Search - The Best of Everything on DVD

Reality, 1950's style. And a good story too.

Linda Linguvic | New York City | 02/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this film back in 1959 when it first came out and I also read Rona Jaffe's book on which it was based. It was about the world of New York secretaries. And it seemed to speak directly to me as I was then working as a secretary for a large management-consulting firm. I loved it then because it seemed so real. Now, 44 years later, I'm reminded of that reality. I remember wearing white gloves and a hat to work each day, even in the summer. I remember setting my hair in pincurls. I remember my electric typewriter, which was the latest technological advance. I was married then and remember being addressed as "Mrs." by my boss, even though I was only 19 years old. All the secretaries had desks next to each other in one open room; it was years before the advent of cubicles made famous by the Dilbert cartoon. And years before any of my fellow co-workers aspired to anything other than marriage and children. The one female executive was pitied and looked at as a sour old maid.In the film Joan Crawford is cast as that one office "witch", who had not married because she was involved with a married man and was paying for her bad decision. Indeed, there was more than one married man involved in affairs in the film, but it was always the woman who was made to suffer. Hope Lange had the role of the young hopeful who, because of being jilted by her boyfriend, starts to achieve some success in business. Then there is Diane Baker, fresh faced and innocent at the beginning, but whose life is almost ruined by the wrong man. Most pitiful of all though is Suzy Parker, who gives up her secretarial job to be an actress and is used and then dropped by an important director. The men are all cads with the exception of Stephen Boyd who accuses Hope Lange of wanting to achieve success because she's afraid of being a "real woman". Brian Ahern is a lecher who is always pinching the girls; their reaction though is typical of the times --they just laugh it off and don't take him seriously. Robert Evans is a seducer with no morals. And Louis Jourdan is the director who keeps a girl around only for as long as she amuses him.This is a film that could never have be made today. All the women are secretaries. All the men are bosses. Everyone is white and middle class. They all have the same values. However, in spite of all that, it is a really good story. It moves fast and held my interest throughout. And the acting is quite good. In a limited way I found myself really caring about the characters. I really do know people who were just like those depicted on the screen. Therefore, I recommend this video - even if it's for no other reason to see what life was like back in 1959."

I rented it and did NOT want to give it back!

Linda Linguvic | 09/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a big fan of the classics, I enjoy watching films from silent to the 1960s; however, I don't know how this one escaped me until recently. I rented this movie and saw it over 10 times before reluctantly returning it to the video store. I enjoyed the heartwarming portrayal by Hope Lange, who is now one of my favorite actresses. This movie is about the adventures and tribulations three young women go through at a time when being a secretary was both glamourous and hard work and no guidelines for office politics were set. Although for the 1950s, some content would be considered racy and daring, but for today's standards some people can wrongly consider it "corny" which I disagree. It was a different time then but yet similar in the way we all pursue the best of everything in what we do. Saying that, I do recommend this charming, witty and heartwarming film for those who would appreciate seeing another era in time when young women pursued their dreams and goals. Rent it or buy it. I now own a copy. It's worth seeing!"

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING.... AND THEN SOME!

Forrest C. Hopson | Burnsville, NC USA | 12/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The time and place is 1959 New York City and lovely Caroline Bender (Hope Lange "Peyton Place,"(1957) "Pocketful of Miracles," (1961) has just joined the steno pool at Fabian Publishing Company. Also in the office is beautiful Gregg Adams (Suzy Parker "Kiss Them for Me" (1957) and sweet, but a tad bit scatterbrained, April Morrison (Diane Baker "Marnie" (1964) "Strait-Jacket" (1964) who are working 9 to 5 while searching for Mr. Right. This is a glossy soap opera of sorts, which reminds me a lot of films like "Peyton Place," and "Valley of the Dolls." The best scenes in the movie, however, are the ones with "bitch boss" Ms Farrow (played wonderfully by screen legend Joan Crawford). In one memorable scene Joan is on the telephone with her lover, who won't leave his wife for her, so Joan screams into the phone: "You and your rabbit faced wife can go straight to hell!" Classic! And the funny thing is she slams the phone down before she completely finishes her sentence! Hilarious!

Caroline is torn between her dreamy ex-fiancée Eddie Harris (Bret Halsey "Return to Peyton Place" (1961) and office hunk Mike Rice (Stephen Boyd "Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964) while moving swiftly up the corporate ladder and into Ms Farrow's office! Gregg Adams wants to become the toast of Broadway by allowing herself to fall into the hands (and the bed) of the play's director, David Savage (Louis Jourdan "Gigi" (1958) which ends in tragedy. April is seduced by rich and suave Dexter Key (Robert Evans) and believes after she tells him that she is pregnant, they are off to be married -sorry, another tragedy! It seems Ms Farrow has come to her senses and is giving up the glamorous life for the married life -but then she returns to the office for her old job and says, "it's just too late for me." Caroline comes to her senses and realizes she must give up her dream of winning back Eddie and she and Mike go walking together down the busy New York streets as the credits roll.

The dvd transfer is clear and the Technicolor brilliant! You'll enjoy the soundtrack (especially Johnny Mathis' song at the first of the movie "The Best of Everything.") with a clear and crisp track. Dvd includes theatrical trailer for "The Best of Everything" and several other 20th Century Fox films. This one is for the "Peyton Place" and "Valley of the Dolls" fans (like me!) and belongs on the same dvd collection shelf nestled comfortably between the two!
"

See you in the snake pit...

JGC | 09/04/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I first watched this movie because cinamatic legand Joan Crawford was one of the stars in it. Joan plays Amanda Farrow, a rather bossy publishing executive. However, her part is small and the movie has little to do with her character. It's a fine picture, though.

At first glance, "The Best of Everything" looks like "9 to 5" meets "The Devil Wears Prada." But after the first twenty minutes I was convinced that this was a much more complicated tale about relationships taking place in the Big Apple.

The main plot focused on three clerical workers at the same publishing firm, played by Hope Lange, Diane Baker, and Suzy Parker. Each women has their own trials and tribulations. But I think the one thing that they all have in common is that the men in their lives are all cads. I would say that just about all the men in this film are rather unsympathetic and uncaring. Is this how men really were in the 1950's? I hope not.

Normally I'd reserve two maybe three stars for a picture like this. But since it's Joan's "last great picture" (not counting "Baby Jane," of course) it deserves four."