Reviews (3)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Description

Reviews (33)

Charming, amusing love story
The play in which Steve Martin's "Roxanne" was based on is "Cyrano de Bergerac", a French play by Edmond Rostand. The title character is a witty men, well about words, but has a physical appendage that all find alarming and engrossing: a large, portrusive nose. He falls in love with Roxanne, but she is in love with another man; while he is beautiful, he's also a veritable dunderhead. Cyrano agrees to help him court Roxanne and many funny happenings occur. This is an amusing play, sure to charm anyone who can take physical imperfections lightly.

Translation captures poetry and wit of Rostand's hero.
Most readers and performers are probably more familiar with the translation of Cyrano by Brian Hooker. Hooker's translation has much to recommend it but it fails to capture the poetic power, whimsy or grace of Rostand's play. I feel the Burgess translation better represents Cyrano to a modern reader. One previous reviewer suggested that there was something almost absurd about Cyrano as he is portrayed by Rostand. Burgess himself had qualms about translating the play into rhyme. But this convention is powerful because it suggests that the men and women of Cyrano's dramatic world (even the lackwits) were impressed by cleverness, grace and beauty. It is set out in the play that Roxanne is one of the literary precieuse. The type of cleverness that Cyrano portrays in rhyme would appeal to her. At the same time, Cyrano is not a fop but a man of action whose mind is not stilled even by combat. Also this translation shows that Christian's "military wit" was something Cyrano could appreciate for its poetic appropriateness as well as for its courage. I think in some ways Cyrano's chivalry and heroism, as well as the more unrealistic elements of the play, are actually made more vivid and convincing by the use of rhyme. Burgess transports us to Rostand's imagined world of poetry and chivalry directly. . . and does not relent for a moment in portraying it. I think the real Hercule Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac would have appreciated the flair of it all. And if you don't buy that?-- Well, the fight scenes are STILL cool. Happy reading.

BEST OF THE CYRANOS
This Hal Roach Studios production from Image Entertainment is the best of the best. Flawlessly transferred from original 35mm camera negative and finegrain material, it features a brilliant soundtrack as well as the original theatrical trailer. This is the real deal--not a backyard dupe offered in a quickie transfer (probably to analogue) for el cheapo prices. If you want CYRANO, this class act version is the one to buy. SPECIAL NOTE: The specification notes indicated on the Amazon site are WRONG--this disc is encoded "Region Zero" not "Region One" as is stated. It will play on any DVD player anywhere in the world. So, what are you waiting for?? (Review refers to Hal Roach Studios DVD version released by Image Entertainment.)

BLUNT BLADE
THIS DVD IS JUNK... I SUGGEST YOU TRY ANOTHER COMPANY'S VERSION OF CYRANO.

And found myself the hero
I don't know how it's possible for a writer to expose my inner-workings so dynamically. This was written before I was born. However, the poetry and pomp, the lust and life, the fantasy and phantom of love, pure and chaste from afar defines me from inwards to extremity. I must now replace this masterpiece of a clairvoyant ancestor of Ralph Edwards.
The soul of any artist knows that life is not what we see, but how we perceive what we see. This video allows those with vision to glimpse the reality reserved for those who can recount their perceptions in whatever form.
See this video, if you never see another. The effect it will have on your life depends on your level of surrender to the realities in life. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

May Be The Best Abbott & Costello Film
I first saw this movie many years ago after seeing countless A&C comedies. I was absolutely amazed by the incredible job that Lou Costello did as a dramatic actor in his role as a vacuum cleaner salesman working for his ruthless and self-serving boss (Bud Abbott). If you like A&C movies you MUST see this one.

ONE OF ABBOTT & COSTELLO'S BEST FILMS
Bud and Lou show that they can do more than just slapstick in this film. They work seperately in this one. Costello is a backwoods farmboy who goes to the big city and becomes a vaccum cleaner salesman.

This classic shows us for the FIRST time that Lou is NOT ONLY gifted comedic actor, but also a VERY DRAMATIC one. It is a shame that his life was cut short before he could develop this characteristic trait. 5 STARS once again to this A & C classic.

shows that the boys could do more than just slapstick
This Abbott & Costello flick shows you that they could do more than just slapstick. Lou Costello shows in this movie that he could tug at your heart strings. He had a natural ability to make you feel sorry for him in the same way that Charlie Chaplin had. It is a shame that his life was cut short before he could develop that characteristic more. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Stupid ... just like a Fox
To phrase this as kindly as possible ... the folks at Fox Home Entertainment are dumber than dirt, especially when it comes to their library of classic movies. They've pulled off some spectacular marketing fiascos over the years ... such as releasing the 1939 box-office smash "Jesse James" on laserdisc in a faded, washed-out print back in the early 1990's; and more recently, pushing their (badly) colorized versions of several Shirley Temple classics into the marketplace on DVD instead of the glorious black and white originals.

But the DVD edition of "To the Shores of Tripoli" represents a new low for the company. This movie received an Oscar nomination for Edward Cronjager's and William Skall's gorgeous candybox TECHNICOLOR cinematography. The title frame of the film itself says: "'To the Shores of Tripoli' in TECHNICOLOR." The DVD box itself says, "1942, COLOR, 86 minutes" under the advertising blurb; and then proclaims "Photographed in TECHNICOLOR" in the credits area. But guess what?!!? The DVD was mastered from a BLACK & WHITE re-release print, and not the original Technicolor negative! Hello, 11th-Century Fox! That churning sound you hear is former studio head Darryl F. Zanuck spinning 'round and 'round in his grave. Unfortunately, this movie is just not worth watching unless you get to marvel at Maureen O'Hara's beautiful tresses in all their flame-colored glory!

But that's not the only blunder on this disc or its packaging. In the box describing the DVD's features, the aspect ratio is correctly noted as 1.33:1, Full Frame Format. However, the last line on the bottom of the box's back panel notes: "WIDESCREEN VERSION: Presented in a letterbox format preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition." Huh! Who proofreads this stuff? And while I'm on a rant ... the actress featured on the front of the DVD looking soulfully at John Payne - and who is also featured in a scene still on the back of the box - is none other than fourth-billed Nancy ("The Bad Seed") Kelly, who played the distaff second lead in the film. NOT that you would know from reading the DVD box, since Fox didn't bother to give the future Oscar-nominee even a small feature credit.

Fox Home Entertainment, get it together! At this point, you're the laughingstock of the industry, despite having some of the best classic films ever made in your library ("The Grapes of Wrath", "The Ox-Bow Incident", "Laura", "Leave Her to Heaven", "Pinky", "A Letter to Three Wives", etc., etc.). We're waiting patiently for these goodies ... and praying you won't screw them up too badly when you finally get around to releasing them.

The DVD version is misrepresented.
I bought a copy of the DVD version of this movie which I had seen in the theatres many years ago. When I started the movie I noticed it was in black and white, not in color as the movie was photographed in and what the DVD jacket said it was in. Thinking the DVD was defective, I returned it. I then went to another place and bought another copy. It too was in black and white. I sent e-mails to Fox asking what was wrong and never received an answer. I strongly recommend that you do not buy the DVD version. Too bad, the movie actually is very good.

DON'T BUY THIS DVD!!!!!!
This Technicolor film received an Academy Award nomination for best color cinematography. So what did Fox Home Video do? They put out the film on DVD in a BLACK & WHITE PRINT!!!!!!

The way it really wasn't
Playboy John Payne joins the Marines, makes time with pretty nurses, beats up Randolph Scott, his DI, (how we all wished we could have but never dared), gets out, hears about (Japanese) attack on Pearl Harbor, sees old outfit marching to the troop ship, decides right there and then to re-enlist. Only during the War would a movie like this have been made. I loved it and so will any Marine. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first of Universal's all-star monster tag-team bouts, House of Frankenstein boasts Dracula, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein's monster, plus a menacing mad scientist (played with hammy glee by Boris Karloff) and his hunchbacked assistant (J. Carroll Naish). It's really more like two films. Karloff and Naish escape prison and find the skeleton of Dracula, resurrecting the dapper vampire (played by a dignified John Carradine) and unleashing him on an unsuspecting town. In the second half, the not-so-good doctor investigates the ruins of Castle Frankenstein (left from the cataclysmic conclusion of Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman) and finds the frozen bodies of the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney) and the Monster (Glenn Strange, picking up creature-feature tips from former flathead Karloff, no doubt). He proceeds to revive them, with the expected results: murder, mayhem, and a bad end for all. The screenplay has a slapdash quality about it, notably the Dracula sequences which dismiss Universal's most dignified monster with almost no fanfare, and Erle C. Kenton's direction only rises above perfunctory for the conclusion, a mad monster brawl with some arresting moments. But while it's hardly the best of the Universal horrors, the high monster quotient makes it a fun if undercooked entry in the genre. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (22)

A Great Classic!!!!!!!
This film shows escaped criminals, Karloff and Naish, posing as horror show operators. The first half deals with the ressurected Dracula ( portrayed by John Carradine). When Dracula is subdued, the two go to the village of Frankenstein to find the werewolf( Lon Chaney Jr.) and the Monster(Glenn Strange) . A very exciting conclusion. Sequel: House of Dracula

They did ¿not¿ do the Monster Mash
What do you get when you bring in some of the great monsters together in one film? In this case, nothing. Although it has a mad scientist (Boris Karloff, he doesn't play the monster), a werewolf (Lon Chaney Jr), Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange), Dracula (John Carradine), and a hunchback (who falls in love with a dancing gypsy...does this sound familiar?), the viewer never gets to see a big fight scene.

Dr. Niemann (Karloff) and his assistant (the hunchback) escape from prison through divine intervention. Early in the movie, Universal Studios seems to be stepping away from the idea of creating life from death to be against the laws of nature. As a result, whenever these experiments occur, lightning flashes across the sky as if the heavens are shouting a resounding, "Stop!" Here, the lightning trashes the prison to free Dr. Niemann. Is this a tip to modern science?

For those of you who grew up thinking of Dracula being Bela Lugosi, then John Carradine will be a shock. He seems more like an English magician than a vampire. There seems to be more emphasis on mesmerism than on supernatural powers. Anyway, he does not interact with the others. There is merely one scene with him talking to Dr. Niemann, and it is over. The audience is left wondering why he was here.

Is this movie worth seeing? Oddly enough, I would say so. As a fan of the Universal Studios monsters, I have to feed my addiction. Seeing horror movies in black and white just seems right. Is this the best of the movies? Not really, I would recommend seeing "Frankenstein," "Bride of Frankenstein," and "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" before seeing this movie.

A rather disappointing film, given its three monsters
House of Frankenstein is a sequel of sorts to Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, one with its good points and its bad points. This was the first film to feature three of the Universal classic monsters: Frankenstein's Monster (now played by Glenn Strange), the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr.), and Count Dracula (John Carradine). It also threw the legendary Boris Karloff into the mix as a mad scientist following in Dr. Frankenstein's footsteps. How wonderful it would have been to see Bela Lugosi included alongside Karloff and Chaney, especially since John Carradine is probably the worst Dracula I've ever seen. Carradine looks like someone dressed up in a Dracula costume; he brings no sense of power or charisma to the role at all. Dracula doesn't even have a very significant part in the movie, strangely enough.

Boris Karloff is Dr. Gustav Niemann, one of the few mad scientists of note to actually be imprisoned. Fifteen years of prison life hasn't changed him, as he is still concentrating on his research; he even has a hunchbacked assistant ready to go as soon as he gets his freedom. A powerful electrical storm issues Niemann an unexpected pardon, and he heads for Frankenstein's castle in hopes of finding his hero's research notes. A carnival of horrors provides him the cover he needs to make his getaway, and it just so happens that this carnival's main attraction is the actual skeleton of Count Dracula. The Count returns to life (at least as much life as Carradine manages to give the character), but the film would probably be better served had it left Dracula out of the script entirely. Once Niemann reaches the village of Frankenstein, he begins searching the ruins of the castle and finds both The Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster frozen in ice (providing the answer as to what happened to them at the end of Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man). I don't even have to tell you that he revives both of the monsters. Lon Chaney, Jr., is once again superb in his role of the tormented Wolf Man seeking death but, for a time, pinning his hopes on Dr. Niemann for a cure to his cursed affliction. Frankenstein's monster basically just stumbles and bumbles his way through the script, having already fallen victim to the awful stereotype of the big, dumb monster. When Karloff looked into the eyes of the monster, I am sure he saw almost no similarity to the monster he portrayed so powerfully in the first three Frankenstein films.

House of Frankenstein fails to live up to its potential. Its strengths include Karloff's fine performance as a non-monster character, Chaney's impressive performance as the Wolf Man, and the combination of three classic monsters in one movie. Its weaknesses come in the form of Carradine's awful performance as Dracula, the silliness of the whole Dracula subplot to begin with, and a fairly boring conclusion regarding Dr. Niemann and the monster. It's still a fun movie to watch, but it cannot compare to the classic movies that gave birth to the monsters we see exploited here for box office profits.

The Clash of the Century
HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN is probobly the best in the Wolfman, Frankenstein, and Dracula series. Originily entitled THE DEVILS BROOD (or BLOOD, as it says on the back cover,) HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN originally had some other monsters put togeather with the three main ones. Vincent Price as THE INVISIBLE MAN,
Acqquinetta as THE CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN, Tom Tyler as THE MUMMY,
and finally David Bruce as THE MAD GHOUL. Even without those monsters, HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN remains a clasic.

Do not take this film to seriously.
I think that this film is not bad, because it is not aiming for the same reaction as the original Wolf Man, Dracula, and Frankenstein films. This film was simply trying it give audiences of the 40s a scare. When this film was released it was a smash hit and made a lot of money. The New York Times film reviews usually were extremely critical and hated most all horror films said that House of Frankenstein "Was like watching a game of baseball with nine Babe Ruths". Today there are silly horror flicks that we like and are not great works of art. ... Read more

Description

Comedy about a married couple that travels to Europe to revitalize their relationship, only to have the wife get involved with a sexy Frenchman. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

How Sweet it is
From the groovy credits done in sixties pop-art style to the freak-out ending, this is a film that captures the era right on! "Alone time" for Grif and Jenny Henderson (James Garner, Debbie Reynolds) has been almost impossible for this married couple, what with Grif's job as a photographer having him traveling for photo shoots and raising a teenage son in a time of revolution. There must be some way for the Hendersons to spend some time together. When their son Davey asks to go on vacation to Europe, alone with some other classmates, well of course that's out of the question. . . right? That is unless Jenny can come up with a clever plan so that the whole family can go and make this a much-needed family vacation. And what a vacation this turns out to be! Theft, adultery, imprisonment, divorce! These are but some of the things this movie has in store for you, along with some genuinely funny mishaps that you won't want to miss.

Great one-liners in this comedy
James Garner delivers his typically quick and funny one-liners in this comedy movie made during the flower child era. I especially laughed when he was talking about his son with Debbie Reynolds. When she asked why he didn't do things with him anymore, Garner sneered said "we used to build model airplanes together. Now all he wants to do is sniff the glue."

Another time, Garner was in a French restaurant and he told the waiter that he didn't even like French bread.

I recommend this movie, especially at this price. No violence, just good clean fun, 1968 style. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (33)

Charming, amusing love story
The play in which Steve Martin's "Roxanne" was based on is "Cyrano de Bergerac", a French play by Edmond Rostand. The title character is a witty men, well about words, but has a physical appendage that all find alarming and engrossing: a large, portrusive nose. He falls in love with Roxanne, but she is in love with another man; while he is beautiful, he's also a veritable dunderhead. Cyrano agrees to help him court Roxanne and many funny happenings occur. This is an amusing play, sure to charm anyone who can take physical imperfections lightly.

Translation captures poetry and wit of Rostand's hero.
Most readers and performers are probably more familiar with the translation of Cyrano by Brian Hooker. Hooker's translation has much to recommend it but it fails to capture the poetic power, whimsy or grace of Rostand's play. I feel the Burgess translation better represents Cyrano to a modern reader. One previous reviewer suggested that there was something almost absurd about Cyrano as he is portrayed by Rostand. Burgess himself had qualms about translating the play into rhyme. But this convention is powerful because it suggests that the men and women of Cyrano's dramatic world (even the lackwits) were impressed by cleverness, grace and beauty. It is set out in the play that Roxanne is one of the literary precieuse. The type of cleverness that Cyrano portrays in rhyme would appeal to her. At the same time, Cyrano is not a fop but a man of action whose mind is not stilled even by combat. Also this translation shows that Christian's "military wit" was something Cyrano could appreciate for its poetic appropriateness as well as for its courage. I think in some ways Cyrano's chivalry and heroism, as well as the more unrealistic elements of the play, are actually made more vivid and convincing by the use of rhyme. Burgess transports us to Rostand's imagined world of poetry and chivalry directly. . . and does not relent for a moment in portraying it. I think the real Hercule Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac would have appreciated the flair of it all. And if you don't buy that?-- Well, the fight scenes are STILL cool. Happy reading.

BEST OF THE CYRANOS
This Hal Roach Studios production from Image Entertainment is the best of the best. Flawlessly transferred from original 35mm camera negative and finegrain material, it features a brilliant soundtrack as well as the original theatrical trailer. This is the real deal--not a backyard dupe offered in a quickie transfer (probably to analogue) for el cheapo prices. If you want CYRANO, this class act version is the one to buy. SPECIAL NOTE: The specification notes indicated on the Amazon site are WRONG--this disc is encoded "Region Zero" not "Region One" as is stated. It will play on any DVD player anywhere in the world. So, what are you waiting for?? (Review refers to Hal Roach Studios DVD version released by Image Entertainment.)

BLUNT BLADE
THIS DVD IS JUNK... I SUGGEST YOU TRY ANOTHER COMPANY'S VERSION OF CYRANO.

And found myself the hero
I don't know how it's possible for a writer to expose my inner-workings so dynamically. This was written before I was born. However, the poetry and pomp, the lust and life, the fantasy and phantom of love, pure and chaste from afar defines me from inwards to extremity. I must now replace this masterpiece of a clairvoyant ancestor of Ralph Edwards.
The soul of any artist knows that life is not what we see, but how we perceive what we see. This video allows those with vision to glimpse the reality reserved for those who can recount their perceptions in whatever form.
See this video, if you never see another. The effect it will have on your life depends on your level of surrender to the realities in life. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

GREAT FUN!!
Back in the 1970s, when I was growing up, every Sunday afternoon our local TV station would broadcast these black and white horror classics under the program's name "Horror Theater". What joy it is to have them now on video. They are especially fun to watch during Halloween time and of course, on late Sunday afternoons.

This one, made in 1944, is great fun. Voodoo, superstition, wind howling, murder, weird island chant music over the phone....its all here.

It has the perfect cast with of course Evelyn Ankers and Elizabeth Harrison as the standouts. Anne Gwynne is lovely and fragile as always and of course, Lon Chaney as the man all these women are mad for playing a professor torn between logic and reason.

Oh how I enjoy these films. No one could make them like Universal who knew how to do it best!! If you're a fan of these old Horror classics ..... you won't be disappointed!!!

Ankers-Russell-: Wow!
Scream Queen Evelyn Ankers was rarely given anything juicy in her stream of B-classics, mostly in horror. But as Illona, the treacherous villain, she's able to snap and snarl with the best of them. Not only is she a treat but the strange-looking Elizabeth Russell (who usually worked for Cult Director Val Lewton)who resembles a real Cat Woman (as she was in Lewton's "Cat People")dishes it right back to Ankers. Chaney is such a lumbering old hambone, we wonder what the hell all these women were fighting over (not to mention one of his femme students whose deliriously in love with Hambone Chaney). Anne Gwynne is as pretty and vacant as a sugar plum fairy. Shot in seven days, Ankers and Russell are worth watching--and wishing that Universal had used their considerable talents to better advantage through both their careers.

Evelyn Ankers - what a diva!
Weird Woman is a camp classic that deserves a cult following. Ankers, normally cast as a good girl, here plays a conniving stalker. Elizabth Russell also hams it up as a bitter academic wife, who ultimately turns on Ankers. Anne Gwynne, as the lily white voodoo girl from the jungle, is laughably vacant as usual. A LOT OF FUN! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Stupid ... just like a Fox
To phrase this as kindly as possible ... the folks at Fox Home Entertainment are dumber than dirt, especially when it comes to their library of classic movies. They've pulled off some spectacular marketing fiascos over the years ... such as releasing the 1939 box-office smash "Jesse James" on laserdisc in a faded, washed-out print back in the early 1990's; and more recently, pushing their (badly) colorized versions of several Shirley Temple classics into the marketplace on DVD instead of the glorious black and white originals.

But the DVD edition of "To the Shores of Tripoli" represents a new low for the company. This movie received an Oscar nomination for Edward Cronjager's and William Skall's gorgeous candybox TECHNICOLOR cinematography. The title frame of the film itself says: "'To the Shores of Tripoli' in TECHNICOLOR." The DVD box itself says, "1942, COLOR, 86 minutes" under the advertising blurb; and then proclaims "Photographed in TECHNICOLOR" in the credits area. But guess what?!!? The DVD was mastered from a BLACK & WHITE re-release print, and not the original Technicolor negative! Hello, 11th-Century Fox! That churning sound you hear is former studio head Darryl F. Zanuck spinning 'round and 'round in his grave. Unfortunately, this movie is just not worth watching unless you get to marvel at Maureen O'Hara's beautiful tresses in all their flame-colored glory!

But that's not the only blunder on this disc or its packaging. In the box describing the DVD's features, the aspect ratio is correctly noted as 1.33:1, Full Frame Format. However, the last line on the bottom of the box's back panel notes: "WIDESCREEN VERSION: Presented in a letterbox format preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition." Huh! Who proofreads this stuff? And while I'm on a rant ... the actress featured on the front of the DVD looking soulfully at John Payne - and who is also featured in a scene still on the back of the box - is none other than fourth-billed Nancy ("The Bad Seed") Kelly, who played the distaff second lead in the film. NOT that you would know from reading the DVD box, since Fox didn't bother to give the future Oscar-nominee even a small feature credit.

Fox Home Entertainment, get it together! At this point, you're the laughingstock of the industry, despite having some of the best classic films ever made in your library ("The Grapes of Wrath", "The Ox-Bow Incident", "Laura", "Leave Her to Heaven", "Pinky", "A Letter to Three Wives", etc., etc.). We're waiting patiently for these goodies ... and praying you won't screw them up too badly when you finally get around to releasing them.

The DVD version is misrepresented.
I bought a copy of the DVD version of this movie which I had seen in the theatres many years ago. When I started the movie I noticed it was in black and white, not in color as the movie was photographed in and what the DVD jacket said it was in. Thinking the DVD was defective, I returned it. I then went to another place and bought another copy. It too was in black and white. I sent e-mails to Fox asking what was wrong and never received an answer. I strongly recommend that you do not buy the DVD version. Too bad, the movie actually is very good.

DON'T BUY THIS DVD!!!!!!
This Technicolor film received an Academy Award nomination for best color cinematography. So what did Fox Home Video do? They put out the film on DVD in a BLACK & WHITE PRINT!!!!!!

The way it really wasn't
Playboy John Payne joins the Marines, makes time with pretty nurses, beats up Randolph Scott, his DI, (how we all wished we could have but never dared), gets out, hears about (Japanese) attack on Pearl Harbor, sees old outfit marching to the troop ship, decides right there and then to re-enlist. Only during the War would a movie like this have been made. I loved it and so will any Marine. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A TIMELESS TALE
Somerset Maugham's "The Moon and Sixpence" was definitively brought to screen life by George Sanders and Herbert Marshall.

Sanders' portrayal of the brilliant but obsessed artist Paul Gauguin is nothing short of mesmerizing, and Herbert Marshall holds his own in the understated urbane manner for which he became known.

This is a timeless tale that moves compellingly to the inevitable denouement.

I've found Ivy Classics Video of Charlotte, North Carolina, makes some of the finest VHS releases - classics all and well worth keeping in a collection.

THE PAGAN LIFE OF GAUGUIN
As a movie, THE MOON AND SIXPENCE is an interesting job. To soothe the Hays office, it legalised by marriage one of Gauguin's affairs, but in general, it sticks to the Maugham novel, using the great Herbert Marshall as a narrator to speak Maugham's words. George Sanders is remarkably convincing as the painter who scorns all human relations in his demonic desire to paint. He actually seems to justify Maugham's description: "The emotions common to most of us simply did not exist in him, and it was as absurd to blame him for not feeling them as for blaming the tiger because he is fierce...he was at once too great and too small for love. Outstanding among famous artists whose lives and loves have fascinated the world is the Frenchman Paul Gauguin. In 1919, a rising young author named W. Somerset Maugham wrote a novel suggested by the curious career of Gauguin; it has since become a minor classic work of fiction. In his book, Maugham never admitted that he wrote generally about Gauguin. But everyone knew he did. In 1941, when United Artists began filming the novel, they received a stern letter from the painter's eldest son, Emile Gauguin, who then lived in Philadelphia. Emile threatened to sue if any Gauguin art was used in the movie, as this would conclusively identify Maugham's disreputable hero with his father. To avoid suit, the movies created fakes.

Somerset Maugham's novel turned into a morality play
Somerset Maugham's 1919 novel suggested by the life of the French impressionist painter Paul Gauguin's life in the South Seas is turned into an . George Sanders stars as Charles Strickland, a broker who is so consumed by his passion for painting that he abandons his respectful life and takes off for Tahiti. Herbert Marshall's narration serves to denounce Strickland's unorthodox behavior allowing director Albert Lewis to get away with showing the character's immorality because it is repeatedly being condemned. Consequently, Strickland's death as a leper serves to denounce his decision to change his life and pursue his dream rather than compelling the audience to render a more sophisticated judgment about Maugham's story. The setting of "The Moon and Sixpence" allows for Lewin to provide some beautiful sequences and the acting by Sanders and the supporting players is quite good, but the insistent judgments of the film's narrator does undercut the novel's lessons. Your ability to enjoy this film may well rest on how highly your regard Maugham's writings. Lewin and Sanders would later work together on the film version of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray."

Most Underated Actor-George Sanders
A Wonderful well acted Movie with both Sanders and Herbert Marshall at their best,the rest of the cast is wonderful. I hope they put this out on DVD I'll be the first to order one. Stanley Cooper

Uninteresting film of Maugham's Gauguin novel
Herbert Marshall once again plays Maugham and George Sanders has a field day as a true cad who cares for no one and nothing but himself as he deserts wife, family, career to paint. Thinly disguised biography of Paul Gauguin. Acting is stilted, production values are quite poor. Oscar nom for Score. Original last reel with walls of paintings in Tahiti was in Color - this print is not. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Edmond Rostand's ineffably romantic play about the big-nosed soldier and swordsman with a poet's soul looks stagey in this 1950 film adaptation. But, thanks to a heartfelt performance by Jose Ferrer (who won an Oscar for the role), the beauty of Rostand's words shines through. Ferrer plays Cyrano, who is in love with the beautiful Roxanne but is unable to tell her so for fear that she will reject him because of his extremely prominent nose. In a heart-breaking turn, she confesses her love to him--but it is love for another man, a soldier under his command named Christian. Christian, however, is a good-hearted but tongue-tied youngster, and so the older Cyrano woos Roxanne vicariously by supplying Christian with his own words of love, most famously in a balcony scene in which Cyrano speaks for himself while pretending to be Christian. Ferrer is tender, tough, and funny and single-handedly pulls this film to near-greatness. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Charming, amusing love story
The play in which Steve Martin's "Roxanne" was based on is "Cyrano de Bergerac", a French play by Edmond Rostand. The title character is a witty men, well about words, but has a physical appendage that all find alarming and engrossing: a large, portrusive nose. He falls in love with Roxanne, but she is in love with another man; while he is beautiful, he's also a veritable dunderhead. Cyrano agrees to help him court Roxanne and many funny happenings occur. This is an amusing play, sure to charm anyone who can take physical imperfections lightly.

Translation captures poetry and wit of Rostand's hero.
Most readers and performers are probably more familiar with the translation of Cyrano by Brian Hooker. Hooker's translation has much to recommend it but it fails to capture the poetic power, whimsy or grace of Rostand's play. I feel the Burgess translation better represents Cyrano to a modern reader. One previous reviewer suggested that there was something almost absurd about Cyrano as he is portrayed by Rostand. Burgess himself had qualms about translating the play into rhyme. But this convention is powerful because it suggests that the men and women of Cyrano's dramatic world (even the lackwits) were impressed by cleverness, grace and beauty. It is set out in the play that Roxanne is one of the literary precieuse. The type of cleverness that Cyrano portrays in rhyme would appeal to her. At the same time, Cyrano is not a fop but a man of action whose mind is not stilled even by combat. Also this translation shows that Christian's "military wit" was something Cyrano could appreciate for its poetic appropriateness as well as for its courage. I think in some ways Cyrano's chivalry and heroism, as well as the more unrealistic elements of the play, are actually made more vivid and convincing by the use of rhyme. Burgess transports us to Rostand's imagined world of poetry and chivalry directly. . . and does not relent for a moment in portraying it. I think the real Hercule Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac would have appreciated the flair of it all. And if you don't buy that?-- Well, the fight scenes are STILL cool. Happy reading.

BEST OF THE CYRANOS
This Hal Roach Studios production from Image Entertainment is the best of the best. Flawlessly transferred from original 35mm camera negative and finegrain material, it features a brilliant soundtrack as well as the original theatrical trailer. This is the real deal--not a backyard dupe offered in a quickie transfer (probably to analogue) for el cheapo prices. If you want CYRANO, this class act version is the one to buy. SPECIAL NOTE: The specification notes indicated on the Amazon site are WRONG--this disc is encoded "Region Zero" not "Region One" as is stated. It will play on any DVD player anywhere in the world. So, what are you waiting for?? (Review refers to Hal Roach Studios DVD version released by Image Entertainment.)

BLUNT BLADE
THIS DVD IS JUNK... I SUGGEST YOU TRY ANOTHER COMPANY'S VERSION OF CYRANO.

And found myself the hero
I don't know how it's possible for a writer to expose my inner-workings so dynamically. This was written before I was born. However, the poetry and pomp, the lust and life, the fantasy and phantom of love, pure and chaste from afar defines me from inwards to extremity. I must now replace this masterpiece of a clairvoyant ancestor of Ralph Edwards.
The soul of any artist knows that life is not what we see, but how we perceive what we see. This video allows those with vision to glimpse the reality reserved for those who can recount their perceptions in whatever form.
See this video, if you never see another. The effect it will have on your life depends on your level of surrender to the realities in life. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (33)

Charming, amusing love story
The play in which Steve Martin's "Roxanne" was based on is "Cyrano de Bergerac", a French play by Edmond Rostand. The title character is a witty men, well about words, but has a physical appendage that all find alarming and engrossing: a large, portrusive nose. He falls in love with Roxanne, but she is in love with another man; while he is beautiful, he's also a veritable dunderhead. Cyrano agrees to help him court Roxanne and many funny happenings occur. This is an amusing play, sure to charm anyone who can take physical imperfections lightly.

Translation captures poetry and wit of Rostand's hero.
Most readers and performers are probably more familiar with the translation of Cyrano by Brian Hooker. Hooker's translation has much to recommend it but it fails to capture the poetic power, whimsy or grace of Rostand's play. I feel the Burgess translation better represents Cyrano to a modern reader. One previous reviewer suggested that there was something almost absurd about Cyrano as he is portrayed by Rostand. Burgess himself had qualms about translating the play into rhyme. But this convention is powerful because it suggests that the men and women of Cyrano's dramatic world (even the lackwits) were impressed by cleverness, grace and beauty. It is set out in the play that Roxanne is one of the literary precieuse. The type of cleverness that Cyrano portrays in rhyme would appeal to her. At the same time, Cyrano is not a fop but a man of action whose mind is not stilled even by combat. Also this translation shows that Christian's "military wit" was something Cyrano could appreciate for its poetic appropriateness as well as for its courage. I think in some ways Cyrano's chivalry and heroism, as well as the more unrealistic elements of the play, are actually made more vivid and convincing by the use of rhyme. Burgess transports us to Rostand's imagined world of poetry and chivalry directly. . . and does not relent for a moment in portraying it. I think the real Hercule Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac would have appreciated the flair of it all. And if you don't buy that?-- Well, the fight scenes are STILL cool. Happy reading.

BEST OF THE CYRANOS
This Hal Roach Studios production from Image Entertainment is the best of the best. Flawlessly transferred from original 35mm camera negative and finegrain material, it features a brilliant soundtrack as well as the original theatrical trailer. This is the real deal--not a backyard dupe offered in a quickie transfer (probably to analogue) for el cheapo prices. If you want CYRANO, this class act version is the one to buy. SPECIAL NOTE: The specification notes indicated on the Amazon site are WRONG--this disc is encoded "Region Zero" not "Region One" as is stated. It will play on any DVD player anywhere in the world. So, what are you waiting for?? (Review refers to Hal Roach Studios DVD version released by Image Entertainment.)

BLUNT BLADE
THIS DVD IS JUNK... I SUGGEST YOU TRY ANOTHER COMPANY'S VERSION OF CYRANO.

And found myself the hero
I don't know how it's possible for a writer to expose my inner-workings so dynamically. This was written before I was born. However, the poetry and pomp, the lust and life, the fantasy and phantom of love, pure and chaste from afar defines me from inwards to extremity. I must now replace this masterpiece of a clairvoyant ancestor of Ralph Edwards.
The soul of any artist knows that life is not what we see, but how we perceive what we see. This video allows those with vision to glimpse the reality reserved for those who can recount their perceptions in whatever form.
See this video, if you never see another. The effect it will have on your life depends on your level of surrender to the realities in life. ... Read more