Reviews (97)

Nostalgic Comfort Viewing Perfect for a Family Night
THE GREAT RACE may not be a masterpiece--but it is a perfect choice for a cold and rainy night: stylish, frothy, and often flatly hilarious, it makes for "comfort viewing" at its best.

One of the movie's several charms is that it draws heavily from Victorian cliches that still linger in the public mind, gives them a gentle comic spin, and then drops them into the tale of an early 1900s auto race from New York to Paris by way of Siberia. Add to this a heap of favorite character actors, a big budget, flamboyant period costumes, and the biggest pie fight ever filmed, and you have a movie where there is always something to enjoy on the screen.

The great thing about THE GREAT RACE are the performances, which are very broad but endowed with a sly humor. The comedy accolades here go to Jack Lemmon and Peter Falk as the notorious Dr. Fate and his bumbling sidekick Max--wonderful bits of acting that will have you hooting with laughter in every scene--and Dorothy Provine scores memorably in a cameo as Lily Olay, the bombshell singer who presides over the most rootin'-tootin' saloon this side of the Pecos.

But every one, from Tony Curtis and the lovely Natalie Wood down to such cameo performers as Vivian Vance, get in plenty of comic chops as the film drifts from one outrageous episode to another: suffergettes crowding a newspaper, the biggest western brawl imaginable, polar bears, explosions, daredevil antics, and a subplot lifted from THE PRISONER OF ZENDA agreeably crowd in upon each other. True, the film does seem over-long and may drag a bit in spots, but it never drags for very long, and it's all in good fun--and the production values and memorable score easily tide over the bare spots.

The DVD bonuses aren't anything to write home about, and the film has not been restored per se--the color seems a bit faded here and there--but the print is remarkably clean and the widescreen format is an essential. This would be an excellent selection for a family movie night--or for any evening when you're alone and feeling a bit blue. Break out the popcorn, curl up on you sofa, and... as Dr. Fate would say... "Push the button, Max!"

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Great Race DVD -It's about time!!!
I have been waiting for this movie to come out on DVD. I've even written to Blake Edwards asking, "What is the hold up?"
Get ready, citizens of Boracho! Finally it's coming out!
Every time I saw Jack Lemmon in interviews I was always curious and disappointed that 'The Great Race' was never mentioned among his favorite films. Of course he made many other wonderful classic movies and I enjoyed his performance in all of them...but 'The Great Race' has been my favorite comedy for a long time. I practically can recite it along with the characters. I enjoyed some of the other reviewer's (here) favorite lines from the movie. They are my favorites too.
If you haven't seen this movie or if you haven't seen it in a long time...do yourself a favor and grab it. The laughs never stop. The casting is perfect...Tony Curtis with Keenan Wynn as his sidekick...Jack Lemmon with Peter Falk as his...Natalie Wood...Ross Martin...Vivian Vance...Larry Storch ("Now will you give me some fightin' room?!")...and many others. It doesn't get any better or funnier than this.
Hurray for the DVD. Believe me, you'll enjoy it.

A Big Ole Moose Butt
A classically structured old time villian vs the good guy film, with the obligatory sidekicks and the beautiful love interest, who will eventually succumb to the charms of The hero. More about that later. OK, the stereotypes are there, but that's what the movie was about. Charging from the gate with the player piano, boos and hiss when the cast boards are shown, the movie brings the viewer up to speed very fast with humor and great slapstick. Following a PR auto race in the early days of the 20th century, the film follows the main characters through the landscape of the US and Europe. Sight gags abound and the scenery is often breathtaking. The plot is easy to floow and it's good fun. For the movie fan who doesn't want to disect a movies' every nuance, this is especially fun and worth seeing time and again. The characters will keep you laughing long after the soundtrack has ended,. I would comment more on the plot, but nearly 100 people already handled that - look, just take a chance on it. It's great fun.

A lot of fun, but not what it should have been.
Epics were in vogue in the Sixties, and even the early Seventies(although I can't really see a hippie watching any of them), and it was only natural that comedies would get the "big" bug. IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD and THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL make up two of the big three. The other is THE GREAT RACE, Blake Edward's 159 minute slapstick excursion, restored on DVD in complete roadshow fashion, with overture, intermission, entr'acte, and exit music. And yet, for a film of this type, it is less about the race than about the rivalry between Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) and the Great Leslie (Tony Curtis). There is precious little racing, and though the film is far from boring and has much going for it (the finale to Part One is brilliant) one can't help but wonder what it would have been like if the other entries in the race regrouped after being snuffed out and made their mad dashes for the forefront. That would make it THE GREAT RACE. Also, the lack of other challenge leaves a depressing side effect; the film seems mildly unfinished and undernourished, like 2 hours and 40 minutes of a 3 plus hour movie. And yet, the film has so much going for it that to ignore it is rather unfair. What there is (I should note that due to the previously noted flaws, the chapters on the disc make it a more pleasing experience) is very well made, and one can appreciate what they put into it.

If only they put more.

Jamie Teller

DVD version is fullscreen not widescreen
The movie is spectacular. This DVD version is a bomb. Shame on Warner Brothers for their greediness and lack of effort to bring widescreen versions to the masses including updated soundtracks and clean film reels! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

All film noirs need deceit, betrayal, dialogue hard as diamonds--and dames even harder than that. But Gilda is the only one with the dame front and center, and for good reason. Rita Hayworth shimmers in the 1946 classic, which spins on a tortured plot involving the title character (Hayworth); her imperious husband (George Macready), a ruthless casino owner and head of an Argentine tungsten cartel (!); and Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford), Gilda's ex-lover and now her husband's go-fer. But no one watches Gilda for the plot, except to learn that all the characters have secrets--perhaps even ones they would kill for. Hayworth captures Gilda's vulnerability beneath her devil-may-care front ("If I'd been a ranch, they would have named me the Bar Nothing"). Not to be missed: Hayworth's slinky striptease to "Put the Blame on Mame." --Anne Hurley ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Worth seeing 100 times!
They don't make them like this anymore! An exciting film noir with the beautiful Rita Hayworth and the handsome Glenn Ford. They were the most popular movie couple of the 1940s/1950s and seeing GILDA you're caught in this love triangle of a women torn by love/hate and two men falling into her trap. Rita does the unforgettable "Put the Blame on Mame." A MUST SEE for fans of these two classic mega-stars!

"There never was a woman like Gilda!"
This artificial melodrama is only redeemed by the absorbing performances of its lead actors. Set in the Argentine, along a backdrop of gambling casinos, illicit trade and international intrigue, it portrays an American gambler (Glenn Ford) who is enlisted to become the right-hand-man of a powerful casino owner. He is struck by the fact that his new boss's wife, Gilda, is an old flame of his, a sensuous, enigmatic and manupulative "femme fatale", played by the sex bomb of the 1940s, Rita Hayworth. The story develops along a pattern of a love triangle sustained by reciprocal hate, love and domination as the trio dramatically pit their wits against each other. The dialogue sparkles once managed by these actors and in this style. Hayworth is captivating as Gilda, perhaps her most accomplished performance. Ford is also good as the gambler promoted by the boss to casino top-dog, though the honours also have to go to George Macready as the the husband and boss, the ice-cold, self-possessed, aristocratic type. The character actors, particularly Joseph Calleia and Stevan Geray, provide excellent support. The digitally remastered version of the film restores the crisp quality of the black-and-white phtography.

"I make my own luck."
In Charles Vidor's classic film "Gilda" Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) plays a down-on-his luck drifter in Argentina. One night, he meets mysterious casino owner Ballin Mundson (George Macready), and soon Johnny is working in the casino--and rapidly rises to become Ballin's right-hand man. Johnny has a rosy future until Ballin leaves for a short period and returns with a juicy new bride--Gilda (Rita Hayworth).

Johnny and Gilda had a relationship in the past that turned sour. Ballin quickly guesses the true state of affairs and a rather bizarre love triangle ensues....

Ballin attempts to control Gilda by giving her a very long leash. He has some rather dirty business in his past, and that keeps him occupied. Ballin assigns the role of watchdog to Johnny. Johnny finds this role excruciatingly painful, and he's caught between fealty to his employer and suppressed lust for Gilda. Johnny attempts to control Gilda by locking her up--neither man's plan works. Gilda remains an exotic, reckless creature who endangers herself in order to make a point. Gilda's wild attitude towards life, and her sarcasm--loaded with suggestive meaning--is brilliant. When describing herself, Gilda says, "If I'd been a ranch, they'd have named me the Bar Nothing." All men want to possess her, and yet possession is the one thing she won't allow.

Rita Hayworth as Gilda is simply stunning. There's no other word that I can use. When she's in a scene, she takes over--with her body, her movements, and her reckless approach to life. When she enters Ballin's sharply controlled existence, chaos rules, and she sends out shock waves of desire to all who see her. Hayworth performs a semi-striptease during a song, and she removes one item of clothing. The crowd roars with delight, and the men in the audience have to be physically restrained from ravishing her on the spot. Amazing stuff. For film noir buffs, I recommend this film. It's highly entertaining, full of great-one liners, and Rita Hayworth is nothing less that magnificent. The DVD was marvelous quality and well worth the purchase--displacedhuman.

Rita Hayworth stars as GILDA, with her 2 GAY boyfriends!
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I remember the first time I saw this noir classic as a teenager and thinking how wonderful it was that a film had been made in the mid-1940's that actually featured a plot about two gay men and their diva girlfriend.

Years later, I read an interview with Glenn Ford in which he said that everyone who worked on the film knew there was an obvious gay storyline, but that due to the film being made in the 1940's, they had to be very subtle in their interpretations of gay lovers on-screen. It's still obviously clear that George Macready is Glenn Ford's rich and not-so-charming sugar daddy. Both leading men wear so much product in their hair and are so well dressed and manicured, you just KNOW they can't be straight!

It doesn't take a genious to figure out that the two leading men are more than just good buddies. When Mundson first presents his new wife Gilda to his male lover Johnny, he says "Quite a surprise to hear a woman's voice in my house, isn't it Johnny?" Well, you can tell by the look on Johnny's (Glenn Ford) face just how surprised he is!

Gilda is the perfect trophy-wife for any gay man in the 1940's who's running a gambling casino and who needs the perfect "beard" to keep up a straight appearance. Gilda is just so fabulous that any gay man would love her... except of course for Glenn Ford, whose insanely jealous of his boyfriend's new diva; for reasons that are never made quite clear in the film. (Probably due to heavy post-production censoring, of which much was done by the notorious Hayes Office that censored all films of this era.)

In fact, Gilda is so fabulous, that not only does Mundson marry her, but when he "dies" in the film, Gilda is then married by Mundson's lover Johnny! (Of course neither marriage is ever consummated - a fact made quite clear in the film.)

Gilda is so diva-esque, she's almost a drag queen! The gowns, the shoes, the hair! FAB-u-lous! The ad-line for the film stated: "There never was a woman like Gilda". Of course there never was a woman like Gilda. Gilda wasn't supposed to be like any real woman, she was a fabulous cartoon. While there may never have been a woman like Gilda, we had the closest thing: Rita Hayworth.

Of her own real-life problems with men, Rita was quoted as saying "All the men I knew went to bed with Gilda and woke up with ME." Who could live up to the reputation of Gilda, the character of whom "there never was a woman like"? Poor Rita!

Watch this film with a "queer eye" and you won't see any "straight guy" in the storyline. Snaps for good gay cinema of the forties!

P.S. If they ever decide to remake this film, I would recommend that they cast TV's "Will & Grace" lead stars Deborah Messing as Rita Hayworth and Eric McCormick as Glenn Ford. They would be PERFECT cast in these immortal roles! (Deborah Messing is SO Rita Hayworth, and she plays off McCormick just as Rita played off Glenn Ford. The casting would be ingenious!

"Maybe That Stands for Something"
Rita Hayworth went down in Hollywood history as the Love Goddess. Her title role in *Gilda* (Columbia Pictures, 1946) leaves no doubt why. Yet here she is much more than a sex symbol. For one thing, Rita was a seriously talented actress. For another, she was one of the best dancers in films. To this day her performance in *Gilda* remains unrivaled as a combo of skill, sensuality, sensitivity, and sheer drop-dead pulchritude. Columbia's catchy ad-phrase for the film was, "There never was a woman like Gilda." You'd better believe it. Glenn Ford perfectly fills out the character of Johnny Farrel, the young gambler who hates to love femme fatale Gilda. In return, Gilda loves to hate Johnny. George MacReady offers an outstanding performance as murderous Ballin Mundson, the man Gilda fears.

If you like movies that challenge the viewer to figure out hidden meanings, then *Gilda* is for you. "Maybe that stands for something," Rita-as-Gilda says near the beginning; "Maybe that means something," she says near the end. Halfway through she says, "Any psychiatrist would say that means something." The question of interpretation hangs over the entire film, loaded as it is with symbolism and double-entendres.

On the other hand, you can ignore the subtext and enjoy *Gilda* as a noirish romantic mystery-thriller. It's a beautiful flick to look at in black and white, and it's never boring, even all the decades since it was made. Some reviewers say the plot is difficult to follow. I don't agree; the story is both logical and economical. But that may be because I understand *Gilda* to be a dramatized introduction to the psychological concepts of C.G. Jung. Never mind. If you like your movies to be just movies, *Gilda* tastefully blends ingredients from *Casablanca*, *The Maltese Falcon*, *Notorious* and *The Big Sleep*, then stirs in its own original sauce. In my opinion, it's an improvement upon those classics, as fine as they are by themselves.

I wouldn't call *Gilda* a true film noir, for the reason that at the end the male and female leads are triumphant instead of tormented. Great films of the 1940s that had real "noir" (black) denouements are *Criss Cross*, *Detour*, *Double Indemnity*, *Scarlet Street*, *The Killers* and *The Postman Always Rings Twice*. Still, on their way to a happy ending Johnny and Gilda pass through a landscape that is darker and more suggestive of spiritual abandonment than most '40s film noirs dared explore. At the same time, because of the intense chemistry between the leads, *Gilda* sizzles hotter than any film of that period I can think of.

Love the music too. Five stars. They just don't make 'em like this any more. ... Read more

Reviews (79)

Paths of Glory: An Ironical Title If There Ever Was One
Stanley Kubrick's PATHS OF GLORY is one of the most gripping war movies ever filmed. Its power does nor come from an impressive body count. THE LONGEST DAY and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN have higher counts but what makes this movie so special is the battle that goes on in the courtroom. Kirk Douglas plays Colonel Dax of the French army, a man of bravery and impeccable integrity. When he is given an order to attack, he will obey it since he assumes that the order is a rational one that fits into the larger scheme of winning a battle. His commanding officer, played with sublime officiousness by Adolphe Menjou, orders a suicide attack on a heavily defended German position with predictable results. Dax's men are beaten back with ruinous losses. The general seeks a scapegoat for the defeat since if he has none, then he must shoulder responsibility. He chooses to blame his regiment for cowardice, and randomly chooses three soldiers for a courts-martial. It is Dax's job to defend them. It is during the trial that Kubrick raises some tough questions about the morality of war and the need to obey all orders, regardless of their surface illogic. Despite a solid defense, Dax realizes that the verdict was in even before the trial began, and the three unlucky soldiers are shot by firing squad. As Dax grows to understand the nature of the beast called war, so does the audience. In war, top commanders often regard their armies of men as little more than chess pieces, to be placed here and there on whim. Losses are expected and uncried over. Dax shakes up the entire French High Command by demanding that someone in a high place owes it to the dead to cry over them, even if he is the only one willing to do so. Whatever illusions about fair play in military justice that remain after the guilty verdict is in vanish when he speaks to the commander of the general who ordered the attack in the first place. This general tells Dax that the offending general has been relieved of command. However, he also tells Dax that despite knowing the idiocy of the attacking order and the equal idiocy of demanding the guilty verdict, he still insists that it was more important to safeguard the holiness of obedience to orders than to safeguard the well-being of the men attempting to carry out those orders. It is this closing scene of disillusionment that teaches Dax that though war may be inherently chaotic, human beings must not be so. The events of the war following this war teach us that some lessons humanity will probably never learn.

CULT MOVIES 58
58. PATHS OF GLORY (war, 1957) France, 1916: During W.W.I Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) is ordered by General Meraud (George McReady) to advance the enemy and take an important 'ant hill'. The General's orders prove suicidal as most of the advancing soldiers are killed. There is an inevitable retreat. Seeing this as an act of insubordination by Colonel Dax and his men he orders 3 men from each regiment be executed for mutiny. But Colonel Dax is determined to defend the men in court.

Critique: Along with the legendary 'All Quiet on the western Front' this is considered as the most important war film made. Both take place in the mud-laden maze of trench warfare and deals with the inept attitudes of the military leaders. Whereas 'Western Front' deals more with the subject of innocent blood being taken to their slaughter by uncompromising Generals, 'Paths' delves into the political aspects and moral issues associated with war. Director Stanley Kubrick reveled in showing just how topsy-turvy authoritarian figures can be especially in times of war where all common sense disappears. He would take things to the absurd with 'Dr. Strangelove' and completely destroy social fabric with the pessimistic 'Clockwork Orange'. Every major Hollywood house initially turned down 'Paths' until Kirk Douglas stepped in and co-produced the project. The result was to prove Kubrick's first masterpiece establishing him as a major director. The film's many symbolic and outright topical points will remain important.

QUOTES: Gen. Meraud: "The men died wonderfully. There's always that chance that one of them will do something that will leave everyone with a bad taste. This time you couldn't ask for none better."

An unforgettable film!
This is one the finest works of Stanley Kubrick. There are few movies in the cinema story so shocking like this. The nasty human condition and the greed of a General makes he sents a command under Kirk Douglas's service to a real suicide. It's imposible reach the desired goal.
To save his reputation they are sent to a jury arguing cowardy .
This is a heavyweight anti war movie. Kirk Douglas in one of his most powerful roles in his career.
A cult movie!
A must in your collection.

Stanley Kubrick's film on the futility and madness of war
In 1916 France Commander Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) wants General Mireau (George Macready) to have his battered division take the "Ant Hill", an impregnable German fortress, promising Mireau a promotion and another story if he succeeds. Mireau orders Dax (Kirk Douglas) to lead the charge, which is a complete failure. When soldiers are pinned down by German artillery and machine gun fire Mireau orders his own artillery to fire on their own trenches, screaming, "If those sweethearts won't face German bullets, they'll take French ones!"

"Paths of Glory" has a deserved reputation as a great anti-war film but I think that director Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Humphrey Cobb's 1935 semi-fictional novel is a rather specific indictment of both a particular military and a particular war. The suicidal attack in the first act of the film was loosely based upon the battle for Fort Douamont during the Battle of Verdun, where over 300,000 French soldiers lost their lives. The assault, doomed to fail before it began, is ordered by French generals more concerned with prestige and promotions than the lives of their troops or the actual prospects for success. In the wake of the disaster three men are selected to be tried and then executed for cowardice. They are defended in court by their commander, Colonel Dax, the lone voice of reason speaking out against the insanity of what has happened.

This film was banned for almost twenty years in France and it is an indictment of the French military on a par with those films that have touched on the infamous Dreyfus case. I have trouble extended this indictment beyond these French generals, not only because in cinematic history there is this sense of this being standard practice for the French military but because hypocritically sending troops to such senseless death is rare in American military history. A.P. Hill sending Confederate troops in a series of useless charges to teach them a lesson at the Battle of Franklin comes to mind, but I remember most American generals as taking blame and responsibility for such slaughters (e.g., Burnside at Fredericksburg, Lee after Pickett's Charge, Grant with regard to the final charge at Cold Harbor).

But there is also a sense in which we identify this sort of waste of young soldiers with World War I. In cinematic terms the obvious comparison is to "Gallipoli," where British troops are having tea on the beaches while Australian troops are gunned down in a needless charge ordered by stubborn British generals (another category of military leaders easy treat with disdain given how they are portrayed in the movies). The Civil War has provided amble evidence that troops charging entrenched or fortified positions was horribly futile and yet fifty years later European armies were still sending thousands of men against machine guns (the iconic weapon of the first World War). As the opening narration explains, "Successful attacks were measured in hundreds of yards - and paid for in lives by hundreds of thousands."

The title of the book/film comes from a line in Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," where the poet writes, "The paths of glory lead but to the grave." This might be an anti-war film but it still shows the heroism of the troops as Kubrick uses a tracking shot to follow the Dax and his soldiers across No Man's Land against the German fort. After all, these men are fighting an army that has invaded their country, so there is a sense in which the title is inappropriate simply because these men are not involved in a quest for glory.

The film was shot in Germany and cinematographer Georg Krause provides one of the sharpest black & white films you have ever seen. The clarity is almost daunting and it is impossible not to think that it is not but another part of Kubrick's grand design. As for the performance by Douglas I would agree with the general consensus that this is his finest performance, even over what he would provide for Kubrick three years later in "Spartacus."

In the end Kubrick makes a final argument for the universality of human experience when a German singer (Susanne Christian, who was Christiane Kubrick wife of the director) is forced to sing a song for the French troops whose jeers turn to tears. There are, relatively speaking compared to other wars, relatively few films about the First World War. But it is rather impressive when you start listing the ones that immediately come to mind ("Wings," "All Quiet on the Western Front," "Sgt. York," "Gallipoli") how good they tend to be and how many of them are, at their essence, anti-war films. For that, I think the credit for linking that particular war with the idea of the futility of war clearly belongs to Erich Maria Remarque, author of "All Quiet on the Western Front."

"Paths of glory lead but to the grave"
"Paths of Glory" is a beautifully filmed B&W movie by director Stanley Kubrick, and stars Kirk Douglas in one of his finest roles. It is a timeless anti-war movie whose message will not go out of style.

Basically, 3 French soldiers are court-martialed to take the blame for a failed suicide attack on the Germans. Although Kirk Douglas commanded the men, he also defends them at the trial.

Well acted by all, with excellent photography and direction, this movie currently resides at #39 on the IMDB list. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

The Clock's Ticking!
John Farrow's "The Big Clock" is one of the great noir films of the 40's. The downside is many people have 1) rarely seen it. 2) Many haven't even heard of it! Ray Milland stars as George Stroud a man who as the film goes on will have to track down a murderer when all the clues lead to one man, him! How can he prove his innocence. And how will he get anyone to believe him? These are the interesting questions that arise as you watch this film.
George Stroud (Milland) works for a publication that somehow manages to break cases before the police do. He is also suppose to go on his honeymoon with his wife Georgette (Maureen O' Sullivan) which is long overdue ( they now have a 5 year old son!). But, his boss Earl Janoth (Charles Laughton) wants him to postpone his honeymoon. Claiming he'll give him higher pay and a month's vaction. But George knows his wife will kill him if he's not there ready to leave with her lol. Now, one thing leads to another ( I don't want to give anyway too much of the plot). But George ends up missing his train and spends the night with Janoth's mistress! Later on that night, he finds that Janoth's mistress is dead! Was it murder? Well, all directions point that way since George saw Janoth go into Pauline York's (Rita Johnson) apartment. In an attempt to cover up his actions, Janoth tells George he has to solve the case before the police get involved. "The Big Clock" has a great musical score by Victor Young, nice cimatography by Daniel L. Fapp & John F. Seitz. And, fammed costume designer Edit Head does wonderful work. All of these things give this movie the "classic" noir feel to it. There are good, solid performances by everyone, and nice directing by Farrow. This is a very pleasurable film to watch on one of those rainy, dark nights, that just feels like watching a noir film. One of the best noir films I've ever seen.

Ray Milland and Charles Laughton Together. Enough Said...
As my title reads, this is indeed a captivating film-noir. The idea of a boss trying to blame an employee for murder might not have been a new one even in 1948, however with all its intriguing actors, witty taglines, and outstanding artistic quality, this film is perfect in the mystery world. Everybody should own a copy of "The Big Clock."

THE BIG CLOCK IS A BIG LETDOWN
I remember this movie from years back, and thought it was a pretty nifty noir thriller. A repeat viewing reveals it to be a bit on the trite side. Maybe it's Ray Milland's bland performance, but I had trouble getting through this one. Not all old films are true "classics" and this one is better left on the shelf, in my opinion.

There are many better examples of Film Noir out there. Give me LAURA or OUT OF THE PAST any day over this.

VICERAL NOIR DRAMA TINGED WITH COMEDY
"The Big Clock" is a brilliant labyrinth of dark humor and cyclical twists and turns - rather like riding a funhouse car into the murky blackness of uncertainty but with the nervous expectation that you are about to be frightened out of your mind. The film is a taut, lean thriller that presents a curious predicament for its hero, George Stroud (Ray Milland). He's a star reporter who is assigned to cover the murder of a mysterious woman by his punctually obsessed editor, Earl Janoth (Charles Laughton). There's just one little wrinkle that needs to be overcome; the overworked Stroud not only knows the woman in question but spent the night with her before she met with her untimely demise. There's also something else to consider; the woman was Janoth's mistress. Now the question arises for Stroud: how to accurately cover the scoop, report all the facts, expose the killer and keep his own name out of the proceedings. Both men are feverishly working to solve the crime, unwittingly culminating in accusations that will expose both their prior relationships with the corpse. Elsa Lanchester appears as Louise Patterson, the high-strung painter whose sketch of the prime suspect slowly begins to take on the figure of George Stroud. "The Big Clock" was remade in 1987 as the Kevin Costner thriller, "No Way Out".
THE TRANSFER: The gray scale is very nicely balanced with solid, deep and rich blacks and very smooth looking whites. There are instances where contrast levels appear somewhat low and fine detail seems slightly out of focus, but truly, there's nothing to generally disappoint one from this visual presentation. Occasionally pixelization breaks apart the background information - but only briefly and usually between dissolves. There's also a minor hint of edge enhancement that is barely noticeable. The audio is mono but very nicely cleaned up. There are no extras.

The Big Clock
Thrilling "Film Noir" type mystery. Ray Milland works for a magazine publisher who commits a murder. All the clues however point to Milland as the killer. He races against time to prove his innocence. First Rate Thriller! ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Makes me want to stand up and salute
"Seven Days In May" has an impressive cast list, great direction, and great story.

For the MTV generation, this would probably be very boring as it relies on insightful realistic dialog and some powerful non-jerking camera-work to tell a great story.

Burt Lancaster is Kirk Douglas' superior officer in the same military outfit, and Douglas suspects Lancaster is up to something secret and no good. The relationship and animosity between them is powerful and convincing as the story unfolds and the secret slowly comes out. Frederick March plays a convincing president, who, at first cautiously suspicious, grows more determined as the movie reaches its climax. The three or four supporting roles are handled superbly as well.

I guess it would fit into the category of "political thriller", and goes well with the other 3 major cold-war era movies - "Dr. Strangelove" (satire), "Fail Safe" (drama), and "The Manchurian Candidate" (drama, also directed by John Frankenheimer).

The DVD includes an entertaining commentary by the director, John Frankenheimer.

All around a well-done movie. I have over 200 DVD's and this goes in my top 20 for sure.

Crisp and Compelling Drama
For whatever reasons, I am intrigued by films and television programs which offer recreations of Presidential activities which are presumably authentic. The West Wing, for example, as well as The American President and this film. Produced by Kirk Douglas and directed by John Frankenheimer, Seven Days in May is based on a hypothetical and perhaps plausible idea: During the Cold War, a cabal of senior-level officers in the United States military services led by General Robert Mattoon Scott (Lancaster) secretly plan a coup by which to remove President Jordan Lyman (March) who is perceived to be "soft" on Communism, indeed naive as he stubbornly pursues policies which (the officers fear) would render their beloved nation impotent to foreign domination. Kept highly secret for obvious reasons, the coup preparations have been underway for quite some time as the film begins. Douglas plays Colonel Martin ("Jiggs") Casey, a Marine officer who reports directly to General Scott. Casey views Scott (as do countless others) as a great American patriot. As portrayed by Lancaster, he is indeed impressive. At times intimidating. Scott's brilliant mind is wholly free of any second thoughts, either about himself or about the course on which he proceeds. Of course, he and his coup associates are committing treason.

Inadvertently, Casey learns about the coup and at first refuses to believe it. Loyal to Scott and methodical by nature, he begins to gather the salient facts like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle (no pun intended), dreading the image which begins to emerge. At this point, it would be a disservice to those who have not as yet seen the film to reveal any more about the narrative. Suffice to say that Frankenheimer brilliantly increases the tension as President Jordan and his associates (who include a reluctant Colonel Casey) scramble to prevent the coup. The acting is consistently outstanding. The events preceding the inevitable climax are credible (including some unexpected luck which does not seem to me farfetched), and the film concludes with style and grace. It is worth noting that Rod Serling wrote the screenplay, based on a best-selling novel co-authored by Fletcher Knebel and Charles Waldo Bailey II. Also, that Ava Gardner skillfully plays a small but essential role as Eleanor Holbrook. This is not a thriller, much less a chiller. Rather, the film offers an especially interesting story, well-told. It has lost little (if any) of its dramatic impact during the almost 40 years since its initial release. Thoughtful and thought-provoking entertainment is always appreciated, whenever and wherever we may find it.

Mayday
Funny how both conservatives and liberals can cook up their own paranoid fantasies from the same sets of facts. This Kennedy-era melodrama hearkens back to both the October 1962 missile crisis and the Nuclear Test Ban treaty of JFK's administration. When some people on the Right claimed the country was being handed over to the Soviets, two liberal Washington reporters cranked out the novel "Seven Days in May" about a military coup to topple the government. The movie is a faithful re-creation of the book and it's plain ridiculous. Burt Lancaster plays an updated Air Force version of Douglas MacArthur whose nefarious scheme is foiled by a smug band of patriots led by Kirk Douglas. Frederic March's President is so un-appealing you wish somebody would overthrow him, and poor Ava Gardner, 15 years on from being the most beautiful girl in Hollywood, looks like death warmed over. Rod Serling's script is riddled with a pomposity he usually edited out of his "Twilight Zone" work.

A cold war general with god-like pretensions.
That is General James Matoon Scott, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, played by Burt Lancaster. He is dismissive & looks down on everyone including the president whom he despises for his perceived weakness. The President (Fredrick March) has decided to unilaterally disarm our nuclear weapons. General Scott will attempt to seize power. This concerns Col. "Jiggs" Casey, (Kirk Douglas) Scott's chief of staff & best friend. Douglas's character is the key. He informs the president of the plot, as it becomes known to him & contacts Scott's old mistress (Ava Gardner). Edmund O'Brien won an Oscar as the president's best friend, a drunken southern senator. Rounding out the fine cast is Martin Balsam as a presidential advisor. The suspense builds as they attempt to stop the coup. No special effects here, very little action of any kind.
Frankenheimer has a more subtle touch in this movie, the follow-up to the Manchrian Canidate. This one is not quite as good but still an engossing flick.

GREAT POLITICAL THRILLER
One year after "The Manchurian Candidate", John Frankenheimer was back at it with "Seven Days in May", screenwritten by "Twi-Light Zone" creator Rod Serling. Serling's "Zone's" were a masterpiece of semi-liberal social conscience. Frankenheimer seized on another 1950s novel based on the real events of 1934, in which Republican industrialists recruited Marine hero Smedley Butler to orchestrate a coup d'etat against FDR. The novel and Frankenheimer's film fictionalize the event. It was, again, one of the best movies ever made, but completely liberal. Frankly, I have to ask why in 1963 the decision was made to examine a political conspiracy from 1934 when the worst political crime in U.S. history, the stealing of the 1960 election by Kennedy over Nixon, had occurred just three years prior. The answer to that question, my friend, is blowin' in the wind.
After JFK's assassination, "The Manchurian Candidate" was pulled because it hit too close to home, but in June, 1968 RFK was staying at Frankenheimer's Malibu home the night of the California Primary. He was tired and wanted to stay there. The enthusiasm of his victory that night convinced him to make the long drive on a twisting, turning Pacific Coast Highway, up the Santa Monica Freeway to downtown Los Angeles, where Sirhan Sirhan was waiting for him with a gun at the Ambassador Hotel.
Kirk Douglas is the Butler character In "Seven Days In May", an upright Marine whose politics are explained early by a fellow officer who says to him, "I though you'd be an ACLU lawyer by now, protecting the great unwashed." Douglas describes this officer as the kind who would be better suited for an army that goosesteps. Good dialogue, though. Burt Lancaster is the right wing Air Force General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is modeled after Curtis LeMay, although the Lancaster swagger and charisma make him far more appealing. Frederick March is President Jordan Lyman, an ardent liberal who has just signed a peace treaty with the Soviets that presumably dismantles much of our nuclear arsenal. Lancaster does not trust the Soviet will honor their end of the bargain. Therefore he is convinced they will strike and America will be lost. A U.S. Senator is in on Lancaster's plot to take over the Presidency. They make him from California just to make sure he is affiliated with Dick Nixon. Nice touch. The public is solidly against the President, fueled by a right wing radio host in a prescient script device. In the end, the "protector of the great unwashed," Douglas, foils the plot and March's speech to the D.C. press corps is met by a standing ovation. Oh, those evil militarists and Republicans.

(...) ... Read more

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What a difference a few years can make. The Desert Fox, releasedsix years after the end of World War II, is a solemnly respectful tribute toErwin Rommel, Germany's most celebrated military genius. James Mason's portrayalof this gallant warrior became a highlight of his career iconography. The filmitself is oddly disjointed: a precredit commando raid to liquidate Rommel isfollowed by a flashback to the field-marshal's lightning successes commandingthe Afrika Korps—-a compressed account via documentary footage and copiousnarration (spoken by Michael Rennie, who also dubs Desmond Young, the Rommelbiographer and onetime British POW appearing briefly as himself). The dramaticcore is Rommel's growing disenchantment with Hitler (Luther Adler), hisinvolvement in the plot to assassinate der Führer, and his subsequent martyrdom. Mason's Rommel returned two years later for a flamboyant, mostly German-speakingcameo in The Desert Rats, a prequel focusing on the battle for Tobruk.--Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (17)

English actor, James Mason, makes a great Rommel.
Originally copyright by 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, in 1951, only six years after the end of World War Two, this black and white film gives a shallow overview of the last years of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel: the Desert Fox.

Once you get past the opening rather stagey scenes, of British commandos raiding a German headquarters building in north Africa, hoping to kill the Desert Fox in his lair, the rest of the film is carried along guite well, by the great performance of James Mason, as Rommel. This performance is the only reason I rated this film as four stars, without Mason I would have been disapointed.

Other members of the cast do fine jobs too, notably Cedric Hardwicke and Leo G. Carroll. One can find good entertainment based on real events.

D-Day: the invasion of Normandy, is a highlight of this film. There are several minutes of what appears to be genuine newsreel footage of the storming of the beaches: the ships off shore, the guns, the planes, brave men falling. It's all very real at this point.

"The Desert Fox" was made in an era when the directors, producers, and the Hollywood Establishment in general, were less preachy, and less likely to distort the truth in order to promote a social agenda. That is a big plus for this film.

On the down side: the film starts off with several undisclosed advertisements for other videos, of like kind, by Fox. This is borderline dishonest, as consumers have paid for entertainment and expect it to be commercial free. At the very least, the ads should be disclosed, before anyone makes a purchaseing decision.

All in all, "The Desert Fox" is good entertainment and deserves a look.

A Proper Tribute To The Desert Fox
Henry Hathaway's 1951 film on Erwin Rommel, NAZI Germany's most brilliant tactician whose indirect involvement in a failed plot to assassinate Hitler resulted in his untimely death.

The film is a character study and focuses more on Rommel's relationship with Hitler and the German High Command as opposed to his achievements as a military tactician. Because the nature of his death wasn't very well known at that time, the film focuses on Rommel's deteriorating relationship with Hitler and his eventual participation in the assassination plot. This is normal since, with the film being made only 6 years after the end of WWII, audiences would have been quite unreceptive to a film glorifying a German general's military exploits against allied forces.

All in all, James Mason delivers a brilliant performance as a man who is struggling with his conscience. Is his duty as a general to just obey Hitler or to protect Germany from destruction? What should he do when Hitler's megalomania is a greater threat to Germany than the Allies themselves? How can he be a good soldier and live with himself by committing treason: even if treason is the only logical alternative? Although the film isn't entirely accurate in its history, it succeeds in capturing all of the internal conflicts Rommel must have suffered in deciding what to do. The film is also accurate in portraying the impossible dilemma faced by Von Runstedt and others in the German High Command with Hitler's incessant meddling in military planning and execution. As the movie shows, by 1944 Hitler assumed direct control of virtually all military operations in the major theaters with disastrous results (i.e. insisting that most heavy guns and panzer divisions remain in Calais even when the D-Day invasion was well underway). This dilemma was dealt with humor in the movie when Von Runsted sarcastically tells Rommel about how corporals (i.e. Hitler) are such brilliant strategists and tacticians who clearly know far more about waging war than your run-of-the-mill Field Marshalls: "You know how rigid those corporals can be."

Altogether a great film that sheds light on the character of one of the greatest military tacticians of the 20th Century. A film not to be missed.

Not enough action
This movie is misleadingly named. Although Rommel was indeed the commander of Germany's Afrika Corp in World War II, and there earned a reputation as a master tactician, that is not what this movie is about. Two-thirds of this movie's 88 minute length focuses on Rommel's minor role in a conspiracy to kill Hitler. The conspiracy failed, and Rommel eventually paid with his life for his involvement. (In truth, Rommel was lucky. The other conspirators were hanged on piano wire and died a painful death. Because he had been built up into a national hero, Rommel was given the opportunity to take poison, and the public was told he died of war wounds.

I'm afraid most viewers, jaded by modern F/X and action laden efforts like Saving Private Ryan, will be disappointed with this rather inexpensively made effort from 1951. There is very little action other than a commando raid during the first five minutes of the movie. The little remaining action is actual stock footage of the war, skillfully cut into the film. The movie is very talky, focusing on Rommel's relationship with his wife and son, Field Marshal Von Rundstedt, and Adolph Hitler.

I have to admit that when I watched an early scene that showed Rommel in North Africa, wearing a long black leather overcoat consulting with his officers, I said to myself "pure Hollywood! there is no way he would have been wearing that in the hot desert." Then I went to my library and consulted a book on Rommel, lavishly illustrated with photographs. Not only was Rommel wearing the black leather overcoat, he was dressed precisely as depicted in the movie. There is also a remarkable resemblance between Rommel and James Mason, who does an outstanding job portraying Rommel in the movie. The moviemakers got it right, and I was wrong.

The Desert Fox and The Desert Rats - really a set!
Both these movies have James Mason playing the part of General Erwin Rommell. The Desert Rats is the story of Australian Infantry under the command of a British Officer (Richard Burton)who although out numbered and out gunned delay the advance of Rommell's Afrika Corps outside of Tobruk until the British Relief Column arrives. Almost like a sequel to The Desert Rats is the story of The Desert Fox. This story is told through the eyes of an ex-British Officer who after the war tries to find out exactly how and why Rommell died under the Nazi Regime. The story reveals how an unwell Rommell, recently returned from the middle east campaign is invited to join the plot to kill Hitler. It shows Rommell's battle of conscience over his loyalty to an insane leader and his knowledge of the plot for that leader's assassination. Although he will not support the plot to kill Hitler, Rommell will not turn the conspirators in either - a decision that would cost him his life.

I strongly recommend the purchase of both these movies.

Decent Semi-Biographical Film
In between stock footage and some odd chase scenes, this is a pretty good film about Erwin von Rommel.

Rommel has always been my hero, and James Mason gives a fine performance as "the Desert Fox." OK, so maybe he doesn't look like Rommel, but he plays him well and his looks aren't as off as some other atrocious role choices have been. John Wayne as Ghengis Khan comes to mind.

Rommel is pretty well realized, although I would have also liked to have seen his earlier life shown as well. I understand that probably wasn't the intention of the film makers, and as showing Rommel in his WWII life, this film succeeds. ... Read more

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Hot on the heels of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Bette Davis slipped neatly into another juicy thriller. This time, instead of co-starring with Joan Crawford, she got to play opposite... herself. Dead Ringer casts Davis as a wealthy (and nasty) widow, and also as her slatternly (but good) twin sister, long estranged. When the poor sister discovers the depths of her sib's evil, she takes a dramatic step that will test her skills as a thespian. Davis's old leading man, Paul Henreid, directs this material at a leaden pace, but Davis gives such a brazen performance, she pulls it through. Plus, the moments of high trash (a red-hot poker rammed into a hand, a lethal dog attack) are easily savored. Peter Lawford's seedy playboy and Karl Malden's stolid cop fill out the key supporting roles--not that anybody else matters. This is Bette Davis's world; everybody else is just visiting. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Can you stand Bette Davis in a dual role? This is the best.
Can you stand Bette Davis in a dual role? Edith goes to the funeral of Frank, a man she used to know personally. Frank was the husband of Margaret. There the widow asked Edith to come home with her. It has been 18 years since they had seen each other. Margaret lives in a mansion and is very well-to-do. Edith rents a Los Angeles cocktail tavern and she also occupies in the upstairs apartment. The audience finds out early in the movie that Edith and Margaret look the same. They are identical. They are sisters. They haven't seen each other since Margaret announced that she was "pregnant" and was going to marry Frank. The sisters have a long-overdue arguement and Edith decides to leave in a huff. The estate's driver drives Edith back to her tavern. She learns of some very interesting secret information about Frank and Margaret. This film will keep you informed and will hold your interest. I won't mention anything more so you will be surprised. Karl
Malden plays "Jim", Edith's love interest who used to work in the Homicide Dept. Oh, the suspense in this one. Even if you are not a Bette Davis fan, you'll like this film noir.

Bette at her most tacky
This movie is only worth watching if you are a die-hard Bette Davis fan, otherwise, forget it. This is also Bette at the end of her amazing career, a sort of last gasp before age and a string of mediocre movies forced her into semi-retirement. This is her last decent film, though it drags in long stretches and the plot is silly, contrived and stupid. Peter Lawford gives a thoroughly forgetable performance as her boyfriend. Karl Malden is good, but his character is pathetically stupid. Wake up, Karl, your girlfriend is a murderer!

If you love Bette Davis, you'll watch her recite the phone book. I require a little more than that to give it a thumb's up.

Check out the bonus commentarys and documentaries on this!
According to DVDReviews.com: Bonus material will include a commentary by Charles Busch (Die! Mommie, Die!) and Boze Hadleigh (author of Bette Davis Speaks and the two interview books, Hollywood Gays and Hollywood Lesbians), an all-new documentary Double Take: Bette vs. Bette, the featurette Behind-the-Scenes at the Doheny Mansion and a theatrical trailer. Sounds like great fun!

And btw, Busch is also doing a commentary track with Patty McCormack on Warner's new release of THE BAD SEED!

DAVIS x 2....
Repeating the gimmick from "A Stolen Life", Bette Davis here plays twin sisters...this time estranged due to complicated circumstances over a man years before. Margaret DeLorca (Davis) married the old flame of Edith (Davis) and got rich. Edie, who wound up poor, now runs a seedy jazz bar that's behind in it's bills. When Mr.DeLorca dies, Edie sees Margaret at the funeral and Margaret invites her to the mansion and flaunts her wealth (and cast offs) at Edie. Edie quickly realizes the set-up. Margaret never loved the man and married him for money (telling him she was pregnant) while Edie truly loved him and never really got over the pain. When the rent comes due on the bar again and Edie can't pay, she devises a murderous plan to end her financial worries once and for all. Davis is excellent in both roles and is ably supported by a top notch supporting cast. Karl Malden as the cop who loves Edie, Peter Lawford as the slimy, aging gigolo lover of Margaret, Estelle Winwood as a religious family friend of the DeLorca's and Jean Hagen as a playgirl friend of Margaret's. Edith finds out (too late of course) that Margaret was worse than she thought and more murderous complications ensue. While all this is basically a more macabre rehash of "A Stolen Life", Davis fans (like me) should eat it up. Her co-star from "Now Voyager" Paul Henreid directed the film and his daughter Monika plays the personal maid to Margaret/Edie. It's in glorious b&w and the scenes involving both sisters are very well done. Will be very glad to see this on DVD. Now, how about "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte"?

Worth watching for Bette, as always...
This is the second time Bette co-starred with herself; the first time was in "A Stolen Life"; however, do not look for that sort of quality here...the poor sister of the rich sister, Bette kills off her richer sibling and adopts her persona, and moves from her tawdry digs into the magnificent mansion in Beverly Hills. (The old Doheny estate, and the location for "Cinderfella" and "The Loved One.")
I enjoy Peter Lawford in anything, a truly underappreciated actor and a really nice man. He is enjoyably slimy in this role, and adds the right note for the jaded, rather tired boyfriend. Karl Malden is sad, and you feel sorry for him;; he was so devoted to the poor sister...the star of the show is Ms. Davis, and the fabulous house and grounds. Don't look for high, quality drama here, but rather, an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday night.
(NOTE: The Doheny estate, built in the early 1920s, is specatacular, and boasts several streets with signs for it's 25 acres of grounds, and it has a children's playhouse with fireplace and kitchen, etc., that rivals anything I've ever seen...and three guest houses, larger and more magnificent than most mansions! Also a bowling alley, a real movie theatre and over 30 bedrooms in the servants quarters. There was murder there, around 1929, the father caught his son with the butler, and shot and killed him; the son was put away in an asylum. Quite a history, and quite a setting...) ... 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

Reviews (10)

Takes you back to the days of the drive-in theatre
Lots of 50's "horror" shows are "comedies" when compared to today's fright flicks. "The Alligator People" is a perfect example. This movie "swamps" you with its plot (a doctor experimenting with alligator serum turns humans into alligator people) and effects (you have to laugh at the alligator costumes). I rate it 4 Stars because it classically fits the mold of the 50's horror, giving it cult appeal.

Lon Chaney, minus a hand bitten off by an alligator, tries to take advantage of Beverly Garland.

Secrets in the bayous of Louisiana.

A cool all-terrain (including bayous) vehicle.

Seventy-four minutes of B&W fun!

Appropriately included in "Trapped in Paradise", another 20th Century Fox film. Check the flick on the TV behind Nicholas Cage.

Rainy Night in Louisiana.
A scientist tampers in God's domain and experimental benevolence leads to tragedy in this '50s sci-fi thriller. A serum derived from the common alligator can repair the disfiguring injuries suffered by accident victims. Granted, this is a new wrinkle in an old garment. The cure includes unforeseen after-effects over time, as the patients change into "alligator people." The science is pretty fuzzy, but it serves as an excuse for the plot. Beverly Garland is the determined wife, searching for answers to what is tormenting her husband. He survived a plane-crash because of the miracle serum. The guy skips out on their honeymoon after receiving a distressing telegram, and disappears. The film brings Lon Chaney, Jr. back from career oblivion as a drunken Cajun who lusts after Ms. Garland, hates 'gators, and generally raises hell. Lon's acting shows he sees the bizarre humor of it all. The setting down in the swamp heavy with Spanish moss is a weird touch. The fright makeup is a crocodile-shaped head mask and a rubbery lizard sweatshirt. Notice the gap between the shirt collar and the neck of the head mask. The interim stage of metamorphosis is more eerie. It consists of scaly skin and twisted human features. Except for Lon, the cast and director grimly proceed with a straight face. As old sci-fi flicks go, this one is less familiar, but collectors need it to complete their home library. Others, beware 'gators in the night. ;-)

BRIDE OF RE-ALLIGATOR....
A doctor uses a serum on his nurse, Jane (Beverly Garland) to get her to re-live a trauma she has no memory of. A very strange tale emerges: When her husband Paul disappears on their honeymoon, Jane traces him to a Louisiana plantation deep in the swamps where no one will tell her what happened to him. She insists on staying and discovers Paul is around but can't find him. Why? Because mad doctor George Macready is performing bizarre experiments with alligators (and people) and Paul is turning into an alligator! Lon Chaney Jr. co-stars as a hook-handed assistant with a hatred for "gaters" because one bit off his hand and Frieda Inescourt ("Return of the Vampire") is the mistress of the plantation trying to cover up the awful horrors as Garland gets more and more inquisitive. There's Deep South atmosphere to spare and creepy crawlies in the swamp as Garland runs around screaming. She's good as Jane and really put through the mill here. Obviously, this is no classic but it's a fun 50's creature feature for collectors with laughable make-up effects and a fun turn by Chaney Jr. with that hook-hand. No wonder Jane developed amnesia after this experience...when you see the "alligator-man" you'll know why. Gotta love it.

Minor Thrills in Gator Country...
The Alligator People is an interesting little tale of suspense and misguided science. Lovely Beverly Garland is a nurse, who under hypnosis recounts the tale of the mysterious disappearance of her husband, to a pair of dead pan psychologists.

The story unfolds in flashbacks, and begins on a train, with newlyweds Joyce and husband Paul Webster (Richard Crane) celebrating their nuptials. Their happiness is short lived, when after receiving a telegram, Paul suddenly departs the train, and disappears into the night. Joyce's search for him is fruitless, until months later she uncovers a lead that takes her to a Louisiana plantation know as "The Cypresses".

The atmosphere in the muggy, muddy bayou is full of danger and foreboding, as Joyce arrives there with a creepy caretaker Manon, played by Lon Chaney Jr. The lady of the manor claims to know nothing of her husband, and an apprehensive Joyce is instructed to spend the night locked in a guestroom.

There really isn't much action, but there is some suspense, as what we all suspect has happened, is slowly revealed (remember the title?). Husband Paul, suffering the side effects of an experimental medical treatment, has acquired reptilian characteristics.

Beverly Garland's performance holds your attention. Her character is intelligent and determined. Richard Crane is sympathetic as Paul, but it is Lon Chaney Jr's "electrifying" performance that puts some spice and sparks into the picture.

Definitely a B movie, but not a bad one. For a taste of old time horror, you could certainly do much worse.

Awesome!
This movie is good, because it is old, and black and white. Plus it has a cobalt bomb, and an angry cajun! The angry cajun tries to take advantage of the not so hot black and white chick. I give it the "Most secure radioactive material award"! ... Read more

Description

Paul Muni stars as Eric Toresen, an apolitical Norwegian fisherman who is galvanized into action when his village is occupied by the Nazis. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

this movie was made in 1942 off Vancouver Island
This movie was made in 1942, and made use of the HMCS Prince David which was on leave from thrashing around in the Aleutians looking for the Japanese. My father was an officer on that ship at the time, and thoroughly enjoyed the cast, especially Sir Cecil Hardwicke. I've watched the movie, and of course it is propaganda, it was made in 1942. That is part of its charm. Remember that at the time, no one knew who would win the war. Vancouver Island makes a good stand in for Norway, and Paul Muni is some brave! It is superior propaganda and a fun experience.

Muni, WWII & Tommy-Guns; what more could you want!
This WWII film does have a certain aspect of propaganda to it, but the tense storyline is riveting and will keep you glued to your chair until the last scene (which isn't exactly what you'll be expecting). Muni puts in a fine performance, as always. Overall, an enjoyable war drama.

limp war drama
Poorly, poorly directed WWII drama involving the invasion of Norway by Germans and how it affected a small Norwegian town whose sort-of burgermeister is played sympathetically enough by Paul Muni. He escapes to England by boat to marshall commando forces to liberate his town and destroy a planned airfield. A Hollywood Norwegian is something to hear and see, women in embroidered bonnets and shawls and men with bleach blonde hair talking about the miracle of spawning salmon. The action scene, the destruction of the airfield, had enough pyrotechnics to be exciting, but the director chose to sit way back and watch it, making the whole enterprise impossibly dull. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Rita Hayworth really was a screen goddess in the late 1940s--so why not cast her as Terpsichore, the goddess of dance? That's the premise of this splashy Technicolor musical, which borrows some devices (and cast members) from Here Comes Mr. Jordan. Rita descends to earth to inject authenticity into a Broadway show about Terpsichore, posing as an actress and turning the head of impresario Larry Parks (then in the brief moment between his Jolson Story smash and his blacklisting). This leads to an overblown, pretentious out-of-town tryout, an amusing sequence that predicts the highbrow disaster in The Band Wagon. In general, this film is funnier than its reputation, although it doesn't add up to anything and the song score is tepid (with one delightfully weird number where Rita considers bigamy with Parks and dancer Marc Platt). And Rita? Very creamy looking in a series of lavish gowns--and hardly down to earth. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Touched by 'The Green Glove'
A saint's stolen glove, a holy relic, touches believer's lives but belongs back in its resting place in the church. A gem encrusted antiquity, its earthly value contrasts with its healing force . To return it or cash in is a temptation to overcome.

Glenn Ford is an American in France after the war trying to foil George MacCready's attempt to possess the glove and its power. The chase over the rugged landscape of southern France is on, by foot, car and train. A haunting musical score with an unforgettably nostalgic theme along with forthright black and white photography make this film one of my personal favorites.

Simple faith is pitted against sophisticated cunning in a beautifully done film. I saw the movie when I was 9 and I'm now 60. It still moves me the same way it did back in 1952.

Touched by 'The Green Glove'
Mystery, murder and romance come together in this tale of good versus evil. The saint's glove, a holy relic, touches people's lives but belongs back in its resting place in the church. A gem encrusted antiquity, the glove's earthly value contrasts with its healing spiritual power . To return it or cash in is a temptation to overcome.

Glenn Ford is an American in France after the war trying to foil George MacCready's atempt to possess the glove and its power. The chase over the rugged landscape of France is on, by foot, car and train. A haunting music score with an unforgettably nostalgic theme along with beautiful black and white photography make this film one of my personal favorites.

Simple faith is pitted against sophisticated cunning in a movie of mystery and power. I saw the movie when I was 9 and I'm now 60. It still moves me the same way it did back in 1952. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Fun!
I think nobody reviewed the dvd edition yet, so I'll start saying that the anamorphic widescreen transfer is fine, colours are not drab and sharpness is very good. I did not check the full-screen side of the disc.
I'm not sure the movie itself comes out so well but it sure is fun. Jeffrey Hunter playing some kind of part-time detective college professor, glasses and all, is something to be seen. And legendary Mary Astor is always a delight, she only appears in a couple of scenes though. Couldn't this mother/son relationship be a prelude to the one in "Psycho"? And what about killing the leading lady halfway the movie and having her sister investigate her death?
Well, plot holes, stilted directing, goofs (the clouds and the light in the important rooftop scene, obviously shot in different days or perhaps different times of the same day) and all, this is really fun to see (and Robert Wagner is so thin).

KISS BEFORE DYING
Great fun! I enjoyed so much to see Bob Wagner so young and scary. Jeff Hunter's part is so small(sorry!). After all other comments I just want to inform future buyers that the DVD has both versions of the movie (standard and widescreen)something to consider when you still don't have a Widescreen TV but is planning to buy one soon. I had to import a copy once it's not available in my country. Worth every cent. Buy it!

Bollywood Movie "Baazigar" is a remake of this movie
The India based Bollywood Movie "Baazigar" is a remake of this movie...

one of the best books to movies made
I first read this story in a 1972 doubleday mystery volume. When I found it was a movie I was hesitant about watching as most books and movies just don't follow each other closely. This movie certainly does and wow, it is a chiller. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and is well worth watching and reading over and over again. This is a great story by Mr. Levin and movie by the director who made it.

Classic thriller from Gerd Oswald!
"A Kiss Before Dying" is an outstanding thriller with Hitchcock-level suspense courtesy of Gerd Oswald, a director much better known for his TV work on "The Outer Limits" and "Star Trek." Robert Wagner is excellent as a sociopathic killer who carries out the perfect crime but is done in by his own ambition and cleverness. The whole thing could have become ridiculous very easily, owing to certain gaps in story logic, but the dead-serious tone, the fast pacing and editing, and the high artistry of all involved make this a classic, if unusually elegant, piece of film noir. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Dracula legend gets a suavely competent makeover in this 1970 bloodsucker, bringing vampirism to present-day Los Angeles with a harem of semi-clad females and the sharp casting of Robert Quarry in the title role. The film's original title (The Loves of Count Iorga, Vampire) is perhaps more fitting, since it's really about how Quarry--posing as a Bulgarian psychic medium--seduces his female clients into neck-bitten submission. The victims' abandoned boyfriends (including Michael Murphy, who costarred in M*A*S*H the same year) recruit a vampire-hunting doctor (Roger Perry) to track Yorga down (with wooden stakes made from a broomstick, no less), and the body count rises predictably. Dry performances and tepid dialogue don't help much, but the then-modern setting and intelligent plotting make