Lady for a Day
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Movie Reviews of Lady for a Day
Movie Review: Great film....much better than its remake
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful 1933 Frank Capra film. All of the complaints about the scratches and print blemishes are a little carried away. This is a far cry from a public domain-VHS-transferred-to-DVD-disaster that some companies release. Given that Columbia no longer owns the film (or presumably have the negative), we're lucky to even see it! I've seen much worse quality from the major studios with releases to DVD of films from the late 20s-early 30s. I still have my old Criterion laserdisc of this title, and must say that the transfer used for this DVD is an improvement.
The real crime is that Amazon ships movies out these days in ENVELOPES! Yes, this $[...] DVD arrived in a bubble-wrap lined envelope that looked like it had been beaten to Hell. And, of course, the DVD had been jarred from the spindle and was loose inside the case upon arrival. Also, as expected, the disc surface was scratched all to Hell. Of course, it plays OK, so I can't really return it. For $[...], though, you'd at least expect a new, shiney disc surface. Shame on Amazon for their continued use of this shoddy shipping practice. The reason? It's cheap!! At least in stores, I can make sure the disc is not loose inside. I would never buy a copy of something in a store that contained a loose disc!
Movie Review: An Underappreciated Capra Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this movie. All of Frank Capra's films are great, but this is the one I like the most(this and YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU). It's a wonderful story of a "woman of the street" trying to put on a good show for her daughter when she comes to visit(and introduce her fiance). It's a touching and funny film and goes sadly unheralded(at least Criterion released in on laserdisc). I often think of it in the same class with the Barbara Stanwyck classic, STELLA DALLAS. A must for any classic film fan, an absolute must.Movie Review: wonderful surprise
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the most wonderful movie with nobody I ever heard of except for the director, Frank Capra. May Robson is just fabulous -- tugs at your heartstrings, makes you cry and laugh. This is surely one of Capra's best movies -- not over the top or overly sentimental. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a two-hour smile.Movie Review: lady for a century
Summary: 5 Stars
I think May Robson was one of the finest actors australia has produced
unfortunately because it was so long ago people have forgotten
More needs to be done for the young ones to experience these treasures
Movie Review: A Good Capra DVD
Summary: 4 Stars
Lady for a Day is a fine Capra film. The story concerns a street vendor Apple Annie (May Robson) who has deceived her daughter that she is a High Society lady. The daughter, who has been living in Spain, decides to visit and what's more brings along her prospective fiancé plus his father, a Spanish count. So as not to scupper her daughter's marriage, Annie must enlist the help of her underworld friends to continue the deception. The film is at times very funny with a tone which looks ahead to the Screwball comedies of the later thirties. It is also often rather moving, with May Robson's terrific performance eliciting a great deal of sympathy. The rest of the cast is equally fine. Warren William as Dave the Dude is that most unusual of characters a gangster with a heart of gold. Guy Kibbee, familiar from so many thirties films, is always fun to watch. This time he plays a pool shark who agrees to pretend he is Apple Annie husband. Jean Parker, as Apple Annie's daughter Louise, will be familiar to anyone who has seen the 1933 version of Little Women in which she plays Beth. Her role in Lady for a Day could hardly match that role, but she still performs well with her memorably unusual voice. She also looks absolutely stunning. It's even possible to glimpse a young Ward Bond, as a policeman on a horse, obtaining an apple from Annie. The print used for the Image DVD is not perfect. The main problem is that towards the end of the film, the right hand edge of the picture has been damaged so that white marks appear on the print. This only affects a small portion of the picture, but it is a little bit distracting. For the most part however, the print is clear and sharp. Even when there is some damage, the rest of the picture is fine. I have seen any number of thirties and forties films which have survived in worse condition than Lady for a Day. Moreover the sound quality on this DVD is above average for a film from this period. The wonderful dialogue is easily audible and the soundtrack has very little background noise. As an extra the DVD includes a commentary by Frank Capra Junior. This is a DVD which Capra fans should enjoy.