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Like its immediate predecessor, Oklahoma!, this 1956 screen musical boasted then state-of-the-art widescreen cinematography, stereophonic sound, a starring romantic duo with onscreen chemistry, and the Rodgers & Hammerstein imprimatur. Adding to its promise was a source (the venerable Ferenc Molnar play Liliom) that had already been filmed three times. Yet unlike the original Broadway production, and despite evident craft, Carousel proved a box-office disappointment.Why? Hindsight argues that '50s moviegoers may have been unprepared for its tragic narrative, the sometimes unsympathetic protagonist, and a spiritual subtext addressing life after death.

Whatever the obstacle, Carousel may well be a revelation to first-time viewers. The score is among the composers' most affecting, from the glorious instrumental "Carousel Waltz" to a succession of exquisite love songs ("If I Loved You"), a heart-rending secular hymn ("You'll Never Walk Alone"), and the expectant father's poignant reverie, "Soliloquy." Top-lined stars Shirley Jones (as factory worker Julie Jordan) and Gordon MacRae (as Billy Bigelow, the carnival barker who woos and weds her) achieve greater dramatic urgency here than in the more successful Oklahoma!, with MacRae in particular attaining a personal best as the conflicted Billy, whose anxiety and wounded pride after losing his job are crucial to the plot. It's Billy's impatience to support his new family that drives him to an ill-fated decision that transforms the fable into a ghost story.

Adding to the luster are the coastal Maine locations where 20th Century Fox filmed principal photography. Newly remastered by THX, Carousel looks and sounds better than ever, but VHS tape buyers take heed:as a movie conceived for the then-new widescreen platform (it was the first to be shot in the studio's second-generation CinemaScope 55 format), this is one film that doesn't benefit from pan-and-scan editing, which lops off half the screen's image, virtually eliminating the sweep and spectacle of big production numbers. The widescreen version is vastly superior. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Better than it's usually given credit for, but....
The film version of what I consider Rodgers and Hammerstein's best stage production, "Carousel," has generally been dismissed by critics and those familiar with the stage show as a poor representation of the stage version. To some degree, that is true. Yes, the screenplay does "soften" it by giving away a major plot point at the beginning of the movie, so it would be easier to take. (I won't say more, in case you haven't seen it) And some of the score was deleted from the final print, which hurts it in the beginning. On stage, "If I Loved You" is dialogue with musical interludes leading up to the song itself. It is a beautiful scene, as the music is used to express emotions the characters can not speak, to thrilling effect. But on film, it's just dialogue leading up to the (shortened) song, which cuts away some of the power and impact. The spell cast on stage is not to be found here, though Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones sing well. The deleted "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan" is also missed.

But after the dissapointing beginning, "along come" the spirited rendition of "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" by the cast. From then on, the film is much more engaging and better all around. McRae and Jones, while not really up to par dramatically, are capable of emoting enough and remain vocally stellar, which is what we paid for, anyway, (though it shouldn't have been that way). McRae's "Soliloquy" is a true tour de force, and his reprise of "If I Loved You" is truly poigniant. Jones' "What's the Use of Won'drin" is beautiful and touching. The rest of the cast is fine, too, and certain of the later scenes retain the power of the stage version and are just as touching. Unfortunatly, I haven't seen this in widescreen or on the big screen, so I can't vouch for the much-lauded visual scope of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, but I'm sure it's spectacular. (Nope, it's not all that exciting in pan-and-scan)

This is worth seeing, especially, I'm sure, in widescreen, but what you really should do is get the film's soundtrack, which restores the deleted songs and many of the deleted verses of other songs to better effect, and a decent cast recording of the stage version, and see a good stage production in your area. Only then will you truly experience the beauty and power of this magnificent musical.

CAROUSEL A SUPERBLY PRODUCED FILM MUSICAL!
CAROUSEL represents Rodgers and Hammerstein's finest hour musically, the closest thing to Grand Opera the duo ever wrote. The 1956 film version showcases the best performance, before or since, that this magnificent score has ever received. Beautifully photographed on location in CinemaScope and Technicolor, the poignant and tragic love story of barker Billy Bigelow and factory worker Julie Jordan unfolds with compassion and conviction. Gordon McRae gives the performance of a lifetime as Billy and his stunning rendition of the seven-minute "SOLILIQUY" is one of the greatest vocal performances of the 20th Century. Shirley Jones, ravishingly young and beautiful in only her second film appearance, is equally effective as Julie, a naive inexperienced young woman who finds in tragedy an inner strength she never knew existed within her.

CAROUSEL's greatest strength is, however, the great songs, which are woven seamlessly into the story. What else can you say about a score that includes such standards as "YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE' and 'IF I LOVED YOU"? In the capable hands of the legendary composer/arranger/conductor Alfred Newman, Richard Rodgers' soaring melodies are taken to heights of brilliance undreamed of in the Broadway original. This is especially evident in "Louise's Ballet." Ken Darby's excellent choral arrangements and wonderful vocals by MacRae, Jones, Claramae Turner, Barbara Ruick, Robert Rounseville and Cameron Mitchell all add up to the most perfect performance of this musical ever.

See this movie with someone you love and bring extra handkerchiefs. Also prepare to be dazzled with the glorious New England scenery rendered flawlessly on this superbly produced DVD and Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest score in genuine 6 channel discrete stereo.

CAROUSEL is the kind of movie they just don't make any more. Most of today's filmmakers couldn't, even if they were courageous enough to try.

One of the very best movie musicals
I don't think I have ever seen Carousel on stage but my folks had a record of it when I was young, and I really liked it. Unfortunately, that leads to my only real complaint about the movie...

The music is splendid ("Carousel Waltz" in particular), the story compelling. There's even a bit of philosophy (the blossoms fell because it was their time). And Carousel isn't padded out with interminable dance scenes -- just one, six minutes of dancing on rooftops. The other big dance scene, Louise's Ballet, is the only dance I can think of that kept keep me not just away from the fast-forward, but glued to the screen! Susan Luckey, as Louise, is the star of the show (for her fifteen minutes).

One real problem with movie musicals is the opening up of the stage. We don't want to lose the stage, since this is, after all, a fantasy; but neither do we want just a filmed play. Some go too far into location (e.g., South Pacific) and others go nowhere at all (Oklahoma). Even Music Man is a bit too stagey. But Carousel has found just the right mix between the stage and location. The transitions from one to another are particularly well-done.

BUT... Somewhere between the play and the movie, we lost at least two songs, and whole verses of other songs! If I hadn't listened to that cast recording in my youth, I would never have known. But I did, and the missing music sorta spoils an otherwise superb movie.

An R and H failure.
NOT R and H material! They should have spent the whole movie at the carnival, but NOOOOOOOO!!! They spent the majority at the sea. Too lovey dovey. I expected something more brighter. I vow, I will never watch this movie again unless I have too. Oklahoma! was better and happier. In my book, R and H failed this time. Sorry.

The Best R&H Score
"Oklahoma!" was the first and broke with tradition; "South Pacific" has the most significant message; "Carousel" has the best score. The songs run from happy to inspirational. Music and lyrics are perfect.

The colors are rich, the scope wide, and the singing voices of even supporting players are magfnificent. The official review gavce picture a "3 of 5" while I think it is a "4". The only reason for the deduction is the letterbox format that creates black bars at top, bottom,and sides of my 16X9 high definition TV (no, DVD is not high definition, but it is digital). I like it much better when the, in this case the 2.55 aspect ratio, is enhanced for 16X9 so there are no side bars.

When you watch this re-mastered filmn it is difficult to believe it was made more than 35 years ago. Of the 66 musicals in my collection it is among the top four [no I can't further differentiate] and definitely the best R&H. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Don't They Know There's A War On!
A Yank in the RAF has to be the politest War Movie I've ever seen ( The devil you say!). The air combat scenes are primitive but effective for the time and there is a very good combat sequence of Dunkirk. But it's the tone of the film that was hard to understand at first. (Cherrio, stiff upper lip and all that!). I couldn't buy the characters attitude through the whole pictire, don't they know there's a war on! Do RAF pilots really shout "Tally-Ho" before engaging the enemy? This is not Mrs Minevere! However, where it fails as a war movie, it succeeds as a Romantic Comedy (Rather whitty dialog eh!) Power and Grable are funny and charming on screen and I could not help liking the movie as a romantic comedy. (You could do worse old man!)

a disapointment
Of all the terrific Betty Grable films I don't understand how this one made it to dvd. I just thought the story was dull and the dvd quality wasn't the greatest. I wish they would put I Wake up Screaming, The Dolly Sisters and Mother Wore Tights on dvd.

Tyrone Power and Betty Grable in wartime romance
"A Yank in the R.A.F", was one of the first of Hollywood's productions that was designed to draw home audiences to the happenings overseas as the shadow of war crossed over Europe. Although done in a light vein this production has much to commend it, namely a wonderful teaming (the only time ever), between Box Office heartthrob Tyrone Power at his most handsome and the future queen of war time Hollywood Betty Grable. This combined with exciting aerial photography done in England and a steller British supporting cast helps make this film an entertaining and timely view on the effect war has on nations and its peoples.

The story tells of a brash young cocky American Tim Baker (Tyrone Power)who decides to make good in the coming war situation by making a fortune ferrying bombers over to England as it goes into direct conflict with Germany. Only thinking of his own profits he unexpectedly encounters former love Carol Brown who between her nightclub engagements is doing her bit for the local war effort by working for the medical corps. Determined to get her back after an earlier bad ending to their relationship Tim decides to join up with the R.A.F to impress her with his sincere attentions. Once in the R.A.F however Tim encounters some rivalry from upright Commander John Morley (John Sutton) who is everything that Tim isn't, proper, responsible, reliable and a true gemtleman, and who is equally smitten with Carol. The story chronicles the back and forth feelings that Carol has for both men, knowing full well that Commander Morley is by far the best prospect for marriage and a proper relationship , while all the time knowing that Tim, with all his faults is the one she really loves. Once the R.A.F starts to see active service however Tim unexpectedly finds a purpose in his life. A daring raid over Germany and his participation in the evacuation of Dunkirk open his eyes to the reality of war and he sees for the first time what is worth fighting for in our democracy. The fade out finds Tim injured but this time a true hero and worthy of Carol's affection despite him retaining his roguish manner and eye for a pretty girl which Carol realises, like it or loath it, will forever be part of his character.

"A Yank in the R.A.F", was one of Twentieth Century Fox's biggest productions for 1941 and no expense was spared in bringing this romance in the eye of war to the screen. In their only teaming together Tyrone Power and Betty Grable work very well together making their two characters, despite the unbelievable circumstances of their day to day existence, seemingly real and appealing. The script provides ample opportunities for their best assets to be regularly put on display for the audiences benefit, namely Tyrone's stunning looks and Betty's famous legs soon to be immortalised into Hollywood Folklore. The film however is not all froth and bubble. A real attempt is made to begin to educate the audience about the approaching crisis in Europe and some of the battle scenes and aerial photography is superb in displaying the frightening consequences of war. Directed with typical gusto by Tyrone Power's favourite director Henry King the action is never allowed to slacken and the romantic interludes are incorporated well into the action sequences with their more serious intention. The film is certainly a star vechicle for the two Fox stars however the supporting British cast create the necessary atmosphere of war time London. John Sutton has the possibly thankless role of Commander Morley, Tyrone's superior and rival for Carol's attentions however he breathes real life into what is potentially an "other man", role and makes us care what happens to the solid , upright British soldier. The always excellent Reginald Gardiner as Flying Officer Roger Pillby, the man always after a good time who tragically is killed trying to save his mates in combat also is excellent and in a small part British actress Ethel Griffies as Lady FitzHugh provides just the right elements of efficency and British crustiness to make us feel we are definately part of the air raid practice that she is responsible for running.

The film, while undoubtedly a piece of Hollywood romance, was important in a number of ways. It certainly began the real build up in Betty Grable's career which saw her become a great symbol of what was worth fighting for at home. Tyrone Power was at the peak of his Box office drawing power at this time just prior to him going into the armed forces. It cemented his stardom and proved that audiences would still like to see him in more serious themed movies in the future. Importantly it made US audiences aware that the coming conflict was something that would affect all of them , not just Europe and for that purpose the film had good propaganda value. I see the film as an entertaining film from Hollwood's war time period which is certainly not totally realistic but tells an entertaining story with engaging lead actors in Tyrone Power and Betty Grable at their peak.

Betty Grable fans...and World War II buffs, REJOICE...
...this 1941 film did a lot in its day to interest
Americans in the plight of our British cousins at
the beginning of World War II. It is entertainment,
but with air combat footage that adds to its reality.
Betty Grable and Tyrone Power are attractive and
engaging. Now that we are once again sadly engaged
in war, it is of special interest to have the chance
to look at ourselves sixty years ago and reflect upon
the similarities and the differences. Betty Grable
was a symbol of American womanhood back then...she was
more than a pin up...she was a working woman and a very
popular entertainer. Certainly she is another reason
this film is well worth watching.

Grable brings playboy flier down to earth
Playboy flier Tyrone Power enlists in RAF at the start of WW2. In London he literally bumps into his ex-girlfriend, dancer Betty Grable, and tries to rekindle their romance, in this exciting wartime adventure written by studio chief Darryl Zanuck (under the name of Melville Crossman). Hollywood's first WW2 film is a very authentic account of the early days of Britain at war. Good use of actual aerial battle-scene footage. And Grable adds a touch of much-needed sex appeal in her scenes with Power. In the original story Power's character was killed in battle, but when the British War Office heard of this, they pleaded with Zanuck to change the ending as it would have a bad effect on the morale of UK citizens! Zanuck conceded, and Power wins Grable in the end. Oh well, that's Hollywood. ... Read more

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During his Twentieth Century Fox contract years, Gregory Peck looked to veteran director Henry King as something of a father figure and gave two of his best performances--in Twelve O'Clock High (1949) and The Gunfighter (1950)--for him. The Bravados (1958) isn't in that league, but it's a surprisingly tough film from the flabby CinemaScope years when the studio, director, and star all seemed to be floundering.

Peck plays Jim Douglass, a dark, haunted man who rides into a Southwest border town on the eve of a hanging. The bad men set for the drop (Stephen Boyd, Albert Salmi, Lee Van Cleef, Henry Silva) are the same ones he's been pursuing for the rape and murder of his wife. Douglass isn't happy about leaving it to the law to carry out his vengeance--and so there's a certain bleak satisfaction when the quartet busts out of jail, and he becomes the best hope for hunting them down.

Perversity wasn't King's long suit, so Philip Yordan's screenplay about a hero turning more sinister than the outlaws he's chasing never acquires the demonic power or ironic flair that an Anthony Mann, Fritz Lang, or Robert Aldrich might have lent it. Yet the very foursquareness of King's style and approach--and Peck's earnest efforts to fight through his accustomed stolidity to hit the necessary notes of desperation and finally shame--make for a fascination all their own. Joan Collins hovers handsomely on the periphery as an old friend ready to redeem Douglass, and Joe (Curly Joe-to-be) De Rita makes an uncredited appearance as the hangman. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Very good western with a twist
The Bravados is an excellent western with a great cast and a good twist towards the end. Jim Douglas is a rancher who has been tracking the four men who raped and murdered his wife. Coming upon a town, Douglas discovers the four men have been captured and are to be hung the next day. The night before the hanging, the gang escapes town with a hostage. Rancher Douglas and a town posse must go after them to try and bring them to justice. This is a very exciting western that suprised me a bit with the twist ending, but it works here. The movie is beautifully shot although I'm not sure where it was filmed. For a western with a good cast and excellent shoot-outs, the Bravados is well worth a watch.

Gregory Peck is excellent as rancher Jim Douglas who relentlessly pursues the men who he believes killed his wife. This reminded me of his performance in The Gunfighter to a certain extent. Joan Collins is pretty good in a small part as a townswoman who takes an interest in Douglas. The gang who murdered Douglas' wife is played by Stephen Boyd, Henry Silva, Lee Van Cleef, and Albert Salmi. The movie also stars Kathleen Gallant, Gene Evans, and Joe DeRita of Three Stooges fame. The VHS is in standard format. The Bravados cries out for a widescreen DVD release since it is such a beautifully shot western. DVD release or not, the Bravados is an excellent western with a very good performance by Gregory Peck and well worth a watch.

A good old fashioned western-where's the dvd!
I first saw this film in 1958 in a theatre. I guess it made such a lasting impression because I was only nine years old and the combination of Gregory Peck's presence and the amazingly saturated colors of the film processing of the time made it a film I would always enjoy. I am truly sorry for those who feel it is necessary to pick the film apart because the lack of realism but hey folks, it's called suspension of disbelief! I could watch Gregory Peck read the phone book for an hour & a half. He was a real movie star (remember those?)and a very good actor on top of that. No one else could have done the job he did with "On The Beach" or "To Kill A Mockingbird". This film certainly doesn't compare to those cinema classics but imagine how terrible "The Bravados" would have been without him. This certainly is not a Hollywood classic, but it's an entertaining way to kill a couple of hours. While it was shot in CinemaScope they always show the pan & scan version on tv. It drives me nuts because the first five minutes are shown widescreen then the p&s version takes over. Hopefully the studio will release it on a budget priced dvd in anamorphic 2:35:1 for those of us who are fans. Gregory Peck is gone now and "The Bravados" is just one more opportunity to enoy his amazing talent.

a very loose, poorly scripted and directed western
what a waste of gregory peck, one of the best actors ever existed. the lousy scripted, directed, mis-casted movie is one of the worst western classics ever viewed. the script is so loose, littered with lot of unnecessary scenes, dialogue. the tempo is so slow paced. the church scene should be deleted. why once the sheriff was killed, the role played by gregory peck suddenly became the leader? why nobody showed him any respect when he first showed up in town? what kinda role joan collins played meant anything in this movie? none of the posse brought pack horses, water canteens...yet they kept chasing along after the four jailbreakers without any problem? just because there were so many rivers or streams all way along? why the phony executioner showed up on time, and the real one didn't show up? the sheriff didn't check the credential of that guy? a small town with one huge cathedral? gregory peck chased and killed those four guyes one by one, but none of them ever admitted killing his wife and kid. when the two bad guys showed up and killed the kidnapped female hostage's horse, why that miner didn't take down his rifle to defend himself? why this miner got fresh eggs fried in the skillet? where did he get it? the bread/sandwish he put on the table looked like he just bought from the local supermarket, sliced so good and looked so soft. there are so many flaws leaking like hell in this lousy movie. if it's not gregory peck's presence, this movie should not even worth watching. +

Compelling but marred by miscasting
The Bravados is a spare and lean Western vigorously directed by the sadly neglected Henry King who drew a strong performance from star Peck in the earlier masterpiece The Gunfighter.This time around Peck plays Jim Douglass a rancher who rides into a small town the day before four men are due to be hung for murder.They fit the description of the men who some weeks earlier raped and murdered his wife.His hopes to see them hang are frustrated when they are rescued from jail and escape taking a young female hostage.
Douglass leads the pursuing posse and gradually the outlaw numbers are whittled down but a potent plot twist near the end causes Douglass to question the validity of his pursuit anfd the cost of his obsession.
My only reservations about the movie are to do with casting;Joan Collins is simply awful as the romantic interest .She looks uncomfortable on horseback and over emotes dreadfully .Peck was second to none as an actor at playing men of integrity and values;he could project goodness without seeming priggish or weak..Yet he never convinced me as a driven man ,one whose soul is torn asunder by loss and an aching drive for vengeance.Towards the end -when the charcater begins to see where his thirst for vengeance has lead him Peck is excellent but he failed to persuade me in the earlier ,vengeance fuelled phase of his charcters development

All in all a striking Western but just short of classic status

The Bravados
Just a side note ... It's interesting to see how the church changes size. From the outside, it's a SMALL church. From the inside, it's CAVERNOUS. ... Read more

Reviews (66)

Bless them all...bless them all....
I am unable to recall another film whose opening and closing scenes are more effective than those in this brilliant portrayal of the 918th Bombardment group based in England which flew almost daily missions to Germany during World War II. The character of General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck) is reputedly based on Brigadier General Frank A. Armstrong, Jr. Sy Bartlett wrote the book and then the screenplay. Brilliantly directed by Henry King, we are introduced to a combination of combat fatigue and self-pity which results in the replacement of Colonel Keith Davenport by his friend Savage who is told by his commanding officer, General Pritchard (Millard Mitchell), to shape up the 918th while avoiding Davenport's problem: Becoming overly involved emotionally in decisions to send B-17 crews on exceptionally dangerous missions, day after day after day. Savage immediately establishes his authority and almost immediately loses whatever goodwill he may have had. He applies and then maintains constant pressure on the crews to improve their performance in all areas of flight operations. Underachievers are reassigned to one B-17 renamed "The Leper Colony." Morale deteriorates to such a point that those at headquarters become concerned. A formal investigation of the situation is conducted. This is a critical moment for Savage. If he has "lost" his men, he cannot continue. In fact, he expects to be relieved and begins to pack his personal items. However, for reasons revealed in the film, Savage remains in command. And then....

It would be a disservice to those who have not as yet seen this film to say any more about the plot. Suffice to say that brilliant direction, great acting by everyone involved (notably by Dean Jagger who received an Academy Award for best actor in a supporting role), superb cinematography (Leon Shamroy), and haunting music (Alfred Newman) are seamlessly integrated in this analysis of effective leadership (especially decision-making) under wartime conditions. The film begins when Harry Stovall (Jagger) makes an especially significant purchase in an antique store and then proceeds to what has by then become an abandoned air base. As we begin to hear the bombers' propellers whine as the engines roar to life, we are transported back in time. Later, as the film ends, civilian Stovall climbs back on his rented bike and departs what is again an abandoned air base. Stunning images throughout both sequences.

Peck included this among his favorite films, while adding that he was especially proud of his performance as Frank Savage. When first released more than 50 years ago, it did not receive the recognition (much less the appreciation) it so obviously deserves. Whenever CEOs and other senior-level executives ask me to suggest war films which offer important lessons about leadership and management, Twelve O'Clock High is first on the list, joined by (in alphabetical order) Command Decision, The Dirty Dozen, The Enemy Below, Fort Apache, The Hunt for Red October, Paths of Glory, Pork Chop Hill, The Red Badge of Courage, They Were Expendable, and Zulu.

The best war movie I've ever seen. Magnificent!
Twelve "O'Clock High is a powerful and true-to-life film dealing with the early days of the 8th US Air Force in Great Britain. Its mission: to bomb Germany not by night in saturation bombings as the British were doing, but instead to boldly engage in "precision daylight bombing." No one knew if the concept was viable because no one had ever dared try it before on a large scale. Gregory Peck plays the role of a leader suddenly thrust into command of a deeply troubled, demoralized, and shot-up bomber squadron. How he motivates the men and overcomes the fact that the men well know that their chances of survival were poor (the worst survival odds of any American combat assignment in the war) is a deeply moving, powerful, indeed unforgettable story. This is a great movie.

The cinematography of this movie is wonderful, featuring actual combat footage of B-17s engaging German Focke-Wulf fighters in deadly combat. The sense of authenticity that this movie brings to the screen is total. One feels transposed back into England in 1942, engaged in a life-and-death struggle in the air against the Germans. The uniforms, dialogue, everything, about this movie reeks of authenticity. The storyline moves along at a breakneck pace--no dull interludes. And yet this is not just a "shoot-em-up" war flick. It is a stirring story of leadership, personality clashes, honest fear and human imperfections that reminds us what an incredible debt we all owe to the men who fought and won the air war over Nazi Germany.

This is a DVD movie to keep and watch repeatedly over the years. It is not only a great movie, it is wonderfully entertaining. This is truly one of the all-time great war movies.

The best review from someone who lived it.
My father, a b-17 bomber pilot, flew 52 missions out of England (Bassingbourn) during WWII. He spoke very little about his war-time experiences, but he said that this was the closest that Hollywood ever came to capturing what it was like for the B-17 bomber squadrons during WWII. It is a great film about human beings under extraordinary stress, making extremely difficult choices and living with their consequences - but most especially it is a moving portrayal of the complexities of leadership and friendship, and the trust needed to get others to do difficult, if not impossible things.

the meaning of "Maximum Effort"
This is a magnificent World War II film about U.S. airmen stationed in Britain in the fall of 1942, and so much more; it's about the psychology that goes into situations of extreme stress, and what makes a man a winner or loser when put to the test. As General Savage (Peck) says in his pep talk, "fear is normal, but stop worrying about it". Savage has no time for self pity, for himself or anyone else, and his toughness and high principles bring out the best in his men, and it also points up the dangers of emotional attachment in the wrong situations.
The script by Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay Jr., from their book which is loosely based on a true story, is intelligent and insightful, and the direction by Henry King meticulous. The cinematography by Leon Shamroy is crisp and marvelous, and also includes riveting portions of actual WWII battle footage interspersed in the aerial shots.
The Alfred Newman score also adds much to the film.

Gregory Peck is perfect as General Savage, fabulously handsome, with one of the greatest voices of the 20th century, one cannot imagine a better actor for the part. Dean Jagger is also splendid as Major Harvey Stovall; wise and often witty, it is through his eyes that we see the story, told in flashback as he wanders the deserted airfield in 1949.
Other excellent performances come from Gary Merrill and Hugh Marlowe, but every cast member is good, with strong turns from all.

Nominated for a Best Actor and Best Picture Oscar (losing out to "All the King's Men" on both counts), "Twelve O'Clock High" spawned a much better than average TV series (1964-67) that I enjoyed watching, especially in its first season when it starred Robert Lansing.
This is a film that is actually used in "leadership seminars" for business executives, and by the U.S. Airforce as a teaching tool. It has lessons for the average person too, but most of all, it's a superb film, with memorable performances. Total running time is 132 minutes.

Excellent Movie for Leadership
This movie is a classic tool used by the USAF Squadron Officer School. It is a great way to see the different styles of leadership. When we viewed it in an educational fashion the movie carried a much greater sense of meaning for us. For all military buffs this movie has to be in your collection. Tobey Jugs, leather caps, B-17s...Bless them all, bless them all... ... Read more

Reviews (10)

1952 Gregory Peck feature not a classic !
A colorized version of a b/w film shot in exotic European locations, three legendary Hollywood screen actors of the 40s and 50s (Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, and Ava Gardner), based on a story considered a classic of American literature. . .how could you go wrong? How, indeed? But something doesn't translate well here, sadly.

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is a slow-moving film, a bit disjointed, told completely in flashbacks. I remember reading excerpts from Ernest Hemingway's story of the same name for an upper-level English composition course I took over 20 years ago from one of the long-haired hippie professors who were the bane of my existence back then. Problem with that particular prof was that he forced us to read dark, depresssing mediocre literature; I never liked anything he wanted us to model our own writing after--and still don't like the authors he held up as paragons of good writing.

SYNOPSIS: Successful American writer Harry Street (Peck) is forced to reflect on his past successes and failures and analyzes his life as he faces death at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. He is camped on the slope of the famous African mountain with his second wife, Helen, who listens to him bemoan his lost (dead) first wife, Cynthia, as he drifts in and out of consciousness following an accident. The cause of his medical condition is not clear, as the couple can't agree whether he was scraped by a poisonous thorn or if he got injured while rescuing an African native from an angry hippopotamus, so this just added to my confusion. I'm not even sure if Helen is actually his wife; Susan Hayward is listed simply as "Helen" with no last name in all cast-lists I could find for this film. I missed something, what with all the flashbacks and cuts back to the camp-site where Street lay on his deathbed, surrounded by vultures in the trees and cackling hyenas at night.

The bright spot I found in this film was in Hildegard Knef's rather campy portrayal of "Countess Liz," to whom Street was affianced after divorcing Cynthia and before taking off to Africa with Helen. (Confused? So was I!) I don't think she meant to be funny, but I found her accent reminiscent of Madeline Kahn's character in "Young Frankenstein," which I found a hoot. Kahn may have used Knef as her role-model! I mean, I thought Harry and Liz were living in Paris, and I thought Liz was probably French. I researched Hildegard Knef a bit and found that she was born in Germany; she sounded like a German imitating a French accent, and I got a kick out of it.

One final detail that I might point out could help other viewers when they watch this film. At first I found it odd that two similar-looking brunette actresses (Hayward and Gardner) were cast as Harry Street's wives, but then I remembered something that the character says when he met Helen. Harry is giving a voice-over narrative during some of the flashbacks and is actually speaking to his dead wife Cynthia. He says, basically, "I'd follow any woman who reminded me of you in some way."

How very sad. Harry and Cynthia were happy together, but divorce because of a personal tragedy that happens between them, so Harry moves on to fabulously wealthy but overly-controlling Liz, only to realize at the last minute that he is still in love with his first wife. Harry goes to Spain, too late, to find Cynthia. I think he somehow thought he could replace Cynthia with a similar-looking woman, but it just couldn't be the same.

RECOMMENDATION: Get this if you're a big fan of Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner (she gives a good performance), or Susan Hayward, but don't think you're getting a top-notch rendition of a piece of American Literature (consider the source; it's a work by Hemingway!). Another translation for high-school students: don't substitute viewing this film for reading the Cliff's-Notes!! You'll end up more confused than if you simply read the book.

Possibly hollywood's worst Hemingway adaptation
Ranks right down there with Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man. Stiff Peck at his honking woodenest, vapid Gardner, shrill Hayward, the adaptation like something out of a romance mag. Only Bernard Hermann's music which he later recycled for Vertigo was of professional quality.

Snows of Kilimanjaro
Bought the DVD in assembling a Gregory Peck collection. Version was the one with Ava Gardner on the cover of the pack. The film was complete, but there was annoying technical noise, and quite a bit of fluttering in the picture. I may at some point buy another version of this DVD, but I do not recommend the technical quality of this particular production.

HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH KILIMANJARO...
As he lay dying,

Peck pines for Ava whom he

loves, while Hayward waits.

An interesting Hemingway adaptation
Ernest Hemingway hated this adaptation of his work, and disparagingly referred to it as "The Snows of Zanuck." I think he was overestimating his own writing, and I think the film is no worse than the work upon which it was based. Methinks he doth protest too much. Hemingway was heard to grumble: "I sold Zanuck one short story, not my whole body of works." The Casey Robinson screenplay is witty and honest, with the right blend of cynicism and naivetee. Gregory Peck is a gruff, grumbly, handsome-as-a-devil Hemingway "hero," and Ava Gardner makes a memorable, heartbreakingly beautiful Cynthia. Susan Hayward makes the best of the film's most thankless role (she looks great in a pith helmut, too). The layers of flashbacks perfectly convey the sense of a man reevaluating his past as he faces imminent death. Much has been made of the ending, and the way it deviates from the original story. I don't see the sunny Hollywood ending purists have denounced, since we really don't know the status of the dying writer as the helicopter arrives. The soundtrack is a bit loopy and out-of-synch in places, and the special effects (especially the river crossing) look pretty bad by today's standards, but the acting adds a depth and humanity which is missing from Hemingway's original work. A fun piece of escapist safaridrama along the lines of the superior "King Solomon's Mines" or "Mogambo." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Help.
I am a fan of Dorothy Gish and find that there are barely any films of her. If one has a list of the ones that are still accessible (alive) that would help.

Pathetically Bad...
Even one star is too much for this edition. Lillian Gish was never happy with this film anyway ("I never thought the drama matched the splendor of its fifteenth-century backgrounds"), but it was stunningly filmed in Florence, Italy, where the story itself took place. But you would never know it by this tape-the print source looks like a ninth-generation 8mm copy,and often becomes one big blur. Titles are chopped off at the side, and the engineer even racks them up and down at points to "get it all in". There is no musical score of any sort. Please pass this edition up-the film has been restored in 35mm, and there is no reason to waste money on this!

Style overwhelms substance in this ambitious silent film
Having had a success with "The White Sister," director Henry King and stars Lillian Gish and Ronald Colman teamed again in 1924 for the drama "Romola." Shot in Florence Italy, the film pioneered the use of panchromatic stock, and is one of the most beautiful films ever made. However, the story is a lesser than stellar retelling of George Eliot's novel. Set in 15th-century Florence, the story's villion Tito Melema (William Powell), is an ambitious, yet heartless young man who has betrayed his adoptive father by abandoning him and pretending to be a scholar. Tito's schemes succeed in winning the hand of the beautiful Romola (Lillian Gish). Her father, the noted blind scholar Bardo Bardi (Bonaventure Ibannez) favors the union, having been taken in my Tito, but Romola loves the handsome artist Carlos Buccelini (Ronald Colman). Meanwhile, Tito furthers his political lust for power by entering into a fake marriage with Tessa (Dorothy Gish), a young peasant girl. When the Medici family is forced out of power, Tito becomes the chief magistrate of Florence, which gives him ample opportunity to indulge in cruelty. After selling Romola's father's books and abandoning a pregnant Tessa, he condemns to death the priest Savanarola (Herbert Grimwood). At this point both the people and Romola turn against Tito, but he has one more monstrous act of evil to accomplish with Tessa before meeting his deserved fate.

Clearly "Romola" was an attempt by the Gish sisters to out do their legendary screen success in "Orphans of the Storm," but the production aspects end up outclassing the performances in this film. King had replicas of the Duomo and the Campanile built on a lot outside Florence, and even commissioned a pair of 15th-century galleons, which were christened the "Lilliano" and the "Dorothea." The film does faithfully relate major events in the life of Savonarola, the benevolent dictator of Florence, but that is just a major subplot to the tragic romance. The best performance in the film is definitely Powell's, but then his role as the villain is the best the story has to offer. At least Colman gets the girl this time; in his previous starring role opposite Lillian Gish she became a nun when she thought he was dead. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

1952 Gregory Peck feature not a classic !
A colorized version of a b/w film shot in exotic European locations, three legendary Hollywood screen actors of the 40s and 50s (Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, and Ava Gardner), based on a story considered a classic of American literature. . .how could you go wrong? How, indeed? But something doesn't translate well here, sadly.

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is a slow-moving film, a bit disjointed, told completely in flashbacks. I remember reading excerpts from Ernest Hemingway's story of the same name for an upper-level English composition course I took over 20 years ago from one of the long-haired hippie professors who were the bane of my existence back then. Problem with that particular prof was that he forced us to read dark, depresssing mediocre literature; I never liked anything he wanted us to model our own writing after--and still don't like the authors he held up as paragons of good writing.

SYNOPSIS: Successful American writer Harry Street (Peck) is forced to reflect on his past successes and failures and analyzes his life as he faces death at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. He is camped on the slope of the famous African mountain with his second wife, Helen, who listens to him bemoan his lost (dead) first wife, Cynthia, as he drifts in and out of consciousness following an accident. The cause of his medical condition is not clear, as the couple can't agree whether he was scraped by a poisonous thorn or if he got injured while rescuing an African native from an angry hippopotamus, so this just added to my confusion. I'm not even sure if Helen is actually his wife; Susan Hayward is listed simply as "Helen" with no last name in all cast-lists I could find for this film. I missed something, what with all the flashbacks and cuts back to the camp-site where Street lay on his deathbed, surrounded by vultures in the trees and cackling hyenas at night.

The bright spot I found in this film was in Hildegard Knef's rather campy portrayal of "Countess Liz," to whom Street was affianced after divorcing Cynthia and before taking off to Africa with Helen. (Confused? So was I!) I don't think she meant to be funny, but I found her accent reminiscent of Madeline Kahn's character in "Young Frankenstein," which I found a hoot. Kahn may have used Knef as her role-model! I mean, I thought Harry and Liz were living in Paris, and I thought Liz was probably French. I researched Hildegard Knef a bit and found that she was born in Germany; she sounded like a German imitating a French accent, and I got a kick out of it.

One final detail that I might point out could help other viewers when they watch this film. At first I found it odd that two similar-looking brunette actresses (Hayward and Gardner) were cast as Harry Street's wives, but then I remembered something that the character says when he met Helen. Harry is giving a voice-over narrative during some of the flashbacks and is actually speaking to his dead wife Cynthia. He says, basically, "I'd follow any woman who reminded me of you in some way."

How very sad. Harry and Cynthia were happy together, but divorce because of a personal tragedy that happens between them, so Harry moves on to fabulously wealthy but overly-controlling Liz, only to realize at the last minute that he is still in love with his first wife. Harry goes to Spain, too late, to find Cynthia. I think he somehow thought he could replace Cynthia with a similar-looking woman, but it just couldn't be the same.

RECOMMENDATION: Get this if you're a big fan of Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner (she gives a good performance), or Susan Hayward, but don't think you're getting a top-notch rendition of a piece of American Literature (consider the source; it's a work by Hemingway!). Another translation for high-school students: don't substitute viewing this film for reading the Cliff's-Notes!! You'll end up more confused than if you simply read the book.

Possibly hollywood's worst Hemingway adaptation
Ranks right down there with Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man. Stiff Peck at his honking woodenest, vapid Gardner, shrill Hayward, the adaptation like something out of a romance mag. Only Bernard Hermann's music which he later recycled for Vertigo was of professional quality.

Snows of Kilimanjaro
Bought the DVD in assembling a Gregory Peck collection. Version was the one with Ava Gardner on the cover of the pack. The film was complete, but there was annoying technical noise, and quite a bit of fluttering in the picture. I may at some point buy another version of this DVD, but I do not recommend the technical quality of this particular production.

HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH KILIMANJARO...
As he lay dying,

Peck pines for Ava whom he

loves, while Hayward waits.

An interesting Hemingway adaptation
Ernest Hemingway hated this adaptation of his work, and disparagingly referred to it as "The Snows of Zanuck." I think he was overestimating his own writing, and I think the film is no worse than the work upon which it was based. Methinks he doth protest too much. Hemingway was heard to grumble: "I sold Zanuck one short story, not my whole body of works." The Casey Robinson screenplay is witty and honest, with the right blend of cynicism and naivetee. Gregory Peck is a gruff, grumbly, handsome-as-a-devil Hemingway "hero," and Ava Gardner makes a memorable, heartbreakingly beautiful Cynthia. Susan Hayward makes the best of the film's most thankless role (she looks great in a pith helmut, too). The layers of flashbacks perfectly convey the sense of a man reevaluating his past as he faces imminent death. Much has been made of the ending, and the way it deviates from the original story. I don't see the sunny Hollywood ending purists have denounced, since we really don't know the status of the dying writer as the helicopter arrives. The soundtrack is a bit loopy and out-of-synch in places, and the special effects (especially the river crossing) look pretty bad by today's standards, but the acting adds a depth and humanity which is missing from Hemingway's original work. A fun piece of escapist safaridrama along the lines of the superior "King Solomon's Mines" or "Mogambo." ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Several pieces of Hemingway fiction fold together for this pastiche movie, in which a writer (Gregory Peck) lies on the slope of Africa's famous mountain and thinks back on his life while awaiting medical attention. "Africa" in this case is a back-screen projection; fortunately, the majority of the film is told through flashbacks set in France, Spain, and other parts of the Dark Continent. Peck's relationships with various women (played by Susan Hayward, Ava Gardner, and Hildegard Knef) are at the center of his recollections, but the overall thesis is a very Hemingway-esque summary of the responsibility of a writer to get at the truth. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (10)

1952 Gregory Peck feature not a classic !
A colorized version of a b/w film shot in exotic European locations, three legendary Hollywood screen actors of the 40s and 50s (Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, and Ava Gardner), based on a story considered a classic of American literature. . .how could you go wrong? How, indeed? But something doesn't translate well here, sadly.

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is a slow-moving film, a bit disjointed, told completely in flashbacks. I remember reading excerpts from Ernest Hemingway's story of the same name for an upper-level English composition course I took over 20 years ago from one of the long-haired hippie professors who were the bane of my existence back then. Problem with that particular prof was that he forced us to read dark, depresssing mediocre literature; I never liked anything he wanted us to model our own writing after--and still don't like the authors he held up as paragons of good writing.

SYNOPSIS: Successful American writer Harry Street (Peck) is forced to reflect on his past successes and failures and analyzes his life as he faces death at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. He is camped on the slope of the famous African mountain with his second wife, Helen, who listens to him bemoan his lost (dead) first wife, Cynthia, as he drifts in and out of consciousness following an accident. The cause of his medical condition is not clear, as the couple can't agree whether he was scraped by a poisonous thorn or if he got injured while rescuing an African native from an angry hippopotamus, so this just added to my confusion. I'm not even sure if Helen is actually his wife; Susan Hayward is listed simply as "Helen" with no last name in all cast-lists I could find for this film. I missed something, what with all the flashbacks and cuts back to the camp-site where Street lay on his deathbed, surrounded by vultures in the trees and cackling hyenas at night.

The bright spot I found in this film was in Hildegard Knef's rather campy portrayal of "Countess Liz," to whom Street was affianced after divorcing Cynthia and before taking off to Africa with Helen. (Confused? So was I!) I don't think she meant to be funny, but I found her accent reminiscent of Madeline Kahn's character in "Young Frankenstein," which I found a hoot. Kahn may have used Knef as her role-model! I mean, I thought Harry and Liz were living in Paris, and I thought Liz was probably French. I researched Hildegard Knef a bit and found that she was born in Germany; she sounded like a German imitating a French accent, and I got a kick out of it.

One final detail that I might point out could help other viewers when they watch this film. At first I found it odd that two similar-looking brunette actresses (Hayward and Gardner) were cast as Harry Street's wives, but then I remembered something that the character says when he met Helen. Harry is giving a voice-over narrative during some of the flashbacks and is actually speaking to his dead wife Cynthia. He says, basically, "I'd follow any woman who reminded me of you in some way."

How very sad. Harry and Cynthia were happy together, but divorce because of a personal tragedy that happens between them, so Harry moves on to fabulously wealthy but overly-controlling Liz, only to realize at the last minute that he is still in love with his first wife. Harry goes to Spain, too late, to find Cynthia. I think he somehow thought he could replace Cynthia with a similar-looking woman, but it just couldn't be the same.

RECOMMENDATION: Get this if you're a big fan of Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner (she gives a good performance), or Susan Hayward, but don't think you're getting a top-notch rendition of a piece of American Literature (consider the source; it's a work by Hemingway!). Another translation for high-school students: don't substitute viewing this film for reading the Cliff's-Notes!! You'll end up more confused than if you simply read the book.

Possibly hollywood's worst Hemingway adaptation
Ranks right down there with Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man. Stiff Peck at his honking woodenest, vapid Gardner, shrill Hayward, the adaptation like something out of a romance mag. Only Bernard Hermann's music which he later recycled for Vertigo was of professional quality.

Snows of Kilimanjaro
Bought the DVD in assembling a Gregory Peck collection. Version was the one with Ava Gardner on the cover of the pack. The film was complete, but there was annoying technical noise, and quite a bit of fluttering in the picture. I may at some point buy another version of this DVD, but I do not recommend the technical quality of this particular production.

HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH KILIMANJARO...
As he lay dying,

Peck pines for Ava whom he

loves, while Hayward waits.

An interesting Hemingway adaptation
Ernest Hemingway hated this adaptation of his work, and disparagingly referred to it as "The Snows of Zanuck." I think he was overestimating his own writing, and I think the film is no worse than the work upon which it was based. Methinks he doth protest too much. Hemingway was heard to grumble: "I sold Zanuck one short story, not my whole body of works." The Casey Robinson screenplay is witty and honest, with the right blend of cynicism and naivetee. Gregory Peck is a gruff, grumbly, handsome-as-a-devil Hemingway "hero," and Ava Gardner makes a memorable, heartbreakingly beautiful Cynthia. Susan Hayward makes the best of the film's most thankless role (she looks great in a pith helmut, too). The layers of flashbacks perfectly convey the sense of a man reevaluating his past as he faces imminent death. Much has been made of the ending, and the way it deviates from the original story. I don't see the sunny Hollywood ending purists have denounced, since we really don't know the status of the dying writer as the helicopter arrives. The soundtrack is a bit loopy and out-of-synch in places, and the special effects (especially the river crossing) look pretty bad by today's standards, but the acting adds a depth and humanity which is missing from Hemingway's original work. A fun piece of escapist safaridrama along the lines of the superior "King Solomon's Mines" or "Mogambo." ... Read more

Reviews (10)

1952 Gregory Peck feature not a classic !
A colorized version of a b/w film shot in exotic European locations, three legendary Hollywood screen actors of the 40s and 50s (Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, and Ava Gardner), based on a story considered a classic of American literature. . .how could you go wrong? How, indeed? But something doesn't translate well here, sadly.

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is a slow-moving film, a bit disjointed, told completely in flashbacks. I remember reading excerpts from Ernest Hemingway's story of the same name for an upper-level English composition course I took over 20 years ago from one of the long-haired hippie professors who were the bane of my existence back then. Problem with that particular prof was that he forced us to read dark, depresssing mediocre literature; I never liked anything he wanted us to model our own writing after--and still don't like the authors he held up as paragons of good writing.

SYNOPSIS: Successful American writer Harry Street (Peck) is forced to reflect on his past successes and failures and analyzes his life as he faces death at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. He is camped on the slope of the famous African mountain with his second wife, Helen, who listens to him bemoan his lost (dead) first wife, Cynthia, as he drifts in and out of consciousness following an accident. The cause of his medical condition is not clear, as the couple can't agree whether he was scraped by a poisonous thorn or if he got injured while rescuing an African native from an angry hippopotamus, so this just added to my confusion. I'm not even sure if Helen is actually his wife; Susan Hayward is listed simply as "Helen" with no last name in all cast-lists I could find for this film. I missed something, what with all the flashbacks and cuts back to the camp-site where Street lay on his deathbed, surrounded by vultures in the trees and cackling hyenas at night.

The bright spot I found in this film was in Hildegard Knef's rather campy portrayal of "Countess Liz," to whom Street was affianced after divorcing Cynthia and before taking off to Africa with Helen. (Confused? So was I!) I don't think she meant to be funny, but I found her accent reminiscent of Madeline Kahn's character in "Young Frankenstein," which I found a hoot. Kahn may have used Knef as her role-model! I mean, I thought Harry and Liz were living in Paris, and I thought Liz was probably French. I researched Hildegard Knef a bit and found that she was born in Germany; she sounded like a German imitating a French accent, and I got a kick out of it.

One final detail that I might point out could help other viewers when they watch this film. At first I found it odd that two similar-looking brunette actresses (Hayward and Gardner) were cast as Harry Street's wives, but then I remembered something that the character says when he met Helen. Harry is giving a voice-over narrative during some of the flashbacks and is actually speaking to his dead wife Cynthia. He says, basically, "I'd follow any woman who reminded me of you in some way."

How very sad. Harry and Cynthia were happy together, but divorce because of a personal tragedy that happens between them, so Harry moves on to fabulously wealthy but overly-controlling Liz, only to realize at the last minute that he is still in love with his first wife. Harry goes to Spain, too late, to find Cynthia. I think he somehow thought he could replace Cynthia with a similar-looking woman, but it just couldn't be the same.

RECOMMENDATION: Get this if you're a big fan of Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner (she gives a good performance), or Susan Hayward, but don't think you're getting a top-notch rendition of a piece of American Literature (consider the source; it's a work by Hemingway!). Another translation for high-school students: don't substitute viewing this film for reading the Cliff's-Notes!! You'll end up more confused than if you simply read the book.

Possibly hollywood's worst Hemingway adaptation
Ranks right down there with Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man. Stiff Peck at his honking woodenest, vapid Gardner, shrill Hayward, the adaptation like something out of a romance mag. Only Bernard Hermann's music which he later recycled for Vertigo was of professional quality.

Snows of Kilimanjaro
Bought the DVD in assembling a Gregory Peck collection. Version was the one with Ava Gardner on the cover of the pack. The film was complete, but there was annoying technical noise, and quite a bit of fluttering in the picture. I may at some point buy another version of this DVD, but I do not recommend the technical quality of this particular production.

HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH KILIMANJARO...
As he lay dying,

Peck pines for Ava whom he

loves, while Hayward waits.

An interesting Hemingway adaptation
Ernest Hemingway hated this adaptation of his work, and disparagingly referred to it as "The Snows of Zanuck." I think he was overestimating his own writing, and I think the film is no worse than the work upon which it was based. Methinks he doth protest too much. Hemingway was heard to grumble: "I sold Zanuck one short story, not my whole body of works." The Casey Robinson screenplay is witty and honest, with the right blend of cynicism and naivetee. Gregory Peck is a gruff, grumbly, handsome-as-a-devil Hemingway "hero," and Ava Gardner makes a memorable, heartbreakingly beautiful Cynthia. Susan Hayward makes the best of the film's most thankless role (she looks great in a pith helmut, too). The layers of flashbacks perfectly convey the sense of a man reevaluating his past as he faces imminent death. Much has been made of the ending, and the way it deviates from the original story. I don't see the sunny Hollywood ending purists have denounced, since we really don't know the status of the dying writer as the helicopter arrives. The soundtrack is a bit loopy and out-of-synch in places, and the special effects (especially the river crossing) look pretty bad by today's standards, but the acting adds a depth and humanity which is missing from Hemingway's original work. A fun piece of escapist safaridrama along the lines of the superior "King Solomon's Mines" or "Mogambo." ... Read more

Reviews (10)

1952 Gregory Peck feature not a classic !
A colorized version of a b/w film shot in exotic European locations, three legendary Hollywood screen actors of the 40s and 50s (Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, and Ava Gardner), based on a story considered a classic of American literature. . .how could you go wrong? How, indeed? But something doesn't translate well here, sadly.

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is a slow-moving film, a bit disjointed, told completely in flashbacks. I remember reading excerpts from Ernest Hemingway's story of the same name for an upper-level English composition course I took over 20 years ago from one of the long-haired hippie professors who were the bane of my existence back then. Problem with that particular prof was that he forced us to read dark, depresssing mediocre literature; I never liked anything he wanted us to model our own writing after--and still don't like the authors he held up as paragons of good writing.

SYNOPSIS: Successful American writer Harry Street (Peck) is forced to reflect on his past successes and failures and analyzes his life as he faces death at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. He is camped on the slope of the famous African mountain with his second wife, Helen, who listens to him bemoan his lost (dead) first wife, Cynthia, as he drifts in and out of consciousness following an accident. The cause of his medical condition is not clear, as the couple can't agree whether he was scraped by a poisonous thorn or if he got injured while rescuing an African native from an angry hippopotamus, so this just added to my confusion. I'm not even sure if Helen is actually his wife; Susan Hayward is listed simply as "Helen" with no last name in all cast-lists I could find for this film. I missed something, what with all the flashbacks and cuts back to the camp-site where Street lay on his deathbed, surrounded by vultures in the trees and cackling hyenas at night.

The bright spot I found in this film was in Hildegard Knef's rather campy portrayal of "Countess Liz," to whom Street was affianced after divorcing Cynthia and before taking off to Africa with Helen. (Confused? So was I!) I don't think she meant to be funny, but I found her accent reminiscent of Madeline Kahn's character in "Young Frankenstein," which I found a hoot. Kahn may have used Knef as her role-model! I mean, I thought Harry and Liz were living in Paris, and I thought Liz was probably French. I researched Hildegard Knef a bit and found that she was born in Germany; she sounded like a German imitating a French accent, and I got a kick out of it.

One final detail that I might point out could help other viewers when they watch this film. At first I found it odd that two similar-looking brunette actresses (Hayward and Gardner) were cast as Harry Street's wives, but then I remembered something that the character says when he met Helen. Harry is giving a voice-over narrative during some of the flashbacks and is actually speaking to his dead wife Cynthia. He says, basically, "I'd follow any woman who reminded me of you in some way."

How very sad. Harry and Cynthia were happy together, but divorce because of a personal tragedy that happens between them, so Harry moves on to fabulously wealthy but overly-controlling Liz, only to realize at the last minute that he is still in love with his first wife. Harry goes to Spain, too late, to find Cynthia. I think he somehow thought he could replace Cynthia with a similar-looking woman, but it just couldn't be the same.

RECOMMENDATION: Get this if you're a big fan of Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner (she gives a good performance), or Susan Hayward, but don't think you're getting a top-notch rendition of a piece of American Literature (consider the source; it's a work by Hemingway!). Another translation for high-school students: don't substitute viewing this film for reading the Cliff's-Notes!! You'll end up more confused than if you simply read the book.

Possibly hollywood's worst Hemingway adaptation
Ranks right down there with Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man. Stiff Peck at his honking woodenest, vapid Gardner, shrill Hayward, the adaptation like something out of a romance mag. Only Bernard Hermann's music which he later recycled for Vertigo was of professional quality.

Snows of Kilimanjaro
Bought the DVD in assembling a Gregory Peck collection. Version was the one with Ava Gardner on the cover of the pack. The film was complete, but there was annoying technical noise, and quite a bit of fluttering in the picture. I may at some point buy another version of this DVD, but I do not recommend the technical quality of this particular production.

HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH KILIMANJARO...
As he lay dying,

Peck pines for Ava whom he

loves, while Hayward waits.

An interesting Hemingway adaptation
Ernest Hemingway hated this adaptation of his work, and disparagingly referred to it as "The Snows of Zanuck." I think he was overestimating his own writing, and I think the film is no worse than the work upon which it was based. Methinks he doth protest too much. Hemingway was heard to grumble: "I sold Zanuck one short story, not my whole body of works." The Casey Robinson screenplay is witty and honest, with the right blend of cynicism and naivetee. Gregory Peck is a gruff, grumbly, handsome-as-a-devil Hemingway "hero," and Ava Gardner makes a memorable, heartbreakingly beautiful Cynthia. Susan Hayward makes the best of the film's most thankless role (she looks great in a pith helmut, too). The layers of flashbacks perfectly convey the sense of a man reevaluating his past as he faces imminent death. Much has been made of the ending, and the way it deviates from the original story. I don't see the sunny Hollywood ending purists have denounced, since we really don't know the status of the dying writer as the helicopter arrives. The soundtrack is a bit loopy and out-of-synch in places, and the special effects (especially the river crossing) look pretty bad by today's standards, but the acting adds a depth and humanity which is missing from Hemingway's original work. A fun piece of escapist safaridrama along the lines of the superior "King Solomon's Mines" or "Mogambo." ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This Print Was Horrendous
This MIGHT have been a good movie if the print of this silent film The White Sister was at least watchable. I sat through the whole thing but it was a chore all the way. The print is so dark in spots you can't see anything, the faces of the actors are whited out unless in close up, there was no attempt made to edit the film to take out defects, and it was grainy as well. Maybe someone else is selling a better print somewhere but this is not it. If I were this company I would be embarrassed to put this out on video and expect money for it.

A poignant romantic tragedy starring Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish didn't become silent cinema's greatest actress by playing happy characters living magically idyllic lives. D.W. Griffith helped mold her into the quintessential tragic heroine, an actress who combined a great sense of moral fortitude and incredible passion with the beauty and character of an angel from heaven. Gish was no longer working with Griffith in 1923 when she made The White Sister for Inspiration Pictures (the film was quickly picked up for distribution by Metro Picture Corporation). Freed of any restraints imposed upon her by the demanding Griffith, she truly shines in this story of tragic romance based upon a novel by Francis Marion Crawford.

Gish plays Angela Chiaromonte, the second daughter to a wealthy Italian nobleman. When her father is tragically killed, her evil, older half-sister quickly burns her father's will, thus assuring herself by law of possession of his entire estate. She wastes no time throwing poor Angela out of the house. As if things weren't already bad enough for the sweet and innocent Angela, she soon learns that the man she loves, Captain Giovanni Severini, is being called to lead a military excursion into Africa. Ronald Colman, in his first starring role, is wonderful as Captain Severini, playing his part with great emotion. When Angela later gets word that her beloved has been killed, she chooses to become a nun and work for humanity in the memory of the man she loved. Captain Severini is not in fact dead, but it takes him the better part of two years to make his way home and find, to his heart-breaking horror, that Angela, who had promised to wait for him forever, had chosen to wed herself to the church. The last meeting between Angela and Severini is an incredibly poignant one, one almost equaled by the power and passion of the final tragic moments of the film.

The White Sister, directed by Henry King, was filmed in Italy, predominantly in the beautiful locations of Rome and Naples. It premiered in New York on September 5, 1923 before being distributed in general release the following year, and it met with much critical and popular success. There is some question about the length of the film. Apparently, the movie at its premiere exceeded 13,000 feet but was cut down in stages to ten reels totaling less than 10,000 feet by the time of its general release. The version I saw totaled 68 minutes, but significantly longer versions of the film can reportedly be found. The picture quality is unfortunately rather poor, at least in the print I saw. A number of scenes were all but impossible to make out due to the obscurity of the print, and actors' faces, so crucial to the acting performances of silent films, were oftentimes blanked out to a nondescript white blob. Even still, The White Sister is a powerful emotional film that goes some way to proving just how good a silent film could be both then and now.

with a song in my heart
I am a fan of susan haward I saw this movie in 1951 and I thought it was great I also liked her in I want to live to name a few. can anyone tell me if the movie THE DESERT SONG is on video I mean the one wiht Dennis Morgan Bruce Cabot made in 1944 .

Ronald Colman loves Lillian Gish, but she just became a nun
Ronald Colman had his first starring role opposite Lillian Gish in this 1923 Silent Classic directed by Henry King. Gish plays Angela Chiaromonte, an aristocratic girl whose father dies. Her half-sister (Gail Kane) burns their father's will and sends Angela away into poverty. She falls in love with dashing young Captain Giovanni Severi (Colman), who is reportedly killed in action in Africa. The grief stricken Angela becomes a nun, not knowing her beloved has been captured by a Bedouin Chief (Sheik Mahomet). Giovanni returns too late, for Angela has taken her final vows. He tries to take her from the convent and finally tricks her into a meeting where he begs her to sign a petition to the Pope to release her from her vows. At that point the Mt. Vesuvius volcano erupts, causing storms and floods. Giovanni saves Angela, who finds her sister dying in a church. Angela forgives her sister, but then Giovanni tries to warn the villagers of the coming disaster and he drowns.

Lillian Gish had left D. W. Griffith and was having trouble getting "The White Star" released under her Inspiration Pictures label. But the film, shot on location in Italy, proved a great success in its initial New York showing and was picked up by Metro. The photography in this film is quite beautiful and the adaptation of Francis Marion Crawford's novel provides some good moments for both Gish and Colman. An earlier silent version had been made in 1915 with Viola Allen and Richard Travers in the two lead roles and a decidedly Hollywood version was produced in 1933 with Helen Hayes and Clark Gable. Final note: I have seen several indications that this particular video version of the 12-reel film is missing several scenes with Gish. If so, then this film is certainly deserving of restoration. Gish, Colman and King would triumph again in 1924 with "Romola," which cost $2 million to make and was shot in Florence, Italy. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Don't They Know There's A War On!
A Yank in the RAF has to be the politest War Movie I've ever seen ( The devil you say!). The air combat scenes are primitive but effective for the time and there is a very good combat sequence of Dunkirk. But it's the tone of the film that was hard to understand at first. (Cherrio, stiff upper lip and all that!). I couldn't buy the characters attitude through the whole pictire, don't they know there's a war on! Do RAF pilots really shout "Tally-Ho" before engaging the enemy? This is not Mrs Minevere! However, where it fails as a war movie, it succeeds as a Romantic Comedy (Rather whitty dialog eh!) Power and Grable are funny and charming on screen and I could not help liking the movie as a romantic comedy. (You could do worse old man!)

a disapointment
Of all the terrific Betty Grable films I don't understand how this one made it to dvd. I just thought the story was dull and the dvd quality wasn't the greatest. I wish they would put I Wake up Screaming, The Dolly Sisters and Mother Wore Tights on dvd.

Tyrone Power and Betty Grable in wartime romance
"A Yank in the R.A.F", was one of the first of Hollywood's productions that was designed to draw home audiences to the happenings overseas as the shadow of war crossed over Europe. Although done in a light vein this production has much to commend it, namely a wonderful teaming (the only time ever), between Box Office heartthrob Tyrone Power at his most handsome and the future queen of war time Hollywood Betty Grable. This combined with exciting aerial photography done in England and a steller British supporting cast helps make this film an entertaining and timely view on the effect war has on nations and its peoples.

The story tells of a brash young cocky American Tim Baker (Tyrone Power)who decides to make good in the coming war situation by making a fortune ferrying bombers over to England as it goes into direct conflict with Germany. Only thinking of his own profits he unexpectedly encounters former love Carol Brown who between her nightclub engagements is doing her bit for the local war effort by working for the medical corps. Determined to get her back after an earlier bad ending to their relationship Tim decides to join up with the R.A.F to impress her with his sincere attentions. Once in the R.A.F however Tim encounters some rivalry from upright Commander John Morley (John Sutton) who is everything that Tim isn't, proper, responsible, reliable and a true gemtleman, and who is equally smitten with Carol. The story chronicles the back and forth feelings that Carol has for both men, knowing full well that Commander Morley is by far the best prospect for marriage and a proper relationship , while all the time knowing that Tim, with all his faults is the one she really loves. Once the R.A.F starts to see active service however Tim unexpectedly finds a purpose in his life. A daring raid over Germany and his participation in the evacuation of Dunkirk open his eyes to the reality of war and he sees for the first time what is worth fighting for in our democracy. The fade out finds Tim injured but this time a true hero and worthy of Carol's affection despite him retaining his roguish manner and eye for a pretty girl which Carol realises, like it or loath it, will forever be part of his character.

"A Yank in the R.A.F", was one of Twentieth Century Fox's biggest productions for 1941 and no expense was spared in bringing this romance in the eye of war to the screen. In their only teaming together Tyrone Power and Betty Grable work very well together making their two characters, despite the unbelievable circumstances of their day to day existence, seemingly real and appealing. The script provides ample opportunities for their best assets to be regularly put on display for the audiences benefit, namely Tyrone's stunning looks and Betty's famous legs soon to be immortalised into Hollywood Folklore. The film however is not all froth and bubble. A real attempt is made to begin to educate the audience about the approaching crisis in Europe and some of the battle scenes and aerial photography is superb in displaying the frightening consequences of war. Directed with typical gusto by Tyrone Power's favourite director Henry King the action is never allowed to slacken and the romantic interludes are incorporated well into the action sequences with their more serious intention. The film is certainly a star vechicle for the two Fox stars however the supporting British cast create the necessary atmosphere of war time London. John Sutton has the possibly thankless role of Commander Morley, Tyrone's superior and rival for Carol's attentions however he breathes real life into what is potentially an "other man", role and makes us care what happens to the solid , upright British soldier. The always excellent Reginald Gardiner as Flying Officer Roger Pillby, the man always after a good time who tragically is killed trying to save his mates in combat also is excellent and in a small part British actress Ethel Griffies as Lady FitzHugh provides just the right elements of efficency and British crustiness to make us feel we are definately part of the air raid practice that she is responsible for running.

The film, while undoubtedly a piece of Hollywood romance, was important in a number of ways. It certainly began the real build up in Betty Grable's career which saw her become a great symbol of what was worth fighting for at home. Tyrone Power was at the peak of his Box office drawing power at this time just prior to him going into the armed forces. It cemented his stardom and proved that audiences would still like to see him in more serious themed movies in the future. Importantly it made US audiences aware that the coming conflict was something that would affect all of them , not just Europe and for that purpose the film had good propaganda value. I see the film as an entertaining film from Hollwood's war time period which is certainly not totally realistic but tells an entertaining story with engaging