3.0 out of 5 stars
Some classics, some duds, September 20, 2005
This review is from: Comedy Classics, Vol. 1 & 2 (DVD)
This odd collection of comedy "classics" is rather hit-and-miss, as seems to be the case with many low-priced Platinum releases. Volumes one and two can be purchased seperately or in this bundle.
Volume One:
Volume 1 is perhaps more deserving of the title than Volume 2, with two Harold Lloyd classics, a Wheeler and Woolsey vehicle and Roland Young and Joan Blondell in the third Topper film.
Topper Returns is a predictable entry in the Topper series, but is charmingly acted by the likes of Joan Blondell, Roland Young and Billie Burke. Possibly not a comedy classic, but definitely a stellar cast.
Hook, Line and Sinker has the zingy one-liners and zany characters typical of a Wheeler and Woolsey picture. Bert Wheeler plays the elder member of a pair of confidence men, and Robert Woolsey the junior member who falls in love with a hotel heiress played by Dorothy Lee.
The Milky Way is definitely a "comedy classic," and one of Harold Lloyd's best talking pictures. So successful was the tale of milkman-turned-fighter Burleigh Sullivan that Danny Kaye remade the film a decade later as The Kid from Brooklyn, changing little.
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock was Harold Lloyd's last of 200+ films, released in 1947. In it Lloyd manages to overcome the acting-with-animals curse by outshining 37 lions (including the famous "Jackie"), 14 tigers, 9 jaguars and 1 puma. Definitely a film worth looking at.
Volume Two:
Only With Married Men is a terrible `70s TV movie full of bad jokes and stereotyped characters, but for Michele Lee completists is the only title on the disc not currently available for separate purchase.
Rescue from Gilligan's Island is available in abundance on DVD and is an odd choice for inclusion on the set. Fans of the series will certainly already have purchased the 1978 TV movie in a different edition, and fans of "classic" comedy are probably looking for something different.
Peck's Bad Boy With the Circus is a typical and typically charming `30s kid picture, with Tom Sawyer's Tommy Kelly in the title role and George "Spanky" McFarland as his friend Pee-Wee. This film is available on its own from amazon ($6.98).
The English comedy of manners On Approval is the star of this set, and possibly the only film on the disc worthy of the distinction "classic." A charming and witty adaptation of Frederick Lowe's play, this film is also available on DVD from amazon, but for the rather inflated price of $22.49.
This disc is certainly worth purchasing if you're a fan of one or more of these films, or if you'd like to own On Approval for a reasonable price.
The two-disc bundle has its ups and downs, but the price really can't be beat.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
