Reviews (5)

Spanish version
Please, I would like this title in Spanish language if is possible, thank you.

Just enjoy it!
Nothing much needs to be said. It is just like westerns should be. There are real heroes, who work for justice and do not use violence but when absolutely forced. Am I at 57 mentally a child? It must be so and I never want to grow!

VCI deserves a pat on the back!
Without any knowledge of what this DVD 2 pack contained, I bought it based on my love of Clayton Moore and the Lone Ranger! I was completely surprised by the quality of the film print! This film looks better than many of the feature films today. It is prestine. The trailers, interviews with Dawn Moore and Michael Ansara and photo gallery were the iceing on the cake. This was Clayton Moore's favorite LONE RANGER feature film and rightfully so. This film should have been re-released to the theaters instead of making the forgetable film of the late 1970's and Moore never should have been in a legal battle over the mask he, and only he, deserved to wear. Rick Goldschmidt (Author of THE MAKING OF A RANKIN/BASS HOLIDAY CLASSIC: RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER)

Lone Ranger DVD...Spectacular!
This DVD gives you the best of both viewing worlds!! View it in widescreen or standard pan and scan. The Lone Ranger and his faithful companion, Tonto, never looked better. The movie opens in an action packed sequence and continues through confrontations and gunfights without the all the graphic dismemberments. This film will take you back to the times when the whole family sat together and enjoyed true entertainment with a great message. The double dvd set includes a seperate dvd with bonus materials including an interview with Clayton Moore's daughter, Dawn as interviewed by Leonard Maltin. It also contains a recently produced interview with actor Michael Ansara. This DVD is one for the whole family.

The Lone Ranger (1956) (widescreen)
This film is the first featurelength movie featuring the stalwart stars of the TV series, Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. It is the Lone Ranger in his best ever screen performance. The movie is thoroughly watchable entertainment especially in the widescreen format with some gorgeous panoramic cinematography from Edwin Dupar. The story is straightforward but with tight competent direction from Stuart Heisler the film has the look and feel of a big screen movie. Some of the stunts are spectacular to watch and the finale battle between the Lone Ranger (Moore) and the villain, Cassidy (Michael Ansara) is excellent. This a must for western fans who want to see the Lone Ranger at his best. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

"Can't You Get It Through Your Thick Skull That I'm Broke?!"
I've reviewed this before here, but I just watched it last night and was blown away, AGAIN, by Bette Davis' memorable performance.

I felt so sorry for Margaret Elliot, the down-trodden, has been star, who was now broke and absolutely petrified.She really didn't know how to be anything else BUT "a star."The reality had already hit her when the film opens as she walks pass an auction where her personal belongings are being sold to pay creditors.

There are so many incredible scenes and hardly any dull moments in this hardhitting script, that you could spend the rest of your life quoting "Bette Davis lines."Take this one: "You can do anything but get me a picture, can't you?Harry Stone, the great big starmaker, the gentleman agent...MY friend..."Or this one: "Well, I've been running around in circles too, but NOT Margaret Elliot circles...I want you to take me STRAIGHT to Joe Morrison!"Or this one: "Take a good look, ladies. So there's no doubt, I AM Margaret Elliot and it IS a disgrace. MARGARET ELLIOT waiting on a couple of old bags like you!"

There are so many more.As I said in my other review, "Bette Davis does everything but hit the ceiling" in THE STAR. Her performance had Oscar written all over it.Funny, if an actress today did one quarter of what Davis did here, she'd GET that Academy Award.But, in 1952, the competition was much stiffer.Today, actors win for so-so performances, not great ones.

I WANT "THE STAR" ON DVD WITH PLENTY OF EXTRAS.Bette, herself has said that along with Baby Jane, Margaret Elliot was one of the greatest opportunities she'd been given as an actress.She felt that the REALITY of the character made Hollywood feel "too uncomfortable."

Pre-Ab Fab!
Edina would have been proud! I just love when Bette drives drunk with her Oscar! Or how about when she cuts down those 2 women who recognize her working in a shop? "Didn't you used to be...?"

5 "Stars" based on BD performance.
Some of the reviews I've read didn't seem to know that The Star was an Independent film.Of course not like them classy ones we see's now at our cinemas and all.All kidding aside, she took this role because it was a good one and she knew she could relate to it, I think that's why I like her.She was just honest almost to a brutal degree.I just recently watched Now, Voyager for the first time and often forget that she was a very good actress, we often forget that because of the gay camp value that she is assigned with.

GOING,GOING.....GONE.
Supposedly, this film was based on Joan Crawford's career but who knows?. At any rate, it's an absorbing tale of a washed-up drunken movie star who witnesses her own auction then claws tooth and nail for a comeback but finds life is more meaningful when you're Human. Davis is fine as The Star and the supporting cast is good (including child star Natalie Wood as The Star's estranged little girl). The film is b&w giving it that High Drama look and feel. Sterling Hayden is a one-time co-star (now a curiously butch boat builder) who ends up saving Davis from self-destruction. But this is a Davis vehicle and she was Oscar nominated for it and she's always watchable throughout. She has many memorable scenes including one where she puts her Oscar on the dashboard of her car and says, "C,mon, Oscar, let's you and me get drunk." She gets a DUI and ends up in jail. Yet another finds her being rehabilitated selling lingerie behind a counter and insulting the customers who recognize her. So much to enjoy here for Davis fans, it really needs DVD release. 5 stars for "The Star".

"...now GET me that part in "The Fatal Winter!"
I'm shocked that so many reviewers here were disappointed in Bette Davis' appearance, wardrobe, lighting and make up in this film. People, she was playing a dead broke has been. She looked perfect for this role as Margaret Elliot, the once glamorous Oscar-winning star of the movies. Had she looked like the stylish Margo Channing of "All About Eve", her "Margaret Elliot" wouldn't have been as convincing.

Okay, the script wasn't perfect, but Davis approached this material like a true professional and gave the role everything she had, which was plenty. Davis never really cared about the way she looked and accepted the fact that she was no Garbo or Jean Harlow. She had played unglamorous parts many times before. Miss Davis was a true actress, an artist.

The picture is "dark", yes, but if it had been anything else, it would have ruined this film. The atmosphere created by the director was appropriate for the situation. Margaret was in trouble. She was scared to death and was desperate to get "back where I belong." She felt that "one good part" was all she needed.

After throwing her sister and brother-in-law out of her modest apartment in a screaming rage, Margaret grabs her Oscar, buys a cheap bottle of hooch and takes a drunken ride through the streets of Beverly Hills, stopping briefly by her old mansion where she sorrowfully breaks down in tears.

Davis looked like hell the morning after being bailed from jail by a former co-star (Sterling Hayden), who was miscast all over the place. She arrived home to find out that her key didn't fit anymore. She had been locked out for non-payment of rent. Defeated, now homeless, she tells Sterling Hayden, after he asks "where to?", "isn't this the end of the line?"

The papers are full of the scandal the next morning prompting Margaret to take advantage of the "publicity" as she storms into her agent's office and demands that he get her the role she's wanted to play for years in a script called "The Fatal Winter". "But, what about the papers?" the agent asks. She retorts, "Joe Morrison is MAD about publicity!" She is shocked when Morrison (the producer) wants her to play, not the lead, but the lead's older sister, Sara. Margaret is a STAR! So, she plots to get the lead by altering her screen test and playing Sara like a young siren so as to convince Morrison that he's made a mistake. The test is awful as played, but Davis, the actress was brilliant.

In this role, Bette Davis does everything but hit the ceiling! She pops her eyes, bites her consonents, screams, yells, gets drunk, fights with the police, gets thrown in jail, has the screaming meanies, tells off a couple of old ladies, slaps faces and smokes cartons of cigarettes. Now, that's acting!

When the Oscar nominations came out, Bette Davis was among the five nominees for "best actress" of 1952. Strange because Joan Crawford had been offered "The Star" and she turned it down flat. Davis had been offered "Sudden Fear" which she promptly refused. Bette had also been offered "Come Back, Little Sheba" but didn't feel the part was right for her, leaving Shirley Booth to repeat her stage success on screen. So, Bette accepted "The Star" and Joan grabbed "Sudden Fear". All three got nominated for the Academy Award! Booth won.

In 1952, Bette Davis' career was on the skids. She, like Margaret Elliot, needed a juicy part to put her back on top. This role didn't do it, but it kept her working throughout the '50s with varying degrees of success. My favorite, besides "The Star" was "The Catered Affair" (1956).

Despite the criticism I've read here of the film, I enjoyed it and it is an important part of my film collection. Bravo Bette! ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's hard to imagine nowadays that someone so innately bitter and cynicalas Humphrey Bogart could be a major movie star--but he was, and the movieswere richer for it. In Tokyo Joe, Bogart plays an Air Force colonelwho returns to Tokyo after World War II to reclaim a nightclub he'd had toabandon. When he discovers that his former lover, a Russian refugee, isstill alive and now married, he sets out to win her back--but in theprocess gets drawn into a fraudulent air freight scheme that may endangerthe stability of post-war Japan, as well as a child he never knew he had.Tokyo Joe isn't a classic, but when the camera catches thelightning in Bogart's eyes or his calm voice twists into a snarl, it's apowerful jolt. His dark persona makes his virtuous acts all the morecompelling. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Intrigue and romance in post WW2 Japan for Bogie
Life in post war Japan is a theme not often explored in Hollywood film making and that alone gives "Tokyo Joe" an extra element of interest. Often referred to as second-string Bogie effort, the film I feel has much to commend it and it weaves an arresting story of intrigue, corruption and lost love against the background of a Japan just coming back to life after the conclusion of the war.

Humphrey Bogart had most of his great roles already behind him by 1949. "Casablanca", "High Sierra", "The Maltese Falcon", "The Treasure Of Sierra Madre" to name a few cemented his name as one of Hollywood's most memorable stars over almost two and half decades of work. This might be a lesser effort than those examples but time had passed and being now a bit older suits Bogie very well in his playing of Joe Barrett, a man returning to Tokyo to reclaim both his pre war saloon/gambling den and to find that his supposedly dead wife is very much alive and holding a couple of dark secrets. Bogie handles both elements of the story, ie the rekindled romance with his wife Trina (Florence Marly), with the exciting second half of the story dealing with high level corruption, kidnapping and people smuggling rings.

Upon arriving in Tokyo Bogie finds things have changed greatly since the period prior to WW2. Not only does he discover his wife is still alive and remarried to an Americam Official Mark Landis (Alexander Knox) but that she has a young child who is actually his. His thriving pre war business is impossible to reestablish and he finds himself involved in some shady transportation activities with a prominent Japanese businessman, Baron Kimura (played by the excellent Sessue Hayakawa) who actually is bringing back to life the mysterious fanatical society of the Black Dragon which is intent on smuggling back into Japan convicted war criminials. What develops is Bogie finding himself playing two sides in helping the Americans flush out the terrorists and having to deal with their kidnapping of his daughter as a guarantee that he will cooperate with them. The second half of the film weaves a fairly exciting tale of adventure and suspense which sees Bogie undertake to rescue his daughter from the kidnappers and fight off the Baron where he is shot. The conclusion of the story leaves up in the air Bogie's fate, whether he survives the gunshot wound during his brave rescue bid and reclaims his wife , or whether he dies a hero and allows Trina to continue her affluent life as the wife of an American Official. This ending is quite different to what one can normally expect and it allows us as the audience to make our own conclusion , in a way similiar to th efamous ending of "Gone With The Wind".

"Tokyo Joe" which for interest sake was the pre war name of Bogie's establishment, benefits greatly from some interesting on-location photography in Tokyo. While it is obvious that the principal cast never left Columbia Studios in Hollywood the meshing of location footage with the actors scenes is very well done. The major Japanese actors used in the film also bring a very welcome look of authenticity to the story. Veteran actor Sessue Hayakawa is really excellent as the villian of the piece and Teru Shimada who appeared in just about every movie or television show requiring Japanese actors over a 30 year period creates a real impression as Ito, Bogie's best friend and pre-war partner in the running of Tokyo Joe's who pays the ultimate price for getting involved with Bogie in Baron Kimura's schemes. It is good to see at this time in Hollywood that talented Japanese actors were able to get prominent roles in major Hollywood productions such as this.

Humphrey Bogart always managed to hold the interest in no matter what movie he was appearing in and while "Tokyo Joe" is certainly not his best remembered film it is a very entertaining film with a good story that serves up equal parts romance, adventure, and suspense. The story is at all times believably played and that's what keeps your interest as the characters are those that are not just Hollywood fiction. Films in general were changing by the beginning of the 1950's and "Tokyo Joe" in a way was one of the first to show the after effects of the war on defeated countries like Japan. Enjoy this exciting tale with the always trenchcoated Bogie in a good performance.

A nest of snakes
Humphrey Bogart is equal to himself in this tightly devised plot. First a clear situation : Japan after the war under occupation by the Americans who are trying to chase the remnants of a militaristic and fanatical recent past. The Americans come back to Japan too to start some joint ventures with some Japanese. Then a personal situation : Joe had a joint business before the war and he tries to recuperate it and finds out it is impossible though he goes along with his ex-partner in another business that is a lot more shady than it should be. Then a sentimental situation : his ex-girlfriend and wife is married to a big shot in the American embassy or something. She has a daughter and this daughter is Joe's though she had her adopted by her second husband. This daughter was the backmailing tool of the Japanese during the war to force this woman to broadcast propaganda aimed at American forces in the Pacific during the war. But Joe and his new business is used to bring some old militaristic fanatics back to Japan to stir some trouble for the Americans. Joe, as an ex-colonel, has to go along with the allied forces, but his « business associates » kidnap his daughter to force him to do what they want. Then the rest is resistance and heroism, courage and back-fighting. Humphrey Bogart cuts the character quite convincingly and gives us an interesting thriller.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

The Other "Casablanca"
America's involvement in World War two was bookended by two Humphrey Bogart movies. Going into the War, there's Rick in the classic Casablanca; coming out of the War, there's Joe Barret in Tokyo Joe, but basically they are both the same hard-boiled-with-a-heart-of-gold guy. As if to emphasize this there's a nightclub in each, the Tokyo joint eponymously named "Tokyo Joe's."

The movie kicks off in 1948, as Joe Barret comes back after 7 years away to occupied Tokyo to take care of some unfinished business, soon getting into a playful Judo bout with his old friend and nightclub partner, Itoh (Teru Shimada). There's more unfinished business than he reckoned on, however, as he finds out that the beautiful wife he thought was dead is still alive. But this is no Madame Butterfly in reverse. The lady in question is Trina, a White Russian played by an actress with great cheekbones but with none of the smouldering quality of Ingrid Bergman. The writers lay on the twists thick and fast as we discover that Trina is now married to an Occupation bigwig, Mark Landis (Alexander Knox), and she has a kid which is Bogey's.

In order to protect Trina from a blackmail scam, Bogey gets sucked into a plot led by the evil Baron Kimura (Sessue Hayakawa) who bears an uncanny resemblance to former Japanese Prime Minister Nakasone. This scheme to revive the Black Dragon organization by smuggling Imperialist leaders back into Japan, is implausibly attributed to the Communists. The climax comes when Bogey's chubby little daughter gets kidnapped and Bogey's Japanese nightclub partner blames himself and commits hari-kiri.

"Still covering up for Kimura," Bogey admonishes him as he realises his old buddy won't be helping him with his judo practice anymore. "Don't you understand what guys like that have done for you? For a thousand years they've made suckers out of you. All they've wanted was the gravy and guys like you down on their hands and knees to hand it up to them. You think we're the real enemy because we're occupying Japan. You know why we're doing it? To help the Japanese people stand up on their hind legs, like men and women and have a right to in this world."

Anyway, Bogey manages to rescue his daughter taking a bullet in the process. This leads into a noticeably fudged ending. There are two possible ways to look at it. Either Humphrey dies as he is carried away out on the stretcher or he doesn't. The way the camera fades on Trina in the last scene, suggests that Joe has in fact passed on, but this is so vague that it's left open for those people who prefer a happier ending to imagine that he gets better in some unfilmed future after the movie.

The first possibility naturally packs more emotional punch - Bogey sacrificing himself once again and conveniently getting out of the way so that Trina can continue her glamorous life with Landis who turns out to be a thoroughly decent chap. But I've seen Bogey take too many knocks in too many movies not to try and imagine the second possibility.

Bogie meets Sessue Hayakawa.
This second string Humphrey Bogart flick has its moments. The "Casablanca" wannabe story of love, intrigue, and suspense in post-war Japan starts well with Bogie returning to Tokyo to reclaim the woman he loves. To his dismay, she is married to another man, and has a daughter. As in "Casablanca," Bogie owns a cabaret that is operating under wartime difficulty. He has to sort this all out and deal with his emotions, especially after he discovers the little girl is his own daughter. After the first 30 minutes or so, the plot shifts gears to a crime drama of gangsters, smuggling, and Communist activity. One definite strength of the film is Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa as a gangster. Hayakawa's aristocratic demeanor and distinct accent as he speaks English is almost an oriental version of Bela Lugosi. At least some of the exteriors were filmed on location in Japan. Bogie dons the familiar hat and trenchcoat that were his trademark look in many films. There is an amusing segment early in the story where two stunt guys, pretending to be Bogie and his Japanese buddy, throw each other around the room in an impromptu judo match. This movie may not be top quality, but it's okay as an entertaining time-waster. ;-)

TOKYO JOE
Bogie is GREAT,as always. Not in the same caliber as Casablanca, and at times tries to be. The Judo scene between Ito and Bogie is a RIOT! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Susan Hayward Rules!!
Susan Hayward rules in her portrayal of an alcoholic.It's a great movie!!

A Worthy Film
First, nowhere in IMDB.com's biographies of Susan Hayword and Rita Hayworth do they note ANYTHING even remotely linking these two women ESPECIALLY as "sisters"?

I have not seen Susan Hayword probably since the TV program "Bill Kennedys Showtime" screened them in the early-mid sixties.
She is quite excellent in this film although she is, at times, emotionally all over the place.

I don't believe this was done intentionally to further the alcohol plot device, I believe it is a technique unique to Susan Hayword's acting style.
For example, she will go from a scene of ravishing the screen with natural beauty and then, they make her up to look beautiful (according to Hollywood studio standards) and she looks plastic and trampy. She seems to excel at emotional extremes and she takes advantage of sometimes weak dialog and, via performace strategy, has the ability to raise the scene from "C" to "A" level.
She DEFINITELY "carries" a film! She eats the screen alive.

Now, the songwriting... it is very quaint but if you enjoy a decent melody, you'll find yourself walking about the house humming it (almost to the consternation of any musical preferences!). For all of Susan Hayword's ferociousness Marsha Hunt stands up to her admirably (and rivals her beauty and class). All supporting roles are done quite well, Lee Bowman (as Susan's husband), Eddie Albert (as his songwriter collaborator), and you will enjoy Janet Murdoch as Miss Kirk (Baby Angelica's Nanny) and her wonderful Scots brogue.

I don't expect the greatest from Alpha-Video (Gotham) because they transfer, as is, whatever they can get their hands on from Public Domain. But, at least, we get to see this film!

Overall Quality of DVD: **1/2 /**** Sound: ** /**** Plot: **1/2 /**** Acting: ***/**** Cinematography: ***/**** Direction: ***/****
If you enjoy Susan Hayword, I would recommend: "I Want To Live" & "Tulsa"

Hayward at her best rises about soapish material
This is the film that made Susan Hayward a star. It is one of her top performances. Miss Hayward had been in Hollywood since 1938 or so and had really only done a slew of supporting performances. Then she got the lead in this and it was one of the biggest hits of 1947. She received the first of her five Academy Award nominations. And rightfully so, this film could have easily dissolved into typical 40's melodrama and tears, but Miss Hayward really manages to keep it a cut about all of that. She plays an up-and-comer singer who falls for another up-and-comer singer. They get married and she gives up her career to be a full-time wife and later mother. As her husband's star rises dramatically, she is often left at home while he's on the road, and of course taken for granted. Her husband's young woman business manager who travels with him and pines for him does not help matters. This leads to a severe drinking problem on Miss Hayward's part. As a result, her husband leaves her and keeps their child. Despite trying to sober up to make a professional comeback and to regain custody of the child, Miss Hayward suffers a relapse and both her life and the child's life are in danger. Not to spoil the ending, but it ends as any other 1940's film of this ilk ends.

Yet, Miss Hawyard really keeps this from slipping into silly melodrama. She plays the ignored wife/drunk really well. She creates a tremendous amount of sympathy for the character, and the subtle slide into alcoholism is well-handled. There are some really nice musical numbers in this as well. The rest of the cast is good, and the movie is a little daring in parts. She socializes with her husband's male friends, her husband has a woman business manager, and (gasp) Miss Hawyward lives with her husband briefly before they are married. Racy stuff for 1947! Overall, this is a joy to watch. It is Susan Hayward at her best.

The DVD is nice. The film is visually dark and this was actually distracting in parts, I'm not sure that this was some noir attempt or a bad transfer, but the sound is fine, particularly the songs. There are chapter selections that aren't much, and no extras. It's nice, however, that one of Susan Hayward's best roles is now available on DVD.

Alcohol Makes You Do Crazy Things.
SMASH-UP: THE STORY OF A WOMAN stars Susan Hayward (sister of Rita Hayworth) as Angie Evans, a young singer who ends up destroying part of her life through drinking. Angie is an up-and-coming nightclub and radio sensation. However, one night she meets a man with a voice of gold and they fall in love. Angie gives up her career to be a wife and later a mother. However, her husband hits the big time and she soon finds herself alone with the baby and a bottle of licquer. She slowly declines in alcoholism until she causes a tragic accident which almost costs her life and that of her child.

SMASH-UP is a movie with a lesson. It would seem almost like an after school special, except the movie is made so well it doesn't come off that way. Instead, what is captured on film is a fairly accurate portrayal of what can happen to a person when they become addicted to alcohol. The acting is good and the movie has a very beautiful score. Not too shabby for a preachy, anti-drinking movie.

Susan smashed
Touted as a female version of The Lost Weekend, this was Susan Hayward's breakthrough role for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. (She wouldn't win until 10 years later with I Want to Live). As a nightclub singer who marries and exchanges her career for the bottle, Hayward prefigures her alcoholic Lillian Roth in I'll Cry Tomorrow, with the same physicality and her being a "charming" drunk (as opposed to a nasty one). In her drunk scenes she even uses the facial grimaces that she would go further with in Tomorrow, and she's willing to make herself look silly, with messy hair. Unfortunately an air of B-movie hangs over this production, and Hayward is yet to have the bullish bravado that would make her such an entertaining actress in the 1950's. Things aren't helped by her doing her own singing since it is as ill-advised as in I'll Cry Tomorrow. The B mentailty extends to the character of her also singing husband played by Lee Bowman. Bowman sounds as if his singing his dubbed, his acting is stiff, and when his wife starts drinking he never thinks to ask her why. His only reaction is stern disapproval. His pianist, Eddie Albert is far more sympathetic and "modern" in attitude towards Susan. It's nice to see too that she kept him around for Tomorrow, though I could have done without his habit of chewing gum. The psychology of why Hayward drinks is based on her feelings of low self-esteem. When she marries, she abandons her career to play housewife and mother for Bowman but once he hits it big, and employs household staff and a nanny, Hayward becomes idle. She had drunk before she went on stage to sing but one glass at the most. Here her insecurities about her worth, including a fear that Bowman is being chased by his assistant Marsha Hunt, lead her to drink more. The word "blame" is thrown around a lot yet it seems Susan must be threatend by the death of her child in a fire before she is willing to face her problem, with an odd back to the camera admission, that seems to suggest that a sequel may have been contemplated! In spite of this film running overtime, director Stuart Heisler provides some redemptive touches. A shot of Hayward and Bowman in shadow profile in their first embrace, some sadistic close-ups of the child in pneumatic pain, and a tart conversation between Hayward and Hunt which leads to a much talked of but disappointing catfight that is over before it has begun. Heisler also doesn't manage to avoid the cliche of an unseen orchestra supporting a lone singer, particularly noticeable in a radio spot with Bowman and Albert. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Along Came Jones is one of the most oddball artifacts from Hollywood's golden age. Gary Cooper (who doubled as producer) plays Melody Jones, a "common ordinary useless bronc-stomper" who moseys into the town of Payneville--or is it Painful?--just after legendary bad ass Monte Jarrad has held up the stagecoach. The townsfolk eyeball the "MJ" on Melody's stirrup, leap to hysterically wrong conclusions, and start giving him a wide berth--in some cases, the better to lie in ambush for "Jarrad" while planning how to spend the bounty money. Now, as it happens--and as his crusty sidekick George (the insuperably irreverent William Demarest) keeps reminding him--Melody can barely get his gun out of the holster without blowing his own kneecap off. All that stands between him and extinction is the quick-thinking intervention of a local maiden, one Cherry de Longpre (Loretta Young). Melody, of course, promptly becomes hogtied with love, not suspecting Cherry's the childhood sweetheart of the real Monte Jarrad (Dan Duryea)....

Stylistically the film is a wild mix, with director Stuart Heisler paying close attention to down-the-gun-barrel point of view in several scenes, yet also sitting still for floaty back-projection photography so egregious that it may bring on motion sickness. Still, Nunnally Johnson's script is droll; Cooper clearly relished the chance to poke fun at his strong-silent stereotype; and he and Preston Sturges stalwart Demarest establish a sardonic comic rapport. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Cooper was Hollywood's greatest simpleton.
Too bad they didnt give him any material to work with in this turkey.

Cooper plays a dimwitted cowpoke (not much of a stretch) mistaken for a notorious outlaw. Some light moments, but no humor. Actually, about the only highlight here is a gorgeous Loretta Young as the outlaw's reluctant girlfriend. OK, I'm out of compliments.

An interesting but overlong diversion, only for huge fans of the genre, or Gary Cooper.

Mr. Deeds Goes to the Wild West
Overall, this is an entertaining movie though it moves slowly. It's not a great film, but definitely worth seeing and a bit of a curiousity in the sense that the hero (Cooper) can't shoot a gun, bumbles around falling over himself and is ultimately rescued by a woman, Loretta Young. Not standard fare for 1945. In many ways, it's Mr. Deeds placed into a western. Cooper as Melody Jones seems a slow-witted innocent but is much smarter than he appears.

The downside is the DVD. While not a horrible copy, it certainly isn't good. It appears as if no effort has been made to restore the film. In fact, you're left with the impression they grabbed whatever copy was handy. Some scenes are so dark you can't make out any detail beyond silouettes and many scenes are scratched or otherwise blemished. And of course, nothing to speak of in terms of features. It's a good price but it would be nice if MGM treated their films with a bit more respect.

It's worth seeing however and, if you like Gary Cooper as I do, worth having. Also, if you like westerns this is a nice one to have because it is such a strange duck (as a western). ... Read more

Amazon.com

The great John Ford directed this rousing 1937 adventure with such invigorating physicality that the movie is never compromised by its cornball plot. It's an island adventure from the old school of tall tales, and the title says it all--the tropical romance between native girl Dorothy Lamour and suntanned hunk Jon Hall is established simply so it can be tested by a meddlesome island governor (Raymond Massey) and a tropical storm that provides one of the most physically impressive climaxes ever filmed. The storm remains as awesome as ever simply because it triumphantly captures the power of nature in the throes of a raging tempest. Massive waves, driving wind, and expert use of miniatures make The Hurricane a marvel of late-1930s special effects, but the sheer spectacle is more than matched by Ford's efficient economy of story. The romance is lush and primitive, in keeping with the sun-drenched setting on the fictional island of Manikoora, and as Hall's heroic character must endure wrongful imprisonment and the rigors of escape, Ford maintains a constant atmosphere of foreboding. The director's masterful use of sound and picture is best captured in the lonely peal of a church bell--it's both a reaffirming sign of life and, when the bell finally goes silent, a dreaded signal that the hurricane has taken its ultimate toll. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Your jaw will drop
Wow. Incredible special effects close out the last half hour of this film, in which a small Pacific island near Tahiti is obliterated by a collossal hurricane. The action scenes are amazing, as buildings, boats, people and trees are swept away by unstoppable nature. The plot revolves around the noble seafaring Terangi, a native who runs afoul of an unbending legal system, and has to go to great lengths to return to his family, and to prove his valor and nobility. Played by athlete-turned-actor John Hall, Terangi has a major "me Tarzan" quality to him, but is compelling nonetheless. Dorothy Lamour, in her trademark sarong, also plays a Polynesian. If you can get past the silliness of these white folks playing "ethnic" roles, this is a superior, and quite stunning film. As ever, a tightly crafted movie by director John Ford.

A special effects storm that has never been surpassed
The main reason to watch this 1937 film directed by John Ford is for the special effects as the title storm wrecks the fictional island of Manikoora. Certainly the cornball romance between the native girl Marama (Dorothy Lamour) and the sailor Terangi (Jon Hall) is not particularly captivating. Terangi is unjustly imprisoned for a murder he did not commit and escapes just as a hurricane strikes the island and makes it difficult for him to return to his wife. The hurricane sequence is what justifies five stars for this film as giant waves and battering winds destroy the sets and miniatures. Let me put it this way: the special effects in this 1937 film are at least as impressive as anything you see in "The Perfect Storm." The supporting cast features Raymond Massey as the heartless Governor De Laage, Mary Astor as his more sympathetic wife, John Carradine as the warden, C. Aubrey Smith as Father Paul and Thomas Mitchell as Dr. Kersaint in an Oscar nominated role for Supporting Actor. If you can track down a copy of "Hurricane" check it out, but do not do so on a dark and stormy night.

Hurricane
Don't watch this dvd if you are afraid of hurricanes! The last time I saw this marvelous John Ford film was on the morning of August 23, 1992-AMC Movie Channel, as bad coincidence would have it, was broadcasting The Hurricane, as Hurricane Andrew was tear- ing into Miami. I don't know which was more terrifying, the winds outside, smashing trees to the ground-or seeing the priest playing the organ as the walls came caving in, and the churchbell silenced........it is, for it's time, THE most realistic depict- ion of a hurricane as you are likely to get. And very advanced social commentary, that the imposition of rigidly-observed col- onial rules damaged those whom it was imposed on, that it drained the life out of them. Not to mention rigidity on a personal lev- el wrecked relationships, ruining love. Rather a parable of para dise lost and destroyed-to great effect. What could have been a humdrum boring sermon became an electrifying tale under the sure hand of John Ford. John Hall and Dorothy Lamour really never had such a workout of their craft again!

Doesn't spare any puches. There's a terrifying scene of an is- lander mother giving birth in a canoe, surrounded by her family and the doctor, being jounced around and battered by the storm in all it's fury-you have to buy this. You won't regret it. It has not lost any of it's punch, it is as applicable today as then.

Category 5 Hurricane
Bliss of islanders Terangi (Hall) and Marama (Lamour) is threatened by overzealous, rigid (yet tenderly devoted to wife Germaine) colonial governor De Laage (Massey), obsessed with the letter of the law--until nature intervenes to settle the conflict and soften De Laage's heart. Enduring a lengthy period of false incarceration, Terangi is reunited with beloved Marama and young daughter Tita--on the eve of the hurricane that will overwhelm their tiny island, yet ironically, despite great human toll, reconcile persecutor and persecuted. Awesome, riveting hurricane sequence still is unsurpassed after more than sixty years. Ever intensifying gale force winds tear away the tattered tricolor, signalling the end of colonial government's vain attempt to impose bureaucratic order on the island. Storm surge violently and indiscriminately carries away trappings of church and state, as nature asserts its primacy over man. Top notch cast, especially Mary Astor as De Laage's gracious wife Germaine, more than hold their own with the hurricane--the real star of the film.

Hurricane is Rare Event
This film is very exciting and has good production. It the head of its time in the seventh art for its high quality effects. The message of the film is about destructive natural hurricane with its similar hurricane of human life represented in black side of man. I.e. hatred injustice and conspiracy. These bad things are the true hurricane that travels inside man which would get ride of what it meets like natural hurricane. This is quite clear in the film the ruler(Raymond Massey ) and the young man(Jon Hall ). The similarity between the two films is the destruction of every thing that the hurricane meets. It among lines message which the film seeks to convey. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Actually three and a half stars
This review refers to the Alpha Video (Gotham) DVD.

Overall Quality of DVD: **1/2 /**** Sound: ** /**** Plot: **1/2 /**** Acting: ***/**** Cinematography: ***/**** Direction: **1/2 /****

The story is surprising in the fact that it deals with concern for conservation , the environment and treatment of native indians.

Of course, the oil companies paid no attention then nor now.

All the actors do very well - nothing great but very solid. Director Stuart Heisler is a good "B" director but I disagree with the reviewer that stated he "MADE" Susan Hayword a star. If anything Susan Hayword made him look decent just as Humphrey Bogart does with "Tokyo Joe".

The rear-projection scenes of the oil fields on fire are nearly flawless - I mean, I could not note the telltale signs of rear-projection (things appearing out of proportion or hazy etc.).

In my opinion, it's worth the asking price.

Conservation first
One will say one more film about oil in Oklahoma. But this film is different. It brings together several questions that are extremely important. First the alliance between the white entrepreneurs and the Indians. The Indians are divided on the question of the conservation of their land as grazing land, as cattle-raising land due to the easy money oil brings in. We will note that justice does not hear conservationist arguments. Second the position of women in this adventure and women are shown as entrepreneurial just like men, equal to men, though they can use their charms to convince people of the value of their decisions, not force but soft conviction. Third the problem of conservation : how can the land not be ruined and wasted by oil exploitation ? The answer is to do it in a non-intensive way because this intensive method gets a lot of oil in a short period of time, but it also ruins the land through pollution. The answer is in an exploitation that leaves the land clean and usable all the time for cattle or other activities. Then the money brought in is less massive in a short period of time but regular for a long period of time. Such a way is defended by scientists and engineers but opposed by entrepreneurs. It is an accident that will determine the state and various congressional representations to regulate oil exploitation in such a way that nature is not spoiled. Fourth oil culture is not just the exploitation of crude oil, but it creates a whole network of services and roads for the cars that use that oil to run and refill when necessary. It is a structurizing activity whose social consequences are extremely far-reaching. A very well done film on very modern issues. Conservation must be a major objective of man on earth : think of the long-run future instead of the short-term profit.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

firewater
Director Stuart Heisler must have liked Susan Hayward because he cast her in 3 films - Among the Living, Smash up - The Story of a Woman, and this one, so in a way he is responsible for elevating her to A level productions. This one hovers in between a B and an A, independently produced, and using a lot of rear projection. The material is interesting in it's view of the American Indian, here presented as land owners and cattle ranchers, with Heisler beginning with a montage of the different kinds of Indians, and Hayward being 3/4 Cherokee. Presumably this is want accounts for her "wildcat" quality.
The screenplay by Frank Nugent and Curtis Kenyon, suggested by a story by Richard Wormser, is a cautionary tale of the emergence of oil drillers in Oklahoma and the effect they had on the environment of the cattle ranchers. We begin with the accidental death of Hayward's father, as the opportunity to hear the anti-oil lobby. However Hayward's form of revenge seems a direct violation of the conservation stance of her descendants, as she enters the oil business to be more successful than her main competitor, the man she blames for her father's death! Robert Preston appears as a "rockhound" engineer who helps Hayward strike oil, and matters reach a climax when she must decide whether to drill the property of her father's Indian friend, Pedro Armendariz.
The notion of Armendariz as a "crazy Indian" is introduced when he refuses to have his land drilled, he is threatened with being declared "mentally incompetent", and Heisler provides an extended and laboured use of montage to suggest his mental breakdown as he drives through fields of oil drilling towers and starts a fire laughing maniacally. Armendariz' view however is seen as a minority as other Indians seem happy to sell as much oil from their property and overlook the "smaller short term profit".
Of course, it is this very issue that produces conflict between Hayward and Preston, with Hayward's ambition seen to be clouding her true nature.
Preston's romantic interest in Hayward is somewhat a surprise considering the way she humiliates him at their first meeting, though I suppose men had to be tougher than usual in the period, but what is more humiliating is the way Preston out-acts her. Here Hayward relies upon big smiles and profile turns for charm, though her yelling at Preston at one point is unexpectedly loud.
Heisler uses horizontal slides, mini-montages, the unbearably bucolic singing of Chill Wills, Freudian symbolism in Hayward drinking from a large glass of brandy in front of Preston, and African-American servants for when Hayward hosts a society party, where Armendariz is a guest in tuxedo. We never actually see a servant serve him, since perhaps the irony would be too much.

Outstanding Performances
This little gem, starring Susan Hayward & Robert Preston is a real bargain at this price! I've seen it a few times & still find Ms. Hayward's performance mesmerizing. Robert Preston, who is usually known for his musical roles(especially The Music Man)is superb as the oilman she becomes involved with. Very highly recommended, especially for Hayward fans. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Actually three and a half stars
This review refers to the Alpha Video (Gotham) DVD.

Overall Quality of DVD: **1/2 /**** Sound: ** /**** Plot: **1/2 /**** Acting: ***/**** Cinematography: ***/**** Direction: **1/2 /****

The story is surprising in the fact that it deals with concern for conservation , the environment and treatment of native indians.

Of course, the oil companies paid no attention then nor now.

All the actors do very well - nothing great but very solid. Director Stuart Heisler is a good "B" director but I disagree with the reviewer that stated he "MADE" Susan Hayword a star. If anything Susan Hayword made him look decent just as Humphrey Bogart does with "Tokyo Joe".

The rear-projection scenes of the oil fields on fire are nearly flawless - I mean, I could not note the telltale signs of rear-projection (things appearing out of proportion or hazy etc.).

In my opinion, it's worth the asking price.

Conservation first
One will say one more film about oil in Oklahoma. But this film is different. It brings together several questions that are extremely important. First the alliance between the white entrepreneurs and the Indians. The Indians are divided on the question of the conservation of their land as grazing land, as cattle-raising land due to the easy money oil brings in. We will note that justice does not hear conservationist arguments. Second the position of women in this adventure and women are shown as entrepreneurial just like men, equal to men, though they can use their charms to convince people of the value of their decisions, not force but soft conviction. Third the problem of conservation : how can the land not be ruined and wasted by oil exploitation ? The answer is to do it in a non-intensive way because this intensive method gets a lot of oil in a short period of time, but it also ruins the land through pollution. The answer is in an exploitation that leaves the land clean and usable all the time for cattle or other activities. Then the money brought in is less massive in a short period of time but regular for a long period of time. Such a way is defended by scientists and engineers but opposed by entrepreneurs. It is an accident that will determine the state and various congressional representations to regulate oil exploitation in such a way that nature is not spoiled. Fourth oil culture is not just the exploitation of crude oil, but it creates a whole network of services and roads for the cars that use that oil to run and refill when necessary. It is a structurizing activity whose social consequences are extremely far-reaching. A very well done film on very modern issues. Conservation must be a major objective of man on earth : think of the long-run future instead of the short-term profit.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

firewater
Director Stuart Heisler must have liked Susan Hayward because he cast her in 3 films - Among the Living, Smash up - The Story of a Woman, and this one, so in a way he is responsible for elevating her to A level productions. This one hovers in between a B and an A, independently produced, and using a lot of rear projection. The material is interesting in it's view of the American Indian, here presented as land owners and cattle ranchers, with Heisler beginning with a montage of the different kinds of Indians, and Hayward being 3/4 Cherokee. Presumably this is want accounts for her "wildcat" quality.
The screenplay by Frank Nugent and Curtis Kenyon, suggested by a story by Richard Wormser, is a cautionary tale of the emergence of oil drillers in Oklahoma and the effect they had on the environment of the cattle ranchers. We begin with the accidental death of Hayward's father, as the opportunity to hear the anti-oil lobby. However Hayward's form of revenge seems a direct violation of the conservation stance of her descendants, as she enters the oil business to be more successful than her main competitor, the man she blames for her father's death! Robert Preston appears as a "rockhound" engineer who helps Hayward strike oil, and matters reach a climax when she must decide whether to drill the property of her father's Indian friend, Pedro Armendariz.
The notion of Armendariz as a "crazy Indian" is introduced when he refuses to have his land drilled, he is threatened with being declared "mentally incompetent", and Heisler provides an extended and laboured use of montage to suggest his mental breakdown as he drives through fields of oil drilling towers and starts a fire laughing maniacally. Armendariz' view however is seen as a minority as other Indians seem happy to sell as much oil from their property and overlook the "smaller short term profit".
Of course, it is this very issue that produces conflict between Hayward and Preston, with Hayward's ambition seen to be clouding her true nature.
Preston's romantic interest in Hayward is somewhat a surprise considering the way she humiliates him at their first meeting, though I suppose men had to be tougher than usual in the period, but what is more humiliating is the way Preston out-acts her. Here Hayward relies upon big smiles and profile turns for charm, though her yelling at Preston at one point is unexpectedly loud.
Heisler uses horizontal slides, mini-montages, the unbearably bucolic singing of Chill Wills, Freudian symbolism in Hayward drinking from a large glass of brandy in front of Preston, and African-American servants for when Hayward hosts a society party, where Armendariz is a guest in tuxedo. We never actually see a servant serve him, since perhaps the irony would be too much.

Outstanding Performances
This little gem, starring Susan Hayward & Robert Preston is a real bargain at this price! I've seen it a few times & still find Ms. Hayward's performance mesmerizing. Robert Preston, who is usually known for his musical roles(especially The Music Man)is superb as the oilman she becomes involved with. Very highly recommended, especially for Hayward fans. ... Read more