LEE PFEIFFER examines a new set of Warner videos showcasing a diverse group of leading ladies.
Warner Home Video has released an eclectic collection of five DVDs in a boxed set titles Leading Ladies Collection Vol. 2. The set consists of some titles that have been eagerly awaited on DVD for quite some time: Up the Down Staircase, Shoot the Moon, A Big Hand for the Little Lady, I'll Cry Tomorrow and Rich and Famous. Here's our take on the individual films:
Up the Down Staircase- Released during the same year as To Sir, With Love- 1967- Up the Down Staircase is the fact-based story of a seemingly frail and naive young woman who takes a job teaching high school in a ghetto neighboorhood. The book was a best-seller and the film was highly anticipated. I've never been a huge fan of Sandy Dennis. Her whiney, mousey persona worked appropriately in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? but left me irritated in films such as The Out-of-Towners. In Up the Down Staircase, however, I realized I had misjudged this fine actress. She gives a winning performance that consistently surprises. She's tender when you think she'll be tough and tough when you think she'll be vulnerable. The white teacher in the ghetto school concept is cliched today, but at the time it was ground-breaking stuff. Unlike the capable, somewhat intimidating Sidney Poitier in To Sir, With Love, Dennis is the epitome of vulnerability. She has to contend with suicidal students, unrequited love, uncaring administrators,a failed attempt to reach a bright delinquent and a host of other problems. Every time you think you know the direction the story will go in, it deviates just enough to keep you interested. There are a number of loose ends that are not conveniently tied up at the end of the story, but that seems a realistic approach. The film has probably lost some of its power over the decades, but it remains highly enjoyable. The only extra is an original trailer.
SHOOT THE MOON- Director Alan Parker's heartbreaking look at the dissolution of a marriage and its impact on all concerned is so brilliantly enacted, written and directed that you forget you are watching a movie and feel like an intruder on real people's lives during their most vulnerable moments. Diane Keaton and Albert Finney are the couple coming apart at the seams even as they try to stay together for the sake of their brood of young daughters. Both are fundamentally decent, but flawed people and its hard to root for or against either as the disintegrating union takes a devastating toll on the entire family. The film reminds us of what an enormous talent Keaton can be in a dramatic role and how Finney, in one of the great performances of his career, has been woefully underutilized as leading man. This is not a feel-good movie, but it is essential viewing. Extras include a winning commentary track by Alan Parker and screenwriter Bo Goldman, and the original trailer.
A Big Hand for the Little Lady- Although a major studio release in 1966, this western remains an unknown gem for most movie fans. Henry Fonda is a compulsive gambler who rolls into town with loyal wife Joanne Woodward and young son. Before long, he has put all their hard-earned savings on the line in an "all-or-nothing" poker game at the local saloon. When tension and guilt cause Fonda to take ill, his wife, a complete novice at playing poker, must take his place against a ruthless crew of fellow players. The film is basically a stage production with only a few exteriors and there is no action, but the dialogue is terrific as is the entire cast. There are an abundance of wonderful actors including Jason Robards, Paul Ford, John Qualen, Kevin McCarthy, Burgess Meredith, Charles Bickford and Robert Middleton. Woodward is completely charming throughout and holds her own in the lead role against the macho cast. The film also provides a nifty twist ending that makes this a truly pleasurable experience. Sadly, no extras are included.
I'll Cry Tomorrow- This is an engrossing sudser that used to be termed a "two hankie" picture or "women's movie'. It stars Rita Hayworth in an Oscar-nominated performance playing singer Lillian Roth. The film is based on Roth's autobiography and features all the classic elements of the story of the woman who seems to have everything but happiness as her life spirals into personal tragedies. The disc is loaded with interesting extras including two short films starring Lillian Roth, vintage newsreels pertaining to the film and the original trailer.
Rich and Famous- Although not a box-office or critical hit, this 1981 film is noted primarily for being the last directorial achievement of George Cukor. Based on the 1941 play Old Acquaintence, the story had been filmed previously with Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins. In this version, Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen are college roommates who take different paths over the course of the decades. Both become successful writers, but only Bergen achieves the fortune that goes with the fame - though she continues to live in envy of her less wealthy friend. The story is quite engrossing because of the chemistry of the two stars, even if Bergen overdoes the kooky southern belle routine. The movie recalls those days of old when studios still supported major films with female leads. The extras include the trailer and vintage featurette.
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