The Owl And The Pussycat

Rating:
Summary: One of the best comedies I've ever seen!
Review: The begining of the film is just fantastic!Dialogs are really intelligent , and Babs and Segale work very good as a couple. She once more proved her acting and comedy talent . Loved it!

Rating:
Summary: Classic Comedy really makes you laugh
Review: This film really makes you laugh as a nerdy clerk, Felix,(segal) gets a prostitute (Streisand) kicked out of her home. Things take a twist when Felix gets kicked out his home aswell. The two are forced to hit the streets together where they get a lot more than they bargained for. Full of laughs and great for watching with your sweetheart. A must see.

Rating:
Summary: A Fun Movie.. BUT on DVD it's upsetting because it's CUT!!!
Review: This is Barbra Striesand's best comedy!
Columbia Home Video has finely introduced this classic onto DVD but they forgot a few major key DVD laws!
1 . If no extras can be included then at least add the theatrical trailer!
and the biggest DVD law! 2. Include an UNCUT version of a film as it was originally intended by the film maker!
When this film was originally released back in 1970 it was stamped with an 'R' rating then in it's re-release in 1972 they had re-cut the film down to a 'PG' rating.

This DVD contains the 'PG' version! while watching this version you'll notice where the cuts were made.
This DVD includes a two page booklet that states how the film was cut in the 70's including language and a scene revealing a topless "Funny Girl". It then states how the profanity was restored in 1999 for a re-release but without the nude Barbra because it was destroyed in the 70's. Well I hate to tell Columbia but this film isn't restored and is lacking a very funny moment in the original film.
One scene is when Streisand and Segal are walking down a city street talking and a car of guys starts following them yelling out insults, then Streisand walks over to them to tell them to
"F@&# OFF!"(cut out dialog) followed by these guys chasing them. This scene was so badly edited that it ends up making no sense.
There was a television version of the film that contained the whole scene intact with muting out the four letter word.
As far as the picture quality it is very good but if you're a fan of the movie i'm sure you'll be upset as well as i am with this hacked up verson.
Why did columbia home video do this??

Rating:
Summary: snip snip, chop chop
Review: This is NOT the original version of THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT. It has been EDITED. 2 minutes of the film are missing, including the classic line Doris delivers in response to the punks in the covertible which leads to Doris and Felix being chased. Without that line the scene is pointless and senseless. The film was released in 1970 at 98 minutes with an R rating. This is a 1972 PG rated reissue. Removing the "F" word does not render this "family entertainment."

Rating:
Summary: Marvellous Barbra and George!!!
Review: This is the movie that Barbra never use her golden voice to support her role since Funny Girl, Hello, dolly, and On a clear day you can see forever. She is very interesting in this role but I think she is so exaggerated sometimes. By the way, it is the good movie to see because there's a lot of chemistry in many scenes. George Segal did the great job in this movie. If you like Barbra and George, it will be the good present in your fantasy world.

Rating:
Summary: Warning - misleading listing
Review: This item is advertised as being the R-rated (original) version. It is not! It is the reissued (and censored) GP-13 version which is not nearly as good or as funny.
The listing should be corrected and we can only hope that one day the studio will release the DVD in its original version.

Rating:
Summary: The Owl and The Pussy Cat w/Barbara Streisand
Review: This movie is a classic. Very funny worth buying especially at Amason' prices a must see for all Barbara Streisand fans. It will have u rolling on the floor with laughter

Rating:
Summary: Bad Barb
Review: This movie is absolutely adorable! Barbra Streisand is a way better actress than singer! In this movie, she's a prostitute who teaches a tight-cheeked man about freedom and love. This movie is better than Pretty Woman!

Rating:
Summary: Streisand at her comic best
Review: This was Barbra Streisand's first non singing role, but her performance is pure musical-comedy. She is hilariously funny! She also has a very good chemistry with co-star, George Segal. With a truly witty script by Buck Henry, they make a great pair. This is a very funny movie, and makes a great showcase for Ms. Streisand's comedic flair. Her fans will love it, and those who aren't fans? Hey, she'll win you over. Have a great time watching!

Rating:
Summary: Babs and Segal charm in dated romantic comedy.
Review: Way back in 1970, Barbra Streisand paired with George Segal in this sleazier than Neil Simon,opposites attract, romantic comedy, written by Buck Henry based on a play by Bill Manhoff.. While Owl and the Pussycat is far better than your average romantic comedy (just try the 'Touch of Class' movies today for instance), the film is little more than an unrealistic, though entertaining sit-com.

Barbra Streisand risked a lot by playing Doris, a slutty, gutter talking (more rude than crude) part-time prostitute who is 'an actress with three, well two commercials' to her name. This was a far cry from the beloved Funny Girl or Broadway Diva who starred on T.V. specials the audiences accepted. George Segal is Felix, the overly nervous intellectual struggling writer. They live in the same apartment building. [...] About halfway through the film, the film gets a bit more serious and we learn a little more about the characters. This is not a utter fantasy type film like say Pretty Woman, but the characters are clearly not particularly realistic either.

The film is a relic of its era and perhaps a bit more interesting now because of that. Streisand appearing as a prostitute in skimpy outfits (you'll perhaps remember the lingerie with the strategically placed pink hand silhouettes when you see it from the old poster for this film). Streisand proved with her thicker than usual Bronx accent, and her portrayal of a risqué character that she had talent as an actress/comedian and there was more to her than Funny Girl. George Segal is at his best. His reactions, comic timing and slow burn frustrations are amusing and very entertaining to watch.

Robert Klein pops up as Barney, a friend of Segal's Felix (and his girlfriend is none other than former Ivory Soap star turn porn star Marilyn Chambers), and there's Allan Garfield as a manager of a dress shop and Jacques Sandulescu as the cranky apartment manager/super, but this is almost entirely a two character film and the charisma and talent of Segal and Streisand carry the picture easily. Don't expect Streisand to break out singing--she doesn't warble a note in character here in this movie.

PC WARNING: When Doris first meets Felix she insists he's gay and continually taunts him for being a weak gay man. The sensitive among you may find the dated, insensitive and not politically correct references more insulting than funny.

NOTE: This is the re-released PG rated film which is two minutes shorter then the original R rated film that was released in 1970. Barbra says the F word in the original, but does not do so here and there was also a few other cuts for language (and one peek-a-boo revealing shot of
Bab's anatomy now excised). A bit of a cheat to release the re-release of the film without a note or explanation about it.

In the end of course the film doesn't stray very far from the formula of your typical Doris Day/ Rock Hudson film. Eventually the characters reveal their softer sides to each other but the film doesn't let itself get too soppy.

If you like the stars at all you'll want to see the film, but even if you aren't a fan of Streisand, she's playing an interesting bigger than life character here worth taking a look at , particularly if you like plays and films like Barefoot in the Park or The Odd Couple.

DVD STUFF

The film is presented in 1:85:1 Anamorphic widescreen of you can watch a pan and scan version as well (don't). The film has been digitally remastered from an excellent print that has only occasional specks of grain and a few scratches. The colors look good, the black levels are strong and very little edge enhancement is visible.

The Audio is Dolby Digital Mono, (in both English and French.). The over-lapping dialogue is easy to hear and the dialogue, sparse sound effects and background music is sharp and free from distortion or signs of age.

EXTRAS:

The only extra feature on the DVD are three theatrical trailers for The Mirror has Two Faces (a bad Streisand film), For Pete's Sake (a forced dated Streisand comedy) and Roxanne (the Steve Martin romantic comedy). No trailer for Owl and the Pussycat however.

There are the not quite complete filmographies of the director and stars, and lots of different subtitle choices.

This is a no frills DVD.

bottom line:

Here's a slightly risqué and racy romantic comedy sit-com feature film relic from 1970. It's dated but if you have any affection for either one of the stars or have forgotten that Diva Barbra is actually a pretty impressive actress when she wants to be, there's a lot to encourage you to give this film a try. The film boasts many funny one-liners and director Herb Ross never lets things get too soppy. The DVD looks and sounds very good but there are no extras..

Christopher Jarmick, is the author of The Glass Cocoon with Serena F. Holder a critically acclaimed, steamy suspense thriller.