Classics - Movies

Living It Up

Classics

The 1954 Martin-and-Lewis romp Living It Up is an amusing remake of the 1937 comedy classic Nothing Sacred. The heroine of the original undergoes a sex change to become feckless Homer Flagg (Jerry Lewis), who is led to believe that he's dying of radiation poisoning. Manhattan newspaperwoman Wally Cook (Janet Leigh), hoping to improve circulation of her paper, convinces her boss, Oliver Stone (Fred Clark), to fete Homer as a hero with an all-expenses-paid trip to the Big Apple. Meanwhile, Homer learns from local doctor Steve (Dean Martin) that he isn't dying at all. But Steve talks Homer into taking advantage of the celebrity treatment bestowed on him by Wally, and a good time is had by all — until medical specialist Dr. Egelhofer (Sig Rumann) insists upon examining Homer. Highlights include a hilarious bit at Yankee Stadium, and an energetic jitterbug number featuring Jerry Lewis and Sheree North.

Juarez

Classics

Juarez is the story of three men – Benito Juarez (Paul Muni), Napoleon III (Claude Rains) and Emperor Maximilian (Brian Aherne) – driven by political passions. And of a woman, Empress Carlota (Bette Davis), driven to madness. John Garfield and Gale Sondergaard join the illustrious cast of this epic, directed by William Dieterle (A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Life of Emile Zola) and set against a backdrop of revolution and royal ambition, with Mexico as the prize. All the leads earned critical plaudits, but many reviewers singled out Davis for one bravura sequence in which, as the mentally fragile Empress, she confronts Napoleon, demanding he save her husband's life. "Her final flitting away into the darkness of madness is the most unforgettable moment in the picture" (James Shelley Hamilton, National Board of Review).

The Patsy

Classics

When a star comedian dies, his comedy team, decides to train a nobody to fill the shoes of the Star in a big TV show (a Patsy). But the man they choose, bellboy Stanley Belt, can't do anything right. The big TV show is getting closer, and Stanley gets worse all the time.

Mildred Pierce

Classics

A mother's love can lead to murder! Joan Crawford delivers an Academy Award-winning performance as a woman clawing her way to success to provide her daughters with everything she lacks, a woman named Mildred Pierce. Dying of gunshot wounds, Monte Beragon (Zachary Scott) croaks the name "Mildred." The police believe he has named his murderer ... and Pierce confesses to the crime. Now, as her story unfolds, the police learn of a woman who divorces her philandering husband, takes a job as a waitress and does anything to achieve success--only to be betrayed by the daughter she adores.

Ace in the Hole

Classics

A cave collapse in New Mexico traps a man, and all eyes turn toward the tragedy... including those of Charles "Chuck" Tatum (Kirk Douglas), a washed-up newspaper reporter who sees the incident as a ticket back to his former days at the top of the journalism heap. As the media circus begins to swirl around the trapped man's plight, Tatum takes command of the situation, embellishing the unfolding drama and prolonging the rescue effort … while feeding stories to the nation's reporters clamoring to cover the event. Celebrated director Billy Wilder (SUNSET BOULEVARD)mixes gritty cynicism with a superb cast in this powerful, fascinating study of the dark side of the human soul.

The Red Danube

Classics

Janet Leigh and Peter Lawford star as lovers trapped on either side of the newly fallen Iron Curtain, a man and a woman stranded on opposite sides of The Red Danube. Post World War II Vienna. In a city that now lies across the river from Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe, British Major John McPhimister (Lawford) works to repatriate war refugees – to reunite families but also to sometimes force displaced people back to their native countries against their will. Now, he falls in love with beautiful ballet dancer Maria Buhlen (Leigh) who is desperately trying to flee Eastern Europe. Bound by duty, honor, and love, will these two find a future together? The Red Danube also features Angela Lansbury as a proud military woman who stands her ground against sexist male colleagues.

G.I. Blues

Classics

The year was 1960. A payola scandal shocks the music world. Movie fans are introduced to glorious Smell-O-Vision. The 50-star flag is adopted. And in G.I. Blues, Elvis adopts an on-screen persona he knows well in real life – a singin' G.I. in West Germany. Eager to open a stateside nightclub after his hitch in khakis, he takes part in a wager to raise the dough he needs. The bet: he can melt the iceberg heart of a willowy dancer (Juliet Prowse). But all bets may be off when real love intervenes...

The Kentucky Fried Movie

Classics

The original take-off cult classic from the highly successful team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker (Airplane, The Naked Gun), this“uproariously funny [film]” (TV Guide) launched a thousand laughs and serves as a precursor to the raunch-fests of the ‘80s and the blockbuster success of the Farrelly Brothers films. Directed by the legendary John Landis (Animal House, The Blues Brothers), The Kentucky Fried Movie features alewd, loosely connected collection of skits that spoof blaxploitation films, news shows, porno movies, TV commercials, kung fu flicks and more! Including well-known stars such as Bill Bixby, Donald Sutherland, Tony Dow, George Lazenby and Henry Gibson, this one-of-a-kind film features over 22 gut-bustingly hilarious segments including: "Cleopatra Schwartz", "The Wonderful World Of Sex", "Catholic High School Girls In Trouble", "A Fistful Of Yen" and more! The Kentucky Fried Movie – uncensored, uncut and unapologetic!

Stalag 17

Classics

Two worthy Academy Award® nominees from 1950's Sunset Boulevard – actor William Holden and director Billy Wilder – reteamed three years later for the gripping World War II drama, Stalag 17. The result was another Best Director nomination for Wilder (his fourth), and the elusive Best Actor Oscar® for Holden. Holden portrays the jaded, scheming Sergeant J.J. Sefton, a prisoner at the notorious German prison camp, who spends his days dreaming up rackets and trading with the Germans for special privileges. But when two prisoners are killed in an escape attempt, it becomes obvious that there is a spy among the prisoners. Is it Sefton? Famed producer/director Otto Preminger tackles a rare acting role as the camp's commandant; actor Robert Strauss won a Supporting Actor nomination for his role as "Animal."

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Classics

St. Francis of Assisi was an extraordinarily complex and difficult figure whose effect on his contemporary society was electrifying. Even today, many people are moved by his visionary message of universal toleration. Twelfth-century Italy had an exceptionally grim and regimented society, but the barefoot monk from Assisi undoubtedly had the courage that comes from deep faith and was able to transcend the oppressiveness of the time. In this Italian/British-produced film, director Franco Zeffirelli attempts to bring his vision of this great man to the screen. The contemporary (1970s) example of the hippie movement contributed a great deal to the style in which the story is told. The musical score, using ancient Italian melodies, was arranged by Donovan. The film is visually beautiful in a way which tends to minimize the squalor of the times. As the movie begins, Francis (Graham Faulkner) is the son of wealthy merchants, and enjoys his share of wine, women and song without serious thought. When war and disease devastate his neighborhood, Francis undergoes an anguished transformation which culminates in his appearing before the local bishop and removing his clothes to renounce his previous life and family before dedicating himself to God. The culminating dramatic moment is Francis' appearance before Pope Innocent III (Sir Alec Guinness), to make his case for an independent religious order under new rules.

Hud

Classics

Hud Bannon (Newman) is a young Texas rancher who lives with his cattleman father Homer (Melvyn Douglas) and his hero-worshipping nephew Lon (Brandon DeWilde). Hud is an amoral, cold-hearted creature; his father, who holds Hud responsible for the death of his other son, tries to imbue Lon with a sense of decency and responsibility to others, but Lon is devoted to Hud and isn't inclined to listen. When hoof-and-mouth disease shows up in one of the elder Bannon's cows, Hud is all for selling the herd before the government inspectors find out. But Homer orders the cattle destroyed (the film's most harrowing sequence), driving an even deeper wedge between himself and Hud. Finally, Hud steps over the line by attempting to rape Alma (Patricia Neal), the earthy but warm-hearted housekeeper. Paul Newman was so repellantly brilliant as an unregenerate heel that his Oscar nomination for Hud was a foregone conclusion. Although Newman lost the Oscar to Sidney Poitier in Lilies of the Field, Oscars did go to Neal for Best Actress, Douglas for Best Supporting Actor, and cinematographer James Wong Howe.

Rashomon

Classics

A riveting psychological thriller that investigates the nature of truth and the meaning of justice, Rashomon is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made. Four people give different accounts of a man’s murder and the rape of his wife, which director Akira Kurosawa presents with striking imagery and an ingenious use of flashbacks. This eloquent masterwork and international sensation revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema—and a commanding new star by the name of Toshiro Mifune—to the Western world.

The Red House

Classics

Lovers of film noir have long treasured this eerie gem, produced during what has come to be regarded as Hollywood’s classic noir period (early-1940s to late-1950s). It is now available for the first time in stunning high-definition Blu-Ray. Edward G. Robinson plays an aging farmer with a dark secret he’s trying to keep hidden. He and his sister Ellen (Judith Anderson) have raised Meg (Allene Roberts) since she was a little girl, after her parents mysteriously disappeared. But now Meg is coming of age, and bringing a male friend from high school around to help with chores on the farm. The teens are warned against wandering into the nearby woods, where terrifying screams have been heard in the night emanating from an abandoned red house. But curiosity threatens to get the better of them. Director Delmer Daves enjoyed a successful, 35-year career in Hollywood as a producer, director and writer (he adapted this particular story from a novel first serialized in The Saturday Evening Post in 1945). Better-known for tough westerns and war movies (including 3:10 To Yuma, Broken Arrow and Destination Tokyo), this film was an interesting diversion for him. But credit is also due to cinematographer Bert Glannon, a veteran of numerous noir/crime titles (not to mention work with such acclaimed directors as John Ford and Cecil B DeMille), who was responsible for executing the sort of unexpected camera angles and shadowy lighting that would become the signature of a good film noir. Meanwhile, viewers will also want to watch for a young Julie London, appearing in one of her earliest film roles.

Young at Heart

Classics

When Alex enters the lives of the musical Tuttle family, each of the three daughters falls for him. He is charming, good looking and personable. Laurie and Alex seem made for each other and become engaged. When Barney comes into the picture to help Alex with some musical arrangements matters become complicated. He is seen as a challenge by Laurie, who can't believe anyone could be as cynical, and she is more than a match for his gloomy outlook on life.

Hatari!

Classics

Hatari! is Swahili for "danger"—and also the word for action, adventure and broad comedy in this two-fisted Howard Hawks effort. John Wayne stars as the head of a daring Tanganyka-based group which captures wild animals on behalf of the world's zoos. Hardy Kruger, Gérard Blain and Red Buttons are members of Wayne's men-only contingent, all of whom are reduced to jello when the curvaceous Elsa Martinelli enters the scene. In tried and true Howard Hawks fashion, Martinelli quickly becomes "one of the guys," though Wayne apparently can't say two words to her without sparking an argument. The second half of this amazingly long film concerns the care and maintenance of a baby elephant; the barely credible finale is devoted to a comic pachyderm stampede down an urban African street, ending literally at the foot of Martinelli's bed. The other scene worth mentioning involves comedy-relief Red Buttons' efforts to create a fireworks-powered animal trap. Not to be taken seriously for a minute, Hatari is attractively packaged and neatly tied up with a danceable-pranceable theme song by Henry Mancini.

Once Upon a Time In the West

Classics

Directed by Sergio Leone, this epic Western re-established the genre, and still stands as one of the greatest, artistic films of all time. Henry Fonda stars as Frank, a ruthless murderous psychopath who feels no remorse, even after annihilating Mrs. McBain’s (Claudia Cardinale) entire family. Charles Bronson plays The Man, a harmonica wielding loner who will never forget how his brother was savagely tortured. The Man joins forces with Cheyenne (Jason Robards), the man wrongfully accused of murdering Mrs. McBain’s family, to put an end once and for all to Frank’s reign of terror.

Nashville

Classics

Following 24 characters through 5 days in the country music capital, Robert Altman's 1975 epic presents a complexly textured portrayal (and critique) of American obsessions with celebrity and power. Among the various stars, aspirants, hangers-on, observers, and media folk are politically ambitious country icon and his fragile star protegée, a self-absorbed rock star who woos a lonely married gospel singer, a talentless waitress painfully humiliated at her first singing gig, a runaway wife with dreams of stardom, and a campaign guru who is trying to organize a concert rally for an unseen presidential candidate. Featuring the award winning song, “I’m Easy,” Nashville is regarded one of the greatest American films ever made.

Jesus of Nazareth

Classics

Beginning before the Nativity and extending though the Crucifixion and Resurrection, "Jesus of Nazareth" brings to life all the majesty and sweeping drama of the life of Jesus (portrayed here by Robert Powell) as told in the Gospels. A star-studded cast featuring Michael York, Sir Laurence Olivier, James Earl Jones, Anne Bancroft, Olivia Hussey, Rod Steiger and Anthony Quinn, adds depth and humanity to the roles of the saints, sinners and ordinary people who walked in the footsteps of the Lord. The film provides the setting and background for the birth, childhood, baptism, teaching, and many miracles of the Messiah, culminating in the Divine Resurrection. Directed by Oscar(R) nominee Franco Zeffirelli ("Romeo&Juliet", "The Champ", "Jane Eyre", "Endless Love") and acclaimed by critics and religious leaders worldwide, "Jesus of Nazareth" tells the greatest of all stories with tremendous emotion and splendor.

Funny Face

Classics

Jo Stockton can only get to Paris to meet with the beatnik founder of "empathicalism" (a idea that implores you to "put yourself into others shoes" in order to 'empathize' with them) if she agrees to model a line of ultra-chic fashions for photographer Dick Avery. Paris provides the backdrop for this blend of Gershwin music and Givenchy fashion.

The Quiet Man

Classics

Martin Scorsese Presents Republic Rediscovered—over 20 rarely seen films from the storied Republic Pictures library, restored and remastered by Paramount and personally curated by Martin Scorsese. The Quiet Man is an essential, Oscar winning John Ford film featuring John Wayne as a retired boxer who makes a pilgrimage to his home village in Ireland. He meets his match in a spirited young woman, only to find himself confronted by her belligerent brother and the town’s strict customs. In 2002, the film made AFI’s list of one hundred greatest love stories.

Classics Movies