Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Ploydsge just watch it!

Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

vincentlynch-moonoi You have a choice to make. You can fret about Don Ameche playing an Indian and let it ruin the film for you. Or you can just accept that in 1936 there wasn't going to be a full blooded Indian in a leading role of an important motion picture. In other words, get over it.This film is based on a very important novel about racial prejudice, and while I have not read the novel, my impression is that to quite an extent the movie is a too-simplified version of the story. However, racial prejudice in an underlying and ongoing theme of this film, so it still has impact.The other important thing about this film is that it was only the fourth movie to be filmed in 3-strip Technicolor! Unfortunately, the print is not pristine, but the Technicolor is still quite stunning, including with lots of outdoor scenes "on location" in sunny California.Loretta Young was a lovely actress, and her performance here is excellent. Don Ameche, a much forgotten actor, was a fine performer, although here he seems perhaps a bit too refined to be a Spanish-Indian of that period. I don't know that...I'm just surmising. He's still interesting to watch. The other performance of note here is by Jane Darwell, whom most viewers will recall from "The Grapes Of Wrath".When you think of the advances in Technicolor from this film in 1936 to "Gone With The Wind" 3 years later...wow! The film does seem dated, but I think it's worth it to watch an historically important novel turned into a film, with themes that still resonate in our culture today.

Richard Chatten The first of many slices of Technicolor Americana to be made for 20th Century Fox by veteran director Henry King; like the same year's 'The Trail of the Lonesome Pine' and 'The Garden of Allah', 'Ramona' was based on a novel that had already been filmed in the 1920s. Even without William Skall's sumptuous Technicolor photography, it stands up well as a watchable, well-acted drama in its own right; while much of what it says about white America's mistreatment of minorities still remains all too topical.Loretta Young and Don Ameche (before he grew his moustache) make attractive leads, donning black wigs in none-too successful attempts to convince us that they're of native American ancestry. With the exception of J.Carrol Naish - saddled with providing unfunny comic relief in a frequently incomprehensible accent - the rest of the cast are uniformly excellent.Many of the attitudes expressed in the film remain depressingly familiar today; Jane Darwell's haste to reach for a firearm when she thinks she's dealing with non-believers, for example. As in other Hollywood films of the thirties the law is shown being routinely used by the strong to bully the weak. The Settlement Act enables a white settler to shoot an Indian farmer with impunity; while John Carradine plainly isn't constrained by any worry that shooting an unarmed man three times simply for stealing his horse might get him hanged.

loschavez This is an oldie but goodie. I can't locate a copy anywhere, which may be understandable. I have to find it, becausewant my wife to see it.When I last saw it, black and white TV was the norm; so it's dated. Came to find out it was in Technicolor all the time! I'd read the famous novel as young and innocent teen, soon to be ravished by Loretta Young. (Listen; NOBODY was more beautiful than Loretta Young.) She was a fine Hollywood actress. The story of Ramona is a frontier tragedy, but nevertheless lovely. Loretta acted her part not only sweetly. She was really perfect as Ramona. None of the settings were extraordinary; just adequate.The plot is a little too mushy. Yet it's very romantic; you can't help being swept up in it, owing to both Loretta and young Don Ameche, at the peak of his stardom. He was what we'd call a hunk these days; with uncommon screen presence. Ameche could act; I don't think I ever saw him do any part poorly. Why hasn't this 1936 classic been re-mastered and saved on DVD? I'll keep on looking for a video. I'd rate "Ramona" easily a 6. --Ciao, movie fans!

Michael_Elliott Ramona (1936) ** 1/2 (out of 4) A young half Indian woman (Loretta Young) marries an Indian (Don Ameche) but their lives take a turn for the worse when white folks run them off their land. This is an extremely depressing and somewhat shocking film that actually shows the Indians as the good people and the white's as savages, which wasn't common back in the day. The two stars do their usual great work but the direction is all over the place. The Indians aren't well written considering most are talking with Spanish accents. John Carradine has a small role. From what I gathered, this was the forth feature to use 3-strip Technicolor.