Reviews (7)

like molasses, a little slow but very sweet
Based on Russell Janey's novel, the Ben Hecht/Quentin Reynolds script for this film is sometimes sappy and often uneven, but it's also a nice sentimental story, told in flashback, by William Dunnigan (played in a somber manner by Fred McMurray), a press agent who was never a very happy guy, and is burying the woman he loved (but was never able to tell her so).
The real reason to watch this film is to see Alida Valli play Joan of Arc, in a "film within a film" segment. She is luminous and incredibly beautiful, and would have made a terrific Joan. Coincidentally, the lavish "Joan of Arc" production starring Ingrid Bergman was released the same year as this film.

Another reason to view "The Miracle of the Bells" is to see Frank Sinatra, skinny as a rail, in the unlikely part of a soft spoken priest; this was five years before his success in "From Here to Eternity", and he is surprisingly good, but far from great. He sings "Ever Homeward", a cappella, as he sits among the grave stones; there's a lot of gloomy aspects to the film, one of them being that the setting is a poor coal mining town...though it all has a nice pay-off.
Lee J. Cobb is Marcus Harris, the film producer making "Joan of Arc", and he has the humorous moment in the film with his "I won't stand for any press agent miracles !" rant, which was funny enough to make me laugh out loud, a rarity for me.
Some might say it's improbable that headlines of "Nation Mourns For Movie Star" could ever happen, especially when the "movie star" is unknown, but seeing how today's media obsesses about inconsequential stories, and runs with them for days (nay, weeks !) on end, on a slow news cycle, anything could happen.
Total running time is 120 minutes.

Memorable Movie
Orginally, I saw this movie about ten years ago and it really left an impression on me. It brilliantly grabs the viewer's heart...You would have to be dead not to be touched by this film. I loved it and I'm getting ready to purchase a copy for my 15-year-old daughter to watch. I've shared with her many other classics I've valued in my lifetime, i.e. Jane Eyre (Orson Wells), Wuthering Heights, and Alice Adams. I hope she will treasure the classics as much as I do.

A Feel-Bad Christmas Movie
The first time I saw "The Miracle of the Bells" was a New Year's Eve party in 1980, and man, it was a bring down. Here is a somewhat nasty Fred MacMurray mourning the loss of Valli (from "The Third Man"), who had only just completed filming her Joan of Arc movie, the movie that would have catapulted this obscure nobody into a major star, it seems, but fate would have it otherwise, since she up and died. Frank Sinatra plays against type big time as a gentle young priest. I really disliked this movie, and I bet you would too.

Setzer's Amazing Vocals and Stronger Edge of Music, Yet...
On this '86 effort the Cats try for a little harder rock-a-billy edge.The only problem is that there is nothing really memorable that stands out (except for one country twang-like tune on which Brian Setzer's vocals soar). By '86 the public's interest with Stray Cat strut had started to become diluted. However, because of the type of music or genre the Stray Cats have mastered it is a true collector's keeper. While I do not own the c.d., my vinyl copy is flawless and the track listing is exactly the same (no extras or bonus tracks on the import c.d.).

kinda silly, kinda nice
One theme of this movie is the importance of becoming a movie star. Contrary to one review below, Sinatra does sing in this movie--and tries to act, too (he's pretty wooden, in my own humble opinion). The contention in the movie that the entire American nation would hysterically mourn the loss of an actress they'd never met, seen, or heard of, is, in a word, hysterical. But, all that said, this is a kinda fun movie to watch. VALLI is MAGNIFICENT! She should have played Joan of Arc--watch the movie and you'll see why. I've heard rumors that the film will be re-made with Tom Hanks as the actor and Meg Ryan as the agent! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Beautifully put together drama for Colbert and Welles
I find with each viewing of the classic "Tomorrow Is Forever" I find I like the production more and more. It is such a totally rich film in so many ways, whether it be the sterling central performance from Claudette Colbert in what I'm convinced is one of her finest performances, Orson Welles's charmed under playing of a role that could have been simply sentimental, or the haunting anti-war message it puts forward in its telling of life through two world wars.

"Tomorrow Is Forever" has so much to offer to the viewer in so many different ways. Claudette Colbert always a favourite actress of mine proves once and for all what a superb dramatic actress she can be. Long regarded as one of the premier comedy actresses of the 1930's and 40's here she excels in the role of a young bride who believes she has lost her husband in WW1 action only to find that years later after she has re married that a stranger who comes into her families life gives her a eerie sense that that might not be the case. In this film she is at times touchingly lovely, stubborn, full of anger and full of hope, in short she has a wonderful well rounded character to work with and she makes the most of it.

Claudette is blessed with two excellent leading men in this production in Orson Welles and George Brent. Welles, so often prone to bellicose overplaying of roles that require a bit of restraint, here delivers a beautiful modulated performance as Claudette's first husband who seemingly has come back from the grave. His scenes after he has returned to Colbert's home are wonderful and full of tension as to whether he will reveal his real identity. The conclusion of the film is a tour de force for Welles as he decides to sacrifice his own potential happiness and to remain a mystery to the family and tells Colbert that "Tomorrow is forever and not to look back to a romantised past". George Brent, so often stiff on screen here delivers one of his best performances as the man who has loved Claudette through two world wars and provides her with the home and family she craves so much. He is entirely believable and warm in his playing and he and Colbert reveal a wonderful chemistry in their playing together. Natalie Wood also makes a rare childhood appearance in this film as an Austrian orphan, the daughter of the doctor who saved Welles's life but was killed by the Nazi's, who Welles adapts and brings to America. She is a delight in her scenes and you can see the tremendous acting talent that she possessed even at this early age. Richard Long playes Welles's and Colbert's son who doesn't know the identity of his real father and brings great depth to his playing of the treasured son who comes into conflict with Colbert over his decision to join the fighting early in WW2 thus causing history to repeat itself.

"Tomorrow Is Forever" can be regarded as a real tear drenced drama for the matinee crowd however its worth goes way beyond that. It covers many issues just as relevant today such as those about the human cost of war, the issue of whether we should involve ourselves in others problems and whether we should allow our past experiences to rule how we behave. It is a beautifully put together drama full of rich performances that really stay in your mind. I'm quite surprised that this wonderful film is not better remembered today. I sense that it has been forgotten because of the more famous roles that all the main performers have undertaken. Claudette Colbert in particular is totally awe inspiring in her dramatic delivery of the tortured young bride who has been robbed of her life and spends a lifetime trying to recapture it. She will have you alternately crying, laughing and saying "bravo" up to the wonderous finale.

I cannot recommend "Tomorrow Is Forever" highly enough. For all those who enjoy well acted dramas with fine writing, a non preaching message and performers delivering often unexpectedly restrained acting work, none come finer than the anti-war "Tomorrow Is Forever".

A masterpiece in casting ,directing .and acting!
Irving Pichel was a genious in casting and directing this film.Fresh from his "Citizen Kane" and "The Magnificent Ambersons"film masterpieces,Orson Welles takes on the role of the ultimate anti-war hero who sacrifices his adult life and any shreds of happiness for the wife he will always love but surrenders to a far better and less painful world ,the son who is never told who is true father is,and a child war refugee ,played by Natalie Wood.,whom he rescues from war-ravaged Europe. If possible,see this film alone without any distractions. The script,film score,acting/body language are sublime and as the story unfolds before you,not one nerve ending in your entire body will be left untouched.This film is more than the traditional 40's tearjerker;it is ,I feel, a parable on the power of the human heart and spirit to give complete,unconditional love .It will,I guarantee you,reaffirm your faith in humankind.Go ahead and have a good cry and enjoy.Films like this are "Gone Forever".

A touching, beautiful story.
This movie is both a heart wrenching story about 2 people in love who are torn apart by war and a story about several kinds of love. A man who so loves his wife that he can not bring her any pain; a woman who deeply loves a man she thought was lost in the war and who also loves the kind man to whom she is now married; a mother's love for her son; a little orphan's love for the kind man who took her from war-torn Europe. I defy anyone who sees this movie to not be moved to tears (or at least secret tears for the "macho" men). Brilliant performaces by Claudette Colbert and Orson Welles. I loved little Natalie Wood in this early film. I have watched it many times and it remains my all time favorite movie. They just DO NOT make them like this any more.

Heart wrenching, excellent performance as always for Wells.
Living in those times of WWII, I remember how we all wanted to say goodbye to our loved ones and believe they would come back again, without a scratch on them. This is a true love story of how he loved his wife so much he did not want her to have to live with the "man" that returned. He did not realize that her love for him was so strong and alive, she could and would have loved him forever no matter what. Natalie Wood was wonderful as the little girl. Great supporting work from Greorge Brent. I'll always love Claudette's smile and manner. Her best role was in "Since You Went Away."

I saw this movie when I was a very young child
I will never forget this movie. It was one of the best movies I have ever seen. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

What More Can You Want?
Very good film with Alan Ladd as the head of his O.S.S. team dropped into Germany. Each one the team members do there part and each one pays dearly. The ending is a shocking twist! Buy This Film!

Excellent WWII action/drama
A great supporting cast which makes the movie happen and a great semi-documentary story of action and drama. A real cliff-hanger based on files of the OSS so it plays well.
Alan Ladd and Geraldine Fitzgerald (who's worth the price of admission just to look at) both early in career's do a great job. He was an exceptional natural athelete which shows well in the movie, and their obvious acting talent really come out.
Well worth seeing. She is also excellent in that time in Watch On The Rhine, a real classic of the war and the movies. ... Read more

Description

Richard Connell's sinister tale of hunter and hunted comes darkly to life in this first and most definitive screen version, lensed by the directorial team behind King Kong.Leslie Banks (The Man Who Knew Too Much,Henry V) stars as Count Zaroff, a demented sportsman who hunts human prey--the most dangerous game--on the grounds of his murky island estate.Shipwrecked there, famous big-game hunter Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea, Foreign Correspondent), and damsel-in-distress Eve Trowbridge (Fay Wray, King Kong, The Wedding March) must survive until sunrise in Zaroff's winner-take-all contest, or become trophies on his parlor-room wall.Action-packed and nightmarish in tone and style, The Most Dangerous Game chills by placing innocents squarely in its sights. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Compelling and atmospheric classic
The Most Dangerous Game was a pet project of its producer,Merian C Cooper,and he did a bang up job of translating the Richard Connell short story to the screen.
The evil genius of the movie is demented Russian aristocrat ,Count Zaroff, who has his own private unchartered island .His passion is hunting and having become bored with the usual wild game hunts ,Zaroff has turned to the hunting of human beings for his kicks.
The objects of the hunt are a group of Americans headed by the resolute and stalwart Bob ,played strikingly well by the greatly under-rated Joel MacRae ,and including Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong.
The atmosphere is genuinely menacing from the sinister decor of Zaroffs home to the misty promordial swamp through which the relentless Zaroff and his baying hounds pursue the prey.The tone is grim and the pace unrelenting-here truly is a lean and economical movie that wastes not a single frame.
In some ways this can be viewed as a warm up for King Kong which re-used many of the personnel and ingredients from this movie --Fay Wray ,Robert Armstrong ,and a stirring brass heavy score from the great Max Steiner ,not to mention the producer/director team of Scoedsack and Cooper.It also used the same oppressive ,gloomy, miasmatic sets for the jungle and swamp scenes and these help give the movie its potency and power.
It lacks the one added dimension that helped transform King Kong into a genuine cultural phenomena-the mythic dimension -but is a gripping well made movie that still holds the attention over half a century from when it first saw the light.

One of the most effective horror films of the 1930s
I keep forgetting that Fay Wray made dozens of films before "King Kong," including this 1932 film which proves that you do not need special effects or lots of make-up to create a monster that will frighten audiences. Leslie Banks is Count Zaroff, a mad nobleman who has grown tired of hunting big game and decides to stalk human beings instead. Providence proves most accommodating when shipwrecked on the island are Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea), a famous big-game hunter, Eve Towbridge (Wray), and Martin (Robert Armstrong). After a few diverting attempts at hospitality, Zaroff sends the trio off into the jungle to try surviving until sunrise and the fun begins in earnest.

I give high marks for the tense and atmospheric direction by Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack, but I must admit to be bothered by what Hollywood did to Richard Connell's classic short story of the hunter and hunted. Yes, the original has General Zaroff hunting a world famous big-game hunter (named Sanger Rainsford in the story), and there is certainly something compelling about the hunter now becoming the prey (not to mention the hunter's prey becoming the hunter of the hunter hunting the prey...if you know what I mean). But tossing two more characters into the picture is hardly cricket, the equivalent of hunting a lion and strapping a couple of manikins to its back. Of course with three people out in the jungle you can lose one of them (gee, you will never guess which one) and still have fun and a touch of romance. But while I am disparaging of these tacky Hollywood tack-ons, "The Most Dangerous Game" has a primal elegance that makes this one of the most effective horror films of the 1930s.

The Boring Book
The book of The Most Dangerous Game was about two couples that were trapped on an island far away from the Bahamas. they had a plane crash on the way to England. But they found themselves alone on an Island. they walked around the Island finding that they were the only ones. So the walked the whole Island and found a chateau with lighting fire lamps hanging on the side and found that they were not alone for long.
Before they even got there only one person was there an old soldier that had bught the land to hunt for fur and etc. so this boy Rainsford had told the General they were in a plans crash. Well awhile later in the chapter the general tried to kill the boy but they got away. As so as they got away they had illed the general themselves. but this story or book was an okay one cause it had alot to do with much crazy things.
the book I think was a star three not unless the writter tried to put more action and details to the staor at the beginning. I liked it just a little, good thing I didn't fall asleep on the book just like most boring books.

an excellent movie!
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This movie, made by RKO radio pictures was the last picture they did before releagsing King Kong. Interestingly enough, both films used the same jungle set.

This film follows a man who becomes shipwrecked on an island. he later discovers a castle on the island and meets other shipwrecked people who are guests on the island. The only problem is that their host wants to hunt them down and kill the for sport!

The film has good acting and some familar sound effects as well.

The DVD also has audio commentary by film historian Bruce Eder who has done commentary for other films presented by the Criterion Collection.

INCREDIBLE DVD TRANSFER OF AN ADVENTURE CLASSIC
The Alpha DVD of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME gets 5 stars from this commentator. The price is nearly impossible to pass up, even with a merely acceptable transfer of the film. But what Alpha offers here is superb image and sound quality. The way this 70 year-old film looks on this disc is nothing short of astounding. The blacks are deep and rich, and the image has a silvery, film-like luster. Speckles and scratches are few and far between. This is the kind of quality we may expect from Criterion, who also has this title on DVD, with a comentary track. If you can live without the commentary, go with the Alpha. It's hard to imagine that Criterion, or anyone, could improve on this film transfer.

Other comments here can provide backgound on THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. It's an amazingly exciting, beautifully shot and scored masterpiece of adventure. The acting is mostly pretty hammy, but that only adds to the enjoyment. Was Irving Pichel a great director? Who knew?

A great addition to any DVD collection. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A Landmark Film!
Rather than call Destination Moon a science fiction film - George Pal labled his opus "a documentary of the near future". Pre-dating man's landing on the moon by at least a quarter century - it is a marvel how ahead of their time George Pal, Robert Heinlein, Irving Pichel, Chesley Bonestell and others who contributed to this film were. That speech by Neil Armstrong claiming the moon for all mankind - is actually duplicated here - a quarter of century before Neil Armstrong ever dreamt of landing on the moon or even contemplated writing that speech. That alone makes this film a landmark in the annals of film and space science history. George Pal's amazing ideas proove once again the great effect he had on science, writers, movies and even astronauts! Also to get a fabulous overview of this movie with many star interviews, crystal clear film sequences and amazing archival footage of Pal - buy the newly released on DVD expanded director's cut version of THE FANTASY FILM WORLDS OF GEORGE PAL by director Arnold Leibovit. It is positively sensational and one of the finest tributes ever done. There is an added 45 minute bonus kinescope sequence filmed on the actual set of Destination Moon in 1950. Appearances by Robert Heinlein, Chesley Bonestell, the stars of the film, the set, Irving Pichell, George Pal and more. No science fiction or fandom fan can be without the new DVD release of THE FANTASY FILM WORLDS OF GEORGE PAL!

Great Film - Lousy Print
George Pal's "Destination Moon" is a CLASSIC Science Fiction Movie of the 1950's. I recommend it to everyone. HOWEVER be aware that the DVD edition is made from an EXTREMELY POOR QUALITY print. Its scratchy, its noisy in places and scenes are shortened by a few seconds where broken film has been joined etc. etc. etc. (Its painful to watch sometimes). Come on the guys at IMAGE Entertainment; if your going to put out a DVD of a movie like this; (especially for its 50th Anniversary); at least get a GOOD QUALITY print!!!! Perhaps even get a NEW one made from the original negatives IF possible. I pulled my 15 year old BETAMAX video; (yes it still works!); from the archives and it looks 100% BETTER then the DVD version you have supplied!!!!! So be warned fans of this George Pal Movie; its a GREAT film, but Image Entertainment have decided to supply you, the customer, with an inferior quality product. This DVD version is extremely disapointing to people like me who who loved the film and who where looking forward to something BETTER. If you can't find a better QUALITY version on VHS, buy this DVD, otherwise FORGET IT. The film gets 4 stars; for the quality of the print it gets -1. The sleeve notes are good however at the end of the day I feel like I have wasted my money. Jay R. Eneberg.

Very Good Movie.
The sign of a good movie is always that the plot moves along.
This movie starts and doesn't stop.
The science is solid and holds up more then most.
The special effects are good and consistent, and of course it was written by Robert Heinlein, who wrote the original Starship Troopers.

Worst Transfer I've Seen... Ever
One of the greatest joys of DVD for me is not watching your latest block-buster, but seeing older films restored to their former glory. Two of the best are "Now Voyager" and "The Time Machine", but this film "Destination Moon" has to be the worst transfer I have ever seen and basically renders the film unwatchable. I didn't even get past the first ten minutes before it was back in it's box and is now being advertised for sale on eBay. Ghastly.

WARNING - NOT CAPTIONED
This otherwise excellent Geroge Pal movie, fully restored, and one of the only ones where Robert Heinlein participated in the production, is useless to anyone with a hearing impairment.

Nade Williams Collections, Corinth Films and Image Entertainment have produced this movie and another like it, (Rocket XM) which I purchased, and neither of them are captioned.

Having recently lost my hearing, I depend on Closed Captioning for nearly everything on TV or video. Therefore, these old classics which I wanted for my own are worthless in their present condition. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The most beautiful that any actress ever looked!
A charming and lovely film. My favorite movie simply for the reason that movies like this will never be made anymore. The film features crisp black and white cinematography. William Powell is dapper and the exquisite Ann Blyth is at the height of her beauty. The Wee Shop and Flying Squad sketches deserve special mention due to wonderful acting performances. Although this film is classified as a comedy/fantasy, I found the ending to be quite sad. In spite of the moral lesson at the end of the story, I feel that there should have been a more cheerful ending for Mr. Peabody and his beautiful maiden of the sea.

This Is A Keeper!
However you measure it, this movie is a keeper. Having seen it afterschool as a little kid, it still works it's magic on me 40+ years later. "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" is a charming mix of reality versus fantasy. William Powell as the stiff-upper-crust-Bostonian who slides unwittingly into the fantasy of catching and keeping a real mermaid, played by the enchanting Ann Blyth is a masterpiece of casting. His mid-life crisis gently shoves him over the edge and what an edge it is. The sharp contrast between the bored tropical colonials and the sweet tenderness of Mr. Peabody and his mermaid divides the characters into two widely different groups -- the adults who are in a paradise but cannot see it; and the mermaid who pulls Peabody into a paradise which he embraces wholeheartedly. For a time he is a kid again. Eventually the adults gang up on Peabody and drag him back to the cold reality of being an adult. The question is was she real or was Peabody in need of serious therapy? Amazing what an effect a tropical paradise can have on a person. Please do snuggle up with your loved ones and enjoy this story again and again.

A delightful romantic fantasy
I had fond memories of seeing "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" on TV when I was a kid, and I think I enjoyed the film even more when I recently watched the home video version. A classic black-and-white film, it has a screenplay by Nunnally Johnson and is directed by Irving Pichel. The film stars William Powell as Arthur Peabody, a married man who is experiencing great anxiety over his impending 50th birthday. He and Mrs. Peabody (a wonderful performance by Irene Hervey) take a vacation to St. Hilda's, a Caribbean island under British rule. But the story quickly takes a turn into the fantastic when Mr. P discovers a beautiful mermaid (Ann Blyth).

Although the film is certainly appropriate for a family audience, it does have a deliciously "naughty" feel; it's full of drinking, extramarital flirting, and smoking (two memorable sight gags involve the last of those vices). But that probably just reflects the times when the film was made.

The production values and performances are first rate. Powell has a marvelously sympathetic "everyman" quality as Peabody, and Hervey brings a nice mixture of sweetness and fire to her role as the exasperated wife. Blyth nearly steals the film as the enchanting mermaid. She is mischievous and childlike, but with an alluring sexuality bubbling beneath the innocent surface. Her chemistry with Powell is delightful and touching.

The film is full of some great visual images; there is some particularly memorable underwater photography. "Mr Peabody" is one classic film that's still a lot of fun.

You should have seen the one that got away.
I am not saying that I am fifty or anything like that, but I can relate to this movie. It makes you want to take up fishing. And William Powell portrays Mr. Peabody as well if not better than he does Nick Charles. Ann Blyth as Lenore the Mermaid does not have much to say but you understand her very well. This was filmed on location at Weekiwachee Spring, Florida. I have watched this so many times that I do not have to look up any more, even though I do. I also like all the scenes in the Psychiatrist's office.

Mr. Peabody is turning fifty. Everyone seems to remind him of this. On a vacation he captures a mermaid. So he says. However everyone else decides it is the "fifty" thing except the psychiatrist that wants to know what test line he used when he snagged her.

HERE WE SEE A DIFFERENT WILLIAM POWELL ...
than we see in some of his earlier films such as The Thin Man series, I Love You Again, Love Crazy and My Man Godfrey. He has put aside his witty, comedic genius to portray a gentle, sensitive and serious man confused and frightened by the advent of old age.

And we see a very young Ann Blythe, whose career blossomed, then was cut short when she retired upon marrying to raise a family. She has no dialogue (mermaids cannot talk, although they sing very well), yet she is a master of facial expressions, tender, naive emotions and even cries at the drop of a hat albeit underneath the sea. She is perfect for the part.

The film is about their relationship, with a secondary theme about Powell's wife (excellently protrayed by Irene Hervey), who is attracted to a local while on vacation and is experiencing temptations involved in long marriages (and perhaps her own trepidations about leaving middle age behind).

Mermaids have fascinated me since reading Hans Christian Andersen. And whimsy honestly portrayed is delightful. This is a gentle, tender and dear movie. There are some good laughs in it, and the outcome is more lifelike than ideal. Did she really exist, or was she a hallucination? We are given a lifetime to ponder this.

The psychiatrist making an appearance at the beginning and at the end of the film is played by Art Smith, and his acting is excellent. Besides Powell and Blythe, he really stands out.

But it is the different William Powell who as usual holds center stage; his acting which appears so easy is for all to admire. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

like molasses, a little slow but very sweet
Based on Russell Janey's novel, the Ben Hecht/Quentin Reynolds script for this film is sometimes sappy and often uneven, but it's also a nice sentimental story, told in flashback, by William Dunnigan (played in a somber manner by Fred McMurray), a press agent who was never a very happy guy, and is burying the woman he loved (but was never able to tell her so).
The real reason to watch this film is to see Alida Valli play Joan of Arc, in a "film within a film" segment. She is luminous and incredibly beautiful, and would have made a terrific Joan. Coincidentally, the lavish "Joan of Arc" production starring Ingrid Bergman was released the same year as this film.

Another reason to view "The Miracle of the Bells" is to see Frank Sinatra, skinny as a rail, in the unlikely part of a soft spoken priest; this was five years before his success in "From Here to Eternity", and he is surprisingly good, but far from great. He sings "Ever Homeward", a cappella, as he sits among the grave stones; there's a lot of gloomy aspects to the film, one of them being that the setting is a poor coal mining town...though it all has a nice pay-off.
Lee J. Cobb is Marcus Harris, the film producer making "Joan of Arc", and he has the humorous moment in the film with his "I won't stand for any press agent miracles !" rant, which was funny enough to make me laugh out loud, a rarity for me.
Some might say it's improbable that headlines of "Nation Mourns For Movie Star" could ever happen, especially when the "movie star" is unknown, but seeing how today's media obsesses about inconsequential stories, and runs with them for days (nay, weeks !) on end, on a slow news cycle, anything could happen.
Total running time is 120 minutes.

Memorable Movie
Orginally, I saw this movie about ten years ago and it really left an impression on me. It brilliantly grabs the viewer's heart...You would have to be dead not to be touched by this film. I loved it and I'm getting ready to purchase a copy for my 15-year-old daughter to watch. I've shared with her many other classics I've valued in my lifetime, i.e. Jane Eyre (Orson Wells), Wuthering Heights, and Alice Adams. I hope she will treasure the classics as much as I do.

A Feel-Bad Christmas Movie
The first time I saw "The Miracle of the Bells" was a New Year's Eve party in 1980, and man, it was a bring down. Here is a somewhat nasty Fred MacMurray mourning the loss of Valli (from "The Third Man"), who had only just completed filming her Joan of Arc movie, the movie that would have catapulted this obscure nobody into a major star, it seems, but fate would have it otherwise, since she up and died. Frank Sinatra plays against type big time as a gentle young priest. I really disliked this movie, and I bet you would too.

Setzer's Amazing Vocals and Stronger Edge of Music, Yet...
On this '86 effort the Cats try for a little harder rock-a-billy edge.The only problem is that there is nothing really memorable that stands out (except for one country twang-like tune on which Brian Setzer's vocals soar). By '86 the public's interest with Stray Cat strut had started to become diluted. However, because of the type of music or genre the Stray Cats have mastered it is a true collector's keeper. While I do not own the c.d., my vinyl copy is flawless and the track listing is exactly the same (no extras or bonus tracks on the import c.d.).

kinda silly, kinda nice
One theme of this movie is the importance of becoming a movie star. Contrary to one review below, Sinatra does sing in this movie--and tries to act, too (he's pretty wooden, in my own humble opinion). The contention in the movie that the entire American nation would hysterically mourn the loss of an actress they'd never met, seen, or heard of, is, in a word, hysterical. But, all that said, this is a kinda fun movie to watch. VALLI is MAGNIFICENT! She should have played Joan of Arc--watch the movie and you'll see why. I've heard rumors that the film will be re-made with Tom Hanks as the actor and Meg Ryan as the agent! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The most beautiful that any actress ever looked!
A charming and lovely film. My favorite movie simply for the reason that movies like this will never be made anymore. The film features crisp black and white cinematography. William Powell is dapper and the exquisite Ann Blyth is at the height of her beauty. The Wee Shop and Flying Squad sketches deserve special mention due to wonderful acting performances. Although this film is classified as a comedy/fantasy, I found the ending to be quite sad. In spite of the moral lesson at the end of the story, I feel that there should have been a more cheerful ending for Mr. Peabody and his beautiful maiden of the sea.

This Is A Keeper!
However you measure it, this movie is a keeper. Having seen it afterschool as a little kid, it still works it's magic on me 40+ years later. "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" is a charming mix of reality versus fantasy. William Powell as the stiff-upper-crust-Bostonian who slides unwittingly into the fantasy of catching and keeping a real mermaid, played by the enchanting Ann Blyth is a masterpiece of casting. His mid-life crisis gently shoves him over the edge and what an edge it is. The sharp contrast between the bored tropical colonials and the sweet tenderness of Mr. Peabody and his mermaid divides the characters into two widely different groups -- the adults who are in a paradise but cannot see it; and the mermaid who pulls Peabody into a paradise which he embraces wholeheartedly. For a time he is a kid again. Eventually the adults gang up on Peabody and drag him back to the cold reality of being an adult. The question is was she real or was Peabody in need of serious therapy? Amazing what an effect a tropical paradise can have on a person. Please do snuggle up with your loved ones and enjoy this story again and again.

A delightful romantic fantasy
I had fond memories of seeing "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" on TV when I was a kid, and I think I enjoyed the film even more when I recently watched the home video version. A classic black-and-white film, it has a screenplay by Nunnally Johnson and is directed by Irving Pichel. The film stars William Powell as Arthur Peabody, a married man who is experiencing great anxiety over his impending 50th birthday. He and Mrs. Peabody (a wonderful performance by Irene Hervey) take a vacation to St. Hilda's, a Caribbean island under British rule. But the story quickly takes a turn into the fantastic when Mr. P discovers a beautiful mermaid (Ann Blyth).

Although the film is certainly appropriate for a family audience, it does have a deliciously "naughty" feel; it's full of drinking, extramarital flirting, and smoking (two memorable sight gags involve the last of those vices). But that probably just reflects the times when the film was made.

The production values and performances are first rate. Powell has a marvelously sympathetic "everyman" quality as Peabody, and Hervey brings a nice mixture of sweetness and fire to her role as the exasperated wife. Blyth nearly steals the film as the enchanting mermaid. She is mischievous and childlike, but with an alluring sexuality bubbling beneath the innocent surface. Her chemistry with Powell is delightful and touching.

The film is full of some great visual images; there is some particularly memorable underwater photography. "Mr Peabody" is one classic film that's still a lot of fun.

You should have seen the one that got away.
I am not saying that I am fifty or anything like that, but I can relate to this movie. It makes you want to take up fishing. And William Powell portrays Mr. Peabody as well if not better than he does Nick Charles. Ann Blyth as Lenore the Mermaid does not have much to say but you understand her very well. This was filmed on location at Weekiwachee Spring, Florida. I have watched this so many times that I do not have to look up any more, even though I do. I also like all the scenes in the Psychiatrist's office.

Mr. Peabody is turning fifty. Everyone seems to remind him of this. On a vacation he captures a mermaid. So he says. However everyone else decides it is the "fifty" thing except the psychiatrist that wants to know what test line he used when he snagged her.

HERE WE SEE A DIFFERENT WILLIAM POWELL ...
than we see in some of his earlier films such as The Thin Man series, I Love You Again, Love Crazy and My Man Godfrey. He has put aside his witty, comedic genius to portray a gentle, sensitive and serious man confused and frightened by the advent of old age.

And we see a very young Ann Blythe, whose career blossomed, then was cut short when she retired upon marrying to raise a family. She has no dialogue (mermaids cannot talk, although they sing very well), yet she is a master of facial expressions, tender, naive emotions and even cries at the drop of a hat albeit underneath the sea. She is perfect for the part.

The film is about their relationship, with a secondary theme about Powell's wife (excellently protrayed by Irene Hervey), who is attracted to a local while on vacation and is experiencing temptations involved in long marriages (and perhaps her own trepidations about leaving middle age behind).

Mermaids have fascinated me since reading Hans Christian Andersen. And whimsy honestly portrayed is delightful. This is a gentle, tender and dear movie. There are some good laughs in it, and the outcome is more lifelike than ideal. Did she really exist, or was she a hallucination? We are given a lifetime to ponder this.

The psychiatrist making an appearance at the beginning and at the end of the film is played by Art Smith, and his acting is excellent. Besides Powell and Blythe, he really stands out.

But it is the different William Powell who as usual holds center stage; his acting which appears so easy is for all to admire. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Moving and informative
Church friends, including our pastor, invited me as a new congregant to watch this with them. Only afterwards I learned they had all seen it twice before, and just wanted to share again with each other and myself. It met their historically and theologically informed standards, but also moved me for its sincerity and many unforgettable moments of truth. Very fine understated acting, very emotional scenes, compelling . . . good to pair with a reading of the Luther biography by R. Bainton, "Here I Stand."

Black and white doesn't mean borning.
Originally, I saw this film on PBS years ago, and recently in a College Bible class on the Reformation. I just had to have it! Although an older black and white BBC film, this video reflects the intensity and sincerity of Luther. The British are natural actors, so there is no amateur stuff here. You will see where a salvation by works Catholic monk finds true salvation through Christ: "The just shall live by faith." Highly recommended! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Overall, a well done movie
This movie was a well done, reasonably accurate, portrayal of Martin Luther. It touches upon most, but not all, the major areas of his life. It does a good job of showing how he went from law school, to Augustinian monk, to a pilgrimage to Rome, to protesting the excesses of the Vatican. It captures his stormy personality well. To get some historical insight, it is an excellent movie. It is not Terminator, no buggy chases or bow/sword fights. I doubt seriously if Hollywood could make a film like this today that actually told a story without adding excessive violence, sex, or somehow making him a new age evangelist...

St. Luther
A slow and boring film which glorifies and worships Luther more than those who followed him during the Reformation.

Thumbs up for Martin Luther!
For those who prefer your history acted out on the screen rather than read from a book, I highly recommend Martin Luther. The movie stays painstakingly close to the actual historical record (at least the record in Protestant history books). It begins with Luther as a young man studying for the legal profession and ends with him as the embodiment of the Protestant Reformation. The movie contains many details of his life, including his days as an Augustinian monk and his great struggles of faith. The story goes on to detail Luther's eye opening trip to Rome, the nailing of the 95 Theses, the Diet of Worms, his protective custody in the Wartburg Castle, a happy marriage to Katherine von Bora, his opposition to the Peasant's Revolt and almost every other major events of his life. The motion picture concludes with his best-known hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." All of the major characters are depicted from Eck and Melanchton to the drunk who purchased his indulgences in advance. For those of us who know the history, it is a joy to watch it portrayed. To those unfamiliar with the story, get ready for a quality history lesson. As a history lesson, please note that Luther is seen in the very best light. His courage, intellect, and passion are clearly portrayed. Yet like most human heroes, Luther had his dark side. His overreaction to the Peasant's Revolt, anti-Semitic views, and fondness for beer are not depicted in this script. Still the movie it is a quality portrayal of the life and times of Martin Luther.

As for entertainment value, this black and white film may seem too slow moving and lacking embellished for today's "hyper stimulated" movie audiences. "Patriot" or "Braveheart" it is not. When released in 1953 it received 2 Academy Award Nominations. I feel actor Niall MacGinnis has given us an outstanding portrayal of Martin Luther. I highly recommend the movie. Running time 1 hour and 43 minutes.

Luther comes to life!
This film ought to be watched by everyone in the world! Luther is one of the key figures in world history, and this will do much for the understanding of two things: 1. What a true Christian is (having been 'born again'. John 3); and 2. The utter darkness of 'Romanism' (the religion of 'Man' rather than of GOD). Personally, I found the portrayal of Luther a little too 'mellow', and the film moves a little too slowly for modern tastes. But, neither of those two things should prevent us from valuing a pretty accurate portrayal of important and life changing days.

A new lye about Luther
When can we have a historically true film about this insane and cruel man? ... Read more

Reviews (9)

This is not the story I remember...
The actor who played She did not seem to portray the she I had in mind. I read this story as a little girl, or rather it was read to me. I remember She being the most beautiful woman on earth. This did not come across in the movie. At lot of illustration and characterization was left out. I did like the campy dance sequence in the movie, very strange and eerie. The music that went with it was ominious and quite effective. The stage sets were quite good, yet the story is taking place in the cold north, rather than Africa. She does convey an icy distance in her stance so I give the actor points for that, yet it is just lacking in story and plot to really hold my attention. Randolph Scott was handsome yet his acting looked very much like acting. I liked Tanya's eyes, they were really sparkly. The threesome, Scott's character, his sidekick, and Tanya, a girl who they met in Antartica, who had been abused by her father, went on a trek to find the eternal flame that bathed you in a mythical fire of youth. When the flame reverses itself the effects are quite good. The avalanches are pretty neat and the chase scenes in the frozen mountain glaciers are fun to watch. All and All not heartily recommended but not to dissuade you either. By all means read the book, it is exceptional.

Lisa Nary

The story was adjusted a bit
O.K. it was adjusted a lot.

Leo Vincey (Randolph Scott) all grown up is fresh back from the U.S. So he does not have to have an English accent. His dying uncle points to a portrait of a 500 year old Vincey in a Prince Valiant haircut that is the spitting image of Leo. Then with old sci-fi equipment in the background he is told a tail of radiation and a woman that will live for ever; Doctor Watson (oops) Horace Holly is standing by.

For readers that are familiar with the book, you are in for some laughs. Because the Vincey explorer was only five hundred years ago all the majors can speak English (or pigeon English). There is a native scene right out of Kong and a second with a sacrifice and a ritual dance. Can it be that this is the same director, Producer Merian C. Cooper, known for King Kong?

On a more serious side the eternal questions posed in the book were replaces with a love story made for two.

Helen Gahagan is a rather unique name so I looked it up in Ephraim Kats "The Film Encyclopedia"; turns out among other things She was married to Melvyn Douglas, was the author of "The Eleanor Roosevelt we Remember" (1963). A Democratic congress woman. And was defeated by Richard Nixon in her bid or a Senate seat.

A flashy, campy fantasy-action classic
A goofy old-fashioned action film produced by Meriam C. Cooper, the brains behind the1931 smash "King Kong." Randolph Scott stars in this slightly tweaked adaptation of H. Rider Haggard's novel (in the book, the action is set in Africa; here it's in the Antarctic). Anyway, the basic plot is that a dashing young Anglo-American adventurer heads off in search of a magical fountain of life, but when he arrives at its hidden temple, it turns out the guardian is an immortal hottie (played by Helen Gahagan), who believes that our hero is a reincarnation of her long-lost lover. The first half of the film is kind of rickety and slow-moving, but once the films starts zipping to its crescendo, things get pretty fun. There's a big, silly dance number (half modern dance, half Busby Berkeley revue, with kooky ethnic elements), and some really cool special effects -- including a jumping-over-the-chasm scene that may seem familiar to fans of the first "Lord Of The Rings" film. Acting wise, this flick is campy at best -- it's not Scott's best effort (and I *like* Randolph Scott!), and Gahagan is kind of a dud; she's just not very convincing as an irresistible(...)-- couldn't they have gotten Bette Davis or Marlene Dietrich instead? Still, it's a fun film... definitely worth checking out!

AN ORIGINAL SCI-FI FROM 1935.
Ancient papers lead a Cambridge professor and his friends to the lost city where dwells a queen who cannot die - until she falls in love... SHE is alternately hilarious, terrible - and essential viewing for lovers of vintage Sci-Fi flicks! H. Rider Haggard was a British civil servant who began writing to win a bet with his brother after they'd argued about what made good literature. Haggard's works included a prolific 58 works of fiction and 7 works of non-fiction. KING SOLOMON'S MINES was his first novel: his second was SHE which was written in 1887. When adapted for this 1935 flick, the locale was - perhaps mistakenly - altered from the humid wastes of Africa to the frozen wastes of the near-Arctic. The two romantic leads were originally to be played by Joel McCrea and his wife, Frances Dee. Since they proved to be unavailable, the wooden Randolph Scott and the adequate Helen Mack were cast instead. The sometimes hokey script and colourless performances from both Scott and Gahagan tend to mar the film, but not completely: they give the film an unintended campy/eclectic feeling which somehow lingers in the memory rather than offends. The stagey decor of Kor is very Art Deco and reminds one of the Radio City Music Hall & you expect the Rockettes to appear out of nowhere! It is a great relief to film connoisseurs that a print of this movie - which was actually considered lost for years - was found!

The Ice Queen cometh
After reading H. Rider Haggard's enthralling work, I had to see this movie to see how it stacked up--especially since it's regarded as the best of the 11(!) versions to date--but was disappointed as it's unfaithful to the book in some big ways. A glaringly obvious change was the shift in locales, from hot equatorial East Africa to the frigid Arctic! It's puzzling why the movie powers that be did this--could it be it was more convenient for them, more cheaper, did they think it was more dramatic, or suited better to Helen Gahgagan's glacial regal beauty and chilly demeanor? They should have stayed with Africa since it evokes images of a wild, untamed pagan land ungoverned by laws of man or civilized society which is more suited to the story's Freudian theme of man's fear and loathing of an all-powerful, dominant female, than a sterile iceland, which admittedly doesn't take much away from but doesn't add anything either--although the barren Arctic landscape does lend an eerie air of beautiful stasis, which could be seen as an atmospheric, symbolic parallel to Gahagan's lofty position of She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed (to her terrified subjects; her name is Ayesha, pronounced AH-SHA), an awe-inspiring b**tch goddess of eternal youthful beauty and deadly coldness. This film has the distinction of being Broadway star and Mrs. Melvyn Douglas' only film, especially since it's a legendary character from a literary masterpiece and she certainly lived up to the part physically as painstakingly described with her perfect brunette beauty--but her performance leaves one cold since she doesn't possess the mesmerizing persona, charisma and intensity integral to She. On to the story--Ayesha is a 500-year old queen of the city of Kor who was madly in love with John Vincey, an Apollo Greek God lookalike, but lost him when she impulsively murdered him out of jealousy. Later she discovered the mysterious Flame of Life, which gives eternal life, youth and beauty if you bathe yourself in it, which of course she did (who wouldn't!). But talk about too little, too late--with her beloved gone, all the regretful and mourning queen can do is wait however long it takes until he's reincarnated. Boy, does she have an impossibly long wait and becomes a monstrously cold and heartless ruler whose very name evokes terror--but she's still a sympathetic character because she's capable of love (though only for ONE man!) and it's the long, lonely agonized centuries of waiting that's made her cruel.

The wooden but amiable Randolph Scott plays Leo, descendent of and deadringer for John Vincey, who journeys from England to the Arctic with his scholarly mentor friend Horace Holly (Nigel Bruce) to find this secret city with its promise of immortality. Once there they're joined by their guide's cute and sweet waifish daughter Tanya (Helen Mack), who's smitten with Leo. Of course they find Kor and news is brought to Ayesha at once about this John Vincey lookalike, and she knows her long wait is over. Unfortunately there are obstacles to her much-awaited "reunion"--though Leo finds her intriguing and undeniably beautiful and buys the "fact" he's John Vincey reincarnated, he's smitten with Tanya also and turned off by Ayesha's cruelty and ruthlessness. The likely possibility of getting scorned by her great love yet again unleashes her unearthly fury and brings to mind that cliched saying of "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," which is appropriately ironic here since it's the very Flame of Life that turns into the flame of death for Ayesha when she bathes in it a second time and turns into a ghastly wrinked old prune! I felt some of the soul of Rider's work was missing here, but there's enough substance and merit to make it worthwhile viewing--such as the hauntingly atmospheric B&W cinematography which is simply beautiful, evocative Max Steiner score, breathtaking and unreal sets, spectacular special effects that still stand up to this day, and an endearing performance by Mack, who exudes wholesomeness and warmth. Although it's considered inferior to this one, I prefer the 1965 Hammer Film-Ursula Andress version as it's more faithful in regard to the locale, names, ending and other details, as well as being quite good too! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

True to life biography offers hope, encourages faith
This old, black and white movie comes to life with no need of color or pro-logic sound. It is the story of a monk who would one day change the future of Western Civilization.

Luther stands against all odds to profess his faith, and stand for freedom to believe, freedom to love, and freedom to com to God without mortal fear. This movie chronicles the life of Luther over time, and is very close to historical fact.

If you read "Here I Stand" or are a history fan in general, this is a good buy. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Compelling and atmospheric classic
The Most Dangerous Game was a pet project of its producer,Merian C Cooper,and he did a bang up job of translating the Richard Connell short story to the screen.
The evil genius of the movie is demented Russian aristocrat ,Count Zaroff, who has his own private unchartered island .His passion is hunting and having become bored with the usual wild game hunts ,Zaroff has turned to the hunting of human beings for his kicks.
The objects of the hunt are a group of Americans headed by the resolute and stalwart Bob ,played strikingly well by the greatly under-rated Joel MacRae ,and including Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong.
The atmosphere is genuinely menacing from the sinister decor of Zaroffs home to the misty promordial swamp through which the relentless Zaroff and his baying hounds pursue the prey.The tone is grim and the pace unrelenting-here truly is a lean and economical movie that wastes not a single frame.
In some ways this can be viewed as a warm up for King Kong which re-used many of the personnel and ingredients from this movie --Fay Wray ,Robert Armstrong ,and a stirring brass heavy score from the great Max Steiner ,not to mention the producer/director team of Scoedsack and Cooper.It also used the same oppressive ,gloomy, miasmatic sets for the jungle and swamp scenes and these help give the movie its potency and power.
It lacks the one added dimension that helped transform King Kong into a genuine cultural phenomena-the mythic dimension -but is a gripping well made movie that still holds the attention over half a century from when it first saw the light.

One of the most effective horror films of the 1930s
I keep forgetting that Fay Wray made dozens of films before "King Kong," including this 1932 film which proves that you do not need special effects or lots of make-up to create a monster that will frighten audiences. Leslie Banks is Count Zaroff, a mad nobleman who has grown tired of hunting big game and decides to stalk human beings instead. Providence proves most accommodating when shipwrecked on the island are Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea), a famous big-game hunter, Eve Towbridge (Wray), and Martin (Robert Armstrong). After a few diverting attempts at hospitality, Zaroff sends the trio off into the jungle to try surviving until sunrise and the fun begins in earnest.

I give high marks for the tense and atmospheric direction by Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack, but I must admit to be bothered by what Hollywood did to Richard Connell's classic short story of the hunter and hunted. Yes, the original has General Zaroff hunting a world famous big-game hunter (named Sanger Rainsford in the story), and there is certainly something compelling about the hunter now becoming the prey (not to mention the hunter's prey becoming the hunter of the hunter hunting the prey...if you know what I mean). But tossing two more characters into the picture is hardly cricket, the equivalent of hunting a lion and strapping a couple of manikins to its back. Of course with three people out in the jungle you can lose one of them (gee, you will never guess which one) and still have fun and a touch of romance. But while I am disparaging of these tacky Hollywood tack-ons, "The Most Dangerous Game" has a primal elegance that makes this one of the most effective horror films of the 1930s.

The Boring Book
The book of The Most Dangerous Game was about two couples that were trapped on an island far away from the Bahamas. they had a plane crash on the way to England. But they found themselves alone on an Island. they walked around the Island finding that they were the only ones. So the walked the whole Island and found a chateau with lighting fire lamps hanging on the side and found that they were not alone for long.
Before they even got there only one person was there an old soldier that had bught the land to hunt for fur and etc. so this boy Rainsford had told the General they were in a plans crash. Well awhile later in the chapter the general tried to kill the boy but they got away. As so as they got away they had illed the general themselves. but this story or book was an okay one cause it had alot to do with much crazy things.
the book I think was a star three not unless the writter tried to put more action and details to the staor at the beginning. I liked it just a little, good thing I didn't fall asleep on the book just like most boring books.

an excellent movie!
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This movie, made by RKO radio pictures was the last picture they did before releagsing King Kong. Interestingly enough, both films used the same jungle set.

This film follows a man who becomes shipwrecked on an island. he later discovers a castle on the island and meets other shipwrecked people who are guests on the island. The only problem is that their host wants to hunt them down and kill the for sport!

The film has good acting and some familar sound effects as well.

The DVD also has audio commentary by film historian Bruce Eder who has done commentary for other films presented by the Criterion Collection.

INCREDIBLE DVD TRANSFER OF AN ADVENTURE CLASSIC
The Alpha DVD of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME gets 5 stars from this commentator. The price is nearly impossible to pass up, even with a merely acceptable transfer of the film. But what Alpha offers here is superb image and sound quality. The way this 70 year-old film looks on this disc is nothing short of astounding. The blacks are deep and rich, and the image has a silvery, film-like luster. Speckles and scratches are few and far between. This is the kind of quality we may expect from Criterion, who also has this title on DVD, with a comentary track. If you can live without the commentary, go with the Alpha. It's hard to imagine that Criterion, or anyone, could improve on this film transfer.

Other comments here can provide backgound on THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. It's an amazingly exciting, beautifully shot and scored masterpiece of adventure. The acting is mostly pretty hammy, but that only adds to the enjoyment. Was Irving Pichel a great director? Who knew?

A great addition to any DVD collection. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Compelling and atmospheric classic
The Most Dangerous Game was a pet project of its producer,Merian C Cooper,and he did a bang up job of translating the Richard Connell short story to the screen.
The evil genius of the movie is demented Russian aristocrat ,Count Zaroff, who has his own private unchartered island .His passion is hunting and having become bored with the usual wild game hunts ,Zaroff has turned to the hunting of human beings for his kicks.
The objects of the hunt are a group of Americans headed by the resolute and stalwart Bob ,played strikingly well by the greatly under-rated Joel MacRae ,and including Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong.
The atmosphere is genuinely menacing from the sinister decor of Zaroffs home to the misty promordial swamp through which the relentless Zaroff and his baying hounds pursue the prey.The tone is grim and the pace unrelenting-here truly is a lean and economical movie that wastes not a single frame.
In some ways this can be viewed as a warm up for King Kong which re-used many of the personnel and ingredients from this movie --Fay Wray ,Robert Armstrong ,and a stirring brass heavy score from the great Max Steiner ,not to mention the producer/director team of Scoedsack and Cooper.It also used the same oppressive ,gloomy, miasmatic sets for the jungle and swamp scenes and these help give the movie its potency and power.
It lacks the one added dimension that helped transform King Kong into a genuine cultural phenomena-the mythic dimension -but is a gripping well made movie that still holds the attention over half a century from when it first saw the light.

One of the most effective horror films of the 1930s
I keep forgetting that Fay Wray made dozens of films before "King Kong," including this 1932 film which proves that you do not need special effects or lots of make-up to create a monster that will frighten audiences. Leslie Banks is Count Zaroff, a mad nobleman who has grown tired of hunting big game and decides to stalk human beings instead. Providence proves most accommodating when shipwrecked on the island are Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea), a famous big-game hunter, Eve Towbridge (Wray), and Martin (Robert Armstrong). After a few diverting attempts at hospitality, Zaroff sends the trio off into the jungle to try surviving until sunrise and the fun begins in earnest.

I give high marks for the tense and atmospheric direction by Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack, but I must admit to be bothered by what Hollywood did to Richard Connell's classic short story of the hunter and hunted. Yes, the original has General Zaroff hunting a world famous big-game hunter (named Sanger Rainsford in the story), and there is certainly something compelling about the hunter now becoming the prey (not to mention the hunter's prey becoming the hunter of the hunter hunting the prey...if you know what I mean). But tossing two more characters into the picture is hardly cricket, the equivalent of hunting a lion and strapping a couple of manikins to its back. Of course with three people out in the jungle you can lose one of them (gee, you will never guess which one) and still have fun and a touch of romance. But while I am disparaging of these tacky Hollywood tack-ons, "The Most Dangerous Game" has a primal elegance that makes this one of the most effective horror films of the 1930s.

The Boring Book
The book of The Most Dangerous Game was about two couples that were trapped on an island far away from the Bahamas. they had a plane crash on the way to England. But they found themselves alone on an Island. they walked around the Island finding that they were the only ones. So the walked the whole Island and found a chateau with lighting fire lamps hanging on the side and found that they were not alone for long.
Before they even got there only one person was there an old soldier that had bught the land to hunt for fur and etc. so this boy Rainsford had told the General they were in a plans crash. Well awhile later in the chapter the general tried to kill the boy but they got away. As so as they got away they had illed the general themselves. but this story or book was an okay one cause it had alot to do with much crazy things.
the book I think was a star three not unless the writter tried to put more action and details to the staor at the beginning. I liked it just a little, good thing I didn't fall asleep on the book just like most boring books.

an excellent movie!
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This movie, made by RKO radio pictures was the last picture they did before releagsing King Kong. Interestingly enough, both films used the same jungle set.

This film follows a man who becomes shipwrecked on an island. he later discovers a castle on the island and meets other shipwrecked people who are guests on the island. The only problem is that their host wants to hunt them down and kill the for sport!

The film has good acting and some familar sound effects as well.

The DVD also has audio commentary by film historian Bruce Eder who has done commentary for other films presented by the Criterion Collection.

INCREDIBLE DVD TRANSFER OF AN ADVENTURE CLASSIC
The Alpha DVD of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME gets 5 stars from this commentator. The price is nearly impossible to pass up, even with a merely acceptable transfer of the film. But what Alpha offers here is superb image and sound quality. The way this 70 year-old film looks on this disc is nothing short of astounding. The blacks are deep and rich, and the image has a silvery, film-like luster. Speckles and scratches are few and far between. This is the kind of quality we may expect from Criterion, who also has this title on DVD, with a comentary track. If you can live without the commentary, go with the Alpha. It's hard to imagine that Criterion, or anyone, could improve on this film transfer.

Other comments here can provide backgound on THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. It's an amazingly exciting, beautifully shot and scored masterpiece of adventure. The acting is mostly pretty hammy, but that only adds to the enjoyment. Was Irving Pichel a great director? Who knew?

A great addition to any DVD collection. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hard hitting film noir drama with outstanding performances!
I'm honored to be the first reviewer for this wonderful film! I would elaborate more in my review, but I don't want to disclose any of the glorious plot twists and spoil it for you.

First, how can one go wrong with any film that features Robert Young, Rita Johnson, Susan Hayward, & Jane Greer? One simply can't! This incredible cast will quickly pull you into the web of deceit that Robert Young weaves in his desperate attempt to have not only Rita Johnson, but also Susan Hayward & Jane Greer! (Why he isn't satisfied with ONLY Rita Johnson is a mystery to me...) Rita Johnson (as Gretta Ballentine) plays Robert Young's (as Larry Ballentine) long suffering wife and delivers a stunning & believable performance. Susan Hayward (as Verna Carlson) is beautifully cast as a sympathetic "golddigger"; Jane Greer (as Janice Bell) is Young's more sophisticated love interest. This is undoubtedly one of 1940s finest "forgotten" film noirs.

Interestingly, if you've seen "Double Indemnity," you'll recognize some of the music here--which seems at times to be an exact copy!

Definitely a film that demands to be viewed! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

oh, no -- the return of colorization!
God help us, colorization is back! WHY? I thought this miserable fad went away with the '80's. Why bring it back? Why ruin this film with phoney color? It's almost as bad as the fake "3-D" crap some DVDs are using. For the b/w version, I give 5 stars. But for bringing back this wretched colrization process, I give 1 star. Please, studios, NO MORE COLORIZATION!

GOOD, CLEAN, WHOLESOME FAMILY FUN
I bought this movie (DVD) based on the reviews here at Amazon. I have four kids aged 14, down to five. My kids thought it was terrific. It was "old Hollywood" at its best: comic, romantic, fun and wholesome.

Can't wait for the release!
I often watched this movie on Christmas with my children and more recently with my young grandchildren because it touches the very essence of the Christmas season. I've always loved Terry Moore from her serious and not so serious movies (especially Mighty Joe Young) and of course Jimmy Durante is a clown that everyone loved and loves.

I personally feel The Great Rupert should have been produced originally in color and released as a Christmas movie. I'm so I'm so happy to learn it is now considered a Christmas classic and is available in color. Can't wait to see it in color and listen to Terry's commentary.

Re-discover this Jimmy Durante Christmas Classic
A Christmas Wish is a heartwarming holiday classic that truly captures the magic of Christmas. This well-written film combines a genial underdog (Durante) whom you can't help rooting for, an inspiring tale of young love, unforgettable comedy bits by Durante, and an irresistible guardian angel who saves Christmas.

The film has a touching love story between Terry Moore (Mighty Joe Young) and Tom Drake (Meet Me in St. Louis). Rupert the Squirrel (created using George Pal's Academy Award winning puppet animation technique) will charm young and old alike. Jimmy Durante shines when he sings Jingle Bells and other Christmas Carols.

Originally titled "The Great Rupert", this film has been restored perfectly and is being released in color for the first time. It looks absolutely beautiful. There also is an engaging special DVD commentary by star Terry Moore (secret wife of Howard Hughes). If you've already seen It's a Wonderful Life and are looking for something charming and new for Christmas, this is the film.

This Film Is A 100% Must-See For The Whole Family!
You'd Know Why I've Given This 5 Stars, After You've Seen This!
To MAke The Long Difficult Plot Quick, Rupert Helps 2 Poor Families Overcome Their Obstacles. GREAT FILM! I RECCOMEND TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE A GOOD LAUGH AND A GOOD CRY! ... Read more