees. He grafts the hands of the recently guillotined knife-throwing murderer Rollo onto Stephen Orlac. After recovering, Stephen finds that he cannot play the paino as he used to, but his hands do have the ability to wield a kinfe with deadly accuracy, and they seem to have a mind of their own! With bills for therapies piling up, Yvonne and Stephen's life seems to be falling apart. Dr. Gogol sees this as a chance to make Yvonne his own. Peter Lorre gives a stellar turn in this role. We are truly able to see his character's descent into madness. Director Karl Freund's expressionist style makes every frame interesting to look at. Some of the comic relief is a bit over the top, especially the batty maid, but overall a great film, well worth a look. ... Read more

Description

In the South, peddler marries school teacher and then starts on a whirlwind rise politically, using hysteria among cotton pickers and small-town folk as his device. His rise is halted when his crooked goings-on are exposed. Based on the novel by Adria Locke Langley. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice Flim
James Cagney shines as a charming but corrupt rural politician trying to deceive the voters. Barbara Hale is great as his sweet wife who is clueless about how dishonest her husband really is. It isn't Cagney's best film, but it is entertaining, and the performances are excellent. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

This Movie Deserves More Than Five Stars...
Personally, I never really got into the LM Montgomery books about Anne. But, I will be the first to say that the Anne Of Green Gables movies are my FAVORITE.
I very highly recommend them.
The story begins in the first movie, with a young orphan girl who is mistakenly adopted by an elderly brother and sister, Mathew and Marilla Cuthbert, who actually wanted a boy to begin with.
Marilla wants her to go. But soft-hearted Mathew has started to like her. So they give her a chance.
So starts Anne's journey to become accepted by her adopters, to make and keep friends and deal with every entertaining incident after another... From taking action over her 'homely' looks, to trying to convince her best friend's mother that she really is good.
Along the way, many other characters are introduced... Diana, Anne's closest friend; Gilbert, a teasing young guy who has taken quite a liking to Anne, and lots more.
The actors preform their parts very well, especially Megan Follows as Anne and Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla.
I hope you get a chance to view this film. While you're at it, why not try watching the sequel and the last of the Anne movies? It's definetly worth it.
Enjoy!

Disappointing
This movie was cute but didn't follow the book very much. I would have liked to have seen the scene where Anne has her teacher over and finds a mouse in the jam. The biggest problem I had with the movie was that they combined Diana Barry's mom with Rachel Lynde to form RACHEL BARRY. Could they not afford two actreses? Rachel Lynde is essential to the story and all her children were grown and she was at least in her fifties in the book. Plus, they made Marilla much too harsh. And then there was a scene where Anne and Marilla kissed and it was sure a long kiss. Strange!

However, the acting was above par. I loved Anne Shirley and the guy who played Gil was charming.

If you really want to see ANNE at its best, I suggest that you buy the version with the supremely talented Megan Follows.

Anne of Green Gables
I loved these books when I was growing up; the Anne series is great. And, even though this movie didn't follow the book, if you think about it just as a movie and not in relation to the book, it's actually very good.

It centers around an orphan named 'Anne Shirley' (I started laughing when I saw the name of the actress that played Anne) and life at her new home, Green Gables.

Favorite part of the movie? Anne's parts with Gilbert Blythe (Tom Brown). Like I said: the movie is WAY different from the book, especially on this account. I, for one, hated the long wait from book one to book three 'til Anne and Gilbert finally ended up together... but, still. It seemed a little odd to have Anne go from hating him to loving him in the space of a few short minutes, but it worked out all right in the end.

Rating: PG. Definitely. There is NOTHING bad in this movie; kids would love it.

If you loved the book, you'll hate this movie!
This movie is so far removed from the book, It is hard to believe that the screenwriters even read the original books.
I don't see why they even bothered to call it "Anne of Green Gables", since they chose to create an entirely different story than the original. Please watch the Canadian Movies starring Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst and Richard Farnsworth.

Anne of Green Gables
Anne Shirley is "Anne of Green Gables."
Just about the best family movie available.
A delight for all children. ... Read more