Customer Reviews

Adventure [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

...and neither did Leonard Maltin. This movie is better with each passing year... I think it is a pre-noir, pre-"reality" - psychological drama of intense beauty. Clark Gable stars as a staunchly confirmed sea dog, crew leader (called a bos'n) and womanizer who is totally unprepared to meet Greer Garson's character, who forever changes his vision of what is possible in finding love with a woman. Academy Award winner, and beloved character actor Thomas Mitchell ("Uncle Billy" in "It's A Wonderful Life (1946)") plays his too-sensitive-for-this-world sidekick, who becomes Gable's conscience, but at a price. The script of this drama is lyrically sublime, subtle and quite deep. The fire between the stars is evident and haunting. True 'soul-mate' love is the overt theme of this movie. Existence, conscience, and facing the pain and limits of life, so that you may truly pass into adulthood, are more themes explored here. I view this film regularly once a year and am always inspired by its deep message and raw powerful performances. This isn't your stock Gable. This is a bittersweet post-war love poem.(Really! E. B. Browning is quoted to great effect!) ***Gable's "Harry Patterson" has seen tragedy and loss (as had Gable himself, recently losing the love of his life, wife Carole Lombard). He is made restless in search of "it" which he believes only exists in the danger and perils of sea voyaging. He is sickened by the way shipwrecked people, alive and on edge, once resued, quickly become bored and lose that passionate awareness of their own lives. He is searching for that life where he stays excited and in the passionate present (probably true of many returning war soldiers in 1945). ***In Garson's "Emily Sears" he sees "it" for the first time in a woman's eyes. He is intrigued by her equivalent strength and wit, and simultaeously threatened by the risk of pain in losing her. Their love develops as a series of intense battles. She sees a "caged animal" and for the first time a man she might really respect, even though she feels he needs to be reached through all of his rebellion...and rescued. His actions are escapist (and make great movie scenes)...but sailing away to forget his new "queen," he finds things have changed and we know, as do the other characters, that it is the end of his former life ...even if he doesn't. "Emily" bravely allows "Harry" to figure it out for himself. She doesn't demand any change in him, instead she sends him off to find "it" and risks being without the man that she loves for the rest of her life. Her majesty the queen of MGM, Greer Garson, has never been lovelier. ***Joan Blondel is a juicy, ripe 'tomato'. ***Lina Romay makes an incredible "girl in distant port" and even sings a bit! ***Thomas Mitchell is the stand out support. He plays Mudge, the soul and conscience of the free spirited Gable and perhaps of the whole film. He brilliantly helps unite a lost sailor & seeker with what his heart truely seeks. Watch this film and let it be poetry... just let it play as you marvel at the writing and the actors' eyes. I predict that this movie is about to be rediscovered in a big way. ( By you?)

I am a BIG Greer Garson fan, and I think this movie was superb! I thought the chemistry between Gable and Garson was wonderful. I really believed every moment of this movie.

This film marks the only teaming of Greer Garson and Clark Gable. It was so good that I'm sad they didn't do more movies together.

This movie is all about a sailor named Harry Patterson (Gable) who finally decides to take leave in San Francisco. There, he meets the beautiful Emily Sears (Garson), a librarian, who seems very content with her life: single and miserable. After awhile, the two realize they love each other, and get married in Reno. But Harry can't fight his love of the sea, and he leaves his wife, not knowing when he will return.

I cry every time I see this movie. It's so heart-warming and real, despite the fact that it was made during WWII and times have definatly changed.

Don't forget to look for the part where Harry and Emily steal the chickens! It's funny to watch Greer Garson make chicken sounds!

This movie has a magnificent cast including Joan Blondell and Thomas Mitchell. A must see!

I just saw this movie and it left me wanting to see it again. Clark Gable plays a sailor that just looks for a good time at every port he sails to. He doesn't even realize that he fell in love with Greer Garson who is a librarian until the end. It made me cry twice and it was worth seeing even in black and white.

I just saw this movie and it left me wanting to see it again. Clark Gable plays a sailor that just looks for a good time at every port he sails to. He doesn't even realize that he fell in love with Greer Garson who is a librarian until the end. It made me cry twice and it was worth seeing even in black and white.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) presents "ADVENTURE" (1945) (135 min/B&W) -- Starring Clark Gable, Greer Garson, Joan Blondell, Thomas Mitchell, Tom Tully & John Qualen

Directed by Victor Fleming

Harry Patterson (Clark Gable) is the bos'ns mate on a merchant marine vessel, a tough sailor and fighter with a girl in every port. But while in a San Francisco library, looking up a book on the human soul for his sidekick Mudgin (Thomas Mitchell), Harry meets librarian Emily Sears (Greer Garson), whom he woos, marries, and leaves to sail off on another freighter. When he returns, Emily has retreated to an old farm to await the birth of their child. Harry continues to resent staying in one place, but he ultimately changes his tune when his baby's life hangs in the balance.

Greer Garson and Joan Blondell, playing her outspoken best friend, are both terrific, and Gable gives a less heroic performance that's a thoughtful change for him.

This film was Clark Gable's first after he returned to Hollywood following his service in the Army Air Corps in World War II. He had joined in August 1942, following the death of his wife Carole Lombard. MGM hyped this film as Gable's big comeback, using the line, "Gable's Back and Garson's Got Him!" in the advertising. Audiences at first lined up to see the King back in action, but the novelty wore off and the film flopped.

The film was a critical and commercial disaster upon release, effectively ending its star Clark Gable's reign as "The King of Hollywood" and his viability as a box office champion. He was so disappointed by the finished film that he did not agree to act again until more than a year had passed.

BIOS:
1. Victor Fleming [Director]
Date of Birth: 23 February 1889 - La Cañada, California
Date of Death: 6 January 1949 - Cottonwood, Arizona

2. Clark Gable (aka: William Clark Gable)
Date of birth: 1 February 1901 - Cadiz, Ohio,
Date of death: 16 November 1960 - Los Angeles, California

3. Greer Garson [aka: Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson]
Date of Birth: 29 September 1904 - London, England, UK
Date of Death: 6 April 1996 - Dallas, Texas

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 3 Stars
Performance: 3 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 3 Stars
Overall: 3 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 128 min on DVD ~ Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) ~ (September 1, 1998)

i am a true gable fan,BUT this being the first gable film upon returning from his military duties after the war was a mild mistake.charaters jump all around from serious drama to silly attempts at humor[?].not gables's fault,nor co-star garson's. gable's charcter is a merchent mariner and garson a librarian are oil-water lovers.but we soon realize that far from stuffy,garson is a "game" girl,who marries gable on a whim,leaves him knowing she is pregnant,and then waits for a return that may not happen.there are some attempts at mysticism here that is a curious addition,but in all this is a not a bad picture it just needed some script clarification .if you're a gable fan,get it.he does'nt let you down.

Another Amazon rip-off, selling a DVD-R as a DVD.

Amazon is doing this more and more. BUYER BEWARE.

Amazon should at least identify format, at top of page, as DVD-R.

Being a fan of Greer Garson I found this movie amusing for its departure from her "Metro's Glorified Mrs." (her terms) standards, although Gable's performance seems uneven and the mutual lack of affection between the two actors in real-life is subtely apparent. The ending is a stretch for the Gable character, and altogether the script lacks in cohesion. Great individual scenes, however, in the library and in the country home. 3 stars for Garson's plot-rescue attempts and for outstanding bits of acting from supporting players.

Clark Gable was sure lucky that this mess of a movie didn't end his career, being that it was his first venture after returning from active duty in WWII. The main trouble with the movie is his attitude; for some reason, Metro tried to revive the style of the younger carefree Gable in this film, the sort of fellow he was in "It Happened One Night"--even Metro's memory was faulty, because that persona had already been replaced by the mature man of 1939' "Gone with the Wind". Here, he's just too old and had been through too much in real life (the war and the earlier death of his wife Carole Lomabard) to cavort around like he does in the movie, and with Greer Garson no less! I don't understand why the studio, having taken such pains to shape her image as a gentlewoman, had her buffooning around either. Check out the better post-war Gable of "Homecoming" and "The Hucksters", and leave "Adventure" on the shelf.