Reviews (5)

Deanna Dubdin DVD's
Well finally some movies that I have waited for from those old years are coming out. I have Three Smart Girls, and Three Smart Girls Grow Up. I have 3 CD's of Deanna Durbin, and I do love to hear her sing..... Can not wait to get this Sweetheart Pack.....

At home I was always playing over and over Invitation to the Dance and Loch Lomond and the Last Rose of Summer.....WOW !!

At Last!!
Finally! We, devoted fans of Deanna Durbin, will be able to own her wonderful movies on DVD! I disagree, though, with the reviewer who stated that SOMETHING IN THE WIND was one of her worst. There are NO worst Deanna Durbin films; simply favorites. It happens that SOMETHING IN THE WIND is one of my favorites, and 100 MEN AND A GIRL is not. In this case I shall be pleased with the new choice, but others will be disappointed. Hopefully, we shall see ALL of her movies on DVD eventually; and all shall all be pleased!

Three cheers for Deanna Durbin
I am so happy to hear that these Deanna Durbin movies are coming to dvd.I have seen all of these movies. I agree with the viewer from Ventura California. Please transfer all of Deanna Durbin's movies on to dvd. My favorite Deanna Durbin movies are "His Butler's Sister" and "Spring Parade". I hope that they will come out on dvd, in the near future.

Note: "100 Men and a Girl" no longer in DVD set
Unlike what Amazon's page and another reviewer indicate, it seems that in this DVD set "100 Men and a Girl" has now been replaced by "Something in the Wind."

Since "100 Men and a Girl" is considered one of her best movies and the replacement is considered one of her worst, I assume that the DVD studio was unable to obtain the necessary rights and was forced to find another Durbin film to fill the slot.

Deanna durbin Sweetheart Pack
At last Universal Pictures is going to release six of Deanna Durbin's movies on DVD i am certinly looking forward to her movies, finaly coming to DVD, "Three Smart Girls", "100 Men and a Girl", "First Love", "It Started With Eve", and her only movie in Tecnicolor "Can't Help Singing", and "Lady On a Train". Let's have the rest of Deanna's movies released on DVD, Universal. ... Read more

Description

All-American hero John Wayne takes a crew of construction workers and turns them into one of WWII's toughest fighting forces in this action-packed war classic.But first he has to convince the army brass to let his civilians bear arms, and then he's got to whip them into combat shape. Now Wayne is fighting for his life on a different battlefield when he's brought up on court-martial charges for leading his troops in an all-out assault against the Japanese. It's Wayne at his best, playing the kind of rough-and-tumble man of honor that made him a legend and Hollywood's biggest star. An entertaining combination of strong supporting performances by Daniel O'Keefe and ravishing, about-to-be superstar Susan Hayward. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Where did the Construction Batallion (SeaBees) come from?
This movie provides one telling of their story. During WWII, there was a serious need for men in the military who had the know how and the determination to carry out essential construction work, particularly in the Pacific Theatre of operations.

In this movie we learn a bit about the plan and recruitment of men to serve as hybrid construction workers/soldiers. John Wayne was a natural choice to serve as the prototypical SeaBee -- an undisciplined individual, but determined, willing and able.

Join JW and his colleagues as they work and fight their way across the Pacific, building runways and roads, and anything else that needed to be made. During their spare time, they did some fighting, and JW finds time for some romancing (doesn't he usually?).

A good telling, and an interesting movie, but not quite 5-star material. Well worth a watch though!

Navy Heritage - US Navy Seabees
This movie has become a part of lore among the men and women of the finest combat contstruction organizations of the US military. It is a nice Hollywood adaptation of the creation of the US Navy Seabees. And who can forget the best character in the movie -- Natasha! It's not often that you see JW's character make the ultimate sacrifice. I watch this and see the beginning of some traditions and attitudes still in practice today. "With Compassion for Others, We Build - We Fight, for Peace with Freedom," from the Seabee Museum. Remember their montra: Seabee Can-Do.

Unintentionally comical
The few brief glimpses of William Frawley in boot camp are reason enough to make this movie worthy of viewing. A rather vanilla production, satisfactory if you're not going in with high expectations.

Susan and the Duke.
This is probably only a 2 star movie, but I rounded up because susan Hayward was my fav actress of that era, and JW was my fav actor period.

Fair DVD
I was disappointed with the quality of the DVD. The movie was not restored, it was copied from a fair print. I liked the movie. ... Read more

Description

In an effort to escape jail, a woman takes a job as a lion tamer. After her successful debut in New York, she attracts the atttention of two friends. One is engaged and the other isn't. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Quintessential Mae West.
Tira (Mae West) is a gold-digging circus performer who reluctantly agrees to a dangerous lion-taming act to get herself out of a jam. The act is a great success, making Tira the talk of the town. Her flashy show at Madison Square Garden catches the eye of a wealthy businessman named Kirk Lawrence (Kent Taylor), who becomes infatuated with Tira and lavishes her with expensive gifts. Concerned for Kirk's social situation, his cousin and business partner, Jack Clayton (Cary Grant), attempts to convince Tira to reconsider their relationship. She does, and falls head over heels for Jack. But just as it looks like Jack and Tira will live happily ever after, Jack breaks off the relationship. A heartbroken but still stubborn Tira decides to sue him for breach of promise.

1933's "I'm No Angel" was Mae West's second starring role on the silver screen. After her previous film, "She Done Him Wrong", saved Paramount Pictures from financial ruin, the studio gave her carte blanche to do whatever she liked on this one. "I'm No Angel" was written entirely by Mae West. It's a romantic comedy, but West's character is not a romantic. Tira is nothing if not practical in her relationships with men. And there is no mistaking that the film exists entirely to showcase Ms. West's oversized personality and eye-catching figure. This is Self promotion and Star vehicle with capital S's. Mae West was 40 years old and a tad chunky when she made this film. But she didn't hesitate to cast herself as a sex goddess whom men of all ages found irresistible. And she gets away with it by sheer force of personality. West deserves a lot of credit for making audiences root for a union between a trash-talking middle-aged strumpet and a 29-year old gentleman of means. Such a relationship wouldn't gain approval in real life in 1933, and it wouldn't now. The success of "I'm No Angel", then and now, is testament to its star's great charisma. Cary Grant is more handsome than he would be during his years of star status, and surprisingly thinner. I don't think any actor could hope to share a scene with West without being upstaged by her, but Grant does a nice job of making Jack Clayton sympathetic, especially during the trial scenes. "I'm No Angel" is sometimes absurdly contrived, but that's the nature of romantic comedy. No bigger personality than Mae West ever graced the screen, and it's her presence that makes this film worthwhile. The DVD has no menu, only scene selections. And the movie begins as soon as the disc is inserted into the player.

The Wild, Wild West
Mae West was purportedly quoted as saying, "I fear no man". Whether she actually did, I have no trouble believing it. In "I'm No Angel", Miss West plays "Tira", a carnival hootch dancer who becomes a lion-taming headliner in "The Big Time", and has numerous men orbiting her, like moons around Venus. She is a women completely at ease with herself, fears no one, makes no apologies, and the men love her for it, in spite of themselves. Miss West played, essentially, the same role in real life, the "Bad but not Evil" woman. No beating around the bush for Mae-she told you who she was, what she wanted, take her or leave her-and made you laugh! She was "Women's Lib" in flashy gowns, big hats, and lots of diamonds. There are many of West's famous lines in "I'm No Angel", such as "When I'm good, I'm very, very good, but when I'm bad, I'm better", "Beulah, peel me a grape!", and many more. Her co-star is screen legend Cary Grant, whom Mae selected for 2 of her films on sight. The first was "She Done Him Wrong", and then this one. She said, "He was so good I had him twice-in pictures, I mean." The lady was an original. She was not "beautiful" or slender, but men were drawn to her (her brains being her sexiest feature), progressive (she defended homosexuals long before Stonewall), had interracial friendships and romances (she had lovers of African descent, as well as having black performers in her films), and was still attracting men well into her 70s! She also wrote her own material. So, if you're feeling a bit adventurous, go West, because "You can be had!"

"Oh Beulah... peel me a grape!"
Mae West basically saved Paramount Pictures from bankruptcy with this and her other hit film of 1933 "She Done Him Wrong" (her other career highlight, also with Cary Grant). She was 40 when she made this film, and even for the early 30s she was plumper than the female ideal, and her face was wide and her nose was too long. But since she acted like she was the sexiest thing who ever was, and told you so too, you believed her: her uncontrollable sex appeal was her costant running joke and it never ever palled. Here she's Tira the lion tamer, who tames the richest men in New York society with equal ease: when Cary Grant withdraws his engagement she sues him for breach of promise, and she has great fun cross-examining the witnesses in her trial. Years before Lucille Ball or Carol Burnett, Mae West proved the old sexist canard that "female isn't funny" is an out and out lie. Who could be funnier than she is, sashaying around with her African-American maids delivering her ripest lines?

A knockout in its time -- and still packs a wallop
Decades before the women's movement was to gain momentum in this country, Mae West, with her inimitable combination of feminine wiles and macho, and a keen wit thrown into the mix, began her own revolution by standing all previous conceptions about women and their societal roles on their ear. Her substantial talent in singing, acting and one-liners give her the wherewithal to have the whole act succeed where many others' attempts would not. The result is great entertainment, a hallmark in the history of American cinema, and an impression on the audience that we were all better off for this woman having graced our culture.

WONDERFUL MAE.....
It's hard to believe they let this go out of print. It's one of Mae West's brightest and funniest films. Before the censorship czars got after her, that is. Legendary Mae struts and sings her way through this tale of circus hootchie Tira who gets in a legal jam thanks to her hoodlum boyfriend. Needing fast cash for an attorney, she reluctantly agrees to be the show's lion tamer and put her head in a lion's mouth. She becomes an immediate star and rises to the top. She hooks a rich beau (Kent Taylor) but falls for his business partner Kirk (Cary Grant) and they become engaged to marry. But her old circus cronies won't let her retire and try to frame her in a scandal to break up the engagement. When the ruse works and Kirk breaks off with Tira, she takes him to court for breach of promise. "I'm No Angel" is all Mae. From the screenplay (which she wrote) to the gowns (which are knockouts---especially the "spider web" gown) she's the star and dominates every scene she's in. She's absolutely wonderful. From strutting around and singing with her maids to taking over her own case in the courtroom, you can see there was no one like her and never would be. She was totally unique and unequaled in terms of sheer star power. Some of her racy quotes are here in "I'm No Angel" but, alas, the better ones lie in "She Done Him Wrong" (also with Grant) and that one never made it to DVD. These two are the better of her films---"My Little Chickadee" with W.C.Fields notwithstanding---and it's a shame they're not in print. The Universal DVD of "Angel" looks good and is a collector's item now. But I'm for re-releasing ALL of her films on DVD. As I'm sure she would love to know, Mae West still has an audience and always will. ... Read more

Description

The Marx Brothers are at their hilarious best in this insanely satirical comedic romp. Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo set international relations on its ear--and the audience in stitches--with their rapid-fire wit and hijinks. Not to be missed, "Duck Soup" is one of the Marx Brothers' most popular films. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

If you can't send help, send 2 more women!
This is my favorite Marx Brothers comedy. Absolutely nuts from beginning to end, they kicked out all the stops on this one, with one of the best and truest satirical jabs at jingoism and militarism ever put on film. "Freedonia's Going to War" and everyone is singing about it!

There are so many great bits in this one: Harpo & Chico battling the lemonade vendor; Groucho & the inimitable Margaret Dumont "That covers a lot of ground, matter of fact you cover a lot of ground, I hear they're going to tear you down and put up an office building... can't you see what I'm saying, I love you!"; the 3 brothers dressed in nightshirts with groucho moustaches (Gad they looked alike)doing the mirror pantomime; Groucho insulting & taking umbrage with Louis Calhern's Ambassador Trentino "Upstart? My father was a little Upstart, my mother was a little Armstrong...."; Groucho's Rufus T. Firefly with the Tommygun ("Look at em run" "But you're killing your own men" "Here's 5 bucks, keep it under your hat."); and on and on.

Arguably their best,this effort didn't do well on release. I think because it was ahead of its time and was the riskiest because of the political jokes and the times. But, it is just plain funny with some of Groucho's best lines and some of the best interplay between the brothers, and without a lot of the shmaltz & corn & musical interludes. Classic.

A hilarious movie!
To gain financial support from Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont), the tiny bankrupt country of Freedonia agrees to take Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) as their new president (the poor saps). Mayhem springs from Firefly's cynical and sarcastic leadership, culminating in war with the neighboring country of Sylvania. Throughout, Pinky (Harpo Marx) and Chicolini (Chico Marx) are scheming among the great and powerful, taking money from Trentino (Louis Calhern) of Sylvania, and directing Firefly's war effort. [Black & white, created in 1933, with a running time of 70 minutes.]

This movie contains some of Groucho's funniest witticisms, his badinage with Margaret Dumont producing some of the funniest lines in theatrical history. The story takes something of a backseat to the Marx brother's comedy, but this movie is first and foremost a satire of politics in general, and war and patriotism in particular. Back to the comedy, this movie is fantastically funny, containing the famous mirror scene, where Chico is dressed as Groucho, who must figure out if he is seeing his reflection or something else!

This is a great movie. The comedy is funny and clean, and can be watched by viewers of any age. I highly recommend this movie.

Where is the Region 1 release?
I don't need to gush over how great this movie is, plenty of customers have already done that. Warner Brothers did the Marx Brother's justice with their five DVD set of seven films with loads of special features. Granted that set is of their later films but isn't it time their early movies got the same treatment? Great collections of their early films are available in R2 and R4 formats, why not R1? Any answer? Universal Studios?

A comedy classic that still holds up...
My two favorite comedies of all time are "Duck Soup" and "Airplane." Don't agree with "Airplane?" I have a good mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it!

Anyway, few people will dispute that "Duck Soup" is one of the funniest movies ever made. So many classic lines and zany moments; this is the Marx Brothers at the peak of their powers. It was made in the 30's, but holds up extremely well. That makes it a timeless movie. Never boring or corny. I swear the whole hat gag has to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

So... when can we expect a reissue on DVD, Paramount/Universal?

Worth Every Penny (Ruble)
My good friend K.M (Karl Marx recommended this movie to me a while ago (back in 1933 about nine years after my premature death)

Now I have it on DVD and I can still say that I find this movie just as great as I did back 70 years ago.

Groucho and his ilk (The other brothers) continue (even in death) to represent the gold standard of comedy.

Despite my untimely death I still find that this movie makes me laugh like no other.

Oh by the way Groucho, Karl told me that your Mom wanted you to pick up a gallon of milk. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

FORGOTTEN NOIR GEM NEW ON DVD
Originally released in 1948, "Raw Deal" is the story of a bitter, tough gangster (Dennis O'Keefe again) who seeks revenge after being framed and sent to the big house. With the help of an innocent woman he seduces, the ex con carries out his murderous scheme of vengeance, eventually coming face to face with the psychopathic pyromaniacal creep (Raymond Burr) responsible for his jail time. John Ireland, Marsha Hunt, Chili Williams and Claire Trevor co-star -- with Trevor responsible for the terrific, fatalistic voice over narration.

Mann's direction is as tight and stylized as the screenplay. The often low angle black and white photography by John Alton, who also did "T Men," is a perfect match for this tale of dark justice. A very young, surprisingly trim, Raymond Burr is a standout as the bad guy. In the scene that introduces him, he gleefully burns the ear of one of his flunkies with a cigarette lighter. It's a cruel joke and Burr obviously relishes the role of the sadistic heavy. The quality of the full frame print is pretty good. The sound could be a tad cleaner. The extras are limited to some great noir trailers and "video liner notes" by mystery writer Max Collins. Definitely entertaining and better than might be expected.

Ever So Raw!!!
I am honored to be the first reviewer of this film! This is definitely a "B" noir flick in terms of the look and feel, but the script is taut and the acting is tough as nails.Some of the visuals (shot by John Alton) are as dark and as well-composed as any in Noirville--great low angle shots especially! See a pre-Perry Mason/Ironside Raymond Burr as a power-mad pyromaniac, and John Ireland as his hapless flunkie. And of course Claire Trevor as the co-dependent floozie following her man all the way to the gutter. Her laconic, downbeat voice-overs are superb, and set the emotional tone for the movie throughout. I had never seen the lead actors before--Dennis O'Keefe and Marsha Hunt, but found their portrayals quite compelling. The love story was a bit soapy but tolerable. The quality of the disc by VCI was very good in terms of the picture quality, though sound was a bit muffled. Some fun extras, including trailers from several other unrelated noir films, like Impact, and a really cool behind the scenes interview with Sinatra, Preminger, Kim Novack on the set of Man With the Golden Arm--what these are doing on this disc is beyond me, but it is a nice non sequitor nonetheless. Also, a film critic does a little analysis of Anthony Mann's style, and it is pretty darn interesting. See the companion DVD, T-Men, also an A. Mann film, but Raw Deal is the Real Deal!!

Brilliantly Redefines Noire -- Mann at his best
Anthony Mann's films -- whether they are Noire, War Film, Western, or Costume Epic -- are all about one thing: characters doomed to self-destruction. In that light "Raw Deal" is probably his best, because here *everyone* is going down.

O'Keefe escapes from prison, bent on collecting his dough from Crime Boss Raymond Burr, and leaving the country. But on the way he becomes trapped between the woman who broke him out, and the beautiful parole officer they kidnapped. Meanwhile the sadistic pyromaniac Burr has sent killer John Ireland to make sure O'Keefe meets a sticky end.

"Raw Deal" starts as an exercise in classic film-noire style: tough-guy dialogue, gun-play, and simple low-key sets. Forunately (and unlike most directors), Mann is aware that these are just *noire motifs*. So rather than produce a cliche by playing *to* them, Mann (and his collaborators Alton and Sawtell) produces a masterpiece by playing *against* them.

What would normally be a conventional revenge flick, becomes a complicated emotional journey, in the guise of an equally meandering -- occaisionally surreal -- road trip across post-war middle-America.

John Alton photographs it beautifully (the Greg Toland of B-Movies): a fight in a bait-shop takes place under a grid of black fishing nets; a woman's face reflected in the face of a ships' clock (also under a net... hmmmm); a forest at night; an alleyway choked with fog -- all of it exquisitely illuminated (or NOT illuminated, depending on your lighting philosophy).

And instead of the standard -- Dum-Da-Dum-Dum Dragnet score, composer Paul Sawtel (the Bernard Herrman of B-Movies) gives it a quivering, supernatural flavour -- with a Theramin.

The cast is perfect, particularly Ireland whose moral ambivalence can't conceal his distain for Burr and respect for O'Keefe. And Whit Bissel does a run throught in one of the films more surreal moments.

As i said before, the characters in a Mann film are always trapped by their own weaknesses. This is a standard B-movie/noir device, usually explained to the audience by a cynical Private-I with words like lust, betrayal, murder, etc. etc. What sets "Raw Deal" apart from the ordinary Noire fodder is that we don't just observe, we sympathise. In "Raw Deal" the trap isn't "greed" or "lust" -- it's loyalty, devotion, duty, and self sacrifice. Anthony Mann's characters are doomed by their virtues, not their vices.

And they take us with them. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Because it's been little seen, and because people tend to shrug offcontemporaneous World War II films as "propaganda," Hangmen Also Diehas neverreceived its due.It's a brilliant, riveting movie, made in response to theatrocities committed against the Czech people following the assassination ofReichsprotektor Heydrich, Hitler's personal "hangman." Under Fritz Lang'sferociously stylized direction, the duel of wits between the Nazi occupiers and the Prague underground--"a ghost army sworn to haunt them till theirblood runs cold"--becomes the stuff of legend: virtually another installmentof Die Nibelungen, and a dynamic variation on the urban phantasmagoria of theMabuse films and Spione and M.

There is propaganda--but when the blood-curdling rhetoric comes from BertoltBrecht, no less, in his only movie script for an American producer, who's tocomplain?Lang was Brecht's full collaborator, however, and the narrative isa steel trap closing on everyone.Every act of charity may potentially dooman entire family, and the resistance fighters--especially Brian Donlevy'sdoctor-assassin--agonize over their culpability in jeopardizing hundreds of innocents taken hostage in reprisal for Heydrich's shooting.Themoral-ethical duality extends to the casting, and our response to it.Apartfrom Walter Brennan, astonishingly "Brechtian" as a Czech professor ofhistory, the "good guys" are ho-hum Central Casting types while theNazis--evil incarnate--are juicily portrayed by a passel of German-Jewishémigrés (Alexander Granach, Reinhold Schünzel, Ludwig Donath,et al.), allsavoring the opportunity to skewer their own oppressors and to act up aGerman Expressionist storm in their Hollywood exile. Superbly photographedby James Wong Howe. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Film noir classic
Anthony Mann with no budget and not much of a script creates a terrific little thriller. There are simply classic sequences thanks to some brilliant cinematography.

The film is very episodic and does not realy hang together, but some of the shots are superb. The opening murder of an informant has one of the bext scenes where a murderer literally is absorbed by the darkness. The execution in the steam room is filled with horror. Anthony Mann showed all his potential as a director with this little B film. It is throughly recommended.

UNEXPECTED NOIR GEM ON DVD
VCI Entertainment, a small video company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is releasing DVDs of "RAW DEAL" and "T MEN," two forgotten noir B movie classics directed by Anthony Mann.

Allegedly taken from a closed Treasury Department file (the "Shanghia Paper" case), "T Men" (1947) is a clever crime drama that's shot in a documentary style for added realsim. The meticulously detailed set-up is kind of slow going, but the payoff is gangbusters (literally). Dennis O'Keefe and Alfred Ryder are Treasury agents who go undercover, disguised as mobsters, to infiltrate a ring of Detroit based liquor cutters known to be using bogus revenue stamps. The gang's savage leader has already killed a fellow T Man. For the agents, there is almost a perverse emphasis on how they must shut down all normal human feelings to successfully accomplish their missions -- even to the point of standing by while a fellow agent is executed in cold blood. There's no question about the dark noir terrain in this terrific little thriller that is all the more effective thanks to John Alton's brilliant, precise, geometrically composed cinematography.

A surprisingly gripping film with a stunning climax. Definitely worth considering if you're looking for those forgotten noir gems.

An overlooked B-movie crime thriller
If and when you see this film, ignore the tiresome, moronic narration at the beginning and end that was obviously tacked on by the studio, and enjoy the middle 96% of this tough, well-made, B-movie classic. Before he found fame as a director of westerns, Anthony Mann directed shoestring-budget B-crime thrillers, of which T-Men is the best (better than Raw Deal, much better than Railroaded.) The pseudo-documentary approach combines with John Alton's brilliant underlit noirish cinematography to create a potent brew; engaging, almost mesmerizing. You hate to see the story come to an end. A B-movie masterpiece, one of the great ones of the forties.

Mann/Alton team exceed themselves in this noir gem
Starting with what must have been a standard postwar script praising the feds (this time, the treasury department), the team of director Anthony Mann and director of photography John Alton turned this into one of the most memorable and seminal films of the noir cycle. The budget was shoestring but their love for their craft must have been extraordinary, because shot after shot triumphs as a little cinematographic wonder -- an object lesson in how to let pictures talk. As T-Men Dennis O'Keefe and Alfred Ryder plunge deeper into the counterfeiters' world, the action becomes increasingly edgy and violent, belying the syrupy patriotic music that puts us to sleep every time we flash back to Washington, D.C. As good as Mann's (and Alton's) other films can be, T-Men shows off their talents to exhilarating advantage. This is a must-see -- even a must-buy -- for anybody interested in this unparalleled and unforgettable decade of film history.

An Unknown Gem!
What starts out as another Hollywood movie promoting the FBI and other government law enforcement agencies quickly becomes a hard-hitting film noir that exposes the underbelly of an undercover government agent. Dennis O'Keefe and Alfred Ryder must become as bad as the villians they are after in order to infiltrate a ruthless gang of counterfeiters. Watch for Charles McGraw in one of his most sadistic roles as Moxey - the thug who loves to inflict pain. A little known classic by Anthony Mann (who directed all of those great 1950's Jimmy Stewart westerns). ... Read more

Description

The 13 Family Classic Movies features hours of family entertainment digitally re-mastered on three double-sided DVDs.Begin a library of classic feature films with stars like Janet Gaynor, Carole Lombard, Jessica Dragonette, ShirleyTemple, Danny Kaye, Buster Keaton, The East Side Kids, Louis Hayward, Charles Laughton, Mickey Rooney, Rudolph Valentino, Dennis O’Keefe, and Kirk Douglas. Including features: A Star is Born,The Racketeer,Gulliver’s Travels (Animated),Managed Money,The Inspector General,The Paleface,That Gang of Mine,Son of Monte Cristo, Captain Kidd,The Little Fauntleroy,The Eagle,The Great Dan Patch &My Dear Secretary. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Before Anthony Mann solidified his reputation with his edgy Westerns starring Jimmy Stewart such as The Naked Spur, he toiled in Hollywood's "Poverty Row," transforming a handful of low-budget crime thrillers into stylish, violent film noir classics with a mix of grace and grit. Threeof his best, all photographed by the brilliant John Alton, have been collected in The Roan's Group's The Film Noir of Anthony Mann triple feature.

T-Men stars square-jawed Dennis O'Keefe, a former leading man turned beefy B-movie tough guy, and Alfred Ryder as pair of undercover Treasury agents who enter the shadow world of America's mob underworld when their predecessor is killed. Posing as street thugs, they infiltrate their way into a gang of counterfeiters, living the dangerous life of the gangster to the hilt while living in constant danger of death if their covers are blown. Mann and Alton mix documentary-style realism with stark sets lit in jagged, claustrophobic shadows and abstract haziness, creating an eerie emptiness.

Raw Deal reunites Mann, Alton, and O'Keefe in a haunting revengenoir about an escaped criminal, his loyal girlfriend (Claire Trevor), and a lovely legal aide (Marsha Hunt) he drags along as a hostage. Trevor's cold, deliberate narration and the moody, fog-bound visuals stand in counterpoint to the brutal explosions of violence (the most memorable belonging to sadistic gangster Raymond Burr, who tosses a tureen of flaming cherries jubilee on a clumsy party girl in a scene that anticipates The Big Heat), adding a tough edge to the doomed romanticism.

Mann never took screen credit for He Walked by Night, though he directed a good portion of the documentary-influenced thriller. Richard Basehart stars as an electronics genius who turns to theft and murder, while tough-guy cop Scott Brady tracks him down with the resources of the police department, notably a wisecracking forensics expert played by Jack Webb. The stiff, stentorian narration and procedural detail of this film were big influences on Webb when he developed Dragnet.

These films are all firmly in the B tradition: stilted, often hackneyeddialogue, abstract sets, and more than a few lesser performances can be found throughout, but Mann's spare style and hard edge and Alton's stunning visuals lift the films out of the poverty-row ghetto and into film noir history. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Noir at its best
I had been trying to obtain a copy of this dvd for some time and was delighted to finally purchase it via amazon. It is a beautifully presented dvd with three superb examples of what makes film noir (a movement, not a genre!). Aldrich's direction is as tight and claustrophobic as you would expect and the cinematography of John Alton can be seen to define all the charactersitics associated with noir. Long may films such as these be available on dvd.

MASTERPIECES IN BLACK AND WHITE
It was a great idea from the Roan Group to present three movies directed by Anthony Mann in the late forties. Unfortunately, their copies have seen better days ! Too bad.

So, the sound and the images of HE WALKED BY NIGHT are simply awful. There's a slight improvement for RAW DEAL and only T-MEN could be qualified as visible for the average DVD addict.

But, as always, if the movie is interesting, I try to forget the imperfections and concentrate myself on the movie. And, believe me, these three are good movies. I personally have a little preference for RAW DEAL with its typical Film Noir mood : a hero, played by Dennis O'Keefe, two girls - the blonde and the brunette - and a sadistic villain impersonated by Raymond Burr.

HE WALKED BY NIGHT and T-MEN are typical examples of the semi-documentary style used in a lot film noir of the 1945-1950 period. They present a case which, if you want to believe the narrator, was a real story. Well, well, well. Naturally, it's one of the numerous clichés used by Hollywood in order to nail the viewer.

Director Anthony Mann is known for his westerns of the 50's starring James Stewart ; he deserves also to be recognized as a Master of the Film Noir genre.

No menu... and hardly a scene access.

A DVD for your library.

excellent presentation, but a few flaws
Few american directors can claim as large a volume of quality work as Anthony Mann. This dvd has two of his best and one of his lesser film noirs. T-MEN and RAW DEAL are worth buying these disks for on their own, HE WALKED BY NIGHT, while a good film doesn't come close to the other two in terms of Mann's spatial awareness and Alton's expressionist camera work. I can't help feeling that one of Mann's other great film noirs like THE TALL TARGET, RAIROADED, BORDER INCIDENT or STRANGE IMPERSONATION would have been more appropriate (but then again the films on this dvd also showcase the talents of John Alton while some of those other films don't). The reviewer below is right to say that the sound on these films is substandard (T-MEN is alright but the other two are unsatisfactory) but the dialogue is still audible and the quality of the transfer, especially in the case of RAW DEAL, is amazingly clear. Finally, that these three films should be available at this price means that these disks are a must-buy. I hope that the Roan Group releases a second collection of Anthony Mann film noirs, including the films listed above, as this is my favourite dvd in my limited collection.

Poor sound quality
Three entertaining movies but the sound quality is so poor that it greatly detracts from the experience.

Cheesey plots, but great cinematography and lighting - fun!
This is so representative of the B-movies of the '40's and early '50's! BUT - Director, Anthony Mann and Cinematographer, John Alton decided to be artistic, despite the low budgets and moderately corny scripts. I wonder if the studio heads even knew what was going on? Anyway, Mann and Alton weren't the only ones to explore Film Noir (see Orson Welles' "Lady from Shang Hai," for example, or "The Third Man"), but if you haven't seen these three films like I hadn't, since I was a kid, you should take advantage of the availability. Two of them were released on Laserdisc, awhile back, but were pricey. This is reasonable, there are 3 movies, and the film prints and DVD transfers look great, too! ... Read more

Description

The third and final entry in Hal Roach's famed "Topper" trilogy may very well be the best of the lot. Returning for their third portrayal of Mr. and Mrs. Cosmo Topper, Roland Young and Billie Burke are consistently upstaged by a sparkling new addition to the "Topper" troupe, Jack Benny's famed manservant, the loveable and irascible Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. This time around there is a "new" ghostly presence in the shapely form of Joan Blondell, who is unceremoniously dispatched by a cloaked knife murderer in a case of mistaken identity. Naturally, Joan floats over to the Topper's quiet abode and nags Cosmo into investigating her death. Back they come to the spooky scene of the crime, where Topper is accused of the murder by a houseful of creeps headed by ghoulmeister George Zucco. And who else should be the lead detective on the case, but the uproarious Donald McBride of "Room Service" fame, thoroughly bungling everything in sight! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

CHUCKLES AND LAUGHS!
This is the first Topper I've seen minus Cary Grant. But Joan Blondell holds her own and carries the day. There are constant laughs to be had here and frequent giggles, the biggest instigator of them being the briskly clever dialogue and the performance of Eddie (Rochester) Anderson, who for many years performed with Jack Benny. His terror at the "ghostly" goings on is replete with humor.

It is a pleasure to see a young Dennis O'Keefe acting opposite Carole Landis, sweet, beautiful and a fine actress (what a tragedy she committed suicide over an ill-fated love affair with the then married Rex Harrison - or should I say what a waste, since in this film she displayed such potential as an actress). And there is a wonderful, laugh till your sides split, performance by Billie Burke, who lets all the stops out in this one. She seems to relish her role and uses her up and down tremolo voice, sometimes raising it to a hilarious screech. This is definitely one of her best films.

Watch it and have fun! Because it's a fun movie at heart.

Topper's RETURNED!
And he's got a carload of women! Actually, not a carload ,just two... One of whom happens to be a ghost! She drags topper to an old creepy house to find out who killed her. The house happens to be full of all sorts of secret passages, and WEIRD personalities.And of course, Mrs. Topper suspects that the young lady who got Cosmo over here is 'the other woman'. This movie is truly funny, and it's backed up by Eddie, or Rochester, Jack Benny's Valet. A Must-See!

Wonderful!
I love this movie! I hadn't seen it in years, but remembered loving it, so today I watched it. I love it. It's funny, mysterious, and dramatic. Plus it's always nice to watch an oldie and realize how different they are from today's. I would definately reccomend this!!

A great old movie
Topper Returns is an example of how old Hollywood could do classic work, with a movie that isn't great, but exceedingly good, and at times downright hilarious. Roland Young, the woman who plays his wife (forgot her name) Joan Blondell and Eddie Anderson make this a comedy, albeit a black comedy with it's overtones of murder, worth buying. And don't forget, it was nominated for two Academy Awards. It's good viewing for Mom, Dad and kids who aren't really young.

Pure fluff
The story is wafer thin and it matters little. There is more crammed in this little unsung film than most comedies. Despite the racist undertones, Rochester shows why he was regarded as such a great comic actor. It is a pity he did not make more films as he seems the equal of Bob Hope as the scared driver of Topper.

Indeed the whole film is a battle between which lunatic can hold the camera for more than a few seconds. There is just too much going on. I particularly liked Topper's wife who was so dizzy and stole scene after scene. It is a who dunnit, but that really does not matter as it is all great fun.

Sit back and enjoy a piece of nonsense. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

CHUCKLES AND LAUGHS!
This is the first Topper I've seen minus Cary Grant. But Joan Blondell holds her own and carries the day. There are constant laughs to be had here and frequent giggles, the biggest instigator of them being the briskly clever dialogue and the performance of Eddie (Rochester) Anderson, who for many years performed with Jack Benny. His terror at the "ghostly" goings on is replete with humor.

It is a pleasure to see a young Dennis O'Keefe acting opposite Carole Landis, sweet, beautiful and a fine actress (what a tragedy she committed suicide over an ill-fated love affair with the then married Rex Harrison - or should I say what a waste, since in this film she displayed such potential as an actress). And there is a wonderful, laugh till your sides split, performance by Billie Burke, who lets all the stops out in this one. She seems to relish her role and uses her up and down tremolo voice, sometimes raising it to a hilarious screech. This is definitely one of her best films.

Watch it and have fun! Because it's a fun movie at heart.

Topper's RETURNED!
And he's got a carload of women! Actually, not a carload ,just two... One of whom happens to be a ghost! She drags topper to an old creepy house to find out who killed her. The house happens to be full of all sorts of secret passages, and WEIRD personalities.And of course, Mrs. Topper suspects that the young lady who got Cosmo over here is 'the other woman'. This movie is truly funny, and it's backed up by Eddie, or Rochester, Jack Benny's Valet. A Must-See!

Wonderful!
I love this movie! I hadn't seen it in years, but remembered loving it, so today I watched it. I love it. It's funny, mysterious, and dramatic. Plus it's always nice to watch an oldie and realize how different they are from today's. I would definately reccomend this!!

A great old movie
Topper Returns is an example of how old Hollywood could do classic work, with a movie that isn't great, but exceedingly good, and at times downright hilarious. Roland Young, the woman who plays his wife (forgot her name) Joan Blondell and Eddie Anderson make this a comedy, albeit a black comedy with it's overtones of murder, worth buying. And don't forget, it was nominated for two Academy Awards. It's good viewing for Mom, Dad and kids who aren't really young.

Pure fluff
The story is wafer thin and it matters little. There is more crammed in this little unsung film than most comedies. Despite the racist undertones, Rochester shows why he was regarded as such a great comic actor. It is a pity he did not make more films as he seems the equal of Bob Hope as the scared driver of Topper.

Indeed the whole film is a battle between which lunatic can hold the camera for more than a few seconds. There is just too much going on. I particularly liked Topper's wife who was so dizzy and stole scene after scene. It is a who dunnit, but that really does not matter as it is all great fun.

Sit back and enjoy a piece of nonsense. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good comedy
Billie Burke has just lost her fortune on the eve of her daughter's marriage.Son-in-law Dennis O'Keefe is convinced his financeer father, Adolphe Menjou, can get it back.The problem--Menjou is more of a con manliving off a dole from his opera-star wife.Script is weak, but has itsmoments.I especially like Billie Burke practicing her double-takes.Thismovie, while a pleasant comedy, is not up to O'Keefe's inspired roles inthe original Brewster's Millions and Up in Mabel's Room. ... Read more