Reviews (44)

A cute but not particularly deep little flick
I wanted to see this because it had Claude Rains mostly, but also because I wanted to see Nelson Eddy as a person after hearing him in the Disney short "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met". Besides, I've been a fan of the book by Gaston LeRoux and the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber for some time, have seen the silent movie version of this story, and wanted to chalk up another credit to my Phantom experience.

Overall, this wasn't a bad little movie - I felt that the fact that it was in colour rather detracted from the sombre, ominous mood this kind of tale needs - it should really be sort of Victorian film-noir, shot in black and white. But then, I felt that they really changed the story so much in this film version that it can only be looked on as a story independent of the book which was its inspiration, and so for that reason the colour is okay. I also felt that Claude Rains' character seemed as though it was going to be a main character at the beginning of the film, but then he seemed to disappear from the film for much of the rest of it. Also, the progression of his adoration complex for Christine was sadly overlooked throughout the film, and we are to understand his descent into bitterness toward mankind from the few scattered minutes of screen time that he has?

Although the rival banter between Raoul and Anatole was very amusing, it seems a little out of place in a story of such tragic dimensions, and draws one's focus completely away from the relationship between Christine and the Phantom of the film's title, which really is the core of the entire book and should be the same or similar in the movie. As another example of distraction - I like hearing Nelson Eddy sing, but at least two of the operatic numbers could have been shortened to make room for some more character development and depth in Erik and Christine's relationship.

I felt that the silent version of the film not only followed the plot of the book more accurately, but that the emotions and experiences of the characters were ones easier to "jump into", even despite the common (for a silent) over-acting of its players - but at the same time, this 1943 version was easier to watch. It's not as long or nervewracking. Still, I would recommend you to do it all - read the book, watch both films, and listen to the original London cast recording of the musical if you can't go and see it. Each one of these things will enhance your appreciation and enjoyment of the story in some way or another.

A Beautiful Film
I saw the 1943 version of "The Phantom of the Opera" before I read the book and (last) saw the 1925 version. I have to admit that it was not like the book at all, but the Lon Chaney version was a little. Claude Rains was very convincing as the tormented and lovesick Phantom, and was always more interesting than Lon Chaney. But Claude Rains was not given very much screen time, except near the beginning and end of the film. The sets were fabulous. Nelson Eddy and Edgar Barrier were almost constantly trying to win over Christine, and even though these scenes were funny, I've noticed that they can very easily become distractions that seem designed only to de-emphasize Claude Rains, which only hurts the film. Susanna Foster and Nelson Eddy sang a lot, and while these numbers were very nice and a joy to listen to, they were the only time Nelson Eddy really got a chance to shine, which is unfortunate. However, Susanna Foster fared well throughout the entire film. I would not recommend this film to anyone who doesn't like opera, or to anyone who wants to see a lot of the Phantom.

Horror fans will be disappointed
This film is more about the opera and the courting of an opera singer by two suitors than a deranged murderer running amok in the hidden chambers of the Paris Opera House. A great deal of screen time is devoted to the pursuit of the lovely Mademoiselle Dubois by a baritone and a Paris detective as both men are comically inept in trying to win the woman's favors. Claude Rains' phantom is a poignant figure, his madness notwithstanding, and he also has designs on the opera star and spirits her away to the catacombs under the building to possess her forever and have her sing the concerto he composed especially for her. The lush color and sets give the production a professional and polished look but the movie lacks suspense and thrills and is strictly for aficionados of the opera.

Pretty Good
Not my favorite interpretation of Phantom, but still good. Susanna Foster kind of bugs me, but that's okay. And they really changed the story. It's not at all like the origional novel, but it's about Phantom, and that's a good enough excuse for me! Anyways, it was pretty nice. The Raoul character was most realistic. I just don't like Susanna. :)

The Phantom Goes Musical
Gaston Leroux's penny-dreadful novel was hardly the stuff of great literature, but it did manage to tap into the public consciousness with its gas-light-gothic tale of a beautiful singer menaced by a horrific yet seductive serial killer lurking in the forgotten basement labyrinths of the Paris Opera. Lon Chaney's silent classic kept the basic elements of the novel intact'-and proved one of the great box office hits of its day, a fact that prompted Universal Studios to contemplate a remake throughout most of the 1930s. Although several proposals were considered (including one intended to feature Deanna Durbin, who despised the idea and derailed the project with a flat refusal), it wasn't until 1943 that a remake reached the screen. And when it did, it was an eye-popping Technicolor extravaganza, all talking, all singing, and dancing. The Phantom had gone musical.

In many respects this version of PHANTOM anticipates the popular Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical, for whereas the Chaney version presented the Phantom as a truly sinister entity, this adaptation presents the character as one more sinned against than sinning'an idea that would color almost every later adaptation, and Webber's most particularly so. But it also shifts the focus of the story away from the title character, who is here really more of a supporting character than anything else. The focus is on Paris Opera star Christine Dae, here played by Susanna Foster. In this version Christine is not only adored by the Phantom; she is also romantically pursued by two suitors who put aside their differences to protect her.

Directed by Universal workhorse Arthur Lubin, this version is truly eye-popping in the way that only a 1940s Technicolor spectacular could be: the color is intensely brilliant, and Lubin makes the most of it by focusing most of his camera-time on the stage of the Paris Opera itself and splashing one operatic performance after another throughout the film. But in terms of actual story interest, the film is only so-so. Susanna Foster had a great singing voice, but she did not have a memorable screen presence, and while the supporting cast (which includes Nelson Eddy, Edgar Barrier, Leo Carrillo, and Jane Farrar) is solid enough they lack excitement. And the pace of the film often seems a bit slow, sometimes to the point of clunkiness.

The saving grace of the film'-in addition to the aforementioned photography, which won an Oscar-'is Claude Rains. A great artist, Rains did not make the mistake of copying Chaney, and although the script robs the Phantom of his most fearsome aspects, Rains fills the role with subtle menace that is wonderful to behold, completely transcending the film's slow pace, the lackluster script, and "sanitized for your protection" tone so typical of Universal Studios in the 1940s.

Like most "Universal Horror" DVD packages, this one is superior. The centerpiece of the bonus material is a very nice documentary, "The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked," which details the origins of the novel and the numerous film adaptations of it'and which is actually quite a bit more interesting than the 1943 film itself. There is also a nice, if somewhat perfunctory, audio commentary track by historian Scott McQueen, trailers, stills, and the like. But when everything is said and done, it's the film that counts'and unless you're a diehard Phantom fan you're likely to be unimpressed. ... Read more

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Sometimes referred to as "the Poor Man's Fantasia," Make Mine Music (1946) was the first of the "package features" Walt Disney released after World War II. Instead of Bach and Beethoven, the artists illustrated segments set to popular music by Benny Goodman, Dinah Shore, and the Andrews Sisters. Originally set to Debussy's "Claire de Lune," "Blue Bayou" remains an atmospheric evocation of the Everglades. "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met" is a charming fantasy about a cetacean with an extraordinary voice. "Peter and the Wolf," based on the Prokofiev score, offers brightly colored designs, but the narration by Sterling Holloway seems superfluous. "All the Cats Join In" is an upbeat evocation of the Bobby Sox era, but "Casey at the Bat" and "Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet" feel self-conscious and unfunny.

"Two Silhouettes" combines rotoscoped images of Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo stars Tatiana Riabouchinska and David Lichine with kitsch cupids, sparkles, and hearts. "The Martins and the Coys," a spoof of a hillbilly feud, has been excised in a bow to modern taste. The supplemental material includes The Band Concert, the first color Mickey Mouse short and one of the character's finest performances, and Music Land, a quirky Silly Symphony about clashing musical styles. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Disney's 8th Animated Masterpiece!
Make Mine Music is the first of what the Disney Company calls the "package features" which put a bunch of different shorts together, in this musical title, you'll be taken into a beautiful, musical wonderland. The film includes 9 differnt features, although they were originally 10 in the original package, one of the features has been removed. Most of this features are fun to watch but others, are just better to listen to than actually watch. My favorite musical cartoons in Make Mine Music are "Johnny Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet" which tells the romantic story of two hats meeting at the department store, and "The Whale who wanted to sing at the Met", the tragic tale of an operatic whale who wanted to make his dream of singing opera come true. Let's hope that Disney decides to release a better edition of this title, without the "editing for content".

The DVD could have definately been better, to start it has been edited and it does not bring much in bonus features, just three musical cartoons.

Great early Disney with disappointing edits
I am both happy and disappointed with "Make Mine Music." Happy, because it contains some fantastic theatrical-quality short cartoons in DVD quality. "Peter and the Wolf" has always been a favorite of mine since the days of "Wonderful World of Disney." The funny and sad tale of "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met" is still great (Love that version of Mephisto). "Casey at the Bat" is a familiar classic. My personal favorite for this release is "All the Cats Join In." It has great animation and a swinging tune.

The disappointment comes from Disney's unfortunate editing. They are very busy painting fig leaves, and ultimately it is the fans who suffer. One piece originally included in "Make Mine Music," "Martins & Coys," has been removed entirely due to the comic gunplay which they feared could be confused with reality by children. Significant edits have been made to the actual animation cells of "All the Cats Join In" to make the girls less...buxom.

I hope that an unedited version of "Make Mine Music" is released some day. Until then, it is nice to have some of these great cartoons on DVD.

So much fun
I just got this on DVD today.I love all the cartoons but some of them don't tell an actuall story.The ones that did were Blue Bayou,Peter and the Wolf,Casey at the Bat,The whale Who Wanted to sing at the Met and Johnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet.I bought this disk because Blue Bayou was originally supposed to be part of Fantasia,Peter and the Wolf was narrated by Winnie-the-Pooh,The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met had a very cute whale and it has The Band Concert (Mickey's first color cartoon) as a bonus episode.Like every Disney Gold collection,it doesn't have that much features.In fact,it only had 1.So take it or leave it.How come the All the Cats Join In segment didn't have any cats?Recomended.

Fantasia with a little bit of a whimsical touch.
In Make Mine Music you come across some of Disney's wackiest shorts. The highlights include, All the Cats Join In, Casey at the Bat, and the Blue Bayou. The film is not Fantasia but it is very Disneyesque and is a joyful ride that kids can enjoy. If you love classical music this will entertain you some but I reccomend Fantasia over this. Good but not as good as Fantasia.

Modern Disney killed this masterpiece
Like so many others, I bought this movie which had no notes stating it had been edited and censored.

Disney is so confused in their explanations. I, too, was told The Martins and the Coys were cut due to the guns. In which case I pointed out the guns in Peter Pan, and Beauty and the Beast. She had no explanation for me.

I also commented on the Pecos Bill clip in Melody Time. Disney had the nerve to completely remove the cigarette from every scene including a verse of the music that mentions a cigarette. Again I pointed out that in the same movie, Joe Carioca smokes a cigar, but I was told it was okay because he's an animal. So I pointed out Captain Hook. Again, no explanation.

What bothers me the most is that Disney has treated us as idiots and punished us. If they are so concerned, they can add a disclaimer. Porn is legal, too. It doesn't mean I buy it or watch it but it is my choice. How can pornography be allowed to be released (not by Disney) or Miramax's R rated movies, but fictional cartoon caricatures with guns are not allowed to be.

SHAME ON DISNEY! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

DVD Box set Please!
when are the powers that be going to get their act together and issue this great series in a deluxe box set-the three TE films as well as That's Dancing. As long as they give it the treatment it deserves, and re-master it properly.

Leave u singing and tapping all night
I love show tunes and broadway. This is a really fun movie. If u have part 1 or 3, u may get some repeated clips. Astaire and Kelly host this and even though it is sometimes chessy, its fun

That's Really Entertainment!
I found this movie to be great! The 'That's Entertainment' series get better by each movie. They have unique clips in them that are just as good as buying the different tapes because they show the best of the best! I would recommend this to anyone!

TOUPEES UNTD!
Are we really supposed to believe that Fred Astaire had MORE hair when he was 80 than when he was 20? Apart from that it shows how talented Fred and Gene were even though they were collecting their pension!

Much of the dialogue given to the pair is VERY corny but their annecdotes are very sweet [the one about Judy Garland singing Have urself a merry little xmas for example]

It does drag on a bit sometimes notably the non-musical bits but the affection in their voices shows what they think or dont think of certain stars.

I really liked the singing the credits and opening sequence is amazing.

Great Clips, Lousy Organization, Rotten Editing
Like its predecessor, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II offers two hours of film clips from memorable MGM movies featuring the likes of Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, and Doris Day. Unlike its predecessor, which organized the film clips into thematic sequences introduced by different MGM stars, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT just throws the clips out willynilly without much rhyme or reason--and saddles narrators Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly with some of the clunkiest, corniest material imaginable. In consequence, it lacks the cohesion and the excitement of the original.

But it still has its charms. Many of the individual clips are knock-outs: Ethel Waters performing "Taking a Chance on Love" from CABIN IN THE SKY, Bobby Van doing the famous "hop dance" from SMALL TOWN GIRL, Judy Garland belting out "I Got Rythmn" from GIRL CRAZY. In addition to such musical treats, the film also offers a look at the Marx Brothers with the famous "State Room Scene" from A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, a sequence of famous lines from famous films (such as Garbo's "I want to be alone"), and an extended tribute to Spenser Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Most viewers will probably feel the film drags due to the uneven way in which the scenes are introduced and edited together, but just about every one will find plenty to enjoy. Recommended with reservations. ... Read more