Customer Reviews

40 Pounds of Trouble ( Forty Pounds of Trouble ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Spain ]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a wonderful family flick for all ages and boasts a "who's who" list of very funny character actors from the 1960's. Tony Curtis is outrageously funny and charming as Steve McClusky, a Nevada casino manager who winds up caring for Penny, a 5 year old orphan with amusing results. Suzanne Pleshette as a romantic endeavor never looked better. And Phil Silvers' portrayal as the loveable tough guy Uncle Bernie can't be topped. The "chase" scene thru vintage Disneyland is pure fun. This movie truly is a family classic!

This is a great movie, director Norman Jewison's first film, and this is shameful disrespect by Universal Studios with a DVD-R release. This film is deserving a Blu-ray treatment.

But we take as we get them......

UPDATE: 02.21.10 - a little viewing 411

Despite the claim that this disc may play only in "Play Only" players, I've found my copy plays fine in my Panasonic DVD burner AND in all of my optical drives on three computers.

Like the airline industry, home video seems to be veering toward the cutting of corners in order to stay afloat at a profit.Is it nice to finally see FORTY POUNDS OF TROUBLE in it original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio? Yes. Is it nice to see the entire film, minus commercial interruptions and at its original length? Yes. Is the print good? Not really -- there's no crispness and a fuzz that dims the Panavision perspective, especially on an LCD TV. Do I like having no idea how long this DVD-R disc will last? No. Was it worth the $14.99 I paid for it? Yes, as it would cost nearly this much to see it once in a NY revival house theater.

Here's the point: I'm collecting these Universal Vault Series titles, but with caution. Whereas the sky would be the limit if the discs were pressed, it means I'm holding back. For starters, I'd rather get a Region 2 PAL edition from the UK if it's a standard pressed DVD (I strongly advocate getting a region free DVD player -- you would be amazed how cheap titles are on Amazon's UK site, and how many U.S. films are being released there rather than here). Additionally, the way Amazon is vacillating its prices, I won't touch one of these Universal Vault discs until it hits the $14.99 mark. It changes by the hour, with the same title vaulting between $14.99 and $17.99 (it's like day trading for film buffs).

Again, it's nice to see this film in widescreen, but I would have bought it sooner from the UK had it been available. That's where I found GAMBIT, THE BLACK SHIELD OF FALWORTH and some others in the DVD-R series, some of them even on all-region Blu-ray. Branch out, movie collectors -- there are so many more options out there than we're aware of. Meantime, we have to be careful. The Warner Archive series is notorious for shipping out defective discs (HAYWIRE is impossible to find unscathed), and when you try to warn other buyers about specific titles, they censor your reviews. Amazon's THE LIST OF ADRIAN MESSENGER had digital break-up on my player, and when I rewound to play it back, the break-up was gone, which leads one to believe that these discs will never play the same way twice.

If this is the future of home video, I'm concerned...

This film reminds me of my first trip to Disneyland (1963) on my way to Viet-Nam. I'm a retired G.I. and this movie says so much about a time in the past. Tony, Suzanne, Phil, & Larry (Storch) should all have received Oscars for their performance in this hilarious romp thru this most appealing fun center (Disneyland). It's with a very sad feeling of regret that the Casino where this film was shot is now gone. (Stateline) My Wife and I visited the spot a couple of years ago. I have an old VHS copy of this funny, funny film and I watch it with much happiness, but I'm afraid it is getting worn out. They (producers) should make this film available on D V D !!!!! Nuf Said.

Like the other reviewers, I must say this is one FUN old movie. It is a throw back to the early 60's - Between the Las Vegas setting and Disneyland settings...who could resist. And the cast has so many wonderful character actors. This is a definite win! Where is the DVD????

This is a wonderful family flick for all ages and boasts a "who's who" list of very funny character actors from the 1960's. Tony Curtis is outrageously funny and charming as Steve McClusky, a Nevada casino manager who winds up caring for Penny, a 5 year old orphan with amusing results. Suzanne Pleshette as a romantic endeavor never looked better. And Phil Silvers' portrayal as the loveable tough guy Uncle Bernie can't be topped. The "chase" scene thru vintage Disneyland is pure fun. This movie truly is a family classic!

This is a great movie, director Norman Jewison's first film, and this is shameful disrespect by Universal Studios with a DVD-R release. This film is deserving a Blu-ray release.

But we take as we get them......

UPDATE: 02.21.10 - a little viewing 411

Despite the claim that this disc may play only in "Play Only" players, I've found my copy plays fine in my Toshiba DVD burner AND in all of my optical drives on three computers.

I remember watching this film on TV when I was a kid.

In the 1990's I grabbed it the minute it was released on video tape.

Where the heck is the DVD of this for Disney/Disneyland fans?

The first film at Disneyland.

Story a simple 1960's film. I liked Suzanne's character.

Interesting to see old casinos.

Disneyland fan I am seeing the park in color early 1960's is great. Monorail & Matterhorn. Incorrect shots-getting off the Monorail & they are looking at Sleeping Beauty Castle?

Apparently Walt moved it for the film? Ha ha.

The use of the park I thought was great.

Whether you are a Disney fan or not and just looking for a simple, no curse words, no nudity comedy then you can enjoy this film. Films are NOT made like this today, clean cut film.

Disney/Disneyland fans will truly enjoy seeing the park when it was less than 10 years old & see the differences between now & then.

Lousy quality DVD. More like a cheap cd burned product. Tried initially in my blueray player, nothing. Then tried in my dvd player, skipped, stopped and finally just saw static.

An internet search of movies that had Disneyland scenes in them led me to "40 Pounds of Trouble." I bought this video because I wanted high-quality movie footage of Disneyland during 1962. That, I got, in addition to an entertaining little comedy.

I should know better--but I live near Lake Tahoe, and the opening car chase scene puts the tunnel of US-50 on the wrong side of the state line. Reporters slant news items for maximum drama, so it is silly of me to expect pure drama and comedy to correspond to the "real world."

But as far as I can tell, the Disneyland scenes are mostly accurate. I didn't see Disneyland in person until 1972, and in 1962 I was all of five years old and in Europe, so check with other sources. The movie showed that there was a second entrance and exit to Disneyland--the Monorail. Many of Disneyland's rides and attractions appeared: Nature's Wonderland, the tree house on Tom Sawyer Island, the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island, Pirate Ship Restaurant, Autopia, the Disneyland Railroad, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Some of these attractions are gone, and the rest have changed in the last 45 years. One plot device was the sound of the bell on the fire engine and the Mark Twain's whistle being overheard through a telephone between the Matterhorn and the House of the Future.

I enjoyed this movie on its own merits, and was satisfied with high-quality movie footage of Disneyland in the past. I do have questions about how the Disneyland scenes were made. There is no mention of Disneyland in the credits.

A 1963 classic Tony Curtis Comedy, a feel good movie that should be in the home of any Disney Fan. The ridicules "chase scene" takes place in Disneyland, highlighting many of parks attractions, even what used to be a Disneyland standard: the helicopter ride from LAX to the Disneyland Hotel. The director took some liberties with how they arrive in the park and the views don't match the vantage point. Great fun to see how many "errors" are in the film, but all designed to make it possible to cover the entire park as if they were running in a straight line.

Shown in its original theater format with beautiful picture and sound. Deserves a place in your Disney Film Library even though it is not a Disney Film.

Funny movie, Claire Wilcox is an adorable foil to Tony Curtis' jet setting kidless batchelor. The bathroom scene is hilarious. This movie is especially great if you're a fan of early Disneyland as there is a good 15+ minutes of footage at the climax of the movie.