Description

In Chaplin's classic satire on Nazi Germany, dictator Adenoid Hynkel has a double -- a poor Jewish barber--who one day is mistaken for Hynkel. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Chaplin Talks!
"The Great Dictator" is an effective, if uneven, satire that displays Charlie Chaplin's mastery of pantomime and social commentary. This was his first talking picture and features his inspired dual role as Hynkel and the Jewish Barber. However, with the exception of Hynkel's globe dance and the barber's musical shaving technique, "The Great Dictator" doesn't utilize sound and silence nearly as well as Chaplin's masterpiece, "Modern Times." The barber's final speech remains stirring (if obviously out of character), but some dramatic elements seem awkward and don't blend well with the film's satiric fabric. In terms of story structure, Chaplin's "Monsieur Verdoux" works better -- and is more assured in terms of pacing and the utilization of sound. Regardless of its occasional flaws, "The Great Dictator" remains a memorable film with Chaplin in superb form.

Stongly Agree With Favorable Reviews
After just watching this picture I feel that this would have to be 5 STARS+. This movie was ahead of it's time in humor. I can't say that I am a huge fan of Charlie (only seen 3 films and some keystone shorts at this time) but he is a great comedian and a fine actor. Chaplin plays a duel role as The Great Dictator Adenoild Hynkel aka. Adolf Hitler and, a poor Jewish tramp that is in love with a girl called Hannah. The film has to keep from saying Hitler, Nazi, Mussolini, Italy, Germany, and other words that have to do with Axis because it was made a year and a half before the U.S.A. got involved in World War II. This is a WORLD of fun. BUY THIS DVD!!!! NOW

Serio-comic masterpiece---Hitler saw this one twice!
This film is an excellent piece of anti-axis propaganda in the guise of a hilarious satire of totalitarianism. Chaplin portays two characters who's resemblance to one another is merely coincidental. One is a Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of Tomania with a jewish name, the other a Jewish barber with impeccable instincts for sussing out trouble. Overall, "The Great Dictator" attempts to demonstrate the idiocy of war. By turning the key players into buffoons, it portays the war machine as a circus. This film is much more than a lampoon of the Nazis, however. The silliest characature of all is of Benito Mussolini. Jack Oakie's portrayal of the Dictator of Bacteria, Benzino Napaloni, is the highlight of the film. He's like a stereotype of one of those "larger-than-life" tourists who bluster with absolute authority wherever he goes. It is really hard not to picture him in the loudest hawaiian shirt know to man. It is really obscenely funny. The interaction between the two dictators provides the most sustained lunacy in the film. Their attempts to one-up one another are just brilliant.

"The Great Dictator" does have an extremely serious side. There is an attempt to portray the plight of the displaced Jews with care and much pathos. It works, more or less. The Jewish Ghetto is given enough attention that the viewer develops a connection with them as they attempt to get on with their lives. Maurice Moscovitch as Mr. Jaeckel is particularly effective. Paulette Goddard plays Hannah as a rather dim, dreamy stumblebum. She's cute, but occasionally annoying. Sometimes, it feels like Chaplin has transported Hannah back to the Wizard of Oz--she speaks in that same half-whimpering, dreamy manner as Judy Garland's Dorothy.

Finally, this film certainly transcends any single political agenda. The only agenda one can associate with it is the aim to bring laughter to a world torn asunder by the vagaries of milatary posturings. It seems telling (to me, at least), that Adolf Hitler viewed this film twice. I have always been curious as to what his thoughts were on this total classic send-up of the great men of the Blood-Axis in their own time. Perhaps by the end of the first viewing, he perceived that Mussolini got the worst of it. Then he watched it again--this time with pleasure. If you can't laugh at yourself...

Relevant for Any Age
DVD is the perfect medium for many of Chaplin's films. He demanded a lot from his audience. Each film carries it's own message. Each section of a film addresses a part of that film's message. Every facet of a work has a purpose. He lightened the load through the use of humour. The viewer has to be thinking every minute though. It's possible to watch these films time and again, or to watch different segments repeatedly and keep finding something more. They really are that complex. Fortunately, the DVD medium makes doing that easy.

The Great Dictator is as relevant today as it was when it skewered Hitler and his gang of Fascist bigots back in 1940. It took aim at Hitler but its target could easily be any warmongering regime from any period of history. The parallels are all there. Chaplin addresses each of them and does it well. His character Hynkel is a bumbling and ineffective "leader". He's driven by greed. As the film unfolds it's obvious his greed is rooted in feelings of inferiority. The more his mouth moves the less he says. His economic policies are a disaster-to wage war he has to borrow money from the "enemy". He is petty beyond belief. Ultimately, without an "enemy" to point toward, he's nothing. His entire mantra-loss of liberty, racial persecution, lust for control and so on-is all for one thing: he has to cover the fact that he can't rise to the level of the most humble of those he torments. This is a fundamental truth about people who lust for conquest. Chaplin illustrates it brilliantly.

The film isn't perfect. Chaplin and his crew weren't entirely comfortable when working with sound. Many scenes have dialogue but lack background noise. It was a common fault of the time though. The players have an assortment of accents. The Tomanians (with the exception of Herring) sound British. As the Jewish barber Chaplin sounds British. Many of the Jews in the Ghetto sound Jewish but Palette Goddard as Hannah, sounds as if she came from Queens. There are at least a couple of interludes that interfere with the continuity of the film. These are small complaints though. There are many scenes that have never been bettered. One is the episode with the coins and the cakes. On its own it's pure comedic brilliance. Combined with the statement it makes about the utter ridiculousness of martyrdom for its own sake (not to mention the unwillingness of leaders to become martyrs) it's timeless. The scene with the cannon is a gem. The "ultimate" weapon is shown as the ultimate (and expensive) waste; this could easily be the Crusader Artillery System. The tenderness between Chaplin and Goddard is a thing of beauty. Jack Oakie is fabulous as a Mussolini clone. The scenes between him and Chaplin are hilarious. (Watch the scene with the hot mustard and do some thinking.) The innuendo in the film is brilliant. Who but Chaplin would conceive of Tomainia (after "Ptomaine, poisonous and putrefying organic matter), the "Sons of the Double Cross" or Hynkel's first name, "Adenoid"? The entire backdrop with its "Thinkers of Tomorrow" and other absurdities modeled on the vanity of the Dictator is amazing; it captures the madness completely. The ballet with the globe is beautiful and astonishing. The music representing the ideals for the greedy and the humble is identical. The message: people are alike. As is the norm for Chaplin he did it in a way that was subtle; it's the theme of the Grail Knight descending from Wagner's Lohengrin. Hitler loved Wagner's music. Chaplin would have known that. It's his way of saying Wagner's music wasn't to blame for Hitler's madness. There's more but this should give an idea.

What nobody seeing the film for the first time can be prepared for however, is the way it ends. I wasn't. I saw a few of Chaplin's films as a student but had missed this one. I was floored. His statement about the nature of the people who make war is valid in any age. It always will be.

Watch it and then look closely at the events of the present.

The genius of Chaplin.
One look at Charlie Chaplin's filmography leaves little doubt as to his genius. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy all his films, even the more obscure ones that weren't necessarily box office hits. But of all his films I believe "The Great Dictator" to be his masterpiece. "The Gold Rush" may have been the film in which he wanted to be remembered, and it is certainly a great film, but this film is working on so many levels as to seem superior to me. Sufficed to say, I love satire. This film is loaded with satirical referrences and subtle and not-so-subtle wit and clever word-play as well as all the brilliant physical humor that initially made Chaplin famous. There is so much intelligence in this film that it is easy for me to praise and recommend. I could relate scenes that I absolutely loved, but there are too many to name; and I certainly don't want to ruin all the comedic surprises for those who have yet to see this film. Even after ten viewings I find myself laughing at Chaplin's antics: verbal and physical humor of the highest level. In fact, I guarrantee laughter. There is so much humor here, of so many varieties, that there is no doubt in my mind that anyone viewing this film for the first time with giggle, chuckle, then laugh heartily. Oh, how I envy those first-time viewers. What a magnificent film! Hail Chaplin! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Was that fuzzy mess on my TV really 'The Lodger' ?
As you can probably guess from the title of my review, the entire 3 stars for this DVD is for 'Sabotage'. This print of 'The Lodger' should be consigned to the garbage can where it belongs - it is totally unwatchable. This is such a pity since 'The Lodger' is easily Hitchcock's best silent work. There are at least two better prints available, one of which is a newly restored version that is amazingly good even on VHS, so get this one instead (I own a PAL VHS copy). Picture quality for 'Sabotage' is mercifully very good. Hitchcock was really getting in to his stride with 'Sabotage' and the film contains the infamous scene where a young boy, an old woman and a dog are sitting on a bus next to a bomb. The bomb slowly ticks away and at 1.45pm .... well, I suggest you see for yourselves - and as this is one of Laserlight's budget DVDs, you can afford to as well.

Great film, nice price
This is a great early Hitchcock film. The suspense is great. The editing and cinematography are classic Hitchcock. The opening of the movie is great with the jump cuts and the montage squence of the London blackout.

The film hits very close to home in this age terrorism. Although it takes place during the years leading up to WW II. It is very appropos today. The saboteur uses a boy to carry a bomb which goes off on a London bus.

Excellent DVD By Laserlight
Wow! This DVD has amazed me. I am an avid Hitchcock fan and have been interested by Sabotage's reviews for a long time. One day, while browsing the Alfred Hitchcock DVD Infomation Site (www.daveyp.com/hitchcock/), I came upon this DVD. I was stunned. One of the DVD's had Sabotage and The Lodger on the same disc! I was also interested by The Lodger. I went to the amazon.com site and started reading some reviews. One review mentioned that the DVD was worth getting for its price alone. I scrolled up the page, and behold, this DVD was selling brand new for 7.99$! I ordered it immediatly. Here are some reasons why I advishe you to get this DVD.

1. GREAT MOVIES: This goes without saying. Sabotage and The Lodger are two of Alfred Hitchcock's masterworks. Even if you are not a Hitchcock fan, you will still enjoy these movies greatly.

2. PRICE: 7.99$ is one of the cheapest prices you will find for DVD's.

3. PICTURE QUALITY: Sabotage has its faults in the Audio/Visual departement, but for a movie that is approaching its 70th birthday, it has great picture quality. I have rented some other DVD and VHS copies of it, but this is by far the best. The Lodger is not quite as good, but this movie is approaching its 80th birthday, so I will not be harsh.

I highly suggest that you should get this DVD.

Suspense, Suspicion,Conspiracy,Jealousy,Murder.....HITCH!
This review refers to the LaserLight Special Edition DVD of "Sabotage" and "The Lodger"......

Sylvia Sydney, who graced the screen for more than 70 years stars in "Sabotage". Younger viewers may remember Miss Sydney as "Juno" in Beetlejuice" or "Grandma" in "Mars Attacks". If you have never seen any of her earlier works(this one from 1936), you are in for a real treat. In this terrific thriller, she is Mrs. Verloc. A lovely woman who is slowly becoming suspicious of her husband's(Oscar Homolka) strange activites.And with good reason, he is involved in a deadly conspiracy.

It is the eve of WWII, and people in Britain are becoming aware of Nazi activity. Various occurences of Sabotage seem to be popping up around the cities. Small at first, a black out is the first sign, but when a bomb explodes and kills everyone on a bus, the evidence points to Mr. Verloc.Scotland Yard detective Ted Spencer(John Loder)is on the case and must catch the culprit before he kills again. And of course, along the way falls for the beautiful Mrs. Verloc. Hitch does a great job(as always) at keeping us involved with the characters, the story, and keeping the suspense going. You'll recognize his signature traits all through the film."Sabotage" is based on a novel by Joseph Conrad who also wrote "Heart of Darkness".

Where's Hitch....Sorry, the elusive Mr. Hitchcock does not seem to make an appearance in this one.

Next up is the film which was probably the first to firmly implant Hitch's style in his films as we know them. It is a Silent, made in 1927, the very scary "The Lodger".

A serial killer known only as "The Avenger" is loose on the streets. He is attacking beautiful young blonde women. Paranoia runs rampant through the city. When a mysterious stranger takes a room at the home of the Buntings, they begin to suspect his movements as being mighty similar to those of "The Avenger". The Lodger has taken quite a shine to Daisy, the beautiful blonde haired daughter of the Buntings. While Daisy's parents fear for her life, her boyfriend, who also happens to be a detective, is enraged with jealousy and is out to prove this mysterious stranger is in fact the killer. The city gets work up as well, and goes after the lodger with a vengance.

These wonderful great silent actors, bring us the fear and paranoia of these characters in all their wonderful actions. It's truley amazing how without words they can portray these feelings. Hitch's use of shadows and lights, camera angles, and his supberb direction really make this a great thriller. The added musical score for some reason is on the whimsical side, but somehow works for this film. The cast includes Ivor Novello as The Lodger, June as Daisy and Marie Ault and Arthur Cesny as The Buntings.

Looking for Hitch: A nose for news...in the first 5 minutes.(hard to spot but he's there.) He is also said to be in the mob scene near the end, it's possible but a little hard to tell in these dark scenes.

The LaserLight DVD is a good transfer of these old films. "Sabotage" looks excellent. The images are clear with barely of sign of age. No problem with the sound or dialouge. "The Lodger" is not in as good as shape though. The film shows the signs of it's age throughout, but none the less, is perfectcly viewable. I haven't seen any other DVD's of this one, so I can't compare. Any Hitch fan would be delighted with these movies, and they make a great addition for collectors.

Have a thrilling time with Hitch......Laurie

As of 2003,Laserlight is the best DVD, Keep your Laserdiscs!
IF you don't own a Laserdisc player, buy this Laserlight DVD. If you do own one look for the Laserdiscs!
"SABOTAGE": The Criterion Laserdisc is sharper and smoother with clearer sound than this DVD.
"THE LODGER": There is a Japanese Laserdisc that is much sharper and less choppier than this DVD.
Even better, watch the 35mm restoration of "THE LODGER" on the AMC cable network, complete with color tints. Why this version has not appeared on DVD yet is a puzzle to me. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Classic WWII Adventure
They did a nice job of restoring and putting this on DVD. Excerpts from the movie are shown in a window in the menu. A featurette "A String of Beads" is included. I thought the featurette was a bit slow but the movie is good. Gene Tierney, Bruce Cabot, and Harry Carey all give good performances in Sundown. The movie takes place in Africa during WWII. Bruce Cabot is the commander at a British outpost and he must contend with German gunrunners and rebellious tribes. Gene Tierny as a caravan trader and Harry Carey as a big game hunter come to his aid. If you enjoy older movies like Beau Geste or Casablanca you will probably enjoy this as well. The price makes it well worth owning if you collect classic movies.

But it's missing a scene....
The picture's been restored quality-wise, but a scene present on my otherwise poor quality videotape version is missing here: as the Italian prisoner demands an honor guard to take him to the stockade, the Dutchman arrives outside the bungalow and asks for water, which he dispenses to his native escort. In the dvd, the Italian's tirade ends abruptly and the Dutchman is just in front of the desk all of a sudden. Not much, I know, and probably not even 5 minutes, but it does add a sympathetic quality to the Dutchman which becomes important later.

Avoid the alleged trailer if you haven't seen the movie. It looks like the dvd producers just strung some scenes together to make a digest version of the film. The plot twists are given away.

I do like this movie very much, enough that the this dvd not being perfect annoys me.

A good British War Movie
One of my favorite movies. Good restoration of audio and video. Will you like it? If you liked "Drums", "Charge of the Light Brigade", "Four Feathers", "Gunga Din", and "Zulu", you might want to give this a shot. Bruce Cabot is believable as the Colonial Administrator and George Sanders is just terrific.

A Glowing, Restored SUNDOWN
Poor Gene Tierney! After luring her away from the Broadway stage where she had scored in comedy roles, Hollywood proved at a loss as to how to showcase her acting talent. Accordingly, she was cast in a series of improbable roles in which her chief responsibility was to look ravishingly gorgeous. "Sundown", filmed while Tierney was still just 20 years old, is a prime example of how her acting abilities were wasted during her first couple of years in films. In this patriotic WWII action-adventure set in Africa, she plays an exotic half-caste caravan owner (later revealed to be British!) who helps the Allied forces keep the continent from becoming an Axis stronghold. The plot is confused and silly claptrap, but it's all beautifully photographed by Charles Lang (who would work with Tierney again on "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" at Fox), excitingly scored by Miklos Rozsa ... and Tierney is indeed breathtakingly lovely in her midriff-baring costumes, which is reason enough to watch. (Also pay close attention to catch a very young Dorothy Dandridge in a small featured role!)

The VCI Home Video DVD is definitely the version of this movie to see. The original copyright had lapsed, and the film had fallen into the public domain. As a result, the marketplace was flooded with cheaply produced video copies transfered from grainy, washed-out multi-generational prints. The VCI DVD has been restored and digitally mastered, and the result is a sharp, crisp presentation offering excellent video contrast and vastly-improved sound that has been appropriately copyrighted by the archivists.

The DVD also offers a small, but well-chosen, stills gallery; a newly created video trailer; and well-written albeit flawed cast biographies (Tierney's actual birthdate is November 19, 1920, not November 20 as misreported by "The New York Times" ... and her first film was "The Return of Frank James", not "The Return of Jesse James"). There's also a bonus featurette of Ronald Colman, Angela Lansbury, and Nigel Bruce in the 1954 television adaptation of Somerset Maugham's story "A String of Beads" ... which has nothing at all to do with the feature film, but is a most welcome and entertaining surprise nonetheless. Overall, this edition is highly recommended for Tierney fans, and a fine example of the potential inherent in the DVD format. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (4)

Mixed quality on this DVD 2fer
The Lodger was Hitch's fifth film. He had begun to develop many of the innovative techniques that would become a hallmark of his later films. The Lodger has one striking visual image making it worthwhile; as the people downstairs are listening to a man they suspect to be Jack the Ripper pacing above them, the floor becomes transparent and we actually see the character walking across the floorboards. This one sequence doesn't make the film but it illustrates Hitch's visual genius.

4 Years later Hitch made Murder. Again, his unique abilities in visually telling a story were striking. Although the story is quite interesting (and well shot) for its time, it has become a bit of a creaky melodrama with the passage of time. Still, there are a number of visual motifs that would crop up later in Hitch's other better known films.

Comparing either film to Hitch's later mature works would be like comparing a child's performance at writing a trike to his or her later mastery of a 10 speed; while one can see talent it's clear that it hasn't been developed yet.

These transfers are not the best around but given the age of the prints and the fact that the original nitrate negatives are no longer around, it's unlikely we'll ever see a pristine print
of either of these films.

Good film/bad reproduction
"Murder" is a very interesting film, one of the first to explore jury deliberations. The film has the feel of a live play, rather than a film. The acting is very good. The "Lodger" is also interesting for those who want to understand Hitchcock and his techniques. But, it was his first film and shows his youthfulness. However, the Whirlwind DVD reproduction is dreadful. The quality of the images vary from scene to scene. In general, the objects are blurred and out of focus and the imagery is very dark. The sound is not very good either. I have an old VHS version that I taped directly from television and it is of much better quality. In my opinion, don't buy this version but wait for someone else to produce a better quality reproduction.

only for hardcore hitchcockians
i love a good hitchcock film, but the lodger... sorry. silent movies are difficult to get through(and i've taken enough film classes where i've had my fair share)- it's easy to let my mind drift. the more dialogue cards the better, and this one doesn't have many.

the lodger is a story of a murder and mistaken identity. and the premise is interesting enough... a series of murders, the victims all girls with golden curls, a golden curled girl involved with a policeman on the case, her parents rent out rooms, and an awfully suspicious lodger moves in and begins to woo her much to the policeman/parents disdain.

but, it's silent, and it's slow, and there's a novel out there somewhere that hitchcock based the film on. THAT i'd like to get my hands on.

if you feel you must see everything hitchcock made- then by all means- get it, if your just looking for a good film to add to your collection, and you aren't obsessed with german expressionism or hitchcock- skip it.

oh, and p.s. there's a mistake in the editing of this dvd version. at the very end the editors left out a key shot that hitchcock intended as the 'did he or didn't he?' final moment.

i didn't see the other film on the dvd.

Extraordinary early Hitchcock.
Considered the first true Hitchcock film, 'The Lodger' is the director's most visually audacious masterpiece, made under the heavy influence of German Expressionism. Like his master, Fritz Lang, he imposes on his thriller narrative an angular, geometric grid: his use of domestic space, with its various levels, stairs, ceilings, walls, doorways, window frames etc., is part of the film's rich pleasure. He also shares with a Lang a relish for new technologies, analysiing the diffusion of media and their ability to whip up violent mob hysteria; while equating the policeman with a suspected serial killer. The Lodger's entrance, pure Guignol as he stands concealed in a black cape as the lights go out, reminds me of Conrad Veidt.

What makes the film so Hitchcock is its Englishness; its joy in sensation (the film opens with a startlingly huge close-up of a blonde being murdered); provocative visual puns (there is much Hitchcockian fun with handcuffs; the first 'love' scene, with the Lodger's head looming and filling up the screen like the earlier female victim); and surprising sexiness (the heroine is a 'mannequin', justifying much backstage activity with girls in their underwear; a teasing bath scene); its Catholic iconography, riddling the Lodger with a much heavier guilt than murder.

The film is so visually busy, especially in its first third, it threatens to overwhelm the picture, and Hitchcock would learn not to start at such a high pitch. But of all his British films, 'Lodger' is perhaps the closest to a (sour) vision of modern England. In its grim vision of media-provoked mob violence, its plot about a serial killer become mysterious celebrity, its portrait of an affluent, 'swinging' society masking murders and sexual dysfunction, this disturbing film could have been made for our times.

'Murder', an early talkie, is staid, even slow by comparison, although it conjures an equally nerve-racking London atmosphere, and contains some frightening scenes of violence. It is much more subtle enquiry into jury and justice than '12 Angry Men'. ... Read more

Description

In "The Great Dictator," his first talking film, Charlie Chaplin skewers both Adolf Hitler (Adenoid Hynkel) and Benito Mussolini (Benzino Napaloni) on sharp spears of ridicule. "I'm a clown," he said in an interview with The New York Times Magazine shortly before the film's 1940 premiere, "and what can I do that is more effective than to laugh at these fellows that are putting humanity to the goose step?" Chaplin plays both the malevolent dictator and an innocent Jewish barber who is in love with Hannah (Paulette Goddard). The plot turns on the astonishing resemblance of the dictator to the barber. Mistaken for "the Phooey" (der Fuhrer), the barber makes a speech at an enormous rally for the "Sons and Daughters of the Double Cross" that double crosses the double crossers. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Chaplin Talks!
"The Great Dictator" is an effective, if uneven, satire that displays Charlie Chaplin's mastery of pantomime and social commentary. This was his first talking picture and features his inspired dual role as Hynkel and the Jewish Barber. However, with the exception of Hynkel's globe dance and the barber's musical shaving technique, "The Great Dictator" doesn't utilize sound and silence nearly as well as Chaplin's masterpiece, "Modern Times." The barber's final speech remains stirring (if obviously out of character), but some dramatic elements seem awkward and don't blend well with the film's satiric fabric. In terms of story structure, Chaplin's "Monsieur Verdoux" works better -- and is more assured in terms of pacing and the utilization of sound. Regardless of its occasional flaws, "The Great Dictator" remains a memorable film with Chaplin in superb form.

Stongly Agree With Favorable Reviews
After just watching this picture I feel that this would have to be 5 STARS+. This movie was ahead of it's time in humor. I can't say that I am a huge fan of Charlie (only seen 3 films and some keystone shorts at this time) but he is a great comedian and a fine actor. Chaplin plays a duel role as The Great Dictator Adenoild Hynkel aka. Adolf Hitler and, a poor Jewish tramp that is in love with a girl called Hannah. The film has to keep from saying Hitler, Nazi, Mussolini, Italy, Germany, and other words that have to do with Axis because it was made a year and a half before the U.S.A. got involved in World War II. This is a WORLD of fun. BUY THIS DVD!!!! NOW

Serio-comic masterpiece---Hitler saw this one twice!
This film is an excellent piece of anti-axis propaganda in the guise of a hilarious satire of totalitarianism. Chaplin portays two characters who's resemblance to one another is merely coincidental. One is a Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of Tomania with a jewish name, the other a Jewish barber with impeccable instincts for sussing out trouble. Overall, "The Great Dictator" attempts to demonstrate the idiocy of war. By turning the key players into buffoons, it portays the war machine as a circus. This film is much more than a lampoon of the Nazis, however. The silliest characature of all is of Benito Mussolini. Jack Oakie's portrayal of the Dictator of Bacteria, Benzino Napaloni, is the highlight of the film. He's like a stereotype of one of those "larger-than-life" tourists who bluster with absolute authority wherever he goes. It is really hard not to picture him in the loudest hawaiian shirt know to man. It is really obscenely funny. The interaction between the two dictators provides the most sustained lunacy in the film. Their attempts to one-up one another are just brilliant.

"The Great Dictator" does have an extremely serious side. There is an attempt to portray the plight of the displaced Jews with care and much pathos. It works, more or less. The Jewish Ghetto is given enough attention that the viewer develops a connection with them as they attempt to get on with their lives. Maurice Moscovitch as Mr. Jaeckel is particularly effective. Paulette Goddard plays Hannah as a rather dim, dreamy stumblebum. She's cute, but occasionally annoying. Sometimes, it feels like Chaplin has transported Hannah back to the Wizard of Oz--she speaks in that same half-whimpering, dreamy manner as Judy Garland's Dorothy.

Finally, this film certainly transcends any single political agenda. The only agenda one can associate with it is the aim to bring laughter to a world torn asunder by the vagaries of milatary posturings. It seems telling (to me, at least), that Adolf Hitler viewed this film twice. I have always been curious as to what his thoughts were on this total classic send-up of the great men of the Blood-Axis in their own time. Perhaps by the end of the first viewing, he perceived that Mussolini got the worst of it. Then he watched it again--this time with pleasure. If you can't laugh at yourself...

Relevant for Any Age
DVD is the perfect medium for many of Chaplin's films. He demanded a lot from his audience. Each film carries it's own message. Each section of a film addresses a part of that film's message. Every facet of a work has a purpose. He lightened the load through the use of humour. The viewer has to be thinking every minute though. It's possible to watch these films time and again, or to watch different segments repeatedly and keep finding something more. They really are that complex. Fortunately, the DVD medium makes doing that easy.

The Great Dictator is as relevant today as it was when it skewered Hitler and his gang of Fascist bigots back in 1940. It took aim at Hitler but its target could easily be any warmongering regime from any period of history. The parallels are all there. Chaplin addresses each of them and does it well. His character Hynkel is a bumbling and ineffective "leader". He's driven by greed. As the film unfolds it's obvious his greed is rooted in feelings of inferiority. The more his mouth moves the less he says. His economic policies are a disaster-to wage war he has to borrow money from the "enemy". He is petty beyond belief. Ultimately, without an "enemy" to point toward, he's nothing. His entire mantra-loss of liberty, racial persecution, lust for control and so on-is all for one thing: he has to cover the fact that he can't rise to the level of the most humble of those he torments. This is a fundamental truth about people who lust for conquest. Chaplin illustrates it brilliantly.

The film isn't perfect. Chaplin and his crew weren't entirely comfortable when working with sound. Many scenes have dialogue but lack background noise. It was a common fault of the time though. The players have an assortment of accents. The Tomanians (with the exception of Herring) sound British. As the Jewish barber Chaplin sounds British. Many of the Jews in the Ghetto sound Jewish but Palette Goddard as Hannah, sounds as if she came from Queens. There are at least a couple of interludes that interfere with the continuity of the film. These are small complaints though. There are many scenes that have never been bettered. One is the episode with the coins and the cakes. On its own it's pure comedic brilliance. Combined with the statement it makes about the utter ridiculousness of martyrdom for its own sake (not to mention the unwillingness of leaders to become martyrs) it's timeless. The scene with the cannon is a gem. The "ultimate" weapon is shown as the ultimate (and expensive) waste; this could easily be the Crusader Artillery System. The tenderness between Chaplin and Goddard is a thing of beauty. Jack Oakie is fabulous as a Mussolini clone. The scenes between him and Chaplin are hilarious. (Watch the scene with the hot mustard and do some thinking.) The innuendo in the film is brilliant. Who but Chaplin would conceive of Tomainia (after "Ptomaine, poisonous and putrefying organic matter), the "Sons of the Double Cross" or Hynkel's first name, "Adenoid"? The entire backdrop with its "Thinkers of Tomorrow" and other absurdities modeled on the vanity of the Dictator is amazing; it captures the madness completely. The ballet with the globe is beautiful and astonishing. The music representing the ideals for the greedy and the humble is identical. The message: people are alike. As is the norm for Chaplin he did it in a way that was subtle; it's the theme of the Grail Knight descending from Wagner's Lohengrin. Hitler loved Wagner's music. Chaplin would have known that. It's his way of saying Wagner's music wasn't to blame for Hitler's madness. There's more but this should give an idea.

What nobody seeing the film for the first time can be prepared for however, is the way it ends. I wasn't. I saw a few of Chaplin's films as a student but had missed this one. I was floored. His statement about the nature of the people who make war is valid in any age. It always will be.

Watch it and then look closely at the events of the present.

The genius of Chaplin.
One look at Charlie Chaplin's filmography leaves little doubt as to his genius. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy all his films, even the more obscure ones that weren't necessarily box office hits. But of all his films I believe "The Great Dictator" to be his masterpiece. "The Gold Rush" may have been the film in which he wanted to be remembered, and it is certainly a great film, but this film is working on so many levels as to seem superior to me. Sufficed to say, I love satire. This film is loaded with satirical referrences and subtle and not-so-subtle wit and clever word-play as well as all the brilliant physical humor that initially made Chaplin famous. There is so much intelligence in this film that it is easy for me to praise and recommend. I could relate scenes that I absolutely loved, but there are too many to name; and I certainly don't want to ruin all the comedic surprises for those who have yet to see this film. Even after ten viewings I find myself laughing at Chaplin's antics: verbal and physical humor of the highest level. In fact, I guarrantee laughter. There is so much humor here, of so many varieties, that there is no doubt in my mind that anyone viewing this film for the first time with giggle, chuckle, then laugh heartily. Oh, how I envy those first-time viewers. What a magnificent film! Hail Chaplin! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster Keaton. From the opening sequence, where a lovestruck Ollie has his marriage proposal turned down by a French waitress who laughs at him with her friends behind his back, the comedy is soured by very real pain. The rest of the film sees the pair trying to drown Ollie's sorrows, so, appropriately, images of water humorously recur. This is especially ironic in that the action's bulk is set in the Moroccan desert, with Laurel and Hardy joining the Foreign Legion, only for the duration needed, they think, for Ollie to 'forget'.

Perhaps the desert suggests the emotional barrenness searing Ollie's soul; perhaps the film is merely having a laugh at the contemporary FL hit 'Beau Geste'. In support of the former conjecture is the film's best sequence, which takes place just before they leave for Africa. Stan flippantly asks his miserable friend why he doesn't just drown himself. Ollie takes him up on the idea, but insists Stan join him - how could he live without his old comrade, people staring at him without Ollie there to 'explain'. The business with the Sisyphean rock-weight to which they are both tied; the intrusions of an escaped monster-shark; the discussions about reincarnation (Ollie wants to come back as a horse); and the prolonged leavetaking, all make it difficult to tell where comedy ends and tragedy begins.

The film is full of brilliantly resonant sequences and images like this, such as the laundry episode, Stan wandering through an endless vineyard of clotheslines, and ending up on a mountian full of dirty linen; or the boys trying to rest only to be barked at by guards who are precursors to Beckett's malevolently unseen authorities. The gloriously inappropriate musical interludes, such as a choreographed 'Shine On Harvest Moon' at the height of a chase sequence, includes Stan playing harp on the eve of their execution for desertion, the instrument ominously looking like a gallows with numerous 'strings'/nooses.

It's a shame the humour isn't up to the ideas (the script was co-written by Harry Langdon) - the sparse funny moments bejewel long stretches of tedium, and the film climaxes with an interminable action sequence that is neither exciting nor witty. Worse, the print's quality, even on supposedly 'restored' DVD, is atrocious and presumably irredeemable, full of scratches, black-outs and missing shots - anything longer than a mid-shot is an impenetrable blur. Yet even this flaw can add inadvertant eerieness to the film - when the boys are arrested, their faces disappear against the desert bleach, like a strange surrealist tableau, or a James Whale fantasy.

Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)

Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!

The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood.

With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)

Vintage Laurel and Hardy
"The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A slow-moving but historic attempt to bolster the British War Reliefeffort in 1943, Forever and a Day is a drama about the inhabitants of amagnificent English home, beginning in the early 19th century. The story isn't much, but there's a charming spirituality about the house and what happens to those who nurture it and abuse it. It's a metaphor, of course, for England itself. Most of all, the celebrity lineup is a real treat: There are 80 stars, including Brian Aherne, Robert Cummings, Ida Lupino, Charles Laughton, Herbert Marshall, Ray Milland, Merle Oberon, Claude Rains, Victor McLaglen, Buster Keaton, C. Aubrey Smith, Elsa Lanchester, and Edmund Gwenn. Talent wasstacked up behind the camera as well: René Clair, Edmund Goulding, and Cedric Hardwicke are among the directors. --Bill Desowitz ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Amazing collection of stars in a classic epic film
Forever and a Day is a marvelous, lyrical piece of World War II propaganda that boasts one of the most amazing casts and crew ever assembled for a motion picture.

As the film begins, the Nazis are bombing London and an American visitor, Gates T. Pomfret (Kent Smith), journeys into the city searching for a house his father owns and that the current boarder, Lesley Trimble (Ruth Warrick), wishes to purchase. Gates' sarcastic attitude about the house leads Lesley to relate the history of the manse, and how both of their families have been intertwined since Admiral Trimble (C. Aubrey Smith) built it back in 1804. The house eventually fell into the hands of the Pomfrets, who later leased it out as a hotel during the First World War. Now, the building is only used as a bomb raid shelter.

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Hollywood was inundated with a phalanx of British actors and directors seeking refuge from the war while continuing the careers. Forever and a Day was specifically designed as a morale booster for the folks back home as well as a bit of propaganda for American audiences. The house, of course, is a metaphor for England herself--stalwart, traditional, broken but defiant and ultimately triumphant. The film combines laughter and tears to achieve its end, and though the fadeout is bittersweet, it's still incredibly uplifting.

To create the film, one of the largest all-star casts imaginable was assembled to portray the various personalities who inhabit the house during the century and a half. Besides those mentioned above, there's also Ray Milland, Victor McLaglan, Anna Neagle, Herbert Marshall, Claude Rains, Dame May Whitty, Gene Lockhart, Anna Lee, Buster Keaton, June Duprez, Nigel Bruce, Elsa Lanchester, Donald Crisp, and many, many others. My favorites in the cast include Smith, who's alternately amusing and moving; Charles Laughton as a tippling butler; Ida Lupino and Brian Aherne as a maid and coal tender (respectively) who develop a romance during Queen Victoria's jubilee; Gladys Cooper and Roland Young as parents awaiting the return of their son from World War I; and Robert Cummings as an American doughboy and Merle Oberon as a hotel secretary who fall in love during that war.

There was an all-star line-up behind the camera as well, with such acclaimed directors as Rene Clair, Edmund Goulding, Cedric Hardwicke, Frank Lloyd, Victor Saville, Robert Stevenson, and Herbert Wilcox. The writing credits are equally diverse, including such names as C.S. Forester, James Hilton, Christopher Isherwood, Donald Ogden Stewart, and John Van Druten. I can't say who wrote or directed which episodes, because it's all been so seamlessly and exquisitely combined.

Students of history and classic film are sure to thrill to Forever and a Day; modern audiences that just like a good story well-told are bound to enjoy it as well.

The DVD is a bare-bones presentation, with just the film and chapter selections. The picture is a bit dark at times, showing its age, but the sound is marvelous.

Struggles To Maintain Your Interest
This film suffers slightly from being a product of its times. The Second World War was in full cry and to help raise morale (and money) well-meaning directors and actors got together to make 'Forever and a Day'. In fact the cast list is one of the prime reasons for buying this DVD - it's certainly why I bought it. Jessie Matthews, Elsa Lanchester, Claude Rains, Charles Laughton - even Buster Keaton - they're all here! But you can't escape the feeling that this is a 1940's 'USA for Africa'. Whilst you loved hearing Lionel Ritchie, Michael Jackson & all singing 'We are the World', it was never as good as listening to their solo work. 'Forever and a Day' just has too many actors and directors to produce a fully coherent movie. I may be mistaken, but I'm sure somebody once said of this film 'Never have so many given so much for something so dull'. That's a little harsh but for once I have to disagree with Leonard Maltin and award this only average marks. I'm still glad I have it in my film collection - if only for that great cast and it's historical interest.

One Of The Best Epical Films Yet...
The British, and some American, cast shines in thiswnderful depiction of a grand English mansion and its inhabitants for over one-hundred years. The scenes of this picture are geniusely executed and planned out to the second! The efforts of actors such as Ray Milland, C. Aubrey Smith and Claude Rains were beyond words. Anyway, to all those not familiar with "Forever and a Day," it beigns with one grand-scale English being built in 1804 during the Napoleonic Era. This film advances through all the years up to then present day World War II with humor, adventure, and historical grandeur. Even though going through rough times, the house withstands the outside threats of enemy nations until 1940. By then, the manor is bombarded by one A. Hitler and inspectors are sent to report on the tragedies. However, on the wall of the house, the portrait of C. Aubrey Smith, head master and founder of the house, remains intact and shows England's durability during its darkest hours. You can also see that in this fim, the darndest guest appearences are made by veteran actors such as Buster Keaton, Charles Laughton, etc. All the actors did this film for free and looked to help the war effort in 1943, when truly the world was involved. This film is very hard to get. However, when it first opened, I saw it in my local motion picture theatre and have yet to forget the details. They are symbolic and still stand out in my mind. The message here is simple. It just tells you to smile, for tomorrow is another day. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster Keaton. From the opening sequence, where a lovestruck Ollie has his marriage proposal turned down by a French waitress who laughs at him with her friends behind his back, the comedy is soured by very real pain. The rest of the film sees the pair trying to drown Ollie's sorrows, so, appropriately, images of water humorously recur. This is especially ironic in that the action's bulk is set in the Moroccan desert, with Laurel and Hardy joining the Foreign Legion, only for the duration needed, they think, for Ollie to 'forget'.

Perhaps the desert suggests the emotional barrenness searing Ollie's soul; perhaps the film is merely having a laugh at the contemporary FL hit 'Beau Geste'. In support of the former conjecture is the film's best sequence, which takes place just before they leave for Africa. Stan flippantly asks his miserable friend why he doesn't just drown himself. Ollie takes him up on the idea, but insists Stan join him - how could he live without his old comrade, people staring at him without Ollie there to 'explain'. The business with the Sisyphean rock-weight to which they are both tied; the intrusions of an escaped monster-shark; the discussions about reincarnation (Ollie wants to come back as a horse); and the prolonged leavetaking, all make it difficult to tell where comedy ends and tragedy begins.

The film is full of brilliantly resonant sequences and images like this, such as the laundry episode, Stan wandering through an endless vineyard of clotheslines, and ending up on a mountian full of dirty linen; or the boys trying to rest only to be barked at by guards who are precursors to Beckett's malevolently unseen authorities. The gloriously inappropriate musical interludes, such as a choreographed 'Shine On Harvest Moon' at the height of a chase sequence, includes Stan playing harp on the eve of their execution for desertion, the instrument ominously looking like a gallows with numerous 'strings'/nooses.

It's a shame the humour isn't up to the ideas (the script was co-written by Harry Langdon) - the sparse funny moments bejewel long stretches of tedium, and the film climaxes with an interminable action sequence that is neither exciting nor witty. Worse, the print's quality, even on supposedly 'restored' DVD, is atrocious and presumably irredeemable, full of scratches, black-outs and missing shots - anything longer than a mid-shot is an impenetrable blur. Yet even this flaw can add inadvertant eerieness to the film - when the boys are arrested, their faces disappear against the desert bleach, like a strange surrealist tableau, or a James Whale fantasy.

Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)

Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!

The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood.

With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)

Vintage Laurel and Hardy
"The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster Keaton. From the opening sequence, where a lovestruck Ollie has his marriage proposal turned down by a French waitress who laughs at him with her friends behind his back, the comedy is soured by very real pain. The rest of the film sees the pair trying to drown Ollie's sorrows, so, appropriately, images of water humorously recur. This is especially ironic in that the action's bulk is set in the Moroccan desert, with Laurel and Hardy joining the Foreign Legion, only for the duration needed, they think, for Ollie to 'forget'.

Perhaps the desert suggests the emotional barrenness searing Ollie's soul; perhaps the film is merely having a laugh at the contemporary FL hit 'Beau Geste'. In support of the former conjecture is the film's best sequence, which takes place just before they leave for Africa. Stan flippantly asks his miserable friend why he doesn't just drown himself. Ollie takes him up on the idea, but insists Stan join him - how could he live without his old comrade, people staring at him without Ollie there to 'explain'. The business with the Sisyphean rock-weight to which they are both tied; the intrusions of an escaped monster-shark; the discussions about reincarnation (Ollie wants to come back as a horse); and the prolonged leavetaking, all make it difficult to tell where comedy ends and tragedy begins.

The film is full of brilliantly resonant sequences and images like this, such as the laundry episode, Stan wandering through an endless vineyard of clotheslines, and ending up on a mountian full of dirty linen; or the boys trying to rest only to be barked at by guards who are precursors to Beckett's malevolently unseen authorities. The gloriously inappropriate musical interludes, such as a choreographed 'Shine On Harvest Moon' at the height of a chase sequence, includes Stan playing harp on the eve of their execution for desertion, the instrument ominously looking like a gallows with numerous 'strings'/nooses.

It's a shame the humour isn't up to the ideas (the script was co-written by Harry Langdon) - the sparse funny moments bejewel long stretches of tedium, and the film climaxes with an interminable action sequence that is neither exciting nor witty. Worse, the print's quality, even on supposedly 'restored' DVD, is atrocious and presumably irredeemable, full of scratches, black-outs and missing shots - anything longer than a mid-shot is an impenetrable blur. Yet even this flaw can add inadvertant eerieness to the film - when the boys are arrested, their faces disappear against the desert bleach, like a strange surrealist tableau, or a James Whale fantasy.

Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)

Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!

The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood.

With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)

Vintage Laurel and Hardy
"The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster Keaton. From the opening sequence, where a lovestruck Ollie has his marriage proposal turned down by a French waitress who laughs at him with her friends behind his back, the comedy is soured by very real pain. The rest of the film sees the pair trying to drown Ollie's sorrows, so, appropriately, images of water humorously recur. This is especially ironic in that the action's bulk is set in the Moroccan desert, with Laurel and Hardy joining the Foreign Legion, only for the duration needed, they think, for Ollie to 'forget'.

Perhaps the desert suggests the emotional barrenness searing Ollie's soul; perhaps the film is merely having a laugh at the contemporary FL hit 'Beau Geste'. In support of the former conjecture is the film's best sequence, which takes place just before they leave for Africa. Stan flippantly asks his miserable friend why he doesn't just drown himself. Ollie takes him up on the idea, but insists Stan join him - how could he live without his old comrade, people staring at him without Ollie there to 'explain'. The business with the Sisyphean rock-weight to which they are both tied; the intrusions of an escaped monster-shark; the discussions about reincarnation (Ollie wants to come back as a horse); and the prolonged leavetaking, all make it difficult to tell where comedy ends and tragedy begins.

The film is full of brilliantly resonant sequences and images like this, such as the laundry episode, Stan wandering through an endless vineyard of clotheslines, and ending up on a mountian full of dirty linen; or the boys trying to rest only to be barked at by guards who are precursors to Beckett's malevolently unseen authorities. The gloriously inappropriate musical interludes, such as a choreographed 'Shine On Harvest Moon' at the height of a chase sequence, includes Stan playing harp on the eve of their execution for desertion, the instrument ominously looking like a gallows with numerous 'strings'/nooses.

It's a shame the humour isn't up to the ideas (the script was co-written by Harry Langdon) - the sparse funny moments bejewel long stretches of tedium, and the film climaxes with an interminable action sequence that is neither exciting nor witty. Worse, the print's quality, even on supposedly 'restored' DVD, is atrocious and presumably irredeemable, full of scratches, black-outs and missing shots - anything longer than a mid-shot is an impenetrable blur. Yet even this flaw can add inadvertant eerieness to the film - when the boys are arrested, their faces disappear against the desert bleach, like a strange surrealist tableau, or a James Whale fantasy.

Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)

Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!

The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood.

With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)

Vintage Laurel and Hardy
"The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster