Your IP has been blocked. Please perform the action below to regain access.
75.126.130.58-
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
-
Amazing Box Set Collects Some of the Finest Film Performances of Mid-20th Century American Cinema
If playwright Tennessee Williams's Southern gothic writing style makes his works feel more ornately melodramatic than those of O'Neill or his closest contemporary Arthur Miller, they do provide resonant showcases for the actors inhabiting his characters. This is clearly evidenced in this six-film, eight-disc collection that epitomizes some of the most powerful acting to come out of Hollywood in the 1950's and early 1960's, all directed by true filmmaking masters. Probably because they are the least censored by the studio system at least in the form presented now, the best of the set are Elia Kazan's "A Streetcar Named Desire" and John Huston's "The Night of the Iguana". The others are Kazan's "Baby Doll", Richard Brooks' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", Jose Quintero's "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" and Brooks' "Sweet Bird of Youth".
A feral, smoldering Marlon Brando justifiably made his reputation as brutish Stanley Kowalski in 1951's "A Streetcar Named Desire", and his animalistic charisma still leaps off the screen. Intriguingly, one of the extras included in the two-disc set for the movie is footage from a 1947 screen test of Brando when he was 23, and his stardom seems assured even then. The plot of the movie amounts to the inevitable clash between Kowalski and his visiting sister-in-law, Blanche DuBois, a fading Southern belle on the verge of a mental breakdown. Having proven her ability to be a convincing Southerner in "Gone With the Wind", Vivien Leigh expertly handles all the florid dialogue with her particular blend of defiance and vulnerability.
Strong supporting work comes from Kim Hunter as Blanche's naive sister Stella and Karl Malden as Blanche's seemingly respectful suitor Mitch. Now over ninety, Malden is on hand to provide his own eloquent recollections of the production on an alternate track, and film historians Rudy Behlmer and Jeff Young provide more objective commentary on another track. Film critic Richard Schickel's 1995 feature-length look at Kazan is the centerpiece of the second disk, and there is also a more interesting five-part documentary on the film and original Broadway show, the best portion focusing on censorship and the several minutes that have been reinserted in the DVD version of the film.
1964's "The Night of the Iguana" deals with a similarly dysfunctional group of people, but this time the setting is a dilapidated Mexican beach resort where Reverend Shannon, newly defrocked, has taken a group of spinsters from a women's college. Huston made his reputation on his strong literary adaptations, and his affinity shows in the fulsome characterizations, striking visuals and dark humor. Richard Burton is in peak form as Shannon, and there is also sterling work from Deborah Kerr as the spinsterish Hannah and especially Ava Gardner as the slatternly resort owner, Maxine Faulk. The DVD contains a recent making-of featurette and a vintage video, both fascinating.
"Baby Doll" is an entertaining hoot that doesn't seem as sensationalistic as I'm sure it was when the film was first released in 1956. It's simply a Southern-fried farce about the potential deflowering of a nineteen-year old child bride with a nice, pouty turn by Carroll Baker in the title role and a surprisingly funny one by Karl Malden as her randy husband, cotton mill owner Archie. 1958's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is far more vaunted but ultimately hamstrung by the overly careful portrayal of Brick as an asexual protagonist, this in spite of stellar performances from Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman and Burl Ives.
Newman is even better as gigolo Chance Wayne in 1963's "Sweet Bird of Youth", and he is matched all the way by Geraldine Page's all-cylinders-on performance as faded movie queen Alexandra Del Lago (a role that would have ironically been ideal for Ava Gardner). The weakest film of the set is 1961's "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" about an aging American actress living in Rome who falls recklessly in love with an indifferent gigolo. A decade after "Streetcar", the glamorous-looking Leigh excels in the title role, while a young Warren Beatty fits the physical requirements as the gigolo Paolo even though his faux-Italian accent is a little too emphatic. All four of these movies come with making-of featurettes and original trailers, and "Cat" also includes commentary from Williams' biographer Donald Spoto.
The focal point of the eighth disc is a 1973 documentary, "Tennessee Williams' South", which highlights insightful interviews with Williams in the New Orleans area. The film also includes classic scenes from his plays reenacted specifically for the documentary. You can have the privilege of seeing Broadway's original Blanche DuBois, Jessica Tandy, and compare her work to Leigh's, as well as an impressive turn by Maureen Stapleton as Amanda Wingfield in "The Glass Menagerie". This is an incredible film collection for anyone who wants to see some of the greatest performances of mid-20th century American cinema.
Rating: -
AT LAST!!!
I'll save reviewing all of these titles. Rather, let me just say, this set is worth the price alone for one title that is included: Night of the Iguana. My GOD how have I have longed to have this on DVD and, as far as I am aware, it is not available as a single title anywhere and even the VHS copy is long, long out of print. My VHS copy was on its last thread until I picked this up.
Get this set, get this set, get this set. Fantastic movies all the way around, but Night of The Iguana alone is priceless. Plus Puerto Vallarta, just as it is today, looks absolutely gorgeous.
EDITED TO ADD - I now see that Night of The Iguana has been released as an individual title, but this set includes such fantastic other T.Williams' titles, that you'd really be doing yourself a disservice by not getting it.
Rating: -
A TREASURE!
What a wonderful collection. Makes you rethink Williams' contribution to theatre. It's too bad the censors of that era were so strict with the films, but that's not the fault of the directors or the producers. This is an A+ item and other films of Williams are available separately. Enjoy!
Rating: 
-
Titles Missing From Tenn DVD collection
If Warner has rights to MGM product why wasn't THE FUGITIVE KIND in the box set?
Also if anyone wants to make their own collection of Tenn, the following are available on DVD: Suddenly Last Summer (Columbia) - Rose Tattoo (Paramount) and of course The Fugitive Kind (MGM).
I also understand the Glass Menagerie is available on a budget DVD but don't have any other info on it.
Rating: -
Once again, another magnificent set from Warner, this time honoring one of America's greatest writers.
Warner Bros. has assembled a superb group of films derived from the plays, a novella, and an original screenplay by the immortal Tennessee Williams. Each film has been given a stellar presentation, with the finest of them all, his masterpiece, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, given the Warner 2-Disc special treatment. Filled with documentaries, commentaries, screen tests, and outtakes, this set is really an amazing assemblage of much of Williams' best work. At last we also have a remastered CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, which now looks stunning, following a rather faded and pasty DVD in the early days of the format.
Not content to rest on their laurels as others would, WB has unearthed a relatively unknown motion picture that will be a treasure to those who love this man's work.
A Canadian documentary feature from the mid '70s called "TENNNESSEE WILLIAMS' SOUTH" has been rescued from limbo, and how wonderful to have it included as an exclusive bonus in this collection. Not only does it contain rare interviews with Williams shot over the period of a year in both Key West and New Orleans, but it also contains scenes from his plays performed by some of our greatest actors, including Maureen Stapleton, Burl Ives, and most importantly, Jessica Tandy re-creating her performance as Blanche DuBois. A miracle to behold.
