A Star Is Born
Director: George Cukor
Average Customer Review:
DVD (01 May, 2001)
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Editorial Review

"This is Mrs. Norman Maine": Could these be the most heartbreaking words Judy Garland ever uttered? George Cukor directed and Moss Hart wrote this film, a musical remake of the 1937 original. The story is a show-biz classic: He (James Mason) is a major movie star who is past his prime and on the way down; she (Garland) is an aspiring singer who, with his help, becomes a bigger star than he was. Their marriage becomes a seesaw of success and failure, as he slowly drinks himself to death out of bitterness at the fickleness of fame, until his bad behavior begins to threaten the career of his long-suffering and loving wife. Mason and Garland are both terrific, with her singing "The Man That Got Away" among others. Remade in a 1976 Barbra Streisand vanity production. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen
• Dolby

Reviews (70)

A True Classic
This film is a must for the film buff--a great story about the old Hollywood system.The rise of one star and the decline of another.Beautifully photographed and above all beautifully acted.Jack Carson plays the role of the heartless studio publicist to perfection.One complaint though.I respect the roles that film historians play in this business.They're important figures in the field of film preservation.But come on--using photographic stills over audio right in the middle of the movie is just not cool."A Star Is Born" was shortened for a reason--those scenes which were deleted from the film were not that important.That could've been saved for the special features.

Judy's Personal Favorite May Be Yours, Too
According to "other" daughter Lorna Luft, mom Judy Garland told her that of all her films, A Star Is Born was her most satisfying.When you see the new DVD version of it, you will understand why.Totally self-absorbed as most geniuses were, Garland could best identify with roles that mirrored her own life, just as she was better than anyone (except perhaps Sinatra) at injecting her own psyche into the lyrics of a song.Not only was the role of ambitious aspiring star Esther was a familiar one to Judy, but also the role of weary, dissipated alcholic superstar Norman Maine, Esther's supportive husband, was far from alien to her.That Judy could so closely identify with both the lead roles might explain why she had had her eye on A Star is Born for years before the project came into fruition.She had, in fact, played the role of Esther in A Star is Born in a radio version of the film years before, while an MGM star.She badgered MGM chief Louis B. Mayer to re-make the 1937 film as a star vehicle for her but was told, perhaps correctly at the time, "Nobody wants to see you as the wife of an alcoholic."

Judy and husband Sid Luft, a sometime Hollywood manager/promoter, managed to make a deal with Warner Brothers head Jack Warner that established a partnership to turn out several films, the first among them A Star Is Born.Firstly it was necessary to put a good crew in place, and to head it all was legendary director George Cukor, whose film successes are too numerous to mention, but was often noted as being a great
"woman's director."Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin were selected to write new songs, most noteworthy among them being "The Man that Got Away."The cinematography and costumes are top-rate,
and you WON'T be aware of how good the supporting players are because they perform so well that you won't notice they are acting.Jack Carson as the bitter, acid-tongued agent Libby particularly noteworthy.James Mason is perfect casting as the handsome, dashing and successful actor Norman Maine who throws it all away for booze, yet Judy's first choice was Cary Grant.Grant, realizing that Judy had the plum role, turned down her offer.It is probable too that the fastidious Grant would not permit himself to behave in the disheveled look of a has-been boozer.It was rumored that Humphrey Bogart also sought the husband's role, but the Lufts turned down this possibility due to the stars' glaring age difference.The Moss Hart script is tight, witty and heart-breaking as we see Esther's rise and Norman's fall from stardom.

But to Garland.It is the role of a lifetime and the screen perfomance of a lifetime.Her screen role, like her real-life
persona, was harrowingly bi-polar, and whether you want to or not, you'll be on her rollercoaster ride of joyous highs and bottomless lows.Whether singing, dancing, clowing around or weeping in the depths of despair, your eyes will be riveted to her.

Ironically, A Star Is Born was not profitable for Warner Brothers and the Luft-Warners deal was canceled.When business fell off dramatically for the legendary "long version" of the film, Warner had the film pared down several minutes without the Lufts' participation.This was so each movie house could add an extra showing, to increase box office.The resulting shorter film is what most people have seen over the years on television and on VHS.The new DVD shows as much of the butchered original version as possible.Warner himself appears in some of the special added informative material, but don't believe he is as cheerful as he seems.Judy Garland was extremely difficult.Most geniuses are.

A heartrending film--and the greatest robbery since Brinks!
"(That was) the greatest robbery since Brinks" said Groucho Marx upon Judy Garland's losing the Oscar for "A Star Is Born" to Grace Kelly. Politics always exists; and this time it exerted a cruel influence. Judy Garland deserved the Oscar for Best Actress in this film.

Of course, everyone pretty much knows the plot by now; either they've heard of it before they got to this web page or they read Amazon's comments about what Amazon calls this "essential video." Judy plays Esther Blodgett, a band singer whose career soars into superstardom when he meets and falls in love with Hollywood mogul Norman Maine, played brilliantly by James Mason. There are some ups and downs along the way, however. (In case you don't know the whole plot, I won't spoil it for you here!)

The film is primarily a vehicle to showcase Judy's talents. She doesn't fail to disappoint! My eyes were glued to her the entire time she was on screen; her acting, singing and dancing were beyond remarkable. She belts out classic Garland numbers such as "Swanee," "Born In A Trunk," and "The Man That Got Away." This last song is arguably one of the best Garland signature songs ever along with "Over The Rainbow" from a film a few of you may have heard of! GRIN

The love affair between Esther and Norman is well played out: indeed, the acting of all the performers is entirely convincing and made me wish for more high quality films to be put out today!

The plot bravely tackles the problems of the Hollywood life: careers going up and down, lives sometimes destroyed in the process. I agree with the reviewer that the "performance within a performance" is fascinating: we see Esther showcase and spoof the 1950s type musical in the scene where she shows Norman the "big" musical number ("Somewhere There's) A Someone At Last" at the studio.

The color and sound are quite good for the time. I agree with the reviewer who writes that 1950s color was not up to today's state of the art. Nevertheless, it is quite impressive. The sound was excellent; the quality of the sound in the restored scenes is usually rather good but not quite as good. The stills used in the restored scenes are not the best but they represent a terrific accomplishment. This movie never should have been cut just for the sake of the almighty dollar. No wonder Judy and director George Cukor were so infuriated they vowed never to watch the film again!

In addition, Garland fans one may note that Judy's real life personality is perhaps best described as a blend of Norman's addictive behavior and Esther's incredible talent and resiliency. I also agree with the reviewer who writes that the plot is based at least in part on the marriage of Frank Fay and Barbara Stanwyck. Good historical reference, sir!

The DVD comes with wonderful extras: an elaborate commercial for "A Star Is Born" with Warner himself as host; scenes from the supper party Warner gave after the movie premiere; Hollywood stars arriving for the premiere; and three different filmed versions of Judy singing "The Man That Got Away" are just some of them! The movie comes in widescreen which helps to replicate the exact experience the audience had the night of the film's premiere (shortly before it was cut by Warner's so movie theaters could show it one extra time per evening).

In short, if you love musicals, Judy Garland, James Mason, or just plain top notch quality film in general, you simply can't miss this movie on DVD! It is truly one of the greatest movies of the twentieth century starring one of the greatest entertainers America has ever been blessed enough to have: Judy Garland!
... Read more

Asin: B00000JQU9
Subjects:  1. Musical   

Liza with a "Z": A Concert for Television
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.98
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Features

• Live

Reviews (14)

Better Than Streisand
At least I think so. However, her voice has not aged as well as Bab's. In this collection of songs from her live TV special from 1972, though, Liza is at the top of her game. All the tracks are stand-outs while special notice should be paid to "God Bless The Child," "Say Liza," "Son of a Preacher Man," "My Mammy," and the Cabaret medley. It really is thrilling towards the end of "Cabaret" to hear her hit that long extended note with a pure and perfect vibrato and then chop it off with almost a growl. Liza definitely has a bit of a more edgy tone than her mother. Whereas Judy Garland's signature was the heartbreak dripping from every lush note, Liza Minelli's is agression and energy (not that Judy didn't have enough of either). Well, I've been rambling, so I'll just leave you with this thought: buy it. It really is spectacular.

MINNELLI'SMAGICALMUSICALTOUR!!GOLIZA!!!!
From the charged great opener "Yes" it is clear that this is going to be an extraordinary musical trip with a great, great singer!! Drama and pathos make "God Bless The Child" a moving and incredible experience and "Liza With A "Z" is great fun and a tongue-twisting feat that Liza never once flubs on!! Exhuberant and soulful is the definitive version of "It Was A Good Time" and wildly soulful is the rhythmic "I Gotcha" which is also a great dance routine that Liza really shines in.This classic concert was a Emmy Winning Television Special which deserves release on DVD and hopefully this will happen soon!!! An all-stops-out performance makes "Ring Them Bells" a stunning masterpiece and Liza is the only singer besides the late Dusty Springfield that does justice to the funky "Son Of A Preacher Man". Stylish and sophiscated makes "Bye Bye Blackbird" a stunner and well broken in and familiar love is celebrated in the fascinating "You've Let Yourself Go". The ultimate passionate tribute is given to Mom in a masterful version of "My Mammy" which has to be the all-time best of this classic!! Liza's voice is stunning on "Mammy" and would make her Mom very proud!!! A well-earned Oscar went to Liza for her fascinating portrayal of Sally Bowles in "Cabaret" and the songs that make up the closing medley from that motion picture are thrilling to hear Liza sing "Live" in concert!! More than 30 years after this legendary event Liza is still thrilling audiences with her magical talent. Bravo Liza!!

THE GAYEST SHOW ON EARTH
hello:

i thought i was in the gayest show on earth until i saw this.

it is great!but it doesn't get any gayer than this.

liza with a z
jackie with a j

jack e. jett
the jack e. jett show ... Read more

Asin: B0000024ZO
Sales Rank: 39058
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Pop Vocals    3. Traditional Pop   

Eartha Kitt - Purr-Fect: Greatest Hits
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 June, 1999)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $14.99
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Editorial Review

More than a decade before starring as Catwoman to Adam West's Batman--years and years, in fact, before pop singers were referred to as "divas"--Eartha Kitt made herself in the image of a gold digger with a lust not just for cash, but for lust itself. This 22-track compilation is built around her signature '50s novelties ("Just an Old Fashioned Girl," "I Want to Be Evil," "C'est Si Bon," "Santa Baby"). A handful of ballad performances add variety, but even without them there's plenty of spice to be had here. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (7)

As good or better than the original 45 record
Eartha Kitt needs no recommendation. She was in a class of her own.The songs are the best of the 50's and 60's and her best.
The CD is perfect.

A mere five stars is not enough
A stupendous album from a stupendous talent! There is probably no better single-disk introduction to the musical phenomenon of Eartha Kitt than this one. Miss Kitt invented the term "sex kitten", and her own genre and legend. She has the skill and sophisticated humour to bring any song to life, even one's you've heard before. Her rich voice is as subtle as her wicked humour, and she sings each song differently dependant on the character of the song itself. A testament to her talent is that one of her first US hits was sung in Turkish with only witty remarks made in English (Uska Dara, track 18). This album is full of her classics which don't date, just get better with each playing. Her songs "Just an old fashioned girl", "The heel" and "Santa baby" will never be surpassed in lyrical sophistication.

Full marks!
This CD is absolutely perfect.Excellent voice, excellent recording, excellent equalization and excellent proportions of sound images make this CD an excellent buy.I didn't know too much about Eartha Kitt but now I have fallen in love with her sexy purr.All songs are highly entertaining and Eartha performed each one in perfect pitch with ease.I believe the producer and the recording engineers of this CD should be given the audiophile awards. This is definitely a must-buy! ... Read more

Asin: B00000JCN9
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Pop Vocals    3. Traditional Pop    4. Vocal Pop   

Timeless: Live in Concert
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (19 September, 2000)
list price: $29.98 -- our price: $29.98
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Editorial Review

Barbra Streisand's Timeless: Live from the MGM Grand is not merely a career retrospective--it's a life retrospective, and a show rather than a concert. The opening scene is 1955, with a young singer (ably played by Lauren Frost) finding her voice. As she wistfully begins "Something's Coming," the grown-up Streisand joins in to an electrifying ovation and proceeds to take us on a journey through her life: the torchy period ("A Sleepin' Bee"), the Broadway period ("Don't Rain on My Parade"), the movie period ("Evergreen"), the Sondheim period ("Putting It Together"), and the James Brolin period ("I've Dreamed of You"). She also recalls through video clips several duets before she sings "I've Got a Crush on You" with a clip of Frank Sinatra, and debuts a new song by Marvin Hamlisch and Alan and Marilyn Bergman, "Simple Pleasures," then counts us down to the new year (or new millennium, depending on your math).

It's titled Timeless, but this long-awaited double CD is already somewhat dated, having been recorded in Las Vegas on December 31, 1999, and January 1, 2000, but not released until September 2000, by which time the Y2K jokes are already quaint. Also, the extensive monologues and acted-out sequences might wear a bit upon repeated listenings. But when you hear such familiar fare as "Something Wonderful" and "Alfie" and immediately forget anyone else who has ever sung them, you'll realize that it's the singer and her signature songs that are indeed timeless. If Streisand has in fact decided to stop performing live, then at least we have this document to remind us of how great a treasure she is. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Features

• Cast Recording
• Limited Edition
• Live

Reviews (114)

Great Concert ! Could have been better !
In 1994 Barbra had her tour in Madison Square Garden it was recorded live for the Cd The Concert. Timeless 6 years later at MGM Grand was very good it had a great span of her greatest songs, All Though The Concert had a million time better rendition of "People & On A Clear Day & Evergreen" The Concert went from The 1960's to broadway and into the movies. The Songs were great and also having Lauren Frost (the young girl with a great voice ) do duets with Streisand was great. IF you like Barbra Streisand GetThis Cd and/or Barbra The Concert which is just as good but even better then Timeless.

The greatest performer of all-time.
I would actually give this excellent concert release four-and-a-half stars.When Barbra decided to give one last major New Year's Eve concert (and subsequent mini-tour), she had a very tough act to follow:Herself!Barbra's 93/94 concerts are one of the best things she has ever done in her extraordinary career, and trying to stage another show must have been very difficult.Not surprisingly, she more than succeeded in giving fans a phenomenal show that managed to give the previous show a run for it's money.

Even more autobiographical than the last time, there were sketches detailing past events from Barbra's life, reminisces with friend Shirely MacLaine, and Barbra's poignant reflections on the father she never knew.However, the main event of evening is defiantly the music, and I wouldn't have it any other way.Once again, the song selection features a good number of surprises (especially "Alfie" and "The Main Event/Fight," neither of which had ever been performed live by Streisand before), and Barbra is amazingly in even better voice than she was in `94.The smoky performance of "Cry Me A River," the vocal spender displayed of the terrific "Something Wonderful/Being Alive" medley, and the gorgeous rendition of "Send In The Clowns" are just a few of the highlights in a show overflowing with highlights.

The only reason that this beautifully-packaged two-disc set doesn't receive a 5-star rating is because there are a lot of references to particular visuals that may be confusing to those who haven't actually seen the show.TIMELESS has been released on DVD with a stunning transfer, and I actually recommend anyone interested in the concert to pick up the DVD instead.That way you can experience the "complete" show - visuals and all.I thought it was impossible for Barbra to top her `94 concerts, however she came awfully close to doing just that.TIMELESS is another triumph!

The Concert, six years later
Barbra did a concert tour in the mid-90's that people still talk about.Unfortunately, this CD (recorded the eve of the millennium) is almost a replay of the previous one.She does add a lot of different material from her career that she wasn't able to before, but the performance as a whole is not as memorable as her Concert in '94.If you want to buy this album, I would suggest listening to it before the other one.That might help with seeming repetition. ... Read more

Asin: B00004HYMR
Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. Musicals    3. Pop    4. Pop Vocals    5. Soft Rock   

The Best of Miss Peggy Lee
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 October, 1998)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $13.99
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Reviews (7)

Recommended
This CD contains a satisfying selection of Peggy Lee's more popular songs.The insert is straightforward with some good pictures of the singer at various points throughout her career, and detailed production information about each song.I would have liked to see some interesting tidbits/trivia about the singer herself . . . and also printed lyrics.

The sweet sounds of Miss Peggy Lee
Truly one of the best singers ever.This CD is fabulous!!

SKIMPYOVERVIEWOFACLASSICLEGEND!!!
From the classic "I Don't Know Enough About You", one can tell that this is an extraordinary singer with a glorious sound all her own!!Peggy Lee was a favorite of my stylish Grandmother who Mr. Blackwell designed a gown specially for so you know that my musical upbringing was the very best!!! I remember this great voice from when I learned to walk so a single disc seems like nothing to me!! Of course the choices are great and for a single disc this is not bad but I would at least opt for the single disc with the great DVD of Peggy's extraordinary career!!Greats such as "Fever" and "Is That All There Is?" are here and the others are all equal Peggy Lee classics but I would still say stretch and go for the 2 disc with DVD collection and really enjoy one of the all time great legendary singers of our lifetime!!Bravo Peggy Lee!!!! ... Read more

Asin: B00000DCI5
Sales Rank: 9852
Subjects:  1. Easy Listening/Vocal    2. Pop    3. Pop Vocals    4. Swing    5. Traditional Pop    6. Vocal    7. Vocal Jazz    8. Vocal Pop   

Falling in Love Again
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (22 September, 1998)
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Editorial Review

The German-accented vocals of Marlene Dietrich are an acquired taste, for sure, but Falling in Love Again does a good job at showing her diverse output: from the obvious ("Falling in Love Again," made famous again in 1998 for a Mercedes TV ad campaign, and "Illusions") to the downright strange (Dietrich's throaty interpretation of "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine"). The career of the sultry songstress is all too easy to typecast, but the reality behind these tunes was anything but simplistic. She was a struggling actress who used her physical charms to compensate for her thespian shortcomings; she entertained Allied troops during the Second World War--singing, playing the musical saw, and earning herself a Medal of Freedom from the U.S. War Department; she even worked with a young Burt Bacharach on a pair of singles for Dot Records. Once Dietrich sings a show tune, you'll never hear it the same way again, and her renditions of these tunes--everything from Cole Porter's "You Do Something to Me" to Freidrich Hollander's dark "Black Market"--are memorable, to say the least. --Jason Verlinde ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great start, uneven finish
Dietrich's heavily accented vocals definitely require some getting used to, but they're also what make her performances so unique and evocative of their era.Whatever her shortcomings in English and French pronunciations, Dietrich could purr sensuous lines like "My past that makes you hate me/makes you love me too" or "I gently untie the past" like no one else, and she offers up dozens of them here.The first eleven songs on this album sound like the ultimate romantic World War II movie soundtrack, from the joyous nihilism of "The Boys in the Backroom" to more bittersweet ballads like "Illusions" and the title track, and straight up love songs like "You've Got That Look" and "Symphonie."Tucked neatly into the mix is the more subversive "Black Market," which is open to interpretation and then some, and the classic "Lili Marlene," with which Dietrich reportedly brought soldiers on both sides of the lines to tears in her USO shows during the war.The fuzzy but surprisingly consistent sound quality (the recording dates range from 1939-1957) and distinctive orchestration add to the sense of atmosphere, to the point where you can almost imagine being in the audience in a battle-scarred nightclub in wartime Berlin, with Marlene and the band on stage just a few feet away.

But the collection stumbles badly with what I'm guessing were the B-sides to her two 1957 singles.The awkward rock-and-roll arrangements of "Near You" and "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" were originally released on the same record label that gave us Pat Boone, and they sound every bit the part.(Ironically, the flip sides of those singles, "Another Spring, Another Love" and "I May Never Go Home Anymore," are terrific.) The collection recovers its footing somewhat with the two final songs from 1965."If He Swing by the String" and "Such Trying Times" don't quite measure up to the glory of the earlier recordings, but they're a nice enough ending to the album and certainly more in keeping with its overall style.

I suspect the folks at MCA were aiming for a sampler of Dietrich's singing career regardless of context and how well the songs fit together.This would be a five star collection if they had opted for consistency rather than completeness.But in the era of skip-buttons, it's still worthy.

The best one
The best one to buy if you must have only one. I own many but love this compilation because the emotion of the originals is there and the sound quality is very good, which is something that cannot be said for all Dietrich CDs.

The Music that brought the Chancon to a World Audience!
Marlene Dietrich was more than an actor who could sing; she gave voice toa silent artform: the Chancon genre.With her music she paved the way forsuch great voices as Edith Piaf and on a smaller scale Hildegard Knef andZarah Leander. -- This CD features many of the big successes, mostnoteworthy Falling In Love Again (from "Blue Angel") and Boys InThe Backroom (from "Dextry Rides Again").Who can listen to thesultry rendition of Black Market without visualizing Marlene Dietrich"peddling her wares" in the dark allys of a pulverized post WWIIBerlin.This CD is part of History. Marlene Dietrich tells of a dark timeshe has witnessed, the horrors of which the world must never forget. ... Read more

Asin: B00000BKJM
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Pop Vocals   

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Director: Robert Aldrich
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (19 September, 2000)
list price: $14.95
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Editorial Review

It's brash! It's grotesque! It's a blistering display of psychological terrorism! One of the blackest comedies ever made, this 1962 thriller rejuvenated the careers of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and played heavily on their own Hollywood legends, incorporating film clips from their earlier stardom to add depth and realism to a severely twisted tale of sibling rivalry. Davis plays the former child star turned wrinkled hag Jane Hudson, whose sister Blanche (Crawford) eclipsed her star in Hollywood, and has been paying for it ever since. Now confined to a wheelchair, Blanche is held prisoner in the musty mansion she shares with Jane, who terrorizes Blanche with maniacal control (and dead rats for dinner), and embarks on an absurd campaign to revive her career, curly-haired wig and all. A deranged showcase for its stars, the film also introduced Oscar nominee Victor Buono as the sycophantic pianist hired to accompany Jane's bizarre vaudeville revival. Hilarious, frightening, and not to be missed! --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Features

• Black & White
• Closed-captioned
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (107)

Torture chamber
Actually makes you long for a convalescent hospital should you become incapacitated. Riveting thriller up until the very last uncharacteristically very weak scene.

Surprisingly Creepy Classic
This movie caught my eye when I was renting some movies to watch. I never really had liked older movies but I was sort of learning about Joan Crawford a little bit, and I was really into horror, so I knew I would probably enjoy this.

From the moment I put it in my DVD player I absolutely loved it. It was a lot more scary than I had imagined, and I think it's a complete classic. This movie remains in my top 10 because I think that this old fashioned horror is so fascinating.

The story is truly amazing and I was surprised that they could make a movie so creepy with such great acting back then. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford are great, the acting was really great.

It's about two sisters. One of them has lost her popularity and glamour over the years. The other one has been put in a wheel chair because of a mysterious, terrible accident. It is a story about abuse, mental and alchohal problems, and glamour. The ending is a surprise but leaves you very satisfied with the way it happened.

what ever hapen to the academy award
CUANDO VI ESTA PELICULA.. NO PODIA CREER QUE LA ACADEMIA NO HAYA PREMIADO LA ACTUACION DE BETTE DAVIS POR BABY JANE.. SIMPLEMENTE ES ALGO INAUDITO..PERO BUENO..CREO QUE HIZO LA CARACTERIZACION A LA PERFECCION...APARTE DEL MAQUILLAJE Y EL HECHO QUE SE HAYA PROYECTADO EN BLANCO Y NEGRO LE DIO UN TOQUE MAS TERRORIFICO...LA ACTUACION DE JOAN CRAWFORD..ES SOBERBIA..VICTO BUONO..ESTA MUY BIEN...EN SINTESIS.. UNA EXCELENTE HISTORIA...CON UN FINAL..INESPERADO..SIMPLEMENTE BRILLANTE...
... Read more

Asin: 6304359721
Subjects:  1. Horror   

The Hollywood Collection: Joan Crawford - Always the Star
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (20 June, 2000)
list price: $14.98 -- our price: $14.23
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Editorial Review

Joan Crawford was a study in paradoxes. She adopted at least as manychildren as she had husbands, but she took in these children during her singleyears. She was known as a tough customer with unbridled ambition, but sheapparently never got over her insecurities stemming from an impoverished,fatherless upbringing and 6th-grade education. This 53-minute biography, part ofThe Hollywood Collection, covers her personal and professional life untilher death in 1977. A couple of her lesser-known directors, several actors(including Cliff Robertson), a costumer, a film historian, and one of herchildren appear on camera to give viewers a broader picture of the often- stereotyped icon. Movie stills, film clips (The Women, WhateverHappened to Baby Jane?), and audio tape of Crawford fill in the gaps.Conspicuously absent is the daughter who wrote the "wire hangers" tell-all, butthe controversy is mentioned and the stories refuted. Most fascinating, perhaps,is the fact that she was considered over the hill and fired by one studio beforeher Oscar-winning role in Mildred Pierce. Her story is not a pretty one,but it is a resilient one. --Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Black & White
• NTSC

Reviews (3)

No Christina!!
It was interesting to hear from Joan's other adopted daughter, Cindy, because I have never seen her speak publicly about her mother. Still, it is hard to think of Crawford as anyone but "Mommie". It was so sad during the last five or ten minutes of this tape when people are talking about Christina's "vicious" book and discrediting her. She was the victim, not the perpitrator, and her book, and interviews, express how genuine and sincere she is. Even when she went on talk shows promoting the book upon it's release, people would say "No, Joan couldn't do that!" and Christina would say "I was THERE!". I still believe her wholeheartedly.

That aside, this biography was kind of boring. Except seeing Cindy (and not even that much), I didn't learn anything new. I would recommend the documentary that comes along with the "Mildred Pierce" DVD. Excellent!

A Flawless Biography Of A Genuine Star!
This video is such an excellent tribute to Joan Crawford. During the course of the video, we first take a look at the troubled life of young Lucille Le Sueur, then we move to her early MGM beginnings as Joan Crawford, and finally to Joan Crawford the star. Every Joan Crawford fan should own this video. It is touching, uplifting, inspirational & ultimately sad. The video is full of clips of Joan's films from "Rain", "Mildred Pierce", "Humoresque", to "Sudden Fear" "Autumn Leaves" and many more. A few of Joan's friends and co-workers are also interviewed, from Cliff Robertson(Autumn Leaves), Diane Baker(The Best Of Everything, Strait-Jacket) and also biographers and directors. Also as a treat for fans we are given clips of an older Joan handing out Pepsi bottles at a party and discussing her life, which is rare footage! Also as another treat for fans the whole "Mommie Dearest" issue is addressed by Joan's friends and even her daughter Cindy as a fake moneymaking scheme concocted by Christina as an act of jealousy and envy.By the end of the video we see Joan's last years & days of her life and how her end came to her while alone and it is truely depressing. Joan truely was and still is a great star and this video definitely acknowledges that.

What a tribute to THE STAR!
This is a treasured part of my Joan Crawford collection.It is a beautifully put-together tribute to Joan Crawford.It has clips from many of her movies and personal anecdotes from some of her co-stars.It iswonderful to see the transition from one stage to another of her long,excellent career.It is indeed a must for her many fans.It made me evenmore honored to be a fan of this wonderful Hollywood legend. ... Read more

Asin: 0788601903

Victor/Victoria
Director: Blake Edwards
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (02 May, 2000)
list price: $14.95
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Editorial Review

Blake Edwards's delightful Victor/Victoria may be one of the last of the great, old-style movie musical comedies--it is so good, it was turned into a hit Broadway stage musical years later. And both versions starred Edwards's wife Julie Andrews (the former Mary Poppins) in the title role--as Victor and Victoria. She's a down-and-out singer who hooks up with a flamboyantly gay theatrical veteran (Robert Preston), and together they become the toast of 1934 Paris by dreaming up a provocative nightclub act in which Victoria assumes the identity of a man in drag. So, in other words, Andrews plays a woman playing a man playing a woman ... and that's only the beginning of the sexual identity confusions that provide the fuel for this splendidly classy slapstick musical farce. (Yes, it's all those things.) James Garner, as a Chicago club owner, finds himself strangely besotted with this stylish, androgynous creature--even though he thinks Victor/Victoria is a man. Legendary Hollywood composer Henry Mancini (a longtime collaborator with Edwards) won his last Oscar for the score; Andrews, Preston, and Lesley Ann Warren, as Garner's cheeky girlfriend, were also nominated. Musical highlights include Victor/Victoria's sizzling "Le Jazz Hot" (in which Andrews shows off her incredible vocal range); another showstopper for Victor/Victoria, "The Shady Dame from Seville"; Preston's witty ode to "Gay Paree"; Warren's hilarious burlesque number, "King's Can-Can"; and a charmingly casual yet elegant side-by-side number, "You and Me," done in a small club by Preston and Andrews in tuxedos. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

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• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (76)

Le Jazz Hot!
What a wonderful film with Julie Andrews at her all-time best!

Nothing will ever come as close to fabulousness as watching Julie in beaded headress perform Le Jazz Hot. Other standouts include her Spanish-flavored "Shady Lady from Seville."

Webster's dad even makes an appearance to come out the closet. But did we really have to question, after all he has been married to Ma'am (Susan Clark) all these years.

A great peice of work.
Quite possible the film that brought Julie Andrews back to public notice after a long absence. Harks back to the greatest tradition of "Twevlth Night" and it's gender bending, farcical hilarity. Andrews puts her all into this and because the script is able to contain and propel her special talents, it really works. Daring in it's time for the open inclusion of homosexual lifestyles and themes, it gave Andrews both the format that suits her best and the changes to try something a bit different.
A cracking film with some great musical segways and biting comedy!

Everyone will know he's a phony.
Blake Edwards had a unique style of film; all the films seemed to have a certain atmosphere while each maintaining an individual character. Of course, Julie Andrews was a frequent actress in his films - Edwards and Andrews are married, and have been since 1969, an astonishing longevity for Hollywood.

In 'Victor/Victoria', Edwards returns to a Parisian settings familiar to fans of his work in the Pink Panther series - there is some minor elements of slapstick (the clutzy waiter, the bumbling detective, perhaps a nod in the direction of the Pink Panther films), but the real narrative plot is drawn along by the stylish comedy of Julie Andrews (Victoria Grant/Victor) and Robert Preston (Carroll Todd), in one of his last films.

The film is actually based on a much older piece, from 1933, written by Reinhold Schünzel, a German actor and writing, known in Europe primarily from the 1920s to the 1950s (perhaps English-speaking audiences would know him best from his role in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Notorius'). This was not the first, nor the last remake of this piece.

Preston plays an aging, gay, musical theatre man-about-town, who we take it is various a performer, talent scout, and director. Through a strange set of circumstances, he happens to be in a restaurant with a down-on-her-luck singer, who has just flopped at her last audition, and was willing to sell her virtue to the hotel manager for a meatball. She has captured a cockroach, and intends to plant the bug in the salad, thus avoiding payment of the bill - Carroll Todd ('Toddy' to his friends) and Victoria escape the restaurant, and come to share a room together while figuring out what to do.

Toddy comes up with the idea of dressing up Victoria as a man to then present her as the greatest drag queen, with the absurd name of Count Victor Grezhinski, a gay Polish count. 'Who would ever believe it?' Victoria protests. 'A woman pretending to be a man pretending to be woman.'

'It's perfect!' Toddy insists.

'Everyone will know he's a phony,' Victoria insists.

'Exactly! Everyone will know HE's a phony.'

Victoria as Victor auditions for Andre Cassell (John Rhys-Davies), the greatest talent and booking agent in Paris. He schedules Victor to open in a grand venue, and the deception seems complete. That is, until King Marchand (James Garner), a Chicago gangster and nightclub owner, arrives, complete with bodyguard (Alex Karras) and moll in tow (Leslie Ann Warren). He doesn't believe the act, and is determined to discover the truth.

While Victor/Victoria is not a musical in the sense of 'Cats' or 'Showboat', it does have some really stunning musical numbers, as one would expect from a Julie Andrews production. 'Le Hot Jazz' and 'The Shady Dame from Seville' are excellent numbers (Preston does his own reprise of 'The Shady Dame' for the big finale), and other numbers are fun; Leslie Ann Warren does her own over-the-top tribute to Chicago. The original music is done by Henry Mancini, and thus another Pink Panther connection.

The costumes (done by Patricia Norris, a very experienced and wide-ranging costumer) are perfect, both for the stage production numbers (dramatic and with flair, as might befit a drag queen, then or now), and off the stage - the period setting of inter-war Paris, with the genteel poverty of some and the opulence of others side-by-side is very well done.

This is the first film in which I recall major gay figures - it was a popular film in part because the primary actors were well know, and the issue of gay life was presented both in a distant and a non-controversial manner. If there are politics in it at all, it is that sex shouldn't be a political issue. King Marchand, a bit upset at being identified as someone who might date a man (Victor) has one scene in which he re-affirms his masculinity (by going to a seedy bar and picking a fight), only to discover that people aren't always what he thought they were.

This could be a theme throughout the whole film - people are never what you think they are, and life never turns out as expected. The tone of the film is rather lighthearted throughout, and the situations play very well. Does King Marchand get the girl/guy? Does Carroll Toddy become the toast of Paris? Does Chicago get an airport?? See the film and find out.
... Read more

Asin: 079074676X
Subjects:  1. Musical   

The Women
Director: George Cukor
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (25 June, 1996)
list price: $14.95
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Editorial Review

George Cukor, Hollywood's legendary "woman's director," had his hands full with the all-female cast of this 1939 film adaptation of the Clare Boothe play. The story finds a group of catty, competitive friends destroying reputations at social gatherings. The dialogue sparkles, Joan Crawford's performance as a husband stealer is still a classic, the film looks wonderful in Cukor's hands, and the Technicolor fashion-show scene is a one-of-a-kind Hollywood experience. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Black & White
• Closed-captioned
• HiFi Sound
• Digital Video Transfer
• NTSC

Reviews (97)

Jeffsdate missing the facts
I was so glad to see that The Women is now available on DVD.This is a classic film with an all-star cast that included many innovations for its time.The review by Jeffsdate shows that this person knows nothing of this history and should do some research.Yes the characters were horrible to each other!They were meant to be!Have you read the play?All the characters are stereotypes.Hence no males in the cast - including animals.And the fashion show was so long because this was one of the first technicolor scenes. I hope that other Amazon customers will give this movie the chance it deserves.

Hated, hated, HATED it!
First of all, I'm a "chick."Second, I love classic old films.Third, I like George Cukor.Fourth, the cast of this film was fabulous.But the plot and characters were INSUFFERABLE!I agree with the reviewer that said this film is incredibly misogynistic!The women are all catty, shallow, heartless bitches -- except Norma Shearer's character, who is a total sap.Much of the dialogue is so rapid-fire and rat-a-tat-tat that you can barely understand what they're saying.The fashion-show scene was way too long, as was the film as a whole, and I especially hated the ultra-schmaltzy scenes between Shearer and her totally implausible, girl-scouty daughter.My husband is generally OK with chick flicks, but I thought he was a saint for sitting through this one.

Interesting
If you didn't catch the fact that this was an all female movie, it would have passed you by. But the performances that these ladies give will not pass you by; Dynamic all the way; Norma Shearer,(Who was Queen of MGM through her own long association with the studio and her marriage to producer/executive Irving Thalberg),heads an all star cast of a faithful, selfless, popular wife, who finds out her her husband is having an affair with a brazen shopgirl Crystal(Joan Crawford). Well, she gets her divorce, but in time, the gig becomes up for Ms Crystal, and Shearer is back in the game; Rosalind Russell gives a good performance of the lady with a sharp tongue who gets a dose of her OWN medicine(HMM).
Although I find the all female cast quite interesting, I wanted to shake my head as well; OK, this is the 30s here and most women believed(even now) that it was better to have with a Mr than not; So for it's time it is a bit dated, but the fact that women dominate the story is quite novel if not interesting and has not been brought up much since; ... Read more

Asin: 6304056958
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Director: Robert Aldrich
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (18 May, 1999)
list price: $19.98 -- our price: $18.98
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Editorial Review

Poor Charlotte Hollis. She's been shunned by the community for decades, ever since the fateful night in 1927 when her lover was hacked apart with an axe. Her antebellum southern mansion is slated for the bulldozer, as it stands in the way of highway construction. Charlotte's only hope lies in her cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland), coming down from up north to help settle things. Miriam, however, has other designs. Together with her boyfriend Drew (Joseph Cotten), she embarks on a scheme to systematically drive Charlotte out of her mind (not a great leap) and get her mitts on the family fortune. From there, things only get more complicated. Charlotte puts the "gothic" in southern gothic, as a great showcase for completely bizarre, overwrought, and out-of-control performances from all involved. Agnes Moorehead plays Charlotte's loyal, disheveled housekeeper to the hilt, with an odd inflection that calls to mind Amos and Andy more than southern gentility. As the drunken, conniving Dr. Drew, Cotten's accent is indeterminate at times, and seems to come and go. As great as the supporting players are, though, the crown goes to Bette Davis as the shrieking Charlotte, a portrait of isolation and decay stuck in a world oftragic delusions inside her crumbling mansion. De Havilland is a close second as the scheming Miriam; the scene where she slaps the holy snot out of a hysterical Charlotte is itself worth the price of admission. Mary Astor (in her last role) and Cecil Kellaway (as a kindly Lloyd's of London adjuster) put in the only performances with any restraint, acting as counterweights for the rest of the cast. Besides, you'll never get another chance to see Joseph Cotten playing the harpsichord andsinging, or caked in mud and lily pads! With Robert Aldrich's claustrophobicdirection, Charlotte is as Southern as a field of kudzu, and as subduedas a train wreck. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Features

• Black & White
• Closed-captioned
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (50)

ya era hora
realmente.,.ya era hora que hicieran esta pelicula en dvd.,.. maravilloso.. cuento los dias para verla

saludos

CHARLOTTE FINALLY SEES THE LIGHT OF DAY ON DVD
I HAVE WORN OUT SEVERAL COPIES OF THIS FILM ON VIDEO, AND I CANT WAIT UNTIL IT IS RELEASED ON DVD. IN MY OPINION, THE BEST MOVIE EVER MADE BY BETTE DAVIS...NOW, IF THEYD JUST RELEASE THE NANNY...ANOTHER FABULOUS FILM BY BETTE DAVIS.

Profoundly Underrated Horror Classic-- DVD out in Aug 2005!!
Ever since I was a kid I identified this as "the scariest movie I've ever seen", and even today, despite the fact that as an adult, one no longer possesses the same ability to be frightened by a film, "Charlotte" still emerges as one of the of the "purest" of terror-films in that it hits so many of the horror cliches dead-center (in a good way) as few ever quite have.

Oh, sure, it can't compare to later slasher pics for blood (only one person gets sliced & diced, in fact) but few mainstream pictures have ever been more hypnotic in their portrait of an earthly doomed netherworld existence as this little masterpiece--- the term Southern Gothic, to my mind, simply held no real meaning until THIS came out...

Many people dont realize that "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" received more Oscar nominations [7] than any other horror film until "Silence of the Lambs" (nearly 30 years later).
"Charlotte" won none, but the fact it lost the Best B&W Cinematography Oscar (for Joseph Biroc's drippingly dark work) is akin to grave-robbery!

Grander and more haunting than "Baby Jane" (though from the same production team), "Charlotte" resembles a liquid cinematic nightmare-- with camp and eerie pathos doled-out in equal and abundant measure. "Baby Jane" may have been fun (and sparked the hag-flick genre) but "Charlotte" is the more seductively macabre movie.

Borne of an era when "real" thrillers were coming to a close, when "Psycho"-period shockers felt so supernatural and creepy (even when they may not have been, technically, supernatural in plot)... the same Cold War peak which generated anything from "the Birds" and the original (GOOD) "Haunting" to the unsettling banality of "Strait-jacket", gave seemingly-effortless, bone-chilling spookiness to almost any horror flick...
Somehow, it all just feels more sacred and sad than sadistic.

And "Charlotte" is one of the most shadowy and forlorn of them all (the dinner scene is a classic in itself), with splashes of "GWTW", a spurt of "Jezebel", smatterings of various scenes from Bette Davis pictures re-executed, and, if you pay attention, even a dollop of "Citizen Kane"--- and much of the cast from most of them!

(Now that the widescreen DVD is finally coming out on August 9, 2005, maybe they'll include the AMC 'Backstory' program on "Charlotte"--- they might, as it's doublesided). ... Read more

Asin: 6301798562
Subjects:  1. Mystery / Suspense   

Mommie Dearest
Director: Frank Perry
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (04 March, 1991)
list price: $14.95
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Editorial Review

The movie that made "No wire hangers!" a household phrase, Mommie Dearest is the very model of a modern "camp classic," so crazily outlandish that it's fascinating. Based on the scathing and scandalous tell-all bestseller by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of histrionic Hollywood movie queen Joan Crawford, Mommie Dearest was billed in advance as a serious dramatic motion-picture biography. But it turned out to be something much, much weirder--a genuine Hollywood oddity that serves up a bizarre mixture of melodramatic trash and outrageous tragi-comedy. Joan Crawford won an Oscar for playing the role of the self-sacrificing mother, the woman who would do anything for her daughter, in Mildred Pierce. As depicted by Faye Dunaway (playing the hell out of the role as if she's determined to win another Oscar of her own, damn it!), her role as offscreen parent puts her in a league with big-time scary screen mommies such as Mrs. Bates in Psycho, and Angela Lansbury's über-mom in The Manchurian Candidate. Dunaway's Crawford torments and terrorizes her adopted children in myriad ways--making them give away their own birthday gifts and rousting them from their beds for frantic after-midnight bathroom-scrubbing attacks. And when, after the death of her Pepsico chairman husband, Crawford tells the board of directors, "Don't f--- with me, fellas!" one is very much inclined to heed her warning. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (158)

Camp Cult Film Offers Imbalanced Portrait
"Mommie Dearest" is a camp classic, for sure, and played for high camp, particularly by Dunaway, but it also is a tragedy.It's a tragedy because it's about a real person, Joan Crawford, yet there are no shades of gray; there isn't the slightest balance --excuse the pun -- to the portrait that would give insight into a woman whose stunning career spanned 50 years or even to her troubled side.Anyone who is familiar with the full canon of Crawford's work knows that there were many Joans, and that Joan deservedly earned her place in a Hollywood that treated her very shabbily as she got older.There was the enchanting, saucer-eyed "flapper" Joan; the beautiful, flirtatious Joan of the Crawford and Gable movies; glamorous Joan of "Mildred Pierce"; the Joan who went on the road to promote Pepsi Cola; the Joan whose best friend was gay leading male William Haines; the Joan who was a consummate professional.But unfortunately, this film doesn't show any of those Joans.Now more people remember Joan Crawford for this film and for her later work in which her image had hardened and become over-the-top (it wasn't always that way). That, to my mind, is a tragedy.

Anyway, many sequences in "Mommie Dearest" parody Crawford's films such as when Dunaway says, "Bring me the axe!" and actually swings the axe as Joan did in "Strait-Jacket" or when she says "I `splained it to you" to Christina which was right out of "Possessed."So you have to take it all with a grain of salt.On the level of a camp film, it is hilarious, yet chilling, too (beneath the parody, alcoholism is no joke).Dunaway actually crosses her eyes, she gets so steamed and by contrast, Diana Scarwid as the adult Christina is practically lifeless."We'll manage."In any case, certainly this film as a cult campfest has few peers but do yourself a favor and also seek out the real woman's work (not just "Baby Jane"; the earlier stuff - "Strange Cargo," "Rain", "Possessed", "Humoresque").It does a great injustice to a legendary star who truly gave so much movie magic to the screen. Don't let this film be, as Leonard Maltin put it, an "ignoble footnote to a distinctive and fascinating career."See Joan at her peak.

HILARIOUS
Unfortunately (for them), some people watch this movie and think it is a biography.
LOL!!
On the serious side, the movie begins when Joan Crawford's MGM career is nearing the end... and just before she starts her morning routine. :)
What you don't get to see it what life was for her before being a movie star, before being a dancer, before being a student who had to work in the school's kitchen to pay for her tuition while the others had fun, and before she was left father-less (not that her mother was a good presence). She was dirt-poor.
If you are offended by what you see in this movie (the side that was supposed to be serious- child abuse) then you owe it to yourself at least to learn about the other side of the story. I recommend reading the JC bio book "The Last Word", and then you'll see Joan in a different light.
Not that it couldn't be in this movie because cc was not around to recall it mind you, because apparently she can remember whole conversations that took place when she was 2 years old...
Joan Crawford had to work hard all of her life, ever since she was a child and basically alone. She had to work her a** off to get to where she was and no spoiled children (who may or may not have been affected by that syndrome that adopted children have) was gonna ruin that for her. Nor would she have let it ruin their own lives. Joan was going to raise her children as respectable community people, which she looked up to. So blame society then. Unfortunately this is the only movie/book that showcases parenting without a pink light on, so infamous that no-one, unless researched, will know that back in those days parents were very very strict, they would make JC's portrayal (sans-midnight scrubs) pale.
The bed straps were common use and a girl who displayed sign of rebellion was soon put in her place.
If you really want to put what serious there could be in cc's book in context, then make some research in the life of the 40s/50s and parenting. Then come back to me and tell me how out of this world this kind of parenting was.

To answer some reviewers' post, yes Christina recovered well, in fact she's constantly touring to sell her fiction-novels with drag queens made up like Faye Dunaway which any abused child would never dream of doing, simply for the horror that would be brought back, but hey, anything to sell and make money.

The only way you can watch this movie, is for laughs. Period.
It's the ultimate camp cult classic that John Waters probably wished had done.

Good Movie
Christina Crawford, adopted daughter of the late Joan Crawford, has a right to tell her side of the story."Mommie Dearest" is based not only on her life, but her mother's as well.The movie not only portrays a woman who wants to be on top in Hollywood and in her personal life, but a daughter who put up with her abuse and drama.Having adopted two blond-haired and fair-skinned children would give her more exposure in the public eye and make her the epitome of glamour.
Christina imitates everything that Joan does, which she takes personally.Children imitate what they see and Joan couldn't allow for her daughter to act out as a child does.Joan's life was tormented by her own mother and it passed down to her by the way she treated both Christina and Christoper.
Christopher is rarely shown in the movie, except as a child and at the mother's funeral.What was it like for Christopher to live under his celebrity mother?Perhaps we will never know.Maybe he will be able to talk of his childhood under her.
"Mommie Dearest" is a complex story of a mother-daugther relationship that was filled with abuse and admiration. Faye Dunaway does an outstanding performance as the legendary actress. ... Read more

Asin: 6300213919
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-drama   

The Ultimate Yma Sumac Collection
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (11 January, 2000)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
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Editorial Review

In 1950, at the dawn of an era of musical exotica (in which composers such as Esquivel, Martin Denny, and Les Baxter would test the limits of hi-fi strangeness), Yma Sumac entered the scene.She was a diva from the Andes with a four-vocal octave range, an unrelenting trill, and great looks, and she became an overnight sensation. Within years of her debut LP, Voice of the Xtabay, Sumac recorded more concept albums, starred in a Broadway musical (Flahooley), and appeared onscreen with Charlton Heston in 1954's Secret of the Incas. Truth be told, exotica music's popularity was short-lived (only to resurface again with the '90s lounge culture), and many would claim Yma Sumac was merely American housewife Amy Camus spelling her name backwards. No matter. This is still great, hilarious music unlike any other. With composer-husband Moises Vivanco, Sumac created a hybrid jazz, mambo, and world music that was the perfect showpiece for her vocal pyrotechnics. She scats, she trills, she bellows, but--mostly--she entertains. This disc collects Sumac's very best works, three unreleased tracks (worth hearing for the opening to "Negrito Filomino"), and extensive liner notes. --Jason Verlinde ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Yma Sumac: The Power of 4 Octives
Although Ms. Sumac could sing in 4 octives, her material ran from pretty exotic and lush to absolutely dreadful. Who cares?? In some ways she was the "Ed Wood" of the music world, and so over-the-edge, you could hardly believe it. I remember when she was popular and yes, we really did take her totally seriously. But let's face it, we never heard anything like her... and she was incredibly entertaining. This colllection will amaze, delight and completely blow you away. It's like nothing else in popular music you have ever heard.

For an instrumental version of this type of wonderful ultra lounge music, may I suggest the CD called "Sacred Rites" by Elisabeth Waldo. It is one CD made from her best 2 vinyl albums of the late 1950s. Fantastic!

Sheer power and beauty in an amazing vocal range
I love this recording!Wow!!!! I have been singing for over thirty years and this is the first woman I have EVER heard who can sing both higher AND lower than me! "Chunco" is unbelievable!Her singing, coupled with the brilliant music of Vivanco, makes her recordings an essential part of any serious musician's collection.Folks, don't wait, don't think, just buy this woman's music!I will say that I enjoy her voice more on the earlier music, as they seem to be more fitted to her big, vibrant, exotic, Incan priestess vocal pyrotechnics.I find myself just listening over and over - she is truly amazing, and is in a class head and shoulders above all other coloraturas, because of the sheer power she has in the entirety of her range.

Which singer has the greatest range?
Having been aware of Ms Sumac since the 1950s, I am still amazed at her voice range.Has there been anyone else with a greater range?I have heard that Julie Andrews also has a 4 octave range. ... Read more

Asin: B000031VZ7
Subjects:  1. Easy Listening/Vocal    2. Exotica    3. Peru    4. Pop    5. Pop Vocals   

Honky Tonk Angels
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (02 November, 1993)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.98
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Editorial Review

Nearly 30 years after an unknown singer made the album Dolly Parton Sings Country Oldies, which for all practical purposes was a Kitty Wells record, Parton joined with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette to revive the old-time, traditional female country sound, even hauling Miss Kitty along for a sparkling reprise of "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," the song that made Wells a star. This particular trio feels more at home with campy recitations than with hip, new songs, and doesn't dare get as harmonically ambitious as the one Parton enjoys with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt on Trio and Trio II. But as the queens of third-generation country, after Wells and Patsy Cline, they create a presence all their own, Lynn's plaintive urgency meeting Wynette's relaxed sensuality in the middle, and Parton mediating it all. No wonder Cline "drops by" for another round of "Lovesick Blues." Too much fun! --Alanna Nash ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Three best voices in country ( plus Patsy Cline)
The three top female singers in country just happen to have started in the 60's, although today, remain the three most influential careers of the genre. The late Tammy Wynette soars here with her vocal talents still intact, especially with "Silver Threads And Golden Needles". Loretta Lynn is classic country and outshines everyone on "Please Help Me I'm Falling". Kitty Wells joins the trio for her trademark, "It Wasn't God Who Made Hony Tonk Angels", and the great Patsy Cline joins the ladies for "Lovesick Blues". Dolly's incredible vocals as well as writing talents are displayed on "Sitting On The Front Porch Swing" and "Let Her Fly". There's not a bad cut on the whole disc. With all due repect to the late Davis Sisters, the three performing "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" is pure country magic. I only wish CBS records would release a follow up, I have read many more songs were recorded. Fans of the late Tammy Wynette would be "in heaven" to hear more from 'The First Lady Of Country Music'. If you enjoy original, classic country, this is a must !

The Voices of Angels!
Put this cd on and close your eyes, and you're in Pure Country Land. Beautiful, tuneful soulful sounds that country fans can't get enough of....Play this when you're glad, when you're sad, when you're up, when you're down, when you're in love with life and when you think life has dealt you a cruel blow. Just get it and play it!

THE TRUE COUNTRY TREAT!.
This is one of the best CDs. Having 3 Legends team up. WOW! ... Read more

Asin: B0000028ZK
Subjects:  1. Contemporary Country    2. Country    3. Country-Pop    4. Pop    5. Traditional Country