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Criterion LaserDiscs The Magnificent Ambersons Criterion #9A Rare LaserDisc Drama

The Magnificent Ambersons Criterion #9A Rare LaserDisc Drama

Rare LaserDisc Movie Near-Mint LaserDiscs and Jacket with light edge-wear Orson...

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The Magnificent Ambersons Criterion #9A Rare LaserDisc Drama

Rare LaserDisc Movie Near-Mint LaserDiscs and Jacket with light edge-wear Orson...

$17.97

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$17.97

Rare LaserDisc Movie

Near-Mint LaserDiscs and Jacket with light edge-wear

Orson Welles...

The Magnificent Ambersons

Criterion Collection

( Catalog Number CC1324L )
(1.33:1) (2 Sides) (CLV) (NTSC)

LaserDisc Special Features

One of the Best Versions on LaserDisc
Audio Commentary by Robert Carringer
LaserDisc

The Magnificent Ambersons
1942 - 88 min. - Black and White
Genre: Drama
Not Rated
Country: USA

LaserDisc Movie Review:
Orson Welles' followup to Citizen Kane (1941) was utterly different from Kane in style and texture, but just as brilliant in its own way. Writer/director Welles does not appear on camera, but his voiceover narration superbly sets the stage for the movie's action, which fades in valentine fashion on Amberson Mansion, the most ostentatious dwelling in all of turn-of-century Indianapolis. Its mistress is the haughtily beautiful Isabel Amberson (Dolores Costello). When Isabel's beau, erstwhile inventor Eugene Morgan (Joseph Cotten), inadvertently humiliates her in public, she breaks off the relationship and marries colorless Wilbur Minafer (Donald Dillaway). The neighbors are certain that, since Isabel can't possibly love Wilbur, she will spoil her children rotten. As it turns out, she has one child, George Minafer (Tim Holt), and that one is enough as far as the rest of Indianapolis is concerned. There are those who live for the day that the arrogant, insufferable George will get his comeuppance. When George returns home from college, his mother and grandfather (Richard Bennett) hold a gala reception in his honor. Among the guests is the older-and-wiser Eugene, now a prosperous automobile manufacturer, and his pretty daughter Lucy (Anne Baxter). George takes to Lucy immediately, but can't warm up to Eugene, especially after learning from his uncle Jack Amberson (Ray Collins) and his maiden aunt Fanny (Agnes Moorehead) that Eugene and Isabel had once been sweethearts. After the death of Wilbur Minafer, the widowed Eugene feels emboldened enough to propose to Isabel again. This time she is willing, but the obstreperous George refuses to allow his mother to see Eugene. His imperious bullheadedness will lead to tragedy for all concerned---and, at long last, a chastened George Minafer will indeed receive his comeuppance. The film's real villain is not George but that old intangible bugaboo called "Progress." As the automobile age comes to fruition, the elegant, cloistered lifestyle of the Ambersons fades from view, finally disappearing altogether. This is superbly foreshadowed in the "winter outing" sequence (filmed in an L.A. icehouse) in which George's two-horse sleigh is abandoned in favor of Eugene's clunky horseless carriage. Welles evokes performances that his actors seldom (if ever) matched in later years; even the very limited Tim Holt is wholly believable-and even a bit pitiable-as the blinkered George Amberson Minafer. The current version, however, is but a pale shadow of Welles' original concept. Out of time and overbudget, the movie previewed badly and was eventually sliced down to an abrupt 88 minutes (by, among others, editor Robert Wise, who would go on to direct such films as West Side Story and The Sound of Music). Even though the film therefore must be regarded as a marred masterpiece, the remaining two-thirds of Welles' original concept is still a thrilling cinematic experience, especially whenever Agnes Moorehead is on the screen. --- Hal Erickson

Some consider Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons one of the finest films ever made, even in the form in which it has been handed down to us. At the time of its production, Orson Welles was the big noise among new young filmmakers, but not a very profitable one. His first movie, Citizen Kane, had generated press and praise, but not profits. RKO, never a profitable studio and in danger of receivership for much of its history, needed The Magnificent Ambersons to be a hit. Welles had shot Ambersons true to Booth Tarkington's novel and elicited sterling performances from his cast. But Tarkington's story --- which We

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Cast for The Magnificent Ambersons

Joseph Cotten - Eugene Morgan
Dolores Costello - Isabel Amberson Minafer
Anne Baxter - Lucy Morgan
Tim Holt - George Amberson Minafer
Agnes Moorehead - Fanny Minafer
Ray Collins - Jack Amberson
Erskine Sanford - Bronson
Richard Bennett - Major Amberson
Donald Dillaway - Wilbur Minafer
Charles Phipps - Uncle John
Orson Welles - Narrator
Bob Pittard - Charlie Johnson
Philip Morris - Cop
Anne O'Neal - Mrs. Foster
Lillian Nicholson - Landlady
Gus Schilling - Drugstore Clerk
Kathrun Sheldon - Matron
Dorothy Vaughan - Funeral Spectator
Jack Santoro - Barber
Hilda Plowright - Nurse
Sam Rice - Man at Funeral
Henry Roquemore - Hardware Man
Drew Roddy - Elijah
James Westerfield - Cop at Accident
Bobby Cooper - George as a Boy
William Blees - Youth at Accident
John Elliott - Guest
Billy Elmer - House Servant
Edwin August - Man
Jack Baxley - Rev. Smith
Georgia Backus - Matron
Olive Ball - Mary
John McGuire - Young Man
J. Louis Johnson - Sam the Butler
Elmer Jerome - Funeral Spectator
Lew Kelly - Citizen
Nancy Gates - Girl
Nina Guilberg - Guest
Edward Howard - Chauffeur
Louis Hayward - Ballroom Dancer
Maynard Holmes

Crew for The Magnificent Ambersons

Orson Welles - Director / Producer / Screenwriter
Booth Tarkington - Book Author
Stanley Cortez - Cinematographer
Russell Metty - Cinematographer
Harry J. Wild - Cinematographer
Bernard Herrmann - Composer (Music Score)
Roy Webb - Composer (Music Score)
Jack Moss - Editor
Mark Robson - Editor
Robert Wise - Editor
Albert S. D'Agostino - Production Designer
Mark-Lee Kirk - Art Director
Al Fields - Set Designer
Edward Stevenson - Costume Designer
Vernon Walker - Special Effects

Awards for The Magnificent Ambersons

Best Black and White Art Direction (nom) Darrell Silvera 1942 Academy
Best Black and White Art Direction (nom) Al Fields 1942 Academy
Best Black and White Art Direction (nom) Albert S. D'Agostino 1942 Academy
Best Black and White Cinematography (nom) Stanley Cortez 1942 Academy
Best Picture (nom) 1942 Academy
Best Supporting Actress (nom) Agnes Moorehead 1942 Academy
Best Acting (win) Agnes Moorehead 1942 National Board of Review
Best Acting (win) Tim Holt 1942 National Board of Review
Best Actress (win) Moorhead, Agnes 1942 New York Film Critics Circle
Best Direction (nom) Orson Welles 1942 New York Film Critics Circle
Best Picture (win) 1942 New York Film Critics Circle
Best Picture (win) 1942 New York Film Critics Circle
U.S. National Film Registry (win) 1990 Library of Congress

Feature Details

Title: The Magnificent Ambersons
Feature Release Date: 1942
Genre: Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Color: Black and White
Runtime: 88 Minutes
Chapters: 25
Picture: Academy Ratio
Ratio: 1.33:1
Playback Format: CLV

IMDB Info...

Technical Details

LD Release Date: 26 May 1993
Catalog Number: CC1324L
UPC: 715515003711
ISBN: 1-55940-325-X
Manufacturer: 3M or IMATION
Collection: Criterion Collection
Publisher: Criterion

Diameter: 12"
Sides: 2
Cover: Jacket
Spoken Language: English
Country: USA
Video Format: NTSC

Model: CC1324L
Shipping Weight: 1 lbs
1 in Stock

Rare LaserDisc Movie

Near-Mint LaserDiscs and Jacket with light edge-wear

Orson Welles...

The Magnificent Ambersons

Criterion Collection

( Catalog Number CC1324L )
(1.33:1) (2 Sides) (CLV) (NTSC)

LaserDisc Special Features

One of the Best Versions on LaserDisc
Audio Commentary by Robert Carringer
LaserDisc

The Magnificent Ambersons
1942 - 88 min. - Black and White
Genre: Drama
Not Rated
Country: USA

LaserDisc Movie Review:
Orson Welles' followup to Citizen Kane (1941) was utterly different from Kane in style and texture, but just as brilliant in its own way. Writer/director Welles does not appear on camera, but his voiceover narration superbly sets the stage for the movie's action, which fades in valentine fashion on Amberson Mansion, the most ostentatious dwelling in all of turn-of-century Indianapolis. Its mistress is the haughtily beautiful Isabel Amberson (Dolores Costello). When Isabel's beau, erstwhile inventor Eugene Morgan (Joseph Cotten), inadvertently humiliates her in public, she breaks off the relationship and marries colorless Wilbur Minafer (Donald Dillaway). The neighbors are certain that, since Isabel can't possibly love Wilbur, she will spoil her children rotten. As it turns out, she has one child, George Minafer (Tim Holt), and that one is enough as far as the rest of Indianapolis is concerned. There are those who live for the day that the arrogant, insufferable George will get his comeuppance. When George returns home from college, his mother and grandfather (Richard Bennett) hold a gala reception in his honor. Among the guests is the older-and-wiser Eugene, now a prosperous automobile manufacturer, and his pretty daughter Lucy (Anne Baxter). George takes to Lucy immediately, but can't warm up to Eugene, especially after learning from his uncle Jack Amberson (Ray Collins) and his maiden aunt Fanny (Agnes Moorehead) that Eugene and Isabel had once been sweethearts. After the death of Wilbur Minafer, the widowed Eugene feels emboldened enough to propose to Isabel again. This time she is willing, but the obstreperous George refuses to allow his mother to see Eugene. His imperious bullheadedness will lead to tragedy for all concerned---and, at long last, a chastened George Minafer will indeed receive his comeuppance. The film's real villain is not George but that old intangible bugaboo called "Progress." As the automobile age comes to fruition, the elegant, cloistered lifestyle of the Ambersons fades from view, finally disappearing altogether. This is superbly foreshadowed in the "winter outing" sequence (filmed in an L.A. icehouse) in which George's two-horse sleigh is abandoned in favor of Eugene's clunky horseless carriage. Welles evokes performances that his actors seldom (if ever) matched in later years; even the very limited Tim Holt is wholly believable-and even a bit pitiable-as the blinkered George Amberson Minafer. The current version, however, is but a pale shadow of Welles' original concept. Out of time and overbudget, the movie previewed badly and was eventually sliced down to an abrupt 88 minutes (by, among others, editor Robert Wise, who would go on to direct such films as West Side Story and The Sound of Music). Even though the film therefore must be regarded as a marred masterpiece, the remaining two-thirds of Welles' original concept is still a thrilling cinematic experience, especially whenever Agnes Moorehead is on the screen. --- Hal Erickson

Some consider Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons one of the finest films ever made, even in the form in which it has been handed down to us. At the time of its production, Orson Welles was the big noise among new young filmmakers, but not a very profitable one. His first movie, Citizen Kane, had generated press and praise, but not profits. RKO, never a profitable studio and in danger of receivership for much of its history, needed The Magnificent Ambersons to be a hit. Welles had shot Ambersons true to Booth Tarkington's novel and elicited sterling performances from his cast. But Tarkington's story --- which We

Thanks for Visiting DaDon's !

Reviews, Articles, Newsletter and Information for Movies on LaserDisc LD Laser Disc, LazerDisc.

Cast for The Magnificent Ambersons

Joseph Cotten - Eugene Morgan
Dolores Costello - Isabel Amberson Minafer
Anne Baxter - Lucy Morgan
Tim Holt - George Amberson Minafer
Agnes Moorehead - Fanny Minafer
Ray Collins - Jack Amberson
Erskine Sanford - Bronson
Richard Bennett - Major Amberson
Donald Dillaway - Wilbur Minafer
Charles Phipps - Uncle John
Orson Welles - Narrator
Bob Pittard - Charlie Johnson
Philip Morris - Cop
Anne O'Neal - Mrs. Foster
Lillian Nicholson - Landlady
Gus Schilling - Drugstore Clerk
Kathrun Sheldon - Matron
Dorothy Vaughan - Funeral Spectator
Jack Santoro - Barber
Hilda Plowright - Nurse
Sam Rice - Man at Funeral
Henry Roquemore - Hardware Man
Drew Roddy - Elijah
James Westerfield - Cop at Accident
Bobby Cooper - George as a Boy
William Blees - Youth at Accident
John Elliott - Guest
Billy Elmer - House Servant
Edwin August - Man
Jack Baxley - Rev. Smith
Georgia Backus - Matron
Olive Ball - Mary
John McGuire - Young Man
J. Louis Johnson - Sam the Butler
Elmer Jerome - Funeral Spectator
Lew Kelly - Citizen
Nancy Gates - Girl
Nina Guilberg - Guest
Edward Howard - Chauffeur
Louis Hayward - Ballroom Dancer
Maynard Holmes

Crew for The Magnificent Ambersons

Orson Welles - Director / Producer / Screenwriter
Booth Tarkington - Book Author
Stanley Cortez - Cinematographer
Russell Metty - Cinematographer
Harry J. Wild - Cinematographer
Bernard Herrmann - Composer (Music Score)
Roy Webb - Composer (Music Score)
Jack Moss - Editor
Mark Robson - Editor
Robert Wise - Editor
Albert S. D'Agostino - Production Designer
Mark-Lee Kirk - Art Director
Al Fields - Set Designer
Edward Stevenson - Costume Designer
Vernon Walker - Special Effects

Awards for The Magnificent Ambersons

Best Black and White Art Direction (nom) Darrell Silvera 1942 Academy
Best Black and White Art Direction (nom) Al Fields 1942 Academy
Best Black and White Art Direction (nom) Albert S. D'Agostino 1942 Academy
Best Black and White Cinematography (nom) Stanley Cortez 1942 Academy
Best Picture (nom) 1942 Academy
Best Supporting Actress (nom) Agnes Moorehead 1942 Academy
Best Acting (win) Agnes Moorehead 1942 National Board of Review
Best Acting (win) Tim Holt 1942 National Board of Review
Best Actress (win) Moorhead, Agnes 1942 New York Film Critics Circle
Best Direction (nom) Orson Welles 1942 New York Film Critics Circle
Best Picture (win) 1942 New York Film Critics Circle
Best Picture (win) 1942 New York Film Critics Circle
U.S. National Film Registry (win) 1990 Library of Congress

Feature Details

Technical Details

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