Reviews (12)

"Home From the Hill" is a must see!
My parents enjoyed this movie enough that they named me (their daughter of 23 years) after George Hamilton's character, Theron. I love the movie too! It's a good one.

I liked this movie!!!!
And I disagree with JT Boyd's review, partly because it is inaccurate. Robert Mitchum's character had an affair with a tramp, producing illegitimate son, George Peppard, which caused his estrangement from his wife, Eleanor Parker, who was the mother of his legitimate son, George Hamilton. I do think that Hamilton's part was way overplayed, but liked the movie, regardless, and George Peppard surely got my attention.

Not too close to home from the hill
After reading the book 3 times, I was disapointed in the movie script. The Captain played by Robert Mitchum was assumed to have many children in the town (due to the many town kids who had his trademark coal black wavy hair) His wife was homely and was of high moral fiber. His own son Theron was strong, smart and very athletic. His mother doted on him and his father taught him how to hunt. Theron got Libby pregnant and Libby's father thought it was the Captain and shot him to death. Theron disapeared in the woods and was never found and the Captains wife died a broken woman who never knew her husband's love. If the movie would have followed the book, it would have been a far better movie!

Earthy melodrama
Robert Mitchum stars as Wade, the big-shot in town; he is rich, conceited, a good hunter, a phillanderer, and a bad husband and father. His wife (Eleanor Parker) has been holding a grudge against him since they were married. It seems Wade fathered a child, Rafe, (George Peppard) out of wedlock. Wade's legitimate son, Theron (George Hamilton), is bit of a wimp and a disappointment to old Dad. Add to this mix the young and pretty Libby (Luana Patton), who likes both Theron and Rafe, and the stereotypical Texas good 'ole boys who stir up the plot, and you have a great story.

Although Mitchum is typically charismatic and macho in this movie, it is George Peppard who emerges as the real star. He is very handsome and appealing as the sexy he-man who wants to be acknowledged as his father's son. George Hamilton looks too old to play 17-year old Theron, but he is suitably awkward and self-conscious. (The role would have been better with a young Anthony Perkins.) Willful and stubborn Eleanor Parker is a good match for Mitchum; I would have liked to see even more of her.

This film is long and frequently melodramatic with plenty of angst to go around. That said, the script is good, the actors are all likeable and handsome, the score is lovely, and all the loose ends are neatly tied up in the end. While considered somewhat spicy in its day, "Home From the Hills" is now an involving character study that has inspired me to read the novel by William Humphrey.

They don't make them like this anymore
This wonderfully acted movie, is a must see. George Hamilton gives an outstanding performance. I never realized what a talented actor he is, until I saw this movie. Robt. Mitchum always the best.

This is the story of a Texas family torn apart by bitterness, adultery.

After watching the movie, now I want to read the novel. ... Read more

Description

193 minute double feature film DVD ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Lousy picture quality
I don't know what the last poster was thinking... This DVD goes to the top of my worst quality list. I wouldn't complain as much but they are advertized as "Digitally Remastered," which is obviously meaningless. "Long John Silver" is soft-focus, borderline blurry, throughout; marred with constant flecks and blobs; and has countless vertical scratches that score the full image. It's like watching some old home movie you found in a trunk. Haven't viewed "Captain Kidd," but a cursory scan indicated it too is in poor condition. If that's the best the films come, and there's no money for clean-up, so be it. But get that misleading "Digitally Remastered" off the box. That's a hoodwink if ever there was one.

Pirates! on DVD
This DVD Double feature cost me ... and was worth every penny. Long John Silver (1955) and Captain Kidd (1945) Two films I had never seen before but always wanted to. With Marengo Films putting 2 movies on every DVD they release it's a good bargin! The films look very clean and the sound is great. Can't wait to see what else these guys come up with... ... Read more

Reviews (49)

A True Masterpiece
This is true spellbinding stuff. A Great story, depicting the sad tale of "Rio" (Marlon Brando) and his quest to get even with the evil Dad Longworth (Karl Maldon) for the betrayal of some stolen lute, friendship and trust. The one an only film directed by Marlon Brando, is a film of epic proportions, that twists and turns until you feel eventual sympathy with the "Rio" character, after all the nastiness of the ill fated outlaw he once was. Excellently shot using panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop, a stirring film score, taught direction, A moody and magnificent Marlon Brando, The sultry Pina Pellicer, (who sadly died shortly after the film) A rousing story...and I just love the script, This film has it all. A follow up would have been super, but alas it wasn't to be. So sit back and enjoy "One Eyed Jacks", and don't let the critic books put you off. So go on! Make that saturday night special watch this movie now!

HORRENDOUS DVD QUALITY
I bought this 2003 Westlake Entertainment Group release of One-Eyed Jacks thinking that because of the price, it was the best version of the movie available on DVD. If it is, I'm disgusted. It is not in widescreen and the image is not sharp, much less crisp. I paid about $14.95 for this disc. To my great disappointment it's a horrible transfer. And I don't think I'm being picky. Granted, it is only my opinion, but I was not satisfied with the quality at all. I'm going to wait for the studio that made the film to eventually (hopefully) release a more acceptable version. I give this DVD version one star because zero stars is not an option.

terrific directorial debut
Brando fine as director. He does excellent turn as the Rio
character in the film. Malden, as usual, top notch as menacing heavy. Beautifully photographed. It's too bad Brando didn't direct a few more films.

A Great Movie - Really A Greek Tragedy Set in the West
Based on Charles Neider's Novel,"The Authentic Life of Hendrick Jones", this is truly the finest Western you will ever see. It even surpasses "Shane" and that is a true compliment,indeed. Beautiful scenery, an absolutely intrigueing story with many unexpected turns that will hold you to your seat. As for Brando and a marvelous supporting cast,Karden Malden,Pina Pellicer,Ben Johnson,a fabulous performance by Katy Jurado, and others,see it, you will love it. Not often mentioned in reviews is the wonderful theme song by Hugo Friedhoffer as background music.Absolutely a MUST SEE-to be chewed and digested.

Don't buy the Madacy DVD
As many reviewers have noted, the video quality is terrible in many editions. I have only experienced the Madacy edition -- that's the one where the cover has the original poster, surrounded by a white outline and the actors' names below -- and it's terrible. I will be sticking with my laser disk until (or if) Paramount releases a studio version. My two star rating is therefore an average of a "zero" for the technical quality of the Madacy DVD and a "four" for the movie itself (which features some of the most memorable dialog ever in a western, which I understand was in no small part due to Ben Johnson -- Brando would ask him, "Ben, what's a better way to say that?" and Johnson would come up with some wonderfully colorful expression like "I hear there's dirt between ya" or "Don't be doin' her like that"). So pray for a studio edition, as this movie certainly deserves first class treatement. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good movie, poor conversion to dvd
This is a couple of good movies that document humor from another day and age. However, the production quality of the DVD leaves much to be desired. The audio track seems to be complete but the video track appears to have many holes in it which are filled by showing peices of the movie twice. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

"When they need you, they forgive and forget."
In the film, "Ace in the Hole", unemployed newspaper reporter Charles Tatum (Kirk Douglas) finds himself stuck in New Mexico. He's penniless, his car has just broken down, and he has no prospects whatsoever. One thing Tatum does have in abundance is nerve. And it's this nerve that takes Tatum into the local newspaper office where he bullies and bargains his way into a job as a reporter. Tatum has a checkered past. He used to work for big newspapers, but he's "been fired from 11 papers." He's been at the top of his field, and he dreams of getting back up there one day. Tatum realizes that his best shot at fame is through the chance of writing a killer story--and he brags, "if there's no news, I'll go out and bite a dog." Stuck in a small backwater town, the opportunities for the big break just don't materialize. Tatum is on his way to cover the annual Rattlesnake hunt, when he stumbles across the story of a lifetime.

Tatum accidentally runs into a crisis--there's a man stuck in an abandoned mine shaft/Indian burial ground. Leo Minosa is trapped and buried under some fallen rubble. To extract him carelessly could cause the mine to collapse and Leo would be killed. Tatum turns the rescue into a media circus--and of course, he's the one with all the power.

The three main characters all want to escape in different ways. Tatum wants to escape the small time. Leo wants to escape from the mine, and his wife, Lorraine, a former dime-a-dance girl (Jan Sterling) wants to escape from the boring humdrum existence stuck behind the serving counter at the family business. The three characters collude--from necessity--and create a media circus in the middle of nowhere.

The role of Tatum is Kirk Douglas at his best--he's hard as nails, cynical, shameless and driven. He never gives an inch in his inhuman drive for fame and fortune. "Ace in the Hole" examines the issue of ethics in journalism, and I doubt there's a better film on the subject. This is simply an incredible classic film, and it's a travesty that it's not available commercially. Based on a true story, this film was a huge flop for director Billy Wilder, and the film really deserves to be resurrected from the vaults--displacedhuman

lawsuit
after this film came out there was a lawsuit as to who came up with the idea for the film. the story is based on a true incident of a man trapped in a mine, but the idea to make that news story into a film was brought to the attention of wilder by a man who later sued for compensation. the case went all the way to the california supreme court and the verdict went against wilder and the studio. this could be the reason why the film is not available for sale.

it is a shame because kirk douglas in unbelievable in this movie and the subject matter of media reporters taking matters into their own hands to distort facts to create the story (to make a name and increase ratings/circulation) is more timely than ever

Wilder's "Ace" is a hole of a good movie!
Billy Wilder made this film after Sunset Blvd(1950) and before Stalag 17(1953), two of his most popular works. He once referred to "Ace" as "the runt of my litter". It is one of the most brilliant films to come out of Hollywood in the early 1950's.

The idea of a newspaper man covering the story of a trapped miner, exploiting and managing the "rescue" in order to sell the story to the media, was way ahead of it's time, which is why the picture flopped at the box office.

The people at Paramount don't seem to value the artistry inherent in this masterpiece. They probably only look at the numbers and figure, "well, it didn't make any money in 1951, so it won't make any now if we release it on DVD"
But they are wrong. This is a cult classic and on every film buff's must-have list.

Besides the acting and direction and the bitterly pungent screenplay, the arid b&w cinematography of Charles Lang and the moody, impressionist, noir music score by Hugo Friedhofer are absolutely perfect for this story.

By all means, write a letter to Paramount Home Video and demand that this film is given a DVD release. You can get their address from their website. I wrote them last year and they said there were no plans to release it. So that means waiting for it to show up on Turner Classic Movies, where I last saw it about 3 years ago.
But if they get enough letters, well, you never know...............

You cannot deprive an audience of this movie!
The studio that made this movie (Paramount I think) is commiting a crime by not releasing this fantastic movie by one of the greatest directors of all time on DVD or for that matter even VHS! Yesterday I was wondering which were the movies I wanted to buy, and Ace In the Hole came to me immediately but I was disappointed to see that the studios haven't released it on DVD or VHS. Please release this movie, it's Wilder's masterpiece. And while i'm at it somebody please get ED WOOD released on DVD.

the floped masterpiece
this is an amazing film, one of Mr. Wilder's best it is a shame that the studio is not releaseing it for douglas and wilder are at there best it was released at a time when people were not in the mood to see such an emotion wrenching film but todays world can handle it it is an amazing film help the fight to get it released. in many magazines including sight and sound have rated it high in the ranks make the studio rewatch it that's all that is needed for once they take a look at it their pant will fall down cause they got up so fast to release it. JOIN THE FIGHT FOR ACE IN THE HOLE!... ... Read more