Reviews (34)

One of the best of the genre!
This is easily one of the most outstanding pieces of film noir ever made. Ralph Meeker, (An actor who usually played bad guys.), plays a very anti-heroic Mike Hammer.

The Mike Hammer that Meeker portrays is greedy and sadistic. He takes great pleasure inflicting pain on others, and stepping on as many toes as possible to get what he wants. With a lead character as trashy as the one Meeker portrays you can only imagine how cold-blooded the rest of the people in this movie are.

"Kiss Me Deadly" is one of the more rarely seen classic detective pictures; this is a shame. From the very first shot of this picture, you can feel the crime-detective genre being pushed and beaten into directions no one has ever seen before.

There are some people who did not understand the ending of this picture. It's simple: "Be careful what you go looking for, you might not like what you find."

This is one wonderfully stylish, suspensful, and unusual motion picture. You owe it to yourself to check it out!

Kiss Me Deadly
Condemned by censors, panned by critics, and banned by the Btritish when it was released in 1955 KISS ME DEADLY is today universally considered one of the definitive and perhaps most perfectly realized films noirs ever made. Director Robert Aldrich and screenwriter A.I. Bezzerides, both having a mutual contempt for right wing pulp novelist Mickey Spillane and all he stood for, nevertheless smartly capitalized on the extraordinary success of the author at the time, basing their film on Spillane's book of the same name while taking such drastic liberties with his story, characters, and ideologies that the finished product would be nearly unrecognizable to serious Spillane fans. This point seems to be forshadowed, as film noir scholar James Naremore has pointed out, in the weirdly reversed opening credits which seem to stand Mickey Spillane on his head.

The movie opens with divorce detective Mike Hammer(Ralph Meeker) forced to pick up a barefoot and naked-under-a-trenchcoat Christina Baily(Chloris Leachman in her first screen role)who, as we soon find out, has escaped from a mental institution and is running down the middle of a remote California road at night. When Hammer is quickly run off the road by gangsters who torture Christina to death and nearly kill Hammer himself his interest is sparked. Hammer smells something big and the cut of something big is...well, big. He decides to give the divorce work a rest and devote himself, his adoring secretary Velda(Maxine Cooper), his Greek mechanic friend Nick(Nick Dennis), and anyone else he can get to do his dirty work for him to this new mystery. The film is rich with Cold War fear and nuclear paranoia as all the characters relentless focus of selfish greed is on "the great whatsit", the mysterious glowing box of material stolen from a nuclear testing facility. Mike Hammer's detective is totally enjoyable to watch although a distinctly unfavorable and immoral character. He whores out his secretary, Velda, without remorse to adulterous husbands to wrap up divorce cases, gets his innocent friend Nick killed by involving him in the case, is a markedly poor detective, and sadistically enjoys physically punishing those who get in his way.

KISS ME DEADLY is fundamentally wrapped up in the definitions of the film noir genre, containing all the elements--a stark opening sequence on a dark road, destructive manipulating femme fatales, low-life cheap gangsters, dark expressionistically lit night-time scenes, a vengeful (or greedy?) quest, maybe the best, and most anti-, anti-hero of the noir canon, and a dark mood of hopelessness.

An absorbing film
Besides the fifty years difference fact since this film was made, it's worthy to remark the clever script in that black decade that permeated the minds of so many artists all around the world.
This film , undoubtly belongs the film noir genre , but goes far beyond and becomes a clear warning about the implications of dealing with such dangerous weapon in the underworld.
In this sense, the dramatic wrenchs produce interesting and new events that feed and redefine the film noir for that historical moment. Don't forget the Cold War and the dark clouds of fear and hopeless still surrounded the mind and soul of many people in USA.
Watch this film . Robert Aldrich , with this film defined his artistic personality in the American Cinema.
And other movies directed by him , specially "In cold blood" , gives us important clues about his world's sight.

A classic...but oh, so grim.
Kiss Me Deadly is stylish and moves along nicely but whichever ending you choose, its unrelenting in its grimness.

I disagree that Meeker portrays Mike Hammer as a bad guy. He gives everybody what they've got coming; its just that he enjoys it.

Don't want to give away the ending but let's just say it has more in common with science fiction than film noir. Those expecting a happy ending should get a different DVD.

One of the great P.I. noir films, with the restored ending!
Robert Aldrich's 1955 detective thriller, "Kiss Me Deadly," came at the end of the American classic film noir cycle, and shows the genre at its most violent, surreal, cruel, cynical, and visually bizarre. It's the last great explosive moment of the classic era of film noir -- and I do mean explosive. This is one detective film, like "Chinatown," which you won't soon forget.

Aldrich and screenwriter A. I. Bezzirides took on Mickey Spillane's popular P.I. Mike Hammer, but aside from keeping the basic plot outline of the original novel, they completely changed the nature of the character in a very reactionary move. Spillane's Mike Hammer is a New York detective-avenger, a self-righteous vigilante who deals out justice when the paralyzed forces of the law can do nothing: he's a vicious knight on a mean-spirited quest to right wrongs through brute force. (The title of the first Hammer novel, "I, the Jury" pretty much sums up his attitude.) The movie relocates Hammer to Los Angeles and turns him into a shallow con-artist who only cares about his car and his looks. He's a lousy detective too, relying on knocking people around for information, often innocent inoffensive folks, and never really paying attention to the important details of the case. His detective work is entirely matrimonial, where he and his 'assistant' Velda put the squeeze on couples to blackmail them. Hammer's motto is simple: "What's in it for me?" Ralph Meeker is perfect in the role, looking as if someone carved him out of slab of meat.

No doubt, in this story Hammer is in way over his head...if only he knew it. He picks up a nearly naked girl (Cloris Leachman in an early role) who throws herself in front of his sports car. Later, they're run off the road, and faceless gangsters torture her to dearth and leave Hammer for dead. Hammer sets out to find out what's up; not because he cares what happened to the girl, but because he sniffs out big money and he'd like to get the guys who wrecked his sports car! Hammer finds himself in a violent quest to locate an object that everyone desires: a package called 'The Great Whatsit.' The Great Whatsit isn't a meaningless red herring or Hitchcock McGuffin, however. Its contents are the great surprise of the plot, and the perfect exclamation point on a movie taking place in a chaotic world that seems to be falling apart. I won't tell what the Great Whatsit is (and shame on the reviewers here who have!), but...oh wow!

And this brings us to the issue of the ending, and the only extra on this disc. (Don't worry, I'm not going to spoil the ending.) For years, "Kiss Me Deadly" had a mysteriously abrupt finale that many people praised for its surreal, weird quality. This was how I first saw it. However, in 1997 the original ending was discovered in Aldrich's personal print of the film by editor Glenn Erickson and film noir scholar Alain Silver. Apparently, an accident involving a careless projectionist snipped off part of the ending, so what we had enjoyed and critiqued for years was actually a mistake! The new ending shown on this disc fortunately doesn't change the tone of the film: it's still pretty astonishing, filled with a brilliant use of light and sound effects. However, there's still something about that abrupt ending that gets to people. The DVD contains the option to watch this original abrupt ending so you can make up your mind which one 'feels' more right to you: what the director intended, or the mistake that many embraced as a stroke of brilliance.

No matter which ending you like, "Kiss Me Deadly" is a fabulous piece of brutal crime cinema. The photography is amazing, filled with weird and surreal images and crazy camera angles. The performances are all dead-on: Meeker's ugly Mike Hammer; Albert Dekker as the sinister and poetry spouting Dr. Soberin; Wesley Addy as Hammer's police acquaintance Pat, the sole voice of reason in the mess; Paul Stewart as a smarmy L.A. gangster; the late Jack Elam as freaky thug; and Gaby Rodgers in the film's strangest performance as the distant, weird, but ultimately very dangerous (to every living thing on the planet!) Lily Carver.

If you love detective films and film noir, "Kiss Me Deadly" is a great must-see classic. For a 1950s film, it is surprisingly violent and far ahead of its time. And either end will leave you shivering in shock. If only they had the guts to end films this way today! ... Read more

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This little-seen, 1947 drama is a treat for jazz fans, thanks to an otherwise creaky, if nobly intentioned story built around the music's Crescent City genesis that provides an ample excuse to turn the camera on authentic jazz greats. Nick Duquesne (Arturo De Cordova) is a Bourbon Street charmer whose gambling club provides the mythic stomping grounds for none other than Louis Armstrong, whose vocalizing sweetheart Endie, played by none other than Billie Holiday, proves no slouch herself. A newly arrived debutante, Miralee (Dorothy Patrick), arrives in New Orleans and falls first for the music and then for the roguish but ultimately gallant Nick. The movie follows knee-jerk plot machinations revolving around her family's efforts to excise Nick from her life, her own dream of mingling jazz and classical music, and the gambler's transformation into a jazz promoter.

The script works in the squalor and much of the geography of Storyville and the French Quarter, even providing a contrasting look at the genteel parlor music being played in "respectable" casinos, and the casting telegraphs the production's reverence for jazz. Satchmo's other musical partners are equally serendipitous, including Kid Ory, Barney Bigard, Bud Scott, Zutty Singleton, Meade "Lux" Lewis, and Red Callender. A brief arc late in the film adds Woody Herman and his orchestra.

When the musicians are featured, New Orleans is a frequent delight, with Armstrong as magnetic as always, and Holiday endearing. As an actress, she's a terrific singer, and luckily Lady Day's dialogue is far briefer than her featured vocals. The DVD version boasts additional period shorts showcasing Armstrong (1932's "A Rhapsody in Black and Blue") and Holiday's "Symphony in Black" from 1935). --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great footage of many early jazz legends
I have always found jazz performances much more captivating live rather than recorded, and although I can't travel back in time and see Louis Armstrong play during his prime, this video is the next best thing.

The makers of New Orleans did not waste the talents of the musicians, and a good chunk of the movie is concert footage of many of the giants from the golden age of Jazz including Kid Ory, Woody Herman and Billie Holiday doing old standards such as Basin Street Blues and Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans.

These performances truly convey the joy that enrapt the musicians as they played, and Armstrong in particular, is irresistably charming and funny as usual and appears for much of the film.

Unfortunately, Holiday is possibly the most wooden actress I have ever seen, but since for most of her comparatively short screen time is spent singing, it isn't a problem.

I strongly recommended this one to all fans of early jazz.

Who knows
What are the names of the classical music songs and the jazz by Woody Herman?

Silly plot, fantastic music
I bought this DVD blindly just because I'm such a fan of Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and of New Orleans in general. The plot (what there is of it) is clichŽd and uninteresting, but the music is fantastic, and I ended up playing the musical pieces over and over. The entire movie is filmed on a Hollywood soundstage; if you're looking for shots of old New Orleans, look elsewhere.

B-grade movie comes alive via Satchmo and Lady Day!
For years I've wanted to see NEW ORLEANS, knowing that thestoryline wouldn't match the quality of the music, and now it is finally available...on DVD no less. After watching it, I can say that the movie lived up (musically) and down (plotwise) to my expectations. However, with Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong and Billie 'Lady Day' Holiday in prominent roles, the musical strengths more than cancelled out the thematic/cinematic shortcomings.

The musical footage of Holiday and Armstrong (seen in solos and duets) is worth the price of admission, and the entirety of the movie is fairly entertaining if you don't expect too much....

Amid the cliched plot threads... fortunately the racial stereotypes are quite inoffensive by 1947 standards (albeit Billie is cast as a maid). Due to the lack of available Billie Holiday footage alone, this movie approaches essential status, at least among jazz fans.

The DVD includes two bonus shorts: a young Louis Armstrong sings and plays in the 1932 A RHAPSODY IN BLACK AND BLUE, and Duke Ellington teams up with a VERY young Billie Holiday in the priceless 1935 short SYMPHONY IN BLACK. ... Read more

Description

In 1674, "reformed" pirate Sir Henry Morgan is a high official in Jamaica, but Edward Maynard hopes to win a large reward by proving Morgan still dabbles in piracy. Maynard goes undercover as ship's surgeon with a Morgan henchman...who's been supplanted by the notorious Blackbeard himself. Also on the ship is Edwina Mansfield, seemingly a damsel in distress, to whom there's much more than meets the eye. A great pirate adventure awaits them all! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Robert Newton's over the top performance as Blackbeard
"Blackbeard the Pirate" was one of the films that really freaked me out as a kid. This is not because this 1952 film is anywhere near a great film but because of the way that Blackbeard (Robert Newton) meets his fate at the end. That might be the first genuinely scary thing I ever saw in a movie on a Saturday afternoon (after the transformation of Elvira Gulch into the Wicked Witch of the West). You would expect more from director Raoul Walsh ("Captain Horatio Hornblower," "They Died With Their Boots On," "High Sierra," "Battle Cry") but this film is subverted by the over the top, eye rolling, leering performance by Newton. Come up with the most extreme seafaring pirate accent you can come up with ("Aarrr") and you will still fall short of what Newton uses in "Blackbeard the Pirate" (and that includes Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"). The only thing that makes Newton's performance look okay is that of William Bendix, who plays first mate Ben Worley and is so miscast in the role that it makes his infamous performance in the titel role of "The Babe Ruth Story" look better in comparison.

Linda Darnell has little to do besides looking good as damsel in distress Edwina Mansfield, the comely captive with whom the 17th century buccaneer falls in love. Yes, yes, that is indeed Irene "Granny" Ryan as Alvina, the lady in waiting. Torin Thatcher (great name) is Sir Henry Morgan, the former pirate who is set by the King of England to hunt down Blackbeard. Just to make things interesting, Edwina turns out to be Morgan's daughter. But she likes Edward Maynard (Keith Andes), a honest lad who ends up as the ship's surgeon on Blackbeard's pirate vessel. By the standards of the time this is a pretty bloody little film, and you can certainly argue that Blackbeard gets his just deserts (shudder), but time and time again Newton's performance turns this into too much of a cartoon; even if the end of this film still freaks me out.

Blackbeard sails once again!!!.....the DVD
I have this movie recorded on tape, but I just now stumbled on the DVD on Amazon. This movie nearly outranks Treasure Island which is also one of my favorites. Robert Newton, fresh from his role of Long John Silver in Treasure Island, does a surperb job in the role of Blackbeard, the most feared of all pirates. William Bendix adds comic relief as Blackbeard's First Mate Mordey. Linda Darnell does really good in her role as Edwina Mansfield, and I forgot who did the role of Robert Maynard, but he does a good job in the role, and last, but not least, whoever does the role of Sir Henry Morgan, does a excellent job of it. I saw this movie on DVD, and I may purchase it off Amazon. If you didn't see this movie, you don't know what you're missing. I recemend this movie to everyone who loves pirate movies. Glad it's on DVD. Thanks Amazon.

Robert Newton's over the top performance as Blackbeard
"Blackbeard the Pirate" was one of the films that really freaked me out as a kid. This is not because this 1952 film is anywhere near a great film but because of the way that Blackbeard (Robert Newton) meets his fate at the end. That might be the first genuinely scary thing I ever saw in a film on a Saturday afternoon (after the transformation of Elvira Gulch into the Wicked Witch of the West). You would expect more from director Raoul Walsh ("Captain Horatio Hornblower," "They Died With Their Boots On," "High Sierra," "Battle Cry") but this film is subverted by the over the top, eye rolling, leering performance by Newton. Come up with the most extreme seafaring pirate accent you can come up with ("Aarrr") and you will still fall short of what Newton uses in "Blackbeard the Pirate." The only thing that makes Newton's performance look okay is that of William Bendix, who plays first mate Ben Worley and is so miscast in the role that it makes his performance in "The Babe Ruth Story" look better in comparison.

Linda Darnell has little to do besides looking good as damsel in distress Edwina Mansfield, the comely captive with whom the 17th century buccaneer falls in love. Yes, yes, that is indeed Irene "Granny" Ryan as Alvina, the lady in waiting. Torin Thatcher (great name) is Sir Henry Morgan, the former pirate who is set by the King of England to hunt down Blackbeard. Just to make things interesting, Edwina turns out to be Morgan's daughter. But she likes Edward Maynard (Keith Andes), a honest lad who ends up as the ship's surgeon on Blackbeard's pirate vessel. By the standards of the time this is a pretty bloody little film, and you can certainly argue that Blackbeard gets his just deserts (shudder), but time and time again Newton's performance turns this into too much of a cartoon; even if the end of this film still freaks me out.

Blackbeard the Pirate
This film is classic Saturday matinee pirate fare from 1952. The tongue-in-cheek coupling of 18th century lingo with 1950's hip slang is clever. Critics who bashed this film missed the point--it's simply to be enjoyed. It's a semi-farce,and should be viewed as such.

Excellent casting, charaterizations and script. Good seafaring musical score and great special effects considering the technology that was available at the time the film was produced. And Robert Newton, despite criticisms, is clearly the best pirate to ever grace the silver screen. Good perfomances by Linda Darnell, Keith Andes, William Bendix, and Irene Ryan (granny Hillbilly). Better than average in every way. But what less than a cool flick like this could you expect from RKO in the postwar era? ARRRRH!

WE'VE BEEN ON THIS BOAT BEFORE
The early 1950s proved to be a Golden Age for pirate movies as Hollywood countered the threat of small, black-and-white TV screens with big, colorful adventures set in exotic Caribbean locations. Although "Blackbeard the Pirate" has all the trappings of such rousing adventures as "Against All Flags" and "The Crimson Pirate," it lacks the necessary verve and style needed to lift it above the routine level.

Robert Newton makes for a larger-than-life title character but he'd be better in small doses and he's given little opportunity to modulate his boisterous performance. Linda Darnell does what she can with the damsel-in-distress part but that's simply not enough. Keith Andes has the face and physique of an action hero but his bland personality is probably what kept him from becoming a star. There is an interesting moment when he's flogged across his bare back, and Newton orders that salt be thrown on his bloody welts in order to increase the pain. Here's one of those unique touches that the movie could have used more of, but -- typically enough -- little is made of the situation. Andes doesn't seem to be affected by the salt and there's no shot of his face to show his reaction to this punishment.

William Bendix, Irene Ryan (in her pre-"Beverly Hillbillies" days), and a young Richard Egan provide adequate support, but no one really seems to have his heart in this project. ... Read more

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Sometimes lively, sometimes pokey, this Technicolor MGM musical inspiresmixed feelings in aficionados of the form--except on one point. No viewer willquestion why "On the Atchison, Topeka, & the Santa Fe" won the best song Oscarfor 1946. This is a brilliant, inventive song given an epic staging. Director George Sidney pullsout all the stops for this wowser--even Marjorie Main sings, an eardrum-testingsound. The real-life Harvey Girls were waitresses imported to the far-flung FredHarvey Hotels, civilizing oases along the railroad lines out west. The fictionalHarvey Girls is set in Sandrock, where the traveling waitresses arejoined by a sort of mail-order bride (Judy Garland) whose prospective husband isa bust--he's a roughhewn rancher played by Chill Wills. Garland is in finespunky form; unfortunately, her romance is with John Hodiak (as the owner of adance hall), that uninspiring World War II-era lead. The film's other greatJohnny Mercer-Harry Warren song is the unexpectedly melancholy "It's a Great BigWorld," performed in a lovely trio by Garland, Virginia O'Brien, and the youngCyd Charisse. The tall, deadpan O'Brien also does a comic take on "The Wild,Wild West" while shoeing a horse. With kewpie-faced Angela Lansbury as abespangled dance-hall gal and Ray Bolger high-stepping through a dance solo,there are enough good people on board to keep the wheels a-turning "all the wayto Californ-eye-yay." --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (38)

STUNNING! This HARVEY GIRLS DVD is "Metro-GARLAND-Magic"
Hats off to Ted Turner's crew and their partners at Warner Home Video for a simply stunning DVD presentation of THE HARVEY GIRLS. The film looks sumptuous. A thrilling example of Technicolor at its most splendid. Although THE HARVEY GIRLS is a thoroughly delightful entertainment, there isn't much substance to the plot. It seems to hardly matter, as the film's major virtues are its great score by Johnny Mercer and Harry Warren, superb performances from a great cast, and of course, the peerless Judy Garland.

If anyone else had played the lead in this picture, it would have been long forgotten. This is Judy's show, all the way, and everything about it is designed to show off her immense talents.
She is at the top of her form here...looking lovely, singing gorgeously, dancing with aplomb, and handling both dramatic and comedic scenes better than anyone else could ever dream to. The biggest highlight of the film is the mammoth eight-minute production number ON THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA, AND THE SANTA FE which ended up winning a Best Song Oscar. This sequence alone is worth the price of the DVD, and the Warner Home Video people give us an extra bonus by presenting the number separately in TRUE STEREO! Astounding!

The supplementary materials are vast and beautifully assembled. The commentary by recently-deceased director George Sidney was fortunately captured for this release, and his thoughts and reminiscences are entertaining and charming. There were four musical numbers intended for this picture which were cut before release. MARCH OF THE DOAGIES and its reprise and MY INTUITION are the three that were filmed, and they are included on this DVD, looking like they were filmed yesterday (actually they look TOO good to have been filmed in this day and age). The one unused song that was recorded but not filmed called HAYRIDE is among the more than 20 pre-recording sessions included on the DVD's "Sing Song Express". A captivating opportunity to be present on the Metro recording stages as they laid down these historic tracks. You can hear the starts and stops, the banter and laughter...It's almost like being there. The disc also includes a trailer.

Hats off to Warner and Turner for a splendid job well done, a VAST improvement from the once-impressive laserdisc release, which is now unwatchable in comparison to this DVD. Add to this the VERY reasonable price of this movie, and it can't be beat. Now the big question: "When will Warner give us MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, EASTER PARADE and the rest of the golden Garland catalog?" Let's hope it's soon. If this DVD is any indication of what those will be like, we are in for a treat.

Judy at her comedic best!
"The Harvey Girls" is my favorite of the MGM musicals. It has everything: a superb star (Judy Garland), a great supporting cast (headed by a young Angela Lansbury, with Ray Bolger and Marjorie Main), fantastic songs (featuring the Academy Award winning "On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe"), and a funny plot. Susan Bradley (Garland) decides to marry the man she has been writing love letters to, and travels with the Harvey restaurant chain to a town in the Old West to meet him. When she gets there, she realizes the romantic letters were written by his friend, the owner of the town saloon (played by John Hodiak). Susan decides to join the Harvey girls in setting up the new restaurant. When the town leaders try to scare the Harvey girls away because they are taking business from the saloon, Susan must help keep the restaurant in order. Angela Lansbury shines as the villainous saloon girl, as do Marjorie Main as the Harvey House cook, and Ray Bolger as the local blacksmith.

Something for everyone.
Even though the film starred Judy Garland, what I really enjoyed about The Harvey Girls is that it operates as an ensemble musical. That is, it gives features and spotlight numbers to just about everyone in the mammoth cast. This kind of thing is usually done for all-star films or stage musicals only, but back in 1946 MGM's roster of talent was strong, if not yet infamous. Players like hypnotic deadpanner Virginia O'Brien and dancer Cyd Charisse were fairly new back then, but this film gives them individual spotlights: not only do they both sing with Garland in the nighttime ballad "It's A Great Big World," but O'Brien gets to sing "The Wild, Wild West" (with comic blacksmith Ray Bolger looking on) and Charisse gets to display her ballet dancing opposite Kenny Baker's ballad "Wait And See." Marjorie Main sings bits of "The Waltz" and "The Train Must Be Fed;" Angela Lansbury is featured in *two* saloon numbers, and Ray Bolger gets to do some of his rubber-legged dancing at the Harvey House party. And, of course, it seems like everyone on the planet is assembled for the big, eight minute production number "On The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe." There's literally something for everyone- even the oil-and-water romance (if you like that sort of thing) between Garland and John Hodiak.

Bravo! Bravo!
This is definetly one of Judy Garland's best movies. I think the songs are great,and Judy is so funny when she holds up the bar across the street just to please her customers. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you have to see the movie to understand. I also loved the casting. Angela Lansbury was wonderful and the "villian". And for anybody who's a Judy Garland fan, you must see this!

That Garland Magic!
To those people who are new to a Judy Garland musical, excluding those who have seen OZ. I highly recommend mandatory Judy Garland Musical watching. No one in this life, past or present can ever compare to this stunning singer and actress as she was and still is the greatest musical star ever. Streisand attempted to take her place in the late 60's but lets be honest. No one ever could. Judy is in a category all her own. The Harvey Girls is just another example of her brilliance as entertainer. Watch "One Take Judy" as George Sidney affectionately calls her as he remembers in the audio commentary of her delivering one of her most memorable performances in one take, yes one take of Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe. She generally recorded her songs in one take and could watch a stand in doing the movements before camera and step in and do it exactly in one take. Amazing. This film is one of those examples of that talent. The songs in the movie are all very well crafted with stunning results like the opening song, "In the Valley where the evening sun goes down" and It's a great big world". Virginia O'Brien adds some sass, which we miss later in the film after she has exited due to pregnancy. I always wondered why her character disappears without a word and this audio commentary explains all. Angela Lansbury is interesting to watch being that she was all of 18 years old and plays a worldly older woman to Judy's character and does it excellently. Its interesting hearing her do an American accent so well. She never looked more beautiful than in this film. Glorious Technicolor is very well utilized in this film. The restoration work that went into this film is amazing. It is crystal clear and the colors, oh the colors! For anyone who has never seen this film I recommend it greatly. They just don't make it like this any more. ... Read more

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"You're the first friend I ever had," grins flamboyant mercenary Burt Lancaster to lean, laconic Gary Cooper with a smile that suggests that he may be the last. They're a pair of Americans abroad looking to cash in on the Mexican revolution by selling their services to the highest bidder in this energetically cynical south-of-the-border Western. They meet cute, conning, robbing, and out-witting one another in a bit of one-upmanship that bonds the men in mutual admiration, and then team up to escort a royal convoy through revolutionary country. When they discover its secret stash of gold bullion, they revert to their old way, selling out anyone it takes to get the treasure for themselves, even each other. Played out as a seat-of-the-pants con game of shifting alliances and double crosses, this is a cheerfully ruthless tale that served as a veritable blueprint for the Italian spaghetti Westerns of the 1960s. Director Robert Aldrich has a real flair for turning rogues and opportunists into deviously riveting characters, and went on to work the same sort of magic on Kiss Me Deadly and The Dirty Dozen. The cast of character actors features Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, and Jack Elam in the gang, George Macready as Emperor Maximilian, and Henry Brandon as the martinet German captain Danette. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Underrated western with two top Hollywood stars!
When lists of the best westerns are drawn up, rarely is "Vera Cruz" included. This is most unfortunate, for this 1954 Robert Aldrich adventure features Hollywood legends Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster at their peaks and is rousing good fun. It is also able to tell a story in less than two hours.

The story is set in Mexico, following the end of the American Civil War. Two men, Joe Erin, a wanted criminal (Lancaster) and Benjamin Trane, a civil war veteran, (Cooper) decide to work for the Emperor Maximillian in a job that involves escorting a woman of the court, Countess Marie Duvarre, to the port of Vera Cruz along with other soldiers. But they are unknowingly escorting something else: A large cache of gold. Everyone involved seems to want that gold for themselves and the journey is full of double crosses and attempts at theft. Lancaster and Cooper's characters get along through most of the film, but it is clear that Joe wants all he can get (As he states, "I'm a pig"). His greediness and double crossing culminates in a climatic shoot-out.

Ben, on the other hand, is a southern gentleman. He is more to himself and is more dignified, treating people with respect by saying "sir" or "mam". Another good example is when Joe, Ben and Emperor Maximillian practice target shooting. All three have excellent aim, yet Joe shoots it seems without aiming, while Ben and the emperor take their time. Cooper's character also is not seemingly too social or outgoing and seems to take his time thinking, while Lancaster blurts things out. This kind of regular guy character was what made actors like Cooper, Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda popular with audiences.

If you have yet to see "Vera Cruz", you are in for a big treat at your local video store. Enjoy!

Vera Cruz-Grossly underrated
When lists of the best westerns are drawn up, rarely is "Vera Cruz" included. This is most unfortunate, for this 1954 Robert Aldrich adventure features Hollywood legends Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster at their peaks and is rousing good fun. It is also able to tell a story in less than two hours.

The story is set in Mexico, following the end of the American Civil War. Two men, Joe Erin, a wanted criminal (Lancaster) and Benjamin Trane, a civil war veteran, (Cooper) decide to work for the Emperor Maximillian in a job that involves escorting a woman of the court, Countess Marie Duvarre, to the port of Vera Cruz along with other soldiers. But they are unknowingly escorting something else: A large cache of gold. Everyone involved seems to want that gold for themselves and the journey is full of double crosses and attempts at theft. Lancaster and Cooper's characters get along through most of the film, but it is clear that Joe wants all he can get (As he states, "I'm a pig"). His greediness and double crossing culminates in a climatic shoot-out.

Ben, on the other hand, is a southern gentleman. He is more to himself and is more dignified, treating people with respect by saying "sir" or "mam". Another good example is when Joe, Ben and Emperor Maximillian practice target shooting. All three have excellent aim, yet Joe shoots it seems without aiming, while Ben and the emperor take their time. Cooper's character also is not seemingly too social or outgoing and seems to take his time thinking, while Lancaster blurts things out.

If you have yet to see "Vera Cruz", you are in for a big treat at your local video store. Enjoy!

A truly underrated western with great cast
Vera Cruz is an excellent western that was years ahead of its time, serving as a blueprint for plenty of westerns made years later. The story takes place during the Mexican Revolution after the conclusion of the Civil War. A prologue states that many Americans went south into the country hoping to become rich by prospering off of the revolution. One of these men is Ben Trane, an ex-Confederate officer hoping to earn some money to help out the war-torn south. He teams up with cocky gunfighter, Joe Erin, to help Emperor Maximilian transport a countess to the port of Vera Cruz. Joining them are Erin's gang, a bunch of adventurers, mercenaries, criminals, and hired guns, and a company of French lancers. Ben and Joe find more than they bargained for when they discover the countess wants out and they are also guarding $3 million in gold. This is a great western full of action with plenty of double and triple crosses. What makes it fun is that you never really know what the characters are going to do. Will Ben and Joe steal the gold? Filmed entirely in Mexico, Vera Cruz is beautifully shot and looks great in letterbox.

Gary Cooper stars as Benjamin Trane, the ex-Confederate officer who sees an opportunity to make a lot of money. He plays straight man to Burt Lancaster's Joe Erin, the amoral gunfighter who really only looks out for himself. Cooper and Lancaster are great together, with Burt stealing the show much of the time, but Cooper never lets him outshine him. Denise Darcel plays Countess Duvare while Sara Monteil plays pickpocket, Nina. Erin's gang includes Ernest Borgnine as Donegan, Charles Bronson as Pittsburgh, Jack Elam as Tex, James McCallion as Little-Bit, and Archie Savage as Ballad. The movie also stars Cesar Romero, Henry Brandon, George Macready, and Morris Ankrum. The DVD includes the widescreen presentation and a theatrical trailer. For a beautifully shot, underrated western with plenty of twists and turns and a great cast, check out Vera Cruz!

Pure Corn
Ok I understand that standards were different in 1954 and escapist entertainment was in vogue. Viewing Vera Cruz in that light is enjoyable enough. The campy performances of Burt Lancaster and Gary Cooper are so uneblievably corny and yet difficult to stop watching at the same time.The Mexicans are all stereotypical cartoonish characters and the Emperor Maximillian's court scenes are like something out of the Roman Empire.
The movie is a great example of 1950's Hollywood corn and can be appreciated as such despite the cheezy screenpaly.

Before "The Dirty Dozen" there was the Dirty Duo...
Directed by Robert Aldrich pre. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? and DIRTY DOZEN, VERA CRUZ is a western which sees the teaming of movie legends Burt Lancaster and Gary Cooper as mercenaries in the 1860s Mexican revolution. In a novel twist Benjamin Trane (Cooper) is the good guy and Joe Erin (Lancaster) is the bad guy, but are both drawn together when a gorgeous Countess (Denise Darcel) offers them $50,000 to escort her and a fortune in gold to the Emperor's troops in Vera Cruz. Not surprisingly the two men's growing greed and jealousy over the cash and the Countess place them further at odds with each other, which really isn't the best of situations when you're in the middle of a raging war; as well as being pursued by a band of outlaws led by Ernest Borgnine.
VERA CRUZ is a watchable western that coasts a long way on star power but climaxes in an all too predictable HIGH NOON finale (Which in 1954 would actually have been a reasonably innovative wrap-up to spring on audiences of the era). The movie is also notable for an early screen appearance by Charles Bronson, in his final billing under the name "Charles Buchinski" playing a member of Borgnine's gang. An entertaining movie, but there's not a lot here that distinguishes VERA CRUZ from countless other westerns of the day. It's still worth a look. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Humphrey Bogart stars as a crusading district attorney working against the clock to prosecute a mob boss in this suspenseful picture that should appeal to crime completists and fans of the iconic actor.Based on actual court cases, the plot unfolds largely in flashback as Bogart reviews his case against vicious racketeer Everett Sloane, who has killed off anyone that has threatened to testify against him. Capably directed by Bretaigne Windust (with uncredited help from Raoul Walsh, who shot most of the film's most suspenseful moments, including the nail-biting conclusion), The Enforcer's standard law vs. the mob plotline benefits greatly from its unusual structure, as well as Bogart's solid presence and a terrific supporting cast, which includes an early turn by Zero Mostel. The opening narration is provided by Estes Kefauver, who was chairing a Senate investigation into organized crime at the time of the picture's release. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Bogart at his best.
Stark sets, simple dialogue and a straight-forward plot help Bogart dominate this crime film. Every gesture, from his face to his hands, and the way he walks, and every word he says, makes an even bigger impression against this minimalistic backdrop.

The sets at the start are immensely black with long shadows in the dead of night. But as the film progresses and light is let in, through city and through country, things open up. It's a gritty world of immigrants and the unfortunate fear of people with names like Mendoza and Olga.

The character actors do memorable things with their lines and there is a more than effective use of flashbacks in the plot.

The music of a Romantic European orchestra, all heavy with strings and blaring brass, once again adds to a Bogart movie.

This may all seem rather tame and simple-minded to viewers raised on more recent crime films. But I find these old black-and-white pictures by Bogie and Cagney to be perfect in their own way.

Their "unrealistic realism" is less cluttered, more like art, but not pretentiously so. And they show an understanding of human nature, especially violence and the allure of the gun, which later films lack.

More than anything, this film has the greatest screen presence of them all, the dominating force that was Humphrey Bogart.

Good crime thriller
This is a decent thriller circa 1950 with Bogart in the role of DA for the jurisdiction. Well acted with a decent script it delivers. With language such as "hit" and "contract" now commonplace in the action/thriller genre it's a little odd to hear them used as if they were new term (and they were then).

The story centers around the breaking of a crime syndicate whose work consists of murder for hire. Much of it is told in flashback with few flagging moments. This isn't Bogart's best, but you won't be disappointed. This is a water-down version of a real life event based in the mid-40's in NY City. Another film, Murder, Inc with Peter Falk is a grittier tale of the same incident.

Look for Zero Mostel in a supporting role and for the work of Raoul Walsh who has several uncredited directing scenes.

A Huge Bogart Fan...couldn't watch the whole thing.
The plot drags. Bogart is magnetic, but seems bored, and the film tries to milk his presence instead of working the plotline or magnifying the other characters.

I actually turned it off, and I love to watch Bogart films.

Don't bother, unless you have to watch them all.

Amusing crime story
This obviously is not Bogart's most famous or memorable film, but it is an entertaining film noir that holds your interest from start to finish. They don't make 'em like this no more. The plot involves Bogart as a D.A., whose star witness in bringing the head of a murder racket to justice dies before the trial. In a lengthy flashback, Bogart retraces the case from the beginning, looking for some bit of testimony that might help him nail the killer before he goes scot free. Bogart is good as his usual tough-guy self, and it's fun to watch the erie black-and-white cinematography. While it's nothing to write home about, it is a good cheap thriller, much better than many of the big-budget ones that have come out since then. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

From cattle chaos to homesteading order
This film is interesting because it shows how a city that was built and that prospered thanks to the driving of cattle from the SouthWest to the Middle West becomes a farming town. The fight between the drovers and the homesteaders is very well depicted, with its killings when the drovers deem it necessary to impose their domination. But the city is cut in two. On one side of the street the saloons. On the other side of the street the shops. The change comes when the homesteaders cut the trail with their barbed wire and when the shopkeepers understand that there is more money on the homesteaders' side than on the drovers'. The drovers push their last pawns, with the support at first of the saloonkeepers. But it means killing some homesteaders and the local marshall opposes it and imposes law and order. The drovers are driven out of the city. The city becomes a farming city and Kansas moves from a state that is crossed by herds of cattle to a farming state. This is possible, though never really said, because the railroads make it feasible to transport the cattle from Texas to Illinois without having to cross any farmland any more. But this future is made a reality because of the alliance of the shopkeepers with the homesteaders. We thus are shown history in its making.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Cattlemen vs homesteaders vs law
In this opus,town marshall(Randolph Scott)his his hands full keeping trail hands,at the end of a drive from treeing his town. Added to this is an enept sheriff(Edgar Bucannan),a hot headed farmer (Lloyd Bridges)and the town's saloon keepers -who will do anything to make a fast buck ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Look Out For The Claw
Ralph Byrd returns as Dick Tracy in RKO Radio's DICK TRACY'S DILEMNA. Tracy is helped by Vitamin Flintheart (Ian Keith) as they match wits with a gang of fur thieves and a criminal named "The Claw" who uses his articial hand as a weapon. Jack Lambert has the role of "The Claw" and Kay Christopher plays Tess Truehart.The cast also includes Bernadene Hayes as Longshot Lillie and Jimmy Conlin as Sightless. The movie sometimes goes by the title of the MARK OF THE CLAW. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Don't buy this...
I love the old Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce adventures. Actually, I own all of them on VHS, so when they were going to be released on DVD I quickly placed an order. To say that this is a disappointment is to put it mildly.

First off, the movie quality is incredibly bad. Sound and visual is all a mess. And in the "restoration" they have edited key scenes! A great example is in Terror By Night when they don't introduce us to Watson's friend (Who plays an important part later).

The VHS copies I have of the old films show that there are prints out there of high quality. It's too bad they just didn't transfer those prints to DVD as compared to this mess they created from the old stock.... If you enjoy these films, avoid these DVDs and head over to the VHS editions released by Key Video.

Quick Watson, we've not a moment to lose!
These films of an earlier age are everything a good modern film should not be. They are campy, over-acted, cliche-ish, over dramatised and poorly dubbed (with a british actor's voice for background speech).

In spite of all of that, there is no one else who can play Sherlock Holms and Dr. Watson as can Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. And the bumbling Inspector LeStrade is priceless. These are classic and timeless films - great fun to watch - one can almost put them in a category with Charlie Chaplain. Very good entertainment value in spite of their short running time (each film generally only ran about one hour in length) and obvious age.

I'd managed to tape all 14 of them from the late night movies a while back; and now watch them whenever I'm in the mood for light entertainment. I'm thrilled that they are finally being released in the DVD format -- hopefully we'll see the entire set re-published.

If you're one of those who turn up their nose at older films because of a lack of action, effects and the like, this collection is not for you. But if you enjoy films of the 40's and liked the exploits of the world's most famous detective, this is a set to get. Get your coat, Watson -- the game is afoot!

~P~

The Great Detective lives on!
Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce will be forever remembered as "Hollywood's Holmes and Watson". This DVD gift pack (one hopes the first of many) recaptures the timeless duo in four adventures.

In "The Woman In Green", Holmes finds himself wrapped up in Ripper-like murders of young London women. When he investigates a beautiful woman who is also a master hypnotist, he finds he may end up dead. Features Henry Daniell in a wonderful performance of Holmes' most famous nemesis, Professor Moriarty.

"Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" finds Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson fighting Nazis in World War II. Loosely based on 'The Dancing Men', Holmes must locate and reclaim the secret plans of a devastatig weapon before the Nazis use it for their own evil purposes. The WWII Holmes films are excellent documents of the times. Many people don't remember the militarization of Hollywood during the 1940s when every film had to pass the litmus test of "How will this help us win the war?" Every film from an American studio was used to a degree as propaganda to help in the war effort. The Sherlock Holmes film series was no exception, and thus we find our beloved characters unaged in the then present day - without explanation, but still an enjoyable film.

Getting away from the War, we come to "Dressed to Kill" where Holmes finds that a music box is the key to an elaborate counterfeiting scheme. Patricia Morrison is great in this film and Rathbone and Bruce have their share of moments as Holmes and Watson.

Finally, probably my favorite, "Terror By Night" is a great Holmes adventure which has as much comic relief as intrigue. A murder has been committed on a train, and Holmes must find the killer before the train reaches it's destination. It's high adventure at high speed where Holmes finds himself reunited with bumbling Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade, who has just the right amount of comic timing.

This is the first time these movies have been available in a format that's worth watching; until recently you could only purchase them in the low definition EP VHS format. Plus, the discs also feature a rare interview with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, making the set a must have for both Holmes enthusiasts and classic movie buffs alike! ... Read more