Blu-ray Review The Magnificent Ambersons Blu-ray Review (Criterion) (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

Somehow, The Stranger managed to escape me until some point last year -- and I was not disappointed.

It was one of those films that I caught on TV either on WOR-TV, WPIX or perhaps some other NYC station. The setting in Connecticut always appeal to me since that's my home state.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

It was one of those films that I caught on TV either on WOR-TV, WPIX or perhaps some other NYC station. The setting in Connecticut always appeal to me since that's my home state.

I really don't know how I never saw it. My mom surprised me with a copy of the Olive Blu-ray for Christmas in '17, and I ended up watching it in the first half of '18. I really did not expect that to be under the proverbial Christmas tree but it was just great. It's a movie I can imagine rewatching again and again.

That's one of the things I love about Welles films - it's very rare that there's one that I wouldn't want to see again.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Somehow, The Stranger managed to escape me until some point last year -- and I was not disappointed.

Hmmn, I have never seen this film. Sounds like I need to correct that situation.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

The Stranger was the only film directed by Orson that made money.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Hmmn, I have never seen this film. Sounds like I need to correct that situation.

Well, I will throw my recommendation in for The Stranger too. I've seen it many times over the years. It was a picture Welles did to show he could quickly churn out a film and come in under budget to try to make himself marketable as a director again. I think some people sort of knock the picture for this as a "one for them" kind of thing but the result is a briskly paced little thriller with really fun performances from Robinson and Welles. Robinson is really great at taking what he was given and making that character a joy to watch.

The pacing of the film is probably not due to Welles but to editor Ernest Nims who basically was given control to cut anything he felt slowed the film down. He began by ripping out the first 16 pages of the script which would have drawn out the set-up and then 16 more pages he felt were not worth shooting. Welles called him "supercutter" but he had to go along with what Nims said as the contract they made him sign was quite threatening. If you use the old one page of script equals one minute of screen time that means Nims cut 32 minutes from the picture before Welles even started shooting. Welles did get to rewrite the script (it was originally going to be directed by John Huston) and his idea was to make the film more "nightmarish" to play to the Nazi side of things no doubt.

What it all boils down to though is the film is a fun ride and Welles does get to create some cool little sequences. Robinson is outstanding as are Billy House and Loretta Young. It is a picture that is easy to watch again and again.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

Orson originally wanted Agnes Moorehead to play the lead but the producer wanted a major star and Robinson was hired and did a fine job.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Orson originally wanted Agnes Moorehead to play the lead but the producer wanted a major star and Robinson was hired and did a fine job.

Yeah, Agnes Moorehead is a favorite actress of mine, but I think Welles was a little before his time in that thinking as the studio was wise to block that casting as I don't think audiences just getting over WWII were ready for that concept.

There is audio commentary on the second BD release people that like this film need to listen to.

 

[PMF]

[...]I'm sure if Welles had had the chance MA would have come out better. But MA is what we have now ... unless the Answer Print or another source is found... MA is still a masterpiece IMHO ...

The legendary cuts of Magnificent Ambersons makes me think of the old saying, "All's Welles that ends Welles".
But fear not, for the world of film buffs and historians will continue to seek the "Answer".

.

 

[PMF]

The first time I remember seeing Orson Welles was him doing one of those Paul Masson wine commercials.

I am certain that the Paul Masson slogan of "We will serve no wine before its time" was inspired by the earlier Welles quote of,
"We will distribute no film before its time".

 

[TJPC]

I would love to have MA “restored” as had been done with “Greed” and “London After Dark”. It could be offered as a choice on the discs. I wonder if enough stills of the hacked out pieces survive?

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Apparently Welles went to South America with an Answer Print of MA and had intended to give Robert Wise his cutting notes.

Sadly, though this is something people have said for years, Welles himself said he did not have a print in South America. As the story goes they were supposed to send him one but never did. I remember for years when I would be at some sort of Welles thing this would come up and everybody hoped that the print Welles had in South America would turn up...but then only in the last year or so I read a quote from Welles that he never had a print in South America. I think I posted that somewhere around here but not in this thread. So, the South America thing seems a dead end.

 

[PMF]

[...]but then only in the last year or so I read a quote from Welles that he never had a print in South America. [...]

This answer print thing may very well had been designed by Welles, himself, as his final and ultimate slight-of-hand trick;
so, c'mon everyone; let's start looking around in those Masson wine cellars.

 

[Brian Kidd]

let's start looking around in those Masson wine cellars.

I prefer the outtakes to the final commercial. Teehee.



AAAAAAaaaaahhhh, the FFFFffrenshhhhh... *hic*

 

[Josh Steinberg]

That clip was on frequent rotation with my roommates and I during film school!

 

[PMF]

I prefer the outtakes to the final commercial. Teehee.



AAAAAAaaaaahhhh, the FFFFffrenshhhhh... *hic*

Citizen Tanked.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

As it turns out, I have seen “The Stranger”. I didn’t recognize the title, but did recognize the synopsis when I went to add it to my watch list on Amazon Prime video. I remember it as a good film, but not as much to my liking as his more famous films, such as Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil, The Third Man, The Magnificent Ambersons, etc.

 

[B-ROLL]

As it turns out, I have seen “The Stranger”. I didn’t recognize the title, but did recognize the synopsis when I went to add it to my watch list on Amazon Prime video. I remember it as a good film, but not as much to my liking as his more famous films, such as Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil, The Third Man, The Magnificent Ambersons, etc.

While I'm sure Welles would occasionally aver that he directed The Third Man - Sir Carol Reed - uncle of Oliver and Director of "Oliver!" is still credited with directing The Third Man ...

 

[Scott Merryfield]

While I'm sure Welles would occasionally aver that he directed The Third Man - Sir Carol Reed - uncle of Oliver and Director of "Oliver!" is still credited with directing The Third Man ...

I realize Welles didn’t direct “The Third Man”. Still, Welles plays a major part in the film.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

Seeing the wine outtakes reminds me of John Candy playing Orson on a few episodes of SCTV.

 

[Cineman]

I think The Magnificent Ambersons is a great and haunting movie despite its famous re-cutting and tacked on ending. It is about nostalgia for the past, about the way times change and not always for the better. It has been said that by the end of the move we are nostalgic for the beginning of it. I think that would have been the case even with Welles' intended ending, although I have no doubt that production concept would have been executed more powerfully per Welles. In a weird way and because of its overall theme, if any movie can still remain great with a botched ending, this one is it.