The heartwarming story of a young girl who brings goodwill and happiness to the residents of a New England town. Hayley Mills won an honorary Academy Award for her performance.
"I'm not a drinker--I'm a drunk." These words, and the serious message behind them, were still potent enough in 1945 to shock audiences flocking to The Lost Weekend. The speaker is Don Birnam (Ray Milland), a handsome, talented, articulate alcoholic. The writing team of producer Charles Brackett and director Billy Wilder pull no punches in their depiction of Birnam's massive weekend bender, a tailspin that finds him reeling from his favorite watering hole to Bellevue Hospital. Location shooting in New York helps the street-level atmosphere, especially a sequence in which Birnam, a budding writer, tries to hock his typewriter for booze money. He desperately staggers past shuttered storefronts--it's Yom Kippur, and the pawnshops are closed. Milland, previously known as a lightweight leading man (he'd starred in Wilder's hilarious The Major and the Minor three years earlier), burrows convincingly under the skin of the character, whether waxing poetic about the escape of drinking or screaming his lungs out in the D.T.'s sequence. Wilder, having just made the ultra-noir Double Indemnity, brought a new kind of frankness and darkness to Hollywood's treatment of a social problem. At first the film may have seemed too bold; Paramount Pictures nearly killed the release of the picture after it tested poorly with preview audiences. But once in release, The Lost Weekend became a substantial hit, and won four Oscars: for picture, director, screenplay, and actor. --Robert Horton
These seven films covered the decade of the fifties starting with Has Anyone Seen My Gal? and finishing with what has to be the ultimate full blown melodrama 'Imitation of Life' cemented Sirk's reputation and future. His influence is still felt today in the work of Todd Haynes Rainer Fassbinder John Walters Martin Scorsese and others. Has Anyone Seen My Gal?: A rare comedy from Sirk but still dealing with family issues and status. Samuel Futon (Charles Coburn) de
Classic Hitchcock movie starring Jane Wyman & Marlene Dietrich. Jonathan Cooper is wanted by the police who suspect him of killing his lover's husband. His friend Eve Gill offers to hide him and Jonathan explains to her that his lover, actress Charlotte Inwood is the real murderer. Eve decides to investigate for herself, but when she meets the detective in charge of the case, she starts to fall in love.
The incomparable Alfred Hitchcock presents a collection of his finest suspenseful thrillers! Includes: 1. Strangers On A Train (1951) 2. Stage Fright (1950) 3. I Confess (1953) 4. Dial M For Murder (1954) 5. The Wrong Man (1956) 6. North By Northwest (1959)
special features,bugs bunny and elmer fudd in the big snooze, vintage shorts desi arnaz and musical movieland
Don Birnam long-time alcoholic has been ""on the wagon"" for ten days and seems to be over the worst; but his craving has just become more insidious. Evading a country weekend planned by his brother Wick and girlfriend Helen he begins a four-day bender. In flashbacks we see past events all gone wrong because of the bottle. But this bout looks like being his last...one way or the other. Winner of 4 Oscars including Best Actor Best Screenplay Best Director and Best Film.
When churlish spoiled rich man Bob Merrick foolishly wrecks his speed boat the rescue team resuscitates him with equipment that's therefore unavailable to aid a local hero Dr. Wayne Phillips who dies as a result. Phillips had helped many people and when Merrick learns Phillips' secret to give selflessly and in secret he tries it in a ham-handed way. The result further alienates Phillips' widow Helen with whom Merrick has fallen in love. Merrick's persistence causes another tragedy and he must remake his life including going back to medical school in an attempt to make amends and win her love.
Rip Smith's opinion-poll business is a failure...until he discovers that the small town of Grandview is statistically identical to the entire country. He and his assistants go there to run polls cheaply and easily, in total secrecy. Civic crusader Mary Peterman must be kept from changing things. But romantic involvement with Mary complicates life for Rip; then suddenly everything changes...
"I'm not a drinker--I'm a drunk." These words, and the serious message behind them, were still potent enough in 1945 to shock audiences flocking to The Lost Weekend. The speaker is Don Birnam (Ray Milland), a handsome, talented, articulate alcoholic. The writing team of producer Charles Brackett and director Billy Wilder pull no punches in their depiction of Birnam's massive weekend bender, a tailspin that finds him reeling from his favorite watering hole to Bellevue Hospital. Location shooting in New York helps the street-level atmosphere, especially a sequence in which Birnam, a budding writer, tries to hock his typewriter for booze money. He desperately staggers past shuttered storefronts--it's Yom Kippur, and the pawnshops are closed. Milland, previously known as a lightweight leading man (he'd starred in Wilder's hilarious The Major and the Minor three years earlier), burrows convincingly under the skin of the character, whether waxing poetic about the escape of drinking or screaming his lungs out in the D.T.'s sequence. Wilder, having just made the ultra-noir Double Indemnity, brought a new kind of frankness and darkness to Hollywood's treatment of a social problem. At first the film may have seemed too bold; Paramount Pictures nearly killed the release of the picture after it tested poorly with preview audiences. But once in release, The Lost Weekend became a substantial hit, and won four Oscars: for picture, director, screenplay, and actor. --Robert Horton
Cary Scott (Jane Wyman) is a well-to-do widow gradually re-entering a social life amongst her mostly dull country club peers. Her only apparent enjoyment in life comes from weekend visits from her college-age children. Cary then meets a handsome younger man Ron (Rock Hudson) who owns a small landscaping business. Ron is a follower of Henry David Thoreau's Walden and ""hears a different drummer"" enjoying a life focused on nature; he is deliberately uninterested in the gossipy opinions of others. Their romance causes clashes and tensions between Cary her children and the country club folk.
Major And Minor (Dir. Billy Wilder 1942): New York working girl Ginger Rogers is desparate to go home to Iowa but does not have the railway fare so she disguises herself as a child to ride half fare. Enroute she meets Ray Milland an Army major teaching at a military school. who takes her under his wing. The Bachelor Mother (Dir. Garson Kanin 1939): Polly Parrish a clerk at Merlin's Department Store is mistakenly presumed to be the mother of a foundling. Outraged at Polly's unmotherly conduct David Merlin becomes determined to keep the single woman and ""her"" baby together.
Rip Smith (Stewart) discovers a town statistically identical to the entire country so he and his assistants go there to run polls easily and cheaply. When he meets local civic cruader Mary Peterman (Wyman) romantic involvement follows and things start to change rapidly...
Screen Sirens (8 Discs)
Annie (Dir. Rob Marshall 1999): As seen on The Wonderful World of Disney this new production of the classic musical features an all-star cast belting out the beloved songs. Original Broadway Annie Andrea McArdle makes and appearance too! Fun for the whole family. Pollyanna (Dir. David Swift 1960): The heartwarming story of a young girl who brings goodwill and happiness to the residents of a New England town. Hayley Mills won an honorary Academy Award for her performance. Return To Oz (Dir. Walter Murch 1985): In 1899 Dorothy Gale returns to the land of Oz only to find the enchanting Emerald City in ruins and all her old friends have been captured by the Nome King and the evil Princess Mombi...
When churlish spoiled rich man Bob Merrick foolishly wrecks his speed boat the rescue team resuscitates him with equipment that's therefore unavailable to aid a local hero Dr. Wayne Phillips who dies as a result. Phillips had helped many people and when Merrick learns Phillips' secret to give selflessly and in secret he tries it in a ham-handed way. The result further alienates Phillips' widow Helen with whom Merrick has fallen in love. Merrick's persistence causes another tragedy and he must remake his life including going back to medical school in an attempt to make amends and win her love.
The Parent Trap: In The Parent Trap Hayley Mills plays identical twins Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers who unknown to their divorced parents meet at summer camp. They soon realise that they are in fact twin sisters and become great friends who plot to switch places to meet the parent they never knew. Fed up with being the products of single parent households they plan to reunite their parents in the hope that this will bring their family back together. They encounter a maj
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