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This classic family film made a star of 12-year-old Elizabeth Taylor in the title role as spunky Velvet Brown, a girl who's determined to enter her horse, Pie, in the Grand National Steeplechase. Critic Pauline Kael called it "One of the most likeable movies of all time." Mickey Rooney costars as a young man who helps Velvet train Pie for the big race. At the last minute, Velvet herself has to ride Pie in the tournament and cuts her hair to pass for a jockey. Anne Revere won an Oscar as Velvet's mother, as did editor Robert J. Kern, who cut together a terrifically exciting horse race. Donald Crisp and Angela Lansbury are also featured as members of the Brown family.--Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A Classic Tale of a Girl, her Horse, a young Jockey and Mom
Somehow I never got around to see this movie until I was 40 years old. I guess it was because I was never really an Elizabeth Taylor fan, although I have always enjoyed "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" But I was at the library and I had always heard good things about it and so I checked in out and took it home and watched it and feel in love with it.

The plot line involving Mike (Mickey Rooney) starts off as somewhat melodramatic, the standard story (literarly in this case) of the guy who has to get back on the horse. The twist is that when he does our young heroine has decided she is the only one who can ride the Pie to victory. The twist is the Rooney achieves his victory without winning (anticipating "Rocky" in that regard when you stop and think about it).

The focus of the film is on Taylor and Rooney, but the heart and soul of the film is the relationship between Velvet and her mother. Anne Reeve won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of the mother, and while her scenes with husband Donald Crip are small gems scattered throughout the film (they call each other "Mr. Brown" and "Mrs. Brown" and you can tell how much they love each other every time they do it), it is the scenes with her daughter that bring home the film.

Mrs. Brown uses the money from her swimming the channel to fund Velvet's dream of racing the pie in the Grand National. But for Velvet the payoff is not when she wins the race and becames a front page story, but when she arrives home and immediately runs to her mother and says, "We won, Mother. We won." Her mother already knows. All of England knows. But all that mattered was telling her mother. It is a neat scene and an ellegant payoff to the film, more so than her running off to fetch make Mike.

This 1944 film was directed by Clarence Brown and is based on the novel by Enid Bagnold. Final Warning: And if after you have watched and enjoyed this classic film with your children and you screen the sequel "International Velvet" which only leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you have only yourself to blame.

Wonderful Technicolor Film About a Girl's Dream
I love both the book of NATIONAL VELVET and this film, which makes small changes to the book, but the theme and joy remain the same. Sickly Velvet Brown wins a fractious horse in a lottery and she and ex-jockey Mi Taylor train the horse to race in England's most famous steeplechase, the Grand National, a grueling race with frightening jumps. Velvet's family--her wise mother, excitable father, lovelorn older sister, telltale other sister, and mischievous little brother are all entertaining in their own right--some of the best scenes in the movie are between Anne Revere as Mrs. Brown and Donald Crisp as Mr. Brown. All this in glorious Technicolor recreating an English village of the 1920s. A must-have. Read the book as well--there is another sister in the story, more horse incidents, and it's not "translated" for American sensibilities like Harry Potter, so you get a real feel for English life and dialect at the time.

Poor treatment of a classic
"National Velvet" is a wonderful movie, for all ages. Frankly, I'd consider it one of the best "sports" movies ever made.

Sadly, Warner Brothers DVD release leaves a lot to be desired. The picture frequently goes out of focus, and the disc is bare-bones....not even the trailer [promised on the DVD jacket] is included.

With Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney still around, you would have thought they'd have either interviewed them, or gotten a commentary track from them for this classic. It would be worth the price to get a "special edition" release.

Until then, I guess we're stuck with this sorry disk.

Not to be missed
Clarence Brown was one of those accomplished American directors who never seemed to get the credit he deserved. This project is certainly his masterpiece. It's usually hyped as a children's picture but it works at all age levels: the apotheosis of the "family" movie. Mickey Rooney delivers the best performance of his amazing career; he should be next on the "lifetime achievment" list of the American movie academy. Brown also extracted equally compelling performances from Elizabeth Taylor, Donald Crisp and Anne Revere; in fact the entire cast. Taylor is a young English girl transported by her love of hayburners and her pure happiness is the central theme of the movie, a subject you don't see treated much anymore. Highly recommended.

Horse Crazy!
National Velvet is a sweet, inspiring film that will forever be a wonderful classic. Elizabeth Taylor (Velvet Brown) and Mickey Rooney (Mi Taylor) did an incredible job portraying their characters. Elizabeth Taylor only twelve years old, plays the part of a horse crazy little girl who is bound and determined that her horse (Pie) can when the Grand National Steeplechase. Although Pie was not originally her horse, it was enduring to watch how Velvet acquired the 16 hands, 6 foot jumping horse and how small of chance she had to win him. Mickey Rooney played a wonderful role of a frighten ex-jockey who in the beginning did not want any part of the horse business after an accident early in his career. With a spirited young girl, a wonderful horse that was thought to be no good, and an ex-jockey that tried too hard to stay away from horses, a winning story was sure to be produced. Velvet's family also played an important role as her mother (Academy Award winner Anne Revere), the quick tongue lady who could always convince her husband otherwise and Velvet's siblings, that put an emphasis on typical sibling relationships. For it's time, when this film was produced, it was outstanding (Academy Award winning) and now it is even more outstanding. People of all ages can enjoy this film because it's heartwarming with a touch of comedy that seeps into the heart of everyone. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

DON'T WATCH: JUST LISTEN
Richard Burton stars and co-directed this idiosyncratic production of DOCTOR FAUSTUS (Columbia Tristar), Christopher Marlowe's 16th century masterpiece about an aging German scholar who makes a deal with the devil for youth, knowledge, and a dazzling mistress (Elizabeth Taylor in a silent role as Helen of Troy). Filmed in the UK with supporting performances from the Oxford University Dramatic Society, this disc works better as an audio play. The music is effective and the mellifluous voice of Burton is a wonder. Now where's the uncut Brit version of Ken Russell's THE DEVILS?

Marlowe's work admirably brought to the screen.
This 1960's film featuring typical sets from the period does rather well with Marlowe's original play of the tragic decision made by a German professor to sell his soul in exchange for 4 and 20 years of self gratification. As in the original play, it is a very erudite work and features players from Oxford University as well as Burton at the height of his powers and his famous love for Elizabeth Taylor projected here in the role of Helen of Troy. A wonderful and haunting score in the opening credits and throughout the movie adds to the flavor of this intellectual delight. (The score is available on CD if you know where to look) This movie is DEEP. VERY DEEP! With lines such as "Settle thy studies Faustus, and begin to sound the depth of that thou wilt profess" Have a Latin dictionary nearby and don't let your attention wander! This movie is best seen at about 1:30AM, which is when it was usually shown on television! All kidding aside this is an interesting work and well worth your investment and time. Burton was a #1 box office draw in this era and Dr. Faustus will demonstrate why.

Not a great film, but quite interesting on many levels
Would you sell your soul to the devil for all you desire? Doctor Faustus (Richard Burton) would. His desire? The woman with "...the face that launched 1,000 ships..." (Helen of Troy - Elizabeth Taylor). The Burtons produced this film version following their appearance in the stage version at Burton's alum, Oxford University. And, the film utilizes most of the Oxford players as well. The play, written by Christopher Marlowe (no Shakespeare he), centers around the opening line of this review. It would be difficult to resist such a sale with Elizabeth Taylor as the temptation. Despite several limitations, most notably budget, this film is quite intriquing. Mostly because of Taylor. Although she does not speak one word, appearing only as "visions" and "temptations", she is simply breathtakingly beautiful, even if somewhat zoftig. And, the music written by Mario Nascimbene, particularly "Helen's Theme", is nothing short of haunting. The film itself is nothing extrordinary, but Taylor, her costumes, and the music make it all worthwhile for me.

A classic
Turn off the video and just listen to the poetry and to Burton. Burton's pacing, timing, gravitas bring out the true genius in this Marlowe masterpiece. Any actress would have done Helen as well, while Burton as Faustus is definitive. I wait for this on DVD.

One of my favorites.
Just because Liz doesn't appear enough in a movie is little cause to give it two stars out of five-- ... but, the fact is, Ms. Taylor does pop up quite often in this classic. It is to her-- as Helen of Troy-- that Richard Burton utters the immortal line, "Is this the face that launched a thousand ships?" And this is an immortal performance from Burton. He takes all the over-the-top seriousness and weight of Marlowe's play and turns it into something that is both troubling and at times borderline camp. Check out the bizarre eyeglasses Dr. Faustus wears, for instance, and the psychedelic sets, music and camera shots. It's all deliciously Elizabethan, but also very 1960s. The "troubling" aspect is the way Burton, through his performance that brands itself on the brain, makes us ponder the question: If we were able to have anything we want, would we be happy? Such grave concerns might crush the enjoyability of many a film, but here it is a physically exciting, nightmarish experience, with Marlowe's bewitching iambic pentameter weaving in and out as Burton and camera take us from scene to colorful scene, then give us maybe the best depiction of Hell ever caught on film. Treat yourself over and over to this feast. ... Read more

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Debbie Reynolds's daughter--Carrie Fisher, a noted Hollywood script doctor--cowrote this television movie as a sort of Grumpy Old Women, so the story goes. Viewed in that light, this 91-minute lark is entertaining, if frequently inane. It's the story of the professional reunion of three feuding costars (Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins) after their '60s musical becomes a cult hit decades later. The fun part is the skewering of their real lives that these actresses good-humoredly allow. Reynolds plays a Vegas casino-owning diva who showcases her own talent and allows her dolt of a husband to run the business side of things--a state of affairs not too different from her real Vegas days. MacLaine offers a comic version of her legendary spiritual persona with such zingers as "My inner child is having such a tantrum." And Joan Collins makes fun of her choice of men with a mobster boyfriend instead of that litigious young husband of some years back. Elizabeth Taylor makes a goofy cameo appearance as the actresses' agent, and Fisher has a lot of fun staging a verbal catfight between the agent and Reynolds over a man named Freddie. (In real life Liz infamously stole Carrie's dad, Eddie Fisher, from then wife Debbie.) All pretty good. But why the framing with MacLaine's "adopted" son, inhabited by the unfunny Jonathan Silverman; and why the too-broadly caricatured producer? Only the daughter knows. --Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Reviews (8)

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING
What we have here is a big mess! Debbie Reynolds is too over the top
Elizabeth Taylor trying to be Sue Mendes ( she doesn't pull that off) We then have Shirley who is much better than the screenplay! I about lost my lunch when there was a sex scene with Joan Collins! This was the sickest thing on film since Pink Flamingos!

Thumbs up for the older women!
A thoroughly enjoyable film...three veteran stars are brought together to recapture their stardom of yore, however they can't stand each other, so an uphill task from the word go for the remake of their old musical/play...but in the end it was a success. Joan Collins was great..as she always is, a combination of the older woman charm and timeless sex appeal...if you want an enjoyable night in this is a must!

Actually, it is a lot of fun
It is interesting to read the rather divergent reviews of this TV movie here. Personally, I loved it, having been a long-time fan of all of the ladies. Not nearly enough of Liz in the film, sure, but Debbie has some great wisecracks and Joan not only looks amazing (hardly surprising she just married someone her son's age), but displays a genuine talent for comedy.

If anything, I was disappointed with Shirley's storyline and the unnecessary "gay son" aspect. Also, aside from the headliners, some key supporting players are sadly lacklustre.

However, it is what it is - sort of an updated "Golden Girls" set in Hollywood rather than Miami.

Theses Fantastic Legends
To the point :
You will be lucky if you can look as good as these broads do when you get to their age. It's great to see these ladies on the screen again. But don't expect another great story, such as Postcards From The Edge. Just to see Shirley, Debbie, Joan and Elizabeth is worth buying the tape.

BADLY written, directed, what a WASTE
carrie must have fallen off the edge when she wrote this...maybe she was living in her FATHER'S house.....this was not funny at all.and it made her mother and her co-stars look like fools...carrie had a chance to have these stars in one movie..and she made them look like dirt throwing dames....the sad part of the whole thing is....it was life as carrie lived it..debbie must have to take some of the blame..but i could see EDDIE"S handprint on it too....carrie will never forgive the parents.....it's to bad ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Four Stars for a fine performance By Miss Taylor
"Divorce His; Divorce Hers" would be a much better film if it were trimmed from three to two hours. In this effort, T.V. producers attempt to milk the then world shaking coup of nabbing the Burton's for a two-night event (Their first Movie made for television). But the cow ran dry at two hours.
The story of a crumbling marriage is told first from the husband's point of view and then in the second half is told from the wife's. Much of the same ground is covered twice and much more interestingly in the second half.
Jane and Martin Reynolds live La Dolce Vita in Rome in the early 70's and after 18 years come to the slow and painful end of their marriage. Rome looks wonderful in the location shots in the Borghese Gardens, along the Via Condotti at night, and Piazza Navona. And attendant with the glamour of Rome the aura of the Burtons is well served in making the Reynolds seem impossibly rich. Notice that Elizabeth wears her Krupp diamond and the famous La Peregrina Peal necklace. No successful business tycoon of Burton's character's income could have afforded such lux baubles for his wife. Still in the early 70's the Liz and Dick glamour machine must be well oiled and the public at the time expected it. Some degree of disbelief would be suspend in anticipation of the Burtons because we somehow felt that what we were seeing less a drama than a simi-documentary about Elizabeth and Richard. And perhaps in some ways those films were just that.
Richard Burton's performance is somewhat stiff and cool with flashes of Welsh temper to pepper his scenes. But, over all, he seems rather distant and not too interested in the proceedings.
But on the other hand Elizabeth's excellent training in film acting over the years by the masters at M.G.M. comes to her aid in creating a warm fully developed and wonderful lady in Jane. She shines in particular in her scenes with the children and in her scene with Carrie Nye when she learns of Miss Nye's relationship with her husband. She is missed when she is not on hand to bring a little life to Mr. Burton's scenes. Miss Taylor shimmers in her own inimitable way and once again shows new comers and old pro's what real screen acting is about.
The film is by no means great but not nearly as bad as some reviewers would lead you to believe. "Divorce His: Divorce Hers" is worth seeing for Elizabeth's solid work.

A CLASSIC B MOVIE WITH LEGENDARY STARS
WORTH THE MONEY TO SEE THIS CLASSIC MOVIE, STRANGE BUT A TRUE CLASSIC

Strangely interesting Burton-Taylor melodrama
This little-known film was Burton and Taylor's first (and only) foray into the "made for TV" genre. Originally airing in 1973 on two successive nights on ABC, the movie is actually rather interesting and not especially dated. Burton achieves the rare feat of *not* overacting, and in fact, sleepwalks throughout most of the movie. Still, this is one of his better performances, devoid of his usual theatrical screaming, ranting and raving. Elizabeth Taylor is bloated and overweight (and clearly unhappy), but is still amazingly beautiful, at the age of 41.

The movie is divided into two separate movies, with the "Divorce His" section infinitely superior to the Liz section, which is boring beyond belief. The Liz segment also repeats many sequences already aired in the Burton first hlf of the movie, though filmed with a different camera. Interesting technique, but one knows why it was only utlized on this one movie!

Burton looks magnificent here, thin, relatively sober and quite striking. No doubt he and Liz made a fabulous-looking couple. This was filmed just a year before their first divorce and remains an interesting piece.

Fatuous beyond belief!
This is the absolute nadir of Burton and Taylor's history together. Originally made a made-for-TV movie in 1973, it was abysmally reviewed then (for good reason) and has been the subject of ridicule ever since. The only reason to watch this turkey is for the campy element. Neither Burton nor Taylor were sober during the making of this bomb, and their inebriation provides a few good laughs. The script is non-existent, the acting is uniformly awful and the plot is ludicrously transparent. A true bomb.

Interesting drama.
If you're a fan of Burton and Taylor, be sure to catch this Made-for-television movie. It's an interesting examination of a crumbling marriage viewed from both sides. Some line deliveries are stilted but all of the performances are sound. The Roman setting is magical. Today, this is a film which could work as a cult-feature, a curiosity or a camp classic. Decide for yourself. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Fine Elizabeth Taylor Performance In Excellent Romance Story
"The Last Time I Saw Paris", was a very important film in a number of ways for Elizabeth Taylor and she herself has commented in interviews that it was the first of her adult acting roles where she had a character to work with that wasn't just surface glamour but had deeper more interesting dimensions to it. Certainly her character of Helen Wills does reveal a new depth in her acting and most certainly helped pave the way for her great triumphs in the coming years in top class films like "Giant", and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" that elevated her to super stardom. Interestingly this was Elizabeth's second teaming with leading man Van Johnson having already worked with him in a trite little comedy called "The Big Hangover". This time around Elizabeth Taylor is first billed in the credits over veteran MGM performer Johnson which illustrates clearly her growing worth with MGM who were now seriously grooming her for more meaty adult roles.

Based on a short story called "Babylon Revisited" by none other than F. Scott Fitzgerald, the screen writers have fashioned a tragically poignant love story that tells the story of two star crossed lovers who seemed to have "missed the boat", in obtaining a meaning in their lives in Post War Paris. Van Johnson plays Charles Wills a young reporter for the "Stars and Stripes" in Paris. He secretly dreams of writing the great novel that is in his head and in the midst of the celebrations for VE Day he encounters two very different sisters, Helen Ellswirth a flighty, beautiful fun loving girl not used to any responsibilty and her older sister Marion (Donna Reed),the down to earth emotionally repressed one. Both women are like night and day and while Marion falls for Charles it is Helen who captures his eye and his heart. They marry and Charles enters the unorthodox world of the Ellswirth family presided over by Helen and Marion's lovable but laid back father James (Walter Pidgeon in a delightful performance). They lead the gilded life of young carefree Americans in Paris and eventually have a daughter Vicki however as time goes on and the book rejections pile up for Charles the glow goes out of their marriage and the two begin to drift apart. Continually rejected by her increasingly embittered husband, Helen captures the attention of free loading tennis pro Paul Lane (Roger Moore) while Charles, beginning to slide into a drinking problem finds himself attracted to the carefree life offered by socialite Lorraine Quarl (Eva Gabor), another member of the lost generation aimlessly wandering through life's pleasures. All looks lost for the couple who have gone off in different directions and it takes a tragedy where Helen dies of pheumonia and Vicki is placed in the custody of an embittered Marion and her husband Claude (George Dolenz) for Charles to start to pick up the pieces of his life again. The story concludes with a sober Charles returning to all the old scenes of his former happiness with Helen in Paris in an effort to reclaim his daughter and begin afresh.

The film may be viewed by some as glossy romance and not much more however it is the sensible writing and outstanding acting by the principles that bring it to life. Elizabeth Taylor as stated displays a new maturity to her acting here and her chemistry with a very different performer as Van Johnson is surpringly honest and touching in particular in the more emotionally charged second half of the film. Van Johnson in a more mature role than usual delivers some of his best work in my belief and shows that he can be effective in poignant drama such as here. Donna Reed plays against her usual type as the embittered sister who misses out on the real love of her life and being normally associated with sweet characters her performance here does come across as quite startling. Walter Pidgeon, succeeds in stealing every scene he is in in a terrific later day performance. His carefree and perpetually broke aristocrat is a delightful character and he makes the most of his screen time. He displays a wonderful chemistry with Elizabeth Taylor and the two seem like two peas in a pod, both free spirits, in the opening scenes of the film. Pidgeon had already played Taylor's father once before in one of his teamings with Greer Garson in "Julia Misbehaves", in 1947. Eva Gabor rounds out the cast and displays her often underestimated talent in the role of the glamourous man trap who drifts from one husband to the next with little concern. Her ultimately sad character epitomises the "lost generation" that Fitzgerald captured so well in his short stories. Being after all a romance the film has a beautiful visual look to it with terrific on location photography around Paris used for many of Van Johnson's exterior shots. The recreation of the VE Day celebrations where real footage is intermingled with studio created scenes is first rate and really sets an accurate picture of the time and the place. Ably directed by Richard Brooks, the sterling work he got from Elizabeth Taylor here was bettered again by their next teaming in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", for which Elizabeth received an Oscar nomination.

For lovers of romance in beautiful locations, "The Last Time I Saw Paris", is wonderful entertainment however this film is more than just that. It vividly recreates the feeling of a time in our fairly recent history and of the people who seemingly lost their way amid all the effort and heartbreak of reestablishing their lives in a post war world. Elizabeth Taylor went on to top stardom after this role and much of the credit for this film's quality acting wise must go to her. Highly recommended.

How Original--A Frustrated Writer!
Uh-oh, here we go again with the "if only I could write the novel that's in me" character, this time played by Van Johnson, who can't really seem to make a go of his marriage to free-spirited Elizabeth Taylor. He drinks, she's a little too free-spirited. Had a hard time believing he would start to mess around with that Gabor woman when there's a Liz in his life. Walter Pidgeon shambles about as Liz's dad, Donna Reed looks pained and pinched as Liz's sister who sort of lost Van to Liz. Cloying child actress as the daughter of Van and Liz annoying. There's also something about the quality of the film they've been showing on NYC's Channel 13/PBS that makes me wonder whether it was recovered from a safe on the Andrea Doria.

I hope this was "The Last Time I Saw" this movie.

From Victory to Success
This film is a beautiful achievement about several issues. First about WW2, the liberation of Paris and the role the Americans played in that event. Some Americans stayed behind and made Paris their « capital », their regular living quarters because of the artistic and easygoing atmosphere of the city, because of what they thought was the permanent celebrating calvacade. No surprise that George fell into the trap, married a young beauty and tried to live up to this city. But he failed. And that is the second achievement. It is a perfect love affair and lifelong love for a woman that he idolizes and yet is unable to equal and even to come close to. He fails his own love and he destroys himself in alcohol to forget his failure. She will die because of it, leaving him and their daughter stranded behind. This is a lesson about achieving anything in life : achievement is a lot harder than striving for it, a lot more haphazard and unguaranteed and when the illusion disappears there is nothing left but frustration and selfdestruction. Then George is torn apart by his love for the departed woman, his wife, and his guilt about it, the jealousy of her sister who grabs the daughter and gets a court order to take care of her, and his desire to recuperate his daughter that finds a similar desire in the girl who wants to live with her daddy. The sister will have to realize that she is chastizing him for her own sister's death, for her own rejection as a possible wife and for her incapability to have a child of her own with her own husband. The end of this film is an absolute tear-shedding scene that should rip the heart of any viewer apart. An amazing Elizabeth Taylor is enhancing the film with the art of one of the best actresses of those times.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

An Actress Comes of Age
Here in The Last Time I Saw Paris an interesting thing happens. Elizabeth Taylor becomes a woman. Before this picture there were really only two other outstanding performances by Miss Taylor. Or I should say where she was allowed to rise above the material. The first being of course the rhapsodic National Velvet and the second the astonishing A Place In The Sun. The films in between those and The Last Time I Saw Paris were mostly along the "Isn't she beautiful?" line of movie making, and, why not? That was the main engine of most Hollywood star vehicles of the day. A Star didn't have to be a talent. But it was essential to possess a presence that reached out from the screen and touched the audience in a primal way. Miss Taylor had that in spades but she had much more that was often eclipsed in the dazzling explosion of her extraordinary almost alien beauty.
But here in the hands of director Richard Brooks (who would later lead her to her triumph in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof) Miss Taylor finds a new level in her abilities as an actress. Her Helen is a woman of many layers and dark corners, of mercurial flights and deep sadness. Elizabeth at the tender age of 22 grasps all the aspects of this tragic woman and illuminates not only the screen with them but the whole enterprise as well. She shows us where she, as an actress is going in the future. And who she will become in her later films, one of the best screen actresses of the twentieth century. This is the real beginning of the Elizabeth Taylor of legend. She fills the role as no one of her generation could. Never again after this film would she sleepwalk through a film, a beautiful shadow to dream over.
She is aided in what is perhaps one of Van Johnson's best performances. Donna Reed scores high in the role of Helen's bitter sister and Walter Pidgon is a delight as her roguish father. A standout cameo is presented by Eva Gabor, (not Zsa Zsa) the only one of the famous sisters who had any real talent. The only false performance in the film comes from child actress Sandy Descher. When you compare her forced and overly cute performance to that of the child Elizabeth Taylor in "Jane Eyre" then you see what a treasure Miss Taylor has always been.
There is something so essentially wonderful in this gem from MGM and it is this. The Last Time I Saw Pairs is the perfect example of the last flowering in the 50's of the "woman's picture". Films where women could be multi faceted and complex and drive the story on under their own steam as whole human beings. This is a window to the 50's and a style of filmmaking that seems gone forever, great stories of strong women who fill the screen with power and grace. But with "Far From Heaven" and "The Hours" I may be wrong about forever.
I recommend this admittedly dated but charming film for anyone who wants to see what screen acting is all about. It is about thinking and Miss Taylor is a master at the craft.

I enjoyed the paris backdrops not much else
Cute and funny when it needs to be. Too drippy and inane when it tries to be sentimental.

Van Johnson is a WW2 correspondent who manages to fall in love with Elizabeth Taylor, in a more amazing move Elizabeth Taylor falls in love with Van Johnson! Walter Pigeon appears as the eccentric father of the bride and Donna Reed is the older sister who tries to run the family with good sense and is often rebuffed.

When everyone is poor and struggling things hold together but when the family falls into money then everything crashes down. The journalist proves he doesn't have the great American novel (or great Paris novel wither in him). Each struggles with problems and they slowly drift apart. He to the bottle and she to another man.

Then things turn sappy and sentimental and whatever charm this movie has evaporates rapidly. All the characters are so self centered I thought at first I was watching a "Thirty-Something" flashback set in the 40s. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not quite what the title implies
This film covers in a limited sense what THE CELLULOID CLOSET covers more professionally and comprehensively. The title refers to the reel of gay and homoerotic scenes from Hudson's studio films that he compiled for showing to his friends at parties. There are no candid home movie clips (no shots of Rock by the pool, Rock and Tab Hunter playing croquet, or of anyone dressed in women's clothes). If you can surmount that disappointment, it should be noted that the studio clips are mostly of extremely poor quality (as if photographed from a tv screen). On top of that, the film has an amateurish quality (a not-very-similar-looking actor plays Rock speaking from the world beyond, sometimes with his image inserted into the frame with the real Rock Hudson). I'm sure for some viewers these qualities will give the film a sort of underground cult classic feeling and add to its appeal. I found such effects distracting and annoying. On top of this, there are no interesting new revelations about Hudson (or about a Hollywood lavender underworld). All stones were left unturned.

Even so, ROCK HUDSON'S HOME MOVIES did make me appreciate the sheer number and variety of films Hudson made (westerns, war, Douglas Sirk melodramas, as well as the familiar, fluffy technicolor sex comedies with Doris Day). Not the best actor America ever produced, but certainly one the camera loved.

Clever
This clever film uses clips from Rock Hudson's Hollywood movies to tell the truth about his gay life. You will not be able to see those films the same way again. If you liked " The Celluloid Closet" you'll like this movie

Delight!
This movie explores the myth known as "Rock Hudson." What was up there on the screen and how did it mirror the real Rock Hudson. In fact, is there a real Rock Hudson or is he just a real-life manifestation of his Seconds character? The movie deftly blends real footage with an actor playing Rock Hudson. The result is a startling blend of intertextual delight.

"Fantastic" documentary about Rock Hudson
A masterpiece about comedy, a perfect complement for "Pillow Talk" and other Rock Hudson's comedies. Here, Rappaport make a editing from Rock Hudson's movies of all times, selecting scenes that suggest you the homosexuality of the star/charachter. Very funny, for all Rock Hudson's lovers/fans and people without prejudices.

A great gay "essay" film
I can understand the other reviewer's disappointment with this movie if he was expecting some kind of narrative "memory" play. The movie functions as a deconstructive essay, much like Rappaport's subsequent "From the Journals of Jean Seberg". Think also of the kind of shoestring budget essay films that Orson Welles made toward the end of his life ("F for Fake" and "Filming Othello"). This movie delighted me, made me see some familiar material in whole new ways (how could I have missed all of that coded material in Howard Hawks' "Man's Favorite Sport"?), and was a fun consciousness raiser. I watched this with friends and everyone came away buzzing about it. ... Read more

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This sumptuous 1949 film adaptation of the beloved Louisa May Alcott novel isn't as good as the 1933 Katharine Hepburn version, or even the 1994 remake starring an Oscar-nominated Winona Ryder, but it does offer its own pleasures, especially in seeing an all-star cast put through its paces. Erstwhile tomboy June Allyson stars as Alcott's famed heroine Jo, the budding writer in Civil War New England who pines for adventure, independence, and her own career. With Father off to war, it's up to Jo, practical older sister Meg (Janet Leigh), frail sister Beth (Margaret O'Brien), and vain sister Amy (Elizabeth Taylor) to help Marmee (a saintly Mary Astor) keep the home fires warm while dealing with the rigors of adolescence. It's all poured on with a generous amount of syrup, including lavish sets, hoop skirts, and petticoats, but anyone who's ever read Alcott's book will take comfort in its familiar story line. The dialogue is clunky but earnest, but you'd have to have a heart of stone not to get caught up in Jo's plight. And rarely do you get to see such stars go at it with such gusto: Allyson and Peter Lawford (as neighbor and rich boy Laurie) are a match made in B-movie heaven, Taylor is spunky and hilarious in an early comic performance, and Leigh does the matronly thing with aplomb. And nobody, but nobody, cries and suffers like Margaret O'Brien! Watch it in the wintertime, with a fire roaring. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Unbelievably Touching!
A sweet, charming, non-stop entertainment film. My only regret is that Rossanno Brazzi is in it, but that's okay. This 1949 ACADEMY-AWARD WINNING version of the beloved classic was incredibly done; with a script and cast to die for.

June Allyson plays the tom-boy writer, Jo March ("Look at me! Dying to go fight by father's side, and here I am--sitting and knitting...like a poky old woman."). Allyson never stopped being the character, and is such fun to watch.

Margaret O'Brien plays little Beth March, the frail and sickly child in the family ("We are a lot better off than a lot of people. Orphans, for instance. We have father, and Marmee, and each other."). I cried like a baby in the end of the film, when our poor Bethy dies from Scarlet fever.

Elizabeth Taylor made me laugh out loud so many times in this movie, portraying Amy March ("When one is in Europe, one feels that the dirt there is so picturesque!"). She can't stop eating, and she feels that her nose is unshapley. Hm.

Janet Leigh played Meg March, the most sensible of the girls, and the oldest ("I haven't changed [Jo]! But it's about time YOU had!!"). She is confused by her love for the nasal-voiced Mr. Brookes, and ends up marrying him, in spite of all Jo's begs for her not to.

Lastly, Mary Astor plays Marmee as gracefully as...well, gracefully ("God bless and keep us all."). Sometimes, I wish that she could be my mother too! (no offense, mom).

This film made me laugh hysterically (such as when the girls rehearse a play; or when Jo gets mad at Amy for eating too much), or sob uncontrallably (when Beth dies, and when Jo finds out her aunt is taking Amy to Europe instead of her). I would definitely reccomend this to ALL movie-goers, fans of the book, or fans of anyone in the cast. It is superb.

Best Ever!
This was the first Little Women video I saw, and it was-and still is-my favorite. I loved the cast they picked. Meg is so lovley, it's no wonder Mr. Brooke fell in love at first sight! Elizabeth Taylor made an eccelant Amy, although she did look better when she was older. Margret O'Brien was the perfect Beth, and played her part so well that you could harldy tell she was acting. June Allyson is my absolute favorite Jo. She was perfect! And Aunt March was as fussy and figity as you could wish.

If I were you, I would get this version instead of the Wynona Ryder one. The cast in that movie is ugly!

Boring :(
I loved the book, I loved the Hepburn version, liked the Ryder version, but this...it just bored the tar out of me! It did match the book fairly well, but it dragged on so much that I fought to stay awake through most of it! Rent it first if you must, don't waste your money.

Christopher Columbus!
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as the 1994 version with Ms. Ryder as Jo March--I was surprised. The only slight scarring to this 1949 version of the film was the small appearances of Mr. March, his acting was quite horrible. But, June Allyson does fill the screen with perfection as Jo March. I thought that Margaret O'Brien portrayed a wonderful Beth also. I was very moved to tears when she shook off her shyness to thank the elder Mr. Laurence for the piano. Elizabeth Taylor played Amy March to all her selfish perfection. It was defintitely the most delightful to watch June Allyson though.

The Best Version
I loved the Little Women and after seeing this version I fell even more in love with the book. Although June Allyson wasn't the best Jo I have ever seen she is pretty close the depiction of Beth was magnificent and the version of Meg was beautiful but the star was Elizabeth Taylor's adaption of Amy although she was a little old looking for the roll but you have to admit that no one plays a brat like Elizabeth Taylor it was absoulutley perfect. This movie is a wonderful adaptation of a wonderful book that speaks to men and women of all ages because of it's timeless beauty. I hope that you enjoy this movie as much as I did! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Three Elizabeth Taylor films have been collected in this interesting boxed set. Taylor won an Oscar for Butterfield 8, in which she plays a good-time girl who wants to give up hooking because she's found a wealthy john who seems to want her, in this adaptation of a John O'Hara novel. Father of the Bride (remade 40 years later with Steve Martin) is really Spencer Tracy's movie, but Taylor shows a deft hand at light comedy as the daughter about to disrupt her old man's whole life by getting married. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof stars Taylor as Maggie the Cat, trying to make a man out of her husband Brick (Paul Newman) and negotiate the treacherous political shoals in the home of Big Daddy (Burl Ives), in this film version of Tennessee Williams's hit play. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Fine Elizabeth Taylor Performance In Excellent Romance Story
"The Last Time I Saw Paris", was a very important film in a number of ways for Elizabeth Taylor and she herself has commented in interviews that it was the first of her adult acting roles where she had a character to work with that wasn't just surface glamour but had deeper more interesting dimensions to it. Certainly her character of Helen Wills does reveal a new depth in her acting and most certainly helped pave the way for her great triumphs in the coming years in top class films like "Giant", and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" that elevated her to super stardom. Interestingly this was Elizabeth's second teaming with leading man Van Johnson having already worked with him in a trite little comedy called "The Big Hangover". This time around Elizabeth Taylor is first billed in the credits over veteran MGM performer Johnson which illustrates clearly her growing worth with MGM who were now seriously grooming her for more meaty adult roles.

Based on a short story called "Babylon Revisited" by none other than F. Scott Fitzgerald, the screen writers have fashioned a tragically poignant love story that tells the story of two star crossed lovers who seemed to have "missed the boat", in obtaining a meaning in their lives in Post War Paris. Van Johnson plays Charles Wills a young reporter for the "Stars and Stripes" in Paris. He secretly dreams of writing the great novel that is in his head and in the midst of the celebrations for VE Day he encounters two very different sisters, Helen Ellswirth a flighty, beautiful fun loving girl not used to any responsibilty and her older sister Marion (Donna Reed),the down to earth emotionally repressed one. Both women are like night and day and while Marion falls for Charles it is Helen who captures his eye and his heart. They marry and Charles enters the unorthodox world of the Ellswirth family presided over by Helen and Marion's lovable but laid back father James (Walter Pidgeon in a delightful performance). They lead the gilded life of young carefree Americans in Paris and eventually have a daughter Vicki however as time goes on and the book rejections pile up for Charles the glow goes out of their marriage and the two begin to drift apart. Continually rejected by her increasingly embittered husband, Helen captures the attention of free loading tennis pro Paul Lane (Roger Moore) while Charles, beginning to slide into a drinking problem finds himself attracted to the carefree life offered by socialite Lorraine Quarl (Eva Gabor), another member of the lost generation aimlessly wandering through life's pleasures. All looks lost for the couple who have gone off in different directions and it takes a tragedy where Helen dies of pheumonia and Vicki is placed in the custody of an embittered Marion and her husband Claude (George Dolenz) for Charles to start to pick up the pieces of his life again. The story concludes with a sober Charles returning to all the old scenes of his former happiness with Helen in Paris in an effort to reclaim his daughter and begin afresh.

The film may be viewed by some as glossy romance and not much more however it is the sensible writing and outstanding acting by the principles that bring it to life. Elizabeth Taylor as stated displays a new maturity to her acting here and her chemistry with a very different performer as Van Johnson is surpringly honest and touching in particular in the more emotionally charged second half of the film. Van Johnson in a more mature role than usual delivers some of his best work in my belief and shows that he can be effective in poignant drama such as here. Donna Reed plays against her usual type as the embittered sister who misses out on the real love of her life and being normally associated with sweet characters her performance here does come across as quite startling. Walter Pidgeon, succeeds in stealing every scene he is in in a terrific later day performance. His carefree and perpetually broke aristocrat is a delightful character and he makes the most of his screen time. He displays a wonderful chemistry with Elizabeth Taylor and the two seem like two peas in a pod, both free spirits, in the opening scenes of the film. Pidgeon had already played Taylor's father once before in one of his teamings with Greer Garson in "Julia Misbehaves", in 1947. Eva Gabor rounds out the cast and displays her often underestimated talent in the role of the glamourous man trap who drifts from one husband to the next with little concern. Her ultimately sad character epitomises the "lost generation" that Fitzgerald captured so well in his short stories. Being after all a romance the film has a beautiful visual look to it with terrific on location photography around Paris used for many of Van Johnson's exterior shots. The recreation of the VE Day celebrations where real footage is intermingled with studio created scenes is first rate and really sets an accurate picture of the time and the place. Ably directed by Richard Brooks, the sterling work he got from Elizabeth Taylor here was bettered again by their next teaming in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", for which Elizabeth received an Oscar nomination.

For lovers of romance in beautiful locations, "The Last Time I Saw Paris", is wonderful entertainment however this film is more than just that. It vividly recreates the feeling of a time in our fairly recent history and of the people who seemingly lost their way amid all the effort and heartbreak of reestablishing their lives in a post war world. Elizabeth Taylor went on to top stardom after this role and much of the credit for this film's quality acting wise must go to her. Highly recommended.

How Original--A Frustrated Writer!
Uh-oh, here we go again with the "if only I could write the novel that's in me" character, this time played by Van Johnson, who can't really seem to make a go of his marriage to free-spirited Elizabeth Taylor. He drinks, she's a little too free-spirited. Had a hard time believing he would start to mess around with that Gabor woman when there's a Liz in his life. Walter Pidgeon shambles about as Liz's dad, Donna Reed looks pained and pinched as Liz's sister who sort of lost Van to Liz. Cloying child actress as the daughter of Van and Liz annoying. There's also something about the quality of the film they've been showing on NYC's Channel 13/PBS that makes me wonder whether it was recovered from a safe on the Andrea Doria.

I hope this was "The Last Time I Saw" this movie.

From Victory to Success
This film is a beautiful achievement about several issues. First about WW2, the liberation of Paris and the role the Americans played in that event. Some Americans stayed behind and made Paris their « capital », their regular living quarters because of the artistic and easygoing atmosphere of the city, because of what they thought was the permanent celebrating calvacade. No surprise that George fell into the trap, married a young beauty and tried to live up to this city. But he failed. And that is the second achievement. It is a perfect love affair and lifelong love for a woman that he idolizes and yet is unable to equal and even to come close to. He fails his own love and he destroys himself in alcohol to forget his failure. She will die because of it, leaving him and their daughter stranded behind. This is a lesson about achieving anything in life : achievement is a lot harder than striving for it, a lot more haphazard and unguaranteed and when the illusion disappears there is nothing left but frustration and selfdestruction. Then George is torn apart by his love for the departed woman, his wife, and his guilt about it, the jealousy of her sister who grabs the daughter and gets a court order to take care of her, and his desire to recuperate his daughter that finds a similar desire in the girl who wants to live with her daddy. The sister will have to realize that she is chastizing him for her own sister's death, for her own rejection as a possible wife and for her incapability to have a child of her own with her own husband. The end of this film is an absolute tear-shedding scene that should rip the heart of any viewer apart. An amazing Elizabeth Taylor is enhancing the film with the art of one of the best actresses of those times.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

An Actress Comes of Age
Here in The Last Time I Saw Paris an interesting thing happens. Elizabeth Taylor becomes a woman. Before this picture there were really only two other outstanding performances by Miss Taylor. Or I should say where she was allowed to rise above the material. The first being of course the rhapsodic National Velvet and the second the astonishing A Place In The Sun. The films in between those and The Last Time I Saw Paris were mostly along the "Isn't she beautiful?" line of movie making, and, why not? That was the main engine of most Hollywood star vehicles of the day. A Star didn't have to be a talent. But it was essential to possess a presence that reached out from the screen and touched the audience in a primal way. Miss Taylor had that in spades but she had much more that was often eclipsed in the dazzling explosion of her extraordinary almost alien beauty.
But here in the hands of director Richard Brooks (who would later lead her to her triumph in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof) Miss Taylor finds a new level in her abilities as an actress. Her Helen is a woman of many layers and dark corners, of mercurial flights and deep sadness. Elizabeth at the tender age of 22 grasps all the aspects of this tragic woman and illuminates not only the screen with them but the whole enterprise as well. She shows us where she, as an actress is going in the future. And who she will become in her later films, one of the best screen actresses of the twentieth century. This is the real beginning of the Elizabeth Taylor of legend. She fills the role as no one of her generation could. Never again after this film would she sleepwalk through a film, a beautiful shadow to dream over.
She is aided in what is perhaps one of Van Johnson's best performances. Donna Reed scores high in the role of Helen's bitter sister and Walter Pidgon is a delight as her roguish father. A standout cameo is presented by Eva Gabor, (not Zsa Zsa) the only one of the famous sisters who had any real talent. The only false performance in the film comes from child actress Sandy Descher. When you compare her forced and overly cute performance to that of the child Elizabeth Taylor in "Jane Eyre" then you see what a treasure Miss Taylor has always been.
There is something so essentially wonderful in this gem from MGM and it is this. The Last Time I Saw Pairs is the perfect example of the last flowering in the 50's of the "woman's picture". Films where women could be multi faceted and complex and drive the story on under their own steam as whole human beings. This is a window to the 50's and a style of filmmaking that seems gone forever, great stories of strong women who fill the screen with power and grace. But with "Far From Heaven" and "The Hours" I may be wrong about forever.
I recommend this admittedly dated but charming film for anyone who wants to see what screen acting is all about. It is about thinking and Miss Taylor is a master at the craft.

I enjoyed the paris backdrops not much else
Cute and funny when it needs to be. Too drippy and inane when it tries to be sentimental.

Van Johnson is a WW2 correspondent who manages to fall in love with Elizabeth Taylor, in a more amazing move Elizabeth Taylor falls in love with Van Johnson! Walter Pigeon appears as the eccentric father of the bride and Donna Reed is the older sister who tries to run the family with good sense and is often rebuffed.

When everyone is poor and struggling things hold together but when the family falls into money then everything crashes down. The journalist proves he doesn't have the great American novel (or great Paris novel wither in him). Each struggles with problems and they slowly drift apart. He to the bottle and she to another man.

Then things turn sappy and sentimental and whatever charm this movie has evaporates rapidly. All the characters are so self centered I thought at first I was watching a "Thirty-Something" flashback set in the 40s. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

LIGHT ROMANTIC COMEDY AT ITS LIGHTEST!
This film cannot be separated from its history. It was filmed several years before it was finally released, and originally titled "The Light Fantastic." The reason for the delay was the sad fact that, coming from his big hits in the two films on Al Jolson, soon after this film was completed, its star, Larry Parks, was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee and was blacklisted. He never made another film, but became a businessman.

Elizabeth Taylor is touted as leaving teenage-hood behind and becoming a romantic ingenue in this movie, despite the fact that she filed for her first divorce (from Nicky Hilton) during the filming.

As for the film itself, Parks plays an almost Runyanesque Broadway character, a theatrical agent whose greatest thrill in life is hanging out at a Broadway saloon with his buddies. Enters a chance meeting with a Connecticut dance instructor (Taylor), never been kissed yet sure this is the one she wants to spend her life with, and the film is off with tricks galore by Taylor and her ally, her father (played admirably by Tom Tully), to snatch the desired husband.

This is light, and this is froth. The children of the dancing school are fun, and the film moves rapidly. It is also an early directorial task by the revered director, Staney Donen, and a chance to say goodbye to Parks, whose young and convincing talent we never should have lost.

one of taylor's best overlooked films
this movie was wonderfully romantic. Often people only associate Elizabeth Taylor with bigger box office winners, but this movie was surprisingly good. It's a very funny movie, I especially love the scenes with Liz teaching the children to dance. If you havent seen this movie, see it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The courage of Bill
The Courage of Lassie has beautiful scenery but from the beginning it already has problems. Mainly the first fifteen minutes has to do with Lassie's life in a forest. The attention span was gone. Elizabeth Taylor, the reason why I watched this, is a supporting character to the dog. It's supposed to be the other way around. It's not even Lassie. Sure the title says so and it's the same dog but in here Lassie is playing a dog named Bill. Besides isn't Lassie supposed to be a girl?

A Beautiful Film
This film is simple and spans alot of territory for one beautiful dog. However, it is refreshing to see this type of movie with such a message of gentle caring, and loyalty between an animal and it's owner.

Films aren't made like this anymore, and while this it is not academy award material, I enjoyed every minute. I can't wait to share it with my elementary school aged, Grandchildren. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good first adult role for Elizabeth Taylor
Having only seen this film for the first time recently I was pleasantly surprised by its overraul quality and very good performances. Being a big Elizabeth Taylor fan I had read over the years how it was a "False start" for her in adult roles but really Elizabeth handles herself excellently in this veri intriguing story of a young American bride in London finding out her new husband is not all he seems.
The storyline is quite gripping i feel , in particular in the later part of the film when Elizabeth learns the truth about who her husband actually is. The duck shooting scene in particular is very tense and gripping and the tense feel to this second half really earns the film mor estars in my book.
Elizabeth's performance once again reveals what a fine actress she was. Considering she was only 16 or so when she made this film she does an excellent job against the well honed skills of Robert Taylor. The film benefits greatly from the fine English supporting cast and the location photography in England.
The film is an early but worthy introduction to older roles for Elizabeth and with such triumphs as "Father of the Bride" and "A Place in the Sun" just around the corner she was set for a smooth transition from her child performing years into adult roles.
A good film to include in your collection, done with all the care typical of MGM of that time. Enjoy it!

TNT=Taylor and Taylor!
MGM pairs two of their biggest stars, who just so happen to share the name Taylor, in this cold-war story that starts off as a drama but ends up becoming something of a "Suspicion" wanna-be! The studio's financially keen awareness of 17-year old Elizabeth's astounding physical maturity was quickly capitalized upon when her usual ingenue roles came to an end and, among much shameless publicity and hype, they unveiled her to the public in this movie as a "woman." MGM's exploitation of La Liz's outward attributes was painfully obvious when this film first premiered--displayed above the marquee was a huge (and I do mean huge!) picture of just her wearing a low-cut dress and come-hither look--you'd of thought noone but her was starring in the film! But on to the movie. This is one of Liz's more obscure films, and with good reason--though it's not bad, there's nothing special about it. She plays Melinda Greyton, a flighty but naive American in 1949 postwar London. The other Taylor, Robert, is starting to show his age but is still very handsome as the dashing but disturbingly remote Major Michael Currah. Being the most photogenic people in the film, they naturally fall for each other and wed--but things take a drastic turn for the worse when the secretive Michael becomes abusively paranoid with his psychological tormenting and even more withdrawn after their marriage, and is constantly away on mysterious night calls. A distraught Melinda later realizes that her husband is a traitorous spy in the employ of the Soviets, who are dismayed he got married without their permission. Emotionally harried Melinda proves she's made of sterner stuff when this shocking revelation serves as a maturing experience and stiffens her resolve when she insists he stop spying after his attempt to persuade her to overlook his treasonous activities. She is now is seen as a risk by the Soviets and Mike is ordered to kill his own wife!--at this point the film goes down an uncannily reminiscent "Suspicion" like path with an increasingly terrified Melinda scared to death of her husband. Will he or won't he? I think you can guess the predictable answer to that, though I won't be a spoiler by revealing it and you'll just have to see the movie if you really want to know how it plays out. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

I thought I was watching a cartoon!
For those of you who grew up watching "The Flinstones" every night, "The Flintstones" is something to cherish. With John Goodman ("The Babe," "Arachnophobia") playing the part of Fred and Elizabeth Perkins ("Big," "If These Walls Could Talk 2") as Wilma, this delightful comedy does everything it can to mimic "The Flintstones," from pigs for garbage disposals to cars run on foot power to elephants for faucets. Everyone is dressed up in ridiculous outfits so exaggerated as to be cartoonish! Greatly helping the movie is a full cast of Hollywood (or should I say Hollyrock) actors, such as the Silver twins, Elaine and Melanie ("General Hospital"), as Pebbles and Hlynur Sigurdsson ("The Flintstones") as Bamm-Bamm. Ironically, the only time Barney Rubble, Rick Moranis ("The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie," "The Animated Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie"), hears his child Bamm Bamm (Hlynur Sigurdsson) finally say "Dada" is near the climax of the movie, when Rubble is about to be hit in the head by construction equipment. The Rubbles (Rick Moranis, Rosie O'Donnell) soon find themselves in a lower economic stratum to their neighbors and friends (the Flintstones), and separation is inevitable. Also featured in this movie is the fledgling actress Halle Berry ("Bulworth"), playing secretary and co-conspirator Sharon Stone ("King Solomon's Mines," "Total Recall") - in the end, she falls prey to Fred's simpleminded goodness and betrays Kyle MacLachlan ("Sex and the City"), a money embezzler. Dann Florek plays an accurate Mr. Slate - Fred "John Goodman" Flintstone's boss at the rock quarry - and Fred invents concrete. From the second he sees it, Mr. Slate knows concrete is the thing of the future, and it is indeed in use even today. That is the kind of talent that makes Mr. Slate the boss of the quarry and not dumb oafs like Fred or his neighbor and friend Barney Rubble. Keep an eye out for computer-animated dinosaurs, because the graphics in this film are so realistic that you might misinterpret them as terrifying visual hallucinations.

A lot better than E.T
I can't not believe that was Rick Moranis as Barney Rubble. And I'll give you a good reason. Where's his glasses? I saw me wearing glasses in Honey We Shrunk Ourselves. And I'm sure that he wear glasses in the other Honey movies. I aslo have glasses on my face. As the movie opens, Fred Flintstone (John Goodman) has secrtly lent Barney Rubble (Rick Moranis) money so he and his wife Betty Rubble (Rosie O'Donnell) can adpot a kid. But when Fred's wife Wilma (Elizabeth Perkins) wants to buy a new garbage pig, and finds thier savings account empty. She questions Fred about it. And Fred says "I gave it to Barney."

This is an EXCELLENT MOVIE
THE Flintstones is a good movie. It's about two families who live in Bedrock. Fred Flintstone (John Goodman) and Barney Rubble (Rick Moranis) work in a quarry. One of the VPs of Slate and Company Cliff Vandercave (Kyle MacLachlan) and his accomplice Sharon Stone (Halle Berry) plan to steal a fortune from Slate and Company. They plan to frame Bedrock's loudest, most lovable resident, Fred. He bcomes an executive for the company, and he and Wilma taste the lifestyle of the rich and prehistoric. Cliff kidnaps Fred's daughter, Pebbles (Elaine and Melanie Silver) and Bamm-Bamm (Hlynur and Marino Sigurdsson). Fred and Barney save the day and Cliff gets concrete dumped on him. Miss Stone goes to jail. It's a movie the whole family can enjoy.

Prehistoric Halle!
Halle Berry in prehistoric times...if it were true I'd have loved to have been there. The movie is entertaining for the whole family. It's an amusing movie but the highlight for me was the sexy seductress, miss Sharon Stone...played by the most beatiful women in all of hollywood, Miss Halle Berry. The movie gets 3 stars...Halle gets 5:)

A FEEL GOOD MOVIE!
I love The Flintstones, in any shape or form that I can see them. I remember wonderful memories of watching them on TV with my children and now with my grandchildren and I was delighted when the movie came out, I was not disappointed!
John Goodman is great as Fred,rough around the edges but yet
quite loveable! The casting was great, the scenery was great, everything about this movie was just plain fun! That is what it's all about and what it should be about! Fred gets in trouble, Barney bails him out! Simple! Fun! Entertaining!
What more do you want? ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A deliciously wicked movie!
In this surprising and intriguing film, Sting plays a mysterious drifter who insinuates himself into the home and private lives of a middle-class English couple (terrific performances from Joan Plowright and Denholm Elliott). But there's a twist--the couple is overwhelmed with the responsibility of their adult daughter, brain-injured in an accident and unable to care for herself at all. Is Sting, with his generous help and warm compassion, the answer to the couple's desperate prayers for help--or is he a demonic force that has seduced them? Sting's performance is a delight, and keeps you wondering until the very end of the film if he is an angel or devil. An original, imaginative and devilishly delightful film. END

If you like music.....!
Like the previous reviewer, this film has haunted me since first seeing it at a Sacramento drive-in during the late 60's. But, not for the same reasons. The movie itself is interesting, but barely so. What is exceptional is the opening titles. A beautifully crafted montage showing the Monterey and Big Sur coastline while 's lush, haunting arrangements of "The Shadow of Your Smile" played in the background. WOW! Variations of the title theme are interwoven throughout the movie, making it a a worthwhile experience.

Campy and unintentionally funny
Ah, Big Sur in 1965... the world's two biggest stars descend upon this gorgeous town in California to film this travesty of a movie. But wait... There are redeeming features to this campy, excessively poorly-acted soap opera. There is Elizabeth Taylor at the age of 33, looking more gorgeous than in any film except "A Place in the Sun." She is overweight ("zaftig," as she preferred to be called), barefoot and dressed in frumpy caftans throughout this film, but who cares? Liz is still breathtakingly beautiful here. Richard Burton also never looked better. At 39, his pockmarked, booze-soaked face seems fit, tan and marvelously sexy. He overacts miserably and shouts lines which should be whispered, but when you look as good as Burton did in 1965, few would complain.

The actual plot of the movie is interesting: Burton is a minister who meets Taylor, an artsy Bohemian painter who sells her work once every Leap Year. One wonders how this starving artist can afford a multi-million dollar pad perched on the shore of Big Sur? Burton mightily struggles with guilt and wants to remain loyal to long-suffering wife, Eva Marie Saint (who is totaly wasted in this role), but of course he eventually succumbs and embarks on a passionate affair with Liz.

Predictably, there are oodles of love scenes between Burton and Taylor; they kiss reclining on the floor, the beach, standing in restuarants and carparks, in bed... in the surf... you name it. All titilating to the audiences of 1965, who followed the couple's every movement. Charles Bronson shows up as a beatnick and gives the only sane performance in the film. The script is wretched and offers up some incredibly campy moments, such as when Liz shouts wearily, "Men have been following me around since I was 11 years old!" Another hilarious scene has Burton stumbling from Liz's beachside mansion after kissing her and then beating the roof of his car with his fists, screaming, "I must not succumb to temptation!!"

The scenery around Highway 1 is spectacular, the "Shadow of Your Smile" remains a compelling soundtrack theme, but the real reason to enjoy this movie is to see Taylor and Burton in their only decent love story. Their chemistry is real and never forced and neither ever again was as beautiful as they were in this campy movie. Watch it and own it if you are memmerized by their debauchery and mutual beauty. Several scenes will have you in stiches, guaranteed!

Campy, like a mediocre SNL skit
The only thing in this film that has any merit is the exquisite cinematography, and musical score. So, if you'd like to get an eyeful of Big Sur go ahead and watch this movie. However, if you are looking for acting talent, good script, and meaningful story skip it! While some of the dialogue isn't so bad (it was a collaborative effort including the likes of Dalton Trumbo) coming out of Miss Taylor's mouth it is pure drivel. The film seems like a too long SNL skit. It's funny to think that Taylor and Burton were husband and wife at the time since there doesn't seem to be much chemistry between their characters. I so much agree with a previous reviewer who stated that in their next life they would like to come back as Miss Taylor's character and live in a beach house on Big Sur (talk about rich hippies)!

Campy Burton-Taylor romp, but oh, the scenery!
Ah, Big Sur in 1965... the world's two biggest stars descend upon this gorgeous town in California to film this travesty of a movie. But wait... There are redeeming features to this campy, excessively poorly-acted soap opera. There is Elizabeth Taylor at the age of 33, looking more gorgeous than in any film except "A Place in the Sun." She is overweight ("zaftig," as she preferred to be called), barefoot and dressed in frumpy caftans throughout this film, but who cares? Liz is still breathtakingly beautiful here. Richard Burton also never looked better. At 39, his pockmarked, booze-soaked face seems fit, tan and marvelously sexy. He overacts miserably and shouts lines which should be whispered, but when you look as good as Burton did in 1965, few would complain.

The actual plot of the movie is interesting: Burton is a minister who meets Taylor, an artsy Bohemian painter who sells her work once every Leap Year. One wonders how this starving artist can afford a multi-million dollar pad perched on the shore of Big Sur? Burton mightily struggles with guilt and wants to remain loyal to long-suffering wife, Eva Marie Saint (who is totaly wasted in this role), but of course he eventually succumbs and embarks on a passionate affair with Liz.

Predictably, there are oodles of love scenes between Burton and Taylor; they kiss reclining on the floor, the beach, standing in restuarants and carparks, in bed... in the surf... you name it. All titilating to the audiences of 1965, who followed the couple's every movement. Charles Bronson shows up as a beatnick and gives the only sane performance in the film. The script is wretched and offers up some incredibly campy moments, such as when Liz shouts wearily, "Men have been following me around since I was 11 years old!" Another hilarious scene has Burton stumbling from Liz's beachside mansion after kissing her and then beating the roof of his car with his fists, screaming, "I must not succumb to temptation!!"

The scenery around Highway 1 is spectacular, the "Shadow of Your Smile" remains a compelling soundtrack theme, but the real reason to enjoy this movie is to see Taylor and Burton in their only decent love story. Their chemistry is real and never forced and neither ever again was as beautiful as they were in this campy movie. Watch it and own it if you are memmerized by their debauchery and mutual beauty. Several scenes will have you in stiches, guaranteed! ... Read more