Description

Errol Flynn is eternally charming as Robin, defender of the poor, in this rousing family adventure that co-stars Olivia de Havilland and Claude Rains. Year: 1938 Director: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley Starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Alan Hale ... Read more

Reviews (140)

The BEST action/adventure film ever made.
Errol Flynn at his best...swashbuckling at its best...action and adventure galore. This film is simply the best of the genre. The casting is perfect, from Flynn in the best role of his career, to Herbert Mundin as Much the Miller's son. The 3-strip color photography remains as vibrant today as when it was released 61 years ago. The dialogue between Flynn and Oliva de Havilland, between Flynn and Basil Rathbone, between Flynn and Claude Rains, is always lively, always fun. And Miss de Havilland's costumes are absolutely gorgeous, as is she.

The film moves, never stops, and you are never bored. If you watch this movie alongside Kevin Costner's ill-advised Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, you realize why one should never try to improve on perfection.

As the New York Times said in its original review in 1938, this film entertains everyone from 8 to 80. No argument here!

The Greatest Robin Hood ,Flynn now a fantastic WB DVD set!
Warner Brothers (WB) Studios has begun meticulously digitally restoring its action classics of the 1930's & 40's under the "Two Disc Special Edition" Series. This 1938 TECHNICOLOR (awesome) film "The Adventures of Robin Hood" starring Errol Flynn, Olivia deHavilland, Basil Rathbone & Claude Rains is still the best rendition of this fictionalized English tale.

Warner Brothers has given us with this 2 Disc set the complete movie theatre experience circa 1938. DISC 1 - First we get a complete "Night at the Movies" program. Introduction by film critic Leonard Maltin explaining for your 10 cent investment what you got in a 1938 movie house. Next the entire continous show with; coming attraction, news reel, Bugs Bunny Cartoon, short subject feature and then the main feature, "The Adventures of Robin Hood". This is a totally ingenius idea!!! Also on Disc 1 - you have 12 Errol Flynn movie trailers and finally an indepth feature commentary by film historian Rudy Belhmer.

Disc 2 - Includes 3 hours of everything about Robin Hood, the movie, the stars, documentaries, cartoons, and a most informative documentary about TECHNICOLOR and why even today it still was the best color process ever.

I love this fun filled DVD set. My hat is off to Warner Brothers for their dedication to the golden age of Hollywood and bring back the grandest of movies for us to see again & again better than their original release. Enjoy.

great movie ....second DVD is amaaazing!
This is more a review of the package than the movie , which is a classic and extremely well presented on disc one....vivid colors , crisp images....not a complaint there....and the bonus features are very good....a comprehensive set of Errol Flynn movie trailers...WB night at the movies....(an exhausting Rudy Belmer commentary track that will have you gasping for air).
the SECOND disc is just ridiculous in its amount of archival coverage..
a wonderful documentary on the movie
a great feature on the history of Technicolor....
two very fun looney tunes cartoons with a Robin Hood theme...
outtakes from the movie!
home movies shot during filming!
a long lost Errol Flynn movie about yachting..
and a positively thrilling short film about archer Howard Hill...
and more.
HOURS of fun and informative viewing on disc two alone!
Warners should be congratulated for such a comprehensive set ....buy this and encourage them to keep this type of content coming!!!

Errol Flynn: Truly The Sheerwood Forest outlaw
One of the Greatest action/adventure films of the 20th century. The epic swashbuckling adventure of one of history's greatest heroes.the dashing Errol Flynn as Robin Hood or as they also call him "Sir Robin of Locksley" was perfect. He was what a swashbuckler should be and probably the greatest of all swashbucklers. Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains were brilliant as Robin's foes, Sir Guy and Prince John. Oliva DeHavilland was glamorous as the love of Robin Hood, Maid Marian. My Favorite scene was Robin and Sir Guy's sword fight during King Richard's return. Flynn and Rathbone two of cinema's sword fighting experts. I love the sound of sword clangling. If your looking for a classic film or a swashbuckler film, this is a great one. Because this a film that created Pirates of the Carribean, "Long Live King Richard."

The Kids Loved It!
This was one that our boys (ages 7 and 10) watched with their grandfather, who caught it in the theatres when it first came out. It's hard to say who enjoyed it more! A fun, spirited and utterly charming film, this one has aged beautifully. Everyone loved the bonus features, too. The DVD transfer is exceptional. Add some popcorn, and you've got a wonderful mulitgenerational hit that will enchant the whole family. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Right up there with the top 10!
This movie has to be seen to be believed. It's an absolutely fabulous film. Director Michael Curtiz is, in my opinion, one of the great storytellers of all time. (After all, he directed "Casablanca" only two years after "The Sea Hawk.") This is a film unencumbered by flashback sequences and neurotic characters. At the same time, the characters are rich and complicated, all of them caught in an escalating war between England and Spain. These were symbolic when the film was made for the Allies and the Nazis, and you can almost feel the actors' intensity over their uncertainty of the future, and Erich Korngold's music is probably his masterpiece in conveying not only chivalry and heroism, but an extraordinary longing for freedom and release from political aggression.

Like the other reviewers have noted, Errol Flynn is at his best. The cast is generally superb, although I would have cast something closer to a real Spaniard for Don Alvarez instead of - again! - Claude Rains. As a Spaniard, he should at least have tempered his British accent. Flora Robson as Queen Elizabeth I is simply the best Elizabeth I have ever seen on film. (Sorry Bette Davis and Judi Dench.)

This film is not only thrilling, dashing, and heartwarming, it is really "about" something. And since September of 2001, this film has suddenly taken on yet a new meaning for our own time.

I am holding my breath for a DVD of this soon?? And please, be careful with the sound transfer. The music for this film is one of the finest film scores ever composed.

FLYNN IN HIS ELEMENT
An English privateer learns the Spanish are going to invade England with their Armada....Even without the benefit of Olivia de Havilland and Technicolor, this is a prime Errol Flynn outing. After CAPTAIN BLOOD proved to be such a gold mine, Warner Bros. put writer Delmer Daves to work adapting another Rafael Sabatini novel THE SEA HAWK; it ranks as one of Flynn's best all-round films, and remains a beautiful picture to see and hear. The 1.7 million dollar budget was lavish by 1940 standards; an enormous new sound stage was inaugurated for the film. Two newly built full-scale ships - one 165' long, the other 135' - both surrounded by 12 feet of water (!) helped make the opening of the movie an amazing, crammed-with-detail piece of filmmaking. The musical score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold was his last for an historical pageant and one of his best; his score splendidly captures the "sweep and roll" of 16th century ships. It's interesting to compare Flora Robson's interpretation of Queen Elizabeth I to Bette Davis's. Both are intelligent and convincing, but Robson conveys level-headedness with flashes of temper while Davis (in THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX, which she made with Flynn one year prior) projects distinctly neurotic and indecisive aspects of her character. Flynn's performance is good and believable; he chose a relatively quiet, restrained delivery here and he was at the apex of his career both looks and performance-wise. The term was "sea dogs" was conveniently changed to "sea hawks", thereby refuting history and confusing Sabatini buffs, but giving a 'raison d'etre' to the saleable and dramatic title the studio decided to retain. Available colorized, which is advantageous for some, and an affront to others.

One of the great swashbuckler films
A REVIEW BY NICK EVANGELISTA:
The Sea Hawk is one of the great swashbuckler films of all time. Errol Fylnn was in top form for the movie. The fencing is a joy to watch. As the author of The Encyclopdia of the Sword and The Art and Science of Fencing, and the publisher of Fencers Quarterly Magazine, I recommend it highly.

Fabulous High Seas Adventure
This movie deserves 5 stars and so I had to vote. Great adventure, message, and appropriate for children. The action and story is awesome.

Stunning Errol Flynn Adventure On The High Seas
"The Sea Hawk" is the definitive swashbuckling tale and captures legendary actor Errol Flynn at his most dynamic. He was an actor born for these type of romantic action roles as seen in the earlier classics "Captain Blood", and "The Adventures of Robin Hood". This film reveals Flynn in a tailor made role when he was at the peak of his physical fitness, and athletic prowess and he brings a new maturity and depth to his character here after 5 years of top stardom at Warner Brothers. "The Sea Hawk", is everything a good high seas adventure should be with eye filling adventure, exotic locations, romance, dashes of intrigue and superb swordplay.

With the the huge box office returns Warner's got for "Captain Blood", it was certain that Errol Flynn would be the natural choice to head any future productions of lavish pirate tales being filmed by the studio. That encore came along in another adventure story written by Rafael Sabatini "The Sea Hawk",which Warner's planned as one of their most lavish productions for 1940. Discarding most of the original novel writers Koch and Miller fashioned an exciting and beautiful screenplay that worked wonderfully on screen. "The Sea Hawk", tells the story of British Privateer Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn), who with secret backing from Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson), sets out on many voyages designed to harrass the Spanish Empire while enriching the British treasury with plunder from the Spanish Galleons that Thorpe raids on their way back from the New World. An adventure of a different sort confronts Thorpe when he inadvertently captures a Spanish ship that happens to be carrying the new Spanish Ambassador Don Jose Alvarez de Cordoba (Claude Rains),and his niece Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall) to England. What initially starts out as outrage at the injustice done to her by Dona Maria slowly turns to love as she sees Thorpe's humane side in rescueing the unfortunate slaves from the Spanish ship's galleys and in seeing to her comfort on the journey to England. Once in England after a superficial reprimand from the secretly pleased queen for the benefit of her Spanish guests, Thorpe and the other Sea Hawks press her about the seriousness of King Phillip of Spain's threat to England's security with the mighty Armada he is planning. Capt. Thorpe plans to attack the Spanish before they are ready to sail and with the Queen Elizabeth's un-official blessing secretly plans a voyage to the Carribean to raid more Spanish vessels to get more gold to help build England's defense fleet. He however doesn't count on English spy Lord Wolfingham who by underhanded means finds out about the voyage and warns the Spanish Ambassador of Thorpe's intent. Once the privateers are in Panama they are ambushed by the Spanish in a trap and sentenced to life imprisonment as galley slaves. All seems lost until Thorpe and his men orchestrate an escape plan which sees them get back to England. Aware that the Queen has been forced to put an arrest order on all Sea Hawks in England, Capt. Thorpe literally fights his way room by room to get to the Queen along the way duelling to the death with his enemy the traitorous Lord Wolfingham. Pardoned by the Queen the preparations to defend England from the growing threat of the Armada are put into place beginning with a rousing speech by the Queen about the need for the nation to be united as one in times of adversity.

"The Sea Hawk", is a stunning "A" class production despite it's strange absence of colour photography. It contains great work by Errol Flynn who is in turn rogueish and athletic on the high seas and then refined and subdued in the romantic and court scenes. The supporting cast is headed by "Flynn regular", Alan Hale in the role of Thorpe's offsider in adventure Mr. Pitt, and the lovely Brenda Marshall as Dona Maria who has just the right dark icy beauty to be perfect as the upright noblewoman who is melted by love for Capt. Thorpe. Claude Rains lends his usual excellent suport to the role of the Spanish Ambassador and Henry Daniell steals ever scene he is in as the traitor Lord Wolfingham. Flora Robson in a great performance also lends impressive support in the smaller role of Queen Elizabeth and delivers a totally convincing and balanced interpretation of this famous woman, at times stern and authoritian and at others almost playful and very human in her dealings with Thorpe. The "Sea Hawk", production christened the huge new sound stage at Warner's built to accomodate this huge production and two full sized galleons were constructed for the sea bound action scenes. With a huge budget of almost 2 million dollars the costumes, sets, and attention to historical detail are unsurpassed. Erich Wolfgang Korngold's sweeping Academy Award nominated musical score is one of the best in his distinguished career and really enhances the overall impact of the story. The recently restored "Sepia " sequence is also a highlight during the Panama scenes and it's murky quality really lends atmosphere to the hot swamp scenes when the men are being pursued by the Spainards and are dying of fatigue.

For all lovers of swashbuckling adventures you need go no further than the Michael Curtiz directed pirate classic "The Sea Hawk". This film is certainly what the legend of Errol Flynn is all about and his obvious appeal to movie goers is very evident in his powerful screen charisma here. Many copies of "The Sea Hawk", have been made but none come close to it in great story telling, lively performances and beautiful production values. "The Sea Hawk", is classic Hollywood at its very best and is esential viewing for all classic movie lovers. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The offbeat casting of Cary Grant as a submarine captain pays off in this tense WWII underwater picture; he ably trades in his sophistication for the sweaty close quarters of an action movie. The mission? Infiltrate the mined harbor of Tokyo itself, a feat bookended by a brief confrontation in the Aleutians and a depth-charge chase through the open sea. Skipper Grant is supported by the usual stock crew of Navy melting-pot types, with John Garfield drawing duty as the resident dame-crazy fantasist. (Somebody forgot to put the saltpeter in his chow, apparently.) The solid action alternates with dialogue that tends toward the schmaltzy or jingoistic (the movie's become somewhat notorious for its unusually nasty propagandistic jabs at the Japanese enemy). Destination Tokyo was the directing debut of Delmer Daves, who would later excel in smart Westerns such as 3:10 to Yuma. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Submarine Drama
Destination Tokyo is a fine dramatic action film about life aboard an American submarine during WWII that is sent on a mission that puts them into Tokyo Bay. Cary Grant stars as the captain who wishes he could be with his wife and children and who has the total respect of his crew. It's a good performance, not typical of the character that you expect to see Grant playing. Members of the crew include John Garfield, who has a story about every girl he's ever met; Dane Clark, an intense sailor with a reason for hating the enemy; and Alan Hale as the cook, providing much of the film's humour (as he often did in other movies). The film has a series of tense episodes, and mixes the drama and action well. Other than saying that it could have been shortened, the movie is quite good, and it must have had a strong impact on audiences during World War Two who were able to see what life on a submarine may have been like.

This Destination Is a Good Time
Delmer Davies's Destination Tokyo is very enjoyable WWII submarine action drama about a covert naval operation to scope out information for the aerial bombing of a primary Japanese naval yard. Starring a very charming Cary Grant as the sympathetic commanding officer and John Garfield as the girl obsessing crewman. Destination is very realistic in its depiction of submarine life and very watchable fifty-six years after its release. Though brimming with out-dated and silly comic relief, the contrived humor just adds to its considerable charm as a very watchable and dramatically engaging war film.A real gem of movie, Destination also has one of Grant's most unappreciated roles. Any fan of old war movies and Cary Grant can't go wrong buying this one.

You might be surprised.
A WWII sub film made during the war? Probably a jingoistic, even racist, bit of ma-and-apple-pie propaganda with woefully dated special effects. That much is true of Destination Tokyo, to be sure. From that angle, it's still an interesting bit of WWII-meets-Hollywood history, and its plot even ties into the famous Dolittle raid. (The film never calls the raid by that name, but it uses the actual footage of the bombers leaving the carrier Hornet, so it's all clear enough what the inspiration is if you know WWII history.)

Destinaton Tokyo is also a strong enough film in its own right as long as you can accept/stomach its propaganda aims. The action sequences are pretty exciting by the day's standards, and the nicely acted slice-of-life bits with the colorful crew are formulaic but quite entertaining nonetheless. They're often funny too, thanks to John Garfield's perpetually horny braggart character.

A Great Submarine Movie
Thankfully, this movie has NOT been colorized as mentioned in the format. It is presented in glorious black & white ... AS IT SHOULD BE !!!

Today is June 7th ... Let's see how long it takes Amazon to fix the description after receiving notification.

How to ruin a Fantastic motion picture
COLORIZE IT!!!! I have a problem in taking a wonderful action packed WWI sumbmarine movie with suspense, action, and more stars that you can count and totaly mess it up with someones interpertation of what something looks like in color. I bought the colorized movie by accident some years ago and it looked like a 5 year-old took a crayon and colored inside the frames. I returned it the next day. Keep B/W movies the way they were made. In the movie someone asks "Do prayers really work" and the reply was "I know they do", well I'm praying that the B/W version comes out VERY SOON!! ... Read more

Description

Two lookalike boys, one a poor street kid and the other a prince, exchange places to see what the other's life is like. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Mark Twain, Warner Brothers' Style
I've never read Mark Twain's novel to be able to say how closely this movie follows to the original story. It certainly has the Warner Brothers' touch. Errol Flynn is his usual dashing, dauntless self, perfectly at home with a sword in hand. Claude Rain again is the cunning, cultured villain, and Alan Hale is a welcome face, although this time he is Flynn's foe instead of friend. As Prince Edward and his look alike beggar friend, the Mauch twins are occasionally annoying, but for the most part quite effective as the victims of a switch that learn to appreciate the other side of life. The story is fun and played with a lot of energy and humour. Don't assume that this is an Errol Flynn video, because he really isn't the star - the twins are the stars. However, there is enough of Flynn to keep his fans happy, and a good enough story and movie to keep everyone happy (including children).

CLASSIC TWAIN ADVENTURE - GREAT LOOKING TRANSFER!
The Prince & The Pauper is based on the much loved Mark Twain classic. In a nutshell, the plot centers around twins, one the spoiled heir to the English throne, a other a begger with a heart of gold. When the two accidentally cross paths they become best friends and secretly trade places, much to the chagrin of one of the king's advisors (Claude Rains) who is plotting to kill the heir and take over himself. Enter into this fray a fortune hunter (Errol Flynn) who vows to set everything right for king, country and a healthy financial reward. It all ends pleasantly enough in a sword and swashbuckling sort of way.
WARNER HOME VIDEO gives us a handsome looking transfer that is sure to please. The gray scale has been impeccibly balanced with solid blacks and very nice renderings of fine detail. Certain scenes exhibit a touch of edge enhancement and a hint of pixelization, but nothing that will distract from this visually stunning film adaptation. The sound elements are somewhat disappointing by contrast. The main title sequence in particular sounds as though the music track was discovered under a rock. Nevertheless, dialogue - for the most part - is presented at an adequate listening level with only the slightest of pops, scratches and hiss.
EXTRAS: An essay and theatrical trailer - BIG DEAL!
BOTTOM LINE: The Prince & The Pauper is a visually stunning movie that, although straying somewhat from Twain's original intent, is nevertheless faithful enough to remind us why his name continues to be among America's greatest literary talents. The transfer is solid. I recommend this DVD!

Errol Flynn in Support of Mauch Twins in Classic Twain Tale!
In 1937, the WB, capitalizing on Errol Flynn's spectacular performances in CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE, cast him in four films, with varying degrees of success. The best, by far, was William Keighley and William Dieterle's production of the Mark Twain classic, THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, where he supported new WB 'discoveries' Billy and Bobby Mauch, portraying London urchin Tom Canty and his look-alike, Prince Edward Tudor. The twins were gifted, young (12 at the time of the filming) actors, with a Freddie Bartholomew-like quality of engaging innocence, and they gave this version of the oft-filmed tale a sense of reality that split-screen performances by a single actor could never achieve.

The story is an engaging one, as young Canty, inspired by his mother and a local priest to dream of a finer life than his father, an ill-tempered beggar (Barton MacLane) could provide, sneaks onto the grounds of Buckingham Palace. There, he meets young Prince Edward, who is thrilled to meet a boy his own age...and, after cleaning him up a bit, is astonished to discover that the pair could pass as twins. Edward decides this is a golden opportunity to see what life outside the Palace is really like, so, against Canty's misgivings, the two exchange clothing, and the Prince leaves...creating far more of an uproar than either boy could ever imagine!

Canty is soon considered 'mad', as he insists he is not Edward, and the Prince, abused and ridiculed by Tom's father, is unceremoniously thrown off the Palace grounds when he attempts to return, by a disbelieving Captain of the Guards (Alan Hale, in the first of 12 films he'd make with his friend, Errol Flynn). The ambitious Earl of Hertford (the always brilliant Claude Rains) investigates Canty's claim, and realizes, after interviewing the Captain, that the boy is telling the truth, giving him a golden opportunity to seize power. Ordering the Captain to find and kill the Prince, the Earl then threatens to kill Canty if he doesn't obey his commands.

Things grow desperate for the young Prince, as he attempts to evade his murderous 'father' on the streets, until Miles Hendon (Flynn), a roguish but good-natured 'soldier-for-hire' comes to his aid. Offering his protection to the lad, Hendon thinks him a bit balmy, as well...until events (the child's obvious despair over the death of Henry VIII, the Palace search party, and a sword duel with the Captain, where Flynn KILLS Alan Hale!!!) convince him otherwise. Then it becomes a race against time to smuggle the real King into the Coronation, before Canty is crowned, and the Earl assumes "the Power behind the Throne".

Blessed with a gifted cast, including wonderful character actor Montagu Love as the dying Henry VIII, the film offers a truly exceptional film score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (who would eventually expand the theme into a symphonic work). Audiences have always been surprised that Errol Flynn's role is not larger, but as a faithful Twain adaptation, the focus had to be on the two boys, and not on the impoverished soldier. Flynn had fun playing Hendon, and the Mauch twins were nothing less than superb as the leads.

With THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD less than a year away, and Errol Flynn's star continuing to ascend, the WB had every reason to celebrate, and THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER is a pleasure to watch, to this day!

Good film based on The Prince and the Pauper
I saw this move years ago and decided to watch it again after getting the part of Lady Jane Grey in a local production of Prince and the Pauper. I also bought the book and read it and I would say it is now a favorite! I'm not sure how but they were able to make an enjoyable movie based on a general outline but completely changing the story, but they did! I would recommend this movie but don't expect Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper.

The Mauch Twins are a delight.....!!!
I loved this movie as a kid and still do as an adult. The Mauch twins, Billy and Bobby are outstanding in every way. When they look into the camera and laugh as they do in several scenes, it is pure magic! This film is highly recommended to both young and old. Too bad "Warner Brothers" did not appreciate their talents and build future films around these extremely talented kids. They were as talented, if not more so,than any other young stars of the period. See for yourself and enjoy the film! ... Read more

Reviews (61)

CLARK + CLAUDETTE = FUN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
What a great film ! The chemistry and dialogue that exists between Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable is amazingly BRILLIANT and FUNNY! This is the type of black and white film that can be watched forever and ever and never seem "dated" and out of touch w/recent times: after all, its been almost 7O years since this movie was made and it still ranks up there w/ some of the best comedies of today! I wasn't even born when the movie was made but I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to watch it again and again! If that doesn't convince you, this video won 5 Oscars: Best Actor (GABLE), Best Actress (COLBERT), Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay!!

Here's a little summary for those who don't know what its about. Claudette Colbert plays Ellie Andrews, a rich, spoiled heiress running away from her family. During the trip, on a bus, she meets street-smart reporter Peter Warne, played by the handsome Clark Gable. Ellie is definitely NOT street-smart, and she's having a few problems, so Peter agrees to help her out and travel w/ her in exchange for an exclusive story. They go through many adventures together, despising each other along the way, until they find that they are reluctantly falling in love and afraid to admit it to each other...besides its a little bit more complicated since she's a married woman. AN EXCELLENT FILM, WITH A PERFECT ENDING-ONE OF GABLE'S BEST!! I GIVE IT A PERFECT 5 STARS!! AAA+++++

Simply The Best
I don't claim be a movie expert, but this is the best film I have ever seen. I already owned a VHS copy, but on buying a DVD player I paid good money to have this disc shipped to me in England - and boy was it worth it! The picture quality is as good as you will find anywhere and the sound is superb too. The DVD is also jam-packed with extra features. The film's commentary is provided by Frank Capra Jr. He has a wonderfully relaxed style and doesn't just sound as if he's reading from a prepared script. Along with Ron Howard's commentary for Apollo 13, this is the best DVD commentary I have heard to date. A special feature unique amongst DVDs must be the radio version of 'It Happened One Night', first broadcast in 1939, again starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. Whoever had the idea of including this on the DVD deserves a salary rise. The disc also includes trailers, cast lists, some beautifully illustrated posters and also a Frank Capra Jr introduction. This really is an extremely impressive package of Frank Capra's masterpiece.

"Excuse me lady, but that upon which you sit is mine."
Peter Warne: Why didn't you take off all your clothes? You could have stopped forty cars.
Ellie Andrews: Well, ooo, I'll remember that when we need forty cars.

On-screen chemistry has the ability to turn a good film into something special. Look no further than Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night" for proof of this. Whoever came up with the idea of pairing Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert together in this production certainly earned his or her paycheck.

Rich girl Ellie Andrews (Colbert) runs away from her father so that she can be with her one true love, King Westley (Jameson Thomas). Ellie has little knowledge of how the outside world works so she hooks up with reporter Peter Warne (Gable) who offers to help her reach New York in return for the exclusive rights to her story. The pair finds each other intolerable at the outset but as they spend more time together, their opinions of each other start to change. By the time they arrive in New York, Ellie and Peter must decide if they should act upon the newfound affection they have developed towards one another.

"It Happened One Night" is effectively funny and romantic at the same time. The out-of-the-way situations Ellie and Peter find themselves involved in is screwball comedy at its finest and the love that develops between them is Hollywood magic at its most charming. Colbert and Gable show why they were two of the biggest stars of their era and the chemistry they display on screen still is magnetic to this very day. "It Happened One Night" is also a fascinating cultural text due to its suggestive sexual overtones and its vivid depiction of a woman who is determined to take matters into her own hands when the situation calls for it. Both of these aspects are especially noteworthy when one considers the period in which the film was made. Yet, if "It Happened One Night" is to be remembered for anything, it should be remembered for the classic that it is. After all, when you speak of pure cinematic bliss, you speak of scenes like the one where Ellie flashes her thigh to stop an approaching car - truly one of the greatest moments ever caught on film.

It doesn't get any better than this ...
70 years later, this movie still holds up beautifully. It's funny, smart, and, man! those sexy, charming leads! I'd ride a bus with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert anywhere ...

This ones recommended for everyone -- old people, young people ... It hasn't aged, and it'll always be a good time.

A classic that deserves to endure
A spoiled socialite (Claudette Colbert) flees her wealthy father (Walter Connolly) and heads for New York to marry a rich playboy (Jameson Thomas) against her father's will. The whereabouts of Ellie Andrews and the reward for her return become the stuff of national headlines, so when recently fired reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable) recognizes her, he decides to stick close so he can write the story. Naturally, romance follows, but it's a bumpy and hugely entertaining road to get there.

This is an absolutely wonderful film. It's such a shame that so many people are not interested in watching an old black-and-white movie. Good work is timeless. Gable and Colbert have wonderful chemistry and are both hilarious and touching. The rest of the cast is excellent as well. Even though the story is set during the Great Depression, it doesn't seem dated at all. The wisecracking between characters is sharp and well-written (by screenwriter Robert Riskin); there are lots of laugh-out-loud moments during this film. It's also pretty racy and suggestive for its time, with a genuinely affecting climax. Another level of interest is added by the careful attention that director Frank Capra pays to the depression-era milieu; Colbert's character really doesn't understand the plight of the common man, but Gable's hard-bitten reporter is all too aware of the hard times that people are going through. This adds a fascinating sociological dimension. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

what a Queen???
debo confesar...que no estaba muy emocionado ..cuando..vi escenas de esta pelicula..pero.. al verla... toda su historia... toda la majestuosidad de elizabeth,..el impetu...el profesionalismo de bette davis al mostrarse..toda..palida.. y con esa peluca... y dando una de sus mejores interpretacion....olivia de haviland,,toda bella..representando.. un papel.. si bien secundario...principal en esta historia...con un final.. excelente.. con un histrionismo unico.. ..sin duda la mejor ..Reina Elizabeth,.sin desmerecer a cate blanchet y a Judy Dench

saludos

Great film, careless transfer
Warner Home Video has provided a very sharp

transfer, but the color is extremely desaturated

and the soundtrack reproduced at a low volume.

Sooo sorry.I like Bette Davis & Erroll Flynn &
Elizabethan period pieces. Most of all I love all those great movies from 1939. However, I could not stand this boring mellow-
drama. It went on & on. I really feel bad about this when I see how much everybody else liked it.

I love Bette Davis
This is a great movie. Bette is Queen Elizabeth'

The clothes are just beautiful And it is a wonderful story. Errol Flynn makes a perfect Essex. If you love this period & love Bette this movie is a must.

ANOTHER CLASSIC FROM 1939!
Great cast, color and costuming plus brilliant dialogue from playwright Maxwell Anderson.At least, this is one of the top 100! ... Read more

Description

Swellegant and elegant. Deluxe and delovely. Cole Porter was the most sophisticated name in 20th-century songwriting. And to play him on screen, Hollywood chose debonair icon Cary Grant. Grant stars for the first time in color in this fanciful biopic. Alexis Smith plays Linda, whose serendipitous meetings with Cole lead to a meeting at the altar. More than 20 Porter songs grace this tale of triumph and tragedy, with Grant lending his amiable voice to You're the Top, Night and Day and more. Monty Woolley, a Yale contemporary of Porter, portrays himself. And Jane Wyman, Mary Martin, Eve Arden and others provide vocals and verve. Lights down. Curtain up. Standards embraced by generations are yours to enjoy Night and Day. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

MARY MARTIN SAVES THE DAY!
Story of the adult life of Cole Porter, through his accident on a horse and recouperation.

Regarding him and his spouse, what were these two people really like, and their marriage? We'll never know from this movie, which portrays them in a one-dimensional, saccharin mode.

Grant tries to rise above the script and almost does. Alexis Smith simply sinks.

The film's saving grace is the fabulous music. The production numbers are more than gratifying, Ginny Simms and Jane Wyman being the main performers.

But remember Mary Martin, the gem of our American theatre? She steals the whole film with only scene wherein she belts out "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" to remind us how thrilling and awesome her talent really was. Worth the film just to see this!

A Classic!
Our family is a big fan of musicals and old movie classics and "Night and Day" fits into both categories perfectly! We rented this movie a few days ago and fell in love with it immediately. The story of Cole Porter, portrayed by Cary Grant, is such a neat one, showing the sacrifices he made, and the difficulties of becoming a composer. I give this a 5 star rating. I think that young and old alike will fall for this movie right away.

Night and Day on DVD
Others have addressed the travesty this movie makes of Cole Porter's life, so I will not rehash. Historically, both Linda and Cole were supposed to have been quite pleased with the flic, which, given the times, probably was the only public reaction they could have had (I'd hope they laughed histerically in private).

On the plus side, we have Alexis Smith as beautiful and elegant as she always was, but younger (presumably Linda Lee Porter suggested her for the role); Jane Wyman vital and sparkling, as far removed from Douglas Sirk as one can imagine; Mary Martin innocently raunchy; Eve Arden putting on a French accent, straight-faced; and about the most gosh-awful-kitschiest rendition of Begin the Beguine I have ever seen, on or off film. Not campy but garish, it becomes fascinatingly repellent .... definitely worth seeing. It is the movie's "Big Number" .... seriously tasteless and ill-conceived, following relatively close on the heels -so to speak- of an acknowledged masterpiece: Begin the Beguine, the "Big Number" in "Broadway Melody of 1940," danced by Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire.(Available in a pristine transfer to DVD).

What is absolutely shameful is the minimal care evidenced in the movie's transfer to DVD. Scratches and dirt are easily discernible...... worst: whole sections go by in thoroughly faded technicolor, yet there are isolated spots when one is reminded how glorious the process could be. It doesn't appear WB went to a negative but rather picked from various prints in varying degrees of deterioration. I can think of many movies deserving full-fledged restoration before Night and Day,
but, c'mon...... surely Warner can do better than this.

WB partially redeems itself by including a musical short featuring a singing Desi Arnaz and His Band, and a truly charmless, through-composed oddity called "Musical Movieland." Nonetheless, on the balance, if it came to a choice, I would have opted for a better transfer.

Music and Performances Are The High Points
One of Broadway's most brilliant songwriters, Cole Porter (1891-1964) worked hard to present an unflappable image to the world--but in truth he was a tremendously complex man, a homosexual who lived with wife Linda Lee Thomas in a marriage of convenience, subject fits of depression, and suffering horrific pain in the wake of a horseback riding accident which left him crippled at the peak of his career. Add to this the fact that his lyrics were often censored for film, radio, and records and it seems very odd that 1940s Hollywood would attempt a biography.

What they did, of course, was fictionalize it to the max, reducing the story of his life to a mix of backstage musical and domestic drama--and transforming the tiny and waspish Porter and his icy bride Linda into handsome Cary Grant and lovely Alexis Smith. The result is pure nonsense, of course, but when you tack in a host of Porter classics--fantasy it might be, but it is entertaining enough to watch.

Grant is no singer, but he has considerable charm, and Smith is as always extremely attractive. The supporting cast is remarkably strong, featuring the likes of Jane Wyman, Eve Arden, Dorothy Malone, and Alan Hale--and rare screen appearances by Monty Woolley and Mary Martin, who deliver knockout performances of "Miss Otis Regrets" and "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" respectively. The DVD transfer is reasonable, and although the bonuses are pure fluff they are amusing. While it may be short on fact with a story little more than pure melodrama, the music and performers make NIGHT AND DAY a reasonably pleasant way to spend a rainy afternoon.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Cary is not Cole
Cole Porter was a skinny, homely little guy from Peru, Indiana, who reinvented himself as an international sophisticate. And he was gay. Of course a movie of this era cannot be expected to deal with a subject that was then taboo. But casting the dashing Cary Grant as Cole Porter turns this movie into pure fantasy, if enjoyable fantasy. In the MGM musical about Rodgers and Hart, "Words and Music," casting the role of Lorenz "Larry" Hart posed a similar problem. Hart was 4' 9", alcoholic, and more or less openly gay. They at least made a stab at getting it right by casting the diminutive Mickey Rooney, and including many of Hart's mannerisms, such as his hyperactivity, penchant for smoking large cigars, and his habit of nervously rubbing his hands together. And there's a scene when Tom Drake as Rodgers gives Rooney a funny look when he he puts an arm on his shoulder while he is playing the piano. Very subtle but unmistakeable. Mickey Rooney as Hart is an honorable failure. The best that one can say about Cary Grant as Cole Porter is that Porter would certainly have liked to look like Grant. (And then there is "Rhapsody in Blue," starring Robert Alda, who is a reasonable facsimile of the probably gay Gershwin, which invents two completely fictional female romantic interests for Gershwin, who never had any.) One piece of authenticity in the film is Monty Woolley, who was a classmate and friend of Porter at Yale. Monty was a scion of Manhattan high society, and Cole a social climber par excellence--and they both loved the theater. The music makes it all more than worthwhile--the high point for me being the great Mary Martin doing the song that made her a star, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Olivia de Havilland.What more do you need?
What a great Western!Would make a great double feature with THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE or even NORTH TO ALASKA.

The story is pretty much straight forward: a guy reluctantly takes the job of sheriff in a lawless town and he cleans the joint up, but what made the movie so enjoyable for me was the incredible cast: Errol Flynn, Alan Hale, Bruce Cabot, Ann Sheridan, Henry Travers, Frank McHugh, Victor Jory, Charles Halton and the most beautiful woman in Hollywood: Olivia de Havilland.

My one and only complaint besides the size of Flynn's hat is Ann Sheridan was severely underused.Also her hair color should have been lighter.

I've read (United Press, March 22 1939) that as a promotion for the film there was a contest in the actual Dodge City, Kansas and the winner gotto have Errol Flynn stay over for the weekend!

D: Michael Curtz (ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES, MILDRED PIERCE)
W: Robert Buckner (YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, JEZEBEL)

Wade Hatton - Errol Flynn (CAPTAIN BLOOD, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD)
Abbie Irving - Olivia de Havilland (GONE WITH THE WIND, LADY IN A CAGE)
Ruby Gilman - Ann Sheridan (THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT, ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES)
Jeff Surrett - Bruce Cabot (KING KONG, FURY)
Rusty Hart - Alan Hale, (THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT)
Dr. Irving - Henry Travers (IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, HIGH SIERRA)
Yancey - Victor Jory (GONE WITH THE WIND, EACH DAWN I DIE)
Surrett's lawyer - Charles Halton (THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE)

Michael Curtz and Errol Flynn made an astonishing 12 films together:CAPTAIN BLOOD (1935), CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE (1935), THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE (1936), THE PERFECT SPECIMEN (1937), FOUR'S A CROWD (1938), THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938), DODGE CITY (1939), THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX (1939), SANTA FE TRAIL (1940), THE SEA HAWK (1940), VIRGINIA CITY (1940) and DIVE BOMBER (1941)

One of The Great Early Westerns
Dodge City is one of the Westerns that set the standard for the thousands that would come after it. Fun,funny, even playful, with a stalwart hero (Flynn, dastardly villains (Bruce Cabot and Victor Jory), noble and comical sidekicks (Alan Hale and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams), and a woman worth fighting and dying for (Olivia de Havilland).

Flynn ddidn't consider himself a good Western hero, but he was perfect, and Dodge city, for the time it was made, and even in today's harsh light, is near perfect. Another one of the may great films made in 1939.

A great movie
I thin, that "Dodge City," is one of the classic movie films that combines romance and advenure in the colorful setting of the west.It's very intertaining and fun to watch.I think anyone would enjoy it, as would children.

LAVISH TECHNICOLOR GEM.
In 1872, cattleman Wade Hatton (Flynn) leads a wagon train in Dodge City, Kansas a lawless mecca of gambling, liquor and murder.During the trek, he becomes infatuated with Abbie Irving (De Havilland), but she wrongly blames him for the death of her careless kid brother......DODGE CITY is a colourful and action-packed Western that put much of the Warners stock company to good use and contains the definitive barroom brawl scene. Flynn felt somewhat miscast in Westerns (and perhaps rightfully so), but this was one of the best.What the film lacks in story, it more than made up for with beautiful Technicolor, a memorable score by Max Steiner and the ultimate barroom brawl scene - plus Alan Hale and Ann Sheridan in support.Flynn and the notoriously tyrannical Hungarian director Michael Curtiz made 10 movies together; but Flynn felt that Curtiz demanded much too much of him (he also blamed him for the death of a close friend during the shooting of THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE in 1936).Flynn was in love with the lady-like DeHavilland but he was married at the time and was unwilling to court her in anything vaguely resembling a traditional manner - which made any conceivable consummation between the two a frustrating matter!

Corny but fun!!
The first time I watched this movie I didn't have a clue what the plot was about because I was laughing so hard all the way through it.The movie's "special effects" are about as corny as it gets.But any movie starring Errol Flynn & Olivia de Havilland together has some merit.The two engage in their usual witty bantering with de Havilland getting the upper hand most of the time.Once you get past old western lingo, you'll find the movie full of fun, action, and sweetness.Just don't forget that you may have to watch it more than once to appreciate it! ... Read more

Description

200 minute double feature film DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Good action, no historical accuracy
Santa Fe Trail is an exciting western set in the years leading up to the Civil War. Mostly the story revolves around John Brown and the problems he caused with his abilitionist movement. The soldiers pursuing him are JEB Stuart and George Armstrong Custer, played by Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan. The final showdown takes place in Harper's Ferry where Brown makes his final stand. This is a good movie that has very little to do with history except that John Brown does die. Anyways, the movie is very good whether it is accurate or not. There is good action and enjoyable characters. Errol Flynn is his usual self with Olivia de Havilland excellent as the love interest in the story. Raymond Massey is disturbingly good as John Brown. Also starring is Van Heflin in a good guy/bad guy role. Entertaining western with good cast! Just don't use it as a history lesson.

Flynn romances de Havilland on the eve of the Civil War
"Santa Fe Trail" is a fine action film giving viewers another chance to watch Errol Flynn romance Olivia de Havilland, with Ronald Reagan playing the best friend who loses out on the gal. Just to make things interesting in this 1940 film directed by Michael Curtiz, Flynn plays James Elwell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart and Reagan plays George Armstrong Cuter (Olivia is Kit Carson Halliday, but she's not THAT Kit Carson). Screenwriter Robert Buckner takes some of the better known generals from the Civil War--Stuart, Custer, Sheridan, Longstreet, Pickett, Hood--and turns them into a young band of brothers out to bring order to the frontier at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The true Civil War history buff will marvel every time the film gets something right (e.g., Stuart really did graduate from West Point in 1954), and the film ends on an ominous note with Robert E. Lee (Moroni Olson) commanding the troops that capture John Brown (Raymond Massey) at Harpers Ferry. I am not complaining because I saw a movie version of "Moby Dick" where Ahab kills the whale, so I certainly do not expect much from Hollywood at that point in time. So when the characters never actually make it as far as the Santa Fe Trail, I am not overly surprised. As the tagline for "Santa Fe Trail" declared: "They carved a path through the wilderness... then paved it with bullets and lives!" Flynn gets the girl, Reagan helps him get the bad guys, and Alan Hale provides some comic relief as legendary scout Tex Bell. For my money the action sequences are better in "Santa Fe Trail" than when Flynn gets his chance to play Custer in "They Died With Their Boots On."

Strange Classic
Many people are no doubt thrown off by the odd politics of this film. This never actually bothered me. Today we have become so mired in political correctness outlook that we can't view a film like this objectively anymore. Sure some of the views are a bit dated. But this is a hollywood 1930s film, made around the same time as Gone With the Wind. The views in that film are also strange, but its considered a classic none the less.

The main premise of this film is to show the looming storm clouds of Civil War. The historical facts here are certainly off the mark in many places. The film enjoys giving us a popular image of West Point in the Ante-Bellum days before the war. Many famous cadet names are bandied about that we know would be come famous just a few years later. The point here is not how accurate the data is, but to show that all these men did attend the same institution and that many would become famous adversaries on the battlefied. The film does a nice job of showing this even if it does get a lot of details wrong in the process. The bit with John Brown is amusing. Again, its a difference of perspective here. Hollywood was in love with the old South back then. Today we are in love with polotical correctness which is offended by the fanatical views expressed by the character of John Brown, who is beautifully played by Raymond Massey.

Its amusing to see Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan playing off each other here. I think the best thing to do is forget their so-called historical roles in the film, and just view them as two newly commissioned officers of the period sent to police Kansas. This way you can forget the JEB Staurt /Custer comparisons! The funny thing about seeing Reagan in a film like this is to compare him with what he would later become. We have just eulogized his recent passing in this country. The fact remains if Reagan had been a better actor he might never have become our president! This film was one of the best roles he ever had in movies! He and Flynn go round and round, and its amusing to see Reagan try and hold his own. He actually does better than one would expect next to the powerhouse Flynn with all his sex appeal back then Still, the best actor in the film is Raymond Massey by far. His portrayal of the fanatic Brown may offend some, but Brown was not unlike this. In fact its easy to compare this religious zeal to that of Bin Laden and other fanatics of his ilk. For the 1850s, Brown was seen as a fanatic by many. Abolitionism was a minority view even in the North. No one was too keen to shed blood over freeing slaves, sorry PC people, but this was so!

The final battle scene at Harpers Ferry is exciting, but wildly inaccurate. Colonel Lee actually stormed the place with a company of US Marines, not dis-mounted cavalry! And Brown had only a dozen or so mis-guided follwers by that time. The whole event was quite small compared to what the movie shows us here. Again, try to view this film from the context of both when it was made and the times it is attempting to show. By doing so you can sit back and enjoy a classic adventure romp with a little history thrown in for color.

John Brown should be the hero
I've always liked Sante Fe Trail even though it may not be the most accurate and is definately not PC. Whenever I see this movie I can't help rooting for John Brown to succeed. The quality of the movie is very good. There are only a frames that are not crisp. I didn't notice any hiss.

The quality is Abilene Town is not great, but it is very watchable. The image is mostly dull and blurry, but there wasn't any hiss. This movie suprised me because of the plot and acting. Both are good. The love intrest does not follow the normal formula.

This DVD is worth purchasing. Another reviewer stated that he hadn't ever seen Abilene Town on DVD.

Twisted History
This is a very strange film. One the one hand, you've got Michael Curtiz, a great director (Casablanca, Angels With Dirty Faces, et al) and a stirring Max Steiner score. You've got a remarkable performance by Raymond Massey. You've got Errol Flynn doing his sex symbol action hero thing. You've got Reagan cast as the sidekick, as he so often was when he got to be in A list movies (when Jack Warner of Warner Brothers was an old man and they told him that Reagan was running for Governor of California he said: "No, no. Jimmy Stewart for Governor. Ronald Reagan for Best Friend." No film exemplifies that studio attitude better than this one!) You get to see Olivia de Havilland, as someone other than Miss Mellie or The Heiress. So, all all, you think: this is typical, or above-average studio fare ... but it's the politics of this film that are twisted. Van Heflin is the weasely bad guy from the time the men are at West Point -- why is he so bad? Because he has the bad manners to be openly anti-slavery around JEB Stuart (and believing Errol Flynn is a Southerner is a stretch -- 'cause he sure doesn't, for the role.) The film culminates with Flynn rescuing bewildered, terrified black people from a burning building, and it's all John Brown's fault; here we have Flynn, the noble, paternal slave owner saving the slaves from the crazed abolitionist . . . very messed up stuff. In some ways, considering some of the talent involved, it's a rather pedestrian exercise. But Massey's compelling performance, (which made Flynn resentful because he hated to be upstaged) and the extremely dubious, icky politics of it make it stand out -- make it a film worth seeing. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Howard and Davis in a great adaptation of Maugham's novel
W. Somerset Maugham's novel "Of Human Bondage" receives an excellent adaptation to the screen in this 1934 film directed by John Cromwell. Leslie Howard plays sensitive, club-footed Philip Carey, the second-rate artist who turns to the study of medicine, even though he is older than his classmates. Philip becomes tragically obsessed with Mildred Rogers (Bette Davis), an illiterate waitress in a tearoom near the medical school. Although Mildred insults him for being a cripple, Philip spurns an offer of romance from Nora (Kay Johnson), an attractive woman who writes romance novels under a male pseudonym. When Philips agrees to marry Mildred when she shows up pregnant and jilted by her salesman boyfriend (Alan Hale), she runs off with another med student (Reginald Denny) at their engagement party. A friendly patient (Reginald Owen) invites Philip home to meet his sensitive daughter Sally (Frances Dee). But Mildred returns again, this time with a baby, and Philip is too weak to refuse her. The result are disastrous consequences for them both.

Maugham's semi-autobiographical novel was published in 1915 and is considered his masterwork. By Hollywood standards, this film adaptation is remarkably faithful, not to mention literate and intelligent, so a lot of the credit has to go to Lester Cohen for the screenplay. Howard handles the role of the sensitive Philip well, but it is Davis who turned a lot of heads for the first time with her performance as the tawdry little waitress (Life magazine called it "Probably the best performance ever recorded on the screen by a U.S. actress"). Certainly this is the role that made Warner Brothers take a serious look at the young actress. What is remarkable is how much of this emotionally shattering tale is packed into 83 minutes of running time.

The Joseph Goebbels story this ain't!
This film offers excellent portraits of three very different women. Each woman is connected to the clubfoot milquetoast Philip, played exquisitely by Leslie Howard.

Norah (Kay Johnson) is a striking Nordic beauty. She writes Romance novels under a male pseudonym. She is strong, devoted and demonstrates her love for Philip by insisting that focus on his medical studies. This means nothing to Philip because Norah's love takes on mundane characteristics. It isn't full of histrionics or morbid devotion.

Sally (Frances Dee) is quite young and fickle in her way. She seems fascinated with Philip and appears "fond" of him. However, she lacks any passion whatsoever and comes across as merely a mirror image of Philip. She's capable and strong, but ultimately dull. She's not the kind of girl one goes mad over or that causes one to nearly flunk out of medical school because he can't stop obsessing over her.

Those afflictions attack our hero because of Mildred, famously played by Bette Davis and her flickering Cockney accent. Mildred is unencumbered by almost every affectation expected in polite society of the well-bred woman. Mildred is ill-bred, snotty, corrosive, opportunistic and terminally bored. Philip falls into the psycic sewer for her and she gives him nothing for his troubles but frustration and heartbreak. He stupidly loves her and she sees it all to clearly. She sees it as a weakness and despises him for it.

The clubfoot plays an interesting psychological role in this film. There is suggestion that Philip suffers from a clubfoot of the mind--something that has emotionally crippled him and turned him into a pathetic ladies blouse who is quite unmanly in his inability to cast women aside when they no longer serve any purpose.

Overall, it is difficult to recognize love in this film. There is very little affection on screen. Sex is, of course, only implied.

There is a marvellous musical sequence that comes just after one of Mildred's many betrayals. The music fits perfectly with Philip's wan dejection. His depression is expressed with expert clarity, and it is a stunning moment in an thoroughly enjoyable film.

Revolting
First of all, the 'quality; of this DVD is reprehensible. It's a blurry, jerky print of a very dirty negative and simply will not do. It's difficult to believe this is a DVD, but there you go. Catch this movie on TV if you can, or if you're a huge Bette completist, pay as little as you can for it.

Now, on with the review. To say that 'Of Human Bondage' is a silly and dull movie is an understatement of the first magnitude. It takes people's preconceptions of silly and boring and completely redefines them, creating instead new and terrible adjectives to replace them. 'Flapsnot' could be one, 'Turd-esque', another. Adapted from a well-loved W. Somerset Maugham novel, this original version of the movie (there are two others) attempts to utilise procrastinated silences and over-long facial close-ups of its leading man, Leslie Howard, to express the deep emotional turmoil and self-destructive impulses wrought on his life by Mildred The Slutty Waitress, played by the usually sublime Bette Davis. The trouble with this, however, is that Mr. Howard is, was, and ever shall be, a wooden character actor, with just one facial expression in his repertoire (see 'Gone With The Wind' for proof of this), so we can't really tell if his character, Philip Carey, is upset, bored, hungry, depressed or gassy. The result is a leading man of unprecedented blandness. We don't care about his disability, or his artist's soul, nor do we give one whit about why he finds Mildred so compelling - we don't give a damn about him in general.

Running a close second to Mr. Howard's performance in terms of sheer pointlessness is that of Ms. Davis in the role of Mildred. Normally, Bette Davis is a true virtuoso, a delight to watch and a memorable character, no matter how drab her supporting cast. Sadly, in this, her first major motion picture, she comes off as totally and utterly irritating. As the wanton and manipulative Mildred, she has neither enough lines nor screen presence to pull off a convincing man-eater. She is disjointed because her character, direction and particularly her script are disjointed. We can't believe that any man, even one as shy and ill-favoured as Carey, could find her attractive. And the accent! In all of history, there has surely never been a worse attempt at a cockney accent. Ever. We can hear that she's struggling with it - she mispronounces Champagne as something like 'Sham-paaaaaan' and her own clipped British voice is clearly audible beneath it all. It's a horrible thing to see such a great actress in a terrifically demeaning role.

Devoid of all human emotion, the film goes from bad to worse (and ends up at confusing and unwatchable) when Carey finally rids himself of his lust for Mildred and begins dating impoverished-but-upstanding Sally Athelny, a woman who appears to live in a calendar. In fact, it's thanks to over-ambitious and disasterously-edited 'special' effect sequences like this, prevalent from the get-go, that, by the pictures' end, we don't actually know what's going on. Mildred dies and we assume Carey gets married to Calendar-Woman. The fact that he does not see her as she dies totally negates any emotion we think he may have once felt for her. The film is full of confusing and contradictory vignettes such as this, and with such a terrible DVD transfer, it's quite likely that you'll switch off well before Bette's one fiery speech, which is itself marred by her horrible forced accent.

A turgid, unappealing piece that serves only to bore, and cause great distress to fans of Bette Davis and/or Cockney people, 'Of Human Bondage' is a grossly overrated, undeserved classic. Avoid like the plague.

Terrible Print Sloughed Off on Terrible DVD
I'm not commenting on the quality of the movie itself, but of the DVD. This DVD has been taken from a worn-out, scratchy, blurry, indistinct print. Other reviewers have commented that there is no discernible difference between VHS and DVD versions; no doubt there has been no movement by any organization or company to locate a better print. Beware of buying this for more than "cheapie, budget"prices. I recommend renting the DVD if you must see the movie; otherwise I'd be patient and wait for the day the movie is "rediscovered" and issued properly so that it can actually be seen and heard.

Great movie, poor DVD transfer
Yes, this movie is "dated" in a stylistic sense, but so what. Davis and Howard are both so good it doesn't matter. And there is nothing dated about being hopelessly "in bondage" to something or someone - that realization is ultimately what makes the movie so depressing to watch. We can "identify" with Phillip's horrendous treatment at the hands of Mildred because he is obsessed beyond his ability to respond rationally.

The film's most famous line...."You cad!, you dirty swine! I never cared for you not once! I was always makin' a fool of ya! Ya bored me stiff, I hated ya! It made me SICK when I had to let ya kiss me. I only did it because ya begged me, ya hounded me and drove me crazy! And after ya kissed me, I always used to wipe my mouth! WIPE MY MOUTH!"..... is so emotionally charged and devastating one can not help but relate to it at a gut level. The viewer is completely drawn in to Phillip's psyche and his unbearable pain. Davis is simply brilliant in this movie, and she utters this line as convincingly as any in her illustrious career.

A five-star movie which I have to rate 4 because of the poor DVD transfer. No better than my VHS copy. Perhaps not much can be done to improve a movie this old but it appears that no effort was made to do so.

Otherwise a classic in every sense. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Absolutely Hilarious
I adored this movie as a child, and after watching it again as a grown woman, I still love it. No one plays the buffoon as well as Danny Kaye. The scene where he plays a gypsy-style violin piece is still one of the funniest scenes in movie history.

A DANNY KAYE FAN
I have just purchased The Inspector General. As i am still a 59 year old teenager i remember seeing it when it first came out. My favourite Danny Kaye movie is still The Court Jester but this is close second. So many funny characters including the great Alan Hale who will always be remembered as Little John to Errol Flynn`s Robin Hood. Elsa Lancaster as the Mayors wife, Gene Raymond ( with a wonderful hair style ) as the Mayor and of course Walter Slezak as phony medicine man who enlists the simple minded Danny for his wicked ways.Danny Kaye was always at his best playing characters who were certainly not the sharpest tools in the box. An absolute must for any Danny Kaye fans collection

Great Fun!!!
Danny Kaye is superb in this movie about a bumble who is mistaken for an Inspector General, and how he pulls it off is worth the price of the film. The music is marvelous, and Kaye's machinations as he sings and dances to it are classic. Many lessons of life are involved in this movie. Friendship, loyalty, and especially "honesty" come to play, and the ending is so genuine, that it almost brought tears to my eyes. Highly recommended!!

ROAN GROUP DVD is the best!
Alot has been said about this wonderful movie, but with several versions offered, which DVD is the best? I learned the hardway, buying several copies until I decided for the more expensive ROAN GROUP DVD. They mastered their DVD from a very nice 35mm TECHNICOLOR print, the other DVD's I bought were mastered from 16mm EASTMANCOLOR prints (grainy, dark, and pale colors). It is worth it to pay the higher price, you get what you pay for.

Great fun!
This movie is almost as good as The Court Jester, also staring Danny Kaye. He is a travelling sales man who is mistakenly thought to be the Inspector General by a small corupt village. There is alot of homor and singing and all in all very entertaining. It's one you can watch over and over without getting sick of it. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Good action, no historical accuracy
Santa Fe Trail is an exciting western set in the years leading up to the Civil War. Mostly the story revolves around John Brown and the problems he caused with his abilitionist movement. The soldiers pursuing him are JEB Stuart and George Armstrong Custer, played by Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan. The final showdown takes place in Harper's Ferry where Brown makes his final stand. This is a good movie that has very little to do with history except that John Brown does die. Anyways, the movie is very good whether it is accurate or not. There is good action and enjoyable characters. Errol Flynn is his usual self with Olivia de Havilland excellent as the love interest in the story. Raymond Massey is disturbingly good as John Brown. Also starring is Van Heflin in a good guy/bad guy role. Entertaining western with good cast! Just don't use it as a history lesson.

Flynn romances de Havilland on the eve of the Civil War
"Santa Fe Trail" is a fine action film giving viewers another chance to watch Errol Flynn romance Olivia de Havilland, with Ronald Reagan playing the best friend who loses out on the gal. Just to make things interesting in this 1940 film directed by Michael Curtiz, Flynn plays James Elwell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart and Reagan plays George Armstrong Cuter (Olivia is Kit Carson Halliday, but she's not THAT Kit Carson). Screenwriter Robert Buckner takes some of the better known generals from the Civil War--Stuart, Custer, Sheridan, Longstreet, Pickett, Hood--and turns them into a young band of brothers out to bring order to the frontier at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The true Civil War history buff will marvel every time the film gets something right (e.g., Stuart really did graduate from West Point in 1954), and the film ends on an ominous note with Robert E. Lee (Moroni Olson) commanding the troops that capture John Brown (Raymond Massey) at Harpers Ferry. I am not complaining because I saw a movie version of "Moby Dick" where Ahab kills the whale, so I certainly do not expect much from Hollywood at that point in time. So when the characters never actually make it as far as the Santa Fe Trail, I am not overly surprised. As the tagline for "Santa Fe Trail" declared: "They carved a path through the wilderness... then paved it with bullets and lives!" Flynn gets the girl, Reagan helps him get the bad guys, and Alan Hale provides some comic relief as legendary scout Tex Bell. For my money the action sequences are better in "Santa Fe Trail" than when Flynn gets his chance to play Custer in "They Died With Their Boots On."

Strange Classic
Many people are no doubt thrown off by the odd politics of this film. This never actually bothered me. Today we have become so mired in political correctness outlook that we can't view a film like this objectively anymore. Sure some of the views are a bit dated. But this is a hollywood 1930s film, made around the same time as Gone With the Wind. The views in that film are also strange, but its considered a classic none the less.

The main premise of this film is to show the looming storm clouds of Civil War. The historical facts here are certainly off the mark in many places. The film enjoys giving us a popular image of West Point in the Ante-Bellum days before the war. Many famous cadet names are bandied about that we know would be come famous just a few years later. The point here is not how accurate the data is, but to show that all these men did attend the same institution and that many would become famous adversaries on the battlefied. The film does a nice job of showing this even if it does get a lot of details wrong in the process. The bit with John Brown is amusing. Again, its a difference of perspective here. Hollywood was in love with the old South back then. Today we are in love with polotical correctness which is offended by the fanatical views expressed by the character of John Brown, who is beautifully played by Raymond Massey.

Its amusing to see Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan playing off each other here. I think the best thing to do is forget their so-called historical roles in the film, and just view them as two newly commissioned officers of the period sent to police Kansas. This way you can forget the JEB Staurt /Custer comparisons! The funny thing about seeing Reagan in a film like this is to compare him with what he would later become. We have just eulogized his recent passing in this country. The fact remains if Reagan had been a better actor he might never have become our president! This film was one of the best roles he ever had in movies! He and Flynn go round and round, and its amusing to see Reagan try and hold his own. He actually does better than one would expect next to the powerhouse Flynn with all his sex appeal back then Still, the best actor in the film is Raymond Massey by far. His portrayal of the fanatic Brown may offend some, but Brown was not unlike this. In fact its easy to compare this religious zeal to that of Bin Laden and other fanatics of his ilk. For the 1850s, Brown was seen as a fanatic by many. Abolitionism was a minority view even in the North. No one was too keen to shed blood over freeing slaves, sorry PC people, but this was so!

The final battle scene at Harpers Ferry is exciting, but wildly inaccurate. Colonel Lee actually stormed the place with a company of US Marines, not dis-mounted cavalry! And Brown had only a dozen or so mis-guided follwers by that time. The whole event was quite small compared to what the movie shows us here. Again, try to view this film from the context of both when it was made and the times it is attempting to show. By doing so you can sit back and enjoy a classic adventure romp with a little history thrown in for color.

John Brown should be the hero
I've always liked Sante Fe Trail even though it may not be the most accurate and is definately not PC. Whenever I see this movie I can't help rooting for John Brown to succeed. The quality of the movie is very good. There are only a frames that are not crisp. I didn't notice any hiss.

The quality is Abilene Town is not great, but it is very watchable. The image is mostly dull and blurry, but there wasn't any hiss. This movie suprised me because of the plot and acting. Both are good. The love intrest does not follow the normal formula.

This DVD is worth purchasing. Another reviewer stated that he hadn't ever seen Abilene Town on DVD.

Twisted History
This is a very strange film. One the one hand, you've got Michael Curtiz, a great director (Casablanca, Angels With Dirty Faces, et al) and a stirring Max Steiner score. You've got a remarkable performance by Raymond Massey. You've got Errol Flynn doing his sex symbol action hero thing. You've got Reagan cast as the sidekick, as he so often was when he got to be in A list movies (when Jack Warner of Warner Brothers was an old man and they told him that Reagan was running for Governor of California he said: "No, no. Jimmy Stewart for Governor. Ronald Reagan for Best Friend." No film exemplifies that studio attitude better than this one!) You get to see Olivia de Havilland, as someone other than Miss Mellie or The Heiress. So, all all, you think: this is typical, or above-average studio fare ... but it's the politics of this film that are twisted. Van Heflin is the weasely bad guy from the time the men are at West Point -- why is he so bad? Because he has the bad manners to be openly anti-slavery around JEB Stuart (and believing Errol Flynn is a Southerner is a stretch -- 'cause he sure doesn't, for the role.) The film culminates with Flynn rescuing bewildered, terrified black people from a burning building, and it's all John Brown's fault; here we have Flynn, the noble, paternal slave owner saving the slaves from the crazed abolitionist . . . very messed up stuff. In some ways, considering some of the talent involved, it's a rather pedestrian exercise. But Massey's compelling performance, (which made Flynn resentful because he hated to be upstaged) and the extremely dubious, icky politics of it make it stand out -- make it a film worth seeing. ... Read more