Customer Reviews

Bobby Breen Double Feature, Vol. 2

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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. 2 contains Bobby's third and fourth movies.

SYNOPSES:

HAWAII CALLS-- A stowaway on a Hawaiian cruise ship is caught and he must sing to pay for his fare. Directed by Eddie Kline, who collaborated in the 1920s with Buster Keaton on some of Keaton's finest silent comedies. Songs include "Down Where the Trade Winds Blow," "Hawaii Calls" and "That's the Hawaiian in Me."

MAKE A WISH-- Summer camper in Maine befriends a composer who has writer's block. The composer finds his inspiration when he meets the child's beautiful mother. Based on a story by Gertrude Berg, better known as "Molly Goldberg" on radio and TV.

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 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

(4.7) Hawaii Calls (1938) - Bobby Breen/Ned Sparks/Irvin S. Cobb/Warren Hull/Pua Lani/Raymond Paige/Herbert Rawlinson/Ward Bond

(6.2) Make a Wish (1937) - Bobby Breen/Basil Rathbone/Marion Claire/Ralph Forbes/Henry Armetta/Leon Errol/Donald Meek/Herbert Rawlinson (uncredited: Jay Silverheels)

These are great films but the prints and the transfers are terrible. Critics' Choice must refer to the films, not the terrible transfers that they consistently put out on their DVD's. I can only somewhat recommend the Roan versions of 2 of Bobby Breen's other films.