Showing posts with label 1950s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1950s. Show all posts

1/28/2012

Loretta Young Show:TV Series (1954) Review

Loretta Young Show:TV Series (1954)
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4 classic episodes from Loretta Young's classic anthology series. Young takes center-stage in stories that were always well-written and featured great supporting performances from a versatile cast. Perhaps more famous than the show itself was Young's grand entrance at the start of each episode, where she would magically twirl into the camera sporting a gorgeous designer gown (many people would tune in just to see what fabulous creation Loretta would appear in). Classic TV at it's height!
This DVD from Alpha contains 4 classic stories -
"Big Jim" - Loretta plays a woman with a shady past who comes back into the life of her now-teenaged son (played by Bobby Driscoll).
"600 Seconds" - Loretta plays a socialite who receives a mysterious telephone call about her husband. Her mind imagines all kinds of drastic scenarios centering on her husband's fidelity.
"Switch Blade" - Loretta plays kindly Sister Ann, whose hospital salary of 25 cents becomes the key to helping a friend in need.
"Cayuse" - Loretta plays a young girl who begs a handsome stranger to find her beloved pony Ginger.
"Switch Blade" is the only episode that features Young's entrance. The other three episodes are taken from syndication prints (under the LORETTA YOUNG THEATRE title) which omit Young's entrance. The Alpha logo appears in the corner of the screen for a few seconds at the beginning and end of the episodes for copyright/piracy reasons.

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Studio: Gotham (dba Alpha)Release Date: 06/28/2005

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1/17/2012

I Love Lucy - The Complete Fifth Season (1951) Review

I Love Lucy - The Complete Fifth Season (1951)
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Over 50 years ago during the early years of broadcast television, the very inspired talents of Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and her then husband Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) were showcased on their hilarious television show "I Love Lucy". TV execs had initially rejected the plausibility of the show because of Desi and because they intended to tape the shows. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lucille Ball and Desi's obvious talents, the show first aired in 1951 and quickly became one of the most successful TV shows during all six of its regular seasons. As Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy", Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were joined by William Frawley (1877-1966) and Viviane Vance (1909-1979) as their best-friends/apartment landlords of Fred and Ethel Mertz.
The fifth season of "I Love Lucy" that aired between 1955 and 1956 has 26 memorable episodes:
1. "Lucy Visits Grauman's": With Ethel's help, Lucy steals John Wayne's footprints from Grauman's Chinese Theater.
2. "Lucy and John Wayne": Lucy and Ethel try to return the footprints that they stole, but they break; so Ricky enlists the help from John Wayne (himself) to make a new set. More than one may be needed.
3. "Lucy and the Dummy": After Ricky backs out of a party where Lucy wants her big break, Lucy makes a dummy of Ricky to dance with at the party.
4. "Ricky Sells the Car": After Ricky sells the car, Fred & Ethel think they'll have to ride a motorcycle back to NYC; but Ricky buys train tickets for all.
5. "The Great Train Robbery": Thinking there's a jewel thief on board the train to NYC, Lucy can't stop pulling the emergency brake cord. (Train conductor played by Frank Nelson, 1911-1986.)
6. "Homecoming": Upon returning to NYC, Ricky is a big star, but Lucy initially doesn't share in everyone's worship of him.
7. "The Ricardos Are Interviewed": Ricky & Lucy consider moving and Ricky is to be interviewed on a prestigious show.
8. "Lucy Goes to a Rodeo": After Ricky can't help Fred with a rodeo-themed show for his lodge, Lucy & Ethel volunteer to help.
9. "Nursery School": After Lucy's fear of Little Ricky getting sick at nursery school comes to pass, she is determined to stay with him at the hospital.
10. "Ricky's European Booking": When Ricky can't afford to take Lucy on his European tour, she & Ethel dream up a raffle to help the "Ladies Overseas Aid", which they think is themselves.
11. "The Passports": Lucy can't find her birth certificate so that she can get her passport.
12. "Staten Island Ferry": To help Fred overcome seasickness, Lucy takes him onto the Staten Island Ferry; but she gets seasick herself and may be late to the passport office. (Passport clerk played by Charles Lane.)
13. "Bon Voyage": When the ship leaves port for Europe, Lucy is inadvertently left behind; so she'll have to get to ship via a helicopter. One of the best fifth-season episodes!
14. "Second Honeymoon": Lucy wants the Atlantic cruise to be a second honeymoon, but Ricky is too busy with the band.
15. "Lucy Meets the Queen": After Lucy misses seeing the queen at Buckingham Palace, Ricky gets invited to met the queen, but not Lucy. Of course, when has "no" ever stopped Lucy?
16. "The Fox Hunt": Bragging that she can ride, Lucy gets to show how well she can actually ride a horse in a fox hunt.
17. "Lucy Goes to Scotland": Lucy wants to travel to Scotland to meet her distant McGillicuddy relatives. The dream sequence that unfolds is unforgettable.
18. "Paris at Last": Not having any French currency, Lucy, Ethel & Fred exchange money with a so-called French artist (Shepard Menken, 1921-1999), who turns out to be a counterfeiter. The translation sequence is priceless, as is Lucy's introduction to escargot!
19. "Lucy Meets Charles Boyer": Lucy & Ethel are star-struck when they encounter Charles Boyer (himself) at a sidewalk cafe.
20. "Lucy Gets a Paris Gown": When Lucy goes on hunger strike to force Ricky to buy her an expensive French-designed dress, Ricky & Fred have dresses custom-made out of burlap. (A fantastic episode!)
21. "Lucy in the Swiss Alps": Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel get trapped in an avalanche while mountain climbing until they here "La Cucaracha" being played.
22. "Lucy Gets Homesick in Italy": In this heart-warming episode, Lucy misses Little Ricky during his birthday, so a little Italian shoeshine boy (Bart Bradley) and his friends get to celebrate with her.
23. "Lucy's Italian Movie": In one of the best episodes of all time, Lucy takes "getting some local color" a little literally when she travels to an old-fashioned Italian winery to press grapes to impress an Italian film director. (Italian wine stomper played by Theresa Tirelli, 1907-1989).
24. "Lucy's Bicycle Trip": Lucy has trouble crossing back into France when she can't find her passport.
25. "Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo": When Lucy picks up a chip in a Monte Carlo casino, she inadvertently wins thousands of French franks.
26. "Return Home From Europe": To sneak home a 30-pound cheese, Lucy dresses it up as baby to fly home to NYC; but the passenger (Mary Jane Croft, 1916-1999) next to her flips out when the cheese disappears.
Paramount Home Video's superb job of packaging all 30 episodes of the fourth season of "I Love Lucy" onto 5 DVD's is a good indication as to how they will similarly package the fifth season onto 4. Overall, for superb packaging and a great price, I rate the "I Love Lucy: The Complete Fifth Season" DVD box set with an anticipatory 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it!

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It\'s I Love Lucy\'s fifth hilarious season, as Lucy manages to find trouble in Hollywood, Manhattan, Paris, London, Rome, and everywhere in between. Before leaving Tinseltown, Lucy bags the ultimate souvenir—John Wayne\'s cement footprints from Grauman\'s Chinese Theatre! Then, on board the train back to New York, Lucy can\'t resist adding a few unscheduled stops—courtesy of the train\'s all-too-convenient emergency brake cord. Next, Lucy goes to extremes to catch a luxury ocean liner when it sets sail for Europe with Ricky and the Mertzes aboard—but with Lucy still on the dock. On the Continent, Lucy\'s madcap escapades include getting thrown in a Parisian jail, modeling a French "designer" potato sack, causing an Alpine avalanche, hitting an accidental jackpot in Monte Carlo, and—in one of TV\'s funniest scenes ever—soaking up a whole lot of "local color" in an Italian grape-stomping vat!

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10/01/2011

The Blob Review

The Blob
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When I saw that the CRITERION COLLECTION was bringing THE BLOB to DVD - I have to admit I was shocked. This effective and classy little 1950's monster flick was getting the kind of star treatment that most films released on DVD are begging for. And for good reason... THE BLOB is an excellent movie. It hits all the marks, it stands it grounds, it never bores you and it provides you with a original (and even credible) monster that to this day is still more sinister than most that cross the screen (and yet remains the most fun - really, if gum chewed back, it would look like the BLOB). CRITERION again shines here... period style box art (including in the lower left corner a warning that the producers of THE BLOB can not be held libal for heart attacks or faninting from watching the film), a fact based booklet featuring the orginal poster art from the release for it's cover, plus a half sheet poster of the box art that is high quality and all glossy... a beautiful touch. The disc features an excellent transfer of the film. The colors are crisp and the sound is still effective and well balanced. Two audio commentaries are included with the disc, and each are insightful and entertaining. Both remain pretty much screen specific, but do branch out from time to time to explain a host of inside details (like why McQueen wished had had taken a percentage of THE BLOB, and how the leading lady wasn't cast until the very last second... which was the very first day of shooting). Trailer is included, as well as what is really a excellent addition... a photo collection of behind the scene stills, effects (even what the real BLOB looked like off camera and just how big it really was... little hint: not very), and rare BLOB props and BLOB memorabilia - overall CRITERION has given us yet another must have for DVD owners. If you're a fan of the period and the genre, then THE BLOB is a must, I can not recommend it enough... it's pure fun. And if you know someone this holiday season that is getting a DVD and into 50's shockers... start them off right and pick up the BLOB.

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9/14/2011

The Blob - Criterion Collection (1958) Review

The Blob - Criterion Collection (1958)
Average Reviews:

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When I saw that the CRITERION COLLECTION was bringing THE BLOB to DVD - I have to admit I was shocked. This effective and classy little 1950's monster flick was getting the kind of star treatment that most films released on DVD are begging for. And for good reason... THE BLOB is an excellent movie. It hits all the marks, it stands it grounds, it never bores you and it provides you with a original (and even credible) monster that to this day is still more sinister than most that cross the screen (and yet remains the most fun - really, if gum chewed back, it would look like the BLOB). CRITERION again shines here... period style box art (including in the lower left corner a warning that the producers of THE BLOB can not be held libal for heart attacks or faninting from watching the film), a fact based booklet featuring the orginal poster art from the release for it's cover, plus a half sheet poster of the box art that is high quality and all glossy... a beautiful touch. The disc features an excellent transfer of the film. The colors are crisp and the sound is still effective and well balanced. Two audio commentaries are included with the disc, and each are insightful and entertaining. Both remain pretty much screen specific, but do branch out from time to time to explain a host of inside details (like why McQueen wished had had taken a percentage of THE BLOB, and how the leading lady wasn't cast until the very last second... which was the very first day of shooting). Trailer is included, as well as what is really a excellent addition... a photo collection of behind the scene stills, effects (even what the real BLOB looked like off camera and just how big it really was... little hint: not very), and rare BLOB props and BLOB memorabilia - overall CRITERION has given us yet another must have for DVD owners. If you're a fan of the period and the genre, then THE BLOB is a must, I can not recommend it enough... it's pure fun. And if you know someone this holiday season that is getting a DVD and into 50's shockers... start them off right and pick up the BLOB.

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"Beware of the Blob!" One of the great cult classics, The Blob melds '50s schlock sci-fi and teen delinquency pics even as it transcends these genres with strong performances and ingenious special effects. Made outside of Hollywood by a maverick film distributor, a crew experienced in religious and educational shorts, and a collection of theatrical talent from Philadelphia and New York, The Blob helped launch the careers of superstud Steve McQueen and composer Burt Bacharach.

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