Hellen
I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
SpuffyWeb
Sadly Over-hyped
Greenes
Please don't spend money on this.
rickdumesnil-55203
Disappointed when i bought this DVD...that i liked so much when i was younger.Really the Laughton part is merely a replica of Moeden Times where Charlie tries to end up in jail. THE CLARION....boring but luckily. Richard WIDMARK saved the scenes. The worst...Red Chief. I plausible story not funny for a second and already uses in OUR MERRY WAY.The LAST LEAF was good....but Jean Peters is not convincing enough as the grieving sister. The winner is MAGI......beautifully acted and feel good segment. IF it was for me Monroe.....Levant....Peters.......would not have gotten the roles. ALL and all im happy i bought it......but was a huge disappointement from the first time i saw it back in the sixties.
utgard14
Twentieth Century Fox anthology film based around five O.Henry short stories, with each story introduced by John Steinbeck. The stories are:"The Cop and the Anthem", directed by Henry Koster, stars Charles Laughton as a homeless man trying to get arrested so he may have shelter for awhile. He tries numerous tactics but nothing seems to work. Marilyn Monroe figures into one of these attempts. It's a humorous but brief appearance by her. This is an amusing beginning, with Laughton giving a good performance."The Clarion Call", directed by Henry Hathaway, stars Dale Robertson and Richard Widmark. Robertson is a cop who follows a murder clue to an old friend (Widmark). But he owes Widmark $1000 from an old debt and his honor won't allow him to arrest him. This story started off well but its contrived premise doesn't hold up and the ending I saw coming too early. Widmark is fantastic though."The Last Leaf", directed by Jean Negulesco, stars Anne Baxter and Jean Peters as sisters. Depressed Baxter becomes deathly ill and Peters can do nothing to help her. This is a simple story. A little corny, I suppose, but it made me smile just the same."The Ransom of Red Chief", directed by Howard Hawks, stars Oscar Levant and Fred Allen as two con artists who kidnap a boy, only to discover he's more than they bargained for. Hilarious story, even though we've seen whole movies built around "problem children" in the years since."The Gift of the Magi", directed by Henry King, stars Farley Granger and Jeanne Crain as a poor young married couple who make sacrifices for each other at Christmas. Probably O. Henry's most famous story and justifiably so. It's a beautiful, heartwarming Christmas story. They saved the best for last. This is a good anthology film. There's not a bad story in the bunch. The second story is the weakest but it's still watchable thanks to Richard Widmark. Definitely a film you should check out.
sevisan
This is perfect example of the Fox look in the beginning of the fifties, prior to the Scope. Here are the directors, actors and actress, cinematographers,musicians (Alfred Newmann), etc., under contract. Jean Peters, Anne Baxter, Richard Widmark, Jeanne Crain, Marilyn in her beginnings, etc.What a pair of wonderful actresses in the moving "The last leaf", directed by Jean Negulesco with an almost expressionist style! Really, he was an very underrated director with good film as "Three came home", "The mask of Dimitrios", "Humoresque".In "The gift of the magi" Henry King puts grace and gusto in some sweet Christmas commonplaces. This is also a good episode, perhaps a little marred by the overacting of Jeanne Crain.Also very watchable "The clarion call", directed by Henry Hathaway in a dry and concise style.In "The cop and the anthem" we have a memorable line by the lovely Marilyn: "He called me madam!" The Hawks episode is the only drawback in the film, but one can forgive it in front of the other good four. And, above all, the sublime "The last leaf".
LCShackley
I first saw this movie on TV as a child in the 1960s, and never watched it again until now (2005), but it's strange how many characters and even specific shots lingered in my mind all those years. This is a gem that has something for everyone: sentimentality, humor, pathos, and loads of good performances. "The Cop and the Anthem" is probably the most tightly written of them all, with subtle touches of humor throughout (besides the most obvious gags). If I had to single out one performer who delighted me the most it would be David Wayne, doing a twitchy down-and-outer playing off of Laughton's haughty tramp (especially just having seen him play a totally different character in ADAM'S RIB just a week ago).As an old thespian friend of mine would say, "The Last Leaf" could bring a tear to a glass eye. And in "Red Chief," Fred Allen and Oscar Levant make a strange but fun team. Not having seen Richard Widmark in the other movie mentioned in reviewer's comments, I could only think how much he reminded me of Frank Gorshin in various roles he played in the 60s. Watch this segment again and think "Frank." Your whole family will like this movie. Why doesn't someone bring it out nice and crispy clean on DVD?
