Product Details

• Actors: Phil Silvers, Rose Marie, Danny Scholl, Judy Lynn, Jack Albertson
• Directors: Albert Zugsmith, Alfred E. Green
• Writers: Gene Towne, Hy Kraft, Johnny Mercer
• Producers: Albert Zugsmith, Ben Peskay, Harry Zevin
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304286872
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,207 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Add one star if you like Phil Silvers; fun musical comedy, September 20, 2002

By 

Scott MacGillivray (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Top Banana [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This film version of the hit Broadway comedy came out when producers were trying to lure the public away from television and into the theaters. CinemaScope, Cinerama, 3-D, and other novelties were introduced. "Top Banana" offered its own new twist: it was an exact replica of a Broadway play at moviehouse prices. So the film is deliberately stagey, with veteran film director Alfred E. Green at the helm. Phil Silvers is virtually the whole show, as a self-centered TV comedian who depends on his beleaguered writers and stooges -- to keep his "real life" patter charming and amusing, and to keep his hectic schedule on track. Silvers's patented machine-gun delivery is hilarious (watch for a burlesque scene where he wears a ridiculous toupee and serenades a group of bored chorus girls). There are some clever songs (with Johnny Mercer lyrics), and strong support from Rose Marie, Jack Albertson, and burlesque veterans Joey Faye and Herbie Faye (no relation). (Herbie and Phil went way back, and Herbie was featured in the "Bilko" TV series). The movie was filmed in an inexpensive but effective color process; the video edition is missing a little footage (the old black-and-white TV prints ran a little longer) but it shouldn't matter much. The technical quality is very good. A good show for Broadway buffs and especially for Phil Silvers fans.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Note From One of the Cast, September 13, 2004

By 

Still Here - See all my reviews

This review is from: Top Banana [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is the only movie of a Broadway musical filmed as an audience would view it from a seat in the theatre. The VHS is considerably shorter than the original show which ran about two and a half hours. The movie was made in Hollywood, though there is a shot of a real audience in a real theatre. It was filmed at the end of the national tour of the Broadway company. The original sets and props were used to create the stage exactly as it looked had you seen the show at the Winter Garden in NYC. The VHS leaves out "Flash Hogan," the singing dog and other "acts" that were part of the TV show within the show. The full length Broadway show made the storyline a little more clear. Actually, the earliest film was complete but was cut when it played on TV. I recommend this to Phil Silvers buffs and to musical theatre history teachers as well as those who enjoy looking back at the way things were. The information in this review was gained first hand. I was a singer in the show and I'm the brunette on the cover of the box!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting filmed play....shot in 3-D but flat on video, May 27, 2004

By 

S. Phillips (Las Vegas, NV United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Top Banana [VHS] (VHS Tape)

TOP BANANA was an interesting experimental project...a stage play shot in color and 3-D in an attempt to recreate the experience of seeing a Broadway show from the front row for the moviegoer.

I don't think the film was ever released in 3-D format, though, as the film was released after CinemaScope had won over Hollywood. Reportedly the 3-D elements are likely lost forever, though a few 3-D clips survive. That's a shame.

Watching it flat the camera angles seem a bit odd and static, certainly something not helped by the loss of the intended stereoscopic aspect. The VHS isn't complete either. Obviously an edited and modified flat presentation on VHS isn't an ideal way to see a movie intended for 3-D theatrical showings.