Reviews (28)

A real family classic!
Jim Douglas (played by Dean Jones) is a broken-down, has been racecar driver. But, when he finds himself saddled with an innocuous little Volkswagen Beetle, he suddenly finds that he can get a lot more out of it than anyone thought possible. Jim's kooky friend Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) keeps trying to tell him that this car is special, it has a heart and feelings, but Jim knows that a car is a car, is a car, right? And now that he is winning races, his chief competitor, Richard Thorndyke (David Tomlinson), is out to get that inexplicable little car! [Color, released in 1968, with a running time of 1:47.]

This is a fantastic movie, and a real family classic! I loved this movie as a kid, and couldn't wait to introduce my children to it. As expected, they loved it, especially the scenes where Herbie seemed to swallow Thorndyke and when he "oiled" on his leg! The DVD set is excellent, containing a nice Disney cartoon short, and lots of other neat extras. My family and I all love this DVD set, and highly recommend it to you!

I Love This 2 Disc Special Edition DVD SET of The Love Bug.
When this DVD was put out I bought a copy of it and I have watched it a dozen times Already. I really loved the specail features that they had on this DVD.

Here Is A Brief Description:

Jim Douglas (Dean Jones), is a down on luck race car Driver who finds Herbie at Thorndike Motors Owned By Peter Thorndike ( David Tomlinson). Well when Jim Finds the car. Herbie falls for him like a ton of bricks. The next day Jim finds Herbie Parked in front of the Firehouse that he and Tennesse Stienmetz (Buddy Hackett) live in. Well Jim buys the car from Mr. Thorndike and gains back his pride as he wins race after race. And falls in love with the Beautiful Carol (Michelle Lee).

Great Movie 5 Star Rating.

Disney almost got this DVD right
For the most part, this is one of Disney's few successes when it comes to releasing a movie on DVD. However, even with this DVD, there are some issues. The scene in Chinatown is strangely out of focus, while the rest of the movie appears just fine. Did the engineer fall asleep while he was doing the transfer, or just what happened?

In spite of that, I will say that this is one Disney DVD you are PROBABLY safe in buying. Maybe it came out before they started cutting corners so severely.

Cute but should not be rated G
I recently rented this movie for my three year old son who loves cars. I did see this movie when I was going up (though I did not remember the exact details) but now that I have seen it as a parent, I have some concerns about it.

Though the moive is rated G, it has a few things about it that I don't find appropriate for young children.

The dialogue is riddled with words like "stupid" and "idiot,"-- words I prefer to keep out of my son's vocabulary, at least for now.

I also find the character, Mr. Thorndike, to have an anger management problem. In the majority of his scenes, he is yelling at the top of his lungs and calling his sidekick, Havershaw, a series of derogatory names-- definitely not a characteristic I want my son to emulate. Finally, while I appreciate the whole appeal of a car having human qualities, I find the scene where Herbie tries to commit suicide a bit much for a kid's movie. Having to explain what the car was doing was difficult.

Overall, though the movie has cute qualities, I wish that the attributes I mentioned were not included. Call me a protective parent but seems to me that today's kids are considered rude because they are exposed to media like this that are considered acceptable.

Sorry to the die-hard Herbie fans, but this movie is not all its cracked up to be.

my favorite disney movie
there is no disney movie that could top this one. the race scenes with cute music playing went excellent with this movie. the cross country race at the end of the movie was one of the best slapstick race scenes i ever saw. this is like smokey and the bandit type movie. A LOT OF FUN TO WATCH. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ariel and her husband, Prince Eric, have a little problem with their daughter, Melody, in the sequel to Disney's landmark The Little Mermaid. Melody is threatened by Morgana, the evil sister of the sea witch Ursula (both voiced by Pat Carroll). Before you can say "Briar Rose," Melody's parents decide to keep their daughter's roots a secret, forbidding her to learn about the ocean while Morgana is around. Now the budding teenager secretly frolics in the sea with Ariel's old friends, Sebastian and Scuttle. When she learns the truth from Morgana, Melody becomes an unknowing pawn in her scheme--and Mom has to take to the sea again to help.

As with Disney's other made-for-video sequels, The Little Mermaid II looks and sounds wonderful (and reunites much of the same vocal talent). Four- to nine-year-olds who grew up with the original will certainly enjoy seeing the friends again. A new set of artists has come up with four catchy tunes and some fun new characters, including Tip and Dash, a pensive penguin and his blubbery walrus friend. Yet, where Beauty and the Beast had a deliberate Christmas-themed sequel, and Pocahontas told the tale of her historical trip to England, the plot here is very forced. It is pretty much a rehash of the first film with different characters. Tip and Dash are a reincarnation of Timon and Pumbaa, and Morgana is exactly like her sister, except thinner. Besides the stellar music, this unneeded sequel also misses another important aspect of the original--heart. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Ariel's like a different person!!
They RUINED the main characers. Eric sounds like a different person! Couldn't they have found someone who sounded just a little like the original Eric?? And I found it very disconcerting to see Flounder as a fat adult with a bunch of kids. He had such a cute, clumsy, little-kid charm...that's who he was. Now, most disturbing of all, was seeing Ariel transformed from a spunky and spirited, independent teenager to a very motherly..."old" character. What happened? They turned her into her father, exactly! That's not who she is, at all.

Otherwise, the movie was adorble. The film was entertaining and fun thanks to Melody and her friends. I didn't think I'd like Melody but she's a mettlesome little daydreaming mermaid with alot of personality. I just love Sebastian no matter what! And the penguin and walrus she meets along the way are a really cute and funny pair! If they'd just elimate the original Little Mermaid characters this would be worthy of five stars!

Sequel
Obviously, the sequel isn't going to be as good as the first. They never are. This is no different, the storyline is similar with all the characters resembling each other as well. Basically, Melody is Ariel, only in a much younger perspective wanting to be a mermaid (just like Ariel wanted to be a human in the first), Morgana is Ursula, only skinnier with her pet shark who is the eels. Tip and Dash are basically Flounder and Sebastian. I enjoyed Tip and Dash a lot, especially compared to the annoying Flounder. All the original characters make appearances, Sebastian is the crap that used to look after Ariel for King Tritan but now he's supposed to look over Melody for Ariel and Eric. Flounder is still around, yet fatter and his voice is more annoying, King Triton is now the worried grandfather instead of just the worried father. The real downfall here is Prince Eric, who is rarely in the movie but his voice is different and for the worst. He looks a bit different too, he has like blue eyes in this one which makes him look strange.
The storyline as I said is similar. Melody wants to explore the sea, she's an OUTCAST on land and SNEAKS out by going under the wall between the castle and the ocean. She meets Morgana, an EVIL OCTOPUS who has the POWER to TRANSFORM her into a mermaid (hint: with help from Ursula) and she can REMAIN a MERMAID if she STEALS the "pitchfork" (sorry I forget its name) from her grandfather, yet she doesn't know he's her grandfather. Melody captures it with the help of Tip and Dash and returns to Morgana. All the while Ariel has transformed back into a mermaid in hope to find Melody in the sea while Eric looks on land. Morgana TURNS on Melody and transforms her back into a human and keeps her underwater until she drowns. The shark crashes into the ice barrier and Melody is free, Ariel and Melody chat then realize that Eric and the rest of them are in trouble. Melody saves the day. That is basically the whole storyline.
Though very similar to the first one, this is still a good watch and would be a nice movie to show your little kids, especially since they probably wouldn't care if the first one is the original. It's a fun movie, not as romantic or as funny as the first but still fun. If you collect Disney movies or really enjoyed this one if you saw it, buy it. Other than that I'd just suggest you rent this one.

Rent it, Dont buy it.
I was ten years old when the Little Mermaid came out, and I loved it. I seriously wanted to be Ariel, I just loved the songs and the color.

Recently, I rented both the Little Mermaid and its sequel, the Little Mermaid II. WHile I am pleased that there is at least something out there for little kids these days, I was disappointed with the movie. I did not connect with Melody, and Ariel was like nothing I remembered. The only thing pleasing (and, I must say, humorous) was the presence of Sebastian. He alone retained the charm of the first film.

Of course, maybe the reason I didnt like this movie is that I am now an adult. But I gotta tell you, when I re-watched the original, it was still the magical movie that it was for me 15 years ago.

The Little Mermaid 2 - Return to the Sea
What if you learned you were half mermaid? You'd probably want to test your flippers. Melody, the daughter of Ariel and Prince Eric, certainly does! Disobeying her parents' warnings to stay away from the sea, Melody sets out to find adventure and make new friends. But danger looms when she becomes a pawn in the evil Morgana's plot to control the Seven Seas. Lively songs enhance this sequel to Disney's animated favorite The Little Mermaid.

Return to the Sea...WHY BOTHER?!
(as posted on IMDB.com.)

Okay, as a long time Disney fan, I really -hate- direct-to-video Disney sequels. Walt HIMSELF didn't believe in them. He believed in "AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER" being the end of it. But this one...REALLY ticked the taco. There were so many ripoffs of other Disney films in this, it wasn't funny. Quick summary, if you don't already know...: Melody, the daughter of Ariel and Prince Eric, is born. Ursula's sister, Morganna (who basically looks like Ursula, if she were to dye herself green and go on the Ally Macbeal starvation diet) shows up and, after trying to do the newborn tyke in, and failing, prophesizes (sp?) doom for the characters. After that ordeal, Ariel goes into a lapse of being like her father, and refuses to tell Melody about her mermaid heritage, and later on, forbids her to go near the sea. Well surprise surprise. Melody finds out, being the stubborn brat she is, and runs away, then makes a deal with Morgana to become a mermaid, in exchange for something. (Gee does THAT sound familiar?) She becomes one, but in her half of the bargain, has to retrieve her granddaddy's Trident and bring it back to the sea witch. While doing THIS, she runs into a couple of outcast animals, a penguin and a walrus named Timon and Pumb--huh? wait...no! that's not Timon and Pumbaa! or is it? Could of fooled me. Anyway, i'd like to reveal more, but pretty much anything that could be guessed to happen does. OK so...long story short. This movie "borrows" too much from other (better) Disney films...and does it horribly. Come on...Tip and Dash? Why not just make Dash obscenely flatulent and make it an even more obvious ripoff! Ugh. Not to mention, the total character butchery of Ariel's persona. She's gone from being a freespirited, headstrong woman, to a clone of her father. Not good at all...they're basically telling us the sweet, firey little mermaid we've known to grow and love is dead. Plus Melody herself isn't such a great character either...she's damned annoying! And bratty! Not to mention what they've done to Flounder. Ugh...anyway if you decide to see this piece of created-mainly-for-profit-reasons, no-imagination, Eisner-sponsored crapfest, I suggest maybe waiting 'till its on the Disney channel or some other tv station. Because, it's not even worth the price of a rental. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

From the moment that Prince Eric's ship emerged from the fog in the opening credits it was apparent that Disney had somehow, suddenly recaptured that "magic" that had been dormant for thirty years. In the tale of a headstrong young mermaid who yearns to "spend a day, warm on the sand," Ariel trades her voice to Ursula, the Sea Witch (classically voiced by Pat Carroll), for a pair of legs. Ariel can only succeed if she receives true love's kiss in a few day's time and she needs all the help she can from a singing crab named Sebastian, a loudmouth seagull, and a flounder. The lyrics and music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken are top form: witty and relevant, and they advance the story (go on, hum a few bars of "Under the Sea"). Mermaid put animation back on the studio's "to do" list and was responsible for ushering Beauty and the Beast to theaters. A modern Disney classic. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (136)

One of Disney's best!
This movie amazes me every time that I see it. Some of the Disney cartoon movies that are being churned out today are okay but not as good as movies like The Little Mermaid. It is such a beautiful movie and so tastefully done. I truly believe it's a movie for the young and the young at heart. It's all about falling in love and doing anything for the person that you love even risking your own life. The songs really touch my heart, the characters are so funny, sweet and lovable from Flounder the dumb and sweet fish to Sebastian the funny and witty crab to Scuttle the absentminded and crazy seagull. Ariel the mermaid kind of reminds me of what almost every young teenage girl is like, headstrong and just wanting to go out and follow her own dreams and having to grow up with a loving, but very overprotective and strict father and going against the schemes and plots of the evil Ursula but in the end after overcoming all the obstacles finally being with her true love forever. It is just a beautiful story and ever since I saw it when it first came out in the theatres with my mother it has grown on me and I have loved and cherished this movie ever since. The songs are everything from upbeat to romantic and the actors/actresses picked to do the voices for the characters are so talented and are just made for the parts. I fell in love with this movie and the characters in it in 1989 and am still in love with it today. The Little Mermaid: being transported from real life into the beautiful underworld of the ocean filled with mermaids/mermen, fish, and many more made me want to be "part of that world"

A true five star film.
I enjoy reviewing movies here on Amazon.com. I am pretty critical so I rarely give out five star reviews because I feel there are so few movies that really deserve a perfect score. However, Walt Disney's "The Little Mermaid" is such a film- a genuine, good hearted, crowdpleasing, five star artistic and entertainment masterpiece! I can't think of anything wrong with this movie. The animation was groundbreaking when it was first released, and it is still pretty stellar. The charactizations were perfect. Is there a more winning heroine in Disney's lexicon than Ariel? Who among Disney's villains can rival the dastardly and cunning Ursula the Sea Witch? The story, reworked from the Hans Christian Anderson classic, is heartwarming, romantic, and inspiring. And the music? Personally, I believe the music for "The Little Mermaid" to be quite simply the best ever written for a Disney movie, and the songs "Part of Your World," "Under the Sea," and "Kiss the Girl," rank among the best songs written for ANY movie.

I guess it's obvious that I really love this film. Therefore, it's ironic that when it was first released in 1989 I didn't even think of going to see it in the theaters. Afterall, I was 18 and Disney movies were for kids. It wasn't until my parents purchased the video for my younger siblings that I first saw this masterpiece and fell in love with it. It now ranks among my favorite movies. Over the years I've gotten some ribbing from friends over my attachment to this movie, but I don't care. A great movie is a great movie regardless if it is a animated feature or not, and "The Little Mermaid" is a great movie!

Disappointing DVD Transfer
save your $ on ebay auctions and wait for the platinum series release. this version's sound is excellent (dolby 5.1), but the bland/dull colors is a big disappointment. poor visibility, below average clarity and very dark throughout the entire movie. i've seen better second generation VHS recordings. this being a classic Disney release, it deserves a new high definition transfer like Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King (outstanding DVD's).

One of my all time favourites
This is one of the only Disney movies almost everybody loves. The reason? The storyline! It's a perfect movie. Ariel is a mermaid who falls in love with a human and wants to be one, Ursula is the evil octopus that transforms her while King Triton worries madly about his daughter's where-abouts. Prince Eric is Ariel's love interest, this is a very romantic movie and it will have you almost crying because it's so sweet.
Ariel's friends include flounder, a crab (Sebastian) and a seagul who make up interesting yet funny stories on the where-abouts of Ariel. In all, this is a beautiful tale and it's a definite MUST OWN.

Nostalgia
There was once a time in Disney History when the term "That movie underwater" didn't bring to mind a forgetfull blue tang, but rather a Jamacian Crustacian bellowing "Unda' Da' Sea!".

Now many people will argue that this is infact a Disney Classic, while others will argue it was just a mediocre effort. I however, am not sure where I stand on this film.

The Little Mermaid, the film that ended Disneys 80's menu, and as also one of the last to be based on a classic tale, is about a little mermaid, (Obviously) who, against her father King Tritents warnings, frequently goes above water, collecting human things (forks, mirrors, pipes etc.) She soon "Meets" a Prince, and falls in love, also against her fathers wishes. Add in a villian, and some funny side characters and you've got "The Little Mermaid".

This film dosen't do it for me, sadly. Because I've rarely watched it as a child, it has no nostalgia value, the back-bone for why I watch and love Disney Films. The animation is so-so, and the story isn't very strong. I sugest you rent this movie if you haven't already seen it, and then decide for yourself if you really want. ... Read more

Reviews (212)

Comedy For All Eternity
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World is a comedy for all eternity. This is one of those big box, big budget, long-running-time, cameo-loaded, expensive, broad-canvas farces of the 60's that I love so much. Released in 1962, this was one of Stanley Kramer's greatest and last movies. This award-winning movie is a timeless masterpiece for the whole family.

After a bouncy, splashy Saul Bass animated title sequence, the story begins with a brief car chase in the California desert. Bank robber Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante) wrecks his car, and with his dying words reveals a secret about buried treasure to the seven strangers who stopped on the roadside. 'Look for the big W' in Santa Rosita, he says, and then he kicks the bucket.

After a brief attempt at cooperation, the treasure hunt is on and it's every man for himself, in four teams. Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett decide to take to the air but their pilot, Jim Backus, gets hammered on Old Fashioneds. Husband-and-wife Sid Caesar and Edie Adams can only find a biplane cropduster. The lone truck driver, Jonathan Winters, can't get gas. And his mother-in-law Ethel Merman fatally hampers Milton Berle, with his wife Dorothy Provine.

So all four teams scamper across the landscape, across the broad canvas of this movie, wound tight by desperate greed and calmly monitored by a Sergeant Culpepper, Spencer Tracy. This is the framing story for an amazing string of billed appearances and unbilled cameos so many that at last your senses are sort of dulled. Oh, it's Carl Reiner in the control tower. Oh, look, it's Stan Freberg, yeah. The best cameo, hands down, is Jerry Lewis, who comes barreling down Long Beach Boulevard in a moment of exuberant stupidity and runs over Spencer Tracy's hat.

Probably my favorite, I have so many, co-star was Terry Thomas who plays a vacationing Englishman in a rattling station wagon, who picks up Milton Berle. He's talkative. He prattles away (accurately) about why it is that the American male is positively preoccupied with booo-sums, and says things like, "I'll wager you anything you like, if American women stopped wearing brassieres, your whole national economy would collapse overnight!" This sequence, within the context of the movie so far, has a single funny moment when this whole vast farce might come alive, find its voice, and this circus might make sense - Terry-Thomas finds the tone for the rest of the movie. I find it compelling that the aesthetic success of all this footage, all these appearances, all this thoroughly American spectacle, suddenly pivots around a few fussy syllables about breasts. But once the moment passes, Terry-Thomas is efficiently neutralized and dismissed by Ethel Merman, and on we go.

The array of challengers eventually reach Santa Rosita, and several unexplainably humorous events occur. These I will not reveal to you and allow you to view the movie on your own time. I must add though, that if you do see this movie, reserve several hours. Like most from its decade its LONG... VERY LONG... But allow me to assure you, you wont be disappointed.

Madness is Genius
Eight traveling vacationers witness the sudden car-crash and slow final death of con-man Smiler Grogan in the hills above Palm Desert, Cal.. Grogan's dying words reveal the secret location of $350,000 hidden in Santa Rosita Park, near San Diego. This sparks a wild, hectic race for the dough. Pure greed,buried treasure, and car crashes. It's all here. "It's a Mad,Mad,Mad, Mad World" was the most successful movie directed by ace Stanley Kramer. All of the famous television and film comics from 1963 appear in this wild comedy. Only Bob Hope is missing. The cast includes Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers, Jerry Lewis, Joe E. Brown, The Three Stooges, Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny, Jonathan Winters, and Spencer Tracy. Ernest Gold composed an original booming, wonderful soundtrack you'll be humming for days. At two hours and 41 minutes, "Mad World" is too long, but an incredible cast and mad-cap action propel the story along. This new MGM DVD is presented in widescreen anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect. The colors are crisp and vibrant. The "Mad World" DVD includes an excellent 1991 documentary with all the major surviving cast members. There's also 1 hour of "out-takes", faded and damaged, from the original Cinerama 70mm release. And there's two trailers. The year 2001 produced an obvious remake of "Mad World" called "Rat Race", a modest hit. Stanley Kramer and Spencer Tracy made 4 classic films together. The last was the inspiring "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" in 1967. In ill health, sadly, Tracy died just days after shooting ended. Stanley Kramer himself died in Feb. 2001. His genius is now gone. His legacy lies before you.

It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad DVD
I would give this DVD 5 stars if all the movie was here, but it isn't, hence 3 stars. There's no excuse for this considering that no major restoration has been attempted here, the storage capabilities of DVDs are huge, and MGM has already released the full-length movie on VHS. The deleted scene feature is a mess. Watching the scenes seperately is tedious and not much fun. The least they could do would be to put the deleted scenes in the order that they appeared in the original film. The third and fourth scenes appear to be exactly the same as do others later on. Sometimes the scene appears the same only zoomed in. Others scenes have no sound. Some of the last scenes go on and on up to 10 minutes and contains everything that is included in the feature except for very minor snippets of dialogue. Sometimes you can't detect anything new, like in the money dividing proposal scene.

I can see why MGM would want to keep their pristine 35mm print whole and transfer that to DVD but perhaps they should have included a 2nd disc and a 2nd version that patched together all the missing scenes, no matter what condition, and reconstructed the film as best as they could to the longest originally released version.

MGM, when you finally "Special Edition" this movie offer a rebate with the proof of purchase from this inferior edition!

Best, Most Memorable Comedy Ever Made !!
I originally saw the movie in '63. I was 8. Dad started my Birthday party with it. After the movie, Dad drove the route of the Santa Monica portion of the car chase(yes, there really was a "Big W").
Just finished watching the movie on Turner TV. The narrator came on after the movie and said that THE ORIGINAL WAS 5 HOURS long(Just too much "good stuff"). The movie studio had it edited to the shortened current version of three hours.
Back in '63 it was a terrific movie-In '04 it is still a terrific movie.

An all star cast of comics, great comedy

Director: Stanley Kramer
Format: Color
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios
Video Release Date: September 26, 1995

Cast:

Spencer Tracy ... Capt. T.G. Culpeper
Milton Berle ... J. Russell Finch
Sid Caesar ... Melville Crump, DDS
Buddy Hackett ... Benjy Benjamin
Ethel Merman ... Mrs. Marcus
Mickey Rooney ... Ding 'Dingy' Bell
Dick Shawn ... Sylvester Marcus
Phil Silvers ... Otto Meyer
Terry-Thomas ... Lt.Col. J. Algernon Hawthorne
Jonathan Winters ... Lennie Pike
Edie Adams ... Monica Crump
Dorothy Provine ... Emeline Marcus-Finch
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson ... Second cab driver
Jim Backus ... Tyler Fitzgerald
Ben Blue ... Biplane pilot
Joe E. Brown ... Union official
Alan Carney ... Police sergeant
Chick Chandler ... Detective outside Chinese laundromat
Barrie Chase ... Sylvester's girlfriend
Lloyd Corrigan ... The Mayor
William Demarest ... Police Chief Aloysius
Andy Devine ... Sheriff of Crockett County
Selma Diamond ... Ginger Culpeper
Peter Falk ... Third cab driver
Norman Fell ... Detective at Grogan's crash site
Paul Ford ... Col. Wilberforce
Stan Freberg ... Deputy sheriff
Louise Glenn ... Billie Sue Culpeper
Leo Gorcey ... First cab driver
Sterling Holloway ... Fire Chief
Edward Everett Horton ... Mr. Dinckler
Marvin Kaplan ... Irwin
Buster Keaton ... Jimmy the boatman
Don Knotts ... Nervous man
Charles Lane ... Airport manager
Mike Mazurki ... Miner
Charles McGraw ... Lt. Matthews
Cliff Norton ... Reporter
Zasu Pitts ... Switchboard operator Gertie
Carl Reiner ... Tower controller at Rancho Conejo
Madlyn Rhue ... Secretary Schwartz
Roy Roberts ... Policeman outside Irwin & Ray's Garage
Arnold Stang ... Ray
Nick Stewart ... Migrant truck driver
Joe DeRita ... Fireman
Larry Fine ... Fireman
Moe Howard ... Fireman
Sammee Tong ... Chinese laundryman
Jesse White ... Radio tower operator at Rancho Conejo
Jimmy Durante ... Smiler Grogan
Roy Engel ... Patrolman/Police radio voice unit F-14
Nicholas Georgiade ... Detective at Grogan's crash site
Stacy Harris ... Police radio voice unit F-7
Don C. Harvey ... Policeman in helicopter
Allen Jenkins ... Police officer
Tom Kennedy ... Traffic cop
Harry Lauter ... Police dispatcher
Ben Lessy ... George the steward
Jerry Lewis ... Man who runs over hat
Bob Mazurki ... Eddie (miner's son)
Jack Benny ... Man in car in desert
Eddie Ryder ... Air traffic control tower staffer
Paul Birch ... Policeman
Doodles Weaver ... Dinckler's Hardware Store clerk
Stanley Clements ... Detective in squad room
Bobo Lewis ... Pilot's wife
Minta Durfee ... Bit Part

Intended to be the comedy to end all comedies, with a cast including virtually all the name comedians at the time.

Jimmy Durante plays a guy who is in a fatal auto accident, but before he dies, tells 5 bystanders where there is $350,000 hidden under a "W", whuch leads to a chase to find the money.

Meanwhile, Capt. T.G. Culpeper (Spencer Tracy) is aware of the stolen money and he and his policemen observe the chase with interest through the desert, mountains, and along the California coast, with the contestants using aircraft, cars, trucks, a bicycle and every method of transportation in their attempt to be first to reach the money.

Tracy was ill when the film was shot, and so only worked four hours per day. The long shots and physical stuff was performed by stand-ins.

This is a fun movie. If there is a criticism, it is that the comedy is perhaps overdone. With so many top comedians, there is certainly no dearth of funny lines, pratfalls, and laughs--that's for sure.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The Music Man was one of the last great movie musicals from any studio, and it proved to be that rarest of events: a Broadway show that was measurably improved by its transition to the screen. Robert Preston made his musical debut--both live and on film--as "Professor" Harold Hill, the upbeat charlatan who promises to teach a small-town boys band by the "think system." But it's the part Preston was born to play and the one for which he will always be best remembered. Composer Meredith Willson based The Music Man on his own small-town Midwestern boyhood, circa 1912, a quasi-mythical place where the old-maid librarian looks and sings like Shirley Jones. The boy himself is an adorable Ron Howard, lisp-singing "Gary, Indiana." Willson's entire score, featuring a combination of what are now standards, such as "Goodnight My Someone" and "Till There Was You" and show-specific numbers ("Trouble," "76 Trombones"), is never less than infectious. This dazzling special edition is also as bright and sunny as any 4th of July in Iowa could ever hope to be. --Robert Windeler ... Read more

Reviews (119)

It doesn't get any better than this!
How can you top something like this? This movie musical is as close to perfection as it gets. Perfectly cast, marvellously directed and filmed, beautiful music magnificiently arranged, The Music Man sets the standard for all movie musicals, even though it was the last big musical filmed in that era. Meredith Willson's brilliant musical wit and talent reached their pinnacle in this musical. Considered by many to be the best musical ever written, this filmed version is worthy of the musical itself and leaves nothing to be desired.

This DVD release is equally marvellous. A fitting tribute to one of Hollywood's finest efforts of all times. The Music Man is one of the movie industry's brightest stars, and this DVD edition will be a prized possession in any movie collection. Even if you "don't know one note from another," you'll love this spirited romp through 1912 small-town Iowa, and through some of the best music ever written for the stage or screen. The transfer to DVD is excellent. Vivid colors, sharp images, beautifully remastered soundtrack, the whole package is excellent.

The extras on the disc are also great, including a 30-minute special on the making of the musical and the movie, narrated by Shirley Jones and with comments by Buddy Hackett, Onna White (the choreographer), and Susan Luckey (Zaneeta Shinn).

This DVD is one of my most prized possessions. My only complaint is I wish Warner Brothers would package it in a better-grade all-plastic case rather than the cardboard snap case. It won't hold up over time as well, and this baby will be in my collection for a very long time!

Libertine Men and Scarlet Women
Before watching "The Music Man" on DVD I knew next to nothing about the show's writer/director Meredith Willson. Thanks to the Shirley Jones-hosted documentary included on disc, I now know he hailed from small-town Iowa. I appreciate all the more those exquisite little details in the film that turn River City from stock caricature set into living, breathing character.

Any movie musical is bound to split into two separate films: the exquisite musical numbers, with their witty rhymes, elaborately choreographed dance sequences, and impact on the plot; and then the perfunctory, stilted dialogue bits that bridge those numbers (if you want to see this theory in action, rent "West Side Story").

Thanks to Willson, "The Music Man", however, is perfect in that its linking "book" portions are just as successful as the musical numbers. And we're talking some pretty heavy musical numbers too. Nearly every song in the film is worth memorizing -- if you can manage to catch all the words! I thought I had them commited to memory years ago, but then I watched the DVD release with the English subtitles on, and realized I'd been missing entire lines -- good lines, too.

The DVD presentation is sound. The audio quality suffers, most notably during the dialogue-only portions. As I said, the presenttion is "sound". The extras are minimal, as to be expected from the perfunctory Warner Brothers back catalogue, but the 30-minute documentary bears viewing and sheds new light on the film. I'm not sure that a separate commentary track would work here, but I don't have to worry because, as usual, WB doesn't provide one.

It can be viewed all at once, or you can skip straight to select chapters and watch the film as a series of music videos, as I did on the first night. But whatever you do -- don't damage the flimsy cardboard packaging! :)

Among top musicals of all times
I don't remember how many times I have watched this movie, including the remake with Matthew Broderick. Robert Preston is the one and only Music Man, hands down. No one will remember any other movies he did, except may be for Victor Victoria, for which he actually won an Oscar. Joyous music, and wonderfully innocent story. Enough said.

A Standout but definately not a "masterpiece"
Before I complain I liked the Music Man. It is one of the most light hearted and charming movies I have ever seen and it does have good music. In the days of West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, and The Sound of Music, somewhere in their is The Music Man. It failed to be better than all the films I have mentioned above. It was more slapstick and mediocre, and somewhat reminded me of some of the musicals MGM did in the 30s and 40s. All the performances were average but not something to hand out an Oscar for. Robert Preston, Ronnie Howard, and Shirley Jones did well. All in all it is enjoyable and very likeable, but it just did live up to the other film musicals of the 1960s. I do reccomend this film.

Renee from Florida
The Music Man was not at all what I expected. I bought it for a family movie night, we love musicals usually. This was so boring you could barely make it through it. Actually, I made myself finish it because i spent money on it. I will be tossing it or passing it on. If anyone's interested, it's going cheap! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The second film in the Beach Party series returns Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello to the land of endless summer and back-projection surfing. It's as giddy as the first movie. Two inane subplots are added:Frankie is wooed by a wealthy bombshell (knockout Luciana Paluzzi), and Don Rickles trains a team of bodybuilders. The usual Beach Party trademarks are in place, including real surfing footage (much improved from the first film), Candy Johnson's shimmy dancing, and Annette's modified bikini with mesh-covered cleavage. Music is provided by Dick Dale and a rockin' Little Stevie Wonder, with most of the songs penned by a triumvirate of surf-music royalty: Brian Wilson, Roger Christian, and Gary Usher. As Frankie says, "Now you swing with me on that, or you don't swing at all." We swing.

Ski Party transfers the Beach Party vibe to snow, with a Some Like it Hot ripoff thrown in. Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman go in drag to discover what girls really want, but Deborah Walley and Yvonne Craig put them in the deep freeze. It's surprisingly fun, with deranged musical appearances by James Brown and Lesley Gore. The outdoor stuff was filmed at Sun Valley. Annette Funicello cameos as a sex-ed instructor. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Buy this if you like Frankie Avalon
The best scenes in the Beach Party sequel are with Frankie Avalon singing the song "A Boy Needs A Girl" and Annette singing the song "A Girl Needs A Boy".The best scenes in Ski Party are Frankie Avalon singing a song in the sleigh ride and Annette doing a small role.

worth it for one great moment!!!
Ok, this ski party movie(or as I like to call it, SNOW BEACH)has one of the greatest moments ever in a movie. James Brown sings I feel Good, but he takes off his coat...........and he's wearing a ski sweater...James Brown...in a ski sweater... You know how some people look weird in ski sweaters: Bruce Springsteen would look weird in one, Marlon Brando? Andy Williams looks good in one, Perry Como...but James Brown?

Obviously the movie is fun(I refer to Eric Lambeth's review for details) but tnothing beats this moment.

Party Hearty!
Side A of the DVD contains "Muscle Beach Party." Frankie, Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) and the gang uneasily share the beach with a group of musclemen and their trainer, Jack Fanny (Don Rickles). The muscle men are the natural enemies of the surfers, taking the place of Eric Von Zipper and the Rat Pack, who are sorely missed in this movie. The recently deceased Buddy Hackett is especially funny as the guardian of the rich Italian countess, played by the beautiful Lucianna Paluzzi. At first, the countess only has eyes for Flex Martian, played by Rock Stevens (actually, it's Peter Lupus of Mission Impossible fame). After she meets Frankie and hears him sing, she falls head over heels in love with him. Recording him live at Cappy's nightclub, backed by Dick Dale and the Del Tones, she's determined to release the record and make him an international singing star. The countess almost persuades Frankie to board her yacht and sail around the world with her, when Frankie realizes that Dee Dee is his one true love. Flex and the muscle men follow them to the nightclub and, in order to win over the countess, they duke it out with the surfers. Jack Fanny eggs on the fight, while Cappy (Morey Amsterdam) watches his nightclub get wrecked. Flex's father, played by the great Peter Lorre, comes in and breaks up the fight. The countess says good-bye and sails the seas in search of true love, while Frankie and Dee Dee go on to make more beach movies. Little Stevie Wonder makes his movie debut, performing a song at the nightclub and singing a song during the closing credits.

Side B of the DVD contains "Ski Party," marking the official release of this movie. In this film, Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman play the world's oldest college students, with Annette Funicello making a brief cameo at the beginning as a college professor. Frankie and Dwayne aren't getting anywhere with Deborah Walley and Yvonne Craig, so they decide to join them on a skiing vacation. Finding the men's German ski instructor too tough, they do what any red blooded, all American boy would do. They dress up as women and go to the beautiful women's Swedish instructor to learn how to ski! Robert Q. Lewis plays the inept innkeeper, and Aaron Kincaid is the playboy all the girls are after. The musical numbers in this movie are outstanding, especially "Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows" by Lesley Gore and "I Feel Good" by James Brown. A comic highlight is Frankie's ski jump, which has to be seen to be believed! Just for good measure, the action follows the gang back to the beach in time for a swinging number by the Hondells and the obligatory happy ending. Even though the only special features are the theatrical trailers, you really get your money's worth with this double feature DVD. Both movies reflect a more innocent time in America, and their comic appeal is timeless. In addition, the colors are sharp and bright, and the sound quality is superb. I hope that MGM releases "The Ghost In The Invisible Bikini" soon, since it is the last of the beach related movies that remains unreleased.

The best of the beach movies
I was shocked to find out Ski Party would be released on DVD. It wasn't even released on video, for crying out loud. But here it is. Fun in the sun turns to the slopes with great songs, funny moments, and witty dialogue mixed in with childish nonsense that you can expect from all beach movies. The Rats aren't in this movie, and "Freddy" (who was Bobby in The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini) is the best and sharpest beach movie bad guy out of all of em. Robert Q. Lewis, the old timey game show host, plays a fun supporting role in the picture.
You get to see Deborah Walley looking pretty hot (much better looking than she was in Elvis' Spinout), Yvonne Craig and that drop dead gorgeous body (she has no rythm whatsoever), and James Brown dancing to "I Feel Good". That dude can move!
Leslie Gore gets one scene in this movie, singing "Sunshine, Lolipops and Rainbows".
Again, musically this might be the best movie of the bunch (I think it narrowly beats out Beach Blanket Bingo). This movie also has the best flow of any of the beach movies...there are no real parts in the movie that are so embarrassing that you need to fast forward, unlike many of the other beach movies.

Pajama Party is the second best, and Beach Blanket Bingo is third. Ski Party is definitely the best beach movie AI made, and definitely needs to be in your collection. Lots of fun.

Muscle Beach Party is a bonus. Buy the DVD for Ski Party. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Bill Murray plays Scrooge in this modern inner-city version.
If you have seen every version of "Scrooge" and "A Christmas Carol" and are bored with it all, well here is a version that will have you laughing. "Scrooged" (1998) makes fun of all those old versions you have already seen. Bill Murray (NBC Saturday Night Live, 1977-1980) plays "Scrooge" and he is a tv network president who dislikes Christmas and the spirit of it. He will fire anyone that is good and has good sense. What is fun are the cameo appearances and the familar faces of actors we like to see. Lee Majors, Robert Goulet, Harry Shearer, Alfre Woodard, John Houseman, Buddy hackett, Jamie Farr, Mary Lou Retton, Bobcat Goldthwait, Robert Mitchum, John Glover, Brian Doyle Murray, David Sanborn, Paul Shaffer, Karen Allen, Rebeca Archerd, Michael J. Pollard, Logan Ramsey, Anne Ramsey and Mabel King. John Forsythe plays "Lew Hayward". David Johansen plays "Ghost of Christmas Past". Carol Kane plays "Ghost of Christmas Present".

A cult classic.
I usually bring my sister wherever in the world I am at Christmas time. She knows I have a copy of Scrooged, but she brings one of her own anyway...full redundancy.

This movie is hilarious on every level. It's chock full of obvious simple humor, but you can "dive deep" for humor at almost any point in time and find some unique absurdity that must have had the writer laughing his a@# off at the time of writing.

I've you've never seen...well, don't wait for Christmas, get at once.

Enjoy...

Not very funny and not for the holidays.
Most mainstream Hollywood movies do not seem to honor or pay any kind of respect to the holidays. This movie was among them, even though Bill Murray's performance as a modern Scrooge, is not nearly as nasty as other parts he has done in the past, it still comes off as being not very funny and not really honest. The movie also sadly shows how commericalized the holidays have become. Skip this picture.

TWO WORDS TO WATCH THIS FILM: BILL MURRAY.
Bill Murray is a great actor. He can play funny guys, nasty guys, wacky guys, lovable guys, etc. In "Scrooged" he plays all those guys in only one character (Frank Cross).

"Scrooged" is a movie set in Christmas, so the best time to enjoy it is definitely in december. Perhaps if the role of Frank Cross, the modern Scrooge, would have been portrayed by other actor, the movie wouldn't have been so entertaining, and that is the sign of a good actor. Every actor that can make better a movie with his/her performance deserves to be called a great actor. I call Bill Murray A GREAT ACTOR.

Hilarious
...

I guess I'm biased because in my mind Bill Murray can do no wrong - I am that big of a fan.

I found Scrooged to be hilarious and a refreshing change of pace from the sugary Christmas Carol originals. Sure they are great movies, but a change of pace that also offers good sentiment at the end is also refreshing.

The ghosts of Christmas past in Scrooged are hilarious, especially Carol Kane the "sweet, angelic" ghost who kicks Bill's butt more than once.

Some tender moments are when you realize, as the credits run, that Bill's brother in the movie is really played by his real brother, and Bill couldn't have summmed it up any better when he states, at the end of the movie, that Christmas is the one time of year when we all spend a few hours being the kind of people we should be all year long. It's a reminder of all we can and should be.

I really enjoyed this movie and plan on buying it on DVD ... ... Read more

Reviews (212)

Comedy For All Eternity
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World is a comedy for all eternity. This is one of those big box, big budget, long-running-time, cameo-loaded, expensive, broad-canvas farces of the 60's that I love so much. Released in 1962, this was one of Stanley Kramer's greatest and last movies. This award-winning movie is a timeless masterpiece for the whole family.

After a bouncy, splashy Saul Bass animated title sequence, the story begins with a brief car chase in the California desert. Bank robber Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante) wrecks his car, and with his dying words reveals a secret about buried treasure to the seven strangers who stopped on the roadside. 'Look for the big W' in Santa Rosita, he says, and then he kicks the bucket.

After a brief attempt at cooperation, the treasure hunt is on and it's every man for himself, in four teams. Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett decide to take to the air but their pilot, Jim Backus, gets hammered on Old Fashioneds. Husband-and-wife Sid Caesar and Edie Adams can only find a biplane cropduster. The lone truck driver, Jonathan Winters, can't get gas. And his mother-in-law Ethel Merman fatally hampers Milton Berle, with his wife Dorothy Provine.

So all four teams scamper across the landscape, across the broad canvas of this movie, wound tight by desperate greed and calmly monitored by a Sergeant Culpepper, Spencer Tracy. This is the framing story for an amazing string of billed appearances and unbilled cameos so many that at last your senses are sort of dulled. Oh, it's Carl Reiner in the control tower. Oh, look, it's Stan Freberg, yeah. The best cameo, hands down, is Jerry Lewis, who comes barreling down Long Beach Boulevard in a moment of exuberant stupidity and runs over Spencer Tracy's hat.

Probably my favorite, I have so many, co-star was Terry Thomas who plays a vacationing Englishman in a rattling station wagon, who picks up Milton Berle. He's talkative. He prattles away (accurately) about why it is that the American male is positively preoccupied with booo-sums, and says things like, "I'll wager you anything you like, if American women stopped wearing brassieres, your whole national economy would collapse overnight!" This sequence, within the context of the movie so far, has a single funny moment when this whole vast farce might come alive, find its voice, and this circus might make sense - Terry-Thomas finds the tone for the rest of the movie. I find it compelling that the aesthetic success of all this footage, all these appearances, all this thoroughly American spectacle, suddenly pivots around a few fussy syllables about breasts. But once the moment passes, Terry-Thomas is efficiently neutralized and dismissed by Ethel Merman, and on we go.

The array of challengers eventually reach Santa Rosita, and several unexplainably humorous events occur. These I will not reveal to you and allow you to view the movie on your own time. I must add though, that if you do see this movie, reserve several hours. Like most from its decade its LONG... VERY LONG... But allow me to assure you, you wont be disappointed.

Madness is Genius
Eight traveling vacationers witness the sudden car-crash and slow final death of con-man Smiler Grogan in the hills above Palm Desert, Cal.. Grogan's dying words reveal the secret location of $350,000 hidden in Santa Rosita Park, near San Diego. This sparks a wild, hectic race for the dough. Pure greed,buried treasure, and car crashes. It's all here. "It's a Mad,Mad,Mad, Mad World" was the most successful movie directed by ace Stanley Kramer. All of the famous television and film comics from 1963 appear in this wild comedy. Only Bob Hope is missing. The cast includes Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers, Jerry Lewis, Joe E. Brown, The Three Stooges, Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny, Jonathan Winters, and Spencer Tracy. Ernest Gold composed an original booming, wonderful soundtrack you'll be humming for days. At two hours and 41 minutes, "Mad World" is too long, but an incredible cast and mad-cap action propel the story along. This new MGM DVD is presented in widescreen anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect. The colors are crisp and vibrant. The "Mad World" DVD includes an excellent 1991 documentary with all the major surviving cast members. There's also 1 hour of "out-takes", faded and damaged, from the original Cinerama 70mm release. And there's two trailers. The year 2001 produced an obvious remake of "Mad World" called "Rat Race", a modest hit. Stanley Kramer and Spencer Tracy made 4 classic films together. The last was the inspiring "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" in 1967. In ill health, sadly, Tracy died just days after shooting ended. Stanley Kramer himself died in Feb. 2001. His genius is now gone. His legacy lies before you.

It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad DVD
I would give this DVD 5 stars if all the movie was here, but it isn't, hence 3 stars. There's no excuse for this considering that no major restoration has been attempted here, the storage capabilities of DVDs are huge, and MGM has already released the full-length movie on VHS. The deleted scene feature is a mess. Watching the scenes seperately is tedious and not much fun. The least they could do would be to put the deleted scenes in the order that they appeared in the original film. The third and fourth scenes appear to be exactly the same as do others later on. Sometimes the scene appears the same only zoomed in. Others scenes have no sound. Some of the last scenes go on and on up to 10 minutes and contains everything that is included in the feature except for very minor snippets of dialogue. Sometimes you can't detect anything new, like in the money dividing proposal scene.

I can see why MGM would want to keep their pristine 35mm print whole and transfer that to DVD but perhaps they should have included a 2nd disc and a 2nd version that patched together all the missing scenes, no matter what condition, and reconstructed the film as best as they could to the longest originally released version.

MGM, when you finally "Special Edition" this movie offer a rebate with the proof of purchase from this inferior edition!

Best, Most Memorable Comedy Ever Made !!
I originally saw the movie in '63. I was 8. Dad started my Birthday party with it. After the movie, Dad drove the route of the Santa Monica portion of the car chase(yes, there really was a "Big W").
Just finished watching the movie on Turner TV. The narrator came on after the movie and said that THE ORIGINAL WAS 5 HOURS long(Just too much "good stuff"). The movie studio had it edited to the shortened current version of three hours.
Back in '63 it was a terrific movie-In '04 it is still a terrific movie.

An all star cast of comics, great comedy

Director: Stanley Kramer
Format: Color
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios
Video Release Date: September 26, 1995

Cast:

Spencer Tracy ... Capt. T.G. Culpeper
Milton Berle ... J. Russell Finch
Sid Caesar ... Melville Crump, DDS
Buddy Hackett ... Benjy Benjamin
Ethel Merman ... Mrs. Marcus
Mickey Rooney ... Ding 'Dingy' Bell
Dick Shawn ... Sylvester Marcus
Phil Silvers ... Otto Meyer
Terry-Thomas ... Lt.Col. J. Algernon Hawthorne
Jonathan Winters ... Lennie Pike
Edie Adams ... Monica Crump
Dorothy Provine ... Emeline Marcus-Finch
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson ... Second cab driver
Jim Backus ... Tyler Fitzgerald
Ben Blue ... Biplane pilot
Joe E. Brown ... Union official
Alan Carney ... Police sergeant
Chick Chandler ... Detective outside Chinese laundromat
Barrie Chase ... Sylvester's girlfriend
Lloyd Corrigan ... The Mayor
William Demarest ... Police Chief Aloysius
Andy Devine ... Sheriff of Crockett County
Selma Diamond ... Ginger Culpeper
Peter Falk ... Third cab driver
Norman Fell ... Detective at Grogan's crash site
Paul Ford ... Col. Wilberforce
Stan Freberg ... Deputy sheriff
Louise Glenn ... Billie Sue Culpeper
Leo Gorcey ... First cab driver
Sterling Holloway ... Fire Chief
Edward Everett Horton ... Mr. Dinckler
Marvin Kaplan ... Irwin
Buster Keaton ... Jimmy the boatman
Don Knotts ... Nervous man
Charles Lane ... Airport manager
Mike Mazurki ... Miner
Charles McGraw ... Lt. Matthews
Cliff Norton ... Reporter
Zasu Pitts ... Switchboard operator Gertie
Carl Reiner ... Tower controller at Rancho Conejo
Madlyn Rhue ... Secretary Schwartz
Roy Roberts ... Policeman outside Irwin & Ray's Garage
Arnold Stang ... Ray
Nick Stewart ... Migrant truck driver
Joe DeRita ... Fireman
Larry Fine ... Fireman
Moe Howard ... Fireman
Sammee Tong ... Chinese laundryman
Jesse White ... Radio tower operator at Rancho Conejo
Jimmy Durante ... Smiler Grogan
Roy Engel ... Patrolman/Police radio voice unit F-14
Nicholas Georgiade ... Detective at Grogan's crash site
Stacy Harris ... Police radio voice unit F-7
Don C. Harvey ... Policeman in helicopter
Allen Jenkins ... Police officer
Tom Kennedy ... Traffic cop
Harry Lauter ... Police dispatcher
Ben Lessy ... George the steward
Jerry Lewis ... Man who runs over hat
Bob Mazurki ... Eddie (miner's son)
Jack Benny ... Man in car in desert
Eddie Ryder ... Air traffic control tower staffer
Paul Birch ... Policeman
Doodles Weaver ... Dinckler's Hardware Store clerk
Stanley Clements ... Detective in squad room
Bobo Lewis ... Pilot's wife
Minta Durfee ... Bit Part

Intended to be the comedy to end all comedies, with a cast including virtually all the name comedians at the time.

Jimmy Durante plays a guy who is in a fatal auto accident, but before he dies, tells 5 bystanders where there is $350,000 hidden under a "W", whuch leads to a chase to find the money.

Meanwhile, Capt. T.G. Culpeper (Spencer Tracy) is aware of the stolen money and he and his policemen observe the chase with interest through the desert, mountains, and along the California coast, with the contestants using aircraft, cars, trucks, a bicycle and every method of transportation in their attempt to be first to reach the money.

Tracy was ill when the film was shot, and so only worked four hours per day. The long shots and physical stuff was performed by stand-ins.

This is a fun movie. If there is a criticism, it is that the comedy is perhaps overdone. With so many top comedians, there is certainly no dearth of funny lines, pratfalls, and laughs--that's for sure.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

... Read more

Amazon.com

The human beings are almost as interesting as the title character inthis surprisingly subtle and engaging film about the cross-country adventures of a smart-mouthed parrot. As director John Roberts deploys the footage, the bird becomes a vivid personality; every quizzical twist of his head is oddly expressive. The people who interact with Paulie are a quirky and interesting bunch as well, and the casting is topnotch: Tony Shalhoub (The Siege) as a Russian immigrant janitor, Cheech Marin as an open-hearted mariachi musician, and Gena Rowlands as a widowed painter in a footloose Winnebago--all are vividly eccentric individuals, memorable in their own right. There are some tired swipes at the cold-blooded meanies of Big Science (beady-eyed researcher Bruce Davison has Paulie clapped in irons), but for the most part the film respects the complexity of everyone's motivations, and that's virtually unheard of in today's Hollywood, even in films supposedly designed for grownups. --David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (38)

A terrific movie that is fun for the whole family.
This is truly one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. I laughed, I cried, I watched it with my children and was overjoyed by the wonderful ending. "Paulie" is a must-see movie for all members of the family. It was heartwarming and entertaining, and the parrot in the movie is so adorable! My hats are off to the creators of this film, and I must say that Jay Mohr did a wonderful job as the voice of Paulie, and as an actor in the movie! Good Job! I recommend this movie highly.

I love this movie--4 hankies
No kid but I love my parrot so this was a natural choice. So far, I've watched it twice and 4 hankies each time. This movie covers the human heart: love, devotion, separation, sadness, friendship, trust. I caution people: love this movie but do not to run out and buy a bird without doing lot of research--this is a huge commitment, much more than it appears.

A Fun Movie
This is a fun and funny movie that works on a number of levels. Both adults and kids can enjoy it. It has intereting, quirkey characters (both bird and human), good story telling, and good effects. Think of a non-animated "Finding Nemo" with birds. All my family loved it.

great movie
this is a wonderful movie that he whole family can enjoy. owning a conure myself i found it especially amusing. this movie will make you laugh and in the next minute make u tear up. an overall great movie

A Truly Delightful Surprise
This wonderful little movie is a truly delightful surprise. Paulie's experiences with love, loss, and courage brought me to tears several times during the movie. Paulie's vulnerability will tug at the heart-strings of animal lovers. And, as in "Fly Away Home" and "Winged Migration," the scenes of Paulie in glorious flight are beautiful and moving. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Pushing The Limits
Perhaps one seeing this film for the first time, in this day and age, will not realize just how racy this picture was when it was produced (in 1958). I watch it now, and I still can't believe that they "got away with it". The picture, a yarn concerning a Georgia hayseed family, took the "Ma And Pa Kettle" concept to new heights!

The gist of the story is that Ti-Ti, and his strapping sons, are digging for his pappy's gold, which, legend has it, is buried somewhere on their Georgia farm. They've been digging in the ground for fifteen years.....and haven't found anything yet. The characters seem, to me, to be the basis for the Clampetts on the Beverly Hillbillies........especially Darlin' Jill (who surely was the model for Ellie Mae).

The picture includes one of the hottest forbidden love scenes to ever be committed to celuloid (between Tina Louise and Aldo Ray). This was back in the days when things had to be creatively SUGGESTED (to avoid censorship). Things are different today, when anything goes and a "love scene" is thrown in for mere titillation, showing yet another improbable, sexual acrobatic endeavor between two participants. This scene between "Griselda" and "Will" has actual BEARING on this story. Those were the days.

It might seem quite campy (it is!). It certainly is hilarious, and even tragic at times. I recommend "GOD'S LITTLE ACRE" highly!

ugh, what drivel
I'm a big Mann fan, and i even enjoy his not very good non noir or western films, thunder bay for instance. a great director, but this one stinks. i can't even get up the enthusiasm to criticise it

One of my FAV Tina Films!
I have a lot of Tina Louise's Movies, but I have to say to me this is at the top of my list!( with "Friendships Secrets and Lies" in first place) the plot is terrific and exciting and Tina's role as Griselda proves what a true chameleon she is!! she can play any role and do it beautifully! the acting from everyone in this movie was great! and all of Tina's scenes are touching and powerful. Especially the one tragic scene, and if u see the movie, you will know what scene I am talking about! this is for any die hard classic movie fan! so check it out, and see TINA LOUISE in one of her best roles EVER!!

*TINA*
TinaLouise4ever!!

They don't make movies like this anymore!
Review are you kidding, they just don't make movies like this anymore. Two plots going on at the same time the main being a treasure hunt which causes men to test what their true treasure is and the love story which for its time was almost scandelous. This is a good old fashhion movie. Did I say good. I mean great. ... Read more