Amazon.com

As first lines go, Scaramouche's is irresistible:"He was born with a gift of laughter, and a sense that the world was mad."This exuberant period adventure is pretty irresistible itself--even more than Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk, likewise derived from Rafael Sabatini novels.Within more or less one day in pre-revolutionary France, devil-may-care Stewart Granger learns he's the bastard offspring of a nobleman, gets orphaned, realizes he's fallen in love with his sister (Janet Leigh), swears to avenge his best friend's murder, becomes a hunted traitor, and breaks into show business. George Sidney directs as if making an MGM musical, only with swashbuckling instead of song-and-dance. The unlikely casting of Granger and Mel Ferrer as overripe nemeses proves delightful, cameraman Charles (Sunrise) Rosher's Technicolor palette alternates commedia dell'arte garishness and misty, Watteau-like imagery, and the climactic six-and-a-half-minute duel all over a Parisian theater is a tour de force.--Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (20)

"On your word as a fraud and a fake?"
What a great movie! Lesser known than many other great swashbucklers, "Scaramouche" is nonetheless a top-notch production in every way.

Stewart Granger stars as the quick-witted Andre Moreau, a charming drifter who after the murder of his best friend dedicates his life to the destruction of the murderer, the cold-blooded Marquis de Maynes (Mel Ferrer). Along the way he fights many duels, romances sweet Janet Leigh AND fiery Eleanor Parker, and has several close shaves.

"Scaramouche" features a solid script, beautiful sets, lush costumes and gorgeous cinematography. The cast is excellent, with Mel Ferrer in particular giving shading and nuance to the role of the villain. The last 20 minutes of the film feature a long, spectacular sword fight that is a must-see for fans of the genre. I highly recommend "Scaramouche" to any film buff and especially to those who love adventure films.
GRADE: A

(As a side note, I have also read the novel on which this movie is based, and I found it very entertaining. The movie differs from the book in several key areas, so if you have yet to read the novel, don't worry, the movie won't spoil it for you.)

Crème de la crème of swashbucklers
This lavish and witty adventure was based (very loosely) on the once-popular novel by Rafael Sabatini. It had been filmed before as a silent, much more faithful to the original. This Technicolor "talkie" takes liberties -- and has a lot more fun, despite its themes of revenge and hopeless love. There's even a Napoleonic sight gag in the final shot. The cast is ideal: Stewart Granger is rugged yet suave as the cynical hero and Mel Ferrer is appropriately icy as his aristocratic nemesis. (Ferrer is dressed in whites and silvers, Granger in warm colors.) Granger is loved by both Janet Leigh and Eleanor Parker, the former a sweet Bourbon, the latter a sexy coquette. To complicate matters, Miss Leigh is adored by both Granger and Ferrer. (One contemporary critic sighed: "It's quite a plot!") The third female is Nina Foch, the most elegant Marie Antoinette you'll ever see. Unfortunately, her role was partially cut in the final editing. The picture moves on several levels. At !the beginning, Granger's character André Moreau ("Born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad", to quote Sabatini's famous first sentence) is a careless man who knows nothing about politics and cannot use a sword. In seeking vengeance for his friend's death, however, he joins the forces of liberté, égalité, fraternité; and, studying with masters, he becomes the most dangerous swordsman in France. Hiding from the authorities, he takes up with a seedy group of traveling players and, under his influence, it becomes a brilliant commedia dell'arte success (hence the title).The climatic duel takes place in a glittering Parisian theatre, the antagonists moving from the boxes, down a broad staircase, through the crowded auditorium, and onto the stage itself. All this to a dashing Victor Young score. One viewer has called "Scaramouche" a no-music musical. Actually, M~G~M originally meant this remake to be a musical starring Gene Kelly. The director George Sidney alternated between musicals and "straight" films. It isn't flawless: One of Ferrer's victims gets the fatal thrust twice in the opening sequence, once in long shot, then in close up. And don't dwell too long on the "surprise" ending (a variation of Sabatini's) or you may wonder why the marquis has to be introduced to the queen's protégée at the beginning. He would have known her or at least her name for years.

Forget the swordplay--LOOK at it!
Scaramouche has possibly the most beautiful Technicolor cinematography of any MGM film. It's just gorgeous! The film, of course, is a delight in the great Errol Flynn tradition, but with Janet Leigh and Eleanor Parker, it's primarily a feast for the eyes. Incidentally, this is the only film I know of that gives an accurate representation of commedia dell'arte, and the theatrical scenes are a delight.

Best Swordfights in movies ever!!!
One of the few instances where the movie is far better than the book which inspired it, this version of 'Scaramouche' has some of the most fantastic sword fights ever put on film.
A favorite of my childhood, it is still in my 'top ten' list of adventure movies; Hyperkinetic, humorous, it never gets dull.
Stewart Granger never has been better, even as in other favorites of mine as 'Prisoner of Zenda' or 'North to Alaska'. Mel Ferrer is the suavest villain you can get, Eleanor Parker never has been so attractive, and Janet Leigh is a vision of Heaven.
Why the current adventure movies are not so enjoyable anymore?

Scaramouche
Loved every moment of this film. Glorious story and plot based (with artistic license) on the Rafael Sabatini novel of the same name. Victor Young's music provides an excellent accompaniment to the film's action and romantic scenes. A minor criticism, I only wish the DVD was offered in a "letterbox" (wide screen) format. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Dreadful
I bought this because I am reading all 8 volumes. What a waste (the video, that is ....) The acting is embarrassing and over the top, the music is intrusive, and some of the casting, such as Tom Bosley, is laughable. Don't waste your time with this made-for-TV drivel from the 70's.

The Kent Family Chronicles - expected more?
Well, thats it. The first mini series of one of John Jake`s best selling sagas ever: The Kent Family Chronicles. For a German viewer like me, it was an experience because this series was never shown on German television. Spoiled by the fascinating North and South Trilogy and the marvellous and price-winning mini series it was a little disappointment at first. Young Andrew Stevens as Philip Kent seemed a bit overtaxed in the first scenes but became better and better. The whole setting seemed pale and the dialogues were little more than just "small talk". But I think they got round to it by the middle of the film. When Philip arrived in America beautiful and convincing Kim Cattral appeared and Andrew Stevens seemed to act more out of his stomach than out of his head (forgetting what he learned at acting school). It became a pleasure to watch, see how everything fit together (and everyone:Olivia Hussey esp.). All in all it is worth to watch and makes you want to watch the other two sequels, too. And: you must not forget that North and South was filmed nearly seven years later with a much bigger budget perhaps. Watch it!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I saw this movie in 1955
when I was 12 years old, but of course I didn't have my hat on backwards and I am not a boy. I saw it with my best-friend, then and now, who was also a victim of polio.

This film was very touching and memorable. The acting was great. The music is beautiful. The real-life drama of overcoming catastrophic personal crisis with courage and determination was touching to watch. It was particularly significant to view with an individual who, while not famous, had to face the overwhelming uphill battle of dealing with the unfortunate personal tragedy of learning to live with the reality of infantile paralysis.

The beauty of this film and the feelings it evoked have stayed with me all these years and it remains one of my favorite movies of all time. Certainly they don't make films like this today because not many 12 year-old boys or girls would attend. Thank goodness it is available on video to those of us who still recognize good cinema.

INTERRUPTED QUALITY
This movie is the outstanding, true story of one of Opera's finest stars of the 20th Century, Australian Marjorie Lawrence, played by actress Eleanor Parker. Along with Glenn Ford and a very young Roger Moore, the acting is also superb.

However, MGM/Turner Home Video should be slapped on the hand for a very poor sound transfer. After all, the movie is full of Lawrence's music, both opera and popular songs of the era. Yes, the sound track is in stereo, but MGM/Turner didn't reproduce it with dolby digital, even though the picture was digitally transfered. Just about every time throughout the movie when she sings, especially when she hits those beautiful high notes, the sound crackles like an old, scratched 78RPM record. Come on, MGM/Turner! There's no excuse for this. If you're going to take the time to digitally transfer the picture, you've got to do the audio justice. This should have been a no brainer! Hopefully, this will be corrected on future video issues. Or, please give this movie what it really deserves--a full make over on to DVD.

However, the poor sound reproduction shouldn't keep one from purchasing the video. The story is so compelling and powerful, it makes a nice addition to any video library.

Five stars for the story and acting. But one star for the audio quality. Average it out.

Best opera movie
I was 14 when this movie opened and I saw it at least five times (but I have never in my life worn a baseball cap backward, so I guess I have not really contradicted the previous reviewer). I repeated because the Liebestod (as sung by Eileen Farrell, though I did not know that until much later) was one of the greatest musical experiences of my life--then and since, though I had been a devout opera fan before that movie and have been a serious Wagnerian ever since. The movie somewhat romanticized Marjorie Lawrence's life, but Eleanor Parker and Glenn Ford, who played her husband, built a credible dramatic picture of the calamity of serious physical illness striking a great artist. Lawrence did sing Isolde at the Met as her last performance there--whether she rose to fall across Tristan's body must be for some other historian to tell--I certainly wasn't there. But the movie inspires both admiration and creative enthusiasm in anyone who can respond at all to great music and the great determination it requires to perform it well.

Biopic of polio-stricken Wagnerian soprano Marjorie Lawrence
Eleanor Parker, a dramatic actress of the higher second rung in 50s Hollywood, takes on legendary Australian Wagnerian soprano Marjorie Lawrence who, at height of career (20s & 30s), was stricken with polio. Lavishly staged scenes from operas -- sung by the astonishing Eileen Farrell (American pop/Wagnerian songstress of 40s & 50s) -- make this quite the feast for dually addicted film/opera fans. Best of all is footage of Parker/Lawrence making a tough comeback by belting out the 'Siegfried' Brunnhilde and Isolde from reclining position. They really don't make them like this anymore. How many 14-year-old males with their bills pointed backwards would buy tickets? ... Read more

Reviews (12)

"Home From the Hill" is a must see!
My parents enjoyed this movie enough that they named me (their daughter of 23 years) after George Hamilton's character, Theron. I love the movie too! It's a good one.

I liked this movie!!!!
And I disagree with JT Boyd's review, partly because it is inaccurate. Robert Mitchum's character had an affair with a tramp, producing illegitimate son, George Peppard, which caused his estrangement from his wife, Eleanor Parker, who was the mother of his legitimate son, George Hamilton. I do think that Hamilton's part was way overplayed, but liked the movie, regardless, and George Peppard surely got my attention.

Not too close to home from the hill
After reading the book 3 times, I was disapointed in the movie script. The Captain played by Robert Mitchum was assumed to have many children in the town (due to the many town kids who had his trademark coal black wavy hair) His wife was homely and was of high moral fiber. His own son Theron was strong, smart and very athletic. His mother doted on him and his father taught him how to hunt. Theron got Libby pregnant and Libby's father thought it was the Captain and shot him to death. Theron disapeared in the woods and was never found and the Captains wife died a broken woman who never knew her husband's love. If the movie would have followed the book, it would have been a far better movie!

Earthy melodrama
Robert Mitchum stars as Wade, the big-shot in town; he is rich, conceited, a good hunter, a phillanderer, and a bad husband and father. His wife (Eleanor Parker) has been holding a grudge against him since they were married. It seems Wade fathered a child, Rafe, (George Peppard) out of wedlock. Wade's legitimate son, Theron (George Hamilton), is bit of a wimp and a disappointment to old Dad. Add to this mix the young and pretty Libby (Luana Patton), who likes both Theron and Rafe, and the stereotypical Texas good 'ole boys who stir up the plot, and you have a great story.

Although Mitchum is typically charismatic and macho in this movie, it is George Peppard who emerges as the real star. He is very handsome and appealing as the sexy he-man who wants to be acknowledged as his father's son. George Hamilton looks too old to play 17-year old Theron, but he is suitably awkward and self-conscious. (The role would have been better with a young Anthony Perkins.) Willful and stubborn Eleanor Parker is a good match for Mitchum; I would have liked to see even more of her.

This film is long and frequently melodramatic with plenty of angst to go around. That said, the script is good, the actors are all likeable and handsome, the score is lovely, and all the loose ends are neatly tied up in the end. While considered somewhat spicy in its day, "Home From the Hills" is now an involving character study that has inspired me to read the novel by William Humphrey.

They don't make them like this anymore
This wonderfully acted movie, is a must see. George Hamilton gives an outstanding performance. I never realized what a talented actor he is, until I saw this movie. Robt. Mitchum always the best.

This is the story of a Texas family torn apart by bitterness, adultery.

After watching the movie, now I want to read the novel. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

THE OSCAR
if you like mellodrama, and you like campy, you will love this movie. it should be listed as a cult movie ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

When Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra) comes back to the old neighborhood after a spell in the big house, he wants to stay straight and become a drummer. But his old life--as a poker dealer and heroin addict--comes rushing back to meet him. The subject matter of Nelson Algren's novel was still shocking in 1955, and The Man with the Golden Arm was released without the seal of approval from Hollywood's Production Code. The director, Otto Preminger, used the controversy to whip up interest in the film, and his championing of non-Code pictures such as The Moon Is Blue and The Man with the Golden Arm helped end the influence of the restrictive policy. For Frank Sinatra, the role was a high point; his performance is searching, honest, and (in long scenes of going cold turkey to kick the habit) frighteningly naked. He's touchingly matched with Kim Novak, in one of her best performances; adding a bit of method-acting madness is Eleanor Parker as Frankie's hysterical wife. Sinatra was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, but lost to Ernest Borgnine--the same guy who beat him senseless in From Here to Eternity. The propulsive jazz score is by Elmer Bernstein. Even the credits sequence staked out new territory: the mod images created by Saul Bass were among his first in a long-standing collaboration with Preminger, and were highly influential on other designers. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Sinatra at his best!!
This has got to be one of the best movies ever made which has depicted the heroin addict and his predicament. Frank Sinatra, in one of his earlier roles, plays the part of an ex-convict/drug addict who returns back to the "old neighborhood," and wants to "come clean," and pursue a career as a big band drummer, but he unfortunately comes face to face with the "dealer" (Darren McGavin) and things cook from there. McGavin is a wonderful portrayal of the neighborhood supplier who keeps baiting Sinatra and baiting him until the he cannot say no any longer. Coupled with his own domestic situation, which I dare not give away, but only to tell you that the ensemble cast which makes up this movie is outstanding. The soundtrack is pulsating and keeps your adrenaline moving upward, and that is one of the most unnerving parts of the film, and one which keeps you on the edge of your seat, as the saying goes. This could be classified as a family movie, as there is no sex, nudity, profanity, but only the theme of drug addiction, and a family could watch this film and discuss these issues in an enlightened way. Sinatra once said he thought he should've gotten an Oscar for this movie, and I agree. Highly recommended!!!

An interesting mix of outstanding and plodding sequences
...the most prominent aspects of the movie - Sinatra's unquestionably great performance, Preminger's use of compelling camera angles, the prominently placed Berstein Jazz score, and Novak's performance. All of which are true and I agree that most of these combine to create a positive impression of this movie.

The best sequences in the movie involve Sinatra in the realm of men (and I mean Men as opposed to human) - when dealing the several day long card game while still trying to keep focused on the important audition Monday morning, the interchanges with the appealingly slimy heroin dealer (greasily played by Darrin McGavin in one of his best roles) while succumbing to the pull of the junkie, the failed musical audition, and the outstanding bit when he resolves to kick the habit cold-turkey. All of these were worth watching several times - thank God for chapter selections on DVD.

However, the movie is not perfect, and there are several things that can be readily cited as significant faults. The possessive and yet still possessed wife (Eleanor Parker) was a one-note performance: hysteria. Preminger needed to significantly pull back that character from the precipice that she fell off (long before she literally falls off). The first scene with her and Frankie upon his return home is the only one that was interesting and believable, all others were maudlin and overdone. She clearly had the acting chops to turn in a fascinating performance, as indicated by this first scene. Her character should have been one of the most pivotal in the movie, as she is the reason why Frankie returns and she inadvertently provides the key to his freedom when she gives herself up after killing the heroin dealer. As it is, scenes with her in it are mostly unwatchable.

The sycophantic toady friend of Frankie (Arnold Stang) was, I suppose, intended to be funny, but he is such an undeveloped stereotype as to be merely annoying. He greatly hindered my enjoyment of the movie.

Also the pacing at times really dragged at several points, most notably even during the great sequence with Sinatra kicking the habit. The rather long running time (119 minutes) could have been easily shortened by at least 20 minutes with some simple editing and tightening. Similarly, although the musical score was interesting and compelling - it tied in with Frankie's newly resolved ambition and nicely placed the movie among the heroin junkie jazz lifestyle of the time - it could have been much better utilized. One refrain in particular that recurs so often as to be annoying and at such a loud volume as to be distracting. It is a perfect example of how great music can be diminished by misapplication.

That all being said, these detractions do not so significantly reduce the movie that I would not heartily recommend it to my friends. Dated and imperfect it may be, but it is still compelling and immensely watchable - and not just for Sinatra nuts like myself.

Otto Preminger's Urban Poem
Before the advent of the French "New Wave," director Otto Preminger directed the highly stylized, realistic urban classic "The Man With the Golden Arm." Frank Sinatra was never consistently great as an actor, but his portrayal of heroin addict Frankie Machine is not only the best of his career, but one of the best for anybody's career, for that matter. Set in 1955, this was a pretty risky movie for its time, and was to drug addiction what Billy Wilder's 1945 "The Long Weekend" was to alcoholism: A no-holds-barred, unwhitewashed slice of reality.

Frankie's problem is that he wants to return to normalcy after being released from prison, and then a halfway house. Like the novelist says, "you write what you know," and likewise Frankie lives what he knows, and returns to his seedy Chicago neighborhood. From the moment of his uneventful return, normalcy -- his old life as a card dealer, his neurotic wife (Eleanor Parker) who feels too sorry for herself to help Frankie start clean with a new life, and a small-time heroin dealer, icily played by Darren McGavin -- tries to reel Frankie back into a dead-end routine and sink its hooks to keep him enslaved to his compulsions.

Frankie tries to embark on a new career as a jazz drummer, which provides the movie with the motifs for its streetwise "crime jazz" soundtrack, written by Elmer Bernstein. But, the cycle of addiction sets in lightning-quick because Frankie's wife wants him to bring home the money dealing cards again, which puts him smack dab in the company of the lowlifes he most desparately needs to avoid. Back at dealing, the local heroin dealer could not give a whit about Frankie staying clean; He's desparate to get Frankie to take that one fix and hook another regular customer.

Fortunately, Frankie finds salvation in the arms of Kim Novak, who was involved with Sinatra romantically at the time. Their relationship is a complex one, and Novak's empathy really comes through. Her hard-headed compassion in keeping Frankie away from a fix while he's sweating it out cold-turkey is riveting, because she's putting her own safety at risk. Even before modern theraputic terms like "in denial" were in vogue, we see Sinatra's character -- in the throes of his own addiction -- running down Novak's alcoholic boyfriend as a weakling who can't control his vices. It's beautifully handled, because the point is not to expose Frankie as a hypocrite, but to reveal his blindness to his own weaknesses. Frankie is a tragic hero of Shakesperian dimensions, but whose stage is set in a modern-day tenement.

Visually, this film is very striking, and is edited so that the montage is in rapid-fire sequence during crucial scenes. It's intercut in the same fashion as Saul Bass' pioneering title cutouts; Bass would go on to become Hollywood's most recognizable title designer, his sequences dominated by iconic graphics in movies such as Preminger's "Anatomy of a Murder," "Advise and Consent" and Hitchcock's "Vertigo" and "Psycho."

Of all Preminger's movies, this is the most cinematic. He would go on to use more laid-back camera setups and editing in movies like the one named above, and would break out into less intimate and more worldly settings with epics such as "The Cardinal" and "In Harm's Way."

"The Man With the Golden Arm" catches Preminger at the top of his form as it does his cast. McGavin would never again be so intense, and only in "The Manchurian Candidate" for Sinatra and "Vertigo" for Novak would such powerful, commited and well-written performances again come their way.

A great actor in an average film
Frank Sinatra impersonates a man who is the slave of his neighborhood in a big city that could be any metropolis. He is the slave of the powerful in this neighborhood because of his addiction to heroin, because of his being possessed by a girl who is in a wheel chair, though we know from the very start that she is acting the part of a handicapped girl. Thus enslaved by the local card-games organiser, the local heroin dealer and his responsibility towards the girl, without forgetting the local police, he is unable to realise his dream to become a drummer in some big jazz band...Frank Sinatra is particularly convincing in his part and his going cold turkey is marvellously depicted. A small film, maybe, but powerful and faith-carrying acting.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

The Man With The Golden Arm
This budget release from the little known Passport Collector's Edition label is on par with older catalogue titles from major companies such as MGM and Columbia. The transfer is first class in both video and audio fidelity. This looks and sounds damn good for a 45 year old movie. The extras are also well worth viewing. These include brief interviews with Sinatra himself, composer Elmer Bernstein,and a host of others. Trailers to some other FS movies such as From Here to Eternity and The Manchurian Candidate round out this impressive dvd.This will probably be the definitive version of this film classic for the forseeable future. Well worth its budget price of $8.99. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Never Say Goodbye
Please help make available the Rock Hudson movie by the same name.

The ERROL FLYNN--not ROCK HUDSON--review if you want it!!!!!
Forgotten and forgettable domestic comedy, which sometimes descends into maudlin melodrama, starring Errol Flynn as a man attempting to gain his wife back. Flynn gives an earnest and sincere but ultimately futile effort (considering this movie was a flop and it's still evident to see why today) as Phil Gayley, a playboy artist determined to win his wife back as he's still in love with her and they share a young daughter together. Beautiful Eleanor Parker is warm and earthy as Ellen Gayley, who's partial toward giving it another go as she too is still smitten with Phil, but complicating matters is her jealousy over his constant proximity with lovely ladies who pose for him, and her recent involvement with a serviceman. The usual stale and tired comical situations occur on their road toward reconciliation before the predictable happens and they end up a happy family once again. Entertaining enough and not all that bad, only such a shame these stars were pretty much wasted in such fluffy stuff. However, for (female?) fans of the legendary swashbucker's, it's worth watching this vehicle just to gaze upon Flynn's handsomeness alone!

A very likable film
I first watched this movie when I was an adolescent and it touched me forever; It really get to you. Please make it on DVD; If not I will do it.

Never Say Goodbye. ( 1956 )
Never say goodbye,1956. This is a really good movie
with Rock Hudson and Shelley Fabares,I first saw this
movie in 1962. it holds fond memories for me.I would
love to have it on DVD.

Never Say Goodbye
This movie was re-made and starred Rock Hudson. It's always been one of my favorite movies and I wish they would release it on DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Wonderful films with adventure and romance
Archeologist Robert Taylor and the lovely Elanor Parker, find adventure and romance in Egypt while on a quest to find evidence of Joseph from biblical times. They fall in love an dhav elot sof adventure on their quest. A lot of great scenary of pyramids and scenes from Egypt, a very excting and scenic film. It makes one want to travel to Egypt.

"Remembrance of Things Past..."
A true rating of this film, for me, would be 4 and 1/2
stars...a film for one's youth...to be inspired by...
to sense the wonder and mystery and power of the Past...
its dreams, hopes, ambitions, achievements...all entombed
in dust...awaiting release...by some heroic adventurer...
some intelligent, questing, skeptical -- yet earnest,
inquiring, disciplined seeker who will not be denied...
who wills "to strive, to seek, to find...and not to yield"...
until he has penetrated into the sanctum of wisdom
and discovered the Knowledge of life and himself...
*********
The opening credits establish the "mise en scene"...
the story is based on materials from C.W. Ceram's *Gods,
Graves, and Scholars*... it concerns a married lady,
daughter of elderly archaeologist who has died...her
father had spent his entire life of seeking to find some
evidence in Egypt that verified the stay of Joseph,
the patriarch, told about in *Genesis* 37-50 in the
Old Testament...
This married daughter seeks to venerate and validate
her father's past life by carrying on the quest which had
meant so much to him...she has in her possession a golden
statuette of the Pharaoh Ra-ho-tep (whom her father had
believed was the Pharaoh who had elevated Joseph to
the position as his vizier, after Joseph had interpreted
his dreams)...the daughter seeks the help of an American
archaeologist, who also happens to be reasonably handsome
(if a bit weathered...) -- played by Robert Taylor, but
after "Quo Vadis?" and after "Ivanhoe"...the archaeologist
is skeptical, but attracted to the woman...even after he
finds out she is married, he is still intrigued enough to
continue to help her in her quest...here in Egypt...
around the year 1900...
The path is long...covers much sand...visits many
interesting, wondrous sites...there is a rope climb
down the face of the colossal temple of Ramses II
at Abu Simbel...into a hole in the temple face...
wondrous, entrancing things to a youthful mind
enchanted and inspired with archaeology...and Egypt...
mystery...and glory...and discovery...and secret
knowledge...
The path also leads to a Greek Orthodox monastery at
the base of Mount Sinai...and a basket ride up into the
monastery...discoveries in the dark interior of the
monastery...and finally there is the exciting discovery
which leads to the Valley of the Kings...and the possible
discovery of the tomb of the Pharaoh Ra-ho-tep...and

confirmation of the story of Joseph...and validation of
her father's commitment, and seeking, and belief...
The archaeologist discovers things about himself
as well...what it means to be be committed to a belief
in something more than just oneself...more than just
skeptical cynicism or libertine living...to seek answers
to questions that trouble the mind and the spirit with
restlessness and dissatisfaction because one is not
headed in the direction of psychic fulfillment which
one's intelligence, and desire for knowing, and earnest
spirit find fulfilling...
There is wisdom here...in the sands...certainly
wisdom that Thoth or Hermes could well affirm...but
it takes the seeking... Horus meets Elektra...conquers
Set...discovers Joseph...myth and meaning...and
"Remembrance of Things Past"...
* * * * * * * * *

Egyptology
This is a terrific movie, a bit slow in parts, but none the less well worth watching. I have lost count of the number of times I have watched it since it was first released. This is the movie that first gave me a taste of the subject and I have been enthralled by it ever since I was a boy (I am now 56)

More adventures in Egypt
In this unknown film, Taylor was an arqueologist searching the tomb of a ancient jewish leader. The movie was shooting in Egypt and that is the more remarcable thing about the picture. The story is not very solid but is pleasant to see during a long weekend.Eleanor Parker looks to beatiful in the desert, but it's only a movie. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

KING CLARK
A desperado, Dan Kehoe (Clark) seeks refug in the little ghost town of Wagon Mound; only the four wives and mother of the McDade brothers (who are dangerous gunmen) inhabit the town...........A romantic Western with mystery and comic element therein, its an entertaining little flick; Gable shows us just why he is truly one of the screen's all-time great personalities. An amusing, fascinating and interesting albeit amoral and rather tawdry Western. The film develops as a superficially cynical excercise in the rival attractions of sex and money. Gable's charm as the ruffian-hero is more realistic and resistible that the script assumes, and in spite of a few moderately vigorous action scenes, the story is largely played out through dialogue exchanges with have little pace or spirit. Jo Van Fleet as the embittered Ma McDade plays her role with a harsh theatrical-like emphasis which gives her scenes a certain edge. Of the four queens, Parker is the most intelligent; the one you know he'll eventually gravitate to.

Maltin has it wrong. Good movie.
Perhaps Mr. Maltin doesn't like amoral tales, but there is a lot more to this story than meets the eye. Gable's character is amoral. The wives (3 of the 4 are widows, not knowing which husband survived his criminal past) are amoral. And the bible thumping mother in law, protecting money stolen by her sons, has got to be seen as amoral. Very good character development. A taunt tale. Gable looks like his classic, powerfull self. The actresses, though basicly unknowns, put in fine performances - and are easy on the eyes to look at, as well.

Another BRILLIANT effort from Hollywood Auteur Raoul Walsh
Raoul Walsh may well be the most overlooked master filmmaker, aside from Mike Curtiz(who did win an oscar after all), from the old school of Hollywood.His style is subtly controlled, and to the untrained eye, invisible, a regular joe turning out hollywood studio pics. But view the man's films and you will see the forming of a cohesive, thematic, and highly personal style through which he tells us of ourselves. Top notch acting and screenwriting add to this astounding work of art. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

What A Combination
This is one of my favorite Sinatra films. It has quite a cast of charater Sinatra,Robinson and Capra. This group have all made some very good movie's and they all have a distinct style with there film's. Put this combination toghter and they all play off each other well. Sinatra play's a dreamer and on the verge of losing everything except that he has a son that will stick by him no matter what. Robinson is the older brother who is very set in his ways. He visit his younger brother and there take on life are about as different as brother can be. I wish ther were some extra's; I feel this film has alway's been a little overlook when people talk about Sinatra film's. But for the price it is a nice feel good movie to add to the collection.

The Great Irony Of Hole In The Head
The irony that seems to be lost on everyone in this movie is Sinatra's grand get-rich-quick scheme. He's got this crazy idea about building a Disney Land in Florida. You remember the great scene at the dog track with Keenan Winn where he lays out the plan..."Sure, we pick up the land for a song and we're in business". Keep in mind this is 1959 and even Walt himself probably hadn't thought about picking up all that property dirt cheap and developing the world's largest theme park...Then again maybe Walt saw Hole In The Head.

AKA Frankie Screws Up Again........
Sinatra is such a dufus in this movie. He gives up the beautiful, kooky goddess Shirl (Carolyn Jones) just so he can play house with a red-head chick. Besides that disappointment, this is a wonderful film. Not to mention you get a fabulous performance of the song about the ant & the rubber tree that just sticks in your head.....years later. A definate must see for any Carolyn Jones fan. My favorite part is when she's out surfing and comes from the water all salty. Two thumbs up

A Hole in The Head (Frank Sinatra)
Send me an email if you need this movie. I have a couple ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not A Bad Movie at All
I know Sunburn was not a big hit with the critics and I have heard that it was a box office flop but I remember watching this movie on HBO with my parents when I was a teenager and liking it. It's not the best movie in the world but it wasn't the horrible movie that the critics had me thinking it was going to be and I actually found that it was a pretty cute movie and I think Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Charles Grodin and Art Carney were all good. Charles Grodin plays an insurance investigator in Acapulco who is investigating a possible murder case that involves a large sum of money and he enlists a ditzy woman played by Farrah Fawcett-Majors to pretend to be his wife and help him investigate and he is also helped by a retired detective played by Art Carney. This is a cute movie and I too wish it was on DVD!

Fun From Two Decades Ago
Anyone who is a Farrah Fawcett fan will love this movie. She doesn't have much of a 'sun tan' here but looks good in one of her earlier films.

Charles Grodin and Art Carney add plenty of humor. Though the movie has a sudden 'wrap-up' ending its 110 minutes of fun, the scenes are pretty nice in Mexico. I was searching for this movie a long time and gave up until recently doing a search for Farrah Fawcett.

Maybe a DVD will come out although I doubt anyone will be re-mastering the soundtrack.

If you've seen this movie in theatres and enjoyed it, at least it will take you back into your past . . . and that was what I expected. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Another good western from John Sturges
Escape from Fort Bravo is a very good western that deals with a time and place not often featured in westerns. Fort Bravo is a Union outpost in the Arizona territory during the Civil War. Colonel Owens, Captain Roper, and a company of Union cavalry must watch over the stockade full of Confederate officers while also dealing with the Mescalero Apaches. When four of the prisoners escape with a woman from the fort, Captain Roper and a small detail must chase them across the barren desert as the Apaches close in on them. This is a very good western from director John Sturges(The Magnificent Seven). It is a beautifully shot movie with a good score by Jeff Alexander and Stan Jones. While the first part of the movie is good, the climax is the best part. Stranded in the desert by the Mescaleros, the Union and Confederate troops must try and survive as arrows rain down on them. It is a great ending that should not be missed.

William Holden gives a typically good performance as the ruthless Captain Roper, who must try and bring the escaped prisoners back to Fort Bravo. Eleanor Parker is also very good as Carla Forester, a woman who comes to the fort with alterior motives but begins to fall for Roper. John Forsythe, William Demarest, and William Campbell play three of the escaped prisoners, Marsh, Campbell, and Young. The trio brings a humor to their parts that is otherwise missing in the movie. The movie also stars Polly Bergen, Richard Anderson as Lt. Beecher, the voice of reason, Carl Benton Reid as Colonel Owens, and John Lupton as Bailey. The VHS is of average quality, but the movie is well worth a watch. For a highly entertaing western with a great final showdown, check out Escape from Fort Bravo!

William Holden hunts down escaped Confederate prisoners
William Holden plays Captain Roper, a ruthless Union officer in charge of Confederate prisoners at a stockade in Arizona in 1863. Not only the prisoners but his fellow officers dislike Roper, who always recaptures escapees and punishes them big time. When Roper drags a young prisoner (John Lupton) back to the fort with a rope around his neck, he is finally called before Colonel Owens (Carl Benton Reid). But Roper insists what he does is necessary for discipline. Then Carla Forrester (Eleanor Parker) comes to the fort for the marriage of her friend, the commandant's daughter (Polly Bergen), but she is really a Confederate spy who entrances Roper and then helps Captain John Marsh (John Forsythe) and some other prisoners escape. Of course, Roper heads out to pursue them.

This 1954 film directed by John Sturges is not a great Western, but it is certainly a solid effort by all concerned. The story is nothing we have not seen before, but what stands out is Holden's performance as his character emerges over the course of the film. I do not think it is going way out on a limb to see a parallel with Robert DeNiro's character in "The Deer Hunter," a basically decent man who has to be harsh and cruel to do the job required of him under trying circumstances. The love triangle between Holden/Parker/Forsythe is a bit forced. Richard Anderson turns in a nice performance as Lt. Beecher, the voice of moral outrage at the way Roper does his job. I would give this film five stars except for the fact that outside of a minor battle in New Mexico the Civil War never really made it out West and I find it hard to believe there are that many Confederates held prisoner in Arizona.

Another escape!
Quite well-made western with Holden a tough army officer and beautiful Eleanor Parker the femme fatale. Director John Sturges (the Great Escape)is usually good for some fine action scenes. Exciting climax!

Pleasantly understated entertaining Western.
Bill holden portrays a cynical union officer at Fort Bravo. Despite his hard bitten reputation, he grows roses. He's in charge of protecting the fort from Indian attack and Confederate prisoner escapes. However, for all his experience, he gets distracted by a woman of course, who's secretly assisting a Confederate escape. This all leads up to an exciting climax, when confederate and union officer must join forces to survive Mescalero attack. Bill Holden shines in this role, bringing his usual natural charm to a western that quietly goes about it's business to it's suspenseful end. Some really romantic lines in this one too! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Superior TV Movie
This made-for-tv movie was filmed at the time when Sally Field was trying to break out of her "Gidget" and "Flying Nun" roles. It is effective at showing what great dramatic work she would do in the future. One drawback about this DVD is it has no special features. Overall, this movie has an absorbing story about the conflict between parents and teenagers. If one can get past the dated '70's feel, it is a film worth watching.

Sybil
Actually its about the movie Sybil. I've been going crazy searching on the internet so I can purchase it on DVD. But I've had no luck. Can anyone give me any suggestions on how I can buy it. I have read the book, but would like to buy the movie for my collection. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Thought-provoking movie
This movie is interesting and thought-provoking on so many different levels, that it is hard to summarize, but I will try. First of all, watching the movie makes you feel as if you've entered a 1970s time machine. The premise of the movie is about an ex-hippie (Sally Field as "Deenie") that comes home after being on the road and living the life of a hippie. When Deenie comes home, she finds the same problems and family dynamics just the way she left them; only being repeated through her younger sister. I felt that "Deenie" should have told her sister what she experienced living the life of a drugged-out hippie, so that her sister wouldn't run away and make the same mistakes. Instead, when her sister questions her about why she came home, Deenie just says, "I don't want to talk about it; it just wasn't that great, that's all." The parents in the movie are constantly talking about taking vitamins, aspirins, and sleeping pills, and the medicine cabinet is running over with pill bottles. So is it any wonder that Suzie (Deenie's younger sister) is popping downers?

The generation gap is illustrated beautifully in this movie; how many parents tend to talk AT their kids and not TO their kids. It also shows that they are oblivious to their own pill-popping behavior, and how they don't realize that Suzie is just emulating their behavior. Kids do what they see, not what they are told. Even when Deenie tries to talk to her parents about Suzie getting in deeper with drugs, the parents are too wrapped up in their own life to listen.

Excellent movie. Highly recommended.

i dont know
poo poooo im not sure but im trying to find out if this is th movie on the book go ask alice.

Sally Field Can Act
This was first shown on TV when I was ten. . .oops, told my age. Oh, well. . .story about generation gap which was still a major issue in 1971. I had only known Sally Field from "The Flying Nun" and "Gidget", so I remember being surprised to see her in a serious role. Good, well acted film that doesn't offer a neat solution to the problems presented.

Hits Home
Sally Field really wowed us when this first aired on television as a made-for-TV-movie of the week. It shows what happens to families when parents don't listen and watch what is really happening with their kids. Sally runs away, does drugs, and hangs out with the hippies (in very effective flashbacks). The depiction of thoughts with flashes of images and voice-over was innovative and genuine. The movie opens when she returns home and we (and she) begins to see the same thing begin to happen to her younger sister and she can't stop it. Sally's charactor has learned from her mistake and she tries to warn her sister as well as tries to warn her parents that they are making the same mistakes they did with her. It's a good movie with realistic portrayal of it's time period. I was a kid at the time and I understood it and this film was something that teens of this era were able to relate to. Most important--there is a lesson to be learned. Unfortunately, television always cuts out the songs to make this movie fit into it's time slot. Rent the video instead.

Remember It Well
I remember this movie very well. Too bad it isn't on more often in spite of having been set in the flower child years LOL. Those were the years that started all the fascination with drugs on such an advanced level and it portrayed things exactly as they were back in the day, so to speak. There wasn't as much violence as there is today mixed with the druggie world, but nonetheless this movie has more than enough lessons to teach any young person or adult who uses drugs,that their existance is worthless as long as they are in such a warped world.

It lets them know that if they choose any particular lifestyle and the people that go with that lifestyle then they are choosing what their world will be. People should be able to see from this movie that you are what you choose to be and that ultimately the choice is only yours. You do make your own life.

Other people don't make you do anything. Even in those days, as in today, young people scream out that they are different. Guess what? When you follow the crowd or the latest fashions or you think you have to be like any other single individual, from a friend to rock stars, you aren't different and you aren't a leader of your own life. You become someone else's puppet or nothing more than a follower and if you choose it, you are it!

Once the school years are over and you are out on your own in a 'really ' adult world, that's when you look back and realize that all those so-called friends have moved on, if they have matured at a normal emotional level, and the time people wasted filling their bodies and minds with garbage is lost time.

This movie shows from an emotional level how some people advance in mental maturity and how others just keep on following the crowd...well most people would be able to grasp that from this movie, if their brains aren't already burned to mush from drugs and other addictions!

Anyway it was a Great Flick then and still a great flick today! Every kid should see it! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Curl up with the popcorn and indulge....
Okay, so it is VERY different from the original PEYTON PLACE, but so was the book! Carol Lynley and Tuesday Weld are gorgeous, adorable and totally enjoyable. Eleanor Parker and Mary Astor are campier than a couple of drag queens. It is kitschy, early 60s soap opera at is best. This should be playing in revival houses as a double bill with the original. Watch for Bob Crane in a cameo role as a talk show sidekick.

Horrible Follow Up To The Original Classic
The only thing good about this video is the opening song sung by Rosemary Clooney.

This was a terrible sequel to the original movie. Different cast, different feel. Rent the video before you buy this one.

Return to Peyton Place ... an entertaining sequel
This is an interesting sequel from the point of view that none of the cast from Peyton Place reprise their roles and the time period seems to have been moved up 10 or 15 years without the principal characters aging. This film retains the feel of the original in some of the scenes (especially behind the credits where many of the pastoral New England shots from the original were used), but it has a back lot studio look about it in other scenes. Unlike the original, a good portion of this story takes place in New York City as it revolves its focus amongst the pairs of main characters. The story is standard soap opera material, yet it does not fail to entertain thanks to fine performances from a menacing Mary Astor, a charming and gracious Jeff Chandler and a noble Robert Sterling. Not to its detriment nor benefit, the main characters of this piece consist of the film's younger cast members who's performances are just standard with the exception of Tuesday Weld. However, the film benefits from beautiful color photography and Franz Waxman's reworking of his original Peyton Place score, which is in stereo on this VHS copy. ... Read more

Description

Matt Brennan knows how to open eyes to the potential of the experimental jet, the JA-3. He'll pilot it from Nome over the North Pole to Washington DC and land it on the Pentagon's lap. The distance is beyond the JA-3's tested range. Nor can the craft provide the pressurization needed for flight at 80,000 feet. But Brennan has some modifications in mind. And the courage to put them to the test.

Humphrey Bogart plays Brennan in Chain Lightning's lofth mix of adventure and romance. Eleanor Parker, as a World War II flame who reenters Brennan's life, helps fuel the romance. And the adventure takes wing with a story that, like Breaking the Sound Barrier, The McConnell Story and other postawr films, taps into the era'sfascination with jet aviation. Cleared for takeoff. Year: 1950Director: Stuart Heisler Starring:Humphrey Bogart, Eleanor Parker Special Feature: Original Theatrical TrailerB&W/94 Mins. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Superior Melodrama
An interesting tale and an early directorial effort from Robert Wise. When a young boy is the sole survivor of a mountain plane crash, three women begin to wonder if he's the child each gave up for adoption. While waiting for the news, the women all look back on their lives. We discover the reasons behind their decisions to give their sons up, and what their lives have been like up to this point. This is similar in some ways to the plot device used in A Letter to Three Wives, which also deals with the pasts of three women, however this film is much more somber in tone. It doesn't have the crackling, witty dialogue, which made Wives so memorable. The suspense is quite good, with all three stars doing excellent work here. It's fun seeing Eleanor Parker, Patricia Neal, and Ruth Roman all of whom would go on to be major stars during the 1950s; it's a wonderful showcase for their dramatic talents. If you like films with good character studies, Three Secrets is for you. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Lupino Tries Hard
Ida Lupino tries really hard to inject some life and energy into this story of two brothers who fall in love with the same woman. Lupino is the poor single mother who loves one of the brothers, Errol Flynn, a free spirit who composes music. Gig Young is the other brother, and rich girl Eleanor Parker is the object of both brothers' affections. The story is too complicated to summarize in a few sentences, with the locale shifting across Europe. However, the story is never credible, and neither are the actors. Flynn was no longer cutting much of a dashing figure by this point in his career, and he brings no depth or conviction to the character at all. Parker never seems like the type of woman who could inspire anything, while Young barely registers as the other brother. Lupino goes for it, as she did with pretty much every performance, but with this script and ill-defined character, there's not much she can do than appear continually overwrought. By the half way mark of the movie, I couldn't have cared less what happened to any of them. There is some good music, but the story and characters do not flow nearly as well as the orchestrations. This film is a disappointment.

How the mighty do fall!
Maudlin and overly melodramatic tearjerker that can't be saved despite highly photogenic and charismatic stars Errol Flynn, Ida Lupino, Eleanor Parker and Gig Young, who are unable to generate life in this lackluster vehicle. But it's not their fault--try as they might, even the likes of Olivier or Garbo would have trouble tackling such a poor script. Stars Flynn and Young as Sebastian and Caryl Dubrok in 1900's Venice, two estranged brothers as different as night and day, with the only thing in common being both are composers--one established, the other still aspiring. But whereas Caryl is a responsible young man and wealthy and successful at his career, Sebastian is a charming but penniless and irresponsible rogue who has yet to make a name for himself. To support himself in the meantime he performs in a weak act with the equally poverty-stricken Gemma Smith (Lupino), his partner both professionally and romantically. Complications arise when Caryl's beautiful and cultured fiancee Fionella MacLean (Parker) discovers that an unmarried woman named Gemma and a child are staying with a composer named . . . Dubrok. Not knowing of Sebastian's existence, she naturally assumes the worst, that Caryl is a no-good scoundrel keeping his mistress and child on the side, so she breaks their engagement and escapes to an Alpine resort. Sebastian and Gemma are also there as lowly entertainment, and soon Fionella unknowingly falls for her former fiancee's brother, much to the anger and chagrin of Caryl and a distraught Gemma in particular. All this unwittingly brings about the child's death and Gemma's resultant emotional devatation, but in the end Sebastian redeems himself by making an honest woman out of fallen woman Gemma when realizing he truly loves her and how he nearly destroyed her, as well as his "transformation" into a responsible man whose newfound ability to love provides his compositions with searing depth and insight so he is now able to create a true masterpiece and finally find success. Melodramatic mush not recommended unless you're a big fan of these stars or having nothing to do. Obvious drawbacks are the weak story, uninspired direction, fake-looking European sets and bad casting--particularly Lupino's wounded doe role since she's most effective as tough tarts. Ironically but unsurprising enough, she ends up stealing the show since she gets to emote a lot with her character's abundant suffering. The only redeeming feature is the always great Erich Wolfgang Korngold's magnificent score--but even with that, I couldn't help thinking to myself how the mighty do fall at the laughably pathetic sight of the great Flynn in the outdoor resort scene reduced to wearing a ridiculous Alpine outfit and playing an accordian!

Laughable Script.
It's not a comedy but if you don't laugh, you will be wondering why you continued to sit through this till the very end. Errol Flynn carried this film most of the way with his usual charm but even he can't perform lazarus on such a bad written screenplay. Peter Godfrey didn't help either. Perhaps he had fallen asleep while directing this piece. Having said that, it has a great cast of actors and actresses. Lupino is a good actress but I felt she was badly miscast in this film. What a pity though because the idea was good and it had potential.

One of Flynn's Worst
Despite the impassioned tribute to Elisabeth Bergner below, this is not the little heartbreaker's version of this particular story. In this glossy Warners remake, the adorable little gamine is played by Ida Lupino, who scampers about in what has to be her worst performance. This is one of the duds ("Never Say Goodbye" and "Cry Wolf" are the others) that Errol Flynn made in the late forties trying to extend his range, and which instead killed off his career as a major star. Don't even think about buying it.

Not a Flynn classic
Sadly, "Escape Me Never" is not one of Errol Flynn's best efforts, and is not listed in any grouping of his screen classics. His performance, while not bad, per se, is disappointingly superficial. The reviewers were extremely unkind to this film when it was released, and it is one of the instances in which they were right.

Errol Flynn was so much more than just a screen swashbuckler, as he proved in films like "Gentleman Jim," "Objective Burma," and "The Sun Also Rises." He himself admitted he didn't take "Escape Me Never" seriously, and it shows. ... Read more