Customer Reviews

Here Comes Cookie / Love in Bloom / Six of a Kind

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Vaudeville and radio stars George Burns and Gracie Allen seldom starred in their movies; they were usually comedy relief or part of an all-star format. This DVD features the only two "Burns & Allen" features, and at times you'll think they're merely guest stars, because they aren't always the center of attention.

HERE COMES COOKIE (which does NOT feature the hit tune of that name) has tycoon George Barbier discouraging fortune hunters, by temporarily entrusting his money to scatterbrained Gracie, much to secretary George's consternation. Gracie promptly turns the mansion into a theatrical flophouse! You might be scratching your head at some of this -- it wanders from scene to scene haphazardly and sometimes abruptly -- but there are some good gags and Gracie sings a Latin number, "The Vamp of the Pampas." A fun little quickie, accent on "little."

LOVE IN BLOOM (which does not feature the title song but DOES feature "Here Comes Cookie" sung by Gracie -- typical Gracie Allen logic!) is the story of hard-boiled Dixie Lee (Mrs. Bing Crosby) and softhearted Joe Morrison trying to get along in the big city. Joe Morrison (in a role perhaps intended for Bing) has a pleasant manner and a very easy way with dialogue; he should have gone farther in pictures. Burns & Allen are the nominal stars but they appear only occasionally as a couple of carnival employees.

SIX OF A KIND is a 63-minute exercise in frustration directed by Leo McCarey. Burns & Allen play traveling companions from hell, who make a cross-country automobile trip miserable for Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland. W. C. Fields and Alison Skipworth are seen in the second half as a shifty sheriff and a hotel proprietor. Director McCarey concentrates on all the cruel and terrible complications, making Gracie unsympathetic instead of charming. Fields does his celebrated "pool table" routine, but it's Charlie Ruggles who steals the film with his understated reactions and remarks.

Universal deserves applause for releasing these seldom-seen comedies from the vault. The three features are all on one single-sided disc, with no apparent loss in quality. Movie buffs will enjoy the set; those who only care about George and Gracie will have to sit through (or fast-forward through) a lot of other stuff, but the Burns & Allen routines are worth waiting for. Excellent picture and sound quality throughout.

GEORGE BURNS AND GRACIE ALLEN: THREE MOVIES is a wildly uneven collection of Depression era comedies. The Paramount studio print masters look and sound gorgeous, and the packaging is attractive. All three movies come on one side of one disk, which presented no technical problem for me. It is easy to go from one movie to another.

HERE COMES COOKIE (1935--****) is a good introduction to the comedy of George Burns and Gracie Allen because they play themselves and have the lead roles. George is straight man to Gracie's screwball pun mistakes. In Depression era Manhattan, millionaire George Barbier stupidly entrusts his entire fortune to Gracie (!), so she naturally (for her) invites all of the unemployed drama actors in the city to her mansion. There must be a hundred of them, eating and playing musical instruments constantly. George can't take a bath because there is a live seal on ice in the tub! At the climax, Gracie has carpenters tear the place apart to transform the house into a theater. This is a wonderful and nutty comedy, only 65 minutes.

SIX OF A KIND (1935--*****) is a zany delight with six major stars given almost equal time over a tight and fast 62 minutes. Charlie Ruggles and wife Mary Boland want to drive from New York to Hollywood. George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Gracie's pet German shepherd answer their ad for companions to share gas money. Unknown to Ruggles, he is falsely accused of being an embezzler, and the movie gets no further than a dusty Nevada town. There, the town's major hotel is run by W.C. Fields (who even gets to play pool in one scene) and Alison Skipworth, who are always welcome. SIX OF A KIND was directed by Leo McCarey, who had Laurel and Hardy silents behind him and GOING MY WAY a decade ahead of him. This one is a comedy gem.

LOVE IN BLOOM (1935--**)--is, alas, a dud with Burns and Allen badly miscast as a husband and wife traveling circus act who take a back seat to a mediocre young lovers subplot. Dixie Lee (Mrs. Bing Crosby) plays George's sister, who falls in love with struggling songwriter Joe Morrison. Too often Burns and Allen take a backseat to Dixie and Joe. One good song: "My Heart is an Open Book." There are far better Burns and Allen movies, including the other two movies on this disk.

The only real bonuses are two theatrical trailers. I wish Universal would add some new filmmaking and vintage comedy/drama shorts, even if they have to charge a bit more than $12.95. The front cover includes three color lobby cards. Rent this disk and only watch the first two movies.

'Six of a kind' is possibly the funniest film ever made. I hadn't seen it for 30 years, but I found I remembered the entire thing. Fabulous cast of comics: W.C. Fields, Charlie Ruggles, Alison Skipworth, Mary Boland, and George and Gracie ('for short') and the biggest dog in the movies. Brief early appearance by Walter Brennan.

Packaged with two more Burns & Allen gems, but worth it on its own.

Do not miss.

Paramount was a haven in the thirties for radio and vaudeville stars and many of their smaller films of the period preserve the work of these performers at their peaks. This DVD contains 3 programmers, films in support of the main feature, which provide a worthwhile record of the tick-tock timing of the beloved George Burns and Gracie Allen.

In "Six of a Kind", they play a couple who hitch a ride to California with Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland who are trying to celebrate their second honeymoon. When Gracie is dizzy, if the jokes are not corny, she can be very funny but when she is immune to the discomfort she causes around her, as she often is here, she can be unsympathetic and downright irritating. Charlie Ruggles holds the film together but the film peaks when W C Fields enters as a local sheriff - 4 stars.

"Here Comes Cookie" places Gracie centre stage in a weak screwball comedy. She plays the dizzy daughter of a millionaire who feigns poverty to rid his other daughter of a fortune hunter fiancee. Gracie turns the house into a haven for down and out vaudeville acts which gives an excuse to put on a show. Often in these films, there will be a standout moment and in this one, there is a terrific act with a drummer and Gracie performs an amusing song number, demonstrating that she was a competent singer when she discarded some of the nonsense - 2 stars.

"Love in Bloom" is a depression story set in New York. Dixie Lee, Bing Crosby's wife, plays a down and out showgirl. Lee sounds like Jean Harlow and acts like the early snappy Ginger Rogers. She meets a songwriter also down on his luck and the film depicts their burgeoning romance in a surprisingly credible series of events. Once again, the film has an unexpected gem: the songwriter is played by a long forgotten tenor, Joe Morrison, who delivers an unforgettable moment singing "None but the Lonely Heart". George and Gracie, in supporting roles, play carnival performers and the film also contains the best routine of all of the films - their encounter with a policeman as they drive to New York. Not only is Gracie's lack of logic hilarious, but she subtly implies she knows what she is doing as she cons the policeman - perfection! - 3 stars

The prints of the films are good and the set contains the theatrical trailer of "Six of a Kind" but no other extras, which is reasonable at the price.

The years never tarnish her. "Cookie" is the quintessential Gracie. Her timing is always immaculate, and she singlehandedly carries every scene. George was very lucky he found her.

i'll watch anything that has burns and allen - but "love in bloom" was even a greater surprise because i was unfamiliar with it, and it was a sweet film all around. no way jose could anyone in new york even stand a chance of surviving the way those two young characters (lee and morrison) were able to back then... can't fall in love today either in that same way... cell phones and ipods would distract ears away from morrison's tenor voice. oh well, thankfully there are films to show us how life used to be in this fair city.

I am a Burns and Allen fan. So, I watched these to see them. Yes, they were good, as I had expected. What I did not expect was the pleasant surprise from some of the other actors and performers.

In Here Comes Cookie, my favorite parts were the seal and the man who drummed on everything. You just do not see seals very often any more and the drummer was simply fantastic. Overall it was a cute movie that I would watch again. I would give it four stars.

I know that I saw Love in Bloom yesterday, but I can not remember a single scene from it. So, it must have not been that memorable, which means that it was neither good nor bad. I will give it three stars. Most likely I won't watch it again.

In Six of a Kind, Charlie Ruggles did the best acting job, overall. I had never watched a W.C. Fields movie before. He really cracked me up as a pool playing sheriff. In fact, I intend to make a point to see other works of his, because of that one scene in this movie. I give it 4 stars. I would watch this one again, also.

I also enjoying watching these for the costumes and the period clothing that the characters wear. Everyone dressed so glamorous, even the out of work performers, the homeless, and the drunks on the side of the road were impeccably dressed. Amazing, isn't it? Wow! Things have really changed.

Got this for "Six of a Kind" to add to my W.C. Fields collection, even though Fields is only in the last half of the movie. The other 2 Burns and Allen movies are a nice added bonus. DVD was in excellent condition and service was prompt.

This DVD compilation of three movies in which George Burns & Gracie Allen appear is a mixed blessing. Their screwball comic patter was as precise as a well-oiled machine. Burns was a master of efficient straightman timing reacting & feeding lines to his partner, Allen. Allen was a bright-eyed scatterbrain with a dinstinct voice. She had, as Burns put it, her own brand of "illogical logic"---the unique gift of making the screwiest statement seem inexplicably sound. Even when Burns insulted her, she managed to turn it all around (Burns: "Gracie, you're idiotic!" Allen: "Oh George, you don't have to flatter me!"). Their type of comedy excelled in other mediums such as radio & television, but they hold their own fairly well here.
"Love in Bloom" is a curious choice, as George & Gracie get top billing but take a back seat to a syrupy romantic plot between Dixie Lee (Mrs. Bing Crosby) & Joe Morrison through most of the picture. B&A manage to score some funny comedy routines as carnies during the picture, but they're few & far between. This is the weakest offering in the compilation. "Six of a Kind" is the most familiar title of the bunch, a sort-of screwball "road" comedy helmed by comedy pro Leo McCarey & starring a great ensemble cast. A bank employee (Charlie Ruggles) & his wife (Mary Boland) take off on a road trip heading West. However, the trip soon comes unraveled when Boland gives another couple (B&A) a ride (with their ox of a dog!), and a crooked co-worker stashes $50,000 in one of Ruggles' suitcases, making him an unknowing accomplice to the crime. Naturally, the trip doesn't get very far: It stalls at a hole-in-the-wall town run by Sheriff (the legendary W.C. Fields) & hotel manager (the terrific character actress Alison Skipworth). Highlights are the two couples getting robbed when they ask two vagrants for directions; Gracie inadvertently causing Boland to fall off a cliff during picture taking (she's saved by a branch); Fields trying to sell Burns everything else but what he wants at a store; and Fields playing a hilariously unforgettable round of pool (he doesn't even break the set!). "Here Comes Cookie" is the picture that finally serves as an ideal vehicle for B&A's antics. A kind of "screwball comedy in high society" movie, it has a father deciding to retire & signing over his wealth to his dizzy daughter (played by Gracie, of course!). Soon, advisor Burns is up in arms as he watches Gracie (who's convinced they're really bankrupt) turn the house into a "crazy house" filled with ragged clothes, unemployed actors, and a seal in the bathtub. When she converts the house into a theatre, the exasperated father catches word & comes home to finally put an end to the insanity.
Again, not always B&A at their best, but it's still enjoyable!

I can't add much to what has already been written about these films, except to say that this is a good package. "Six of a Kind" is probably the most famous of the lot, and rightly so, as it stars the Great Man himself, W.C. Fields. And the supporting cast isn't too shabby, either. Burns and Allen, Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, and Alison Skipworth. Pretty much the cream of Paramount Studios (circa 1934), contract players. Fields and Skipworth always played well together (see, especially, "If I Had a Million," in the famous car-wrecking segment). I love George and Gracie, but Gracie is actually a little over-the-top annoying here. You really feel for Charlie and Mary, putting up with them (and their dog). Once they get to Fields' domain, things really pick up. The classic pool routine, monologues, etc. Great stuff. And a great director to boot.

I think "Here Comes Cookie" is the weakest film of the lot. George and Gracie are always fun, but the film doesn't have much substance to it. But anything coming out of that Studio-era has its good points, and Paramount was at a peak that year (see "The Crusades," "Lives of a Bengal Lancer," "Goin' to Town," "The Devil is a Woman," "Hands Across the Table," "The Man on the Flying Trapeze," etc.). So it is a light, fun film.

I echo what another reviewer said about "Love in Bloom," that it is a pleasant surprise. I actually found myself liking the love story more than the comedy, which is highly unusual for these kinds of films. This is because of the two charming leads, Joe Morrison and Dixie Lee. Morrison has been largely forgotten today, but I believe he was a popular radio singer at the time. He starred with W.C. Fields in "The Old-Fashioned Way," and a few other forgotten films. He is very personable, and has a beautiful voice. Dixie Lee was the first wife of Bing Crosby, and was gorgeous, and a talented singer. She made a handful of films in the early to mid '30s, then retired to help raise her family. She is so good here, that you wish she'd made more films. She is a good actress, and injects some real emotion into a part that could have been a stereotyped "tough dame" role. She has real heart. And she's some singer, too. She and Morrison are so good together, as the struggling couple, that they really steal the film. George plays her brother, and he even gets to do some dramatic stuff with her. Too bad she never made a film with her husband. And it's a real shame that she died so young, from cancer, at about the age of 40. The director, Elliott Nugent, was the son of J.C. Nugent, who plays Dixie's drunken father in the film. Elliott was a former actor, and had been in Lon Chaney's last film, "The Unholy Three." He was a pretty good director, and directed Bing Crosby, Cary Grant, and Bob Hope, among others. I think Hope mentioned that Nugent was one of his favorite directors (see "My Favorite Brunette," with Hope and Nugent). Anyway, it's a sweet film, and is a nice surprise.

A worthwhile buy. Three films for the price of one. And good ones to boot!