Doll Face

Starring:Como, Blaine, Miranda
Studio: Alpha Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

"She's not just a stripper--she's a personality."
GOOD MOVIE, HORRIBLE DVD

Doll Face (B&W)
Starring: Doll Face
Manufacturer: Critic's Choice
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009P1YYW
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Product Description

Vivian Blaine, Dennis OKeefe, Perry Como. Snappy dialogue and dazzling dance sequences mark this wartime Pygmalion tale of a strippers boyfriend tries to transform her into a Broadway star. A number of subversive themes (for the 1940s) make their way into this delightful film which features original songs by Perry Como and Carmen Miranda. 1945/b&w/80 min/NR.

Customer Reviews:

"She's not just a stripper--she's a personality.".......2007-04-03

Doll Face Carroll (Vivian Blaine) is the Queen of 'Burly-Q' at a small theatre. Her manager and love interest Michael Hannegan (Dennis O'Keefe) thinks that Doll Face has enough talent to hit the big time, but a humiliating audition ends with Doll Face rejected thanks to her scandalous burlesque baggage. Hannegan decides what Doll Face needs is "culture" and he hits upon the idea to hire literary author Frederick Manly Gerard, (Stephen Dunne) to ghostwrite Doll Face's autobiography.

The marketing and publicity campaigns to makeover Doll Face's image lead to lots of musical numbers, some romantic misunderstandings and various mishaps in this pleasant little film about the Burly-Q crowd. One of the most interesting aspects of this film is that it's an example of metafiction--or metafilm, in this case--as it presents a Broadway show about Doll Face's life within a film about Doll Face. At one point, for example, the fictional Doll Face plays a fictionalized version of herself on Broadway, and Brazilian singer Chita Chula (Carmen Miranda) is told she can play a part that is similar to ... Carmen Miranda. Anyway, it's a nice example of metafiction/metafilm. Keep your eyes open for crooner Perry Como.

The Critic's Choice DVD isn't the greatest quality. The picture lacks a good crisp black and white look, and in some shots, features are bleached out. Horizontal lines shiver through the film at a couple of spots, and big white blotches appear randomly at the top left and right corners of the screen. Towards the end of the film, there's a black thing dangling down across the picture (not sure what this is--a hair, a wire, or just damaged film?). There's a background crackle through some of the film, and towards the end of the film this morphs into the sound of a skipped record. I wasn't expecting much in the way of film quality, and the problems noted didn't really annoy me that much or distract me. The quality is what I'd expect if I had a well-worn VHS tape made from a television film. There's an extra feature here--a 26-minute episode of the Dennis O'Keefe Show: "It's Only Money." "Doll Face" directed by Lewis Seiler is based on a play written by Gypsy Rose Lee--displacedhuman

GOOD MOVIE, HORRIBLE DVD.......2006-03-19

I was watching this movie for Dennis O'Keefe, but the DVD is so horrible, I can't enjoy it. This is a Critics Choice Video release of a film that is in public domain. The only other release that's available is by Alpha Video, and is just as bad. Evidently both were made from the same poor quality master. The sound is obnoxiously loud, and the picture is contrasty and uncomfortable to watch, even though the package says "Digitally Restored." Nevertheless, all the actors are good, and I love Como's songs. O'Keefe is good, but this is not one of his better roles.

If anyone else is interested in the films of Dennis O'Keefe, this is the first one out of about ten I've ordered recently that had poor quality. It's also the only one in which I've been disappointed for any reason. I'm hoping O'Keefe will be rediscovered at some point, and more of his films released, because they are wonderful. His range is broad. He does excellent dramatic work in Film Noir classics like T-Men and Raw Deal - both by Anthony Mann - and in Fighting Seabees with John Wayne; comedies like Up In Mabel's Room and Getting Gertie's Garter; detective pictures like Dishonored Lady and Cover Up; and family films like The Great Dan Patch.

I think if a company releases a DVD on which the movie is substandard, they should state as much in their write-up, instead of waiting for people to get the film and then be disappointed. They aren't helping themselves by releasing substandard product. I wondered why Critic's Choice Video, a company with an extensive catalog, had a 92% satisfaction rating. Now I know.

Waitsel Smith

Average customer rating:

GOOD MOVIE, HORRIBLE DVD
good movie, bad DVD
DON`T BUY THIS MOVIE.

Doll Face
Starring: Lex Barker , Vivian Blaine , Perry Como , Boyd Davis , and Hal K. Dawson
Director: Lewis Seiler
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006419SM
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Customer Reviews:

GOOD MOVIE, HORRIBLE DVD.......2006-03-19

One reviewer was watching this DVD for Vivian Blaine; another, for Perry Como. I was watching for Dennis O'Keefe. Now all we need is a review from someone watching it for Carmen Miranda and we'll be set.

I have to agree with the other two reviewers: the DVD is horrible, although I am watching the Critics Choice release rather than the Alpha version. Evidently both were made from the same poor quality master. The sound is obnoxiously loud, and the picture is contrasty and uncomfortable to watch, even though the package says "Digitally Restored." Nevertheless, all the actors are good, and I love Como's songs. O'Keefe is good, but this is not one of his better roles.

If anyone else is interested in the films of Dennis O'Keefe, this is the first one out of about ten I've ordered recently that had poor quality. It's also the only one in which I've been disappointed for any reason. I'm hoping O'Keefe will be rediscovered at some point, and more of his films released, because they are wonderful. His range is broad. He does excellent dramatic work in Film Noir classics like T-Men and Raw Deal - both by Anthony Mann - and in Fighting Seabees with John Wayne; comedies like Up In Mabel's Room and Getting Gertie's Garter; detective pictures like Dishonored Lady and Cover Up; and family films like The Great Dan Patch.

I think if a company releases a DVD on which the movie is substandard, they should state as much in their write-up, instead of waiting for people to get the film and then be disappointed. They aren't helping themselves by releasing substandard product. I wondered why Critic's Choice Video, a company with an extensive catalog, had a 92% satisfaction rating. Now I know.

Waitsel Smith

good movie, bad DVD.......2005-08-09

Pretty fantastic musical, enlivened no end by vivacious Vivian Blaine in the title role along with some memorable tunes ("Walking in My Dreams", "Here Comes Heaven Again").

The story is straight-forward: burlesque star `Doll Face' Carroll (Vivian Blaine) publishes her autobiography entitled `Genius De Milo' and then goes on to star in a Broadway show based on it. Perry Como and Carmen Miranda sparkle in fine supporting roles but for fans of the sorely underrated Vivian Blaine this film is a sheer delight. This was based on a book written by Louise Hovick (aka Gypsy Rose Lee, the legendary burlesque artiste and raconteur).

Blaine is perhaps still best-known and remembered for two roles: as Miss Adelaide in the 1950 original Broadway production of GUYS AND DOLLS (which she subsequently got to reprise in the film version); and Emily in the 1945 film of Rodgers and Hammerstein's STATE FAIR. Blaine had a very successful career as a nightclub and cabaret artist, but Hollywood fame strangely alluded her. Fox initially tried to market her as their next big musical leading lady when Alice Faye announced her retirement. Audiences sadly never quite latched onto her, more's the pity.

My only gripe is the horrid sound quality, which is muffled and full of hiss. The picture quality is average (seems to be taken from a VHS master) but from Alpha what else can you expect? I can't understand why this delightful Twentieth Century-Fox musical has fallen into Public Domain territory.

DON`T BUY THIS MOVIE........2005-02-25

I urge anyone who even thinks about it not to buy this movie. Its so bad it was difficult to give it 1 star.
Being a great fan of Perry Como, and being brought up in the 50`s with nothing but happy memories of his TV shows i was waiting for this movie to be released. It was never released it escaped. The quality is awful, the sound is bad and the picture the same. I should have known better what else can you expect from Alpha Video. I know it was a budget price but i expected something better than this. I watched half an hour and threw it in the trash in disgust. Lets hope one day will see a better quality copy appear and also a release of Words and Music which also featured Mr C.

Vintage Burlesque Broadway Romance Film DVD

Average customer rating:

Vintage Burlesque Broadway Romance Film DVD

Manufacturer: Quality Information Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Description

Doll Face (1945) 80 minutes - Burlesque queen Doll Face Carroll is dismissed from an audition for a legitimate Broadway show because she lacks culture. Her boss/manager Mike decides that she can get both culture and plenty of publicity by writing her autobiography. He hires a ghost writer to do all the work, but doesn't count on the possibility that Doll Face and her collaborator might have more than a book on their minds.

*10 Movie Set* Three Broadway Girls (1932), Doll Face (1946), Moonlight Sonata (1937), Second Chorus (1940), Mr. Imperium (1951), Manhattan Merry Go Round (1937), Royal Wedding (1951), Happy Go Lovely (1951), Glorifying the American Girl (1930), the Stork Club (1945)

Average customer rating:

*10 Movie Set* Three Broadway Girls (1932), Doll Face (1946), Moonlight Sonata (1937), Second Chorus (1940), Mr. Imperium (1951), Manhattan Merry Go Round (1937), Royal Wedding (1951), Happy Go Lovely (1951), Glorifying the American Girl (1930), the Stork Club (1945)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

Digitally Remastered For Superior Picture Quality
Dolby Digital Sound
INTERACTIVE MENUS
scene selections
CHAPTER STOPS

ASIN: B000H78XC8

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