High Sierra

Starring:Ida Lupino, Humphrey Bogart, Alan Curtis, Arthur Kennedy, Joan Leslie, Henry Hull, Henry Travers, Jerome Cowan, Minna Gombell, Barton MacLane, Elisabeth Risdon, Cornel Wilde, Donald MacBride, Paul Harvey, Isabel Jewell, Willie Best, Spencer Charters, George Meeker, Robert Strange, John Eldredge
Director: Raoul Walsh
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
This 1941 melodrama is memorable for both its strong central performances and their intimations of how the previous decade's crime dramas would evolve into film noir--no accident, given the solid direction of veteran Raoul Walsh and the hand of screenwriter John Huston, who teamed with the author of its novelistic source, W.R. Burnett (Little Caesar). In the central character of Roy "Mad Dog" Earle, a fictional peer to John Dillinger, Humphrey Bogart finds a defining role that anticipates the underlying fatalism and moral ambiguity visible in the career-making roles soon to follow, including Sam Spade in Huston's directorial debut, The Maltese Falcon.

Earle suggests a prescient variation on the enraged sociopaths that were fixtures of the gangster melodramas that shaped Bogart's early screen image. Pardoned from a long prison stretch, the weary robber is clearly more eager to savor his new freedom than immediately swing back into action. But his early release has been engineered by a mobster who wants Earle to pull off a high-stakes burglary, setting in motion a plot that is a prototype for doomed-heist capers--a small, yet potent subgenre that would later include Huston's The Asphalt Jungle and Stanley Kubrick's The Killing.

Amazon.com essential video

Ranked at No. 30 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 all-time greatest American films, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a genuine masterpiece that was, ironically, a box-office failure when released in 1948. At that time audiences didn't accept Humphrey Bogart in a role that was intentionally unappealing, but time has proven this to be one of Bogart's very best performances. It's a grand adventure and a superior character study built around the timeless themes of greed and moral corruption. As adapted by writer-director John Huston (from a novel by enigmatic author B. Traven) it became a definitive treatment of fate and futility in the obsessive pursuit of wealth. Bogart plays Fred C. Dobbs, a down-and-out wage-worker in Mexico who stakes his meager earnings on a gold-prospecting expedition to the Sierra mountains. He's joined by a grizzled old prospector (Walter Huston, the director's father) and a young, no-nonsense partner (Tim Holt), and when they strike a rich vein of gold, the movie becomes an observant study of wretched human behavior. Bogart is fiercely intense as his character grows increasingly paranoid and violent; Huston offers a compelling contrast as a weathered miner who's seen how gold can turn men into monsters.

From its lively opening scenes (featuring young Robert Blake as a boy selling lottery tickets) to its final, devastating image of fateful irony, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre tells an unforgettable story of tragedy and truth. With dialogue that has been etched into the cultural consciousness (who can forget the Mexican bandit who snarls "I don't have to show you any stinking badges!") and well-earned Oscars for John and Walter Huston, this is an American classic that still packs a punch. --Jeff Shannon

Description

John Huston won the Academy Award(R) for writing and directing this powerful saga that pits gold and greed in the wilds of Mexico and stars his father (Walter Huston) and Humphrey Bogart. Year: 1948 Director: John Huston Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt

Customer Reviews:

SIERRA MADRE BOGART.......2007-06-27

VERY NICE SET THE TREASURE MOVIE IS ONE OF BOGARTS BEST AND HOUSTONS TOO.
THE SECOND DISC IS AN EXCELLENT REVIEW OF HOUSTONS FILM MAKING CAREER HISTORY.

JASCONS

Brings back old memories.......2007-05-07

What a treat to see this old war horse. As was typical of this period the acting was a little over the top, especially Bogart but was entertaining nonetheless. Has some really good extras...well worth the price.

One of the greatest movies of all time..........2007-05-03

I can't tell you how many times I've watched this movie, and I can't tell you how many more times I will watch it. If movies were food, this movie would be a first class 9 course meal at the best 5 star restaurant in town. If you have never seen this movie, you have missed out on a rare glimpse into GOLD FEVER. You think it can't happen to you...better men have thought it and died. Watch men trade their souls for Gold, and see what happens to the Godless. Truely a work of art, everyone should own.

A Man's Film.......2007-05-03

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a classic film starring one of the brightest stars of the era, Humphrey Bogart. Its themes are universal and timeless and the script features a line well known by the American culture. It follows three gold prospectors into the dirty desert where they mine tiny bits of gold. The threat of the elements, bandits, and each other slowly drive them apart and plant seeds of intense paranoia in their brains.

It might seem pretty stereotypical to deem this movie a "man's film," but really, that is what it is. The locations are far from beautiful, the actors are constantly unshaven and unclean, and the themes are about manhood. It isolates its audience, leaving women with little to relate to. I found it interesting in small sections but lacking as a whole.

This DVD release features an entire disk filled with extra features including documentaries, trailers, and other goodies.

I am sure that many people love this film and that it contains good acting, important themes, and great dialogue. However, my inability to relate to the events made it rather dull for me.

A tale of greed, and redemption.......2007-04-05

This black and white classic tells a lesson in greed. Humphrey Bogart plays a street beggar in a border town of Mexico who believes he'd be satisfied with just a little money. He doesn't need a lot. This belief will be put to the full test when him and his two friends are able to scrape together enough money to set out gold digging. Bogart's character is humble toward his friends until they strike it rich, then it's 'gold fever' galore. Walter Huston won an Oscar for his role and John Huston won Academy Awards for writing and directing this film. The violence is low key, so it's really something the entire family could watch, especially since it's such a great moral tale on how real gold is found in friendships and family.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

Average customer rating:

I want to see the inferno, not underwear
fired up
Disaster Movie Delight
Classic movie and great entertainment!
Paul Newman? Steve McQueen? They're worth 4 stars for just being them

The Towering Inferno (Special Edition)
Starring: Steve McQueen , Paul Newman , William Holden , Faye Dunaway , and Fred Astaire
Director: John Guillermin , and Irwin Allen
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EHSVOG
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Amazon.com essential video

Disaster movies used to work because there was little certainty as to who would survive. Not so in this film, really an amalgam of two original stories, about a group of well-to-do celebrants at the top floor of a skyscraper. Cheapo electrical wiring and bad construction management cause an enormous blaze at the lower floors, steadily rising to consume the revelers. Newman's an architect, McQueen a firefighter, and Fred Astaire a kind old gentleman, for which he was Oscar-nominated. O.J. Simpson plays a security guard who rescues a cat. Now that's a disaster. --Keith Simanton

Description

A dedication ceremony at the world's tallest skyscraper turns into a high-rise catastrophe when a defective wire in its systems-control panel causes an electrical flare-up. Within minutes the gala event turns into a hellish inferno, as a raging fire traps

Customer Reviews:

I want to see the inferno, not underwear.......2007-06-13

This movie is full of technical errors. Now I have checked this out for myself. In California, the fire protection is done by a fire protection engineer. Same thing goes for electrical. When the architect Paul Newman was fiddling with the electrical system, which may or may not have been under warranty, he was tampering with things that he was not statutorily allowed to do. As far as him reviewing the change orders to the electrical, if I was James Duncan or Roger Simmons, I would go to Superior Court and get an injunction that he can't get involved in any engineering because he is not licenced in California. They should have used Judge Mathis or Judge Joe Brown on this because I have a funny feeling this whole thing is going to end up in the Peoples Court with Judge Milian.

fired up.......2007-05-17

you can't add much more flame to the fire. this dvd has seen the light. with all the extras to sweat through you will feel like you were at a hollywood bonfire. the movie speaks for itself. we all know the horror of being in a fire in a skyscraper. now more than ever. and the film doesnt play camp like other disaster films.the acting is as good as you get at the time. but it is a stuntman movie for the most part. it is amazing how well it has held up today. and the film score is one of the best for this kind of film. this a 1970's classic and it is good to have this dvd for the future generations who havent seen it.if you are a film fan you will want the story and the extras this set provides. though not the first in the genre it was the best. and an academy award winning picture to boot.

Disaster Movie Delight.......2007-05-12

In this age we live in, one of ultra-serious tragedy abounding in daily news, the genre/medium of the American Disaster-Thriller Flick is a wonderful diversion from reality and sometimes a downright *HOOT* ... Disaster movie-as-vehicle for questionable performances by aging famous stars can, in a way, be a touching reminder of their theatrical days gone by... but let's just laugh, shed a tear, sweat it out, and have fun with this film, the Airport-movies series, Poseidon Adventure, and more~!
My only regret is that Fred Astaire doesn't dance enough in this one, like in the olde days with Ginger Rogers :P

Classic movie and great entertainment!.......2007-05-09

I loved this movie! Every member of the cast is in the right place here and it makes this film one of the big classics.

Paul Newman? Steve McQueen? They're worth 4 stars for just being them.......2007-05-08

So "The Towering Inferno" is not a great movie. It's barely a good movie, although at the time of its release, it was considered one of the best of the disaster flicks. The script is formulaic (to say the least): Paul Newman designs a 135-story skyscraper in San Francisco. William Holden is the builder, but his penny pinching son (Richard Chamberlain) cuts one too many corners, and the next thing you know, poof! Some wires get crossed and there is a fire in the equipment room. Sweeping in to manage the scene is Steve McQueen, the fire chief. As is the case with this genre, the film is a veritable cavalcade of celebrities: Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Jennifer Jones, Robert Wagner and Susan Blakely, to name a few.

But it all comes down to Paul and Steve. You can't help but wonder what those boys would have done with a decent script and film. Still, "The Towering Inferno" is enjoyable cheese. And sometimes, that's just the sort of movie you need.

Humphrey Bogart - The Signature Collection, Vol. 1 (Casablanca Two-Disc Special Edition / The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Two-Disc Special Edition / They Drive by Night / High Sierra)

Average customer rating:

they drive by night
Terrific films but if you bought these separately you've got the same set without the cardboard holding box

Humphrey Bogart - The Signature Collection, Vol. 1 (Casablanca Two-Disc Special Edition / The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Two-Disc Special Edition / They Drive by Night / High Sierra)
Starring: Humphrey Bogart
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Signature Collections | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

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Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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)
Bogie and Bacall - The Signature Collection (The Big Sleep / Dark Passage / Key Largo / To Have and Have Not)
Robert Mitchum - The Signature Collection (Angel Face / Macao / The Sundowners / Home from the Hill / The Good Guys and the Bad Guys / The Yakuza)
Warner Bros. Pictures Tough Guys Collection (Bullets or Ballots / City for Conquest / Each Dawn I Die / G Men / San Quentin / A Slight Case of Murder)
Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection (David Copperfield 1935 / Marie Antoinette 1938 / Pride and Prejudice 1940 / A Tale of Two Cities 1935 / Treasure Island 1934)

ASIN: B000GIXLUW
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Product description

Includes: Casablanca (Two-Disc Special Edition), The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (Two-Disc Special Edition), They Drive by Night, and High Sierra.

Customer Reviews:

they drive by night.......2007-01-29

I love everything he does. Too bad they don't have "bad" guys with principles anymore.

Terrific films but if you bought these separately you've got the same set without the cardboard holding box.......2006-12-13

It's the holidays so what better thing to do than package up previously released films and a couple of previously released older Bogart classics? Warner has done a good job here combining two of Bogie's finest films "Casablanca" and "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" along with "They Drive By Night" and Bogie's starmaking performance as bad guy Ray earle in "High Sierra" (perhaps a sense of humor as well from those who combined this with "Sierra Madre" where Bogie plays a very different iconic role).

John Huston may be America's most consistently brilliant filmmaker. That's saying a lot considering the competition but Huston the son of actor Walter Huston tackled a number of genres with intelligence, a cynical wit and a sharp eye for human behavior. John Huston began as a screenwriter with one of his first jobs working on "Murders in the Rue Morgue" for Robert Florey in 1932 (that's not counting his many appearances as an extra in his father's films). By 1941 he found himself in the director's chair for the first of many collaborations with Humphrey Bogart in "The Maltese Falcon".

"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" was only Huston's sixth credited film as director and it still stands tall in his 47 film career as director. The story of three men in search of gold in the mountains of Mexico and how greed and paranoia overwhelm the three men (Bogart, Walter Huston and Bruce Bennett) contributing to tragedy sounds like something that should be a folk tale warning of how gold can bring out the worst in a man.

"Sierra Madre" and "Casablanca" both look terrific with crisp, sharp looking images. Warner has done a superb job of cleaning up both these classic films. "Sierra Madre" doesn't look quite as good as "Casablanca" with sections that are grainy, white spots and other minor analog imperfections but on the whole looks quite good. The grainy quality of the film in a couple of scenes doesn't surprise me given some of the location photography and the occasional use of telephoto shots where the picture is a bit unsteady. Overall "Casablanca" wins this contest in terms of looks but it's somehow appropriate that "Sierra Madre" looks a bit rough around the edges given the cynical nature, location photography and a feeling as close to naturalistic as Hollywood could do at the time. Considering how old the film is I personally feel it looks extremely good in this deluxe edition from Warner.

"Casablanca" actually looks better. Digitally cleaned up with a superior negative used for this edition it's one of the sharpest looking older films I've seen Warner put out. Audio for both films sounds extremely good doing justice to the musical scores for each film and features clear dialogue.

"High Sierra" was originally released to DVD in a single disc edition in 2003. This is exactly the same release as before. Warner released a top notch transfer for 2003 and it still looks extremely good three years later. Audio has considerable punch.

"They Drive By Night" gets a very nice transfer as well. Again it was previously released in 2003 and it's a minor gem from director Raoul Walsh. Audio sounds fine here as well with dialogue presented very clear.

The 2003 releases have two short but informative featurettes that Warner put together for the original snapcase releases back in 2003. Both are extremely good and worthwhile to watch. "Casablanca" actually has all the same materials that I reviewed in 2003 (although I can't find the link for some reason) so I'll briefly provide highlights of this set. We get a TV adaptation of the film which was produced in the 50's. It's most notable for reminding you how great the movie is. It's comparable to watching a high school production of a Broadway play you've seen. The documentary on Bogart which is narrated by Bacall Bogie's romantic lead in film and life provides an excellent if superficial background. There's no dirt but that's not a surprise. Warner cartoon short "Carrotblanca" a somewhat anemic spoof of the film shows up here as well with Bugs playing Bogie and various Warner characters filling the other character roles. A solid documentary is also included on the making of the film and deleted scenes (without the audio) which was recently discovered.

"Treasure" has lots of great stuff buried on the second disc and some fool's gold as well. The older documentary on Huston narrated by Robert Mitchum is a gem and while its not warts and all it's about as close as you're likely to get in the way of a kiss and tell biography on film about this legendary hell raiser. The second on the making of the film features some nice interviews and trivia but isn't quite what I had hoped. It's not bad just doesn't have as many gold nuggets as I expected. We also get a Bogie trailer collection, along with "8 Ball Bunny" which is a classic and funny short that references the film (Faux Bogie: "Excuse me could you help a fellow American down on his luck?" Bugs: "Hit the road!"). We get a Warner Night Out hosted by Leonard Maltin with lots of cool stuff that you might have seen if you had attended the theater to see this when it was released. Finally we get a collection of photos, a radio broadcast of "Treasure" featuring Bogie and Walter Huston, a second cartoon, storyboards and behind-the-scenes photos.

Bottom line: If your film fan hasn't purchased these separate this is a great set. However if you did buy any of these titles individually I should warn you there's nothing here that's new. Unlike the second Bogie set which does have some films that hadn't been released to DVD before (the gem in that set is "The Maltese Falcon" in a three disc special edition but there are also some worthwhile Bogie gold in that set as well. There's no fool's gold but as with any set the quality of the gold will vary).

Average customer rating:

This movie is so cute
not good!
We Love Barbie Diaries!
Brilliant Movie for an older audience
Great Movie

The Barbie Diaries
Starring: Skye Sweetnam , Chiara Zanni , Matt Hill , Heather Doerksen , and Sierra Richter
Director: Eric Fogel
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000C0Z92C
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Description

It's a new school year and Barbie is hoping this year will be a little less ordinary. She loves hanging out with her best friends, playing with them in a band, working at the school TV station, and also has a crush on a boy. With a special diary and charm bracelet suddenly Barbie finds the courage to truly be herself, and exciting things start happening! Find out how fresh, fun, and exciting life can be in The Barbie Diaries!

Customer Reviews:

This movie is so cute.......2007-02-14

I have this movie and I really love it!It is about three girls Barbie,Courtney and Tia that are best friends.One day they go to the mall to find Barbie a outfit for her to go to the dance with her most wished date,Todd.And the salesman lady gives the three of them charm bracelets and Barbie's bracelet comes with a a magical diary.And that's how the whole stories starts it is so adorable!I could tell you the whole story but I think it's better for you to watch for yourself and find out.It is worth buying,trust me.

not good!.......2006-12-26

story line: not for young kids, and not even really good for older kids. she has to try to fit in with the cool kids. whatever. i hate that an animated kid movie took on the teenage ideals of teenage movies. (!!!!!)

animation: sucks. was expecting every other barbie movie animation. those look amazing, this was verrrrrry poor.

We Love Barbie Diaries!.......2006-12-20

My 3-year-old daughter, as well as my 16-year-old daughter, loved this movie. I found the content agreeable.
So what if a girl has a crush on a boy, or had been asked if there was a kiss? It's a natural and human progression, afterall, don't parents greet each other with a kiss or affection in the presence of their kids? Barbie Diaries captured the youngest's attention with very good music, and most importantly, the story is a good lesson on being true to yourself, being studious, (Barbie is an honor student in this movie) loyal to your friends and following your dreams. Even the advice of keeping a diary is a good one, we get to see how far we have come, how our goals are realized, etc.. No dark and evil characters like in Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus, Rapunzel, Mermaidia, Fairytopia, etc.., just the nuisance of a self-centered, shallow, popular girl who tries to make Barbie miserable, but all is settled in the end for the benefit of all. It's all good.

Brilliant Movie for an older audience.......2006-12-05

Im 24, i love Barbie and i love Teen Chick Flicks... so this Movie was all i could wish for and more! Loved it. im a big kid inside. but this movie has more of an adult feel to it. its very teen chick flick in the style of such movies as "A Cinderella Story" with Hilary Duff.
Its a great story about the meaning of friendship and a magic diary. The film really gives an important message.. that you dont have to have a magic diary to make things happen. if you Believe you can do it, you can! Its a heart warming movie.. with amazing DIGITAL Animation! Compared the other other Barbie movies the digital animation is STUNNING! Barbie's hair is gorgeous. every strand moves. unlike in the other barbie movies where it only moves as one whole piece of hair. The music was alright to. i liked the songs. quite catchy, surprisingly. very Hilary Duff style. Wonderful colourful movie. i loved it to bits!

Great Movie.......2006-11-24

Hi :)
I have three girls 2, 14, and 15. We thought this movie was wonderful. It kept my teenagers and my toddler interested and I enjoyed it too.

We loved the soundtrack and though the graphics were not the best I've seen I did really like how they had each strand of hair move. Actually I love that in graphics. When she would tilt her head her hair would fall strand by strand as a persons would.

My 15 year old has been a Barbie girl her whole life and I was really happy to see this movie that was more her age range.

Average customer rating:

High Sierra
A Nice Transition from Gangster to Noir
An excellent star vehicle for Bogart
not a great film, but has great moments
"High Sierra" was the film that changed the course of Bogart's career and lifted him up to stardom...

High Sierra (Snap Case)
Starring: Ida Lupino , Humphrey Bogart , Alan Curtis , Arthur Kennedy , and Joan Leslie
Director: Raoul Walsh
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0000B1OGA
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Amazon.com

This 1941 melodrama is memorable for both its strong central performances and their intimations of how the previous decade's crime dramas would evolve into film noir--no accident, given the solid direction of veteran Raoul Walsh and the hand of screenwriter John Huston, who teamed with the author of its novelistic source, W.R. Burnett (Little Caesar). In the central character of Roy "Mad Dog" Earle, a fictional peer to John Dillinger, Humphrey Bogart finds a defining role that anticipates the underlying fatalism and moral ambiguity visible in the career-making roles soon to follow, including Sam Spade in Huston's directorial debut, The Maltese Falcon.

Earle suggests a prescient variation on the enraged sociopaths that were fixtures of the gangster melodramas that shaped Bogart's early screen image. Pardoned from a long prison stretch, the weary robber is clearly more eager to savor his new freedom than immediately swing back into action. But his early release has been engineered by a mobster who wants Earle to pull off a high-stakes burglary, setting in motion a plot that is a prototype for doomed-heist capers--a small, yet potent subgenre that would later include Huston's The Asphalt Jungle and Stanley Kubrick's The Killing.

What gives High Sierra its power, however, isn't the crime itself but Earle's collision with the younger, brasher confederates picked to help him, and the hard-edged but vulnerable taxi dancer they're competing for, played forcefully by Ida Lupino, who actually received top billing. Her attraction to the reluctant Earle is complicated by a convoluted subplot designed to showcase then starlet Joan Leslie, but the movie finally moves into its most gripping moments when the wounded Earle, pursued by police, flees ever higher toward the mountains. His final, suicidal showdown would become a cliché of sorts in lesser films, but here it provides a wrenching climax sealed by Lupino's vivid final scene. --Sam Sutherland

Description

Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino star in this tragic study of an American gangster whose hard-boiled persona finds itself at war with his compassionate side--a side that will ultimately be his downfall.

Customer Reviews:

High Sierra.......2007-06-22

Though the forties saw a waning in gangster pictures, early on Bogart was given a juicy breakout role in Walsh's "High Sierra", as a killer with a compassionate side. Bogart's "Mad Dog" Earle is more Dillinger than Capone, more sympathetic and human, but when threatened, still a scary individual. Young Lupino stands out as Earle's loyal protector who can't win his love. Co-written by a young John Huston, "High Sierra" is a solid, flavorful entry for "Bogie-as-bad-guy" fans, boasting a slam-bang finish.

A Nice Transition from Gangster to Noir.......2007-06-11

Firstly, I think Koehler's review is largely spot on in its criticism of this movie. The blatant racism made me cringe several times (thankfully, though, the filmmakers had enough taste not to use a white man in black paint), the sleep-talking scene does seem like a cop-out, and the dog is too explicitly a vehicle for fate. On top of that, I'll add that some key moves in the end are hard to understand--why did Earl give all the money to Marie? Why did he subsequently rob a store without filling up with gas first (presumably the reason for the robbery in the first place)? This movie is by no means perfect.

But it does have, I think, a good bit of substance to outweigh all these relatively minor detriments. The innovation of a complex gangster, for instance, is very enjoyable and already sets the tone for the "decent fellow forced into corrupt ways" nature of film noirs that was right around the corner. There is quite a bit of similarity in this respect between High Sierra and, say, Criss Cross, The Urban Jungle, or Out of the Past, where the main characters also are fundamentally decent and are trying to get back on the straight path by pulling off one final dirty deed.

To my pleasant surprise, the female lead here is even better than in most classic noirs. Not only is she in my opinion much prettier and a better actress than most, but her character is actually more realistic. In a genre that typically features one-dimensional femme fatales whose job is only to lure the male protagonist into further corruption (think Out of the Past or Criss Cross), Marie shows more than a single impulse, and what's more important, even genuine affection for Earle. She's not in it just for the money like so many of the female characters.

Lastly, there is a somewhat campy allegory involved here with the use of the mountains and the theme of busting out of jail to freedom. It's as subtle as a hammer in the way the director brings it up, since the characters talk about it a number of times (and Marie even brings up quite bluntly at the very end), but it adds a very pleasant element to the ending and makes it feel much more fulfilling. The tragic ending is still here, and the protagonist couldn't escape his fate/past, yet there is still a feeling of restored balance that most noirs lack (those who have seen the ending of The Asphalt Jungle will know what I mean).

The disc itself has little beyond the movie--just the theatrical trailer and a 10-minute documentary on how High Sierra figures into the cinematographic scene. The latter, however, is aptly done and is very informative.

This movie is on the brink of getting five stars from me, but some things simply fall short. An excellent way to spend the night nonetheless.

An excellent star vehicle for Bogart.......2007-04-26

This movie is a very complex film for its time that combines elements of the old tried and true gangster film, film noir, and melodrama. It makes for good viewing today and is a very good showcase of Bogart's versatility as an actor. The main character is Roy 'Mad Dog' Earle (Bogart), a man released from prison by a wealthy old associate so that he can pull off a big jewelry heist at a resort near the California/Nevada state line. On his cross-country trek to reach the destination of the robbery, Roy meets the Goodhue family. The Goodhues have lost their farm and are on the way to stay with relatives that just happen to live near Roy's destination. When Roy arrives where the rest of the mob is staying, he finds two tough-guy wanna-bes, Babe and Red, that are constantly fighting over a girl - Marie Garson (Ida Lupino). At first the younger hired guns don't respect Roy. They think he is old and washed up. However, he soon shows them who is in charge and they don't challenge him again.

Only a few of the minor characters are painted totally good or bad - such as the elder Goodhues on one extreme and Babe and Red on the other. The major characters have subtle shades of both good and evil in their personalities. This is particularly true of Roy. He longs for the simple life among good people that the Goodhues remind him of, yet during the course of the robbery he must pull off and its aftermath he thinks nothing of killing in order to accomplish his aim. Roy is actually capable of great kindness, helping out the Goodhues when they get in an auto accident and don't have any insurance, and even paying for Velma's operation to remove a birth defect so that she can walk normally. Roy falls in love with Velma, one of the Goodhues' relatives, believing her to be a simple and decent girl. However, he finds she changes into the most hard-boiled of people once her handicap is removed. Her final rebuff to Roy is filled with almost unwatchable cruelty. The woman who actually cares for Roy is Marie. It takes time for Roy to accept this, since it seems hard for him to believe that people can have both good and bad in them, even though this is very much a trait of Roy's own character. Marie has a background completely opposite that of Velma's, mentioning how she was beaten by her father as a child and then went on to work for a "dime a dance" place before winding up with Red and Babe. She has great heart, but she lacks judgement, which she herself admits. The odd piece of symbolism built into this movie is Pard, the "hard-luck dog", who has seen each of his owners die untimely deaths. In spite of this, Roy makes a pet of the dog, seeming to confirm the fact that he is indeed "running towards death". In the end, it is this friendly little dog that is in fact Roy's undoing.

not a great film, but has great moments.......2007-01-18

t's hard to imagine Humphrey DeForest Bogart as something other than a movie star. Yet for ten years, he treaded water in supporting roles, spending much of that time doing imitations (albeit good ones) of his memorable Duke Mantee performance from The Petrified Forest.

And then came High Sierra and everything changed.

Before America had other things to worry about (ie: Adolf Hitler), it was still working out its love/hate relationship with pseudo-Robin Hood, depression-era hoodlums (John Dillinger and the like). By 1941, Warner Brothers had practically cornered the market deifying and demonizing these "angels with dirty faces." Raoul Walsh had humbly served the cause in his previous The Roaring Twenties; here, he directs Bogie in the role of existential anti-hero Roy "Mad Dog" Earle. It would be a defining film in the transition from the James Cagney-style gagster pictures to the dawning era of film noir (which Bogart would come to define).

Newly-released from prison, Roy has a debt to settle with the crime boss to whom he now owes his freedom - payment, as it so often does, comes in the form of one last score. There's apparently thousands of dollars of jewelry in need of stealing and no one but Roy qualified to make sure it gets done right. Per custom, things do not go according to plan as Bogie falls in love (twice), people get shot, and our Mad Dog faces destiny on the doomed high sierra from which the film takes its title.

It's not a great film. Bogart talks in his sleep during a crucial scene, which is probably the most overused narrative cheat in the history of celluloid. Man's best friend figures much too prominently and awkwardly in the plot as a literal harbinger of doom (both the film's "dogs" are cursed); additionally, there some "I'se be catchin' ma feets nah, Boss" style racial stereotyping that is just plain embarrassing.

There are some great moments, though. Earle's emotional castration at the hands of the formerly club-footed Velma (Joan Leslie) is painful to watch (an aside: Bogie would later revisit this device - the transformative power of miracle surgeries - in Dark Passage; it's worth rememberinh that Bogie's father was a successful surgeon and rumor has it Bogart himself had botched surgery on his lip after an incident in the navy). Bogart, consistently sympathetic notwithstanding some unsavory violent acts (no easy feat) is always a pleasure to watch - it's easy to forget how ground-breaking his naturalistic performances were at the time...until you watch some of his co-stars ham it up with the overly-theatrical line delivery popular at the time.

Thankfully, they're not the show - Bogart is, despite getting second billing under co-star Ida Lupino. In the same year, Bogie would re-team with the writer of this film - John Huston - for the iconic director's first feature, the noir classic The Maltese Falcon. A year later, Bogart and Michael Curtiz got together in Casablanca, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Interesting footnote: Walsh, Bogart, and Lupino previously collaborated on the schizophrenic They Drive By Night, probably best known for Lupino's bizarre courtroom outburst "the doors made me do it." Incidentally, Ida Lupino was somewhat of a trailblazer for female directors. Only the second woman to be admitted into the DGA, her 1953 film The Hitch-Hiker is considered a minor classic of film noir. It has been chosen for preservation by the National Film Registry.

"High Sierra" was the film that changed the course of Bogart's career and lifted him up to stardom..........2007-01-02

"High Sierra" was the film that changed the course of Bogart's career and lifted him up to stardom...

As Earle, Bogart was expanding on the criminal characterization he had already mastered in a dozen earlier films, giving it greater depth by adding contrasting elements of warmth and compassion to compensate the dominant violence...

Bogart helps a clubfooted girl, Velma (Joan Leslie), who repays him only with disregard and indifference...

Bogart's interpretation already showed signs of the special qualities that were to become an important part of his mystique in a few more films...

Here, for the first time, was the human being outside society's laws who had his own private sense of loyalty, integrity, and honor... Bogart's performance turns "High Sierra" into an elegiac film...

As a film, "High Sierra" has other notable qualities, particularly Ida Lupino's strong and moving performance as Marie, the girl who brings out Roy Earle's more human emotions...

The movie was remade as a Western, "Colorado Territory," with Joel McCrea and Virginia Mayo, and as a crime film in "I Died a Thousand Times," with Jack Palance and Shelley Winters in the Bogart and Lupino roles... Neither came up to the stylish treatment given "High Sierra" by director Raoul Walsh from an exceptionally good script by John Huston and W. R. Burnett...

Average customer rating:

Bargain For This Price

High Sierra Search and Rescue
Starring: Conrad , Stone , and Fann
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007LPSE0
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Customer Reviews:

Bargain For This Price.......2007-06-13

For this price you can't beat the value. Seven episodes of outdoor adventure, with a likable cast and some very nice scenery. Robert Conrad
still looks fit and believable as a search and rescue volunteer. I bought this expecting it to be the pilot, and was very pleased to find seven episodes. It's a shame the show didn't get a chance as you can see the cast grow as you watch the episodes. Each episode was better than the previous one. Good bargain, good entertaining show.

Average customer rating:

I want to see the inferno, not underwear
fired up
Disaster Movie Delight
Classic movie and great entertainment!
Paul Newman? Steve McQueen? They're worth 4 stars for just being them

The Towering Inferno
Starring: Steve McQueen , Paul Newman , William Holden , Faye Dunaway , and Fred Astaire
Director: John Guillermin , and Irwin Allen
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305280762
Release Date: 2003-04-15

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

I want to see the inferno, not underwear.......2007-06-13

fired up.......2007-05-17

Disaster Movie Delight.......2007-05-12

Classic movie and great entertainment!.......2007-05-09

I loved this movie! Every member of the cast is in the right place here and it makes this film one of the big classics.

Paul Newman? Steve McQueen? They're worth 4 stars for just being them.......2007-05-08

Average customer rating:

High Sierra
A Nice Transition from Gangster to Noir
An excellent star vehicle for Bogart
not a great film, but has great moments
"High Sierra" was the film that changed the course of Bogart's career and lifted him up to stardom...

High Sierra (Keepcase)
Starring: Ida Lupino , Humphrey Bogart , Alan Curtis , Arthur Kennedy , and Joan Leslie
Director: Raoul Walsh
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GIXLV6
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Amazon.com

Earle suggests a prescient variation on the enraged sociopaths that were fixtures of the gangster melodramas that shaped Bogart's early screen image. Pardoned from a long prison stretch, the weary robber is clearly more eager to savor his new freedom than immediately swing back into action. But his early release has been engineered by a mobster who wants Earle to pull off a high-stakes burglary, setting in motion a plot that is a prototype for doomed-heist capers--a small, yet potent subgenre that would later include Huston's The Asphalt Jungle and Stanley Kubrick's The Killing.

Description

Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino star in this tragic study of an American gangster whose hard-boiled persona finds itself at war with his compassionate side - a side that ultimately will be his downfall.

Customer Reviews:

High Sierra.......2007-06-22

A Nice Transition from Gangster to Noir.......2007-06-11

An excellent star vehicle for Bogart.......2007-04-26

not a great film, but has great moments.......2007-01-18

"High Sierra" was the film that changed the course of Bogart's career and lifted him up to stardom..........2007-01-02

Discovering Yosemite National Park 2: Second Edition 2 DVD Set

Average customer rating:

Discovering Yosemite National Park 2: Second Edition 2 DVD Set

Manufacturer: Finley-Holiday Film Corp.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Features:

DVD Extra - Yosemite Music Video
DVD Extra - Where to Stay & Play in Yosemite
DVD Extra - Historical Firefalls Bonus
DVD Extra - Photo Gallery
DVD Extra - Bonus DVD - Bears of Our National Parks

ASIN: B000EJVBUK

Product Description

This fully narrated tour explores the incredible mountain scenery, wildlife, moods and geology of Yosemite National Park. From the forested Valley floor to the rugged High Sierra backcountry, this special collectors' edition presents the best of Yosemite. Two hours of video in all! BONUS DVD - This collectors' edition includes a bonus DVD - Bears in Our National Parks - an in-depth look at the challenge of bears in Yosemite and America's parklands. DVD EXTRAS - This special edition contains DVD extras that explore unique aspects of Yosemite, including longtime park traditions such as horseback riding and a brief look back at the famous Yosemite Firefalls.

Average customer rating:

sound problems
A pleasant surprise!
Ditch the plaid..go with a solid
Barely watchable
get a new shirt

Green Plaid Shirt
Starring: Crystal Jackson , Gregory Phelan , Richard Miro , Kevin Spirtas , and Richard Israel
Director: Richard Natale
Manufacturer: Wolfe Video
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ASIN: B00004XMT7
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Customer Reviews:

sound problems.......2006-01-21

i bought this dvd many months ago from another source. the sound was so bad i couldn't watch it. it has been such a long time that i don't remember the story, if there was one. i recently sent an e-mail to borders and amazon.com. they have assured me that this dvd is perfect but after reading the reviews here i have come to the conclusion that it is still no good. i have but one question: why is it that these sources keep on selling this item. i could have sent this dvd back to my source but decided to keep it and try and play it. the sound is so bad that it wasn't possible to watch or listen to. amazon.com has told me if it is not up to their standards i can return it. that is a lot of hassle to look forward to. i would just like someone[preferably human] to watch this and say "its o.k." the response from amazon.com dumbfounded me. i will not buy this dvd from them with the thought of returning it. one star is awarded to this simply because they will not allow less than this single star. stay away from this one until they sort out the sound problems.

A pleasant surprise!.......2005-11-18

"Green Plaid Shirt" is a fabulously touching (and heart-wrenching) love
story that brilliantly covers so many bases. Set in the late-80s to
mid-90s, a group of gay men is struggling to find the balance between
simply being in love and the ever-evolving world of queer politics and
realities--from polyamory to finding community to dealing with AIDS.

The opening scene sets the mood for a story of true love, and the pains
and joys that go with it. Philip is searching for meaning in the love that
he has felt for so long, and takes us on a journey through his memories of
the past ten years of commitment. What he reveals is a beautiful story of
two men falling in love, and then forcing themselves to change their ways,
to open their relationship, and to detach themselves from feelings of
dependence and of jealousy. Through the years, other partners come and go,
they deal with friends dying of AIDS, they go through good times and bad
times, both together and apart. And ultimately, they discover what it is
they both need.

"Green Plaid Shirt" tackles a lot. It's a very astute story about
insecurities, love, the ebs and flows of monogamy in queer culture, and
the harsh realities of AIDS and other illnesses. It's a remarkable love
story that could happen in any decade, but is a poignant story about gay
love in the 80s and 90s. It's a phenomenal tale with humor, heart-warming
passion, and a powerful message. A beautiful movie.

Ditch the plaid..go with a solid.......2005-07-09

Green Plaid Shirt is a movie about two men Phillip (Gregory Phelan) and Guy (Kevin Spirtas) who meet briefly at a yard sale and both want to purchase a plaid green shirt. The two meet up later at an outdoor bar and thus blossoms this romance were they fall in love, have sex and move in together. As the movie jumps forward and back and forward again, Guy has left Phillip for another man and contracts HIV and then moves back in with Phillip. In addition, several of Phillip's closest friends also have contracted HIV and begin entering full-blown AIDS and die.
I know this movie was made on a budget, but the film quality was so poor I had to try and read the actors lips to actually tell what they were saying and that was with the volume at max. The script is scant, a fast paced romance that is editted so badly you lose the power and effect of the couple's struggles in the film. The writing and acting comes across as forced and wooden, which is more a fault of the writer and director then of the actors. This movie deals with a sensitive and serious topic AIDS, however to much emphasis is placed on the physical side of sex and random nonsense commentary, rather than on the complex and constantly changing face of love and comparsion. Lastly, the green plaid shirt just became annoying after the tenth time seeing it, not mention it is one of the ugliest shirts I have seen. Just as a simple white t-shirt is uncomplicated yet sexy, tightly written dialogue and focused direction amplify the effect and message you want to come across without the distraction of rampant drama or plaid.

Barely watchable.......2005-07-05

I tried to watch the whole film without fast-forwarding, but I just couldn't stomach the last ten minuutes, even for the sake of a review.

If I could understand more than about 25% of the dialog, I would have more of an opinion about it. The sound is so poor that a decent home movie would easily outclass the sound here. I am not sure how a producer or distributor would think it was okay to release a movie where the sound was this poor.

However, just like a foreign film, you can usually get the jist of what is happening even if you can't understand the words. If only there was something going on in this film. There isn't, and to cover up for the lack of plot or storyline, the director or editor chops up the pieces and plays them out of sequence to, apparently, create the illusion of story.

Really, this film is a disaster, even when graded on a curve for gay films. Apart from the decent leads, which do a fair job of carrying this film for awhile, there's really nothing here to see. I'd avoid this one.

get a new shirt.......2003-09-07

I gave GREEN PLAID SHIRT three stars for the following reasons; the audio was very poor;( I purchased the DVD version ) turning the treble all the way up on the tone control on my television helped ( there is an apologia before the film begins, perhaps this is what they refer to ); and the film failed to move or inspire me. The acting was good, no problem there, it was one of those movies that goes on and on and on.
The story centers around two people Phillip (Gregory Phelan) and Guy (Kevin Spirtas) who meet at a garage sale in 1978 when Phillip buys a Green Plaid shirt lays it down on a table for a moment to pay for it and Guy picks it up to try it on; of course Phillip informs Guy He had just paid for it and wants it back. Later Phillip is with one of his best friends Jerry at a [same sex] bar and Guy happenes to run into philip there and stops over to say Hello; Phillip asks Guy to join them and next thing you Phillip have become lovers and have moved into together. Two other of Phillips friends Jerry and Deven play a supportive role of the bitchie-stuck up friends who are not impressed with Plillips new lover. Guy developes AIDS ( refered to in the film as the " Gay Disease"), along with Jerry then Devon. Phillip finds his world is collapsing around him. Guy has then "cheated" on Phillip and moved out of the new house they have bought together with his new lover ( Tony ). ...
The film flashes from present to past to present ect.
There are no hardcore [physical] scenes but some body nudity. In my opnion there are better [same sex] films to purchase; ...

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