Diver Dan (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was glad to order this DVD, having awaited the arrival of DIVER DAN on home video for years -- but enjoyable though it was watching this DVD, this isn't really the proper release of DIVER DAN on digital video disc. The Alpha DVD is apparently unlicensed, and while it's good to have the 15 shows included here, this is going to look a lot better when and if the actual owners of the series ever get an edition of their own out. For starters, they're in black-and-white (which, yes, I know is how all of us saw the show in 1960-66 or whenever we caught it), but the series was actually show in full color, and should be presented that way. But worse is the fact that not only are the story-lines incomplete, because the makers didn't have complete story-arcs among some of the 15 shows here, but they're also out of sequence, so that the first installment of what was the last story in the series comes at the very end of the disc, over an hour after the material that is supposed to follow it. The transfers are also flawed in places -- for the price it's okay, but I'll gladly buy this material again, to get this series done properly if the owners of the series ever give me the opportunity.

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15 episodes from the classic live action TV series featuring Diver Dan and his underwater pals.

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Rocky King Detective, Volume 1 (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)THIS SHOW BRINGS BACK OLD MEMORIES OF GOOD DETECTIVE SHOWS.
WE WATCHED THESE IN THE 50'S.

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Four incredibly rare episodes from Dumont television's popular live New York City cop show.

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Ed Wynn Show - Volume 1 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)This aired during the early days of United States TV (1949-1950). These four episodes are interesting to say the least, even if the sound and picture quality is poor (even when compared with other efforts of the time like "The School House" and "Texaco Star Theatre"). Nevertheless, it's a moderately amusing series, basically a variety show. Just for those who want to know what appears:
Episode 1: Guest star Gloria Swanson and two singers who names escape me
Episode 2: Guest stars The Three Stooges
Episode 3: Guest star Vera Vague (an actress who was very popular but somehow forgotten today. This episode verges on being surreal at times)
Episode 4: Guest stars Buddy Epsen and Hattie McDaniel (though the two don't appear together. Hattie plays the character "Beulah the Maid" from radio, luckily isn't as offensive as it could have been even if it isn't exactly a plea for tolerance. She sings a song, which is unexpected to say the least).
Though the writing is uneven and at times verges on cloying, this short-lived series has a slight charm and will probably be enjoyed by those curious about early United States comedy-variety series.
(Note: Contains a couple of original commercials, for both Camel cigerattes and a brand of replacement watch bands. These commercials are actually among the very weakest I've seen from this period).

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Four rare episodes from the classic TV variety show featuring the Three Stooges and Gloria Swanson.

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The Beulah Show, Volume 1 (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)THE BEULAH SHOW (also known simply as BEULAH) is a light sitcom from television's first years best known for being the first program to star an African American actress. The syndicated series ran three seasons, 1950-1953. Based on the late 40's radio sitcom starring Oscar winner Hattie McDaniel of GONE WITH THE WIND fame, the television series' first two years starred Ethel Waters as Beulah, a big-hearted housekeeper for a young white family (presumably the producers chose Waters because she was a bigger star at the time than McDaniel). Miss Waters was reportedly unhappy with the mediocre scripts and left the show after the second season which led to an overhaul of the program and a completely new cast.
The wonderful Hattie was finally cast as the video Beulah but tragically she was only able to complete eight episodes, dying later that year of breast cancer. The role of Beulah was then taken over by Hattie's longtime contemporary in movies, Louise Beavers (the rest of the new cast remained). Reportedly there were a couple of final episodes that season (the series' last) in which Lillian Randolph played the role (possibly due to Beaver's signing to play a featured role on the network sitcom MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY).
The series, apparently now in public domain, has long been unseen except for a vhs tape or two issued by minor companies. At long last, a budget DVD version has been released of four episodes, two starring Hattie McDaniel and two with Louise Beavers.
BEULAH GOES GARDENING has Hattie has the put-upon maid who ends up having to do the gardening when Mr. Henderson, in a penny-pinching move, decides to no longer employ a gardener and have the family do it instead, only thing is the "family" always has something else to do and it only means more work for Beulah. In THE WALTZ, little Donny Henderson is floundering in dance class, so Hattie and her longtime beau Bill decide to give him lessons, only the boogie woogie they teach him isn't quite the style he is supposed to learn. THE NEW ARRIVAL has a baby carriage arriving at the Henderson home leading Louise Beavers to believe the Mrs. is expecting and the bogus secret spreads like wildfire. SECOND WEDDING has Louise convinced her employers' marriage is on the rocks after reading a magazine article on the warning signs for marriages in trouble.
Both actresses do quite well with the slender, unpolished material. I have always preferred Hattie McDaniel, one of the very best character actresses ever in film, over the quite talented Louise Beavers who is a gentler, less comic actress. It's touching and sad to see Hattie in her final role, not quite the spitfire of her classic movie performances but still a lovable endearing personality. Louise is equally good as Beulah and her two episodes actually are a little better written.
Print quality for these programs is no better than good minus to acceptable (the Beavers episodes appear to be copies of videos rather than film prints and are only fair) but this material is very rare and you are not likely to see better prints anytime soon (indeed only about seven episodes of the show are still known to be around but surely there are more somewhere since the program was rerun for several years and the 1950's aren't that long ago).
1940's "B" leads David Bruce and Jane Frazee play Beulah's employers, the Hendersons, child actor Stuffy Singer is their son Donny. Beulah's elusive beau is played by Ernest Whitman (who had a bit part in GONE WITH THE WIND as the black carpetbagger), her dizzy best friend Oriole is played by Ruby Dandridge (Dorothy's mom).
THE BEULAH SHOW is a trailblazer in that it's black and white supporting performers are on an equal status and share approximately the same amount of screen time. And it's wonderful to see both Hattie McDaniel and Louise Beavers front and center in a program given the starring billing they richly deserved.

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Item Name: The Beulah Show, Volume 1; Studio:Alpha Home Entertainment

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The Donna Reed Show: The Complete Second Season (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Season 2 of The Donna Reed Show is here, and the wait was wonderfully short! There are 38 new episodes of the Stone Family's life to enjoy. Mary Stone is now 15 and brother Jeff is now 12 years old. Mary at 15, starts to date, as the high school boys and even young college men take notice of the beautiful young woman she is becoming. There are great guest stars on these episodes as well. The beautiful Esther Williams plays Donna's school friend Molly. And a young Marion Ross, the Happy Days mom plays Jeff's new teacher. This second season is just as wonderful as the first, as you follow life in the Stone household through the end of 1959 and halfway into 1960. Hopefully, the next six seasons will follow just as quickly as this one did, as each season just keeps getting more wonderful than the one before with such great stories and guest stars!
Starring as the Stone Family are:
Donna Stone.......Donna Reed
Dr. Alex Stone....Carl Betz
Mary Stone.........Shelley Fabares
Jeff Stone............Paul Petersen
SEASON 2 EPISODES:
38. 2- 124 Sep 59 THAT'S SHOW BUSINESS -Mary feels sorry for a short, shy boy who stutters in their school show, so she helps him with his confidence. When he is paired up with Mary for a dance in the show, Mary gets him to wear lifts in his shoes with disastrous results.
39. 2- 2 1 Oct 59 SLEEP NO MORE MY LADY-Excited Donna can't sleep when flying to a convention with Alex, where he is to give a speech, so Alex gives Donna a tranquilizer to help her sleep.
40. 2- 3 8 Oct 59 A PENNY EARNED-Donna cannot make up her mind on whether or not she should buy a new dress. Raymond Bailey (Mr. Drysdale from the Beverly Hillbillies) guest stars as George Collier.
41. 2- 415 Oct 59 A FRIEND INDEED-Jeff takes the blame for a friend Doug,whenever he gets in trouble at school, because Doug's mother constantly berates him. Doug's mother wants Doug to be more like Jeff, who acts so well behaved (when he's away from home.) Donna plans to show Doug's mother the real Jeff at her home, to show her that all boys will be boys.
42. 2- 522 Oct 59 THE FIRST CHILD-New parents constantly call Alex, thinking something is always wrong with their baby.
43. 2- 629 Oct 59 GOING STEADY-Mary gets Jeff to go to a girl's party, just so she can meet the girl's older brother.
44. 2- 7 5 Nov 59 THE NEIGHBORLY GESTURE-Alex is hurt, when Jeff likes their new neighbor.
45. 2- 812 Nov 59 NOTHING LIKE A GOOD BOOK-Donna joins a culture lover's book club and tries to bring culture to her family. When Donna must read WAR AND PEACE in a week and report on it at the next meeting, her culture proves harder to do than she thought.
46. 2- 919 Nov 59 FLOWERS FOR THE TEACHER-Jeff's new teacher is too strict for the boys in his class, so Donna tries to settle matters with this new Miss McGuinness. (Marion Ross guest stars as the new teacher).
47. 2-1026 Nov 59 ALL MOTHERS WORRY-Jeff's friend Phillip has a mother who won't let him play football, as she is too over-protective.
48. 2-11 3 Dec 59 JEFF JOINS A CLUB-Jeff finds out he was not invited to join a club, because he is friends with a boy no one else likes.
49. 2-1210 Dec 59 THE PUNISHMENT-Donna has a dilemma when she can't seem to win when it comes to punishing the children. She is the bad guy when punishing them herself, and when she gets Alex to punish them, she is the squealer.
50. 2-1317 Dec 59 A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION-Donna gets cornered into accepting an invitation from a couple neither she nor Alex likes, and they argue, trying hard to argue without the children knowing.
51. 2-1424 Dec 59 THE HOMECOMING DANCE-Donna and Alex chaperone the Homecoming Dance, when they find out Mary has a blind date with an older college boy.
52. 2-1531 Dec 59 THE LUCKY GIRL-Donna keeps hearing just what a wonderful husband and doctor Alex is and how lucky she is to have him. Donna starts to think if maybe Alex got the short end of the stick when he married her.
53. 2-16 7 Jan 60 THE BROKEN SPIRIT-When Jeff starts to act like a model child, Donna thinks it must be because of the scolding Alex recently gave him, but the truth is Jeff feels responsible for an elderly neighbor's fall down the stairs.
54. 2-1714 Jan 60 THE SECRET-Mary keeps it a secret when she gets an engagement ring from Matt, a freshman at UCLA.
55. 2-1821 Jan 60 THE NEW MOTHER-The Stone Family's friend, little David Barker is so happy when he finds out his father is getting married, thinking he won't have to live in a military school, and will soon have a new mom and real home. David is surprised to find out that things don't always turn out the way you hope for.
56. 2-1928 Jan 60 JUST A HOUSEWIFE-Donna defends housewives when listening to radio show host Jerry Parker asking the housewives ridiculous questions at her supermarket, like When baking an upside down cake, do you stand on your head?
57. 2-20 4 Feb 60 THE FREE SOUL-Alex's Uncle Dan takes a break from his world travels to visit Alex and the family, and while telling his world travel stories, Jeff can't wait to travel and see the world with his Uncle Dan. Amazingly when Jeff asks if he can leave to see the world with Uncle Dan, Donna and Alex say yes.
58. 2-2111 Feb 60 THE FIRST QUARREL-Donna gets involved in a couple's spat.
59. 2-2218 Feb 60 A PLACE TO GO-When Jeff and his friends get into trouble using an abandoned house as their hangout, Donna and the other mothers create a nice meeting place for the children.
60. 2-2325 Feb 60 A NIGHT TO HOWL-Donna and Alex decide to change their routine and go out on a Monday night, when absolutely nothing turns out right.
61. 2-24 3 Mar 60 THE EDITORIAL-When Jeff is made editor of his school paper, the first thing he writes about is too much homework.
62. 2-2510 Mar 60 THE GENTLE DEW-Alex has to lay down the law, when Jeff and Mary are slacking off on home chores and school work, but he really flips his top when Mary comes home late from a bowling date with Roger.
63. 2-2617 Mar 60 THE FATAL LEAP-Donna gets worried when Alex's wild college room-mate is getting married and Alex is invited to the bachelor party. Jack Albertson (from Chico and the Man) guest stars as Jack Richards.
64. 2-2724 Mar 60 THE PERFECT PITCH-When Donna discovers Jeff has perfect pitch, she makes him take trumpet lessons. Poor Jeff only wants to be on the track team.
65. 2-28 7 Apr 60 PICKLES FOR CHARITY-The Women's Medical Auxiliary Dance cost more to put on than the money it brought in for charity. When each member is asked to donate something to bring in $27.00 each, Donna decides to sell 54 jars of her famous pickle recipe.
66. 2-2914 Apr 60 MARY'S GROWING PAIN- Mary becomes infatuated with a new intern at the hospital.
67. 2-3021 Apr 60 ALEX RUNS THE HOUSE-When Donna misses Jeff so much that she joins him at their grandparents farm, Alex is left alone to run the household.
68. 2-3128 Apr 60 THE CAREER WOMAN-Donna's old school mate Molly, who has been a single career woman all these years is now engaged to a doctor. Molly visits Donna to see what it's like to be a doctors wife.(The lovely Esther Williams guest stars as Molly.)
69. 2-32 5 May 60 JEFF,THE FINANCIAL GENIUS-Jeff gets involved in a series of trades with his friends in order to repay a debt.
70. 2-3312 May 60 MARY'S CRUSADE-Mary will not go to the school dance unless her friend Ellen has a date and goes with her. Ellen is rather plain, so Mary works on transforming Ellen into a glamorous young lady who can attract a date.
71. 2-3419 May 60 THE FIRST TIME WE MET-Donna and Alex have very different stories about the first time they met.
72. 2-3526 May 60 THE GOSSIP-Donna tells the town gossip that Kay Watson is having a baby without knowing that Kay wants it kept a secret, as she needs to keep on working. Donna is so upset, that she may have let Kay's secret out.
73. 2-36 2 Jun 60 LOVE'S SWEET AWAKENING-Mary's childhood friend Petie who is now 16 years old, is visiting from military school, and when he sees how beautiful Mary has become, he wants to be more than just Mary's friend.
74. 2-3710 Jun 60 THE WEDDING PRESENT-Aunt Lettie is coming for a visit, and Donna and Alex can't find the wedding present she gave them, so they can display it for her to see. The biggest problem, is they don't remember what she gave them.
75. 2-3818 Jun 60 COOL CAT-Jeff wants to keep a cat that followed him home, that he named Harry, but the Stone Family plan to decide on the cat's fate the democratic way.


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AMERICA'S FAVORITE FAMILY IS BACK WITH THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON DVD COLLECTION! Come relive precious memories with the Stone family from the critically acclaimed TV show from the '50s and '60s with Donna and her husband, Alex, and kids Jeff and Mary. This digitally remastered series comes in a 4-DVD set!

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