Reviews (8)

elated to find this one
AFTER YEARS OF SEARCHING FOR THIS ONE BY DIFFERENT AVENEWS, i WAS ELATED TO FIND IT HERE ON AMAZON.COM.
I ALSO BELIEVE IT IS A HIGHLY UNDERRATED FILM THAT HAS BEEN LOST IN THE ARCHIVES FAR TOO LONG.
I ALSO FOUND ANOTHER GREAT FONDA MOVIE THAT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR, FOR YEARS, AND THAT IS,( SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION, WITH PAUL NEWMAN ) ANOTHER ONE BURIED IN THE ARCHIVES FAR TOO LONG WAITING TO BE RE'DISCOVERED.

Near brilliant, undiscovered western
The 1959 film "Warlock" is one of those great surprises for movie fans. It's a classic western, undiscovered, awaiting the lucky viewer who happens to stumble across it. After viewing this dark, almost gothic oater, most viewers will ask themselves, "Why haven't I heard of this film?!"

I'm not sure as to why "Warlock" has been relatively ignored over the years, though I think the film is derivative of other films. I think the generic Hollywood backlots where "Warlock" was undoubtedly filmed certainly detract from its overall allure. But simply put, "Warlock" fell through the cracks, and it's a film deserving of reexamination.

Part "High Noon," part "Shane," part "The Searchers," "Warlock" tells the tale of a town victimized by crime. They hire a gunfighter in the form of Henry Fonda, who arrives with a crippled sidekick (Anthony Quinn) in tow. Fonda's character becomes a semi-celebrity, granted carte blanche as he calmly strolls the streets adorned in shining pistols and dark suits. The cantankerous Quinn, lugging around a shotgun, watches Fonda's back while sipping champagne and taking care of the finances.

But the town (named Warlock) is anything but a simple job. A former love of Quinn's (Dorothy Malone) is a resident, and he wants her back. Richard Widmark also resides here, and he's none too happy about the hiring of the gunfighters, sensing the community should stand up for itself. A young woman (Dolores Michaels) also catches Fonda's eye, and for the first time he begins to wonder about settling down. All of these emotional dramas play out, having tragic circumstances.

Director Edward Dmytryk, one of the more underrated filmmakers from this period, has done an excellent job in weaving these multiple storylines together. He also displays an excellent visual flair, most notably during a gunfight between Fonda and Frank Gorshin about midway through the film. I could argue that the scene is one of the great cinematic gunfights in history. Superbly choregraphed, Fonda screams the name "Billy, Billy......!" before drawing his gun and reluctantly killing the man. It is a brilliant, unforgettable moment, precursing many of the operatic gunfights from Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns 10 years later.

Quinn also gives a memorable supporting performance as Fonda's sidekick. Tortured by his club foot handicap and angry at the world, Quinn is a live keg waiting to explode. He does the dirty work for Fonda, and exposes the hypocrisy of Fonda's dream to settle down and retire from a life of gunfighting. Quinn knows he and Fonda can never be a part of modern civilization. Essentially, they are walking death, perfectly symbolized by Fonda's dark suits - a black spot in the dusty streets, stark and apart.

As Fonda stands amid the ruins of a burned out saloon, he is alone, tall, lanky, a scythe-carrying spector. His past choices have fatefully isolated him from civilization. Like John Wayne's Ethan Edwards at the end of "The Searchers," he can never comfortably walk through the door of domestic civilization. He is destined a life of solitude, forced by fate to step aside and allow the modern world to take root. His job, for all intents and purposes, is finally done.

"Warlock" is a great, undiscovered western. It has brilliant performances, terrific dialogue and unforgettable imagery. It is an unheralded masterpiece.

Unjustly neglected Western
Warlock is a town in the West ,one that is experiencing an epidemic of lawlessness,deliberately fostered by a local rancher ,Alec McQuon (Tom Drake ).He allows his ranch hands free rein ,as a way of demonstrating his power and deterring challenges from others contemplating moving into the area.(The use of terror as a political tool helps give the movie a distinctly contemporary relevance ).One of his men Gannon (Richard Widmark )is conscience stricken and withdraws from the gang .
The town leaders -having seen the latest in a succession of Marshal's driven away -turn to a hired towm tamer ,the legendary Clay Blaisdell (Henry Fonda )to enforce the law and he is accompanied by Tom Morgan (Anthony Quinn ) a club footed saloon keeper and noted gunman in his own right .The relationship evokes comparison with that of Earp and Hollday ,and it is worth noting that Fonda had played a similar role in "My Darling Clementine" of which this movie is darker more tragic version
The townspeople have taken the step reluctantly and in a key scene ,Blaisdell -who is aware that he is in some respects an anachronism ,sets out the situation bluntly and with eloquence

"I come here as your salvation ,at a very high wage.I establish law and order,ride roughshod over offenders.At first ,you're pleased because there's a good deal less trouble.Then a strange thing happens -you begin to feel I'm too powerful and you begin to fear me.Not me but what I am.When that happens we shall have had full satisfaction from each other."
The prediction is spot on .The very success of Blaisdell in sending McQuon packing the first time prompts the threat of massive reprisals and the town backs away from supporting him.
Gannon meanwhile has become the new deputy Marshall and seeks to impose the ruile of law in defiance of both Blaisdell -whom he likes and respects -and McQuon.
Both Blaisdell and Gannon have significant relationships with women -Blaisdell with a leading figure in the town Jessie Marlowe (Dolores Michaels)and Gannon with Lily Dollar (Dorothy Malone )who hates Blaisdell who she feel nedlessly killed her fiance at the instigation of Morgan.
The various conflicts all move towards a resolution by violence-that between the McQuon gang and the law ,the conflict within Gannon whose younger brother is part of the McQuon outfit ,and most compellingly that within Morgan whose friendship with Blaisdell ,it is hinted rather than stated, may contain a semi -erotic element.
There is more than a hint of Greek tragedy about the movie -the atmosphere is brooding and tragic and the movie is more town focused than is usual within the genre ,making sparse use only of its Utah locations .It is an internal Western rather than one of the wide open spaces.
The climax will evoke memories of High Noon -the discarding of legend and with it a sense of personal identity and the riding away into an uncertain future is moving and apt.
Brillaint performance all round especially by Quinn as the tragic Morgan -a man destroyed by the power of his friendship.Fonda back in the genre after a long absence is brilliant and minor roles are well cast .Action scemes are well staged and for their day quite violent.

The neglect this fine movie has fallen into is unmerited--please give it a go even if the genre is not your normal thing.

Warlock
This is a timeless and universal tale of the power of true friendship.Anthony Quinn was not just proctecting his livelihood when he became sniper to take out the stagecoach passenger and made it look like a robbery soon after they moved to Warlock. He knew that would have presented problems for Henry Fonda.(I have not seen the movie in more than 15 years to remember the details but that still impresses me)He was willing to take care of that without bothering "Clay".
Clay fell in love and was ready to give up the 'life'and settle down in Warlock.This jolted Quinn's psyche because he truely loved Clay who was the only one that showed him respect and accepted him as a person rather than as a "cripple" . Clay loved what he was..a gunfighter for hire and Quinn was even happier as his very capable supporter. Together they ruled their own lives going wherever they wanted wherever they pleased.Life was good for them regardless. Now Clay wanted to give all that up in the name of love. Unfortunately it came out into the street when Clay told him it was over and he should leave, he did'nt need him in his life anymore.It humiliated him, but even so he was willing to let it go and let his friend be until he saw Dorothy Malone in the jeering crowd that was taunting him mercilessly. That was too much for him..the two great loves of his life turning on him like that.Like any red-blooded male in any universe, the testosterone jolt engulfed him " I'm faster than you Clay"....he turned and faced his friend as the jeers turned to cold silence.The dearest of friends were suddenly mortal enemies staring each other down."I was always faster'n you Clay"... there was no turning back, challenge made and accepted...they had to duel.
Quinn was much faster but deliberately aimed wide of Clay whose killer instincts remained true to nature as he drilled Quinn's chest with deadly accuracy.
"I won Clay..I won"....Quinn was smiling as he felt the bullet tear through his heart, taking his last breath.
Clay stood in shock, paralysed by what he had just done.When he was able to move he ran to his friend's crumpled body and took his head in his chest as a mother would her child...the tears shot from his eyes.He commanded the crowd to sing hymns in tribute to his dead friend.His life changed forever.He broke the engagement that was so dear to him and left Warlock and the woman he loved behind.

A Western As It Should Be
A GREAT western! Fonda, Widmark, and Quinn gave superb performances in this one. Fonda as the mercenary lawman has scrupples and is principled, so totally different from the Eastwood types. This is definitely one of the best of the "American Made Westerns" genre. The phasing complements the story. The finale "shootout" between Fonda and Widmark is classic and will be long remembered. I highly recommend this to true blue western buffs for this is one of the last "highs" before the onslaught of the sphagetti westerns. Ranks up there with Stagecoach, High Noon, the Searchers, Chisum, Ride the High Country, and Rio Bravo. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Friendly witness to a changing West.
'Broken Lance' has many admirers, and there are many good things about this sober Western. The film has been called an updated 'King Lear' - an all-powerful, tyrannical father unwisely cedes control (land) to his children, all turning against him except for the youngest, who is the most ill-used - but the adaptation is loose and mercifully unliteral: there are no raging storm scenes or impertinently wise Fools, just a grandeur-exuding atmosphere of a great man and the power he created declining. Though filmed in Fox's ugly Technicolour - that muddy colour that would be called 'lurid' if it didn't yearn for the respectable - there is an intelligent compositional eye, filling the landscape with dramatic and symbolic imagery. The prologue is particularly striking - a moody young man, Robert Wagner, released from three years in prison, rejects a financial offer by brothers eager to be rid of him. The journey he takes into the past is one of progressive decay and danger - first he is forcibly brought to the governer, in whose building gleams an imposing portrait of his father. When he visits his father's land, with all its traces of former activity abandoned, he is shot at from a distnace by a man who turns out to be an Indian friend -- the surreal shot of a seemingly self-standing gateway in an empty plain points to the importance of this sequence, as a kind of mythical portal into another realm; when he finally enters his family home, it is a ghost house, a gothic ruin, its dereliction shrouded in shadow. Like the films noirs with which director Huac Dmytryk made his name, the movie begins with an end; a heavy air of fatalism hangs over the subsequent long flashback.

What probably most appeals to fans is the film's (relative) political sophistication - as a backdrop to the usual Oedipal structures is a portrait of the West as it moves from a mythical plane into the modern era. It especially highlights two problems that would blight the nation in the next century - race and advanced capitalism. Spencer Tracy is an Irishman whose second wife is the daughter of a Cherokee chief. He is too important a landowner to ignore, so the locals refer to her as Spanish; the wives of these friends are nevertheless terminally indisposed whenever he gives parties. Of his four sons, the elder three from his first marriage, his favourite is the youngest, Wagner, through whose eyes the film unravels, and on whom centres the crises of race (he is a half-breed who loves a WASP whose father disapproves) and property. The actual catastrophe of the film occurs when a copper company on Tracy's land dumps refuse in his river, poisoning his herd. A fight at their headquarters, in part sparked by a racist comment directed at Wagner, leads to a court case, to offset the risks of which, Tracy is advised to divide the land between his sons. The old pioneers who tamed the land have been superceded, leaving only division and hatred in their wake.

You have got to admire a Western that interweaves its themes intelligently and without sensation (although a ridiculous coda stand-off between two brothers nearly ruins the good work). The restrained use of music and the insistence on stillness (intimating burgeoning violence) adds a maturity to the action. The treatment of the Indians is sensitive for the time, with the relationship beween Tracy and Katy Jurado clearly signalled as a loving and positive thing. The title indicates the film's theme, the (1950s?) failure of authority, family and masculinity.

Still, I found the film unsatisfying. This is partly due to miscasting - Wagner is too wooden to carry the film's moral weight; his role should have gone to the nervy, brilliant Richard Widmark, riveting as his resentful older brother who finally turns against his father's abuse. But it is mostly due to the stodgy direction which often confuses the sombre with the plain slow. Compared to the similarly-themed 'Gunman's Walk', 'Lance' lacks verve or true insight. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

may we never forget Bataan
Some of the most horrific events of WWII occurred in the Pacific Theater, and this film touches on what happened in Bataan, where tens of thousands of U.S. and Philippine soldiers died in captivity, either on the infamous Death March, the appalling POW camps, or the hell-ships.
At the beginning and ending, this film briefly shows some of the survivors, though it is "sanitized", and the men have some flesh back on their bones.

John Wayne is terrific as Colonel Madden, who organizes the resistance fighters, and does his own stunts, some of which must have left him muddy and bruised.
Anthony Quinn is also excellent as Captain Bonifacio, the leader of the Filipino guerillas. Both Wayne and Quinn are at their most handsome and heroic, and make a fine cinematic pairing.

Though the script is sometimes stilted, it is based on actual events and people, and was written as history was happening, taken from the daily newspapers to the screen.
Edward Dmytryk's direction is well paced, and Max Steiner's "stock music" was used, along with an original score by Roy Webb.

Much in this film can be said to be "propaganda", as it is "good vs. evil", with no subtleties or gray areas, but these were the days when Hollywood and patriotism were compatible, a sentiment that filmmakers seem to have lost, and a time that seems long gone.
May we never forget the souls who bravely fought for freedom and suffered so much in Bataan.

Just a little patriotism involved
Back to Bataan is a flag-waving patriotic movie that was filmed and released as WWII was drawing to a close. The story is about the Filipino people and their fight for freedom from their Japanese oppressors. This is very obvious patriotism with the Japanese portrayed as cowardly murderers and the Americans as noble freedom fighters. John Wayne stars as Colonel Joe Madden, the man selected to help organize the Filipino guerilla movement. His small company wreaks havoc on the Japanese forces in the Phillipines as the war progresses. The young Duke is very good in his role as Madden with Anthony Quinn also excellent as Captain Andres Bonifacio. Also starring are Beulah Bondi, Lawrence Tierney, Vladimir Sokoloff, and Paul Fix. This is a very good movie that shows a part of the war many people do not know about. Check this one out to see an exciting, well-told, adventure story. Classic Duke!

Back to Bataan: The Last of the
With the end of the Second World War close at hand, Hollywood was taking no chances as it continued to churn out patriotic, flag-waving war movies, most of which featured John Wayne. In BACK TO BATAAN, director Edward Dmytryk does showcase Wayne along with Anthony Quinn as both pay homage to the inspired loyalty of the Philipino men and women who risked their lives to aid the Americans against the Japanese. BACK TO BATAAN is an old-fashioned war film, of the kind that has not been filmed since then. In addition to the heroics of the American leads, it features a sterling cast of slanty-eyed Japanese villains to boo and hiss and stalwart Filipinos to cheer. Phillip Ahn and Richard Loo (both ethnic Chinese) play moustache-twirling Japanese officers who speak fluent if not accented English as they spin out their lines of threats and entreaties backed by more threats. Vladimir Sokoloff, a veteran of scores of films, here plays an unassuming school principal who refuses to haul down the American flag when ordered to do so. He is hanged for that, but his body, cleverly draped by the Stars & Stripes, is an unabashed symbol of solidarity between American and Philipino. Ducky Louie, as the schoolboy Maximo, is equally heroic as one who could not spell 'liberty' correctly but whose death proved that he full well understood its meaning. What BACK TO BATAAN shows is Hollywood's contemporary paen to America that the patriotism that is nowadays derided as colonialistic and left-wing jingoistic was then seen as a necessary adjunct to a war that had the bad guys on one side and us on the other.

A so-so Hollywood war film...
A hearty, but hamfisted, formulaic WWII propaganda film about the liberation of the Phillipine Islands from the Japanese occupation, loosely based on contemporary history. Future McCarthy snitch Edward Dymytrk directs; a handsome young John Wayne is the white guy who organizes the guerilla resistence, and Anthony Quinn is cast in one of his many "ethnic" roles, as the grandson of a legendary Filipino political figure, who is now called upon to lead their people to freedom. Although there's plenty of "good neighbor policy" talk about the nobility and can-do spirit of the Filipino people, this jingoistic, bluntly-scripted film is mostly pretty patronizing... And of course, the "Japs" are just pure, conniving evil. The script is pretty action-packed, though... if you like shoot-em-ups, this is OK, if you don't think too much about it. Really nice B&W cinematography.

Realistic and Innovative Filmmaking
This is an excellent film about Filipino guerillas fighting the Japanese during W.W.II. A highlight of this film is the black and white photography of realistic combat scenes filmed by cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca and directed by Edward Dmytryk. These were exciting and ahead of their time. John Wayne as Colonel Joe Madden and Anthony Quinn as Captain Andres Bonifacio give inspirational performances. The cast also included Beulah Bondi, Richard Loo, Lawrence Tierney, Paul Fix and Vladimir Sokoloff. This is one of my favorite war films of the period. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Hey, Paramount! You got it wrong once again!
What a shame! This wonderfully trashy movie deserved better treatment on DVD! When Paramount released "The Carpetbaggers" on LaserDisc years ago, they used the "censored" US version instead of the more "racy" European cut. I was one who wrote them about this, but apparently no one at the office took notice or cared, so here is the US cut once again. What is missing is Ms. Baker's nude back sitting in her budoir when her stepson comes in to tell her that she is now a widow. Ms. Baker's almost nude back is also displayed in the short montage in Paris before she goes down with the chandelier; in the scene missing she poses on a divan for a group of painters. (This image was even depicted on an American lobby card! People must have wondered where it went!) Not much to cry about maybe, but fun in any case! If these scenes were not to be found in the Paramount vaults in Hollywood, they could have asked for them from any surviving European print - existing in decent condition in state archives in both Sweden and Denmark.
Sad is also the fact that the print used for DVD transfer is absurdly grainy! The LaserDisc was much better in this respect! The speckles and dirt are gone, but I'd rather keep them for a smooth film-like image quality.
Now, please let us have other Paramount trash classics on DVD from this era: "Harlow", "Sylvia" and "Where Love Has Gone", to mention just a few! But please make sure they're mastered from first class complete prints! Is this asking too much?

"The Carpetbaggers" AKA "Is he crazy folks?"
I just finished watching the "The Carpetbaggers" on AMC; I thought the 'C' part of that acronym was "Classic", but now realize that perhaps 'Cornball,' 'Contagious,' or 'Compelling' may substitute since this movie seemed to be all of this. But, hey, maybe that's just the gin talkin. It is one of those movies that you cannot wait to end, so you can find out just who these B-film actresses really were - yet you continue to watch. But when it does end, you are somewhat saddened that it is over. Partially sad because you have been drawn in by this charismatic yet utterly ruthless SOB Jason Cord (George Peppard), but mostly just sad because AMC DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE CREDITS! that's why I'm here...finding out that the actresses were Caroll baker (as Rina Marlowe, the not-so-lovable Hollywood star; and Elizabeth Ashley (as Monica Cord) - the impossibly forgiving ex/not-so-happily-ever-after-wife of the unmarriable-unlovable-unrelenting-insanely ambitious Jason. Bob Cummings gets accolades as the fiendishly charming scumbag who plays Dan Pierce - most probably a very typical Hollywood agent. Someone who would put a rattlesnake in your pocket and then ask you for a match if he could get 10% of your blood in doing so. Go ahead and watch the dern thing (4/5 stars) - You'll understand. But hey - don't forgit the gin.

Devoid of Interest
I suppose THE CARPETBAGGERS may hold the same cult-film appeal for some views as such awful movies as VALLEY OF THE DOLLS hold for me--but I've quite been able to see it. Loosely based on Harold Robbins' trashy bestseller which was itself loosely based on the life of Howard Hughes, the film gives us glimpses of such performers as George Peppard, Elizabeth Ashley, Diane Baker, and an aging Alan Ladd, but even their presence can't spark up the deadly dull script. Give it a miss.

--GFT (Amazon.com Reviewer)--

CAN'T HELP MYSELF
C'mon. Admit it. Embarrasing though it may be, you probably have one. One of those films that by almost any standard of good taste is considered to be pure trash -- but you adore it just the same. Well, "The Carpetbaggers" is my source of shame and delight. Yes, it's cheap and tawdry, unintentionally laughable at times, and held together (barely) by a script with many a line in need of a rewrite. It sports hair styles and costumes that, although undeniably lavish, are often anachronistic to the 1920's and 1930's (those decades in which the story is set). Performances range from extreme and over-the-top to downright comatose. But this early 1960's contribution to the breakdown of the American cinema's once strict moral code never loses its ability to do what Hollywood does best -- to entertain. It's a film filled with a grand potpourri of characters ranging from an arrogant and ruthless Jason Cord (a wooden George Peppard) to a lushly lascivious Rina Marlowe (a questionably sexy Carroll Baker), from a charmingly unctuous (i.e., villanous) Dan Pierce (Bob Cummings) to a bubbling and bouncy Monica Winthrop Cord (a totally engaging Elizabeth Ashley). Classic character actors and actresses (e.g., Charles Lane, Tom Tully, Audrey Totter) abound. And Elmer Bernstein's jazz score boasts a main theme that is pulsatingly decadent. Yes, "The Carpetbaggers" is all flash and fire with very little substance. But I love it. Can't help myself.

Not frequently mentioned: A complex movie!
This movie starts out with a bang in the first five minutes. Itkept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire movie. It is a movie that I have remembered since I saw it the very first time years ago. George Peppard and Carol Baker are at thier top performance levels, and the movie keeps moving with intricate subplots going at all times. Many reviews mention the tycoon who is cruel and calculating, the insights into the movie business, complex personal relationships, but few mention the situations that created these characteristics in him, one being a incident that is never totally shown or explained, but partially shown then implied, not explained thoroughly. This particular subplot may then get missed and is psychologically of great impact if one looks for and finds it.

For music fans, the soundtrack is fabulous, I have had it on Lp for almost 15 or more years, and it is one of very few soundtracks where I am willing to just listen to the music without always seeing the movie, it is wonderful all on it's own. Just on it's own, the music is well worth buying the movie. I sincerely appreciate Amazon for still carrying what many might consider an old, and outdated movie. I don't believe times have changed that much, much of it would still apply today. For anyone that likes phychological plots and mystery this is a movie for you, even if not, the other subplots make it a very worthwhile movie to have. I would recommend it to anyone, and especially George Peppard fans. END ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Meow! The Fur Flies in "Walk On The Wild Side"
Last evening, I skipped the traditional televised holiday fare and watched Edward Dmytryk's "Walk On The Wild Side" (Columbia Pictures, 1962). Let's just say that the next time you're having friends over for melba toast and you're looking for the perfect over-the-top extravaganza to project on to the living room wall, this should be the featured attraction. Barbara Stanwyck is the lesbian owner of a New Orleans brothel known as "The Doll House." Glamorous Capucine (a 60's version of Garbo)is the most popular call girl since Holly Golightly and coveted by both her butch madame and a drifter named Dove (not kidding) played by the inscrutable Laurence Harvey. Add a youthful Jane Fonda (in her bulimic period) and a miscast Anne Baxter as a Mexican diner owner (cascading dark wig, inauthentic accent and all) and you've got one mesmerically curious flick. Oh, did I forget to mention that the entire thing kicks off with a title sequence in which two felines (one black, one white) engage in a vicious catfight punctuated by Elmer Bernstein's pulsating jazz score? Meow! They sure as hell don't make e'm like this anymore! - Mark Griffin ("Genre" Magazine)

DOVE & the "DOLL HOUSE".....
It's been said that nobody deliberately sets out to make a bad movie. Based on a novel of the same name and with character names like Dove Linkhorn and Kitty Twist, "Walk on the Wild Side" kind've makes me wonder. Set in the "early thirties", it tells of Texan Dove (Laurence Harvey) on the road to New Orleans to find his lost love, sculptress Hallie (Capucine). He hooks up with been-around runaway Kitty Twist (Jane Fonda). They meet good-hearted cafe owner Teresina (Anne Baxter---with a not very convincing Mexican accent) and Dove discovers Kitty is a thief so he ditches her. Teresina gives Dove work and helps him with a newspaper ad to locate Hallie. After a suspicious phone call (that sounds like Kitty) tips Dove off to Hallie's whereabouts, he finally finds her. She's living off brothel owner/vice queen Jo Courtney (Barbara Stanwyck) and works in Jo's "Doll House" in the French Quarter. But good ole boy that he is, he doesn't catch on. Kitty turns up as a new "doll" and things begin to unravel leading to scandal and tragedy. The performances are rather good even if Capucine seems a bit too classy and patrician to be a fallen woman. The dialogue is ripe and I loved one line a drunken street preacher shouts at Capucine, "You hip-slingin' daughter of Satan!" I can't really call this a bad movie. I enjoyed it despite the obvious plot contrivances and recommend it to those who enjoy somewhat trashy but interesting melodramas. The title sequences by Saul Bass are cool and Brook Benton sings the title song performed in the "Doll House". For some, this will be a good DVD find.

"A Walk on the Mild Side"
You will find yourself liking this movie in spite of the stiff performances. You'll may even feel compelled to watch it twice. "Chick flick" will be your husband's first remark. Yes, it is, and in marvelous black and white. What was wild in the early 1960's is considered mild in this century. But I still wouldn't want to explain this plot to a pre-teen. If you like this movie, you may also like other movies about sublimated or hidden desires, such as, "Reflections in a Golden Eye", or "Separate Tables" or "Night of the Generals".

Guilty pleasure!
"A Walk on the Wild Side" is a well made, intriguing soap opera set in sultry, steamy New Orleans. When the audience sees the opening credit sequence in which a sensuous black cat is photographed in closeup as it prowls along sidewalks and alleys of the Big Easy, viewers are hooked. This startling and ingenious introduction as well as the juicy end credit sequence were conceived by the brilliantly inventive graphic artist Saul Bass.

The rather sordid plot revolves around a good-looking Texas drifter named Dove, superbly underplayed by Laurence Harvey, who hitchhikes his way to New Orleans in search of his long lost love, Hallie. Hallie is portrayed by the elegant and ravishing Capucine. (Capucine bears an uncanny resemblance to both Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn. No wonder everyone was crazy about her!) Enroute to the Big Easy, Dove encounters a runaway juvenile delinquent, Kitty, performed with sass and vigor by Jane Fonda. She tags along with Dove until he leaves her behind after he discovers that she is a thief and a liar.

Following an anonymous tip, Dove locates Hallie who is living and working in a high-class brothel. At first he does not realize that she has followed a primrose path. When he does find out, he is understandably shocked. Eventually he forgives her and proposes marriage. Complications and tragedy follow.

The cast of " A Walk on the Wild Side" are uniformly excellent. Barbara Stanwyck is especially memorable. She gives a fearless, ferocious performance as the calculating, possessive lesbian madam, Jo, who is hopelessly infatuated with Hallie. Other palatable ingredients in this movie: the solid direction by Edward Dmytryk; the crisp, evocative black and white photography of Joe MacDonald; and the bold, brash jazz score composed by the great Elmer Bernstein.

No it's not Shakespeare, but "A Walk on the Wild Side" is a very watchable, well-crafted, guilty pleasure.

'shudder'
What an unpleasant film this is. Barbara Stanwyck was incapable of giving a bad performance, but participating in this undertaking must have been hard on her. Ann Baxter as a Mexican hash-slinger? That endlessly moaning New Orleans blues music? Moody Capucine as a call girl pursued by her madam? Not uplifting stuff. In fact,I have to believe that the only reason Miss Stanwyck appeared in this monstrosity was because she was a workaholic. She certainly didn't need the money. Granted, if I were wired differently, I don't think I could resist her advances...she was that charismatic. But this movie leaves a bad taste in the mouth. (...) ... Read more

Reviews (9)

"Valerie was destined for tragedy"
If you're a fan of Bette Davis and Susan Hayward like I am you'll like this over the top melodrama of love, hate, infidelity and ultimately, murder.

Enjoyable (if not always believable) performances by all. A decent Saturday afternoon flick.

Unsung Camp
Take a celebrity murder trial, filter it through the grimy typewriter of Harold Robbins, then use the resulting best seller as a vehicle for Susan Hayward and Bette Davis, and you have camp treasure. Though the story is based on the Lana Turner-Johnny Stompanato murder case, Hayward and Davis make "Where Love Has Gone" their own. Hayward plays an acclaimed sculptress from a wealthy family, who also is, like many Harold Robbins' female characters, a promiscuous harpy. The blame for her wild behavior falls squarely on the gray head of her controlling mother, Davis. Thrown in are Michael Mannix, as the war hero Hayward marries, and a young Joey Heatherton, as their helmet-haired daughter who stabs Hayward's lover. Mannix is quickly buried in the rubble of scenery left behind by Hayward and Davis. Hayward, in particular, really tears into her role. Anyone who sees this movie should know that she was born to play the Helen Lawson role in "Valley of the Dolls" a few years later--though she only got the part when Judy Garland was canned. Even in her tender moments Hayward sounds like she's trying to pick up sailors in a bar. Davis, by comparison, is almost restrained. She also seems slightly drunk, like she belted back a few before she had to go on set to manipulate the other players. She practically announces her lines, then does a quick mental retreat. Poor Joey Heatherton really has nothing to do other than whine "Daddy" repeatedly and churlishly ask for cigarettes. Then again, no performance Heatherton would give on film could ever equal the drama of her personal life.

As if Hayward and Davis weren't enough, check out the set and costume design. The Hayward and Mannix's mod '60s home is truly spectacular--it's like the Brady Bunch won the lottery. And look at the use of color. In one scene Hayward's scarf and slacks and social worker Jane Greer's suit are in complimentary shades of green that match the walls of the room. The only other example of such extreme color coordination I can think of is in the Barbra Streisand movie "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever." Also marvel at how everyone in the movie, including Heatherton--who's supposed to be 15--is made to look like they're no younger than 40. But what makes this movie a true "must-see" are the scenes of Susan Hayward welding. It's one of those moments that virtually define the term "camp." Yet, while campy, this misogynistic chick flick (only Harold Robbins...) doesn't quite garner the "camp classic" stamp--it's just a little too reserved for that. Still, "Where Love Has Gone" makes for fun viewing.

FROM TABLOID TRASH TO CELLULOID...
This film is based on the best selling novel. "Where Love has Gone" by Harold Robbins, which is nothing more than a fictionaized rendering of the notorious Lana Turner-Johnny Stompanato murder case, in which Lana's daughter, Cheryl,stabbed her mother's lover to death. This notorious murder case was the subject of tabloid headlines for some time.

Here, Susan Hayward plays the role of a wealthy, award winning sculptoress, who is a wild thing, wayward and sexually promiscuous, as her sexuality is the only thing that her domineering mother cannot control. One day, she meets a war hero, engagingly played by Michael Mannix, and falls in love with him, when he stands up to her controlling and manipulative, hoity toity, high society mother, a role that Bette Davis fiendishly defines.

They marry and have high hopes, but Bette is always in the wings, controlling, manipulating, and in the end, getting her way, despites the war hero's best intentions. This causes him to become a drunk and for his wife to play around. They manage to have a child, a daughter, but even this is not enough to make them stay together. The mother arranges a divorce for her daughter with the proviso that he have nothing to do with their child.

Time passes, and the scultoress goes on to become highly acclaimed, much of that acclaim bought by her mother, unbeknownst to her. She also continues to have her bevy of lovers. One night, the long lost father, now a highly successful architect, is summoned, as his now teenage daughter, played with baby doll nuances by the very nubile Joey Heatherton, has been accused of murdering her mother's lover. All together after many years, the generations are in conflict as to how the matter can best be resolved. Common sense and decency prevail in the end. Look for the so called surprise ending, which a discerning viewer can figure out.

Bette Davis, and Susan Hayward are terrific in their respective roles, as is Michael Mannix. Joey Heatherton does a respectable job with the role of the fifteen year old daughter. While some critics argue that she was miscast, as she does not look fifteen, I believe that the fact that she appears older is central to the drama. Watch the film, and you be the judge.

All in all, this is a moderately entertaining melodrama, Betty Davis and Susan Hayward fans will especially enjoy it.

Clash of the Titans
Man, can you imagine the heat on the set of this soapy film, when the two legends of Bette Davis and Susan Hayward, both infamously hard to work with, had scenes together? Bette Davis was scheduled to return to the set after her final scenes, to smash her painting, but refused, so Susan got to do it, and I guess she enjoied it!

It's a grower. Super glamorous 60s movie.
PS/Total out of it: You JUST HAVE to see Susan Hayward wearing a mask for metal workers and handling a welder!!

"Somewhere along the Way..The World has Lost its Good Taste"
This thinly disguised version of the Lana Turner-Johnny Stompanato murder case works mainly due to its great cast. Susan Hayward plays the Lana Turner character with her trademark intensity and she is a riot when confronting Bette Davis' Mother-From-Hell character. I have read endlessaccounts of how they hated each other during filming and that tranfers to the screen very effectively. As for Mike Connors (later "Mannix"), he is too perfect for words and he plays a drunk very badly. Joey Heatherton is'nt as bad as some people have said but she certainly does not look 15 years old. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

a hugely entertaining film
MGM tried to outdo themselves here, touting the film as the next GONE WITH THE WIND (and what could ever be?), and instead they gave Elizabeth Taylor the acting role that would land her her first Oscar nomination.

She is wonderful as the simpy Southern belle Sussanna, who traps her reluctant beau (Montgomery Clift) into marriage by saying she is pregnant, forcing him to abandon his childhood sweetheart (Eva Marie Saint), and his chance to be truly happy.

Sussanna is mentally unstable, however, and when the Civil War breaks out, she flees to Georgia, and her husband enlists in order to find her.

A very good story, based on the novel by Ross Lockridge Jr, and featuring Lee Marvin, Agnes Moorehead, Rod Taylor, Walter Abel, Jarma Lewis and Tom Drake.

THIS COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT
The best thing about Raintree is Elizabeth Taylor. Her Susannah is sexy, fragile and tormented. Montgomery Clift as her husband was miscast. Monty seems to be half asleep in his role and is too old to be playing a wide eyed lad. Eva Marie Saint as his righteous ex girlfriend who spends her life hovering around him has a thankless job playing an annoying woman. In fact a lot of Raintree is annoying. I kept waiting for John Shawnessy to grow up, tell off his small minded family and to take his wife and child away somewhere to start over. The battlefield scenes are great. The scenes with Elizabeth before she goes mad are gorgeous but the whole film seems off somehow. While watching it I kept thinking that this movie, with a beter script, casting and director could have been great.

ross lockridge never knew what they did to his book
Esquire magazine used to have a feature called "Wretched Excess" and I believe "Raintree County" would easily fall into that category.
As for the one reviewer stating that Ross Lockridge probably didn't like the screenplay, well---unfortunately he never knew about the screenplay as he killed himself shortly after the book became a best selling novel in 1948 and the film was released in 1957.

A Gorgeous Historic Film "a la" Gone With The Wind
Raintree County was a thousand plus novel written by Ross Lockbridge Jr. published in 1948. At its time, it was regarded as the Great American Novel second only to Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind and in some ways, both Raintree County and Gone With The Wind are a bit alike, although everyone generally considers Gone With The Wind to be the superior work of historic fiction. And it is. Gone With The Wind, as we all know, became a highly successful film in 1939, even winning Best Picture. It must have dawned on Hollywood producers that the novel would make a breathtaking movie. It was the 50's, the new invention of television had just entered people's homes and the movie industry was threatened. It was the time of the "epic films" (The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur). In 1957, "Raintree County" was released in theatres. The appeal to the film was its Cival War Era drama and Elizabeth Taylor.

It's no Gone With The Wind, but Raintree County is a beautiful film to look at visually. The master shots of the scenic countryside in Raintree County are incredibly lovely, the costumes look authentic to the period, the music is enjoyable but subtle, and Elizabeth Taylor is always interesting to watch on film. Elizabeth Taylor plays Susanna Drake, a vibrant Southern belle with a troubled past (her plantation home caught on fire and she had issues with her mother). Although she seems to be almost a near replica of Scarlett O'Hara in many of the scenes, she lacks Scarlett O'Hara's strength and willful nature. While Scarlett could survive anything, Susanna Drake weakens out at the end of the film, becomes mentally disturbed (she has a strong attachment to a scary looking Chucky doll) and dies a pathetic death when she seeks out the Raintree. This is not Elizabeth's finest performance. A tragic heroine is still acceptable, but this particular heroine is not as satisfying as Vivien Leigh's performance as Scarlett. Also, her "rival" and John Shawnessy's first love and childhood friend Nelle is an easily replaceable role. I was thinking she was the equivalent of Melanie Hamilton in Gone With The Wind and a role that could have been played by Olivia De Havilland once again. The women in this film are not portrayed as strongly as the men are. And even the men are not as substantial. It's just Yankee versus Rebels. The relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift's characters is not that well developed. It's not enough that they are from opposite sides of the Civil War conflict- she's at heart a Southerner and he's a Yankee. I was even disappointed in one scene in which Elizabeth says to Montgomery after an argument "You hate me because I'm Southern!". This film could have used some polishing. I'm very certain that even author Ross Lockbridge Jr. was not entirely satisfied with what they did to his book in screenplay form.

Montgomery Clift has done other worthwhile movies but in this film, his performance as John Shawnessy is wooden and lacks some substance. Although he is supposed to be portrayed as an idealist poet and writer (much like Doctor Zhivago), we never see him write anything. All we get is his desire to seek out the elusive and magic, all-healing legendary Raintree, supposedly planted by Johny Appleseed and a quest he gives up at the end of the film. Professor Jerusalem is a funny and amusing character but a bit too shallow. Again, this film is rather interesting to look at if you want to get some insight on Civil War Era America (1850's and 1860's) and the mention of such things as abolitionism, Uncle Tom's Cabin, copperheads, Abraham Lincoln, Fort Sumter and Gettysburg to the later Republican politics of the Reconstruction are very historically accurate.

This "Roadshow" version is beautiful to look at nevertheless. Out of curiosity for Civil War history, this would make a great film to watch as a history project in high school or college courses. This film is also worth watching if you're a hardcore fan of Elizabeth Taylor and don't care what role she plays or what movie she is in, whether it's "Little Women" "National Velvet", whehter she plays the tragic Susanna Drake, Cleopatra or the other Southern heroine in Tenesee William's "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" or the incredibly nasty character in "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf ?".

Read the book instead
This movie is not the best and the sets are awful!I would recommend the book though. However, it does have an interesting behind the scenes story. Like, did you know that this was the beginning of the end of Montgomery's career. During the middle of the film he was in a horrible car crash that destroyed his face and took away his gorgeous looks. In which Elizabeth Taylor saved his life. They tried to cover up Montgomery's appearance after the accident but the film suffers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Just a Great Story
I will not belabor the reader with needless esoteric references to the subtle "hidden" meanings of this excellent and under appreciated film. It is not as wide sweeping and well known as "Best Years", yet it holds a timeless appeal.
I cherish the sweetness of the interaction between Dorothy Maguire and Guy Madison. The "Greatest Generation" are well represented, and I bow to their talents.
There is no need to read current foolisheness and "PC" stuff into this film. It stands on its own merits. My four uncles who all served in WWII applaud this one.
God Bless

Timeless Beefcake.
This movie is so forgotten that I'm the first person to review it! A nostalgic appreciation will definately contribute to your possible enjoyment of this film. This story of three returning World War 2 G.I.'s, and their readjustment into society, is much less celebrated than the similar themed "The Best Years Of Our Lives", even though this film was released before that Oscar winner. It's what you might call a "B" version of the celebrated "Lives." This was a very early vehicle for Robert Mitchum, and he effectively displays the tough-guy delivery and fledgling screen persona for which he later became well known. Dorothy McGuire is fine also as the troubled war widow/ love interest of Guy Madison. This film was my first look at Mr. Madison, whom I vaguely recall from his later "Wild Bill Hickock" television series. Though he was not at all what you'd call a great actor, in fact, he was self-consciously wooden in delivery, I must admit I was impressed by his screen sexuality, which oddly transcends the films time period of the 1940's. He was almost impossibly beautiful, not remotely feminine, yet totally unlike other male actors of that time, and sported a "look" that would fit in any Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue of today. This film has very palpable sexual undertones (at least I felt 'em!) There are times when the camera languishingly lingers (can something languishingly linger??) on Madisons bare torso, as he lies in repose on the bed, as if he were Jane Russell, with an unheard of for that time intensity, which really makes me wonder if this is what the director intended. I doubt that possibility, given the oppressiveness of the times and the storyline. However, there are several such scenes, with exchanged glances, so heavy in unintentional homo-erotic suggestiveness that they are now campily hysterical. So, I would recommend this film primarily as more of a curiosity piece, with its "war movie" appeal coming in a contradictary second. This is probably not the best reason to suggest watching a film, but the fact that Guy Madison, who is not exactly a household name, was quite possibly one of the handsomest men ever in film would be my major reason for suggesting this tale, where the story line comes in a distant second to all that beefcake in uniform. Ships AHOY! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Humphrey Bogart is heartbreaking as the tragic Captain Queeg in this 1954 film, based on a novel by Herman Wouk, about a mutiny aboard a navy ship during World War II. Stripped of his authority by two officers under his command (played by Van Johnson and Robert Francis) during a devastating storm, Queeg becomes a crucial witness at a court martial that reveals as much about the invisible injuries of war as anything. Edward Dmytryk (Murder My Sweet, Raintree County) directs the action scenes with a sure hand and nudges his all-male cast toward some of the most well-defined characters of 1950s cinema. The courtroom scenes alone have become the basis for a stage play (and a television movie in 1988), but it is a more satisfying experience to see the entire story in context. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Strawberries, anyone?
"The Caine Mutiny" follows the story of the men aboard the minesweeper U.S.S Caine during the period of 1943-44 in the pacific war. After the Caine is assigned a new captain, Philip Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), the officers begin to get suspicious at various acts that the captain does: His attention to small details such as shirttails and erratic behavior like rolling ball bearings in his hand when he's nervous and the spouting of catchphrases like "I kid you not". His behavior reaches a climax during a typhoon. Executive Officer Maryk (Van Johnson), after being advised by some others, relieves the captain with the firm belief that the ship would founder with Queeg in charge. Now Maryk has to defend his actions in a court martial.

It may seem surprising today, but at the time of this movie's release, Jose Ferrer was one of the hottest actors around. He was already an Oscar winner for 1950's "Cyrano de Bergenac". Here, he plays Lt. Barney Greenwald, who is assigned to Maryk's defense, but isn't so enthusiastic ("I've read the preliminary investigation very carefully and I think that what you've done stinks."). He came off to me as a competent defense attorney who was just waiting for the moment to strike. And although the evidence that backs up Queeg and goes against Maryk is overwhelming, Greenwald is able to break down Queeg in court, validating his instability and allowing Maryk to get off only with a reputation as a "mutineer".

My favorite performance is Fred MacMurray as Lieutenant Keefer, who doesn't think too highly of the Caine, even being cynical towards it ("The first thing you've got to learn about this ship is that she was designed by geniuses to be run by idiots.") And, though not a psychologist himself, he is also the one who raises it to Maryk's attention that Queeg may be nuts. Since he also contains hammering the idea at Maryk, it makes one assume that he would be willing to go all the way by alerting the top navy brass. But we soon learn that he is nothing but a scheming coward. He plants it in the men's minds that the captain is crazy, yet has "A yellow streak 15 miles wide". And when he is called to testify, "He never even heard of Queeg" as Greenwald remarks. At this point, we turn from disliking his cynicism to hating his guts. MacMurray, I thought, played this role so well and very convincingly. Surprisingly, he never got Oscar nominated for any of his performances. Perhaps the academy thought that this actor-who's most well known as the father on "My Three Sons" and had a track record in light comedies- wasn't prestigious enough to win the gold. It's like his against type roles in "Double Indemnity", "The Apartment" and this movie never existed!

In the beginning of the film, we tended to dislike Queeg because he's a nut. He has the ship steam away from a combat mission, he orders no more movies to be shown, has constant practice drills and, when some strawberries turn up missing, has the ship searched and basically ripped apart in a futile search for a "duplicate key to the icebox". But at the end, when Keefer's plan is revealed, when sympathize with Queeg at how he was used and mistreated by his crew. For had the crew supported and helped the captain when he asked for it, things might have turned out different in the typhoon. This is one of Bogart's better roles, maybe his last great one, and it netted him his last Oscar nomination. He made only about 3 or four other movies after this one, with the last, "The Harder they Fall", being released in 1956. In February 1957, Bogart died of complications from throat cancer.

If there is one problem with "The Caine Mutiny", it is the romance plot between Ensign Keith (Robert Francis) and his girlfriend May, played by May (Coincidental?). Keith's character is the first we are introduced too in the film. His involvement in the film is sort of like that of the newsreel reporter in "Citizen Kane": He serves as a guide, a plot device to the events that follow. And only a handful of scenes are dedicated to Keith and May. However, these end up in the way of the much more exciting action involving Queeg and the other officers. I have read Herman Wouk's novel and am aware that this wasn't manufactured for the film, but was actually in the book (And was the main plot, if I'm not mistaken). This shows how much the screenwriters tried to remain faithful to the book. But the only way the movie could have been truly faithful to the novel would be if it had been two and a half or even three hours long. With a roughly two-hour movie, the writers should have figured out what was more important to focus on. If they had either dumped or worked out the romance plot better so it fit more into the plot, the movie would have been even better.

Otherwise, "The Caine Mutiny" is a great film, one that many persons can find something to like. Naval buffs will enjoy beautiful shots filmed aboard naval destroyers at port and sea to represent the DMS Caine. Fans of court room dramas will find a very tense, well played one that'll satisfy them (Though a 1988 T.V movie, "The Caine Mutiny court-martial", was said to do a better job. But having not seen that, I can't form an opinion). Bogie fans will most likely judge this one of his career highlights. And skeptics of Fred MacMurray's talent will be put to rest. Add in a supporting cast that includes Tom Tully, E.G Marshall and Lee Marvin, you have great entertainment, I kid you not!

Intrigue, manipulation and hard choices. A great film!
The 1954 classic is about a naval captain who shows signs of mental instability and the resultant actions of the men in his command. It's not as simple as that, however. The characters are the key to the story, each one developing in front of our eyes into complex individuals with moral dilemmas to confront. There is Humphrey Bogart, cast a Captain Queeg whose decisions are no longer respected by his men. There's Fred MacMurray, cast as a smart and manipulative lieutenant. There's Van Johnson, cast as the lieutenant on whose shoulders the responsibility falls. There's Robert Francis, the young ensign whose perceptions change in front of our eyes. And then there is Jose Ferrer, cast as the attorney who defends Van Johnson when he is put on trial for mutiny. Put them all together in a fast paced script with enough twists and turns, and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.

The special effects, of course, are nothing like they are today. But they were certainly enough. I wasn't thinking about the special effects as I watched the film. I just simply felt I was on that ship. I wasn't thinking about the actors' performances either. Instead, I was so totally involved with the story that I felt I was actually in the skin of each of the characters. Just like real life, the situations were never crystal clear and each choice that was made opened up new challenges.

These were challenging roles for all the actors and they rose to the occasion magnificently. I'll never forget the twitch in Humphrey Bogart's cheek or the way the lighting captured the white of his eyeballs. I'll long remember Fred MacMurray's speculations and the kind of choice Van Johnson had to make. Robert Francis was good, but not as great as his co-stars, and his role was hampered by a silly romance. This was a strong film, though, and this small diversion didn't matter at all.

Even though this film was about the military, I can't classify it as a war film. Here, there was no enemy but the men themselves and the choices they made. It's a wonderful theme and has the classic universality to it that can adopt the lessons it teaches to a wide variety of situations. I give it one of my highest recommendations. Don't miss it!

"Ah but the strawberries - that's where I had them..."
The crew of the USS Caine resents Captain Queeg, who places the blame for a series of blunders and petty infractions on the crew. Such instances include cutting their own target tow-line while Queeg berates a crewman for having his shirt untucked, and later and most famously, interrogating the officers for the apparent stealing of some strawberries.

The mutiny results when, in a life-threatening storm, Queeg freezes up and does not give the order that would save the ship. At that point he is relieved of command by Van Johnson.

Later at the court-marshall Johnson is defended by Mel Ferrer and prosecuted by EG Marshall. But was Queeg torpedoed by the crew with insubordination and lack of respect, or did Queeg go off the deep end? Queeg's paranoia comes out in full force, complete with marbles.

Based on Herman Wouk's best-selling Pulitzer-winning novel, the movie arguably has Bogart's best performance which was one of seven oscar nominations. Look for Claude Akins and Lee Marvin in small roles. Only the unnecessary love-story between a new ensign and his girlfriend detracts from the otherwise intriguing story.

Way To Go, Pinntinajeur
In early December some guy (or girl) named Pinntinajeur reviewed this DVD and complained about the price. Not less than month later that price was reduced by $10!!!! Way to go, Pinn! I'm not saying he/she was totally responsible but who knows, maybe he/she is.

Great movie, lousy DVD
The Caine Mutiny is a great film and featurea one of the best performance of Humphrey Bogart's life. That's high praise considering the quality evident in his body of work but he really delivers the goods in The Caine Mutiny. The film benefits from other strong perfomrances as well. Jose Ferrer, Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray, and others all rise to the level of the unusally intelligent script. The result is a fancinating character study that I would recommend to anyone.

As good as the movie is, however, the transfer to DVD is about the worst I've ever seen. The moment the movie started, I was stunned by how much noise was evident. I wasn't looking for it or analyzing the picture, it jumped out because it was so extreme. Every face, every object, every thing was literally swimming with digital noise. And the sound is as bad or worse. No effort was made to re-master the soundtrack to even rudimentary surround sound making this the first movie I've seen in years to be presented in basic stereo. In addition, the sound is flat throughout, with even big explosions lacking punch.

The Caine Mutiny is a classic film and deserves much better treatment from the studio. As a movie, I would give it 5 stars but I deduct one for the extraordinarily poor picture and sound quality of the DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Reluctant Saint 1962
this is a great heart warming and funny movie entertaining
great for all the family

Splendid!
There are many disappointing books and films about Francis and Franciscan spirituality. This film, based on Spoto's biography of Francis, isn't one of them. It offers a wonderful introduction to the Poverello of Assisi, beautiful to the eye and illuminating to the heart and mind. Replete with the usual breathtaking Assisi scenary one finds in films about Francis, this documentary also provides a sensitive interpretation of what Francis was up to, what values he represented, and what kind of lifestyle he lived and, by example, taught. With the aid of interpretive commentary from experts such as Murray Bodo and Bernard McGinn (as well as, rather oddly, from nonexperts such as Mario Cuomo), the film honestly explores Francis's sense of failure towards the end of his life and the extraordinary experience on Mt. Alverna that enabled him to reexamine his life's work and find peace with it. Throughout the film there are several contentious interpretations given as fact--the claim that Francis suffered from leprosy, for example--but overall, a fine and commendable addition to the growing body of work on Francis. Highly recommended!

Funniest Adaptation of a Saint's Life
I got this video together with a bunch of other saint videos, and was preparing myself for something rather pious and poorly produced. Boy, was I wrong! To begin with, this black and white film on the life of the medieval saint Joseph of Cupertino is brilliantly cast. Maximillian Scnell plays the rather stupid Joseph, a perennial klutz who can't keep anything straight in his head without much effort. But he loves God profoundly and desires to become a monk. The second thing that surprised me was how funny this movie was. It's quite episodical, and the humor is of the old more theatrical style - but given those limitations, it set me off laughing more than a few times. Richardo Montebalm also gives a great performance as the uptight monk who can't stand Joseph's stupidity or his extrordinary gifts. God blesses Joseph's love with unusual graces, onces that literally knock him off his feet, to the bewilderment of his priestly brothers.
A real treat. Don't miss it. Hope it goes to DVD! ... Read more

Description

A graduating poet/teacher falls in love with a Southern woman during the Civil War, until her past comes back to trouble them. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

a hugely entertaining film
MGM tried to outdo themselves here, touting the film as the next GONE WITH THE WIND (and what could ever be?), and instead they gave Elizabeth Taylor the acting role that would land her her first Oscar nomination.

She is wonderful as the simpy Southern belle Sussanna, who traps her reluctant beau (Montgomery Clift) into marriage by saying she is pregnant, forcing him to abandon his childhood sweetheart (Eva Marie Saint), and his chance to be truly happy.

Sussanna is mentally unstable, however, and when the Civil War breaks out, she flees to Georgia, and her husband enlists in order to find her.

A very good story, based on the novel by Ross Lockridge Jr, and featuring Lee Marvin, Agnes Moorehead, Rod Taylor, Walter Abel, Jarma Lewis and Tom Drake.

THIS COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT
The best thing about Raintree is Elizabeth Taylor. Her Susannah is sexy, fragile and tormented. Montgomery Clift as her husband was miscast. Monty seems to be half asleep in his role and is too old to be playing a wide eyed lad. Eva Marie Saint as his righteous ex girlfriend who spends her life hovering around him has a thankless job playing an annoying woman. In fact a lot of Raintree is annoying. I kept waiting for John Shawnessy to grow up, tell off his small minded family and to take his wife and child away somewhere to start over. The battlefield scenes are great. The scenes with Elizabeth before she goes mad are gorgeous but the whole film seems off somehow. While watching it I kept thinking that this movie, with a beter script, casting and director could have been great.

ross lockridge never knew what they did to his book
Esquire magazine used to have a feature called "Wretched Excess" and I believe "Raintree County" would easily fall into that category.
As for the one reviewer stating that Ross Lockridge probably didn't like the screenplay, well---unfortunately he never knew about the screenplay as he killed himself shortly after the book became a best selling novel in 1948 and the film was released in 1957.

A Gorgeous Historic Film "a la" Gone With The Wind
Raintree County was a thousand plus novel written by Ross Lockbridge Jr. published in 1948. At its time, it was regarded as the Great American Novel second only to Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind and in some ways, both Raintree County and Gone With The Wind are a bit alike, although everyone generally considers Gone With The Wind to be the superior work of historic fiction. And it is. Gone With The Wind, as we all know, became a highly successful film in 1939, even winning Best Picture. It must have dawned on Hollywood producers that the novel would make a breathtaking movie. It was the 50's, the new invention of television had just entered people's homes and the movie industry was threatened. It was the time of the "epic films" (The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur). In 1957, "Raintree County" was released in theatres. The appeal to the film was its Cival War Era drama and Elizabeth Taylor.

It's no Gone With The Wind, but Raintree County is a beautiful film to look at visually. The master shots of the scenic countryside in Raintree County are incredibly lovely, the costumes look authentic to the period, the music is enjoyable but subtle, and Elizabeth Taylor is always interesting to watch on film. Elizabeth Taylor plays Susanna Drake, a vibrant Southern belle with a troubled past (her plantation home caught on fire and she had issues with her mother). Although she seems to be almost a near replica of Scarlett O'Hara in many of the scenes, she lacks Scarlett O'Hara's strength and willful nature. While Scarlett could survive anything, Susanna Drake weakens out at the end of the film, becomes mentally disturbed (she has a strong attachment to a scary looking Chucky doll) and dies a pathetic death when she seeks out the Raintree. This is not Elizabeth's finest performance. A tragic heroine is still acceptable, but this particular heroine is not as satisfying as Vivien Leigh's performance as Scarlett. Also, her "rival" and John Shawnessy's first love and childhood friend Nelle is an easily replaceable role. I was thinking she was the equivalent of Melanie Hamilton in Gone With The Wind and a role that could have been played by Olivia De Havilland once again. The women in this film are not portrayed as strongly as the men are. And even the men are not as substantial. It's just Yankee versus Rebels. The relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift's characters is not that well developed. It's not enough that they are from opposite sides of the Civil War conflict- she's at heart a Southerner and he's a Yankee. I was even disappointed in one scene in which Elizabeth says to Montgomery after an argument "You hate me because I'm Southern!". This film could have used some polishing. I'm very certain that even author Ross Lockbridge Jr. was not entirely satisfied with what they did to his book in screenplay form.

Montgomery Clift has done other worthwhile movies but in this film, his performance as John Shawnessy is wooden and lacks some substance. Although he is supposed to be portrayed as an idealist poet and writer (much like Doctor Zhivago), we never see him write anything. All we get is his desire to seek out the elusive and magic, all-healing legendary Raintree, supposedly planted by Johny Appleseed and a quest he gives up at the end of the film. Professor Jerusalem is a funny and amusing character but a bit too shallow. Again, this film is rather interesting to look at if you want to get some insight on Civil War Era America (1850's and 1860's) and the mention of such things as abolitionism, Uncle Tom's Cabin, copperheads, Abraham Lincoln, Fort Sumter and Gettysburg to the later Republican politics of the Reconstruction are very historically accurate.

This "Roadshow" version is beautiful to look at nevertheless. Out of curiosity for Civil War history, this would make a great film to watch as a history project in high school or college courses. This film is also worth watching if you're a hardcore fan of Elizabeth Taylor and don't care what role she plays or what movie she is in, whether it's "Little Women" "National Velvet", whehter she plays the tragic Susanna Drake, Cleopatra or the other Southern heroine in Tenesee William's "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" or the incredibly nasty character in "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf ?".

Read the book instead
This movie is not the best and the sets are awful!I would recommend the book though. However, it does have an interesting behind the scenes story. Like, did you know that this was the beginning of the end of Montgomery's career. During the middle of the film he was in a horrible car crash that destroyed his face and took away his gorgeous looks. In which Elizabeth Taylor saved his life. They tried to cover up Montgomery's appearance after the accident but the film suffers. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Robert Mitchum Goes To War Without A Rifle
This war picture stands out from the rest with its unusual characters and odd dialogue. Robert Mitchum has a role almost unkown to World War II films, that of a pacifist war correspondent who views war as a futile excercise in which egotistical Generals lead soldiers to slaughter like a butcher stuffing animals into a meat grinder. Mitchum enjoys deflating Generals by reminding them of how foolish mistakes cost lives and the botched operation at Anzio in Italy becomes one of the biggest blunders of all. One of the best scenes has Mitchum chewing out a Commander via a broken radio. Mitchum sums up his frustration perfectly when he is informed no one can hear him. Peter Falk provides some of the strangest moments such as trying to teach a group of prostitutes to sing, 'Bye Bye Blackbird' and when he gives one an excessive tip he tells her to buy something substantial, "like a lawn mower". More of a curiousity than a great accomplishment this film falls just short of an additional star in the rating. Bottom line, Good entertainment you can watch more than once.

Historically Inaccurate but Entertaining
The Allied landing at Anzio was not unopposed. Allied forces were bogged down in trench fighting for almost three weeks before they could move inland against the Germans. In this film facts get turned around but the basic story is intriguing. A rather stoic Robert Mitchum plays a pacifist battle-hardened war correspondent who must come to grips with his own convictions. Under Edward Dmytryk's direction Mitchum's character seems to have more military smarts than the professionals do, thus making his character a bit of a conundrum. That's what makes this film so interesting. Peter Falk, Earl Holliman and Reni Santoni are good as the stereotypical GIs that Mitchum goes out on patrol and has to fight his way back with. Riz Ortolani created a good suspenseful score and there are some really good action sequences. The good cast, which is a great asset, includes Robert Ryan, Arthur Kennedy, Patrick Magee and Mark Damon.

Anzio - Two Stars
You're in trouble when you begin loathing a movie during the opening credits. A jeep drops off the a dusty uniformed Robert Mitchum and the camera follows him up a flight of stairs and past a couple of security check points, through some large palace rooms. There are gigantic paintings on the wall, the wealth of ancient Italy. We follow him into the first scene of the movie, the opening oh-oh.
A sizable crowd of American GIs, with a few stray prostitutes here and there, are in a huge hall of the palace. One soldier hangs from a monster chandelier, while the other soldiers taunt, hoot and throw oranges and such at him. Apparently he's trying to break a "How long can you stay on the chandelier" record. A herd of "elite Canadian Rangers" enter, shepherded by Corporal Peter Falk, and naturally the veggie throwing thugs attack them. Well, boys will be boys, and I suppose trashing an ancient palace can and should be written off to youthful exuberance.
Meanwhile, disillusioned journalist Robert Mitchum, kind of the anti-Ernie Pyle in this one, drags a long necked bottle of wine and the cynical sergeant Earl Holliman and makes for the balcony for a moment of intense character exposition. It looks like they're in a room with a blue mountain scene painted on the tapestry. I swear I saw Mitchum's shadow on the mountain behind him. Then battered Corporal Peter Falk enters the balcony, and you see by a reverse shot that they're supposed to be outdoors. Maybe it worked better on the big screen.
The movie is about American's invasion of Anzio as seen through the eyes of a pacifist journalist. The landing is unopposed, and Mitchum requisitions a jeep and, along with Falk, discover that the road to Rome, the ultimate destination, is open. Rome can be in Allied hands in a few days, if they move fast enough.
Allied high command decides to dig in instead, which allows the German's the time to create a Caesar Line to oppose advance. Some time later Holliman's battalion, with the un-armed Mitchum along for the story, advances cautiously towards Rome, led by ranger Falk.
It's too late, of course, (damn timid high command), and most of the battalion is killed or captured. A handful of them make it and they escape their valley of death by the clever clearing of a mine field.
Frankly, the script is a mess. There are references made to Salerno, where the invasion was hampered by precipitate action - the fools rushed in when they should have dug in. At Anzio the fools SHOULD have rushed in, but they dug in instead. The fog of war being what it is, my sympathy is with the high command in this movie, but I guess that's beside the point. ANZIO was made we questioned authority as a matter of course, especially military authority.
The best war movies rush forward. ANZIO meanders and makes some odd stops on its way to the battlefield. Take, for instance, the strange scene of Peter Falk teaching the prostitutes to sing "Bye, Bye, Blackbird." It takes way too long, it has nothing to do with the story proper, and it ambiguously establishes his character. It looks like an ad-lib job and should never have been shot in the first place.
A couple of the action scenes that take place behind the enemy line work pretty well, especially when the survivors come across the white dog and later when they encounter a snipers' nest.
I'm a big fan of Robert Mitchum, and I think he's effective as the weary iconoclast. Holliman and the other soldiers are okay in roles that don't demand a whole lot from them. Falk's improvisational style is way out of place here. The movie grinds to a halt every the camera centers on him.
The ending, the liberation of Rome, is tacked on at the end. The real end of the movie is the moment Mitchum discovers the answer to his question, "Why do we fight and kill each other?" The answer is pretty thin and unsatisfying, perfectly in keeping with the rest of the movie.

A decent movie..
Anzio is a decent war movie, filled with exciting battles and a platoon's cat-n-mouse struggle to avoid the enemy long enough to find their way back to their own lines. Robert Mitchum plays a news correspondent who's assigned to cover the invasion of Anzio by a company of U.S. Rangers. When their company is ambushed by the Germans, him and a small handfull of soldiers (Peter Falk and Earl Holliman co-star) escape the trap, but then face having to find their way back to safety through miles of enemy territory. A fairly standard World War II movie based on the actual Anzio battle itself, but more or less using it as a back drop for the fictionalized battle hilighted in the film. There's a totally silly scene with Robert Falk and three local lovelies in the back of an ambulance that should have hit the editing room floor. And Mitchum himself hams it up a bit while denouncing the war in a flag waving manner. But overall Anzio is a fun movie, especially for war movie lovers. Popcorn anyone?

Bad Movie, Bad History
This is probably the worst movie Robert Mitchum ever made. Aside from the usual Hollywood anti-war cliches, it offers a silly plot, a script full of loose ends and improbable doings, and a ridiculously distorted picture (or lack of picture) of the Anzio landings. If Mitchum wasn't ashamed of this movie, he should have been. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In these days when the natural wonders of the world can be so easily synthesized on film by computers, it's a little tough to look upon studio sets of mountain exteriors as anything but unsatisfactory. But that's the situation with Edward Dmytryk's 1956 drama The Mountain, starring Spencer Tracy as a retired mountain guide who accompanies his brash young brother (Robert Wagner) on the ascent of a rugged slope to the site of a plane crash. Essentially, Tracy goes along to keep his venal sibling from getting killed, but once at the crash location his attention shifts toward helping a Hindu survivor (Anna Kashfi) reach safety. Not so the agenda of Wagner's character, whose real mission is looting valuables from the dead. The strains and dangers of the climb up and down perfectly mirror the tense dynamics between the two men, and on this score Dmytryk (The Caine Mutiny) does a splendid job. Less compelling, however, is the action, which requires far too much suspension of disbelief even for the late '50s. --Tom Keogh ... Read more