Customer Reviews

The Best of the Burns and Allen Show, Vol. 1 and 2

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

 

 

After some of the other comments, I feel I must begin with a word about picture quality. As another reviewer pointed out, many of these episodes were broadcast live and preserved only on kinescope, a device that filmed the live image directly off a television screen. In the very early days of Burns & Allen, TV screens were still round, which is why it often appears the camera-man is chopping off the tops of people's heads, as much of the image is lost in converting a round picture into a square one. Given this crude manner of preserving the show, the picture quality on this set is probably as well as can be achieved given the source material, and certainly it is at least as clear as the image television audiences saw back in 1950.

Having addressed that issue, the show itself is nearly flawless. If you are a fan of quirky, screwball comedy, this is it at its zenith. The earlier episodes of this series in particular are some of the best written television comedy ever to be aired, coming to you courtesy of writer Paul Henning, who would later bring us The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres (all three of which, ironically, also featured George and Gracie's next door neighbor Blanche, Bea Benadarette, who would later play Aunt Pearl, Kate Bradley, and the voice of Betty Rubble in The Flintstones). The incorporation of the Carnation Milk commercials into the story is in keeping the George's constant violation of the fourth wall, aside from his running monologue he often breaks character to address the audience directly.

While the episodes on this set are out of order (why??) it will be evident to the novice viewer that the show was of higher quality in the earlier seasons. After a couple of years, it was filmed instead of performed live before an audience, and there is a distinct element of the formula missing in these episodes. Nonetheless, Burns and Allen remains one of my favorite TV shows of all time from ANY era; for the reasonable price and given the scarcity of TV shows of this time period that are even available on DVD, this one is worth a watch.

I just wanted to respond to those reviewers that are complaining about the quality of the films used in this set. The episodes of "The Burns & Allen Show" included in this set are, to my opinion, culled from the best quality material currently available. These early episodes were originally broadcast live, before the days of videotape. The shows originated on the east coast, were filmed off a television screen as they were aired, and the films (kinescopes) of the live show were then sent to the west coast for broadcast, being they didn't have coast to coast direct broadcasting back in those days.
Most of those kinescope copies were probably recycled after use to retrieve the silver to re-use in new film. Whichever remaining kinescopes are still in existance were probably not stored under ideal conditions, thus the existing current condition of these 54 year old films.
Fans of George and Gracie, like me, should be glad some video companies are re-issuing these rare films, it will help to preserve the content in the long run.
Whenever CBS releases DVD's of the "shot directly on film" episodes(which they still own and have copyright to), I'm sure those will probably look pristine.

I remember the first time I was introduced to Burns & Allen (the brilliant married duo of George Burns and his wife Gracie Allen), Between George's dry wit and Gracie's brilliantly orchestrated ditziness they were quite the pair. Plus, the early episodes feature incidental visits from the Carnation Milk spokesman, who shows up while Gracie is serving coffee to guests, or any time, really. This is the spokesperson's opportunity to sell the condensed milk from the contented Carnation cows, magically produces a pineapple upside down cake out of his briefcase, or adds the perfect touch of milk to Gracie's tea. Plus, there are the great co-stars. Their neighbors, Harry (John Brown, and then Fred Clark) and Blanche (Bea Benaderet) Morton are constantly bickering and rolling their eyes at Gracie's antics. Believe me, there are many antics, too. I don't even know where to begin! The quality of these episodes is not "high" in comparison to the technology of today, but is quite standard for the television shows of the 1950s. They were preserved on kinescope. This meant that a recording was made directly off of a television screen, hence, there is an ovular look to the scope of the picture, and some of the scenery appears quite cut off. Nevertheless, these shows are wonderful. I encourage you to watch these, to see how George Burns got his start on television, before he went solo with his wisecracking shenanigans. Yes, he smoked a cigar back then, too.

I purchased this for my wife - she absolutley loves it. Some people have complained about the quality - we have no issue with the quality. In fact, I think it adds to the "ambiance" of Burns and Allen. I don't want a remake I want to see Burns and Allen just as they were and this is exactly what you get with this DVD. I will likely purchase additional volumes.

As a student of TV history, I think I can clarify something.

Some writing here love the later Burns and Allen shows for their marvelous wit.

Those episodes were shot on film and thus have a better visual quality.

They were NOT, however, as experimental or strange as the earlier episodes--which are the ones I, and some others, enjoy more.

The earlier live shows were indeed still playing with the format. George would address the audience more. He would walk through the invisible 'walls' of the set, refer to the camera, and other strange shenanigans.

In addition, musical numbers would crop up in odd places--right in the middle of scenes or monologues with little justification--and the 'ads,' such as they were, were just incorporated right into the show.

I find all this stuff amazing--exactly because it was not the norm later.

For those who love the earlier, more experimental, live shows, the later filmed episodes are merely watered-down.

And for those who love the later episodes as unusual compared to other sitcoms, the earlier live episodes are merely strange or even a botch.

Chacun a son gout.

--Edward R. O'Neill

This 2 DVD set is a must for any fan of Burns and Allen, but side 2 of Disc 1 did not play on my DVD player,

At the time this DVD set was purchased, I was a 15 year old who had recently discovered the comedy of Burns and Allen. With only a few clips of the pair available on the internet I turned to Amazon to find more. This set seemed to be the most comprehensive I could find of their TV show. And after it arrived, it was exactly what I had been looking for. It provided hours of hilarious episodes in their uncut state including the great "brought to you by Carnation evaporated milk" bits. Though, as some have commented, the picture and sound quality isn't great, I felt like it added charm and it certainly didn't frustrate me.

DO NOT BUY-PERIOD. As a die hard fan of the show, who watched the episodes in the late 1970's like all college kids did back then, I can tell you now - these are NOT those eoisodes. These are like the first seaeon (1951) where they were experimenting on the format, every episode is in terrible condition, and have the Carnation milk commercials during each episode making them even worse, if that's possible. These are NOT the slick episodes where George sees all of Gracies schemes on a TV in his den over the Garage, or where Gracie takes every man's hat and puts them in a closet where they end up forever. Those black and white episodes looked like new. If the last couple of season's worth of episodes, from the late 1950's were sold on DVD, in episode order, sans commercials, that were repeated on Ch. 9 in New York City in the late 1970's they would make millions. They were GENIOUS. They made you laugh so hard, your stomach hurt. That's the Burns & Allen Show I remember and loved. They were even funnier than the Honeymooners and that's a bold statement. Again, DO NOT BUY ANY OF THE PRESENTLY SOLD Burns & Allen DVD's on the market at this time (Dec 2006).

Not only are these transferred from terrible source material (interestingly, with an initial disclaimer stating they were made from the best source material available), but most critically, one cannot SKIP from scene to scene - or even episode to episode!! You are locked in Lousy-Source-Material-Purgatory.

Do NOT purchase these. Good Times Video has a real problem on their hands with this poorly thrown together release.

When, oh when, is somebody going to do the right thing by George and Gracie?

This is one of the first classic TV situation comedies,with wacky and somehow charming Gracie, and cigar- puffing wise-guy straightman George. This is one show which I found funny, but not that funny. Perhaps George was a bit too clever for me, and his personality a bit harsh and gruff. And this in comparison to his great friend Jack Benny who always seemed to me a more loveable character. The whole way the show was conducted , again with incidents usually involving Gracie, and with George's commentary providing a good share of the laughter, I always found, confusing.
Just not my favorite.