Reviews

This is a mini-series divided into four segments of about 1 1/2 hours each which tells the story of two couples who find each other despite the class system on 19th century Britain and against the background of terrible poverty. One is a lawyer who falls hopelessly in love with a young girl whose father made his living fishing dead bodies out of the Thames River, removing anything of value on them, and turning them in to the police. His family and friends are shocked and full of scorn and another man who also is smitten tries to kill him. The other is a man whose father leaves him a fortune providing he marries the girl of his father's choice whom he has never met and who is nearly murdered as he comes to meet her, another man who dies is mistaken for him, allowing him to assume a new identity and observe her from a distance. She is money-mad but he falls hopelessly in love with her and, later on, she with him. The story has its share of villains and many surprises. It is well done, well acted, and a delight!

I was delighted to see Call Me Madam out on DVD. I saw the movie at the theaters when it first came out and loved it. Ethel Merman is a sheer delight and in great voice; George Sanders surprisingly has a great singing voice; Donald O'Conner and Vera Ellen dance wonderfully together. The Technicolor is beautiful. The songs by Irving Berlin are wonderful. This is my favorite musical and gives people the opportunity to see Ethel Merman at her best and understand why she wowed them on Broadway for nearly three decades. The comments on the DVD are very good--the gentleman knows what he is talking about and is able to identify all the character actors and compare and contrast the movie with the Broadway show from which it was taken. A great buy!

I found the other comments far too negative. The film is--like Mr. Twain--humorous and makes a good point to those who think they are above corruption. It also makes the point that it is wise to do people a kindness whenever possible for you never know when you will need kindness yourself. The film was obviously not made on a big budget and at times drags a bit--not a great film but a good one and well worth seeing. Robert Preston is fun to watch and Fred Gwynne, for those who only know him from CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU and THE Munsters, is surprisingly gentle as the minister who was put out of his church and who must judge who gets the gold.

This was, I thought, the best cinematic summary of the life of Christ I have yet seen. Brian Deacon, who portrays Jesus, looks the part and speaks with quiet authority. His interaction with children in the movie gives a moving picture of the tenderness of Christ. The words of Christ are given in modern translation making it easy for the viewer to understand the language. Simon Peter (Niko Nitai) looks the part and acts it well. The movie allows about the same amount for the last week of Christ's life as does the gospel (about 25%). While not a perfect movie (nothing on earth is perfect), this is a delightful one. If you are looking for an accurate picture of Christ which accords well with the Bible, this is it!