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A priceless document of archival footage and precious oral history,Vaudeville offers a comprehensive survey of American family entertainmentin the decades before radio, movies, and television. From its origins in Britishcomedy, Yiddish theater, and burlesque, vaudeville is explored in all of itsimmigrant diversity. Astonishing film clips are a constant marvel, featuringsuch vintage but still-entertaining crowd-pleasers as Fannie Brice, Bert Lahr,Chaz Chase ("Eater of Strange Things"), Little Tich and his oversized shoes, andHadji Ali, the greatest of all "regurgitators." Anecdotes and history, with afocus on the inherent racism of minstrel shows, are shared by such luminaries asRose Marie, Billy Barty, Gerald Marks, Bobby Short, the Nicholas Brothers, andmany others (several interviewed shortly before they died). Their stories, alongwith Studs Terkel's fond reminiscence and Ben Vereen's informative narration,preserve a form of entertainment that has vanished forever, its spirit lingeringin our habitual channel-surfing of television. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A STAR-FILLED VARIETY SHOW. OR A FIELDS DAY!
Before TV, before radio, even before silent films came vaudeville --- an art form of traveling variety shows in which performers sang, danced, acted, juggled and joked and did just about anything else to make crowds laugh. The golden age of vaudeville was, indeed, the launching pad for many a star, including George Burns and Gracie Allen, Bert Williams, James Cagney, W. C. Fields, Bob Hope and Eddie Cantor, all of whom appear, in rare performances, in this "American Masters" documentary hoisted by Ben Vereen. Say hello, Gracie. Now say good-night.

Great Fun!
A terrific documentary, that provides an energetic look backward at America in the late 1800s to through the first few decades of the 1900s. The footage of the old acts are worth the price of admission, but there's also some wonderful interviews with people who lived it. Best of all, the narrative is intelligent and insightful.

VAUDEVILLE DVD
This is a case of documentarians thinking that you'd rather hear them pontificate that actually see what they're talking about. The packaging for this DVD claims you'll see 80 vaudeville acts. And you will, for about 12 seconds each... not one performance is complete. Which is a big shame, given the wealth of footage the filmmakers apparently had access to. The writer of this presentation should have stepped well out of the way, and let the performances speak. To make it that much more frustrating , much of the running time goes to interviews with non-vaudevillians such as present-day filmaker Robert Townsend, and clips of vaudeville-influenced stuff like the Muppet Show. It kills you sit through this stuff knowing that the filmmakers are holding back rare footage of performances by houdini, w.c. fields, you name it. Buy this if you know nothing about vaudeville... and want to hear some old-timers doing a remember-when. If you want to see some old routines, get some of the variety films (international house, stand up and cheer, (this list is huge) from the early thirties and you'll be much better off.

Make Em Laugh, Make Em Cry, Make Em Wait
Television is the grandchild of vaudeville, but for decades vaudeville ignored television. This documentary -- the first ever television program about vaudeville -- is an enhanced version of a 1997 PBS broadcast, part of the American Masters series. For rights reasons, some of the songs -- like "Frankfurter Sandwiches" -- are missing from the original broadcast, but they've been replaced by either other songs or more spoken word routines. Segments from almost ninety acts are included -- in 1997 People Magazine said this was one of the twelve best television programs of the year, and the best entertainment special of the year -- that for a show where most of the performers haven't been seen for thirty years. Also included are interviews with more than thirty vaudevillians, including June Havoc, Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, George Abbott, and the Nicholas Brothers. I think it's a splendid show, but then I should; I wrote and directed it.

An excellent documentary for everyone!
If you are interested in entertainment, dancing, comedy or even American history, I recommend this DVD. It has excellent structure, and describes many aspects of the life inside vaudeville music halls. It also addresses many sensative issues, like the use of blackface in minstral shows, and the death of vaudeville in the early 30s.

It contains a tremendous amount of interesting footage of many vaudeville acts. For it's film footage alone, and being able to witness some of these great acts, this DVD is well worth it.

This documentary gives excellent examples of the types of entertainment one would find in the early part of the century and relates it back to present day. As far as documentaries go, this is an extremely impressive effort. ... Read more

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This shaggy-dog fable barely drew fleas when it arrived in the winter of 1986. Now critics refer to it as a winning, offbeat classic. What took 'em so long? Probably the fact that director Roger Spottiswoode (Tomorrow Never Dies) and screenwriter Ron Shelton (Bull Durham) were chasing something very elusive: a cockeyed, scatological look at delayed glory. Robin Williams plays Jack Dundee, a meek bank VP in Taft, California, who daily relives the humiliation of a bobbled pass in the game against Bakersfield. Not content to live out his days as "Butterfingers" Dundee, Jack hits on a plan to "rewrite history" by restaging the Big Game. Taft's now-over-the-hill quarterback, Reno Hightower (Kurt Russell), reluctantly goes along with the harebrained scheme to redeem his buddy. The guys' wives (Holly Palance and Pamela Reed) shake their heads and play along. At once zany, sweet, and nostalgic, this small-town chronicle strives for, and achieves, folk-legend status. "Casey at the Bat" in shoulder pads, anyone? --Glenn Lovell ... Read more

Description

This award-winning film is a sweetly nostalgic small town drama in the tradition of The Majestic. Nick (Joe Flanigan) returns to his Pacific Northwest hometown to write a novel. He finds the story of a lifetime when he forms an unexpected friendship with Harry (William Hall, Jr.). A local legend, Harry is the owner of a run-down hat factory, where he passes his days mired in the past and drowning in whiskey. Nick, who works part-time as the projectionist at the town's old fashioned movie palace, is determined to restore the factory, and offers Harry one last, precious chance at redemption . ... Read more

Reviews (10)

More in common w/Joseph Campbell than Bob Hope
It's easy to overlook the societal importance of "Shakiest". Most academics consider it a vapid re-make of a "superior" Bob Hope film. However my consensus is that Hope's movie simply Overemphasized the comedic aspects of the story and downplayed the sociological importance and mythical underpinnings of it. I don't fault Hope since his comedic talents are such that only his fully grasping of the genre and paradigm in its epistomological sense would allow him the proper frame/reference to "dim" his comedic talents enough to let the nuances of the story's deeper meanings emerge. Not so with Don Knotts. His performance is neo-subtle in the sense that he draws attention to the pre-Scorsesian templates of story entwined with yet seperated from, meaning, by overexagerating Hope's performance to a Vonnegutian level. Example; his performance as Painless Jesse in the film's opening sequences underscore the relationship of Man the Creator with Man the Destroyer and Man the Dentist. In Barb Rhoades we see an equal but lesser voice representing tenets of Post-modern imperialism as well as Proto-Schwarzeneggerian grandiosity. Yet, it is Knotts, initially passive who redeems himself in the end, triumphing over Rhoades and all she symbolizes as well as echoing the pan-universal theme of the hero transformed by "plumbing" his own depths. This is shown particularily in the mine scene, where we read "mine" as "Subconscious Id". Simply put, not sense "The Incredible Mr. Limpett" has Knotts blended Transformational Mythology with Wellesian Cinematography and Jerrylewisian slapstick. BRAVO!

The Shakiest Gun In The West is classic Don Knotts comedy.
No one can shake like Don Knotts and he is at his shaky best in this movie. For those of us that like his brand of slapstick ( and there are many of us) this movie about a ninny dentist gone West is a real treat. The scene with the line "hands run in my family" makes this movie worth the price. Yeah it's corny...I say bring on the corn !!

Great re-make of Bob Hope film Paleface!
Re-makes are not always good, this one is great! First Bob Hope did this in Paleface, now Don Knotts takes over the roll with his own slant on the character.

Unless you own the Laserdisc or saw it at the theaters, this will be your first experience of the full impact of this WIDESCREEN movie. Pans and cuts seen on television, or the previous VHS tape, will be replaced with single shots that include everything from side to side.

THE GHOST AND MR.CHICKEN was Don's only other WIDESCREEN movie for Universal.

Great slap stick humor
I think this is a great Don Knotts film. He acts so utterly stupid and pathetic in this film but it's done in a way that's so utterly hillarious. I had lots of laughs all through the movie. Barbara Rhoades is the straight one in the pair and she does a great job as well. The looks on her face during the times she has to deal with Knotts are funny in themselves.

If you like silly slap stick humor I think you'll enjoy this movie.

Shakiest Gun in the West
Very funny and wholesome.
This is a must see for commedy and/or Don Knotts fans! ... Read more

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Elvis looks sleek and cool in Speedway, a decided improvement over the pasty indifference he displayed in his middle-era range of pictures. The movie itself is standard Presley formula, with the King again playing a race-car driver, this time in trouble with an IRS agent (Nancy Sinatra) over his taxes. (There's even a production number about taxes. Argggh.) On the plus side, a bunch of scenes are set in the Hangout, a Pulp Fiction-esque diner with booths shaped like cars and lots of dancers doing the frug. Nancy sings a cool-weird Lee Hazlewood tune, "Your Groovy Self," which should have been picked up by the Austin Powers folks. The plot reflects Elvis's real-life penchant for giving money and cars away, although it's mostly predatory manager Bill Bixby who causes the financial problems. As ho-hum as this outing is, you'll probably want one of Elvis's racing-stripe windbreakers after you see it. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A light hearted fun Elvis movie....
If you haven't seen this movie I would recommend you give it a try! Elvis is very funny in this movie his great sense of humor really shines through. The story line is also very close to how generous he was in his own life. The song performed "Let your self go" is very entertaining. I also enjoyed watching the chemistry between Elvis and Nancy!
The only reason I didn't rate this 5 stars was because I personally didn't enjoy all the racing scenes. Defiantly in my all time top ten favorite Elvis movies!

Bring your groovy selves on home and let yourselves go!
Everything about "Speedway" is as groovy as Elvis always performs. I just love the way Nancy Sinatra performed the song "Your Groovy Self" and the way she moved around as she sang. Nancy's really hot! Bill Bixby was quite hilarious. Elvis' song "Let Yourself Go" is super cool. The scene where Elvis sang "Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby" to the little girl was kind of cute. And the sounds of those roaring engines in the race were very much electrifying. Some of the plots really did show off Elvis' real-life self as the generous and giving person he was. He buys for a friend and his 5 little girls a brand new station wagon, also helps out a troubled waitress with her upcoming wedding. Unfortunately Bixby's character messes everything up for Steve Grayson (Elvis), by betting Steve's money on the horses, instead of paying for those things Elvis bought for his friends, and besides makes an outrageous tax claim form for Steve, with deductions such as perfumed record albums and [money]for air? Oh yes! Lucille Ball's "Mr. Mooney" was kinda funny too and was excellent for the role of the head IRS agent R.W. Hepworth. When I first saw this movie in the theater I cracked up at the "He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad!" sequence. It was funny it was cool. Just everything about "Speedway" is superbly exciting. But what else could you expect out of a movie that starres the king of rock and roll! And lets not forget Nancy Sinatra who is more than just the icing on that cake. It's not everyday you see such a gorgeous tax collector. I give this film a perfect A+. It's just loaded with the stuff! "Speedway" is an honest to goodness must see.

A cool movie!
ENTERTAINING film with a GREAT looking cover! LETTER-BOXED and restored! I love reading all of the negative reviews here on AMAZON...shows it takes all kinds of people to make a world. These films were made for ELVIS fans and to be ENTERTAINING...I have no idea how someone could even compare ELVIS and NANCY SINATRA to BEN and JENNIFER LOPEZ?

Ok guys, This is a groovy, cool and sexy movie
If Austin powers were really in the groovy 60's. he'd be in this movie. with that said, yeah Elvis was embarrassed here and there but you can't get over how incredibly cool Elvis is in nearly every scene. Sinatra is a bit miscast cus Elvis blows her out of the water. but she adds a little somethin sweet here and there but Elvis is still the victor.

Bill Bixby you guys!! he is great in this movie as Elvis's manager and he is funny from start to finish and his chemistry with Elvis is the best i've seen from an Elvis movie (Ever) not overestimating.
"Your time hasen't come yet baby" is great and "let yourself go" is very cool and Elvis is enjoying himself as if he knows he's making cool look good again since pappa sinatra.
this is one of if not the best Elvis movie during the last 3 years of his films next to a dramatic and very surreal Change of Habbit.

Your Groovy Self
OK, people, we are talking 1968 here. Granted, this movie isn't War and Peace, but was never intended to be. Elvis, by the time this movie was filmed, knew there was no chance of being considered a serious actor, although that was his dream.

The chemistry between Elvis and Nancy Sinatra is very evident...on and off the screne. Great friends and they had a blast making this movie. I recall Nancy saying they would ride around the MGM lot on a bicycle built for two when tour buses would come around and the heads would turn. That sounds like an enjoyable experience to me. The film is enjoyable, funny, and for its time, the racing scenes are action packed.

It doesn't get any better than Nancy singing "Your Groovy Self" with the blonde hair, [lightened around her face more for the movie] and those smokey, almond eyes. WOW!

BTW, Nancy was the only performer to have a solo song included on a Presley album. Impressive and enjoyable.

SPEEDWAY, is a fast paced, fun loving, Elvis flick that just happens to "tickle me". Sorry, couldn't resist. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

I didn't get it...
This movie didn't get my full attention, perhaps because Rob Schneider is in it, and he annoys me to no end. But Nastassja Kinski's in this one, so I'm obligated to review it. I have vowed to review EVERYTHING she's ever been in, no matter how wretched. Unless a movie is phenomenally bad, it gets 3 stars jut for pure Kinskiness. And she's in it, so it does. This movie doesn't have quite enough Kinskiness in it though. So i am deducting a point!

So misunderstood!
It seems like too many people don't understand the simple fact that this movie is not about the plot! It's not supposed to make sense! The entire movie is one giant nonsensical joke. It's kind of like Andy Kaufman and the fact that everything he did was all a part of an hilarious prank pulled on millions of people. This movie is a joke, and we--the viewers--are the punchline. It is meant to be like that. But then again, I guess if it weren't for people who hate the movie, it wouldn't be funny to people like myself.
For anyone who understands John Landis, this is a must-have!

Revolting, Goofy, stupid, rediculous. I LOVED IT!
With a cast like this, you can only expect a flop. Yet these reviewers who dumped on this flick musta watched something else, 'cause this movie, although not innovative, was an enjoyable romp into the outer-limits of these talented actors' range. If you didn't like this movie, then go watch the Talented Mr. Ripley, then come back. Compared to that movie, you can enjoy anything...

AMAZING CAST, okay plot (a few holes)
The other reviewers do make a few good points. I'll admit, this not an amazing film, but I certainly enjoyed it. Watch it once and its kind of difficult to grasp. Watch it again, and everything comes together. A third time, and the film is just as good. A good cast brings comedy (not amazing, but worthwhile) to the film. All of the actors are well-cast and play their parts well, making a slightly shaky plot a lot more believable. This movie is not torture at all (as other reviewers said), and it is perfect for rainy days. I definentaly reccomend it.

Save your money
This movies is SO BAD, my true rating would be 5 black holes. It looks like it ought to be good--John Landis, the actors, but trust me, this would have to get way better to become merely BAD. Think three stooges, with PMS and guns. I got this because I am an Adrian Paul fan; I know some film work is better than none, but if you too are a fan, save your money and watch some old Highlander episodes. This actually hurt to watch. ... Read more