Customer Reviews

To the Shores of Tripoli [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

To phrase this as kindly as possible ... the folks at Fox Home Entertainment are dumber than dirt, especially when it comes to their library of classic movies. They've pulled off some spectacular marketing fiascos over the years ... such as releasing the 1939 box-office smash "Jesse James" on laserdisc in a faded, washed-out print back in the early 1990's; and more recently, pushing their (badly) colorized versions of several Shirley Temple classics into the marketplace on DVD instead of the glorious black and white originals.

But the DVD edition of "To the Shores of Tripoli" represents a new low for the company. This movie received an Oscar nomination for Edward Cronjager's and William Skall's gorgeous candybox TECHNICOLOR cinematography. The title frame of the film itself says: "'To the Shores of Tripoli' in TECHNICOLOR." The DVD box itself says, "1942, COLOR, 86 minutes" under the advertising blurb; and then proclaims "Photographed in TECHNICOLOR" in the credits area. But guess what?!!? The DVD was mastered from a BLACK & WHITE re-release print, and not the original Technicolor negative! Hello, 11th-Century Fox! That churning sound you hear is former studio head Darryl F. Zanuck spinning 'round and 'round in his grave. Unfortunately, this movie is just not worth watching unless you get to marvel at Maureen O'Hara's beautiful tresses in all their flame-colored glory!

But that's not the only blunder on this disc or its packaging. In the box describing the DVD's features, the aspect ratio is correctly noted as 1.33:1, Full Frame Format. However, the last line on the bottom of the box's back panel notes: "WIDESCREEN VERSION: Presented in a letterbox format preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition." Huh! Who proofreads this stuff? And while I'm on a rant ... the actress featured on the front of the DVD looking soulfully at John Payne - and who is also featured in a scene still on the back of the box - is none other than fourth-billed Nancy ("The Bad Seed") Kelly, who played the distaff second lead in the film. NOT that you would know from reading the DVD box, since Fox didn't bother to give the future Oscar-nominee even a small feature credit.

Fox Home Entertainment, get it together! At this point, you're the laughingstock of the industry, despite having some of the best classic films ever made in your library ("The Grapes of Wrath", "The Ox-Bow Incident", "Laura", "Leave Her to Heaven", "Pinky", "A Letter to Three Wives", etc., etc.). We're waiting patiently for these goodies ... and praying you won't screw them up too badly when you finally get around to releasing them.

This Technicolor film received an Academy Award nomination for best color cinematography. So what did Fox Home Video do? They put out the film on DVD in a BLACK & WHITE PRINT!!!!!!

I bought a copy of the DVD version of this movie which I had seen in the theatres many years ago. When I started the movie I noticed it was in black and white, not in color as the movie was photographed in and what the DVD jacket said it was in. Thinking the DVD was defective, I returned it. I then went to another place and bought another copy. It too was in black and white. I sent e-mails to Fox asking what was wrong and never received an answer. I strongly recommend that you do not buy the DVD version. Too bad, the movie actually is very good.

Shortly before the United States' entry into World War II carefree wiseacre playboy Chris Winters (John Payne) joins the Marine Corps and journeys to a training camp in San Diego. While there he falls under the spell of nurse 2nd Lieutenant Mary Carter (Maureen O'Hara) and under the thumb of nail-tough drill sergeant Dixie Smith (Randolph Scott.) Before long the feckless young Winters is counting the days until his rich fiancée Helene Hunt (Nancy Kelly) can pull the strings that will get him out of the Corps.

TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI (1942) was released in March of that year, and filming of the movie began before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Even though it incorporates some `At War' features - dedicating the movie especially to the Marines on Wake Island, for instance - this is a relatively blithe look at a nation preparing for war. Beyond marching and then more marching (this is the marchingest movie you'll ever see) boot camp seems a breeze. Even Scott's tough drill sergeant is a pussycat compared to most later examples of the type. Although the leatherneck vows he'll either break down or drive out the `worthless pup' Payne, Payne is the `Skipper's son,' and Payne's decision to tent with and tutor the unit's Gomer Pyle shows us there's something redeemable beneath the glib and polished exterior. O'Hara, as usual strong and beautiful as the navy nurse, pairs up well with Payne (their chemistry together would product the classic `Miracle on 34th Street' five years later.) With a tidy love story wrapped up in an early recruitment movie, TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI is solid entertainment. If it's a little light, it probably served it purpose of demystifying, a bit, the boot camp experience.

Edward Cronjager and William Skall were nominated for Academy Awards for Best Color Cinematography. For some mysterious reason Fox has released this as a black-and-white movie. No decent Technicolor prints available? It's a double shame, because the red-haired O'Hara was known as `The Queen of Technicolor.'

Okay, Okay - by modern standards, this film is very hokey. A real flag-waver that gets cheesier as it progresses. But I love the on-screen combination and chemistry of Maureen O'Hara and John Payne. Their first of 4 films together, this movie was actually being film when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The script and ending were quickly changed to reflect the headlines and the sentiment of the day. The film was rushed in to theaters within a few months of completion and became a big poster for enlistment.

Most modern audiences know Payne and O'Hara from the Christmas classic, "Miracle on 34th Street", which is their third pairing. Their second ("Sentimental Journey" ) and forth ("Tripoli", a Paramount release) are not available on either VHS or DVD - what a shame.

Playboy John Payne joins the Marines, makes time with pretty nurses, beats up Randolph Scott, his DI, (how we all wished we could have but never dared), gets out, hears about (Japanese) attack on Pearl Harbor, sees old outfit marching to the troop ship, decides right there and then to re-enlist. Only during the War would a movie like this have been made. I loved it and so will any Marine.

GREAT! A war film starring Randolph Scott and John Payne - well, er, no, actually. If they made this movie today it would probably be described as a romantic comedy, and the only fighting is between the Marines themselves and between John Payne and Maureen O'Hara. In fact, the film ends at the point where America enters the War, and the errant John Payne rejoins his unit.

If you like Rom-Coms then this is a very enjoyable little piece, but personally, as a kid growing up watching old movies on tv, I grew tired of movie titles that suggested one thing but gave another. "Tell It To The Marines" would probably have been more appropriate (is there such a movie?).

At least my copy is in glorious Technicolour.

What a huge disappointment from 20th Century-Fox studios...I saw this movie since 1942...hundreds of times in vivid, vibrant and primary TECHNICOLOR...I loved it; hell, I even joined the US Marines...the dust/jacket claims the DVD is in Technicolor in three [3] different places..."FLASH"...it's in Black & White, my man...all of the reviews [below] depict the screen/play one way or the other [to each his/her own]...I was hoping with anticipated joy to see this DVD in glorious TECHNICOLOR...what a low/letdown by 20th Century-Fox Public Relations Dept...anything for a buck in this generation!!...alas; one vivid scene that hallmarks this movie is the dress blues graduation day, it seems the USMC , by design, compiled a slew of silver tubers assembled with an abundance of other field music Marines to give out with the martial strains of the, "Marines Hymn"...you will never hear a huge Marine Band of this size ever sound-off like this ever again...it is a unique rendition and sound [non pareil]...you are in for a singular treat...dress blues on parade with the big Marine field music ensemble...as for the picture, I loved it and this Marine Corps movie in 1942 stand alone for the reason why so many joined up resulting in a huge/record surge of volunteer enlistments into the Corps to war vs Japan... my joy would have been 10 fold if I received the Technicolor DVD as black and white doesn't measure up at all. Semper Fi, Mac....SSGT CHRIS SARNO-USMC FMF

First, let me tell you about this re-issue in 'Fox War Classics.' According to the previous reviewers, the studio unaccountably released this DVD in black and white while the original print was shot in color (thank you guys for telling me that). So I decided to try the VHS of this film (of the same series), and it came with Technicolor version though its 'modified from the original.' If I am not mistaken, the original print was not in so-called widescreen, so the modification for VHS ratio does not lose much.

The film itself, released in 1942 immediately after Pearl Harbor, is not that awful. Its story may look cliche to most of modern viewers, but still is interesting, largely thanks to its actors and color. A playboy Chris Winters (John Payne) is sent to the US Marine Corps where a veteran Sergeant Dixie Smith (Randolph Scott) is given the task of training him. They took instant dislike to each other; the private is only thinking of fun, and getting out of the marine base to earn a desk job in Washington helped by his girlfriend Helene (Nancy Kelly, later Oscar-nominated for 'The Bad Seed') while the sergeant dedicates himself to the ideal of being good soldier.

Considering the fact it is a war-time film (and I am a Japanese, so it is kind of strange to talk about American films of that time), 'To the Shores of Tripoli' is much less jingoistic than I thought. Some comical moments are inserted between the training sequences (Panye's private feigns injury, and O'Hara's nurse 'cures' him smearing mustard on his body, leaving a mark of huge V). And Scott's sergeant certainly 'whips' the boys into good marines, but his methods are nothing terrifying.

But the real star may be Maureen O'Hara as a nurse Mary Carter (actualy a senior officer to Chris), of whose love cocky Chris tries to win. Surprisingly, there is considerable amount of chemistry between Maureen O'Hara and John Payne, and you will see both stars together later in much better films, most notably Christmas classic named 'Miracle on the 34th Street.' (Interestingly, they also star in a film 'Tripoli' in 1950, which I haven't seen. Somebody any future plan of re-release?)

Someone said somewhere on the Internet that Maureen O'Hara is the Queen of Technicolor. I still don't know it's meant for joke or serious, but as far as 'To the Shores of Tripoli' goes, the color is the first (if not only) reason for you to see the film. As you know, Technicolor renders much different nuance to the screen, giving each color some silky touch, which can never be found in digitally shot films. Though the beautiful colors sometimes fade because of the time that has elasped, they are still good, old-fashioned, and elegant in this film.

SO ... what's the point of watching it in black and white anyway? Wait for the further re-release of DVD, or buy a VHS video.

I read the reviews about this being on dvd in black & white then i saw that Amazon had several listings for this. The one i received says 2002 on the back & it is in color Fox must have made two pressings of this title. The color & picture were great & i wanted to have this also because i saw a tv print & they had edited a few words that is hard to believe in this day & age the dvd is uncut which is the way it should be.