omalleypa
Joined Jul 2001
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Reviews2
omalleypa's rating
I had never seen this film in its entirety before today, I had only caught the end of it as a child, about 25 years ago. But even having only seen it fleetingly back then, it made an impression and I always wanted to see it from start to finish.
Watching this film is quite a bit like falling in love! The 79 minutes seemed to pass so quickly, I was so enraptured by the audio and visuals! The stunningly beautiful Ava Gardner plays Venus to perfection, she's positively delicious to watch as she playfully taunts the shy but sweet Robert Walker, as well as his boss Tom Conway.
The casting is perfect - the three stars mentioned above deliver spot-on performances, and also the parts of the girlfriend Olga San Juan and the boss' assistant Eve Arden are superbly played.
My favorite scene is when the three girls get together while they are doing Ava Gardner's hair - it reminded me a little of the slumber party scene in Grease (interesting coincidence that Eve Arden is in that movie too - made 30 years later!).
I got this movie on a Region 0 DVD from Spain and the picture and sound quality is about 8 out of ten, so if your player can cope with PAL DVDs, it's definitely worth getting as it is remastered from the original film source. But I hope they give this film the full restoration treatment it deserves one day!
I highly recommend this film and give it 10 out of 10 as it's a truly delightful way to spend 79 minutes of your time, and I know I'll be watching it over and over again!
Watching this film is quite a bit like falling in love! The 79 minutes seemed to pass so quickly, I was so enraptured by the audio and visuals! The stunningly beautiful Ava Gardner plays Venus to perfection, she's positively delicious to watch as she playfully taunts the shy but sweet Robert Walker, as well as his boss Tom Conway.
The casting is perfect - the three stars mentioned above deliver spot-on performances, and also the parts of the girlfriend Olga San Juan and the boss' assistant Eve Arden are superbly played.
My favorite scene is when the three girls get together while they are doing Ava Gardner's hair - it reminded me a little of the slumber party scene in Grease (interesting coincidence that Eve Arden is in that movie too - made 30 years later!).
I got this movie on a Region 0 DVD from Spain and the picture and sound quality is about 8 out of ten, so if your player can cope with PAL DVDs, it's definitely worth getting as it is remastered from the original film source. But I hope they give this film the full restoration treatment it deserves one day!
I highly recommend this film and give it 10 out of 10 as it's a truly delightful way to spend 79 minutes of your time, and I know I'll be watching it over and over again!
I will comment on this film in general terms and try to avoid spoilers...
I have read through a lot of other people's comments and I think many of them missed the point of Magic Town. Yes, it's old-fashioned and a little corny, and yes it's not as good as It's A Wonderful Life, but in my opinion, IAWL is one of the most emotionally-stirring and profound films ever made. I have seen IAWL many times, but have never made it through the final scene without tears!
In very simplistic terms IAWL is about the positive effects one person can have on society, without even realizing it, while Magic Town is more about the negative effects one can have on the masses.
Someone previously commented "Not a bad person in the whole town".
The plot does not focus on purely "bad" people because that would detract from the point of the narrative. In this film, James Stewart is essentially the bad guy! He's selfish, greedy, manipulative and dishonest, and it is his actions, with a little bit of help from Jane Wyman, that cause a chain of events that virtually destroy the fabric of the town. When this happens, these "good" people become pessimistic, lazy and selfish.
However, I do agree with some of the other comments, including the one that says "People had to learn the perfect society has to be practiced individually, intentionally and daily for it to become a reality." That is at the core of this film, and it is illustrated beautifully.
I won't spoil it for people who haven't seen the film, but I think the way that the main characters turn this situation around is truly brilliant!
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that, on its own merits, Magic Town is a truly wonderful film. If you are a fan of IAWL, James Stewart or Jane Wyman - or just a fan of a good stories with depth, darkness, humor, personality and emotion - I recommend it highly.
I give it 8/10. (IAWL gets a 9/10.)
I have read through a lot of other people's comments and I think many of them missed the point of Magic Town. Yes, it's old-fashioned and a little corny, and yes it's not as good as It's A Wonderful Life, but in my opinion, IAWL is one of the most emotionally-stirring and profound films ever made. I have seen IAWL many times, but have never made it through the final scene without tears!
In very simplistic terms IAWL is about the positive effects one person can have on society, without even realizing it, while Magic Town is more about the negative effects one can have on the masses.
Someone previously commented "Not a bad person in the whole town".
The plot does not focus on purely "bad" people because that would detract from the point of the narrative. In this film, James Stewart is essentially the bad guy! He's selfish, greedy, manipulative and dishonest, and it is his actions, with a little bit of help from Jane Wyman, that cause a chain of events that virtually destroy the fabric of the town. When this happens, these "good" people become pessimistic, lazy and selfish.
However, I do agree with some of the other comments, including the one that says "People had to learn the perfect society has to be practiced individually, intentionally and daily for it to become a reality." That is at the core of this film, and it is illustrated beautifully.
I won't spoil it for people who haven't seen the film, but I think the way that the main characters turn this situation around is truly brilliant!
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that, on its own merits, Magic Town is a truly wonderful film. If you are a fan of IAWL, James Stewart or Jane Wyman - or just a fan of a good stories with depth, darkness, humor, personality and emotion - I recommend it highly.
I give it 8/10. (IAWL gets a 9/10.)