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

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North to Alaska
North To Alaska
My favorite John Wayne movie
John Wayne at his Best
Makes me laugh...

North to Alaska
Starring: John Wayne , Stewart Granger , Ernie Kovacs , Fabian , and Capucine
Director: Henry Hathaway
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B00008MTW6
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Amazon.com

Even people habitually hostile to John Wayne movies tend to cast an indulgent eye on this rumbustious comedy-Western--partly because the Alaska gold rush setting seems more exotic than, say, Texas or Arizona, and because there are no Indians to discriminate against and no macho gunplay to fret about. As for John Wayne as all-purpose icon of male chauvinism, Big Sam McCord (the Duke) spends much of North to Alaska in a state of growing discombobulation because he has fallen in love with, and is thoroughly flummoxed by, "Angel" (Capucine), the woman he's brought back from Seattle to marry his heartsick partner George (Stewart Granger). Henry Hathaway directs in a broader vein than usual, but he hits pay dirt. Even Fabian, the latest pop music idol to be dragooned into supporting the elder roughnecks, is fun, and Ernie Kovacs is droll casting as chief "villain." --Richard T. Jameson

Description

John Wayne and Stewart Granger strike it rich in this sprawling, brawling comedy-adventure set in the rowdy heydey of the Alaskan gold rush. When prospectors Sam McCord (Wayne) and George Pratt (Granger) finally hit the mother lode, George asks Sam to go to Seattle and fetch his sweetheart, Jennie, but she's already married someone else. Heartbroken for his buddy's sake, Sam visits a saloon, meets dancer (Capucine) and invites her back to Nome as Jennie's replacement - the plan goes perfectly until Sam falls in love with her too!

Customer Reviews:

North to Alaska.......2007-07-17

Received it quickly and in good condition. A delight to watch again after so many years.

North To Alaska.......2007-07-05

Great Movie. Hard to get in australia.

Prices are good and the service is great.

Having a new region free DVD player
means that I can get movies from anywhere in the world

My favorite John Wayne movie.......2007-05-13

This has always been my favorite John Wayne movie, and being able to have it on DVD now has furthered my enjoyment of the film as I can watch it anytime I want.

John Wayne at his Best.......2007-05-09

I really enjoyed all the actors in this film, eventhough Fabian was a bit understudied. The backdrop of Alaska's '49 Gold Rush was excellent, and overall the film provided the entertainment I thought it might.

Makes me laugh..........2007-03-26

This was a great movie. While not my favorite John Wayne movie, it is still a good one! I always laugh at the scenes where his character is getting jealous about his friend being with Angel. Nobody does it like John Wayne. Love the song too!

Average customer rating:

Returning to Arrow Rock, MO
Tom Sawyer
Best Tom Sawyer
It's the most won-der-ful time... in your life!
A Glorious Experience!

Tom Sawyer
Starring: Johnny Whitaker , Celeste Holm , Warren Oates , Jeff East , and Jodie Foster
Director: Don Taylor
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009UVCS0
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Amazon.com

The 1973 version of Tom Sawyer features Mark Twain's young hero in a rousing musical adventure. Much to the exasperation of his Aunt Polly (Celeste Holm), Tom (Johnny Whitaker) likes nothing better than going fishing with Huck Finn (Jeff East, who reprised the role a year later in Huckleberry Finn), spinning a tall tale, or convincing the other boys to whitewash a fence for him. But life gets complicated when a pretty girl moves in to town (a 10-year-old Jodie Foster), and then a friend runs into serious trouble and only Tom can bail him out. It's not a letter-for-letter adaptation of Twain, but it's entertaining, and the music (songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, score by John Williams) is fun, with such songs as "Tom Sawyer," "Gratisfaction," and "Free Bootin'." It's less lavish than 1970's Oliver!, but should appeal to the same audience. Like Oliver!, however, some parental discretion is advised due to a sinister villain (Kunu Hank's Injun Joe), implied violence, and scary situations. --David Horiuchi

Description

A mischievous orphan with a knack for tall tales, Tom lives with his exasperated aunt in the riverfront town of Hannibal, Missouri. Along with his ragtag best friend Huckleberry Finn (Jeff East) and his fetching sweetheart Becky Thatcher, Tom's life is a series of clever and irrepressible adventures. But when he and Huck witness a crime, Tom must decide if he will risk his life to exonerate town bum Muff Potter (Warren Oates).

Customer Reviews:

Returning to Arrow Rock, MO.......2007-08-23

This summer we revised Arrow Rock, Missouri where this film was made.
Johnny Whitaker and Celest Holme were there also. Seeing the area and the "stars" prompted me to order the film. There were so many places that
were recognized in the film that are still in existence in Arrow Rock today.

Tom Sawyer.......2007-05-07

Wonderful. We viewed the dvd at our school and the kids loved it!

Best Tom Sawyer.......2006-10-23

I won't add much to the other reviews. But Jody Foster is quite cute as Becky Thatcher. Although the lovely songs are by the Sherman brothers, the incidental music is by some guy named John Williams - one of his early efforts. Completists might want to make a note of that. Therefore the music played when Tom is running through the field (mentioned in another review) is John Williams'.

It's the most won-der-ful time... in your life!.......2006-08-24

Like many here my review reflects the dvd as a purchase and not only the "movie". I was shocked to see my widescreen smile go to a fullscreen frown in minutes. I then read the back of the box and realized the error of MGM's ways. Had I took the time to read this in the store I doubt I would have bought it, though in hindsight who knows when another issue will be made, I'll likely ditch this and get that when it does. The best part about this release (and most important) is the sound anyway, and WOW they squeeze a lot of mileage out of Stereo Surround! I then rechecked the box to see if this was 5.1 and it wasn't but man oh man you'd never guess it twasn't! The picture is grainy on certain shots, others it is clear and bright, and it bothers me there ain't a whisker of an extra, but I guess that's for the "special edition". 2/5

On with the show!

I really like this movie and always have. Being brought up on it I guess it's almost forced, almost like a religion, but watching this as an adult you certainly appreciate different things about the movie. I see Aunt Polly is VITAL to this movie, her lone performance raises this to another level. Celeste Holm was superbly cast! Johnny Whitaker in my mind IS Tom Sawyer however during casting I am surprised more thought wasn't put into casting a Tom that could, umm, you know, sing a note:) Jeff East as Huck has always been solid and Warren Oates as Muff Potter still shines. Watching this as full-grow'd man I do have regrets that more footage wasn't shot between the glorious Jody Foster's Becky and Johnny's Tom. That chemistry is almost scary considering it's comin' from young'ns. And who could forget the PC incorrect staggerin', "Injun Joe?!" He haunted us all but now we just sit back and laugh... gulp, I didn't mean to say that JOE!! No, he's still got that terror filled look. 4/5

While the songs can be a tad abrupt sometimes sprouting from dialogue they are generally fun and the melodies are almost always memorable. The theme song alone has been with me for many years. Overall, money comes and goes and while I would have liked to put mine towards a better edition, I doubt I could have put it towards a better Tom Sawyer, and yeah know, at this place in time that's all that really counts.

A Glorious Experience!.......2006-06-16

Tom Sawyer is a rascally young boy doing his best to grow-up carefree and mischievous on the banks of the Mississippi River in Hannibal, Missouri. He lives with his frustrated Aunt Polly and her children, goody-goody Sid, who has it in for Tom, and lovely Mary, who is Tom's only supporter when he gets himself into trouble. Tom's best friend is Huckleberry Finn, an outsider who lives off the land and water and has no one to look after him. The two boys love to fish, go swimming, play pirates on the river, and hang out with their pal, Muff Potter, the friendly town drunk. The days pass pretty much regularly like that for Tom, Huck, and their friends. That is, until two people shake up their world. One is a sweet little girl named Becky Thatcher, the daughter of the new judge in town. When Tom meets Becky, it's love at first sight. Unfortunately, the other disruption in the lives of Tom and Huck is not quite as benign. The menacing figure known as Injun Joe makes more than a little trouble for the boys when they witness him murdering the town doctor one night in the graveyard and putting the blame on poor Muff Potter! It suddenly becomes Tom's difficult decision of whether or not to break his pact of secrecy with Huck and save their innocent, drunken friend from the gallows!

If you are a fan of Mark Twain's delightful tales of boyhood adventure, AND if you love a good family musical, look no further than 1973's "Tom Sawyer." From MGM Studios and featuring the wonderful music of Disney faves the Sherman Brothers (conducted by John Williams!), "Tom Sawyer" is a treat for anyone with a sense of adventure and mischievous fun! Being a huge fan of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn movies, I have wanted to see this one for years. I had vague memories of seeing parts of it on the Disney Channel as a kid, and I finally picked it up on DVD at my local retailer for under 5 dollars. True, the DVD is in full screen, and it's also true that it cruelly teases us by presenting the trailer (the only extra feature) and film credits in widescreen(and this movie screams widescreen!), but for a price like that, it's worth picking up until a definitive edition comes along! The songs are fantastic! Naturally, it's the Sherman brothers! They do a wonderful job of capturing the feelings and situations of Mark Twain's classic characters! They're catchy too! You'll be singing them in your head long after the movie is over! The performances are top notch as well! Johnny Whitaker is exactly what I would think a young Mark Twain might have looked like, and he's perfect for the role of Tom, full of energy, scheming, and stretchers. Jeff East is wonderful as Huckleberry. Now, I'm dying to see him reprise the role in the sequel that came out a year later! Of course, everyone loves little Jodie Foster, here taking on the important role of Becky Thatcher. Celeste Holm and the rest of the cast are terrific too, but I'm going to name Warren Oates as my favorite in the lovable role of Muff Potter and with the highly enjoyable song "Man's Gotta Be (What He's Born To Be)." Of course, the story stays mostly true to what we've seen before on the screen, but the outstanding job done here in adapting "Tom Sawyer" into a musical version takes it to a whole new level! Perhaps the 1938 David O. Selznick version is still the best straight interpretation of the story (and I admit that Disney's 1995 teenie-bopper version, "Tom and Huck," is a guilty pleasure, but I LOVE Rachael Leigh Cook) , but if you're looking for something with a little extra "oomph," try out 1973's musical masterpiece, "Tom Sawyer."

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - 1938 [ IMPORT , ALL REGIONS ]

Average customer rating:

Marvelous Classic Americana
A well done reproduction
Tom Sawyer
"Why Tom Might Even Be President Some Day, If They Don't Hang Him First" ~ The Quintessential Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - 1938 [ IMPORT , ALL REGIONS ]
Starring: Tommy Kelly , Jackie Moran , Ann Gillis , and May Robson
Director: Norman Taurog
Manufacturer: South Korea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Features:

Adventures of Tom Sawyer

ASIN: B000LQ79W0

Product Description

Brand new DVD manufactured in South Korea. NTSC format playable on all DVD players, Sound in ENGLISH with optional Korean subtitles. ~~~~~Everybody knows him! Everybody loves him! He's everybody's favorite boy! Mark Twain's most beloved story

Customer Reviews:

Marvelous Classic Americana.......2007-07-29

The 1938 Selznick International production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the best rendition of this famous title but is curiously hard to come by. Tommy Kelly plays Tom Sawyer, Jackie Moran is Huckleberry Finn, and a host of excellent character actors play the rest. The sets are convincing, from the Missouri town to the adventures in the cave at the end.

The edition reviewed is made in Korea and has a 19th Century-style cover with lettering in Korean. The film's picture quality is pretty good and the sound comes over in clear, excellent English. There are no extras, other than optional subtitles in various languages. "Leonard Maltin's 2006 Movie Guide" says the film is 77 minutes long, and "Original running time 93m." My player took almost 91 minutes; so this may be a more complete version than some. I can't imagine cutting anything.

The story should be familiar to all Americans. This is a movie for all to enjoy.

A well done reproduction.......2007-03-31

When I first open the DVD I first thought it was going to be a low resolution copy. I was wrong it turns out to be high grade and in color.The only set back was the sound is a bit to loud and needs to be turn down by at lease -15 to -20 DB from my normal setting.If you don't know anything about Mark Twain or Tom Sawyer you will never learn anything from the DVD cover due to the fact everything is written in Korean. As an whole Hollywood don't make movies like this any more which will make you sad or laugh until you cry. This is one DVD that is rare and hard to find, but best of all an Item any one would be proud to have in there library.

Tom Sawyer.......2007-02-10

We received this DVD in the mail yesterday, and sat down to watch it after dinner that night. It is a colorized version, and was in English as promised. This DVD is for all regions, in NTSC format. Korean or Chinese subtitles can be put on screen if desired. The product description on the back of the DVD case is written in Korean, so I can't read it, but that's okay, I already knew what it's about ahead of time. This is a classic! So much better than the Tom Sawyer that Jodi Foster and Johnny Whitaker (1973 version) was in as a child stars. The acting is better by all characters in the movie. The sound on voices were a hair off compared to the lip movements on the DVD. Not enough to be distracting though. It is such a good movie, and so much like the book, watch this version of Tom Sawyer, you won't be sorry! I remember watching this as a kid, and being scared to death of the grave robbers. Now my kids are scared to death of the same scene, that's so funny, and great to watch their reactions to the different scenes of the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, it's an all time classic!

"Why Tom Might Even Be President Some Day, If They Don't Hang Him First" ~ The Quintessential Tom Sawyer.......2006-12-29

Here it is the beloved '38 version of `The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' on DVD! Since this family classic is still not available in a region 1 U.S. release, why not try this region 0, full-screen Korean import presented in English, so no reading of subtitles is necessary. The print quality is surprisingly good. While the color is a little faded, the picture and sound is crisp and clear. If you're like me [over fifty] you probably watched this film on television over and over again as child. Most people didn't have a color set back then so chances are you've never seen it in color anyway.

I just finished watching the DVD and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Don't wait a minute longer, it's time to own one of the most cherished film classics ever!

Average customer rating:

"a fella doesn't get any place unless he tries"
A lesser known Wayne Classic
Popular Wayne Civil War -Era 'Western' Still Shines!
On to Kansas
interesting and rare John Wayne movie

Dark Command
Starring: Claire Trevor , John Wayne , Walter Pidgeon , Roy Rogers , and George 'Gabby' Hayes
Director: Raoul Walsh
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0782011195
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Amazon.com

Historically dubious but vigorously entertaining, Dark Command is the best of John Wayne's many movies for Republic (not counting Wayne's lovely producing debut Angel and the Badman and those two John Ford films). Set in "Bleeding Kansas" just before and during the Civil War, it highlights the romantic triangle of amiable but unschooled Texan Wayne, banker's daughter Claire Trevor, and schoolmaster Walter Pidgeon--just long enough for the earnest pedagogue to become embittered, turn into bushwhacker William Quantrill (here Cantrell), and start wreaking havoc in the Border States. This was Republic's first star vehicle for Wayne, following his breakthrough in Stagecoach (away from Republic), and it's an uncharacteristically impressive production: good writers working from a W.R. Burnett novel, Raoul Walsh brought in to direct, music by Victor Young, and strong costars and supporting cast (Marjorie Main, Porter Hall, Raymond Walburn--and Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes!). Wayne himself is delightful. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

In this pre-civil War saga, Walter Pigeon, as Confederate renegade William Cantrell, along with his raiders, clashes with the new marshal of Kansas City, Bob Seton (John Wayne). Their long-standing rivalry of love and power reaches dangerous proportions when Seton exposes Cantrell and his guerillas, who have been raiding both Union and Confederate lines. Roy Rogers co-stars in one of his earliest film roles.

Customer Reviews:

"a fella doesn't get any place unless he tries".......2007-05-28

This was director Raoul Walsh's second film with Wayne as the male lead. The first, "The Big Trail", was Wayne's first big film role, having just acquired his new stage name. Unfortunately, this very expensive film, as one of the first talkie westerns, was a box office bomb, with Wayne unfairly shouldering most of the blame. The present film is a mixed western-Civil War drama set in bleeding Kansas. Wayne has plenty of support from a cast of well known actors in this well paced drama/comedy.
Claire Trevor is actually given top billing as the belle around which Wayne, Walter Pigeon and a young Roy Rogers revolve. It seems highly implausible that Wayne, as illiterate drifter Bob Seton, should become infatuated with prim snobbish Claire Trevor, nor that she could ever consider him husband material. Wayne's persistence in promoting this union, even after her marriage, is a recurring source of comedy and drama. Initially, another source of comedy is the recently established working partnership between Wayne and immimical Gabby Hayes, a one time doctor, reformulated as a traveling dentist, barber and whatever else he can fix for you. Character actor Raymond Walburn also provides comedic touches as the bug-eyed stammering stuffed shirt of a judge and apparent mayor of Lawrence, Kansas. Roy Rogers looks rather incongruous as the frustrated brother of Claire, under his father's overbearing thumb, who yearns for the excitement of being a cowboy or soldier. His hot head nearly gets him strung up or otherwise killed. Wayne, on the other hand, with the backing of Gabby, changes from an apparent hot head into an honest coolheaded sheriff. Walter Pigeon is the eloquent-speaking legally literate but financially struggling rival of Wayne for the affections of Claire and for the office of sheriff. The striking contrast in personalities and skills of Wayne and Pigeon in their various competitions is another recurring source of comedy and drama throughout the film. We wonder why Pigeon, with his obvious gift for oratory and knowledge of law, is a poorly paid schoolteacher instead of a lawyer. We suspect that he has been a lawyer, but was forced to resign for some transgressions. In engineering Roger's murder defense, we see for the first time the snake that he is under all that eloquence. From his mother's comments, we are led to believe that the desire to do unethical things is a family trait he inherited or was taught.
Things get a lot more serious and complicated as the story progresses. Pigeon,as William Cantrell, knows he is a natural leader of men. Frustrated in obtaining a prominent position in the legal establishment of Lawrence, he organizes a large band of outlaws, posing as Confederate soldiers, as did his historical counterpart, William Quantrell. The film title may suggest this evil gang of thieves and murderers, or it may equally suggest the fact that most of the violent and smuggling confrontations occur at night. Pigeon faces the difficult task of trying to justify or hide from his new wife his rapacious activities. The continuing back and forth relationships between Rogers, Wayne, Pigeon and Claire provide much of the continuing drama of the film.

A lesser known Wayne Classic.......2007-03-05

This movie solidified Wayne's place as a western star after Stagecoach. It is a rollicking fun western that has plenty of action. A really amazing cast was assembled for this film starting with Claire Trevor (of Stagecoach) and Walter Pidgeon. Gabby Hayes and Roy Rogers round out the stars of this movie. This is just a joy to watch. The pace never falters and it delivers plenty of fights. Find out if the illiterate cowboy from Texas can overcome the learned teacher who becomes the leader of a vast outlaw band during the Civil War. Will John Wayne get the girl? Forget that I asked. Get this movie.

Popular Wayne Civil War -Era 'Western' Still Shines!.......2006-11-03

"Dark Command" is a rip-roaring, entertaining 1940 John Wayne western with plenty of excitement, romance, and comedy, and it offers one of his most engaging pre-WWII performances, as illiterate but straight-shooting Texan 'Bob Seton', wooing Claire Trevor while defending Lawrence, Kansas as the Civil War erupts.

The film is significant in Wayne's career, as it acknowledged his emergence as a major star by the studio (Republic Pictures) who had produced the bulk of his 'quickie' westerns over the previous decade (in their previous incarnation, 'Lone Star' films). With the success of John Ford's "Stagecoach", Wayne's value to the young studio increased dramatically, as a commodity that could be 'loaned out' to major studios for a tidy profit, but without 'quality' Wayne films of their own, his 'bankability' wouldn't last, so Republic mounted a major production, with a top director (Warner's Raoul Walsh, who had helmed the Duke's ill-fated 'starring' debut, "The Big Trail", nearly a decade earlier), a first-class cast (including Trevor, in her third pairing with Wayne in less than two years, and MGM star Walter Pidgeon), and a terrific screenplay (based on a story by respected author W.R. Burnett). Wisely including their most popular character actor, Gabby Hayes, for comic relief, and rising star Roy Rogers (who, surprisingly, doesn't sing!) in support, the end result would not only build upon Wayne's rising status as a major star, but would give the studio credibility within the industry as more than a 'B' picture factory.

While the history covered in "Dark Command" is largely fabricated (with infamous mercenary William Quantrill reinvented as a more urbane, if equally dangerous 'William Cantrell', portrayed by Pidgeon), Walsh never lets the 'facts' interfere with the action, and the end result certainly delivers!

Definitely a 'keeper'!

On to Kansas .......2005-09-07

DARK COMMAND is a good, old-fashioned western. The movie takes places in Kansas on the eve of the Civil War. Not just anywhere in Kansas, either - the movie's set in bloody Lawrence, the hotbed of guerilla activity during that war. Perhaps no guerilla leader was more notorious than Kansas's William Quantrill, the school teacher turned raider who fought against the Union until his death in 1865.

Although DARK COMMAND is a work of fiction, it doesn't try hard to hide its sources. DARK COMMAND is adapted from a novel by the talented and prolific W.R. Burnett, whose Hollywood credits include either the based-on novel and/or screenplay for such action classics as Little Caesar, the original Scarface, The Asphalt Jungle, High Sierra, and dozens of others. John Wayne plays a roustabout Texan named Bob Seton who's traveling through with dentist/barber/sidekick Andrew `Doc' Grunch (George `Gabby' Hayes.) While in Lawrence Seton meets and immediately falls for pretty Miss Mary McCloud (Claire Trevor), local belle and daughter of the president of the town's bank, a Virginian (where you were from counted a lot in Kansas prior to the Civil War.) Seton's competitor for the affections of pretty Miss McCloud, and a bit later for the office of town marshal, is schoolteacher William Cantrell (Walter Pidgeon.) That the real life Quantrill was also a Lawrence, Kansas schoolteacher is, well, probably something more than a coincidence.

Of course, Cantrell loses both the election and the heart, if not the hand, of Miss McCloud to Seton. As filtered through the Hollywood lense that's more than enough justification to embark on a campaign of pillage and murder, which Pidgeon's Cantrell proceeds to do with a certain amount of righteous dignity. Raoul Walsh, whose last movie before this one was the classic gangster movie `The Roaring Twenties,' directed DARK COMMAND with his usual relentless flair. Also in 1939, the young John Wayne had finally broken through to the a-list after playing the Ringo Kid in John Ford's `Stagecoach.' `Stagecoach' co-star Clair Trevor is billed above Wayne on the credits, but this is very much a John Wayne movie. The two principals, director Walsh and star Wayne, were at strong points in their careers and this movie did nothing to derail them. Wayne wasn't an icon yet but he had the moves down - he's shy and awkward around the women folk, toweringly commanding with men. One of the text extras on the film quotes Walsh's observation that `Wayne had learned to walk and talk' by the time DARK COMMAND was filmed, and if you watch some of Wayne's earlier b-movies you'd have to agree with Walsh's shrewd assessment.

I've seen a handful of Raoul Walsh movies in the past year and enjoy them tremendously. Pidgeon's Cantrell seems to be a prototypical Walsh heavy - he's erudite, urbane and refined, and, we suspect, substantially smarter than the hero. If Hollywood was about to fall in love with Freud Walsh definitely wasn't leading the charge. Even the presence of a maternal housekeeper, played in American Gothic style by Marjorie Main, doesn't do anything to explain what makes Cantrell tick. Cantrell is a Walsh villain, which means he's evil because he's evil and that's that. We'll have to understand him through action rather than introspection. In lesser hands this would leave us with a scowling, carpet-chewing bad guy. But DARK VICTORY'S script is tight, Walsh was a master at action dramas, and Pidgeon is too good an actor - he never drops Cantrell's courtly façade, and he's all the more a menace for it.

Fans of old b-westerns will get a kick out of seeing a (very) young Roy Rogers and `Gabby' Hayes together in the same movie before they became cinema trail mates. Hayes' slightly mush-mouthed `gol-durn-it' routine can be grating, but Walsh uses him as a relatively subtle comic foil to good effect. If you've watched a few too many b-westerns chances are you'll find oddly touching the one scene between Hayes and Rogers. Rogers is in mortal danger and Hayes is his best and only hope. Hayes drops the Gabby act and lets George take over. It's a nice way for Walsh, through Hayes, to turn the tension up a notch and let us know that this is important. It's been my experience that Walsh's movies are filled with such nice touches, and it's one reason why I like them so much. DARK COMMAND has more than enough going for it to rate a strong recommendation. The script is good, performances are uniformly strong, and Walsh is a master at keeping things moving. It's a great early John Wayne western.

interesting and rare John Wayne movie.......2000-08-20

This Civil War era movie was very interesting as it tried to follow a generalized campaign of the very infamous Captain Quantrell, the Confederate leader of raiding party's into the North. This was not one of John Wayne's best pictures but it ranks up there as being rare and informative. A must see for true John Wayne fans.

Average customer rating:

The Petrfied Forest
Curious but interesting drama
The film gave a tremendous boost to Bogart's screen career...,
Dated but still valid
A Petrified Experience

The Petrified Forest
Starring: Leslie Howard , Bette Davis , Genevieve Tobin , Dick Foran , and Humphrey Bogart
Director: Archie Mayo , Roy Mack , and Friz Freleng
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0006HBV2I
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Amazon.com

Adapted from a hit Broadway play by Robert Sherwood and starring original cast members Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart, this 1936 suspense drama is set in an aging desert roadhouse café, where a young woman (Bette Davis) dreams of escaping a dead-end existence spent with her father and a lunkheaded, would-be suitor. Along comes a penniless poet (Howard), a wanderer who has made a mess of his life and crossed the hot sands as a symbolic act of meaningful futility. Davis's waitress is instantly enchanted, and in short order they begin talking about heading out to the world together. Then a twist: the world comes to them--in the form of escaped convicts, led by the monosyllabic Duke Mantee (Bogart), who secretly agrees to the poet's request that the fugitive gangster kill him. Directed by Archie Mayo (The Great American Broadcast), much of the film, perhaps inevitably, looks set-bound. Most of the action occurs in the café, and the script's tension sadly dissipates a bit as villains and hostages stay glued to their seats. The film's enduring appeal has everything to do with the leading performances: the fascinating alchemy of Howard's ethereal air, Davis's sexy urgency, and Bogart's bemused menace. If the story feels a trifle dated and perhaps a bit smug, the actors make it compelling nonetheless. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

The Petrfied Forest.......2007-06-21

Reprising his role from Robert E. Sherwood's smash Broadway play for this sterling adaptation, Howard plays the anguished intellectual to the hilt, especially in his scenes with the menacing, monotone Bogart, who modeled his Duke Mantee after celebrity criminal John Dillinger (on the run and "most wanted" at the time of filming). Jack Warner had no interest in casting Bogie in the role that would propel him from supporting roles to high-wattage fame, but was convinced--or perhaps blackmailed--by Howard, who owned the rights to the story. Davis positively glows in an early role as the chipper, wide-eyed dreamer longing for escape. Their spirited performances make this "Forest," a film about death-in-life, anything but wooden.

Curious but interesting drama.......2007-06-20

Good performances and an unusual setting (a service station/watering hole in the middle of the desert) ultimately overcome the staginess and talkiness prevalent throughout, and the modest running time (about 83 minutes) doesn't hurt, either. Leslie Howard's character is sort of strange- he appreciates life's beauty and is suicidal at the same time- but that, too, adds an additional layer of interest.

The print of the movie is fine, and the DVD has an interesting bonus feature: if you select the "a night at the movies" option, you get to see a newsreel, cartoon, and a couple of other short treats prior to the start of the main feature.

Not quite a film noir, not quite a gangster movie, and not quite a romantic melodrama, "The Petrified Forest" nevertheless contain elements of all those genres, with a healthy dose of intellectual social commentary stirred into the mix, too. While not exactly firing on all cylinders as gripping entertainment, this unusual film is certainly worth a look.

The film gave a tremendous boost to Bogart's screen career...,.......2007-01-11

Directed by Archie Mayo, "The Petrified Forest" gave a tremendous boost to Bogart's screen career by providing him with a ready-made showcase for his talent...

The movie was a very faithful adaptation of the play as it told of a group of diverse personalities who find themselves held at bay in a small service-station-restaurant by a ruthless gunman and his gang on the run from pursuing police... There were heavily symbolic overtones involving the overrunning of the doomed intellectuals by corruptive brute force...

Into this truly fragile framework, the screenplay weaves a tapestry of penetrating character studies... First there is Alan Squier (Leslie Howard), a disillusioned writer and intellectual who realizes he is a member of a vanishing breed of men whose visions of a Utopian existence have given way to the oppressive realities of a world that no longer has any room for his type of dreamer... Frustrated and quietly despairing, he meets a dreamer of another type, Gabrielle Maple (Bette Davis). She shares Squier's love of beauty and poetry and dreams of fleeing her repressing entrapment at the restaurant and traveling to France...

Into their world of fanciful idealism enters Humphrey Bogart--the reality, the brute force which threatens not only the dreamers but all of society... It is a finely truthful portrait of ultimate evil, magnificently played by Bogart with all the uncompromising ferocity the role demanded... It was one of Bogart's finest portrayals and it was the model, although considerably restrained, he would follow for the next years of his career...

Final note: Duke Mantee was a killer on the run... He was not a big-shot businessman... The assumption put into the audience's mind was that this mobster was a bank robber, a hold-up artist, an escaped convict... but never a wealthy criminal controlling an empire of corruption from plush offices on the 18th floor...

Approximately twenty years later, Bogart recreated his original role in a television production of "The Petrified Forest." Directed by Delbert Mann, the play featured Lauren Bacall in the Davis role and Henry Fonda in Howard's part... After all those years, Bogart still had the character down perfectly and received excellent notices...

Dated but still valid.......2006-08-07

"The Petrified Forest" is a filmed version of the 1935 Broadway smash. The play starred Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart and their stage performances were preserved when Warner Brothers bought the play to the screen in late 1935. The addition of Bette Davis made good box office sense as she was beginning to hit her stride and was reteamed with Howard after their earlier matching in "Of Human Bondage".

The film is set in the Arizona desert. A killer on the run holds up in a road house taking hostage a group of people there. The play has a few things to say about "the meaning of life" with the juxtaposition of outcast wanderer and intellectual Alan Squier played by Leslie Howard and vicious gangster Duke Mantee played by Humphrey Bogart. The morality is fairly corny now and most of it is contained in the dialogue of Leslie Howard but he delivers it superbly so it still has some resonance. The film was a breakthrough for Bogart but his performance is too theatrical for my liking. Davis is a revelation, acting with simplicity and freshness. She is also very well photographed by Sol Polito and her big eyes glow.

The DVD print is excellent and a lot of extras are included. Eric Lax, a Bogart biographer, provides an expert and very detailed commentary about the film and the players but does not draw breath so it is hard to keep up. The short documentary about the film covers much of the same ground and is more precise. The Warner's "Night at the Movies" includes a terrible Vitaphone short with the absurd Toby Wing, a chorus girl who could not sing or dance but grins incessantly, the gangly dancer Hal Leroy and a singer called Frances Hunt who seems to be imitating Frances Langford and delivers an awful song called "Weary". I would call it "Deadly". There is a delightful cartoon about the Cocoanut Grove with famous stars satired, the best of which is Katharine Hepburn as a horse. The newsreel shows 2 major events of the period - Roosevelt's re-election and the abdication of the throne in England by Edward for Mrs Simpson. The Lux radio performance of the play included in the package is almost unintelligible with a very poor Tyrone Power in Howard's role.

The DVD is excellent value especially if it is purchased as part of the Warners Gangster Collection.

A Petrified Experience.......2006-06-07

Petrified Forest brought best friends Bogart and Howard together along with Davis to create an exceptional ensemble piece that told a grim story that also had heart.

A movie to own for those that love a good story and superb acting.

Average customer rating:

Not even worth one star...
Mark Twains Tom Sawyer
What a disappointment
Not great, but better than Disney's 'Tom and Huck'!
Rip-off alert! Poorly dubbed and edited Russian miniseries!

Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer
Starring: Fedor Stukov , Vladislav Galkin , Mariya Mironova , Rolan Bykov , and Fedor Odinokov
Director: Stanislav Govorukhin
Manufacturer: Tapeworm
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ASIN: B00004Z1FZ
Release Date: 2001-01-16

Customer Reviews:

Not even worth one star..........2005-09-06

Terrible, awful, impossible to follow! The characters would burst out into maniacal laughter for no reason. The dubbing was the worst I have ever seen (and my husband is a Godzilla fanatic, so I have seen a LOT). There was no continuity to the story, it jumped all over the place. My daughter had to see the movie for a school report, I thought I ordered the 70's version with Johnnie Whitaker and Jodie Foster. Couldn't have been more wrong!! DON'T BUY IT!

Mark Twains Tom Sawyer.......2004-09-01

Unsatisfactory production. Dialog was not performed well and was poorly dubbed. The story remains excellent but was produced badly.

What a disappointment.......2004-01-11

I can hardly believe MGM/UA would be a part of this messed up production. The acting was barely passable. The audio is so horrible you cannot understand anything being said by Huckelberry Finn who, of course, is a major character. There are no subtitles available on this DVD so good audio becomes even more important. I would not recommend this version of Tom Sawyer to anyone under any circumstances. What a shame that this wonderful work of Mark Twain is not available in a decent format.

Not great, but better than Disney's 'Tom and Huck'!.......2003-02-11

Of all the Tom Sawyer films I've seen, this one stays the closest to the book. A little slow moving at times (not all the sequences in the book transfer well to film) but mildly entertaining. Some scenes drag on much longer than necessary. especially the fence painting sequence. However. if you can get past the voice dubbing this is a fairly enjoyable film. The dubbing is horrendous! Both Tom and Huck sound as if they were dubbed over by women trying to do a child's voice. It comes off sounding extremely ridiculous. Some of the scene transitions are sloppy as well.
The actors have talent but again, it is overshadowed by the poor dubbing.

Rip-off alert! Poorly dubbed and edited Russian miniseries!.......2002-03-25

This is a 135 minute version of Priklyucheniya Toma Sojera i Geklberri Finna (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Hucklebery Finn), a 1981 Russian television miniseries with an original running time of 225 minutes. 90 minutes have been excised from this version, and the action abruptly jumps from one scene to another with oddly placed fades to black. Most of the actors have remarkably expressionless faces, and the dubbing is reminiscent of Japanese Godzilla movies. The last thirteen minutes of the disc were so badly damaged that the DVD player kept freezing, and we couldn't jump to the next chapter because the DVD is only divided into five chapters, each about thirty minutes in length. The film is deceptively packaged---the Russian names have been translated to English (star Fyodor Stukov is credited as Fred Stack), and nothing in the credits indicates the film's origins. Don't waste your money on this.

Average customer rating:

Two delightful and enjoyable stories on one DVD

Tom Sawyer / Little Mary Sunshine
Starring: Baby Marie Osborne , Robert Gordon , Clara Horton , William Desmond Taylor , and Jack Pickford
Director: Baby Marie Osborne , and Henry King
Manufacturer: Unknown Video
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ASIN: B0006PWM7I
Release Date: 2004-11-22

Description

One of the few surviving films of doomed director William Desmond Taylor, this is surely the most realistic version of the popular Mark Twain classic. Publicity claimed that the film was shot in Hannibal, Missouri, and it sure does look like it. Everything has an authentic 19th-century feel to it, and Jack Pickford is a natural as Tom Sawyer. He's grubby, awkward and practically a juvenile delinquent, but with a streak of real humanity within him. That's exactly how Twain wrote the character, and it's definitely not the way Hollywood usually portrays him. Director Taylor brings a vividness to each scene that will remind many of D.W. Griffith, with the same careful attention to characterization and dramatic rhythm.

Supplemental material: Also on this disc is a complete five-reel feature, "Little Mary Sunshine" (1916). Henry King directed, and the title role features Baby Marie Osborne, who became a child star for the rest of the decade on the strength of this film. It's a simple light drama about a timy orphan girl who escapes the slums, finds a home with a wealthy family... and helps reunite her new father with the woman he loves. The sequence with the trained bear is a real charmer. Organ scores by Bob Vaughn.

Customer Reviews:

Two delightful and enjoyable stories on one DVD.......2005-01-05

Unknown Video has put two rather special early silent films on this DVD; the main one featuring Jack Pickford playing Tom Sawyer very convincingly in a charming and realistic rendition of the famous story, and "Little Mary Sunshine" is apparently the only surviving film (of 22 in total) featuring 'Baby Marie' Osborne, an adorable child star of the WWI era with a mop of curly hair (move over, Shirley Temple!) and it is also one of the first films directed by Henry King, who also co-stars in this short feature film. I really enjoyed them both: "Tom Sawyer" for its excellent character portrayals and authentic feel, and "Little Mary Sunshine" for its 'charm factor' - not only the cute little girl, but a playful young bear plays a role and the story itself is also heart-warming. Poor little Mary escapes the slums when her drunken father kills her mother, and she is taken in by an unhappy young man and his family. Mary soon turns into a ray of sunshine in her new home and plays a part in fixing the young man's troubles. Both short features (both just under an hour long) are very well directed and overall a pleasure to watch. A good organ score by Bob Vaughn for both films is another nice aspect, but the picture quality of both is only average at times, and there is no real menu on the disc, only basic scene selection, so for general presentation I would only rate this as 3 stars, but for the good quality stories and significance of the films, I give it 4 stars. I'm sure any lover of early silent films (they are from 1917 and 1916, respectively) would enjoy this double feature, and perhaps anyone curious about an early Tom Sawyer version would also not be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Last Great Ride
Starring: Ernest Borgnine , Eileen Brennan , Jason Hervey , Stephanie Sawyer , and Jeffrey Sharmat
Director: Ralph E. Portillo
Manufacturer: Program Power Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00008HCAX
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Average customer rating:

Just a Thought
AWESOME ANIMATED MOVIE!
Tom Sawyer is Great!
Entertaining!
Worth a look

Tom Sawyer
Starring: Rhett Akins , Mark Wills (II) , Lee Ann Womack , Hynden Walch , and Alecia Elliott
Director: Phil Mendez , and Paul Sabella
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: 0792844556
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Amazon.com

The classic Mark Twain book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is presented here as an animated video featuring the voices and music of country music stars Mark Wills, Lee Ann Womack, Rhett Akins, and Hank Williams Jr. Other famous voices include Betty White and Don Knotts. Twain's general plot is reproduced fairly faithfully: Tom falls in love with Becky, Tom and Huckleberry Finn witness a murder and later risk their lives to save the falsely accused Potter, and Tom and Huck eventually find Red Beard's buried treasure. Subtle elements have been changed for either political correctness or plot convenience: for instance, the name "Injun Joe" has been changed to "Injurin' Joe" and Becky has gained an antagonist father. A not so subtle change is the presentation of the characters as animals: Tom and Becky are cats, Huck is a fox, and Joe is a bear. The video is skillfully animated (much more so than the cover suggests) and the voice talent is excellent. Pop-country music lovers will love featured songs such as "You Can't Keep a Country Boy Down" and "There's a Light at the End of the Tunnel," although they seem more appropriate for adult audiences than the 5- to 12-year-olds this video is aimed at. All in all, this is an entertaining, accessible presentation of a classic story that kids will enjoy. --Tami Horiuchi

Description

Customer Reviews:

Just a Thought.......2005-06-21

Well, I've heard a lot of the people who are writing reviews say that it is "childish" and for "4-6 year olds". And I must say I have to disagree. I'm a 13 year old girl and throughly enjoyed it. If you're too "mature" for an animated movie, I suggest not watching it. To call an animated movie a bit childish is like calling a rock hard. It's common knowledge.

What I loved about this movie was the songs 'One Dream' and 'Light at the End of the Tunnel'. I enjoyed all of the other songs almost as much. And to further my point on the childish thing, you can't call a sheriff getting murdered childish. When I saw that I wondered if little kids should be watching it.

Anyway, I loved this movie and thought the characters were great. Becky looked lovely and I could see why Tom fell for her. I know it strays from the original story a lot. But it isn't supposed to be a flat-out copy of the book anyway.

AWESOME ANIMATED MOVIE!.......2002-12-01

As a huge fan of American animation, I give this Disney-esque version of TOM SAWYER an "A." The backgrounds in the film are so beautiful & the characters are well drawn, too; reminded me "so" much of Disney's older films (Robin Hood, Fox & the Hound, Jungle Book, etc).

The music is awesome; the songs are very well written and a pure joy to listen to!

I still love cartoons & animation. And this version of TOM SAWYER is an awesome film that both children & adults can enjoy together.

Tom Sawyer is Great!.......2002-09-12

This movie is wonderful! I cannot believe that you can buy it new for as little as $4! It is full of great music, action packed animation and it just totally rocks.

Entertaining!.......2002-08-15

I bought this for my nephews and niece (3, 8 & 11) last Christmas. I don't care to review the animation, direction, voices or anything technical...this is just great entertainment for kids! My 3 year old nephew calls it "his movie" and we watch it 2-3 times a day. He knows the dialog, the songs and the sound effects, he LOVES IT and that is what counts!

Worth a look.......2002-01-06

Not an animated classic but a cut above a lot of the stuff that's out there. Nice animation and at least one good song (One Dream).

DVD:

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