Claudette Colbert

So Proudly We Hail (Universal Cinema Classics)

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Tragic chapter of World War II with the angels of mercy.
Army Nurses in WW2
God is not an American.
Magnificent Action and Thrills
A Movie That Makes You "Proud"

So Proudly We Hail (Universal Cinema Classics)
Starring: Claudette Colbert , Veronica Lake , and Paulette Goddard
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Unconquered (Universal Cinema Classics)
Ball of Fire
No Man of Her Own (Universal Cinema Classics)
World War II Collection, Vol. 2 - Heroes Fight for Freedom (36 Hours / Air Force / Command Decision / Hell to Eternity / The Hill / Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo)
Tyrone Power: The Swashbuckler Box Set (Blood and Sand / Son of Fury / The Black Rose / Prince of Foxes / The Captain from Castile)

ASIN: B000N3T0FU
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Customer Reviews:

Tragic chapter of World War II with the angels of mercy........2007-06-16

This is the finest film telling of our Navy nurses' great sacrifices in the South Pacific, specifically Bataan and Corregidor. Paramount gave us a perfect cast for what could have been just another propaganda film. (Though calling a film that was anti-Japanese a "propaganda film" makes no sense whatever.) Claudette Colbert, as always, leads the cast, with wonderful support from Paulette Goddard and Veronica Lake. You have never seen Paulette more charming, and the surprise of this film is using George Reeves as Claudette's love interest. Guess what? He's excellent!
How did his career get so sidetracked? You will find this film exciting, suspenseful and heartbreaking. Bring a hankie.

Army Nurses in WW2.......2007-02-18

This is a movie made during WW2 (1943) as a boost to morale to the folks back home. It is the story of a group of Army Nurses in the Philippines and Corregidor who care for the wounded men from Bataan. Lots of interplay between the nurses and the wounded. Shows the stress these brave women were under during this time. Very good performances from Claudette Colbert, Veronica Lake, and Paulette Goddard. George Reeves (Superman) shows off his acting talents. Overall a very good film.

God is not an American........2005-10-19

But propaganda can be entertaining. Hey, there was a war going on & it wasn't close to being over when So Proudly We Hail was made. I doubt that many of the army nurses looked like Veronica Lake, even in grubby fatigues. This is a homage to those brave ladies. They were all volunteers. We didn't draft women.
This is definitely Claudette Colbert's vehicle. She is Lt. Janet Davidson & is in charge of eight other nurses includung Lake & Paulette Goodard as Lt. Joan O'Doul. George Reeves is the leading man as Lt. John Summer and you realize that this movie has far too many Lieutenants. He and Lt. Janet fall in love. Sunny Tufts is "Kansas", an enlisted man, the comic relief & love interest of Lt. Joan. They are all on a ship from Frisco bound for Pearl Harbor. It is December 7, 1941 & suddenly they can't go there. Stunned, the convoy wanders around a bit, gets attacked by the enemy & Christmas is spent at sea. They finally get orders & proceeded to Bataan, in the Philippines. The Battling Bastards of Bataan become the battling orphans in this movie. The nurses serve with great distinction & courage under battlefield conditions. Lots of special effects, as the hospital, ships & various vehicles are blown up. Janet & John are hot to consummate so they get married just before he is sent out on a mission behind enemy lines. Janet & the other nurses are evacuated before he returns. The movie is fine but it's preachy. Our cause is righteous, the enemy is brutal & God is on our side was hammered home every 15 minutes or so in case the audience forgot that we were at war. The sermons were ittitating but then you have to consider the times. A war movie with beautiful woman is a good movie.

Magnificent Action and Thrills.......2005-06-15

If they are bringing THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY to DVD finally, then maybe it's time to unravel the complications surrounding this film and feature it on DVD. SO PROUDLY WE HAIL is one of the greatest of all war movies, and because it is told from a woman's point of view (so to speak, it still had a male director in the person of Mark Sandrich) it is sometimes ridiculed and derided, usually by armchair critics who should walk a mile in a nurse's shoes before daring to denigrate her bravery under fire.

Claudette Colbert plays Janet Davidson. An unusual choice for a nurse, Colbert eschews most of her usual glamor (except for the San Francisco embarkation) and really gives herself to the part. Colbert is often good when she has to play against strong women, and here Sandrich surrounds her with a gallery of independent types, the way Francois Ozon made Catherine Deneueve shine in the recent 8 1/2 WOMEN. Janet is a born leader even though she can only be photographed on one side of her face, which somewhat limits her utilitarian duty during battle scenes. Even covered with grime and jungle grease, Colbert still can turn heads, and when she meets George Reeves, the sparks ignite, hot enough to burn Corregidor down to the ground.

Veronica Lake plays up her dark side playing Lieutenant D'Arcy, a time bomb just waiting to explode. Often seen as soignee and bewitching, with that cute fringe of hair playing peekaboo with her eyes, Lake here is going for a Cornell Woolrich-style vengeance against the Japanese. If Tarantino had made KILL BILL in the 1940s Lake would have beat Uma Thurman in the role easily. She's hotter than a pistol and she's Ms. 45.

Paulette Goddard has, I think, the most challenging role and I agree with other reviewers who say this is Goddard's best part. While Colbert and Lake really just occupy the same acting space throughout the movie, Goddard's character has to change, so that viewers watch her mature from a fly by night flapper with only men on her mind, to a woman with a heart who lives to help others, not just impress them with her oomph. It's harder than it looks to walk that line, but Goddard pulls it off without a whimper. Often cast as the sexpot pure and simple, or the gold-digging mantrap she apparently was in real life, Goddard is entirely persuasive in her role, and like Lake, she's a natural at action scenes. I want her to be my nurse. Her romance with "Kansas" is kind of cute too.

All in all, an underrated movie with the kind of plot that screws in deeper and deeper, unbearably tight, like DAS BOOT, except set in the Pacific.

A Movie That Makes You "Proud".......2005-04-30

"So Proudly We Hail" was made in 1943 and because I'm far too young I can only wonder what was the public's reaction to WW2 at this point in time. If Americans were starting to lose patience with the war then this movie could really lift your spirits and make you feel proud about what the men AND women were doing over seas. If people were patient with the war then it serves as a reminder for the hard work that lies ahead and how we SHOULD NOT become impatient. Either way you could say "So Proudly We Hail" is a piece of American propaganda (And I don't mean that as in insult) in the same vein as a Frank Capra film. But because of this some people may disregard it. I'm hear to write to you and tell you "So Proudly We Hail" is really a very entertaining emotion picture. What makes all the more amazing for me is to consider that Mark Sandrich directed it! I've always thought of Sandrich as a director of musicals. He directed several films with Fred Astair and Giner Rogers: "Carefree" and "Top Hat" and also films without Ginger Rogers like "Holiday Inn". He also directed two Bert Wheeler\Robert Woolsey comedies: "Hips, Hips, Hooray" and "Cockeyed Cavaliers". I never would have guessed he would have been capable of directing a movie with the scope of this one.

"So Proudly We Hail" is based on a true story about eight nurses and their contribution to the war. The has an incredible cast including Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard (Both giving perhaps their best performances) and Veronica Lake (Also doing amazing work).

At times the movie made me think of "Mrs. Miniver" and "Since You Went Away" (Also with Colbert). It's one of those great wartime movies. I strongly recommend if anyone gets the chance to see this movie they take advantage of it. It's well worth your time.

Bottom-line: One of the great WW2 movies comparable to "Mrs. Miniver" and "Since You Went Away". Has great battle scenes and some very moving performances. I don't think I've ever seen Colbert and Goddard better.

Imitation of Life (Two Movie Collection) 1934/1959

Average customer rating:

Imitation of Life
NO IMITATION
IMITATION OF LIFE
Imitation Of Life
Two phenominal depictions of success, sorrow, self delial, and ultimatly, love.

Imitation of Life (Two Movie Collection) 1934/1959
Starring: Lana Turner , John Gavin , Sandra Dee , Susan Kohner , and Robert Alda
Director: Douglas Sirk , and John M. Stahl
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Lady Sings the Blues
Pinky
Claudine (1974)
Sparkle
Peyton Place

ASIN: B0000WN0NW
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Amazon.com

<B>Imitation of Life (1959)</B>
The last film in Hollywood of director Douglas Sirk (Written on the Wind), the 1959 Imitation of Life--an adaptation of Fannie Hurst's novel--is an endlessly fascinating film that speaks volumes about the American journey toward materialism and the racial tensions that are inseparable from it. Lana Turner plays a white single mother and aspiring actress who takes in a black housekeeper (Juanita Moore) and her daughter (played by an adolescent Susan Kohner), the latter so light-skinned she passes for white. As the years pass and success mounts for Turner, Moore also becomes more comfortable but her status as a domestic never changes. Meanwhile, Kohner's character, chafing against social constraints, rebels at every opportunity and throws a wrench into the perfect order Sirk chillingly captures through the precise, architectural design of his images. On one hand a '50s weepie and on the other a daring allegory, Imitation of Life is an unusual masterpiece. --Tom Keogh

Description

<B>Imitation of Life (1934)</B><BR> In this Academy Award-nominated Best Picture, Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers are superb as two women with young daughters who build a fortune together. But success doesn't save them from sorrow with the passing years. <P> Delilah's light-skinned teenager rejects her mother and her race, while Bea must choose between the man she loves and the daughter who loves him, too. Now all of them will pay the price of love in this spellbinding classic. <P> <B>Imitation of Life (1959)</B><BR> Lana Turner heads the outstanding cast with Juanita Moore in the second screen version of this emotionally-charged story about two widows and their troubled daughters. <P> Lora's search for success causes her to neglect her daughter, while Annie's daughter rejects her culture by trying to pass for white. As the years pass, each of the four women realizes that she has been living out an emotionally fruitless existence.

Customer Reviews:

Imitation of Life.......2007-06-21

Great movie! However, I was disappointed in the way the DVD was marketed. I expected the DVD to actually include both films--one with Claudette Colbert (1934) and one with Lena Turner (1959). The DVD is only of the 1959 film. That is the reason for the low rating.

NO IMITATION.......2007-05-29

This film is most certainly not an imitation of moviemaking. In my view
it's a masterpiece ! Douglas Sirk made it his finest work he had ever done
during 1959 for Hollywood. I was 17 years old when I first gazed upon this
wonderful production and was instantly moved by the atmosphere, the camera
direction, the settings, the gowns and jewelry. Especially the music by
Frank Skinner which can be heard almost constantly throughout the movie is giving the audience a very warm feeling of belonging ..
All the actors are giving the best of their acting abilities. Lana Turner is absolutely lovely to look at and is giving one of her finest performances of her carreer. In looks John Gavin matches her beauty easily. The mature daughter roles are mediocre and I think that Sandra Dee misses the ability for strong dramatic acting. The most outstanding
performance was delivered by Juanita Moore. She should have won an Oscar for her role of Annie, but as far as I know she was not welcome on this
ceremonie because racism was still a big issue during that time.
I'm 65 now and has seen this film many times and every time it catches me
from start to finish. Don't miss this movie or your life maybe an imitation after all !

Max Wolper Amsterdam (The Netherlands)

IMITATION OF LIFE.......2007-05-14

This film is a true classic,cover's racial predjudice from all side' as well as a feel good film.Gives a true uunderstanding of what it was like and unfortunatly still today what it is like to be classed as a minority.All the actor's portray very convincing roles. I strongly recomend the film.

Imitation Of Life.......2007-05-13

Not as good as when i first saw it in the late 60's.But a certain tear jerker.

Two phenominal depictions of success, sorrow, self delial, and ultimatly, love. .......2007-04-07

I originally purchased this 2 DVD set for the 1959 Lana Turner /Juanita Moore second screen version which it includes. I was captivated by the emotional storyline, and especially Juanita Moore's presence. A highlight in the film is a Mahalia Jackson singing "Trouble of the World."

After Viewing the 1959 version, I was pleasently surprised to find that the 1934 Claudette Colbert / Louise Beavers version included in this set is even more captivating. While the basic plotline is the same, the characters are a bit more down to earth, and therefore more relatable to most people. There is also a better love story in this version. It is easy to see why it was Acadamy Award nominated for Best Picture.

Having both of these films to choose from is a wonderful option in DVD viewing. The reason I docked it a star, is because I initialy found it difficult to decipher which film was on which side of the DVD, since it was written in such tiny print around the center ring, and so I had to flip the DVD The first couple of times I watched it, until I figured it out. Of course, that could just be me.

Average customer rating:

It Happened One Night
Classic Capra - with Clark Gable in a down-to-earth role
The Orignial Runaway Bride
great
It Happened One Night.

It Happened One Night
Starring: Clark Gable , Claudette Colbert , Walter Connolly , Roscoe Karns , and Jameson Thomas
Director: Frank Capra
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Philadelphia Story
The Best Years of Our Lives
His Girl Friday [Region 99]
Bringing Up Baby (Two-Disc Special Edition)
You Can't Take It With You (1938) (Sub) [Region 99]

ASIN: B000022TSL
Release Date: 1999-12-28

Amazon.com essential video

Director Frank Capra (<I>Mr. Smith Goes to Washington</I>) took home every Oscar in the book (well, okay, all the major ones) for this seminal 1934 comedy starring Clark Gable as a hard-bitten reporter who stays close to a runaway heiress (Claudette Colbert) rather than lose a good story. Funny and sexy, the film is full of memorable scenes often referred to in other films, such as the "walls of Jericho" (a mere bedcover hung on a line down the middle of a room so opposite-sex roommates can get undressed), and Colbert's famous flash of thigh to stop a speeding car in its tracks. Capra's brisk, urbane brand of wit was a perfect complement to his populist faith in the common man (in this case, Gable's character), and that inspired combination makes this film both a spirited entertainment and an uplifting experience. <I>--Tom Keogh</I>

Customer Reviews:

It Happened One Night.......2007-06-20

Frank Capra's sublime romantic comedy swept the 1934 Oscars, and it's still easy to understand why. Few seventy year old movies hold up like this one. Colbert makes a charming, deft comedienne (check out that hitch-hiking scene!), and Gable was never more appealing, winning his only Oscar for this role. The scene where Peter takes off his shirt and exposes his bare chest was a first, and reportedly, sounded a death knell for the undershirt industry. Hail to the walls of Jericho!

Classic Capra - with Clark Gable in a down-to-earth role.......2007-06-08

This is another great Frank Capra film about a well-to-do socialite heiress deciding to elope almost just to spite her parents. Gable's character is the newspaper reporter sent to track her down and get the scoop on the whole mess. While you can predict what happens, it's still enjoyable for the dialog and the acting/directing. If you're not a Capra fan, it's doubtful that this film will change that. However, if you are - you should definitely check this one out. We saw it originally as a Netflix rental, but my wife liked it enough it became a birthday present for her.

The Orignial Runaway Bride .......2007-06-01

This Frank Capra classic is all about the chemistry between Colbert and Gable--wow does it work! The uptown girl runaway bride (how current!) and the downtown and down on his luck reporter go from the fox and hound to...well the foxy and the hound.

The banter and the moments, from the hitchhiking lesson Colbert gives Gable to the flimsy wall of Jericho Gable gives Colbert are gems.

The film has one of the best wedding-scene endings in movie history (the others being "The Graduate" "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "The Philadelphia Story"), complete with what has to be one of the oldest helicopters ever put on film.

Pardon me while I get my tin trumpet, folks...

great.......2007-05-28

was shipped right away I didn't have to wait at all it was here within 3 days

It Happened One Night........2007-03-27

This screwball comedy keeps you laughing through the entire film. An oldie but a goodie. It truly highlights the talent of Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.

Average customer rating:

A Rare Revolutionary War Classic
Not-horrible portrayal of Indians
Everythings in it!
A great Fonda classic
Drums along the Mohawk

Drums Along the Mohawk
Starring: Claudette Colbert , Henry Fonda , Edna May Oliver , Eddie Collins , and John Carradine
Director: John Ford
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Major Dundee (The Extended Version) [Region 99]
Gunga Din
Hondo (Special Collector's Edition)
The Four Feathers
My Darling Clementine

ASIN: B0007PALM0
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Amazon.com

Nineteen thirty-nine is often proposed as the movies' halcyon year, and three reasons why were directed by John Ford: <I>Stagecoach</I>, <I>Young Mr. Lincoln</I>, and <I>Drums Along the Mohawk</I>. In that exalted company <I>Drums...</I> would have to be accounted "merely superb"--even if it's the best film ever made about the American Revolution and, oh, only about eighth-best picture of its year.

Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert play newlyweds in New York's Mohawk Valley at the time of the Revolutionary War. That war is more a distant rumor than a direct concern of people with cabins to raise, crops to harvest, and firstborn on the way. When it comes to their valley, in the form of hitherto-peaceable Indians whipped up by a gaunt Tory with an eyepatch (John Carradine), life changes as though with the passing of a cloud shadow.

In this, his first color film, Ford created indelible images of the dawning of America: a lone wagon making its way through acres of long grass rippling in the wind; the Indians, at the onset of their first raid, seeming to materialize out of the mist, out of the very trunks of trees; a ragged line of farmers with flintlocks passing along a split-rail fence, then resolving into a column, an army, marching toward a distant horizon. (Utah's Wasatch mountain country stands in persuasively for upstate New York in pioneer days.) Edna May Oliver scored a best-supporting-actress Oscar nomination as a memorably crusty frontier widow, while Ward Bond--oddly omitted from the opening credits--claimed a place of honor in the John Ford Stock Company playing Fonda's best friend. <I>--Richard T. Jameson</I>

Description

Lawless frontier. Indian attacks. Settlers protecting themselves the only way they know how-with guns and courage. In the years before the Revolutionary War, the East was as wild as the West would be one hundred years later. Henry Fonda delivers one of his most memorable performances ever as a young frontier leader protecting his family in the backwoods of New York state. Claudette Colbert so-stars as his spirited wife. With a fine supporting cast that also includes Edna May Oliver and John Carradine, this is one of John Ford's most exciting historical dramas.

Customer Reviews:

A Rare Revolutionary War Classic.......2007-06-09

There are relatively few really good films pertaining to the Revolutionary War era, and this is one of the very best. It is a very fast-moving story of a young newlywed couple (Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert) who move from the comfort of the city to the rustic and eminently dangerous 1770s upstate New York, in the Mohawk Valley, where the settlers continually battle the elements and the Indians, who fight the colonists as the proxies of the British. The film will definitely hold the viewer's interest as the couple, their community, and the young nation battle to survive. An outstanding film, on the same level as "Sergeant York!"

Not-horrible portrayal of Indians.......2007-06-08

I give it an 8.0 of 10 for its anti-war message and its not-totally-bad portrayal of Indians. For more on the subject, see the review at [...]

Rob Schmidt
BlueCornComics.com

Everythings in it!.......2007-05-20

I had never heard of this movie when I came upon it. I of course had heard of Claudette Colbert, Henry Fonda & my favorite Edna May Oliver, but never this movie. What a nice surprise we had when we watched it. My husband, granddaughter & myself all were wrapped up in this from the beginning. I wished they'd make more like these instead of the junk today.

A great Fonda classic.......2007-05-12

Add this to Young Mr. Lincoln, The Return of Frank James, and Jesse James as young Henry Fonda classics. Another actor you'll see in all of them is Eddie Collins. In Drums Along The Mohawk, he plays Christian, the rolly polly roll caller. Just another funny Collins performance for comic relief.

Drums along the Mohawk.......2007-03-09

This has long been a favorite and now I have it on DVD. This movie has quality throughout. First Class movie.

The Premiere Frank Capra Collection (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington / It Happened One Night / You Can't Take It with You / Mr. Deeds Goes to Town / American Madness / Frank Capra's American Dream) [Region 99]

Average customer rating:

All I can say is "WOW!
Outstanding value DVD set
Capra is quietly cool.
Great films, great quality
Historic Films

The Premiere Frank Capra Collection (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington / It Happened One Night / You Can't Take It with You / Mr. Deeds Goes to Town / American Madness / Frank Capra's American Dream) [Region 99]
Starring: Jean Arthur , James Stewart , Claude Rains , Edward Arnold , and Guy Kibbee
Director: Frank Capra
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

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)
Humphrey Bogart - The Signature Collection, Vol. 2 (The Maltese Falcon Three-Disc Special Edition / Across the Pacific / Action in the North Atlantic / All Through the Night / Passage to Marseille)
The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 2 (The Charge of the Light Brigade / Gentleman Jim / The Adventures of Don Juan / The Dawn Patrol / Dive Bomber)
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: B000ION7A8
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Amazon.com

<td>

<b>Mr. Smith Goes to Washington</b> Political heavyweights decide that Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), an obscure scoutmaster in a small town, would be the perfect dupe to fill a vacant U.S. Senate chair. Surely this naive bumpkin can be easily controlled by the senior senator (Claude Rains) from his state, a respectable and corrupted career politician. Director Frank Capra fills the movie with Smith's wide-eyed wonder at the glories of Washington, all of which ring false for his cynical secretary (Jean Arthur), who doesn't believe for a minute this rube could be for real. But he is. Capra was repeating the formula of a previous film, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, but this one is even sharper; Stewart and Arthur are brilliant, and the former cowboy star Harry Carey lends a warm presence to the role of the vice president. Bright, funny, and beautifully paced, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is Capra's ode to the power of innocence--an idea so potent that present-day audiences may find themselves wishing for a new Mr. Smith in Congress. The 1939 Congress was none too thrilled about the film's depiction of their august body, denouncing it as a caricature; but even today, Capra's jibes about vested interests and political machines look as accurate as ever. --Robert Horton

<td>

<b>It Happened One Night</b> Director Frank Capra (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) took home every Oscar in the book (well, okay, all the major ones) for this seminal 1934 comedy starring Clark Gable as a hard-bitten reporter who stays close to a runaway heiress (Claudette Colbert) rather than lose a good story. Funny and sexy, the film is full of memorable scenes often referred to in other films, such as the "walls of Jericho" (a mere bedcover hung on a line down the middle of a room so opposite-sex roommates can get undressed), and Colbert's famous flash of thigh to stop a speeding car in its tracks. Capra's brisk, urbane brand of wit was a perfect complement to his populist faith in the common man (in this case, Gable's character), and that inspired combination makes this film both a spirited entertainment and an uplifting experience. --Tom Keogh

<td>

<B>You Can't Take It With You </B>
Frank Capra's 1938 populist spin on the George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart play about a family of happy eccentrics is a great deal of fun, though it significantly rewrites the original work and doesn't represent Capra (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) at his best. Jean Arthur plays a member of the blissful Vanderhof household who falls in love with a rich man's son (James Stewart) and brings him into her nutty home. Lionel Barrymore, who played such a bad guy eight years later in Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, is the wonderful Grandpa Vanderhof, who addresses God during the dinner prayer as "sir" and speaks plainly and beautifully of why it's good to be alive. Capra took this opportunity to rail against big business and champion the common man, but the overall tone of the film--typical for the director's comedies--is buoyant and snappy. --Tom Keogh

<td>

<B> Mr. Deeds Goes to Town</B>
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is Frank Capra's classic screwball comedy about a village innocent who inherits $20 million, only to discover it's more trouble than it's worth. The screwball in question is Longfellow Deeds (Gary Cooper), a small-town greeting-card poet and tuba player transplanted to the big city to administer his newly inherited wealth, where fast-pattering, wised-up cynics, sneering society denizens, and corrupt lawyers lord it over the ingenuous and straightforward. Deeds's idiosyncrasies are amply magnified in the tabloids by journalist "Babe" Bennett (Jean Arthur), dating Deeds as a cover, only to discover she's the sap when she falls irresistibly for him. But the damage has been done, when Babe's column is used by a pack of corrupt lawyers, Cedar, Cedar, Cedar & Budington, to prove Deeds mentally unfit. The miracle of this unforgettable comedy is how it embraces dark material, calling into question some common assumptions about capitalism while maintaining an approachable atmosphere of light comedy, and deceptively so. You'll be so pixilated by its charm, you won't rest until you've doodled your way to a rhyme for "Budington." --Jim Gay

<strong><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="cc6600"> More Stills from The Premiere Frank Capra Collection (click for larger image) </font></strong> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" cellspacing="4">

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Product Description

Designated the "Number One Director in Hollywood" by Time Magazine in 1938 and voted by Entertainment Weekly (April 19th issue, 1996) as one of the greatest directors of all time, Capra has received numerous industry awards and accolades over the course of his successful career including three Best Director Oscars®. </p>

The Premiere Frank Capra Collection is a 6-disc collectible box set featuring five of Frank Capra's best films. The digitally re-mastered set includes Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, You Can't Take it With You, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, It Happened One Night and American Madness. The DVD box set includes a bonus disc packed with all-new interviews, archival footage, plus Frank Capra's American Dream documentary hosted by Ron Howard and produced by Capra's eldest son, Frank Capra, Jr. (An Eye for an Eye, Marooned). This Premiere Collection also features commentaries for each film, along with a 96- page collectible Movie Scrapbook.</p>

Customer Reviews:

All I can say is "WOW!.......2007-06-01

It was a happy day for me when I learned that this collection was being isssued and when it arrived from Amazon my first act was to cancel all my appointments, take the phone off the hook and settle down with a bowl and popcorn and discover just what made Frank Capra one of the leading directors of his day and indeed for all time. I was not disappointed. Along with favorites like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "You Can't Take it with You" were "It Happened One Night" (which I had not seen in years and did not recall how good it was) and "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town." Also included in this set is a fabulous collection of films documenting just how Frank Capra was able to produce his fabulous collection of films. It is rare that great classics of American cinema get the attention and treatment that they deserve, but this is one of those rare instances of the material being treated in the appropriate manner.

It really would be silly for me to try to capture the magic and craftsmanship that went into making these fabulous films. Capra had a particular talent for being to tap into the fundamental aspects of what it meant to be an American in the 1930s and 1940s and this talent is on full display in this collection. They contain some marvelous performances, particularly by Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Claudette Caulbert and in particular Jean Arthur. While Capra's autobiography does contain it share of myths, the chapters that detail the efforts it took to get these performances down on film is probably worth consulting for the insights it provides.

If I were to fault it for one or two things it would be the omission of two classics in the Capra canon. These are "Meet John Doe" which really is crying out for a restoration and a proper release on DVD and "It's a Wonderful Life." These movies are probably excellent examples of Capra's creativity, but as this fine collection proves, they are by no means the only ones.

I hope that other directors are in line for similar treatments in the future. However it is doubtful if future efforts will surpass this one for its overall excellence.

Outstanding value DVD set.......2007-05-30

This DVD collection is obviously going to be popular with sure fire entertainments such as "You Can't take it with You" and "Mr Smith goes to Washington" but the package goes much further by providing lengthy interviews with Capra's son about each of the films, a detailed documentary about Capra himself, expert commentaries with each film and a detailed booklet. This is outstanding value.

All of the films are excellent and Amazon themselves provide worthwhile summaries. Here are a few observations:

- "Mr Deeds goes to Town" is my least favourite and probably most guilty of what is called "Capra corn". Gary Cooper was often a mannered actor and for me he overdoes his "Aw shucks" country bumpkin. Jean Arthur compensates enormously, making believable that this worldly "babe" could fall for Mr Deeds. She helps Cooper enormously to pull off his performance.
- "American Madness", made in 1932 before Capra really hit the bigtime, benefits from a shorter running time with a fast pace created by the editing. At the height of the Depression, a story about a run on a bank was timely and the note of optimism sounded by the resolution was refreshing. Walter Huston is outstanding as the head of the bank and the serene Kay Johnson, a poised and beautiful presence in any film, plays his wife. The film has one great set and Capra moves his camera around it, including some powerful overhead shots. His crowd scenes are outstanding as always.
- Jean Arthur was a wonderful actress and if her parts in each film are quite similar, it doesn't matter. With her husky inimitable voice and warm smile, she is memorable.
- Clark Gable is very funny in "It happened One Night", a very underrated comedian.
- "Mr Smith goes to Washington" has similarities to "Mr Deeds" but is superior in every way. The documentaries tell that in fact, it was originally conceived as a sequel. James Stewart is much more convincing than Gary Cooper and the yarn has far more tension then the earlier film. It is much less dated. The film was very popular on its release except in Washington where the depiction of political corruption was considered "un-American".

All of the prints are good, although "It happened One Night" suffers from grainy scenes. The films benefit from Capra's attention to detail, particularly the character actors which populated his films. The documentaries tell us that actors lived to appear in a Capra film because they knew that even the smallest part would be treated with loving attention. The most amusing story about this is the casting of Harry Cary in "Mr Smith" as the Speaker in the Senate. On paper, the part was minor but there are numerous telling close ups as he reflects the audience reaction to what is happening. It is a very important role.

The documentary about Capra himself tells of his beginnings as an Italian immigrant. Undoubtedly, his own rise from humble beginnings influenced his view of America as the land of opportunity and his depiction of the power of the people. He lived the "American Dream". Even if you are uncomfortable with the idealism expounded in most of the films (Capra corn), each film tells a good story and provides great entertainment.

Capra is quietly cool........2007-04-06

Mr. Capra is an excellent, pro-American director. He believes in the USA.....his movies prove it. In today's world it is nice to watch movies that have strong Christian, moral pro-USA values. I have liked every Capra movie I have ever seen. He was cutting edge as a movie director.

Great films, great quality.......2007-02-03

I bought the Premiere Frank Capra Collection for my brother's birthday. He's a big Capra fan, but he was concerned that the film quality would not be good, given the low price. He was quite pleased to discover the quality was excellent.

Historic Films.......2007-01-19

Great review of film history in this amazing collection of Capra films. Surprisingly, many have a message that remains relevant to today's problems.

Average customer rating:

Without Reservations
"Hello, Miss Klotch. I brought you back your wings..."
A hidden classic!
A wonderful and entertaining film!

Without Reservations
Starring: John Wayne , and Claudette Colbert
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Trouble Along the Way
Reunion in France
Tycoon
Big Jim McLain
Allegheny Uprising

ASIN: B000O599MG
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Customer Reviews:

Without Reservations.......2007-05-29

Without Reservations
The Movie
This movie has obviously been influenced by Singing in the Rain, which isn't a bad thing. It takes the formula without of course the musical and runs with it 2 guys one gal the main guy falls for the girl she falls for him and yes it even rains on them go figure......lol. It's a story of a writer Christopher Madden who rights a book the book is bought to be made a movie. She boards a train and bam there the duke. From there the fun begins. This movie shows the lighter side of the duke which is always fun to watch.

The Video:
Made in 1944 it is black and white full frame. It's nothing spectacular. It could use a cleaning, but it watch able.

The Audio
Presented in 1.0 mono so it's and old movie that's not been updated.

The Extras
I Love My Husband But
A very Looney tunes episode like story about the different types of husbands and the wife who deal with them. I have no real idea why this is here. It was made in 1947 and Without Reservations was made in 1946 so I am not sure why it is here. It is silly and something to watch once.

Holiday for Shoestrings
This is the shoemaker and the elves story from Merrie Melodies that ran before this movie aired it is a charming cartoon. One that I am sure many of us have seen many many times a very nice addition to the collection.

Summary:
All in all a good picture nothing to go crazy over but as for a duke picture it's a nice ride for a couple of hours. The DVD is well done with nice menus and a couple of extras that make it a night at the movies.

"Hello, Miss Klotch. I brought you back your wings...".......2004-05-04

When I was in grade school and we lived in New Jersey there was a television station out of New York City that would show the same movie every afternoon for the entire week. There were two movies that I remember watching five afternoons in a row after school (or maybe it was during the summer). One was the Steve Reeve's 1962 film "The Trojan Horse" ("La Troia di Guerra") and the other was this 1946 comedy from director Mervyn LeRoy starring Claudette Colbert, John Wayne, and Don Defore.

"Without Reservations" is based on the novel "Thanks, God! I'll Take It From Here" by Jane Allen and Mae Livingston. Colbert plays author Christopher "Kit" Madden who has written a best selling novel entitled "Here is Tomorrow." She ends up being a cross between Ayn Rand, in that her novel speaks to an idealized type of man, and Margaret Mitchell, in that she cannot find anybody in Hollywood who could possibly play Mark Winston, her hero, and has started a nation wide search for an unknown. However, when she hops on a train to travel from New York to Hollywood she gets bumped from her first-class accommodations and has to ride coach. She meets two traveling Army aviators, Rusty Thomas (Wayne) and his buddy Dink Watson (DeFore). Rusty is Mark Winston incarnate and Kit thinks he would be perfect for the role. But Rusty has no use for Hollywood (or "Here is Tomorrow") so Kit has to pretend she is somebody else and comes up with the last name of Klotch (this raises some eyebrows all around).

This romantic comedy follows the trio as Kit tries to get Rusty to Hollywood. Of course she falls for him as they travel together and she has to keep scrambling to keep her identity a secret. One of my favorite scenes is where she goes into a liquor store and scores several bottles by convincing the owner she is Kit Madden by reciting the part of her book her is reading. Meanwhile he is convincing her that she really needs to rethink her idea of what a real man should be. When he finds out the truth, Rusty is not happy and Kit has to scramble to bring about the requisite happy ending.

Overall this is a film whose chief virtue is its charm. You expect Colbert to be able to do romantic comedy, but Wayne's deftness has to surprise you a bit. Anne Triola steals several scenes as a "beetle" whose path keeps crossing that of the boys. Jack Benny has a nice cameo appearance as himself, seeking an autograph from Christopher Madden, and Miss Louella Parsons, Cary Grant, and Dolores Moran show up as themselves as well. LeRoy also does something interesting with the final shot, which is of Kit's bed while we hear the couple reconcile off-camera.

I still catch this movie every time I stumble across it and while it is not a great romantic comedy it is still a nice little film that you should check out sometime when you stumble across it.

A hidden classic!.......2002-01-04

This movie is a hidden classic and has to be one of John Wayne's more delightful roles. It also stars Claudette Colbert and Dan DeFore. You gotta see this one!

A wonderful and entertaining film!.......2001-09-15

I would highly recommend this film to anyone. It's funny romantic, and a very entertaining story starring John Wayne and
Claudette Colbert. They both make a great pair in the film. It's a real classic.

Average customer rating:

this might have been the greatest generation, but it certainly wasnt because of this tripe
Waste of time and money!
A MOVIE STILL TRUE TODAY
Since you went away
A sentimental, loving, inspiring, and charmimng film of 1944.

Since You Went Away
Starring: Claudette Colbert , Jennifer Jones , Joseph Cotten , Shirley Temple , and Monty Woolley
Director: John Cromwell
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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I'll Be Seeing You
Mrs. Miniver
Random Harvest
The Best Years of Our Lives
A Letter to Three Wives

ASIN: B0002KPHZ6
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Amazon.com

A three-hour weepy extraordinaire, this 1944 offering from producer David O. Selznick (who also wrote the screenplay) was a tribute to all the families who stayed behind while their men went off to fight in World War II. Claudette Colbert is the mother of daughters Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple; first seen coming home after dropping her war-bound husband at the train, she becomes the model of courage and strength on the homefront. The plot has a Saturday Evening Post feel today, as it follows the family's day-to-day life and struggles, whether with a crotchety boarder (a delightfully starchy Monty Woolley) or oldest daughter Jones's doomed romance with departing serviceman Robert Walker. They don't make them like this anymore and it's too bad. Nominated for a fistful of Oscars, it took only one, for its shadow-drenched black-and-white cinematography. --Marshall Fine

Description

Nominated* for nine Academy AwardsÂ(r), this heart-warming, soul-stirring (Variety) portrait of life on the homefront during World War II is a magnificent picture rich in humor and poignant with heartbreak (The Hollywood Reporter). Claudette Colbert heads an all-star cast,including Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten and Shirley Temple, in this beautifully produced picture that gets into your heart (Los Angeles Examiner). With her husband Tim off at war, Anne Hilton (Colbert) struggles to be a pillar of strength for her daughters Jane (Jones) and Bridget (Temple). During America's darkest hours, she bravely steers her girls through heartbreak and hardships as she eagerly awaits news from overseas and wonders if life will ever be the same. *1944: Best Picture, Actress (Colbert), Supporting Actor (Monty Woolley), Supporting Actress (Jones), Cinematography (B&W), Art Direction (B&W), Editing, Music Score (won), Special Effects

Customer Reviews:

this might have been the greatest generation, but it certainly wasnt because of this tripe.......2007-04-25

an attempt at an american "mrs miniver", and 60+ years later it falls just as flat. the usually vibrant claudette colbert gives one of her stiffest performances, with insufficient support from a list of otherwise usually reliable castmates, e.g. joseph cotten, jennifer jones, hattie mcdaniel, &c. the one solid performance is from agnes moorehead as the town biddy, and theres a major curiosity performance by a teenaged shirley temple, long past her age of appeal. perhaps this bucked up people on the homefront during ww2, but it does little to inform &/or entertain today.

Waste of time and money!.......2007-03-13

Don't purchase this one. It's a pointless, plotless waste of time and money. It goes absolutely nowhere for 3 hours. From the write-up, we thought it was going to be a good movie. Wrong! It turned out to be a total waste of our family's time. We threw the DVD in the trash.

A MOVIE STILL TRUE TODAY.......2007-03-09

PURCHASED THIS MOVIE FOR MY WIFE THAT SHE HAS SEEN SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS, BEGINNING WITH THE OLD "MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE". HAVE SEEN QUITE A BIT OF THIS BUT NEVER SAT TO WATCH IT IN ONE SITTING. IT'S REALLY MY WIFE THAT REQUESTED IT. CONSIDERING THE WAR OF TODAY, WITH THIS TAKING PLACE ON THE HOMEFRONT IN WWII, THE IMPACT ON THE FAMILIES OF THOSE SERVING STILL HOLDS TRUE TODAY.

Since you went away.......2007-02-20

I am a Shirley Temple collector, movie was great. They do not make good movies anymore like they use to. She is my favorite actresses. I was impressed to have it on DVD. Excellent movie.

A sentimental, loving, inspiring, and charmimng film of 1944........2006-07-04

"Since You Went Away" was a film that revealed the other side of war. It showed the emotions of the families who had to struggle with, or without a family member going off to fight, and how people coped with the daily life. The most touching scene of the movie, was when the train slowly chugged down the dark tunnel, into complete blackness, knowing that her husband is never returning. I can't really say that this movie will bring you to high spirits (Especially if you're very emmotional), yet it does tell an incredible story. Everybody in "Since You Went Away" is extremely talented, with much skill, although Shirley Temple wasn't as convincing in her role as her other co-stars, and leading actors. This movie is NOT cosidered an old fashioned "Chick Flick." It is a family film for everyone to enjoy. Although the producer of "Since You Went Away" wanted this movie to be just as great as "Gone With The Wind," it (unfortunately) didn't quite make the cut, yet it was a definite success of its time, and still continues to be a family favorite. I would HIGHLY recommend you see this film: rent it, or surely buy it. I hope this review has helped.

The Cecil B. DeMille Collection (Cleopatra/ The Crusades/ Four Frightened People/ Sign of the Cross/ Union Pacific)

Average customer rating:

only applies to 2, but watch them all
Great Fun from a Master
Cecil B. DeMille Collection
Interesting Mix
DeMille's baths were a very real contribution to the sexuality of the screen...

The Cecil B. DeMille Collection (Cleopatra/ The Crusades/ Four Frightened People/ Sign of the Cross/ Union Pacific)
Starring: Cecil B. DeMille , Loretta Young , Henry Wilcoxon , Ian Keith , and C. Aubrey Smith
Director: Paul Sotoff
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The John Ford Film Collection (The Informer / Mary of Scotland / The Lost Patrol / Cheyenne Autumn / Sergeant Rutledge)
Marlene Dietrich - The Glamour Collection (Morocco/ Blonde Venus/ The Devil Is a Woman/ Flame of New Orleans/ Golden Earrings)
Clark Gable - The Signature Collection (Dancing Lady / China Seas / San Francisco / Wife vs. Secretary / Boom Town / Mogambo)
Carole Lombard - The Glamour Collection (Hands Across the Table/ Love Before Breakfast/ Man of the World/ The Princess Comes Across/ True Confession/ We're Not Dressing)
Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3 (Border Incident / His Kind of Woman / Lady in the Lake / On Dangerous Ground / The Racket)

ASIN: B000E8JO32
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Amazon.com

One of Hollywood's greatest showmen gets a worthy showcase in The Cecil B. De Mille Collection, consisting of five of the legendary producer-director's most characteristic films. As noted by David Thomson in his influential book A Biographical Dictionary of Film, "De Mille's movies are barnstormers, rooted in Victorian theatre, shamelessly stereotyped and sentimental, but eagerly courting 20th-century permissiveness, if only solemnly to condemn it." That's an apt description of the films included in this nicely packaged box set, which offers no extras beyond the films themselves. Thomson is equally accurate in calling De Mille's films "simple, raw, pious, and jingoistic," but as these five well-preserved films make abundantly clear, De Mille was always a consummate entertainer. One of Hollywood's foremost pioneers, De Mille cut an iconic figure, single-handedly defining the archetypal image of the dictatorial director, complete with boots, jodhpurs and an ever-present riding crop to enforce his domineering authority. After failed attempts to work independently and, later, for MGM, De Mille found a permanent home at Paramount in 1932, and it's there that he made these five films (now owned by Universal as part of their pre-1948 Paramount library), which represent the glorious clash of Christian virtues, epic-scale production values, lurid sexuality, and self-important grandiosity that make De Mille's films so curiously (and in many cases hypocritically) enthralling.

<I>The Sign of the Cross (1932) is quintessential De Mille, now famous for its pre-Code (i.e. pre-censorship) scene of peep-show nudity as Claudette Colbert (playing Poppaea, wife of Charles Laughton's Roman emperor Nero) takes a tantalizing bath in goat's milk, daring DVD viewers to freeze-frame "the naughty bits" while Roman prefect Marcus (Frederic March) struggles to reconcile his loyalty to Rome with his forbidden love for the Christian maiden Mercia (Elissa Landi), who's destined for the lion's den. Full of outrageous spectacle (including dwarves in the Roman arena), this blood-and-guts epic is pure De Mille compared to the more conventionally formulaic adventure of Four Frightened People</I> (1934), also starring Colbert as one of the four titular characters shipwrecked on a remote Malay island (filmed at Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, in Hawaii) and forced to fend for themselves. It's a stodgy but frequently amusing adventure, with Colbert's uptight schoolmarm growing sexier and less inhibited with each passing scene. Colbert returns (De Mille obviously adored her) in the title role of Cleopatra (1934), easily seducing Marc Antony (played by De Mille favorite Henry Wilcoxon) in a film as lavishly appointed as it is melodramatically extreme. Wilcoxon pairs with Loretta Young in The Crusades (1935) with De Mille once again mixing piety with prurience in a religious epic that promises plenty of sex but, in classic De Mille fashion, remains steadfastly chaste. Union Pacific (from Hollywood's golden year of 1939) is a grandly entertaining Western that mangles history (specifically, events surrounding construction of the transcontinental railroad) while casting gunslingers Joel McCrea and Robert Preston in a contest for Barbara Stanwyck's affections.

Choosing a favorite among these five films is purely a matter of personal taste, but for all of his weaknesses as a director (not the least being a condescending and self-righteous arrogance toward his audience), De Mille was never, ever boring. These films helped to make Paramount the most profitable studio of the 1930s, and they hold up remarkably well. Despite the complete absence of bonus features (Universal once again taking the low-cost option with no-frills packaging), each film is presented in pristine or near-pristine condition, ripe for first-time viewing or nostalgic rediscovery by vintage film buffs everywhere.--Jeff Shannon

Description

Legendary filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille earned a place in cinematic history when he helped create Hollywood's first feature-length film, an event that established Hollywood as the motion picture capital of the world. A master of spectacular epics, his films garnered unparalled acclaim for their scope and grandeur. Now, for the first time ever, five of his most popular films are available in one premium DVD collection. Experience the breathtaking dangers and delights of ancient Rome in The Sign of the Cross; trek through a perilous jungle with Four Frightened People; thrill to the passion, suspense and intrigue of Cleopatra; journey back in time with the glorious story of The Crusades; and see how the West was really won in the explosive Union Pacific. With a glamorous roster of screen legends, including Claudette Colbert, Charles Laughton, Barbara Stanwyck, Anthony Quinn and many more, this 5-disc collection is a phenomenal reminder of the innovator who made moviemaking what it is today.

Customer Reviews:

only applies to 2, but watch them all.......2007-06-11

Cleopatra, 1934 - (****) - forget liz & dick! this is the version to see: all the excesses of de mille (how that man could cover up smut with righteousness, lol) and a tour-de-force performance by claudette colbert in the eponymous role, not to mention warren william and de mille stalwart henry wilcoxon as julius caesar and marc antony, both gleefully chewing up the over the top scenery. once you see that barge sequence (what ARE they doing there???) you will never forget it. first rate fun, and until "the ten commandments", arguably the directors best.

The Crusades, 1935 - (***) - henry wilcoxon is a fine richard the lion hearted, and ian keith a fine saladin, in cecil b de milles plea for tolerance. unfortunately, apart from the usual spectacle, the movie falls rather flat, probably victimized by the bland righteousness of leading lady loretta young: surely one of the more deservedly forgotten stars of hollywoods golden era. watch it for the size of the thing, but you might want to have a book handy during the dialogue sequences.

Great Fun from a Master.......2007-03-09

Cecil B. DeMille will never be viewed as a master of cinema along the lines of a John Ford, a Howard Hawkes, an Alfred Hitchcock, or a John Huston. But he did know how to delivery the goods. I do believe that anyone who love movies from the '30's and '40's will enjoy this collection.
For me the highlight of the collection is Claudette Colbert. She is so much fun to watch in both CLEOPATRA and SIGN OF THE CROSS. She is truly magnficent!!! And you can see why she was such a popular star. She may have won her Oscar for IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, but her all-knowing performance as Cleopatra probably help cinch the award for her.

Cecil B. DeMille Collection.......2007-01-12

most of the movies in this collection where good and one i didn't like at all. it was a romance movie and i don't like those movies. I bought these movies because of the movie Cleopatra but it wasn't the movie i wanted, my mastake. you live and learn form youe mastakes.

Interesting Mix.......2007-01-10

I was never a De Mille fan but purchased this box set for "Union Pacific" (which I feel is his best film) and the restored "The Sign of the Cross" a film which is okay as a whole but very entertaining in certain sections and for Laughton's Nero. I was also impressed with this film's presentation of the Christians going into the arena not with brave smiles on their faces but rather with absolute terror. It's a very moving sequence. "Four Frightened People" is a curio; okay to see once but that's it. "Cleopatra" and "The Crusades" are ponderous and boring. The boxed sets have their downside in that the titles one wants might have to be purchased along with films that wouldn't normally be desired for one's collection. At least the unwanted films, whichever ones they may be for you, don't take up valuable storage space.

DeMille's baths were a very real contribution to the sexuality of the screen..........2006-12-24

Of the many screen incarnations of the romantically foolish, politically shrewd Egyptian queen, this was Cecil B. DeMille's... His Victorian puritan's approach to the sex and scandals surrounding Cleopatra's throne reflected her continuing appeal to the imagination - even if that imagination were really a childhood fantasy of adult desires...

Authenticity, except as decorative embroidery, took second place to his desire to capture her timeless appeal on film... Facts and figures may vary, fashions and desirable objects may be ever changing, but sex, sin and punishment make up a triangle of eternal allure...

Travis Banton's wardrobe transformed Claudette Colbert from a flirtatious star into a splendid, seductive woman with fanciful art direction... The film had the opulence, the barbarity, the epic sweep and shocking decadence of certain books and paintings that were at the heart of so much of this film...

The French-born, American-raised Claudette Colbert made three films with Cecil B. DeMille, but felt more comfortable in contemporary comedies, for one of which, 'It Happened One Night,' she won an Oscar, and in all of which she identified herself with the most American of American secretaries, sweethearts, wives and mothers...

Colbert's popularity lasted well into the fifties... but her magic rests with 'Cleopatra'.

Average customer rating:

"Useless wife" in demand (recommended)
Not Sturges' best, but still pretty great
Claudette Colbert and writer-director Preston Sturges: it doesn't get better
A Romantic Farce
For Lovers of Screwball Comedy

The Palm Beach Story
Starring: Claudette Colbert , Joel McCrea , Mary Astor , Rudy Vallee , and Sig Arno
Director: Preston Sturges
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
Laura (Fox Film Noir)
The Lady Eve - Criterion Collection
Twentieth Century [Region 99]
A Letter to Three Wives

ASIN: B0006H32DY
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Amazon.com essential video

Among the earliest writers to set his sights on the director's chair, Preston Sturges brought a frank, unsentimental view of the war between the sexes to his mid-'40s features that exemplify his style, as demonstrated in this prescient 1942 gem. Architect Tom Jeffers (Joel McCrea) and his wife, Gerry (Claudette Colbert), further refine the archetypal Sturges couple--the male embodying strength, idealism, and a certain naivete, the female ultimately stronger, smarter, and (as revealed early on in an astonishing speech by Colbert) clearer-eyed and more pragmatic about the subtext of sex. This giddy shaggy-dog story follows the couple's split, and Gerry's subsequent flight to Palm Beach. This head-snapping frolic is paced by double-entendres and lampooning looks at the very rich, with standout performances by the predatory Princess Centimillia (the delicious Mary Astor), who's more than ready to comfort Tom, and the wealthy, dim-witted John D. Hackensacker III (Rudy Vallee, staking out a new career, post-crooner, as comic foil), Gerry's new suitor. Even the predictable reunion of the star-crossed lovers is achieved with an antic surrealism. Sturges's strength in building strong character ensembles is matched by his affection for coupling screwball dialogue with physical slapstick, seldom to better effect than in the drunken target practice of the Ale and Quail Club, who make Colbert's train ride to Florida a different kind of shoot-'em-up. <I>--Sam Sutherland</I>

Customer Reviews:

"Useless wife" in demand (recommended).......2006-03-28

Penniless Geraldine "Gerry" Jeffers (Claudette Colbert), knows how far her good looks can take her in the world. She loves her husband, Tom Jeffers (Joel McCrea) but doesn't like being poor and he is unwilling to pimp her innocent feminine wiles. The solution? Leaving her husband for Palm Beach to file for a divorce with nothing more than the clothes on her back, she becomes one of the world's best dressed women before she can even set foot in the divorce captiol of the day. (If you know anything about Colbert's movies, you realize she can wear some stunning outfits.) Her gallant husband heads her off to convince her how irrational she is but is surprised to find her stepping off a yacht with a 1940's counterpart to Bill Gates, John D. Hackensacker III (Rudy Vallee). So as not to foil her apparently successful plans, she introduces Tom as her brother -- which makes him an all-the-more attractive flavor of the week to a wealthy man's excentric sister, Princess Centimillia (Mary Astor). What is more important, love or money? Find out who ultimately wins Gerry's heart in this screwball romance story.

Movie quote: "Just because I'm a useless wife doesn't mean I couldn't be very valuable to you as a sister."

Not Sturges' best, but still pretty great.......2006-03-16

This film featuring Joel McCrea and Claudette Colbert, as a couple seeking out new life partners for the sake of the other, came in the middle of the peak of writer/director Preston Sturges' career. (For the record, I consider that the peak began in 1940 with The Great McGinty, ended in 1944 with Hail the Conquering Hero, and includes The Lady Eve [1941], Sullivan's Travels [1941], and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek [1944]. That's quite a roll for anybody!) The Palm Beach Story doesn't quite match up to his best work, but it still has a lot more going for it than at first it seems.

McCrea (John Sullivan in Sullivan's Travels) stars as Tom Jeffers, an architect who doesn't make a lot of money, but has a big dream: to build his own airport. His wife, Gerry (Colbert), wants to support his dream ... by divorcing him so she can marry rich and give him money on the side. Her argument is that they don't love each other anymore, and all that is left is love and respect (their behavior towards each other says otherwise).

Then the first implausible thing happens: he goes along with her idea. Posing as her brother (they look alike because everyone marries his/her own face), he will have approval over who his wife marries. On her way to Palm Beach to meet a millionaire, she meets one on the train, John D. "Snoodles" Hackensacker, III (Rudy Vallee, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer), who falls for her is his own milquetoasty way. (Being Vallee, he even serenades her in one scene.) Snoodles also has a sister, who has been married five times and "will marry anything." She is played by Mary Astor (the femme fatale in The Maltese Falcon), whose saucy reputation is thoroughly covered in Kenneth Anger's tinsel-town expose, Hollywood Babylon.

The Palm Beach Story doesn't come across as very original, but it has a lot of charm. McCrea and Colbert make an ideal couple, and you just know that they will end up together (just like in The Awful Truth, the original Mr. and Mrs. Smith [the only pure comedy directed by Alfred Hitchcock], Phffft!, and all the other loving-couple-tries-to-stay-apart-but-realizes-they-really-love-each-other films of that screwball subgenre). Astor plays her character as a mix of Angelica and Cornelia Bullock (Alice Brady and Gail Patrick, respectively) from My Man Godfrey, and her hanger-on, Toto (Sig Arno), resembles no one more than that film's Carlo (Mischa Auer). Of course, William Demarest, Franklin Pangborn, and Robert Greig show up in smaller roles to complete the full Sturges picture (the three were in a number of his films, always in memorable roles). My only real complaints with The Palm Beach Story are the slow pace and the fact that the happy ending requires such a ridiculous deus ex machina, but I can't help but admire Sturges for actually going through with it.

Claudette Colbert and writer-director Preston Sturges: it doesn't get better.......2006-03-08

By 1942, screwball comedies had become quite old-fashioned, nevertheless when THE PALM BEACH STORY was released it became one of the top box-office winners of the year, and garnered much praise for it's stars, and writer-director Preston Sturges.

Married-but penniless couple Gerry and Tom Jeffers (Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea) decide to divorce, so Gerry hops the train to Palm Beach to make all the proper arrangements. Realising his big mistake, Tom follows Gerry but when he arrives in Palm Beach, he discovers that Gerry has already moved on with eccentric zillionaire J.D. Hackensacker III (Rudy Vallee). Things take another zany turn when Tom is chased by J.D.'s man-eating sister Princess Centimillia (Mary Astor). Hilarious slapstick sequences and the rapier dialogue of Preston Sturges makes this film one of the greatest of classic Hollywood comedies.

Claudette Colbert's performance as Gerry is easily one of her best, evoking fond memories of her Oscar-winning role in "It Happened One Night". Joel McCrea, who spent most of his career idling in B-movie territory, is the perfect straight-man to Colbert's comedic whirlwind. Rudy Vallee and Mary Astor steal every scene in which they appear, with great support from Sig Arno (as the Princess' latest conquest), Robert Warwick, William Demarest, Chester Conklin and Frankin Pangborn.

A Romantic Farce.......2006-02-18

Claudette Colbert plays a woman married to a struggling architect played by Joel McCrea. She loves him but not the lifestyle. She also thinks that he can do better without her so she takes it into her head to run away to Palm Beach to get a quickie divorce. He, on the other hand, is not so fickle. He loves her and does not want to lose her. He takes off chasing after her to stop the divorce. While en route, she is aided by a gentleman who not only turns out to be one of the richest men in the world, he also falls for her. Mr. Rich Guy has a socialite sister who happens to fall for the jilted husband as he tries to woo back his wife. The issue is complicated because the runaway bride lies and says that her husband is in fact her brother. It's a story of guys chasing gals and vice versa with nothing sacred or too serious.

This film has some light moments and is evocative of a long past style. It brought back memories even though I was not even born in the era it portrayed. There is nothing overly memorable about the film but it was an enjoyable experience. If you like old movies, especially romantic comedies, this is a good bet.

For Lovers of Screwball Comedy.......2005-09-29

Claudette Colbert is brilliant in this fine example of Preston Sturges' work. Vaguely reminiscent of "It Happened One Night," this film features a notable performance by Rudee Vallee.

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Who is....'That other woman??
Update for the Boom Town DVD by Rags to Riches Reviewer
All Star Cast Does Not Equal Greatness
Hawks + Cukor
Rags to Riches Four Times over and more!

Boom Town
Starring: Clark Gable , Spencer Tracy , Claudette Colbert , Hedy Lamarr , and Frank Morgan
Director: Jack Conway , George Sidney (II) , and Rudolf Ising
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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