- Actors: James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, Rita Hayworth, Alan Hale, Jack Carson
- Directors: Raoul Walsh
- Writers: James Hagan, Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein
- Producers: Hal B. Wallis, William Cagney
- Format: Black & White, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
- Language English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Warner Archives
- DVD Release Date: 4 Aug 2009
- Run Time: 97 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B0026ZQJIO
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 49,344 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
nearing the end of his contract with "warner bros," james cagney had been in the position where he could pick and choose his film roles that were more to his liking, thanks no doubt to his regular disputes and disagreemnets with jack warner.
this film, "strawberry blonde" is an ideal example as this stands as one of his crowning achievements of this period, partly as this is a change of pace for him.
as always, it is cagney who commands attention as the struggling up-and-coming dentistry student who lives in 19th century america with his lovable old man(played by the ever dependable alan hale).
after becoming acquainted with olivia dehavilland and rita hayworth on behalf of local crook jack carson, cagney is in two minds as to which of the two women his heart belongs. as the film rolls by, it becomes all too clear which woman he loves and cares for. the scene in the park where the two men and women attempt to become properly acquainted is one of the funniest in the film and it deserves repeated viewing.
the film alternates between comedy and drama with relative ease, with the production focusing on the latter in the film's second half after cagney suffers a run of misfortune and also of tragedy, thanks to working for a crooked and shady businessman(jack carson).
however, the best laugh of the film is saved for last and the viewers should have a whale of a time in witnessing the just desserts of one character in particular.
for me, james cagney and olivia dehavilland take the acting honours. their opening scene together is both amusing and effective, followed by some brilliantly staged dramatic scenes and the good on-screen chemistry between them, just about matches that of olivia dehavilland and errol flynn. sadly, i consider alan hale to be rather wasted in his role as the elder grimes family member: he simply hasn't enough to do and isn't part of the main story until his last scene. for a man of hale's acting talent and being one of the greatest character actors in the history of hollywood, his limited role in this film is something of an insult. nevertheless, he gives it all he has. rita hayworth is o.k but i can't really take her character seriously as she spends most of the time with that rather annoying and irksome grin on her face.
i am impressed with the sets and the way the studio backlot was altered to create an impression and a good one at that, of life in the 1890s. the horse and carriages, the costumes, gaslights and furniture all look authentic, not to mention imaginative.
i'm glad that james cagney finished his last years at "warner bros." with some good, solid material at his disposal and "strawberry blonde" is counted as being amongst the best.
this film, "strawberry blonde" is an ideal example as this stands as one of his crowning achievements of this period, partly as this is a change of pace for him.
as always, it is cagney who commands attention as the struggling up-and-coming dentistry student who lives in 19th century america with his lovable old man(played by the ever dependable alan hale).
after becoming acquainted with olivia dehavilland and rita hayworth on behalf of local crook jack carson, cagney is in two minds as to which of the two women his heart belongs. as the film rolls by, it becomes all too clear which woman he loves and cares for. the scene in the park where the two men and women attempt to become properly acquainted is one of the funniest in the film and it deserves repeated viewing.
the film alternates between comedy and drama with relative ease, with the production focusing on the latter in the film's second half after cagney suffers a run of misfortune and also of tragedy, thanks to working for a crooked and shady businessman(jack carson).
however, the best laugh of the film is saved for last and the viewers should have a whale of a time in witnessing the just desserts of one character in particular.
for me, james cagney and olivia dehavilland take the acting honours. their opening scene together is both amusing and effective, followed by some brilliantly staged dramatic scenes and the good on-screen chemistry between them, just about matches that of olivia dehavilland and errol flynn. sadly, i consider alan hale to be rather wasted in his role as the elder grimes family member: he simply hasn't enough to do and isn't part of the main story until his last scene. for a man of hale's acting talent and being one of the greatest character actors in the history of hollywood, his limited role in this film is something of an insult. nevertheless, he gives it all he has. rita hayworth is o.k but i can't really take her character seriously as she spends most of the time with that rather annoying and irksome grin on her face.
i am impressed with the sets and the way the studio backlot was altered to create an impression and a good one at that, of life in the 1890s. the horse and carriages, the costumes, gaslights and furniture all look authentic, not to mention imaginative.
i'm glad that james cagney finished his last years at "warner bros." with some good, solid material at his disposal and "strawberry blonde" is counted as being amongst the best.
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
everything as i expected it would be i saw thi film many years ago on bbc tv also having yankee doodle dandy to complete my collection
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
15 reviews
50 of 54 people found the following review helpful
The movie is great, but ...
30 May 2009
Format:DVD
... you may not know what you're getting. This is a Warner Archive product. It is a barebones DVD-R with no extras with the exception of maybe a trailer. You can't even pick scenes. You can only go forwards and backwards in 10 minute intervals.
On top of that, this is an unrestored version. The best version that you've seen on Turner Classic Movies - that is what you're getting here, no more no less.
Until recently Warner Brothers was selling these items through their own store for considerably less than this price. Now they've taken (at least) the following films and put them all on Amazon as an exclusive at this price:
Bordertown
Colorado Territory
Crime School
Doctor Ehrlich's Magic Bullet
The Male Animal
The Unsuspected
20,000 Years in Sing Sing
The Verdict (1946)
Look for the Silver Lining
The original idea of the Warner Archives was to sell the titles in the Warner film library that would probably not break even in a general retail release on demand via the archives. If Warners doesn't believe that James Cagney and "The Strawberry Blonde" will sell in a general release, then they believe nothing will.
How far Warner Home Video has fallen since they released The Jazz Singer (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition) in a three disc deluxe edition with commentary, shorts, and even original programs and lobby cards. Times may be hard in the classic DVD industry, but for me they will never be this hard.
On top of that, this is an unrestored version. The best version that you've seen on Turner Classic Movies - that is what you're getting here, no more no less.
Until recently Warner Brothers was selling these items through their own store for considerably less than this price. Now they've taken (at least) the following films and put them all on Amazon as an exclusive at this price:
Bordertown
Colorado Territory
Crime School
Doctor Ehrlich's Magic Bullet
The Male Animal
The Unsuspected
20,000 Years in Sing Sing
The Verdict (1946)
Look for the Silver Lining
The original idea of the Warner Archives was to sell the titles in the Warner film library that would probably not break even in a general retail release on demand via the archives. If Warners doesn't believe that James Cagney and "The Strawberry Blonde" will sell in a general release, then they believe nothing will.
How far Warner Home Video has fallen since they released The Jazz Singer (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition) in a three disc deluxe edition with commentary, shorts, and even original programs and lobby cards. Times may be hard in the classic DVD industry, but for me they will never be this hard.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
The band plays on
22 July 2009
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This has been a favorite of mine for many years. James Cagney and Olivia DeHaviland are great on the screen. The plot is full of comedy. There are many songs that we know by heart. Look for the Warner Bros. stable of character actors. The dvd itself is lacking though for the price. The only extra feature is the trailer. Given the product, it looks like a economy dvd. It is priced otherwise. Nonetheless, I had to have the movie.
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Terrible Marketing
2 July 2009
Format:DVD
I completely agree with the previous reviewer. Wonderful titles I'd love to own, but badly produced, marketed and priced outrageously!
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