Reviews (21)

Now isnt that him???
The first time I saw this movie ,someone told me that there is actually a scene in which Mario Lanza does indeed appear.... after about the third time, I think I found it....It is the scene in the cathedral after the King dies and the Prince is singing "I'll walk with God". Not the close up, mind you, but the very long wide angle shot. That said, regardless of why Lanza was fired or quit or got too fat(All stories that go around).This is a delightful old fashioned film. Edmund Purdom does an admirable job(especially of the dubbed songs)in a really tough turn.Ann Blyth is a perfect Kathy and the supporting cast is among the best.What a hoot to see Richard Anderson and John Ireland as the leaders of the rival corps. I dont suppose they could really sing either,but...
An all around good time!

Beautiful music...Heartbreaking Story
I will not recap the story behind this beautiful musical....other reviewers have done this well. All I want to say is be prepared to be delighted by the music and destroyed by the ending of the story. No matter how many times I've seen The Student Prince I end up a whimpering mess at it's conclusion. Very bittersweet and all too real, impossible love situations destroy me. That look on Ann Blyth's face, as the Prince she loves but cannot have visits her one last time, haunts me well after the film concludes, at which time I'm crying like a baby. In fact, as I write these sentences I'm crying again!! Too bad that Mario Lanza was not given the acting role (for whatever reason). We do get to hear his glorious singing voice dubbed with actor Edmund Purdom doing a credible acting job. But it is the radiant Ann Blyth (with her own beautiful singing voice) that steals the show for me, and I'm a gay man!! I only hope the DVD will follow soon.
Recommended for all lovers of romance. Have the tissues ready for the ending.

Mario's Voice and Edmund's Body
Mario Lanza was slated to star in this great movie. Unfortunately, he gained a lot of weight and was replaced - not just directorial differences, but Lanza's eating/drinking were taking him over - a sad by-product of fame for some. Edmund Purdom is not Lanza but he does make a handsome prince. When I first saw the close-ups, I noticed that the synching wasn't quite in-synch...but one soon forgives and forgets. This is a lovely story with outstanding music - in all, a delight.

excellent musical.
"The Student Prince," with Ann Blyth and Mario Lanza is a wonderful and beautiful film. I so enjoy it. It's colorful such a great fairytale and some of the best songs. Mario Lanza and Ann Blyth are great actors abd singers. The costumes and scenery deserve a award. A must see film well worth watching many times.

Lanza Was Right... the Directing is Terrible!
This is the worst film to feature Lanza in any way. Lanza and the Director just couldn't get along and I can see why. The Director has poor Edmund walking his wooden way through this film while incongruously opening his mouth and emitting all of the unrestrained passion of Lanza's voice. Lanza wanted to play the Prince evolving from a disciplined Prussian into a passionate lover. The Director would not allow the metamorphosis. Lanza would have been great in this role, but he just couldn't tolerate what he thought (correctly, I believe) was the absurd juxtaposition of the sometimes sentimental other times pleading or romantic music/lyrics... with the Director's insistence that the lead be played almost devoid of emotion. It was Director vs. Mario and the result was that this is the film marks the beginning of the tragic end of Lanza's painfully brief career. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I saw this movie in 1955
when I was 12 years old, but of course I didn't have my hat on backwards and I am not a boy. I saw it with my best-friend, then and now, who was also a victim of polio.

This film was very touching and memorable. The acting was great. The music is beautiful. The real-life drama of overcoming catastrophic personal crisis with courage and determination was touching to watch. It was particularly significant to view with an individual who, while not famous, had to face the overwhelming uphill battle of dealing with the unfortunate personal tragedy of learning to live with the reality of infantile paralysis.

The beauty of this film and the feelings it evoked have stayed with me all these years and it remains one of my favorite movies of all time. Certainly they don't make films like this today because not many 12 year-old boys or girls would attend. Thank goodness it is available on video to those of us who still recognize good cinema.

INTERRUPTED QUALITY
This movie is the outstanding, true story of one of Opera's finest stars of the 20th Century, Australian Marjorie Lawrence, played by actress Eleanor Parker. Along with Glenn Ford and a very young Roger Moore, the acting is also superb.

However, MGM/Turner Home Video should be slapped on the hand for a very poor sound transfer. After all, the movie is full of Lawrence's music, both opera and popular songs of the era. Yes, the sound track is in stereo, but MGM/Turner didn't reproduce it with dolby digital, even though the picture was digitally transfered. Just about every time throughout the movie when she sings, especially when she hits those beautiful high notes, the sound crackles like an old, scratched 78RPM record. Come on, MGM/Turner! There's no excuse for this. If you're going to take the time to digitally transfer the picture, you've got to do the audio justice. This should have been a no brainer! Hopefully, this will be corrected on future video issues. Or, please give this movie what it really deserves--a full make over on to DVD.

However, the poor sound reproduction shouldn't keep one from purchasing the video. The story is so compelling and powerful, it makes a nice addition to any video library.

Five stars for the story and acting. But one star for the audio quality. Average it out.

Best opera movie
I was 14 when this movie opened and I saw it at least five times (but I have never in my life worn a baseball cap backward, so I guess I have not really contradicted the previous reviewer). I repeated because the Liebestod (as sung by Eileen Farrell, though I did not know that until much later) was one of the greatest musical experiences of my life--then and since, though I had been a devout opera fan before that movie and have been a serious Wagnerian ever since. The movie somewhat romanticized Marjorie Lawrence's life, but Eleanor Parker and Glenn Ford, who played her husband, built a credible dramatic picture of the calamity of serious physical illness striking a great artist. Lawrence did sing Isolde at the Met as her last performance there--whether she rose to fall across Tristan's body must be for some other historian to tell--I certainly wasn't there. But the movie inspires both admiration and creative enthusiasm in anyone who can respond at all to great music and the great determination it requires to perform it well.

Biopic of polio-stricken Wagnerian soprano Marjorie Lawrence
Eleanor Parker, a dramatic actress of the higher second rung in 50s Hollywood, takes on legendary Australian Wagnerian soprano Marjorie Lawrence who, at height of career (20s & 30s), was stricken with polio. Lavishly staged scenes from operas -- sung by the astonishing Eileen Farrell (American pop/Wagnerian songstress of 40s & 50s) -- make this quite the feast for dually addicted film/opera fans. Best of all is footage of Parker/Lawrence making a tough comeback by belting out the 'Siegfried' Brunnhilde and Isolde from reclining position. They really don't make them like this anymore. How many 14-year-old males with their bills pointed backwards would buy tickets? ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Technical Tour de Force!
I saw this movie a few times when I was a kid, and of course I remembered that it was a good twin/bad twin story. But it was only last year or so when I rented it as an adult that I was bowled over the special effects employed to have Bette play opposite herself. Quite frankly, this movie ought to be part of film studies curricula everywhere--it's an outstanding job! There's a remarkable scene where Bette comes over to talk face to face with her "sister", and even puts her hands on her "sister"'s shoulders. It's wonderful! Excellent use of a good body double for scenes when Bette walks past herself in her bedroom. The only downside is that the men kind of let it down: Glenn Ford as a boring leading man, contended for by both sisters (the war must have still been on or something), and Dane Clark as a misunderstood misfit artist who tells the good twin Kay that she's missing something as a woman. Why would she put up with that, really? But I guess that's so she can flirt with walking on the wild side before being reunited with Glenn. After all, even he knew Kay was lacking something or other, what he described as "icing" to the bad twin when he thought she was the good twin who had suddenly turned up the voltage sexually. Yeah, the real stars are those special effects--don't miss 'em!

Good Bette And Bad Bette, Both In The One Movie
"A Stolen Life", is a real curiosity piece in the work of Bette Davis and was the last of her highly successful films in her incredible run from 1937 - 1946 as Queen of Warner Brothers. This period saw her play everything from Queens, to murderesses, heroines dying of brain tumours and flighty heiresses. This incredible body of work produced an almost unbroken string of Box Office Hits culminating in this rather (for the time) original story. "A Stolen Life", offers fans of this legendary actress like myself, the unique opportunity of seeing her play identical twins, and secondly for witnessing the at times superb special effects of having Davis supposedly performing with herself in many scenes. Even by todays standards the effect of having two Bette's apparently performing in the one scene is stunningly achieved and this excellence to a certain extent makes up for the rather incredible story with its unlikely twists and turns. After this film Bette Davis experienced a real career slump which was only rectified four years later after she had left Warner Brothers, in her stunning comeback film "All about Eve".

Bette Davis plays New England sisters Kate and Patricia Bosworth, and typically in these kind of stories their personalities are for the most part the exact opposite. Kate a struggling artist is the more sensible and down to earth of the two while Patricia tends to be the more forward one who is also quite aggressive about getting the men in her life. Kate while on a trip out to the Maine lighthouse falls in love with young lighthouse keeper Bill Emerson (Glenn Ford), a romance develops however when Patricia sets her eyes on Bill a tug-a-war for his affections begins which eventually sees Patricia winning out and marrying him much to Kate's distress. Comforted by cousin Fred Linly (Charles Ruggles) she then makes the acquaintance of tempermental artist Karnock (Dana Clark) who begins to work with her in her studio which also ignites a stormy love/hate relationship between the two. Kate is surprised however to find Patricia on her doorstep at the Maine house and in an attempt to get along better the two decide to go sailing which unfortunately results in Patricia drowning. Recovering after the accident by a fluke Kate is mistaken for Patricia as she is clutching Patricia's wedding ring and with little thought Kate decides to play along with this charade as a way of finally getting the man she has always loved. However it is not smooth sailing when she assumes Patricia's identity as it is revealed she and Bill were heading for divorce and Patricia has had a string of ex lovers one of which is still very much part of her life. Finding it impossible to maintain the charade any longer Kate flees back to her New England roots where eventually all is resolved and Kate's real identity is revealed . Reconciled with Bill the belief is that the two will start again to use Bill's words and make a new beginning as Kate was always the one he was best suited to of the sisters anyway.

Despite the stories incredible situation and very predictable conclusion there is much to enjoy in "A Stolen Life". Bette Davis does sterling work as the two very different sisters and it's a mark of her great abilities that she doesn't go down the easy path of making each sister the total opposite of the other. Both clearly have shades of grey in them and her acting supposedly against herself in the sister's joint scenes is a masterwork of technique and receptive acting. Glenn Ford handles his role in a capable style but in her first effort as a producer in her new contract with Warner Brothers it is obvious it is Bette's show all the way. The film has a very romantic feel about it with the stunning Cape Cob settings with many of the scenes taking place on mist shrouded hillsides looking down onto crashing waves. First and foremost however this film will always be remembered and talked about because of the special effects that see one performer playing two characters in the one scene. Indeed the technique here is smoothly done and scenes where the two "sisters" actually touch or look each other directly in the eye are quite remarkable. Bette Davis obviously saw this as a challenge as she repeated this in a similiar story about two sisters called "Dead Ringer", in 1964. Directed by veteran director Curtis Bernhardt the usual expertise you expect from all personnel in the golden years of the great Studio system is evident from sets, musical score by Max Steiner and well selected supporting players such as Charles Ruggles and the always excellent Walter Brennan.

"A Stolen Life", makes highly entertaining viewing and shows the multi talents of Bette Davis in full bloom. While certainly not one of Bette's best efforts it has alot to recommend it to viewers. The seemingly tacked on "happy ending", does seem forced and unnecessary but when viewing these types of melodramas one has to look past it's obvious flaws to appreciate the great effort that went into it's construction. It has to be remembered too that in 1946 the idea of two sisters, one good and one bad was still a fresh one and hadn't been done to death yet in countless television productions. Either way Bette Davis always makes compulsive viewing and here she has a field day playing twins who are headed for a collision over the love of one man. Enjoy!

Great Entetainment
This one features Bette Davis at her devious, overwrought best.
If you've ever seen Carol Burnett's parody, "A Swiped Life", you will have a hard time keeping a straight face through the real thing.
"A Stolen Life" is great fun, especially if you're in the right mood.
No one is more watchable than Bette, and I think this is one of her best.
She is wonderfully entertaining in the role(s) of twins, while those around her, particularly the men, react with appropriate bewilderment.When the character Bill marvels that "I can't tell you apart",I want to shout, "That's because they're the SAME PERSON, moron!"
This movie is not exactly subtle. The old standards are present: the crusty old salt with a heart of gold under the gruff exterior, the sensitive loner who needs only to meet the woman who understands him, and the misunderstood, non-conforming artist who tries to "awaken" inhibited Kate but mercifully stops short of telling her that she's beautiful when she's angry.
It all amounts to a lot of fun, though.

pure genius
I throughly enjoyed this film especially the twist in the end. I would love to see it again, and again, and again!!

A Stolen Opportunity
Bette Davis stars as twins after the same man. There's Good Bette, a sensitive, reserved artist, and there's Bad Bette, a socialite apparently without morals. Glenn Ford is the man who finds himself between them. He opts for Bad Bette, leaving Good Bette heartbroken and deflated, willing to accept berating from a rough artist, Dane Clark. However, she gets another chance, following a boating accident in which Bad Bette drowns, and people accidently assume it was Good Bette. She has the opportunity to take her sister's life and get back the man she wanted ... if she can pull it off. Like the twins, there are good and bad points to the film. On the good side, you have Davis and the effects. She does a very good job with two characterizations here, even when one is pretending to be the other. The special effects to create the illusion of twins are surprisingly good for 1946. It's not the usual split-screen work you would expect, but more complicated set-ups where they pass things to each other and appear to be touching. On the bad side would be the story and Ford. The story starts promisingly, but begins to fall apart after Ford chooses Bad Bette. The Dane Clark character is irrelevant to the film, since he does not figure into the resolution. The resolution is also very weak, neatly wrapping up a situation that is far too complicated to be so easily solved. Glenn Ford comes across very weakly here, a combination of a badly drawn character and poor performance. Davis and the special effects help to salvage the film. Too bad the script lets them down. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Overblown interpretation of basically good story
This 1953 film stars Rita Hayworth in a loosely adapted version of a Somerset Maugham story. It takes place on a American occupied Pacific Island where the marines, and especially Aldo Ray, are all quite smitten with Miss Sadie Thompson, a tough and sexy lady who loves to party and who is forced to spend some time there because her ship is quarantined. Jose Ferrer, cast in the role of an angry and dour preacher quarantined there too, manages to arrange for her to be deported. He has his own weaknesses, however, which are revealed as the story progresses. The inevitable tragic conclusion has a typical Hollywood ending, but the basic theme is there.

Ms. Hayworth sure looks pretty. She has flaming red hair and wears brightly colored clothes and every movement of her body draws the eye. As she can't sing, though, she lip synchs through several non-memorable musical numbers and her acting abilities vary from scene to scene. Occasionally, the actress in her shines through, but mostly it's just Rita Hayworth, the movie star, mouthing her words. Jose Ferrer fares better in the acting department and so does Aldo Ray, but this film was not made to show off anyone's acting. It was originally released in 3-D and it's the beautiful Pacific Island as well as the producer's attempt to push the envelope on the censorship code that drove this picture. Also, as it was made in the fifties, it reflected the general moral code of the time as well as a dose of pop psychology. I enjoyed the video. It's a good story and there's enough tension and romance to keep it moving swiftly. But, alas, its just a bit too overblown.

daring, bold, exotic
Originally filmed in 3-D, MISS SADIE THOMPSON stars the perfectly cast Rita Hayworth as the sexy nymphet, with Jose Ferrer as the corrupt minister who tries to "reform" her.

Sadie finds herself stranded while trying to get to a "gig", and gets caught up in the rabble of soldiers patrolling the South Pacific. A naive young officer (Aldo Ray) courts the girl while she is being tracked down by the sadistic minister, too weak to practice what he preaches.

This effort to transform the gritty moralistic drama into a semi-musical works somewhat, although Hayworth's vocals were dubbed here. She tries to be grating when she sings, though she's more Mary Poppins than Mayflower Madam, singing with the island children.

Based on the Somerset Maughn story, with direction by Curtis Bernhardt.

Blue Pacific Blues
With the haunting song "Blue Pacific Blues" in the background the beautiful Rita Hayworth portrays a loose woman running from her past in the south sea islands soon after WWII. Aldo Ray, a young Charles Bronson, and Jose Ferrer play out the drama of religion vs love, lust, and loneliness. This is a must-see movie for the person who fantasizes about the lure of the tropics and has a romantic familiarity with the war in the Pacific. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Merry Widow VHS
The quality of the VHS is not very good. The sound track is actually very bad. It must be a copy from some bad source.

MGM gloss at it's best!
Lana Turner and Fernando Lamas light up the screen in MGM's watered-down version of Franz Lehar's operetta THE MERRY WIDOW.

Crystal Radek (Lana Turner) is invited to a forgotten little European kingdom where her dead husband was born, so she can attend the unveiling of a statue dedicated to his memory.

Little does she know that the Government is more interested in her 8-million-dollar inheritance than anything else! Count Danilo (Fernando Lamas) is called on to seduce Crystal and marry her, and ensure that her millions are put to use in the European back-water town.

Crystal gets wise, however, and decides that if Danilo is going to fall in love with anything, it will be her and not her money!

Featuring the delightful Una Merkel and Gwen Verdon leading the can-can chorus, it's full of plush sets and gorgeous costumes. One of MGM's most lavish and enjoyable musicals.

Mesmerizing music, expert dancing, and gorgeous Lana Turner
The script is pedestrian but the dancing is superb. Picture Lana Turner at the height of her beauty dressed in fabulous gowns that showcase her hour-glass figure. The final waltz alone makes this video worth its price. Lana and Fernando whirl around a mirrored ballroom to the haunting strains of Lehar's "Merry Widow Waltz". The film demonstrates that, in addition to being beautiful, Turner was an incredibly graceful dancer. The music, Turner's poignant beauty, and fabulous dancing make this unforgettable. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

slow moving but Bogart carries the film
this is really just a remake of GASLIGHT with sidney greenstreet driving rich man Bogart into confessing his crime of murder. slow moving by today's standard. Bogart argued with Jack Warner for release from making this film but was threaten with suspension. The flim never sparkles with life.

Classy crime thriller that really keeps you guessing
"Conflict", starring the always excellent Humphrey Bogart is often dismissed as minor league noir and a fairly ordinary entry in Bogart's sterling collection of film performances. On the contrary I've always found it terrific entertainment that really keeps you guessing and asking questions right up to the final frame. It is a most handsome production with all of Warner Bros. expertise on show in the overall look and feel of the piece and in the excellent performances by the male and female cast members in this story of murder, deceit and mystery.

The film begins with the fifth wedding anniversary for affluent married couple engineer Richard Mason and his wife Katherine (Humphrey Bogart and Rose Habart). To the outside world they appear to be the perfect married couple with everything in life, however in reality Richard is most unhappy with his critical demanding wife and is secretly in love with her alluring younger sister Evelyn (Alexis Smith),who also has strong feelings for Richard. Resulting from a car accident the night of the party where Richard breaks a leg but from which Katherine walks away without a scratch, Richard has time to consider his unsatisfying marital situation and hatches an elaborate plan to do away with his shrewish wife and replace her with her younger sister. Pretending to be confined to a wheelchair when in actual fact he is now able to walk with the aid of a cane, Richard executes a supposedly fool proof murder plan. He pretends to plan a trip away with Katherine to a remote mountain resort and at the last minute on the pretext of work has her go on ahead. He then drives via a shorter route to a mountain pass and there waits for and then murders Katherine, pushing her car over the side of the mountain. He then quickly returns home and resumes the role of the chair bound invalid. What was supposedly the perfect crime soon becomes a living nightmare as strange things begin to happen that seem to indicate that perhaps Katherine is not dead at all. Her perfume is smelt in the house, jewelry she wore the night of the murder begins to turn up, a pawn ticket signed by Katherine is mailed to him and Richard thinks he sees Katherine walking in the street and then disappearing without trace into a strange house. Richard begins to question his sanity and eventualy his uncertainity about whether his murder plan was successful drives him back to the scene of the crime where all is revealed and the truth comes out!

Directed with suitable flair by veteran director Curtis Bernhardt and based on a short story by Robert Siodmak and Alfred Neumann, "Conflict", is a riverting little murder mystery that benefits greatly from the writing and four lead performances. Bogart is excellent as Richard Mason in a rather unlikeable role and is particulary good in the scenes where he sets up the deception and where the strange return of his wife seemingly from the grave begins to unhinge his tortured guilt ridden mind. This film reunites him with his "Maltese Falcon" costar the superb Sydney Greenstreet in a great performance as family friend Dr. Mark Hamilton who is the one who discovers the clue as to what actually happened on the night of the murder. Rose Hobart in a rare 1940's role is excellent in the small but telling part of murder victim Katherine Mason who might or might not be dead. Her's is not a likeable character and her few scenes with Bogart reveal her as a grating and demanding person responsible for always belittling Richard while of course still not deserving the fate she endures. Alexis Smith provides her usual glamourous presence to the role of Evelyn Turner, Katherine's younger sister who finds herself embroiled in the family complications. But as always in his films Bogart is the life and soul of the production. Menacing while showing a certain vulnerability and uneasiness with what he has done, he turns an unlikeable character into someone you do find yourself caring for. That is the sign of a truly great actor.

"Conflict", may not be in the top draw of Bogie classics but it is a very enjoyable little murder mystery that stays in the mind long after seeing it. Warners spared no expense in bringing it to the screen and what we have is 80 minutes of terrific entertainment with character work as could only be done with such finesse in Hollywood's golden age. Enjoy the murderous marital goings on in Warner Bros. noir classic "Conflict".

A Guilty Conscience
Humphrey Bogart stars as an engineer who has fallen in love with the younger sister of his shrewish wife. Having recovered from a car accident faster than anyone suspects (his wife didn't receive a scratch), the seemingly incapacitated engineer kills his wife on a mountain road while everyone else thinks he's home in a wheelchair. But funny thing is, he starts finding clues that she might not be dead, despite the obvious evidence. Tricks of a guilty mind, or something else ...? Hmmmm. Bogart is pretty good as the wife killer, or at least good enough that you almost feel sorry for him. Alexis Smith is alright as the younger sister, while Rose Hobart is appropriately grating as the late(?) wife. The formidable Sydney Greenstreet is fun as the family friend/psychiatrist. The idea behind the story is a good one, although it is highly improbable. But the dialogue isn't nearly as sharp as it could have been and the characters played by Bogart, Smith, and Hobart aren't likeable or developed enough to be interesting. It's a good premise with a satisfactory climax, but it could have been better.

Very minor league film noir
This 1945 offering has Bogey knocking off his wife because he prefers her sister, commiting (he thinks) the perfect crime but.... Mundane dialogue, occasional excursions into soap opera, and bits of dime-store psychology all weigh this opus down. Bogart does the best he can with what he has to work with. This was released after Double Indemnity and near the same time as Murder, My Sweet and Woman in the Window but it is not in the same league with any of them.

Very good character study with well-rounded plot
I would strongly recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of Humphrey Bogart. He was definitely the cool, calculated and cynical hero of cinema in the 1940s. While this film lacks the scale and drive that Bogart's best films have, it still plays well, even after repeat viewings. I've watched it several times since popping it in at my cousin's house one fateful summer day. The story centers around a miserably unhappy married man named Richard Mason, who has grown to despise his wife. In actuality, his spite for her comes from his lust for her younger, more attractive sister. After a car crash grounds him with a broken leg, he decides to play up a little bit to convince his wife and several doctors and psychologists that he can't walk or do anything for a while, even though this is not true and he is able to walk fine with a cane. His reason for doing this is a part of a plot he has devised to bump off his wife. After he successfully executes the plan, he feels at peace and uses compassion to play on the affections of the younger sister. However, slowly things unravel and his mind becomes clouded with anxiety and fear as more and more clues and strange happenings lead him to believe that either his supposedly-murdered wife is still alive or he himself is beginning to lose his mind. It is Bogart's performance as Mason that makes this film worth watching, although Sydney Greenstreet has a good supporting role as the doctor who keeps a close eye on Mason's odd behavior. But Bogart is so convincing and so good here that I found myself more drawn to his dispicable character than any other in the whole movie. Maybe that is the true trait of a great actor: When no matter how unappealing your character or his actions are you can still get the audience to side with you over the "decent" characters in the movie. If you enjoy films of trickery and deceit, 1940s film noir dramas, and, above all, Bogart, then this film should be right up your alley.

On a side-note:

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Mason first awakens after the car crash and finds himself sitting in the hospital. The doctor tells him he only has a broken leg. He asks him how Alexis Smith (the sister) is and is told that she received only minor cuts and bruises. Finally, he asks him how his wife is...And the doctor says, "She escaped without a scratch." That is twisted film noir irony at its best! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Best Beau Brummel
One of Stewart Granger's classic movies. This is the way all movies should be. The good ole days of fancy costume movies are long gone. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Been There, Done That Much Better Before
Humphrey Bogart stars as an American operating in the black market in Syria during the French occupation. Bogart can't return to the U.S. because of his shady past. He has no loyalty to either side ... he is his number one concern. He becomes intrigued by Marta Toren, the mistress of a French officer, Lee J. Cobb, who wants to make peace between Syria and France. He crosses paths with Bogart several times as both men pursue Toren and become embroiled in the political conflict.

Sirocco isn't a particularly interesting film. Bogart seems bored by the whole thing, giving a tired, been there, done that performance that makes you wish you were watching one of his earlier films where this type of character and situation was much better played out. The characters aren't compelling enough to care about, which really kills any chance for dramatic tension. The script is dry, the direction bland, and the film appears to have been made on the cheap. Fans of Bogart will want to watch this if only to see him, but it ranks amongst his lesser efforts.

Mediocre effort, at best, but a few segments sparkle.
This isn't as bad as most critics, and Bogart himself (who said this was a "real stinker") have suggested.

It's fairly mediocre, but then not every actor's career can be a gem, and even a solid effort can be appreciated. Bogart reprises a role similar to the one he played in Casablanca and To Have and Have not, but there just isn't much there for him so you have to take the weight of his persona and film history instead of relying on his character. IT works, but barely.

The other characters let the story down, as sadly is so often the case in Bogart's movies. It's almost as though they rely on him to carry the film and don't bother giving him interesting people interact with. The cinematography and location camerawork is pretty good though.

worth seeing, but very barely, and only if you are a Bogart fan. ... Read more

Description

A man struggles to assume the role of first husband when his wife is elected president of the United States. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

One joke comedy of female President and confused hubby.
This is a one-joke film with Polly Bergen the first woman President of the U.S. and Fred MacMurray a befuddled "First Gentleman." Runs out of steam early on. Inexplicable Oscar nom for Costumes - "What costumes?" Worth seeing however for Bergen's dramatic scenes as no-nonsense, hard as nails President. She'd have made a good one!

Great period piece of a simpler time.
Kisses For My President, though horribly dated, is a fun romp in the tradition of Doris Day and James Garner. As much fun to watch as a Dialing-For-Dollars movie, the rampant sexism is so innocent, you can't help but enjoy it, especially held up against today's world and the role of women in government.

Outstanding for its accurate, detailed White House sets, the film is lush in its photography. Fred MacMurray is funny as the bumbling husband who has no clue what his role should be as First Gentleman (MacMurray was also obviously stumbling for a characterization since he had no real-life role models). Polly Bergen is fine, if a bit uneven, as Madam President. Most wonderfully silly of all, though, is Arlene Dahl as an old chum of the Prez who tries to steal away Fred. She is outrageous in that Zsa Zsa kind of way.

In this time of Presidential jadedness, when there is no more innocence, Kisses For My President is silly and fun and a reminder of simpler days. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Oscar nominated Joan Crawford in one of her best roles
Any of the numerous detractors who complain about Joan Crawford's acting ability need to watch a screening of the Warner Bros Noir classic "Possessed". I'm sure they will be pleasantly pleased by the wonderful range of ability displayed by Joan in what is without a doubt one of her finest performances during the 1940's.

Often overshadowed by her wonderful performance in her first Warner film in 1945 "Mildred Pierce", for which she won an Oscar as Best Actress, "Possessed" involved a far more difficult acting task for Joan Crawford in a role that had numerous layers of complexity dealing as it did with the tragic issue of schizophrenia and its effects on the mind. Crawford rises admirably to the task and received a second Academy Award nomination for her work here. "Possessed" (not to be confused with an earlier film of the same name that Joan made costarring Clark Gable at MGM in the 1930's) tells the story of a personal nurse Louise Howell who suffers through a one sided love affair with David Sutton (Van Heflin in a stand out performance) an eternal bachelor type who is not willing to commit to an ongoing relationship and treats Louise with a dimissive attitude that feeds her inner uncertainity. The tragic consequences of this lack of love in Louise's life eventually leds to murder and a total mental breakdown with her being taken to a psychiatric hospital. Despite eventually marrying the husband (Raymond Massey), of her sick charge after her death as a form of compensation the obsession with David never leaves Louise and when he returns to her part of the world after working in Canada the old attraction that Louise thought she had buried forever returns with tragic results. The lack of response in David to her advances unhinges Louise's mind and she eventually forsakes her new family and shoots David as a form of revenge for the hurt he has caused her. This action springing from her schizophrenia completely sends louise over the edge to the extent that she looses the knowledge of who she is and what she has done.

Joan Crawford's handling of this complex role is light years away from much of her earlier work at MGM. Her depiction of the schizophrenic mind at work and how it distorts the personality is brilliantly displayed. Crawford made a famous quote about this film in that she stated that she worked harder on "Possessed" than on any other film in her career and it is easy to see that she was corrct in saying that. She is at times loving, desperate, frantic in her illusionary world and lack of control of it, and heart wrenching as her character progressively looses her grasp on reality. Besides her power house performance most of the other characters have a hard time competing. Van Heflin is fine as the object of her desire who moves from a playful dismissing of Louise's affections to an almost open hostility towards her to his own detriment and Raymond Massey in a surprise performance creates a sympathetic portrayal as Louise's devoted husband who marries her despite knowing her attention is elsewhere and who battles trying to fully understand Louise's condition and possible treatment. One standout in the cast is young Geraldine Brooks as Louise's step daughter Carol who begins a relationship with David under Louise's nose unwittingly triggering off Louise's psychotic tendencies. Done with all the customery gloss of the noir genre at its height the film benefits from beautiful photography and a distinctly shadowy black and white look. This shadowy effect really heightens the "grey" feel of the story and makes the progression of Louise's character so much more engrossing to witness. This is an instance where colour photography would have been a grave error. In "Possessed" Joan Crawford has rarely been photographed more stunningly and it's a shame that it almost marked the last time she was so flatteringly photographed just prior to the hardening that her screen image began to take on in the late 1940's.

Depressing and heavy the theme of "Possessed" may appear to the reader however what unfolds is an fascinating story that is bold in the theme that it explored. Schizophrenia is not a topic often tackled by mainstream Hollywood but it is dealt with in an honest and straightforward manner. Joan Crawford's understanding of this role gives the film a strong conviction that rings true and it all adds up to an engrossing melodrama of the higest order with an interesting storyline, terrific performances and a bit of education of just how the mind can react under different circumstances. Enjoy Joan Crawford in her greatest acting role of her 1940's career.

Joan Crawford plunges into schizophrenia and murder
In one of her Oscar nominated roles, Joan Crawford plays Louise Howell, a nurse who becomes trapped in a loveless marriage to the wealthy Dean Graham (Raymond Massey), whose first wife died a mysterious suicide. "Possessed" is told in flashback, as Louise is brought to a psychiatric ward after being found wandering the streets of Los Angeles looking for David; the opening sequence sets an impressive tone for the rest of the film. Turning to David Sutton (Van Heflin) for comfort, Louise finds he is nothing but a scoundrel. Increasingly schizophrenic, she finally turns to murder to set things right. Curtis Berhnardt's direction of this 1947 film is technically impressive, overcoming to some degree the cold plot of despair and murder. Unlike some others I do not consider this Crawford's best acting performance, but I will put it in the top three.

"Take her to Psycho."
In "Possessed" Joan Crawford plays private nurse Louise Howell employed by the wealthy Graham family to nurse Mrs. Graham. There's no indication what's wrong with Mrs. Graham, but she's holed up permanently in bed, and from this power position, she screams out accusations and orders. Louise has a brief affair with neighbour, engineer David Sutton (Van Heflin). The relationship is clearly intimate (in one scene, Louise changes after going for a swim with Sutton), and Louise seems to have the idea that all this intimacy and romance will lead to a wedding ring. Sutton counters all of Louise's unsubtle suggestions about marriage abruptly, and he shakes her loose when she starts to talk about the future. Louise becomes more desperate, and Sutton can't get away fast enough. This rejection drives the already unstable Louise to insanity.

There are two reasons why I love "Possessed."

1) Gender roles: there are three main female characters: Louise, Mrs. Graham (you actually don't see her), and daughter, Carol Graham. Louise is a neurotic mess. This is a role made for Joan Crawford, and she plays it to the hilt. Then there's Mrs.Graham--she requires a permanent nurse, and even that isn't enough to make her behave. Finally, there's Carol Graham. She appears normal in her first scene, but in her second appearance, she's obviously as potty as her mother, so she's shipped off where can she do the least harm. Other female roles in the film portray subservient, submissive nurses who meekly take orders from their male superiors.

In contrast to the female roles, the men are cast as these poor beleaguered individuals who are forced by circumstance to navigate through the emotional minefields set by the berserker women in their lives. The men are calm when faced with hysterical scenes, and the women screech to a cruel indifferent world. Sutton mumbles about the stability of mathematics when faced with Louise's hysteria, and Mr. Graham (Raymond Massey) doesn't even ponder why he has two loony wives. The male doctors sit calmly while shaking their heads at Louise's advanced condition, and one Doctor even manages to diagnose Louise instantly--with just one squeeze of the hand. All this extreme gender typing makes for some great campy scenes

2) A second reason "Possessed" fascinated me so much is the characterizations in the film. Each of the main characters develops in extraordinary ways as the plot plays out. For example, in the beginning, Sutton seems just disassociated--a confirmed bachelor--but by the end of the film, he really is portrayed as quite a rotter. And just what is Carol Graham's little game? And then there's Mr. Graham ... just how much does he know about his first wife's death?

Crawford fans should be delighted by "Possessed", and I recommend grabbing a copy if you can find one--displacedhuman

ACTRESS CRAWFORD AT HER PEAK IN WARNER'S "POSSESSED"
By May of 1946, Joan Crawford had seen her film career revived by the release of "MILDRED PIERCE", her first starring role since leaving M.G.M studios after 18 star studded years.

Crawford assended even further when she recieved the Academy Award as Best Actress. A renewed, lucrative contract with Warner Bros. studios quickly followed, under which she completed some of her finest films.

"POSSESSED", written and produced by the same team which created "MILDRED PIERCE", began filming two months after she recieved the Academy Award. It is perhaps because of this sudden burst of praise, that Crawford was able to tap deeper into her talents and deliver first rate performances in the three films she made during this period.

In portraying Louise Howell in "POSSESSED", Crawford gave what was arguable the most vivid and well crafted performance of her 81 film career. As a mentally unbalanced private Nurse involved in a one way love affair, Crawford dominates the film, but doesn't push her co-stars out of the frame. Instead, she works with them to help her create a portrait of a schizophrenic woman teetering on the edge of self destruction.

Her descent into madness is slow, but evident from the start. Every detail of this production is geared torwards creating an atmosphere of despair and lunacy (In the wedding scene, Crawford's black wedding suit is adorned with various straps making it seem almost like a black strait-jacket).

From the clinging, pathetic creature hoplessly in love with a self absorbed engineer to the rigid private Nurse ascending the stairs of her employer's home, to the rejected woman accepting her employer's propsal of a marriage of convenience, to the crumbling and scorned woman lost in her own private hell, Crawford is nothing short of mesmerizing.

After "MILDRED PIERCE","HUMORESQUE" and "POSSESSED", never again would Crawford reach the same level of carefully nuanced acting. There would be ambitious attempts, but never again would all the elements blend together to create a classic Crawford film.

A reminder of how good the silver screen can be
I had to sit and really watch this one, as its quality will tolerate no less. And as I did so, it became a pleasure. A sophisticated story, superb acting, plots and subplots, use of flashback, and believable settings -- all combined to take me along with the characters and keep me focused on the events as they developed. I never knew Joan Crawford or her career before now, but I know when I'm in the presence of brilliant, polished performance, and can easily and enjoyably contrast it with the dumbed down crapola that Hollywood has repeatedly dished out in recent years. See this film as a treat when you're in the mood for real entertainment. ... Read more