Debra Paget

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Broken Arrow - James Stewart
Realistic Western from the 50's!
One of the Absolute Best
One of the best westerns about the American Indians of all time!
Paying a High Price for Peace!

Broken Arrow
Starring: James Stewart , Jeff Chandler , Debra Paget , Basil Ruysdael , and Will Geer
Director: Delmer Daves
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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White Feather
Unconquered (Universal Cinema Classics)
Classic Western Round-Up, Vol. 1 (The Texas Rangers / Canyon Passage / Kansas Raiders / The Lawless Breed)
Tyrone Power: The Swashbuckler Box Set (Blood and Sand / Son of Fury / The Black Rose / Prince of Foxes / The Captain from Castile)
Hell and High Water

ASIN: B000OT6V0U
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Description

In 1870, when white men and Indians are fighting bitterly, Tom Jeffords (Stewart) strongly believes the Apaches are treated unfairly. After befriending their leader Cochise (Jeff Chandler) and arranging a truce, he is called upon by a U.S. Army general to negotiate a government peace treaty. Though he fulfills his mission, Jeffords soon experiences great tragedy when he, his Indian wife (Debra Paget) and good friend Cochise become targets of a renegade ambush.

Customer Reviews:

Broken Arrow - James Stewart.......2007-06-17

James Stewart and Jeff Chandler have fine performances in thie 1958 Western. Good portrayal of the American Indians. This production was nominated for three Academy Awards, "damn good western" with plenty of action. Good performance by Debra Paget who plays the part of an American Indian woman. This is a Ten (10) excellent.

Realistic Western from the 50's!.......2007-06-08

This really is a terrific Western! The story you probably know by now, what you may not know is the great DVD tranfer, great color, and great Sedona Ariz. filming locations!
Jimmy Stewart starting doing westerns in 1950 with Winchester 73', a black and white film and a classic. Broken Arrow was his second entry and 5 more followed in the 1950's. But none were to top Broken Arrow. Or Winchester 73'!

Not only is the story very solid, fiction based on real events and people, but all the actors casting is flawless! Will Geer, an emotionally hurt settler, Debra Paget at 17 looking like a Indian instead of a young startlet, and Jeff Chandler as Cochise in a very believable good performance. Mabye his best!

And make sure to check out Jay Silverheels in the role of Geronimo, a top notch performance and I think biggest speaking part of anything he'd ever been in, including the Lone Ranger series. When he defies Cochise to follow the peace trail, his emotion is so powerful that it jumps off the screen. A truly great moment in the film. I had to replay that scene many times because I liked it so much!

I'm proud to place this among my Western Collection of DVDs!

One of the Absolute Best.......2007-06-07

From time to time on the net I come across these ever-present lists where someone is sounding off about what they say are the "best" of such and so . Frequently I see "best westerns" or "best war movie" lists and find myself laughing out loud when one of these things omits something universally acknowledged to be a Classic. When that happens you know you're dealing with a relative "newbie" in the world whose exposure to genre cinema isn't nearly as expansive as they think it is. War Movie lists that leave off "Sergeant York" (out of sight for along time) come to mind. So do "Best Westerns" lists that ignore "Broken Arrow" (another hard to find one for quite a while). This film is a treasure.

To all who think "Broken Arrow" is a John Travolta/Christian Slater military action thriller, I've got news for you: Travolta/Slater is just an "ehhh" popcorn programmer that happens to LIFT the title of one of the
most admired, acclaimed, respected, and loved westerns of all time; one that belongs up there with "The Searchers" , "Fort Apache", and others in the category of "the greatest".

Released in 1950, this Delmer Daves film tells the true (with very little ...and, even then, only minor...fictionalization) story of ex-Army officer Tom Jeffords and his early-1870s interactions with the great Apache warrior Cochise; a relationship that led to a major degree of peace in Arizona in the long run. It is a tale well written, well told, and beautifully photographed. Nominated for several Oscars and Golden Globe Awards, it won the Golden Globe for best screenplay.

Shot in magnificent locations in Sedona and Flagstaff, Arizona, and Lone Pine, California, the scenics are just gorgeous and the color cinematography absolutely superb.

The cast is fabulous as well. Jimmy Stewart turns in a great performance as Jeffords (gee, what a surprise! Stewart ALWAYS delivers!) but the performance to watch is Jeff Chandler as Cochise. It is awesome and well worthy of the Oscar nomination he received for it. To those unfamiliar with Jeff Chandler , he was a VERY popular he-man (like Duke Wayne or Robert Mitchum) actor of the fifties who possessed a facial bone structure like carved granite and a head of thick, prematurely grey hair. This was a guy born to play in westerns and private detective thrillers.
Chandler was on his way towards icon status when he died unexpectedly much before his time. He lives on here as Cochise, though, and this is not a bad legacy to leave behind.

Also here is one of the greatest acting beauties of the 50s, the breathtakingly beautiful Debra Paget. Paget could hold a male audience spellbound and get them all agitated when directors would kill her off ,as in "Broken Arrow", and, when they had her jump into a volcano as a self-sacrifice in the 2nd version of "Bird of Paradise" ( I remember yelling "Noooooooooo!" when I first saw that on tv years ago).

Many familiar character actors turn up here, among them Iron Eyes Cody and Arthur Hunnicutt. Hunnicutt, bearded and carrying a bugle, would, some eighteen years later, appear as "Bull" with Duke Wayne and Bob Mitchum in Howard Hawks' "El Dorado". Here he is "Milt Duffield" a friend of Tom Jeffords.

Also making a splash in "Broken Arrow" is Mohawk character actor Harold J. Smith, playing Cochise's nemesis, Geronimo. Don't know him? SURE you do. You just know him as Jay Silverheels, and, at the same time he was playing hard-edged bad boy Geronimo for 20th Century Fox, he was off
also playing good guy Tonto with Clayton Moore's Lone Ranger for George Trendle.

All these elements combine here to make for a wonderful movie, western or otherwise.

It would also be interesting to note that this film has an affiliation with John Ford's "Fort Apache" in that, in "FA", Henry Fonda's unscrupulous "Col.Thursday" uses John Wayne's "Capt. York" character to deceive Cochise into a parley where he insults him (to Wayne's horror and disgust) and tries to capture his band. Fonda "gets his" because of this, deservedly so. One could almost watch "Fort Apache" and then "Broken Arrow" one right after the other and get a sense of this chief and his people...and understand that, in order to have any common ground with him, you did not try to trick him, con him, or lie to him. You did so at your peril.

One might also note that the popularity of this film carried over into a t.v. show in the fifties. The t.v. "Broken Arrow" starred John Lupton as Jeffords and Michael Ansara as Cochise. It featured mainly "keeping the peace" and "countering Geronimo" type stories.

Again, this one is real keeper. Rent it, buy it, watch it. You won't be sorry in the least. I am very glad its available again.

One of the best westerns about the American Indians of all time!.......2007-05-29

This film gives the best multilateral view of the American Indians versus the American white settlers than any Western genre of film I have seen. The story behind this film is a type of parable that can really be applied to any inter-racial or -ethnic conflict of any kind. It really states how we, regardless of race, religion, color, or ethnic background, can unite and work together to accomplish peace through increased efforts to bring about mutual understanding and trust. It is moving story of what "real" diplomacy is all about and the surrendering of one's own personal ambitions, prejudices, or fears to bring about the greater good of the whole. Too often we judge an entire group of people by a few bad men found among them and allow that to be the catalyst in forming our opinions or sentiments regarding another race or group of people. This story shows how there are good and bad among all people and that conditions of peace and friendship should not be based on the few "bad apples" that so often spoil those relationships with other peoples, races and nations by our holding up those few as being respresentative of an entire people or nation. It is a story that would serve all of us well today in a world filled with so much of hate, violence, prejudice, and mistrust. It also does much to tell the story of how one person, or small group of people, through their own personal efforts and sacrifice can do a great deal to help make the world a better place for everyone concerned. It really stirs consideration of how we can all unite together regardless of our backgrounds to overcome the real enemy in our midst.

Paying a High Price for Peace!.......2006-12-05

I've seen "Broken Arrow" (1950) when I was just a kid. The power of the images of this film remained in the back of my mind. In the near past a collection of the best Far West movies was edited in Argentina. This was the first title I run to buy. I wasn't disappointed with what I found.

It is one of the first films, if not the first, to show common human traits in both Native Americans and Pioneer Americans. Both are shown alternatively as brave, cruel, ruthless, honorable, truthful, and wicked. It shows a true kaleidoscopic round of basic human attitudes.

James Stewart impersonates Tom Jeffords (1832-1914) a historical character, known for opening the postal trail thru Apache's territory. This story is shown in the movie, with the logical and expected changes that a commercial product implies.
Nevertheless it depicts the relationship of trust developed between Cochise (1805-1874) the great Apache leader, fleshed outstandingly by Jeff Chandler, and Jeffords. They represent the better of two different worlds and work together to give peace a chance (as Lennon said). Peace is not an easy goal to reach; both of them had to pay a high price in order to obtain it.

A very young and beautiful Debra Paget, playing the role of Morningstar, contributes to give the romantic accent to the film.
There is enough action for the epic lovers, a very good photography in Technicolor and a solid script to backup the story.
One more thing, the Apache characters are, mostly, performed by Native American actors, contributing to make the story more credible.

I think this movie deserves, in justice, to be called a classic. Enjoy it!!!.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Average customer rating:

Featherweight Western
White Feather
Cinemascope masterpiece
Great Western

White Feather
Starring: Robert Wagner , John Lund , Debra Paget , Jeffrey Hunter , and Eduard Franz
Director: Robert D. Webb
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Broken Arrow
Fury at Furnace Creek
Unconquered (Universal Cinema Classics)
Hell and High Water
Tyrone Power: The Swashbuckler Box Set (Blood and Sand / Son of Fury / The Black Rose / Prince of Foxes / The Captain from Castile)

ASIN: B000NO1XMC
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

The title refers to the symbol used by Indians to signal their intention to wage war, but White Feather is actually more about peace. Set in the late 1870s, director Robert Webb's film centers on efforts by the U.S. Cavalry, led by Col. Lindsay (John Lund), to negotiate a treaty with various tribes wherein the Indians will relocate and leave their Wyoming territory so white settlers can prospect for gold. The Blackfeet, Crow, Sioux, and Arapaho all seem willing; only the Cheyenne, led by pragmatic Chief Broken Hand (an affecting Eduard Franz) and his fiery son Little Dog (Jeffrey Hunter), are holding out. Enter Josh Tanner (Robert Wagner), a surveyor who's there to map out the town that will spring up once the gold is mined. Tanner makes friends with Little Dog and his sidekick, American Horse (Hugh O'Brian, who was about to assume the role of Wyatt Earp in the TV series about that legendary marshal), and falls in love with Little Dog's sister, Appearing Day (Debra Paget). Complications ensue, as this Western Side Story romance threatens to derail the impending treaty, leading to a final confrontation brought on by the delivery of the white feather. Notwithstanding the inherent absurdity of the treaty (as in most such agreements, the Indians were screwed), the filmmakers handle the issues even-handedly, taking a peaceful point of view that shows considerable sympathy toward the Cheyenne and allows both sides to proceed with dignity and honor. There are plenty of flaws: Wagner, just 25 at the time of this 1955 film, is handsome but bland in the lead role; the romance is handled rather clumsily (after their first kiss, Appearing Day tells Tanner, "I would like it again, please... but longer?"); and even though the Indians are depicted respectfully (of course, they didn't go so far as to cast actual Native American actors), the stereotype of the proud, noble savage so primitive that he can be entranced by a pocket comb persists. Still, White Feather looks good (it was filmed in Technicolor and CinemaScope) and more than holds one's attention throughout its 102-minute running time. Extras include an "interactive pressbook gallery," various still photos, and more. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews:

Featherweight Western.......2007-06-05

Fox's "White Feather" (1955) is a pallid reworking of their seminal 1950 James Stewart western "Broken Arrow". Pallid indeed, thanks in no small measure to the leaden performance of Robert Wagner in the starring role and the wearisome screenplay by the ubiquitous and usually more astute Delmar Daves, who by the way, also directed "Broken Arrow".

"Broken Arrow" expertly dealt with the plight of the Apache Indian and one white man's efforts to make peace with them. The difference with "White Feather" is instead of it being the Apache it is the Cheyenne. Even Wagner's narration at the picture's opening informs us, just like Jimmy Stewart did in the earlier film, that 'this is a true story and when the Indian speaks he will speak in our language etc. etc.'
Also Fox starlet Debra Paget who played an Apache Squaw in "Broken Arrow" turns up here as a Cheyenne Squaw. She virtually plays the same part and, would you believe, is dressed in the same outfit. She must have had a vision of a future studio call sheet were she learned she was going to be a Cheyenne Squaw, so she saved the costume. Huh! The only difference in her role here is her name is not Sonseerahray and she doesn't die at the end. Thank heaven for that!

Limply directed by Robert Webb there is not one actor in this sorry affair capable of lifting it up above the banality bar. Webb has no idea of pacing or direction and not once is the movie intruded upon with anything that resembles style. The Fox bland brigade - Robert Wagner, Jeffery Hunter, Debra Paget, Virginia Leigh et al parade through this trite vehicle bemused and with a look of wonderment on their faces. Probably wondering when the day's shoot will finish so they can go home. We, on the other hand, are home and also have a look of wonderment on our faces as we wonder what the hell we're doing watching this rubbish?

However, after all that I'll have to give this vacuous effort a one star rating for the beautiful Cinemascope / Colour Cinematography by Lucian Ballard and the excellent score by the great Hugo Friedhofer who incidentlly also composed the music for "Broken Arrow" and here makes exceptional use of his love theme from the previous picture as his main theme. But ultimately, I'm afraid, "White Feather" is bottom drawer material that never hits the mark and gets my vote as one of the most pedestrain western ever made.

I really don't understand Fox Home Entertainment putting out poor movies like "White Feather", "True Story Of Jesse James" "The Proud Ones","Fort Courageous" etc. while left languishing in their vault are fine westerns like "Rio Conchos", "Rawhide" and "Two Flags West".
Go figure!!

White Feather.......2007-06-03

I saw this movie three times when it was first released and again about four years after at a tiny movie house reserved for 'quality' films. At long last, it is now available on DVD. Congratulations to the 'powers-that-be' for bringing it to the public at long last! I have had a taped copy of the movie for sometime, which I watched periodically. I am glad to own now it on DVD. Great to see it again in widescreen format. I find the storyline compelling and also find that the actors play their roles with conviction. I especially enjoy Eduard Franz at the Chief. He expresses his pain remarkably well on his face. John Lund is suitably sympathetic as the army officer. The main roles are played well by a cast at the start of their careers. Jeffery Hunter is especially noteworthy as Little Dog. I recommend this movie to everyone - and even to those who do not enjoy westerns. This is not a movie to be dismissed and, again, although it has been a 'long time coming', the wait has been worthwhile. Now, all I need is for 20th Century Fox to make available the DVD of 'The Egyptian' and 'That Lady' and my collection will be complete.

Cinemascope masterpiece.......2007-05-31

I got White Feather last Thursday and I've been watching it once, even twice a day since. I saw this movie on television in 1977 and never thought I'd ever seen it again. Thirty years later, it's still very powerful. I must admit that the very beginning where Little Dog(Jeffrey Hunter)and his party are watching surveyor Josh Tanner(Robert Wagner) taking care of the killed miner I couldn't help but grin at Jeffrey Hunter's delivery of his lines. But then remembering he had broadcasting training he had to project his voice a little bit more dramatically. My favorite scenes I like to watch over and over is the scene where Little Dog and his party intercept Josh Tanner and Anne with Tanner being so bold as to pluck a feather out of the testy Little Dog's hair and awarding Little Dog a fold out comb. I was just as fascinated with it as Little Dog because I, too, have never seen such a comb, and of course the dramatic death scene at the end. Gradually did Josh Tanner grow to love Appearing Day(Debra Paget)Little Dog's sister. Paget by the way played an Apache maiden courted by Jimmy Stewart in "Broken Arrow", whose music appears in a few scenes of White Feather which I wasn't too thrilled with. Little Dog's build up to his dramatic end gives me goose pimples no matter how often I play it back, especially with his shrill war cries that make my spine tingle.I enjoyed Little Dog's humor about the stolen Crow horse and why Tanner shouldn't ride alone busting the myth that Indians have no humor.I'm still touched no matter how many times I play Little Dog addressing his friend, Josh Tanner, before the soldiers by saying amongst other things:"I will not go with the soldiers. I will die here..." busting the myth that every Indian went quietly, bending mindlessly to the will of the white man. What I found annoying with the movie are blatantly bad stunt double work such as the scene where Crow are chasing after the Cheyenne, Jeff Hunter falls off riding backwards and we hear him war cry for help, we see him staring at a Crow going after him, then we plainly see another man pull the Crow off his horse by yanking his lance, then we see Jeff again popping on the horse. Did the studio think the audience too daft to notice a different man? Did they think a sharp-eyed watcher wouldn't notice during the fort rescue scene where Little Dog must rescue American Horse another man is plainly shown jumping down to the fort ground after scaling the wall, hide behind a tree, only to see Jeff Hunter pop out? It's insulting that studios then and now think audiences too stupid to notice when an actor is being replaced by a stunt 'double' who doesn't even barely look like the actor he's replacing. Some people actually *do* notice for those few seconds because they're actually paying attention not mindlessly watching. I thought movies are supposed to have people in charge of continuity. White Feather's continuity problems were sloppily obvious.Little Dog's sister,Appearing Day, would be wearing one color of braid ties and then a second later in the same scene they'd be a different color. After Little Dog's first confrontation with Josh Tanner and Anne, and Tanner leaves, American Horse shifts his horse and a second later he's shown not moving from his spot as if the two scenes were hastily spliced together, and near the end when Little Dog and American Horse get ready to confront the soldiers and they were putting on their ornaments, both forgot their lances leaning against a rock and Little Dog left his war chief feathered bonnet on its rock.What's the point of bringing all that extra gear when all you're going to really use is your carbine? Did the studio think no one would notice? Then there's Josh Tanner first being seen riding a buckskin, then another colored fort horse as he's crossing the river after his Cheyenne dinner date. Why on earth was he given another horse when his buckskin was good enough? Then he rides the Crow horse the rest of the movie. He changed horses more often than Appearing Day changed her braid ties. Since we're informed that the characters actually existed, one would think the real American Horse and Little Dog wouldn't have been caught dead wearing body paint that made them look like they were scribbled on by a studio hired kindergartner.I'm appalled by the DVD's back jacket synopsis:"In an effort to peacefully coexist with white settlers the Cheyenne tribe agrees to resettle, sacrificing valued Wyoming hunting grounds to make way for gold prospecting. Led by Colonel Lindsey, the tribe's resettlement journey is also guided by a rugged land surveyor Josh Tanner and his Cheyenne tribesman friends-Little Dog and American Horse. But an attraction between Little Dog's fiancee(Debra Paget) and Tanner threatens to ruin the resettlement plans and the tribe sends an arrow with a white feather-a symbol of their intention to wage war!" Obviously whomever wrote that didn't bother to watch the movie at all and should be spanked for making things up! The Cheyenne didn't give up their hunting grounds, they gave up *all* of their land because their neighbors the Sioux, Arapaho and Blackfeet agreed to leave. Cheyenne would be alone to fight the whites and as Chief Broken Hand said, their food supply in the buffalo herds had been drastically cut again and without food to sustain them, without their tribal allies helping them fight, the Cheyenne would have too many more young men die. The move was reluctant. Had he been young, Chief Broken Hand said he would've stayed to fight. The settlement journey wasn't guided by Tanner, Little Dog and American Horse. Tanner originally came to help build a town eventually and the fort was his stop over. He just got caught up in the mix, became friends with Little Dog and American Horse who admired his courage, and he fell in love with Chief Broken Hand's daughter, Appearing Day, which ticked American Horse off because she was his reluctant fiancee, not Little Dog's. Appearing Day was Little Dog's sister. Tanner's attraction to Appearing Day didn't threaten to ruin anything! The only thing that threatened to ruin the resettlement was Little Dog and American Horse who rightfully refused to be relocated. Lastly, the white feather wasn't attached to any arrow, but to one of the Bowie knives Josh Tanner gave to Little Dog and American Horse.The white feather wasn't a symbol from the Cheyenne as a whole to wage war. It was a challenge from Little Dog and American Horse who prefered to fight the army single handedly. They weren't bound by the treaty giving up their land because they weren't in camp when it was signed. One who has never seen White Feather and read the innacurate DVD's synopsis wouldn't know the difference. Afterwards however, I have a feeling they'd be miffed at the blatant innacuracies because I assume they care. The DVD has some special features. You can select any scene and go on from there. You can select your languages from English, French or Spanish, or you can watch the entire movie in French and use the subtitles you need. The dubbing into French doesn't work well if you're a decent close up lip reader. There's an Interactive Pressbook gallery where, even though there are many articles, only some you can highlight and actually read. There are pictures and posters and an original theatrical trailer. One side you can see the original version of the movie which is letter box. At first I found it distracting until I watched the other side where you get a full screen version but characters have a tendency to be cut out of the picture. One has a tough decision to make. Watch the letter box version where characters look smaller on your monitor but you get everyone in, or put it on full screen and see everything bigger but have people reduced to disembodied voices. On both versions however it starts off in letterbox then changes. If you want to see a decent Western with strong characterizations, Durango Mexico that looks convincingly like Wyoming, White Feather is a Cinemascope masterpiece without having to have John Wayne swaggering and blustering nearby to be watchable. This isn't a movie for fans of the late Jeffrey Hunter to overlook.

Great Western.......2007-05-29

This is great movie and a must have for anyone who loves the classic Western. Robert Wagner plays the leading role as surveyer Josh Tanner. Tanner befriends the young chief Little Dog of the Cheyenne (Jeffrey Hunter) and falls in love with the young chiefs sister played by Debra Paget. The Cheyenne and other tribes are to be moved from their Wyoming hunting grounds and John Lund as Colonel Lindsey leads U.S. army's push to resettle the indians. Tanner's attraction to the chiefs sister threatens to endanger a peaceful settlement. The highpoint of the tension between army and Cheyenne arrives when Little Dog and his friend American Horse send an arrow with a white feather their symbol to wager war.

Average customer rating:

don't buy it
One of the Best Bibically-Based Films
A film that surmounted the acidic test of time!
An exciting epic sequel, fashioned according to the manner of Hollywood in the '50s
Robe Sequel drawn from "The Big Fisherman" Lloyd C. Douglas Novel

Demetrius and the Gladiators
Starring: Victor Mature , Susan Hayward , Michael Rennie , Debra Paget , and Anne Bancroft
Director: Delmer Daves
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Robe
Barabbas [Region 99]
David and Bathsheba
King of Kings
The Story of Ruth

ASIN: B000056AXZ
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Amazon.com

Amid a cast of all-stars in 1953's The Robe, Victor Mature made the strongest impression as the Greek slave, Demetrius. It was only natural, then, that Mature should star in this 1954 sequel, in which the newly liberated Demetrius forges an alliance with his Christian brethren to hide the sacred robe of Christ, coveted for its "magic" by the vile emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson, also reprising his role in The Robe). Captured and manipulated into believing his beloved Lucia (Debra Paget) has been killed, Demetrius rejects his pacifist faith, plots vengeance while becoming a rising star in the bloody arena, and falls prey to the scheming senator's wife Messalina (Susan Hayward), who craves his... affection. It all leads to a crisis of faith that will determine Demetrius's fate as a noble Christian or downfallen hedonist.

Inheriting The Robe's CinemaScope production values, Demetrius and the Gladiators has everything you'd want in a Biblical epic, riding the wave that would crest two years later with Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments. It's campy, of course--Robinson is outrageously over-the-top; Mature is too contemporary (preceding the absurdity of Richard Gere's King David by 30 years); and Hayward seems closer to Rodeo Drive than ancient Rome. Still, there are abundant pleasures here, from the lavish arena battles (a bit cheesy, but still impressive) to a straightforward morality tale that doesn't compromise its themes of religious loyalty. You don't watch movies like this for historical accuracy, but for the combination of thrills, passion, and glory that were Hollywood trademarks of 1950s epics, long before the more secular ambition of Gladiator. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

This enormously successful sequel to "The Robe" continues the story of Demetrius (Victor Mature), the Greek slave who, after the death of his master, is sentenced to train as a gladiator in the Roman arena. There, his newfound Christian faith is put to the test when he has to contend not only with the swordsmen and wild beasts of the arena, but also the evil and sensuous Messalina (Susan Hayward) and the mad emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson). Crammed with astonishing action and fight sequences, this heroic epic is not to be missed.

System Requirements:
Starring: Victor Mature, Susan Hayward, Michael Rennie, and Debra Paget.
Running Time: 102 Min., Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2000 Twentieth Century Fox.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

don't buy it.......2007-05-13

This is a terrible movie - it would be bad enough if we hadn't read the book, The Robe, but because we did, the book portrays Demetrius as a thoroughy moral, loyal and admirable person, and the movie shows him as a pleasure-loving, vacant-eyed, immoral fighting machine. Where the movie makers came up with this spin is beyand me, but someone should have stopped them. Actually, after reading the book and 'knowing' Demetrius in that manner, I found the movie nauseating - like a crude and mean characture of a good friend.
Don't buy it.

One of the Best Bibically-Based Films.......2007-04-10

This is one of the very best Bibically-based films ever, and it was also one of the best of the early "sequels." Taking up the story precisely where The Robe left off, it is an even more exciting continuing tale of the Greek slave, Demetrius, and his quest to protect the robe worn by Jesus at His crucifixion. The gladitorial combat scene, where Demetrius avenges the assumed death of his sweetheart, and subsequently renounces his faith, is one of the most memorable ever, and actually rivals that of Russell Crowe in "Gladiator." A must for the Easter season, or for any time one needs a reaffirmation of faith or inspiration.

A film that surmounted the acidic test of time!.......2007-04-10

Demetrius and the gladiators is 'possibly one of the finest and exciting about the biblical epic. The movie in question depicts the last days of Caligula around the untiring search of the Holy cloak; the capture of Demetrius and his forced incursion into the gladiator' s epic, his sudden loss of faith when he fervently is seduced by Mesalina and finally the death and rise of Claudius.

There are brilliant and realistic sequences of brave fights on the Imperial sand but the film abruptly ends; and one leaves the hall firmly believing if it was question related with the budget.

Fortunately the precious Susan Hayward gives a tour de force acting who makes us to forget on one hand the awful performance of Caligula (absolutely flat and pasteboard) the straight stone faced of Victor Mature whose inexpressiveness was pitifully its main enemy to achieve a major status in Hollywood.

But there are justified moments of emotion all the way through, for kids and adults.

An exciting epic sequel, fashioned according to the manner of Hollywood in the '50s.......2007-03-12

Demetrius and the Gladiators is a very good movie, in the classic sense of that term.

Many people of his time adored Victor Mature, while critics sometimes claimed he was melodramatic, but Mature was impressively right for the majority of films in which he was cast. The studio system was smart that way.

In this case, Mature brings the drama to life almost single-handedly, and certainly carries off this cast-of-thousands sequel to THE ROBE beautifully. Mature was well suited to the 50s sword-and-sandal trend, and I'd say this film, along with DeMille's equally good SAMSON AND DELILAH, are among his best performances of the period.

This film is a respectable and interesting sequel to THE ROBE, and unequivocally worth seeing. What's more, I can't agree that Jay Robinson is "over the top" -- he's just as fascinating a villain as he was in THE ROBE, and we're lucky to have more of him in the role in this movie. Considering that Robinson became, by all accounts, mentally obsessed with his character of the Roman emperor in these two films for the rest of his life, I'd say this movie is even more fascinating in that regard. Robinson is one of those actors who proves the old saying that it only takes one stand-out performance to secure an actor's place in history forever. Robinson's performance is easily the best Roman emperor ever committed to celluloid up until now, I CLAUDIUS notwithstanding.

In short, don't sell this movie short, or you'll be the worse for it. The movie's tone is certainly different from THE ROBE, but it is a genuinely satisfying Hollywood entertainment of a fairly high order. The budget is generous, the cast is excellent, and the movie looks very good in all the most important aspects as a result. Feel free to bring popcorn, and I'd recommend a Kleenex as well.

Robe Sequel drawn from "The Big Fisherman" Lloyd C. Douglas Novel.......2007-02-15

In an age when Hollywood was not fond of making sequels (1954), we have here a continuance of the story of the Robe of Christ and the Christians who were dedicated to it's preservation after Tribune Gallio (Richard Burton) is martyred at the end of 1953's "The Robe", an extremely popular Christian epic. The plot follows Demetrius (Victor Mature) as he experiences what Christians call "backsliding", due to a perception that his love is dead at the hands of some drunken gladiators. What follows is a tremendous example of revenge and eventual redemption of a man overwhelmed with grief and filled with hate. The Gladiator scenes are wonderfully done. The colors and production in Cinemascope stand out and some of the continuing performances such as Jay Robinson are worthy of an Academy Award nomination, as Robinson gives his heart to the role of the manic Caligula, believing himself to be a God and eventually being killed at the hands of his own guards. The revenge scene against the Gladiators is Great! Demetrius grabs a sword and kills them one by one in the arena as his opponents are forced to face him under the whip of Ernest Borgnine and the hot-smoking poker of Demetrius's friend. "These aren't the rules" says a gladiator full of fear at Demetrius's blood lust for their deaths. "We're changing the rules!!! replies Borgnine as he chases the rest of them out to die. WOW! One of the better Gladiator movies since Spartacus and although Crowe's Gladiator is excellent and funny in spots, this movie from the 50's is a classic rendering with bad guys you love to hate! Well recommended, but make sure you see "The Robe" first to know what is going on.

Average customer rating:

Disappointment
Prince Valiant was a Viking!
So So
The ..."Singing Sword"...overcomes all obstacles
I just love this movie!

Prince Valiant
Starring: James Mason , Janet Leigh , Robert Wagner , Debra Paget , and Sterling Hayden
Director: Henry Hathaway
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Ivanhoe
Knights of the Round Table
The Black Swan
The Vikings
Scaramouche

ASIN: B0001NBMEE
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com

Cartoonist Hal Foster's medieval hero, the Scandinavian Prince Valiant, comes to the screen in all his Dutch-bob-haircut glory in this 1954 film directed by Henry Hathaway (Kiss of Death). Robert Wagner plays the title role and does a bang-up job of it, convincingly portraying the heroic prince as he enters the court of King Arthur (Brian Aherne) in England and becomes (with some tutelage from Sir Gawain, played by Sterling Hayden) a Knight of the Round Table. Determined to restore his dethroned family to their proper seat back home, Valiant takes on the Black Knight (James Mason), who plans to do away with Arthur and then finish his misdeeds back in Scandia. Under such pressure, the prince, quite understandably, falls in love with Princess Aleta (Janet Leigh). Hathaway proves to be the perfect director for this material, as his fluid skill, moderate forcefulness, and adaptability to genre necessities keep the film from teetering too far in the direction of pulp--or self-seriousness. --Tom Keogh

Description

Overthrown and driven into exile, the king of Scandia has fled to Britain with his wife and son, Prince Valiant (Wagner). As a young man, Val hoes to King Arthur's court, where he is befriended by Sir Gawain (sterling Hayden) and trains to be become a knight of the round table. Val also falls in love with a beautiful princess (Leigh) and faces the treachery of the mysterious Black Knight, who is scheming to betray Val's family.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointment.......2007-05-23

This movie cannot be playd in Norway, and should not have been sold abroad.

Prince Valiant was a Viking!.......2007-05-13

Yep, that's what I said, one of the future knights of the round table is the son of an exiled viking king. Who would have thought it? But then again I think Lancelot was French. Oh well, I reckon Arthur had to search high and low to get enough real men to fill up the table.

As I have said with several other movie types (movies with big monsters, movies about Sinbad the Sailor, etc.) I've never seen one of these older movies about Knights I didn't like--naturally I'm talking about the older ones.

Valiant was the star of the show but I feel Sir Gawain had the best part. James Masion played his part just fine. The cutie Janet Leigh had her moments of acting. King Arthur did a fine job of looking and acting saintly and wise. I noticed his queen wasn't making eyes at Lancelot any. Just as well, the movie was about Prince Valiant, not Arthur, the singing sword, or any of the rest. Camelot looked fine. So here we go.

PROS:

1. Ok acting by most--Gawain acted great, so did Masion.
2. Neat idea.
3. Some full size castles and a viking ship.
4. A really hot scene when the viking castle was being taken by storm. It's a surprise they didn't burn it down.
5. You get to see someof the Knights in training...I always did like a fine movie with background type detail.
six. A really fine sword fight scene between Wagner (Valiant) and James Masion.
7. They have some real jousting at the beginning--interesting.

CONS:

There is not really a down side to this movie but allow me to pick at it a little so I can be even handed about it;

1. Vikings are wearing the horned helmets.
2. I'm not sure if Vikings had castles built of stone...sorry.
3. Is everyone of those guys over weight?
4. In the viking's castle, nary a female or kids!
5. When they capture Wagner and Janet Leigh they toss them into a dungeon...I don't think they did that to cuties that looked like her, but just as well, it's a clean movie not really a historic movie.

Ah...why tell any more cons. It's an epic movie, nicely colored. It doesn't have the passion and intensity of Excalibur but it's a fine shot and Excalibur isn't a family film. By the way, besides Valiant, the movie is about a traitor Knight at the round table whos' made a deal with the vikings. Give him Prince Valiant and the vikings will give him one thousand viking warriors to attack Camelot. I can't really say get out the popcorn because this type of old classic is a cut above such things...order pizza! Bye.

So So.......2007-02-09

I love the King Arthur Era movies, but was not thrilled with this one. I found it to be a bit slow, and the characters were not very engaging.There are plenty of other movies like this that are much more enjoyable

The ..."Singing Sword"...overcomes all obstacles.......2007-02-08

There is a certain spiritual quality to this movie, which i first saw as a youth at the Starr Theater in Bushwick, a theater that i considered my second home on the weekends as i paid my 50 cent and immersed myself in the timeless tales of heroes and honor and redemption. The purity and the innocence of Prince Valiant was what struck me the most about this movie... how he saved his father's honor and that of king arthur.. the villans never do get the message... that god can defend the right ..and often does, not only in this movie but in others such as ..The Black Shield of Falworth. (Fidus Et Audax) Faith and Daring.

I just love this movie!.......2007-01-12

Henry Hathaway's 'Prince Valiant'is an epic adventure story set in the Golden Age of Chivalry... It is the story of a Viking Prince who challenge a kingdom...

'Prince Valiant' is about the 'Singing Sword' which has been sullied with pagan hands...

'Prince Valiant' is about a Viking Prince who pledge to go to Camelot and there strive with honor and diligence to become a Knight at King Arthur's Round Table...

'Prince Valiant' is about a young prince with little knowledge of what knighthood means...

'Prince Valiant' is about a ghost who plots treason, a black-armored knight who appears and vanishes at will...

'Prince Valiant' is about a deadly Black Knight, who uses his disguise to make a pact with a Viking traitor to overthrow a great king...

'Prince Valiant' is about a desperate squire who dares to wear the armor and identity of a chivalrous Knight of the Round Table...

'Prince Valiant' is about a loyal squire who crowns a mighty knight with a rock, and tries to win a beautiful princess for himself...

'Prince Valiant' is about a traitor who would pay any price to get his hands on a Christian King and his family...

'Prince Valiant' is about the son of an exiled king who seeks King Arthur's help against the usurper, and becomes involved in a court plot...

'Prince Valiant' is about a courageous lad who faces the treachery of a mysterious Black Knight, who is scheming betrayal and murder...

'Prince Valiant' is about a breathtaking duel, one of the best you will ever seen...

James Mason portrays the shining knight Sir Brack who suffers the indignity of being challenged on the field of honor by a squire in the guise of a knight...

Janet Leigh plays the lovely damsel with one purpose, to answer love fully...

Robert Wagner plays the young hothead with one vow to fulfill before he can think of anything else...

Debra Paget plays the shy and charming dark-haired princess with a secret wish...

Sterling Hayden plays Sir Gawain, the perfect knight who knows that his duty is to find the Black Knight and destroy him before his treason ripens...

Victor McLaglen plays the Christian Viking hiding behind a red curtain with a long knife in his hand...

Donald Crisp plays the King of Scandia who was overthrown by a Viking traitor and escapes with his wife and son across the North Sea to Britain...

Brian Aherne plays Arthur, King of the Britons, who assures Valiant that 'knighthood cannot be had for the asking...' It must be won!

Barry Jones plays the father of two princesses who suffers to get the best knight for one of his daughters...

Well... I just love this movie! Its good old magic moves me to some of the most cherished memories stored in my mind... It is an agreeable historical piece that has prowess, romance, and grace, and a final lavish sword fight, one of the best of its kind...

Average customer rating:

Belles on Their Toes
Cheaper By the Dozen 2 - the original sequel
Belles on Their Toes
"Belles on Their Toes" is an excellent sequel to "Cheaper by the Dozen"
Charming but uneven

Belles on Their Toes
Starring: Jeanne Crain , Myrna Loy , Debra Paget , Jeffrey Hunter , and Edward Arnold
Director: Henry Levin
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Cheaper By the Dozen
William Powell: Life With Father (Unrated)
Yours, Mine and Ours
Belles on Their Toes
Spencer's Mountain

ASIN: B00013RCAC
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Amazon.com

Myrna Loy charms as the Gilbreth family matriarch in this enjoyable 1952 sequel to Walter Lang's comedy Cheaper by the Dozen, based on the autobiographical novel by Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. Picking up from the somber ending of Cheaper, in which Frank Sr. (Clifton Webb) dies, leaving behind his wife, Lillian (Loy), and 12 children, Belles focuses on the family's slow recovery and aspirations for a future. Lillian's qualifications as an engineer are dismissed--sometimes humiliatingly--by sexist men, though she finally receives a training position with the plain-speaking Sam Harper (Edward Arnold) and the respect of a major university. Meanwhile, eldest daughter Ann (Jeanne Crain) is wooed by a young doctor (Jeffrey Hunter), and the other Gilbreth kids weed out unsuitable suitors for their dating-age sisters. Several pleasant musical numbers punctuate the comically unpredictable action, including a few by Hoagy Carmichael as the Gilbreth's wry cook. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Belles on Their Toes.......2007-01-15

We liked this movie, although I would have liked for it to have included more of what is in the book. Hard to do in a short amount of time. Overall a great family movie! We love the old fashioned movies!

Cheaper By the Dozen 2 - the original sequel.......2007-01-08

Few realize today that the "Cheaper by the Dozen" films with Steve Martin were actually sequels themselves. If you've seen the orignal Cheaper by the Dozen with Myrna Loy than you know that Steve Martin's version didn't even attempt at staying close to the original storyline. With that said, Belles on their Toes is a totally and completely different movie than the 2nd movie in Steve Martin's Cheaper by the dozen films. In Belles on their Toes, we're treated to a story of how the 12 kids grew through the baby graduating. This is a nice story and thoroughly enjoyable as a film in itself. The fact that it's a sequel, in my opinion, doesn't add or detract from it's enjoyment factor.

Belles on Their Toes.......2006-07-05

I am very satisfied with my purchase.

I have been looking in the video stores and other department stores for this very movie. I was very excited to find such an old movie on line.

"Belles on Their Toes" is an excellent sequel to "Cheaper by the Dozen".......2006-05-27

"Belles on Their Toes" is an excellent sequel to "Cheaper by the Dozen"
"Belles on Their Toes" picks up where the Gilbreth family left off in "Cheaper by the Dozen." While many sequels leave much to be desired this sequel is even better than the predecessor. In this movie the mother, Lillian, continues pioneering work in industrial engineering.

A perfect film for the entire family to watch, you won't find any sex, violence or foul language in this movie. The hilarious goings-on of this real-life family will keep your entire family laughing in wanting to know more about this interesting real-life cast of characters. While this film can be purchased in both Technicolor and black-and-white I still prefer the black-and-white version.

This classic movie teaches old-time values and will send your family straits the Internet to find out more about their fascinating lives.

Charming but uneven.......2005-08-16

There's an undeniable sweetness and charm to this film, but overall it just doesn't feel as satisfying and well-developed as the movie version of CBTD. That movie wasn't entirely true to every bit of the book, but it overwhelmingly felt close to the book's spirit despite some things that were left out and some things that were invented. In BOTT, the viewer doesn't get nearly as much a sense of period authenticity and details as in the original; it looks more like something from the Fifties instead of a story taking place in the Twenties. And there were a lot of events from the book left out, commingled with a few things that did really happen in the book; the storyline definitely had far more liberties taken with it. Missing all of these important events that really set the mood for how much this family cared for one another and what a great job they did getting by on their own, one doesn't really feel quite as connected to the characters and the plot as in the original. (It was also interesting to note how they cut and pasted two different but similar events from the first and second books, the film of the family eating dinner at something like ten times the normal speed as opposed to the film of Mrs. Gilbreth demonstrating how time-saving the design of her kitchen was.) The book focuses on Mrs. Gilbreth's struggle to raise her eleven children after her husband dies and how she steps into his shoes, even though she was a female engineer in a man's world at a time when many female professionals weren't taken seriously; in real life she was a lot more successful and welcomed than the movie makes her out to be. It's enjoyable enough family entertainment, just lacks the continuity and even pacing of the original. Because of all of the things that were left out and substituted for by things invented (perhaps to give it a more modern feel, like the scene of the beach barbeque/dance party), it just doesn't flow as naturally or seem quite as engaging.

Tales of Terror/Twice Told Tales (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

Average customer rating:

Vincent Price Flicks

Tales of Terror/Twice Told Tales (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
Starring: Vincent Price , Maggie Pierce , Leona Gage , Edmund Cobb , and Peter Lorre
Director: Roger Corman , and Sidney Salkow
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Fall of the House of Usher /The Pit and the Pendulum
Theater Of Blood/MadHouse (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
The Masque of the Red Death / The Premature Burial
The Tomb of Ligeia / An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe
The Comedy of Terrors/The Raven

ASIN: B000787YRM
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Description

TALES OF TERROR: Original Theatrical Trailer Widescreen (2.35) English (Mono) Subtitles: French, Spanish TWICE TOLD TALES: Widescreen (1.66)

Customer Reviews:

Vincent Price Flicks.......2006-08-10

As a huge fan of Vincent Price films, I've found this a valuable addition to my collection. I never saw either of these films in the theatre or on T.V. and while not at the top of the line like Dr. Phibes or The Fly, there's still some good creepy and entertaining moments.

Average customer rating:

House of Strangers
UNIQUE PLOT, often used.
Obscure dramatic gem
Gripping Family Drama
The Immigrant Experience as Greek Tragedy.

House of Strangers (Fox Film Noir)
Starring: Edward G. Robinson , Susan Hayward , Richard Conte , Luther Adler , and Paul Valentine
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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

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

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

I Wake Up Screaming (Fox Film Noir)
House on Telegraph Hill (Fox Film Noir)
Fallen Angel (Fox Film Noir)
Fourteen Hours
Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3 (Border Incident / His Kind of Woman / Lady in the Lake / On Dangerous Ground / The Racket)

ASIN: B000EXDSBG
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Description

Edward G. Robinson's ill-gotten gains embroil his entire family in scandal and murder. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

Customer Reviews:

House of Strangers.......2007-06-22

Joseph L. Mankiewicz's scorching tale of a destructive family vendetta is a stylish, well-conceived outing. Though screenplay credit went to Philip Yordan, Mankiewicz's inspired touch is evident in the film's tight pacing and sharp, flavorful script. Robinson is masterful as an Italian-American patriarch, and the under-appreciated Conte is also aces as a slick operator who's not quite as tough as he seems. For a gritty noir you won't forget, enter this House of Strangers.

UNIQUE PLOT, often used........2007-04-24

Joseph L. Mankewicz's great family drama is a one of a kind story starring Susan Hayard, E.G. Robinson and Richard Conte. Conte plays the favorite son of ruthless banker who does not run his business by the book (Robinson) that gets him in trouble. Conte takes the rap and goes to prison for 7 years while his greedy, dullard brothers just stand by and watch and take the bank over from their father. Hayward plays Conte's socialite girlfriend and nobody can deliver a one liner like a snap of a bullwhip quite like Hayward. And thanks to the bristling dialogue, the exchanges between Conte and Hayward are classic cinema.

Actually Hayward who was a big star at the time had just been signed by Fox and the studio did not know what to do with their expensive propety, so they cast her in a 3rd role despite her star billing. But thanks to the tight direction and witty and unusual script filled with film noir touches, makes this film a classic. The plot line has been used time and again but has never equalled the original.

All the lead stars are brilliant in this vibrating classic flick.

Obscure dramatic gem.......2007-04-17

Despite its inclusion in the Fox Film Noir series, "House of Strangers" has more in common with "King Lear" than it does with "Panic in the Streets" and "The Street With No Name." Still, it flirts with noir through casting. Stars Edward G. Robinson and Richard Conte have frequently walked the dark, rain-swept streets of that anxiety plagued genre which generally focused on society's underclass.

"House of Strangers" tells the story of an Italian immigrant barber who finds his fortune in banking. But success comes with a heavy price as his tyrannical ways alienate his sons, three of whom let their father twist in the wind as his kingdom crumbles due to mismanagement and unethical practices.

Although Philip Yorden receives sole credit for the screenplay, film historian Foster Hirsch, who provides an insightful and entertaining commentary, insists the script was primarily the work of the director, Joseph L. Manckiewicz. The acidic tone of much of the dialogue does suggest it written by the man who brought us "All About Eve" the next year.

The cast is superb with Robinson brilliant as always, but it is Luther Adler as Joe, the eldest son and the most conniving, who offers the standout performance. His scene with Conte in the restaurant is a textbook example of fine acting. Susan Hayward is good, too, but her part is rather superfluous, added for box-office purposes rather than dramatic necessity.

"House of Strangers" is fairly obscure these days, and is probably best-known for having inspired the 1954 western "Broken Lance" with Spencer Tracy and Richard Widmark, but it stands tall on its own merits and is well worth seeking out.

Brian W. Fairbanks

Gripping Family Drama.......2006-09-19

Gino Monetti (Edward G. Robinson) is the toast of his enclave in Depression era New York. He runs a loan company that doles out cash to customers with no collateral. Who cares that he charges usurious rates. His sons abet him in his thriving business and fall neatly under his iron thumb. Then the feds come calling. All the resentment and deceit that had been percolating for years rises to the top and favorite son Max(Richard Conte) has to take the fall. Director Joseph Mankiewicz has crafted a terrific film about how the sins of the fathers visits wrath upon their sons. Edward G. Robinson does a terrific turn as the ever smiling patriarch with arsenic for blood. The underutilized Richard Conte is his equal or better as the son who has to the suffer the slings and arrows of the charade that the Monetti house of cards was. I remember seeing this film years ago on Cinemax and anxiously awaited it's DVD release. Just because a film is relatively obscure does not detract from it's greatness.

The Immigrant Experience as Greek Tragedy. .......2006-08-25

"House of Strangers" is based on the novel "I'll Never Go There Again" by Pulitzer prize-winning playwright and novelist Jerome Weidman, who wrote about the immigrant experience in New York City in the early 20th century, particularly the Jewish immigrant experience. This screenplay is credited solely to Philip Yordan, but director Joseph Mankiewicz actually wrote the final version of the script. Jerome Weidman's book is about a Jewish banking family who were changed to Italians for the film. If that was in order to avoid controversy, it didn't quite work. The Giannini family, who founded Bank of America, complained to 20th Century Fox that the family in the film resembled theirs. But they were outdone by the studio chairman himself, Spyrus Skouras, who thought the fictional Monetti family was his. So he limited the film's release. That's unfortunate, because "House of Strangers" has some wonderful performances, including one that earned Edward G. Robinson a Best Actor award at the 1949 Cannes Film Festival.

Seven years after he went to prison for attempting to bribe a juror, Max Monetti (Richard Conte) returns to New York with vengeance on his mind, directed at his brother Joe (Luther Adler), whom Max believes gave the police the tip that put him away. His old flame Irene Bennett (Susan Hayward), a sharp-tongued uptown girl, wants Max to abandon thoughts of vengeance and start a new life with her. As Max listens to his deceased father's opera records, we travel back in time to when family patriarch Gino Monetti (Edward G. Robinson), a poor barber-turned-rich-banker, held his immigrant clients and his 4 sons under his sway. -Except for Max, whose forceful personality made him his father's favorite, immune to the petty abuses and selfish whims suffered by Joe, Antonio (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), and Pietro (Paul Valentine) . When the State investigated the bank's lending practices, the bitterness that Gino's ill treatment had sowed became apparent.

"House of Strangers" is sometimes called film noir, probably because of Max's subjective, introverted perspective of the corrosive Monetti family dynamics. But this isn't even a crime film. Its strongest elements by far are Greek Tragedy, but "House of Strangers" is also part immigrant experience and part romance. The sins of the father are visited upon the sons, and the 3 main players in that drama -Gino, Max, and Joe- are memorable. Edward G. Robinson's performance is a bit theatrical, but Gino's character is so poisonous and his emotions so vivid that it doesn't matter if he is over-the-top. His lecture about the differences between the Old World and the New is a hoot too. Luther Adler impresses in the small but delicate part of Joe, the scorned son. The interaction between Max and Irene seems superfluous, as if it were transposed from another story. A lot of dialogue that was unmistakably written by Mankiewicz comes out of Irene's mouth. There is some good stuff, but Irene talks too much. "House of Strangers" is a fine Greek Tragedy and a harsh take on an immigrant family that made good.

The DVD (20th Century Fox 2006): Bonus features are a theatrical trailer (2 ½ min), a Poster Gallery of 4 b&w posters, a (mislabeled) Production Stills Gallery of 10 behind-the-scenes photos, a (mislabeled) Unit Photography Gallery of 23 production stills, and an audio commentary by film historian Foster Hirsch. The commentary isn't non-stop, but Hirsch analyzes the composition, framing, blocking, and any technique used to illustrate the film's themes for many scenes. He also comments on characters and provides background information on the film and actors. Subtitles are available for the film in English and Spanish.

Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) / Belles on Their Toes

Average customer rating:

The Older Version is the Better Choice
HAVE NO COMPLAINTS
Great, classic movies
Movie Review
cheaper by the dozen

Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) / Belles on Their Toes
Starring: Jeanne Crain , Myrna Loy , Debra Paget , Jeffrey Hunter , and Edward Arnold
Director: Henry Levin , and Walter Lang
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Yours, Mine and Ours
William Powell: Life With Father (Unrated)
Cheaper by the Dozen (Perennial Classics)
Belles on Their Toes
I Remember Mama

ASIN: B0002IQKHC
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Customer Reviews:

The Older Version is the Better Choice.......2007-06-03

Clifton Webb was most often case in dramatic roles. In ""Cheaper by the Dozen"" we get to see Webb in his comedic best. The original version of this film surpasses the newer one for many reasons: 1)the adults in the original had a wisdom and dignity sadly lacking in the modern setting, 2)the work ethic of the Gilbreth children is enchanting in the original, and, finally, 3) touching on the subject of death in the original adds even more depth to the story. ""Bells on Their Toes"" is not as unexpected as the original, but knowing more history about the Gilbreth family and their amazing mother is a nice sequel. This DVD should be in every family video library.

HAVE NO COMPLAINTS.......2007-02-07

I'M HAPPY WITH THIS VIDEO, AND THE TRANSACTION AS A WHOLE. THANK YOU.

Great, classic movies.......2007-01-16

Well, I purchased these DVD's as a Christmas gift for my mother, and she loves them! They've always held a special place in our family, as she is one of 12 children, herself. It's my grandfather's favorite movie. They're great movies to watch as a family, and my children enjoy watching them as much as me, my mother, and my grandparents. You can never go wrong with great classics, like these movies are! I just wish I could have my 3 kids half as organized as these 12 were!

Movie Review.......2007-01-15

Again, I love old movies, as these two (2) movies are so very good, I wanted to own them, now I can watch these pictures back to back, the way they should show them on cable.

cheaper by the dozen.......2007-01-12

Fun to watch if you like old movies. Good for the entire family

Average customer rating:

Surprise
Excellent value
Enjoyable but could have been much better.
Tense Docu-Drama
Tense FOURTEEN HOURS in 92 Minutes

Fourteen Hours
Starring: Paul Douglas , Richard Basehart , Barbara Bel Geddes , Debra Paget , and Agnes Moorehead
Director: Henry Hathaway
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Fox Film Noir, Vol. 19: Vicki
Shock
House of Strangers (Fox Film Noir)
I Wake Up Screaming (Fox Film Noir)
Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3 (Border Incident / His Kind of Woman / Lady in the Lake / On Dangerous Ground / The Racket)

ASIN: B000FKO3VC
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Amazon.com

"There's a jumper on the ledge...." And so, after a wordless opening sequence, begins Fourteen Hours, a taut thriller about a would-be suicide standing outside his hotel-room window on St. Patrick's Day. The jumper, nervously played by Richard Basehart, is counseled by a gallery of interested parties, including a beat cop (Paul Douglas) and the man's divorced parents (Agnes Moorehead and Robert Keith) and fiancée (Barbara Bel Geddes). Psychiatrist Martin Gabel provides some Freudian analysis of the situation. Along with the drama on the ledge, the film cruises through the reactions of the crowd below, from concerned to cynical. Among the huge ensemble are a surprising gallery of faces, including up-and-comers Grace Kelly, Jeffrey Hunter, and Debra Paget. Howard Da Silva is a cop, and Ossie Davis and Harvey Lembeck (both uncredited) are cab drivers. Director Henry Hathaway had made some of the Fox film noirs emphasizing realism and authentic location shooting (House on 92nd Street, Call Northside 777), and he takes a similar approach to the flavorful Manhattan sites here--albeit mostly within a one-block area. The movie's ticking-clock momentum holds up well, even if some of the social-concern material feels dated. And when you can cut to a vertiginous angle every few minutes, suspense is practically guaranteed. --Robert Horton

Description

Film noir, a classic film style of the `40s and `50s, is noted for its dark themes, stark camera angles and high-contrast lighting. Comprising many of Hollywood's finest films, film noir tells realistic stories about crime, mystery, femmes fatales and conflict. This compelling suspense drama spends its time with a tormented young man (Richard Basehart) as he teeters on a New York hotel's 15th floor window ledge, deciding whether or not to jump. Paul Douglas plays a traffic cop, the first officer on the scene, and through his gentle, compassionate talk, he becomes the only one the man on the ledge trusts. He certainly doesn't trust his mother (Agnes Moorehead) or ex-fiancée (Barbara Bel Geddes). The crowd below is mesmerized and for some, the fourteen hours that follow will change their lives forever. This film is notable for the film debut of Grace Kelly in a small role.

Customer Reviews:

Surprise.......2007-06-12

This black and white film is unusually good. The movie is a real surprise. I did not know the movie existed until I watched it. The film has several famous actors and actresses near the begining of their careers. Grace Kelly's performance was unexpected. Some great acting and suspense.

Excellent value.......2007-01-06

Great film noir that keeps you in the action from the very start. Not only a plausible story line for today, it also shows the "non-technical" aspect of police work from days long past. An excellent movie with an all star cast. Refreshingly absent are computer graphics, fould language, hyperbolized acting. This film is a must have for the serious film studentor collector.

Enjoyable but could have been much better........2006-10-15

First, this isn't a film noir movie. There is no mystery nor are any of the characters complex. The story could not be simpler. You won't be wondering who's lurking in the shadows or why the characters can't see the train wreck ahead. No moral ambiguity. No shades of gray.

Its a pretty good 1950s drama though, with a look like the superior, Naked City. (It even has the same street sweeping scene at the end). Richard Basehart plays a disturbed young man and Paul Douglas, a cop who tries to talk him out of jumping from a ledge. You can guess the ending--after all, this is the 1950s.

The special effects are the real star as they create the suspense. Paul Douglas is very good as the stereotypical street cop--a good Joe with a heart of gold who pounds a beat. Richard Basehart is Richard Basehart. He and Douglas exchange some chit chat about beer, fishing and why life is worth living. Here is where the movie could have had brilliant insights but, asked to give 10 reasons why life is worth living, Paul Douglas says he never really thought of it that way. That suits his character but its not terribly interesting.

There are incidental parts from Agnes Moorehead (who, of course would make anyone jump), a tiny sub plot with Grace Kelly, and some psychology 101 explaning why RB wants to end it all. As night falls there are some great shots at the end giving the last 10 minutes a film noirish look.

Note that this disc has commentary by Foster Hirsch, not the unbelievably knowledgable Eddie Muller who's done most of the Fox Noir series. Hirsch is apparently seeing the film for the first time and simply describes what you are watching as you are watching it. He's silent much of the time and this is good. The disc comes with a small booklet that, in a few paragraphs, covers far more than the commentary.

So, its pretty exciting, the direction and cinematography are very skillful. But its not hard to see why this film wasn't considered for an academy award.

Tense Docu-Drama.......2006-09-18

This cinema-verite account of a man hovering on the ledge of a high story New York hotel works on all cylinders. Director Henry Hathaway masterfully weaves all the threads of the ensuing circus flawlessly. From the police operation, the media hordes, the curiousity seekers on the ground, and ultimately to the scenes on the ledge we are kept enthralled throughout. The film that this one brought to my mind is "Dog Day Afternoon" in it's portrayal of a media circus. For this type of film to work there has to be a certain suspension of disbelief. Despite the presence of some well known actors(Paul Douglas, Richard Basehart, Agnes Moorehead, Barbara Bel Geddes, et al) we are so caught up in the emotions of the events that we are led to believe them as real people. Film is also of interest for some up-and-coming actors who blend seemlessly into the fabric of the film(Grace Kelly, Jeffrey Hunter, Ossie Davis, Harvey Lembeck). "Fourteen Hours" definitely rates as an unqualified success.

Tense FOURTEEN HOURS in 92 Minutes.......2006-09-01

The-man-on-the-ledge theme has been used in movies and on TV so often over the years that it has surely reached cliche status by now.
Director Henry Hathaway, however, in FOURTEEN HOURS (1951) guides the drama and urban tensions with such sure-handed craftsmanship, that this ledge jumper based film has remained almost as powerfully involving and suspenseful today as it was 55 years ago.
Furthermore, Hathaway gives FOURTEEN HOURS a master's touch by utilizing his own established and innovative semidocumentary style (see THE HOUSE ON 92nd STREET (1945); KISS OF DEATH (1947)). Thus, FOURTEEN HOURS, with its low-keyed black-and-white cinematography, effectively captures a segment of Manhattan's dramatically restless urban world in moody noir fashion.
And in addition, strong performances abound.
Especially noteworthy is Richard Basehart (the cause of all the commotion) as the disturbed 14hr. ledge occupant way way up on the fifteenth floor of a Manhattan hotel on St. Patrick's Day. (Actually, all this is based on a true incident; the film realistically depicts the sensationalistic media frenzy surrounding the event, with news-starved reporters everywhere, and some crude, insensitive behavior by numerous spectators).
Paul Douglas likewise shines in his role as a traffic cop who tries to keep Basehart from jumping.
Also, Barbara Bel Geddes is impressive (and eloquently gentle) as Basehart's former fiancee.
The many-faceted spectator emotions (some quite strong) on the street and surroundings set other little dramas in motion.
Here even Grace Kelly makes her film debut, as a maritally unhappy spectator observing and reacting to Basehart's plight above. Debra Paget and Jeffrey Hunter are also nearby.

By all means, add this fascinating and strongly fatalistic noir to your collection. Here are 5 stars to welcome its DVD appearance in such excellent condition.

Average customer rating:

Great Memories
B&W or color?
NOT IN COLOR (as advertised by Amazon!)
Here's a raw Presley appearing in his film debut
Introducing Elvis...

Love Me Tender
Starring: Richard Egan , Debra Paget , Elvis Presley , Robert Middleton , and William Campbell
Director: Robert D. Webb
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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