Amazon.com

Behaving as if it hadn't already been immortalized in Judges, chapters 13-16, Cecil B. DeMille immortalized history's most famous haircut all over again in this 1949 classic of the Epic Saga genre. Victor Mature is a trifle bovine as Samson--which perhaps isn't so inappropriate--but Hedy Lamarr's Delilah is a magnet on fire. Impossibly perfect and sexy, she sashays through the movie in a whole wardrobe of revealing halter tops, bending the men like blades of grass. These days it's hard to enjoy a DeMille film without condescension: from Samson's fight with a lion that might well be stuffed, to the famous collapsing-temple scene, we are constantly aware of how far movies have come, and the Philistines parade around in costumes that won an Oscar but can only remind the modern viewer of Klingon cocktail parties. But in so many other ways this is very classy filmmaking. DeMille takes considerable liberties with the biblical story to come up with a sort of Ur-narrative of love, betrayal, and remorse that you can swallow very nicely with or without its religious ingredient. Best exchange: Lamarr--"You killed him with... your hands. Oh, Samson!" (Jumps on Mature's back.) Mature--"Hey! One cat at a time!" Also stars George Sanders, a very youthful (and miscast) Angela Lansbury, and impassioned music by Victor Young. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (18)

AN EPIC OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS!
One of the greatest films ever made, "Samson and Delilah" stands out as a crowning achievement in Biblical epics, the trademark of legendary director Cecil B. DeMille. The story of Samson, the strongest of men, felled by the temptress Delilah is brought to the screen in majesty and splendor. Victor Mature is wonderful in his role as Samson, bringing a sense of humor and humanity to the role. Hedy Lamarr nearly overwhelms the brilliant Technicolor with her ravishing beauty as Delilah, sleek and seductive. As Delilah's sister, Angela Lansbury fares well in her brief role as do George Sanders (as a subtle ruler of the Philistines) and Henry Wilcoxon (as a military governor). And the actors are only one ornament to the production. The art direction is masterful and incredible. And the costumes... such gorgeous opulence and splendor were never seen since, sometimes almost stealing the scenes from the actors. Both categories won 1949 Academy Awards, giving Oscar's gilt to this classic. The film is immensely entertaining and superbly directed with reverence to the sacred texts by DeMille (at 128 minutes, dramatically shorter than DeMille's "Ten Commandments". But the special effects are one of the best reasons to see the film: Mature's three-minute fight with a lion, to the unbelievabe climatic scene in which Mature pulls down a temple of stone. A classic all the way through, "Samson and Delilah" is a film that you will never tire of, and always want to see again and again...I now quote the film's final words: "Men will tell his story for a thousand years." And if it lasts that long, men will watch this movie for a thousand years.

Correcting an error in the Amazon review
Yeah, I give the film "four stars" but my main reason for submitting is to set the record straight. Angela Lansbury did not play Samson's sister; she played "Semadar", sister to Delilah and betrothed of Samson. Her accidental death at the hands of one of the Philistine wedding party sends Samson in a murderous rage, setting the stage for Delilah's emergence as a treacherous romantic interest.

yes, groucho, vic's chest is bigger than heddys!
when the inimitable groucho marx was asked if he was going to attend the premiere of this movie, he responded that he refused to go to any movie where the hero had a bigger chest than the leading lady!

they dont make them like this anymore, which is a good thing!

Great Hollywood Biblical Epic
I have always loved this movie since I was a kid. I want to purchase this movie but I prefer to wait until it is released on DVD. Why isn't this movie on DVD? There is no excuse. DVD has been out for a long time now. PLEASE PUT THIS MOVIE OUT ON DVD!!!

why 2 tapes?
I like this movie. Wish it were on DVD. But why is it on 2 tapes? The movie only runs 128 minutes! Why did they divide it? I have movies that run MUCH longer on a single tape. Strange. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Excellent early depiction of Chicano life
Very interesting to see 1942 Hollywood's depiction of Chicano life.The neighborhoods looked realistic enough, like an earlier version of Mi Familia's barrio.
Spencer Tracy was excellent as Pilon. Unfortunately, a real lack of Latino actresses and actors at the time.

Actually a decent adaptation of Steinbeck's novel
John Steinbeck's novel was adapted to the big screen in this 1942 film directed by Victor Fleming. "Tortilla Flat" is a small fishing village in which there is not much money and actually working is the last thing anybody wants to do. Danny (John Garfield) inherits two houses and tries to woo the lovely Dolores Sweets Ramirez (Hedy Lamarr). His friend Pilon (Spencer Tracy) moves in with several of his friends (Akim Tamiroff & Sheldon Leonard). Pilon plans to rob "The Pirate" (Frank Morgan) of his money, until he learns the money is being saved to buy a candlestick for St. Francis. Pilon's interest then turns to Dolores as well and the contest is on to see who will end up with the lovely lady. This is actually a decent adaptation of Steinbeck's novel, which manages to capture some of the earthy, amoral spirit of these Mexican-Americans without slipping into caricature. Morgan received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance, the best in the film. The screenplay by John Lee Mahin and Benjamin Glazer deserves special mention for actually providing some continuity to the incidents from Steinbeck's novel.

An Outstanding Translation from Book Form
It's true that it's nearly impossible to make John Steinbeck's stories into movies. I had the advantage of having read Tortilla Flat before seeing this movie version. In cinema you have the visual facet of storytelling. You cannot go verbatim into film. Some things get mis-translated. Those who had a hand in making this film knew exactly where to take it. That or it was plain old blind luck. I could tell they knew the story well. They knew how to retell it in movie form. That was their strength. Black and white is like alchemy for many nowadays, but back then it was already a refined art. For the whole movie i hadn't noticed that it was in black and white. You don't yearn for color when all the elements of lighting, composition, tonal range, everything, tricks your mind into perceiving color. All of the characters were engaging and alive. The story took me in, into Monterey. It's a story of people who have very little, but in their friendships are more well off than the very wealthy. If you watch this movie before you read the book, it is just as well. You won't miss much by not reading the book. The movie is that good.

IT HAPPENED IN MONTEREY
This simple Steinbeck story takes place in the Monterey, California of the early forties. A little slow and drawn-out, the story involves Tracy and Garfield and their paisano friends and their adventures. Garfield's inheritance of two houses bring him instant respectability yet estranges him from Tracy and his other pals. Both Tracy and Garfield vie for the affections of lovely Lamarr and become near-enemies in the process. An entertaining little picture which has Garfield unfortunately miscast as Danny (his Spanish accent was pretty unconvincing) and the part lacked the dynamism for which Garfield was famous for.

I read the book, too-- this is a movie! MGM's masterpiece
I read the book also like the critic below me but this is a film and one of MGM's finest. It is a wonder to behold. Spencer Tracy's performance as the hapless Pilon is a highlite and John Garfield as Danny is a performance to treasure. Buying this movie off of Amazon was a refreshment. It has always been one of my favorite films and will always be. The comments below mine is from an old book-crone from a person who spends time looking at the negative points of the film and cannot sit back and enjoy a real classic.

Victor Fleming's direction ("Gone With the Wind", "The Wizard of Oz") is truly fashioned in its true existential film about the life of the "paisanos" and Hedy Lammar's performance as "Sweets" Ramirez is her best. See this movie. ... 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 (3)

Hedy, Hedy, and...Hedy.
There's only one reason why I'm even rating this basically forgotten movie, which is VERY dated, and really not any better than an old "Jungle Jim" episode. It would probably be of interest only to old movie buffs, and, as one of those dying creatures, I feel the old flicks are worthy of preservation and viewing. But, the only obvious reason to watch this film is Hedy LaMarr. She (in my opinion) was never really a great actress, but was known for her flawless beauty. Louie B. Mayer imported Hedwig Keisler from Austria, after she literally created a splash in the then unheard of famous nude swim scene in "Ecstasy", in the early 1930's. She was married at one time to a wealthy industrialist, socialized with the likes of Hitler, and had adventures right out of the most imaginative fiction. She also co-invented a device which was used for tracking enemy German subs during World War Two, a fact which only recently came to light. Though most of her films in her Hollywood career were un-distinguished, she became a top star in the M.G.M. pantheon, simply by virtue of her screen image, and received top billing with the likes of Gable and Spencer Tracy. Her career waned in the 1950's, with even less distinguished roles, and, save for the occasional snippet of various semi-scandalous news in the papers, she dissapeared. In this film, she is so lushly, outrageously, ridiculously gorgeous, that she makes even someone like Liz Taylor in, for example, Cleopatra, look like a plain Jane. She is the ultimate "femme fatale", a role she basically never escaped. When I saw this movie as a kid... when Hedy comes out of the jungle and says "I am Tondeleyo", well... I think that's the moment when puberty kicked in, because I started shaking at the vision of this impossibly gorgeous, exotic dark bird of paradise. She is the epitome of the glamorous, other worldy mystique that stars such as Garbo and Dietrich projected in 1930's and '40's Hollywood, and Hedy in this film rivals even them. Hedy died just a few years ago, in relative obscurity, in a small Florida town. This little old lady was reportedly a good neighbor and friend to the few people she entrusted, who apparently were aware that their very elderly, sweet friend was, long...long ago, one of the legends of the Silver Screen. A real-life "Norma Desmond", though Hedy was, by all accounts, a happy lady in her final years, looked after by her loyal and protective friends. I can't honestly recommend buying this film for any reason other than viewing the raven haired, shimmering vision of un-equaled beauty that was Hedy LaMarr.

Unusual, but likeable film
This movie has an excellent cast and an amusing, if unusual plot. It will probably offend the politically-correct crowd because the men in charge are all white, and the workers are all black. Plus, the term "white men" is used repeatedly. That's a no-no today. Hedy Lamarr is an eyeful as the sneaky and abusive Tandaleyo. Walter Pidgeon is a cranky, uptight leader of a rubber plantation. Richard Carlson (years before he starred in 1950's sci-fi movies) does a good job as his inexperienced, youthful assistant. "White Cargo" is not a great movie, but it is fun to watch.

White Cargo Doesn't Deliver
Let's be honest: this is not a good film. Hedy Lamar is beautiful as ever and great at slinking and pouting around the tropical set. But, unfortunately for Hedy and for Walter Pidgeon, none of the characters or the plot are complex or compelling. Hedy's character is banal and evil. The young Brit is just an unsympathetic fool. Walter Pidgeon is given a little more to work with, but it doesn't save the film. The film is worth seeing, by the way, for the vision of Hedy in skin-revealing attire. Just don't pay much for the privilege. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It is one of the notorious titles in all cinema history, but--sigh--it looks rather quaint today. In the mid-1930s, Ecstasy was a great conversation piece, for its scandalous acknowledgment of sexual passion in women and its revelation of the naked form of actress Hedy Kiesler, who would become the Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr. Henry Miller even wrote an excited essay about it, sure proof that something libidinous was loose. Czech director Gustav Machatý constructs the movie as an almost wordless shadow play of symbols and signs, mostly sexual (there are many close-ups of heavy-breathing horses and nude statues, cut together for maximum erotic impact). As precious as some of these things seem now, it's still amazing to consider Machatý's nerve in depicting one of the first orgasms to hit the movies. And then there's Hedy, whose expressive eyes matter more than her brief skinny-dip. She's an unmistakable future star. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Four and a half stars!
This movie, starring a young Hedy Lamarr is proof of how sexual old films could be without showing much!
Ecstasy is basically the story of a young girl who marries an old guy (though they don't really explain why she did in the first place). He isn't at all interested in her on their wedding night...he isn't really interested in her at all! The simple prettiness of Hedy makes her seem like a girl you yourself would know and it makes it that much easier to feel all the emotions she is feeling. I was a little confused as to why there were silent parts (without even the use of dialogue boxes) and also talking parts. I personally liked the silent scenes. Hedy was a wonderful actress and her face alone could tell the entire story.
Anyways, after she requests a divorce from her husband, she lives with her father and while out alone one day, she decides to go swimming in the nude (this scene was blown way out of proportion; yes, she was naked, but I thought it was done very tastefully and you really don't see much). I won't give away all that happens, but by the end of that scene she meets a very VERY handsome land surveyor, who is everything she's searching for. After this initial meeting she later goes to his home and this results in the first on-screen orgasm, which was done simply showing Hedy's face, and it became, in my opinion, the hottest love scene ever!
Overall, this movie was excellent, though it should probably be seen more than once to see every little erotic message the director put in there. I would have given it five stars, but I didn't care for the ending. But please don't let that keep you from seeing this film! It is still wonderful!

A novelty every collector should have
This film has so many versions that it's hard to say which one you will get. The original is quite spicy with several nude scenes of Hedy Geisler (Hedy Lamar). The sound track is primitive with just a little dialog or, depending on which cut, no dialog. This film was made just into the sound era in Chechoslovakia. As a collectors' item, it is a must for classic film buffs, not for its quality or filmaking technique but for its impact on movie censorship in the US. The theme here is adultry. Hedy plays a young new wife to an older cold fish. Fustrated on her wedding night, she embarks on various endeavors clearly motivated by sexual fustration. The nude swim after a horseback ride is what all the hoopla was about. The horse runs away carrying our girl's clothes. From this point on, various versions carry various degrees of Hedy depending on which cut you get. I have 2, one purchased commercially in 1975 and another obtained later from a private collector. The second has much more nudity than the first. While hiding in the woods, Hedy meets a young surveyor and a liason blossoms. You'll have to buy the film to find out what happens. I would buy this film, especially if you haven't seen it. Although tame by modern standards, it had 'em gasping in 1933. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good Karma
Kind of a hard movie to get into, in the begining, but, gets interesting as the story progresses.
Zane Smith (Craig Sheffer) has a laughingly pathetic life. He is the creator/producer of a hit, family t.v. show called "Rock 'n' Roll P.I." (get into that later). His life seems to be going in a downhill direction; his fiance leaves him for another woman; he owes the IRS 5 years worth of taxes, plus interest. His shrink, Dr. Berlin (played by Orson Bean), does him more harm than good.

Penelope (Chelsea Noble) is the object of Zane's obsessions. He meets her, and instantly becomes infatuated with on the set of Rock 'n' Roll P.I., where she is playing "Girl #3".
Then, there's Reno (David Cassidy). Reno is the star of "Rock 'n' Roll P.I." Ok...Rock 'n' Roll P.I. can best be described as a mix between "The Partridge Family", "David Cassidy:Man Undercover", "21 Jump Street". Reno, very well portrayed by former 1970's icon David Cassidy, is like Keith Partridge with a serious attitude problem. He's a temperamental, spoiled brat, that likes to get down and party...party in ways Mother Partridge would frown at.
Well, Zane's problem is his negative attitude. He dwells to much on how lonely he is, as well as obsesses to much on Penelope. His problem too, is how is he going to come up with 5 years of taxes owed, to pay his debt to the IRS??
Things look really bad for Zane...
Zane and Penelope's relationship moves in a possitive direction.

But, wait!!
The IRS comes down pretty hard on Zane. He owes quite a bit of money. Zane decides he can afford it, no problem, since Rock'n'Roll P.I. is a highly rated family show, even when it goes into reruns, so money shouldn't be a problem...
Well...life takes a serious turn. Fate? Karma? Well, Reno is arrested for possesion of cocaine, and charged with intent to distribute (WHOA!! The star of a family show, that has positive moral values, arrested for drugs!!!) The network pulls the plug on Rock'n'Roll P.I., and Zane loses everything...
...except love. Zane in the end, comes to his senses and realizes the most important things in his life are Penelope and his dog Wolfgang.
Hard to get into at first, but, it had a good story. David Cassidy as Reno was not the main, or central character of the story, but his was a strong pressence. Craig Sheffer as Zane almost reminded me of Kevon Bacon in his performance; Zane was a little stiff, kinda mannequin-like, whether he was meant to be portrayed that way, I am not sure, but Sheffer portrayed him very well, making him a likeable guy...he just needs to losen up.
If you are in the mood for a cute romantic comedy, you'll enjoy this.

David Cassidy only bright spot
I only bought this movie because David Cassidy was in it (he gets the star). He was the only good thing in it. He was a parody of his 2 former TV personalities. He played such a jerk and I found myself laughing at his outrageous behavior. His believability as such an arrogant jerk tells you what a great actor he is!!!!!!

dwaynec@cybertours.com
Craig, I am probably one of the biggest fans you have. I liked you in the movie, but the movie had a bad plot. I hope to see you in more films. I would like to meet you in person one of these days.

A bad taste of Karma! Unfunny and badly done!
This was an awful movie! C'mon Craig Sheffer, you've done movies so much better than this one! And it also features former 70's teen rock idol David Cassidy who plays a primadonna T.V. star in a series called "Rock N' Roll P.I.", whose character seems like a Keith Partridge with an attitude problem, his comeback album was realeased the same year as this movie. He must've been embarrased at the results of the film like Craig Sheffer should be since he's also done better productions such as his national theatre productions of "Blood Brothers"(with Petula Clark and his half brother Shaun),"EFX", and "Time." As well as his appearances in "Police Story"(2 parts),"Fantasy Island"(2 episodes),"The Love Boat", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "Tales of the Unexpected", "Flash", and "The John Larroquette Show" and the T.V. movie "The Night the City Screamed." Craig Sheffer did great movies like "Some Kind of Wonderful", "The River Wild", and many others! Cast also features comedian, actor, and the husband of Shirley Jones Marty Ingels. I'd be surprised if this movie ever went to theatres, because it never came to where I used to live. Badly acted, directed, and scripted!

Instant disaster!
I am a major Craig Sheffer fan. I have seen all his films and enjoyed them all...except for this one! I hate to say it, but it's pretty pathetic. It is the story of a filmmaker(Sheffer), the starlet he falls for(Chelsea Noble), and a spoiled actor(David Cassidy). After that point, I am not really sure what the movie is about at all! It does have a few funny moments, but on the whole not enough to make it worth the effort. Even Sheffer's acting ability could not salvage it. If you really need to see this film, wait for it to come on cable, or try and rent it. Otherwise, see one of Sheffer's numerous other films, there isn't a disappointment in the bunch. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Copper Canyon is a quirky little Western with nothing distinctive to accomplish and more stylish talent on hand than it needs to get the job done. Director John Farrow, writer Jonathan Latimer, and star Ray Milland had recently collaborated on a pair of suave Paramount thrillers (The Big Clock and Alias Nick Beal). Here Milland plays a trick-shooting frontier vaudevillian who, under another name, may have been a Confederate war hero--and a bit of a rascal. He isn't admitting anything. But he does pitch in to help some ex-Rebels, now copper miners, who are getting shafted by a sanctimonious Yankee smelter operator, a lady gambler (Hedy Lamarr in her next-to-last Hollywood film), and a murderous deputy sheriff (Macdonald Carey). The action comes in fits and starts, but Milland's out-of-place urbanity, Charles Lang's Technicolor camerawork, and those great red-rock formations around Sedona, Arizona, make 84 minutes pass agreeably. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Likeable western.
I like Copper Canyon, it's one of my favorite westerns. Admittedly the plot is somewhat convoluted and the acting is merely adequate. I think I mainly like the cast. Hedy Lamarr is gorgeous -- as always, Mona Freeman was one of Hollywood's prettiest blondes, and Ray Milland is the suave, dashing hero. Copper Canyon was just another western ground out during Hollywood's Golden Age. But at least it was fun to watch, which I can't say about most movies made these days. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Algiers
This 1938 film is a remake of a infinitely superior French film Pepe La Moko, which starred Jean Gabin. Charles Boyer takes Gabin's old role as a notorious jewel thief who hides out in the Casbah in Algiers. Boyer, possibly a better actor than Gabin, is reduced to giving hot, passionate looks at the inhumanly beautiful Hedy Lamarr, who plays a Parisienne Society Beauty that Boyer falls for. Lamarr, with her slurry German-English hardly sounds like she's from Paris however. In short, this is a pure Hollywood remake, sacrificing eveything to glamour, with the over-made up actors and actresses. Even the sets look ... (the incopetent lighting gives it all away). But that isn't to say the picutre isn't entertaining; the pleasures are held mainly in the camp division.

Welcome to my World: The Casbah
This film is very intelligent. I liked the plot and the dialog was very good, witty and clever.I loved the shadow and light in the casbah. I think this film was perfect for black and white. Mysterious,hidden and devious is what the color and Casbah portray, following the lines of the story. Boyer is so perfect in his role as Pepe Le Moko, jewel thief, hiding in the Casbah so as not to get arrested and extradited to his hometown, Paris, France. How he misses his home but if he goes out of the Casbah he is sure to get captured. He meets the beautiful and regal Hedy Lamarr, honest and forthright. She represents his home and he falls in love. One scene really got the emotions down pat, it showed Boyer going crazy from being trapped in the Casbah, the drums beating, the furor of his trapped feeling, you can see the panic mounting in him. This really was a wonderful movie! They based the cartoon character of Pepe Le Pue on Pepe Le Moko. Ending was also quite original and different. Some of the film is old and may cut out sometimes but still I didn't care this was a really great movie! I long to visit the Casbah!!
Lisa Nary

Great movie / average DVD
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed "Algiers". The combination of plot, atmosphere, music, and great character acting moved the film right along and kept my interest. It's easy to see that this is what Warner Brothers had in mind when they made "Casablanca", and while "Casablanca" is a much better film, "Algiers" certainly does not deserve to sink into oblivion.

Charles Boyer does a fine job as a charming Parisian jewel thief hiding out in the "casbah" of Algiers (then a French colony); Hedy Lamarr, as the slumming tourist, is also very good. There are good supporting actors in most of the other parts, including Alan Hale (senior), father of Alan Hale (junior) who was "Skipper" on TV's "Gilligan's Island". Gene Lockhart, as the betrayer, is also a standout.

The "casbah" itself, part North African/part Hollywood, is also a star here. Lots of good set design and camerawork (James Wong Howe). I was curious about the music: it's partially credited to "Mohammed Igarbouchen" (a.k.a. Mohamed Ygerbuchen) and I found that he also did the music for the French "Pépé le Moko" of which "Algiers" was a re-make.

-- A word about the DVD: millions of dollars were not spent to restore picture and sound quality and provide lots of extras. Too bad. This DVD, from Alpha Video, is just the movie. The overall quality is not pristine. There are some scratches on the film and some noise on the soundtrack. A film from 1938 could look and sound a lot better. It looks like what's on the DVD probably came from a made-for-TV print, because the picture is slightly enlarged to completely fill the screen. This is obvious at the beginning when part of the credits text is off the edge of the screen. Still, as of this time, this is your only chance to get "Algiers" on DVD, and Alpha Video offers it at a bargain price; my recommendation is "buy it".

Refuge, jail, escape, all the same!
That one sure is a great film, not so much in the action or the exotic description of the Casbah of Algiers, but in the impotence of Parisian policemen to get a criminal who has found refuge in this Casbah, in the patience and the certainty of the Algerian policeman who knows the criminal will fall sooner or later, in the method used by this Algerian policeman to trap the criminal out of the Casbah. Just use the simplest trap ever : a Parisian woman who is going to fascinate him in and out of his Casbah. The refuge then becomes a prison. The woman then becomes the bait used by the Algerian policeman. The criminal's girlfriend becomes the informer of the Algerian policeman, and this is not a crime since he is Algerian and not French and since she is preventing her lover from falling into the arms of what has to be a trap or some bait and not a prize. And then, when taken and handcuffed, he will have to get himself shot in the back by some French policeman, under the unmoved and unmoving eye of the Algerian policeman to escape the prison that is awaiting him in Paris. Hence it is the story of a refuge turned into a prison, of an affair turned into a trap and of an arrest turned into an escape. Pepe le Moko is the best after all and no one can ever trap him and put him or keep him in any kind of jail.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

NORWEGIAN FAILED 2 OUTDO LAMARR
This was the reamke of a French original. Goldwyn wanted his Garbo(SIGRID GURIE) to do it... Sigrid later said that they all pitied Hedy Lamarr because she was thought to be a common girl after her nude footage in the film Exctasy 1933. MGM`s Mayer indeed was not sure of Lamarr was good enough for the MGM family and borrowed her to Walter Wanger.
As it turned out; Lamarr became a sensation, Gurie NOT! However, Lamarr did many a film but only the 1949 SAMSON AND DALILAH was an equal hit a`la ALGIERS.

ALGIERS had a poor print on video, but even on DVD the print is much 2 muddy. It is a shame, because it has an authentic feel... Indeed - when producing CASABLANCA, they hoped they coild achieve something like ALGIERS. However, faith was not kind and CASABLANCA is the eternal classic. If u want 2 c Sigrid do a good performance, check out THREE FACES WEST with John Wayne and THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO with Gary Cooper. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Algiers
This 1938 film is a remake of a infinitely superior French film Pepe La Moko, which starred Jean Gabin. Charles Boyer takes Gabin's old role as a notorious jewel thief who hides out in the Casbah in Algiers. Boyer, possibly a better actor than Gabin, is reduced to giving hot, passionate looks at the inhumanly beautiful Hedy Lamarr, who plays a Parisienne Society Beauty that Boyer falls for. Lamarr, with her slurry German-English hardly sounds like she's from Paris however. In short, this is a pure Hollywood remake, sacrificing eveything to glamour, with the over-made up actors and actresses. Even the sets look ... (the incopetent lighting gives it all away). But that isn't to say the picutre isn't entertaining; the pleasures are held mainly in the camp division.

Welcome to my World: The Casbah
This film is very intelligent. I liked the plot and the dialog was very good, witty and clever.I loved the shadow and light in the casbah. I think this film was perfect for black and white. Mysterious,hidden and devious is what the color and Casbah portray, following the lines of the story. Boyer is so perfect in his role as Pepe Le Moko, jewel thief, hiding in the Casbah so as not to get arrested and extradited to his hometown, Paris, France. How he misses his home but if he goes out of the Casbah he is sure to get captured. He meets the beautiful and regal Hedy Lamarr, honest and forthright. She represents his home and he falls in love. One scene really got the emotions down pat, it showed Boyer going crazy from being trapped in the Casbah, the drums beating, the furor of his trapped feeling, you can see the panic mounting in him. This really was a wonderful movie! They based the cartoon character of Pepe Le Pue on Pepe Le Moko. Ending was also quite original and different. Some of the film is old and may cut out sometimes but still I didn't care this was a really great movie! I long to visit the Casbah!!
Lisa Nary

Great movie / average DVD
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed "Algiers". The combination of plot, atmosphere, music, and great character acting moved the film right along and kept my interest. It's easy to see that this is what Warner Brothers had in mind when they made "Casablanca", and while "Casablanca" is a much better film, "Algiers" certainly does not deserve to sink into oblivion.

Charles Boyer does a fine job as a charming Parisian jewel thief hiding out in the "casbah" of Algiers (then a French colony); Hedy Lamarr, as the slumming tourist, is also very good. There are good supporting actors in most of the other parts, including Alan Hale (senior), father of Alan Hale (junior) who was "Skipper" on TV's "Gilligan's Island". Gene Lockhart, as the betrayer, is also a standout.

The "casbah" itself, part North African/part Hollywood, is also a star here. Lots of good set design and camerawork (James Wong Howe). I was curious about the music: it's partially credited to "Mohammed Igarbouchen" (a.k.a. Mohamed Ygerbuchen) and I found that he also did the music for the French "Pépé le Moko" of which "Algiers" was a re-make.

-- A word about the DVD: millions of dollars were not spent to restore picture and sound quality and provide lots of extras. Too bad. This DVD, from Alpha Video, is just the movie. The overall quality is not pristine. There are some scratches on the film and some noise on the soundtrack. A film from 1938 could look and sound a lot better. It looks like what's on the DVD probably came from a made-for-TV print, because the picture is slightly enlarged to completely fill the screen. This is obvious at the beginning when part of the credits text is off the edge of the screen. Still, as of this time, this is your only chance to get "Algiers" on DVD, and Alpha Video offers it at a bargain price; my recommendation is "buy it".

Refuge, jail, escape, all the same!
That one sure is a great film, not so much in the action or the exotic description of the Casbah of Algiers, but in the impotence of Parisian policemen to get a criminal who has found refuge in this Casbah, in the patience and the certainty of the Algerian policeman who knows the criminal will fall sooner or later, in the method used by this Algerian policeman to trap the criminal out of the Casbah. Just use the simplest trap ever : a Parisian woman who is going to fascinate him in and out of his Casbah. The refuge then becomes a prison. The woman then becomes the bait used by the Algerian policeman. The criminal's girlfriend becomes the informer of the Algerian policeman, and this is not a crime since he is Algerian and not French and since she is preventing her lover from falling into the arms of what has to be a trap or some bait and not a prize. And then, when taken and handcuffed, he will have to get himself shot in the back by some French policeman, under the unmoved and unmoving eye of the Algerian policeman to escape the prison that is awaiting him in Paris. Hence it is the story of a refuge turned into a prison, of an affair turned into a trap and of an arrest turned into an escape. Pepe le Moko is the best after all and no one can ever trap him and put him or keep him in any kind of jail.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

NORWEGIAN FAILED 2 OUTDO LAMARR
This was the reamke of a French original. Goldwyn wanted his Garbo(SIGRID GURIE) to do it... Sigrid later said that they all pitied Hedy Lamarr because she was thought to be a common girl after her nude footage in the film Exctasy 1933. MGM`s Mayer indeed was not sure of Lamarr was good enough for the MGM family and borrowed her to Walter Wanger.
As it turned out; Lamarr became a sensation, Gurie NOT! However, Lamarr did many a film but only the 1949 SAMSON AND DALILAH was an equal hit a`la ALGIERS.

ALGIERS had a poor print on video, but even on DVD the print is much 2 muddy. It is a shame, because it has an authentic feel... Indeed - when producing CASABLANCA, they hoped they coild achieve something like ALGIERS. However, faith was not kind and CASABLANCA is the eternal classic. If u want 2 c Sigrid do a good performance, check out THREE FACES WEST with John Wayne and THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO with Gary Cooper. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

GARLAND, LAMARR AND TURNER!
The adventures of three girls in show-business. ZIEGFELD GIRL is an immense backstage musical into which MGM poured tons of talent; it also marked Pandro S. Berman's first assignment with that studio after his years of success at RKO. Just why Jimmy Stewart received top-billing for this rather uneven but entertaining movie is a mystery - his role is virtually a minor one. Robert Z. Leonard directed this two and a quarter hours worth of stuggle, triumph, pain and music, but the two big production numbers, MINNIE FROM TRINIDAD and YOU STEPPED OUT OF A DREAM, were the work of the fabled wizard of cinematic choreography, Busby Berkeley. Judy is darling as Susan Gallagher and her scenes with her Irish Pop (Charles Winninger) are realistically executed. I felt Lana Turner's performance is a bit artificial and inept in her acting technique; she plays Sheila who succumbs to the bottle. As Sandra, Lamarr is astonishingly beautiful, but her acting hardly lingers in one's memory! Jimmy Stewart would enlist himself in the Army before this film premiered; he wouldn't make another film until 1946; it was a sleeper (just kidding) entitled IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

SPARKLING NEW TRANSFER OF A STELLAR STAR FILM VEHICLE!
"Ziegfeld Girl" is not one of MGM's greatest musical achievements so much as it is one of their biggest rip offs. The plot wreaks of faint formaldehyde right down to its stolen montage sequence from "The Great Ziegfeld" (1936) that supplants Virginia Bruce from the top of that film's revolving staircase with Judy Garland in a blonde wig. What a sham! If the film had absolutely no merit at all this would be an easy review to write. However, "Ziegfeld Girl" is a blessed with a stellar cast including Lana Turner, Hedy Lamarr and Ms. Garland, as well as Tony Martin, Jackie Cooper and Edward Everett Horton. The film also has two lavish set pieces all its own, the rather maudlin, though eye-popping "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" with the entire cast parading down a gigantic spiral staircase and "Minnie From Trinidad", a Garland standout with a tropical theme that is both light, humorous and melodic. Garland also has the outstanding solo ballad, "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" though this is sung with only modest accompaniment and an uninspired stage backdrop.
THE TRANSFER: In keeping with Warner's commitment to the classics, "Ziegfeld Girl" looks remarkably pristine on DVD. The gray scale is perfectly balanced. Contrast and black levels are right on. Some scenes suffer from age related artifacts. There are also minute traces of edge enhancement but nothing that will terribly distract. The audio is mono but nicely balanced.
BOTTOM LINE: "Ziegfeld Girl" is for fans of Judy Garland. It's not an outstanding musical but will nevertheless entertain.

OVERLONG STORY BUT THE MUSIC IS GREAT!
I am a great fan of the MGM musicals. This is an entertaining vehicle and Judy Garland's numbers "Minnie from Trinidad" and "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" are stellar!! Judy could do anything!!! They are worth rating the movie 5 stars for them alone. However, those numbers are not all there is to the movie. The film is overlong telling the stories of three girls (Garland, Lamarr and Turner)who enter into the Ziegfield realm. Lamarr is simply there for decoration, Judy, of course is there for the talent, and Turner in a surprisingly good dramatic role is there for the soap opera element. Jimmy Stewart is given top billing here but he is completely wasted and he and Lana Turner have absolutely no chemistry together. His screen time averages to less than 15 minutes. The story drags and is overlong. However, the musical numbers make up for the flaws in the story which is nothing more than trite soap opera drivel.

The DVD is high quality, great picture and sound.

If you're a fan of Garland or Turner, buy this DVD. You won't be disappointed. As I said, Garland is worth anything in anything she does. And Turner proves she can act.

They Stepped Out of a Dream
An intriguing, albeit somewhat superficial, look at the lives of three young women destined for stardom in the Ziegfeld Follies. While gorgeous Hedy LaMarr is merely decorative, the radiant young Judy Garland is marvelous in numbers like "Minnie From Trinidad" and "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows", and Lana Turner is a revelation as the spoiled beauty who succumbs to the darker side of stardom. Unfortunately, James Stewart is wasted in this film and does not pair well with Turner. This aside, the MGM glamour is spectacular, with stunning costumes by Adrian and set design by Cedric Gibbons. What a shame that MGM chose to film this in black-and-white, rather than Technicolor! While the film is overlong and somewhat dated, you'll rarely get the opportunity to see the likes of Garland, Turner, and LaMarr together in one film. For this reason alone, it should not be missed.

It's interesting what I learned from reading Amazon reviews!
.
I wanted to read more about this film here on Amazon to determine whether I might like to see it.

I learned two interesting things:

1.The film unfortunately is in black & white, which is a disappointment because I am a technicolor fan.

2. Joel from NYC is gay gay gay!!! He said he started watching these kinds of films when he was only 12. He must be one big queen from Queens by now!

Well, I simply adore gay taste in films and music, so if Joel liked it, I guess I just may have to watch it too!

Thanks Joel! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime is a Great movie
My name is Amanda and I'm in a 10th grade world history class. We are currently studying the Great Depression and WWII and we have just finished watching Brother, Can You Spare a Dime. This movie helped me to understand not only the culture and life of this era but also helped me to understand the things that led up to the Depression and Stock market crash as well as Pearl Harbor and WWII. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who wants an entertaining way to learn a bit about history.

Hindered by lack of commentary
Although this documentary brings together a lot of interesting footage, lack of a commentary means that a viewer without a close knowledge of the period in question will find themselves wondering, "Who were those people, and why was what they were doing of historical significance?" On the other hand, if you are very familiar with the politics and culture of the US in the 1930s, this may provide some useful illustrative imagery. I suspect that, these days, more people will fall into the first category.

Something Everyone Should Watch!
Shows the real down in the trenches struggle of America during the depression. In our times of prosperity and wealth, we sometimes forget it wasn't so long ago that money was almost impossible to come by, soup lines were many peoples only source of survival and life without all the gadgets and other pleasures we take for granted is very tough.
Saletag. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Four and a half stars!
This movie, starring a young Hedy Lamarr is proof of how sexual old films could be without showing much!
Ecstasy is basically the story of a young girl who marries an old guy (though they don't really explain why she did in the first place). He isn't at all interested in her on their wedding night...he isn't really interested in her at all! The simple prettiness of Hedy makes her seem like a girl you yourself would know and it makes it that much easier to feel all the emotions she is feeling. I was a little confused as to why there were silent parts (without even the use of dialogue boxes) and also talking parts. I personally liked the silent scenes. Hedy was a wonderful actress and her face alone could tell the entire story.
Anyways, after she requests a divorce from her husband, she lives with her father and while out alone one day, she decides to go swimming in the nude (this scene was blown way out of proportion; yes, she was naked, but I thought it was done very tastefully and you really don't see much). I won't give away all that happens, but by the end of that scene she meets a very VERY handsome land surveyor, who is everything she's searching for. After this initial meeting she later goes to his home and this results in the first on-screen orgasm, which was done simply showing Hedy's face, and it became, in my opinion, the hottest love scene ever!
Overall, this movie was excellent, though it should probably be seen more than once to see every little erotic message the director put in there. I would have given it five stars, but I didn't care for the ending. But please don't let that keep you from seeing this film! It is still wonderful!

A novelty every collector should have
This film has so many versions that it's hard to say which one you will get. The original is quite spicy with several nude scenes of Hedy Geisler (Hedy Lamar). The sound track is primitive with just a little dialog or, depending on which cut, no dialog. This film was made just into the sound era in Chechoslovakia. As a collectors' item, it is a must for classic film buffs, not for its quality or filmaking technique but for its impact on movie censorship in the US. The theme here is adultry. Hedy plays a young new wife to an older cold fish. Fustrated on her wedding night, she embarks on various endeavors clearly motivated by sexual fustration. The nude swim after a horseback ride is what all the hoopla was about. The horse runs away carrying our girl's clothes. From this point on, various versions carry various degrees of Hedy depending on which cut you get. I have 2, one purchased commercially in 1975 and another obtained later from a private collector. The second has much more nudity than the first. While hiding in the woods, Hedy meets a young surveyor and a liason blossoms. You'll have to buy the film to find out what happens. I would buy this film, especially if you haven't seen it. Although tame by modern standards, it had 'em gasping in 1933. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Great Comedy!
Coming on the heels of Garbo's Ninotchka this film was dismissed as lightweight, but in retrospect it is a delightfully hilarious blend of political satire and slapstick comedy. Hedy Lamarr's father wants her out of the country before her big mouth and her political views get her killed! That's where American reporter Gable comes in, attempting to save the day, but falling for the stoic idealistic Lamarr instead.
The scenes of Gable pretending to believe her rhetoric and romance her into leaving the country are hilarious and this film gets even funnier as it goes along. King Vidor was a great director and he created the perfect blend of politics and comedy, satire and slapstick, and at it's heart, romance. You'll love the streetcar scene and you may just hurt yourself laughing towards the end of this film as Gable commandeers a tank!
If your looking for something fun and funny then this is your movie. Gable and Lamarr were terrific together in this film, lighthearted but not lightweight. It is an absolute riot! You can't go wrong with this one!

Unvarnished truth is so rare as to be uncomfortable to watch
It's a light hearted comedy in which about a hundred innocents are politely executed and the people are sheep armed only with idealist slogans and happy-faced song while awaiting slaughter. The juxtaposition of the politely murderous and naively suicidal is admirably bold for Hollywood, precisely because it is political and real, if uncomfortably strange.

Gable plays the typical driven ... romantic lead of the genre. The hero in the story is his "presser" (a valet) who wants his daughter (Lamar) out before her heavily propagandisized ideals and big mouth gets her shot in a country as full of real political zigs as the movie's plot. The mix of slapstic romantic comedy and deadly serious Stalinist politics of the late 30's is a unique combination I have never seen before. Not even Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" was this "over the top" in terms of convention. Must see!

GREAT
This is a light hearted comedy that is a must in any Hedy Lamarr collection. Or any collection that would include classic movies starring wonderful actresses like Hedy Lamarr.Buy it you'll love it! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime is a Great movie
My name is Amanda and I'm in a 10th grade world history class. We are currently studying the Great Depression and WWII and we have just finished watching Brother, Can You Spare a Dime. This movie helped me to understand not only the culture and life of this era but also helped me to understand the things that led up to the Depression and Stock market crash as well as Pearl Harbor and WWII. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who wants an entertaining way to learn a bit about history.

Hindered by lack of commentary
Although this documentary brings together a lot of interesting footage, lack of a commentary means that a viewer without a close knowledge of the period in question will find themselves wondering, "Who were those people, and why was what they were doing of historical significance?" On the other hand, if you are very familiar with the politics and culture of the US in the 1930s, this may provide some useful illustrative imagery. I suspect that, these days, more people will fall into the first category.

Something Everyone Should Watch!
Shows the real down in the trenches struggle of America during the depression. In our times of prosperity and wealth, we sometimes forget it wasn't so long ago that money was almost impossible to come by, soup lines were many peoples only source of survival and life without all the gadgets and other pleasures we take for granted is very tough.
Saletag. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

love in the chaos of war
Based on Ernest Hemingway's semi-autobiographical novel about an ambulance driver and a nurse in WWI, this is a beautifully filmed and acted tragic romance, between tiny Helen Hayes, and tall, lanky Gary Cooper, who was 31 at the time and so handsome.
The chaos that surrounds the relationship makes all the participants (including Cooper's best friend, played by Adolphe Manjou) act in ways that are misguided, causing more misfortune, and furthering the anguish of the plot; the chemistry between the stars is wonderful and believable though, and despite its bleakness it is still a tender love story.

There are hellish scenes of war, set to Wagnerian musical themes, and there is an ominous mood that prevails in every scene, even when Cooper and Menjou are out on a drunken spree.
The restoration of this film is excellent, doing justice to Charles Lang's Oscar winning cinematography; the film also won for Best Sound, as well as being nominated for Best Picture.
There have been more recent versions of this story; the 1957 "A Farewell to Arms" with Jennifer Jones and Rock Hudson (which I have not seen), and the 1996 film "In Love and War" with Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnell which also has a similar theme, because it was based on Hemingway's youthful WWI romance with nurse Agnes Von Kurowsky; that film suffers because of a weak connection between its actors however, and despite its age, this is a much better film.
Total running time 80 minutes.

Can Love Survive A War?
This Hemingway tale is set in Italy during WWI. Gary Cooper plays an American working as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army, while Helen Hayes is a British nurse. They meet under strange circumstances, fall in love, and develop an intense relationship. But the war and various complications, most of them supplied by Cooper's Italian surgeon friend Adolphe Menjou, create problems in their relationship. Both leads are quite good, with particular praise going to Helen Hayes as the outspoken nurse. Menjou is also interesting as the friend who doesn't think love can be found in the war. I've read that the photography of the film is beautiful, but the print I've seen (like many of the ones out there of this film) was quite dark, occasionally making it difficult to see the action. But the film is well made, and the ending of the movie is well played and mounted, and will stick in your mind after it is over.

True Love and Tragedy
Based on an Earnest Hemingway best-selling novel, the 1932 film Farewell to Arms, is a touching love story set in war-torn Italy during World War I. Gary Cooper portrays an American ambulance driver in the Italian Army that falls in love with an English Red Cross nurse (Helen Hayes). The trials of war and the jealousy of a friend (Adolphe Menjou) put their love to the ultimate test. Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes deliver great performances and director Frank Borzage creates the feeling of authenticity of the era. The special effects in a film made in 1932 cannot be compared to the technology involved in today's movies, but Frank Borzage worked wonders with the technology available at the time. The ending gave me mixed emotions. The wonderful delivery of Helen Hayes allowed me to forgive the corniness of the final scene. I liked the movie so much I think I will read the novel.

Novel into Film
Frank Borsage's 1931 film version of Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" can never have the power of the novel's prose, and its not-quite-so-simple romantic idyll. I first saw the film as a twelve-year old in 1931, when it was released; but I've reread the novel many times, and have seen the film twice in recent years. I am a veteran of World War II and a retired professor of literature. So I can now see AFTA through the eyes and sensibilities of a hopefully more seasoned, if not cynical, old man. In '31, I was too young to "get" the implications of war's tragedy (even though my boyhood was saturated with stories and films about "the Great War"--"All Quiet on the Western Front--the novel & the film--What Price Glory--the play & the film--the 1927 Seventh Heaven with Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor co-starring, too young--in that earlier age of innocence--to know how babies were made). Now I am touched by Frederick Henry's (not-so)"innocent" affair with Nurse Cathrine Barkley, touched by its initial idyllic quality. But in 1931, I had not read AFTA. Hardly! Or if read would I have understood it. But decades later, I can now see the lacunae, the holes & telescopings and elidings of vital scenes in the novel, one being the couple's "alpine idyll" above Montreux, Switzerland, the row across the lake to Switzerland (which Catherine shares, but not in the film), and which may have contributed to the complications of her baby's still-birth and her own death by loss of blood. Finally, that silly Hollywood ending, with Cooper (an otherwise good performance considering the pre-Method time)picking up Catherine from her (death) bed, murmuringm "Peace! Peace!" to the skies beyond the open window,as bells toll the war's end. Too much, what follows and ends the film--those doves fluttering across that sky. I can now see why Hem was so disgusted at the film. Had it ended in the way the novel ends, we would have had a more powerful and dramatic fadeout, with Frerick Henry walking out of the hospital and back to his hotel through the rain, the rain a dominant motif that runs through the film and the novel, his mourning, his loneliness far into the rest of his life (as Hemingway himself was haunted by the real-life "Catherine," Red Cross nurse Agnes Von Kurowsky). For those many non-readers "in our time," the 1931 film, or its successors, would be salutary--if it motivates them to go to the novel...which no film can ever match.

Classic version of a very romantic Hemingway work
This is an early filmed version of one of Hemingway's earliest, most successful, and most romantic works. Gary Cooper is a rugged and handsome Frederic, and the performance beautifully captures the brooding protagonist's disillusion with the war in Italy. Helen Hayes is an electrifying Katherine, in one of her most delicately-shaded performances. Adolphe Menjeu is also wonderful, and it is his character which serves as a catalyst for the movements of the main characters. For a French actor, he makes a very lively, convincing Italian. The lighting and cinematography are evocative of German expressionism, especially during the battle sequences, and the use of music is spare and tasteful. Some of the scenes are a little jerky and poorly-lit on DVD, particularly some of the romantic scenes, but the story is captivating and the performances keep it from descending into melodrama. There is an urgency in Katherine's final cry to be held which is tremendously touching and believable. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Katharine Hepburn is beautiful, BUT...
Katharine Hepburn is breathtakingly beautiful and a wonderful actress to boot in this, her very first film. BUT, this film is terrible. One wants to smack all of the characters for needlessly throwing their lives overboard. I'm a sympathetic girl but only to a point. It's impossible to sympathize with the motivations of Hepburn and the whole lot.

Great "Hedy Lamarr" mystery drama
Hedy Lamarr plays a professional editor for a women's glamour magazine involved in a murder investigation. As police probe, suspicions turn her way. She's not the person she is believed to be. Also starring: Dennis O'Keefe, John Loder

We love Hedy Lamarr. In real life, she is the reason behind the cellular phone technology. During WWII, she patented a means to help navy devise a radio-signal to guide torpedoes that would the Germans couldn't blow up. She suggested a shifting sequence, as in the signal of one device would synchronize like a musical song with another. If you didn't know the song, you couldn't jam the radio signal. She never collected a dime. After her patent expired and ignorance died out, the navy re-looked at her idea. Hedy Lamarr-- the lovely actress with a clever mind!

Hedy is exquisite in this one...
Despite Boyer's unfounded criticism of Hedy's acting ability, this is a wonderful film in which she displays a range of emotions including perhaps the hardest thing to act, being tipsy. She is a good actress and is totally gorgeous as a NYC "modern woman" with a promiscuity problem in this film. Through the Providential intervention of a wise shrink, one wonders if she will overcome it and find true happiness as a simple doctor's wife--or revert to life as a well-paid, hi-fashion mag. editor... Helen Gurly Brown should be so lucky to have Hedy's looks!

One of her six husbands and the father of two of her children, John Loder, is in this film as well. If you like Hedy, you'll like this film and you'll like seeing John Loder get dead. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Algiers
This 1938 film is a remake of a infinitely superior French film Pepe La Moko, which starred Jean Gabin. Charles Boyer takes Gabin's old role as a notorious jewel thief who hides out in the Casbah in Algiers. Boyer, possibly a better actor than Gabin, is reduced to giving hot, passionate looks at the inhumanly beautiful Hedy Lamarr, who plays a Parisienne Society Beauty that Boyer falls for. Lamarr, with her slurry German-English hardly sounds like she's from Paris however. In short, this is a pure Hollywood remake, sacrificing eveything to glamour, with the over-made up actors and actresses. Even the sets look ... (the incopetent lighting gives it all away). But that isn't to say the picutre isn't entertaining; the pleasures are held mainly in the camp division.

Welcome to my World: The Casbah
This film is very intelligent. I liked the plot and the dialog was very good, witty and clever.I loved the shadow and light in the casbah. I think this film was perfect for black and white. Mysterious,hidden and devious is what the color and Casbah portray, following the lines of the story. Boyer is so perfect in his role as Pepe Le Moko, jewel thief, hiding in the Casbah so as not to get arrested and extradited to his hometown, Paris, France. How he misses his home but if he goes out of the Casbah he is sure to get captured. He meets the beautiful and r