Secretary

Starring:Patrick Bauchau, Ezra Buzzington, Lauren Cohn, Kyle Colerider-Krugh, Jeremy Davies, Steven Fierberg, Sabrina Grdevich, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary Joy, Lily Knight, Lacey Kohl, Amy Locane, Michael Mantell, Stephen McHattie, Oz Perkins, Julene Renee, James Spader, Jessica Tuck, Lesley Ann Warren
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Product Description
Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has a few strikes against her when she applies for a secretarial position at the law office of E. Edward Grey (James Spader). Although she's never had a job in her life, Lee is hired by the mysterious lawyer, Mr. Grey. At first the work seems quite normal but soon, in between typing, filing and making coffee, Lee and Mr. Grey embark on a more personal relationship, crossing lines of conduct that would give any human resource director the vapors!

System Requirements:
Starring: James Spader, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeremy Davies, and Leslie Ann Warren.
Directed By: Steven Shainberg.
Running Time: 111 Min., Color.
© MMII Secretary Productions, LLC

Format: DVD MOVIE
Amazon.com
This kinky love story features a standout performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal, an offbeat young actress in her first starring role. Gyllenhaal plays Lee, a nervous girl who compulsively cuts herself, who gets a job as a secretary for Edward, an imperious lawyer (James Spader, an old hand at tales of perverse affection). Edward's reprimands for typos and spelling errors begin with mild humiliation, but as Lee responds to his orders--which are driven as much by his own anxieties and fears as any sense of order--the punishments escalate to spankings, shackles, and more. Secretary walks a fine line. It finds sly humor in these sadomasochistic doings without turning them into a gag, and it takes Lee and Edward's mutual desires seriously without getting self-righteous or pompous. Certainly not a movie for everyone, but some people may be unexpectedly stirred up by this smart and steamy tale of repressed passion. --Bret Fetzer

Secretary
Average customer rating:

not softcore not good enuf for TV

Someone needs a spanking

My Favourite Film ;}

A new love story with a fun twist...

This movie is for the wild at heart

Secretary
Starring: Patrick Bauchau , Ezra Buzzington , Lauren Cohn , Kyle Colerider-Krugh , and Jeremy Davies
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
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Locane, Amy | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Mantell, Michael | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
McHattie, Stephen | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Spader, James | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Tuck, Jessica | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Warren, Lesley Ann | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
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The Image

ASIN: B00008DDSC
Release Date: 2003-04-01

Product Description

Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has a few strikes against her when she applies for a secretarial position at the law office of E. Edward Grey (James Spader). Although she's never had a job in her life, Lee is hired by the mysterious lawyer, Mr. Grey. At first the work seems quite normal but soon, in between typing, filing and making coffee, Lee and Mr. Grey embark on a more personal relationship, crossing lines of conduct that would give any human resource director the vapors!

System Requirements:
Starring: James Spader, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeremy Davies, and Leslie Ann Warren.
Directed By: Steven Shainberg.
Running Time: 111 Min., Color.
© MMII Secretary Productions, LLC

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

This kinky love story features a standout performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal, an offbeat young actress in her first starring role. Gyllenhaal plays Lee, a nervous girl who compulsively cuts herself, who gets a job as a secretary for Edward, an imperious lawyer (James Spader, an old hand at tales of perverse affection). Edward's reprimands for typos and spelling errors begin with mild humiliation, but as Lee responds to his orders--which are driven as much by his own anxieties and fears as any sense of order--the punishments escalate to spankings, shackles, and more. Secretary walks a fine line. It finds sly humor in these sadomasochistic doings without turning them into a gag, and it takes Lee and Edward's mutual desires seriously without getting self-righteous or pompous. Certainly not a movie for everyone, but some people may be unexpectedly stirred up by this smart and steamy tale of repressed passion. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

not softcore not good enuf for TV.......2007-06-14

DON'T BE DECEIVED BY THE COVER - NO STOCKINGS, NO HEELS. ONE BRIEF SPANKING SCENE (no flesh included) is the highlight of the film. Perhaps lifestylers would get nostalgic about this story, but for the curious weekend thrill seeker this DVD is sure to disappoint, if not get you 'shut out'. Definitely not a couples movie unless your lady is VERY much into BDSM, in which case this would only be a 101 level course if not a grade school primer. Don't judge a DVD by its cover!!

Someone needs a spanking.......2007-06-07

James Spader must be one truly sexually disturbed man. Most of his work seems to revolve around men whose proclivities are far from healthy. From Crash to Sex, Lies, and Videotape, James Spader seeks out sexual encounters that are distant, shallow, and self-destructive as well as demeaning. He continues in good form here in a rather entertaining piece on sado-masochism. Sexual harassment be damned!

My Favourite Film ;}.......2007-05-26

This is my favourite film of all time. A perfectly dark comedy and strange fairy tale romance rolled into one, "Secretary" shocked and enraptured me from the start. I couldn't ask for a more captivating storyline, carefully written script, complete character development, or perfectly executed performances! You MUST see this film... ;}

A new love story with a fun twist..........2007-05-06

Quirky, kinky, sensual, beautiful and fun!

James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal both have wonderful performances! Steven Shainberg put together a great film with more substance then may be expected from a love story. That said, be warned that if you are uncomfortable with the idea of bdsm being anything other then a sickness then "keep on walking" because this is not a movie for you.

One of the things I liked most was the depth of character development. Gyllenhaal and Spader had fantastic chemistry and were able to pack so much emotion and communication in to simple expressions and gestures. I can't say enough good things about the work they have done here.

As for the story, I LOVE IT! Both Mr. Grey (Spader) and Lee (Gyllenhaal) start out in dark places. Lee is drifting in life and has taken to cutting herself. Mr. Grey is alone and disgusted with himself. Both struggle with "unnatural" feelings and a sense of detachment, they just don't feel normal. By the end they have learned that it is OK not to be normal so long as you are who and what you are. They fine that together they are complete. A very satisfying ending!

This movie is for the wild at heart.......2007-04-11

This is a movie that is not for everyone. It is rich in emotions and goes way beyound some people's comfort levels. But I enjoyed it because there was a such an amazing finale that shouted originality. The 2 stars are perfect together and you totally want them to end up together. Maggie takes a job as a secretary- she has extreme self esteem problems and was just released from an institution. She starts working for Spader and he goes completely nuts when she makes even the most trivial mistakes and starts his own form of wierd erotic punishment. Most people would freak out but she starts to want it- and thus we have the start of a beautiful relationship full of wierdness. This is a love story and it is one of my faves because it is just soo different and lovely.
If you are a fan of James Spader then you should totally see this, and if you haven't seen Maggie Gyllenhaal you NEED to see this. I left this movie wanting to see it again and again.

Average customer rating:

Overly Broad Farce Doesn't Show Off Hepburn or Holden in the Best Light
Spare Us While it Fizzles
love it!
Paris When It Sizzles - Great Fun
Not Much Sizzle!

Paris When It Sizzles
Starring: William Holden , Audrey Hepburn , Grégoire Aslan , Raymond Bussières , and Christian Duvaleix
Director: Richard Quine
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005ALMI
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Amazon.com

Paris When It Sizzles is an unusual screwball comedy to say the least. Whether it works is another matter, but the premise and humor are interesting enough to make it enjoyable. The basic problem with the film is its two stars: William Holden and Audrey Hepburn hardly sizzle with onscreen chemistry, and Hepburn's character, Miss Simpson, falls far too easily into the hands of Holden's drunken screen writer. However, the story is an interesting play on the typical Hollywood romance, with two plotlines running in parallel to each other. Holden's Richard Benson has only two days to finish a script for an enigmatic producer (Noel Coward). Hepburn's Miss Simpson is drafted in as the typist and as the script is dictated it manifests itself on the screen, allowing the two lead characters to play out any number of romantic stories. It's the cameo appearances in the imaginary world that really steal the show, with the blink-and-you'll-miss-it last screen appearance by Marlene Dietrich, as well as Tony Curtis having fun with his own screen persona. Not one of Hepburn or Holden's best, but worth a look purely for the interesting slant on the mechanical nature of Hollywood's romances. --Nikki Disney

Customer Reviews:

Overly Broad Farce Doesn't Show Off Hepburn or Holden in the Best Light.......2007-04-08

Even though this 1964 comedy is not a complete misfire, this is not remotely my favorite movie of either Audrey Hepburn or William Holden. A decade after their initial coupling in Billy Wilder's class-conscious romantic soufflé, "Sabrina", the two stars are re-teamed under the far more heavy-handed direction of Richard Quine in an overly contrived, intermittently funny screenplay by George Axelrod. The result feels like the old-style French farce upon which it is based but with the artificial veneer of 1960's Hollywood studio product (even though it was filmed primarily on Paris sound stages). That's a shame since Hepburn and Holden can be game farceurs when properly motivated, but here they are unfortunately made to play more broadly than usual with an over-reliance on their screen personas.

The frothy plot centers on aging Hollywood screenwriter Richard Benson, who is holed up in Paris attempting to beat the deadline set forth by big-time producer Alexander Meyerheim to finish his latest screenplay. Benson has to hand in the completed script in two days, but the problem is that he hasn't even started since he has been busy boozing and womanizing in typical alpha-male fashion. He hires impressionable Gabrielle Simpson as his live-in secretary and becomes inspired to write the aptly named "The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower" (complete with an opening theme from Frank Sinatra). The rest of the movie goes back and forth between the reality of the impending deadline at Richard's apartment and the fantasy scenes of the screenplay coming to life.

There is no suspense as to how it will end, but it does have its charms with some silly spy-caper turns and cameo appearances by Marlene Dietrich in a walk-on, Noel Coward as Meyerheim, and a particularly amusing Tony Curtis as Gabrielle's Method-style actor boyfriend. At 110 minutes, the movie feels overlong, and the film is visually hamstrung by phony backdrops and studio sets typical of the period. Right between "Charade" and "My Fair Lady", Hepburn is never less than charming here, while Holden keeps his innate hamminess in check. However, neither seems especially challenged by the comic proceedings. The only extra on the 2001 DVD is the original theatrical trailer.

Spare Us While it Fizzles.......2007-04-08

I'm a big William Holden fan. For a major star of the late 40's and 50's he doesn't have a large stock of motion pictures playing the Late Show or TCM. Thus I watch 'em when I can and I figured "Paris When it Sizzles" would be at least an average Holden-quality movie. Unfortunately, it isn't; at least not by my standards.

The concept is interesting; a once great film writer has a deadline on a script the day after tommorrow and he hasn't even begun. A typist is sent to help him "finish" and after some romantic fencing, they get down to crunch time. Their hasty ideas appear before us on the screen in a wide range of false starts and repeats. Eventually, we have to ask ourselves if they finished their task or was "Paris When it Sizzles" their final script (with the "joke" being on us). Along the way, I found myself caring not so much HOW it was going to end so long as it DID end. Holden has that great glib voice of his but there wasn't much of note coming from it. In the interst of trying to find something positive to say, I'll spare my opinions of Audrey Hepburn. On the positive note, this was one of the best performances I've seen by Tony Curtis. His was the one character that, however briefly, managed to really crack me up.

I've alluded to it earlier and I'll close by stating it more directly; "Paris When it Sizzles" appears to me to be the result of a writer who had to put something together in two days while balancing that time with fun and games.

love it!.......2007-02-22

a diamond in the rough! very silly with lots of twists! you will enjoy it!

Paris When It Sizzles - Great Fun.......2007-01-25

Paris When It Sizzles follows a writer played by William Holden who has to get a script finished within two days. He gets the help of the lovely Audrey Hepburn. Together they digg deeply in their minds, making up the most ridicilous but oh so fun stories, as they try to succeed in completing a story they can deliver to the waiting movieproducer...

After being together on the screen in the romantic comedy Sabrina (1954), William Holden and Audrey Hepburn team up once again to bring a nice sixties comedy with Paris when it Sizzles. The chemistry between the two is nice and together they take you through the exciting world of movie writting. It is real fun to see how they come up with the most ridicilous stories. From Dracula to spies in trenchcoats, from planes to indians, it's all in their wonderful made up stories.
Considering the acting, the film is fine. William Holden was nicely cast as the writer Richard Benson. He plays the role with great enthusiasm and is also charming. With Audrey Hepburn you just can't go wrong. Even if the movie is bad, her charm makes you respect it. Her role in this film is pure fun as she also acts enthusiastic next to Holden. You can see that she had a lot of fun portraying her character.
They may react a bit unrealistic to one another sometimes, it is an absolute joy to see it. Especially as they play the main characters in their own stories with fun overreacted acting.
Another fun fact is that there are cameo roles of famous fifties and sixties moviestars in the film. If you watch alot of movies out of this period, you will be delightfully surprised by the familiar faces.
Also, the locations are colorful, the music is fun, which gives a great atmosphere and enjoyable 60's movie entertainment.

This film is definitely a must see for want to be future Writers. There is alot to learn from this film. But if you are just in search of some nice 60's fun on a boring night, I would recommend you this film also. Be surprised by the switch on a switch on a switch, and enjoy the funny comedic sizzling stories these two come up with.

Not Much Sizzle!.......2007-01-24

The premise of this plot is not bad, but the execution is labored and sometimes too off the wall. With a great starring cast it is a big disappointment.

Average customer rating:

"Brilliant"
I think its been misrepresented somewhat
no title
The start and the end of political documentary...
Sometimes you need to fill in the gaps

The War Room
Starring: James Carville , George Stephanopoulos , Heather Beckel , Paul Begala , and Bob Boorstin
Director: D.A. Pennebaker , and Chris Hegedus
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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Journeys With George
Staffers '04
A Perfect Candidate
Road to the Presidency
The Candidate

ASIN: B0002JUXDS
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Amazon.com essential video

Documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker (Don't Look Back) and Chris Hegedus shot behind-the-scenes at command central for Bill Clinton's 1992 election campaign and came up with this film. You won't find the kind of daily damage-control and skirt-chasing indirectly alleged in Primary Colors, but the filmmakers do give us a strong sense of the uphill battle of a presidential campaign. The center of the film is really James Carville, who steered the machine for Clinton's '92 run and who comes across in this film as a deeply passionate, complex, and somehow timeless man who could have fit into any chapter of American history. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

"Brilliant".......2007-01-15

This is a great film to see what is conducted behind the scenes to win a presidential campaign. Great film for students to see two political campaign managers at work. This film also showed these two guy's human side and at the same time funny.

I think its been misrepresented somewhat.......2006-12-02

This is not a film of the inner sanctum of Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign as claimed but a film of his head campaign managers office. You will see some discussions on issues. Nothing very controversial. You never see any real important decisions made and you see almost nothing of Bill Clinton.

If you are interested in elections you probably will get some feel of how a modern campaign feels but little about much else.

no title.......2006-03-13

Well, I sure could have skipped this one. I well remember the critics raving over this on television, but why is beyond me. Mostly, I was just plain bored. There simply was no depth at all, just bunches of short takes and wise cracks. Bush was just downright dirty, making insults and slurs all over the place, something I do not consider an appropriate attitude in a man who would be President. And it is interesting that in one of the reviews it was noted that Mary Matalen, the deputy manager of Bush's campaign and very acid-tongued (maybe she wrote some of the slurs Bush used), is now the wife of James Carville, top strategist for Clinton's campaign, and basically the star of the movie. But all the scenes were focused on the funny quip, the bon mot, no long scenes of the nitty-gritty work, or any answers to any questions about Clinton either, for that matter.

The start and the end of political documentary..........2006-01-21

Though 'Primary' introduced the political campaigning doco, 'The War Room' surely is the apex of the genre.

Part of the highlight of the doco is Stephanopoulos, who is captured as he is - preening himself and agreeing with others ideas/suggestions.

As with the Clinton campaign, Carville steals the show. Whatever your convictions (and mine are on the other side of politics) it is impossible not to respect Carville for his character and beliefs.

I dont want to spoil it for you, but Billary wins...

Sometimes you need to fill in the gaps.......2005-12-30

While I found the glimpses into the inner workings of the 1992 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton to be interesting and well worth watching, it was a bit disappointing. Campaign manager James Carville and Communications Director George Stephanopoulos demonstrate their skills at political maneuvering. Even though Bill Clinton was a masterful politician, these two men got him elected. While both of them show their hard-boiled political fronts, they also show their human sides. Stephanopoulos openly talks about how nervous he is and Carville cries when he thanks the staff for their hard work.
There are two main weaknesses to the presentation. The first is that many parts will be incomprehensible to anyone who does not already know a great deal about the events. For example, there is mention of the relationship between Carville and Mary Matalin, but it is never truly explained. The incongruity of the political strategists of Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George Bush having a romantic relationship in the middle of a presidential campaign is not emphasized as much as it should. If you were not aware of the depth of that relationship and who they are, then that segment will be little more than a flyby.
The second main weakness is that your perspective never reaches the level of the "fly on the wall." At all times, it is clear that you are seeing into the campaign only to the extent that they want you to see. It would have been better if they at least sometimes made it appear that you were seeing workings of the campaign staff that they would have preferred not be seen. I was especially disappointed with the response to the Gennifer Flowers incident. Clinton and his campaign staff handled it very deftly, yet we really don't see what they did. This contrasts with an incident later in the campaign when Stephanopoulos fields a call from someone who is threatening to expose what they claim is another Clinton infidelity. In this case, he supposedly fathered a child with a black woman. Stephanopoulos tells the person politely but firmly that:

*) At this point no one cares.
*) If you break the story, you will never work in the Democratic party again.

I found this video fascinating, but I remembered and understood the events that unfolded. If you for any reason do not know the fundamentals of what is happening, then you will spend a great deal of time puzzled by what you see.

Average customer rating:

A Dream Come True
Dated Story in a Timeless City
Practically Perfect in Every Way!
Just love this movie!
Hepburn and Brazzi have very little chemistry.

Summertime - Criterion Collection
Starring: Mari Aldon , Gaetano Autiero , Rossano Brazzi , Katharine Hepburn , and Darren McGavin
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305094934
Release Date: 1998-09-09

Amazon.com essential video

There was a time before Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago when David Lean made smaller, more effortlessly picturesque movies, and this splendid Venetian travelogue and love story is one of them--the last, actually, before the epic onslaught started with the Oscar-winning The Bridge on the River Kwai in 1957. "Sometimes I think a schedule in Venice is just, well, all wrong," observes a bewitched tourist to Katharine Hepburn's vacationing spinster near the beginning of Summertime, which is based on Arthur Laurents's play The Time of the Cuckoo. Before the end, however, Jane will have thrown her idealized romantic notions into the canals and embarked on a passionate affair with a married art dealer (Rossano Brazzi). More blissful than Lean's adulterous fable Brief Encounter 10 years prior, but not entirely guilt- or pain-free, this deceptively simple romance is an often-fascinating glimpse at a time when sexual revolution for Americans--and especially middle-aged women--was confined to fanciful European trysts. Plus, with all the architecture, art, Italian conversation, music, and fine cuisine around you (all richly photographed on location by Jack Hildyard), who's to pish-posh a furtive all-nighter between one repressive country and a free-loving one? The two leads are graceful and even musical in their movements and line deliveries. Hepburn's initial outrage at the idea that illicit love is part of her impossibly beautiful surroundings may at first seem outdated, but the Academy Award-winning actress is too good not to suggest as well the poignant, deep fear her character has of opening up emotionally to anybody. Ultimately, Summertime is the movie equivalent of a deep, satisfying sigh. --Robert Abele

Description

An American spinster's dream of romance finally becomes a bittersweet reality when she meets a handsome-but married-Italian man while vacationing in Venice. Katharine Hepburn's sensitive portrayal of the lonely heroine and Jack Hildyard's glorious Technicolor® photography make Summertime an endearing and visually enchanting film.

Customer Reviews:

A Dream Come True.......2007-06-01

Watched this as a child and dreamed of seeing the beautiful Venice in which it is lovingly filmed. Wanted the courage of Kate's character to just go where I had dreamed, on my own. Have now twice. Loved having the chance to relieve the enchantment I felt as a child at the cinematic beauty of this film.

Dated Story in a Timeless City.......2007-05-25

Although the story is somewhat dated (the 1950's) the travel log of Venice is timeless. It is beautifully filmed in three of the five Districts of Venice ( The Dorsoduro, San Marco, and a very little in the Cannaregio Districts of Venice). Like the palazzos of this fascinating city, the love story portrayed by Hepburn's and Brazzi's characters is etched into a specific time period, and by today's standards seems dated, it is the love affair between the filmmaker and Venice that remains eternal. After watching the film you want to call your travel agent and book a trip to Venice as soon as possible.
P. S. And when you get there you can still buy one of those red goblets, made famous by the film, now known as The Summertime Glass.

Practically Perfect in Every Way!.......2007-05-23

This is one of the greatest films ever made! I shall tell you why:

1. The acting is impeccable, superb, and just wonderful! Kate Hepburn really shines the most in this, she's one of my favourites, has been for many years, and this has got to be one of her best performances ever, which is saying something! She's the everyday woman ~ she's easy to identify with on so many different levels. With each little nuance you see bits of her soul illuminated, making one pretty tapestry of raw emotion, the good criss crossing with the bad.
Rossano Brazzi is also very well used here, he draws you in with such charisma and charm, it's easy to see why he became so popular with Americans as well as his fellow countrymen.

2. The location. This was all shot on location in Venice, which was quite a rarity for the time. The scenery is breathtaking, the colours grab you, the feel of the city envelops your senses every minute, from beginning to end.

3. The cinematography is aweinspiring. The shots are enthusiastic fireballs that you greedily devour with hungry eyes. From the gray slightly drab coach on the train to the vivid rainbow houses of Venice, you're taken on a dizzying journey of aesthetic delight.

4. The story. It's timeless, revealing layers of the basic human condition ~ it's fraility, it's triumphs, it's vulnerability, it's ugliness, and it's beauty are all shown here. One of the things that defines this film from others is that it's a film that's not afraid to take chances and stand out from all of the rest. What you expect doesn't happen and what you don't expect does. One of those gems that isn't so well known, but should be.

This is just a wonderful, lovely, gorgeous film and I highly recommend it to everyone!

Just love this movie!.......2007-05-14

Saw this movie many years ago on Movie Classic channel and just love it, but never saw it again. Finally on Amazon, found the movie and ordered it. Thanks a million!

Hepburn and Brazzi have very little chemistry........2007-04-16

I did like this film. Beautiful scenery. Hepburn is a rather independant and prim fourtysomething secretary secretly looking for a romance, that has escaped her all her life. About 30 minutes into the film she catches the eye of Brazzi. Later she enters his shop, and he is interested. She is taken by his attentiveness and looks. Can she let her guard down? Can she trust him when he has already lied to her twice?

I think the film is very well made and is probably not as well known because of the title and the lack of chemistry between Hepburn and Brazzi.
I do recommend it.

Average customer rating:

The Most Beautiful Flower
Adorable 60's comedy...
If you like good ol' Classic films, you'll love this one
An Adroit Matthau, a Fresh Goldie and a Fun-Loving Bergman Provide Lift to a Frothy Farce
Frothy romantic comedy

Cactus Flower
Starring: Walter Matthau , Ingrid Bergman , Goldie Hawn , Jack Weston , and Rick Lenz
Director: Gene Saks
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000633R9
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Description

Walter Matthau stars as Julian Winston, an easy-going bachelor dentist whose delicately balanced scheme crumbles under some unexpected circumstances. Winston is stringing along his dizzy blonde mistress, Toni (Goldie Hawn), by telling her he has a wife and children. When he learns that Toni has tried to commit suicide over him, however, he promises to marry her. Toni, refusing to be a homewrecker, insists on meeting Winston's wife. He convinces Stephanie (Bergman)--his starched, no-nonsense receptionist--to pose as his wife, and there are unforeseen twists and surprises for everyone.

Customer Reviews:

The Most Beautiful Flower.......2007-01-04

It may be sacrilegious to say, but CACTUS FLOWER is a much better picture than those that Billy Wilder was making at roughly the same time. We watched this, then THE FORTUNE COOKIE in rapid succession, and this one wins by a country mile. I bring in Wilder's name because in some quarters CACTUS FLOWER has been looked on as a flimsy Billy Wilder rip-off, due to the use of Walter Matthau and also to the scenarist I A L Diamond, who worked wonders on the original Broadway play script to CACTUS FLOWER and really makes it bloom on the screen. (Only in the cramped dentist set do you feel that you're watching a play transferred to the screen. Could that set have been any smaller, sometimes you watch Ingrid Bergman try to figure out what to do with her hips as she nears a desk or filing cabinet.) Diamond squeezed this one in during the long wilderness years for Wilder, between the ragged comeback that was THE FORTUNE COOKIE, and the 1970 megaflop that became THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. Those two shows seem absolutely dour next to the radiance of CACTUS FLOWER. Maybe Diamond felt freed up from his own impossible to live up to legacy, and he could just be really dumb.

Well, CACTUS FLOWER has a Wilder sort of mise-en-scene anyhow, as Walter Matthau plays a swinging dentist who pretends to be married in order to deceive his young girlfriend, Goldie Hawn. All the actors play this out as though it were perfectly normal for a 60 year old guy to be "dating" a 21 year old hippie girl. Last week we watched Clint Eastwood's BREEZY where the exact same situation is played out as a problem picture, nearly a tragedy, and yet here it is a sex romp. Of sorts. Basically Matthau doesn't understand that his own nurse, Stephanie Dickinson, has been devotedly in love with him for years and years. And that she, Ingrid Bergman, is the woman for him.

I wonder if there's a code of reception for audiences in which we mentally dislike the pairing of the old and the young, so we're prepared for Matthau to switch his affections from Hawn to Bergman, and to let Hawn find romance with the kooky writer next door who saves her from a suicide attempt at the beginning of the film (shades of Diamond's APARTMENT script!) . . . What's great about Columbia producing this film is all the commercial tie-ins, the product placement which must have seemed super grating and cheesy in its day, but now floats somewhere in the comfort zone. For example, Goldie works in a Village record shop, and every album on the racks seems to be -- by Columbia records! (I should say, the majority of them are, but here and again a non-Columbia LP is shown, which must have been a triumph of artistic integrity.) And my favorite scene is the disco evening, where Ingrid Bergman invents a new dance called the "Dentist." Listen to the parade of Muzaked chartbusters playing in the background while the beautiful people show it off on the dancefloor--everyone of them a Colgems tune--"I'm a Believer," "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight," really, if the Monkees had made an appearance I wouldn't have blinked an eye. It's a fantastic scene, worthy of Max Ophuls, let alone Billy Wilder.

Adorable 60's comedy... .......2006-04-16

This is a really sweet little film that is completely and thoroughly 60's. It stars Walter Matthau as a dentist who is dating Goldie Hawn, a young free spirit. He's told her that he's married so he won't have to marry her, but, when he decides he wants to marry her after all, he has to produce a wife. He turns to his faithful nurse, played by Ingrid Bergman (!), who has worked for him for ten years. Hawn's character feels pity for Bergman, and events escalate to the point that the dentist is using one of his patients to play the role of his "wife's" lover.

There's some really witty dialogue in here, and Goldie Hawn, in her first movie role, is irrepressibly adorable. Ingrid Bergman also gives a fabulous performance, once you get over the shock of seeing her in something that isn't Casablanca, looking almost matronly. (But, at age fifty-four, still beautiful.) Walter Matthau also gives a great performance as the sneaky but loveable dentist, and there are a couple of scenes in a dance club that are too great for words.

If you like good ol' Classic films, you'll love this one.......2006-02-07

Classic Walter Matthau film. I enjoyed it very much because of the easy & believeable relationship between Matthau & Hawn, the suppressed attraction between Bergman & Matthau & the sweet storyline. This film was made during a time where special effects didn't fill in for weak plots; instead the story actually makes its point. Well done.

As bachelor dentist Dr. Julian Winston, Matthau tries to convince his mistress, Toni, (Goldie Hawn) that he has a wife who won't divorce him because they have children. Toni's had enough: she fires off a letter (yes, actually walks across the street in her nightgown to deposit the letter in a mailbox)to Julian, telling him she's committed suicide. Her young writer-neighbor, Igor (Rick Lenz), smells gas in the apartment hallway, breaks in & saves Toni.

When Julian receives the letter at his office, he storms off to Toni's apartment, only to find her alive & in the company of Igor. This little stunt persuades Julian to ask Toni to marry him -- he'll get a divorce no matter what. The catch is now Toni wants to meet Julian's wife, she has to get to know her so that Julian's wife won't think of Toni as a home-wrecker. Enter Ingrid Bergman as Miss Stephanie Dickinson, Dr. Winston's long-suffering, never-married dental assistant. Julian convinces Stephanie to pose as his wife for Toni.

What ensues is a calamity of coincidences & misunderstandings that cause true feelings to be revealed. Ingrid Bergman is such a joy to watch, she effortlessly steals the show.

If you want light-hearted entertainment that will leave you with a smile on your face, this film is for you.

An Adroit Matthau, a Fresh Goldie and a Fun-Loving Bergman Provide Lift to a Frothy Farce.......2006-02-02

Aside from the discotheque scenes that epitomize the swinging sixties (especially with everyone dancing to instrumental versions of Monkees hits), I am surprised how well this lightweight farce holds up 37 years later, but indeed it does thanks to the breezy execution of its deception-based plot and the sharp interplay of the three leads. Directed by the redoubtable stage-to-screen expert Gene Saks, this 1969 comedy is about Julian Winston, a successful Manhattan dentist and confirmed bachelor, who pretends to be married in order to avoid long-term commitment with his young girlfriend of a year, Toni. In response to Toni's half-hearted suicide attempt, Julian agrees to marry her, but Toni first insists on meeting his wife to alleviate her conscience. Enter Julian's devoted nurse Stephanie to play the wife, and the inevitable complications ensue with white lies growing into major whoppers that lead to presumed couplings and de-couplings.

As Julian, a relaxed Walter Matthau dexterously plays the deceptive dentist in his typically sardonic manner, but he lets his two female co-stars walk off with the picture. In her big screen debut, a pixyish 24-year old Goldie Hawn is still retaining her giggly "Laugh-In" persona but provides unexpected savvy and depth as Toni. She and Matthau have great, unforced chemistry in their scenes together. Screen legend Ingrid Bergman, still serenely regal at 54, is obviously having a ball playing Stephanie, initially starchy and quick-witted but blossoming into a liberated spirit as the story evolves. I particularly like how casual she appears after her overnight romp. There is nice supporting work from Rick Lenz as Toni's bohemian neighbor Igor and Jack Weston as Julian's smarmy actor buddy Harvey. Billy Wilder's longtime collaborator, I.A.L. Diamond, provides the sparkling screenplay and opens up the story beyond its stage-bound origins for Saks, who is not the most cinematic of directors. Other than a couple of trailers, there are no significant extras with the DVD.

Frothy romantic comedy.......2004-02-21

Peace and love, but not quite this much. Romantic comedy "Cactus Flower" is flirty, frothy and very amusing (not to mention it's nice to see a gal in her fifties shown as being attractive by the movie industry). It's predictable and lacking in twists, but it's entertaining by itself.

Bachelor dentist Julian Winston (Walter Matthau) met the ditzy but sweet Toni (Goldie Hawn) a year ago, but to avoid the looming threat of commitment, he claimed he was married with three kids. But Toni tries to commit suicide -- a faulty attempt botched by her attractive playwright neighbor Igor (Rick Lenz). When Julian learns of it, he decides to marry her, and pretends that he's getting a divorce from the wife he doesn't have. Small problem: Toni wants to meet her personally.

Julian tries to convince his straightlaced nurse Stephanie (Ingrid Bergman) to pretend to be his wife. At first she says no way, but then agrees (partly because she is secretly in love with him... of course). Except then Toni thinks that Stephanie is still in love with Julian, and that his kids will be traumatized by the divorce. So then Julian tries to recruit a fake boyfriend for his fake wife, to give an excuse for the fake divorce... and the web of nonexistant lovers starts to spread.

This film is a fun film, not a great film; it's froth, and pretends to be no more. In fact, I guessed the outcome of the movie (give or take a cactus and mink stole) within the first ten minutes. But getting there is half the fun. It's cute to see the little web of lies getting worse and worse, right down to the womanizing pal Harvey telling his idiot girlfriend that he's an agent for the CIA.

The trappings of "Cactus Flower" are a bit dated now -- the dancing, the store of vinyl records, the clothing, the hippie putting flowers on people's windshields. Fortunately, the script has aged pretty well if you know what "square" means. The cluelessness of Hawn's character starts to grate on the nerves (surely NO ONE can be this dim), but it has some funny dialogue.

Ingrid Bergman usually got stuck in dramatic, often melancholy roles, but here she gets to bust loose with plenty of acid-tongued barbs, the "dentist" dance, not to mention a funny, sexy dance with Igor and a mink stole. Matthau does an excellent job as the increasingly uptight, habitual liar Julian, whom we like despite his jerkishness. Hawn is merely okay; she spends a little too much time biting her lip and looking fawnish, and Lenz is extremely funny, charming and quite underrated.

Description

When the Vice President's plane goes down near a remote South American island and he is kidnapped by rebel forces, it is up to his female Secret Service agent and a press secretary to infiltrate the camp and save him.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining Action.......2007-06-30

"In Her Line of Fire"

Entertaining Action

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

Can you imagine Rambo as a lesbian? Not an easy job to do but "In Her Line of Fire" tries hard. This could have been a really good film with a little better editing and a lot more polish. "Lesbianwise" there is something missing. There are a couple of kisses but not much more. "Actionwise" there is plenty--in fact, it is non-stop.
Mariel Hemingway plays the lead but age has not been kind to her--ten years ago she would have been great. She is tough and knows how to handle a gun. Her love interest, Jill Bennett is a brave woman and attractive to boot. The action which is continuous does not allow us to get to know the characters nor does it allow us to see any real romance between the two women. And the plot...the vice president of the U.S. is on a plane which is going down in a storm near an island where mercenaries and rebels have built their training camp. Hemingway is the official body guard of the veep and she is a tough cookie but we know that the Vice President travels with a bevy of secret service when he goes anywhere. As they struggle to get ashore, they are attacked by the militants on the island and the action begins. We never learn why the plane crashed but it obviously had to so we would have a movie.
Like Rambo, the heroine cannot be hurt and never misses a shot. But the main problem with the film is that the filmmaker had to decide whether or not to show a lesbian relationship and the focus of the film becomes lost because of this. Which is more important--the sexuality of the character or the story? Impact is lost and the film goes nowhere. So sexuality is shown but not a major issue of the movie but, on the other hand, the film gains mainstream acceptance (a sellout).
Since the film concentrates on plot, it is violent but that is all.
The members of the cast playing the militants are weak and this hurts the overall characterization. Visually, the movie seems to be made for TV. The key is to enjoy the action--there are guns blazing and chases, tough decisions and old-fashioned fighting action. There is a lot to entertain audiences and aside from the scene in the plane everything is adroitly done. What we end up with is a "B" movie with poor special effects.

disappointing.......2007-06-03

The acting is fantastic by Muriel. The rest of the cast is poor and the plot is ok... The only thing is I kept comparing it to Personal Best

On balance, not a bad movie........2007-04-02

Don't expect too much high quality anything with this film and you should enjoy the action.

Mariel Hemingway could still turn heads and interrupt conversations just by walking in the room and Jill Bennett would get more than her wanted fair share of female attention!

I reckon that it was the hope of the cast and crew that their audience would leave all sense of rationality and believability behind when they pushed the 'play' button on their DVD players. I wasn't expecting Academy Award performances and so found myself pleased with my purchase and a welcome addition to my 'collection'.

One question I found myself asking throughout the film... Why was Jill Bennett wearing a nice bright 'shoot-me-if-you-can' RED shirt when all the other characters were suitably attired in camouflage gear?!? Again, leave your sense of rationality behind.

(2.5 STARS) Mariel Hemingway Is a Secret Service Agent: Typical B Action Flick with a bit of Originality.......2007-03-24

"In Her Line of Fire" (also known as "Air Force Two") is benefited from the strong performances from the leads, especially Mariel Hemingway as touch and no-nonsense Secret Service agent who has to protect the Vice President of the United States (David Keith) from the mercenaries when their airplane went down. David Millburn is Armstrong, psycho leader of the military training camp.

The film's contrived story doesn't bother us much because actions start almost immediately after the plane crush. Not many people, even the guerrillas in the jungle, would shoot an unarmed person as the film depicts, but anyway the film is only trying to do what it is supposed to do.

The actions of the film are not bad, just OK with several familiar set-pieces. At first sight the actions of the film look like those made in the 80s, like Stallone's "Cobra" or Schwartzenegger's "Commando," but they are done with much less ammunition or humor here. Moreover, explosions are substituted by special effects, which most action film fans would find disappointing.

The film's strength is Mariel Hemingway's strong acting. Her relation with a surviving journalist played by Jill Bennett is among the most interesting aspects of the film because of the suggested lesbian theme, but the film does not seem to develop the intriguing subplot much. (Or I may have missed the point.) Anyway, otherwise this is a typical B action film with a standard action plot that is made for action film fans.

"In Her Line of Fire" is not a terrible film as you might believe, thanks to the presence of Mariel Hemingway and her character. Still it is also true that she is the only reason I give three stars which this film itself may not deserve.

UGH, ack, pt-ewy!.......2007-03-11

Murial Hemingway is the only thing worth 5 minutes of your time on this one.

Clark Gable - The Signature Collection (Dancing Lady / China Seas / San Francisco / Wife vs. Secretary / Boom Town / Mogambo)

Average customer rating:

Gable's other work...
My favorite Golden Age actor gets the DVD set he deserves
great star, great collection,
Clark Gable The Signature Collection
The King finally gets his own

Clark Gable - The Signature Collection (Dancing Lady / China Seas / San Francisco / Wife vs. Secretary / Boom Town / Mogambo)
Starring: Joan Crawford , Clark Gable , Franchot Tone , May Robson , and Winnie Lightner
Director: Robert Z. Leonard , Tay Garnett , and W.S. Van Dyke
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Signature Collections | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000F7CMRC
Release Date: 2006-06-20

Amazon.com

Clark Gable was "The King" of Hollywood in his heyday, and why not? He carried himself in his movies as though entitled by royal birthright, erect and cocky, not especially curious about the rest of the world because he already owned it. Sure, Gable's characters frequently had to be humbled, but that's not what you remember about him; what you remember is the utter self-confidence, the brash American energy, and--sure--the jug ears. Clark Gable: The Signature Collection is not just a topnotch collection of the King in his court, it's also a look at just how good the Hollywood studio system (in this case, MGM) was in its glory years.

Except for late entry Mogambo from 1953, these titles are from Gable's peak run--1933 to 1940. First up chronologically is Dancing Lady, which pairs Gable with Joan Crawford; he's a gruff Broadway director, she's a plucky young dancer who moves up from burlesque to the legit theater thanks to wealthy suitor Franchot Tone. It's not a great movie, but the formula is pleasing, and there's a young fellow named Fred Astaire (his film debut) in a couple of scenes. Some surreal comedy is provided by Ted Healy and His Stooges (whose names happen to be Moe, Larry and Curly).

Tay Garnett's China Seas, from 1935, was a reunion with Jean Harlow, with whom Gable had struck gold in Red Dust. The script by James Kevin McGuinness and the gifted Jules Furthman might have a preposterous plot--cribbed from Red Dust--but the dialogue is deliciously vulgar and the actors perfectly cast. Gable is the captain of a boat on the Hong Kong-Singapore run, carrying secret gold and fending off pirates and a typhoon. His real problem, however is that the classy woman (Rosalind Russell) he has long pined for has come aboard at the exact moment his bawdy mistress (Harlow) has also tagged along. Clarence Brown's Wife vs. Secretary (1936) brings Harlow back, this time as the executive assistant to Gable's wealthy tycoon. Their relationship is strictly professional, although wife Myrna Loy eventually has suspicions. Gable and Loy are cute together, and the film is a reminder of how playful he could be outside the manly-man world of many of his films.

The blockbuster San Francisco, also 1936, gives a pretty good blueprint of what audiences craved at the time. Gable is the rakish owner of a wild Barbary Coast club, Jeannette MacDonald the opera-ready songbird who performs for him, Spencer Tracy the no-nonsense priest and childhood friend who would love to reform Gable. Director W.S. Van Dyke keeps it all cracking along (well, except when MacDonald sings and Cultcha comes in) and the special effects for the San Francisco earthquake are really rather awesome. Boom Town (1940) was another box-office smash, with Gable and Tracy as Texas oil wildcatters who team up, split, team up, split, etc. Claudette Colbert is the woman loved by both, although the male bonding is the most engaging thing about this entertaining spectacle.

Mogambo is an official remake of Red Dust, with Gable returning, this time as an African safari leader. Even with gray hair, his masculinity is enough to entice good-time girl Ava Gardner and ladylike Grace Kelly. John Ford directed, which means the location exteriors and studio interiors alike are alive with Ford's expressive compositional eye. Included on the San Francisco disc is a TNT documentary profile of Gable. But these titles give a pretty good profile all by themselves. --Robert Horton

Description

Named as the seventh greatest actor on AFI's List of "50 Greatest Screen Legends," Clark Gable reigned supreme as a screen icon during the 1930's and 40's. Six of Gables 75 feature films are remastered and now available on DVD in the new Clark Gable: The Signature Collection.

Customer Reviews:

Gable's other work..........2006-08-20

All good films, some new to DVD ("San Francisco", "Wife Vs. Secretary", etc.), from Warner's MGM library. They all feature the usual great film transfers we've all come to expect from Warner Bros. However, "Wife Vs. Secretary" was transferred from a very poor print which was unfortunate because I found the film has an unusually good performance from Jean Harlow and has a great little story. The release of "San Francisco" is timely because of the 100th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake and fire. This has always been a favorite of mine. This collection is a good cross section of Gable's work and definitely deserves a first or second look!

My favorite Golden Age actor gets the DVD set he deserves.......2006-07-28

Clark Gable is my favorite actor of all time, so the DVD boxed set, CLARK GABLE: THE SIGNATURE COLLECTION, from Warner Home Video is destined to be an often-played favorite. Gable made his first movie in 1931 and his last in 1961; this boxed set goes from 1933-1953. Included are six movie treasures: DANCING LADY (1933), CHINA SEAS (1935), WIFE VS. SECRETARY and SAN FRANCISCO (both 1936), BOOM TOWN (1940), and MOGAMBO (1953).

DANCING LADY is a Joan Crawford vehicle, with a young Clark Gable and Franchot Tone as the men she chooses between. We are in the Depression era Manhattan show business world, with Gable as a play director and Tone a millionaire playboy financing the show. Fred Astaire makes his film debut as himself, and Nelson Eddy and The Three Stooges have cameo roles. Bonuses are two Three Stooges shorts and a theatrical trailer.

CHINA SEAS is a "guilty pleasure" for director Tay Garnett. Gable plays a ship captain who does not know that his Hong Kong-to-Singapore voyage includes a gold shipment and Chinese coolies. The dream supporting cast includes Jean Harlow and Wallace Beery (re-united from DINNER AT EIGHT), a young Rosalind Russell, C. Aubrey Smith, and Lewis Stone. Bonuses are a color travelogue, a musical short, and a theatrical trailer.

Clarence Brown's WIFE VS. SECRETARY has Clark Gable married to Myrna Loy and boss to Jean Harlow. In a lovely movie, each woman respects the other. This is at least the fourth movie that Gable and Harlow made together; they were very popular. A young James Stewart plays Harlow's boyfriend and fifty years later still fondly remembered a passionate kiss they shared. Big bonuses here are a musical short, a theatrical trailer, and an Oscar-winning "Crime Does Not Pay" short.

An all-time favorite of mine, SAN FRANCISCO has been remastered to make its incomparable 1906 earthquake climax really something. But even without the bravura climax, we still have Barbary Coast joint owner Gable competing with wealthy uptown Jack Holt for Jeanette MacDonald as a singer. As a generic priest, Spencer Tracy got the Oscar nomination that should have gone to Gable's memorable Blackie Norton. The finale gives me goosebumps; curiously, one of the bonuses is an even more effective alternate ending. Other bonuses on this masterpiece are two Techicolor travelogues of the 1939 Treasure Island World's Fair, and a 45 minute TNT documentary on Gable's career and life. The first night you do this boxed set, start with this documentary as an overview.

Another "guilty pleasure", BOOM TOWN has a cast to die for--Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy again, this time as oil wildcatters, and Claudette Colbert and Hedy Lamarr as their women. The supporting cast of this Jack Conway-directed gem includes Frank Morgan, Lionel Atwill, and Chill Wills. Bonuses are a color cartoon, a B&W documentary short, and a theatrical trailer.

John Lee Mahin was one of Clark Gable's favorite screenwriters. Mahin wrote BOOM TOWN, eight years earlier wrote RED DUST (1932), and in 1953 did MOGAMBO, the Technicolor remake of RED DUST. I like RED DUST more because of Jean Harlow, but Gable is wonderfully cast as a big game hunter in Africa in John Ford's MOGAMBO. Filmed on location with gorgeous color, this is a love triangle between Broadway showgirl Ava Gardner (in the Harlow role) and married Grace Kelly (in the Mary Astor role). Romance and adventure blend superbly in a superbly cast movie. The distinguished cinematographers are Robert Surtees and David Lean's Freddie Young. The sole bonus here is a theatrical trailer.

I know, where are GONE WITH THE WIND and MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY? GWTW is literally its own boxed set now, and I added BOUNTY from old videocassette. It is the greatest sea adventure of all time, impeccable cast, and superbly edited by Margaret Booth; I recommend it highly. As for IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT one year earlier, wrong studio. I don't believe Warner Home Video has access to Columbia releases. But picky, picky! You get six wonderful Clark Gable movie gems with a lot of bonuses, and you still watch more. Then go rent or buy BOUNTY and NIGHT! And THE MISFITS (1961), for that matter. And also buy the new 4-disk GWTW. Warners' CLARK GABLE: THE SIGNATURE COLLECTION is impeccable and gets my highest DVD boxed set rating.

great star, great collection, .......2006-07-25

Six Gable classics, five of which available for the first time on dvd. Quality is excellent and packaging too : a perfect showcase for Hollywood's king of stars, here paired with some of his favorite leading ladies, Myrna Loy (Wife vs Secretary) Jean Harlow (Wife and China Seas), Joan Crawford (Dancing Lady) and Claudette Colbert (Boom Town).
What is missing from this collection are some of Gable's best films made while he worked for MGM, like Victor Fleming's masterpieces "Test Pilot" and "Red Dust". On the other side it would have been interesting to see some of Gable's work which has never been published at all: "After Office Hours" "Men in White" "Parnell" and early Constance Bennett starrer, the wonderful "The Easiest Way"...Maybe with the Constance Bennett and Myrna Loy collections?

Clark Gable The Signature Collection.......2006-07-13

I enjoyed all of these old films except the Dancing Lady. What a bomb, Joan Crawford was "dull". I really enjoyed Boomtown.
I just can't stand Jean Harlow's voice but I realise the so called "type of girl of the day" had to appear brassy. I enjoyed Gable in all of the movies.

The King finally gets his own .......2006-05-17

For fans of 'The King of Hollywood' this set will no doubt seem way overdue. The titles chosen for this collection vary in appropriateness for inclusion, the comedy 'Wife Vs. Secretary' is only a so-so film that is made worthwhile only by the quality of the cast ie Gable, Myrna Loy and Jean Harlow. Also with the long-lost Harlow, Gable stars in the sillier than silly 'China Seas' in which he plays a ship's captain.
Mogambo is a universally appreciated 1953 remake of an earlier Gable film (this time with Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly) in which he reprises his original role. A vast improvement of the original.
Dancing Lady is an underrated 1933 comedy classic with Joan Crawford in a change of pace comedic turn that she pulls off marvellously. When Gable slaps her butt after granting her a favour and she wistfully thanks him; priceless!
All in all this a set of classics that should please Gable's fans and those who just enjoy great vintage entertainment alike.

Average customer rating:

excellent, but too short
A unusual perspective that not often presented.
Making Evil Work - Otherwise Good People Become Obtuse
clearing her conscience
Not the first time she has been interviewed

Blind Spot - Hitler's Secretary
Starring: Traudl Junge
Director: André Heller , and Othmar Schmiderer
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Politics | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0000CABBT
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Description

An interview with Traudl Junge, one of Adolf Hitler's private secretaries from 1942 through the collapse of the Nazi regime, in which she tells it all. 2003 National Theatrical Release.

Customer Reviews:

excellent, but too short.......2007-07-03

An amazing piece of history, but it needs to be longer. Also, the dissolves are an annoying distraction, but it was difficult to complain when one realizes the pricelessness of it all.

A unusual perspective that not often presented........2007-04-01

Extremely poignant.
A unusual perspective that is not often presented.
This is a powerful look into the inside private life of Adolph Hitler, not the man he presented to the public eye.
It is also the story of a woman who found her self unexpectedly in his employ and shelter from the reality of the rest of the world, her enlightenment to his atrocities and her survival and coming to terms with what weighed heavily on her, believing that while she was at the time unaware of his innate evil, she had contributed to his crimes too. VERY eye opening.
I have watched this at least 5 times and learn something new every-time.

Making Evil Work - Otherwise Good People Become Obtuse.......2007-02-05

Traudl Junge appears pleasant, well-adjusted, and thoughtful in her old age. Dying on the day that the film won awards in Europe this movie is her final statement. But, the interviewers where horrible. They never asked the key questions, rather they just allowed her to remember events and talk for almost an hour about the final days in the Berlin Bunker.

As a historical record, it's invaluable. But, as an insight into the human workings of Nazism, there is unfortunately nothing new here. Nazism and fascism in general can only function on such a large scale as it did in Germany when otherwise thoughtful people like Ms. Junge choose to create a "blind spot" so that the truth won't get through.

Traudl Junge was Hitler's secretary from 42-45. It is hard to fathom that she knew nothing about anything, acknowledging only one moment when DER JUDEN were discussed with Hitler. Imagine the scene: Frau Von Schirach comes to the Berghof and tells Hitler to his face that what is being done to the Jews is horrible. She is of course dismissed. Traudl Junge's assertion that she was unaware of the horrors that her boss and her colleagues were perpetrating is difficult to accept, just as Albert Speer's similar assetions are difficult to believe (especially since armaments production and concentration camps that supported such production fell under his authority as armaments minister). It seems that more than being embarrassed for being such a thoughtless automaton and servant of the modern devil and the greatest force of evil in the world in the last one hundred years, Junge seems embarrassed that she had created such a hole of fakery and self-deception around herself.

I've not read her book, and am not certain that I will. But it is a failure on the part of the interviewers to not ask her more questions. I heard only one or two questions, the rest of the entire film was Traudl talking about her experiences. More of a reminiscence than an insightful examination of her past, this movie is an addition to the historical record.

The insights that Junge must have had as a human being working so closely with Hitler and his cronies and sycophants were mainly lost in the movie. One almost feels badly for Ms. Junge, but not quite.
Recommended with reservations.

clearing her conscience.......2007-01-25

When Traudl Junge was twenty-two she was chosen, she recalls, "by complete coincidence and chance" from a typing competition to become Hitler's secretary from 1942-1945. Later in life, she became deeply disturbed about how she could have participated in the Nazi horror at such close quarters and remained so apolitical. In a brutal catharsis of self-analysis, she describes her "blind spot" as remaining so oblivious to the obvious. Clearly wanting to unburden herself and to speak publically for the first time, she gave ten hours of interviews at the age of 81, just months before she died. This film has almost no cinematic style or technique. Junge sits in her modest Munich apartment, a camera is put on her, and she delivers a ninety-minute, somewhat rambling soliloquy on what it was like to be Hitler's secretary. There is little ethical or war time insight; the fascinating part, in fact, is how banal she describes Hitler --his dog, his diet, his kindly paternalism, daily lunches and dinners with him, etc. More than half of her remarks cover Hitler's last few days in his Berlin bunker, where he eventually committed suicide and his body was burned. This fascinating film could have been so much better if a savvy interviewer had plied her with questions. In German with English subtitles.

Not the first time she has been interviewed.......2006-06-06

I haven't seen this so I can't give a review of it. All I will say is that this is not the first on camera interview Traudl Junge gave; despite what the description tells you. She was interviewed quite extensively by the makers of "The World at War" and can be seen multiple times on that documentary. If you're dying for more Traudl Junge interviews :) go rent or buy "World at War".

Average customer rating:

Art imitates life as Grable plays "The Pin Up Girl"
"We should have used our imaginations"
Finally, Grable on DVD!
Comment on commentary...
WHERE ARE MICKEY AND JUDY WHEN YOU NEED 'EM?

Pin-Up Girl
Starring: Betty Grable , John Harvey , Martha Raye , Joe E. Brown , and Eugene Pallette
Director: H. Bruce Humberstone
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Week-End in Havana
Betty Grable Collection, Vol. 1 (My Blue Heaven / The Dolly Sisters / Moon Over Miami / Down Argentine Way)
Daddy Long Legs
Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory, Vol. 1 (Ziegfeld Follies / Till the Clouds Roll By / Three Little Words / Summer Stock / It's Always Fair Weather)
The Busby Berkeley Collection (Footlight Parade / Gold Diggers of 1933 / Dames / Gold Diggers of 1935 / 42nd Street)

ASIN: B000BZISU8
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Description

Betty Grable in the role that she made famous throughout World War II. A classic musical romance with Martha Raye and Joe E. Brown.

Customer Reviews:

Art imitates life as Grable plays "The Pin Up Girl".......2007-03-28

Betty Grable may have been seven months pregnant when this picture wrapped; but she puts in a fine performance with this musical. She sings well and dances, too. Fox does a marvelous job of hiding the fact that she's pregnant. The plot is razor thin as it was with many musicals of its time; but again the singing and dancing are why people go to see musicals--and you won't be disappointed there.

Grable plays Lorry Jones, a carefree gal who promises her heart to a mere 500 men to make them happy since she figures she'll never bump into them again when World War II is over. Lorry goes to New York for a weekend romp with her friend Kay, played by Dorothea Kent, before the two have to report for their new jobs as stenographers at the Naval Department in Washington. Naturally, the moment the ladies hit New York things begin to happen--and fast. They see the famous war hero Tommy Dooley played by John Harvey at Grand Central Station and there's competition for him right from the start in nightclub singer Molly McKay who is played by Martha Raye. Eventually they all wind up in a nightclub as the romantic sparks begin to fly between Lorry Jones and Tommy Dooley. Several musical numbers later, along with some incredible dancing both on foot and on roller skates, Lorry and Tommy may actually have the chance at a longer term relationship--provided, that is, that Molly, a Marine and the other 499 men Lorry casually said she was engaged to don't get in their way.

As one reviewer notes, I couldn't help but compare this to the great MGM musicals of the day. The two numbers in which the two men tap dance are wonderful; and I also thoroughly enjoyed the colorful number where the beautiful dancing girls wear huge feathers of red, white and blue. However, Grable fans will be the ones who will be the happiest with this movie as it really doesn't quite measure up to other musicals--even the other musicals in which Grable starred while she was at Fox!

The cinematography reflects good judgment and forethought; the characters are well framed within the picture which gives this mid 1940s war time musical a rather "pure" and "conservative, going with the mainstream" quality. The choreography shines with each and every dance number; I believe that a great deal of work went into figuring out how to stage those musical numbers.

The DVD has a few extras worth noting: you get a deleted scene of Grable singing a song that was cut from the final production; and there is a commentary by Richard Schickel. There are trailers for this movie and three other Fox musicals, too.

After all is said and done, however, this is Betty Grable's movie; and Grable's fans will enjoy Pin-Up Girl the most. The plot is rather thin and the acting by John Harvey is nothing special; but Grable gives a solid performance. Fox takes great advantage of the fact that Grable WAS a "pin-up girl" in real life. If you like musicals you'll probably enjoy this one but rate it about a B+. However, true blue Grable fans will love every minute of this movie.

"We should have used our imaginations".......2006-07-11

Skewering her real life role of a pin up girl, this 1944 movie stars Betty Grable as Lorry Jones a pretty and feisty young girl who works for the USO and is heading for Washington DC. Aboard the train, a conversation with friend Kay (Dorothea Kent) reveals that the pair isn't headed for the USO, but will instead take jobs as stenographers.

On the way, the pair decides to visit New York, where they see Molly McKay (Martha Raye) flirting with Guadalcanal hero Tommy Dooley (John Harvey). Later, Lorry claims to know the hero to gain admittance to the packed Club Chanteuse. The Club itself is a grand affair; a huge swing band plays on a giant stage that stretches from floor to ceiling, whilst the actual show consists of singers, dancers and even roller-skating routine featuring the Skating Vanities!

When Tommy eventually turns up at the club, he is immediately besotted with the cute Lorry. But Molly - the real star of the Club Chanteuse - is secretly seething; she knows that Molly is a fake so she asks her sing a song from the show. Lorry gets back at Molly when she belts out the tune as if she sang it every night on stage, even with back up singers!

Lorry and Kay continue on their journey to Washington DC and eventually bump into Tommy who coincidentally is looking for a stenographer - of course he picks Lorry. Of course Tommy can't tell who Lorry is because she's wearing glasses and has her hair in a bun, and every time he looks at her, she's looking back at him with crossed-eyes!

The story is silly and trite and almost non-existent, and it's all merely an excuse for framing the elaborate musical numbers, which are centered on the three-tiered bandstands where Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra sit. Indeed most of the action takes place in the nightclubs where Lorry and Tommy mostly hang out.

Obviously made for all the GI's, the film has an innocent quality combined with a sort of fierce patriotism and you really get the sense that the film is pushing the merits of the allied war effort. There's no doubt that Grable is sparkling and bubbly and she does a good job with the singing and dancing, even though the role is a bit of a caricature. But you can easily see how much she contributed to the war effort.

It's interesting to watch films such as this - not just for the flashy musical numbers, which sometimes border in the gaudy, but also for the social relevance, and for the forties nostalgia.

Although Pin-Up Girl may not be the best example of a War musical - the film is slight and is basically restricted to the pattern of boy-meets-girl and they live happily ever after - it's still a welcome and harmless diversion - just like Betty Grable, with her long silken legs, was a distraction for lonely soldiers of World War II. Mike Leonard July 06.

Finally, Grable on DVD!.......2006-04-23

It's a shame that all the Fox musicals haven't been released on DVD, especially the gorgeous Technicolor titles featuring Alice Faye, Betty Grable and Carmen Miranda.
Most agree that this wasn't Betty's best film ... the ending is especially weak, although the all-girl marching routine is impressive. The commentary by noted film historian/critic Richard Shickel is not especially helpful and uninspired. His comments on Martha Raye and Joe E. Brown are good but he incorrectly states that this was their only film together ... wrong. They co-starred in "$1000 A Touchdown" for Paramount in 1939. And this was Raye's third film with Grable, which Shickel doesn't mention. He also passes up the fact that Raye was married to one of the dancing Condos Brothers in the movie. The notes in the colorful and well-designed DVD liner by film historian Sylvia Stoddard are much more fun and accurate.
The film transfer itself seems a bit on the dark side, but it's still gorgeous.
Thanks, Fox! As a Grable and Raye fan, I've waited for this for a long time!

Comment on commentary..........2006-04-01

Listening to Richard Schickel's slow delivery will probaby put you to sleep although he does provide some interesting background information on some of the stars in the film. He states, correctly, that Joe E. Brown will probably be best remembered for his role in "Some Like It Hot." However, he mistakenly states that Tony Curtis was the "girl" for the Joe E Brown character when it was actually Jack Lemmon.

Must also agree with the other reviewers that this is a rather forgettable musical with equally forgettable songs.

WHERE ARE MICKEY AND JUDY WHEN YOU NEED 'EM?.......2006-03-13

In the Golden Age of Hollywood, each studio usually took a stab all various genres, but excelled in only one. Warner Brothers cornered gangster films, with forays into musicals (Busby Berkeley) and noir (Bogart). Universal dabbled in lots of B-films, but succeeded big-time with horror. MGM, of course, produced the best musicals. Fox did melodramas --- especially noir --- with an occasional romp on MGM's musical turf. And usually those romps hit some really bad notes. Witness the first three flicks in their Marquee Musicals series. Daddy Long Legs has Astaire and Caron, Pin-Up Girl has Betty Grable, Week-End in Havana has Alice Faye and Carmen Miranda, The memory of these films, for the most part, is a lot better than the films themselves. The pleasant but fairly pedestrian scores, thin plots and busy character actors scurrying around propping up the story make for rough going. And make one yearn for Mickey and Judy.

Average customer rating:

Good Remake
Quite refreshing
Not my cup of tea
I didn't think I'd like this movie this much...
SLOW BUT BRILLIANT.

Alex & Emma (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Gigi Bermingham , Jordi Caballero , Earl Carroll (II) , Robert Costanzo , and François Giroday
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0000D8L1J
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

For perhaps the first time in her career, Kate Hudson doesn't just imitate the twinkle of her mother, Goldie Hawn--and proves to be a winning romantic lead in her own right. Hudson plays Emma, a stenographer hired by a desperate writer named Alex (Luke Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde), who has to finish a book in 30 days. Of course, a tentative romance blooms between them; but as Alex begins to interweave elements of his life into the love triangle of his novel--including a suspiciously Emma-esque character named Anna--Emma wonders if the novel's sexy other woman has a real-life counterpart as well. Though Alex & Emma suffers from some bland, formulaic elements, it also features flashes of engaging wit. Hudson dampens her gleam, but because she's not working so hard to be adorable, a relaxed and more unique charm comes forth. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Romantic Comedy. Alex (Luke Wilson) is an author whose writer's block and gambling debts have landed him in a jam. In order to get loan sharks off his back, he must finish his novel in 30 days or wind up dead. To help him complete his manuscript he hires stenographer Emma (Kate Hudson). As Alex begins to dictate his tale of a romantic love triangle to the charming yet somewhat opinionated stenographer, Emma challenges his ideas at every turn. Her unsolicited yet intriguing input begins to inadvertently influence Alex and his story and soon real life begins to imitate art.

Customer Reviews:

Good Remake.......2006-11-14

While it is not mentioned much, this film is an obvious remake/rethink of the Holden/Hepburn comedy "Paris When It Sizzles." This is a case of the remake being better than the original. Audrey Hepburn was always charming, but "Paris" is some of her worst, most posy, artificial acting work.
The strength of the re-write is the re-writes of "the book" (film within the film) that give Hudson the chance to do big slapstick characters. Far from deserving praise as a great actress that she got for this role, these characters were as deep as the wigs, costumes, and huge charicatures, but FUN. 100 actresses could have done it just as well, but she got the part, and she's as good as an SNL skit.

Wilson is her straight man, and is always convincing in being the messy guy who falls for the girl even though he doesn't know it. Like "Paris" this film relys mainly on the leading lady's charms. Hudson is adequate. It would have been wonderful to see someone like the hilarious Jennifer Coolidge, or the brilliant chameleon Catherine O'Hara in this role, THAT would be five stars. This ain't.

Quite refreshing.......2006-07-25

Between the money-thirsty but dazzling Polina (Sophie Marceau) and the pleasant, down-to-earth Anna (Kate Hudson), what should a penniless Adam (Luke Wilson) do? This was the plot about which Alex (Luke Wilson) the author wrote a book in 30 days. His stenographer Emma (Kate Hudson), who liked a book only if the ending pleased her, often protested and steered Alex's story in the right direction.

As the plot of the book materialised, Emma's affection for Alex grew just as Adam's relationship with Anna blossomed in the book. But then Emma gradually suspected that Alex drew on his own experiences in writing and dreaded the threat of Polina, Alex's dream lover, in real life. Moreover, would the book's fruitless ending of the love triangle bear any reflection on Alex's attitude of shunning intimate relationships?

A simple plot this was. All three characters got to play dual characters - in the book and in real life. But Rob Reiner, the director(When Harry met Sally) juggled tactfully between the book's characters and Alex-Emma dialogue, making the development crisp and sharp. He also played a substantial part in the movie. Kate Hudson played superbly as a die-hard romantic - lovable, opined, decisive and non-compromising. The surprise was the dazzling beauty of Sophie Marceau, both in the book's character and as Alex's ex-lover who showed up in the end for a possible reunion. But what held this movie together was the carefully crafted words of the book, sweetened by Luke Wilson's clear and enlightening voice. Surely, the ending was predictable; yet witnessing the birth of a book, from beginning to end, with a rewritten ending somehow injected dynamicism and creative process in the movie. Not a romantic comedy of actions, big emotional ups and downs. Rather it is for those who appreciate romance in subtlety. Quite re