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| | Portrait In Black / Madame X (Double Feature) | | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Universal Studios | | Release Date : | | 2008-02-05 | | Store Price : | | $14.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $8.99 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 twice the thrills - twice the Lana!
Submitted on: 2009-11-19 |
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When it comes to glossy 1960s melodrama, there's only one leading lady who consistently delivered the goods - Lana Turner. Slip into a glittery cocktail dress, prepare the drinks and settle back with two unforgettable movies starring "La Turner"!
In PORTRAIT IN BLACK (based on a 1947 play by Ivan Goff), Turner plays Sheila, the second wife of ruthless, embittered shipping tycoon Matthew Cabot (Lloyd Nolan). Matt is dying, and the death can't come soon enough for Sheila, who has grown weary of Matt's blazing temper and suspicious mind. Unbeknownst to the rest of the household, Sheila is carrying on an affair with Dr. David Rivera (Anthony Quinn) - who'se also eager for the old codger to fall off the twig - so he administers a lethal concoction in lieu of Matt's daily injection... The deed goes off without a hitch, until a few days later when Sheila receives a hand-printed letter, congratulating the widow on the "success of her murder". Sheila and David's lovelife slowly unravels as the pair attempts to track a mysterious blackmailer whilst the body-count rises...
With a slight nod to Lana Turner's film noir masterpiece "The Postman Always Rings Twice", PORTRAIT IN BLACK is a gorgeously-filmed mystery thriller which had me riveted right to the end. Sandra Dee co-stars as Sheila's stepdaughter Cathy, with John Saxon as her boyfriend. Richard Basehart, Ray Walston and Anna May Wong (making a brief return to movies after a ten-year absence) are marvelous. Ross Hunter favourite Virginia Grey has a small but very well-written role as Cabot's secretary.
In MADAME X. (1966), Lana Turner is Holly, the vivacious young wife of up-and-coming diplomat Clay Anderson (John Forsythe). Holly has it all, but Clay's globe-trotting lifestyle unfortunately allows Holly to fall prey to the advances of notorious ladies' man Phil Benton (Ricardo Montalban). During a bitter fight where Holly tries to leave Phil once and for all, he accidentally falls down the stairs. Faced with going to trial for his "murder", Holly's icy mother-in-law (Constance Bennett) forces the bewildered Holly to stage her death, and stay out of Clay's life forever. Many years pass before Holly, now a drunken, broken old woman, emerges in New York, once again accused of murder. But this time the past is more than a memory away...
With the character of Holly in MADAME X., Lana Turner proves (sadly really for the final time) just how wonderful she could be when the material was first-class. Holly was reportedly one of her favourite roles, and I'm sure she held the experience in fond memory (especially as she later waded through such dreck as 1969's "The Big Cube" and 1980's "Witches' Brew"). Constance Bennett is splendid as the witchy mother-in-law (she sadly passed away shortly before the movie was released); Burgess Meredith is appropriately slimy as the blackmailer trying to ride Holly's coat-tails. Keir Dullea co-stars as Holly's adult son.
A bargain for the price. Recommended. |
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 Great Classic...
Submitted on: 2009-11-15 |
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| Timeless movie... has all the elements. Love, loss, intrigue... very nice twist... my brother made me watch it the first time.. loved it! So, fast fwd 20 yrs later and I can BUY it through Amazon! Awesome! Especially when it was never available to rent thru Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, or Netflix!!! |
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A lana turner fan
Submitted on: 2009-10-09 |
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| Anyone who loved Lana Turner in "Imitation of Life" needs to add this film duo to their collection. I absolutely loved "Portrait in Black" as I am a huge Anthony Quinn fan too. "Madame X" is a heartwrenching story that should not be missed if you are a Lana fan. Again, both of these films are classics and get a "thumbs up" from me. |
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Lana Turner in Her 1960's Best!
Submitted on: 2009-08-12 |
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| What a great package dvd set for Lana Turner fans in two of her best movies? "Portrait in Black" with an all star cast including Sandra Dee, Anthony Quinn and John Saxon and "Madame X" including John Forysthe (Charlie's Angels and Dynasty), Constance Bennett( Dark Shadows' Joan Bennett's sister)in her last film, Ricardo Montalban (Fantasy Island). Also, each film has a small part with Virginia Grey, Lana's real life best friend but probably most known for her antagonizing role to Joan Crawford in "The Women." Madame X is probably Lana's best acting ever. It will make you weep through a box of kleenex. Without giving out a spoiler, both movies involve murder. Lana looks very glamorous and beautiful in both movies. However, in Madame X, she loses her glamorous image. Buy this cheap dvd package and have some friends over to watch with pizza and beer. Enjoy Hollywood at its best. |
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loved the movie
Submitted on: 2009-08-11 |
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I enjoyed Madame X. I saw part of this movie over 20 years ago on the 1:00 afternoon movie on TV. I had missed the beginning, but had seem most of the movie. The ending was gripping, and I always wondered how the movie began. Finally all these years later I was able to see it in full. Great movie.
I didn't care for Portrait in Black. |
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