Reviews (176)

COLD RECEPTION FOR A HOT WILDER CLASSIC
MGM continues to insult the intelligence of the DVD consumer with this 'special edition' of one of Billy Wilder's all time great romantic comedies. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are witnesses to the Valentine's Day Massacre. To stay alive the boys shave their legs, dress in drag and join an all-girl's band fronted by sulty singing sensation, Sugar Cane (Marilyn Monroe). Featuring Monroe's inimitable renditions of "Running Wild" and "I Wanna Be Loved By You" this is a keeper in every respect.
Unfortunately MGM Home Entertainment has done a terrible job of remastering the print. Though the black and white picture exhibits exceptional contrast and clarity, the obtrusive inclusion of edge enhancement, artifacting, aliasing, fine detail shimmering and digital grit make for a really unattractive visual presentation. The sound has been remixed to 5.1, but the dated fidelity shines through. Still, the audio is presented at an acceptable listening level and without much distortion or echo.
Extras included a trip down memory lane with Tony Curtis that is overly long and really dragged down by Curtis' flamboyant hamming it up for the cameras. Oh well, I can't imagine too many people are asking him to shave his legs these days. Bottom line: If you absolutely must have the film I guess you could waste your money on this version. My hope is that someone at MGM will want to revisit this classic at a later date and with a more reputable transfer. Here's to hoping. Besides - nobody's perfect!

Still A Gem
"Some Like It Hot" is one of those great classics that has as much comedy in it as well as it does romance. It is the story of two musicians, Joe and Terry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), who intenvertidly stumble upon a mob squad hit (The St. Valentine's Day Massacre) and must flee from Chicago to Florida in hopes of getting away from the mobsters. Realizing that two female musicians are needed, Joe and Terry decide to dress in drag, board a bus filled with female musicians, and head to Florida. Of course, one of the leading ladies on board the bus, is the sexy Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), who has guy problems and represents the rebel.

The film has such balance between the comic exploits of Curtis and Lemmon looking out for their backs and trying to pull off this whole female identity without getting caught, and the romantic parts, which involve Curtis' character trying to woo Sugar Kane. While Curtis is trying to make the moves on Sugar Kane, Lemmon's character is trying to escape the advances of a multi-millionare who continally attempts to make the moves on him/her.

There is plenty of double-meaning humor, slapstick humor and fun romance in this movie. It has a little of everything, and it is understandable why most still refer to this movie as a gem.

Transvestites, yipes!
This one shows up on Turner Classics every once in a while, but I hadn't focused till the other night. There's something creepy about dressing like a woman. Some burly men may have no qualms, but I find transvestites, ahh, uncomfortable. I know. It's me and there's nothing wrong with that. In Some Like It Hot, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are cross-dressing to escape some killers. They're not very attractive as women, which allowed me to enjoy the sex identity farce. Farce in America means screwball comedy. If Monroe crawled into my Pullman berth to sleep, hmm -- Lemmon pops one no doubt, and I'm not sure it was in the script if you know what I mean. Then he's swarmed by bunches of scantily clad ladies and the fun escalates. Monroe wears two dresses that give an interesting illusion. What a bod.

No pastry, no butter and no sugar

Director: Billy Wilder
Format: Black & White
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios
Video Release Date: May 1, 2001

Cast:

Marilyn Monroe ... Sugar Kane Kowalczyk
Tony Curtis ... Joe (Josephine)/Junior
Jack Lemmon ... Jerry (Daphne)
George Raft ... Spats Colombo
Pat O'Brien ... Mulligan
Joe E. Brown ... Osgood Fielding III
Nehemiah Persoff ... Little Bonaparte
Joan Shawlee ... Sweet Sue
Billy Gray ... Sig Poliakoff
George E. Stone ... Toothpick Charlie
Dave Barry ... Beinstock
Mike Mazurki ... Spats' Henchman
Harry Wilson ... Spats' Henchman
Beverly Wills ... Dolores
Barbara Drew ... Nellie
Edward G. Robinson Jr. ... Johnny Paradise
Paul Frees ... Funeral Director/Josephine
Joe Gray ... Mobster at banquet
Harold 'Tommy' Hart ... Second Official
Ted Hook
John Indrisano ... Waiter
Tom Kennedy ... Bouncer
Fred Sherman ... Drunk
Tito Vuolo ... Mozzarella
Al Breneman ... Bellhop
Pat Comiskey ... Spats' henchman
Penny McGuiggan ... Band Member
Laurie Mitchell ... Mary Lou, Trumpet Player
Helen Perry ... Rosella
Sandra Warner ... Emily, Band Member
Grace Lee Whitney ... Band Member
Marian Collier ... Olga, Clarinet Player
Joan Fields ... Band Member
Mary Foley ... Band Member

The cops bust a "funeral" with a casket full of booze--and nothing else. Joe/Josephine (Tony Curtis) and Jerry/Daphne (Jack Lemmon), desperate for work as a bass fiddle player and saxophonist, take a spot as members of an all-girl band, in drag, for a Florida tour, and to get away from gangsters who know that they witnessed a gang war murder by Spats Colombo's (George Raft) gang. There they meet Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Marilyn Monroe) who has a drinking problem.

The pair are attracting the notice not only of the mob, but also of suitors, including millionaire Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown) and others, and Joe/Josephine falls for Sugar. This is a wacky movie which provides a lot of laughs, and brings out hidden a talent for comedy from Curtis. Billy Wilder did a great job.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

Hot Comedy, Hot Action, Hot Actress, Hot Jazz, Hot Movie
too Hot to be true, Marilyn Monroe,Tony Curtis,Jack Lemmon star in one of the greatest and funniest comedy classics of all time. The 1959 farse about the two musicians Joe and Jerry, who disquise themselves as women under the names Josephine and Daphne to land jobs as the sax and bow fidle in an all girls jazz band.Where they meet gorgeous songbird Sugar Kane. Also where Daphne meets womanizer Osgood Fielding III.When Daphne is stuck with that "dirty old man" Joe(Curtis) borrows a cup of that sugar(Monroe)as the millionare of Sugar's dreams "Shell Oil Junior". If Your looking for a classic comedy this is a good one. It's AFI's number 1 laugh, or if you want more marilyn, you love her in this one and if your looking for more Curtis and Lemmon they're hysterical in this one. See this classic comedy and you'll get "the sweet end of the lolly pop". As Osgood said at the end "nobody's perfect" well thats true ,but Some like it Hot may be a perfect comedy and as Sugar sang "I'm through with love, well she's not through for long ,but We are not through with this movie, because we love this film so much and we all want to "borrow a cup of that sugar" every time we watch it, "ZOWIE" "Yeah real hot" ... Read more

Reviews (8)

GOD MAKE ME A BETTER SWIMMER
this is one of the funniest movie of all time. it was crazy but cute. if anybody is reading this do yourself a great favor and buy this on dvd or rent it first because it is very funny.

I wish it would end!
What did I think was so funny about this movie back in the 70's?....must have been the substances I was on....this movie stinks....it's just bad!.....I couldn't wait for it to end!(actually couldn't make it all the way through!)

Funny but Not For The Easily Offended!
The End is a dark comedy about a man played by Burt Reynolds who has had a extremely bad day including being told by his doctor that he has a terminal ilness and is going to die so he tries to kill himself but is discovered by a cop and taken to a mental hospital where he meets a deranged patient played by Dom Deluise.

Burt Reynolds was very good and of course so was Dom Deluise in his hilarious scene stealing performance and also very good are Joanne Woodward as Burt Reynold's ex-wife, Sally Field as his ditzy girlfriend and Kristy McNichol as his daughter but unfortunately she only had a tiny cameo.

The subject matter of this dark comedy may offend some people so I would definitely not buy this or recommend this to anyone who you think may get upset at the humor in the movie and have a hissy fit, but anyone who likes a good dark comedy should be able to enjoy it.

Side-splitting hilarity abounds
I have not laughed this hard in ages. Ok the premise is that a man is dying and wants to spare his family, by killing himself. On the surface that's not funny, but this movie had me in stitches. Burt Reynolds plays bumbling very well. Joanne Woodward is a riot as the liberated ex-wife! Her scenes are not to be missed. ~ (comedy, drama, the woman is a genius!) Sally Field is neurotic and kooky. Dom Deluise is deranged. Oh boy did I have a ball. Recommended viewing for those with a twisted sense of humour.

An underrated masterpiece
Burt Reynolds directs and stars in this much underrated black comedy which also features Dom DeLuise, Sally Field and Carl Reiner. Reynolds plays Sony Lawson who is diagnosed as having a toxic blood disease. From this rather bleak premise stem a series of hilarious sequences, including the diagnosis itself by a very unsympathetic doctor, and Reynolds confessing his sins in church to a juvenile priest. Adamant that he'll die with dignity, Reynolds resolves not to tell his daughter, parents, girlfriend or ex-wife about his terminal illness, and he tries to cope with it himself by committing suicide. But his plan goes wrong and he finds himself in a mental hospital where he meets DeLuise (in a performance tour de force)who agrees to 'help' him. The resulting scenes of DeLuise's failed attempts to kill Reynolds are brilliantly executed moments of comedy. Tiring of these failures, Reynolds escapes from the mental hospital and again decides to do the job himself. It is really quite a shame that this film has been virtually forgotten. The concept of someone facing such monumental adversity is a universal theme, and this work is much better and more intelligent than higher-profile Burt Reynolds outings such as 'Smokey And The Bandit'. Perhaps this video release (is a UK version in the works?) and Reynolds' recent success in'Boogie Nights' will help gain this film more than just a cult following. It certainly deserves it. And there's even some atmospheric music from Frank Sinatra and Glen Campbell to enjoy too. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Underrated Classic
A complex, engaging, colorful, masterpiece. Milos Forman has never disappointed as a director. Typical of him, he captures America better than just about any American director. The cast is superb. Howard Rollins, Jr. is nothing short of amazing as Coalhouse Walker, Jr. Elizabeth McGovern, Mary Steenburgen, James Olson and Brad Dourif also give great performances.

I have admittedly not read the book, nor have I seen the Broadway musical. I don't know what EL Doctorow thinks about the movie of his book (I gather he is not crazy about it). But the film has a wonderful pace and the soundtrack is stunning as well.

I think it is a crime that the soundtrack is not available on cd and the movie not available on DVD!

The ignored classic.
RAGTIME was one of Milos Forman's three great literary adaptations of the 80's, the others being AMADEUS and VALMONT. AMADEUS was a hit, but RAGTIME, which was largely ignored by the public and the critics, who badly wanted to show off the fact that they read the book, was a flop. Too bad. The original novel is like "Forrest Gump" in the early 1900's. A sketchy work in which the members of one upper class family meet with every possible type of person, real or imagined, including every famous person that you can find from that period in the encyclopedia. Forman's film, however, is a genuine masterpiece and one of the very best films ever made about America. He fleshed out the characters, eliminated the unnecessary, and concentrated basically on three main story lines. Unfortunately, the film was deemed too long, and Forman was forced to cut one of the story lines. I hope that when the DVD is released, the missing storyline is put back. Of the film as it stands now, Film Critic David Thomson said " it is a much underrated film. Complex about the time and its ideas." The only possibly distracting thing about the film is the amount of soon to be famous actors appearing in small parts, including Jeff Daniels, Samuel L. Jackson, Fran Drescher, etc.

A Milos Forman Classic
If you missed seeing "Ragtime" back in 1981, it wasn't your fault because you probably didn't even know it existed. Much like Terry Gilliam's "Adventures of Baron Munchausen", this truly great movie was poorly distributed and miserably publicized and advertised when it was released. This is too bad because both films deserved much better. Anyway...

Milos Forman has time and again proven that he is not only one of the world's best directors but also one of the sharpest viewers of American culture and history. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "The People vs. Larry Flint", and, to an extent, "Man on the Moon" have at their core an indictment of American society: its racism, its hypocrisy, its perversity, its corruption, and its insanity. However, Forman is by no means anti-American. In fact, these movies also have at their hearts a deep fascination with America and a yearning to make it better. And like few directors can do, he doesn't create a manifesto disguised as a film. His characters and dialogue are believeable, and his filming is gorgeous to watch.

Of all his films--and that includes "Amadeus"--"Ragtime" is perhaps his best, in my opinion. Its complex narratives are logically, fluidly and masterfully meshed together. But what I find fascinating about the movie is that all the complicated, volatile emotional reactions the characters experience--sometimes ending in violence--all start from simple wants. Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (powerfully played by the late Howard Rollins) wants the racists who vandalized his car to repair it. Harry Thaw (played by the underrated Robert Joy) is an erratic millionaire who simply wants a nude statue of his wife taken out of public view. A father (movingly played James Olson) simply wants to keep his family together. His brother-in-law (Brad Dourif in an extraordinary performance) simply wants the girl he loves to love him back. And a Jewish immigrant (a wonderfully manic Mandy Patinkin) simply wants to make it in America. It's when all these desires collide that the fireworks of "Ragtime" begin. And like the great American tradition of 4th of July fireworks, "Ragtime" is dazzling to watch.

From a boy to a Man
I saw this film for the first time as a junior and have always thought it was a masterpiece. So, I decided to purchase the film on DVD, but to my surprise, it's not available on DVD, VHS it is. I have since watched this film a number of times and my appreciation for this work of art has continued to grow. This film is truly one of the best films ever made and is more than deserving of its place on Digital Versatile Disc b.k.a DVD...

fantastic movie
What a terrific movie. The music is just wonderful and fits the movie to a 'T'. I recently bought the CD at Borders, Books and Music (Dec 21, 03), because years ago I owned the LP!!! I was disappointed to find that the movie is only available on VHS though. Guess I'll reluctantly buy it because I'd love to laugh and cry all over again. Can't even rent this anymore, it's a shame. The good movies go and the junk is always rentable. ... Read more

Reviews (176)

COLD RECEPTION FOR A HOT WILDER CLASSIC
MGM continues to insult the intelligence of the DVD consumer with this 'special edition' of one of Billy Wilder's all time great romantic comedies. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are witnesses to the Valentine's Day Massacre. To stay alive the boys shave their legs, dress in drag and join an all-girl's band fronted by sulty singing sensation, Sugar Cane (Marilyn Monroe). Featuring Monroe's inimitable renditions of "Running Wild" and "I Wanna Be Loved By You" this is a keeper in every respect.
Unfortunately MGM Home Entertainment has done a terrible job of remastering the print. Though the black and white picture exhibits exceptional contrast and clarity, the obtrusive inclusion of edge enhancement, artifacting, aliasing, fine detail shimmering and digital grit make for a really unattractive visual presentation. The sound has been remixed to 5.1, but the dated fidelity shines through. Still, the audio is presented at an acceptable listening level and without much distortion or echo.
Extras included a trip down memory lane with Tony Curtis that is overly long and really dragged down by Curtis' flamboyant hamming it up for the cameras. Oh well, I can't imagine too many people are asking him to shave his legs these days. Bottom line: If you absolutely must have the film I guess you could waste your money on this version. My hope is that someone at MGM will want to revisit this classic at a later date and with a more reputable transfer. Here's to hoping. Besides - nobody's perfect!

Still A Gem
"Some Like It Hot" is one of those great classics that has as much comedy in it as well as it does romance. It is the story of two musicians, Joe and Terry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), who intenvertidly stumble upon a mob squad hit (The St. Valentine's Day Massacre) and must flee from Chicago to Florida in hopes of getting away from the mobsters. Realizing that two female musicians are needed, Joe and Terry decide to dress in drag, board a bus filled with female musicians, and head to Florida. Of course, one of the leading ladies on board the bus, is the sexy Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), who has guy problems and represents the rebel.

The film has such balance between the comic exploits of Curtis and Lemmon looking out for their backs and trying to pull off this whole female identity without getting caught, and the romantic parts, which involve Curtis' character trying to woo Sugar Kane. While Curtis is trying to make the moves on Sugar Kane, Lemmon's character is trying to escape the advances of a multi-millionare who continally attempts to make the moves on him/her.

There is plenty of double-meaning humor, slapstick humor and fun romance in this movie. It has a little of everything, and it is understandable why most still refer to this movie as a gem.

Transvestites, yipes!
This one shows up on Turner Classics every once in a while, but I hadn't focused till the other night. There's something creepy about dressing like a woman. Some burly men may have no qualms, but I find transvestites, ahh, uncomfortable. I know. It's me and there's nothing wrong with that. In Some Like It Hot, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are cross-dressing to escape some killers. They're not very attractive as women, which allowed me to enjoy the sex identity farce. Farce in America means screwball comedy. If Monroe crawled into my Pullman berth to sleep, hmm -- Lemmon pops one no doubt, and I'm not sure it was in the script if you know what I mean. Then he's swarmed by bunches of scantily clad ladies and the fun escalates. Monroe wears two dresses that give an interesting illusion. What a bod.

No pastry, no butter and no sugar

Director: Billy Wilder
Format: Black & White
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios
Video Release Date: May 1, 2001

Cast:

Marilyn Monroe ... Sugar Kane Kowalczyk
Tony Curtis ... Joe (Josephine)/Junior
Jack Lemmon ... Jerry (Daphne)
George Raft ... Spats Colombo
Pat O'Brien ... Mulligan
Joe E. Brown ... Osgood Fielding III
Nehemiah Persoff ... Little Bonaparte
Joan Shawlee ... Sweet Sue
Billy Gray ... Sig Poliakoff
George E. Stone ... Toothpick Charlie
Dave Barry ... Beinstock
Mike Mazurki ... Spats' Henchman
Harry Wilson ... Spats' Henchman
Beverly Wills ... Dolores
Barbara Drew ... Nellie
Edward G. Robinson Jr. ... Johnny Paradise
Paul Frees ... Funeral Director/Josephine
Joe Gray ... Mobster at banquet
Harold 'Tommy' Hart ... Second Official
Ted Hook
John Indrisano ... Waiter
Tom Kennedy ... Bouncer
Fred Sherman ... Drunk
Tito Vuolo ... Mozzarella
Al Breneman ... Bellhop
Pat Comiskey ... Spats' henchman
Penny McGuiggan ... Band Member
Laurie Mitchell ... Mary Lou, Trumpet Player
Helen Perry ... Rosella
Sandra Warner ... Emily, Band Member
Grace Lee Whitney ... Band Member
Marian Collier ... Olga, Clarinet Player
Joan Fields ... Band Member
Mary Foley ... Band Member

The cops bust a "funeral" with a casket full of booze--and nothing else. Joe/Josephine (Tony Curtis) and Jerry/Daphne (Jack Lemmon), desperate for work as a bass fiddle player and saxophonist, take a spot as members of an all-girl band, in drag, for a Florida tour, and to get away from gangsters who know that they witnessed a gang war murder by Spats Colombo's (George Raft) gang. There they meet Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Marilyn Monroe) who has a drinking problem.

The pair are attracting the notice not only of the mob, but also of suitors, including millionaire Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown) and others, and Joe/Josephine falls for Sugar. This is a wacky movie which provides a lot of laughs, and brings out hidden a talent for comedy from Curtis. Billy Wilder did a great job.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

Hot Comedy, Hot Action, Hot Actress, Hot Jazz, Hot Movie
too Hot to be true, Marilyn Monroe,Tony Curtis,Jack Lemmon star in one of the greatest and funniest comedy classics of all time. The 1959 farse about the two musicians Joe and Jerry, who disquise themselves as women under the names Josephine and Daphne to land jobs as the sax and bow fidle in an all girls jazz band.Where they meet gorgeous songbird Sugar Kane. Also where Daphne meets womanizer Osgood Fielding III.When Daphne is stuck with that "dirty old man" Joe(Curtis) borrows a cup of that sugar(Monroe)as the millionare of Sugar's dreams "Shell Oil Junior". If Your looking for a classic comedy this is a good one. It's AFI's number 1 laugh, or if you want more marilyn, you love her in this one and if your looking for more Curtis and Lemmon they're hysterical in this one. See this classic comedy and you'll get "the sweet end of the lolly pop". As Osgood said at the end "nobody's perfect" well thats true ,but Some like it Hot may be a perfect comedy and as Sugar sang "I'm through with love, well she's not through for long ,but We are not through with this movie, because we love this film so much and we all want to "borrow a cup of that sugar" every time we watch it, "ZOWIE" "Yeah real hot" ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An amazing film
Joseph Losey's early masterpiece, The Boy With Green Hair, deserves a first-class DVD treatment. This is not it. The DVD quality is very, very bad.
Other Losey films, such as his version of M and Secret Ceremony need to be released on DVD also.

AWFUL DVD PICTURE FOR A FIRST-RATE FILM
This movie has been a favorite of mine since childhood. It covers an important time in American history -- World War II, Macarthyism, xenophobia ... and love. Fine acting, superb screenplay by a talented writer ... and it deserves a first-rate recording. The picture is almost impossible to see, the colors are dull, the sound is dull ... One must strain to see and hear this delightful film. Give us a Re-Mastered Version and I'll pay anything for this heartbreaking, life-affirming piece of art that has become a (cult) classic!

Everybody Has Green Hair
This DVD is one of the worst transfers in my collection. The picture has an overall greenish tint to it and it seems to be "fuzzy" or out of focus. Little care seems to have been taken in producing this DVD. Printing on the case looks unprofessional. Stockwell's acting is first-rate, but the supporting cast does a walk-on, at best. I recommend this movie only for the most avid, diehard Dean Stockwell fan.

The little movie that caused a lot of trouble
Joseph Losey's radical film, "The Boy with Green Hair" (BWGH) (RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., 24 November 1948) never got a fair shake. World events of the time haunted it, and powerful men argued about it. It was an expensive production for RKO and a showcase for cutting edge Technicolor film. I believe the film should be seen again and appreciated, if only in the context of it's time.

The film would hardly stir a ripple today but not in 1948. Like the film, "The Search", it centered on the plight of war orphans in postwar Europe. After World War II, the United States began to disarm, seeking the halcyon isolationist peace it knew before. However, by 1949, the political reaction in the US to international Communism led to the jingoistic Red Scare. It became an example of the kind of film some in and out of government didn't like: (1) it was made by Communists in Hollywood, (2) its theme was pacifist, and (3) it expressed racial and ethnic tolerance.

When Howard Hughes, the armaments manufacturer, purchased RKO in May 1948, half the staff quit (including BWGH's producer and studio VP, Dore Schary) and others were fired. Hughes tried to change BWGH in several ways, including screaming at 12 year old Dean Stockwell to change his lines to a call for a stronger military. But Stockwell, though terrified of Hughes, believed in the film's message and refused. Allegedly, Hughes was unable to re-edit or change the film to his liking. So, he likely sabotaged it in other ways. The film was banned in some places, and Hughes soon pulled it from distribution and shelved it. Its box office is difficult to determine, though Variety reported it did respectable to fair business but not "socko". If critics understood it was a parable, then they were okay with it. If they thought it was literal, then they didn't understand it at all. Generally, they thought the story tepid and uneven. Both the director and a co author, Ben Barzman (who'd adopted a war orphan), were blacklisted. Other careers were hurt over this film, and even Stockwell stated in a 1990 interview that he's surprised he wasn't blacklisted, too, because of the fury over BWGH.

It opens in the period following the war. Twelve year old Peter Frye (Stockwell) is telling his story to a psychiatrist. Peter has a bald, white head. He is a sad, lonely boy whose parents were killed in the war and has been shuttled among relatives. Finally, he goes to live with a distant relative he calls Gramp (Pat O'Brien), a retired entertainer. Peter displays an active imagination and a tendency to exaggerate. But Gramp's Irish tall tales, gentle wisdom, and magic tricks are a fair match for Peter's little fibs. There is genuine affection between them. Then, while bathing one morning, Peter discovers his hair has turned emerald green. Peter first thinks it's one of Gramp's magic tricks, but it seems that the transformation is inexplicable and Peter hates it. So does almost everyone else. Eventually, Peter learns that the green hair is a mark that there must never be another war, and he delivers this message to the town. The town doctor tells Gramp that "Peter will discover it's a dangerous thing for a man to have green hair." Peter becomes an enemy of the people and hunted as an outcast.

It's quite rich in subtext. The story follows the pattern of the mythic Hero's Journey, during which Peter, like the postwar US, loses his illusions and innocence. He accepts the necessity of his parents' mission to save children from war and their deaths. He is complete now and happy in Gramp's love Further, I see the green hair as an image of the Green Man, the ancient Celtic icon of spring and rebirth after winter. The Green Man appears as a face adorned with green leaves and sometimes wearing a cap of stag antlers. This is forecast with Peter's baseball cap, which has a design like two horns on it, and when he is playing with his green hair in the bathroom mirror he forms two antler-like spires out it. Peter, in the spring of his life, is a symbol of the promise of new life, peace, and tolerance.

There are also plausible clues about Peter's green hair and his peace message. Peter may be an unreliable narrator, considering his imagination, history of exaggeration, and belief in Gramp's magic tricks. We also recall he washed his hair with a bar of green soap that morning. At the denouement, we may wonder, like the psychiatrist, whether Peter's hair turned green. Was it imagined, magic, a miracle, or an accident? Still, Peter has his message to sustain him.

Despite its troubled past, the film is a cult classic. It has been released again on vhs, when I would've preferred a dvd. The transfer might've been better. The new release from Terra Entertainment also has an acceptable image, probably on par with an internet version I've seen. Though I'm certain Losey sometimes shot in subdued light to fit the mood. Perhaps Stockwell might've offered commentary for a dvd. He's almost the last survivor of the principal cast. Though he viscerally hated acting as a child, he gave a very mature, thoughtful performance. Variety's review commented on Stockwell's "absorbing and sensitive" performance, as did others. Few juvenile performers today can match him. His home studio, MGM, now aware they had a standout juvenile star after "Genleman's Agreement" (he'd won a Golden Globe award) and BWGH (he'd won the Parent's Magazine award), exploited his talent. His famous roles in "Down to the Sea in Ships", "The Secret Garden", "The Happy Years", and "Kim" followed immediately. I believe it should be restored. It was the little film that caused a lot of trouble.

A classic, mostly unknown....and unnappreciated.
I first saw this movie when I was a child, and was immediately fascinated by it. I have seen it many times since, and enjoy it each time. It is a war story, (WWII) about a little boy, Dean Stockwell, (Peter) who loses both his parents and goes to live with his grandfather, Gramps, wonderfully played by Pat O'Brien. Gramps is a magician by nature and a waiter by trade, and he must work nights, consequently leaving young Peter home alone. The boy is terrified at first, but Gramps reassures him with the sentence: "There's nothing in the dark that wasn't there when the lights were on." He amuses the boy with magic tricks, and eventually wins his trust and love. One day at school there is a paper drive for war orphans, and it is then, from a classmate, (with the typical cruelty of children) tells him he resembles a boy in one of the war posters, and Peter responds: "I do not look like him; anyway, he's a war orphan." And the classmate says, "So are you." And that's how he finds out his parents are never coming back, and he really is a war orphan, and feeling betrayed, mistrusts Gramps and his teacher, and everyone else. Then he wakes up one morning and finds his hair has turned green. He is astonished, as is Gramps, who finds the color is permanent and will not wash out. When he goes to school that day, he attracts a great deal of attention, and at first, it's interesting; then people start to panic: "It's the milk, it's the school," etc. and fear spreads. So finally, the milkman complains and everyone shuns Peter and Gramps takes him to the barbershop where he has his head shaved completely bald. He wears a cap, but still the kids at school plague him, and one day, on the way home from school they chase him into the woods. They go away, he loses them, and finds himself in a glade, and flings himself down on the ground, crying...he looks up suddenly, aware that he is not alone, and sees a group of poor, bedraggled children, all sorrowful, all terribly thin, with torn, ragged clothes. The tallest and oldest of the children, a boy of about fourteen, speaks and tells him why his hair turned green...and why it is of such importance. The performances are fantastic, and the musical score is superb, a song written by a true original, **Eden Ahbez, the real First Hippie/rebel:

(**he was a legend in Hollywood for his unusual life style. Even after he and Jacobsen had a son, they kept on living out under the stars, with not much more than a bicycle, their sleeping bags, and a juicer to their name. The story may be apochryphal, but it's said that once, when Ahbez was being hassled by a cop who assumed from his wild appearance that he deserved to be hauled off to a mental institution, he remarked calmly, "I look crazy, but I'm not. And the funny thing is, that other people don't look crazy, but they are." The cop thought it over and responded, "You know bud, you're right. If anybody gives you any trouble, let me know.")

and it is called, aptly, "Nature Boy", sung beautifully by Nat King Cole. Haunting melody. It should be required viewing in all schools, and should also be released on DVD. Buy the VHS and see it, you are in for a great night's entertainment and more. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

One of John Ford's few duds
A strangely sluggish drama, starring Spencer Tracy as Frank Skeffington, an aging, old-school, ward-heeling Irish-American politico waging his final campaign against the nascent forces of the modern mass media -- namely, a callow young candidate backed by big money and a phalanx of television producers. What's most odd about this film is that John Ford directed it, and yet it's so dull and disjointed. And what, exactly, are they trying to say here? Is Tracy's character a scoundrel or a noble throwback to a simpler, more human time? Is he a little bit of both? And if so, what does that ambiguity mean? It's never quite clear what we're supposed to feel about Skeffington; clearly his enemies are horrible, shallow people, but the film is so fuzzy about how we're supposed to feel in constrast about Tracy's character -- who was roughly modeled on one of Boston's old mayor's -- that it's difficult to feel moved, or involved, one way or the other. Muddled and disappointing.

QUITE EASILY SPENCER TRACY'S GREATEST PERFORMANCE!
"The Last Hurrah" follows the exploits of mayor, Frank Skeffington (Spencer Tracy). He's running for a third term but meets with great opposition from the city council, who don't appreciate his strong-arm tactics and chronic meddling in their affairs. The pack of detractors is led by Norman Cass Sr. (Basil Rathbone), whose youthful incumbent for the post of mayor, Kevin McCluskey (Charles B. Fitzsimmons) seems an impossible long shot. But Skeffington is not above dishing a little dirt of his own on the side. He uses incriminating photos of Cass's simpleton son, Norman Jr. (O.Z. Whitehead) to blackmail Cass Sr. into relative submission. Skeffington also gingerly berates the elements of city council opposing him, including news paper editor, Amos Force (John Carradine) to whom Skeffington's nephew, Adam Caufield (Jeffrey Hunter) is an employee and sometimes unwilling observer. As Skeffington, Tracy is pure dynamite, delving out equal portions of brutality and kindness in a tour de force performance that quite easily might be his best! There are plenty of finely wrought cameos to go around, including Jane Darwell's crotchety spinster, Anna Lee's subtle and tender performance as the widow and Donald Crisp's stoic turn as His Eminence, Cardinal Burke. This is one heck of a good show!
Instituted into the pipeline before Columbia's penny-pinching regime kicked in, "The Last Hurrah" has had admirable work done on its transfer before being minted to DVD. The gray scale is excellent and the anamorphic widescreen version of the movie is very nicely rendered with fine detail, solid blacks and contrast levels. There is a definite grain structure to this film but it will not distract from the performances. There are no compression related artifacts. The audio is MONO and nicely rendered.
There are, unfortunately, NO EXTRAS!

Worth viewing for Tracy
"The Last Hurrah" should be watched (more properly, "endured") for Spencer Tracy. It's not quite as mawkish and overly sentimental as some Boston Irish films, but close. Many of the scenes are just unbearably overlong and preachy. What saves it is one of Spencer Tracy's best performances: he's a model of restraint and dignity in a role that a lesser actor would have gone down for the third time in the sea of blarney. Very fine supporting cast, too, including every Irish character in the Hollywood at the time: Pat O'Brien, James Gleason, Donald Crisp, Frank McHugh, Edward S. Brophy, plus very substantial help from Basil Rathbone and John Carridine. Jeffrey Hunter, as Tracy's nephew, smirks his glamor-boy way through this film as a reminder that no cast is perfect. John Ford was definitely slipping here, unable to resist putting in incredibly broad characters like Tracy's and Rathbone's sons, who belong on The Simpsons, not in this film. Would have deserved two more stars at half its length.

Still great despite a few weak points
Political dramas are not my favorite type of movie, but I still enjoyed this film, if for no other reason than I'm a big Tracy fan and this is certainly one of his greatest roles, and Tracy turns in one of his best performances.

The rest of the cast is also excellent, especially Jeffrey Hunter as Tracy's newspaperman nephew, and Edward Brophy as one of Tracy's cronies, both of whom get extensive play in the movie. Unfortunately, Donald Crisp as the Cardinal and Basil Rathbone don't have that much on-screen time, and Rathbone really only has one big scene and a couple of other pieces of dialogue here and there, as does Crisp, but they're still excellent in their roles.

A few scenes seem a little weak, such as when Tracy tricks Basil Rathbone's idiot son to accept the Fire Marshall job so he can blackmail Rathbone into ponying up the housing loan money. The TV interview with Tracy's young opponent was pretty silly, and I didn't think John Carradine was especially well cast as a former KKK member, magazine publisher, and Tracy's long-time nemesis.

Other than that, the film's portrayal of Tracy as a tough, smart, down-to-earth, old-time political boss (or as Donald Crisp refers to him--"an engaging scoundrel") is itself engagingly and humorously done. It provides a fascinating and perhaps nostalgic look at a vanished era of grass-roots politicians back when they stumped in the inner-city wards, shaking hands and kissing babies and vying for votes one-by-one the hard way before the advent of TV changed the political campaigning process forever.

Overall, still a great flick and especially worth seeing if you're a Spencer Tracy fan.

Movie Politics
This is one of the best political genre films ever made. Spencer Tracey is at his very best as the down-to-earth mayor of small U.S. city. Corrupt city politics is displayed in a humorous fashion as Tracy's character seeks re-election, all the while being covered by a local newspaper reporter (his nephew portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter).

Tracy's acting ability shines here. The film is packed with Hollywood's best character actors, including Basil Rathbone and Pat O'Brian. This is a must see during election time.

I consider Spencer Tracy America's greatest actor, and I rate this in my top five of great Tracy films. This film, while dated, portrays old-time politics in a funny, yet truthful fashion. Also, Tracy's death-bed scene at the film's end, is one of Tracy's best acting moments. The movie is a pure joy to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Young Bette Davis in a 1932 film indicting reform schools
Teenager Jimmy Mason (Junior Durkin) can use a job, and when his idol, bootlegger Matt Kelly (Pat O'Brien) gives him a job answering his telephone the kid is too happy to notice the bootlegger is really interested in his girl, Peggy Gardner (Bette Davis). When the cops raid the hideout, Jimmy is arrested and sent to reform school for three years after he refuses to rat out Kelly. In the reform school we find the usual cast of characters: the crooked superintendent (James Marcus), the sadistic guard (Hooper Atchley), and the good kid with the heart problem (Junior Coughlan) that Jimmy befriends before the kid croaks. A crusading newspaper publisher (Morgan Wallace) wants to clean up the joint, but of course the bad guys are tipped off about the inspection. When Jimmy aunt (Emma Dunn) visits and tells him Peggy is seeing a lot of Kelly, Jimmy finally wises up and escapes to confront the pair.

Today "Hell's House" is notable for the small but pivotal part played by Bette Davis in her sixth film role. The attempt to cast a light on what was happening in reform schools is certainly admirable, but the evils depicted are so cartoonish and the whole thing takes a back seat to the "love triangle" in the end. O'Brien seems uncomfortable with his role but Davis and Durkin are certainly belieavable. This 1932 film was directed by Howard Higgns, whose original story was the basis for the screenplay.

OK fare
Bette Davis gets the star-billing in this film, although she only appears in about five scenes and has little dialogue.

The film belongs to Junior Coghlan, who plays an orphan who takes the blame for a bootlegging operation, run by Davis' boyfriend (Pat O'Brien). He is sent to a corrupt reform school, where the boys are forced to work in a brickyard and are treated like animals.

The film, made in 1932, with a running time of 72 minutes, is in poor condition, with sound terribly muffled, and it really shows its age. However, for Bette Davis fans, its a curio.

Poor Sound
Story OK. Main complaint is the quality of the print (purchased from Amazon). Casette labeled "Hell House, 1934" which is incorrect: It is "Hell's House" and it was produced in 1932. Print had numerous scratches and the soundtrack was very poor. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Unintelligible sound
The sound was so distorted neither of us could understand the dialog. We gave up watching it after 15 minutes.

Below '0'....
...is the rating for Madacy releases. Whatever low is the price, it's still too high, regarding the ultimate lack of quality in their products, and I will wait for a real production of this movie on DVD by people knowing their trade and having some respect for their customers.
Pleaaaaaase, change the rating, and allow for "0 -or under- to 5' option, because if I don't want to put '1' (which is far too much in this case) my review won't be accounted for, and the likes of Madacy (I never met worse) should be prevented from releasing such crap.

A FAST AND FURIOUS 1931 NEWSPAPER YARN.
A Chicago reporter wants to retire and marry, but is tricked by his scheming editor into covering one last case. Based on the famous 1928 play by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht, this gem isn't exactly the jewel HIS GIRL FRIDAY is - but it's definitely worth a look. Better than you'd think! It's a virile, dizzy-plotted drama which is considered by many to be the epitome of newspaper reporter flicks. A brilliant early talkie which perfectly transfers a 2O's stage classic onto the screen - with zesty aplomb. Superficially, a shade or two primitive due to its age, it should be seen by every serious student/fan of classic pre-code cinema. The plot is just the same as the one used in HIS GIRL FRIDAY, except that Hildy Johnson is as originally written - a man - in the form of Pat O'Brien. In the aforementioned, casting Rosalind Russell and changing Hildy's sex was an inspired stroke of genius: Howard Hawks should be commended. Menjou is terrific as Walter Burns: he won a BA AA nomination. Originally Louis Wolheim was to play the role, but he up and died suddenly. Nominated for Best Picture & Best Director AA as well. Now if the video folk could only improve the quality of the video transfer itself - which is admittedly quite poor, unfortunately.

The Front Page (DVD 1931)
A really great movie (five stars for content), but unfortunately the DVD is as unrestored as is the VHS tape version. Accordingly, I give the physical medium only one star, which averages out to an overall rating of three stars.

The Front Page (1931)
"The Front Page" is a classic early talking comedy. I rate the movie five starts for content.

Unfortunately, however, this inexpensive DVD is completely unrestored; there are major problems with both its image and sound quality. Its physical quality rates only one star, producing a joint content+physical quality rating of three stars (5+1divided by 2).

Hopefully a fully restored version of this materpiece will come out at less than twenty dollars in the next few years. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

...AND PHYLLIS DILLER?
The image and sound quality is not great(or even good) for any of the movies, but based on Mart's review, this version of Maniac is probably the best you'll find. For the money...why not. I'll just add to what Mart wrote.

Maniac: Nudity, women in lingerie and eyeball eating. In the credits Phyllis Diller is listed.
A World Gone Mad: Good acting and a funny phone call scene involing diminishing returns.
A Shriek...: Ginger Rogers-pretty and young. Falling bodies.

GINGER ROGERS, MURDERERS AND LUNATICS
Not a bad buy, not at all. The most important thing: you'll get a decent copy of the unforgettably trashy The Maniac, which is garbage of the highest rating and provides many a good laughs for the one who dares watch it. The copy here is much better than on some other releases. The other two movies: The World Gone Mad is definitely no horror, more like a political corruption/murder tale. There are some quite good actors, the copy is quite good too, but nevertheless this is an entirely missable flick. A Shriek In The Night is a witty little murder mystery as well (fancy having these items on a horror collection), the copy passable, the story plausibly constructed, and by bits it can evoke some interest and even stir some moderate excitement. The main attraction however is the very young Ginger Rogers in probably her first starring role - and completely straight (meaning no singing-dancing involved). She doesn't yet look as lovely as she became a few years later, but it's fun to see how the studio obviously was uncertain what kind of material she should be used in - perhaps they deemed her another Fay Wray (who by that time - 1933 - had probably screamed her loudest screams). Miss Rogers gives a perfectly wonderful performance, though even she doesn't feel comfortable playing against the comic relief, elderly nutty housemaid. If you're a fan of hers, you won't regret buying this DVD just to watch her ACT and be convinced of her huge talent, although I trust you knew that already. ... Read more

Description

Greed, graft and corruption pollutes the city in director Tay Garnett's witty slapstick murder mystery, Slightly Honorable. Framed for the murder of party girl Alma Brehmer, honest lawyer John Webb (Pat O'Brien) crusades to prove his innocence while encountering all manner of hilariously corrupt big city denizens.A director comfortable in nearly any genre (be it the high comedy of China Seas, the heartbreaking romantic melodrama of One Way Passage, or the smoldering intrigue of the film noir classic, The Postman Always Rings Twice), Tay Garnett (1894-1977) infuses Slightly Honorable with his hallmarks - frank sexual innuendo, a rich and witty visual style and finely drawn performances. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Don't Try Anything Funny--Remember, I'm Sober"
This fun and snappy little comedy mystery from director Tay Garnett is every film buff's dream come true. It has a great cast, a good script, and best of all, hardly anyone knows about it! Ken Englund's smart sceenplay, based on the novel "Send Another Coffin" by F.G. Presnell, is full of witty one-liners in this breezy surprise every classic movie fan will want to own.

Pat O'Brien is attorney Johnny Webb and Broderick Crawford is his tough but easygoing assistant, Russ Sampson. Webb is trying to earn a huge fee for cleaning up the highway contract corruption that has led to murder. Edward Arnold is Vincent Cushing, the political boss he'll have to take down who also happens to be involved with Alma (Claire Dodd), Webb's ex-girlfriend.

When she gets knocked off on a windy night, both Webb and Cushing are the main suspects. Webb has become involved with the sweet but ditzy young Anne (Ruth Terry) and spends as much time trying not to take advantage of her as he does finding out who killed Alma. Neither is easy and both have some interesting and comical twists and turns.

Eve Arden is a ton of fun as Webb's sarcastic secretary Miss Ater, and B-movie favorite Phyllis Brooks has a fantastic turn as Sarilla Cushing, the gorgeous daughter of Vincent. She just happens to be Webb's alibi when a second murder occurs using the same weapon, which keeps turning up in Webb's office!

There is a surprising and spirited conclusion to the mystery and an equally satisfying one to the love angle, as the delightful Anne finally gets to stick around as Johnny's permanent girl. O'Brien and the rest of the cast are terrific in this delightful little gem that may just be the most entertaining mystery you've never heard of.

Finding films like this one is what classic movie fans live for. This is one that doesn't let you down. Keep in mind it's one of those public domain films so the print is decent if not excellent, but certainly one you need to see. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

No Ranger retires perpendicular
Nasty and corrupt Mayor Nard Lundy (Edward Andrews) is challenged by idealistic Jeff Rose (Ricky Nelson) in an upcoming election. Lundy has Sheriff Clyde Barnes (Jack Elam) rough the young upstart up some. Rose's visiting father-in-law, retired Texas Ranger Captain Oren Hayes (Pat O'Brien) sends an urgent telegraph to three of his former command (Walter Brennan, Chill Wills and Edgar Buchanan) to come to Boulder immediately and help him clean up the town.
THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG is a 1969 made-for-television movie that was popular enough at the time to lead to a sequel a year later. For old movie fans it's hard to beat the appeal of this veteran character actor laden movie. It's fun to see them play off each other and confront a situation that their advancing years have forced them to deal with more with guile than brute force. What's not so much fun is seeing them saddled with this tired, predictable plot.
Brennan and Buchanan shine brightest in this one; Brennan as the gun slinger who's lost a bit of speed on his quick draw and Buchanan as the scout who's eyesight has deteriorated to the point that he's drawing his guns on stuffed and mounted bears. With a better script, and a more delicate and penetrating examination of what it feels like to suddenly find yourself old and in the way, this one could have been a classic for the ages rather than an amusing piece of fluff.
The print transfer to dvd is so-so. Some of the night scenes are muddy and it's hard to make out what's happening. The dvd also comes with the Little Rascals' short "Hooky Spooky."
Fans of old movies should enjoy the veteran character actors in this, although they may agree that the folks in front of the camera in THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG deserved far better.

One more chance to see some ol' western stars
The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse version.

From the Aaron Spelling stable of TV movies comes this tale with Ricky Nelson (and his wife Kris Nelson) as an idealistic couple. Ricky is running for Mayor of a small western town against Edward Andrews who plays a corrupt town boss. Jack Elam is his Sheriff and Andy Devine is his Judge, both firmly entrenched in his back pocket.

Pat O'Brien comes to town as Ricky Nelson's father-in-law, a retired Texas Ranger who rounds up his old partners (Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan and Chill Wills)!!! Throw in Gypsy Rose Lee as the owner of the local saloon and you got yourself a pretty good (for TV) rip-snorting western. You know how it's going to play out, but watching the all these stars in action makes up for a sub-par script.

Unfortunately the transfer is from a well-used print that looks like it was recorded in long play mode. At times, scenes taking place at night are almost unwatchable. But the chance to see these stars of westerns in their later years is a treat you should not miss if you're a fan of the western genre.

Brentwood/BCI put in their usual extras, six chapter stops, a DVD dictionary, trivia game and a short subject (Hal Roach's "Little Rascals"). This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

Great Family Western Comedy!!
In this film a group of retired Texas Rangers(Walter Brennan,Edgar Buchanan,Pat O'Brien and Chill Wills)take on a corrupt small Nevada town relying on their brains not brawn.Also co-starring Ricky Nelson,Kris Nelson,Edward Andrews and Jack Elam.It's a great family western comedy!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

No Ranger retires perpendicular
Nasty and corrupt Mayor Nard Lundy (Edward Andrews) is challenged by idealistic Jeff Rose (Ricky Nelson) in an upcoming election. Lundy has Sheriff Clyde Barnes (Jack Elam) rough the young upstart up some. Rose's visiting father-in-law, retired Texas Ranger Captain Oren Hayes (Pat O'Brien) sends an urgent telegraph to three of his former command (Walter Brennan, Chill Wills and Edgar Buchanan) to come to Boulder immediately and help him clean up the town.
THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG is a 1969 made-for-television movie that was popular enough at the time to lead to a sequel a year later. For old movie fans it's hard to beat the appeal of this veteran character actor laden movie. It's fun to see them play off each other and confront a situation that their advancing years have forced them to deal with more with guile than brute force. What's not so much fun is seeing them saddled with this tired, predictable plot.
Brennan and Buchanan shine brightest in this one; Brennan as the gun slinger who's lost a bit of speed on his quick draw and Buchanan as the scout who's eyesight has deteriorated to the point that he's drawing his guns on stuffed and mounted bears. With a better script, and a more delicate and penetrating examination of what it feels like to suddenly find yourself old and in the way, this one could have been a classic for the ages rather than an amusing piece of fluff.
The print transfer to dvd is so-so. Some of the night scenes are muddy and it's hard to make out what's happening. The dvd also comes with the Little Rascals' short "Hooky Spooky."
Fans of old movies should enjoy the veteran character actors in this, although they may agree that the folks in front of the camera in THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG deserved far better.

One more chance to see some ol' western stars
The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse version.

From the Aaron Spelling stable of TV movies comes this tale with Ricky Nelson (and his wife Kris Nelson) as an idealistic couple. Ricky is running for Mayor of a small western town against Edward Andrews who plays a corrupt town boss. Jack Elam is his Sheriff and Andy Devine is his Judge, both firmly entrenched in his back pocket.

Pat O'Brien comes to town as Ricky Nelson's father-in-law, a retired Texas Ranger who rounds up his old partners (Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan and Chill Wills)!!! Throw in Gypsy Rose Lee as the owner of the local saloon and you got yourself a pretty good (for TV) rip-snorting western. You know how it's going to play out, but watching the all these stars in action makes up for a sub-par script.

Unfortunately the transfer is from a well-used print that looks like it was recorded in long play mode. At times, scenes taking place at night are almost unwatchable. But the chance to see these stars of westerns in their later years is a treat you should not miss if you're a fan of the western genre.

Brentwood/BCI put in their usual extras, six chapter stops, a DVD dictionary, trivia game and a short subject (Hal Roach's "Little Rascals"). This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

Great Family Western Comedy!!
In this film a group of retired Texas Rangers(Walter Brennan,Edgar Buchanan,Pat O'Brien and Chill Wills)take on a corrupt small Nevada town relying on their brains not brawn.Also co-starring Ricky Nelson,Kris Nelson,Edward Andrews and Jack Elam.It's a great family western comedy!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

No Ranger retires perpendicular
Nasty and corrupt Mayor Nard Lundy (Edward Andrews) is challenged by idealistic Jeff Rose (Ricky Nelson) in an upcoming election. Lundy has Sheriff Clyde Barnes (Jack Elam) rough the young upstart up some. Rose's visiting father-in-law, retired Texas Ranger Captain Oren Hayes (Pat O'Brien) sends an urgent telegraph to three of his former command (Walter Brennan, Chill Wills and Edgar Buchanan) to come to Boulder immediately and help him clean up the town.
THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG is a 1969 made-for-television movie that was popular enough at the time to lead to a sequel a year later. For old movie fans it's hard to beat the appeal of this veteran character actor laden movie. It's fun to see them play off each other and confront a situation that their advancing years have forced them to deal with more with guile than brute force. What's not so much fun is seeing them saddled with this tired, predictable plot.
Brennan and Buchanan shine brightest in this one; Brennan as the gun slinger who's lost a bit of speed on his quick draw and Buchanan as the scout who's eyesight has deteriorated to the point that he's drawing his guns on stuffed and mounted bears. With a better script, and a more delicate and penetrating examination of what it feels like to suddenly find yourself old and in the way, this one could have been a classic for the ages rather than an amusing piece of fluff.
The print transfer to dvd is so-so. Some of the night scenes are muddy and it's hard to make out what's happening. The dvd also comes with the Little Rascals' short "Hooky Spooky."
Fans of old movies should enjoy the veteran character actors in this, although they may agree that the folks in front of the camera in THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG deserved far better.

One more chance to see some ol' western stars
The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse version.

From the Aaron Spelling stable of TV movies comes this tale with Ricky Nelson (and his wife Kris Nelson) as an idealistic couple. Ricky is running for Mayor of a small western town against Edward Andrews who plays a corrupt town boss. Jack Elam is his Sheriff and Andy Devine is his Judge, both firmly entrenched in his back pocket.

Pat O'Brien comes to town as Ricky Nelson's father-in-law, a retired Texas Ranger who rounds up his old partners (Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan and Chill Wills)!!! Throw in Gypsy Rose Lee as the owner of the local saloon and you got yourself a pretty good (for TV) rip-snorting western. You know how it's going to play out, but watching the all these stars in action makes up for a sub-par script.

Unfortunately the transfer is from a well-used print that looks like it was recorded in long play mode. At times, scenes taking place at night are almost unwatchable. But the chance to see these stars of westerns in their later years is a treat you should not miss if you're a fan of the western genre.

Brentwood/BCI put in their usual extras, six chapter stops, a DVD dictionary, trivia game and a short subject (Hal Roach's "Little Rascals"). This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

Great Family Western Comedy!!
In this film a group of retired Texas Rangers(Walter Brennan,Edgar Buchanan,Pat O'Brien and Chill Wills)take on a corrupt small Nevada town relying on their brains not brawn.Also co-starring Ricky Nelson,Kris Nelson,Edward Andrews and Jack Elam.It's a great family western comedy!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

No Ranger retires perpendicular
Nasty and corrupt Mayor Nard Lundy (Edward Andrews) is challenged by idealistic Jeff Rose (Ricky Nelson) in an upcoming election. Lundy has Sheriff Clyde Barnes (Jack Elam) rough the young upstart up some. Rose's visiting father-in-law, retired Texas Ranger Captain Oren Hayes (Pat O'Brien) sends an urgent telegraph to three of his former command (Walter Brennan, Chill Wills and Edgar Buchanan) to come to Boulder immediately and help him clean up the town.
THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG is a 1969 made-for-television movie that was popular enough at the time to lead to a sequel a year later. For old movie fans it's hard to beat the appeal of this veteran character actor laden movie. It's fun to see them play off each other and confront a situation that their advancing years have forced them to deal with more with guile than brute force. What's not so much fun is seeing them saddled with this tired, predictable plot.
Brennan and Buchanan shine brightest in this one; Brennan as the gun slinger who's lost a bit of speed on his quick draw and Buchanan as the scout who's eyesight has deteriorated to the point that he's drawing his guns on stuffed and mounted bears. With a better script, and a more delicate and penetrating examination of what it feels like to suddenly find yourself old and in the way, this one could have been a classic for the ages rather than an amusing piece of fluff.
The print transfer to dvd is so-so. Some of the night scenes are muddy and it's hard to make out what's happening. The dvd also comes with the Little Rascals' short "Hooky Spooky."
Fans of old movies should enjoy the veteran character actors in this, although they may agree that the folks in front of the camera in THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG deserved far better.

One more chance to see some ol' western stars
The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse version.

From the Aaron Spelling stable of TV movies comes this tale with Ricky Nelson (and his wife Kris Nelson) as an idealistic couple. Ricky is running for Mayor of a small western town against Edward Andrews who plays a corrupt town boss. Jack Elam is his Sheriff and Andy Devine is his Judge, both firmly entrenched in his back pocket.

Pat O'Brien comes to town as Ricky Nelson's father-in-law, a retired Texas Ranger who rounds up his old partners (Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan and Chill Wills)!!! Throw in Gypsy Rose Lee as the owner of the local saloon and you got yourself a pretty good (for TV) rip-snorting western. You know how it's going to play out, but watching the all these stars in action makes up for a sub-par script.

Unfortunately the transfer is from a well-used print that looks like it was recorded in long play mode. At times, scenes taking place at night are almost unwatchable. But the chance to see these stars of westerns in their later years is a treat you should not miss if you're a fan of the western genre.

Brentwood/BCI put in their usual extras, six chapter stops, a DVD dictionary, trivia game and a short subject (Hal Roach's "Little Rascals"). This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

Great Family Western Comedy!!
In this film a group of retired Texas Rangers(Walter Brennan,Edgar Buchanan,Pat O'Brien and Chill Wills)take on a corrupt small Nevada town relying on their brains not brawn.Also co-starring Ricky Nelson,Kris Nelson,Edward Andrews and Jack Elam.It's a great family western comedy!! ... Read more