The Charlie Chan Chanthology (The Secret Service / The Chinese Cat / The Jade Mask / Meeting at Midnight / The Scarlet Clue / The Shanghai Cobra)

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Though the Charlie Chan film franchise has earned brickbats for its casting of Caucasian actors as the Asian sleuth, the movies have retained popularity among aficionados of '40s-era B-crime pictures, and the six-disc Charlie Chan Chanthology, all featuring Sidney Toler as Chan, should please that crowd. The Missouri-born Toler starred in 11 Chan pictures for Fox before purchasing the rights to the character from creator Earl Derr Biggers's widow and bringing it to budget studio Monogram, where he starred in 11 more Chans before his death in 1947 (Roland Winters replaced him in six more features until 1949). At Monogram, Chan became a Secret Service Agent (a move calculated to cut down on exotic locations and sets), and comedy was integrated into the plots via Mantan Moreland's chauffeur Birmingham Brown; Benson Fong also joined the cast as Number Three Son Tommy, with occasional appearances by daughter Frances (Frances Chan) and son Eddie (Edwin Luke, brother of Keye Luke, who played Number One Son Lee in the Fox Chans).

Other than that, the six films collected here (the first six Chans for Monogram, and all but five directed by Phil Rosen) are largely indistinguishable from one another save for the murder victims and their demises. In The Secret Service, Chan investigates the death of a wartime inventor; a San Francisco socialite expires in The Chinese Cat; daughter Frances is involved in the murder of a psychic in Meeting at Midnight (a.k.a. Black Magic); another government scientist is killed in The Jade Mask, and death by remote control is the focus of The Scarlet Clue. Director Phil Karlson (Kansas City Confidential) adds some noirish atmosphere to The Shanghai Cobra, which has bank employees dying from apparent snakebites. Dated and controversial as they may be, the Chan films are engaging diversions for vintage mystery fans. No extras are featured in the set. --Paul Gaita

Description

Disc 1: CHARLIE CHAN IN THE SECRET SERVICE Disc 2: THE CHINESE CAT Disc 3: THE JADE MASK Disc 4: MEETING AT MIDNIGHT Disc 5: THE SCARLET CLUE Disc 6: THE SHANGHAI COBRA

Customer Reviews:

Marketing over Matter.......2007-08-15

I've seen this boxed set many times, prominently featured in a chain bookstore. Thank goodness I bought it used: it's expensive at half the price.

MGM has given us six Charlie Chans from Monogram, three from 1944, three from 1945, each running slightly more than an hour. Each is on a separate disk, with scene selection and subtitles, but nothing more.

All six feature the reliable Sidney Toler and the consistently entertaining Mantan Moreland. Benson Fong appears in three as No. 3 Son Tommy Chan. The rest of the actors are mostly tried-and-true, long-lived career bit and character actors like Al Bridge (perennial cowboy), Gene Roth (perennial heavy), Cyril Delevanti (perennial butler), and George Chandler (perennial comic working stiff).

All six films are written by George Callahan, an inept, "Swiss cheese" writer: plots full of holes. Five of the six are directed by Phil Rosen, who started out as a cameraman for Edison and never did progress beyond the "filmed stage play" phase of cinema history.

The prints are all good quality visually, though a couple of them do not always track steadily. Monogram is responsible for dark scenes being consistently underlit. (One film, "Black Magic," is marketed under its TV title "Meeting at Midnight," which, an imposed subtitle tells us, was the "original title.")

The best film in the set is "The Shanghai Cobra." The director is Phil Karlson, best known for Kansas City Confidential (1952), the Phenix City Story (1955), and Walking Tall (1973). He brings a noir sensibility to the visualization, and he uses locations often and effectively (the other films are almost entirely studio-bound).

I get the strong feeling that writer Callahan needed and took strong guidance from those around him. Thus, the McGuffin in "Shanghai Cobra" is a cache of radium, not the usual jewels or war plans; the film has, uniquely, a romantic duo and a flashback. In "The Jade Mask" Al Bridge delivers more country corn than Toler ever did Confucius. The weakest of the six films, "The Scarlet Clue," is redeemed only by Mantan Moreland's "mindreading act" with fellow vaudevillian Ben Carter.

(In my library I have an old playscript entitled "The Haunted House: An Ethiopian Entertainment." Be aware that much of Moreland's comedy is of that ilk. Be aware also that he was a talented entertainer, well worth watching for that--often the only entertainment on the screen at all.)

Let me close by admitting that, having seen most of these films in the distant past, I didn't watch any of them continuously, but kept stopping and starting the show. The only way I could find them interesting was by referring constantly to the Internet Movie Data Base, reading cast lists and actors' credits. These films are typical Poverty Row product.

Not great--just very entertaining.......2007-07-05

These Sidney Toler Charlie Chans move well-- good dialogue-humor is well done--Sometimes a bit too stereotypical--but it's easy to see why these movies were so popular in their day. All in all they hold up better than I would have expected. Most enjoyable.

charlie chan chanthology.......2007-07-04

Wonderful! Just what I remember it being when I was young....If you remember the Chan mystery series then this is the one, Charlie Chan's children are in these series. The Dvd's came on time and couldn't wait to watch them..my teenage son came home and started watching with me, he was entranced and we had a marathon and watched all of them. Great product!

Charlie is my hero.......2007-07-03

This vendor responded to my purchase very quickly. Well-packaged, no damage. I'm in Chan heaven. Charlie Chan rocks!

Warner Oland, Why Did You Die?.......2007-06-27

These Chan films are from the Monogram series, long after the series, which had begun so brilliantly with Warner Oland at 20th Century Fox 10 or more years earlier, had fizzled. Fox dropped it after a handful of Sidney Toler films (which aren't available yet on DVD). Supposedly Toler bought the rights to the name Charlie Chan from the widow of author/creator Earl Derr Biggers and then sold himself and the rights to Monogram. The films suffer terribly. Toler is a tired old man in ersatz oriental makeup, and cheap, boring, repetitious "comedy" relief is provided in extremis by Mantan Moreland as a cliché blabbering, superstitious black lackey. The stories are so-so, but whatever values there may be are undermined by those two main stars. Benson Fong, as Number Three Son, is generally good -- charming though not so enthusiastic as Keye Luke -- but most of the time he has to play opposite Moreland or, in one pathetic film, a Chinese actress named Frances Chan as his sister of the same name...and she couldn't act her way out of a wet paper bag.

There are two more Warner Oland Chan movies that have yet to make it to DVD. It would be nice if Fox would release those along with the early Toler films. But forget these Monogram pot boilers.

Average customer rating:

Among the Best of the "Monogram" Chans--But That Isn't Saying Much
Classic Charlie Chan
One of Toler's Best Performances as Charlie Chan
Cobra Venom Is The Weapon
By Far The Best Monogram Chan movie

Charlie Chan in The Shanghai Cobra
Starring: Sidney Toler , Mantan Moreland , Benson Fong , James Cardwell , and Joan Barclay
Director: Phil Karlson
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B00020X870
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Description

From the director of Kansas City Confidential and The Silencers comes this universal Chan mystery. Containing a number of film noir elements unique to the series (such as a weary young detective, stark urban sets and a grown-up romance), The Shanghai Cobra is one of the most striking Chans of all! Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is called to investigate a strange and complicated series of mysterious murders by cobra venom. Soon Charlie, Number Three Son Tommy (Benson Fong) and ever-present assistant Birmhingham Brown are on the trail of an escaped con from Shanghai who's out to rob a government vault of its valuable contents: highly toxic radium!

Customer Reviews:

Among the Best of the "Monogram" Chans--But That Isn't Saying Much.......2007-06-21

Loosely based on novels by Earl Derr Biggers, 20th Century Fox's Charlie Chan series proved an audience favorite--but when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor the studio feared audiences would turn against its Asian hero. This was a miscalculation: actor Sidney Toler took the role to "poverty row" Monogram Studios, where he continued to portray the character in eleven more films made between 1944 and his death in 1947.

20th Century Fox had regarded the Chan films as inexpensive "B" movies, but even so the studio took considerable care with them: the plots were often silly, but the pace was sharp, the dialogue witty, and the casts (which featured the likes of Bela Lugosi and Ray Milland) always expert. The result was a kindly charm which has stood the test of time. Monogram was a different matter: Chan films were "B" movies plain and simple. Little care was taken with scripts or cast and resulting films were flat, mediocre at best, virtually unwatchable at worst.

Thanks to an adequate cast and a few interesting plot devices, THE SHANGHAI COBRA is among the best of the Monogram-made Chan films--but even so it barely manages to acheive a consistent mediocrity. In this particularly entry, Chan (Sidney Toler) is called upon to investigate a murderer who kills with what appears to be a cobra-like bite; at the same time, he decides to make certain that a government supply of radium tucked away in a bank vault, of all places, remains secure. Do these two seemingly unrelated plot lines come together? Well... could be!

Sidney Toler is always enjoyable as Chan, but most of his Monogram performances seemed "phoned in"--and that is as true of COBRA as it is of any Monogram Chan film. As usual, the really enjoyable performer is Mantan Mooreland. Changing times have led us to look upon Moreland's brand of comedy as demeaning to African-Americans, but he was an expert actor and comic, and taken within the context of what was possible for a black actor in the 1940s his work has tremendous charm and innocence.

Fans of the 20th Century Fox series are likely to find Monogram's Chan a significant disappointment and newcomers who like the Monogram films will probably consider them third-rate after encountering the Fox films. Like other Monogram Chan films, THE SHANGHAI COBRA is best left to determined collectors. Three stars, and that's being generous.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Classic Charlie Chan.......2007-01-04

Wonderfully written and acted by Sidney Toler. A great movie for all Charlie Chan fans.

One of Toler's Best Performances as Charlie Chan.......2005-03-18

Obviously the Chan movies made at Monogram could never compare to those made at Fox with Warner Oland, but of these, The Shanghai Cobra is one of the best. Several employees of a bank have been murdered by a killer dubbed "The Cobra Killer" for his use of cobra venom in dispatching his enemies. Chan is called in to solve the murders.

Director Phil Karlson really gets the most out of the limited budget he had to work with and this film looks much better than most Monogram films with better production values and superior acting. The mystery is also very well done and keeps your interest in trying to figure out who the murderer is. Benson Fong and the always enjoyable Mantan Moreland provide the comic relief as #3 son Tommy Chan and Birmingham Brown respectively. Moreland brings life to every role he is in.

As a kid I would love staying up late and watching these with my dad who was a huge fan. We watched several together when Turner Classic was running them a couple of years ago or so and I was so disappointed when they decided to pull them off the air. These were always very entertaining.

Cobra Venom Is The Weapon.......2002-08-26

The killer uses venom from a cobra to eliminate his victims in this film. Sidney Toler plays Chan and the cast includes Benson Fong as Tommie Chan and Manton Moreland in the role of Birmingham Brown. Fong and Moreland are really quite good as a comic team. George Callahan and George Wallace Sayre handle the screen play. THE SHANGHAI COBRA is one of the better entries in the Chan series.

By Far The Best Monogram Chan movie.......2002-02-11

"The Shanghai Cobra" is my favorite of the Monogram Charlie Chans. It is beautifully atmospheric in the opening scenes, and I think Phil Karlson, the director (his first of two Chan outings, the other being "Dark Alibi" [1946]which is also worth watching)adds alot of these great effects, making it an enjoyable mystery that will keep you guessing. The comedy in this entry is superb with a wordplay gag about "u-turns" running all through the film. The sets and the noticable shadows and darkness make it almost like a "film noir" movie. Some action takes place in the sewers below the bank that they are doing investigations in(more darkness.)I also enjoyed the "flashback" when they showed Charlie Chan in his visit to Shanghai in '36 and '37. A fun film, a good mystery, and atmospheric at the same time, I would recommend this film highly to any Charlie Chan fan. Excuse, Please...

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Black Cobra will not disappoint!!!
haven't seen this copy but I have seen the film
JUST ANOTHER ACTION FLICK; 2.5 STARS
"I don't know anything about fashion"...true dat
Wow....

Black Cobra Woman
Starring: Jack Palance , Laura Gemser , Gabriele Tinti , Michele Starck , and Ziggy Zanger
Director: Joe D'Amato
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ASIN: B0001MMFNM
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Customer Reviews:

Black Cobra will not disappoint!!!.......2005-01-17

This movie is awesome! I got it at the drug store down the road for 4.99! (An awesome deal) I liked it so much I decided to Google it and ended up here. If you like really cool "B" Italian action movies, likable good guys, and "hardcore" bad guys than Black Cobra is a must own. The story is great! Detective Malone (Fred Williamson) must protect a female fashion photographer from the ruthless Black Cobra biker gang and their indestructible leader Snake (Karl Landgren), after she sees them kill her neighbor. This results in a lot of cool action including various show downs with the Malone and the Cobras in different settings. Add cool poppy 80's music, "Dad this is the A-HA!!" and a cool funny ladies man side kick for Malone, and you get a one really enjoyable action movie. The climaxes are great too, especially when Malone and his buddy have to rescue the chief's daughter from the Cobras in the abandoned parking lot. Oh and the closing theme song is rrrrrreally cool. Happy Happy Italian 80's pop rock! "Take me to Ameeeerica!" I give this the highest rating I possible can!
And I'm not the only one who enjoyed this movie they're 2 more Black Cobra movies (AKA Cobra Nero 1-3). I got the Legacy entertainment version DVD. It preserved the original film and sound quality which is a big plus, and had nice menu music. On a technical note, the volume was a little separate, but if you turn your TV up its fine, it's not too loud and you can hear everything.
Legacy is great, it get all my kung fu, and action pics from them. If you looking for cool Bruce Lee clone movies Legacy is great. And Black Cobra maybe the best DVD I have from Legacy.

haven't seen this copy but I have seen the film.......2004-11-19

Other reviews on here say this is a bad copy. That's too bad.
All three Black Cobra flicks are fun vehicles for Fred "The Hammer" Williamson fans who dig this sort of thing. There's a better deal for Black Cobra and Williamson fans here on Amazon: check out the Strike of the Black Cobra DVD with all 3 Black Cobra flicks for six bucks and some change! Great deal Amazon!

JUST ANOTHER ACTION FLICK; 2.5 STARS.......2004-09-11

A COP [FRED WILLIAMSON] IS HIRED TO PROTECT A YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER FROM A VERY MURDEROUS MOTORCYCLE GANG. THIS POORLY FILMED ACTIONER IS YOUR USUAL ACTION FLICK. BUT, IT IS OCCASIONALLY FUN TO WATCH. AT LEAST THERE IS SOME GOOD ACTION AND THERE IS SOME COOL VILLAINS. THOUGH THIS IS QUITE FAR FROM BEING A GOOD MOVIE, IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN ONE WOULD MOST LIKELY EXPECT. FANS OF FRED WILLIAMSON WILL MOST LIKELY ENJOY THIS. IF THIS FILM ONLY HAD A BETTER SCRIPT AND SOME BETTER ACTING, THIS MIGHT'VE BEEN A MUCH BETTER MOVIE. SHOCKINGLY, THIS MANAGED TO SPAWN TWO SEQUELS.

"I don't know anything about fashion"...true dat.......2004-01-07

I find it funny that the movie sells here for [money], when I can pick it up at Wal-Mart for [money] Canadian here, and it's still not worth it. And judging by the previous review, the DVD quality probably isn't any worse. The picture was extremely dark and grainy, and looked like it was shot in the early 70's rather than the late 80's. The music was of ok quality, but didn't really suit the movie well in my opinion. But then again, I was expecting blaxploitation, which despite the title, really had nothing to do with that genre at all. Plus the voices were of very low volume when compared to the music, so I found myself turning the volume way up to hear the speech, then way down when the music came blaring in all of a sudden. As far as the voices themselves, the lip synching was horrible; I felt as if I was watching an old asian kung-fu flick. I guess if there was any saving grace for this movie, it was just how bad the actual acting and story were; almost laughable, which was what kept me from giving this movie a 1. I'm a big fan of B-movies, so I can forgive alot the predicable and often retarded things I saw in Black Cobra. But the DVD quality alone is enough for me to not recommend this movie. Plus Black Cobra is ... whipped, the Zombies biker gang are laughably un-tough, and you only get to see one boob.

Wow...........2003-10-30

Well the first things first, this DVD wouldnt play on my dvd player. Second, when i got it to play on my computer the sound quiality was so terrible that I had to turn it off. The was something that made the DVD have extreemly distorted sound. Also this movie looks like it was made in the 70's as a rip off of shaft.

Description

The legendary silent screen lover Rudolph Valentino as a passionate Count. Beleaguered by women in his native land, a promiscuous Italian Count, Rodrigo Torriani (Valentino) escapes to New York to work for an elegant antiques dealer. The ambitious young man cannot suppress the Don Giovanni within himself and is soon embroiled in a new series of romantic entanglements--until his best friend's new wife captures him in her Cobra-like gaze. Now, he will sacrifice all for one woman.

Customer Reviews:

Underrated and heartbreaking.......2005-03-09

This really is one of those underrated things that you can't honestly or accurately judge or rate after just one experience. Something underrated, be it a film, book, or album, really needs to be given at least one more listen, viewing, or reading before it begins to grow on you and you can fully appreciate and like it. It's not one of those things whose instantaneous greatness hits you in the face the first time you see it. It's also a rare stroke of luck that the original print of this film was in practically picture-perfect condition and looks as good today as it must have back in 1925. I think a lot of biographers and critics tend to dismiss this film because it is so underrated, not something you can fully process after viewing it just once. You miss a lot of little things if you don't go back and see it again before casting your final judgment upon it. And, despite being a satisfying and well-told story, complete with very genuine and sincere and emotional body language and facial expressions (I agree with the other reviewers who mentioned that not only do you see every emotion, but you can feel it too, sometimes quite painfully), a lot of the things that made this a hit play when it was being performed onstage before being translated into a film version just aren't here. Blame whomever or whatever you want for this, but a number of events important to the plotline happen off-camera, and thus the plot or story might not feel as developed or smoothly-paced to some people. Everyone is great in this; they all did an excellent job with the material and how certain parts of the plot they could only do so much with because of how the Count's love affairs and fight scenes in the original play had to take place off-camera. And what happens at the end completely breaks my heart; you can just feel how much pain Rodrigo is in when he realises what he must do, even though it breaks his heart to have to do this.

Since this was never a major film in its own right, the extras are typically very limited, to just brief biographies and filmographies of the major actors in the picture and of Joseph Henabery, who wrote the play on which this film was based. I also was more than just a little upset by the ridiculous amount of time I had to wait for this film, far longer than the average time to ship given on the main page for the product.

A wonderful drama and one of Valentino's best!.......2004-04-30

No doubt everyone has a favourite Rudolph Valentino film for different reasons, and mine is "Cobra". I simply cannot fault this film in any aspect: visually beautiful with perfectly-suited, lovely classical violin music, and perhaps the most emotionally-rivetting acting performance by Valentino I have ever seen. He manages to convey his emotions so powerfully that the viewer can really feel the emotions as well, and therefore relate to the character he plays. Although Valentino was the 1920's greatest heart-throb and has been typecast as a gigolo and ladies' man, his role as a womanizer in "Cobra" is far from the superficial stereotype. The film beautifully portrays a real person struggling with his emotions and predicaments, and in particular when it boils down to loyalty to his best friend. The story has considerable suspense as the viewer gets involved with the characters and their problems, wondering what the outcome will be. There are some twists and turns that the audience might not expect, and which might explain why "Cobra" was something of flop in 1925, but in retrospect this film counts as a shining example of the silent cinema. Add to this superb Valentino performance the role of the sensuous and seductive wife of the best friend, wonderfully played by Nita Naldi, who has played other similar 'vamp' roles. To top it all off, there is the attention to detail in the beautiful sets, thanks to William Cameron Menzies, who also designed the famous Fantasy set for "The Thief of Bagdad", giving "Cobra" a feeling of style and elegance. Overall, an excellent drama with some depth and a morale to think about, as well as simply visually enjoyable.

Fascinating Rudolph Valentino Drama.......2003-07-15

Rudolph Valentino even in the almost eighty years since his death still elicits frenzied discussion from fans all over the world and in this talk frequent mention is made of such Valentino classics as "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", "The Sheik", and "Blood and Sand". Often overlooked is his contemporary drama "Cobra", which I feel displays some of Valentino's most restrained and pleasing work as an actor. Made in the last full year of Rudolph Valentino's life before his tragic early death and totally overshadowed by his highly successful last film "The Son of the Sheik", "Cobra" has a poignant charm about it and shows a more mature Rudy on screen that many people dont know. Rather fittingly in its story it deals with such issues as regret, wasted youth and character redemption which partially had elements drawn from Valentino's real existence at this final stage in his life.

The story of "Cobra", is a simple one and tells the saga of Count Roderigo Torriani (Valentino) a dissolute young Italian aristocrat who spends his life running from one casual love affair to another. The opening scene sees Roderigo dogging the unwelcome wrath of the father of his latest "conquest". In the mix up over being mistaken for Roderigo, Jack Dorning (Casson Ferguson) an American Antique Auctioneer not only saves Roderigo from a all out thrashing but sees potential in the young noblemen and offers him a position with his Antique firm in New York. Travelling to America Roderigo soon finds himself in more hot water with the females and in particular Jack's vampish wife Elise (Nita Naldi). Caught in the snake-like grasp of Elise's cunning Roderigo finds himself for the first time worrying over a moral dilemma of hurting Jack who he loves like a brother. After a moment of temptation Roderigo leaves Elise in the hotel room where the planned seduction was about to take place only to find the next day that Elise has died in a hotel fire and that he was only one of many she brought there for her personal pleasure. Leaving New York for a time Roderigo returns to find that Jack not only was aware of Elise's planned seduction of him , but that he has also partnered with the firm's lovely secretary Mary (Gertrude Olmstead) who Roderigo had also been strongly attracted to for her sincere loving manner. Rather than spoil Jack's happiness a second time Roderigo for the first time in his life shows his developing maturity by spurning Mary's affection and sailing for France to leave Jack and Mary to find happiness together.

"Cobra", has a very sad and touching approach in its storytelling. The ending of the story which I wont reveal the details of for those who haven't seen it yet is very touching and one of the few times when Valentino succeeds in being an object of sympathy on screen. The general level of performances here are wonderful and it remains a mystery why this Valentino performance is not so well known or respected as his more famous great lover roles. Certainly in the beginning his Roderigo is a hopeless lady killer but the reformation of his character as the story progresses shows elements to Rudolph Valentino's acting not revealed before. He is in turn shallow and flighty in the opening sequences and superbly morose and downcast in the final scenes and you can see that alot of thought has gone into developing a logical character progression through the running of the story. Never could Valentino's work in "Cobra", be dismissed as the "nostril flairing, bulbous eyes acting" he was so often accused of practising. I feel it is one of his finest performances. Nita Naldi is very effective as the man eating Elise and her vampish seduction of an almost reluctant Valentino is superbly staged and Naldi earns her place among the 1920's screen vamps. Casson Ferguson and Gertrude Olmstead as Jack and Mary respectively are also good performers in their roles and Ferguson in particular is excellent in his scenes where he learns the truth of his wife's indiscretions. Beautifully filmed in subtle tones of black and white, Kino have done a wonderful job on restoring the print of "Cobra" just as they did when releasing Rudolph Valentino's next and final film "Son of the Sheik". The film also benefits from the expensive look provided by Willian Cameron Menzies elaborate sets and from the first work on screen by the renowned Adrian of later MGM fame who designed the spectacular costumes for the ladies in the story. Of particular note is the elaborate gown worn by Nita Naldi in her great seduction scene of Valentino which is all black with sparkly sequins on it, most fetching indeed.

"Cobra", is a viewing experience to treasure and shows silent movie acting at its most polished and sincere. Rudolph Valentino is wonderful to watch in this less well known performance and it is tragic to think of his death so soon after this film was released. It is he that makes the film an essential part of any silent film lovers collection and one can see that all the interest and affection which is still held for him is entirely justified. Enjoy Rudolph Valentino in his second last film, the stylish "Cobra".

A rare treat.......2002-03-15

This film is a perfect example of why silent films have to be REALLY WATCHED without any distractions. On first viewing, I was not paying full attention and I missed a lot. This movie deserves full attention....to gestures, expressions, mannerisms.
While Rudy may not be quite as physically devastating as in his costumed roles, his acting is the showcase here. And, this makes him even more attractive as a real person. You can feel what he is thinking and going through and he draws you into the story (which is basically a morality tale). And, what he is thinking and going through (even the comedy bits) appear very genuine and--it is the best word--heartfelt. In the scene where he is being tempted to kiss his best friend's wife, just watch the emotion passing across his face....WOW. The rest of the characters are well-cast and the sets and costumes (in one of famous designer, Adrian's, first movies) are fun to see in themselves. But, it is the magic of Rudolph Valentino that makes this movie a rare treat.

A true discovery.......1999-10-12

Several virtues make this atypical Valentino vehicle a true find for silent cinema buffs, Valentino buffs, cinematography buffs, design buffs, and especially those who appreciate restoration for video. Few nitrate-era movies have enjoyed the luck of perfect original-negative preservation plus the intelligence of perfect fidelity in the video transfer. This release is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the "fractured flickers" syndrome, and is a rare indication of the technical and artistic heights gained by Hollywood's silent golden age. For "Cobra," William Cameron Menzies (fresh from Fairbanks' "Thief of Bagdad") created a family of four spacious and picturesque Mediterranean-style sets plus what may be the first art deco set in any movie--a huge and stunning nightclub set that's on screen for less than five minutes. ("Cobra" was released the same year as the Paris exposition that introduced art deco.) Unfortunately, a third of the movie is spent in other, bland sets. Cinematography ranges from intensely picturesque (undoubtedly as conceived and created by the production designer Menzies) to inept. The potentially magnificent look is undermined greatly by mediocre, sometimes awkward or apathetic, direction. Could it be that the budget was quickly consumed and shortcuts were instituted halfway through the production? For once, Valentino (in real life an Italian immigrant gigolo) plays an Italian immigrant gigolo, here named Rodrigo (strangely similar to "Rudolfo"). The character is deliciously ambiguous and has none of the cliches associated with the Valentino image. The performance is probably Valentino's most subtle, detailed and heartfelt. Because of the paralells with the real Valentino and because this was his first independent production, with deatailed and complex characterization, I think the portrayal had strong personal overtones for the actor-producer. All the more interesting because "Cobra" is almost universally dismissed by biographers and film historians as a minor, throwaway project. The narrative begins as a comedy (Rodrigo is a destitute aristocrat in Italy, is a gigolo--the world's worst gigolo) but as he finds true friendship with an American antiques dealer Jack, moves in with him in New York, and gets caught up in a golddigger's (Nita Naldi) machinations, the story ends up a grim soap opera. The confused screenplay is far more interesting in what it suggests than what it delivers. The male characters are richly non-stereotyped, but the women are, alas, either whores or madonnas to the point of a misogynistic tone throughout. The new chamber-orchestral score is appropriate and improves on some of the movie's inconsistency. For variety, I like to play some Respighi selections while viewing. Both for its weaknesses and for its remarkable, outstanding strengths, "Cobra" deserves to be highly recommended.

Dealin Dirty, Black Cobra, Rockin with a Bullet, Black Godfather - 4 Movies

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Dealin Dirty, Black Cobra, Rockin with a Bullet, Black Godfather - 4 Movies
Starring: Various
Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse
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ASIN: B00005QY93
Release Date: 2002-01-22

Extreme Cop Thrillers, Vol. 2: Black Cobra/Maniac Cop

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Extreme Cop Thrillers, Vol. 2: Black Cobra/Maniac Cop
Starring: Bruce Campbell , Richard Roundtree , Tom Atkins , Fred Williamson , and Laura Gemser
Director: Joe D'Amato
Manufacturer: Legacy Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009X76EG
Release Date: 2005-03-02

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INFO..........2007-09-05

MANIAC COP: A demented policeman -- or somebody dressed just like a cop -- is murdering people throughout New York City. Lt. McCrae has been assigned the job of tracking down the maniac. Then, another officer, Jack Forrest, gets framed for the killings. He and his girlfriend, vice cop Theresa Mallory, try to clear his name and find the real murderer. Will they catch the fiend or become his next victims?
Complete Cast:
Tom Atkins - Frank McCrae
Bruce Campbell - Jack Forrest
Laurene Landon - Theresa Mallory
Richard Roundtree - Commissioner Pike
William Smith - Capt. Ripley
Robert Z'Dar - Matt Cordell
Sheree North - Sally Noland
Nina Arvesen - Regina Sheperd (as Nina Aversen)
Nick Barbaro - Councilman
Lou Bonacki - Det. Lovejoy
Barry Brenner - Coroner
Victoria Catlin - Ellen Forrest
Jim Dixon - Clancy
Corey Michael Eubanks - Bremmer
Jill Gatsby - Cassie Phillips
Rocky Giordani - Fowler
John F. Goff - Jack's lawyer (as John Goff)
William J. Gorman - Desk sergeant
Jon Greene - Tactical sergeant
Vic Manni - Jail Guard
Sam Raimi - Parade reporter
Tom Catlin - cool kid
Jenna Towers - uncool kid

BLACK COBRA: Fred Williamson is Detective Robert Malone, a cop who shoots first and answers to no one! A sociopathic biker gang is terrorizing New York City, robbing and viciously murdering anyone who crosses their path. When a beautiful photographer snaps pictures of the gang committing unspeakable acts of violence, she becomes their next target. Assigned to protect her, Detective Malone dishes out his own brand of justice and disposes of the "human garbage." Starring Fred Williamson, Eva Grimaldi, Laura Gemser (Emmanuelle movies), Jack Palance. Directed by Joe D'Amato.

Complete Black Cobra Series ( Black Cobra / Black Cobra 2 / Black Cobra 3: The Manila Connection)

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Complete Black Cobra Series ( Black Cobra / Black Cobra 2 / Black Cobra 3: The Manila Connection)
Starring: Black Cobra 1-3
Manufacturer: Alpha Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000HEVZHG
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Product Description

Action hero Fred Williamson stars as a tough NYPD detective in a triple dose of sex and violence.

History Channel Presents: Operation Desert Storm (2-DVDs Set)

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History Channel Presents: Operation Desert Storm (2-DVDs Set)

Manufacturer: A&E Television Networks
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
Product Features:

2-DVDs set, 150 minutes of informative documentary footage
Examines the new battlefield technologies and extraordinary success of American military, while telling the overall story Iraq's expulsion from Kuwait
Includes three documentaries: (1) Air Campaign, (2) The Ground War, and (3) Final Showdown

ASIN: B000MGWNAC

Product Description

It was the first test for the remade American military, and it was an extraordinary success. In large part, this was due to the effective use of new battlefield technologies. OPERATION DESERT STORM concentrates on this aspect of the conflict while telling the overall story Iraq's expulsion from Kuwait. The Air Campaign chronicles the beginning of the coalition assault and the Tomahawk missies, Stealth bombers, traditional F111 and F5 bombers and Apache and Cobra helicopters which cleared the way for the war on the ground. The Ground War shows how a new generation of tanks, global positioning systems and the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) let the coalition carry out General Schwarzkopf's bold plan in only four days. The Final Showdown revisits the last, desperate efforts by the Republican Guard to stop the coalition advance and the Iraqi destruction of Kuwait's infrastructure and industry.

Bad Azz Muthaz, Vol. 3: Real Soulja/Black Cobra 2/Way of the Black Dragon

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Bad Azz Muthaz, Vol. 3: Real Soulja/Black Cobra 2/Way of the Black Dragon
Starring: Bad Ass Muthaz
Manufacturer: Ground Zero
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002IQDNS
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Description

Black Cobra 2: Fred Williamson stars in this actioner about a tough Chicago cop and an Interpol inspector teamed up for an assignment in the Philippines. Real SoulJa: Starring: Woody Strode. Woody Strode (Spartacus) stars as Mike Martin, a retiring CIA agent who has been persuaded to accept one final mission. His orders are to assassinate a KGB gun runner in Thailand and replace him with a CIA man. Mike soon finds himself in the thick of the action, and before long he knows the names of all the playersand they know his. Way of the Dragon: The Third film in the Black Dragon series stars world Karate Champion Ron Van Clief in the lead role.

4th Armored Division: Invasion of Normandy: Volume VII

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4th Armored Division: Invasion of Normandy: Volume VII
Director: Tyler Alberts
Manufacturer: Combat Reels Inc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Original film Footage of World War II
80% of footage never seen before
Only place to see your favorite division's footage
Watch the true breakout of Normandy

ASIN: B000M51R7I

Product Description

THIS IS NOT A DOCUMENTARY The 4th Armored Division had no nickname, its members felt that 4th Armored was name enough. This unit was one of the follow-up American Armored Divisions used in the invasion of France in early July. The division would land in the Utah Beach sector, and quickly move to support the actions of the VIII Corps attack in the capture of Periers and drive south to Avranches. The contents of this video show the action as was recorded by the 165th and 166th Signal Photo Companies, during this historic operation. The footage in this video is intended to be strictly that of the 4th Armored Division and only shows other unit footage when two or more units are intertwined. This video contains footage covering the time from July 11, 1944, as the division off-loads onto Utah Beach, to July 31, 1944 when the 4th Armored takes advantage of the Operation Cobra break through. Images included on this research video are soldiers of the 4th Armored Division as they come ashore in France. The 4th moves through Montebourg as civilians waive. Troops and tanks of the division move through the Normandy hedgerow country. Vehicles move through the destroyed town of Periers on way to Coutances. General George S. Patton, commander of 3rd Army, makes a brief appearance in the thrust to the south. Finally watch the different Combat Commands strike with infantry divisions in the Breakout of Operation Cobra move through villages in their drive south to Avranches. Enjoy these close up shots of equipment, vehicles, weapons, uniforms, helmet markings, and of the faces of the men themselves on these candid reels of history.

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