Customer Reviews

The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Vol. 2

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Hot on the heels of the successful 2009 DVD release of "The Barbara Stanwyck Show" - Volume 1, E1 Entertainment has gone back to the vault to come up with this second collection of Miss Stanwyck's outstanding anthology television series. Newly restored and remastered in association with the Archive of American Television, this new DVD set will include 12 additional episodes of the classic 1960-1961 series, plus a rare bonus program that was never broadcast!

The fact is that most of these video treasures have been unseen by the general public for almost 50 years. The series was cancelled by NBC after its first season - despite Miss Stanwyck's Emmy win for Outstanding Actress in a Television Series (lead). After a handful of episodes were rerun during the summer of 1961, the films were never shown in syndication, and for many years, most of the programs were considered "lost".

This new collection picks up with the 23rd show to be aired, "The Golden Acres", and concludes with the 36th (and last) episode, "A Man's Game", which was broadcast in July of 1961 after the series was already in re-runs for the summer season. Missing are episode 27, "Call Me Annie" (alternately titled: "The Hunter Baby"), which was the pilot for a proposed new series starring Peggy Cass which Stanwyck only hosted, and episode 33, "Triple C", a western drama in which Stanwyck starred with James Philbrook and Stewart Bradley.

Here's hoping the nine missing episodes from Volumes 1 and 2 of "The Barbara Stanwyck Show" are someday found, restored and released on DVD - but in the meantime, the fact that the majority of these wonderful half hours are now available is ample cause for her many loyal fans to celebrate!

EPISODES INCLUDED:

"The Golden Acres" (originally aired 03.13.1961). Avis Fleming (Stanwyck) learns that a large firm is willing to pay a handsome price for a piece of land now owned by a friend of her family who's almost broke. Pretending to help him out, Avis purchases his land - planning to make a huge profit when she resells it. Kent Smith, Robert Emhardt, and John McGiver guest star.

"Adventure on Happiness Street" (03.20.1961). Stanwyck re-creates the character of Josephine Little, female tycoon of a Hong Kong import-export business. Josephine wants to help Dr. Paul Harris (Lew Ayres) get much-needed medicine for his clinic - which she thinks she can do by simply using her business contacts. Robert Culp also stars.

"High Tension" (03.27.1961). A snapped power line resulting from a bus accident endangers the life of Fran Elick's (Stanwyck) son Davey (Tony Maxwell). Her frantic attempts to warn the boy are hampered by the fact that he is a deaf-mute. The supporting cast includes Nora Marlowe and Richard Hale.

"Sign of the Zodiac" (04.03.1961). When the smooth talking Pierre (Dan Duryea) enters the lives of sisters Madge and Helene Terry (Stanwyck and Joan Blondell), all hell breaks loose.

"The Choice" (04.17.1961). It's closing time at Amanda Prescott's bar and restaurant, but two of her patrons ominously refuse to leave - and soon it looks as though Amanda (Stanwyck) may be a prisoner in her own establishment. Robert Horton and James Best co-star.

"Frightened Doll" (04.24.1961). Lonely Hazel Wexley (Stanwyck) meets a gangster named Jake Lytell (Harold J. Stone). Happy with him until he dies of a heart attack, she is flabbergasted when she finds a satchel with a fortune in it. Wallace Ford, Rex Holman and Jack Searl guest star.

"Yanqui Go Home" (05.01.1961). Porfiro (Rodolfo Acosta) hates Fanny Evans (Stanwyck) and her husband Clint (Dana Andrews) so much, he will stop at nothing to get rid of them.

"Little Big Mouth" (05.08.1961). The manner in which Indian agent Mark Carroll (Buddy Ebsen) pursues his duties may be unorthodox, but he is never inconsiderate. Back East, however, a dim view is taken of Carroll's activities and newspaperwoman Nellie Bly (Stanwyck) heads West to expose him. The guest cast includes Judy Strangis (as Little Big Mouth), Lane Bradford, and Roberto Contreras.

"Assassin" (05.15.1961). After the death of senior partner F.R. Monson at the firm of Monson & Carlisle, his secretary Louise (Stanwyck) is accused of embezzlement by the remaining partner. Threatening her with arrest, Carlisle (Leon Ames) wants Louise to payback every missing cent. Louise eventually undercovers a diabolical plot against herself as well - as a business cover-up. Peter Falk co-stars.

"The Hitch-Hiker" (05.29.1961). Lawyer Maggie McClay (Stanwyck) and her husband Mac (Joseph Cotten) see an immigrant girl named Anna (Elana Eden) collapse from exhaustion along the roadside. Taking her home, Maggie learns that Anna has been widowed and is leaving town to prevent her husband's grandmother from gaining custody of her child. Amy Douglas, Addison Richards, and Celia Lovsky play supporting roles.

"Big Jake" (06.05.1961). In this unsold pilot for a proposed series starring Andy Devine, Detective Jake Sloan (Devine) finally has the goods on safecracker Willie Teeter (John Harmon). But solid evidence or not, Jake gets a jolt when ex-convict Sam Lundborg (John Qualen) confesses to Willie's crime. Stanwyck introduces - but does not appear - in this episode which also features Jonathan Gilmore and Paul Bryar.

"A Man's Game" (07.03.1961). In the last first-run episode of the show to be broadcast, Chris Matthews (Stanwyck) is a lady saloonkeeper who has been losing a lot of her best customers in local gunfights. What the town needs, she decides, is a strong sheriff - so she volunteers for the job! Edgar Buchanan, Charles Drake, Clinton Sundberg, Jason Johnson and Sam Buffington guest star.

DVD BONUS FEATURES:

1. A never-aired episode, "Hong Kong and Little Joe"
2. A 16 page booklet including contributions by Kate Edelman Johnson

If you enjoyed Volume One of the Barbara Stanwyck Show,
you'll be absolutely thrilled with Volume Two.
I was fortunate to see this series when it first aired,
and several episodes have remained vividly in my memory ever since.
One of them, "Confession" (shades of "Double Indemnity"!)
was included in Volume One, and now I am happy to see that
my other big favorites are in Volume Two.

Three of them highlight Stanwyck's wonderful way with comedy.
My all-time favorite is "Assassin" co-starring Peter Falk and
Leon Ames. There are so many things I love about this one
that I could go on for pages, but here are two examples:
the "no-stunt men" fight with would-be assassin Falk,
and the hilarious "proposal" scene with Leon Ames (every bit her
comic match). This one is worth the price all by itself.

Another is "A Man's Game", a tougue-in-cheek western with
top flight support from Charles Drake, and Edgar Kennedy (and his feline companion).
And the third is the unaired Little Jo pilot, which was later re-tooled into
"Dragon by the Tail" (included in Volume One). Frankly, I actually prefer
THIS discarded version to the more serious "Dragon" because of it's lighter
moments in which she seems to be having a lot of fun.

Although every episode here is winner, I am especially fond of "Frightened Doll".
She and Harold J. Stone were a great match (he was later partnered with her in
one of her best "Big Valley" episodes, "Teacher of Outlaws"). Their scenes
contain some powerful, close-to-the-bone moments. The same can be said
for "Yanqui Go Home", with Dana Andrews. "The Choice" and "High Tension"
are real nail-biters. And it's nice to see her reunited with former movie
co-stars Dana Andrews, Dan Duryea, Joseph Cotten, Buddy Ebsen,
and especially her old pal, the wonderful Joan Blondell.

Finally, I am happy to have been able to contribute one of those missing episodes
("Little Big Mouth") to the cause, and I hope that other collectors will come forth with the rest.

Thanks to Kate Edelman (daughter of Lou Edelman, the series' original producer),
Stanwyck fans who missed seeing this series the first time around have, with these two volumes, 27 "new" performances to enjoy by this great star.

Volume two has some great stories, but the acting is better still with Miss Stanwyck she is the best female actress of all time ,this stands in her movies and also he tv show, which it would've been great if the show went for more seasons. It's worth the money iam glad i've purchased the dvd sets Vol.1 and 2

The stories are like mini-movies, well acted and interesting. Both sound and picture were clear, too. There are 2 DVDs with 13 episodes, including an unaired show, covering more than five hours of viewing time. This was well worth the purchase for one who loves both Barbara Stanwyck and old TV shows. (The same could be said of Volume 1 of the Barbara Stanwyck Show.)

Barbara Stanwyck's 1960-61 anthology series has long topped the list of "want to see" by scores of her dedicated admirers but it's been extremely elusive for almost 50 years. The Archive of American Television put out a collection of episodes on dvd which was eagerly snapped by Stanwyck fans and happily they are back with a second collection of twelve additional episodes (the remaining nine not in either dvd set are considered lost). This is a wonderful collection of 30 min programs that could be considered mini-movies with the 53-year-old star as fine an actress as ever with a notable collection of guest stars including Dana Andrews, Joan Blondell, Joseph Cotten, Buddy Ebsen, Lew Ayres, Peter Falk, Kent Smith, John McGiver, Jason Robards, Dan Duryea, Wallace Ford, Almira Sessions, Anna May Wong, Leon Ames, Lawrence Tierney, John Qualen, Edgar Buchanan, Charles Drake, and James Lydon. The excellent booklet contained in the set includes many rare photos from the productions and from the era of Stanwyck and articles written by Kate Edelman Johnson, daughter of the late producer of the series Louis F. Edelman, who is currently at work herself producing a big-screen adaption of her father's second series for Stanwyck, the more successful THE BIG VALLEY which will star Jessica Lange as Victoria Barkley. Fans of classic movies who aren't that into vintage television should love this set as much as old films considering the star, the supporting casts, and the quality and of course it's a must for anyone who loves vintage television. Hollywood produced a number of great actresses but no one ever rivalled Barbara Stanwyck in my book.

The end of Adventure on Happiness Street seems to be missing; it finishes abruptly, no end conclusion by Stanwych and no end credits.

We are still on disc 1 and are really enjoying the series

Nice series would have liked to have seen a few more young actors displayed instead of just her all the time, did see a young Julie London in one of the episodes.