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A married man, left alone during a hot summer, fantasizes madly about the impossibly gorgeous woman living in the upstairs apartment. When the woman is Marilyn Monroe, such fantasies are the stuff of epics, and The Seven Year Itch is a memorable laugh machine. Tom Ewell, repeating his role from George Axelrod's Broadway hit, plays the itchy protagonist, whose vivid imagination gets the better of him. When Monroe finally comes downstairs and becomes friends (confiding, among other things, that she keeps her undies in the icebox in this hot weather), imagination meets reality in a merciless attack on the male libido. Ewell's crack timing is matched by Monroe's zesty comic flair, and the scene in which her white dress is blown skyward by a passing subway train has entered the encyclopedia of great movie images. Director Billy Wilder adapted the play with Axelrod; if the film is not one of Wilder's signature works (Some Like It Hot and The Apartment would soon follow), it is nevertheless a smoothly crafted comedy. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (40)

classic sex farce
THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH provided for Marilyn Monroe the chance to play in an accomplished sex comedy, and gave the world a singular Marilyn moment: the now-classic subway grate scene.

Richard Sherman (Tom Ewell in his original Broadway role) has just farewelled his wife and young son for the annual summer exodus from New York. Far from having nothing to do, Sherman fantasises all day and night about the never-named girl (Marilyn Monroe) who has just moved into the apartment above his.

Evelyn Keyes (GONE WITH THE WIND) gives a comically-knowing performance as Sherman's wife, while Marilyn is delightful in her brilliant rapport with Ewell.

George Axelrod's long-running Broadway play was the basis of the film, but the all-powerful censorship board saw too many "vulgarities" in the play (where Sherman actually has an affair with the upstairs girl). In the film it is only toyed with. Walter Matthau was originally considered for the Sherman role, but Ewell fills the role of the everyman so perfectly that it is almost impossible to think of the film without him.

The DVD includes the "Backstory" making-of featurette, deleted scenes, restoration comparisons, trailer and gallery.

THE ULTIMATE MARILYN.....
This is the ultimate Monroe film. The one where she stands over a subway grating on a hot summer night to feel the rush of cool air from the trains passing beneath---the rush of air blowing the skirt of her sexy white halter dress up around her. But there's a movie that goes with this legendary image and it's a classic. Based on the adult Broadway play, "Itch" was watered down for the screen and stars Tom Ewell as the frustrated married man and Monroe as the Girl Upstairs. One hot New York summer, a man sends his wife and small son away for the summer---as all New York men do this time of the year according to Ewells' narration. He's left alone in their apartment to struggle with his vices---cigarettes and booze---when all of a sudden the Girl moves in sub-letting the apartment upstairs. She's a TV model and commercial actress and delightfully portrayed by Monroe. The homely and dumpy Ewell begins having steamy sex fantasies visualizing himself as a powerful lover irrestible to women. Monroe wants to be neighborly so she keeps inviting herself down to his flat frustrating the hopelessly timid Ewell. She doesn't realize her effect on him but he's got an air condtioner and it's hot upstairs. She's completely guileless. Monroe is perfect as the Girl and Ewell personifies the Everyman confronted with temptation when left to his own devices. Monroe is breathtaking in Technicolor and her performance speaks volumes about her comic potential. The subway grating scene caps her legend as a sex symbol but when you watch her performance here you see she was so much more than that.

The Seven Year Itch- One of the top ten Comedies ever
Nobody should die without seeing this masterpiece comedy at least 1 time.

There is no doubt that this film was influential to many other great comedy films. Ideas like the main character thinking out loud and narrating the movie was used in Ferris Bueller. Ideas like using the main characters fantasies for a laugh was used in the movie A christmas story. Ofcourse this films discussion of sexual tension between males and females has been used many times in movies like American Pie. Ofcourse by todays standards The seven year itch is a classy film compared to films like American Pie. The Seven year itch did it all and influenced some of the greatest comedies of my generation(80's to present).

casting=5 stars
ending=4.5 stars
Directing=5 stars
plot & storyline=5 stars
replay value=5 stars

OVERALL= 4.9 TOTAL STARS

DVD FEATURES: The Seven year itch has awesome DVD features. The AMC backstory explains how Tom Ewell was picked as the starring role, how the censors almost ruined the movie, and Joe Dimmagios reaction to his wife Marilyn Monroes controversial subway scene. Also included is 2 deleted scenes, restoration comparisons and previews for other Marilyn films...

The growing height of Marilyn's career
Too bad Marilyn Monroe didn't have kids, to carry on the legacy maybe, because she was something. This movie sure proves it. I think this movie shows Marilyn acting more comortably in front of the screen and I think this is when she began to become a Hollywood superstar. Everyone wanted to be like her. I think this movie is really funny and entertaining and is worth a rent, but GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES {1953} IS MY VERY FAVE, THAT'S HER SECOND OR THIRD MAYJOR HIT, THAT ONE PARTICULAR SPARKED HER CAREER AS WELL AS THE SEVENYEARITCH. SEE IT, YOU WON'T BE DISAPOINTED!

charming, funny and witty. a classic
ah ha, yes the famous sub-way scene. i don't know if the male viewers of america know how much that scene upset Marilyn Monroe because that is what American men and woman thought of her after this film. The 7 year itch is about more than that sub-way scene, so let's drop the obsession with it please. that aside, this is an excellent movie, one of the best comedies ever. tom ewell is hysterical, as is marilyn. a must see. a true classic. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe are abandoned by a bad guy (Rory Calhoun) who steals Mitchum's horse, forcing them to travel down a raging river (along with Mitchum's son) on a raft. The three refugees, all of them living troubled lives to begin with, have to face the rapids together, and director Otto Preminger's allegory for individual salvation through unity becomes a stirring family drama. This 1954 film features Monroe at her golden peak, though not quite at the apex of her sexual iconography. The result is that she gets to play a character whose beauty is not really part of the story line, a character many other actresses might have played. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Lesser Known Monroe Film Worth A Look
Robert Mitchum plays a practical, no-nonsense farmer recently reunited with his young son, Tommy Rettig. They rescue a young couple (Marilyn Monroe and Rory Calhoun) going on a raft down a river by their homestead, and that's where the trouble begins. Calhoun is out to make a gold claim, and he'll do anything, including stealing Mitchum's horse and gun, leaving Mitchum, Rettig, and even Monroe behind to face the Indians without any defence. So they must take to the raft to survive, and that's where the adventure begins. I liked this film a lot. Mitchum is his usual laconinc self, but it works really well with this character. Monroe gets to act in this film, and she does so very well, playing a saloon singer that wants to defend her man, despite what he has done to all of them. Young Rettig is good too, not cloying and irritating like so many child actors can be. The scenery is beautiful, the title song very effective, and although the direction of Otto Preminger isn't very fluid and sometimes the movie lumbers from one scene to another, the performances and relationships among the characters make up for it. Viewers will enjoy the trip down the River of No Return.

Marilyn Monroe and the Canadian Rockies!
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While this is certainly far from Marilyn Monroe's best performance, it is nonetheless an interesting film to watch.

Amazingly, the somewhat artificial beauty of Marilyn Monroe shown floating on a raft down the "river of no return" with a backdrop of the Canadian Rockies can capture one's imagination and make you forget what a truly awful film this is.

Marilyn steals your attention in every scene, and the sheer beauty of her presence more than makes up for the ridiculousness of the plot.

MM sings a couple of numbers in her dance-hall girl phase of the film, most notably, "I'm Gonna File My Claim", about a gold-digger during the gold rush days.

Any Marilyn fan would have to see this movie just for Marilyn's sake. Anyone else can probably skip it.

MMMmmmarvelous Marilyn!

Sometimes it's peaceful, sometimes wild and free
Marilyn Monroe described this movie as a grade-Z cowboy movie where the acting finished third to the scenery and Cinemascope. Okay, the Canadian Rockies and the rapids were utilized to its best for 1950's film-making, and MM's second film in Cinemascope must have made quite an impression in the theatres for the new aspect ratio.

It's 1875 in the wild Northwest. Matt Calder is reunited with his young son Mark in a saloon town and rather than go the usual route of prospecting, start a new life on a farm bordering the River of No Return. Their life is instantly disrupted by two events. One, gambler Harry Weston, who's one a gold claim under dubious circumstances, is eager to file the claim in Council City to prevent the loser from beating him to it. To that end, he steals Calder's horse and rifle, a capital offense in the codes of the West. Second, a group of Native Americans on the warpath descend on the farm. Both Calders and Kay, Weston's moll who stays behind to look after the injured Calder and his son, flee in time in the raft Weston and Kay arrived in.

From then on, it's a struggle to survive the rapids without any weapons, food, and constantly being drenched by that river whenever it's "wild and free." As Calder tells Kay, "The Indians call this the River of No Return. From here on, you'll find out why." He is so dead set on getting his hands on Weston, he'll risk anything, all the time looking after his two charges.

Conflicts arrive in many forms, the primary two are Kay's torn loyalties between Harry and Matt. She doesn't want Matt to kill Harry once the two meet up, and performs acts that range from desperate to being a seductive vamp, yet she realizes in their travails that he is thoughtful and unselfish, as demonstrated in the scene where he looks after her following her collapse from exhaustion. The other involves the circumstances where Matt had to leave young Mark in the saloon town for five years, and while it's justified, there is a certain amount of stigma in it.

Marilyn gets to sing four songs here, the acoustic guitar tune "One Silver Dollar" and the piano bar tune "I'm Gonna File My Claim", "Down In The Meadow", and one of the best songs she's ever sung, the title ballad. Her costumes aren't bad either, from the garish red dress she wears for the first song, the long green dress for the second tune, and the white blouse and anachronistic Levi's jeans she wears throughout the film. And this is the longest her hair has been in films, albeit it being a blonde wig, of course.

Despite the costumes, it's not a Western in the traditional sense of the word, but River Of No Return pales to others in the genre it's purported to be because it's more drama than action. Granted, this is not one of Marilyn's best films, nor is it that of Robert Mitchum's, Rory Calhoun's, or director Otto Preminger for that matter. Monroe would have to wait until The Seven Year Itch for her next biggest hit. However, both Mitchum and Monroe come off well despite the latter's dismissal of it.

Some of MARILYN'S best acting!! And MITCHUM's superb!
Marilyn doesn't play a dolly-girl in this film. She plays a very human female who has seen hardships and goes through many in the film, and takes it like a toughened woman. I've never seen her quite like this in any of her other films. I love all of her films, but this is a stand-out and unique. I wouldn't rate it as one of her best films, but she IS super in it. It's a Level 2 Marilyn film, not quite up there with How to Marry a Millionaire and The Seven Year Itch, but still pretty darn good!
Robert Mitchum is, as always, superb, and there is a good chemistry between the two. A definite must on DVD for any Marilyn fan. If only somewhat interested get the VHS, but Marilyn fans and Western fans will want the Widescreen DVD.

Revenge and Redemption on a Raging River.
The movie: This is an entertaining movie. Although there are some minor flaws and improbabilities in the script, the film is an exciting blend of action and drama, as Marilyn tries to convince a vengeance-driven Mitchum to spare her boyfriend's life. Marilyn has 4 or 5 songs in the movie, and shows some real talent. This does not detract from the realism of the story, either, because her character plays songs for a living. The ending leaves something to be desired, however, because it never answers a question that the film has set up about Mitchum's character. Still, the movie is fun to watch, and the two leads keep things interesting.

The DVD: This is the perfect DVD to use with a home theater. It has surround sound (the best I've encountered), and a whopping 2.55:1 widescreen transfer. (In case you didn't know, that means that the widescreen picture is 2.55 times wider than it is high.) The film has panoramic shots of some genuinely breathtaking locations. Perhaps the DVD's biggest fault is the way that the restoration inexplicably CUTS OUT whenever there is a fade-out or fade-in! You'll be watching a scene, and then suddenly, without warning, the restoration will blink out, leaving you with a washed-out-looking unrestored image. Then the picture will fade out, and you will see a fade-in on a new unrestored scene. About 1 or 2 seconds after this fade-in, the screen will blink, and the picture will look pretty good again. This is awkward, and interrupts the flow of the movie. I can't believe that the manufacturer is unable to fix those brief segments.

Overall, this is a fun piece of 1950s Americana. "River of No Return" is far better than 90 percent of the new movies being made today, and I recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Groucho Marx and Carmen Miranda. The mind boggles...
Putting Groucho Marx and his cigar in a movie with Carmen Miranda and her fruit basket headdress certainly seems like a good idea, but nobody bothered to write a decent script for this 1947 musical comedy (and you can only think of all the Groucho one-liners that must have ended up on the cutting room floor). The plot, such as it is, has Groucho as Lionel Q. Deveraux, an agent who has one client, Carmen Novarro (Miranda). To make money he has her pose as both a Brazilian bombshell and a French chanteuse to fool nightclub owner Steve Hunt (Steve Cochran). There are some minor subplots involving romance, but they are of tertiary interest at best.

Of course for me the only worthwhile moments are when Groucho is on screen and making with the jokes. The musical numbers are okay, but nothing memorable. If all you have seen are parodies of Carmen Miranda in action then this exposure to the real thing has its value as well. She also works well as a foil for Groucho, which is not really that surprising. You can either be totally flustered or joyfully oblivious to Groucho's zingers and Carmen goes with the later strategy to good effect. "Copacabana" is no substitute for a "true" Marx Brothers film, but despite that inherent limitation it is not a bad film. It would rate a 3.5 but we round up because, after all, it is Groucho.

It's...... Groucho! (and Carmen is fun too!)
Just enough gags and zippy one-liners to make it worth the price of admission for Groucho fans. It's only a pity the other brothers are nowhere in sight. I didn't care much for the musical numbers, but that's what the fast-forward button is for.

The picture quality is great and the audio is clear. No Marx Bros. collection is complete without it! ... Read more

Reviews (27)

No bad scenes - good family video
"In the Good Old Summertime" featuring Van Johnson and Judy Garland is a good video for the entire family viewing. There are no immoral scenes and no improper language. For families that have members that love musicals and members that hate musicals, this story will satisfy everyone. There is some singing in it, but not enough to drive you crazy. This is not a musical where everyone in the cast breaks into spontaneous singing--any music performed is germaine to the story.

Contrary to its title, "In the Good Old Summertime" can be considered a Christmas film and I recommend it for holiday viewing.

For those who like modern story lines, some people say it is similar (in a vague was) like "You've Got Mail."

Buy, view, and enjoy a delightful film.

P.S. Buster Keaton (who played the Scarecrow in "Wizard of Oz")does a magnificent job in this movie. 5 starts for Buster, too.

This is a cute film and you really must pay attention to the secondary characters as well. Especially Buster Keaton.

IMPRESSIVE LOOKING TRANSFER OF AN AVERAGE GARLAND FILM!
"In The Good Old Summertime" is a musical remake of "The Shop Around The Corner" (also available from Warner and the preferred version of this movie). In place of the obviously poignant and tender chemistry that James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan brought to the original we are given shrill ineptitude, a la the usually brilliant Judy Garland and mean spirited inclinations via the embittered Van Johnson. Really, I can't see how anyone would believe Garland and Johnson could be in love, much less have a child, by the final fade out. (Film trivia: the child in the last shot of this film is Liza Minnelli.) The remake, while short on the sprite gaiety of the original, nevertheless has its moments. Garland - although wrong for the part, is nevertheless in good voice and her songs sparkle with a vintage and professionalism that only a great artist like she could make of them in an otherwise uninspired production. In the supporting cast we have one of the cinema's great joys to watch - S.Z. Sakall, as the portly, easily flustered Mr. Oberkugen - proprietor of the music shop where both Johnson and Garland work and spar. Buster Keaton is wasted in his role.
THE TRANSFER: Warner gives us a very clean looking DVD. Colors are somewhat dated and in spots faded, but overall the Technicolor is rich and vibrant. Age related artifacts are present throughout but do not distract. Black levels are solid. Contrast levels tend to be just a bit too low for a picture that doesn't quite deliver as much visual punch as it should. There are no digital anomalies. The audio is mono but nicely balanced.
BOTTOM LINE: This is another film that die hard Garland fans will snatch up quickly. But one wonders why Warner chose "In The Good Old Summertime" over say, "Summer Stock" or any of the Mickey Rooney/Garland vehicles.

Captivating Christmas Story With Judy Garland In Fine Form
Despite this charming film's misleading title the majority of the story takes place in winter in the lead up to the Christmas season. It does however feature one of Judy Garland's best later performances made in an all to rare trauma free moment in the late 1940's for this legendary actress/singer when her health problems were affecting her ability to perform before the camera. Amazingly none of that is evident in "In the Good Old Summertime", which finds her delivering a wonderfully controlled and at times wistful performance as a young employee of a music store in turn of the century Chicago who is having a romantic letter correspondance with a penpal who addresses himself simply as "dear friend". Given its setting of a music shop "In the Good Old Summertime", also offers Judy Garland a number of opportunities to present some fine musical interludes in her unique style.

It was a stroke of genius by MGM to decide to remake as a musical it's earlier 1940 classic "The Shop Around the Corner" which starred James Stewart and another highly strung female performer in Margaret Sullavan. The results here are almost as effective as in the earlier film and Garland and Van Johnson make a delightful screen team. Based on the play "The Shop Around the Corner ", by Miklos Laszlo, the action this time has been moved from present day Budapest to turn of the century Chicago. Indeed this beautiful film bares a strong resemblance to Garland's earlier classic "Meet Me in St. Louis",and here the atmosphere is just as rich where the action centres around Oberkugen's Music Store run by the memorable Otto Oberkugan (S.Z.Sakall), and his colourful group of employees in the store. Chief among them is Andrew Larkin (Van Johnson) who is a promising store clerk. Andrew however has a very prickly relationship with new employee Veronica Fisher (Garland)and both seem to always find something to disagree about. However what both dont realise is that the romances they are respectively enjoying via the mail out of work hours and which have progressed from "intellectual topics" to real love, are actually with each other! As the pen pal letter exchange deepens into love it is agreed that the two will meet. Andrew however sees Veronica already waiting in the restaurant and in his disappointment decides not to go in. Thinking about it longer and realising Veronica is his pen pal Andrew decides to give her a hard time about it and in a funny situation enters the restaurant and engages her in conversation much to Veronica's consternation as she believes her "date", will be due to turn up at any minute. Back at the store however things slowly begin to thaw between the two and when Andrew gets into deep trouble with Mr. Oberkugan for lending his prize violin to friend Louise (Marcia Van Dyke), for an audition he finds himself fired. The staff rally around him and its up to Otto's long suffering secretary Nellie (Spring Byington)and Veronica to make him see the error of his ways. Otto relents for his behaviour and Andrew is made the new manager however Veronica decides she must be the one to leave and its only during a romantic interlude alone in the darkened shop on Christmas Eve that Andrew reveals his real love for her. Veronica also confesses her deep love for her former antagonist and the scene cuts away to the couple in a warm summer setting happily married and with a beautiful young two year old daughter (Liza Minneli).

"In The Good Old Summertime", boasts many memorable musical numbers including the title song, "I Don't Care", "Put Your Arms Around Me Honey", the comical "Play The Barbershop Chord", and my personal favourite "Merry Christmas". In all of these numbers apart from her beautiful singing style Judy Garland proves what an exceptional talent she was in comedy, pantomine and more energic pieces such as the barbershop number. Here is a talented actress in the full bloom of her capabilities who was unfortunately just about to exit the musical movie stage for quite some time. The supporting cast is exceptional with such fine comic talents as S.Z. Sakall and Spring Byington providing the top level support that they delivered in film after film in this period. Some rarities also pop up in "In The Good Old Summertime", as we see veteran Buster Keaton play Otto's brow beaten nephew to fine effect in his last MGM appearance and in the final scene reality and movie fantasy cross as Judy Garland's real life daughter Liza Minnelli plays her and Johnson's movie child in the last scene. Silent star Anna Q. Nilsson also has a small part as a woman buying one of the infuriating harps that reoccur in the story. MGM talent is abundantly on show in all departments here. The director Robert Z. Leonard who helmed the classic "Maytime", for MGM, was only brought in after Garland nixed plans by the studio to give the assignment to her husband Vincente Minnelli as the pair were having difficulties at the time. The choreography is top rate and was handled by Robert Alton who was responsible for the innovative dance numbers in Garland's previous film "Easter Parade". Cedric Gibbons' fine work in set design also deserves mention for giving the film its beautiful appearance and period flavour.

After this effort Judy Garland sadly went into a steep decline health wise and after completing only one more film "Summer Stock", and being released from an aborted attempt to film "Royal Wedding ", with Fred Astaire her MGM contract was terminated. None of this sadness is evident in "In The Good Old Summertime", thankfully and what we have here is a movie with gorgeous technicolour, many fine musical numbers delivered by Garland and a funny, and touching story set against a beautiful "MGM", Christmas. Enjoy Judy Garland at the top of her talents in MGM's "In The Good Old Summertime".

The (Music) Shop Around The Corner
I've yet to see "The Shop Around The Corner" so I can't compare "In The Good Old Summertime" to it, but I will say that "You've Got Mail" pales in comparison to "Summertime". All of the simple charm of "Summertime" is absent from "Mail". That aside, this is a good transfer of a film I've loved for 20 years. I still wish they had released it with a more fitting title, as it takes place mostly in the fall and winter, but it is a charming film filled with terrific acting and witty dialogue. It's generally thought of as a musical, as it stars Judy Garland and she does perform several wonderful songs, but the musical numbers are short and many are understated. I think the movie more correctly falls under the category of "comedy". As with a lot of 1940s era comedies, there are some kind of hokey things about this movie, such as the way the orchestra has to punctuate so many of the comic bits. But that's the way things were then and I certainly prefer it to a scene from a more recent film ("You've Got Mail" comes to mind") that shows a character dancing while a Motown song plays. (A pointless aside regarding music in "You've Got Mail": I liked the way Nilsson's "Remember" was used in the scene where Meg Ryan is decorating the Christmas tree. There. Something I liked about "You've Got Mail".)
My only complaint about this DVD seems to be a problem with a lot of DVD's these days. The music is much, much louder than the dialogue, and the dialogue isn't even cosistent in volume all the way through. So you have to keep adjusting the volume on your TV over and over. That's very annoying. I don't know if they can fix that on such an old film, but they should look into it. ("They" being the people who remaster the sound of these films for the digital release.)
I enjoyed the extras. It's nice to see the theatre previews for all three filmed versions of this story. It shows you how much more clever romantic comedies were in the 1940s compared to more recent years. I liked the Chicago travelogues as well. Great nostalgia! I will also state in agreement with other reviewers here that "Last Night When We Were Young" should have been included too.

Loses a star due to extras
The most disappointing DVD in the Signature Collection.
The included Chicago travelogues while curiosities tangentially worth including aren't worth trading off for in lieu of the missing deleted scene.
Why didn't WB include Garland's version of "Last Night When We Were Young," which was filmed but not used for this movie, on the DVD?
We know they have it .
We've seen it.
If they are saving it for the That's Entertainment Trilogy, I would have bought it anyway.
This ommision is not inadvertent and only created ill will. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Lesser Known Monroe Film Worth A Look
Robert Mitchum plays a practical, no-nonsense farmer recently reunited with his young son, Tommy Rettig. They rescue a young couple (Marilyn Monroe and Rory Calhoun) going on a raft down a river by their homestead, and that's where the trouble begins. Calhoun is out to make a gold claim, and he'll do anything, including stealing Mitchum's horse and gun, leaving Mitchum, Rettig, and even Monroe behind to face the Indians without any defence. So they must take to the raft to survive, and that's where the adventure begins. I liked this film a lot. Mitchum is his usual laconinc self, but it works really well with this character. Monroe gets to act in this film, and she does so very well, playing a saloon singer that wants to defend her man, despite what he has done to all of them. Young Rettig is good too, not cloying and irritating like so many child actors can be. The scenery is beautiful, the title song very effective, and although the direction of Otto Preminger isn't very fluid and sometimes the movie lumbers from one scene to another, the performances and relationships among the characters make up for it. Viewers will enjoy the trip down the River of No Return.

Marilyn Monroe and the Canadian Rockies!
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While this is certainly far from Marilyn Monroe's best performance, it is nonetheless an interesting film to watch.

Amazingly, the somewhat artificial beauty of Marilyn Monroe shown floating on a raft down the "river of no return" with a backdrop of the Canadian Rockies can capture one's imagination and make you forget what a truly awful film this is.

Marilyn steals your attention in every scene, and the sheer beauty of her presence more than makes up for the ridiculousness of the plot.

MM sings a couple of numbers in her dance-hall girl phase of the film, most notably, "I'm Gonna File My Claim", about a gold-digger during the gold rush days.

Any Marilyn fan would have to see this movie just for Marilyn's sake. Anyone else can probably skip it.

MMMmmmarvelous Marilyn!

Sometimes it's peaceful, sometimes wild and free
Marilyn Monroe described this movie as a grade-Z cowboy movie where the acting finished third to the scenery and Cinemascope. Okay, the Canadian Rockies and the rapids were utilized to its best for 1950's film-making, and MM's second film in Cinemascope must have made quite an impression in the theatres for the new aspect ratio.

It's 1875 in the wild Northwest. Matt Calder is reunited with his young son Mark in a saloon town and rather than go the usual route of prospecting, start a new life on a farm bordering the River of No Return. Their life is instantly disrupted by two events. One, gambler Harry Weston, who's one a gold claim under dubious circumstances, is eager to file the claim in Council City to prevent the loser from beating him to it. To that end, he steals Calder's horse and rifle, a capital offense in the codes of the West. Second, a group of Native Americans on the warpath descend on the farm. Both Calders and Kay, Weston's moll who stays behind to look after the injured Calder and his son, flee in time in the raft Weston and Kay arrived in.

From then on, it's a struggle to survive the rapids without any weapons, food, and constantly being drenched by that river whenever it's "wild and free." As Calder tells Kay, "The Indians call this the River of No Return. From here on, you'll find out why." He is so dead set on getting his hands on Weston, he'll risk anything, all the time looking after his two charges.

Conflicts arrive in many forms, the primary two are Kay's torn loyalties between Harry and Matt. She doesn't want Matt to kill Harry once the two meet up, and performs acts that range from desperate to being a seductive vamp, yet she realizes in their travails that he is thoughtful and unselfish, as demonstrated in the scene where he looks after her following her collapse from exhaustion. The other involves the circumstances where Matt had to leave young Mark in the saloon town for five years, and while it's justified, there is a certain amount of stigma in it.

Marilyn gets to sing four songs here, the acoustic guitar tune "One Silver Dollar" and the piano bar tune "I'm Gonna File My Claim", "Down In The Meadow", and one of the best songs she's ever sung, the title ballad. Her costumes aren't bad either, from the garish red dress she wears for the first song, the long green dress for the second tune, and the white blouse and anachronistic Levi's jeans she wears throughout the film. And this is the longest her hair has been in films, albeit it being a blonde wig, of course.

Despite the costumes, it's not a Western in the traditional sense of the word, but River Of No Return pales to others in the genre it's purported to be because it's more drama than action. Granted, this is not one of Marilyn's best films, nor is it that of Robert Mitchum's, Rory Calhoun's, or director Otto Preminger for that matter. Monroe would have to wait until The Seven Year Itch for her next biggest hit. However, both Mitchum and Monroe come off well despite the latter's dismissal of it.

Some of MARILYN'S best acting!! And MITCHUM's superb!
Marilyn doesn't play a dolly-girl in this film. She plays a very human female who has seen hardships and goes through many in the film, and takes it like a toughened woman. I've never seen her quite like this in any of her other films. I love all of her films, but this is a stand-out and unique. I wouldn't rate it as one of her best films, but she IS super in it. It's a Level 2 Marilyn film, not quite up there with How to Marry a Millionaire and The Seven Year Itch, but still pretty darn good!
Robert Mitchum is, as always, superb, and there is a good chemistry between the two. A definite must on DVD for any Marilyn fan. If only somewhat interested get the VHS, but Marilyn fans and Western fans will want the Widescreen DVD.

Revenge and Redemption on a Raging River.
The movie: This is an entertaining movie. Although there are some minor flaws and improbabilities in the script, the film is an exciting blend of action and drama, as Marilyn tries to convince a vengeance-driven Mitchum to spare her boyfriend's life. Marilyn has 4 or 5 songs in the movie, and shows some real talent. This does not detract from the realism of the story, either, because her character plays songs for a living. The ending leaves something to be desired, however, because it never answers a question that the film has set up about Mitchum's character. Still, the movie is fun to watch, and the two leads keep things interesting.

The DVD: This is the perfect DVD to use with a home theater. It has surround sound (the best I've encountered), and a whopping 2.55:1 widescreen transfer. (In case you didn't know, that means that the widescreen picture is 2.55 times wider than it is high.) The film has panoramic shots of some genuinely breathtaking locations. Perhaps the DVD's biggest fault is the way that the restoration inexplicably CUTS OUT whenever there is a fade-out or fade-in! You'll be watching a scene, and then suddenly, without warning, the restoration will blink out, leaving you with a washed-out-looking unrestored image. Then the picture will fade out, and you will see a fade-in on a new unrestored scene. About 1 or 2 seconds after this fade-in, the screen will blink, and the picture will look pretty good again. This is awkward, and interrupts the flow of the movie. I can't believe that the manufacturer is unable to fix those brief segments.

Overall, this is a fun piece of 1950s Americana. "River of No Return" is far better than 90 percent of the new movies being made today, and I recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Twentieth Century Fox Rip Off
Looking at the cover art (with images exclusively of Marilyn Monroe), you would probably think that this is a Marilyn Monroe movie. It is not. She has a very small part in the movie, is on screen only briefly, and has virtually nothing to do with the plot. Aside from the Marilyn Monroe issue, I found the movie un-funny, boring and forgettable. I'm going to throw my copy away, so as not to burden anyone else with it. I don't know, but I'll bet that "Let's Make It Legal" was not the original title of the movie, but was added later to make it sound "Marilyn-esque". Don't get ripped off like me!

LET'S MAKE IT MARILYN - A BEAUTIFUL LOOKING TRANSFER
"Let's Make It Legal" is the delightful little comedy about a grandmother (Claudette Colbert) who, after divorcing her husband, Hugh (Macdonald Carey) discovers that an old flame, Victor (Zachary Scott) still has the 'hots' for her and intends on turning his flame into an inferno with a vengeance. Robert Wagner costars as Colbert's devilish son-in-law. So where's Marilyn Monroe in all this? She's the sexy siren in hot pursuit of Vic's affections. But he's all ice when it comes to her charms. Go figure. It's a good thing this film wasn't included as part of Marilyn Monroe: The Diamond Collection because for all its cutsie cuddliness, this one's more cubic zirconium.
TRANSFER: Lots to smile about here. The black and white picture genuinely sparkles. Blacks are solid, the gray scale is perfectly balanced and age related artifacts are, for the most part, nonexistent. Minor edge enhancement and some video noise (particularly in plaid patterns) crop up now and then but truthfully, this is a superb looking transfer. The audio has been re-channeled to two stem stereo with predictable limited range. Nevertheless the soundtrack is smooth.
EXTRAS: Come on, what did you expect for a film of this limited appeal. You get some Marilyn trailers. Enjoy!
BOTTOM LINE: Even if you're not a fan of Monroe (and I'd like to meet the man who isn't!) this silly little programmer is easy on the eyes and tingly all over, but especially on the heart.

How could anyone NOT watch this film to see Marilyn Monroe?
.
Basic rule of cinema #1: Never is a moment of Marilyn Monroe on film not worth seeing.

One of the reviews I read here said not to waste your time with this terrible film, because Marilyn Monroe is only in it for 8 minutes.

Another review stated that not everyone is looking for Marilyn Monroe in this film.

Both reviewers are talking out their wrong ends!

In my humble opinion, this film wouldn't even be released on DVD if it weren't for the fact that Marilyn Monroe made one of her early appearances in it. Although her role may not be one of the biggest in this film, it is certainly one of the most memorable of any member of the cast.

I mean really, who would bother with such a dated and easily forgotten film of this type were it not notable for the mere presence of the most MMemorable superstar in all cinematic history, the incomparable Marilyn Monroe?

As a worshipper at the church of Marilyn Monroe, I think this film, as any other film that the divine Marilyn appeared in, is a MUST-HAVE for your collection.

Marilyn Monroe lives on film, keep her alive forever!

A Good Movie from the Pre-TV Era
Let's Make it Legal was an enjoyable movie from an era before the pervasiveness of television necessitated that movies be done on scales grand enough to compete with the small screen. This is just a simple little story with an impressive cast. Great for the Robert Wagner fan, as it was one of his first roles, and he is featured prominently. Claudette Colbert is great as always. And, to the reviewer who said we shouldn't watch it because Marilyn Monroe is only on screen for eight minutes, it should be remembered that not everyone is looking for Marilyn Monroe.

poor poor Marilyn
It's truly sad to see what Marilyn had to do to get to the top.. Let's Make It Legal is an example of this.. This MOVIE IS TERRIBLE.Don't bother with it unless you're a DIE HARD Marilyn fan, because she's in it for like 8 minutes and it's really almost not worth it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Bumsteads go on a cruise. Penny Singleton sings!
This is the 8th film in the series of 28 (1938-1950). Alvin (Danny Mummert) is nice enough to visit the Bumsteads and give flowers to Blondie. He has a poem to read titled, "The Bumsteads Go To South America". The Bumstead family gets to go on a six-week cruise to South America thanks to Mr. Dithers. Well, a telegram comes for Mr. Dithers. To close a deal at the office, someone must be at the office Tuesday. This is Mr. Dithers health cruise, so that means Dagwood (Arthur Lake) must leave the ship to be at the office. After all Mr. Dithers is Dagwood's boss. But Dithers insists on Blondie (Penny Singleton), Baby Dumpling (Larry Simms) and Daisy too to stay on the ship with him with his compliments. Dagwood says a tearful goodbye. Well, as you will see, Dagwood doesn't quite make it ashore. He is still on the boat and is trying to hide from Mr. Dithers. Baby Dumpling meets a little girl (Janet Burston) and they sing a duet. Penny Singleton gets to sing three beautiful songs and dances too. The next film in the series is BLONDIE IN SOCIETY.

The Bumsteads in a good musical comedy. Lots of fun for fans
This entry in the "Blondie" series stands out from the usual run because of its elaborate production values and its emphasis on music. "Blondie Goes Latin" is a full-fledged musical, with Penny Singleton singing two songs and dancing up a storm, Arthur Lake doing energetic drum solos, Ruth Terry and Tito Guizar vocalizing individually (and Terry is terrific!) -- even Baby Dumpling, Mr. Dithers, and Daisy try dancing! Not much plot -- the family's cruise vacation is disrupted when Dagwood, having to find a client on board, is drafted into the ship's orchestra -- but never mind the plot, enjoy the music! Followers of the series will definitely greet this with enthusiasm, and movie-musical fans will find lots to like, too. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Hard hitting early pugilist flick
Interesting that right around the same time--the late 40s--three different films were all released with basically the same theme and plot: The Set-Up (w. Robert Ryan); Champion (w. Kirk Douglas); and Body and Soul (w. John Garfield). Ryan's film is a very good piece of work while the Garfield film is, by today's standards, heavy-handed, thus dated. But the Kirk Douglas film is, in fact, the Champion.

The boxing scenes are realistic--in spite of Douglas' recent nose job, made during filming, preventing any of his sparring partners to hit anywhere near his schnozz. But more than anything else, it's Douglas' tremendous charisma and energy that raise this film above the norm. Douglas, as did Garfield in the earlier Body and Soul, plays a guy mired in poverty who sees boxing as a quick way out of the hole and, once initially successful, wants nothing but more: both money and success. And nothing standing in his way will prevent him from getting what he wants. But while Garfield's portrayal of selfishness is forced and, as well, entrenched in cliched dialogue, both Douglas' acting and the far more intelligent script make Midge Kelly's (Douglas) relentless quest for power tremendously believable.

Arthur Kennedy is Connie, Midge's brother whose leg was busted when he was a kid and now walks with a cane. The three--yep, count 'em, three--women in Midge's life add a lot of juice to the film and a nice touch is the casting of a brunette who's Midge's girl when he's poor and two blondes when he's rich and successful. Back in them days, blondes were IT. (Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield carried on the tradition).

Champion gives you a great view of life in the late 40s as well. It's also interesting that the director, Mark Robson, was part of the Val Lewton school of horror directors (which also included Robert Wise), so makes excellent use with his cinematographer of light and shadow. This is not exactly a film noir, but does have several noirish traits--camera lighting, and thematic corruption and desperation.

This is more a precursor to Raging Bull than Rocky; the latter character is always good, while DeNiro's character is akin to Midge Kelly--rising quickly from a life in the streets to attain fame and fortune, even if toes get stepped on and hearts gets smashed to pieces (Rocky would never do stuff like that).

A strong piece of cinema; recommended.

DOUGLAS BEST MOVIE
THE FIGHT SCEANS ARE GREAT FOR 1949 MOVIE THE MAKEUP ON KIRK IN LAST FIGHT ARE FANTASTIC.

Douglas slugs his way to upward mobility
This is the movie that made a star of Kirk Douglas and it is easy to see why. Up to that point, although cast in memorable films such as "Out of the Past" and "A Letter to Three Wives," among others, he played second banana and minor roles that really didn't give the audience a hint as to his raw, seething talent. In "Champion" Douglas' abilities are displayed full throttle in the start of what would be a string of excellent performances of flawed yet all-too-human characters in his searing portrayal of Midge Kelly, a desperately driven and ruthless young man who is willing to do anything and step on anyone to get on top. Douglas captures to perfection Midge's permanent disillusionment, anger and bitterness springing from wretched childhood poverty and miserable circumstances and just a general feeling of being cheated by life; this all results in him becoming an amoral, unscrupulous individual out to pursue success and wealth at any cost. Yet Douglas' performance (as well as all the other scoundrels he played in many fine films) never comes across as repulsive--quite the contrary, we pity Midge, perhaps even like and admire him a little. Rest of the cast is superb--Arthur Kennedy as Midge's devoted and long-suffering brother; darkly attractive Ruth Roman as Midge's coolly alluring, conflicted wife; blonde sexpot Marilyn Maxwell as a mercenary, cunning hustler as well as Midge's mistress; Paul Stewart as the principled coach in the corrupt world of boxing who helps Midge only to get shafted; and Lola Albright is poignant as a young introspective and serious married woman who gets betrayed by Midge when he throws her over for money. Douglas in his star turn is sure to keep you riveted in a must-see performance. Complimenting the mood of the film is the wonderfully gritty, almost claustrophobic B&W photography and the ironic parallel evident in Midge's profession as a boxer since he both literally and figuratively knocks around all those in life around him.

CHAMPION-- The title says it all!
Before "Raging Bull" and "Rocky" there was "Champion". This movie was one of Stanley Kramer's first and it is stark and powerful in a very compelling way. The incredible film editing won an Academy Award in 1949 and it is up there with "The Harder They Fall" among boxing cinematic masterpieces. If you want a "reel" experience and boxing is of interest to you, this flick is a must see.

Surprisingly fascinating
Kirk Douglas plays an emotionally bankrupt man driven by poverty and anger to become a champion prizefighter. His energy and confidence attract love and loyalty from people who contribute to his success but become hurt and disillusioned by his ingratitude and betrayal. The plot is fairly simple, but the film holds interest through its portrayal of a man devoid of self-understanding, whose ambition can never truly be satisfied despite his apparent success. The most intense scenes are in the boxing ring, where no amount of punishment can stop him. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Canal girl Grable falls for earthy farmer Dale Robertson
Colorful remake of the 1935 Fonda-Gaynor drama, this 1953 Technicolor musical comes across as fresh, vibrant and as American as apple pie.The story is based on fact - when the Rome Canal, NY, is under threat from the advance of the railroads. When farmer Dale Robertson is hired to work on the canal, Betty Grable falls for him, but their romance is in conflict with his interest in the land, and her loyalty to the canals. Betty Grable - in her first film after a year-long suspension - is excellent as the feisty canal boat cook and showed she had lost none of her glamour during her long absence. A tuneful show, with lots of homespun comedy numbers, the Grable leg show suffers due to the 1850s costumes, but she does manage a number or two with Broadway dancer Gwen Verdon as they dance to choreographer Jack Cole's tune. Great support from love rival John Carroll, and some excellent comedy from scene-stealers Thelma Ritter and Eddie Foy junior. Spectacular outdoor settings, for which the studio built a complete working canal, including locks, on their backlot. Glorious piece of Americana! Well worth having if only to watch Grable singing the opening number "Today I Love Everybody" - a breath of fresh air.

A classic Betty Grable slice-of-life on the Erie Canal.
This is a classic Betty Grable movie. Betty plays a lovable and cheerful young cook on an Erie Canal boat. As usual, her love life is giving her troubles. This movie is a slice-of-life about living on the Erie Canal, just as Oklahoma was for homesteading in the west. It is a treat to watch with just enough tongue-in-cheek to keep it from taking itself too seriously. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Tough, gritty Barbara Stanwyck is at home on the range
Diverting western about cattle stampeding and land-grabbing in Montana where a local land owner is in cahoots with renegade Blackfeet Indians to kill and drive off white settlers who want to build homes and raise cattle and who pays off the hostiles with rifles and whiskey. Barbara Stanwyck is a tough-as-nails Texas woman who aims to take her rightful place where she and her father filed a legal land claim but are thwarted at every turn by greedy rancher McCord. Colorados, a college-educated Indian who wants peace and prosperity for the Blackfeet, gives aid and comfort to Sierra Nevada Jones after her cattle have been run off, incurring the wrath of a warlike sub-chief of a band of hostile Blackfeet. A lovely Indian maiden, jealous of the attentions paid to the red-haired white woman by Colorados, leads Sierra and Colorados into an ambush which backfires and ends with loyal Blackfeet battling against their hostile tribesmen and McCord's bunch of malcontents. Ronald Reagan appears as a government troubleshooter sent to find out how the Blackfeet are getting repeating rifles. Lance Fuller is smooth as the eloquent, learned Colorados, and Anthony Caruso is very good as a fierce warrior intent on driving all whites out of Blackfeet country.

Classic, well done RKO Western
Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan give fine performances in this colorful little western. Directed by Allan Dwan and produced by Benedict Bogeaus, Cattle Queen of Montana, is well produced, colorful, and entertaining throughout. Lots of action, great photographer, and a great story make for the kind of thrills that Western fans appreciate. Louis Forbes, who also did the musical score for the Dwan/Borgeaus collaboration Silver Lode, also composed the fine score for this one.
The VCI DVD issue is clean and sharp, colorful, and well-done, with extras that add to our enjoyment. We owe VCI a debt of thanks for rescuing this film, and others suchs as TENNESSEE'S PARTNER, SILVER LODE, THE YOUNG LAND, and PASSION (all from the 1950s), which they have made available [see listing for them].
Highly recommended to fans of Westerns and those who enjoy 1950s cinema. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Lost in a daze
Not one of Abbott & Costello's best works. Costello has some funny bits but overall I was rather unimpressed with this one. Don't get me wrong the movie is definitly watchable and has some very funny scenes but it just doesn't compare to some of the other work they put out around this same time. There are much better works to choose from "Time Of Their Lives", "Hold That Ghost" & "Rio Rita" to name a few.

Great Comedy
If yo like Abbott and Costello, this is your movie. Overlooked by many, it is funnier than Buck Privates with many of the great A&C routines used to great advantage. A truly memorable comic masterpiece.

An okay film as long as Abbott & Costello are on screen
The title tells you where Abbott & Costello end up in this 1944 film directed by Charles Riesner. When a vaudeville show becomes stranded in Port Inferno, a strange city in the mystic East, singer Hazel Moon (Marilyn Maxwell) gets a gig at the Cafe of All Nations and persuades the owner to hire the show's prop men, Harvey Garvey (Lou) and Pete Johnson (Bud). After their magic act ends them all in jail, a desert shiek named Ramo (John Corte) offers to help them escape if they help him regain the throne of Barbabeeha. Standing in the way is the evil Nimativ (Douglas Dumbrille), who has a weakness for blondes. Unfortunately, Nimativ knows how to hypnotize people and you can imagine what this means for the boys. "Lost in a Harem" is one of those films where the only worthwhile moments are when Abbott & Costello are on screen. In addition to the magic act spoiled by Lou, the boys do the famous burlesque routine "Slowly, I Turned" with Murray Leonard. The problem was that the Three Stoges short "Gents Without Cents" also came out in 1944; today most people associate the bit with the Stooges. Lou also does a great bit where he is trying to sleep in a crowded tent where he has to contend with a beard and scimitar. Pretty much Abbott & Costello on cruise control, but that is still pretty good. Final note: Not only do Hazel and Prince Ramo marry in the film, co-stars Maxwell and Conte became engaged during the production.

good start//then its downhill
after costello's illness mgm and universal rushed 2 films into production...this one is not their best....they seem to be disinterested//slow moving//one or 2 good routines//not their best

ONE OF ABBOTT & COSTELLO'S BEST FILMS
Charles Riesner directs this classic A & C film. The film was made during the team's loan out to MGM from the parent studio UNIVERSAL. The team travel to Arabia to bring back heroine Marilyn Maxwell and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (who villain Douglas Dumbrille has hypnotised into playing ONLY for him). The boys MANAGE to convince the shiek Dumbrille's ENTIRE harem and a towering guard, that they're talent scouts from Hollywood looking for new stars. One of the film's BEST highlights has Bud and Lou locked in a room. Dumbrille hypnotises them into thinking they're termites. Before long the boys have DEVOURED EVERY piece of furniture in the room. GREAT Abbott & Costello flick. LOTS OF LAUGHS. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

ZANY SCREWBALL CORN.
This is a fairly entertaining musical farce which concerns a love triangle involving two pairs of siblings. Bob Hope and Jack Whiting are fellow officers in the Navy who meet Betty Grable and Martha Raye while on leave. Whiting falls for Grable, but Raye is smitten with Whiting, while Hope wants Raye and Whiting to get together so he can worm his way into Grable's good graces. Hope coaches Raye on how to get Whiting hooked, but nothing seems to happen until a photograph of Raye accidentally turns up in a "best legs" contest...Raye garners a lot of attention from the the picture and her loud, obvious yet entertaining personality finally wins over Whiting. The finale has Hope and Raye go down the aisle in a double wedding with Whiting and Grable. Raye is quite funny wearing a hardened facial mask which is hard to crack!

Grable overshadowed by Raye's underpinnings!
Typical zany 30s comedy tailored to the talents of Bob Hope and Martha Raye. Martha plays a homebody who enters a cake-making competition, but inadvertendly a photograph of her legs is also sent with the cake! Guess what! Martha loses the baking prize but ends up winning the Most Beautiful Legs competition.

But it is nice to see Betty Grable (who plays Martha's young sister) in her pre-stardom days, giving us a preview of what was yet to come. She was maturing nicely - without any mention of her celebrated legs. She sings and dances "What Goes on Here in My Heart" to the backing of Jack Whiting's Orchestra.

Bob and Martha have some fine comedy moments, but Betty is cast here in a strangly unsympathetic role. However all ends happily - as they did in those crazy Thirties comedies. Screwball fun. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Take a Chance on this movie!
June Allyson and Kathryn Grayson work very well together in this movie. The character that Kathryn Grayson plays is different from the usual "good-girl" she plays in her other movies. She's not "bad"; it's just not a role you'd expect her to play. The songs in this movie are mostly sung by Kathryn Grayson, but June Allyson does have a funny little number that she belts out comically. Jimmy Durante and Peter Lawford are the objects of "romance" for the sisters. I really enjoyed this movie because not only was it funny, but the songs and the plot were great too!

Enjoyable Musical Comedy With A Talented Cast
TWO SISTERS FROM BOSTON is a musical comedy about two girls from Boston who go to New York and get jobs as singers and dancers in a Bowery nightclub while trying to land a spot in the Met for one of the sisters (Kathryn Grayson). June Allyson plays the other sister and Jimmy Durante is the owner of the Bowery joint. Lauritz Melchior, Peter Lawford and Ben Blue appear in strong supporting roles. The talented cast is what makes the movie so entertaining. The plot is slightly nonsensical but it really doesn't matter in this case.

Henry Koster directed many other films including FLOWER DRUM SONG, MY MAN GODFREY and THE BISHOP'S WIFE. He was nominated for an Oscar for the latter in 1947. Lauritz Melchior was underrated as an actor and I wish that he had made more movies.

Opera Vs. Dancehall
This is an entertaining lower budget MGM musical. Kathryn Grayson gets to show her sense of humor and June Allyson is charming. Miss
Grayson shows she can handle comic as well as classical music and
in my opinion is one of the most beautiful movie stars of her era. This is a well paced, funny film; the ending could have been a bit
stronger, but viewers shouldm't be disappointed. One of the best
examples of the use of opera as comedy.

A hidden Gem!
June Allyson, Kathryn Grayson, Jimmy Durante, & Peter Lawford lead the cast in this charming, funny romantic musical set at the turn of the Century.

Allyson and Grayson are Martha and Abigail Chandler, two sisters from an elite conservative family in Boston. Pursuing a singing career in the opera, Abigail(Grayson) lives on her own in New York and pays for her singing lessons by singing and dancing at a bar run by the endearing Jimmy Durante.

The fun begins when Abigail's Boston relatives find out and head to New York to set her straight. Fortunately for Abigail, younger sister Martha(Allyson) comes to the rescue risking her own good girl reputation to cover for her sister and help her make it to the Grand Opera.

Peter Lawford and June Allyson are hysterical as the over conservative goody-goodies who fall for each other, Jimmy Durante gives an adorable comical performance as Abigail's boss, and Kathryn Grayson gives beautiful renditions of classical songs.

Memorable scenes include Allyson's performance of the song "After the Show" in a bar, and Grayson's hilarius run-in with the great opera singer Ostrum(Lauritz Melchior) as she steals his aria during a live performance.

Very funny plot and performances throughout the whole movie. Definitely worth watching and enjoying over and over again!!

Well worth seeing
A classic and more unknown film This one is well worth seeing and entertaining. The storyline is cute and entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"Has there ever been any insanity in your family?"
In the film "Stranger on the Third Floor" from director Boris Ingster, newspaper reporter Michael Ward (John McGuire) gets his big break when he stumbles upon a murder. Ward becomes the key witness at the murder trial of Briggs (Elisha Cook Jr) who is accused of slashing the throat of a popular cafe owner. Briggs maintains his innocence and claims that he found the victim with his throat cut, but Ward's testimony convicts Briggs and he is sentenced to the chair.

The spotlight's on Ward, and he gets a $12 a month raise--just enough for him to consider marriage to his long-time girlfriend, Jane (Margaret Tallichet) but she can't shake the feeling that the raise, and their marriage will always be tainted by the murder. She considers the possibility that Briggs may be telling the truth. Unfortunately, Ward isn't too interested in her doubts about the trial. Briggs is a ne'er-do-well who made threats to Nick, plus Ward's role as the star witness resulted in an improvement in his newspaper career.

Ward soon finds out the hard way that threats and circumstantial evidence can convict an innocent man. "Stranger on the Third Floor" includes one of the best dream sequences ever filmed--thanks to strong character acting and excellent use of black and white. The film also includes another classic scene that takes place in Ward's rented room in a boarding house when Ward's amorous plans are thwarted by with a nosy landlady and a prying, sanctimonious neighbour. The reptilian Peter Lorre stars as 'the stranger' and he's delightfully creepy and bizarre. All the characters--even the relatively minor ones--are very sharply developed. "Stranger on the Third Floor"--an early film noir-- is just over 64 minutes long, but it's a tightly developed, perfect little package and well worth watching if you can find a copy of it anywhere--displacedhuman

Great Dream Sequence & A Sly Seduction Scene
One of the earliest Noir classics the film features a justly famous and totally spellbinding dream sequence but also has one of the drollest and funniest failed-seduction scenes in movie history(McGuire only magages to get Tallichet to remove her socks). It misses getting 5 stars for the last shot when the falsly accused Elisha Cook Jr. seems a bit too forgviving toward the man who almost sent him to the hot-seat. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Pleasant Autry Musical
Back from the war, and still under contract to Republic Pictures, Gene Autry made a few more films for that studio before switching to a more lucrative relationship with Columbia. Of the five Republic movies Gene made after the war, "Sioux City Sue" was the first, and some feel the best. While not on a par with his classic Republic films of the late thirties, "Sioux City Sue" still provides enjoyable entertainment for fans of filmdom's greatest singing cowboy. There are many good western songs featured in this movie sung by Gene and the Cass County Boys ( when Gene moved to Columbia, he was smart enough to take the "boys" with him ), including "Someday You'll Want Me to Want You" and the catchy title song.

The plot is very slight--Gene is manipulated by an unscrupulous movie studio and has to deal with a bitter, former cowhand from his ranch--but Gene's personality and relaxed vocal stylings overshadow any shortcomings. Lynne Roberts is an attractive leading lady. On the other hand, Sterling Holloway is downright annoying--he is not really a sidekick in this movie, but his silly over-acting and mannerisms get far too much screen-time. Great character actors like Tris Coffin and Kenne Duncan are wasted in minor roles.

Bottom line--this film is still good fun for fans of "America's Favourite Cowboy", and as usual Image gives us as pristine a picture as one could expect.

Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear
A highly enjoyable Autry western, boosted by a spirited supporting cast, a non-formula script, and a sprinkling of very listenable songs including the delightful title number. Autry was always an unlikely cowboy hero, short, stout, and wooden, yet his way with a song was always pleasant and natural, while his horsemanship and fight scenes were as convincing as any. His secret of success may well have been his ordinariness. Unlike a towering John Wayne, Crash Corrigan, or innumerable other icons of the Saturday matinee, Autry was always within reach of the audience, a reassuring nearness for those of us who knew we would never grow into the boots of a Wayne or Corrigan. Anyway, I suppose the audience for this kind of innocent bucholic fun dwindles each year as we matinee kids age and shuffle off, leaving such fare to film historians and curiosity seekers. Historians should find this film particularly revealing for its behind-the-scenes look at the making of musical westerns, and also for a fluttery Sterling Holloway, a most unlikely comic relief for the macho western, which, I suppose, amounted to someone's comment on the film industry since he appears as a production assisstant. The leading lady also goes against type. A hard-driving studio scout, who overshadows the laid-back Autry, she defies patriarchal expectations by remaining with the studio at film's end. All in all, this programmer rises above the low expectations of a cowboy movie and remains well worth a look on several levels.

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!
THIS PICTURE JUST GOES TO PROVE THAT GENE AUTRY WAS STILL COWBOY #1 EVEN AFTER HIS RETURN FROM THE WAR. WAS THEN AND STILL IS NOW!

The best of the post-WWII Autry movies
This is probably the best of the the Post-WW2 Autry movies from a music standpoint. Many of the songs were hits for him and are delivered by a more mature Autry. The Cass County Boys do an excellent job of supporting him musically. The quality of this uncut video is excellent and the sound is above average for a reissue. A 'must have' for those who collect singing cowboy music and films. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Aerial Gunner
Although dated by today's standards ("Holy Christopher!"), the movie gives an accurate account of aerial gunnery training in WWII. For the first hour (of the 90 minute film), all aspects of gunnery training are portrayed. I fully enjoyed the epic, even though the characters end up in a B-25 Mitchell. (I'm partial to B-24 Liberators!) Well worth the watch!! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Hard hitting early pugilist flick
Interesting that right around the same time--the late 40s--three different films were all released with basically the same theme and plot: The Set-Up (w. Robert Ryan); Champion (w. Kirk Douglas); and Body and Soul (w. John Garfield). Ryan's film is a very good piece of work while the Garfield film is, by today's standards, heavy-handed, thus dated. But the Kirk Douglas film is, in fact, the Champion.

The boxing scenes are realistic--in spite of Douglas' recent nose job, made during filming, preventing any of his sparring partners to hit anywhere near his schnozz. But more than anything else, it's Douglas' tremendous charisma and energy that raise this film above the norm. Douglas, as did Garfield in the earlier Body and Soul, plays a guy mired in poverty who sees boxing as a quick way out of the hole and, once initially successful, wants nothing but more: both money and success. And nothing standing in his way will prevent him from getting what he wants. But while Garfield's portrayal of selfishness is forced and, as well, entrenched in cliched dialogue, both Douglas' acting and the far more intelligent script make Midge Kelly's (Douglas) relentless quest for power tremendously believable.

Arthur Kennedy is Connie, Midge's brother whose leg was busted when he was a kid and now walks with a cane. The three--yep, count 'em, three--women in Midge's life add a lot of juice to the film and a nice touch is the casting of a brun