Reviews (35)

The one Tracy-Heburn movie where she gets the upper hand
This 1957 film directed by Walter Lang was the eighth of the nine Tracy-Hepburn films and their first in color. Based on the play by William Marchant (which had starred Shirley Booth on Broadway), Katharine Hepburn plays Bunny Watson, a reference librarian who works for a television network. Bunny becomes quite concerned when she learns that the new computer being installed by Spencer Tracy's Richard Sumner is supposed to put her and the rest of her staff out of work. Gig Young has his standard role as the nice guy who ends up losing the girl in the end, while Joan Blondell, Dina Merrill and Sue Randall make up the rest of Bunny's brainy staff.

In terms of pairing Tracy and Hepburn "Desk Set" is certainly unique because it is the only film where she gets the upper hand at the end and he gets the comeuppance. Tracy is really nothing more than a misunderstood villain; his new toy is suppose to help the girls in the reference library not replace them. But none of this really matters because in the end it is clear than the women are a lot smarter than the machine (although they do get the baseball trivia answer wrong). The one priceless scene in the film is a roof top lunch between Tracy and Hepburn. He just has a few simple questions for her that turn out to be brainteasers, and Hepburn's character disposes of each and every challenge with an ease grace and guileless naiveté that is quite charming, while Tracy sinks lower and lower as she beats him at every turn. The rest of the film is fairly pedestrian as we wait for the expected happy endings for the computer and romantic plot lines.

After receiving Academy Award nominations for her work in "Summertime" and "The Rainmaker," Hepburn had made a film with Bob Hope that was totally butchered, the astonishingly unfunny film "The Iron Petticoat," and "Desk Set." It would be another two years before she made another film, although Spencer Tracy's failing health was as much if not more of a contributing factor as the sudden drop off in the quality of her films. Hepburn would turn to the stage and perform Shakespeare and then return to the screen with four consecutive Oscar nominated roles. Consequently, in retrospect, "Desk Set" clearly defines the end of a period in Hepburn's career. You can not help but look at the next two decades of her film career, where virtually every film is based on a play by a great dramatist (Tennessee Williams's "Suddenly Last Summer," Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey Into Night," Euripides's "Trojan Women," Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance") and not think that this was very much a conscious effort by Hepburn in the wake of this particular fluff piece.

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!!!
I've been waiting for this DVD forever because I love this movie but can't stand the pan-and-scan version. I just saw this mentioned on Turner Classic Movies, cried out "Yes! Yes!" and immediately came to Amazon to see if they have it. I am so glad they do! And in honor of this great movie finally being released in all of it's widescreen glory, I am cut and pasting my review for the video version here below:

"Like Floating Island...Delicious!"

The smart dialogue, the gorgeous fashion, the way you want to kick Gig Young in the teeth...I wish more modern comedy could be this clever. (My two favorite scenes are the rooftop lunch quiz and the rainy evening misunderstanding. As usual you never think Tracy is acting, he's so real. And Hepburn's Miss Watson (her name a inside-joke nod to the founder of IBM -Thomas J. Watson) is a character you root for to blow off egotistical beau Mike. Another bonus is the Sumners snooty EMIRAC assistant, Miss Warringer-whose come-uppance couldn't be better. I want a brown coat like Bunny's!

Thank goodness this is finally out on DVD and WIDESCREEN! It's completely enjoyable now without the distractions of pan and scan!

Tracy and Hepburn Forever!

The one Tracy & Hepburn match where she gets the upper hand
This 1957 film directed by Walter Lang was the eighth of the nine Tracy-Hepburn films and their first in color. Based on the play by William Marchant (which had starred Shirley Booth on Broadway), Katharine Hepburn plays Bunny Watson, a reference librarian who works for a television network. Bunny becomes quite concerned when she learns that the new computer being installed by Spencer Tracy's Richard Sumner is supposed to put her and the rest of her staff out of work. Gig Young has his standard role as the nice guy who ends up losing the girl in the end, while Joan Blondell, Dina Merrill and Sue Randall make up the rest of Bunny's brainy staff.

In terms of pairing Tracy and Hepburn "Desk Set" is certainly unique because it is the only film where she gets the upper hand at the end and he gets the comeuppance. Tracy is really nothing more than a misunderstood villain; his new toy is suppose to help the girls in the reference library not replace them. But none of this really matters because in the end it is clear than the women are a lot smarter than the machine (although they do get the baseball trivia answer wrong). The one priceless scene in the film is a roof top lunch between Tracy and Hepburn. He just has a few simple questions for her that turn out to be brainteasers, and Hepburn's character disposes of each and every challenge with an ease grace and guileless naiveté that is quite charming, while Tracy sinks lower and lower as she beats him at every turn. The rest of the film is fairly pedestrian as we wait for the expected happy endings for the computer and romantic plot lines.

After receiving Academy Award nominations for her work in "Summertime" and "The Rainmaker," Hepburn had made a film with Bob Hope that was totally butchered, the astonishingly unfunny film "The Iron Petticoat," and "Desk Set." It would be another two years before she made another film, although Spencer Tracy's failing health was as much if not more of a contributing factor as the sudden drop off in the quality of her films. Hepburn would turn to the stage and perform Shakespeare and then return to the screen with four consecutive Oscar nominated roles. Consequently, in retrospect, "Desk Set" clearly defines the end of a period in Hepburn's career. You can not help but look at the next two decades of her film career, where virtually every film is based on a play by a great dramatist (Tennessee Williams's "Suddenly Last Summer," Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey Into Night," Euripides's "Trojan Women," Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance") and not think that this was very much a conscious effort by Hepburn in the wake of this particular fluff piece.

TRACY/HEPBURN MAGIC STRANGELY ABSENT!
This is one of Kate and Spencer's later efforts - post MGM, pre-"Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" and it generally lacks in the chemistry that most of thier work at MGM had in spades. Tracy's a method's engineer who's assigned to make the daily operation of a television station more efficient. Of course he's bound to butt heads with researcher, Bunny Watson (Hepburn). Unlike most Tracy/Hepburn movies, in which their love for one another is never in question, on this occasion,Gig Young is inexplicably and needlessly thrown into the mix as Bunny's boyfriend. But it's the old Hepburn/Tracy's stardust and magic that keeps this otherwise deadly boring film afloat.
TRANSFER: Desk Set is at last presented in its original Cinemascope 2:35:1 aspect ratio and it is anamorphically enhanced to take full advantage of 16:9 displays. Although colors can be rich, vibrant and bold, flesh tones have an uncanny pasty look in certain scenes and a reddish/pinkish overcast in others. There are instances where dirt, film grain and age related artifacts crop up throughout this print. Also, black levels tend to be weak in certain scenes. There's a hint of edge enhancement and some pixelization but the print is generally smooth looking. The audio, as with all Cinemascope films of the period, is vintage stereo and presented at a reasonable listening level.
Extras: Fox is genuinely inconsistent in the extra content they provide for their "Studio Series" titles. If you recall, "The Day The Earth Stood Still" contained a 70 min. documentary while "The Inn of The Sixth Happiness" contained only an audio commentary track. On this occasion we get an audio commentary and some truncated movietones junk that is short, boring and generally slapped together as an afterthought. Not what I would expect from any series dubbed, "Studio Series".
BOTTOM LINE: If you're a die hard Tracy/Hepburn fan than this is a must have. But it's not one of their best or even one of their mediocre. It's just big on...well, being big and short, unfortunately, on entertainment!

We get set up with Desk Set at last!
"A large market exists in the U.S. for classic movies on DVD. There can really be no excuse for withholding America's rightful cinematic history when Europe and Asia is already enjoying it!" That comes from another reviewer on these pages, and I second that emotion.

I'll go even further than that review and say that Desk Set is the BEST film with Spence and Kate. And don't forget the great Gig Young doing his perfect second banana routine, which has already delighted us in so many other films. They didn't hide behind so many physical gags or the safer facade of black and white. Instead they acted out the script in glorious full color widescreen and stereo, no less.

And did Fox drop the ball in giving us the proper widescreen version of this classic? No, they did not! The studio came through for us (which is more than we can usually say about studios) and put it out in widescreen! And they even added some actress commentary for good measure. Yes, it's been a long 9-year wait, since DVDs first came out in 1995, but it's here now, at least.

And what a great modern plot Desk Set has: an independent woman (instead of a cloying playtoy), a job for that woman as a research expert, (instead of the usual secretary trying to date her boss), a strong leading man but one with a sense of humor (instead of the usual he-man tough guy). And all smack in the middle of the early revolution of COMPUTERS!

The man vs. machine concepts in this film will reverberate down through the ages. Plus it has a great romantic plot, too. This film has everything! Many people say they love to see a well-restored 1957 Chevy, but I'll take this well-restored 1957 Desky instead! ... Read more

Description

In TEACHER’S PET, film legend Clark Gable stars as Jim Gannon, a school-of-hard-knocks newspaperman who despises journalism schools... until he sees who's doing the teaching. Attracted to lovely professor Erica Stone (Day), he masquerades as a novice in her class. Soon he's her prize pupil, all the while trying to make her his own prize. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

NOT A PET FAVORITE
Doris! The perky big band singer of whom Oscar Levant once quipped "I knew Doris Day before she was a virgin." I thought back to my visit to Carmel, California, a few years ago, where I dropped by the golf course to glimpse her house ...briefly visible from hole three. (Listen real carefully and you can hear her dogs barking.) I thought back to my beloved Great Dane, she with the baby blue eyes --- was named in honor of Doris, though Dory (for short) was actually named by the breeder from whom I purchased the 186-pound beauty.
And I thought back to the first (and only time) I had chatted with Doris Day. It was the January 28, 1986 --- the day the Challenger had exploded, killing her seven crew members (including Sharon Christa McAuliffe, America's first teacher in space), 73 seconds after launch.
I called Doris at her Carmel, California, home, and was in tears.
"Can you believe what happened," she asked her voice muffled and mournful. "I am so shocked. Those poor men and women. Their families ... the children ..." The tears flowed freely for several minutes. She cried. I cried. We both cried. This, I thought between tears, is going to be some challenge.
After a few minutes, she sniffled one last time. And so we began to chat about her life and loves and long career --- Doris was starting a new talk show, and Rock Hudson --- then so deadly sick with the AIDS virus --- was the first guest), her films, her music and of course, her animals. She told me how she cooked her own dog food, steaming rice and boiling chopped beef, then skimming off the fat, before blending in freshly cooked vegetables and a hint of spice. At the end of the conversation, I was salivating and ready to drop to all fours and beg for a taste.
As luck would have it, I am not the only one thinking about Doris Day these days. Paramount Home Video has just released Teacher's Pet, the 1958 comedy in which Clark Gable stars as a hard-nosed newspaperman who's smitten with journalism teacher DD. Not a great film --- gee, did Gable really so badly? --- though the title song is super, as is Mamie van Doren, as Gable's galpal who sings "The Girl Who Invented Rock and Roll." A better flick is Day's last one: With Six You Get Eggroll, also from Paramount Home Video,the 1968 blended family comedy, with Day solidly supported by Pat Carroll, as well as Alice Ghostley, George Carlin, Barbara Hershey, Jamie Farr and the once-hot rock group, The Grass Roots.
Warner Home Video has just released the box set, Doris Day Collection, a slipcased collectible featuring six new-to-DVD titles: Young Man With a Horn (1950), Lullaby of Broadway (1951), Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1962), The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) and newly restored versions of Love Me Or Leave Me (1955) and Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962)--- both of which feature new Dolby Digital soundtracks making Doris seem as fresh as, well, a new Day; along with Calamity Jane (1953) and The Pajama Game (1957), both of which have been repackaged for this collection. All the discs are packed with bonus features, including vintage shorts (including two starring Ruth Etting, whom Day portrays in Love Me or Leave Me), featurettes, cartoons and trailers.
But the best is saved for last. On June 28, MPI Media Group unveils the long-awaited The Doris Day Show: Season 1, the heart-warming comedy series that ran on CBS from 1968-1973. This was Day's TV series debut, and she proved that her big-screen likeability transferred, quite well thank you, to the small screen ... even if some of closer-ups seem a bit too gauzy for our tastes. Day played Doris Martin, a widowed mother who leaves the city to raise her two young sons on the Mill Valley, California farm of her father Buck, played by Dukes of Hazzard icon Denver Pyle. The four-disc box set includes all 28 original episodes from the show's first season, as well as never-before-seen bonus material.The bonuses offer additional insight into Day's warm, off-screen persona: there are TV promos and messages to network affiliates, as well as her two appearances as the "mystery guest" on What's My Line --- the first spot, from 1954, marked Day's TV debut, and her attempts to disguise her voice through a series of hi-pitched squeaks is a sheer delight.

This movie should stay after class and clean the erasers.
There's nothing like a good Mamie Van Doren movie, and this is nothing like a good Mamie Van Doren movie. Now I love Mamie, I'm passionate about Doris, and no girl with a pulse can keep her eyes off of Clark Gable and his potato ears, but I'd think twice before watching this boring thing. Not even Mamie's
Richter-scale sex appeal can liven up this dud. I'd suggest the vastly superior "Pillow Talk," "High School Confidential," "His Girl Friday," or even the sub-par but tasty "Thrill of it All." Skip this one.

Entertaining comic 'Battle of the Sexes'!
"Teacher's Pet" is a deliciously funny look at journalism, and the clash between 'formal' education vs. practical experience, with higher learning championed by Doris Day, and the 'School of Hard Knocks' represented by the 'King', himself, Clark Gable. Despite an obvious age difference (Gable, at 57, was showing all of his years), the chemistry between the stars is electric, and with Oscar-nominated Gig Young providing terrific comic support as Gable's brilliant yet down-to-earth competition for Day, the film manages to be both witty and wise.

With over a quarter century of playing newspapermen, the role of hard-boiled City Editor Jim Gannon fit Clark Gable like an old shoe. No-nonsense, pragmatic, and a workaholic, Gannon was the classic 'school drop-out' who learned the newspaper business from the ground up, and held college in contempt. While Gannon was obviously a dinosaur, even by 1950s' standards, Gable appears to be having a ball as the cigarette-smoking, plain-spoken, 'blue-collar' hero.

Despite the constant "Will she or Won't she?" sexual undercurrent of so many of her best comedies of the fifties and early sixties, Doris Day was also a feminist during the era, with her characters self-sufficient, and often holding down important positions based on merit. As Erica Stone, an ex-reporter who returns to college to teach journalism, her demeanor is professional and her knowledge unimpeachable, making her the perfect foil for Gannon.

While the descriptions of Gannon and Stone sound like formula characters for Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn (not surprisingly, as the script was penned by longtime friends Fay and Michael Kanin), the Gable/Day teaming provides a sexual tension that, by the late 1950s, would have been far less apparent had Tracy and Hepburn taken the roles. Even at the twilight of his career, Gable was so totally 'male' that he raised the bar of any actress opposite him, with Day's signature 'perkiness' transformed, here, into sexual potential in a tight skirt (watch her tease Gable, swaying her hips to "The Girl Who Invented Rock and Roll"; Day has never been sexier!)

While the resolution is not surprising, some remarkably candid observations of what makes good print journalism are given by both Day and Gable, with Day's comment of television replacing newspapers as the public's source for breaking news remarkably farsighted in 1958!

If you want a terrific comedy with two stars at the top of their game, look no further; "Teacher's Pet" delivers!

GABLE&DAYSCOREINGOODCOMEDY.....
Hard-as-nails, uneducated city news editor Jim Gannon (Clark Gable) sits in on a journalism class by teacher Erica Stone (Doris Day) and falls for her. Trouble is, he's posing as Jim Gallagher---a new student, because he had crassly rejected her offer to speak to her class on, what else, journalism. He has a hard nose against education since he never finished high school and believes that experience is the best teacher. She is amazed at his skill and offers to tutor him, unaware of his ruse. Complications arise from a colleague of Stone's, Hugo Pine (Gig Young) who's a world class scholar on everything. Mamie van Doren is in an all too brief role as Peggy DeVore, Gannon's girlfriend who sings at the Bongo Club and performs "The Girl Who Invented Rock & Roll". She's very funny and holds her own with Gable in the equally funny night club scene. This b&w 1958 film (scripted by Fay & Michael Kanin) has much to say on honesty and truth in journalism but also scores points on experience as well. The chemistry between Gable and Day is near perfect. Young is quietly brilliant as Hugo as well as a deft comedian and gives a very impressive interpretation of a hangover. Good supporting cast features Nick Adams as Gannon's young gofer and protege and Marion ("Happy Days") Ross as Day's savvy secretary. The DVD print is widescreen and fairly good. But what sells this film is Gable. He's supposed to be gruff and tough but his sensitivity as an actor layers his character with all the right humor, charisma and charm. He may have been aging, but he was still one of the best actors ever to cross the screen. Enjoy.

"Experience Is the Horse, Education Is the Jockey."
I've been eagerly awaiting this DVD release for some years now, and it's finally here! The pushing-60 Clark Gable--and if a more appealing man has ever lived, I'd really be interested to learn his identity--is entirely convincing as 30-something night-school adjunct Doris Day's love interest in this tale of on-the-job training vs. academia. Bringing up the rear (and earning a Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination for his efforts) are Gig Young as the egghead who's got it all...except Day, and Mamie Van Doren--hilarious in a small part as "The Girl Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll." Forces join seamlessly to provide truly witty, tasteful comedy (they not only DON'T make them like this anymore, I don't think they CAN) as worlds collide with delightful results.
The print isn't bad; it's anamorphic and I'm going to assume the the aspect ratio is correct (although we're given no specifics as to what it is). There's some shimmer but not enough to be truly distracting; the sound is fine. Unfortunately, there are no end credits, and since it seems to me that it has always been Paramount's habit to use them, I have to conclude that they exist and that the home video division was too lazy to bother including them on the disk, which is housed in a nice, locking keep case. There are NO extras, not even an insert with a chapter index, and the only subtitles are English--no captioning for the hearing-impaired (ironically, given the film's subject, whoever transcribed the subtitles was unaware of the gerund "their" and mistakenly used "there" in a scene near the end; a sad indication that even today's formally educated know zip about the proper use of their own language). It's this bare-bones quality that has cost a star, and it should be mentioned that this IS, after all, a budget release. HOWEVER, Fox titles are also very inexpensive, and they're PACKED with extras. So no excuses, Paramount. How about a little respect for the King of Hollywood?
Incidentally, Gable--a high-school dropout, not unlike the Jim Gannon character--was a self-educated man who was a voracious reader. It's often the case that, when discussing a film (either verbally or in print), the reviewer states something to the effect that one scene or another "is alone worth the price of admission/the cost of the disk," etc. There are any number of such scenes in Teacher's Pet, but if I were FORCED to choose one about which to make such a claim, it would be the one in which Gannon, in a fit of "tough love," fires his adoring young dropout protege to force him to go back to high school. He utters the phrase about spending one-third of his life going to, staying in, and coming out of men's rooms (to avoid displaying his ignorance of topics with which he's unfamiliar) with such voice-breaking conviction, that it's a safe bet Gable is drawing from personal experience. On this basis, one can assume that neither actor nor character would be caught dead using the ludicrous malapropisms that run rife through the writings of those whose education consists of watching movies and television; these include "run in the mail," "takes the price," and (my personal favorite) "from my point of you." Sigh.
Gig Young, incidentally, ended badly: I still remember the shock I experienced years ago upon learning that he'd committed suicide after murdering his (much younger) wife. And apropos of my previous assertion of Gable's appeal--which is universal--let me share a personal anecdote.
Some years back, a very young friend (mid-20's at the time) came to visit. She's Hispanic, and is about as refined, restrained, and undemonstrative a lady as one is likely to encounter. My television was tuned to TCM; Mutiny on the Bounty was being aired. My attention was on my friend, who suddenly emitted an alarming gasp that lasted a full five seconds. Her hands had involuntarily seized her chest and she croaked a strangled "Oh, my GOD." Her eyes had strayed to my set at a moment when the entire screen was filled with a closeup of the young Gable's face. She then gasped, "WHO is THAT?!"
I rest my case. ... Read more

Description

A wholesome young woman gets swept into the world of the rich and famous when a romantic business tycoon falls in love with her simple country ways. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Even Doris Complained About It
Yes, in her autobiography, Doris Day complained that co-star Cary Grant just wasn't into his role here. I call this incarnation "Wink Cary" because towards the end of his movie career, Cary always seemed to be screwing up his eyes as though staring into the sun; I interpret this as his growing dissatisfaction with the movie roles offered him. "Wink Cary" never has proper interaction with his co-stars and is apparently waiting to be told to go home, as if he were on jury duty. In "That Touch of Mink", Cary plays a wealthy man whose limo splashes the dress of Doris Day. One thing leads to another, and he tries to launch an affair with her, only to be foiled repeatedly by various things, including her breaking out into a rash at the thought of fornication, even with Cary. Adequate supporting work by indignant Audrey Meadows and misidentified Gig Young, who keeps getting slapped by Meadows who thinks he's the guy trying to breach Doris' honor. There's better Doris and better Cary movies out there; see them first.

A delightful and witty sex comedy
"That Touch of Mink," directed by Delbert Mann, is a delicious 60's sex comedy about the romantic duel between Cathy Timberlake (played by Doris Day), an unemployed working girl with small-town roots, and Philip Shane (Cary Grant), a rich businessman. Along for the ride are Audrey Meadows as Cathy's fiercely protective roommate Connie and Gig Young as Philip's wisecracking employee Roger.

"That Touch" is absolutely hilarious and delightful from start to finish. Day is irresistible--wholesome and innocent, yet feisty. Grant is charming and funny. Meadows and Young get lots of comic mileage out of their marvelous supporting roles.

The film is also a joy to look out. The sets and costumes are marvelous (there's even a fashion show); the screen bursts with color. The script combines witty dialogue, zesty social satire and goofy physical comedy with a cleverly structured plot. There are also some fun cameos by recognizable faces--I won't spoil the fun by revealing them. And it's all nicely complemented by a playful musical score. "That Touch" is one comic battle of the sexes that really holds up after all these years.

Not bad, but not as good as the Hudson/Day/Randall comedies
Watching _That Touch of Mink_ is like watching something from an alternate universe where instead of the formulaic early '60s romantic comedy where you had Rock Hudson as the desirable yet unavaliable bachelor, Doris Day as the perpetual virgin and Tony Randall as the neurotic and closeted best friend you had Cary Grant as the desirable yet unavailable bachelor, Doris Day as the perpetual virgin (apparently no other actress approached Doris Day's iconic status as a virgin) and Gig Young as the neurotic and closeted best friend. Talk about "through a glass darkly"!.
All of this is very cute but the problem with Grant and Young is that they can't pull off the Rock Hudson/Tony Randall dynamic. Hudson had a boyish charm that Grant, a more substantial actor, didn't, and the dynamic between Hudson and Randall is a lot more playful than the one between Grant and Young, and of course when it came to playing neurotic closetcases no one can even hold a candle to Tony Randall. I mean really, if they had ever had an Academy Award for "Best Portrayal of a Neurotic Closetcase" they would have awarded it once, in 1961 for _Lover Come Back_ and then retired it forever.
Doris Day is of course virginal, amazing that someone with so little talent was able to make such a career out of the supposed possession of a hymen. You might dispute as to whether or not virginity is a good thing but regardless of your opinion you have to admire Day for making so much out of hers.

Sweet romantic comedy
Doris Day plays Cathy Timberlake, an unemployed girl next door from outta town. Cary Grant plays the suave and sophisticated Phillip Shane Managing Director of a successful company. On a rainy day in Manhattan Phillip Shane's car accidentally splashes Cathy Timberlake who is standing on the edge of a kerb. Later from his office he spots Cathy on the street and he sends his assitant Gig Young to apologise and to give her money to compensate for her ruined dress. Cathy is not impressed and says to Gig Young that she wants to throw the money back in Philipp's face so she goes up to his office but instead of telling him off she falls for his good looks and charm. She is then whisked off to a meeting of board directors, flies on his private jet, attends a UN speech and ends the day attending a baseball match. Cathy is thoroughly smitten by Phillip and he is really impressed by her so much that he asks her to go away with him for the weekend to Bahamas.

Being Doris Day, Cathy is of course all virtuous and is in a dilemma as to whether she should go away on her dirty weekend with Phillip. She decides no but is finally persuaded to do so because Phillip goads her into do so. She has a wonderful time until the night arrives and is faced by being seduced by Phillip at which point she is so stressed that she develops a rash all over. So poor Phillip is left playing cards on the terrace with another man who's wife "is not well". So Cathy returns to New York with her virtue in tact. She tries to lure Phillip away again and the second time is so drunk that she falls off her balcony. Phillip decides to not woo her any longer and finds her a job in a credit card company only for her to mess up the company's entire filing system. In the end, to win back Phillip, Cathy and her roommate, Audrey Meadows think up of a plan for her to go away with the sleazeball who works at the local benefits office and for Phillip to chase after them which inevitably he does.

This film is a bit dated ie Cathy being virtuous and shy but it's a great comedy. If you love vintage clothing from the sixties there's even a catwalk run thrown in. The colours are wonderful and the lines delivered by the actors are sharp. Doris Day is her usual bubbly self and you couldn't get smoother guy than Cary Grant. Fun film to watch on a rainy day in.

Lealing

That Touch Of Mink
This is a marvelous comedy classic Starring Doris Day and Cary Grant in this marvelous Universal Comedy Classic ! But released onto Video by Republican PIctures! Cathy Timberlake (Doris Day) is a poor out of work New Yorker that gets run into herself with mud by a limousine owned by Philip Shayne (Cary Grant) well they end up falling in love and go to Brazil together and have all and a lot of fun! Great classic family movie! They get married at the end and have a happy life together! ... Read more

Reviews (32)

gloom, despair, agony, bleak, depressing...I LOVE IT !
Jane Fonda left her fluff pieces behind her and became a REAL actress after her Oscar-nominated performance here as Gloria, the bitter and hopeless woman who joins a grueling dance marathon (a craze of the Depression '30s) with Michael Sarrazin as her partner. She leaves nothing behind and throws herself into this bleak role taking huge risks that 'STAR' actresses don't do anymore. The film also put Sydney Pollack on the map as a director to be reckoned with. Finding an audience for this film may be tough because of its unrelenting gloom, but if you watch it and don't find yourself thinking about it for weeks after you have seen it, you don't know what movies are about. The message here is that there are no winners in life....only survivors. These are the kinds of films I favor (bleak and depressing) as that is what real life is about....it's a struggle. If you're looking for a diversion from real life, don't come here. The film also contains an Oscar-winning turn by Gig Young as the dance marathon's promoter and emcee and an Oscar-nominated performance by Susannah York as a Garboesque wannabe actress looking for a break. Horses is more a disaster film than anything else. No ship hits an iceberg and no building catches fire, but everyone involved experiences disaster. Don't pass this up.

A MASTERPIECE RESTORED
I was overjoyed to receive a gift of the reissue of this video in 1995, that is until I watched it in all its "pan & scan" desecration. It is truly a joy to watch this DVD (VHS is now available in widescreen as well) in the right format with all the extras. But all that aside, this is a towering, neglected masterpiece of American cinema that virtually put director Sydney Pollack on the map and established Jane Fonda as the premier American actress of the Sixties and Seventies. Who else could have captured the tragic essence of the bitter, beaten Gloria but Fonda? Watch her especially in the final elimination round as she desperately (and literally) carries her ailing partner around the floor in a final attempt to win the big prize and (symbolically) maybe give life one more try. Fonda never sentimalizes this great character as a lesser actress would have been tempted to; no simple answers or easy forgiveness will do for Gloria--she is too important to be trivialized. Red Buttons, Susannah York, and Gig Young are also superb in supporting roles; the cinematography and music also deserve kudos. If you haven't seen it, do not miss this American classic and one of the century's greatest actresses just entering her prime. How we do miss Jane.

An Awful Movie
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is an awful film. It is about as interesting as watching water boil. It is also unhistorical in that the 1930's are depicted as a time of prosperity even though in real life that was the decade of the Great Depression.

There is no real depth to the plot. Nor is there anything exceptional about either the direction, photography or the soundtrack. Jane Fonda is badly miscast in this role and she delivers her lines poorly. None of the performances in this movie are especially good.

In sum, this is a movie to avoid.

Possibly the worst movie of all time!
The only movies that may be worse would be Accidental Tourist or maybe Blair Witch Project. It's tough to pin down what exactly made this movie so bad. Thats probably because every facet of it STUNK SO BAD! All I know is that I wasted 2 hours of my life of this tripe, 2 hours that I'll never get back. Go ahead and rate my review as unhelpful if you must, but DON'T SPEND MONEY ON THIS FILM!

Jane Fonda's Performance was Overlooked!
Horace McCoy's depression era play, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is tragically brought to life through the performances of an ensemble cast. Jane Fonda delivers her greatest performance, as Gloria, a loner trying to cope with an everyday painful existence.
Be prepared for a shocking ending, if that's possible. There arises a glimmer of hope that life is better.
Sydney Pollack directs a masterpiece in the exploration of the human condition under the throngs of depression. The utter despair, agony, and suffering of each character is felt, heard, seen, and endured by the viewer. It becomes so intense that you want to scream, "Enough, I can't watch any more." There's no need to scream out. Horace McCoy solves the problem for the viewer, and for Gloria. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sam Peckinpah knew he couldn't call a movie Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia and get away with it. That's why he did it. When he undertook this nakedly personal project, in self-exile in Mexico, the director was a deeply bitter man out of favor with critics, the media, and the Hollywood establishment, which had just released his Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid in a mutilated version. "Bring Me the Head..." sounded like the parody title of an ultraviolent Sam Peckinpah movie, and he flung it in our faces just as his onscreen surrogate tosses the titular object at the camera.

Thing is, the movie is a masterpiece--raw, shocking, beautiful, and brave--in which Peckinpah confronts his enemies and his own demons. Warren Oates plays a gringo piano-player stuck in Mexico who hears that some powerful men are willing to pay a bounty on a guy he knows. They don't know the guy is already dead, killed in a car accident. It'll be easy to exhume the trophy and collect the money--except that it will cost our seedy hero everything he has and ever wanted.

John Huston's Treasure of the Sierra Madre had always been a key legend for Peckinpah; this film is a subterranean re-imagining of it, with Oates as both the son of Fred C. Dobbs and the carnival-mirror reflection of Peckinpah himself. And Isela Vega's performance as the sainted whore Elita--bruised and worldly one minute, radiant and clear-skinned as a child the next--is an act of grace. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Lesser-known Peckinpah classic
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is a dark, raw Sam Peckinpah modernized western that has finally been released on DVD.When a rich Mexican rancher's daughter gets pregnant out of wedlock, the rancher offers a bounty of $1 million for the head of Alfredo Garcia, the man who impregnated his daughter.Two of El Jefe's, the rancher, lieutenants enlist the help of Bennie, a down on his luck piano player, to help them find Garcia.Along with his girlfriend, Elita, Bennie embarks on a journey through Mexico to find Garcia and take his head.However, what Bennie sees as an opportunity for a new life, Elita sees as something completely morally wrong.This is an incredible movie to watch as you follow Bennie's journey.It is raw, basic, and violent.I've read that the Bennie character is basically Sam Peckinpah's real life persona, and you can see this easily. This movie isn't as well known as some other Peckinpah movies like the Wild Bunch or The Getaway, but don't let that stop you from seeing this movie.A must have for Peckinpah fans!

Warren Oates is excellent as Bennie, the down-and-out piano player who becomes obsessed with bringing in Alfredo Garcia's head for a reward.It is a shame Oates did not get more starring roles in his career because characters like this allowed him to show off his acting ability.Isela Vega plays Elita, Bennie's girlfriend who isn't sure if they should go through with the mission.Vega is very good, but her part is distracting as she is topless for much of the first hour.The cast also includes Robert Webber and Gig Young as Sappensly and Quill, the rancher's lieutenants, Helmut Dantine as Max, Emilio Fernandez as El Jefe, and Kris Kristofferson in a small part as Paco, a wayward motorcyclist.The DVD offers widescreen presentation, a good commentary track with Peckinpah scholars/biographers, and a theatrical trailer.For an excellent Peckinpah movie at its most basic, check out Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia!

This movie is a hoot!The ultimate road trip movie!
Alfredo Garcia is a Mexican Don Juan who gets the wrong girl in trouble and her father, the patron of a great Mexican estate, puts a big bounty on his head.Pekinpah regular Warren Oates is a loser expatriate American making his living as a piano player in a lowlife Mexican bar.(You'll recognize him as the deserter who got shot in Major Dundee, and one of the two brothers in the Wild Bunch, the guy who when drunk got engaged to a Mexican prostitute, "Boys, I'd like you to meet my fiancé.")Since he knows Alfredo he is offered $10k (which was worth a lot more then than it is today) to murder Alfredo and bring back his head as proof.Oates quickly discovers that Alfredo has already died.He therefore departs on a road trip to a remote Mexican graveyard to get the head and claim his reward, taking along his mistress a gorgeous but aging Mexican prostitute who obviously is of mostly European descent.Along the way they encounter various lowlifes and other bounty hunters.Robert Webber and Gig Young, two well known middle-aged actors of the 1960s, are American goons who are hired by the same employers to make sure that the job gets done right.It turns out that Alfredo has a large family and his relatives, for some strange reason, object to the removal of his head from the grave.Then Oates has to collect his money from his employers who are not exactly sterling characters either.This movie is a hoot!Oates has some really great lines that you have to see to believe.Kris Kristoferson appears briefly as a lowlife biker.The violence is pure Pekinpah.If Mexico didn't exist I think that Pekinpah would have had to invent it.Besides this movie, they go down to Mexico in the Wild Bunch, Major Dundee, and even at the very end of the Getaway.If you like those other movies you'll probably like this one too, although it has a darker mood to it.Also, Warren Oates has to carry this movie by himself, he doesn't have the big stars with him like in those other movies.

No One Loses All The Time...
I loved this film! The late great Warren Oates stars as a woeful anti-hero out on a quest for the head of Alfredo Garcia. He's being paid by a wealthy rancher's lieutenants to bring back proof of Garcia's death, his head. Only Garcia died in a car accident and has already been buried. I don't want to give away the entire plot. One of the criticisms of this film was that it was too violent which I found surprising considering that the violence was pretty mellow by today's standards. Most of the film consists of drama dialog between the anti-hero and his woman. The dialog between characters makes this film the masterpiece what it is. I highly recommend it.

Road Trip From Hell
Possibly the most difficult Peckinpah film to watch, this nasty 70's gem is interminable in its first 45 minutes, then the remainder of the movie reaches a near frenzy of suspense, murder, and the usual ambiguousness Peckinpah was known for.

The viewer can count on the usual Peckinpah trademarks:
-Gratuitous violence towards women;
-Balletic, slow-motion graphic violence;
-an unlikeable anti-hero;
-consumption of mass quantities of hard alcohol;
-a sometimes rambling narrative;
-a nihilistic ending.


This is not to say this movie is bad; far from it. At times it approaches the level of self-parody, but Peckinpah had a story in his mind he wanted to capture, and he does so in his inimitable fashion.


The road trip consists first of Warren Oates and his girlfriend seeking the head of the titular character, then the road trip evolves into Oates transporting the head, sans girlfriend, to the Mexican land baron who put the price on the head. Along the way, many people die in beautifully edited slow-motion as only Peckinpah can do.


Plot holes aside, it is a very gripping movie once it kicks in at about the 45 minute mark. Look for Kris Kristoferson in a cameo as a filthy biker/rapist, as well as Robert Webber and Gig Young as stone cold killers/businessmen.

This movie, along with Straw Dogs, cemented Peckinpah's reputation as a misogynist. As mentioned above, there are plenty of scenes of women being physically abused for no apparent reason, so those of you with feminist girlfriend's/wives may want to watch this after they've gone to bed.


I'm still trying to figure out how Warren Oates transported the head aboard AeroMexico!

Head Cheese
"Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" plays like a parody of Sam Peckinpah films with one distinction:Peckinpah directed it.This may be purely intentional on the part of Peckinpah in response to his critics for the excesses in his films.I think.The first hour or so kind of meanders redeemed by the tender exchanges between star Warren Oates and Isela Vega.Every now and then Peckinpah interrupts these moments to exploit the obvious charms of Vega in the buff.There's even a bizarre quasi-rape scene with Kris Kristofferson playing a biker.It's not until the film's second half that it kick's into second gear as Oates retrieves the aforementioned title head.Oates' conversations with the head and his efforts to preserve it so he can collect the bounty on it can only be described as the darkest of dark comedy.Of course there are other interested parties who would love to relieve Oates of his booty so naturally it would not be a Peckinpah film without gunplay and gratuitous bloodshed done in glorious slo-mo.An interesting entry in the Peckinpah canon but not on the level of "The Wild Bunch" or "Straw Dogs". ... Read more

Reviews (22)

EXCELLENT Film / DVD Good (Better than Video)
This is an outstanding movie for many reasons. For cinema fans only familiar with the "rat pack", this Frankie may be an eye opener. YOUNG AT HEART (1954) is a showcase for Frank Sinatra's excellent acting. He is intense, focused & nuanced, becoming one with "Barney Sloan," a gifted musician suffering through multiple "bad breaks" since birth & sorely lacking confidence.

Doris Day also brings much to this classic with a very moving performance. She is warm, lovely & upbeat as the woman of Sinatra's dreams, & so expressive in her eyes! The chemistry between these two actors grows with their characters' relationship; they share a number of memorable scenes together. They are surrounded by a very good supporting cast, especially Gig Young & Ethel Barrymore.

This is a romantic drama with superb singing. Doris & Frank's duet together is "You, My Love", which is a personal favorite. Ms. Day delivers several 50's pop songs beautifully. Frank makes his impact here as the saloon singer, with brilliant, moving renditions of "Someone to Watch Over Me," "One for My Baby," & "Just One of Those Things."

Initially, this film is light-hearted & glossy - until Barney Sloan arrives. There are multiple issues that his character brings to the surface such as: "destiny" & the strength of the human will, the pain of loneliness, the power of hope, life-changing experiences, & recognizing "love".

It's worth noting that the forty-eight year old YOUNG AT HEART was actually a re-make of a 1938 mega-hit "Four Daughters", & carries over some of its plot contrivances. . Don't let this bog you down. This little gem rises above it.

In my opinion, the DVD is a visual improvement over the fuzzy video. Having both the Video / 40th anniversary edition & now the DVD, I've watched each, sometimes scene by scene, to compare, both on the same television. This video has the same small scratches, circles / spots that can be viewed on the DVD; note the gingerbread scene in the kitchen. The DVD's Major Plus: visual details, such as skin & facial features, are improved: Doris' cute freckles are back; thankfully, the character "Amy" no longer has a blackened tooth when she is tying Gig Young' s tie (as seen in Video); and Frank's face shows some scars in close ups, a realistic touch for his character. Actually, the DVD's visuals, preceeding the film, are quite beautiful! The DVD is reasonably priced, although I would have been willing to pay a little more for some extras, such as behind the scenes photos... Now if the film preservationists could help restore the original negative of this classic movie, that would be wonderful. YOUNG AT HEART deserves it -- How about it , AMC? .

TOTALLY ROMANTIC AND GREAT MUSIC
Sinatra's portrayal of Barney Sloane (who is one of my all-time favorite characters in movies) is what really MAKES this film great. It's gritty, his acting is seamless - this film has some of his best acting ever. In fact, there IS no Frank Sinatra in this film, only Barney Sloane - I was totally engrossed in the character and he made me forget he was Frank Sinatra - now THAT's acting! Also, Doris Day is at her absolute best in this film. The chemistry between her and Frank is so much more exciting to watch than her work with Rock Hudson, who is like cardboard compared to Doris and Frank together. Great songs from Doris, and an absolutely PERFECT selection of songs by Frank. This film is sad, joyful, but most of all, ROMANTIC. Highly recommended if you want to feel your Heart!

Great Tear Jerker
This movie features Frank Sinatra in a rare very moral dramatic role. He is a sad low person who meets the ever beautiful Doris Day. Well she falls in love with his boss the ever impressive Gig Young. But then one day she finds out that her older sister has a crush on Gig. So she marries Frank. Well their married live is full of hardships and depression. And poverty. But when they have a baby at the end of the movie Franks outlook on life changes and he becomes cheerful once again. Great tearjerker. Catch Frank singing the title song Young At Heart!

Doris Day must choose Gig Young or Frank Sinatra.
Doris Day plays "Laurie", one of three daughters who live with Pop (Robert Keith) and his sister, Aunt Jessie (Ethel Barrymore) who keep the young ladies in line. Fran (Dorothy malone) just got engaged to Alan Hale Jr. (Gilligan's Island). Laurie and Amy (Elizabeth Fraser) make a deal to have a double wedding when they finally find the right guys or end up as old maids. Laurie has a new beau, Gig Young. Then Gig Young hires Frank Sinatra, a traveling piano player, to write music for him. Doris meets Frank in the family house and is sweet to him. One day, Gig Young professes his love to Laurie and they decide to get married. However, Amy secretly had feelings for Gig Young and Frank Sinatra had some feelings for Laurie. Frank tells Laurie, "Sometimes when you're on the outside looking in, you see some things other people can't". Things are about to change and not to as orginally planned. If you have not seen this one before, it's a real soap opeara doozy! Great set of a neighborhood and family house.

Never too Young!!
YOUNG AT HEART is a decent melodrama intersped with a couple of musical numbers featuring the musical talents of Doris Day and Frank Sinatra. Doris Day's numbers are light and upbeat and Frank Sinatra plays meloncholy blues (as a 'piano man' at bar dives, i.e "One For my Baby-One More for the Road"). The only time they actually sing together is a duet near the end of the picture but its worth the wait because its a great song and a great performance. However, the dramatic scenes they share are just as good as Day and Sinatra have good onscreen chemistry. Its a shame they only made this one film together because they were good friends professionally off screen as well. Day/Laurie Tuttle is one of three musical prodigy daughters to Gregory Tuttle (Robert Keith -Lt. Brannigan in GUYS AND DOLLS). A songwiter, Alex Burke (Gig Young-THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY?)charms his way into the family home becoming a border to get inspiration to writing a musical. He becomes the object of affection to the three daughters, but is smitten with Laura immediately. However, when he brings in a piano player, Barney Sloan (Sinatra) to help out, Laura falls for his low self-esteemed but talented musician personality. Sinatra gives a very low-key understated performance as the angry (thinks-he-has-no-talent) piano player and Day is as good as always. The rest of the film is a little predictable, but entertaining and engrossing nontheless as love triangle(s) and misunderstandings arise as part of the drama. Gig Young's character and performance as the charming good guy and lovable songwriter is a bright spot in the film but it is slightly overshadowed by magnitude and presence of the two lead performers. All together, a film with a palusible melodrama plot, great songs, and most notable for the one time pairing of Day and Sinatra who have great on screen presence together. Lastly an overlooked performance by Gig Young. Note: Look for Alan Hale, Jr. (The Skipper of Gilligan's Island)in a supporting role and also,the great Ethel Barrymore (Grand aunt of Drew) as Aunt Jessie. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

I Know How You Hate Veiny Veal. . .
Just one of the brilliant lines in this wonderful film that is STILL not out on DVD.

Wonderful cast, although you have to buy that Cloris Leachman is the mother of Bonnie Bedelia and Anne Meara.

Best lines: Bea Arthur.
Best scene: love on a toilet seat.

And I wouldn't mind a book about Spain, either. . .

A funny but sad look at marriage .
This film is a funny but sad commentary on marriage as seen through the eyes of different generations. The cast is wonderful, especially Bea Arthur as the wife and mother whose line, "I can understand you wanting to leave, but I can't understand you leaving" shows the difference in how women have changed in the way they look at marriage. Diane Keaton, Gig Young, Anne Jackson, and Richard Castellano are all excellent in their roles.

This is one of my top 10 movies and the song,"For All We Know" by the Carpenters fits perfectly with the theme.

Still a classic
This is over 30 years old, but still a classic. Diane Keaton fans will love her in one of her first roles. We still use some of the lines, especially "So, what's the story, Richie?" and I often tell my husband his hair smells like raisins just to let him know I still love him. I just wish Icould buy a copy at a reasonable price!!!!

Something the "Viewer from Seattle" should consider!
I found this movie to be a splendid comedy, which kept me chuckling like I was on laughing gas. It's a spectacular comedy from husband-and-wife team Renée Taylor (The Nanny) and Joseph Bologna (Big Daddy). It's also a great thrill to see Golden Globe and Emmy-winning Beatrice Arthur, along with Bonnie Bedelia, Richard Castellano, Bob Dishy, Michael Brandon, a young future Oscar-winner Diane Keaton, and Oscar-nominee Gig Young in one of his last films. I recommend this movie for anyone who just loves movies in general!
~~As for that viewer from Seattle, I'm not mad at that particular section of his review, BUT [they] SHOULD take into consideration that the following statement:
****Favorite moment (for guys): a Steadicam shot of Bonnie Bedelia's face as she walks toward a bed. Not even Liz Taylor's face could rival Bedelia's for those few seconds. Favorite moment (for gals): Harry Guardino blowing a sweet, macho kiss to Anne Meara during the wedding ceremony.****
--Leaves out certain people.
I think, had they taken more consideration of other people into account, they would've had a stronger opening statement, which would've been written like this:
:._-~*Favorite moment (for gal-lovers): a Steadicam shot of Bonnie Bedelia's face as she walks toward a bed. Not even Liz Taylor's face could rival Bedelia's for those few seconds. Favorite moment (for guy-lovers): Harry Guardino blowing a sweet, macho kiss to Anne Meara during the wedding ceremony.*~-_.:
Now that's the way the review shoulda looked--at least mine should come-off better to the polite-at-heart.
----
Anyways, when deciding if you'd like to purchase the movie or not, I suggest you choose "Add To Shopping Cart"--because it will be a wise choice that you are heavily rewarded for!

Still funny after all these years
A big wedding, funny relatives, bittersweet relationships, a very young Diane Keaton -- what's not to love? In crowded theaters, Bob Dishy and Richard Castellano stole the show. Castellano still stands out, as do Gig Young and Bea Arthur. Favorite moment (for guys): a Steadicam shot of Bonnie Bedelia's face as she walks toward a bed. Not even Liz Taylor's face could rival Bedelia's for those few seconds. Favorite moment (for gals): Harry Guardino blowing a sweet, macho kiss to Anne Meara during the wedding ceremony. ... Read more

Amazon.com

John Wayne stars as a 19th-century sea captain out for revenge against awealthy shipping magnate in this interesting and unlikely 1948 offering fromRepublic Pictures. Wayne plays the wronged Captain Ralls with a convincingbitterness that foreshadows his later work in the John Ford classic TheSearchers, and his grim portrayal of Ralls hits a high point when Rallspurposely wrecks his enemy's prize treasure ship. The painfully beautiful GailRussell costarred with Wayne only the year before in The Angel and theBadman and delivers a memorable performance as the tragic Angelique. GigYoung also stands out as a crewman who eventually learns the truth about Ralls.Wake of the Red Witch shares similarities in both character and climax toan earlier Wayne picture, C.B. DeMille's Reap the Wild Wind, but thisfilm has a more direct approach in exploring the complex motivations of itscharacters. --Mark Savary ... Read more

Reviews (9)

An old sea yarn
This tale is narrated from the perspective of the first mate of "The Red Witch" when the incidents at the beginning of the film occur. Of all the characters in this tale, the narrator seems to have the most dignity. None of the characters are lacking in pride, and all but the women are greedy.

For a sea yarn set in the late 1800s, the sea captain has to be a bit of a rogue and a rascal, but still possess heart. This is difficult, in my opinion, for John Wayne. I have seen him in too many movies where he is the gallant working to save the day here. In this movie, he is trying to play a conniving sea captain, and I can't get past my image of him. This will make it difficult to understand his character.

To look at the story, the box is a little off. It places the focus where the movie does not focus its attention. The attention is on the relationship between Captain Ralls (Wayne) and Sidneye (Adler). Both are greedy, but have to have the other to give life some meaning. Parts of the story seem add a love story to bring in a wider audience, but it really doesn't flow, nor does it fit the story.

I would not go out of my way to see this movie, but if it happened to be on, I would give it a view.

Widescreen????
People are wondering why this movie is presented in Full-Screen format. The answer is simple...Widescreen movies weren't made until 1953. This movie was made in 1949. All movies made until 1953 were filmed in the 4:3 ratio. When TV came along, and used the same ratio for picture tubes, the movie execs came up with a wide format to lure back moviegoers.

So, if you see a movie release on DVD, and it was made before 1953, don't look for it in wide screen...

Good Duke, good DVD, but are we missing wider format?
Here's a Duke movie to like. This DVD, which has been previoulsy released, is full screen. Whether or not widescreen was in regular use, it seens obvious to me there's more information on the sides. I saw a wider version on, I think, TCM, also colorized. I don't think it's just a matter of chopping the top and bottom off the full screen version and making it look wider. I think there is more information out there. So given the excellent movie at its heart, it would be nice to have whatever extra picture there is. This is a story that can take advantage of wideness. Apart from that, it's a Duke DVD for every collection, a good story, nice effects and the video transfer and sound are very good. You'll like it. But watch for the wider, colorized version to be broadcast and tape it.

Good John Wayne
It's in full screen instead of widescreen. As a result this good, fun movie loses some of its visual spendor. Also, it's the original BW version. Still, right now it's the only version available. The picture and sound are fine on DVD but look elsewhere for the widescreen and the computer colorized version, which shows up on satellite TV now and then.

The DUKE and Gail, together again!
After the classic "Angel and the Badman", DUKE and Gail Russell paired again for this effort, "Wake of the Red Witch".

A tale of the effects revenge, greed, and bittnerness can have on people, the story traces the duel of words and intrigue between two men; Captain Ralls (The DUKE), and shipping magnate Mayrant Sidneye.

DUKE skippers Sidneye's prize ship, the Red Witch, and purposely wrecks her in a plan to cheat Sidneye out of a cargo of gold. Turns out that Sidneye had plotted to steal away DUKE's girl, Angelique Desaix (played by the lovely and angelic Gail Russell).

Tricking DUKE into a fatal confrontation with the girl's father, Sidneye is able to marry Angelique before The DUKE can set things right. This leads to her unhappiness, and The DUKE takes revenge on Sidneye by wrecking the Red Witch.

A wonderful study of greed, revenge, and redmption, we see the tale through the eyes of a young seaman (Gig Young), who Ralls sees as his younger self.

Familiar faces in the cast include Paul Fix, Henry Daniell, Jeff Corey, Erskine Sanford, and Grant Withers.

Gail is gorgeous, as usual. ... Read more

Reviews (67)

It hurts to say it, but . . .
. . . this is Bruce Lee's best film. Look, I hear the groans already, but consider the competition. Having watched all his films in order just recently, I was reminded how clunky and slow "Enter the Dragon" was. Apparently, there came a point in Bruce's approach to fight scenes where he would barely receive a punch, and instead just utterly dominate the opponent, no ebb and flow -- like his ultra brisk, almost anti-climactic demolition of Bob Wall in ETD.

Now, we all know "Game of Death" simply exists to use The Footage. And the 20-ish minutes of The Footage does appear at the end, and it's a very stylish, having-fun Bruce Lee -- not the sullen, monotone Bruce of ETD. The makers of the film went with a "Bruce double" for the rest of the film, often in shadow, wearing HUGE sunglasses, keeping his face turned away, etc. Every now and again, a snippet of actual Bruce gets edited in from an earlier movie, say, upon his walking into a room, or for a reaction shot. And some of these cut-away bits are pretty awkward -- few of them flow smoothly.

But having said all that, this film -- as a kung-fu film about a star named Billy Lo trying to break away from the syndicate -- is way, way above the average for this genre. For the trio of syndicate heavies, we get Mel Novak, Hugh O'Brian and Dean Jagger -- and these guys are FAR more compelling actors than you usually get for this type of flick. Some of the exchanges, with Dean Jagger especially, are deliciously sinister. The guy (actually, there may be two of them) playing the "Bruce double," while not looking a whole lot like Bruce (hence the sunglasses) and not exactly a riveting screen presence, has the fluidity of Bruce's kicks down pat -- which is no doubt why they hired him. Moreover, some of the fight scenes end with him getting beaten down and out, an effective dramatic element which the real Bruce had seemingly discarded. The real Bruce was doing movies which were becoming more and more of an "I-am-indestructible" exercise, only offering his steady obliteration of everyone else, even against noteworthy foes. But because we're dealing with a stand-in of sorts, HE can be beat down to a pulp. This at least lends a bit of dramatic flux.

And, of course, this film has The Footage, arguably Bruce's best work, and edited together pretty well from whatever they had on hand. BUT -- before we get to The Footage, the "Bruce double" has an absolutely fantastic fight with Bob Wall -- after Bob Wall has just gotten done having a very cool fight scene with Sammo Hung for "The Martial Arts Championship of the World," complete with a stadium of screaming fans! How much campy-goodness is THAT?! People who are simply bothered by the way the studio glommed onto The Footage in order to make a profitable flick are totally overlooking the much-better-than-average elements going on. The soundtrack is beyond classic -- the triumphant yet haunting horns announcing the titles somehow mesh so strongly with the realization of Bruce's untimely death -- it becomes the perfect music for his passing, as well as for the movie itself. And lest I forget, this DVD transfer is really crystal clear -- even some of the jarring "real Bruce" cutaways are made to almost work by the fact that the DVD looks so good.

Yeah, this film really needs to be cut some slack. If people are going to call the 70's-clunky "Enter the Dragon" a timeless classic, then this one deserves much more recognition. Robert Clouse directed this one (1978) between "Enter the Dragon" (1973) and "The Big Brawl" (1980) -- so the timeline pedigree is solid as well.

A CLASSIC MOVIE THAT OFFERS A FINAL GLIMPSE OF A TRUE MASTER
IN THE LAST MOVIE OF BRUCE LEE'S LIFE, A RISING MARTIAL ARTS STAR NAMED BILLY LO GETS HARASSED BY THE MAFIA. BUT, WHEN THEY VICIOUSLY SHOOT HIM, HE FAKES HIS DEATH AND GOES ON A MISSION FOR REVENGE. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE REAL BRUCE LEE DIED HALFWAY THROUGH THE MAKING OF THIS FILM. BUT SIX YEARS LATER, ROBERT CLOUSE GATHERED UP ALL THE SURVIVING CAST MEMBERS AND WITH THE USE OF DOUBLES FILLING IN FOR LEE, THIS MOVIE WAS COMPLETED. A VERY GOOD MARTIAL ARTS MOVIE WITH SOME LEGENDARY FIGHTS. THE FIGHT BETWEEN BRUCE LEE AND KAREEM ABDUL JABAR IS A MUST SEE. FOOTAGE FROM BRUCE LEE'S ACTUAL FUNERAL WAS USED FOR ONE SCENE IN THIS MOVIE. NONETHLESS, BRUCE LEE FANS SHOULD ENJOY THIS FINAL LOOK AT A TRUE MASTER OF THE MARTIAL ARTS.

DO NOT BUY THIS FILM (READ THIS)
This film is an insult to everything Bruce Lee was. And they didn't even use all of the available fight footage. Instead, pick up "Bruce Lee - A Warrior's Journey". It contains all of the original fight footage Bruce shot, along with a VERY in depth documentary covering his whole life. If you are a Bruce Lee or kung fu fan, that dvd is a must-have. Not this one.

"Game Of Death" Review
While billed as the "final film of Bruce Lee", it is important to note that this movie just splices footage from other Lee films in with both shots of a Lee double and the only actual material that Bruce recorded for the film, which clocks in at just over 20 minutes. The way that the filmmakers try to pass off a poor double as the real Bruce reminds one of the infamous Bela Lugosi "Plan 9 From Outer Space" curtain call. While the first hour or so of the movie is laughably bad, one of the big anti-climatic fights involving Bruce and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is worth every dime you put in. The jaw-dropping battle uses well-placed fight choreography as opposed to today's fancy camera tricks to make for one of the best martial arts fight routines captured on film. For those who want to know, the plot of the film surrounds a martial arts film star who fakes his death and returns to seek revenge on the mob. In a twisted sense of irony, Bruce's character is shot on a movie set with a gun that is filled with real bullets instead of blanks, the very same accident that would claim his son, Brandon, on the set of "The Crow", nearly twenty years later.

Game of Excellence
Oh, this is a great one. This is the one in which Bruce Lee fights Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Oh man, that part is great. The whole movie is good, I think. And so is the music they play during the fighting.

There's this one cool part where Lee fights a motorcycle gang in a warehouse, and he hits a guy in the face with his bike! The end is excellent. Lee goes to this place and fights five martial arts masters in a row.

Also, in this movie, Lee uses nun chucks for at least ten minutes. It's so great. Lee died while shooting this movie, and most of it is a body double, but it's still very entertaining. His noises are great and so is his technique. No martial artist today can compare to Lee.

Watch out, though. After seeing this movie, I had a strong urge to fight people, and I did not control it. I went out and gave my neighbors a beating. They were doing some lawn work, so I hit one with a rake and used him to impale his son. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Humphrey Bogart is at his villainous best in William Wyler's taut home-invasion thriller, The Desperate Hours. Sharply adapted by John Hayes from his own fact-based novel and Broadway play, this marked a slight departure for Wyler, whose celebrated versatility is on ready display as Bogart--leading a panicky trio of escaped convicts--seizes control of a suburban family in the (dis)comfort of their own home. The domestic terror (similarly dramatized in the 1954 potboiler Suddenly) escalates as cautious patriarch Frederic March waits for an opportunity to retaliate, while the police (led by Arthur Kennedy) close in for an ambush. Viewers may recognize the home's exterior from TV's Leave It to Beaver, while its interior gives Wyler a sealed chamber for nail-biting advances and setbacks--and Bogey was rarely better at portraying ruthless, unpredictable menace. Poorly remade in 1990, The Desperate Hours remains a potent precursor to the many similar films (like Panic Room) that followed its enduring example. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Top-drawer thriller from Hollywood's 'golden age'
THE DESPERATE HOURS (USA 1955): The patriarch of a middle-class suburban family (Fredric March) is forced to take action when they're held hostage in their own home by three escaped convicts, one of whom (Humphrey Bogart) is an experienced lifer with nothing to lose...

The first and only pairing of superstars Bogart and March is a tightly-wound thriller, written by Joseph Hayes (based on his novel and stageplay, inspired by actual events), and directed by Hollywood veteran William Wyler, distancing himself from the 'women's pictures' he had helped to popularize during the 1940's (THE LITTLE FOXES, MRS. MINIVER, THE HEIRESS etc.). Photographed in gleaming deep-focus VistaVision by Lee Garmes (SCARFACE, THE PARADINE CASE), the movie wrings incredible tension from the claustrophobic settings and frequent stand-offs between staunch family man March and embittered con Bogart. The movie's themes are fairly conservative and the outcome is never really in doubt, but this is a top-drawer thriller from Hollywood's 'golden age'. Also starring Arthur Kennedy, Martha Scott, Dewey Martin and Gig Young in crucial supporting roles. Unmissable.

The movie runs 112m 25s on Paramount's region 1 DVD, and the image is letterboxed at approx. 1.85:1 (anamorphically enhanced), the recommended aspect ratio of most VistaVision movies. The beautiful black and white photography is supported by a strong Dolby 2.0 mono soundtrack, and the disc contains English captions and subtitles. There are no extras, not even a trailer.

NB. Though nowhere near as dreadful as most critics would have you believe, Michael Cimino's remake DESPERATE HOURS (1990) isn't a patch on the original.

SUPERB THRILLER
William Wyler directs Humphrey Bogart in the super tense thriller THE DESPERATE HOURS. Three on the lam thugs invade a heartland American home and hold a family hostage. Everyone seeks survival and an ordinary dad (Frederick March) puts his life on the line for his family. Bogie at his very best as a snarling, deadly con. Heartstopping showdown. Unforgettable climax. You'll hold your breath and bite your nails. This is one to own. See what great filmmaking and storytelling is all about.

Don't confuse this with the pallid 1990 remake starring Mickey Rourke, directed by Michael Cimino.

Simply Amazing
With all the thrillers, i've watched till date, The Desperate Hour is truely the king of them all. Humprey Bogart rocks in this movie and while March plans to protect his family with the unloaded gun, the tension grips high times. This is a classic that need to be in every movie collectors shelves.

Only a 50's paranoia
I am such a fan of Bogie and Wyler, but although the production is impeccable, the screenplay is so boring, and the typical "happy 50's family" is so square, that I was begging at the end of this feature, "C'mon Bogie, kill'em all! Kill'em all!".Unfortunately, he didn't.

Filmed In DesperationVision
Boring, boring, boring ...

That's really all that can be said for this William Wyler "thriller." While the performances of all of the principles (with the notable exception of Humphrey Bogart) are almost laughably unconvincing, even Bogart's magic isn't enough to elevate this drama filmed in DesperationVision to anything above passable ... yes, even for cinema's golden years.

Perhaps if they had given Bogey more screen time, I might feel different, but, that fact aside, HOURS plays out like hours ... upon hours ... upon hours ... upon hours ...

ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ..... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great mystery Western
In a way LUST FOR GOLD is a "mystery" Western that doesn't lose its real interest after you understand (sort of) the mystery and understand the story. And that says a lot about its lasting attraction and why I am delighted to see it on DVD. The stark but beautiful B&W print lends atmosphere to the "search" for lost treasure, and even the name of the mountain range where the Spanish gold was mysteriously buried, Superstition Mountain, adds to the ambience. This is a truly entertaining oater that will entertain the entire family or friends. Recommended highly. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

James Caan and Robert Duvall star as a pair of CIA operatives in the Bay Area; when Duvall sells out Caan, he cripples him instead of killing him. But Caan fights back, working himself back into shape and back into service to protect a visiting dignitary who is targeted for assassination. It all leads to a solid shootout and martial-arts battle aboard the mothballed fleet in the North Bay. Economic and spare, this is one of director Sam Peckinpah's lesser efforts, but still features his skillful direction of action scenes. An intriguing cast includes Arthur Hill, Mako, and Bo Hopkins; this may be the only film that features both Burt Young and Gig Young. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (13)

"Give me the gun. I'm gonna shoot him anyway."
This was a good action movie with plenty of bullits and some martial arts mixed in. Caan gave a good performance. Two things kept me from giving this 5 stars. First a scene where Gig Young keeps a nervous Arthur Hill in the office doing paper work is moronic, and second, this movie screamed for a expanded role for a female character. The actress who played Caan's love interest was unattractive and void of talent. When you watch a movie like this you almost have to have some nudity and gratuitous sex to give you a reason to watch it a again and again. Oh well. What did work was the team of Caan, Burt Young, and Bo Hopkins...no one was Rambo but no one was an idiot either.

THE KILLER ELITE
A warped genius of a director sleepwalks this half decent action thriller. You can tell Peckinpah had no enthusiasm making this film, it still boasts some good cheographed action scenes.
For example a great sequence of a botched assaination attempt, mixed with some slow motion martial arts. James Caan and Robert Duval are playing there roles purely for laughs. Watchable but no Straw Dogs.

Easily one of the worst movies ever
If you ever wonder why James Caan, despite being an amazing actor, hasn't had that great a career, this meltdown is a great place to start. Keeping with that theme, Robert Duvall's seems to have survived because he's only actually in about four scenes in the entire movie. I have to hand it to whoever wrote the great blurb on the back of the DVD, because the dubious title alone makes it easy to take a pass on it.

Pass I should have done. Really, the whole idea of this was bad to begin with. The opening credits encompass the guys placing a bomb with children playing in the background, and yet when the thing goes off, the building is actually in a light industrial area with no children around to speak of. Very weird. The purpose of blowing the place seems to be to spirit away some defector with a bad accent, which doesn't make any sense either. The first ten minutes the sound was really badly mixed, so it was hard to tell what they were saying . . . and it got worse from there. Caan gets shot up, then obligatory "invalid recovery" sequence begins, through which I fast-forwarded zestfully. And then I gave up for a couple of days, never intending to finish it, but one gets bored.

Protecting some generically Asian guy was the focus of the rest of the plot, which allowed for some generic ninjas to be introduced into the mix. The ludicrous scenes of ninjas stupidly charging into Uzi fire ensues after a lot of FAST-PACED, BREAK-NECK (yeah right) car chasing and lots of conversation. The heroes even start laughing at the stupidity it at one part, along with the audience.

Bad editing, direction, script, acting, concept, music, etc. Many reasons why nobody's ever hear of it. I wish my local video store would be more discriminating in their selection. This is easily one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Avoid.

Skip This And Watch STRAW DOGS Again
This wretched, utterly boring ninjas-on-the-loose fiasco has all the markings of a lowbudget mid-70's drive-in cheapie--ugly cinematography, incoherent plotting, large body count and comically inept slow motion action set pieces. There are plenty of movies from this era every bit as bad as THE KILLER ELITE but what makes this particular title stand out from the rest of the lowly bunch is that it was directed by Sam Peckinpah, one of America's greatest film artists.

Peckinpah had managed to work a great deal of magic out of similarly banal thriller material a few years before in THE GETAWAY, thanks to his trademark rapid fire editing of some furiously violent suspense sequences; that film also benefited from a typically cool performance from the charismatic Steve McQueen. With ELITE, the director clearly didn't care at all and shot everything as quickly and perfunctorily as possible. He appears to have forgotten even his most rudimentary of cinematic skills, clunkily filming everything with a generic, TV-Movie obviousness. Peckinpah isn't helped at all by James Caan and Robert Duvall, two normally fine and powerful actors who, undoubtedly due to their vaguely defined characters, give frankly dull performances that completely fail to draw us into the proceedings. The end result is a film that is easily tied with CONVOY as Peckinpah's most infuriatingly awful effort; its truly sad seeing such a major talent waste himself away on such utterly substandard rubbish.

Its a real shame that this film would inexplicably get a proper DVD release while absolute masterpieces like THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE, BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA, CROSS OF IRON and PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID continue to languish in the vaults.

Confusing Action Melodrama
It's hard to tell who is after who in this badly edited mess! The only saving grace in this espionage "thriller" about the CIA trying to guard Asian political-exiles are the stars (especially James Caan. If it wasn't for him, I'd give this film only one star!) The dialogue is good, but then, good lines should enhance the story. (What story? This movie is mixed up about it's plot!)

And where did Sam Pekinpah get the ridiculous idea that ninjas would come right out in the open & charge gun-wielding killers, with swords in hand?!! First, if ninjas were still in operational existence, they'd update themselves. (See "You Only Live Twice." This James Bond film has ninjas, with machine guns!) The historical ninjas used guns. (When the Portugese introduced firearms to Japan, ninjas quickly included muskets into their arsenal.) Lastly, ninjas are notorious for ambushing their opponents. (That's why they wear black! It's so they can't be seen at night!) Peckinpah showed Mexican revolutionaries armed with machetes getting the jump on gun-armed, but sleeping, professional killers in "The Wild Bunch." Well, that's how ninjas in historical times would have done it & if Peckinpah had any respect for martial-arts, that's how he should have featured the ninjas: Gun-armed & ambushing, not out in the open & charging!

This was touted as a martial-arts extravaganza, but it's really Peckinpah's sarcastic answer to the '70's martial-arts movie boom. Martial-arts weren't meant to go up against guns, any more than boxing is. Nobody says that boxing is useless! I think Peckinpah was just too drunk to get his research right!

"The Wild Bunch" & "Villa Rides!" are my favorites, but "Killer Elite" is just a waste of time! ... Read more