Anne Baxter

Average customer rating:

Simply Classic
THEY DON'T MAKE THEM LIKE THIS ANYMORE
Bette Davis Eyes
Bumpy Ride
Ambition Can Be A Dangerous Thing!

All About Eve
Starring: Bette Davis , Anne Baxter , George Sanders , Celeste Holm , and Gary Merrill
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Sunset Boulevard (Special Collector's Edition)
Some Like It Hot (Collector's Edition)
Laura (Fox Film Noir)
Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B00006RCO1
Release Date: 2003-01-14

Amazon.com essential video

Showered with Oscars, this wonderfully bitchy (and witty) comedy written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz concerns an aging theater star (Bette Davis) whose life is being supplanted by a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing ingenue (Anne Baxter) whom she helped. This is a film for a viewer to take in like a box of chocolates, packed with scene-for-scene delights that make the entire story even better than it really is. The film also gives deviously talented actors such as George Sanders and Thelma Ritter a chance to speak dazzling lines; Davis bites into her role and never lets go. A classic from Mankiewicz, a legendary screenwriter and the brilliant director of A Letter to Three Wives, The Barefoot Contessa, and Sleuth. --Tom Keogh

Description

From the moment she glimpses her idol at the stage door, Eve Harrington (ANN BAXTER) is determined to take the reins of power away from the great actress Margo Channing (BETTE DAVIS). Eve maneuvers her way into Margo's Broadway role, becomes a sensation and even causes turmoil in the lives of Margo's director boyfriend (GARY MERRILL), her playwright (HUGH MARLOWE) and his wife (CELESTE HOLM). Only the cynical drama critic (Oscar winner GEORGE SANDERS) sees through Eve, admiring her audacity and perfect pattern of deceit. THELMA RITTER and MARILYN MONROE co-star in this acclaimed classic, which won six Academy Awards and received the most nominations (14) in film history.

Customer Reviews:

Simply Classic.......2007-06-12

All About Eve is a sinister tale of "Men and Thier Women". Eve Harrington is a simpleton town girl who comes to the big city looking for resolution to her previous hard lived life. and Eve found Margo Channing, the biggest stage actress of the country. Margo decided to take eve on as planning secratery. Margo despiter her exceeding talents of stage acting is becoming more and more insecure at her age of 42, and Eve shadowing her did not exactly help. As the movie progresses Margo has classic outbursts such as "buckle your seatbelts, its going to be a bumpy night." so the audience asks themselves, is Margo Channing paranoid? or is the world All About Eve who is trying to upstage Margo any time she gets? I love this film, and it is cleverly written. Five stars all the way!

THEY DON'T MAKE THEM LIKE THIS ANYMORE.......2007-06-09

THIS STUNNING FILM DIRECTED BY JOSEPH L MANKIEWICZ IS ONE OF THE GREAT CINEMA MASTERPIECES OF ALL TIME. BETTE DAVIS IS IN SCINTILLATING FORM WITH FINE SUPPORT FROM ANN BAXTER AS EVE HARRINGTON. THIS JUICY, WITTY DRAMA HAS EVERYTHING AND WELL DESERVED TO WIN THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE OF 1950. THIS IS CERTAINLY ONE OF MY DESERT ISLAND FILMS AND WITH NEW DIGITAL REMASTERING THE NATURAL BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY SEEMS TO COMPLIMENT THE ENTIRE ENTERPRISE AND IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE SOUND RECORDING AND COSTUME DESIGN PLUS GEORGE SANDERS WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE AS BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR ALSO TOOK ACADEMY AWARD HONOURS IN 1950.

Bette Davis Eyes.......2007-06-08

If you like black and white movies, this is definetly one of the greats, and to me Bette Davis best movie. She plays alpha female, as everyone else around her plays second to her success. One of her admirers,her assistant, who is devoted to her later edges her out of the spotlight, by becoming her. But of course Bette Davis is still the victor, even if she dosent get the trophy at the end of the night.

Bumpy Ride.......2007-05-28

ALL ABOUT EVE

Give Bette Davis her due, this is one of her best films--I would say it ties with "Now Voyager" for durability and verve.

Bette is an actress with a capital A (yes, we know that, but I mean she PLAYS an Actress!) who is all but blind sighted by the young, lovely and insinuating Anne Baxter (who is by the way Frank Lloyd Wright's granddaughter in real life).

The film is the thing of legend, and who's to say that it isn't based on some very real (as opposed to reel) Hollywood shenanigans. With a great supporting cast, it is a wonderful evening's entertainment and wears well for repeat screenings.

Buy it, watch it, and enjoy it.

Ambition Can Be A Dangerous Thing!.......2007-05-26

For Bette Davis fans, this story is special since she plays the part of an established Hollywood actress. Ever so slowly but surely, Margo's young fan carefully works her way into the inner circle of the seasoned actress. As Margo takes on Eve as her protege', Eve's hidden agenda becomes more and more apparent...

Average customer rating:

Jack Benny. Superstar.
It Took Awhile!
A forgotten favourite

Charley's Aunt
Starring: Jack Benny , Kay Francis , James Ellison , Anne Baxter , and Edmund Gwenn
Director: Archie Mayo
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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The Three Musketeers (1939)
On the Riviera
The Jeeves Collection (Thank You, Jeeves! / Step Lively, Jeeves!)
Can-Can
Lucille Ball Film Collection (Dance Girl Dance / The Big Street / Du Barry Was a Lady / Critic's Choice / Mame)

ASIN: B000O78KYM
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Amazon.com

Nothing says comedy like a man in a dress, and Charley's Aunt is the archetypal man-in-a-dress comedy. In desperate need of a chaperone so they can woo their sweethearts, two college lads named Jack and Charley persuade their friend Fancourt (Jack Benny, one of the all-time great radio and television comics) to masquerade as Charley's aunt from Brazil, who had failed to arrive. Of course, the aunt also shows up (and is also in disguise), but not before Benny has had ample opportunity to run amok in petticoats while being chased by fortune-hunting beaus. Though the story's social milieu is woefully dated--the need for a chaperone is just the beginning--the movie has a number of classic comic bits that remain funny. Charley's Aunt doesn't suit Benny's dry style of humor as perfectly as does his next film, To Be or Not to Be, and Benny's English accent is a bit hit and miss, but he milks his wig and bloomers for all they're worth. Also starring Kay Francis (Trouble in Paradise), Edmund Gwenn (Miracle on 34th Street), Laird Cregar (Heaven Can Wait), and a very young Anne Baxter (All About Eve). Extras include a chipper commentary from film historian Randy Skretvedt (who rattles off dozens of Jack Benny anecdotes) and a goofy promotional short in which Benny, Tyrone Power, and Randolph Scott compare their upcoming roles. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Jack Benny. Superstar........2007-06-22

One of my fondest memories of my mispent youth was on Summer vacation watching re-runs of "The Jack Benny Program" on UHF. Sight unseen, I eagerly awaited the release of "Charley's Aunt" on disc. The film isn't a comic masterwork but it's a fun way to spend an hour and a half. Benny, predating Jack Lemmon's work in "Some Like It Hot", is a marvel as the English Earl posing as an Oxford classmate's aunt. His enthusiasm makes the film more than the sum of it's parts. The film also sports a great supporting cast that includes Richard Haydn, Edmund Gwenn("Miracle on 34th Street", and the late great Laird Cregar. If you need to see Cregar at his best check out the vintage noir "I Wake Up Screaming". Now if they would only issue "Buck Benny Rides Again" and "The Horn Blows at Midnight". It also wouldn't hurt if "The Jack Benny Program saw the light of day on disc.

It Took Awhile!.......2007-06-07

Benny's version of the old play was for years unavailable save for the most hideous transfers. Seen on the screen in revival houses it deserved release, but I can't say it is anything earth-shaking. Of the many versions of this play on film I still lean to the earliest - with Charlie Chaplin's brother in the lead - and a now unavailable televised one with Charles Grodin in one of his best roles as an impossibly funny Lord.
This Benny version lacks the combustible physical qualities all the best versions exploit. Charley's Aunt is a sensational example of that nearly impossible form to pull off - farce - and as each scene builds in silliness it requires a little abandon. Unfortunately for Jack Benny the concept of reckless abandon is almost an undiscovered country. He does his best, but piling up physical stunts and gags is not his chosen metier. Instead, fans of Benny should run, not walk to try the exquisite Lubitsch film, To Be Or Not To Be, where Benny marvelously creates a fopish conceited Polish actor who defines 'ham'. Set just prior to the German invasion of Poland, and with a thrilling and justly legendary opening piece of theater, a tip-off of many such sleight-of-hands to come, To Be Or Not To Be remains by several light years Benny's greatest film role. Cast against a luminous Carole Lombard, who plays his cheating wife, Benny is matchless in his every scene.
As for Charley's Aunt: There's no one performance on film of Charley's Aunt deserving classic status. An all star cast combining the very best players in each of the famous roles would be fun to put together. You might start with a striking Jeanette MacDonald doing the role of the 'real' Aunt from Brazil opposite her real life husband Gene Raymond in an early highly abridged tv version with Art Carney doing the honors in the title role.
But if no film version scales the heights don't despair. This is a wonderful can't miss play to see live - if you get a chance even so-so amateur troupes usually shine.

A forgotten favourite.......2007-05-10

It was with some pleasure that I learnt that this little forgotten gem from 20th Century Fox was to be released on DVD. Now my worn out VHS copy can be replaced.

In 1941, this film was as unexpected from Fox as it is today. "Charley's Aunt" is a famous British play which for many years was the staple offering of every English high school drama class. It is a rollicking farce about undergraduates at university, one of whom, Jack Benny, disguises himself as another's Aunt from Brazil "where the nuts come from". The plot is full of romantic misunderstandings all of which resolve themselves for a happy ending.

Jack Benny is an improbable English student but it does not matter. This was one of Benny's best films because he is hilarious in drag and all scenes with Edmund Gwenn, the enamoured professor determined to win his hand in marriage, are priceless. The other standout performers are Laird Cregar, at the time in his twenties and easily immitating a man twice his age and Kay Francis, a model of class and sophistication as Charley's real aunt.

The film is simply directed, maintaining its stage bound roots. The photography is the usual Fox high standard. Only the accents of some of the players betray that this is an American production. The film makes an interesting comparison to an English version released at about the same time, starring Arthur Askey. I like both versions.

The Fighting Sullivans - Commemorative Edition

Average customer rating:

Fighting Sullivans
The Best
Amazing
The Fighting Sullivans
All Americans Should See This Movie With Their Families

The Fighting Sullivans - Commemorative Edition
Starring: John Alvin , Anne Baxter , Ward Bond , Johnny Calkins , and John Campbell
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Boys Town
We Band of Brothers: The Sullivans & World War II
Purple Heart
The Frogmen
So Proudly We Hail (Universal Cinema Classics)

ASIN: B000BQ5J4A
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Description

The Guts and Glory of the Navy! This is the movie that inspired "Saving Private Ryan." It's the true story of five brothers who fought and died together when their ship, the American cruiser Juneau, was sunk in the South Pacific during World War II. The Fighting Sullivans is something more than a worthy tribute to a pair of small town parents and the five sons they lost when the Juneau blew up in a battle off Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. It is a heartwarming slice of Americana that will fill in the background of any number of Americans on the fighting front. The audience's awareness of the news in store for the Sullivan family adds considerably to the film's effect. The Fighting Sullivans generates emotion strictly on it's own terms and without bidding for tears. This Commemorative Edition marks the 63rd anniversary of the sinking of the Juneau. DVD features: 2005 Interview with Frank Holmgren (last living survivor of the sinking)| Video Inside the 5 Sullivan Brothers Veterans Museum| A message from Bob Neymeyer of the Grout Museum| Family Photos| Last Muster List| Memorials from family members| Survivor List| Juneau Action account letter by Lieutenant Roger W O'Neil - Mc-V (G) U S Naval Reserve| Personal Letters| Letter from President Franklin D Roosevelt| New Digital Transfer| Original Theatrical Trailer.

Customer Reviews:

Fighting Sullivans.......2007-05-13

JUST WONDERFUL, GREAT. The BEST!!
My father who was also in Navy WWII says very accurate, after he watched, several other WWII Vets' he sees also asked to borrow it, as they had all been discussing it prior to my buying the movie. Show's family life prior to war also. Just a great film, my children watched it occassionally on T.V. growing up, and now my older grandchildren are able to watch since it's on CD's.

The Best.......2007-05-12

This is one of the great classic movies of all times, I loved it for years and I am so glad that Amazon finally carried it. Based on a true story it had great depth and compassion, the best ever.

Amazing.......2007-01-04

Seen this movie on televison years ago and it stood in my mind. It's an amazing movie about brotherly love through the years. I cried years ago as a child watching it and I still cry now. I recommend it for all ages.

The Fighting Sullivans.......2006-11-10

A movie representing a strong family growing up in hard times, and the bond between its 5 sons. Based on true events. Well worth watching.

All Americans Should See This Movie With Their Families.......2006-05-29

I saw this movie as a child and I openly wept. I recently purchased the Commemorative Edition DVD. Times haven't changed, I wept again. The movie reflects the beautiful innocence of the time as compared to the standards of today's films. The Fighting Sullivans represents the incredible sacrifice made by a family during World War II. However, it goes beyond the story of the Sullivans and encompasses the fighting spirit demonstrated in all men and women who defend our country. As a daughter of a World War II sailor who served in the South Pacific alongside the Sullivans, I highly recommend this film to families throughout the country. In fact, it should be required viewing in all American history classes. Iowa is currently in a building campaign for the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum. After you watch the movie, you may feel inspired to support this museum or any of the hundreds of veteran's organization throughout this wonderful country.

Average customer rating:

Exciting Western!
Movie makers take note !
enjoyable western
Peck
Excellent Western epic

Yellow Sky
Starring: Gregory Peck , Anne Baxter , Richard Widmark , Robert Arthur , and John Russell
Director: William A. Wellman
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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Outlaws | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( Y ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Last Wagon
The Proud Ones
Seven Men From Now (Special Collector's Edition)
These Thousand Hills
The Naked Spur

ASIN: B000EHSVWS
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Description

Oscar®-winner* Gregory Peck (To Kill A Mockingbird) stars in this ?brilliantly cast? (The Hollywood Reporter) Western epic featuring ?an unusually fine story and magnificent direction ? unleashing dramatic power seldom found in this type of film!? (Daily Variety) A band of outlaws, led by tough, gruff Stretch (Peck) find themselves knocking at death?s door after becoming lost in the treacherous western Badlands ? only to find their salvation in a lonesome town called Yellow Sky, where the only inhabitants are a doddering old man and his mysterious, alluring daughter. But their deliverance from danger is short-lived when the gang discovers a fateful secret hidden within the dusty, rotting walls of this ghost town ? one that will turn brother against brother in a desperate battle to the death!

Customer Reviews:

Exciting Western!.......2007-04-04

William Wellman once more proves why he was one the most extraordinary filmmakers in this genre. From the first shot you will be involved when a bunch of thieves headed by Gregory Peck at last can arrive to a ghost town after having ridden days and days through the arid desert (a resemblance to "Greed"). Once they arrive they will meet a weird woman who lives with her grandfather and so, the dramatis will confront among themselves in search of gold.

Electrifying sequences, with an astonishing final conflict surrounded by stormy winds that accent still more the tension of the moment. Widmark is excellent too in this tour de force Western that must be part of your hard collection in case as I do are a collector of selected westerns.

Movie makers take note !.......2007-03-25

They,indeed, don't make 'em like this any more. I guess I don,t mind .[They do make excellent westerns on TNT especally.]It is good they made this one. Great acting, characters , PHOTOGRAPHY..don't worry about black and white!!!

enjoyable western.......2007-03-10

It took us a while to figure out who the girl was. Great performances from her, Peck, and the old man.

Peck.......2007-01-11

Gregory Peck has done a lot better than this movie. His Big Country is about the best he ever did in westerns. This one is at the bottom of the list of his westerns.

Excellent Western epic.......2006-10-11

Gregory Peck gives his usual powerful performance playing Stretch, the leader of a band of outlaws roaming the post Civil War west. After robbing a bank the gang is chased across a desolate salt flat. They decide to cross the expanse and low on water they crawl into what appears to be a deserted ghost town.

The town was known as Yellow Sky and soon they come across a rifle toting Anne Baxter playing Mike who lives nearby with her grizzled, old ex-prospector grandfather played marvelously by James Barton. They soon learn that Baxter and her grandfather are in possession of a fortune in gold. The authoritative Peck brokers a deal whereby the gang will take half of the booty leaving the other portion for the old man and his granddaughter. Gold hungry gang member Dude played by Richard Widmark has other ideas and recruits the rest of the crew to double cross both Peck and the old man and Baxter.

The previously disreputable Peck falls hard for Baxter and swears to abide by the deal he arranged. This ultimately leads to a lethal gun battle as western justice is meted out, with good triumphing over evil.

William Wellman directs a talented cast in this classic black and white oater filmed for the most part in the remote, unforgiving yet beautiful confines of Death Valley.

Average customer rating:

A lost prospective
Lavish But Remarkably Superficial
Ahead of its time
Classic B&W
Razors Edge

The Razor's Edge
Starring: Tyrone Power , Gene Tierney , John Payne , Anne Baxter , and Clifton Webb
Director: Edmund Goulding
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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Leave Her to Heaven
Laura (Fox Film Noir)
The Razor's Edge [Region 99]
Whirlpool (Fox Film Noir)
Nightmare Alley (Fox Film Noir)

ASIN: B0007PALVQ
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Amazon.com

The Somerset Maugham novel should be read by everybody at a certain age (say, early twenties), and this 1946 movie adaptation of The Razor's Edge stays faithful to the book's questing spirit. Despite its apparently uncommercial storyline, it was a pet project of Fox honcho Darryl F. Zanuck, who saw the spiritual journey of Larry Darrell (Tyrone Power) as an "adventure" movie. Power, who was newly returned to Hollywood after his military service in World War I, does his most soul-searching work as the WWI vet who needs to find something in life deeper than money and conformity. The search takes him away from fiancee Gene Tierney and her skeptical uncle Clifton Webb and into Parisian streets and Himalayan mountain ranges. Herbert Marshall deftly plays the role of "Somerset Maugham," the observing author, and Anne Baxter picked up the supporting actress Oscar for her brassy turn as a floozy. The picture has the careful, glossy look of the studio system's peak years (you can sense Zanuck "classing it up" and squeezing the life out of it), and Edmund Goulding's tasteful approach is hardly the way to dig deep into the soul of man. If it seems a little staid today, its square sincerity nevertheless holds up well--and it just looks so fabulous. The really amazing thing about the movie is that it was made at all. A 1984 remake, with Bill Murray, is an extremely weird variation on the material. --Robert Horton

Description

Narrated by on-screen observer Maugham (Herbert Marshall), this intriguing tale centers on a soul-searching World War I veteran (Tyrone Power) who finds he can not settle back into the world of the upper class. Shunning his planned marriage and career, he travels abroad to seek the meaning of life and career, he travels abroad to seek the meaning of life and causes his distraght fiancee (GeneTierney) to seek solace with another man (John Payne).

Customer Reviews:

A lost prospective.......2007-06-10

This movie echo's the foundation of my life. The main character of the movie (who seeks his true purpose in life) is me just before I found my true purpose in life. Not enough people can relate to this sort of thing; but if you can, you are fortunate indeed. We all have a purpose in life, but few of us realize it. If you can relate to the main character -then this movie relates to you. What is the purpose of this movie? Is it to entertain, or to set us upon the right track? There is something wrong in society when most of the people who write movies today are philosophizers of mostly infantile or vile humor, horrible scenes of violence, or other evidence of disconnection. This film should redistribute a not too stagnant sense of awareness within those who merit it. I am a philosopher and writer of aphorisms (thematic verse) whose work can be found at (...).

Lavish But Remarkably Superficial.......2007-06-02

The author of numerous novels, plays, and short stories, W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was considered among the world's great authors during his lifetime, and although his reputation has faded over the years his work continues to command critical respect and a large reading public. Published in 1944, THE RAZOR'S EDGE is the tale of a World War I veteran whose search for spiritual enlightment flies in the face of shallow western values. It was Maugham's last major novel--and it was immensely popular. Given that the novel's conflicts are internalized spiritual and philosophical issues, it was also an extremely odd choice for a film version--but Darryl F. Zannuck of 20th Century Fox fell in love with the book and snapped up the screen rights shortly after publication.

According to film lore, THE RAZOR'S EDGE was to be directed by the legendary George Cukor from a screenplay by Maugham himself--and it does seem that Maugham wrote an adaptation. When the film went into production, however, Cukor was replaced by Edmund Goulding, a director less known for artistic touch than a workman-like manner, and the Maugham script was replaced with one by Lamar Trotti, the author of such memorable screenplays as THE OXBOW INCIDENT. Tyrone Power, recently returned from military service during World War II, was cast as the spiritually conflicted Larry Darrell; Gene Tierney, one of the great beauties of her era, was cast as socialite Isabell Bradley. The supporting cast was particularly notable, including Herbert Marshall, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb, Lucille Watson, and Elsa Lanchester. Both budget and shooting schedule were lavish, and when the film debuted in 1946 it was greatly admired by public and critics alike.

But time has a way of putting things into perspective. Seen today, THE RAZOR'S EDGE is indeed a beautifully produced film--but that aside the absolute best one can say for it is that it acheives a fairly consistent mediocrity. As in most cases, the major problem is the script. Although it is reasonably close to Maugham's novel in terms of plot, it is noticeably off the mark in terms of character and it completely fails to capture the fundamental issues that drive the story. We are told that Larry is in search of enlightenment; we are told that he receives it; we are told he acts on it--but in spite of the occasional and largely superficial comment we are never really told anything about the spiritual, artistic, philosophical, and intellectual processes behind any of it. We are most particularly never told anything significant about the nature of the enlightenment itself. It has the effect of cutting off the story at its knees.

We are left with the shell of Maugham's plot, which centers on the relationship between Larry and Isabell, a woman Larry loves but leaves due to the growing ideological riff that opens up between them. Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney were more noted for physical beauty than talent, but both could turn in good performances when they received solid directorial and script support. Unfortunately, that does not happen here; they are extremely one-note and Power is greatly miscast to boot. Fortunately, the supporting cast is quite good, with Herbert Marshall, Clifton Webb, and Lucille Watson particularly so; the then-famous performance by Anne Baxter, however, has not worn as well as one would hope.

With a running time of just under two and a half hours, the film also feels unnecessarily long. There is seemingly endless cocktail party-type banter, and indeed the entire India sequence (which reads as faintly hilarious) would have been better cut entirely--an odd situation, for this is the very sequence intended as the crux of the entire film. Regardless of the specific scene, it all just seems to go on and on to no actual point.

As for the DVD itself, the film has not been remastered, but the print is extremely good, and while the bonus package isn't particularly memorable neither is noticeably poor. When all is said and done, I give THE RAZOR'S EDGE three stars for production values and everyone's willingness to take on the material--but frankly, this a film best left Power and Tierney fans, who will enjoy it for the sake of the stars, and those whose ideas about spiritual enlightment are as vague as the film itself.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Ahead of its time.......2007-05-08

Not trying to be biased here "but" this movie is awesome. It really has portrayed my life and hit home. I became totally engulfed in this movie as I had questions going unanswered in my life. Studying Buddha and his teachings have helped me a lot. 5 star movie in my opinion, a must see for someone with unanswered questions in their lives.

Classic B&W.......2007-03-09

This is a classic B&W film. It is also closest to the novel and in advice to use in life. I give it 5 stars for being true to the novel and the great job done when you stop and think about when this motion picture was made.

Razors Edge.......2007-03-09

Everyone knows the movie, it appears on TV often. The DVD I got from Amazon is AAA+ quality.

Studio Classics - Best Picture Collection (Sunrise / How Green Was My Valley / Gentleman's Agreement / All About Eve)

Average customer rating:

Great movies
Collection does not overlap the other Best Picture collections
Hollywood masterpieces
Very good value -- even if you own a couple already!
Clever Packaging!

Studio Classics - Best Picture Collection (Sunrise / How Green Was My Valley / Gentleman's Agreement / All About Eve)
Starring: Bette Davis , Anne Baxter , George Sanders , Celeste Holm , and Gary Merrill
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz , Elia Kazan , and John Ford
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Classics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Best Picture Oscar Collection (18-Pack)
Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)
The Conformist (Extended Edition)
Preston Sturges - The Filmmaker Collection (Sullivan's Travels/The Lady Eve/The Palm Beach Story/Hail the Conquering Hero/The Great McGinty/Christmas in July/The Great Moment)
Pandora's Box - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B0000AINLS
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Amazon.com

Sunrise (1927)
There are those who rate Sunrise the greatest of all silent films. Then again, some consider it the finest film from any era. Such claims invite a backlash, but do yourself a favor and give it a look. At the very least, you'll know you've seen a movie of extraordinary visual beauty and emotional purity. This universal tale of a farm couple's journey from country to city and back again was the first American film for F.W. Murnau, the German director of Nosferatu and The Last Laugh whose everyday scenes seemed haunted by phantoms and whose most extravagant visions never lost touch with reality. Hollywood afforded him the technical resources to unleash his imagination, and in turn he opened up the power of camera movement and composition for a generation of American filmmakers. You'll never forget the walk in the swamp, the ripples on the lake, the trolley ride from forest to metropolis. This movie defines the cinema. --Richard T. Jameson

How Green Was My Valley (1941)
John Ford's beautiful, heartfelt drama about a close-knit family of Welsh coal miners is one of the greatest films of Hollywood's golden age--a gentle masterpiece that beat Citizen Kane in the Best Picture race for the 1941 Academy Awards. The picture also won Oscars for Best Director (Ford), Best Supporting Actor (Donald Crisp), Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography; all of those awards were richly deserved, even if they came at the expense of Kane and Orson Welles. Based on the novel by Richard Llewellyn, the film focuses its eventful story on 10-year-old Huw (Roddy McDowall), youngest of seven children to Mr. and Mrs. Morgan (Donald Crisp, Sarah Allgood), a hardy couple who've seen the best and worst of times in their South Wales mining town. They're facing one of the worst times as Mr. Morgan refuses to join a miners union whose members have begun a long-term strike. Family tensions grow and Huw must learn many of life's harsher lessons under the tutelage of the local preacher (Walter Pidgeon), who has fallen in love with Huw's sister (Maureen O'Hara). As various crises are confronted and devastating losses endured, How Green Was My Valley unfolds as a rich, moving portrait of family strength and integrity. It's also a nod to a simpler, more innocent time--and to the preciousness of memory and the inevitable passage from youth to adulthood. An all-time classic, not to be missed. --Jeff Shannon

Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
Elia Kazan directed this sometimes powerful study of anti-Semitism in nicer circles, based on Laura Z. Hobson's post-World War II novel. Gregory Peck is a hotshot magazine writer who has been blind to the problem; to ferret it out, he passes himself off as Jewish and watches the WASPs squirm. Seen a half-century later, the attitudes seem quaint and dated: Could it really have been like this? Yet the truth of the story comes through, in the wounded dignity of John Garfield, the upright indignation of Peck, and the hidden ways bigotry and hatred can poison relationships. That's particularly true in the Oscar-winning performance of Celeste Holm, who finds more layers than you'd expect in what seems like a stock character. --Marshall Fine

All About Eve (1950)
Showered with Oscars, this wonderfully bitchy (and witty) comedy written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz concerns an aging theater star (Bette Davis) whose life is being supplanted by a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing ingenue (Anne Baxter) whom she helped. This is a film for a viewer to take in like a box of chocolates, packed with scene-for-scene delights that make the entire story even better than it really is. The film also gives deviously talented actors such as George Sanders and Thelma Ritter a chance to speak dazzling lines; Davis bites into her role and never lets go. A classic from Mankiewicz, a legendary screenwriter and the brilliant director of A Letter to Three Wives, The Barefoot Contessa, and Sleuth. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Great movies.......2007-05-11

I was looking for All About Eve, but I ended up three othet great movies. What a wonderful bonus

Collection does not overlap the other Best Picture collections.......2007-02-03

These are four of the eight Best Picture winners produced by Fox Film Corporation, the others being "Cavalcade", "Sound of Music", "Patton", and "The French Connection". I'll give a brief run down on my opinion of each film:

Sunrise (1927) - Winner of "Best Artistic Picture" of 1927-8, this is actually NOT a best picture winner in the strict sense. That film would be "Wings". However, this is a much better movie. The whole picture is a work of art. Director F.W. Murnau actually makes you somewhat sorry that silent pictures are obsolete, and the cinematography has to be seen to be believed. The story is simple - A farmer falls for a woman from the city, almost resorts to killing his wife to be rid of her, comes to his senses, and the man and wife remember why they got married in the first place while having a day of fun in the City. If you don't like artistic pictures, you may not like this one, but it is one of my favorites.

How Green Was My Valley (1941) - The most amazing factoid about this film is that it beat Citizen Kane for Best Picture, and yet today it is relatively forgotten compared to that film. The film is pretty good though. It is about a Welsh family and the impact of how their green lush Welsh valley is ruined by mining at the turn of the twentieth century. John Ford directs.

Gentleman's Agreement (1947) - One of the first "socially relevant" films to win Best Picture. Gregory Peck pretends to be Jewish to collect material for a story on being Jewish in America. The message is powerful, but there are some distracting subplots going on - most notably Peck and his relationship with his sick mother, and Peck's romance with Dorothy McGuire that rings hollow.

All About Eve (1950) - This is a great one. Powerful acting by everyone. Just when you think there is nobody more evil than Anne Baxter's Eve Harrington, along comes George Sander's Addison DeWitt and kicks her to the curb in that category. Then there's the wonderful Bette Davis as aging star Margo Channing. This role reinvigorated Davis' career, which had been on a downward slide for a few years.

In summary you get two great Best Pictures - Sunrise and All About Eve, and two good Best Pictures - How Green was My Valley and Gentleman's Agreement, all for a reasonable price that does not overlap with other Best Picture boxed sets and DVD bundles. I recommend it.

Hollywood masterpieces.......2007-01-16

I have been trying for over a year to obtain a copy of Sunrise. I had seen the film about two years ago on the Turner Classical Movies channel and it had a profound impact on me. The characters were so human and modern in their behavior. And, although certain directors of the 20's seemed to like advancing the plot or time element through superimposing one frame over another and it could be annoying and confusing, in this film it was a fascinating technique to watch. This is a film in which you can get totally engrossed. The story is timeless and poignant. I am so glad this film was included with the "talkie" best picture films (which, it goes without saying are among the superior films of the 30's and 40's).

Very good value -- even if you own a couple already!.......2005-07-01

I have to take issue with "Moviefanatic", who objected to having no lower-cost, 'Sunrise'-only alternative to this set.

I could see his point if they were charging a premium price for the set, but they're not. The cost of this 4-film set is less, for example, than for the 1-disk Criterion edition of 'The Passion of Joan of Arc', or the Kino or Image Entertainment versions of 'Intolerance'. (To say nothing of other silent masterpieces, like 'The Crowd', which have never received DVD release.)

If it helps, you can think of the other three films as bonus filler items. They are all worthy pictures. 'How Green Was My Valley' is often called sentimental, and in some ways it is, but it is a dark, sad movie, and one of Ford's best. 'Gentleman's Agreement' is the weakest film here, a sincere and well-intentioned attack on American anti-Semitism, but rather talky and slow. If it doesn't represent Kazan's best work, it still stands up as historically important. 'All About Eve' was for years the film with the most Oscar nominations (14); it too is talky, but with dialogue this memorable, talky is in this case a good thing.

But the big attraction of this set is 'Sunrise'. Technically, you could argue 'Sunrise' is out of place here, as is not exactly a "Best Picture" Oscar-winner. In the first year of the Academy Awards, 1927-28, the award for "Best Production" was split between 'Wings' and 'The Last Command', while 'Sunrise' got the award -- issued that year only -- for "Best Artistic Quality of Production", beating out 'The Crowd' and 'Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness'. (Incidentally, none of those three films were nominated for "Best Production", and 'The Crowd' would have taken the Artistic Quality award if not for an all-night fillibuster by L.B. Mayer.) But this is trivia; both 'Sunrise' and 'The Crowd' are legitimate masterpieces.

I had never heard of 'Chang', but it is available on DVD, from Image Entertainment -- for about the same price as this 4-disk set.

Bottom line: This set features three great movies, one of which is otherwise unavailable, and one good one. The set is a terrific bargain. Case closed; buy it.

Clever Packaging!.......2005-06-06

I have to admit that all of these movies are great. Unfortunately, all of them (except 'Sunrise') have been available in other editions. So what do the lovers of Murnau's masterpiece have to do? In order to get their hands on the cherished bonus, they have to buy three other movies that they have probably watched countless number of times. I have to give credit to this DVD set creators/promoters. This is business sense (shameless and greedy) at its best! And people flock to buy it and give praises. Everybody is happy (or furious)... You decide.

Average customer rating:

...........WW2 Submarine Warfare in the Atlantic [1943]........
Lesser Known, Still Exciting
Crash Dive
stick to the bombs & avoid the kissy scenes
A recruitment drive with a love interest

Crash Dive
Starring: Tyrone Power , Anne Baxter , Dana Andrews , James Gleason , and Dame May Whitty
Director: Archie Mayo
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Combat | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Destination Tokyo
Run Silent, Run Deep
The Enemy Below
The Frogmen
The Hunters

ASIN: B0001NBMGC
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Description

En route to submarine duty in Washington, naval officer Lt. Stewart (Tyrone Power) meets the enchanting Jean Hewitt (Anne Baxter). He begins a whirlwind courtship, unaware she is already engaged to the commander (Dana Andrews) under whom he is about to serve. Just when both men learn they are in love with the same woman, they are forced to work closely on a dangerous commando raid against Nazi tankers.

Customer Reviews:

...........WW2 Submarine Warfare in the Atlantic [1943]...............2007-06-11

.....Here's WW2 Hollywood at its best....try to remember it's 1943; not nowaday...Tyrone Power-Dana Andrews-Anne Baxter-Jimmy Gleason-Minor Watson and Dame May Whitty, comprise a solid cast to put this film over...this Navy flick hit the mark as you left the theatre thinking we ARE going to WIN this war afterall...1943 was a pivotal war year for the USA...this movie is discussed pretty well by other critics in here, so be it...I could find no fault with the beautiful/primary technicolor [never better print] or the predictable screen/play...if any scene captured my fancy...it was the perfect train/Mayflower hotel scene[s] with the slick/glib Tyrone Power on the make for the enticingly, beautiful Anne Baxter who had a penchant for sexiness with her clothes on...now that is an accomplished actress...catch her in another movie ten years later, "Carnival Story" and you tell me if she is sultry/captivating or what??...you won't be disappointed in this DVD...it's America at its wartime BEST!!.....SSGT CHRIS SARNO-USMC FMF

Lesser Known, Still Exciting.......2007-06-01

Perhaps because it is not so well known, I found this WW2 sub film intriguing from the git-go and recommend it highly to all submarine enthusiasts. Like most such films, it is weak on technical information but that's pretty much the way it goes, and still I recommend it highly.

Crash Dive.......2007-01-15

Received in the time promised. Have not viewed this DVD yet but I am sure it will meet my expectations.

stick to the bombs & avoid the kissy scenes.......2006-08-03

a ww2 potboiler with the classic love triangle where the 2 best friends both love the same gal, highlighted by some excellent battle sequences wherein the crew of a single submarine manages to sneak into a secret nazi base and blow up an entire fleet. the progenitor of movies like "guns of navarone", its a fun watch when they keep it to the war.

A recruitment drive with a love interest.......2006-01-31

Lt. Ward Stewart (Tyrone Power) is in love with PT boasts he can drop depth charges on sneaky German U-boats that use lifeboats as ship bait. His Uncle Adm. Bob Stewart (Minor Watson) needs an exec on a U.S. Sub and talks him into doing his duty.

Meanwhile the sub commander Dewey Connors (Dana Andrews) is waiting for one more stripe so he can be worthy of popping the question of marriage to his girl, Jean Hewlett (Anne Baxter, `Nefretiri' in "The Ten Commandments" (1956).)

You guessed it while Dewey is away Bob discovers Jean and beats him to the question. Jean says sure; she just forgot to tell ether of the men about the other.

One of the interesting things about this movie is that instead of good guy - bad guy, both officers are good guys and it takes both personalities to accomplish the missions.

They do go out of their way to make the Germans sneaky and do extraordinary feats with their sub and commandos.

Average customer rating:

O'Henry Brought To Life
O Henry's Best
O Henry on Film
Great Classic
Great Gift

O Henry's Full House
Starring: Fred Allen , Anne Baxter , Jeanne Crain , Farley Granger , and Charles Laughton
Director: Jean Negulesco , Howard Hawks , and Henry King
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Literary Classics Collection (Madame Bovary (1949), Captain Horatio Hornblower, The Three Musketeers (1948), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 and 1952 Versions), Billy Budd)
The Heiress (Universal Cinema Classics)
Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection (David Copperfield 1935 / Marie Antoinette 1938 / Pride and Prejudice 1940 / A Tale of Two Cities 1935 / Treasure Island 1934)
Gary Cooper - The Signature Collection (Sergeant York / The Fountainhead / Dallas / Springfield Rifle / The Wreck of the Mary Deare)
TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 1 (Waterloo Bridge 1931 / Baby Face / Red-Headed Woman)

ASIN: B000HT3PPQ
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Amazon.com

O. Henry's Full House is a recently repolished cinema gem, a must for film fans and for those who love the short stories of O. Henry (born William Sidney Porter). This collection features five of O. Henry's tales made into short films, and released in theaters in 1952 as a collection--an experiment in adapting short stories as simple short films, not padded out to theatrical lengths. <img border="0" align=right src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/ohenry-full-house/ohenry4_sm.jpg">The collection features a stable of 20th Century Fox's top contract players, including Anne Baxter, Richard Widmark, Farley Granger, and a dewy-cheeked Marilyn Monroe, and five topnotch directors including Henry Hathaway and Howard Hawks. The five stories include O. Henry's signature tale of grace and selflessness, "The Gift of the Magi," as well as "The Cop and the Anthem" (in which a hobo literally can't get himself arrested); "The Clarion Call" (a noirish crime mystery with loads of side-of-the-mouth cracks, like calling a guy "You clamhead!"); "The Last Leaf" (with a radiant Baxter and Jean Peters); and "The Ransom of Red Chief," a kidnap cautionary tale. The twists that O. Henry's stories are famous for perhaps work better on the page than on film, and yet the acting and production values are so superb the tales are moving and their short lengths are just right.

The extras are another literary treasure trove. The stories are introduced and narrated by none other than a chain-smoking John Steinbeck, whose admiration for O. Henry permeates his speeches. Other features include a commentary by Dr. Jenny Lind Porter, a featurette on the life and writing of O. Henry (every bit as tragic as his most bittersweet fiction), galleries, stills, and two additional shorts from 1927, "Girls" and "Man About Town." --A.T. Hurley

Beyond O. Henry's Full House <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4"> <tr align="center" valign="top" class="tiny"> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0679601228.01._PIlitb-st-arrow,TopLeft,-1,-14_OU01_SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" border="0">
The Best Short Stories of O. Henry</td> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0451522540.01._PIsitb-st-arrow,TopLeft,-1,-14_OU01_AA100_SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" border="0">
Short Stories</td> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00008LDNZ.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" border="0">
Fox "Film Noir" DVD Series</td> </tr> </table>
Stills from O. Henry's Full House (click for larger image) <table border="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" cellspacing="4">

Customer Reviews:

O'Henry Brought To Life.......2007-04-17

As O'Henry's stories are legendary it seems appropriate that a topnotch, legendary cast led by top directors of the time should come together to present these five shorts. Since other reviewers have done a good job of iterating the history and credits for these films, I'll simply add a few personal comments. Some have mentioned the uneven aspects of a couple of these films, mentioning some are stronger than others. To this I say O'Henry wrote in different voices. His stories are each their own, his topics mixed and varied. I suggest the viewer enjoy each story for what it is completely unique from the others. And most wonderfully each story is introduced by John Steinbeck, my favorite most admired American author. What a treat. The extras round everything off very nicely. A terrific DVD.

O Henry's Best.......2007-03-12

If you like O'Henry, then you'll really enjoy this video. Narrated by John Steinbeck and filled with fantastic stars, O'Henry's Full House will take you into a world of life which shows man's ability to overcome any adversity, with a healthy dose of humor thrown in.

O Henry on Film.......2007-01-23

Before I purchased this CD I had last seen it on TV in 1961. I have always considered it a classic and was delighted to see how closely it follows the original stories. The casting and performances are excellent.

Great Classic.......2007-01-13

The O'Henry video collection is very entertaining, offering glimpses of major stars in their early films.

Great Gift.......2007-01-12

I bought this dvd for my mom, it arrived the next day w/Amazon shipping. She loves it. Any old movie buff would enjoy this dvd.

Average customer rating:

blue gardenia
A Bargain
Good Mystery , if Not Great Noir.
Film noir with a touch of femininity and hits of MacCarthyism
Too Saccharine for a Murder Mystery. Too Bland All Around.

The Blue Gardenia
Starring: Anne Baxter , Richard Conte , Ann Sothern , Raymond Burr , and Jeff Donnell
Director: Fritz Lang
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Crime & Criminals | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Film Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Where the Sidewalk Ends (Fox Film Noir)
Fallen Angel (Fox Film Noir)
Whirlpool (Fox Film Noir)
The Dark Corner (Fox Film Noir)
House on Telegraph Hill (Fox Film Noir)

ASIN: B00004RER5
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Amazon.com essential video

With its title inspired by the notorious Black Dahlia murder case, The Blue Gardenia throws a twist into the story by making the mystery woman not the victim but the suspect in a lurid murder case. Anne Baxter, playing a virginal blonde with almost breathless innocence, impulsively accepts a blind date after receiving a "Dear Jane" letter from her boyfriend in Korea. Raymond Burr oozes slime as the lothario who plots his seduction with cynical calculation ("For drinks, Polynesian Pearl Divers, and don't spare the rum!") and the naive Baxter is easy prey, until she fights back against his advances with a fireplace poker and stumbles home. Waking up the next morning with the past evening a veritable blank, she discovers herself the prime suspect in a murder case trumpeted into a sensationalistic headline story by calculating columnist Richard Conte. Fritz Lang transforms the rather conventional low-budget thriller into a paranoid nightmare, his cheap sets and flat backdrops creating a tawdry world peopled by cynics and opportunists preying on the guileless, and Baxter makes every guilt-ridden moment palpable. Like in many film noir thrillers, the pat conclusion seems wholly arbitrary, the product of the Hollywood happy-ending machine. However, Lang's film isn't about the mystery, but the experience of an innocent whose single, desperate transgression turns her world upside down. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Fritz Lang's scathing critique of fifties America's hunger for bloodshed and scandal. Classic Hollywood film noir with a feminine twist, "The Blue Gardenia" stars Anne Baxter (All About Eve) as Norah Larkin, a working girl who wakes up a murderess after passing out in the apartment of brutish playboy Harry Prebble (Raymond Burr). Branded "The Blue Gardenia" by a sensational columnist (Richard Conte), Norah dodges dragnets, informants and the cruel hand of fate as she struggles to conceal her involvement with Prebble and to remember the details of her ill fated night. As her hopes for justice fade, she decides to gamble her future on the journalist who transformed her into such a notorious public figure. Enhancing the melancholy mood of the film is the haunting theme song arranged by Nelson Riddle and performed to perfection by Nat "King" Cole.

Customer Reviews:

blue gardenia.......2006-07-03

I thought this was a fairly good film. The surpise ending was a treat. i particularly enjoyed the performances of Anne Baxter and Anne Sothern

A Bargain.......2006-07-01

This is a minor film noir but has a great performance from Raymond Burr (pre-Perry Mason) as a louse. The rest of the cast put on a good show and is well worth the reduced price from Amazon.

Good Mystery , if Not Great Noir........2006-04-03

"The Blue Gardenia" opens with a plausible plotline: A nice, slightly naïve, working girl (Ann Baxter) goes on a date with a sleazebag (Raymond Burr). In early 50s Hollywood, that's how Burr was cast. This was before the "Perry Mason" series made him so respectable. The jerk gets Baxter drunk on exotic drinks and tries to put the moves on her. To ward him off, she hits RB on the head with a poker-and passes out. The next day, Burr is dead and guess who the main suspect is? Director Fritz Lang uses an old ploy: The audience suspects Baxter is innocent but Anne blacked out and doesn't know what she did! The L.A. cops are looking only for a female murderess known as "The Blue Gardenia", named for the night club Burr took her. An enterprising, oily reporter (Richard Conte) gets involved, looking only for a good headline and to sell papers. He claims to be helping Baxter/the Gardenia but winds up getting her arrested! And then? And then Conte discovers a "certain clue", proving the good girl cannot be the Gardenia! BG winds down to an inevitable 1950s "happy ending". That is the film's major weak point. A second is the rushed resolution. It appears that Warner Brothers was determined to achieve a strict 90 minute run time. Yet a few more minutes at the end might have added some needed spice and tension. Silver and Ward's "Film Noir" opined that BG was shot in 50s b& w Television style, not the standard "noir" format. Other amazon reviewers made the same observation, but this aspect is not fatal. Though it is not truly a noir release, BG is a perfectly decent murder mystery. It has an engaging and offbeat cast! Those who can live with the small amount of aforementioned baggage should still enjoy watching BG.

Film noir with a touch of femininity and hits of MacCarthyism.......2006-02-26

I'm probably biased regarding this film as I love film noir and I love Fritz Lang. I have not yet been disappointed by any of his films! I do recommend this film to those of you who may have the same interests as me or for those who just want to see a well-made thriller of the 1950s.

Fritz Lang is probably best known for his "German Expressionist" films like Metropolis. It must not be forgotten, however, that he had a long and accomplished Hollywood career. The Blue Gardenia came at a time when Fritz Lang had already directed some great film noirs like Scarlet Street, Women in the Window and The Secret Beyond the Door and he was yet to make The Big Heat.

What makes The Blue Gardenia different from other film noirs, is perhaps the weight of the female characters. Although many film noirs have great female portrayals, like the phenomenal Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard, few make the women the lead characters and men only secondary characters. This is, however the case in The Blue Gardenia where we follow closely Norah's sufferings and her two housemates (also female). This adds a notion of feminism as we are horrified by Norah's destiny in the film and the accusations brought against her.

Of course, this film was made in 1953 at the end of the age of MacCarthyism. Fritz Lang himself suffered from suspicions of being communist friendly, but he was never charged or presented before HUAC. Instead he could not find work in Hollywood for a couple of years. In the film, we can catch the atmosphere or suspicion, untrustworthiness, hesitation and slander that was so clearly a part of the witch hunting in Hollywood and in the rest of the US. Can Norah really have committed murder? Who can she trust? Her friends? The journalist Casey Mayo? And is it alright to make accusations and create slanders publicly in a newspaper? These are just some of the questions one could ask once one has seen the film...

It may not be Fritz Lang's best film or the best Film Noir, but it's still worth seeing!

Too Saccharine for a Murder Mystery. Too Bland All Around........2005-09-08

"The Blue Gardenia" is among director Fritz Lang's lesser films. It is often categorized as noir, but is only vaguely so. Adapted from the short story "Gardenia" by Very Caspary, it's more mystery/romance, like Caspary's "Laura", which made a far superior film. The cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca is in high-key style that was coming back into fashion in the 1950s, a major departure from the low-key lighting of the 1940s that became iconic of film noir. "The Blue Gardenia" looks an awful lot like 1950s television, which is alluded to in one bit of dialogue. It's placement during the Korean War and the plethora of post-war gender stereotypes also place this film firmly in the 1950s thematically. Ironically, Fritz Lang made "The Big Heat" the same year, which is solid film noir and perhaps his only truly great American film.

Norah Larkin (Anne Baxter) is a pretty, young switchboard operator with a boyfriend to whom she is devoted stationed in Korea. She cheerfully spends her evenings at home and never dates other men, wishing to remain faithful to her man overseas. But on her birthday, she learns that her boyfriend has fallen in love with another woman. Distraught, Norah impulsively accepts a dinner invitation from artist and infamous lothario Harry Prebble (Raymond Burr). She drinks too much and gets herself right snookered, a situation which Harry tries to take advantage of. Prebble is found dead in his apartment the next day, and Norah can't remember what happened. Confused and afraid, she responds to newspaperman Casey Mayo (Richard Conte) who, looking for an angle, promised his newspaper would provide the murderer with legal assistance in exchange for an exclusive story.

I found the most striking aspect "The Blue Gardenia" to be how much it looks and feels like 1950s television. The concept of characters and gender relations had changed radically from the 1940s by the time this film was released in 1953. The men, exemplified in Harry Prebble and Casey Mayo, are conspicuously charming, egotistical, chauvinistic, predatory, and inexplicably irresistible to the ladies. The women are silly, chatty, and in need of rescuing. No one is interesting, and everyone is shallow. Add to that the cheesy "Blue Gardenia" restaurant , and the film is a little ridiculous. Nat King Cole performs "The Blue Gardenia"'s thoroughly mediocre theme song in the restaurant scene.

The DVD (Image Entertainment 2005): This print has occasional specks and spots, but most of it is clean. There are no bonus features or subtitles.

Average customer rating:

For the eclectic collector
A travesty on every level
City Full Of Lost Girls
The Original "Pulp Fiction"!
Wretched and Delicious

Walk on the Wild Side [Region 99]
Starring: Laurence Harvey , Capucine , Jane Fonda , Anne Baxter , and Barbara Stanwyck
Director: Edward Dmytryk
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

BUtterfield 8
The Loves of Carmen
The Chase [Region 99]
The Heiress (Universal Cinema Classics)
Klute

ASIN: B000127Z6O
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Customer Reviews:

For the eclectic collector.......2007-02-05

I'd rate this 4.2 stars but gave it 5 above to encourage buyers to support DVD manufacturing of smaller, more obscure titles. Consumers need more rarities to continue to surface :)
Interesting film with a young Jane Fonda very effective in a supporting role, she's terrific as the immoral, thieving temptress from Hell. I disagree with a previous Amazon review; Fonda's Southern accent works just fine in the context of the film. Certainly, she was young enough here to portray a just-about-legal sociopath. The film could have used even more of Fonda than the screen-time she has, in my opinion.
Anne Baxter is very interesting and takes chances outside of the comfort zone which many film stars tend to cling to; not all of her choices necessarily work, but she's victorious, overall, and creates a memorable, likeable characterization. Hers, too, is a supporting role, though somewhat larger than Fonda's.
In yet another striking supporting performance in the film, Barbara Stanwyck was years ahead of her time (as is the film) in portraying a lesbian character; she's believable- complex, dangerous, sad, lonely, corrupt, all-the-while dealing with unrequited love as the proprietor of a New Orleans brothel. Ultimately, the film chooses to characterize her as a hardened, "bad" woman due to her sexuality, likely the 'Hayes Code' wouldn't allow 1962 American cimema to show a 'good' lesbian.
The male lead, Laurence Harvey, is sympathetic and the 'hero' of the piece, searching in New Orleans for a lost-love he hopes to find, with Capucine the object of his affection in her not-bad/not-great portrayal of an indifferent woman who is 'kept' by Stanwyck.
Stunningly memorable opening credits with an incredible black cat lurking about, with director Edward Dmytryk actually getting the cat to give a conscious performance (!) taking a 'walk on the wild wide'. Okay, that sounds loopy, but the cat definitely appears aware of being photographed and filmed. An artful, great opening sequence, judge for yourselves :)
Buy it before it goes out of print. A great looking, stylized 'seedy movie' with a lot to appreciate along with its imperfections.
For those who like their DVD collections to be electic, this one's a keeper. The movie-poster-quality photo of Jane Fonda on the dvd cover also is on the disc itself, minus the cat-eyes behind her.
You won't easily find this movie in stores or in the used bins, thank you Amazon! I bought it 13 months ago, then re-watched it this week, and I look forward to revisiting it again in the future.
A final note of possible interest is that actress Joanna Moore, who the following year would give birth to Tatum O'Neal, has a small role in which she has her moments. You can see more than a bit of the late actress in Tatum's current television work, in both looks and performance, she seems to be more-so her mother's, than Ryan's daughter.

A travesty on every level.......2006-03-17

What were they thinking??? This is one of the most poorly cast movies in the history of Hollywood. Laurence Harvey is supposed to be a Texan, but he doesn't look like a cowboy/farmer and can't do the accent. Jane Fonda is supposed to be a 16 year old Texan, but she doesn't look 16 and can't do the accent either. Anne Baxter is supposed to be a Mexican -- yeah, right. And we're supposed to believe that Barbara Stanwyck, with her New York accent, runs a New Orleans Cat House? Puh-leeez!!! There's not one genuine southern accent in the entire film. The story is totally uninvolving, the characters are unbelievable and, except for Baxter, unsympathetic. The direction is all over the place, and the art direction fails to evoke the 1930s. Don't waste your time or money on this misbegotten abortion.

City Full Of Lost Girls.......2005-08-08

Elmer Bernstein's beautiful Jazz theme and Saul Bass' sensuously lyric opening credits set the tone for this tale of Dove Linkhorn and his search for his lost love Hallie Gerard through the tough underbelly of 1930's New Orleans. These opening shots of a back cat prowling through an alley are justifiably considered one of the best credit sequences ever filmed. Cinematically sublime and well worth the viewing.

What follows is a high melodrama set in a brothel called the Doll House, where Dove, Hallie, Kitty and Madame Jo Courtney meet their various tragic ends. As directed by once black listed director Edward Dmytryk "Walk on the Wild Side" is a full-blown old style drama that is chock full of finely tuned old style performances.

Cast against character Laurence Harvey as Dove tackles his roll as a love sick Texas cowboy with more than his usual cool approach. He manages a plausible Texas accent and turns Dove into a man of fire and misguided passion. He makes it believable that he is the kind of guy that the women he meets with the exception of Barbara Stanwyck find it hard to resist. This is no mean feat for the thin aristocratic British actor.

French beauty Capucine seems almost too refined at first to play Hallie the artistic and wounded object of Dove's affection. But as the film progresses she delivers just the right blend of tragedy and pathos of a girl lost in the world of prostitution.

The accomplished Anne Baxter makes her presence known as Teresina Vidaverri the Mexican café owner who helps Dove and along the way also falls for him. Miscast in an age when Hollywood had most major roles of Latinos played by non-Latinos she is tough, tender and manages to be believable in the role.

Jane Fonda appears as the spurned bad girl Kitty. She walks the wild side with abandon and shows her range as an actress in this, one of her early rolls. Sexy, slinky and utterly rotten her Kitty is pure fun as in her desperation for Dove's affections carries the turn of events for him and Hallie to damnation and loss.

When Barbara Stanwyck comes on the screen she steals the picture out from under all concerned as Jo the lesbian Madame who looses her cool over her unrequited passion for Hallie. It is a classic Stanwyck performance full of all the power and history of this great American star. In her speech to Hallie about what love is she shines as s