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| THE RONALD
REAGAN SIGNATURE COLLECTION |
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Distributor:
Warner Home Video
Region 1 | NTSC Format | 5
disc set
Available to buy
Certificate: Unrated
Extras: Yes
ANYONE
IN IT WE KNOW?
Ronald Reagan, Pat O'Brien, Gale Page, Donald Crisp, Albert Bassermann
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WHAT’S
IT ABOUT THEN?
"Some day, when things are tough, maybe you can ask the boys to go in there and win just one for the Gipper."
Whilst Ronald Reagan may have never quite achieved full A-list status he was always a solid player and some of his movies have stood the test of
time pretty well. Warner, as part of their signature collection featuring stars from the golden age of Hollywood, have released a quintet of five of
his best movies. Kings Row is probably Reagan's best movie and is of course featured here, the others run from 1940 to 1952 and include his
breakthrough Knute-Rockne All American, The Hasty Heart, Storm Warning and The Winning Team.
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THE FULL LIST IS
Knute-Rockne All American
Made in 1940 actually stars Pat O'Brien as the main character Knute-Rockne real life coach of the Notre Dame football team, this inspirational
story actually features Reagan as the teams star player George Gipp who succumbs to pneumonia and provides the line of dialogue that
Reagan would use for much of his political career, "win one for the
Gipper" providing the most emotional moment of the movie.
extras on this are Oscar-winning Technicolor short "Teddy, the Rough Rider"; Classic cartoon
"Porky's Baseball Broadcast"; Audio-Only bonus: 1940
Lux Radio Theater Broadcast with Pat O’Brien and Ronald Reagan and the theatrical trailer.
Kings Row released in 1942 is Reagans most well regarded movie, telling the story of five small town friends around the turn of the 20th century.
Reagan plays town playboy Drake McHugh who ends up losing his legs in an accident (when Reagan published his autobiography in 1965 he
titled it after his famous line in this movie "where's the rest of me". The novel on which the movie was based was considered quite near the
knuckle which of course meant signigicant toning down for Hays Code era Hollywood.
extras Oscar -nominated vintage featurette "The United States Marine Band", Classic cartoon "Fox Pop" and the theatrical trailer.
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The Hasty Heart is from 1949 and sees Reagan partnered with Richard Todd as a pair of soldiers languishing in an army hospital in Burma at the
end of world war two, again Reagan's role is one of support as Todd plays the lead as the soldier with the shot kidneys who isn't going to go
home. This was personally the most enjoyable movie of the quintet, emotional, strongly acted and well worth a look.
extras include Commentary by director Vincent Sherman and Ronald Reagan biographer John
Meroney, Vintage Joe McDoakes comedy short
"So You Want to Be in Pictures", Classic cartoon "The Hasty Hare" and the theatrical trailer.
Storm Warning from 1951 sees Reagan playing opposite Doris Day and Ginger Rogers, its actually a strong drama about the Klu Klux Klan of all
things, with Rogers witnessing a clan murder and Reagan playing the DA determined to bring them to justice.
Only extra is the theatrical trailer.
Finally we have another sporting drama in 1952's
The Winning Team with Reagan playing famous baseball pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander
focusing in particular on the 1926 world series. Again Doris Day is his co-star.
Only extra is the theatrical trailer.
All in all a great little set paying tribute to an often undervalued actor.
ANY
SPECIAL FEATURES?
See
above for full details.
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