Wordiezett So much average

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

mark.waltz Don't expect 100% comedy in this western about the trials of an acting troop making their way through the old west. It's not all feather boas and sequins in this sometimes light- hearted but often dangerous lifestyle where troop leader Anthony Quinn, leading lady Sophia Loren and the remainder of their ensemble face bill collectors, irate or amorous hotel proprietors and Indians as they go from gig to gig. Often, there's a lit more lustful eyes made at the voluptuous Loren with Quinn struggling to keep it altogether. Among the supporting cast are Margaret O'Brien as a supposed 16 year old girl with a mother (Eileen Heckart) who seems to want to sell her off to matrimony, Edmund Lowe as the company villain and Steve Forrest who makes a gamble for Loren's heart. Moderately entertaining, it often switches gears as it goes through various mood swings. I wanted to like it more than I did, although this is a subject matter that doesn't crop up as part of major western plots. The look on the audience's eyes as they watch the goings on stage is thrilling however while the confrontation with the natives is rather frightening.O'Brien seems to be trying to remind everybody that she was "Meet Me in St. Louis's" Tootie, obviously not 16 as Heckart insists and certainly not 20 as she claims to be. Heckart gets some good lines, but I wouldn't call this one of her better parts. Loren, as a platinum blonde, is still enticing, while Quinn just seems to get sexier as he ages. It's colorful but unremarkable, high one moment then disappointing the next.

kirksworks Director George Cukor's only western, this is about a traveling stage show that keeps getting into trouble because of the escapades of their leading star, Angela Rossini, deliciously played by Sophia Loren, quite fetching as a blonde. She is top billed along with Anthony Quinn. It also stars an adolescent Margaret O'Brien (a child in "Meet Me in St. Louis"), whose mother does not want her to grow up.  I thought O'Brien was as charming in this as she was in "St. Louis."  I had never seen "Heller" in its complete form, never in any quality print, and this DVD looks great.  I'd only seen edited for TV versions, and that made it hard to follow.  Seeing this DVD release surprised me.  The film is top notch Cukor, ranking as one of the most entertaining westerns of the 1960s. The director also got a full- blooded and emotional performance from Loren, perhaps one of her most natural, and the director even held the reins on Quinn, who could overdo his roles on occasion. Actor Steve Forrest also has a well-integrated part, and his character appears at just the right moments to thrust the story forward or change its direction.  Ramon Novarro (Judah in the silent "Ben-Hur," opposite Garbo in "Mata Hari") appears on screen for the last time, effectively playing a conniving banker.  If you go into this film with an open mind, I think you'll find that it is funny, exciting, romantic and often surprising. I never knew where it was going, and that made it refreshing. You'll probably also enjoy the wonderfully visualized period atmosphere in stunning Technicolor. There's also a fine score by Daniele Amphitheatrof, a far too unappreciated composer.Give this film a try. You'll probably have a good time.

M. J Arocena The look alone is worth the trouble. Rich, colorful, slightly baroque. Sophia Loren is as good as when she's directed by a great actor's director, this time is not Vittorio De Sica but George Cukor and her timing, her intention as a character is total perfection. Her sympathy is not merely believable but contagious and sympathy was Loren's secret weapon. True, it's not your Ford or Hawks western if anything it's closer to Sergio Leone with a slightly more refined if not feminine sensibility. The showdowns here are not of gun powder but of love power. The Art Direction is superb and the film shouldn't be dismiss because it doesn't fulfill the rules of the genre. This is a Cukor film and that in itself makes it a cut above most movies. Anthony Quinn is also traveling unknown territory very successfully. Eileen Heckart is, as usual, a scene stealer: "She's only sixteen!, only sixteen, do you hear?" she shouts trying to protect her most valuable asset, her daughter, played by Margaret O'Brien wanting to be accepted as a 20 year old. An extra plus for film lovers is a glimpse of Ramon Novarro one of the biggest stars of the silent era.

bensonmum2 What an average, ordinary movie. And by average and ordinary, I mean dull. The plot revolves around a traveling show in the old West. The group runs afoul of Indians, sheriffs, and killers as they seek to make their fortunes. Sophia Loren is the star and is in almost every scene, but not even she can save Heller in Pink Tights from achieving nothing more than mediocrity. Anthony Quinn is also top billed, but he is terribly underutilized and looks like he's just going through the motions. The chemistry between the pair is non-existent. The only bright spot in the cast is Eileen Heckart who, as usual, steals every scene in which she appears. Director George Cukor shot Heller in Pink Tights in the most gaudy of color schemes that hardly seems natural give the time period in which the movie takes place. An exploding paint store wouldn't produce this much color. I'm not sure what Cukor was going for, but he failed at almost every turn.In short, this one should be reserved for Cukor or Loren completists only.