Reviews (75)

DESERVES A TEN!!!
My appreciation for this movie has sky-rocketed this last week. I recently watched the new Sabrina with Harrison Ford... it didn't even compare! This version is much much better! I've read the review for this movie... some think Bogart was too old for this movie or that the interplay between Hepburn and Bogart wasn't good. I definitely disagree! The chemistry between Audrey and Bogart is fantastic... the screen just sparks with it! I'm not sure of the behind the screens of this movie... some say that Bogart and Hepburn didn't work well together... all I know is that is produces something between them that is incomparable! Only couples like Cary Grant & Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall & Bogart can produce this much chemistry on the screen!

I love the story of Sabrina...
Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) is the plain looking daughter of a chauffer. She falls in love with the playboy son, David (William Holden), of the wealthy people her father serves. David doesn't notice her... Her father sends her off to a cooking school in Paris and there she becomes transformed into a dazzlingly gorgeous young lady. She comes home stunningly beautiful and catches the eye of the playboy son, David. Linus (Bogart) has worked out a merger with this company and rich family who owns sugarcane plantations. Part of the deal is that David is marrying their daughter. So Linus has to draw Sabrina away from David, because he's already engaged... and Sabrina falls in love with Linus... I won't give the end away... I'll just say it's worth the watch... It leaves you satisfied. Sometimes you watch a movie and at the end you are like... "So?" ... It didn't end well... Well this is not one of those movies! I love this movie to death! The best Actors, music, and chemistry! A definite watch!

Isn't It Romantic?
Audrey Hepburn simply sparkles as Sabrina Fairchild, the chauffeur's daughter in this enchanting romance classic. Bogart plays the eldest of two brothers (the other played by William Holden), a bookish industrialist who starts off competing for Sabrina's affections but winds up falling in love with her instead. Hepburn is magical as the lead, glittering like an angel atop a Christmas tree. Holden cuts a romantic, charismatic swath and figure as the devil-may-care playboy working himself up to marriage number three. Based on the play, Sabrina Fair, Billy Wilder directs with sardonic wit, charm and the ease of a true master of the cinema. This is a love story that remains timeless. Paramount hasn't restored the film, though there is nothing terribly wrong with the transfer as is. Fine details occasionally shimmer and once in a long while a scratch or chip in the camera negative can be detected by the naked eye. Over all though, this is a great looking DVD. Also included, a featurette that glosses over the making of the movie. Bottom line: Hepburn, Holden and Bogart prove themselves as not only stars, but American pop icons. Isn't it romantic? - Definitely!

Audrey's second film is my favourite
It almost begins like a fairy tale, how once upon a time, on the north shore of Long Island, some 30 miles from New York, there lived a small girl on a large estate. So goes the opening narration by Audrey Hepburn, which sets the story in motion and introduces the Larrabee estate and family, also goes on to describe an English chauffeur named Fairchild and his daughter, Sabrina, played of course by Hepburn, in this romantic comedy based on Samuel Taylor's play Sabrina Fair.

Sabrina's sent to a cooking school in Paris, which not only prepares her for a vocation, but to help her get over her crush over David Larrabee (William Holden), the dashing playboy who spent short periods at many colleges and even shorter periods with his three wives (consecutive, of course). Ironic, considering that Holden had a crush on Hepburn, which led to a brief affair, and for him, a torch he carried through the rest of his life. The advice she gets is "don't reach for the moon." The thing is, she's the last of the romantics, "l'amour toujours" as described by Linus Larrabee, the business brains behind the multimillion Larrabee holdings, which include land and water, copper, construction, and now, a new kind of plastic that's resilient and tastes sweet(!!)

After two years in Paris, she is a vision of beauty, chic, with a new haircut, and transformed, yet still the romantic, as she vows to be in the world and of the world, and "never ever run away from life, or from love either."

Linus plans to marry David off to Elizabeth Tyson, whose father owns the second largest sugar cane in Puerto Rico, the ceremonial part of a $20 million merger with Tyson. This is put in jeopardy with Sabrina's return, and David, who previously ignored her, is bedazzled. Yet Sabrina, who's reluctantly wooed by Linus to salvage the deal, finds out there's more to him than just the "cold businessman...with ice in his veins, ticker tape coming from his heart." She finds out he's nice and quite human.

"Remember, it's the 20th century" is a reminder that the Victorian days of knowing one's place is gone. Fairchild sees life as a limousine: "there's a front seat, there's a back seat, and a window inbetween." He later says "Nobody poor was called democratic for marrying someone rich." Mother and Father Larrabee believe that, as they are scandalized at David's affections towards Sabrina, and see her in terms of class status.

Other great scenes include the cooking school, but the party scene when Sabrina appears in her bare-shouldered white dress and becomes the belle of the ball dancing with David, shows her at her most radiant and resplendent.

Humphrey Bogart is great as Linus, scheduled, sensible, loyal, observant, honest, and yet with a softer side. John Williams is perfect as Tom Fairchild. And Jenny the maid is played by Nancy Kulp, best known as Ms. Hathaway in the Beverly Hillbillies TV series. But Francis X. Bushman as old Mr. Larrabee has some funny moments with a penchant for martinis and cigars (whenever his wife's not around). Hepburn would be reunited with director Billy Wilder in Love In The Afternoon.

However, Sabrina also sees birth of a long-time association between Audrey and a certain Hubert de Givenchy, who did her costumes for many of her films. No Oscar for Hepburn, though she was nominated, but this film got me on my Hepburn kick back in the 90's, and is especially wonderful for those living "la vie en rose" as Sabrina does. To conclude, forget the 1995 remake--watch the original instead.

Sabrina
Personally, I found this movie to be very boring and trite. In fact, I fell asleep through it twice. I am a big Audrey Hepburn fan, so I was very disapointed when I watched this and found it so incredibly dull. I did though very much enjoy the remake and have seen that several times.

A Wonderful Movie but I also like The Remake!
I saw Sabrina on TCM and I liked it and I think it's a wonderful movie and I think Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden were terrific and I recommend this movie and I'm planning on buying the DVD! I will probably get slammed for saying this but I also liked the remake that starred Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear and I plan on buying that movie on DVD too! They are both charming, delightful movies that can be enjoyed on their ownrights and though I have seen remakes that were horrible the remake of this movie was fine but I suspose that since I saw the remake first that I was able to enjoy it because I wasn't comparing it to the original! ... Read more

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Showered with Oscars, this wonderfully bitchy (and witty) comedy written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz concerns an aging theater star (Bette Davis) whose life is being supplanted by a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing ingenue (Anne Baxter) whom she helped. This is a film for a viewer to take in like a box of chocolates, packed with scene-for-scene delights that make the entire story even better than it really is. The film also gives deviously talented actors such as George Sanders and Thelma Ritter a chance to speak dazzling lines; Davis bites into her role and never lets go. A classic from Mankiewicz, a legendary screenwriter and the brilliant director of A Letter to Three Wives, The Barefoot Contessa, and Sleuth. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (142)

A CLASSIC WITH GREAT STORYTELLING AND EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES
"All About Eve" tells the story of a group of people whose life is the theater: Margo Channing (Bette Davis) an aging diva, Bill Sampson (Gary Merrill), Margo's favorite director, Lloyd Richards (Hugh Harlowe) a writer, and Karen Richards (Celeste Holm), Lloyd's wife and Margo's best friend. Joining this group of people are Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), an actress wannabe with great ambition and intelligence, and Addison De Witt (George Sanders), an aggressive theater critic.

"All About Eve" keeps the status of classic mainly for two reasons: an excellent screenplay and magnificent and unforgettable performances. The movie is entertaining from beginning to end, each scene presents great dialogues, the characters have huge depth, and if someone asks for more, Marilyn Monroe appears in a small role.

"All About Eve" is recommendable for those who enjoy good stories and classic films.

An absolute knockout of a film.
"All About Eve" is the story of an actress named Margo Channing, who has a jealous, envying fan named Eve, who maneuvers her way into Margo`s life, eventually becoming a famous actress herself. It's a flawless, brilliant film that was honored with 6 academy awards and was declared number 16 of all time on the American Film Institute's top 100 American movies list.

"All About Eve" stars Bette Davis as the delightfully sour Margo Channing and Anne Baxter as the jealous, envying Eve Harrington. Both women are perfect in their roles, as is most of the cast.

The film is a knockout. The script is sheer brilliance from start to finish and is among the greatest scripts ever written. The characters are great, the direction is outstanding and the movie maintains interest the entire time.

The movie begins with four of the main characters seated at an award night as Eve is presented with her award. We see Margo and her companions with sour looks on their faces as an old actor is making his speech. Then, we're taken back to the night where it all began. One of Margo`s closest friends Karen Richards (Celeste Holm) is walking to the back of the theatre when Eve introduces herself, explaining she is a fan of Margo`s. After they have met and heard Eve's sad story, Margo takes pity on Eve and asks her to move in with her. Then, Eve begins to maneuver her way into Margo`s life, working her way up to fame.

"All About Eve" is an outstanding movie, an excellent character study and is certainly a memorable experience with an ending that is just perfect. "All About Eve" is definitely a film worth seeing.

OVERRATED AND TALKY
I enjoy Bette Davis movies. I enjoyed this one. The DVD transfer is great. However, compared to some of the other 'classics' Bette was in I find this one to be overrated. The film is overly long with talk galore. The cast is great. But I for one always feel let down with the payoff. I think Eve should have gotten what she deserved more than she did. I think Margo should have had more guts to see through her, the way Thelma Ritter as Birdie did right from the very beginning. As for this being Bette Davis' finest hour, I beg to differ. How can one honestly compare "All About Eve" with "Now Voyager", "The Old Maid" or "All This and Heaven Too" which are my three favorite Bette Davis pictures. I don't even think Davis deserved an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in this movie. Supporting maybe as she is missing from the picture for long periods. Judy Holliday won the Oscar that year but the one who really deserved the Oscar was Gloria Swanson for her performance in "Sunset Boulevard". Bette, by this time, had made so many enemies in Hollywood by her erratic, bipolar behavior that no one wanted to vote for her. Anne Baxter deserved the Best Actress nomination because she went all through the picture.

This picture is a good picture but I don't rate it among my top five Davis pictures. It is overrought and as I said, I like to see evil characters get their just deserts....and this doesn't happen in this film. I get mad every time I see the scene with Bette, Celeste Holm and Hugh Marlowe in the car with Holm sabotaging Bette and keeping her from getting to the theater.

As I said, the payoff for this movie disappoints me. But this is just my opinion. The movie is good, not excellent and certainly doesn't rate five stars from me. If you want to see the quintessential Bette Davis try "Now Voyager" or "The Little Foxes". "Now Voyager" features Bette at her most beautiful, while "Foxes features her at her most evil.

"All About Eve" pales in comparison. Plus, the film is much, much too long!

Try 5,000 stars
By far the best movie ever made, with a flawless script, a cast that is unsurpassed, and a "what goes around, comes around" theme, this tour-de-force of acting and writing is now a cult classic. Anne Baxter has her best role ever, and Bette Davis is superb. George Sanders is also stellar. One feels that these actors are actually playing themselves most of the time, or at last digging so deeply into the characters that you're unable to tell where the star leaves off and the character begins. Couple this with some of the best lines ever written for a movie and a cameo by Marilyn Monroe and you are indeed in for "a bumpy night." If you don't like this movie, quick, get yourself to a hospital--without a doubt you need immediate medical attention.

IT COULD HAVE BEEN GRABLE VS MONROE
oh well its 1952 grable, despite losing ground a little is still the top bananna at fox for thirteen years she has reigned supreme, seen off june haver and vivien blaine and other blonde starlets, now she,s in her mid 30,s . marilyn has showed up from someones bedroom high up at fox, she wants grables spot grable got her big break from talent, marilyn from between the sheets.
well betty gets herself suspended for refusing to do pick up on south street (it was in b/w her contract stipulates Technicolor, silly girl had an easy out, but didn,t use it) mariyn climbes from the greeks bed into gentlemen prefer blondes (it was bought for grable) marilyn snatches the blonde crown from grable, betty comes back dos how to marry a millionaire with monroe "all about eve" all over again! ... Read more

Reviews (52)

See Exodus
The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo differs from the book but captured the essence of the story of Exodus. A close obsever and listner will learn much of the climate and environment of the time, noted scene, the broadcasting of news to refugees aboard the Exodus while declaring a hunger strike in a harbor on the island of Cyprus. Paul Newman is not particularly strong as Ari Ben Cannon. The character in the book was a bit more masculine. Eva Marie Saint and Sal Mineo are great, and Sir Ralph Richardson. Sal Mineo desrved an oscar. Otto Priminger was atypical for the day, choosing to film outside of a sound stage on location as much as possible. There are mistakes, shadows of the camera on the faces of actors at times but his unique style of direction is the film's power. Ernest Gold's score is stirring and powerful and beautiful. Some may find the story telling a bit slow by today's standards. If patient, a complex, historical and significant drama will unfold. This is an excellent film. See Schindler's List first and then Exodus. Actually, the sequence here should go somthing like this: Lawrence of Arabia, Schindler's List, and Exodus. What a history lession of the Middle East. Enjoyable, too. The widescreen format is the only way to thoroughly enjoy this film.

Where are the pompadours?
Remember the gladiator movies from the 1950's where all the men wore pompadour hairstyles? If this movie had been made five years earlier we would have seen Paul Newman with puffy hair. Sadly, we missed it. Suffice it to say this movie is really quite bad. It is filmed as if the actors were all on holiday and there just happened to be cameras around. In several spots the sound quality is really quite poor. If you are a Paul Newman fan you should give this movie a miss.

Beautiful and tragic
This tale of the subjugation of the Palestinian people will appeal to hard-core Israelites, but will seem amazingly brutal to those of us who still harbor questions about the Zionist Cleansing Experiment.

Right up there with "Bonnie and Clyde" in making you cheer for the bad guys -- and feel badly thereafter.

A Slice of History!!!
This is one of the best films of all time. With Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, and Lee J. Cobb, and Sal Mineo, among the ensemble cast, it doesn't get any better than this. The movie tracks the crew of a ship which ultimately wants to go to Israel- they are Jews from Europe who want to repatriate, and Paul Newman is highlighted as the son of Lee J. Cobb, who represents Ben Gurion.

There's lots of action in this movie, and the additional casting of Peter Lawford as an American attache is real interesting as well. There's intrigue, a prison break, romance, a great soundtrack, and an ending which points to the headlines of today.

A marvelous film, and highly recommended!!

How the Movie Exodus Influenced My Life
The movie 'Exodus' has been a very big influence in my life. The first time I viewed it was when I was 10 years old, right after it was first released back in 1960. My older sister explained to me that it was the true story of the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948 in fulfillment of bible prophecy ("...shall a nation be born in a day?" Isaiah 66:8). I didn't fully understand it back then, but it made a big impression on me and became a seed in my heart that continued to grow for another 38 years. During that period of time I never forgot the movie or what it represented. The seed came to fruition in 1998, the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel, when I was blessed to be able to visit Israel for the first time. A few days prior to my departure I obtained a copy of the movie and viewed it again. The memories flooded back, but with a much more enlightened understanding of the miracle of Israel and the return of the Hebrews to their ancient covenant land after 2000 years of dispersion ("...I [God] will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel" Ezekiel 11:17). How could anyone not see that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has proven He keeps His word and continues to watch over His word to perform it??!! Why is He doing this? "I [God] do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake... I will sanctify My Great name...and the nations shall know that I am the LORD" Ezekiel Chapter 36. In other words, God keeps His word and this proves it. And if God can redeem Israel and the Hebrews He can redeem anybody from any nation if they will repent and acknowledge Him as Lord. I recommend the movie, it will help you relive the miraculous moment, and give you a taste for that which is yet to come. The epic musical score is unforgettable... if only it were still available. ... Read more

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More famous as a controversy than a movie, The Moon Is Blue (1953) marked a turning point in the history of frankness in American film. Because producer-director Otto Preminger owned the rights to the hit Broadway play, he stubbornly refused to change the racy dialogue in the script. The offending words included such end-of-western-civilization-as-we-know-it terms as "virgin" and "pregnant." The Production Code withheld its seal, the Catholic Legion of Decency condemned it, and the picture made a bundle. Its subject matter is antiquated now, but the movie remains a cute and well-played example of pre-Neil Simon stage comedy. William Holden and the virgin Maggie McNamara meet atop the Empire State Building, later joining middle-aged roue David Niven for martinis and steaks in Holden's hep bachelor bad. Preminger's gift wasn't necessarily for comedy, but he steers things with his usual calm style, and lets Niven make the most of a tailor-made role. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (8)

classic sleeper
One of my all time favorites. You forget that it was made in 1953. Very frank dialogue for an early 50's movie. Great acting with many laughs and a little suspense. CAN THEY MAKE IT INTO A DVD PLEASE!!

Maggie McNamara
This movie shows a promising actress Maggie McNamara. She got nominated for best actress and remains a mark as the only person in that category whose career didn't go anywhere. "The Moon is Blue" was put down by the Catholic Legion of Decency because it said the word virgin. Frankly screwball comedies of the 40's were just as suggestive so I don't get the deal.
The connection between this movie destroyed Maggie, right at her career's beginning. It's a shame because Maggie is very cute in this. Afterwards she went on to star in the boring, "Three Coins in the Fountain" and the cheesy "Cardinal." Her stint in Hollywood was then done and she worked as a secretary for the rest of her life. While the movie comes across as stagey, it's worth seeing it just for her.

A CLASSIC LOVE STORY!!
This is a good romantic comedy which features on two characters who meet on top of the empire state building and end up falling in love during the coarse of the night. This film is a bit talkative because it was adapted from the stage play, but it's funny, warm, and romantic because of William Holden, David Niven, and Maggie McNamara.
3 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS-[1953]
BEST ACTRESS-MAGGIE McNAMARA
Best Film Editing
Best Song-"The moon is blue"

A ONCE CONTROVERSIAL FILM.
A fairly amusing sex farce from nearly half a century ago features the unusual, now-forgotton (and ultimately tragic -- a suicide victim) Maggie McNamara, who is courted, swooned and wooed by both David Niven and Bill Holden. David Niven's career at the time this film was made was in serious jeopardy; he had a contract break-up with the legendary Samuel Goldwyn which was anything but cordial and his pictures prior to this weren't much of any consequence (a good example is a silly, inane "comedy" entitled THE LADY SAYS NO, 1951). The notoriously tyrannical Otto Preminger suddenly came to Niven's rescue ( it was rather like being snatched from drowning by King Kong!). The director was noted for enjoying the experience of striking terror into the hearts of his cast members and technicians alike. Niven emerged unscathed, however, and was ultimately deeply grateful to Preminger for casting him as the middle aged playboy. Niven does a commendable job and there is a certain chemistry between the three leads. THE MOON IS BLUE outraged many in its day by using such words as "virgin" and "seduce". In light of what's allowed in films today, this is hilarious. In 1953, however, it was condemned by the Catholic Church and banned by the censor. Aided by distributors, United Artists and director Otto Preminger defied the ban and released the film -- the first time the American censor had been so defied.

The film about the virgin that was denied a Code seal
Well, if you watched the episode of "M*A*S*H" where the gang tries to get to watch "The Moon Is Blue," you know that this infamous 1953 film directed by Otto Preminger is a moral tale of Patty O'Neill (Maggie McNamara), a young lady who intends to be a virgin when she gets married. Patty fends off guys by asking them if they would try to seduce her or if they have mistresses. Censorship boards went crazy because the film talked about virginity and the Motion Picture Production Code denied the film a Code seal. The result, since there was nothing truly objectionable in the film, all that really happened was Preminger's film got a million dollars worth of free publicity. William Holden as Donald Gresham and David Niven as David Slater who both joust with Patty. Just to make things a bit more interesting, Cynthia Slater (Dawn Addams), is not only the daughter of the aforementioned David, but is ticked at Donald because he was too much of a gentleman on their last date. Based on F. Hugh Herbert's play, today the film is an interesting curiosity and you have to laugh at the idea of people actually being upset by this film. "The Moon Is Blue" received three Oscar nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Maggie McNamara. Niven does a nice job with his role of the aging wolf on the prowl, but Holden seems quite uncomfortable as the unsuccessful seducer. ... Read more

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In I'm No Angel, Mae West's second star vehicle, she's sideshow attraction Tira, "the girl who discovered you don't have to have feet to be a dancer." As usual, West wrote all her own dialogue for the film, and it's full of priceless wisecracks. A crowd of men ogles her as she tosses off a saucy little number, "They Call Me Sister Honky Tonk," swinging her hips phlegmatically. Then she slithers offstage, muttering "Suckers." Bored with life, Tira consults a fortuneteller. "I see a man in your future," he drones. "What, only one?" quips Mae. Tira wants to quit the carnival, so her boss (an unctuous Edward Arnold) makes her a proposition. If she'll become the show's lion tamer, she can meet "the swells." Just one little thing: she's got to put her head in the lion's mouth. (West insisted on performing this stunt herself, to the horror of Paramount Pictures' executives.) Enter Cary Grant as Jack Clayton, an aristocrat who falls for this floozie from the wrong side of the tracks. Some of the film's merriest scenes show Tira and her five black maids having a ball dancing and singing as she prepares for her dates with Jack. (West made it her business to keep as many of her black girlfriends working in movies as possible.) Tira's head maid, Beulah, played by Gertrude Michael, is the object of that momentous line "Oh, Beulah, peel me a grape." Mae slays 'em all in this picture, dressed, as always, in fabulously flamboyant finery. --Laura Mirsky ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Quintessential Mae West.
Tira (Mae West) is a gold-digging circus performer who reluctantly agrees to a dangerous lion-taming act to get herself out of a jam. The act is a great success, making Tira the talk of the town. Her flashy show at Madison Square Garden catches the eye of a wealthy businessman named Kirk Lawrence (Kent Taylor), who becomes infatuated with Tira and lavishes her with expensive gifts. Concerned for Kirk's social situation, his cousin and business partner, Jack Clayton (Cary Grant), attempts to convince Tira to reconsider their relationship. She does, and falls head over heels for Jack. But just as it looks like Jack and Tira will live happily ever after, Jack breaks off the relationship. A heartbroken but still stubborn Tira decides to sue him for breach of promise.

1933's "I'm No Angel" was Mae West's second starring role on the silver screen. After her previous film, "She Done Him Wrong", saved Paramount Pictures from financial ruin, the studio gave her carte blanche to do whatever she liked on this one. "I'm No Angel" was written entirely by Mae West. It's a romantic comedy, but West's character is not a romantic. Tira is nothing if not practical in her relationships with men. And there is no mistaking that the film exists entirely to showcase Ms. West's oversized personality and eye-catching figure. This is Self promotion and Star vehicle with capital S's. Mae West was 40 years old and a tad chunky when she made this film. But she didn't hesitate to cast herself as a sex goddess whom men of all ages found irresistible. And she gets away with it by sheer force of personality. West deserves a lot of credit for making audiences root for a union between a trash-talking middle-aged strumpet and a 29-year old gentleman of means. Such a relationship wouldn't gain approval in real life in 1933, and it wouldn't now. The success of "I'm No Angel", then and now, is testament to its star's great charisma. Cary Grant is more handsome than he would be during his years of star status, and surprisingly thinner. I don't think any actor could hope to share a scene with West without being upstaged by her, but Grant does a nice job of making Jack Clayton sympathetic, especially during the trial scenes. "I'm No Angel" is sometimes absurdly contrived, but that's the nature of romantic comedy. No bigger personality than Mae West ever graced the screen, and it's her presence that makes this film worthwhile. The DVD has no menu, only scene selections. And the movie begins as soon as the disc is inserted into the player.

The Wild, Wild West
Mae West was purportedly quoted as saying, "I fear no man". Whether she actually did, I have no trouble believing it. In "I'm No Angel", Miss West plays "Tira", a carnival hootch dancer who becomes a lion-taming headliner in "The Big Time", and has numerous men orbiting her, like moons around Venus. She is a women completely at ease with herself, fears no one, makes no apologies, and the men love her for it, in spite of themselves. Miss West played, essentially, the same role in real life, the "Bad but not Evil" woman. No beating around the bush for Mae-she told you who she was, what she wanted, take her or leave her-and made you laugh! She was "Women's Lib" in flashy gowns, big hats, and lots of diamonds. There are many of West's famous lines in "I'm No Angel", such as "When I'm good, I'm very, very good, but when I'm bad, I'm better", "Beulah, peel me a grape!", and many more. Her co-star is screen legend Cary Grant, whom Mae selected for 2 of her films on sight. The first was "She Done Him Wrong", and then this one. She said, "He was so good I had him twice-in pictures, I mean." The lady was an original. She was not "beautiful" or slender, but men were drawn to her (her brains being her sexiest feature), progressive (she defended homosexuals long before Stonewall), had interracial friendships and romances (she had lovers of African descent, as well as having black performers in her films), and was still attracting men well into her 70s! She also wrote her own material. So, if you're feeling a bit adventurous, go West, because "You can be had!"

"Oh Beulah... peel me a grape!"
Mae West basically saved Paramount Pictures from bankruptcy with this and her other hit film of 1933 "She Done Him Wrong" (her other career highlight, also with Cary Grant). She was 40 when she made this film, and even for the early 30s she was plumper than the female ideal, and her face was wide and her nose was too long. But since she acted like she was the sexiest thing who ever was, and told you so too, you believed her: her uncontrollable sex appeal was her costant running joke and it never ever palled. Here she's Tira the lion tamer, who tames the richest men in New York society with equal ease: when Cary Grant withdraws his engagement she sues him for breach of promise, and she has great fun cross-examining the witnesses in her trial. Years before Lucille Ball or Carol Burnett, Mae West proved the old sexist canard that "female isn't funny" is an out and out lie. Who could be funnier than she is, sashaying around with her African-American maids delivering her ripest lines?

A knockout in its time -- and still packs a wallop
Decades before the women's movement was to gain momentum in this country, Mae West, with her inimitable combination of feminine wiles and macho, and a keen wit thrown into the mix, began her own revolution by standing all previous conceptions about women and their societal roles on their ear. Her substantial talent in singing, acting and one-liners give her the wherewithal to have the whole act succeed where many others' attempts would not. The result is great entertainment, a hallmark in the history of American cinema, and an impression on the audience that we were all better off for this woman having graced our culture.

WONDERFUL MAE.....
It's hard to believe they let this go out of print. It's one of Mae West's brightest and funniest films. Before the censorship czars got after her, that is. Legendary Mae struts and sings her way through this tale of circus hootchie Tira who gets in a legal jam thanks to her hoodlum boyfriend. Needing fast cash for an attorney, she reluctantly agrees to be the show's lion tamer and put her head in a lion's mouth. She becomes an immediate star and rises to the top. She hooks a rich beau (Kent Taylor) but falls for his business partner Kirk (Cary Grant) and they become engaged to marry. But her old circus cronies won't let her retire and try to frame her in a scandal to break up the engagement. When the ruse works and Kirk breaks off with Tira, she takes him to court for breach of promise. "I'm No Angel" is all Mae. From the screenplay (which she wrote) to the gowns (which are knockouts---especially the "spider web" gown) she's the star and dominates every scene she's in. She's absolutely wonderful. From strutting around and singing with her maids to taking over her own case in the courtroom, you can see there was no one like her and never would be. She was totally unique and unequaled in terms of sheer star power. Some of her racy quotes are here in "I'm No Angel" but, alas, the better ones lie in "She Done Him Wrong" (also with Grant) and that one never made it to DVD. These two are the better of her films---"My Little Chickadee" with W.C.Fields notwithstanding---and it's a shame they're not in print. The Universal DVD of "Angel" looks good and is a collector's item now. But I'm for re-releasing ALL of her films on DVD. As I'm sure she would love to know, Mae West still has an audience and always will. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

AN EXCELLENT LOOK AT OLD HOLLYWOOD.
An ambitious waitress (Constance Bennett) - who works at the famed Brown Derby restaurant - has aspirations to become an actress, and makes it to the top. Bennett gives an excellent performance as Mary Evans, making her turn from ingenue to hardened star fully believable: she considered this to be her finest performance. As the egotistical, rather decadent film director, Lowell Sherman is fine. This was George Cukor's first big success as well as the first talking picture which took a jaundiced look at Hollywood. As a footnote, this story, which was written by the once-popular Hollywood columnist Adela Rogers St. John was the basis for the three later versions of A STAR IS BORN. It was supposedly based upon the real life of silent star Colleen Moore and her alcoholic producer husband, John McCormick. ... Read more

Reviews (142)

A CLASSIC WITH GREAT STORYTELLING AND EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES
"All About Eve" tells the story of a group of people whose life is the theater: Margo Channing (Bette Davis) an aging diva, Bill Sampson (Gary Merrill), Margo's favorite director, Lloyd Richards (Hugh Harlowe) a writer, and Karen Richards (Celeste Holm), Lloyd's wife and Margo's best friend. Joining this group of people are Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), an actress wannabe with great ambition and intelligence, and Addison De Witt (George Sanders), an aggressive theater critic.

"All About Eve" keeps the status of classic mainly for two reasons: an excellent screenplay and magnificent and unforgettable performances. The movie is entertaining from beginning to end, each scene presents great dialogues, the characters have huge depth, and if someone asks for more, Marilyn Monroe appears in a small role.

"All About Eve" is recommendable for those who enjoy good stories and classic films.

An absolute knockout of a film.
"All About Eve" is the story of an actress named Margo Channing, who has a jealous, envying fan named Eve, who maneuvers her way into Margo`s life, eventually becoming a famous actress herself. It's a flawless, brilliant film that was honored with 6 academy awards and was declared number 16 of all time on the American Film Institute's top 100 American movies list.

"All About Eve" stars Bette Davis as the delightfully sour Margo Channing and Anne Baxter as the jealous, envying Eve Harrington. Both women are perfect in their roles, as is most of the cast.

The film is a knockout. The script is sheer brilliance from start to finish and is among the greatest scripts ever written. The characters are great, the direction is outstanding and the movie maintains interest the entire time.

The movie begins with four of the main characters seated at an award night as Eve is presented with her award. We see Margo and her companions with sour looks on their faces as an old actor is making his speech. Then, we're taken back to the night where it all began. One of Margo`s closest friends Karen Richards (Celeste Holm) is walking to the back of the theatre when Eve introduces herself, explaining she is a fan of Margo`s. After they have met and heard Eve's sad story, Margo takes pity on Eve and asks her to move in with her. Then, Eve begins to maneuver her way into Margo`s life, working her way up to fame.

"All About Eve" is an outstanding movie, an excellent character study and is certainly a memorable experience with an ending that is just perfect. "All About Eve" is definitely a film worth seeing.

OVERRATED AND TALKY
I enjoy Bette Davis movies. I enjoyed this one. The DVD transfer is great. However, compared to some of the other 'classics' Bette was in I find this one to be overrated. The film is overly long with talk galore. The cast is great. But I for one always feel let down with the payoff. I think Eve should have gotten what she deserved more than she did. I think Margo should have had more guts to see through her, the way Thelma Ritter as Birdie did right from the very beginning. As for this being Bette Davis' finest hour, I beg to differ. How can one honestly compare "All About Eve" with "Now Voyager", "The Old Maid" or "All This and Heaven Too" which are my three favorite Bette Davis pictures. I don't even think Davis deserved an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in this movie. Supporting maybe as she is missing from the picture for long periods. Judy Holliday won the Oscar that year but the one who really deserved the Oscar was Gloria Swanson for her performance in "Sunset Boulevard". Bette, by this time, had made so many enemies in Hollywood by her erratic, bipolar behavior that no one wanted to vote for her. Anne Baxter deserved the Best Actress nomination because she went all through the picture.

This picture is a good picture but I don't rate it among my top five Davis pictures. It is overrought and as I said, I like to see evil characters get their just deserts....and this doesn't happen in this film. I get mad every time I see the scene with Bette, Celeste Holm and Hugh Marlowe in the car with Holm sabotaging Bette and keeping her from getting to the theater.

As I said, the payoff for this movie disappoints me. But this is just my opinion. The movie is good, not excellent and certainly doesn't rate five stars from me. If you want to see the quintessential Bette Davis try "Now Voyager" or "The Little Foxes". "Now Voyager" features Bette at her most beautiful, while "Foxes features her at her most evil.

"All About Eve" pales in comparison. Plus, the film is much, much too long!

Try 5,000 stars
By far the best movie ever made, with a flawless script, a cast that is unsurpassed, and a "what goes around, comes around" theme, this tour-de-force of acting and writing is now a cult classic. Anne Baxter has her best role ever, and Bette Davis is superb. George Sanders is also stellar. One feels that these actors are actually playing themselves most of the time, or at last digging so deeply into the characters that you're unable to tell where the star leaves off and the character begins. Couple this with some of the best lines ever written for a movie and a cameo by Marilyn Monroe and you are indeed in for "a bumpy night." If you don't like this movie, quick, get yourself to a hospital--without a doubt you need immediate medical attention.

IT COULD HAVE BEEN GRABLE VS MONROE
oh well its 1952 grable, despite losing ground a little is still the top bananna at fox for thirteen years she has reigned supreme, seen off june haver and vivien blaine and other blonde starlets, now she,s in her mid 30,s . marilyn has showed up from someones bedroom high up at fox, she wants grables spot grable got her big break from talent, marilyn from between the sheets.
well betty gets herself suspended for refusing to do pick up on south street (it was in b/w her contract stipulates Technicolor, silly girl had an easy out, but didn,t use it) mariyn climbes from the greeks bed into gentlemen prefer blondes (it was bought for grable) marilyn snatches the blonde crown from grable, betty comes back dos how to marry a millionaire with monroe "all about eve" all over again! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hilarious!
I started buying Mae West videos only recently. Even with my Gen-X, MTV attention span and no background score she has me glued to the TV and laughing out loud. It's worth it to buy this set, you won't be disappointed.

To give a few examples, in I'm No Angel she visits a fortune-teller who tells her "I see a man in your life." Her immediate response is "What? Only one?" And it isn't just her smart mouth--later she rearranges pictures of the men in her life next to her animal figurines. The "Stag" is obviously the current favorite, and her boss is next to the skunk. When Cary Grant breaks off their engagement, she sues him for breach of contract, and the bold way she works the courtroom while representing herself could have been filmed yesterday. It seems even funnier because it's so out of place in my own misconception of "innocent" old movies. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Otto Preminger's 1960 adaptation of Leon Uris's novel is a sprawling 220-minute tale of the founding of modern Israel, starring Paul Newman as a Resistance leader. The film works best as an example of Preminger's estimable skill with all levels of drama and action, but as a reflection upon history it is compromised by stereotypes, unpersuasive relationships, and a certain moral ambivalence about issues related to the subject. There are good and exciting sequences, however, particularly one involving an effort to break through a British blockade and get to the homeland. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (52)

See Exodus
The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo differs from the book but captured the essence of the story of Exodus. A close obsever and listner will learn much of the climate and environment of the time, noted scene, the broadcasting of news to refugees aboard the Exodus while declaring a hunger strike in a harbor on the island of Cyprus. Paul Newman is not particularly strong as Ari Ben Cannon. The character in the book was a bit more masculine. Eva Marie Saint and Sal Mineo are great, and Sir Ralph Richardson. Sal Mineo desrved an oscar. Otto Priminger was atypical for the day, choosing to film outside of a sound stage on location as much as possible. There are mistakes, shadows of the camera on the faces of actors at times but his unique style of direction is the film's power. Ernest Gold's score is stirring and powerful and beautiful. Some may find the story telling a bit slow by today's standards. If patient, a complex, historical and significant drama will unfold. This is an excellent film. See Schindler's List first and then Exodus. Actually, the sequence here should go somthing like this: Lawrence of Arabia, Schindler's List, and Exodus. What a history lession of the Middle East. Enjoyable, too. The widescreen format is the only way to thoroughly enjoy this film.

Where are the pompadours?
Remember the gladiator movies from the 1950's where all the men wore pompadour hairstyles? If this movie had been made five years earlier we would have seen Paul Newman with puffy hair. Sadly, we missed it. Suffice it to say this movie is really quite bad. It is filmed as if the actors were all on holiday and there just happened to be cameras around. In several spots the sound quality is really quite poor. If you are a Paul Newman fan you should give this movie a miss.

Beautiful and tragic
This tale of the subjugation of the Palestinian people will appeal to hard-core Israelites, but will seem amazingly brutal to those of us who still harbor questions about the Zionist Cleansing Experiment.

Right up there with "Bonnie and Clyde" in making you cheer for the bad guys -- and feel badly thereafter.

A Slice of History!!!
This is one of the best films of all time. With Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, and Lee J. Cobb, and Sal Mineo, among the ensemble cast, it doesn't get any better than this. The movie tracks the crew of a ship which ultimately wants to go to Israel- they are Jews from Europe who want to repatriate, and Paul Newman is highlighted as the son of Lee J. Cobb, who represents Ben Gurion.

There's lots of action in this movie, and the additional casting of Peter Lawford as an American attache is real interesting as well. There's intrigue, a prison break, romance, a great soundtrack, and an ending which points to the headlines of today.

A marvelous film, and highly recommended!!

How the Movie Exodus Influenced My Life
The movie 'Exodus' has been a very big influence in my life. The first time I viewed it was when I was 10 years old, right after it was first released back in 1960. My older sister explained to me that it was the true story of the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948 in fulfillment of bible prophecy ("...shall a nation be born in a day?" Isaiah 66:8). I didn't fully understand it back then, but it made a big impression on me and became a seed in my heart that continued to grow for another 38 years. During that period of time I never forgot the movie or what it represented. The seed came to fruition in 1998, the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel, when I was blessed to be able to visit Israel for the first time. A few days prior to my departure I obtained a copy of the movie and viewed it again. The memories flooded back, but with a much more enlightened understanding of the miracle of Israel and the return of the Hebrews to their ancient covenant land after 2000 years of dispersion ("...I [God] will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel" Ezekiel 11:17). How could anyone not see that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has proven He keeps His word and continues to watch over His word to perform it??!! Why is He doing this? "I [God] do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake... I will sanctify My Great name...and the nations shall know that I am the LORD" Ezekiel Chapter 36. In other words, God keeps His word and this proves it. And if God can redeem Israel and the Hebrews He can redeem anybody from any nation if they will repent and acknowledge Him as Lord. I recommend the movie, it will help you relive the miraculous moment, and give you a taste for that which is yet to come. The epic musical score is unforgettable... if only it were still available. ... Read more

Reviews (142)

A CLASSIC WITH GREAT STORYTELLING AND EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES
"All About Eve" tells the story of a group of people whose life is the theater: Margo Channing (Bette Davis) an aging diva, Bill Sampson (Gary Merrill), Margo's favorite director, Lloyd Richards (Hugh Harlowe) a writer, and Karen Richards (Celeste Holm), Lloyd's wife and Margo's best friend. Joining this group of people are Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), an actress wannabe with great ambition and intelligence, and Addison De Witt (George Sanders), an aggressive theater critic.

"All About Eve" keeps the status of classic mainly for two reasons: an excellent screenplay and magnificent and unforgettable performances. The movie is entertaining from beginning to end, each scene presents great dialogues, the characters have huge depth, and if someone asks for more, Marilyn Monroe appears in a small role.

"All About Eve" is recommendable for those who enjoy good stories and classic films.

An absolute knockout of a film.
"All About Eve" is the story of an actress named Margo Channing, who has a jealous, envying fan named Eve, who maneuvers her way into Margo`s life, eventually becoming a famous actress herself. It's a flawless, brilliant film that was honored with 6 academy awards and was declared number 16 of all time on the American Film Institute's top 100 American movies list.

"All About Eve" stars Bette Davis as the delightfully sour Margo Channing and Anne Baxter as the jealous, envying Eve Harrington. Both women are perfect in their roles, as is most of the cast.

The film is a knockout. The script is sheer brilliance from start to finish and is among the greatest scripts ever written. The characters are great, the direction is outstanding and the movie maintains interest the entire time.

The movie begins with four of the main characters seated at an award night as Eve is presented with her award. We see Margo and her companions with sour looks on their faces as an old actor is making his speech. Then, we're taken back to the night where it all began. One of Margo`s closest friends Karen Richards (Celeste Holm) is walking to the back of the theatre when Eve introduces herself, explaining she is a fan of Margo`s. After they have met and heard Eve's sad story, Margo takes pity on Eve and asks her to move in with her. Then, Eve begins to maneuver her way into Margo`s life, working her way up to fame.

"All About Eve" is an outstanding movie, an excellent character study and is certainly a memorable experience with an ending that is just perfect. "All About Eve" is definitely a film worth seeing.

OVERRATED AND TALKY
I enjoy Bette Davis movies. I enjoyed this one. The DVD transfer is great. However, compared to some of the other 'classics' Bette was in I find this one to be overrated. The film is overly long with talk galore. The cast is great. But I for one always feel let down with the payoff. I think Eve should have gotten what she deserved more than she did. I think Margo should have had more guts to see through her, the way Thelma Ritter as Birdie did right from the very beginning. As for this being Bette Davis' finest hour, I beg to differ. How can one honestly compare "All About Eve" with "Now Voyager", "The Old Maid" or "All This and Heaven Too" which are my three favorite Bette Davis pictures. I don't even think Davis deserved an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in this movie. Supporting maybe as she is missing from the picture for long periods. Judy Holliday won the Oscar that year but the one who really deserved the Oscar was Gloria Swanson for her performance in "Sunset Boulevard". Bette, by this time, had made so many enemies in Hollywood by her erratic, bipolar behavior that no one wanted to vote for her. Anne Baxter deserved the Best Actress nomination because she went all through the picture.

This picture is a good picture but I don't rate it among my top five Davis pictures. It is overrought and as I said, I like to see evil characters get their just deserts....and this doesn't happen in this film. I get mad every time I see the scene with Bette, Celeste Holm and Hugh Marlowe in the car with Holm sabotaging Bette and keeping her from getting to the theater.

As I said, the payoff for this movie disappoints me. But this is just my opinion. The movie is good, not excellent and certainly doesn't rate five stars from me. If you want to see the quintessential Bette Davis try "Now Voyager" or "The Little Foxes". "Now Voyager" features Bette at her most beautiful, while "Foxes features her at her most evil.

"All About Eve" pales in comparison. Plus, the film is much, much too long!

Try 5,000 stars
By far the best movie ever made, with a flawless script, a cast that is unsurpassed, and a "what goes around, comes around" theme, this tour-de-force of acting and writing is now a cult classic. Anne Baxter has her best role ever, and Bette Davis is superb. George Sanders is also stellar. One feels that these actors are actually playing themselves most of the time, or at last digging so deeply into the characters that you're unable to tell where the star leaves off and the character begins. Couple this with some of the best lines ever written for a movie and a cameo by Marilyn Monroe and you are indeed in for "a bumpy night." If you don't like this movie, quick, get yourself to a hospital--without a doubt you need immediate medical attention.

IT COULD HAVE BEEN GRABLE VS MONROE
oh well its 1952 grable, despite losing ground a little is still the top bananna at fox for thirteen years she has reigned supreme, seen off june haver and vivien blaine and other blonde starlets, now she,s in her mid 30,s . marilyn has showed up from someones bedroom high up at fox, she wants grables spot grable got her big break from talent, marilyn from between the sheets.
well betty gets herself suspended for refusing to do pick up on south street (it was in b/w her contract stipulates Technicolor, silly girl had an easy out, but didn,t use it) mariyn climbes from the greeks bed into gentlemen prefer blondes (it was bought for grable) marilyn snatches the blonde crown from grable, betty comes back dos how to marry a millionaire with monroe "all about eve" all over again! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Always a Difficult Moment in a Man's Life"
That's the best Warren William can offer when his secretary-lover Veree Teasdale has a confrontation with his open-marriage wife Hedda Hopper (yes, THAT Hedda Hopper) in the pre-Code flick about the ruthless bank president's obsession with his magnificent Art Deco skyscraper, which even outstrips the Empire State Building in height. Smooth taking William charms ladies of all kinds and he's not too bad either at schmoozing other bankers into first a merger and then a wild stockmarket ride which dashes the fortunes and futures of a whole cast of characters. "Skyscraper Souls" is a sort of "Hotel" or "Ship of Fools" where many love stories are all happening under one roof, in this case the gigantic Dwight Building. For instance, Wallace Ford is trying to talk his girlfriend into leaving her husband, Jean Hersholt is trying to woo Anita Page's dress model/good time gal into giving him a break, and another young bank teller is trying to get Maureen O'Sullivan interested in him, but she's determined to marry a rich man. Well, then it's pretty handy that Mr. Dwight aka Warren William has taken a fancy to her, since he's rolling in dough; there's a bit of a complication, though, since she's the secretary to HIS secretary and long-standing mistress. But Dwight is not the man to let any obstacle stand in his way for long, and it really looks like he's going to get the young gal and complete control of his building--but can anyone's luck hold out that long? Abounding with risque situations galore, "Skyscraper Souls" concludes with enough shocking "departures" to hold the interest of any viewer from our supposedly more "free thinking" generation. Take the elevator to the penthouse and enjoy the view! ... Read more