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Days of Wine and Roses is one film not to watch if you are melancholic by nature, as this tale of middle-class alcoholism rings very true. Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick are the besotted couple who find that life is not always fun when viewed through rosé-colored glasses. He's the San Francisco business executive who marries Remick and seduces her into a cocktail culture that soon overpowers them both. It is not a pretty picture when their life shatters around them, but this film is extremely compelling for their performances. It is matched only by Billy Wilder's Lost Weekend and the more explicit Leaving Las Vegas. This was nominated for five Academy Awards and won for the title song by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer. Filmed by Blake Edwards in 1962, it is based on a Playhouse 90 television production from 1958, starring Cliff Robertson and Piper Laurie. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (27)

HEARTBREAKING
"Days of Wine and Roses" ranks right up there with "Lost Weekend," "Leaving Las Vegas" and "I'll Cry Tomorrow" as the most powerful cinematic portrayals of the destructiveness of alcoholism. Jack Lemmon gives one of his most honest and powerful performances as a man who lures his young bride into a life of alcohol induced pleasure and, ultimately, pain and suffering. Lee Remick is equally marvelous as his helpless wife who's own addiction proves more overwhelming than her husbands. A very personal and intimate film that will prove most unsettling to anyone who's known, first hand, the horrors brought on by alcohol abuse. Fantastic but, be warned, very depressing.

Drink It Up
I grew up laughing out loud, as film director Blake Edwards teamed with the likes of Peter Sellers, in the Pink Panther movies, and Dudley Moore in 10. These comedies went straight for the funny bone. The slapstick stuff was just outrageous. While I have seen the likes of some of his latter films, including SOB and Victor/Victoria, they weren't as "classic" as those I mentioned before. Up until the 2004 Oscar Ceremony, I had no idea that Edwards even did any dramatic films. The fact that The Days Of Wine And Roses starred one of my all time favorite actors, the late great Jack Lemmon, just made me want to finally see the movie all the more.

The film is a disturbing adaptation of J.P. Miller's Playhouse 90 story. Joe Clay, (Lemmon) is a San Francisco public relations man who likes to hoist a few and have a good time. When he meets secretary Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick), who doesn't drink, he is taken be her, and after a short time they marry. After a few more months, Kirsten is able to put away as much liquor as her husband. As the years pass, Joe loses one job after another and his wife neglects their child until he begins to realize that both of them are alcoholics. soon the couple moves into her father's (Charles Bickford) nursery to dry out, but following a couple of weeks "on the wagon", they go on a total drinking binge. Joe nearly destroys a greenhouse in a fanatic search for a drink and ends up in hospital ward. Former alcoholic Jim Hungerford (Jack Klugman) tries to help them both...

Edwards offers an unflinching look at alcoholism. I remember seiing The Lost Weekend (also featuring an alcoholic) in film school, and being amazed, I felt the same way after I saw this movie. Lemmon and Remick are very good together. The film avoids any cliche about the subject and can make you feel for the couple, while at the same time being repulsed by some of their behavior at the same time--not an easy task. Anyone expecting a laugh riot from the director need not apply or want to. Edwards comedies are funny--most of them anyway--it's nice to know that his was willing to tackle a tough issue.

The DVD boasts a fine audio commentary by from Edwards. He is very easy going and informative about the production. You also get to see a vintage interview with Jack Lemmon, in which, he also discusses the film. The theatrical trailer tops off the bonus material.

To those viewers, who want to see Lemmon in one of his best dramatic roles, watch this. I still can't believe it took me this long to see this movie--I'm very glad I did

LAUGH AND RUN AWAY
When this movie first came out, I was much too young to appreciate the veracity and power. Blake Edwards helms an extremely powerful, if tragic, tale of alcoholism and how it affects the marriage of two middle class individuals.
Jack Lemmon proves what a tremendously versatile actor he was, and he gives a performance that is honest, brutal and unbelievably brilliant. His scenes in the greenhouse and in the drying out unit are some of the best acting caught on celluloid. Lee Remick, the late and underrated beauty, matches Lemmon's performance which is even more devastating as her plunge into alcohol is at Lemmon's urging, and she's the one who can't go without a drink. Remick is mesmerizing in the motel scene where she forces Lemmon to drink with her again.
Wonderful support comes from Charles Bickford as Remick's father and Jack Klugman as Lemmon's AA friend. Of course, the score by Henry Mancini is one of the best.
This is a must see for anyone who wants to see powerful acting and an unforgettable movie.

A Message For All Young People About The Dangers Of Alcohol
The Days of Wine & Roses has equal impact today, as it did more than 40 years ago. It tells the story of alcoholisim as seen through the eyes of a "normal", white, middle class couple. The sickness creeps up on the viewer gradually until it's almost unbearable to watch. This is yet another fine example of the marvelous tempo all Billy Wilder movies posessed. Sunset Blvd had it in Spades. But The Days of Wine and Roses is perhaps the only Wilder movie, so completely void of humor.

Lemmon and Remmick are compelling as is the fine supporting cast. This is a great movie to covey the message about the dangers of drinking to young people. As a side note, I attended high school and was quite freindly with one J. D. Miller's sons. Unfortunatly the lessons of the story were not learned by his offspring. Then again, that was almost 40 years ago. Maybe there's a happy ending in there somewhere.

Skip the DVD version
A classic, no doubt about it. But if you're buying the DVD version for anything but the widescreen effect, forget it. The "extras" consist of two versions of a self-congratulatory trailer (Jack Lemmon breaking character to expound on what a bold movie they'd made.) Meanwhile, the much-touted "interview" with Lemmon is a corny promotional device apparently aimed at local TV stations, with the actor, seen talking on the phone, rattling off answers to trite pre-scripted questions, giving the impression that he was actually having a phone interview with local TV personalities whose own images were later edited into the split-screen featurette.And the less said about director Blake Edwards' "commentary", the better.After explaining that he's not much good "at this kind of thing," Edwards proceeds to prove it in spades by confessing he hasn't seen the movie in 40 years, professing to be surprised when he realizes (10 minutes in!) that the film wasn't shot in color, then actually wonders aloud how audiences will be able to understand the plot if he keeps talking throughout the movie. Sad! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1942 satirical comedy stars Ginger Rogers as the title character, who agrees to be accused of murder so the publicity will advance her dancing career.Whether she actually committed the crime is irrelevant to the reporters, who fall all over themselves to give Roxie her 15 minutes of fame (well, this compact movie is actually 75 minutes long). Adolphe Menjou costars as the blustery defense lawyer who sees no possibility of losing, and George Chandler plays the meek husband left in Roxie's dust.Among the highlights are the judge, lawyers, and client primping for every photo opportunity, and Rogers's nostalgic tap dance on a metal prison staircase.Roxie Hart was based on the play Chicago, which later became the basis for the Bob Fosse musical with Gwen Verdon (and then Ann Reinking in the 1997 revival) in the Rogers role. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Different but lots of fun
I watched this out of curiousity after becoming a fan of Chicago the movie. It's fun to compare and contrast the modern version against this Ginger Rogers vehicle. Check out familiar characters (such as the prison matron "Mrs." Morton and Mary Sunshine) new characters (the reporter who has a crucial role in the end) and even missing characters (no Velma Kelley.)

This 1942 film has the title character as a woman on trial for shooting a man who is strongly implied to be her lover. Unlike the Roxie Hart in Chicago, this Roxie is innocent and only on trial for publicity to bolster her show business career. Rogers is a lot of fun and chews the scenery as the gum snapping Roxie. In retrospect, it seems a natural that this story became a musical. Aside from a brief tap dance sequence, it's too bad Rogers couldn't show off her musical talents here.

Make note to watch for the totally different but funny ending.

ROGERS ROCKS CHICAGO!!
I got this movie for Christmas yesterday and I love it! I have seen the movie "Chicago" many times and have seen the Broadway musical many times on a tape I have. This is probably the most likeable of all of them because it's clean. They had to follow the Hays Code with motion pictures back then, so that certainly added to its cleanliness. The movie is a version of "Chicago" that all members of the family can enjoy, unlike the current movie and stage show which are only appropriate for ages 13 and up. Ginger Rogers seems perfect for Roxie because she gives off believable innocence, unlike Reinking or Zellwegar who not only killed their lovers, but also were too fake for the role. Reinking talked too fast and Zellwegar was just not the right choice. Rogers is a great Roxie, because she is just like the one in the original play, even though the musical's version is based on Rogers's incarnation. This is my favorite type of movie anyway because I'm a fan of old black&white movies.

I DID IT HER WAY!!!
... and BOY she sure dun 'em wrong!
A BRILLIANT gem of a black comedy from the past - superbly restored to DVD - Great in Black & White - with the "Chicago" tune most of us grew up with has the backdrop....

Well, we've seen Mr. Fosse's "Chicago" [brilliant homage to this one] ~ but Ginger's version naturally focuses more on the wronged babe! Great Costumes and Art direction - even a dance number or two - "The Black Bottom" sequence - everyone's doing it! and Gingers homage to the 'other' tapmasters' as she pounds out a little number on the prison stairs.

HUNKY George Montgomery is the perfect 'big lug' of a reporter smitten by Miss Rogers "She Couldn't possibly have done this!"
A touch a Gable there!

Even Velma cameos briefly at the beginning in prison - literally cat-fighting with Roxie. They're basicallty all here - and if you wish another slant on the tangled tale - view this one - you won't be disappointed.

[Especially when the Judge tries to hone in on the background action - mugging for the camera in court - SO indelible in recent times considering it all .... after all it's all "Razzle Dazzle"].

A 'don't miss' experience.

KISS! KISS! BANG! BANG! ROXIE HART IS ON HER WAY TO DVD!
Never has a girl with so little done so much. When a 1920s has-been showgirl's husband shoots a burglar in her apartment, "Roxie Hart" (Ginger Rogers) decides to take the wrap. Why? Good business...and because outside of 15 minutes in the pen she becomes the biggest little murderess in old Chicago. Based on a true story, but this time played strictly for laughs, the bawdy, gaudy and luscious Roxy kicks up her high-stepping heels into one of the most publicized trials of the last century. There's much to admire in the story and Rogers is outstanding as the vixen turned hot property. Adolph Menjou costars as Roxy's ubiquitous attorney.
TRANSFER: Kiss! Kiss! Bang! Bang! This one's a winner. Despite a few scenes that lay claim to considerable film grain and minor mis-registration (resulting in some minor pesky halos) this DVD is minted from a remarkably clean camera negative. The gray scale is wonderfully realized, with rich, deep, solid blacks. Occasionally the contrast level appears a tad on the low side but only occasionally. For the most part what you get is a genuinely impressive looking transfer. The audio has been rechanneled to stereo with predictable dated characteristics.
EXTRAS: A couple of trailers that illustrate just how awful this DVD might have looked if the good people at Fox hadn't worked some digital magic on this restored print.
BOTTOM LINE: Get ready to shoot it out with "Roxie Hart" on DVD!

A riot of a film
I have never seen chicago, but I cannot imagine that it can be any more fun than this film. Ginger Rogers plays Roxie Hart with great gusto shwing she was a star long before Fred came on the scene. The court climax is just unreal with total chaos unfurling throughout the film.

Also good to see some excellent dancing from Rogers as she really hams it up in this tremendous film. Pure enjoyment. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

"The love impulse in man," says a psychiatrist in Bringing Up Baby, "frequently reveals itself in terms of conflict." That's for sure. For a primer on the rules and regulations of the classic screwball comedy, which throws love and conflict into close proximity, look no further. A straight-laced paleontologist (Cary Grant) loses a dinosaur bone to a dog belonging to free-spirited heiress Katharine Hepburn. In trying to retrieve said bone, Grant is drawn into the vortex surrounding the delicious Hepburn, which becomes a flirtatious pas de deux that will transform both of them. Director Howard Hawks plays the complications as a breathless escalation of their "love impulse," yet the movie is nonetheless romantic for all its speed. (Hawks's His Girl Friday, also with Grant, goes even faster.) Grant and Hepburn are a match made in movie heaven, in sync with each other throughout. Not a great box-office success when first released, Bringing Up Baby has since taken its place as a high-water mark of the screwball form, and it was used as a model for Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up, Doc? --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (87)

SCREWBALL COMEDY
The first time I watched this movie I could not stop laughingeven after it was over. Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn two of my alltime favorites do an excellent job with the great supporting cast and especially baby, george and the intercalastic clavical!!! There is a leopard on your roof and it's my leopard and I have to get it and to get it I have to sing. Cary Grant even looks great in drag!! Well, you look perfectly idiotic in those clothes. These aren't my clothes Well, where are your clothes? I've lost my clothes! But why are you waring these clothes? Because, I just went gay all of a sudden!

If someone is reading this that has not seen the movie. Go get it! Classic movies are great. In this movie there is no vulgar language or sex scenes just great fun and it is so much funny than today's comedys take Adam Sandler movies they make me ill. He acts so ignorant in a bad sort or a way that it is not even funny. Shampoo is better oh yeah I was laughing for weeks after that one.

Great Screwball Comedy
Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn both made their share of comedies, but this one was different for both of them. It might be the fastest, most frenetic movie I've seen. Most of the comedy is pure slapstick, which was not typical for Grant or Hepburn. Grant plays a bookish archaeologist being courted by eccentric heiress Hepburn, who lives in the country and just happens to have a pet leopard ("Baby"). It's a miracle either survives the pratfalls (although Grant has always been fairly athletic and often inserts scenes involving climbing ledges and jumping from window sill to window sill in his films). In this movie, he reminds me of Jacques Tati in "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" as he bumbles from disaster to disaster. This film also highlights Ms. Hepburn's versatility, as everyone knows she can do romance and drama ("The African Queen" and "The Lion in Winter"). The romantic/comic banter in this movie is as fast-paced as the movie as a whole, and you have to listen closely to catch it all. You have to be wide awake and in the mood to pay attention to watch this movie and enjoy it. If you are those things, watch it and have a ball.

5 stars for the movie, but 0 for its absence on DVD
No plot review here--- it's been adequately done by plenty of viewers before me--- but just an urgent plea to the studio to PLEASE release this on DVD! This is THE classic screwball comedy, and how much better can it get than this? Cary Grant (with whom I fell in love at age 10 and never stopped), Katharine Hepburn (I just wanted to BE her since I was 10), and a couple of leopards, orchestrated into a symphony of hilarity by Howard Hawks. Nothing short of wonderful (bested, in my opinion, ONLY by The Philadelphia Story). So please please PLEASE let us have this timeless classic on DVD. And soon!

Review of Baby
Bringing Up Baby was a very funny movie. Hepburn and Grant did an excellent job. Hepburn plays the funny 'blonde' and Grant is just at his wits end with her. Watch this movie.

I can't give you anything but love, baby...
Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful! Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn team up in this delightful screwball comedy. The dialogue and comic timing are perfect. I can't remember any other movie that I have seen with as many hilarious circumstances as this film. It is truly a great classic. Watch as David (Grant) and Susan (Hepburn) team up while searching for a leopard, a dog and an intercostal clavical (Dinosaur bone) in Connecticut. This fim is one of my all-time favorites. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. Don't miss it! ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Body Snatchers Invade Video Collection
Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers proves to be a classic of the science-fiction genre. Usually bored to death of sci-fi films, I quite enjoyed this film of pods taking over and transforming themselves into the citizens of Santa Mira, while they sleep, in the hopes of soon engulfing the entire world. Brilliantly acted by Kevin McCarthy in the role Miles Bennel, and Dana Wynter as Becky Driscoll, with a wonderful supporting cast, the film is easily believable. With Milt Rice in charge of special effects, the entire collaberation is a marvel for its time. Upon returning home from a trip, Miles finds the Santa Mira townspeople to be acting a bit unusual, but little does he know that one by one the townspeople are being taken over by pods from another world. Miles and Becky, Miles' girlfriend, attempt to warn the town and save the others, but it soon proves to be no easy feat for them to save themselves. The two drive, and then literally run, for their lives through the California hills. If they can make it to the highway and then to the neighboring town, perhaps they and the world can be saved. With impressive cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks, notably the highway scene late in the film, and a striking musical score by Carmen Dragon, this film has quickly become one of my favorites. To occupy a place on the shelves amidst my usual favorites is not an easy thing for a film to do, especially for one that is science-fiction, but this brilliant sci-fi film, which hints a bit at McCarthyism, is a can't miss for any film lover.

They're coming, and you're next!
Wonderful science fiction classic that concentrates on Kevin McCarthy's growing sense of fear and isolation. If anybody doesn't know the plot of this movie, its basic premise is that people are being replaced with alien replicas, with the only clue being a lack of emotion in the new versions. Paranoid people should not watch this film, which has also been classed as a horror film. I think it would have been better in a "Director's Cut" - originally there were no voiceovers, and the film ended with McCarthy standing in the middle of a highway, desperately trying to get someone to stop and listen to him, but the studio decided that was too bleak and demoralizing. Still, this is a great movie, only slightly less shocking for the additions. This version is presented in crisp B&W, in both widescreen and pan and scan. Also included is the original trailer and a short interview with McCarthy on some local TV show from the Seventies. I give the movie itself 5 stars, as it is one of the true classics (better than the 1978 version, and FAR better than the 1997 version), but the DVD gets 4 for its rather bland presentation.

It's alright but I probably missed the political point
Having been born well after the McCarthy era the political sub-text was lost on me. I just thought it was another one of those 50s sci-fi b movies made. Of course I had vague ideas of America at the time and how they were run but I didn't exactly join the dots together and link them up. What I saw was a sci-fi b-movie - nothing else. Still it wasn't bad

I got this really cheap in a store ( 5 euros ) and basically what I got looked like I bought a copy of some guy's video. I'm not complaining about it considering 5 euros for a DVD is alright and besides - it was nothing major. It was in colour and it started off bizarrely. Bizarre in the sense at how the music was so strange and how for the first 15 minutes of the film it was all just people falling down a hole somewhere out in the fields. Seems fairly stupid so far but I do admit that it was quite frightening when the dad lashed out at his son. The realism in that shot was something I hadn't seen before.

Basically you can get the story now about what's about to happen and I won't want to say anymore in case I might ruin the film for you ( nobody likes that do they ). But I will say that I found the Martians and their underground lair to be rather pathetic. OK just the lair then. When the men in green suits start undertaking their tasks it's pretty funny to see white balloons just sway a little as if a little gentle breeze had passed. And the amount of times you had to hear " Let me go let go let me go " it really begins to get on your nerves.

Historically you could say that this is a good film if you know your history. If you just want a bit of an enjoyable sci-fi movie then this can also be achieved. Either way you get enjoyment out of it.

Keep awake, keep awake!!!!.
This is a remarkable movie in many ways. With a relatively small budget a very interesting Sci-Fi / horror film is made. No big visual effects, no Big Stars in the cast, black n' white photography and still a griping story. There are two remakes of this story, they can't stand against the original one, even if they were produced with a bigger budget and known actors.

This is the plot: Dr. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) returns to his small home town ready to attend patients. Different consultants tell him of a paranoid syndrome: their relatives seem somehow changed. A couple of days after that, they return to his office and tell him "Everything is OK".
Dr. Bennell and her old times girl friend Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter) soon realize the town is being subject to an alien invasion plot. Huge seed are "planted" in basements or garages and evolved in a duplicate of a person (a clone will be called today). As soon as the victim fells asleep is "transformed". The tension grows up as time pass and the characters need to sleep.

Some comments issued around the film pointed out that it may be taken as a parable of the Cold War raging at the time it was released (1956). I think that there are more films of that period, alluding the frightful issue of "They are like us but they are NOT us and they are dangerous", as in "The Thing from another World" (1951) or "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" (1958).

The actress Carolyn Jones (later best known by her impersonation of Morticia at the "Addams Family" TV serial) play a short, but very well enacted, role
A very enjoyable film to be seen.
Duration: 80 minutes

GREAT
This is a GREAT transfer of the original film! The sound is good, the picture is good, it's simply a grand dvd! The film here has good acting and casting. Good story and good ending. What more could a sci fi junkie need? This film was made countless times after but this is the original and the best.Kevin did great as the main character here. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Body Snatchers Invade Video Collection
Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers proves to be a classic of the science-fiction genre. Usually bored to death of sci-fi films, I quite enjoyed this film of pods taking over and transforming themselves into the citizens of Santa Mira, while they sleep, in the hopes of soon engulfing the entire world. Brilliantly acted by Kevin McCarthy in the role Miles Bennel, and Dana Wynter as Becky Driscoll, with a wonderful supporting cast, the film is easily believable. With Milt Rice in charge of special effects, the entire collaberation is a marvel for its time. Upon returning home from a trip, Miles finds the Santa Mira townspeople to be acting a bit unusual, but little does he know that one by one the townspeople are being taken over by pods from another world. Miles and Becky, Miles' girlfriend, attempt to warn the town and save the others, but it soon proves to be no easy feat for them to save themselves. The two drive, and then literally run, for their lives through the California hills. If they can make it to the highway and then to the neighboring town, perhaps they and the world can be saved. With impressive cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks, notably the highway scene late in the film, and a striking musical score by Carmen Dragon, this film has quickly become one of my favorites. To occupy a place on the shelves amidst my usual favorites is not an easy thing for a film to do, especially for one that is science-fiction, but this brilliant sci-fi film, which hints a bit at McCarthyism, is a can't miss for any film lover.

They're coming, and you're next!
Wonderful science fiction classic that concentrates on Kevin McCarthy's growing sense of fear and isolation. If anybody doesn't know the plot of this movie, its basic premise is that people are being replaced with alien replicas, with the only clue being a lack of emotion in the new versions. Paranoid people should not watch this film, which has also been classed as a horror film. I think it would have been better in a "Director's Cut" - originally there were no voiceovers, and the film ended with McCarthy standing in the middle of a highway, desperately trying to get someone to stop and listen to him, but the studio decided that was too bleak and demoralizing. Still, this is a great movie, only slightly less shocking for the additions. This version is presented in crisp B&W, in both widescreen and pan and scan. Also included is the original trailer and a short interview with McCarthy on some local TV show from the Seventies. I give the movie itself 5 stars, as it is one of the true classics (better than the 1978 version, and FAR better than the 1997 version), but the DVD gets 4 for its rather bland presentation.

It's alright but I probably missed the political point
Having been born well after the McCarthy era the political sub-text was lost on me. I just thought it was another one of those 50s sci-fi b movies made. Of course I had vague ideas of America at the time and how they were run but I didn't exactly join the dots together and link them up. What I saw was a sci-fi b-movie - nothing else. Still it wasn't bad

I got this really cheap in a store ( 5 euros ) and basically what I got looked like I bought a copy of some guy's video. I'm not complaining about it considering 5 euros for a DVD is alright and besides - it was nothing major. It was in colour and it started off bizarrely. Bizarre in the sense at how the music was so strange and how for the first 15 minutes of the film it was all just people falling down a hole somewhere out in the fields. Seems fairly stupid so far but I do admit that it was quite frightening when the dad lashed out at his son. The realism in that shot was something I hadn't seen before.

Basically you can get the story now about what's about to happen and I won't want to say anymore in case I might ruin the film for you ( nobody likes that do they ). But I will say that I found the Martians and their underground lair to be rather pathetic. OK just the lair then. When the men in green suits start undertaking their tasks it's pretty funny to see white balloons just sway a little as if a little gentle breeze had passed. And the amount of times you had to hear " Let me go let go let me go " it really begins to get on your nerves.

Historically you could say that this is a good film if you know your history. If you just want a bit of an enjoyable sci-fi movie then this can also be achieved. Either way you get enjoyment out of it.

Keep awake, keep awake!!!!.
This is a remarkable movie in many ways. With a relatively small budget a very interesting Sci-Fi / horror film is made. No big visual effects, no Big Stars in the cast, black n' white photography and still a griping story. There are two remakes of this story, they can't stand against the original one, even if they were produced with a bigger budget and known actors.

This is the plot: Dr. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) returns to his small home town ready to attend patients. Different consultants tell him of a paranoid syndrome: their relatives seem somehow changed. A couple of days after that, they return to his office and tell him "Everything is OK".
Dr. Bennell and her old times girl friend Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter) soon realize the town is being subject to an alien invasion plot. Huge seed are "planted" in basements or garages and evolved in a duplicate of a person (a clone will be called today). As soon as the victim fells asleep is "transformed". The tension grows up as time pass and the characters need to sleep.

Some comments issued around the film pointed out that it may be taken as a parable of the Cold War raging at the time it was released (1956). I think that there are more films of that period, alluding the frightful issue of "They are like us but they are NOT us and they are dangerous", as in "The Thing from another World" (1951) or "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" (1958).

The actress Carolyn Jones (later best known by her impersonation of Morticia at the "Addams Family" TV serial) play a short, but very well enacted, role
A very enjoyable film to be seen.
Duration: 80 minutes

GREAT
This is a GREAT transfer of the original film! The sound is good, the picture is good, it's simply a grand dvd! The film here has good acting and casting. Good story and good ending. What more could a sci fi junkie need? This film was made countless times after but this is the original and the best.Kevin did great as the main character here. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Body Snatchers Invade Video Collection
Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers proves to be a classic of the science-fiction genre. Usually bored to death of sci-fi films, I quite enjoyed this film of pods taking over and transforming themselves into the citizens of Santa Mira, while they sleep, in the hopes of soon engulfing the entire world. Brilliantly acted by Kevin McCarthy in the role Miles Bennel, and Dana Wynter as Becky Driscoll, with a wonderful supporting cast, the film is easily believable. With Milt Rice in charge of special effects, the entire collaberation is a marvel for its time. Upon returning home from a trip, Miles finds the Santa Mira townspeople to be acting a bit unusual, but little does he know that one by one the townspeople are being taken over by pods from another world. Miles and Becky, Miles' girlfriend, attempt to warn the town and save the others, but it soon proves to be no easy feat for them to save themselves. The two drive, and then literally run, for their lives through the California hills. If they can make it to the highway and then to the neighboring town, perhaps they and the world can be saved. With impressive cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks, notably the highway scene late in the film, and a striking musical score by Carmen Dragon, this film has quickly become one of my favorites. To occupy a place on the shelves amidst my usual favorites is not an easy thing for a film to do, especially for one that is science-fiction, but this brilliant sci-fi film, which hints a bit at McCarthyism, is a can't miss for any film lover.

They're coming, and you're next!
Wonderful science fiction classic that concentrates on Kevin McCarthy's growing sense of fear and isolation. If anybody doesn't know the plot of this movie, its basic premise is that people are being replaced with alien replicas, with the only clue being a lack of emotion in the new versions. Paranoid people should not watch this film, which has also been classed as a horror film. I think it would have been better in a "Director's Cut" - originally there were no voiceovers, and the film ended with McCarthy standing in the middle of a highway, desperately trying to get someone to stop and listen to him, but the studio decided that was too bleak and demoralizing. Still, this is a great movie, only slightly less shocking for the additions. This version is presented in crisp B&W, in both widescreen and pan and scan. Also included is the original trailer and a short interview with McCarthy on some local TV show from the Seventies. I give the movie itself 5 stars, as it is one of the true classics (better than the 1978 version, and FAR better than the 1997 version), but the DVD gets 4 for its rather bland presentation.

It's alright but I probably missed the political point
Having been born well after the McCarthy era the political sub-text was lost on me. I just thought it was another one of those 50s sci-fi b movies made. Of course I had vague ideas of America at the time and how they were run but I didn't exactly join the dots together and link them up. What I saw was a sci-fi b-movie - nothing else. Still it wasn't bad

I got this really cheap in a store ( 5 euros ) and basically what I got looked like I bought a copy of some guy's video. I'm not complaining about it considering 5 euros for a DVD is alright and besides - it was nothing major. It was in colour and it started off bizarrely. Bizarre in the sense at how the music was so strange and how for the first 15 minutes of the film it was all just people falling down a hole somewhere out in the fields. Seems fairly stupid so far but I do admit that it was quite frightening when the dad lashed out at his son. The realism in that shot was something I hadn't seen before.

Basically you can get the story now about what's about to happen and I won't want to say anymore in case I might ruin the film for you ( nobody likes that do they ). But I will say that I found the Martians and their underground lair to be rather pathetic. OK just the lair then. When the men in green suits start undertaking their tasks it's pretty funny to see white balloons just sway a little as if a little gentle breeze had passed. And the amount of times you had to hear " Let me go let go let me go " it really begins to get on your nerves.

Historically you could say that this is a good film if you know your history. If you just want a bit of an enjoyable sci-fi movie then this can also be achieved. Either way you get enjoyment out of it.

Keep awake, keep awake!!!!.
This is a remarkable movie in many ways. With a relatively small budget a very interesting Sci-Fi / horror film is made. No big visual effects, no Big Stars in the cast, black n' white photography and still a griping story. There are two remakes of this story, they can't stand against the original one, even if they were produced with a bigger budget and known actors.

This is the plot: Dr. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) returns to his small home town ready to attend patients. Different consultants tell him of a paranoid syndrome: their relatives seem somehow changed. A couple of days after that, they return to his office and tell him "Everything is OK".
Dr. Bennell and her old times girl friend Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter) soon realize the town is being subject to an alien invasion plot. Huge seed are "planted" in basements or garages and evolved in a duplicate of a person (a clone will be called today). As soon as the victim fells asleep is "transformed". The tension grows up as time pass and the characters need to sleep.

Some comments issued around the film pointed out that it may be taken as a parable of the Cold War raging at the time it was released (1956). I think that there are more films of that period, alluding the frightful issue of "They are like us but they are NOT us and they are dangerous", as in "The Thing from another World" (1951) or "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" (1958).

The actress Carolyn Jones (later best known by her impersonation of Morticia at the "Addams Family" TV serial) play a short, but very well enacted, role
A very enjoyable film to be seen.
Duration: 80 minutes

GREAT
This is a GREAT transfer of the original film! The sound is good, the picture is good, it's simply a grand dvd! The film here has good acting and casting. Good story and good ending. What more could a sci fi junkie need? This film was made countless times after but this is the original and the best.Kevin did great as the main character here. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Not at all a musty relic of the early-sound era, this lively thriller (shot in a soft, trial version of Technicolor) is saucy, pre-Code fun. As corpses disappear from the morgue, Lionel Atwill's wax museum adds to its displays. Coincidence, or the work of the hideously deformed fiend stalking the Manhattan night? Most of the snappy dialogue comes courtesy of reporter Glenda Farrell, a vintage wisecracking dame. It was remade in 1953 as House of Wax. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (7)

STYLISH SCREAMFEST FROM THE WARNER BROS. VAULT
Generally overshadowed by its more famous remake ("House of Wax" featuring Vincent Price), "Mystery of the Wax Museum" is a more than respectable horror vehicle in its own right. The story of a newly-opened New York wax museum and the strangely lifelike figures that its bizarre owner populates it with, this was a highly original entry into the 1930's horror scene. It was probably intended to compete with the Universal bumper crop of horror staples (Dracula, Frankenstein, et al) and if it cannot quite equal those masterpieces it is nonetheless distinctly more realistic and retains its own unique charm. Surprisingly racy for its day, "Mystery" may be more credible in modern horror fans' eyes than similar films from the same period. The film's cast is excellent, with Lional Atwill as the deranged sculptor to whom art is more precious than life, Fay Wray as the alluring damsel in distress, and Glenda Farrell in a superbly convincing role as the fast-talking, wisecracking reporter who discovers the wax museum's terrible secret. The whole is photographed in a rare two-strip early tecnicolor process which lends a unique, eerie air to every scene. There's some effective comic relief (especially from the aforementioned Farrell) and the infamous "face-cracking" scene is a real shocker, especially for a viewer who has never seen either version of the story before. A relatively slow pace that should've been spiced up a bit is the only reason I don't give this gem four stars, though the climax is certainly exciting and a great wrap-up. An overall quality production that is miles ahead of most of the drudgery that passes for horror today. Recommended to any fan of vintage screamers or classic cinema.

WEIRD, FUNNY & ORIGINAL.
This almost forgotten 1933 film - which was directed by the notorious Hungarian Michael Curtiz - is a good showcase for the diverse talents of Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray and Glenda Farrell. In 1921 London, Mr. Igor's critically successful wax museum is burned down by his partner for the insurance money. Igor is trapped in the flames and all of his work is destroyed. But he survives the tragedy. Jumping to dozen years later, the film takes the viewer on a fascinating journey into revenge, betrayal and madness...An unjustly forgotton - for the most part, anyway - little flick: it was feared missing for many years. Luckily a print survived. Lionel Atwill is excellent, Fay Wray is lovely and as the snappy, wise-cracking Florence, Glenda Farrell is in top form. The last film to be made in the old two-colour Technicolor process, its working title was WAX MUSEUM. According to modern sources, the extreme heat needed to process the old two-colour method literally melted the wax figurines - so in most scenes, the figures were played by actors. Fascinating. Horror fans will undoubtedly compare this to Price's 1953 epic HOUSE OF WAX: in both films the "cracking face" segments are superb.

Rare Fay Wray vechicle available for us to enjoy
This film had long intrigued me but I only viewed it for the first time last year. I had been familiar with the excellent Vincent Price remake "House of Wax" so I was eager to see the film it was based on.

"Mystery of the Wax Museum" is I feel a superb example of early 30's film making. It has a theme not often used at that time and has assembled a great cast of performers for the story. The always interesting Lionel Atwill is in this instance perfectly cast as the sinister museum owner who has unusual methods of creating his visually "realistic and lifelike" wax figures in his display. Lionel had a way with portraying sinister and deranged characters and I think his best performance was in the superb "Murders in the Zoo" where his character was of a similiar deranged slant as this one.

One of the joys of this film is also seeing a rare (for me) performance by the famed Fay Wray. So often totally identified with her most famous role in "King Kong" it is easy to forget she began in silent films as a child actress and appeared in the famed "Wedding March". Fay can certainly scream with the best of them and is given ample opportunity here to exercise her lungs!! She is the object of Atwill's rather unwelcome attentions here and almost ends up as part of the display dealing with Marie Antoinette. Glenda Farrell is also excellent as the wise cracking reporter who wont "stay in the car" so to speak and is determined to solve the riddle of what actually is going on in the museum. She has some terrific lines and adds a much needed light humour to the proceedings.

The film is unusual for its time in that it uses a very unusual 2 strip technicolour techique , rare for the time which gives the film a rich and quite sinister glow in particular in the museum scenes. The overraul feel created in the film is exceptional and it can be seen that Warners lavished a good budget on it. The museum scenes in particular are beautifully created and have an eerie atmosphere and definately heighten the drama as it unfolds.

Probably the highlight of the film is when in the final struggle Wray "demolishes" Atwill face mask which crumbles away to reveal the hideous scarring underneath. It is still a heart stopper...brilliant makeup work for the time which elevates "Mystery of the Wax Museum" to classic status.A film that should be in every horror fan's collection.

Thrills, Wisecracks, and Fay Wray Screaming
Lionel Atwill is the artist and owner of a London wax museum that is torched by his partner to get the insurance money. Years later, having been injured in the blaze, Atwill turns up in New York, preparing a new wax museum for opening. If only he could quickly re-create some of his lost masterpieces. But of course, he's gone a little mad and he comes up with a way .... Enter Fay Wray, the spitting image of his lost Marie Antoinette. Hmmm. I'm sure you get the idea. This is a most unusual Warner Brothers' early Thirties film. Filmed in an early, two strip Technicolor, the film has a remarkable, almost unreal feeling about it, much like the wax figures. It's an unusual subject and genre for the studio to have tackled, but director Michael Curtiz keeps the action moving, so the film never gets dull. Atwill is appropriately creepy, Wray screams with the best of them, and Glenda Farrell, as the wisecracking, adventurous reporter out to expose it all, steals the show with her lively, energetic performance. It's got the thrills and the humour necessary to entertain, plus a few memorable moments.

Fay Wray is gorgeous
Some good shocks with comic relief. This film is worth the purchase if for nothing else than the early technicolor (2 strip). Brenda Farrell is great as the smarty reporter looking for the story but Fay Wray is the real centerpiece. Highly recommended for Fay Wray fans. She's still my favorite 30's sexy star. The film carries a little too much amusement and too little tension for my tastes but Fay's presence made it all worthwhile. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Patriotic Movie about Football and War
THE IRON MAJOR is a film about the life of Frank Cavanaugh from his days as a football player at Dartmouth through his triumphant career as coach at Boston College and Fordham. In between he coaches at Cincinnati and Holy Cross and also tries his hand as a lawyer.

When World War I breaks out Cavanugh enlists in the army and is wounded leading an artillery battalion in France. By surviving his wounds he earns the nickname of the "Iron Major." His career at Boston College and Fordham follows World War I and lasts until he gradually loses both his sight and his health.

THE IRON MAJOR is above all a patriotic movie about football and war made at the height of World War II. Pat O'Brien plays Cavanaugh and Ruth Warrick has the role of his sturdy wife who is also the mother of their nine children. The supporting cast includes Robert Ryan and Leon Ames.

Ray Enright directed NAUGHTY BUT NICE and RETURN OF THE BAD MEN in addition to THE IRON MAJOR and several other films. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

5 Came Back: The Best of the B's
Hollywood occasionally tells the tale of a group of travellers stuck within an enclosed arena against which they must contend with opposition externally and internally. In 5 CAME BACK, director John Farrow places some surprisingly well-known actors (Lucille Ball, John Carradine, Chester Morris, and C. Aubrey Smith)in an airplane that is caught in a storm and crash lands in the head-hunter jungles of Brazil. What makes this film click is the unexpectedly successful melding of fine acting with a gloomy and dense jungle backdrop that serves to bring out the best and the worst of the passengers. Lucille Ball is a floozy that nevertheless can rise to the challenge of surviving in a forest and still look good enough to find romance with the co-pilot. John Carradine plays Crimp the bounty-hunter who determines to bring in his prisoner for the reward. But the one who steals the show is veteran character actor C. Aubrey Smith, who has made a career of playing the distinguished English upper crust gentleman who knows how to die with the same style as how to live. This is no film of special effects; in fact one can even see the blatant rubber undersides of the planted "trees" against which the head-hunters appear from the ankles down. 5 CAME BACK is however the ancestor of such future films as STAGECOACH and THE BREAKFAST CLUB. What makes movies like this resonate even with the cheesiness of the production values is the odd way that locked in strangers must confront their inner demons even as they must face their outer ones. 5 CAME BACK is a fine example of this genre.

Great classic film find!
I'll admit I started watching this film because I'm a big Lucy fan, but before long I found myself engrossed. I couldn't wait to see who came back.

The film is not as predictable as you might think. Spoilers follow...

What a powerful ending!

Who could have seen the twist coming when Vasquez alone picks those who live and those who die. I watched the film assuming it would turn out to be a "lifeboat" situation, full of justifications and categorizations. Instead, Vasquez chooses based on logic and morality. This would be a wonderful conversation starter!

And the surprises just kept coming -- I audibly gasped when we see only two bullets in the gun. I suppose there is a concept, then, that justice is finally served as Vasquez alone is left to the hands of the natives.

Frankly I didn't think Peggy (Lucy) had a chance of surviving as the woman with a questionable reputation, and yet she redeems herself when she becomes Tommy's mother.

My only gripe with the film is that it ends prematurely, literally with their fate up in the air. We have to assume they all make it back safely, but even a quick sequence of the plane landing or even seeing safety ahead would have sufficed. Perhaps the director and writers were telling us that the real drama was not on the plane at the end but on the ground. Is Vasquez the central character then? I'll have to watch it again and think about it some more.

Full of complex characters and wonderful performances, "Five Came Back" is a classic worth watching again!

LUCY FANS WILL APPRECIATE IT.
First of all, this minor cult classic was made in 1939: if it was made in any other year, it would have garnered more attention rather than to have gotten lost in obscurity. In LA, nine passengers board the SILVER QUEEN, a plane piloted by Bill Brooks bound for Panama City. On board, passengers include Peggy Nolan (Lucyball) a lady of the pavements (!), Crimp (John Carradine) a ruthless detective determined to bring back his prisoner, the anarchist Vasquez (Joseph Calleia) for a $5,OOO reward - among other assorted colourful characters. The plane is force landed during a nasty storm in a dense jungle - and there are native drums threatening attack....when the plane is fixed - at long last - it can only take back 5 passengers. Directed by John Farrow, father of Mia and husband to Maureen O'Sullivan, this taut little "B" thriller from RKO is still quite enjoyable. Dated, to be sure, it nevertheless entertains with its GRAND HOTEL - like storyline both on a plane & in the jungle. The supporting cast is excellent: Wendy Barrie, C. Aubrey Smith, Patric Knowles & Alan Jenkins. Lucy's leading man is Chester Morris - as Bill. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Dagwood gets to be boss.
The alarm clock didn't work, so the Bumstead household is behind schedule this morning. Mr. Dithers (Jonathan Hale) drops by to let Dagwood (Arthur Lake) take over as boss at the office for three weeks. Dagwood must do a favor for the Mayor (Charles Arnt) and hire Sgt. McDermott for Mr. Dithers. The only problem is, McDermott is a woman, Sgt. Betty Jane McDermott (Angelyn Orr). Dagwood, out of courtesy, must invite her to dinner. As Dagwood already knows, Blondie (Penny Singleton) would be jealous. Yet another new postman (Frank Jenks). This one just out of the army. He feels he can dodge Dagwood too. Of course he can't. When Dithers comes back, Blondie gets an idea for Dagwood to be boss of his own construction company with Betty Jane's help. Danny Mummert was not in this one. Bob Haymes plays "Johnny Butler". For fun, can you spot the loaf of Wonder Bread? The next film in he series is BLONDIE KNOWS BEST. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

GABLE AND TURNER
Never mind the story of HONKY TONK. It's strictly synthetic. Its gold miners and saloon toughs, its shady ladies and bad men are there only to provide a colourful Wild West background for more fundamental business. And that business is a series of sizzling bedroom scenes in which, in a variety of dress and undress, Clark Gable and Lana Turner make love. For Gable, this meant another Rhett Butlerish role - a sardonic, hell-raising rogue that kept him an irresistable box-office magnet. As for 20-year-old Lana, she graduated from sweaters to nightgowns; this was her best feature in her meteoric four-year climb to success. This Pandro S. Berman production from 1941 has Clark in top form as Candy Johnson; his charm in this should still make female hearts flutter; Lana Turner was graced with immense sex-appeal; here she proved she could act as well. Despite a certain lack of speed (it tends to ramble on and go nowhere) its sexy and lusty with good direction by Jack Conway. Gable is a heel and Turner is the beautiful daughter of corrupt judge Morgan in this western soap which is routine and predictable. Turner and Gable make an attractive team (they kiss 11 times in the movie!) Gable did a screen test with Turner when she was an amateur in 1938, he remembered she was awful & spoke her lines with "no feeling". By 1941, although still a starlet, she had learned a few lessons in the acting department. (Never a great actress, Turner nevertheless knew the tricks of the trade). Candy Johnson was a good role for Gable, even though the story inconsistencies at times make him look a greater sucker that the mobs he trims. Tough Claire Trevor does well in her difficult role as the dancehall girl and Marjorie Main is nigh hilarious as the lusty old widow; Turner never falters in her presentation of Lucy Cotton. Carole Lombard Gable was intensely jealous of Turner and made frequent visits on the set; tragically, she died the following year.

Very dumb, but the cast compensates
Potentially interesting plot of a gambler meeting an attractive young lady with both of them having his and her problems is absolute garbage on screen; not to mention it being boring, predictable, and so very unmemorable. Almost nothing is worth seeing here except for the teaming of Gable and Turner. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Beloved Enemy
Beloved Enemy is a fictional story based on when Britian occupied Ireland. It's supposed to be about the Irish
resistance.
Basic storyline:
The British are trying to put an end to the resistance, and
there is a particular Irish leader who they are trying to catch
and they don't even what he looks like. A British official comes, bringing his daughter with him. His daughter meets an Irish man who she falls in love with, but finds out he is the resistance leader her people are seeking to arrest. Their differences make it hard for them as she is closely watched. The two countries seek for peace and...
well, that's the basic story.
It's supposed to be about the resistance but I think it's mainly just a romance story. ... Read more

Reviews (64)

One of the Greatest
This film belongs in the library of any serious collector. It is a beautiful love story involvong two people whose mutual dependency on each other deepens as the story progresses. Much of the credit for a job well done of course goes to the films director George Cukor. Judy Garland returns to the screen after a prolonged absence, and reaches her peak both dramatically and vocally. A pinacle I don't believe she ever achieved again. Her musical interpretations are a credit to George Gershwin and Harold Arlen James Mason, in his portrayal of an alcoholic movie star, gives a sterling performance. He is always aware of his tendency toward self destruction."I destroy everything I touch," he warns Vickie. Comparing this performance to his portrayal of Brutus in Shakespeares' "Julius Ceasar" indeed shows a wide dramatic talent. All the supporting players turn in solid performances with Charles Bickford as Oliver the studio head and friend to Vickie and Norman, Jack Carson as the studio Mr Fixit and Tommy Noonan as the friend in need. Truly a movie that is not to be missed.

A Star is Re-Born!
Returning to the screen four years after leaving Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Judy Garland is just superb in A Star is Born. Always giveing an honest performance, Judy gives it her all in this classic! This movie has it all, comedy, drama, and most of all, music! Co-staring with James Mason, Garland was nominated for an Oscar for her performace! Although she lost is to Grace Kelly (Judy was beat by only one vote I'll have you know! "The Biggest Robbery Since Brinks!")she deserved that Oscar! This film is simply great!
The widescreen aspect, offered by this DVD, is an extra treat. Also included are outtakes from the film: including three versions of "The Man That Got Away", the broadcast of the premire of the film, tape of the after party at the Coconut Grove, and the film's trailer!
This film is well worth every penny, since it was reconstructed in 1982, after being butchered before it's release in 1954! Buy the video if you have to, but the picture and sound, oh the sound, make me recomend the DVD although it costs a little more it's well worth it!
Lastly, buy this if you just love a great film, or of course, if you love Judy Garland!

I Couldn't Be More Pleased
The film A STAR IS BORN, the 1954 Judy Garland musical for Warner Bros., has been through nearly as many trials and tribulations as any real-life movie-star wannabe to maintain its reputation and realism. The director--George Cukor's--love/hate letter to the joys and sorrows of Hollywood stardom came in just over three hours long--181 minutes. In an ironic affirmation of the film's recognition that "the lush days are over" for Hollywood, the studio cut the actual release print down to 154 minutes so that theater owners could squeeze in one extra screening per evening. That is the only version we had between 1954 and 1983, and any revivals, cinematheque offerings or TV broadcasts--quite enough to sustain the cult of the movie and Judy Garland's bravura performance as a Hollywood star married to an alcoholic has-been--sprang from that truncated release.

In 1983, a partially restored, 170-minute-long version of A STAR IS BORN hit first-run movie screens after long and loving archival and editorial struggle. It was a matter of using anything available to make up for the scenes Warner Bros. had hacked out--stills, amateur home movies made from the set, audio tracks--anything. Most significantly, the restoration reinstituted the entire portion of the movie which appear in the DVD as all of Chapters 14, 15 and 16 in which Garland's character takes a long-shot chance at an acting career; but although that enhanced plot-line was reintegrated into the movie, the static and museum-like restoration was in many ways more admirable than lovable. Still, it gets across the idea that Judy Garland's character--singer Esther Blodgett--faced her own trials and tribulations on the way to becoming "Vicki Lester" the film star.

The current 1999 DVD goes the 1983 theatrical release two better: it incorporates even more material previously thought lost--in particular audio--and the newer computer technology was used for a thorough digital "scrub" of the already handsome restoration. Previous reviewers are right: the restored sequences can still be a bit off-putting, but the DVD now for sale at 176 minutes is a noticeable improvement over the 1983 release and probably the closest we'll ever get to Cukor's original masterpiece. Is the color perfect? No, 1954 Technicolor was still garish and candy-colored; interestingly, the scenes filmed outdoors at night come across as more realistic than some of the interiors, and the character's facial tones look more realistic. Is the sound perfect? It's a good 5.1 multitrack engineering that sounded good on my budget-level home theater, and it certainly holds better aural technology than was available in 1950s movie houses.

A STAR IS BORN is very much a movie about movies, a "backstage" musical something like CABARET where the singing and dancing occur as staged performances or otherwise make sense as something the screen characters would naturally do. (As opposed to the more impressionistic, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN type of movie where characters break character and burst into song artificially.) Judy belts Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin's unforgettable "The Man That Got Away" in an after-hours club, an impromptu performance later described by eavesdropping leading man Norman Maine (James Mason) as "singing just for yourself and 'the boys in the band.'" (And with those last five words, a play was born.)

The performance-within-a-performance element that any backstage music requires come from two indelible production numbers from Vicki Lester's films. "Born in a Trunk" is by far the better known but the restoration added the endearing "Lose That Long Face," in which another unsinkable Vicki character sings a message of undying optimism as she tap-dances and flat-foots through studio-set rainy streets (Hmm, wonder where they got that idea?)

But most of Garland's performances are in more intimate venues. After rising starlet Vicki Lester becomes Mrs. Norman Maine, her husband puts her to use as "my own little jukebox" as she sings hit songs from her movies. In a particularly charming sequence, Garland's character plays homage to--and gently spoofs--the Fifties penchant for grandiose fantasy production numbers by acting out the round-the-world extravaganza ("Somewhere There's) A Someone At Last" to a background record, using what's available in the living room to mimic props and delighting the sophisticated Mason. The message is clear: it's the star, not the production values, that matter most.

Indeed, Judy Garland IS the star who makes this movie; her fictional Vicki Lester comes alive when fused with elements of Garland's own poignant and turbulent life as an all-too-visible film personality. In this movie her performances--as actor and song stylist--were never better; volumes of praise have been written to which I happily agree. But those who surround "Vicki Lester" are a key component of the film's success, too: James Mason's "Norman Maine" confronts his wife's tendency to overdramatize with a subtle performance as the self-deprecating, self-loathing alcoholic who increasingly becomes the object of his wife's charity. Jack Carson the perennial WB "heavy" of the postwar years (recall him from "Mildred Pierce" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof") is in full force as Matt Libby, the gladhanding and cynical studio publicist. Charles Bickford, perhaps best remembered today as father to Lee Remick's character in "The Days of Wine and Roses," adds humanity to the thankless role of the authoritarian film-studio owner Oliver Niles. And Tom Noonan is perfect as the buddy to impart real-life wisdom to "Mrs. Norman Maine."

People who love Judy Garland certainly should go for this improved and more watchable classic, even if they already have a prior version at home. I think lovers of musicals in general will agree that A STAR IS BORN deserves a place among the tip-top musicals of the 1950s, whether or not they are satisfied with the cardboardish ersatz for Chapters 14-16. Just hop over those with your DVD remote and find out what Warner Bros. left after its butchering! A great film at a great price; go for it.

A Star is Born
I read all the reviews listed prior to purchasing and I didn't read anywhere that reconstruction actually meant that they put black and white still pictures in the place of the missing moving picture sequences. At one point I felt like I was watching a slideshow presentation with music and sound! I had no idea the movie would be so choppy and for that I'm deeply disappointed.

I don't feel like it was worth the price and I probably won't ever watch it again. Too bad too, because what I did see of the performance was good. Unfortunately, I felt like I only got 3/4 of the movie and the rest was fill in the blanks.

The Ultimate Musical
The best. Absolutely the best film Hollywood has ever offered. It is a musical which has not only heartwarming songs and dances but one with a real plot, a story so often repeated in this world- a story of dizzying rise and dizzying fall- and a story which stood up to being exposed without the songs. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

"This is Mrs. Norman Maine": Could these be the most heartbreaking words Judy Garland ever uttered? George Cukor directed and Moss Hart wrote this film, a musical remake of the 1937 original. The story is a show-biz classic: He (James Mason) is a major movie star who is past his prime and on the way down; she (Garland) is an aspiring singer who, with his help, becomes a bigger star than he was. Their marriage becomes a seesaw of success and failure, as he slowly drinks himself to death out of bitterness at the fickleness of fame, until his bad behavior begins to threaten the career of his long-suffering and loving wife. Mason and Garland are both terrific, with her singing "The Man That Got Away" among others. Remade in a 1976 Barbra Streisand vanity production. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (64)

One of the Greatest
This film belongs in the library of any serious collector. It is a beautiful love story involvong two people whose mutual dependency on each other deepens as the story progresses. Much of the credit for a job well done of course goes to the films director George Cukor. Judy Garland returns to the screen after a prolonged absence, and reaches her peak both dramatically and vocally. A pinacle I don't believe she ever achieved again. Her musical interpretations are a credit to George Gershwin and Harold Arlen James Mason, in his portrayal of an alcoholic movie star, gives a sterling performance. He is always aware of his tendency toward self destruction."I destroy everything I touch," he warns Vickie. Comparing this performance to his portrayal of Brutus in Shakespeares' "Julius Ceasar" indeed shows a wide dramatic talent. All the supporting players turn in solid performances with Charles Bickford as Oliver the studio head and friend to Vickie and Norman, Jack Carson as the studio Mr Fixit and Tommy Noonan as the friend in need. Truly a movie that is not to be missed.

A Star is Re-Born!
Returning to the screen four years after leaving Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Judy Garland is just superb in A Star is Born. Always giveing an honest performance, Judy gives it her all in this classic! This movie has it all, comedy, drama, and most of all, music! Co-staring with James Mason, Garland was nominated for an Oscar for her performace! Although she lost is to Grace Kelly (Judy was beat by only one vote I'll have you know! "The Biggest Robbery Since Brinks!")she deserved that Oscar! This film is simply great!
The widescreen aspect, offered by this DVD, is an extra treat. Also included are outtakes from the film: including three versions of "The Man That Got Away", the broadcast of the premire of the film, tape of the after party at the Coconut Grove, and the film's trailer!
This film is well worth every penny, since it was reconstructed in 1982, after being butchered before it's release in 1954! Buy the video if you have to, but the picture and sound, oh the sound, make me recomend the DVD although it costs a little more it's well worth it!
Lastly, buy this if you just love a great film, or of course, if you love Judy Garland!

I Couldn't Be More Pleased
The film A STAR IS BORN, the 1954 Judy Garland musical for Warner Bros., has been through nearly as many trials and tribulations as any real-life movie-star wannabe to maintain its reputation and realism. The director--George Cukor's--love/hate letter to the joys and sorrows of Hollywood stardom came in just over three hours long--181 minutes. In an ironic affirmation of the film's recognition that "the lush days are over" for Hollywood, the studio cut the actual release print down to 154 minutes so that theater owners could squeeze in one extra screening per evening. That is the only version we had between 1954 and 1983, and any revivals, cinematheque offerings or TV broadcasts--quite enough to sustain the cult of the movie and Judy Garland's bravura performance as a Hollywood star married to an alcoholic has-been--sprang from that truncated release.

In 1983, a partially restored, 170-minute-long version of A STAR IS BORN hit first-run movie screens after long and loving archival and editorial struggle. It was a matter of using anything available to make up for the scenes Warner Bros. had hacked out--stills, amateur home movies made from the set, audio tracks--anything. Most significantly, the restoration reinstituted the entire portion of the movie which appear in the DVD as all of Chapters 14, 15 and 16 in which Garland's character takes a long-shot chance at an acting career; but although that enhanced plot-line was reintegrated into the movie, the static and museum-like restoration was in many ways more admirable than lovable. Still, it gets across the idea that Judy Garland's character--singer Esther Blodgett--faced her own trials and tribulations on the way to becoming "Vicki Lester" the film star.

The current 1999 DVD goes the 1983 theatrical release two better: it incorporates even more material previously thought lost--in particular audio--and the newer computer technology was used for a thorough digital "scrub" of the already handsome restoration. Previous reviewers are right: the restored sequences can still be a bit off-putting, but the DVD now for sale at 176 minutes is a noticeable improvement over the 1983 release and probably the closest we'll ever get to Cukor's original masterpiece. Is the color perfect? No, 1954 Technicolor was still garish and candy-colored; interestingly, the scenes filmed outdoors at night come across as more realistic than some of the interiors, and the character's facial tones look more realistic. Is the sound perfect? It's a good 5.1 multitrack engineering that sounded good on my budget-level home theater, and it certainly holds better aural technology than was available in 1950s movie houses.

A STAR IS BORN is very much a movie about movies, a "backstage" musical something like CABARET where the singing and dancing occur as staged performances or otherwise make sense as something the screen characters would naturally do. (As opposed to the more impressionistic, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN type of movie where characters break character and burst into song artificially.) Judy belts Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin's unforgettable "The Man That Got Away" in an after-hours club, an impromptu performance later described by eavesdropping leading man Norman Maine (James Mason) as "singing just for yourself and 'the boys in the band.'" (And with those last five words, a play was born.)

The performance-within-a-performance element that any backstage music requires come from two indelible production numbers from Vicki Lester's films. "Born in a Trunk" is by far the better known but the restoration added the endearing "Lose That Long Face," in which another unsinkable Vicki character sings a message of undying optimism as she tap-dances and flat-foots through studio-set rainy streets (Hmm, wonder where they got that idea?)

But most of Garland's performances are in more intimate venues. After rising starlet Vicki Lester becomes Mrs. Norman Maine, her husband puts her to use as "my own little jukebox" as she sings hit songs from her movies. In a particularly charming sequence, Garland's character plays homage to--and gently spoofs--the Fifties penchant for grandiose fantasy production numbers by acting out the round-the-world extravaganza ("Somewhere There's) A Someone At Last" to a background record, using what's available in the living room to mimic props and delighting the sophisticated Mason. The message is clear: it's the star, not the production values, that matter most.

Indeed, Judy Garland IS the star who makes this movie; her fictional Vicki Lester comes alive when fused with elements of Garland's own poignant and turbulent life as an all-too-visible film personality. In this movie her performances--as actor and song stylist--were never better; volumes of praise have been written to which I happily agree. But those who surround "Vicki Lester" are a key component of the film's success, too: James Mason's "Norman Maine" confronts his wife's tendency to overdramatize with a subtle performance as the self-deprecating, self-loathing alcoholic who increasingly becomes the object of his wife's charity. Jack Carson the perennial WB "heavy" of the postwar years (recall him from "Mildred Pierce" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof") is in full force as Matt Libby, the gladhanding and cynical studio publicist. Charles Bickford, perhaps best remembered today as father to Lee Remick's character in "The Days of Wine and Roses," adds humanity to the thankless role of the authoritarian film-studio owner Oliver Niles. And Tom Noonan is perfect as the buddy to impart real-life wisdom to "Mrs. Norman Maine."

People who love Judy Garland certainly should go for this improved and more watchable classic, even if they already have a prior version at home. I think lovers of musicals in general will agree that A STAR IS BORN deserves a place among the tip-top musicals of the 1950s, whether or not they are satisfied with the cardboardish ersatz for Chapters 14-16. Just hop over those with your DVD remote and find out what Warner Bros. left after its butchering! A great film at a great price; go for it.

A Star is Born
I read all the reviews listed prior to purchasing and I didn't read anywhere that reconstruction actually meant that they put black and white still pictures in the place of the missing moving picture sequences. At one point I felt like I was watching a slideshow presentation with music and sound! I had no idea the movie would be so choppy an