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TechnoTV - Secret Garden
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List Price: $14.98
Our Price: $39.82
Your Save: $ ( % )
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Manufacturer: MGM (Warner)
Starring: Margaret O'Brien, Herbert Marshall, Dean Stockwell, Gladys Cooper, Elsa Lanchester
Directed By: Fred M. Wilcox
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302148664
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 6302148669
Label: MGM (Warner)
Manufacturer: MGM (Warner)
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: MGM (Warner)
Release Date: 1992-12-31
Running Time: 92
Studio: MGM (Warner)
Theatrical Release Date: 1949
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Adaptation!!!!!
Comment: I love this movie!Since I was around 5 or 6 years old,this film has been one of my favorites.The original book is a timeless classic for all ages.Out of all the film adaptations,this one is tied with the Hallmark one as my favorite.It perfectly recreates the eerie feel of the manor and the moors it is built upon.The black and white appearance of the film are made for this type of piece.Also,when the film switches to technicolor for the garden scenes,the effect is stunning.It makes for a seamless transition from the somber outside world into the pleasant magic of the garden.In addition to this,the acting is wonderful.Margaret O'Brien is the ideal choice to play Mary Lennox.She manages to make the transition from nasty child to nice child seem real and convincing.She is also very likable in the part even at her bratiest stage.Aside from her,the rest of the cast is also excellent with all of the child actors showing surprisingly strong talent.Indeed,if more child actors in present times had this much talent,more family films would actually be tolerable to watch.As it is,this film is a masterpiece.It is an excellent addition to any one's movie collection.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: The Enchanted Garden
Comment: The Secret Garden is a classic story about a girl named Mary from India (Margaret O'Brien) who comes to live with her uncle in England after her parents are killed in a cholera epidemic. She's quite a bratty girl who is left to play outside with the maid's brother Dickon (Brian Roper). The two eventually become friends and try to unravel the mysteries of the strange house and bond over discovering a secret passage into the locked garden just outside. They also discover an even brattier boy that lives in the house, Colin (Dean Stockwell) who is crippled and confined to the house. The three form a team to enjoy the garden the way it should be enjoyed.
There are many metaphors in this film, many of them come alive when Mary tells her stories. She speaks of the garden as a magical place where adults can never go, somewhere safe and special for children only. Fortunately, this film makes all those things normally reserved for children come alive in adults too. It captures one's imagination and makes one feel like a kid again.
Each one of the children is wonderful in the movie. O'Brien is convincing as a snobbish girl who transitions into a wise girl with motherly tendencies. Stockwell mirrors her brattiness, but also reforms quite nicely. Roper is wonderful as the intelligent friend, a kind boy with a fondness for life.
The best part of the film is the way the garden is exhibited. To make the screen come alive, all the scenes in the garden are shot in technicolor. It is a brilliant way to demonstrate the importance of the interior and to display its abounding beauty.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great film - restoration needed
Comment: I had only seen this film I think once before the 1993 remake was released, and the latter was the version I grew up with. I never realized how great a film the 1949 original really was until I rediscovered it when it aired on TCM on Christmas Eve two or three years ago. What a beautiful and extraordinary film! Although its obviously confined to soundstages at MGM Studios, the film more than makes up for that in its cast and cinematography. The majority of this film is shot in Black and White, but note well the use of Technicolor in some of the garden sequences. Apparently MGM wanted to keep these Technicolor scenes a secret, as the Technicolor credits do not appear until the end of the film, although it is advertised in the theatrical trailer (which can be seen on the Warner Bros. DVD release of the 1993 remake).
Also note the beautiful score by Bronislau Kaper--especially the garden theme. Although this was certainly not a major entry in the annals of movie music, a suite from this score should be put together and recorded, taking advantage of the fact that Andre Previn, who conducted the soundtrack performance in 1949, is still working today. Few film moments touch me more than in the last shot when Craven, Colin, and Mary embrace in the garden as the music blares and the scene fades to the end titles.
This film definately needs a restoration from original elements where they still exist. Especially the 3-strip Technicolor segments--although the colors are still rich and vibrant, they are not as sharp as they could be. With a proper restoration, hopefully we will see the 3-strip Technicolor scenes presented with the vibrance and clarity they deserve.
This title is now unfortunately out of print on VHS. Copies of this film, even used, can be pricey both here and elsewhere. I acquired my copy of the tape at a second-hand video store a couple months ago, and in like-new condition. Best $5 investment I ever made! I am ever so pleased with it! If you come across it for a good price, GRAB IT!!!
Here's to a restored DVD release, and soon!
Customer Rating:
Summary: BEAUTIFUL CLASSIC FOR ALL AGES !!!
Comment: This is a PERFECT movie for movie lovers of ALL AGES......
Beautifuly told story......Margaret O'Brien the brilliant child
actress from the 1940's is EXCELLENT in the role of 'Mary'....
Also SUPERB in the roles of 'Colin' & 'Dicken' are Dean Stockwell and Brian Roper....
Since having read the book as a kid, and viewing the
BBC and last remake, In my opinion: THIS version is still THE
BEST !!!!
Beautiful Color for 1949 which is enchanting as it switches
back and forth from color to black and white......
They just DON'T make movies like this no more.......
This movie must DEFINITLY BE ON DVD !!!!
And i agree with other reviewers on "NOT" (Re-mastering it) !!!
Just put on DVD with some old vintage EXTRAS !!!
It's a RARE find on VHS and Expensive.....If you don't mind forking out some extra bucks it's worth owning a copy.....
NEW & USED copies can be found here from time to time...
ALSO ON
EBAY !!! If not you can occasionaly catch it on AMC or TCM....
Customer Rating:
Summary: My favorite film as a child
Comment: This is really not a review, but an experience I'd like to share. One year, while living in Los Angeles, a friend surprised me for my birthday by taking me to a "revival theater" to see this film. When the movie ended, the lights went up and someone announced that there was a special guest in the audience. That special guest was Margaret O'Brien, who was seated in the row directly behind me. What a thrill to see Miss O'Brien in person and to hear about her experiences as a child actress, in this film and in others. My friend had known about Miss O'Brien's "impending appearance," but didn't tell me. A birthday evening I will forever cherish. For 92 glorious minutes, I was that little 8-year-old once again...watching this film for the very first time. But this time, as I watched Margaret O'Brien on celluloid, she was seated just a whisper away.
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