Road to Morocco (1942)
80%RT Audience Score: 77%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Road to Morocco is a lighthearted and nonsensical film that showcases the perfect balance between sophistication and simplicity. The chemistry between Hope and Crosby may not be sparkling for some, but the fantastical feats of stupidity and playful sabotage make up for it. The film is a prime example of the Road-movie formula at its best, before it descended into self-parody. The low-effort, cartoonish variety of the film’s nonsensical moments may not be memorable, but they are still fun to watch. With Bing, Bob, Dottie, a talking camel, and great songs, Road to Morocco is a Republican zany that even Democrats can enjoy.
Road to Morocco is a classic comedy that still holds up today, even after 60 years. The chemistry between Hope and Crosby may not have been sparkling for some, but their nonsensical and playful sabotage is always a fun ride. Plus, who can forget the talking camel and great songs? It’s more Republican zany than Democrat zany, but that doesn’t stop it from being a lighthearted and sophisticated movie that hits all the right notes. So hop on board and enjoy the journey to Morocco!
Production Company(ies)
Izo
Distributor
Image Entertainment Inc., MCA/Universal Home Video, Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
1942
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:1h 23m
-
Language(s):English
ALL CAST, AUSPICES, AND BELOW THE LINE
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DEVELOPMENT (2017-2018) -
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 11, 1942 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 8, 2005
Genre(s)
Musical/Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Anthony Quinn, Dona Drake, Vladimir Sokoloff, directed by David Butler, written by Frank Butler, Don Hartman, Melville Shavelson, musical, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Paul Trench, Steven D Greydanus, Zita Short, Mike Massie, Emanuel Levy, Susan Granger, Frank Swietek, Dennis Schwartz, Steve Crum, Christopher Null, Bob Bloom, Ken Hanke, MPAA rating, Image Entertainment Inc., MCA/Universal Home Video, Paramount Pictures, produced by Paul Jones
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Bob Hope – Orville “Turkey” Jackson, Aunt Lucy
Dorothy Lamour – Princess Shalmar
Anthony Quinn – Mullay Kasim
Dona Drake – Mihirmah
Vladimir Sokoloff – Hyder Khan
Director – David Butler
Production Company – Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Director(s)
David Butler
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (14) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (3)
All this adds up to a good evening’s entertainment.
May 27, 2021
Paul Trench
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
Lighthearted and nonsensical, sophisticated but not overplotted, Road to Morocco represents the point at which the Road-movie formula had hit its stride but hadn’t yet descended into self-parody.
August 10, 2003 | Rating: B+
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films
TOP CRITIC
Personally, I didn’t think that the chemistry between Hope and Crosby was all that sparkling.
February 7, 2023 | Rating: D+
Zita Short
InSession Film
Full of nonsensical, fantastical feats of stupidity and playful sabotage – even though few of them are memorable and most are of the low-effort, cartoonish variety.
January 2, 2022 | Rating: 4/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The third in the popular Paramount series, starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, is considered by some to be the most entertaining.
April 29, 2012 | Rating: B+
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
November 17, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
Susan Granger
www.susangranger.com
November 5, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
Frank Swietek
One Guy’s Opinion
More Republican zany than Democrat zany.
May 2, 2005 | Rating: C+
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Always fun to be off on this road w/Hope and Crosby
October 19, 2004 | Rating: 5/5
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan
August 31, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
Crosby, Hope and Lamour at top form; still funny 60 years later.
October 14, 2002 | Rating: 4/5
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
Bing, Bob, Dottie, a talking camel, and great songs
August 21, 2002 | Rating: 5/5
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)…
Plot
Two friends, Jeff and Orville, find themselves in Morocco where Jeff sells Orville into slavery to buy food, but later regrets his decision and sets out to find him, only to discover that Orville is engaged to a princess who falls for Jeff.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Bob Hope and Bing Crosby’s on-screen partnership in the Road to… series spanned over 20 years and seven films.
David-Butler
Production-Co:-Paramount-Pictures.jpg
The Magnificent Ambersons
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
89%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 4 Oscars
4 wins & 4 nominations total
Assembled with bold visual craft and penetrating insight, The Magnificent Ambersons further establishes writer-director Orson Welles as a generational talent
The Magnificent Ambersons is like a time machine that takes you back to turn-of-the-century Indianapolis, but with less awkward small talk and more drama. Orson Welles’ direction and Albert S. D’Agostino’s set designs are so impressive that you can practically taste the emotional sense of America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sure, some critics might say it’s not as good as Citizen Kane, but let’s be real, it’s still pretty magnificent.
Production Company(ies)
Walter Shenson Films, Proscenium Films,
Distributor
RKO Radio Pictures, Criterion Collection
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Ice & Cold Storage Company – 400 S. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1942
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 28m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 1942 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 13, 2011
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Joseph Cotten, Tim Holt, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, Agnes Moorehead, Richard Bennett, directed by Orson Welles, written by Orson Welles, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Kevin Maher, Pauline Kael, Kevin Thomas, Manny Farber, André Bazin, Nicholas Bell, MPAA rating, RKO Radio Pictures, Criterion Collection, Indianapolis, family, love, tragedy, spoiled heir, turn-of-the-century, automobile, generational talent, Citizen Kane, Albert S D’Agostino, set designs, heart-rending stories, comeuppance, tragedy, remembrance, doomed romance, forgiveness, closure
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Tim Holt – George
Dolores Costello – Isabel
Anne Baxter – Lucy
Agnes Moorehead – Fanny
Richard Bennett – Maj. Amberson
Orson Welles – Director, Producer, Writer
Director(s)
Orson Welles
Writer(s)
Orson Welles
Producer(s)
Orson Welles
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 4 Oscars
4 wins & 4 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (5)
Film snobs like to say that this, the second feature from Orson Welles, is even better than Citizen Kane. That’s a stretch, but it’s certainly exquisitely beautiful film-making – there are frames in there to die for.
December 13, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Even in this truncated form it’s amazing and memorable.
January 5, 2015
Pauline Kael
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
Although reams have been written about the mutilation of Orson Welles’ second feature, what remains of it is nevertheless a major accomplishment.
August 30, 2012 | Rating: 5/5
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
While telling this story, haltingly and clumsily, the movie runs from burdensome through heavy and dull to bad. It stutters and stumbles as Welles submerges Tarkington’s story in a mess of radio and stage technique.
August 30, 2012
Manny Farber
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
Orson Welles devotes 9,000 feet of film to a spoiled brat who grows up as a spoiled, spiteful young man. This film hasn’t a single moment of contrast; it piles on and on a tale of woe, but without once striking at least a true chord of sentimentality.
July 6, 2010
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
The emotional sense of America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is so palpable you can taste it.
April 6, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
After the neorealistic revolution of Citizen Kane’s cinematographic achievement, then, The Magnificent Ambersons becomes the consecration, in some sort of stripped-down and ultimately classical way, of a new mode of screen narration.
December 8, 2021
André Bazin
L’Écran Français
The Magnificent Ambersons is a deliciously photographed time capsule, with Albert S. D’Agostino’s impressive set designs belying the craftsmanship and detail which went into recreating turn-of-the-century Indianapolis.
August 18, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Nicholas Bell
IONCINEMA.com
Welles has a knack for heart-rending stories rife with comeuppance, tragedy, remembrance, doomed romance, and, most superbly, the pleasures of forgiveness and closure.
August 13, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
True, there are wonderful authentic period touches, excellent dramatic photographic work and fine direction of a wonderful cast. Welles has employed so much subtlety, however… that the resultant effect is vague and even meaninglessly depressing.
July 24, 2020
Film Daily Staff
The Film Daily
Orson Welles continues to be incredible, super original, and an unsurpassable artist from the beginning to the end of the movie. [Full Review in Spanish]
September 17, 2019
Elena de la Torre
Cine-Mundial
In trying so feverishly to be realistic, Welles has drained the life pretty much out of the Indiana family of whom Tarkington once wrote so straight-forwardly that he won a Pulitzer prize for his efforts.
August 9, 2019
Jay Carmody
Washington Star…
Plot
The young, handsome, but somewhat wild Eugene Morgan wants to marry Isabel Amberson, daughter of a rich upper-class family, but she instead marries dull and steady Wilbur Minafer. Their only child, George, grows up a spoiled brat. Years later, Eugene comes back, now a mature widower and a successful automobile maker. After Wilbur dies, Eugene again asks Isabel to marry him, and she is receptive. But George resents the attentions paid to his mother, and he and his whacko aunt Fanny manage to sabotage the romance. A series of disasters befall the Ambersons and George, and he gets his come-uppance in the end.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast includes Joseph Cotten, Tim Holt, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, and Agnes Moorehead.
Orson-Welles.jpg
To Be or Not to Be
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
95%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
2 wins & 2 nominations total
A complex and timely satire with as much darkness as slapstick, Ernst Lubitsch’s To Be or Not To Be delicately balances humor and ethics.
To Be or Not to Be is a comedic masterpiece that satirizes the Nazi regime during World War II. With a star-studded cast including Jack Benny and Carole Lombard, the film is a sophisticated screwball comedy that keeps you on the edge of your seat with suspense. Lubitsch’s direction is deft and logical, and the slapstick switcheroos and distractions add to the underlying tension of Nazi oppression. It’s no wonder that To Be or Not to Be is considered one of the finest comedies ever made. So, to be or not to be entertained? Definitely be.
Production Company(ies)
Romaine Film Corporation,
Distributor
United Artists, Warner Home Vídeo
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
Year of Release
1942
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 39m
-
Language(s):English, German
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 6, 1942 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 27, 2013
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
Comedy, Ernst Lubitsch, Melchior Lengyel, Edwin Justis Mayer, Jack Benny, Carole Lombard, Robert Stack, Stanley Ridges, United Artists, Warner Home Vídeo, 1942, box office, budget, reviewed by Richard Brody, Kate Cameron, Keith Phipps, David Parkinson, Variety Staff, Rod McShane, Hannah Brown, Brian Eggert, Mike Massie, Danielle Solzman, Tim Dirks, Elena de la Torre, MPAA rating, satire, Nazis, Poland, theatrical troupe, Lieutenant Sobinski, Professor Siletsky, Polish resistance, impersonation, slapstick, suspense, romance, anti-war comedy, espionage, politics, Inglorious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino, Gestapo, Jewish sacrifice, American public, Casablanca, World War II
Worldwide gross: $4,578,000
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $99,358,165
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,024
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 10,835,132
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jack Benny – Joseph Tura, Prof. Alexander Siletsky
Robert Stack – Lt. Stanislav Sobinski
Felix Bressart – Greenberg
Lionel Atwill – Rawitch
Stanley Ridges – Prof. Alexander Siletsky
Director(s)
Ernst Lubitsch
Writer(s)
Melchior Lengyel, Ernst Lubitsch, Edwin Justis Mayer
Producer(s)
Ernst Lubitsch
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
2 wins & 2 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (2)
The film’s high purpose propels Lubitsch to unsurpassed extremes of inventive audacity.
July 5, 2022
Richard Brody
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
It isn’t, I am sorry to say, Lubitsch’s most intriguing comedy, nor is it the best of Jack Benny vehicles, but it will do until another buggy comes along.
January 18, 2018
Kate Cameron
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Lubitsch understood at the time, even if many critics and filmgoers didn’t, that all those elements and all that rule-breaking make To Be Or Not To Be brilliant.
August 27, 2013 | Rating: 5/5
Keith Phipps
The Dissolve
TOP CRITIC
A masterpiece satire around the Second World War is more likely to be appreciated now after some distance.
August 20, 2008 | Rating: 5/5
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Lubitsch’s guidance provides a tense dramatic pace with events developed deftly and logically throughout.
August 20, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
It’s certainly one of the finest comedies ever to come out of Paramount.
June 24, 2006
Rod McShane
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
It stars Jack Benny, one of the great Jewish-American comedians of the 20th century, and Carole Lombard, a wonderful screwball comedian, as well as Robert Stack and Sig Ruman.
May 2, 2022
Hannah Brown
Jerusalem Post
Throughout To Be or Not to Be, Lubitsch orchestrates a comic work of art whose central theme of acting offers perhaps the most accurate assessment of and staggering blow against the Nazi movement ever put to film.
February 23, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Slapstick switcheroos and distractions abound, but the underlying suspense of Nazi oppression never lets up.
March 24, 2021 | Rating: 5/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Ernst Lubitsch’s To Be Or Not to Be, starring Jack Benny and Carole Lombard, is a top-notch World War 2 satire taking place during the Holocaust.
October 17, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Danielle Solzman
Solzy at the Movies
To Be or Not to Be (1942) is Berlin Germany-born director Ernst Lubitsch’s sophisticated screwball masterpiece, with satirical comedy, romance, and suspense. The controversial anti-war comedy about espionage and politics from producer Alexander Korda
September 29, 2019 | Rating: A+
Tim Dirks
Filmsite
Despite some of the serious situations, the comedic, brilliant, and delightful tone dominate in the movie, making it into a masterpiece. [Full Review in Spanish]
September 11, 2019
Elena de la Torre
Cine-Mundial…
Plot
Joseph and Maria Tura operate and star in their own theater company in Warsaw. Maria has many admirers including a young lieutenant in the Polish air force, Stanislav Sobinski. When the Nazis invade Poland to start World War II, Sobinski and his colleagues flee to England while the Turas find themselves now having to operate under severe restrictions, including shelving a comical play they had written about Adolf Hitler. In England meanwhile, Sobinski and his friends give Professor Siletski – who is about to return to Poland – the names and addresses of their closest relatives so the professor can carry messages for them. When it’s learned that Siletski is really a German spy, Sobinski parachutes into Poland and enlists the aid of the Turas and their fellow actors to get that list back.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Jack Benny, who plays Joseph Tura and Prof. Alexander Siletsky in To Be or Not To Be, was a popular comedian and radio personality in the 1930s and 1940s.
Ernst-Lubitsch.jpg
How Green Was My Valley
How Green Was My Valley (1941)
87%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: Won 5 Oscars
13 wins & 6 nominations total
Though it perhaps strays into overly maudlin territory, this working-class drama is saved by a solid cast and director John Ford’s unmistakeable style
How Green Was My Valley is a classic film that captures the essence of a small mining village and the struggles of its inhabitants. The cinematography is stunning, and the acting is top-notch, especially Donald Crisp’s portrayal of the village patriarch. Sure, some may find the film a bit preachy, but hey, it’s John Ford, what do you expect? Overall, it’s a beautiful and emotional journey that will leave you feeling nostalgic for a time and place you’ve never even been to. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride!
Production Company(ies)
Carolco Pictures, Pacific Western Lightstorm Entertainment,
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
Year of Release
1942
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 58m
-
Language(s):English, Welsh
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 27, 1941 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 7, 2000
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Roddy McDowall, Maureen O’Hara, Walter Pidgeon, Donald Crisp, Anna Lee, John Loder, directed by John Ford, written by Philip Dunne, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Richard Brody, Kate Cameron, Ty Burr, James Agee, David Parkinson, Abel Green, mono sound mix, flat aspect ratio, produced by Darryl F Zanuck, MPAA rating, coal mining, Welsh village, miners’ strike, social change, family drama, working-class, nostalgia, salt-of-the-earth characters, love affair, preacher, upper class, episodic fragments, sprawling epic, childhood memories, rapid social change, academic, youngest son, proud family, solid cast, director’s style
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Maureen O’Hara – Angharad Morgan, Eldest Daughter
Roddy McDowall – Huw Morgan, Youngest Son
Donald Crisp – Mr. Gwilym Morgan
Anna Lee – Bronwyn Morgan, Ivor’s Wife
John Loder – Ianto Morgan
Director(s)
John Ford
Writer(s)
Philip Dunne
Producer(s)
Darryl F. Zanuck
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 5 Oscars
13 wins & 6 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Picture Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (5)
Captures an idyll of youth that has been lost to the corrosive practices of modern business.
November 16, 2015
Richard Brody
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
One of the outstanding film productions of the year.
February 18, 2015
Kate Cameron
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
The acting is strong, and Arthur Miller’s Oscar-winning photography gives the images a spooky luster, but a little bit of Ford’s salt-of-the-earth piety goes an awfully long way.
February 19, 2013 | Rating: B
Ty Burr
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Because his recollections ring true, they are certain to evoke a similar nostalgia in all but the most slab-sided of moviegoers.
February 17, 2009
James Agee
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
This John Huston film [is] typically epic with a faithful screenplay to Richard Llewellyn’s famous novel.
February 20, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
How Green Was My Valley is one of the year’s better films, a sure-fire critic’s picture and, unlike most features that draw kudos from crix, this one will also do business.
January 30, 2008
Abel Green
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Strangely, a sizable portion of the plot occurs without Huw’s direct involvement, which makes his narration somewhat flawed, since he’s not privy to all the details.
August 5, 2020 | Rating: 2/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
One of the most beautifully-shot films of the 1940s… one of the highest achievements of John Ford’s fascination with the ebb and flow of life in a small community.
July 7, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Tim Brayton
Alternate Ending
You are left with a memory of something as fine as any motion picture could hope to be.
February 6, 2020
Jay Carmody
Washington Star
It is a great picture, a poignant, emotion-stirring drama.
February 6, 2020
Josephine O’Neill
Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The last John Ford movie is something exquisite and of a supreme artistic quality. [Full Review in Spanish]
September 19, 2019
Elena de la Torre
Cine-Mundial
The film is beautifully played, with Donald Crisp as the humorous patriarch of the mining village dominating the screen with tough sensibility.
February 15, 2019
Edgar Anstey
The Spectator…
Plot
Life is hard in a Welsh mining town and no less so for the Morgan family. Seen through the eyes of the family’s youngest, Huw, we learn of the family’s trials and tribulations. Family patriarch Gwilym and his older sons work in the mines, dangerous and unhealthy as it is. Gwilym has greater hopes for his youngest son, but Huw has his own ideas on how to honor his father. Daughter Angharad is the most beautiful girl in the valley and is very much in love with Mr. Gruffydd, who isn’t sure he can provide her the life she deserves. Times are hard and good men find themselves out of work and exploited by unseen mine owners.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Donald Crisp’s performance as the humorous patriarch of the mining village dominates the screen with tough sensibility, according to one critic.
John-Ford.jpg
Mrs Miniver
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
91%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: NA
An excessively sentimental piece of propaganda, Mrs. Miniver nonetheless succeeds, due largely to Greer Garson’s powerful performance.
Mrs. Miniver is a film that will make you laugh, cry, and feel all the emotions in between. It’s a true masterpiece that captures the essence of humanity during wartime. Greer Garson’s performance as Mrs. Miniver is nothing short of superb, and the ensemble cast is equally impressive. The film’s message is simple yet profound: in the face of adversity, we must remain brave and resilient. So grab some tissues and get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions, because Mrs. Miniver is a must-see film that will leave you feeling inspired and moved.
Production Company(ies)
Strike Entertainment, New Amsterdam Entertainment, Metropolitan Filmexport
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios – 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1942
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 14m
-
Language(s):English, German
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 4, 1942 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 3, 2004
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Dame May Whitty, Teresa Wright, Reginald Owen, Henry Travers, directed by William Wyler, written by George Froeschel, James Hilton, Jan Struther, Claudine West, Arthur Wimperis, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Mildred Martin, Patricia Ward, Mae Tinee, Colvin McPherson, Bob Fredericks, Frank P Gill, T.C Kemp, Reg Whitley, Ruth Lewis, Virginia Wright, Nell Battle Lewis, produced by Sidney Franklin, William Wyler, MPAA rating, World War II, propaganda, family, war, Dunkirk, Nazi pilot, air raid, Royal Air Force, ensemble cast, British society, feminism, sentimental, emotional, powerful performance, human qualities, tragedy, comedy, courage, heroism, Hollywood, war effort
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Walter Pidgeon – Clem Miniver
Dame May Whitty – Lady Beldon
Teresa Wright – Carol Beldon
Reginald Owen – Foley, Storekeeper and Air-raid Warden
Henry Travers – Mr. Ballard, Station-master and Bell-ringer
Director(s)
William Wyler
Writer(s)
George Froeschel, James Hilton, Jan Struther, Claudine West, Arthur Wimperis
Producer(s)
Sidney Franklin, William Wyler
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Picture Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (62) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (59) | Rotten (3)
Balancing pathos with gentle comedy, humor with stark tragedy, Mrs. Miniver is rich in those human qualities that give a drama life and real humanity.
January 5, 2022
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
By all means see this film, but don’t expect to escape emotion.
January 5, 2022
Patricia Ward
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
I don’t know when a movie has stirred me so, and I thank Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, and everybody connected with the film for two hours I shall never want to forget.
January 4, 2022
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
It is truly one of the prouder movie efforts of all time, and it was contrived that way, intentionally, by a set of creators who know how to create.
January 4, 2022
Colvin McPherson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
It is one of those rare pictures in which every insignificant little scene or sequence is so embellished with touches of mirth, warmth and beauty as to make every inch of film entertaining.
January 4, 2022
Bob Fredericks
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
This drama, an eloquent sermon on war and the part civilians play in it, is truly one of the greatest and most emotionally stirring films in the long history of movies.
January 4, 2022
Frank P. Gill
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
The choice acting of Greer Garson as Mrs. Miniver is marked by delicate stresses, intelligently placed. Bright and brave as Mrs. Miniver is, there are moments when anxiety and heartache are evident in the serene and steady eyes.
February 17, 2022
T.C. Kemp
Birmingham Post
On no account miss this inspiring tribute to the courage of our women under conditions of total war.
February 17, 2022
Reg Whitley
Daily Mirror (UK)
Greer Garson, whose playing is superb, is the central character, but this is more nearly a picture of ensemble playing than one of stars.
January 5, 2022
Ruth Lewis
Austin American-Statesman
Here, at last, is a film which doesn’t fumble its great and simple message, a deeply humane and humorous film more stirring than any drama of vast spectacle.
January 5, 2022
Virginia Wright
Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles)
The drama is real, the humor human, the romance tender, the war cruel, the courage invincible.
January 4, 2022
Mercury Staff
The Mercury (Australia)
You may do some weeping at Mrs Miniver. I did. We have had no pIcture which has shown so well the British spirit at its most heroic during this war. And that’s a pretty moving thing I tell you.
January 4, 2022
Nell Battle Lewis
News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)…
Plot
The Minivers, an English “middle-class” family experience life in the first months of World War II. While dodging bombs, the Minivers’ son courts Lady Beldon’s granddaughter. A rose is named after Mrs. Miniver and entered in the competition against Lady Beldon’s rose.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Greer Garson’s performance in Mrs. Miniver is described as “powerful” by Fresh Kernels critics.
William-Wyler.jpg
The Lady Eve
The Lady Eve (1941)
94%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
2 wins & 1 nomination total
A career highlight for Preston Sturges, The Lady Eve benefits from Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda’s sparkling chemistry — and a script that inspired countless battle-of-the-sexes comedies.
The Lady Eve” is a classic romantic comedy that will have you laughing out loud. With its witty dialogue and slapstick humor, it’s no wonder why this film is still remembered fondly by fans of the genre. Barbara Stanwyck steals the show as the sexiest con woman ever captured on film, while Henry Fonda looks as delicate as a Lalique vase. The chemistry between Stanwyck and the dads, played by Eugene Pallette and Charles Coburn, is a real thoroughbred. If you’re looking for a sparkling and effervescent comedy, “The Lady Eve” is the perfect choice.
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures,
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden – 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
Year of Release
1941
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 37m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 25, 1941 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 16, 2001
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
Keyword(s)
starring Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, William Demarest, Eric Blore, directed by Preston Sturges, written by Monckton Hoffe, Paul Jones, genre: Comedy, Romance, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Sydney Morning Herald, The Age (Australia), Guardian, TIME Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Variety, Deep Focus Review, Common Sense Media, Gone With The Twins, Backseat Mafia, The MacGuffin, MPAA rating: N/A, produced by Paul Jones, distributed by Criterion Collection, Paramount Pictures, runtime: 1h 37m, original language: English, release date (theaters): Feb 25, 1941, release date (streaming): Oct 16, 2001, sound mix: Mono, aspect ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.37:1)
Worldwide gross: $13,020
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $317,382
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,841
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 34,611
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Henry Fonda – Charles Pike
Charles Coburn – “Colonel” Harrington
Eugene Pallette – Horace Pike
William Demarest – Muggsy (Ambrose Murgatroyd)
Eric Blore – Sir Alfred McGlennan Keith (“Pearlie”)
Director(s)
Preston Sturges
Writer(s)
Monckton Hoffe, Preston Sturges
Producer(s)
Paul Jones
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
2 wins & 1 nomination total
Academy Awards
All Critics (49) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (49)
Written and directed by Preston Sturges, the film will please many and disappoint some.
May 2, 2020
SMH Staff
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
Fine comedy in an exciting tempo, but with slapstick that should give it popular.
May 1, 2020
Age Staff
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
Stanwyck completely upstages Fonda who looks as delicate as a Lalique vase. Her chemistry is more with the dads: with Coburn and Pallette. She is the real thoroughbred.
February 14, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
The picture returns the lately heavily dramatic Barbara Stanwyck to glamor.
February 10, 2014
TIME Staff
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Barbara Stanwyck is the sexiest con woman ever captured on film.
June 16, 2012
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
Third writer-director effort of Preston Sturges [from a story by Monckton Hoffe] is laugh entertainment of top proportions with its combo of slick situations, spontaneous dialog and a few slapstick falls tossed in for good measure.
November 13, 2007
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
By the year of its release in 1941, romantic comedy convention had been well established; however, the film serves as a grand lesson to any filmmaker posed with the question of how to approach the genre’s formulas.
March 20, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
With its snappy dialogue, frantic pace, and characters that appear oblivious to the absurdity of their situation, it’s easy to see why The Lady Eve is fondly remembered by fans of the genre.
December 8, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Alistair Lawrence
Common Sense Media
Innuendo and hilariously wry love banter supplement signature slapstick, along with Eugene Pallette’s familiar role as the patriarch of a family driven batty by affluence.
August 13, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
A sparkling and effervescent romantic comedy.
August 10, 2020
Rob Aldam
Backseat Mafia
It has a style and wit rarely seen today, while having all the slapstick you could ask for in a screwball comedy.
August 6, 2020
Allen Almachar
The MacGuffin
A riotous screwball classic.
July 27, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy…
Plot
Returning from a year up the Amazon studying snakes, the rich but unsophisticated Charles Pike meets con-artist Jean Harrington on a ship. They fall in love, but a misunderstanding causes them to split on bad terms. To get back at him, Jean disguises herself as an English lady, and comes back to tease and torment him.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Barbara Stanwyck is hailed as “the sexiest con woman ever captured on film” by Wall Street Journal critic Joe Morgenstern.
Preston-Sturges.jpg
The Maltese Falcon
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
96%RT Audience Score: 91%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
5 wins & 3 nominations total
Suspenseful, labyrinthine, and brilliantly cast, The Maltese Falcon is one of the most influential noirs — as well as a showcase for Humphrey Bogart at his finest.
If you’re looking for a movie that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, The Maltese Falcon is the one for you. It’s got twists and turns that’ll make your head spin, and the cast is just spot-on. Humphrey Bogart is at his absolute best in this flick, and you can’t help but be drawn in by his performance. Plus, it’s one of those movies that’s had a huge impact on the genre, so you know you’re watching something special. If you’re a fan of film noir, you can’t miss this one.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros.,
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
Year of Release
1941
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 40m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 18, 1941 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2009
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Gladys George, Barton MacLane, Sydney Greenstreet, directed by John Huston, written by Dashiell Hammett, Crime, Drama, Warner Bros Pictures, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Peter Bradshaw, Kevin Maher, Frank P Gill, THR Staff, Otis Ferguson, Nell Minow, M.V Moorhead, P.S Harrison, David Walsh, Matt Neal, Mike Massie, Clyde Gilmour, MPAA rating, The Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade, Brigid O’Shaughnessy, Joel Cairo, Iva Archer, Det Lt Dundy, Kasper Gutman, labyrinthine, influential, showcase, noir, suspenseful, brilliant cast, Humphrey Bogart at his finest, valuable statuette, dangerous web of crime and intrigue, bejeweled Maltese falcon, English, Mono, 1941, John Huston, Dashiell Hammett
Worldwide gross: $34,691
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $845,645
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,634
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 92,219
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $375,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $9,141,182
Production budget ranking: 1,710
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $4,922,526
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$13,218,063
ROI to date (est.): -94%
ROI ranking: 1,985
Mary Astor – Brigid O’Shaughnessy
Peter Lorre – Joel Cairo
Gladys George – Iva Archer
Barton MacLane – Det. Lt. Dundy
Sydney Greenstreet – Kasper Gutman
Director(s)
John Huston
Writer(s)
Dashiell Hammett, John Huston
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
5 wins & 3 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (64) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (64)
The strange, dreamlike tension of the film escalates with each new confrontation, each new tailing, each new beating…
September 17, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Yes, they’re all after a priceless statuette of a bird, but the pleasure is in the journey.
September 17, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Messrs. Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang, filmdom’s ace thriller directors, had better look to their laurels, for they are facing dangerous competition in John Huston.
June 23, 2021
Frank P. Gill
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
On a number of accounts it is distinguished celluloid entertainment, but it is of great interest to the trade because it reveals, in startling terms, the unheralded talent of topflight scenarist, John Huston.
October 3, 2018
THR Staff
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
The Maltese Falcon is the first crime melodrama with finish, speed and bang to come along in what seems ages.
August 29, 2012
Otis Ferguson
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
Excellent but too mature for the littlest kids.
December 28, 2010 | Rating: 5/5
Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
The film maintains its tension and wit throughout; on its own terms it’s close to perfect.
October 19, 2021
M.V. Moorhead
Less Hat, Moorhead
Those who did not see the [1931 version] should be held in tense suspense, for the plot developments, although complicated, are fascinating, and the action is thrilling.
June 23, 2021
P.S. Harrison
Harrison’s Reports
The Maltese Falcon does not and should not have a happy ending because … the corrupt, criminal and even guilt-ridden facts of American existence still prevail.
February 10, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
But more often than not, the fast-talkin’ double-talkin’ sings in the mouths of its cast, and Bogart’s performance is a star-maker.
December 10, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Matt Neal
ABC Radio (Australia)
It’s a nonstop verbal joust between each of the severe, slippery characters, all of whom wear unyielding masks to conceal intentions.
August 13, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
This still rates as one of the very best crime-and-mystery jobs Hollywood has ever offered.
October 24, 2019
Clyde Gilmour
Maclean’s Magazine…
Plot
Spade and Archer is the name of a San Francisco detective agency. That’s for Sam Spade and Miles Archer. The two men are partners, but Sam doesn’t like Miles much. A knockout, who goes by the name of Miss Wonderly, walks into their office; and by that night everything’s changed. Miles is dead. And so is a man named Floyd Thursby. It seems Miss Wonderly is surrounded by dangerous men. There’s Joel Cairo, who uses gardenia-scented calling cards. There’s Kasper Gutman, with his enormous girth and feigned civility. Her only hope of protection comes from Sam, who is suspected by the police of one or the other murder. More murders are yet to come, and it will all be because of these dangerous men
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Peter Lorre’s performance as Joel Cairo in The Maltese Falcon is often cited as one of the highlights of the film.
John-Huston.jpg
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane (1941)
98%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
11 wins & 13 nominations total
Orson Welles’s epic tale of a publishing tycoon’s rise and fall is entertaining, poignant, and inventive in its storytelling, earning its reputation as a landmark achievement in film.
If you’re looking for a flick that’ll make you laugh, cry, and scratch your head all at once, then Orson Welles’s masterpiece is the one for you. This movie tells the story of a big shot publisher who goes from rags to riches and back again, and it’s a rollercoaster ride of emotions from start to finish. The way the story is told is so clever and unique, you’ll be left wondering how the heck they came up with it. It’s no wonder this movie is considered a classic – it’s a real game-changer. So grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready to be blown away by this cinematic gem.
Production Company(ies)
RKO Radio Pictures, Mercury Productions,
Distributor
RKO Radio Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Busch Gardens – S. Grove Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1941
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 59m
-
Language(s):English, Italian
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 1, 1941 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 23, 2010
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Ruth Warrick, Everett Sloane, Agnes Moorehead, Dorothy Comingore, directed by Orson Welles, written by Herman J Mankiewicz, Orson Welles, John Houseman, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Ida Belle Hicks, Marjory Adams, Whitney Bolton, Bob Fredericks, T.C Kemp, Reg Whitley, Brian Eggert, Michael Clark, Michael J Casey, Josephine O’Neill, PG, Charles Foster Kane, newspaper magnate, rise and fall, Jedediah Leland, Susan Alexander, mystery, “Rosebud”, RKO Radio Pictures, Academy (1.33:1), mono, landmark achievement, storytelling, publishing tycoon, investigation, complex man, fragments of light, elusive man, final word, fascinating portrait, staggering heights, poignant, inventive, entertaining, Orson Welles’s epic tale
Worldwide gross: $1,645,133
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $40,102,559
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,433
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 4,373,234
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $839,727
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $20,469,592
Production budget ranking: 1,356
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $11,022,875
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $8,610,091
ROI to date (est.): 27%
ROI ranking: 1,253
Joseph Cotten – Jedediah Leland, Newsreel Reporter
Ruth Warrick – Emily Norton Kane
Everett Sloane – Bernstein
Agnes Moorehead – Mrs. Mary Kane
Dorothy Comingore – Susan Alexander
Director(s)
Orson Welles
Writer(s)
Herman J. Mankiewicz, Orson Welles, John Houseman
Producer(s)
Orson Welles
Film Festivals
Berlin, Cannes
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
11 wins & 13 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (125) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (124) | Rotten (1)
We aren’t going to quibble about the genius business. Time will take care of that and if Welles goes down in history as one well be happy to have been among those who enjoyed the results of his great talent.
March 2, 2021
Ida Belle Hicks
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
The sheer brilliance and audacity of Citizen Kane… make the film the most astounding cinematic achievement of the season. It ranks with Disney’s Fantasia as a milestone in motion picture technique.
March 2, 2021
Marjory Adams
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
Ordinary standards will not serve for Citizen Kane; extravagance of idea for serious ends is not common enough in the cinema to provide a yardstick.
March 2, 2021
Guardian Staff
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
[It] is my opinion that Mr. Welles has been sympathetic and kind. He reveals great respect for people, and a knowledge of their powers and talents.
March 2, 2021
Whitney Bolton
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
This first screen effort of Orson Welles is of such vast difference to other pictures, in subject material, in treatment, in technique, in cast and in performance that the best advice perhaps is, “See what you think.”
March 2, 2021
Colvin McPherson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
I would say it is a great picture but… It is one of those things, like the Pyramids, which are impressive and definitely interesting to have seen, but one can have more fun than looking at the Pyramids.
March 2, 2021
Bob Fredericks
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
Orson Welles, who plays Kane, produces and directs, has driven to the heart of his subject with a fierce, thrusting energy that is rare and refreshing.
February 17, 2022
T.C. Kemp
Birmingham Post
A distinctly out-of-the-rut production and a great piece of cinema artistry.
February 17, 2022
Reg Whitley
Daily Mirror (UK)
Perhaps the film’s most resonant quality is that, through the film’s story and production, Welles inspires the same investigative process about himself and his picture.
February 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
“Citizen Kane” forever changed the way movies were made and interpreted. It’s still relevant and unique 80 years after its release. Is it the greatest movie ever? Maybe, maybe not. The most influential? Without a doubt, yes.
January 9, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Michael Clark
Epoch Times
I can’t think of an American-made film that stands up to multiple viewings quite like ‘Kane’…it never feels like Welles and company are showing off, just showing what a movie can do.
December 2, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Michael J. Casey
Boulder Weekly
Welles is the most exciting thing that’s happened since sound.
June 10, 2021
Josephine O’Neill
Daily Telegraph (Australia)…
Plot
A group of reporters are trying to decipher the last word ever spoken by Charles Foster Kane, the millionaire newspaper tycoon: “Rosebud.” The film begins with a news reel detailing Kane’s life for the masses, and then from there, viewers are shown flashbacks from Kane’s life. As the reporters investigate further, the viewers see a display of a fascinating man’s rise to fame, and how he eventually fell off the top of the world.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Orson Welles wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Citizen Kane at just 24 and a half years old.
Orson-Welles.jpg
The Philadelphia Story
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
97%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: Won 2 Oscars
5 wins & 5 nominations total
Offering a wonderfully witty script, spotless direction from George Cukor, and typically excellent lead performances, The Philadelphia Story is an unqualified classic.
If you’re looking for a movie that’s got it all – laughs, romance, and a killer script – then The Philadelphia Story is your jam. George Cukor’s direction is so on point, you’ll forget you’re watching a movie and feel like you’re right there in the middle of the action. And don’t even get me started on the cast – they’re all so good, it’s almost unfair. This movie is a classic for a reason, folks. Don’t miss out!
Production Company(ies)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios – 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1941
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 52m
-
Language(s):English, French
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 1, 1940 Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 16, 2000
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
Keyword(s)
starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey, John Howard, Roland Young, Joseph L Mankiewicz, directed by George Cukor, written by Philip Barry, Donald Ogden Stewart, Waldo Salt, comedy, romance, box office success, budget, reviewed by Pauline Kael, Katherine Howard, Mildred Martin, Mae Tinee, Kate Cameron, Colvin McPherson, Matt Neal, Matt Brunson, Virginia Wright, Marion Aitchison, James T Hamada, Miriam Nadel, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MPAA rating, Philadelphia socialite, wedding, reporter, love triangle, witty script, excellent lead performances, unqualified classic
Worldwide gross: $411,663
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $10,034,897
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,967
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,094,318
US/Canada gross: $404,524
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $9,860,873
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,619
US/Canada opening weekend: $258,994
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $6,313,363
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,057
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $944,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $23,011,401
Production budget ranking: 1,291
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $12,391,640
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$25,368,144
ROI to date (est.): -72%
ROI ranking: 1,817
Katharine Hepburn – Tracy Samantha Lord
James Stewart – Mike Connor
Ruth Hussey – Liz Imbrie
John Howard – George Kittredge
Roland Young – Uncle Willie
Director(s)
George Cukor
Writer(s)
Philip Barry, Donald Ogden Stewart, Waldo Salt
Producer(s)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
5 wins & 5 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (103) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (103)
This is a paste diamond with more flash and sparkle than a true one. The director, George Cukor, has never been more heartlessly sure of him- self.
July 6, 2022
Pauline Kael
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
Miss Hepburn has accomplished the thing she set out to do with both movie and stage play. She has made the showmen who labeled her boxofrice poison eat their words and rue the day they were ever so uncomplimentary.
June 10, 2021
Katherine Howard
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
Barry’s sprightly lines and the almost equally bright additional Stewart dialogue, of course, make the play the thing. But, frankly, it would be hard to imagine The Philadelphia Story without Katharine Hepburn.
June 10, 2021
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
The Hepburn genius, long left a-smouldering in oblivion, blazes forth brightly in the screen version of the Phillip Barry stage play.
June 10, 2021
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Katharine Hepburn gives the finest performance of her career.
June 10, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
Kate Cameron
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
In its 112 minutes’ running time, The Philadelphia Story offers brand-new ideas on the upper classes, brand-new laughs at the expense of everybody, delicately detailed characterizations, full of human warmth and reality, and superb direction.
June 10, 2021
Colvin McPherson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
Without its trio of legends and a few well-placed zingers, it would be long forgotten, lost in a mist of ideas that have aged like a banana in the sun.
October 1, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Matt Neal
ABC Radio (Australia)
A witty, wordy masterpiece.
September 19, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
Philip Barry should be very grateful for the direction of George Cukor and the adaptation of Donald Ogden Stewart. He is equally fortunate in the casting of the film.
June 10, 2021
Virginia Wright
Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles)
Pardon us a moment, please, while we dip into our supply of superlatives and bring up quite a few to bestow upon Philadelphia Story… Here, boys and gals, is the most sparkling comedy to reach the screen in lo! these many moons.
June 10, 2021
Marion Aitchison
Tampa Bay Times
Miss Hepburn scores heavily, giving the best performance of her career. Grant also licks. Our favorite Ruth Hussey, who heads the featured cast, also has a field day.
June 10, 2021
James T. Hamada
The Nippu Jiji (Honolulu)
Hepburn is magnificent, Cary Grant gives one of his best performances and Jimmy Stewart plays a newspaperman as no one else on stage or screen could play him.
June 10, 2021
Miriam Nadel
Motion Picture Magazine…
Plot
Philadelphia socialites Tracy Lord and C.K. Dexter Haven married impulsively, with their marriage and subsequent divorce being equally passionate. They broke up when Dexter’s drinking became excessive, it a mechanism to cope with Tracy’s unforgiving manner to the imperfect, imperfections which Dexter admits he readily has. Two years after their break-up, Tracy is about to remarry, the ceremony to take place at the Lord mansion. Tracy’s bridegroom is nouveau riche businessman and aspiring politician George Kittredge, who is otherwise a rather ordinary man and who idolizes Tracy. The day before the wedding, three unexpected guests show up at the Lord mansion: Macaulay Connor (Mike to his friends), Elizabeth Imbrie – the two who are friends of Tracy’s absent brother, Junius- and Dexter himself. Dexter, an employee of the tabloid Spy magazine, made a deal with its publisher and editor Sidney Kidd to get a story on Tracy’s wedding – the wedding of the year – in return for Kidd not publishing a salacious story with accompanying photographs of Tracy’s father, Seth Lord, with a New York showgirl named Tina Marra. In reality, Mike and Liz are the reporter and photographer respectively for Spy. Mike and Liz don’t particularly like this assignment or working for Kidd, but they need to make a living as their chosen other fields as serious writer and painter don’t pay the bills. A suspicious Tracy is onto them, the entire truth which Dexter admits to her. Tracy decides to turn the tables on Mike and Liz. However, hours before the wedding, as the more self-assured Dexter and Liz get to work on how to get the Lords out from under Spy’s threats, Tracy and Mike, both inebriated, go on a journey of self-discovery with Tracy ultimately coming to her realizations a little faster than Mike.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Philadelphia Story features a star-studded cast including Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart.
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The Great Dictator
The Great Dictator (1940)
95%RT Audience Score: 95%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Charlie Chaplin demonstrates that his comedic voice is undiminished by dialogue in this rousing satire of tyranny, which may be more distinguished by its uplifting humanism than its gags.
The Great Dictator is a classic film that still holds up today. Charlie Chaplin’s first talkie is a hilarious and poignant satire that delivers a powerful message about the dangers of fascism. The film’s cheesier jokes hit hard thanks to its purity of purpose, and Chaplin’s performance as both the Tramp and the Dictator is nothing short of genius. It’s a must-see for anyone who loves great comedy and wants to be reminded of the importance of standing up against tyranny. Plus, that mustache is iconic!
Production Company(ies)
Charles Chaplin Productions,
Distributor
United Artists
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
G
Year of Release
1941
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
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Runtime:2h 8m
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Language(s):English, Esperanto, Latin
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 1940 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 24, 2011
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner, Henry Daniell, Billy Gilbert, directed by Charlie Chaplin, written by Charlie Chaplin, comedy, G rating, United Artists, box office performance, budget, reviewed by William Goss, Dave Kehr, Michael Atkinson, Variety Staff, David Parkinson, Roger Ebert, André Bazin, Brian Eggert, Fico Cangiano, Marion Aitchison, Mike Massie, Tim Dirks, critic reviews, producer Charlie Chaplin, MPAA rating, satire, anti-Semitic policies, fascist dictator, rebellion, Jewish barber, Adenoid Hynkel, Hannah, Napaloni, Garbitsch, Field Marshall Herring, Mono sound mix, Flat aspect ratio
Worldwide gross: $970,135
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $23,648,481
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,653
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,578,896
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Paulette Goddard – Hannah
Jack Oakie – Napaloni
Reginald Gardiner – Schultz
Henry Daniell – Garbitsch
Billy Gilbert – Field Marshall Herring
Director(s)
Charlie Chaplin
Writer(s)
Charlie Chaplin
Producer(s)
Charlie Chaplin
Film Festivals
Cannes
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (3)
The first full-blown talkie from the biggest star of the silent era, complete with a message that Chaplin couldn’t have sent more loudly or clearly.
June 1, 2011
William Goss
Film.com
TOP CRITIC
Chaplin is at his most profound in suggesting that there is much of the Tramp in the Dictator, and much of the Dictator in the Tramp.
September 3, 2010
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Like all major Chaplin works, Dictator was a cheaply, but methodically, made film, a cardboard act of humanist defiance, and, thanks to its purity of purpose, the cheesier the jokes get, the harder they land.
December 23, 2009
Michael Atkinson
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
It’s when he is playing the dictator that the comedian’s voice raises the value of the comedy content of the picture to great heights.
October 9, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Though the slapstick may seem tired now, there are moments of greatness.
December 30, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
It is a funny film, which we expect from Chaplin, and a brave one.
October 23, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
It is not… the genius of Chaplin that permitted him to create The Great Dictator. It was nothing but that moustache. The Tramp waited for the right moment, did what he had to do, then escaped for all eternity with his facial hair intact.
May 26, 2022
André Bazin
Esprit
Chaplin beckons the viewer to recognize and fight against tyrants, and every few years, as another despot comes along, The Great Dictator becomes achingly relevant again.
February 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Charlie Chaplin’s first talkie became an example of an effective satire. One that was way ahead of its time. [Full review Spanish]
March 11, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
Though The Great Dictator provides a good many laughs [it] merits serious consideration for the superior presentation of the message it is trying to put across to that part of the world where democracy is still a precious possession.
January 13, 2021
Marion Aitchison
Tampa Bay Times
More than the expected assemblage of skits, the film attempts to tell a grander, straightforward story, but utilizes too many subplots in the process.
August 5, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The Great Dictator (1940) is director/actor Charlie Chaplin’s first full all-talking (“talkie” with dialogue) picture (in a film similar to the Marx Brothers’ anti-war comedy Duck Soup (1933)) in which he delivered spoken lines…
December 26, 2019 | Rating: A+
Tim Dirks
Filmsite…
Plot
20 years after the end of WWI, in which the nation of Tomainia was on the losing side, Adenoid Hynkel has risen to power as the ruthless dictator of the country. He believes in a pure Aryan state and the decimation of the Jews. This situation is unknown to a simple Jewish Tomainian barber who has been hospitalized since a WWI battle. Upon his release the barber, who had been suffering from memory loss about the war, is shown the new persecuted life of the Jews by many living in the Jewish ghetto, including a washerwoman named Hannah with whom he begins a relationship. The barber is ultimately spared such persecution by Commander Schultz, whom he saved in that WWI battle. The lives of all Jews in Tomainia are eventually spared with a policy shift by Hynkel himself, who is doing so for ulterior motives. But those motives include a desire for world domination, starting with the invasion of neighboring Osterlich, which may be threatened by Benzino Napaloni, the dictator of neighboring Bacteria. Ultimately Schultz, who has turned traitor against Hynkel’s regime, and the barber may be able to join forces to take control of the situation, using Schultz’s inside knowledge of the regime’s workings and the barber’s uncanny resemblance to one of those in power.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Great Dictator stars Charlie Chaplin in dual roles as a Jewish barber and fascist dictator Adenoid Hynkel.
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