Woodell, Barbara

The Star

"Come on, Oscar--let's you and me get drunk." This caustic Bette Davis line is not aimed at a co-star but at the Academy Award itself, which down-on-her-luck actress Margaret Elliot cradles bitterly at the beginning of an inebriated evening. As you can guess, Davis is at full-throttle in his ripe melodrama, which came a couple of years after All About Eve and serves as a kind of less-classy companion piece to that classic. As the movie begins, Margaret has lost her career and family because of her own demanding nature. Rescued by a roughhewn boatbuilder (Sterling Hayden) she once befriended, she confronts what's most important--being a star, or being a (ahem) woman.

The rickety script and cut-rate production values betray The Star as a product of Davis's post-Warners wanderings. It does have some sunny location shots of San Pedro, plus a young Natalie Wood before she broke out of child-star roles. But the biggest draw, other than Davis, is the Hollywood behind-the-scenes juice, and the guessing game of how close the material was to Davis's own career (rumor has it the character, who wants to glamorize herself for a supporting part as a slatternly housemaid, was based more on Joan Crawford). It ain't art, but it's an artifact of a different era, skipping between backstage expose and camp. --Robert Horton

As Margaret, Bette Davis got yet another good picture and earned her ninth Academy Award nomination. Davis?s confident, perceptive performance lends absolute authenticy, as did a prop she provided. An Oscar stautette set noticeably on the car dashboard during Margaret?s drunken spin through Beverly Hills ? was one of two Davis owned. Sterling Hayden and Natalie Wood co-star in this gripping story that has many moments of truth (Leonard Maltin?s Movie Guide). The Star shines.

DVD Features:Featurette:New Featurette How Real is The Star? - RT: 7:45Theatrical Trailer:

Silver Lode

A fictional account of one of the most shameful moments in American history. McCarthyism justice western style: a case of guilt by suspicion. Outstanding model citizen Sheriff Dan Ballard (John Payne) becomes a marked criminal on the run when Ned McCarthy, US Marshall (Dan Duryea) rides into town with a warrant for his arrest for the murder of his brother and the theft of $20,000. Will the Sheriff be able to collect enough evidence to tell his side of the story? Will the townspeople listen to him? Bonus Features: Original Theatrical Trailer| Actor Bios| Scene Selection. Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital Mono; 80 minutes; Color; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR: Year - 1954; SRP - $9.99.

State Department File 649

Legendary Outlaws, Vol. 2 (The Return of Jesse James / Gunfire)

Actors: John Ireland, Ann Dvorak, Henry Hull, Hugh O'Brian, Reed Hadley, Clifton Young, Tommy Noonan, Don 'Red' Barry, Gaylord Pendleton, Robert Anderson, Robert Lowery - Return of Jesse James: Johnny is a spitting image of the real Jesse, unfortunately for him; he is mistaken for him by a grizzled old member of the now deceased James Gang. Johnny is convinced to lead a new gang to rob banks using the same infamous method as the famed outlaw. Jesse's brother Frank decides to put a stop to the defamation of his dead brother's name. Gunfire: The now reformed outlaw Frank James (Don Barry) is living quietly in Greed, Colorado as a respected member of the community. An exact double for Frank gathers a gang and begins a path of chaos that Frank is blamed for. Will Frank go back to his outlaw ways to save himself? DVD Bonus & Features: Scene Selection Menu, Bios, Promo Trailer Product Specs: DVD-9, Dolby Digital, NTSC/All Region, English Language

Two Dollar Bettor

The Flaming Urge