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40 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Anne Francis is Female P.I. Honey West: A Cult Classic!, September 29, 2008
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
From VCI Entertainment comes the complete Honey West television series. Honey West stars Anne Francis in the title role, as a young and versatile female private eye, along with John Ericson as her loyal sidekick, Sam Bolt. The two get into many adventures and uncover lots of interesting cases & mysteries. This 4 disc set comprises all 30 episodes of the series first and only season.
DISC ONE: (chapter stops placed after the opening theme song of each episode)
"The Swingin' Mrs. Jones" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Paul Wendkos: Honey goes undercover at a fancy singles resort to track down a rich woman's blackmailer. This, the first episode in the series, sets the tone, showcasing Honey West's sleuthing expertise, martial arts skills, and seductive prowess, as well as her professional (yet flirty) relationship with partner Sam Bolt. The episode features Honey's first use of her 2-way radio compact communicator device as well as a tear gas earrings gadget. (25:23 - includes a "Next Week" promo)
"The Owl and The Eye" - written by William Bast, directed by Paul Wendkos: Honey plays cat burglar in order to help safeguard a rare jade owl which winds up stolen. Check out Honey slip up a pack of dogs, in once scene, using a fire extinguisher. (25:26 - includes a "Next Week" promo)
"The Abominable Snowman" - written by Glen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Paul Wendkos: Honey's client is killed in a car crash with only a snow globe and the word "Snowman" as the only clues. This episode marks the first appearance of Honey's car phone (and Honey taking a bubble bath). (25:26 - includes a "Next Week" promo)
"A Matter of Wife and Death" - written by Tony Barret, directed by John Florea: Honey must protect a female executive who has been targeted for assassination. But who is the killer dressed in a frogman diving suit? Watch for Honey's brief catfight sequence. (25:26)
"Live a Little, Kill a Little" - written by Tony Barrett, directed by Murray Golden: Honey is hired to find a missing girl who is running from a murderous boyfriend. (25:28)
"Whatever Lola Wants...." - written by William Bast, directed by John Peyser: Honey is unknowingly hired by a killer to stop an embezzler. Will she be his next victim? This episode features a gas pen gadget. (25:17)
"The Princess and The Paupers" - written by Leonard Stadd, directed by Virgil W. Vogel: The lead singer of a `Beatlesesque music band known as The Paupers, is kidnapped and held for ransom. It's up to Honey to track him down. Actor Michael J. Pollard (Bonnie and Clyde & Tango and Cash) guest stars. Honey looks great in a black bikini. (25:06)
"In The Bag" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Seymour Robbie: Honey stumbles onto a diamond smuggling scheme when a little girl, in her care, gets her bag switched with the crooks'. Maureen McCormick (TVs Marcia Brady from The Brady Bunch)) guest stars. This episode features a homing beacon pen gadget. (25:27)
Extra Features:
Glamour Shots Photo Gallery - Includes 18 images of Anne Francis & co-stars from the series. (2:26)
Vintage Commercials - Hunts Steakhouse Catsup, Wesson Cooking Oil, The FBI TV Series, Maybelline Eye makeup (X2), Intensified Tide Laundry Detergent, Wilkinson Sword Ltd. Razor Blades, U.S. Savings Bonds. 8 commercials total. (6:25)
Total Running Time Approximately 212 Min.
DISC TWO: (chapter stops placed after the opening theme song of each episode)
"The Flame and The Pussycat" - written by George Clayton Johnson, directed by James Goldstone: An arsonist is on the loose burning warehouses. Can Honey figure out his motives before she gets burned too? (25:27)
"A Neat Little Package" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Murray Golden: A newsstand owner suffering from memory loss hires Honey to help figure out the missing pieces of his past. This episode features a camera watch gadget. (25:18)
"A Stitch In Crime" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by John Peyser: When $100,000 worth of designer eveningwear is stolen from Honey, will she be able to track them back down in time for the big fashion show in San Francisco? Catch a hilarious scene with Honey and Sam dressed as beatniks. (25:25)
"A Million Bucks In Anybody's Language" - written by Tony Barrett, directed by John Florea: Honey must discover who is responsible for the death of her latest client, who also happens to be another private investigator. Check out Honey in a sexy tiger skinned outfit. (25:25)
"The Gray Lady" - written by William Link & Richard Levinson, directed by Walter Grauman: A chameleon jewel thief (who only steals from celebrities) keeps Honey guessing when he steals from her latest client. This episode utilizes a special television monitoring device (as well as a memorable Honey fight sequence). Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatchers,UHF) guest stars. (25:27)
"Invitation To Limbo" - written by William Link & Richard Levinson, directed by Tom Gries: Honey must thwart a hypnotist from stealing valuable corporate files. Wayne Rogers (TV's Trapper John on M*A*S*H) guest stars. (25:27)
"Rockabye The Hard Way" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Bill Colleran: Honey travels to Mexico in order to recover a missing American with important military secrets. Joe Don Baker (Fletch, GoldenEye) has a small supporting role. (25:27)
"A Nice Little Till To Tap" - written by Tony Barrett, directed by Jerry Hopper: Honey goes undercover, as a teller, in order to nab a bank robber. (25:26)
Extra Features:
Behind The Scenes Photo Gallery - 21 images (2:49)
Vintage Commercials - Sucrets Throat Lozenges, Carnation Instant Breakfast, Coffe-mate, Cover Girl, Sylvania Blue Dot Flash Cubes, Pall Mall Cigarettes, Tareyton Cigarettes. 7 commercials total. (6:12)
Total Running Time Approximately 212 Min.
DISC THREE: (chapter stops placed after the opening theme song of each episode)
"How Brillig, O, Beamish Boy" - written by Don Ingalls, directed by Ida Lupino: Sam is kidnapped and held for ransom. Can Honey save him? This episode features an exploding pen gadget. (25:28)
"King of The Mountain" - written by Jay Simms, directed by Thomas Carr: Honey goes undercover as a private nurse for a rich, but possibly shady, recluse. A different type of camera watch is used in this episode. (25:18)
"It's Earlier Than You Think" - written by Marc Brandel, directed by James Brown: A dying man dressed up like Abraham Lincoln bursts into Honey's office with a very old newspaper. Who is after him and why? A hidden compartment ring gadget is featured in this episode. (25:28)
"The Perfect Un-Crime" - written by Ken Kolb, directed by Sidney Miller: A man with a good conscience hires Honey to put back the money he stole from the company he works for. (25:29)
"Like Visions and Omens and All That Jazz" - written by Tony Barrett, directed by John Florea: An heiress hires Honey to keep an eye on her daughter, who she believes has been targeted for murder. (25:28)
"Don't Look Now, But Isn't That Me" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by James Brown: Honey's seeing double when an imposter, looking just like her, is stealing valuable furs. Anne Francis is a hoot in the dual role of Pandora Fox. A bolo belt gadget is used in this episode. (25:27)
"Come To Me, My Litigation Baby" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Thomas Carr: An insurance company hires Honey to run surveillance on a recently crippled man to see if he truly sustained his injuries or is in fact a fraud. This episode features the humorous "Honey West Walk" dance routine. (25:16)
Extra Features:
Vintage Commercials - Lucky Strike cigarettes, Pall Mall cigarettes, Traffic Safety, El Producto cigars, Prell shampoo, Chanel #5 perfume (X2), Vectra pantyhose, American Motors, Chiffon margarine, Crest toothpaste (X2), The UN in Action, Muriel cigars, Seven Seas salad dressing. 15 commercials total. (11:08)
Total Running Time Approximately 189 Min.
DISC FOUR: (chapter stops placed after the opening theme song of each episode)
"Slay, Gypsy, Slay" - written by Tony Barrett, directed by James Brown: A wealthy business man is kidnapped by a group of gypsies. Can Honey find him before its too late? John Ericson is hilarious in one scene disguised as an elderly man. There's also an amusing fight sequence with a gorilla. (25:27)
"The Fun-Fun Killer" - written by Art Weingarten, directed by Murray Golden: Things turn deadly at a toy factory when a metallic robot turns to murder. TRIVIA FACT: The same robot would later show up, that same year, in the Gilligan's Island Season Two episode: "Gilligan's Living Doll." (25:28)
"Pop Goes The Easel" - teleplay by Lila Garrett & Bernie Kahn, story by Gail Allen &...
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41 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Honey West (1965-1966) ... Anne Francis ... VCI Ent. (2008)", July 31, 2008
VCI Entertainment presents "HONEY WEST COMPLETE SERIES" (17 September 1965) (30 Episodes on 4 DVD's) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Actress Anne Francis portrayed Honey West on television --- The character made her first television appearance in an episode of the series Burke's Law (1965) --- The character was popular enough that the ABC network spun her off into the series Honey West (1965-1966), produced by Aaron Spelling --- Honey West is a fictional character created by Gloria and Forest Fickling under the pseudonym "G.G. Fickling", and appearing in numerous mystery novels by the duo --- Both picture and sound have been digitally restored from the original 35 mm fine grains.
Under the production staff of:
Directors:
James H. Brown (6 episodes, 1966)
John Florea (3 episodes, 1965-1966)
Murray Golden (3 episodes, 1965-1966)
Paul Wendkos (3 episodes, 1965)
Thomas Carr (3 episodes, 1966)
John Peyser (2 episodes, 1965)
Sidney Miller (2 episodes, 1966)
Screenwriters:
Gwen Bagni
Paul Dubov
Gloria Fickling
Skip Fickling
G.G. Fickling
Honey West, a slinky, glamorous female private eye, was something new to television --- In an era when actresses were confined to sedate housewife and girlfriend roles, this series marked a unique and original departure. This was the first dramatic TV series in the U.S. with a female star in an action-adventure role traditionally played by a male actor. In addition to being television's first modern, independent, self-sufficient woman, Honey frequently engaged in energetic fight scenes and shootouts. As The Avengers had not yet aired in America, it was unprecedented to see a beautiful, curvacious woman in a catsuit beating up male attackers with a high-kick, judo-flip, or well-placed karate chop. She is also the first character, male or female, on U.S. television to use martial arts as self-defense.
Her untamed feline qualites were reflected by her leopard spot and animal-print wardrobe and decor --- She also kept an exotic pet ocelot and raced around in a convertible sportscar --- The risque aspect of the novels was toned down for television, although sultry Anne Francis nevertheless exuded a considerable sex appeal --- And she frequently went on undercover missions requiring some revealing outfit or bikini, etc.
In keeping with the secret agent trend of the '60s, Honey was outfitted with a number of James Bond-type gimmicks: an exploding compact, a garter-belt gas mask, and tear-gas earrings --- Her partner and man-Friday "Sam" (John Ericson) usually stayed in the background or sat in their high-tech surveillance van talking to Honey via a radio hidden in her lipstick case --- Their relationship was kept platonic, and Honey usually had to rescue him instead of the other way around --- (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
the cast includes:
Anne Francis ... Honey West
John Ericson ... Sam Bolt
Irene Hervey ... Aunt Meg
Bruce ... Bruce the Ocelot
Don Gazzaniga ... Butler
Ken Lynch ... Lt. Barney
COMPLETE EPISODE GUIDES:
1. "The Swingin Mrs. Jones" (September 17, 1965)
2. "The Owl and the Eye" (September 24, 1965)
3. "The Abominable Snowman" (October 1, 1965)
4. "A Matter of Wife and Death" (October 8, 1965)
5. "Live a Little... Kill a Little" (October 15, 1965)
6. "Whatever Lola Wants..." (October 22, 1965)
7. "The Princess and the Paupers" (October 29, 1965)
8. "In the Bag" (November 5, 1965)
9. "The Flame and the Pussycat" (November 12, 1965)
10."A Neat Little Package" (November 19, 1965)
11."A Stitch in Crime" (November 26, 1965)
12."A Million Bucks in Anybody's Language" (December 3, 1965)
13."The Gray Lady" (December 10, 1965)
14."Invitation to Limbo" (December 17, 1965)
15."Rockabye the Hard Way" (December 24, 1965)
16."A Nice Little Till to Tap" (December 31, 1965)
17."How Brillig, O, Beamish Boy?" (January 7, 1966)
18."King of the Mountain" (January 14, 1966)
19."It's Earlier Than You Think" (January 21, 1966)
20."The Perfect Un-crime" (January 28, 1966)
21."Like Visions and Omens... and All That Jazz" (February 4, 1966)
22."Don't Look Now, But Isn't That Me?" (February 11, 1966)
23."Come to Me, My Litigation Baby" (February 18, 1966)
24."Slay, Gypsy, Slay" (February 25, 1966)
25."The Fun-Fun Killer" (March 4, 1966)
26."Pop Goes the Easel" (March 11, 1966)
27."Little Green Robin Hood" (March 18, 1966)
28."Just the Bear Facts Ma'am" (March 25, 1966)
29."There's a Long, Long Fuse A' Burning" (April 1, 1966)
30."An Eerie, Airy, Thing" (April 8, 1966)
SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Anne Francis Photo Galleries
2. Vintage Commericals
3. Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery
4. Episode Selections
5. Each Episode is complete with no commercial interruptions
BIOS:
1. Anne Francis
Date of Birth: 16 September 1930 - Ossining, New York
Date of Death: Still Living
2. John Ericson (aka: Joseph Meibes)
Date of Birth: 23 September 1926 - Düsseldorf, Germany
Date of Death: Still Living
3. Irene Hervey (aka: Irene Herwick)
Date of Birth: 11 July 1909 - Venice, California
Date of Death: 20 December 1998 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
Check out my review on "Burke's Law - Season One - Volume One" featuring Gene Barry, Gary Conway and Regis Toomey also from VCI Entertainment and posted on Amazon.Com
Hats off and thanks to Robert Blair and his staff at VCI Entertainment --- VCI was named in Variety and Hollywood Reporter as the first company to produce and release motion pictures directly to the home marketplace --- order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- VCI are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector -- looking forward to more Nostalgic Collections.
Total Time: 900 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment 8515 ~ (9/02/2008)
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17 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
TV First Female Detective, August 26, 2008
The one season of the TV show Honey West (1965-66) was a piece of TV history in the making. Her show would pave the wave of female detectives for generations to come. There were a few before her, but not many where she could keep up with the boys. Her show lead the way for other Female lead shows like Cagney and Lacey and the Girl From U.N.C.L.E.
The show was a black and white, thirty minute action packed thriller of a mystery. As I said it lasted only one season, but many in the network took notice of it and what could be done in 30 minutes.
Film actress Anne Francis, who starred in Forbidden Planet (Ultimate Collector's Edition), takes the role with a plomb for action. She can handle herself in a male PI world with the best of them. Her small detectibe agency had many high tech gadgets that would make James Bond blush. She had brains combined with muscle. She could handle herself in high socity and slumming with the best.
She is aided by Sam Bolt (John Ericson), who acts like mother hen to the adventurous West. For those fans of fan fiction, some assume she was a kin to James West ((The Wild Wild West: The Complete Series )..but that is rumor like the Green Honest is kin to the Lone Ranger. BUT I digress!
This DVD collection has all the Honey West shows from her series. However, what is missing is the pilot of the show which aired on Burke's Law
This collection has the cleanest master copies I have seen for a show forty years old, cleaner than other DVD shows like Superman, Wild West West or Perry Mason. Thankfully the video producers of this project did not colorize these episodes.
There are a few extras such as ads of the period like VCI did with their Roue 66 first season collection. However, there are no audio commentary, I wish there was. With Star Anne Francis being ill, it would be nice to hear her thoughts on this show.
So is this worth getting, YES. It would be a treasure in any mystery fans library of classic television. I am putting Ms West between Ironside and Columbo, you know the deiective with brain and can think out a mystery.
Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD
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