Search - Doll Face on DVD

At last a transfer that is magnificent!

M. A. Dunnington | Stourbridge, West Midlands United Kingdom | 06/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Doll Face has seen so many releases that feature poor quality vision and sound - but not anymore!!!! This release is both brilliant in vision and sound. To improve the sound you can isolate the soundtrack - do so and you get 21st Century quality sound - absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much 20th Century Fox - this is the way old movies should be released - tender loving care and magnificent transfers!!!!"

DON`T BUY THIS MOVIE.

J JARVIS | HOLT, NORFOLK United Kingdom | 02/25/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I urge anyone who even thinks about it not to buy this movie. Its so bad it was difficult to give it 1 star.
Being a great fan of Perry Como, and being brought up in the 50`s with nothing but happy memories of his TV shows i was waiting for this movie to be released. It was never released it escaped. The quality is awful, the sound is bad and the picture the same. I should have known better what else can you expect from Alpha Video. I know it was a budget price but i expected something better than this. I watched half an hour and threw it in the trash in disgust. Lets hope one day will see a better quality copy appear and also a release of Words and Music which also featured Mr C."

GOOD MOVIE, HORRIBLE DVD

Waitsel Smith | Atlanta, GA USA | 03/19/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"One reviewer was watching this DVD for Vivian Blaine; another, for Perry Como. I was watching for Dennis O'Keefe. Now all we need is a review from someone watching it for Carmen Miranda and we'll be set.

I have to agree with the other two reviewers: the DVD is horrible, although I am watching the Critics Choice release rather than the Alpha version. Evidently both were made from the same poor quality master. The sound is obnoxiously loud, and the picture is contrasty and uncomfortable to watch, even though the package says "Digitally Restored." Nevertheless, all the actors are good, and I love Como's songs. O'Keefe is good, but this is not one of his better roles.

If anyone else is interested in the films of Dennis O'Keefe, this is the first one out of about ten I've ordered recently that had poor quality. It's also the only one in which I've been disappointed for any reason. I'm hoping O'Keefe will be rediscovered at some point, and more of his films released, because they are wonderful. His range is broad. He does excellent dramatic work in Film Noir classics like T-Men and Raw Deal - both by Anthony Mann - and in Fighting Seabees with John Wayne; comedies like Up In Mabel's Room and Getting Gertie's Garter; detective pictures like Dishonored Lady and Cover Up; and family films like The Great Dan Patch.

I think if a company releases a DVD on which the movie is substandard, they should state as much in their write-up, instead of waiting for people to get the film and then be disappointed. They aren't helping themselves by releasing substandard product. I wondered why Critic's Choice Video, a company with an extensive catalog, had a 92% satisfaction rating. Now I know.

Waitsel Smith"

Good movie, bad DVD

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 08/09/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Pretty fantastic musical, enlivened no end by vivacious Vivian Blaine in the title role along with some memorable tunes ("Walking in My Dreams", "Here Comes Heaven Again").

The story is straight-forward: burlesque star `Doll Face' Carroll (Vivian Blaine) publishes her autobiography entitled `Genius De Milo' and then goes on to star in a Broadway show based on it. Perry Como and Carmen Miranda sparkle in fine supporting roles but for fans of the sorely underrated Vivian Blaine this film is a sheer delight. This was based on a book written by Louise Hovick (aka Gypsy Rose Lee, the legendary burlesque artiste and raconteur).

Blaine is perhaps still best-known and remembered for two roles: as Miss Adelaide in the 1950 original Broadway production of GUYS AND DOLLS (which she subsequently got to reprise in the film version); and Emily in the 1945 film of Rodgers and Hammerstein's STATE FAIR. Blaine had a very successful career as a nightclub and cabaret artist, but Hollywood fame strangely alluded her. Fox initially tried to market her as their next big musical leading lady when Alice Faye announced her retirement. Audiences sadly never quite latched onto her, more's the pity.

My only gripe is the horrid sound quality, which is muffled and full of hiss. The picture quality is average (seems to be taken from a VHS master) but from Alpha what else can you expect? I can't understand why this delightful Twentieth Century-Fox musical has fallen into Public Domain territory."