Customer Reviews

Hollywood Legends 50 Movie Pack

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

 

 

I own a couple of these "50 movie pack" sets and this is my favorite of the lot, mainly because it has more mainstream movies and bigger stars than many of the other sets. As noted, the print quality is not particularly great but keep in mind you are paying well under a dollar per movie so you can't expect flawless reproduction. These are all apparently public domain movies; some of the titles can be bought individually elsewhere for $1-10 each but even if you don't watch half of the films you will probably save money buying this set than picking and choosing. (Also you might want to get this from one of Amazon's "new and used" sellers for substantial savings).

There are some rare titles in this set. I have never seen Hedy Lamarr's post-MGM films "Dishonored Lady" and "Let's Live A Little" before so I was glad to see them at last. Among the other hard-to-find titles are "Affair in Monte Carlo" with Merle Oberon (alas a B&W print of a color film), "High Voltage" with Carole Lombard (curiously the box totes William Boyd instead of Lombard), "Monsoon" with George Nader and Ursula Thiess, "The Most Dangerous Game" with Joel McCrea, "Smash Up" with Susan Hayward, and the 1970's "Treasure of the Jamica Reef" with Stephen Boyd and a young Cheryl Ladd.
I was glad to finally get to see "Hell's House" with Bette Davis and "Heartbeat" with Ginger Rogers, admittedly two lesser films in their filmographies. I haven't watched all the films but some of the prints here are significantly better than other companies public domain issues of the movies. I had earlier bought "The Snows of Killimanjaro" at a dollar store and this print is a vast improvement; I bought Gloria Swanson's "Indiscreet" on the net quite cheap but that copy was awful, this one is far better. The prints to the silents "The Joyless Street" (Greta Garbo) and "Blood and Sand" (Rudolph Valentino) are quite good. I was surprised to see June Allyson's "Good News" in this set; MGM films are rarely public domain, that one must have slipped through the cracks.

On paper, it sounds like a bargain. If the prints used were higher quality, my score would probably double. The noisy, scratchy, dense video and sound is not even the biggest problem here. I can write that stuff off since I grew up seeing films on TV that way. I justified picking this collection up mainly for two films, "The Man with the Golden Arm" and "The Klansman". The latter is unavailable on DVD - most likely due to the political incorrectness of it all. You'll do better buying this from a collector since here it's not in widescreen, but most importantly, it's cut HEAVILY for TV. This is a bad exploitation romp from a major studio (Paramount) and most of the exploitation (aside from frequent use of the "n" word) is on the cutting room floor. What's the point? Even still, at least it's actually here. On my copy (which was factory sealed), Frank Sinatra's "The Man with the Golden Arm" is not even included! The disk (Disk 8/Side A) that was supposed to have it and "The Town Went Wild", while labelled correctly on the disk itself, is a duplicate of Disk 11/Side A ("Heartbeat" and "He Found a Star"). What a gyp!

"The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" looks like the source used was a 6-hour speed VHS tape...probably worse, actually. A handful of the films suffer similar fate, or are taken from scratchy, thrashed old TV prints. Others are missing title music (replaced by new classical music), including some silent films with out-of-place newer music scores. I find it impossible to believe even the most ardent viewer is really going to sit through a lot of these movies. One disk even locked up on me when I tried to advance to the next chapter, forcing me to power down the machine.

There are some nice moments: "The Fat Spy" is a poor-man's beach party flick with Jayne Mansfield and Phyllis Diller (!) and "Meet John Doe" is priceless entertainment. The most money this collection is worth is about $10. Otherwise, buy at your own risk.

I own an outstanding '50 Mystery Classics' where almost every movies was watchable. By contrast, '50 Hollywood Legends' contains was below average collection of movies that I would not want to waste my time on. With the exception of 'The Joyless Street' with Garbo and 'Blood and Sand' with Valentino, I coonsider this a waste regardless of the attractive price. Not recommended.

Haven't seen it, so the 3 stars rating has no basis. (You can't submit a comment without a rating.)

[...]

Dishonored Lady w/Hedy Lamarr
Lady of Burlesque w/Barbara Stanwyck
Good News w/Peter Lawford
Love Affair w/Irene Dunne
Tom Brown's School Days w/Cedric Hardwicke
Letter of Introduction w/Adolphe Menjou
Second Chorus w/Fred Astaire
The Town Went Wild w/Freddie Bartholomew
A Walk in the Sun w/Dana Andrews
The Man with the Golden Arm w/Frank Sinatra
The Most Dangerous Game w/Fay Wray
High Voltage w/William Boyd
The Stars Look Down w/Michael Redgrave
Hoosier Schoolboy w/Mickey Rooney
The Bigamist w/Joan Fontaine
I Cover the Waterfront w/Claudette Colbert
Monsoon w/George Nader
Penny Serenade w/Cary Grant
Borderline w/Fred MacMurray
Dark Mountain w/Regis Toomey
Indiscretion of an American Wife w/Montgomery Clift
The Big Show w/Gene Autry
The North Star w/Dana Andrews
The Joyless Street w/Greta Garbo
Diamond Thieves w/Lee Van Cleef
Blood and Sand w/Rudolph Valentino
Treasure of the Jamaica Reef w/Stephen Boyd
Gold w/Roger Moore
The Klansman w/Lee Marvin
Home Town Story w/Marilyn Monroe
Lola w/Charles Bronson
Meet John Doe w/Gary Cooper
The Boy in the Plastic Bubble w/John Travolta
His Private Secretary w/John Wayne
Oh, Alfie w/Joan Collins
Heartbeat w/Ginger Rogers
Carnival Story w/Anne Baxter
He Found a Star w/Sarah Churchill
Four Deuces w/Jack Palance
Affair in Monte Carlo w/Merle Oberon
Smash Up: The Story of a Woman w/Susan Hayward
The Snows of Kilimanjaro w/Gregory Peck
The Big Wheel w/Mickey Rooney
Indiscreet w/Gloria Swanson
Killing Heat w/Karen Black
Chandu on the Magic Island w/Bela Lugosi
The Fat Spy w/Jane Mansfield
Hell's House w/Bette Davis
Let's Live a Little w/Robert Cummings
The Evil Mind w/Fay Wray

The HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS 50 MOVIE PACK offers a wide selection at a very fair price. The several genres here span six decades of cinematic history and this diversity alone makes for an interesting box set. The extensive roster of actors in these fifty movies is also quite unique. HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS is a collection that any fan of vintage motion pictures is certain to treasure.
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Based on viewer research at a film-related website, the average 1 to 10 rating of these movies is: 5.7.

The alphabetized program list below provides individual polling scores, original theatrical titles (where indicated), years of release, country of origin (if other than USA) and lead actors.

(5.3) Affair In Monte Carlo ("24 Hours In A Woman's Life") (UK-1952) - Merle Oberon/Richard Todd
(6.6) The Bigamist (1953) - Joan Fontaine/Ida Lupino/Edmund Gwenn/Edmond O'Brien
(5.8) The Big Show (1936) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette/Sons Of The Pioneers
(5.6) The Big Wheel (1949) - Mickey Rooney/Thomas Mitchell
(6.4) Blood And Sand (silent-1922) - Rudolph Valentino
(6.1) Borderline - Fred MacMurray/Claire Trevor/Raymond Burr
(5.5) The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (TV-1976) - John Travolta/Robert Reed/Buzz Aldrin (as himself)
(5.7) Carnival Story (USA/W Ger-1954) - Anne Baxter/Steve Cochran/George Nader
(5.4) Chandu On The Magic Island (1935) - Bela Lugosi/Maria Albert
(5.8) Dark Mountain (1944) - Robert Lowery/Ellen Drew/Regis Toomey/Elisha Cook Jr.
(5.2) Diamond Thieves (Italy/W Ger-1978) - Lee Van Cleef/Karen Black/Robert Alda
(6.3) Dishonored Lady (1947) - Hedy Lamarr/Natalie Schaefer/Margaret Hamilton
(6.7) The Evil Mind (UK-1937) - Claude Rains/Fay Wray
(2.9) The Fat Spy (1966) - Phyllis Diller/Jack E. Leonard/Brian Donlevy/Johnny Tillotson/Jane Mansfield
(4.8) Four Deuces (Israel/USA-1976) - Jack Palance/Carol Lynley
(5.5) Gold (UK-1974) - Roger Moore/Susannah York/Ray Milland/Bradford Dillman/John Gielgud
(7.3) Good News (1947) - June Allyson/Peter Lawford/Mel Tormé
(6.0) Heartbeat (1946) - Ginger Rogers/Adolphe Menjou/Basil Rathbone (in support)
(5.1) He Found A Star (UK-1941) - Vic Oliver/Sarah Churchill
(5.6) Hell's House (1932) - Bette Davis/Pat O'Brien
(5.3) High Voltage (1929) - William Boyd/Carole Lombard
(5.7) His Private Secretary (1933) - John Wayne/Evelyn Napp/Al St. John
(5.1) Home Town Story (1951) - Jeffrey Lynn/Donald Crisp/Alan Hale Jr./Marilyn Monroe
(5.7) Hoosier Schoolboy (1937) - Mickey Rooney/Anne Nagel
(6.1) I Cover The Waterfront (1933) - Ben Lyon/Claudette Colbert
(6.9) Indiscreet (1931) - Gloria Swanson/Ben Lyon/Arthur Lake
(6.3) Indiscretion Of An American Wife (Italy/USA-1953) - Jennifer Jones/Montgomery Clift/Patti Page (uncredited)
(7.2) The Joyless Street (silent-Germany-1925) - Greta Garbo (in an uncredited minor role)
(4.9) Killing Heat (Zambia/Sweden-1981) - Karen Black/John Thaw
(4.3) The Klansman (1974) - Lee Marvin/Richard Burton/Cameron Mitchell/O.J. Simpson/Lola Falana
(6.3) Lady Of Burlesque (1943) - Barbara Stanwyck/Pinky Lee (minor role)
(5.5) Let's Live A Little (1948) - Hedy Lamarr/Robert Cummings
(6.0) Letter Of Introduction (1938) - Adolphe Menjou/George Murphy/Edgar Bergan/Ann Sheridan
(5.0) Lola ("Twinky") (Italy/UK-1969) - Charles Bronson/Orson Bean/Honor Blackman/Paul Ford/Trevor Howard
(7.2) Love Affair (1939) - Irene Dunne/Charles Boyer
(7.4) The Man With The Golden Arm (1955) - Frank Sinatra/Eleanor Parker/Kim Novak/Arnold Stang
(7.6) Meet John Doe (1941) - Gary Cooper/Barbara Stanwyck/Walter Brennan/Spring Byington
(4.2) Monsoon (UK/USA-1952) - Ursula Theiss/George Nader
(7.5) The Most Dangerous Game (1932) - Joel/McCrea/Fay Wray
(6.1) The North Star (1943) - Anne Baxter/Dana Andrews/Walter Huston/Walter Brennan
(4.5) Oh, Alfie! ("Alfie Darling") (1975) - Alan Price/Jill Townsend/Joan Collins/Rula Lenska
(7.0) Penny Serenade (1941) - Irene Dunn/Cary Grant/Beulah Bondi/Edgar Buchanan
(5.8) Second Chorus (1940) - Fred Astaire/Paulette Goddard/Artie Shaw
(6.4) Smash-Up: The Story Of A Woman (1947) - Susan Hayward/Lee Bowman/Eddie Albert
(6.3) The Snows Of Kilimanjaro (1952) - Gregory Peck/Susan Hayward/Ava Gardner/Leo G. Carroll
(7.6) The Stars Look Down (UK-1940) - Michael Redgrave/Margaret Lockwood
(6.5) Tom Brown's School Days (1940) - Cedric Hardwicke/Freddie Bartholomew/Billy Halop
(5.5) The Town Went Wild (1944) - Freddie Bartholomew/Jimmy Lydon/Edward Everett Horton
(2.1) Treasure Of The Jamaica Reef ("Evil In The Deep") (1976) - Stephen Boyd/Roosevelt Grier/Cheryl Ladd
(7.7) A Walk In The Sun (1945) - Dana Andrews/Richard Conte/Lloyd Bridges/Stanley Holloway

Not really going to talk about how "good or bad" these movies are (acting/scripts/etc). Personally, I like movies like "Meet John Doe".

Instead what I want to do is make a couple of comments about this package of movies that I think many of the other reviewers overlooked:

1 - The packaging of the discs - the package I got consisted of a box with 12 individual cardboard sleeves, each with a single DVD inside. Personally I like this as it seems to have kept the discs secure during shipment. I've bought other multi-disc sets and have never been that impressed with how they were shoe-horned into a single huge clam-shell case. Another thing that I like about the slim sleeves that these discs come in - it makes it really easy to drop one or two of these movies into the pocket of my laptop and/or my portable DVD player case. Also on the sleeves is a short description of each movie - in a very readable 12-pt font.

2 - The number of discs, there are twelve double-sided discs in this collection, with two movies on each side. Why do I think that is important? Mainly because I've bought other sets where a cheaper publisher crammed five movies onto each disc side so as to get 50 movies on five discs. To do that they had to greatly compress the videos which made them have a huge amount of artifacts and pixilation - making them almost unwatchable. The movies on this 12-disc set are of excellent quality, at least as good as possible considering the source material. While there appears to have been some defects in the prints used (scratches and whatnot) there doesn't seem to be any noticeable additional problems introduced from overly compressing the films to get them on the DVDs.

This is the third set of videos from Mill Creek Entertainment that I've purchased; I also bought their "Drive-In Classics" and "Cartoon Classics" collections. I must say that I've been very pleased with all three sets and look forward to buying more of their collections.

Mainly want to update Bderoes excellent list to say that my recent set seems to have had three films exchanged for others, so I assume this is now standard for the set -

Gold,
Good News, and
Lets Live a Little

HAVE BEEN REMOVED, to be replaced by -

The Road To Bali w/ Hope & Crosby,
Scarlet Street w/ Edward G Robinson, and
Pied Piper Of Hamelin (1957 TV Movie) w/ Van Johnson.

Roger Moore is still listed on the front cover, but doesn't now appear.

I have to agree with other reviews that this is a poorer set than some others in the series, with a high number of films running at least 10min too short.

I've bought 8 of the movie paks and I really enjoy them. Some are a little crappy, but most are just fine. The silents and some of the earlier movies star people that lived during the civil war. These are not HD but, they are fascinating to watch and to check out whats going on in the background.They are a bargain and just great for any old movie buff.

i own most of these 50 pack movies,and as i have said most are very good,but,this one is the pits.
i know for the price you shouldn't grip about quality or the severe edits done to these movies,but other sets weren't edited like this. and the quality of the transfers are far below the standerds that the other 50 packs have been. many more like this and i'll stop buying these sets.

I have purchased 50 movie pack before & loved it. The movies were good, decent condition, etc. So I decided to try the 50 movie pack of Hollywood Legends. While there are some good movies: "Smash-up: Story of a Woman", "Penny Serenarde", etc, most of these movies are cheap B rated movies. While I do give credit that not all movies are "Oscar" worthy, but enjoyable to watch nonetheless, most of these movies were a torture to watch. Who knew that "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" was a Hollywood Legend. Come on now, give me a break. Also, there were a few silent movies on here (if you like silent movies, then this is a plus), and some old TV movie shows that were done on a cardboard stage & you can hear the hallowed halls echo throughout the movie.
For me, I wish I saved my money or bought another pack, cause this one was definitely not worth it at all.