Running Time 232 Min
Format: DVD MOVIE
Amazon.com
The DVD releases of SCTV, Kids in the Hall, and In Living Color, made 2004 a banner year for sketch-comedy aficionados. But this three-disc collection of vintage sketches from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour is essential for those with an appreciation for the grand masters. We come to praise Caesar, not to bury him. This was the golden age of live television, and these were the shows to which comedy writers aspired. Caesar's dream team included (though not at the same time) Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Selma Diamond, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, and Neil and Danny Simon. The Sid Caesar Collection is a treasure trove of sketches, representative of the "knowledge, technique, and taste" of the show's creators: domestic sketches ("Nan Hires a Maid," "The White Rug"), spoofs ("Bullet Over Broadway," "German U Boat 749"), and pantomime ("Grieg Piano Concerto," "Pantomime Cocktail Party").
One reason why these sketches, some more than 50 years old, hold up so well, is Caesar's credo that "People are more interesting than things." The best sketches are universal, human comedy. In "Nan Hires a Maid," the writers meticulously establish wife Nanette Fabray's frustration with husband Sid's sloppiness, so when Sid comes home from work, we anxiously await to see him carelessly discard his clothes around the room, and for dutiful Nanette to explode, which she does "just so." Anything could happen on live television. Check out the "Bus Station" sketch, in which commuter Sid can be glimpsed wearing sandals he did not have time to change from a previous gladiator sketch. Other memorable sketches include "Toy Band" (which echoes the intricate teamwork of the Your Show of Shows classic, "The Clock") and "Bullets Over Broadway," which may have inspired the Boss Hijack sketches in the Caesar homage, My Favorite Year. In between the sketches, cast members and writers affectionately recall working with each other, and creating this classic comedy. Each DVD includes bonus sketches. Caesar also provides illuminating commentary on selected sketches. --Donald Liebenson
Customer Reviews:
Laugh, Laugh, Laugh.......2007-06-08
It was the best of times for television. If ever life seems unfair this collection will keep you laughing for a long time. Give this collection to anyone young or old and they will thank you forever.
A "must own" for fans who have already purchased the 1st collection.......2005-09-18
Not as uproariously funny as the 1st collection of 18 legendary episodes, but still far above most anything seen that is called comedy on television today. Here is a real master in the mold of Chaplain, Keating and, yes, the Marx Brothers.
Still Waiting For The YSOS Complete Seasons.......2004-12-14
Your Show Of Shows was a ground-breaking series, although what's left of it is admittedly in kinescope-type quality rather than good I Love Lucy film quality. But still, unless you can get these current releases at a great discount, I'll recommend that everyone wait until YSOS finally comes out on Complete Seasons DVDs.
That is because when it comes to a giant of comedy like the mighty Caesar, verily it shall be worth thy wait!
Before Saturday Night Live there was Your Show of Shows.......2004-08-25
This has to be what must have inspired Saturday Night Live. Only with this one the episodes are funnier. Even if you eliminate the time factor here...this show was produced in the fifties..it's still holds up as a great show that's actually funny to watch the second time around. That was the great thing about Sid Ceasar...if you notice his samurai skits were stolen from none other than John Belusi of Saturday Night Live. If you get the chance to see any of these classics watch Sid's impression of the japanese samuri and Belusi's...this is where he got his inspiration....
Average customer rating:
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The Best of Sid Caesar
Starring:
Sid Caesar ,
Imogene Coca ,
Carl Reiner ,
Howard Morris , and
Jack Russell (III)
Director:
Nat Hiken ,
Max Liebman , and
Clark Jones
Manufacturer: New Video Group
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Jonathan Winters: Rare and Riotous
ASIN: B000FBFZ2W
Release Date: 2006-06-27 |
Customer Reviews:
Live TV.......2007-08-22
This is a great DVD. The skits are from start to finish, not just a few seconds. When you see the list of writers from this show, you will be shocked. This was real TV, not reality TV.
Average customer rating:
- simply not well made movie
- Viewers Spies on Mata Kristel Abilities!
- Sylvia OH Sylvia
- Cut Version
- Sylvia Kristel Rules!!
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Mata Hari
Starring:
Sylvia Kristel ,
Christopher Cazenove ,
Oliver Tobias ,
Gaye Brown , and
Gottfried John
Director:
Curtis Harrington
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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Emmanuelle 4
ASIN: B00094AS04
Release Date: 2005-07-26 |
Description
Sylvia Kristel (Emmanuelle) stars as the legendary spy Mata Hari in this torrid World War I tale of deception, desire and double agents. Based on a true story, Mata Hari follows a Dutch-Javanese exotic dancer's foray into intelligence gathering, first for Germany and then for France. Whether working Berlin, Paris or Madrid, this fabled beauty's powers of seduction will change the fate of nations. Mata Hari. Her name means "Eyes of the Dawn," but her loyalties are less clear. When she takes two former friendsnow on opposite sides of the waras lovers, she finds herself a pawn in the dangerous world of cat-and-mouse espionage. As the stakes grow higher, and the wargrows deadlier, her guilt torments her. But if she risks everything to save the man she loves, who will save Mata Hari?
Customer Reviews:
simply not well made movie.......2007-05-14
Few words can to describe this movie: satire pron of Greta's great movie
Viewers Spies on Mata Kristel Abilities!.......2006-06-01
As I say in my Amazon's AYA page I'm a history buff and thought this film will show some interesting issues of the mysterious life of spies.
Well... it doesn't.
The film show some interesting issues of Sylvia Kristel abilities, but for watching her aptitudes at her best you must see "Emmanuelle" saga.
If you want to see some verisimilar tale about Mata Hari you should refer to two of the previous versions: "Mata Hari" (1931) starring unforgettable Greta Garbo and Ramon Novarro or "Mata Hari" (1964) starring Jeanne Moreau and Jean-Louis Tringtignant.
The present movie is sub-par in every item you may choose to evaluate.
Skip it!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
Sylvia OH Sylvia.......2005-10-28
Sex screen legend Syliva Kristel stars as the (in)famous legendary spy around the time of World War 1 (1914-1918). Masquerading as an exotic dancer, she gathers intelligence information for the Germans and later for the French. Sylvia Kristel's steamy sequences with stars Christopher Cazenove and Oliver Tobias are reason alone to buy this DVD. Recommended.
Cut Version.......2005-04-28
This DVD contains the cut version.Beware from that DVD.Some hot scenes are cut.For example in the edited version sex scene between Cristopher Casenova and Sylvia Kristel is longer.He kisses her va... .Censoured version omits that scene.Scene is also very long.All "R" rated versions are cut.
Sylvia Kristel Rules!!.......2004-07-30
The beautiful,sexy Sylvia Kristel rules in this wonderful movie of mystery and intrigue.It's a must see!!
Amazon.com
Who was Greta Garbo? For a while the greatest of all movie stars, then a celebrated recluse, always "the mysterious lady," Garbo purred, "I want to be alone," and people took her at her word. Of course, the real Garbo is actually the "reel" Garbo, the silvery, suffering creature on the movie screen--the way the light caught her eyes, and the way she slithered around in silk. There are other Garbo films to be seen, but Garbo: The Signature Collection is the essential Garbo, the alpha and omega for fans and beginners. This 10-disc package collects seven of her MGM sound pictures, three silents, and the Turner Classic Movies documentary Garbo, which gives a good career overview and warm testimony from friends and relatives (although more critical perspective on her talent would have been welcome). Some extras and commentaries are mixed in.
The Garbo Silents disc features Flesh and the Devil, one of her sizzling box-office duets with John Gilbert; The Temptress, a wild number with Garbo as a man-killer who follows Antonio Moreno to the plains of Argentina; and The Mysterious Lady, a tight spy picture with Garbo as a Russian agent seducing the susceptible Conrad Nagel. When Garbo finally talked it was headline news, and if Anna Christie has aged a bit, the star's sultry enunciation of "Gimme a visky" retains its historic punch. (The disc includes a German-language version of the film shot at the same time.)
Mata Hari continues the exotic storytelling of Garbo's silent years, as she does an eye-popping turn as the famous German spy. Grand Hotel casts her as a tired, tired ballet dancer, in a star-studded MGM project that played on her public image as aloof and mysterious. The movie was a box-office smash and took the Best Picture Oscar for 1932, and still stands as a glittery gem of the studio system. Under the sympathetic direction of Rouben Mamoulian in Queen Christina, Garbo flourishes in a tale of a Swedish royal who escapes the grind by disguising herself as a boy. She insisted that John Gilbert--his career in tatters and his life near its end--be her leading man. Garbo rarely seemed more spot-on, and the film's final grand adoration of her is justifiably famous.
Anna Karenina is Garbo's second crack at the Tolstoy heroine, after the silent Love. It's a throbbing performance, even if the movie itself is one of those MGM productions that seems to doze under all its finery and respectability. Camille is scrumptious costume tragedy, with Robert Taylor as co-star and George Cukor as director. Finally, Ernst Lubitsch's Ninotchka (you know--"Garbo Laughs") is a bubbly comedy of frosty Sovietism meeting the champagne pleasures of Paris. Garbo retired two years, ending her reign but keeping the enigma intact. --Robert Horton
Description
Includes the best known films from a timeless and alluring actress of the 1920s and 1930s whose enigmatic beauty in a series of MGM silent films catapulted her to international movie stardom.
DVD Features:
Additional Scenes:THE DIVINE WOMAN: Surviving 9-Minute Excerpt of This Lost 1928 Silent
Alternate endings:Alternate Ending on The Temptress
Audio Commentary:Commentary on Flesh and the Devil by Garbo Author Barry Paris; The Temptress by Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy Author Mark A. Vieira; Mysterious Lady by Film Historians Tony Maietta and Jeffrey Vance
Documentaries:TCM ARCHIVES: GARBO - New Feature-Length Documentary Exclusive to This Set!
Featurette:SETTLING THE SCORE - Goes Behind the Scenes of the TCM Young Film Composers Competition and the Scoring of Notable Silent Movies
Photo gallery:Garbo's Silent Years at MGM
Theatrical Trailer
Customer Reviews:
Good collection but spotty extras and some poor prints.......2007-09-08
This collection of Garbo films is a more economical of obtaining these films if you want them but it is a little disappointing as a package. The positives are obvious - a good selection of Garbo's best films, a good documentary about her career and some excellent commentaries on the Silents. The disappointing aspect is that so many of the prints, especially the talkies, are poor. "Queen Christina", "Camille" and "Ninotchka", maybe her best films, warrant restoration. "Anna Karenina" does not even contain a complete print. There are no commentaries for the talkies either, just some theatrical trailers.
big collection but a lot of unnecessary shelf space.......2007-07-23
This is an impressive set, by far the most economical way to get all of these movies in one place. Since Garbo made so few films in her career, this is an excellent way to get a survey of her filmography, from her first silent MGM films to her later talkies.
My only real complaint is that he contents are not as filling as the overwhelming size of this giant cube of a package would imply. Aside from the movies, we only get commentaries on the silent films; on Camille, we get the original silent version starring Nazimova and Valentino; Anna Christie includes the German language version, and Grand Hotel has the most extras on a disc. Queen Christina, Anna Karenina, Mata Hari, and Ninotchka have nothing more than a trailer for extra features, and the Garbo documentary takes up a whole disc by itself. Not that I expect Warner to load each DVD with unrelated content (although i have no objections to their "night at the movies" features), but what's really surprising is what's missing from each DVD that could have been included. After all, it's not like Garbo hadn't already made a silent version of Anna Karenina with John Gilbert called Love that could have been included on that disc.
In summary, the movies and features just seem to be spread thin across 9 discs, the result is a set that takes up more space than is really necessary. To put into perspective, the TCM Lon Chaney Collection also included 3 films with commentaries, as well as a documentary; this set could have easily consolidated those discs just the same.
With no other historical context, it would not be recommended to buy these DVDs separate from this set, especially if one was unfamiliar with Greta Garbo.
Garbo movie collection.......2007-07-19
It was a present for my wife who just loved the gift. What more can I say. The shipping was fast and it arrived in perfect condition.
at last.... here she is - in full splendour:-).......2007-02-18
I`ve grown up with Garbo... Ever since I was a child, Swedish television has indeed appreciated her legacy and I`ve witnessed all the sound films mentioned here:
To my mind, what makes Garbo great is her wonderful sphinx face... and her melancholy, sad remarks... When called upon hysterics and outburts, she is painfully amateurish...
That goes for ANNA CHRISTIE, GRAND HOTEL, CONQUEST, AS YOU DESIRE ME.... In CAMILLE, NINOTCHKA and TWO-FACED WOMAN she shows us the actress, a girl who DID posseess nuances... method acting....
And never more so that in the silent FLESH AND THE DEVIL 1926.
In it she is a man-eater, a sultress, a she-devil and she she in only limited when call upon a confrontation scene with Lars Hanson`s sister...
The film has wonderful closeups of its three stars and the subject remains as fresh as it did in 1926. The scenes in the snow and how she seduces John Gilbert is quite good and I must say - FLESH AND THE DEVIL is still quite watchable even today.
To me the friendship between Gilbert and Hanson is a homosexual one and when Garbo falls through the ice - the men are seen embracing each other - and free of that devil Felicitas.
Their intense friendship fools no one in 2007, but 80 years ago it must have...
Garbo is only 21 in the film, but shows a mature display of acting and womanhood - no wonder the world fell for her and the same goes for the sound MATA HARI...
Garbo is the face!!! The face is the place!!!.......2007-01-27
Magnificent set with a lot of extras. The silent films have commentaries and this whole set is a great tribute to (THE FACE). Garbo is so magnetic on the screen. I was just so astounded by her beauty and her acting ability. I bought it because I saw The Temptress on TCM. After seeing it I had to see more. There is just something about Garbo that words cannot say. The TCM disc about her life was so good. It's hard to believe,however understandable, that she just walked away. What a loss to the screen. Barry Paris and Mark Veira have wonderful biographies available which explain her life story. I was just blown away like never before by the silents Temptress,Flesh and the Devil and Mysterious Lady. Camille is the story of Verdi's La Traviata. Anna Karenina is a period piece film of a Russian. Anna Christie is Garbo's first talkie. It takes 16 minutes before you hear the first ever line from her(Give me a Visky). Grand Hotel is loaded with stars such as the Barrymores and Joan Crawford in what may be her first movie. Mata Hari the spy and Ninotchka the Russian diplomat. You just can't get enough of Garbo and you will never get tired of watching her. Buy it before it goes out of print.
Average customer rating:
- Fantasy Love Story
- Typical Garbo elevating a mediocre film
- simply a solemn interpretation
- Not really great, but worth watching
- When youth sings, old men stay home and pay the piper.
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Mata Hari
Starring:
Greta Garbo ,
Ramon Novarro ,
Lionel Barrymore ,
Lewis Stone , and
C. Henry Gordon
Director:
George Fitzmaurice
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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| ( A )
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| ( B )
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| ( E )
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Anna Karenina (1935)
ASIN: B0009S4IJ2
Release Date: 2005-09-06 |
Amazon.com essential video
She's a household name that conjures up international intrigue and wartime espionage, predatory sexuality and fatal passion. So how is it that none of the several movies titled Mata Hari is very satisfying? This Greta Garbo vehicle is much less interesting than the 1931 Sternberg-Dietrich film Dishonored (whose doomed spy lady went by the name X-27). The divine Swede plays the Javanese-Dutch exotic dancer who romances a Russian aviator in perfumed Paris on behalf of German intelligence. It's typical that the Balinese temple harness Garbo almost wears in the first nightclub number looks sexier in stills than it does in motion: Mata Hari is less a film than the idea for a film. George Fitzmaurice's direction is static, silent-era holdover Ramon Navarro makes a cookie-dough leading man, and the feisty Karen Morley (as Mata's secret-agent colleague) exits the picture much too soon. The gowns--and harness?--are by Adrian. --Richard T. Jameson
Description
Mata Hari: the name breathes mystery, intrigue and sexual allure. Who better to play the notorious World War I spy than Greta Garbo, the enigmatic, exquisite screen icon called The Swedish Sphinx? Garbo is mesmerizing as the dancer-turned-German secret agent in a wartime Paris seething with secrets and betrayal. The notable supporting cast includes Lionel Barrymore as a Russian general besotted with her, Lewis Stone as an icy master spy, and Ramon Novarro as a handsome aviator who wins the heart Mata Hari did not know she possessed. With the world at war, love was her weapon. And the only men she couldn't seduce were the 12 in the firing squad that ended her tragic and tumultuous life.
Customer Reviews:
Fantasy Love Story.......2007-07-07
This Hollywood drama is loosely based on the most famous spy of the Great War. In 1917 France they sought a scapegoat for the stalemate and huge losses in the war. The film begins with the execution of three spies by a firing squad. The last is offered a reprieve if he admits that Mata Hari was the spy; he dies rather than betray her. Du Bois, the secret service man, is convinced of Mata Hari's guilt. She has friends in high places so he must be cautious. A Russian aviator lands in France with secret dispatches. [Lt. Alexis Rozanoff has a Spanish accent.] We see Mata Hari dancing before the idol Shiva, the god of destruction (she remains clothed). Afterwards her friends drink a toast. Then she meets General Serge Shubin, a Russian in Paris who knows of her spying. At the gambling casino we see the head of the German spy ring in Paris. He asks Mata Hari to get a copy of the dispatches carried by Lt. Rozanoff. [Is Ramon Novarro very credible in his role?]
Du Bois visits General Shubin to warn him against Mata Hari, an agent of Wilhelmstrasse. He has no proof. This news upsets Mata Hari. An important message is given to Lt. Rozanoff, he must return to Petrograd as soon as possible. But Mata Hari visits him to delay his departure and allow another spy to borrow the dispatches. This is symbolized by blowing out the votive candle before the icon. The package is taken, its messages are photographed, and the package is returned as if nothing happened. No slow and noisy typewriter was used for copying. [This must have been observed by French counter-intelligence.] Lt. Rozanoff ignored his orders. The tiny microfilm will be smuggled into neutral Holland. A spy who falls in love has outlived her usefulness.
Du Bois telephones General Shubin about Mata Hari's love for a lower ranked Lt. Rozanoff. Shubin's jealous anger makes him telephone Du Bois about proof of Mata Hari's espionage. Mata Hari prevents this. The newspapers report Shubin's suicide. Now Mata Hari is ordered to return to Holland, her usefulness in Paris has ended. But she goes to a hospital to see Lt. Rozanoff, she has big plans for the future. She quickly disposes of the shadow following her. We see her arrest, a dramatic trial, and her conviction. [This is all well-known historical fact.] There is a very sentimental ending that detracts from this drama.
The scenes filmed in a pouring rain seem to be a technical breakthrough. This drama avoids the real names of the French officials who were involved with Mata Hari, high-level government incompetence. Using fictional Russians in Paris means they can't be sued for libel (as in "Rasputin"). That German spy chief is contemptuous of his agents, a sign of an organizational error.
Typical Garbo elevating a mediocre film.......2007-06-30
In spite of the spectacular costumes and lighting, this is one of Garbo's duds in which her shining talent rose far above her surroundings. MGM's early talkie version of the Mata Hari legend, the exotic French spy, is weighed down by a verbose, corny and at times confusing script, an inadequate co-star and that leaden atmosphere which was an MGM trademark and dates so many of their dramas.
The print is unrestored but in better condition than other Garbo DVDs. There, are however, some noticeable jumps in continuity which could be scenes missing from the print. There are no extras except a trailer. Unless the DVD is purchased as part of one of the Garbo collections, it is poor value.
simply a solemn interpretation.......2007-05-05
The quality of the dvd is good. There is certain cut in the scene of the dance; but in general a stupendous and great movie
Not really great, but worth watching.......2007-02-15
This seems like one of those films that sounded better on paper than in the actual finished product. The sets and costumes are gorgeous, the plot (though rather loosely based on the history behind the real Mata Hari) had a lot of potential to be interesting and gripping, and it has four big names heading the bill. Greta Garbo and Ramon Novarro are two of my favorites, and though I haven't seen him in a huge amount of films yet, I've also really enjoyed Lewis Stone in the films I have seen him in. The other big star, Lionel Barrymore, overacts as usual, though he does pull off the role well. (Though I know he was talented in spite of his tendency to overact, it's beyond me why he was once considered a better actor than his brother John.)
However, in spite of the big names, the promising storyline, and the gorgeous costumes and sets, the picture ultimately seems to fall rather flat. Perhaps part of it could be attributed to how this is after all an early talkie, made in 1931; it would take a little bit longer yet for films to lose this stagy feeling, with almost nonstop chatter, and go back to having more freedom of motion and a balance between dialogue and scenes and moments that didn't rely so heavily on constant talk. Many of these lines themselves weren't very dramatic or original, more like empty words used to fill the time. Additionally, it just didn't seem to have a whole lot of dramatic tension or to be a very compelling interesting story till it was well more than halfway over. There's also the problem of how Ramon is supposed to be portraying a Russian aviator. Given his Mexican accent and Mexican appearance, it's not really convincing, though he is as beautiful as always, and does manage to convey his talent and bring depth and emotion to the role in spite of the oftentimes rather lame script. And as in all of her other roles, Garbo also really shines. She always managed to elevate films that would otherwise be outright clunkers to something interesting and at a higher level due to her subtlety and her electric presence, not to mention how beautiful she was even when she had to wear some pretty ridiculous outfits, as she does here (particularly her hats). Basically (in my opinion at least), it's one of those films that one watches just to see the stars of because they made it interesting by their mere presence, whereas, had the leads been lesser-talented and less-captivating actors, one might not be all that inclined to want to watch it.
When youth sings, old men stay home and pay the piper........2006-01-23
Garbo as the German spy in Paris in WW I. She is having an affair with a general (Lionel Barrymore) when she meets a young flyer (Ramon Novarro) and they fall in love. Ordered to get secret papers from him, she seduces him and forsakes their love. Complications occur and she shoots Barrymore to protect Novarro, who's in a plane crash and is blinded. Garbo is convicted of Barrymore's murder and is ordered shot. She and Novarro meet one last time to reconcile their love before she goes before the firing squad.
The dialogue and much of the acting is somewhat contrived and on the stiff side, but the Garbo mystique is in full bloom. Perhaps the best scene in the picture is when Garbo seduces Novarro and makes him blow out a religious candle before taking him to bed: she plays the coy, powerful mistress to perfection. It's a very exotic production, and it's easy to see why Garbo became such a sensation. Definitely worth a watch.
Average customer rating:
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Biography - Mata Hari (A&E DVD Archives)
Starring:
Mata Hari
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Biography
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Mata Hari
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The True Life Fiction of Mata Hari
ASIN: B0009K7S0Q
Release Date: 2005-07-26 |
Description
Her name is synonymous with mystery, seduction, betrayal and duplicity. Yet her fate at the hands of a French execution squad may have been undeserved. She is one of the most compelling figures of World War I the beautiful dancer-turned-spy whose "pillow talk" allegedly cost 10,000 men their lives. This definitive program traces the tragic life of Mata Hari, and finds evidence that she may have been a victim of her own fame. From her childhood in the Netherlands and her heyday as the toast of Paris to her trial and execution, explore the true story hidden behind her legend. Expert interviews shed light on her short but notorious career as a spy, while rare photos reveal the beauty who captivated a continent. Join BIOGRAPHY for a revealing look at the legendary Mata Hari, whose myth continues to cast a seductive spell.
Customer Reviews:
reality and fiction .......2006-05-03
As Mata Hari originated from the Netherlands, her whereabouts have been studied thoroughly over there. Cutting away the legend, these efforts have reduced Mata Hari to a normal female of flesh and blood.
Margaretha Zelle (a very Dutch name, by the way) was born in the Dutch provincial town of Leeuwarden, in 1876. Her father was a well-doing merchant in hats and head-wear. Consequently young Margaretha was raised in luxury, and sent to the best schools. There she learned how to move in the upper layers of society, a quality that served her very well later on.
In 1889-'91 things took a bad turn: Margaretha's father bankrupted and her mother died. Her family split up, and Margaretha was sent to several relatives. One of them placed the 15-year old girl in a school for child-care. Margaretha's education there ended abruptly, though, when she was caught sitting half-naked on the school director's lap. Characteristic for the morals of those days, Margaretha was expelled while the director kept his job.
Oriental influences entered Margaretha's life when she met an officer of the Dutch colonial army. After having known each other for four months, they married in 1895. Two years later the couple sailed for the Dutch East Indes (= nowadays' Indonesia). The monotonuous life over there soon bored Margaretha, and in 1902 she forcefully persuaded her husband to return to the Netherlands.
By that time their marriage was on the rocks, and in 1903 Margaretha arrived in Paris. Legend tells that she was discovered in a pub in Montmartre (= the Paris' artists district), performing a snake-dance in the nude. Reality states that Mata Hari's breakthrough came in March 1905, when she performed 'Oriental' dances for a Paris jet-set audience. Her dancing included the dropping of one veil after another, ending up naked.
Back in 1905 'Oriental' was in full fashion, and Mata Hari fabulously adapted to popular taste. She lives on for this, which is all the more impressive as we are only left with a few photographs. Back then there was no television, video, or sound-taping!
Mata Hari danced on, in 1913 even performing in the renowned Scala-opera house in Milano, Italy. However, this highlight was followed by a cold shower. She was rudely turned down, not to say humiliated, by 'Les Ballets Russes'. This was a high-quality Russian ballet ensemble, featuring celebrities like Diaghilev and Nijinski.
In her private life Margaretha changed from lover to lover, displaying a distinct preference for the glitter of military uniforms. In those days it was a gentleman's honor to support a lady in distress, and Margaretha surely knew how to exploit this. Settling down in an expensive hotel without any money, she made her lover pay the bill the day after.
When in 1914 Worldwar I broke out, Margaretha showed herself not in the least interested in its political and military course. She only was annoyed that she couldn't travel freely through Europe anymore. The war also reduced her financial means.
Neglecting any danger, Margaretha kept on having affairs with officers of different nationalities. Including those of the warring enemies France and Germany. Her need of money supposedly forced her to accept German payment to spy on France. It doesn't matter if this is true, for Margaretha surely would have messed up.
In 1917, when France's military position was almost desperate, the French army arrested Mata Hari. After a trial she was shot on October 15. Up to this day her court-documents are secured in the French army archives; they will be released in 2017.
Apart from her great ability to suit popular taste, Mata Hari's tragic fate also symbolizes that of Europe. After decades of idle glitter and shine, in 1914 this continent went down into a devastating war, never to fully recover again.
Today there is not much left of Mata Hari. After her death her scarce possessions were auctioned off. Her personal servant for years, Dutch girl Anna Lintjens, only preserved a few of her documents. And, most important, two albums containing cards of Margaretha's many lovers and beneficiairies. They are exhibited in the Frisian museum in Leeuwarden, in a special Mata Hari-room. Her native town still helds Margaretha Zelle in high esteem, ignoring that in essence she was no more than a common prostitute.
Average customer rating:
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Mata Hari
Starring:
Mata Hari
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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ASIN: B000MV908K
Release Date: 2007-02-13 |
Customer Reviews:
Mata Hari (2007).......2007-06-08
Excellent and provocative WWI film of Mata Hari starring the very beautiful Sylvia KristelMata Hari
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