ThiefHott Too much of everything

Cortechba Overrated

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Panamint Joan Crawford was a great screen actress and her performance in this otherwise routine melodrama is terrific. But her eyebrows are yikes- in at least one scene they are not smooth across but spiked, the result is unintentionally frightening. Oh well, thats just Joan being Joan.Usually Anthony Perkins would have played the confused ex-soldier part, but I guess he was busy. So we fortunately have Cliff Robertson in the role. Robertson was at that time a virile and vibrant young New York stage actor who is perfect for this role. Crawford and Robertson work well together.While the actual character emotions are intense, the methods and practice of psychiatry is rather shallow and obviously just there to up the melodrama quotient. Shallow, skimmed-over psychiatry in a melodrama that is at the same time so definitely intense with Robertson's fine portrayal of suffering is a dichotomy I find detrimental to the film. And in a desperate attempt by the film-makers to enhance the melodrama effect, they actually carry the May/December angle into Mommie territory, emphasizing Crawford's motherly qualities (to the extent she had any). If you view "Autumn Leaves" strictly for its performances and dramatic attributes while ignoring its implausibility and unnecessary references to May/December Mommie relationships you will certainly enjoy this highly dramatic film. Look for Lorne Green and Vera Miles in excellent portrayals of an unhealthy relationship- and wow does Crawford verbally chew them out in a magnificently acted scene by Ms.Crawford.Overall "Autumn Leaves" is a noteworthy accomplishment by Aldrich and a great example of his ability and skill.

zetazap8 (A line from one of the characters of the movie)Wow! I watched this on TV on a lark - the movie had a "To Be Announced" and no description, so I didn't know what to expect; I didn't know the story line. My only previous experience with Joan Crawford as an actress was "Baby Jane", and I really don't know much about her. This was an unexpected treat - the acting throughout is superb, and since it is B&W, the use of dramatic lighting and use of unusual camera angles adds depth and drama to the story. When Millicent begins to realize that Burt is a pathological liar, it made me want to say, "Run, girl, RUN!". But then, the villains appear on the scene (Vera Miles and Lorne Greene), and the awful truth is revealed. (BTW, I only knew Greene as Ben Cartwright, but when he was younger, he was HOT! And, that VOICE! But, I digress...). One of the best lines - that made me laugh out loud - that other viewers have mentioned, "And YOU....you SLUT!" - is so good because of how Crawford delivers it. Such dignity. It is a true phenomenon that when a mind is faced with an unspeakable trauma, the creation of a 'fantasy life' can be created to make the trauma more "manageable". Burt's breakdown is understandable, but the horrific truth of how most psycho-therapy was conducted back in the day (drugs and electro-shock therapy) makes the sanitarium scenes difficult to watch. But...the deep strength of Millicent is the true face of love. To love another so much that she wanted Burt to have a happy future, even if it didn't include her, is what this reviewer sees as the very heart of love. Although actors are trained to portray a wide range of characters and emotions, I believe that a woman must be truly strong to be able to portray Millicent - and that gives one insight as to Joan Crawford's own character.And, how does it end? That is for you to find out. Watch it - it's gripping, entertaining, engaging - and the kind of movie you can watch with someone special. And, watching how they respond to this movie will give YOU some insights!

Fuzzy Wuzzy As the opening credits of "Autumn Leaves" are benignly rolling by, the viewer is treated to listening to the golden, mellow voice of Nat "King" Cole as he effortlessly sings this melodrama's title song.And even though there were no autumn leaves anywhere to be found in "Autumn Leaves", this song and its lulling effect played (surprising enough) a somewhat significant part when it came to setting the pace and mood of this film's stormy plot-line.Many years following this picture's 1956 release, Joan Crawford stated, in an interview, that of her later films, "Autumn Leaves" was, indeed, her #1 favourite.I think that that was kind of a funny thing for Crawford to say, since, from my perspective, I clearly found her to be miscast in her role as Millie Wetherby, the longing, lonely, middle-aged typing-dynamo who finally finds her man (who's half her age) only to discover that an unbalanced mind lurks behind those twinkling, baby-blue eyes of his.From my point of view, even though "Autumn Leaves" had all the makings of being a fairly intriguing picture and its subject matter was certainly handled in a mature fashion, I found that a lot of the story (especially the ending) just didn't ring true.Like I said earlier, Joan Crawford just wasn't well-suited for her role as a woman who would allow a man (regardless of how cute he was) to slap her around and brutalize her. And, then, after all was said and done, actually come crawling back for more. (Oh? Yeah!?) Yes. "Autumn Leaves" was a decidedly flawed affair and its dead-serious dramatics contained some unintentionally humorous moments, but, all the same, I think that this 1950's Chick Flick was certainly well-worth a view just to see how mental illness was looked upon in the realm of Hollywood movies nearly 60 years ago.Filmed in b&w, "Autumn Leaves" was directed by Robert Aldrich whose other notable films included - Kiss Me Deadly, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane and The Dirty Dozen.

m-santana Joan Crawford is probably one of my favorite actresses of all time because in every film I've seen of hers she never falls short. Possibly her genetics have some what to do with it, but I also believe it's talent because she has a way of reacting such a way through her facial expressions that just suck you in. After seeing many of her films, when I watch one I never think anything negative, such as why she did something. Although she can be many different characters I never say that she was better as the other because like I said Joan delivers. Milly is a character that is very talented and true to herself, and it was obvious from the beginning a man wasn't what she needed in life. It was more of something deserved. When Bert made his pass at Milly I wondered what he'd get her into. Lovely enough this movie wasn't about any sort of mystery. Bert and Milly seemed like they could really make things work, after of course the usual test. Women always test men to see if they are as legitimate as they claim to be. Not to give anything much away, Milly was surprised as any women would have been, but she stayed true to her heart. Also, probably my favorite part of the film was during the beach scene. The editing and shots were moment to moment and messed very well. The song of autumn leaves being such a solid part of the film was a nice aspect also. The song is filled with emotions in every word.