Sheila_Beers Reviews

Louisiane (1984)

A Different View of the Old South

[21 September 2011]

"Louisiana" remains one of my favorite movies about the Old South, and I believe it is as good as "Gone With the Wind," though a bit different. So many films about the Civil War depict the war as the only disappointment or tragedy to befall the characters and ruin their previously "idyllic" lives. Indeed, my own family, who experienced the Civil War in Virginia, handed down from one generation to another a chronic complaint: "The Union army ruined our lives." Actually, of course, my family's unwise choices and lack of judgment and values did the real damage, long after the Civil War was "history." I appreciate the film "Louisiana" because it shows many disappointments and tragedies, besides the war, that adversely impacted the characters and essentially destroyed their dreams and their families. It has been a while since I have seen the film, but I thoroughly enjoyed the performances of Margot Kidder, Lloyd Bochner, and the late Ian Charleson. I also was very much impressed with the costumes, scenery, and soundtrack of the film, and I look forward to finding this mini- series on DVD.

Father Takes a Wife (1941)

A Favorite Comedy

[10/10 · 13 January 2011]

This is a favorite comedy of mine, and I hope it will become available on DVD very soon. In my first viewing, the title and plot of the film reminded me of the children's song, "The Farmer in the Dell." As everyone knows, "the farmer takes a wife" in the first verse, and in this film, "father takes a wife" with this act being the catalyst for the conflict and rising action in the plot. According to the children's song and the natural order of things, "the wife takes a child," meaning she wants or needs a child. In the film, the actress wants to mother some being who will compensate for the theatrical career she sacrificed for the marriage. However "father" and his actress wife, both well into middle age, are too old to have their own biological child. Adding to the disappointment, the father's biological children from his previous marriage are cold fish who do not accept his new wife and do not fulfill the wife's maternal needs.

When father and the wife find a stowaway singer, portrayed by Desi Arnaz, on their yacht, the singer becomes their child. Father and wife fulfill their desire for parenthood by becoming pseudo- parents in giving the young man a home and promoting his singing career. Like all idealistic newlyweds, they fail to see the downside of this "parenthood" until the singer keeps practicing the same concert song over and over and over. Like any annoying child who keeps repeating something, the singer drives them crazy.

I will have to see the film again to check for the disappointing elements mentioned by other posters, but this old classic still is one of my favorites.

Possessed (1947)

Poetic Justice Served

[10/10 · 24 November 2009]

I agree with other viewers that the Louise character is neurotic at best. However, one must consider the era in which the film is set. World War II has ended, and older single women like Louise would like to find Mr. Right and settle down. Enter David, portrayed by Van Heflin, whose ambition is hidden by an exterior that alternates between (1) warm and romantic and (2) cool and aloof. He obviously has strung Louise along for some purpose, and he dumps her when she presses him for a commitment. Like most women of the era, Louise probably has been reared to be emotionally and financially dependent on men, whom she and her contemporaries see as "strong, secure, brilliant and perfect." Whenever a relationship in that era did not work out, society would blame the woman for the failure, never recognizing that men can have flaws, bad motives, and other shortcomings. Hence, there is the neurotic or psychotic condition to which Louise succumbs.

It seems obvious to me that David already had staked out a certain business owned by Dean Graham, portrayed by Raymond Massey, and that David was using Louise (Mrs. Graham's nurse) to worm his way into the business and lives of the Graham family and cash in on the goods. Dean, being a kind and well-meaning individual, was blind to David's true ambition to marry Dean's naive and gullible daughter Carol and eventually get control of the business and family fortune. (Of course, once the mission was accomplished, David would use and abandon Carol just as he had used and abandoned Louise). David even brags about his objective to marry Carol and spend the family fortune just before Louise shoots and kills him. However, Louise has her own motives, having internalized the reason for David's abandoning her, and she cannot see the whole picture of David's plot. Inadvertently Louise delivers poetic justice by ending David's ambition and saving the Graham family and fortune.

September (1996 TV Movie)

Beautiful film

[10/10 · 13 November 2009]

I loved this film for the beautiful story of the interwoven lives of a family and friends in a community, with a bit of mystery running through it. As the film opens, everyone is looking forward to September when the end of summer will usher in fall and the ensuing winter. In the film the change of seasons symbolizes change in the lives of the characters while the coming dormancy of winter symbolizes death. The family matriarch and a granddaughter will be celebrating birthdays the same week in September, the enigmatic Pandora will return to the favorite place of her youth, and eight-year-old Henry and his parents contemplate the boy's bittersweet departure for boarding school.

The reason for Pandora's suicide is given in the letter she leaves for Archie, portrayed by Edward Fox. The lady has incurable cancer and would rather die painlessly in the place she has loved throughout her life rather than in a cold, sterile hospital. Throughout the story are hints about the child she miscarried and what the child might have been. She tries to compensate for the loss when she takes young Henry on an outing in the village.

The "sad American," the former boyfriend of Virginia, has been touched by the death of his wife, and he also relates to the change in seasons. However, the coming wedding of Alexa and her boyfriend (presumably to take place the next spring, the time of rebirth) gives a note of optimism to the film, and the anticipated event shows the continuity of life and the future of the family.

In only one viewing this has become one of my favorite films, and I recommend it very highly.

Brazil (I) (1944)

The song "Rio de Janeiro"

[10/10 · 5 July 2008]

I wonder if the award-winning song really was called "Rio de Janeiro." According to my resource book on the Academy Awards, the song "Brazil" from this movie was the Academy Award winner for "Best Song" category in 1944.

I checked with sheetmusicplus.com and could not find a song called "Rio de Janeiro." If there is such a song in print, I would like to know about it as I love Latin music.

I agree this film should have been in color. Maybe Ted Turner can colorize it for us. Also, I should like to see it available on DVD soon.

As for Edward Everett Horton being in the film, I believe he appeared in other films set in South America in this era. No doubt the interest in Latin America expressed through movies in the 1940s and television in the 1950s was because of South American oil the United States and Canada bought for military use during World War II and during the industrial expansion and prosperity that followed the war. If you think about it, you can see the political undertones in the films of this era.

This Time for Keeps (1947)

A Must-See-Again Film

[10/10 · 4 December 2007]

I saw this film many years ago and had forgotten the title until I was looking up "Johnny Johnston" on the website. I remember Johnston from the years he was a panelist on "Password," then hosted by Allen Ludden. When Johnston was introduced on "Password," it was mentioned he once was married to Kathryn Grayson of "Showboat" fame. I remember Johnston as a very attractive blond man with a terrific smile and sparkling personality when he served as a panelist. Yet, I did not realize Johnston had portrayed the love interest of Esther Williams in "This Time For Keeps." At any rate, I will track down DVDs of this movie and others in which Johnston appeared and the CD remakes of his vocal recordings (hit singles and movie soundtracks)during the 1930s and 1940s. It is unfortunate his talent was not more appreciated during his lifetime, as he passed away January 6, 1996.

Stubby Pringle's Christmas (1978 TV Movie)

A Christmas Classic

[10/10 · 21 September 2007]

I first read the short story version of "Stubby Pringle's Christmas" in a discontinued school anthology in study hall in the 1960s. I soon forgot the title and author's name, but I never forgot the story. Then, in 1978, I was staying home from church one Sunday morning because my one-year-old daughter was ill. While looking for something inspirational on television, I found "Stubby Pringle's Christmas" being televised that morning, and immediately I recognized it as the short story I had read in high school. In time I forgot the exact wording of the title, but I remembered the story and most of the cast.

More than 20-years later, I recalled the story and cast but still could not remember the exact title. In desperation, I wrote to the publicists of Beau Bridges and Julie Harris to ask if they could tell me more about the film and if they would encourage someone to make it into a DVD and a holiday classic to air on TV every Christmas. I never received a reply.

At last I asked an area librarian to look for the story and film. She had a directory of story plots, through which one could find titles and authors. She found it for me, and I never again will forget the title, "Stubby Pringle's Christmas," or the author's name, Jack Schaefer.

The librarian was astonished that I had read the story in a high school anthology so long ago. According to her records, the story had been published in Boys Life magazine in 1955 and then in book form, which she was able to find for me. Her records did not mention any publication in a school anthology in the late 1950s to early 1960s or the 1978 film version.

I have enjoyed reading other contributors' touching remarks about the story and its special meaning to each of them. To me, it is a heartwarming western story of 1880 Montana, and yet it is much like "The Gift of the Magi," which O'Henry set in the same era in New York City. Both stories convey the same message: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

I agree that this film should be televised each Christmas and that it should be available on DVD.

Life (I) (1999)

The meaning of "Life"

[10/10 · 9 June 2007]

I usually am not a fan of Eddie Murphy, but I thoroughly enjoyed the interweaving of comedy and drama in "Life." At first glance the title seems to refer to the life sentence wrongly given to the two men. As the story unfolds, the viewer sees the "life" they must make for themselves in the spartan setting of a prison in Mississippi. The end of the film should bring the viewer to question what he has done with his life and how much he has depended on "props" for a meaning to his own life.

Many who submitted comments compared "Life" with "The Shawshank Redemption," but a more likely comparison is "Cool Hand Luke," which starred Paul Newman in a similar story also set in a Mississippi prison. The comic gags, such as the warden's curvaceous daughter, were taken from "Cool Hand Luke." Overall, the film is rich in meaning as it shows how life in general is an interweaving of comedy and tragedy. Another comparison story is "Death Comes for the Archbishop" by Willa Cather, in which Ms. Cather shows how two priests, also in a spartan situation (a desert pastorate in New Mexico) and without the usual trappings of success, make meaningful lives for themselves while living sacrificially for others.

Seven Minutes in Heaven (1986)

What the title means

[10/10 · 23 October 2006]

The title of this film is taken from a party game called "Seven Minutes in Heaven." The game was popular among my husband's friends when he was in junior high school in Brooklyn, NY, and he describes it as something like "Spin-the-Bottle," "Lifesaver Relay," and other preteen kissing games. According to the rules, a boy's name and a girl's would be drawn, and the chosen ones ordered to get into a dark closet together and to stay there for seven minutes. In the meantime, there would be speculation among party guests as to whether or not the two had the nerve to hold hands, embrace, and/or kiss each other in the privacy of the closet. At the end of seven minutes, the game leader would say, "Time's up" or knock on the closet door, and the couple would emerge from the closet. After being quizzed by the other guests, the couple would have to admit what they had done during their "Seven Minutes in Heaven." Then other couples would be chosen to enter the closet until all the guests had participated. The couple who admitted to doing the most would be the winners of the game.

Such games have served as social "ice-breakers" for children and teens, but they can be embarrassing and intimidating to shy individuals. The film has been given this title because it deals with the teens' first experiences with crushes and romantic love.

The Bravados (1958)

True justice is served

[10/10 · 18 April 2006]

Three of the four men pursued by Jim Douglas are not the same men who robbed Douglas' ranch and murdered his wife, but they commit these same acts (as proof of their capabilities and guilt) as Douglas and the posse pursue them. When Douglas does kill the three, they get what they deserve. It is fitting that Douglas spares the Indian, the man who went along with the other three but did not harm anyone. The only evidence found on the Indian is the gold which he took from the dead miner's hand.

Although the film has no connection to Alfred Hitchcock, the plot bears out the Hitchcock belief that "Everyone is guilty of something and everyone will receive justice or karma in the end."

The most sinister character in the film is the phony hangman who has hatched the plot to free the four captives from the jail. The accompanying scenes remind me of the "Howling Man" episode in "The Twilight Zone" series. Had everyone kept a distance from the captives and had discernment about the phony hangman, the four would have been lynched as originally planned.

Perhaps the good to come from the story is that the three guilty men received the death they deserved while the innocent Indian received mercy and pardon and was spared.

The Girl Who Had Everything (1953)

No such thing as "Neutral"

[10/10 · 11 April 2006]

Obviously, this is one movie people either love or hate -- there is no in-between. I loved the movie because Elizabeth Taylor's character must choose between (1) her attachment to her boyfriend and (2) the moral obligation to do the right thing. In other roles Taylor portrayed young women who defied their fathers in regard to relatively minor issues; in this role, the character defies her father to follow a potentially deadly path.

Fernando Lamas (the late father of Lorenzo Lamas) does an excellent portrayal of the charming Latin lover; however, the character has a dark side involved with the criminal element.

In the end, the female lead (portrayed by Taylor) must make a choice between (1) the good she sees in her boyfriend and (2) her obligation to justice.

Go Naked in the World (1961)

Something like "Camille"

[10/10 · 3 March 2006]

I liked this film, which struck me as "Camille" in a modern setting with beautiful scenery and wardrobe in color and expressive music in the soundtrack.

The main similarity with "Camille" is the theme of "Redemption and Forgiveness" or the lack thereof with tragic results. Like Armand Duval in "Camille," the young man (portrayed by Anthony Franciosa) idealizes the exquisite young woman with whom he has fallen in love. To him, she is beautiful and innocent, and he wants a future with her. Then his father (Ernest Borgnine) reveals the ugly truth, that Giulietta is a high-priced call girl and that he and his middle-aged friends have been her clients.

The young man is confused, but he wants to forgive Giulietta for her past and help her make a new start by marrying her. They go away on holiday, but former clients (who are self righteous and who have an unforgiving attitude) come out of the woodwork and refuse to let Giulietta forget her past. As in Camille, the end is tragic, leaving the male characters to consider the parts (good or bad) they played in Giulietta's life.

Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter (1991 TV Movie)

Entertaining nostalgic film

[10/10 · 16 January 2006]

When I was four years of age, my parents and I were very much excited about the forthcoming premier of "I Love Lucy" on our "new" television set in 1951. I remember how excited our neighbors, who (with my parents) had been fans of Lucy and Desi during the 1930s and the Big Band Era, were at the prospect of seeing their favorite entertainers in a situation comedy on television. As a result, I found "Lucy and Desi: Before the Laughter" a great nostalgic film that explains the backgrounds of these entertainers, already legendary in 1951.

Far from being a third-rate performer, Desi Arnaz discovered innovative techniques still used in television and film production today; he also invented different types of cameras that led to great improvements in the television and motion picture industries. In addition, he was an excellent musician and vocalist, and prior to the "I Love Lucy" debut he had considerable experience as a motion picture actor.

In conjunction with their television and motion picture work, Mr. Arnaz and Miss Ball formed Desilu Productions and produced many outstanding television series that dealt with a variety of topics and scenarios.

As another credit to the late Mr. Arnaz, he helped his family escape from the Cuban revolution led by Dictator Battista in the 1930s. With the family wealth lost, Mr. Arnaz and his family made a new life for themselves in New York City. Mr. Arnaz willingly did menial work to support his family and his dream of becoming a U.S. citizen and an entertainer. In his autobiography, he expressed his gratitude to the United States and the American people for his chance to rebuild his life and become a success.

At the time the "I Love Lucy" program debuted, it was highly unusual for a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant like Miss Ball to marry a Roman Catholic man from Cuba. Among WASPS there were sharp divisions among those who believed Hispanics were Caucasian and those who believed Hispanics (and other people of Mediterranean origin) were "not quite white" or acceptable in the mainstream of American society. The premise of the Ball-Arnaz marriage and the "I Love Lucy" program, that opposites attract and can have a happy marriage, was a new idea in the pre-civil rights era (before 1961). At the same time, Hispanic migrant workers began moving to my hometown in the Midwest for seasonal farm work, and some chose to make permanent homes in the area. The "I Love Lucy" series helped local residents become broad minded enough to accept the Hispanic people in the community and count them among their friends.

I am sorry the Arnaz children did not appreciate this film. Maurice Benard's acting may have been campy, but Frances Fisher did an excellent job in portraying Lucy. In spite of the overacting by Mr. Benard, this film explains the backgrounds of Miss Ball and Mr. Arnaz and brings back precious memories of my childhood in the early 1950s. The film also is one I treasure and would love to have on DVD.

A Walk in the Clouds (1995)

A beautiful, romantic film

[10/10 · 12 December 2005]

"A Walk In the Clouds" is one of my favorite movies because of the romantic story of star-crossed lovers and the beautiful setting in the Napa Valley of California. In regard to the plot, the movie appears to be a remake of "This Earth Is Mine" of the 1950s,which starred Rock Hudson and Jean Simmons; the same plot also served as the pilot for the TV series, "Falcon Crest." It is interesting that the name of the vineyard, Las Nubes, means clouds. Even before I learned this, I believed the title suggested that people who take a walk in the clouds are close to heaven or paradise. I believe this impression is further suggested when the fog rising from the vineyard (in a panoramic shot)looks like clouds. Also, the smoke that rises from fires generated to ward off frost look like clouds, and the wings the people use to keep warm air on the grapes look like angels' wings. Hence, I believe the title has come from these fog and cloud images in the story, meaning the vineyard is a heavenly place and that those fortunate enough to live or visit there are blessed.

I loved Anthony Quinn's portrayal of the classic grandfather, an earthy, philosophical man gifted with common sense and the ability to accept change. He serves as go-between and peacemaker between the seemingly star-crossed young couple and the girl's father who cannot accept change. The film also hints that the grandfather and father had the same differences and conflicts about 25 years earlier and that the grandfather still doubts his own son's worth and effort in the family wine-making business.

Each time the young man Paul tries to leave the family and return to his wife, some mishap (in the style of old Greek drama plots) prevents him from doing so. The first time, the grandfather eats all Paul's chocolate samples so that Paul cannot resume work as a candy salesman; the next time, the grandmother has Paul's clothes submerged in the clothes washer so that he cannot pack up and leave. Although these delays complicate things for Paul, everything works out for the good in the end.

In addition to liking the film for the romantic story, I found the Spanish-style house and the panoramic view of the vineyard incredibly beautiful. I also liked the musical soundtrack, which sounded uplifting and heavenly -- exactly as one might expect for "a walk in the clouds."

Together Again (1944)

Great nostalgic comedy

[10/10 · 10 December 2005]

I saw this film a long time ago, and I wish it were on television more often. According to another reviewer, it is not yet available on DVD, and I wish it were.

The film stars Irene Dunne as the widow of a small town mayor, and she hires a famous sculptor, portrayed by Charles Boyer, to sculpt a statue of her late "sainted" husband. After some hesitation on the part of Dunne, a romance follows, along with family predicaments that complicate the plot and create the comedy in the film. Throughout the film the tango number, "I Get Ideas," adds to the romantic atmosphere as widow Dunne finds she can love again.

The ending contains an unexpected comedic happening, and the viewer is left to imagine the outcome of plot. This film is one I would recommend to anyone who likes romantic films and "chick" flicks.

The Affair of the Necklace (2001)

Excellent film based on history

[10/10 · 9 November 2005]

"The Affair of the Necklace" is an interesting attempt to explain the "Diamond Necklace Scandal" that brought about the French Revolution and the downfall of the French monarchy in the late 18th century.

Conspirators, who want to turn public opinion against Queen Marie Antoinette,convince jewelers to design an especially beautiful necklace to gain the queen's favor. The schemers claim to represent the queen who, they propose, will find the piece irresistible and will pay handsomely for it. The jewelers are flattered by the supposed offer and believe they will prosper from having the queen as a customer.

To further the plot, the conspirators have a millineress (hat-maker), who resembles the queen, pose as Marie Antoinette and meet with the jewelers in the Tuileries Gardens at night. The jewelers are duped into thinking they have gained royal favor, and they set about to please their queen.

When Marie Antoinette is presented with the finished necklace at the palace, she knows nothing of the agreement and refuses to pay. The French public believes the necklace is one more extravagance in which the queen has indulged while her subjects suffer in want and poverty. The public outcry leads to the overthrow of the French monarchy and government and the executions of the king and queen.

An interesting sideline is that "The Glory of the Lord" from Handel's "Messiah" and "Hedge Roses," a concert song by Franz Schubert, are played as background music when Adrien Brody appears in a park scene in the film. The music is historically accurate, as both pieces were written in the earlier part of the 18th century.

The plot is complex and difficult to follow in the first viewing, so that I recommend seeing it again and again.

The Naked Maja (1958)

Historic elements in film

[10/10 · 9 November 2005]

"The Naked Maja" is one of my favorite movies because of the historical content, and it stars two of my favorite actors, Anthony Franciosa as the idealistic artist Francisco Goya and Ava Gardner as the ill-fated Duchess of Alba.

The story begins before 1800 when the works of philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau are changing the social thought of Europe. According to Rousseau's philosophy, all people have dignity and worth and should have freedom of thought. The philosophy also has introduced belief in personal fulfillment, freedom of expression, and self determination, which ultimately led to the French and American Revolutions in the late 18th century and revolutions throughout Europe by 1850.

Because the Duchess of Alba embraces Rousseau's philosophy, she is condemned by the "old school" of monarchist Spain that clings to old ideas of a rigid social class and dictatorial views.

Upon seeing the film, the viewer might be inspired to look at prints of Goya's works and see how he expressed ideas of equality and compassion for humanity in his art. By doing so, one will understand the film in a greater context.

Casa de los babys (2003)

Complex and entertaining film

[10/10 · 9 November 2005]

I found "Casa De Los Babys" complex and entertaining, and I believe the "loose ends" serve a purpose as the viewer is to form his own conclusion about the characters, their motives and conflicts, and the possible outcomes. The six women who want to adopt are so wrapped up in their own frustrations and needs that they are blind to the destitute and desperate lives of the hotel workers and the Latin American community around them. The hotel manager and her con artist lawyer-brother, who run the adoption agency, play heartless "bait and switch" games with the childless women, and the women fail to see the operators are taking advantage of them. As a result, the women hand exorbitant amounts of money over to the operators when they more wisely could use the money to help the native people around them.

There is opportunity for a relationship between the single woman of the group, who has given up hope for a husband and family, and the handsome, young, and educated Latin man who dreams of going to the U.S. The possibilities never enter their minds, with the woman focusing on single-parent adoption and the young man pinning false hopes on a lottery ticket.

"Casa De Los Babys" is a film I would recommend to socially conscious people and prospective parents alike.

Green Mansions (1959)

"Green Mansions" should be on DVD

[10/10 · 1 November 2005]

I have read "Green Mansions" and have seen the film, and I must say both are among my favorites. The novel and film especially touched me because I always have been fascinated with South America. There is a certain mystery about the Amazon jungle, and I loved seeing the range of South American society from the city to the jungle depicted in the film. As Abel (portrayed by Anthony Perkins) leaves the city of Caracas, Venezuela, and goes to the jungle, the viewer should note the layers of civilization being peeled away as the journey takes him from an urban society to the Stone Age. His character is a wealthy, educated man of European (Spanish) descent, but he is able to adapt to the jungle. As the film progresses, it demonstrates the basic qualities of human nature and the idea that people everywhere are basically the same.

It is interesting to see Perkins cast as an upper-class purebred Spaniard in a romantic leading man role; one must remember this film was made BEFORE Perkins' appeared as Norman Bates in "Psycho" and unfortunately became typecast as a weirdo or villain. Although Perkins became famous for "Psycho," the role ruined the potential he had as a very handsome, elegant leading man.

The film also shows the basic elements of human nature with the potential for good and the propensity for evil. Abel (a victim much as Abel in the Bible) flees Caracas after his father is murdered, and like the Conquistadors who came before him, he seeks gold to restore his place in society and exact a sort of revenge on his father's murderers. In the jungle he finds Rima (portrayed so ethereally by Audrey Hepburn), who represents innocence and the idealism of youth and true love. The jungle becomes a Garden of Eden, yet evil is on the outskirts of the plantation, ready to destroy the peace and happiness of Rima and Abel.

The superstitious Indians have a Cain-and-Abel dispute with the one representing Cain placing the blame on the innocent Rima. When Abel learns the truth, he realizes that good and evil exist in all societies.

Rose Marie (1954)

A beautiful, romantic musical

[10/10 · 14 September 2005]

Not enough good things can be said about this beautiful musical, one of my favorites. It has the right combination of romance, conflict, suspense, tragedy, and comedy in the plot. The setting is in the colonial or exploration era of Canada, and the rivalry between English and French Canadians is evident.

The story is about Rose Marie (Ann Blyth), a tomboyish girl that her guardian Mountie (Howard Keel) tries to civilize. Rose Marie is grateful to him, but she truly loves the French trader Duval (Fernando Lamas), who accepts her as she is. The unrequited love an Indian girl has for Duval adds to the conflict and leads to the tragic elements in the film. However, justice and a happy ending prevail.

I commend Turner Broadcasting for keeping "Rose Marie" alive by showing it on the movie channel, but I would love to have a quality DVD version. I hope it will be on DVD soon.

The film has inspired me to look for the sheet music and script from the musical, and I am very disappointed that I cannot find a "Rosemarie" songbook. If any music and script publishers are listening, they should have the score and script of this film in print.

So This Is Love (1953)

Excellent biographical musical

[10/10 · 29 June 2005]

I saw this film many years ago and would love to see it again. I also wish it were available in DVD. It is the true story of Grace Moore, who was born in Tennessee in 1898. She was a singer of Broadway musicals, an opera star, and a lovely lady Florenz Ziegfeld described as "the most beautiful woman in the world." Tragically, Miss Moore was killed in a plane crash in Copenhagen, Denmark, in January 1947. Also on board was a member of the Danish royal family. In the nearly six decades after her death, Miss Moore's talent lives on in the recordings of her music.

I hope this film will be appreciated by today's young people and that they will learn valuable lessons from it.

Zorro: The Gay Blade (1981)

A film that is ever new, ever funny

[10/10 · 20 April 2005]

I have seen "Zorro the Gay Blade" several times since it was released in the 1980s, and I get something new from it each time. I have liked all the Zorro films, and this comic spoof is yet another "twist" on the original Zorro plot.

My favorite part of "Zorro the Gay Blade" is the masked ball, at which the Alcalde hopes to catch Zorro, only to have all his male guests arrive in Zorro costumes. The result is a dizzying "house of mirrors" effect as the Alcalde looks from one "Zorro" to another around the room and then finds himself unable to identify and arrest the "real" Zorro.

Another favorite part is the soundtrack, taken from Max Steiner's compositions for the soundtrack of "Don Juan" (which starred Errol Flynn in the 1940s) and "The Danzas Fantasticas," some Spanish classical music. Unfortunately, Steiner's music is unpublished; I do hope it will be published some day so that fans of Spanish-style music can enjoy playing it.

I would recommend the "Zorro" series by Disney and all other movies about Zorro. I also would recommend "Don Juan" (starring Errol Flynn) and "Don Juan DeMarco" (starring Johnny Depp and the late Marlon Brando).

The Rage (1997)

A true story

[8/10 · 20 April 2005]

I saw this 1997 movie because I am a fan of Lorenzo Lamas (and of his father, the late Fernando Lamas). In my opinion, Lorenzo looked his best in this film, mostly due to his hairstyle and the preppy wardrobe that were flattering to him.

As the plot progressed, I realized the movie was more than just entertainment or a reason to see a favorite actor. The story was about a ring of serial killers and the attempts of law enforcement to investigate the ring and bring the members to justice. There was adequate suspense, and I believe the violence was necessary to relate the story to the viewer.

At the end of the film I was shocked to learn the film is the true account of horrendous murders that occurred in Utah. Furthermore, Lorenzo and his leading lady were portraying actual FBI agents who solved the disappearances of many young women and contributed to the apprehension of the ring. I believe the film is worthwhile as it informs the public about the dangers and capabilities of the criminal element.

Stolen Women, Captured Hearts (1997 TV Movie)

Loved this film

[10/10 · 1 April 2005]

I loved this movie that presented Native American culture and history with respect and understanding. Anna, the character portrayed by Janine Turner, was a woman who learned to adapt in order to survive after being kidnapped by Indians. By adapting, she came to an understanding of Native Americans and respect for individuals. Her relationship with the Indian man showed that people are basically the same in any culture and that individuals can reach across cultural and racial lines to have caring relationships. Anna also learned about the failings of the white race, prejudice toward Indians, and the white man's mistreatment of Indians.

I believe this is a story based on fact, especially since General Custer appeared in the story. My great-grandmother, who was born in 1874, was two years of age when Little Big Horn happened. She often told me she heard people discussing Little Big Horn when she was a child. I now have her books about Indians, written in the late 1800s. Earlier generations of my family came to Indiana in the early 1800s and lived with Native Americans. In fact, one rural Baptist church started as a mission to the Potawatomi Indians of northern Indiana.

Most Hoosiers know the story of Frances Slocum, a pioneer girl who was kidnapped by Indians and named Maconaquah. When her family found her years later, she had so much adapted to the Indian way of life that she preferred to stay with the Indian tribe and her Indian husband and children. A similar story is "The Searchers," which starred John Wayne and Natalie Wood. However, the character portrayed by the late Miss Wood was young and malleable enough to re-adapt to white society.

Because of the common themes in the above movies and incidents, "Stolen Women, Captured Hearts" has a special meaning for me. I would highly recommend it to everyone.

Miracles Still Happen (1974)

I liked this movie.

[10/10 · 15 March 2005]

I liked this movie very much because it is a true story set in the Amazon, a part of the world that always has intrigued me. I believe a condensed form of the book was published in "Reader's Digest" soon after the actual event occurred.

Because I am a "baby boomer," the character and the actress are my contemporaries, and for this reason I related to the film. I also believe the movie is valuable for teaching survival skills if the viewer observes the character's following the streams that lead to the river and to the coastal settlements where she can get help, as well as other survival techniques. Most important was her will to survive and to maintain a positive attitude. In conclusion, I hope viewers learn something from it, in addition seeing it for entertainment.

I do wish the movie would be released in VHS and DVD soon as I should like to add it to my video collection. It also should be shown more often on the satellite movie channels.