Kirk Douglas

Starring:Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, Judith Anderson, Roman Bohnen, Darryl Hickman, Janis Wilson, Ann Doran, Frank Orth, James Flavin, Mickey Kuhn, Charles D. Brown, Blake Edwards, William Duray, Walter Baldwin, Bert Roach, Bob Perry, Bill Burt, Betty Hill
Director: Lewis Milestone
Studio: Delta
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
Barbara Stanwyck mesmerizes as a woman with a past, bound by a crime to a husband she despises. Kirk Douglas quickens our collective pulses in his film debut as her disappointing, dipsomaniac spouse, while Van Heflin and Lizabeth Scott bring texture to supporting roles. Everything about this 1946 film noir is intriguing, from Lewis Milestone's direction to Edith Head's costumes to the edgy and troubled characters. It takes a long, hard look at guilt and the consequences of poorly planned actions. Well worth checking out, despite a wretched title. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Description
Includes:
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
On Film
My Dear Secretary

Amazon.com

The character of newspaperman Chuck Taylor (Kirk Douglas) is best summed up by an astonished bystander (herself no soft touch): "I met a lot of hard-boiled eggs in my time, but you--you're 20 minutes!" Meet the "hero" of Billy Wilder's corrosive 1951 classic Ace in the Hole (a.k.a. The Big Carnival), a former big-time reporter whose reputation is so tarnished he's now at an Albuquerque rag, chasing down local-interest stuff. Until, that is, a local miner gets stuck in a cave--a situation that Taylor not only exploits but actually manipulates, the better to improve his career chances. Wilder got the idea for the movie from the real-life media circus that followed the Floyd Collins story (Collins was trapped in a cave for over a week in 1925). Needless to say, the opportunities for displaying greed and venality are fully drawn out by Wilder; indeed, the film looks unbelievably prescient from a modern perspective of media overload.

Although Wilder had scored a success with Sunset Boulevard just a year earlier, he misread the public's ability to stare into the merciless mirror he held up to them in Ace in the Hole. The movie bombed. Paramount changed the title to The Big Carnival, thus wrecking one of Wilder's most acidic puns, but it didn't help. It also doesn't matter: Ace in the Hole is one of the truly grown-up movies of its time, and age has only improved it. Wilder's ear for cynical dialogue is honed to its sharpest point, and Kirk Douglas has one of his best parts, which he attacks with customary ferocity. Jan Sterling plays the hard-nosed wife of the trapped man, with Porter Hall as Douglas's publisher--the lone voice of decency in the film's cruel parade. Admirably, Wilder takes this all the way down the line: the ending of the movie might be the best in-your-face finish since Public Enemy. --Robert Horton

Studio description

One of the most scathing indictments of American culture ever produced by a Hollywood filmmaker, Academy Award-winner Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole is legendary for both its cutting social critique and its status as a hard-to-find cult classic. Kirk Douglas gives the fiercest performance of his career as Chuck Tatum, an amoral newspaper reporter caught in dead-end Albuquerque who happens upon the story of a lifetime-and will do anything to ensure he gets the scoop. Wilder's follow-up to Sunset Boulevard is an even darker vision, a no-holds-barred expose that anticipated the rise of the American media circus.

Customer Reviews:

Billy Wilder's Lost Masterwork Get's the Royal Criterion Treatment.......2007-05-05

"Ace in the Hole" is one of those movies that comes around every rare often and belts you right in the kisser. Yet, to my knowledge, Paramount has never released it on VHS, and certainly not on LaserDisc or DVD. Until now: Criterion is releasing a DVD with a cleaned-up print and all the bells and whistles. Until it comes out, I will have to console myself with my VHS third-generation copy that was recorded in the 1980s from some TV channel in Florida. The print is grainy, the sound warbles and the dialogue is out of sync at times. It nonetheless still packs a helluva wallop.

Read the bottom of pages on which Wilder's movies are sold: "Customers who bought DVDs directed by Billy Wilder also bought DVDs by these directors:

"Howard Hawks
"Alfred Hitchcock
"John Huston
"William Wyler
"George Cukor"

There isn't one weak or less than legendary director in this list. Personally, I rate Wilder right up there with Hitch and ahead of all the others. Yet, when Paramount released their DVD boxed set of three Wilder classics ("Sunset Boulevard," "Sabrina" and "Stalag 17"), "Ace in the Hole" was conspicuously absent. What a shame! I consider this his masterwork, arguably equalling "Double Indemnity" and "The Apartment."

Critics have called it a black comedy, I suppose because it's a Billy Wilder movie, so we reflexively think of him as a comedic director. In fact, having heard and read so much about this movie, I sort of felt jinxed, because when I go into a movie with high expectations, I come out of it a little disappointing.

And, the opening of this movie disappointed a little: When Kirk Douglas' character, Charlie Tatum, falls down on his luck and lands a job with an Albuquerque newspaper, it seems to be a bit of a new spin on an old classic, "The Front Page" (which, strangely enough, Wilder resurrected in 1974 as a Matthau/Lemmon vehicle).

Yet, that's the movie's genius, because you are lured into thinking it's a comedy. Yet, once Kirk Douglas finds his potential "Pulitzer-prize winning story" buried under fallen timbers in a New Mexico cave, you realise it's a cynical farce.

But then, it's no longer a farce, but a dark tragedy. Not so quick, because by the end you'll find it's an abomination -- not the movie itself, which is superbly casted and crafted -- because it shows at root what base intentions really drive mankind.

Of all his movies, it's the oddest. Imagine a cross between "Double Indemnity" and "The Fortune Cookie." Strange, I know, but that is the closest I can pin it down. Douglas' character is an even more cold-blooded version of Walter Matthau's supreme shyster Whiplash Willie. Think of William Holden's Sergeant Seften without the heart of gold, and you'll get Chuck Tatum.

Jan Sterling is equally, well, sterling as the victim's wife, whose blood runs as ice-cold as Barbara Stanwyck's Phyllis Dietrichson. Sterling, though, is no femme fatale: She's too tawdry, and can only aspire to the unimaginative dreams that accompany her former dime-a-dance persona. She does slip a pair of scissors into Douglas' flank, but, hey, he had it coming.

The ending, which I won't give away, is chilling and powerful. Nobody could write ending lines like Wilder could, and this one is no exception. It's right up there with Fred MacMurray's "I love you, too" ("Double Indemnity"), Shirley MacLaine's "Shut up and deal" ("The Apartment"), Gloria Swanson's "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille" ("Sunset Boulevard") and Joe E. Brown's "Nobody's perfect" ("Some Like it Hot").

"Ace in the Hole" walks on the seedy and seamy side of journalist and shows the viewer all the manipulation behind the scenes of the newspaper racket. It presages other blisteringly scathing films as "A Face in the Crowd," "Sweet Smell of Success" and "Network."

One of Billy Wilder's Masterpieces.......2007-05-04

This 1951 film seems as relevant today as it ever did. Kirk Douglas is perfectly cast as an unethical newspaper reporter who, through his influence over the town's sheriff, keeps a dying man trapped in a mine for several days longer than necessary in order to milk the story for all it's worth - a strategy he hopes will help him claw his way back to the top of the journalistic world. Billy Wilder's incredibly vitriolic film tells many truths about how reality is manipulated by the media to serve personal and political ends without regard to the suffering caused by this agenda. His film spares nobody in its critique: those who perpetuate the lies, those who directly benefit from them, even those who uncritically consume the stories are all complicit in the wrongdoing. Wilder made many great films, most of which are far better known than this one, but "Ace in the Hole" is up there with the best of them.

Criterion's upcoming release is definitely cause for celebration.

Not To Be Missed.......2007-04-30

At last, at last, Wilder's finest film, "Ace In The Hole" (AKA "The Big Carnival") is released on DVD. For those without TCM (it's been run several times in the last month or two), you will now finally be able to see a film swimming in deep cynicism as well as experience one of the coldest characters every recorded on film - Jan Sterling's "grieving" wife. She is the female mirror to Kirk Douglas' down-on-his-luck, cruel Chuck Tatum.

More relevant in these media-frenzied times than when it was made, "Ace. . ." still packs a wallop in reminding us of the power of the press to manipulate (in Tatum's case for self-aggrandizment).

I first saw this film when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I couldn't grasp the story's nuances, but it sure put the zap on my pre-pubescent head.

Wonderfully acted from a great script under Wilder's sure hand, "Ace In The Hole" is a cinematic treasure not to be missed. (Especially for Wilder fans.) This is Wilder's masterpiece.

Thank you Criterion!

In short:

Reporter Chuck tatum (Kirk Douglas who's been kicked off every major US paper) ruthlessly exploits a man trapped in a cave he chances upon while on his way to cover a rattlesnake hunt (how fitting) for an Albuquerque daily. While an engineer promises to get the man out in hours, Reporter Tatum, and a corrupt sherrif, lean on the engineer to bore through rock. A process that'll take a week.

Tatum sells the story to the majors who lap it up. When the news breaks nationwide, thousands descend on the disaster. The scenes of the carnival invited by Leo's wife (Jan Sterling) to set up and cheesy country western singer twanging a guitar while singing about poor Leo (the trapped man), are powerful.

O Leo, Leo, Leee-Oooo
We're Coming Leo

Gets more relevant every year!.......2007-04-02

First of all, I want to remind people how amazing it is that Wilder managed to get this withering assessment of capitalism and the mass media made while deep in the bowels of the McCarthy era (1951) when anyone who didn't wave their pompoms for the great US of A and everything it stood for, usually got hauled in front of a Congressional committee of some sort or other. As miraculous in its own way as Marcel Carne's "Children of Paradise" getting made during the Nazi occupation of France.

Now how can you look at the Tatum character today and not see Karl Rove? Amazing!

This movie seamlessly weaves a great story into several still-timely themes, such as the mining of tragedy for profit; the distortion and manipulation of reality by the mass media for profit and circulation; the exploitation of the environment and disrespect of native peoples; the human foible of scrabbling onto the coattails of a media event for the mean purpose of self-aggrandizement. Man, this film is a veritable treasure trove of significant cultural phenomena. And to think it was made BEFORE television, satellite and the Internet! Wow.

The picture's literal "Ace in the Hole" is young Leo Cole, a young miner trapped by an avalanche in a mine shaft. He becomes Tatum's "ace in the hole" for a big story and self-glorification. Cole, in his native goodness and naivete, is almost a Christ like figure, totally beyond and ethically superior to the maggots swarming about his fate.

If this picture doesn't break your heart, you don't have one.

Billy Wilder's Neglected Masterpiece.......2007-03-14

This 1951 film seems as relevant today as it ever did. Kirk Douglas is perfectly cast as an unethical newspaper reporter who, through his influence over the town's sheriff, keeps a dying man trapped in a mine for several days longer than necessary in order to milk the story for all it's worth - a strategy he hopes will help him claw his way back to the top of the journalistic world. Billy Wilder's incredibly vitriolic film tells many truths about how reality is manipulated by the media to serve personal and political ends without regard to the suffering caused by this agenda. His film spares nobody in its critique: those who perpetuate the lies, those who directly benefit from them, even those who uncritically consume the stories are all complicit in the wrongdoing. Wilder made many great films, most of which are far better known than this one, but "Ace in the Hole" is up there with the best of them.

For now the only way to see it is on a bootlegged DVD or the Turner Classic Movies channel. A Criterion edition is due out this summer.

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

excellent
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Great Movie!
Great !
??

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (Special Edition)
Starring: Kirk Douglas , James Mason , Paul Lukas , Peter Lorre , and Robert J. Wilke
Director: Richard Fleischer , and Charles A. Nichols
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005JKU0
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Amazon.com essential video

The swashbuckler genre bumped into science fiction in 1954 for one of Hollywood's great entertainments. The Jules Verne story of adventure under the sea was Walt Disney's magnificent debut into live-action films. A professor (Paul Lukas) seeks the truth about a legendary sea monster in the years just after the Civil War. When his ship is sunk, he, his aide (Peter Lorre), and a harpoon master (Kirk Douglas) survive to discover that the monster is actually a metal submarine run by Captain Nemo (James Mason). Along with the rollicking adventure, it's fun to see the future technology that Verne dreamed up in his novel, including diving equipment and sea farming. The film's physical prowess is anchored by the Nautilus, an impressive full-scale gothic submarine complete with red carpet and pipe organ. In the era of big sets, 20,000 Leagues set a precedent for films shot on the water and deservedly won Oscars for art direction and special effects. Lost in the inventiveness of the film and great set pieces including a giant squid attack are two great performances. Mason is the perfect Nemo, taut and private, clothed in dark fabric that counters the Technicolor dreamboat that is the beaming red-and-white-stripe-shirted Kirk Douglas as the heroic Ned Land. The film works as peerless family adventure nearly half a century later. --Doug Thomas

Description

Climb aboard the Nautilus ... and into a strange undersea world of spellbinding adventure! Kirk Douglas, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre star as shipwrecked survivors taken captive by the mysterious Captain Nemo, brilliantly portrayed by James Mason. Wavering between genius and madness, Nemo has launched a deadly crusade across the seven seas. But can the captive crew expose his evil plan before he destroys the world? Disney's brilliant Academy Award(R)-winning (1955, Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects) adaptation of Jules Verne's gripping tale makes 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA a truly mesmerizing masterpiece!

Customer Reviews:

excellent.......2007-06-27

What else can you say about a movie with James Mason and Kirk Douglas set beneath the sea. Excellent story, effects, acting etc......

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.......2007-06-25

Rich rendering of the classic Jules Verne tale by Walt Disney was, at the time, the most costly picture ever made, and it shows. The re-mastering of this beloved fantasy adventure is visually breathtaking, with vibrant colors popping off the screen unlike films half its age. Veterans Lukas and Lorre are solid, and Douglas is amusingly over the top as Ned (he even sings!), but the brooding Mason inhabits Nemo like a second skin, carrying the movie. Imaginative and exciting, "League" does full justice to its venerable source, and constitutes top family viewing.

Great Movie!.......2007-06-07

Amazon had what I wanted and the movie was just terrifc! My husband loved this movie when he was a child and I was so pleased Amazon had it to purchase! We got the movie well before it was promised!

Great !.......2007-05-25

This book is the first science fiction I read as a child. The first time I watched this movie I was about 10 years old. Since then till date, I have not forgotten a single scene or dialogue of the film. This is a superb film and quite advanced technically, for it's time. James Mason is the perfect Captain Nemo!

?? .......2007-05-14

The service of Amazon was supberb for THIS item, however, Im STILL waiting for the book I ordered at the same time.

Average customer rating:

Spartacus
Excellent movie, excellent price
A MESMERIZING SPECTACULAR OF GLADIATOR EPICS!
A Great Classic
Spartacus - Like I remember it !

Spartacus
Starring: Kirk Douglas , Laurence Olivier , Jean Simmons , Charles Laughton , and Peter Ustinov
Director: Stanley Kubrick , and Anthony Mann
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0783226039
Release Date: 1998-03-31

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Stanley Kubrick was only 31 years old when Kirk Douglas (star of Kubrick's classic Paths of Glory) recruited the young director to pilot this epic saga, in which the rebellious slave Spartacus (played by Douglas) leads a freedom revolt against the decadent Roman Empire. Kubrick would later disown the film because it was not a personal project--he was merely a director-for-hire--but Spartacus remains one of the best of Hollywood's grand historical epics. With an intelligent screenplay by then-blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo (from a novel by Howard Fast), its message of moral integrity and courageous conviction is still quite powerful, and the all-star cast (including Charles Laughton in full toga) is full of entertaining surprises. Fully restored in 1991 to include scenes deleted from the original 1960 release, the full-length Spartacus is a grand-scale cinematic marvel, offering some of the most awesome battles ever filmed and a central performance by Douglas that's as sensitively emotional as it is intensely heroic. Jean Simmons plays the slave woman who becomes Spartacus's wife, and Peter Ustinov steals the show with his frequently hilarious, Oscar-winning performance as a slave trader who shamelessly curries favor with his Roman superiors. The restored version also includes a formerly deleted bathhouse scene in which Laurence Olivier plays a bisexual Roman senator (with restored dialogue dubbed by Anthony Hopkins) who gets hot and bothered over a slave servant played by Tony Curtis. These and other restored scenes expand the film to just over three hours in length. Despite some forgivable lulls, this is a rousing and substantial drama that grabs and holds your attention. Breaking tradition with sophisticated themes and a downbeat (yet eminently noble) conclusion, Spartacus is a thinking person's epic, rising above mere spectacle with a story as impressive as its widescreen action and Oscar-winning sets. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Spartacus.......2007-06-28

This rousing epic was disowned by Kubrick after a contentious, difficult production, but "Spartacus" still offers grand-scale entertainment, thanks to bold, sure-handed direction and a powerhouse cast. The brawny, clench-jawed Douglas shines in his signature role, while Olivier is suitably poisonous as the cold-blooded Crassus. Other notables include the rotund Peter Ustinov providing comic relief as a cowardly slave-trader, and Charles Laughton, who lends gravitas as a senior Roman senator. If you're craving generous portions of spectacle and sweep, here's your movie.

Excellent movie, excellent price.......2007-06-28

I bought this as a gift for my husband. Received promptly,pleased with packaging. The movie is a definite classic, must have for the DVD collector.

A MESMERIZING SPECTACULAR OF GLADIATOR EPICS!.......2007-05-23

This motion picture is a must for all Gladiator Epic lovers. The movie was made when these films were very popular and all stops were pulled for this classic Roman Picture.. The movie showcases the Great Kirk Douglas in his most memorable performance. The cinematography is spectacular and verY authentic for its time. After all these years, the color is vivid and true to form. A very young Tony Curtis appears with a great cast. You will love the feel for the movie and the sets are very opulent. Notice that if you went to pick this movie at the store, it will still cost alot. That is a sure sign that this movie has gotton better with age. Pick it up today and enjoy!!!
Noel Serrano

A Great Classic.......2007-05-14

Spartacus is one of the best movies from the past. Everything about it is very well-done. The DVD is a great addition to our collection.

Spartacus - Like I remember it !.......2007-05-13

This was a favorite growing up as a kid. Haven't seen it in a long time, so I had to buy it. A great movie, the sound and picture quality was much better then when I saw it growing up. A big time classic !!

Average customer rating:

In Harm's Way: A Classic
In politics and in war, nothing ever changes
Old Rock of Ages, we've got ourselves another war. A gut bustin', mother-lovin' Navy war.
In Harm's Way with John Wayn
Harm

In Harm's Way
Starring: John Wayne , Kirk Douglas , Patricia Neal , Tom Tryon , and Paula Prentiss
Director: Otto Preminger
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B00005ASGD
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Amazon.com essential video

Otto Preminger's sprawling World War II drama packs a lot into its 165 minutes, beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor (which Preminger re-creates in amazing detail) and ending a couple of years later with America's return to the South Pacific in force. John Wayne and Kirk Douglas star as a career naval captain and his self-pitying commander in the peacetime navy who are thrust into battle when Pearl Harbor is bombed while they are on maneuvers. Minutes into WWII, they are already scapegoated and demoted by the embarrassed military brass. Wayne romances a WAVE nurse (Patricia Neal) and attempts a reconciliation with his estranged, spoiled son (Brandon de Wilde) while Douglas sinks into the bottle after the death of his cheating wife until the American fleet rebuilds and calls upon Wayne to lead one of the initial invasion forces. Henry Fonda makes a brief but commanding appearance as the fleet admiral. Burgess Meredith is a former writer turned witty commander, Dana Andrews a showy but indecisive admiral, and Stanley Holloway a genial Australian scout working with the American invasion forces. Tom Tryon and Paula Prentiss play newlyweds torn apart by the war, and also appearing are Franchot Tone, Carroll O'Conner, Slim Pickens, George Kennedy, Bruce Cabot, and Larry Hagman, among many, many more. Loyal Griggs's handsome black-and-white photography is topped only by Saul Bass's impressive closing credits sequence, a rising cascade of crashing waves and rough surf reportedly paced to mirror the dramatic rhythm of the film. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

In Harm's Way: A Classic.......2007-07-04

This is a classic John Wayne movie as well as a classic war movie. It's as close to historical accuracy as you can get without it being a documentary. The characters have real substance and there is plenty of action in the plot. If you've never seen this movie you're missing a real piece of Americana.

In politics and in war, nothing ever changes.......2007-05-30

This grand movie is a sound depiction of the early war in the Pacific. This movie was recently run on local TV. In spite of having bought the DVD earlier this year, and watching it several times, I still watched this TV version. It was released in 1965. Based on a very interesting story (that began on December 6, 1941), and many sub-stories, plus a superb cast, this film is worth seeing.

There were many useful reviews written on this movie. I particularly liked the customer review (#11) by a Ralph Couey. "The movie demonstrates the difference between capable managers in peacetime and battle-worthy leaders in war. The U.S. was caught in that trap in the first year of World War II. Unfortunately, a lot of ships were lost and a lot of sailors died while the bureaucrats were weeded out and replaced with warriors." This situation was essentially the basis for the "battle" between Rear Admiral Rockwell Torrey (John Wayne, surely one of his best roles) and Admiral `Blackjack' Broderick (Dana Andrews). Other reviewers described Broderick as weak and incompetent.

As I watched the TV show I couldn't help think there was a worthwhile analogy between the political events/strategic implications during this war and the political events/strategic implications today and in our recent past.

What follows are some inputs from the movie.

1. The first scene reviewed here is between Torrey and Jere (Brandon De Wilde), his estranged son for the past 18 years. Torrey had just learned his son was on PT duty and he visited him. This first meeting was very strained. Some approximations of their conversation follow.
* Torrey - how do you like PT duty?
* Jere - I don't.
* Torrey - why did you chose it, it is a voluntary assignment?
* Jere - I knew this unit was assigned to Adm. Broderick, and once in this unit, I could be transferred to assist ex congressman Commander Neal Owen (Patrick O'Neal), Broderick's PR man. (Other reviewers described Owen as Broderick's stooge and a publicity seeking ex congressman, with political ambitions after the war). I will be his assistant.
* Torrey - that is just like your mother's family - they could always pull political strings.
* Jere - Adm Broderick has been assigned to handle a very important (and supposedly very secretive) assignment - Skyhook. (Couey commented: "Operation Skyhook represents Operation Watchtower, the drive to recover the Solomon Islands. The Battle of Pala Passage is in excellent representation of the second day of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, when Admirals Scott and Calahagn blocked a far superior Japanese force on its way to deliver the death knell to U.S. forces on the island").
* Torrey - I wouldn't know about that. (About Skyhook)
* Jere - I wouldn't expect that you would. Commander Neal Owen gave me this information. (He should not have done that).
* Torrey - Somewhere in here Torrey commented he would like to throw his son to the fishes.
* Jere - why did you come?
* Torrey - let us just say that I did.
Later in the movie Jere discovers that Owen is a huge phony and his father is the real man. He "quits" Owen and is transferred back to PT duty, and ultimately a reconciliation with his father.

2. This is a luncheon scene between Owen and Jere, early in the movie.
* Owen - my job, Jere, is to see that the information given out to the press corp is good for the general war effort and good for the Navy.
* Jere - and good for Adm Broderick.
* Owen - well what is good for Adm Broderick is good for the war effort and good for the Navy.
* Jere - with a little left over for Neal Owen.

3. This scene is a dinner meeting to honor Torrey in his surprise promotion from Captain to Rear Admiral. The head of Pacific operations (Henry Fonda, who is perfectly cast in this role. He is undoubtedly playing Admiral Nimitz, but this is never defined.) makes this announcement, essentially bringing Torrey out of "purgatory" where he had been sent, unjustly, after Pearl Harbor. "Nimitz" noted that Lincoln had his George B. McClellan who was "a great little organizer, but couldn't make up his mind when to fight", and I have my Broderick. He went on: "Indecision is a virus that can run through an army and destroy its will to win and even to survive." (It seems to me that this is the kind of risk our country is being put in today in Iraq). Faced with this situation Lincoln called in Grant. And "Nimitz" noted: "Torrey, you're going to be my Grant." Broderick wasn't replaced, but Torrey was put in tactical command.
* Torrey - how far can I go?
* "Nimitz" - well you can't kill him, "just get the job done."

4. The next scene showed Broderick and Owens killing time waiting for Torrey's arrival.
* Broderick - I'm not going to take it.
* Owen - I don't think you should do anything hasty. If Torrey flops you can clearly point a finger at Cinc-Pac. If he wins, you're still the overall commander and will get most of the credit.
* Broderick - but I wont know what he is doing.
* Owen - you need a rep in Torrey's camp.
* Broderick - and you're it. You'll be my liaison officer.
* Owen - but I have no front line duty or experience.
* Broderick - now don't crawfish . It was you're idea. Besides a "little forward area duty might be just the thing for you. Think what a combat ribbon or even a Purple Heart in your button-hole would mean to you after the war. It ought to be worth a half a million votes when you run for office." (When I first heard these lines I couldn't help think of John Kerry and his medals from the Vietnam war).

I noted above the superb cast. I would be remiss if I did not add inputs on one more character, Lieutenant Maggie Haynes (Patricia Neal)and a chief nurse. Both Torrey and Maggie are casualties of earlier, failed marriages. Their relationship blossoms while Torrey is still stuck behind a desk. Haynes is mature, supportive, and "mission driven" as she likes Torrey very much and wants him to know it. One reviewer felt Wayne was at his all time best in these scenes. I would say the same for Neal.

All in all a grand story, one that I can highly recommend.

Old Rock of Ages, we've got ourselves another war. A gut bustin', mother-lovin' Navy war. .......2007-03-15

Otto Preminger puts together a great World War II drama, combining action, romance and character development in a sweeping story of the Pacific theatre. John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal lead the cast, which includes both current and rising stars of the day. Supporting actors include Burgess Meredith, Carroll O'Conner, Slim Pickens, George Kennedy, Patrick O'Neal, Dana Andrews, Tom Tyron and Paula Prentiss, just to name a few.

The characters are generally well fleshed out and portrayed convincingly. John Wayne plays a leader at once charismatic and larger than life while remaining soft-spoken and thoughtful, particularly in romantic settings. One of the great scenes is the interplay between Wayne's character, Rockwell Torrey, and Patricia Neal as they discuss their lives over a home-cooked meal. The sincerity of the developing relationship between the mature pair is in marked contrast to the manipulative dinner coordinated by Torry's son (ably played by Brandon De Wilde) for nurse Annalee (Jill Haworth).

The action scenes are generally well-done although the final sea battle intersperses vintage WWII footage with "cans-in-a-tub" special effects - not bad for 1965, but rather "quaint" compared with today's effects.

The film stands up nicely to repeat viewing and is one of those great "pictures for a Sunday afternoon." The musical score is also well done, particularly the end-credit sequence. All in all, it is a great film!

In Harm's Way with John Wayn.......2007-03-15

This was a very good production and a pleasure to have purchased. As always John Wayne is the best of the best.

Harm.......2007-02-16

This is a very dramatic and stirring movie, with a great cast. It is pretty cutting edge for it's time.

Average customer rating:

The Man from Snowy River
excellent movie
A Winner
Australian Romance
Very Good Movie

The Man From Snowy River
Starring: Tom Burlinson , Terence Donovan , Kirk Douglas , Tommy Dysart , and Bruce Kerr
Director: George Miller
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Return to Snowy River
The Man From Snowy River: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The Silver Stallion: King of the Wild Brumbies
Hidalgo (Widescreen Edition)
Quigley Down Under

ASIN: B000062XG0
Release Date: 2002-05-28

Amazon.com essential video

A conventional boy-and-his-horse story set against the red rocks of remote Australian mountains. (If there's a wide-screen edition, grab it. The scenery is one of the movie's strongest features.) Tom Burlinson is Jim Craig, a young man left stranded after his father's death who is struggling to save the family farm. He proves his manhood during a hair-raising hunt over the wooded slopes in search of an escaped stallion. The great, grizzled, Australian character actor Jack Thompson (the idealistic lawyer in Breaker Morant) is the tough, older horseman who takes the lad under his wing. The director, George Miller (not to be confused with the action-master who made the Mad Max films) allows costar Kirk Douglas to mug and grimace and prance far too much in a duel role as a pair of lovable old coots who hate each other's guts. Luckily, one of the coots has a handsome daughter (Sigrid Thornton, an Elizabeth McGovern-type with grit), who also has a way with horses. So it isn't all rocks and pine trees. --David Chute

Description

With its unforgettably heroic story, its stunning cinematography, and acting performances that are uniformly excellent, THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER is one thrilling adventure you won't want to miss. Set during the 1880's, when the Australian frontier was as wild and dangerous as the American West, the film follows the exploits of a handsome youth (Tom Burlinson) who sets out to tame a wild herd of horses. Taking on a challenge many men had attempted before him, he rides deep into the treacherous and untamed wilderness of his native timberlands where boys become men fast - or die trying. Featuring Kirk Douglas in a remakable dual role and highlighted by a climactic chase involving 40 horsemen and 90 wild stallioins thundering across snow-covered peaks, THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER is destined to become a legendary film!

Customer Reviews:

The Man from Snowy River.......2007-06-08

Great sags about a Austrial cowboy wants to prove his is as good as his dad and get the girl, Jessica

excellent movie.......2007-06-02

For the people who loves riding horses in the nature, work with cattle or horses, they should watch this movie. Excellent action scenes.

A Winner.......2007-05-27

I love horses, always have. And I love this video. It's one of very few that I would choose to own, rather than rent.

Australian Romance.......2007-05-13

This is an excellentwestern romance with all the thrills of fast horses anda
great cliff hanger at the end.

Very Good Movie.......2007-05-12

I do enjoy movies about horses and this one is very entertaining to me so much so that I have the video and the DVD.

Average customer rating:

Copy Cat for history In The Haditha Marine Case
............"THE SCOURGE OF WAR".........
A classic for reflection
Paths of Glory
One Of The Greatest Films Ever: A Masterpiece!

Paths of Glory
Starring: Kirk Douglas , Ralph Meeker , Adolphe Menjou , George Macready , and Wayne Morris
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:

The Killing
All Quiet on the Western Front (Universal Cinema Classics)
Barry Lyndon
Spartacus
All Quiet on the Western Front

ASIN: 0792841409
Release Date: 1999-06-29

Amazon.com essential video

Stanley Kubrick had already made his talent known with the outstanding racetrack heist thriller The Killing, but it was the 1957 antiwar masterpiece Paths of Glory that catapulted Kubrick to international acclaim. Based on the novel by Humphrey Cobb, the film was initiated by Kirk Douglas, who chose the young Kubrick to direct what would become one of the most powerful films about the wasteful insanity of warfare. In one of his finest roles, Douglas plays Colonel Dax, commander of a battle-worn regiment of the French army along the western front during World War I. Held in their trenches under the threat of German artillery, the regiment is ordered on a suicidal mission to capture an enemy stronghold. When the mission inevitably fails, French generals order the selection of three soldiers to be tried and executed on the charge of cowardice. Dax is appointed as defense attorney for the chosen scapegoats, and what follows is a travesty of justice that has remained relevant and powerful for decades. In the wake of some of the most authentic and devastating battle sequences ever filmed, Kubrick brilliantly explores the political machinations and selfish personal ambitions that result in battlefield slaughter and senseless executions. The film is unflinching in its condemnation of war and the self-indulgence of military leaders who orchestrate the deaths of thousands from the comfort of their luxurious headquarters. For many years, Paths of Glory was banned in France as a slanderous attack on French honor, but it's clear that Kubrick's intense drama is aimed at all nations and all men. Though it touches on themes of courage and loyalty in the context of warfare, the film is specifically about the historical realities of World War I, but its impact and artistic achievement remain timeless and universal. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Safe in their picturesque chateau behind the front lines, the French general staff passes down a direct order to Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas): take the Ant Hill at any cost. A blatant suicide mission, the attack is doomed to failure. Covering up their fatal blunder, the generals order the arrest of three innocent soldiers, charging them with cowardice and mutiny. Dax, a lawyer in civilian life, rises to the men's defense but soon realizes that, unless he can prove that the generals were to blame,nothing less than a miracle will save his clients from the firing squad. A compelling masterpiece from world-class director/writer Stanley Kubrick and screenwriters Calder Willingham and JimThompson, Paths of Glory is a blistering indictment of military politics and "an unforgettable movie experience" (Newsweek).

Customer Reviews:

Copy Cat for history In The Haditha Marine Case.......2007-07-01

Kirk Douglas was enlisted in the US Navy he saw how pride gets in the way of ownership. He was able to show how a leader supports his men even when the noose is around their necks. Something our current house of representatives and the senate should be watching for the comparisons in the Haditha Marine case. [...]

The prosecutors should be held accountable for the destruction of these Marines lives. as the prosecutor Mike Nifong in the Duke La Cross case is.
Thanks for the good job, Kirk.

............"THE SCOURGE OF WAR"................2007-06-06

Awesome and powerful movie this, "Paths of Glory"...I surfed into Kirk Douglas on an interview show, and he made a statement about why he wanted to star in this movie...his reasoning was because of the Korean War [as well as WW1]...with the clashes between Truman and MacArthur pertaining to positional warfare and static warfare [the attrition of trench/bunker mentality]...Actor Kirk Douglas admired Gen. MacArthur for taking on his President who wanted this "old trend"....to talk peace; yet, wage war with delibating results of years and years of neither side advancing or getting the advantage for a clear/cut victory...Gen. Mac Arthur, all though his illustrious 50 yrs of dedicated service to the American people, fought to perpetuate the American fighting/warrior spirit to achieve VICTORY before appeasement to any enemy...so it unfolds in Kubrick's masterpiece as the French High Command 'fights' the war from the fine-dining and opulence venues of Paris while their loyal troops get chewed up into little bits at the Grinder [ The Ant/Hill]...what is the life, of but 3 'insignificant' soldiers to be scapegoated and executed for returning to their trenches after sustaining prolific/horrendous casualties from withering German machine guns registered-in fields of fire out in No Man's Land...anyone, yes, anyone would withdraw staring at your last day on earth under such lethal fire power...the final scene: as the French troops mock and leer at a young captured German girl...she shows grit/courage as a frighten virgin amongst the enemy French...she turns her sentimental song in their faces so innocently, that the French soldiers start crying at the whims of what war brings to friend or foe...Kirk Douglas is immense as a combat officer who gives a good darn about his enlisted troops and puts his miltary career on the line [exactly like Mac Arthur]...no matter what...at any cost, of decency to save his troops lives instead of the luxuries of the Chiefs of Staff Officers where they indulge, oblivious, to the slaughter of their men in the dank-rat-infested trenches and bunkers for years of no gain..no win...[1914-1918]....this was repeated in Korea by President Harry S. Truman until Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur decided to get in Truman's face...by don't scapegoat our brave troops for appeasement!!...ever think, it might be your son/daughter who dies for nothing!!....this is a cerebral film to ponder....want to compare it to Korea, Vietnam and today in Iraq??.....Semper Fidelis....SSGT CHRIS SARNO-USMC FMF

A classic for reflection.......2006-11-10

In our times of war, we see this movie and think that all the times and epocs the war is the same: grief, horror and sadness. This movie is an excellent classic for educational use.

Paths of Glory.......2006-11-05

Probably Stanley Kubrick's most underrated film. Kirk Douglas's performance is extraordinary as the officer Dax who honorably defends three soldiers put to death because they refused to follow orders in attempting a suicide mission. If there is an antiwar film that has a powerful message, this has to be near the top of the list.

One Of The Greatest Films Ever: A Masterpiece!.......2006-10-21

This is not only one of the greatest films ever, but one of the greatest anti-war films ever made. I have seen this film countless times, and it has not only held up to time, but is as relevant today as it was when it was first released. There was a program called 'BATTLE CRY' when I was a kid, and I remember first seeing this on the television with my father. I had 7 great uncles who faught in France during WWI [one was KIA] and two of them died before I was old enough to talk to them about this war. The last surviving one, who was severly wounded at the Argonne Forest, died in 1996 [at the age of 98] This film reminds me of all of them. The story's narrative deals with military incompetence and the implications that are about to befall three men whose actions are deemed as cowardice in the face of the enemy.

General Mireau (George MacReady) is insistant that the latest failure of his troops to advance further into the German strongholds must be dealt with in a severe fashion. He wants men selected for summary execution for cowardice. MacReady does an excellent portrayal of the French General who cannot accept the reality that the war is a stalemate. Neither side can enroach on the other, and the casualties are horrendous. When Gen. Mireau demands that the 'Ant Hill' be taken [an important military objective] He is warned by Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) that it is impossible. Not willing to listen to reason, Gen. Mireau orders his troops to take the hill.

The hill is neither taken, nor is there any good news about the condition of the men on the mission. Many have been killed and wounded, and advancement is no longer a priority with the men, as they retreat back to their trenches. As a result, Gen. Mireau order executions of those who returned to the trenches. A problems exists however, as everyone [officers included] retreated due to the impossible conditions of the battle. When Colonel Dax is told that three men are to be selected for courts-martial, [and execution if found guilty] he decides to defend them. As council for defense he brings to light many inconsistencies and errors of judgment on the part of Gen. Mireau. This film is great. It is in black-and-white, and is my favorite Stanley Kubrick film. A must have for your collection. At least rent it once anyway. Highly recomended. [Stars: 5+]

The Final Countdown (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

If You Like "The Phildelphia Experiment", You Will Enjoy This Too.
To Win or Not To Win?
Do they tamper, or do they not?
4 years before "The Philadelphia Experiment" there was ... The Final Countdown
movie

The Final Countdown (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Kirk Douglas , Martin Sheen , Katharine Ross , James Farentino , and Ron O'Neal
Director: Don Taylor
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Philadelphia Experiment
Midway (Collector's Edition)
The Philadelphia Experiment 2
Time After Time
By Dawn's Early Light

ASIN: B000096IAC
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Amazon.com

With a tantalizing "what-if?" scenario and a respectable cast of Hollywood veterans, The Final Countdown plays like a grand-scale episode of The Twilight Zone. It's really no more than that, and time-travel movies have grown far more sophisticated since this popular 1980 release, but there's still some life remaining in the movie's basic premise: What if a modern-era Navy aircraft carrier--in this case the real-life nuclear-powered U.S.S. Nimitz--was caught in an anomalous storm and thrust 40 years backwards in time to the eve of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor? Will the ship's commander (Kirk Douglas) interfere with history? Will the visiting systems analyst (Martin Sheen) convince him not to? Will a rescued senator from 1941 (Charles Durning) play an unexpected role in the future of American politics? Veteran TV director Don Taylor doesn't do much with the ideas posed by this potentially intriguing plot; he seems more interested in satisfying aviation buffs with loving footage of F-14 "Jolly Roger" fighter jets, made possible by the Navy's generous cooperation. That makes The Final Countdown a better Navy film than a full-fledged time-travel fantasy, but there's a nice little twist at the end, and the plot holes are easy to ignore. James Cameron would've done it better, but this popcorn thriller makes an enjoyable double-bill with The Philadelphia Experiment. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

If You Like "The Phildelphia Experiment", You Will Enjoy This Too........2007-06-27

While this film's special effects are very dated, the overall film is quite inventive and fun although it is not very original. The story has the stoic Kirk Douglass as the commander of the USS Nimitz, a nuclear aircraft carrier, that is accidentally (?) transported back to the day of Pearl Harbor's attack. Naturally, they take some time getting used to the idea of time travel, but once that sets in their bigger dilemma is deciding whether or not to change history and stop the pending attack on Pearl.

The story line is compelling and there are some intriguing plot twists. Also, the film is well-acted by very familiar faces in addition to Douglass such as the great character actor Charles Durning as a pivotal 1941 U.S. Senator and potential president to succeed FDR should history be altered, the regal Katherine Ross as his assistant, the always believable James Farentino as Douglass's right hand man who is a secret historian writing a book on Pearl Harbor, and the terrific and awfully young looking but ever-confident Martin Sheen (whose hairstyle changes with nearly every scene) who is a mysterious civilian "observer."

My only complaints about this film are the special effects which were poor even for its time, the dialogue which is stiff is some places and overwrought in others, and the absolutely horrific score which I wish was forgettable; it was best suited for a western and not a military film. My son jokingly said that he expected to see General Custer and his troops at any moment on the deck of the carrier. Other than that, this film is good fun, has an intriguing idea, and has some nice plot twists.

See also the following review for better insight than I offered:

Do they tamper, or do they not?, May 20, 2007
By C. MCCALLISTER "dr dolphin"

To Win or Not To Win?.......2007-05-27

What would you do if you were in command of the U.S.S. Nimitz aircraft carrier (yes with F-14 tomcats) and you suddenly found yourself located exactly 2 days before the attack on pearl harbor, having gone through a swirly light, and loud noise. (they get knocked out by the noise)its the day before the attack on pearl habor. right down to radio frequencies being different its so unique. this is one of those rare films that came out and surprised many people with the cool idea of being in a place and time With everything needed to change history! then all thats left to decide is to change the past or not? this film is dated and is restored fairly well however its still a great film starring kirk Douglas. truly a classic great! 5 stars!

Do they tamper, or do they not?.......2007-05-21

Story: The U.S.S. Nimitz, a nuclear aircraft carrier, encounters a strange storm in 1981 and, when the ship clears the storm, the crew eventually figures out that they have been catapulted back to 1941. Specifically, they end up one day before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, and they are near Pearl Harbor. A fully-armed nuclear aircraft carrier, with a full complement of 1981 aircraft, right where it could do a lot of damage to the Japanese invasion force, possibly even destroy it. So, the question becomes, "Should they?" Should they tamper with history and re-write it? They are United States military servicemen, in a combat situation, and most the crew says, "Go for it!" But, what of the ramifications? That question becomes highlighted when a 1941 Japanese Zero blows up a 1941 private yacht, near the U.S.S. Nimitz, and the survivors are rescued by the 1981 Navy. Amongst those survivors is a powerful Senator, who could end up being Franklin Roosevelt's Vice President in 1944 (instead of Truman) and then succeed Roosevelt when he dies, thus changing politics from 1941 on.

Cast: The cast is impressive, with Kirk Douglas as the Captain of the Nimitz, Martin Sheen as a Department of Defense observer, Charles Durning as the arrogant, powerful, but basically ethical 1941 Senator Sam Chapman, Katharine Ross as Chapman's beautiful and intelligent assistant, and James Farentino as the Executive Officer of the Nimitz, who is also a history buff writing a book about the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

What was done right: I like Kirk Douglas, and I like how he did this role, with a mixture of intelligence, confidence, and command presence. I also like the premise, which would have horrified Star Trek's Captain Picard ("The Temporal Prime Directive! We must preserve the time-line!"). The footage of the aircraft was impressive, the plot twists were interesting, and I really enjoyed the small surprise at the end.

What could have been better: I did not care for the special effects, especially the temporal storm episodes. They seemed cheap to me, even by the standards of when the film was made (1980). The script was weak at times, with Martin Sheen's dialogue sounding melodramatic, and the melodramatic effect was sometimes exacerbated by a musical score that sounded soap-opera-ish at times.

Personal comment: Perhaps I like the premise of The Final Countdown more than most because I appreciate the manifestations of World War Two. My father was an American soldier when he met my mother in Belgium. No war means no meeting, no wedding bells, no me. I cannot say that my existence counters the horrors of World War Two, but I do appreciate the complex consequences of a world-wide event.

4 years before "The Philadelphia Experiment" there was ... The Final Countdown.......2007-04-28

I think "The Philadelphia Experiment" is better than this movie, but this one came out 4 years before that one. Imagine a US naval fleet being transported back 40 years to the day of the bombing of Pearl Harbor with the potential to change history forever. Essentially this is more brain candy than an action fest but anyone with an interest in maritime themes or fighter jets will love it, especially when F14s are scrambled to intercept the Japanese.

The ending doesn't really resolve anything (what could one expect? Nazi America because they never enter the war?... but with a ship like that on their side... oh heck you get the picture, this is brain candy more than anything else....) but at least it leaves you thinking and on top of that there are quite a few surprises along the way. This could have been a lot worse, but wasn't. Worth seeing, but get the Philly Experiment first.

movie .......2007-04-13

Great old movie. Shipping was slow as it took nearly a week to get

Average customer rating:

Seven Days in May
Frightening
A classic of it's kind
MUST SEE
THIS SHOULD BE REQUIRED VIEWING FOR ALL MILITARY OFFICERS

Seven Days in May
Starring: Burt Lancaster , Kirk Douglas , Fredric March , Ava Gardner , and Edmond O'Brien
Director: John Frankenheimer
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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Fail-safe (Special Edition)
The Bedford Incident
On the Beach
The Train
The Manchurian Candidate (Special Edition)

ASIN: B00004RF83
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Amazon.com

John Frankenheimer's follow-up to The Manchurian Candidate is as intimate and subdued as its predecessor is flamboyant and energetic. Burt Lancaster is calm and calculating as the steely-eyed military hawk General Scott, who opposes the president's (Fredric March) plan to end the cold war with a bold nuclear disarmament plan. Lancaster's longtime friend and frequent costar Kirk Douglas is his smiling, joking right-hand man, Colonel "Jiggs" Casey, whose easygoing manner is jolted by evidence of a possible plot to overthrow the American government. Scripted by Rod Serling from the novel by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey, the film plays much like a classic live TV drama (the medium that spawned both Frankenheimer and Serling), with the drama arising from conversations and confrontations and the action largely limited to scenes within the Pentagon and the White House. An ominous undercurrent of danger seeps through the realistic (and often real) settings of the film, conveyed chiefly through the intensity of the excellent ensemble performances. Notable among the supporting cast are Ava Gardner as a lonely Washington socialite who was once the general's mistress, Edmond O'Brien as an amiable alcoholic senator, Martin Balsam as the president's shrewd but skeptical secretary, and underrated character actor George Macready as the wily presidential advisor. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Seven Days in May.......2007-06-28

Two years after "The Manchurian Candidate," director Frankenheimer scored again with this gripping political thriller. Beyond serving as a showcase for two frequently paired stars- Lancaster as power-mad general, Douglas as principled whistle-blower--the movie works because in the context of the paranoic Cold War era, the premise feels all-too-plausible. Stark black-and-white photography and brisk pacing only add to the film's breathless tension.

Frightening.......2007-06-02

This film is remarkable and far better than the updated version from a few years back. It demonstrates the dangers of politicizing the military and their desire to formulate foreign policy.

Though I first viewed it many years ago, it is still fresh and "edge-of-the-seat" exciting.

A classic of it's kind.......2007-05-13

A superb example of a great political thriller. Director Frankenheimer had just completed "the Manchurian Candidate", and with a great script from Rod Serling, a stellar cast helmed by Dougals and Lancaster, made a brilliant what-if of American history. As we are learning today, our cherised freedoms do, as the movie says "rest on the point of the Washington Mounument, ready to fall to the pavement below". A superb film, and one that shows where we were a a people not to long ago, and where, if we are not careful, we could wind up again.

MUST SEE.......2007-04-22

Beautiful cinematography a la Missiles of October and Threads...great suspense/political thriller....you won't be disappointed. You won't soon forget it.

THIS SHOULD BE REQUIRED VIEWING FOR ALL MILITARY OFFICERS.......2007-03-20

This is an excellent film that is just as current now as it was when it came out during the early 1960's. This is a graphic example of manipulation, old boys clubs, tainted politics and even loose canons in positions of military leadership. It even lends one to take a closer look at political leaders who have military experience in their backgrounds because this often leads to gunboat diplomacy and the big stick stigma. The cloak and dagger cliches are also found throughout the movie.

There is an outstanding cast with Kirk Douglas as an investigative boatrocker with not one ounce of quit in his bones. Burt Lancaster is also very convincing as the general who wants to be a modern Caesar. Ava Gardner is also charming as the female who travels in all the circles of power. These characters are very evident in any society. It strengthens the argument to seperate military and civilian leadership from each other because the passions will always run deep.

The film should be required viewing for all military officers.

John Wayne: Screen Legend Collection (Reap the Wild Wind / Rooster Cogburn / The Hellfighters / The War Wagon / The Spoilers)

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John Wayne: Screen Legend Collection (Reap the Wild Wind / Rooster Cogburn / The Hellfighters / The War Wagon / The Spoilers)
Starring: John Wayne , Ray Milland , Paulette Goddard , Susan Hayward , and Charles Bickford
Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The John Wayne Film Collection (Without Reservations / Allegheny Uprising / Tycoon / Reunion in France / Big Jim McLain / Trouble Along the Way)
The John Wayne Century Collection (Big Jake, Donovan's Reef, El Dorado, Hatari!, Hondo, In Harm's Way, Island in the Sky, McLintock!, Rio Lobo, The High and the Mighty, etc.)
James Stewart: Screen Legend Collection (Shenandoah / The Glenn Miller Story / Thunder Bay / You Gotta Stay Happy / Next Time, We Love)
John Wayne Collection, Vol. 1 (The Quiet Man / The Sands of Iwo Jima / Flying Tigers / The Wake of the Red Witch)
John Wayne Collection, Vol. 2 (Rio Grande / A Lady Takes a Chance / The Fighting Kentuckian / Dakota)

ASIN: B000NNUWZC
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Description

John Wayne is one of the most popular and recognizable leading men ever to hit the silver screen. Five memorable films capture his unforgettable career in the John Wayne: Screen Legend Collection. Co-starring an impressive roster of talent including Katharine Hepburn, Kirk Douglas, Marlene Dietrich and Randolph Scott, these films highlight an American icon who will always be remembered as a true screen legend. Reap the Wild Wind Cecil B. DeMille directs John Wayne and Ray Milland as two sailors battling pirates and competing for the affections of a southern belle (Paulette Goddard) in 1840s Key West. The Spoilers John Wayne joins Marlene Dietrich and Randolph Scott in an all-star adventure classic about gold and greed in an Alaskan boomtown during the 1890s. The War Wagon A rancher (John Wayne) recruits a brash gunslinger (Kirk Douglas) along with a raucous crew of misfits and readies them to pull off one of the most impossible heists of all time. Hellfighters A Texan demolition specialist (John Wayne) battles a perilous oil-well fire and hopes to reunite with his daughter and the wife who left him 20 years ago. Rooster Cogburn The saga of True Grit continues as John Wayne reprises his role as a Deputy Marshall who helps a missionary (Katharine Hepburn) bring justice to the Wild West.

Average customer rating:

Fun, but a bit much
the war wagon
A Subtle (but Fun) Parody of Traditional Western Movie Conventions
ONE OF JOHN WAYNE'S BEST
Average Western despite star power

The War Wagon
Starring: John Wayne , Kirk Douglas , Howard Keel , Robert Walker Jr. , and Keenan Wynn
Director: Burt Kennedy
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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