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The Palm Beach Story [1942] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
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Our Price: £4.85 (subject to change)
The Best
Review date: 2006-08-31 Rating: 10 out of 10
This is the best American comedy film ever made. How's that? Perfectly written, directed and cast. Shakespeare would have been jealous and thought of how he might have cribbed a "Taming of the Shrew" sequel out of it.
It has one flaw, that has maybe been nearly fatal for getting the attention of people who have never heard of it. The title is as plain a linoleum.
There is one better Sturges film - "Remember the Night". But it is as much a drama as a comedy.
Buy this but in the box set, as us Yanks must because most of the them haven't been issued in the US. Or are $40 a pop.
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Reviews
A Breezy, Witty Comedy
Review date: 2005-08-04 Rating: 10 out of 10
A great cast and some snappy dialogue make this nutty comedy about a woman who wants to divorce her husband in order to finance him by marrying a wealthy man, is everything this genre of comedy can be. Preston Sturges wrote and directed this little gem with fast pacing, and lots of little character parts to back up his stars, that help the keep the humor going throughout the film. The generous but deaf Wenie King (Robert Dudley), Sig Arno as Toto, and Arthur Hoyt as the Pullman conductor are among those that make this film take flight.
Claudette Colbert sparkles, and looks heavenly in an assortment of lavish gowns, and Joel McCrea plays her handsome but penniless husband, an inventor whose ideas have never paid off. Enter myopic millionaire John D. Hackensacker III, played with marvelous ease by Rudy Vallee, who goes on a shopping spree when he meets Claudette that includes a very large diamond ring. To complicate matters, Rudy has a sophisticated and lustful sister (Mary Astor in a terrific performance), who sets her heart on Joel, because she has been led to believe he is Claudette's brother.
Victor Young wrote the music, and Rudy Vallee, the legendary "Megaphone Crooner" of the 1930s, sings "Goodnight Sweetheart." Always unpredictable, "Palm Beach Story" is a silly, wacky farce that is written with intelligence, making it a smart and sassy comedy, with never a dull moment between chuckles. Total running time is 88 minutes.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Sig Arno
Claudette Colbert
Rudy Vallee
Mary Astor
Joel McCrea
Creators:
Claudette Colbert (Primary Contributor)
Joel McCrea (Primary Contributor)
Victor Milner (Cinematographer)
Preston Sturges (Writer)
Stuart Gilmore (Editor)
Buddy G. DeSylva (Producer)
Paul Jones (Producer)
Director(s):
Recording label: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
EAN: 9781417037902
Binding: DVD
ISBN: 1417037903
Number of items: 1
Format: Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC,
Release date: 2005-02-01
Universal product code (UPC): 025192685224
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 88 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1942-11-07
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)