Reviews (359)

Even After So Much Time Has Gone By
Only Citizen Kane was ranked higher when the American Film Institute announced its list of "America's Greatest Movies." (The Godfather, Gone with the Wind, and Lawrence of Arabia complete the top five.) My own opinion is that AFI ranked Casablanca higher than it deserves. Nonetheless, the film remains immensely popular among critics and film historians as well as so-called movie buffs. It received an Academy Award as best film in 1943, as did Michael Curtiz for directing it. Bogart and Bergman are joined by an especially strong supporting cast (notably Greenstreet, Henreid, Lorre, Rains, and Veidt). There really isn't much to the plot but the dialogue is first-rate. (Philip Epstein, Julius Epstein, and Howard W. Koch shared an Oscar for best screenplay.) It is tempting to over-analyze this film by, for example, devoting excessive attention to American versus European sensibilities during World War II, the conflict between what Rick and Ilsa want to do with what they think they ought to do, etc.

Obviously, the war in progress outside of Rick's cafe cannot be denied although he makes every effort to insulate himself and his clientele from it. There is no shortage of social and political issues and yet, in my opinion, the significance of the film -- and its enduring appeal -- is explained by the development of the relationship between Rick and Ilsa. The final resolution is necessarily somewhat ambiguous, I think, precisely because the relationship between two people in war time faces quite different challenges, obligations, and implications than it would otherwise. Ultimately, having recently seen this film again in a special edition, accompanied by an abundance of supplementary features (e.g. Roger Ebert's commentary, Lauren Bacall's Introduction, and about ten minutes of additional scenes and out takes), I think the film now has a special symbolic significance which could not have been evident when it was released in 1942. More specifically, it somehow dramatizes what so many of us also struggle with when seeking a balance of obligations to ourselves and to others as well as to certain values which sustain the human race, especially during crises which threaten its survival. Perhaps I make too much of this film but these are among the reasons why it continues to hold special meaning for me.

Rounding Up the Usual Suspects
(To the reader: This review is about the original MGM DVD release and NOT about the 2-disc edition just released.)

Casablanca!

The very name conjures up an exotic mix of adventure, intrigue, heroism, selfless sacrifice, and romance. Hear the title of this 1942 Best Picture winner and your memory will provide you with images of Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Dooley Wilson, Peter Lorre, and Claude Rains. Or maybe you'll hear snatches of Max Steiner's unforgettable score, with its interpolation of Herman Hupfeld's "As Time Goes By" and the stirring strains of "The Marsellaise."

Based on the stage play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Allison, the movie tells a dramatic story of refugees fleeing from wartorn Europe and making a perilous trip to Casablanca in French Morocco. It is December 1941 and that French colony is under the control of "unoccupied France." Ostensibly neutral in World War II, Vichy France is nevertheless a German vassal state, as the arrival of Major Strasser (Conrad Veldt) clearly demonstrates.

Strasser's mission in Casablanca: to stop Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo (Henreid) from obtaining one of two exit visas stolen from two murdered German couriers and escaping from the Gestapo. Having tracked the defiant Laszlo after his escape from a Nazi concentration camp, Strasser is determined to capture the symbol of anti-Nazi resistance once and for all.

Accompanying Laszlo is the beautiful Ilsa Lund (Bergman), a young Norweigan student whom he married in secret before he was captured by the Gestapo in 1940. Devoted to her husband and his great cause, Ilsa has been at his side since Laszlo's miraculous escape and sudden reappearance in Paris.

Unbeknownst to Laszlo, however, his fate will now rest in the hands of American saloonkeeper Rick Blaine (Bogart). In the months following Victor's escape from the concentration camp he was reported as "presumed dead." In loneliness and despair, the grieving Ilsa met and fell in love with Rick in Paris shortly before the German occupation began. For a brief time the lovers were together, only to tragically part ways when news of Laszlo's return reached Ilsa.

Now, in the eve of America's entry into World War II, Victor Laszlo's fate hangs on the conflicting emotions felt by both Rick and Ilsa, as well as the shifting loyalties of French police Capt. Louis Renault (Rains).

The screenplay by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch is a wonderful mixture of romance, intrigue, drama and comedy (the latter provided both by colorful characters and witty exchanges). Director Michael Curtiz and producer Hal B. Wallis made Casablanca as one of many movies produced in 1942, never knowing that it would become a classic of Hollywood's Golden Era.

"As Time Goes By" This Is The Best Film You'll Ever See
From the first frame of "Casablanca" you know you are about to watch something special. There is not a moment in the film where you will find yourself bored or overwhelmed. It is perfect in every way. I have seen many films in my time and I am only 17. I have an extensive collection of over 180 DVDs and this is by far my most prized. I saw this film for the first time exactly one year ago and purchased this Two-Disc Special Edition the day it came out. Not a day goes by when this film does not pop into my mind.

There are many movies but very few great films. The few include Gone With the Wind, Wizard of Oz, Lawrence of Arabia, Schindler's List, The Godfather, and, of course, the rarely seen Imitation of Life. This is at the head of those. It is at the head of all films.

"Casablanca" is about Rick (Humphrey Bogart), the owner of an American bar in Morroco, who is visited by Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the object of a love affair in Paris a few years earlier. She is accompanied by her husband (Paul Heinreid) who knows nothing of this but is only interested in acheiving two exit visas because they are both wanted. What follows is the most romantic and thrilling film of all time.

The DVD transfer is nothing short of miraculous. The film looks like it had been filmed today in B & W. Even the mono soundtrack sounds breathtaking. The DVD does not shy away from some amazing special features. I don't want to spoil them but anyone will find them interesting. I promise you this is one of the finest DVD packages on the market.

So go out now and buy the film that recieved three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay; the film that was called the Second Greatest Film of All Time on the AFI's 100 Best List (it's second to Citizen Kane); and also called the Most Romantic Film of All Time by the AFI's 100 Most Romantic Films.

"Play it again, Sam."

Best Gin Joint in the world!
Simply the best movie ever made.
Bogie at his best, Bergman as always splendid! Add in a wonderful supporting cast headed by Peter Lorre, and the result is the perfect bittersweet love story. A must have for any Bogart fan, and a must see for everyone!

Black & White For A Reason
Ah, kids today. "Man, it's crap if there's no color to assist my info-ladened cranium!" Get a life. It's "Casablanca", for God's sake. It NEEDS to stay in B&W format. And, might I say, this film is a cult classic for more reasons than just minimalist acting. Dialogue: Heard of it, kids? It's what actors used to do instead of blowing (...)up or flying through the air in front of a blue screen. I love my DVD of "Casablanca", and cherish the fact that I don't have to rewind a tape to get to some of my favorite quotes. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Ranking No. 21 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest American films, this 1940 classic is a bit dated in its noble sentimentality, but it remains a luminous example of Hollywood classicism from the peerless director of mythic Americana, John Ford. Adapted by Nunnally Johnson from John Steinbeck's classic novel, the film tells a simple story about Oklahoma farmers leaving the depression-era dustbowl for the promised land of California, but it's the story's emotional resonance and theme of human perseverance that makes the movie so richly and timelessly rewarding. It's all about the humble Joad family's cross-country trek to escape the economic devastation of their ruined farmland, beginning when Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) returns from a four-year prison term to discover that his family home is empty. He's reunited with his family just as they're setting out for the westbound journey, and thus begins an odyssey of saddening losses and strengthening hopes. As Ma Joad, Oscar-winner Jane Darwell is the embodiment of one of America's greatest social tragedies and the "Okie" spirit of pressing forward against all odds (as she says, "because we're the people"). A documentary-styled production for which Ford and cinematographer Gregg Toland demanded painstaking authenticity, The Grapes of Wrath is much more than a classy, old-fashioned history lesson. With dialogue and scenes that rank among the most moving and memorable ever filmed, it's a classic among classics--simply put, one of the finest films ever made. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Ford and Fonda do justice to Steinbeck
Take John Steinbeck's Pulitzer-Prize-Winning Novel. Turn it into a movie and let John Ford direct it, and get Henry Fonda to star. In 1940 you could hardly find a more certain recipe for a cinema classic.

As good as the film is, it really should be a companion-piece to Steinbeck's original masterpiece, and if you haven't read it I recommend setting aside enough time to read one of the greatest pieces of American literature ever written.

That being said, the medium of the cinema allows for a visual impact that can't be matched with the written word.

The Grapes of Wrath follows the Joad family during the great depression. That period of economic hardship hit the farmers in Oklahoma a little harder than the rest of the world, at the time of the dust bowl the "Okies" were at the end of their ropes, financially speaking.

Thousands of Okies packed up the house after being foreclosed and moved out to California - many winding up around Bakersfield, at the California end of old US Route 66. (Merle Haggard's family did so and the "Okie from Muscogee" wrote about it in songs like "California Cottonfields".)

Anyway, this is the historical context of the movie. The theme of the movie, and of Steinbeck's book, is the ability of the human spirit to remain intact in these worst of times. The Joads suffer terrible humiliations, one after another, most of them because of their desperate financial status. But as the story proceeds we see that they are fundamentally decent, hard-working people, and every time life knocks them down they get back up, brush the dirt off themselves, and keep moving forward. As a national characteristic, this was an important trait because this was the generation that produced the hard-working, high-minded individuals who did important things like win World War II, followed by America's greatest financial flourishing and the Baby Boom. Tom Brokaw called them "America's Greatest Generation".

The cast is picture-perfect, with Henry Fonda as the spirited Tom Joad and John Carradine as the former preacher with a new social consciousness. Jane Darwell won a well-deserved Best Supporting Actress Award as Ma Joad, and the remainder of the cast is in every way equal to the story and the film.

An American Classic
This is a great movie based on a great novel, and I am surprised by how honestly the film captures the raw humanity of the book. Steinbeck weaved social commentary into the story, and the movie makes many points about the human condition and spirit without being heavy-handed. The story of the Joads and their fight for survival rings very true, thanks to the realistic performances and the atmosphere created by director John Ford. Henry Fonda gives one of the best performances I have ever seen him give, and his "I'll be there" speech is one of the great movie moments. Jane Darwell is also very impressive, and her direct, down-to-earth style of acting makes the quiet strength and the suffering of Ma Joad seem very real. The Grapes of Wrath is an American classic, both as a novel and as a film.

"I'll be all aroun' in the dark."
"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loos'd the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword, His truth is marching on." - Battle Hymn of the Republic.

In 1936, John Steinbeck wrote a series of articles about the migrant workers driven to California from the Midwestern states after losing their homes in the throes of the depression: inclement weather, failed crops, land mortgaged to the hilt and finally taken over by banks and large corporations when credit lines ran dry. Lured by promises of work aplenty, the Midwesterners packed their belongings and trekked westward to the Golden State, only to find themselves facing hunger, inhumane conditions, contempt and exploitation instead. "Dignity is all gone, and spirit has turned to sullen anger before it dies," Steinbeck described the result in one of his 1936 articles, collectively published as "The Harvest Gypsies;" and in another piece ("Starvation Under the Orange Trees," 1938) he asked: "Must the hunger become anger and the anger fury before anything will be done?"

By the time he wrote the latter article, Steinbeck had already published one novel addressing the agricultural laborers' struggle against corporate power ("In Dubious Battle," 1936). Shortly thereafter he began to work on "The Grapes of Wrath," which was published roughly a year later. Although the book would win the Pulitzer Prize (1940) and become a cornerstone foundation of Steinbeck's Literature Nobel Prize (1962), it was sharply criticized upon its release - nowhere more so than in the Midwest - and still counts among the 35 books most frequently banned from American school curricula: A raw, brutally direct, yet incredibly poetic masterpiece of fiction, it continues to touch nerves deeply rooted in modern society's fabric; including and particularly in California, where yesterday's Okies are today's undocumented Mexicans - Chicano labor leader Cesar Chavez especially pointed out how well he could empathize with the Joad family, because he and his fellow workers were now living the same life they once had.

Having fought hard with his publisher to maintain the novel's uncompromising approach throughout, Steinbeck was weary to give the film rights to 20th Century Fox, headed by powerful mogul and, more importantly, known conservative Daryl F. Zanuck. Yet, Zanuck and director John Ford largely stayed true to the novel: There is that sense of desperation in farmer Muley's (John Qualen's) expression as he tells Tom and ex-preacher Casy (Henry Fonda and John Carradine) how the "cats" came and bulldozed down everybody's homes, on behalf of a corporate entity too intangible to truly hold accountable. There is Grandpa Joad (Charley Grapewin), literally clinging to his earth and dying of a stroke (or, more likely, a broken heart) when he is made to leave against his will. There is everybody's brief joy upon first seeing Bakersfield's rich plantations - everybody's except Ma Joad's (Jane Darwell's), that is, who alone knows that Grandma (Zeffie Tilbury) died in her arms before they even started to cross the Californian desert the previous night. There is the privately-run labor camps' utter desolation, complete with violent guards, exploitative wages, lack of food and unsanitary conditions; contrasted with the relative security and more humane conditions of the camps run by the State. And there is Tom's crucial development from a man acting alone to one seeing the benefit of joining efforts in a group, following Casy's example, and his parting promise to Ma that she'll find him everywhere she looks - wherever there is injustice, struggle, and people's joint success. In an overall outstanding cast, which also includes Dorris Bowdon (Rose of Sharon), Eddie Quillan (Rose's boyfriend Connie), Frank Darien (Uncle John) and a brief appearance by Ward Bond as a friendly policeman, Henry Fonda truly shines as Tom; despite his smashing good looks fully metamorphosized into Steinbeck's quick-tempered, lanky, reluctant hero.

Yet, in all its starkness the movie has a more optimistic slant than the novel; due to a structural change which has the Joads moving from bad to acceptable living conditions (instead of vice versa), the toning down of Steinbeck's political references - most importantly, the elimination of a monologue using a land owner's description of "reds" as anybody "that wants thirty cents and hour when we're payin' twenty-five" to show that under the prevalent conditions that definition applies to virtually *every* migrant laborer - and a greater emphasis on Ma Joad's pragmatic, forward-looking way of dealing with their fate; culminating in her closing "we's the people" speech (whose direction, interestingly, Ford, who would have preferred to end the movie with the image of Tom walking up a hill alone in the distance, left to Zanuck himself). Jane Darwell won a much-deserved Academy-Award for her portrayal as Ma; besides John Ford's Best Director award the movie's only winner on Oscar night - none of its other five nominations scored, unfortunately including those in the Best Picture and Best Leading Actor categories, which went to Hitchcock's "Rebecca" and James Stewart ("The Philadelphia Story") instead. Still, despite its critical success - also expressed in a "Best Picture" National Board of Review award - and its marginally optimistic outlook, the movie engendered almost as much controversy as did Steinbeck's book. After the witch hunt setting in not even a decade later, today it stands as one of the last, greatest examples of a movie pulling no punches in the portrayal of society's ailments; a type of film regrettably rare in recent years.

"Ev'rybody might be just one big soul - well it looks that-a way to me. ... Wherever men are fightin' for their rights, that's where I'm gonna be, ma. That's where I'm gonna be." - Woody Guthrie, "The Ballad of Tom Joad."

"The highway is alive tonight, but nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes. I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light, with the ghost of old Tom Joad." - Bruce Springsteen, "The Ghost of Tom Joad."

The Grapes--and Apples and Oranges--of Wrath
It's striking how many reviewers here base their comments on a simplisitic comparison between the film version of "The Grapes of Wrath" and the Steinbeck novel on which it was based. For many such a comparison seems to function simply as an excuse to proclaim the inherent superiority of the Steinbeck original--and, by extension, the superiority of their own literary taste values-- when all it really does is highlight the patent silliness of trying to pit different artforms into some sort of evaluative competition. Literature and cinema are two vastly different modes of representation each with their own strengths and limitations, so the framing question shouldn't be which version of "The Grapes of Wrath" is "better"--as if there were a universal yardstick with which to measure such things--but rather how do they perform in terms of their respective mediums? On that count, I think we are extraordinarily fortunate with both the Steinbeck and Ford versions of "The Grapes of Wrath" to have two masterworks that operate consummately at the peak of their respective artforms. What each does well, it does brilliantly. As a verbal medium that unfolds slowly, literature is good at offering rich, layered descriptions of person and place and mapping complicated narrative links and Steinbeck makes the most of this in his novel. Cinema, by contrast, is an expressive medium that works best through registers of visual and aural metaphor, allegory and performance...and it's on this ground that I think the film version of "The Grapes of Wrath" more than merits its classic status. It is a magnificently "cinematic" film that uses the expressive capacities of the medium to produce a richly layered experience that is truly moving and that lingers long afterward, sometimes for years or even a whole lifetime. I first saw "The Grapes of Wrath" on TV one rainy afternoon in my childhood and it left indelible impressions that have impelled me to go back to the film time and again: The haunted eyes of Jane Darwell's Ma Joad as she sits in the truck cabin, lit from beneath, driving into an uncertain future, the winds of history howling oustside; the terrifying collision montage as the monstrous "cats" move in to destroy the Okies' homes; the soulless gas station attendants, standing together in uniforms like corporatized automata, muttering that the Joads are too miserable to be human. It's a film dense with iconic richness and an enduring testament both to the artistry of the many workers that created it, and to the democratic spirit of popular cinema at its very best.

As good a restoration as possible
This DVD restoration is probably as good as possible given that the original camera negative was lost. This is the one to get.

By the way, there is NO widescreen version of "The Grapes of Wrath." This DVD release exhibits the full frame aspect ratio of the original (1.33 to 1 ratio). Essentially, films made between 1917 and 1952 were filmed with a full frame aspect ratio. Standard televisions were proportioned 4:3 to copy the standard cinema ratio. Widescreen (Cinemascope, etc) was a gimmick introduced by Hollywood in the 1950s to compete with television. So if a film was made between 1917 and 1952 don't go looking for a widescreen version of it because there isn't any! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Otto Preminger turned this 1959 courtroom drama, based on the popular novel, into terrific adult drama. James Stewart stars as a small-town lawyer who defends an army officer (Ben Gazzara) accused of murdering a bartender who assaulted his wife (Lee Remick). The taut script, large performance by Stewart, and then-daring elements of the story (words like "panties" are spoken in the context of discussing a sex crime) give the action a certain immediacy--which you don't find very often in today's movies about jurisprudence. Nice work by Remick and Gazzara, as well as George C. Scott, Arthur O'Connell, and real-life judge Joseph N. Welch, who plays the judge in this film. A very good experience all around. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (48)

One of the finest courtroom dramas ever filmed.
Anatomy of a Murder is one of the finest courtroom dramas ever filmed -- on a par with Witness for the Prosecution and Inherit the Wind. Jimmy Stewart gives one of his finest performances as a small town attorney defending an army officer who has coldbloodedly killed a man alleged to have raped his flirtatious wife. The rest of the cast is uniformly good, especially Lee Remick as the beautiful sexy wife and Ben Gazzaro as her jealous husband on trial for murder. Stewart's character is assisted by his old friend, an alcoholic former attorney convincingly played by Arthur O'Connell -- an outstanding character actor whose work, unfortunately, is often overlooked. A young George C. Scott (in one of his first films) plays a skilled and implacable prosecutor. This is movie making at its best; a true classic.

Good movie, if you haven't read the book. Otherwise, lousy
I had the great misfortune of reading the book before watching the movie. The book was a masterpiece, arguably the best piece of courtroom fiction ever written. John Grisham's a head of lettuce compared to Robert Traver's brilliant, accurate portrayal of the controversial (fictional) trial of Frederic Manion.

But if you've read the book, DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE. It will be a massive dissappointment.

You will be put off by the Duke Ellington soundtrack. Sure, it's good music, but this is the story of rural northern Michigan, not the nightclubs of NYC. Duke's jazz does a disastrous job of complementing the setting of the film, and seems quite jarring in spots.

You will be put off by the inaccuracies, like Biegler's ability to play the piano, which never happened in the book (and which only happens in the movie to make Duke's score fit). You will feel that the story could have happened anywhere, anytime, whereas the book was distinctively Upper Peninsula in atmosphere.

You might agree with me that Jimmy Stewart was miscast. Sure, he does a great acting job as always, but whenever I looked at the screen, I saw Jimmy Stewart: Jimmy Stewart is talking to the bartender, Jimmy Stewart is arguing in a courtroom--as opposed to seeing Paul Biegler. It's like watching a movie where Jimmy Stewart's the lawyer, not Paul Biegler. Jimmy Stewart, defense attorney.

The only real highlight, what saves the movie, is the superb acting job by George C. Scott, whoever played the Irishman, and others. If it weren't for them, I'd be giving this movie a one-star review.

Perhaps if you haven't read the book you'll delight in the movie. It's a good stand-alone movie. It's fairly enjoyable despite its faults. But if you've read the book first, you'll hate it. And if you haven't read the book, I highly recommend you read it now. It's far superior to the movie in every way.

Think of it as a Courtroom Film Noir
The excellence is Anatomy of a Murder lies is how it doesn't try to cram itself down your throat. The movie takes its own sweet time telling an intelligent and challenging story. There really aren't any good guys here and there are no easy answers. That's the point of film noir. Everyone is bad in some way, everyone has motives, and happy endings rarely take place in real life. Very direct for a movie made in the late 50's. A woman's alleged rape and the murder of her alleged rapist by her husband is described repeatedly and in detail. James Stewart is surprisingly effective as a weary cynic who takes the case not because he thinks the accused is innocent or a swell guy but because he thinks he can win and get the guy off. After Stewart returned from the horrors of WWII, he turned away from the cheerful harmless fare of his younger days. It can be fairly said that he had two careers. His post war career is much more serious and mature. Introspective characters. Deeply troubled men. Obsessed men. Men of dubious morality and hard bitten practical values. Stewart never made a WWII movie. He didn't need to, he lived it.

"I beg the court...let me cut into the apple"
This film hooks you in the first minute with Saul Bass' brilliant titles and Duke Ellington's music, and then has you caught for the duration in the next few scenes; the dialogue is sharp and intelligent, and at the age of 50, Jimmy Stewart gives one of the best performances of his illustrious career, as Paul Biegler, an attorney who would rather be fishing than getting fees for his work. Stewart is so natural, so real, and so immensely likable. He's the kind of guy you wish you could have in your family, but wily enough to argue a good defense in court.

Lee Remick has just the right amount of provocative sensuality as Laura Manion to make one wonder what exactly happened on the "fateful night" in question.
After playing Southern belles in both "A Face in the Crowd" (1957) and "The Long Hot Summer" (1958), Remick was offered the role of Laura because Lana Turner, who was supposed to play the part, refused to wear an "off-the-rack" wardrobe, and wanted dresses designed by Jean Louis (hardly what a Army wife would be wearing). It was a big break for Remick, and she makes the most of it.

The entire supporting cast is superb: Ben Gazzara as the intense Lt. Manion, Arthur O'Connell as Biegler's assistant and friend, Eve Arden as Biegler's loyal secretary. George C. Scott is Dancer, the Assistant State Attorney, and Joseph N. Welch, who gained fame for being the Special Counsel for the Army in the Army-McCarthy Congressional hearings, is a delight as Judge Weaver. Duke Ellington makes a cameo appearance as Pie Eye, and even Muffy the beer drinking dog does a great job. Otto Preminger's direction flows at a lovely pace, with a balance between the dramatic tension and thoughtful scenes tinged with humor.

There were Oscar nominations for Best Actor, Supporting Actor (both O'Connell and Scott), Picture, and Editing (all losing to "Ben Hur"), as well as Sam Leavitt's beautiful b&w cinematography (lost to "The Diary of Anne Frank") and Wendell Mayes marvelous screenplay adaptation of the Robert Traver best-seller (lost to "Room at the Top"), proving that 1959 was a great year at the movies.
I love courtroom dramas, and this is one of the best ever made; it's unpredictable, with a very authentic feel to it, perhaps because the author, using the pen name of "Robert Traver", was actually Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker.
Total running time is 160 minutes.

A legendary film
Otto Preminger was one of the most creative and brave directors of the american cinema in the fifties and sixties.
His works were loaded with a ravishing realism , they were very expilict , challenging and disturbing .
Imagine what it means the plot around the adultery commited by the wife of an officer in that age . You can reply me with From here to the eternity but this film is more shocking , and overcomes in dramatic punch to From here ...The other examples you may think is Baby doll and Dial M for murder in the fifties, but this one wins the match.
The powerful sequence in the Court has only a serious match in The Nuremberg judgement . Never before there was not a previous film so disturbing like this that film who explicitly turned around the bitter and awful consequences about the adultery .
The plot is overwhelming , magnificient built , without any hole . The cast is incredible . Consider these giants actors as Ben Gazzara , George C. Scott , Arthur O'Donell, James Stewart and Lee Remick in her screen debut .
This film was nominated as the best film but was unlucky , because Ben Hur literally won all the prizes and somehow that fact stroke the undeniable virtues of that superb work.
However the time seems to set in the right place this picture.
Acquire this one.
One of the most remarkable films in the american cinema story.
If I could give this film ten thousand stars , I 'd do it . ... Read more

Reviews (6)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (3)

Pure kitch and wonderful!!
anyone who knows anything about the life of Rimsky-Korsakov will know that the character played by Jean-Pierre Aumont and the Real R-K only share the same name. We're not talking authentic here, but definitely entertaining. There's little of outer reality in this movie but then, there doesn't need to be. One has to approach it in the right spirit and enjoy it.

A Festive Musical Occasion
This film speaks to viewers straight from the heart, a festive occasion marking a combination of the brilliant music of Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakoff along with beautifully choreographed dancing sequences from famed ballerina Tilly Losch within the framework of a glorious spirit. French star Jean-Pierre Aumont stars as the Russian composer as a young man serving with the Russian Navy. While his shyness is in initial impediment, Aumont becomes aware that his first love of music has a fresh rival in exotically beautiful Yvonne De Carlo, who exercises her dancing skills to the audience's delight. Aumont has spirited competition for De Carlo's affections from his wolfish shipmate, Philip Reed, but when all is said and done De Carlo prefers the more sensitive, less forward Aumont.

The story's action takes place at two points, the ship that is docked at port in Tangiers and the stately mansion where De Carlo lives with her mother, the always scheming Eve Arden at her wisecracking best. With the mansion mortgaged to the heavens, Arden needs to effectively strategize and is more than capable to the task. Male comedy support is provided by Brian Donlevy as ship captain, blustery on the surface but warm and sensitive inwardly. While outwardly complaining of Aumont's problems as a sailor, he is highly supportive, escpecially away from the eyes of those under his command. Eventually he strikes up a relationship with equally wily Arden at the same time when her daughter is enraptured by Aumont's charms.

Walter Reisch, former writing partner of Billy Wilder, directed with a deft touch and also wrote the script. Charles Kullman of the New York Metropolitan Opera entertained with song, giving the film the kind of grand scale of a great operatic production. Along with the brilliant Losch choreography, the costumes blended with the superb color, done by Yvonne Wood, who handled the costuming for the Busby Berkeley classic "The Gang's All Here" starring Alice Faye.

Reisch gave some talented newcomers opportunities in the film. Servant girl Elena Verdugo became a televsion star in the fifties in "Meet Millie" and was later a regular opposite Robert Young in "Marcus Welby." Robert Kendall later performed opposite Natalie Wood on Ford Television Theater in "Too Old for Dolls" and starred on screen as Baby Face Nelson in "Guns Don't Argue." William Ching played the ruthless killer pursued by Edmond O'Brien in the film noir classic, "D.O.A.", and played a Beverly Hills Police detective investigating Humphrey Bogart in "In a Lonely Place."

The blend of technicolor and song along with the exotic beauty and dancing skills of DeCarlo make "Song of Scheherazade" a must see for those who thrill to great musical entertainment.

A beautiful musical story
I was in love with music since I was a little boy. Since then, I heard Rimsky Korsakov's Scheherazade and I was impressed for its melody as well as its oriental feeling. I remember well that one fine day I saw this picture: The song of Scheherazade at the movies. I was still a boy but I said to myself that someday I will have it for myself. I had to wait more than 30 years for that moment. When the commercial videos started, I went to video stores and always asked for the release of this film. It wouldn't happen until last year when I finally saw the pre-sale in Amazon. Now, I think that it worths to wait for something that you want. This movie has spectacular colors, incredible coreography and, mainly, the beautiful music of the russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov each moment. If you want to spend a nice evening with your family, your husband or wife, or even with yourself don't hesitate and get this video as soon as possible. You won't regret it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A favorite film of some of the world's greatest filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, John Ford's The Searchers has earned its place in the legacy of great American films for a variety of reasons. Perhaps most notably, it's the definitive role for John Wayne as an icon of the classic Western--the hero (or antihero) who must stand alone according to the unwritten code of the West. The story takes place in Texas in 1868; Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a Confederate veteran who visits his brother and sister-in-law at their ranch and is horrified when they are killed by marauding Comanches. Ethan's search for a surviving niece (played by young Natalie Wood) becomes an all-consuming obsession. With the help of a family friend (Jeffrey Hunter) who is himself part Cherokee, Ethan hits the trail on a five-year quest for revenge. At the peak of his masterful talent, director Ford crafts this classic tale as an embittered examination of racism and blind hatred, provoking Wayne to give one of the best performances of his career. As with many of Ford's classic Westerns, The Searchers must contend with revisionism in its stereotypical treatment of "savage" Native Americans, and the film's visual beauty (the final shot is one of the great images in all of Western culture) is compromised by some uneven performances and stilted dialogue. Still, this is undeniably one of the greatest Westerns ever made. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (120)

A classic western
The Searchers is considered by many to be one of the best westerns ever made, and I cannot disagree with them. The story follows the efforts of two men trying to track down a kidnapped girl from Comanches over the course of five years. The men tracking the tribe are a Confederate veteran and the girl's uncle and the other a family friend and also part Cherokee. The film is beautifully shot as all John Ford westerns are, which adds to the overall mood of the movie. There is a vastness to some scenes which show the futility of tracking down this girl after so many years. The Searchers is a classic that provided John Wayne with a role that was different from any other he had previously played.

John Wayne stars as Ethan Edwards, the Confederate veteran trying to track down his niece after his brother's family is slaughtered by a Comanche raiding party. He plays the role of the racist veteran to perfection. At times it is startling to see him in a role that differs so greatly from most other movies he had done. Jeffrey Hunter plays Martin Pawley, the Duke's partner in his search for the kidnapped girl. He plays a good sidekick to Wayne throughout since they have such differing personalities in the movie. Also starring are Natalie Wood, Ward Bond, Harry Carey JR, Patrick Wayne, Hank Worden, Ken Curtis and plenty of other Wayne stock actors. The DVD is good but could have been much better. You can view the movie in fullscreen or widescreen, with trailers included alongside four documentary shorts. A must have for western fans that is up there with Shane and The Wild Bunch as some of the greatest westerns of all time!

John Wayne at his Western Best now on WideScreen DVD!
"The Searchers" (1956) Anamorphic Widescreen DVD version is one of the best classic westerns ever made! Ranked in the American Film Institute's (AFI) top 100 movies of the last 100 years (1998). Having the best Western Director, John Ford partnering up with his favorite cowboy star, John Wayne can only be the beginning of a grand movie. Adding Widescreen Technicolor, the colorful Panoramic Monument Valley - Utah (Ford's favorite western area to film), a fantastic musical score and top supporting cast leads us on one of the best filmed westerns ever!

Summary - Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) is returning home to his only Brother & his family. After he and a posse of Texas Rangers (Lead by Ward Bond) were decoyed away by distant marauding Indians. The actual Indian raid was on remaining defenseless families left behind. Ethan's returned to find his Brothers family massacured all but his youngest niece, Debbie (played by Lana (younger)& Natalie Wood (older). His vengence takes him on a 5 year journey to recover her. Wayne is brilliant and proves he is a great actor.

"The Searchers" is a powerful 2 hour emotional rollercoaster ride. This movie will leave you with more respect of John Wayne's ability to act, Director John Ford's genius to tell a very complex story. Leaving us forever with a Great Western Classic! Enjoy.

Searchers!!
Ethan Edwards, (John Wayne), finds his way home after the civil war to his brothers homestead. Some cattle are rustled and he and a few men track them only to discover it's a Comanche trick to lure them away while they kill out the folks left behind which is Ethan's brother, wife, and kids. They arrive back too late, all are dead except Ethan's niece who was taken captive. Ethan sets out to find his niece accompanied by Martin Pauley, (Jeffrey Hunter), who Ethan found as a baby years earlier after another Indian raid. Ethan loved his brother's wife which is clear in the book by Lemay but very lightly alluded to in the film. This helps to explain his rage because everything he cared for in the world is gone. He will pursue the Comanche that have his niece until hell freezes over. Along the way he finds that he is still a human being. This film is widely considered the greatest western of all time and a favorite film of Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg if that means anything to you, I thought I would toss it in anyway.

STILL SEARCHING FOR AN ADEQUATE TRANSFER
John Ford was a master craftsman of the American cinema. Though he dabbled in melodrama and action during his directorial career, his everlasting contribution to the movies remains in those galvanic distillations of the old west put forth by an unparalleled series of legendary films. "The Searchers" ranks among his most finely wrought and meticulously hand crafted projects. Indeed it seems to be the film in which the culmination of Ford's own commitment to the power, beauty and frailty of the western frontier tragically come together in a revisionist perspective that exposes both its grandeur and its flaws. The film stars the iconic John Wayne as Ethan Edwards - a strangely majestic antihero who vows bloody revenge after his cousin and family are slaughtered by marauding Comanches. But Ethan's search for his surviving niece (Natalie Wood) becomes a sinister and all-consuming obsession when he learns that she - having been abducted while still a child - has now adopted the ways of her captors and, at least in Ethan's mind, has become one of them. The film tackles racism in the form of Ethan's distrust of one time family friend (Jeffrey Hunter) who is part Cherokee and the sweep and spectacle of Death Valley has never been quite so poignantly captured on film.
THE TRANSFER: While Warner Home Video has made "The Searchers" available in anamorphic widescreen in a print that is light years ahead of anything the film has looked like before for the home film enthusiast, compared to more current DVD releases, the visual splendor of the transfer falls short of expectations. Though colors are rich there's something of a muddiness and lack of balance to them in many of the indoor scenes. Also, several scenes appear to be suffering slightly from color shrinkage, creating a slightly out of focus image quality that is distracting. Age related artifacts are present but do not distract so much as the digital anomalies of pixelization and edge enhancement which greatly plague the background information in most of the long shots. A slight shimmering is inherent in all of the scenes. Black and contrast levels can be solid at times, while sometimes appearing slightly pasty. Ditto for the unnatural flesh tones which are either overly pink or a ruddy orange. The audio has been remastered and delivers a nice expansive presentation which is in keeping with the vintage of the original sound elements.
EXTRAS: Not this time around. Sadly, this film deserves a documentary.
BOTTOM LINE: "The Searchers" is a masterful western, on par with "Stagecoach" and "High Noon". Definitely one to add to your film library.

The Best Western Ever Made
This is the best Western ever made. There's simply too much to say about it here to do it justice. The imagery, John Wayne's character's growth, the comraderie between the "searchers", the supporting cast and the theme will make seeing this film worth the while of even those who "hate" Westerns. It's a classic, and purchasing it will be money well spent.

Enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

We invite you to Le Cafe Singe Bleu
It's interesting how people can see the same movie and come away with different impressions of it. A reviewer below wrote: >>Unfortunately, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is among them, with an early scene allowing one character to address Chan in pidgin English--and then requiring Chan to play into the joke. Modern viewers will likely find the scene distasteful; this aside, however, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is a reasonably entertaining entry in the series<<< and I frankly find this a surprise. Chan makes a fool of Max Corday (the man who spoke to him in Pidgin English) by speaking in pidgin first, and then perfect English. Corday is embarrassed and humbled, as Chan intended. All officials in the French police force treat Chan with respect. Making the point that 'the educated masses' are not racist, only ignorant people are.

Having said that, Charlie Chan in Paris is one of my favorite Chans, not the least because it introduces Keye Luke and has one of my favorite actors, Erik Rhodes...

One of the Better Chan Films
CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is one of the better entries in the Chan series. It is the tenth Charlie Chan film and the seventh in which Warner Oland plays the role of the venerable detective. It marks the first appearance of Keye Luke as Lee Chan, Charlie's number one son.

Philip MacDonald wrote the screenplay. Earl Derr Biggers, the author of the six Charlie Chan books, had died in 1933.

Enjoyable but Slightly Patronizing
Although Charlie Chan films were no more nor less stereotypical in their presentation of the Inscrutable Chinese Detective than such series as Blondie were of the Crazy Blonde Housewife, some early Chan films did engage in a certain amount of regrettable patronization. Unfortunately, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is among them, with an early scene allowing one character to address Chan in pidgin English--and then requiring Chan to play into the joke. Modern viewers will likely find the scene distasteful; this aside, however, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is a reasonably entertaining entry in the series, starring the always welcome Warner Oland (the original Chan) and Keye Luke (the most enjoyable of Chan's tag-along sons) in a story concerning bond fraud in the city of light.

As the series evolved, writers became increasingly astute in their presentation of Chan, and while some characters might mock Chan, he inevitably shows them up by using their false impression of his intelligence to his own advantage. By the time Sidney Toler replaced Warner Oland (who died unexpectedly), moments of bad taste such as found in this particular film were exceedingly rare. While several of the best Chan films--such as AT THE OPERA, AT THE WAX MUSEUM, and CASTLE IN THE DESERT--are available on video, it is extremely regrettable that the vast majority of Chan films have never been released to the home audience; fans of the series should look for such films as AT TREASURE ISLAND and IN PANAMA on occasional cable television Chan film festivals.

the series hits it stride..a must
the movie seems to be the unoffical start of the series as we love it...number one son debut helps ..it has sex//comedy// a good ending//a must see ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A favorite film of some of the world's greatest filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, John Ford's The Searchers has earned its place in the legacy of great American films for a variety of reasons. Perhaps most notably, it's the definitive role for John Wayne as an icon of the classic Western--the hero (or antihero) who must stand alone according to the unwritten code of the West. The story takes place in Texas in 1868; Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a Confederate veteran who visits his brother and sister-in-law at their ranch and is horrified when they are killed by marauding Comanches. Ethan's search for a surviving niece (played by young Natalie Wood) becomes an all-consuming obsession. With the help of a family friend (Jeffrey Hunter) who is himself part Cherokee, Ethan hits the trail on a five-year quest for revenge. At the peak of his masterful talent, director Ford crafts this classic tale as an embittered examination of racism and blind hatred, provoking Wayne to give one of the best performances of his career. As with many of Ford's classic Westerns, The Searchers must contend with revisionism in its stereotypical treatment of "savage" Native Americans, and the film's visual beauty (the final shot is one of the great images in all of Western culture) is compromised by some uneven performances and stilted dialogue. Still, this is undeniably one of the greatest Westerns ever made. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (120)

A classic western
The Searchers is considered by many to be one of the best westerns ever made, and I cannot disagree with them. The story follows the efforts of two men trying to track down a kidnapped girl from Comanches over the course of five years. The men tracking the tribe are a Confederate veteran and the girl's uncle and the other a family friend and also part Cherokee. The film is beautifully shot as all John Ford westerns are, which adds to the overall mood of the movie. There is a vastness to some scenes which show the futility of tracking down this girl after so many years. The Searchers is a classic that provided John Wayne with a role that was different from any other he had previously played.

John Wayne stars as Ethan Edwards, the Confederate veteran trying to track down his niece after his brother's family is slaughtered by a Comanche raiding party. He plays the role of the racist veteran to perfection. At times it is startling to see him in a role that differs so greatly from most other movies he had done. Jeffrey Hunter plays Martin Pawley, the Duke's partner in his search for the kidnapped girl. He plays a good sidekick to Wayne throughout since they have such differing personalities in the movie. Also starring are Natalie Wood, Ward Bond, Harry Carey JR, Patrick Wayne, Hank Worden, Ken Curtis and plenty of other Wayne stock actors. The DVD is good but could have been much better. You can view the movie in fullscreen or widescreen, with trailers included alongside four documentary shorts. A must have for western fans that is up there with Shane and The Wild Bunch as some of the greatest westerns of all time!

John Wayne at his Western Best now on WideScreen DVD!
"The Searchers" (1956) Anamorphic Widescreen DVD version is one of the best classic westerns ever made! Ranked in the American Film Institute's (AFI) top 100 movies of the last 100 years (1998). Having the best Western Director, John Ford partnering up with his favorite cowboy star, John Wayne can only be the beginning of a grand movie. Adding Widescreen Technicolor, the colorful Panoramic Monument Valley - Utah (Ford's favorite western area to film), a fantastic musical score and top supporting cast leads us on one of the best filmed westerns ever!

Summary - Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) is returning home to his only Brother & his family. After he and a posse of Texas Rangers (Lead by Ward Bond) were decoyed away by distant marauding Indians. The actual Indian raid was on remaining defenseless families left behind. Ethan's returned to find his Brothers family massacured all but his youngest niece, Debbie (played by Lana (younger)& Natalie Wood (older). His vengence takes him on a 5 year journey to recover her. Wayne is brilliant and proves he is a great actor.

"The Searchers" is a powerful 2 hour emotional rollercoaster ride. This movie will leave you with more respect of John Wayne's ability to act, Director John Ford's genius to tell a very complex story. Leaving us forever with a Great Western Classic! Enjoy.

Searchers!!
Ethan Edwards, (John Wayne), finds his way home after the civil war to his brothers homestead. Some cattle are rustled and he and a few men track them only to discover it's a Comanche trick to lure them away while they kill out the folks left behind which is Ethan's brother, wife, and kids. They arrive back too late, all are dead except Ethan's niece who was taken captive. Ethan sets out to find his niece accompanied by Martin Pauley, (Jeffrey Hunter), who Ethan found as a baby years earlier after another Indian raid. Ethan loved his brother's wife which is clear in the book by Lemay but very lightly alluded to in the film. This helps to explain his rage because everything he cared for in the world is gone. He will pursue the Comanche that have his niece until hell freezes over. Along the way he finds that he is still a human being. This film is widely considered the greatest western of all time and a favorite film of Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg if that means anything to you, I thought I would toss it in anyway.

STILL SEARCHING FOR AN ADEQUATE TRANSFER
John Ford was a master craftsman of the American cinema. Though he dabbled in melodrama and action during his directorial career, his everlasting contribution to the movies remains in those galvanic distillations of the old west put forth by an unparalleled series of legendary films. "The Searchers" ranks among his most finely wrought and meticulously hand crafted projects. Indeed it seems to be the film in which the culmination of Ford's own commitment to the power, beauty and frailty of the western frontier tragically come together in a revisionist perspective that exposes both its grandeur and its flaws. The film stars the iconic John Wayne as Ethan Edwards - a strangely majestic antihero who vows bloody revenge after his cousin and family are slaughtered by marauding Comanches. But Ethan's search for his surviving niece (Natalie Wood) becomes a sinister and all-consuming obsession when he learns that she - having been abducted while still a child - has now adopted the ways of her captors and, at least in Ethan's mind, has become one of them. The film tackles racism in the form of Ethan's distrust of one time family friend (Jeffrey Hunter) who is part Cherokee and the sweep and spectacle of Death Valley has never been quite so poignantly captured on film.
THE TRANSFER: While Warner Home Video has made "The Searchers" available in anamorphic widescreen in a print that is light years ahead of anything the film has looked like before for the home film enthusiast, compared to more current DVD releases, the visual splendor of the transfer falls short of expectations. Though colors are rich there's something of a muddiness and lack of balance to them in many of the indoor scenes. Also, several scenes appear to be suffering slightly from color shrinkage, creating a slightly out of focus image quality that is distracting. Age related artifacts are present but do not distract so much as the digital anomalies of pixelization and edge enhancement which greatly plague the background information in most of the long shots. A slight shimmering is inherent in all of the scenes. Black and contrast levels can be solid at times, while sometimes appearing slightly pasty. Ditto for the unnatural flesh tones which are either overly pink or a ruddy orange. The audio has been remastered and delivers a nice expansive presentation which is in keeping with the vintage of the original sound elements.
EXTRAS: Not this time around. Sadly, this film deserves a documentary.
BOTTOM LINE: "The Searchers" is a masterful western, on par with "Stagecoach" and "High Noon". Definitely one to add to your film library.

The Best Western Ever Made
This is the best Western ever made. There's simply too much to say about it here to do it justice. The imagery, John Wayne's character's growth, the comraderie between the "searchers", the supporting cast and the theme will make seeing this film worth the while of even those who "hate" Westerns. It's a classic, and purchasing it will be money well spent.

Enjoy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Recycling elements of My Darling Clementine and The Searchers in a bitter, latter-day light, this late Western by John Ford initiates the last, dark phase of the master's vision of the corrupting influences of the progress of civilization in the wilderness. James Stewart is introduced to the Ford stock company as a thoroughly venal town marshal, Guthrie McCabe, who's pressed into service by the cavalry to oversee the ransoming of several whites long held captive by the Indians. McCabe is concerned with nothing but making a buck on the enterprise and coming back with his scalp intact, yet against his better judgment he becomes an arbiter of social and personal justice, and a de facto one-man protest against bigotry and hypocrisy. The cinematography is bleaker than anything seen in Ford's more heroic Westerns, and the stylistic high point is a hilarious one-take conversation between Stewart and cavalryman Richard Widmark at the river's edge. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Two great actors ride together
It may seem crazy to disagree with a director's own assessment of a film but I like John Ford's "Two Rode Together" a great deal. Ford was in his mid-sixties and slipping when he made this film and some of the plot inconsistencies seem to have escaped him entirely. But the interplay between Stewart and Widmark is wonderful; this was the last great performance of Stewart's career, the best American actor who ever stepped in front of a camera. Francois Truffaut reportedly was influenced by their work when he put together his film "Jules and Jim." I also like the flat-out frankness in dealing with the Indian captive problem on the frontier, which was no little dilema at the time.

Pretty bad...especially for John Ford.
Suppose he gets a Mulligan for this one though.

I usually have a strong precognition about Westerns I've never seen or heard about-that's cause they generally [are not good]. And this one didn't disappoint. Semi-light "buddy" formula with occasional serious overtones, or in this case undertones. I don't know what to say, I'm speechless. Just a really bad movie. Only Gregory Peck's "Shoot Out" comes close to it's pure awfulnissity. Oh yeah, Woody Strode as a Commanche....right. And Richard Widmark's character takes the cake as a 45 yr. old West Point grad that is STILL a Lieutenant in the Cavalry. Apparently a symbolic demotion for accepting a role in a movie with such a pitiful script. Jimmy Stewart as a deranged bi-polar mercenary is the capper. You've been warned.

Jimmy vs. Naivete
Hey! Jimmy at his mumbling, stumbling, cocky best has a GREAT time despite the twists & turns of luck. Going from Messiah to pariah he takes it on the chin and even the surprise ending doesn't even seem to phase him. He's always got an ace in the hole somewhere and you love him every minute for it. Entertaining story of settlers who return to a US army fort in hopes of regaining their stolen loved ones. Oh, but what a dose of reality it gives them and us too. Don't miss it!

Fun for any western genre fan.
So its not oscar winning material! This movie is great for watching a trio of old Hollywood pros having a good time. Jimmy Stewart plays against type as a down and out lawman who finds a reason to change. Richard Widmark (my all time favorite actor) is great as usual as a soldier who lives his values and John Ford directs the cast with style. Enjoy!

Any Ford is better than no Ford...
This is not a great movie.It's sort of a smattering of great scenes from various Ford films of the past. On its own, however, it just doesn't quite hold together. I don't think Ford was very interested in making this movie, and it shows. But still you have those flashes of brilliance that shine forth in even the worst Ford movie.[Watch for the scene with Stewart and Widmark sitting on the river banks). Still I wouldn't regard this as evidence of the great man's decline, because the next year he bounced back with "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." Ford at his worst was still a lot better than many other directors at their best! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Long before Rocky Balboa went the distance, there was the original Rock--as in Knute Rockne. His story, a classic 1940 biopic, combines vintage gridiron action with heart-tugging sentiment. Yup, this is the film with the famous halftime pep talk and Ronald Reagan's "win just one for the Gipper" deathbed plea. Yeah, it's corny. But so what. Lloyd Bacon, one of Hollywood's ablest craftsmen (42nd Street), directed with just the right scrappy disregard for genre conventions. Reagan, in his third best vehicle (behind King's Row and The Killers), plays George Gipp, the Fighting Irish's first All- American, who died of pneumonia in 1920; the always-reliable Pat O'Brien plays Notre Dame coach Rockne as a living, breathing icon--part father confessor, part Patton, part idealized father figure. Before he spurs the lads to victory, he changes the face of the sport--by inventing the forward pass, no less. --Glenn Lovell ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Patrick O'Brien asks the Irish to win one for Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan might have gotten the nickname of the "Gipper" from this 1940 bio-pic of legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne, but it was veteran character actor Pat O'Brien who had the role of a lifetime in the lead. James Cagney had lobbied hard for the role, but when the actor signed a petition supporting the Republican (and anti-Catholic) government in the Spanish Civil War, Notre Dame refused to okay him for the part. This was the first of only two movies ever filmed on the campus in South Bend, and if you do know that the other one was "Rudy" you should at least have been able to guess it had to be that one.

"Knute Rockne All American", which was added to the National Film Registry in 1997, is a fairly standard bio-pic, evincing the almost documentary style that was standard at the time. We see how the young Rockne (played by Johnny Sheffield, a.k.a. Boy in the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies) learned to love football, revolutionized the game with the forward pass, and coached his alma mater to glory with the Four Horsemen and George Gipp. The result is a long series of episodes from Rockne's life that have varying degrees of appeal, such as when he picks up the idea for his backfield shift from watching chorus girls dance and experiments with the idea using his wife and their dinner guests.

Lots of footage of actual Notre Dame games are worked into the film, although I have no way of knowing if any of it is of the actual games being portrayed (I would be curious to know). O'Brien's performance seems a tad wooden, but if you have ever seen actual film clips of Rockne you know he is in the ballpark. A lot of the charm of this film comes from the ethos of the original Rockne, an American legend who was probably the first famous victim of an airplane crash. The result is not great, but certainly compelling (plus we all learn the correct pronunciation of his name as being Ka-Nute).

Reagan's supporting role is deservedly memorable. That same year he would get to play third banana George Armstrong Custer to Errol Flynn and Olivia DeHavilland in "The Santa Fe Trail" and would provide his best performance in "King's Row" before military service in World War II effectively derailed his acting momentum and ultimately set his life on a different path.

Final Note: While there is little doubt that Rockne invented the forward pass, there is debate over one aspect of this film. In his first scene as George Gipp, Reagan is sitting around doing nothing when Rockne orders him to go in at halfback to play against the varsity and run the ball. Gipp asks "How far?" and proceeds to run it back all the way. After crossing the goal line he bounces the ball off the endzone, instead of laying it down for the "touchdown." An argument has been made that this was the first spike in the history of football. At least it is the first "recorded" spike. Did the current tradition of choreographed celebrations all stem from what Ronald Reagan did in this 1940 film? You decide if that is yet another part of the Reagan legacy that is being reconsidered this week.

Pat O'Brien asks Notre Dame to win one for Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan might have gotten the nickname of the "Gipper" from this 1940 bio-pic of legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne, but it was veteran character actor Pat O'Brien who had the role of a lifetime in the lead. James Cagney had lobbied hard for the role, but when the actor signed a petition supporting the Repbulican (and anti-Catholic) government in the Spanish Civil War, Notre Dame refused to okay him for the part. This was the first of only two movies ever filmed on the campus in South Bend, and if you do know that the other one was "Rudy" you should at least have been able to guess.

This film, which was added to the National Film Registry in 1997, is a fairly standard bio-pic, evincing the almost documentary style that was standard at the time. We see how the young Rockne (played by Johnny Sheffield, a.k.a. Boy in the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies) learned to love football, revolutionized the game with the forward pass, and coached his alma mater to glory with the Four Horsemen and George Gipp. The result is a long series of episodes from Rockne's life that have varying degrees of appeal, such as when he picks up the idea for his backfield shift from watching chorus girls dance and experiments with the idea using his wife and their dinner guests. Lots of footage of actual Notre Dame games are worked into the film, although I have no way of knowing if any of it is of the actual games being portrayed (I would be curious to know). O'Brien's performance seems a tad wooden, but if you have ever seen actual film clips of Rockne you know he is in the ballpark. A lot of the charm of this film comes from the ethos of the original Rockne, an American legend who was probably the first famous victim of an airplane crash. The result is not great, but certainly compelling (plus we all learn the correct pronunciation of his name as being Ka-Nute).

Reagan's supporting role is deservedly memorable. That same year he would get to play third banana George Armstrong Custer to Errol Flynn and Olivia DeHavilland in "The Santa Fe Trail" and would provide his best performance in "King's Row" before military service in World War II effectively derailed his acting momentum. Final Note: While there is little doubt that Rockne invented the forward pass, there is debate over one aspect of this film. In his first scene as George Gipp, Reagan is sitting around doing nothing when Rockne orders him to go in at halfback to play against the varsity and run the ball. Gipp asks "How far?" and proceeds to run it back all the way. After crossing the goal line he bounces the ball off the endzone, instead of laying it down for the "touchdown." An argument has been made that this was the first spike in the history of football. At least it is the first "recorded" spike. Did the current tradition of choreographed celebrations all stem from what Ronald Reagan did in this 1940 film? You decide.

The Best
This is one of my favorite movies. It is the story of the greatest football coach of all time from Norway to the tragic plane crash.

A worthy addition to any classic film library
I think the true testament to this movie's appeal is that it is still watchable after more than 60 years to both hard-core football fans and those(me)who can't tell a bunt from a punt.

"Knute Rockne, All American" is based on the life of one of Notre Dame University's most ingenious and beloved coaches. The movie follows Rockne's early beginnings from his family's emigration to America, to his days as a Notre Dame student,his career as coach, and his tragic demise.

It's an inspiring movie tribute about football's evolution and Notre Dame's struggle to establish itself out of mid-western obscurity; but it is primarily about a man. A man who was a mentor to the many he coached and a revolutionary of the sport of football. By the end of the movie I came to have a deep respect for Knute Rockne as a man of intellect, passion and integrity.

Pat O'Brien does a stirring portrayal of Rockne. My one complaint regarding his performance is that he is too mature-looking to portray Rockne during his early years and perhaps they should have had another actor for those scenes.

Another little gem is seeing a young Ronald Reagan as the ill-fated George Gipp. His deathbed scene is one of the most touching moments in the whole movie.

I found the action sequences a little boring and homogenous, (perhaps followers of football will feel differently) but it does not distract from the rest of the movie. My only other complaint is the soundtrack, which seems to consist of the Notre Dame fight song played over and over again in 115 different renditions.

It's worth noting that although the cover is colorized the movie is in black and white.

Winning One For Football
Here's a truly old-fashioned movie that is very corny, but watchable. Pat O'Brien plays the title role with a lot of heart and reverence. Reagan appears briefly as "The Gipper" and I don't think he registers as well as some people remember. The movie gives you a lot of information about the early game of football and it gives you a good sense of what Rockne was like. But it really is corny. It's worth seeing, if only for the "win one for the Gipper" scenes. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." That's more than the code of a newspaperman in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; it's practically the operating credo of director John Ford, the most honored of American filmmakers. In this late film from a long career, Ford looks at the civilizing of an Old West town, Shinbone, through the sad memories of settlers looking back. In the town's wide-open youth, two-fisted Westerner John Wayne and tenderfoot newcomer James Stewart clash over a woman (Vera Miles) but ultimately unite against the notorious outlaw Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Ford's nostalgia for the past is tempered by his stark approach, unusual for the visual poet of Stagecoach and The Searchers. The two heavyweights, Wayne and Stewart, are good together, with Wayne the embodiment of rugged individualism and Stewart the idealistic prophet of the civilization that will eventually tame the Wild West. This may be the saddest Western ever made, closer to an elegy than an action movie, and as cleanly beautiful as its central symbol, the cactus rose. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (58)

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
John Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" employs the time-tested storytelling device of playing off the idealist against the realist. When done right, engaging drama is created by the pairing of two such diametrically-opposed personas. However, when you up the ante by casting Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne to play the respective idealist and realist, you not only get engaging drama, but one heck of an entertaining film.

Attorney Ransome Stoddard (Stewart) is in a stagecoach destined for the western frontier. Before he reaches his destination, he and his fellow passengers are robbed by thief Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Stoddard tells Valance that society will punish him for his crimes but quickly learns that his words have little power in his new surroundings. Upon reaching the town Shinbone, Stoddard tries to bring civilized order to the untamed town but is told by Tom Doniphon (Wayne) that the ways of the Old West will die hard. Yet, both men eventually develop a bond of mutual respect for each other despite their differences. When Liberty Valance starts to terrorize Shinbone, Stoddard finds himself forced into a showdown with the outlaw - a confrontation that will in time become a legendary part of the small town's lore.

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is a fascinating depiction of an important period in American history when civilization started to make its way westward. This was a time when frontier justice started to give away to written law and the local political structure started to become formalized. Ideological differences between the new and the old naturally arose and the characters of Stoddard and Doniphon embodied in microcosm the differences each side held toward each other. The manner in which Libery Valance is defeated and the way it is remembered also is an interesting commentary on how larger-than-life the heroes of the Old West became when their exploits were recalled. Stewart and Wayne are outstanding in their roles as expected and Lee Marvin and Vera Miles chip in with great supporting turns. Life in the Old West was about much more than duels in the streets and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" effectively illustrates this point.

I'm Really Not a Fan of Westerns, But............
John Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is a marvelous movie, regardless of how you feel about Westerns. This isn't a movie about outlaws, or something violent, but a study of the fight between old and new in our society. John Wayne's rugged cowboy represents the old, untamed west. Jimmy Stewart's refined and educated lawyer represents the order and civilized nature of a new west. Both clearly love the land they live on in different ways, and when the time comes to protect the people of the west from the evil Liberty Valance (played to perfection by Lee Marvin), they team up to save the day. In the end, Stewart's way of life, the way of progress, wins out. However, as can be seen by the memories the major characters have at the start of the film, the old west never really dies. The movie is just brilliant, with all the leads in top form, especially the forgotten Vera Miles as the woman both Wayne and Stewart love.

The law, or the gun

Director: John Ford
Format: Black and white
Studio: Paramount
Video Release Date: April 7, 1998

Cast:

John Wayne ... Tom Doniphon
James Stewart ... Ransom Stoddard (attorney)
Vera Miles ... Hallie Stoddard
Lee Marvin ... Liberty Valance
Edmond O'Brien ... Dutton Peabody (Editor of the Shinbone Star)
Andy Devine ... Marshal Link Appleyard
Ken Murray ... Doc Willoughby
John Carradine ... Maj. Cassius Starbuckle
Jeanette Nolan ... Nora Ericson
John Qualen ... Peter Ericson
Willis Bouchey ... Jason Tully (conductor)
Carleton Young ... Maxwell Scott
Woody Strode ... Pompey
Denver Pyle ... Amos Carruthers
Strother Martin ... Floyd
Lee Van Cleef ... Reese
Robert F. Simon ... Handy Strong
O.Z. Whitehead ... Herbert Carruthers
Paul Birch ... Mayor Winder
Joseph Hoover ... Charlie Hasbrouck (reporter for 'The Star')
Robert Donner
Larry Finley ... Bar X man
Shug Fisher ... Kaintuck (drunk)
Mario Arteaga ... Henchman
Sam Harris

Chuck Hayward ... Henchman
William Henry
Bryan 'Slim' Hightower ... Shotgun
Earle Hodgins ... Clute Dumphries
Stuart Holmes
Mike Edward Jauregui ... Drummer
Jack Kenny
Leonard Baker ... Man
Ted Mapes ... Highpockets
Montie Montana ... Politician on horseback
Bob Morgan ... Roughrider
Charles Morton ... Drummer
Jack Pennick ... Jack, Barman
Chuck Roberson ... Henchman
Buddy Roosevelt
Charles Seel ... President, election council
Slim Talbot
Charles Akins
Ralph Volkie ... Townsman
Max Wagner ... Poker game dealer
Blackie Whiteford
Jack Williams ... Henchman
Danny Borzage ... Townsman
Helen Gibson
Gertrude Astor
Anna Lee ... Mrs. Prescott (widow in stage holdup)
Jacqueline Malouf ... Lietta Appleyard
Eva Novak
Dorothy Phillips
Stephanie Pond-Smith

This movie is top heavy with some of the best stars in the business: John Wayne, James Stewart, Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Denver Pyle and a host of lesser names. A classic tale of the old West, although it is in black and white--not a flaw for some of us.

The story is about a young lawyer, Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) who comes West to practice law staright out of law school. He soon learns that in the West, the gun is more powerful than the law--although he is not willing to admit it, yet. He is robbed of all his money on the stagecoach, and discovers that almost everyone knows his robber, Liberty Valance, but no one, including the town Marshal, Link Appleyard (Andy Devine) is afraid to take on Liberty Valance. Everyone, that is, except Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), and he appears to be unwilling to get involved.

This sets up the conflict, and the story proceeds from there. This is a fine Western, entertaining, well acted (as one might expect) and well directed by John Ford, also as might be expected.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

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

So what's all the fuss about?
I've been searching for the "best" western, and a couple of people recommended this one. It does bring up some int