Customer Reviews

Bobby Breen Double Feature, Vol. 3 (Fisherman's Wharf / Way Down South)

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The title of this review pretty much says it all.

The print Critic's Choice uses for Way Down South, a remarkable film by the way, is passable - barely. The print for Fisherman's Warf, a really nice movie, is an embarrassment. It's nothing but splice cut. "Digitally Remastered" my eye!

My advice is to seek out other DVD copies of these great movies. In the long run the few dollars more you'd spend would be worth it. They are worth having, just not from Critic's Choice. I'll never buy another Critic's Choice DVD again.

Bobby Breen had a stellar (if brief) movie career: eight starring roles from 1936 to '39, plus one final 1942 appearance (in "Johnny Doughboy") along with other former child phenoms Jane Withers, Spanky McFarland and Alfalfa Switzer. In his youthful prime, Bobby was the most famous boy singer of the 1930s, performing songs in English, French, Italian and Spanish.

The soprano-voiced Canadian-born Breen got his start in nightclubs at age 7, appeared on the Eddie Cantor radio show in 1936 and quickly moved on to Hollywood. Four short years later with the onset of puberty, Bobby suffered the fate of many child stars-- his remarkable career was virtually over. In 1967, the Beatles used his image in their celebrity collage on the "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover.

BOBBY BREEN Double Feature, Vol. 3 contains Bobby's sixth and seventh movies.

SYNOPSES:

FISHERMAN'S WHARF-- An orphan abondoned on San Francisco's docks is adopted by a fisherman. When the man's wife dies, his sister-in-law and her obnoxious son move in. The orphan is so upset by this he runs away, setting off a citywide search for him. In this one Bobby sings "Fisherman's Chantey," "Sell Your Cares for a Song" and "Blue Italian Waters."

WAY DOWN SOUTH-- A cajun innkeeper comes to the aid of a wealthy orphan whose inheritance is coveted by a crooked lawyer. "Way Down South" was co-scripted by character actor Clarence Muse and poet/playwright Langston Hughes. Songs Bobby performed (without screen credit) are "Louisiana," "Some Folks," "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" and "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers!" The first two were composed by the screenwriters.


As of Jan. '08, BREAKING THE ICE, Bobby's fifth movie, is not available on DVD through AMAZON. Occasionally a VHS copy of it will come up for sale.

"Escape to Paradise," a Bobby Breen film not available in this three volume series, may be found on the COMEDY KINGS 50 Movie Pack (from MCE). Also included are other rarely seen comedies of the 1930s and '40s.

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Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll ratings.

(5.7) Fisherman's Wharf (1939) - Bobby Breen/Leo Carrillo/Henry Armetta/Lee Patrick/Rosina Galli/Leon Belasco

(5.5) Way Down South (1939) - Bobby Breen/Alan Mowbray/Ralph Morgan/Steffi Duna/Clarence Muse/Sally Blane/Matthew 'Stymie' Beard