Cathy O`Donnell

Average customer rating:

Ben- Hur
Ben-Hur
Loved it!
Ben-Hur Collector's Edition
The Chariots of Challenge

Ben-Hur (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Charlton Heston , Jack Hawkins , Haya Harareet , Stephen Boyd , and Hugh Griffith
Director: William Wyler , Christy Cabanne , and Charles Brabin
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Ten Commandments (50th Anniversary Collection)
The Robe
Lawrence of Arabia (Limited Edition) [Region 99]
Gone with the Wind (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)
The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B0009UZG1O
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Amazon.com essential video

Ben-Hur scooped an unprecedented 11 Academy Awards® in 1959 and, unlike some later rivals, richly deserved every single one. This is epic filmmaking on a scale that had not been seen before and is unlikely ever to be seen again. But it's not just running time or a cast of thousands that makes an epic, it's the subject matter, and here the subject--Prince Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) and his estrangement from old Roman pal Messala (Stephen Boyd)--is rich, detailed, and sensitively handled. Director William Wyler, who had been a junior assistant on MGM's original silent version back in 1925, never sacrifices the human focus of the story in favor of spectacle, and is aided immeasurably by Miklos Rozsa's majestic musical score, arguably the greatest ever written for a Hollywood picture. At four hours it's a long haul (especially given some of the portentous dialogue), but all in all, Ben-Hur is a great movie, best seen on the biggest screen possible. --Mark Walker

Description

The numbers speak volumes: 100,000 costumes, 8,000 extras, 300 sets and a staggering budget in its day the largest in movie history. Ben-Hur's creators made it the best, the greatest Biblical-era epic ever. Charlton Heston brings a muscular physical and moral presence to the role of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman in Palestine whose heroic odyssey includes enslavement by the Romans, a bold escape from an embattled slave galley, vengeance against his tormentors during a furious arena chariot race and fateful encounters with Jesus Christ. Heston's charismatic performance brought him the Best Actor Oscar; the winner as 1959's Best Picture with the legendary William Wyler earning his third Best Director trophy, the film won a total 11 Academy Awards -- a tally unequaled until 1997's Titanic set sail.DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by Film Historian T. Gene Hatcher with Scene Specific Comments from Charlton Heston
Documentaries:New Documentary: Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema - Current filmmakers such as Ridley Scott and George Lucas reflect on the importance and influence of the film 1994 Documentary: Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic Hosted by Christopher Plummer Directed by William Wyler - 1986 Emmy Award-nominated documentary featuring the last interview with Wyler before his death
Featurette:Ben-Hur: A Journey Through Pictures - New audiovisual recreation of the film via stills, storyboards, sketches, music and dialogue
Other:The 1925 Feature-length Silent Version of Ben-Hur with a stereophonic orchestral score by composer Carl Davis. Vintage Newsreels Gallery Highlights from the 1960 Academy Awards Ceremony Theatrical Trailer Gallery
Outtakes:Screen Tests: Leslie Nielsen and Cesare Danova Leslie Nielsen and Yale Wexler George Baker and William Russel Haya Harareet Hair and Make-up Tests

Customer Reviews:

Ben- Hur.......2007-06-13

This is a great movie. Everyone should enjoy this classic.

Ben-Hur.......2007-05-19

Yet another childhood classic. wonderful actors and actresses. Very exciting and a bit emotional.

Loved it!.......2007-05-15

Everything I expected. I love this film and it was wonderful to have it in letterbox and without commercials!

Ben-Hur Collector's Edition.......2007-05-13

Received the DVD earlier than what was expected. The DVD is the best, the four set collector's edition has tons of stuff never seen before.

The Chariots of Challenge.......2007-05-07

The chariot race was always my favorite part of the film. Interestingly enough my grandchildren also enjoyed this part, the challenge between good and evil. The acting, story line, scenery, and characters collectively and individually were inspirting and spiritually motivating. The characters may die but movies like this will never die of interest.

Average customer rating:

These were the Best Years of Our Lives
Thoughtful, touching film
Classic Black & White War Movie
Shame on the Film Makers
The effects of war

The Best Years of Our Lives
Starring: Myrna Loy , Fredric March , Dana Andrews , Teresa Wright , and Virginia Mayo
Director: William Wyler
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Mrs. Miniver
From Here to Eternity [Region 99]
It Happened One Night
The Apartment
All About Eve

ASIN: 0792846133
Release Date: 2000-07-18

Amazon.com essential video

Winner of seven Academy Awards, including best picture, director, actor, and screenplay, William Wyler's brilliant drama about domestic life after World War II remains one of the all-time classics of American cinema. Inspired by a pictorial article about returning soldiers in Life magazine, the story focuses on three war veterans (Fredric March, Dana Andrews, and Harold Russell in unforgettable roles) and their rocky readjustment to civilian life in their Midwestern town of Boone City. Capturing the contradictory moods of America in the mid to late 1940s, this three-hour drama spans a complex range of honest emotions, from joyous celebration and happy reunion to deep-rooted ambivalence and reassessment of personal priorities. A movie milestone when released in 1946, The Best Years of Our Lives still packs a punch with powerful, timeless themes. --Jeff Shannon

Description

It's the hope that sustains the spirit of every GI: the dream of the day when he will finally return home. For three WWII veterans, the day has arrived. But for each man, the dream is about to becomea nightmare. Captain Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) is returning to a loveless marriage; Sergeant Al Stephenson (Fredric March) is a stranger to a family that's grown up without him; and young sailor Homer Parrish (Harold Russell) is tormented by the loss of his hands. Can these three men find the courage to rebuild their world? Or are the best years of their lives a thing of the past? Featuring a brilliant cast that includes Myrna Loy and Virginia Mayo, this postwar classic garnered* seven OscarsÂ(r), including Best Picture. Heart-wrenching, touching and "filled with emotional dynamite" (The Hollywood Reporter), it remains "one of the best films about war veterans ever made" (American Movie Classics). *1946: Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Writing/Screenplay, Film Editing, Music/Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

Customer Reviews:

These were the Best Years of Our Lives.......2007-06-09

What a great movie. The scenes between Fredick March, Myna Loy and Theresa Wright where Theresa told them that they alway had the perfect life and marriage and Myna looks at Fred and say "how many time have I told you that I hated you and meant it?" Then he looks at her and say "how many times did we have to fall in love all over again?" Its so gooood...Harold Russell great actors and deserves the TWO Oscars. Anyone that hasn't seen it really needs to check this one out..

Thoughtful, touching film.......2007-05-07

I love this movie. Though all the actors were excellent, Harold Russell is the reason to watch this movie. He deserved every ounce of his two - yes two - Oscars that he received for this role. He is amazing to watch. Though disabled, it was hard to consider him handicapped. I once used this film in my sunday school class. The lesson was on overcoming adversity and I showed the scene where Russell plays a piano duet with Hoagy Carmichael. The girls in my class were amazed. Then I shared with them some of the other things Russell had accomplished in his life - like being a founder of AMVETS. Russell's off screen story is a story in itself and should be made into a movie. Unfortunately, no actor could convincingly play him. That's the key to the impact he had on the screen - he wasn't an actor - he was a real, disabled person. Watch this movie - you'll be amazed too.

Classic Black & White War Movie.......2007-05-07

This was my father's all time favorite movie, which may be one reason I love it so much....then again, it's a damn good movie that still holds up! It is the story of three soldiers return to civilian life after World War II, with an outstanding cast and a great 40's style.

Shame on the Film Makers.......2007-04-08

I don't see how self-respecting African-Americans can watch this film without gritting their teeth. Black people are shuffled off to the sidelines with stereotypical, non-speaking parts: They lug baggage at the airport. They work behind the drugstore soda counter. They don't say anything, they don't go anywhere important, they don't even exist in the poor part of town where one of the featured white characters lives.

The movie is racist. It ignores what the Black experience was like for soldiers in WWII and for the folks at home who put up with the enduring racism.

And the flick got a zillion Oscars. Hollywood felt good about itself. Hooray. Figures.

The effects of war.......2007-03-31

This story of three men who return to small town America after fighting in the second world war, each man wounded in his own private way by the horrors he's faced, is filled with so many small heartbreaks. I very rarely get choked up watching movies (especially ones made in Hollywood) but this one gets me. Yet somehow it manages to be incredibly hopeful. Gregg Toland's amazing deep focus cinematography fills each frame with visually interesting compositions that demand to be seen more than once to take in everything that's being shown. The performances are uniformly outstanding, keeping the movie from ever straying into sentimentality. With a running time of almost 3 hours, it never drags. Every scene feels essential.

A great film.

Average customer rating:

Ben- Hur
Ben-Hur
Loved it!
Ben-Hur Collector's Edition
The Chariots of Challenge

Ben-Hur
Starring: Charlton Heston , Jack Hawkins , Haya Harareet , Stephen Boyd , and Hugh Griffith
Director: William Wyler
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Ten Commandments (50th Anniversary Collection)
The Robe
Lawrence of Arabia (Limited Edition) [Region 99]
Gone with the Wind (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)
The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000056BP4
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com essential video

Description

After his boyhood friend Messala's fanatic loyalty to Rome makes him a powerful enemy, Judah Ben-Hur is found guilty of an attempted murder he did not commit. His family is banished and he is enslaved on a warship. Through his ferocity in a raging sea battle, he is able to escape and become a horse trainer. To exact his revenge, Ben-Hur decides to compete against Messala in the Roman chariot races. They race, locked in a battle to the death. Barely surviving, Ben-Hur forsakes the sword for Christ and finally finds redemption. Winner of a record 11 Academy Award, including Best Picture and Actor (Charlton Heston).

Customer Reviews:

Ben- Hur.......2007-06-13

This is a great movie. Everyone should enjoy this classic.

Ben-Hur.......2007-05-19

Yet another childhood classic. wonderful actors and actresses. Very exciting and a bit emotional.

Loved it!.......2007-05-15

Everything I expected. I love this film and it was wonderful to have it in letterbox and without commercials!

Ben-Hur Collector's Edition.......2007-05-13

Received the DVD earlier than what was expected. The DVD is the best, the four set collector's edition has tons of stuff never seen before.

The Chariots of Challenge.......2007-05-07

Average customer rating:

Lacks the integrity of the original...
Another Tired Retread
Bothell ROCKS!
Great Laughs
Richard Dreyfuss...THE BEST!

Another Stakeout
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss , Emilio Estevez , Rosie O'Donnell , Dennis Farina , and Marcia Strassman
Director: John Badham
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Stakeout
Men At Work
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Bird on a Wire
Three Fugitives

ASIN: B000065V3F
Release Date: 2002-08-13

Description

A comic battle of wills and an outrageous test of endurance ensues when this trio is grudgingly assigned to keep vigil -- as unobtrusively as possible -- in a small, upscale resort community. Pretending to be an average American family on vacation, it's an unlikely domestic arrangement at best. But, like a typical family, they're stuck with one another. Trying to convincingly play house while keeping an eye on the home of their unsuspecting neighbors, this dysfunctional clan of incompatible companions is at one another's throats as they await the appearance of a missing witness for the state's case against a Las Vegas mob boss. And if they'd call a truce for a minute, and get off one another's case, they just might solve this one.

Customer Reviews:

Lacks the integrity of the original..........2005-08-13

...but still good to watch. It's consistently funny and has a reasonable plot but you get the feeling it should have been better. Maybe it's too late to save the series with another movie but it would be great to see Richard Dreyfuss on the big screen again, he really is an under-appreciated and underrated actor.

The main problem with Another Stakeout is that it just isn't as strong as the first film. Sure it was funny and had childish humor but Stakeout had a hard edge that this sequel just doesn't equal. The dropping of the R-rating for a PG-13 might have made economic sense but it betrays fans of the original.

Second is all Another Stakeout has going for it is the endless arguing and fast-talking banter between the 3 characters. There's no perfect mix of smart-mouthing and action. In fact, the action is far too toned down and only really occurs at the very beginning and very end of the film.

And for all the work John Badham has done in the past, the direction is lacklustre and uninventive. With the sole exception of the cat's bum POV shot of course. And he does do a great job with the Pacific Northwest scenery. But enough with the in-jokes. Yes, they are fun but there's too many for a film like this.

If you're a fan of the first you might be disappointed at how diluted Another Stakeout is but you'll still laugh enough for it to be worthwhile and anything with Dennis Farina is always good.

The DVD is in 2.10 anamorphic widescreen (the incorrect aspect ratio) with Dolby 5.1 sound and no extras.

Another Tired Retread.......2004-01-30

"That's it, nobody calls me Ed McMahon!"

- Emilio Estevez saying the funniest line from a rather dry sequel

"Another Stakeout" was six years in the waiting. After the first film, "Stakeout," made a huge splash at the box office in 1987 (the same year another cop-buddy film came out--can you guess which one?), everyone anticipated an unnecessary--but perhaps funny--sequel that would inevitably result after box office earnings were tallied up by film executives in an office somewhere.

Alas, the six years passed, and we got...this mess?

Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez reprise their roles as stakeout cops who get paired with a new partner in this watered-down sequel. The new partner is played by Rosie O'Donnell, who is so startlingly unfunny in this it almost makes you involuntarily switch off the television as soon as you see her chubby face smiling at you.

The story starts with a bang--literally--as a trial witness being protected by the CIA is unsuccessfully assassinated--and by that I mean: They die, she lives. What a surprise. (This is the type of scene where the villain is able to blow up a house but the witness just happens to be taking a stroll outside as it happens--or something like that--preventing her from dying along with the other agents who were previously protecting her. This type of thing was spoofed greatly in the truly underrated "Last Action Hero." It's not a joke in "Another Stakeout.")

Unfortunately for the United States, the trial witness never returns--she runs away and doesn't let anyone know where she is. Afraid she may be in danger, afraid to lose a star witness, and believing that she might try to contact old friends, the gruff chief of police assigns the unlucky trio of Dreyfuss, Estevez and Donnell to watch the her old pals to see if she turns up.

She eventually does, of course, but first we get some painfully unfunny buddy-buddy moments between Dreyfuss and Estevez and O'Donnell. She brings a bunch of clothing and a dog with her. They don't like it. Har-har. This was used a bit better in "Spaceballs," in which Princess Vespa brought along that entire luggage through the desert (remember?). This is just a copy of that scene, minus the punch line.

Estevez also shaves his mustache, which is supposed to be a type of sacred moment and is referenced at least ten times throughout the film (he goes to stroke his mustache, he complains about chopping it off, Dreyfuss complains about it, etc.). But for heaven's sake, he's only been in one film so far--we've only seen the mustache once--so a better thing to do would have been this: make a few more sequels and, when the last entry comes, have him shave it off. By then the audience realizes that his mustache is part of him, and that losing it is like losing part of his soul.

But I'm glad they didn't make any more than one sequel.

One of the things that kept the "Lethal Weapon" franchise going was the fresh ideas, fresh buddies, and fresh scripts. (Great actors never hurt an action comedy, either.) The "Stakeout" franchise--which didn't even last long enough to spawn more than one sequel--tries to copy this formula but isn't sure how. The introduction of Joe Pesci in "Lethal Weapon 2" was great because he thereby became the Third Stooge, whereas O'Donnell's entry into the series is nothing but a humiliating reminder that talk show hosts can't always act in front of a camera and maintain the same type of humor they may (or may not) exhibit on their (awful) TV "talk show." (Which is, by the way, consumed of entirely staged so-called "interviews.")

And whereas Pesci, as Leo Getz, added a type of silly vibe to the "LW" series, O'Donnell just seems like a carbon copy clone of Estevez from the first "Stakeout." Dreyfuss didn't like him at first, and--guess what--they suddenly became best buds. The same thing happens in the sequel, much to the audience's chagrin.

Of course, "Lethal Weapon" and its sequels were never more than a few years apart (the first coming out in 1989, two years after the original). But "Stakeout" had six years to make a respectable sequel, and it fails. It fails the same way that many prolonged sequels do. But, for once, it's not because the audience has forgotten the original film--it's because the audience is fed up with the same routine.

The film was directed by John Badham, which is surprising, since he's a talented director ("Saturday Night Fever," "The Hard Way," "Stakeout"). Here he jumps through all the hoops, turning his own series into a pale retread of the original--only watered down: minus the violence, language, nudity, and humor. I'm not saying a movie has to be R to be funny. But if you've got a sequel to an R-rated movie like "Stakeout" and you decide to turn its sequel into a cutesy-tutesy children's entertainment program, you'd better advise the audience before they sit down expecting something funny and fresh.

What a disappointment.

Bothell ROCKS!.......2003-11-24

I can't believe someone feels just like me about Richard, and the ambiance and relaxation value of "Another Stakeout". It all works from Las Vegas to the end, even the Stickley furniture. The comedic relationship between the three actors and the script is perfection!

Great Laughs.......2003-03-02

One of my all time favorite comedies. I agree that it is much more enjoyable than the first STAKEOUT and I recommend this movie to anyone who needs a good laugh.

Richard Dreyfuss...THE BEST!.......2003-01-06

The first reviewer obviously has a problem relaxing with a good humored, fun, well-acted movie with lines well written. It's a kick to just kick back and relax as the movie unfolds. It's the chemistry baby, of the three actors, scenery, set design, writer's workmanship and a plot thick enough to tie it all together. There's too little to relax and chuckle with these days...enjoy and relax. Cheryl, I agree, it totally beats "Stakeout".

Average customer rating:

Usual great stuff from Mann and Stewart
A tale of anguish and vengeance...
Powerful western
Solid Stewart western
man from nowhere

The Man From Laramie
Starring: James Stewart , Arthur Kennedy , Donald Crisp , Cathy O'Donnell , and Alex Nicol
Director: Anthony Mann
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Far Country
Winchester '73
Bend Of The River
The Naked Spur
Night Passage

ASIN: B000031EGW
Release Date: 2000-02-15

Amazon.com

Only John Ford excelled Anthony Mann as a purveyor of eye-filling Western imagery, and Mann's best films are second to no one's when it comes to the fusion of dynamic action, rugged landscapes, and fierce psychological intensity. The Man from Laramie is the last of five remarkable Westerns the director made with James Stewart (starting with Winchester '73 and peaking with The Naked Spur). This collaboration marked virtually a whole new career for Stewart, whose characters are all haunted by the past and driven by obsession--here, to find whoever set his cavalry-officer brother in the path of warlike Indians.

The Man from Laramie aspires to an epic grandeur beyond its predecessors. It's the only one in CinemaScope, and Stewart's personal quest is subsumed in a larger drama--nothing less than a sagebrush version of King Lear, with a range baron on the verge of blindness (Donald Crisp), his weak and therefore vicious son (Alex Nicol), and another, apparently more solid "son," his Edmund-like foreman (Arthur Kennedy). There are a few too many subsidiary characters, and the reach for thematic complexity occasionally diminishes the impact. But no one will ever forget the scene on the salt flats between Nicol and Stewart--climaxing in the single most shocking act of violence in '50s cinema--or the final, mountaintop confrontation.

For decades, the film has been seen only in washed-out, pan-and-scan videos, with the characters playing visual hopscotch from one panel of the original composition to another. It's great to have this glorious DVD--razor-sharp, fully saturated (or as saturated as '50s Eastmancolor could be), and breathtaking in its CinemaScope sweep. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

Usual great stuff from Mann and Stewart.......2006-11-21

Director Anthony Mann and star James Stewart made a great combination. I always found their westerns together reached a part of me that other westerns didn't reach. Along with Bend of the River, Winchester '73 etc, this is top-notch stuff, not necessarily heavy on action, but with a lot of heart.

The rest of a really great cast includes Donald Crisp, Arthur Kennedy and Aline MacMahon.

A tale of anguish and vengeance..........2006-11-08

Some of the best Westerns of the fifties were those directed by Anthony Mann and John Ford, straightforward and unpretentious, but each with an interesting approach to the requirements of the genre... Mann's films were the more prestigious, usually featuring James Stewart who, with John Wayne, was the fifties' biggest box-office draw... "The Man From Laramie" best known because of the Frankie Laine theme strong which accompanied it, is notable for (among other things) Alex Nicol's extraordinary projection of sadism, an element which dominated the best of Mann's movies... The motion picture was to be the last of the Mann-Stewart Westerns...

Stewart is cast as a wagon handler from Laramie, Wyoming, but is, really, an army officer out to avenge the death of his younger brother, a U.S. Cavalryman, massacred by the Apaches who were buying guns from unknown persons... It is these persons that Stewart is looking for..

Soon Stewart gets involved in an area of New Mexico which is ruled by the iron hand of a cattle baron Donald Crisp, a strong authoritarian "who can't live with a lie"... Crisp's one weakness is his love and care for his spoiled son, Alex Nicol...

Wild but feeble, yet vicious, Nicol - with extraordinary projection of sadism - accosts Stewart in several confrontations in which (among other outrages) Stewart is dragged through fire by horses, and has his hand held tight while Alex puts a bullet through it... Mann proceeds in this mood throughout the movie, growing even more sadistic...

Arthur Kennedy, a hard-working heavy, plays the adopted son of Crisp... He is a son in disguise, jealous of Alex, pretending to be his brother's ally and protector...

A lot of good supporting actors are cast including Cathy O'Donnell, the fragile beauty who has little to do but await patiently for an opportunity; Aline MacMahon, the fine 'ugly' woman who never leaves the old man, and Jack Elam who tries to knife James Stewart in the back...

Anthony Mann adopted an altogether tougher approach to Western mythology than John Ford... His obsessive, neurotic characters and his emphasis on violence foretell the work of Peckinpah, Leone and Eastwood...

Filmed in Technicolor, "The Man From Laramie" is a Western with new touches of brutality touching off the wide screen spectacle...

Powerful western.......2006-09-02

This ambitious western concerns a corrupt landowning family (the Waggomans) who finally disintegrate when an outsider, Will Lockhart (James Stewart in his best role for Mann), is drawn into its closed world.

Mann's dramatic presentation, here as in most of his 50s westerns, is Shakesperian in its power and intensity. Mann's widescreen compositions of the 50s are among the best uses of that then fresh format when people were still exploring its possibilities. His landscapes create a superbly configured canvas against which the conflicts are played out.

Donald Crisp is the family patriarch (going blind in more than just a physical sense) who is preoccupied with dynastic succession. His natural son (Alex Nicol) is a psychopath who, early in the film, overturns and brutally burns Stewart's trading wagons, shoots his mules and has him roped and dragged through the dirt, all in a pitiful bid to assert his authority in front of his men. In a later incident, he shoots Stewart's hand at point blank range, as if castrating him (a violent and potent sequence). Crisp's foreman and surrogate son (Arthur Kennedy in a fine performance) feigns worthiness but plots to usurp the succession and betray his father-surrogate.

Stewart as catalyst and protagonist, fulfils his own quest for justice and revenge with an obsession/pathology bordering on madness. Strong stuff!

Solid Stewart western.......2005-09-12

The collaboration of director Anthony Mann and the righteous Jimmy Stewart again provided the ingredients for a successful movie. Filmed against the sprawling picturesque terrain of New Mexico, the movie tells the tale of Will Lockhart, a loner and ex-Army man who is now delivering freight via wagon train.

He winds up in the town of Coronado on the border of Apache territory, in part looking for the party responsible for the death of his younger brother. He was killed in an Apache massacre with rifles illegally supplied to them by an unknown arms dealer.

The town is under control of Alec Waggoman, a cattle baron played by Donald Crisp. Stewart soon runs afoul of Crisp's ill tempered son Dave played by Alex Nichol coming into conflict with the family who own the huge Barb ranch. Ranch foreman and filial figure to Crisp, Arthur Kennedy playing Vic Hansbro, is also the guardian of Nichol, keeping him out of harms way.

Stewart manages to upset the Waggoman family dynamic as he pursues the answers to his brothers death as well as trying to keep the Apaches at bay. With help from two local women the elderly Aline MacMahon playing tough rancher Kate Canady and Cathy O'Donnell playing Crisp's niece Barbara, Stewart eventually gains the trust of Crisp.

man from nowhere.......2005-06-18

Lochart (James Stewart) was told that the salt was free for the taking But then he was caught stealing the salt by the son of the cattle baron who actually owend the land and most of that town,so the son wanted to teach Lochart a lesson in front of his sidekicks that how tough he is,so he burned the wagons and shot his mules.But the baron when found out wants to compromise with Lochart as he saw in his vision that a man will come one day and kill his no good and only son,but (JIMMY STEWART ) SAYS I NEVER OWENED AN ACRE OF LAND -NEVER WANTED TO AND YOU COULD'NT LIVE WITH AN ACRE LESS THAN YOU GOT-WHERE DO WE BEND. jimmy stewart gave a very powerful performance in this movie "again" as always.I cant forget and i still remember the scene where jimmy stewart was pinned down by few and the barons son shoots him in the palm of his gun hand.A very memorable movie which leaves the lasting impression on the viewers. The credit goes to the people who made this movie bringing it to big screen the struggle, hardship and tough life earlier pioneers faced to shape United States what it is today and for todays generations to injoy and live a better life.legacy of western movies must continue.It is a lesson in History and a way of life.

Average customer rating:

Great vehicle for Kirk Douglas' acting talents
Great Movie
Wyler's picture never gives the impression on of being a filmed play...
A Man Who Cannot Live with His Own Morals.
Sheila!

Detective Story (1951)
Starring: Kirk Douglas , Eleanor Parker , William Bendix , Cathy O'Donnell , and George Macready
Director: William Wyler
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Where the Sidewalk Ends (Fox Film Noir)
Kiss of Death (Fox Film Noir)
The Dark Corner (Fox Film Noir)
Fallen Angel (Fox Film Noir)
Whirlpool (Fox Film Noir)

ASIN: B000ANVPUG
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Product Description

An embittered cop leads a precinct of characters in their grim battle with the city's lowlife while wife Parker suffers from neglect. Based on Sydney Kingsley's Broadway play, this seminal movie was a prototype for everything from "Hill Street Blues" to "NYPD Blue." Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best Director, Best Actress--Eleanor Parker, Best Screenplay.

Customer Reviews:

Great vehicle for Kirk Douglas' acting talents.......2007-03-15

Kirk Douglas has always excelled in roles where he plays the maverick loner, walking the fine line between anger and insanity. Thus his role as Det. Jim McLeod in "Detective Story" is a real showcase for his acting talents. This is not a crime drama in the conventional sense where there is any real action or crime to solve, even though you have a room full of New York City police detectives on screen for just about the whole movie. Instead it is a character study of Jim McLeod, played by Kirk Douglas. McLeod's motivation in his work is not to solve crimes or even protect the innocent. Instead, he is motivated by a desire to root out evil by his definition of the word. Evil is something McLeod claims that anyone can easily spot. McLeod's world view doesn't differentiate between the one-time bad act of a basically good person, such as Arthur Kindred (Craig Hill), a young man who impulsively stole from his employer in a last ditch attempt to impress a girl he believed he loved, versus the misdeeds of a lifetime criminal, such as the homicidal maniac Charlie (Arthur Kindred), that has also been apprehended by the detective squad that same day.

When confronted by a mistake in the past of the person nearest to him, his own wife, McLeod is equally unforgiving. His rage and disgust is so great, you're not sure what bothers him more - the discovery of his wife's past or the failure of his own nose to sniff out the misdeed prior to this. By the time McLeod realizes his own inflexibility and lack of empathy have cost him what he loves the most, it is too late to undo the damage, and this leads to one last tragedy.

This is Douglas in perhaps his finest if not most huggable role, and is recommended viewing for that reason alone. William Bendix makes up for the lack of likeabilty in Douglas' character as Detective Lou Brady, who likes to temper the letter of the law with a little humanity. Then there's a very young Lee Grant as a shoplifter who just can't stop babbling. Finally, there's Horace McMahon as Lieutenant Monaghan, head of the detective squad and the kind of boss we'd all like to have. There are no extras included on this DVD.

Great Movie.......2007-01-06

Kirk Douglas as usual is very powerful. All the actors are exceptional!
There is great angst,drama and humor in this movie.
Powerful movie and subject matter.
My favorite scene is when Elenor Parker tells her husband she is leaving him because..... Watch it and see for yourself!!
Great, great, movie.

Wyler's picture never gives the impression on of being a filmed play..........2006-12-26

Adapted from a Broadway play, "Detective Story" is in the Grand Hotel genre; two of the New York actors here made their film debuts--Joseph Wiseman, as the insane, homicidal burglar, and Lee Grant, as the gay and spirited Brooklynese shoplifter...

"Detective Story" is not so much a tale of detection but a focusing on the life and character of just one detective, James McLeod (Kirk Douglas).

McLeod is no ordinary detective, he is a fanatic, dedicated to the law and excessively brutal in dealing with criminals... He is particularly upset about abortionists, and it gradually becomes apparent that this is a psychological block in his mind... Some tragic happening in his past has caused him to look upon abortionists in a pathological light, and the abortionist in this film, played by George Macready with his patent brand of quiet, sinister refinement, has a hard time in the hands of McLeod...

The abortion angle of the original play was taken to the screen, partly because of censorship, and partly because the close-up, immediacy of the camera requires rage to be clearly more explained than on the stage...

Therefore, the film abortionist is also the manipulator of an adoption ring and a farm for unwed mothers... Whenever he appears at the precinct the abortionist is accompanied by his lawyer, although he might also have hired a bodyguard, since the fist-swinging McLeod is not above encircling his suspects...

As the story progresses, the reasons for McLeod's vicious temper and his hatred for crime are revealed as deriving from his love-hate attitude toward his father, a man of crooked tendencies... His mania makes life hard for his gentle wife Mary (Eleanor Parker) to whom he is nevertheless greatly attached...

Detective McLeod is understandably shattered when he discovers that his wife was once herself the subject of an abortion, and that the man who performed the illegal operation was the abortionist now at his mercy, Karl Schneider (George Macready).

"Detective Story" is light on plot line but rich in its different cast of characters... It is, in fact, a series of character studies, one major and many minor...

Kirk Douglas carries the burden of McLeod and makes the tormented policeman painfully believable--it is almost a nonstop, swirling performance... Around him Wyler arranges an expert team of actors: William Bendix as a tough but warm-hearted veteran cop; Horace McMahon as the precinct lieutenant who tolerates the frenzy of McLeod because he realizes he is doing his job honest1y and well; Eleanor Parker as the wife, driven to near-distraction by her husband; and several weirdly amusing criminal types, of whom those played by Wiseman and Lee Grant are shining examples, all of them moving through the dirty, oppressive atmosphere of a police station on any given work day...

A Man Who Cannot Live with His Own Morals........2006-09-12

There is an irony in the title of Sidney Kingsley's play "Detective Story", written for the screen by Philip Yordan and Robert Wyler. It sounds like a story of a detective pounding his beat, visiting crime scenes and tracking down criminals on the mean streets. In fact, the action takes place within the confines of the 21st Precinct Police Headquarters in New York City. And its ideas are within the mind of Detective Jim McLeod (Kirk Douglas), a self-righteous, uncompromising cop who appoints himself both judge and jury to law-breakers. "Evil's got a smell of its own. A child could spot it," he says. He's been persecuting an abortionist, Karl Schneider (George Macready), for a year, and Schneider has agreed to surrender himself to police custody. But his lawyer (Warner Anderson) wants assurances from Police Lieutenant Monahan (Horace McMahon) that his client will not be physically harmed. And the lawyer accuses McLeod of having personal, not professional, reasons for hounding Schneider. "Your moral indignation is beginning to give me a quick pain in the neck!," Monahan complains, hoping that McLeod will restrain himself.

The single set and the constant dialogue make "Detective Story" feel a bit too much like a play for my taste. But this is a formidable performance from Kirk Douglas. It's the most memorable role I've seen him in. The main conflict that will eventually place McLeod in a torturous position is the case of the abortionist. But other criminal cases that come into focus during breaks in the main storyline serve to illuminate McLeod's character. A nervous woman who has been arrested for shoplifting (Lee Grant) provides a periodic amusing distraction and respite from the film's intense emotions. The wonderful character actor William Bendix is Lou Brody, McLeod's partner of opposite temperament. Eleanor Parker is a warm, elegant presence as McLeod's wife Mary. McLeod's black-and-white world view has been the torment of many accused criminals, and now it becomes the confine from which McLeod himself cannot escape. "Detective Story" is a psychological drama and morality play that is neither original or surprising, but it is well-conceived and powerfully brought to life by a superb cast. There are no bonus features on the Paramount 2005 DVD. Subtitles are available in English, dubbing in French.

Sheila!.......2006-08-17

I was glad when this movie became available. I saw Detective Story more then once on AMC about ten years ago. Kirk Douglas is a hard nosed detective, he crosses the line without regret. But he discovers a secret that puts an to his personal life. His wife made a mistake a few years before he married her. He turned on her in the same way without compassion. His behavior resulted in his wife walking away. In the end he wanted forgiveness, but it was too late. This movie is worth watching. They don't make movies like this anymore. I guess I'm one of those people who lives in the past.

They Live by Night / Side Street (Film Noir Double Feature)

Average customer rating:

They Live by Night / Side Street (Film Noir Double Feature)
Starring: Cathy O'Donnell , Farley Granger , Howard Da Silva , Jay C. Flippen , and Helen Craig
Director: Nicholas Ray , and Anthony Mann
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Where Danger Lives / Tension (Film Noir Double Feature)
Act of Violence / Mystery Street (Film Noir Double Feature)
The Woman in the Window (MGM Film Noir)
Illegal / The Big Steal (Film Noir Double Feature)
Crime Wave / Decoy (Film Noir Double Feature)

ASIN: B000PKG7CU
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Film Noir Double Feature, Vol. 2: The Chase/Bury Me Dead

Average customer rating:

A special favorite of mine...
This is a critique, not a synopsis...
Entertaining Noirs; Awful DVD edition
One Excellent Noir, One Good Noir, But Poor Quality Video and Audio
"The Leader in Film Noir, B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Enertainment ~ The Chase & Bury Me Dead"

Film Noir Double Feature, Vol. 2: The Chase/Bury Me Dead
Starring: Robert Cummings , Michèle Morgan , Steve Cochran , Lloyd Corrigan , and Jack Holt
Director: Arthur Ripley , and Bernard Vorhaus
Manufacturer: VCI
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Scar/The Limping Man
The Crooked Way
Fallen Angel (Fox Film Noir)
Where the Sidewalk Ends (Fox Film Noir)
Cover Up

ASIN: B0002F6BI8
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Customer Reviews:

A special favorite of mine..........2007-03-25

It has a convoluted plot which leaves a number of questions unanswered but if you don't mind dreamy, impressionistic films The Chase may be for you. I found it an outstanding (though atypical) example of the noir style and hard to forget. As explained in the DVD notes, this VCI edition is probably the best quality possible given the flawed source print. The 2nd film on this double feature disc, Bury Me Dead, is a so-so "comedy noir" featuring June Lockhart and Hugh Beaumont. My rating applies only to The Chase with no deduction for the substandard video/audio which apparently can't be helped.

This is a critique, not a synopsis..........2006-04-01

VCI's offering of The Chase is, as I understand, a superior transfer of this little known title. They have remastered the copy from the best surviving prints. There is a notice at the outset of the movie describing the techniques, materials, and film stock used for the restoration. It is well packaged, and includes a nicely printed liner booklet. All of this attention to detail begs just one question. Why bother?

Although initially excited about seeing a movie that had escaped my orbit, the enthusiasm quickly waned by the end of the first reel. The characters in this movie are not simply "underdeveloped," they're non-existant. We know or learn very little about these people until the very end, and consequently care nothing about them. Bob Cummings, a fine actor whose career and accomplishments are widely unknown and vastly underrated, portrays the WWII veteran, Chuck Scott. Clearly uncomfortable with the material, Cummings acts as though he's having a tooth pulled throughout the movie. Peter Lorre's character, Gino, is constructed with all the acumen of taking a Bentley to the McDonalds drive-thru, so poorly developed and written are his scenes and dialogue. Steve Cochran's Eddie Roman is acceptable only in that he actually has fewer lines than his hench-man, Lorre does. Michele Morgan's Lorna Roman, is unappealing and unbelievable as the thick-tongued French-immigrant gangster's moll.

The story, or lack thereof is a hodge-podge so randomly executed we must simply accept a new set of circumstances and rules with each scene. Speaking of rules, as in the "rules of filmmaking and storytelling", this movie breaks far too many to be taken seriously. Our suspension of disbelief is violated instantly, and throughout the entire film. The plot leads us from one point to another as though we are in posession of the the shooting script. During the final reel, the filmmakers try to convince us that everything we have witnessed has been a dream or hallucination. Chuck's delusion, or the explanation of said event, is a perfect example of a broken rule. His experiences within this delusion are taking place parallel to, and concurrent with actions, characters, and events apart from his own. It is presented as though the screenwriter and director didn't want to bother with annoying trivialities like continuity. We are deprived of an ultimate confrontation and conclusion to the affairs, with the gangster's demise played out in a contrived fate that would be more appropriate in a hackneyed weekly serial...which is apparently all the time that was required to explain the actual plot of this movie.

In keeping with the tone of the film, the liner notes and synopsis are a collection of uninformative vacuous thoughts and platitudes as nebulous and poorly conceived as the movie itself. The "author" reminds us that Michele Morgan received the Best Actress award for Symphonie Pastorale, at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, as though the two performances had some relationship. However, he fails to mention that Ms Morgan had washed her hands of Hollywood after filming The Chase, returning to Paris for good. He also claims, "one way to suggest a dream-like atmosphere is to soften the glow or exaggerate the contrast and color, like the often ambiguous and dreamy paintings of Maxwell Parrish." Huh...???!!! I don't know who Maxwell Parrish is, but famed American Illustrator, Maxfield Parrish painted colorful fantasy art, and nursery rhymes. He also informs us that throughout cinematic history, filmmakers have been unable to successfully produce dream-like movies. Apparently, somebody forgot to mention this to Val Lewton and Jacques Tournneur. Obviously, the author is as confused about film history as he is about art history.

There are a few dark shots and set-ups in The Chase, with the most effective lighting, photography, and settings taking place inside Roman's estate. However, this is not some "little gem" of a film-noir classic. It is a disjointed, poorly written and badly told story on all levels. The only surprise here is seeing Cummings, Lorre, and Morgan, agreeing to act in this amateurish effort. Who knows, maybe the best stuff was left on the cutting room floor. It had all of the elements "on paper"... Likeable WWII veteran, mobster and beautiful unhappy wife, Peter Lorre as a heavy...

Now imagine Edward D. Wood Jr. writing and directing it, and you have, The Chase.

Entertaining Noirs; Awful DVD edition.......2006-03-04

Of the two films on this DVD, "The Chase" is the one really worth watching. It boasts a great cast (boyish Robert Cummings, French star Michele Morgan, and the unique Peter Lorre) and an interesting, dreamlike narrative adapted from a Cornell Woolrich novel.
"Bury Me Dead" starts off well, with a woman attending her own funeral, but, despite cinematography by the great John Alton, the film then becomes a rather conventional whodunit with a surprising amount of wisecracks thrown in and no star appeal.
As for the DVD, the sound and image are terrible in both cases. I almost gave up when I first tried to watch them, but "The Chase" was interesting enough to make me glad I purchased this, especially since it seems unlikely either film will merit a "Criterion Collection"-style release. The DVD also includes numerous extras, but be warned that the image and sound are downright awful.

One Excellent Noir, One Good Noir, But Poor Quality Video and Audio.......2006-03-03

The Chase: In Hollywood, directors get the credit. With The Chase, a strange, fascinating, neurotic noir, the credit should go to one of the masters of noir pulp fiction, the writer Cornell Woolrich. Like Phantom Lady, another Woolrich creation, the story centers around what might be struggling to get out of a person's head.

Woolrich wrote masterful pulp using his own name or the pseudonyms William Irish or George Hopley. He was a homosexual who loathed himself. He married a girl he idolized and saw the marriage annulled. Despite the money he made, he lived most of his life with his mother in decaying New York apartment buildings where his neighbors were lushes, prostitutes and drug addicts. At night, he'd troll the waterfront for anonymous sex partners. He became a deep alcoholic. And he turned out a stream of mystery novels and short stories that still are worth reading nearly 40 years after his death. Much of his material has been made into movies. If you like Hitchcock's Rear Window, you're watching a Cornell Woolrich short story. More often than not, the stories revolve around the black struggles that can happen inside a person's head. The Chase, based on Woolrich's The Black Path of Fear, is a noir worth watching.

One morning a down-and-out young man, Chuck Scott (Robert Cummings), finds a wallet on a Miami sidewalk. He finds the owner's name and address and delivers it to him. The owner, Eddie Roman (Steve Cochran), is a soft-spoken gangster with a penchant for hitting women, eliminating business competitors and for always being the man in control. His partner, Gino (Peter Lorre), who grew up with him, is just as ruthless and amoral, but not as psychopathic. Roman has been married three years to Lorna (Michelle Morgan), a beautiful, frightened woman who wants only to escape from him. Eddie Roman is amused by Chuck Scott's honesty and hires him as a chauffeur. Scott quickly learns two things. First, Roman has a car that is built so that from the back seat Roman can take over the accelerator. When he flips a switch he can move the car up to over 100 miles an hour. The driver can only steer and pray. The second thing Scott learns is that he is drawn to Lorna Roman.

It all comes together when Scott agrees to flee with Lorna to Havana. And then we descend into a dark swirl of murder, pay back, amnesia and fear. Half way through the movie we find ourselves in a paranoid dream of night-time Havana, of a horse-drawn carriage that rides off into a busy street, of a man glimpsed throwing a knife in a crowded bar, of a Cuban detective who casually uses a murder knife to spear a piece of melon from the table of a sobbing prostitute. Only later do we learn what is dream and what is real. If what was dream is frightening, what is real may turn out to be worse.

This really is an excellently developed story, and photographed with all the poorly lit streets and shadowy rooms a good noir needs. Cummings does a credible job as the uncertain but determined hero. Steve Cochran is first-rate as the menace. He's quiet, even thoughtful, but ready to do violent and unpredictable things in an instant. He has no intention of letting Lorna go. Lloyd Corrigan, a long time character actor, makes a memorable appearance as a businessman who won't sell his ships to Roman. He spends the rest of his life, which is brief, in Roman's wine cellar with a large dog. The music score is a strange dreamy underlay that suits the movie just fine.

Bury Me Dead: A woman in black takes a taxi to a cemetery one afternoon. She's going to attend the funeral of a person she knew quite well...herself. Barbara Carlin (June Lockhart) is a wealthy, self assured young woman who lives in a large mansion with stables and servants. She has a handsome and unreliable husband, Rod (Mark Daniels), and a troubled younger sister, Rusty (Cathy O'Donnell), who technically isn't a sister since Barbara's father never got around to adopting Rusty before he died. One night there was a terrible fire which destroyed the stables. The corpse which was found burned beyond recognition was assumed to be Barbara. On the way back from the funeral she hitches a ride with the family lawyer, the fussy, dutiful Michael Dunn (Hugh Beaumont), who helps manage Barbara's and Rod's affairs. As those around Barbara realize she is still alive, through a series of flashbacks we learn about the tense relationship between Barbara and Rusty, the likelihood of a divorce between Barbara and Rod, and Rod's relationship with the money-hungry girlfriend of a boxer who is as thick in the head as he is in the shoulders. As we learn more, we realize that Barbara is in danger as the real killer moves closer to rectifying the mistake when the wrong woman was murdered.

This is a classic B noir made on the cheap by a low-budget production house with B level actors. Cathy O'Donnell may have gotten off to a great start with The Best Years of Our Lives, but when she married an older man and infuriated Sam Goldwyn, she found herself in movies like this. June Lockhart at 22 gives a remarkably assured performance as a smart, rich woman who has a wry sense of humor and a realistic way of looking at things. "Perhaps I'm being a bit morbid," Barbara says to Michael and Rod. "Funerals always depress me. Especially my own." Also to be admired are two character actors who never made star names for themselves, but who appeared in dozens of movies. There's Virginia Farmer, a tall prune of a woman, who plays the housekeeper, and Milton Farmer as the butler, who played many a mortician.

Bury Me Dead is a noir with a light touch, full of sharp, comic dialogue with a morbid twist. The end of the movie, when the killer is revealed and begins a cat-and-mouse game in the silent mansion with Barbara, builds a competent amount of suspense. Is the movie good? It is if you accept the charm of second-billed B movies on the double feature marquees of movie theaters in the Forties. The killer, for instance, is not too difficult to spot if you enjoy red herrings, B list casting and the conventions of low budget noirs. Accept it for what it is and enjoy an hour at the movies.

These movies are part of a double bill on a VCI disc called Film Noir Double Feature. Both movies lack a lot, with fuzzy, grainy images and noticeable static on the audio.

"The Leader in Film Noir, B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Enertainment ~ The Chase & Bury Me Dead".......2005-12-13

VCI Entertainment presents Classic Film Noir Double Feature Vol. 2.... "The Chase" (1946) and "Bury Me Dead" (1947) (Dolby digitally remastered)...featuring top performances by actors to die for from the '40s and '50s with outstanding drama and screenplays...from little known films that will leave you intrigued with all the suspense...so pop some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the movie.

First up we have "The Chase" (1946) (86 min. B/W)...under director Arthur D. Ripley, producer Seymour Nebenzal, associate producer Eugene Frenke, with original story by Cornell Woolrich (novel: "The Black Path of Fear") and Philip Yordan...the cast includes Robert Cummings (Chuck Scott), Michele Morgan (Lorna Roman), Steve Cochran (Eddie Roman), Peter Lorre (Gino), Jack Holt (Cmdr. Davidson), Don Wilson (Fats)...our story opens with Cummings finding a wallet on the street...after eating a meal with part of the money, returns it to the rightful owner Steve Cochran who is a menacing and very sadistic mobster...Cochran who is a control freak has another sick person on his payroll Mr. Peter Lorre...now enters Cochran's wife Michele Morgan, who's unhappily married to him and looking for a way out with Bob Cummings leading the way...will they make it or be caught like rats in a trap...is this chase real or will the "The Chase" begin all over again, who can tell........special footnote, actor Robert Cummings was known for his comedy and eternally youthful looks (which he attributed to a strict vitamin and health-food diet), became a popular leading man in light comedies and achieved several of his own television series "The Bob Cummings Show", Bob Collins (1955-1959) aka Love That Bob (USA: rerun title)...(1961) TV Series .... Bob Carson aka (The New Bob Cummings Show)..."My Living Doll" (1964) another TV Series as Dr. Robert McDonald (1964-1965)...all were in the top shows to watch during the '50s and '60s.

BIOS:
1. Bob Cummings (aka: Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings)
Birth Date: 6/10/1908 - Joplin, Missouri
Died: 12/02/1990 - Woodland Hills, California

BONUS FEATURES:
1. Commentaries by Jay Fenton (Film Restoration Consultant)
2. Scene Selections
3. Bios & Filmographies
4. Film Noir Movie Poster Gallery
5. Film Noir Trailers
6. Noirish Superman Cartoon "Showdown" (1942)
- the man of steel takes on gangsters.

Second on the double bill is "Bury Me Dead" (1947) (68 min. B/W)....under director Bernard Vorhaus, producer Charles Reisner, with original story by Irene Winston (radio play), Dwight V. Babcock and Karen DeWolf....the cast includes June Lockhart (Barbara Carlin), Hugh Beaumont (Michael Dunn), Cathy O'Donnell (Rusty), Mark Daniels (Rod Carlin), greg McClure (George Mandley), Milton Parsons (Jeffers, the Butler), John Dehner (Reporter), Peggie Castle (bit part)...our story opens with a burning stable and a body being carried out to the ambulance...is this the body of June Lockhart who is very well to do in society and has a nice bank account...during the burial and dark figure in a veil asks for a ride from Hugh Beaumont and to everyones surprise it's Miss Lockhart...now who do you suppose they buried...Mark Daniels is the husband and a prime suspect through the entire film...Cathy O'Donnell the little sister of Lockhart wants everything she can't have and thinks for world is against her...many flashbacks have the answer, can you guess who the real culprit is before the final scene...if you're into film noir you'll need to add this to your collection........special footnote, actress June Lockhart made her screen debut in "A Christmas Carol" (1938) with her parents actors Gene Lockhart and Kathleen Lockhart, smooth transition from movies to TV by starring in "Lassie" (1954) and "Lost In Space" (1965), a cult favorite among many Sci-Fi fans........here's a great deal of entertainment here for all the film noir fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features like this one.

BIOS:
1. June Lockhart
Birth Date: 6/25/1925 - New York, New York
Died: Still Living

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the "The Chase" (1946) and "Bury Me Dead" (1947), digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '40s and '50s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with a top notch "Classic Film Noir" that only VCI Entertainment (King of the Serials) can deliver...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 153 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment 8396 ~ (8/31/2004)

Average customer rating:

Ben- Hur
Ben-Hur
Loved it!
Ben-Hur Collector's Edition
The Chariots of Challenge

Ben Hur (1959)
Starring: Charlton Heston , Jack Hawkins , Haya Harareet , Stephen Boyd , and Hugh Griffith
Director: William Wyler
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

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Hawkins, Jack | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Heston, Charlton | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Jaffe, Sam | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Longdon, Terence | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lyons, Cliff | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

O'Donnell, Cathy | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

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The Ten Commandments (50th Anniversary Collection)
The Robe
Lawrence of Arabia (Limited Edition) [Region 99]
Gone with the Wind (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)
The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: 6303961592
Release Date: 1996-09-10

Amazon.com essential video

William Wyler (Wuthering Heights) had directing duties on most of this 1959 version of the story by Lew Wallace, starring Charlton Heston as the Jewish friend of a Roman (Stephen Boyd), who inevitably become enemies during the time of Christ. Stodgy but engrossing, the film has never lost its initial value as an ambitious and entertaining historical epic. Heston looks at home against the broad canvas, which leads through days of slavery, loss, and triumph. Andrew Marton directed the climactic chariot-race scene, a triumph of kinetic action and great editing. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Ben- Hur.......2007-06-13

This is a great movie. Everyone should enjoy this classic.

Ben-Hur.......2007-05-19

Yet another childhood classic. wonderful actors and actresses. Very exciting and a bit emotional.

Loved it!.......2007-05-15

Everything I expected. I love this film and it was wonderful to have it in letterbox and without commercials!

Ben-Hur Collector's Edition.......2007-05-13

Received the DVD earlier than what was expected. The DVD is the best, the four set collector's edition has tons of stuff never seen before.

The Chariots of Challenge.......2007-05-07

Average customer rating:

These were the Best Years of Our Lives
Thoughtful, touching film
Classic Black & White War Movie
Shame on the Film Makers
The effects of war

Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Starring: Myrna Loy , Fredric March , Dana Andrews , Teresa Wright , and Virginia Mayo
Director: William Wyler
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Adams, Dorothy | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Andrews, Dana | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Beddoe, Don | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Bohnen, Roman | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Carmichael, Hoagy | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Cochran, Steve | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Collins, Ray | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

George, Gladys | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Halton, Charles | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Loy, Myrna | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

O'Donnell, Cathy | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Russell, Harold | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Teal, Ray | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Wright, Teresa | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

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Mrs. Miniver
From Here to Eternity [Region 99]
It Happened One Night
The Apartment
All About Eve

ASIN: 6302226899
Release Date: 1994-12-09

Amazon.com essential video