Reviews (140)

The BEST action/adventure film ever made.
Errol Flynn at his best...swashbuckling at its best...action and adventure galore. This film is simply the best of the genre. The casting is perfect, from Flynn in the best role of his career, to Herbert Mundin as Much the Miller's son. The 3-strip color photography remains as vibrant today as when it was released 61 years ago. The dialogue between Flynn and Oliva de Havilland, between Flynn and Basil Rathbone, between Flynn and Claude Rains, is always lively, always fun. And Miss de Havilland's costumes are absolutely gorgeous, as is she.

The film moves, never stops, and you are never bored. If you watch this movie alongside Kevin Costner's ill-advised Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, you realize why one should never try to improve on perfection.

As the New York Times said in its original review in 1938, this film entertains everyone from 8 to 80. No argument here!

The Greatest Robin Hood ,Flynn now a fantastic WB DVD set!
Warner Brothers (WB) Studios has begun meticulously digitally restoring its action classics of the 1930's & 40's under the "Two Disc Special Edition" Series. This 1938 TECHNICOLOR (awesome) film "The Adventures of Robin Hood" starring Errol Flynn, Olivia deHavilland, Basil Rathbone & Claude Rains is still the best rendition of this fictionalized English tale.

Warner Brothers has given us with this 2 Disc set the complete movie theatre experience circa 1938. DISC 1 - First we get a complete "Night at the Movies" program. Introduction by film critic Leonard Maltin explaining for your 10 cent investment what you got in a 1938 movie house. Next the entire continous show with; coming attraction, news reel, Bugs Bunny Cartoon, short subject feature and then the main feature, "The Adventures of Robin Hood". This is a totally ingenius idea!!! Also on Disc 1 - you have 12 Errol Flynn movie trailers and finally an indepth feature commentary by film historian Rudy Belhmer.

Disc 2 - Includes 3 hours of everything about Robin Hood, the movie, the stars, documentaries, cartoons, and a most informative documentary about TECHNICOLOR and why even today it still was the best color process ever.

I love this fun filled DVD set. My hat is off to Warner Brothers for their dedication to the golden age of Hollywood and bring back the grandest of movies for us to see again & again better than their original release. Enjoy.

great movie ....second DVD is amaaazing!
This is more a review of the package than the movie , which is a classic and extremely well presented on disc one....vivid colors , crisp images....not a complaint there....and the bonus features are very good....a comprehensive set of Errol Flynn movie trailers...WB night at the movies....(an exhausting Rudy Belmer commentary track that will have you gasping for air).
the SECOND disc is just ridiculous in its amount of archival coverage..
a wonderful documentary on the movie
a great feature on the history of Technicolor....
two very fun looney tunes cartoons with a Robin Hood theme...
outtakes from the movie!
home movies shot during filming!
a long lost Errol Flynn movie about yachting..
and a positively thrilling short film about archer Howard Hill...
and more.
HOURS of fun and informative viewing on disc two alone!
Warners should be congratulated for such a comprehensive set ....buy this and encourage them to keep this type of content coming!!!

Errol Flynn: Truly The Sheerwood Forest outlaw
One of the Greatest action/adventure films of the 20th century. The epic swashbuckling adventure of one of history's greatest heroes.the dashing Errol Flynn as Robin Hood or as they also call him "Sir Robin of Locksley" was perfect. He was what a swashbuckler should be and probably the greatest of all swashbucklers. Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains were brilliant as Robin's foes, Sir Guy and Prince John. Oliva DeHavilland was glamorous as the love of Robin Hood, Maid Marian. My Favorite scene was Robin and Sir Guy's sword fight during King Richard's return. Flynn and Rathbone two of cinema's sword fighting experts. I love the sound of sword clangling. If your looking for a classic film or a swashbuckler film, this is a great one. Because this a film that created Pirates of the Carribean, "Long Live King Richard."

The Kids Loved It!
This was one that our boys (ages 7 and 10) watched with their grandfather, who caught it in the theatres when it first came out. It's hard to say who enjoyed it more! A fun, spirited and utterly charming film, this one has aged beautifully. Everyone loved the bonus features, too. The DVD transfer is exceptional. Add some popcorn, and you've got a wonderful mulitgenerational hit that will enchant the whole family. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Why isn't this on DVD?
This is one of the greatest movies of all time in my opinion. I am very pleased it has lasted and not been blacklisted like Disney's 'Song Of The South'. The black cast does speak with an overly Southern accent of the time, and that's what makes this so charming. Rex Ingram is delightful as "De Lawd". Don't miss Eddie "Rochester" Anderson as Noah. ("I guess I can get de animals, Lawd. There was a circus in town last week...")

With every junky new movie coming out on DVD, why hasn't this classic come out?

Triumphant!
I first saw this movie as a child, probably aged 5 or six, and I'd never forgotten it. For some reason, I had never been able to catch it on t.v., and as the years went by, it became very sketchy in my mind, but still there. Last night, about 44 years after the first time I viewed it, I had the profound pleasure of seeing it again. It was worth the wait.
The cast is spectacular, the sets charming and beautiful. It tells the story of creation, Adam and Eve, Noah ect, with a child-like simplicity. Often hilarious, sometimes very poignant and moving but always reverent, it illustrates what has given African Americans the strength to survive the tremendous struggles we have faced as a people. A simple, steadfast faith in God, who, for many of us, is as real as the sun, flowers, storms, and just as much a part of our every day lives. It is an awesome movie, and one that I think every one should see, at least once.

A True
I keep watching this film over & over again. It displays some of the very best cinematography in Black & White film making, I have ever seen.The film encompasses; Drama, comedy, visualizations & tremendous conversation of the old time south. The feeling of watching the all African - American cast, in a true southern depiction & context, is compelling to me. This is the time before the media introduced a rediculous control over what we, as Americans, can watch & enjoy as main stream filming.

I would love to see this & other classics of it's time being replayed on todays television a lot more frequently. To me, todays black film makers are to reluctant to create films of life, in much lesser, simpleminded & wholesome environment. I recommend for all ages,to be a " must see " motion picture.

Please the King!
This movie is a throwback to a better time; a time when political correctness didn't get in the way of a good laugh. It consists of bible stories seen through the eyes of poor Southern blacks in the 1930s. You will roar with laughter as adorable pickaninnies ride clouds in Heaven and Noah debates with De Lawd about how many "kegs o' likka" he can take on the Ark. My favorite scene is when Moses and Aaron confront Old King Pharaoh to demand that he "let the Hebrew chillun' go." Moses is portrayed as a simple yet pious half-wit empowered by De Lawd with a magical walking stick and a few extra IQ points (okay, make that a lot of extra IQ points). You will cheer when he gives the Pharaoh his comeuppance by showing him that you can't out-trick De Lawd. Rex Ingram does some fine acting in his triple roles of De Lawd, Adam, and Hezdrel. The scene where Hezdrel tells De Lawd about how mankind found "moicy" is heart-touching. I wholeheartedly recommend this film to anyone interested in cinema the way it used to be, without the liberal bias and distortions of fact we are subjected to today. So if you'd like an old-fashioned good time, just rare back with a ten-cent ceegar and a bottle of sonny-kick-mammy wine and pop this one in the VCR. It's more fun than a fish-fry in Heaven!

Wish I could get it on DVD
Well, Im settling for VHS although I really want it on DVD. This has got to be the best movie of all time...in my opinion of course. I saw this movie some years ago and Ive been looking for it ever since. I was actually on my way to a church revival that night and this movie came on AMC so i watched it as i got dressed. I then found myself debating whether i should go to church late and see the end or go to church on time and see the movie later? This was during black history month so I was sure it would come on again. Well I went to church hoping that Id catch the movie again another time and I never did because..OH WOW! I never caught the name of the movie. Ive spent my day today looking up every old African American movie I could find and I actually found it on someones list. Its a wonderful movie yall, funny as I dont know what although I doubt its meant to be. The vernacular is what sealed it for me. If you want to hear some real serious Ebonics, buy this movie!! For real. Gods name in the movie was Lawd! I wish we could rate higher than 5 stars cuz I'd give this movie a 10! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Mark Twain, Warner Brothers' Style
I've never read Mark Twain's novel to be able to say how closely this movie follows to the original story. It certainly has the Warner Brothers' touch. Errol Flynn is his usual dashing, dauntless self, perfectly at home with a sword in hand. Claude Rain again is the cunning, cultured villain, and Alan Hale is a welcome face, although this time he is Flynn's foe instead of friend. As Prince Edward and his look alike beggar friend, the Mauch twins are occasionally annoying, but for the most part quite effective as the victims of a switch that learn to appreciate the other side of life. The story is fun and played with a lot of energy and humour. Don't assume that this is an Errol Flynn video, because he really isn't the star - the twins are the stars. However, there is enough of Flynn to keep his fans happy, and a good enough story and movie to keep everyone happy (including children).

CLASSIC TWAIN ADVENTURE - GREAT LOOKING TRANSFER!
The Prince & The Pauper is based on the much loved Mark Twain classic. In a nutshell, the plot centers around twins, one the spoiled heir to the English throne, a other a begger with a heart of gold. When the two accidentally cross paths they become best friends and secretly trade places, much to the chagrin of one of the king's advisors (Claude Rains) who is plotting to kill the heir and take over himself. Enter into this fray a fortune hunter (Errol Flynn) who vows to set everything right for king, country and a healthy financial reward. It all ends pleasantly enough in a sword and swashbuckling sort of way.
WARNER HOME VIDEO gives us a handsome looking transfer that is sure to please. The gray scale has been impeccibly balanced with solid blacks and very nice renderings of fine detail. Certain scenes exhibit a touch of edge enhancement and a hint of pixelization, but nothing that will distract from this visually stunning film adaptation. The sound elements are somewhat disappointing by contrast. The main title sequence in particular sounds as though the music track was discovered under a rock. Nevertheless, dialogue - for the most part - is presented at an adequate listening level with only the slightest of pops, scratches and hiss.
EXTRAS: An essay and theatrical trailer - BIG DEAL!
BOTTOM LINE: The Prince & The Pauper is a visually stunning movie that, although straying somewhat from Twain's original intent, is nevertheless faithful enough to remind us why his name continues to be among America's greatest literary talents. The transfer is solid. I recommend this DVD!

Errol Flynn in Support of Mauch Twins in Classic Twain Tale!
In 1937, the WB, capitalizing on Errol Flynn's spectacular performances in CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE, cast him in four films, with varying degrees of success. The best, by far, was William Keighley and William Dieterle's production of the Mark Twain classic, THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, where he supported new WB 'discoveries' Billy and Bobby Mauch, portraying London urchin Tom Canty and his look-alike, Prince Edward Tudor. The twins were gifted, young (12 at the time of the filming) actors, with a Freddie Bartholomew-like quality of engaging innocence, and they gave this version of the oft-filmed tale a sense of reality that split-screen performances by a single actor could never achieve.

The story is an engaging one, as young Canty, inspired by his mother and a local priest to dream of a finer life than his father, an ill-tempered beggar (Barton MacLane) could provide, sneaks onto the grounds of Buckingham Palace. There, he meets young Prince Edward, who is thrilled to meet a boy his own age...and, after cleaning him up a bit, is astonished to discover that the pair could pass as twins. Edward decides this is a golden opportunity to see what life outside the Palace is really like, so, against Canty's misgivings, the two exchange clothing, and the Prince leaves...creating far more of an uproar than either boy could ever imagine!

Canty is soon considered 'mad', as he insists he is not Edward, and the Prince, abused and ridiculed by Tom's father, is unceremoniously thrown off the Palace grounds when he attempts to return, by a disbelieving Captain of the Guards (Alan Hale, in the first of 12 films he'd make with his friend, Errol Flynn). The ambitious Earl of Hertford (the always brilliant Claude Rains) investigates Canty's claim, and realizes, after interviewing the Captain, that the boy is telling the truth, giving him a golden opportunity to seize power. Ordering the Captain to find and kill the Prince, the Earl then threatens to kill Canty if he doesn't obey his commands.

Things grow desperate for the young Prince, as he attempts to evade his murderous 'father' on the streets, until Miles Hendon (Flynn), a roguish but good-natured 'soldier-for-hire' comes to his aid. Offering his protection to the lad, Hendon thinks him a bit balmy, as well...until events (the child's obvious despair over the death of Henry VIII, the Palace search party, and a sword duel with the Captain, where Flynn KILLS Alan Hale!!!) convince him otherwise. Then it becomes a race against time to smuggle the real King into the Coronation, before Canty is crowned, and the Earl assumes "the Power behind the Throne".

Blessed with a gifted cast, including wonderful character actor Montagu Love as the dying Henry VIII, the film offers a truly exceptional film score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (who would eventually expand the theme into a symphonic work). Audiences have always been surprised that Errol Flynn's role is not larger, but as a faithful Twain adaptation, the focus had to be on the two boys, and not on the impoverished soldier. Flynn had fun playing Hendon, and the Mauch twins were nothing less than superb as the leads.

With THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD less than a year away, and Errol Flynn's star continuing to ascend, the WB had every reason to celebrate, and THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER is a pleasure to watch, to this day!

Good film based on The Prince and the Pauper
I saw this move years ago and decided to watch it again after getting the part of Lady Jane Grey in a local production of Prince and the Pauper. I also bought the book and read it and I would say it is now a favorite! I'm not sure how but they were able to make an enjoyable movie based on a general outline but completely changing the story, but they did! I would recommend this movie but don't expect Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper.

The Mauch Twins are a delight.....!!!
I loved this movie as a kid and still do as an adult. The Mauch twins, Billy and Bobby are outstanding in every way. When they look into the camera and laugh as they do in several scenes, it is pure magic! This film is highly recommended to both young and old. Too bad "Warner Brothers" did not appreciate their talents and build future films around these extremely talented kids. They were as talented, if not more so,than any other young stars of the period. See for yourself and enjoy the film! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An Underrated Comic Gem
George S. Kauffman & Moss Hart's GEORGE WASHINGTON SLEPT HERE was one of Broadway's most successfull comedies of the early 1940s, a bright and witty tale with a slightly Americana tone that World War II audiences found particularly appealing. The film version, sparked up by the completely unexpected chemistry of dry-humored Jack Benny and "Oomph Girl" Ann Sheridan, is every bit as charming.

When New Yorkers Bill and Connie Fuller (Benny and Sheridan) are evicted from their apartment (their third change of address in less than a year), wife Connie decides what they need is a place in the country... and buys an incredibly dilapidated house where George Washington is said to have once slept. Needless to say, husband Bill is horrified--and keeps on being horrified as the price of renovation skyrockets. Benny was most popular when he played himself in roles tailored to his talents, but although this role is atypical his talents are well suited to the constantly harried Bill Fuller--and he has remarkable rapport with co-star Ann Sheridan, an underestimated actress who shows tremendous flair for comedy as his determinedly optimistic wife. Both are well supported by a cast that includes Charles Coburn, Joyce Reynolds, and Percy Kilbride, and Hattie McDaniel (best remembered as Mammy in GONE WITH THE WIND) really shines as Hester, their long-suffering domestic who finds herself with a hole in the kitchen wall big enough for a horse to walk through--and one does! The pace is snappy, the script is witty, and every one is sure to have a good time. Recommended.

Comedy Needs A Few Renovations
Jack Benny stars as the terminally exasperated husband of Ann Sheridan. Eager to own a part of history and get out of city living, she has purchased an old country home where George Washington once spent some time, and now Benny must come to terms with a house in need of major renovations, and separation from the city where he loved to live. Benny gives a one note performance that wears thin after a while. If the character had been better written and developed, and if a more accomplished actor had played it, the film as a whole would have been better. It's hard to imagine that someone so beautiful and warm as Sheridan would want to be stuck with him. The supporting cast is excellent, with Hattie McDaniel as the maid, Charles Coburn as the wily uncle, and especially Percy Kilbride as the local contractor contributing funny moments. More time should have been spent on the comic possibilities of the renovations to inject more humour. There aren't many laugh out loud moments but it is amusing (especially the drinking scene near the end), and at 93 minutes, it's easy to take.

FUN BUT STIFF.
Jack Benny is a little stiff in his performance, but he and Sheridan play amazingly well together in this sometimes hilarious little comedy about a couple who move into an old, broken-down country home in Connecticut; it's one catastrophe after another as the couple tries to renovate the place and deal with their greedy neighbour. Based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.

Enjoyable, though not Benny's best
Not Benny's best film, but it has enjoyable moments. Benny seems a bit out of place and uncomfortable in his role. Percy Kilbride is hilarious. Sheridan, as always,is gorgeous. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

The Houseguest Nobody Would Want
Monty Woolley stars as Sheridan Whiteside, a critic with a gift for insults and getting his way, who falls on the porch of the home of a family eager to meet him. He must stay with them while he recuperates, and they discover that having him around isn't the honour they thought it would be as he turns their house and life upside down. Bette Davis stars as his patient assistant who falls in love with a local would-be playwright, and Ann Sheridan stars as a two-faced actress in search of a good role. The performances are all excellent. Woolley blusters and puts down everyone with great style (especially his nurse, Mary Wickes), and Davis is excellent in a straight role that helps to keep the film from becoming too much of a farce and gives it some heart. The dialogue and one-liners are terrific, and the whole movie reminds you of what movie comedies used to be like.

A FINE COMEDY
A wonderful little movie in which Monty Woolley gives his classic interpretation of Sheridan Whiteside, THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER and stayed and stayed.....Bette Davis should be admired for taking the secondary role of secretary Maggie Cutler and for playing her so moderately and so well. Davis was thought by many to be misguided in accepting the decidedly secondary role, but in fact she gives one of her most attractive and unselfish performances - wry and witty, without demeaning herself in the rather stodgy romantic interludes. Reginald Gardiner is brilliant in his role as Carlton while Ann Sheridan is in fine faddle as Lorraine. Ruth Vivian is eerie as the formerly axe-wielding Aunt Harriet and Grant Mitchell and Billie Burke are the perfect flabbergasted hosts. Jimmy Durante pops in to cause assorted mayhem and sing at the piano: "Did you ever get the feeling that you wanted to go? And still get the feeling that you wanted to stay"? It may not make much sense, but it's fun. Originally, the great John Barrymore was to be cast as Whiteside, but he was sick and had trouble with his lines (he died in 1942); Laura Hope Crews was originally going to play Billie Burke's role but she died suddenly during production. Witty lines and great performances make this a special delight from 1941.

Shoddy adaption of a fine play
Kaufman and Hart's stage-play was a gem, hilarious and tightly constructed. Adapting it to film, however, drained much of the life out of it.

First of all, the film version comes across and formless and rambling. It's never clear what the central story is: is it the obnoxious houseguest vs. the owners of the house, or is it his secretary's love-affair, or is it something else? On stage, the division of the play into separate acts imposed a sense of order onto all of this, but in the movie its just stitched together. What's more, the movie adds brief scenes - Whiteside arriving in the town, the secretary skating with her boyfriend - that distract from the plot without adding anything.

Almost every good scene is defeated by incompetent choice of camera shots. Close-ups are brought in at inappropriate moments. The rhythm of the film is constantly in flux.

Monty Wooley does not, in my opinion, play the leading role very consistently. Some of the supporting performances are dreadful: the nurse, the young writer/newspaperman (one of the worst actors I've ever seen). Bette Davis is not bad, but her chemistry with Wooley is erratic; sometimes she laughs gently at him, other times she takes a hard-bitten cynical approach to his behavior. The problem is less with her than with the direction. Ann Sheridan and Billy Burke give the only really satisfying performances.

Bette Davis herself complained: "I felt the film was not directed in a very imaginative way. For me it was not a happy film to make--that it was a success, of course, did make me happy."

Why waste time watching this when you could be watching -
- watching Now, Voyager or Mr Skeffington?

Usually I like to watch a movie twice or even three times when I intend to review it. This one I just can't bring myself to give another chance. Monty Wooley was the star and so aggravating and predominating that Bette Davis' brilliant performance as his secretary was shadowed beyond recall. The best part that didn't involve Bette Davis was the climax when the lady got put into the mummy case. The only other good part that I recall was the skating scene with Bette and Boyfriend.

That is all I can bring myself to say about this. Watch it if you like, but I advise you to rent it first. Then you can make your own judgement.

cruzzardly fun
The scenery in the play was beautiful, but the actors got in front of it.
-Alexander Woollcott

The Stanley's of Mesalia, Ohio are quite honored to have the famous critic and radio personality Sheridan Whiteside come to dinner. Whiteside, an irascible, elitist, buzzard of a man is less thrilled. When he slips on
their front steps, is confined to a wheelchair, and effectively commandeers the Stanley house, no one's very happy. Soon the tyrannical Whiteside is dispensing flippant advice to the Stanley children, having octopus
and penguins delivered to the house, and dining with convicted murderers on loan from the state penitentiary.

On a more serious note (though still played for laughs, of course), he meddles in the nascent love affair between his devoted secretary (Bette Davis) and a local newspaper man (Richard Travis), who just happens to
be an aspiring playwright. When it begins to look like she'll leave his employee to marry her young man, Whiteside brings in a vampish gold digger, who thinks she'll get to be the lead in what Whiteside assures her is
the young man's masterful drama.

The whole thing is as madcap and zany as it gets, but the film is completely dominated by Monty Woolley as Whiteside. Woolley had played the role on Broadway too, a role that George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart
based on the profoundly unpleasant but very powerful NY Times drama critic Alexander Woollcott. Rarely has egomania been more amusing, though it's sure to offend some sensibilities. In particular, he's just brutal
to his nurse, Mary Wickes, though she does get off a great line when she finally quits :

If Florence Nightingale ever had the misfortune to take care of you, she would have forgotten about founding the Red Cross, would have quit
nursing, and would have married Jack the Ripper.

Even less politically correct is a cameo by Jimmy Durante as a lecherous vaudevillian. But if these antiquated bits don't entertain you, there's a thoroughly modern homosexual subtext to the whole affair that's sure to
grab your fancy.

It begins with Woollcott, who at one point conceived a mad passion for Harpo Marx, unrequited we're told. Meanwhile, Woolley was Cole Porter's cruising partner, though the two supposedly parted ways because
Woolley only wanted to dally with black men while Porter was less finicky. Finally, there's a character in the film named Beverly Carlton, who's supposed to be Noel Coward. The movie's practically a prequel to
Can't Stop the Music.

Today's viewers can be excused for finding this classic both hoary and whorey, but it remains great cruzzardly fun and it's worth seeing just for Woolley's brilliant performance.

GRADE : B ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Dashing Errol Flynn is the definitive Robin Hood in the most gloriously swashbuckling version of the legendary story. Warner Brothers reunited Michael Curtiz, their top-action director, with the winning team of Flynn and Olivia de Havilland (Maid Marian) and perennial villain Basil Rathbone as the aristocratic Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and pulled out all stops for the production. It became their costliest film to date, a grandly handsome, glowing Technicolor adventure set to a stirring, Oscar-winning score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The decadent Prince John (a smoothly conniving Claude Rains) takes advantage of King Richard's absence to tax the country into poverty but meets his match in the medieval guerrilla rebel Robin Hood and his Merry Men of Sherwood Forest, who rise up and, to quote a cliché coined by the film, "steal from the rich and give to the poor." Stocky Alan Hale Sr. plays Robin's loyal friend Little John (a part he played in Douglas Fairbanks's silent version), Eugene Palette the portly Friar Tuck, and Melville Cooper the bumbling Sheriff of Nottingham. Flynn's confidence and cocky charm makes for a perfect Robin Hood, and his easygoing manner is a marvelous counterpoint to Rathbone's regal bearing and courtly diction. The film climaxes in their rousing battle-to-the-finish sword fight, a magnificently choreographed scene highlighted by Curtiz's inventive use of shadows cast upon the castle walls. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (140)

The BEST action/adventure film ever made.
Errol Flynn at his best...swashbuckling at its best...action and adventure galore. This film is simply the best of the genre. The casting is perfect, from Flynn in the best role of his career, to Herbert Mundin as Much the Miller's son. The 3-strip color photography remains as vibrant today as when it was released 61 years ago. The dialogue between Flynn and Oliva de Havilland, between Flynn and Basil Rathbone, between Flynn and Claude Rains, is always lively, always fun. And Miss de Havilland's costumes are absolutely gorgeous, as is she.

The film moves, never stops, and you are never bored. If you watch this movie alongside Kevin Costner's ill-advised Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, you realize why one should never try to improve on perfection.

As the New York Times said in its original review in 1938, this film entertains everyone from 8 to 80. No argument here!

The Greatest Robin Hood ,Flynn now a fantastic WB DVD set!
Warner Brothers (WB) Studios has begun meticulously digitally restoring its action classics of the 1930's & 40's under the "Two Disc Special Edition" Series. This 1938 TECHNICOLOR (awesome) film "The Adventures of Robin Hood" starring Errol Flynn, Olivia deHavilland, Basil Rathbone & Claude Rains is still the best rendition of this fictionalized English tale.

Warner Brothers has given us with this 2 Disc set the complete movie theatre experience circa 1938. DISC 1 - First we get a complete "Night at the Movies" program. Introduction by film critic Leonard Maltin explaining for your 10 cent investment what you got in a 1938 movie house. Next the entire continous show with; coming attraction, news reel, Bugs Bunny Cartoon, short subject feature and then the main feature, "The Adventures of Robin Hood". This is a totally ingenius idea!!! Also on Disc 1 - you have 12 Errol Flynn movie trailers and finally an indepth feature commentary by film historian Rudy Belhmer.

Disc 2 - Includes 3 hours of everything about Robin Hood, the movie, the stars, documentaries, cartoons, and a most informative documentary about TECHNICOLOR and why even today it still was the best color process ever.

I love this fun filled DVD set. My hat is off to Warner Brothers for their dedication to the golden age of Hollywood and bring back the grandest of movies for us to see again & again better than their original release. Enjoy.

great movie ....second DVD is amaaazing!
This is more a review of the package than the movie , which is a classic and extremely well presented on disc one....vivid colors , crisp images....not a complaint there....and the bonus features are very good....a comprehensive set of Errol Flynn movie trailers...WB night at the movies....(an exhausting Rudy Belmer commentary track that will have you gasping for air).
the SECOND disc is just ridiculous in its amount of archival coverage..
a wonderful documentary on the movie
a great feature on the history of Technicolor....
two very fun looney tunes cartoons with a Robin Hood theme...
outtakes from the movie!
home movies shot during filming!
a long lost Errol Flynn movie about yachting..
and a positively thrilling short film about archer Howard Hill...
and more.
HOURS of fun and informative viewing on disc two alone!
Warners should be congratulated for such a comprehensive set ....buy this and encourage them to keep this type of content coming!!!

Errol Flynn: Truly The Sheerwood Forest outlaw
One of the Greatest action/adventure films of the 20th century. The epic swashbuckling adventure of one of history's greatest heroes.the dashing Errol Flynn as Robin Hood or as they also call him "Sir Robin of Locksley" was perfect. He was what a swashbuckler should be and probably the greatest of all swashbucklers. Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains were brilliant as Robin's foes, Sir Guy and Prince John. Oliva DeHavilland was glamorous as the love of Robin Hood, Maid Marian. My Favorite scene was Robin and Sir Guy's sword fight during King Richard's return. Flynn and Rathbone two of cinema's sword fighting experts. I love the sound of sword clangling. If your looking for a classic film or a swashbuckler film, this is a great one. Because this a film that created Pirates of the Carribean, "Long Live King Richard."

The Kids Loved It!
This was one that our boys (ages 7 and 10) watched with their grandfather, who caught it in the theatres when it first came out. It's hard to say who enjoyed it more! A fun, spirited and utterly charming film, this one has aged beautifully. Everyone loved the bonus features, too. The DVD transfer is exceptional. Add some popcorn, and you've got a wonderful mulitgenerational hit that will enchant the whole family. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Cagney Is In His Element
James Cagney and George Raft are in the prime of their respective careers in this film about life in prison. Cagney is a convict who is innocent. Raft is his ally who leads an attempted escape. Cagney is very much in his element in this environment and plays his part with particular gusto.

Framed By Crooked Politicians
EACH DAWN I DIE is a movie about a reporter who is framed for manslaughter by crooked politicians and sent to prison where he befriends a hardened criminal. Most of the story takes place in prison as the reporter slowly turns into an embittered inmate. James Cagney stars as the reporter and George Raft plays the part of his prison buddy. The strong supporting cast includes Jane Bryan, George Bancroft, Victor Jury and Maxie Rosenbloom.

Director William Keighley also directed THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER and THE FIGHTING 69th.

A 1939 BLOCKBUSTER.
The title refers to what many prison inmates feel when they awaken in the morning: it's a timeless - albeit poetic - metaphor. As a pugnacious reporter, Cagney unearths evidence that will put some hight-level politicians in jail. Before he can get his material into print, he is abducted, knocked unconscious and put into a car, booze poured over him & the vehicle sent careening down the street where it runs over a man and kills him. The brutal frame-up works: Cagney is convicted of manslaughter and is sent to prison, where he befriends smooth crook George Raft (as "Hood" Stacey), a crime boss. On the train to the Big House, Raft smiles and jokingly asks Cagney to write a piece about him - cause he likes his name in the paper...Once inside Rocky Point, Cagney pleads again and again for parole, which is repeatedly denied him...Cagney and Raft had known each other in vaudeville back in the late twenties. Raft, a real-life tough guy had various connections with hoodlums and bootleggers: Owney Madden & Joe Adonis to name a couple. Raft even picked up their own particular mannerisms and he had a very short fuse in real life. But Raft got along well with Cagney: advantageously making this film a blockbuster hit in its day: owing to a tight script and the electric acting of the leads, this one is far above average in the category of crime films.

"Throw me back in the hole, I can take it"
William Keighley's Each Dawn I Die set the tone for the prison genre. Oz it is not, but for 1939, Each Dawn I Die presents viewer insights to the jargon, code of ethics, and behavior of hardened convicts. John Wray as Pete the prison guard barks through his lines like a rattled pit bull. George Raft, who seemed to be forever dressed in prison garb, plays Stacey a "lifer" who is sprung to aid newsreporter Ross (James Cagney) who has been framed for manslaughter. Cagney shows glimpses of his emotional explosiveness as Ross breaks down befoe a parole board. Raft is in prime form cooly delivering lines that would make Edward G. Robinson proud. The prison break scenes are shot and edited realistically and provide reference points for future prison films such as Brute Force and Caged. Still other scenes are highly improbable and mirorred in Hollywood fare. ( Stacey giving himself up in front of the penitentiary, and the warden's mushy sentimentality to name just two). These shortcomings restricted Each Dawn I Die from attaining a higher echelon among crime films. Still the sixty-one year old film retains its credibility among the genre and is worth owning.

Deep film, filled with emotion, action, love, and pain.
This film is about a man who was framed and then put in jail. It shows his struggle to bring the real criminals to justice. Definately a classic! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Barbara Stanwyck in early Tough Girl Prison Drama
These wonderful early pre-code dramas are hugely entertaining to watch from the point of view of the surprisingly "modern" approach they often take in telling a story. No where is that more evident than in this very early Barbara Stanwyck starring vehicle "Ladies They Talk About". Warner Brothers of course were well known for their mastery of the hard hitting stories usually set in the gangster underworld. Here the women's prison of San Quentin is the setting for a no frills, hard hitting little revenge drama starring the queen of the toughies at that time, Barbara Stanwyck.

"Ladies They Talk About", based on a real life account, chronicles the story of Nan Taylor (Stanwyck) who when taking part in a bank holdup is caught out with her fake alibi and sentenced to do time in Women's San Quentin. Prior to her sentencing she runs into an old acquaintence from her home town David Slade (Preston Foster), a crusading evangelist who finds his childhood attraction to Nan reignited. He sets out to get Nan off the charge only to discover that she actually was part of the bank heist and is using him as a "stool pidgeon" to avoid jail. He then pushes for the full penalty of the law and soon Nan finds herself behind bars in San Quentin. Once in prison Nan is introduced to life on the inside where she makes friends with fellow prisoner Linda (Lillian Roth) and comes into conflict with prison toughie "Sister" Susie (Dorothy Burgess), who also has a thing for David Slade from afar. Contacted by the old gang about a prison breakout Nan manages to get copies of the layout of the female prison and assorted keys from trusting Warder Noonan (Ruth Donnelly) to aid in the break out from the men's section. Her two former buddies plan to to first break through into the women's section to engineer their escape. David Slade accidently posts a letter that Nan slips in his pocket during one of his visits to try and rekindle the romance with Nan , with the effect that the gang are apprehened and shot by the prison guards. Nan's feelings of revenge now against David run very deep and upon her final release she goes to one of David's revival meetings with a loaded gun determined to kill him. Once alone with David Nan only succeeds in injuring him and when he covers up the attempt by her on his life Nan finally sees that he does have her best interests at heart and realises the real love that is between them.

Vintage melodrama perhaps but "Ladies They Talk About", shows an honest and non sensational version of love and revenge without the Hays Office censorhip restrictions on such material that came into Hollywood in 1934. Here we see the prison system revealed in all its greyness, not just black and white. Prostitution, lesbian characters and mental illness are at least presented in the story however tame they might appear by today's standards. Barbara Stanwyck had certainly one of her best early roles in "Ladies They Talk About", playing the equally vengeful, tough and yet vulnerable Nan in an honest non showy way. Her redemption in the final scene while certainly melodramtic still has an honest ring to it because of Stanwyck's sure handling of the role. Preston Foster is fine as the do gooding David Slade who despises Nan's course in life while still finding himself drawn to her independance and no nonsense manner. The most memorable and colourful characters in the story are the actresses who play all the inmates of the female section of San Quentin. Maude Eburne, a veteran of countless classic films of the 1930's is unforgettable as "Aunt Maggie", the arm chair rocking overseer of all that takes place in the women's section. Dorothy Burgess as toughie "Sister" Susie and gifted character actress Ruth Donnelly as the kind hearted prison matron who foolishly befriends Nan prior to the breakout bid, also stand out in this memorable production. Being the 1930's of course the prison cells seem a little less grim than they possibly were in real prisons of the time and possibly some of the inmates do seem a bit too polished to be hardened criminials. However apart from those points "Ladies They Talk About", tells a non-sentimental story that packs alot of punches. The sterile environement of prison life while to an extent partly glamourised still gives us an insight into how those institutions were run.

Warner Brothers were famous for these types of productions and here they dont disappoint. While there have been more violent and vividly startling women's prison dramas produced by Hollywood, "Ladies They Talk About", is one of the better ones in this genre, combining an exciting story, great characters realistically portrayed and an excellent central performance by Barbara Stanwyck in the type of screen role early in her career she made her own. I highly recommend you see the pre-code story set behind bars in a women's prison in "Ladies They Talk About".

No Holds Barred Behind Bars
Yet another Pre-Coder, "Ladies They Talk About" shows us what happens when women walk on the wild side a little too often. Moll Barbara Stanwyck aids and abets during a bank heist and winds up with a jail sentence. An old friend who's now a preacher man (Preston Foster) starts to intervene, but when he realizes that she wants to make a sap out of him, gives her the whammy. So now she's in jail AND mad at the preacher. And in jail are a lot of tough customers, a lot worse in many ways than the guys on the outside. You name it, it's going on, including a somewhat butchy gal who Babs has to watch out for. There's even a jailbreak attempt, for good measure, before Barbara comes to her senses about her own responsibilities.

While nobody's much of a "lady" here, I'm sure this is one flick you and your friends can talk about later.

SAUCY STANWYCK
LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT is one of the best melodramas of its ilk to come out of Warner Bros. during the thirties. As Nan Taylor, a tough-talking moll who's part of gang of bank robbers, Barbara is full of life in this turgid story, utilising every emotion at her command; her performance is a delight. The supporting cast is first-rate: Lillian Roth, Dorothy Burgess and Maude Eburne come quickly to mind - it's great fun to watch this little flick which is based on the true life experiences of Scottish actress Dorothy Mackaye. Mackaye did time after her husband was killed in a battle over actor Paul Kelly (who also did time). The two passionate lovers eventually married but their bliss was short-lived since Mackaye died young in the early 40's. This little flick was notorious in it's day for depicting frankly man-hungry women behind bars. Lillian Roth sings "If I Could Be With You" and the elusive Etta Moten sings "St. Louis Blues" off-stage. Oddly enough, Stanwyck made a total of SEVEN films with the word "lady" in title!

Stanwyck at her pre-code best.
Terrific pre-code Stanwyck vehicle. Lots of leg, laughs, lingerie, and snappy comments. Barbara at her best. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Getting Rid Of The Racket
Edward G. Robinson stars as a cop dedicated to getting rid of gangsters running rackets. When he is fired, he winds up taking a job with crime boss Barton MacLane, against the wishes of MacLane's number one man, Humphrey Bogart. MacLane wants Robinson to make his organization foolproof against the police. When they start having more interference from the police, people in the organization start questioning Robinson's trustworthiness, especially trigger-happy Bogart. This is a tough film, trying to address the problem of gangsters after Prohibition ended. Robinson, MacLane, and Joan Blondell as Robinson's disappointed girlfriend all turn in terrific performances, while Bogart contributes yet another of his bad guy jobs that he did so often until he became a star. I liked the perspective in this gangster film, which focused more on what the law was doing to end the problem, rather than simply giving us the story from only the gangsters' point of view. It's one of Warner Brother's least well known crime films, but it definitely deserves a look.

One Tough Movie
BULLETS OR BALLOTS is a well constructed "law and order" vs. the "mob" gangster film. Credit has to be given to Edward G. Robinson for his sincere performance as undercover cop Johnny Blake who pretends to go bad and Seton I. Miller's well conceived script for elevating this film above the ordinary gangster film. There is good and bad, black and white and a lot of gray area to the characters created for this film and that's what makes it so interesting. Robinson sees both sides and plays by his own set of ethics. This film also features Humphrey Bogart as the no good gangster Nick "Bugs" Fenner. However, Barton MacLane outshines him in an excellent performance as the local crime boss Al Kruger who counterbalances Robinson's character. This is one tough film and is very suspenseful and intelligently told.

Average movie about post-Prohibition racketeering.
B or B is one of the movies made as a response to the alleged glorification of mobsters portrayed in others such as Public Enemy, Little Caesar and Scarface. This may be categorized with such films as I Am the Law, Manhattan Melodrama and G Men, where law enforcement officers and public officials were shown as the ones to be idolized.

So it's preachy. Now, don't get me wrong; I'm not advocating gangsterism. But it's not skillfully done here. The points are driven home thru semi-documentary style narration or plot-halting on-screen explanations, rather than subtly through incident and dialogue. The story starts slow, with the main events not beginning until we are nearly a third of the way in. The direction is only adequate. And it badly needed music to propel things forward.

The plot is hoary, but yet retains some interest. Robinson is fired from the force as part of the Commissioner's plan to get him in with the racketeers and break them from within, by tipping the police off as to their activities. But to really deal the rackets a blow Robinson must find out who the top guys are, men few ever see. And he must avoid the suspicions of the the trigger-happy Bogart and his allies.

I love movies from this era: there are cool cars, fedoras and pinstripes, tough talk (though not enough), and a couple of nifty studio sets to be seen here. But there are also some really dated things about it, including a couple of fistfights only Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson could be proud of. What's more, the internal dynamics of the gang are never too believable, so suspense surrounding Robinson's tenuous situation is slight. And not to make light of what was a serious problem (and may still be in some locales), but there is something less than fearsome about Bogey running the milk and produce rackets. I mean, slicing a tomato and putting it in someone's bed just doesn't have the same brutal panache. (Kidding, I'm Kidding!)

The ending is good but not to the degree it could've been: it's too small in scope and rather polite. Still, Robinson's performance after he is shot by Bogart elevates at least these closing scenes to near-great status.

Finally, the movie misses opportunities for comment on how the law to do its job must sometimes be much like the lawbreakers. The moral complexity of Robinson's machinations (which directly lead to the murder of the kingpin, a man he grudgingly respected) is shown only by him crumpling a newspaper in the back of a cab. The paradox of injustices done in the name of justice is much better examined in a movie like Anthony Mann's noir great T-Men.

Overall somewhat disappointing, but worth a Thursday night rental for fans of the genre or the cast.

See also: The movies aforementioned; The Roaring 20's. ... Read more

Description

G-Men, a punchy ripped-from-the-headlines account of the pursuit and capture of John Dillinger provides the story inspiration as Cagney, one of the screen's archetypal bad guys, gives it to 'em good in a caper that's "fast, funny, as simplistic and powerful as a tabloid headline" (Geoff Andrew, Time Out Film Guide)."G" Men builds to a fury of bold escapes, siren-wailing pursuits and frenzied shootouts. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

GREAT AGAINST-TYPE CAGNEY FLICK.
This is a turnabout film for Cagney, one where he changed his film image, from ruthless gangster to fearless FBI man. Harrigan is a bigshot gangster who genrously puts Cagney through law school. When Toomey, Cagney's pal, becomes an FBI man and is gunned down without a snowman's chance in hell, Cagney joins the force to seek revenge...In the force of mounting criticism of the tendency of making heros out of gansters in their melodramas, Warners pulled a clever switcheroo: by showing the same crimes but by a different angle - that of the law enforcer. After a fairly slow start, the action picks up - and never falters. Strangely enough - because he was cast against-type - begininning with this film, Cagney's career soared into a second wind: each of the films he made within a year's period grossed over 1 millon dollars at the box-office. Obviously, the public liked Cagney. I know I do. As Jean Morgan, Ann Dvorak is excellent, as usual. She was special in an off-beat kind of way. The working title of the film was THE FARRELL CASE: written by Gregory Rogers - the pseudonym of Darryl F. Zanuck (!).

Cagney On The Right Side Of The Law
James Cagney stars as a struggling lawyer who joins the FBI when his friend, an FBI agent, is killed while on duty. Cagney's law studies were financed by a man with mob ties, but he turns his back on that to avenge the death. He gets off on the wrong foot with his superior, Robert Armstrong, and Armstrong's sister Margaret Lindsay, but he quickly proves his courage and ability. The cocky character played by Cagney is nothing new for him, although it's good to see him on the side of the law this time around. The rest of the cast does well, with Ann Dvorak particularly fine as the wife of one of the gangsters, a former girlfriend of Cagney's. When the action gets going, the film really picks up. The Armstrong character isn't well written (or acted, for that matter), but other than that one drawback, the film is easy to watch and a real throw back to the Thirties way of presenting crime in movies - especially the great shoot-outs.

One of Cagney's very best; old-movie fans will love this
James Cagney stars in this brisk crime melodrama from 1935, directed with verve by William Keighley. When hoodlums dispose of Cagney's pal, Cagney becomes a government agent and goes after the mob. Fans of old movies may lose count of all the familiar faces: Lloyd Nolan, Ann Dvorak, Robert Armstrong, Barton MacLane, Noel Madison, Harold Huber, Addison Richards, and so many more fine character players. The film has unfortunately dated more than some Cagney pictures (the nightclub floor show and the crimefighting technology of 1935 have since become quaint), but for simple cops-and-robbers action with mugs, molls, gunplay, guttersnipe slang, and getaway cars, not to mention a sterling performance by Cagney, "G-Men" is hard to beat. The print is excellent, and so is the video transfer..

James Cagney other side
James Cagney ( Public Enemy) shows his versatility in this film. This is a classic gangster film of the '30's with Cagney on the side of the law. Barton Mclain is classic as the baddy with Robert Armstrong and Lloyd Nolan as the top notch agents. Margeret Lindsay as the love interest and Ann Dorvak as the not so bad "moll" round out the cast of characters and make for an entertaining portrayal of the early F.B.I. Of course, a lot of the cliche's, along with the Psuedo- history is part of it, but that only enhances the film. For film buffs such as myself, this is one excellent film and well worth the effort.

G-men reveiw
This is one of the verry best films I've ever seen. Cagney displays a superb acting job, that is a perfect match for a incredible screenplay.This is indeed one of James Cagney's best jobs ever for sure. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Datet, yet still effective Military "Morale" Booster
This perfectly cast 1940 tear jerker is the quintessential Hollywood contribution to the "War Effort", boosting morale at home and abroad. James Cagney is both hero and villain, as the "brat next door" who quickly shuts his big mouth once he finds himself in the midst of a brutal war.

When Cagney's character is cornered by the Germans, he immediately "caves" and turns cowardly traitor. Eventually he redeems himself and takes on the heroism of his "brothers". Pat O'Brian is wonderful as the comforting Irish Catholic Priest who works his reverent "miracles" on the seemingly hopeless Cagney.

This is the kind of film that makes us think of John Wayne, Ronald Reagan and Charlton Heston, all rolled into one. American Patriotism in the purest form. "The Fighting 69th" is still effective in its original purpose, although the obvious connections to WWII make it appear dated.****

Old Fashioned Patriotism
James Cagney plays a coward Jerry Plunkett in this sentimental film about the famous fighting Irish American regiment in the First World War. Prior to entering the military Cagney is a contemptible loudmouth braggart from Brooklyn. Once in Europe he turns into a squealing coward the first time he encounters the Germans bringing an array of enemy ordnance and death upon his regiment. Ultimately Cagney turns cowardice into courage with a little help from Pat O'Brien's influence as Father Duffy. The film seems somewhat dated but Cagney and O'Brien's performances, expertly orchestrated battle sequences and Owen Marks' editing make this film important and significant. The examination of heroism and cowardice weighed against burdensome feelings of camaraderie are expertly represented in this film.

The Irish In Them
It's not hard to figure out what the purpose of this film was once the final credits roll. Produced prior to America's entry into World War II, this movie was designed to rally everyone around the flag with its heavy doses of bravado and pride. For today's audience, it's laid on a little thick, but despite that, the movie still entertains. It's the story of the famed Irish American unit that fought during WWI. James Cagney plays another flawed tough guy who is all talk and little action (other than running away) once the fighting begins. Pat O'Brien plays another noble priest that always knows the right thing to say. George Brent plays another boring character (or should I say, boringly plays another character?). The rest of the cast is populated by a who's who of Warner Brothers' character actors that have faces you'll recognize, if not their names: Frank McHugh, Alan Hale, Dennis Morgan, Jeffrey Lynn, and Dick Foran. The battle scenes are well staged, and at 90 minutes long, it's tightly edited. The Irish must have been very pleased by and proud of this film, for it portrays the bravery and honour of the regiment. There's nothing new here, but like most of Warner Brothers' war movies, it succeeds in its purpose.

Patriotic tribute to Irish-Americans.
"The Fighting 69th" is a fictionalized account of the WWI actions of the famed Irish-American regiment.

This pre-WWII flag waver features Jimmy Cagney as a wise-cracking, tough guy who breaks under the strain of combat; George Brent who rather woodenly plays the role of real life Medal of Honor winner Major "Wild Bill" Donavan; and Pat O'Brien as the famous Father Duffy whose statue now stands in Times Square. The story is pretty predictable with Cagney the coward finding his courage by returning to his faith thanks to the encouragement of Father Duffy.

What keeps this movie from completly sinking under the weight of patriotic cheerleading are Cagney's and O'Brien's performances and the rather realistic battle scenes. Cagney plays his trademark city tough guy character who is as quick with a joke as he is with his fists. Pat O'Brien plays his usual, stoical father-figure role. The combination of Cagney's hyper-energy acting and O'Brien's cool detachness always made for great on-screen chemistry, and "The Fighting 69th" is no exception. Also the battle scenes were quite good for their time. Some of the horrors of WWI are well detailed especially the reality of being buried alive in "bomb-proof" dugout. This movie, though, was made to inspire national pride as the clouds of war threatened to overtake America; thus the film never truly loses its sort of "rah-rah" approach to combat. "All Quiet on the Western Front" it is not. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Let's Get Real......Bette Davis Could NOT play comedy
This is an o.k. picture but does not rank with Davis' quality gems....i.e., her dramatic roles. Let's get real....I am a Bette Davis fan....I love her.....but one thing she COULD NOT DO is play comedy. Her timing is off and her mannerisms distract. She and Cagney have no chemistry together and one wonders what kind of movie this would have been with Barbara Stanwyck playing the Davis role. Stanwyck could do anything. Davis was at her best in dramatic roles. Comedy? Forget it. When I watch this movie I think I'm watching Bette Davis going over the top trying to play "Jezebel" as a comedy. COmedy was not her forte.

I Love This Movie!
I also love The movie, The Bride Came COD and wish it was on DVD!

It is about a Spoiled tempermental heiress who wants to marry some guy who her father hates and she runs off to marry him and she meets a no nonsense pilot who is planning on returning her to her father but they wind up getting stranded together and the sparks fly!

Yes this movie is very silly but it's a good movie anyway and Bette Davis and James Cagney are teriffic and I want this movie on DVD!

I Want To See This Movie on DVD!
I like to watch what they call screwball comedies and when this movie was shown on TCM I set my VCR timer and taped it and when I watched it I really enjoyed it and thought it was funny and the verbal sparring and sarcastic comments flying back and forth between James Cagney and Bette Davis and the silly situations they got them selves into was very amusing and I also liked Jack Carson and the actor who played the quirky old sherrif and I would really like for this under appreciated gem to be transferred to DVD!

Bette Davis in a screwball comedy
The Bride Came C.O.D is not one of their more well known movies but I enjoyed watching it and thought both Bette Davis and James Cagney did good in this screwball comedy and it's a shame that neither one of them made more of those lightweight screwball comedies.

This movie gets a bad rap from critics but I think it's cute and it's a movie I could definitely watch again.

An Absolute Hoot
The 1930's and 1940's produced a fine bunch of films that have been labeled "screwball comedies". Off the wall stories with great scripts and best of all funny. "The Bride Came C.O.D." is
one of the best of the bunch. A down and out pilot (James Cagney) agrees to kidnap an heiress (Betty Davis) in a deal with her father (the always great Eugene Pallette) to keep her from marrying a band leader (Jack Carson). To say the least mayhem insues when pilot and heiress crash and wind up in a ghost town run by a sheriff (Harry Davenport) and a crow while the rest of the country searches for them. Cagney and Davis are simply superb bouncing one liners off each other and verbally sparing through out the film . The great script is ever fresh and provides them and the rest of the great cast with some very funny material. It's sad to say that they don't write them and make them like this anymore. Oh and by the way you may never react the same way to the word "mustard" after seeing this film. Trust me. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Still worth a look!
This is an interesting film as it has always gained mixed opinions. For fans of Errol Flynn it is a highly regarded late career film. Certainly it is the best (and most widely available) of his 1950's swashbuckler movies. Although his looks had matured by the time he reached his mid forties (he was 43 when this movie made filmed in late 1952) Flynn still looked good in costume and was still agile enough to indulge in some well staged swordfights.

However, although this film is highly regarded by Flynn fans, it is not by general reviewers. I think this is because they are reviewing the film as a adaption of a famous novel, and in that sense, the film is a let down.

However, it is still a colourful swashbuckler from the 1950's and the last to show off Flynn to good advantage and give him a 'meaty' role.

Flynn in Highland Doublet and Broadsword!
This late Flynn classic deserves better attention. The film moves at a rollicking pace, taking us from Bonnie Prince Charlie's abortive '45 rising to assorted adventures abroad and back home again. Flynn is convincing as a Highland gent who throws his lot in with the Stewart cause, more out of a sense of adventure than anything else one suspects. The film also shows how many great Highland families hedged their bets by having brothers fight on both sides of what was essentially a mini-civil war between the clans and the Anglo-Hanoverians. After the disaster at Culloden, Flynn and his Irish side-kick in French service, Roger Livesey, must flee the Highlands or face the Duke of Cumberland's justice! Teaming Livesey and Flynn together makes for a most interesting pair, as both are still swashbuckling after their prime. Livesey was more of a British stage actor type than Flynn, and not as much a Hollywood protege. Still, they work well together as they seek adventure abroad before returning home again some years later to settle old scores. Lots of pirate action here as well.

The final sword battle where Flynn takes on the entire visiting Hanoverian officer corps at the castle is typical of his old glory days. Shades of "Robin Hood" for sure! For a 1950s movie we have many of the old classic elements. Action, adventure, romance, betrayal, pirates and loyalty all get their full play in a lush production of beautiful color and fine sets. Flynn still has something even with all the failings of health that are
soon to overtake him. A late Errol Flynn action classic for sure, with some attempt at history thrown in! Good to see again in DVD even if it looks about the same as the VHS version still around. Fine for Flynn fans and those who like colorful, action epics.

The Master of Swashbuckling.
"The Master of Ballantrae" is a very entertaining historical adventure, with the greatest swordsman in filmdom, Errol Flynn.
I certainly did not buy this DVD because I expected an 89-minute film to be faithful to the Stevenson novel. I wanted fun and adventure with one of my favourite stars, and I wasn't disappointed.

At the same time, this is not Flynn "at his peak"--for that, wait until the end of September when Warner Bros. release "The Adventures of Robin Hood" ( with hopefully "Captain Blood" and "The Sea Hawk" in the not-too-distant future ! ). By the 1950s, Errol's "wicked, wicked ways" had taken their toll. In "Master", he is visibly older and heavier--but--it's still Errol Flynn ! He still exudes star quality--charisma--immense charm. As an actor, he has several intense scenes and certainly holds his own with a solid British cast.

The plot moves quickly--Bonnie Prince Charlie is back--the Scots battle the English, with Flynn on the Scottish side--Scottish dreams die with many men on the battlefield--our hero must flee Scotland before he is arrested and hanged, but not before an apparent betrayal by his own brother ( Anthony Steel )--escape to the Caribbean and adventures with pirates--return to Scotland for the woman he loves, and to settle old scores.

Jack Cardiff's colour photography is a big plus, especially on-location scenes in the beautiful Scottish highlands. While Flynn commands our attention, let's not forget a strong supporting cast. Roger Livesey acquits himself well in an atypical role, as Flynn's roguish, Irish sidekick. Anthony Steel is fine as Flynn's brother--he was a popular star in Britain in the 1950s, and with his looks ( a bit like Mel Gibson ), it's surprising that he did not become even more famous. There is one casting weakness--Beatrice Campbell, as Flynn's "true love" doesn't register at all--that Flynn's character would go through so much trouble to "reclaim" her, stretches credulity more than a little.

As far as "late" Flynn films go, this is likely the best--mix in some injustice, a nasty villain or two, and give Errol a sword--what more do you want ?

The DVD is nice--the colours are pretty decent for a 50-year old film, with some haziness here and there--the sound is mono--a few extras include shots from the film, the cast ( no details ),and four Flynn trailers.

If you like old, classic adventure films, this is a good one--try it !

THRILLING SWASHBUCKLER - NOT STEVENSON!
Upon its release, "The Master of Ballentrae" was considered a massive undertaking and huge gamble on the part of Warner Brothers Studio. Their star, Errol Flynn's lavishly perverse lifestyle had caught up to him in such a way as to prevent any close up photography except for some occasional snippets shot through a thick filter. Shot in Italy, Scottland and Wales the resulting film was a huge hit in Europe but a widely regarded dud in the U.S. Set aside the title if you're a fan of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel because this movie in no way follows any part of the original book's plot. As a stand alone film however, it is a rather inviting piece of confection with Flynn doing his swordplay and slick one liners on lavish sets and with the brilliant photography of Jack Cardiff much to his benefit.
Warner Home Video gives us a nice looking DVD transfer of this would be masterpiece. Edge enhancement does crop up now and then but nothing that will terribly distract one from enjoying the film. Colors are rich and nicely balanced. Blacks are deep. Age related artifacts are kept to a minimum. Over all, a clean visual presentation. The audio is mono but very well balanced and nicely restored.
EXTRAS: a photo gallery and some other toss away stuff.
BOTTOM LINE: This is an Errol Flynn movie - perhaps "the" Errol Flynn movie of the 1950's. It's overblown handling of the subject matter is in tune with the 1950's need for bigger entertainment. But at 89 min. and minus the author's original intent, I only recommend this movie to die hard Flynn fans. But hey, Warner Brothers - how about giving us a few of Errol's truly memorable classics on DVD - "Charge of the Light Brigade", "Dodge City", "Captain Blood" and "They Died With Their Boots On" come to mind.

Errol still had some swash in his buckle
Master of Ballantrae is absolutely the best Flynn of the 50's. The script, score and color cinematography are first rate but the main asset is Flynn. He really shows up in this one. He proves, probably for the last time, why he was such a big star. Also, its a good buddy picture with a funny Irish actor (can't remember the name)playing the Alan Hale role. There are some fabulous locations and a couple of solid villians to round things out. Another asset is the use of real sailing ships. There are very few process shots or back projection garbage in this one. If you're a Flynn fan and you've missed this one check it out. It's a terrific, action packed swashbuckler. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

GREAT AGAINST-TYPE CAGNEY FLICK.
This is a turnabout film for Cagney, one where he changed his film image, from ruthless gangster to fearless FBI man. Harrigan is a bigshot gangster who genrously puts Cagney through law school. When Toomey, Cagney's pal, becomes an FBI man and is gunned down without a snowman's chance in hell, Cagney joins the force to seek revenge...In the force of mounting criticism of the tendency of making heros out of gansters in their melodramas, Warners pulled a clever switcheroo: by showing the same crimes but by a different angle - that of the law enforcer. After a fairly slow start, the action picks up - and never falters. Strangely enough - because he was cast against-type - begininning with this film, Cagney's career soared into a second wind: each of the films he made within a year's period grossed over 1 millon dollars at the box-office. Obviously, the public liked Cagney. I know I do. As Jean Morgan, Ann Dvorak is excellent, as usual. She was special in an off-beat kind of way. The working title of the film was THE FARRELL CASE: written by Gregory Rogers - the pseudonym of Darryl F. Zanuck (!).

Cagney On The Right Side Of The Law
James Cagney stars as a struggling lawyer who joins the FBI when his friend, an FBI agent, is killed while on duty. Cagney's law studies were financed by a man with mob ties, but he turns his back on that to avenge the death. He gets off on the wrong foot with his superior, Robert Armstrong, and Armstrong's sister Margaret Lindsay, but he quickly proves his courage and ability. The cocky character played by Cagney is nothing new for him, although it's good to see him on the side of the law this time around. The rest of the cast does well, with Ann Dvorak particularly fine as the wife of one of the gangsters, a former girlfriend of Cagney's. When the action gets going, the film really picks up. The Armstrong character isn't well written (or acted, for that matter), but other than that one drawback, the film is easy to watch and a real throw back to the Thirties way of presenting crime in movies - especially the great shoot-outs.

One of Cagney's very best; old-movie fans will love this
James Cagney stars in this brisk crime melodrama from 1935, directed with verve by William Keighley. When hoodlums dispose of Cagney's pal, Cagney becomes a government agent and goes after the mob. Fans of old movies may lose count of all the familiar faces: Lloyd Nolan, Ann Dvorak, Robert Armstrong, Barton MacLane, Noel Madison, Harold Huber, Addison Richards, and so many more fine character players. The film has unfortunately dated more than some Cagney pictures (the nightclub floor show and the crimefighting technology of 1935 have since become quaint), but for simple cops-and-robbers action with mugs, molls, gunplay, guttersnipe slang, and getaway cars, not to mention a sterling performance by Cagney, "G-Men" is hard to beat. The print is excellent, and so is the video transfer..

James Cagney other side
James Cagney ( Public Enemy) shows his versatility in this film. This is a classic gangster film of the '30's with Cagney on the side of the law. Barton Mclain is classic as the baddy with Robert Armstrong and Lloyd Nolan as the top notch agents. Margeret Lindsay as the love interest and Ann Dorvak as the not so bad "moll" round out the cast of characters and make for an entertaining portrayal of the early F.B.I. Of course, a lot of the cliche's, along with the Psuedo- history is part of it, but that only enhances the film. For film buffs such as myself, this is one excellent film and well worth the effort.

G-men reveiw
This is one of the verry best films I've ever seen. Cagney displays a superb acting job, that is a perfect match for a incredible screenplay.This is indeed one of James Cagney's best jobs ever for sure. ... Read more