Jack Benny: Laugh Out Loud - 22 Episodes (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT's JACK BENNY: LAUGH OUT LOUD is a repackaging of the first two DVDs from last year's quadrapack, BEST OF JACK BENNY. This manufacturer consistently offers good-to-average-quality audio and video transfers of public domain material at a most reasonable price. The Jack Benny Program aired on radio from 1932 to '55. Many of that show's scripts were recycled for television, beginning in 1950. Benny's CBS-TV series ran until 1965. The core cast (on radio and TV) changed little over the decades: Dennis Day replaced tenor Kenny Baker early on; Bob Crosby (Bing's younger brother) took over for bandleader Phil Harris in 1952.
At one time or another, almost every Hollywood, radio and TV star guested on Jack's show. This 2-disc set offers only a fraction of Benny's 258 television episodes, yet the viewer is provided an excellent illustration of his popularity within the "Showbiz" community. Program list includes episode numbers, airdates and guests (where available):
DISC ONE--
(#17) Fred Allen Show (4/19/53) - Fred Allen/Eddie Cantor
(#19) Honolulu Trip (9/13/53) - Marilyn Monroe
(#21) Humphrey Bogart Show (10/25/53) (Bogie as "Babyface")
(#22) Johnnie Ray Show (11/15/53) - Johnnie Ray/Danny Thomas
(#23) Irene Dunne Show (12/6/53) - Irene Dunne/Vincent Price
(#25) The Liberace Show (1/17/54) - (Jack visits Lee's house)
(#26) Jack Dream's He's Married to Mary (2/7/54)
(#28) Goldie, Fields and Glide (3/21/54) - Bing Crosby/George Burns/Bob Hope
George Burns and Gracie Allen Show - Guest Star: Jack Benny
(#31) The Road to Nairobi (5/23/54) - Bob Hope/Martin & Lewis (spoof of Hope's "Road" movies)
(#33) Jam Session At Jack's (10/17/54) - Dan Dailey/Kirk Douglas/Fred MacMurray/Tony Martin/Dick Powell
DISC TWO--
(#34) How Jack Met Mary (10/31/54) - Joyce Randolph/Frank Wilcox/Sheldon Leonard
(#84) Christmas Shopping Show (12/15/57) - Mel Blanc/Frank Nelson
(#41) Four O'Clock in the Morning Show (2/6/55) (Jack has insomnia)
(#69) Talent Show (12/30/56) - Jayne Mansfield (cameo)
(#87) Honeymooners Show (1/26/58) - Audrey Meadows
(#103) Ernie Kovacs Show (1/25/59) - Ernie Kovacs/Ray Kellogg
(#127) Hong Kong Suit (11/6/60) - Gisele MacKenzie
(#130) Lunch Counter Murder (12/4/60) - Dan Duryea
(#134) Jack Casting for Television Special (1/1/61) - (Jack reminisces on "The Life Of Jack Benny")
(#136) Don's 27th Anniversary with Jack (1/15/61) - John Daly/Nancy Kulp/Howard McNear
(#193) Jack Rents His House (2/5/63)

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Star of Vaudeville, Radio and the Big Screen, Jack Benny brought his highly-successful radio program to the small screen in 1950 and the show ran until 1965. Along for the ride were his famous cast of co-stars including Eddie Rochester Anderson, Don Wilson, Dennis Day and Mary Livingstone, who all shared in the fun and misadventures of their famous boss. Whether dealing with his love of money, his perpetual age of 39 or his beloved Maxwell automobile, Jack Benny and his gang entertained one and all!

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World's Famous Detectives V.2, The (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)Do these words sound familiar?
"This is the city... Los Angeles, California. I work here... I carry a badge."
If the answer is "yes", then you'll surely remember the theme song that followed them. DRAGNET, a radio favorite, enjoyed equal success on television. This most-popular of police dramas ran for 8 years in the 1950s and was revived nearly a decade later for an additional 3 seasons. The original cast included announcer George Fenneman (of YOU BET YOUR LIFE fame), Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday, Ben Alexander as Officer Frank Smith and Barton Yarborough as Sgt. Ben Romero.
Of historical interest here is "The Big Producer." The episode's guest star is Carolyn Jones (the future Morticia on THE ADDAMS FAMILY). Martin Milner, who would one day appear in the Jack Webb-produced series ADAM 12, is also featured.
You can find several other DRAGNET episodes (plus RACKET SQUAD and GANG BUSTERS) on TV GUIDE: THE 50's POLICE SHOWS.
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The following program list includes viewer poll ratings, episode numbers, season, original air date and guest actors.
(8.3) (#51) The Big Betty (S.3, 9/24/53) - Gloria Saunders/Charlotte Lawrence/Jack Carol
(9.7) (#33) The Big Break (S.2, 3/19/53) - Art Gilmore/Eddie Firestone/Adrienne Marden
(9.3) (#89) The Big Crime (S.4, 9/9/54) - Bill Brundige/Virginia Christine/Paul Richards
(9.0) (#90) The Big Pair (S.4, 9/16/54) - Virginia Gregg/Russell Saunders/Beverly Washburn
(8.8) (#87) The Big Producer (S.4, 8/26/54) - Carolyn Jones/Martin Milner
(9.0) (#11) The Big September Man (S.1, 5/8/52) - Eddie Firestone
(9.5) (#66) The Big Trunk (S.3, 1/7/54) - Lillian Powell/Richard Garland/Dayton Lummis

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The popular TV series, Dragnet, was a forerunner of near-authentic police dramas, and for this reason, it was one of the most triumphant television series in its class. Featuring seven episodes.

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Golden Age Theater - Volume 6 (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)This edition of GOLDEN AGE THEATER features four episodes from FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE. This half-hour anthology series ran from September '52 to July '56, 9 PM Sundays on the CBS network and originally aired bi-weekly. The program had a regular rotation of four stars (thus the name). They were: Dick Powell, David Niven, Charles Boyer and Ida Lupino. In its second season the Playhouse went to a weekly schedule.
SYNOPSES:
"House For Sale" - While house shopping in the country, a woman encounters a killer.
"Man on the Train" - A train passenger overhears a conversation about a fortune in a briefcase which leads to murder. Directed by Robert Florey of Marx Brothers/"The Cocoanuts" fame.
"Sound Off, My Love" - A beautiful but vain woman finally gets a hearing aid and overhears her husband plotting her murder. Another one directed by Florey.
"The Story Of Emily Cameron" - A man is guilt-ridden over the car wreck that disabled his wife.
If you liked this collection, you'll also enjoy THE GOLDEN AGE OF TV DRAMA.
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The following program list includes episode numbers, season and original airdates, plus main actors for all shows.
(_#34) House For Sale (S.2, 12/31/53) - Ida Lupino/George Macready/Howard Negley
(__#9) Man on the Train (S.1, 1/15/53) - David Niven/Alan Napier/Gordon Richards
(_#11) Sound Off, My Love (S.1, 2/12/53) - Merle Oberon/Barbara Billingsley/James Seay
(#112) The Story of Emily Cameron (S.4, 3/29/56) - Ida Lupino/Scott Forbes/Arthur Space

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Four more star-packed episodes from the award winning General Electric Theater.

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The Golden Age of Comedy (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)THE GOLDEN AGE OF COMEDY features nearly seven hours of TV comedy/variety shows from the TIME/LIFE video vaults. The majority of this material is not in wide circulation currently. Highlights include examples of Bob Hope and Red Skelton, plus a post-"Your Show of Shows" Sid Caesar and a program Milton Berle hosted after "Texaco Star Theater." There's also stand-up segments by some very famous comedians.
Besides the stars of "I Love Lucy," guests on "The Bob Hope Chevy Show" include Jimmy Cagney and World Series perfect game pitcher Don Larsen of the NY Yankees. Red Skelton shares his "Silent Spot" with Harpo Marx, and Jack Benny puts in an appearance. Abbott & Costello's turn on "The Colgate Comedy Hour" features Lon Chaney Jr. Bud and Lou also reprise their famous "Who's on First" routine and Lou sings.
CONTENTS:
DISC ONE--
Colgate Comedy Hour: Abbott & Costello (guest: Lon Chaney Jr.)
The Bob Hope Chevy Show (guests: Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz)
The Red Skelton Show (guest: Harpo Marx)
BONUS--
Legends of Stand-Up:
Jack Parr (2/5/65), Woody Allen (5/28/65), Bill Cosby (1/31/64), Jack Parr (2/5/65), Bob Newhart (5/28/65), Jonathan Winters (1/31/64)DISC TWO--
Timex All-Star Comedy Show (Johnny Carson)
The Wonderful World of Burlesque (Danny Thomas)
BONUS SEGMENTS--
American Scene Magazine (Jackie Gleason) (11/2/63) - skit: Reginald Van Gleason's Flea Circus
The Andy Williams Show (11/27/66) - skit: The 2000 Year Old Man (Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks)DISC THREE--
Colgate Comedy Hour: Abbott & Costello (guest: Vera Zorina)
Colgate Comedy Hour: Martin & Lewis - skit: Ed Sullivan parodyDISC FOUR--
Caesar's Hour (Sid Caesar)
The Buick Berle (guest: Steve Allen)ALSO RECOMMENDED:
The five-disc GOLDEN AGE OF TV COMEDY offers such television rarities as "Duffy's Tavern," "The People's Choice," "The Beulah Show," "Life with Elizabeth," "The Trouble with Father" and "Jackson and Jill." Also included are the first-ever Burns & Allen TV show (from 1950), plus "Topper" and "The Jack Benny Program."

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This is classic, live comedy-timeless performances from the original kings and queens of comedy. And Time Life handpicked a memorable array of some of the greatest comedy routines that played to millions of households in the '50s and '60-all on this one, incredible collection. The Golden Age of Comedy chronicles the nostalgic days of life television that included comedy sketches, vaudeville and ad-libbing family entertainment.

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