Reviews (71)

Finally An Affair To Remember is on DVD
In April of this year I bought this DVD. I love it so much. I remember when I was little and saw it . It brought tears to my eyes. I especially love the special features that are on this DVD. I have always loved The Extremely hansome an Debonair Cary Grant. He is a role model of what Male Actors Should Be.

Cary Grant, and Deborah Kerr meet on a Ocean Cruise well they meet and they fall in love. But one problem They are both already engaged to different people. Well as the Ocean Voyage goes on they get more and more romantic. Well when they get off the boat they make an agreement that 6 Months from that day they would meet at the top of the Empire State Building to see if they still love each other. Well that day comes and Cary Grant is on the top floor. But as Deborah Kerr is running to the Empire State Building she gets ran into by a car and is paralyzed. But at the end Cary Grant finds her and they Kiss and Get Married. Great Movie. The way that all movies are supposed to be.

Better than I anticipated....
"An Affair to Remember" with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr has a lot to offer. I was skeptical when my wife brought this video home for "us" to watch, but I decided to give it an honest try. Once the movie got underway, and the character development started to take place, I became interested. There was more to Grant than a womanizing cad (thought it took a while for him to shake that image in the movie), and Kerr came across as a world-wise, yet innocent (in a sense), former night club singer.

While they are both committed to other people, Grant and Kerr meet and fall in love on a ship cruising from Europe to America.

Some of the dialogue and situations appear to be somewhat contrived, but the acting and story line development stirs true emotion.

This is probably not a movie for the bump and grind Monday Night Football crowd, but it is both watchable and enjoyable. Maybe I was primed to watch it by seeing "Sleepless in Seattle" recently, a movie that my wife and I both enjoy.

Anyway, give this movie a chance...it's somewhat dated, but it's still got something to offer.

Overrated Tearjerker
The first part aboard the boat seems convenient & affected. The bit where she takes him to meet her relative is charming and pretty but pointless. The accident and her subsequent behavior bespeaks of underlying insecurities and purhaps subconcious concerns about his character. I didn't feel particularly sympathetic toward either character and, thus, the reunion doesn't touch me.

One of my favourite movies
While I haven't seen the remake of this film, I have seen the original, and this is by far one of my favourite movies ever. The picture is beautiful, the casting is flawless, and the story timeless. I would recommend this for chick-flick lovers and even those who aren't particularly fond of romantic-comedies.

Practically nobody, huh?
Amazon says "practically nobody" likes the 1994 remake with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, but actually I would prefer that one to this any day. However, if you have to see the original, amazon is where to get it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Going My Way
This irresistible Oscar winner from writer-director Leo McCarey (An Affair to Remember) stars Bing Crosby as a low-key, crooning priest who joins the parish of a no-nonsense but sweet old Irish man of the cloth (Barry Fitzgerald). While Bing turns local toughs into a choir, the elder priest worries over the church building fund and whether he'll get a chance to see his old mother back in Ireland before she dies. One would have to have a heart of stone not to be won over by this charmer, with a lovely ending guaranteed to make you bawl for a week. --Tom Keogh

Holiday Inn
This perennial, Christmas-season favorite from 1942 teamed Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire as entertainers (and rival suitors of Marjorie Reynolds) running an inn that is only open on holidays. It's a great excuse for lots of singing and dancing, seamlessly wrapped in a catchy story, and Astaire's frequent director Mark Sandrich (Top Hat, Shall We Dance) doesn't let us down. The Irving Berlin numbers (each one connected to a different holiday) are winners, with Crosby's warm performance of "White Christmas" a movie touchstone. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A Five Star Inn
Every so often I check to see whether my favorite movies have made their way onto DVD, and I was rewarded tonight with the news that Holiday Inn is indeed on DVD now. Having never seen Going My Way, I can't comment on its value, but I'll be more than happy to watch it when I finally get my copy of the set.

I remember falling in love with this movie by chance when I was 12, and it took me a good two years to learn the name, but the wait was well worth it. This is one of those movies that you can watch again and again, one time right after another. From the glorious musical sequences to the genuinely feel-good story, you will want to sit down and watch this movie on holidays and any day in between.

A classic for Christmas
Althought this takes place throughout the year, it begins and ends at Christmas time. The story is simple, the romance straight forward, and the acting superb. Holiday Inn is a joy! The romance is complimented with song and dance and the talents of Crosby and Astaire. If you have never seen this wonderful movie, break out the DVD and popcorn and settle in for awhile. Dream of a White Christmas(Was written for this movie, not the one with it's title) as you watch one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time. An added bonus is Going My Way-another wonderful addtion to anyones movie collection. Great value!

Going My Way
A movie that is forgotten by most that is really worth seeing. This movie should be added to the classic Christmas list. This movie makes me laugh and cry, especially because Bing Crosby actually had Barry Fitzgeralds' mother brought over from Ireland and be filmed in the last minutes of the movie. Warm, wonderful and lighthearted.

A "Twofer" To Go For
On the face of it, HOLIDAY INN and GOING MY WAY, despite both being Bing Crosby films from the early 40s, were not exacltly an obvious pairing for a DVD "twofer" package. You might think it more likely to pair the former with WHITE CHRISTMAS, say, and the latter with its actual sequel THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S. But this coupling works precisely because it's not so obvious.

Mixing pious Crosby with show-biz Crosby works because, in the last analysis, he's still the same old Bing, affable, low key and agreeable. His priest is still a mensch. His show biz vet is a regular guy looking for a way OUT of the limelight and into a sane and stable way of life. In other words, he's a mensch too.

If you were raised Catholic in the last century, you know that among the clergy, you had your staid, old-school, well, OLD-COUNTRY types, who struck fear in the hearts of children and adults in the parish. Then you had your spirited, fun-loving priests (and nuns), who weren't above playing a few innings of baseball or running a sack race.

GOING MY WAY touches, very lightly, upon the clash of those two strains among the clergy of the era. Actually, the more traditional Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald) is more irascible than truly terrifying. And young Father O'Malley is as all business behind the charm and easy going manner. He just knows that you win more flies with honey than vinegar. And he knows how to get things done. He also knows that he can loosen up the older priest with a few rounds of golf and some fresh air.

The plot amounts to little more than "Let's put on a show to save the parish church." Almost absurdly, a famous opera star (played by famous opera star Rise Stevens) shows up to help out, and high power music publishers rush to buy the young priest's original composition "Swinging On a Star" after hearing Bing and his choir of former street kids sing it as a lark. It's hokum, of course, but it's almost guaranteed to make viewers nostalgic for a more innocent era--even if it's one before their own time.

HOLIDAY INN is a reminder that self-reflexive musicals were almost an established sub-genre from the early 40s on. It's a show-biz tale which turns into your definitive movie-within-a-movie by the end of the film. The show biz format is a little bow to realism (no bursting into song while walking down the street, or scaling a mountain). It's also a tacit admission of Hollywood's self-involvement (the assumption that everyone finds show biz tales utterly fascinating) and, simultaneously, a reaffirmation of mainstream (non-showbiz) values. Distancing themselves from Hollywood and Broadway phoniness is the only way that Bing and his lady love Marjorie Reynolds can find true happiness--of course they still get to stage elaborate floor shows in their Holiday Inn, so ultimately, it's the best of both worlds.

Both movies have plenty of charm, and, as I say, reflect an innocence we seem to have longsince lost. It's no wonder that Bing Crosby films, even when they're not explicitly holiday-themed, have become standard holiday fare for many viewers.

Generation to generation with love
What would Christmas be without these wonderful films. Going my Way, Holiday Inn and White Christmas have been a holiday tradition in our family for 3 generations. The movies are packed away every year with all the other Christmas decor only to be pulled out lovingly again next season with every other Christmas memory. Gather your family around and enjoy an evening of entertainment from a time when life was on much simpler terms and the quality of movie musicals was high. Quick banter, lively dancing, beautiful and humorous music all wrapped up with a big red holiday bow. Total pleasure without any guilt! ... Read more

Reviews (45)

A Screwball Gem
Arguably the greatest of the screwball comedies, The Awful Truth presents Irene Dunne and Cary Grant as soon-to-be-divorced wife and husband who occupy themselves with spoiling each other's prospective new romances. This is my favorite Dunne performance, probably one of Grant's top three comic performances, and the best Leo McCarey picture. This is also the film that first introduced Ralph Bellamy as the other man who always loses out in love (see His Girl Friday for a reprise). The film is chock-full of great comic scenes: my favorites are Grant, Dunne, and Bellamy watching the awful (and risque) performance of Grant's showgirl girlfriend; Grant making Dunne laugh at Bellamy's love poetry; Dunne trying to figure out how to hide another man's hat from Grant; and Dunne's pretense of being Grant's sister (doing the same number the showgirl did earlier). The film ranges from the broad slapstick of Grant becoming entangled in a chair to the subtle expressions of the threesome watching the floor show. What makes the film particularly work are the attractive performances by Grant and Dunne, who engage in skull-duggery to break up each other's love affairs, but who remain likable--partly because underneath the antics, The Awful Truth remains a love story. Even when bickering, Grant and Dunne clearly love each other; they seem to spur each other, make each other more attractive when together. Even Dunne's throw-away line on not having won any dance cups with

Grant has a sweet, nostalgic, longing tone. Grant has a comic sweetness in the final sequence, befuddled as he tries to resist his desire to return to his wife's bed. The film won Best Director for McCarey, who keeps the film on a delightfully fizzy keel and who encouraged his performers to be spontaneous. Dunne inexplicably lost Best Actress to Luise Rainer for The Good Earth; maybe she should have lost it to Garbo for Camille, but not to Rainer. And this is probably the first of the many years in which Grant gave a great comic performance, only to be forgotten when the Oscar nominations were announced. Sure Grant was always identifiable as himself in comedy-after-comedy, but notice the difference between his performance here and the following year's Holiday, and you can better measure his genuine versatility.

Poignant screwballs.
Why is it that best "screwball" comedies are rarely "screwy"? *The Awful Truth* relies more on character and witty conversation than it does on slapstick (of which, in fact, there's remarkably little). The movie's about a pair of bored New York elites (Cary Grant and Irene Dunne) with an open marriage who decide to give divorce a chance after one mutual infidelity too many. Dunne's very sincere in her protestations to Grant that nothing happened between her and her musician friend, but we remain unconvinced. Grant, meanwhile, tells his wife that he's going to vacation in Florida, but instead stays in town somewhere else in order to better pursue extramarital opportunities. (How did all this get past the Hays Office?!) While they wait for their divorce papers, each partner tries on different hats: Dunne attempts to amuse herself with a vacationing Oklahoma tycoon (poor Ralph Bellamy in another third-wheel role); Grant has perhaps a better time of it with an unimaginably wealthy heiress. It requires their pet dog, Mr. Smith, to bring these lechers back together. It is to be hoped that they can finally expend their lechery on each other -- the movie's last sequence in the honeymooner's cabin, one of the great romantic sequences in all of film, seems to indicate that this will be so. *The Awful Truth* belongs in any serious film-lover's library.

Sheer Entertainment
One of several tremendously fun screwball comedies Grant made in the relatively early part of his career. In actuality, he had already been in nearly 30 movies before he made this one. In 1932, his debut year, he was in seven movies. He was in six in '33 and so on. I guess the idea was to be in as many movies as possible in hopes something would get noticed. Also, under the studio system, inexperienced or not particularly in demand actors were at the studio's mercy and the studio could work them to death if they felt like it. Only fame gave an actor enough power to call his own shots. That Grant was paired with Dunne is a happy coincidence. Their timing and chemistry are perfect. Talent makes all the difference. Dunne was more famous and accomplished at the time. She had already been nominated for an Academy Award for Cimarron. Grant was still perfecting his witty, offhand, debonair and slightly amoral screen persona. He had been in She Done Him Wrong w/ Mae West and that got him on the map but the late 30's were his breakout period with Topper and The Awful Truth.

Decent movie, Bad release.
Cary Grant and Irene Dunne star in this very funny Screwball comedy directed by Leo McCarey who won the oscar for Best Director. The film was released in 1937 and was nominated for 6 Academy Awards.

The story of it is basically, Jerry and Lucy (Cary Grant and Irene Dunne) are a married couple who decide to get a divorce, since they both suspect they are cheating. Lucy finds herself getting engaged to a rich millionaire, named Daniel (Ralph Bellamy, in yet another great role). Jerry and Lucy even try to decide in a court, who is going to get custody over their dog, Mr Smith (Yes, the dog!). Lucy wins, while Jerry gets visiting rights, to see Mr. Smith. This keeps the two seeing each other, and you can guess how it turns out in the end.

The movie is very fast moving, extremely funny, and you will see why it was so successful on its release.

The print on this DVD is not really very good and the sound is not great either, (You might like to compare it to Columbia's other poor effort for the DVD of 'Holiday') but it is worth buying and still very watchable, I am not trying to say it isn't. They just could have done better with it. It has a total lack of extras also.

Even though it has a slightly poor release that could have been a lot better, I would still recommend this brilliant film which I am sure anybody will enjoy.

PLEASE NOTE: I own the Region 2 release, which, appears to be no different to this anyways. The comparison to the bad print on the DVD of 'Holiday', also refers to the Region 2 release.

Nothing awful about the Awful Truth
In 1937 Cary Grant was already a Hollywood Giant... a dynamic actor and a genuine Star. But in the "Awful Truth," Irene Dunn took him to school. Yes, Mr. Grant was as charismatic as usual, delivering his lines marvelously, perfect in comedic timing, and demonstrating great physical humor. Throughout most of the movie, Grant and Dunne sparred on relatively equal terms, each earning a fair share of the proliferus laughter generated by their antics. However, at the last hearty chuckle, it was clear that Dunne had been toying with Grant throughout. No, this is not a spoiler and has nothing to do with the storyline, but rather an evaluation of their performances. Despite the magnificence of his, her's was better.

Irene Dunne was simply phenomenal, deserving her nomination for "Best Actress." She was funny, charming, exuberant, conniving, manipulative, and intriguing. The movie was slow to find it's footing and much time was wasted as Grant and Dunn, in the slower portions, are not on camera together and thus unable to "duel." But as the plot unfolds the momentum builds to a final crescendo and the mutual magic of these fine comedic artists delivers cascade upon cascade of laughter.

The director Lee McCarey, earning his Best Director Oscar, toyed with both the relatively new "Hayes Code" and the censors, implying with sensitivity and subtlety, a physical aspect of love and infatuation that was unnecessarily suppressed in movies for decades. The witty "doublespeak" dialog at the end was fascinating as each of these protagonists explained the situation in self-contradictory fashions and yet their meanings were unmistakable. Yes, there is a predictable plot but the witty words and scrappy schemes are pleasant surprises. ... Read more

Description

Mastered from the original 35mm material, this fifth volume of lost films from the great comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy includes all silent shorts: "Wrong Again" (1929, 20 min.), "Habeas Corpus" (1929, 21 min.), the first true Laurel and Hardy teaming in "Duck Soup" (1927, 20 min.), "Leave 'Em Laughing" (1928, 19 min.), the Charley Chase/Oliver Hardy short "Fluttering Hearts" (1927, 22 min.), and the Stan Laurel/James Finlayson film "Short Kilts" (1924, 21 min.). ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good DVD series-wish they had more of the talkies
I love this series of DVD's. But I wish that there was more of the talkies available on these. Perhaps they do not fit into the "Lost" category.

Can someone please tell me what that gray square on the bottom right of the screen during some of the movies is? Habeas Corpus has it.

This one has several classic Laurel & Hardy silent comedies
Volume 5 of "The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy" presents more "silent" classics from the late 1920s. "Wrong Again," a 1929 two-reeler directed by Leo McCarey, has Laurel & Hardy as a pair of stable hands who hear that the "Blue Boy" as been stolen and their is a huge reward. Of course it is the famous painting by Gainsborough that has been stolen, but the boys think it is the horse of the same name from their stable. When they go to the millionaire's home to claim their reward, the boys are instructed to bring Blue Boy in and put is on the piano: so they do. "Wrong Again" is another one of those early sound efforts where the record has been lost and we are left with the silent version. Consequently the pacing on this one seems off because the action is matching sound cues that no longer exist. "Habeas Corpus" is one of the best Laurel & Hardy two-reelers, also directed by McCarey. The set up this time around is simple enough: mad scientist Richard Carle has hired to the boys to steal bodies from a cemetery for his experiments. The end result is much more slapstick than we usually find with Stan and Ollie. My favorite is when the body in the bag is still alive and starts walking on its own. A first-rate two-reeler from the boys.

If you want to get technical, the first film in which both Laurel and Hardy appeared was "Forty-Five Minutes from Hollywood," a 1926 two-reeler that featured virtually every player under contract to Hal Roach including dinosaurs. In fact, Stan Laurel appears with an enormous mustache (a double for Jimmy Finlayson is my guess). However 1927's "Duck Soup," directed by Fred Guilo, has the distinction of being the first film in which you can really say Laurel & Hardy were a team. Stan and Ollie are a bit down on their luck and avoid the constable by stumbling onto the estate of a local millionaire. There they assume disguises as the master of the house and his maid. This is the least of the four comedies on this disc, but has "historical" importance. "Leave 'Em Laughing" is a 1928 film directed by Clyde Buckman but "supervised" by Leo McCarey with the story credit going to Hal Roach. This is the classic one where Laurel has a toothache and Hardy drags him to the dentist. After exposure to the "laughing gas," the boys cause a traffic jam and drive cop Edgar Kennedy to distraction. The solo shorts tacked on this time around are Hardy with Charley Chase in 1927's "Fluttering Hearts," and Laurel with James Finlayson in "Short Kilts" from 1924, which makes some interesting use of sound effects. Volume 5 is one of the better collections in the series.

This DVD is a Must for Laurel & Hardy Fans
I started collecting Laurel & Hardy films in 8 mm. back in the 1960s. Today, the video and sound qualities are better than ever and Volume 5 of the so-called Lost Films of L & H series in DVD is an absolute must for true fans. Among the many treats is the first "team" film, DUCK SOUP, that turns out to be the predecessor of their 1930 talkie, Another Fine Mess. In both cases, the plot - by Stan's father no less - gets in the way. But here, in DUCK SOUP, the Stan and Ollie characters are only partially developed and they just don't seem much like the Laurel & Hardy we know and love - sort of the way they became later in those awful 1940s films for Fox and MGM when they just didn't act like themselves.

Another highlight is the Charley Chase film, FLUTTERING HEARTS, that had me wondering why Hal Roach never gave him a chance in feature films during the sound era. This film is a surprise bonus if you expected to find only Laurel & Hardy.

The picture quality varies from very good to stunning. For whatever reason, WRONG AGAIN seems derived from two different sources. Various shots in the same scene will be sharp as a tack while others will appear soft. If there is one shortcoming, it's in the liner notes that should tell us more about the film sources. In both HABEAS CORPUS and SHORT KILTS, a small white box in the lower right of the screen is apparently hiding some logo; I suspect it's a cable station. But I'm just carping. It's a great DVD release and I had a ball.

WOW! Hal Roach has put out a masterpiece
WOW! Can I say anything more! Hal Roach has put out a masterpiece. The DVD volume five contains six of their funniest silence to date. Like in volume Four we were blest with "Bacon Grabbers" which no one has ever seen unless you were in the theaters 70 years ago. In volume five we have "Leave'em Laughing" which I have only seen bits and pieces of and is restored to its original color tents when it was first release. The second reel of this film has Laurel and Hardy on laughing gas in their Model "T" Ford on Main Street in downtown Culver City. There are no other actors who can laugh in character like Stan and Ollie. The second reel of "Fluttering Hearts" has to be Hardy's best solo performance. Charley Chase baits a very drunken Hardy with a department store dummy (this is an only couples speakeasy). Hardy falls head over heels for this dummy in what is said to be the best of all the Charley Chase Comedies thanks to the excellent support of Oliver Hardy. The film "Short Kilts" a solo by Stan Laurel with Jimmy Finlayson was so good, I watch it five times Thursday after receiving the DVD in the mail. The McPherson's and the McGregors are feuding clans liken to the Hatfields and Mccoys. Things really get out of hand during a game of musical chairs. As the head of each clan trade insults at various member of each family, Stan has enough, and elopes with his betrothed. Would be brother-in-law Jimmy Finlayson does the same after Stan says no. Finally, all is at peace, everyone is married to their intended, and even young Mickey Daniels (of the Our Gang fame) along with the first leading lady (of Our Gang) Mary Kornman tries to tie the knot. But, peace is short lived, and another game of musical chairs leads to the fade out brawl. The other three are "Wrong Again", "Habeas Corpus" and "Duck Soup." ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Well, quite honestly...
Although this original 1939 version of the thrice-told story is usually hailed as the best of the lot, today it seems slow and more melodramatic than romantic. In the first hashing of this story, Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer play the star-crossed pair on a transatlantic cruiser and fall in love. They plan to meet at the Empire State Building in several months, but an accident prevents Dunne from showing up. The end is perhaps the best scene, in which Boyer discovers what happened to Dunne- it's one of the few believable scenes in the picture.

Unfortunately, casting is not as believable. Irene Dunne chirps and quips her way through the picture, and does not seem to be acting up to her caliber until the last emotional scene (Why was this, of all of Dunne's finest performances, nominated for an Oscar?). Charles Boyer fares somewhat better, when that heavy French accent doesn't get in the way. Marie Ouspenskaya is indeed very good as Boyer's wise grandmother.

The cinematography is very good, and costumes are very good. Unfortunately, both fail completely saving the picture. For a better version, see "An Affair to Remember" the REAL best of the lot: Chemistry between Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr is much deeper and more enchanting, and glowing Technicolor adds a real nice touch to the story. Even in the role of the grandmother, Cathleen Nesbitt fares better than Marie Ouspenskaya. Although "Affair" is pretty much a shot-for-shot remake of this film, it's worth it to see Cary and Deborah look into each other's eyes.

Love Affair: Love Overcomes Adversity
LOVE AFFAIR is one of many films whose theme is that love does not adhere to imposed schedule. What distinguishes this movie from other and similar ones is what the actors do and say after they realize this. Terry McKay (Irene Dunne) and Michel Marnet (Charles Boyer) are each romantically involved with other people when they meet and fall in love on a sea voyage to New York. This sort of thing happens often enough in real life but their reaction to their new emotions reveals their basic decency and depth of feeling. They agree to meet months later on the top floor of the Empire State Building to cement their relation. Thus far, the tone is one of light, romantic comedy. However, LOVE AFFAIR takes an unexpected tragic detour as Terry is crippled in a car accident. Other movies have often dealt with issues in which one lover grows ill or crippled, but in this film, one of the lovers (Terry) makes things worse by hiding her condition by running away from Michel. For most of the second half, Terry and Michel are apart physically but connected emotionally. Each copes with the separation as best as they can. Michel's grief is probably the easier to cope with since he feels that he was unjustly jilted so what can he do about that except heal. Terry's grief is more multi-faceted since she has to live with a series of complicating factors, only one of which (her being confined to a wheelchair) is beyond her control. She must reconcile her present unhappiness with the unpleasant realization that she could have tossed away a life of bliss with a man who might not have been scared off by the prospect of a wheelchair bound wife. Miss Dunne was a deserved nominee for Best Actress as she manages to hide her misgivings about her decision to break off the relation beneath smile and song. Charles Boyer is convincing as a man who loses his love, does not know why, and then must face the consequences of factors totally beyond his control. LOVE AFFAIR is not your three hanky sobber. Rather it is an intelligent exploration of love gone astray, a condition exacerbated when one of them discovers that this love sometimes needs a healthy dose of honesty and confidence to keep it on track.

A classic golden age romance
Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne star in this delightful romance movie, which opens with some brilliant dialogue, then devolves into a convoluted melodrama, as the screenwriters struggle to come up with *some* silly reason these two star-crossed lovers shouldn't get together. Both actors are splendid in their roles.

Buy It Anyway on DVD
The quality of the DVD is good enough to be able to enjoy the movie. No white outs, black outs or pixalation. On the other hand it is not what you can call great. I noticed a sound problem for a few minutes but I could tolerate it. This DVD is adequate until someone puts out a restored version. I prefer movies on DVD even if the VHS version is better. The story and actors are just great. In short don't pay too much and don't expect too much and you can enjoy a great old movie. That said let's hope someone restores it.

Simply The Best!
Irene Dunne glows in this movie. She delivers the jokes and poignant lines in an effortless, natural way way Kerr never could. Dunne is just funnier and Charles Boyer is much more expressive than Grant.

Normally I'm a die hard Cary Grant fan but "Love Affair" is the best version of this wonderful story. It inspires both laughs and tears. Five stars isn't enough. I keep a copy of this close at hand for those rainy days... ... Read more

Description

Mastered from the original 35mm material, this third volume of lost films from the great comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy includes all silent shorts: "Liberty" (1929, 20 min.), "We Faw Down" (1928, 21 min.), the very first on-screen pairing of Stan and Ollie in "The Lucky Dog" (1919, 24 min.), "Love 'Em and Weep" (1927, 24 min.), the Glenn Tryon/Oliver Hardy short "Along Came Auntie" (1926, 24 min.), and the Charley Chase/Oliver Hardy short "Bromo and Juliet" (1926, 24 min.). ... Read more

Reviews (9)

When will Warner Home Video follow suit?
First of all, why title this review,WHEN WILL WARNER HOME VIDEO FOLLOW SUIT? - - well as most people know Warner Bros. bought up TURNER a few years ago and thus inherited all the old MGM films, including Laurel and Hardy's sound shorts and features.

I would think the great quality of the IMAGE releases and incredibly strong reception from us home viewers should be inspiration enough to start releasing some other Laurel and Hardy treasures.

As far as this DVD is concerned, it is great as are the rest in the series. I highly recommend them to all Laurel and Hardy fans.

Misleading, but still worthwhile
I think calling this DVD "Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy" is somewhat misleading, because only 3 out of the 6 shorts feature the boys as the pair that most fans are familiar with.

"Bromo and Juliet," for example, has Oliver Hardy, buried under a thick mustache, in a small role as a dinner guest of Jimmy Finlayson, and Stan Laurel as one of Jimmy's employees; the two never meet in the film. In another short, Hardy shows up for a few minutes as a taxi driver.

In addition, the picture quality is not always good, but that's to be expected in films so old. And as another reviewer mentioned, the same soundtrack is used over and over, which can get a little monotonous after awhile.

Depsite the fact that this DVD wasn't exactly what I expected, however, I still enjoyed it. It was interesting to see Laurel & Hardy in roles other than "the boys" and the rest of the casts (Charley Chase, Mae Busch, Vivian Oakland, to name a few) gave hilarious performances. I recommend it to fans of Laurel & Hardy (and other silent stars as well), but be aware that not all the films may be what you might have expected.

Classic Laurel & Hardy Silent Shorts, 2 dir. by Leo McCarey!
Volume 3 in this series continues to present silent shorts from the early days of Laurel & Hardy. The first two on this DVD have the distinction of being two of the three Laurel & Hardy comedies directed by the great Leo McCarey. "Liberty" (1929) is an absolute classic. The boys escape from prison whereupon they are picked up by friends in a car and change into civilian clothes. The simple premise for this classic comedy is that Stan and Ollie have on each other's pants, and they spend the rest of the time trying to change clothes, ending up on the high girders of a skyscraper. Obviously this is a very large tip of the hat to the work of Harold Lloyd, although the gags are all perfect for Laurel & Hardy. It is also a very risque film for its day, with the boys always being discovered lowering their pants in strange places. In "We Faw Down" the boys announce to their wives they are going to a show when they are really heading out for a poker game. When they hear the theater burned down, the wives are understandably distraught. But Stan & Ollie, having fallen into a mud puddle, have been taken by two pretty young flirts to the girl's apartment. Of course, as the boys are leaving the apartment without their trousers, their wives show up with shotguns. The film's climax is the best gag in "We Faw Down" and one of the funniest endings to a Laurel & Hardy two-reeler.

This DVD collection also invludes the very first on-screen pairing of Laurel & Hardy in 1919's "The Lucky Dog," although they are certainly not a team at this point. "Love 'Em and Weep" from 1927 is another one of the Hal Roach-Pathe comedies featuring James Finlayson in which Stan Laurel is the second comic lead and Oliver Hardy has a more minor role. All three are henpecked husbands whose lives are complicated by the return of Finlayson's old flame, Mae Busch. This particular story line is used by the boys to much better effect in their talkie "Chickens Come Home," so track it down after watching this silent version. This time around the bonus shorts reveal Oliver Hardy teamed up with other comics in a pair of 1926 two-reelers: "Along Came Auntie" with Glenn Tryon and "Bromo and Juliet" with Charley Chase. These are more interesting than the Stan Laurel shorts on the first two volumes because they provide cinematic proof that the boys were perfectly matched comedic partners.

More Laurel and Hardy Masterpieces
This is another superb installment in this Laurel and Hardy DVD collection. The DVD begins with one of Laurel and Hardy's finest silent films, "Liberty". This short finds the boys in "high and dizzy" situations that were more accustomed to Harold Lloyd, but they pull it off with hilarious results. "We Faw Down" is the second short and it too is another classic. The basic storyline was later used in Laurel and Hardy films such as "Be Big!", "Sons of the Desert", and "Block-heads". This DVD also gives us a look at another performer at the Hal Roach Studios, Charley Chase in "Bromo and Juliet". The film picture quality in this short is not up to the high standards set by the first two shorts, it seems scratched and faded at times, but the comic material is equally hilarious. The rare short "The Lucky Dog" is also included and we are able to see the first screen appearance of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy together even though they are not a team at this time. "Along Came Auntie" is a slaptstick/farce comedy that features Oliver Hardy, Vivian Oakland, Glen Tryon, and Lucy Beamont. It is a very entertaining short, but the first reel has a "worn looking" picture quality due to the fact that the first reel of the original nitrate print has already decomposed and lesser quality material had to be inserted, but the second reel is still around and looks great. We are very lucky that the film was found before it could be further damaged by nitrate decomposition. The final short, "Love 'Em and Weep" is one of my favorites from this DVD. It is the original silent version of Laurel and Hardy's "Chicken's Come Home (1931)", but this version has Jimmie Finlayson playing the part Ollie did in "Chickens Come Home" and Ollie plays the judge invited to Tillsbury's (Finlayson's) house The picture quality is excellant and the film is must see for any fan of Laurel and Hardy, especially fans of "Chickens Come Home" Just for a side note, you might have noticed Vivian Oakland, the talented actress who appears in three films on this DVD. She is Stan's wife in "Love 'Em and Weep", Ollie's wife in "We Faw Down" and the leading lady in "Along Came Auntie" She would also appear several years later in Laurel and Hardy's film "Scram." Fans of Our Gang (The Little Rascals) will also recognize Mae Wallce (Ollie's wife in Love 'Em and Weep) from her part as Jackie, Mary Ann and Wheezer's mother in the short "Love Business" a few years later. This is a great DVD and it contains some great films and I would highly recommend it.

A TRUE RESTORATION CLASSIC
Whomever wrote the scathing review of this disc from "Southern California" must be blind or was watching a different disc than the one I purchased. Volume Three contains several of the finest Laurel and Hardy comedies ever made, and all are copied from visually brilliant material--including some original 35mm camera negatives and fine grains. "LIBERTY" is, in fact, complete, and features the original Vitaphone soundtrack--it was originally issued on 16" discs back in 1929. The gentleman also must be hard of hearing, in as much as all of the soundtracks are quite different, although each was made up of essentially the same music used by Victor in creating all of their Hal Roach Vitaphone accompanyments in 1928-29. WE FAW DOWN features R-2 of the original Vitaphone soundtrack (apparently, R-1 was shattered) and is one of the most entertaining such tracks ever produced. The film is a complete, stunning, 35mm fine grain. LOVE 'EM AND WEEP is pictorially brilliant, also from a rare 35mm, BROMO AND JULIET is hysterical, and THE LUCKY DOG, the rare, complete film which first paired The Boys in 1919, is half comprised of the 35mm camera negative, half copied from famed historian Wm. K. Everson's original 1919 print. Anyone can read all of this info on the beautiful jacket, and your eyes will confirm the truth of the excellence of this Volume. You'd best buy the whole set of Ten while they're still available. (And--despite the Amazon note to the contrary, these discs are NOT regionally encoded and will play anywhere.) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Their "last but not least" film
...The Marx Brothers left us one more amusement in the form of movie for the final time. For the first time, on the other hand, Harpo Marx headed the characters' and story credit. In this respect, many fans and critics see "Love Happy" as a Harpo's solo vehicle. Still, I believe that there are quite a few great moments for the other Brothers, Chico and Groucho (*saluting Chico, the eldest sibling!).

Chico first appears with his usual warm smile attempting to get a job from Mike Johnson (Paul Valentine) at a financially struggling theater company. He makes it, after all, after showing a trace of his frindly and mild stupidity. Grouncho, on the other hand, opens the door of the film appearing as a private eye agent named Sam Grunion. In his all-time rapid-fire talks, we find many clever and funny wisecracks every time he opened the mouth to talk.

In addition to its unique "sentimental" atomosphere, the greatest and most brilliant moments of the entire film should be definitely when the Brothers present musical numbers respectively (*the exception is Groucho, who unfortunately did NOT sing any songs this time!). In the chronological order, Chico performed "Gypsy Love Song" on the piano and "shot" the keys as usual. In this number, Chico features Mr. Lyons (Leon Belasco) on violin, or more correctly, trying to stop him to take away every stage property belonging to him as a result of the company's bankrupcy.

Now hearing Harpo play the solo harp is the biggest excitement on this fim, I believe. We may realize it has been many years since "Horse Feathers" or "Duck Soup" when we see him in a close-up shot, but his performing "Swanee River" proves that Harpo is timelessly great!

Along with a rare brief appearance of young Marilyn Monroe, I think that "Love Happy" should be recognized the "last but not least" film of the Marx Brothers.

Marx Brothers...the conclusion.
This was the final act of the Marx Brothers and yes, it was their weakest film. I wouldn't even technically call this a Marx Brothers movie considering Chico & Groucho have no scenes together and Groucho & Harpo only have 1 scene together. Groucho also gets the lone scene with miss Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe appears on the screen for maybe 30 seconds and although I was never a fan of hers you could kind of sense a strong presence about her for that brief time she was in the movie. I couldn't enjoy this movie thoroughly with Groucho narrating and Harpo as the star. The plot was ok but it was an extremly bad ending and just not what you would expect from the Marx Brothers...their true last performance was in "A Night In Casablanca" which was actually a pretty good movie. This movie is just out of sheer curiousity for Marx Brothers and Marilyn Monroe fans.

MARILYN MONROE in a bit role that helped launch her career!
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If Marilyn Monroe weren't in this movie, I would only give it 2 stars. However, because of the fact that she made a memorable cameo appearance in the film rates it a full 5 stars.

Marilyn Monroe made a very small cameo appearance in this film which helped to launch her career. Her one brief scene (she appears in the film for less than one minute!) shines with the spark of excitement that Marilyn always brought to the screen.

It's hard to believe that an actress with less than a minute of screen-time in a movie created a sensation everywhere she appeared during a cross-country press junket to promote the film. Marilyn was a huge draw wherever she appeared on this promotional tour, proving that her mere presence in the film was noteworthy enough to attract crowds wherever she appeared.

For any Monroe completist, this is of course a must-have to add to your collection. It's a historical early on-screen apearance of a woman who lives on in the hearts and minds of people more than 40 years after her death.

This is classic Marilyn, at her young and glamorous best, just at the brink of stardom.

Mmmmmm-marvelous Marilyn!

Not at all bad for a final film
In the first place: God never meant for 60 year old Marx Brothers to make movies. That being said, the story goes that Harpo wanted to do a film by himself. But he couldn't get the up front financing unless he included Chico and Groucho. And, as such, Chico and Groucho make mainly "cameo" appearances. The plot is as flimsy as a "survivor" episode: Harpo protrays a kind of loving angel for a group of struggling artists. And, in one case, while stealing some food for his friends, he unknowingly swipes some diamonds. And the rest of the "plot" involves the disposition of the diamonds. Some plot, huh? But there ARE some real gems in "Love Happy," though: just Marilyn Monroe's mere presence, her all-too-brief cameo with Groucho justifies the film. And Chico delivers one of his funniest lines in all thirteen of the Marx Brothers films: while trying to divert a creditor from repossessing >something, I don't know, does it matter?< Seems the creditor likes to "noodle" around with the violin - and Chico, trying to buy time, replies, "Well, you noodle on that and I'll macaroni on this." That one line evoked as genuine a laugh as anything Groucho said in all the movies. Long Live The Marx Brothers!

Gorgeous transfer &.NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGE!!!!
That is correct fellow Marx Fans. I have always had a fond place in my Marxian Heart for Love Happy. Now there is MORE happy to love! In fact, over 6 minutes of footage I have never seen. Not on previous release versions on VHS, Laserdisc, at the LaPaloma Theatre when I projected it in 35mm or in my own 16mm print! The footage adds a LOT to the movie. In one scene Groucho describes how he has tracked the sexy Madame Egelich (Illona Massey) all over the world. He whips out a series of Photos showing them to us the audience with him holding Illona in various sexy poses. Concluding with one photo of her in a 1950's style batheing suit. Another restored scene has Chico, who assigns himself the task of stopping the owner of the theatre from kicking the troupe out for lack of rent payment. Before the drooling owner is paraded a bevy of beauties. Groucho says in the voiceover, "He wisely chose the Blonde on the end". Pretty racy by 50's standards. We even get a new scene where Raymond Burr tortures Harpo by placing him in a giant washing machine! There are additional small scenes sprinkled thruout, but those are the best. WOW! It is so great to see new footage of Groucho, Harpo and Chico. BUY this disc! You will be Happy you did. Johno ... Read more

Description

Bringing a collection of seven 2-reeler comedies from the golden period of this acting/producer legend, the CHARLEY CHASE DVD is a fantastic introduction to the funny and frenetic world of Charley Chase and a rare chance to experience the work of one of the most influential short-film comedians of the late 1920s. The CHALEY CHASE DVD brings the following short films: MUM'S THE WORD (1926), APRIL FOOL (1926), CRAZY LIKE A FOX(1926), LONG FLIB THE KING (1923), MIGHTY LIKE A MOOSE (1926), and ALL WET (1924).

In a series of one and two reelers at the Hal Roach Studios, Chase elevated the style of situation comedy to an art form with his unique combination of madcap adventures, beautiful women and wild misunderstandings. After a decade of working in front of and behind the cameras (he was Director General at the Roach Studios), Charley Chase was persuaded to start a new series of one reel comedies in 1923. From the first release, Chase became a hit with the public--"America's New Joy Boy" was filling theater houses with laughter from coast to coast.

Chase discovered that by starting with a simple predicament that any average person could get into, the public could identify with him. Then, gradually, by building a once plausible situation into a fiascfiasco, he could take them to a riotous conclusion that is unbelievable, yet, somehow conceivable. Carefree, frivolous, wild and woolly, Charley Chase was the "Good Time Charlie" that we all wished we could be.Fortunately, due to film preservation, we still have him. ... Read more

Description

The Marx Brothers are at their hilarious best in this insanely satirical comedic romp. Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo set international relations on its ear--and the audience in stitches--with their rapid-fire wit and hijinks. Not to be missed, "Duck Soup" is one of the Marx Brothers' most popular films. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

If you can't send help, send 2 more women!
This is my favorite Marx Brothers comedy. Absolutely nuts from beginning to end, they kicked out all the stops on this one, with one of the best and truest satirical jabs at jingoism and militarism ever put on film. "Freedonia's Going to War" and everyone is singing about it!

There are so many great bits in this one: Harpo & Chico battling the lemonade vendor; Groucho & the inimitable Margaret Dumont "That covers a lot of ground, matter of fact you cover a lot of ground, I hear they're going to tear you down and put up an office building... can't you see what I'm saying, I love you!"; the 3 brothers dressed in nightshirts with groucho moustaches (Gad they looked alike)doing the mirror pantomime; Groucho insulting & taking umbrage with Louis Calhern's Ambassador Trentino "Upstart? My father was a little Upstart, my mother was a little Armstrong...."; Groucho's Rufus T. Firefly with the Tommygun ("Look at em run" "But you're killing your own men" "Here's 5 bucks, keep it under your hat."); and on and on.

Arguably their best,this effort didn't do well on release. I think because it was ahead of its time and was the riskiest because of the political jokes and the times. But, it is just plain funny with some of Groucho's best lines and some of the best interplay between the brothers, and without a lot of the shmaltz & corn & musical interludes. Classic.

A hilarious movie!
To gain financial support from Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont), the tiny bankrupt country of Freedonia agrees to take Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) as their new president (the poor saps). Mayhem springs from Firefly's cynical and sarcastic leadership, culminating in war with the neighboring country of Sylvania. Throughout, Pinky (Harpo Marx) and Chicolini (Chico Marx) are scheming among the great and powerful, taking money from Trentino (Louis Calhern) of Sylvania, and directing Firefly's war effort. [Black & white, created in 1933, with a running time of 70 minutes.]

This movie contains some of Groucho's funniest witticisms, his badinage with Margaret Dumont producing some of the funniest lines in theatrical history. The story takes something of a backseat to the Marx brother's comedy, but this movie is first and foremost a satire of politics in general, and war and patriotism in particular. Back to the comedy, this movie is fantastically funny, containing the famous mirror scene, where Chico is dressed as Groucho, who must figure out if he is seeing his reflection or something else!

This is a great movie. The comedy is funny and clean, and can be watched by viewers of any age. I highly recommend this movie.

Where is the Region 1 release?
I don't need to gush over how great this movie is, plenty of customers have already done that. Warner Brothers did the Marx Brother's justice with their five DVD set of seven films with loads of special features. Granted that set is of their later films but isn't it time their early movies got the same treatment? Great collections of their early films are available in R2 and R4 formats, why not R1? Any answer? Universal Studios?

A comedy classic that still holds up...
My two favorite comedies of all time are "Duck Soup" and "Airplane." Don't agree with "Airplane?" I have a good mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it!

Anyway, few people will dispute that "Duck Soup" is one of the funniest movies ever made. So many classic lines and zany moments; this is the Marx Brothers at the peak of their powers. It was made in the 30's, but holds up extremely well. That makes it a timeless movie. Never boring or corny. I swear the whole hat gag has to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

So... when can we expect a reissue on DVD, Paramount/Universal?

Worth Every Penny (Ruble)
My good friend K.M (Karl Marx recommended this movie to me a while ago (back in 1933 about nine years after my premature death)

Now I have it on DVD and I can still say that I find this movie just as great as I did back 70 years ago.

Groucho and his ilk (The other brothers) continue (even in death) to represent the gold standard of comedy.

Despite my untimely death I still find that this movie makes me laugh like no other.

Oh by the way Groucho, Karl told me that your Mom wanted you to pick up a gallon of milk. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

Finally An Affair To Remember is on DVD
In April of this year I bought this DVD. I love it so much. I remember when I was little and saw it . It brought tears to my eyes. I especially love the special features that are on this DVD. I have always loved The Extremely hansome an Debonair Cary Grant. He is a role model of what Male Actors Should Be.

Cary Grant, and Deborah Kerr meet on a Ocean Cruise well they meet and they fall in love. But one problem They are both already engaged to different people. Well as the Ocean Voyage goes on they get more and more romantic. Well when they get off the boat they make an agreement that 6 Months from that day they would meet at the top of the Empire State Building to see if they still love each other. Well that day comes and Cary Grant is on the top floor. But as Deborah Kerr is running to the Empire State Building she gets ran into by a car and is paralyzed. But at the end Cary Grant finds her and they Kiss and Get Married. Great Movie. The way that all movies are supposed to be.

Better than I anticipated....
"An Affair to Remember" with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr has a lot to offer. I was skeptical when my wife brought this video home for "us" to watch, but I decided to give it an honest try. Once the movie got underway, and the character development started to take place, I became interested. There was more to Grant than a womanizing cad (thought it took a while for him to shake that image in the movie), and Kerr came across as a world-wise, yet innocent (in a sense), former night club singer.

While they are both committed to other people, Grant and Kerr meet and fall in love on a ship cruising from Europe to America.

Some of the dialogue and situations appear to be somewhat contrived, but the acting and story line development stirs true emotion.

This is probably not a movie for the bump and grind Monday Night Football crowd, but it is both watchable and enjoyable. Maybe I was primed to watch it by seeing "Sleepless in Seattle" recently, a movie that my wife and I both enjoy.

Anyway, give this movie a chance...it's somewhat dated, but it's still got something to offer.

Overrated Tearjerker
The first part aboard the boat seems convenient & affected. The bit where she takes him to meet her relative is charming and pretty but pointless. The accident and her subsequent behavior bespeaks of underlying insecurities and purhaps subconcious concerns about his character. I didn't feel particularly sympathetic toward either character and, thus, the reunion doesn't touch me.

One of my favourite movies
While I haven't seen the remake of this film, I have seen the original, and this is by far one of my favourite movies ever. The picture is beautiful, the casting is flawless, and the story timeless. I would recommend this for chick-flick lovers and even those who aren't particularly fond of romantic-comedies.

Practically nobody, huh?
Amazon says "practically nobody" likes the 1994 remake with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, but actually I would prefer that one to this any day. However, if you have to see the original, amazon is where to get it. ... Read more

Description

Mae West is a popular burlesque singer in this hilarious musical comedy that boasts the musical talents of Duke Ellington and his orchestra. One of the comedienne's most entertaining films. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not Mae's best script, but her best score
Like her nearest competitiors the Marx brothers and W.C. Fields, Mae West worked best in films where the logic of the plot made the least sense (as in I'M NO ANGEL where she's a lion tamer who conquers New York's society lions). In this film version of one of her stage plays, the plot is pretty sensible, which acts to its detriment. Mae doesn't get nearly as great lines as she usually does, and there's all this creaking plot machinery to establish her moral position and that of her no-good boyfriends. Still, it has great sets and costumes, and you get to hear her really cut loose with some of the best honky-tonk songs she ever got to sing in her wonderful adenoidal way, including "My Old Flame" and "Memphis Blues." her accompaniment is by Duke Ellington and his orchestra (you even get to see them with her in one scene), which should let you know how special this score is. And Mae is of course always Mae.

After the Code...still worthwhile
The Production Code certainly did its duty (and damage) with Mae West's films. Her lines and remarks were dramatically "toned down". If you compare this movie with its immediate Pre-Code predecessors "She Done Him Wrong" and "I'm No Angel", you'll know what I mean.

Anyway, still worthwhile to watch, West has a field day as "the flame" of both, St. Louis and New Orléans, with boxer Roger Pryor, upper-class Johnny Mack Brown and villainous casino owner John Miljan, at the top of the list of her admirers. Mae never looked so ravishing again as in this picture, in those awesome 1890s gowns designed especially for her by Paramount's top couturier Travis Banton. She also gets to sing a great deal here, mostly accompanied by a young Duke Ellington and his Orchestra.

Sex appeal oozing from her pores
She aint no stick figure, but she is ALL woman. Mae was the sort of woman who knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to ask. She had a great voice for the blues and a good head for the double entendre's. It's a fun movie and never tries to take itself seriously. Well worth a look.

A WEST-ERN GEM FROM 1934
More spectacular than Mae's first two vehicles, BELLE OF THE NINETIES cost more that her previous starrers combined, and still reaped a huge profit. The story was written by Mae herself and it's pretty weak - although the Hays office snapped its scissors on some of her best lines. West's unique presence, and command for innuendo - which could raise laughs from the most innocuous remarks, kept the movie simmering. So did the superb Duke Ellington Orchestra which ably helped Mae through four numbers - most notably the standard to be MY OLD FLAME. Looking like an upholstered egg-timer, the star was kept on the screen front and centre throughout by astute director Leo McCarey in this William Le Baron production from 1934. For trivia buffs, the working title of this flick was IT AIN'T NO SIN - however the censors disagreed, and the title was laundered along with the risque script. Mae struts her stuff as 1890's singer Ruby Carter who gets involved with a boxer.......... Such lines as "It's better to be looked over than overlooked" and such done in her inimitable style gets the point across, even if the prudish and rather foolish Hays office thought otherwise. The rather chunky, 41 year-old star was photographed by Karl Struss and Mae never looked better on film.

Mae West as Ruby Carter
BELLE OF THE NINETIES was originally entitled "It Ain't no Sin". However, the censors disagreed and the result was a changed title and a laundered script. Mae is a nightclub performer who sings "My Old Flame" among other numbers with Duke Ellington's orchestra in the background; Roger Pryor is her love interest, a boxer named Tiger Kid. In one scene John Miljan goes into great detail in describing Mae's physical attributes while proposing, Mae stops him cold: "Wait a moment"! "Is this a proposal or are you takin' inventory! " Directed by Leo McCarey and photographed by Karl Struss (Mae never looked better) this is still an amusing example of West-ern humor! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

VINTAGE SWANSON CURIO.
In this early talkie from 1931 - in which everyone does their best in an essentially mediocre film - a 32 year-old Gloria Swanson plays a lady with a past. Gloria, who is involved with a writer (Ben Lyon) discovers that Lyon's sister has her old flame as her new fiancee... With good reason, Swanson had misgivings about this film which is weak both plot-wise and musically: her fears unfortunately proved right. Leo McCarey, the director, was promised his "big break" with this film and Ben Lyon was - rather unbelievably - considered a major coup for a leading man, therefore, Swanson agreed to do it for United Artists. Perhaps the most capable performer is Arthur "Dagwood" Lake as Buster Collins. Swanson had just priorly turned down Paramount's offer of a guaranteed 1 million-dollar-a-year contract (!).

Good Movie, but DO'NT buy DVD "Madacy" copy!!!
The movie itself is good. But the "Madacy" Company copied a lousy, badly worn, faded, repaired 16mm copy on to the DVD and is miserable to watch! The film must have been shown 100's of times. It is so badly spliced, in some scenes you can't even understand the dialog! The whole last half of the movie, the sound is extremely garbled! Very poor visual quality. You would expect a DVD to be higher in quality - not this one. Record the movie off of TV! ... Read more