Release Info:
DVD Release Date: November 2, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $37.99

Cher is the perfect candidate for a film collection. Love her or hate her, it’s obvious that this fiesty old broad isn’t going anywhere. Cher is a mainstay in the entertainment business and considering some of the things that the industry has put out lately, I can’t say that I am too disappointed with that. She’s always interesting, even in her most mundane roles. As The Film Collection will show you, Cher has played some pretty diverse parts. Some of the movies in this film collection are most own films if you are a Cher fan and a couple are only necessary if you’re more into Sonny and Cher. It’s a mixed bag. Most of these appear to be repackages. There are virtually no special features to speak of and the level of necessity in ownership depends on whether you already own other copies of these films. If you don’t it’s worth picking up. I wish that more thought would have been put into making this collection though. I really do.

When I heard about a Cher box set I was pretty giddy. Visions of Mask, Silkwood, Mermaids, and If These Walls Could Talk filled my head. Despite the fact that Cher has been in less than 25 movies, she has picked many of them well and landed some pretty memorable roles as a result. The hardest thing to wrap my head around this occasionally campy set is that some of her best roles are missing. I assume that has something to do with licensing, but fans don’t want to hear that stuff. They want sets with their favorite actors to contain their best movies. There are some good films here, but they aren’t all good, and they aren’t all Cher’s best.

I was happy to see films like Silkwood and Moonstruck in this collection. Although, when I learned of the lack of special features and saw that these were the same movies that I already owned, I was slightly disheartened. An attempted at some added goodies or a Cher interview could have been attempted, but this looks like a cheap attempt at making some Christmas cash. In the end, the need for this set will depend on whether or not you own the three or four decent films out of this six film set. If you do, by no means will you need to waste your money. If you don’t own them, this set will be worthwhile merely because it will be less expensive than purchasing the DVDs separately.

The Cher: Film Collection Movie Guide

Good Times (1967) – This movie is a product of the time that is suitable for fans of Sonny and Cher, but that will serve little purpose elsewhere. The good news is you don’t see many of these types of movies based on bands being made anymore. In Good Times Sonny and Cher are offered the opportunity to star in a movie. Sonny is all for it, but Cher won’t hear of it. Worse than Cher’s refusal is the fact that the script absolutely stinks. This leaves Sonny with a mere ten days to write something better and convince Cher to star with him, at his side where she belongs (or at least did at the time).

Chasity (1969) – Like Good Times, which was Cher’s first official movie, Chastity is notable for being Cher’s first solo film performance. Despite being written and produced by Sonny, Cher is the star here. Cher plays the lead character, Chastity, a wild child that looks for freedom and thinks she’s heading towards it as she hitchhikes across the country. Unfortunately, as her options begin to dwindle and she finds herself in a place that is anything but free, she realizes that the one safe place she needs to be might be in the arms of the man that loves her.

Silkwood (1983) – This is perhaps the first real Cher film in the bunch so far. Silkwood gave Cher something meaty enough to sink her teeth into and it earned her a spot against some heavy hitters (Meryl Streep and Kurt Russel) and gave her an Oscar nod to boot. Silkwood is the true story of Karen Silkwood, a nuclear plant worker that lived with her boyfriend (Russell) and her lesbian, best friend (Cher). Things seem find until Silkwood realizes that she’s been exposed to radiation and she begins to question the company’s role in all that has happened. Her need to make things safer for everyone, pushes people away from her out of fear and forces her to fight a system that might just kill her rather than change for the better.

Moonstruck (1987) – This movie is a must see for fans of My Big Greek Wedding. After all, it was made before Greek Wedding and it was really better made, too. The big difference between the two romantic comedies is that Moonstruck is all about an Italian family. Cher stars opposite Nicolas Cage, Olympia Dukakis and Danny Aiello. Cher manages to win an Oscar playing an Italian widow that manages to fins new love with the help of the moon. Who would have guessed that this woman, previously unlucky in love, would meet the groom’s brother and fall in love with him right before the wedding?!?

Mermaids (1990) – Cher is almost a secondary character here, to her film daughters Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci, but she shines as a slightly crazed Jewish mother that has a hold on her fashion but not on her kids. Charlotte (Ryder) is the lead character torn between the love of her slightly older bus driver and local caretaker and the idea of growing up to be a nun (which should be interesting, considering she’s Jewish). Living with Charlotte is her fashionable mother that moves them around quite a bit due to her penchant for men she shouldn’t be interested in and her little sister she calls fishhead. While Charlotte doesn’t always appreciate what she has, after a tragedy strikes these three current and future women see how much they love and need one another regardless of their differences.

Tea With Mussolini (1999) – Cher stars with a cast of women that make this movie watch-worthy in name alone. Along with Cher stars Judi Dench, Lily Tomlin, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith among others. As WWII approaches a group of British women enjoy their lives in Florence Italy. While many might have retreated home, the women believed in a promise to always be protected from the war. Unfortunately, the promise is not kept and it is up to a fiesty young boy and a strong American woman (Cher) to keep these women living their lavish lifestyles without a damaged hair upon their heads.

All of the following ratings are combined for the set rather than rating the movies separately.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The visual quality for Cher: The Film Collection is a mixed bag throughout. Most of the films are full screen and offer basic elements that make the films easy to watch. Detail varies based on the film, but overall there are not too many complaints here. The colors are fine, though occasionally muted. Naturally, the films that were made recently end up looking best, but even Silkwood has its moments of fine detail. Unfortunately, there aren’t as many moments as one would like, but for untreated DVDs these look as good as one would hope that they could look.

Again, with the audio you are offered a mixed bag of sound. For the most part the music always tends to sound good and the dialogue is always easy to hear. The background noise and special effect sounds will vary based on the movie, but generally they tend to get the job done as well as one could expect based on age and DVD sound. English is the main language here on all of the DVDs. Closed captioning/English subtitles is also available.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There aren’t any real special features here to mention. Some trailers are included, but otherwise that’s about it.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Like I said originally, the need to buy this set is really going to depend on how many of these movies you already own. A couple are useless unless you’re big Sonny and Cher fans. The others are worthwhile purchases, but if you already own one or more than this particular set is pointless. The movies here are good and I would highly recommend watching them, for nostalgia (in the case of the first two) if nothing else. It’s the actual set that leaves me somewhat disappointed. If you don’t own any of these movies pick this up. Otherwise complete your Cher collection with the separate movies and don’t bother with this particular set.

Overall Rating: 3.21 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, DVD, Fox Home Entertainment, Cher, The Film Collection, Chastity, Moonstruck, Mermaids, Silkwood, Good Times, Tea With Mussolini

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $62.99

This is probably one of the hardest reviews that I have ever had to write. What does one say about The Godfather that hasn’t already been said in the past? This is one of the best movies of all time and is certainly the best movie series of all time. The story is addicting, the acting is engaging, and the direction is flawless. I shy away from calling any movie perfect, but I fail to see how these movies could have been any better than they are.

Marlon Brando was just one of the men considered for the part of Don Vito Corleone. Francis Ford Coppola wanted him or Laurence Olivier, who could not do the role, from the beginning. However, the studios looked at several other options including Ernest Borgnine, Edward G. Robinson, Orson Welles, Carlo Ponti, and George C. Scott. Burt Lancaster was never considered, but he did lobby for the role.

And then there was old blue eyes. Frank Sinatra was against both the novel, as a whole, and the idea of a movie being made, but at one point after he had talks with Coppola, he offered himself for the role. Coppola was adamant about Brando though and it’s obvious how that turned out. The studio paid him a paltry sum for the film, but that would not be something that changed the course of the film for the viewers.

You could easily call this movie series a Coppola family affair. Coppola included many of his relatives in this film. Most notably, Talia Shire, his sister, played Connie Corleone. Many relatives had small parts as extras including his mother (Italia Coppola), his sons (Gian-Carlo and Roman Coppola), and even his daughter, Sofia Coppola, who was just three weeks old at the time of her big screen debut.

Without Coppola, this could have been a very different movie. Paramount didn’t realize the type of film that they had on their hands. Originally, The Godfather was going to be a small, low budget picture about the mob, written in present day. Coppola rejected that version, going for the period piece that you see today. Consequently, the film had so much buzz and was so well favored prior to the release that a sequel was being worked out. That sequel would be one of the only movies that would be better received than the original film in a series.

It is so surreal watching these films and seeing how young some of these actors are. Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and James Caan appear so young. You know who they are, but its interesting seeing them compared to how you see them today. Aging is a fact of life, of course, but these actors have had the benefit to have a movie like this to show their beauty and talent in such a young state. In the case of most of the actors, this series boosted their careers into superstardom. Al Pacino was relatively unknown and this would seal his fate as an A-list actor. Likewise, when Robert DeNiro starred in the sequel, the same would be said for him.

There are many words that can be used to describe these movies. Intense, dramatic, violent, emotional, powerful, engaging, and engrossing are just a few words that come to mind. I am sure some might say these movies were disrespectful, but I don’t necessarily see it that way. Others might say that these films immortalized the Mafia, and while The Godfather was certainly the best at making the oldest organization seem sexy and alluring, it would not be the last movie to attempt to capture this level of strength about this subject.

This set is absolutely a necessity for any movie collector. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Even if you own the previously released films, you still need to purchase this set. The quality is near flawless, unlike the first two releases, and there are new bonuses to appease the loyal fans and make up for past mistakes. This is definitely the set to own so if you have the others you might want to head over to an auction site or to Amazon and get rid of them for this one.

The The Godfather – The Coppola Restoration Giftset Plot
The Godfather can most easily be described as an Italian/American tragedy. This tragedy occurs in three parts that have been separated into three movies in order to ensure that each portion is given ample opportunity to tell the story in a way that it should be told. Prior to these films being made, The Godfather was a novel that received a high measure of success. When the original film came out in 1972, it was anticipated, but for many, including Paramount there was a baited sense of anticipation thanks to a relatively young, unknown cast and an unknown director. However, the film and the subsequent films that would come later could not have turned out any better than they did.

Each film is able to stand on its own, though they are amazing as a trilogy. It’s crazy how fast the time seems to fly by as you watch each film. The films are so smooth that by the time each one ends you cannot fathom that you spent over two hours watching the lives of the Corleone family. The film is filled with symbolism including the presence of religion (many of the biggest hits occur during a religious ceremony) and simpler symbols such as oranges (Corleone gets shot buying oranges and later dies while eating one) and fish (Luca Brasa’s strangulation occurs behind a stained glass window with a fish imprint and later Fredo is murdered while fishing).

The year is set in 1946 and the film opens at a wedding. Michael’s (Al Pacino) sister Connie (Talia Shire) is getting married. The war has recently ended and Michael has come home from the Marines as a decorated war veteran. Unlike his other brothers, Sonny (James Caan) and Fredo (John Cazale), Michael did not want to be a part of his father’s empire. He had other things he wanted to accomplish and he wanted to do it on his own. As the movies progress it is easy to see that Michael, with all of his passionate beliefs and deadly reservations, is the most like Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando).

Soon after the wedding, an attempt to take Don Vito’s life fails when he takes five shots on the street and lives. While in the hospital Sonny takes control of the family and being the hotheaded machine he is, he creates a war that eventually costs him his life. During this war, Michael picks sides, aligning with his father and sealing his fate in the family. His actions during this war lead him to Sicily where he must hide out. He is forced to leave Kay (Diane Keaton), the woman that would eventually bear his children, but while there, he marries his first bride, Apollonia (Simonetta Stefanelli) who teaches him, first hand, the major downside of his work. By the end of the film, Michael has married Kay and takes full responsibility for the family, thankfully, as he is the only child of Don Vito’s that was truly fit to handle the responsibility.

Release Info:
Original Air Dates:1940-1942
DVD Box Set Release Date: August 26, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon

When you are a kid there is just something funny about grown men smacking, bumping, kicking, and poking each other in the eyes. Over 20 years later (in my case, for others it could be much longer), it is still pretty hilarious. As a huge Stooges fan I look forward to each of these compilations as they come. Despite the fact that I have already had the chance to see a large number of these classic shorts, it is great to be able to revisit them. It’s even better to see them preserved in such good quality. Now I can watch them whenever I want, which is an extra special treat, considering these are rarely, if ever, shown on television these days.

The heyday for The Three Stooges was between 1934 and 1947. Prior to then, Curly was not a member of the group and Shemp Howard was the third Stooge. Curly replaced Shemp in 1934 and amused audiences until 1947 when he had a stroke. Shemp came back on the show at that time, with Curly’s blessing, until he would be able to return. Unfortunately, he never got back to the point where he was strong enough to handle the demands of filming. However, his contributions to comedy are still celebrated today, in sets such as this. This particular set pays close attention to the years 1940 to 1942.

The The Three Stooges Collection, Vol. 3: 1940-1942 Plot
Rather than talk too much about how great these are to see again after so long, I will just get right down to the episode descriptions so you know if your favorites have been added here.

Episodes from 1940

“You Nazty Spy”: This episode is a fan favorite, because Moe Howard always claimed that this particular short was his favorite of all of the episodes he did. Moe becomes a dictator of the kingdom of Moronica. In order to make the country safe, storm troopers are brought that have a tendency to be amusing, especially when marching. This is not the funniest, but the historical references make it more amusing and knowing its Moe’s favorite makes it worth watching.

“Rockin’ thru the Rockies”: Playing out of work actors, Larry, Moe, and Curly end up taking any job they can find. In this case, it’s escorting Nell and her Belles across the country to their upcoming performance on the west coast. On the way, Curly wrestles a bear and the trio has their share of troubles with a group of Indians.

“A Plumbing we Will Go”: The guys end up running from the cops and pretending to be plumbers this time. Of course, the boys aren’t really plumbers and as you might have guessed, disaster is set to strike.

“Nutty but Nice”: Moe, Larry, and Curly play singing waiters that attempt to rescue the father of a young girl that is bedridden in the hospital. Apparently, his disappearance traumatized the young girl so much she had to be admitted to the hospital and it’s up to the Stooges to save the day!

“How High is Up?”: Times aren’t good for the three tinkers that live under a car. When the boys get in some trouble, it leads to a new job as riveters. The only problem is they aren’t so good at their job and it’s on the 97th floor, so things have a tendency to get kind of dangerous.

“From Nurse to Worse”: It’s time for Curly to play insane in order to make the boys rich via an insurance scam. The only problem is that Curly is so convincing (he acts like a dog) that the doctors want to operate!

“No Census, No Feeling”: As the boys go on the run, it leads them to census taking duties. Big laughs are all over the place here as the Stooges invade high society and a football game.

“Cookoo Cavaliers”: The boys are hairdressers, though they aren’t very good at it. Apparently they thought they would be running a saloon, which is quite different than a salon.

“Boobs in Arms”: The boys try and help a woman make her husband jealous, so that they can have a good relationship again. Unfortunately, for the guys that means they end up finding themselves in trouble outside a recruiting office. Too bad they don’t know who the recruiter is and how much trouble it will be for them.

Episodes for 1941

“So Long, Mr. Chumps”: It’s time to go to prison! The boys get themselves arrested on purpose so they can find someone in the slammer that they have reason to believe is innocent. Too bad the trio didn’t realize that being put in prison is way easier than getting out.

“Dutiful but Dumb”: The boys are three photographers that end up being sent on a spy mission where they need to take pictures of a Vulgarian death ray machine.

“All the World’s a Stooge”: It’s just another day at the office when three janitors are mistaken for dentists. Rather than explain who they really are, they just go for the teeth pulling!

“I’ll Never Heil Again”: This is the sequel to “You Nazty Spy.”A lot goes on in this episode about life in Moronica. This is especially true when the fallen king’s daughter fully convinces him that the leaders of different countries have it out for them.

“An Ache in Every Stake”: When the Stooges force a Chef to quit, they have no other choice but to replace him. It’s just too bad that the real chef had to quit before a big, swanky birthday party had to be catered.

“In the Sweet Pie and Pie”: It’s time to watch the boys play death row convicts that end up being spared by a lawyer that needs them to marry three, rich heiresses. While the girls are all really engaged to Navy men, they have a deadline to be married otherwise they will not receive their inheritances, so they will take whatever they can get.

“Some More of Samoa”: Three tree surgeons are on the way to Rhum Boogie in order to find an acceptable mate for the Puckerless Persimmon. However, they are in cannibal country and the flesh-eaters get mighty mad when Curly refuses to get hitched to the head cannibal’s sister.

Episodes for 1942

“Loco Boy Makes Good”: The boys enter a hotel with plans to slip and fall in order to make loads of money. However, the hotel owner is a woman on the verge of losing her hotel. So, the boys band together and work on the place instead.

“Cactus Makes Perfect”: Curly makes an invention that is sure to help the Stooges hit it big by finding lots of gold! The only problem is there are prospectors around every corner, a mine that was lost…somewhere, and oh yeah, there’s a ghost town to content with, too.

“What’s the Matador?”: The boys end up as bullfighters. They go to Mexico, get in trouble with a jealous husband, and all the usual antics are represented here in classic Stooges form.

“Matri-Phony”: The boys end up in Ancient Erysipelas. The emperor wants to marry a redhead, although he might end up with Curly in drag! The boys end up working, or hiding out, in a pottery shop in this historical jaunt.

“Three Smart Saps”: The boys have to get arrested again. This time, their soon to be father-in-law is set up and put in jail. While the boys end up trying to save the day, they end up checking out a gangster dinner party at the clink.

“Even as I.O.U”: The Stooges are homeless, but when they meet a hungry woman and child in need, the boys spring to action by trying to play the horses to make some money for the mother and child.

“Sock-A-Bye Baby”: The boys find a baby on their doorstep. Unfortunately, the cops think that the guys stole the baby. Chasing is sure to occur, along with a lot of funny scenes concerning misinformed men and babies!

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Now over sixty years old, I wasn’t completely sure of what to expect when I popped in The Three Stooges Collection, Vol. 3: 1940-1942. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see something of fairly good quality. The Stooges have been remastered in high definition and are presented at a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The black levels are good and the clarity is beautiful. I did not notice much dirt or any compression errors. Considering the age, I couldn’t expect anything better than this.

The audio is standard in English Dolby Digital Mono still it could have been a lot worse. It sounds much better than I have heard it sound on other releases in the past (prior to these collections coming out). There is the occasional bit of background fuzz, but that’s about as bad as it gets.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are absolutely no bonus features available here. However, given the fact that most (if not all) of the people involved in these projects have passed on (including each of the actors listed here) I feel it would be unfair to rate this section. Even if they had added features they would have been standard trailers or studio promos of some sort. They would not have been able to add interviews or modern features. Regardless, Stooges fans will adore these shorts so much that it is likely they won’t even notice the lack of bonus features.

Bottom Line:
If you are a Three Stooges fan this is a must have collection. There are some excellent episodes here and though they don’t all hit the mark, there are far more good skits than there are bad ones. This is an excellent collection that will work for fans and people new to the Stooges as a whole. If you haven’t seen these episodes in a while or the Stooges ever, you should definitely pick this up.

Overall Rating: 4.42 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Larry, Moe, Curly, The Three Stooges, 1940-1942, Collection, Classic, Black and White, Larry Fine, Howard Brothers, Slapstick Comedy, Hilarious, DVD Review, Sony Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Theatrical Release:Varies based on Movie
DVD Release Date: July 29, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon: $34.99, Walmart: $34.86

Classic movie buffs like to believe that Hollywood was set to a higher standard than it is today. In some ways that may be true, but you still see some rushed through productions and mismanaged celebrities. Sure, things seemed better back then but the grass always seems greener, doesn’t it? Still, there are celebrities that stand out from the pack in any generation. In the past, we have reviewed sets by class acts such as Barbara Stanwyck and Bette Davis. Now it’s time to look at Tyrone Power.

Funnily enough, the first time I ever heard the name Tyrone Power, was during the fabulous Bette Davis performance in All About Eve. It would be much later before I knew he was real and then later still until I had seen some of his work. From 1925 to 1959, Power starred in over 50 movies. Many people would consider him one of the most romantic leads of his time. Those who claim that would probably be right. Power had a very charismatic, old Hollywood charm about him that is sadly lost from today’s talented brood. Still, in sets like this you have a chance to look back and remember the most talented for what they did and the joy it brought people.

Power is part of an acting legacy that continued on with his children, but the acting bug in the Power family started with at least two Tyrones before him. When it comes to him specifically, he led a full life, known for not only his romantic word play, but the swordplay that came with his swashbuckling roles. He served in WWII as a pilot and eventually made his way onto the cover of a Beatles album (Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band). In 1959, Power had a heart attack while shooting, Solomon and Sheba and died. His legacy lives on to this day in all of his films and the sets they’re made available in, such as The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection .

The The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection Plot
Rather than ramble too much, as you might find in a standard release DVD, I will just leave you with some plotlines for all ten movies that are included in The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection . Personal thoughts have been added above and below this section, for those that are interested in that.

Girl’s Dormitory (1936) – Marie Claudel (Simone Simon) is a young woman at a girl’s school that happens to fall in love with the headmaster (Herbert Marshall). Naturally, this would be considered a May/December romance, with the headmaster being much older than the student. The headmaster obviously has some charming qualities about him though because Claudel is not the only one in love with him. He’s also being adored from afar by one of the school’s professors (played by Ruth Chatterton). Power does not show up until the end of the film, only playing Simon’s characters cousin, in nothing more than a step above a walk-on role. The film itself has its ups and downs, especially when it comes to the match of Simon and Marshall, but it’s worth watching…at least once.

Love is News (1937) – Power and Loretta Young star together for the first time in this madcap comedy about life in the newspapers. Young plays a socialite celebrity that absolutely hates making the headlines. Power is a smooth talking journalist that tricks her into an interview. Before he knows it, Young has claimed that the two are planning to marry, so that Power can feel the pressure of the paparazzi and maybe learn something in the process. The chemistry and the obvious need to best the other works well in this picture, making Love is News even more enjoyable. Look out for small parts from Don Ameche, Dudley Digges, Jane Darwell, and Elisha Cook.

Café Metropole (1937) – Here you are offered Power and Young yet again in another comedy involving a bankrupt restaurant and a blackmailed Power that has to woo the wealthy, American Young. As in the movie before this one, the pair works off one another perfectly. While this movie wouldn’t have been amazing, these two really make an okay movie even better. Power plays Alexis, a young American in Paris that owes a debt to a nightclub owner. He pushes Power towards the young, rich Laura Ridgeway (Young) in hopes of taking hold of her fortune.

Second Honeymoon (1937) – In this film, Power (as Raoul McLish) again works with Young (as Vicky Benton). I don’t know if it is the predictability factor, but I found this film to be of less quality where these two actors are concerned. Whatever it is, predictability is certainly one of its flaws. McLish and Benton are a newly divorced couple. Benton has moved on to another man, but ends up becoming bored and is shocked to find her ex-husband in Miami where her new husband has taken her on vacation.

Day-Time Wife (1939) – This comedy reminds me of the type of nonsensical trouble that Lucy would find herself in. Linda Darnell plays, Jane, the wife of Ken (Power). When Ken forgets his second wedding anniversary his wife is sure that he is having an affair with his secretary (Wendy Barrie). Having no proof she opts to go undercover and gets a job as a secretary for an architect. When the two men begin working together, Jane ends up trying to keep her two personas different in this wacky comedy.

Johnny Apollo (1940) – In Apollo we see Power change rolls and take on the task of being more of a bad guy. Power plays Bob Cain (Johnny Apollo) a wealthy kid that turns to crime in order to get his embezzling father (Edward Arnold) out of jail. The younger Cain ends up getting involved with a mobster (Lloyd Nolan) and falling for his girl (Dorothy Lamour), which only leads to more trouble than this kid with good intentions could have ever bargained. There are some parts that don’t make sense here (it’s never been as easy to get in the mob as it is in this movie), but the acting makes up for these small issues.

This Above All (1942) – In this time period there was nothing like an against all odds love story based on the setting of war. Sometimes they made people forget about war and other times they made them passionate about the cause. In this particular undertaking, Joan Fontaine stars as aristocratic, Prudence, a female that goes against the grain to sign up for the WAF’s. She soon meets Clive Briggs (Power), whom she later discovers is a British deserter. Can their love survive what he has done or will his shady past get in their way? In addition to the two leads, This Above All offers an excellent supporting cast.

The Luck of the Irish (1948) – Another lighthearted comedy is on the menu for Power in The Luck of the Irish, where he stars as Steven Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is a confused writer who leaves New York behind for the beauty of Ireland. While there he meets up with a leprechaun and a beautiful innkeeper (Anne Baxter). The innkeeper urges him to follow his heart. After making his way back to his New York life, including a job and future wife, he learns that both leprechaun and good looking innkeeper are also in New York. It is then that Fitzgerald truly must learn how to follow his heart choosing between the position of New York and the beauty of Ireland.

That Wonderful Urge (1948) – This film is a particularly surprising choice because it is so similar to Love is News. The main difference here is that Gene Tierney plays the female lead instead of Young and instead of claiming they are engaged she opts to say they are married. Tierney does well though this isn’t really her type of role, but you never feel the strong comedic excitement that you gain from News. It’s entertaining, but it’s not nearly as good as the first movie with this storyline.

I’ll Never Forget You (1951) – This can only be described as a hilarious movie about the perils of time travel. Power stars as a scientist that deals in time travel. Upon jaunting back to the 18th Century, he meets (and falls in love with) his cousin (Ann Blyth). The film has the distinction of being in Technicolor during some scenes and black and white in others. The acting seals the deal in this light romantic comedy and it ends up being one of the best in the set.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection comes with a warning that the DVDs were created using the best surviving source material available. This alone will make you think you’re going to end up with some DVDs that have horrible quality. Well, they aren’t horrible. The transfers look like what you would expect of an old movie that has been transferred over to DVD. The transfer is by no means perfect, but the 1.33:1 aspect ratio used on these movies looks as good as it can. You will find some dirt, speckles, and the occasionally bout of noise. One of the discs offers a green tint to the black and white scenes, which is a bit bothersome. At times the quality will be softer than I would like to see. However, for older movies, the transfers here could have been much worse.

I much prefer the black and white transfers to Power’s newer movies that have the Technicolor look to them. While the colored movies are not completely unwatchable, they are far from the color quality of today and it can be distracting. Meanwhile, most of the black and white movies have that timeless classic appeal to them. The important thing to remember is that these movies are 50-60 years old so they are not going to be perfect. Do not expect stellar quality. They are good, decent, and passable, but they are not anything you will see today. Of course, you shouldn’t expect that.

The audio sounds fairly good, all things considered. The tracks are all Dolby Digital Mono, but some come with the option for stereo, should you choose to indulge. The audio for each movie sounds pretty clean. I didn’t notice any real audio breaks or noises that hindered the movie watching experience. In addition to standard audio, each movie has the option for subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Every movie has some sort of special feature accompanying it, so there is a lot going on here. However, most of the offerings are basic, as you might expect from films of this particular age. Each film has galleries, which include various advertising posters, cards, and things of the like. Most of them also include behind the scenes style featurettes, as well. A couple of the movies include some trailers, though the quality isn’t always the best where the trailers are concerned. Café Metropole includes some deleted scenes, making it one of the more comprehensive offerings as far as movies with special features in the The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection.

There are a few featurettes here, as well, including, “Tyrone Power: Prince of Fox”, “Ty and Loretta: Sweethearts of the Silver Screen”, “Jayne Meadows Remembers”, and “My Dad, Tyrone Power”. Each of the featurettes has something worthwhile to offer. The “Prince of Fox” begins things with a good overview of Power and his work with Fox. Moving to “Ty and Loretta” there is information about the two and their working relationship. Make sure to watch out here for Judy Lewis (Clark Gable’s daughter with Loretta Young). The third feature clocks in at just less than 10 minutes and also offers a good bit of information, with a walk down memory lane. Finally, you can hear from Power’s three children in the most touching end to the special features.

Bonus Features: 4 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The films chosen for this ten movie box set are meant to showcase the career of Tyrone Power. These choices seem like a very interesting ones to me. Most people would agree that Power had other works that were better or more significant to his career beyond what you find in this five disc double-sided box set. That being said, there are plenty of good movies here. It is easy to see the talent in Power and the other actors he works with on every film. While these may not have been the movies I would have picked myself, I did enjoy watching the set and am sure that I will do so again in the future. Considering the price of this set and the fact that most of these movies are unable to be purchased separately, I highly recommend fans of Power and classic cinema pick this up when they have the chance.

Overall Rating: 3.93 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Movie, DVD Review, Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, Adolphe Menjou, Don Ameche, Herbert Marshall, Ruth Chatterton, Dorthy Lamour, Joan Fontaine, Anne Baxter, Gene Tierney, Ann Blyth, Michael Rennie, Dennis Price, Girl’s Dormitory, Love is News, Café Metropole, Second Honeymoon, Johnny Apollo, This Above All, The Luck of the Irish, That Wonderful Urge, The House in the Square, Day-Time Wife

I don’t remember when I watched my first movie on the Holocaust. I am going to wager a guess that it was one or two movies. I don’t know if it was The Diary of Anne Frank or Sophie’s Choice. All I know is that I have been addicted to movies on this subject for as long as I can remember.

Surprisingly, I do not remember ever hearing about Holocaust. Of course, due to the age of the mini-series I suppose it makes sense. It wasn’t on DVD, at least not until now, so it didn’t make a lot of sense to continue talking about the powerful message that it offers.

Just reading the title and seeing the box art, I knew that I would want to be the one reviewing this seven hour drama. Offering an incredibly young Meryl Streep, in one of her first roles, and James Woods, who was also just starting out, Holocaust is a fictional tale of one family’s struggle through the biggest criminal injustice in the history of the world. Powerful performances are turned in by the established cast and by names I have never heard of, by people who rarely worked in acting after this miniseries. While this was made prior to Streep’s major acting boom that would lead her to be perhaps the greatest actress of this generation, Holocaust certainly reminds us what she can do even as a less than central character.

Release Information:
Considering I was only just about to be born, only nine days from being born to be exact, when the final day of the miniseries aired in 1978, it’s no wonder why I missed the television broadcast. While the four evening mini-series made enough of an impression to be nominated for numerous awards it was not without criticism. Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel stated that the miniseries was “untrue, offensive, and cheap.”

Of course, he had a point. The series was not a true story. It is about an entirely fictional family. Wiesel was likely referring to the fact that the things that occurred could not have happened in the Holocaust that he remembers. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen. I don’t recall seeing anything too outlandish, but I was not there, so my opinion is not one of authority.

Whether this fictionalized account has any truth to it or not matters not as it was powerful and to the point, serving its purpose well. Now it is time for the 30th anniversary of this poignant tale, which is being handled by the DVD that has been reviewed here, courtesy of Paramount and CBS. Available as of May 27, 2008, you should be able to pick this Anniversary Edition up just about anywhere. If shopping online you can grab this at Amazon for $19.99, with the option for free shipping if you spend over $25.

The Holocaust: The Anniversary Edition Plot
Holocaust tells the fictional story of the Weiss family. The family includes patriarch and medical doctor, Dr. Josef Weiss (Fritz Weaver), matriarch, Berta (Rosemary Harris), and their three children Rudi (Joseph Bottoms), Karl (James Woods), and Anna (Blanche Baker).The series starts out with plenty of Nazi tension, though this is just the beginning of what would later be known as a devastating genocide affecting several million people.

Each episode begins with the powerful image of a burning synagogue. With only music and this visual to guide us, it is easy to see what a lonely, depressing road this miniseries will take. Throughout it all, I cannot help but feel that Holocaust takes it easy on the viewer. Risky for 1978, I think there was a lot that was left out here and that it was made to look a lot more restrained, even with the atrocities shown, than it really was.

The opening scene shows a wedding between Karl Weiss, a modest Jewish artist from a decent family with a well to do doctor for a father, and Inga Helms (Meryl Streep), a female from a proper German family that soon becomes quite appalled at Inga’s need to not only marry a Jew but to protect him. While it is obvious during the wedding that the Helms family is connected in the Reich, Inga’s brother is a soldier, it’s also clear that she does not share her family’s distaste or hatred for the Jewish population. She sees the Weiss clan as her family. Meanwhile, her own family sees them as far less important, not wanting to be sullied due to their association or the mistake of their daughter.

While it appears that this marriage will play a central part in the miniseries, it is only a small central part in the grand scheme of things. Karl is arrested early on, Josef is deported back to his native Poland, and mother and children are taken into hiding in Inga’s parents home who make it more than clear that they are not wanted. In Poland, Josef is able to take refuge with his brother, Moses (Sam Wanamaker), though as one of the few Jews that want to fight, taking some SS officers with them if they have to die, Josef and Moses do not always see eye to eye. Naturally these events are hard on everyone. Inga struggles to keep the family together, not knowing where Karl is. Meanwhile, Anna goes stir crazy and Rudi finds a way to run away, certain that he will die in Berlin or a concentration camp, if he decides to stay.

The family does their best to stay together, but the children are separated, one by one, and eventually the bad news travels to Poland where husband and wife are reunited. The happy reunion is quite bittersweet though when Berta learns that the Polish Jews are fairing just as poorly as the Berliners, and thoughts of her children and whether they are dead or alive fill her head every minute. Inga, on the other hand, puts herself in the hands of the Nazis, in the hopes of seeing her dear Karl again. While their reunion is also bittersweet, it shows the depths of love that these two have for one another, despite the cultural lines that were drawn in the sand, which should have made them enemies.

Another angle of the Holocaust is shown through the eyes of Erik (Michael Moriarty) and Marta (Deborah Norton) Dorf. Erik is an ambitious lawyer that is unable to find work, so he takes a job with the SS to appease his wife. In the beginning, Dorf tells himself he is doing what needs to be done, and his money grubbing wife encourages his behavior, in hopes that he will become a more important officer in Hitler’s Army.

Dorf manages to find polite wording that goes with the deaths of millions and is soon no better than any of the other murderers, whether he actually shoots a gun on several occasions, or not. Dorf proves that he is not only weak in his marriage, but he is also weak in life. He is constantly seen playing second fiddle to his bosses and trying to be hard to his peers, but he always chooses the wrong side of the fence for materialistic purposes or because his wife told him he should.

While a number of excellent movies have been released since the 70s about the atrocities of the Holocaust, this miniseries remains heartbreaking and works to educate in small ways, despite being a fictional tale. The acting here is simply spellbinding. It is hard not to cry at the things that happen to the families that were all once so happy. It easily makes one thankful for all they have and hopeful that as bad as things may seem that perhaps we learned from this one event, if not any of the other horrors in history that have made us who we are as a country today.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
For something that is 30 years old and has never been on DVD Holocaust could certainly look and sound much worse than it does. The film was provided at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. This was to be expected and like I said, it certainly could have been worse. There were some minor compression errors, moments of noise (but nothing serious), and more softness than I would have cared to see. I think the softness was my biggest problem. In a miniseries that is 30 years old I would expect to see some specs and grain. However, they could have attempted to make the picture sharper. The quality in its current state did not ruin the viewing, but it would have added a great deal had the quality been better.

The available audio was disappointing for a number of reasons. First of all, the only thing provided is a Dolby Digital Mono track in English. No foreign languages are provided and there are not any subtitles or associated audio extras like you might find on other DVDs. I found this to be quite lazy on the part of Paramount. While the dialogue sounded fine, the sound effects and music came out sounding incredibly flat. This could have been handled with a better audio track, and some audio enhancements. It just seems pointless to put out an Anniversary Edition if you are going to make a lackluster effort when it comes to the final product.

Visual: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 2 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Sadly, there is not so much as a tiny deleted scene when it comes to special features. It was hard to believe, but absolutely nothing has been added here for the pleasure or education of those who own this DVD.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Despite the small audio and video flaws and the flaws with the lack of special features, the positives in Holocaust far outweigh the negatives. This is definitely one miniseries that everyone needs to see. If you haven’t seen it I highly recommend buying or renting Holocaust as soon as you can. The acting is marvelous and the story is absolutely shocking and equally as sad. This is one movie that needs to be watched.

Overall Rating: 3.36 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Movie, DVD Review, Miniseries, TV on DVD, Holocaust, Anniversary Edition, Meryl Streep, James Woods, Michael Moriarty, Joseph Bottoms, Jews, Nazi

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this the week of July 11, 2008, which means you have until July 10, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:

Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Two Women) and granted an Honorary Academy Award® for “a career rich with memorable performances,” Sophia Loren is one of the silver screen’s biggest international sex symbols and one of the most famous Italian actresses of all time, starring in films such as It Started in Naples, El Cid, Matrimonio all’italiana, Prêt-à-Porter, Houseboat, The Black Orchid and The Fall of the Roman Empire.

Now, four of her classic movies will be made available for the first time on DVD in one unique box set, including I Girasoli, which received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Original Score and earned Loren a David Di Donatello Award for Best Actress; and Carosello Napoletano, which garnered the International Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. The collection also includes Attila, Madame Sans-Gĕne and a special featurette, “Sophia Loren: La Diva Popolana,” created exclusively for this set.

A must-have for any film fan, the Sophia Loren 4-Film Collection will be presented in limited edition, collectible packaging and made available on June 10, 2008 for the suggested retail price of $39.98.

Technorati Tags: Lionsgate, DVD Box Set, Signature Series, 4-Film Series, Sophia Loren, La Diva Popolana, Houseboat, The Black Orchid, El Cid, Win, Giveaway, Contest, Literary Illusions

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this the week of July 10, 2008, which means you have until July 9, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:

Academy Award® nominee Catherine Deneuve (Indochine) is one of the most alluring and talented actresses of the silver screen, starring in films such as Belle de Jour, Dancer in the Dark, 8 femmes, Mississippi Mermaid and The Young Girls of Rochefort.

This unique compilation features five of Deneuve’s most memorable classic films, which have never before been released on DVD including Le Sauvage and Hôtel des Amériques, for which Deneuve received César Award nominations, as well as Manon 70, Le Choc and Fort Saganne.

A must-have for any film fan, the Catherine Deneuve 5-Film Collection will be presented in limited edition, collectible packaging and made available on June 10, 2008 for the suggested retail price of $39.98.

Technorati Tags: Lionsgate, DVD Box Set, Signature Series, 5-Film Series, Femmes, Catherine Deneuve, Mississippi Mermaid, Dancer in the Dark, Belle de Jour, Win, Giveaway, Contest, Literary Illusions

The final installment of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones comes out at a time when the torch of adventure is being passed to a new generation, in the newly released Indiana Jones feature film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. With Harrison Ford aging, it was time for a new generation to get to be a part of the phenomenon those of us who grew up in the 1980s loved so dearly.

It’s an exciting time for Indiana Jones fans because not only is the new movie coming out at the end of May and The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change DVD is being release, the original three Indiana Jones DVDs are being re-released by Paramount in mid-May. As a longtime fan of the series, I can say that all of these Indiana Jones releases make me feel a bit like a kid in a candy store.

For those who don’t know already, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones follows both a television series and four made for television movies that were all a part of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. The series and movies were later made into 22 feature length episodes. This became The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones. Volume Three is the last of the features and it has Chapter 16-Chapter 22 of the feature length episodes spread out across nine discs, with the final disc a set of bonus features. While this isn’t the best of the series, of which I’ve been lucky enough to own all three volumes, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change certainly has many endearing qualities.

Release Information:
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change follows a period from 1917-1920 in the series. These episodes didn’t always air in order originally so the episodes included in this box set all aired at some point between September 1992 and July 1993. Additionally, two of the made for TV movies, Young Indiana Jones and the Hollywood Follies and Young Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Peacock’s Eye are a part of this set. Follies originally aired October 15, 1994, while Treasure of the Peacock’s Eye aired January 15, 1995.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change is set to be released on DVD by Paramount Home Video. The DVD will be available for purchase on April 29, 2008. This box set has a list price of over $100 though you will soon be able to purchase it at Amazon for $49.99. You’ll get the full, ten-DVD box set along with the final episodes in this remarkable television series.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change Plot
The episodes included in The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change follow the episodes in the original Young Indiana series from 1917 through 1920. The episodes included are:

DISC ONE
Chapter 16: Tales of Innocence – This takes place in Northern Italy and Morocco. The story is set in 1917. Indiana Jones is on assignment in Italy during the war. He falls in love with a girl, who Ernest Hemingway also loves. When he gets injured, he heads to Morocco, where he pretends he’s a French intelligence agent.

DISC TWO
Chapter 17: Masks of Evil – This takes place in Transylvania and Istanbul. The story is set in 1918. Indiana returns as an intelligence agent, only this time he heads to Transylvania where he’ll take on vampires.

DISC THREE
Chapter 18: Treasure of the Peacock’s Eye – This takes place in London, Egypt, and the South Pacific. The story is set in 1919. The war has finally ended so Indiana has time to go off on an adventure to find a new treasure. After finding a map, he heads off across Europe and the South Pacific on a quest to find the diamond of Alexander the Great.

DISC FOUR & DISC FIVE
Chapter 19: Winds of Change – This takes place in Paris and Princeton. The story is set in 1919. As Europe changes after the war, Indiana works as a translator in France. This part and when Jones is in Paris were mainly episodes used to set up the future episodes for Indiana as well as the character of Indiana in the movies.

DISC SIX & DISC SEVEN
Chapter 20: The Mystery of the Blues – This takes place in Chicago. The story is set in 1920. This just happens to contain a cameo by Harrison Ford. In this adventure, Indiana takes on the mob as he comes head to head with Elliot Ness and the great Al Capone.

DISC EIGHT
Chapter 21: The Scandal of 1920 – This takes place in New York. The story is set in 1920. In a not so adventure-like episode, Indiana works with George Gershwin to run a show on Broadway. In the process, he tries his luck at romancing the ladies.

DISC NINE
Chapter 22: The Hollywood Follies – This takes place in Hollywood. The story is set in 1920. After taking on Broadway, Indiana heads to Hollywood, where he gets to make a few movies with some of Hollywood’s greatest including John Ford.

While some of these episodes stray from the original Indiana Jones formula, with adventure and mayhem at every turn, the supplemental episodes give plenty of information that provide insight into the life of Indiana Jones and how he became the man he is in the films that made him famous.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The video for the episodes on The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change DVD is presented in 1.33:1 standard full frames. This is pretty typical for a set of episodes that originally aired on television. The visual locations are absolutely stunning as Indiana Jones travels around the world in the various episodes included in this set. Despite being filmed on a 16mm camera, this series turns out looking incredibly fresh and stunning. While the only noticeable problem seems to be occasional grain and a once in a while appearance of a compression artifact, for what this show was filmed on and when it was filmed, all the episodes included in The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change set look great!

The sound for The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change is an English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix. It’s not quite as dynamic as a 5.1 track could have been, but sound still manages to come through loud and clear. The sound has its limits and while Paramount didn’t go out of their way to improve the sound the way they did the video, I can’t say that the sound is terrible. Volume toggling isn’t an issue and dialogue is crisp and concise. The sound is just lacking in the sound effects department and it would have and could have been better.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:

If you’ve purchased previous releases of this series, you know that each set is chocked full of bonus features. The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change won’t disappoint on this front. The box set has an entire DVD devoted to bonus features and there are features on nearly every DVD available for viewing after watching the episodes.

Since the extras are split up amongst discs, I’ll list them by discs, so you know where to find all of the bonuses and how they relate to the episodes involved.

DISC ONE

-Unhealed Wounds: The Life of Ernest Hemingway
- The French Foreign Legion: The World’s Most Legendary Fighting Force
- The Secret Life of Edith Wharton
- Lowell Thomas: American Storyteller

DISC TWO
- For the People, Despite the People: The Ataturk Revolution
- The Greedy Heart of Halide Edib
- The Ottoman Empire: A World of Difference
- Dracula: Fact and Fiction

DISC THREE
- Bronislaw Malinowski: God Professor
- Anthropology: Looking at the Human Condition
- New Guinea: Paradise in Peril

DISC FIVE
- The Best Intentions: The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles
- Woodrow Wilson: American Idealist
- Gertrude Bell: Iraq’s Uncrowned Queen
- Ho Chi Minh: The Price of Freedom
- Paul Robeson: Scandalize My Name
- Robert Goddard: Mr. Rocket Science

DISC SEVEN
- Jazz: Rhythms of Freedom
- Al “Scarface” Capone: The Original Gangster
- Prohibition: America on the Rocks
- On the Trail of Eliot Ness
- Louis Armstrong: Ambassador of Jazz
- Ben Hecht: The Shakespeare of Hollywood
- Hellfighters: Harlem’s Heroes of World War One

DISC EIGHT
- Tin Pan Alley: Soundtrack of America
- Wonderful Nonsense: The Algonquin Round Table
- Broadway: America Center Stage

DISC NINE
- Erich von Stroheim: The Profligate Genius
- The Rise of the Moguls: The Men Who Built Hollywood
- Irving Thalberg: Hollywood’s Boy Wonder
- The World of John Ford

DISC TEN
- Interactive Timeline
- Historical Lecture: New Gods for Old
- Hunting for Treasure Interactive Game

Since so many historical moments and figures were a major part of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones these historical commentaries, interviews, lectures and featurettes are an integral part of this set. You really couldn’t ask for a more thorough or eclectic set of features.

Bonus Features: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change isn’t the best of this series, but it certainly isn’t bad. If you’re a fan of Indiana Jones, history, or happen to know you’ll like this series already, this is a box set you need to purchase. While there is much you can learn from this series, from a historical sense, since the creators (Including George Lucas) took great care in researching to ensure historical accuracy of the themes and historical elements presented in these episodes, this series is truly fun to watch. The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three – The Years of Change comes highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 4.14 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three, The Years of Change, Harrison Ford, Sean Patrick Flanery, Anne Heche, Bob Peck, DVD, Box Set, TV Show, Ronny Coutteure

I love musicals. There are romantic musicals. There are entertaining musicals. There are cheesy musicals. They really don’t make musicals like they did in the old days. Many big name actors have starred in musicals and while not every storyline for a musical is logical nor does it make a lot of sense the entertainment value of the singing, acting and dancing are what make these movies worth watching.

I had never seen any of the musicals in the Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory: Volume 3 box set collection. While I had heard of many of the actors and seen most of them in other movies, I’d only heard of Kismet out of the nine movies included in this box set. I figured the set couldn’t be all that bad. With names like James Stewart, Jack Benny, Lionel Barrymore, Eleanor Powell, Jane Powell, Howard Keel, Richardo Montalban, and Red Skelton, it is hard to argue about the quality of the acting, but I have realized that I should be prepared for anything. Luckily, while this certainly is a diverse group of films to put together in one set, I wasn’t too disappointed with what I found in this set.

Release Information:
The nine movies that are included in the Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory: Volume 3, were all originally released from dates that range from the 1930s-1950s. Hit the Deck was released in March of 1955. Born to Dance was released in November of 1936. Lady be Good was released in September of 1941.

Broadway Melody of 1936 was released in September of 1935. Broadway Melody of 1938 was released on August of 1937. Nancy Goes to Rio was released in March of 1950. Two Weeks with Love was released in November of 1950. Deep in My Heart was released in December 1954. Finally, Kismet was released in October of 1955.

Warner Bros. released the Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory: Volume 3 on April 8, 2008. The DVD box set and the two previous volumes can be purchased through online retailers including Amazon. This box set, in particular, is available for just under $70.

The Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory: Volume 3 Plot
The Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory: Volume 3 features nine movies on six discs. Here is a brief synopsis of each movie with a list of a few of the primary actors in them.

The Eleanor Powell 2-Disc Double Feature

:Born to Dance:
This is a part of the Eleanor Powell 2-Disc Double Feature. The cast for Born to Dance includes Eleanor Powell, James Stewart, Virginia Bruce, Una Merkel, Sid Silvers and Buddy Epsen.

Jenny (Una Merkel) works as a hostess and desk clerk at the “Lonely Hearts Club”. She has been married to a navy boy, ‘Gunny’ (Sid Silvers), though they haven’t seen each other since he shipped off right after their marriage four years ago. Gunny shows up at the club with his navy buddies, sailors Ted (James Stewart) and Mush (Buddy Epson). At the club, Ted falls for a wannabe Broadway performer, Nora Paige (Eleanor Powell), who is just a small town girl with stars in her eyes.

When Ted saves the Pekinese of the Broadway star Nora is playing understudy to, Lucy James (Virginia Bruce), she falls for him. Ted is ordered to go on a date with her, by his captain, since Lucy was a part of a public relations campaign on his submarine. After Ted and Lucy’s picture are posted in the paper, thanks to her overzealous publicist who thinks interest in Lucy will go up, Nora vows that she’s done with Ted, who still loves her.

:Lady be Good:
Lady be Good also features Eleanor Powell as well as Ann Sothern, Robert Young, Lionel Barrymore, John Carroll, Red Skelton, and Virginia O’Brien. This film features the Gershin tunes, “Lady be Good” and “Fascinating Rhythm”. Dixie Donegan Crane (Sothern) and Eddie Crane (Young) aren’t just a lyricist-composer duo. They’re also married to one another. Despite still being in love, the two are divorced. Their only hope is the help of Dixie’s meddling best friend, Marilyn Marsh (Powell), who also performs in the duo’s show.

:Broadway Melody of 1936:
The second disc of the Eleanor Powell double feature offers this movie, which includes an all star cast with Jack Benny, Eleanor Powell, Robert Taylor, Una Merkel, Frances Langford, Sid Silvers, and Buddy Ebsen. Robert Gordon (Taylor) wants to put on a show. To do so, he must rely on the funding of a wealthy widow, Lillian Brent (June Knight), who does so with the promise she will have the part of lead dancer. At the same time, an old friend of Gordon’s who is also a talented tap dancer, Irene (Eleanor Powell), would like to have the role of the lead dancer in the show, but Lillian is determined to keep the part for herself.

:Broadway Melody of 1938:
The final selection in this Eleanor Powell four set is Broadway Melody of 1938. Once again, this movie stars Robert Taylor, Eleanor Powell and Buddy Epsen. This movie also stars George Murphy, Binnie Barnes, Sophie Tucker, Judy Garland, Charles Igor Gorin, and Raymond Walburn. Steve Raleigh (Young) wants to put on a Broadway show. He wants Sally Lee (Eleanor Powell) to be his star. To pay for his show, Steve must rely on his financer, Herman Whipple (Robert Wahlburn). Herman’s wife, Caroline (Binnie Barnes) doesn’t want Sally in the show, preferring to have a famous actress in the lead. Sally decides to train a horse she once owned, in order to race the horse and make the money so Steve can have the show he wants, but that is easier said than done!

The Jane Powell Double Feature

:Nancy Goes to Rio:
One of the two movies to feature Jane Powell that is included in this set is Nancy Goes to Rio. The cast, besides Powell includes Ann Sothern, Barry Sullivan, Carmen Miranda, Louis Calhern, and Scotty Beckett. In Nancy Goes to Rio, Powell plays Nancy Barklay, the daughter of a legendary Broadway actress, Frances Elliot (Ann Sothern). A playwright Frances works with and her publicist feel tha she is too old to play a role in a leading show that she wants to perform in, in Brazil. In the meantime, Nancy has headed down to Rio to visit her mother and she’d be the perfect person to take over the role! Well, everyone but Frances seems to think so. To add more drama to an already dramatic film, Frances and Nancy fall for the same man, Paul Berten (Barry Sullivan), and having overheard Nancy rehearsing, Paul just happens to think she’s pregnant!

Two Weeks with Love
This is the second of the Jane Powell movies. The actors involved in this film are Jane Powell, Ricardo Montalban, Louis Calhern, Phyllis Kirk and Ann Harding. Patti Robinson (Powell), her parents, and her sister take a vacation to the Catskills. Patti falls for a handsome young man by the name of Demi Armendez (Ricardo Montalban). Unfortunately, Patti’s friend, Valeria (Phyllis Kirk) is also in love with Demi and she has the advantage over Patti because Patti’s parents, especially her father, think she is too young to date. As Patti tries to get Demi’s attention, it will take her performance in an amateur show to really show him what a great girl she is.

:Random Films Included in this Set:

Deep in My Heart
An all star cast made up of Jose Ferrer, Merle Oberon, Helen Traubel, Doe Avedon, Paul Stewart, Walter Pidgeon, Paul Henreid, Rosemary Clooney, Gene Kelly, Fred Kelly, Jane Powell, Vic Damone, Ann Miller, Cyd Charisse, Howard Keel, and Tony Martin perform in the musical Deep in My Heart. This was an MGM biopic on the life of the famous musical composer, Sigmund Romberg (Jose Ferrer). This is the only film in which Gene Kelly’s brother Fred makes an appearance. This movie is filled with music and each performance number is loosely connected by the telling of Romberg’s life story.

Hit the Deck
This film is quite similar to other sailor-style musicals, including the far superior On the Town and Anchors Aweigh, though it is not quite as good as the other two movies, in terms of its story. Hit the Deck still features a decent cast that includes Jane Powell, Tony Martin, Debbie Reynolds, Walter Pidgeon, Vic Damone, Gene Raymond, Ann Miller, Russ Tamblyn, and Jane Darwell. The movie focuses on Susan Smith (Jane Powell), who wants a role in the musical “Hit the Deck”. Determined to save his sisters virtue, Danny Xavier Smith (Russ Tamblyn), will do anything he can to keep that from happening, especially since their father is a strict Rear Adm. Daniel Xavier Smith (Walter Pidgeon).

Kismet
Probably the best known of all the movies in this set, Kismet stars Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, Dolores Gray, Monty Wooley, and Sebastian Cabot. This is by far the best of all the musicals in terms of the storyline and Howard Keel, a movie musical veteran, puts in a great performance in this movie. Kismet is another term for fate, and the lives of a poor beggar, known simply as The Poet (Howard Keel) and his daughter Marsinah (Ann Blyth) are forever changed on one fateful day.

While most of these musicals are entertaining the first time you watch them, especially if you like musicals, they just aren’t as good as some of the more well known shows out there. The acting, with such an amazing cast in all nine movies, is what makes this set, along with the the song and dance numbers. When it comes to the plot of each musical, the stories are somewhat weak, but musicals aren’t necessarily known for their story strength and depending on why you’re watching these musicals, you might actually just want them so you can listen to the music and see some of the best actors from this era in Hollywood perform.

Storyline/Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 3 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The visual quality for the nine films in this set varies from somewhat decent to quite poor. Here is a basic run down of the visual quality for each film with a brief description of any visual problems the film might have.

Born to Dance: This film goes back and forth from terrible to good in terms of quality. The biggest problems are scratching and fuzz with the occasional crackling. When it is really bad, it really isn’t happening in the most important of scenes, but it is visible enough to be noticeable. The contrasts are good and the colors are typically vibrant. This gets 1.5 out of 5.

Lady be Good: The best in the bunch, the full frame transfer is good with vibrant colors, nice blacks and white tones, and excellent contrast. You can expect minor grain, but depending on the age of the film, that is to be expected. This gets 4 out of 5.

Broadway Melody of 1936: Expect quite a bit of grain, scratching and brief moments of fuzziness. The contrast is quite exceptional and everything is vibrant. This one looks much better than some of the other films, but still shows its age with some dirt and other muck that could have possibly been cleaned up. Overall this gets 3 out of 5.

Broadway Melody of 1938: There is some grain and scratching, but the transfer, done in full frames is much better than the transfer for the 1936 movie. This gets 3.5 out of 5.

Nancy Goes to Rio: The contrast is decent. The colors are good. There are some compression artifacts and plenty of grain, but it is much better than some of the other films. This gets 3 out of 5.

Two Weeks with Love: There are some problems with the colors. They are not as vibrant and the contrast isn’t quite as good as some of the other films. There are artifacts and grain as well as some scratching. Still, it is better than a few of the Eleanor Powell movies. This gets 2 out of 5.

Deep in My Heart: This film has been enhanced at a 1.78: 1 ratio. The colors are off, with some very vibrant moments. There are minor problems with grain, but save for the color issue, the transfer is actually pretty good. This gets 3 out of 5.

Hit the Deck: The colors are sharp, the contrast is good and so is the saturation level. There are some edge problems, but overall this 2.35:1 presentation is decent. This gets 3 out of 5.

Kismet: The color is muted and the film suffers for it. The contrast is good and the enhanced 2.35:1 video has a good level of saturation. Expect moments of grain. This gets 2.5 out of 5.

Here is information on the audio quality for each film, with a brief description of any problems the audio for the films seemed to have.

Born to Dance: Presented with a remastered English mono soundtrack, the audio for Born to Dance is quite good. The music, the dialogue and any sound effects on this audio track come through loud and clear. There is also a mono French track and there are subtitles available in both English and French. This is 4 out of 5.

Lady be Good: The English mono soundtrack is decent, but there are a few minor issues with volume that need to be dealt with. The music sounds good and the dialogue is clear for the most part. There are subtitles available in English and French. This is 2.5 out of 5.

Broadway Melody of 1936: This has English mono sound. It’s relatively flat, but otherwise good. There are English and French subtitles. This is 3.5 out of 5.

Broadway Melody of 1938: This soundtrack isn’t as good as the previously mentioned tracks. The track has been damaged and there are some problems with the music including issues with volume toggling. The mono tracks are in English and French and there are also subtitles in both languages. This is 1 out of 5.

Nancy Goes to Rio: The English mono soundtrack is quite good. The sound is a bit flat, except when it comes to the music, which is full and vibrant sounding. The sound comes through clearly in all its various forms. There are subtitles available in English and French. This is 4 out of 5.

Two Weeks with Love: The English mono soundtrack is quite good. There are subtitles available in both English and French. Everything comes through clearly and is easy to hear. This is 4 out of 5.

Deep in My Heart: This English soundtrack is a remastered 5.0 track. This track is awesome. There is also a track available in French. Subtitles are available in both languages. As you might expect everything comes through quite loud and clear. This is 4 out of 5.

Hit the Deck: The Hit the Deck soundtrack isn’t that good. There are both 5.1 and 5.0 remastered English soundtracks, but it is pretty clear the source material was in very bad shape so the enhancement isn’t as good as most soundtracks could be. Be prepared to sound toggle quite a bit. English and French subtitles are available. This is .5 out of 5.

Kismet: The remastered 5.0 and 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtracks are excellent. Sounds are clear, full and delightful to hear. There are tracks in English and Portuguese with subtitles in both languages as well as French. This is 4.5 out of 5.

Visual: 0.2 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Here is a list of the bonus features by movie.

Born to Dance: The short “The Second Step”, a cartoon featuring Cab Calloway, an audio outtake of “Easy to Love”, the original trailer, and an excerpt from a 1936 Hollywood Hotel radio broadcast are all extras with this film.

Lady be Good: The short “Glimpses of Florida”, cartoon “The Rookie Bear”, the theatrical trailer, an audio outtake of “I’d Rather Dance” and a radio broadcast excerpt from “Leo on the Air” are the list of this film’s extras.

Broadway Melody of 1936: The short, “Sunkist Stars in Palm Springs”, the cartoon “To Spring”, the theatrical trailer and an excerpt from the broadcast, “Leo on the Air” are all included as bonus features.

Broadway Melody of 1938: The short, “That Mothers Might Live”, cartoon “Pipe Dreams”, audio outtakes from “Everybody Sing”, other audio outtakes, the theatrical trailer and an excerpt from the radio broadcast, “Leo on the Air” make up a nice set of extras for this film.

Nancy Goes to Rio: There are no extras included.

Two Weeks with Love: The TCM broadcast for the “Private Screenings” interview by Robert Osborne (featuring Jane Powell), a Tex Avery cartoon “Garden Gopher” and the theatrical trailer are all included here as bonuses.

Deep in My Heart: There are some outtakes, a Tex Avery cartoon, “Farm of the Future”, and Strauss waltzes that are all bonuses for this film.

Hit the Deck: There are no extras included.

Kismet: The short, “The Battle of Gettysburg”, a cartoon, “The First Bad Man”, an outtake of “Rahadlakum”, an audio outtake of “Rhymes Have I” and two excerpts from “The MGM Parade” are all bonuses for Kismet.

As you can see there is plenty of interesting bonus features to this set. Fans of these musicals will love the extras.

Bonus Features: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
If you like classic era movie musicals then you’re going to want to pick up a copy of Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory: Volume 3. Otherwise, you won’t want to get this box set. While the actors are good and the musical aspect is good, the films just aren’t as good as many of the most famous musicals. If you aren’t sure if you’re going to like Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory: Volume 3 and the movies in this set, you might want to rent them first. You never know. You might like them, but then again, you might not!

Overall Rating: 3.31 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory, Volume 3, Born to Dance, Kismet, Broadway Melody of 1936, Broadway Melody of 1938, Nancy Goes to Rio, Hit the Deck, Deep in My Heart, Two Weeks in Love, Lady be Good, Eleanor Powell, Jane Powell, Jack Benny, James Stewart, Red Skelton

Throughout her career, Bette Davis dominated the silver screen. She starred in some of the best movies to ever be made, particularly in the 1940s era of filmmaking. This period of her career was where she was in her zone more than any other time.

It was during this period when Davis would be nominated for five consecutive Academy Awards for Best Actress. Between the years of 1938 and 1942, Davis was nominated each year. She would go on to be nominated for an additional four oscars. Over her career she would be nominated for eleven Oscars; one would be a written in nomination, two would be wins, and the rest would just be nods at her supreme acting talent. During her time as an acting powerhouse, in her prime, she would be known as the “Fourth Warner” and would briefly be named the president of the Academy. While she was only the president for a brief time, she was the first female president that the Academy had.

Bette Davis was one of the actors most deserving of the title ‘movie star’. She was a firecracker with immense talent who created the perfect persona of the evil and devious broad better than anyone ever has or could. On this, what would have been her 100th Birthday, Warner Bros and Fox have both put out Collectors box sets of a collection of some of her best films. This set, put out by Warner Bros includes The Old Maid, The Great Lie, All This and Heaven…Too, In This Our Life, Watch On the Rhine and Deception.

Being a Davis fan this set was an absolute treat for me. I am ashamed to say that I hadn’t seen many of these films, but they have quickly become favorites in the few times I have seen them to prepare for this review. This set is impressive for a number of reasons, the biggest being that many of these movies have not been released on DVD prior to this point.

Release Information:
Warner Bros released this set of six Davis films on April 1, 2008. It can be purchased at most major retail stores including online at stores like Amazon where it retails for $47.00, while at DVD Empire you can pick this up for $46 and change. Considering the fact that you’re getting six quality movies, you cannot really beat the price. At least a few of the films available had not been on DVD before this set, so it will definitely be a treat for Davis fans. Not only that, but each film also includes a selection of bonus features, which is a nice touch for older films when bonus features weren’t a thought in the filmmakers’ minds.

The Bette Davis Collection Vol. 3 Plot
Rather than attempting to randomly discuss six plots from the movies in the Bette Davis Collection Vol. 3 I have just separated them into their own sections. Each movie plot is discussed for your convenience.

The Old Maid (1939)
The Old Maid is about as close to a soap opera as you can come without actually watching one! Charlotte (Bette Davis) falls in love with a Civil War soldier, Clem (George Brent), after her sister Delia (Miriam Hopkins) tosses him aside for a wealthier suitor named Jim (James Stephenson). Clem dies in the war before he is able to marry Charlotte, though he has gotten her pregnant, leaving her an unwed mother. She attempts to raise her daughter, but things soon go wrong when Jim’s brother Joe (Jerome Cowan) falls for Charlotte. Before you know it, things are out of hand and Delia attempts to ruin the wedding and take Charlotte’s baby, as well.

Filled with drama and treachery, The Old Maid offers an entertaining way to burn an hour and a half. While this is not the favorite of mine in this set, I did enjoy watching it and would again. Of course, it’s hard to knock any Bette Davis movie, especially in the beginning of her career. Still, this one is especially nice.

All This, And Heaven Too (1940)
All This, And Heaven Too is a tragic love story of sorts that has Davis playing a role that we seldom see her play. The sweet, caring Henriette Deluzy-Desportes (Bette Davis) is a governess with a heart of gold. When she is hired to care for the Duc (Charles Boyer) and Duchesse de Praslin’s (Barbara O’Neil) children she has no idea that she will grow to love the Duc and to despise the crazy Duchesse who cares only for herself and her obsession with her husband, not her children. Trapped in a no-win situation, Henriette has to try and ignore the love she feels in order to concentrate on the kids, offering them the mother that they do not have. However, when the Duchesse blows her top and things go dark things will only get worse. Seeing the Duc as a suspect is easy, but hearing the shocking news that Henriette is a more than willing accomplice who becomes portrayed as a husband stealing harlot, is shocking.

All This, And Heaven Too was definitely one of my favorites in the bunch. It was nice to see Davis in a role that wasn’t her normal style. It’s worth mentioning that O’Neil (as annoying as she was) was in top form, as well. It’s hard to watch her performance and not want to kill her, too. Together the performances of Boyer and Davis make me long for the days of old Hollywood when stars could act and passion was nothing more than a look, a gentle touch, and the occasional path to madness as we see here. This is a fabulous movie and as I hadn’t seen it before, I am so glad that it was placed in this set.

The Great Lie (1941)
Just like the tagline says, sometimes there is a great penalty for telling the truth. Pete (George Brent) fell in love and married Sandra (Mary Astor) only to discover that their marriage is not valid because Sandra has not been divorced from a previous marriage. Moving on, Pete goes back to old flame and former fiancée, Maggie (Davis) and gets married to her. Little does Pete know that Sandra is carrying his child! When Pete flies to South America and the plane crashes everyone assumes he is dead. When Maggie finds out she approaches Sandra to buy the right to adopt her and Pete’s baby. However, when Pete returns from the plane crash and South America there are two girls waiting there to fight for him and his baby.

The Great Lie offers another fabulous movie for this set. Mary Astor was given the Best Supporting Actress win for her role. Likewise, Brent and Davis did an excellent job. As with most of these films, there is plenty of drama, some shocking moments, and plenty of entertainment. This is definitely one of those movies that I will watch more than once due to the captivating performances given by all.

In This Our Life (1942)
Stanley Timberlake (Davis) is a bored socialite akin to a prettier, smarter Paris Hilton. With little to amuse her and boredom around every corner, Stanley only wants what someone else has. Keeping this in mind, Stanley dumps her fiancé Craig (George Brent) and runs off with her sister, Roy’s (Olivia de Havilland) husband, Peter (Dennis Morgan). Unfortunately, Stanley sucks the life out of her husband and he resorts to suicide as a means of escape.

When Stanley returns to Richmond she is devastated to see that Roy and Craig are now planning to get married and there is nothing that she can do to break them up. As things progress, Stanley’s ugliest colors begin to show. This is seen most apparently when she pins a car accident (hit and run) on a young black boy, Parry Clay (Ernest Anderson) who is a family friend and works with Craig, in order to take the heat off of herself.

Davis is in true form as the selfish bitch, Stanley. Any movie with Olivia de Havilland and Hattie McDaniel (she plays Minerva Clay, Parry’s mother) is a treat. Like with All This and Heaven, Too, this is definitely one of my favorites in this set. You won’t want to miss this especially if you’re a Davis fan. She’s so despicable you will want to punch her and those are really the best Davis movies!

Watch on the Rhine (1943)
Sara (Davis) and Kurt Muller (Paul Lukas) have what seems to be the perfect life. Living overseas in Europe, the couple raise their three children who are all well behaved and proper. The Mullers need to return to Sara’s family home in Washington DC after Sara has been away nearly 20 years. When they return home they encounter a Romanian Count (George Coulouris) that is a Nazi sympathizer who has it out for the Mullers, even before he knows why. When the Count learns that the Mullers work for the anti-Nazi movement in Germany he tries to blackmail Kurt. It is up to Kurt to stop the Count from becoming a problem before heading back to Germany to help the movement. As the movie progresses we see Sara’s distress as it will soon be time to send her eldest son to also help the movement and their cause.

Paul Lukas won the Best Actor Oscar for his role here and with good reason. While films that were plays first can be a bit too rigid, Watch on the Rhine ends up being one of the better films here. The acting is excellent and the film is solid from start to finish.

Deception (1946)
Christine Radcliffe (Davis) is a musician with a love for the musical arts. She is in love with Karel Novak (Paul Henreid), an amazing cellist. While she thought that he was killed in the war, she later discovers that he is alive. Unfortunately, in the time she thought that he was dead she picked up another lover, composer Alexander Hollenius (Claude Rains). When she learns that Novak is alive she insists that they become married as she simply cannot wait! Though it doesn’t make sense to Novak that Christine has done so well over the years, he loves her and agrees to marry her. Hollenius offers Novak the spot in a concert of his, and tells Christine that he is going to reveal the truth about them, using the opportunity of the concert to torture her in any way he can. The question then becomes, what is Christine going to do about it, and will Karel stand by her when she’s finished?

There isn’t a bad movie in this set, which makes it one of the better ones released by Warner Bros, or anyone else for that matter. Generally, a set like this will include one or two movies that fall flat, but that isn’t the case here. Of course, with this time period and the actress in question they really would have had to work hard to make that happen.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
While I would normally do sound and video individually for each movie, in this case I really do not see any need for that. All of the visual aspects are presented with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. All films are black and white and are absolutely gorgeous. There is little to no grain, the films are sharp, and the detail is meticulous. I couldn’t have been happier with this if they were made this year. The cleanup job on these was excellent and it really shows in the final product.

When it comes to sound, the films offer Dolby Digital Mono. I did not notice a single problem with the sound. Everything was clear and sounded fabulous. I did not have to play with the volume, the musical moments were full-bodied and dynamic, and the dialogue was perfect. I wish that all DVDs came out looking and sounding like this. It certainly would make my job and life a lot easier.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are so many special features in this set that it could be hard to determine where to begin. I will start by saying that each DVD has plenty of features to keep any Davis fan happy. Many of the DVDs offer similar features so I will go through the similar options first and then fill you in on DVD specifics.

All of the DVDs offer their original theatrical trailers. All DVDs also offer one other theatrical trailer for other movies that were made at the time. Those trailers include Confessions of a Nazi Spy, Dr. Ehlrich’s Magic Bullet, The Strawberry Blonde, Desperate Journey, Mission to Moscow, and A Stolen Life.

Every DVD offers vintage newsreels. Each newreel lasts between a little over a minute to a little over seven minutes. Each reel discusses a different topic. Among the reels include topics about a beauty pageant in Venice Beach (1939), Davis and Mickey Rooney accepting crowns to become King and Queen of Hollywood (1940), a trip to Ciro’s nightclub to watch the stars mingle, a showing of the stars that rallied around the war movement, the preparation of the bombing of Hamburg, and a reel that shows how frozen dinners were produced by Long Island Chefs.

Commentaries are available for All This, And Heaven Too, In This Our Life, Watch on the Rhine, and Deception. There are several Porky Pig cartoons spread throughout the movies including, “The Film Fan”, “Kristopher Kolumbus Jr.”, “Porky’s Last Stand”, “Porky’s Pooch”, and “Mouse Menace”. There are also a couple Daffy Duck spots, including, “Hollywood Daffy” and “The Wise Quacking Duck”.

Finally, each movie has a small selection of special featurettes or sole features that none of the other DVDs share. These are listed by movie below.

The Old Maid
“Lincoln in the White House” (20:51)
“Sword Fishing” (9:47)

All This, And Heaven Too
“Meet the Fleet” (20:17)
“Lux Radio Broadcast 12/15/1941″ (52:39): Note: This is an audio only broadcast.

The Great Lie
“At the Stroke of Twelve” (20:37)
“Kings of the Turf” (9:43)
“Polo with the Stars” (9:10)

In This Our Life
“March On, America!” (20:33)
“Spanish Fiesta” (18:53)
“Who’s Who in the Zoo” (7:09)

Watch on the Rhine
“Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra” (9:21)

Deception
“Facing Your Danger” (10:06)
“Movieland Magic” (16:24)

Bonus Features: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
There is no doubt that Warner Bros wanted to show their pride in having Bette Davis as a part of their team. This DVD set was excellent from start to finish. The team at Warner Bros managed to pick some of her best movies and fill each DVD with tons of extras that would only enhance the viewing experience. This set comes highly recommended. Bette Davis fans will not want to miss this or the previous Bette Davis Collections put out by Warner Bros.

Overall Rating: 4.79 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Movie, DVD Review, Box Set, Bette Davis, Collection, Volume Three, Warner Bros, Classic Films, Drama, Romance, Tragedy, Olivia de Havilland, George Brent, Jane Bryan, Hatte McDaniel