Reviews

I've always thought Marilyn Monroe was underrated as an actress. She was great in this film. It is one of my favorites of hers. I think she was perfect for the role. Who better could have played the sexy, loved starved wife of a washed up, disturbed Korean War veteran? Her scene where she joins the group of young people and plays her record and sings along is fantastic! Joseph Cotton is perfect as her jealous husband as well. Jean Peters was wonderful and gave an excellent performance in her scene with Joseph Cotton alone in the hotel room. I thought her husband in the movie was kind of goofy, though, and his laugh is very comical. This is a great classic movie to rent and I'm sure you will enjoy it immensely.

At the beginning of this movie, it was a little disturbing when Santa, or who becomes Santa, and his wife die. But then he becomes Santa Claus and from there on, the story is wonderful. I think the set of the North Pole Toy Shop is fabulous and just what I would think of Santa's Toy Shop to be. You experience a full range of emotions with this movie. Grief, joy, awe, sadness, love, happiness, laughter and glee. Dudley Moore is so good as the little neglected elf who leaves Santa to work for the evil B Z. Such fun! I loved the side-plot of B Z's niece and her relationship with Santa. I think this is the best Santa Claus movie I have ever seen and we bought the tape and watch it every year.

This movie is the funniest movie I have ever seen. When it was on cable, we watched it about 20 times and I have worn out two tapes of it. There are so many levels of enjoyment. The sets are great, the effects are wondrous, the storyline is wacky, the combination of veteran actors and new faces is perfection. The dialog is a riot and you will find quotes from this movie everywhere, which thrills me to death! I love all the actors that played the dwarfs, especially David Rappaport who played Randall and also loved his TV show "The Wizard" that was treated so shabbily. We often find ourselves saying, "Remember when Evil said this, and when Og said that?" Or laughly wonder what condition Pansy's boyfriend, Vincent, had that needed fruit? The Napoleon scene alone is enough to cause you to break a rib from laughter. I guarantee that if you have a funnybone at all, you will love this movie! Run, don't walk to the nearest video rental store!

This has to be the hardest Shirley Temple movie to find. Before Ronald Reagan was president, it was shown at least once a year on PBS channels, but I haven't seen it since then. It is a very odd movie and the combination of Shirley Temple and Ronald Reagan romantically is oddest of all. I collect Shirley Temple movies and memorabilia and haven't found this one anywhere.