The May Lady

Starring:Golah Adineh, Atefeh Razavi, Mani Kasraian, Minoo Farshchi
Director: Rakhshan Bani Etemad
Studio: Facets
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

"The love impulse in man," says a psychiatrist in Bringing Up Baby, "frequently reveals itself in terms of conflict." That's for sure. For a primer on the rules and regulations of the classic screwball comedy, which throws love and conflict into close proximity, look no further. A straight-laced paleontologist (Cary Grant) loses a dinosaur bone to a dog belonging to free-spirited heiress Katharine Hepburn. In trying to retrieve said bone, Grant is drawn into the vortex surrounding the delicious Hepburn, which becomes a flirtatious pas de deux that will transform both of them. Director Howard Hawks plays the complications as a breathless escalation of their "love impulse," yet the movie is nonetheless romantic for all its speed. (Hawks's His Girl Friday, also with Grant, goes even faster.) Grant and Hepburn are a match made in movie heaven, in sync with each other throughout. Not a great box-office success when first released, Bringing Up Baby has since taken its place as a high-water mark of the screwball form, and it was used as a model for Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up, Doc?

Re-creating the role she originated in Philip Barry's wickedly witty Broadway play, Katharine Hepburn stars as the spoiled and snobby socialite Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story, one of the great romantic comedies from the golden age of MGM studios. Applying her impossibly high ideals to everyone but herself, Tracy is about to marry a stuffy executive when her congenial ex-husband (Cary Grant), arrives to protect his former father-in-law from a potentially scandalous tabloid exposé. In an Oscar-winning role, James Stewart is the scandal reporter who falls for Tracy as her wedding day arrives, throwing her into a dizzying state of premarital jitters. Who will join Tracy at the altar? Snappy dialogue flows like sparkling wine under the sophisticated direction of George Cukor in this film that turned the tide of Hepburn's career from "box-office poison" to glamorous Hollywood star.

MGM originally promoted Dinner at Eight by touting the "all-star cast," but this is no run-of-the-mill omnibus picture. On the contrary, rather than cramming as many big names as possible into a lumbering vehicle, the movie's impeccably crafted script (by Edna Ferber and Herman J. Mankiewicz) and direction (by George Cukor) gave some immortal screen luminaries a chance to shine. For sheer bravery, John Barrymore's achingly poignant performance as Larry Renault, a washed-up matinee idol who has "outlived everything but his vanity," is unmatched. Barrymore's brother, Lionel, is equally touching as shipping magnate Oliver Jordan. Oliver vainly tries to save his family's century-old firm, at the same time hiding his financial and health troubles from his wife, Millicent, played to hysterical perfection by Billie Burke. The Great Depression is presented in microcosm as Millicent frets about throwing the ultimate society dinner, oblivious to the world tumbling down around her. She is forced to invite to her precious party such undesirables as crass financier Dan Packard ("He smells Oklahoma!"). Even worse in Millicent's eyes than Packard (Wallace Beery, doing an impressive steamroller imitation) is his social-climbing wife, Kitty (Jean Harlow, never funnier). Be sure to watch for Harlow's brief encounter with Marie Dressler, who brings an extraordinary winking wisdom to the role of aging star Carlotta Vance. As the two enter the dining room in the film's final scene, Harlow makes an offhand remark that elicits from Dressler one of the great screen double takes of all time. Like so much of Dinner at Eight, the moment is priceless.

Newspaper comedy doesn't seem like an MGM genre--ink-stained wretches don't go with Adrian gowns and white deco furniture--but Jack Conway, the designated bull in the Metro china shop (Boom Town, Too Hot to Handle) does what he can to bring some dash and flair to Libeled Lady's wildly complicated script. Spencer Tracy is the tough city editor who goes to some spectacular extremes when socialite Myrna Loy files a $5 million libel suit against his paper for calling her a notorious home-wrecker; he hires celebrated ladies' man William Powell to seduce Loy and asks his long-suffering fiancée, Jean Harlow, to marry Powell temporarily so she can play the wronged wife when Loy and Powell are discovered together. The couples crisscross, with frenetic and not entirely unpredictable results, but much of the pleasure here lies in seeing these iconic stars being so thoroughly themselves. The dialogue strains for champagne wit, but the movie's most memorable moment is pure, rotgut slapstick--Powell's bout with an unruly fly-fishing rod.

This one's all about the ladies. In Stage Door, an absolutely terrific 1937 gem, a Manhattan boardinghouse for aspiring actresses houses an amazing roster of golden-era performers--some of whom, like their characters, were just breaking in. It's hard to say who's in best form here: Katharine Hepburn in blueblood mode, Ginger Rogers streetwise, Andrea Leeds suffering, Lucille Ball and Ann Miller impossibly young, and Eve Arden being, well, splendidly Eve Ardenish. The sassy comedy and sober life lessons are wonderfully mixed by the underrated director Gregory La Cava (My Man Godfrey), who captures the brashness of '30s female chatter in a much pleasanter way than the more famous The Women. Hepburn's sublime attempts to wrestle with the line about calla lilies being in bloom will make you smile long after the movie's over.

Customer Reviews:

LAUGH OUT LOUD! FUNNY!!!!.......2007-06-09

Six of the all time great movies. Its a must for classic movie fans. You really get to see how good Jean Harlow was at comedy in "Dinner at Eight". Lets not forget Carole Lombard what a great comedian and actress she was in "To Be or Not To Be" her last film before she was killed in plane crash. Sometimes we forget how good they really were. They just don't make good movies like these anymore. I couldn't name you a good actor today with this much staying power. There will never be another Cary Grant, James Stewart, William Powell and Katherine Hepburn. You can watch these movies over and over. I know I will..

SHAME ON WARNER BROTHERS!.......2007-05-05

Shame on Warner Brothers for calling this collection a COMEDY Collection. And the other reviewers - where's your candor? Yes, Philadelphia Story is a classic comedy. But DINNER AT EIGHT, which has a few (a very few) funny moments, is, in fact a very dark story involving suicide, hateful marriages and people at the end of their means; with no particular redeeming quality. STAGE DOOR, it had funny moments, yes, but always with a very sad, dark suicide looming. TO BE OR NOT, this is like a skit, a joke, being stretched out to an hour and a half. LIBELED LADY was funny, but hardly a CLASSIC. BRINGING UP BABY is screwball comedy, but we all know that this was NEVER considered a CLASSIC. My recommendation (now that I feel bad I spent so much based on the other reviewers) - buy the films you know individually. One at a time. PHILADELPHIA STORY is a MUST HAVE.
Then you can laugh at the rest of us for buying movies we'll never watch.

A wonderful collection of classic comedies.......2007-03-20

I just recently finished watching all of the movies in this boxed set, and I couldn't be happier with it. Warner's has been going boxed set crazy over the past couple of years, boxing up into collections just about every movie in their vaults. Some collections are good, and some not so good, but this one is excellent. Three of the movies are well known, and the other three are less known. Probably the best known film is "The Philadelphia Story" that got Katharine Hepburn out of her "box office poison" era for good and won James Stewart his only Best Actor Oscar - about two or three Oscars shy of what he should have had in my opinion.

"Dinner at Eight" is a 1933 ensemble comedy using the "Grand Hotel Formula" that had won that film the Best Picture Oscar the year before. It is a comedy revolving around a group of people preparing to go to a dinner party and shows how their lives strangely intertwine beyond even their awareness. Remarkably, I don't think it even got nominated for an Oscar, but it has held up well over time and has one of the best last lines of any movie ever. As everyone is planning to go into dinner Jean Harlow is telling Marie Dressler how she has been reading that machinery has been taking over everything and soon they would all be replaced by machines. Marie Dressler looks Jean Harlow up and down as only she could do and says "My dear I don't think you need to ever worry about that."

"Bringing Up Baby" has Katharine Hepburn playing a scatter-brained young lady who gets Cary Grant involved in her inane plot to transport a tame leopard her brother sent her to her country estate. The film moves at such a fast clip with so much going on that it seems exhausting, but it is great entertainment. This film actually didn't catch on that much until years later.

"Libeled Lady" was the pleasant surprise of the bunch. I had never seen it before but it was quite funny. It all revolves around a false rumor about a young lady that gets reported as truth in a New York paper. The paper faces a libel suit and financial ruin if a way is not found to set up the "libeled lady" so that she appears to be in a genuine scandal, thus lessening the paper's chances of losing in court. This film has some great physical comedy from William Powell of all people.

"To Be Or Not To Be" is a comedy set in World War II Poland and involves an attempt by the occupied Poles to stop a spy from getting to German headquarters with the names of members of the resistance. It pairs Carole Lombard with Jack Benny, but strangely enough the combination does work.

"Stage Door" is a very good film about a group of women living in a boarding house all trying to make it on Broadway. I'm not sure what it is doing in a set of comic movies, though. It is actually more of a melodrama than a comedy, though it has some very witty banter between the struggling actresses at their rooming house and a great performance by Adolphe Menjou as a sophisticated cad, which is a part he played so well in several films of the 1930's.

There are bonus discs included with "Bringing Up Baby" and "The Philadelphia Story". "The Philadelphia Story" includes a feature on Katharine Hepburn's life and career, and "Bringing Up Baby" has a second disc that has a similar tribute to Cary Grant. There are also features included on the directors of these two films. My advice is to buy this set. It's a tremendous value and will give you many hours of entertainment.

Big Belly laughs in every single movie.......2006-06-17

I defy you to find a modern day movie where the wise cracks are funnier than any thing you'll find in each and every one of these 70 year plus old movies! Most of the dialogue was spoken at Tommy Gun blast speed, with every word clearly enunciated - a feat in itself! All the men are mostly in suits or tuxes, and the women wear the most beautiful outfits, created by the top designers in the world at the time. Visually, these movies are a feast for the eyes. It also helps that most of the actors and actresses were considered the most handsome and beautiful at the time. Hey - I can get ugly at home! The quality is also excellent considering how old these movies are. I'm an old-movie buff and I remember browsing the TV guide when I was a teenager and then setting my clock to get up at 3am to catch one of these movies whenever they were on. They still hold up and now I can watch them whenever I want and I am grateful. This is a must-have if you like a good story line, clever dialogue and honest laughs.

This is nice to have on hand.......2006-03-10

Sometimes my life, like so many others, gets a little overwhelming. These are perfect for when you need a 2 hr. break from reality. Make the popcorn, pull the shades, pop one of these in and totally escape. And it's cheaper than therapy. :-)

Average customer rating:

Aristocrats Review
Thumbs up
The Daughters of the Duke of Richmond
A Lush, Engaging Production
Splendid

Aristocrats
Starring: Serena Gordon , Alun Armstrong , Geraldine Somerville , Ben Daniels , and Julian Fellowes
Director: David Caffrey (II)
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000G6BM0K
Release Date: 2006-08-08

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At one point during The Aristocrats, the dutiful, devoted, yet rather dim husband of Louisa Lennox cannot find the word to describe the magnificent party they are attending. "Resplendent," his wife offers. That pretty much describes this impeccably mounted BBC miniseries.

Based on the biography by Stella Tillyard, The Aristocrats vividly re-creates "a different world" that would eventually be shattered by rebellion and bloodshed. "The much pampered" Emily Lennox narrates her family's history, as tumultuous as it was charmed. The Lennox sisters, Caroline (Serena Gordon), Emily (Geraldine Somerville, and as an older woman, Sian Phillips), Louisa (Anne-Marie McDuff), and Sarah (Jodhi May), were of royal blood and they mixed with royalty. Part 1 chronicles elder daughter Caroline's "small rebellion" that tears her family apart. Against her father's wishes ("I would sooner let you sell fish in the street," he thunders), she marries for love Henry Fox, a politician who is 20 years older. Caroline is banished from the house and her sisters' lives. Part 2 charts the misfortunes of sister Sarah, who as a child was a favorite of the king and is later courted, but ultimately rejected, by his heir. She becomes "an inconvenient woman," scandalizing her family with her indiscretions. Part 3 makes the last reel of Gone with the Wind look like Singin' in the Rain as bittersweet reunions, sibling rivalries, death, infidelities, and revolution take their tragic toll.

Originally broadcast on Mobil Masterpiece Theatre, The Aristocrats is presented on video in a three-volume set. Anglophiles will find it difficult not to take in all 246 minutes in a single sitting. But the peerless ensemble and rich production ensures rewarding repeat viewings. --Donald Liebenson

Description

Decades of history unfold in a dazzling saga of privileged lives and sisterly devotion

As seen on Masterpiece Theatre

With characters, drama, and romance vivid enough for a masterwork of fiction, this story is all the more fascinating because it is true. Based on Stella Tillyard's acclaimed biography that "made history sexy again" (London Sunday Times), it paints an intimate portrait of 18th-century upper-class life in England and Ireland through the eyes of four beautiful high-born sisters. Caroline, Emily, Louisa, and Sarah Lennox were great-granddaughters of a king, daughters of a cabinet minister, and wives of politicians and peers. Well-educated, strong-minded, and distinctly individual, they take charge of their own lives, tempting scandal with their unconventional ideas about love, marriage, education, and fidelity.

Starring Serena Gordon, Geraldine Somerville, Anne-Marie Duff, Jodhi May, Siân Phillips, Alun Armstrong, and Julian Fellowes in a sumptuous BBC production.

Customer Reviews:

Aristocrats Review.......2007-06-12

The Aristocrats is a very well-made and enjoyable series for anglophiles and history buffs alike, as it tells the true story of four strong-minded sisters, "great-granddaughters of a king, daughters of a cabinet minister, and wives of politicians and peers." The beautiful settings of England and Ireland complement the fascinating story of the sisters and the upper-class society in which they live, and which they often challenge.

Thumbs up.......2007-04-13

Instead of watching a documentary Learning the history of Brittan & Ireland in an entertaining way!

The Daughters of the Duke of Richmond.......2006-11-16

Had Jane Austen been born a royal and become the acute observer of human relationships that she would become in the mid-eighteenth century instead of the early nineteenth this is very likley the tale she would have told. For although this mini-series charts the social and political changes of the 1740's through the 1790's, social and political change alone are not what command our attention here, rather those changes only acquire importance as they affect the personal and public lives of one line of marriagable aristocrats as they look for and sometimes find suitable partners. As in the novels of Jane Austen the focus is on the trials and tribulations (as well as the politics) of courtship, marriage, and the management of social existence that keeps the process in motion from one generation to the next.

Episode one features the story of the Duke of Richmond's eldest daughter Lady Caroline. Lady Caroline is a woman who prefers books to fashionable society and though she is courted by young men her own age its only the free-thinking Voltaire reading Mr. Henry Fox, a good twenty years her senior, that attracts and captivates her most lively attribute, her mind. Mr. Henry Fox is a rising star in the King's cabinet but since he is not of noble birth and since he has a reputation as a libertine who has fathered at least one child with a stage actress, Lady Caroline's father refuses to approve of the match. Since they know they cannot marry with permission the two elope and the result is that Lady Caroline is banished from her parents home. The Duke of Richmond, proud as he is of his noble status, was an illegitimate child, the result of one of Charles II's royal flings, and his wife was an attendant to the Queen. So they are technically royal but not royalty of the highest and most respectable rank. The King is, nonetheless fond of the Duke and his family and he, now and then, gives him a new title but the ineffectual Duke who is known for his encyclopedic knowledge of many trivial things like wild animals and fireworks never has any real political influence over the king and this lack of respect infuriates and humiliates him. Ironically the man who does have influence over the King is the Kings cabinet minister of war, Mr. Henry Fox. This fact also proves to be humbling and infuriating to the Duke. Eventually the Duke of Richmond forgives his daughter for marrying without his permission but this is a political move designed to win him influential friends as much as it is a personal move and this becomes clear to Lady Caroline after the Dukes death. Disobeying her royal father and then being married to an influential and powerful man means a lonely life for Lady Caroline. Though she has two sons they grow up to be two fashionable young men about town who spend their youth drinking & gambling & womanizing, very much their fathers sons, and so they offer her very little company or satisfaction. Lady Caroline's life started out with the promise of adventure but she is never able to crawl out from under the shadow of her father or her husband. Her own life never fully blossoms; she is almost always photographed in a sunless library, as if her own life had been literally eclipsed by the lives of her father, her husband and her sons.

Episode two features the Duke of Richmond's second daughter, Lady Emily. Lady Emily is also the narrator of the series and so it is through her perspective that each of these stories is told. As a young girl she watched her older sister Lady Caroline make descisions and she saw what the results of those decisions were. Lady Emily thus grows up acutely aware of the rules that govern the social world, some spoken and some unspoken, and she knows that one bad decision can lead to banishment from the privileged world. Lady Emily knows herself well enough to know that she is quite attached to privilege and so though she may initially be attracted to a young man that her father disapproves of she knows it is best not to press the issue but to wait it out. And her patience is rewarded as her father eventually decides that the Irishmen that has captured her heart is in fact worthy of his daughters hand, not because he is no longer prejudice against the Irish but because he discovers that this particular Irishmen is immensely wealthy and that the match will only increase his own wealth. Lady Emily is wise to the ways of the world and she learns early that it is a mans world and that in order to negotiate ones way through a mans world one must learn the arts of tenderly managing mens fragile egos as well as understanding mens inherent inconstancy. Lady Emily as a young girl learns exactly how to flatter her father with feigned obedience and she learns to live with her own husband's indiscretions by resigning herself to the idea that "mens inconstancy is as common as the rain." Still it is bittersweet when it comes time to watch the next sister, Louisa, experience the happiness of a newlywed bliss that she no longer has. To compensate she surrounds herself with a houseful of children, and she finds ways to make life enjoyable if not always ideal. Writing in her journal is in many respects a way of coping with the world as it is.

Episode three & four follow fourth sister, Lady Sarah, as she is introduced into London society and catches the eye of the future King. Though Sarah feels nothing for the future King her entire family encourages the match as a royal alliance would restore honor to a family reputation that has been tarnished by Fox's now scandalous reputation as a war-time profiteer. But the King alas asks another to be his Queen and Lady Sarah marries a rather humble scholar who shows her no affection. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, she seeks diversions in ever more scandalous amusements including gambling, flirting with Frenchmen, and having an illicit affair with a Lord. This affair produces a child and brings scandal not only onto Sarah but onto the entire family and it creates a rift between Lady Caroline and Lady Emily who feels betrayed by Lady Caroline's choice to keep knowledge of Sarah's scandals and affair to herself.

In episodes five and six: Lady Caroline's health is in decline, Lady Emily finds herself attracted to the tutor of her children, Lady Louisa devotes herself to doing good works for the much abused lower classes, and Lady Sarah finally finds lasting happiness with a captain in the royal army. Amid these personal affairs widespread democratic sympathies (in both the upper and lower echelons of society) begin to take their toll on the family and mark the beginning of the end of the aristocratic way of life.

The best Masterpiece Theatre productions, specifically the period pieces, exert a strong appeal because they capture a style and easy elegance that has vanished from the world. This in itself is attractive. And I suspect that one thing that will appeal to audiences of both sexes is the enormous amount of time that these aristocrats had to spend with their families. In the modern world leisure is the rarest commodity and so perhaps the most fascinating thing for a contemporary viewer is to see what a class of people with so much of it does with all its free time. However, if we pay close attention we notice that the style and easy elegance that leisure seems to afford is largely a matter of surfaces and appearances for when we listen to Lady Emily relate her marital woes we recognize them as pretty much the same marital woes that afflict contemporary relationships. Some things about marriage seem to be true regardless of time period and class: ie when you marry you marry not just a person but an entire social world. Social worlds are not the same today as they were then but today our marriages do still in large part determine our social status and determine what social group we will belong to; they determine whether we will be outcasts to our families and communities or part of the fold. So these aristocrats despite their unfamilar surroundings are strangley familiar for they have the same concerns we have. Connecting with history on a personal level is very appealing. It makes one think there is more continuity to the world than it sometimes seems. In some respects this is a good thing and allows us the comfort of knowing that the world does not change all that much, but in other respects it is disturbing as it indicates that the same social pressures that shaped the lives of the eighteenth-century continue to shape our lives today.

A Lush, Engaging Production.......2006-09-30

Like so many, I had been waiting a long time for this 1999 BBC miniseries to come out on DVD, and I am happy to announce that it was worth the wait.

Aristocrats, based on the book by Stella Tillyard, tells the story of the lives of aristocratic sisters in Georgian England--Caroline, Emily, Louisa, and Sarah (they were King Charles I's great-granddaughters through his mistress Louise de Keroualle). Elopements, tragedy, affairs, and political drama are just some of the exciting themes explored in this miniseries, and the fact that this myriad of drama really did happen makes it all the more compelling.

As far as production values are concerned, the costumes and sets are top-notch while the background music is haunting. There is wonderful acting, particularly from Serena Gordon as Caroline and Geraldine Somerville as Emily. Julian Fellowes is also fantastically hilarious as the sisters' dramatic father, the 2nd. Duke of Richmond. My only complaint is that the last episode seemed to drag somewhat after the sisters have gotten significantly older, and I would have rather seen the original actors aged with makeup instead of new ones.

Overall, a wonderful effort. I urge fans to go out and get the book by Stella Tillyard (it is out of print in the U.S., but there are many used copies available), as there were several events (and people) left out.

Splendid.......2005-10-29

This is a wonderful production, a sweeping saga indeed of the rise and fall of a noble family..
Everything about this series is lavish, well acted with a stella cast..
The four daughters of the Duke of Richmond [great grand daughters of King Charles11] are born into a world of great privilege which few have ever known..
This story [saga] is about their lives, their loves, joys and tragedies..
This is an account of an age gone by and only realised by the privileged few...
A huge classic, deeply moving and very powerful...

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

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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:

All Star Cast
Extraordinary time capsule
"My Dancing lady, There is nobody like you..."
SENSATIONAL PRODUCTION THAT HAS EVERYTHING!!!!!
All singing, all dancing, all hokum!

Dancing Lady
Starring: Joan Crawford , Clark Gable , Franchot Tone , May Robson , and Winnie Lightner
Director: Robert Z. Leonard
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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Wife vs. Secretary
San Francisco
The Busby Berkeley Collection (Footlight Parade / Gold Diggers of 1933 / Dames / Gold Diggers of 1935 / 42nd Street)
TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 1 (Waterloo Bridge 1931 / Baby Face / Red-Headed Woman)
Boom Town

ASIN: B000F7CMPO
Release Date: 2006-06-20

Amazon.com

Joan Crawford and Clark Gable were both in their young MGM prime when they suited up for Dancing Lady, the studio's big, shiny, silly reply to 42nd Street. Joan is a burlesque dancer (but mind you, serious artiste) when she is plucked from the ranks by a playboy, played by Franchot Tone, Crawford's future real-life hubby. Gable is the bluff, hard-driving theater director guiding a new Broadway musical that has room for one more chorus girl. Maybe. It all builds to the opening of the big show, and some utterly insane musical numbers including a Bavarian spectacle and the mind-bending "Rhythm of the Day." The saving grace in these scenes is that Fred Astaire, in his film debut, partners Joan onstage and sings a bit. The movie also has Nelson Eddy and soused one-liners from Robert Benchley, plus Ted Healy and His Stooges doing some surreal comedy. Vaudevillian Healy actually has a pretty big role here, but the Stooges (three fellows named Moe, Curly, and Larry) would go on to stardom without him. The movie may not be a great one, but it gives the sugary flavor of early-'30s MGM, and even a simple scene like a gym workout (with Gable and Crawford in especially sassy form) provides the pleasures of art deco production design and cool costumes. --Robert Horton

Description

A Broadway chorine (Joan Crawford) needs a little help with her hoofing, so her dance director (Clark Gable) gets an idea. A good idea. "Do you feel like going through that opening number with Mr. Astaire?" And Fred Astaire, making his screen debut, shows the lady how it's done. Three film icons give the backstage musical a jolt of superstar electricity in a song-, dance-, and romance-filled extravaganza featuring support by Nelson Eddy, Robert Benchley and The Three Stooges and tunes by Rodgers and Hart, Burton Lane, Dorothy Fields and more musical greats. Gable and Crawford had such stellar chemistry that MGM teamed them for eight movies. Here, as always, they have street-smart glamour and charisma to burn. Add Astaire's sophistication and Dancing Lady can take a well-deserved bow.

Customer Reviews:

All Star Cast.......2007-05-13

I have a lot of good impressions of "Dancing Lady" but I don't want to oversell it. After all, the plot's pretty obvious; we know who'll end up with who from the moment we see who every who is. There weren't any musical numbers that I'll be singing to myself later on. However, I was impressed by the number of stars in this production. The fact that Nelson Eddy and Fred Astaire played bit parts ought to say something. The Three Stooges were present as well although I would have preferred they had a little more screen time. The stars of the movie were stars of their day; Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, and Franchot Tone but there were also some other up-and-comers in Sterling Holloway and Eve Arden.

The musical numbers reminded me of the absurdity that Hollywood musicals of the 1930's got into when they showed "Theater Productions" in movies. The scene is always the same; a Broadway musical has its' opening night and everything hinges on how the new "star" handles his or her big chance. That's all well and good but the way the stage seems to expand way beyond the confines of a legitimate theater is mind-bogglying. There's a number in "Dancing Girl" where the core of the stage turns into a sort of flying carpet with Joan Crawford and Fred Astaire carefully continuing their dance routine. To pull that number off in a theater would have required something bigger than the Rose Bowl. Another neat trick had everyone and everything get "modernized" when crossing through a large portal in mid-stage. People's costumes changed as they waled through that entry, horse and carriage turned into limosine, etc. I guess back then it was a sort of "artistic license" but it looks odd to see it today. Most viewers probably have more sense than me and just enjoy the production without needing a justification.

When I was a teenager, Joan Crawford made a sort of "comeback" by playing bizzare roles in hatchet-murder "B" movies. It was nice to realize what a lovely, glamorous actress she was in her prime. Beyond all the "Mommy Dearest" there was a real star. I'm glad to have replaced all those negative images (even if I had to stretch my imagination in doing so).

Extraordinary time capsule.......2007-01-29

There is a lot going on here visually, musically and artistically- and much of it is specific to the style of the time -1933.

Most surreal is seeing the Three Stooges next to Joan Crawford and Fred Astaire. This was at MGM, before the boys went over to Columbia. There are a couple of other Stooge shorts on the disk- also made by MGM with Busby Berkely-type chorus girl shots! The production values were far more lavish than their Columbia shorts. Makes me wonder what they would have accomplished had they stayed at the bigger and richer studio.

Joan Crawford was hot! She looked good next to Gable, and it makes me wish they would release "Possessed" (1931). I would also like to see some of her other early films, including some of the silents, where she plays dancer/hottie.

"My Dancing lady, There is nobody like you...".......2007-01-17

And no movie like this one! If you have never seen a Joan Crawford movie before, this is the one to see. Every one will love it,and there is something in it for everyone I promise...the suprisingly talented and moreover stunningly beautiful 1933 incarnation of Joan Crawford is one you wont believe. Joan is Janie Barlow;a street smart,no-nonsense, ambitious and beautiful aspiring dancer.She is determined to make herself succeed in this business, no matter what the pratfalls, waiting to catch a break and relying on her sheer will and hard work to dance her way to the top .....and "yes, it's GOT to be dancin!".Sound familair?
One night, the burelesque house where janie is dancing at is raided,and her indignation worsens when she gets put in the slammer, however she is delighted when rich playboy Todd Newton(husband number two,Franchot Tone)bails her out.But much like our Joanie, our Janie is no fool, and wholeheartedly insists she will pay him back with the cash and nothing else.Undeterred, she hikes it to Broadway "uptown where it's art" to get a hold of "Patch" Gallagher(Clark Gable)the shows cranky but equally no-nonsense producer.Janie knows early on she wants the part and the producer, but not if Todd has anything to say about it....perfection pretty much ensues in some of the memorable scenes I have ever seen ,beautiful cinematography and the direction is very clever especially during janie's relentless pursuit of "patch" early on in the movie.Although it was common for joan to portray a character like this in part to appeal to depression era audiences, it was the combination of her fierce independence and wise-cracking gusto that made this one work.Her sexual chemistry with Gable is so powerful, they not only made 7 more movies together,but you can feel it this radiate out of the tv 74 years later.This movie does have something for everyone... Fred Astaire in his movie debut makes a luminious vision dancing with joan/janie and LOOK CLOSELY and you will spot the munchkinland and Emerald City sets( during the Bavaria and Rythym of the Day sequences)which would be used 6 years later in The Wizard of Oz.Also of interest: this film is pre-code meaning there is sex, sex SEX..in a tasteful and funny manner ,of course.I I cannot say enough about this film... go watch it.

SENSATIONAL PRODUCTION THAT HAS EVERYTHING!!!!!.......2006-08-09

I was so impressed with this great production on DVD. Young, beautiful Joan Crawford is so talented ~ I had no idea. She is vivacious, sexy, dances, sings, dives and swims ~ she absolutely sparkles. Clark Gable is young, handsome, and shows off his athletic body in the gym. Fred Astaire is in his debut in this film where Joan and him dance together. There is also the Three Stooges, as well. It has great fun dialogue, is very technically modern for its time, extremely entertaining, fast paced, and an absolute joy to watch this CLASSIC film ~ WHAT A TREAT!! THEY SURE DON'T MAKE MOVIES LIKE THIS ANYMORE. YOU WILL LOVE IT AS I DO AND PLAY IT AGAIN AND AGAIN!!

All singing, all dancing, all hokum!.......2006-08-06

Clark Gable may have been the right star at the wrong studio - just think what Warner Bros. could have done with him in the Thirties - but he still had enough star quality to overcome even the most dubious casting. Take Dancing Lady, MGM's take on Warners' backstage Busby Berkeley musicals. It's a terrific movie put together with no expense spared, but somehow Gable isn't the first name that springs to mind when you think of a musical director putting on a Broadway revue. But then Joan Crawford isn't the first name you'd think of for a downtown gal going from Burlesque to Broadway and exhibiting the singing ability of Lee Marvin and the dancing skills of a fugitive from a chain gang (there's a difference between dancing and just knowing the steps).

All clichés are present and correct, from Joan replacing an `untalented' star who can dance her off the screen to the chorus girls with great faces but horrendous voices. Somehow it doesn't matter: it's too much fun and too ridiculous for that, especially in the absurdly overproduced musical finale which would need a theatre the size of Times Square to stage (great lyrics too: "Here in Bavaria/We'll take good care of ya"). Franchot Tone provides the romantic rivalry, Fred Astaire the only discernible dancing ability. Far more enjoyable than it has any right to be.

There are a few minor print glitches in the first half hour, but otherwise this is a pretty good restoration.

The Lady Vanishes - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

The Lady Vanishes
1 more star?
Superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny...,
"We're not in England now."
Hitchcock liked trains. It may be his favorite venue.

The Lady Vanishes - Criterion Collection
Starring: Emile Boreo , Mary Clare , Selma Vaz Dias , Catherine Lacey , and Philip Leaver
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0780020723
Release Date: 1998-05-27

Amazon.com essential video

At first glance The Lady Vanishes appears to be a frothy, lightweight treat, a testament to Alfred Hitchcock's nimble touch. This snappy, sophisticated romantic thriller begins innocently enough, as a contingent of eccentric tourists spend the night in a picture-postcard village inn nestled in the Swiss Alps before setting off on the train the next morning. In a wonderfully Hitchcockian twist on "meeting cute," attractive young Iris (Margaret Lockwood) clashes with brash music student Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) when his nocturnal concerts give her no peace. She gets him kicked out of his room, so he barges in on hers: True love is inevitable, but not before they are both plunged into an international conspiracy. The next day on the train, kindly old Mrs. Froy (Dame May Whitty) vanishes from her train car without a trace and the once quarrelsome couple unite to search the train and uncover a dastardly plot. No one is as he or she seems, but sorting out the villains from the merely mysterious is a challenge in itself, as our innocents abroad face resistance from the entire passenger list. Hitchcock effortlessly navigates this vivid thriller from light comedy to high tension and back again, creating one of his most enchanting and entertaining mysteries. Though this wasn't his final British film before departing for Hollywood (that honor goes to Jamaica Inn), many critics prefer to think of this as his fond farewell to the British Film Industry. --Sean Axmaker

Description

In this best-loved of Hitchcock's British-made thrillers, a young woman on a train meets a charming old lady (Dame May Whitty), who promptly disappears. The other passengers deny ever having seen her, leading the young woman to suspect a conspiracy. When she begins investigating, she is drawn into a complex web of mystery and high adventure.

Customer Reviews:

The Lady Vanishes.......2007-06-21

Hitchcock's timeless classic begins on a high comic note, then quickly transforms into a suspense film with political overtones. As in "The 39 Steps," the priceless banter between the heroine and her unlikely ally elevates what is already a nifty nail-biter into something infinitely more special: a romantic mystery. The cast of eccentrics--especially two English tourists played by Basil Radford and Naughton Wayne--give this "Lady" extra punch, and Dame May Whitty is adorable as the elusive old lady who causes all the fuss.

1 more star?.......2007-01-27

This is a good movie and I liked it, especially the very likable protagonists. I would like it more if someone would be so kind as to explain why the 'Germans' don't just arrest Miss Froy? Why go through the trouble of 'disappearing' her? Yes, if they had done so the story wouldn't exist. Why does the villain never just kill the hero but instead leaves an unintended escape... sure, we suspend disbelief up to a point, but here with this movie, I wonder if I had just missed a key dialog or something of that sort.

Superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny..., .......2007-01-04

Alfred Hitchcock announced a call to arms in a brilliant and amusing thriller, "The Lady Vanishes."

The lady in question is Miss Froy (Dame May Witty), a splendid eccentric innocent old governess (in reality a British secret agent), who is kidnapped by the smooth Dr. Hartz (Paul Lukas), really the master enemy spy...

Involved in the rescue are Gilbert (Michael Redgrave), a sincere young musicologist trying on using up unwisely his life on unfruitful pursuits; Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) a pretty girl who is returning to London to sacrifice herself on the altar of nobility - she has accepted to marry a weedy little English count; and a hilarious sporting couple, Chalders and Caldicott (Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne), whose only concern and topic conversation is the cricket match--will they make it back in home for the "big game."

Other characters include Percy (Cecil Parker), the pompous lawyer who is constantly afraid that his affair with Linden Travers will be discovered... Above all he does not want to be involved... He is the voice of pacifism and self-control... While the others fight it out with the enemy, he rushes from the coach waving a white handkerchief... He is shot, and dies never understanding why...

Hitchcock (and you never know with him) creates a multi-sided movie (superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny), extending the power of stereotypes by caricaturing itself, making the audience express with laughter, and in a way they forget that they have just accepted some unpleasant tasting medicine...

"We're not in England now.".......2006-12-03

In an overcrowded inn in the Alps, a motley assortment of travelers gather waiting for the next train. There's a sweet elderly governess, Miss Froy (May Whity), a young girl, Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) who's returning to England to get married, 2 bored Englishmen, an adulterous couple, and a free-spirited young musician Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave). The travelers board the train, and Iris strikes up a friendship with Miss Froy. However, when Iris wakes from a short nap, Miss Froy has disappeared, but fellow passengers deny that Miss Froy even existed. Stuck on the fast-moving train with no one who believes her story about the missing governess, Iris insists that something has happened to Miss Froy. With everyone implying that Iris hallucinated or dreamt the existence of Miss Froy, Iris turns to Redman for help.

"The Lady Vanishes" is a splendid classic Hitchcock film. It begins with the bucolic simplicity of the inn and then the film's focus gradually shifts to the sinister realization that Iris is surrounded by people she can't trust. The film's sinister atmosphere is heightened by the atmospheric, desperate train journey. The film includes some of Hitchcock's favourite themes: the ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances and the reliability of the visual. The inexpensive Delta DVD is decent quality and a fair print for its time. Extras include an introduction by Tony Curtis and some additional footage--displacedhuman

Hitchcock liked trains. It may be his favorite venue........2006-11-22

There are so many possibilities. This is a spy thriller. It works on several levels, with quite of bit of comedy to keep it light. I interpreted much of the character development as satire on the British people themselves. Hitchcock had to be careful. In those last days before the war the British censors were tough. If the British didn't see the humor in it, I'm sure Americans did. You have two chuckle-headed school chums prattling on endlessly about criket. A cheating barrister & his vapid paramour both married back in England & parnoid about being found out. Then there is Miss Froy, (Dame May Whitty) the old, sterotypical spinister governess. Even the heroine, Iris, played by Margret Lockwood, is a blond (naturally) beautiful airhead, as is her facile, soon to be boyfriend, Gilbert (Michael Redgrave). Miss Froy goes missing on the train without getting off. She had just made the aquaintance of Iris & then, poof, disappears. Iris with the help of Gilbert seeks to find her to the annoyance of most everyone aboard the train. But Miss Froy isn't what she appears. She's a secret agent for the British & the Germans want to kidnap her. Only they weren't Germans. In order not to offend the Nazis at the time, Germany was simply refered to as a middle European country. They had phony, German sounding accents like the evil psychiatrist who was identified as a Czech. The Brits pulled themselves together when crisis hits. The train is stopped & attacked by the police. Miss Froy is amazingly nimble for an old lady. She jumps out of a train window & evades 24 young men shooting at her. Hilarious. She gets back to England before everyone else. See this. If your not a Hitchcock fan you maybe after seeing this, one of his last movies before he moved to Hollywood.

Average customer rating:

Good Movie
The Dude
wonderful surprise
a too rarely seen depression-era goody
All For One

Lady for a Day
Starring: Warren William , May Robson , Guy Kibbee , Glenda Farrell , and Ned Sparks
Director: Frank Capra
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
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The Premiere Frank Capra Collection (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington / It Happened One Night / You Can't Take It with You / Mr. Deeds Goes to Town / American Madness / Frank Capra's American Dream)

ASIN: B00005OCL4
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Amazon.com

Based on a story by Damon Runyon, this Frank Capra film was nominated for several Oscars® after it was released in 1933 (it was remade by Capra as Pocketful of Miracles in 1961). A tenderhearted Depression-era comedy, it tells the story of Apple Annie (May Robson), a panhandling street vendor who has kept her real identity hidden from a daughter being reared in Europe. When the grown-up daughter comes to New York for a visit, Annie turns to gambler Dave the Dude (Warren William) for help. He transforms her--temporarily--into a high-society grande dame, but not without complications. The film is nearly stolen by Guy Kibbee, as a judge posing as Annie's husband, but Warren William, a John Barrymore lookalike, and dour Ned Sparks get laughs too. --Marshall Fine

Description

A Cinderella fairy tale set in the early 1930s, Lady for a Day is a delightfully charming mix of drama and comedy that earned four Academy Award nominations and propelled Frank Capra to the top ranks of popular filmmakers. Based on a Damon Runyon short story, Lady for a Day tells the tale of Apple Annie, a cantankerous New York City fruit peddler who has been pretending to be a high-society matron in letters to her daughter. When her daughter comes to visit with her aristocratic fiance, Apple Annie enlists her seedy gangster friends, who hilariously transform her into the grandest of dames!

Customer Reviews:

Good Movie.......2007-06-29

I seen this on TCM and thought i would buy it. I got to say that when i seen it on TV it looked better then it did from the DVD. Not a very high qualty dvd it is more like a dvd disk for your cpu.

The Dude.......2006-10-11

I know it's a stretch, but I can't help but think that the Coen Bros. knew this film well, when they wrote, "The Big Lebowski".

Both "dudes" share a disdain for the establishment, and yet are well respected by their peers. Both men attempt a good deed, but not without the prospect of a payout at it's completion. Both appear to be the most astute within their respective circles, and seem to be drawn into a larger episode against their will.

It seems that the constuction of "The Big Lebowski" in it's relationship to "Lady for a Day", is similar to the construction of "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou", in it's relationship to "The Odyssey". There is a basic premise from which a very enjoyable romp ensues.

Jeff Zolitor

wonderful surprise.......2006-07-12

This is the most wonderful movie with nobody I ever heard of except for the director, Frank Capra. May Robson is just fabulous -- tugs at your heartstrings, makes you cry and laugh. This is surely one of Capra's best movies -- not over the top or overly sentimental. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a two-hour smile.

a too rarely seen depression-era goody.......2006-05-04

this is the original version of frank capras better-remembered "pocketful of miracles", about a bag lady who has been sending her child to convent school in europe and is now faced with the prospect of her grown daughter coming to visit her supposedly grande dame mother in new york. the latter movie filled in alot of detail, but softened the sting of the depression-era original. i like both, but this is the better one.

All For One.......2006-04-03

Lady For a Day is about a woman named Apple Annie (May Robson). She has an illigitimate daughter who lives overseas; her daughter believes she is wealthy and married, which is okay because she will never find out. However, Annie's daughter wants to get married to a high-class man from Spain whose family wants to meet hers before they are wed. Annie is in a terrible spot and plans to fake her own death until she is able to win the support of several in her community to impersonate her wealthy alter ego.

Robson is great in her part, a sympathetic and dynamic character whose emotions ring absolutely true throughout. Guy Kibbee plays a unique role as an intelligent man who displays class and wit, unlike his standard drunken parts. Warren William also plays against type as a charitable man. Glenda Farrell has a small, forgettable part, but she looks more beautiful than ever.

This film displays the uplifting spirit that Capra's films became known for, a symbol of a by-gone era, one that many will not let themselves forget.

Average customer rating:

The Lady Vanishes
1 more star?
Superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny...,
"We're not in England now."
Hitchcock liked trains. It may be his favorite venue.

The Lady Vanishes
Starring: Emile Boreo , Mary Clare , Selma Vaz Dias , Catherine Lacey , and Philip Leaver
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000C0QO
Release Date: 1999-07-24

Amazon.com essential video

Description

When a seemingly innocuous old woman disappears while on board a train, an acquaintance sets out to find her. What follows is a series of ingenious twists and turns finally steaming toward a suspenseful denouement.

Includes the trailer for Hitchcock's film "Shadow Of A Doubt".

Menus: English • Spanish • Chinese • Japanese
Subtitles: Spanish • Chinese • Japanese

B&W/94 min.

Customer Reviews:

The Lady Vanishes.......2007-06-21

1 more star?.......2007-01-27

Superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny..., .......2007-01-04

"We're not in England now.".......2006-12-03

Hitchcock liked trains. It may be his favorite venue........2006-11-22

Average customer rating:

Fantastic film!
Anne B. Realistic you are!!
Anne B. Real Dull
An Incredible Experience
The Real 8 Mile

Anne B. Real
Starring: Janice Richardson , Carlos Leon , Sherri Saum , Lady May , and Ephraim Benton
Director: Lisa France
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000C1XSS
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic film!.......2005-07-27

Although I love the music, I'm not normally a fan of hip-hop/rap movies, but this one really struck a cord with me.
Anne Frank's diary has been my favorite book since I was a small child. It's one I've related to through my life just as Cynthia did in this film.
It's very rare I can say this, but...I have nothing bad to say about this film. It is just phenomenal!

Anne B. Realistic you are!!.......2005-02-15

Funny, my sister who is 13 years old wanted me to watch this movie, because it reminded her of me (some parts) by watching this movie, I already knew which parts she was talking about and SHE WAS RIGHT!! I like this movie a lot, and I was not expecting to hear TIGHT rhymes, although they were not "wh#re rhymes" like some people probably expected because of the ratings they gave this movie which is just ignorant. Her rhymes talk about REALITY. But I was expecting an inspirational approach, which was what I got. SOOOOOOO many people discourage me from my goals, talents etc... And I saw myself through this movie (in SOME PARTS). I mean, it seemed like I was watching myself on TV.

I do agree that you KNOW this is a black woman (like I am) who is portraying latina woman. Well, I dont think it is a difference, but Has anyone noticed that three of the characters from this movie were from the series OZ, which I am also a big fan of as well. The music that they played during the movie sounded like that video wh#re Gloria Velez, because she "raps" too. Also, the woman that played the main character did not seem like she was really rapping in the end. It seemed like she was lip singing. But, if someone is expecting this to just be a movie about Hardcore Gangsta rap, then this is NOT the movie for you, go to a concert. I was also expecting her to be really big in the end, but this movie showed more than just being a successful rapper with fancy cars and clothes and bags of money. Just putting yourself out there to alteast KNOW that you can do it is what really counts. So, I am glad that this movie did not show her becoming a big time rapper. Lets be realistic, it just does not blossom like that for everyone.

If you are looking for an inspirational movie that is REALISTIC (to me its realistic) then this is the movie for you.

Anne B. Real Dull.......2004-10-08

This movie was very ill. Anyone in their right mind could tell Anne was a light skin Black, even though both her parents are Latino. What is the point of a Latina story if she is Black and her Latina friend was really I