Paul-Newman Movie Reviews

A steamy "Peyton Place" style sex story, featuring Paul Newman as Tony Lawrence, an ambitous young man whose soul is twisted by his aristocratic family's unwillingness to let him marry for love. Forced to play the power game, he plays it to the hilt, cynically using his sex appeal and ruthlessness to bring ruin to anyone standing in his path. I'm sure they must have toned the film script down quite a bit from what the book was like, but it's still pretty raw. Plus, Newman was one sexy monkey when he was young... if you wanna see him at his shirtless, hunky best, then this is the film for you.

"The Young Philadelphians" is pure 1950s Hollywood gloss, replete with well-coiffed, young social aspirants (Paul Newman, Barbara Rush), fringe-dwelling wannabes (Robert Vaughn, uncharacteristically unkempt) and rough diamonds (Brian Keith), blended together under Vincent Sherman's by-the- book direction. Hollywood in 1958-9 was gingerly trying to avoid the whiff of McCarthyist hysteria by leading with its heart rather than its head; hence, "The Young Philadelphians". In its favour this film unearthed some genuine acting talent (Robert Vaughn) while reminding us of the great character actors of older times in Billie Burke's marvellously potty characterisation.

The major theme of this picture is personal redemption, as Newman's character Tony Lawrence ("one of THE Philadelphia Lawrences" as we are continually reminded) seeks to recapture self-respect and lost love, victims to a voracious value system which divides the haves and have nots into neat stereotypes. Tony loses his girl (Barbara Rush) to the wiles of the old order law elites, who suck him into the vortex of old money, and older prejudices. But Tony is also young, and has his own values - as displayed when the wife of his boss makes a play for him, only to be rebuffed by Tony's insistence on commitment, not casualness; an irony lost on the precocious legal eagle!

Later, this resolve is tested when Barabara Rush comes back into his life after her husband's death. Tony must tread warily, as his inconsistencies are now well known. Finally, Tony's own value system is put to the sword by family revelations of bastardry, discovering he is not in fact a Lawrence, but the son of an Irish businessman (Brian Keith), a friend and mentor throughout Tony's life, but who is outside the inner Philadelphia circle.

Thus, Tony must now earn his stripes, not rely on the club. He does this as only a lawyer can, through the stage of the courtroom. Robert Vaughn's Chester, Tony's lifelong friend but a social (and physical) outcast, provides the medium for Tony's final resolve: he must defend Chester against a murder charge. The acquittal provides the end point for the power plays which have constructed "Tony Lawrence". Chester is admitted into the "Philadelphia set", while Tony is reunited with both his moral self (and can genuinely regard himself as a "Lawrence", but on his terms), and his ethical self, realising the complex threads that bind the personal ties of his emotional life.

While there are moments of sincerity in this film, its failure to resolve its own moral dilemma undermines its inherent value as an expose of the consequences of personal indulgence. If Tony had been truly redeemed would he have returned to the Phildalephia fold, or would he have denied its apparent claims to authority and carved his niche outside of its strictures, say by rejecting the old firms for his own practice, or starting afresh in an area of HIS choosing? This has been resolved unsatisfactorily in light of the stance taken by Tony toward the controlling elites towards the film's end.

Postscript: Robert Vaughn's performance is a revelation. His impassioned plea to Tony to defend him on the murder charge is one of the most powerful scenes in this, or any other, film. Anyone only vaguely familiar with Vaughn through "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", should see this film to encounter an actor of great depth and believability.

...is a copy of this movie.

A fifties black and white classic, this movie is everything movies used to be, but, sadly, are not today.

Who's Paul Newman? Sure, he's devastatingly handsome and burns up the screen as Tony, but it's Robert Vaughn who steals the show. His character, Chester, is riveting and achingly fleshed. 1959 Vaughn in a white dinner jacket...and the jail cell scene takes my breath away every time.

The soul of the movie is good triumping over evil, even if it takes good a while to get there. The meandering path the two heroes take on their journey to personal salvation makes us examine our own life choices.

You'll feel better about the human condition (not to mention lawyers) after watching this movie.

This is an excellent adaptation of Catherine Cookson's novel of the same name. This is the story takes place in a large and bustling English village in 1854. It tells the tale of Millicent "Millie" Forester, a beautiful young child whose desperate mother, having had a change in fortune, looks to earn their daily bread by reluctantly indulging in the world's oldest profession. When her mother is caught and dragged off to the local jail, rag picker Agnes Winkowski takes Millie under her wing. Her rough demeanor and bluster hides a heart of gold, as she already shelters a handsome hunchbacked teen named Ben, whose values and goodness do Aggie credit.

When Millie's mother is abducted by the local pimp and brothel owner, she hangs herself. This degenerate then sets his sights on Millie, as he has a clientele who will appreciate what she has to offer them. When Aggie becomes aware of the perfidy that is afoot, she sets Millie off to a convent school, where she hopes that she will be kept safe. When she finally returns home, Aggie and Ben both keep an eye out for Millie, knowing that the danger has only intensified, as child prostitution proliferates in Victorian England.

As Millie blossoms into a beautiful teenager, she goes to the country to work as a nursemaid. There, she is happy, until a sordid incident at a servants' party at a neighboring manor forces her to return home to Aggie and Ben. A wealthy suitor soon convinces her that she is in love, but this romance is not all that it seems, as Millie will soon discover.

Moreover, her father, whom she has long thought dead, reappears and is nothing more than a scoundrel of the worst sort. To complicate matters further, the brothel owner still has Millie in his sights and will stop at nothing to get her into his clutches, as he has a ready made roster of willing and depraved men who will pay handsomely for Millie's sexual favors. As an added twist, the saintly and forbearing Ben is in love with Millie and waiting patiently in the wings. What is a girl to do?

This is an interesting and absorbing period piece that holds the viewer's attention. Although at times it may strain belief, it is, nonetheless, a well acted and entertaining film that fans of Catherine Cookson and period piece lovers will enjoy.

This is a very entertaining story set in urban England probably around the turn of the century. Its about Millie, an orphan adopted by a kind lady who deals in junk. Millie's mother was a prostitute and her pimp wants to kidnap Millie. He runs a kind of white slave trade. The little girl who plays Millie in the beginning is adorable. Its a believable story, orphans were really prayed upon and exploited in that time period. The story moves very quickly, never boring or drawn out. The acting is really great, considering this was probably not a "big budget" type production (I beleive it was made for TV). Its not predictable and really draws you in to the character's lives. Its surprisingly good! If you like stories about women beating the odds, you'll like this one. One negative: At times some of the character's accents are unintelligible-but you can still get the drift. Also, you'll recognize one of the actors from the BBC Pride and Prejudice series. I'd give this a PG-13 rating. Try it!

I've seen this film as a mini TV series, and I adored it so much I bought the book, too! The high rating of course is only compared to other stories of the same kind, not to immortal masterpieces! The story is romantic, the actors are great -at least most of them, there is some overacting- the guys are cute, whether you like whitecollars or bluecollars (like I do). What can I say? See it! Read it! Do anything to get hold of this story!

LADY L is a film about an octogenarian aristocrat (Sophia Loren) who reminisces about her steamy life as lover of an anarchist (Paul Newman) and wife of the sophisticated David Niven. The film has a lot of great scenery and a thoroughly competent cast but not much of a story.

Loren's husband Carlo Ponti is the producer. Peter Ustibov is the director and screenwriter. The film is based on a novel by Romain Gary. The supporting cast includes Cecil Parker, Claude Dauphin, Philippe Noiret and Michel Piccoli.

The action is not availaible in the film, but the best actor is Mr. Raymond Schlatter that appeared in the film holding Sofia Loren in Switzerland.

This movie is so "nutty" that you are laughing the whole time... Paul Newman and Sophia Loren sizzle the screen! A great movie with a humdinger of an ending!

This is cool! Amber Newman is cute and there's enough nudity to please. Vampire Strippers! Great idea!

Unlike many of the menagerie of vampire flicks out there, Vamps takes a well-worn genre and gives it new angles to build upon. An intelligent script, well acted, tightly edited, and presented with visual flair, makes Vamps much more than a babes and blood piece. Newcomer Amber Newman is striking, and Paul Morris is a priest that everyone would want in their parrish. The love story is tender, the nudity appropriate, and a kill scene between two of the vamps is as erotic as a cold-blooded murder can be. This is some of the best stuff to come out of the B genre in a long while. When Joe Bob Briggs said "Check it out" in his New York Times Press Syndicate column, he was right!

I was more than delighted when I was finally able to watch the biography of Paul Newman. I have been a fan for only a few months but I have seen a great number of his films and was becoming curious about his life as well. This documentary does a wonderful job of tying together his personal life and the different stages of his career. The biography explores not only Newman's acting career, but also his experiences in car racing and in philanthropy. I have already seen it twice and will watch it again very soon. I only wish it had been longer!

I was surprised by Leonard Maltin's negative review of this movie. This is not a great movie, and it does meander a bit, but it is a quiet, thoughtful look at a young man trying to find his niche, a father trying to rediscover his niche or create a new one, and the mixture of conflict, pride, disappointment, and love that flows between them. I have this one on tape and watch it once a year or so.

Great acting? No.

Good acting? Yes.

Great story? No.

Good story? Yes.

A lot of heart and reality? Definitely.

Overall: Very Worth Watching

I was surprised by Leonard Maltin's negative review of this movie. This is not a great movie, and it does meander a bit, but it is a quiet, thoughtful look at a young man trying to find his niche, a father trying to rediscover his niche or create a new one, and the mixture of conflict, pride, disappointment, and love that flows between them. I have this one on tape and watch it once a year or so.

Great acting? No.

Good acting? Yes.

Great story? No.

Good story? Yes.

A lot of heart and reality? Definitely.

Overall: Very Worth Watching

I must say that the Return of the Borrowers was not as charming and entertaining as the original one. Overall it was still worth watching. The main thing that I was upset by is the script didn't stick closely enough to the original books it was suppose to be based on. I know it can be pretty hard trying to cram 2 or 3 books into one movie but I think with a little more imagination it could have been done better.

the second borrrowers is a fantastic movie not quite as good as the first one but still good.the same great actors and actress starbut there are some new stars.if you watched the first one you have to watch the second one it is so great!!!!!

If you enjoyed the BBC versions of the Borrowers (two tapes with a total of 190 minutes run time) hosted by Richard Lewis, you need to finish up with the Return of the Borrowers.

The Clock family is forced to venture out into the real world, spending time with distant relatives (who think they are quite special since they live in a posh household, with proper rules and fine china).

Arrietty much prefers the adventures of living a less than proper life - in addition to her human bean friend Peter, she's met a young Borrower who lives an outdoorman's life.

While the Clock family is adjusting to life outside of the clock, they are still being pursued by humans who have figured out there is money to be had by 'owning' Borrowers (shudder!).

Although the BBC series isn't as digitally enhanced as the American movie version, we have enjoyed the British version much more. It's like comparing popcorn to chocolate cake. The popcorn can be tasty, but the cake is much more filling!

The British versions are also based more closely to the original books of the same name by Mary Norton.

Fits our family requirements of being PG, but NOT PG-B (Boring)!

I must say that the Return of the Borrowers was not as charming and entertaining as the original one. Overall it was still worth watching. The main thing that I was upset by is the script didn't stick closely enough to the original books it was suppose to be based on. I know it can be pretty hard trying to cram 2 or 3 books into one movie but I think with a little more imagination it could have been done better.

the second borrrowers is a fantastic movie not quite as good as the first one but still good.the same great actors and actress starbut there are some new stars.if you watched the first one you have to watch the second one it is so great!!!!!

If you enjoyed the BBC versions of the Borrowers (two tapes with a total of 190 minutes run time) hosted by Richard Lewis, you need to finish up with the Return of the Borrowers.

The Clock family is forced to venture out into the real world, spending time with distant relatives (who think they are quite special since they live in a posh household, with proper rules and fine china).

Arrietty much prefers the adventures of living a less than proper life - in addition to her human bean friend Peter, she's met a young Borrower who lives an outdoorman's life.

While the Clock family is adjusting to life outside of the clock, they are still being pursued by humans who have figured out there is money to be had by 'owning' Borrowers (shudder!).

Although the BBC series isn't as digitally enhanced as the American movie version, we have enjoyed the British version much more. It's like comparing popcorn to chocolate cake. The popcorn can be tasty, but the cake is much more filling!

The British versions are also based more closely to the original books of the same name by Mary Norton.

Fits our family requirements of being PG, but NOT PG-B (Boring)!

I must say that the Return of the Borrowers was not as charming and entertaining as the original one. Overall it was still worth watching. The main thing that I was upset by is the script didn't stick closely enough to the original books it was suppose to be based on. I know it can be pretty hard trying to cram 2 or 3 books into one movie but I think with a little more imagination it could have been done better.

the second borrrowers is a fantastic movie not quite as good as the first one but still good.the same great actors and actress starbut there are some new stars.if you watched the first one you have to watch the second one it is so great!!!!!

If you enjoyed the BBC versions of the Borrowers (two tapes with a total of 190 minutes run time) hosted by Richard Lewis, you need to finish up with the Return of the Borrowers.

The Clock family is forced to venture out into the real world, spending time with distant relatives (who think they are quite special since they live in a posh household, with proper rules and fine china).

Arrietty much prefers the adventures of living a less than proper life - in addition to her human bean friend Peter, she's met a young Borrower who lives an outdoorman's life.

While the Clock family is adjusting to life outside of the clock, they are still being pursued by humans who have figured out there is money to be had by 'owning' Borrowers (shudder!).

Although the BBC series isn't as digitally enhanced as the American movie version, we have enjoyed the British version much more. It's like comparing popcorn to chocolate cake. The popcorn can be tasty, but the cake is much more filling!

The British versions are also based more closely to the original books of the same name by Mary Norton.

Fits our family requirements of being PG, but NOT PG-B (Boring)!