Reviews (21)

Nominated For Best Picture in 1937
THE GOOD EARTH is a screen adaptation of Pearl Buck's story about a poor Chinese farmer (Paul Muni) and how he is lifted out of poverty by the efforts of a sturdy wife (Luise Rainer) who was formerly a slave. After becoming prosperous Muni acquires a young second wife (Tilly Losch), an event which leads to considerable turmoil and scandal for him and his family.

Performances by Muni and Rainer were excellent. Both incidentally were born in Austria. Rainer had already won an Oscar in 1936 for THE GREAT ZIEGFELD in only her second Hollywood role. Much has been made about the lack of Chinese actors in the lead roles but the fact that there were still so many Asian actors in the cast was rather unusual for the times. Soo Yong, Keye Luke and Roland Lui filled important supporting roles.

Keye Luke plays Muni's elder son. He is best remembered for his numerous appearances in Charlie Chan movies. Luke is also respected for his fine acting in more than one hundred films and thirty television shows during a distinguished career which lasted over forty years.

The movie was produced at the height of the Sino-Japanese War. The special effects were outstanding for that period just before the outbreak of World War II.

THE GOOD EARTH received Oscars for Best Actress (Luise rainer) and Cinematography. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Director (Sidney Franklin) and Editing. The main competition for Oscars in 1937 came from THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA, CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS and THE AWFUL TRUTH.

You must see this movie
I am an American born Chinese, and I am very impressed by this exceptionally fine production of "The Good Earth". I am also not bothered by the casting of Caucasian actors, Paul Muni and Luise Rainer, in the lead roles. This was an expensive production for MGM. They understandably sought well-known stars who could draw audiences into movie theaters. Muni and Rainer were both Oscar winners with the name recognition and prestige that MGM needed to make this project viable.

I give enormous credit to Thalberg and MGM for hiring a mostly Chinese cast and for bringing a story about Chinese peasants to the screen in the first place. In the 1930's, the world was much more provincial than it is today. It took courage for MGM to undertake such a project as "The Good Earth".

As it turned out, the studio's foresight paid off because this movie achieved both critical and popular success when originally released.

The 1937 version of "The Good Earth" most assuredly stands the test of time. As other reviewers have so eloquently expressed here, every aspect of this production is superb with emphasis on the skillful direction and special effects. The special effects in this movie are even more realistic than alot of the effects you see in today's movies. Mercifully, they used REAL locusts in the 1937 version of "The Good Earth". If "The Good Earth" were filmed today, "animatronic" locusts or computer generated images of locusts would be used instead. Those generally are not as convincing as the real thing.

But what really sets this movie apart from other great films are the quality of the two lead performances by Paul Muni and Luise Rainer. Muni's character, Wang Lung, is a poor, unsophisticated farmer. Muni could have easily portrayed him as a caricatural "hick from the sticks" or as a bumbling ethnic stereotype. Instead, he gives the farmer depth and universality as a decent, hardworking man who has not had the advantages of education or travel, but who wants to make life better for his family. Wang Lung is basically a simple man, yet he is not simple-minded. Muni is able to convey the keen intelligence and drive beneath the farmer's lack of worldly experience.

Luise Rainer is a revelation as the farmer's wife, O-Lan. O-Lan's quiet strength, selflessness, and dignity are poignantly suggested by the gifted Miss Rainer whose slightest gestures, glances, or whispers can make the audience feel tidal waves of empathy and emotion.

I only wish that more people were familiar with this brilliant and ethereally beautiful actress. Miss Rainer's performance as O-Lan seems to transcend acting and enter the realm of spiritualism. It's truly one of the great performances by any actor in any medium.

For that alone, you must see this movie.

Fascinating Stereotypes
THE GOOD EARTH is fascinating today because of its blatant portrayals of Chinese stereotypes. Neither of the leads are Chinese but are Caucasians dressed in "yellow face" make-up which was supposed to make them look Chinese but in fact makes them look more like space aliens from another planet. The film deserves attention today because of the atrocious performance by Luise Rainer of Pearl Buck's heroine, the long-suffering peasant wife O-Lan. Originally, Anna May Wong was up for the role but deemed "not Chinese" enough for the part. Ha ha! Today, Rainer's performance which won an Oscar at the time has not withstood the test of time. Yet her cowering, passive, pathetic Chinese woman performance has influenced generations of Americans to view Chinese women as passive and docile. Books written by Chinese do not show any such thing! Check out Mo Yan's RED SORGHUM (there's a book and movie version starring Gong Li) to see the portrayal of a brave Chinese peasant woman. The movie is still worth seeing because it helps us to understand the stereotypes of yesteryear when the Chinese were seen as very exotic, but don't expect a realistic portrayal of Chinese rural life. For that, check out Zhang Yimou's films, such as Qiu Ju, Not One Less, and of course Red Sorghum.

"Good Earth" on CD
Would you purchase this movie on CD? Perhaps we can get them to make it available on CD if enough people rate this movie. Need I say more?

The Good Earth
I think this was the most terrible movie I've ever seen. You should run, run as fast as you can away from this movie.... Now! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Dated my arse
Schmaltz? Schmaltz!? What do you think hollywood is?? This movie is quality cinema.

Schmaltz Fest
Unfortunately, this 30's schmaltz-fest seems pretty dated by now. I guess the Depression-era audiences needed some fluff
to forget their troubles, but it just hasn't aged well. Music
is still great, Korjus the real gem-beats McDonald any day-but
good for schmaltz-festers to wallow in and listen to good tunes.

A FANTASIA ON STRAUSS.
The highly fictionalized fantasia on the life of the great Johann Strauss. This 1938 film is a sacher torte of pleasure for anyone who loves his music and, in the lead, Fernand Gravet does a commendable job acting-wise. The very attractive - albeit large-boned - Polish soprano Miliza Korjus sings with a truly brilliant voice & she became the object of intense jealousy from M-G-M's reigning diva, Jeanette MacDonald! Because it was decided that there wasn't room for two Prima Donnas at the studio, the firmly established MacDonald was kept on the payroll while the European Korjus virtually went into American obscurity. Backgrounds for the film were shot in Chino, California. It is rumoured that portions of this underrated gem was indeed directed by Josef Von Sternberg.

Hollywood operetta at its best
Take the story of a man torn between two women, add the music of Johann Strauss and the scenery of 1840's Vienna and you have The Great Waltz, an irresistible cream puff of a movie. Miliza Korjus-rhymes with gorgeous and she is-portrays the fictional opera singer Carla Doner in a delicious performance that verges on May West camp, murmuring most of her lines through a perpetual full-toothed grin and waltzing herself giddy while singing absolutely impossible sounding obliggatoes to Strauss's walzes-never loosing a beat and never out of breath! Luise Rainer's innate sweetness and vulnerability are perfect for Poldi, Strauss's devoted wife. Watch her silent reaction when she realizes that the song she thought he wrote for her was actually intended for Madame Doner-incredible acting. On the other hand, Fernand Gravet, as Strauss, is unexceptional and a bit bland. Among the excellent supporting cast, Hugh Herbert as the befuddled music publisher and Curt Bois as the comic, but wise violinist are outstanding. The movie does require a temporary suspension of belief. It is full of improbabilities, including the all-female orchestra that performs Tales of the Vienna Woods in a biergarten--wearing evening gowns, Madam Doner's apparent ability to glance at a piece of music once and perform it word and note perfect (the citizens of Vienna take this one step further by singing along even though the waltzes in question have yet to be published!), and the most peculiar version of Die Fledermaus ever performed. If you are looking for historical accuracy or musical purity, this is not your movie, but if you want a delightful Hollywood operetta, you can't do much better than The Great Waltz.

vocal and musical masterpiece
the voice of miliza korjus is the most redeeming reason for having this video. She was a rare gift to the vocal world...and hated by Jeanette Macdonald, because she knew Ms Korjus had a better voice and was most certainly more beautiful! It is not to be missed for the glorious singing of Miliza Korjus! ... Read more

Description

Flo Ziegfeld's midway attraction isn't drawing flies. "How's business, Ziggy?" a rival taunts. This winner of 3 Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture provides the career-chronicling answer. Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.'s business was good (with Broadway's legendary Follies and more), bad (including times the showman could scarcely rub two nickels together) and rarely lacking optimistic excess. Year: 1936 Director: Robert Z. Leonard Starring: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer ... Read more

Reviews (13)

"Never looked so beautiful before."
There are a few things to know going in: It's a biography with music (but not a musical), it's more than 60 years old, and it's three hours long!! Now I'm okay with all that, but I'm an old movie snob. This one is proof positive of the old Hollywood dream factory, where you were guaranteed happiness, pathos, bells, and whistles in practically every picture. But the film isn't as happy-go-lucky as you might expect; it gives a rather astringent portrayal of a gifted showman who knew how to dazzle audiences, but never how to save a buck. According to this book, his was a never-ending cycle of glittery and expensive theatrics pitted against dodging creditors his whole life. In that respect, we are to conclude that his lack of business sense was tempered by his need to entertain. He also knew talent, as is represented by his discovery scenes with Bolger and real Ziegfeld veteran Fanny Brice. (Watch how he hires her on the strength of her comedy, then humiliates her during a rehearsal in order to get her in the mood to belt out "My Man.") And of course, not enough can be said of the eight-minute "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody" finale where spangled showgirls, opera singers, grand pianos, and a single, all-enveloping curtain hang on a revolving "wedding cake" spiral staircase. You have to see it to believe it.

An Extravagant Man
As someone who is not a fan of musicals, I was already at a disadvantage before the movie even started. I fast forwarded through most of the numbers, and they looked dazzling enough and I'm sure would be entertaining for people who like that sort of thing. I concentrated on the drama between the numbers, and with that I was quite satisfied. William Powell is excellent as the famed, extravagant theatrical producer, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. The film chronicles the many highpoints and lowpoints of his career, as well as his two marriages. Myrna Loy co-stars as his second wife, actress Billie Burke (Glinda the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz), and although she gets second billing, she doesn't have much to do. But the chemistry between her and Powell is once again a high point. Luise Rainer, who had a brief career in Hollywood, stars as Anna Held, the first wife, a passionate, impulsive singer that Ziegfeld made a star of in America. Rainer's scene on the phone has become quite famous, and she plays all of her scenes with great drama. The film is a bit long, but it doesn't get boring, thanks to the stars, the story, and the great personalities that appear (Ray Bolger, Fanny Brice). And for people that like musicals, this will probably entertain them even more.

A SUPERB FILM BIO - ONLY AVERAGE LOOKING TRANSFER
"The Great Ziegfeld" is a biographic film based on the life of Broadway impressario, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Brimming with stellar performances by William Powell, Myrna Loy and Luise Rainer (who walked off with the Best Actress Oscar)a wonderful score and mind-boggling production values, this is one heck of a good time for a night's entertainment!
TRANSFER: Unfortunately, Warner Brothers gives us a somewhat tired looking print of this classic film. Though the gray scale is generally well balanced, some of the picture appears to be out of focus while other portions are filled with excessive film grain. Dirt, age related artifacts and an incredible amount of scratches in some scenes really detract from the over all visual presentation. The audio is MONO and, as with the picture, is not adequate. During some of the songs the background hiss is excessive.
EXTRAS: A flimsy featurette that all too briefly attempts to "sum up" the film and the real life of one of the 20th century's greatest showman.
BOTTOM LINE: Because you are not likely to see this film revisited in a Deluxe Edition I am recommending to add it to your library. But it in no way stands up to Warner's previous DVD mastering efforts on "Now Voyager" or "Mildred Pierce".

epitome of 30s musicals
a big extravaganza musical. the musicals are very grand and ostentious but very much in the tradition of musicals in the 30s when entertainment was escape from the dreary reality of the Depression. william powell, luise rainer and myrna loy are all wonderful, thought myrna loy's billie burke came very late in the movie. my favorite scene was when Flo (powell) was courting Billie (loy) at grant's tomb. simplicity and wonderful sweet. you ll have to see it just for that scene. luise rainer's telephone won her the oscar. the movie has a few touching scenes, but i did wish the movie was brisker and tighter.

BLINDINGLY OPULENT AND SPELLBINDINGLY ENTERTAINING!
"The Great Ziegfeld" is a biographic film on Broadway impressario, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., the man who "glorified the American girl". Determined to squeeze every last ounce of opulence from its coffers, MGM spared no expense in retelling what is essentially a melodrama with musical numbers tossed in for good effect.
Flo (William Powell)is a cheap carnival barker when he crosses paths with Anna Held (Luise Rainer). Their chemistry is instant and through her talent as an artist, fame comes to them both. However, all bliss is fleeting and their marriage ends when Flo takes up with a chorus girl. But he ditches her for sassy Billie Burke (Myrna Loy) and then proceeds to create a series of lavish spectacles that only MGM could afford to do justice to. The most spectacular of these remains "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody"; a gargantuan revolving platform covered in dancers and art deco magificence.
Aside: Flo's second wife, Billie was a contract player at MGM during this time. Her best known role is as 'Glinda' the witch of the north in "The Wizard of Oz".
TRANSFER: Surprisingly smooth and very well balanced black levels and a good gray scale are the real selling features of this 3 hr. plus spectacle. Unfortunately an excess of age related dirt and scratches greet the viewer throughout the first hour of running time. However, things get cleaned up half way through for a really stunning transfer. Shadows and contrast levels are exemplary. The audio is clean, well balanced and quite simply, one of the best you are likely to encounter for a film of this vintage.
EXTRAS: A couple of featurettes that round out the history of the film - all too briefly.
BOTTOM LINE: Next to "Yankee Doodle Dandy" - another show folk bio with guts, "The Great Ziegfeld" is most readily recognized as one of the best! Add it to your film library! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Endlessly Watchable
A great, great series. Get them all. You can pop in any one out of sequence because each one is a treasure.

MGM: WHEN THE LION ROARS PART 1
It is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. Tells about how MGM got started to till it decline in the 1980's. Most imformative about MGM stars like Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Debbie Renyolds, Norma Shearer, Wallace Berry, Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Esther Williams, and many more stars. Also, how producers, directors and writers of how they started at MGM.

Leo and Patrick both begin to roar
This is the first of the 3 part documentary on the MGM studios produced by Ted Turner pictures, hosted by Patrick Stewart who tends to yell his narration to camera. Turner also provides set designs and effects that imitate the MGM brand of kitsch. Part 1 begins in 1924 with the opening of the studio with both Louis B Mayer and Irving Thalberg in charge, and ends with the death of Thalberg in 1936 and Mayer in total control. This period sees triumphs with productions like Ben-Hur (with the experimental two colour technicolour shown here), The Big Parade, Flesh and the Devil, Trador Horn, Grand Hotel, Dinner at Eight, and Mutiny on the Bounty. It also covers the perceived failures of Greed and the end of Erich von Stroheim's career as director, periods where Buster Keaton was dissatisfied with the constraints of the studio and Marion Davies' mentor William Randolph Hearst felt his mistress was being misrepresented, the decline and fall of John Gilbert said to be influenced by Mayer's hatred of the actor, and the scandal over the murder of Jean Harlow's husband Paul Bern. There is also coverage of Mayer's stable of stars including Norma Shearer (who acts appallingly in the scene we see from her Oscar winning The Divorcee), Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Wallace Beery, and of course, Garbo. The power plays that lead to an lessening of Thalberg's role as head of production, in spite of the industry acknowledgement of him as a genius, are justified by Thalberg's poor health, a reminder that the studio was in business to make money and that no one was indispensable. For the most part, this series is great viewing, offering good prints and interviews with survivors of the titles, but the habit of having an anecdote from one continue over film footage is both annoying and insulting to these people, and when footage from Ben-Hur is projected behind a talking Patrick Stewart it is positively an outrage. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Leo roars the loudest, and eats hungrily too
Part 2 of the Ted Turner documentary on the history of MGM studios spans the years 1936 to 1946. This decade begins with the recovery from the death of head of production Irving Thalberg and ends with the studio at it's peak after World War 2. The previous era had established the MGM style as one of artifice and glamour, exemplified by costume designer Adrian and art director Cedric Gibbons. However with the passing of Thalberg, changes were necessary for the studio to survive. These would include the letting go of it's established and aging female stars like Garbo, Crawford and Shearer, and replacing them with names like Lana Turner, Greer Garson, Hedy Lamarr, and a reborn and more shrewd Katharine Hepburn. It is said that the death of Jean Harlow symbolises the end of the Thalberg era, and the treatment of Luise Rainer who would win two Oscars for Best Actress then want out of her contract, typifies Mayer's ecomonic management. Rainer provides us with her impression of Mayer when he told her "We made ya, and now we're gonna kill ya!". Mayer turned away from Thalberg's "prestige" literary titles and established family pictures featuring child stars like Mickey Rooney, Freddie Bartholomew and Jackie Coogan. Of the three interviewed Rooney whispers embarassing mush, Batholomew is the most amusing, and Coogan tells of his observation of the way fellow child star Judy Garland was manipulated because of how valuable a property she was thought to be. Even with America's isolationist policy before it's involvement in the war, MGM made contributions to allied propaganda with titles like Mrs Miniver and Bataan; lost Carole Lombard in a war bond selling tour accident; and saw the enlistment of a devastated husband Clark Gable, as well as James Stewart, Robert Taylor and Robert Montgomery. To replace their male stars, poor substitutes Van Johnson, Peter Lawford, Robert Walker and Robert Young were brought in, though we aren't told what Spencer Tracy got up to. The coverage of The Wizard of Oz is mostly on the munchkins and the special effects team, and there is surprisingly little coverage of Gone with the Wind, though perhaps the story behind what would be the greatest box office hit of all time has been covered elsewhere. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

"Never looked so beautiful before."
There are a few things to know going in: It's a biography with music (but not a musical), it's more than 60 years old, and it's three hours long!! Now I'm okay with all that, but I'm an old movie snob. This one is proof positive of the old Hollywood dream factory, where you were guaranteed happiness, pathos, bells, and whistles in practically every picture. But the film isn't as happy-go-lucky as you might expect; it gives a rather astringent portrayal of a gifted showman who knew how to dazzle audiences, but never how to save a buck. According to this book, his was a never-ending cycle of glittery and expensive theatrics pitted against dodging creditors his whole life. In that respect, we are to conclude that his lack of business sense was tempered by his need to entertain. He also knew talent, as is represented by his discovery scenes with Bolger and real Ziegfeld veteran Fanny Brice. (Watch how he hires her on the strength of her comedy, then humiliates her during a rehearsal in order to get her in the mood to belt out "My Man.") And of course, not enough can be said of the eight-minute "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody" finale where spangled showgirls, opera singers, grand pianos, and a single, all-enveloping curtain hang on a revolving "wedding cake" spiral staircase. You have to see it to believe it.

An Extravagant Man
As someone who is not a fan of musicals, I was already at a disadvantage before the movie even started. I fast forwarded through most of the numbers, and they looked dazzling enough and I'm sure would be entertaining for people who like that sort of thing. I concentrated on the drama between the numbers, and with that I was quite satisfied. William Powell is excellent as the famed, extravagant theatrical producer, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. The film chronicles the many highpoints and lowpoints of his career, as well as his two marriages. Myrna Loy co-stars as his second wife, actress Billie Burke (Glinda the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz), and although she gets second billing, she doesn't have much to do. But the chemistry between her and Powell is once again a high point. Luise Rainer, who had a brief career in Hollywood, stars as Anna Held, the first wife, a passionate, impulsive singer that Ziegfeld made a star of in America. Rainer's scene on the phone has become quite famous, and she plays all of her scenes with great drama. The film is a bit long, but it doesn't get boring, thanks to the stars, the story, and the great personalities that appear (Ray Bolger, Fanny Brice). And for people that like musicals, this will probably entertain them even more.

A SUPERB FILM BIO - ONLY AVERAGE LOOKING TRANSFER
"The Great Ziegfeld" is a biographic film based on the life of Broadway impressario, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Brimming with stellar performances by William Powell, Myrna Loy and Luise Rainer (who walked off with the Best Actress Oscar)a wonderful score and mind-boggling production values, this is one heck of a good time for a night's entertainment!
TRANSFER: Unfortunately, Warner Brothers gives us a somewhat tired looking print of this classic film. Though the gray scale is generally well balanced, some of the picture appears to be out of focus while other portions are filled with excessive film grain. Dirt, age related artifacts and an incredible amount of scratches in some scenes really detract from the over all visual presentation. The audio is MONO and, as with the picture, is not adequate. During some of the songs the background hiss is excessive.
EXTRAS: A flimsy featurette that all too briefly attempts to "sum up" the film and the real life of one of the 20th century's greatest showman.
BOTTOM LINE: Because you are not likely to see this film revisited in a Deluxe Edition I am recommending to add it to your library. But it in no way stands up to Warner's previous DVD mastering efforts on "Now Voyager" or "Mildred Pierce".

epitome of 30s musicals
a big extravaganza musical. the musicals are very grand and ostentious but very much in the tradition of musicals in the 30s when entertainment was escape from the dreary reality of the Depression. william powell, luise rainer and myrna loy are all wonderful, thought myrna loy's billie burke came very late in the movie. my favorite scene was when Flo (powell) was courting Billie (loy) at grant's tomb. simplicity and wonderful sweet. you ll have to see it just for that scene. luise rainer's telephone won her the oscar. the movie has a few touching scenes, but i did wish the movie was brisker and tighter.

BLINDINGLY OPULENT AND SPELLBINDINGLY ENTERTAINING!
"The Great Ziegfeld" is a biographic film on Broadway impressario, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., the man who "glorified the American girl". Determined to squeeze every last ounce of opulence from its coffers, MGM spared no expense in retelling what is essentially a melodrama with musical numbers tossed in for good effect.
Flo (William Powell)is a cheap carnival barker when he crosses paths with Anna Held (Luise Rainer). Their chemistry is instant and through her talent as an artist, fame comes to them both. However, all bliss is fleeting and their marriage ends when Flo takes up with a chorus girl. But he ditches her for sassy Billie Burke (Myrna Loy) and then proceeds to create a series of lavish spectacles that only MGM could afford to do justice to. The most spectacular of these remains "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody"; a gargantuan revolving platform covered in dancers and art deco magificence.
Aside: Flo's second wife, Billie was a contract player at MGM during this time. Her best known role is as 'Glinda' the witch of the north in "The Wizard of Oz".
TRANSFER: Surprisingly smooth and very well balanced black levels and a good gray scale are the real selling features of this 3 hr. plus spectacle. Unfortunately an excess of age related dirt and scratches greet the viewer throughout the first hour of running time. However, things get cleaned up half way through for a really stunning transfer. Shadows and contrast levels are exemplary. The audio is clean, well balanced and quite simply, one of the best you are likely to encounter for a film of this vintage.
EXTRAS: A couple of featurettes that round out the history of the film - all too briefly.
BOTTOM LINE: Next to "Yankee Doodle Dandy" - another show folk bio with guts, "The Great Ziegfeld" is most readily recognized as one of the best! Add it to your film library! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very good...worth the money
I didn't have that adverse a reaction to the narration by Patrick Stewart. It was odd to have him speaking about the subject, but he has a nice voice. Regardless, the documentary was wonderful. It held its own against other movie documentaries out there, having so many different clips. Often, the really old stuff (silent films and the like) are overlooked. This had just the right amount of historical fact and gossipy legend to make a great Hollywood historical film.

Leo eats Mayer then dies a slow and painful death
Part 3 of this 3 part Ted Turner Pictures documentary on the MGM studios continues from post World War 2 to the collapse of the studio as a production company in 1969 when Kirk Kerkorian becomes the principal shareholder. This period is troubled by lower profits and no Oscar wins. Louis B Mayer is thought to be neglecting the running of the company in favour of spending his time at the race track and in 1948 Dore Schary is brought in as vice president of production. However Schary's philosophy of producing reality based message pictures clashes with Mayer's preference for wholesome family entertainment. Symptomatic of the collapse of Mayer's reign is the continuing problem of Judy Garland, thought of by Schary as an unreliable liability to the company. She is replaced in Annie Get Your Gun, a project that had been purchased specifically for her, and eventually released from her contract. Mickey Rooney's comments are particularly insulting regarding how only Judy was to blame for her fate, when he had mawkishly cried of his unconditional adoration of her in Part 2. June Allyson sweetly says Judy had too many demands on her and got "lost". In 1951 Mayer is fired after he gives an ultimatum to New York office that either Schary goes or else. The studio produces some of its greatest musicals in Show Boat, On The Town, Singin' in the Rain, and An American in Paris, and introduces Cinemascope in an attempt to battle it's greatest challenge - television. But it becomes a losing battle and soon the roster of stars are let go. In 1956 Schary too is fired as the studio can only make an occasional profit - Blackboard Jungle, Gig, Ben-Hur, and it's creator Mayer dies in 1957 a broken man. Things worsen when the government destroys the studio's monopoly of ownership of their exhibition theatres, MGM continues as a space for hire before Kerkorian buys the company, sells off the back lots (the footage of their destruction is obscene ) and auctions props like Dorothy's ruby red slippers. All that is left for Ted Turner to salvage is MGM's back catalogue. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Highly recommended to fans of Dostoyevsky
I really like this movie. If you're interested in Dostoyevsky, it's well worth seeing (though it's a shame to have to buy it in order to do so.)

The film is a "play within a play". It's a dramatization of the Dostoyevsky's novella, "The Gambler", which, let's face it, is third rate Dostoyevsky. But "The Gambler" does examine some issues important to the Dostoyevsky canon: his anti-European xenophobia, his attraction to impulsive anti-rational behavior. This part of the movie has a fine cast that includes Polly Walker and the Countess played by a star of the silent film era (whose name I don't recall) - her facial gestures are terrific.

In addition much of this film dramatizes Dostoyevsky's life while he was writing "The Gambler". This period in 1866 was a critical one in Dostoyevsky's life, during which he met his much younger wife, the stenographer Anna Snitkina. Michael Gambon takes a fascinating stab at bringing to life the complex bundle of contradictions that was Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Jodhi May makes a fine Anna. Their relationship as portrayed in this film is plausible: The sensible stenographer perceives the man's greatness and helps him bring his life somewhat under control.

Interesting Adaptation of Dostoyevsky's Novella & Its Origin
Michael Gambon ("Gosford Park" "Charlotte Gray" and to be seen as Headmaster in "Harry Potter" series replacing late Richard Harris) stars in this British / Hungarian production directed by veteran Karoly Makk from Hungary.

As you know, "The Gambler" is a novella written by Dostoyevsky in 1866, but the film you see is not only the adaptation of the book but also about the process behind the birth of the original story. So, Gambon plays the writer Dostoyevsky while Johdi May is a stenographer Anna Grigorievna Snitkina hired by him, and gradually attracted to his personality. Maybe it is helpful to know that as a historical fact, because of an unwise contract with his unscrupulous publisher F.T.Stellovsky, Dostoyevsky had to deliver the novel of no fewer than 12 printer's pages (about 150-160 pages in today's paperback) within 27 days. If he fails, the publisher gets the right for publishing whatever he wrote without any royality for the next nine years. The task is impossible; Dostoyevsky, difficult and easily irritated, and pestered by creditors, is sufering from a disease. But the work must be finished; otherwise, Anna and the writer gets nothing.

Among this real-life events evolves a novella "The Gambler" which follows a life of a Russian tutor Alexey Ivanovich smong the colorful characters in a certain spa. Alexey passionately loves Polina Alexandrovna (Polly Walker, "Enchanted April"), but he soon finds himself drawn to another thing: gambling. While Polina acts before him unaccountably -- she may or may not love him -- and one night Alexey stakes every penny he has to possess her -- but can he win the game? Or her heart?

The film's basic idea is this; the two stories start to merge as the film goes on, and the border between fiction and reality crumbles. The idea itself is fine, I admit, but the result leaves much to be desired. Usually this double plot senario fails because one of them is too weak to be overwhelmed by the other, and "The Gambler" is no exception. Though the section of the evolving story captures the atmosphere of the casino and spa, the characters are reduced to mere cyphers, so if you have not read the book, you may be puzzled what happened to some of them.

Another problem is the casting; let me say first that Michael Gambon's portrait of Dostoyevsky is simply fantastic, but at the same time, the real writer, it is known, is later to marry young Anna the stenographer. The film is accurate in describing the biographical fact, but sadly, there is no convincing chemstry between the two players Gambon and May. It is also confusing that Polly Walker is cast also as "Polina" Suslova, the supposed model of fictional Polina in "The Gambler." If you miss to see the historical references, which I am afraid are too meticulously made, you are left wondering what is going on the screen.

However, all in all, I am satisfied with the film. As I said, the acting and photography are first-rate, and for those who are interested in Russian literature, it is a good chance to know the rather unknown facts and novel overshadowed by the writer's more famous novels like "Crime and Punishment."

Trivia: check out Oscar-winner Luise Rainer as 'The Grandmother' the most eccentric character in "The Gambler." Now almost forgotten, but she is one of the few people who won two Oscars in a row, and this film is her "come-back" to the bigger screen after 54 years. And her performance is great!

And at the time of writing this, it is officially known that Rob Reiner completed filming of "Loosely Based on a True Love Story" (currently titled), which deals with the same topic in the same way, starring Kate hudson and Luke Wilson. Ms. Rainer's role is to be played by Cloris Leachman. ... Read more