Reviews (223)

The Citizen Kane of musicals
So many films in my collection are "important", "serious", "disturbing", or "great", and as much as I treasure them (films like Citizen Kane, Vertigo, and Ran), there is only so much self-importance a person can take before the pores fairly scream out for something just plain fun; something slight, buoyant, silly, and full of energy. Singin' in the Rain is just that kind of movie. The funny part is, I generally HATE musicals!

In 1951, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen took a collection of songs by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown and - assisted by a pitch-perfect screenplay from the writing team of Adolph Green and Betty Comden - sculpted one of the great classic fusions of popular cinematic art and precision dance craft. It is the Citizen Kane of musicals: a virtual catalog of musical film technique, executed flawlessly.

But that alone would not be enough to separate Singin' in the Rain from the kind of musical I can't stand (which is to say, just about every other musical ever made). No, what makes this one special is that it knows what it is and celebrates it. It never for a moment asks you to forget you're watching a movie and then grinds to a screeching halt for the musical number. Instead, it deconstructs itself before your very eyes (and ears) as a razor-sharp, self-aware satire of the movie industry - as well as a joyous expression of the pure ecstasy of great song and dance. In that sense, it is one of the few so-called musicals that actually achieves a genuine symbiosis of drama, music, and kinetic performance art.

If all this sounds rather gushing and pretentious, so be it. This is great film-making. It is Rolex Oyster Perpetual film-making. This DVD edition sparkles with ultra-saturated colors, digitally remixed Dolby 5.1 sound, and some terrific extras (even if you're not particularly into musicals).

My favorite sequence is the eerily fluid dance work between Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse against a Dali-esque background near the end of the film. Charisse is spellbinding as she trails a gravity-defying veil that must be 30 feet long. It hangs in the air, suspended by wind machines as she uses her extraordinary dance skill (and fantastic legs) to affect a wordless seduction of Kelly's naive, love-struck hero. Great stuff.

Even if you don't think of yourself as the "musical type", give Singin' in the Rain a try. After all that heavy, bitter, existential cinema, it makes one helluva fine dessert.

THE GREAT AMERICAN MUSICAL
Once upon a time there was a place called HOLLYWOOD. It wasn't just a town or even an industry, it was a state of mind. They didn't call the studios Dream Factories for nothing. This film is the epitome of the musical art and craft. This is a real "Movie Movie," made entirely on the MGM lot. The real creme de la creme of MGM contributed to it's creation; produced by Arthur Freed, starring Gene Kelly (with a brilliant turn by the dazzling ,long-legged Cyd Charisse), contract players like Debbie Reynolds and Kathleen Freeman (still going strong, currently appearing on Broadway in "The Full Monty") with costumes by my favorite designer Walter Plunkett (Gone With The Wind, 7 Brides For 7 Brothers, etc). Check out the sumptuous designs for the "Beautiful Girls" number and the outrageous spider dress at the opening night party. The real lowdown is that Jean Hagen and Donald O'Connor practically steal the show from the leads in possibly the best performances of their careers. This film is pure joy. The script by Comden and Green is not only clever but actually goofs on a real period of transition of the American film from silent to talkie.It is also a brilliant job of recycling a trunkload of old songs. This happy film has the courage to do what American musicals and comedies do best: be silly and make you forget you troubles for an hour and a half. Next time you are in bed with the flu or trying to get over a miserable love affair, take a look at Singing In The Rain. It can't help but curl up the corners of your mouth and drive the clouds away.

Wonderful Musical with Terrific Dancing -- a Trifle Dated
"Singin' in the Rain" is the definitive Hollywood musical, and charms and delights our 21st century audiences despite the (very few) characteristics of the genre that don't hold up quite so well.

There are so many high points to this movie -- the amazing cast, the songs, the choreography, and, most surprisingly, the satirical send-up of Hollywood and the "star system."

The plot is well-known. Silent film star couple, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly, who also co-directed with Stanley Donen) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are America's sweethearts. At a Hollywood premiere of their latest romance, breathless fans ignore sidekick Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor, in perhaps the best sidekick performance in film history) and scream in delight as Lockwood and Lamont pander to their adoration. Nobody, however, seems to notice that the gorgeous Lamont never speaks . . .

Her imposed silence Lamont has a voice that recalls a cat with its tail caught in a wringer, although Lamont is such a "dumb blonde" (bless Hagen -- nobody ever played this stereotype better!) that she is blissfully unaware of her screech. No matter, 'cause it's the silent film era, right? Wrong! Progress brings in "The Jazz Singer" and the era of "talkies." No longer will clever staging of press events suffice.

Soon, Don Lockwood is staring career meltdown in the face as the first Lockwood-Lamont "talkie" sends the audience into hysterics. Not only is Lamont's screech audibly offensive, they can't keep the sound synchronized to the film, and the sound editing even when in synch is as amateurish as a high-school film production.

What to do? Fortunately, Lockwood had fallen for young, beautiful Kathy Selden (a teenage Debbie Reynolds), a starlet in the making. Cosmo comes up with the idea of dubbing Selden's voice for Lamont's, and all is fixed . . . or not. Lamont, an imbecile but smart enough to know her value, insists on ruining Selden's career to preserve her own . . . and so on and so forth.

The plot, ingenious as it is, is really secondary. The main delight in this movie is the amazing dancin' and singin' that the performers offer up. While most of it is pretty silly, campy stuff (particularly the Kelly-O'Connor set pieces), they simply dazzle. Kelly is the most robust, athletic dancer of his generation, and O'Connor, well, the man doesn't have a bone in his body. While the movie's most famous scene comes from Kelly splashing in puddles during the title track, the most amazing dance number has to be O'Connor's comic flailings in "Make 'Em Laugh," where he runs up walls, flirts with a mannequin, and generally pulls out all stops.

Debbie Reynolds does a magnificent job keeping up with these two giants, and is generally a pleasure to watch, even though she's clearly outclassed as a hoofer.

While some great old films seem to get better with age (think "Casablanca," "Gone With the Wind," and "Citizen Kane"), "Singin' in the Rain" is an American classic that does not hold up quite so well in some minor respects. For example, when breaking into choreographed step, Kelly, O'Connor, and Reynolds sometimes appear too rigid, with smiles frozen on their faces, which is incongruous to those raised on more modern musicals like "Moulin Rouge," where the dancers take a more naturalistic, emotional approach to their dancing. The dancing in "Singin'" holds up, but the performers were constrained by the expectations of their audiences, which somehow demanded that the performers "look pleasant" while dancing.

Still, "Singin' in the Rain" remains one of the best tonics to a foul mood ever . . . I defy you to watch this movie and not feel a smile creeping over your face.

The Best Musical Comedy Ever Produced!
I fell in love with this film when I was seven years old; I watched it on a B&W television on "The Early Show" in NY (circa 1957 or 1958). I didn't know who any of the stars were - it didn't matter. It was magic to me. From the Hollywood opening (dignity, always dignity), the romp of the elocution lessons (Moses supposes his toes are roses!), and the trial and mostly error of trying to record the sound ("I can't make love to a BUSH!") when the gorgeous leading lady has a voice that rivals nails on a blackboard, all the way to the grown man dancing in the rain and the final rising curtain - pure magic. In glorious black and white - at the time, I didn't even know it HAD colour! I decided then and there, this was my absolute all-time favourite movie. (One of the highlights of my adult life was seeing this wonder on a full, big screen at a revival in the 1970s.) I have seen many films since then; I have reviewed them for friends & family, written reviews for a monthly entertainment publication. I have an extensive collection of my own (VHS & DVD). I know a lot more about films and production values now.

"Singin'in the Rain" remains my all-time favourite film. (No surprise, this.) It's not just another one of "those MGM musicals." It was released in 1952. Dated stuff? Not a bit. Unlike the marvelous "An American in Paris," which was done as a contemporary film to its time, "Singin' in the Rain" is a period film, and it's based in fact.

This film (which started out to be a western for Howard Keel) takes a fond and loving look at the birthpains of the sound film (the "talkies). Set in 1927, with authentic equipment from MGM's own history (Debbie Reynolds drives Andy Hardy's old jalopy, the microphones are real), it details the frantic efforts to get on the sound bandwagon - no one was completely sure of the new technology. What makes the plot classic is the basis in fact. Many silent stars had totally unacceptable voices or speech (too nasal, unintelligible foreign accents, too high, too low, etc.) for sound production. The songs used were true to the period.

Then we have the performers. Jean Hagen was nominated for an Academy Award for her role of Lina Lamont. The character (whose voice you don't hear for the first 10+ minutes of the film, although she's on-screen) is a one-of-a-kind. [Side note: the voice dubbing Lina's line is actually Hagen's normal voice, not that of Debbie Reynold's Kathy Selden.] Reynolds does an admirable job - it couldn't have been easy keeping up with her two male co-stars. It's still a joy to see Donald O'Connor's "Make 'em Laugh," and wonderful to see Gene Kelly teamed with a good male partner for "Fit as a Fiddle" and "Moses". Gene Kelly is, and always shall be, the best and this was done at his peak.

Of course, for anyone who has been living in the back of a cave under a rock (or too young to appreciate it), the title number is a delight. It looks like one continuous take, it is so smooth. This was not the first appearance of the song, but it's the one we all remember. The sheer exuberance of Kelly's performance carries us right along with him.

The extras with this set are valued items for anyone like me who is interested in the backstory of the era and this film in particular. And don't fuss for a widescreen version. This is the way it was. And now it always will be.

Thoroughly entertaining musical
I have to say first of all that I am *not* at all a fan of musicals (or comedies for that matter) - I am a drama fan. I have seen a few musicals here and there over the years and tried to like them - such as 1964's "My Fair Lady" and 1961's "West Side Story." I liked both of them *somewhat,* but not too much - because I have always strongly preferred films that are realistic --> in real life, people don't burst into song when they are in one particular circumstance or another. Yet, I couldn't help enjoying myself with a smile on my face as I watched this film that landed so high (#10) on AFI's list of the top 100 American films of all time. Donald O'Connor, in particular, as Cosmo, was so perfectly cast in his role. The film was at times hilarious and at times wonderfully romantic. I definitely would recommend everyone to try this film out. B+. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Best known for light, entertaining musicals such as Singin' in the Rain, director Stanley Donen grew more adventurous (and less successful) in the latter stages of his career, but this edgy romantic comedy from 1967 has proven to be one of Donen's best, most enduring films. Jumping back in forth in time, the film chronicles the marital ups and downs of a stylish British couple (Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn) as they travel on various vacations over the course of their 12-year marriage. The separate vignettes combine to form a collage of joys and pains as the young couple struggles to maintain their fading marital bliss. In this regard, the film is refreshingly sophisticated in its treatment of the difficulties of long-term commitment, and with Hepburn and Finney in the leads, great performances are drawn from the acerbic wit of Frederick Raphael's screenplay. Fashion mavens will also marvel at Hepburn's astonishing wardrobe of late-'60s fashion--she's a showcase for summer couture, looking fantastic in everything from candy-striped bellbottoms to hip sunglasses and outrageously stylish hats. Some of the melodrama clashes with forced comedy (such as tiresome running gags or a cartoonish portrayal of crass American tourists), but that doesn't stop Two for the Road from being timelessly appealing and truthful to the challenge of lasting love. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (56)

A true classic.
TWO FOR THE ROAD had been nearly forgotten except by a few film buffs until Audrey Hepburn's untimely death. People are discovering it and finding it ageless for a number of reasons. The theme of a marriage changing through the years is a well-understood premise. It could be predictable were it not for the wonderful acting by the entire cast, primarily Albert Finney and Ms. Hepburn. Eleanor Bron and William Daniels are a terrific pair of American snobs who join them through a period of their adventure in marriage. The ingenious filmic vehicle(s) that moves the characters through various periods in time is unexpected and beautifully manuevered by the film's tender and loving director, Stanley Donen. Anyone who accuses Donen of being a one trick pony (Singin' in the Rain) should SEE THIS FILM!

Memory Lane Is A Bumpy Road
Some films from the Sixties have dated more than others. I loved this film when it first came out and for years had many pleasant memories of it. Some years ago, my English wife and I travelled across France by road from Calais to the Med and throughout the journey I had images of this film constantly re-playing in my head. So I looked forward to seeing it again after a long time. I don't know whether the times have changed that much, or I have. What once seemed witty, relevant, truthful, charming and modern now strikes me as a somewhat pretentious mess. I seem to remember more comedy than there actually is in the film. The scenes of the crumbling marriage are much too stark a contrast to the lighter tone of other scenes. Moving the storyline back and forth in time is not a problem, but the frequently uncertain tone is. Is it a comedy? A drama? A comedy/drama? A drama/comedy? Who knows? Certainly not Stanley Donen who was so much more assured directing Audrey Hepburn in Charade. Audrey is Audrey, even in the dramatic scenes. Albert Finney bounces between being a latter day Tom Jones and an upmarket Jimmy Porter. The chemistry between the two is marginal. The sequence with Eleanor Bron and William Daniels - two wonderful performers in other circumstances - now seems strained and tedious. The only saving graces are the French countryside and Henry Mancini's music (one of his best scores). Maybe someone seeing the film for the first time will enjoy it more. I remember once hearing that Meg Ryan wanted to do a re-make of Two For The Road. Lets pray to the gods of cinema that it never happens.

Fantastic!!
OK, this movie is just great!! It puts you in such a good mood and brings you to another land. I see there are a few people who made negative comments about the movie.... They are insane!! Two For The Road is a wonderful movie!! I recommend everyone watch it!! My boyfriend who has completely different taste than me even loved it!! Must see!!

If not the best romantic film ever made one of the five top!
Stanley Donen made an unforgettable film and futhermore a model film .
This is a film you'll enjoy always , for many reasons.
The script is supported by a creative edition , a road movie told at different narrative lines , where past present and future are mixed to create a excellent gaze about a simple couple in a road between England and French with thw forrest , the sea as powerful background.
The couple Hepburn - Finney was a hit. Both of them in the peak of his creative powers .

Delightful , a true song for the life and the love , and despite the crucial emotional croosroad at the end , it gives us amazing dialogues and funny situations.
In my opinion , behind Singin'in the rain , consider this one as the major work of this legendary film maker!

A rocky marriage, and a look back at a happier yesterday
When Mark and Joanna Wallace see a pair of newlyweds in a car, amid a throng of rice-flinging well-wishers, the following exchange is heard.

Joanna: They don't look very happy.
Mark: Why should they? They just got married.

It's clear that the Wallaces' marriage has seen better days from that cynical observation. Joanna is sick of seeing her successful architect husband at the beck and call of a certain Maurice, her husband's jaded indifference and extramarital affairs. That leads to an introspective look at their past, given by a series of questions is posed. Where did it all go wrong? You haven't been happy since the day we met, have you? Why do we keep on with this farce? Is it worth it? And of course, how long is this going to go on? These also seem to reflect Hepburn's own marriage to Mel Ferrer, which would last for one more year.

The series of flashbacks, told non-linearly, takes the viewer seeing how Mark and Joanna first met, their travels with another married couple, and the time when they had their first child, when Mark's preoccupation in his career rather than his family reveals the first cracks appearing in their marriage. And the film's running gag involves Mark unable to find his passport, because Joanna has taken it from him. This comes into play as the one consistent thing in their relationship, and a reminder of the past.

By far, the days when Max and Joanna hitchhike across France are the happiest. Sure, they are on a strict budget, being rained on, and a temperamental MG auto, which has a destructive sendoff when it finally poops out. But they were like a couple of kids without a care in the world, having fun. "What kind of people eat without saying a word to each other?" The answer is married people, they say during their romantic period. Years later, when their marriage is on the rocks, they make the same observation, only this time it's about themselves.

David, Joanna's extramarital lover, puts perspective on things when he tells her "there comes a time when one must grow, when the old things aren't amusing anymore." So what does one do when the old things include marriage or being together? Does one stick it out and become more miserable and self-denying, or does one call it a day? What's clear is that promises of never disappointing one another, that the marriage will be one of heaven, and the magic disappears once things don't become personal anymore, but driven by something else.

The transitions between the different times can be differentiated in the car driven, Joanna's hairstyle, dress, and how happy Mark and Joanna are. Donen's sudden jump cuts from present to the various pasts are effective and creative.

Audrey Hepburn is wonderful as usual, and there's growth in the kind of character she plays. Joanna is a variation of Anna (Roman Holiday) or Sabrina, full of fun and laughter, but she also represents a departure from those genteel characters. Scenes where it's apparent she's nude under the covers--unheard of for Audrey Hepburn, right? And her playing an adulterous woman who humiliates her husband? Albert Finney does well as Mark, and his manners of speech range from the comical Bogart-like voice during their premarital trek to a tired weariness.

Two For The Road is also the last movie Hepburn did with director Stanley Donen (Funny Face, Charade). And upon a personal request from Hepburn, Henry Mancini does another winning theme song, fittingly sweet yet nostalgic. It sets a precedent for Audrey Hepburn, away from the innocent virgin roles of before. Despite this being an analysis of a marriage going sour, with moments of frustration and pain, there are moments of fun, and showing how despite changes, maybe being able to accept things as happened and moving with the future will save a rocky marriage such as the Wallaces. ... Read more

Amazon.com

America's pastime gets a Faustian twist in this 1958 studio musical, which recounts the ballpark bargain struck by an aging Washington Senators fan obsessed with helping his team trump the Yanks. With echoes of the real-life 1919 Shoeless Joe Jackson scandal, and tart observations on the tradeoffs between youth and experience, Damn Yankees fuses a classic dramatic dilemma with musical comedy to often charming effect.

In transferring George Abbott's Broadway hit to the screen, codirectors Abbott and Stanley Donen are smart enough to retain Richard Adler and Jerry Ross's clever songs, Bob Fosse's sizzling choreography (with Fosse himself on camera for the sultry mambo number), and stars Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon, reprising their devilish turns as the Horned One himself, Mr. Applegate, and his temptress, Lola. Where the team strikes out, unfortunately, is in their concession to marquee politics, handing the pivotal role of Joe Hardy to handsome, vapid, celluloid heartthrob Tab Hunter, whose thin voice and unsteady screen presence argue that he should have stayed in the dugout.

Walston is reliably spry and acerbic as the canny archangel, and Verdon, in one of her rare starring screen turns, confirms the comedic timing and sexy, muscular grace that made her a deserved draw in subsequent stage hits including another Fosse triumph, Sweet Charity. With her combination of feline grace and alternately steely, flirtatious femininity, Verdon makes you believe her when she sings, "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets." --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Whatever Lola wants she gets!
The film version of Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse's first success together. With Ray Walston as the devil and Verdon as his muse, Lola, this film can not fail to please. An excellent example of Fosse's early choreography. Unfortunately, its producers thought that they could cut "The Game", a wonderful song sung by the Senators. A must for any musical video collection

Hollywood's Hall of Famer: a Grand Slam!
Forget about carping reviews. If you like: musical comedies; baseball;Gwen Verdon; selling your soul to the Devil; great dancing; happy endings; ironic gambits reaffirming olde time(pre-PM) morality, DAMN YANKEES is grand slam hit.This film adaptation of Broadway's World championship rendering of "The Year The Yankees Lost the Pennant" is classic Americana(It's more like"The Devil & Daniel Webster" than Goethe's Enlightenment epic,"Faust"). Tab Hunter does a fine job as guileless, baseball-loving, middle-aged dreamer who sells his soul to Mr.Applegate (My Favorite Devil/Martian; "Paint Your Wagon" schemer,Ray Walston).

Star of the show is Gwen Verdon. She's the devil's 007-ette,LOLA with"license to get-down".Down and sassy-classy she bedazzlingly is,as she funks; punks;Bob Fosse's-n-weaves/"sleezes" her way on Applegate's satanic service to seduce Superstar Joe Hardy into "eternal contract".WHATEVER LOLA WANTS (ultimately)she doesn't get. Because...like the show's theme banners...YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART! In The Ninth,Verdon's not-so-wicked witch of the West(like this superbly entertaining; funny; full-of-good-will fun flick) has Valentine Heart to the max.If you're a Yankee fan (as lovers of baseball begrudingly become)catching a glance of baseball legend Mickey Mantle in the film is a nice touch recalling innocence in values that've been lost to the Real Applegate and cohorts.Being from Houston, I look forward to some Yankee greats pitching for us next year. Until then, DAMN ASTROS(er)YANKEES is a Hollywood Hall-of-Famer well worth checking-out and cheering on.

SONG LEFT OUT!!!
This movie has been one of my top 20 favorites for a long time. I first saw it on television in the mid sixties. The very first song that begins the movie during the opening credits is "Think About The Game". When the home video was released, this song, sung by the Senator's while Joe Hardy was busy with the Shifty McCoy trial, was, without explanation or reason, was stupidly left out of the video version. I feel cheated and wanted my money back. Can anyone tell me why?

Thank-you.

Good soul-searching musical.
This is another film which would probably be better rated if it wasn't so slavishly compared to its stage original. It does its job just fine, thank you, but you must remember that stage and film are two different media. In the conservative postwar 50's there was very little controversy shown (or allowed to be shown) in the film and TV media; a Faustian book made into a film musical probably scared the Hays moral office to death! That said, the Abbott-Donen collaboration does a more than competent job of telling the story, and scores an extra base hit retaining most of the Broadway cast of the show in the first place. I've read that the studio tried to lure Marilyn Monroe into playing the Lola role (and assuring box-office returns), but the producers were smart enough to know that the role needed a real dancer-actress combination. In short, it needed Gwen Verdon. It needed her special brand of eccentricity, sexiness, and heartbreak. And it got her. If you're still not convinced, take another look at the exquisite cafe' dance of "Two Lost Souls."

How Lola can he go?
Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo is the mysterious "Joe Hardy" who makes a pact with the Devil to be young again and the greatest baseball wonder the Washington Senators have ever seen. His agreement comes with an "out" clause but hired temptress, "Lola" uses all of her most beguiling tricks in order to put the vamp on innocent Joe and keep him from short-changing the Devil of another hard-earned soul.

Gorgeous boy Tab Hunter plays the part of quiet, innocent and unpretentious Joe, an easy soul target for the Devil and his indebted temptress, played by Gwen Verdon. Although the singing was slightly less than what it could have been, the dance parts were terrific.

Unfortunately, this famous Broadway show was placed before a movie camera and little was done to take it from the ranks of the contrived enthusiasm of a play to the artful poise of a feature film. The scripts made for stiff dialogue and the sets were composed as they would have been on a fixed stage. What could have made for a very entertaining musical became a stage play adapted by convenience with no consideration for creative filming. ... Read more

Reviews (88)

One of the Most Energetic Musicals of all Time
1954's "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is rough around the edges and that's just what the doctor ordered. Stanley Donen directed this rough and tumble highly acclaimed musical, set in Oregon in 1850. It was adapted from Stephen Vincent Benét's story "The Sobbin' Women" (based on Plutarch's The Rape of the Sabine Women) and perfectly integrates song, dance, and storytelling. Russ Tamblyn as one of Howard Keel's brothers and Julie Newmar as one of the potential brides are very memorable. Besides Michael Kidd's brilliant choreography (which almost goes without saying) is Cinematographer George Folsey's CinemaScope photography that captured both the grandeur of the land (shot on MGM's back lot!) and the brilliant and bawdy dance numbers. Unfortunately it was shot in Ansco Color and not Technicolor which makes the images less vivid. Yet it does not hinder the film. I saw a recent interview with Jane Powell and she believed that MGM thought they had a real dud on their hands. Boy, were they wrong. Of the DVD versions I prefer the original MGM issue which had a 2.55 to 1 aspect ratio. The Warner Studios version is 2.35 to 1. Both DVD versions remastered the original 4-track magnetic soundtrack to 5.1 Dolby Digital discrete channels. I find this sound remastering very annoying especially to stereophonic films made in the 50s and 60s. The sound on the hi-fi VHS tape is actually truer to the original film.

Singin' & dancin' & sobbin'
A "sleeper" when it was released in 1954, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is still one of the freshest musicals ever made. With a pretty, spirited score by Gene de Paul and Johnny Mercer and rambunctious but carefully-controlled choreography by Michael Kidd, this modestly-budgeted movie surprised everyone by becoming an enormous hit, even being nominated for Best Picture. Based on a short story by Stephen Vncent Benet called "Sobbin' Women" (which was the film's working title), it tells the story of a frontier woman Millie (Jane Powell) courted by a backwoodsman Adam (Howard Keel). He takes her off to his rustic home, neglecting to tell her he has six untamed brothers to care for. Undaunted, Millie sets about domesticating the household, complete with readings from classical history, including the story of the Sabine women, which the boys take to heart. The musical was filmed in AnscoColor and CinemaScope, and the wide screen is utilized to great effect, especially in the barn-raising sequence. Letter-box is mandatory. DePaul and Mercer wrote some effective songs ("Wonderful Day", "When You're in Love", "Sobbin' Women") and the numbers blend into the story perfectly under Stanley Donen's smooth direction. Dresden-doll coloratura Powell and strapping baritone Keel make such an attractive couple it's odd M~G~M never co-starred them again. (Evidently a musical version of "Robin Hood" never got past the drawing board.) The brothers include New York City Ballet star Jacques d'Amboise and a non-dancer, the mysterious Jeff Richards, who may have been the handsomest man ever to appear on the screen, Rock Hudson notwithstanding. Among the brides is Julie Newmar, who a couple of seasons later would stupefy Broadway in "Li'l Abner".Bright and pleasantly aggressive, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is right up there with Metro's best musicals.

Fun movie!
The movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is an excellent, fun, family movie with singing, dancing, romance, and even some action. It tells the story of seven brothers who all live together way out in the country. When the eldest brother, Adam, comes home from town one day with a wife, the other six brothers decide they want brides too. They have to battle the townsmen, however, who have already "spoken for the girls." This movie is full of fun and laughs, and I would highly recommend it.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
This is a great film, two wonderful singers. Good story line as well. My kids, my husband and myself all like this one! It is a good family film everyone will enjoy.

I LOVE THIS FILM SO MUCH
I mean who wouldnt love, not like, but love this incredible film. This was the first film that I watched when I was growing up. It is similar to pretty woman but reverse because here are 7 rough western thugs that in need of brides to tame them, after their oldest brother got married. Not only did the film have good actors and actresses that were too funny to ignore, but the music and dancing were just as good. I love it and can you believe all but one brother are still alive today? Wow!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Fred Astaire plays a fashion photographer based on real-life cameraman Richard Avedon, in this entertaining musical directed by Stanley Donen (Singin' in the Rain). The story finds Astaire's character turning Audrey Hepburn into a chic Paris model--not a tough premise to buy, especially within this film's air of enchantment and surrounded by a great Gershwin score. Based on an unproduced play, this is one of the best films from the latter part of Astaire's career. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Great movie and the DVD Transfer is Crystal Clear!
I don't think I've ever seen a good print of this film till I bought the DVD, which is fabulous! I'm not a die-hard Audrey Hepburn fan, but she is very charming and looks fabulous in the fashions. I love the ability to skip the numbers I don't like with the DVD since I find this a very uneven film. When it is good it is nearly flawless (and that's most of the time--opening credits, Think Pink, Funny Face, Bonjour Paris, The Photo Shoots, S'Wonderful, the final fashion show) but when it is bad it is horrid (a 60 year old Fred Astaire trying to be a beatnik, Fred's unending "matador" dance number, the whole plot with the Professor, Clap Yo'Hands). I was disappointed in the additional features--the original trailer is ho hum and the Paramount "documentary" is really just an extended sales pitch with bad stock footage. Where's an interview with the great Stanley Donen? Still, overall well worth purchasing.

A Marvelous Movie!
Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn together on screen. Just that alone makes seeing this movie worthwhile. However, this film has a lot of other things going for it. To begin with, this film gives the fabulous Gershwin score a first class treatment. Astaie's version of the title song is definitive, and while no singer, Hepburn's rendition of "How Long Has This Been Going On" has a sensitivity and power that is quite hard to find in many musicals. Next, The lush Paris locales are simply beautiful. After decades of musicals that were done entirely on soundstages, it is a breath of fresh air to see the realism and freedom of space that on location shooting can bring to a film. Then, there's Kate Thompson. While Fred and Audrey are glorious, it's Ms. Thompson who's the real scene-stealer as the bossy magazine editor. She transforms "Think Pink" into a delightful Showstopper, and always gets the best lines. Enugh talk. Go see this movie. It's a treasure you won't soon forget.

P.S. If your wondering why I took off a star, it's because of the age difference between Astaire and Hepburn. Astaire was in his late 50's when he made this film, and Hepburn was not yet 30. I simply don't believe that their romance is reasonable. After a few great song and dance numbers, it's not really a big deal, but it's worth a star.

Where Was MArni NIxon?
Funny Face has just about everything going for it. Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Stanley Donen, great Gershwin tunes, a terrific rare glimpse of the incomparable Kay Thompson and above all some of the most exciting visuals and overall art direction ever caught on film. So what happened? The sad decision to let Hepburn do her own singing. That's not to say her voice is bad. It's very... nice. But for a full blown musical of this scale, the audience is yearning for Hepburn's character to really give out with a great set of pipes. Perhaps not quite to the extent of Kay Thompson, an actress perhaps better suited for the stage than the intimacy of the screen. Yet while the movie does not fulfill its promise, it's still well worth seeing. The transformation of Hepburn from mousy bookstore clerk to haute couture model is as wonderful as her similar transformation in "Sabrina". The modeling sessions with Astaire directing Hepburn are delightful and above all the VistaVision presentation of late 50s gloss can not be matched, (the opening credits nearly make up for the entire movie). With Richard Avedon and Suzy Parker's influence the movie almost makes you forgive its failings. Still by the last frame the audience is left with only one thought: "Where's Marni Nixon when you need her?".

The Ultimate Fashion Musical!
Anyone who loves Breakfast at Tiffany's and Roman Holiday knows that Audrey Hepburn is one of the most magical women ever captured on film. But there is something special about Funny Face. It captured a part of the real Audrey -- part book worm, part great dancer, part reluctant star. The "On How to be Lovely" scene with Patricia Neal is one of the most glorious moments in film. You just cannot help but smile when they start singing that song. It will make you fall in love with Audrey over and over again!

Isnt bad. Far from Great.
Fred Astaire, the greatest movie star of all time (Along with Chaplin of course) paired with Audrey Hepburn in this enjoyable, but still slightly dissapointing romantic musical set in France.

If your expecting this film to have great dancing, then dont. It hasnt. What you get however is a very colourful movie with a few decent songs, but others can be questionable.

The basic story is, Fred Astaire is a photographer who discovers a girl (Hepburn) who works in a bookstore and makes a model out of her (Check other reviews for more on the story).

Overall, not too bad a movie. Could have been better, but recommended for fans of either Astaire or Hepburn. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

When the Devil (Peter Cook) offers suicidal short-order cook Stanley (Dudley Moore) seven wishes, Stanley easily surrenders his soul. All of his wishes are granted, to the letter. Unfortunately, as each wish comes to life, the Devil--cheeky sod!--manages to slip some unexpected problem into the mix, ruining everything in a deliciously funny way. Bedazzled was made long before 10 and Arthur made Dudley Moore an unlikely movie star. It's a much purer expression of the off-kilter British humor that Moore and his writing partner Cook pioneered, humor that would lead to Monty Python's Flying Circus and other absurdist goofballs. Moore is charming enough, but what really makes Bedazzled work is Cook, who combines upper-class arrogance with a cheerful, even casual lunacy. Though he played character roles in movies like The Princess Bride and Black Beauty, he was never able to parlay his sneaky sense of humor into starring roles. Bedazzled is his outstanding triumph. Not only does the movie offer some sly commentary on Christian morality, it has a cameo with Raquel Welch as the embodiment of Lust. A classic. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Why would anyone remake this film?
Yeah, I know, nobody in Hollywood has had an original idea in decades, but the news that they were putting out a new version of THIS near-perfect comedy stunned me. And with the guy from "Encino Man"! The original stars the great British team of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore back when the former was still alive, and the latter was still funny. It's basically a retelling of Faust, with short-order cook Stanley Moon (Moore) head-over-heels for a completely indifferent waitress. Stanley sells his tortured soul to The Devil (Cook) for seven chances at romantic bliss, only things never seem to be quite right. No matter how hard Stanley tries to spell out exactly how he wants his new life to be, George (that's the name Satan goes by here on Earth) manages to find a loophole in each wish. The situations that result are all priceless, and there's even a few steamy scenes with Raquel Welch as one of the Seven Deadly Sins (guess which one). The original film is a 10, and there's no more chance of the 2000 version living up to it than there is of Brendan Fraser winning an Academy Award. Like, ever.

terrific classic doesn't need to be re-made!
I first saw this film my first semester in college... in English 101 of all places! After reading the Goethe's "Faust," we were treated to this drop-dead, split your sides open comedy.

Dudley Moore is perfect as the bumbling, broken-hearted bafoon, Stanley Moon. Peter Cook is the evil, but somehow still loveable George Spiggot aka the Devil. Raquel Welch plays a small cameo role as "Lust," one of the seven deadly sins personified.

Moon (Moore) is lovelorn and secretly pining away for the waitress he works with at the local "Wimpy Burger" in London. When Moore realizes that the girl he desires will never notice him, he attempts to take his life and is rescued by none other than the Prince of Darkness.

Moore agrees to sign over his soul to Spiggot in return for 7 wishes. The poor sap just isn't street smart enough and constantly wishes for something he either didn't intend to wish for or worse, a wish he hadn't really thought out properly and thoroughly... exacerbating the meaning of the phrase, "be careful what you wish for... you might just get it!"

Cook does an exemplary job as the wolf in sheeps clothing. Spiggot gains Moon's confidence by being kind to him... despite his alterior motives, it is probably the first time anyone has been kind to Moon in his whole life and the Devil exploits this to the fullest measure. Lack of street-smarts gets moon in one hilarious pickle after another.

I can't say much more without ruining the plot and the hilarity, but suffice to say, you'll never hear "Julie Andrews" the same way again. I highly recommend this as a clever comedy... and one that's safe to show to teens.

I don't even wanna see the remake!
Ok, I only saw this movie once, so I don't remember all of the details properly, so I will try to keep my thought short. (besides, everyone else has filled in most of the details) The movie had me hooked with one of Cook's opening lines about suicide being the last thing you should do. But, I must disagree with those who have considered Cook's role as that of a hero. He was quite likeable on the screen, but I knew someone like that in real life, and it wasn't a fun experience. Ah, but the best part is the end where the devil ends up hosed and Dudly Moore's charactor has his life back. And, I liked how God was portrayed as a nasty type. It's kind of like the moral of the story is that you shouldn't trust either of them. This movie is on my must find DVD list, so I can put it on the shelf next to Dr Strangelove. Not that it is as good as Dr. Strangelove, but it comes closer than a lot of other comedy movies.

Spellbound...
Dudley Moore and Peter Cook were once the dynamic duo of comedy in Britain (and, to a lesser extent, America), having variously stage shows, television shows, and movies before going their mostly separate ways. One of their great collaborations is 'Bedazzled', a somewhat Faustian-influenced comedy about a man making a pact with the devil to get the woman he desires, only to have it get increasingly silly as it gets increasingly specific.

Moore is the poor man in love with a woman unobtainable; Cook is the devil (in very seductive guise, as is the devil's usual image) who promises him he will grant wishes if in turn he gains rights to Moore's soul. During the course of conversation, the devil explains that he and God have been in competition, and the first to reach a set figure wins, and Moore will put the devil over the top.

So, Moore makes a wish. Of course, in typical devilish fashion, it goes awry. The devil, being a sporting sort, gives Moore the chance to be more specific, to refine his wish. And this he does, to the point of absurdity. Instead of simply wishing to have the woman he loves, he ends up wishing that he loves her and she loves him (poof! they're in love, but married to other people--still a bit of a no no in 60's Britain); increasing refinements bring him to the point of wishing that he loves her, and she loves him, they're not married, etc. until finally Moore finds himself and his love are both nuns (forget to specify that he would be male!) in a convent specialising in spiritual leaping (the scene of Moore on the trampoline wearing a nun's habit is worth the full cost of rental of the movie!).

In the end, the devil pays a call on God (who lives in a greenhouse that looks suspiciously like one of the major botanical research greenhouses in Britain, but...) who lets the devil in on the trick that the competition wasn't really on, releases Moore to go back to his life (which by this point Moore realises wasn't so bad), and the devil slinks away, disappointed.

There is so much subtle humour mixed in with the bawdy and tumbling humour that this really is a treat. One reviewer has likened it to Austin Powers, and that is not far off the mark, for this really was the swinging 60s in Britain.

It is amazing to see what passed for questionable morality in movies (given what we see on prime-time television today) with the hindsight that living in the 2000s gives us. This movie seems positively tame by comparison to more recent features. But, it still delights, and the plot is timeless (even if the details will change over time).

You'll be bedazzled too.

Damn L'Amour !
As an American, I typed Bedazzled as a Damn Yankees comparison, or contrast whichever you like. The only comparison is a lady named "Lust" to a zinger of a dancer named "Lola." The only contrast is a guy in Bedazzled who wants l'amour to a Damn Yankees guy with heart that snubs l'amour for the treat of humiliating those always winning damn Yankees. Bedazzled has an apt approach to the Faustus myth; dishing out humor in vignettes-- and it works. The humor? Well, it is a WOW. This is the kind of movie which provokes the question years later, "Do you remember that scene in Bedazzled where . . . ?" ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Part Hitchcock, Part James Bond, All Escapist Fun!
Another fab Universal romantic thriller in the grand CHARADE tradition, including some of the same personnel! If director Stanley Donen's classic 1963 comedy-thriller CHARADE is Hitchcock Lite, then ARABESQUE is Hitchcock Lite after taking a few classes in James Bond 101 (including an opening title sequence by Maurice Binder, who also did the honors for CHARADE as well as for most of the Bond movies). As the hieroglyphics expert embroiled in Middle Eastern intrigue while decoding the cipher everyone's after, Gregory Peck's usual woodenness is oddly effective as he tries to deliver Cary Grant-like witticisms (from co-scripter `Pierre Marton,' a.k.a. the late, great CHARADE alumnus Peter Stone). Peck may not be Mr. Glib, but he seems so delighted to get an opportunity to deliver bon mots after all his serious roles that he's downright endearing, like a child trying out new words for the first time. Co-star Sophia Loren, at her most alluring as an Arab femme fatale, can make any guy look suave and sexy! Christopher Challis's dazzling, inventive cinematography won the BAFTA (the British equivalent of the Oscars), and Christian Dior got a BAFTA nomination for Loren's elegant costumes. Suspenseful and sparkling as this twist-filled adventure is, ARABESQUE's biggest mystery is why it's still only available in VHS format. If this gem ever gets deluxe treatment as a DVD (including letterboxing, please!), I sure hope they get Donen to do the kind of entertaining, informative commentary he did with Stone for Criterion's CHARADE DVD -- perhaps they could even get Loren to put in her two cents!

Reading between the lines
"Arabesque" has star appeal, fine chase scenes and a jaunty music score but a rather confusing plot about deciphering a coded message that everyone in the film is trying to get their hands on. Suave Gregory Peck and pretty Sophia Loren pair up to supply the romance while trying to escape from dangerous situations as they flee their pursuers through the streets of London, a zoo and a racetrack. The cipher and an assassination attempt are at the heart of this story and even Peck's Oxford professor can't figure out which side Loren's Yazmin is on as she tells Mr. Pollock one tale after another while they try to rescue an Arabian Prime Minister from grave danger. Sexy Sophia is not believable as a spy but nevertheless is a fine compliment to Peck in this enjoyable spy caper that parallels 1963's "Charade" but is not in the same class as that film.

Son of Charade!
This movie is ALMOST as good as its immediate predecessor with Grant and Hepburn. It's without a doubt Gregory Peck's best comedy, Roman Holiday or no. Stanley Donen again pairs two mega-stars who normally don't make movies together, (though in the case of Grant and Hepburn, they SHOULD have!) and produces good chemistry. Peck has great, clever lines and so does Loren in spots. However, there are a couple of scenes in the movie that keep me from giving it the full five or four star treatment.

This is a Peck, may he rest in peace, that you haven't seen before. His flippant, tossed-off lines suit the situations the writers have put his character in to a tee. He plays a professor reluctantly helping a slimy character, who KIDNAPS him to acquire his services, to decipher a piece of paper with a hieroglyphic inscription on it that a lot of people seem to be after. That hieroglyphic ISN'T exactly what concerns them, though!

Loren and the general intrigue, drag the poor man through being drugged out of his mind on a well-used freeway riding a bicycle, being abducted by yet more shady types, (a short-haired hipster and his gang), and evading armed arabs in a helicopter on horseback. Peck's character, however, dilutes any sympathy he'd get for all this by holding a knife to the exquisite Ms. Loren's throat early in the film! What's even weirder is that Loren SMILES at him after he does it since they were both trying to escape the mansion Loren was being held in. The whole thing was HER idea!

All the while, Peck throws out bon mots like there's no tomorrow, making you wonder why he didn't make more comedies, (Peter O'Toole, George Hamilton and Candice Bergen would make you think the same thing in breakout comedies THEY'VE made!) Loren is absolutely GORGEOUS with those almond eyes, incredible figure, sculpted upper lip, magnificent tan and body by Fisher! She has a couple of great scenes in the movie, one where she tries to distract a Palace Guard in England and another where she's stuck in a shower, nude, where Peck has hidden to avoid being nabbed by her extremely possessive and decadent "keeper" in the beginning of the film.

Though people might argue to the contrary, this film really doesn't resemble "Charade" all that much, except for the fact that two stellar actors are doing a glamorous mystery trifle. The theme involves international intrigue, rather than a murder mystery and you know who Peck is from the beginning. It's actually LOREN who's the iffy one of the two....in the back of the van in the middle of the film, just before Peck goes on the comical bicycle ride on the freeway, it really looks like she's one of the bad guys as she cuddles with the character that first batters then drugs Peck.

Like Charade, however, the O. Henry machine is in overdrive as you never know who's who or what's what, except for Peck. One British government agent even surprises you!

There's a teaser scene, just before the credits run, that has one of the employees of Beshravi, the man keeping Loren, actually dropping ACID in some poor, unsuspecting soul's eyes. This, along with the knife scene with Loren and Peck, are the two scenes that keep me from giving this film a full family recommendation....However, if you have a strong stomach, it's one of the more entertaining 60s spy spoofs and definitely one of the better comedies for both Peck and Loren.

Great Movie
Arabesque is an extremeley entertaining and amusing movie. Peck and Loren are an excellent pair and their relationship kept me laughing throughout most of the movie. If you like spy movies and comedies, or if you just like Gregory Peck this is a movie for you. Anyway, I just liked it so much that I wanted to write a review for it, so I hope this helps.

RACIST YET DECADENT FLICK
Even though I am not Arab (just an advocate of human rights), this sumptous movie would have gotten 5 Stars if it weren't for the offensive and mistaken portrayal of Arabs and Muslims. Especially the name, "Arabesque" must be truly offensive to them ....

OTHER THAN THAT, if you can take this movie lightheartedly, non-judgementally and tongue-in-cheek (although we can't expect Arabs to!) than it is great entertainment with tonz of wit, TONZ of DRAMA!!!, decedant fashion scenes (of Sophia Loren trying on shoes!), and the chemistry between the two is pure romance. Although you wonder how they can ever top what they've been through - adventure-wise!

All in all, WORTH the money. Decadent close-ups of Sophia's make-up and a nice amount of outfit changes. An inspiration to women with inner glamour. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The third collaboration between Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, It's Always Fair Weather falls short of the classics On the Town and Singin' in the Rain, mostly due to a slow plot and middling songs by Andre Previn, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green.In a story reminiscent of On the Town, Kelly, Dan Dailey, and Michael Kidd play three GIs who return from the war vowing to stay buddies forever.When they reunite 10 years later, however, they find they have little in common, other than having given up on their dreams. Best known as the choreographer of such MGM evergreens as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, the diminutive Kidd proves adept at kicking up his heels in front of the camera.Cyd Charisse plays a scheming television producer (an unusually down-home character) and Delores Gray is the toothy TV show host.(Gray gets to sing and Charisse dances a little, though not with Kelly.) The best moments, of course, are the dance numbers Kelly choreographed, including the three GIs' trash-can-lid dance, Charisse's solo supported by a crew of boxers, and Kelly's number on roller skates, "I Like Myself," which combines some of the free spirit of "Singin' in the Rain" with the stunt footwear made famous by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in 1937's Shall We Dance. Unfortunately, the pan-and-scan format spoils the film's wide CinemaScope presentation, often fitting only two of the three characters on the screen.Enjoyable, but not quite a classic.--David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (15)

One of the best musicals of the 1950's
Besides Singin' in the Rain and 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (which always get good reviews), this is a forgotten gem. I like the movie because there is some cynicism in the characters that make their transformations that much more memorable. If you don't know the basic story line, it's about 3 guys who were the BEST of friends as war buddies, decide to meet years later, and have realized that through the passage of time...now they HATE each other. Of course, it's an MGM musical, so you should know how the ending turns out.
Gene Kelly proves again that he's not only a great dancer, but a great actor, although I do believe like the other reviews that Dan Dailey does the best acting job. Michael Kidd does a good job being the simplest of the three. And don't forget the ladies, especially Cyd Charisse--I don't think she ever does anything wrong.
2 musical sequences stand out-- one is when the 3 main characters are in 3 different locations and start singing a song and the dance choreography is the same for all of them--you see 3 different screens (so they are obviously in 3 different settings) which I think was unique in the 1950's. Just an amazing sequence that makes you realize why movies are great. And the 2nd is the Gene Kelly roller skating sequence, which I feel has a bigger emotional lift considering the circumstances in the movie than his "singin' in the rain" bit of the movie of the same title. The movie's not as good as "singin' in the rain" , but if you're looking for some great musicals that they don't make anymore, I think you'll enjoy the flick.

"A Neglected Charmer"
This musical, oddly neglected, is in fact a worthy companion to "Singing in the Rain" and "The Bandwagon." Gene Kelly is his usual brilliant self, and the underrated Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd almost rival him in elegant hoofing. Not only their opening dance sequence employing garbage can tops, but also that terrific scene in a fancy restaurant where these three World War II war buddies are later reunited and privately sing of their disappointment in each other rival in wit anything in the aforementioned musicals. Moreover, the photography in both these scenes surely ranks among the most imaginative ever put on screen in the service of that elongated band-aid, Cinemascope. Cyd Charisse, always beautiful, is here at last given something to do. Her singing and dancing scene with the boxers in Stillman's Gym shows her at her cinematic best. Dolores Gray as a TV host is wonderfully over the top, and TV itself as a new medium comes in for a wonderfully insightful drubbing remarkably early in its career as the boob tube. Finally ,then, only one question arises - When will this film be released in widescreen on DVD?

Gene Kelly Is Love On Two Feet!
Standout production about three inseperable Army buddies with big plans who on their last drunken night together after World War II vow to reunite ten years later...and can't stand each other when they do.

This really is an overlooked diamond which deserves among all others the DVD treatment for its wonderful use of 2:35:1. There is one scene which particularly suffers from the pan and scan - the musical number in which the three pals sing and dance on a tri-split screen (each thinking the same thing about the others - `Once Upon A Time I Had Two Friends...' is the song). Compositions are great all around, though. Jazzy, upbeat musical numbers and some of the greatest dance steps Gene Kelly ever pulled off (the stellar one on the roller skates `I Like Myself' which is seen briefly by Jean Reno in THE PROFESSIONAL, and a great set in the beginning where the GI's tap dance with trash can lids on their feet are particularly amazing). Cyd Charrise kicks it up with a gym full of pugs in `Baby, You Knock Me Out' and Dolores Grey for my money gives the best performance in the awesome `Thanks A Lot But No Thanks,' alternately dynamiting and gunning down her suitors...it cracks me up every time.

And the story is smart and sweet too, touching on the endurance of real friendship, the benefit of hindsight, and the healing effects of true love. Granted, like a good horse it tends to sag a little in the middle, but it comes back kicking in the end. This one is a real classic. I love it too much to give it less than four stars, but it loses one for the pan and scan.

Pan and Scan Disaster
Everytime I see this VHS, I think back to an interview with Kelly where he said this film would never be released on VHS during his life because he would have to chop it in half. Kelly hated the pan and scan that came with a standard 1.33:1 TV screen and if you ever see this film letterboxed, you will understand why. (Luckily I have the Gene Kelly Collection on laserdisc which is letterboxed.)
It is a gritty film, that at times moves a little slowly, but the tap dancing rollerskates is truly one of the most talented things I have ever seen Kelly do-it is amazing.
Serious Gene Kelly fans should push for a re-issue of the above mentioned collection on DVD. Then you could see it as it should be seen.

A cynical "On The Town."
It is a Gene Kelly vehichle and there are three wartime buddies, but that's pretty much where the "On The Town" similarities end. It is a surprisingly sharp, cynical story in which the protagonist's dreams do *not* initially come true- due to life circumstances. Betty Comden and the late Adolph Green- responsible for so many great film scores as well as the scripts of "Auntie Mame," "Bells Are Ringing," and "What A Way To Go-" contribute very witty songs here, including the Danubian tri-liloquy sung by the guys and Dolores Gray's "Thanks A Lot, But No Thanks" and "Music Is Better than Words (delivered with a rich, smooth contralto)." I wish Kelly and Charisse had danced together (the omission makes the film appear a bit empty), but my favorite numbers are still his garbage-can dance through the streets and her sexy sweater-and-skirt dance with the boxers, "Baby, You Knock Me Out." And I would've liked the roller-skating finale better if it didn't have a big, looming, piece of the "Singin' In The Rain" set in the background. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Uneven (like most bios), but not without its rarities.
This film is a curiosity more than anything else. I rented it years ago and found it uneven at best. Like most of MGM's alleged 'composer biographies,' it distorts the details of the composer's actual life (in this case, Broadway stage/operetta afficionado Sigmund Romberg) and hangs all of his magnificent songs on an all-star coatrack. And there lies the attraction: seeing Gene Kelly in his only on-screen appearance with real-life brother Fred; seeing Jose Ferrer's bride Rosemary Clooney in her fresh-faced beauty and ear-delicious voice; watching grande dame soprano Helen Traubel sing "Aufwiedersen" to a dying Merle Oberon; and most of all seeing Ann Miller blend the Charleston with her signature tap dancing (I'm not kidding) and superbabe Cyd Charisse in probably the single most erotic dance performed on film: an Arabian Nights-influenced duet with James Mitchell to the song "One Alone." And how she moves in that all-lace, form-fitting gown is anyone's guess.

Not So Deep
I'm conducting a wake for Rosemary Clooney (Born May 23, 1928. Died June 30, 2002.) I read "Girl Singer: an autobiography" and got the conveniently packaged "Songs from the Girl Singer: a musical autobiography " CD set. Like Girranimals, the similarly titled pieces have the same picture on the front so that the purchaser will know that they go together. I heartily recommend both. But I can only give a mid-depth recommendation to "Deep In My Heart." Perhaps this is because of reading Rosemary's book and determining that the Star, Jose Ferrer, was a real-life scoundrel to her. And it may also have to do with my unfamiliarity with the Sigmund Romberg oeuvre. The joy and spectacle of the "Specialty numbers" with guest stars including Gene Kelley, Ann Miller (how does she even WALK in those super-high stilletos - let alone do that dazzling dance?,)Merle Oberlin's "Camille"-like turn, Ferrer's Jolson-esque "Jazza Do" synopsis, and the piece de resistance: the "Mr. And Mrs." song and dance duet by Ferrer and his real-life newlywed bride, Rosemary Clooney, make this an Oldie worth renting, but I'm not going to rush to buy a copy.

Such beautiful music!
This movie is a real pleasure to watch. Good, old-fashioned entertainment with lots of singing and dancing. Jose Ferrer is a surprisingly good song and dance man in this story of Sigmund Romberg, the man who wrote the music for The Student Prince, Desert Song, Maytime, and many others. There are production numbers from many of his shows featuring famos stars in cameos and a little romance, too. A heartwarming film for music lovers!

Great Music, Cast, and Film
A biography of Sigmund Romberg, the musical and operetta composer. Anything which features his music must have some good features, but this is superlative all the way around. Jose Ferrer is charming as Rommie, Merle Oberon gives a nice performance as his love interest, and the list of cameos is starry, with Rosemary Clooney shining in one number and the great operatice soprano Helen Traubel singing "Softly" as it must be, a touching plea full of torment, angst, and ultimately acceptance. Beautiful technicolor, good direction. Very amusing, filled with some of the best songs ever written, and beautifully performed and captured on film.

Great dancing
The only thing good about the movie is the dancing. Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, and Ann Miller. They are 3 of the best dancers and you won't see anything like this again. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

A Great Vacation
"Blame It On Rio" is like taking a great vacation of fun, sun and no inhibitions. The setting is beautiful Rio de Janeiro and the film gives an honest impression of the city...beautiful beaches, Bossa Nova flavored music, tropical climate. Michael Caine is hilarious, Joseph Bologna a perfect comical foil to Caine, Michelle Johnson sweet and innocent(?), and Demi Moore likeable and levelheaded. I saw this movie for the first time when I was about Michelle Johnson's age and when I saw the film recently, it brought back wonderful memories of that time in the 80s. The film is a not-so-implausible plot of a middle-aged man (Caine) spending a vacation in Brazil with his daughter (Moore),his best friend (Bologna) and his best friend's daughter (Johnson). Valerie Harper plays Caine's wife, who backs out of the vacation to Rio at the last minute and packs for Bahia. "Must have been the free and easy laughter in the air...must have been the moonlight on the sea..." Caine has an affair with his best friend's daughter (Johnson)and the comedy ensues. "Blame It On Rio" is just plain old fun with great scenery, great quotes (Johnson to Caine "That's not you life line, that's your heart line" and Caine's reply "Teeny little thing isn't it"), and great comedy!

Good movie to watch late at night
"Blame It On Rio" is one of my favorite films. The great scenery of Rio De Janeiro is one of the perks of watching this. It's kinda like watching a travelogue of the city that's a 24-hour carnival. The film is packed with memorable lines as well ("They looked at us, let's go talk to them,"says Victor. "They're practically nude," Matthew states. Victor's response? "Try to picture them with clothes on"). Michelle Johnson won a Razzie for her performance as Jennifer, which I didn't think was that bad. Demi Moore's performance, on the other hand, takes some getting used to. Michael Caine, always the top-rate performer, doesn't disappoint in this one. His performance is honest and well-meaning. There are one small fault in the film though: the soundtrack. I'm not talking about the bossa-nova or nightclub music, but the outdated 80s music. There is one song in the film that gets played over and over again. By the end of the film, the song will not leave your head LOL. That doesn't matter though. It doesn't take away the film's entertainment value. It is still a fun film to watch and make you laugh.

very funny and very sexy
I saw this movie when it first came out back in 1984, and it has always stuck in my mind as a very fun movie. The movie opens with two middle-aged men, both of whom are going through difficult marriages. One (Joseph Bologna) is getting a divorce and the other (Michael Caine) finds his marriage on the rocks. They travel to Rio on a vacation with their teenage daughters, but without their wives, in order to forget about their marital troubles. Because the daughters replace the wives on this vacation, it creates a vaguely incestous tension. In one of the movie's early scenes, Bologna's daughter (Michelle Johnson) and Caine's daughter (Demi Moore) are bare breasted as they walk up to their fathers on the beach. Moore seems somewhat shy as her hair mostly covers her chest, but Johnson is clearly very confident and proud of her breasts. Her father asks her to cover her breasts and she refuses. Though the direct incestous tension between father and daughter doesn't go any further than this, the sexuality definitely builds between Johnson and dad's friend Caine to the point where they are soon having an affair.

The affair creates a series of situations that are downright hilarious, and many scenes had me rolling on the floor laughing. For the guys in the audience, Michelle Johnson is definitely gorgeous and we get to--well--see a lot of her, and she seems very comfortable and happy with her nudity. Demi Moore plays a more minor role both in terms of nudity and in terms of her character. The movie is not intended to make any grand in-depth statement, and is probably not very accurate about Brazil, but if you want a light-hearted, sexy comedy it would be hard to do much better.

On a personal note, this movie was something of a rite of passage for me because it was, I believe, the first movie showing adult nudity that I ever saw on the big screen. I still thought of myself as a bit of a kid at the time, and I thought of topless and nude scenes as something that adults (i.e. people a lot older than me) did. I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that Michelle Johnson was exactly the same age as me (we were both born in Sept 1965). I came to the conclusion that if an actress my age were doing topless scenes, I must have reached adulthood myself.

The movie is a hilarious comedy without considering the nude scenes--since it is a sex comedy set on and around Rio's topless beaches, the nudity tends to fit right in. And because it is set in Rio (where 'the play gets done') the viewer is allowed to relax and take a vacation for a couple of hours, even if the characters aren't always relaxed in their antics. All in all, you won't find any deep statements about the world here, but it is a really fun movie.

The DVD is too dark
I wrote a 4-star review of the VHS version of this movie on 11/22/00. Later I bought the DVD version. The DVD was much darker. Some of the night scenes were almost completely black. This was annoying and made the DVD useless to me. It made no sense to me why they did this. The VHS version is great!

Funny and sexy
"Blame it on Rio" is a cute and funny film which manages to be a wish-fulfilment fantasy for middle-aged men, and tell a good story at the same time.

Michael Cane is perfect as the man in a doubful marriage, who is hit on suddenly by his best friend's daughter, Jennifer, played by the voluptous and pretty Michelle Johnson.

Of course that is a doubtful proposition, since he is over twice her age (Michelle was only eighteen when she played this), and since he is vacationing not only with her, but with her father, who is his best friend, and with his own daughter, who is her best friend!

The story is funny and entertaining, and Jennifer is dead sexy. I find it hard to imagine resisting if she threw herself at you.

It must be said that beautiful Demi Moore is underused as Nikki, the best friend. Especially in the underdressed scenes, too little of that. I suspect she was having ego problems against Michelle's bigger bosom. This would explain why she later got a boob job, as seen in (the underrated) Striptease. Very dumb move, in my opinion. She was perfect. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

New York, New York--it's a helluva town; the Bronx is up and the Battery's down; the people ride in a hole in the ground.... Well, you get the idea. Those lyrics (by Betty Comden and Adolph Green), set to Leonard Bernstein's music, have made On the Town a permanent part of the psychological landscape of New York City. The story (inspired by Jerome Robbins's ballet Fancy Free) is pretty slight: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin play sailors with 24 hours' leave to take their bite out of the Big Apple. When they meet, and then lose, this month's Miss Turnstiles (Vera-Ellen), they scour the town in search of her, bumping into a lady anthropologist (Ann Miller) along the way. Shot mostly in the studio, but with location exteriors all over town, from Coney Island to the Statue of Liberty to Central Park, this 1949 gem was the first of three great musicals codirected by Kelly and Stanley Donen, followed by Singin' in the Rain (1952) and the underrated It's Always Fair Weather (1955). --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (46)

ON THE TOWN is On The Money!!
I saw a clip of ON THE TOWN on THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT (MGM's tribute film of its muscials circa 1970's) and never saw the actual movie until it came out on video back in the 80's. A musical probably overshadowed by SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, HIGH SOCIETY or AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, but this MGM Musical is just as good. The basic premise of 3 sailors on 24 hour shore leave in New York City and finding romance makes for great fun. It's as simple as that!! Boasting actual location shots in New York City, great songs, dance numbers, and of course...Gene Kelly and pre Eva Gardner and Rat-Pack Frank Sinatra, this is a must see musical from MGM's hey-day. Great supporting cast by Betty Garrett(who went on to TV sitcoms ALL IN THE FAMILY and LAVERN & SHIRLEY),Ann Miller, Jules Munshin, and the very forgotten, beautiful and talented Vera Ellen. The song New York, New York - - Its a Wonderful Town! used in the opening sequence in the New York City Location shots should have won an OSCAR. They just don't make 'em like this anymore!!

Not the Broadway version, but still a great movie musical
Three sailor friends take a zany, madcap tour of New York City in the Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green musical ON THE TOWN -- refashioned here as an MGM vehicle for Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin as the sailors and Vera-Ellen, Betty Garrett, and Ann Miller as their girlfriends-for-a-day. Although I think that the original stage score, composed wholly by Bernstein, is superior, the movie does have several fine "new numbers," including "Prehistoric Man" (in which Miller, in a stunning tap dance routine, proves herself to be no cold scientist but a hot-blooded woman) and "You're Awful" (a golden vocal moment for Sinatra) -- as well as Bernstein's "I Feel Like I'm Not Out of Bed Yet," "New York, New York (A Wonderful Town)," "Come Up to My Place," and the ballet "A Day in New York." Usually thought of as one of Kelly's "big three" MGM films (along with AN AMERICAN IN PARIS and SINGIN' IN THE RAIN), ON THE TOWN in fact has no real "star"; the roles are all about equal in size. Kelly, so often cast in "tough" roles, is here touching in his pursuit of the lovely and talented "Miss Turnstiles" (Vera-Ellen). Sinatra is charmingly boyish and Munshin adorably hilarious, while their "girlfriends" -- Garrett the comedienne and Miller the dancer -- are well contrasted. "A Day in New York" is a highlight and prefigures both "Broadway Melody" in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and "An American in Paris" -- two other "dream ballets" in which Kelly's character is the sad and dejected lover. This movie may not be Broadway's ON THE TOWN, but it is a colorful MGM musical with a first-rate cast.

Not the best, by a long shot
Although Kelly, Donen, and Comden/Green would go on to movie greatness together ("Singing in the Rain", 1952) this one comes up short. The problem is simple: MGM didn't respect the original material enough (the Bernstein/Comden/Green Broadway musical of the same name)-- most of the fine Bernstein songs were jettisoned in favor of distinctly second-rate stuff ("Main Street", "You're Awful", etc.), as well as dumping all the great dance numbers save two ("A Day in New York", "Miss Turnstiles"). The other problem is that after Gabey, Ivy, and their friends finally get together atop the Empire State Building, the movie really goes downhill; the whole denouement at Coney Island is silly and takes much too long. There are some good performances, esp. from the women (Betty Garrett and Ann Miller really give the movie oomph and a sense of fun, and Alice Pearce's "I got the gargle!" bit is classic). Sinatra and Kelly are fine as always, but you have to be a big Jules Munshin fan to weather his supershticky performances, both here and in "Take me Out to the Ball Game" (also with Sinatra, Kelly, and Garrett).

I know this movie is a big fan favorite; I just hope that people who think On the Town is a fine musical take the time to check out the really superior products of MGM's famous Freed unit: "Singing in the Rain", "Gigi", "Meet me in St. Louis". When the Freed unit clicked on all cylinders, as they did in those three movies, nobody made better movies of ANY kind.

It's the Best
On The Town is the best movie I've seen in my whole lifetime. I find it enjoyable for the family and musical lovers. You can watch it over and over again. It's funny and the best songs ever (I can't get them out of my head!). It was a wonderful production.

Wow! What a movie!
I actually haven't seen the whole thing, but I couldn't stop myself from writing a review! I've looked for it everywhere, but I can't find it! From what I saw of it, I know it is a wonderful movie. The "New York, New York" sequence at the start really gets you into it! I loved it, it's definitely one of a kind. I reccomened to everyone who likes Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, who are both great in this movie. Of course it's hard to forget Vera Ellen, who is very talented and beautiful in this movie. I wish someday to see the rest of it, and I am going to keep looking for it everywhere. Watch it now! ... Read more

Reviews (140)

That's Entertainment!
I saw this movie in 1963 when it was released. I was captivated by it then and remain so. The kaleidoscopic opening credits are as beautiful as I remember, and the chase scenes-- on foot here-- are still exciting. We will never see anyone like Audrey Hepburn again. A total original, she and Gary Grant-- showing considerable skill as a comedian here-- are magnificent as a couple, having both style and electricity, often forgotten qualities in many of today's leading actors. Heburn and Grant are assisted by the likes of James Coburn, a young Walter Matthau and George Kennedy in supporting roles. Then there's Henry Mancini's score and direction by Stanley Donen. The plot takes many interesting twists and turns as Ms. Hepburn tries to figure out just who the dashing Mr. Grant really is-- a criminal or her savior or perhaps both or neither.

If you've seen this movie before, you'll enjoy a replay. If this is your first time, you'll in for a real treat, a delightful way to spend an evening.

Old Style Hollywood Glam in Gorgeous DVD Transfer
This is an exceptional DVD transfer of an exceptional movie. Criterion has done a magnificent job of restoring Charade to its colorful glory. The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The print is clear, crisp, and beautiful to behold. You feel as if you can reach out and touch the actors.

And what actors! The film features the dashing older ve