The Cowboy and the Lady (Import PAL) (1938) Review

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(More customer reviews)I saw this movie as a young teenager, when black and white movies dominated weekends and rainy days! This was a romance that helped set the stage for all I find good in a romance: innocence, humor, drama, passion (the boat scene when he knew he had to marry her that night because of his passion for her), and the down home sweetness and good moral lessons shared, and a happy ending! A hunky leading man and a beautiful woman needing the love of a good man! Romance doesn't get any better than this. Great for the whole family!

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Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) Review

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(More customer reviews)Yeeup! As Mr. Tersander would say. This is one of my favorite films. While not exactly bust-a-gut funny, it is warmly amusing throughout with a couple of classic lines & scenes (the perplexing storeroom, the "letch", the well, the all-night Wam session etc.), played to perfection with ease and charm (my God those are lost arts, aren't they?) by a cast of pros who are immediately likeable and comfortable to be around.
The story of a New York adman building his dream house in Connecticut being snookered by the "hicks" and then the series of disasters and cost overruns that befall him, the film is played with just the right tone, light and with great good humor, from the falling lintels to the Zuzz-Zuzz water softener.
Some may question the 5 stars, and although it may not be a great movie, I give it all 5 because Grant, Loy and Douglas are a lost breed of irreplaceable class players, and this kind of effortless amusement is pretty much an extinct genre.


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Item Name: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House; Studio:Turner Home Ent

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The Cary Grant Signature Collection (Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House / Destination Tokyo / The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer / My Favorite Wife / Night and Day) (1946) Review

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(More customer reviews)This Signature Series effectively brings together some stellar examples of the suave, urbane sophistication and light-hearted good humor that was Cary Grant. However, the absence of "Bringing Up Baby" and "Dream Wife" from this DVD collection is - quite simply - inexcusable! Having said that, this box set is comprised of 3 hilarious comedies (Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, My Favorite Wife, The Bachelor and the Bobby-soxer), one highly enjoyable musical (Night & Day) and one thrilling WWII drama (Destination Tokyo). "Mr. Blandings" is a sort of 1940s rendition of "The Money Pit" - about a couple desperately trying to build their dream house despite overwhelmingly hilarious adversity. It co-stars Melvyn Douglas and Myrna Loy. "My Favorite Wife" is the most outstanding of the three comedies. It stars Irene Dunne (who previously costarred with Grant in "The Awful Truth"), as Grant's wife - presumed dead at the start of the film, but resurfacing shortly thereafter to throw a monkey wrench into Grant's second marriage to Gail Patrick. "The Bachelor and The Bobby-soxer" is a quaint romantic triangle between Grant, Shirley Temple and Myrna Loy. He's a playboy writer unwillingly and romantically tied to a 17-year-old schoolgirl (Temple) but more interested in her older sister (Loy). "Night & Day" is the outstanding and tuneful musical loosely based on the life of composer, Cole Porter. Actually, there's no hint of Porter's real life in it at all, other than Grant assigned to play the flamboyantly homosexual real-life man as a playfully womanizing heterosexual. Faux reality aside, the film contains wonderful production numbers to some wonderful tunes including "You're The Top" sung by Grant and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", a Mary Martin specialty that stops the show. "Destination Tokyo" is a stark shift from all the lighthearted playfulness discussed thus far. Grant is the captain of a submarine during WWII, sent to gather information for the coming Doolittle Raid. John Garfield is magnificent as the torpedo man with a bitter grudge against the Axis powers. A tad weighty on war time propaganda, this film is nevertheless, one of a handful of truly outstanding films based upon reality.
THE TRANSFERS: All of these films have been given an upgraded treatment by Warner Brothers and the clean up most definitely shows - most noticeably on "My Favorite Wife" which previously has looked very poor on home video formats. Overall, the gray scale on each of these films (with the exception of "Night & Day" which is in Technicolor) is wonderfully balanced with clean whites and solid blacks. There's very little in the way of age related artifacts for a collection of digital transfers that will surely NOT disappoint. There is some pixelization and edge enhancement present on "Destination Tokyo" as well as considerable film grain present in several rear projection shots from the same film, but these are to be expected in the quality of films of this vintage. Of special note: the Technicolor transfer on "Night And Day" suffers from periodic mis-registration that creates distracting halos or out of focus image quality from time to time. At its best the color is rich and well balanced. The audio is mono for all the titles but very nicely balanced. Of special merit: the songs in "Night And Day" are wonderfully spatial.
EXTRAS: It is somewhat disappointing that the Cary Grant Bio currently airing on Turner Classic movies as part of their month long tribute has not been included as part of this box set. We get only scant features here - some audio commentaries - resourceful if brief - some theatrical trailers and some publicity stills. Perhaps Warner is waiting to do a Cary Grant Vol. II. We'll see.
BOTTOM LINE: This is definitely one to add to your collection. Even if the transfers had not been so beautifully rendered - owning a bit of that old Cary Grant magic is never a waste of money.

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Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream HouseThe Bachelor and The Bobby-SoxerMy Favorite WifeDestination Tokyo Night and Day

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Gary Cooper MGM Movie Legends Collection (The Cowboy and the Lady / The Real Glory / Vera Cruz / The Winning of Barbara Worth) (1926) Review

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(More customer reviews)It's a shame that Gary Cooper, today, is largely remembered for only "High Noon", his Hawks and Capra films ("Sergeant York" and "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town"), and as Lou Gehrig in "The Pride of the Yankees"; in his day, he was as sexy and popular as Clark Gable, and more esteemed as a cowboy star than John Wayne!
"Gary Cooper MGM Movie Legends Collection" offers a selection of titles that will, hopefully, spark renewed interest in this most charismatic American 'Original'. While, sadly, the collection offers little in bonus features, and, with the exception of "Barbara Worth", appears to be unremastered (which is why I only give it 4 stars), each film is very entertaining!
"The Winning of Barbara Worth" (1926), was, of course, Coop's breakthrough role, after three years of stunt work and bit parts, and is a bona fide classic. As 'Abe Lee', the young cowboy/surveyor suitor of Vilma Banky, his sexy, natural style would steal the film from star Ronald Colman (in Colman's defense, his role was more restrained, and less interesting). The film, based on a best-selling novel about harnessing the Colorado River to irrigate the desert, garnered great reviews and box office, and gave Coop a spectacular 'start'... (5 stars out of 5)
"The Cowboy and the Lady" (1938), a 'modern-day' Western comedy/romance, presented Coop the way 1930s' audiences loved him best, as a slow-talking, incorruptible cowboy irresistible to women, but a 'gentleman', in the best sense of the word! Falling for the daughter of a Presidential hopeful, posing as a maid (Merle Oberon), he marries her, discovers the charade, then storms into a posh political dinner and speaks so much 'common sense' that her family moves to his ranch! With life-long friend Walter Brennan as his sidekick, this is a real charmer! (5 stars out of 5)
"The Real Glory" (1939), released shortly after his classic version of "Beau Geste", another 'action-oriented' adventure, though lacking the "Geste" polish and style. Coop is a military doctor in the 1906 Philippines, who, with friends David Niven and Broderick Crawford, attempts to help the Filipinos fight off an army of insurgents. Action was never producer Sam Goldwyn's forte, and the film lacks the warmth of a "Gunga Din", although it does offer a rousing climax... (2 1/2 stars out of 5)
"Vera Cruz" (1954), produced by Burt Lancaster and Harold Hecht, is a spectacular, large-scale western, filmed in Mexico. Ex-Confederate Cooper and bandit Lancaster are uneasy partners guarding Denise Darcel and millions in gold, during the Mexican Revolution. While the aging Coop wasn't well during production, he still gives a solid performance, although overshadowed by Burt's flashy portrayal; the film offers a
fabulous supporting cast, including Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Cesar Romero, and Jack Elam. "Vera Cruz" was a major influence on Sergio Leone, and has achieved legendary status, among fans of the genre! (5 stars out of 5)
There is a LOT to enjoy, in this Gary Cooper collection!

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Studio: Tcfhe/mgmRelease Date: 05/13/2008Run time: 375 minutes

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