Customer Reviews

Abbott & Costello Show - 100th Anniversary Collection Season 2

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I know a lot of people prefer the episodes of Season One to those of Season Two and I think I miss some of the "stock company" that didn't return for Season Two, but there are still laughs to be had in Season Two and, of course, the rapport between Bud and Lou remains unshakable. Since the show only lasted two seasons, this completes the set. As with the Season One package, the generous Bonus Features are astonishing. The candid interviews with Chris and Paddy Costello cover a lot of subjects not contained in the Season One interviews, like goofing around on the Universal lot when they were kids, the Bud/Lou chemistry, their breakup, home life, etc. And, as before, amazing home movies - some sound, most color - from the '40s and '50s. Lou Costello's love for his family is palpable in the footage of his kids' birthday parties over the years. It's truly a rare glimpse into a legendary star's family life, away from the (studio) cameras.

I've been a fan of Abbott and Costello for years. I haven't watched these classic televison shows in a long time. Now that I'm helping my wife care for her mother with Alzheimer's I need to have something we can watch together that isn't confusing for her (her short term memory is very bad). The moment I put on one of these DVDs it brings a big smile to her face and mine for the next 2+ hours. These shows almost always take away any bad mood she may have.

As much as I hate to say this, this is not A&C's best work. I grew up on the A&C TV show as well as their many movies on the weekends (along with The Bowery Boys, New York City 1970's television, remember that time?). I have watched a bunch of the season one set and loved it. Some of the skits are a little long but this is fast paced Abbott and Costello, and the supporting players are great escpecially Sidney Fields, Mike The Cop, and Stinky (Joe Besser). I've only watched a few of season two's episodes so far, and maybe its because I'm viewing these shows to many too fast, but season two has a much different feel than season one. The writing credits are also changed as Sidney Fields got all the credit in season one and season two he either shares or is not listed at all. Anyway, this is what I notice in season two, a heavy reliance on slapstick, not many jokes. The show, dare I say it, got lazy. Maybe they were shooting for a pre teen demographic and I think the 3 Stooges were having their resurgance, I don't know. I do know that season one is more like the radio show they did, a lot of good dialog, season two has yet to show me much. Get it for your collection, I'll always be a big A&C fan, when they were at their top they were the best. This set though rates a 3 of 5.

I can remember growing up in New York City in the early seventies...
It was a different time then, no home video games, no cable, and rotary phones. My house had a black and white television that needed a pair of pliers to change the channel. But on that old black and white tv, every sunday, was abbott and costello, and it were those two characters that made me understand that laughter was a cure all for sadness and medicine for the soul.
Of course there movies were great! "Abbott and costello meets frankenstein", "Mexican hayride", "Buck Privates"...but The Abbott and Costello Show was something else. Mr Fields the landlord. Mike the cop, the italian guy..Mr. Bachagaloop!( if thats how you spell his name!!)..the characters were hilarious, the laughs on their tv show was non-stop..no i mean it! NON-STOP! No musical interludes like their movies, no plot build ups...just a snowball of craziness that kept rolling on.
So i recently stumbled upon amazon about a year ago....and there I discovered this treasure. You cant get a better deal with anything, i truly believe that, five dvds, and each dvd has about five half hour episodes without the commercials..so there is no time to catch your breath between laughs. The transfer is very very clear, with good sound even though once every long while the sound goes down a tiny bit. The extras are a heart felt touch with the home movies, and the interviews with Costello's daughters. Im gonna stop running my mouth now people. This box set had me hysterical, and once again I felt the medicinal effects of laughter healing me....I honestly wish that there was some way I could go back in time and thank the two comedians for helping me make it through those tough times...
Thank you Bud and Lou

The true A&C fans will still like season 2, but it is not as good as season one. It lacks the enthusiasm of the first group of supporting actors. It is almost subdued compared to season one. Even the opening credits song is lackluster. A&C themselves did not seem as energetic about this season. Maybe it was because so many of the supporting cast had left.

The bonus material is excellent however, as his two living daughters share a treasure of family movies as well as talking about their family lives. Again, true fans will like this. All in all it's worth it to own both seasons just to have the complete set.

It's about time!!! Having grown up an A&C fan the boys are getting the props they deserve.With the cast this dynamic comedy due had put together you laugh till the tears roll down.The extra stuff is realy cool as well,seeing the home movies brings you back to a time that was truely simple(keeping in mind these guys got laughs without the use of the "F" bomb)So sit back and marvile at what was hands down the Best in the bizz. Thanks for tacking the time to read my reveiw I hope it hepled

PASSPORT's Season Two of THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO SHOW isn't perfect, but it's darn good and I'm glad I bought it! One thing I was pleased with: No PASSPORT on-screen logo, like in previous box sets. Source material is remarkably well-preserved.

The five DVDs are stored in individual slimline cases that are housed in a durable heavy stock outer jacket. Shows include original opening and closing credits, but are missing the final one-minute A&C comments.

Of Season One regulars, only landlord Sid Fields remains. Mike the cop (Gordon Jump) appears semi-regularly and Hilary Brooke only once. Director is Jean Yarbrough. Jack Townley scripted many of these classic episodes; Fields co-wrote others with Clyde Bruckman, who also soloed on several. Bruckman directed one of the greatest silent movies of all time, Buster Keaton's THE GENERAL (1926), and he also collaborated with Keaton on many other classic comedies.

Season Two guests include: Bobby Barber, Don 'Red' Barry, Max Baer, Veda Ann Borg, Phyllis Coates, Tristram Coffin, Paul Fix, Percy Helton, Mary Beth Hughes, Rex Lease, Lucien Littlefield, Lou Nova, Lyle Talbot and Bingo the Chimp.


Also from PASSPORT:
THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO SHOW - 100TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION SEASON 1 completes the set.

I was extremely disappointed with this dvd set. The picture quality leads me to believe the dvd's were poorly recorded. I should've sent them back. I have the same set in vhs format that I've had for many years, and they are of much better quality. I wanted the dvd set for their convenience, but I am really sorry I purchased them.

I did not like most of these shows. Missing are the curtain-comments, background music, most of the clever endings (or even endings at all), and any sympathetic characters--although ironically, from time to time Abbott expresses more brotherly concern for Costello than I've ever seen. And Costello usually comes to a bad end, which is never funny to me.

Grousing aside, there are a few good episodes. Two are of vintage quality: the "Uncle From New Jersey" and "Barber Lou" are worth getting the set for. Throw in "The Tax Return" with "Car Trouble", and you've got a nice hour and half of solid A&C story-telling, so it's worth the money.

Unfortunately, Passport uses some over-exposed prints, so much of the time the actors' faces are bleached out. They also have a main menu with stupid music (note to all DVD producers: please stop doing this. Menus should be no-nonsense.). By the way, the laugh-track sounds like children who are actually reacting to the characters' antics, sometimes even commenting on them. Maybe the director showed the completed movies to a real kids-audience, and recorded their live responses? The result is not so bad as I was expecting.

as a fan of everything bud and lou did together i enjoyed watching season two as i have not seen it since the seventies, and i do recommend it to other fans.i do however want to state that is not as funny as season one was but what the heck it sure beats anything on tv these days.
thanks