Amazon.com

There is no more ringing title among World War II movies than Thirty Seconds over Tokyo, and the mission it celebrates was unquestionably historic: a 400-mile bombing raid to carry the war to Japan itself mere months after that nation's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Yet the film is less memorable than many WWII pictures with less exalted factual basis. At the time, critic James Agee eloquently defined both its virtues and limitations as "a big-studio, big-scale film, free of artistic pretension ... transformed by its not very imaginative but very dogged sincerity into something forceful, simple, and thoroughly sympathetic in spite of all its big-studio, big-scale habits." That remains true today, but perhaps the movie--and its unimpeachably noble, admirably life-sized characters--wouldn't seem so stuck in the amber of a bygone era if Mervyn LeRoy and company had pumped a little "artistic pretension" into it.

Spencer Tracy--as James H. Doolittle, architect of the raid--rates the most towering screen credit, and he's superb. But his role's an extended cameo; the emotional core of the film is B-25 pilot Ted Lawson (Van Johnson) and his wife, Ellen (the glowing Phyllis Thaxter). Lawson's bestselling memoir (with Bob Considine) of his training for the secret mission, his group's launching from the aircraft carrier Hornet, and his crash landing and protracted ordeal in China--where he lost a leg--has been faithfully served. The film is long on homely detail and all-American decency (including a remarkably outspoken regret over the unavoidability of civilian casualties) but achieves its greatest impact in the raid itself.That sequence, in addition to boasting Oscar-winning special effects, is mostly shot in riveting silence. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Excellent
This movie is a refreshing respite from such current over-hyped and unrealistic war movies as Pearl Harbor. The movie realistically and unsentimentally tells the story of the daring Doolittle raid, concentrating on the crew of one of the 16 bombers, headed up by Van Johnson as captain, where he turns in a fine performance. But the other characters are also nicely drawn and neither over-romanticized nor over-sentimentalized. Some of the action sequences, such as the actual bombing raid at low altitude over Tokyo, are truly spectacular. I don't know how they did it, without modern technology, but this scene could stand up to any modern movie's special effects any time. The movie also realistically portrays the training for the mission, where the crews are taught to take off in 500 feet instead of 1500 feet, the normal take-off distance for a B-24. As a result, you get to see a lot of the inside of the planes as well as the outside, again adding to the overall realism. Interestingly, Tracy doesn't have that big a part in the movie, compared to Johnson and his crew, but when he does appear, usually to just brief the men on their upcoming mission, he's nevertheless superb. Another interesting aspect of the movie is Doolittle's discussion of civilian casualties, and that any pilot who objects to killing civilians can withdraw from the mission without penalty if he so chooses. All in all a fine movie that shows that the old Hollywood greats knew how to make a better war movie than the moderns with all their extra resources and technology. Big Steve says go see it (or in this case rent it or buy it), and don't Bogart he popcorn.

An historic mission and authentic view of WW2 patriotism
This 1944 film, shot in black and white, is based on a true story. Four months after Pearl Harbor had been bombed, Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle devised a plan for a daring raid on the heart of Japan itself. To do this he had to train army bomber pilots to do something no one ever dreamed possible - launch 16 fully loaded bombers from an aircraft carrier. It was a success. And this film is a tribute to those men.

Van Johnson stars as Lieutenant Ted Lawson and he does a great job as the fighter pilot who is sometimes scared, confused and very human. The supporting cast includes Spencer Tracy as Doolittle, and Robert Mitchum, Don Defore, Robert Walker and a dozen other young actors whose names never did become household words. Phyllis Thaxter is cast as Van Johnson's young wife and the romance scenes they have together, complete with background violin music, are the only scenes I found a bit too overdone for modern tastes.

The rest of the film however, was full of action. I can well understand why it won an Academy Award for special effects because it put the audience right there on those little planes along with the men and used newsreel footage to supplement the scenes shot inside the planes. I really learned about the mission and the nature of the training, and felt the authenticity of a film that was actually made in 1944, not just a revisionist historian's interpretation. Here, the slang was real. They got the "dope" on what was going on, found out that everything was "swell" and the women were called "girls". Everyone smoked cigarettes too, a reality the recent politically correct "Pearl Harbor" seemed to ignore. Also, considering the hatred that raged during the war, I was surprised that in one scene Van Johnson says that his family had a Japanese gardener and he didn't seem like a bad guy. And when Doolittle addresses his men before they take off, he talks about the fact that the men will be taking civilian lives as well as the military targets. The raid was successful but the film doesn't end there. Van Johnson and his crew were shot down over China and were treated like heroes by the Chinese. Some of the scenes that followed, where Van Johnson's leg has to be removed are harrowing and displayed his fine acting skills.

To get a good understanding of what it must have been like in 1944 in America, this video is a must. Not only do we get a feeling of the patriotism, we also hear the music, hear the slang and get a sense of time and place that is impossible to re-create 50 years later. Highly recommended.

I lost my ship !
My father was a B-25 flight instructor in WWII. Jimmy Doolittle is part of the Holy Trinity in our house. The Doolittle Raid is burned into all family members at an early age. One of the first times I ever remember my mother laughing at my father's humor was when he was imitating Van Johnson standing in the surf crying, "I lost my ship ! I lost my ship !"

What a great movie.

Each year the Doolittle survivors meet at a different part of the United States in the spring for a reunion. There's less than twenty still alive. Their reunion weekend is open to the public with fees going to charitable events. GO. If you think their heroism is exaggerated over the decades, keep this is mind: A bomber had NEVER taken off from a carrier; for all they knew, every single plane was going to crash into the ocean. And every single crew knew that they were taking off too far away from Japan and that they would NOT reach the Chinese airbases. No one backed out.

Amazing story. Great movie.

An Historic Event
The Doolittle Raid was an historic event, not propaganda, as suggested in another review.

The raid carried out in 1942 conveyed two messages: one to the Japanese people, that we could bring the war to their shores and the other message was to the American people, who need shoring up after Pearl Harbor.

It was a daring mission and will be long remembered in our military history.

The cast was very good and I thought Spencer Tracy was excellent as Lt. Col. Doolittle.

An Excellent Movie About the Doolittle Raid
Sometimes when movies are made about historical events, many aspects are either left out completely or they are stated incorrectly. Neither is the case with this highly exciting movie. Starring Van Johnson, Spencer Tracy, and Phyllis Thaxter, this movie does an excellent job of accurately portraying the events of the Doolittle raid as it actually happened. Van Johnson stars as Ted Lawson, an actual pilot in the Doolittle raid. The story of the raid is told through his eyes. I've read several books about the raid, and I was pleased that the producers of the film were so correct in their filmmaking. The movie shows the entire process from beginning to end. From the training at Eglin base in Florida to the take-off from the deck of the USS Hornet, each minute detail is covered with historical correctness.

Lawson himself was an advisor to the film. This helped even more with the historical aspect. Van Johnson was an excellent choice to play Lawson. His performance throughout the film made it a pleasure to watch. Phyllis Thaxter does a wonderful job as Ellen Lawson. Top billing for this film went to Spencer Tracy as Jimmy Doolittle, but his role is really an extended cameo; Lawson and his crew are the real stars of the movie.

Perhaps the best part of the movie was the actual take-off from the Hornet, the bombing of Tokyo, and the crash landing in China. unable to parachute from their plane, the crew of Lawson's B-25 were forced to crash land. Lawson was thrown through the cockpit glass upon landing and suffered many broken teeth as well as a severely damaged leg which would later have to be amputated. Fortunately, the crew was aided by many Chinese who risked their lives to keep the flyers safe and eventually they are returned to safe ground. Lawson is concerned about how his wife will feel about him after his leg had been removed, but the ending tells it all. I highly recommend this excellent film. World War II movie fans will surely enjoy this one. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Excellent
This movie is a refreshing respite from such current over-hyped and unrealistic war movies as Pearl Harbor. The movie realistically and unsentimentally tells the story of the daring Doolittle raid, concentrating on the crew of one of the 16 bombers, headed up by Van Johnson as captain, where he turns in a fine performance. But the other characters are also nicely drawn and neither over-romanticized nor over-sentimentalized. Some of the action sequences, such as the actual bombing raid at low altitude over Tokyo, are truly spectacular. I don't know how they did it, without modern technology, but this scene could stand up to any modern movie's special effects any time. The movie also realistically portrays the training for the mission, where the crews are taught to take off in 500 feet instead of 1500 feet, the normal take-off distance for a B-24. As a result, you get to see a lot of the inside of the planes as well as the outside, again adding to the overall realism. Interestingly, Tracy doesn't have that big a part in the movie, compared to Johnson and his crew, but when he does appear, usually to just brief the men on their upcoming mission, he's nevertheless superb. Another interesting aspect of the movie is Doolittle's discussion of civilian casualties, and that any pilot who objects to killing civilians can withdraw from the mission without penalty if he so chooses. All in all a fine movie that shows that the old Hollywood greats knew how to make a better war movie than the moderns with all their extra resources and technology. Big Steve says go see it (or in this case rent it or buy it), and don't Bogart he popcorn.

An historic mission and authentic view of WW2 patriotism
This 1944 film, shot in black and white, is based on a true story. Four months after Pearl Harbor had been bombed, Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle devised a plan for a daring raid on the heart of Japan itself. To do this he had to train army bomber pilots to do something no one ever dreamed possible - launch 16 fully loaded bombers from an aircraft carrier. It was a success. And this film is a tribute to those men.

Van Johnson stars as Lieutenant Ted Lawson and he does a great job as the fighter pilot who is sometimes scared, confused and very human. The supporting cast includes Spencer Tracy as Doolittle, and Robert Mitchum, Don Defore, Robert Walker and a dozen other young actors whose names never did become household words. Phyllis Thaxter is cast as Van Johnson's young wife and the romance scenes they have together, complete with background violin music, are the only scenes I found a bit too overdone for modern tastes.

The rest of the film however, was full of action. I can well understand why it won an Academy Award for special effects because it put the audience right there on those little planes along with the men and used newsreel footage to supplement the scenes shot inside the planes. I really learned about the mission and the nature of the training, and felt the authenticity of a film that was actually made in 1944, not just a revisionist historian's interpretation. Here, the slang was real. They got the "dope" on what was going on, found out that everything was "swell" and the women were called "girls". Everyone smoked cigarettes too, a reality the recent politically correct "Pearl Harbor" seemed to ignore. Also, considering the hatred that raged during the war, I was surprised that in one scene Van Johnson says that his family had a Japanese gardener and he didn't seem like a bad guy. And when Doolittle addresses his men before they take off, he talks about the fact that the men will be taking civilian lives as well as the military targets. The raid was successful but the film doesn't end there. Van Johnson and his crew were shot down over China and were treated like heroes by the Chinese. Some of the scenes that followed, where Van Johnson's leg has to be removed are harrowing and displayed his fine acting skills.

To get a good understanding of what it must have been like in 1944 in America, this video is a must. Not only do we get a feeling of the patriotism, we also hear the music, hear the slang and get a sense of time and place that is impossible to re-create 50 years later. Highly recommended.

I lost my ship !
My father was a B-25 flight instructor in WWII. Jimmy Doolittle is part of the Holy Trinity in our house. The Doolittle Raid is burned into all family members at an early age. One of the first times I ever remember my mother laughing at my father's humor was when he was imitating Van Johnson standing in the surf crying, "I lost my ship ! I lost my ship !"

What a great movie.

Each year the Doolittle survivors meet at a different part of the United States in the spring for a reunion. There's less than twenty still alive. Their reunion weekend is open to the public with fees going to charitable events. GO. If you think their heroism is exaggerated over the decades, keep this is mind: A bomber had NEVER taken off from a carrier; for all they knew, every single plane was going to crash into the ocean. And every single crew knew that they were taking off too far away from Japan and that they would NOT reach the Chinese airbases. No one backed out.

Amazing story. Great movie.

An Historic Event
The Doolittle Raid was an historic event, not propaganda, as suggested in another review.

The raid carried out in 1942 conveyed two messages: one to the Japanese people, that we could bring the war to their shores and the other message was to the American people, who need shoring up after Pearl Harbor.

It was a daring mission and will be long remembered in our military history.

The cast was very good and I thought Spencer Tracy was excellent as Lt. Col. Doolittle.

An Excellent Movie About the Doolittle Raid
Sometimes when movies are made about historical events, many aspects are either left out completely or they are stated incorrectly. Neither is the case with this highly exciting movie. Starring Van Johnson, Spencer Tracy, and Phyllis Thaxter, this movie does an excellent job of accurately portraying the events of the Doolittle raid as it actually happened. Van Johnson stars as Ted Lawson, an actual pilot in the Doolittle raid. The story of the raid is told through his eyes. I've read several books about the raid, and I was pleased that the producers of the film were so correct in their filmmaking. The movie shows the entire process from beginning to end. From the training at Eglin base in Florida to the take-off from the deck of the USS Hornet, each minute detail is covered with historical correctness.

Lawson himself was an advisor to the film. This helped even more with the historical aspect. Van Johnson was an excellent choice to play Lawson. His performance throughout the film made it a pleasure to watch. Phyllis Thaxter does a wonderful job as Ellen Lawson. Top billing for this film went to Spencer Tracy as Jimmy Doolittle, but his role is really an extended cameo; Lawson and his crew are the real stars of the movie.

Perhaps the best part of the movie was the actual take-off from the Hornet, the bombing of Tokyo, and the crash landing in China. unable to parachute from their plane, the crew of Lawson's B-25 were forced to crash land. Lawson was thrown through the cockpit glass upon landing and suffered many broken teeth as well as a severely damaged leg which would later have to be amputated. Fortunately, the crew was aided by many Chinese who risked their lives to keep the flyers safe and eventually they are returned to safe ground. Lawson is concerned about how his wife will feel about him after his leg had been removed, but the ending tells it all. I highly recommend this excellent film. World War II movie fans will surely enjoy this one. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

AVA - GODDESS OF LOVE
After being married to Jennifer Jones (who is/was my particular 1940's screen love goddess), Robert Walker stars opposite a very erotic Ava Gardner, described by film critics in "The Naked Contessa" (1954) as, "...the most beautiful woman in the world", so she was aptly cast to play Venus, the goddess of love, in this 1948 production.

Robert Walker plays Eddie Hatch a lowly paid window dresser at the store owned by Whitfield Savory II (played by Tom Conway - a relative of the suave George Sanders).Eddie is instructed to ensure that the curtain will not snag at the forthcoming unveiling ceremony of the recently acquired statue of Venus.When finished, he impulsively (he's finished the boss' drink) kisses the statue which promptly comes to life!! Eddie is to marry Gloria (Olga San Juan), who rather irritatingly, keeps reminding him they are to marry each other.They have drifted into their relationship and marriage just seems the next logical move - but who said love is logical!! However, Eddie's friend Joe, (Dick Haymes), is secretly in love with Gloria himself but he doesn't know it.Whitfield Savory II is likewise ignorant of his subconcious love for his efficient secretary, Molly Stewart, played by Eve Arden in one of her typical wise-cracking, comic roles; (see her as Mildred Pierce's efficient manager in the Oscar winning film of the same name (1945) opposite Joan Crawford.

I was mesmerized by Ava Gardner as she spreads her instinctive love to bring all these true lovers together, while working her magic on Eddie himself who is soon in love with her.She seems reluctant to return to Mount Olympus as she is having so much fun here on Earth.She loves helping people but when her task is over, Jupiter, the head of The Gods, (who communicates by thunderflashes), summons her back to Mount Olympus.Reluctantly her effigy returns as a statue at the store, much to the relief of the Whitfield Savory II who thought Eddie had stolen the statue whilst she is in her live alter-ego on Earth.This sub-plot gives rise to some comic Keystone Cops type chases especially when Venus comically turns one of the "gumshoes" into an owl, albeit temporarily as she loves everyone really!.Molly believes Eddie is innocent - good for her I say!

Watch out for Sara Algood who plays Eddie's landlady, (see her in previous roles as Mrs Beth Morgan in "How Green Was My Valley (1941) and as Mrs Maile in "Cluny Brown" (1946).The lovely song "Speak Low" is sung by Dick Haymes miming to his own recording while Ava effectivly mimes to another well matched singer's voice.Another song about men, sung in the ladies dressing room as a trio, featuring Ava, Olga & Eve.

The audience feels strong sympathy for Eddie and he is finally given his divine award (including a modest pay rise) when a very beautiful new store recruit called "Venus Jones" (Ava),appears in normal human form to him there.We have to assume this will eventually become another love match engineered by Mount Olympus!

I found this film hugely enjoyable as I love classic 1940's films having made them something of a speciality.It has fewer of the songs than in the original Broadway musical but this seems to fit the plot.It is a difficult title to find on video.I obtained mine by winning an e-Bay auction after searching on Robert Walker.

Could Venus Match Ava???
The raven-haired, green-eyed Ava Gardner, complete with the magnificent structure (bone and otherwise) is the perfect choice for the role of Venus come to life. Much is made of the predictability of the plot; this was the first time it was done as a sophisticated comedy, I believe. Many imitators would come later, including "Mannequin" in the 1980s, to much less effect. The score is scaled back quite a bit, but with very little loss. The wonderful Eve Arden gives her ultimate wise-cracking performance in this film, and she lights up any film she's in, but especially this one. My only gripe is the casting of aw-shucks cutesy Robert Walker. I'd rather have seen Dick Haymes, or Jimmy Stewart, or almost anyone else in the role of Eddie Hatch. (Hmmm ... Andrew McCarthy would have been great, if he were around then!) I think the rest of the cast is absolutely fine. Olga San Juan is a lovely, talented and underrated actress-performer, but her part in this seems somewhat thankless as the jealous, whiny, hissy-fit competing female. Tom Conway (George Sanders's brother, by the way) is a VERY suave, sophisticated "villain" of the piece. Though Ms. Gardner's voice is dubbed here, the haunting "Speak Low" gets my vote as one of the most beautiful ever written, WHOEVER sings it, and it is orchestrated and performed perfectly here. Overall, the film beautifully captures the things I've always loved about the 1940s. This is a film I watch very often. After seeing it on late-night television so often back in the 50s and 60s, it was a delight to learn that it was filmed in color. Pure escapism, but whoo-whoo-whoo's complaining, as Eve Arden might have wisecracked.

Hey, let's play a little game...!!
Nice light comedy with Ava Gardner at her most babilicious. She plays the Roman goddess of love, here on Earth to see what we mere mortals are up to these days. Suffice it to say, she gets a lot of action as all the guys drool each times she passes their way. Easy to recast for the present day: Joshua Jackson could play the hero, Eddie Hatch (originally played by Robert Walker), Liv Tyler --of course -- would be Venus (Ava Gardner), Janeanne Garafolo as the Jane Hathaway-like Molly Stewart (Eve Arden) and Renee O'Connor (Gabrielle from TV's "Xena") as Gloria, the other girl (originally Olga San Juan). It's too bad Tim Curry is too old to play Dick Haymes' part... at times he's a dead ringer, but perhaps Leonardo Decaprio or some other hottie could play the department store head, Mr. Savory (Tom Conway).

A good film!
I found this movie very entertaining. I especially liked Robert Walker in it.

spoken lowly of
This adaptation by director William A Seiter of the musical with music by Kurt Weill and lyrics by S J Perelman and Ogden Nash is generally considered a bowlderisation, with songs cut and Mary Martin's stage performance lost in favour of the usual Broadway to Hollywood compromises. However there can be no doubt that casting beautiful Ava Gardner as Venus, the goddess of love, is apt. Here Gardner is more playful than usual, and even making her chase a reluctant Robert Walker can be forgiven. Although it is thought that great beauties are all the more desirable when passive rather than active, Walker not realising Gardner's worth is true to the slapstick comedy tone. The idea of Gardner as a marble statue on display in the art gallery of a department store, brought to life by window dresser Walker's drunken kiss at midnight during a lightning storm, introduces the unrealistic romantic narrative, with songs that appear without the musical genre strictly being adhered to. If I am happy to not have I'm a Stranger Here Myself from the stage show, it's because I don't like the song anyway, and even when Speak Low is presented unsatisfactorily and that Gardner is dubbed whilst singing it, cannot detract from it being one of the loveliest melodies Kurt Weill ever composed. I like how it is used as a siren song, where Seiter intercuts between Gardner and Walker, and Dick Haymes and Olga San Juan, with Gardner and Haymes both singing to departed lovers in a duet. As the only one of the cast who appears able to sing, Haymes also gets the bulk of My Foolish Heart, even if given new lyrics and a generally unappealing romantic partner in San Juan. The other song to survive is That's Him, where Eve Arden gets to join in as Gardner is dressed. Arden talks most of her lyrics but still it's nice to see her in this context, in addition to the barbs she delivers as comic relief otherwise, thanks to the screenplay by Frank Tashlin and Harry Kurnitz. I also liked Walker's line re San Juan "She's so terribly one track minded. Even when we have dinner together she eats rice", and there is a lowbrow moment when James Flavin as a detective is turned into a human owl by Gardner. If the others running around tend to become tiresome, there is still Gardner, looking ravishing in black late in the proceedings, and given a gorgeous closeup. And Seiter adds a sweet conclusion. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

One of My Favorite Movies
Greer Garson does an excellent job playing the role of twice Nobel Prize Winner, Marie Curie. Walter Pidgeon partners with her character as Pierre Curie. Based on the book by the Curies' daughter, the movie is a scientific masterpiece. I was amazed at the detail provided of their investigations of the new element. The coverage of their family life makes the movie a careful balance into personal lives and work. A great teaching tool for any teenager interested in science, especially a young woman.

Fine biography of famed French scientist
This MGM-produced biography of French scientist Marie Curie is produced with the usual studio gloss. Film drags at times and presumambly plays fast and loose with the facts, but still worth a look, especially for great teaming of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon, who has some of his best moments here; his proposal scene is classic. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sometimes simplicity can be heartbreaking. So it is with The Clock, a wonderfully simple love story that stands as one of the gems of the MGM golden years. It should be noted right off that this 1945 film is not a musical, despite a talent roster led by the maestro of MGM musicals, producer Arthur Freed. Rather, it's a straight, black and white romance about a soldier (Robert Walker) with a two-day pass in unfamiliar, overwhelming New York City. He meets an office worker (Judy Garland), and in the glow of the city and each other, they fall in love. Underlying the sweetness of the romance is the time limit of the soldier's leave, after which he will be sent overseas; the clock brings an urgency to the action, especially after the lovers lose each other in the crush of a subway. Veteran character actor James Gleason provides lovely support, as does his real-life wife, Lucile. Director Vincente Minnelli brought his designer's eye to the film, turning (by his own avowed intention) New York City itself into the third main character in the drama. It's not difficult to guess the reason for the film's strong emotional tug, or for Judy Garland's radiance; Minnelli had fallen in love with Garland during the making of Meet Me in St. Louis a year earlier, and they would marry after filming The Clock. She was never lovelier than in these two pictures. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (25)

The Clock-charming picture
In this indescribably brilliant masterwork by Vincente Minnelli, he uses his soon-to-be- wife Judy Garland and Robert Walker in a poignant, charming drama. Judy is charming and incredibly wonderful in this dramatic role (she doesn't sing a note, but never mind) as a young woman in New York City who befriends a handsome soldier on 48-hour leave (perfectly naively played by Robert Walker). In only a matter of hours, the romance has fully blossomed. With the aid of a jovial milkman, they decide to marry. Only Judy Garland could have brought such poignancy to this movie, this beautiful movie that can never be forgotten. A true Garland treasure, perhaps the finest wartime love story ever made!

This Clock Should Go Digital
New York's well known PBS station, Channel 13, ran this movie the weekend before September 11, 2002. That may have been fortuitous, or there just may be real a programming whiz there. Vincente Minnelli's THE CLOCK is just about as perfect a cinematic valentine to New York City as you're going to get. In many ways this 1945 movie--filmed during another critical period of U.S. and world history--relates perfectly to our experience today. Even people who don't "heart symbol NY" (not a camp I fall into, by the way, but I know there are those megalopophobics out there) will shed a tear or two for our lost innocence.

And it was, certainly, a more innocent era. Heck, this was a New York City where you could loll safely around Central Park until well past midnight--and then maybe hitch a ride with a passing milkman, of all things!

Robert Walker and Judy Garland are just about perfect as sweet boy-and-girl next door types who meet cute--as industry types say, or maybe less "cute" than innocent--in the big city, have a whirlwind courtship and race to marry while he is on a 48 hour leave before shipping out to fight in Europe. Their small town naivete (she's been there a year or so, but still has down home ways) is played off against urban gruffness, which is not to be confused with rudeness or indifference. The dyed-in-the-wool New Yorkers they bump up against are more like endearingly gruff uncles or eccentric aunts.

And some, like the older couple they meet up with and who pretty much inspire the youngsters to take the marital plunge, are just the salt of the earth. It's hard to come away from this movie without a warm glow. Heck even the (haphazardly) violent drunk played by a young Keenan Wynn is basically a mensch at heart.

The story and screenplay stemmed from Paul Gallico's writerly pen, and that may, in part, explain the intelligent dialog and the real sense of humanity with which all the characters and the city itself are imbued. It's a sweet movie, but if you're expecting pure corn syrup, you're in for a surprise. Life-affirming does not necessarily mean reality-denying, and there's a tinge of melancholy throughout the film. Minnelli and Garland proved once again to be a great cinematic team. Help from a very able supporting cast and an intelligent script make for a true classic.

I was suprised to see in the notes above that this film was not a huge success upon its relese, but after doing a little informal research of my own, I guess it's true that the film was, relatively speaking little seen. When I speak of it to people who would likely have seen it or at least would know of its existence, I'm surprised at how many scratch their heads and profess never to heard of it. The Amazon critic above cites the fact that the war was already drawing to a close upon the film's release as the main reason for its relative obscurity. The fact that it was not the splashy musical Judy fans may have come to expect may have been another. One nice thing about film, though, 57 years later it's still not too late to catch up.

Fantastic
Judy Garland at her most beautiful, excellent direction by Vincente minelli, a must-see frogotten classic.

The brio of romance.
Turner Classic Movies just ran it, and it is, in a word, breathtaking. What I especially love is the duality of Robert Walker and Judy Garland: they are both simple, lonely souls who literally stumble over each other one day, then get repeatedly teamed up in a series of seemingly innocent adventures (they ride a double decker bus; she shows him Central Park; he shows her an art museum)- each time attempting to part company but continuing to draw towards each other. When you analyze it, their courtship is almost fantastic, but the time of the film's 1945 release more than allows for the magic of budding romance. It is not really a sugary film; all the while the two leads communicate, you can see the improbability of their situation on their faces. When a milkman rescues them from being stranded at the end of a long date- and they wind up delivering his milk route- they burst out laughing at their situation. It makes a later scene of a subway separation particularly heartbreaking, and its later reunion at a train depot breathtaking (I guarantee tears in your eyes)- and that's sort of what the movie's all about. In retrospect, it's a bit ironic to watch the young sweetness of Walker and Garland- two stars who had tragic, frequently unhappy existences. Their chemistry here as strangers who become friends who fall in love is mesmerizing. Ms. Garland does not sing, but her dark, exquisite eyes are music to the camera lens. Several bios have cited this film and MEET ME IN ST LOUIS as the two films which really captured a beautiful Judy Garland, and I suspect that has something to do with the elegant taste and artistry of the director- who was in love with (and would soon marry) his star. Grab immediately.

A Great Classic For the Non Musicals Fan!
For anyone who loves 40's films but not thrilled with Musicals. I think this is a film you'd enjoy. The Stars Robert Walker (strangers on a train) as soldier on a 48 hour leave and Judy Garland (the Wizard of oz) as a NY secretary that Walker falls in love with.
This is a sensual, Romantic and Dramatic film. Not something that Judy Garland was known for. Upon her request to do a Non singing film her husband Vincente Minnelli directed the song bird in her fist non singing film. As the story unfolds The two strangers Alice and Joe meet, fall in love and Marry in 48 hours, Yes 48 Hours, but they go through quite a bit in the during war romance. They meet under The Clock at 7 for a date and in that same night walk through Central park and share a passionate Kiss, then they decide to get married, But while they are in Grand Central station they accidently lose eachother and spend what time (Joe) has left before his leave is up. When they finally see eachother again. It is beautiful. You can really feel the steaminess of the story ...
This is a heartfelt war time romance for anyone who's ever been in love. See Judy Garland in a wonderful dramatic film which proves she could hold her own as a powerful actress. ... Read more

Reviews (82)

EXCELLENT!!
Excellent suspense movie about innocent-looking tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger), involved in a murder against his own will, by an eccentric, over-the-top character played masterfully by great american actor (by then, Jennifer Jones' ex-husband) Robert Walker.

Hitchcock builds the film into a great final climax, holding your complete attention from the very start of the story, at the train station.

Good acting by the leading couple, Farley Granger and Ruth Roman (playing his sweetheart and bride-to-be, after the divorce from his obnoxious wife). Excellent performances by the aforementioned Walker as Bruno Antony, Patricia Hitchcok (as Roman's sister, who has a liking for criminal stories), Kasey Rogers (as Granger's wife) and Marion Lorne (as Bruno Antony's mother).

The fact that the DVD contains the original US and UK versions, the latter two minutes longer, is a must. Especially noticing the trimming that underwent the initial scenes between Walker and Granger in the american version, and the final "happy ending" scene added for the same version.

Fans of '60s TV series "Bewitched", will have a field day watching "Aunt Clara" (Marion Lorne) as the over-indulging mother of spoiled and egotistical Bruno Antony and "Louise Tate" (Kasey Rogers, billed as Laura Elliott) who plays over-sexed and amoral Miriam, Guy Haines' wife.

Don't talk to strangers!
Farley Granger appeared in only two Hitchcock films. He was the nerve racked killer in Rope who ended up not being able to handle the reality of his crime and gave up in the end, and he is the ill-fated tennis star who happens upon a total stranger during a train ride in this film, Strangers on a Train. Too bad. Granger is talented in this role, evoking sympathy from the audience even when he was guilty as sin in Rope. In this movie, it's hard to really blame him for the events that transpire.

Two men meet and strike up a conversation based on Bruno's (Robert Walker in a chilling performance) ability to recognize Guy Haines (Granger) from the tennis court. During the conversation, it is discovered that Bruno hates his father and wants him dead, and that Guy has a wife who is causing trouble for him. Guy wants to marry the daughter of a senator, but needs his current wife out of the picture.

Bruno has the answer. We swap murders, and then there is no motive. Guy laughs it off, but he stops laughing quick when Bruno actually kills Guy's wife and expects him to murder his father in return. By the way, the murder of the wife is some of Hitch's best camera work ever, as he shows the choking in the reflection of the woman's eyeglasses.

Guy has no credible alibi, so he is suspect number one. Bruno keeps on him the whole time, threatening to frame him (Bruno has Guy's lighter that he can plant at the scene), so it becomes a race for Guy to prove his innocence. The scene on the merry go round is a classic, even if a bit unrealistic.

The characters are great, the story strong and the direction superb. You simply can't go wrong with this one. The great suspense films of today owe a debt of gratitude to Strangers on a Train.

Misinformed
I recently purchased, yet , another copy of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN because the description of this edition read WIDESCREEN. Lured by that promise, I again spent the money, because the copy I already owned was not widescreen. To my great disappointment, I have learned (by watching my newly purchased DVD) that my new copy is, in fact, the exact same edition I already owned: STANDARD format and NOT WIDESCREEN. Beware the description for this issue: it misinforms. If it is WIDESCREEN you want, this is not it!

Crisscross
After the spectacular successes of "Notorious" and "Spellbound" Alfred Hitchcock went into a five year box-office slump that had him seriously rattled. He broke out again in 1951 with "Strangers," a fable about a tennis player (Farley Granger) whose murderous private thoughts are brought horrifically to life through his chance encounter with a maniac (Robert Walker). Be careful what your wish for, you may get it, is Hitchcock's theme, and he never did a better job of exploring the border between our civilized and barbaric impulses than in this project. This is usually the performance for which Walker is best remembered, completed shortly before he drank himself to death. The murder of Granger's wife is still shocking even today and there are numerous other scenes just as riveting which Hitchcock tossed off with such ease when his visual imagination was stimulated. Novelist Raymond Chandler got a script credit, but according to Hitchcock biographer Donald Spoto none of Chandler's material was used.

I will be strong.....maybe (fingers crossed)
First I will say this is a classic film that doesn't contain one wasted minute. It's always been one of my favorites and have always shown it to friends as an introduction to these films due to their lack of Hitchcock experience. But what I will say here and now is I WILL NOT BUY THIS SPECIAL EDITION!!! I have the original release and it has served me well these past years. I could have lived my whole life without the knowledge of a special edition with all sorts of those goodies and I would have been fine... It will probably have commentary, interviews, ohh that sounds enchanting...I DON"T CARE. I MUST be strong and resist the temptation of re-buying it. I know I've made this pledge on several hundred occasions with... oh you know, Planet of the apes, Casablanca, Blazing Saddles etc,etc. Yes I caved on those countless occasions but NOT THIS TIME!! But for anyone who doesn't own this dvd at all, I would recommend you do. But don't talk to me about it because I'm perfectly happy with my one disc copy OK!! Warner brothers among others have been pulling these scams for years with these re-issues, and you know who the victoms are. Yes... Yes.. that would be me. But not this time because my family have received enough free bare bones dvd's from me and it ends today. Forget it Amazon! No preorders from this sucker... HA HA!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

With a little too much leisure, but no lack of pageantry, this love story for the ages (part of Columbia's informal Song series that began with the 1945 Chopin bio-pic, A Song to Remember) concerns the marriage of composer Robert Schumann (Paul Henreid) and Clara Wieck Schumann (Katharine Hepburn). The latter, a concert pianist with a thriving career, gives it all up to support her husband's artistic efforts, but after years of heartbreaking disappointments he ends up dying in an asylum, leaving behind seven childrenand a mountain of debts. The other important player in this tale, Johannes Brahms (Robert Walker), subsequently proposes to Clara, having been infatuated with her all along. But she returns to the stage to resume her old work and keep alive the memory of her late love. There's nothing like the guilty pleasure of watching a film with a parade of actors portraying famous contemporaries, and Song of Love even throws in Franz Liszt (played very nicely by Henry Daniell) for good measure. Hepburn, understandably, is the soul of this handsome movie directed by Hollywood stalwart Clarence Brown, and the actress learned to play several piano pieces well enough to do justice to her close-ups in performance. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great Portrait of a Musical Era
I must differ with a previous reviewer ---

"Even a subdued Hepburn seems to be more than a match for the men in this movie, although as portrayed in the film Schumann and Brahms are a pretty clueless pair."

I don't quite get that statement. "More than a match"? Schumann and Brahms are clueless about what? They all seem to have a wonderful time together.

"The audience ends up identifying with Liszt, who you get the feeling always knows how talented the lesser beings really are in this story."

That's a pretty pompous thing to say. Brahms and Schumann are the "lesser beings" to Liszt? That's like saying Beethoven was a lesser being to Mozart. What he may be responding to is Liszt as played by Henry Danielle, who is always masterful, whether playing his usual heel or, as here, a good guy.

He also refers to Song of Love as being "sanitized." That implies that there was something in the true story to be sanitized. I didn't think there was. I always thought of the Schumanns like the Brownings: love conquers paternal tyranny.

And as did the Brownings, so did the Schumanns help define an age - the Romantic Age. This is the era when artists were supposed to suffer for art or love. Schubert and Shelley were the icons. "Live for your art and die young!" If you weren't an artist, just plug in "love," like Rudolf at Mayerling. If one is aware of this context, then the film's melodrama becomes easier to accept.

Another issue I have with the other reviewer is his dismissal of how Hollywood treats history. I think if one did more research and less opinionating, they would find that the Hollywood of the studio system is conscientious about historical accuracy, unless one wishes to quibble. The major studios took pride in their products, and audiences of the time, unlike the dumbed-down ones of today, demanded and usually got an accurate rendering of history. Dramatic license is another matter, which one might debate, but one can make that debate for all scripts, whether for stage or screen.

One thing I agree about. Henry Danielle is always a treat to see, in particular when he plays sympathetically, against type, as he does here.

Finally, I believe Paul Henried has been unfairly neglected in the comments. Henried plays Schumann's torment perfectly. He is pitiable, yet possessed of a dignity and strength. Clarence Brown has chosen to have Schumann's progressive dementia caused by a kind of hideously loud tinnitus. I have tinnitus, and I can attest, that were it at the level depicted in the film, I'd have gone bonkers, too!

Schumann was very aware of his condition, and much of his music is a commentary on his descent into and occasional remission from madness. This plight, of being both victim and observer, is particularly poignant. Even more poignant is Clara and Brahms and Liszt, as well as Robert, helplessly watching the process, especially given their unsordid devotion to each other and to making beautiful music.

I see no bathos here, only a well-rendered, classic love story. I think if one has a problem with that, then one has a problem with the genre.

A great film!
I highly recommend this film, and would give it more stars if I could! It is a very entertaining film to watch and one well worth seeing. Robert Walker, Paul Henreid, and Katherine Hepburn are all wonderful in it.

Hepburn stars in Hollywood musical bio-pic
Ironically, in the film where Katharine Hepburn plays a subservient wife her character, Clara Wieck Schumann, is one of the most talent women she ever played in her career. Clara was a brilliant pianist, performing the works of Franz Liszt (Henry Daniell), but goes her father's objections to marry the struggling composer Robert Schumann (Paul Henreid). Clara retires and raises seven children, totally dedicated to her family. However, Schumann is unable to deal with his lack of success. After her husband breaks down during a concert performing the Cantata from his version of "Faust," Clara has him committed to an asylum. After his death, she returns to the concert stage to share her husband's music with the world.

There is also a strong soap opera element in that young Johannus Brahms (Robert Walker) comes to live with the Schumanns, falls in love with Clara, and even proposed to her after Robert dies. Without spending a lot of time reading about the lives of the Great Composers, it is my understanding that this particular romantic plot twist did not really happen. But then you know how Hollywood feels about being historically accurate.

"Song of Love" opens with Clara playing the dazzling finale from Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2. The actual piano playing for the film was performed by Artur Rubinstein. Hepburn worked daily with one of his pupils, pianist Laura Dubman, on fundamentals and techniques down to the distinctive hand posture for playing the piano used during that period. This Meryl Streep like devotion to the details paid off brilliantly and the illusion that Hepburn is actually playing is quite impressive.

Even if she were not played by Katharine Hepburn, I end up feeling it is rather difficult to really accept Clara throwing away her career for the man she loves. Her love of music is as deep as Schumann's and she clearly has the respect of the musical community, with the notable exception of her stern taskmaster father (Leo G. Carroll). Even a subdued Hepburn seems to be more than a match for the men in this movie, although as portrayed in the film Schumann and Brahms are a pretty clueless pair. The audience ends up identifying with Liszt, who you get the feeling always knows how talented the lesser beings really are in this story.

In one of those delightful Hollywood twists of fate, Robert Walker, who played Hepburn's son in her previous film "Sea of Grass," plays young Brahms. Based on the play by Bernard Schubert and Mario Silva, the film had four scenarists, which perhaps explains the unevenness of the script. Director Clarence Brown does a fine job, but this is one of those sanitized biographies that Hollywood loved to produced in those days, where you only get a taste of the emotion turmoil of Clara Wieck Schumann's life.

A GREAT movie
Song of Love is poignant and tender with excellent acting and story. Katharine Hepburn makes the character Clara Schumann believable (as with all Hepburn's roles). The story is true to life and is funny and touching at the same time. This not an action movie, however, but it is a great love story. My being a musician, the music was great, but maybe I'm a little partial to Schumann, Liszt, and Brahms. This movie sticks to the facts of Clara Schumann's life. It introduced me to two fantastic women, Katharine Hepburn and Clara Schumann. It remains one of my all-time favorites (I have seen it five times). If you're going to buy Song of Love, go for it.

Emotional. Makes you a fan of classical music.
I first saw this movie on TNT in 1994. I have been searching for the title for years. This movie is an emotional, moving story of madness, and undying love between Schumann, Clara, his wife ,and Brahms. It is what first turned me on to classical music. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

From its cleverly choreographed opening sequence to its heart-stopping climax on a rampant carousel, this 1951 Hitchcock classic readily earns its reputation as one of the director's finest examples of timeless cinematic suspense. It's not just a ripping-good thriller but a film student's delight and a perversely enjoyable battle of wits between tennis pro Guy (Farley Granger) and his mysterious, sycophantic admirer, Bruno (Robert Walker), who proposes a "criss-cross" scheme of traded murders. Bruno agrees to kill Guy's unfaithful wife, in return for which Guy will (or so it seems) kill Bruno's spiteful father. With an emphasis on narrative and visual strategy, Hitchcock controls the escalating tension with a master's flair for cinematic design, and the plot (coscripted by Raymond Chandler) is so tightly constructed that you'll be white-knuckled even after multiple viewings. Better still, the two-sided DVD edition of this enduring classic includes both the original version of the film and also the longer prerelease British print, which offers a more overt depiction of Bruno's flamboyant and dangerous personality, and his homoerotic attraction to Guy by way of his deviously indecent proposal. In accordance with the cautious censorship guidelines of the period, Hitchcock would later tame these elements of Walker's memorable performance by trimming and altering certain scenes, so the differences between the original and prerelease versions provide an illuminating illustration of censorship's effect on the story's thematic intensity. Beyond all the historical footnotes and film-buff fascination, Strangers on a Train remains one of Hitchcock's crowning achievements and a suspenseful classic that never loses its capacity to thrill and delight. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (82)

EXCELLENT!!
Excellent suspense movie about innocent-looking tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger), involved in a murder against his own will, by an eccentric, over-the-top character played masterfully by great american actor (by then, Jennifer Jones' ex-husband) Robert Walker.

Hitchcock builds the film into a great final climax, holding your complete attention from the very start of the story, at the train station.

Good acting by the leading couple, Farley Granger and Ruth Roman (playing his sweetheart and bride-to-be, after the divorce from his obnoxious wife). Excellent performances by the aforementioned Walker as Bruno Antony, Patricia Hitchcok (as Roman's sister, who has a liking for criminal stories), Kasey Rogers (as Granger's wife) and Marion Lorne (as Bruno Antony's mother).

The fact that the DVD contains the original US and UK versions, the latter two minutes longer, is a must. Especially noticing the trimming that underwent the initial scenes between Walker and Granger in the american version, and the final "happy ending" scene added for the same version.

Fans of '60s TV series "Bewitched", will have a field day watching "Aunt Clara" (Marion Lorne) as the over-indulging mother of spoiled and egotistical Bruno Antony and "Louise Tate" (Kasey Rogers, billed as Laura Elliott) who plays over-sexed and amoral Miriam, Guy Haines' wife.

Don't talk to strangers!
Farley Granger appeared in only two Hitchcock films. He was the nerve racked killer in Rope who ended up not being able to handle the reality of his crime and gave up in the end, and he is the ill-fated tennis star who happens upon a total stranger during a train ride in this film, Strangers on a Train. Too bad. Granger is talented in this role, evoking sympathy from the audience even when he was guilty as sin in Rope. In this movie, it's hard to really blame him for the events that transpire.

Two men meet and strike up a conversation based on Bruno's (Robert Walker in a chilling performance) ability to recognize Guy Haines (Granger) from the tennis court. During the conversation, it is discovered that Bruno hates his father and wants him dead, and that Guy has a wife who is causing trouble for him. Guy wants to marry the daughter of a senator, but needs his current wife out of the picture.

Bruno has the answer. We swap murders, and then there is no motive. Guy laughs it off, but he stops laughing quick when Bruno actually kills Guy's wife and expects him to murder his father in return. By the way, the murder of the wife is some of Hitch's best camera work ever, as he shows the choking in the reflection of the woman's eyeglasses.

Guy has no credible alibi, so he is suspect number one. Bruno keeps on him the whole time, threatening to frame him (Bruno has Guy's lighter that he can plant at the scene), so it becomes a race for Guy to prove his innocence. The scene on the merry go round is a classic, even if a bit unrealistic.

The characters are great, the story strong and the direction superb. You simply can't go wrong with this one. The great suspense films of today owe a debt of gratitude to Strangers on a Train.

Misinformed
I recently purchased, yet , another copy of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN because the description of this edition read WIDESCREEN. Lured by that promise, I again spent the money, because the copy I already owned was not widescreen. To my great disappointment, I have learned (by watching my newly purchased DVD) that my new copy is, in fact, the exact same edition I already owned: STANDARD format and NOT WIDESCREEN. Beware the description for this issue: it misinforms. If it is WIDESCREEN you want, this is not it!

Crisscross
After the spectacular successes of "Notorious" and "Spellbound" Alfred Hitchcock went into a five year box-office slump that had him seriously rattled. He broke out again in 1951 with "Strangers," a fable about a tennis player (Farley Granger) whose murderous private thoughts are brought horrifically to life through his chance encounter with a maniac (Robert Walker). Be careful what your wish for, you may get it, is Hitchcock's theme, and he never did a better job of exploring the border between our civilized and barbaric impulses than in this project. This is usually the performance for which Walker is best remembered, completed shortly before he drank himself to death. The murder of Granger's wife is still shocking even today and there are numerous other scenes just as riveting which Hitchcock tossed off with such ease when his visual imagination was stimulated. Novelist Raymond Chandler got a script credit, but according to Hitchcock biographer Donald Spoto none of Chandler's material was used.

I will be strong.....maybe (fingers crossed)
First I will say this is a classic film that doesn't contain one wasted minute. It's always been one of my favorites and have always shown it to friends as an introduction to these films due to their lack of Hitchcock experience. But what I will say here and now is I WILL NOT BUY THIS SPECIAL EDITION!!! I have the original release and it has served me well these past years. I could have lived my whole life without the knowledge of a special edition with all sorts of those goodies and I would have been fine... It will probably have commentary, interviews, ohh that sounds enchanting...I DON"T CARE. I MUST be strong and resist the temptation of re-buying it. I know I've made this pledge on several hundred occasions with... oh you know, Planet of the apes, Casablanca, Blazing Saddles etc,etc. Yes I caved on those countless occasions but NOT THIS TIME!! But for anyone who doesn't own this dvd at all, I would recommend you do. But don't talk to me about it because I'm perfectly happy with my one disc copy OK!! Warner brothers among others have been pulling these scams for years with these re-issues, and you know who the victoms are. Yes... Yes.. that would be me. But not this time because my family have received enough free bare bones dvd's from me and it ends today. Forget it Amazon! No preorders from this sucker... HA HA!! ... Read more

Reviews (82)

EXCELLENT!!
Excellent suspense movie about innocent-looking tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger), involved in a murder against his own will, by an eccentric, over-the-top character played masterfully by great american actor (by then, Jennifer Jones' ex-husband) Robert Walker.

Hitchcock builds the film into a great final climax, holding your complete attention from the very start of the story, at the train station.

Good acting by the leading couple, Farley Granger and Ruth Roman (playing his sweetheart and bride-to-be, after the divorce from his obnoxious wife). Excellent performances by the aforementioned Walker as Bruno Antony, Patricia Hitchcok (as Roman's sister, who has a liking for criminal stories), Kasey Rogers (as Granger's wife) and Marion Lorne (as Bruno Antony's mother).

The fact that the DVD contains the original US and UK versions, the latter two minutes longer, is a must. Especially noticing the trimming that underwent the initial scenes between Walker and Granger in the american version, and the final "happy ending" scene added for the same version.

Fans of '60s TV series "Bewitched", will have a field day watching "Aunt Clara" (Marion Lorne) as the over-indulging mother of spoiled and egotistical Bruno Antony and "Louise Tate" (Kasey Rogers, billed as Laura Elliott) who plays over-sexed and amoral Miriam, Guy Haines' wife.

Don't talk to strangers!
Farley Granger appeared in only two Hitchcock films. He was the nerve racked killer in Rope who ended up not being able to handle the reality of his crime and gave up in the end, and he is the ill-fated tennis star who happens upon a total stranger during a train ride in this film, Strangers on a Train. Too bad. Granger is talented in this role, evoking sympathy from the audience even when he was guilty as sin in Rope. In this movie, it's hard to really blame him for the events that transpire.

Two men meet and strike up a conversation based on Bruno's (Robert Walker in a chilling performance) ability to recognize Guy Haines (Granger) from the tennis court. During the conversation, it is discovered that Bruno hates his father and wants him dead, and that Guy has a wife who is causing trouble for him. Guy wants to marry the daughter of a senator, but needs his current wife out of the picture.

Bruno has the answer. We swap murders, and then there is no motive. Guy laughs it off, but he stops laughing quick when Bruno actually kills Guy's wife and expects him to murder his father in return. By the way, the murder of the wife is some of Hitch's best camera work ever, as he shows the choking in the reflection of the woman's eyeglasses.

Guy has no credible alibi, so he is suspect number one. Bruno keeps on him the whole time, threatening to frame him (Bruno has Guy's lighter that he can plant at the scene), so it becomes a race for Guy to prove his innocence. The scene on the merry go round is a classic, even if a bit unrealistic.

The characters are great, the story strong and the direction superb. You simply can't go wrong with this one. The great suspense films of today owe a debt of gratitude to Strangers on a Train.

Misinformed
I recently purchased, yet , another copy of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN because the description of this edition read WIDESCREEN. Lured by that promise, I again spent the money, because the copy I already owned was not widescreen. To my great disappointment, I have learned (by watching my newly purchased DVD) that my new copy is, in fact, the exact same edition I already owned: STANDARD format and NOT WIDESCREEN. Beware the description for this issue: it misinforms. If it is WIDESCREEN you want, this is not it!

Crisscross
After the spectacular successes of "Notorious" and "Spellbound" Alfred Hitchcock went into a five year box-office slump that had him seriously rattled. He broke out again in 1951 with "Strangers," a fable about a tennis player (Farley Granger) whose murderous private thoughts are brought horrifically to life through his chance encounter with a maniac (Robert Walker). Be careful what your wish for, you may get it, is Hitchcock's theme, and he never did a better job of exploring the border between our civilized and barbaric impulses than in this project. This is usually the performance for which Walker is best remembered, completed shortly before he drank himself to death. The murder of Granger's wife is still shocking even today and there are numerous other scenes just as riveting which Hitchcock tossed off with such ease when his visual imagination was stimulated. Novelist Raymond Chandler got a script credit, but according to Hitchcock biographer Donald Spoto none of Chandler's material was used.

I will be strong.....maybe (fingers crossed)
First I will say this is a classic film that doesn't contain one wasted minute. It's always been one of my favorites and have always shown it to friends as an introduction to these films due to their lack of Hitchcock experience. But what I will say here and now is I WILL NOT BUY THIS SPECIAL EDITION!!! I have the original release and it has served me well these past years. I could have lived my whole life without the knowledge of a special edition with all sorts of those goodies and I would have been fine... It will probably have commentary, interviews, ohh that sounds enchanting...I DON"T CARE. I MUST be strong and resist the temptation of re-buying it. I know I've made this pledge on several hundred occasions with... oh you know, Planet of the apes, Casablanca, Blazing Saddles etc,etc. Yes I caved on those countless occasions but NOT THIS TIME!! But for anyone who doesn't own this dvd at all, I would recommend you do. But don't talk to me about it because I'm perfectly happy with my one disc copy OK!! Warner brothers among others have been pulling these scams for years with these re-issues, and you know who the victoms are. Yes... Yes.. that would be me. But not this time because my family have received enough free bare bones dvd's from me and it ends today. Forget it Amazon! No preorders from this sucker... HA HA!! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

AVA - GODDESS OF LOVE
After being married to Jennifer Jones (who is/was my particular 1940's screen love goddess), Robert Walker stars opposite a very erotic Ava Gardner, described by film critics in "The Naked Contessa" (1954) as, "...the most beautiful woman in the world", so she was aptly cast to play Venus, the goddess of love, in this 1948 production.

Robert Walker plays Eddie Hatch a lowly paid window dresser at the store owned by Whitfield Savory II (played by Tom Conway - a relative of the suave George Sanders).Eddie is instructed to ensure that the curtain will not snag at the forthcoming unveiling ceremony of the recently acquired statue of Venus.When finished, he impulsively (he's finished the boss' drink) kisses the statue which promptly comes to life!! Eddie is to marry Gloria (Olga San Juan), who rather irritatingly, keeps reminding him they are to marry each other.They have drifted into their relationship and marriage just seems the next logical move - but who said love is logical!! However, Eddie's friend Joe, (Dick Haymes), is secretly in love with Gloria himself but he doesn't know it.Whitfield Savory II is likewise ignorant of his subconcious love for his efficient secretary, Molly Stewart, played by Eve Arden in one of her typical wise-cracking, comic roles; (see her as Mildred Pierce's efficient manager in the Oscar winning film of the same name (1945) opposite Joan Crawford.

I was mesmerized by Ava Gardner as she spreads her instinctive love to bring all these true lovers together, while working her magic on Eddie himself who is soon in love with her.She seems reluctant to return to Mount Olympus as she is having so much fun here on Earth.She loves helping people but when her task is over, Jupiter, the head of The Gods, (who communicates by thunderflashes), summons her back to Mount Olympus.Reluctantly her effigy returns as a statue at the store, much to the relief of the Whitfield Savory II who thought Eddie had stolen the statue whilst she is in her live alter-ego on Earth.This sub-plot gives rise to some comic Keystone Cops type chases especially when Venus comically turns one of the "gumshoes" into an owl, albeit temporarily as she loves everyone really!.Molly believes Eddie is innocent - good for her I say!

Watch out for Sara Algood who plays Eddie's landlady, (see her in previous roles as Mrs Beth Morgan in "How Green Was My Valley (1941) and as Mrs Maile in "Cluny Brown" (1946).The lovely song "Speak Low" is sung by Dick Haymes miming to his own recording while Ava effectivly mimes to another well matched singer's voice.Another song about men, sung in the ladies dressing room as a trio, featuring Ava, Olga & Eve.

The audience feels strong sympathy for Eddie and he is finally given his divine award (including a modest pay rise) when a very beautiful new store recruit called "Venus Jones" (Ava),appears in normal human form to him there.We have to assume this will eventually become another love match engineered by Mount Olympus!

I found this film hugely enjoyable as I love classic 1940's films having made them something of a speciality.It has fewer of the songs than in the original Broadway musical but this seems to fit the plot.It is a difficult title to find on video.I obtained mine by winning an e-Bay auction after searching on Robert Walker.

Could Venus Match Ava???
The raven-haired, green-eyed Ava Gardner, complete with the magnificent structure (bone and otherwise) is the perfect choice for the role of Venus come to life. Much is made of the predictability of the plot; this was the first time it was done as a sophisticated comedy, I believe. Many imitators would come later, including "Mannequin" in the 1980s, to much less effect. The score is scaled back quite a bit, but with very little loss. The wonderful Eve Arden gives her ultimate wise-cracking performance in this film, and she lights up any film she's in, but especially this one. My only gripe is the casting of aw-shucks cutesy Robert Walker. I'd rather have seen Dick Haymes, or Jimmy Stewart, or almost anyone else in the role of Eddie Hatch. (Hmmm ... Andrew McCarthy would have been great, if he were around then!) I think the rest of the cast is absolutely fine. Olga San Juan is a lovely, talented and underrated actress-performer, but her part in this seems somewhat thankless as the jealous, whiny, hissy-fit competing female. Tom Conway (George Sanders's brother, by the way) is a VERY suave, sophisticated "villain" of the piece. Though Ms. Gardner's voice is dubbed here, the haunting "Speak Low" gets my vote as one of the most beautiful ever written, WHOEVER sings it, and it is orchestrated and performed perfectly here. Overall, the film beautifully captures the things I've always loved about the 1940s. This is a film I watch very often. After seeing it on late-night television so often back in the 50s and 60s, it was a delight to learn that it was filmed in color. Pure escapism, but whoo-whoo-whoo's complaining, as Eve Arden might have wisecracked.

Hey, let's play a little game...!!
Nice light comedy with Ava Gardner at her most babilicious. She plays the Roman goddess of love, here on Earth to see what we mere mortals are up to these days. Suffice it to say, she gets a lot of action as all the guys drool each times she passes their way. Easy to recast for the present day: Joshua Jackson could play the hero, Eddie Hatch (originally played by Robert Walker), Liv Tyler --of course -- would be Venus (Ava Gardner), Janeanne Garafolo as the Jane Hathaway-like Molly Stewart (Eve Arden) and Renee O'Connor (Gabrielle from TV's "Xena") as Gloria, the other girl (originally Olga San Juan). It's too bad Tim Curry is too old to play Dick Haymes' part... at times he's a dead ringer, but perhaps Leonardo Decaprio or some other hottie could play the department store head, Mr. Savory (Tom Conway).

A good film!
I found this movie very entertaining. I especially liked Robert Walker in it.

spoken lowly of
This adaptation by director William A Seiter of the musical with music by Kurt Weill and lyrics by S J Perelman and Ogden Nash is generally considered a bowlderisation, with songs cut and Mary Martin's stage performance lost in favour of the usual Broadway to Hollywood compromises. However there can be no doubt that casting beautiful Ava Gardner as Venus, the goddess of love, is apt. Here Gardner is more playful than usual, and even making her chase a reluctant Robert Walker can be forgiven. Although it is thought that great beauties are all the more desirable when passive rather than active, Walker not realising Gardner's worth is true to the slapstick comedy tone. The idea of Gardner as a marble statue on display in the art gallery of a department store, brought to life by window dresser Walker's drunken kiss at midnight during a lightning storm, introduces the unrealistic romantic narrative, with songs that appear without the musical genre strictly being adhered to. If I am happy to not have I'm a Stranger Here Myself from the stage show, it's because I don't like the song anyway, and even when Speak Low is presented unsatisfactorily and that Gardner is dubbed whilst singing it, cannot detract from it being one of the loveliest melodies Kurt Weill ever composed. I like how it is used as a siren song, where Seiter intercuts between Gardner and Walker, and Dick Haymes and Olga San Juan, with Gardner and Haymes both singing to departed lovers in a duet. As the only one of the cast who appears able to sing, Haymes also gets the bulk of My Foolish Heart, even if given new lyrics and a generally unappealing romantic partner in San Juan. The other song to survive is That's Him, where Eve Arden gets to join in as Gardner is dressed. Arden talks most of her lyrics but still it's nice to see her in this context, in addition to the barbs she delivers as comic relief otherwise, thanks to the screenplay by Frank Tashlin and Harry Kurnitz. I also liked Walker's line re San Juan "She's so terribly one track minded. Even when we have dinner together she eats rice", and there is a lowbrow moment when James Flavin as a detective is turned into a human owl by Gardner. If the others running around tend to become tiresome, there is still Gardner, looking ravishing in black late in the proceedings, and given a gorgeous closeup. And Seiter adds a sweet conclusion. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Selznick's Second Masterpiece!
Gone with the Wind will always be David O. Selznick's supreme masterpiece. But right behind GWTW is this ravishing, tear-jerker concerning a mother and her two daughters during World War II. The gorgeous black and white photography, creating shadows and drama, the fireplaces always crackling cozily, the snow outside, the by-gone lifestyle of the early l940s, these are just one layer of this classic to enjoy. Claudette Colbert is perfect as the heroic mother-wife of the Hilton clan. The last scenes, where she finds a gift from her husband whose off somewhere around the world fighting the enemy, is heart-breaking.And it takes place beneath a Christmas tree! Even the yule-tide wrapping is endearing since it's another relic from a long-gone era. I watch this movie several times a year, but especially during the Christmas holidays, because its scenes of snows and warm hearths really do belong to an era when we once enjoyed something called a White Christmas. This movie should have swept all the Oscars, especially the redoutable Max Steiner for his stunning musical score. An even better way to spend a wintry weekend is to curl up with both Gone With the Wind and Since You Went Away and you'll be one happy viewer!

The train platform farewell is peerless
among sentimental tearjerkers in this classic tale of the brave American women who keep the homefires burning during the dark days of WWII. The title refers to all that is happening to one American family while the father is away at war. Claudette Colbert stars as the mother with Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple as her daughters. Joseph Cotten is the old family friend who may or may not be in love with Colbert, Monty Wooley the crusty lodger the family takes in to earn some money. Through Wooley enters into the family his grandson Robert Walker, a shy soldier with whom Jennifer Jones eventually falls in love. "Since You Went Away" is second only to "How Green Was My Valley" for annual tearfall in my lowly opinion. Made at the height of the actual war, this movie captured and preserved for our later generations the terrible experience of trying to go on with a normal life as loved ones were facing death at the front. Yet there is joy too for this family as they go about the ordinary things through which our happiness comes. There are other vignettes depicting minor characters, featuring situations familiar to the wartime audience, which now are like so many time capsules for us more than fifty years after the war. A wonderful movie that would move even the most cynical viewer, "Since You Went Away" is tops in my books.

Exceptionally fantastic film
Oh, I am SO thrilled that this finally came out on DVD! I've yet to see it on disc, obviously, but regardless: it is an excellent film. Made me cry several times, and the family life depicted was moving and realistic. I would recommend it to just about anyone! Claudette Colbert is great as the mother, and it is neat seeing an older-at-last Shirley Temple. : ) Buy/see this wonderful movie today; can't go wrong with it on DVD!!! :D

The perfect Sunday afternoon experience.
I saw this yesterday on TCM. Yes it is sentimental and patriotic and a bit syrupy in the dialog. But it was released in 1944- meaning it was filmed right in the middle of World War II, so the sentiment and especially the times are aptly reflected. More than anything else, the film's virtues are from the performances. Claudette Colbert reminds me very much of Norma Shearer's matriarch in 'The Women:' warm, intelligent, and very likable, but surrounded by the constrictions and circumstances of the time. (It's interesting to hear her tell Joseph Cotten two hours into the film that she feels useless and is not contributing to the war effort when in fact she's been contributing all along.) Cotten is wonderful as her surrogate mate (still carrying a torch after all these years) and daughters Temple and the beautiful Jones are quite good. There is magnificent b/w cinematography- rich in shadows and geometric patterns, and fine editing which shows off a Norman Rockwell-like presentation of day-to-day life in rural America. The standout scene, of course is Jennifer Jones and Robert Walker (married in real life but separating at the time of the film) parting at the train station. The Steiner score (echoing the chugging of the train) and especially Jones' tearful run after the departing train are especially heartbreaking. (Does she sense her soldier's fate? Note the tragic, almost psychic expression on her face as she reads the engraving on the watch.) Good performances also from Agnes Moorehead and Selznick veteran Hattie McDaniel. Nominated for a ton of Oscars, and deservedly so.

No Wonder We Won!
I respectfully disagree that this is a film for women only. I've loved this film since I first saw it as a teenager. Claudette Colbert was never better than in her role as Ann Hilton; she manages to balance passion and dignity in her own unique manner. Joseph Cotton is unmatched as the family's best friend, so suave and yet sensitive. I've always been a great admirer of the underrated Agnes Moorhead, and she rivals her part in "Dark Passage" with her role as a flighty and selfish man-chaser here. Monty Wooley was every bit as memorable here as in "The Man Who Came to Dinner". Shirley Temple's part was somewhat limited but she proved herself well.

I found it awkward when the immigrant co-worker of Colbert recited the Lazarus poem off the Statue of Liberty, particularly in view of the segregation of American society and the military. That couldn't be helped in this production, of course.

The entire production is typical of the best of Hollywood then--in other words, yet to be matched by today's filmmakers. The richness of the black-and-white, the basic camera work, the perfect sets. It's why I love these old films.

True, this film is a tearjerker. Nothing wrong with that. True, it might be viewed as a form of propoganda. Nothing wrong with that, either. It remains an eloquent testament to a nation and a time when the 'bad guys' were easy to identify. At the least, I hope viewing this will remind all of us to contribute to the WW II Memorial in Washington!

BTW when is this coming out on DVD? ... Read more

Amazon.com

A three-hour weepy extraordinaire, this 1944 offering from producer David O. Selznick (who also wrote the screenplay) was a tribute to all the families who stayed behind while their men went off to fight in World War II. Claudette Colbert is the mother of daughters Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple; first seen coming home after dropping her war-bound husband at the train, she becomes the model of courage and strength on the homefront. The plot has a Saturday Evening Post feel today, as it follows the family's day-to-day life and struggles, whether with a crotchety boarder (a delightfully starchy Monty Woolley) or oldest daughter Jones's doomed romance with departing serviceman Robert Walker. They don't make them like this anymore and it's too bad. Nominated for a fistful of Oscars, it took only one, for its shadow-drenched black-and-white cinematography. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Selznick's Second Masterpiece!
Gone with the Wind will always be David O. Selznick's supreme masterpiece. But right behind GWTW is this ravishing, tear-jerker concerning a mother and her two daughters during World War II. The gorgeous black and white photography,