Customer Reviews

TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Comedy (Arsenic and Old Lace / A Night at the Opera / The Long Long Trailer / Father of the Bride 1950)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The movies were great!! I have more comments about how they were packaged because it was different that I had expected.
I bought these for my elderly mother who lives with me, so my review is based on using these for a senior person.
The titles were in extremely tiny print stamped around the center hole. Very hard to read.
The subtitles were created in white w/o a black box around them -- this made it hard to read them -- especially if the film was black and white!! Most subtitles come with a black box in which the subtitle is reversed out to white -- same as the TV -- which makes it much easier to read. Caring for a senior makes me much more aware of all the small things that affect their independence. Ease of use, larger type on the packaging and a visually enhanced subtitle would improve the use of these for that population immensely. Thanks!!

This collection contains four very different comedies from four very different types of comics. It is part of over a dozen sets produced by Warner Home Video to bring classic film to the masses by making inexpensive sets of the better films in their libraries that have no extra features.

The oldest in the bunch, "A Night at the Opera" (1935), revived the career of the Marx Brothers after they were released from their contract at Paramount. Irving Thalberg thought that the brothers' comedy still had merit and that part of their problem was that "they never helped anybody". The test of time has shown that, although not profitable at the time, the Paramount Marx comedies were the best film work that the brothers did. However, that doesn't mean that this film isn't great. It is also available in a more deluxe form in the collection The Marx Brothers Collection (A Night at The Opera/A Day at The Races/A Night in Casablanca/Room Service/At the Circus/Go West/The Big Store).

"Arsenic and Old Lace" (1944) stars Cary Grant in a classic dark comedy. Grant plays a newlywed who finds out that his aunts have made a habit of poisoning their elderly male boarders and burying them in the cellar. This has only been available in the past as a single DVD, and it is an older one at that - released in 2000 I believe.

"Father of the Bride" (1950) has Spencer Tracy as a man who begins to feel his age and his pocketbook when his daughter (Elizabeth Taylor) gets married. It shows Tracy has a knack for comedy even if Katharine Hepburn is not involved. This is available in a more deluxe edition in the now out of print The Elizabeth Taylor Signature Collection (National Velvet / Father of the Bride / Cat on a Hot Tin Roof / Butterfield 8).

Finally there is "The Long Long Trailer" from 1954. Made to capitalize on the popularity of the TV series "I Love Lucy", the film is pretty funny in its own right even it is basically Lucy and Desi playing their TV characters under other names. The two play newlyweds who buy a motor home instead of a house and almost ruin their marriage by going on a cross-America trek in the thing. This is also available in The Lucy & Desi Collection (Too Many Girls / The Long Long Trailer / Forever, Darling). By and large I don't think that the movies ever figured out what to do with Lucille Ball, but this is one of her better efforts in film.

I ordered this dvd for the Arsenic and Old Lace and A Night At The Opera movies, which are unbelieveable to watch on a lcd large screen...happily surprised with the other two selections...well worth the price!

I love Arsenic and Old Lace! My daughters (16 years old & 22 years old) watched it with me and thoroughly enjoyed it. My youngest thought Cary Grant was "hot". Father of the Bride is priceless and The Long Long Trailer is a hoot! I haven't watched "A Night at the Opera" yet. Great DVD! Good clean family fun. Arsenic and Old Lace is a rather dark and morbid for young children. You are dealing with murder (several of them). I would say no one younger than 12 years old just because of the dark humor.

received films from amazon. product came on time and in good shape. enjoyed the films with family and we missed films like this.

So far I have only watched "the Long, Long Trailer" and I love it! The quality is great and the storyline is fun. It is a huge helping of nostalgia at it's best. I can't wait to watch the other movies.

I bought this set for my son who loves old movies. We saw two: Arsenic and old Lace & Father of the bride. I think this movies are timeless. Enjoyable for people of all ages. Great actors, smart dialogue. Super funny.

I have a small, but solid collection of older movies, and this nice collection really adds a lot to it. Each movie is different yet makes a good collection. I bought it originally for the Long, Long Trailer, . . hysterical, but am enjoying the others in the collection as well.
It's nice having four movies on just two DVD's .. takes up less storage space. You'll love this collection.

All of thise movies are classics. Arsenic and Old Lace is an old movie but is worth the price of this set. That was a major decision in buying this set. Another reason I bought this set was the price on Amazon. You cannot go wrong with this set.

The TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection make some terrific classic movies available for a more than reasonable price and this comedy entry can be yours for a little less than that even! It's a nice package with a sleeve containing the usual individual titles on the front and brief synopses on the back and a flip style case where the first disc is in a holder that flips over to reveal the second (instead of both discs being seated on the inside of the covers). The movies alone are more than worth the price but some extras (trailers, a cartoon, a short) are included.

I'm not a Marx Bros. fan so "A Night At The Opera" is my least fav of the 4 pictures, but it is still worth looking at for the history of the MBs, to wonder how anyone could think they were funny, and Harpo playing, you know, a beautiful tune on the harp. "Arsenic And Old Lace" is a typical screwball comedy and showcase for Cary Grant and, since you've had to see a high school theater cover it on stage at some time, good chance to see if your drama club was merely trying to copy the 1944 Hollywood version. "Father Of The Bride" is a fantastic domestic comedy based on the simple premise of a bride's family preparing for a wedding - deservedly included as a classic in this collection. Spencer Tracy is one of the VERY few actors/resses in history able to really excell in any type of role and this is proof in the comedy department (though there is considerable pathos in this story). Then there is "The Long Long Trailer" as a showcase for the talents of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz; this film is underrated and kind of steps up from the wedding theme of FOTB to a honeymoon motif. If you've ever pulled a camper/trailer, tried to back one, make a turn at a tight intersection with one, level one in a downpour, or had one fly past you on the highway only to realize it's yours (yes, it happened to me! Hook up those safety chains people!) you can't help but appreciate the humor of the situations the wedded couple find themselves in trying to pull their 50' mobile home around the country! Unfortunately, the monstrosity also causes some strife for the newlyweds. Most viewers probably can't shake the "Lucy" identities of the 2 stars here so they'll see only an extended episode of ILL but this project transcends "I Love Lucy" and is a solid film comedy, oh, and one that the entire family can be invited to watch, something Ms. Ball seemed to do extremely well, and probably not often enough.

Bottom line, I guess, is that these are 4 great movies at a better-than-fair price. P.S. I want Robert Osborne or Ben Mankiewicz's job!!!