The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956) - Region Free PAL, Plays in English Without subtitles

Based on the novel by William Bradford Huie about a prostitute who becomes wealthy speculating in real estate in wartime Honolulu. This film adaptation directed by Raoul Walsh is, like many other Hollywood films of the period, bowdlerized. Mamie Stover (Jane Russell) is no longer a hooker but a "dance hostess" (not unlike the change in Donna Reed's character from page to screen in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY). Given that it's cleaned up as not to offend the impressionable 1950s minds, Walsh does an admirable job in keeping the proceedings engrossing while cinematographer Leo Tover (THE HEIRESS) turns his eye to the lush Hawaiian locations and taking full advantage of the entire CinemaScope frame. Russell looks the part though she doesn't bring many layers to her character that a stronger actress would. Agnes Moorehead as the brassy, blonde "proprietor" who looks after her girls with an iron glove steals what acting honors the film may have. With Richard Egan, Joan Leslie (her final film role), Michael Pate, Jorja Curtright, Jean Willes and Alan Reed. The jazz tinged score by Hugo Friedhofer is one of the film's strongest assets.The Spanish imported DVD from Filmax Video is a gorgeous 2.35 CinemaScope transfer with removal Spanish subtitles. Unfortunately, there is a problem with the audio for the first half hour. The film, like all Fox films of the period, is in directional stereophonic sound. But it sounds like the right channel is put through both the left and right channels thus causing the characters speaking from the right side of the screen to sound very faint. This remedies itself around the half hour mark. I didn't listen to the available Spanish dub track.

As this purchase was for my 91 year old brother I can not provide a constructive review. However he did complain that the story was not up to the book (he has yet to read the book). That's 90 year olds for you.

Engrossing Hollywood package