Reviews (83)

"Shut up and deal..."
This movie, directed by the legendary Billy Wilder, is one of my all-time favorites. It features a funny script, great acting, and an interesting and original plot. The Apartment is a perfect example of what is missing in Hollywood today: it is a witty, entertaining movie that relies on the script and on the acting to keep the viewer's attention and consequently does not need to use obscene language or inappropriate scenes to be amusing!

Essentially, The Apartment is about a young insurance company worker (played by Jack Lemmon in an excellent performance) who is forced to allow his philandering bosses to use his apartment on dates. In exchange for allowing his bosses to use the apartment, Lemmon is recommended to recieve promotions. Things get more complicated, however, when the bigger boss, Sheldrake (played by Fred McMurray) gets involved in the apartment renting. This would seem like a good thing for Lemmon - but there is one problem: McMurray (who is married and has no plans of divorcing) is dating Lemmon's dream girl, the beautiful elevator operator at the company (played by Shirley MacLaine). To say any more would be to give too much away...

In addition to having an intertaining plot and a funny, sarcastic script (like most Billy Wilder movies), The Apartment features amazing performances by all of its actors, especially Lemmon and MacLaine.

So I don't know how else to recommend this movie - get it soon and enjoy!

ATTENTION: a Home Theatre/HDTV/16:9/480p DVD Review!!
Now that the Home Theatre environment is becoming more common it is time to sort the GOOD from the BAD DVD's. This is only from a videophile who enjoys the total viewing and listening Home Theatre experience. The movies themselves are the main ingredient but unfortunately Film Studios don't always give us what we think we are getting. (Quality vs quantity) Another words they are already re-releasing DVD movies with enhancements and extras for wide screen TV's etc. So we need to buy right the first time and not repeat buying on the same movie.
My first (#1) Home Theatre DVD Review "The Apartment" is an AFI (American Film Institute) top 100 movie of the last 100 years. It won "5" Oscars including "Best Picture of 1960", and Best Director, Billy Wilder (in 1959 he directed, "Some Like It Hot" - voted by AFI as the #1 Comedy in the last 100 years) So you can see this was and is a GREAT Comedy (filmed in Black and White). Jack Lemmon, Shirely MacClaine and Fred MacMurray lead the emsemble cast.
Simply put its a boy meets girl, falls in love she is distracted by another man and "The Apartment" brings them together. A great story, great characters and the greatest comedic director.
Now this DVD is Digitally ReMasterd (Picture and Sound). It is enhanced for widescreen 16:9 (Aspect Ratio) TV's & HDTV's. The movie's 235:1 means you still get a LETTERBOX presentation but it is enhanced for maximum viewing enjoyment. The Picture clarity is perfect (480p - 480 horz lines with Progressive Scan (a line doubler feature. NOTE: regular DVD players are 480i). The only extra is a Trailer. "The Apartment" is a must both for its entertainment value and viewing quality. It is the best!!!!

They Should All be Like This
Wouldn't it be great if all movies were this good? This funny? This wise? This clever? This heartfelt? This true? My favorite Jack Lemmon movie. He plays a perfect schmuck who discovers himself. My favorite Shirley MacLaine movie. She plays a sweet but wounded modern girl who wises up. My favorite Billy Wilder movie. A perfect ear for dialogue and eye for mannerisms in his adopted country. Fred McMurray turns in a perfect performance as a shameless cad. No reason not to own this on dvd.

The boss borrows his apartmwnt for a love tryst

Director: Billy Wilder
Format: Black & White
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios
Video Release Date: August 3, 1999

Cast:

Jack Lemmon ... Calvin Clifford 'C.C.' 'Bud' Baxter
Shirley MacLaine ... Fran Kubelik
Fred MacMurray ... Jeff D. Sheldrake
Ray Walston ... Joe Dobisch
Jack Kruschen ... Dr. Dreyfuss
David Lewis ... Al Kirkeby
Hope Holiday ... Mrs. Margie MacDougall
Joan Shawlee ... Sylvia
Naomi Stevens ... Mrs. Mildred Dreyfuss
Johnny Seven ... Karl Matuschka
Joyce Jameson ... The blonde
Willard Waterman ... Mr. Vanderhoff
David White ... Mr. Eichelberger
Edie Adams ... Miss Olsen
Mason Curry
David Macklin ... Messenger
Hal Smith ... Santa Claus
Benny Burt ... Charlie (the bartender)
Frances Weintraub Lax ... Mrs. Lieberman
Dorothy Abbott ... Office worker

C.C. 'Buddy Boy' Baxter (Jack Lemmon) has a downwtown apartment near his work where he is an insurance analyst in a large firm. He is ambitious to work is way up the ladder, and so loans his apartment out to various of his supperiors for their trysts in an effort to win their favors, which means that he is forced ro work overtime and stay out late while his apartment os occupied.

Fran Kubelik (Shirley McLaine), elevator girl, is in love with big boss and branch manager Jeff D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), who is a married, cheating philanderer with a long history of conquests among the female staff. C.C. Baxter is also in love with Fran, who is having an affair with Sheldrake in his apartment.

This is not really a comedy, although it has its funny moments. It is a good story which comes out all right in the end.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

An absolute Gem from Lemmon and Wilder
Mr. Lemmon figured prominently in a good dozen of the best films ever made, and he is at the absolute top of his game in "The Apartment" as C.C. Baxter - an up and coming business man who makes his way through the corporate ranks faster than usual by making his apartment available to higher executives to carry on affairs without paying for hotel rooms. This is probably a borderline premise for a romantic comedy today, and it must have seemed absolutely scandalous 44 years ago, but the truth is that it is very contemporary in tone today while also being funny, thoughtful and poignant. It's too bad there's noone as clever as Billy Wilder making Romantic Comedies today. Shirley Maclaine has never been better, and anyone who grew up watching Fred MacMurray in "My Three Sons" or any of those Disney films will be surprised to see him playing an absolute scumbag in this movie. The dialogue is witty and sharp and the acting is crisper than a fresh celery stick. This is a good time. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Strawberries, anyone?
"The Caine Mutiny" follows the story of the men aboard the minesweeper U.S.S Caine during the period of 1943-44 in the pacific war. After the Caine is assigned a new captain, Philip Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), the officers begin to get suspicious at various acts that the captain does: His attention to small details such as shirttails and erratic behavior like rolling ball bearings in his hand when he's nervous and the spouting of catchphrases like "I kid you not". His behavior reaches a climax during a typhoon. Executive Officer Maryk (Van Johnson), after being advised by some others, relieves the captain with the firm belief that the ship would founder with Queeg in charge. Now Maryk has to defend his actions in a court martial.

It may seem surprising today, but at the time of this movie's release, Jose Ferrer was one of the hottest actors around. He was already an Oscar winner for 1950's "Cyrano de Bergenac". Here, he plays Lt. Barney Greenwald, who is assigned to Maryk's defense, but isn't so enthusiastic ("I've read the preliminary investigation very carefully and I think that what you've done stinks."). He came off to me as a competent defense attorney who was just waiting for the moment to strike. And although the evidence that backs up Queeg and goes against Maryk is overwhelming, Greenwald is able to break down Queeg in court, validating his instability and allowing Maryk to get off only with a reputation as a "mutineer".

My favorite performance is Fred MacMurray as Lieutenant Keefer, who doesn't think too highly of the Caine, even being cynical towards it ("The first thing you've got to learn about this ship is that she was designed by geniuses to be run by idiots.") And, though not a psychologist himself, he is also the one who raises it to Maryk's attention that Queeg may be nuts. Since he also contains hammering the idea at Maryk, it makes one assume that he would be willing to go all the way by alerting the top navy brass. But we soon learn that he is nothing but a scheming coward. He plants it in the men's minds that the captain is crazy, yet has "A yellow streak 15 miles wide". And when he is called to testify, "He never even heard of Queeg" as Greenwald remarks. At this point, we turn from disliking his cynicism to hating his guts. MacMurray, I thought, played this role so well and very convincingly. Surprisingly, he never got Oscar nominated for any of his performances. Perhaps the academy thought that this actor-who's most well known as the father on "My Three Sons" and had a track record in light comedies- wasn't prestigious enough to win the gold. It's like his against type roles in "Double Indemnity", "The Apartment" and this movie never existed!

In the beginning of the film, we tended to dislike Queeg because he's a nut. He has the ship steam away from a combat mission, he orders no more movies to be shown, has constant practice drills and, when some strawberries turn up missing, has the ship searched and basically ripped apart in a futile search for a "duplicate key to the icebox". But at the end, when Keefer's plan is revealed, when sympathize with Queeg at how he was used and mistreated by his crew. For had the crew supported and helped the captain when he asked for it, things might have turned out different in the typhoon. This is one of Bogart's better roles, maybe his last great one, and it netted him his last Oscar nomination. He made only about 3 or four other movies after this one, with the last, "The Harder they Fall", being released in 1956. In February 1957, Bogart died of complications from throat cancer.

If there is one problem with "The Caine Mutiny", it is the romance plot between Ensign Keith (Robert Francis) and his girlfriend May, played by May (Coincidental?). Keith's character is the first we are introduced too in the film. His involvement in the film is sort of like that of the newsreel reporter in "Citizen Kane": He serves as a guide, a plot device to the events that follow. And only a handful of scenes are dedicated to Keith and May. However, these end up in the way of the much more exciting action involving Queeg and the other officers. I have read Herman Wouk's novel and am aware that this wasn't manufactured for the film, but was actually in the book (And was the main plot, if I'm not mistaken). This shows how much the screenwriters tried to remain faithful to the book. But the only way the movie could have been truly faithful to the novel would be if it had been two and a half or even three hours long. With a roughly two-hour movie, the writers should have figured out what was more important to focus on. If they had either dumped or worked out the romance plot better so it fit more into the plot, the movie would have been even better.

Otherwise, "The Caine Mutiny" is a great film, one that many persons can find something to like. Naval buffs will enjoy beautiful shots filmed aboard naval destroyers at port and sea to represent the DMS Caine. Fans of court room dramas will find a very tense, well played one that'll satisfy them (Though a 1988 T.V movie, "The Caine Mutiny court-martial", was said to do a better job. But having not seen that, I can't form an opinion). Bogie fans will most likely judge this one of his career highlights. And skeptics of Fred MacMurray's talent will be put to rest. Add in a supporting cast that includes Tom Tully, E.G Marshall and Lee Marvin, you have great entertainment, I kid you not!

Intrigue, manipulation and hard choices. A great film!
The 1954 classic is about a naval captain who shows signs of mental instability and the resultant actions of the men in his command. It's not as simple as that, however. The characters are the key to the story, each one developing in front of our eyes into complex individuals with moral dilemmas to confront. There is Humphrey Bogart, cast a Captain Queeg whose decisions are no longer respected by his men. There's Fred MacMurray, cast as a smart and manipulative lieutenant. There's Van Johnson, cast as the lieutenant on whose shoulders the responsibility falls. There's Robert Francis, the young ensign whose perceptions change in front of our eyes. And then there is Jose Ferrer, cast as the attorney who defends Van Johnson when he is put on trial for mutiny. Put them all together in a fast paced script with enough twists and turns, and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.

The special effects, of course, are nothing like they are today. But they were certainly enough. I wasn't thinking about the special effects as I watched the film. I just simply felt I was on that ship. I wasn't thinking about the actors' performances either. Instead, I was so totally involved with the story that I felt I was actually in the skin of each of the characters. Just like real life, the situations were never crystal clear and each choice that was made opened up new challenges.

These were challenging roles for all the actors and they rose to the occasion magnificently. I'll never forget the twitch in Humphrey Bogart's cheek or the way the lighting captured the white of his eyeballs. I'll long remember Fred MacMurray's speculations and the kind of choice Van Johnson had to make. Robert Francis was good, but not as great as his co-stars, and his role was hampered by a silly romance. This was a strong film, though, and this small diversion didn't matter at all.

Even though this film was about the military, I can't classify it as a war film. Here, there was no enemy but the men themselves and the choices they made. It's a wonderful theme and has the classic universality to it that can adopt the lessons it teaches to a wide variety of situations. I give it one of my highest recommendations. Don't miss it!

"Ah but the strawberries - that's where I had them..."
The crew of the USS Caine resents Captain Queeg, who places the blame for a series of blunders and petty infractions on the crew. Such instances include cutting their own target tow-line while Queeg berates a crewman for having his shirt untucked, and later and most famously, interrogating the officers for the apparent stealing of some strawberries.

The mutiny results when, in a life-threatening storm, Queeg freezes up and does not give the order that would save the ship. At that point he is relieved of command by Van Johnson.

Later at the court-marshall Johnson is defended by Mel Ferrer and prosecuted by EG Marshall. But was Queeg torpedoed by the crew with insubordination and lack of respect, or did Queeg go off the deep end? Queeg's paranoia comes out in full force, complete with marbles.

Based on Herman Wouk's best-selling Pulitzer-winning novel, the movie arguably has Bogart's best performance which was one of seven oscar nominations. Look for Claude Akins and Lee Marvin in small roles. Only the unnecessary love-story between a new ensign and his girlfriend detracts from the otherwise intriguing story.

Way To Go, Pinntinajeur
In early December some guy (or girl) named Pinntinajeur reviewed this DVD and complained about the price. Not less than month later that price was reduced by $10!!!! Way to go, Pinn! I'm not saying he/she was totally responsible but who knows, maybe he/she is.

Great movie, lousy DVD
The Caine Mutiny is a great film and featurea one of the best performance of Humphrey Bogart's life. That's high praise considering the quality evident in his body of work but he really delivers the goods in The Caine Mutiny. The film benefits from other strong perfomrances as well. Jose Ferrer, Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray, and others all rise to the level of the unusally intelligent script. The result is a fancinating character study that I would recommend to anyone.

As good as the movie is, however, the transfer to DVD is about the worst I've ever seen. The moment the movie started, I was stunned by how much noise was evident. I wasn't looking for it or analyzing the picture, it jumped out because it was so extreme. Every face, every object, every thing was literally swimming with digital noise. And the sound is as bad or worse. No effort was made to re-master the soundtrack to even rudimentary surround sound making this the first movie I've seen in years to be presented in basic stereo. In addition, the sound is flat throughout, with even big explosions lacking punch.

The Caine Mutiny is a classic film and deserves much better treatment from the studio. As a movie, I would give it 5 stars but I deduct one for the extraordinarily poor picture and sound quality of the DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Call yourself a scouter? Then why haven't you seen it yet?
For every human hobby, there will eventually be made a film. For fighter pilots, there's "Top Gun." For pee-wee hockey players, there's "The Mighty Ducks." For Boy Scouts, there's "Follow Me, Boys!" Of course you can appreciate and enjoy this movie if you're not a scout or scouter, but let's not fool ourselves about the intended audience here.

--

This film is the epitome of old-school Boy Scouting. Every traditionalist Scouter pines for the days when the boys didn't have to be back from the campout early for soccer practice. Every new scoutmaster wants to be the square-jawed, campaign hat-wearing, all-American scoutmaster of Norman Rockwell paintings. You'll never pull it off if you haven't seen this film.

In "Follow Me Boys!" Fred Macmurray goes from reluctant scoutmaster to super-scoutmaster, teaching boys to be men, year after year. His boys actually sing. They sing! What traditionalist scoutmaster hasn't given up years ago trying to get the boys to sing around the campfire or on the trail? The Scout program of "Follow me, boys!" is the antidote to the 1980's scouting movement that gave us nasty-colored patches and ball caps. It's the bridge between the scouts of today, and the scouts of 97 years ago.

If you ever want to be a great scouter, see this film, and read up on Baden-Powell. Make sure your boys know what he did at Mafeking. Make sure they know that their uniforms are based on the South African Constabulary. Make sure they stand up straight when they recite the Oath and Law. Get them off the trail occasionally. Get them to sing, loud and proud.

But you'll have to see "Follow me, Boys!" I don't know if it will work on the boys anymore, but it worked on me when I was a Tenderfoot.

GOOD SCOUT!
One of Disney's greatest classics, FOLLOW ME, BOYS! goes well beyond its theme about Boy Scouting in its early days in America. It's a story of love and of priorities when a disenchanted band member studying law, Lemuel Siddons, decides to get back to the basics in rural America. In the process he finds love and provides a sterling example to the town's boys.

This film also includes terrific performances by some Hollywood's who's who including the great Fred MacMurray (MY THREE SONS) as Lemuel Siddons, the would-be lawyer who settles for shopkeeping and leading the local scout troop, Vera Miles (THE SEARCHERS) as Vida Downey, the bank secretary who supports Siddons, falls in love with him and ultimately becomes his wife, Kurt Russell (MIRACLE) in one of his first films as Whitey, the tough who is adopted by Lem and Vida and becomes a boy-leader n the troop and finally a soldier and doctor. Look for a cameo by a bona fide screen legend, Lillian Gish as one of the town's business leaders Hetty Seibert.

Whether you've been a scout, know one or have had nothing to do with scouting FOLLOW ME, BOYS! Tracks the development of the troop and their experiences that bond them together. One of Siddon's later troops even captures a tank.

Yes, it's squeaky clean but who can't use a dose of Disney fantasy now and again.

THE HORSEMAN

Hey, Disney! This is the kind of film you should be making!
I remember the tune from when I saw it as a kid in the late 60s, and have hoped to see it again ever since. What a breath of fresh air compared to the tripe that Disney puts out today. Films like these remind us of America's Golden Age. Wonderful performances by all, uplifting singing on the trail, and a heart-rending, happy ending make this film a MUST HAVE in the libraries of parents who want wholesome entertainment for their kids. I wonder why more of the 1960's Disney movies have not come out on DVD. As a parent, I dont have to be woried about foul language ,sexual inuendos, or even "attitudes" that my kids will see glorified when we watch films like these. I gave my copy to a newly-minted Eagle Scout, and will order another for my family...

A must see for leaders of Boy Scouts
This is an excellent movie showing the proper relationship between an adult Scout leader and his Scouts. This is a better version than the previously released video, because the DVD adds back 13 minutes removed by the video. The added-back minutes greatly enhance the quality of the story and bring additional valuable insights to the story. If I were in charge of any adults that work with Boy Scouts, I would require them to see this movie.

I'll Follow Lem Anywhere
This is a classic all-American Disney feel good movie. If that's your thing you will love this film. I found it highly entertaining and a great look back to an idealized simpler time. My only complaint with the film would be that the last quarter seems to drag on a bit because of several drastic plot twists that come completely out of left field. But this is a minor flaw to a great film that is suited for the entire family.

The DVD itself needs some help. For reasons unknown the film is not presented in it's original aspect ratio and worse, there is a yellow border around the picture while the opening credits are playing. On the plus side, there is a great 11 minute bonus documentary, "Looking back With Lem's boys" which features interviews with the grown up kids who appeared in the film. Kurt Russell does not appear in it but it's still a great feature ... Read more

Reviews (40)

delightful Disney musical
Fred MacMurray, Tommy Steele, Lesley Ann Warren and John Davidson star in the classic Disney musical THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE, a delightful story centering on the Biddle family of Philadelphia.

Cordy Biddle (Lesley Ann Warren) becomes engaged to Angie Duke (John Davidson). When this should be a happy occasion, Angie's snooty mother (Geraldine Page) still ensures that Angie hangs onto her apron strings. Cordy's mother (Greer Garson) tries to sort things out while Aunt Mary (Gladys Cooper) engages in some bitchy repartee with Mrs Duke!

The entire production is flawless, and while Leonard Maltin has criticised this film for being too long, I think the time flies by.

The Sherman brothers songs are strong throughout, and the supporting cast, including a very young Joyce Bulifant, are wonderful.

Highly recommended.

lavish disney production does not equal the sum of its parts
THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE is the last live production that Walt Disney oversaw before his death. The movie is an attempt to emulaite the big blockbuster reserved seat movie musicals popular following the SOUND OF MUSIC's success during 1960s and also to duplicate MARY POPPINS success. The production is lavish in terms of settings and costumes; with a great cast led by Fred MacMurray and Greer Garson; The songs by the Sherman brothers are likeable and not as bad as critics would have you believe; there are some great dance sequences. Unfortunatly, the plot is such a simple trifle which goes on and on for 164 minutes(in the restored version)that the movie eventually becomes a bloated, overlong bore. Its too bad because all the right ingrediants are there except a good story and script. The new DVD finally restores the movie to its original roadshow lenght. MILLIONAIRE was cut by 20 minutes following its premiere engagements.In fact the print which opened at Radio City Music Hall in NYC was already cut. The colors are excellent, the stero sound is good and the source materials are generally in good shape (a few markings here and there are not worth complaing about). This movie is now more a curiousity of its era and the wanning days of Disney's regime. It is certainly worth a look and may appeal to non-discriminating fans of musical movies.

NOT THE HAPPIEST, BUT CERTAINLY THE MOST TYPICAL FROM DISNEY
Walt Disney's was a visionary film pioneer; he took the fledgling craft of animation and transformed it into an art form of the highest order, and, in the process, altered our collective perception of what childhood is all about. However, occasionally that vision was marred by Disney's own lack of foresight into changing audience tastes. By the end of the 1950s the Walt Disney Studios had incurred huge expenses on Disney's foray into live action films, the birth of his theme park - Disneyland - and the lack luster box office response to his most recent and most expensive animated feature - Sleeping Beauty. Though the old master was set to recoup his losses, the sumptuously mounted, though often dismal, The Happiest Millionaire (released the year after Disney's death) was the personal and financial failure that rounded out Disney's tenure as the mogul of one of Hollywood's great cinema dream factories.

Throughout the 1950s and 60s road show engagements for movies of distinction were quite common. Road shows were designed to elevate movies to the lofty ambitions of live theater. They usually began with a lush orchestrated prelude, included an intermission half way through, and exit music to escort audiences out of the theater after the final credit sequence. One often dressed up for this sort of premiere event, certainly paid extra to attend and was often provided with a printed program as a keep sake from the occasion. Disney had attempted the road show only once before, on Fantasia (1940) and the result had been an unqualified financial disaster. What a pity then, that The Happiest Millionaire - what should have been an eighty-minute tune-filled - if antiseptic and sexless - melodrama, is over inflated into a gargantuan three hours spectacle that, quite simply, fails to dazzle.

The plot is a fictionalized account of real life circumstances that concern an eccentric Philadelphia millionaire, Anthony J. Drexel Biddle (Fred MacMurray). He runs a combination Bible and physical fitness college of sorts, loves boxing and keeps alligators in a solarium adjacent his dining room. When immigrant John Lawless (Tommy Steele) becomes Biddle's new butler he does indeed find his new surroundings rather odd. Not that Lawless isn't odd himself - it's just that, unlike Biddle's quirkiness, which can be grating to the point of distraction, Lawless becomes a genuinely loveable reprobate of congenial good humor, thanks to Tommy Steele's remarkable performance. The plot is thread bare to the point of nonexistent. It concerns Biddle's only daughter, Cordelia (Lesley Ann Warren). She's a sort of tomboy desperate to be feminine and sent off to a lady's finishing school where she meets and becomes engaged to New Yorker Angie Duke (John Davidson). Mrs. Duke (Geraldine Page) is social snob but Angie doesn't share her values. He wants to forgo the family business and build automobiles in Detroit. True to Disney form, everything does indeed work out in the end with Angie and Cordelia driving off toward an unintentionally apocalyptic matte painting that depicts the Motor City as something of a cross between Blade Runner and Mary Poppins, a glowering jungle of towering chimneys blackening the skies with the aftershocks of modernity.

Plot construction is problematic; As Cordelia's mother, Greer Garson is given extremely little to do. One of Disney's good luck charms - Hemione Baddeley has even less of a say. Equally curious is the fact that after the film takes great pains to introduce the Biddle two sons Tony and Livingston (Paul Petersen and Eddie Hodges) - even giving them a song - it suddenly loses interest in their character development by sending them off to school where, as an audience, we forget that they ever existed.

Of course, the plot - such as it is - would be largely forgivable if Disney's resident song writers, the Sherman Brothers had come up with a score worthy of their best endeavors. Tommy Steele opens the show with a bang with, Fortuosity, but the rest of the score does not live up to expectations and, in spots, is painfully sweet and cuddly. Valentine Candy or Boxing Gloves is so coy one wishes for the elegant Tommy Steele to burst into the room and tap dance its treacle into silence. All in all, Steele is remarkably well served by the score, belting out I'll Always Be Irish and several other songs with such austerity and charm that he easily dismisses the awkward lyrics. His choreography by Mark Breaux and Dee Dee Wood showcase Steele's finer points, particularly in the barroom number that closes the second half of the show. Unfortunately, there are no memorable showstoppers that leave one with a sudden urge to run out and buy the soundtrack or even leave the theater humming.

THE TRANSFER: This re-released DVD of The Happiest Millionaire is about as dismal as the film itself. Everything's present: the Overture, Entr'acte and Exit music, but the transfer is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. Unlike the previously available DVD from Anchor Bay, colors seem somewhat more dated this time around and fine details breaks apart with a considerable amount of pixelization and edge enhancement, especially when viewed on a larger monitor. There are also several cases where mis-registration of the camera negative results in an excessively blurry print - something else absent on Anchor Bay's version. This DVD compresses the entire running time on one side of the disc, which I suspect is the biggest problem. There are no extras, not even the trailer.

BOTTOM LINE: Get the Anchor Bay version instead!

Best Musical Ever!!
This is my favorite movie of all time! I used to rent it over and over when I was in high school. I love the music, the story, the characters, everything. It is funny and wonderful! I loved the fact that Cordelia never could make it past a first date, because she always "knocked out" literally, all of her dates! The alligators and the butler from Ireland make for some hilarious scenes also. Don't wait, get the DVD. You'll love it!!

Fun and silly
I remember catching this on the Disney channel back in the 80s and LOVED it! It was fun and just down right silly. I loved the music and a woman I had NEVER seen before and fell in love with, Lesley Ann Warren. I soon began to always remember this film due to her. I also really enjoyed most of Fred MacMurray's films from this time period also. A time that films were fun and innocent, or at least MORE innocent then the films now. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

More Fun from Disney
While Son of Flubber hasn't achieved the same status as a classic that it's predecessor has, it's got the same charm and lighthearted fun.
Fred MacMurray and the rest of the cast return and deliver. The characters have continued to grow, and the actors are very comfortable and convincing in them.
Professor Ned Brainard captures your sympathies even as you laugh your way through his struggles.
The script for this movie lives up to the original, and doesn't fail to entertain.

Very Disapointing DVD Release
If you loved Disney's "The Absent Minded Professor," than you will love "Son Of Flubber." While this sequel isn't better than the first, it is a good companion to it. I have found the kids under age 9 get bored with this movie, probably because it is in black and white. This film follows the same safe formula used in the first film, but there is something fresh and new about it that sets it apart from it's predecessor. The storyline is that Professor Branard's invention of Flubber has been confiscated by the government, leaving him and his wife pennyless. By using Flubber gas, he is able to make a gun that can control the weather, however it dosen't work according to plan. After a fight, his wife leaves him. Without funding, Medfield College will have to shut down. So when his invention gets him into trounle with the law, he tries to save the college and his marriage by helping the football team win their last game.

This DVD release is very disapointing. Disney has restored the picture so that it looks almost as good as it did when the film came out, but they released it in fullscreen. This is the kind of film that needs to be viewed in it's original widescreen aspect ratio, because there are a lot of newspaper articles and you miss somw of the headlines. It is real frustrating trying to figure out what it says. The special feature is a photo gallery which includes original promotional material, behind the scenes photos, and advertisements for toys.

"Son of Flubber" is sutible for the whole family, but it dosen't have enough to keep the little ones interested.

Hilarious Classic Film
This is a great classic hilarious movie. It will have you laughing at the causes and effects of the proffesor (Fred MacMurray). This movie is a great movie for anyone, young or old. Families would enjoy watching this movie. For it is a movie that everyone can enjoy.

A very good classic Disney Film
I have seen all the flubber movies, and this is probably the best one of them all. I highly recommend this title if an individual is looking for a great classic film, or a great family film. It is filled with humor and heart, just like all the old Disney movies ... Read more

Amazon.com

The original, 1961 version of The Absent-Minded Professor is bound to be a hundred times funnier than the bland remake, Flubber. Fred MacMurray is charming as the eccentric college professor who discovers a gooey substance with sustainable energy. Everything about this movie clicks in a way Flubber didn't, particularly the effort by director Robert Stevenson (a Disney favorite who made Mary Poppins, That Darn Cat, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and many other hits for the studio) to create comic tension between MacMurray's gentlemanly performance and the slapstick set pieces. The famous basketball scene (in which some of the players don't realize they have flubber on the soles of their shoes) is perfectly choreographed and exceptionally funny for kids. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (32)

An excellent version of a classic
The original Absent-Minded Professor is the best, Fred MacMurray is perfect as the inventor of "Flubber". I am writing this review in defence of this the colorized version of a classic, black & white movie. The colors are rich, vibrant and above all natural looking - forget the colorization of the early 80s, this is digital colorization and if you didn't already know the film was originally black & white you wouldn't be able to tell!

The only mistake Disney made was releasing this before the original black & white version, however with dvd technology they should have brought out both versions on a double sided dvd like "A Christmas Carol" was. However, the black & white movie is now available in a widescreen dvd version.

This is a wonderful, color version of a great family movie.

Classic Disney Fun
This movie lacks the special effects of current movies, and it may be hard for today's youth to relate to it, but it's a lovely bit of nostalgia that has stood the test of time. I was born more than 20 years after this movie was made, but I take delight in Fred MacMurray, who always puts his heart into a performance, but does a particularly nice job here as Professor Ned Brainard. He portrays the role spledidly and brings enthusiasm and inoccence to the character.
You can also find stellar performances from the supporting cast. Disney has always had a nack for establishing minor characters so that you get sucked into their world, and all of these people become real.
When watching this movie you have to take into consideration the era it was made in, and the limits they had to work with, if you go into it looking for special effects you will be sorely dissapointed. Instead watch it with a certain degree of imagination at the ready, and have fun rooting for Professor Brainard as he tries to win back his lady-love and displaying his true American Patriotism, and still finding time to outsmart the villains. The rivalry between Ned and Shelby Ashton is highly entertaining, and you'll laugh out loud when watching Alonzo Hawk get his come-upance.
I never had the opportunity to see the black and white version, but I think it would be the better alternative. The colorization in this VHS version is rather obvious and somewhat distracting, but it doesn't detract from the content of the movie itself, and the film is still highly enjoyable.

The "flying-rubber-professor" film in its original form.
If ever there were a film that took a silly idea and milked every possible gag out of it, this is it. Four stars as a film, but five stars for being a classic.

The "science-fiction comedy" is a movie genre with few entries. (I'm thinking of films in which an SF premise and its development is the film's focal point. "Back to the Future," for example, doesn't count.) I can think of only two significant others -- "It Happens Every Spring," in which Ray Milland synthesizes a chemical that repels wood (don't ask), and "The Man in the White Suit," the classic-but-not-really-very-good Alec Guinness vehicle in which his invention of an indestructible, never-needs-cleaning fabric threatens to ruin the clothing industry.

Disney continued the genre with "The Misadventures of Merlin Jones" and "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes," but none of them is remotely as good as "The Absent Minded Professor." It's a classic of visual humor. Not only is there the famous flying Model T, but the professor's attempts to woo his ex-fiance by dancing in flubber-heeled shoes, and a flubber-enhanced basketball game that's an encylopaedia of "What can you do with flying basketball players?" gags. Style-wise, this classic sequence looks as if it were lifted directly from MAD.

Bill Walsh's smart script has some good satirical jabs ("I hear Medfield's athletes make as much as their teachers") and they hold up. One of the best anticipates Congress's destruction in "Mars Attacks!" And the professor's attempt to prove he's a loyal, patriotic American cuts even more sharply today than it did 40+ years ago.

One of the few good things about Disney comedies is that almost all the secondary roles are populated with talented character actors -- Keenan Wynn (who'd repeat his Alonzo Hawk villain in other Disney flicks), Ed Wynn (his father), Elliott Reid (at his greasy, pompous best). Special kudos go to Belle Montrose (Steve Allen's mother! -- note the resemblance) as the professor's housekeeper.

Nancy Olson -- an Oscar-winner for "Sunset Blvd." -- delivers a smart, heads-up performance that falls apart only when she stops being mad at Fred MacMurry and becomes a bit of a bubble-head.

Robert Stevenson (grandson of Robert Louis Stevenson) had a directorial career ("Jane Eyre") before he became a Disney house director, but I've never thought much of his talent ("Mary Poppins" is slack and sluggish). "The Absent Minded Professor" shows him at his best -- brisk and light, almost as weightless as flubber renders the Model T.

"The Absent Minded Professor" was shot in B&W, because the special effects were too difficult (and too expensive) to do well in color. Had Disney known what a major hit TAMP would be (it played first-run for months), he might have sprung for color. The previous attempt to colorize it was a disaster.

We finally have this little gem in its original form -- an exquisite B&W enhanced-widescreen transfer. (Amazon editor -- please have the negative reviews for the awful colorized version moved or removed. These are fundamentally different releases.) The rich blacks and sharp detail are outstanding -- far superior to even the old LV release. This is close-to-demo-quality B&W.

credit where credit is due : IT IS WIDESCREEN !!!!!
Credit where credit is due : IT IS WIDESCREEN !!!!!
Its worth mentioning that disney has honored this film by releasing it in its true format, it is both black and white and widescreen.
Absolute classic disney comedy!! Very nostalgic,the special effects were seamless especially for the time period. Robert Stevenson directed this film, which is worth noting as many of the films he directed for disney were the most outstanding, inc Mary Poppins and The Love Bug. Pure Disney nostalgia.

Flubber professor in its B&W glory
Somehow, the people in amazon mixed reviews from the B&W version and the colorized version of this film... this is causing some confusion between some consumers, so, this is a review from the B&W version.

Some time ago, Disney Company releases this movie in Full Screen and colorized... a lot of people complained because nobody (except, perhaps my mom)wants colorized version of movies in B&W; recently, they re-released it in its original form (B&W and Widescreen)

Video: Amazing!! I can't believe that this movie is almost 50th years old!, you can't notice any age related issues (stripes, grain, etc), just look perfect.

Sound: Very good, and with Dolby Surround.

Extras: D'uh!, nothing, nada, zip, zippola! :(

Foreign language support: Not very good... in the audio section, it contains English and Spanish Track... subtitles just in english.

Conclusion: If you like this movie, you'll love the transfer (and at least, there is a Spanish track for those that speak in this language)... if you are looking for this movie because the extras, better wait, because you'll get frustrated by this disc. ... Read more

Description

An insurance claims manager gets a familiar feeling of foul play while investigating the death of a man whose wife just had him sign a double-indemnity policy through her insurance agent and lover. ... Read more

Reviews (80)

"I never knew that murder could smell like honeysuckle."
Double Indemnity is a superb story about an insurance salesman who gets involved with a woman married to a husband she doesn't care for. The murder of her husband is planned perfectly and brilliantly, but it all comes crashing down. The cause was due to themselves (Plot details).

Although it received a total of six Oscar nominations (With no wins), none of the nominations went to Fred MacMurray as Walter Neff ("Insurance salesman, age 35"). Neff is very successful at what he does (He's been at it for eleven years). He visits the home of Mr. Dietrichson to renew automobile insurance but soon finds himself falling in love with his wife Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), who convinces Walter to have Mr. Dietrichson sign an accident insurance without his knowing it so he can be killed. But it's the Double Indemnity clause that gets them really involved, since they will get double the pay.

Stanwyck provided, for me, a superb performance as the cold, calculating Mrs. Dietrichson, who used Neff so she could get rid of her husband and collect up some money. Meanwhile, Walter finds himself getting involved with her step-daughter Lola. He discovers from Lola that her ex-boyfriend has been seeing Phyllis, suggesting perhaps that Phyllis has plans for him.

One of the most memorable performances in the movie is Edward G. Robinson's Barton Keyes, the claims manager, a brilliant fellow who is by hunches when a claim doesn't seem right. He's the one who figures out that the Dietrichson claim doesn't seem right, but can't quite figure out who assisted. In fact, most of the safeguards put into the plot by Neff were done so to prevent Keyes getting any major suspicions. "I did it for the money and for a woman. I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman". These words said by Neff form a sense of irony. The murder fell apart not because of the authorities, who were too dumb to figure it all out, but because of themselves. Murder's never perfect.

A film noir masterpiece...
Double Indemnity is a film noir masterpiece - chilling, dark, and very suspenseful. It features a great script with many memorable lines (for instance - "But I was wrong. You're not smarter, you're just a little taller."), an interesting plot with many good twists, and fantastic performances from two classic stars (especially Stanwyck, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of the evil wife).

Basically, Double Indemnity is about a less-than-brilliant insurance salesman, Walter Neff(Fred MacMurray), who falls for a beautiful married woman (Barbara Stanwyck) who wants to use him to get rid of her husband for the insurance money (hence the title, Double Indemnity). Although he resists her at first, Neff soon falls for the scheming woman and decides to help her plan the perfect murder. The movie itself starts after the murder has been completed with Neff leaving a message for his boss confessing what occurred and then goes back in time to the beginning of the scheme.

Double Indemnity is a great film - the idea behind it, interesting in itself, was brilliantly executed by the legendary director Billy Wilder. Consequently, Indemnity is a true film noir classic and must-see!

STANWYCK AND MACMURRAY WERE OSCAR ROBBED
Yes, they deserved the 1944 Academy Award. Both of them. They were robbed. Perhaps its because they played murderers and MacMurray was caught in Stanwyck's spider web. The movie was released during the prime war years (1944) and Hollywood chose to go the sentimental route with "GOING MY WAY". But Ingrid Bergman's performance in "Gaslight" in no way comes close to touching Stanwyck's bravura in "Double Indemnity". It was a close race between them but Bergman won out (inexplicably because her performance in Gaslight is overwrought and over the top). Stanwyck's evil restraint with one look that could burn a house down. And that wig!! That awful unflattering wig on her! Maybe that's why she didn't win?????

Possibly the Best Noir Film of the Era
Starting with an amazing cast and a great plot, this film lives up to anyone's expectations. Life insurance agent falls into the clutches of a woman looking to collect a double indemnity on her husband's death benefits because he died accidentally. One problem - her husband is not dead yet. By ensnaring the insurance agent into a plot to kill the woman's husband and making it look like an accident, everything is in place. I don't want to give much more away, but, even if you are not a film noir fan, you will find this to be a tightly written, wonderfully acted drama. This classic is well worth owning.

GREAT FILM - TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE DVD TRANSFER
Do not purchase this DVD release. Its transfer to DVD is truly horrendous.

Wait for some other distributor to release it.

Wonderful film. Totally botched DVD release.

Wait for it... ... Read more

Description

After the United States acquired Louisiana from France, explorers Meriwether Lewis (MacMurray) and William Clark (Heston) lead an expedition to survey the territory where no white man has ever gone before.With the help of Sacajawea (Reed), the two men embark on this journey and hope to overcome the dangers they face. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Good enough
A town marshal is shot and killed while pursuing a group of fleeing bank robbers.Community pillar Ben Cutler (Fred MacMurray) reluctantly agrees to become the new marshal.Cutler, a member of the outlaw-chasing posse, wounds and apprehends the trigger man, bad boy Eddie `The Kid' Campbell (Robert Vaughn.)
With Vaughn as a troubled youth - he never had a chance given the way he growed up - and MacMurray the middle aged, moral man at odds with the apathetic town he defends, think of GOOD DAY FOR A HANGING as a mixture of The Blackboard Jungle and High Noon, with a shady defense attorney and an extended courtroom scene thrown in for good measure.
The 1950s were the decade of message westerns, or a least westerns with a social sense and an accusatory finger to point.1959's GOOD DAY FOR A HANGING isn't as strident as some of that era, but it's serious in its way, flaying a bit of the flesh of the fickle and apathetic townfolks while deifying the last honest man.Fortunately, GOOD DAY possesses the reassuringly mellow presence of MacMurray as the man behind the badge, calming whatever worries we may have harbored that GOOD DAY will get too carried away with whatever message it's trying to deliver.
My expectations were fairly modest for GOOD DAY FOR A HANGING, and I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed (wasn't pleasantly surprised, though, either.)A traditional western with a competent cast, recommended especially for fans of the genre.

A Solid, If Flawed, 50's Western
Good Day For A Hanging features Fred MacMurray in what is more of a character drama than a standard Western.MacMurray plays Ben Cutler, a former Marshall who gets caught up in the aftermath of a bank robbery gone wrong.A gang of bank robbers botches what was otherwise a well planned robbery of the town bank, only to be chased out of town by the Marshall and a makeshift posse.During the chase the Marshall is shot and killed, with all of the posse as witnesses.The shooter, Eddie "the Kid" Campbell,is wounded, but relatively unharmed before he is brought back to town.

It is here that the movie shifts to a solid character drama, as a prominent defense attorney shows up to take Campbell's case.Campbell grew up in the town and the attorney begins to plant the seed of reasonable doubt in the members of the posse - leading to a conflict with Cutler.Campbell is convicted on the strength of Cutler's testimony, but the townspeople begin to doubt Cutler's motives as they wonder if there really was enough evidence to convict the Kid.A movement in town grows to try to get the Kid's sentence commuted to life in prison, creating a conflict with Cutler, who is determined to see the sentence carried out.

Good performances from MacMurray and Robert Vaughan (as Campbell) help Good Day For A Hanging become as entertaining and engrossing as it is.The dialog and laid back style are very much in line with some TV Westerns, but it's all just a cut above that level.The direction from Nathan Juran is good, and sometimes inspired, and the cast does a good job of portraying a very tight-knit, family oriented town where everyone knows each other.

While Good Day For A Hanging isn't at the level of the best Westerns from the 50's (like Winchester '73, The Searchers, Warlock, Last Train from Gun Hill, The Man From Laramie, etc), it is still a good movie and well worth your time if you are a fan of the genre.

3 1/2 Stars.

A fine Western, underrated
At the end of the decade of the 1940s Columbia Pictures was producing and releasing both Gene Autry and Durango Kid series "B" Westerns, and doing well with them. During the 1950s, Columbia upgraded to more expensive fare, and produced a number of fine color Westerns with such solid actors as Randolph Scott, Fred MacMurray, and others. GOOD DAY FOR A HANGINGwas one of several that MacMurray did for Columbia (also notable is FACE OF A FUGITIVE), and it's a very good one. MacMurray has a unique style in just about everything he does (as anyone who remembers "My Three Sons" will recall!)--more meditative and quizzical, but always likeable. He shines in GOOD DAY FOR A HANGING, and manages to convey a resolve and determination that is also at the same time very human. This is no super-hero, but rather a man of real emotions, and thus identifiable with most viewers. In the end MacMurray's reasoned determination, albeit tested severely, is proven correct.

Production values and print quality are excellent; Columbia (Sony) continues to release some fine Westerns from the 1940s and '50s (e.g., THE VIOLENT MEN, LUST FOR GOLD, JUBAL, COWBOY, THE DESPERADOES, HANGMAN'S KNOT,several of the Durango Kid series, etc.), and GOOD DAY FOR A HANGING is one of the better ones.

Western Justice.
Fred MacMurray starred in several westerns in the fifties, and "Good Day for a Hanging", released in 1959, is an engrossing "duster" that holds your attention throughout. It raises issues such as capital punishment, loyalty, duty, family and the nature of justice.

A gang of outlaws holds up a bank and escapes, with the popular town marshall and a posse in hot pursuit. During a shoot-out in the hills, the marshall is shot dead by one of the gang. The youngest member of the gang, Eddie Campbell ( Robert Vaughn in a terrific performance ), is wounded and brought back to town by the posse. Posse-member, Ben Cutler ( Fred MacMurray ), is sure that young Eddie is the outlaw who shot the marshall, although he convinces townspeople that there should be a fair trial, rather that a quick lynching. Ben reluctantly agrees to take over as marshall, which soon causes problems with his bride-to-be, Ruth Granger ( attractive Maggie Hayes ), and his daughter, Laurie ( petulant Joan Blackman) who has a crush on Eddie
( Ben is a widower ). This, however, is a horse opera not a soap opera--there are fisticuffs, gunfights, a very tense trial scene and an excellent showdown at the end of the film.

Today I suspect most people remember Fred MacMurray as the affable and immensely likeable star of TV's "My Three Sons", and a number of Disney films. Film buffs know that,in fare such as "Double Indemnity" and "The Apartment", Mr. MacMurray could also be effective in less sympathetic roles. In "Good Day", he certainly has an edge to his performance, and gives us a convincing western hero. In addition to the intense Mr. Vaughn, we have a "pre-Virginian" James Drury as Dr. Ridgely, doting on Laurie Cutler, but unable to distract her from her obsession with young Eddie. Western fans will spot such actors as Denver Pyle, Gregg Barton, William Fawcett, Harry Lauter and the ubiquitous Tom London in supporting roles.

I see that the movie was produced by Charles H. Schneer and directed by Nathan Juran, better known for their collaboration with stop-motion effects master, Ray Harryhausen.

I found the widescreen, colour picture quality to be excellent--the sound typical for films of this vintage.

If you like westerns, Fred MacMurray may not be the first name you would think of. However, he was a fine actor, and was right at home throwing punches or lead ! "Good Day for a Hanging" delivers a "good" ninety minutes of western suspense and excitement. Recommended.

The Other Side of The High Noon Coin
A Good Day For A Hanging, a solid and entertaining Western, bookends nicely with a much more heralded 50's Western, High Noon. High Noon, in addition to dealing with courage and personal responsibility, dealt with the problems of enforcing law in a society that is afraid to protect itself from imminent criminal activity. This film deals with the frustrations of properly punishing criminals once they are caught.

Fred McMurray stars as a store owner who joins a posse chasing bank robbers. One of the bank robbers is a young punk played by Robert Vaughn, who also is very friendly with McMurray's young daughter. During the ensuing chase, the elderly and much loved town sheriff is killed by Vaughn, who is in turn shot and captured by McMurray and the posse.

McMurray becomes acting sheriff, and pushes forth the prosecution of Vaughn. But to McMurray's utter amazement, the town begins to sympathize with Vaughn,to the point that no one wants to believe that he is guilty. McMurray's dogged pursuit of justice causes him strained relations with everyone in the town (especially his daughter) except the young town doctor, played by James Drury.

Well acted and written, this film continues where High Noon left off by indicting those who are always screaming for law and order, but do not have the will to enforce it. It is great that this film is being released on DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hollywood's ability to conjure up a bittersweet small town (on the studio back lot, to be sure) has rarely been on better display than in Alice Adams, a gentle adaptation of a Booth Tarkington novel. For that matter, Katharine Hepburn rarely had a better chance to radiate her early youthful glow. She plays the title character, a lonely misfit who tries--too hard--to fit in with the snooty debutantes in her class-conscious town. Fred MacMurray is the suitor who miraculously feels comfortable in the front-porch swing of the faded Adams home. In the exquisitely timed comedy of MacMurray's miserable dinner with Alice's family, director George Stevens displays the tools he learned directing Laurel and Hardy two-reelers, and the sequence becomes a funny-painful classic of social embarrassment. Hepburn's performance, whether Alice is chattering pretentiously or briefly lowering her guard and revealing her loneliness, is simply incandescent. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Katherine Hepburn in one of her best roles!!!
For those of us who yearned to be part of the "in crowd" in high school but never were, "Alice Adams" is a vivid reminder of that experience (1930's style). As Alice, Katherine Hepburn is the perfect example of the nobody who desperately tries to enter into a world where she clearly doesn't belong. The popular guy played by a very young and handsome Fred MacMurray falls in love with her, but by then Alice is so caught up in her own web of lies about her non-existent wealth that she loses her sense of identity and can't be honest with herself let alone with MacMurray. The story is sweet and romantic, but the main plot surrounds Alice Adams and her experiences as a nobody trying to make it in. You don't need to read the book (by Booth Tarkington) to understand and sympathize with Alice Adams's character, but I highly recommend reading the book first if you really want to appreciate Katherine Hepburn's superb performance. The Alice Adams I envisioned while reading the book was flawlessly brought to life by the very talented Ms. Hepburn.

One of Katherine Hepburn's Greatest Roles!
For those of us who yearned to be part of the "in crowd" in high school but never were, "Alice Adams" is a vivid reminder of that experience (1930's style). As Alice, Katherine Hepburn is the perfect example of the nobody who desperately tries to enter into a world where she clearly doesn't belong. The popular guy played by a very young and handsome Fred MacMurray falls in love with her, but by then Alice is so caught up in her own web of lies about her non-existent wealth that she loses her sense of identity and can't be honest with herself let alone with MacMurray. The story is sweet and romantic but the main plot focuses on Alice Adams and her experience as a nobody trying to make it in. You don't need to read the book (by Booth Tarkington) to understand and sympathize with Alice Adams' character, but I highly recommend reading the book first if you really want to appreciate Katherine Hepburn's superb performance. The Alice Adams I envisioned while reading the book was flawlessly brought to life by the very talented Ms. Hepburn.

A fine, classic melodrama
Katherine Hepburn shines in a heartrending (and hanky-twisting) role, as Alice Adams, a romantically minded teenage girl whose social prospects are continually dimmed by her lower-middleclass status in a small, gossip-laden town. She is painfully aware of her position and tries to overcompensate by putting on airs and latching onto the haughty local debutantes, who look down their noses at the poor girl who tries too hard to fit in. Enter into this miserable scenario good ole Fred Macmurray, a handsome young rich guy who's got a decent heart, and who falls for the voluble, nervous young Miss Adams. Adapted from a novel by Booth Tarkington, this film gives a glimpse into the old-fashioned mores and courtship rituals of smalltown America in the early 20th Century, and also provides Hepburn with one of her first choice roles. Her fast-talking, palpably forlorn Adams is a character who evokes both irritation and sympathy, perfectly capturing the awkward desperation of teenage longings. Quite a performance!

THE SHINE OF A VERY YOUNG KATHARINE HEPBURN FILLS THE SCREEN
"Alice Adams" is one of those movies that rarely are made in Hollywood in these days, because the whole movie is carried by the performances and the direction. "Alice Adams" is a very honest and simple movie, its only pretension is to entertain the viewers, and this movie does that.

In "Alice Adams" we can see a very young and charming Katharine Hepburn, she plays the role of Alice, she injected to the character freshness, sympathy and an aura of tenderness and innocence that rarely are seen in these days.

"Alice Adams" is a very amusing movie, specially if you are fan of the great Katharine Hepburn.

Dinner! A/C!
The whole dinner sequence is excruciatingly funny, and Hattie McDaniel shows that she was a lot funnier--some wonderful takes here--than "Mammie" ever thought about being. The film is a deft satire of small-town life, and Hepburn is adorable--in a wondefully painful way. The subplots are fairly predictable--the usual novel stuff--but the movie survives on Hepburn's performance. This is a movie that will make you squirm and laugh at the same time. ... Read more

Description

Irwin Allen's doomsday epic pits an all-star cast against a North American invasion of killer bees! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

DVD release just about everything you could want.
Warner Brothers DVD release of Irwin Allen's cult classic bomb The Swarm features a beautifully rendered widescreen transfer (which is the only format to truly appreciate this movie), the theatrical trailer, and a straight faced and rather serious sounding behind the scenes documentary that looks to have been made for televsion airing for the film's summer time hype (it contains easy to see commercial break segues). Sadly the promised Michael Caine commentary and Big Bug trivia did not come through, though there is a biography for the late Master of Disaster in the Cast and Crew section (it is also the only one offered). As we all know, mutant killer bees threaten Texas and Michael Caine and a whole lot of back-up stars have to stop them, or else. The movie remains a goofy, silly disaster movie that is incredibly hard to dislike. If you love so bad they're good movies, then this disc is a must have. An essential for any schlock fan.

SO CHEESY IT'S A BLAST!
For sheer audacity, this is another classic howler from Irwin Allen`s epic disaster back catalogue! Michael Caine and Katharine Ross get all the unintentionally hilarious lines(CAINE: I never dreamed it would turn out to be the bees. They've always been our friends.) And these bees begin the movie by showing who really rules the skies by invading a nuclear missile silo and attacking the launch crew. They proceed to cause helicopter crashes(yes, that is in the plot!), attack a picnicking all-American family(yeeaahhh) and invade a town during its annual flower festival, causing many victims to run around like penguins trying to fly and fall all over the place looking utter idiots. As the military and scientists' attempts to wipe out the bees are miserable failures, the deadly swarm cause a spectacular train crash(special effects by the local model train shop), and much more mayhem. Then they head for (gulp!) HOUSTON! Can the all-star cast save the day??? We know the outcome, but if you would like an absolute laugh riot(I want to see the extended version myself!) and like to watch well-known names try to deadpan their way through some of the most unintentionally hilarious dialogue ever written for the screen, then this is the cheesy 1970s classic for you! The novel, by Arthur Herzog, incidentally, is much better.

A laugh riot!
Remember the days of Irwin Allen? During the 1970s, this director ruled Hollywood with several all-star, action packed disaster films. There was "The Towering Inferno" with Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. "The Poseidon Adventure" with Gene Hackman and Shelley Winters. The only one he wasn't associated with, I think, was "Earthquake" with Charlton Heston and George Kennedy. A cast of stars both major and minor populated constellation Irwin Allen. He could do no wrong-his films weren't masterpieces of cinematic art, but they drew in audiences willing to spend money to watch these epics. Then Allen made "The Swarm," and a horribly swift silence descended over Hollywood. The 1978 film about a pack of civilization threatening killer bees should receive cult classic status from lovers of crud cinema. Where else are you going to see Henry Fonda inject himself with bee venom? Or Richard Widmark going down for the count while trying to stave off bees with a flamethrower? Say what you will about this film, and you could say plenty of terrible things about it, but it definitely falls under the "so bad it's good" category and thus deserves are attention.

Something's amiss at a missile silo somewhere in Texas. The military sends in a crack team of orange suited soldiers to discover what went wrong. It turns out a swarm of killer bees attacked the installation and killed all the personnel. General Slater (Widmark) arrives on the scene to supervise only to find Dr. Brad Crane (Michael Caine) strolling around the silo. Crane claims a swarm of deadly bees did the damage, a statement confirmed by a radar operator noticing something moving away at seven (!) miles an hour. A chopper sent up crashes when the bees attack (!!). Once the military defines the problem, Crane receives the go ahead from the president to take charge of the situation. He brings in all sorts of specialists, including world-renowned immunologist Dr. Krim (Henry Fonda) and the cranky Dr. Hubbard (Richard Chamberlain). Crane ramps up the hysteria by claiming that the bees will attack anyone in sight, including population centers. Sure enough, the focus jumps to a family picnic where we see Mom and Dad collapse under the weight of a thousand bee stings. Back at central control, Crane and Krim discover that a single bee sting is enough to kill a human being.

The situation rapidly deteriorates. The bees swarm through a town, ravaging the locals at will. A train full of evacuees derails as the killer insects attack with abandon. Hundreds die as Crane and an Air Force officer named Helena Anderson (Katharine Ross) try to find a solution out in the field. More problems emerge as the bees wipe out a nuclear power plant run by Dr. Andrews (Jose Ferrar) before moving on to Houston. Every solution the military attempts fails, including an effort to use flamethrowers to burn the bees out of the city. As Houston burns in the background, as ambulances crash through windows and blow up with the force of atomic bombs, Slater worries whether history will condemn him to the ash heap for what he has done. Crane offers one final idea, an idea that, if it works, could finally destroy the swarm once and for all. Barely escaping from the flaming wreck that is Houston, Crane and Anderson execute an intricate plot involving sound and helicopters. Fortunately, science again triumphs over the evil forces of nature. And not a moment too soon, I say.

Nothing works in "The Swarm." Plot holes abound, so many that it is impossible to mention them all here. How did the bees get into an underground bunker and back out again without leaving any trace of their passing? If the swarm is such a threat, how come only one immunologist is working on finding a cure? Could bees really cause a train to derail? Questions without answers will constantly sidetrack your attention as you watch this film. Moreover, the performances from big name stars achieve a level of ridiculousness that is simply delicious to watch. Caine sleepwalks as Brad Crane, Ross looks like she's in a coma, and Widmark chews scenery without a thought to his future career. Allen throws in a bunch of ineffective and clichéd subplots, including a three way geriatric love triangle between Olivia de Havilland, Fred MacMurray, and Ben Johnson that ends in tragedy. Then there's the obligatory pregnant lady about to give birth (Patty Duke), and the altruistic self-sacrifice of Dr. Krim. Fonda's melodramatic final minutes are a marvel of hammy acting. Best line here? His vital signs are "swinging from the norm to really spooky levels." Another personal favorite occurred when de Havilland's character, a school principal, witnesses a bunch of kids falling prey to the bees outside a building. She utters a hilarious groan of agony as she turns away from the window in horror. The movie, for some reason, shows this in slow motion. Are we supposed to be laughing this hard, Mr. Allen?

I could go on and on and on again about the hammy and ridiculous levels "The Swarm" achieves during its nearly three-hour runtime. I loved every minute of it, and am thinking about buying a copy of the film soon so I can roar with derision at my leisure. Sadly, the DVD doesn't have a lot in the way of extras. There is a short television style documentary about some of the stunt work in the film that in its own right is hilarious. You get to see Henry Fonda earnestly lecture the public on the real threat of killer bees, thereby implying that the over the top stuff in the movie could "really happen." Pshaw, Henry! You ought to know better than that. Of course, I should have known better than to try and take this film seriously. A comedy classic!

Magnificent "Disasterpiece"
Great Movie! But why are the bees referred to as "The Africans" - reference to Zu Lu??? Sir Michael - can you explain??

The Swarm
The Swarm was a very realistic movie about the attack of the Afraican Bee's. It shows realism and what we can face in the future ahead of us. It was a really intersting plot.Micheal Caine was at top notch performance, also Irwin Allan did a fantastic directing job. the last 20 minutes was a great the best 20 mintues in the ending ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hopefully O. Henry Got Some Royalties Off of This One
Known for being the only film Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda starred in together, I thought I'd check out "On Our Merry Way" for its historical significance. Unfortunately, it's not very good.

The film is split into three seperate stories tied together by a rather odd framing device. Burgess Meredith and Paulette Goddard play a married couple having monetary problems, with Meredith conning his way into a reporting job to earn extra cash. He then proceeds to interview three seperate sets of people, with the angle being the way in which a child has affected each of their lives. Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda are musicians that lose their band to a "babe", Dorothy Lamour is an actress contending with a spoiled child star (echos of Shirley Temple) and finally Fred McMurray fights a battle of wits with a 10 year-old holy terror.

The first segment is pretty dull, and Jimmy and Henry are not given much to do. The second story is a little better, with Lamour doing a nice musical number sending up her exotic image called "Queen of the Hollywood Isles". The last section is a blatant [take] of O. Henry's classic short story, "The Ransom of Red Chief", only stressful instead of funny. The framing device with Goddard and Meredith is the best part of the movie, due to the strong chemistry between them.

I recommend "On Our Merry Way" as a rental for hard-core Stewart or Goddard fans, otherwise it's not really worth your time. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Is cutting off picture information "Family friendly"?
Oh, Disney! Disney! Why do you stab me in the heart so often?
This company seems to think that avoiding black little bars at the top and bottom of 4:3 television screens makes families happy and content. Why not consider us grownups instead, who are very saddened indeed to watch movies like this with the sides cut off?
Besides, what child or teenager today would tolerate viewing this movie anyhow, cropped or in letterbox format? This is definitely a film for people BORN in the fifties and sixties. Yes, it's overlong! Yes, it's corny a lot of the time! Yes, it's often dull and even boring! And yes, I still enjoy it for all its faults! But I would be ten times happier if Disney had given me this film on DVD in the correct aspect ratio of 1.78:1 - with anamorphic enhancement, of course! WHEN WILL THEY LEARN?

DVD vs VHS
I have been familiar with this film since I worked for Disney in 16mm film distribution in the 1970s. I started at Disney after just coming back from Europe, so the French settings were nice to revisit.

I am very familiar with the various negatives of this film. I agree with several reviewers that a DVD should contain the best possible picture and sound element. It should also present the film in its original, projected aspect ratio, which for BON VOYAGE was 1:85.1 (Academy 'flat') which gives the film a slight, rectangular image. However, full frame, 4 by 3 transfers of 1:85x1 pictures are not necessarily all that bad. You loose a little picture on the sides, but not really that much. Some work could have been done on color correcting, although the DVD's 'look' exactly matches the projected film.

I also agree that a few 'extras' would have been nice, even just the theatrical trailer. Walt Disney filmed 'everything' to do with his studio's product, so there must be a good amount of 'extras' for BON VOYAGE in the Disney film vaults. Why aren't they included?

Anyway, it's still nice to have this some-what overlong film back on the market. I grabbed a copy at BestBuy as soon as I spotted it. I have always felt that it was about 20 minutes too long, and that it incorporated two scenes (Fred McMurray and the French prostitute in Paris, and the attempted extortion of son Elliot on the Riviera) that should not have been in the script. The film might have done better with its intended audience. Tommy Kirk's performance as Elliot, however, is a treasure; he was a very polished actor, and gave wonderful comic relief it wasn't 'mugging' but was built solely out of his character.

Look for one mistake the original director made, and it's in the original negative, although it shouldn't have been included. When McMurray punches the Casanova in the casino at the film's end, immediately go frame by frame for a few seconds and you can see the sound stage floor, complete with ladders for the cameras, and even some of the crew in the background.

Some of the scenes bettween McMurray and James Callan (father to young suitor) still resonate even in today's society. And McMurray lost in the Paris sewers is still very funny.

THey ruined BOn VOyage!
I would like to quote a previous reviewer

"No wonder the company is about to be taken over and broken up -- DVD was introduced to be an alternative to video, to offer more than video: better picture, more extras, and most importantly, more picture. Letterboxing. Widescreen. The complete image. So what does Disney do? They take some of their most beloved live-action films such as this one, and dump it on DVD in full-frame editions. What is the point of that? Who isn't used to widescreen DVDs yet? Why should I waste my money replacing my old Disney videos with the same crappy full screen image as before? Disney just doesn't get it, and their sales show it. Quote From Viewer From New York"

I just watched it for the first time I bought it when it came out but didn't watch until today. In fact I am watching the DVD as I right htis review. I agree with you completely. The best part about it were the menus.

DISNEY DOESN'T GET IT!!!!!!
No wonder the company is about to be taken over and broken up -- DVD was introduced to be an alternative to video, to offer more than video: better picture, more extras, and most importantly, more picture. Letterboxing. Widescreen. The complete image. So what does Disney do? They take some of their most beloved live-action films such as this one, and dump it on DVD in full-frame editions. What is the point of that? Who isn't used to widescreen DVDs yet? Why should I waste my money replacing my old Disney videos with the same crappy full screen image as before? Disney just does