Customer Reviews

1950s TV's Greatest Comedies

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If you're a connoisseur of the golden age of television comedy, you'll find this DVD collection to be an overall satisfying experience. In not including the Honeymooners or I Love Lucy, one could call it the best of the rest. The Jack Benny Program showcases the talent and personality of Liberace while Jack hams it up with the violin. The Burns and Allen Show highlights the underrated comedic genius of Grace Allen as she verbally spars with the tax man. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet won't give you any belly aches as Ozzie goes on a diet, but it best reflect the naiveté and idealized 1950s notion of the perfect American family. The Red Skelton Show proves that comedy is high art as Red plays a diploma mill trained dentist. Eight other shows round out the collection. Some interesting things to watch for include a no laugh track sitcom (Beulah), a young Betty White (Life with Elizabeth), and almost all of the shows include some interesting sponsor advertising, mainly from Cigarette companies. If you don't know already know, Television of the 1950s was saturated with Cigarette ads from competing brands and the insidiousness of cigarette pitchmen knew no bounds. Watch as the man's man John Wayne relaxes on set with a cigarette after performing physically demanding fight scenes - if only he knew.

The transfers are professional and good looking all the way. The selection of episodes is very good as well. My only beef that you should get more episodes for the money. These 12 episodes cost more than the whole 5th season of 'Make Room For Daddy' (6 Discs 33 episodes). Why not put 3 episodes of each show on? It would seem a better deal then and I'm sure I would have given 5 stars.