The Alice Faye Collection (1937)

Alice Faye, in Well-Deserved Retrospective Collection!

Golden-haired songstress Alice Faye was "Queen of Fox" for nearly a decade, yet her prodigious film output has been limited on DVD to a few films, mostly with Tyrone Power; "The Alice Faye Collection" is a long-overdue celebration of her life and work, and should win a new generation of fans!

Four of her best films are offered, with terrific special features (including a two-part biography featuring her two daughters), entertaining commentaries, two episodes of her very funny radio show (co-starring husband Phil Harris), deleted scenes, and production materials. Best of all, her final appearance on film, a brief retrospective sponsored by Pfizer, is included, offering the still-beautiful Faye (at 70) lovingly reminiscing about Power and Don Ameche, as well as extolling keeping fit. It is irresistible!

The films of the collection:

"On the Avenue" (1937): Rising star Faye, in support of Dick Powell (borrowed from Warner), and Madeleine Carroll, very nearly steals the film from both! A thin tale (Broadway writer/star Powell spoofs heiress Carroll in a review, then falls for her) benefits also from the Ritz Brothers' maniacally comic numbers; a great opportunity to view Darryl Zanuck's reality 'grounded' approach to production numbers, as well as 22-year-old Faye's beauty, sauciness, and sexy contralto singing voice...4 stars (out of Five)

"Lillian Russell" (1940): 25-year-old Faye, now Hollywood's box office champ, in a big, fanciful, loving musical biopic of America's first female superstar. Supported by four of Hollywood's best leading men (Henry Fonda, Don Ameche, Edward Arnold, and Warren William) as the loves of her life, Faye imbues Russell with charm, sexiness, and an endearing innocence...5 stars (out of Five)

"That Night in Rio" (1941): Although Faye was exhausted during filming, she still looked breathtaking in this Technicolor musical. A slight tale, of Ameche (in dual roles) as an American entertainer hired to imitate a lookalike Brazilian Baron, the film lights up whenever Carmen Miranda appears on screen; Faye shines as the Baron's neglected wife. Best remembered as the basis of the Danny Kaye musical remake, "On the Riviera"...3 1/2 stars (out of Five)

"The Gang's All Here" (1943): Last of Faye's 'Golden Age' musicals, this legendary film is a Busby Berkeley extravaganza, so expensive that it got him fired from Fox! A wartime tale of showgirl Faye falling for G.I. James Ellison, which Berkeley largely ignored in favor of HUGE, sexually suggestive production numbers featuring Carmen Miranda, scantily-clad women, and giant bananas...This one has to be seen to be believed! 5 stars (out of Five)

A GREAT introduction to the career of a magnificent star!




August 18, 2008

Movies are lots of fun and music

After watching the Goldigger movies with Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler and great set & numbers done by Bugsby Berkley and enjoying Nelson Eddy and Jeanette Macdonald movies that are bursting with Musical numbers and romantic songs i was pleasantly surprised by the work of Alice Faye presented in these movies. Her singing is different than other and that difference makes them fun to watch. Extras are great and you can feel and see how hard the movies were on Alice.
So much music, so much talent.
April 18, 2008

BETTY GRABLES DVD SALES ARE BOX OFFICE DYNAMITE

Betty Grables dvd has had great sales for 20thfox if it wern,t for grable's sales this alice faye collection would not have been released.
Alice is wonderfull but in terms of box office , in terms of box office grable was audited as the 2nd most succsefull female star in the history of motion pictures (doris day was 1st) ten consecutive years in the top ten box office stars a feat no other star has matched! yes i,m a grable fan and yes i like faye aswell! as i said earlier the grable box set sold extrmely well (without much promotion) . April 4, 2008

Alice Faye is a wonderful singer and comedienne....

You will not find a lot more entertainment anywhere....Alice is
Always lovely...and always delightful. My favorites were: "That Night in Rio" and "Weekend in Havana"....but...if you enjoy light entertainment performed to perfection...there is not a greater practitioner than Alice. In addition, you will get Carmen Miranda at
her best and you may hear Benny Goodman sing. Carmen Miranda's most
famous (infamous?) number "The Lady in the Tutti Fruitti Hat" is in one of the films included....having THAT to run on a dark rainy afternoon
is nearly worth the cost of this collection by itself. September 30, 2007

LOVELY ALICE

There has been some dialogue about the disappointing color of THE GANG'S ALL HERE. All I had to do was press the tint and color buttons on my remote, and the color was gorgeous and astonishing as only Fox musicals are. Don't take this movie seriously - - just sit back and enjoy one of the most colorful, fast-moving, and entertaining musicals of the forties with so many of our favorite performers. The production numbers are astounding! Alice was never more beautiful than in LILLIAN RUSSELL. The closeup for Blue Lovebird with the black background against her blonde beauty takes your breath away. Lillian does get somewhat bogged down in the last half, especially with the boring Weber and Fields routine, but it is a sumptuous picture and very enjoyable. ON THE AVENUE is definitely Alice's film. Her rendition of This Year's Kisses can't be beat. The Ritz Brothers had talent, but it was never controlled and went over the top much too often. Alice gets a little feisty in this picture, and she's a kick. Faye, Miranda and Ameche are all very good in THAT NIGHT IN RIO. The story is really delightful with Don playing a dual role. Alice looks sexy and smashing. Miranda was at her best in That Night in Rio, Week-end in Havana, and The Gang's All Here (the three films in which she appeared with Faye). She was a delight until she became a caricature of herself in later films (even going blonde).

All in all a very satisfying package showcasing one of the foremost and loveliest singing actresses in the history of Hollywood. August 24, 2007

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