Reviews (30)

Even Doris Complained About It
Yes, in her autobiography, Doris Day complained that co-star Cary Grant just wasn't into his role here. I call this incarnation "Wink Cary" because towards the end of his movie career, Cary always seemed to be screwing up his eyes as though staring into the sun; I interpret this as his growing dissatisfaction with the movie roles offered him. "Wink Cary" never has proper interaction with his co-stars and is apparently waiting to be told to go home, as if he were on jury duty. In "That Touch of Mink", Cary plays a wealthy man whose limo splashes the dress of Doris Day. One thing leads to another, and he tries to launch an affair with her, only to be foiled repeatedly by various things, including her breaking out into a rash at the thought of fornication, even with Cary. Adequate supporting work by indignant Audrey Meadows and misidentified Gig Young, who keeps getting slapped by Meadows who thinks he's the guy trying to breach Doris' honor. There's better Doris and better Cary movies out there; see them first.

A delightful and witty sex comedy
"That Touch of Mink," directed by Delbert Mann, is a delicious 60's sex comedy about the romantic duel between Cathy Timberlake (played by Doris Day), an unemployed working girl with small-town roots, and Philip Shane (Cary Grant), a rich businessman. Along for the ride are Audrey Meadows as Cathy's fiercely protective roommate Connie and Gig Young as Philip's wisecracking employee Roger.

"That Touch" is absolutely hilarious and delightful from start to finish. Day is irresistible--wholesome and innocent, yet feisty. Grant is charming and funny. Meadows and Young get lots of comic mileage out of their marvelous supporting roles.

The film is also a joy to look out. The sets and costumes are marvelous (there's even a fashion show); the screen bursts with color. The script combines witty dialogue, zesty social satire and goofy physical comedy with a cleverly structured plot. There are also some fun cameos by recognizable faces--I won't spoil the fun by revealing them. And it's all nicely complemented by a playful musical score. "That Touch" is one comic battle of the sexes that really holds up after all these years.

Not bad, but not as good as the Hudson/Day/Randall comedies
Watching _That Touch of Mink_ is like watching something from an alternate universe where instead of the formulaic early '60s romantic comedy where you had Rock Hudson as the desirable yet unavaliable bachelor, Doris Day as the perpetual virgin and Tony Randall as the neurotic and closeted best friend you had Cary Grant as the desirable yet unavailable bachelor, Doris Day as the perpetual virgin (apparently no other actress approached Doris Day's iconic status as a virgin) and Gig Young as the neurotic and closeted best friend. Talk about "through a glass darkly"!.
All of this is very cute but the problem with Grant and Young is that they can't pull off the Rock Hudson/Tony Randall dynamic. Hudson had a boyish charm that Grant, a more substantial actor, didn't, and the dynamic between Hudson and Randall is a lot more playful than the one between Grant and Young, and of course when it came to playing neurotic closetcases no one can even hold a candle to Tony Randall. I mean really, if they had ever had an Academy Award for "Best Portrayal of a Neurotic Closetcase" they would have awarded it once, in 1961 for _Lover Come Back_ and then retired it forever.
Doris Day is of course virginal, amazing that someone with so little talent was able to make such a career out of the supposed possession of a hymen. You might dispute as to whether or not virginity is a good thing but regardless of your opinion you have to admire Day for making so much out of hers.

Sweet romantic comedy
Doris Day plays Cathy Timberlake, an unemployed girl next door from outta town. Cary Grant plays the suave and sophisticated Phillip Shane Managing Director of a successful company. On a rainy day in Manhattan Phillip Shane's car accidentally splashes Cathy Timberlake who is standing on the edge of a kerb. Later from his office he spots Cathy on the street and he sends his assitant Gig Young to apologise and to give her money to compensate for her ruined dress. Cathy is not impressed and says to Gig Young that she wants to throw the money back in Philipp's face so she goes up to his office but instead of telling him off she falls for his good looks and charm. She is then whisked off to a meeting of board directors, flies on his private jet, attends a UN speech and ends the day attending a baseball match. Cathy is thoroughly smitten by Phillip and he is really impressed by her so much that he asks her to go away with him for the weekend to Bahamas.

Being Doris Day, Cathy is of course all virtuous and is in a dilemma as to whether she should go away on her dirty weekend with Phillip. She decides no but is finally persuaded to do so because Phillip goads her into do so. She has a wonderful time until the night arrives and is faced by being seduced by Phillip at which point she is so stressed that she develops a rash all over. So poor Phillip is left playing cards on the terrace with another man who's wife "is not well". So Cathy returns to New York with her virtue in tact. She tries to lure Phillip away again and the second time is so drunk that she falls off her balcony. Phillip decides to not woo her any longer and finds her a job in a credit card company only for her to mess up the company's entire filing system. In the end, to win back Phillip, Cathy and her roommate, Audrey Meadows think up of a plan for her to go away with the sleazeball who works at the local benefits office and for Phillip to chase after them which inevitably he does.

This film is a bit dated ie Cathy being virtuous and shy but it's a great comedy. If you love vintage clothing from the sixties there's even a catwalk run thrown in. The colours are wonderful and the lines delivered by the actors are sharp. Doris Day is her usual bubbly self and you couldn't get smoother guy than Cary Grant. Fun film to watch on a rainy day in.

Lealing

That Touch Of Mink
This is a marvelous comedy classic Starring Doris Day and Cary Grant in this marvelous Universal Comedy Classic ! But released onto Video by Republican PIctures! Cathy Timberlake (Doris Day) is a poor out of work New Yorker that gets run into herself with mud by a limousine owned by Philip Shayne (Cary Grant) well they end up falling in love and go to Brazil together and have all and a lot of fun! Great classic family movie! They get married at the end and have a happy life together! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

BEFORE "GETTYSBURG," THERE WAS "IRONCLADS!"
Although this film will never reach the popularity that "Gettysburg" and it's prequel "Gods and Generals" have achieved, "Ironclads" is still a worthy addition to anyone's library of Civil War films. The battle scenes between the Ironclad warships U.S.S. Monitor and C.S.S. Virginia (built on top of the captured remains of the U.S.S. Merrimac) are awesome to behold, and the acting and costuming are top notch. I hope that they release it on DVD soon! Grade: A+

Ironclads - pretty costumes, bad acting, script, ad technica
Based on a true event, the producer had a good story-line to work with. The movie suffers with the addition of the love triangle and poor acting. Well done uniforms and civilian attire alone does not make it a good movie. The battle scenes are somewhat corny. Technical detail, in many instances, is poor. For instance, the Monitor could only have one canon at a time move out of the port. Several scenes showed both canons protruding - a physical impossibility. Its a shame that this historical event could not have been produced more historically correct.

Interesting, but somewhat shallow...
This made-for-TV movie tells the story of some events that culminated in the first ever conflict between ironclad warships -- the Confederacy's "Virginia" (formerly the USS Merrimack) and the USS Monitor. The battle took place in 1862. The "Virginia" (aka "Merrimack") came downstream to break the Union blockade at the Hampton Roads, near Norfolk, VA, during the American Civil War (or The War Between the States). On the second day of action at that location the Monitor and the "Merrimack" clashed.

The movie's cast is highlighted by Virginia Madsen and E.G. Marshall.

The story line includes hints of a love triangle involving Madsen and a Union naval officer and a Confederate naval officer. While this part of the movie lacked some sincerity, it helps one realize that large numbers of people had friends and relatives on both sides during the Civil War.

I must say that I awarded this movie only three stars because the acting was not top-notch, the romance was not particularly romantic, and the drama was not especially dramatic. The reason it deserves at least three stars is two-fold. 1) When Madsen is faced with personal dilemma and questions her loyalties and motives, her mother's slave servant puts things into perspective for her by saying that things would not be so hard to put into perspective if she (Madsen) had been born a black slave. 2) The battle scenes, though somewhat lacking in the special effects department, were still quite good and may represent as accurate a portrayal of the battle between the ironclads as has been produced for the screen.

I would do a few things differently if I had a chance to do this movie over. I would cut or drastically minimize the romantic triangle. I would expand the opening scenes of the Union's withdrawal from the Gosport Naval Base, thus enhancing the premis for the story. I would also expand the role of the slaves who were used as couriers to smuggle information across enemy lines.

I recommend this movie to anyone who has interest in the American Civil War and to those who enjoy stories with a sea setting. If, however, you are looking only for an action adventure or a gripping drama, this movie will not satisfy you.

If you are looking for another Civil War era naval story that has more drama, check out the movie, "The Hunley."

I liked "Ironclads" but I didn't love it.

3 stars.

Alan Holyoak

Good history despite the flaws.
Definitely a flawed movie, particularly the stock love story. But the scenes about the construction and especially the battle scenes more than make up for it. The special effects are not going to impress you. But considering this is a made for TV movie they are quite acceptable.

Bad Soap Opera in US Civil War Uniforms
Completely ignoring the success of movies with a wealth of historical accuracy, such as Gettysburg, or even the Longest Day, the producers of this turkey give us poor acting (why does EVERY actress-wannabe insist on raising the pitch of her voice and using a GEORGIAN accent? Maybe use actresses who have actually LIVED in the South next time?) chopped up history, and special effects from the 1950's. Supposedly a female Southern spy uses her feminine charms to get details of new ironclad designs to her lover, who just happens to be in the Confederate Navy. Such a character DID exist, a Virginian woman was quite "popular" in the Washington Society of time and did pass on information, but nothing like this contrived silliness. The scenes concerning the shock caused by the CSS Virginia in Hampton Roads are fairly accurate, as is the final inconclusive battle between the Virginia and the Monitor-if you ignore the obvious model-kits-in-a-swimming-pool special effects. Either fast-forward the tape for the last 25 minutes or so, or better yet, watch the History and Discovery Channels for their occasional documentaries on these two revolutionary warships. This one was almost laughably painful... ... Read more

Reviews (25)

A Well endowed portray of the classic novel/movie
As the 70's came to a close, nobody exactly knew what was beyond the horizon of the 80's...much to say it's taste in TV movies. "All Quiet on the Western Front", a 1979 made-for-tv movie, said it all. You have your all-star cast of "The Waltons" Richard Thomas, academy award winner Ernest Borgnine, cult fave Donald Pleasence and British actor Ian Holm. Unlike it's 1930 counterpart, which places itself in the hall of fame of war epics, this update gives more and askes for little.

Much like the book and the original movie, the story takes place in 1914 central Germany at the eve of World War I. Many schoolboys (and yes, just like the original film, they oddly speak English with American and British accents, yet its...Germany?) are destinted to join up with the Kaiser's army and fight for the "Fatherland". Paul Baummer (Thomas) is an eager young boy who doesn't exactly look like the fighting type (truth be said, Thomas is giving into too much of his John-Boy image from "Waltons", but nevermind that), in fact he gets distracted easily. But he and his school buddies join the resistance. After going through harsh training with anal Himmelstoss (Holm), they are sent to the frontlines of France. There, they meet Katczinsky (Bognine) AKA "Kat", a seamlessly old warhorse that takes the boys in and teaches them how to fight. And unless you haven't read the book or just know the story like everybody knows the Cinderella story, one-by-one the boys die horrible deaths in the trenches and it's to a point where even some lose their minds. Paul is sent back home because of injuries but returns because he feels like the trenches are his home. Only for his to find out that he's the only remaining of his group aside from Kat, who dies a long and painful death after being hit by shrapnel and being carried a mile or so by Paul to safety. Ouch. Once again, Paul is distracted by something and thus we have "All Quiet on the Western Front"

The tv movie won a Golden Globe for Best Made-For-TV Movie and it definately deserved it. The production vaule was superb and you can tell. I merely wonder if the director intended the film to be released theatrically, because it's quite well shot and pretty high on special effects scale...that is for the 70's. One such thing that would bug a lot of history buffs is just how not a single word of German is spoken throughout the entire movie...and it takes place in Germany! It would be like an American movie were everybody speaks French, but it's Southern California! Right up along side "Enemy at the Gates" (Russians speak with British accents, Germans speak with American?) it's a well endowed movie and a perfect selection for a history class.

Very tough movie
This is a very good and tough movie. It is a big improvement from the 1930 version.

Great film but would have been better without the editing.
As most of the other reviews have noted, this is a great movie. What disappointed me though was that a lot of little parts were edited out. I saw this movie on TV several years ago and recorded it. I thought it was excellent and eagarly purchased the DVD. I wish now that I had kept my tape. Because although the edited parts did not take away much from the story as a whole, those same parts added so much more to it. For example in the unedited version, during training Paul Baumer comes to the aid of one of his comrades who has fallen into the mud. For this he is punished by Corporal Himmelstoss. Later at the front, Paul and his platoon mates are sitting in their dugout and discussing why Himmelstoss received the Iron Cross. By this time Himmelstoss is behaving more human and when he enters the dugout he is no longer taunted. In fact Kat moves over on his bunk to make room for him. These are only 2 examples. There was much more.

Still a good movie, but because of the editing I rate it only 3 stars.

Getting There
Having done a college thesis on this book and the two movie versions, I feel qualified to write reviews. Acting is far better here than in the version of 1930, and so are the special and sound effects. The reason is clear enough: in 1930, actors were new to the concept of sound in films. However, just looking at the DVD cover you know you will have to take this one with salt: he hasn't even got the right helmet on- that one is more WWII than WWI. Apart from things like that which only sticklers such as myself will actively object to, this is an excellent adaptation of a wonderful book. buy it, unless you hold a degree in German Militia in which case all this will do is annoy you. This means you, Mikhail.

Best antiwar movie ever made!
Thank God there are some people in Holywood who can create masterpieces. It is the first movie ever created with such realism about the horrible WW1. It doesn't have any Rambos killing everybody without even sweating. It is more believable than any other war movie, even if it's only a novel. Maybe because it is seen through the eyes of a German soldier. Who knows! Anyway I recomend this movie to everyone who is tired of watching action heroes combined with ...(true stories)??? ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Rock Hudson and Doris Day had one of the sweetest chemistries in the movies--as demonstrated in several light comedies, including this film's predecessor, 1959's Pillow Talk. The two similar films feature a handsome, duplicitous Hudson duping--then falling for--an earnest Day. In Lover Come Back, the two play Jerry Webster and Carol Templeton, rival advertising agents, vying for the same clients--until Jerry makes up a product, Vip, to get out of a scrape. As Madison Avenue catches Vip fever, Jerry falls deeper into the façade-and into love with Carol, who schemes to steal the nonexistent account away from him. Tony Randall plays Peter Ramsay, Webster's hapless boss. While Day and Hudson are as adorable as ever (and would continue to be in 1964's Send Me No Flowers), a standout is fellow Pillow Talk and Send Me No Flowers costar Randall. He's an effective foil--both comically and physically (as he stands next to the much taller Hudson). Their brands of humor blend charmingly: Hudson's sardonic coyness, Day's innocent sweetness, and Randall's nervous edginess. Look for a pre-Brady Bunch Ann B. Davis as Mille, Carol's loyal assistant, and a pre-Beverly Hillbillies Donna Douglas as Ramsay's secretary. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (24)

They don't make 'em like this anymore!
Funny, charming, romantic, is what I have to say about this film. "Doris Day" was a smash. "Rock Hudson" was suave and debonair, he played his roll very well. And what a handsome gent he was. "Tony Randall" was a hoot. He was the funniest of them all. Mr. Webster played by: "Rock Hudson" makes up a phoney Idea called, VIP; to throw "Doris Day" off his track in a business deal. He creates a commercial with a show girl, and calls her the VIP girl. "Doris Day" finds out that the product VIP wasn't a real business deal, and demands that Mr. Webster prove his product exists or face the court for false advertisement. A very funny romantic comedy. I recommand it for the whole family to watch.

The Best of Day and Hudson
I think that Lover Come Back is the best of the Doris Day/Rock Hudson romantic comedies. The humour is sharper and more adult, and all the actors nail their characters down perfectly. Day and Hudson are rival advertising executives, with Day using the by-the-book approach, and Hudson wining, dining, and providing female companionship to lure and sign clients. Through the kind of mixups you expect from one of their movies, Day comes to believe that Hudson is a client, and then things become complicated. Tony Randall plays Hudson's boss, an insecure man that wants to protect himself above anything else, but who ends up paying the price over and over for Hudson's antics and schemes. The dialogue has a lot of funny lines and innuendos, and the three leads play it with relish. The supporting cast of Edie Adams, Ann B. Davis, and others, all add to the fun. Director Delbert Mann has a sure touch and keeps the film moving along briskly, and even though you can pretty much guess the conclusion, it's a lot of fun getting there.

Boy, have things changed!
I found this video in the stores recently. Now, mind you, I have already seen this movie when it was in the theaters. Then it seemed like a light hearted romp. By today's standards, it is virtually archaic in the acting and the script. Still, it is DEFINITELY a PG film.

An incredibly sexist film...Disappointing for Doris Day fans
Oh. My. Gawd. I mean, for years and years and years, we've all heard the feminist critiques of how Doris Day was an example of the retrograde sexism of her times -- the Eisenhower era and the early, pre-feminist Sixties, blah blah blah -- but in movie after movie, I've seen her portray a capable, cheerfully assertive participant in the battle of the sexes -- no doormat here! The Doris Day-as-antifeminist icon thing seemed like a bum rap to me. This film, however, is the first one of the classic Doris Day-Rock Hudson bouts I've seen in which Day is, pure and simple, a victim and a sap. Hudson co-stars as a rival advertising executive, who uses tacky boy's club tactics to steal Doris's clients out from under her. Rock takes a guy out drinking, provides a few call girls and --zingo!!-- he lands the MagnaSoap contract. Doris stammers and clenches her fists, struggles to give him a piece of her mind, while he in turn jeers at her, calls her frigid, and flaunts his sexual mastery at all possible junctures... Of course, their first battle is fought, as in "Party Line," over the phone, so she hasn't had a chance yet to see what a hunk he is. In Round Two, Doris assertively hauls him in front of the review board of the chamber of commerce, a decisive act that boomerangs when, with a nudge and a wink, Rock makes a fool out of her in front of the all-male panel and walks away unscathed. From that moment on, he's got Doris under his thumb, besting her at every turn, and, finally, gets her so drunk that she beds him, winds up pregnant and is forced to marry him and live, um, happily ever after.

The script is peppered with the most aggressively sexist dialogue of any of their films -- it's as though, after having set the formula and worked through it in several previous films, the Hudson-Day producers felt they had to one-up themselves and make it more extreme, punchier, harder. The humor has an underlying mean-spiritedness and misogyny, a lack of balance that's exemplified by the Hudson character's near-complete lack of growth. You assume, early on, that during his seduction of this hapless female, that he will unwittingly fall in love with her and become a better person, but througout the course of the film, the only moderation in his behavior comes at the very end, when he realizes he would rather stay married to her than not. Nonetheless, he's never actually contrite or abashed, Hudson's still pretty much a jerk when the curtain closes and it's up to Day to recognize that her physical attraction to him trumps their past history. Plus, she's all knocked up: what's a good girl to do? As a result, the film isn't as enjoyable or as pleasant and frothy as other Doris Day films, in fact, I found it a bit jarring, although the glimpse back at old-school male chauvinism can be pretty instructive.

On a more entertaining note, this has some of the most delectable and blatant homoerotic/demi-gay undertones of any of Hudson's films. The scene in which Hudson cradles Tony Randall's head in his hand (to help swab some dye off his face) is charged with erotic power; in the next scene, we find that Randall has spent the night at Rock's apartment, and not long after that, Hudson announces that he's giving up New York and is going to move to San Francisco(!) It's all semi-coincidental, of course, but pretty rife with campy thrills, given the later disclosures about Hudson's private life. In sum, this film is super-retro and Neanderthal, not as much fun as early versions of the same material, but it does have considerable camp value, if that sort of irony-laden anti-notalgia is your kinda thing.

I Enjoyed Watching This DVD!
Okay, I know I reviewed this movie before but that was before I got the DVD and I thought I should review it again. I bought the new boxset that contains all three of Doris and Rock's movies in amamorphic widescreen and Lover Come Back is a very good movie and my second favorite with my #1 favorite being Pillow Talk and while the new anamorphic widescreen DVD for Pillow Talk was botched with misframing flaws the Lover Come Back DVD seems to be fine. Yes the picture quality could be a little better but it's a vast improvement over my video tape which was defective from the moment I opened the plastic wrap and found that the tape was damaged and wrinkled which made it difficult to watch so I really enjoyed watching the DVD and I just wish I had bought the Lover Come Back DVD seperately instead of the boxset with the botched Pillow Talk DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (21)

This was the real Strategic Air Command
I saw this movie three times: once as a child, the other in High School, and finally while I was on active duty at Wurtsmith AFB, MI., in 1981. Throw out the romance portion of the film, and one sees the Strategic Air Command (SAC) as it was during the Cold War era. I had arrived to Wurtsmith as the Wing/Base Level Data Automation Officer after serving three years in SAC Headquarters. Going through two Operational Readiness Inspections (ORI) in a ten month period -- the 379th BMW and my orginazation did well in both -- I saw what the real Air Force was like. The IG came unexpectedly and without notice. This film is pretty much acurate on how a base prepares for a contingency. When a Wing fails an inspection, the Wing Commander and pretty much all, or most his directors (thus the title "A Gathering of Eagles") are fired on the spot. Colonels with aspirations of making General are now forced to end there careers early. This is a must see film for military history buffs and those novices who are curious about the United States Air Force.

This Film Is A Tribute To SAC And The U.S. Air Force
During the latter years of the 60s' I was stationed at Malmstrom
A.F.B. near Great Falls, Montana. We were a Minuteman missle base
and once every blue moon we might get treated to have a B-52 land
at our base. But as in the movie were were also subject to the
SAC Operational Readiness Inspections (ORI) and everything had to
be in tip-top shape and on the money. And as our other reviewers
and the movie indicated, the wing commander's job was on the line, so was the group or base commander. and the inspections
came with little or no warning. I enjoy watching A gathering of
Eagles due to the accuracy of the movie in depicting Air Force
life and the SAC mission. It also helps me to relive the exciting
days of my life as an airman with the 341st Strategic Missle Wing. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone.

THE 1960'S STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND!!!!
WESTOVER AFB, IN CHICOPEE, MASS., WAS ONCE A DOWN-TO-EARTH USAF STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND BASE THAT STATIONED BOEING B-52 STRATOFORTRESSES, AND B-47 STRATOJETS, BOTH BACKBONE BOMBERS OF THE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND! JUST LIKE IN "A GATHERING OF EAGLES", THAT REGULARILY HAD "ORI'S" (OPERATIONAL READINESS INSPECTIONS), WHERE BOMBERS AND EVEN KC-135 JET TANKERS WERE SENT OUT ON AERIAL DRILLS AS PART AS MILITARY READINESS IN THE EVENT OF WAR! I STILL REMEMBER THOSE DAYS BACK IN THE 1960'S!!!! THEN THE B-52S WERE SILVER, NOT CAMAFLAUGE LIKE TODAY! I WENT TO SEVERAL AIR SHOWS THERE AND ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING MOMENTS EVER, WAS IN 1964 WHEN MY DAD AND I OBSERVED A LOW FLYBY OF A B-52 AND KC-135 REFUELING SIMULATION DURING THAT GREAT AUTUMN AIR SHOW!!!! IT ROOK MY BREATH AWAY!!!! IT BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES!!!! AND I NEVER FORGOT IT!!!! I STILL SEE AND REMEMBER IT AS IF IT WERE YESTERDAY!!!! WOW!!!!
IN "STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND" (PARAMOUNT PICTURES 1955), WE SAW THE GREAT MASSIVE CONVAIR B-36 PEACEMAKERS, AND WERE INTRODUCED TO THE BOEING B-47 STRATOJETS! THEN IN "BOMBERS B-52" (WARNER BROTHERS 1957), WE WENT FROM BOEING B-47 STRATOJETS TO BE INTRODUCED TO THE NEW BOEING B-52 STRATOFORTRESSES. BOTH FILMS FEATURED SPECTACULAR AERIAL SCENERY!!!!
NOW IN "A GATHERING OF EAGLES" (UNIVERSAL/INTERNATIONAL PICTURES 1963) WE NOW SEE THE BOEING B-52 STRATOFORTRESSES, AND ARE INTRODUCED TO THE BOEING KC-135 JET TANKERS (BOEING 707 TYPES), AND EVEN MINUTEMEN MISSILES IN THEIR UNDERGROUND SILOS!!!!
IN ACTUALITY, WE'VE SEEN THE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND FROM THE POST WAR ERA, WITH "STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND" (MY ALLTIME FAVORITE!) STARRING JAMES STEWART AND JUNE ALLYSON, TO "BOMBERS B-52" STARRING KARL MALDEN AND NATALIE WOOD, AND NOW TO MODERN UP-TO-DATE READINESS VERSION STARRING ROCK HUDSON, MARY PEACH AND ROD TAYLOR. ITS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT BARRY SULLIVAN HAD STARRING ROLES IN BOTH "STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND" AS ROCKY STANFORD, AND IN "A GATHERING OF EAGLES" AS A DRINKING MILITARY OFFICIAL, WHOSE DRINKING PROBLEM EVENTUALLY LEADS TO HIS SUDDEN AND NEAR TRAGIC DOWNFALL!!!!
ROCK HUDSON IS SUPERB AS THE COMMANDER (CALDWELL) WHO GETS A NEW WING AT A CALIFORNIA SAC BASE NEAR SAN FRANCISCO. CALDWELL HAS THE ALMOST DIFFICULT RESPONSIBILITY OF GETTING HIS ENTIRE UNIT IS TOP SHAPE AND READINESS TO PASS ANY FUTURE "ORI'S"! (OPERATIONAL READINESS INSPECTIONS) WHERE THE FORMER COMMANDER OF THE BASE FAILED AND WAS FIRED! CALDWELL DETERMINED AND ROUGHLY DISCIPLINES HIS UNIT EVEN TO THE POINT OF "CHOPPING HEADS" SO TO SPEAK TO KEEP EVERYONE IN LINE. EVEN AS FAR AS FIRING HIS BEST FRIEND COL. FARR (ROD TAYLOR), ESPECIALLY AFTER RUMORS ARISE THAT HE MIGHT BE HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH CALDWELL'S WIFE (MARY PEACH). SHE IN TURN THREATENS TO LEAVE HIM, UNTIL AN EXPECTED ORI OCCURS. GENERAL KIRBY (PLAYED BRILLIANTLY BY KEVIN MCCARTHY OF "INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS") ARRIVES, AS HES DONE MANY TIMES IN THE PAST (HE WAS ALSO INSTRUMENTAL IN THE DISMISSAL OF THE FORMER COMMANDER, OF WHICH CALDWELL HAD TO REPLACE) PUTTING CALDWELL AND THE ENITRE UNIT TO THE TEST!!!! THROUGH GRUELING HOURS OF TAKEOFFS OF B-52S, AND KC-135S, PREPARATION OF MINUTEMEN MISSILES, EMERGENCIES, DELAYS, AND POSSIBLE ABORTS, AS WELL AS EXECUTED MID-AIR REFUELINGS, THE ENTIRE MANPOWER WAS PUT UNDER HOURS OF GRUELING STRESS, FATIGUE, UNCERTAINTY, AND THE JITTERS!!!! JUST LIKE THE REAL OPERATIONS OF SAC BASES ALL OVER THE WORLD!!!!
THIS IS TRUELY A HUMAN DRAMA OF HIGH FLYING ADVENTURE AND CONFLICT!!!! ONE OF THE BEST MILITARY MOVIES OF TODAYS USAF THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!
MOST NOTABLE WERE THE SPECTACULAR SCENES OF THE FOUR B-52'S TAKING OFF AS PART OF AN EXERCISE! ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING!!!!
THAT CLOSE!!! INCREDIBLE!!!! ALSO THE B-52 TAKEOFF AND FLIGHT THAT LEAD MID-AIR REFUELING MISHAP AND THE EMERGENCY LANDING OF THE B-52!!!! JUST LIKE "STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND" WITH THE B-36 FLYOVER OF AL LANG FIELD, TAMPA FLORIDA AT THE START OF THE START OF THE FILM, AND THE IMPRESSIVE STARTUP, TAXI AND FLIGHT OF THE B-36 FROM CARSWELL AFB, FORT WORTH, TEXAS TO ALASKA AND BACK WITHOUT EVER REFUELING!!!! THE ADRENALINE RUSH WAS THERE!!!! I WAS IN MY GLORY!!!!
ALSO ADDED THEIR TALENTS TO THIS GREAT FILM CLASSIC WERE ROBERT LANSING (FAMOUS AS TELEVISION'S FRANK SAVAGE FROM "TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH), ROBERT BRAY (FAMOUS AS TELEVISION'S FOREST RANGER COREY STUART FROM "LASSIE", AFTER THE MARTINS MOVED TO AUSTRALIA), HENRY SILVA, LEONA DANA, AND RICHARD ANDERSON (FROM "THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN" STARRING LEE MAJORS)!
TREMENDOUS FILM CLASSIC ABOUT THE SERIOUS WORKINGS OF THE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND! AND LIKE "STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND" AN HISTORICAL RETROSPECT AND ARCHIVE THAT SHOULD REMAIN ALWAYS PRESERVED AND CHERISHED FOREVER!!!! A TRUE PIECE OF AMERICAN HERITAGE!!!!FOR AS THE MOTTO OF THE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND STATED "PEACE IS OUR PROFESSION" AND THEY WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED FOR THE COURAGE, BRAVERY, SACRIFICE AND STRIKING FORCE THEY STOOD FROM 1946-1992!!!! ALWAYS AND FOREVER!!!!

What did you do in the war daddy?
I saw this film as a young teenager and what an impression it made. I was fortunate enough to have the honor of serving in SAC for 18 years in ICBMs and being at a base with B-52s (now B-1s). When I watch this movie today, the young airmen of today will never know what's it like to see a REAL no-notice ORI and see senior officers get "Fired". That's the real Air Force and this movie captured the essence of it. It still sends chills and a smile to this day to watch it.

superb quality for aviation buffs
With the exception of a few questionable scenes, the movie was great. I spent much of my child hood around air force bases, one of which had it`s own tanker squadron attached to it. My father and I have spent many hours dicussing what the ORI`s were really like. In truth, he has said that they were pretty much how the movie depicted them. He first entered the air force in `61 as a boom operator on KC-97`s at Selfride AFB, MI and remembers them all to well with alot of really unique comments that are best left unsaid. All in all, I recommend this movie to anyone who has a fond memory of the B-52`s and for what the air force used to be like along time ago. It was truly a great joy for me to actually be able to own the video, but I am waiting for a DVD version to be released one day. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Family Christmases Remembered
This is an excellent Christmas film for the nostalgic, as it does date back to the late sixties. There is charm and the Van Dyke mystic, plus a wonderful performance from (agent 99) Barbara Feldon. The plot is simple, the Butler (of course had to do it) must bring in money to keep the woman he works for (a mother figure to him) from knowing she was broke. He does this thru inventive criminal activity (stealing like only the rich can do). He must keep an outsider (the new secretary played by Barbara Feldon) from finding out and in the process falls in love, as does she, and so she doesn't run to the police when she finds out. I simply love the main caper, pulled at Gimbles department store pre-christmas. It is charming. Perhaps this was Gimbles answer to Macy's Miracle on 34th Street. It brings back my happy memories of Family Christmas time in the late sixties. A wonderful film!

Dick Van Dyke as a charming "Robin Hood" butler
Dick Van Dyke plays the title character of this 1967 comedy, a butler whose full name is Claude Fitzwilliam. He is in service to Miss Victoria Woodworth (Edith Evans), who comes from old money, which has now run out. Even worse, Miss Vicki is committed to a lot of philantrophic endeavors. However, Fitzwilly and the rest of the staff are dedicated to making sure she does not find out and towards that end they come up with creative (okay, criminal) ways of making money. Now, servants taking care of their mistress is an effrontery to Marxist thought if you are talking Karl, but if your leanings are more towards Groucho then you can appreciate the humor.

There is also a romantic subplot between Fitzwilly and Juliet Nowell (Barbara Feldon, in a credible first screen appearance for the co-star of television's "Get Smart"). But the part of this film that I remember most fondly is the "Dictionary for Dopes" that Miss Vicki is working on. Her idea is that people who do not know how to spell need a dictionary that makes it easier for them to find the correct spelling, working from all the possible phonetic spellings of a problematic word. The idea always appealed to me since my spelling is so atrocious that even spellcheckers are thwarted by my creativity, but there is also a nice little twist regarding Miss Vicki's dictionary as well. The project is what requires the hiring of Juliet, who cannot be entrusted to know what the rest of the staff is up to with their fun little capers.

This is an enjoyable film, mainly on the strength of Van Dyke's charming performance, which overcomes the dubious morality of the shenanigans that are going on. You will recognize a host of well-known character actors such as John McGiver, Cecil Kellaway, Norman Fell, Laurence Naismith and John Fielder. The score and song "Make Me Rainbows" are the work of young composer John Williams, who, for the last time, was credited as "Johnny Williams." Speaking of variations on a name, this film was known as "Fitzwilly Strikes Back" in the United Kingdom and was also released as "A Garden of Cucumbers."

A Modern Robin Hood Romp
Videotapes first became popular in 1980, and Fitzwilly, one of my favorite films, had been made 13 years before. So naturally the arbitrary powers that be kept the video version off the shelves for over 20 years!

But finally this lost Dick Van Dyke treasure is available, and we can only hope that its DVD version will not be another pan-and-scan nightmare like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was. Remember that both Chitty and Fitzwilly were shot in Panavison, meaning that only a widescreen format can do them justice on DVD.

Yes, Van Dyke's Mary Poppins and Bye Bye Birdie are available in beautiful widescreen, but they really dropped the ball with Chitty. I was astounded when the DVD of it was finally released, and noticed that they had taken a film about a flying car yet - and reduced half the picture down to dismal pan-and-scan, which also reduced by 50% the feeling the viewer gets of flying.

I can now happily note, however, that the studio finally woke up and later released a widescreen version of Chitty, after their dismal standard frame dud bit the dust. The makers of Willy Wonka also released a far superior version of their film in widescreen - after likewise goofing up by first putting out a similarly lousy pan-and-scan bomb. But sadly, such repenting studios later showing they have "seen the light" about widescreen are very rare.

Tech specs aside, as to the plot of Fitzwilly itself, the Robin Hood bunch does keep some money to maintain their households but funnels the rest of it through the old lady's hands into the hands of the poor. In the end, some rich businesses got stung a bit (but they were insured) and the lives of hundreds of poor folks were enriched. The only one who would gripe about something like that happening would be some other selfish rich businessman.

Dick Van Dyke has for decades been one of the Top 5 comedians of all time, and Fitzwilly is one of his Top 5 movies. Need one say more? Only this - oh great creators of Fitzwilly, please release this movie soon on DVD and make it in WIDESCREEN !!!

Late sixties comedy caper remains a sentimental favorite
Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Feldon are absolutely charming in this lighthearted comedy fluff. Van Dyke plays the title character Fitzwilly (short for the more proper Fitzwilliam) who is the butler and head of the household staff for an eccentric but lovable philanthropist whom he addresses as Miss Vickie; Feldon plays Juliet a Columbia University graduate that Miss Vickie hires as a secretary for the purpose of assisting her in writing a "dictionary for illiterates" - listening to Miss Vickie's explanation will provide you with some genuine laughter. Miss Vickie is quite a charitable person, making sizable donations to nearly anyone who will call on her at home and ask her. Fitzwilly has kept his employer out of financial straits by resorting to pulling off some rather clever criminal thefts at nearly every upscale department store in New York City. He accomplishes these feats of derring-do with the assistance of the rest of the household staff who are expert con men and pickpockets. When Juliet joins the staff her nosy nature and honest desire to protect her new employer puts the whole scheme in jeopardy; when they're found out it's up to Fitzwilly to run interference on Juliet so the staff can keep Miss Vickie "cash rich" and keep themselves out of jail!

As I said this movie is a piece of fluff that has tremendous appeal if you are partial to either of the two stars or the kinds of comedy capers that the late sixties made so great back then. Not only are Van Dyke and Feldon fun to watch but the rest of the cast is rounded out with many familiar faces such as John McGiver as the footman and expert pickpocket (and former minister!) Albert; Norman Fell is quite funny as the neurotic head of finances at Gimbels; Cecil Kellaway appears briefly as the affable elderly gentleman who operates the "thrift store" the con men (and women!) use as a front; John Fielder is a gullible piano store salesman, a pigeon waiting to be plucked by Van Dyke; the household staff is cast with many faces you will recognize - most noticeably a very young Sam Waterston making his film debut. All of the capers that they pull off are great and will give you a smile each time they con someone. They range from the very elaborate to the very simplistic; early in the film one of the women reports that she was able to return a tie for a full refund at seventeen different stores with the same receipt - a new record Fitzwilly proclaims! But the showstopper involves a very daring and intricately planned Christmas Eve robbery at Gimbels department store that has to be seen to believed. One of the steps involves having one of the con men walk up behind unsuspecting ladies and pinching their rears. The women react, as one would expect them to, by turning and slapping the man nearest them! Great Fun! Another big plus is that Alan & Marilyn Bergman provide the perfect song "Make Me Rainbows" for the film.

For years I had been forced to get by with only a poor videotape copy of a cable TV presentation of 'Fitzwilly' filled with countless commercial interruptions. Then I happily discovered that it had finally been released on cassette and available at Amazon. This is the first movie my parents took me to see and all I could remember for years afterwards was Juliet finding the basement filled with the gang's ill-gotten booty and the great comedic finale at Gimbels. Now that I have a legitimate videotape of 'Fitzwilly' it has become my favorite film to watch on Christmas Eve...next to 'It's A Wonderful Life' that is.

Classic Christmas Caper
A nice little film about a holiday heist that will warm the cockles of your pocketbook.
Dick is a old fashioned butler with a a new angle on the Robin Hood game: Rob from the Very Rich and keep as much as you can.
Worth watching once a year, if only to get the saccarine of the other holiday fare out of your mouth. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Outstanding acting and writing
Paddy Chayefsky amazes me. I always knew he could write larger-than-life satires of just about anything--satires that end up seeming much more realistic years after they're made--but, with this screenplay, he crafts completely down-to-Earth characters whose problems are so heartbreakingly "everyday" that you're heart goes out to them as you see yourself in them. The acting here, too, epitomizes the "Playhouse 90"-type realism that makes you forget that you're watching acting at all. This movie is a true, understated gem that refuses to call attention to itself. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Even Doris Complained About It
Yes, in her autobiography, Doris Day complained that co-star Cary Grant just wasn't into his role here. I call this incarnation "Wink Cary" because towards the end of his movie career, Cary always seemed to be screwing up his eyes as though staring into the sun; I interpret this as his growing dissatisfaction with the movie roles offered him. "Wink Cary" never has proper interaction with his co-stars and is apparently waiting to be told to go home, as if he were on jury duty. In "That Touch of Mink", Cary plays a wealthy man whose limo splashes the dress of Doris Day. One thing leads to another, and he tries to launch an affair with her, only to be foiled repeatedly by various things, including her breaking out into a rash at the thought of fornication, even with Cary. Adequate supporting work by indignant Audrey Meadows and misidentified Gig Young, who keeps getting slapped by Meadows who thinks he's the guy trying to breach Doris' honor. There's better Doris and better Cary movies out there; see them first.

A delightful and witty sex comedy
"That Touch of Mink," directed by Delbert Mann, is a delicious 60's sex comedy about the romantic duel between Cathy Timberlake (played by Doris Day), an unemployed working girl with small-town roots, and Philip Shane (Cary Grant), a rich businessman. Along for the ride are Audrey Meadows as Cathy's fiercely protective roommate Connie and Gig Young as Philip's wisecracking employee Roger.

"That Touch" is absolutely hilarious and delightful from start to finish. Day is irresistible--wholesome and innocent, yet feisty. Grant is charming and funny. Meadows and Young get lots of comic mileage out of their marvelous supporting roles.

The film is also a joy to look out. The sets and costumes are marvelous (there's even a fashion show); the screen bursts with color. The script combines witty dialogue, zesty social satire and goofy physical comedy with a cleverly structured plot. There are also some fun cameos by recognizable faces--I won't spoil the fun by revealing them. And it's all nicely complemented by a playful musical score. "That Touch" is one comic battle of the sexes that really holds up after all these years.

Not bad, but not as good as the Hudson/Day/Randall comedies
Watching _That Touch of Mink_ is like watching something from an alternate universe where instead of the formulaic early '60s romantic comedy where you had Rock Hudson as the desirable yet unavaliable bachelor, Doris Day as the perpetual virgin and Tony Randall as the neurotic and closeted best friend you had Cary Grant as the desirable yet unavailable bachelor, Doris Day as the perpetual virgin (apparently no other actress approached Doris Day's iconic status as a virgin) and Gig Young as the neurotic and closeted best friend. Talk about "through a glass darkly"!.
All of this is very cute but the problem with Grant and Young is that they can't pull off the Rock Hudson/Tony Randall dynamic. Hudson had a boyish charm that Grant, a more substantial actor, didn't, and the dynamic between Hudson and Randall is a lot more playful than the one between Grant and Young, and of course when it came to playing neurotic closetcases no one can even hold a candle to Tony Randall. I mean really, if they had ever had an Academy Award for "Best Portrayal of a Neurotic Closetcase" they would have awarded it once, in 1961 for _Lover Come Back_ and then retired it forever.
Doris Day is of course virginal, amazing that someone with so little talent was able to make such a career out of the supposed possession of a hymen. You might dispute as to whether or not virginity is a good thing but regardless of your opinion you have to admire Day for making so much out of hers.

Sweet romantic comedy
Doris Day plays Cathy Timberlake, an unemployed girl next door from outta town. Cary Grant plays the suave and sophisticated Phillip Shane Managing Director of a successful company. On a rainy day in Manhattan Phillip Shane's car accidentally splashes Cathy Timberlake who is standing on the edge of a kerb. Later from his office he spots Cathy on the street and he sends his assitant Gig Young to apologise and to give her money to compensate for her ruined dress. Cathy is not impressed and says to Gig Young that she wants to throw the money back in Philipp's face so she goes up to his office but instead of telling him off she falls for his good looks and charm. She is then whisked off to a meeting of board directors, flies on his private jet, attends a UN speech and ends the day attending a baseball match. Cathy is thoroughly smitten by Phillip and he is really impressed by her so much that he asks her to go away with him for the weekend to Bahamas.

Being Doris Day, Cathy is of course all virtuous and is in a dilemma as to whether she should go away on her dirty weekend with Phillip. She decides no but is finally persuaded to do so because Phillip goads her into do so. She has a wonderful time until the night arrives and is faced by being seduced by Phillip at which point she is so stressed that she develops a rash all over. So poor Phillip is left playing cards on the terrace with another man who's wife "is not well". So Cathy returns to New York with her virtue in tact. She tries to lure Phillip away again and the second time is so drunk that she falls off her balcony. Phillip decides to not woo her any longer and finds her a job in a credit card company only for her to mess up the company's entire filing system. In the end, to win back Phillip, Cathy and her roommate, Audrey Meadows think up of a plan for her to go away with the sleazeball who works at the local benefits office and for Phillip to chase after them which inevitably he does.

This film is a bit dated ie Cathy being virtuous and shy but it's a great comedy. If you love vintage clothing from the sixties there's even a catwalk run thrown in. The colours are wonderful and the lines delivered by the actors are sharp. Doris Day is her usual bubbly self and you couldn't get smoother guy than Cary Grant. Fun film to watch on a rainy day in.

Lealing

That Touch Of Mink
This is a marvelous comedy classic Starring Doris Day and Cary Grant in this marvelous Universal Comedy Classic ! But released onto Video by Republican PIctures! Cathy Timberlake (Doris Day) is a poor out of work New Yorker that gets run into herself with mud by a limousine owned by Philip Shayne (Cary Grant) well they end up falling in love and go to Brazil together and have all and a lot of fun! Great classic family movie! They get married at the end and have a happy life together! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This is the better version
Rod Steiger is a better Marty. He brings an awareness of his own "plainness" that never leaves his face. The old black and white studio films for TV are grainy and hard to watch, but the emotional content of this and another favorite of mine ("Requiem for a Heavyweight" with Jack Palance) give us an intimacy and immediacy that the larger films with longer story lines don't. Also Nancy Marchand as the plain woman he comes to love is just as subtle and underplayed, her pain over her situation evident without overacting. I highly recommend this to people who like "small" films.

excellent for it's time
I saw the movie version starring Ernest Borgnine, and enjoyed it very much. You can obviously see how society in the 90's is so different than it was in the 50s, these days Marty would probably be a nerdy engineer instead of a butcher. Marty's aunt's being thrown out would not happen now, because Marty's cousin's wife would be working. Also Brooklyn, doesn't have as much Italians now as it did then. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A HISTORICAL FICTION SOAP OPERA
April Morning is a historical fiction soap opera loved in great big portions by N. Lampi. (Une lampe for short) He made us watch this movie and I was shocked at how EVIL the British appeared to be. However, this movie was very soap opera-like. For example, the main character (Adam Cooper) said, "FATHER, WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO!" I found that very funny and TOO dramatic. Also, it maybe hard to remember *cough*test*cough* but at the end Adam receives his father's watch. WATCH! w-a-t-c-h!!! Remember that!!! Oh well. Thus, this movie gets 3/5 stars. Some talking people *cough*J. Reeves III*cough* ruined it by talking! OH well......

Factual, moving account of the birth of our nation.
I saw this a few years ago on T.V. and have wanted a copy of my own. I can't believe a movie this powerful is not on video yet. A must for all young people to see! Masterful telling of our country's revolution.

Ap-ril Morning
This was asesome I saw it at school

A morning for greatness
This is simply a gem of a movie based on Howard Fast's excellent 1962 novel,( which I still have), of the first day of hostilities between colonists and Britain.

There may have been bigger blockbusters made about the American Revolution (The Patriot, Revolution etc) but to me this under- rated 1988 film is a true classic, capturing the quintessential decency of American colonial village life in Lexington and the developing tensions and conflict on that fateful day of 19th April 1775.

I agree with the 2 previous reviewers that this film is a great teaching tool. It shows many things: the tensions and love in family life, particularly between Moses Cooper ( Tommy Lee Jones) and his son Adam ( Chad Lowe),who is no longer a boy yet not quite a man; romance between Adam and Ruth Simmons ( played by the lovely Susan Blakely); different generations and how they relate to each other; the underlying strong Christian faith of the era,( which still prevails in American life today); the need to perform civic duties; and culture and costumes far removed from our own period etc.

"April Morning" is also effective because it does not glamourise war or demonise the redcoats. In fact both Adam and a young redcoat are both seen, at various stages, to be scared witless by the whiff of 'grapeshot' and of battle. Yet overall, in what is truly a momentous day for Adam personally, (as well as the villagers of Lexington and Concord), we see how the events mature him and this is brilliantly illustrated at the end of the film when he leads his family in prayer for their food and life. This very subtle approach makes it evident that the boy, like colonial America, has gone for ever and has been replaced by a decent man who would,with humility, be worthy of his emerging new leadership role-as would America.

As a non-American I conclude by saying that any American who fails to appreciate this film simply lacks a soul and an understanding of the greatness of American history - a fact which was demonstrated on that dusty Lexington-Concord road 226 years ago- and by the makers of this film who have created another very special "April Morning".

One Shot Heard Around the World
This movie gives an accurate and interesting account of the beginnings of the American Revolution. A boy becomes a man, not by choice but because of events that are not under his control. There is great acting by all. My students will love this movie and will gain a greater understanding of the Lexington and Concord battles. I only wish I could obtain a video of the movie. My copy is so old! This is an action/adventure/drama all rolled into one. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Fish Hooks!!!?
Fish Hooks!!!?
A portly George C. Scott reprises his role from the 1970 classic Patton. Too bad this movie is awful. Briefly stated, this is a sequel that should not have been made. The flimsy dialog, poor editing, and cumbersome made-for-television format do no justice to Francis Ford Coppola's original epic. Be sure to note the expanding belt-line... only a few months in movie-time, but Scott looked like he'd been hanging out with Marlon Brando for the 16 years between films.

Great sequal to Patton
George C. Scott returns as George S. Patton in this sequal to Patton. The movie starts after World War II and shows how he could not adjust to his peacetime role as military governor of Bavaria. Then he gets in more trouble when he lobbies for war against the Soviet Union and gets stripped of his command. And their is the mystery surrounding Patton's death.

George C. Scott does a great job in his portrayal of one of the great military leaders of the 20th century. I think it is a good buy for people who like Patton or who like movies dealing with World War II.

good follow up
this movie is not a academy award winner, but documents the life after the war in germany, and general patton's need to
still be a effective leader even with the buracey of post ar germany.
this movie fill's in the gap's after the opriginal 1970
movie. the dvd is a decent version, but needs to be
cleaned upa bit.

Sad but true
George C. Scott reprises his role as Patton in the 2nd part of the movie "Patton" It picks up where the movie left off, with the end of WWII to the tragic car accident that left Patton paralyzed. Eva Marie Saint climbs aboard as Mrs. Patton. Beautifully done!

Weak film
What a waste of time. They stick fish hooks in his jaw and for two amd a half hours you get to watch G. C. Scott with fish hooks in his jaw mumble weak lines about a person he never met.
And my DVD copy is blurry. What a bore. ... Read more

Description

They marked the transition between the mighty wooden ships of the lineand the massive steel dreadnoughts.But for a few decades, bizarre vessels like thefamous Monitor were the most effective warships afloat. IRONCLADS uses periodaccounts, rare photographs and commentary from naval historians to tell the story ofthese historic vessels.Meet John Ericcson, the volatile engineer who designed therevolutionary Monitor and relive its storied yet inconclusive battle with the Confederateship the Virginian, better known as the Merrimack.Discover how Ericcson's ironcladsfared better in the pivotal Battle of Mobile Bay, and see computer simulations of thesebizarre vessels in action.And find out how many of the innovations that first appeared inthese transitional ships were adapted to the all-steel vessels that followed. From thegroundbreaking designs of a true visionary to some of the most storied navalengagements in history, this is the stirring saga of the IRONCLADS." ... Read more

Reviews (7)

BEFORE "GETTYSBURG," THERE WAS "IRONCLADS!"
Although this film will never reach the popularity that "Gettysburg" and it's prequel "Gods and Generals" have achieved, "Ironclads" is still a worthy addition to anyone's library of Civil War films. The battle scenes between the Ironclad warships U.S.S. Monitor and C.S.S. Virginia (built on top of the captured remains of the U.S.S. Merrimac) are awesome to behold, and the acting and costuming are top notch. I hope that they release it on DVD soon! Grade: A+

Ironclads - pretty costumes, bad acting, script, ad technica
Based on a true event, the producer had a good story-line to work with. The movie suffers with the addition of the love triangle and poor acting. Well done uniforms and civilian attire alone does not make it a good movie. The battle scenes are somewhat corny. Technical detail, in many instances, is poor. For instance, the Monitor could only have one canon at a time move out of the port. Several scenes showed both canons protruding - a physical impossibility. Its a shame that this historical event could not have been produced more historically correct.

Interesting, but somewhat shallow...
This made-for-TV movie tells the story of some events that culminated in the first ever conflict between ironclad warships -- the Confederacy's "Virginia" (formerly the USS Merrimack) and the USS Monitor. The battle took place in 1862. The "Virginia" (aka "Merrimack") came downstream to break the Union blockade at the Hampton Roads, near Norfolk, VA, during the American Civil War (or The War Between the States). On the second day of action at that location the Monitor and the "Merrimack" clashed.

The movie's cast is highlighted by Virginia Madsen and E.G. Marshall.

The story line includes hints of a love triangle involving Madsen and a Union naval officer and a Confederate naval officer. While this part of the movie lacked some sincerity, it helps one realize that large numbers of people had friends and relatives on both sides during the Civil War.

I must say that I awarded this movie only three stars because the acting was not top-notch, the romance was not particularly romantic, and the drama was not especially dramatic. The reason it deserves at least three stars is two-fold. 1) When Madsen is faced with personal dilemma and questions her loyalties and motives, her mother's slave servant puts things into perspective for her by saying that things would not be so hard to put into perspective if she (Madsen) had been born a black slave. 2) The battle scenes, though somewhat lacking in the special effects department, were still quite good and may represent as accurate a portrayal of the battle between the ironclads as has been produced for the screen.

I would do a few things differently if I had a chance to do this movie over. I would cut or drastically minimize the romantic triangle. I would expand the opening scenes of the Union's withdrawal from the Gosport Naval Base, thus enhancing the premis for the story. I would also expand the role of the slaves who were used as couriers to smuggle information across enemy lines.

I recommend this movie to anyone who has interest in the American Civil War and to those who enjoy stories with a sea setting. If, however, you are looking only for an action adventure or a gripping drama, this movie will not satisfy you.

If you are looking for another Civil War era naval story that has more drama, check out the movie, "The Hunley."

I liked "Ironclads" but I didn't love it.

3 stars.

Alan Holyoak

Good history despite the flaws.
Definitely a flawed movie, particularly the stock love story. But the scenes about the construction and especially the battle scenes more than make up for it. The special effects are not going to impress you. But considering this is a made for TV movie they are quite acceptable.

Bad Soap Opera in US Civil War Uniforms
Completely ignoring the success of movies with a wealth of historical accuracy, such as Gettysburg, or even the Longest Day, the producers of this turkey give us poor acting (why does EVERY actress-wannabe insist on raising the pitch of her voice and using a GEORGIAN accent? Maybe use actresses who have actually LIVED in the South next time?) chopped up history, and special effects from the 1950's. Supposedly a female Southern spy uses her feminine charms to get details of new ironclad designs to her lover, who just happens to be in the Confederate Navy. Such a character DID exist, a Virginian woman was quite "popular" in the Washington Society of time and did pass on information, but nothing like this contrived silliness. The scenes concerning the shock caused by the CSS Virginia in Hampton Roads are fairly accurate, as is the final inconclusive battle between the Virginia and the Monitor-if you ignore the obvious model-kits-in-a-swimming-pool special effects. Either fast-forward the tape for the last 25 minutes or so, or better yet, watch the History and Discovery Channels for their occasional documentaries on these two revolutionary warships. This one was almost laughably painful... ... Read more

Reviews (32)

My favorite Jane Eyre version.
I saw this version of Jane Eyre in China when I was a teenager in early 80's. I had read the book by then and was overwhelmed by the great performance of George Scott and Susannah York. I felt that they played Rochester and Jane just as exactly as I imagined. The music score was great throughout and it truly expressed the spirit of the characters and the story. I have never forgot the main theme for the past twenty some years. This is one of my all time favorite films.
However, I have to say that the DVD quality is terrible. At least two scenes are missing in the DVD version. The pictures are too dark and blurred. What a pity!
But, no matter what, I still love this version of Jane Eyre.

Don't Bother!
Don't bother unless you can't find the version with Timothy Dalton. I watched that version first. Then this one. This one was so poorly done in comparison that I got up and mopped the kitchen floor while it played and fast forwarded through the non-talking scenes. While the acting was good enough, the script leaves too much unsaid. It is difficult to see why the two main characters would bother falling in love with each other. The plot just wasn't developed enough to warrant it. So many key parts of the story are missing. I highly recommend the version with Timothy Dalton and Zetah Clarke, if you can find it.

Oh, come on...
Oh, come on y'all...I admit I did not read all 29 other reviews, but this is NOT the worst movie ever made. I recently bought this DVD. The last time I saw this was on TV in 1971, I think it was a Hallmark Hall of Fame production? Anyway I remembered loving it and when I saw it again I still loved it. Has there ever been a plain Jane? of course not. Scott's Mr. Rochester came across as a man who has seen a lot of wear and tear in his efforts to forget his problems. Here he gradually wakes up to the possibility of a new life. He is reluctant, conflicted but unable to resist trying somehow to win Jane and begin again.
The script dealt very well with the made-for-TV constraints. The writer did not have the luxury of using big chunks of dialogue stright from the book, as the BBC might do (there is a wonderful Timothy Dalton/Zelah Clarke version that does just that) but zips along with great concision, hitting the high points with economy and clarity. This version tries to recast the characters' concern in modern terms and I think succeeds without seeming too dated thirty years on.
An the music is beautiful. It's like another character - the theme stayed with me all these years and it is as pretty and haunting as I remember.
And yeah, it was a nice production but the quality of the DVD is not very good. But not bad enough to keep me from enjoying it.

Impossible to watch
In the first place, there is no first place. The movie starts at Lowood. (Where they cut Jane's hair instead of Helen's) The editing has us jumping from one scene to the next with the certain knowledge that we've missed the scene in between. It is so dark, it's almost impossible to watch. Susannah York is brutally bad -- Jane Eyre is not supposed to wear eyeliner and false eyelashes--I'm almost sure of that. Thornfield (as far as I could tell) was appropriately gloomy. Stick with the Orson Welles version -- He IS Rochester to me. And why do they keep remaking this in the first place? Aren't there now about 10 versions?

A Real Disappointment
I had high hopes for this film, because I could readily envision George C. Scott as Rochester. But, in the end, I think this is the very worst film version of Jane Eyre that I've ever seen.

No attempt is made to make Suzannah York plain (she is called "pretty" several times); the actress does a fair job balancing Jane's passion with her temperance, but she seems to lack any real fire. Sadly, feminist diatribes are sometimes inserted into her dialogue, which reek of the 1970s.

As Rochester, George C. Scott has potential, but he's largely hampered by the script. He can be both tender and tortured, fiery and depressed, but somehow the mix just never quite works.

The script is just terrible--often corny. Many changes were made to the story line for no apparent reason (other than, perhaps, the screenwriter thought they "knew better" than Charlotte Bronte). Worst of all, the quality of the picture is so bad, I wondered if I'd bought a pirated copy! The Lowood section of the film, in particular, is so dark that I often had a hard time making out facial expressions.

I don't know if scenes are missing from the original film, but I can say that the editing is very poor. For example, at one point Jane asks if Grace Poole is the one causing trouble at Thornfield...yet the audience has heard nothing about the character of Grace Poole up to that point.

Overall, there is nothing really to recommend this film. It is slow, boring, and disappointing. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Top Billing for the Entire Cast!
When Separate Tables was released, the agents of Deborah Kerr and Rita Hayworth fought for top billing in the opening credits. It's easy to understand after viewing this powerful film. Separate Tables is a great study in human nature and relationships among people who are far from faultless.

Burt Lancaster displays both intense anger and hopeless longing as his former wife Rita Hayworth comes back into his life. David Niven (who won an Oscar for this role) is superb as the military man with a past. Watch Niven as he is confronted with the truth about himself and how he interacts with his friends and those who once were his friends. The strength of the film is in its casting. In the hands of lesser actors, the film would turn into a very sappy melodrama. I am anxious to view the film again just to catch all the subtle facial expressions that these wonderful actors use to make their characters even more believable. A great ensemble, a great film.

out of the madding crowd
These separate tables and that discreet hotel I think are the equivalent to the abbeys of the Middle Age in Europe. In effect, not all people are strong enough to affront usual, daily life, with his defying , and some found by then a quiet way of life professing religion, believers or not, escaping of wars, abuses of the noblesse, etc. The lodgers of this film aren't religious, but excepting the writer played by Burt Lancaster the mundane personage of Rita Hayworth and the proprietary of the hotel, all others are people with a weak ego, unable for common life and some practically touching the tragedy, as the pathetic retired major who truly never fought, living of pure fantasy played by David Niven who has to find sex in dark cinema halls, and the poor girl represented by Deborah Kerr, annulated by her malignant castrating mother.
This movie moves me as I think people as these are more common than Herculean, steel heroes as usual, and at last, in his way, they are heroes also.

Top Billing for the Entire Cast!
When Separate Tables was released, the agents of Deborah Kerr and Rita Hayworth fought for top billing in the opening credits. It's easy to understand after viewing this powerful film. Separate Tables is a great study in human nature and relationships among people who are far from faultless.

Burt Lancaster displays both intense anger and hopeless longing as his former wife Rita Hayworth comes back into his life. David Niven (who won an Oscar for this role) is superb as the military man with a past. Watch Niven as he is confronted with the truth about himself and how he interacts with his friends and those who once were his friends. The strength of the film is in its casting. In the hands of lesser actors, the film would turn into a very sappy melodrama. I am anxious to view the film again just to catch all the subtle facial expressions that these wonderful actors use to make their characters even more believable. A great ensemble, a great film.

One of the outstanding movies based on play
Delbert Mann's "Separate Tables" is a beautiful movie based on a stellar cast of David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancastar, Rita Hayworth, and Wendy Hiller. It is set on the seaside, "Beauregard Hotel" in England and shows the lives of different people in the hotel. David Niven plays a retired army man who lives a fictitious life of a person who has fought glamorous wars in the desert, while he has a double life of a person who has a scandalous time at a local theatre. Deborah Kerr plays the life of a shy and simple girl who is tortured by her mother, Gladys Cooper, and not given any freedom and constantly reminded of her position and the class distinctions. Burt Lancaster plays the life of a writer, John Malcolm, who wishes to forget his past in drink. His ex-wife, Rita Hayworth comes to check on him as she is getting old and does not wish to be alone. She feels that John is the only person whom she can turn to.

The screenplay in the movie is wonderful as are the roles of quite a few people in the movie. These include David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Wendy Hiller, and Burt Lancaster. The music, though low key is appropriate for the movie. The story shows the ebbing of the class distinctions of Britain. Though the Major commits the errors, only one person is dead against it and the others are either ambivalent or are neutral about it. Gladys Cooper tries to badger others to get the major evicted from the hotel due to his bad behavior. Though some of them agree to her, the way they relent in the end is unusual.

The romance between Mrs Shankland and John Malcolm is well portrayed without overdoing anything. I felt that Deborah Kerr's role was wonderful in this. It showed the breadth of her acting style, where she shows how she feels when her trust in the Major is betrayed and the innocence in the child-woman quality of her. Wendy Hiller is beautiful in her low key role of the proprietress of the hotel and how she handles all the people and the issues in the hotel. David Niven's role is fantastic, he shows his transformation from the confident army major to the frightened culprit about to be caught to the person admitting his fault to Deborrah Kerr superbly.

The direction of the movie is very thoughtful without melodrama. Though the movie almost 50 years old, it still maintains its grace and style, which shows its timelessness. The end of the movie is subtle and lovely.

Don't Miss This One!
A great film with perfect casting. The sound track was beautiful and particularly wonderful when Rita Hayworth is introduced to the viewer. The story is unique and has such a good message: The hateful mother is a warning to those who never see the plank in their own eye but see the splinter in their neighbor's. It was good to see that the majority of the characters were able to forgive the sins and bad choices the main character had made in his life. A truly fine film. ... Read more