Call Me Madam
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Movie Reviews of Call Me Madam
Movie Review: Call Me Madam
Summary: 4 Stars
Excellent product. Attempted to give this product 5 stars but one was missing. It is definitely a 5 star product.Movie Review: CALL HER THUNDEROUS AND OVER-POWERING!
Summary: 3 Stars
"Call Me Madam" is a musical that desperately wants you to love it. At times that love is genuine...at other times it seems forced. Ethel Merman stars as "the hostess with the mostest." She's bold, gregarious, irrepressible, manic, enigmatic and electrifying - in spots. But 2 hours of Ethel is like 20 minutes in a wind tunnel; it's exhausting! Yes, the Irving Berlin score will have you tapping and humming away with pleasure, and, yes, the supporting cast of Vera Ellen, Donald O'Connor and George Sanders are all welcome additions that compliment the divine Ms. Merman. But they are mere appendages to her performance and are given so little to do that without Ethel there really wouldn't be a show. That aside, Merman proves why she was such a powerhouse on the live stage. She's like the female Bert Lahr (the cowardly lion from "The Wizard of Oz" for those who might otherwise not know to whom I am referring). She bounces from one emotion to the next, manically sucking up the atmosphere and expelling all things Merman in its place. Is she intoxicating? Suffocating is a more accurate assessment, but engaging nonetheless. Just make sure you've had your morning coffee first! Okay, make it two!TRANSFER: A respectable transfer from Fox. Full frame, as originally seen, with rich, vibrant Technicolor, solid blacks and excellent contrast levels. Digital anomalies are rare, pixelization being of the greatest concern, for a picture that is overall quite smooth and satisfying, if somewhat softly focused from time to time. Age related artifacts are present throughout but they do not distract from your viewing enjoyment. The audio has been remastered to stereo but remains something of a muffled disappointment, particularly in the songs.
EXTRAS: A wonderful audio commentary and precious little else.
BOTTOM LINE: Tackle the exuberant Ms. Merman...but only if you dare!
Movie Review: Call me Ethel
Summary: 3 Stars
Ethel Merman got to make the film version of her Broadway hit, Call Me Madam. Previously, producers almost always cast other actresses to recreate her stage successes. Stage fans complained (as they did later when Audrey Hepburn substituted for Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady), but seeing Merman in Call Me Madam should silence the complainers. She sinks her own film version. Her presence is no more than a gross caricature: vulgar, utterly charmless and crude. Either she refused to accept any direction or the director found it impossible to guide her into giving a performance for film.
On the other hand, seeing Donald O'Connor in this film makes one wish that he had found more musical roles in film and on stage. Vera Ellen dances at the top of her game with her singing dubbed as usual for the terrific Irving Berlin score.
Movie Review: Fun movie, shoddy transfer. Very disappointed in Fox!
Summary: 2 Stars
I love CALL ME MADAM, and I love Ethel Merman's performance in it. The lack of home video availability for this title drove fans nuts for years, and finally Fox has released it on DVD, and the results are...welll..underwhelming.Don't get me wrong. The film holds up very well. It's one of the better Fox musicals, buoyed by terrific performances, a sprightly script, and great Irving Berlin songs.
However, the treatment the film has been given for DVD leaves a great deal to be desired. The image is OK, but not great. Compare this to Warner's stellar ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (which was also not available for years) and you'll see the difference. Even worse is the sound. It sounds scratchy, tinny and distorted. Both the supposed "stereo" track and mono track are very poor in quality. These technical aspects really detract from the viewing experience.
Last, but not least is the dull and pompous commentary by musical theater "expert" Miles Krueger. It's like listening to a boring college professor, and would be an ideal substitute for Ambien as a sleeping aid.
Maybe Fox will decide to revisit this title someday and give it a full-blown restoration. Until then, hard-core fans will have to be content with this sorry excuse for a DVD release.
Movie Review: What has happened to the colour?
Summary: 2 Stars
After waiting so long for this title to get a DVD or Video release, I was amazed to see that the original 3 strip technicolor has not been re-mastered for the DVD release. There seems to be a lack of yellow and all the cast have pink faces instead of flesh tones. As the film has recently played on cable television here in a near perfect color corrected version, I cannot understand why Fox have not taken more care in their DVD transfer. All the extras including trailers have this sub-standard look. Apart from this point, it is still a great film and a must for devotees of top Hollywood musicals if you haven't seen it.