Reviews (14)

i loved it!
As someone who was in a production of "Teahouse of the August Moon", I loved this movie. Most directors do not suggest watching a movie of the play before starting rehearsal because most movies are worse than their plays. However, our director showed the film at one of our rehearsals and it gave a place to aspire to go. I recommend anyone to see this film and have fun with the subtle comedy and life lessons.

Timeless, comedy with a fantastic script
This movie will be funny for people watching it 1000 years from now. This is a classic comedy with a few "life lessons" as well. My husband who typically does not like anything made prior to 1960 laughs outloud at this film. We use lines from this movie as a code. For example: Glenn Ford's character says "Alright, I'm sorry, shall I kill myself?" Paul Ford's character replies "Don't minimize this." If that kind of dialogue tickles your funny bone then this is the film for you. "Socks up!"

DVD???
When will we see a DVD??? (in widescreen please) Loved the movie but watching it on fullscreen VHS does ruin things a bit. Hope Warner Brothers will see what a gem theyve got in this movie and release a DVD soon.

Fabulous Film
We just spent 4 years in Okinawa and it is a paradise on earth. The people are what make the island a great place to be. This film presents the wonderful aspects of the island and is hilarious in showing how the US Army tries to run the island after the war and the travails of one Capt. who tries to build what the Okinawans actually want. The author of the book (which is also excellent, and is different enough from the movie to warrant its purchase) was stationed on Okinawa and the story reflects an awareness of the island and the actions of the Army. This is a great movie that can be watched over and over. The movie is especially relevant given what is going on currently in Iraq - it makes you wonder if there will be similar stories from our building up of Iraq.

If you can't wait for DVD and/or If you missed it on TCM...
It's a lot to ask of yourself and your pocketbook, but if you absolutely *have* to watch this fantastic film in letterbox widescreen - then you might want to consider a Laserdisc.

It's terribly out of date and functionally a dead-end technology. But for the true fan of films like this - it's the only way to go for now.

This film and about a half a dozen like it are the only reason I scoured through a ton of eBay auctions trying to find a decent used LD which has the 'auto-flip' function and a remote.

That was four years ago and I *still* get tremendous joy being able to watch 'Teahouse' in a true digital widescreen format. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

One of Hayward's Best
Susan Hayward stars in this biography of Lillian Roth, a talented singer pushed into the spotlight by her stage mother, and when she is unable to deal with her insecurities and the tragedies in her life, she turns to alcohol. It's one of those roles that every actress must dream of getting, and Hayward really sinks her teeth into it. She goes from glamour to degradation, with a very realistic portrayal of Roth's descent into alcoholism. She puts everything into it, and her performance is forceful and truthful. Jo Van Fleet is also terrific as her grasping mother, too eager to give her daughter the life she never had, and her scenes with Hayward are among the best in the film. It must have taken a lot for Roth to write her life story and let it be filmed, but she has in Hayward an actress that lays bare the painful honesty and ultimate courage of her struggle. It's a tribute to Roth and to the fine work done at Alcoholics Anonymous.

Lillian Roth cries today
The biopic is a corrupt movie genre. Do they ever get it right?! Probably the worst offence against the life of a singer is to cast an actress who cannot sing, and this is the downfall of this film. For whilst I have never seen or heard Lillian Roth perform, I can guess that she needed to have more going for her than Susan Hayward does in this treatment. It is said that Hayward did her own singing, presumably because it was felt the Jolson Story way, with someone miming the singer's own recordings, is too false. However, Hayward's singing is flat and she sounds as though she is dubbed anyway. The only number that isn't a total embarassment is her rendition of Happiness is a Thing Called Joe, perhaps because it is less demanding and the cameraman spares us the indignity of Hayward trying to dance. One might explain away her lead-footedness with the idea that Roth couldn't dance either, but I remember Hayward's awful dance number in I Want to Live, where that time the camera never left her upper torso. Alcoholism here is said to be a "quarrel with fate", where the failure to cope with a trauma leads one to drink via self-pity, self-hate, self-destruction. The cataclysmic trauma in Roth's life in this narrative is the loss of a boyfriend when she is 18 (Hayward plays 18 going on 40), though we are given prophetic touches of doom from the beginning, with Roth's stagemother and the Alex North music score. However what is interesting is what starts her drinking. A nurse in Lillian's entourage gives her a bottle to help her sleep and "forget" about the boyf. The nurse herself admits that it's "not in the rule book" but that "she can't think of anything else" to help what appears to be a case of depression. The nurse's action is in response to Hayward delivering a meandering speech about the anguish of time making her forget the face and name (!) of the boyf. (A cynic might think that the nurse should be the one to take a drink after such an earful of stream of consciousness psychodribble). That Lillian is an "adorable" drunk as opposed to a mean drunk isn't much compensation for addictive behaviour, more an obvious sympathy device by the writer of a memoir. As the representation of a star, director Daniel Mann provides no sense of period and we certainly gain no understanding of Roth's career other than performing one song in a nightclub, and then no longer performing because she's married or drunk. When Hayward takes over from the requisite little girl playing the star as a child (who actually suggests more talent than Hayward offers), we see her doing a movie take, but never hear what becomes of the film. This kind of makes the final This is Your Life a joke, as generic as the crowd we see in the audience. About the only time Hayward manages to be inspired in her choices is the use of twitches when she is drunk. A silent walk down a street, with her finally falling into a collection of trash cans, is beautifully done, the scene all the better because we're spared the generally uninspired screenplay, reportedly based on Roth's book. As her mother, Jo Van Fleet steals the film, even if she is discarded half way through. Her squinty-eyed Jewish intoned monster of ambition borders on camp, and it's a pity we never get to see the life she wants to spare her daughter, though ironically the life the daughter chooses turns out to be presumably much worse. And Eddie Albert as prospective husband number 3 adds an additional uncomfortableness, apart from his own polio-induced lameness. Perhaps it's the prospect of having to listen to Hayward's vocals for eternity. That would drive anyone to drink.

Powerful and worthy of an Oscar for Hayward
Susan Hayward and Jo Van Fleet both should have won Oscars for their roles in "I'll Cry Tomorrow." Hayward was absolutely astounding and Van Fleet was excellent in her role as the overly ambitious mother. I had no idea Hayward was such an excellent actress! She is the second person, (next to Judy Garland for her role in "A Star Is Born)" who was robbed of their awards. I don't know who won the year Hayward was nominated, but I'm convinced she performed a performance almost impossible to beat! It left me speechless.

HAYWARD IS RIVETING!
The VHS is worth every cent just to watch and hear Hayward sing, "Sing you Sinners"! Her performance as the talented, broken and beautiful alcoholic Lillian Roth is a revelation and truly one of the legendary performances in film history.
SO HEAR IS THE QUESTION? WHERE, OH WHERE IS THE DVD?!?!?!

This Movie Should of Been Named I Want To Live!
This movie by far was the greatest, I love Susan Hayward, and she's a brilliant actress, she up there with Bette Davis, she really puts her all in this, while filming this movie she was going through hard times so a lot of her emotions are visible in this movie, and that's what makes this movie great. This is a most have to sit at home and watch on a Saturday Night. Basically, it tells the story of what a lot of entertainers, movie stars, and atheletes go through, drugs, alchohol, but this movie is dealing with alcohol and how it can mess up your life and what mess up a lot of entertainers lives. This is better to watch then to go to some 7.00 dollar movie, even though it was made in the 50s and a lot of movies didn't deal with those type of roles this is a most see, and all you young people out there don't let it scare you because it was made in the 1950s it is a really great film for all ages. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Tear 'Em Up!
I remember sitting in a dark theater back in '71, gobbling popcorn, slurping coke, and seeing how many Milk Duds could fit in my mouth, when suddenly, "Willard" began! I was 9 and nothing could have prepared me for the treat I was about to see! "Willard" is the story of a social outcast who has a crazy mother, a total creep of a boss, and no friends. He finds some rats and becomes close to them instead. Ben and Socrates (the white rat) are the standouts. Willard (Bruce Davidson) befriends his furry pals and teaches them lots of tricks. Everything's great until Willard takes Ben and Socrates to work with him. He hides them, but they are discovered. Willard's creepy boss (Ernest Borgnine) kills Socrates. That's when things get ugly! Willard unleashes his rodent horde on his boss, telling them to "Tear him up!". It's all downhill from there, as Willard goes increasingly insane, and Ben rises to turn the rats against him. The end is great and spawned the sequel "Ben". A classic...

A boys best friend are his rats: The original "Willard"
"Willard" is not so much a great horror film as it is a [crude] film. If you are talking about a great horror film where masses of creatures attack humans than go check out Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds." With this 1971 film from director Daniel Man we are talking [scaring one with] a whole bunch of rats. The twist here is that these rats have their own Pied Piper in the person of social misfit, Willard Stiles (Bruce Davidson). The only friends poor Willard has in this world are his four-legged little friends, including his two favorites, Ben and Socrates, who he starts training to obey his every whim. Eventually he decides that his boss, Al Martin (Ernest Borgnine), needs to be taught a lesson in what ends up being one of the more memorable scenes by the former Academy Award winning actor. Willard even finds love in the figure of Joan (Sondra Locke). Unfortunately, his rat friends do not like being neglected.

This is an old fashioned film, which means these rats were actually trained by Moe and Nora Di Sesso to do thinks like walk planks and chew on someone's face. No computer generated effects for this film. But then just the idea of a horde of rats descending on a human being should be enough to send you cowering. Final Notes: Willard's mom is played by Elsa Lanchester, the original "Bride of Frankenstein." "Willard" was followed by the sequel "Ben," with its infamous title song sung by Michael Jackson. A remake of "Willard" is coming out soon and it will be interesting to see if a slick production of this story manages to take it to a new level beyond what this dark little film achieved by the strategic placement of cheese...

good horror with simplicity, a must for rat lovers
Willard is a quality horror movie. It was low budget and did not have the best film quality, but the story and plot were great. a must for rat lovers ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Okay
Anna Magnani stars as a grieving and overwrought Italian widow in this movie based on the Tennessee Williams play. Magnani is truly great in the role, and she is only 1 of 4 foreign actresses to have ever won an Academy Award for a performance. I do give her credit there, but still, after an hour of almost nothing but her emoting and carrying on about the loss of her husband, it really gets to be almost too much of a good thing. Finally, when I was about to give up on the film, Burt Lancaster comes into the picture and things do pick up from there.

It's entertaining to see Lancaster play a goofy, stumbling, truck driver who's as lonely as Magnani and watch his bumbling attempts to bring her out of her shell. Eventually, he succeeds but not after she loses her Sicilian temper at him a couple of times and smacks him around like a nerfball despite the fact that all he did was stumble half-drunk and half-naked into her teenage daughter's bedroom in the middle of the night looking for Magnani and tries to snuggle up to her daughter by mistake in the dark. Oops. Despite this little misadventure and the beating he receives from Magnani, Lancaster is only briefly deterred by this. By sheer dogged persistance he manages to get back in Magnani's good graces by the end of the movie, and everything ends more or less on a happy note. Well, I guess that's Sicilian courtship for you.

The movie does have its moments, and I do give Hal Kantor credit for making a valiant attempt to adapt this Tennessee Williams play to the silver screen. But overall, it just doesn't make for a particularly strong movie, and I'm sure it was probably better as a play. It drags too often in places, and some of the scenes are really a little silly or overly melodramatic. Maybe I'm a cultural barbarian, but I thought it was more interesting watching Burt Lancaster playing a bumbling simpleton (which he does well) than Magnani's award-winning performance, which is just too maudlin. Okay, she's lost her husband, but on that account, she gets abusive or at least hyper-neurotic with her friends, her priest, her daughter, her daughter's boyfriend, and just about everybody else in her life, not to mention Lancaster, who really does seem to care for her, and who comes off as a basically decent, well-meaning, and fun-loving guy even though he is pretty goofy and wacked-out himself. And as I said, it's sort of entertaining watching Lancaster, who usually portrays more studly, leading-man roles, playing an inept, lonely, Sicilian banana-truck driver who spends much of his time stumbling half-drunk through people's backyards and bedrooms and getting their dogs (or Magnani herself) sicced on him. (I guess all those bananas aren't much comfort on those balmy and moonlit Florida nights). But I preferred his character to the high-strung, overwrought Magnani, who's wrapped tighter than a pig in a blanket.

The movie was filmed in old Florida Keys, so I give it points for overall ambience, but all in all I can't give it more than 2 or 3 stars--unless the move counts as a primer on Sicilian dating and courtship rituals.

Electrifying Magnani in her Oscar-winning Performance
I had been a fan of Anna Magnani's films long before first viewing "The Rose Tattoo". Always intrigued by this great actor, my expectations for this film were easily met. -- Magnani, a middle aged widow without means meets goodhearted Burt Lancaster, but feels she is betraying the memory of her late husband, whom she seems to worship even beyond his grave. Later the story reveals that this "gem" of a husband had been completely unfaithful and was not much to brag about. -- Adapted from the Tennessee Williams play, this material transfers nicely to the screen. If you are a fan of the two incredible leads, you will enjoy this movie! The absolute best Anna Magnani film in my opinion is "Bellissima", unfortunately not currently available at Amazon.

The Odd Couple
THE ROSE TATTOO is about an Italian widow (Anna Magnani) in the bayou country who grieves over the memory of her dead husband. She is courted by the village clown (Burt Lancaster) who tries to help her let go of her memories. The rose tattoo is significant because the deceased had one on his body.

Magnani is superb as the grieving Serafina Delle Rose. Lancaster manages to pull off his role as Alvaro Mongiacavallo mainly because of his enormous energy. However, it is difficult for me to take his impersonation of an idiosyncratic Italian American seriously.

The movie won Academy Awards in 1955 for Best Actress (Anna Magnani), Black and White Cinematography and Black and White Art Direction. Nominations were received for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Marisa Pavan), Black and White Costume Design and Editing and Scoring of a Dramatic Picture. The Oscar for Best Picture in that same year was given to MARTY.

THE ROSE TATTOO was adapted for the screen from a play by Tennessee Williams who served as the screenwriter for the film. It was shot on location in old Key West.

Magnifica!
Anna Magnani perfectly portrays Tennessee Williams "Serafina DellaRosa", the love lost heroine of his beautiful play.Her portrayal is completely touching and awe-inspiring. I recently shared this film with a very accomplished actor friend who had never seen it, and his reaction was "wow." This is one of my all-time favorite films, and I consider Magnani's performance, for which she rightfully won the Academy Award as best actress, to be one of the most beautiful ever filmed. She says more with her eyes then most actors could ever convey in a whole script.Filmed on location in old Key West, it is steeped in the sleepy, humid atmosphere of that wonderful place. Watch for the bar-fight scene, where Magnani walks in to confront her dead husbands mistress. You will spot the mustachioed Tennessee Williams at the bar. His long-time lover, Frank Merlo, to whom he dedicated the book version of this play, "To Frankie, In Return For Sicily", is also in the fight scene.You can still visit Tennessee's little house in Key West,though it is not on any tour nor open to the public, just ask the locals. You may see the little plaque "the Rose Tattoo", on the gate.If you haven't seen this film (or even if you have), sit on the floor with a glass of red wine & someone you love, and watch the beautiful Anna Magnani create magic from Tennessee Williams equally magical "love play to the world", as he called it.

The Rose Tattoo is molto bene!
Let me clear up first that my actual rating for this film is 4 and a half. Though this film is not THE best adaptation of a Tennessee Williams' play it is a very good and a very different one. It's about a grieving widow(Anna Magnani) who is woed by a boisterous truck driver(Burt Lancaster) who she says looks like her dead husband, only he's more wacky! The highlight of this film is the wonderful performance given by the great italian star Anna Magnani. Evidently she really impressed Hollywood because she was given the Academy Award for best actress for this film, something that rarely happens to a foreign actress and she was the first. The only other foreign actresses to recieve this honor have been Sophia Loren and Simone Signoret and Ingrid Bergman if you count her as a foreigner and many British actresses but i want to get back on subject. The first hour of the film belongs to Magnani and while she does manage to hold our interest it begins to feel a bit boring after one hour. But then finally Burt Lancaster shows up and he manages to lend her great support and their chemistry together is comically romantic.The movie is well done if a bit stagey at times but Anna and Burt help make us forgive that. The film is a great character driven movie and it's great to start with this film if you want to decide to start seeing Magnani's movies. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

GUT-WRENCHINGLY GOOD
THIS IS A STUNNING MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE. IT COULD NOT BE MORE DIFFERENT THAN SCHINDLER'S LIST, AND I FOUND IT MUCH MORE INVOLVING AND CONFRONTING. VANESSA REDGRAVE IS ABSOLUTELY RIVETING IN THE ROLE OF FANIA FENELONG, WHO BECOMES PART OF A BIZARRE ORCHESTRA AT AUSCHWITZ, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER WOMEN. THIS ORCHESTRA IS OF COURSE AT THE MERCY OF THEIR CAPTORS, AND THEY ARE EXPECTED TO PLAY LIKE VIRTUOSOS (LUCKILY, MOST OF THEM ARE), DESPITING THE FACT THAT THAY ARE OFTEN HUNGRY AND SICK. THE WHOLE CAST IS AMAZING AND THERE ARE SEVERAL MOVING AND VERY HUMAN SCENES INVOLVING A FEW OF THE GERMAN CAPTOR'S, ESPECIALLY ONE WOMAN IN PARTICULAR. AS TIME GOES ON, DIVISIONS OCCUR BETWEEN THE (MOSTLY) JEWISH WOMEN MAKING UP THE ORCHESTRA, AND FANIA BECOMES EVERYONE'S MENTOR. (EVEN THOUGH SHE DOESN'T MEAN TO). THE WHOLE FILM IS DARKLY REALISTIC, COMPLETE WITH MOUTH-SORES, SHAVED HEADS, GRIMY FACES AND SUNKEN-LOOKING EYES. A HAUNTING, RIVETING YET (SOMEHOW) UPLIFTING FILM, IT IS STUNNINGLY SHOT, AND SEEMED SO REAL THAT I COULD ALMOST SMELL IT.

Playing for time
Very haunting.Has always stayed in my mind after seeing it over 10 yrs. ago. The horrible part is that actually happened! Who,s to say similar events could not happen again? God help us! Everyone should see this incredible,stirring and factual film. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I love this movie!
Sidney Poitier is one of my favorite actors and he links up nicely with Abby Lincoln. A very cute love story.

WONDERFUL MOVIE! OKAY DVD
This is one of my favorite movies. Sidney Poitier falls for housekeeper "Ivy". A must see film. The bare-bones dvd doesn't have much to offer. You get the widescreen and standard versions, thats it. As of 08/13/2000, this dvd is still available at Columbia House. Worth a look! ... Read more

Reviews (27)

DIAL AT YOUR OWN RISK...
Based upon the John O'Hara novel of the same name, this film won Elizabeth Taylor an Oscar in 1960 for Best Actress. Not bad, considering that this, her last film for MGM, was a film in which she had not wanted to act.

Ms. Taylor plays a beautiful young woman, Gloria Wandrous, with serious self-esteem problems that lead her to live of life of cheap thrills. By day a dress model, by night a bon vivant, Gloria is a professional escort gotten by dialing Butterfield 8, loving and leaving so many men that she is regarded as being nothing more than a tramp. She is outwardly a bad girl with a good girl buried inside. Her childood friend, Steve (Eddie Fisher), is supportive of her and believes that she has more to offer the world than pure, unadulterated sex, while her mother (Mildred Dunnock) is in serious denial about her daughter's escapades.

When Gloria meets Weston Liggett (Laurence Harvey), an unhappily married attorney who has his own issues, she undergoes a change of heart as she falls in love with him. He, too, falls in love with her. Alas, the path of true love never seems to run smoothly. Their romance is no exception.

Laurence Harvey does a good job as Liggett, a man who struggle with his pride for having married his wealthy wife, Emily (Dina Merrill), whose family has him on a golden leash . Dina Merrill is good as Emily, but her role is terribly dated. She plays it as if she were a Stepford wife, a good little wife who will patiently wait until her husband stops boozing it up and whoring around. Her scene with her mother on this very issue, in which her mother congratulates her on her wisdom, is enough to make the viewer laugh.

Eddie Fisher, who was cast as Steve by means of being married to Liz Taylor, displays zero talent as an actor. In fact, so uncharismatic is he on screen that he leaves the viewer wondering what it was that Elizabeth Taylor ever saw in him in real life. Susan Oliver, who credibly plays the role of Steve's girfriend, is made up to resemble Debbie Reynolds in order to capitalize on the Hollywood scandal that saw Eddie Fisher leave his wife and children for Elizabeth Taylor. In fact, I took a double take when I first saw Ms. Oliver come on screen, so obvious was it that she was made to look like Ms. Reynolds. Talk about bottom feeding!

This is a film that is a curiosity piece at best, filled with what passed at the time as sophisticated repartee. While Ms. Taylor does a decent job with the role of Gloria, the film is so dated as to be almost laughable. Still, fans of Ms. Taylor will enjoy seeing her at her most beautiful.

The Best Kind of Trash
In the normal scheme of things, lofty MGM wouldn't have touched John O'Hara's novel with a ten foot pole--but shortly before her contract was to end, MGM star Elizabeth Taylor besmirched her image by running off with Debbie Reynolds' husband Eddie Fisher. With her reputation in shreds and one foot outside the studio gate any way, MGM decided to capitalize on the bad press by casting Taylor as BUTTERFIELD 8's bad-girl-from-hell... and then, to add insult to injury, tucked Eddie Fisher into a supporting role and cast Debbie Reynolds look-alike Susan Oliver in the role of Eddie's girl friend, who feels threatened by Liz's manhungry ways. Liz fought the project tooth and nail, but MGM was adamant: she owed them another film, and she wasn't leaving until she made it.

BUTTERFIELD 8 is the story of Gloria Wandrous (Taylor), a hard-drinking, sexed-up, bed-hopping dress model who gets her kicks by seducing and then dumping men according to whim--until she encounters an unhappily married man just as hard and disillusioned as she in Weston Liggett (Laurence Harvey.) Although the production code was still somewhat in force, it had loosened up quite a bit since the days of NATIONAL VELVET, and while scenes stop short at the bedroom door they have plenty of sizzle while they walk up to it; moreover, every one in the film talks about sex so much you'd think it had just been invented. Taylor is on record saying that she considers the film a piece of trash, and she swears she has never actually seen it, that she would rather die than ever see it.

But something weird happened as the camera rolled. Taylor, doubtlessly driven by her fury at having to do the movie, gives a throw-away, over-the-top performance--but perversely, this is precisely what the role requires, and her performance was successful enough to earn her an Oscar. The supporting cast follows her lead, all of them performing in broad colors and bigger-than-life emotions, and again they too are quite successful, with Laurence Harvey and Dina Merrill (as his long suffering wife) particularly effective. Ultimately, of course, Elizabeth Taylor is quite right when she says the film is a piece of trash. But it is the best kind of trash because it is so completely trashy: BUTTERFIELD 8 doesn't just dive into the trash pile, it wallows in it with considerable conviction. Modern films of the same type may show more skin and more sex, but for sheer authority BUTTERFIELD 8 remains a standard against which most of them pale. Not every one will like it, but I recommend it all the same.

Tragic
This is a tale of a good girl gone bad. Men are *toys* to her until she meets Weston Ligette (Laurence Harvey). Falling in love, she is determined to turn her life around. A compulsive decision she makes early in the relationship results in tragic consequences. Never dull and the dialogue is brilliant. Elizabeth Taylor is at her best in this film.

Excelent script
Butterfield 8 was a disturbing film in its age. Elizabeth Taylor won an Academy award for this film.
The picture was supported by a fine dialogue. Once more Hiccock was right when he stated that the three most important fundamentals aspects for making a good film were ; first a good script , second a good script and third a good script .
Laurence Harvey is the lucky guy who commits adultery with that night butterfly , who later will fall in love with him . That perspective , however becomes in a complex device to explore the intimate world of all those people who live around them ; the fantasy world of Gloria, her glamorous desire to become a great lady , with an overshelter mother, a friend who makes the role of the brother she never had (Fisher is a mess as actor in this movie , maybe its only fault).
In the other side of the coin , Harvey is a married man who lives in a boring house with a unbearable wife , with nothing to say and nothing to give . So this marriage is just only a status convenience. He rebeals against this state of things but he is uncapable of break his marriage.
This situation is obviously hazardous for Gloria's growing expectations , who deeply in her mind still believes he'll divorce.
Powerful dramatis personae with an unexpected twist of fate.
Taylor in the peak of her cosmical beauty , but showing us also her powerful skill gifts acting.
Good transfer on DVD.
The picture may be today a bit old fashioned , but the visible analogies in that age with notable personalities of different worlds are obviously reflected.
The Profumo case for instance, was still fresh in the mind of the social pages and some other celebrities .
A good film to watch over and over.

"Vulgarity has its uses."
Gloria Wandrous is one of my all-time favourite roles for Elizabeth Taylor. Somehow the role just fits the actress like a glove. Gloria is a beautiful, troubled model whose private life is composed of nights in bars and a series of men. When "Butterfield 8" begins, Gloria wakes up in her underwear in a strange apartment. Taylor does an incredible job displaying her disorientation, and it takes her until her first cigarette to get her bearings. Gloria, it seems, has just spent the night with Weston Liggett (Laurence Harvey) in his New York apartment. The wealthy Mrs. Liggett (Dina Merrill) is off visiting her mother, and in her absence, Liggett picks up Gloria. It's meant to be a one-night-stand. That's what Gloria is used to, but Liggett wants more. Liggett and Gloria are both on their own self-destructive, self-indulgent binges when they meet, and their relationship is passionate and explosive.

The film is based on a John O'Hara novel. Taylor won an Academy award for best actress, and when the film was released it was considered quite risque. Strong supporting roles flesh out the story and illustrate the utter selfishness and self-destructive tendencies of the two main characters. Supporting characters include: the tiresomely saintly Mrs. Liggett, Steve (Eddie Fisher)--Gloria's childhood friend, Steve's long-suffering girlfriend, Norma, Gloria's mother (she's in terminal denial) and Mrs. Thurber, Gloria's mother's friend. All of these characters support and tolerate Liggett and Gloria to one degree or another. Elizabeth Taylor is incredible as Gloria. She's hysterical, needy, impossible and pathetic all at once. While I like Laurence Harvey, I found him to be the weak spot in this film. His acting was wooden and weak--and this is in complete contrast to Taylor--she is magnificent. She exudes a certain looseness. The film seems a little dated now--probably because the risque elements of the film no longer seem so, but Taylor fans should enjoy her performance. The DVD features theatrical trailers, and these really underscore the sensational aspects of the film, as it must have seemed to an audience from the 60s--displacedhuman ... Read more

Description

After a shot gun marriage, Lola loses the couple’s baby and relies for comfort on her dog, Sheba, who has run away, while Doc is a recovering alcoholic who blames Lola for his dropping out of medical school. Though still depressed and bitter about their past, the couple rents out a room to a young woman named Marie and while Marie brings happiness and young love into their home, she also brings old ghosts reminding Doc and Lola of their misfortunes. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

EMOTIONAL POWERHOUSE DRAMA....
Shirley Booth and Burt Lancaster are bound together by a mutual tragedy in a sad, childless marriage made worse by Lancaster's alcoholism. When they rent a room to a sexy college student (Terry Moore), everything begins to really unravel. Based on the William Inge play (which also starred Booth and won her a Tony), the film is downbeat but hypnotic thanks to the stars. Booth also won Best Actress for the film with her heartbreaking performance as the dowdy housewife struggling to cope with her husband's problems. The film depicts a somber intervention by AA for Lancaster's character and Booth calling for Sheba (their pet dog that was Booth's child substitute that has run away) as well as some other harrowing scenes that mark this film as serious drama. Booth later became part of TV history in the 60's as "Hazel" but it's her few ventures in films like this that need to be remembered too. She was no beauty but an exceptionally gifted actress who could tear your heart out with performances like the one in "Come Back Little Sheba". Lancaster is excellent as the husband who tries to love his unkempt wife but can't face the real issues. So glad to see this searing drama coming to DVD and will be happy to add it to my library.

It's all about Shirley Booth.
Shirley Booth's Lola Delaney is (possibly rivalled only by Charles Laughton's Quasimodo) the most pathetic character ever put on film. It is palpably hurtful to bear with her the many humiliations she undergoes during the course of the film. Caught in a sort of stand off relationship with her husband, she is lonely and emotionally wasting away, while seeming to deny this fact to herself. And when she cuts loose and tries to have a little fun, dancing or enjoying radio music meant to transport you out of your daily grind, she is merely the subject of laughter and rolling eyes. Her teary ruminations on the titular lost dog are, as I read it, symbolic of a larger aching need to find someone or something with which to exchange affection. I just saw Come Back again for the first time in 30 years, and I think it is as strong now as it must have been in 1952. The cinematography by the great James Wong Howe starts out bright and ordinary, felling like a 50s sitcom, but as layers of the dark heart of the drama are peeled away, the look becomes noirish and menacing --we know something is going to snap. You won't forget it.

Even in a time when films were less gimmicky than today, Come Back is really an anti-gimmick movie. It is just a glimpse into the life of a couple simmering under the surface with regret, old hurt and selfdoubt.

When Movies were Movies
This is a wonderful old movie. In those days, the subject of pregnancy before marriage was so taboo! She plays the part of a slovenly housewife to the hilt, Burt is her stuffy, overbearing husband, ashamed of her, but all they have been through together wins out in the end.

They don't do movies like this any more.....
Shirley Booth is memorable in the role of dowdy wife to alcoholic husband Burt Lancaster (equally as good). The film is an adaptation of the William Inge play and it stands as one of the best transfers from stage to screen. Contrary to other reviewers' opinions, Terry Moore and Richard Jaeckel are great in their supporting roles.

For those of us old and fortunate enough to remember Booth from her 60's role as TV's "Hazel," this film shows that the actress was much better than the role of domestic of which she is famous. It also shows the range of her skills.

GET A LIFE MRS. DELANEY................
Great movie! I remember watching this movie when I was little. I always felt more sorry for Doc more that his wife because she was so iritating. Mrs. Delaney needed to get it together. That way her life would not be so boring, and maybe she would not be so iritating. If I was Doc, she would of drove me to drink too. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There's really been only one rival to James Bond: Derek Flint. That's because of James Coburn's special brand of American cool. He's so cool, in fact, that he doesn't care to save the world. That is, until he's personally threatened. He's a true libertarian, with more gadgets and girls than Bond, but with none of his stress or responsibility. Here he's totally unflappable as he thwarts mad scientists who control the weather--and an island of pleasure drones. Lee J. Cobb costars as Flint's flustered superior, and Edward Mulhare plays a British nemesis with snob appeal. For fans of Austin Powers, incidentally, the funny-sounding phone comes from the Flint films. However, Our Man Flint's best gadget remains the watch that enables Flint to feign death. There's a great Jerry Goldsmith score, too. --Bill Desowitz ... Read more

Reviews (35)

I will NEVER forget this movie!
In 1966, after reading the New Yorker review by the inimitable Brendan Gill, I saw this movie, which he recommended, calling James Coburn: "...a very funny fellow."

I wasn't prepared for how much I would be impressed by the clever, modest Derek Flint. One of the highlights of the movie is when, seeing a fly in the office of his friend, Chief Cramden, takes out a cigarette holder and goes into "hunt and seek" mode....eyeing the little beast as it flies around the room. He then uses the cig holder as a blow dart and NAILS the fly to the wall! That scene alone was impressive enough to make me a fan forever!

Coburn's sense of cool defines this movie...the way he handles Flint's knowledge of just about everything, his unflappability in the face of iminent death and his ability to estricate himself from the closest of calls will have him endearing himself to YOU as well! Edward Mulhare makes an excellent, comic-book style villain against Coburn, and Gila Golan plays the femme fatale that Flint eventually wins over to the side of the angels.

From the Bob Peak poster art to the Jerry Goldsmith score, not to mentiion Coburn's great take on what should have been a MUCH larger franchise, I guarantee you'll become a fan of the very personable Mr. Flint.

Very well done spoof of spy movies
This is the ultimate 60's spy movie spoof, capturing the total madcap, surreal, death-defying, and chauvinist ways of a spy in a 60's movie. Of course, having been made in 1965, what else could you expect?

James Coburn is Derek Flint, a spy so secret that even the group of scientists that wish to take over the world don't know of him. He is able to fake death, has a lighter with 82 functions (83 if you wish to light a cigar), knows ballet, kung fu, and fencing, and is apparantly an expert in French cuisine. In otherwords, he could only exist in a (everybody say it now!) spy movie from the 60's.

The style of this widescreen epic is amazing. The special effects are very well done for the time, and are even now hard to detect. Flint is every inch a chauvinist pig, so if you want to see women kicking [rear], this is not the film for you, as Flint has FOUR women who serve his every need and are basically helpless without him.

What was truly fascinating was watching this movie after having been a big Austin Powers fan. I was surprised at how much the first Powers film owes to this movie, from the bathroom fight to the giant earth drill. My appreciation of the later films is not diminished one bit, however.

This film has a ton of tongue in cheek humor, and is a very enjoyable watch.

The DVD also features several trailers, and is very well done for a...no-frills package. The transfer is gorgeous, and the compression of the video signal is top-notch. The sound is in it's original glorious mono, and we get to hear that super-catchy Flint theme over and over again in it's various incarnations.

I heartily recommend this for lovers of Bond and Powers.

dead on target
Yup, it's great to see OUR MAN FLINT and IN LIKE FLINT on DVD. So when will they put out the third Flint film on DVD (or VHS!). Yes, there really was a Flint #3. It was called OUR MAN FLINT: DEAD ON TARGET. It was a 1976 TV movie. ABC ran it twice, both times during late-night. Ray Danton played Derek Flint. It was an interesting film, as I recall, but I haven't seen it in 27 years, so it's hard to remember. What happened to it? It never plays on TV anywhere. Did it vanish into thin air? I hope somebody digs it out and releases it on DVD/VHS. I also hope to see the 4 Martin-Matt Helm flicks out on DVD! Flint and Helm are better than Bond.

Our Man Flint Is ZOWIE
James Coburn met the legendary Bruce Lee after he made Our Man Flint, and we can thank Flint for influencing the screen fighting style of the Dragon. We can also thank Derek Flint for being the only person in the world that would make James Bond sweat. Our Man Flint is classic fun, and deserves five stars, just as "It Happened One Night." Much more than a parody, Flint does 007 better in practically every area: dancing, women (he has his own harem), gadgets (his cigarette lighter has 63 different functions, and he makes his own stuff, being a scientific genuis). Even his boss, played by the wonderful Lee J. Cobb, is a grander fellow than M. He also speaks 60 languages,is a fencing and close combat master, and a master yogi who can stop his heart. Although tongue in cheek, Flint as a self-evolving man is almost believable, and that's part of his enduring entertainment value. (Mr. Spock was also heavily influenced by Flint, if you'll compare their mannerisms. The Vulcan death grip is first featured in In Like Flint. Spock wouldn't be half as fun if he didn't have an air of believability.)

The villans' (there are three, including a Caucausian named Dr. Lee and a Chinese named Dr. Schneider) nefarious plan also poses a challenge to the Bond films: controlling the world's weather. Plus, Flint fights much, much better than 007.

He's also a rebel, unlike the office bug 007, and balks at being hired by the major super powers. Whoever created the Flint character should take a big bow; James Coburn as Derek Flint is endearing, hysterical (while doing everything with a straight face)and a Super guy, not just a mere super spy. He's an inspiration for kids of all ages to hit the books, to explore and discover.

I've heard that James Coburn would have done more 'Flints' but they couldn't come up with good scripts. A real shame, for with five or six 'Flints,' Coburn would have become a megastar.

Thank you, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Flint.

I love it!
This movie was a great spoof on spy films. I'd heard of it often then recently caught it on AMC. I picked up a copy so I could see it without commercials and it was even better that way. Now if they would just release Dean Martin's "Matt Helm" movies on DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I love this movie!
Sidney Poitier is one of my favorite actors and he links up nicely with Abby Lincoln. A very cute love story.

WONDERFUL MOVIE! OKAY DVD
This is one of my favorite movies. Sidney Poitier falls for housekeeper "Ivy". A must see film. The bare-bones dvd doesn't have much to offer. You get the widescreen and standard versions, thats it. As of 08/13/2000, this dvd is still available at Columbia House. Worth a look! ... Read more

Reviews (27)

DIAL AT YOUR OWN RISK...
Based upon the John O'Hara novel of the same name, this film won Elizabeth Taylor an Oscar in 1960 for Best Actress. Not bad, considering that this, her last film for MGM, was a film in which she had not wanted to act.

Ms. Taylor plays a beautiful young woman, Gloria Wandrous, with serious self-esteem problems that lead her to live of life of cheap thrills. By day a dress model, by night a bon vivant, Gloria is a professional escort gotten by dialing Butterfield 8, loving and leaving so many men that she is regarded as being nothing more than a tramp. She is outwardly a bad girl with a good girl buried inside. Her childood friend, Steve (Eddie Fisher), is supportive of her and believes that she has more to offer the world than pure, unadulterated sex, while her mother (Mildred Dunnock) is in serious denial about her daughter's escapades.

When Gloria meets Weston Liggett (Laurence Harvey), an unhappily married attorney who has his own issues, she undergoes a change of heart as she falls in love with him. He, too, falls in love with her. Alas, the path of true love never seems to run smoothly. Their romance is no exception.

Laurence Harvey does a good job as Liggett, a man who struggle with his pride for having married his wealthy wife, Emily (Dina Merrill), whose family has him on a golden leash . Dina Merrill is good as Emily, but her role is terribly dated. She plays it as if she were a Stepford wife, a good little wife who will patiently wait until her husband stops boozing it up and whoring around. Her scene with her mother on this very issue, in which her mother congratulates her on her wisdom, is enough to make the viewer laugh.

Eddie Fisher, who was cast as Steve by means of being married to Liz Taylor, displays zero talent as an actor. In fact, so uncharismatic is he on screen that he leaves the viewer wondering what it was that Elizabeth Taylor ever saw in him in real life. Susan Oliver, who credibly plays the role of Steve's girfriend, is made up to resemble Debbie Reynolds in order to capitalize on the Hollywood scandal that saw Eddie Fisher leave his wife and children for Elizabeth Taylor. In fact, I took a double take when I first saw Ms. Oliver come on screen, so obvious was it that she was made to look like Ms. Reynolds. Talk about bottom feeding!

This is a film that is a curiosity piece at best, filled with what passed at the time as sophisticated repartee. While Ms. Taylor does a decent job with the role of Gloria, the film is so dated as to be almost laughable. Still, fans of Ms. Taylor will enjoy seeing her at her most beautiful.

The Best Kind of Trash
In the normal scheme of things, lofty MGM wouldn't have touched John O'Hara's novel with a ten foot pole--but shortly before her contract was to end, MGM star Elizabeth Taylor besmirched her image by running off with Debbie Reynolds' husband Eddie Fisher. With her reputation in shreds and one foot outside the studio gate any way, MGM decided to capitalize on the bad press by casting Taylor as BUTTERFIELD 8's bad-girl-from-hell... and then, to add insult to injury, tucked Eddie Fisher into a supporting role and cast Debbie Reynolds look-alike Susan Oliver in the role of Eddie's girl friend, who feels threatened by Liz's manhungry ways. Liz fought the project tooth and nail, but MGM was adamant: she owed them another film, and she wasn't leaving until she made it.

BUTTERFIELD 8 is the story of Gloria Wandrous (Taylor), a hard-drinking, sexed-up, bed-hopping dress model who gets her kicks by seducing and then dumping men according to whim--until she encounters an unhappily married man just as hard and disillusioned as she in Weston Liggett (Laurence Harvey.) Although the production code was still somewhat in force, it had loosened up quite a bit since the days of NATIONAL VELVET, and while scenes stop short at the bedroom door they have plenty of sizzle while they walk up to it; moreover, every one in the film talks about sex so much you'd think it had just been invented. Taylor is on record saying that she considers the film a piece of trash, and she swears she has never actually seen it, that she would rather die than ever see it.

But something weird happened as the camera rolled. Taylor, doubtlessly driven by her fury at having to do the movie, gives a throw-away, over-the-top performance--but perversely, this is precisely what the role requires, and her performance was successful enough to earn her an Oscar. The supporting cast follows her lead, all of them performing in broad colors and bigger-than-life emotions, and again they too are quite successful, with Laurence Harvey and Dina Merrill (as his long suffering wife) particularly effective. Ultimately, of course, Elizabeth Taylor is quite right when she says the film is a piece of trash. But it is the best kind of trash because it is so completely trashy: BUTTERFIELD 8 doesn't just dive into the trash pile, it wallows in it with considerable conviction. Modern films of the same type may show more skin and more sex, but for sheer authority BUTTERFIELD 8 remains a standard against which most of them pale. Not every one will like it, but I recommend it all the same.

Tragic
This is a tale of a good girl gone bad. Men are *toys* to her until she meets Weston Ligette (Laurence Harvey). Falling in love, she is determined to turn her life around. A compulsive decision she makes early in the relationship results in tragic consequences. Never dull and the dialogue is brilliant. Elizabeth Taylor is at her best in this film.

Excelent script
Butterfield 8 was a disturbing film in its age. Elizabeth Taylor won an Academy award for this film.
The picture was supported by a fine dialogue. Once more Hiccock was right when he stated that the three most important fundamentals aspects for making a good film were ; first a good script , second a good script and third a good script .
Laurence Harvey is the lucky guy who commits adultery with that night butterfly , who later will fall in love with him . That perspective , however becomes in a complex device to explore the intimate world of all those people who live around them ; the fantasy world of Gloria, her glamorous desire to become a great lady , with an overshelter mother, a friend who makes the role of the brother she never had (Fisher is a mess as actor in this movie , maybe its only fault).
In the other side of the coin , Harvey is a married man who lives in a boring house with a unbearable wife , with nothing to say and nothing to give . So this marriage is just only a status convenience. He rebeals against this state of things but he is uncapable of break his marriage.
This situation is obviously hazardous for Gloria's growing expectations , who deeply in her mind still believes he'll divorce.
Powerful dramatis personae with an unexpected twist of fate.
Taylor in the peak of her cosmical beauty , but showing us also her powerful skill gifts acting.
Good transfer on DVD.
The picture may be today a bit old fashioned , but the visible analogies in that age with notable personalities of different worlds are obviously reflected.
The Profumo case for instance, was still fresh in the mind of the social pages and some other celebrities .
A good film to watch over and over.

"Vulgarity has its uses."
Gloria Wandrous is one of my all-time favourite roles for Elizabeth Taylor. Somehow the role just fits the actress like a glove. Gloria is a beautiful, troubled model whose private life is composed of nights in bars and a series of men. When "Butterfield 8" begins, Gloria wakes up in her underwear in a strange apartment. Taylor does an incredible job displaying her disorientation, and it takes her until her first cigarette to get her bearings. Gloria, it seems, has just spent the night with Weston Liggett (Laurence Harvey) in his New York apartment. The wealthy Mrs. Liggett (Dina Merrill) is off visiting her mother, and in her absence, Liggett picks up Gloria. It's meant to be a one-night-stand. That's what Gloria is used to, but Liggett wants more. Liggett and Gloria are both on their own self-destructive, self-indulgent binges when they meet, and their relationship is passionate and explosive.

The film is based on a John O'Hara novel. Taylor won an Academy award for best actress, and when the film was released it was considered quite risque. Strong supporting roles flesh out the story and illustrate the utter selfishness and self-destructive tendencies of the two main characters. Supporting characters include: the tiresomely saintly Mrs. Liggett, Steve (Eddie Fisher)--Gloria's childhood friend, Steve's long-suffering girlfriend, Norma, Gloria's mother (she's in terminal denial) and Mrs. Thurber, Gloria's mother's friend. All of these characters support and tolerate Liggett and Gloria to one degree or another. Elizabeth Taylor is incredible as Gloria. She's hysterical, needy, impossible and pathetic all at once. While I like Laurence Harvey, I found him to be the weak spot in this film. His acting was wooden and weak--and this is in complete contrast to Taylor--she is magnificent. She exudes a certain looseness. The film seems a little dated now--probably because the risque elements of the film no longer seem so, but Taylor fans should enjoy her performance. The DVD features theatrical trailers, and these really underscore the sensational aspects of the film, as it must have seemed to an audience from the 60s--displacedhuman ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Superb Greek/American Drama!!
A Dream of Kings was adapted by the Harry Mark Petrakis novel.In this 1969 film,Anthony Quinn plays Matsoukas,a humble Greek/American living in Chicago with his long suffering wife Caliope.When Matsoukas discovers that his son is dying,he decides that his son needs to get out of the Windy City and recuperate in the more pleasant weather of Greece but he needs money for the plane fare.One by one,Matsoukas sources of income begins to dry up until he is forced to fix a dice game to raise funds.His wife finally puts up the money by stealing from her own mother.Matsoukas finally takes the trip to Greece but realizesthat it would be better to remain in Greece so as not to further humiliate the loyal Caliope which makes this film a superb Greek/American Drama that's very well worth watching!!

Director, Daniel Mann's favorite film, gritty, hopeful.
Its the late 60's in the South Side of Chicago, Quinn, the passionate, charismatic head of a struggling Greek-American family (wife played by Irene Pappas, dying son played by Radames Pera,) does anything he can to raise money for plane tickets to Greece, where he believed the sun that shone on his ancestors on the slopes of Mt. Olympus will cure his beloved son of his rheumatic heart. Inger Stevens plays his mistress (in her second-to-last role) who tries to help him out. Several notable character actors fill out the cast and, according to his widow, it was late director Daniel Mann's favorite film. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

From the President of the official Dean Martin Fan Center
"Who's Got the Action?" is one of the films that often gets missed when thinking of Dean Martin. Made right after "Sergeant's 3", and before the very dramatic "Toys in the Attic", this light-hearted comedy has enough Hollywood names in it (Lana Turner is his co-star) to keep you guessing where you've seen their faces before. It's by far NOT Dean's best work, but it's a fun filled breezy comedy like the kind we all grew up with, making for a fun Saturday night. Dean only sings over the credits (unfortunatly), but his scenes with the great Walter Matthau and Eddie Albert are great. The best is with comedian/actor Paul Ford. This was made in 1962... right before Kennedy was killed, and the Rat Pack was in it's glory years. Dean has that twinkle in his eyes that we all love, and never takes himself too seriously. The story is all about betting - horses - bookies and wives... nothing 'heavy' or Academy award winning... but anything with Dino in the lead is just plain fun! I'd give it a "B-" - Neil Daniels (chairman) Dean Martin Fan Center: admin@deanmartinfancenter.com

Who's got the Action?
This movie starring lovely Lana Turner and Dean Martin, and Walter Matthau is great. Dean bets on horses and the wife tries to stop him by becoming her bookie but what happens if he wins? Find out by watching this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I love this movie!
Sidney Poitier is one of my favorite actors and he links up nicely with Abby Lincoln. A very cute love story.

WONDERFUL MOVIE! OKAY DVD
This is one of my favorite movies. Sidney Poitier falls for housekeeper "Ivy". A must see film. The bare-bones dvd doesn't have much to offer. You get the widescreen and standard versions, thats it. As of 08/13/2000, this dvd is still available at Columbia House. Worth a look! ... Read more

Description

A chronicle of the adventures in the life of Robert Elliot Burns whose experiences inspired the film "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang". ... Read more

Reviews (6)

AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE BY ONE AMAZING GUY
The first words that spring to mind when I think of this film is 'WOW'. Val Kilmer brings this character of Robert Elliot Burns to life, probably too well, and makes you believe that you're living it with him... the sign of a truly amazing actor... The things Mr Burns went through, the struggles that he faced seem so horrific it makes you think of the question 'This can't be real, can it?'.. What makes it more horrific is that it's based on a true life, a real person, real situations, real actual events...It blows my mind every time I watch it...Val Kilmer was the right person to play it because he puts so much into the role, he makes you feel the pain that he's suffering. This is a sign of an amazing, talented, young man..who just keeps on getting better...if that's possible. If I could I'd give it more marks than 5 because it is definitely a film not to miss.

Great movie for Kilmer fans..
An early film by Val Kilmer. Some may think it drags on but it ends up being a pretty good movie. Val Kilmer fans must see his great performance. I'd recommend to at least rent if not by this movie.

Excellent Portrayal of a Serious Social Problem
Val Kilmer gave 110% in his portrayal of the horrors faced by those sentenced to the old Southern chain gangs. Unfortunately, with the emphasis on making criminals pay for their crimes, the film may generate less sympathy than it once did.

Wonderful!!
Val Kilmer gives yet another great performance in this movie; he truly becomes Robert Burns. 1000 Chains was captivating...you get caught up in the main character's struggle for freedom. This picture was very eye-opening. I would recommend that everyone see this movie!

Run, Robby, Run!
Originally an HBO pay channel release, this is perhaps one of their better movies. Val Kilmer plays Robert Elliot Burns. Burns is a WWI veteran who eventually winds up, wrongfully, in a Georgia chain gang. After quite a few whuppings, he escapes in dramatic fashion. Rebuilding his life in Chicago as a news magazine publisher/writer, he gets blackmailed by his wife. He goes BACK to the chain gang and, after a few whuppings, escapes again!! A Val Kilmer fan must see this one, as it is one of his best roles. An all-star supporting cast helps ease the slower parts along. (This ain't no pretty boy flick, ladies. Ol' Val gets the snuff beat out of him.) ... Read more

Description

Upon meeting Alvaro, a happy and carefree man who reminds her of her deceased husband, Serafina emerges from her reclusive life and finds solace in this man who is startlingly similar to her beloved husband. Not only does Alvaro have the same occupation as her late husband, but he also has the same rose tattoo on his chest.Seeing these common traits between the two men as a sign, Serefina’s life takes a change for the better. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Okay
Anna Magnani stars as a grieving and overwrought Italian widow in this movie based on the Tennessee Williams play. Magnani is truly great in the role, and she is only 1 of 4 foreign actresses to have ever won an Academy Award for a performance. I do give her credit there, but still, after an hour of almost nothing but her emoting and carrying on about the loss of her husband, it really gets to be almost too much of a good thing. Finally, when I was about to give up on the film, Burt Lancaster comes into the picture and things do pick up from there.

It's entertaining to see Lancaster play a goofy, stumbling, truck driver who's as lonely as Magnani and watch his bumbling attempts to bring her out of her shell. Eventually, he succeeds but not after she loses her Sicilian temper at him a couple of times and smacks him around like a nerfball despite the fact that all he did was stumble half-drunk and half-naked into her teenage daughter's bedroom in the middle of the night looking for Magnani and tries to snuggle up to her daughter by mistake in the dark. Oops. Despite this little misadventure and the beating he receives from Magnani, Lancaster is only briefly deterred by this. By sheer dogged persistance he manages to get back in Magnani's good graces by the end of the movie, and everything ends more or less on a happy note. Well, I guess that's Sicilian courtship for you.

The movie does have its moments, and I do give Hal Kantor credit for making a valiant attempt to adapt this Tennessee Williams play to the silver screen. But overall, it just doesn't make for a particularly strong movie, and I'm sure it was probably better as a play. It drags too often in places, and some of the scenes are really a little silly or overly melodramatic. Maybe I'm a cultural barbarian, but I thought it was more interesting watching Burt Lancaster playing a bumbling simpleton (which he does well) than Magnani's award-winning performance, which is just too maudlin. Okay, she's lost her husband, but on that account, she gets abusive or at least hyper-neurotic with her friends, her priest, her daughter, her daughter's boyfriend, and just about everybody else in her life, not to mention Lancaster, who really does seem to care for her, and who comes off as a basically decent, well-meaning, and fun-loving guy even though he is pretty goofy and wacked-out himself. And as I said, it's sort of entertaining watching Lancaster, who usually portrays more studly, leading-man roles, playing an inept, lonely, Sicilian banana-truck driver who spends much of his time stumbling half-drunk through people's backyards and bedrooms and getting their dogs (or Magnani herself) sicced on him. (I guess all those bananas aren't much comfort on those balmy and moonlit Florida nights). But I preferred his character to the high-strung, overwrought Magnani, who's wrapped tighter than a pig in a blanket.

The movie was filmed in old Florida Keys, so I give it points for overall ambience, but all in all I can't give it more than 2 or 3 stars--unless the move counts as a primer on Sicilian dating and courtship rituals.

Electrifying Magnani in her Oscar-winning Performance
I had been a fan of Anna Magnani's films long before first viewing "The Rose Tattoo". Always intrigued by this great actor, my expectations for this film were easily met. -- Magnani, a middle aged widow without means meets goodhearted Burt Lancaster, but feels she is betraying the memory of her late husband, whom she seems to worship even beyond his grave. Later the story reveals that this "gem" of a husband had been completely unfaithful and was not much to brag about. -- Adapted from the Tennessee Williams play, this material transfers nicely to the screen. If you are a fan of the two incredible leads, you will enjoy this movie! The absolute best Anna Magnani film in my opinion is "Bellissima", unfortunately not currently available at Amazon.

The Odd Couple
THE ROSE TATTOO is about an Italian widow (Anna Magnani) in the bayou country who grieves over the memory of her dead husband. She is courted by the village clown (Burt Lancaster) who tries to help her let go of her memories. The rose tattoo is significant because the deceased had one on his body.

Magnani is superb as the grieving Serafina Delle Rose. Lancaster manages to pull off his role as Alvaro Mongiacavallo mainly because of his enormous energy. However, it is difficult for me to take his impersonation of an idiosyncratic Italian American seriously.

The movie won Academy Awards in 1955 for Best Actress (Anna Magnani), Black and White Cinematography and Black and White Art Direction. Nominations were received for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Marisa Pavan), Black and White Costume Design and Editing and Scoring of a Dramatic Picture. The Oscar for Best Picture in that same year was given to MARTY.

THE ROSE TATTOO was adapted for the screen from a play by Tennessee Williams who served as the screenwriter for the film. It was shot on location in old Key West.

Magnifica!
Anna Magnani perfectly portrays Tennessee Williams "Serafina DellaRosa", the love lost heroine of his beautiful play.Her portrayal is completely touching and awe-inspiring. I recently shared this film with a very accomplished actor friend who had never seen it, and his reaction was "wow." This is one of my all-time favorite films, and I consider Magnani's performance, for which she rightfully won the Academy Award as best actress, to be one of the most beautiful ever filmed. She says more with her eyes then most actors could ever convey in a whole script.Filmed on location in old Key West, it is steeped in the sleepy, humid atmosphere of that wonderful place. Watch for the bar-fight scene, where Magnani walks in to confront her dead husbands mistress. You will spot the mustachioed Tennessee Williams at the bar. His long-time lover, Frank Merlo, to whom he dedicated the book version of this play, "To Frankie, In Return For Sicily", is also in the fight scene.You can still visit Tennessee's little house in Key West,though it is not on any tour nor open to the public, just ask the locals. You may see the little plaque "the Rose Tattoo", on the gate.If you haven't seen this film (or even if you have), sit on the floor with a glass of red wine & someone you love, and watch the beautiful Anna Magnani create magic from Tennessee Williams equally magical "love play to the world", as he called it.

The Rose Tattoo is molto bene!
Let me clear up first that my actual rating for this film is 4 and a half. Though this film is not THE best adaptation of a Tennessee Williams' play it is a very good and a very different one. It's about a grieving widow(Anna Magnani) who is woed by a boisterous truck driver(Burt Lancaster) who she says looks like her dead husband, only he's more wacky! The highlight of this film is the wonderful performance given by the great italian star Anna Magnani. Evidently she really impressed Hollywood because she was given the Academy Award for best actress for this film, something that rarely happens to a foreign actress and she was the first. The only other foreign actresses to recieve this honor have been Sophia Loren and Simone Signoret and Ingrid Bergman if you count her as a foreigner and many British actresses but i want to get back on subject. The first hour of the film belongs to Magnani and while she does manage to hold our interest it begins to feel a bit boring after one hour. But then finally Burt Lancaster shows up and he manages to lend her great support and their chemistry together is comically romantic.The movie is well done if a bit stagey at times but Anna and Burt help make us forgive that. The film is a great character driven movie and it's great to start with this film if you want to decide to start seeing Magnani's movies. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

I will NEVER forget this movie!
In 1966, after reading the New Yorker review by the inimitable Brendan Gill, I saw this movie, which he recommended, calling James Coburn: "...a very funny fellow."

I wasn't prepared for how much I would be impressed by the clever, modest Derek Flint. One of the highlights of the movie is when, seeing a fly in the office of his friend, Chief Cramden, takes out a cigarette holder and goes into "hunt and seek" mode....eyeing the little beast as it flies around the room. He then uses the cig holder as a blow dart and NAILS the fly to the wall! That scene alone was impressive enough to make me a fan forever!

Coburn's sense of cool defines this movie...the way he handles Flint's knowledge of just about everything, his unflappability in the face of iminent death and his ability to estricate himself from the closest of calls will have him endearing himself to YOU as well! Edward Mulhare makes an excellent, comic-book style villain against Coburn, and Gila Golan plays the femme fatale that Flint eventually wins over to the side of the angels.

From the Bob Peak poster art to the Jerry Goldsmith score, not to mentiion Coburn's great take on what should have been a MUCH larger franchise, I guarantee you'll become a fan of the very personable Mr. Flint.

Very well done spoof of spy movies
This is the ultimate 60's spy movie spoof, capturing the total madcap, surreal, death-defying, and chauvinist ways of a spy in a 60's movie. Of course, having been made in 1965, what else could you expect?

James Coburn is Derek Flint, a spy so secret that even the group of scientists that wish to take over the world don't know of him. He is able to fake death, has a lighter with 82 functions (83 if you wish to light a cigar), knows ballet, kung fu, and fencing, and is apparantly an expert in French cuisine. In otherwords, he could only exist in a (everybody say it now!) spy movie from the 60's.

The style of this widescreen epic is amazing. The special effects are very well done for the time, and are even now hard to detect. Flint is every inch a chauvinist pig, so if you want to see women kicking [rear], this is not the film for you, as Flint has FOUR women who serve his every need and are basically helpless without him.

What was truly fascinating was watching this movie after having been a big Austin Powers fan. I was surprised at how much the first Powers film owes to this movie, from the bat