Warner Brothers Classic Holiday Collection, Vol. 1 (Boys Town / A Christmas Carol / Christmas in Connecticut / The Singing Nun) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great dvd collection with plenty of extras. For me the extras add so much to a movie. Since all of these movies have been around for a while I just want to make some comments about the extras.
Boys Town
Unlike a previous reviewer my copy of Boys Town came with some great extras. The disk is double sided with the one side having Boys Town and the second including the less successful sequel Men of Boys Town also starring Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy.
Other features include the featurette "The City of Little Men" which is a 10:56 long and includes Father Flanagan. "Girls and Boys Town" is a 2:07 look at the modern Boys and Girls Town. There is also and excerpt from "Good News of 1939" which is a 16:42 long radio broadcast with Tracy and Rooney in excerpts from the movie. This is sound only with no video. Also included are theatrical trailers from both movies.
Christmas in Connecticut
This includes a superb Oscar winning short called "Star in the Night" which is 21:24 long. It is a modern story about a man and his pregnant wife who stop at an inn on Christmas evening only to find that it is full. Included in the movie, set in the southwest of the United States, are three wise cowboys attracted to a star at a gasoline station at the inn. It is a great story and highly recommended. Also included is a theatrical trailer for the movie.
A Christmas Carol
This includes a number of great extras aside from the theatrical trailer. It includes "Jackie Cooper's Christmas Party" a 9:00 long featurette in which Jackie Cooper convinces the Metro Goldwyn Mayer studio to have a Christmas party for his football team and the servers include some well known stars of the time. There is a brief 1:41 film of Judy Garland singing "Silent Night" in front of a church choir. Finally there is an Oscar nominated cartoon called "Peace on Earth" which 8:47 long. This is the one feature I was troubled about. It is a cartoon that takes place after mankind has destroyed itself in a World War and the animals are the only ones left on the earth to sing holiday songs. While it makes a good statement about the dangers of war it is something that may trouble youngsters.
Singing Nun
Finally, there is the Singing Nun which includes a theatrical trailer. Importantly the movie does not include any chapters so if you want to skip to Debbie Reynolds singing Dominique you have to fast forward or use what ever chapter feature you have on your dvd player. This is the only disappointment in this great set of movies. The movie is fine but I like chapters on my dvd's.
This is a great set that is well worth the price. It is a treasured part of my Christmas movie collection.


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Item Name: Warner Brothers Holiday Collection, Vol. 1; Studio:Warner Home Video

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Free Willy 2 (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)In my personal opinion, this is the best of the Free Willy series. There are no real or noticable problems, and it is good for the family. Of course it's not good for everybody, but if you haven't seen it, pick it up anyway.

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The West Point Story (1950) Review

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(More customer reviews)Set at West Point, this musical centers on Elwin Bixby's (James Cagney) misadventures as he tries to stage a show at the academy while trying to lure the young talented soldier Tom Fletcher (Gordon MacRae) away from army life and into showbusiness. Convinced that Tom's voice has star potential, Bixby uses pretty movie star Jan Wilson (Doris Day) as bait to try and charm Tom out of army life. But plans backfire when Jan falls under the spell of the handsome soldier.
Tons of singing and dancing by Gordon MacRae, Doris Day, Gene Nelson, James Cagney, and Virginia Mayo.

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Academy Award winner James Cagney puts on his dancing shoes again for The West Point Story, a spirited comedy packed with star-power and tunes by vetran songwriters Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn.

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The Desert Song (1953) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love those old musicals, and Gordon Macrae's wonderful baritone makes this one of my favorites. Macrae is a Clark Kent-ish anthropologist: mild, scholarly, and uninterested in love, also disguised as "the man of action" El Khobar, the secret Riff leader, dedicated to protecting the desert people in time of need. To spice up the plot enter Margot: the vibrant and capricious general's daughter who is searching for excitement and love. Add to this the hilarious gossip columnist who will risk anything to get his story, a jealous palace dancer rival for El Khobar's love, a dastardly villain, and a hauntingly beautiful musical score, along with the backdrop of the beautiful African desert. This operetta acheives a wonderful balance of romance, comedy, action, and music that you just don't see anymore!

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Bye Bye Birdie (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)This 1995 made for TV movie is millions of miles away from the tacky propaganda-filled 1963 film. This version follows the real story and doesn't leave out any key parts or songs. The casting was done well, especially Tyne Daly as Mae Peterson (hilarious) and the actor who plays Conrad Birdie--an amazing voice! George Wendt plays the role of Mr. MacAfee and not only can he sing but is a riot in the Ed Sullivan scene. However, Chynna Phillips is not a great choice for Kim--she looks too old, her singing voice is only so-so (Kim's songs have all been lowered an octave) and the way she interpreted the role made Kim seem snotty. One of the best scenes is when Ursula and co. are doing "Bye Bye Birdie" at the malt shop--their voices and enthusiasm are unbelievable. All in all, it's a great show, excellent viewing for anyone wanting to produce or direct the musical.

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Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma (London Stage Revival) (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)The 1999 London production of "Oklahoma!", directed by Trevor Nunn with choreography by Susan Stroman, was the first major departure ever from the original Joshua Logan-Agnes De Mille production of 1943. It was a gamble that paid off big, for the performance recorded for posterity on this DVD is absolutely brilliant--funny, riveting, and deeply poignant. The dancing is astonishing, and the beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein songs have never sounded so good. Nunn and Stroman know how to stage each number for maximum dramatic effect, so that the songs come across less as songs than as dramatic monologues in music--which is, of course, exactly what Rodgers & Hammerstein wanted.The cast of this version is so wonderful that it is impossible to talk about them in anything but superlatives. (I might make a slight, regretful exception for Vicki Simon as Ado Annie, who is merely very good whereas everyone else is spectacular.) As Will Parker, Jimmy Johnston--an endearing if improbable cross between Will Rogers, Russ Tamblyn and Jack Black--barrels through his big number, "Kansas City," with infectious glee and astounding athleticism, including a dandy exhibition of trick roping. Some reviewers have pointed out that Peter Polycarpou's accent as Ali Hakim is shaky, but there's no quibbling with his singing or his comic timing; in appearance and talent, he reminds me more than a little of Tony Shalhoub. Maureen Lipman is a perfect Aunt Eller, tough as an old birch tree, plain-spoken and drily witty as she dispenses tough love to the residents of Claremore, Okla. Josefina Gabrielle is an earthier Laurey than we're used to, but she's a good singer and an exquisite dancer, and she makes Laurey's confused longings as painful as a punch in the gut. The real acting honors, however, must be divided between the romantic rivals--Hugh Jackman as Curly and Shuler Hensley as Jud. This production launched Jackman's international career, and no wonder--from the first few bars of "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," you can't take your eyes off him. He is visually perfect as Curly, he dances well and sings beautifully, and--above all--he exudes charisma from every pore. Hensley combines a rich, operatic baritone with a brooding, menacing stage presence; he makes Jud a classic monster, evoking both pity and terror. His solo number, detailing both his pitiful loneliness and his doomed love for Laurey, is one of the most riveting pieces of dramatic singing I've ever seen or heard.

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OKLAHOMA - DVD Movie

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- Singin' In The Rain (Import, all-region, Theatrical Trailer) Review

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(More customer reviews)For those of you who don't know the story, it is an interesting movie that revolves around the transition from silent films to talking films. A previous reviewer put it quite well when he said that while the movie makes fun of the silent film era, it also shows a respectful nostalgia towards it.
Gene Kelly seems to have made an art out of covering his coincidental rise to fame with a single word: "Dignity." Gene Kelly works with Lena who is beautiful enough for silent films. But her unrefined voice makes us aware that she will have a problem if movies go to sound.
Gene Kelly later runs into Debby Reynolds. Their first meeting ends in a hilarious argument. If we know romances, we can sense that they will end up together. They later meet, and Kelly realizes that Reynolds is 'not so far above him.' But he is moved with compassion. (Perhaps due to his difficult past, he sees a parallel.)
Later, we see that movies are going to sound. While this presents difficulties to all, Lena will have the most problems if she wants to keep her job. The only weak link here is that I don't like how Lena is often made the object of scorn. (All she really wants is to keep her job.) She's no saint to be sure, but is she really so bad for wanting to keep her job?
Moving on, reynolds and Kelly meet again, and they begin working on a project together. We can see that the transition from silent films to talking films was not so easy. An especially hilarious moment is the miserable failure of the screen test (topped off by the sound going out of timing).
But Reynolds and Kelly (former enemies) work together and find a way to save the movie. One thing that makes this movie so great is the harmonious mixture of speaking parts, singing, and dancing.
One comical character worth mentioning is R.F. He gets a tad hypocritical: "Trust me, talking pictures will never amount to anything. They'll lose their shirts." Later, he says: "I told you talking pictures were a menace, but no one would listen."
In many ways, this film is a great treasure.

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