Amazon.com essential video

Screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky (Marty) sinks his satirical fangs into this story of an American naval officer (James Garner) selected to be the first victim at the invasion of Normandy. Julie Andrews plays a prim, British war widow who falls for him. Cynical in tone, the story becomes an interesting collision of manipulative interests and renewed life, the same formula that worked so well in Chayefsky's scripts for Network and Hospital. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Nobility In Cowardice
Charlie Madison (James Garner) is pretty much content in his role as "dog robber" in World War II, providing this superiors with liquor and pliant women and keeping out of harm's way.Unfortunately, his commanding officer get's the bright idea of having a Navy man provide the first casualty at Normandy and Charlie is elected to photograph this moment.What's a committed coward to do?I can accept the film's central premise that one should be true to your nature even if you are a swine.What is a little hard to take is that the D-Day invasion was a pivotal event of World War II and critical in breaking the backs of Nazi tyranny and I find it a little hard to accept that cowardice at such a crucial time is noble.That said, Paddy Chayefsky's clever script advances this notion well under the competent direction of Arthur Hiller.Garner has the charm to make Charlie likable and, yes, noble.Julie Andrews, playing against type, is sensuous as Emily, the British war bride who falls for Charlie despite herself.The chemistry between Garner and Andrews is dynamic and was repeated years later in Blake Edwards' "Victor, Victoria".James Coburn as Charlie's "buddy" and Melvyn Douglas as the Admiral also contribute fine performances.

DVD of Classic Satire Looks Good
The Americanization of Emily is one of the best movies of the Sixties and certainly one of the very best of Julie Andrews' career.However, it was relatively overlooked at the time--sandwiched, as it was, between Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, two films that swamped everything in their massive popularity and influence.It's a pity that this film is not better known, even though it's reputation has continued to grow over the years.With its release on DVD, now is the time to discover (or rediscover) this gem.

The plot has been discussed in other reviews here, so I won't add anything to them except to say that the only fault I see in this film is its partial lack of attention to period detail.It is most obvious in wardrobe and hairstyles.This movie was filmed in 1963 (released in 1964) and the clothes and hairstyles, especially of the actresses, are right out of that time period.It's as if the actors walked in right off the street and onto the soundstage without changing a thing.Did the director forget they were making a World War II movie?This complaint aside, The Americanization of Emily is a highly enjoyable film which deserves to be more widely seen.

The DVD looks and sounds fine for the most part.There are only occasional glimpses of debris, but these are not distracting.Kudos once again to Warner Brothers for the care they put into most of their classic releases.

More dark humor than anti-war
I saw this movie in the theatre when it came out, and I love it. My favorite line is in the beginning when they meet and Garner is directing the delivery of luxury food and liquor to his admiral's quarters, and admiral's driver Andrews (seeing all the luxury items) chews out Garner by accusing Americans of "enjoying" the war. Garner replies, "Let me tell YOU something: Americans would not be here if it weren't for 2,000 years of European barbarism!" It brought the theatre down in cheers and applause.

This story is more dark humor than anti-war, and Paddy Chayefsky is the master of dark humor. In the `70s, he co-wrote with Joan Rivers "Girl Most Likely To...", a dark humor about an ugly-duckling-turned-Cinderella co-ed played by Stockard Channing, that I've been waiting for to come out on DVD.

If you haven't seen "Americanization of Emily", you must. Sure beats the new stuff out there these days.

Finally, I can see and hear this movie, that I have loved
I have loved this movie since I first saw it in the theater in the sixties.I saw it twice then.I was rapidly losing what hearing I had left at the time. I loved what I saw, could put together, and the little that I did hear.Garner's facial expressions told the story to me.
My husband finally got a VHS copy for me about 10 years ago.Unfortunately it was not captioned.I shared it with my grown children.I never thought the movie would come out captioned in DVD.And I could not understand that as Garner himself had said it was his favorite movie that he made.......I "heard" that on a captioned Larry King interview.

Now I will finally be able to know every one of the words, my own copy, with captions.

If you have not seen it, I just highly recommend that movie so highly, it is my favorite of all time.The anti war message is obvious, but it is so funny, in a biting sort of way.There is one scene with Julia Andrews and her mother, along with Garner.I love the dialogue there.

And as I said, the facial expressions are wonderful.That is a tribute to the actors.Who would think a movie with D Day as the center happening to which much leads could be funny, serious, yes, and it is serious, but it is also funny.That takes the sting out of the serious parts.For some reason the black and white seems to work in a way that I cannot imagine color doing.I just cannot recommend this movie highly enough.

I have waited almost 40 years to hear all the words, own the movie myself.I am sure it is worth it.I wish it had not been so long.

ginger jones

One of the BEST movies I'v ever seen
I love this movies. When I first got it for a gift I thought it would be terrible. I love Julie Andrews and James Garner but when I saw it was in black and white I thought it would be dull. I was very wrong it is one of my favorite movies along with Victor-Victoria, also staring James and Julie. I wish the dvd has some special features but atleast its finally coming out on dvd. I have watch the video so many times I think it's begining to break. I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Excellent!
Silver Streak is one of my favorite 70's movies and is an excellent mix of comedy with mystery and suspense, everyone is great in this movie, Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Jill Clayburg, Patrick McGoohan, etc, the movie also has one of the best endings I have ever seen in a movie and this is a movie I defintely could watch again!

A Holiday
SILVER STREAK needs to come out in a restored letterboxed DVD (adding the reminiscences of the stars on an alternative track would be great - but seems unlikely given Gene Wilder's and Richard Pryor's health concerns). Sitting down to watch this movie is like embarking on a weekend holiday with a group of terrific friends. You feel the excitement as you step on the train with Gene Wilder's character, and you're off! For anyone nostalgic for the 70's, this has the clothes, the cheesy decor, the innocent sense that saying "dirty words" was naughty and funny, and of course it has Pryor and Wilder -- two of the decade's greatest icons. Wilder in his prime here projects a sweetness and grace that is one-of-a-kind, and so endearing. Pryor is at the height of his hilarious talent and skill. Their pairing produced magic. Fine direction from Arthur Hiller following a warm-hearted script by Colin Higgins.

DVD Edition Needed
Really like to see this movie in DVD!!

Vote for DVD version
One of my all-time favorites. Still waiting for the DVD. If you would like to see this movie on DVD, do a search for the DVD on Amazon (it's now actually listed) and enter your e-mail address to be notifed of it's release. This information is passed onto the studio.

Please release this on DVD
This is Gene Wilder's best movie and it is one of the best adventure/comedies that came out of the 70's. I feel this is Gene and Richard Pryor's best film together and I just can't believe they haven't released it on dvd.

I watch it whenever it is on cable and was very disappointed to see that it is only available in VHS format.

It would be wonderful if they would release it on DVD with special features and to have Gene, Richard and Jill's commentaries would be an added treat.

So many movies are being released every week on dvd that aren't even close to being as good as this one - I don't understand why it takes so long to get some of these classics on dvd.

If you haven't seen it, and you love Gene and Richard, you won't be disappointed - the comedy is great and the scenery is wonderful also. I have taken Amtrack through the Rockies, and this brings back some fond memories, even though it was filmed in Canada, the scenery is just as beautiful.

I also love the woman who always calls him "Steve."

I just rented Stir Crazy, The Woman in Red, and bought Hanky Panky and although I think they're good, this is still Gene's best movie - I even like it better than Willie Wonka!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's hard to imagine a finer Don Quixote than Peter O'Toole, who's spent most of his career with a slightly mad, dreaming look in his marvelous eyes. O'Toole's suitability for the role is tested by the Broadway treatment of Man of La Mancha, the film version of the hit stage musical. Everybody knows "The Impossible Dream," that indomitable hymn to, well, quixotic questing, and it is indeed the best of the Spanish-inflected songs. Despite the location shooting in Italy, Love Story director Arthur Hiller can't elude the stagey concept (in which Cervantes, imprisoned by the Inquisition, acts out the tale of Don Quixote for his fellow prisoners). James Coco, as Sancho Panza, is overshadowed by the film's irresistible Dulcinea:Sophia Loren, at her mature peak. (Her singing, alas, is not as ripe as her beautiful self.) If you love Cervantes for his earthy ironies, this movie will seem a curious slice of inspirational shtick. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Coulda been Better. Coulda been worse
Though I am a huge fan of both the Original Cast CD and the stage version, I will disregard them for the sake of giving this movie a fair and accurate review. This movie has a lot of poor choices and bad ideas, but it's also got a lot of good ones that make it worth while. Let's start with the bad and get that out of the way: #1 The dubbing of Peter O'Toole and Sohia Loren is poorly done. The singers (I am not sue of their names) are weak and not suited for the roles. #2 Don Quixote's make up. Poor Peter O'toole has a rubber headpiece that leaves him looking rather suprised through the movie. #3 For somereason entire songs and some resprises are completely missing from this movie. #4 The supporting cast. For the most part the supporting cast is rather unimpressive. Not that they're all that bad, just a bit disappointing. #5 The begginging drags on a bit and makes you want to fast forward a bit to get to the prison. Now for the good. #1 Peter O'Toole's Cervantes is so brilliantly acted you'll find yourself moved by his speeches. #2 Sophia Loren. A beautiful Woman and a fine actress. The scenes between her and Sancho are so sincere they'll make you laugh out loud. #3 James Coco. Too many Sancho's are rather annoying, but not this one. he's funny, cute, and you can tell how much he cares for his friend #4 This is a beautifully shot film with wonderful angles and just the right lighting to set the mood for each scene. #5 Though I do not know his name, the singing voice of Don Quioxte hits the final note of The Impossible Dream brilliantly. It's amazing. All in all this film is worth watching if you're a fan of the show. Don't exect the stage version though, this is nothing like it but give it a chance and you might really enjoy it. Don't let reviews about how it's nothing like the book scare you away. It's true, it's a loose adaptation, but it's a good one

An excellent film...one that should get more recognition!
This film is very beautiful, and has imporessed me with the song "Impossible dream". The film is well written, and I enjoyed Sophia Loren in it. It has very good restoration on the dvd. Thank you!

Full of Meaning
The acting and singing is not always that great in this film (though the songs are fun), but I love this musical. The whole plot and point of the movie is inspiring to me. To me the movie expresses that: We should see the world as it should be - filled with honesty, loyalty to doing right, care for others, and honor to God - and then to make it our quest in life to seek these things and make the world a better place. I know that others may not see the movie the same as I - but I recommend this movie, it is an inspiration to me.

DARE TO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM!
Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren dared to dream the impossible dream with this musical film version of "Man of La Mancha". Don Quixote set to music must have seemed like a good idea to director, Arthur Hiller at the time, but on screen it's about as painfully shocking as seeing your own mother drunk! Quixote(O'Toole) is a crazy nobleman who is an embarrassment to his respectable family. Together, with faithful sidekick Sancho Panza, he duels windmills and defends his "lady" (Sophia Loren), who is actually a [prostitute]. The songs, including "Impossible Dream" had their merits on Broadway. But on screen - and sung by actors to whom the concept of singing is clearly as foreign as the subject matter of this film - we get a cackling of melodies that is genuinely painful on the ears. All this would be forgiveable if the production values didn't herald the coming of a lavish film that, sadly, vaporizes the moment any of the principles open their mouths. But such a waste of money and talent is malicious!
TRANSFER: Presumably because this film didn't get that much play time in theaters, the DVD picture exhibits striking image quality. Colors are rich, bold and vibrant. Black levels are solid. Fine details are fully realized. There are NO age related artifacts. Digital anomalies; edge enhancement, pixelization, shimmering of fine details, are rarely present for a smooth visual presentation. The audio is 5.1, made all the more strident and shrill by the deplorable lack of musical talent belting out some truly horrific tunes.
EXTRAS: A Photo montage - as if reliving the film experience wasn't scary enough!
BOTTOM LINE: The transfer is stunning but the film is a disaster. Like "One From The Heart", "Man of La Mancha" is a misguided attempt to capture the magic of musicals of old. It fails miserably on all levels of entertainment and isn't recommended for anyone who isn't tone deaf!

Stage comes to life for the rest of us
Seems that Miguel de Cervantes (Peter O'Toole) was caught performing a politically unhealthy play during the time of the Spanish inquisition. So he gets tossed in a dungeon to await trial. There he is put on trial by the others also awaiting their trial. They threaten to burn his manuscript. He explains his story by putting on a play that involves the people listening. It is the story of Alonso Quijana who in a fever becomes a great knight (Don Quixote de la Mancha); he seeks adventure and the "impossible dream."

It is the nature of plays that when preformed one tries to get the best stage actors. In film they strive for the best know movie actors. This movie has accomplished the feat. Each actor brings the character that he/she is playing alive and just as in the movie when they transit from telling the story to being the story, we go from watching the movie to being the story. The music will stay with you long after the movie has finished. ... Read more

Album Details

The soundtrack to the 1970 tear-jerking, box-office smash film 'Love Story', starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw. Features the official theme (in three parts) by French composer Francis Lai, Mozart's 'Sonata in F Major', Bach's 'Concerto No. 3 in D Major' and nine more. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE!
I've seen this video countless times. More times, than any other movie. And every time I watch it, it moves me to tears. To experience a love so true and so deep is a miracle and to lose it... it's beyond me. But to even experience it and see a glimpse of it (from this movie) is a wonder enough. The love story between rich Harvard hockey-player Oliver Barrett IV (played by Ryan O'Neal) and smart-mouthed Radcliffe gal Jennifer Cavilleri (played by Ali McGraw) is one of those once-in-a-lifetime love stories... captured on film. These two star-crossed lovers who are from the opposite ends of the socio-economic ladder overcome all obstacles (disapproving parents, near poverty and Harvard Law School) to make their love work. The only thing going for them was their love and devotion to each other. And just when things were finally looking up... tragedy strikes.

The book written by Eric Segal is even more moving but to see the movie, is just as a great experience. It's not just a tearjerker! It's truly a masterpiece! I LOVE THIS MOVIE! It's my ALL TIME favorite movie.

Does anyone know if they plan to release this on DVD?

Something You Should Spend Some Time On It.
The major reason makes me interest in this book and DVD was my Dad. This movie
was shot before I was born. When I was a little girl, I saw Dad watching this movie every time when it was shown on TV. My Dad is kinds of the action movie type. I was surprised why he loved watching this movie. So, when I was in the video store one day, I decided to rent the DVD to see what made my Dad to watch a love drama. Just like my father. I am totally devoted to the movie. I bought both "Oliver's Story" and "Love Story" and finished reading in one afternoon. For me, I like the Love Story more than Oliver's Story. The 3/4 part of the Love Story was a pleasant story. Both of them loved each other very much and would like to sacrifice for each other. For Oliver's story, it's all sad and how Oliver couldn't forget Jenny. Love Story is very well written. I highly recommend you to read it.

That was really a nice one
After reading the book "Love Story" and sobbing about the ending of the of the book when Jenny dies, I wasn't quite normal for a few days, the story just stuck in my mind. I knew that there was a movie based on the book out there and about a month after reading the book I saw the movie. To be brutally honest the movie didn't have the punch and the emotion that the book had had on me. It just seemed kind of choppy, like somebody was going scissor happy in the editing room in 1970. I am not going to say anything about the acting because who am I to give acting directions. I just want to say that we should feel that way the actors portraying the characters feel, and obviously I did because I felt totally disconnected with the characters.{okay, after seeing th movie I found out that Erich Segal had actually written the screen play before actually writing the book} I don't feel that it would be an insult to say that there should be a remake of the movie "Love Story" because with the technology and the acting skills of today's actors, producers and directors and what not, it could be great. I watched "Love Story" because my dad said it was his favorite movie of all time and that it's the only movie he's ever went to the theatre to watch twice, so I thought that it really had to be a good movie. I did like "Love Story," even though I wouldn't call it one of my favorite movies of all time....I'm more the action, sci-fi, comedy, and horror movie type.
"Love Story" is good because it seems realistic, just like two normal people who are real different from each other might act in a real life relationship. Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw brought their acting skills and used them in this love story of a movie. If you like love stories, I recommend purchasing "Love Story."

To be honest, it could have been better
After reading the book "Love Story" and sobbing about the ending of the of the book when Jenny dies, I wasn't quite normal for a few days, the story just stuck in my mind. I knew that there was a movie based on the book out there and about a month after reading the book I saw the movie. To be brutally honest the movie didn't have the punch and the emotion that the book had had on me. It just seemed kind of choppy, like somebody was going scissor happy in the editing room in 1970. I am not going to say anything about the acting because who am I to give acting directions. I just want to say that we should feel that way the actors portraying the characters feel, and obviously I did because I felt totally disconnected with the characters.{okay, after seeing th movie I found out that Erich Segal had actually written the screen play before actually writing the book} I don't feel that it would be an insult to say that there should be a remake of the movie "Love Story" because with the technology and the acting skills of today's actors, producers and directors and what not, it could be great.

A sad film. 4th may 2004.
Most sad films make me cry, this didn't really. Although it was sad when jenny died. It might not be everyone's type of film but for me i quite liked it. I wouldn't say it was excellent to keep watching over and over again, but it was still a good film. The music at the end was sad too, can't remember how it goes but every time i hear it it makes you feel sad. He had known her and he was going to marry her until she found out that she had got cancer and then she died, Heartbreaking story. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Mirale of the White Stallions
I am a ridding instuctor and have been searching for this video to show my students. It is a wonderful way for them to see some of the greatest riding in the world in a story every horse lover should know! These precious animals are braught to such vibrant and beautiful light by Disney in this movie. A REAL MUST SEE!!!

White Stallions Dancing
I have been trying to track down this movie for a long time. It was a movie from my childhood and I loved it dearly, I simply could not remember its title. I remember the heroics of the rescuers and the beauty of the Lipizanner horses. This is a movie that would still entrance all viewers, but especially those with a passion and love of horses. I wish Disney would release this on video for the children of today and tomorrow. This movie reminds us that war is not just about people but treasures and animals as well.

Miracle of the White Stallions
"Don't give a hoot about Joe Public" seems to be the mantra these days at Disney when it excitedly releases classics on DVD.

Why don't they take a little more care and issue these films in widescreen format in the way they were supposed to be seen. Its just another way the public has been hoodwinked by a greedy mouse. I wouldn't purchase any of these "new" re-releases until they put product of an acceptable - as opposed to half-assed - quality. Shame on you!

Again, the "new" Disney shows no respect for their heritage
No wonder the company is about to be taken over and broken up -- DVD was introduced to be an alternative to video, to offer more than video: better picture, more extras, and most importantly, more picture. Letterboxing. Widescreen. The complete image. So what does Disney do? They take some of their most beloved live-action films such as this one, and dump it on DVD in full-frame editions. It's a crime against these wonderful films, films that are a credit to the "old Disney" -- the wonderful, family-friendly Disney. And what, exactly is the point of pan-and-scan? Who isn't used to widescreen DVDs yet? Why should I waste my money replacing my old Disney videos with the same crappy full screen image as before? Disney just doesn't get it, and their sales show it.

THE DVD VERSION
Several of the reviews on this site ask the Disney studio to release this film on DVD. Well, they have and this review refers to the DVD version.

I have been familiar with this movie since I worked at the Disney studio in 16mm film distribution in the 1970s (about 7 years before the VHS blockbuster years began), and am familiar with the original negatives. In what I am finding to be typical of the Disney folks, this film is presented in a 'full frame' version, rather than a WIDESCREEN version. The film was shot for a 1:85x1 projected ratio (known as Academy Flat) which presents the picture in a slight retangular format. However, a full frame, 4x3 video transfer of such a negative isn't all that bad, although it would have distinguised it from the normal VHS format.

Also, I am very surprised that the Disney people didn't make an effort to 'clean up' the original negative, which contains a great amount of negative dirt and scratches. The DVD does preserve the original look to the film (color and tint), but there has been so much technology invented to digitally reproduce an almost flawless image, that I am surprised it isn't been used. It is one of trhe major reasons that people have switched to DVD.

Also, look for a mistake in the original negative. Just after the horses board the train, there are reddish, flash frames (possibly an overexposure to the camera original negative) which could easily have been removed digitally.

A few "extras" would have been nice, such as behind-the-scenes material. This stinginess is becomming something notorious with recent Disney DVD releases. Walt Disney shot tons of background footage for every movie he made, and this is stored in the studio vaults. I've seen it in 16mm, although it was shot on 35mm.. You can ignore the lack of a WIDESCREEN image if the DVD contained these precious extras. Otherwise, it's just a transfer of the old VHS image. What's the point of that?

As far as Robert Taylor's performance, far from being 'wooden' (as one reviewer wrote) I agree with another reviewer who said that he was protraying a real man (who was also alive at the time and a hero in Europe), and the script and direction decided to present a truthful, realistic portrrait of him. Don't forget that this movie, and many others (BALLERINA, HORSE WITHOUT A HEAD, ALMOST ANGELS) were shot in Europe after World War II. They were made chiefly for a European theatrical audience and were intened for an American TV audience on THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY. So, you'll find a different style of acting and presentation: a bit slow for us, but perfect for their intended audience. ... Read more

Description

Comedy about a dentist who gets mired in the bizarre intrigues of his daughter's soon-to-be father-in-law, who claims to be a CIA agent. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Couldn't stop laughing
I watched this movie a few years ago with a 13-year-old boy and a 65-year-old man--and neither could stop laughing. Neither could I. So you can see it appeals to all ages. The chemistry between Falk and Arkin is something that doesn't happen much in movies. Arkin's expressions are priceless. You can tell what he is thinking: is Falk crazy, or is it just an act? Arkin crawling around on his knees, begging not to be killed because he's only slept with three women...a straight-face Falk telling stories about giant bugs carrying little brown children off into the sunset...this is one hilarious film.

If You Like Comedy And You Don't Own This, You're Missing..
...One Of The Funniest Movies Ever, Period. Alan Arkin Can Be One Of The Comedic Expressionist Of Our Time, Or Of All Time! His Ability To Convey Humor So Effortlessly With Just His Facial Expressions Is One Of The Reasons Why This Is A Must Buy For Every Fan Of Comedy. (Check His Bit Part Out In America's Sweethearts For An Example Of His Genius And How Another Director Recognized This Rare Talent!). Who Could Ever Forget His Role In Catch 22?

Peter Falk's Ability To Play To His Strength (Deeper/More Involved Than He Superficially Appears - Sounds Like Columbo Doesn't It?) Is Just Another Reason For Owning This Great Work Of Comedic Art. Falk Said Of This Role That He Plays, "The Wacko Of The Century". And He Plays It To The Tee, Deep But Wacky! The Script Is Perfect, The Supporting Cast Is Truly Superb (The El Presidente Meeting Is Priceless, As Is The Firing Squad Piece!).

Don't Delay, Buy It And Show It To Friends Who Are Fans Of Comedy! They'll Appreciate You For It! Also, After You Buy It, Request It On DVD. The Studio (WB) Hasn't Made It Available Yet On DVD!

My Citizen Cane
I am amazed that this film isn't part of the canon of cinema. It is as flawless a zany wacko comedy as can be constructed. It's as a targeted and flawlessly timed as anything else you'll ever see, in any genre.

One of the best comedies of all time
One of the best comedies ever! Anyone who even tries to give this movie 4 stars should be sent to work with Vince Ricardo for a week.

In the 1970s some movie makers still took the time to build an audience's interest in the characters and the film. In this case the action moves oh so slowly at the beginning as you have absolutely no idea what is going to happen. And when the action does get going, it's one of the most originally scripted movies you will ever see. And one of the best car chase scenes you will ever see. If you haven't seen it, watch it!

If you have seen it:

"I don't know why they took away my drivers license Shel."

"Serpentine Shel, serpentine!"

"Flames! My car has flames!"

An all-time classic!
Finally! This is available on DVD. I doubt there will be more than one pressing of this classic original since most people gravitate toward the new version for some inexplicable reason, so I'd snap this one up as soon as possible. I laughed my hind-end off years ago when I first saw this. It was an understated example of comedic timing and brilliant acting, and to my mind (though I haven't seen the remake, since I can't figure out why anybody would remake something that's already perfect, much like the new "Psycho") this is the only version worth owning. This is shown in widescreen format, thus preserving the entire picture you'd see in the theater, with nothing cropped off the sides to magnify the center part to fill the entire TV screen. For any widescreen 'newbies' out there, this is the only way to see a film. You don't know what you're missing until you compare a full-screen film to a widescreen version. With full-screen sure you get a bigger picture, but the sides are cut off in order to do it. There, I got that off my chest. Anyway, I was glad to see this release is in fact widescreen. There's also a commentary track featuring Peter Falk, Alan Arkin, Director Anthony Hiller and Writer Andrew Bergman. This feature alone is worth the (very reasonable) cost of admission and provides tons of insight behind the scenes. Truly a must have for any collection! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sometimes a movie works despite all its faults. Outrageous Fortune has a flimsy, formulaic script, so-so production values, and an odd combination of stars, but somehow it's engaging and fun. Shelley Long and Bette Midler play two struggling actresses--one a hoity-toity priss and the other a brassy slob--who learn they've been sleeping with the same guy (Peter Coyote) when he gets blown up in a terrorist assault and they confront each other in the morgue. When they discover that he's still alive, the bickering pair track him down, traipsing across the U.S. in high heels, pursued all the way by government agents, using their dubious acting talents to get them out of tough situations. The absurd plot keeps things moving and director Arthur Hiller (Silver Streak, The Out of Towners) gets cheerful performances out of everyone, particularly the strong supporting cast--including Robert Prosky (Broadcast News, Mrs. Doubtfire) as a pompous acting teacher, comedian George Carlin as a burnt-out would-be Indian, and the underused John Schuck (M*A*S*H, McCabe & Mrs. Miller) as a long-suffering agent. Contrived, cliché-ridden, but just absurd enough to entertain. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Not Perfect, But Perfectly Cast ...
"Outrageous Fortune" takes a lot of twists and turns you don't expect in a comedy; the story folds in on itself a few times, changing direction and keeping you guessing on what may happen next. But thanks to the inspired (and perfect) casting of Bette Midler, Shelley Long, George Carlin, Peter Coyote, and Robert Prosky, the film works and is VERY funny - even on repeated viewings.

Shelley Long plays Lauren, a "serious" New York City theatrical actress (this was before the term "actor" was coined for both genders), determined to make it in the business -- her main ambition being to play Hamlet on the professional stage. Never mind that she's "been at it for years and has never earned a dime" (her mother's quote), and owes both her parents $32,000.00 from all their help and (literally) support over the years. When the great Vladimir Korzonowski (Robert Prosky), one of the most world-renowned acting teachers, announces he's taking students on a limited basis, Lauren is thrilled. Conning her daddy out of the $5,000.00 fee, she auditions for and gets into the class ...

And meets, at the audition, the outspoken Sandy (Bette Midler), a B-movie style actress ("You saw 'Ninja Vixens?'") who is the opposite of what Lauren believes an actress should be -- Sandy is untrained, undisciplined, and has the vocabulary of a sailor on shore leave. She's also very funny and not nearly as uptight as the rather anal Lauren.

Naturally, the two can't stand each other on sight -- making it sort of a pain when they both get into Korzonowski's class. Soon after, though, Lauren's life takes an upswing when she meets Michael (Peter Coyote), a schoolteacher in need of help to make a pumpkin costume for one of his less fortunate students. The two immediately begin an affair that gets hot and heavy ... and cheers Lauren up considerably.

We soon learn that Sandy, too, has met a man who's sexual prowess keeps her smile lit ... but when it's revealed that her new lover is Michael as well, the stage seems set for one hell of a showdown between the two volatile actresses.

But that's just the beginning -- and also only about the first third of the film. From there, to say much more would give away too much for those who haven't seen it, but suffice is to say, the film doesn't go off in the direction you expect it to ... instead turning into a buddy picture/chase movie that sends our two "bimbo" actresses to Tres Cruces, New Mexico, in a trail of mistaken identities, secret pasts, government conspiracies, secret codes, and attempted murder lead both women to a final showdown in the desert with a man intent on doing away with them both.

Oh yeah, and there are a HELL of a lot of laughs along the way, with Lauren and Sandy trading insults and innuendos all across the country, as they sort of "make it up as they go along" in their search to get to the truth. The second half of the film, although not as constantly entertaining as the first, still completes the picture of a film that's a personal favorite of mine, and one I added to my DVD collection soon as it was released. Shelley Long plays very much her Diane-like character from "Cheers," and Bette Midler ... well, she pretty much plays Bette Midler, which is why she's so great in the film.

The movie's improbabilities will entertain, just don't take them too seriously ... this is sort of a popcorn comedy, filling and satisfying and not to be judged on anything but its own merits. A great little film more people should see (...) --

OK, but not that great
Bette Midler is the real standout in this film, which is by now somewhat dated. But she's sharp as a gold-plated rhinestone and makes this movie come alive. It's not that Shelly Long is bad; she's not--she's fine. But because of the more-than-cliched plot, it needs something extra to carry it through, and Bette does that quite well.

Rather than focusing on the plot--that's been done above and by others--I'll just say that this could be a good movie to watch if you need a couple of chuckles (but not a lot) and don't have too many better things to do. Russian spies and renegade agents and FBI men who talk about season tickets to the Redskins--yeah, OK, great. Making a last-minute plane, posing as a cop, being chased by dangerous guys--uh huh, sure, right.

You get the picture.

Not to Be Missed
Bette Middler brings the sass and Shelley Long the class, (as they are forever type-cast) in this *fantastic* slice of 80s movie heaven. This movie is an amalgam of 80s high-style fantasies. Shakespeare, ballet, the Cold War, and MORE combine in this caper-adventure comedy. This is the funniest movie I have EVER seen, EVER. I still quote the great one-liners delivered excellently by Middler and Long.

The scene where they try to get the check-in woman to give them the name of the flight their Dead(?) lover is on, is comedic *brilliance*. If you are a fan of comedy AT ALL, this one is NOT TO BE MISSED!!! You'll love it!

"I paid $5,000 to study with the KGB."

Good Movie!
Outrageous Fortune is a good movie, it's entertaining and has some hilarious scenes and a great cast that includes Shelley Long, Bette Midler and Peter Coyote and and I think Shelley and Bette made a great team! It's not a movie I want to own but it's a movie I could rent and watch again.

oh my god.
ok, so i got this movie on one night. seems that armed forces radio and tv will put anything on. seems that i turned to this movie. bette middler and shelley long. let's face it folks... i give it negative two black holes instead of stars. personally i would shoot powdered glass into my eyes before i see this again. other than that great movie!!! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

The Hospital plus 33 years
Its amazing to look back and view this film again to see how " we made out"!

Well we didnt! "The Hospital" underscores the malaise that was beginning in the early 70,s in hospitals. That malaise has now spread into a full blown epidemic. Today, 2004, the hospital,mostly any hospital is one of the most dangerous places to reside in.

They are unhealthy,replete with staff shortages, racked with mal practice suits, hammered by HMO's subverted by medicare rules and regulations and emeregency rooms that are packed with aliens getting their initial health care!

This film shows how organized mayhem effects health care and converts that to disorginized health care. George C. Scott is totally defeated physician who is rejuvenated by the allure of Diana Rigg( who wouldnt be) Its too late for Scott and many of the patients that fall to DR. Wellbeck's unsteady hands or Bernard Hughes' philosophy.

In the end Scott stays on in his quagmire sort of like a Capt who chooses to go down with his ship.

Unrelenting and terrific film hits all the marks so get ready!

CP

The star is successful, but the script dies
Only a volcanic performance by George C. Scott keeps `The Hospital' alive once Paddy Chayefsy's script flatlines.
The blackly comic set-up of the movie's first half _ a large urban hospital whose crass staff is dying off along with its hapless patients _ yields to smug moralizing in the second half and a ludicrous denouement.
As it unravels, `The Hospital' plays like a half-baked sketch for Chayefsky's far superior `Network,' and viewers looking for satire are better directed to that movie.
Still, in misanthropic medical director Dr. Herbert Bock, Scott has a character that allows him to give full vent to his talents as well as to Chayefsky's middle-class, white male rants.
Estranged from his family, curt with associates, overwhelmed by his job, Bock begins the movie one jolt short of suicide. That comes as other inhabitants of his institution beging dying off, in what seem to be hilarious if horrifying accidents.
But in the first of Chayefsky's major blunders, the good doctor's salavation arrives in the form of a free-spirited Southwestern hippie chick, played by Diana Rigg in an odd bit of casting.
After seeing this movie, Rigg talked about the difficulty of watching oneself on-screen. That's true figuratively and literally here. Her character is written not as a person but as middle-aged male wish fulfillment.
`The girl,' Barbara Drummond, mouths psycho-babble. Supposedly caring for her comatose father, she wanders around the hospital braless, her shirt unbuttoned to the waist. Rather than sexy, it seems witless and looks sexless on the utterly undeveloped Diana Rigg.
Wardrobe failures aside, at least Rigg has a semblance of a role. That's more than can be said of an estimable supporting cast that includes Barnard Hughes and Nancy Marchand.
There's only room for one person in Chayefsky's script, and that's his mouthpiece, Bock. It's to Scott's great credit that he makes his every moment on screen riveting. Fans will want to rent this movie. Others will want treatment afterward.

Schizoid
Schizophrenic film that can't decide whether it's Playhouse 90 or Airplane!. In one corner are Scott and Chayevsky making with the intense psychological realism and some really powerful moments; in the other is chaotic urban hospital laboring at zany gallows humor with a few scattered laughs. In between is director Hiller hoping for single workable whole. Result is awkward pastiche that doesn't live up to super-rich potential. Film is object lesson in how miscasting of even top-notch talent can produce disappointment. I keep wishing gifted amateurs like Zucker Bros. & Jim Abrams had gotten hold of idea first. Sure, Scott is great actor, but he's so authentic he overwhelms ambient efforts at satire; yes, Chayevsky gets off some good lines, but keeps piling on the prose long after it's peaked out. What the movie really needs are more sight gags and a lot less talky angst. In short, let the visuals carry the message -- something word fiend Chayevsky could never allow. My advice: once hippie chick Rigg starts bragging about Scott's restored virility, switch off, because it's a downhill ride from there.

The Hospital as microcosm of world's problems circa 1971
Paddy Chayefsky, the screenwriter of "The Hospital," introduces many of the themes here that he will perfect and revisit in 1976's essential film "Network" and his spiritual/psychedelic experiment "Altered States" (1980). "The Hospital," more or less, is about spiritual malaise -- when work can no longer replace sex as a primal drive (to loosely paraphrase one of Freud's maxims) ; when technology and scientific knowledge work to conspire against those it is supposed to help ; when generation gaps form as a result of all these changes. George C. Scott plays Bock, a middle-aged, "male menopausal" suicidal doctor who is trying to figure out where his lust for life is as well as who is killing off his doctors in a Manhattan hospital one by one. Like another classic George C. Scott film, Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove," this is unusually dark terrain even for dark comedy. The cure for Bock's lack of passion comes in the person of Diana Rigg, a mid-twenties spiritual eclectic and acid-head. Ironically, she is presented as a complete space-case, but is the only object that can bring Bock to his central realization -- that he is "middle class" and that for him, love does not conquer all, but, rather, responsibility. Chayefsky shows himself off here to be a master technician, deploying language that would later sound at home in the TV show "ER," as he weaves a skewed realism with his particular brand of post-Marxist social commentary. An odd film, for sure, but definitely worth checking out.

unrealistic
The main draw of this movie is the rare appearance of Dianna Rigg outside Shakespearian theatre after her Avengers run. She is much more sexual in appearance and speech than her role in The Avengers including a low cut outfit and what seems a heavily padded bra.

For the plot to work the hospital is organized in a totally different, suboptimal, way than real hospitals. For instance, in real emergency rooms people are treated first and then at checkout asked for their insurance.

Also for the plot to work totally illogical things have to happen. Not to spoil the movie for you I cannot tell details, but ask yourself on the second viewing how a certain person could gain the knowledge that motivated his conduct. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

One of Wilder and Pryor's best!
I saw this movie when it was in the theater in 1989. I liked it so much that I had to buy it on VHS. Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor star as two innocent guys-one deaf, one blind, and both are on the run for a murder they didn't commit! Add the wonderful talents of Joan Severance and Kevin Spacey, and you have the makings of one well scripted and very funny movie! Oh, and let's not forget Alan North as the police chief. The film's plot makes for a cops and robbers type of suspense. Of all of Gene Wilder's and Richard Pryor's works, "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" is as equally funny as "Silver Streak", which makes it a must buy!

Hilarious look at being handicapped
Has there ever been a greater pair than Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder? This may be their best movie ever! Anybody watching this movie can remember having a conversation like the one where Pryor and Wilder are pushing the polic car into the Arthur Kills ("you swear a lot" - Wilder "F--ing A I swear a lot" - Pryor) This lighthearted comedy will make you laugh until you need to change your drawers!

Harmless
* Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder have to be regarded as one of the
classic comedy teams of sorts. I was a fan of Pryor's ever since I
had the enforced opportunity -- while sweating in a barracks bay in
the middle of Texas during 1974 -- of virtually memorizing every word
of Pryor's album THAT N****R'S CRAZY while other members of my platoon
played it several times a night for a period of months. (Actually,
except for the monotony, I didn't mind: Pryor's skewering of
hopelessly square white people was not without justice, and was
balanced by a no-less-unjust and much more brutal skewering of his
brethren -- but I digress.) And though I am not a big Gene Wilder
fan, somehow he makes a perfect foil to Pryor.

In SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL Pryor plays Wally, an excitable blind
man, who becomes extricated with Dave, a cranky deaf man played by
Wilder. Through a series of coincidences, the two are implicated in a
murder, and must cooperate to clear themselves and bring the real
killers to justice.

Now, anybody who has ever studied the least amount of statistics
(which roughly describes the level of my knowledge on that score)
knows that the distribution of almost anything follows what is called
a "normal" curve: there's a few things on the low end, there's a few
things on the high end, and there's a big bulge in the middle. This
movie falls clearly into the bulge. What can I say about a movie that
I can't have the pleasure of getting excited about or the satisfaction
of taking an axe to? Not that much.

To be sure, SEE NO EVIL has its fine moments -- a lunatic fistfight
scene is good for some very big laughs -- but there are slow moments
as well -- a most improbable impersonation tries to be funny but
merely seems stupid. Pryor occasionally reaches a pitch of lunacy,
but while his foul mouth (which actually seems a little tame after
getting used to Eddie Murphy) is sometimes good for a laugh, at other
times it seems ... well, foul. The plot is a thrown-together
contraption that adds no interest to the movie. (I think they must
have a computer program that generates such plots. Probably runs on a
kiddie PC.) It's a bit sad to put give such stars as Pryor and
Wilder such a weak vehicle.

In summary, what can I say about this movie? The HITCH-HIKER'S GUIDE
TO THE GALAXY had the right description in a single word: HARMLESS.
[Minor update of review from 1989.]

Simply The Best!!!!
One of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time! Pryor and Wilder are golden in this one of a kind comedy. Joan Severance has to be one of the hottest women in Hollywood!

A Dynamic Duo
This is, without a doubt, one of the funniest films I've ever seen. It walks the line between clever and juvenile as far as humor goes, but what a flick! Pryor and Wilder's chemistry is fantastic, as usual. These two have got to be the best comedy duo ever. They're both hilarious on their own. Sure, it might be a little un-pc to get laughs from handicapped characters, but I really don't think the film exploits that angle all too much. Most of the humor basically comes from alot of incidents of miscommunication. Richard Pryor's performance of the blind man is scarily realistic and well done. Wilder's once again the sarcastic wise guy he does so well. Most people have seen this before, but if you haven't, you shouldn't wait another minute. If you have seen it, see it again. Why not? ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Warning: Never Visit New York!
I loved this film! I very seldom disagree with one of Leonard Maltin's reviews. But I sure did on this one. He claims this movie is "excruciating". Well...yes, I think so too. Excruciatingly funny, that is! I think that Jack Lemmon is wonderfully "over the top" in this picture. His character (as far as I see it) is obviously written to be played way, way over the top! That's what makes it funny. Realistically, we have to know that all 64 (or so) crises and maladies that befall this poor midwestern couple could not ALL happen at once in a million years! So, therefore, I think the viewer must look upon Lemmon as more of a "caricature" than a "character" in this film. Most of this movie was filmed outdoors, and there's a nice "Big Apple" flavor here. Some of my favorite lines from "The Out-Of-Towners" ..... Lemmon (upon hearing his luggage didn't arrive): "Well you flew ME through the fog! How come you're now worried about two leather valises?!" .... Lemmon (after frisking little boy searching for funds): "...Explain to the police? What I was doing in the woods with a little boy...with my hands in his pockets?!? They'd give me twenty years!"

George and Gwen go to the big bad city of New York
I met Sandy Dennis backstage at a play once and wanting to say something more than the usual remarks of admiration I told her that my father stayed up one night to watch "The Out-of-Towners," which was of some import because my father never stayed up to watch anything. She said her father liked that one too and I got an autograph in which she spelled by first name correctly.

This 1970 film, the original version of "The Out-of-Towners" for those who say the recent version that is part of Steve Martin's attempt to be in more remakes than any other living actor, is my favorite Neil Simon script, which is rather ironic when you consider that he is primarily a comic playwright. However this script takes the hapless couple of George (Jack Lemmon) and Gwen Kellerman (Dennis) from their home in Ohio to New York City, where he has a job interview. However, their plans for a nice dinner at the Four Seasons are dashed when the plan circles the airport for hours before being diverted to Boston. Instead of eating at one of the best restaurants in the world they end up with her eating peanut butter on white bread and him eating crackers and olives with no drinks. This actually ends up being the best thing that happens to George and Gwen the rest of that night, which involves a train ride to New York, no room at the inn, a garbage strike, a mugger, and being kidnapped while in the back of a police car. This is without even mentioning the lost eyelash, the broken heel, and the chipped tooth that resulted from a bad encounter with the prize in a box of Cracker Jacks.

Throughout it all, George and Gwen keep up a running dialogue as he gets angrier and take more names while she tries to be the voice of reason and attests that she can verify everything her husband says in his growing list of complaints against the city is true. Everybody always talks about Lemmon's comic partnership with Walter Matthau, but Dennis comes across as the more perfect foil. Eventually her pessimism is turned into paranoia as the city takes the out of town couple for everything they have and keeps on grinding them into the rain soaked streets where the garbage is piling up to the sky. Eventually the idea of being Vice President in a company that has something to do with plastics does not seem like a step up in the world if this is the world in which they have to live.

I am surprised that this movie is only 98 minutes long, but I suppose it is because of all those commercials with late night television and the way Simon keeps pouring one misery after another on George and Gwen that makes "The Out-of-Towners" seem a lot longer, but not in a bad way. The pacing is pretty brisk for a story about two people who have a hard time getting to where they are going, and there are a lot of patented Neil Simon one liners, most of which are true to character and context, although Dennis gets maximum mileage out of repeating the phrase "Oh my, God!" and getting big laughs.

Simon won the Writers Guild of America award for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen for this script, which was originally going to be one segment of "Plaza Suite," which came out the next year. But freeing it from the setting of a hotel room or even a hotel, into the wider expanse of New York City and the surrounding environs was what made this black comedy really work. Keep your eye out for lots of familiar faces who were relatively unknowns when this film came out: Anne Meara, Graham Jarvis, Ron Carey, Robert Walden, Richard Libertini, Paul Dooley, and Billy Dee Williams. Final thought: If you want to see a film that takes the exact opposite approach to New York City then that would have to be Woody Allen's "Manhattan," which would come out at the end of this same decade.

Get Out of Town
Probably in its initial release, THE OUT OF TOWNERS was considered a great comedy. However, today's audiences might find it trite and annoying...especially native New Yorkers or even the New York City travel bureau. It does capture a moment in time just before New York City was on the verge of urban decay in the late 70's, so it has its merits for being a time capsule. Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis are husband and wife George and Gwen Kellerman, mid-westerners who are about to relocate to New York City for a job promotion. Their business trip becomes a "Murphy's Law" film as anything that can go wrong...does go wrong. From lost luggage, missed trains, long waits,a garbage and transportation strike, being rained on, muggings, a kidnapping, an unintentional cancelled hotel reservation, an unintentional mugging of hispanic child, etc., the couple suffer every conceivable mishap Neil Simon (screenwriter) can bestow upon his hapless characters. 'George' is a typical Jack Lemmon character. The performance is not exactly "phoned-in",but it is a familiar Lemmon persona. At first, this viewer sympathizes with George Kellerman. However, with each mishap, he becomes (understandably) mean, irritating, and illogical. The one comic gem about the character is that he writes down every person's name he feels has not given the proper customer service (i.e. airport personnel, hotels clerks) or courtesy after each plan on his itinerary has failed. Then he threatens them that they're going to hear from his lawyer. Sandy Dennis has perfect comic timing as the patient and supportive wife of Lemmon and the location shots of New York City play a major "support character" in the film. Overall, the film should be viewed with caution depending on one's disposition at a given moment meaning it can be hilarious or annoying. Lastly, the film is a showcase of a couple of future stars and well-known character actors. A young Billy Dee Williams (STAR WARS:THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK) shows up in an airport sequence. Note: Look for actor Sandy Baron as the "TV-man in church". He played the recurring character Mr. Klompus on TV's SEINFELD and had a very funny role in the comedy film IF IT'S TUESDAY, THIS MUST BE BELGIUM.

Good, but you just want to shoot the both of them.
Having successfully avoided the apparent train wreck of a remake of this starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, I thought I'd rent the original Neil Simon film starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis to see what caused such a fuss as to remake it after such a short period of time.
Jack and Sandy are on their way to New York city from the suburbs, to see about Jack taking a big job there. Suffice it to say, everything that can go wrong does go wrong, and the two are trapped in hell, trying to survive the night before his interview in the morning.
This is considered to be classic dark comedy, that will be annoying to some and funny as heck to others. I think I fell in between the two. Jack Lemmon is such an ass, and his wife such a dunderhead, that it's hard to have much sympathy for either one. As their problems pile up, it's all too obvious that the cause is mainly his own agonizing egotism, being thrown as the small fish into the huge pond. New York chews up and spits out idiots like this daily, and rightly so. Beyond this criticism (coming from a city boy, admittedly), there are some genuinely funny moments here and chuckle worthy constant prattle back and forth between the always talented Lemmon and the creepy huge-gummed Dennis. Still, I felt the "lost in NY hell" story was much better and sympathetically told, as well as more funny in Martin Scorscese's superior "After Hours".

Another Classic American Comedy.
THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS was written by Neil Simon and remains one of his best works, even though Simon is mainly a playwrite. The movie starts off fairly slow and uneventful as George and Gwen Kellerman, from Twin Oaks, Ohio, are flying to New York where George has an interview (just mere formality) for a vice presidency. They are expecting to eat dinner at 8:30pm at the Four Seasons, but they never see the inside of that famous eating establishment. Instead, the plane circles for hours and ends up going to Boston because of fog. Once in Boston their luggage is lost, they miss the train to New York, and catch the train to New York. Once in the Big Apple, they find that the city is in the middle of transit and garbage collectors strikes. In the pouring rain they walk to their hotel only to find that their room wasn't held and has been given away. Later the couple are mugged, kidnapped, and George is mugged in his sleep. Having not eaten for several hours and with no money they chase a stray dog for a breakfast of a half-eaten box of Cracker Jacks. More chases follow and they are even kicked out of praying in a church because of a televised special. George eventually does make his morning meeting, but by then has learned some very important lessons about family and the simple life back home in Twin Oaks, Ohio.

Jack Lemmon is great in this movie, but I find it's Sandy Dennis who really steals the film. She plays Gwen perfectly, brilliantly foiling Lemmon's performance as the loud and boistorous George. The "O, my God" line, which signals a major worry by Gwen, keeps me laughing every time I hear it.

THE-OUT-OF-TOWNERS is a very witty comedy and one of Neil Simon's finest pieces of writing. It's a great movie to watch alone or with family and friends. It's relatively short (around 90 minutes), too, so even if you don't enjoy it, you won't have wasted much time. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A psycho-fable of the highest merit
Yes, yes I know all the fulminations comparing this film to the play. I haven't seen the play nor read the novel, so I'm judging purely by the film, which I rate at the very highest. OF COURSE the movie is "contrived" as Leonard Maltin's movie guide has it, that's what fables do (talking wolves, trees that sing, clouds that weep and preach a moral), they present contrived situations in order to elucidate. This psycho-fable unearths the ghoulish byplay of fire and ice in all of us, Jew or Bosch, whichever side of the barbed wire of things you stand. Schell's acting is superlative, and the LANGUAGE is English at its nightmare-wittiest. To summarize: you can't like "Doctor Strangelove" and scorn this film: they're two sides of the same rifle butt.

Dr. Theodore Voelkel
Winchester Mass.

Robert Shaw will turn in his grave
If one has ever read the original play of "The Man in the Glass Booth" or at least the novel of the same name by the gifted writer and actor Robert Shaw, the film version by Arthur Hiller can only be regarded as a total disaster. Every ambivalent or critical aspect of Shaw's play has been cut out or made far too obvious, so that everybody gets the message- no thinking required. The film takes no risks. Hiller, in an interview of this DVD says (in nearly every second sentence) that he wanted to make the film "more emotional" than the play. A big mistake. And he is not honest to Shaw as he insists. However, he claims that Shaw, who had (understandably) removed his name from the credits called Hiller after the films release and loved it. One should doubt that. Shaw's two biographers, French and Carmean, tell a different story, namely that Shaw had never seen the film version. They also both reported that Shaw argued with Maximilian Schell, whom he disliked, on the set of "Der Richter und sein Henker" ("End of the Game"), where Schell was, of course, defeating the film version. Schell, in "Glass Booth", gives a performance that can only be described as total overacting, why does someone nominate this for an Oscar? He is as good as in "John Carpenter`s Vampires"- they should have cast Donald Pleasence, who was in the original stage production directed by Harold pinter. Do yourself a favour and get the book!

Maximilian Schell should have won the Oscar for this in 1975
Thirty years ago, under the aegis of the ambitious "American Film Theatre," Arthur Hiller directed a movie based on a novel by writer, director and actor Robert Shaw. (Yes the same salty seaman who was eaten by a "great white" shark in the movie "Jaws"). Whatever one thinks about the plausibility of an enormously successful wealthy entrepreneur, who is also a schizophrenic personality, torn between the morally opposite identities of a sadistic concentration camp commandant, and a Jewish holocaust survivor, Maximilian Schell as "The Man In the Glass Booth," gives an explosive performance, so extreme and so riviting, that it is suigeneris. I can't imagine another actor, with the possible exception of Klaus Kinski, successfully realizing this incredible role. It is almost unfair to the other fine actors who inhabit this film, that they can be little more than foils in what is for all practical purposes a one man show. The story is divided into two acts, the first half taking place in Arthur Goldman's luxurious Manhattan penthouse apartment, and the second half in an Israeli courtroom. Even if you do figure out his true identity before the climactic courtroom scene, it won't take away from your astonishment, I promise.

The ultimate guilt trip
While watching the 2001 release THE BELIEVER, it recalled to mind THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH. Though I haven't viewed the latter movie in over a decade, the power of Maximilian Schell's performance puts it on my list of "Most Memorable Films", though perhaps my memory of the details is fuzzy.

Schell is Arthur Goldman, a wealthy Jewish industrialist living in a Manhattan highrise apartment. Goldman is apparently a recluse, who deals with the world through his personal assistant, Charlie (Lawrence Pressman). At first, Arthur seems like a regular guy, albeit expressing outrageous views on Jews and Judaism, but it becomes apparent to the audience that the man has serious issues when he's seen burning the skin under his upper arm with a candle flame. Then, the audience and Charlie are dumbfounded when an Israeli hit team breaks in, kidnaps Goldman, and carries him off to trial in Israel as a war criminal - a former Nazi concentration camp commandant, Adolph Dorf. Goldman insists pretrial that he be allowed to wear a full SS uniform. For his own protection, then, he faces his accusers as THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH. Bullet-proof glass, that is, considering the emotional volatility of the charges to camp survivors that are present.

Schell received Oscar and Golden Globe Best Actor nominations for his depiction of a man so tortured by guilt that he would go to extremes to exorcise it. Personal guilt for having survived the Holocaust; collective Jewish guilt for not having fought back. Taking on the persona of Dorf, Goldman gleefully mocks the Jews for their meekness as they went to slaughter. The sad end to the trial is one of the most emotionally compelling scenes I've ever watched.

THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH was one of the first VHS tapes I purchased back in 1979 when I bought my first video recorder. (Both the tape and the recorder were MUCH more expensive back then!) Do yourself a favor and rent this film (along with THE BELIEVER) for a thought-provoking double feature on the psyche-twisting nature of guilt.

Robbed
OK, Jack Nicholson did a nice little job in Cuckoo's Nest---his usual scenery munching, overdone performance. However, if fairness truly prevailed in 1975 and Max Schell was a cozy denizen of mainstream Hollywood, he would have taken the Oscar hands down for this remarkable and powerful tour de force of acting brilliance. Arthur Hiller crafts a minimalist piece of cinematography that features acting---not moviemaking gimmickry. This film is a true sleeper which seems to finally and deservedly be waking up 28 years after its creation. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Yow!
This film is supposed to be comedy, but Martin's character comes across as just plain creepy... I was hoping that a ten-ton safe would fall on the Larry Hubbard character, or that Godzilla would suddenly appear and turn him into a pile of smoking cinders with a jetlike column of fire. That way, he would be put out of his misery and it would be easier to sympathize with him.

As it were, the Hubbard character comes across like a sexless zombie in a double-knit suit. Watching this film was as frustrating as watching a three week schedule of Roadrunner cartoons 24/7. Even "Dumb and Dumber" had at least a few redeeming qualities.

As of this writing, you can get a used dvd copy of this on amazon for about $9.00. My suggestion would be to throw your money into the gutter instead, because it will be a lot more entertaining and a lot less waste of time.

The Lonely Guy a great rare unseen comedy with Steve Martin
Steve Martin , the great comedian who has starred
in a dozen or so great comedies, stars as Larry Hubbard,
an aspiring writer, who after finding his girl in bed
with another guy becomes "The Lonely Guy".

Hubbard, then goes out on his own in New York City, and
find the right place for himself to live in , along
with trying to find the right girl for him. However,
comic mishaps prevent Larry from doing this, all the while
though, Larry from his experiences as a lonely guy in
New York, will use this for a best seller he is writing
revolving around lonely guys.

"The Lonely Guy" is both a laughfest, and a charming,
sentimental movie about love.

The laughs come in when we see Larry trying to find
an apartment in New York.

He first sees a high class apartment, but then narrates
that looks can be deceiving as, these kind
of apartment have a high crime rate. Then seconds
a guy gets shot and tells Larry: "Don't move
in bad neighboorhood". LOL

Then when Larry starts looking for an apartment, he
decides he wants one with a view of the river.
However, when he looks out of the window of one
of the apartments, he sees that windows is the river!!!
As he sees goldfish, and other fish, swim across
the window!!! LOL

When Larry finally gets settled he meets a man
named Warren Evans (Charles Grodin) a lonely
guy who is contemplating suicide. Larry prevents
Warren from doing this and the 2 become good
friends.

Seeing his skill in dealing with lonely guys, Larry
plans his book based on the subject. However, he
himself feels depressed while writing it, since
he doesn't have a woman.

Larry then goes on a mission (with both comical
and good results) to find the right woman.

He meets Iris (Judith Ivey) a great woman, but
with a troubled past. Will Larry , the lonely guy, find the right woman? See it to find out. There are great funny cameos by Dr. Joyce Brothers, and Merv Griffin, who take a great interest in the writer/ lonely guy.

Other comical scenes involved Larry trying to find
the right dog, to past those lonely nights.

The movie is hard to find, and out of print, but
it's worth searching for.
Overall it's a great comedy, Martin and Grodin,
give exceptional performances, again showing their
comedic talents.

love this movie!
I laugh my ass off at the scene where grodin and martin hold a dinner party with cardboard cutouts! funny! This is a great film if you're a steve martin fan,and charles grodin`s deadpan delivery is funny too.

Steve Martin at his finest.
This is right up there with The Jerk and dead men don't wear Plaid as one of Steve Martins best ever films. Steve along with Charles Grodin tell an exadurated and hillarious story of what it's like to be a "single guy" it's funny it's romantic... it's everything a movie should be!!

Most box sets are like a box of chocolates (not here)!
There is usually one that is ether exceptional or the one that won't sell. Well you are in luck as none of these movies are the exceptional type. Steve Martin has done some outstanding work. None of which is in this set. There are moments that are worth watching. However the moments are not worth wading through the rest of these films. My guess is that you may appreciate this set if you like stand-alone comics. They are more like long skits than movies.
This set includes "The Jerk", " The Lonely Guy", and " Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" If you like " Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" you may like "What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966) - Dubbed in English" ASIN: 6304785801 ... Read more

Description

James Belushi (K-9) is Jimmy Dworski, a happy-go-lucky convict who breaks out of prison and finally gets a life ... somebody else's! When Dworski finds the daily planner book that literally runs the life of ultra-organized executive Spencer Barnes (Charles Grodin, MIDNIGHT RUN), all hell breaks loose! With newfound cash, credit cards, and the keys to a Malibu mansion, the imposter Dworski embarks on an all-expense-paid trip to "Easy Street" while posing as the high-powered Barnes. Meanwhile, Spencer's life is turned upside down as he hunts through the jungles of Los Angeles for his beloved book! When these oddball opposites finally meet, it's a comedic collision you won't soon forget! ... Read more

Description

In the first act of PLAZA SUITE, Sam Nash (Matthau) and his wife Karen (Stapleton) are celebrating their anniversary by returning to the suite where they honeymooned 24 years ago.Trying to get her inattentive husband’s attention and spruce up their failing marriage, Karen attempts to rekindle the romance that the couple once had while Sam has some secretly seductive plans of his own.In the second vignette, former movie producer, Jesse Kiplinger (Matthau), tries to put the moves on his old flame Muriel Tate (Harris) in true Hollywood fashion.And finally, the third sequence finds Matthau playing Roy Hubley, an anxious father