This is one of those movies where the set pace of events are known to the audience, so that when it reaches it's conclusion we are aware that what we (the audience) might wish can happen for the two leads is not going to be possible.

It is 1911, and we are in London for the coronation week of King George V and his wife Queen Mary. If you have read THE GUNS OF AUGUST by Barbara Tuchman, this event was the last great occasion for the appearance of all the crowned heads of Europe prior to the destruction (in seven years) of three leading houses (Hohenzollern, Romanov, and Hapsburg) due to World War II. Despite the survival of several other monarchies in Scandanavia, the Benelux countries, and (in revival) in Spain, the three lost ones of 1918 are now joined by the lost ones of the Balkans. And it is the Balkans that is the spot that Laurence Olivier's Carpathia is located in.

In reality Carpathia is part of Hungary and Roumania. Part of it (Transylvania) is well known through the story of Dracula. But for the sake of this story, it is an independent kingdom like Roumania, Bulgaria, and Serbia at that time. Prince Charles, the Regent of Carpathia, is running the country until his son King Nicholas comes of age in 18 months. So sometime in 1913 Nicholas will start ruling in his own name, and he is pro-German. Charles is pro-English. This would be unimportant but Carpathia has the fourth best army in Europe, so if it shifts it's position it may cause an unbalanced international situation that may lead to a general war.

Charles (Laurence Olivier) and Nicholas (Jeremy Spenser) and Nicholas' grandmother the Queen Dowager (Sybil Thorndike) are attending it. Charles is being monitored by Foreign Office official Northbrook (Richard Wattis), who wants to make sure the Regent is happy on his visit. Charles attends a show, and decides that one of the minor actresses, Elsie Mariner (Marilyn Monroe) should be invited to the Carpathian Embassy for a late supper. Despite misgivings Northbrook arranges for Elsie to show up.

But Elsie (although welcomed by the amorous Charles) finds she has to watch as he spends time talking about a political problem at home - the capture of one of Nicholas' clique of pro-German friends who has been caught with some compromising documents that would hurt the King. Charles plans to squeeze the arrested man for all the information he can get about Nicholas' schemes, but admits to his telephone informant that he is more likely to have problems about the situation from President Taft and his meddlesome Americans than from anyone else. Elsie, who overhears this, is angered (she is an American). The result is a moment that most fans of Monroe don't recall. They remember that she sang Happy Birthday to President Kennedy once, but here she toasted President William Howard Taft with champagne.

Charles finds Elsie not like other women he has had one night stands with. First, he never gets to first base with her (she gets drunk and falls asleep, despite his varied attempts to get her into the right mood and position). Second, she does not leave as he hopes, but keeps getting stuck deeper and deeper into the embassy and the Royal Family's world (even attending the coronation at Westminster Abbey). She is there for the embassy ball, and she even has a second night where she is in control of the trysting. Charles married his late wife and did his duty for her and her country, but he finds he loves Elsie. But he is leaving at the start of the third day for Carpathia with his mother and son, and has another 18 months of duty before he is free. And Elsie has 18 months left to her play contract. They do say "au revoir" at the end, but will they get back together. For they can't until 1913, the start of the Second Balkan War, and one of the steps that brought World War I to fruition.

The film was based on a play, THE SLEEPING PRINCE by Terence Rattigan, one of the best dramatists of England in the 20th Century (THE WINSLOW BOY, THE BROWNING VERSION). A practitioner of what Shaw called "the well-made play", Rattigan made sure his plays were entertaining and intelligent, and his characters were realistic. But in the original play Elsie was not American, but English, and was played by Vivien Leigh. Olivier had thought of filming the play with Leigh, but her illness interfered. Monroe was available, and was big box-office. Olivier was to direct her, his first film direction assignment since RICHARD III. She gave so much difficulty to him, he did not direct another film until 1970 when he did Checkov's THE THREE SISTERS.

But the film has it's period charms and a literate script. It does capture the brittle social and diplomatic world of 1911 quite well. Olivier's Regent is not as great a part as Richard III or Hamlet or Othello, but he does have a grasp on the man's pride and sense of self-importance. Monroe does come across as intelligent regarding family matters (i.e. the Regent and his son, the King), as well as an understanding woman. Wattis shoulders the dignity of the foreign office ruffled by the crazy duties he has to shoulder that week. Sybil Thorndike, with her fears of anarchists, and belief that Elsie is a close friend of Sarah Bernhart, is in a peculiar portion of the universe. She carries off an eccentric royal type that is light years away from her aged, vicious crone in BRITTANIA MEWS. It was not a major film - certainly not in the same category as the three Olivier Shakespeare films, but it is a good minor one.


It is interesting that a number of films set during the 1900s and early 1910s, both comedies such as 'The Assassination Bureau' and serious dramas such as 'The Riddle of the Sands' and the Robert Powell version of 'The 39 Steps', focus on diplomatic attempts to prevent the outbreak of a European war, even though we know that in real life such attempts were to end in failure. Perhaps this reflects a view that 1914 was the year that witnessed the modern age's loss of innocence and that the history of the twentieth century would have been immeasurably happier if the First World War had indeed been averted.

'The Prince and the Showgirl' is another comedy that looks back to the pre-1914 era as a lost golden age. It centers upon Grand Duke Charles, the Prince Regent of the Balkan state of Carpathia, who, while in London for the coronation of King George V, meets, and has a brief romance with, Elsie Marina, an American-born showgirl working in a London music-hall. Their association is encouraged by officials of the British Foreign Office, who are seeking to encourage the pro-British policies of the Carpathian government and to prevent a shift towards a pro-German stance which could threaten the peace of Europe.

Laurence Olivier is today- rightly- regarded as one of Britain's greatest heavyweight actors of the twentieth century, a man who (unlike some of his fellow theatrical knights) was at home in film roles as he was in the classical Shakespearean dramas in which he made his name. Marilyn Monroe is- perhaps wrongly- widely regarded as a lightweight Hollywood starlet whose main talent was looking decorative in a series of undemanding parts. When the two went head-to-head together, however, there was an unexpected result, with the lightweight beating the heavyweight by a knockout.

The above boxing metaphor was suggested by the numerous stories about the strained relations between Olivier and Monroe during the making of the film, supposedly caused by what he saw as the inadequacy of her performance. If those stories are true, I think that Lord Olivier should perhaps have looked more closely at the beam in his own eye than at the mote in hers. Although this is not Monroe's best film, there is nothing particularly wrong with her portrayal of Elsie, who comes across as a typical Monroe character- empty-headed and flirtatious, but basically decent. It was Olivier's Grand Duke who struck me as the main problem with the film.

Although Charles is supposedly the Hungarian-born ruler of a Balkan kingdom, he speaks English with the heavily guttural pseudo-Germanic accent normally associated with British actors playing Nazis of the 've haff vays und means' school. To strengthen the impression, he occasionally barks German interjections such as 'Himmel!', 'Dummkopf!' 'Schweinehund!' and even 'Donnerwetter!', an imprecation I have never heard a real German use. (The few extended examples of German dialogue in the film suggest that the Carpathians not only speak English with a German accent, but also speak German with an English one. To judge from Sybil Thorndyke's efforts, their French is even worse).

Given that his persona is uncomfortably close to the standard cinematic version of an SS officer (an association that must have seemed even more apparent in 1957 than it does today) and that his preferred method of solving the political problems of Carpathia is to imprison without trial as many opposition politicians as possible, Charles is not exactly love's young dream. His emotional coldness and obsession with formality and protocol suggest a caricature more than a real person. Caricature may be appropriate in certain types of comedy, especially satire, but in romantic comedy it seems misplaced, as the romances of real, or real-seeming, individuals are more interesting than those of cartoon characters. Moreover, for romantic comedy to work we need to be able to believe in both parties to the romance, not just one. While Monroe tries to make Elsie a real and likable person, Olivier seems content to draw upon a combination of two stock comic characters, the 'funny foreigner' and the 'stuffy aristocrat'. Although older man/younger woman love-stories were as common in the cinema of the fifties as they are today, this one seems particularly incongruous. Monroe was already in her thirties when the film was made, but the naïve and innocent Elsie seems much younger, whereas the middle-aged Charles seems a man old before his time, an impression created as much by his stiffness of manner and bearing as by his grey hair. The gap in the ages of Charles and Elsie seems considerably greater than the nineteen-year gap in the ages of the actors.

Halliwell's Film Guide praises the film for its 'good production values', that publication's normal shorthand for 'expensive sets and costumes'. Certainly, those elements are impressive, although Elsie's hairstyle and figure-hugging dress seem to reflect the fashions of 1957 more than they do those of 1911. There is, however, little else in the film that impresses. Perhaps Olivier himself was less than impressed by the film, as it was his first experience of directing other than his three famous Shakespeare adaptations, and it was to be his last until he directed a version of Chekhov's 'The Three Sisters' thirteen years later. My lasting impression will be of an unconvincing romance between two ill-matched characters and of an uncharacteristically poor performance from a great actor. 4/10


It has been rightly stated in other comments on this page that "The Prince and the Showgirl" is not the best Marilyn Monroe movie ever made, especially considering such later pictures as "Some Like It Hot" and "The Misfits." It is also true that "The Prince and the Showgirl" is not Marilyn's best performance, given her outstanding acting as Sugar Kane and Roslyn Taber in the aforesaid movies. I do contend nonetheless that "The Prince and the Showgirl" is a delightful comedy in an interesting historic setting with hidden message underneath; a movie in which the supposedly empty-headed blonde looms a lot larger than her illustrious male costar/director. And I may add  though I am aware that this is a matter of taste entirely  that Marilyn was never sexier than when she played Elsie Marina. She's real eye candy.

But one step at a time. The plot runs as follows: On the eve of World War I  at the 1912 coronation of King George V, to be precise  a British diplomat by the name of Northbrook (Richard Wattis) is charged with entertaining the pro-British ruler of the imaginary Balkan state of Carpathia, the Grand Duke Charles (Laurence Olivier). Carpathia is a fairly important regional power, which is why the British Foreign Office fears that the county might side with Germany if Charles's pro-German son Nicholas rose to power.

Northbrook takes the Grand Duke to see a light musical comedy, and it is in the theater that Charles is introduced to the attractive American-born actress Elsie Marina (Monroe), who, as we later learn, is of German descent. Charles wishes to lure Elsie into a one-night stand, but the American showgirl's lack of refined manners collides with the high-strung aristocrat's ideas of a smooth, short-lived love affair. In a sub-plot, Nicholas conspires with the Germans against his father.

As said earlier, the genteel humour is delightful, the Edwardian costumes are dazzling to look at, and Marilyn Monroe  overshadowing the unimaginative performance of Olivier  is simply white hot. There are a number of shots in that movie that would make great stills of Monroe, e.g. when she reads Charles's written invitation (she has her hair down and looks like a Vermeer beauty), when she enters the Carpathian embassy and admires at the gilded decorations, when she is engulfed in her marvellous reverie in Westminster Abbey etc. etc. Not only is she sexy in these moments, but there is really a sense of great (silent) acting, the emotions showing in her features. And the shots as such could almost be described as devotional pictures. Just stop the DVD for a sec at these moments and enjoy the tableaux.

Regrettably, Olivier's rendering of the Grand Duke seems rather wooden and dated by comparison. He speaks with an inauthentic German accent, and he moves in a stiff and military way to indicate the Grand Duke's arrogance and authoritarian stance, which he exhibits by tyrannizing his son, yelling at servants, and by having opposition leaders arrested and jailed without trial. Overall, Olivier does his best to show the Grand Duke as the archetypical ugly German.

I guess this is precisely where "The Prince and the Showgirl" goes "a little deeper" than most other plays in musical comedy, as Olivier's character once remarks about the play in which Elsie Marina appears. I don't know if Terrence Rattigan, on whose play and script the movie is based, intended this, but the allusions are quite obvious: "The Prince and the Showgirl" can be understood as a comment on McCarthyism, much like Arthur Miller's "The Crucible." Because when a powerful man in a 1957 movie has political opponents arrested without trial on charges of "un-Carpathian activity," that's a comment on the ongoing red scare in the US rather than on Imperial Germany. And to crown it all, it's the innocent American who criticizes the ugly German for the persecution of these un-American (McCarthy)/un-Carpathian (Grand Duke Charles) people, who conspire with a foreign power to overthrow the constitution. It's almost uncanny that Arthur Miller, whom Marilyn had wed just a few months before, was present when the movie was shot AND had to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee immediately when he returned from England. Bear in mind that the Committee was originally intended to find German-American Nazi collaborators!

There is one other historical detail I as a German find almost hilarious in an American movie based on an Englishman's screenplay: As other commentators have observed, Olivier spices up his dry performance by using German swear words which were probably outdated in the 50s already ("Kreuzdonnerwetter noch mal" etc.). Asked by Elsie Marina why he always swore in German, the Grand Duke replies: "Because the Germans have the best oaths - and the best machine guns." Isn't that the truth  the Hun simply has the best machine guns. Funny only that the German Maschinengewehr 08 was more or less a direct copy of the English Maxim gun invented by the American-born engineer Sir Hiram S. Maxim. And by the time "The Great War" starts the Brits have a way more modern machine gun than the 08 in the shape of the famous Vickers gun  as do the Yankees when their forces enter WWI (Browning M1917 machine gun.)

In a nutshell, "The Prince and the Showgirl" is a fun movie to watch on the surface and provides highly interesting commentary on contemporary US history underneath. Marilyn Monroe sparkles, though her role doesn't challenge her in the same way as did her parts in "Some Like It Hot" and "The Misfits"  those parts really brought out her enormous artistic versatility, as did the 1952 picture "Don't Bother to Knock." The costumes, props, and decorations are splendid and contribute to a dense, decadent, somewhat fin de siècle atmosphere of this romantic comedy set in the Edwardian era. A must-see and clearly a 10, despite the shortcomings of Olivier's performance.


Marilyn, never more beautiful, outstages a stiff Olivier in this fairytalish comedy. The lessons at the Actor´s Studio (NY) really did pay off! An absolute delight and probably my favorite Monroe movie after ´The Misfits´. Don´t watch this one for the complex storylines or the explosive action, watch this one for the genius of Marilyn Monroe.


This one gets broadcast a lot for some reason when greater classics do not. It must be some sort of economic thing.

In general, Marilyn Monroe had nothing but her body to offer. Put her and James Dean in a grave together (maybe with Marlon Brando who seems incongruous in this company only because he's still alive). Monroe was famously difficult to direct. In this one, directed by Olivier himself, he said to her one day, "Is there some reason you have to be so [serious expletive deleted} late every day?" And she replied, "Oh, you have that word in England too."

Nevertheless, this movie is a smashing success. I'm a sucker for foreign language scenes. Sybil Thorndike's rapid-fire French is perfect not in accent but in delivery. In fact her whole performance is so unexpectedly cogent to the plot and so subtle that every time I see it I have to listen carefully for something I didn't pick up before. The boy playing the young uncrowned king rips through a bit of German in a phone conversation and unfortunately mars it with a glaring mispronunciation near the end. A pity that Olivier, a fiend about detail, didn't notice it.

Another subtlety that is often overlooked is Northbrook's initial apprehension at accepting the job of being the liaison with this royal family, at the same time he is obviously, explicitly, attracted to the regent in a way you would not expect to find in a movie of this era.

A splendid movie in every detail and in every respect of movie making. A masterpiece.


The Prince and the Showgirl isn't a great film, or a great comedy, but it's light, fun, colorful, and it gives you the pleasant feeling of attending a fairly ordinary little four-act farce in a comfortable, luxurious theater.

If you're looking for a comedy with substance, this isn't it; but if you're in the mood for pretty costumes, Monroe being deliciously sexy, and a cute little farce, this can be lots of fun for you.

However, there is one role and one performance in this film that makes it an absolute must for at least one viewing, and that is the hilariously funny, and PERFECTLY executed comedy of Dame Sybil Thorndike, who plays the role of a South Slavic Queen Dowager who is "a little vague"--as Marilyn Monroe, in the role of Elsie Marina says after meeting her, "a LITTLE vague?!" She's quite, quite nuts, delightfully so, has all the very best lines of the play, and delivers each gesture, each look, each utterance with such crystalline perfection and astoundingly skilled stagecraft, that you can do naught but marvel at her powers. She has only four or five very brief scenes, and yet, she manages to turn her little part into award-winning material.

It's a great illustration of Stanislavsky's dictum that "there are no small parts--only small actors." Anyway, you haven't enjoyed Dame Sybil Thorndike at her comic best without seeing this movie, so put up with the rest of it, if you don't like it--you cannot leave this earth without drinking the nectar of her playing this role. And if you don't expect too much of it, you'll like the rest of this movie, too.


Yardsigns comments on "Prince and the showgirl" contain errors.

There are no shouts of "Violence!" The cry is "Vivat - Vivat - Vivat" followed ,though not in the film, by "Rex",=King] or "Regina",= Queen, as appropriate; meaning "The King ,or Queen,Lives!" There are no thundering "canons".A "canon" is a priestly appointment. Yardsign obviously means "Cannon". The Abbey scenes are an incompetent mix of studio fake, and real shots of Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953. The whole caboodle was shoved in to boost ticket sales in the U.S.A. as "Olde Englande" was very popular with American audiences at that time. Being an ill-conceived add-on. the Abbey scenes are weak and let the film down. I would nominate the seduction scenes as best displaying Marilyns genius as a comic actress. What a shame she had only a short and witless dance routine and that dreary fourth-rate apology for a song. A waste of her talents.


Laurence Olivier directed this adaptation of Terence Rattigan's play "The Sleeping Prince" about an American showgirl performing abroad in 1912, wooed by a stuffy prince. Marilyn Monroe-watchers will be disappointed by MM's lack of sparkle here; she certainly looks lovely but seemingly has no connection to this part, and no chemistry whatsoever with mannered Olivier as the starched, though not entirely humorless, royal. The sluggish pacing and overlength are deterrents, although the beginning of the movie is quite bright and the thoughtful, serious finish almost gives the dreary film some actual meaning. ** from ****


My problem with this film is that it tries to do too much, and doesn't have the time to adequately develop any of its themes to a satisfying conclusion. Romantic comedy, screwball comedy, political intrigue, comedy of mannersit has so many angles that it leaves one rather unsatisfied. Monroe, even with her sometimes doe-eyed stupor, is still captivating---I am a fan, and part of her appeal to me is her sometimes obvious lack of polished acting tricks. She sometimes walks a tightrope in her performance, just on the edge of tumbling into abject amateurism, and that tension is definitely part of her appeal. You can't take her eyes off of hera bit like watching the Indy 500 and secretly dreading yet anticipating a fatal crash, all the while captivated by the sheer beauty of the event. Laurence Olivier, on the other hand, is imminently forgettable in thischoosing to play the character as a stereotype. We learn so little about what makes him tick, other than the obvious fact that he keeps his emotions bottled-up. And there is something reptilian about his eyes which keep me from ever regarding him as someone's romantic interest. They always looked narrow and conniving, and it just got worse with age. Yes, there seemed little chemistry between them, and in spite of what I just said about his eyes, there just wasn't any time devoted to letting that chemistry develop. Did I miss something, or did Marilyn announce her love for him in the midst of his predictable, bumbling attempts to be seductive? If so, I must assume she was just overwhelmed by his looks, and I find this incomprehensible. Overall, this remains a weak entry in Marilyn's oeuvre. It was visually delightful, with a sort of premeditated artifice which lent it a storybook charm. If only the writing could have accomplished the same.


When Marilyn first goes to the embassy to meet the Grand Duke and ends up getting tipsy is an absolute riot. I think this is one of her better comedic jobs. Very enjoyable.


For MM's first outing with "Marilyn Monroe Productions" producing this epic film, I am somewhat disappointed. But there are some moments that make the film worth watching. Expectations were probably very high and from the outside this should have been a smashing success. The star wattage alone was a no brainer. In viewing the picture we all want what is missing. A little word called "Chemistry". The movie poster shows Laurence behind Marilyn in a lusty clench pose, but that scenario is completely missing from this film. In watching it, the lust factor never really gels and it is glaring. Is it plausible that she or anybody could be sexually attracted to this loud mouthed oaf? - NO. Sir Larry over acts through the film over and over to a point of total annoyance and The political plot line just gets old fast. Despite being a reportedly rude tyrant on set,I will give him credit for directing Marilyn towards a solid gold performance. She is the very reason to watch this film. All of her moments with Larry, that include: Getting tipsy, mimicking him, averting his disgusting passes, singing to him and later seducing him are all pure comedic genius. Her subtle delivery and acting style had improved 100% since the early days of "River Of No Return" Its lovely to see her portraying a real woman who is warm, convincing, and with depth. No dumb blonde resides here. For me, Marilyns best scene was at the Coronation. She doesn't speak any dialog, just showing emotion with facial expression. It is very touching and heartflt. Its obvious that a lot of time and money was spent lighting marilyn for this film. Her mature beauty is simply stunning. The admirable Royal Dance sequence is also brilliantly choreographed and lushly staged. The sets alone are outstanding. Its very apparent that this was an expensive film to produce overall. Location, co-actors, cinema photography are all top of the line. This was a huge ambitious gamble for Warner brothers and MM productions to make this collaboration. It is a first class production. For the record, when released in 1957 the film only re-couped the cost to make and distibute it. It broke even with very little profit. Marilyn Monroe Productions would disband soon after.


In the year 1911 numbers of royalty from around the world are descending on London for the coronation of King George The Fifth.Among those are Carpathian ruler the Prince Regent Charles(Laurence Olivier)a stiff,dignified and emotionally controlled man who is trying to keep his country in one piece despite some wanting his 16 year old son Nicholas(Jeremy Spenser)to be King.Attending the theatre one night he goes backstage and is introduced to the cast including bubbly and enchanting American showgirl Elsie Marina(Marilyn Monroe).She is like a breath of fresh air to him and he invites her for supper.

It's from there that a delightful and very funny comedy begins,mainly revolving around Elsie's unfamiliarity with royal protocol and manners and you see two different worlds collide.One of the funniest moments is when Elsie ends up being lady in waiting to the eccentric Queen Dowager(Sybil Thorndyke and attends the coronation with her and Charles.) Although not in any way a great film this will cheer you up and you can feast your eyes on the beautiful dazzling costumes and you won't be able to take your eyes off Marilyn.She lights up the screen and is very funny and touching at the same time.Olivier appears a little uncomfortable in a lot of his scenes(maybe he had too much on his mind as he directed this as well)and in some scenes he seemed to look really creepy.However his acting works for the character of the Prince Regent who doesn't really know how to handle the situation he's in.Worth watching but don't expect much and you should really enjoy it.


Just saw this again the other day after many years, and was impressed by Monroe's effortless upstaging of Olivier, who gives the most hammy, artificial performance of his career, unsurprising as he is directing himself.

If you want to see what star quality means, just watch their scenes together. He is desperately trying to ACT and eclipse her. All she has to do is just BE there in shot.

Whenever they are on screen, it is always her that one's eyes are drawn to and she gives such a natural performance throughout it almost seems as if she isn't acting at all. She also copes with some extremely tricky dialogue, giving the lie to her inability to remember lines. These are often done in a single take - one scene in particular, early in the film as she is leaving the house before Olivier arrives home, talking rapidly to Richard Wattis as they walk down the long staircase, is outstanding.

So, the film is worthwhile in showing Monroe as the great star she was - and revealing Olivier to only be capable of mere caricature (that fake German accent is so awful) without a strong director to rein him in.


Laurence Olivier, the prince of the made-up country of Carpathia in the Balkans, tells the following to Marilyn Monroe, the showgirl, at 95 minutes of the movie, in Magyar (Hungarian), while outside the door Magyar musicians play the violin:

(IMDB, in a very strange way, only allows sentences in English appear here.)

Its literal, word by word translation to the English language is the following:

"My little dove (pigeon), come here, stay here, love me, as I love You."


This film was a particular highlight in Marilyn Monroe's career. It was the first - and unfortunately, only - film made by her production company Marilyn Monroe Productions and was also the first time she had made a film abroad. The film is set in London and Monroe stars opposite the great Laurence Olivier - who also directed the film - in one of her best comic roles. She plays a chorus girl named Elsie Marina who is spotted one night by the Prince Regent of Carpathia who is in London on political business. Monroe sparkles as ever and outshines Olivier in a genuinely adorable and funny performance. She plays up her "dumb blonde" image for most of the film, but towards the end the audience is completely assured of her intelligence and how she may have been judged unfairly by the chauvinistic Prince Regent. The film was nominated for five BAFTAs and is an underrated classic.


This was always one of my favourite A&C's, and as a previous commenter stated, definitely their best for MGM! Imho their best period overall was with Universal during WW2, but this is on the same level and the generally higher production values more than compensating me for the loss of that special Universal atmosphere. It only came about because MGM wanted to re-use the sets from the film they'd just made of Kismet with Ronald Colman, so John Grant set about writing a pastiche version for the duo.

At Port Inferno in Africa Bud & Lou are travelling magicians Garvey & Johnson but only making a living thanks to the alluring insistence of the top star Marilyn Maxwell; they all get ravelled up in young Prince Ramo's attempts to overthrow the throne of his wicked uncle Nimativ (full of vitamins one supposes). On the way they also get ravelled up in many of A&C's wacky routines including Don't say Tin, a bit of piffle-diffle, the classic Pokomoko sketch, Lou trying to sleep with a mouthful of beard, and my favourite the Hi Mike sketch  poor devil: shot to death twice, once with a knife! Douglas Dumbrille played Nimativ perfectly as a despot with a human side, even wanting to take Maxwell as wife no. 38. Maxwell had a great song with What Does It Take, while Jimmy Dorsey and his Orch. unfortunately dressed as Arab tribesmen had a couple of interesting well staged and photographed numbers. I wonder if the scenes would have been condemned by todays professional critics if someone like Louis Armstrong (and his Orch.) had been ridiculously togged up thus instead of Dorsey?

For the fan there are many entertaining scenes, some snappy smart ass dialogue going on and the film is a toe-curling pleasure from start to finish; please refer to commenter no. 1 from 2000 if you're not a fan and have as much time to kill as he did.


John Conte is the renegade Prince in hiding with his desert tribesmen, with both a yen for Marilyn Maxwell and an interest in getting back the throne that his Uncle, Douglass Dumbrille, has stolen from him. The first I can understand, but who does he get to aid him in his second objective. Marilyn, stranded showgirl in the desert, and her sidekicks Abbott and Costello. If you're willing to suspend reality and believe' that anyone looking to pull off a coup d'etat is looking for help from Abbott and Costello, well then sit back and enjoy the fun.

I have to say that the boys are up to their usual monkeyshines and Marilyn Maxwell is inclined to make any self-respecting prince drool, but the real treat is Douglass Dumbrille. Dumbrille was a fine character actor who usually played smooth villains. He's probably best remembered for being the lawyer trying to cheat Gary Cooper out of his inheritance in Mister Deeds Goes To Town. However there are moments went Dumbrille shows a nice sense of comic timing and plays a very good straight man for Costello. Hypnosis is one of the tricks in Dumbrille's bag and he hypnotizes the boys, Marilyn Maxwell, and even the whole Jimmy Dorsey band. I guess they like swing music on the desert.

Dumbrille played a similar function in The Big Store with the Marx Brothers. He gets right into the clowning with them also.

There's a woman who plays one of Dumbrille's hare girls who looks a lot like Rosie O'Donnell. Naturally at one point the plot calls for Costello to get into drag and disguise himself as her to fool Dumbrille.

Good, funny, Abbott and Costello nonsense. Easily the best of the films they did on that MGM loan out from Universal.


Lost In A Harem is one of the best Abbott & Costello films for 3 reasons: One, unlike most of their films in the 1940s which were produced at Universal Studios (and available on DVD in a Universal set), this one was done at MGM with that studios usual higher production standards, including a few spectacular musical numbers. Two, it is one of only about a dozen filmed appearances of big band great Jimmmy Dorsey, who performs, with his band, a number called John Silver ("15 men on a dead man's chest") which I haven't found elsewhere, and a few other songs. Three, the "Pokomoko" routine ("Slowwwwly I turned, step by step I crept upon him . . .") is done to perfection by A&C with Murray Leonard as the Derelict, which I've always remembered as one of my favorite A&C routines since I was ten years old. Furthermore, there's a real live giant (Lock Martin), full costumes and exotic sets as you would expect from MGM, a magic skit by A&C, hypnotism, a fine performance from Douglas Dumbrille as the bad guy, and more good music. I would rate it below Abott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, In The Navy, In Society, The Naughty Nineties, and perhaps 3 or 4 others, but definitely in their top ten or twelve. But since it's not in the Universal set, it's not available on DVD anywhere.


This is one of the first Bud Abbott and Lou Costello movies that I had ever seen in my life. I wanted to see this back all of those years ago because I had heard that it was funny. So I decided to watch it when it came in. When I saw it, I thought that it was really funny! This is not one of Abbott and Costello's best movies that they ever made, but it is totally worth watching, especially for fans of Abbott and Costello! Well maybe another reason that it is very hysterical is the fact that it was made in 1944, which was during their very popular years. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are the greatest comedy duo of them all!

They had some very funny routines in this movie, some of their funniest in fact, I have not seen one Abbott and Costello routine yet that I did not think was funny. I think that all of their routines that I have seen are hysterical! Good old Bud and Lou are the kings of laughter, I don't know where I would be without them, I think that if I was without Abbott and Costello, the world would be a whole lot different, especially without Who's On First.

If you really want to see Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in one of their funniest movies of their early 1940's years, then I really recommend that you see this funny movie, you will be laughing as Abbott and Costello getting into a lot of trouble, but then again, that is just typical for Abbott and Costello, everywhere they go, they always manage to get into trouble!

9/10


This is an absolutely abominable picture. Abbott & Costello were never very good, even at their best. They are not anywhere near their best in this garbage. In addition to the usual supposedly funny situations that routinely happen in one of these "comedians loose in a harem" type movies, A&C manage to add more drivel. EXAMPLE: There are two really stupid scenes that take place in different jail cells where they encounter an obnoxious looney-bin character who actually reprises the tired and old "Niagra Falls, slowly I turned" routine. And, since this is an A&C picture, the bit, unfunny to start with, is naturally overdone. The second jailhouse scene with the fruitcake lasts about 15 minutes, which is about 14 minutes too long. What makes it worse is that the scene seems to last for an hour. I admit that I never cared for A&C but, it many of their films, I could find a couple of laughs. But, for me, there were no laughs in this turkey. Just, tired old routines that contributed to the boredom factor.


At the inaugural Woodstock Film Festival, Ed Radtke's "Dream Catcher" took the Maverick Award for Best Feature Film - hands down - good thinking on behalf of the jury... this movie is beautiful...and a must see!

Sounds cliche - but really, I laughed...I cried.... I related, empathized, sympathized - did just about all the "izes" one could come up with.

Everyone I spoke to about the movie who saw it yesterday agreed - they were all blown away with this movie - I only hope it gets a chance to get out to everyone....

Hope this writer/director does a whole lot more for folks like us who love to see a movie that MOVES us - and that doesn't seem wrapped up with placing the "selling points" in a film that don't belong in there. The writing was beautiful, the actors were raw & real, the cinematography and symbolism was alluring... all to the point where you found yourself right alongside the characters... and deeper into the better part of yourself.

Beautiful flick...find a way to see this... Dream Catcher....


Following the screening of this film at the Minneapolis International Film Festival, Ed Radtke, M.S. Nieson, and one of the film's coordinators spoke about the film and answered any questions the audience had. When asked a question about distribution, Radtke unfortunately answered with details about distributors' unwillingness to release a film because it may not be the easiest film to market. That is a shame because this film, the Emerging Filmmaker Competition Grand Prize Winner for Best Narrative Feature, may not be seen by American audiences.

"The Dream Catcher" is a film masterfully shot by the hand of up-and-coming cinematographer Terry Stacey in the vision of writer/director Ed Radtke. Their collaborative vision takes the form of a thoughtful and affecting piece about two young hitchhikers who have taken to the road to escape their individual lives. In doing so, their paths cross, and they eventually decide to take to the road together, although Freddy does so quite reluctantly. The two are masterfully contrasted. Freddy is stoic and a thoughtful, some-time thief, while Albert is talkative and an unremorseful kleptomaniac. Both come from similar backgrounds, and their journey never stray from paths deeply rooted in realism.

This film possesses a quality rarely found in studio films. The characters are tragically real, the direction surprisingly adept, and the cinematography has a quality rarely found on a movie with such a low budget. "The Dream Catcher" is a film that, if you have the chance to see (or even have the most minute chance of affecting the possible distribution of this film in any vein), you should see because it has heart not often found in Hollywood cinema.


It is nice to see films like this are being made, and are getting to the public in some way or another. This film has won several awards and nominations from Film festivals around the world. The independent film is a story of two youths who meet up traveling west for very different reasons. Through their encounters with different walks of life on the highways and train trails of America they form a bond. This film is as true to life as we're willing to admit and makes the story one where anybody can relate and take something from. Paddy Conner who plays Albert is amazing and funny. He keeps the film, which can be very serious at times, light hearted and you'll find yourself chuckling through out the entire film. Maurice Compte, who plays Freddy gives a strong performance as a troubled teen, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Every character in this film, no matter how brief of a role, has a depth that Hollywood films wish they could emulate. All in all this is a great film that you will love to watch and absorb. I recommend this film to everyone, no matter what your taste in film this has it all, humor, sadness, stunts, lovable characters, hated characters, and even a dog...can't go wrong with that combination can you? Look for it...it'll be worth it.


A really touching character driven roadmovie, with excellent performances by the two main characters (especially the youngest one).

I can honestly say that this is one of my top five favourite movies. Too bad I only got the chance to see it once. If you get the chance, don't miss it! This movie will stay with you for days after seeing it. Nevermind all the meaningless hollywood flicks, THIS is what movies are all about.


Freddy leaves his pregnant girlfriend behind in Philadelphia. While on the road he meets up with Albert, a young kleptomaniac delinquent. Together they travel to see Freddy's uncle in a nursing home. Freddy learns from his uncle that the father who abandoned him has been let out of prison and has a job in Oklahoma City. Freddy finds his father working as a parking lot attendant, but his father doesn't recognize him. Freddy robs him, and lets him know who he is. Freddy and Albert then head towards Reno, where Albert says his mom has jobs waiting for them at a restaurant. Along the way the two stop at a carnival; there's an altercation and Freddy is hurt. They break into a church and spend the night. A Native American priest finds them the next morning and takes them to his home. The boys sit down for a meal with the priest's family. Freddy and Albert hit the road again, getting a ride with Katherine and her dog. Freddy soon realizes that Albert stole a dream catcher that had been hanging above a baby's crib in the priest's house. He gets angry and has a fight with Albert. When the two boys calm down, they all go to a motel. Katherine gives Albert some money to buy a gift for his mother, but he goes to an arcade instead. Back at the motel, Freddy shows Katherine a postcard sent to Albert by his mother. In it she tells Albert that she doesn't want to see him, and we (the viewers) learn that Albert's story about his mother waiting for him is a lie. Meanwhile, Albert steals a watch from a store. When employees attempt to stop him, he pulls a fake pistol on them and gets away. In the morning police show up at the motel; Katherine has already left. At the police station an officer tells Freddy that Albert will be put in the custody of Children's Services, and that he'll be charged with theft and assault. Freddy continues on alone to Reno to find Albert's mother at the restaurant where she works, but is told by the owner that she no longer works there. The owner asks him where's he's going, and he says, "Philadelphia". The film ends with Freddy riding in a van with a family.

A solid film with a good cast, especially the two leads. Throughout the film there are many beautiful exterior shots. The film also has a great soundtrack, with songs perfectly matching the moods of the scenes. Highly recommended.


I saw this movie in the bin at my local library and thought it was about the Indian "Dream Catcher" ornament. I liked the theme of lost boys, traveling across the landscape, etc. It was a pleasant surprise. Clearly a low budget movie, but they can make for great cinema because of the love effort to make a story come alive. Usually movies like these have a team effort to produce the visionin short, it's all about passion. The acting of both male leads worked really well.

Maurice Compte who played Freddy stayed in character as a gloomy young man holding all his pain inside. It is hard for an actor to play this type of character so consistently. His facial expressions were money and he had a look perfect for the killer type in a movie but he never really exploded which made me hang on with him through his journey. Paddy Connor's character has similar issues but instead of going inward, Albert is a young boy who lives in the moment. He can't stop, rest, or feelhe just keeps moving forward, chatting nonstop. I've worked with troubled boys in a minimal security home and actually worked with a boy who was very similar to Albert. Paddy Conner nailed this charactertotally believable.

Rent, buy, or borrow this movie. Too bad it didn't get marketed like it was should have. A movie like this just goes to show us all that great films are sitting on a shelf somewhere waiting to be seen.


I've watched a whole lot of movies in my life. I'm pretty sure "The Dream Catcher" is the best one I've ever seen.

It's the perfect road movie. It's the perfect lost boys movie. It's the perfect American movie.

It's stuck with me more than any other film. The characters seem more real to me than some people I've actually met. The photography is outstanding, and unlike a typical Hollywood film chock full of grand vistas and long helicopter aerial shots and so on, this shows the real America as we'd see it, from eastern railyards to the empty expanse of the Bonneville Salt Flats.

If you're reading this, please do yourself a favor and see this movie.


The Dream Catcher is a refreshing film with an engaging story.

A movie about two run-away teenagers traveling across the country to catch their dream and the interesting people they meet along the way, "The Dream Catcher" also takes the viewers on this engrossing journey.

The dialog and acting make you care about the runaways. Their characters are believable and their stories are compelling. I couldn't help but pay careful attention to everything that went on in the movie and hope that all would go well for the teenagers.

I particularly liked the fact that the film is not sleazy, gory and violent or any other factors one usually sees in today's films.

Are the teenagers able to catch their dreams? Well, it's worth watching the movie to find out!


SPEEDWAY, Elvis and Nancy Sinatra tackle the fast pace of the Charlotte Speedway and light up the screen.

Nancy looks fantastic with her blonde hair and those incredible eyes that melt you. Elvis is Elvis, what can you say.

NOTE: Nancy is the only person to ever have a song included on an Elvis Presley soundtrack.

YOUR GROOVY SELF is fun and the attitude lively.

Gale Gordon adds to the cast as does Bill Bixby.

Fast cars, groovy times and lots of songs.

The children in this movie are adorable.

True entertainment for Elvis and Nancy fans alike.

Grab the pop corn and snuggle up!


The King gets together with fast cars and Nancy Sinatra in this romantic comedy about the exciting worlds of stock car racing and tax evasion. In "Speedway," Elvis plays Steve Grayson, a successful race car driver who's generous to a fault. Bill Bixby plays the girl-chasing manager/best friend who gambles away all their winnings. Nancy plays Susan Jacks, an IRS agent who's assigned to collect the astronomical taxes that have accrued. But the fun never begins.

"Speedway" came out a year after Nancy's Number One hit "Somethin' Stupid," a duet with her famous dad Frank. But this film's attempt to pair her with Elvis fails miserably. Nancy's parched personality and juiceless acting makes Elvis look like Brando. And there should have been more than enough cinematic proof by this point that stock car racing never looks interesting on the big screen. It's hard to believe that this rather passive Elvis is on the verge of making his celebrated '68 comeback. On a more pleasant note: This was Nancy's swan song to feature film making.


This is one of my favorite Elvis movies. I don't really like auto racing and I didn't care for Nancy Sinatra, but what I did like is the relationship and chemistry between Elvis and Bill Bixby. It's the closest thing to a buddy movie that Elvis made. As far as romance, there are other Elvis movies that are much better, particularly Viva Las Vegas.


Dusty, repetitious stock car comedy-musical with Elvis Presley as the driver being hounded by an IRS agent looking for taxable winnings. According to all the Elvis books I've read, "Speedway" opened with the usual Presley fanfare but died out quickly. Why? With sexy white-blonde Nancy Sinatra as the love-interest, ostensibly rousing locales and races, and the usual quota of songs, this should've been another "Viva Las Vegas". Unfortunately, the two stars are a surprisingly icy match, creating no sparks, and Bill Bixby gets stuck with the agonizing part of the proverbial flunky. The stock car sequences are visually dull and, although director Norman Taurog supplies a few funny comic touches, the film has no life, no pep. It is also curiously anachronistic, playing like something coy from 1963, but this was 1968! No wonder Elvis was so unhappy in Hollywood.


Elvis stars as a race car driver. His co-star is someone who was popular at the time. His character has money trouble. These are the overall qualities of Viva Las Vegas, and guess what? They are also present in Speedway. What makes Speedway different is the great supporting cast, Bill Bixby, William Schallert, Gale Gordon, and leading lady Nancy Sinatra. The other thing is the chemistry between Elvis and Bixby and Elvis and Nancy. Elvis and Bixby have a real "buddy" vibe between them and Elvis and Nancy have a believable chemistry. Nancy is an OK actress, but Elvis isn't exceptional either. He was a good actor, but he was never going to win any awards. It seems like towards the end of his movie career he seemed to get a little bored with the same plot, but he turns in a bored-free performance here. Funny moments include the musical number in the IRS office and any scene with Gale Gordon. Gale Gordon is one of those comedy legends that probably could have brightened up a tanker of a movie like Xanadu. Speedway's racing sequences are somewhat dizzying. All of the cars seemed to look the same after a while. But all in all, it was a fun little time filler with goofy moments. The best musical number was the adorable "Your Time Hasn't Come Yet Baby" and Nancy's solo number "Your Groovy Self" was also a highlight.


When Elvis filmed 'Speedway' in June of 1967 it was a time of change. He had been married just over a month, Priscilla was pregnant with Lisa-Marie and this film would be his biggest hit since 1965.

Elvis looked great, had a leading lady of star quality but mostly he seemed to find joy in making movies again. The rapport with Bill Bixby (sadly lost on 'Clambake') is excellent and their banters and on screen one-up-manship make for some delightful exchanges.

The title track is sung with gusto while 'Let Yourself Go' and 'Your Time Hasn't Come Yet Baby' are other stand-out tracks.

A year later in the June of 1968 history would be made when Elvis once again entered a stage for the first time in 7 years to record his TV special for NBC now affectionately known as 'the Comeback'.

Andy


Elvis Presley is a race car driver who likes to spend money on strangers with sob stories - he buys, for example, a station wagon for a family with five little girls, and newlyweds receive a new furniture set from Elvis. Bill Bixby plays Elvis' promiscuous friend and roommate. He needs money to keep the supply of booze and women flowing. Due to poor money management, they get in trouble with tax collector Nancy Sinatra.

Mr. Presley is a great singer, especially on "Let Yourself Go"; however, you would not know what a great entertainer he was by viewing this terrible movie. The comedy situations are not funny. Ms. Sinatra looks too under rehearsed in both her scenes and her song. Mr. Bixby seems too manic in this film. The film concludes with a dangerous "Big Race". The only way this film could have been worse would be to have had Elvis take the five little girls in his race car near the end - instead of their father.

WARNING: Keep small children and wild animals away from Norman Taurog's "Speedway".

** Speedway (1968) Norman Taurog ~ Elvis Presley, Nancy Sinatra, Bill Bixby, Gale Gordon


Here, Presley is seen in his usual style 1960's vehicle. With song, love interest and usual music. As with most Presley movies of the 60's, this movie lacks a good script, story plot and unbelievable scenes. Presley must have been tired of doing movies where he sang to everyone whether the situation called for it or not.

In Speedway, Presley is a race car driver on a winning streak, when he meets up with Nancy Sinatra everything starts getting into the way including his old buddy, Bill Bixby. If your a Presley fan you won't want to miss this but if your looking for a well made movie this isn't the once. I rate, Speedway a 2.


A classic Elvis movie. Elvis sings a song, Elvis gets in a jam, Elvis sings a song, Elvis wins the girl, Elvis sings a song. Today, people may view these types of film boring, but it is classic Americana. The blue racing jacket, with the white stripes is so 60s. In fact, the jacket is currently displayed in the Hard Rock Cafe in Houston, Texas. It is over the booth that I always sit in when I eat there. A great treat for an Elvis fan. Such notable performers as Bill Bixby, Nancy Sinatra, Gale Gordon, William Schallert, and Carl Ballentine make this film fun for anyone and everyuone who is a fan of classic 60s movies. Add the fact of some Elvis songs, and you can go wrong. I recommend this film to everyone. It is not Elvis' best movie, but certainly in the top ten.


Please, stop comparing it to Guffman and Spinal Tap! Guffman is seemingly similar because it deals with a faux documentary on actors. But, my friends, there's little real truth in the Guffman characters, did anyone REALLY think they were real? Great movie, but no one was fooled by it and they weren't supposed to be.

Lisa Picard is Famous, however, really builds on what could very well be real people. And while things get pretty crazy in the end, by then you're really enjoying the ride too much to mind. While you certainly don't have to be an actor to appreciate it, if you are you've seen people just like Lisa and Tate. You've seen the agencies and casting directors' offices. You've lived through the childrens' shows and "one man" shows. There are scenes in this movie that my wife and myself busted out hard laughing. The extra scene with Tate was one of them. Lisa's breakdown of "models" was one of them. I won't give anything away by revealing more.

But, in the end, you do genuinely care for these people. You empathize with the very real situation of Lisa being on the cusp of fame and possibly having it snatched away (which is full of truth, too). You empathize with Tate's "artistic vision" eventually turned into someone else's vision, Hollywood style. You cringe and hide at Lisa's boyfriend's horrible timing. And, in the end, you want these "monkeys" to be friends and be happy.

Look, this is BETTER than Guffman. Guffman mostly makes fun of it's characters. It wants you to laugh at them. They're so extreme in their small-town, wide-eyed ways that they just can't be real. Lisa Picard is Famous has people, believe me, that are right now walking the streets of New York, Chicago and L.A.. The performances are wonderful and you KNOW that these stories are ones that the creators witnessed first-hand as they embarked on their own journey to be famous. After this creation, the deserve to be.


Well, I'm not a big fan of documentaries because they are usually really, really boring. But, because this one was following one of my favorite movie stars, I went and saw it at a screening in New York City. It showed how hard it is to make it as an actor, and all the jealousies, in-fighting, and the fact you have to be an 18 year old to get any part in a movie. Because of the fact Lisa Picard can take all these blows and keep going proves she is the strongest woman in the world! This movie has some really big surprises because, people like Mina Sorvino and Sandra Bullock keep popping up, making for some big laughs. I love this movie and I love Lisa Picard!


I really enjoyed this movie. It didn't always seem like it knew what it wanted to say about fame but I thought it was consistently funny. I especially liked the cast. Nat DeWolf and Laura Kirk are quirky and sincere and very funny as a result. I also like some of the supporting, non-celebrity roles. In particular I like the casting director of the commercial and the guy at the party who gets outed accidentally. There's a lot of talent in the film.


Boring, narcissistic pseudo-documentary. The film-maker tries to make a statement but the problem is that he has nothing to say. The only good moment in this movie comes after about 10 minutes: a fake cereal commercial that is actually quite funny. The rest is a pointless, quasi-profound mess.


I wasn't looking forward to seeing Griffin Dunne's film from the start, especially knowing that it was a "mockumentary" about fame. As well, I was quite skeptical about the use of the DV format to give the film a realistic look. However, I was pleasantly surprised...at least for the first half of the film. Famous is one of those movies that doesn't know how to end. It's very funny - the "Wheat Chex" gag is hilarious! And I have to give credit to anyone who humorously uses a Charlie Sheen cameo (Spike Jonze included). Unfortunately, the film runs out of steam and the comedic possibilities are wasted. The cast is solid, and the film's subversive feel must be praised. For Dunne, this could be the direction he could be looking for in terms of further projects. Alas, with this project, he is treading the familiar ground of "Spinal Tap" and "Waiting for Guffman," two highly superior projects that set the standard for all mockumentaries on the same subject.


This is one of three low-budget programmers made by Cameron Mitchell for director Edward L. Cahn and the same production company (all UA releases) in 1959-60, all of which are worth seeing. Living in Miami, small businessman Cameron Mitchell comes to post-revolution Havana to find an old friend who was going to come and work for him, but never arrived and seems to have vanished. Although Mitchell's character is not a detective, this plays a lot like a detective film, and director Cahn is a master at pacing, so despite the miniscule budget (Havana is evoked by a few small sets and a few California exteriors with Spanish-language signs on them!), the film plays like a good little paperback-original mystery novel--especially so since Mitchell provides voice-over narration here and there to speed things along and to mention things that would be too expensive to show on camera. As always, Mitchell treats the role with the greatest respect, digging into the character and turning what could have been a generic role into someone the viewer cares about and roots for. Michael Granger is also excellent as the honest, professional Cuban police investigator who stays on the case himself and keeps running into Mitchell along the way. The film also features legendary 50s leading lady Allison Hayes (Gunslinger, The Unearthly, Attack of the 50 ft. Woman)as a woman who once knew Mitchell and was married to the missing man. Although a low-budget programmer that is only 67 minutes long and was no doubt made in a few weeks, PIER 5, HAVANA provides good, honest, hard-boiled entertainment and plays like a good 1950s detective TV show. Director Edward L. Cahn was the best kind of journeyman director, a true pro who could take a talented cast, a few small sets, and a genre-based script, and turn it all into a solid, unpretentious feature film that still entertains and engages decades after it was made. If you come to this film with enough willing suspension of disbelief, it won't matter that the punches thrown in the fight scenes miss by at least eight inches--the sound effects are synched accurately so you THINK the punch must have landed, and the scene has moved on before you have time to analyze it. I'll take honest entertainment like this over CGI effects any day of the week. This film was probably made for less than the bottled water budget on the last Eddie Murphy film. Bravo to director Cahn and star Cameron Mitchell!


Cheesy melodrama set during the time after the fall of Battista in Cuba. While the film has a man shot in the airport for crimes that a never specified this film seems to be a starting point for Hollywood's fixation with tin pot Latin American dictators/despots. In this film the bad guys are the supporters of Battista and the law abiding guys are working for the Castro Government. The only thing missing is a rally for Che. Not a very good film the acting is surprisingly wooden. I had a lot of good memories of Cameron Mitchell but this film made me question my recollections. The film was obviously shot on sets and very little location work is done. The dialog is uninspiring, and unlike other films of this era this film is not much fun to watch.


Steve Dagget (Cameron Mitchell) goes to Havana to find out what happened to his friend from Miami, Hank Miller (Logan Field). The overthrow of Batista had just occurred and is the background for this story, wherein Dagget tries to find Miller but runs into ex flame Monica (Allison Hayes) who is now a night club singer and is being taken care of by a wealthy Cuban Fernando Ricard (Eduardo Noriega). Dagget's search for Miller gets him involved with the police who apparently now are defending the new government from being overthrown and retaken by the old order. This is all fairly interesting because at the time this film was made Castro had not yet been declared enemy number 1 by the US. Poor Dagget just wants to find his friend, but Miller had been used by the loyalists because he had expertise they needed, and now that they were done with him, he needed to be liquidated. Miller shows up one evening as night is closing in in a Havana beach house and Dagget, Monica, and him relive there old times together back in Miami. The film seems too stagey at first and would be easy to just turn off, but given a good half an hour to develop, it kicks into gear later. Directed by the super prolific Edward Cahn, none of whose movies I've ever seen before, but the titles sound pretty good.


This is one of the remarkable short comedies that Arbuckle turned out at the end of his contract at Keystone while he was in New Jersey, far from Sennett's grasp: quite possibly the best. Elaborate, realistic sets, varieties of characterizations -- here he plays an irascible doctor who is jealous of wife Mabel's old boyfriend --and the darkest lighting in a comedy until BRINGING UP BABY combine to produce a comedy far from Keystone's frenetic mold.

Add in Arbuckle's casual gags and the result is an excellent comedy that is still highly watchable -- except, of course, when you are trying to make sense of real-life nephew Al St. John's awful mugging and high-speed rowdyism. Still, the man can take a fall.


Several of Roscoe Arbuckle's films have titles which became cruelly ironic in the hindsight of his 1921 trial for manslaughter: notably 'The Life of the Party' and this two-reeler, 'He Did and He Didn't'. There's a famous photograph of Arbuckle in evening dress, gaping in horror as he drops Mabel Normand down a staircase. That photo is a publicity still from 'He Did and He Didn't', though it doesn't actually correspond to any scene in the film as it now exists.

Arbuckle rose to film stardom playing boobs, rubes and bumpkins. By 1916, he had autonomy over his own films and was able to impose some tastefulness. Here, he plays a dignified and wealthy suburban doctor, in a loving marriage to Normand. But then Jack, her handsome beau from high-school days, arrives. There are no 'fat boy' jokes here. Instead, Arbuckle uses underplayed and sensitive acting to compare himself unfavourably to the leaner and manlier Jack. It's clear that Arbuckle's character loves his wife deeply but is (in some unspoken manner) unable to satisfy her, possibly down to sexual impotence. When Jack arrives to stay the weekend, the three of them sit down to a dinner of lobsters -- allegedly a male aphrodisiac -- prompting Mabel to comment that they'll all likely have nightmares.

SPOILERS COMING. Arbuckle (in a car with right-hand drive) is lured to a remote location on a ruse, so that he'll be away when burglars invade his house. It's up to Jack to defend the fair Mabel. Arbuckle returns home, distraught, and then -- believing that his wife has cuckolded him -- he calmly strangles her. This scene is immensely disturbing in its own right, and even more disturbing in the light of Arbuckle's real-life tragedy a few years later.

The payoff: remember those lobsters? Sure enough, it WAS all a nightmare ... and Mabel has remained faithful to her husband. There's a good performance by Rube Miller as Arbuckle's saturnine butler, and Al St John's tumbling skills get a protracted showcase here. 'He Did and He Didn't' is an astonishing film: quite removed from the lowbrow slapstick of Arbuckle's early Keystone efforts, yet still extremely funny. Watching this movie, I deeply regret that Arbuckle's career was so tragically and unfairly terminated just as he was nearing the heights of his talents. I'll rate this fine funny movie 10 out of 10.


I am just starting to familiarise myself with silent films. This comedy short was on the DVD I purchased, with "Mickey" .

I love Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton but I am unfamiliar with comedy from the very early years - apart from Charlie Chaplin and the zany chases from the Keystone Cops. This was quite amazing, almost a sophisticated comedy from Fatty Arbuckle. The subtleties of acting for this 1916 comedy were, I thought, quite advanced.

Fatty plays a doctor, who along with his cute wife, Mabel Normand lives in a comfortable home. The whole look of the comedy was, I thought, very real (there were no obvious cheap sets - the house looked real, the roads looked real - nothing looked fake.)

Things don't seem to be going too well between them at the start. Mabel seems loving but giddy and when a childhood friend comes for a visit, Mabel and he begin to flirt. Fatty becomes quite jealous and tears up a photo that Mabel had given Jack. They sit down to a lobster dinner, joking that it might give them nightmares.

Meanwhile two thieves plan to rob the doctor's house. One, pretending to be lame asks to see the doctor, while the other does the thieving - but the doctor soon discovers the ruse and sends the "cripple" about his business. One of the thieves rings the doctor and gets him out of the house on a bogus house call.

When Fatty is out the robber (Al St. John) hides under Mabel's bed. She goes to Jack for protection and there is an extremely funny sequence involving the robber jumping, running, swinging from the chandelier - doing anything he can to dodge the bullets from Jack's badly aimed gun. Fatty returns home to find Mabel and Jack (having sent the robbers fleeing from the house) holding hands and he believes that was why he was called from the house. More gun play ensues and the comedy turns quite black as Fatty decides the world would be a better place with Mabel and Jack not in it!!!

I won't spoil the end but the whole comedy (apart from Al St. John's wonderful comedic acrobatics) is one of subtle acting and nuances from Arbuckle. It is a wonderful little film and I can recommend it.


If you're curious about Roscoe Arbuckle, HE DID AND HE DIDN'T is not the best place to begin. To a newcomer, I would rather recommend FATTY AND MABEL ADRIFT, LOVE or THE GARAGE. These short films are some of the most slickly paced from the era, and provide plenty of pure, often clever fun. That said, HE DID AND HE DIDN'T is still one of the best films he made during this period, just not so much, I think, for the sake of comedy.

(***SPOILERS***)

Roscoe loves his wife (as usually played by Mabel Normand, who also did a remarkable job as a dramatic actress) terribly much, but, as in so many other cases, the fear of losing the love is much higher than the pleasure of having it. Mabel receives a card from an earlier boyfriend, Jack, and she invites him home to dinner, which makes Roscoe jealous, but not in the usual Keystone-way; he feels serious bitterness and his feelings are powerfully expressed through very small gestures.

When Mabel offers Jack to sleep over in her and Roscoe's house that night, the husband can't handle the pressure any longer. He takes his coat and is ready to go. Mabel tries to explain that Jack doesn't mean anything to her, but he won't listen. Mabel rushes up to Jack in the guest room, and knocks on the door. Jack comes out. Mabel stares at him with sleepy eyes; it is quite obvious that the emotions have not left even after all the years that have passed.

Shortly afterwards, some bandits arrive at the house. Jack finally manages to throw them out, but Mabel is terribly affected by the shock. Meanwhile, Roscoe returns, frustrated as never before. Jack holds Mabel in his arms, in an attempt to get her back on her feet again, when Roscoe opens the door with a gun in his hand. Roscoe's face explains all his thoughts. He stares at Jack, cold and bitter, and raises the gun against him. Arbuckle's acting is here thoroughly underplayed, quite a contrast to the various grimaces he usually adapted at this time. Jack falls out from the window behind him. Mabel wakes up, confused and still in shock, and Roscoe strangles her in frustration.

Then, of course, it turns out that everything was a dream. After all, a Keystone-flick is a Keystone-flick. When Roscoe realizes that none of this happened outside his imagination, he goes up to Mabel's room. She is sleeping. He closes the door with a grin on his face, and the film is over.

(***SPOILERS END***)

Now, one question is perhaps fair to ask: is HE DID AND HE DIDN'T a parody? The whole story might seem dated and silly to some of you, but frankly, I don't care. If HE DID AND HE DIDN'T actually was intended as a parody of the many short dramas of the era, it surely says something about Arbuckle's talent when his performance leaves the viewer wonder whether it was supposed to be serious or amusing. Whatever the case, along with the beautiful musical score, this is a truly remarkable little film, much better than many authentic dramas from the same period.


This is a better than usual Fatty Arbuckle film because the plot is different--so many of his Keystone films look awfully similar and this one is unique. Dr. Arbuckle's wife has a childhood boyfriend that comes to visit. Despite being happily married, Fatty is jealous. And, in some very odd scenes, his worst nightmares come true,...however, they actually DO appear to be nightmares. The old flame is really a nice guy and Fatty finally realizes this and welcomes the guy when he awakens from these bad dreams.

While the way these dreams aren't integrated perfectly, it is still a great idea and a lot of fun to watch. This is one of the few cases where there is a pistol that shoots dozens of times without reloading (a common thing in Arbuckle films) that makes sense, since this is part of a dream and dreams DON'T need to make sense!


Hollywood enjoyed a period of unprecedented interest in technology during the mid-1980s with super vehicle shows such as AIRWOLF, BLUE THUNDER, THE HIGHWAYMAN, KNIGHT RIDER and the underated STREET HAWK.

Borne from the mind of one of US Television's most creative writers of quality entertainment - Donald P. Bellisario who brought us TALES OF THE GOLDEN MONKEY, MAGNUM P.I., QUANTUM LEAP and currently with the military drama series, J.A.G., it had everything with action, adventure, espionage, adult scripts, international intrigue, coupled with real-world politics (which is rare in Hollywood) even pushing some right-wing, hawkish politics into the middle of the action.

With grim-as-granite Jan-Michael Vincent in the main role as loner pilot, Stringfellow Hawke, aided by Oscar-winning movie veteran, Ernest Borgnine and a support cast including movie actor, Alex Cord (and C.I.A. Deputy Director - Michael Archangel) and TV regular Jean Bruce Scott, it was a show on the edge, that, with the exciting aerial climax at the end of most episodes pushed the boundaries of television with its movie quality action sequences, technology and locations (including the beautiful Monument Valley in Utah).

It now has a sizeable following of loyal fans worldwide (the Wolf Pack), including many people who became pilots (military and commercial) through their love of the show - many fans of which have been following the commercially successful shows of Donald Bellisario (Belisarius Productions) from its humble beginnings in the early 1980s, including the current success of J.A.G. on CBS.

A show which deserved a bigger following at the time, it's a rare gem of television history.


Probably the most serious and darkest of all the classic 'man and machine' TV shows of the eighties, Airwolf follows the exploits of Strinfellow Hawke and co. as he fights evil with his lethal and supercool chopper which is armed to the teeth and incredibly fast. The pilot introduces us to the main themes and characters of the series- Hawke, a Vietnam vet, and awesome pilot whose past has been full of tragedy, losing his parents at an early age, and his brother in 'Nam. However, his brother's body was never found and he never gives up looking. His only surviving friend is Dominic Santini, a friend of his parents and together they run Santini Air a pilot school. Often String is called in for dull jobs like being a stunt man for movies, but when they hear from the Firm, a mysterious government group that Airwolf has been stolen, they try to get Hawke involved-he is the only man to have flown it, aside from Moffet, the sociopath who has stolen it. Moffet, creator of the helicopter plans to reign terror on the World from Libya. He is psychotic with a penchant for murderous games. Hawke will only agree to the mission if the Firm agree to locate his brother. Archangel, the Firm's spokesperson accepts and Hawke begins his search. Undercover agent Gabrielle has also been sent in, though against his wishes Hawke has fallen for her. As everyone he loves dies, he begins a race to save her and Airwolf, after she had promised she would not die on him.

The dark tones of the film and the series by the master Bellisario are largely covered by the intense action and bursts of humour. Jan-Michael Vincent, the world at his knees shows his considerable acting abilities here before crumbling into himself in later days. His portrayal of Hawke is strong, a man eternally haunted by the past, but who will always do the right thing. Veteran Borginine adds much of the humour and s the perfect co-worker for Vincent. The late Hemmings is clearly evil as Moffet, giving one of his best performances and we are genuinely pleased when he gets what he deserves. Cord has a small role here which would grow over the series, and he fits the role perfectly. Bauer as Gabrielle is both sultry and strong, but vulnerable, and she gives a strong performance. The film has a few exciting moments, but it is mainly just a pilot setting up the main elements of the series. The music is god throughout, not only the main theme, heightening the emotional scenes, and the action is well crafted. Of course Airwolf itself looks cool and all kids watching would want one of their own, firing sunbursts and missiles all over the place. One of the best shows of the eighties, and a strong movie to start it off.

8 out of 10


The great thing about the Airwolf series is the super-cool hero, Stringfellow Hawk. He's an ace helicopter pilot who is a cello player, art collector, and an environmentalist. He doesn't eat red meat. He's genuinely cool without any fake macho bull-crap.

I also like the way he blows away villains who really need killing, but generally spares the lives of low-end flunkies. The fact that Stringfellow does not own a television is a big bonus.

Stringfellow is proud without being arrogant. He is a thinking man's hero. Airwolf is a must-see.

It is a shame that the actor (Jan Michael Vincent) fell short of the heroic ideal of the character he played. I recall that they re-launched the show without him after he cracked up. I saw one episode, but it wasn't the same.


This can be compared to Guns N' Roses back in the hair band days, when that album (Appetite for Destruction) came out, it kicked all the other hair bands butts! Why, because they brought raw and real life like music back into the mainstream, resembling 70's metal, but much more powerful and much much more fun! How is Airwolf compared to that? That's easy! The 80s were not only filled with cheezy hairbands, but it was also filled with very cheezy T.V. shows that starred vehicles as the stars of the shows. Knightrider, The Dukes of Hazard, Streethawk, The A-Team. When Airwolf came out in 1984, it might have starred a vehicle, but a very good one. The show was much more dramatic and realistic like feeling than the other shows at that time that starred a vehicle. Airwolf is also the only show from that era that should be made into a big budget Hollywood Production!


I would most certainly recommend this film to anybody who has yet to see an episode of Airwolf, the best acting in the film is by Jan-Michael Vincent- who plays moody loner Stringfellow Hawke, and David Hemmings- The choppers insane creator Charles Moffat. The ending of the film includes a great battle scene, and i love the film that much that the tape is worn out. My favourite film of all time and made me a solid fan of the series. This was the pilot episode, and its a shame that Jan-Michael Vincent ended up the way he did. It would have been nice to see the Hawke brothers work together in the chopper, instead of how the 4th series turned out (a load of rubbish and a slap in the face to hardcore fans of the show). Thumbs way up for this one!


This was one of the few times I agreed with many critics. Airwolf was one of the tightest action shows of the mid-'80s. The competition was there, but not that stiff. Though it was a bit slow at times, Airwolf was a bit more character-driven than your usual garden-variety adventure shows.

Jan-Michael Vincent plays Stringfellow Hawke, a test pilot recruited by the white-suited government angel Archangel to retrieve the titular supersonic attack helicopter from the mad scientist who invented it. In the pilot alone, we got action, character development, tragedy, and just a smidgen of humor. Ernest Borgnine gives JMV able, seasoned support as Dominic, the outspoken comedy relief father figure who assists Hawke on his frequent spy assignments.

Some episodes admittedly strayed from the more intrigue-oriented format into more contrived scripts. And the climaxes to many episodes might have been a bit repetitive. But overall, Airwolf blew ABC's Blue Thunder out of the sky. It was a treat months ago when they reran it on the Sci Fi Channel for 8 hours a day, two days in a row.

Too bad Jan-Michael Vincent had substance-abuse problems. Sometimes he looked like he didn't feel good, and it likely was the reason the show was recast. I've always wanted to see the much-panned 4th season, albeit with low expectations.

Some of the best eps were 'Airwolf II,' 'Once A Hero,' and 'Fallen Angel,' just to name a few. Memories of this show have me saving up for the box sets, and in the meantime, I've started watching the show on hulu.com. Thank God for that site, because I've been on an Airwolf kick lately. Some shows just stand out.


Airwolf is one of the most enjoyable series from the 80's. There is not much to say about it rather than it's got terrific story line, music and it's fully action packed. The Pilot starts of the series by the helicopter being stolen by its creator Dr. Charles Henry Moffett, who sells it to Libyan mercenaries. One of the deputy director of the agency which developed Airwolf, calls for the help of a reclusive pilot who agrees to help them only if they locate his brother Sinjin who is MIA in Nam. Hawke successfully recovers Airwolf, but keeps it for himself because the agency, known as the FIRM, wasn't able to locate his brother. As long as Hawke is keeping Airwolf, the FIRM will keep looking for his brother but also Hawke has to fly Airwolf for the FIRM missions in return.

The pilot episode is mostly talk and less action, but you will find the story to be quite entertaining. Well that's all folks, see it for yourself and you'll start to like it.


My love of the Airwolf Television series is based on what great TV is all about: meaningful writing, strong characters, justice and a beautiful helicopter. I loved the music and the drama. I found my- self drawn to the TV set every Saturday night when Airwolf was on CBS. Some episodes were better than others but none of them disappointed me. I wanted the show to go on forever. Of course that is unrealistic. Still, when I met the helicopter in Van Nuys, CA in 1986 I was so honored and overwhelmed. "The Lady" will live in my heart forever.

Edward Eugene Smith The Lion of Yelm Washington State, USA


This is my all time favorite. Borgnine and Vincent gives a really good acting in this tv show. Bellisario has created this master piece. The best tv show ever. Jan-Michael vincent rules.Also check out Nightrider and A-team.


Airwolf is quite simply the greatest television series/movie ever made. I have over 20 episodes of Airwolf and I still can't get enough of it...

Airwolf is piloted by String-Fellow Hawke, an elite combat pilot, who would only return the awesome machine if the top-secret F.I.R.M can find his brother (MIA). Airwolf is full of incredible air-fights and has a good plot to go with it. But the amazing chopper is not the only factor that gave Airwolf it's popular title. String-Fellow Hawke is a lonely man who lives in a cabin, 40 miles from the nearest village. Along with his slick flying, he pilots Airwolf skillfully, taking out the opposition with nothing but class. Airwolf is portrayed as realistically as possible making the series a one-and-only, using advanced radar, weapon systems, and stealth capabililites along with superb footage with Airwolf flying below radar scan a few feet of the ground.

An irreplacable television series.


This is one of my all time favorite T.V. series. The only problem I have is that it is no longer on the air here. Is there a cable station that it airs on? How do I obtain copies of this great show? Give me a hollar at: Trosperjam@yahoo.com


Airwolf is a classic, action adventure with a great story, good actors and of course good effects. This is what I believe could be one of the best movies ever made for television. The idea of a supersonic helicopter with 14 firepower options and bulletproof body, just seem to go straight into people's hearts. The movie keeps us watching from start to end and that with great style. Airwolf is probably a drama as much as it's an action/adventure. The main character falls in love with a female CIA-agent that was working with the same global problem - recovering Airwolf from Libyan forces. The movie is full of good humor, thanks to Ernest Borgnine and the characters are strong and well simulated. The helicopter really is something, and the opening scene where they are introducing the chopper, is fantastic. Donald P. Bellisario is known for his creativity and he has created a lot of very good TV-series/TV-movies, but Airwolf is the best one of them - in my opinion. A highly recommended movie.

JAH


Film about flamboyantly gay Luke (Jesse Archer) who sleeps around every chance he gets and doesn't believe in love. Then he meets Stephen (impossibly handsome Charlie David) and falls for him. But can he stop sleeping around and have a monogamous relationship? And is Stephen really as good as he seems? Various other subplots deal with a black/white gay couple, a woman going crazy over her impending marriage and a gay man searching for a direction in life.

This film knows it's audience--within the first 10 minutes there are about 5 full frontal nude men shown. (I'm saying that as a good thing). Plotwise I hated it at first--Luke was obnoxious, VERY effeminate and just annoying. However this is needed to see how he changes later on. The movie is colorful and well-made on a very low budget. There are some bad puns, groan worthy lines and truly terrible acting but, all in all, it was a fun and amusing gay comedy. Also it was fairly truthful on showing gay life realistically and it's refreshing to see a black/white gay couple. In acting terms Archer and David are very good and all the guys are handsome and in good shape. Worth seeing.


Jesse Archer co-wrote and stars in this low-budget, low-brow gay comedy-drama about a New York City queen who works at a sex shop by day and spends his evenings bed-hopping; a perceptive co-worker informs him that he may just be a sexual obsessive, which leads the kid to a therapy group and a smidgen of self-enlightenment. Director Casper Andreas, who also had a hand in the script, hopes to titillate and shock his target audience with bitchy, outré dialogue and flashes of naked behinds; unfortunately, this isn't anything any filmmaker treading in queer-cinema waters hasn't tried before. The acting is so wooden, with casting choices apparently made on who had the best pecs, that one can only scoff at these smarmy returns. This is just the thing to kill off the gay comedy-drama. It shows no imagination, no sensitivity, no subtext, no sense of satire or self-parody. When a gay couple squabbles and breaks up for the night, it's merely for the most basic and childish reasons. Are all gay New Yorkers this immature and selfish? And if so, who needs to see it? NO STARS from ****


The first five minutes of this film had my friend and me squirming in our seats, convinced we were about to see another tired gay comedy with stereotypical characters and an all-too-obvious plot line.

But looking back, I think we were purposely, and perhaps masterfully duped by the director to trigger our own stereotypes and preconceived ideas about what it means to be young, gay and living in New York. He flipped the stereotype switch gently, providing everything from drunk boys in bars, to gratuitous and seemingly premature skin shots. It was a useful tool that invited us to confirm the unspoken notions of our gay identities in order to bring about a more genuine deconstruction.

The art of the film lies not in the acting, which sometimes stumbles; save of course, for Cory Grant who delivers a consistent and unique authenticity. Instead, the film's soul is truly in the scripted storyline and in the very digestible way we are taken on one character's drunken and stumbling path to the first spark of his own electric and glittery evolution.


I saw this at the Cleveland International Film Festival this week.

Luke is a promiscuous gay male who spends his time cruising bars and working in a sex toy shop. He is surrounded by a small group of friends, whose stories we learn more about as the film progresses. While out one night, Luke stumbles upon Stephen, a "straight acting" (as the characters define the behavior) hottie who makes a few comments about just how Luke fits the gay stereotype so well. This bothers Luke and begins his journey to self discovery, although it's not exactly rocket science.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys the silly gay comedies. "Another Gay Movie," "Adam and Steve," "Noah's Arc (TV Series)," etc. etc... If you've seen and enjoyed these mentioned movies and shows, I have no doubt you will love "A Four Letter Word." The film is a bit silly and you and your friends may squirm at some of the lines, but there is a heartfelt message and you will walk away from the film feeling pretty good about yourself (although you may feel like hitting the gym right away and puking up that movie theater popcorn after staring at the gorgeous actors for 90 minutes)


For an independent film it did a great job. Purva Bedi is hot, a good blend of east/west humor, and a good written script...I went to see this movie and there needs to be more movies like this one that shows indian culture in a good light and not behind a 7-11.

-Ramesh


I just saw this film again and I must say, it is amazingly brilliant. This is a film which you can watch again and again. Very clever, sterotypical obviously but its all in good humour. I was looking through the other reviews here and people need to understand that this is a comedy and it should be treated as such.

Great acting and great music - works so well. Pure entertainment. 10/10


Well, I read a review of this movie, and it didn't sound too promising. However, it had been relentlessly plugged by one of my best friends (who happens to be Indian) and she practically forced me to watch it. I'm really glad she did. This was a hilarious portrayal of a Indian-American guy trying to come to terms with his heritage, all while his hormones were raging. I admit, if I had watched it by myself, I probably wouldn't have been all that impressed. But with my friend there to explain all the cultural and religious references and jokes, it was a truly unique, educational and wholly funny experience.


You pretty much have to be Indian to get most of the jokes in this movie. That said, the movie is hysterical. Kris, an 'American-Born Confused Desi' leaves home for college to discover that he's been placed in a dorm room full of Indians; various hi-jinks ensue. He abhors his culture but is forced to learn to appreciate it for the sake of a girl. The romantic elements of the movie are a bit cliche, but on a low budget, it is well acted and executed, considering I didn't recognize a single name from the credits.


****SOME SPOILERS**** American Desi is an amateur production which is not nuanced, comical, or even close to the reality it pokes fun at. The term "DESI" is Indian for native and is colloquially used outside South Asia by Indians to refer to anyone or anything that has an Indian flavor. Considering the lead character's determination to distance himself from things Indian, the title is misplaced. Particularly so, when it becomes clear that the film is made from an Indian-American perspective i.e. Americans of Indian descent who do not necessarily know much about India.

The characters of this movie are all one-dimensional stereotypes - the overly garrulous Sikh (played rather badly by someone of Bengali descent who could not enunciate the Punjabi accent), the ridiculous TA who speaks with his fly open, the uptight Indian girl who won't kiss the guy, and the crooked shopkeeper who overcharges the customers. The film appears to be a diatribe of dislike against Indians. Moreover, it is riven by confusion. The heroine's confusion in leading on the lead character and then slapping him for kissing her, the confusion as to whether the Indian roommates are Indian (as in FOB's - fresh off the boat immigrants) or ABCDs(American born confused desis), and confusion as to the objective of the movie - identity questions of the lead character or a general comedy about stupid Indian bumpkins.

Adding to this mess are crucial details - a north-Indian aarti (prayer invocation) performed by an obviously south-Indian family, problems about the details of Muslims praying are examples.

In short, the film is about how Indians are perceived by Indian-Americans, not about their lives. It is only marginally more accurate than the horrific unPC portrayals of Indians (and other South Asians) in Hollywood movies. As an aside, while APu from the SImpsons is not the best (as in accurate) representation, his character is developed enough to be funny and is fairly well researched.

In the end, the viewer is left mystified as to the object of the movie apart from making a few crude jokes about Indians. Perhaps this is the result of angst against "Mummy, Daddy" translated into celluloid. Don't get me wrong, I can take any jokes about Indians and Bhaji on the Beach, Bend it Like Beckham, The Kumars at No.42 (BBC TV series) are great examples of sharply humorous images of expatriate Indians; but this film's humor is based on the crudest of devices and failed to amuse me.


After having seen films like Bend It Like Beckham, Bollywood/Hollywood, American Desi seemed like familiar territory but nevertheless a very one. For those who think the film is cliched, they didn't get it. Because it is meant to give those cliches a humorous look. The humor in the film is very well done. Instead of having an offensive or critical view of anything in particular, the film takes more of a funny spin on things. There are oddities and stereotypes in every culture; the film tries to give the american and desi cultures a bit of a homage, with a chuckle of course. 8/10.


Since American Desi "tries" to dabble with a lot of issues that are seemingly important not only to "desis"; but are actually universal, there was some expectation from the movie. The moviegoer cannot be faulted for this. But the final fare turned out to be a less than ordinary romantic "comedy", with more touch of Bollywood than warranted.


First half had me laughing out of my seat. Being a Canadian-born confused desi I could relate to all of the humour. The second half of the film was a bit of a letdown as the writer tried to resolve the issues in a quick fashion. I would liken this movie to "Soul Man" where there was great potential but only a "good" movie as a result. Thoroughly enjoyable but could have been a classic!


This is probably one of the best movies i have ever seen dealing with the concept of American born desis. Krisha Gopal is an American born Indian who is completely ignorant of his culture, infact he detests it. The profound irony is that his college room 'partners' are also Indian. The movie shows how Krishna, with the help of his roommates, learns about the Indian culture as he falls for an Indian girl. The film combines the cultural heritage of India with the American culture and adds a lot of humor which both indians and americans can appreciate. The cast, though new, do an excellent job carrying out their roles. There should be more movies made like this. Part two should definitely follow.


As an American Indian in New York I could relate to the title character's confusion about his Indianness. At the same time I sympathised with him about the religious mumbo-jumbo thrust upon young Indians. A romantic story at heart, this movie skewers various stereotypes about the Indian community. A tremendously enjoyable film, specially if you understand the setting of an ABCD.


This movie is right out of reality. The portrayal of ABCDs (as us FOBs call them) is done well. The movie could have done with some more refinements but it was hilarious. Kal Penn did a great job at playing Ajay Panday , an American Indian who thinks he is an African american. He has done a great job.

The movie has you in stiches and the whole audience was laughing aloud all through till the end. There is love, drama, emotion, action and comedy. What more can you ask of a movie.


I thought this movie was really awesome. It portrays the reality in a really hilarious way. There's great potential in the budding actors. All of them did a great job especially Kal Penn. Its a must-see for all the "Desi" people in America. You won't stop laughing for a single moment. You can even identify with some of the characters. Don't just sit there reading this.... go watch it!!!


An independent film, "American Desi" accurately captures the ABCD/FOB experience. The title is a play on the phrase "American Born Confused Desi", used by Indian immigrants as a disparaging term for first-generation Indian-American (Desi is Hindi for "someone from our land", meaning India).

It's a good mix of cross-cultural issues, with an ensemble cast that also covers the diverse nature of India itself: characters include Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs.

Engaging & fun, this film is full of Indian & western music, offering a good blend of cultures.

Smartly produced, it's a well-written story that is reminiscent of American teen films from the 80's.


I thought the movie had lots of very funny scenes but most of them will make sense only if you have lived in India as well as the US. There were a few standard hindi movie masala scenes which could have been deleted but on the whole it was an entertaining romantic comedy.


This is a great movie with some absolutely hilarious clips. From the hip hop Hindu, to a kid who does not want to acknowledge his identity the South Asian/ Desi college kids have a romantic and funny adventure in freshman year. Deep Katdare's character falls in love simultaneously while another Muslim character does as well. The main female character falls in love with the main character and is not a typical American type character where a man and a woman sleep with each other during the first few weeks. Indo-Americans are on average well to do and this movie reflects that(as is typical with Israeli-American/Jewish ethnic films) , as this reflects more of a fusion of the best of Indian and American culture as opposed to just trashing Indian culture in favor of American culture like a lot of other ethnic movies do. On the other hand, it certainly does not bash American culture in an unwarranted way. This is certainly a classic in South Asian circles in North America. This is certainly not representative of the 30's or clumsy as another very remarkably wrong user said.