( 7 reviews )
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Posted: Jul 14 2009
No need for me to review the movie since you're purchasing this as a collector, right? So heres the details on the Good Times Home Video Version Filmed in 1951 (release 1952) using the "Spherical" Cinematographic Process in the Academy Standard Ratio of 1.37:1, this presentation gives us the Full Frame (1.33:1) which is exactly what the director intended us to see. The original coloring of the film was as so: ** Modern Story:Black and White (Sepiatone); ** Fanasy story: Color (Supercinecolor) This DVD-5, MPEG2 encoded Movie was about 7 Mbps on Average (with the total disc at 7.16 Mbps) The audio is a little weak, but definitely clear and intelligible. Dolby Digital 2.0 (Dual Mono) at 192 Kbps. While the film still appears a bit washed out in comparison to modern presentations, it STELLAR!!! for a 1952 public domain film presentation on DVD. Hence, on a scale of 1-5 (3 being average modern DVD) this would score at 2.85/5) Very good indeed. (Especially in comparison to the "Reel Classic Film" edition of this movie. Just don't buy that version as long as this one is available.) Pick it up ... its worth the collection!
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Posted: Apr 21 2008
This was exactly what I was looking for. In this day of anime violence and off-color innuendo in kid's programming, I have been picking up DVDs of entertainment from my own childhood to share with my grandchildren...and they love it!!! They even go around singing the songs from the movie, corny as they are.
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( 1 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: May 4 2006
Having not seen Abbott and Costello's "Jack and the Beanstalk" in several decades, I have to say that is so much more than I remember. It is really just inspired in it's, to borrow a style from the Sherman Brothers, "Awfulosity". This film is really a turkey, but a golden one, (or however gold photographs in the miracle of SUPERcineCOLOR?). Clearly this film was influenced by the MGM film "The Wizard of Oz", which incidentally was re-issued for the first time in 1950 or 51. This film was released in 1952. You get the picture. The opening and closing sequences, in the real world, are shot in sepia (though in this print it looks like grainy, contrasty B&W). All the principle characters in the color "fantasy" sequence are introduced in the modern day world and telegraph their relationships in the fantasy later on, some going as far as showing the costumes they will be wearing minutes later. Really, the costumes, the make up (on the cow, Henry), the hair (particularly on Bud and the prince), the songs, the choreography, EVERYthing in this picture is just so wrong it's right. Lou's shtick and acting are really so far beneath him, except in a really funny dance that he and the scullery maid do in which he gets the stuffing smacked out of him. My favorite numbers, however, include the solos with the strange looking, slightly cock-eyed prince and the "big" dance numbers with the innane lip-syncing townsfolk and the "June Terrible Dancers!" And the "Giant", well, you will just have to see him for yourself, but I will say that if I were him, I would have asked for more flattering lighting on my close ups. It was fun revisiting this film after so many years. If you have seen it. See it again. If you haven't seen it, I know you will enjoy your introduction to this classic comedy........ of errors.
