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Sweet Charity

Sweet Charity

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $11.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Sweet Charity - Picture 4, Sound 4, Surround Sound .5
Review: This is a favourite movie of mine. Considering the talent in the movie it has taken a remarkably long time to come onto DVD. Seeing the movie in widescreen again after 23 years was a thrill. The pictore on my 10' 'scope screen was bright clear and colourful. The sound quality was supurb.

The only dissapointment for me was the lack of surround sound. The cover stated it was a 4.0 mix but listening to the rear channels you would not know it. In the production numbers such as The Rhythm of Life there were a large cast and lots of movement on screen yet during these numbers the surround channels stayed woefully silent.

A marvellous release but with that one sour note.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Be A 'Big Spender' And Buy This Video!
Review: This is an electric production of Gwen Verdon's Broadway smash,with a few songs written especially for the screen including 'My Personal Property',and 'It's A Nice Face'.

The film chose to drop a few songs from the stage version including 'You Should See Yourself','I'm The Bravest Individual',and one sung by Nickie and Helene,called 'Dream Your Dream'.

The casting of Shirley MacLaine as Charity Hope Valentine is a revelation,as is the roles of Nickie and Helene going to Paula Kelly and Chita Rivera. Ricardo Montalban is alright as Vittorio Vidal,however John McMartin as Oscar Lindquist is a bold choice. Barbara Bouchet is also quite good,and the groovy dancing is looked after Bob Fosse.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing show
Review: This movie is a great adventure in the life of a girl looking for love. What I liked about it was that it isnt like other musicals. It has a hippy dance, go-go dancing and is very 60s based. I recommend this to anyone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Shirley MacLaine in her greatest musical performance
Review: This new DVD release of SWEET CHARITY is a welcome addition to any classic movie collection. Shirley MacLaine stars as Charity Hope Valentine in the celebrated film version of the Broadway hit.

Charity (Shirley MacLaine) works at the Fan Dango Ballroom, a dingy dime-a-dance hall where the girls give a lot more away than dances. Charity runs her heart like a hotel, and gives her love to one undeserving man after another. Her two best friends Nickie and Helene (Chita Rivera and Paula Kelly) are the ones who help Charity when she is ultimately betrayed by each boyfriend who comes into her life. Ever-hopeful (sometimes impossibly-so), Charity goes through life with wide eyes and wide dreams...

When Charity meets the mild-mannered Oscar Linquist (John McMartin re-creating his Broadway performance), she believes that she will finally be able to leave her sordid past and profession behind her. But will Oscar be as understanding?

Shirley MacLaine colors Charity more vividly than Broadway's Gwen Verdon did (or was permitted to do). MacLaine is especially affecting and heartbreaking in the final 15 minutes of the movie, and sings a plaintive "Where Am I Going?".

Bob Fosse's first big Hollywood film, SWEET CHARITY was a big, if not huge, success when it was first released. The choppy editing and artistic touches that audiences failed to appreciate then make much more sense now, following the success of MOULIN ROUGE. The impressive supporting cast includes Ricardo Montalban, Sammy Davis Jr. and Stubby Kaye.

This beautiful new Special Edition DVD presents the complete 'Road-Show' version of the film including Overture and Intermission. There are also many extras including the trailer, the original 'Making-of' featurette, a featurette where designer Edith Head takes us through her colorful costumes, and the alternate ending that was never used. (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Shirley MacLaine in her greatest musical performance
Review: This new DVD release of SWEET CHARITY is a welcome addition to any classic movie collection. Shirley MacLaine stars as Charity Hope Valentine in the celebrated film version of the Broadway hit.

Charity (Shirley MacLaine) works at the Fan Dango Ballroom, a dingy dime-a-dance hall where the girls give a lot more away than dances. Charity runs her heart like a hotel, and gives her love to one undeserving man after another. Her two best friends Nickie and Helene (Chita Rivera and Paula Kelly) are the ones who help Charity when she is ultimately betrayed by each boyfriend who comes into her life. Ever-hopeful (sometimes impossibly-so), Charity goes through life with wide eyes and wide dreams...

When Charity meets the mild-mannered Oscar Linquist (John McMartin re-creating his Broadway performance), she believes that she will finally be able to leave her sordid past and profession behind her. But will Oscar be as understanding?

Shirley MacLaine colors Charity more vividly than Broadway's Gwen Verdon did (or was permitted to do). MacLaine is especially affecting and heartbreaking in the final 15 minutes of the movie, and sings a plaintive "Where Am I Going?".

Bob Fosse's first big Hollywood film, SWEET CHARITY was a big, if not huge, success when it was first released. The choppy editing and artistic touches that audiences failed to appreciate then make much more sense now, following the success of MOULIN ROUGE. The impressive supporting cast includes Ricardo Montalban, Sammy Davis Jr. and Stubby Kaye.

This beautiful new Special Edition DVD presents the complete 'Road-Show' version of the film including Overture and Intermission. There are also many extras including the trailer, the original 'Making-of' featurette, a featurette where designer Edith Head takes us through her colorful costumes, and the alternate ending that was never used. (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Terrific DVD!
Review: Universal has really done a spectacular job on this DVD, giving this underrated musical film the presentation it deserves. The transfer is excellent, with vibrant colors and detail, and rich 4.0 Surround sound. The Overture and Intermission Entr'acte are included in their entirety. And in the supplement department, they give us the unused Alternate Ending, and TWO original featurettes: one revolving around Bob Fosse directing the film, and the other Edith Head and her costumes for the film. Both have lots of behind-the-scenes footage, including costume tests, rehearsals and filming on the New York locations. Universal could have easily charged twice the price for this DVD. Highly recommended. For a DVD NOT marked "Special Edition", this is, at a minimum, the way ALL classic films should be treated on DVD. Bravo, Universal!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Worthy Time Capsule
Review: Yes, Shirley is probably miscast--her opening number "Personal Property" is as weak as a musical opening can be. But it is a great time capsule of sixties fashion and pre-occupations. The Fosse choreography is excellent, and there are plenty of good production numbers. Worthwhile for musical lovers.


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