Product Details

• Actors: Ann-Margret, Claudette Colbert, Stephen Collins, John Rubinstein, Elizabeth Ashley
• Directors: John Erman
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: LORTV
• DVD Release Date: January 25, 2010
• Run Time: 190 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00347AIRQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,153 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Two Mrs Grenvilles" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Studio: Warner Bros. Digital Dist Release Date: 06/22/2011

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True life soap opera tragedy of the super rich, January 29, 2010

By 

Schuyler V. Johnson (Lake Worth, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Two Mrs Grenvilles (DVD)

This is the story of the Woodward marriage gone terribly awry. Ann had been a person of wwhat can only be termed low estate; she was light years beneath the Woodward family; Elsie Woodward took an insant loathing to her future daughter in law as did everyone else in her social circle and Ann felt this keenly and harbored ill will and felt like an alien.
The day after the murder, at a luncheon, the Duchess of Windsor remarked "Nothing like a murder in the country to cure what ails you."
Elsie wrote checks totalling over $400,000.00 to end the criminal investigation. All the family and friends came together and closed ranks to protect Ann, the woman they despised, in order to prevent any scandal.
The boys suffered the most, as children always do, and were shipped off to Switzerland to Le Rosey an exclusive all boys school (since gone co-ed).
*Note: My brother, Tracy, attended Rosey at the same time Woody did (the older son) and I met him, and thought he was very shy and soft spoken and seemed sad. I was 10 years old and at that time, I had no idea about the shooting, and later when I found out, I felt so bad and wished, in hindsight, I could have done something to help him.
Truman Capote called Ann Miss Bang Bang to which she responded with a derogatory comment on his personal lifestyle. He also wrote a story (the characters thinly disguised) re the murder for Esquire magazine which eventually led to her suicide.
Elsie commented: "Well, that's that; she shot my son and Truman has just murdered her, and so now I suppose we don't have to worry about that anymore."
Afterwards, Jimmy, the younger son, jumped out of a window to his death and many years later, when it looked like he was having much success in his life, marriage, child, but then divorced, Woody also took a leap from a window.
The movie is superb, Claudette Colbert is Elsie Woodward and wonderful in the part; upon hearing she would be asked to test for the part, she refused and stated she did not need to test for any part. She was hired without being tested.
Ann Margret is Ann and she is brilliant in the role, and also very beautiful of course, we see what attracted Billy to her in the first place.
Billy is played by Stephen Collins and he is fabulous in the part; a true doomed gentleman.
John Rubenstein plays Bratsie Bleeker, his best friend, who meets his own doom before Billy and that affected Billy very deeply who had a prescience about his own death.
Ann and Billy had been at a party for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor that fateful night (the Duchess was the only member of society who accepted Ann, perhaps because she too had come from a different background than her husband) and everyone discussed the mysterious burglar who prowled the estates on Oyster Bay, Long Island and this was the springboard from which the story was concocted to explain the shooting.
The movie won 2 Emmy awards, nominated for 6 and won a Golden Globe for Ms Colbert.
This story would never have been believed if it hadn't been true; it is high drama, high society and high tragedy, it is a brilliantly executed film and well worth seeing.
"The rich are different from you and me."
Nick Carraway, from the Great Gatsby
Ernest Hemingway is said to have responded "Yes, they have more money."

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ann-Margret & Claudette Colbert in a classic melodrama, March 15, 2010

By 

Dave "Davelandweb" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Two Mrs Grenvilles (DVD)

I had pretty much worn out my VHS copy of this movie which I taped from the original telecast back in 1987 and was very glad to see that "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles" finally made it to DVD. The unfortunate part is that it appears to have been made using a video master, not a film negative. The quality is passable, and still much better than watching my VHS! On the positive side, the quality of the production and casting would make it hard to believe that this was a Made-for-TV movie. The story is based on the novel of the same name by Dominick Dunne, which was inspired by the story of the real-life Woodwards. Dunne's book liberally borrowed from the real-life story as well as Truman Capote's fictionalized account in his novel Answered Prayers: The Unfinished Novel. For the REAL story, the best book to read is This Crazy Thing Called Love by Susan Braudy. The real story is even more compelling (and tragic) than the one Dunne wrote about and is shown here. The plot of this movie is about Billy Grenville (Stephen Collins), a trust-fund baby who meets a showgirl, Ann Arden (Ann-Margret) during World War II. They instantly fall in love despite the differences in their social backgrounds. Things come to a head when Ann meets Billy's mother (Claudette Colbert) and sisters. Polite on the surface, Mrs. Grenville still makes it subtly clear that Ann does not fit in and obviously not part of their world. As Ann looks at a picture of the Queen Mother at Mrs. Grenville's house, she finds what she thinks is a common bond: "We both like to display photos of celebrities!" Mrs. Grenville is quick to correct her by telling Ann that only the photos of intimate friends can be seen in the Grenville home. Claudette Colbert is pitch perfect here covering up her slight with the veneer of social grace that is part of her world.

Overcome with passion for Ann who is so different from what he is used to, Billy Grenville marries her anyway. Despite loving her as she is, Ann is scared of losing Billy and does all that she can to fit in with the Grenville family; in fact, she tries much too hard, becoming a joke in high society circles as an ostentatious social climber.

The marriage unravels and finally comes to a head one fateful night when Billy confronts Ann about her hidden past. Revealing what he has discovered, Ann is pushed into a corner. Her next move binds her to the Grenville family forever, as they choose to cover up an unpleasant public scandal. The moral of the story: money doesn't buy happiness or love.

Is this a new plot? Not at all, but it is expertly told her. Compelling to watch, the performances are riveting. Ann-Margret is amazing; you never know what to think of her character; is she a calculating social climber or a sweet midwestern farmgirl who misguidedly chooses the wrong path to keep her husband happy? By not knowing the answer, the movie becomes even more fascinating to watch. Stephen Collins is appropriately wooden, garnering very little sympathy for his silver-spooned character. Not surprisingly, Claudette Colbert, in her final role, won a Golden Globe. Marvin Hamlisch's music provides a lush period underscore that enhances the movie. The costuming by Donald Brooks & Susan Yellen is also fantastic, capturing the essence of the 1940's & 1950's. At times, the script is a little flimsy, betraying the high quality of the production, but this is easily overlooked by the top-notch cast.

The movie itself is closer to 5 stars; because of the video quality (and the fact that it occasionally sticks) and lack of extras, I decided to give it a 4. Whatever you do, do not assume that this movie is an accurate account of the real-life Woodwards. Much is changed and much is left-out. Read the real book; it makes Dunne's book seem like a bore.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars old-fashioned, beautifully crafted, very entertaining, December 1, 2009

By 

Susan G. Pollock (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This miniseries is the most engaging, beautifully acted, very entertaining film I have seen for years. It is fun to see Claudette Colbert in rare form, even in her eighties. The attention to detail here lures you right into this period of high style and romanticism. I am proud to see that I was the executive producer of this minseries, and it stands up well after all these years. Susan Pollock