Book Description

Reviews (33)

Charming, amusing love story
The play in which Steve Martin's "Roxanne" was based on is "Cyrano de Bergerac", a French play by Edmond Rostand. The title character is a witty men, well about words, but has a physical appendage that all find alarming and engrossing: a large, portrusive nose. He falls in love with Roxanne, but she is in love with another man; while he is beautiful, he's also a veritable dunderhead. Cyrano agrees to help him court Roxanne and many funny happenings occur. This is an amusing play, sure to charm anyone who can take physical imperfections lightly.

Translation captures poetry and wit of Rostand's hero.
Most readers and performers are probably more familiar with the translation of Cyrano by Brian Hooker. Hooker's translation has much to recommend it but it fails to capture the poetic power, whimsy or grace of Rostand's play. I feel the Burgess translation better represents Cyrano to a modern reader. One previous reviewer suggested that there was something almost absurd about Cyrano as he is portrayed by Rostand. Burgess himself had qualms about translating the play into rhyme. But this convention is powerful because it suggests that the men and women of Cyrano's dramatic world (even the lackwits) were impressed by cleverness, grace and beauty. It is set out in the play that Roxanne is one of the literary precieuse. The type of cleverness that Cyrano portrays in rhyme would appeal to her. At the same time, Cyrano is not a fop but a man of action whose mind is not stilled even by combat. Also this translation shows that Christian's "military wit" was something Cyrano could appreciate for its poetic appropriateness as well as for its courage. I think in some ways Cyrano's chivalry and heroism, as well as the more unrealistic elements of the play, are actually made more vivid and convincing by the use of rhyme. Burgess transports us to Rostand's imagined world of poetry and chivalry directly. . . and does not relent for a moment in portraying it. I think the real Hercule Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac would have appreciated the flair of it all. And if you don't buy that?-- Well, the fight scenes are STILL cool. Happy reading.

BEST OF THE CYRANOS
This Hal Roach Studios production from Image Entertainment is the best of the best. Flawlessly transferred from original 35mm camera negative and finegrain material, it features a brilliant soundtrack as well as the original theatrical trailer. This is the real deal--not a backyard dupe offered in a quickie transfer (probably to analogue) for el cheapo prices. If you want CYRANO, this class act version is the one to buy. SPECIAL NOTE: The specification notes indicated on the Amazon site are WRONG--this disc is encoded "Region Zero" not "Region One" as is stated. It will play on any DVD player anywhere in the world. So, what are you waiting for?? (Review refers to Hal Roach Studios DVD version released by Image Entertainment.)

BLUNT BLADE
THIS DVD IS JUNK... I SUGGEST YOU TRY ANOTHER COMPANY'S VERSION OF CYRANO.

And found myself the hero
I don't know how it's possible for a writer to expose my inner-workings so dynamically. This was written before I was born. However, the poetry and pomp, the lust and life, the fantasy and phantom of love, pure and chaste from afar defines me from inwards to extremity. I must now replace this masterpiece of a clairvoyant ancestor of Ralph Edwards.
The soul of any artist knows that life is not what we see, but how we perceive what we see. This video allows those with vision to glimpse the reality reserved for those who can recount their perceptions in whatever form.
See this video, if you never see another. The effect it will have on your life depends on your level of surrender to the realities in life. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (33)

Charming, amusing love story
The play in which Steve Martin's "Roxanne" was based on is "Cyrano de Bergerac", a French play by Edmond Rostand. The title character is a witty men, well about words, but has a physical appendage that all find alarming and engrossing: a large, portrusive nose. He falls in love with Roxanne, but she is in love with another man; while he is beautiful, he's also a veritable dunderhead. Cyrano agrees to help him court Roxanne and many funny happenings occur. This is an amusing play, sure to charm anyone who can take physical imperfections lightly.

Translation captures poetry and wit of Rostand's hero.
Most readers and performers are probably more familiar with the translation of Cyrano by Brian Hooker. Hooker's translation has much to recommend it but it fails to capture the poetic power, whimsy or grace of Rostand's play. I feel the Burgess translation better represents Cyrano to a modern reader. One previous reviewer suggested that there was something almost absurd about Cyrano as he is portrayed by Rostand. Burgess himself had qualms about translating the play into rhyme. But this convention is powerful because it suggests that the men and women of Cyrano's dramatic world (even the lackwits) were impressed by cleverness, grace and beauty. It is set out in the play that Roxanne is one of the literary precieuse. The type of cleverness that Cyrano portrays in rhyme would appeal to her. At the same time, Cyrano is not a fop but a man of action whose mind is not stilled even by combat. Also this translation shows that Christian's "military wit" was something Cyrano could appreciate for its poetic appropriateness as well as for its courage. I think in some ways Cyrano's chivalry and heroism, as well as the more unrealistic elements of the play, are actually made more vivid and convincing by the use of rhyme. Burgess transports us to Rostand's imagined world of poetry and chivalry directly. . . and does not relent for a moment in portraying it. I think the real Hercule Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac would have appreciated the flair of it all. And if you don't buy that?-- Well, the fight scenes are STILL cool. Happy reading.

BEST OF THE CYRANOS
This Hal Roach Studios production from Image Entertainment is the best of the best. Flawlessly transferred from original 35mm camera negative and finegrain material, it features a brilliant soundtrack as well as the original theatrical trailer. This is the real deal--not a backyard dupe offered in a quickie transfer (probably to analogue) for el cheapo prices. If you want CYRANO, this class act version is the one to buy. SPECIAL NOTE: The specification notes indicated on the Amazon site are WRONG--this disc is encoded "Region Zero" not "Region One" as is stated. It will play on any DVD player anywhere in the world. So, what are you waiting for?? (Review refers to Hal Roach Studios DVD version released by Image Entertainment.)

BLUNT BLADE
THIS DVD IS JUNK... I SUGGEST YOU TRY ANOTHER COMPANY'S VERSION OF CYRANO.

And found myself the hero
I don't know how it's possible for a writer to expose my inner-workings so dynamically. This was written before I was born. However, the poetry and pomp, the lust and life, the fantasy and phantom of love, pure and chaste from afar defines me from inwards to extremity. I must now replace this masterpiece of a clairvoyant ancestor of Ralph Edwards.
The soul of any artist knows that life is not what we see, but how we perceive what we see. This video allows those with vision to glimpse the reality reserved for those who can recount their perceptions in whatever form.
See this video, if you never see another. The effect it will have on your life depends on your level of surrender to the realities in life. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Two early Universal monster cross-over films
With the success of The Wolf Man in 1941, it didn't take Universal long to trot out a sequel; the following year, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man not only capitalized on the success of everybody's favorite werewolf, it also brought in Frankenstein's monster, thus becoming one of the first Universal monster cross-over films. Lon Chaney, Jr., returns as the ill-fated Larry Talbot, and the legendary Bela Lugosi dons the makeup of the Frankenstein monster - this fact alone makes the film intriguing.

Four years have passed since Larry Talbot's death. He's been lying in his crypt covered in wolf bane, not bothering anyone, and then two grave robbers happen along. The light of the full moon calls Talbot back to life, and he flees into the night in his werewolf form, waking up in a hospital in Cardiff the next morning. A Dr. Mannering (Patric Knowles) has performed surgery on his broken skull, but no one believes his werewolf story, even after he claims his first victim in four years. He ends up bolting the place and making his way to Europe, where he seeks out the old gypsy woman Maleva. She tells him that one man can be of help, a scientist named Frankenstein, but it turns out that the doctor is dead and his castle in ruins. Talbot engineers a means of drawing Baroness Elsa Frankenstein to the village (yet another heretofore unknown heir to the House of Frankenstein), but she refuses to help him. Searching the ruins, Talbot finds Frankenstein's monster frozen in ice and sets him free. Dr. Mannering eventually tracks him down to the village, and he agrees to help both the Wolf Man and the monster, but you know how these scientists get when they start delving into the mysteries of life and death.

Talbot, now afraid he cannot die, longs to be killed and put out of his misery. Baroness Frankenstein is just as desirous of seeing the monster destroyed. Now, if it were me, I would get an axe and just chop these guys into about a million pieces, but I guess that would be too easy. And, with the film being titled Wolf Man Meets Frankenstein, you know there has to be a monster clash before all is said and done, and you don't want your monsters battling it out at less than full strength. The film ends rather abruptly, leaving a slight taste of dissatisfaction in my mouth.

Watching Bela Lugosi play Frankenstein's monster is a pretty weird experience. Lugosi was the ultimate horror actor, but I don't think he was born to play the monster. I found it impossible to even recognize him under all the makeup until, toward the end, a fully recharged monster saw fit to give the audience a couple of vintage Lugosi grins. The film features a number of Universal stalwarts, including Lionel Atwill, Patric Knowles, Maria Ouspenskaya, and Dwight Frye. All in all, I was pretty impressed by this movie. Curtis Siodmak returned to write the script, and it did make for a successful sequel to The Wolf Man.

House of Frankenstein is a sequel to Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, one with its good points and its bad points. This was the first film to feature three of the Universal classic monsters: Frankenstein's Monster (now played by Glenn Strange), the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr.), and Count Dracula (John Carradine). It also threw the legendary Boris Karloff into the mix as a mad scientist following in Dr. Frankenstein's footsteps. John Carradine is probably the worst Dracula I've ever seen; he brings no sense of power or charisma to the role at all. Dracula doesn't even have a very significant part in the movie, strangely enough.

Boris Karloff is Dr. Gustav Niemann, one of the few mad scientists of note to actually be imprisoned. After fifteen years of prison life, he is still concentrating on his research; he even has a hunchbacked assistant ready to go as soon as he gets his freedom. A powerful electrical storm issues Niemann a pardon, and he heads for Frankenstein's castle in hopes of finding his hero's research notes. A carnival of horrors provides him the cover he needs to make his getaway, and it just so happens that this carnival's main attraction is the actual skeleton of Count Dracula. The Count returns to life (at least as much life as Carradine manages to give the character), but the film would probably be better served had it left Dracula out of the script entirely. Once Niemann reaches the village of Frankenstein, he begins searching the ruins of the castle and finds both The Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster frozen in ice. I don't even have to tell you that he revives both of the monsters. Lon Chaney, Jr., is once again superb in his role of the tormented Wolf Man seeking death but, for a time, pinning his hopes on Dr. Niemann for a cure to his cursed affliction. Frankenstein's monster basically just stumbles and bumbles his way through the script, having already fallen victim to the awful stereotype of the big, dumb monster. When Karloff looked into the eyes of the monster, I am sure he saw almost no similarity to the monster he portrayed so powerfully in the first three Frankenstein films.

House of Frankenstein fails to live up to its potential. Its strengths include Karloff's fine performance as a non-monster character, Chaney's impressive performance as the Wolf Man, and the combination of three classic monsters in one movie. Its weaknesses come in the form of Carradine's awful performance as Dracula, the silliness of the whole Dracula subplot to begin with, and a fairly boring conclusion regarding Dr. Niemann and the monster. It's still a fun movie to watch, but it cannot compare to the classic movies that gave birth to the monsters we see exploited here for box office profits.

Monsters Galore . . . and (a bit of) Glory!
Stein vs. Wolf: Bela Lugosi (as the Monster) and Chaney, Jr. are quite less than spectacular in this contrived plot. The result is an enjoyable but slightly below par film, especially for a classic Universal monster clash! Lugosi was appropriately deemed "unsuitable" for this particular role . . . but only after the film had already been shot! What's a film producer to do? Keen observers will observe scenes in which Lugosi is actually moving his lips without (the audience hearing any) dialogue!

House of Frankenstein: Karloff escapes from prison, and combines (with his helpful hunchback assistant) to quickly dispose of the host of a traveling horror show. It's an old fashioned (horse and carriage) operation, and Boris assumes the role of driver and imposter. Let the fun begin: Boris Karloff is indeed most delightful (too bad he couldn't play the monster too)! John Carradine is a fairly convincing Count Dracula who discovers the Monster and Wolfman . . . who just happen to be frozen by the dam waters released by furious villagers in the companion to this DVD set. House of Frankenstein is a rare sequel ("Bride of Frankenstein" being more notable) that is clearly superior to the original.

Our large family of adults and children provided the following cumulative ratings of these monster bashes . . . "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman": B minus (B-); "House of Frankenstein": A minus (A-).

Two Second Tier classics on One DVD
These are two of my favorite films from the second tier Universal Monsters pictures. Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman in particular was always a childhood creature feature favorite. The film finds Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr) accidentally brought back to life (recall the Wolfman was killed in the end of the original film) by a couple of would be grave robbers. None to happy to be alive he begins a journey that would span a few more films to find a cure for his lycanthropy. His search brings him to the castle Frankenstein and a mad scientist who promises a cure for the wolfman, but soon becomes consumed with the Frankenstein monster. Frankenstein was played for the first time by Bela Lugosi in a role that he originally turned down. The quality of the film transfer is descent, though there are a few scratches and other minor imperfections. It would be nice to see the film given the deluxe treatment, but a few "imperfections" give these old movies character.

In House of Frankenstein we are treated to Boris Karloff in the role of a mad doctor bent on the revenge of those who sent him to prison. Obsessed with the secrets of life and death, his journey takes him to the ruins of the Frankenstein castle. Here he will find the bodies of the Frankenstein monster and the wolfman, frozen by the dam waters released by the villagers in FMTW. Lon Chaney Jr reprises his role as the tortured Larry Talbot. Glenn Strange plays the Frankenstein monster. I always thought Frank looked a little goofy in this film. John Carradine rounds out the monster cast as Dracula. It's fun to have all of these monsters in the same film, but the real gem here is Karloff. As above, the film transfer is descent with a few scratches and imperfections. Sound quality is very good though.

These films are far from perfect, but are great fun. They are must haves in any classic monster DVD library. It's too bad they are out of print. I've heard rumors that Universal will re-release many of these later in the year along with some of the previously unreleased (at least on DVD) monster flicks. Still, I recommend finding a copy if you can.

A couple of notches below the previous films...
First both these films are campy fun. I grew up watching both of these films pretty regularly on Creature Features. It was a natural transition for Bela Lugosi to play the monster in FMWM due to the ending of Ghost of Frankenstein. It's not a terrible film just not all that well written which is a surprise given that the scribe was Curt Sidomak (Donovan's Brain and a number of minor science fiction classics). Earle Kenton's direction is stylisth given the budget limitations. The problem in the film is more with the self pitying Larry Talbot. As written Lon Chaney, Jnr. is given little more to do than wallow in self pity. Sure, he's a wolf man at night and usually has to change clothes after every full moon (they rip apart as he changes) but come on!

Anyhow, Lugosi plays the Monster as a lumbering idiot (if the dialog hadn't been trimed his portrayal might have been a bit better). It's ironic that Lugosi ended up playing the role as his star was fading since he turned it down originally. It made Boris Karloff a star. The rest of the cast ranges from weak to competant. This isn't the best in the series but it has a number of entertaining moments. Reportedly, Glenn Strange actually played the Monster in many of the long shots as Lugosi wasn't up to the task.

House of Frankenstein promised much more than it delivered but still has a number of bright spots. First, there's Karloff. Although he doesn't play the Monster (he's an escaped criminal/scientist), he's given plenty of scenery to chew. His performance is one of the best in the picture. Lon Chaney, Jnr. returns and for good measure Dracula shows up as well. There is a law of dimishing returns when it comes to monsters or villians (we'll call it wtdk's Monster/villian law-- for an example look at the last two Batman films).

I have to agree that John Carradine doesn't do the part of Dracula justice. He just isn't convincing (nor was Lon Chaney, Jnr. when he played the role in Son of Dracula. His delivery was always stiff and deliberate but was exceedingly bad in that film). Carradine would reprise the role in House of Dracula the following year.

It's no surprise that the DVD doesn't have a lot of extras. While both films are solid and entertaining on their own, they're far from classics in the series. Due to the age of the film, it's unlikely that a lot survived in the way of outtakes or alternative endings (both films were shot on volatile nitrate stock). If you're looking for classics stick with Whale's Bride and Lee's Son of Frankenstein. If you're looking for a fun, inoffensive time by all means pick these up.

Frankenstein and the Wolfman meets DVD!!
I finally got a copy of "Frankenstein meets the Wolfman/"House of Frankenstein" on DVD, (Frankenstein may have stepped on the box for good measure, but I digress) the image quality was better than expected after reading some of the other reviews and the sound was strong. A close comparison to the 1987 Laserdisc release of "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" shows an improved overall picture quality. While there may be an additional scratch here or there, considering that another 14 years had passed, between 1987 and 2001 when this DVD was released and that the film is now nearly 60 years old I thought it was very well preserved. I also compared "House of Frankenstein" on this DVD to the 1994 Laserdisc release and found the two prints actually very close in quality and the image again improved by the DVD format. I am amazed that people are gripping about extras for the prices these are going for considering that the laserdisc for "Frankenstein meets the Wolfman" alone was more and as "House of Frankenstein" was released on a two movie-two laserdisc set for considerably more I think the DVD is a bargain. Also, I found the DVD menu was easy to use and I had no problem pulling up the top menu and going back and forth between the two features after one had finished. Yes, some music on the menu screens would be nice and a running commentary is always a wonderful addition, but considering this DVD package does not cost anymore than the two movies do on VHS, it's a fair price. So get busy, make some popcorn and enjoy the show. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If it weren't so clearly a product of the precise moment when the U.S. had just suffered the Japanese sneak attacks of December 1941, To the Shores of Tripoli might easily be mistaken for the definitive parody of World War II Hollywood jingoism by a latter-day satirical troupe--say, the SCTV gang. Smartass child of privilege John Payne is sent to Marine boot camp to learn about responsibility and being a team player. Although shot on location at San Diego, the sunny Technicolor training exercises look more like a musical-comedy summer stock company working out. Drillmaster Randolph Scott and fiery-haired nurse Maureen O'Hara love Payne in spite of his myriad obnoxious qualities, and he does have the right stuff, as he demonstrates at the drop of a hat--and the rest of his civilian clothes--the minute he hears about Pearl Harbor over the radio. The finale, a troopship embarkation turned full-scale production number, has to be seen to be disbelieved. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Stupid ... just like a Fox
To phrase this as kindly as possible ... the folks at Fox Home Entertainment are dumber than dirt, especially when it comes to their library of classic movies. They've pulled off some spectacular marketing fiascos over the years ... such as releasing the 1939 box-office smash "Jesse James" on laserdisc in a faded, washed-out print back in the early 1990's; and more recently, pushing their (badly) colorized versions of several Shirley Temple classics into the marketplace on DVD instead of the glorious black and white originals.

But the DVD edition of "To the Shores of Tripoli" represents a new low for the company. This movie received an Oscar nomination for Edward Cronjager's and William Skall's gorgeous candybox TECHNICOLOR cinematography. The title frame of the film itself says: "'To the Shores of Tripoli' in TECHNICOLOR." The DVD box itself says, "1942, COLOR, 86 minutes" under the advertising blurb; and then proclaims "Photographed in TECHNICOLOR" in the credits area. But guess what?!!? The DVD was mastered from a BLACK & WHITE re-release print, and not the original Technicolor negative! Hello, 11th-Century Fox! That churning sound you hear is former studio head Darryl F. Zanuck spinning 'round and 'round in his grave. Unfortunately, this movie is just not worth watching unless you get to marvel at Maureen O'Hara's beautiful tresses in all their flame-colored glory!

But that's not the only blunder on this disc or its packaging. In the box describing the DVD's features, the aspect ratio is correctly noted as 1.33:1, Full Frame Format. However, the last line on the bottom of the box's back panel notes: "WIDESCREEN VERSION: Presented in a letterbox format preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition." Huh! Who proofreads this stuff? And while I'm on a rant ... the actress featured on the front of the DVD looking soulfully at John Payne - and who is also featured in a scene still on the back of the box - is none other than fourth-billed Nancy ("The Bad Seed") Kelly, who played the distaff second lead in the film. NOT that you would know from reading the DVD box, since Fox didn't bother to give the future Oscar-nominee even a small feature credit.

Fox Home Entertainment, get it together! At this point, you're the laughingstock of the industry, despite having some of the best classic films ever made in your library ("The Grapes of Wrath", "The Ox-Bow Incident", "Laura", "Leave Her to Heaven", "Pinky", "A Letter to Three Wives", etc., etc.). We're waiting patiently for these goodies ... and praying you won't screw them up too badly when you finally get around to releasing them.

The DVD version is misrepresented.
I bought a copy of the DVD version of this movie which I had seen in the theatres many years ago. When I started the movie I noticed it was in black and white, not in color as the movie was photographed in and what the DVD jacket said it was in. Thinking the DVD was defective, I returned it. I then went to another place and bought another copy. It too was in black and white. I sent e-mails to Fox asking what was wrong and never received an answer. I strongly recommend that you do not buy the DVD version. Too bad, the movie actually is very good.

DON'T BUY THIS DVD!!!!!!
This Technicolor film received an Academy Award nomination for best color cinematography. So what did Fox Home Video do? They put out the film on DVD in a BLACK & WHITE PRINT!!!!!!

The way it really wasn't
Playboy John Payne joins the Marines, makes time with pretty nurses, beats up Randolph Scott, his DI, (how we all wished we could have but never dared), gets out, hears about (Japanese) attack on Pearl Harbor, sees old outfit marching to the troop ship, decides right there and then to re-enlist. Only during the War would a movie like this have been made. I loved it and so will any Marine. ... Read more

Description

Day Of The Nightmare (1965, 94 Minutes) - Love can be murder in this wacky mix of horror, sexploitation and down-and-dirty psycho kookiness! One minute Doris Mays is supposed to be dead, the next she's chasing her ex-boyfriend's wife with a steak knife! Crackpot artist Jonathan Crane tried to end his affair with Doris by stuffing her body in a trunk, but when Doris starts stalking his wife, Jonathan realizes something's gone terribly wrong: "You were dead! Dead! Now stay dead!" Despite the efforts of police detective John Ireland (I Saw What You Did), ultra-creepy Miss Mays pursues Mrs. Crane in the hopes of permanently ending the marriage. Featuring fun cameos from Elena Verdugo (House of Frankenstein) and Liz Renay (Desperate Living), with photography by director Ted V. Mikels (The Corpse Grinders), this is a Day of the Nightmare you'll never forget! "Scream Of The Butterfly" (1965, 76 Minutes) - Two days after marrying rich Sap-of-the-Year Paul Williams, bosomy sex-machine Marla is making it with a "young Adonis" on the beach and planning on killing Paul until--oops!--some surprising-for-its-time homosexuality twists the plot into a kinky pretzel! With photography from cult fave Ray Dennis Steckler (Wild Guitar) and one of the sixties' most cynical endings, "Scream of the Butterfly" also marks the first time in cinema history that the leading lady is referred to onscreen as "Miss Slutsy-Wutsy." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Scream's a Scream; Nightmare's a Nightmare
"Scream of the Butterfly" is surprisingly enjoyable for a low-budget, black and white film about a complex plot involving gold-digging, a homosexual relationship, and multiple adultery. The movie is structured as a set of conversations between district attorneys and defense psychologists framing flashbacks leading up to the opening scene that shows Marla Williams (played by Nelida Lobato - related to director Eber Lobato?) standing in front of a car and arguing with the male driver. The driver hits the gas, and Marla goes down. It turns out that Marla was a nude bubble-bathing gold-digger who married rich tycoon Paul Williams (played by William Turner). No sooner had Marla taken off her wedding dress, than she was already looking for someone new. She picked up cute, often-shirtless David (played by Nick Novarro) on the beach. Hubby Paul can't swim; Marla got an evil idea. But who is that drunk guy who keeps talking to David? Everyone gets a surprise. Especially at the end. The story is well told, and the camera work is all right. The acting is moderate. The gay angle is sympathetic in parts, but one character is very self-loathing; 1965 was well before Stonewall, after all. Enjoyable short, cheapie film.

"Day of the Nightmare" is also all right. A jealous woman stalks a young wife. But isn't the jealous woman already dead? The wife seeks help. "The Night of the Living Dead" meets "Psycho."

The fillers provide generous helpings of womanly T&A. ... Read more

Description

226 minute double feature film DVD> ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Customers of Marengo Films
To all of you fantastic people who bought this version of Cyrano... please e-mail us via our website at marengofilms.com. We recalled this DVD months ago. Cyrano is a fantastic hero and we found a fantastic version which we paired with The Son of Monte Cristo... a far superior film to Captain Scarlett.

It would be our pleasure to furnish this new DVD to you free of charge... just send us your old Cyrano... we will include another DVD alongside Cyrano as our way of letting you know that we appreciate your business and would be humbled to keep you as a customer.

Cyrano would do no less and neither will we...

Craig Cosgray President Marengo Films

Truly worthless.
Thirty seconds into Cyrano (murkier than any presentation I ever saw on television), I started skipping around in it to see if the quality improved. When it didn't, I hit the Stop button, only to be stunned by the image of the, um, "busty" female mentioned in an earlier review. What on earth were the folks at "Marengo Films" thinking? Were they thinking at all? I cannot imagine.

This DVD has no redeeming feature. I've never been so disappointed with a product, and I hope that someone else releases a good copy of the Ferrer film, because it deserves far better than this.

Great Movie - Terrible DVD
My all-time favorite movie. Worst copy of any movie I've ever seen on any DVD or VHS. However, I e-mailed the manufacturer, and a representative said that he agreed, and that that copy should never have been released. He said that they are coming out with a much better one. ...

A disservice to a classic
I was initially excited to get Ferrer's Cyrano de Bergerac, a role for which he rightfully got an Oscar. Unfortunately, Marengo Films did an extremely POOR job of transferring to DVD, with the film jittering and the sound garbled in many places. No attempt was made to clean or restore the film, so the overall experience is disappointing.

Poor quality
This version of Cyrano is my favorite, but the quality of this DVD is very poor - the video is dark and grainy. I have a VHS published by Republic Pictures Home Video which is totally superior.

Also, on my Sony DVD player this DVD overwrites the internal image the player displays when you hit 'stop' - with a picture of a busty woman. Totally unprofessional.

AVOID, and hope someone else puts this wonderful film out on DVD. ... Read more