Reviews (8)

If it ain't broke don't fix it!
SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN offers nothing really new but it does offer exactly what fans of the franchise expect. Nick and Nora get dragged into another murder mystery. They continue to bicker in their loving way. Nick and all his old street contacts help Nick do what the police cannot. Lt. Abrams (Sam Levene) last seen in AFTER THE THIN MAN returns. He is to Nick what Inspector Lestrad is to Sherlock Holmes. It's a treat to see a young Donna Reed in a film 5 years prior to her breakthrough performance in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and 2 decades prior to her self named sitcom.

As usual, Nick with Nora's help rounds up all the suspects and walks the viewer through his deductive reasoning and then announces who the killer is. As this was the third sequel it is plain to see the basic formula that is present in all the THIN MAN films. It, by this film, had become about as complex as a color by numbers coloring book. Little imagination but still fun to do. I would rank this my fourth favorite of the six THIN MAN FILMS. I'm still waiting on the DVD release for this film and the other 4 sequels to the original THIN MAN. Hurry up!!!

4TH THIN MAN MOVIE AND STILL GOING STRONG.
I actually liked the 4th movie better than the Third. Back in California, Nick and Nora are staying at a posh hotel with a now young Nicky jr. (around 5 years old I guess) in tow.

The Charles' take a trip to the local race track only to find that a jockey has been murdered. Their old pal Lt. Abrahms (played by Sam Levine) is there investigating. Soon, a newspaper reporter is killed and another reported, played by Barry Nelson is accused.

As they are friends, Nick and Nora jump in to solve the crime. Donna Reed is also along as Nelson's girlfriend and the secretary of a crooked arena owner.

As usual, the cast includes many fine character actors. The scene in a seafood restaurant where Nick tries (in vain) to get lobster while everyone else wants Sea Bass is priceless.

Also great is a scene where Nick takes Nora to see pro wrestling and Nora really gets into the match. Not quite as strong as the first two movies, Shadow is still one of the better Thin Man movies.

Fun At The Race Track
In SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN Nick starts out to clear one of his reporter friends who has been accused of murder. The killing is actually the work of the syndicate and is connected to racetrack gambling.

William Powell and Myrna Loy return in the starring roles and they are supported by another large cast which includes Barry Nelson, Sam Levene, Donna Reed and Stella Adler. Dickie Hall appears as Nick Charles, Jr. who is now old enough to talk.

W.S. Van Dyke serves as director for the last time in the series since he died before the next entry was filmed in 1944. Van Dyke will be remembered for his direction of Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald in ROSE-MARIE and NAUGHTY MARIETTA.

Nick and Nora and Donna Reed.
Nick and Nora (William Powell and Myrna Loy) investigate after their friend, Paul Clark (Barry Nelson), is framed for murder. The familiar things that make the Thin Man series easy to like are present in this movie. Nick and Nora continue their witty and sophisticated repartee, having fun with their marriage. A running joke in the series is Nora's amused reaction to Nick's blue-collar background. Wherever they go, Nick meets old friends and associates among the cops, bookies, gamblers, and ex-cons. Nora's chutzpah keeps pace with Nick's rapier wit. Their night out at the wrestling matches is a high-point of our little story. Note her introduction to "Spider" Webb. Asta occasionally steals the spotlight, especially in the restaurant segment as the mischievious pooch causes a knockdown brawl. The cutesy Nickie, Jr. detracts from the edginess of the adult story line. This is unfortunate but not important enough to emphasize. We usually fast-forward through Nick and Nick, Jr. on the merry-go-round. In the middle of all this classic comedy, a genuine murder mystery is in progress. Sam Levene repeats his role from "After the Thin Man" of Lt. Abrams. When Nick isn't sparring with Nora, he and Abrams square off. A very young Donna Reed plays Paul's girl, Molly. Mix it in a cocktail shaker, and we have good fun. ;-)

Fine Installment In The Thin Man Series
The high-living Nick and Nora Charles stumble into murder at a San Francisco racetrack and are quickly led into an investigation of various gambling rackets in this fast paced and very witty forth installment of the famous "Thin Man" series. The powerful charm of William Powell and Myrna Loy as a screen team is undimmed by passing time, and the script gives them plenty of opportunity to shine.

Like all the "Thin Man" films, THE SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN offers a superior supporting cast including a very young Donna Reed--but the real standout here is Stella Adler, seldom seen on screen but a noted stage actress and famous acting coach. Adler's performance here is quite remarkable, at once sultry and disconcerting, and should not be overlooked.

Although two more films were to come in the series, THE SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN is really the last significant film in the series. Both fans and newcomers will enjoy it! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A different film than "ALWAYS"
"A guy named Joe" (AGNJ) should not be compared to Spielberg's "Always", because they are different pictures. AGNJ in the first half is about flying and Spencer Tracy's love for IT, not so much Irene Dunne. Its highly amusing to see him die by crashing into a German aircraft carrier when the Germans never put one into service. In Always, you really do sense that Richard Dreyfuss loves Holly Hunter. Its Irene Dunne's character that is stuck on Joe, and its wonderful to see her in the movie maintaing her professional poise as a ferry pilot while Van Johnson is hitting on her. In fact, I know a young woman who reminds me exactly of her, who holds a deep loss in her heart but maintains a professional bearing.

Its Van Johnson who makes her want to live again, and in the best scene of the movie, she realizes he ain't gonna make it when he's assigned a suicide attack mission in his P-38. What's amazing is this in the 1940s, but Irene Dunne jumps into his P-38 and flies the mission INCLUDING dropping bombs and firing machine guns at the enemy. Its startling to see and you don't see any feminists rushing to praise this picture. Its because she's a professional, a sexy woman AND a warrior, not a bitter man-hater. Like I suspect many from "America's greatest generation" she knew the enemy had to be defeated or else tyranny would rule the earth and instead of complaining pitched in and helped. Her goal was to help not be a female version of a male "Top Gun" egotist. Ahhh, that we had more women like her today!

Not his greatest, but still interesting
This movie is sort of like the flying-ace version of Angels on My Shoulder. It's unusual for a Spencer Tracy film in that he dies in the first half of the movie, goes to heaven, comes back to earth to help rookie pilots, and doesn't get his girl. Instead, Van Johnson, the young flyer he's sent to shepherd, gets her and they live happily ever after, presumably.

There are some unusual aspects to the plot. Tracy is assigned to assist Van Johnson during training, but Johnson isn't the sort of guy Tracy would normally hang out with or even like. For example, we're told he's rich and just inherited 4 million dollars. When Johnson gets sent to New Guinea to fly in the south Pacific, he meets Irene Dunne, Tracy's former love, and Johnson starts putting moves on her, another reason for Tracy to dislike his assigned pilot.

But Johnson turns out to be a better guy for Irene than Tracy was, and Tracy even seems to sense or realize that, and at the end of the film, he finally lets her go.

There are some nicely done battle scenes in the movie, and the one where Dunne takes up the P38 and successfully completes a solo suicide mission Van Johnson was sent to do is notable in that this was a long time before women's lib. Dunne shows that she can fly as well as any man, and along with the scene where Tracy goes down taking out the German aircraft carrier (which the Germans never had), is one of the two most climactic battle scenes in the movie. Dunne shows she can be as good as any man, but still feminine, a role contemporary feminists don't seem to approve of.

All in all a decent movie with some interesting aspects to the characters and plot. Big Steve says go see it (or in this case, buy it) and don't Bogart the popcorn.

A Bit Sad but a Well Done Movie!
A Guy Named Joe was a well done movie! There are some some very sad parts (e.g Pete Dies in Air Mission). Pete becomes an Angel who guides young piolits on there missions. Pete becomes jealous at first, but things work out in the end. (Don't ask me why its not called A Guy Named Pete)

A great love story with a lot of great aircraft pics
Yellow Airplane Book, Video, and Toy Review: If you would like to see some great flying scenes showing the AT-6 Texan or the P-38 Lightning combined with a beautiful human interest story, you will love this film. C. Jeff Dyrek

i search this movie for more time
I'd like to buy this movie "A guy named Joe" but have a problem. It's no available by the PAL system,usually in Spain. Can you help me to buy a copy in this system. Thanks for all. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the first of the big disaster films, this stodgy Hollywood product lumbers and creaks as it tries to sort out the various plot threads of Arthur Hailey's doorstop of a novel. Set at (what else?) a busy metropolitan airport, it details what happens one eventful night when, among other things, a huge blizzard threatens to disrupt air traffic for the airport manager (Burt Lancaster) even as a suicidal bomber (Van Heflin) heads into the air with mayhem on his mind. There's also an impish old lady (Helen Hayes, who won an Oscar for this role) who specializes in sneaking aboard airliners, and the married pilot (Dean Martin) is having an affair with a stewardess (Jacqueline Bisset). An old-fashioned movie that inspired a bunch of sequels, the Airplane spoofs, and a host of other disaster films. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (50)

The Widescreen version on DVD was worth the wait!
This movie is based on the first novel I read in high school. The book was both engaging and suspenseful and the film brings it to life on the screen (right down to verbatim dialog from the book). When I saw this film in the theater the first time I was blown away.

Veteran film makers Ross Hunter and George Seaton gather an excellent cast and crew to do justice to the book (material not used in this film was developed to make Airport '75). It's no wonder the film, though panned by critics of its time, garnered 10 Academy Award Nominations, including Best Picture (Helen Hayes received the Best Supporting Actress award)!

This is a must film for those who are fans of its genre. A 30 year anniversary documentary of the film would still have been an appropriate tribute to honor all those involved with its making (many are no longer with us). Remastering it digitally in its original widescreen presentation is quite an improvement!...

This is where it all began
There have been a few disasters and monsters before this movie. However this is the one credited as the beginning of the airplay disaster movies. These have included some sequels and even the "Air Plane" spoofs.
It is fun to look back at the different actors and remember or see them for the first time in a younger body.
The film has several overlapping and intertwining stories; some of the stories seem like soap operas.
A few mentionable scenarios are Mel Bakersfield (Burt Lancaster); airport manager is accused of placing his work before his family. He gets berated in the middle of a crisis by his probably to be ex-wife Cindy Bakersfeld (Dana Winter). Does he also get distracted by his beautiful and efficient assistant? Throw in a pilot playboy, Capt. Vernon Demerest (Dean Martin) that is forced to evaluate fatherhood. For comic relief we have Ada Quonsett a geriatric stowaway. Then for the drama there is someone who has nothing to lose and everything to gain if the plane mysteriously does not reach its destination; the man with an attaché case D. O. Guerrero (Van Heflin.)
I am not going to go through the whole story it is for fun if you get to speculate on what is going to happen. How ever I must say one of my favorite characters is Joe Patroni (George Kennedy) operations chief that is tasked with clearing the runway of a stuck 707. See him again as the corrupt lawyer, Uncle Andrew, in Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile."

Airport
The movie Was Well Made.ive seen this more than 20 times.The cast was great.I liked Helen Hayes she was funny.

good but not great
One of those All-Star production during the seventies.
Much better than the following Airport-Films.
A sentimental Oscar for Helen Hayes,she was really a great actress,but her performance was only solide and not outstanding.
Maureen Stapleton gives the best and greatest performance in this
film,her role was small but but most interesting.The Academy Award had should goes to her.Fine Turns by Lancaster and Martin.

Still a Thrill
Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin star in this film about life and work around an airport for the employees and passengers. It is a mix of suspense and drama, of the sort that is still a thrill today, and while airports were safer during this time, the film exposes the caps that were apparent even then.

Dean Martin's performance is especially memorable, as it is very different from his work with Jerry Lewis or parts thereafter (no singing). However, in the form of a brainy teener there is still something of a Jerry Lewis-type-character for the man of "That's Amore" to contend with. A film that will entertain and intrigue! ... Read more

Reviews (556)

Heeeere's Johnny! A modern horror classic on DVD
It's tough to believe that Stanley Kubrick received a Worst Director Razzie nomination for "The Shining." While "The Shining" may not be given the classic status of some of his other films like "Dr. Strangelove" and "2001", it's actually the least polarizing of this highly-praised and atypical filmmaker's work.

This atmospheric thriller is sure to creep you out with its pacing, eery editing and cinematography (those tracking shots are highly effective), and Jack Nicholson's powerful performance as Jack Torrance. Horror films often tend to divide audiences into genre fans who follow the gore and those who laugh in the face of so-called scares, insisting their own resiliancy to cheap thrills and lamebrain plotting.

Fortunately, "The Shining" doesn't make you take sides, because its chills come from plotting and character study as much as they do from odd sights that will make you jump. It may stray from Stephen King's book and not all of it may make sense, but "The Shining" has so much going for it that you won't mind. It's a gripping and satisfying film experience, and in my opinion, one of the best films of the '80s.

This Warner DVD re-release is definitely the version to get. The fullframe presentation comes at the wishes of Kubrick and the video and audio offer significant improvement over the drab initial release. (Unfortunately, the original Mono audio track has been dropped altogether in favor of an effective 5.1 remix. They could have included both with no problem.)

In the way of extras, there is an engaging half-hour on-set documentary, filmed by Kubrick's daughter Vivian. It provides a candid experience of the film's creation, and interviews with some of the actors. In addition, this DVD re-release includes an audio commentary on the documentary (sort of a "making-of the making-of") by Vivian Kubrick. There's also the spooky trailer, which shows how a movie preview can perfectly pique one's interest in a film, without spoiling (or even saying) much.

Possibly the Best Horror Movie Ever
This was a spectacular piece of work. It had a chilling soundtrack, and had some very good camera work. In the case of the Shining, a movie has finally exceeded the book upon which it was based. Things that would normally make a movie terrible have made the Shining a spellbinding movie. For example, the dialogue throughout the entire movie seems forced and unnatural. Another example is during an argument between Jack Nicholson (who performs incredibly well throughout the entire movie) and Shelley Duvall, after which Jack storms out of the room and glances at the camera as he goes by. If you're a horror fan, or just into movies, this is definetely one to see again and again and again.

A great horror movie..
This film slowley but shorley creepes you out, I don't think any one but Jack Nicholson could have played this role that well, and Krubrick has the best feal in the world, and the score is one of the best ever put in a movie. The movie is really scary.
It all starts off kinda slow thenwe see Dany talking to himself, and then there's a few images that are veary frightning, the holtel gives you a veary creepy isalated fealing, like if something were to happen there'de be no way out. Jack slowly starts going crazyer and crazer, and the hole time creepy images are appearing in the hotel, and the last half hour of the movie is trueley scary, a must see.

267
When i first saw this movie i was scared to death. realy it may have beeen the scariest movie i have ever seen. i also read the book but the movie was even scarier.
i realy recomend you this movie.
maby it had beeen the scariest movie i have ever seen...you are going to love this movie.

Another Kubrick Classic
I loved this movie. It freaked me out I must say. Jack Nicolson is the perfect crazy man in the movie. Another thing this movie possesed was great cinematography as any Kubrick film posses and great acting by all of the actors and actresses. Great movie deffinate buyer. ... Read more

Description

Who was the first actor to play James Bond? If you answered Sean Connery, you would be wrong. In 1954, Barry Nelson played Bond in 007's screen debut: a 1954 live t.v version of the first James Bond novel "Casino Royale". Spy Guise Video now makes this amazing and historic program available - complete with the restored ending missing from previous video versions. This deluxe collector's edition also features many extras: an exclusive overview of the life of Ian Fleming and the "Casino Royale" legacy hosted by Lee Pfeiffer, co-author of the best-selling book "The Essential Bond: An Authorized Celebration of 007". Additionally, this version contains rare promotional advertisements, photographs, and information about James Bond clubs, magazines and officially licensed collectibles. No James Bond fan will want to be without this definitive collector's edition of 007's screen debut. Recorded in the SP mode for superior quality. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Call me "Jimmy"
So whaddya know? Dr. No wasn't the first James Bond after all. Almost ten years prior to Sean Connery's landmark debut, Casino Royale comes to us as part of a live mystery television program called Climax! (what a name, eh?) Apparently, different writers were acted out on a weekly basis, and October 21, 1954 happened to be the week Ian Fleming's legendary character made his first screen entrance, and it wasn't even the big screen!

So what do we have here, James Bond fans? Ironically, the opening credits that pan through a series of camera lenses look remarkably similar to the gun barrel opening sequences of the later Bond flicks. Aside from that, that's about it. Yep, this is a whole different Bond. He's shifty-eyed, condescending, he has a receding hairline, I even think he's a Blond Bond (albeit in black and white it's hard to tell.) Is it true he's an American in this? Says a lot about the liberties we were taking with an author's works. A British lead? The horror!

In any case, it's worth watching if you're an Ian Fleming fan as it does stay relatively true to his book. In it, Bond is given the laughable assignment of beating a "dastardly" villain named Le Chiffre out of the Soviet money he's been embezzling to support his gambling weakness. We're never really given a reason why he's so dastardly other than he looks funny (hey, it's Peter Loore!) But no matter, Bond is a man of duty, "For Queen and Country" and all that... (darn it, wrong country again.) Linda Christian stars as Valerie Mathis, a former flame of Mr. Bond and the obvious femme fatale. But is she on Le Chiffre's side or Bond's? Well, you'll just have to see now, won't you (or just read another review, I'm sure someone has spoiled the entire plot.)

I doubt anyone except die-hard James Bond fans will want this, and even then only to complete their collection. It is interesting to watch, however, just to see a time when baccarat was beatable, people could act, leading ladies weighed more than 105 pounds, and there was more than an eight minute period between commercials. Hmmm... now that I think about it, I would pick this over "Never Say Never Again."

Rare, restored footage featured in this collector's edition
This 1954 live CBS t.v. broadcast introduced James Bond in his screen debut. Amazingly, he is played by American Barry Nelson, which makes this a fascinating addition to the Bond legacy. The show has been released on video previously. However, this is the only one in the SP mode and it is also the only one which has the long missing climax restored. There are a wealth of enjoyable bonuses, including rare t.v. ads for the 1967 big screen version of "Casino", an informative introduction about the history of Bond and Ian Fleming, hundreds of rare photos, and information about 007 fan clubs and merchandise. A "must" for 007 collectors.

Genesis of Bond
Barry Nelson was the first Bond on Screen!
Today we have two versions of Casino Royale. The 1954 version and the spoof 1967 version.
The 1954 Climax version has been published in two video versions- US and Europe, and on DVD as an extra on the 1967 casino Royale DVD relaese in the US.
Peter Lorre, Linda Christian and Barry nelson completes the set adapted from Flemings 1952 novel Casino Royale.
Collectors and fans know that the last minute part of the 1954 casino Royale has been missed...when Bond kills Le Chiffree we don't get to see that because of the missing part of the original film.
Barry Nelson left the filmbusiness in 1980 with the film Island of Claws. his most rememable performnace s are in Airport and the Shining. He was born in 1920 and is of Scandinavian origin.
Casino Roayle 1954 is much better than the 1967 spoof, no doubt.
But still it would be fantastic if the Bond producers would make an updated adaptaion of this first Bond novel.

MD
Michael H. Damsgaard
Denmark

The first James Bond movie ever!
Dr. No is actually not the first 007 movie, 8 years before that Climax Theatre for CBS Television produced a TV movie called Casino Royale. 007 was known as "Card Sense Jimmy Bond" and the entire movie was based in a hotel casino. The movie was rereleased in the early 90's, but did not contain the ending in which Bond battles Le Chiffre. This tape is the only one that does contain the entire movie from beginning to end.
The movie begins with an introduction by Lee Pfeiffer who tells about this movie and the 1967 spoof version.

The movie begins with Bond being shot at while entering the casino, but the culprit escapes. Bond meets up with Clarence Leiter, in which they discuss Baccarat and the evil Le Chiffre. Bond is told that Le Chiffre has gambled and lost 80 million francs of Soviet money and is planning to win it back to try to clean the mess with his employers. Bond's job is to make sure that he loses. bond also meets Valerie Mathis who appears to be working for Le Chiffre. As the movie continues, Bond and Le Chiffre play Baccarat with Le Chiffre cleaning out Bond. Bond then mysteriously recieves 35 million francs and wins 87 million francs all from Le Chiffre. Valerie is kidnaped, but she returns to Bond in his hotel room where they are trapped by Le Chiffre and his thugs. bond is tortured to tell where he has hidden the check for the money. Bond escapes and shoots Le Chiffre, who still survives. Bond, Valerie and Le Chiffre all meet in the sitting room of Bond's room where Valerie confess that she is a French agent, who still loved Bond and gave him the 35 million francs. (At this point the tape gets fuzzy and harder to see, as obviously this is the part that has finally been restored.) Le Chiffre holds Valerie with a knife at her chest when Bond shoots and kills him.

After the movie there are several pictures and advertisements for the 1967 version, and addresses to 007 fan clubs. Casino Royale is an exciting James Bond movie that has to be in the collection of anyone that would call themselves a Bond fan!

BOND, JIMMY BOND. STIRED NOT SHAKEN
I very much enjoy the Bond movies. they are the best action movies ever. I like all the offical movies! I also like the unofical movies. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN is good espesily with connery back in the helm.

this is intresting to watch. its in black and white so it has a sort of film noir look. its live telivision so its not perfect. fleming sold the rights on this one and it was made in an attempt to capture amareican audiances. basicly fleming needed the mony and wanted to launch bond into fame. any way the charture is amaricinised for the sake of the audiance.

neslon is good hes not connery but good. once u get past the crew cut and acent that is. the name is still JAMES BOND but usely the nick name "jimmy" is used. this is atipical of 50s heros. hes working for a usa agency a CIA not assoiated with the real CIA. (bye the way there are at least two times bond is called 'james' the rest of the time hes refered to as jimmy.) 'clarance' liter is the british spy here. (no felix here).

this is a short film thankfuly the ending is restored. it is not like the book (which was VERY gritty not at all like the bond of the movies.) in a way though it has the feel of the book. it is also a serious presntation rather then the comedy movie.

peter lore is good as the villain. very dispicabel. i have to say it is nice to see bond portayed as a human being rather then a super human. here bond can be hurt. he is beaten and abused. (the only other time we see this is in DR NO. rarely is the bond of the later movies even scrached.) that is one good thing about the bond of this movie.

this version is the ONLY complete version of this film. the dvd of the comedy version casino royal does have the tv version in its extras, but that version is NOT complete. so if u want to see the whole show u have to get this tape.

how does one reconcil this with the other movies? well just pretend that this is a bond befor he gets his 007 liscence to kill. who is "posing" as an american agent, or somthing.

at any rate it would not be till DR NO that bond became the action hero that he is now. with each movie he is reborn. yet we must reamber it is here and the books that he first was born. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

SLICK! SLICK! SLICK!
This film is fast and slick. Possibly the first of the film noirs it has everything you want in a forties film. The casting was perfect as well as the acting. Taylor and Turner were hot. Van Heflin steals the show. I love the way they used music in this film and the shiny look of the night scenes. It is filled with symbolism and the ending is terrific!!! There is even a dog that steals all the scenes he is in. If you love film noir you MUST have this one.

Taylor and Turner heat up the screen
The gangster genre is not one that you would normally associate with MGM. It has always been closely associated with the more hard edged Warner Broswho ruled this genre during the golden age of gangster movies in the early thirties usually with James Cagney cutting down those who got in his way and Joan Blondell playing the poor girl with the heart of gold. In "Johnny Eager" we see an altogether different type of Gangster flick furnished with a high 1940's gloss care of MGM and a set of costars that have a polish about them unheard of from the great days of Warner Bros production in this genre.

"Johnny Eager" boasts the only teaming of Robert Taylor and Lana Turner. At the time the advertising went something like "T & T burn up the screen in a sizzling romance" and indeed that is what you get here, a first class production with a sophisticated story and above all else two costars who really do burn up the screen together so complete is their screen chemistry. The film tells the story of a cold and quite ruthless mobster Johnny Eager who leads a double life of being supposedly a taxi driver while in actual fact having his hand in many a seedy operation, in particular a dog track that is being threatened with closure. Into his life comes Lisbeth Bard the daughter of the crusading judge John Farrell,(Edward Arnold in another of his strong supporting performances) who is determined to put Eager behind bars again which is the fate he feels he deserves. Johnny and Lisbeth have an instant attraction for each other and ignite plenty of sparks in their meetings however being the eternal racketeer Johnny decides to use the girl as a means of blackmailing Farrell into reopening the track. He frames Lisbeth on a phoney murder rap which is all staged so that her father will fall in with his plans which is what actually happens. However Johnny doesn't count on the influence of his drunken but wise friend Jeff Hartnett (Van Heflin in an Oscar winning performance)who makes Johnny realise the pointless direction his life is heading in and what a decent girl Lisbeth really is. After a visit from former girlfriend Mae Blythe (Glenda Farrell in a small but very touching performance) where a few home truths are spelled out to Johnny about his attitiude to people and life in general he then finds himself feeling love for the first time in his life and decides to get Lisbeth out of his low life with the help of her former fiance respectable Jimmy Courtney (Robert Sterling in a very early performance).

"Johnny Eager" sees Robert Taylor bringing his by now seasoned talents to the lead role in a performance filled with much emotion and it is far from his usual bland leading man type roles. He is very effective as the hardened mobster who is prepared to use anyone and anything whether it be extortion, blackmail or even murder to get his way. He has a wonderful screen chemistry with Lana Turner and rarely has there been a more handsome looking couple on screen. Their love scenes exude a real sexual tension and one film critic at the time said they were some of the sexiest love scenes of that year. Lana Turner so often dismissed as the "Sweater Girl" here I believe gives an honest performance as the priveledged young girl who despite herself, falls in love with an underworld figure much to her father's distress. While her great roles such as "The Postman Always Rings Twice" were still ahead of her, Turner definately reveals a star potential here and the numerous loving close ups reveal one of the most glamourous appearances by an actress in the 1940's. Edward Arnold, one of my favourite character actors delivers his usual powerhouse performance as Turner's father who is caught in Johnny's blackmail scam and sacrifices everything for the sake of his daughter. Arnold who I will always remember for his outstanding work as Joan Crawford's drunkard husband in "Sadie McKee"is excellent in his work with Robert Taylor and all his hatred and loathing for everything that Johhny stands for is put across in a superb performance.

Being a product of MGM "Johnny Eager" benefits from the care in every department that the studio lavished on it's "A" features. It benefits greatly from the able direction of the talented Mervyn LeRoy who was responsible for discovering Lana Turner when both were working over at Warner Bros in the late 30's. He manages to weave an exciting story in with interesting against- type characters and certainly under his direction Robert Taylor shines as he rarely did before. The period look of the film is also of the highest calibre and while it might not be up there with such gangster classics as "Public Enemy" or "Little Caesar", "Johnny Eager" is a fine late entry into this field just as the world was slipping into World War Two and is very entertaining . Enjoy "T & T" electricity on screen when stars where really stars.

Smoldering tale of love between a gangster & uptown girl.
5 star fast paced flick reminiscent of Cagney gangster pics but a little classier. Lana Turner /Rbt Taylor melt the screen with their tart, tight quips and hot romance. Studio should have paired these two more often. One of my all time faves! Fans of old B/W 40's wont be disapointed! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What a series! Blond-haired, blue-eyed Hebrews!
Never before in the history of mankind has there been more blond-haired, blue-eyed Hebrews in the Middle East! I say this tongue in cheek ofcourse. This short lived TV series, which may go by two titles on the web, was filmed in Paige, Arizona in the late 1970's. The continuous use of practically the same set every third episode and a minority of extras as a crowd of hundreds of thousands of Jews should give the viewers an indication of the budget.

The Review: Lot splits with Abraham and moves toward Sodom, gets captured, freed and eventually rises to some degree of leadership in Sodom. Lot eventually meets up with glowing angels and they shoot laser beams. Wow, that's neat! Sodom is destroyed and Lots wife turns into "BEST YET Salt" but I'm not sure if she's iodized (iodine treated description on BEST YET products). This low budget series features Ed Aames (Lot) and Gene Barry (Abraham) was an interesting idea for an episode and should've stayed just an idea. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Wise-Cracks Galore in Tragi-Comedy -- Deep Message
Carol Burnett and Walter Matthau are middle aged singles at one of socialite Geraldine Paige's famous "parties". Seemingly inexperienced Burnett is unsure whether the wise-cracking and somewhat "obviously interested" Matthau is the real deal. Eventually they hit it off, get married, and have a son, whom they both adore.

Time passes, Burnett learns that Matthau freely shares his sexual talents with other women, which he does not attempt to hide. When their school age son is diagnosed with a terminal illness, Burnett breaks down. The couple seperates, all friends and acquaintances suggest Burnett get a divorce.

The ending may be somewhat predictable, but it's a much needed "up" from the depressing 20 minutes preceeding it. The brief interlude with Burnett and Paige in a "cat fight" is another welcomed distraction from compounding dramatic scenes. Matthau's constant witty remarks become an expected staple, although he does show emotion about the loss of his son.

This is definitely an "adult film", although rated PG. Many issues about urban life and society in general are tackled. Pre-teens would certainly be confused and unable to make sense of some of the plot. Fans of the leads will enjoy this film.****

Burnett and Matthau Shine in Deeply Touching Tragi-Comedy
This is a warm, witty, ingratiating film that many viewers can identify with. It's about two not particularly compatible people (Pete and Tillie) who meet, marry, have a child, then attempt to make sense of each other and their unhappy marriage. They become strangers, torn apart as much by his marital infidelities as by their opposite outlooks on life. After ten years of a very shaky domestic situation they face one of the worst parental nightmares imaginable - the loss of their child to a terminal illness. The maddening pain of this event brings them together but, at the same time, highlights their very different philosophical attitudes. Walter Matthau in the role of the cynical, non-religious, philandering husband is given the wittier lines in the script which he spuns with impeccable timing and perfect ironic intonation. Carol Burnett plays the soul-searching, self-agonizing wife who needs to find the meaning of her son's death. Was it divine retribution? Some viewers feel that Matthau and Burnett deadpan their way through the entire movie. Their response very likely stems from having anticipated an uproarious domestic situation-comedy (something like an "I Love Carol"), which this film is definitely not. With the notable exception of one hilarious scene in which Tillie and a bitchy friend (played to comic perfection by Geraldine Page) have a brawl, this is essentially a tragi-comedy. Moreover, the two super charismatic stars of the movie empty themselves to play their rather ordinary characters with straightforward, self-effacing honesty. By 1972, when this film was released, Matthau was a celebrated oscar-winning screen character actor. However, Burnett's transformation from the slapstick queen of TV variety shows to the fine dramatic actress of subtlety and detail seen here is astonishing. Some critics and viewers were not prepared for it but quite frankly that was their problem, not hers. Burnett delivers a tearful scene (in which Tillie vents all of her anger at God and the Virgin Mary) with overwhelming conviction, yet her acting remains beautifully controlled. It is the most deeply affecting moment in the movie, one that will haunt viewers long after the end credits have passed. "Pete 'n' Tillie" was nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Screenplay.

Pete 'N' Tillie: an uneven comedy-drama
Pete 'N' Tillie is a film without focus or a main point. It tells the story of a 33 year old woman (Burnett) who enters marriage with an man who is a charming rascal who loathes religion and is unable to remain faithful. Through a series of what seem more like vignettes than a viable plot, the "story" is developed where Pete and Tillie marry, conceive a child and establish a marriage where Pete is merely a visitor--that is he is not an inspired husband. The couple do love their child and it is this child who keeps them together. The child dies and the marriage falls apart. In the end, however, Pete realizes that he wants to stay with Tillie, perhaps he loves her--the viewer certainly can deduct this from the film's last scene but perhaps they stay together more for custom than anything else. Who knows? At best, the film just rambles on through some scenes where the acting is unispired. Matthau and especially Burnett deadpan their way through their scenes. The only relief in this tedious film is the late Geraldine Page. Her Gertrude Wilson exudes class as well as crass. Even though Page's character has "money", she is still base and when called upon can be very bitchy. The highlight of her performance is where she is faced with having to reveal her true age. Watching Page hammer and haw is a delight. There is one distrubing scene and a shining moment for Burnett: Her anger at God and at the Virgin Mary for "killing her son" is both startling and distrubing. The Burnett character calls God a butcher and spits at the Virgin Mary. Burnett plays this scene with conviction; however, her subsequent voice over where she voices her regret for blaspheming both God and Mary is not that convicing. She goes back to her deadpan delivery. While this film does have its rare moments of joy (especially when the Page character appears)overall, the film is a disappointment. It is unfocused and the acting of both Matthau and Burnett is tedious, unspired and banal. Too bad: with different actors, the story of these two distaff and older people finding love at the end could have been one dynamite film.

DARK HUMOR ABOUT THE HUMAN CONDITION
This movie haunted me. It revealed the dark side of human nature, while on the surface it was light and witty. Carol Burnett was very serious, and Walter Matthau relentlessly outspoken, articulate and even poetic.

DARK UNDERCURRENT TO HILARIOUS, DEAD-PAN HUMOR
It was rather amazing to see Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett deadpan most of the time. There was a strong undercurrent of cynicism in human relationships. Burnett is homely and gives up on marriage till the intense womanizer, Matthau puts the make on her. She surrenders and finds she enjoys sex, despite her having been brought up as a Catholic. She called him a 'pistol'. When she was undressing for the first time in her bedroom she said like she was preparing herself for surgery. He responded that her silken underthings were falling in surrender. He, among other things, was a poet with an ever wry sense of humor. The flic looked like the 50's, despite its coming out in 1972. It is not great, but very good. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Golly! This movie is corny and patriotic? You don't say.
A fine film. It's pure, distilled, Grade-A, all-star, all-American, accept-no-substitutions, concentrated, three-hankie, melodramatic, sentimental, heartwarming, white picket fence, patriotic wartime schmaltz. They don't make 'em like this anymore. Mickey Rooney stars as Homer Macauley, a bright-eyed, fresh-faced, optimistic teenager living in Smalltown, USA during the height of World War Two, when all able bodied young men, including his older brother, have gone off to fight against the fascists and save civilization itself. Still, even with soldiers passing through town and cannons crowding the trains that are headed back East towards Europe, the war is still far, far away, and civilization can still be saved right here, back on the homefront. Taking his brother's place as "the man of the family," Homer learns about hard work, fair play, compassion for others, and about disappointment and heartbreak as well. It's all unremittingly corny, but that's entirely the point. This is not a modern movie -- it isn't cynical or packed with obligatory violence, nor is it politically nuanced or notably subtle. But it is a fine document of its time, sort of an ultimate exposition of the best and most cheerful face that mainstream, white America could put on the underlying grimness that a total war mobilization meant for America and the world. It's a piece of homefront propaganda, but no less true to life, in its way, than any other film of the time.

The screenplay by William Saroyan is set in the author's home in California's fertile San Joaquin Valley, and while he makes sweeping nods towards the Valley's legendary cultural diversity (omitting, for the most part, blacks, Jews and Germans...), Saroyan gives Norman Rockwell a run for his money in the sentimental Americana category. A couple of the religiously-themed scenes may be suffocating to secular or nonsectarian audiences, but other than the film's persistent preachiness, it's a fascinating slice of wartime historical hokum -- worth checking out its time capsule qualities, as well as for entertainment value. Plus, it's packed with loads of great character actors and all-star cameos, including Frank Morgan (aka The Wizard Of Oz), as Homer's older mentor, Don Defore and (a very young) Robert Mitchum as babyfaced soldiers on leave, and Carl Switzler ("Alfalfa," of the Little Rascals) as a teenage hooligan. This movie is sappy, sure... but it's also worth checking out if you have any interest in understanding American society at this critical juncture in our national history.

An over-looked gem.
I disagree with reviewers who've complained that this movie is too patriotic. The heart of the movie is the Macauley family, not the war effort or America alone. Just because Homer Macauley (Mickey Rooney) chooses optimism over bitterness, it is not because of patriotism. Though the Macauley family has an older son away at war, their daily struggle is trying to get by without a father as fourteen-year-old Homer tries to support his family with a job as telegram boy. Though this proves difficult at times, Homer never complains and remains endearingly precocious, as displayed by his struggle in school with a snobby bully and his hopeless crush on a classmate. Overall, the movie is a good, solid effort, mostly due to Mickey Rooney's flawless performance as Homer.

So...what's wrong with tugging a heart-string or two..?
This has always been one of my favorite films, since I saw it on TV about 30 years ago. Sentimental & Corny? Sure, but those who take the time to feel the deeper message will be rewarded. Apparently, some of my reviewing predecessors kept their minds closed to the depth (yes, that's right) of the story. First of all, this is a fable; a commentary not on life itself, but about life as it ought to be. The fact that it involves Ithaca, and characters named Homer, Ulysses & Marcus suggests Greek tragedy (the irony of the title) and the Greek chorus (the father). I couldn't possibly deny the fact that there are plenty of sappy moments, but they are layered & blended with some quite profound lessons. Let's not forget that in 1942 the war was at its absolute peak and enouragement like this was not only welcome but very necessary. Mickey Rooney gave a relaxed, centered performance, probably his best; Frank Morgan, Fay Bainter, James Craig, Marsha Hunt...all wonderful. How can you not feel for Homer when he has to deliver a singing telegram to his girlfriend...sent by his rival? Clarence Brown, known for heart-tuggers (The Yearling, National Velvet) came thru with flying colors, juggling the very complicated events & episodes into a coherent narrative. Say or think what you want...I was moved and touched by the over-all power of this film. It is quite verbose, and some of the preachy little speeches might've been shortened, but the substance of those little speeches hit home powerfully. Home, family, work, love...all those things that matter...are portrayed here as they "ought" to be, and after the tragedy of Sept 11, I welcome this little reminder of the things we have that are taken so much for granted.

Corny and trite.
Maybe wartime audiences needed sickly sentimental and syrupy movies such as this to escape from reality. And there are some moving moments in this movie; but its overall sappiness makes it a disappointment in the long run.

Some parts are just so unbelievably syrupy that it just boggles the mind. In one scene set on a train filled with soldiers heading towards overseas embarkation areas, one soldier starts to play gospel hymn on his accordian and his buddy starts to sing along. In a scene that reminded me of the nun with the guitar scene in "Airplane," all the other soldiers upon hearing the music, stop what they're doing, look towards the musicians, and then start to sing too. Soon the entire train, which must have been completely filled with evangelical Christians, is singing away. But that was not the corny part. It really gets silly when the camera starts doing closeups of one soldier urging everyone to "SING!" It soon dawned on me that the filmmaker was trying to get the audience watching in the theater to sing along with the characters on the screen. Now that's corny! (The only thing missing was the song's lyrics at the bottom of the screen with the bouncing ball accompanying the music.)

However, like other reviewers here, it is the ending that really made me shake my head with wonder- a character attempts to put a joyful spin on some really tragic news. The ending is just absurd. And the fact that this was a wartime movie is no excuse when you compare "The Human Comedy's" ending to the truly moving ending of another wartime melodrama, "The Fighting Sullivans." "The Fighting Sullivans" shows that wartime sentiment and patriotism could be used to make a good movie; on the other hand, "The Human Comedy" shows the exact opposite.

Embarrassingly soapy vignette of WWII patriotism
Though William Saroyan's original work had many a deficiency, and indeed had much excessive flag waving, the characterisation, lighter scenes, and inclusion of a few other "supporting players" made it a bit more believable. This film is tedious, totally "preachy," and one in which few characters seem at all like anyone who actually walks the earth.

The Saroyan novel, for all its excessive patriotic references, basically dealt with a young man's growing to maturity. Mickey Rooney's efforts to make Homer Macauley a likeable teenager are noble, but the film version reduces him to one dimension. Young Ulysses, who has a certain charm in the book, seems a cartoon character. Mother Macaulay is the worst of all - delivering weighty pseudo-wisdom in awesome tones that would put one in mind of the wax figures who sat in "Grandma Predicts" booths at Coney Island.

The ending (which I'll not reveal, though it is obvious from the first scene) is sad but realistic in the book - grotesque in the film. The very last line Homer utters, and which is not in the original, is an attempt at inappropriate cheer that comes out as macabre.

Much more could have been done with a cast such as this, but the adaptation is one of the worst. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Rio Rio!!!
Great Classic A&C film. The best Abbott & Costello film i've seen since "Time Of Their Lives." This is funny from beginning to end. Some really hysterical routines in this one. Highly recommend to any old time comedy fans and Abbott & Costello films. Great, Great film!!!

The Bud & Lou I Remember
I'm going to go ahead and give this video five stars because I have a lot of fond memories of watching it, even though I'm not that wild about the musical numbers.
What I do love about this film is the sheer energy and fun of Abbott & Costello's early efforts. Most of the movies I see rerun on the classic film channels are the duo's later films and are pretty flat. In this one, they blow in like the life of the party and race through routines that makes you feel like they're trying to fit in as much as they can.
The slapstick is cartoonishly funny and the verbal bits are fun ("You're not here! You're not in Philadelphia, you're not in Baltimore, so you must be someplace and, if you're someplace else, then you're not here!").
I love this stuff and I'm glad I ordered the tape.
Great for Abbott & Costello fans.

ONE OF ABBOTT & COSTELLO' S BEST FEATURES
The comdey duo is REUINTED with dircetor S. Sylvan Simon, who directed their earlier feature "ABBOTT & COSTELLO IN HOLLYWOOD". This film is a REMAKE of the 1929 film which starred the then popular comedy team Wheeler & Woosley. In this A & C feature the Nazis invade the Western ranch where the team works. Some good songs ACTUALLY help this film's ZANY plot. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Bad case of Crabs
Okay my first review so be kind. I saw this video a while back and unless this VHS is different from what I saw this should be on the mark.

I'm being a little generous with the 3, but only because I don't think it deserves as low as a 2. Basic gist: murderous irradiated crabs with a penchant for human flesh cause mayhem in a sleepy Island Fishing Community. What is it about human flesh that every psycho, mutant, creature, alien, undead horror and other worldly monstrosity can't get enough of it?!

The the movie isn't great but it's not horrible. It's main flaw is the pace. The viewer already knows what's going on quite early in the movie so regretfully the slow pace doesn't build suspense and tension...rather it just makes the viewer wish the town's folk would get a clue and figure it out so the real action can start!

It's still not a bad movie and in truth I saw none of the infamous 'too stupid to be allowed to live' trait in any of the townsfolk, the only reason they take so long is because there are so many other possibilities for the happenings that sound a heck of alot more resonable than killer crabs.

No glitzy special effects, the acting isn't bad, the story's not bad. An average movie for mose. If you're a fan of those killer crab series of books 'Night of the Crab' etc. This movie might well rank a 4 for you. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Interesting Portrayal of Men in War
Released in 1943 this is an attempt to show the American public what we were fighting for and what our men were up against during WWII in the Pacific. They not only fought the Japanese but the elements and each other in a hostile environment. From a technical standpoint cinematographer Sidney Wagner and art designer Cedric Gibbons put together a hellish vision of war in the jungle. The cast is first rate with Robert Taylor as Sergeant Bill Dane incharge of the defenders. George Murphy is very good as the pensive Lt. Steve Bentley. Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Nolan, Robert Walker, Desi Arnaz (in a good performance) and Barry Nelson are among the other defenders left on Bataan. The strangest relationship in this film is between Robert Taylor and Lloyd Nolan. Taylor recognizes Nolan as someone else he once knew. Nolan makes every attempt to undermine Taylor's command. Nolan fights hard but it never seems for any higher aspirations such as duty, honor and country. This was a strange portrayal in a film meant to expound those very qualities.

Bataan: The 'Good' War
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Americans then reacted much the same as they did on September 11, 2001, when Saudi terrorists crashed two jet planes into the WTC. Shock was quickly followed by anger, and then to a call for action. By the start of 1942, Hollywood heard this clarion call, and for the next four years dutifully cranked out one patriotic war movie after another. BATAAN was one of the first and the best. Director Tay Garnett boiled the movie down to an us versus them level. On the us side were a number of well-known American actors led by the then megastar Robert Taylor, and capably backed up by LLoyd Nolan, Thomas Mitchell, Desi Arnaz, and Robert Walker. The Japanese were shown as nameless, faceless, buck-toothed, slanty-eyed devils who refused to attack unless possessing numerical superiority. Much of the film plays out as an updated version of the earlier THE LOST PATROL. In this latter film, the good guys (Brits) are picked off one at a time by nameless, faceless, towel-headed Arab cowards who refused to attack unless possessing numerical superiority. In both films, the heroes are led by crusty yet heroic leaders who command a motley group of assorted ethnic types. One by one,the Americans die. With each death, the audience could feel both sadness and anger. This movie shows the horrors of jungle warfare in a way that Hollywood had never approached. Director Garnett kept the audience involved by switching from scenes of gripping combat to vignettes of personal drama. Desi Arnaz plays the ethnic jitterbug who dreams only of returning to his beloved Brooklyn. Robert Walker is the archetypal kid whose greatest fear is that he won't be able to send a letter home to his parents. Probably the most interesting of these subplots was the one involving LLoyd Nolan and Robert Taylor. Little by little the audience learns that Taylor as a military policeman years earlier was in charge of escorting a criminal to prison for execution. There was a train wreck, and the handcuffed prisoner wriggles free. (Sound like Dr. Richard Kimble?) Taylor spends years tracking him down only to find that this very fugitive is one of the Americans under his command. Taylor slyly lets Nolan know that he knows who Nolan is, but before Taylor can arrest him, Nolan is stabbed in the back by one of the cowardly Japs who had been playing dead. Nolan's last words to Taylor are, "For just one second,I thought it was you who stuck the shiv in my back." Taylor, alone, fights on, blasting his heavy machine gun directly into the camera, shouting, "Here I am! I'll never leave."
BATAAN accomplished its goal of getting Americans involved on many levels, not the least of which was to stir up hatred against a clearly recognizable enemy. With the Japanese now our friends, a contemporary viewing leaves the audience trying to see past the dated enemy while still recognizing that every era has its war and each war its recognizable enemy. This BATAAN manages to do as well as Spielberg did sixty years later with SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.

Average War Film
Pretty good. Fairly forgotten 60 years later. Cliched and macho but interesting as indicative of typical wartime propaganda. A platoon of soldiers must make a last stand to allow others to escape. Almost no effort is made to explain what is actually going on in terms of the larger picture and why they are being called upon to make this sacrifice. These men are just "doing their duty". They are,of course, whittled down to the last man. Worth a viewing.

Gritty, Violent, and Remarkable
As wartime propaganda, "Bataan" is brilliant--watching it, you may be filled with a seething hostility toward the Japanese that hasn't been felt since Reagan's 1980s. But what's more remarkable is that this gritty, often racist Robert Taylor vehicle is pretty solid as a movie, too. Filmed on an atmospheric soundstage that doubles for the jungle, its moody production practically oozes menace and rivals the Universal "monster movies" of the 1930s. (Watch it at night with the lights off for the full effect.) Often dubbed a remake of John Ford's "The Lost Patrol," "Bataan" has as much in common with any number of last-stand movies . . . as well as later slashfests like "Friday, the 13th," where each character's inevitable demise is more gruesome than the last. In that respect, "Bataan" is again remarkable, as the violence is graphic and shocking, particularly for the period in which the film was made. The cast of many familiar faces, including Desi Arnez, Barry Nelson, Lloyd Nolan, and Robert Walker, also deliver the emotional goods, keeping us caring about what happens next to these doomed men, a quality more recent films generally lack. If you're expecting the technoglitz excess of "Black Hawk Down," you'll probably be disappointed by "Bataan." But if you want to see a Hollywood depiction of war as a silvery nightmare, this may well be the one movie to watch.

Hollywood document
Filmed at the time, this is the closest you will get to experiencing World War 2. Watch this film and youll see why Americans fight, and why the U.S. must win every war at all costs. ... Read more

Book Description

As a baby, Moses is sent down the Nile in a basket. As a man, Moses is called to save God's people and leads the Israelites across the Red Sea. God gives His people the Ten Commandments. Animated, 23 minutes. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tay Garnett was a hard-nosed director who moved from studio to studio and genre to genre throughout the golden age of Hollywood. He never achieved the status, let alone the distinctive signature, of a Howard Hawks or Raoul Walsh; still, with talent, brashness, and cojones to spare, he was responsible for a slew of cheerfully vulgar entertainment, and several genuinely fine films.

Bataan may well be the best. Certainly it's one of the strongest Hollywood salutes to the war effort while World War II was still raging. In his grittiest role to date, Robert Taylor (sans mustache) plays a U.S. Army sergeant fighting a rear-guard action in the Philippine jungle, covering Douglas MacArthur's retreat. His platoon is the usual wartime study in democratic motley: veterans (Lloyd Nolan, Thomas Mitchell, Tom Dugan) thrown together with green recruits (Robert Walker, Barry Nelson), a Latino (Desi Arnaz), a black (Kenneth Spencer), not to mention a couple of stalwart Filipinos (Roque Espiritu, J. Alex Havier), and several officer types (George Murphy, Lee Bowman) with sense enough to defer to the sergeant's judgment. As in John Ford's desert classic The Lost Patrol, the group is whittled down through misadventure, disease, and skirmishes with the ever-advancing Japanese until only a handful remain for a still-shattering last stand.

Bataan was made at MGM, and the principal setting, a jungle clearing overlooking a strategic bridge, stinks of the soundstage. In other respects, however, Garnett manages to introduce shocking, un-Metro-like realism into the proceedings. In an early scene of bombardment, a GI, blinded, crawls out of the wreckage of a field hospital only to have a smoking roof beam crush his bandaged skull. There's nothing cosmetic about the wounds in this movie; they hurt and they bleed, and people get them during the most gruesome hand-to-hand combat in any '40s war movie. --RichardT. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Interesting Portrayal of Men in War
Released in 1943 this is an attempt to show the American public what we were fighting for and what our men were up against during WWII in the Pacific. They not only fought the Japanese but the elements and each other in a hostile environment. From a technical standpoint cinematographer Sidney Wagner and art designer Cedric Gibbons put together a hellish vision of war in the jungle. The cast is first rate with Robert Taylor as Sergeant Bill Dane incharge of the defenders. George Murphy is very good as the pensive Lt. Steve Bentley. Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Nolan, Robert Walker, Desi Arnaz (in a good performance) and Barry Nelson are among the other defenders left on Bataan. The strangest relationship in this film is between Robert Taylor and Lloyd Nolan. Taylor recognizes Nolan as someone else he once knew. Nolan makes every attempt to undermine Taylor's command. Nolan fights hard but it never seems for any higher aspirations such as duty, honor and country. This was a strange portrayal in a film meant to expound those very qualities.

Bataan: The 'Good' War
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Americans then reacted much the same as they did on September 11, 2001, when Saudi terrorists crashed two jet planes into the WTC. Shock was quickly followed by anger, and then to a call for action. By the start of 1942, Hollywood heard this clarion call, and for the next four years dutifully cranked out one patriotic war movie after another. BATAAN was one of the first and the best. Director Tay Garnett boiled the movie down to an us versus them level. On the us side were a number of well-known American actors led by the then megastar Robert Taylor, and capably backed up by LLoyd Nolan, Thomas Mitchell, Desi Arnaz, and Robert Walker. The Japanese were shown as nameless, faceless, buck-toothed, slanty-eyed devils who refused to attack unless possessing numerical superiority. Much of the film plays out as an updated version of the earlier THE LOST PATROL. In this latter film, the good guys (Brits) are picked off one at a time by nameless, faceless, towel-headed Arab cowards who refused to attack unless possessing numerical superiority. In both films, the heroes are led by crusty yet heroic leaders who command a motley group of assorted ethnic types. One by one,the Americans die. With each death, the audience could feel both sadness and anger. This movie shows the horrors of jungle warfare in a way that Hollywood had never approached. Director Garnett kept the audience involved by switching from scenes of gripping combat to vignettes of personal drama. Desi Arnaz plays the ethnic jitterbug who dreams only of returning to his beloved Brooklyn. Robert Walker is the archetypal kid whose greatest fear is that he won't be able to send a letter home to his parents. Probably the most interesting of these subplots was the one involving LLoyd Nolan and Robert Taylor. Little by little the audience learns that Taylor as a military policeman years earlier was in charge of escorting a criminal to prison for execution. There was a train wreck, and the handcuffed prisoner wriggles free. (Sound like Dr. Richard Kimble?) Taylor spends years tracking him down only to find that this very fugitive is one of the Americans under his command. Taylor slyly lets Nolan know that he knows who Nolan is, but before Taylor can arrest him, Nolan is stabbed in the back by one of the cowardly Japs who had been playing dead. Nolan's last words to Taylor are, "For just one second,I thought it was you who stuck the shiv in my back." Taylor, alone, fights on, blasting his heavy machine gun directly into the camera, shouting, "Here I am! I'll never leave."
BATAAN accomplished its goal of getting Americans involved on many levels, not the least of which was to stir up hatred against a clearly recognizable enemy. With the Japanese now our friends, a contemporary viewing leaves the audience trying to see past the dated enemy while still recognizing that every era has its war and each war its recognizable enemy. This BATAAN manages to do as well as Spielberg did sixty years later with SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.

Average War Film
Pretty good. Fairly forgotten 60 years later. Cliched and macho but interesting as indicative of typical wartime propaganda. A platoon of soldiers must make a last stand to allow others to escape. Almost no effort is made to explain what is actually going on in terms of the larger picture and why they are being called upon to make this sacrifice. These men are just "doing their duty". They are,of course, whittled down to the last man. Worth a viewing.

Gritty, Violent, and Remarkable
As wartime propaganda, "Bataan" is brilliant--watching it, you may be filled with a seething hostility toward the Japanese that hasn't been felt since Reagan's 1980s. But what's more remarkable is that this gritty, often racist Robert Taylor vehicle is pretty solid as a movie, too. Filmed on an atmospheric soundstage that doubles for the jungle, its moody production practically oozes menace and rivals the Universal "monster movies" of the 1930s. (Watch it at night with the lights off for the full effect.) Often dubbed a remake of John Ford's "The Lost Patrol," "Bataan" has as much in common with any number of last-stand movies . . . as well as later slashfests like "Friday, the 13th," where each character's inevitable demise is more gruesome than the last. In that respect, "Bataan" is again remarkable, as the violence is graphic and shocking, particularly for the period in which the film was made. The cast of many familiar faces, including Desi Arnez, Barry Nelson, Lloyd Nolan, and Robert Walker, also deliver the emotional goods, keeping us caring about what happens next to these doomed men, a quality more recent films generally lack. If you're expecting the technoglitz excess of "Black Hawk Down," you'll probably be disappointed by "Bataan." But if you want to see a Hollywood depiction of war as a silvery nightmare, this may well be the one movie to watch.

Hollywood document
Filmed at the time, this is the closest you will get to experiencing World War 2. Watch this film and youll see why Americans fight, and why the U.S. must win every war at all costs. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not The Thin Man or Charley Chan But Good
If you are a fan of the movies of the 30's and 40's you will recognize Edward Arnold but probably not his name. He was often cast as a man of power in the state, town, company or the family and he was convincingly good at it. Arnold diverts from his usual persona in Eyes In The Night. He deftly assumes the role of a blind private detective. Arnold brings to the screen some extraordinary talent as the male lead, the extent of which you don't see in his appearances as a supporting actor. His guide dog will amaze you, too. With a little tweaking this should have become a series of movies, and could have competed with Charlie Chan, The Thin Man, etc. The story and screenplay is a little hokey by today's standards, of course, but I am glad I bought it.

Feast for Fido Fans
Take the hard-boiled resourcefulness of a wrestling blind sleuth and his canny canine sidekick, stir in a stew of diverse supporting characters, and the result is the recipe for this wartime noir mystery. Donna Reed is delicious as a precociously hard-edged seventeen-year-old, and Mantan Moreland and Allen Jenkins add just the right dash of comic relief.

Good 1942 "B" film
"Eyes in the Night" was director Fred Zinneman's first feature film after having, among other things, directed some MGM short subjects, notably some of their "Crime Does Not Pay" entries. Here he directed a tidy little thriller which is a little slow in getting started but builds tension and suspense as it goes along. The plot deals with a blind detective and his seeing-eye dog who become enmeshed with enemy agents. There is a quiet intelligence to this film which is noticeable in other early Zinneman efforts, particularly "Kid Glove Killer", another good MGM "B" not on home video and "The Seventh Cross". The villains are shrewd and resourceful not given to "for the fatherland" melodramatics of so many other films of this period. A solid first feature from a fine director. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Grow a real beard!
Starring Gene Barry (Abraham, with a really bad wig and beard), Ed Ames (Daniel Boone) and Ross Martin (Wild, Wild West).

This episode starts with the accidental killing of an enemies son by Abraham, is this in the Bible? Hmm? And continues on with the plot of Hagar and her uncle (Martin) first trying rescue Ishmael, a very passive (toward Isaac) but precocious Ishmael (weird) and then attempting to supersede Abrahams desire that Isaac be the inheritor over his older brother. The episode ends with the sacrifice scenes. Again I ask you. Is this the Bible? Barry gives a good perfomance but he should've grown the beard himself.

Sad
Poor acting, sad Biblical Interpretation.....The producer has turned a pivotal Biblical event ( for three faiths) into a Hollywood production about jealously and geneology..Save your money.

Not the Abraham I know!
Aside from the pitiful acting, this account of the life of Abraham & Isaac is 90% fiction. More attention is given to a feud between Abraham & a neighboring warlord (which is not found in scripture) & a plot by Hagar's uncle to have Isaac killed so that Ishmael can inherit Abraham's fortune (also not in scripture) than to the actual account of Abraham's struggle over God's command to sacrifice his son. That scene -- supposedly the thust of the movie) -- lasts less than three minutes & involves no struggle or suspense whatsoever, Don't waste your money!

Greatest Heroes of the Bible: Abraham's Sacrifice
It is hard to believe the film makers here could take a compelling Biblical story like Abraham's almost sacrifice of his only son and turn it into this tedious made for television slop.

Gene Barry is Abraham, who must face the local evil king who is trying to steal his flock of sheep. Barry accidentally kills the king's son in the dullest action scene ever committed to film. Abraham's wife, Sarah, is barren, so he fathered a son with Egyptian slave Hagar (inexplicably played by Lainie Kazan). Hagar and her uncle, Ross Martin, decide to