The Count of Monte Cristo (1934)

Original Count of Monte Cristo

I bought this for my father who loves classics. The tape was a bit staticky and it was clear it was an old tape, but still a good movie. November 2, 2008

$27????

Horrible! THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is unwatchable! Amazon should be punished for carrying this product. October 18, 2008

Save your money

The quality of the movies is the worst I have ever seen on a DVD. Save your $26.99. The trouble also is you cannot return it for credit. The picture is very dark and is very "jerky". Also very, very poor images. September 11, 2008

A revenge served cold, a woman's hose alluringly discarded, and a ghost's mischievous riddle - what's not to like?

English actor Robert Donat, a dapper yet unassuming dude, only made 20 films before he passed on at the age of 53. Of these twenty films, three are absolute, absolute classics (THE 39 STEPS; THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO; and Goodbye, Mr. Chips). THE ROBERT DONAT COLLECTION happens to feature two of these - THE 39 STEPS (1935) and the hard-to-find THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (1934). THE GHOST GOES WEST, filmed in 1935 and a wacky, whimsical comedy, is also here to stir in a different flavor, capturing Donat at his lighthearted best. Shabbily, all three films are contained in one disc, with THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (as well as a text bio of Donat) on Side A and THE 39 STEPS and THE GHOST GOES WEST presented on Side B.

The main reason to get your paws on this one is THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, of which uncut version is finally made available on dvd. This lavish 1934 adaptation may well be the best cinematic retelling of Alexander Dumas's celebrated novel of lingering obsession and soul-staining revenge. This is certainly my preferred version. Robert Donat is riveting as wronged man Edmond Dantes, who escapes imprisonment and begins to realize his elaborate vengeance on the three who framed him. With a running time of 112 minutes, this one stays reasonably true to the novel. While not action packed in the traditional swashbuckling sense, there's a sense of tautness and anticipation on the screen. There's still that electric thrill when Dantes pulls off his prison escape. And the fun lies in watching the Count cunningly manipulate the weaknesses of his three mortal enemies and in seeing these rotters, one after the other, get their just desserts. Man, I have been hoping and hoping that a dvd release of this film would surface. And here it finally is. I'm all happy.

THE 39 STEPS is definitely one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock efforts. Filmed in 1935, this is one of the master's earliest and very best. It's so good that it's been remade twice, in 1959 and 1978, both of which pale when compared to the original. So accept no substitutes. This movie - along with YOUNG AND INNOCENT, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1934), and THE LADY VANISHES (collected in Alfred Hitchcock Classics : Rich and Strange; The 39 Steps; The Lady Vanishes; Young and Innocent; The Man Who Knew Too Much) - is largely why I dig Hitchcock's pre-Hollywood gems much more than his later bigger-budgeted stuff. THE 39 STEPS is a briskly-paced romantic spy thriller recounting the adventures of resourceful Canadian-on-holiday Richard Hannay, who is forced to go on the run when a woman is murdered in his apartment and the police come to suspect that he-dunit. The only way out for Hannay is to expose a murderous ring of spies.

And just what is the 39 Steps? Well, it's a McGuffin, is what, and you shouldn't really pay too much attention to it. Instead, eyes should be firmly locked on Donat and the stunning Madeleine Carroll. These two manage to create chemistry that is sizzling but well-mannered (in a naughty kind of way). Gifted with crackling suspense and sharp dialogue, bolstered with deft comedic touches, THE 39 STEPS is about as timeless as it gets and is replete with many memorable scenes. That playfully sexy sequence at the inn between the handcuffed-together Donat and Carroll is one of my all-time cinematic highlights (Gawd, when Madeleine Carroll takes off her hose!), with Hannay's impromptu filibuster speech not too far behind.

Still, if you're looking for the best, most comprehensive dvd release of THE 39 STEPS, then you should probably look into the Criterion release (The 39 Steps (Criterion Collection Spine #56)).

When an ancient, run-down Scottish castle is purchased by a brash American entrepreneur and transported, stone by stone, to Sunnymede, Florida, it also brings along its lived-in ghost. THE GHOST GOES WEST stars Donat as Murdoch Glourie, the disgraced 18th century spirit doomed to haunt Glourie Castle until he addresses old wrongs done to the family name. Donat also plays Murdoch's easy-going modern-day descendant, Donald Glourie, whose destitute state forces him to sell the castle.

This light, madcap comedy is in the same frothy vein as I MARRIED A WITCH and Topper/Topper Returns (Or is that the other way around? Since THE GHOST GOES WEST came before any of these?). This one is amusing enough in its screwball elements; it even flaunts a certain satiric bite. It's a bit startling to see an old and proper haunt fall prey to the whims of ruthless American marketing and advertising. Eugene Pallette, one of the great character actors of the 1930s, is reliably good and predictably raspy-voiced as the businessman who schemes to profit from his new castle and its spectral inhabitant. THE GHOST GOES WEST is an hour and 18 minutes' worth of harmless smiles and giggles, even if the romantic angle kind of falls flat.

So these three flicks all date back to the mid-1930s; they're old stuff. I'm no expert on audio and video quality, but you can't expect these to be pure in clarity. Certainly, concerning THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and THE GHOST GOES WEST, the audio fizzed and crackled in spots and, in THE GHOST GOES WEST, the picture stuttered in two places (admittedly, it could simply be that my dvd copy is faulty). Only THE 39 STEPS played perfectly. But, overall, I thought the movies looked and sounded fairly good. Could they have done more with the presentation? Maybe put out the three films on two discs, instead of all on one? Of course. But I'm just happy that I finally get to own THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and THE GHOST GOES WEST. THE 39 STEPS, I already have two copies of.

Robert Donat should've had a longer, more lucrative film career. Not quite as flashy as Ronald Colman, Donat held his own in the gallant and debonair department and he exuded a certain accessible quality, as if he's just regular folks (only with a posh accent). He was classy, and a prominent actor on stage. Hitchcock certainly wanted him for other parts. Donat also missed out on the lead role for what would become classic films (CAPTAIN BLOOD, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD). But, to a great extent, chronic asthma, his personal kryptonite, crippled his chances to commit to more feature films. Also, the Hollywood life wasn't really to his taste. As it is, he made his mark in the few movies he did manage to be in. Other actors should be so lucky to be part of three all-time classics (and THE CITADEL was pretty darn good, as well). To see just how good Robert Donat was, check out this collection. And then check out GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS. July 19, 2008

Robert Donat collection

This trio of vintage films, starring the excellent English actor Robert Donat, is a treasure. "The 39 Steps," available for some time now, is one of the leading mystery classics of the 1930's. "The Count of Monte Cristo" is an excellent retelling of a marvelous adventure story. But the absolute gem is "The Ghost Goes West," a quietly hilarious comedy in which Donat plays two roles: a Scottish ghost who is condemned to haunt the ancestral castle, and his modern impoverished descendant who is forced to sell that castle to an American grocery magnate. The magnate moves it, stone by stone, to Florida (along with the resident ghost). The only regret I have is that for a Donat "collection," I wish they had included "The Winslow Boy." The Donat version is easily as good as the later film with Jeremy Northam. June 19, 2008

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