TCM Greatest Classic Films: Murder Mysteries (4FE) (DVD)

Turner Classic Movies keep releasing phenomenal 4-movie sets, and this has to be one of my favorites. It comes with 4 suspenseful and classic mystery films from the 40s and 50s. It's an excellent buy!The Maltese Falcon (1941)- This is my favorite movie in the collection, right next to "Dial M for Murder" (although 'Dial' has to be my favorite) "The Maltese Falcon" is a legendary film noir that is truly one of the greatest films of all time. It's about detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart in one of his most legendary roles), and after his partner gets murdered, he gets mixed up into a plot about a $5,000 dollar falcon, that multiple thieves are trying to get their hands on. It also co-stars Mary Astor, his love interest, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet. It's a thrilling and intriguing noir that deserves to be watched more than once. It's "the stuff that dreams are made of." It definitely is a masterpiece, but to be honest, the special features aren't. It's part of "Warner Night at the Movies 1941 Short Subjects Gallery", so it comes with some different trailers and shorts from 1941. It comes with a 20 minute Technicolor musical short, The Gay Parisian, which I could not stand. It's 20 minute of people dancing around, so I just had to skip through it because I couldn't take it. It also comes with a 1 1/2 minute newsreel. There are some good special features, like a Bugs Bunny episode "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt" and a Porky Pig episode "Meet John Doughboy", which is a semi-parody on "Citizen Kane". Both are about 7 minutes. The other special features are trailers of "Sergeant York", and "The Maltese Falcon".The Big Sleep (1946)- Another great noir. It's also another Humphrey Bogart film, this time with Lauren Bacall, his wife. It's a classic Bogie and Bacall detective mystery that isn't as good as The Maltese Falcon, but is still an intriguing and interesting movie, although it's funny that the movie gets lost in it's own complexity with the plot, leaving a few questions unsolved. Humphrey Bogart plays another detective role as Philip Marlowe who gets summoned by General Sternwood (Charles Waldron) to take on several different problems surrounding his family that all center on the disappearance of an employee of Sternwood's. Lauren Bacall plays Vivian Rutledge, Bogart's love interest. It's a great film that deserves to be considered one of the greatest noirs of all time. It comes with a 15 minute featurette "The Big Sleep Comparisons 1945/1946 with UCLA archivist Robrt Gift analyzing differences between the movie's two versions", where he talks about all of the scenes that have been taken out and added to the film. It's very interesting. It also comes with the theatrical trailer.Dial M for Murder (1954)- While it's not one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock films, it's still my favorite on this whole set. It's the only color film in this set, and it sure is a classy and well-done mystery. It's about a tennis player named Tony Wendice (Ray Milland), who plots to kill his wife, Margot (the amazing Grace Kelly), for her money and because he's cheating on her for a man named Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings), but things go awry when she kills the man trying to kill her out of self defense. Suddenly, she gets sentenced to death for murder, and her boyfriend, Mark, has to prove that she's innocent to save her from execution. It's a Hitchcock film that takes place all in one room, similar to "Rear Window" and "Rope", and even though it feels more like a filmed play (it originally was a play), it still is interesting and fun to watch. It comes with a 20 minute documentary "Hitchcock and Dial M", which talks about the making of the film, and "3D: A Brief History", a 5-10 minute featurette that talks about the origin of 3D and how it's done, and also how it was big in the 50s, showing different 3D films like "Kiss Me Kate", "House of Wax", and "Dial M for Murder". Also includes the theatrical trailer.The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)- Probably my least favorite movie out of the 4, but nonetheless good. It's about a drifter, Frank Chambers (John Garfield), who comes to work at a rural diner with a man named Nick Smith (Cecil Kellaway) and his wife Cora Smith (Lana Turner). Frank and Cora fall in love, and attempt to kill Nick so they could be together, but after a botched second attempt, they both get put on the stand for attempted murder. It's a glossy soap opera-esque thriller drama that isn't very special, but still is worth watching. It has a good ending and some good drama, and it's actually pretty good. It comes with an hour long documentary "The John Garfield Story", that chronicles John Garfield's life. There's also an introduction by historian Richard Jewell, behind-the-scenes photos, and the trailers of the 1946 and 1981 versions. Altogether, it's not that great, but it's not bad.If you love film noirs or murder mysteries, then you'll definitely love this collection of 4 mystery film that deserve a good viewing.

Excellent film! Garfield and Turner heat up the screen!

I can tell that these are surplus discs. They are all different in the printing on the front of the DVD and a couple even say 'Disc 1'. They come stacked on a center prong in the case, so all four discs are on top of each other. And yes. Four discs, not the two, 2-sided discs as listed on the back of the box. But I actually prefer not having the 2-sided. If you really want a better case then I recommend this: 10 Pack Standard 14mm Black Quad 4 Disc DVD Cases with Double Sided Flip Tray and Outter Clear Sleeve.As for the films. They are the standard DVD version. They are better than VHS quality, so they aren't the old 'tape to DVD' transfer. Instead they appear to be the legitimate transfers from reels to DVD. Very nicely done.Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep hardly need an introduction. Both are top Bogie films in the gritty, American Hays Code abiding noir style. Maltese Falcon is a film about a priceless statue which may or may not exist and which may or may not be in the possession of one of several 'ahem' importers... (gangsters?). Bogie as the detective who would do anything to solve his partner's murder and Peter Lorre as the shady 'importer' are fantastic. The film is a delight to watch over and over.The Big Sleep is a classic detective noir based on a Raymond Chandler novel. This film is one of many starring Bogie and Becall. As always, Bogie and Becall sizzle together.Dial M for Murder is a rather interesting film. It is directed by Hitchcock, but it is actually an adapted stage play. This is the only color film in this collection and is the more recent of the four in the collection. The majority of the film takes place on one set, but due to Hitchcock's amazing direction, it doesn't come off as claustrophobic. Amazing acting by Grace Kelly, Ray Milland (the husband) and John Williams as the chief inspector.The Postman Always Rings Twice is a classic tale of lovers turning on one another when things get serious. John Garfield and Lana Turner botch a murder attempt and in the process of the investigation turn on one another. A classic written by the author of Double Indemnity and Mildred Pierce.None of these films are too intense. In most, the murder is quick or happens off screen. The films are about the events leading up to or just following the murders. They are all terrifically acted, and in the case of Maltese Falcon especially, are considered the top of the echelon of 40s and 50s murder mystery and film noir. I would say that Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep are more of the detective film noir style where Dial M and Postman are more of a classic murder tale. Regardless, all are terrific.

I love murder mysteries and this set of our movies really hit the spot. The picture quality was very decent and the subtitles helped me to iunderstand the dialogue. Here is my opinion:The Postman Always Rings Twice: The lead players are John Garfield and the hottest sexpot of he time, Lana Turner. There can be little doubt about the attractiveness of this blonde bombshell who was married seven times and shacked up with just about every male she met. In this movie she is married to an old fella who owns a roadside eatery Along comes a drifter with whom she begins an affair. They begin a series of plots to murder her husband but I won't spoil the ending by telling any more.The Maltese Falcon: This stars Humphrey Bogart as detective Sam Spade. He is joined in this movie by some well known names such as Sydney Greenstreet, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and Elisha Cook Jr. Bogart is by far the star of this tale about some bad guys trying to get a valuable facon that has been disguised so as to hide its true worth. Bogart is one tough dude who takes no guff from anyone but he does inject humor as well.The Big Sleep: In this movie Humphrey Bogart is a private dick by the name of Philip Marlowe. This is an adaption of a Raymond Chandler novel who is one of the best authors in this field. The eye candy in this movie is Lauren Bacall whose acting skills are on as high a level as her looks. Lots o faction with murders and blackmail and action galore.Dial M For Murder: When Alfred Hitchcock is involved in a movie you just know it will be good,. Grace Kelly has the hots for Robert Cummings but her husband, Ray Milland, plots to kill her. Enough said. Excellent movie.