Customer Reviews

Louis Prima - The Wildest [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a nice bio of one of the legends of Las Vegas and beyond. Louis' life is explored from his family's immigration on through to his death in the late 70s. There are many insightful moments represented here thanks to interviews with music historian Will Friedwald, Prima's bandmates Sam Butera, Keely Smith, Gia Maione and others as well as members of Prima's family. Overall it's a nice production but I wish there could have been more concert footage where instead a song like "Just a Gigolo" is played over stock footage of the Vegas strip and people gambling in casinos. What concert footage there is though, is priceless with Louis, Keely and Sam hamming it up for "Just a Gigolo" and "That Old Black Magic" as well as a duet with Gia Maione on "I Want You" that is one of this video's highlights. The main problem with the video is that it leaves you wanting more. Much more.

Great review of this jazz master's career, from New Orleans, to New York (where he penned the immortal "Sing, Sing, Sing") and on to his later triumph as a Vegas showman. His gift, and his gab, are clearly on display here through archive footage and kinetoscopes of early TV appearances with Keely Smith. Loaded with interviews, photos, recordings and rare films. If you think you knew about Louis Prima, this documentary will open your eyes. Among some of the funniest moments are some footage of Louis recording the Disney tune "I wanna be just like you" for THE JUNGLE BOOK. A great film about one of the 20th Century's great jazz artists.

This documentary is a real treat. Louis Prima was such a tremendous showman, with so much energy. The places he lived - New Orleans, Las Vegas - are also fun to watch. But it is the performances, particularly with his wife Keely Smith, that are a blast to watch. I'd recommend this to any music fan, but particular those who like the Rat Pack, rhythm and blues or New Orleans music. But Louis is so fun, I think just about anybody would have a great time watching it.

My family has enjoyed Louis Prima for a couple of years. But until we saw this video, we didn't know what kind of over-the-top performer he was. He is the Wildest. The clips featuring the high energy wailings of Sam Butera are the best.

The filmakers chose to concentrate on the music here. And there is a great wealth of rare and fabulous LOUIS PRIMA performance clips in this film highlighted by extended clips from PRIMA's ground breaking 1959 ED SULLIVAN SHOW appearances..most having not been seen since the day they were first broadcasted I suspect. I am told that Louis didn't have too much to say except when his horn was in his mouth..I think this doc clearly brings that home. Good informative interviews with family memebers, managers and fellow bandmates, great info on the ITALIAN AMERICAN communities of New Orleans as well...thank you for doing this one Don McGlynn & Joe Lauro!!!

This DVD is great. Louis Prima was a little before my time in real life. I became a fan long after his death. This has some amazing vintage footage as well as some current footage of this legend of swing.
Its a great lesson on importance of showmanship.
It is thoroughly enjoyable.

Finally there is a resource for all of us Prima fans for a chance to really get an insight into this man. Great clips of prima and some interesting insight from his associates. Unfortunately there is too much emphasis on his career and life post Keely Smith. Clearly the diamond of his career was his association with Keely Smith whose recordings together are pure show business legend. Post Keely duets with fifth and final wife are poor attempts to recreate the magic with Keely and sadly lacked substance. Fortunately there is a couple of magic moments with Louis and Keely and for those of us who starve for this kind of magic that they were this is a good start. Hopefully Keely Smith or her and Louis's daughters (the real royal musical lineage of the Prima mantle) will tell us more soon. For now this is a good primer.

It's all in the live footage. Interspersed among somewhat predictable interviews ( bar the talks with Sam Butera ) it's dynamite. For the ones of us who never got to experience King Louis in the flesh, this gives a hint of what it must've been like.

This DVD release of a film that won the audience award for best documentary at the Hamptons Int.film Festival in /99 is a welcome and most fitting tribute to one the best entertainers in the music world.
Watching Prima and his band was/is like watching a cross between a Mexican jumping bean and a volcano.They all jump around the stage until the time is right then they erupt with that beautiful musical explosion.The minute Prima sang he had you hook,line and sinker.I've seen very few entertainers with the energy Prima could put out on stage or on record and it is for certain we lost a giant talent with his passing.
The documentary goes from his birth in New Orleans right through to the very end of his life.The major failing however is the frustrating lack of a timeline throughout.Dates are given few and far between and sometimes it is hard to know exactly the when of what you are watching.
However there are plenty of movie and video clips shown throughout and the ones in the 50s during his high period are especially wonderful and appealing.In fact it leaves you wanting to see ALOT more of him.
There are plenty of interviews with close associates,members of his band and two of his five wives Keely Smith and his last Gia Maione.
Included on this DVD are video performances of "Basin Street Blues","Oh,Babe" and "Waiting for the Robert E Lee".Also there are audio only tracks of some very rare Prima sung songs,"Sing,Sing,Sing"(one of his greatest compositions),"Robin Hood" and "Please No Squeeza Da Banana".
I was glad to see not only Keely Smith in attendance(what Prima documentary could be complete without her?) but also wonderful Sam Butera.I recall Primas'late 40s and early to mid 50s period on Mercury.He had some good and catchy songs("Enjoy Yourself" is a stand out) that fore told of things to come.Keely Smith was there but something was missing until Sam Butera joined the band in the mid 50s.Suddenly everything seemed to fall into place for him.Sam was really the spark plug that ran the Prima engine.And when you see Prima and Sam performing and listen to them on records(now CD)it is not hard to understand why.
I heartily recommend this DVD to all lovers of good music and espeically to all you Louis Prima fans out there.This is one essential to add to your collection.And to all you only familiar with his records/CDs and/or to those not familar with him at all I recommend this DVD as the perfect Prima primer.Get yours today and swing out!

Boy, you are lucky guys out there; this is still not available in the UK region standard (PAL), so I actually had to go out and buy a multi-standard DVD player so I could watch this DVD from amazon.com USA. It was worth it! Just being able to see the great man live or on tv shows is a must, and kids should know what a big influence Louis was to everyone, from Sinatra on thru.