Reviews (24)

Good Doctor Praetorius and the Mysterious Mr. Shunderson
"People Will Talk" is a movie that I first stumbled upon while flipping channels one day. Cary Grant plays Dr. Noah Praetorius, who both practices and teaches medicine with an apporach that is refreshingly modern, even by today's standards. When young Deborah Higgins (Jeanne Crain) collapses, the good Doctor learns she is pregnant, unmarried, and suicidal. After telling her a story about a frog to make her think she is not really pregnant, some things happen and he ends up marrying Deborah. Meanwhile, Professor Rodney Elwell (Hume Cronyn) find Praetorius's novel methods abominable and is trying to find out the truth about not only the good Doctor but his strange companion, Mr. Shunderson (Finlay Currie). The film's climax is an inquisition into Praetorius's past (which keeps him from conduction his orchestra made up of all the school's med students), where it seems that he cured people in a backwater town as their butcher. However, the more Elwell goes after Praetorius, the better the good Doctor looks. Then there is the unbelievable truth about Mr. Shunderson.

For me and a lot of other people the strengths of this film outweigh its weaknesses. The proposal scene does not really work, Grant's performance goes off in different directions from time to time, and you have to think Professor Elwell is too smart to be this stupid. But for me the reason I always watch at least the end of this film whenever I can is that the payoff for the mystery of Mr. Shunderson just bowls me over. Walter Slezak is wonderful as always playing Professor Barker, Praetorius's stout supporter, and although it might be a tad forced I love the scene where the three men are playing with the good Doctor's new train set. Hume Cronyn creates an extremely bitter little man to be the story's villain (pay attention to the little details of his performance). Basil Ruysdael does a nice job as the Dean, who finally restores sanity to the proceedings. Certainly there are massive holes in "People Will Talk," but for me the sum of the whole is greater than the parts. I know lots of better films that are not as enjoyable as this quirky little film.

Dr. Praetorius I Presume!
Another one of Joseph L. Mankiewicz's films to be lost in the wake of All About Eve, People Will Talk is a terrific comedy/drama featuring a wonderful cast. Cary Grant is Dr. Praetorius whose treatment of patients is somewhat controversial and unconventional. When he befriends a young, unmarried pregnant woman (Jeanne Crain), Grant finds himself the focus of an investigation lead by a jealous collegue (Hume Cronyn) at the university where they both teach. Grant's interest and concern for Crain goes so far as his proposing marriage. And then there's the matter of Mr. Shunderson (Finlay Currie), Grant's seemingly simple-minded, yet constant companion. No one seems to know the details of Mr. Shunderson's life, except Grant, and he's not telling. Not a huge hit when first released, People Will Talk has developed an almost cult following today, and like many past film "failures," it's now considerd a pretty good film. Perhaps it was ahead of its time, but it has some wonderfully rich characterizations, including great turns by the aforementioned Currie, Hume Cronyn, Walter Slezak, Sidney Blackmer, and a terrific bit by an unbilled Margaret Hamilton as Miss Pickett to keep the narrative moving. My favorite scene is Grant's visit to Crain's uncle's house (she and her father life with her uncle). Grant, Blackmer, Currie, and Crain are all sitting on the front porch. Crain objects to being the center of their discussion and refuses to leave the porch. She goes so far as to scream the cook's name "Bella" at the top of her lungs, rather than move from her perch. What the movie does say about the practice of medicine and human relationships is perhaps more relevant today than when first released in 1951. As with most Mankiewicz films, it is successful on the surface. If there was another intent by the director to tell another tale or an allusion to something else, look at this as an added bonus. Fans of Cary Grant will not be disappointed; this is one of his best and most relaxed performances on film. And fans of Jeanne Crain will be pleased as well. Her role is the more difficult one and she pulls it off quite well, besides looking beautiful in ordinary farm-girl dress. Any way you slice it, you'll be talking about People Will Talk.

Good Doctor Praetorius and the Mysterious Mr. Shunderson
"People Will Talk" is a movie that I first stumbled upon while flipping channels one day. Cary Grant plays Dr. Noah Praetorius, who both practices and teaches medicine with an apporach that is refreshingly modern, even by today's standards. When young Deborah Higgins (Jeanne Crain) collapses, the good Doctor learns she is pregnant, unmarried, and suicidal. After telling her a story about a frog to make her think she is not really pregnant, some things happen and he ends up marrying Deborah. Meanwhile, Professor Rodney Elwell (Hume Cronyn) find Praetorius's novel methods abominable and is trying to find out the truth about not only the good Doctor but his strange companion, Mr. Shunderson (Finlay Currie). The film's climax is an inquisition into Praetorius's past (which keeps him from conduction his orchestra made up of all the school's med students), where it seems that he cured people in a backwater town as their butcher. However, the more Elwell goes after Praetorius, the better the good Doctor looks. Then there is the unbelievable truth about Mr. Shunderson.

For me and a lot of other people the strengths of this film outweigh its weaknesses. The proposal scene does not really work, Grant's performance goes off in different directions from time to time, and you have to think Professor Elwell is too smart to be this stupid. But for me the reason I always watch at least the end of this film whenever I can is that the payoff for the mystery of Mr. Shunderson just bowls me over. Walter Slezak is wonderful as always playing Professor Barker, Praetorius's stout supporter, and although it might be a tad forced I love the scene where the three men are playing with the good Doctor's new train set. Hume Cronyn creates an extremely bitter little man to be the story's villain (pay attention to the little details of his performance). Basil Ruysdael does a nice job as the Dean, who finally restores sanity to the proceedings. Certainly there are massive holes in "People Will Talk," but for me the sum of the whole is greater than the parts. I know lots of better films that are not as enjoyable as this quirky little film.

a dramatic misfire, but worth seeing
"People Will Talk" used to be one of my favorite movies. Watching it again reveals that -- dramatically -- it's as sterile and antiseptic as Dr. Praetorius's operating room.

"Talk" -- and I deliberately selected "Talk" rather than "People" as the shorthand -- was Joseph Mankiewicz's follow-up to "All About Eve." He'd no doubt had this project on the burner, and "Eve"'s huge success gave him the clout to get it produced.

The story (from a German play) must have looked nice on paper -- an idealistic doctor keeps an out-of-wedlock pregnant woman from committing suicide, while successfully defending himself from unjust charges of medical impropriety -- but it doesn't play well on film. Not in Mankiewicz's adaptation, anyway.

Mankiewicz is more interested in being clever than humane, and in a story about what it means to be humane, he fails to make a sincere connection with the characters' inner lives. Even when the characters are forced to confront their situations, Mankiewicz's penchant for witty dialog overrides believable dramatic interaction. Issues are resolved in a "verbal Band-Aid" fashion, merely by the application of clever words.

"Talk" seems more a reflection of Mankiewicz's personality than anything else. The characters are spokespeople for his views rather than fleshed-out human beings. When Shunderson says he's reached the point where music is just about the only thing he enjoys, you suspect you're hearing Mankiewicz himself. (At the age of 57 -- and, like Mankiewicz, a Brahms freak -- I know what he means.)

The principal performances are ineffective. Dr. Praetorius -- who has a history he doesn't want made public -- must have appealed to Cary Grant, who was similarly hounded by rumors about his private life. But his doctor is more charming than deep. There is rarely the sense of "gravitas" you would expect from a person so concerned about the welfare of others. He comes perilously close to expressing a light, almost patronizing attitude towards the problems of human existence. You do, however, get to see the unique "Grant sidle" in the barn scene.

Jeanne Crain's performance is terrible. She's not only miscast -- there's no chemistry whatever between her and Grant -- but the script requires her to be both intellectually strong _and_ vulnerable enough to attempt suicide, while possessing the mental agility and wit to win a verbal fight with Dr. Elwell (Hume Cronyn). Even Bette or Kate would have had trouble handling all that. Poor Jeanne isn't remotely up to it. *

But the supporting players are a delight. Hume Cronyn is at his peak, playing the weaselly Dr. Elwell as a flawed human being, rather than a caricatured villain. Then there's Walter Slezak as a self-absorbed physicist, and marvelous Margaret Hamilton as Dr. Praetorius's ex-housekeeper. She's typecast, but brings far more to the role than you'd expect.

"Talk" is more than a half-century old, and shows it in many ways. The thought that an unmarried pregnant woman would even _consider_ suicide seems alien, even to someone (like myself) born before the film was made. The Code-enforced treatment of attempted suicide is delicate (we don't see Crain lying on the floor, only the people gathered around her), while Mankiewicz's reference to abortion -- without actually saying the word -- is a model of brilliant writing any would-be screenwriter should study.

So, with all this nay-saying, is "Talk" worth a look? Yes. Mankiewicz's dialog is always fun to hear. (His 1983 biography is titled "Pictures will Talk.") And the story _does_ have much to say about professional integrity and respect for other people's private decisions. It also presents the older view that medicine is not about treating symptoms, but treating people -- "Helping sick people get well," as Dr. Praetorius puts it. In an era when motion pictures are rarely "about" _anything_, it's a pleasure to watch a film that -- though it does so in a pompous, even self-righteous manner -- is not embarrassed to say something worth hearing.

The DVD (which I purchased 12/09/03) is sharp, finely detailed, with excellent contrast, but a lot of film grain (or is it coding artifacts?) visible in many scenes.

* The fault is at least partly Mankiewicz's. There is a lot to be said for Hitchcock's approach of letting the actors find their own way.

Can this bomb really be from Joseph L. Mankiewicz
I love Cary Grant films, and I love Makiewicz, but this film is a significant disappointment in both of their careers. Far from engaging, this is one of the low-points in both of their careers.

Not recommended! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The most interesting--and entertaining--aspect of this long, episodicWorld War II drama is that it marked the debut of one Justus E. McQueen, who subsequently took the name of the good ol' Arkansas boy he played in the movie: L.Q. Jones. He's only one of eight or nine Marine recruits who divide the screen time with commanding officer Van Heflin and James Whitmore as a lifer sergeant named Mac, "just Mac," who ramrods their squad and also delivers the movie's overbearing narration. Unfortunately, the narration is necessary to maintain continuity as the CinemaScope production galumphs its way from rounding up the melting-pot cast, to seeing them through basic training and sundry, mostly amatory misadventures in San Diego, to further training in New Zealand, and finally to baptism of fire on Guadalcanal.

Trouble is, among the recruits only McQueen/Jones (whose job is mostly comic relief) and Aldo Ray (as a brawling lumberjack who's never known family life) have any charisma or acting chops--and that's not forgetting Tab Hunter, whose matinee-idol status at the time does not speak well for the '50s. Battle Cry is also a cardinal example of Hollywood's penchant for buying big, lusty, profane bestsellers (by Leon Uris, in this case) and then euphemizing all the lustiness and profanity to appease the censors. Raoul Walsh, the poet laureate of lowdown gusto, does what he can in the circumstances, and as one of the first guys ever to direct a widescreen movie (1930's The Big Trail), he makes the battle scenes roar. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Battle Cry
This movie is based on Leon Uris' best seller, and while it does not strictly adhere to the plot/timeline, it is still a relatively faithful treatment of the book. For those of you with short attention spans, this isn't the movie for you. It requires an investment in time and emotion to see the characters develop, in the movie and as friends of each other, culminating in the final battle scene, at Saipan. It is enjoybale, believable, and yes...a movie from the Fifties with all its good and bad points.....only a boorish or immature person would judge the movie because of that though....See for yourself, if you enjoy a great yarn, this movie is for you...and...if you don't think this is how barracks life really is.....you aint been in the Corps...Semper Fi

I have a better name for this movie..
Instead of "Battle Cry", how about naming the film "Cry Over My Love Life"! Who made this movie anyway? The same people who made "Pearl Harbor"? This action COMEDY stars Van Heflin as the commander of a company of marines in WWII, from it's early days of basic training through its last battle in the closing months of the war. It's not a bad film actually if you like cheesy acting, boring and overbearing narration, and don't mind that there's only 20 minutes of actual fighting during its almost 2 and 1/2 hour length? In fact, the war seemed to be almost a bother to the makers of this film, who for whatever reason believed that moviegoers would prefer to see exciting moments of a kid cheating on his girlfriend with a woman old enough to be his mother? Of a nerdish bookworm who falls in love with his buddy's weekend plaything? Or a macho lumberjack who considers desertion to make his new war widow wife happy? Sprinkle in a couple more tragic love stories, and you have most of what this long, insufferable movie is about? As for the acting..FORGET IT! And could anyone who grew up in the 50's please explain to me what the big deal was with Tab Hunter? I've seen porn actors do a better job of acting? I've heard it said that this was a box office hit? WOW! lol The bottom line is..if you're buying this movie because you think it's a war movie, you better keep your finger on the fast forward button, because the action scenes are few and totally far in between! I give it 2 stars for what little action actually made it onto the screen? As for the rest..ANNOYING!

Semper Fi !!
Panned by reviewers at the time of it's release, but a box office hit, nonetheless. In some respects, Battle Cry is not much more than a soap-opera type presentation, but a bunch of good acting and sympathetic characters helps sell it.
As pointed out by another reviewer, this movie was ALWAYS in color, and as far as it not running very frequently on TNT or elsewhere, that's because of economics and availability, not content.
James Whitmore turns in a fine job as the stalwart Sarge, and minor roles by Fess Parker, and L.Q. Jones (the character's name, as subsequently actor McQueen's name), and others help make this a worthwhile viewing experience.
Sure, the Danny [Tab Hunter] character is pure mush, but even there, it's probably his best acting and kudos also goes to Aldo Ray, as a hardass lumberjack who finds true love along the way.
Certainly not on the level of From Here To Eternity as a "war" movie, this IS enjoyable viewing.

Battle Cry ¿ there¿s a lot to see here.
It is surprising how a sprawling war film like this contains so little action. But, don't be disappointed. This film focuses on characterization and characters are plentiful be they ever so stereotypical. James Whitmore as Sgt. Mac, Aldo Ray, Tab Hunter, L. Q. Jones and Perry Lopez as Marine recruits and Dorothy Malone, Anne Francis and Nancy Olsen as their love interests all give standout performances. Max Steiner's patriotic and rousing score is in its full glory. This film is high on good old-fashioned sentimental entertainment. By the film's end the viewer comes to realize many of the sacrifices that were made during this time in history and some of the gloss wears off. As an aside, a deceased acquaintance of mine who served in the US Army 1st Division during the Second World War from North Africa, D-Day to Germany's surrender, found this film to be the best representation of W.W.II military life. That was an exceptional compliment and recommendation for this film from a veteran who was not a Marine and one who fought in the European theatre. This is a good film. This VHS recording sounds very good in stereo.

Excellent adaptation of Uris novel
An outstanding motion picture which deserves a widescreen release on VHS. By the way, viewer from Minneapolis, the film was originally released in Warnercolor and CinemaScope not in black and white. (Fox, the owners of CinemaScope, didn't allow black and white releases in the process in 1955) ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." That's more than the code of a newspaperman in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; it's practically the operating credo of director John Ford, the most honored of American filmmakers. In this late film from a long career, Ford looks at the civilizing of an Old West town, Shinbone, through the sad memories of settlers looking back. In the town's wide-open youth, two-fisted Westerner John Wayne and tenderfoot newcomer James Stewart clash over a woman (Vera Miles) but ultimately unite against the notorious outlaw Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Ford's nostalgia for the past is tempered by his stark approach, unusual for the visual poet of Stagecoach and The Searchers. The two heavyweights, Wayne and Stewart, are good together, with Wayne the embodiment of rugged individualism and Stewart the idealistic prophet of the civilization that will eventually tame the Wild West. This may be the saddest Western ever made, closer to an elegy than an action movie, and as cleanly beautiful as its central symbol, the cactus rose. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (58)

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
John Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" employs the time-tested storytelling device of playing off the idealist against the realist. When done right, engaging drama is created by the pairing of two such diametrically-opposed personas. However, when you up the ante by casting Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne to play the respective idealist and realist, you not only get engaging drama, but one heck of an entertaining film.

Attorney Ransome Stoddard (Stewart) is in a stagecoach destined for the western frontier. Before he reaches his destination, he and his fellow passengers are robbed by thief Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Stoddard tells Valance that society will punish him for his crimes but quickly learns that his words have little power in his new surroundings. Upon reaching the town Shinbone, Stoddard tries to bring civilized order to the untamed town but is told by Tom Doniphon (Wayne) that the ways of the Old West will die hard. Yet, both men eventually develop a bond of mutual respect for each other despite their differences. When Liberty Valance starts to terrorize Shinbone, Stoddard finds himself forced into a showdown with the outlaw - a confrontation that will in time become a legendary part of the small town's lore.

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is a fascinating depiction of an important period in American history when civilization started to make its way westward. This was a time when frontier justice started to give away to written law and the local political structure started to become formalized. Ideological differences between the new and the old naturally arose and the characters of Stoddard and Doniphon embodied in microcosm the differences each side held toward each other. The manner in which Libery Valance is defeated and the way it is remembered also is an interesting commentary on how larger-than-life the heroes of the Old West became when their exploits were recalled. Stewart and Wayne are outstanding in their roles as expected and Lee Marvin and Vera Miles chip in with great supporting turns. Life in the Old West was about much more than duels in the streets and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" effectively illustrates this point.

I'm Really Not a Fan of Westerns, But............
John Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is a marvelous movie, regardless of how you feel about Westerns. This isn't a movie about outlaws, or something violent, but a study of the fight between old and new in our society. John Wayne's rugged cowboy represents the old, untamed west. Jimmy Stewart's refined and educated lawyer represents the order and civilized nature of a new west. Both clearly love the land they live on in different ways, and when the time comes to protect the people of the west from the evil Liberty Valance (played to perfection by Lee Marvin), they team up to save the day. In the end, Stewart's way of life, the way of progress, wins out. However, as can be seen by the memories the major characters have at the start of the film, the old west never really dies. The movie is just brilliant, with all the leads in top form, especially the forgotten Vera Miles as the woman both Wayne and Stewart love.

The law, or the gun

Director: John Ford
Format: Black and white
Studio: Paramount
Video Release Date: April 7, 1998

Cast:

John Wayne ... Tom Doniphon
James Stewart ... Ransom Stoddard (attorney)
Vera Miles ... Hallie Stoddard
Lee Marvin ... Liberty Valance
Edmond O'Brien ... Dutton Peabody (Editor of the Shinbone Star)
Andy Devine ... Marshal Link Appleyard
Ken Murray ... Doc Willoughby
John Carradine ... Maj. Cassius Starbuckle
Jeanette Nolan ... Nora Ericson
John Qualen ... Peter Ericson
Willis Bouchey ... Jason Tully (conductor)
Carleton Young ... Maxwell Scott
Woody Strode ... Pompey
Denver Pyle ... Amos Carruthers
Strother Martin ... Floyd
Lee Van Cleef ... Reese
Robert F. Simon ... Handy Strong
O.Z. Whitehead ... Herbert Carruthers
Paul Birch ... Mayor Winder
Joseph Hoover ... Charlie Hasbrouck (reporter for 'The Star')
Robert Donner
Larry Finley ... Bar X man
Shug Fisher ... Kaintuck (drunk)
Mario Arteaga ... Henchman
Sam Harris

Chuck Hayward ... Henchman
William Henry
Bryan 'Slim' Hightower ... Shotgun
Earle Hodgins ... Clute Dumphries
Stuart Holmes
Mike Edward Jauregui ... Drummer
Jack Kenny
Leonard Baker ... Man
Ted Mapes ... Highpockets
Montie Montana ... Politician on horseback
Bob Morgan ... Roughrider
Charles Morton ... Drummer
Jack Pennick ... Jack, Barman
Chuck Roberson ... Henchman
Buddy Roosevelt
Charles Seel ... President, election council
Slim Talbot
Charles Akins
Ralph Volkie ... Townsman
Max Wagner ... Poker game dealer
Blackie Whiteford
Jack Williams ... Henchman
Danny Borzage ... Townsman
Helen Gibson
Gertrude Astor
Anna Lee ... Mrs. Prescott (widow in stage holdup)
Jacqueline Malouf ... Lietta Appleyard
Eva Novak
Dorothy Phillips
Stephanie Pond-Smith

This movie is top heavy with some of the best stars in the business: John Wayne, James Stewart, Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Denver Pyle and a host of lesser names. A classic tale of the old West, although it is in black and white--not a flaw for some of us.

The story is about a young lawyer, Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) who comes West to practice law staright out of law school. He soon learns that in the West, the gun is more powerful than the law--although he is not willing to admit it, yet. He is robbed of all his money on the stagecoach, and discovers that almost everyone knows his robber, Liberty Valance, but no one, including the town Marshal, Link Appleyard (Andy Devine) is afraid to take on Liberty Valance. Everyone, that is, except Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), and he appears to be unwilling to get involved.

This sets up the conflict, and the story proceeds from there. This is a fine Western, entertaining, well acted (as one might expect) and well directed by John Ford, also as might be expected.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

So what's all the fuss about?
I've been searching for the "best" western, and a couple of people recommended this one. It does bring up some interesting issues, but I'm still searching.

The movie, besides being stuffed with the usual cliches of the genre and the usual shoddy production values (obviously the whole thing was shot in a studio except for the train scenes at beginning and end), is a muddle.

What exactly is the message? It seems to be that we need to murder bad guys in order to control them, and that what passes for civilization is just a lie. This would seem to support the silly interpretation of the film as an allegory for our war on terror, but that doesn't quite work either. Liberty was out in the street and easily identifiable, whereas most terrorists are in hiding or are unknown. "Taking the law into our own hands" is what Valance's thugs try to do after he's killed, and look where it gets them.

Finally, neither way of life--the old Wild West nor the new more civilized West--looks like a very desirable condition. If we can believe this film (that is, take it as a metaphor), then in the old West everyone was too cowardly to stand up and face the bad guys except for the ineffectual representative of the new civilization, but Valance finally had to be shot from the shadows in a side street by the supposed "manly" John Wayne character--not a very nice allegory to base our country's behavior or character on.

However that may be, it's another second-rate Western. I'm beginning to believe that the whole genre is second-rate.

Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne's Definitive Western
John Wayne was never more of a tough cowboy than in this John Ford Masterpiece, Pilgrim, and James Stewart was never more the aw-shucks embodiment of educated idealism. Together they are rivals for Vera Miles, but they are also united against the outlaw who terrorizes the territory, Lee Marvin's Liberty Valance. Marvin is almost over the top as the evil Valance, but that is sort of the point - that he is a man universally recognized as evil. The question isn't "is Liberty Valance bad?" but rather which approach is more appropriate to combat him - fighting fire with fire (as exemplified by John Wayne's Tom Doniphon, the only man in the territory who is not intimidated by Liberty Valance) or whether "law and order" should prevail, as personified by Mr. Stewart's newly arrived Eastern Lawyer, Ransom Stoddard. The first time I saw this film the way that this central conflict was resolved surprised me - one of the biggest "twists" in the Western genre.

In my humble opinion it wasn't until Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" that another Western even approached the stature of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Buffalo Soldiers
Too many Americans are still ignoirant about the role of the Black "Buffalo Soldiers" that did a great deal to tame and build the West. This is a very good movie with stout portrayal of the position the black soldiers were in, fighting the Indians on the plains and their own fellow soldiers and the prejudicial system of the day.

As a white American and combat vetran who fought beside black Marines, I am not only proud of the history these black Americans wrote, but of the way they wrote it.

See the movie. It's well done and is definately worth the effort.

A great choice for DVD
This is surely a great title for a DVD release. It's no doubt one the best films by Mr. John Ford. The story is thrilling and remains undated. The battle scenes are great fun. It comes after "The Seachers", in importance, among other great Ford's films. Finally, if that's not enough, just the sight of Jeffrey Hunter in uniform and his fantastic set of blue eyes in Widescreen, would be worth buying two copies. Can't wait! Bring it right now!

A courageous film
What stands out for me about this film is not simply that it deals with racial prejudice at a time when blacks were still struggling for their basic civil rights (there were at the time other films that already dealt with this racism), but rather that it unflinchingly confronted perhaps its most sensitive and poisonous manifestation, namely the fear of whites, especially white males, of the black man ravishing the white woman. In this film, we are set up with the classic stereotype of such fantasies, young, blonde and virginal, and then confronted with the fear and hatred that the accusation against the benighted Sergeant Rutledge of having committed a brutal rape and murder against such a victim evokes in all of its raw ugliness. Moreover, I think that the film is still relevant in this regard in that it suggests that we should ask ourselves how much of a role this fantasy continues to play in the racism against the black male that remains today.
Although I do not consider this to be one of Ford's greatest films, it was, especially for a major and established film director like Ford, a profoundly courageous undertaking.

A cavalry film with a twist...
Director John Ford's strident civil rights drama, set among a troop of African-American "Buffalo Soldiers" in the post-Civil War frontier, is more than a little heavy-handed, but has its heart in the right place. Woody Strode plays a veteran cavalryman falsely accused of molesting a white woman, and facing a legal lynching at the hands of a kangaroo court presumably typical of the times. The script is relentessly one-sided, but is aided by an innovative narrative structure, with "Ran"-like flashbacks that lead backwards to the whole big picture that absolves Rutledge (yet still may not be enough to save his life). Strode, typically stolid and reserved, coolly unfolds his character's emotions, coming to a rousing crescendo at the film's end. Interesting Hollywood "issue" film made as the Civil Rights Movement was still doing a slow simmer in the American South.

A Vastly Underrated Classic
I have seen this film called a "minor Ford work" many times. That may be; however, it rises above much else that is available. The story of Braxton Rutledge,former slave and U.S. cavalry sergeant is captivating and Ford was ahead of his time in making such a story. The film was released in 1960 and the climate of those years was not as it is today. As a result, the film had a rather limited release.

Woody Strode was wonderful in the title role (note though in the credits he receives minor billing); bringing a quiet strength and dignity to the accused man. The scene in which he responds to the battering of a race-baiting attorney is powerful and makes one think that Strode could have been put to better use during his long career.

Sergeant Rutledge deserves reevaluation. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The swashbuckler genre bumped into science fiction in 1954 for one of Hollywood's great entertainments. The Jules Verne story of adventure under the sea was Walt Disney's magnificent debut into live-action films. A professor (Paul Lukas) seeks the truth about a legendary sea monster in the years just after the Civil War. When his ship is sunk, he, his aide (Peter Lorre), and a harpoon master (Kirk Douglas) survive to discover that the monsteris actually a metal submarine run by Captain Nemo (James Mason). Along with the rollicking adventure, it's fun to see the future technology that Verne dreamed up in his novel, including diving equipment and sea farming. The film's physical prowess is anchored by the Nautilus, an impressive full-scale gothic submarine complete with red carpet and pipe organ. In the era of big sets,20,000 Leagues set a precedent for films shot on the water anddeservedly won Oscars for art direction and special effects. Lost in the inventiveness of the film and great set pieces including a giant squid attack are two great performances. Mason is the perfect Nemo, taut and private, clothed in dark fabric that counters the Technicolor dreamboat that is the beaming red-and-white-stripe-shirted Kirk Douglas as the heroic Ned Land. The film works as peerless family adventure nearly half a century later. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Voyage of the Nautilus
Kirk Douglas and James Mason explore the mysteries of the deep in the Sci-Fi classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". Rumours of a sea monster that attacks ships, has open the interests of a curious French scientist (Paul Lukas), his faithful aide (Peter Lorre) and an able harpoonist (Kirk Douglas). Upon a striking encounter, they learn that the "sea monster" is a powerful under-water vessel under the command of the vengeful Captain Nemo (James Mason). "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is a remarkable adaptation of Jules Verne's stunning adventure tale. The film features a powerful story, great under-water photography and a rich music score. Kirk Douglas, Paul Lukas and Peter Lorre are well cast but it's James Mason's intense performance of Captain Nemo that often drives the whole film. It also contains some impressive visuals and thrilling momments including a gripping battle against a giant squid.

Disney gives "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" the full "2-Disc special edition" treatment. The movie is presented in it's original theatrical widescreen format. The DVD contains an amazing video transfer and clear digital sound quality. Disc 2 features exclusive bonus material including Behind-the-scene featurettes, Theatrical trailer, picture gallery and audio commentaries. Like previous Disney DVD, the disc also contains forced commercials and trailers of upcoming Disney releases. Overall, it scores an "A".

It's not just a Disney classic, it's a classic, period.
Among the live-action output of the Disney studios there are precious few _truly_ great films. One of them is "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

It was the first wholly live-action movie made at the Burbank studios (the previous live films having been made in England, one of which -- "Treasure Island" -- is another classic, recently reissued in a gorgeous DVD transfer). "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is a classic example of how simply throwing money, talent, and imagination at a project can result in a masterpiece.

It is difficult to overpraise this film. Earl Felton's imaginative rethinking of Jules Verne's novel and his script's focus on the moral issues at the center of the story; James Mason's subtle and controlled performance as Captain Nemo; the startlingly realistic miniatures (which have not been surpassed); and Richard Fleischer's simple, uncluttered direction are standouts.

But all these pale in the face of the incredible art design, which deservedly won an Oscar. The interior of the Nautilus cleverly imagines how a Victorian submarine (had there been such a thing!) would be furnished. The exterior is the most-fanciful submarine design ever conceived. It does for this film what Robby does for "Forbidden Planet."

Did I forget to mention the fight with the giant squid, one of the most-memorable scenes in the history of movies?

My only complaint is that I'm not a fan of Paul Smith's music. His principal theme for this film is inspired, perfectly invoking the fundamentally somber mood of the story, but the rest of the score doesn't come up to it. (It might be that the dreadful style of Disney's "house" orchestrations -- which afflict dozens of other Disney films -- keeps me from properly appreciating Smith's work.) I can only note that, while Disney was hiring one of Fox's model designers to create the miniatures, he might also have borrowed Bernard Herrmann, who, five years later, would produce a classic score for another Jules Verne story, also starring James Mason.

This transfer is the best yet (including the LV). The color is rich and varied (quite unlike the overly-red/muddy-green mess Technicolor would soon become), and I didn't see a single spot or scratch. There's a lot of supplemental material, including an hour-long "making of" feature that's well-above-average for this sort of thing, Disney or otherwise. There is also a intermittently interesting running commentary from the director and Rudy Behlmer, the film historian. Note that the "Operation Undersea" episode of Disneyland -- an hour-long "commerical" for the film that won an Emmy -- is _not_ included.

Despite its half-century age, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" has lost little of its freshness or excitement. If your kids don't like it -- get new kids.

A Great DVD of a Great Film
Like many of the other reviewers of this movie, I'm a pre-boomer who was dazzled by the film as a child. Somewhere in my aging mom's attic, I have a few bolts (painted wood) from the movie set of the Nautilus, which I "borrowed" from one of the Disney properties as a kid nearly a half century ago. I remember taking a bus from LA to Burbank to stare through the slats of the fence in the back lot of the Disney Studios and seeing a partial model of the Nautilus, perhaps 1/3 scale, tossed in a corner like so much debris. What I would have given to be able to drag that model home.

When I viewed the VHS version of this film a couple of years ago, I was bitterly disappointed by the poor quality which made the watching experience actually painful to a fan like me. But, let me tell you, this DVD is as thrilling as the VHS was painful. This fully-restored version of the film comes roaring back to life in all of its glory and then some. It's the best film restoration these old eyes have ever beheld. Watched on a state-of-the-art widescreen TV, this is every bit the experience it was in the '50's and I think it's wonderful that this great film is now preserved for the ages, just as it was when it was first released.

Is this a perfect movie? No. Even as a kid, I noticed that the background music was too cheesy, that Kirk Douglas's songs seemed gratuitous, that the fish swimming outside the large porthole were cartoonish, and that the electrically-illuminated eye of the Giant Squid made an otherwise perfect special effect look a bit fake. I'm just as puzzled by those weaknesses today as I was then, especially since all other aspects of the film, including the numerous, Oscar-winning special effects involving the Nautilus, are masterful. But no movie is perfect and this movie, minor warts and all, is nothing less than a memorial to the genius of Disney, the acting of James Mason, the passion of the Disney staff, and the vision of Jules Verne.

The best Disney movie ever... and a DVD to match it!
Finally! The definitive edition of a Jules Verne classic brought back in all its pomp and glory. The price, for once, is right.

I remember it when it first was released in Europe, and I can safely say that this version beats even that showing back then.

Extremely clear image, stupendous surround sound, make this a must have in the most absolute way.

Forget all the other versions ever made. This remains THE classic of them all!

Forget the dated special effects which, by the way, you may not even notice, since the story is so gripping and fast paced, that you may not even realize they are.

James Mason gives a wonderful portrayal of Captain Nemo. One of his best roles, together with Fieldmarshal Rommel in "The Desert Fox", Cicero in "Five Fingers" and Professor Arronax in "Journey to the Center of the Earth" of about the same period.
Kirk Douglas and Peter Lorre form a perfect if not odd comical duo, to ease the tension of the story.

The score is beautifully remastered and brings you immediately back to those long bygone days of great moviemaking.

I won't be long reviewing this movie, since many others before me, have already praised it and described it in detail.

I can only say, buy it, buy it, buy it!

Oh, and by the way, don't forget about another Jules Verne classic coming out soon on DVD and in Widescreen:
"Around the World in 80 Days".
That's another "absolutely must have".

In the meanwhile, have you checked on "Journey to the Center of the Earth".
Do you have it on your DVD shelf?
No?
Shame on you...
Go and get it fast.
It's been remastered and it's a worthy companion to the other two Jules Verne movies.
So, what are you waiting for?

Superior DVD Package of a Memorable Film
Loosely based on the celebrated novel by Jules Verne and set in the late 19th Century, LEAGUES offers the story of Professor Arronax (Paul Lukas), his assistant Conseil (Peter Lorre), and harpooner Ned Land (Kirk Douglas), who are coaxed by the United States government to aid in the search for a sea monster said to be terrorizing shipping lanes. But the monster is not of flesh and blood, and soon the three find themselves in the hands of the mysterious Captain Nemo (James Mason) as prisoners aboard the Nautilus--a fully functional submarine capable of ramming ships and sending them to the ocean floor.

Underwater photography was hardly new in 1954, but never had it been used so extensively nor to such visually beautiful effect, and the art designs--particularly those for the Nautilus--are justly celebrated. But for all its beauty, it is the performances which make the film work. James Mason does not merely play Nemo, he seems to be Nemo; after seeing his performance it is impossible to imagine any other actor in the role. Paul Lukas adds yet another brilliantly understated performance to his memorable career, and while Kirk Douglas and Peter Lorre are hardly the Ned Land and Conseil of the Verne novel they have surprising chemistry and lend the film considerable dash.

At the time of its release, LEAGUES was the single most expensive motion picture ever made (ironically it would loose that dubious distinction later that same year to yet another film featuring James Mason: A STAR IS BORN), and every penny of the money spent shows in the onscreen result. While many of Disney's live-action films are fondly recalled, few have had enduring fame, much less claim to status as art--but LEAGUES is the exception, and although the episodic nature of the story seems a shade languid from time to time it remains both a landmark and one of the most influential films of its decade. Truly enjoyable from start to finish.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer ... Read more

Reviews (42)

"Film Noir, Meet Marilyn Monroe."
Marilyn Monroe was so good at playing the ditzy, sexy blond in upbeat comedies she became typecast in those sorts of roles. Niagara was one of her rare opportunities to show she was a fine dramatic actress, as well.

This is the story of two couples. Ray Cutler (Casey Adams) and wife Polly (Jean Peters) are taking their three-years-delayed honeymoon. George Loomis (Joseph Cotten) is a stressed-out, failed businessman and war veteran, his wife Rose (Monroe), the ex-barmaid plotting with a secret lover to kill her husband. All four characters wind up at the same hotel bordering Niagara Falls.

Things go wrong for Rose when George, proving surprisingly resilient, overcomes the lover, killing him instead, and, realizing his wife set him up, fakes his own death and begins stalking her. The Cutlers, especially Polly, are drawn into the drama when George, post-murder attempt, not realizing the Cutlers have been moved into his and Rose's old cabin, breaks in, intending to stab Rose, surprising Polly instead. Now Polly knows George is alive, but due to her overbearing, not-terribly-bright husband's interference, can't convince anyone else, specifically the police, of that fact.

Jean Peters and Joseph Cotten turn in respectable performances. Casey Adams is irritating - of course, that might be because his character is a moron. For pure movie magic, Niagara belongs to Marilyn. Whenever she's on-screen, the camera loves her. The standout scene has her in a killer, shocking pink dress that does an outstanding job of emphasizing what she has so much of. When Ray sees Rose, he asks Polly (a fresh-faced girl next door type if ever there was one), "Why don't you ever get a dress like that?" Her answer: "Listen, for a dress like that you've gotta start laying plans when you're about 13." Rose has a kid at a party play a record of her favorite song ("Kiss"), then begins singing along. The look on her face then, dreamy, yearning, is mesmerizing. We get the feeling, way before we meet the lover, or even know he exists, it's not thoughts of her husband motivating that look.

Marilyn must've had a ball making Niagara. No one else has ever looked so good just lounging in bed. And when she believes her husband is dead, Rose's look of wicked delight - she has to hide her desire to laugh out loud in front of the Cutlers - is priceless. Rose is beautiful, scheming, deceitful, manipulative, cruel, sultry, and yet, paradoxically, has a sort of little girl innocence that makes you root for her to succeed in offing George - who's a serious whiner, anyway - and live happily ever after with her unnamed lover.

The only problems I had with this movie were: (a) We're never given a compelling reason why Rose plots to murder George. Sure, she wants to be free to be with her lover, but why not simply get a divorce? The motivation of a fat insurance policy, or that her husband would kill her if she tried to leave (difficult to believe in any event - he's pretty pathetic to start with), or any one of several other motives never established, would've gone a long way toward having the basic plot make sense. (b) A key scene has Rose and George locked inside a major tourist attraction after closing hours - which means the employees locked up the building without first checking to see whether anyone was still inside. Not likely.

Joe MacDonald's cinematography is excellent, the scenery - both Niagara Falls and Marilyn - stunning, and director Henry Hathaway makes the most of both. Niagara has been restored as part of the "Marilyn Monroe: The Diamond Collection" DVD project, its colors vibrant and alive. It's deserving of this treatment, if only for Marilyn Monroe as Rose Loomis, and that it proves film noir in bright, brassy Technicolor really can work.

MARILYN IN HER PRIME....
This isn't the ultimate Marilyn movie ("The Seven Year Itch" holds that honor) but it's a prime look at Monroe in an unusual role as a scheming man-trap out to kill her husband (Joseph Cotton, who's excellent). She's the whole show and I wish she could have done more films like this that put her in off-beat situations giving her a chance to stretch as an actress. She's gorgeous in Technicolor and a believable vixen/victim when her plan backfires leaving her to be stalked by Cotton. You feel sorry for her at this point. Jean Peters is good as a sympathetic neighbor but Casey Adams (as Peters' husband) is woefully miscast and clearly out of his league here. He nearly sinks the whole film as a co-star and there's way too much of him in the film. But that's the only complaint. Otherwise, Monroe keeps us glued to the screen when she appears and we root for her no matter what she's up to. There's beautiful Niagara scenery and a great scene where she appears at an outdoor party in a sexy red dress and requests a sexy song to be played. She then proceeds to sing along with the record as she closes her eyes obviously thinking of her lover. The song "Kiss" later is reprised as the lovers' theme song and figures in an unusual plot to lure Monroe to Cotton---whom she thinks has been killed by the lover as part of their plan. Marilyn shows here what she had to become the icon she is now. This movie nicely represents the reasons people fell in love with her. How right they were.

Marilyn Monroe in her first Technicolor starring role!
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This is Marilyn Monroe's first starring role in a glorious Technicolor production. The technicolor film process seems a perfect match for Monroe; her ruby red lips and golden blonde hair are dazzling, and her skin tones are magnificent.

The plot puts Monroe in a dramatic role that allows her to chew up every scene. It's also the only film in her career (fortunately!) in which Monroe's character dies.

Niagara Falls are the spendiforous background in this drama, and Marilyn Monroe proves that she is probably the only star in cinema history that can eclipse such a natural phenomenon.

Marilyn absolutely sizzles on the screen when she performs her sensual rendition of the siren song "Kiss", wearing a dress "cut so low in front you can see her kneecaps" (as stated in the script). Indeed, "a girl has to start making plans when she's thirteen to wear a dress like that!" (Also from the script.)

Enjoy the magic of Marilyn Monroe in dazzling Technicolor in this great movie.

MMMmmmmmmarvelous Marilyn!

Marilyn and Jean and Niagara- what a treat!
All reviews of this movie center on Monroe and her protuberant curves - and I agree, she and her instant fame deserve some of the credit. BUT Niagara Falls and Jean Peters also deserve some special mention here. Whereas Marilyn is sexy in most her scenes, Peters is charming, a good actress and quite beautiful...and then there is Niagara Falls. This torrent of water never looked better.
The acting. Marilyn in her first film as a "star" does okay - but as far as good acting is concerned it is Peters and Joseph Cotten that deserve better credit. Then I do agree with some reviews that Cassey Adams (aka Max Shoewalter) is miscast and a bit over the top in his acting. This role was to be played by another Fox contract player (I think Jeffrey Hunter) but Fox weanted someone funny in the role (big mistake!). And the role of Marilyn's lover was actually offered (enlarged, of course) to Tony Curtis.
The movie originally was planned for Anne Baxter in Peters's role and the role of Marilyn ironically was to be played by Peters. When Baxter got pregnant by her husband, Peters took over her role and Marilyn...well she became a "star". Even the movie's title song (which was to be "Night and Day") was changed for a song Marilyn portrayed in the movie -titled "Kiss". At any rate, it certainly is because of Marilyn that this has become a cult movie and a classic - But Peters, Cotten and Niagara Falls did help a lot in getting NIAGARA to achieve this status .

Sensual, unforgettable Monroe. Made her a star.
One of the best projects Marilyn was associated with. I didn't like Niagara the first time i saw it, because i thought Marilyn was only good for comedy. But this role as the sensual, unfaithful wife of Joseph Cotton's (superbly performed) troubled war veteran is one of her most memorable roles. Pleanty of indelible Marilyn images come from here: Marilyn lying seemingly naked with legs apart under bed in hotel room, purple dress standing against cabin in grammophone scene, and the entire grammophone scene. Pleanty of location shooting made good use of the beautiful location, and the motif of the song the lovers sing to each other is a beautiful touch. The suspense develops well, but i suppose it depends on what you're expecting. I found it a great sensual thriller, but this movie lives and dies with Monroe. She is captivating in every scene, and looks stunning. The belltower climax of the movie is very fine indeed, one of the best scenes she ever played in. Nods to director Hathaway for camera placement in this scene.

Best line:

(Monroe has just done a sensual walk to the grammophone and had them put it on, then had a virtual standing orgasm listening to it, and spent an entire minute of close-up singing along to it, and the happy-go-lucky honeymooner character says to her)

Honeymooner: You seem to really like this song, Mrs Loomis."

Marilyn: "There isn't any other song," she says. But its all in her face - it always was. One of the best moments in her career. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

English actor, James Mason, makes a great Rommel.
Originally copyright by 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, in 1951, only six years after the end of World War Two, this black and white film gives a shallow overview of the last years of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel: the Desert Fox.

Once you get past the opening rather stagey scenes, of British commandos raiding a German headquarters building in north Africa, hoping to kill the Desert Fox in his lair, the rest of the film is carried along guite well, by the great performance of James Mason, as Rommel. This performance is the only reason I rated this film as four stars, without Mason I would have been disapointed.

Other members of the cast do fine jobs too, notably Cedric Hardwicke and Leo G. Carroll. One can find good entertainment based on real events.

D-Day: the invasion of Normandy, is a highlight of this film. There are several minutes of what appears to be genuine newsreel footage of the storming of the beaches: the ships off shore, the guns, the planes, brave men falling. It's all very real at this point.

"The Desert Fox" was made in an era when the directors, producers, and the Hollywood Establishment in general, were less preachy, and less likely to distort the truth in order to promote a social agenda. That is a big plus for this film.

On the down side: the film starts off with several undisclosed advertisements for other videos, of like kind, by Fox. This is borderline dishonest, as consumers have paid for entertainment and expect it to be commercial free. At the very least, the ads should be disclosed, before anyone makes a purchaseing decision.

All in all, "The Desert Fox" is good entertainment and deserves a look.

A Proper Tribute To The Desert Fox
Henry Hathaway's 1951 film on Erwin Rommel, NAZI Germany's most brilliant tactician whose indirect involvement in a failed plot to assassinate Hitler resulted in his untimely death.

The film is a character study and focuses more on Rommel's relationship with Hitler and the German High Command as opposed to his achievements as a military tactician. Because the nature of his death wasn't very well known at that time, the film focuses on Rommel's deteriorating relationship with Hitler and his eventual participation in the assassination plot. This is normal since, with the film being made only 6 years after the end of WWII, audiences would have been quite unreceptive to a film glorifying a German general's military exploits against allied forces.

All in all, James Mason delivers a brilliant performance as a man who is struggling with his conscience. Is his duty as a general to just obey Hitler or to protect Germany from destruction? What should he do when Hitler's megalomania is a greater threat to Germany than the Allies themselves? How can he be a good soldier and live with himself by committing treason: even if treason is the only logical alternative? Although the film isn't entirely accurate in its history, it succeeds in capturing all of the internal conflicts Rommel must have suffered in deciding what to do. The film is also accurate in portraying the impossible dilemma faced by Von Runstedt and others in the German High Command with Hitler's incessant meddling in military planning and execution. As the movie shows, by 1944 Hitler assumed direct control of virtually all military operations in the major theaters with disastrous results (i.e. insisting that most heavy guns and panzer divisions remain in Calais even when the D-Day invasion was well underway). This dilemma was dealt with humor in the movie when Von Runsted sarcastically tells Rommel about how corporals (i.e. Hitler) are such brilliant strategists and tacticians who clearly know far more about waging war than your run-of-the-mill Field Marshalls: "You know how rigid those corporals can be."

Altogether a great film that sheds light on the character of one of the greatest military tacticians of the 20th Century. A film not to be missed.

Not enough action
This movie is misleadingly named. Although Rommel was indeed the commander of Germany's Afrika Corp in World War II, and there earned a reputation as a master tactician, that is not what this movie is about. Two-thirds of this movie's 88 minute length focuses on Rommel's minor role in a conspiracy to kill Hitler. The conspiracy failed, and Rommel eventually paid with his life for his involvement. (In truth, Rommel was lucky. The other conspirators were hanged on piano wire and died a painful death. Because he had been built up into a national hero, Rommel was given the opportunity to take poison, and the public was told he died of war wounds.

I'm afraid most viewers, jaded by modern F/X and action laden efforts like Saving Private Ryan, will be disappointed with this rather inexpensively made effort from 1951. There is very little action other than a commando raid during the first five minutes of the movie. The little remaining action is actual stock footage of the war, skillfully cut into the film. The movie is very talky, focusing on Rommel's relationship with his wife and son, Field Marshal Von Rundstedt, and Adolph Hitler.

I have to admit that when I watched an early scene that showed Rommel in North Africa, wearing a long black leather overcoat consulting with his officers, I said to myself "pure Hollywood! there is no way he would have been wearing that in the hot desert." Then I went to my library and consulted a book on Rommel, lavishly illustrated with photographs. Not only was Rommel wearing the black leather overcoat, he was dressed precisely as depicted in the movie. There is also a remarkable resemblance between Rommel and James Mason, who does an outstanding job portraying Rommel in the movie. The moviemakers got it right, and I was wrong.

The Desert Fox and The Desert Rats - really a set!
Both these movies have James Mason playing the part of General Erwin Rommell. The Desert Rats is the story of Australian Infantry under the command of a British Officer (Richard Burton)who although out numbered and out gunned delay the advance of Rommell's Afrika Corps outside of Tobruk until the British Relief Column arrives. Almost like a sequel to The Desert Rats is the story of The Desert Fox. This story is told through the eyes of an ex-British Officer who after the war tries to find out exactly how and why Rommell died under the Nazi Regime. The story reveals how an unwell Rommell, recently returned from the middle east campaign is invited to join the plot to kill Hitler. It shows Rommell's battle of conscience over his loyalty to an insane leader and his knowledge of the plot for that leader's assassination. Although he will not support the plot to kill Hitler, Rommell will not turn the conspirators in either - a decision that would cost him his life.

I strongly recommend the purchase of both these movies.

Decent Semi-Biographical Film
In between stock footage and some odd chase scenes, this is a pretty good film about Erwin von Rommel.

Rommel has always been my hero, and James Mason gives a fine performance as "the Desert Fox." OK, so maybe he doesn't look like Rommel, but he plays him well and his looks aren't as off as some other atrocious role choices have been. John Wayne as Ghengis Khan comes to mind.

Rommel is pretty well realized, although I would have also liked to have seen his earlier life shown as well. I understand that probably wasn't the intention of the film makers, and as showing Rommel in his WWII life, this film succeeds. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

One of the Greatest War Movies of All Time
There are no combat scenes - none. Yet the battle sequences are among the most powerful I can remember. Halsey, having bet the farm on his attack of a superior Japenese fleet, sits alone in his quarters waiting for the battle to begin, waiting for word from the Combat Information Center, while in the background disembodied radio chatter chronicles the preparations of war. Wow. Cagney's face is all you need to see. Your tension increases with his. And then his transformation into a warrior leaves you unable to take a breath.
The black and white movie uses a narator to solve brilliantly some complex story telling problems, and background music is by a male chorus. And this stuff really works. Robert Montgomery, a competent actor in his own right, directed.
I have an old copy taken off the air 20 years ago that I am wearing out. I sure hope the DVD comes out soon.

Bill Wood

A brilliant depiction of the price of leadership. . .
Basically, The Gallant Hours is an episodic biography of Admiral William "Bull" Halsey during the early days of the Second World War, specifically while he was the naval theater commander for the Guadalcanal campaign.

James Cagney is superb in this very unusual war film, which has no combat footage, relying instead on character development and the intensity of interpersonal relationships to tell its story.

Although Admiral Halsey (Cagney) is the central figure, the movie also closely follows the involvement of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese theater commander, giving the viewer an interesting and enlightening counterpoint persective in the attitudes, concerns and approaches of the opposing leaders.

The most remarkable feature of The Gallant Hours is its willingness and effectiveness to show emotions seldom dealt with in military movies. One of these shows Halsey in the horrific dilemma of knowing that he is sending two close friends (Admirals Scott and Callaghan) to certain death, but being constrained by circumstance from any alternate course of action. In yet another sequence, Dennis Weaver gives a brilliant portrayal of a combat pilot dealing with the conflicting emotions of being relieved at having survived his mission and yet feeling both disgust and shame for what he is doing as he and his command "roll up a big score."

For the individual who wants a serious treatment of the personal effects of warfare, without the usual rah-rah, flag-waving and stereotyped villification of opposing forces, The Gallant Hours is a sobering, not to be forgotten movie experience.

The masterful combination of taut direction, a superior cast, eerie soundtrack and a very unusual approach make this remarkable film a must for any military video library.

James Cagney as Rear Admiral "Bull" Halsey
"The Gallant Hours" is one of the more usual bio-pics of a military leader I have ever seen. This is a semi-documentary dramatization of the pivotal role that Rear Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey, Jr. played as commander of U.S. naval operation in the South Pacific in bringing about the victory at Guadacanal. The framing device is Halsey's retirement ceremony and the film begins with a moving choral arranged by Roger Wagner that tells us: "I knew a lad who went to sea / and left the shore behind him / I knew him well the lad was me / and now I cannot find him." The hymn sets an almost religious tone for the film that seems rather strange given the events depicted and the approach of the director. Contrast this with the running bit about getting Admiral Halsey to take his shots.

The film is directed by U.S.N.R. Comdr. Robert Montgomery, the actor who served in the Navy during World War II but who is better remembered today as being the father of actress Elizabeth Montgomery. One of the most surprising things about this film is that is a war movie without any battle scenes. There are battles, but we hear about them rather than see them. Mostly "The Gallant Hours" is about Halsey's command decisions and the way he worked with his subordinates (when the Chief of Staff of the admiral he replaces because he provides contrary views). There are many scenes that consist mainly of a subordinate bringing Halsey dispatches and him thoughtfully coming up with responses.

Halsey, as the cover art emphasizes, is James Cagney, in what would prove to be his second to last film before he retired from acting for twenty years. Having met with Halsey, Cagney was struck by how the navy man hardly made any extraneous gestures, and the actor made a point of excising all of his well-known mannerisms from the performance. Cagney's presence is critical to the film because with it this 115-minute film would have been tedious. However, his presence allows Montgomery to focus on the decision making process during a war in more detail than any other film that comes to mind ("Command Decision" would be in the running, but this one has it beat). Clearly you can do a talking head war movie when the main talking head is James Cagney.

The film is as much about the duel between Halsey and his Japanese counterpart, Admiral Yamamoto (James T. Goto), which becomes not only a question of winning the battle to control Guadacanal but a personal attempt to kill each other. The Japanese commander is portrayed as a worthy opponent and there is as much attention to the aspects of his work as there is to that of Halsey. Biographical details abound in this documentary. Every time Halsey meets somebody a voice over tells us not only who they are but what is going to happen to them. The guy who is driving the jeep is an hour away from being short by a sniper and becoming a paraplegic for the rest of his life. A squad heads out on Guadacanal and we learn that only three of them are coming back. The details are such that I would have sworn this film was adapted from a book, but there is no book by that title or any other work cited as the source for this story.

The screenplay is by Frank D. Gilroy and Beirne Lay Jr. Lay was the co-author of "Twelve O'Clock High" and it is interesting that like the film version of that classic World War II novel there is a scene in which the central character waits out a pivotal moment alone in his office, living out the battle in his own mind. In case you are not sure what the moral of "The Gallant Hours" happens to be, Cagney reminds us with a voice over at the end: "There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet." Of course, "The Gallant Hours" pretty much disproves that point, at least with regards to the man at the top in the South Pacific.

unbelievably powerful movie
I saw this movie on television when I was probably 12 years old. The opening and closing hymn goes as follows:

" I knew a lad who went to sea---and left the shore behind him
I knew him well the lad was me---and now I cannot find him. "

This is a very mature movie. It captures imaginations and inspires at whatever age. The disembodied CIC radio transmissions in the midst of approaching naval battle as the only audio while the video shows only Halsey's anguish alone with himself ---is hauntingly powerful. It tells better than anything the reality of the vigilance of the determined search for an overwhelmingly stronger enemy force and the tension as the naval units appproach the inevitable meeting with its own destruction at the hands of the superior Japanese force which they are trying to block, delay or deter from obliterating the Marines on Guadacanal. " No contact......No contact.....No contact ....No contact -----the endless tension as the certain peril draws near---- No contact ....... CONTACT!!!!! .....then the reports as the ships who sacrifice themselves are ripped apart in terrible explosions........"

The movie is so powerful and moving. Without gore or the usual battle scenes. The movie reached out to me as a 12 year old and spoke to me as if I were an adult and conveyed very important messages into a reservoir that has been there for me the rest of my life. When I saw it again last week--exactly 40 years later-- I relived this movie's power and classic grace.

It is a shame that such movies are not known more widely ...and that the ability to make such has atrophied.

The Gallant Hours
As a character study in film, this is one of the most provocative, haunting ones I've ever seen. The camera angles, the choral music, Cagney's riveting performance--why isn't this film readily available, especially on DVD?? ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Flying Leathernecks!!........cool flying.........go Marines
Flying Leathernecks is one of my favorite war dramas to watch on a boring, rainy, summer day. John Wayne is a Marine avatior who drives his men to the edge during training and in the war, installing hatred in their hearts againist him, especially his second in command, played by Robert Ryan, who clashes with Wayne, but goes easy on the squad. Later in the movie, Wayne teaches Ryan the importance of being hard and rough on the squad. This movies should have got some Oscar nominations for
Best Actor: John Wayne
Best Cinematography
Best Supporting Actor: Robert Ryan and for
Best Special Effects.
If you were in the Marine Corps, and if you want to see some old war planes, like Corsairs, Wildcats, a PBY seaplane, and a real harsh look at what Marine Corps pilots went through in WWII, give this movie a try. I recemend it to anyone who served in the Marines, John Wayne fans, and models buffs. Semper Fi Go Marines.

Sands of Iwo Jima in the air
Flying Leathernecks is an entertaining John Wayne adventure about a squadron of Marine fighters stationed on Guadalcanal during the fierce fighting. The Duke plays Major Daniel Kirby, a new squadron leader who tries to get the men into fighting shape as he tries to prove his theory of ground attacks heavily supported by air support. Kirby and his executive officer, Captain Griffin butt heads as they argue over how to treat the men. The plot might sound familiar to Sands of Iwo Jima which it is, but it is still a quality movie. The aerial shots are taken from actual WWII footage that work pretty well with the shots of the actors in their planes. The story is fairly predictable, but it is still worth a watch if nothing else.

John Wayne is pretty good as tough as nails Major Kirby, a role very similar to his role as Sergeant Stryker that earned him a Best Actor nomination. Robert Ryan gives a decent performance as Captain Griffin, who Kirby believes is not ready to take over command of the squadron. Wayne and Ryan work well together throughout. Don Taylor plays Griffin's brother-in-law and fellow squadron member. Jay C. Flippen has a very funny role as Master Sergeant Clancy, Kirby's line chief who has a talent for taking things that are just lying around. Like all Duke movies, I hope this one gets a DVD release since the VHS is not in the best of shape. For an enjoyable Duke adventure, check out Flying Leathernecks!

The Duke on Command
The Duke himself is in this movie about Marine pilots in the South Pacific during World War II. Since this movie was made in the fifties, there is not a lot of gore and violence. The fight scenes you see are mostly actual footage from aerial combats during WWII.

The movie centers around two things. First, it shows the usage of military planes providing close ground support. Repeatedly, everyone mentions it can't be done, but the Duke and his group continue to show that it is viable. Second, we see the agonies of command.

John Wayne is a major who is not always liked by his subordinates. He is a career military man trying to keep his team, mostly young college men, alive by enforcing discipline. He drives them relentlessly as the executive officer tries to ease up on them. By the end of the movie, the executive officer gets an explanation on why it is necessary for commanders to push their men.

For military film buffs or John Wayne fans, I would highly recommend seeing this movie.

flying leathernecks
This is one of the finest of the DUKES WWII movies which exemplifies the American fighting mans indominatable wills to endure and win above all odds

john wayne gives the marines air support
typical world war two aviation yarn starring the duke as the tough as nails squadron commander. good supporting cast. a plus for the film is the fact that its shot in color, a rarity for this type of film at the time. if you like john wayne and ww2, you'll like flying leathernecks ... Read more

Reviews (17)

English actor, James Mason, makes a great Rommel.
Originally copyright by 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, in 1951, only six years after the end of World War Two, this black and white film gives a shallow overview of the last years of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel: the Desert Fox.

Once you get past the opening rather stagey scenes, of British commandos raiding a German headquarters building in north Africa, hoping to kill the Desert Fox in his lair, the rest of the film is carried along guite well, by the great performance of James Mason, as Rommel. This performance is the only reason I rated this film as four stars, without Mason I would have been disapointed.

Other members of the cast do fine jobs too, notably Cedric Hardwicke and Leo G. Carroll. One can find good entertainment based on real events.

D-Day: the invasion of Normandy, is a highlight of this film. There are several minutes of what appears to be genuine newsreel footage of the storming of the beaches: the ships off shore, the guns, the planes, brave men falling. It's all very real at this point.

"The Desert Fox" was made in an era when the directors, producers, and the Hollywood Establishment in general, were less preachy, and less likely to distort the truth in order to promote a social agenda. That is a big plus for this film.

On the down side: the film starts off with several undisclosed advertisements for other videos, of like kind, by Fox. This is borderline dishonest, as consumers have paid for entertainment and expect it to be commercial free. At the very least, the ads should be disclosed, before anyone makes a purchaseing decision.

All in all, "The Desert Fox" is good entertainment and deserves a look.

A Proper Tribute To The Desert Fox
Henry Hathaway's 1951 film on Erwin Rommel, NAZI Germany's most brilliant tactician whose indirect involvement in a failed plot to assassinate Hitler resulted in his untimely death.

The film is a character study and focuses more on Rommel's relationship with Hitler and the German High Command as opposed to his achievements as a military tactician. Because the nature of his death wasn't very well known at that time, the film focuses on Rommel's deteriorating relationship with Hitler and his eventual participation in the assassination plot. This is normal since, with the film being made only 6 years after the end of WWII, audiences would have been quite unreceptive to a film glorifying a German general's military exploits against allied forces.

All in all, James Mason delivers a brilliant performance as a man who is struggling with his conscience. Is his duty as a general to just obey Hitler or to protect Germany from destruction? What should he do when Hitler's megalomania is a greater threat to Germany than the Allies themselves? How can he be a good soldier and live with himself by committing treason: even if treason is the only logical alternative? Although the film isn't entirely accurate in its history, it succeeds in capturing all of the internal conflicts Rommel must have suffered in deciding what to do. The film is also accurate in portraying the impossible dilemma faced by Von Runstedt and others in the German High Command with Hitler's incessant meddling in military planning and execution. As the movie shows, by 1944 Hitler assumed direct control of virtually all military operations in the major theaters with disastrous results (i.e. insisting that most heavy guns and panzer divisions remain in Calais even when the D-Day invasion was well underway). This dilemma was dealt with humor in the movie when Von Runsted sarcastically tells Rommel about how corporals (i.e. Hitler) are such brilliant strategists and tacticians who clearly know far more about waging war than your run-of-the-mill Field Marshalls: "You know how rigid those corporals can be."

Altogether a great film that sheds light on the character of one of the greatest military tacticians of the 20th Century. A film not to be missed.

Not enough action
This movie is misleadingly named. Although Rommel was indeed the commander of Germany's Afrika Corp in World War II, and there earned a reputation as a master tactician, that is not what this movie is about. Two-thirds of this movie's 88 minute length focuses on Rommel's minor role in a conspiracy to kill Hitler. The conspiracy failed, and Rommel eventually paid with his life for his involvement. (In truth, Rommel was lucky. The other conspirators were hanged on piano wire and died a painful death. Because he had been built up into a national hero, Rommel was given the opportunity to take poison, and the public was told he died of war wounds.

I'm afraid most viewers, jaded by modern F/X and action laden efforts like Saving Private Ryan, will be disappointed with this rather inexpensively made effort from 1951. There is very little action other than a commando raid during the first five minutes of the movie. The little remaining action is actual stock footage of the war, skillfully cut into the film. The movie is very talky, focusing on Rommel's relationship with his wife and son, Field Marshal Von Rundstedt, and Adolph Hitler.

I have to admit that when I watched an early scene that showed Rommel in North Africa, wearing a long black leather overcoat consulting with his officers, I said to myself "pure Hollywood! there is no way he would have been wearing that in the hot desert." Then I went to my library and consulted a book on Rommel, lavishly illustrated with photographs. Not only was Rommel wearing the black leather overcoat, he was dressed precisely as depicted in the movie. There is also a remarkable resemblance between Rommel and James Mason, who does an outstanding job portraying Rommel in the movie. The moviemakers got it right, and I was wrong.

The Desert Fox and The Desert Rats - really a set!
Both these movies have James Mason playing the part of General Erwin Rommell. The Desert Rats is the story of Australian Infantry under the command of a British Officer (Richard Burton)who although out numbered and out gunned delay the advance of Rommell's Afrika Corps outside of Tobruk until the British Relief Column arrives. Almost like a sequel to The Desert Rats is the story of The Desert Fox. This story is told through the eyes of an ex-British Officer who after the war tries to find out exactly how and why Rommell died under the Nazi Regime. The story reveals how an unwell Rommell, recently returned from the middle east campaign is invited to join the plot to kill Hitler. It shows Rommell's battle of conscience over his loyalty to an insane leader and his knowledge of the plot for that leader's assassination. Although he will not support the plot to kill Hitler, Rommell will not turn the conspirators in either - a decision that would cost him his life.

I strongly recommend the purchase of both these movies.

Decent Semi-Biographical Film
In between stock footage and some odd chase scenes, this is a pretty good film about Erwin von Rommel.

Rommel has always been my hero, and James Mason gives a fine performance as "the Desert Fox." OK, so maybe he doesn't look like Rommel, but he plays him well and his looks aren't as off as some other atrocious role choices have been. John Wayne as Ghengis Khan comes to mind.

Rommel is pretty well realized, although I would have also liked to have seen his earlier life shown as well. I understand that probably wasn't the intention of the film makers, and as showing Rommel in his WWII life, this film succeeds. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Restored edition, fantastic!!!!!!
The movie Reefer Madness seen by itself is really nothing to brag about, but this special addition for this best-selling cult classic is fantastic. It's a must buy, because for how cheap it is, you really get your money's worth. For the first time ever, I can say that the colorized version (complete with multicolor smoke and over saturated psychedelic color schemes) is better and looks better than the original black and white, and both versions are available to watch which is considerate of the DVD producers to give us both, and it looks as good as we can ever expect. Extra features are fantastic highlighted by a hysterical commentary by Mike Nelson, formerly of Mystery Science Theater 3000, which is the sole reason why I bought this edition. The commentary by the people who colorized the film is also worth a look. I highly recommend this new edition.

Reefer Madness IN COLOR for the First Time - Fire UP!
Reefer Madness is the quintessential cult classic. Originally made as a 1930's propaganda film, it was meant to