Reviews (2)

Successful drama yet also thought-provoking
We watched Challenge to Lassie on VHS 54 years after its release, and having also recently seen the latest Matrix and Lord of the Rings films.

What a contrast! There is something utterly charming about this simple, hour-and-15-minute film from another era without a single wasted moment or fancy SFX or eternal subplots

Lassie as a puppie is adorable (full disclosure: my husband and I have two shelties, one a gigantic near-twin of Lassie, with his honey coat and white blaze and flapping ears). As an adult, she acts quite like our shelties, who tug us by the wrist, whimper and bark and paw our knees to communicate. Sheepdog owners will recognize a lot of their intelligent companions in the 1949 movie version Lassie. This Lassie doesn't have the comically overblown talent of the TV version, so aptly parodized by Mad magazine (wherein Lassie fills out the tax returns for the ranch). She is instead quite clever in a way realistic to the various Scottish herding dogs.

Her master Jock is scrupulously honest; and Lassie a paragon of devotion.


"Challenge" also contains a little morality play demonstrating the legal principle that bad cases make bad law. After Jock's murder, a panel of Edinburgh judges want to put down the ownerless dog because technically no one can buy her the required collar and tag. Much like the Biblical mockery of the Pharisees as heartless technocrats, tenement children arrive to point out the absurdity of the court.

This is a little jewel of a movie -- as the earlier reviewer states it is good family entertainment but to a pair of adult viewers it also held its own as a quality film.

Saved By A Multitude Of Friends
CHALLENGE TO LASSIE is a fairly entertaining family film about Lassie's loyalty to her master even after the latter's death. The biggest danger to Lassie comes from the local law enforcement officials who want to kill her because she no longer has the proper license. Lassie gets all of the help she really needs from a group of concerned villagers, a nearby garrison of soldiers and a host of gutsy children.

Edmund Gwenn stars as the dog's chief advocate and a strong supporting cast includes Donald Crisp, Alan Webb, Alan Napier, Henry Stephenson, Sarah Allgood, Geraldine Brooks and Reginald Owen. Richard Thorpe is known as a competent director of many movies including IVANHOE and THE STUDENT PRINCE. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Old-Fashioned Adventure Romance
UNCONQUERED is old-fashined romantic adventure at its best. Yes, it is absurd at times, the plot bordering on the cartoon-like, but it is also ripe old fun. Hair-breadth escapes, a genuine romance, and a surprisingly close reading of history during the French-and-Indian war in 1763. Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard, Cecil B. DeMille, gorgeous technicolor, how can you go wrong?

Great Romantic Adventure in Early America
"Unconquered" brings DeMille and Paulette Goddard together again after two other big budget pictures (Reap The Wild Wind and North West Mounted Police). She and Gary Cooper carry the star quality of this picture with style and color. Fine acting against a wonderful technicolor background of Colonial America. Goddard's gorgeous red hair matches Cooper's towering stauture. They work well together and create some very amusing and touching scenes. Then add Demille's suspenseful canoe over the rapids and Indian uprising and you have good movie stuff.

"Colonial Warfare In America"
An excellent film!This takes place at Fort Pitt(when Pittsburgh was a frontier town)in 1763 during Pontiac's War(a by-product of The French & Indian War).With a budget of 5 million dollars,DeMille puts a very good story together that is based on Neil Swanson's book "The Judas Tree".It is also the first time that I've seen the subject of indentured servitude addressed on film.The viewer also gets to see an appearance of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment(BlackWatch)and how they saved Fort Pitt.I would have liked to have seen more action,but the fighting scenes are adequate enough.

PAULETTE AND GARY
Abby Hale (Paulette Goddard), a pretty English convict girl, is ordered deported as a potential slave to the American Colonies. Captain Holden (Gary Cooper) saves her from being auctioned off into slavery, and when she's captured by Indians and subjected to a slow and tortuous death, Holden appears in a flash of gunpowder smoke convincing the Indians that he's a god, so they relinquish Abby to him................THE UNCONQUERED was DeMille's 5 million dollar Technicolored celebration of Cooper's virility and Goddard's femininity and the American Frontier Spirit. Spectacularly stirring and full of fine action scenes, DeMille again screen-vitalised a chapter out of American history. One may say that he supplied both a boistrous and sensational delineation of the frontiersman's era with the full complement of DeMille devices, even to the famed bath sequence, a dip into the serial thrillers when the hero and heroine shoot the rapids to the the edge of a waterfall, and the staging of the battle of Fort Pitt that far outdoes any conflict that was ever dreamt up for a World's Fair carnival!

I Had to Cry Uncle....
and shut this movie off, even though I probably was THIS close to the end, because I just couldn't stand it anymore! Totally bad.

Paulette Goddard is having a hard time as an indentured servant in a frontiersy New World, even with Gary Cooper around. But how can this be in any way exciting when the villain is....Howard Da Silva??? Oh, c'mon, who was he, the understudy to the real star cast?

Some things are best left alone, and "Unconquered" is one of them. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Holy camp site, Batman! After a fabulously successful season on TV, the campy comic book adventure hit the big screen, complete with painful puns, outrageous supervillains, and fights punctuated with word balloons sporting such onomatopoeic syllables as "Pow!," "Thud!," and "Blammo!" Adam West's wooden Batman is the cowled vigilante alter ego of straight-arrow millionaire Bruce Wayne and Bruce Ward's Robin (a.k.a. Dick Grayson, Bruce's young collegiate protégé) his overeager sidekick in hot pants. Together they battle an unholy alliance of Gotham City's greatest criminals: the Joker (Cesar Romero, whooping up a storm), the Riddler (giggling Frank Gorshin), the Penguin (cackling Burgess Meredith), and the purr-fectly sexy Catwoman (Lee Meriwether slinking in a skin-tight black bodysuit). The criminals are, naturally, out to conquer the world, but with a little help from their unending supply of utility belt devices (bat shark repellent, anyone?), our dynamic duo thwarts their nefarious plans at every turn. Since the TV show ran under 30 minutes an episode (with commercials), the 105-minute film runs a little thin--a little camp goes a long way--but fans of the small-screen show will enjoy the spoofing tone throughout. Leslie H. Martinson directs Lorenzo Semple's screenplay like a big-budget TV episode minus the cliffhanger endings. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (140)

"Santos superlativas, Batman!"
I was a little kid when BATMAN was finding new life in reruns and I completely bought it. Since running into the show again (right now on cable's TVland), I've been rediscovering the hilarious camp humor and have been enjoying the fun all over again.

Whether you're a kid or an adult, you should enjoy the DVD of the BATMAN movie. The extras are fun (they've even included a Spanish trailer--hence the title of this review) and the commentary by Adam West and Burt Ward is funny and illuminating.
Howard Stern was right: "Forget those other guys, Adam West is the REAL Batman!"

I was initially disappointed that Julie Newmar wasn't involved--she will always be the hottest Catwoman Gotham City will ever see--but Lee Meriwether looks great in the cat suit (and her Russian is pretty good too).

Travel back to the 1960's, feel like a kid again, and find some new laughs: you can't ask for anymore than that!

SCHMIDLAPP
With the release of BATMAN THE MOVIE on DVD - it easily puts to shame all other releases of any other BATMAN movies on the market (save for BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER - a top notch and disturbing noir thriller with great extra's). A clear and clean widescreen transfer of the film with excellent color (everything is just plain snappy and fresh), coupled with solid sound and superior menu interfaces (featuring original vocals by Burt Ward and Adam West)this is a must for any fan of the BATMAN franchise. Highlights on this DVD release feature Adam West and Burt Ward commentary on their experiences and memeories of making both this movie and the series itself - while there are a series of lags and gaps in the commentary, this is a solid commentary overall and will please fans of the series easily (it's fun when Adam and Burt switch between calling themselves by their real names, and then slip into calling themselves Batman and Robin without warning). Perhaps the best feature of the disc is the tour of the BATMOBILE - a car which still has no equal, and still turns heads wherever it goes. The movie is still as goofy and wonderful as it ever was and at once betrays the time it was made, and yet still remains timeless... a feat only a handful movies can lay claim to. BATMAN - THE MOVIE is solid entertainment, fun and and a keeper.

Funny movie!
Okay this movie is very different form the Batman movies that younger audiences may be familiar with but it's still a very good movie altogether. Batman along with his sidekick Robin team up to fight an alliance of criminals The Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, and Penguin and they must stop them from terrorizing Gotham City. This moive is so incredibly funny! Nothing like the darkness of 1989's "Batman" 1992's "Batman Returns" or even Forever but while it's certianly cheesy, the cheese factor on here is far better than on 1997's horrible "Batman and Robin"! This movie is a must-have but mostly for bat-o-philes.

Missing the Point?
I think a few of the above reviews are really missing the point regarding Batman - The Movie. Is it campy? Of course it is! Is it cheap? Yes! Why were these particular people cast? If you don't know, read on and learn.
Batman, starring Adam West and Burt Ward, was a TV series which ran for like 3 years, twice a week, from 1966 to 1968. After the 1st pretty successful season on American TV, a movie was produced, using the same actors, screenwriters, sets, music, etc. The reason the movie was made was to pre-sell the TV series to the European market. They wanted to make a feature length movie using the same talent and if the movie did well in Europe, they'd be able to sell the series. That's the whole reason this movie was made. Obviously, the producers couldn't make the movie using other actors, cars, etc. It had to fit into the existing very campy, very funny TV series.
The movie is slow at times, the acting IS over the top (most all TV acting was over the top in the 60s and 70s), the plot silly. None of this stuff really matters, because of (and one reviewer has already pointed this out) the sincerity of Adam West and Burt Ward in their roles as the Caped Crusaders. This isn't something they do to keep from spending time with Aunt Harriet. This was deadly serious to them and they showed it. To me the funniest sequence in the movie is the scene where Batman is trying to get a cartoon-type bomb away from various groups of wandering people before the bomb blows up. He runs all around the docks where the scene is set, holding what is obviously a prop bomb with a sparkler attached to it for a burning fuse. He runs to this side of the dock, there's a small group of Salvation Army people, to that side, young lovers, or a family of ducks in the water, etc. All of course, olivious to the bomb or the sight of this crazed man in grey spandex running around WITH a bomb. "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!"
Anyway, the whole idea of this movie was to cash in on what was considered a flash in the pan TV series. As ratings sagged, they brought in Batgirl, and as sexy as Yvonne Craig was in skintight purple leather, she wasn't enough to hold the US TV audience's attention, and the series folded.
Over the years, I've caught this movie on TV and usually tuned in, as I remembered enjoying the TV series. When the movie came out on DVD, I bought it immediately, and was very pleasently surprised to hear Messers West and Ward giving background commentary during the movie. Also, the DVD menus and features are fascinating, but you HAVE to remember, ALL of this was based on the original TV series (which had the second-coolest Batmobile ever, but the absolute coolest theme music).
I hope this helped some of you who may feel ripped off or were expecting a more "Dark Knight" flavor to your Batman experience. This was the original, and it kept extremely true to its (very budget conscious) television roots. This is what we had back in the 60s to watch on TV, this or Lawrence Welk.

This shows that Batman is over-rated....
They have done a ton of both animation and live action films on Batman, but the character must have a streak of bad story ideas that come with every film. This film was to put it mildly, very campy. The casting or West and Ward was terrible. They tell jokes that are not funny and wear long underwear costumes that make them look like they escaped from a mental hostpital. The villians casting of familar actors was not much better, they read the same corny dialoge from a script that clearly needed a real writer to make this work, but the film makers never bothered with that. The effects work is mostly cheap animation shots done and put on film and it looks like they used a cheap film projector to do that. There was no art direction to speak of in this movie, just a lot of fake sets that had fake machines with lights on them. There are a hundred other things wrong with this movie to speak of, but the main points have already been made...This was a bad movie period. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Timeless "Boy And His Dog", Story That Will Touch Your Heart
Here we have the "ultimate", Lassie experience with the classic film that first introduced this famous Collie to moviegoers in 1943. Film and TV audiences ever since have had an ongoing love affair with this beautiful dog that always seemed to understand humans better than they often did themselves. It was these "human", qualities that Lassie seemed to possess that made her so endearing to audiences and which made her a movie icon. I know I grew up watching the Lassie television series starring child actor Tommy Rettig however it is this beautiful movie which shows Lassie in her prime, full of love for her master, tremendous strength of character often under difficult circumstances, and a touching warmth that made her almost human and was guaranteed to tug at the heart strings. "Lassie Come Home", provided yet another stunning showcase for child actor Roddy McDowall as Lassie's devoted master Joe and was also very significant in marking the MGM debut of an incredibly beautiful 10 year old Elizabeth Taylor as Priscilla thus beginning the long career of this legendary actress.

Originally there were not high hopes for this "dog picture", as it was termed, so much so that the film was relegated to MGM's "B" department as a minor feature to possibly please wartime audiences. Strangely for a second string film it was shot in colour which was a blessing as it greatly enhanced the story of a Collie's efforts to cross a whole country to return to her master. The immortal story of Joe Carraclough (Roddy McDowall) whose love aand devotion to his pet Collie Lassie is mutually shared is just as touching now as it was for war time audiences. Joe is the only son of struggling family head Sam Carraclough (Donald Crisp)who is currently out of work. Along with his wife (Elsa Lanchester) everyday is a trail to put food on the table and as their financial situation worsens they are forced to sell Lassie to the local Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce) who lives at the nearby manor with his little granddaughter Priscilla (Elizabeth Taylor). Lassie however missing Joe makes numerous attempts to escape from the kennel at the Manor. Taken by the Duke to Scotland Priscilla can see how unhappy Lassie is away from her real master and she allows Lassie to escape and return home to Yorkshire where she belongs. However the long journey home proves to be an exhausting and at times terrifying one for Lassie. She has to endure frightening electrical storms and having to swim across fast moving rivers in her quest to return home. Injured in a fight with a hunting dog where she is shot at for tresspassing Lassie now near death from exhaustion and hunger is taken in by a kindly elderly couple and nursed back to health. The old woman, (Dame May Whitty), grows very attached to Lassie but rightly senses that she is in the middle of a journey of some kind which she must now resume. Lassie next encounters a lovable travelling salesman Rowlie (Edmund Gwenn), who with his little dog Toots temporarily takes Lassie along on his selling travels. Tragedy strikes however when Rowlie is robbed and Toots is killed and finally Rowlie also senses that Lassie must go on to what she needs to do. Finally Lassie makes it back home to Joe and his family and when the Duke and Priscilla visit they can see that Lassie is where she belongs with her loving family. All ends happily when the Duke offers Sam a job caring for the dogs at the Manor.

First class entertainment is the only way to describe "Lassie Come Home". Based on the equally loved novel by war veteran Eric Knight the films rich "English", feel despite being filmed in the United States due to the war is typical MGM and was what studio head Louis B. Mayer loved to see in his movies. Inspired by the huge success of other "English", themed movies such as the classic "Mrs. Miniver", it went on to enjoy huge success at the Box Office. Certainly apart from Lassie's obvious screen appeal the cast of "Lassie Come Home", is a memorable one. Donald Crisp and Elsa Lanchester as Joe's devoted parents who are tortured by the necessity of selling their son's dog in order to survive are heartbreakingly sincere in their playing. Nigel Bruce and Edmund Gwenn in their respective roles provide the necessary local feel to this story so totally associated with the British Isles. Elizabeth Taylor even at this early age shows a delightfully enchanting screen presence that enabled her to mature into one of Hollywood's greatest adult legends and here her beauty even as a 10 year old is startling. She was selected for the role due to her still present English accent as like Roddy McDowall she was a recent evacuee from war torn London. Director Fred M. Wilcox who is perhaps best remembered nowadays for his direction of the sci fi classic "Forbidden Planet", shows a particular flair in directing the younger members of the cast such as the still largely inexperienced Elizabeth Taylor. The films has a beautiful musical score and also boasts "A" grade cinematography, that gives the film a rich authentic English feel to it. "Lassie Come Home", has something for all viewers to cherish and if you are someone that thinks sentiment should be seen more often in movies like myself, then you can't go past this great film.

Wholesome and moving family entertainment is not common nowadays and it seems hard to imagine in our present movie culture a dog like Lassie becoming a star in her own right as she did in 1943 with this film. "Lassie Come Home",is guaranteed to move even the hardest cynic with its simple message of the devoted love that exists between a person and their dog. You dont have to even been a dog lover to enjoy this film as the wonderful characters, excellent photography and great acting by veteran performers and the younger cast members alike make this a classic not to be missed. Treat yourself to a viewing of this superb film soon and you will see why the legend of Lassie has endured for over 60 years.

What Love and Devotion mean to a boy and his dog!
This movie was such a treasure for me to watch. What Love and devotion R.M. and Lassie had for each other. Roddy was so cute when he was a little boy and Liz Taylor was just as beautiful as she is today! It is great that they grew up to be friends! The movie made me cry but I knew Lassie would come home! Roddy McDowall is the BEST actor to me from just a little boy till he left this world behind! I will Love and miss him allways, LOVE YOU R.M., Anna Marie

The Love of a Dog for a Boy
This is a superb film, taken nearly word-for-word from Eric Knight's novel about the faithful collie who travels a thousand miles from northern Scotland to England to return to the boy she loves. Lassie is neither Superdog or magically endowed, just following ancient instincts and the love in her heart. The entire cast is marvelous, the color brings the countryside to life, and small scenes will tear your heart out, including Dame May Whitty as a lonely old lady willing to let Lassie go rather than have her fret.

That was then, this is now
And I love this movie now as much as I did back then! Wonderful cast, wonderful acting, and awesome-beyond-compare plot. You just don't get good movies about dogs nowadays. This is a classic.

Excellent overall--but one scene upsetting to 4-yr old
We enjoyed the movie overall, but one scene was very upsetting to my sensitive 4-year old girl. One of the villains kills a dog friend of Lassie's with a stick. The scene itself was not that violent, but the fact that the dog was killed upset my daughter a great deal. If we had known about this scene, we could have prepared her for it (or fast forwarded it). ... Read more

Amazon.com

You could call this one Hoot Along with Hitch. With the possible exceptions ofTopaz andFamily Plot, this is Hitchcock's cheesiest movie, visually and psychologically crass in comparison with a peak achievement like Vertigo--although it shares some of that film's characteristic obsessive themes. Sean Connery, fresh from the second Bond picture,From Russia with Love, is a Philadelphia playboy who begins to fall for Tippi Hedren's blonde ice goddess only when he realizes that she's a professional thief; she's come to work in his upper-crust insurance office in order to embezzle mass quantities. His patient program of investigation and surveillance has a creepy, voyeuristic quality that's pure Hitchcock, but all's lost when it emerges that the root of Marnie's problem is phobic sexual frigidity, induced by a childhood trauma. Luckily, Sean is up to the challenge. As it were. Not even D.H. Lawrence believed as fervently as Hitchcock in the curative properties of sexual release.--David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (88)

Marnie, an Alfred Hitchcock Delight
Marnie is an excellent movie with stars Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery (who was at a peak in popularity at the time). Marnie is an excellent suspense story with a shattering climax that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Marnie is about a frigid women who is in fear of bright red colors and thunderstorms.She works at a company for a while and then steals money from the company safe. Her sheme goes well until she comes upon a man who relizes she is a theif (played by Sean Connery). She gives her a choice of marriage or going to jail. She accepts the marriage and during their honeymoon cruse her fridgity almost makes Mark Rutland (who is Sean Connery) rape her. The next day she trys to commit succicide by drowning herself into the pool. When they come back many things occur. Mark Rutland is trying to figure out why Marnie is acting the way she is.Marnie is still constantly in fear in bright red colors and when a bright red color on a mans coat during a hunt causes her horse to go into a dangerous gallop she is followed by Mr. Rutlands sister in law. Her horse is finally stopped when the horse cannot make it over a brick wall. Marnie is forced to kill it with a gun. After the sad loss she trys to rob the safe, but she can't because Mark has caught her. She takes her to her mother's house where she reviews her childhood occurence of when she killed a sailor (played by Bruce Dern). When it was first released the movie was a misfire, but now it is one of best Hitchcock movies ever. The acting is excellent and the Supporting Actors and Actresses. Watch for Hitchcock's Cameo at the very beginning of the movie. This is an excellent movie and it was made by no other then Alfred Hitchcock.

Forgotten Hitchcock Treat!
Considered by many to be one of Hitchcock's worst ( the others being "Torn Curtain", "Topaz", and "Family Plot")but, I think has time has passed, people have rediscovered this film. It's not as bad as many think it is. When watching this film, I think of two previous Hitchcock films, "Spellbound" and "Vertigo". This film is better than "Spellbound" (I've never cared to much for that movie. I always thought that the plot asks us to "accept" too much)but whether it's better than "Vertigo", I don't think many will see it that way. But, it is an interesting piece of work, by the "master". Good performances by Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery ( a bit after his James Bond fame). The scrpit Jay Presson Allen is intriguing. It does offer some moments of suspense and excitment. But it does get a bit confusing between certain moments. It is a fun movie to watch with good acting and a wonderful score by Bernard Herrman, and of course as with any Hitchcock film, the directing is masterfully done. This is a movie all Hitchcock fans have to watch.

The masterpiece that is Marnie
This is my favourite movie, probably because there isn't another film like it. It's a very intellegent and romantic thriller made just before movies started to tackle more 'adult' themes in a more graphic way. Marnie explores these themes but it is done in a romantasised and stylistic manner.

Hitchcock directs brilliantly as you'd expect and manages to coax a real tour de force from Tippi Hendren. Connery is in his prime and Louise Latham is truly staggering as Marnie's mother. The underated (and dead sexy) Diane Baker is also excellent.

I really can't recommend Marnie enough and this DVD is superb (better than the region 2 one).

Hitchcock turns a thief into a victim

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Format: Color
Studio: Universal Studios
Video Release Date: August 3, 1999

Cast:

Tippi Hedren ... Marnie Edgar/Margaret Edgar/Peggy Nicholson/Mary Taylor
Sean Connery ... Mark Rutland
Diane Baker ... Lil Mainwaring
Martin Gabel ... Sidney Strutt
Louise Latham ... Bernice Edgar
Bob Sweeney ... Cousin Bob
Milton Selzer ... Man at Track
Mariette Hartley ... Susan Clabon
Alan Napier ... Mr. Rutland
Bruce Dern ... Sailor
Henry Beckman ... First Detective
S. John Launer ... Sam Ward
Edith Evanson ... Rita
Meg Wyllie ... Mrs. Turpin
John Hart
Alfred Hitchcock ... Man leaving hotel room
Rupert Crosse ... Office worker
Louise Lorimer ... Mrs. Strutt
Kimberly Beck ... Jesse
Carmen Phillips ... Sidney Strutt's secretary
Melody Thomas Scott ... Young Marnie

One of Hitchcock's masterpieces, and like many other of his efforts, a psychological drama.

Marnie (Tippi Hedren) was a kleptomaniac, a compulsive thief. She supported her mother, Bernice Edgar (Louise Latham), who was a stern, domineering person of religious conviction with high standards of personal conduct, and who had turned her daughter into a man-hater.

Enter Mark Rutland (Sean Connery) who marries Marnie, knowing that she is a thief and liar, but unaware of all of her serious hang-ups. However, as the problems begin to surface, he tries to solve them.

Grace Kelly was originally considered for the part of Marnie, but was already the princess of Monaco and her subjects were less than enthusiastic about it, and besides, the picture was being made by Universal while she was still under contract to MGM, so she dropped the idea and never again considered a movie career. This was also an early effort in the career of Sean Connery, before his series as James Bond.

An entertaining film, with good acting throughout, and the excellent direction of Hitchcock, with his usual trademark cameo. You should enjoy the picture.

Bruce Dern plays a focal role, as well, as an unnamed sailor, but it is not an unimportant part.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Freud Wrote the Script
Hitch was truly angry that Grace Kelly backed out of this project, so Tippi Hedren got the call. Then Hitch made Tippi-Marnie suffer. No director ever played out his psyche in film like Hitchcock. The rape fantasy is central to Marnie. The criminal female mind, both sensual and man hating in its ambiguity is portrayed in Freudian terms. Visually, Marnie is startling to see and familiar to Hitch's fans. The backgrounds, for example, Baltimore Harbor and Marnie's childhood street are beautiful, yet unreal in a plastic sense. I noticed this in Vertigo; a place is somehow more beautiful and possibly ominous because of painted device, careful set, or clothing design that we have not seen except for Spielberg in his space visitor films or Spike Lee in his plastic black neighborhoods, so we always feel while we are viewing that the real world is somehow enhanced. Then there's the details, the way the shots are set up. The camera gradually circles the blonde ice goddess. Give us a close up of the keys in the drawer with the combination and pull back to show the cleaning lady in a split shot with the burglar. Marnie is a psychological thriller and because it plays Hollywood-Freudian, it slows and is stilted or amateurish. Couch time is pretty much a personal drama difficult for a general audience to care about. For all the tribulations uttered on the shrinks couch, the story is still the thing on film. Marnie is predictable and slow to unwind. All the advantages of a slowly unraveling story helped Hitch in Vertigo, but Marnie seems to plod along. Still, Marnie is better than 99% of the films ever made. ... Read more

Reviews (88)

Marnie, an Alfred Hitchcock Delight
Marnie is an excellent movie with stars Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery (who was at a peak in popularity at the time). Marnie is an excellent suspense story with a shattering climax that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Marnie is about a frigid women who is in fear of bright red colors and thunderstorms.She works at a company for a while and then steals money from the company safe. Her sheme goes well until she comes upon a man who relizes she is a theif (played by Sean Connery). She gives her a choice of marriage or going to jail. She accepts the marriage and during their honeymoon cruse her fridgity almost makes Mark Rutland (who is Sean Connery) rape her. The next day she trys to commit succicide by drowning herself into the pool. When they come back many things occur. Mark Rutland is trying to figure out why Marnie is acting the way she is.Marnie is still constantly in fear in bright red colors and when a bright red color on a mans coat during a hunt causes her horse to go into a dangerous gallop she is followed by Mr. Rutlands sister in law. Her horse is finally stopped when the horse cannot make it over a brick wall. Marnie is forced to kill it with a gun. After the sad loss she trys to rob the safe, but she can't because Mark has caught her. She takes her to her mother's house where she reviews her childhood occurence of when she killed a sailor (played by Bruce Dern). When it was first released the movie was a misfire, but now it is one of best Hitchcock movies ever. The acting is excellent and the Supporting Actors and Actresses. Watch for Hitchcock's Cameo at the very beginning of the movie. This is an excellent movie and it was made by no other then Alfred Hitchcock.

Forgotten Hitchcock Treat!
Considered by many to be one of Hitchcock's worst ( the others being "Torn Curtain", "Topaz", and "Family Plot")but, I think has time has passed, people have rediscovered this film. It's not as bad as many think it is. When watching this film, I think of two previous Hitchcock films, "Spellbound" and "Vertigo". This film is better than "Spellbound" (I've never cared to much for that movie. I always thought that the plot asks us to "accept" too much)but whether it's better than "Vertigo", I don't think many will see it that way. But, it is an interesting piece of work, by the "master". Good performances by Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery ( a bit after his James Bond fame). The scrpit Jay Presson Allen is intriguing. It does offer some moments of suspense and excitment. But it does get a bit confusing between certain moments. It is a fun movie to watch with good acting and a wonderful score by Bernard Herrman, and of course as with any Hitchcock film, the directing is masterfully done. This is a movie all Hitchcock fans have to watch.

The masterpiece that is Marnie
This is my favourite movie, probably because there isn't another film like it. It's a very intellegent and romantic thriller made just before movies started to tackle more 'adult' themes in a more graphic way. Marnie explores these themes but it is done in a romantasised and stylistic manner.

Hitchcock directs brilliantly as you'd expect and manages to coax a real tour de force from Tippi Hendren. Connery is in his prime and Louise Latham is truly staggering as Marnie's mother. The underated (and dead sexy) Diane Baker is also excellent.

I really can't recommend Marnie enough and this DVD is superb (better than the region 2 one).

Hitchcock turns a thief into a victim

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Format: Color
Studio: Universal Studios
Video Release Date: August 3, 1999

Cast:

Tippi Hedren ... Marnie Edgar/Margaret Edgar/Peggy Nicholson/Mary Taylor
Sean Connery ... Mark Rutland
Diane Baker ... Lil Mainwaring
Martin Gabel ... Sidney Strutt
Louise Latham ... Bernice Edgar
Bob Sweeney ... Cousin Bob
Milton Selzer ... Man at Track
Mariette Hartley ... Susan Clabon
Alan Napier ... Mr. Rutland
Bruce Dern ... Sailor
Henry Beckman ... First Detective
S. John Launer ... Sam Ward
Edith Evanson ... Rita
Meg Wyllie ... Mrs. Turpin
John Hart
Alfred Hitchcock ... Man leaving hotel room
Rupert Crosse ... Office worker
Louise Lorimer ... Mrs. Strutt
Kimberly Beck ... Jesse
Carmen Phillips ... Sidney Strutt's secretary
Melody Thomas Scott ... Young Marnie

One of Hitchcock's masterpieces, and like many other of his efforts, a psychological drama.

Marnie (Tippi Hedren) was a kleptomaniac, a compulsive thief. She supported her mother, Bernice Edgar (Louise Latham), who was a stern, domineering person of religious conviction with high standards of personal conduct, and who had turned her daughter into a man-hater.

Enter Mark Rutland (Sean Connery) who marries Marnie, knowing that she is a thief and liar, but unaware of all of her serious hang-ups. However, as the problems begin to surface, he tries to solve them.

Grace Kelly was originally considered for the part of Marnie, but was already the princess of Monaco and her subjects were less than enthusiastic about it, and besides, the picture was being made by Universal while she was still under contract to MGM, so she dropped the idea and never again considered a movie career. This was also an early effort in the career of Sean Connery, before his series as James Bond.

An entertaining film, with good acting throughout, and the excellent direction of Hitchcock, with his usual trademark cameo. You should enjoy the picture.

Bruce Dern plays a focal role, as well, as an unnamed sailor, but it is not an unimportant part.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Freud Wrote the Script
Hitch was truly angry that Grace Kelly backed out of this project, so Tippi Hedren got the call. Then Hitch made Tippi-Marnie suffer. No director ever played out his psyche in film like Hitchcock. The rape fantasy is central to Marnie. The criminal female mind, both sensual and man hating in its ambiguity is portrayed in Freudian terms. Visually, Marnie is startling to see and familiar to Hitch's fans. The backgrounds, for example, Baltimore Harbor and Marnie's childhood street are beautiful, yet unreal in a plastic sense. I noticed this in Vertigo; a place is somehow more beautiful and possibly ominous because of painted device, careful set, or clothing design that we have not seen except for Spielberg in his space visitor films or Spike Lee in his plastic black neighborhoods, so we always feel while we are viewing that the real world is somehow enhanced. Then there's the details, the way the shots are set up. The camera gradually circles the blonde ice goddess. Give us a close up of the keys in the drawer with the combination and pull back to show the cleaning lady in a split shot with the burglar. Marnie is a psychological thriller and because it plays Hollywood-Freudian, it slows and is stilted or amateurish. Couch time is pretty much a personal drama difficult for a general audience to care about. For all the tribulations uttered on the shrinks couch, the story is still the thing on film. Marnie is predictable and slow to unwind. All the advantages of a slowly unraveling story helped Hitch in Vertigo, but Marnie seems to plod along. Still, Marnie is better than 99% of the films ever made. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Best of the "Amnesia" Plots--Don't Miss It.
If you haven't seen the "amnesia plot," then by all means see 36 HOURS. It's one of the best plots of all time! The plot was also employed in a movie called BREAKING POINT, as well as in a two-part (that is, two-hour) Mission Impossible program. In dramatic terms, the Mission Impossible show ranks the best, BREAKING POINT second, and 36 HOURS last. But once you've seen the premise, then 36 HOURS is by far the most intelligent of the three presentations. Garner and Saint are superb in their roles. Leonard Maltin is DEAD WRONG in saying that the film "peters out" as it goes along. What he might be saying is that once you've grokked the fabulous plot, then it's downhill. But after all, there's no topping this plot! So the movie has to unwind some. 36 HOURS does the best unwinding, because it plays variations on the plot, and you're kept in suspense about who really knows what. BREAKING POINT, while more dramatic at first, "peters out" much more rapidly; in fact, we don't care any more after the first half hour. The Mission Impossible sequence (which I only saw on TV--somehow they haven't produced it for DVD or video, though I'm sure they will someday) keeps the suspense up as only "Mission Impossible" can do. Bottom line: if you haven't seen any of them, then by all means get 36 HOURS! After you've seen that, you'll probably want to see the other two too. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ham on Wry
Charles Laughton always gave acting his all; whether in high-budget epic or programmer, slumming or rising to the occasion, he remains extremely watchable. THE STRANGE DOOR is third-rate Universal melodramatic claptrap, not really horror, but it's worth a look to watch the portly Brit devour the scenery (and, in one scene unhappily reminiscent of his glory days as Henry VIII, a roast joint). Karloff isn't given much to do, except look menacing and lumber around unconvincingly in a couple of action scenes, and Sally Forrest shows why she didn't do many period films. Laughton, slaughtering French and co-stars alike with an air of wry self-amusement, is the whole show here. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

This belated and semi-inspired sequel to 1933's The Invisible Man finds the earlier film's Claude Rains replaced in the title role by Vincent Price, appearing in his first starring role just two years after making his Hollywood debut in the now-forgotten 1938 comedy Service De Luxe. Rather than repeat the scenario of the Invisible Man going mad from the effects of his own invisibility serum, this engaging mystery begins when a murderer (Cedric Hardwicke) plots to frame his brother (Price), who then uses the invisibility serum to escape from jail and clear his name. Price is a fine replacement for Rains, since both men were blessed with a mellifluous voice that would become the focus of their performances. Once again, John P. Fulton provided the groundbreaking (and still impressive) special effects, and the film contains a few eerily clever surprises that distract from the obvious symptoms of that most persistent of Hollywood maladies: sequelitis. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Vincent Price is Good in Inconsistent Film
As a follow up to 1933's THE INVISIBLE MAN, this 1940 film seems lackluster and very much lacking in charm. Joe May's direction is incredibly static. He really never exploits the talents of Vincent Price, Cedric Hardwicke or Cecil Kellaway. The innocent Vincent Price gains invisibility, with the aid of John Sutton, while awaiting execution for his brother's murder. Cedric Hardwicke is the real culprit whom Price must expose while Scotland Yard inspector Cecil Kellaway closes in. The voice of Vincent Price serves the invisible man very well, Cedric Hardwicke is his usual competent self and Cecil Kellaway is well cast as the jovial inspector. It all sounds good on paper but director Joe May never explores the characters beyond these thumbnail sketches. Even excellent production values are present. Universal created a British coal-mining factory complete with an operating railway coal car elevator system and an adjacent work town in great detail on their back-lot. This aspect demonstrates the great dichotomy present in this film. When the camera roles indoors the film remains dreadfully uninteresting. Once director Joe May gets the camera outdoors the film comes to life and becomes dynamic. Other elements in this film's favor are the brilliant special effects by John P. Fulton, which he managed to keep innovative and fresh. These elements along with Vincent Price's gleeful and energetic approach to his character save this film. However, this should have been a much better film than what was finally released.

Vincent Price is Menacing and Great
This movie is a lot of good fun. I had wanted to own this film for a long time and I am glad I do own it. I am eleven years old and I think this movie would rate better than the modern junk and gore! Even though it is a sequel, some people may think this one surpasses the original in some ways. As for an MPAA rating, I would give it a PG-13. I think this because the movie would give some children nightmares because of the poor Willie Spears character getting beat up by the Invisible Man in the middle sequence, and also Cedric Hardwicke (Cobb, the real murderer) getting choked and pounded!!! Now, let's go back to comparing this film to modern junk gore such as CHILD`S PLAY! You know what, there is no comparison! Why?!! Because this film, all in all, is a real classic horror sequel!!!

Good Movie
Good movie with Vincent Price using the invisability formula to clear himself of a murder he did not committ. Good acting and the special effects are quite impressive.

Vincent Price's Voice
I usually enjoy the Universal Horror Films of the Forties because they are quick, not to be taken seriously, and very entertaining. This film is no exception, and in fact is better than most of them. Vincent Price stars as a man wrongly accused of murder who is injected by his friend John Sutton (a doctor and the brother of the Claude Rains character in the first film) with a serum to make him invisible and able to find the real killer. Nan Grey is Price's girlfriend who helps him along the way. The special effects are good, and the climactic chase between Price and the killer is very well done. Price was a perfect choice for this film, which requires an actor with a great voice, since that is the actor's only asset for most of the film. Price (like the great Claude Rains before him) had an excellent, distinctive voice that he uses to great effect, portraying his descent into madness superbly. This film is a lot of fun to watch.

This Invisible Man Is Better Than First In Some Ways
Oh wow, this is the scariest movie I seen since Bride of Chucky which will stil give me nightmares. Vince Price is king of horror movies as faras I'm conserned. His voice is the ting that makes it so much scarier than first invisible man even though first invisible man with Claudehopper Reins is probably better all round movie. This one is much better than The Fly with Vince Price but I like this story better than first invisible man. It kind of weird when on emovie is better but the jother one has better voice and better story. I guress this is where the director comes in if all the actors do a good job than anything is probably possible. Have a good time, and watch this movie with a soft dringk and pop some corn. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Suave, sardonic George Sanders eases through one of his most perfectly suited roles in this sly Douglas Sirk comedy, based on the (highly questionable) remembrances of real-life French rascal turned respected lawman and author Vidoq. Sanders plays his aristocratic thief with a blasé attitude and bemused smile. Born in a jail (his home for most of his life, as it turns out), he cons his way up from the gutter to high society. He rechristens himself with a name purloined from a fancy graveyard headstone and lands a position as the Paris chief of police after an elaborate display of Sherlock Holmesian deduction uncovers a cache of jewels stolen from his patron's house (jewels he stole himself, of course). It puts him in the perfect place to plot his biggest caper ever: cleaning out the Bank of Paris. Akim Tamiroff plays his croaking sidekick (a frog to Sanders's prince of crime, or perhaps more accurately a dragon to the sneaky St. George), and Gene Lockhart is his nemesis, the disgraced former chief of police who emerges as less a figure of fun than a sad clown. Sirk shot this little gem on a low budget almost belied by the tiny but richly realized sets, beautifully designed settings that create a Paris in miniature. His Continental wit and Sanders's droll delivery and impeccable manners add a knowing wink to the production. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (156)

An Excellent Adaption of One of Broadway's Best
One of the classics of the American musical theater, "My Fair Lady" is brought to us with amazing grace and sensitivity by legendary dirctor George Cukor. This musical has it all: a classic score by Lerner and Loewe (including "I Could have Danced All Night," "The Rain in Spain," and "Get me to the Church on Time"), an interesting story, and great characters. Rex Harrison proves to be nothing less then supurb as Henry Higgens, the speach teacher who vows to "never let a woman in my life," but finds himself falling for flower girl Eliza Dolittle. The supporting cast is in top form, with special mention going to the hysterical Stanley Halloway as Alfred P. Dolittle, the charming Wilfred Hyde-White as Pickering, and Jeremy Brett as Freddie. My on real complaint is Audrey Hepburn, who plays Eliza. While she is far from bad, Miss Hepburn has no voice, and I can't stand it when they use another actress to dub the voice of a star. Why can't they just hire a singer in the first place? The part should have gone to Julie Andrews (who originated it on Broadway). All in all, agreat film for the whole family. Check it out!

For the most part, excellent.
First, the wonderful score. Frederic Loewe's glorious music is perfectly complimented by Alan Jay Lerner's lyrics, as on the Broadway and London stages, and almost every song is memorable and great. Second, the gloriously witty script, filled with great lines, many taken directly from Shaw, on whose play "Pygmalion" this was based, and sharp commentary on Britain's class system. Third, the all-around wonderful performances, from Rex Harrison's arch, arrogant, gleeful Henry Higgins to Audrey Hepburn's charming but unrefined flower girl who becomes a sophisticated (and stunning-looking) lady, to Stanley Holloway's lovable amoral father of Hepburn, to Wilfred Hyde-White's Colonel Pickering, to Gladys Cooper's Mrs. Higgins, just as acerbic as her son. Fourth, the much-lauded stunning look of the film, with gorgeously stylized costumes by Cecil Beaton and fine sets by Beaton. All the ingredients are there for a great film, and under George Cukor's direction, that's pretty much what you get.

And yet, the film is noticably flawed. Hepburn, while charming and, of course, stunningly dressed, does not give a bad performance by any means; it's just that she's not overwhemingly sympathetic. And her voice double, Marni Nixon, has a lovely voice, but doesn't really put any emotion into her songs, forcing that ever-present question to re-emerge: Would Julie Andrews, the Broadway and London Eliza, have been a better choice? Also, Nixon and Hepburn really do not sound alike, which is slightly annoying. (Nevertheless, most of Nixon's songs, especially "I Could Have Danced All Night," do come off well, and if Andrews had been cast, there'd be no "Mary Poppins") "On The Street Where You Live," which I consider the best and most beautiful song in the score, is given a rather flat reading by Bill Shirley, the voice double for actor Jeremy Brett; it is the only song in the movie that is truly forgettable, but that is Shirley's fault entirely, NOT Lerner or Loewe's. Too bad. And yes, the movie is a bit long. But overall, it's a vastly entertaining, enjoyable, romantic, and great experience, just not without flaw. But, oh, well.

How do you do? And which DVD version to buy ...
MFL is a marvellous film about a professor who turns a common flower girl into a lady. It is full of sing-a-long songs and funny moments. It is basically a classic for all the right reasons! Plenty of re-watch factor makes it a film to own.

In 1994, the film was restored and thank the lord they did! The film's negative was almost lost forever. In fact, the film hade had become yellow-tinged and full of scratches, blotches and all the rest! It would have been a very sad day for the movie industry if a flim like this had been lost.

The original DVD that featured this new restoration was released in the late 90's. This DVD included a 9 minute featurette, actor profiles, audio commentary, and Audrey Hepburn singing in 2 scenes.

This original 1-disc DVD has since been updated to a special 2-Disc Edition. Which one to get? I have both so I feel qualified to answer this. The new DVD includes all the features found on the original DVD, except the actor profiles. The new DVD once again includes the restored print but is apparently a new transfer from the restored print. However, according to a report that I have read, the new transfer is not perfect and has aliasing problems throughout. However, the average watcher won't pick up on this detail. If this is an issue to you, purchase the original edition DVD where the transfer has been given two thumbs up! One has to wonder why they bothered transferring a second time.

The advantage of the special 2-Disc Edition DVD is that it includes a 58 minute 1994 documentary hosted by Jeremy Brett (Audrey's love interest in the film). Jeremy is no longer with us, so it's nice to have this as a piece of nostalgia. ON top of this, there are many more features on this disc that aren't included on the original DVD such as footage from the film's premiere, production dinner, as well as discussions with Rex and Audrey.

The choice is easy. If you're a fan of the film and don't care for all the extras, buy the original DVD. You at least get the best transfer. If you do care about having all the extras, buy both!

It's Loverly
The music from "My Fair Lady" makes it easily one of my favorite musicals with "I could have danced all night", "Wouldn't it be Loverly?", "The Street Where you Live", and Stanley Holloway's rousing showstoppers "With a Little Bit of Bloomin' Luck" and "Get me to the Church on Time".

It's well chronicled how much gnashing of teeth surrounded the Hollywood decision to leave out the then-unknown Julie Andrews, who was the new toast of the stage as Eliza Doolittle, and instead cast the more bankable Audrey Hepburn. Hollywood rewarded Ms. Andrews with "Mary Poppins" and an Oscar, and although I'd love to have seen Julie Andrews in this role, 4 decades later I can't complain about Audrey Hepburn.

Rex Harrison's reprises Henry Higgins from the stage, and I frankly can't think of another actor who would bring the same English Arrogance and tongue-in-cheekiness to the role. The interactions between Harrison, Hepburn and Wilfred Hyde-White as Colonel Pickering, especially in the early part of the film, are witty, entertaining, and move the narrative right along without pausing for exposition. The Higgins character is a cad, very full of himself, and he makes the mistake of treating those he feels are socially inferior poorly. The Colonel Pickering character acts as a surrogate for the audience, observing the educated but pompous Professor Higgins and allowing us to feel not TOO badly that poor Eliza has come under the influences of Higgins.

Stanley Holloway recreates Alfred P. Doolittle, Eliza's father, from the stage, and although his character has as many moral deficiencies as Professor Higgins (at one point he shows up at Higgins doorstep hoping to extort money from Professor Higgins for "shacking up" with Eliza) and is much less educated and with a much lower social standing, he is nonetheless a "good ol' bloke" and his moments in the film are among the most memorable, especially the previously mentioned show-stopping musical numbers.

The final act feels a little soap-opera-ish between Jeremy Brett as Freddy fawning over Eliza and Professor Higgins beginning to appreciate her fine qualities at the same time. This portion produces two of the finer musical moments as Freddy sings "On The Street Where You Live" and Higgins croons "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face".

Since George Bernard Shaw died in 1950 it's purely speculative to wonder what he'd have thought about the production of his Pygmalion story. I'm guessing he'd have liked it. If you like musicals, I'm guessing you will too. Enjoy.

2-disc or not two discs
WARNING: All the five stars refer to the movie itself, and does not address the issue of whether paying for the second disc is a rip-off. Five stars for the single disc version was richly deserved. I had half expected the 2 disc version to have DTS since they shifted virtually all the extra features from disc 1 to disc two. The only thing left on disc 1 was the movie, same commentary, same subtitles and audio track. For some inexplicable reason, the single disc version was among the Amazon top 100 discs in 2002 for some time, although it has been
out since the mid-1990s. Amazon's editor was correct when he said the main attraction of the 2nd disc was the 58 minute Documentary hosted by Jeremy Brett. That is about all, folks, and it was a pretty boring documentary. A concise version of this documentary would be "The Fairest Fair Lady" which is already in the single disc version.
You already have the AUDREY HEPBURN VOCALS in the single disc version. The rest of the stuff in disc 2 is usually given away FREE, like in Gladiator, Last Samurai, Master and Commander, where one viewing of the stills is more than enough.
Now, the sellers of disc 2 have actually REMOVED the CAST AND CREW section from the one disc version. This Cast and Crew with filmographies and biographies contain a huge chunk of valuable information including the fact that Audrey's given name was Edda, not Audrey. Do not throw away your one disc version. If you bought the 2 disc version, you might want to buy the single- disc version to find out where Audrey Hepburn was born, won the Oscar and got nominated. What were the other actors like Wilfred Hyde-White doing other than My Fair Lady.
I tell you what I like about the 2 Disc version:
1. the interviews with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison at the 1963 production Kickoff Dinner, with a couple of jokes from Mr Warner.
2. George Cukor directing Baroness Rothschild: a Henry Higgins coaching Eliza Doolitle parody. The audio track ran for only a few minutes, and I had a new found respect for Directors. Even a Baroness needs lessons in elocution. When I watch the movie again, I will imagine George Cukor speaking using the actors and actresses as his instrument. So that is how Cukor's actresses got their Oscars.
3. The Los Angeles Premiere in B&W is a few minutes of interesting distraction.

The rest of Disc 2 is really scraping the floor of the store-room. For those who already own the single disc edition, and do not have disposable income to burn, get the 2 disc edition of the TEN COMMANDMENTS instead. For the price of 5 commandments (about half the price of the 2 disc My Fair Lady), you will get more than double the info, making it look like "the TWENTY COMMANDMENTS". That is where a second disc is not a money making exercise: thou shalt not steal from gullible dvd buyers.

Rex Harrison Golden Globe Acceptance is a clip from the Andy William's show, where he apologised for not being at the real event, so he accepted it on AW's show. Shame.

Academy Awards Cermony Highlights: just one minute or less of Mr Warner accepting the oscar for best picture.

So two stars for the additional info on disc two. I would buy anything remotely related to my favourite musical, but if I were to search my heart for value added, I would say two extra stars is very very generous. Now, if ever they come out with a DTS version, we will have to throw the whole TWENTY COMMANDMENTS at this bunch of crooks.
Do you really need Martin Scorsese and Andrew Lloyd Weber's comments to supplement your own? ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Charming and Hilarious Re-telling of the Robin Hood Story
I am not a great Danny Kaye fan, but this movie is one the the very funniest I've ever seen. Everything about it is excellent, from the production values to the songs & lyrics, from the fine quality of actors to the charm and wit of the dialogue and the story. There is literally nothing wrong with this movie. It is fit for all audiences, from the youngest to the oldest members of your family. I remember the first time I saw it, being struck by the fact that all the actors seemed to be having an absolutely marvellous time. Particularly during the Jester's first call at entertaining the court...unforgettable and sheer delight. Every single person on camera looked like they were having a wonderful time just being there. I hadn't seen anything like such a fine emsemble cast since 'All About Eve.' I think it must have been because there were no bad lines, no bad parts, no scenes that didn't work, and everyone had a chance to shine. Having a good material to work with really does make a world of difference. Stars Danny Kaye, Angela Landsbury, Basil Rathbone, and a host of marvellous British actors whose names are right now escaping my memory. Buy it. Keep it. Enjoy it for years.

The Brew that is True...
If one is tired of baudy bathroom humor of the typical comedies one finds today, perhaps "The Court Jester" will satisfy your comical thirst. Set in England during the time of chivalry and knighthood this musical comedy stars Danny Kaye as a ne'er do well circus performer who ends up out"fox"ing the dastardly villains, getting the girl and saving the real king's butt (so to speak). Glynis Johns plays Maid Jean whose stunning beauty and big eyes just make you melt (wow, I wish I'd been born earlier). Basil Rathbone is his typical bad self as the evil Ravenhurst playing it to the hilt! This film pulls out all the comical stops from tongue twisters to hypnosis, magnetism and even a Zorro sword play spoof with Rathbone! This is Danny Kaye's finest and funniest comedy! A must see movie!

Comedy Could Not Better Be!
In the history of the movies, fewer things are more amusing than watching Danny Kaye behave as Danny Kaye. Watching his films was a wonderful part of my childhood,and I remember being at home from High School on the day of his passing. I'm very glad for the legacy he has left us to enjoy.
In "The Court Jester" he couldn't be more in his element as he amuses us with his usual patter numbers clever, tounge-twisting lyrics and sword play, and moves us with his loving care of the orphaned infant heir to the English throne. The scene of his lullabying the baby was shown as a tribute to him at the end of "Entertainment Tonight" the weekend after his death and it was a fitting tribute to him, his love of children, and the childlike sense of wonder he brought to all of his films.
As Kaye's love interest, Jean, a charismatic Glynis Johns is highly complimentary.She is not the sterotypical woman of medeival times, but having been raised as a boy, has a lot of cunning, ingenuity, and an occassional bit of brawn as the leader of those in rebellion against Cecil Parker's evil King.
Angela Lansbury's Princess Gwendolyn longs for true love rather than an arranged marriage. She is firm and decisive in many ways, as she helps bring the tale to a positive conclusion.
As the sourceress, Mildred Natwick leads into some of the film's funniest scenes, including the notorious "Pellet with the poison is in the vessel with the pestle" routine that has become a classic.
Hubert Hawkins' cleverness in seizing the real Court Jester,(John Carradine, a man whom I could never really think of as funny) who was very arrogant, disguising himself in his clothes, and using his tounge-twisting dialogue with the King to cover his tracks is also a riot.
Basil Rathbone as the evil henchmen is a refined villian. It's amusing the way Kaye kept pushing his name out of the way during the opening credits, and I have wondered how often Hawkins' accelerated knighthood ceremony had to be rehearsed before those on the set could stop laughing.

Although the film overlooks the fact that a person can't be hypnotized against their will, the way Hubert Hawkins is, the comedy is generally light, and goofy, doesen't get any saucier than the exposure of an infant's backside, and children will love it.
And as Hawkins reassures us at the beginning,"What starts like a scary tale ends like a fairy tale, and life couldn't possibly better be!"

So funny your cheeks will ache from laughing!!
This is one of Danny Kaye's best. He was so talented and his comic timing is impeccable. The "chalice from the palace" scene is so funny that I have not forgotten it over the years. This movie will get you out of the blues in no time.

You will go and buy this movie and do it like that (snap)!
This is my favorite movie of all time. When I was a kid Danny Kaye movies played every Sunday morning and we would wait the few months until it came around again.

I have never stopped laughing at the scenes, the funny interplay between Danny Kaye and the court and his continual buffonery.

Even kids will love this movie. It starts with a dance routine which is almost like Robin Hood Men in Tights. That is quaint, yet the next scene will take you in and take you on the funniest rides of all time.

Kaye, disquised as an old man who is hard of hearing having a scream fest with the captain of the guard. This few minutes is one of the funniest scenes I have ever witnessed. Then there are just funny scenes that will make you split your sides with laughter from there on out.

The wit it took to bring together this cast and the concept of the movie seems that it will never be outdated.

What Danny Kaye and the rest do here is ascend age and time making this movie appeal to any age group, young or old. I have seen a young family start off thinking this was a silly movie then, taken by the first comedic interaction, launch into continuous laughter. I laugh getting a kick out of watching everyone else laugh too.

This movie is a must for any DVD or VHS library. Share it with your friends, watch it when you are a little too stressed out to do anything else to lighten up your day.

The plays on words, the different fast paced situational scenes that will have you thinking; 'how clever...,' even when you think that Hawkins/Giacommo is at his end, then it gets even funnier. The Chalis with the poisly has the pellet with the pesly......

This movie is so fast paced that you cannot believe you have sat there and laughed for the better part of 90 minutes. The great thing about the DVD, you do not have to worry about watching this over and over again and wearing it out.

This movie has great color and scenery. The imagery is wonderful. You wonder if they really were in a castle.

Laugh and love this movie......I recommend it for school, church and family activities. It is a classic that may become more well known with time. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fine, classic family entertainment
This is the type of movie you walk away from thinking, "They sure don't make family films like this anymore". And you know what? They don't!

Released in 1948, "Hills of Home" takes the world's favorite collie and places her in the hills of Scotland in a small farming town. Lassie has a phobia of water, and is turned away by a shepherd, only to be taken in by a country doctor, played by Edmund Gwenn, who is bound and determined to help his new friend overcome her fear.

The script is the right combination of wit, drama, and action. The cast is top notch, including Tom Drake as an apprentice of Gwenn's, whose father refuses his studies to be a doctor, and a young Janet Leigh (in of her first film roles) as the girl of Drake's affection.

The scenic work is beautiful, the costumes are lush, and since it's an MGM film, you know that nothing was spared in creating a true classic film treasure.

Excellent Lassie Movie, Better than average plot
A Scottish country doctor needs the help of a dog to help him in his rounds. He gets a collie but the dog is afraid of water. Edmund Gwenn plays the doctor and of course Lassie plays the collie. The story has a number of subplots that keep the story going. Will the doctors protege pursue a career as a physician despite his fathers wishes? Can Lassie overcome her fear of water to save the day? If you liked All Creatures Great and Small, you will love this movie. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Successful drama yet also thought-provoking
We watched Challenge to Lassie on VHS 54 years after its release, and having also recently seen the latest Matrix and Lord of the Rings films.

What a contrast! There is something utterly charming about this simple, hour-and-15-minute film from another era without a single wasted moment or fancy SFX or eternal subplots

Lassie as a puppie is adorable (full disclosure: my husband and I have two shelties, one a gigantic near-twin of Lassie, with his honey coat and white blaze and flapping ears). As an adult, she acts quite like our shelties, who tug us by the wrist, whimper and bark and paw our knees to communicate. Sheepdog owners will recognize a lot of their intelligent companions in the 1949 movie version Lassie. This Lassie doesn't have the comically overblown talent of the TV version, so aptly parodized by Mad magazine (wherein Lassie fills out the tax returns for the ranch). She is instead quite clever in a way realistic to the various Scottish herding dogs.

Her master Jock is scrupulously honest; and Lassie a paragon of devotion.


"Challenge" also contains a little morality play demonstrating the legal principle that bad cases make bad law. After Jock's murder, a panel of Edinburgh judges want to put down the ownerless dog because technically no one can buy her the required collar