arthur_tafero

Ronald Colman was the star of the best film ever made: Lost Horizon. He shows his great versatility in this film as a comedic master. Also starring is Art Linkletter as a gaming host, Vincent Price as an over the top (is there any role where Vincent Price was not over the top?) soap company owner who sponsors the game show that Colman comes on, and last, but not least, Celeste Holm, who is absolutely hilarious as the corporate spy sent by Price to undermine Colman.

As far as wacky off the wall comedies are concerned, this one is right up there with the best. The film makes Who Wants to be a Millionaire look like a nickel and dime operation in comparison; and we are talking about 1950, not 2000, where money is ten times less valuable. If you don't enjoy this film, you should see a psychologist.

Brad Garrett gives the performance of his career as Jackie Gleason in the film Gleason.

The film shows the difficult childhood of Gleason, his slow rise in Vaudeville, and his eventual emergence with The Honeymooners.

We also see why Gleason made very few Hollywood films early in his career. His most noted role was Minnesota Fats in The Hustler, a role he was eminently qualified to play.

Gleason disdained Hollywood after his early failures there before his success in New York City.

Gleason's ego was as large as his waistline, but he did have substantial talent in several areas. He understood camera angles, dance productions, and how to get the most out of every scene. His writing and direction were first-rate as well. An enjoyable experience.

For the first half of the film, one is a bit sympathetic to Taylor. Her first husband appeared to be a beast. Her second husband was a bit better, but he was in the slow lane, while Liz was in the fast lane.

Her third husband, Michael Todd, seemed to be a perfect fit for her, but his premature demise, led to Liz losing all sense of propriety.

I found her affair and marriage to Eddie Fisher to be the zenith of her moral demise. There is nothing lower than a best friend who betrays their best friend.

At that point in the fim, I lost all sympathy for Taylor, and found her subsequent marriage to RIchard Burton to be a match of overactive egos with severe personal issues acting out of convenience. Taylor was just a spoiled Hollywood brat who thought that children were just necessary bi-products of a marriage.- A sad tale, actually.