The Warner Gangsters Collection (The Public Enemy / White Heat / Angels with Dirty Faces / Little Caesar / The Petrified Forest / The Roaring Twenties)

Amazon.com

For a knock-out combination of timeless entertainment and vintage studio history, you can't do much better than The Warner Brothers Gangsters Collection. In the 1930s and '40s, Paramount specialized in glossy comedies, MGM popularized lavish musicals, Universal produced signature horror classics, and Fox scored hits with sophisticated dramas. But it was Warner Bros. that generated controversy--if not always box-office profits--with so-called "social problem" films, and that meant gangsters. When viewed in their pre- and post-Prohibition context and in chronological order (Little Caesar and The Public Enemy, 1931; The Petrified Forest, 1936; Angels With Dirty Faces, 1938; The Roaring Twenties, 1939; White Heat, 1949), these six films definitively capture Warners' domination of the mobster genre, and to varying degrees, they all qualify as classics.

With its stilted visuals and pulpy plot, Little Caesar remains stuck in the stiff, early-sound era, but it's still a prototypical powerhouse, with Edward G. Robinson's titular "Rico" setting the stage for all screen gangsters to follow. The Public Enemy made James Cagney a star (who can forget him smashing a grapefruit into Mae Clarke's face?), and Humphrey Bogart repeats his Broadway success in The Petrified Forest, a stagy adaptation of Robert Sherwood's play, still enjoyable for Bogey's ever-threatening malevolence. Then it's a Cagney triple-threat in Angels (with Pat O'Brien), racketeering in The Roaring Twenties (with Bogart), and especially the jailbird classic White Heat, with a fiery finale and an exit line ("Made it Ma! Top o' the world!") that epitomized Cagney's iconic, tough-guy image. In many ways Cagney was Warner Bros., and this Gangsters Collection pays enduring tribute to him and the important films that forged the studio's rugged reputation. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The Public Enemy showcases James Cagney's powerful 1931 breakthrough performance as streetwise tough guy Tom Powers. When shooting began, Cagney had a secondary role but Zanuck soon spotted Cagney's screen dominance and gave him the star part. From that moment, an indelible genre classic and an enduring star career were both born.

As a psychotic thug devoted to his hard-boiled ma, James Cagney - older, scarier and just as elctrifying - gives a performance to match his work in The Public Enemy as White Heat's cold-blooded Cody Jarrett. Bracingly directed by Raoul Walsh, this fast-paced thriller tracing Jarrett's violent life in and out of jail is also a harrowing character study. Jarrett is a psychological time bomb ruled by impulse. It is among the most vivid screen performances of Cagney's career, and the excitement it generates will put you on top of the world!

In Angels with Dirty Faces, Cagney's Rocky Sullivan is a charismatic ghetto tough whose underworld rise makes him a hero to a gang of slum punks. The 1938 New York Film Critics Best Actor Award came Cagney's way, as well as one of the film's three Oscar nominations. Watch the chilling death-row finale and you'll know why.

"R-I-C-O, Little Caesar, that's who!" Edward G. Robinson bellowed into the phone. And Hollywood got the message: 37-year-old Robinson, not gifted with matinee-idol looks, was nonetheless a first-class star and moviegoers hailed the hard-hitting social consciousness dramas that became the Depression-era mainstay of Warner Bros.

Little Caesar is the tale of pugnacious Caesar Enrico Bandello, a hoodlum with a Chicago-sized chip on his shoulder, few attachments, fewer friends and no sense of underworld diplomacy. And Robinson - a genteel art collector who disdained guns (in the movie, his eyelids were taped to keep them from blinking when he fired a pistol) - was forever associated with the screen's archetypal gangster.

A rundown diner bakes in the Arizona heat. Inside, fugitive killer Duke Mantee sweats out a manhunt, holding disillusioned writer Alan Squier, young Gabby Maple and a handful of others hostage.

The Petrified Forest, Robert E. Sherwood's 1935 Broadway success about survival of the fittest, hit the screen a year later with Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart magnificently recreating their stage roles and Bette Davis ably reteaming with her Of Human Bondage co-star Howard. Sherwood first wanted Bogart for a smaller role. "I thought Sherwood was right," Bogart said. "I couldn't picture myself playing a gangster. So what happened? I made a hit as the gangster." So right was he that Howard refused to make the film without him...and helped launch Bogie's brilliant movie career.

In The Roaring Twenties, the speakeasy era never roared louder than in this gangland chronicle that packs a wallop under action master Raoul Walsh's direction. Against a backdrop of newsreel-like montages and narration, it follows the life of jobless war veteran Eddie Bartlett (James Cagney) who turns bootlegger, dealing in "bottles instead of battles." Battles await Eddie within and without his growing empire. Outside are territorial feuds and gangland bloodlettings. Inside is the treachery of his double-dealing associate (Humphrey Bogart). It would be 10 years before Cagney played another gangster (in White Heat), a time in which gangster movies themselves became rare. "He used to be a big shot," Panama Smith (Gladys George) says at the finale, marking Bartlett's demise...and signaling the end of Hollywood's focus on the gangster era.

Customer Reviews:

The way gangsters should act.......2007-08-04

This has all the great gangster films to come out of W.B. None of the movies are a drag in anyway; however, two stand alone as the best. Angels with Dirty Faces and the Roaring Twenties are movies that even people who do not like gangsters or olded movies can apperiate. Don't get me wrong all the movies are memorable, and everyone of them is worth watching. You'll see a young Bogart(acting for his career), the classic Robinson in Little Ceasar, and Cagney when he is "On top of the World." Each movie is amazing and this is a must have for anyone who is even remotly curious. Even if you are just getting into classics this will impress you.

Grangsters movies WITHOUT CAR CHASES?????!!!!!!!.......2007-07-24

MAN! Im SOO dissapointed!!!!

These movies doesn't even have one minute of action scenes!! Most of the action scenes were at the end and they were not THAT cool, the Roaring Twenties and White Heat were the ONLY movies with car chases but they last like 5 seconds and THERE WASN'T EVEN SHOOTING!!!, and there is TO MUCH BORING BLAH,BLAH,BLAH!!

The movie that really fooled me was Little Caesar! because the cover show a cool photo of Edward G. Robinson with a machine gun, BUT HE DOESN'T EVEN TOUCH IT in the movie!!! and there were ONLY two action scenes that last like 3 seconds.

Better buy the Tough Guys Collection because it has G Men and San Quentin which they have cool car chases with LOT'S of shooting, and the movies have more action, cooler sequences and suspense.

P.S: I gave it 2 stars because of the performances, but the rest is BORING!! Movies like Goodfellas, Godfather and Pulp Fiction are MUCH better than these ones!!!!

Adios.

AN EXCELLENT BOX SET...YOU DIRTY RAT!.......2007-07-08

I found this ganster box set at a reduced price of $18.99,it is well worth that or 3 times that. Each movie has a very good transfer and there are some cool extras in this set. There are some true classics in this set,but all are worth seeing. This is a gangsters movie set you can't snub you nose at!

The prototype of a well-done boxed set.......2007-05-14

Kudos to Warner Home Video for the loving treatment they gave these six classic films from their vaults. Every film gets the Warner Night at the Movies treatment with a newsreel, a trailer, a vintage short subject, and a cartoon each from the year in which the movie was made. Plus there are commentary tracks for all of the films. I liked watching each film through first without the track, and then listening to them with the track turned on for insight into the stars and the style of the film. In addition to this you get the following featurettes:

Little Caesar - "End of Rico, Beginning of the Antihero"
Public Enemy - "Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public"
Petrified Forest - "Menace in the Desert". There is also a radio adaptation featuring Humphrey Bogart, Tyrone Power, and Joan Bennett.
Angels with Dirty Faces - "Whaddaya Hear? Whaddaya Say?". This also has an audio-only radio production.
The Roaring Twenties - "The World Moves On"
White Heat - "Top of the World"

It's interesting to compare the three stars of these movies - Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, and Humphrey Bogart - and their styles in each of these movies. "Little Caesar" and "Public Enemy" were made when prohibition was still in effect and gangland crime was still a big problem. Thus Robinson and Cagney each play remorseless criminals with no redeeming values whatsoever. Robinson's Rico is less physical than Cagney's Tom Powers, though. You believe that either one of them would shoot you without a second thought. However, Cagney's Powers is scarier because the real fear is that he would beat you to a pulp for the fun of it and THEN shoot you.

"The Petrified Forest" is not your typical gangster film, with Leslie Howard's vagabond being the real star in what amounts to an improbable romance set against the backdrop of the desperation of the Great Depression which the desert setting seems to signify. This 1936 film has Bogart as Duke Mantee, a gangster on the run, in what amounts to a supporting role. However, you do get to see all of the traits that made Bogart great when he got the opportunity to seize the lead in later roles. And to think they almost cast him as the filling station attendant in this one!

In 1938's "Angels with Dirty Faces" and 1939's "The Roaring Twenties" Cagney is again playing the lead gangster and Humphrey Bogart plays a supporting role in both films. With prohibition long over, though, these movies make Cagney's gangster more three-dimensional, showing him to even be a self-sacrificing character at times as well as a killer. Both movies bother to show that had circumstances been a little different, he might not have even become a criminal in the first place.

1949's "White Heat" shows the influence of film noir that was so popular in the 40's an 50's. Here, Cagney's gangster persona has come full circle back to the viciousness of Tom Powers in "Public Enemy". The big difference is that in this film Cagney's mother is no cream puff. She is, in fact, probably a bigger criminal in thought if not in deed than Cagney's Cody Jarrett. This final gangster film of the six shows technology and thus the law gaining on the criminal, with electronic gadgets and undercover lawmen with college degrees in psychology replacing the determined hard-boiled detectives and beat cops of the past. It very much looks forward to the Dragnet series that is to emerge in the 50's.

In summary, this is just a terrific package and basically acts as a complete course on the gangster film as genre. All studios should stand up and take notice of how Warner Home Video put this set together. Highly recommended.

FIve classic gangster flicks.......2007-01-31

Five classic gangster films from the glory days of Warner Bros.

Granted, "gangster film" isn't the most appropriate description of 1936's "The Petrified Forest," the film based on Sherwood Anderson's talky philosophical play, but if not for the dynamic presence of Humphrey Bogart as Duke Mantee, the "prestigious" production starring Leslie Howard and Bette Davis would likely now be relegated to the same vault that stores "She Loved a Fireman" (with Ann Sheridan) and other forgotten drek from the same period. It was this film that established Bogart as a valuable supporting player on the Warner lot, a position he would occupy until 1940's "High Sierra" made him a top star.

James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson would achieve stardom almost a decade earlier than Bogart with their breakthrough roles in 1931's "Public Enemy" and "Little Caesar" respectively. Directed by William Wellman, the former film holds up quite well despite the somewhat wooden performances of the supporting cast, whereas the latter is too stagy for its own good and remains of interest primarily for Robinson's dynamic performance.

1938's "Angels with Dirty Faces" and 1939's "The Roaring Twenties" are notable for pairing Cagney with Bogart, as adversaries in the former, and as partners, at least for a time, in the latter. Both are highly entertaining with "Angels" benefiting from the casting of the Dead End Kids.

The best film in this set, however, is 1948's "White Heat" with Cagney as Cody Jarrett who makes it to the "top of the world" only to have it blow up in his face. Jarrett ranks with Cagney's portrayal of George M. Cohen in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" as his finest performance.

Brian W. Fairbanks

The Bette Davis Collection (The Star / Mr. Skeffington / Dark Victory / Now, Voyager / The Letter)

Average customer rating:

Changing my tune
The Bette Davis Collection
BRAVO!
Fabulous
Bette Davis's Best Movies All In One Simple Box

The Bette Davis Collection (The Star / Mr. Skeffington / Dark Victory / Now, Voyager / The Letter)
Starring: Bette Davis , Sterling Hayden , Natalie Wood , Warner Anderson , and Minor Watson
Director: Stuart Heisler , Vincent Sherman , and Edmund Goulding
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0008ENIOI
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Amazon.com

Even in the 21st century, very few film stars create and define their own genre--and certainly not in the complete way Bette Davis did. The Bette Davis Collection gives an exceptionally good survey of essential Bette, with four of the five films absolute knock-down classics from her long reign at Warner Bros. Davis's personality was so strong that she tended to overpower her directors, but William Wyler was one of the few to maintain his own distinctive style with her, and The Letter (1940) is a triumph for both of them. At a humid Malaysian plantation, Davis kills a man in the brilliant opening sequence, and the remainder is a darkly suggestive unraveling of the complicated explanation.

Dark Victory (1939) and Now, Voyager (1942) would be on anybody's list of most representative Davis pictures. In the former, she's a doomed heiress nobly losing her eyesight, a multiple-handkerchief situation that proved one of her biggest hits. Voyager allows Davis one of her favored techniques (appearing frumpy for at least part of her performance) as a mother-dominated spinster who comes out of her shell. Her match with Paul Henreid--and the music of Max Steiner--turns this into one luscious melodrama.

If Mr. Skeffington (1944) is not as celebrated as those films, it is nevertheless a characteristic Warners work-out. Davis wasn't shy about playing unsympathetic roles, and Fanny Skeffington--vain, selfish, married for practicality--is an exasperating tour de force. She gets good support from Claude Rains as the sensible, adoring husband. The Star (1952) is no classic, but its Pirandellian aspects will appeal to the actress's fans: Bette plays a washed-up Oscar-winning star desperate to get herself back in the public eye (think if it as a less witty postscript to All About Eve). There's some hint the main character is modeled more on Joan Crawford than Bette herself, in which case Davis must have loved playing it.

Extras are modest, with short featurettes giving background on three of the discs, and director Vincent Sherman providing commentary for Mr. Skeffington. But the films themselves, and their neurotically intense star, are quite capable of standing alone. --Robert Horton

Description

The Bette Davis Collection includes 3 new-to-DVD classics, featuring Davis in multiple Emmy-nominated performances as a captivating adulteress, a manipulative beauty, and a former Oscar-winning actress recovering from the end of her career.

Customer Reviews:

Changing my tune.......2007-05-05

As my tagline indicates I am mad about musicals, and I vowed I would never add dramas to my collection because with musicals, you can play the numbers over and over again, like a record, and enjoy. You can never tire of songs, dance and spectacle. But dramas? Once seen, to be put away for years, otherwise you become too familiar with the plot and the initial impact weakens. I revised my thinking with the release of the Bette Davis Collections because I realised that - in keeping with my love of musicals - every Bette Davis movie is a symphony. A symphony of emotions that equals major musical works - grand opera, concertos, and the subtlety of chamber ensembles. I also have a personal connection with "Dark Victory" and "Now Voyager". They were the work of screenwriter Casey Robinson, top Warner Brothers writer of the 30's and 40's, who retired with his Australian wife, Joan, to Sydney and became a close friend. Having heard all the stories, I asked him if Bette was difficult. "She never changed a line," he told me, "she respected a good script." Enough said. I worry a bit about them shoving "The Star" into this collection - it's a lesser vehicle when they could have included "The Old Maid" or "The Sisters"...but that's the deal, huh? It seems 'collections' are an opportunity to offload at least one minor low-budget movie. However, it's still interesting given Bette's typically bravura performance, and it's wonderful that her formidable contribution to cinema is preserved so magnificently. Go see what I think about Collection Two.

The Bette Davis Collection.......2007-02-23

Absolultely must have for any fan. It is great. I love "The Letter".

Regards

BRAVO!.......2007-02-17

My favorite is Mr. Skeffingtion. Talk about a dose of cold hard reality. That psychiatrist was a real trip! Very enjoyable movie.

Fabulous.......2006-12-23

Better is the best and fabulous in this box set. We've never had a better actress.

Bette Davis's Best Movies All In One Simple Box.......2006-11-04

People have often said that Bette Davis is the most versitile and simply the best actress to have come out of Hollywood, and until Meryl Streep came along I would agree with that statement, Bette Davis give remarkable performances in all five of these films, In The Letter, Bette Davis gives one of her finest performances a moody cheating housewife who murders her lover and then claims it was self defence, in Now Voyage she plays the shy and intraverted daughter of a controlling mother, when the mother dies she has trouble coming out of her shell and when she does she finds love, but none of it is that simple, a very good film, extremely good dialogue, all the films in this box set a brilliant and I would recommend these films to anyone that wants to watch a film with real actors that have real talent.

The Bette Davis Collection, Vol. 2 (Marked Woman / Jezebel / The Man Who Came to Dinner / Old Acquaintance / What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Collection of Bette Davis Classics- It's Volume 2 Darling!
Volume 3
Bette Davis Part 3
The Bette Davis Collection Vol. 2
Great actress, great set

The Bette Davis Collection, Vol. 2 (Marked Woman / Jezebel / The Man Who Came to Dinner / Old Acquaintance / What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Bette Davis , Miriam Hopkins , Gig Young , John Loder , and Dolores Moran
Director: Vincent Sherman , William Wyler , and Lloyd Bacon
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Two-Disc Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000EU1Q40
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Amazon.com

Bette Davis's long career as a Warner Bros. contract star is crowded with decent movies, so it's no surprise that Vol. 2 of The Bette Davis Collection is about as strong as the first such DVD bundle. Even so, it strays from the classic years by including the latter-career What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, also made at Warner, and an entire disc given to a new feature-length documentary. The earliest title here is 1937's Marked Woman, a tart vehicle from the busy period following her first Oscar. Bette plays a clip-joint girl recruited by D.A. Humphrey Bogart to rat on a Lucky Luciano-style mob boss. Here Davis spits and sparks like a young dragon, so electrically "on" that other actors sometimes look a little afraid of her.

Jezebel is one of the best-remembered of Davis's performances, and the second of her Oscar wins. Something of an audition for the Gone with the Wind lead (of course she didn't get that part), Davis plays a scheming New Orleans belle whose headstrong behavior brings grief to fiancé Henry Fonda--and eventually to herself. This was the first time William Wyler directed Davis, and the intensity of their collaboration (and affair) is visible. The Man Who Came to Dinner, while a fun movie, is not a Davis vehicle; she takes a distinctly supporting role to Monty Woolley's deliciously nasty re-creation of his Broadway triumph. He plays the famous writer Sheridan Whiteside, waylaid by a cracked hip in the home of some squares in small-town Ohio.

Old Acquaintance (1943) is a trademark Warner "women's picture," with Davis and Miriam Hopkins as childhood friends who become rival writers in adulthood (the John Van Druten play was later remade as Rich and Famous). Hopkins has the showier role, but Davis shines by contrast. Davis and Hopkins hated each other in real life, which must have been good preparation for Davis on What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, her epic showdown with Joan Crawford, filmed as both actresses found their careers well into eclipse. The two former screen queens were not friendly and had never worked together, but their inspired casting in this Grand Guignol tale resulted in a surprise box-office smash. Robert Aldrich brought his smart sensibility to the story of two showbiz sisters living a grotesque existence well out of the public eye. The movie has become a camp classic in the years since its release, a phenomenon acknowledged by the disc's commentary track featuring veteran female impersonators Charles Busch and John Epperson ("Lypsinka"). The set also includes a bonus disc of supporting short documentaries and archival footage.

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story is a feature doc that gives a thorough cruise through Davis's life and career, with an emphasis on the warts-and-all side of biography (an admiring Susan Sarandon narrates). It's well paced and heavy with good clips, although it does render some the supporting bios on the Baby Jane bonus disc redundant. --Robert Horton

Description

A seven-disc set of Marked Woman, Jezebel, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Old Acquaintance, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Two-Disc Special Edition, and the 2005 documentary Stardust: The Bette Davis Story. With expert commentaries, new and vintage documentary profiles, new and vintage featurettes, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Collection of Bette Davis Classics- It's Volume 2 Darling!.......2007-04-25

I, like many other die-hard Bette Davis and classic movie buffs, have awaited this release mainly for the DVD debuts of, "The Man Who Came To Dinner" and "Old Acquaintance," both great Davis films. I was very pleased to see that the film "Jezebel," which was Davis' calling card for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Selznick's "Gone With The Wind" had undergone a beautiful job of remastering! The "2 disc Special Edition" of the ultimate pairing of legends Bette Davis and Joan Crawford puts icing on the cake with "What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?" I wasn't too familiar with "Marked Woman," however, it's an interesting film and is a nice addition to the set. Also included is the 2005 documentary entitled, "Stardust; The Bette Davis Story," which shines some light on Davis' career -and some nice footage of her classic films.

"Marked Woman" (1937)
Mary Dwight (Bette Davis) works as a hostess at the Club Intime run by ruthless gangster Johnny Vanning (Eduardo Ciannelli). When one of her "clients" is murdered prosecutor David Graham (Humphrey Bogart) questions Mary but she won't cooperate and Vanning is acquitted. When Mary's sister Betty (Jane Bryan) is killed by one of Vanning's thugs she decides to spill the beans and is beaten into disfigurement. At her bedside all the witnesses agree to testify.

"Jezebel" (1938)
Set in antebellum New Orleans during the early 1850's, this film follows Julie Marsden (Bette Davis) through her quest for social redemption on her own terms. Julie is a beautiful and free spirited Southern belle who is sure of herself and controlling of her fiancé Preston Dillard, (Henry Fonda) a successful young banker. Julie's sensitive but domineering personality--she does not want so much to hurt as to assert her independence--forces a wedge between Preston and herself. To win him back, she plays North against South amid a deadly epidemic of yellow fever, which claims a surprising victim.

"The Man Who Came To Dinner" (1942)
Sheridan Whiteside, (Monty Woolley) an eccentric and acid-tongued radio lecturer, is disabled on the doorstep of a prominent Ohio family and must remain confined to the unwilling family's home for a few days. Discovering what he believes to be problems within the household, Sheridan ("Sherry") discovers his leg is fine. Bribing the doctor to declare him unfit to leave for a few weeks, Sherry hatches a plot to fix all of the household's problems, including his loyal secretary Maggie Cutler (Bette Davis) who has just discovered her true love Bert Jefferson (Richard Travis). Lots of fun here with great performances by the entire cast which also include Ann Sheridan, Billie Burke, and the wonderfully comic Jimmy Durante.

"Old Acquaintance" (1943)
Established serious author Kit Marlowe (Bette Davis) inspires hometown pal Millie Drake (Miriam Hopkins) who writes a trashy novel published with Kit's help. Millie's husband Preston (John Loder) leaves her. Ten years of trashy novels later Millie tries to reconcile, but Preston is marrying another. Millie accuses Kit of husband stealing. Later Kit learns of Millie's daughter Diedre's (Dolores Moran) affection for Rudd, (Gig Young) whom Kit was thinking of marrying. Kit blesses their union and makes up with Millie.

"What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?" (1962) -2 disc Special Edition-
Two aging film actresses live as virtual recluses in an old Hollywood mansion. Jane Hudson, (Bette Davis) a successful child star, cares for her crippled sister Blanche, (Joan Crawford) whose career in later years eclipsed that of Jane. Now the two live together, their relationship affected by simmering subconscious thoughts of mutual envy, hate and revenge. Spiteful pranks and bitchy dialogue make this one a jewel in the "Crown of Camp!"

"Stardust: The Bette Davis Story" (2005) -documentary-
Covering the early and later parts of the legendary star's vast film career, "Stardust" captures the allure of Davis in her early films and goes on to show her courage and in-your-face attitude which mesmerized her fans and made her a box office draw even in her golden years. Some of the material can also be seen on Disc 2 of the `What Ever Happened To Baby Jane" DVD, however, there is enough in "Stardust" to make it a nice addition to the set, as well.

A rumored "Bette Davis Collection: Volume 3" is supposedly in the works and set for release this year, however, nothing official has been announced of the titles to be included or the date of release. Hopefully a box set entitled "The Joan Crawford Collection: Volume 2" will accompany Davis third box set release -there's a lot of Crawford classics still awaiting a DVD release, as well. But until then, enjoy this "Volume 2 collection of Davis classics, it will sit well next to your Volume 1 set of your Classic DVD Library.

Volume 3.......2007-04-06

Volumes 1 & 2 are fine. Some suggestions for Volume 3:
-"Beyond the Forest" (camp noir classic with immortal line: "What a dump!" All those viewers who've only heard the line parodied in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" could hear the original source! King Vidor's direction is full of mood and evocative of German expressionism.)
-"Dangerous" (Davis' fresh, dynamic performance in this film resulted in her first Oscar for Best Actress. Isn't that enough reason to release it? Far better than her performance in "The Star")
- "The Little Foxes" special edition (this film is one of the greatest filmizations of a stage play & deserves a special edition. The current DVD release doesn't have a single extra on it! A shame! A 2-disc DVD is called for!
- "The Old Maid" (far better than "Old Acquaintance", this is one of the best soap opera tearjerker period piece women's films. Davis gives one of her most sensitive, vulnerable performances and ages quite realistically in this film.)
- "In This Our Life" (another camp classic with Davis playing a bad girl to the hilt. John Huston's direction is colorful.)
- "Juarez" (although Davis has a small part, the film is historically interesting and as the Mexican Empress Carlota, Davis gives a vivid portrait of a woman going mad.)

Bette Davis Part 3.......2007-04-03

Parts 1 & 2 are fantastic, but when are we going to get Part 3.

The Bette Davis Collection Vol. 2.......2007-02-23

I love this collections - it is a wonderful addition to my 'Bette Davis Library'.
Regards

Great actress, great set.......2007-02-05

Among the great movie actresses of the first half of the Twentieth Century, there was arguably no one better than Bette Davis. Although good-looking, she didn't really have the same great Hollywood beauty that other well-known actresses had. Her greatness came from much more from pure talent than from appearance; in fact, some of her best roles were rather unflattering. Volume 2 of the Bette Davis Collection showcases five of her roles in a variety of genres: gangster film, Southern romance, comedy, "woman's" picture and horror.

The first movie (chronologically speaking) is Marked Woman, which fits right into the classic Warner Brothers gangster movies, albeit with a female protagonist. Davis plays Mary, a "dancer" for a nightclub run by a crooked mobster. Ambitious and independent, she is comfortable enough with her career as long as it finances her sister's college education. Eventually, things go sour and she is forced to make some hard choices. Humphrey Bogart has a supporting role as a noble D.A.

Nex is Jezebel, sometimes described as Davis's consolation for not getting cast in Gone With the Wind. As the rebellious Julie in antebellum New Orleans, she has some similarity to Scarlett O'Hara, but is generally different. Her efforts to defy the customs of Southern aristocracy - culminating in her wearing an inappropriate dress to a ball - costs her dearly. Henry Fonda plays her fiance who comes to find her renegade ways too much. Davis would win an Oscar in her role; ironically, this movie actually preceded Gone With the Wind in the theaters.

The Man Who Came to Dinner is an adaptation of a stage comedy. Davis plays the personal assistant to an arrogant writer who comes to dine in the house of a fan and winds up confined there after an accident. Davis plays a significant but smaller part in this ensemble comedy which is still quite amusing.

Old Acquaintance tells the story of two friends over the course of twenty years. Davis is a literary author who is well-respected; Miriam Hopkins has lesser skills but churns out the best-sellers. Often times they are more rivals than friends, as Hopkins sacrifices all for hollow success.

Finally, there is What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, which co-stars Davis's real-life rival, Joan Crawford. Davis plays Jane, a former child star in the days of vaudeville. Crawford plays her sister, who was a successful actress until being crippled in an accident. Now Crawford is being tormented by her sister. Davis's version of Jane is wonderfully crazed.

There is a boatload of special features in the set, including one disc that has Stardust: The Bette Davis Story, a sometimes cheesy but generally informative biography that shows that even if Davis was a great actress, she was not a very nice person. There are shorts and mini-documentaries on the films, along with commentaries on Jezebel, Old Acquaintance and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? This final movie also has a whole disc of bonus features including a second biography of Davis. All the movies are either four or five-star quality, so the set as a whole merits five stars. If you are a Davis fan, this will be a delight to watch; if you're unfamiliar with her work, this set is a good place to start.

Studio Classics - Best Picture Collection (Sunrise / How Green Was My Valley / Gentleman's Agreement / All About Eve)

Average customer rating:

Great movies
Collection does not overlap the other Best Picture collections
Hollywood masterpieces
Very good value -- even if you own a couple already!
Clever Packaging!

Studio Classics - Best Picture Collection (Sunrise / How Green Was My Valley / Gentleman's Agreement / All About Eve)
Starring: Bette Davis , Anne Baxter , George Sanders , Celeste Holm , and Gary Merrill
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz , Elia Kazan , and John Ford
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000AINLS
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Amazon.com

Sunrise (1927)
There are those who rate Sunrise the greatest of all silent films. Then again, some consider it the finest film from any era. Such claims invite a backlash, but do yourself a favor and give it a look. At the very least, you'll know you've seen a movie of extraordinary visual beauty and emotional purity. This universal tale of a farm couple's journey from country to city and back again was the first American film for F.W. Murnau, the German director of Nosferatu and The Last Laugh whose everyday scenes seemed haunted by phantoms and whose most extravagant visions never lost touch with reality. Hollywood afforded him the technical resources to unleash his imagination, and in turn he opened up the power of camera movement and composition for a generation of American filmmakers. You'll never forget the walk in the swamp, the ripples on the lake, the trolley ride from forest to metropolis. This movie defines the cinema. --Richard T. Jameson

How Green Was My Valley (1941)
John Ford's beautiful, heartfelt drama about a close-knit family of Welsh coal miners is one of the greatest films of Hollywood's golden age--a gentle masterpiece that beat Citizen Kane in the Best Picture race for the 1941 Academy Awards. The picture also won Oscars for Best Director (Ford), Best Supporting Actor (Donald Crisp), Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography; all of those awards were richly deserved, even if they came at the expense of Kane and Orson Welles. Based on the novel by Richard Llewellyn, the film focuses its eventful story on 10-year-old Huw (Roddy McDowall), youngest of seven children to Mr. and Mrs. Morgan (Donald Crisp, Sarah Allgood), a hardy couple who've seen the best and worst of times in their South Wales mining town. They're facing one of the worst times as Mr. Morgan refuses to join a miners union whose members have begun a long-term strike. Family tensions grow and Huw must learn many of life's harsher lessons under the tutelage of the local preacher (Walter Pidgeon), who has fallen in love with Huw's sister (Maureen O'Hara). As various crises are confronted and devastating losses endured, How Green Was My Valley unfolds as a rich, moving portrait of family strength and integrity. It's also a nod to a simpler, more innocent time--and to the preciousness of memory and the inevitable passage from youth to adulthood. An all-time classic, not to be missed. --Jeff Shannon

Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
Elia Kazan directed this sometimes powerful study of anti-Semitism in nicer circles, based on Laura Z. Hobson's post-World War II novel. Gregory Peck is a hotshot magazine writer who has been blind to the problem; to ferret it out, he passes himself off as Jewish and watches the WASPs squirm. Seen a half-century later, the attitudes seem quaint and dated: Could it really have been like this? Yet the truth of the story comes through, in the wounded dignity of John Garfield, the upright indignation of Peck, and the hidden ways bigotry and hatred can poison relationships. That's particularly true in the Oscar-winning performance of Celeste Holm, who finds more layers than you'd expect in what seems like a stock character. --Marshall Fine

All About Eve (1950)
Showered with Oscars, this wonderfully bitchy (and witty) comedy written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz concerns an aging theater star (Bette Davis) whose life is being supplanted by a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing ingenue (Anne Baxter) whom she helped. This is a film for a viewer to take in like a box of chocolates, packed with scene-for-scene delights that make the entire story even better than it really is. The film also gives deviously talented actors such as George Sanders and Thelma Ritter a chance to speak dazzling lines; Davis bites into her role and never lets go. A classic from Mankiewicz, a legendary screenwriter and the brilliant director of A Letter to Three Wives, The Barefoot Contessa, and Sleuth. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Great movies.......2007-05-11

I was looking for All About Eve, but I ended up three othet great movies. What a wonderful bonus

Collection does not overlap the other Best Picture collections.......2007-02-03

These are four of the eight Best Picture winners produced by Fox Film Corporation, the others being "Cavalcade", "Sound of Music", "Patton", and "The French Connection". I'll give a brief run down on my opinion of each film:

Sunrise (1927) - Winner of "Best Artistic Picture" of 1927-8, this is actually NOT a best picture winner in the strict sense. That film would be "Wings". However, this is a much better movie. The whole picture is a work of art. Director F.W. Murnau actually makes you somewhat sorry that silent pictures are obsolete, and the cinematography has to be seen to be believed. The story is simple - A farmer falls for a woman from the city, almost resorts to killing his wife to be rid of her, comes to his senses, and the man and wife remember why they got married in the first place while having a day of fun in the City. If you don't like artistic pictures, you may not like this one, but it is one of my favorites.

How Green Was My Valley (1941) - The most amazing factoid about this film is that it beat Citizen Kane for Best Picture, and yet today it is relatively forgotten compared to that film. The film is pretty good though. It is about a Welsh family and the impact of how their green lush Welsh valley is ruined by mining at the turn of the twentieth century. John Ford directs.

Gentleman's Agreement (1947) - One of the first "socially relevant" films to win Best Picture. Gregory Peck pretends to be Jewish to collect material for a story on being Jewish in America. The message is powerful, but there are some distracting subplots going on - most notably Peck and his relationship with his sick mother, and Peck's romance with Dorothy McGuire that rings hollow.

All About Eve (1950) - This is a great one. Powerful acting by everyone. Just when you think there is nobody more evil than Anne Baxter's Eve Harrington, along comes George Sander's Addison DeWitt and kicks her to the curb in that category. Then there's the wonderful Bette Davis as aging star Margo Channing. This role reinvigorated Davis' career, which had been on a downward slide for a few years.

In summary you get two great Best Pictures - Sunrise and All About Eve, and two good Best Pictures - How Green was My Valley and Gentleman's Agreement, all for a reasonable price that does not overlap with other Best Picture boxed sets and DVD bundles. I recommend it.

Hollywood masterpieces.......2007-01-16

I have been trying for over a year to obtain a copy of Sunrise. I had seen the film about two years ago on the Turner Classical Movies channel and it had a profound impact on me. The characters were so human and modern in their behavior. And, although certain directors of the 20's seemed to like advancing the plot or time element through superimposing one frame over another and it could be annoying and confusing, in this film it was a fascinating technique to watch. This is a film in which you can get totally engrossed. The story is timeless and poignant. I am so glad this film was included with the "talkie" best picture films (which, it goes without saying are among the superior films of the 30's and 40's).

Very good value -- even if you own a couple already!.......2005-07-01

I have to take issue with "Moviefanatic", who objected to having no lower-cost, 'Sunrise'-only alternative to this set.

I could see his point if they were charging a premium price for the set, but they're not. The cost of this 4-film set is less, for example, than for the 1-disk Criterion edition of 'The Passion of Joan of Arc', or the Kino or Image Entertainment versions of 'Intolerance'. (To say nothing of other silent masterpieces, like 'The Crowd', which have never received DVD release.)

If it helps, you can think of the other three films as bonus filler items. They are all worthy pictures. 'How Green Was My Valley' is often called sentimental, and in some ways it is, but it is a dark, sad movie, and one of Ford's best. 'Gentleman's Agreement' is the weakest film here, a sincere and well-intentioned attack on American anti-Semitism, but rather talky and slow. If it doesn't represent Kazan's best work, it still stands up as historically important. 'All About Eve' was for years the film with the most Oscar nominations (14); it too is talky, but with dialogue this memorable, talky is in this case a good thing.

But the big attraction of this set is 'Sunrise'. Technically, you could argue 'Sunrise' is out of place here, as is not exactly a "Best Picture" Oscar-winner. In the first year of the Academy Awards, 1927-28, the award for "Best Production" was split between 'Wings' and 'The Last Command', while 'Sunrise' got the award -- issued that year only -- for "Best Artistic Quality of Production", beating out 'The Crowd' and 'Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness'. (Incidentally, none of those three films were nominated for "Best Production", and 'The Crowd' would have taken the Artistic Quality award if not for an all-night fillibuster by L.B. Mayer.) But this is trivia; both 'Sunrise' and 'The Crowd' are legitimate masterpieces.

I had never heard of 'Chang', but it is available on DVD, from Image Entertainment -- for about the same price as this 4-disk set.

Bottom line: This set features three great movies, one of which is otherwise unavailable, and one good one. The set is a terrific bargain. Case closed; buy it.

Clever Packaging!.......2005-06-06

I have to admit that all of these movies are great. Unfortunately, all of them (except 'Sunrise') have been available in other editions. So what do the lovers of Murnau's masterpiece have to do? In order to get their hands on the cherished bonus, they have to buy three other movies that they have probably watched countless number of times. I have to give credit to this DVD set creators/promoters. This is business sense (shameless and greedy) at its best! And people flock to buy it and give praises. Everybody is happy (or furious)... You decide.

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A HOLLYWOOD STYLE MEXICAN REVOLUTION...

JUAREZ
Starring: Paul Muni , Bette Davis , Brian Aherne , and Claude Rain
Director: William Dieterle
Manufacturer: Classicline
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000G6QE44

Product Description

Brand new, factory sealed, fully licensed DVD manufactured in Brazil. NTSC format. Playable on any North American DVD player. High quality full screen black and white image. Original English dialog with optional subtitles in Portuguese. Portuguese subtitles do not appear unless turned on and they can be easily turned off. The following review appears in Amazon for the VHS release:"Reviewer: Cory D. Slipman. The incomparable Paul Muni in not one of his most memorable roles, stills casts a formidable shadow playing a stoic and mostly taciturn deposed president of the Mexican republic Benito Juarez. The French led by the sleazy and devious emperor Louis Napolean played by the talented Claude Rains have conquered Mexico at the time of the Civil War. Rains installs the naive archduke Maximilian von Habsburg played by a stylishly coiffed Brian Aherne, to rule as emperor of Mexico aided by his pop eyed wife Carlotta played by the immortal Bette Davis. He dupes them into believing that his assention to the throne has been mandated by the natives of the land. This is a recipe for disaster as the populace is solidly behind the democracy loving Juarez. Once the French withdraw their support of Maximilian by removing their troops, his rule is doomed. The movie while possessing an all star cast lacks the fiery drama that the portrayal of this extremely tumultuous chapter of world history demands. The venerable Muni often appears wooden and emotionless in his portrayal of Juarez. John Garfield as General Diaz, Gail Sondergaard as Empress Eugenie and Gilbert Roland as Colonel Lopez give excellent performances in supporting roles."

Customer Reviews:

A HOLLYWOOD STYLE MEXICAN REVOLUTION..........2006-12-17

This 1939 film is an ambitious historical drama that, while based on history, takes creative license in dramatizing the story of Benito Juarez, the legendary Mexican freedom fighter who liberated the Mexican people from the French Empire and the puppet rule of the Habsburgs. Studded with an all star cast, it is an entertaining venture, though somewhat historically inaccurate.

Paul Muni in the role of the legendary Juarez eerily resembles the humble Mexican peasant of Indian stock who liberated the Mexican people from their foreign oppressors. Briane Aherne is almost saintly in the role of the doomed Maximilian Von Habsburg, who, having become head of the puppet government in a move engineered by the despotic Emporor of France, Louis Napoleon III (Claude Rains), believes that he and Juarez are not so far apart in their ideology, a belief with which Juarez begged to differ.

Bette Davis, surprisingly enough, looks positively beautiful as Maximilian's beloved wife, the tragic Carlotta, and does a wonderful job with this supporting role, understated until she becomes unbalanced towards the end, when the political perfidy of which she and her husband were victims becomes unbearable for her, causing her to go over the brink into madness.

Donald Crisp, Gilbert Roland, John Garfield, and Gale Sondergaard round out this excellent cast. The film is an intriguing blend of political propaganda, political correctness (for the time), and creative license. Still, it manages to capture the flavor of a Mexico desperate for independence from its European oppressors, the French and the Spanish Grandees and landowners, who looked down upon the predominantly Indian peons that constituted the majority of the Mexican people. All in all, it is a film well worth watching and one that will be enjoyed by all those who love classic, vintage films.

MGM Holiday Classics Collection (The Bishop's Wife / March of the Wooden Soldiers / Pocketful of Miracles)

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MGM Holiday Classics Collection (The Bishop's Wife / March of the Wooden Soldiers / Pocketful of Miracles)
Starring: Cary Grant , Loretta Young , Bette Davis , and Glenn Ford
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000TJBNH6
Release Date: 2007-10-16

Description

Disc 1: The Bishop's Wife P&S Disc 2: March of the Wooden Soldiers P&S Disc 3: Pocketful of Miracles WS

Hollywood Rivals - Joan Crawford vs. Bette Davis

Average customer rating:

A Lady in the Dark
BETTE and JOAN deserve so much better!
You get what you pay for...
I should have listened
BAAAAAAD!!!!

Hollywood Rivals - Joan Crawford vs. Bette Davis
Starring: Hollywood Rivals Collection
Manufacturer: PASSPORT VIDEO
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00095VKDW
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Description

Their off-camera battles made headlines all over the world! Two gigantic egos, clashing on the set of one gigantic film! They were Ruth Elizabeth Davis and Lucille Fay LeSueur - much better known as Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Davis was the tempestuous queen of Warner Brothers in the 1930s, while Crawford led the parade of thirties glamour gals at MGM. In the forties, they were both under contract to Warner Brothers, but they only worked together once professionally - as bitter rival sisters in the memorable 1962 thriller "What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?" The tales of their real-life rivalry on the set are legendary. The clash of their powerful personalities threatened to shut down the film. Here is their amazing story, told thru rare film clips, photos, and newsreels. As a special bonus, this DVD contains two fascinating documentaries, Hollywood Remembers Bette Davis and Hollywood Remembers Joan Crawford, Featuring memorable scenes from some of their greatest films.

Customer Reviews:

A Lady in the Dark.......2007-06-11

A controversial introduction to the lives and careers of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis that unfortunately denigrates Crawford's ability as an actress and makes her career an adjunct to that of Davis.
Joan Crawford was a great film actress. She had that ineluctable `something' that makes her one of the most watchable women ever put on celluloid. Her ability to transmit thoughts and emotions to her audience is compelling even to this day.
Bette Davis was a great actress as well and eventually Joan's equal as cynosure, however, what Joan could do effortlessly Bette had to work at and therein lies the conflict which created this DVD.
By the late 1930's they were two competing equals, although Joan was a star before Bette. That's what started the rivalry that culminated not in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane but rather in Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte with Bette the victor. Then in 1978, after Crawford's death, with the publication of a biography by her adopted daughter, Joan's reputation and career went into eclipse.

BETTE and JOAN deserve so much better!.......2005-09-12

This DVD has poor picture and sound quality. The information is not always correct nor does the narrator give any sources for the quotes attributed to Bette and Joan.
The worst part of this DVD is the narrator. He is obviously an amateur and narrates the story as if he is reading from the yellow pages.
He makes idiotic statement like "Olivia replaced Joan in Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte and that really uped the old lady quotient."
This is one of the dumbest, but there are plenty more where that came from.
I suggest you save your money and your time and skip this puerile DVD.
This DVD is so stupid you will actually feel your IQ going down as you watch it.

You get what you pay for..........2005-09-05

This DVD documentary got me excited when I first became aware of its impending release. Priced at under $10 I wasn't turned off by the unfavorable reviews because I figured it's worth the gamble. Well, it wasn't. The first ten minutes told me I had wasted my money. Had I not been such a fan of Crawford I would have probably turned it off before the end. I stuck it out but it's certainly a bitter disappointment.

I should have listened.......2005-07-23

I should have believed the other reviewers. Being a die hard fan of both actresses, I thought, "how could this be bad". This was 50 minutes of absolutely NOTHING. It was cheaply put together. I learned nothing from it. What a waste of money! If I could have given it zero stars I would have.

BAAAAAAD!!!!.......2005-07-23

Not informative,Not interesting,It's not even good enough to be called Sleazy.Absolute JUNK!Certainly not a documentary.

The Leading Ladies Collection (Now Voyager / Mildred Pierce / For Me and My Gal / Father of the Bride / Dial M for Murder)

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Good Mixed Classic Set

The Leading Ladies Collection (Now Voyager / Mildred Pierce / For Me and My Gal / Father of the Bride / Dial M for Murder)
Starring: Bette Davis , Paul Henreid , Claude Rains , Gladys Cooper , and John Loder
Director: Irving Rapper , Michael Curtiz , and Busby Berkeley
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000GETTIY
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Customer Reviews:

Good Mixed Classic Set.......2007-03-22

In "Now Voyager" Bette Davis plays a great heartbreaking role in a tragic romance with Paul Henried. "Mildred Pierce" has Joan Crawford wonderfully playing an independent woman after her divorce. "For Me and My Gal" has Judy Garland well cast in a romantic musical. "Father of the Bride" with Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett is excellent romantic comedy. "Dial M for Murder" is a suspenseful murder mystery with Ray Milland and Grace Kelly.

Average customer rating:

A sticky bundle
Studio Classics - That's Entertainment
A good collection of movies from 1937-1969
What is this?

Studio Classics Collection Boxed Set
Starring: Audrey Hepburn , Tyrone Power , Bette Davis , Maureen O'Hara , and Walter Pidgeon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MCH7G6
Release Date: 2007-03-01

Amazon.com

This 40-Disc Collection includes some of the best in classic film, including 15 films nominated by the Academy of Arts and Sciences for Best Picture of the Year. This is a must-have in any classic film lover's library.

Customer Reviews:

A sticky bundle.......2007-08-14

This is a great value for some very good films indeed (about $6 per film at Amazon's discount). However, as one of the other reviewers noted, this is a bundle, not a proper collection. That means that all 40 films are separately wrapped with Fox's infuriating security stickers that do not come off cleanly. After spending an hour removing the stickers, you can expect to find DVD cases sticking together because of all the adhesive residue. Tacky in both the literal and figurative senses!

Otherwise a great deal (especially when you consider that most if not all titles include an audio commentary and other special features.)

Studio Classics - That's Entertainment.......2007-07-04

No - Studio Classics are not the great musicals of MGM, but it is a group of great movies from Hollywood. All but four of the movies are Oscar winners in a major category and four best picture winners. You need to like the black and white movies of the late 30's into the 40's and the All-Star color classics of the 50's. Not certain I'd call this a "collection," since it is a pretty eclectic group of movies, but a treasure chest of viewing pleasure for those that can watch a great movie again and again. Bring on the popcorn!

A good collection of movies from 1937-1969.......2007-01-27

The previous reviewer asked an excellent question - Why part with all of that money if you don't even know what films are included? So, I looked it up and here's the list:

In Old Chicago (1937), Nominated Best Picture, won Best Supporting Actress
Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938), Nominated for Best Picture
The Rains Came (1939), Stars Myrna Loy in an OK sentimental disaster film.

The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Nominated Best Picture, in AFI top 100 Films.
The Mark of Zorro (1940), Stars Tyrone Power in title role.
How Green Was My Valley (1941), Won Best Picture
The Black Swan (1942), Tyrone Power & Maureen O'Hara in a pirate film.
Orchestra Wives (1942), Stars Glenn Miller and his band.
The Ox-Bow Incident(1943), Nominated for Best Picture starring Henry Fonda.
The Song of Bernadette (1943), Nominated for Best Picture, won Best Actress.
The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), Gregory Peck nominated for Best Actor
Leave Her to Heaven (1945), Melodrama with Cornell Wilde & Gene Tierney
Anna and the King of Siam (1946), Rex Harrison in non-musical version of "The King and I".
My Darling Clementine (1946), John Ford, who actually knew Wyatt Earp, directs Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp.
The Razor's Edge (1946), nominated for Best Picture.
Gentleman's Agreement (1947), - Won best picture, direction, supporting actress (Celeste Holm).
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), Gene Tierney as a widow plus Rex Harrison as the ghost she falls in love with.
The Snake Pit (1948), Nominated for best picture, stars Olivia DeHaviland as a mental patient.
A Letter to Three Wives (1949), nominated for Best Picture. 1 of 3 husbands has left his wife - but which one?

All About Eve (1950), Won Best Picture, helped revive Bette Davis' career
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), A terrific early sci-fi film
Titanic (1953), stars Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck as a feuding couple aboard the doomed ship.
Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), Nominated best picture
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), Nominated best picture
Anastasia (1956), Ingrid Bergman won Best Actress as the amnesiac heiress to the Russian throne.
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956), Gregory Peck as a businessman trying to balance his career and home life.
An Affair to Remember (1957), Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr in a great romance
Desk Set (1957), One of Tracy & Hepburn's better films.
The Three Faces of Eve (1957), Best Actress award for Joanne Woodward as a woman with three personalities.
Peyton Place (1957),classic melodrama and Nominated Best Picture
The River's Edge (1957, An OK Western/film noir combo.
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958),stars Ingrid Bergman as a missionary in China.
The Best of Everything (1959), 1950's view of the world of secretaries. Joan Crawford as an evil boss.
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959), Nominated Best Picture, won 3 others.

Return to Peyton Place (1961), a mediocre sequel to the original.
Zorba the Greek (1964), Nominated Best Picture, stars Anthony Quinn.
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), Bette Davis in a great bizarre tale.
How to Steal a Million (1966), classic 60's comedy with Peter O'Toole & Audrey Hepburn.
Two for the Road (1967), Nominated for best screenplay, great love story told in flashbacks.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), Best Actress for Maggie Smith as a schoolteacher with unconventional ideas.

All in all, this is a good collection of 40 critically acclaimed and award-winning films from the years 1937-1969 that continue to be popular. They encompass all genres, and I count only two real clunkers among them - "Return to Peyton Place" and "The Rains Came". There are a lot of Academy Award winners among them - and I'm not talking just Best Song or Best Cinematography either. I counted 15 nominations for best picture, and a few actually won the top award. With the price heavily discounted as it is, it works out to six dollars per classic movie, which is a pretty good deal.

My impression is that this is just a DVD bundle, not a collector's edition of any kind. Thus I would not anticipate any extras other than those that are already on the included individual DVD's containing the movies themselves.

What is this?.......2007-01-20

You would think for five hundred and fifty five dollars there would at least be a list of the movies included!!

DVD:

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