Description

Pete, a young orphan, runs away to a Maine fishing town with his best friend--a lovable, sometimes invisible dragon named Elliott! When they are taken in by a kind lighthouse keeper, Nora (Helen Reddy), and her father (Mickey Rooney), Elliott's prank playing lands them in big trouble. Then, when crooked salesmen try to capture Elliott for their own gain, Pete must attempt a daring rescue. ... Read more

Reviews (67)

Reddy, Rooney and a dragon named Elliott
The seventies were rough on the family entertainment market. Disney, once untouchable in this respect, found itself in a bit of a quandry, the likes of which the theatrical release of "Pete's Dragon" didn't help. Most critics found it hammy and, with the exception of Elliott, the dragon, discarded the movie as just a trite piece of fluff. Well, it was and it is - but why does anything so light-hearted, gay and original have to be anything but? In the intervening decades "Pete's Dragon has gone on to become a much loved Disney classic and for good reasons. Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney, Red Buttons and Jim Dale are inspired casting choices, giving a depth to their characters that greatly enhances the film. True, the film's score doesn't match the staying power of Mary Poppins but 'Candle on the Water' is a great romantic ballad, 'Brazzle Dazzle Day' is a fun-loving feel good song and 'Passamaquadi' is ultra camp played in the best sense. Not much to complain about with Disney's transfer of the film. It's anamorphic, near pristine and remixed to 5.1 stereo. One note - 'Candle On The Water', for some inexplicable reason, may suddenly freeze frame in the middle of the song on some players the first run through. If you are worried about this, play the song first to see if it does this and if so, simply still frame advance to the next track, then go back and replay the song. This solves the problem for all subsequent times you choose to play the song. As I say, I'm at a loss to explain why this problem sometimes occurs. Over all, this is a wonder film experience no matter your age. One only regrets that there is no making-of documentary included.

Pure Disney Musical Magic
There's something about live-action, animation Disney films that just seem to fascinate me. For one, Disney can go beyond two hours of a movie, and still keep it G-rated. Now that's pretty impressive to me. Most companies would probably have rated it PG, but not Disney. They try and it keep for the whole auidience. Which is what everyone needs to see in a film. And the special effects isn't bad either.

This film also includes the legendary Mickey Rooney. The story of Pete's Drangon is pretty simple. Pete is a young orphan, who is running away from his abopted parents, and end up in Maine, a fishing town with his best friend, Elliott. Sometimes you can see him, and other times, you can't. A kind lighthouse keeper, Nora played by (Helen Rebby), and her father (Mickey Rooney), Elliott's pranks gets them into a whole lot of trouble.

The music in this film is Ocar-nominated beautiful. Like "The Happist Home in These Hills," "It's Not Easy," "Candle on the Water," & "Brazzle Dazzle Day." A simply marvoulous soundtrack for the whole family.

Now you must know, that Pete's Dragon was made in the late 70s, which was long before computer technology was invented. You know, like CGI grahpics and so forth. Which is another thing that impressive me, how Disney can create these images and actually make them work. Pete's Dragon is a wonderful story, that will be treasured for the next generation to come.

Good movie for a Disney musical
I remember this movie from my childhood, so I bought it for my toddler. He loves it. My son points at the DVD case and grunts. He watches it everyday (for 2 weeks now). It must be the music and singing because the storyline is lackluster. Everytime he sees the dragon or hears a song he starts chattering away with his gibberish pre-talk. My preferred character is Doc Terminus - the con man / man of science. I give it 4 stars because I have watched it so many times the melodies are stuck in my head. I hope he gets a new "favorite" movie soon :)

One of Disney's Best Live Action Films!
This is one of those films that you never forget. I saw this movie when i was little and I am still a fan of it. Pete's Dragon is one of the first Disney films to use live action and animation together in a film. The story follows a boy who is on the run from his terrible adoptive family the Gogans (Shelley Winters, Rob Conaway)and his friend Elliot the dragon (voiced by Charlie Callas) who is sometimes invisible. Together, they are the best of friends until they come upon a quaint fishing town where they soon start to get into mischief.
Eventually Pete is taken in by Nora(Helen Reddy) a lighthouse keeper and her father(Mickey Rooney) where he soon becomes part of the family. But soon, the Gogans discover where he is living and are determined to get him back. There are many delightful performances in this film including Jim Dale who plays the terrible Dr. Terminus and his obnoxious side-kick Hoagie(played by red Buttons). The funny thing about this movie is that Mickey Rooney and Red Buttons are drunk through most of it. Lastly, I recommend this movie because of the music. This film has some of the best Disney songs. Most notably Helen Reddy's "Candle on the Water" and "There's Room For Everyone". Along with the singing and dancing, this is one great Disney film and it is not to be missed. If you've seen it, watch it again and if you haven't ,DO!

Woo-hoo! My kid likes it as much as I did!
Yes, the animation is dated. Yes, the plot is kind of corny BUT my daughter is just as enchanted as I was (and still am). You can't miss with this one! Pete's Dragon shows you what it means to be a kid with an unbelievable (only to the grown-ups) best friend who helps you out when you think that there's no one else left to care. The songs are still catchy and the baddies are still scary. The DVD is sooooo much better than VHS; and unlike my VHS copy there is no fear of it wearing out from over-playing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A beloved tabby cat becomes the catalyst for healing and hope between a young girl and her widowed father in Disney's 1964 classic, based on the enchanting fable by Paul Gallico. Set in the Scottish highlands in 1912, the story focuses on Andrew MacDhui (Patrick McGoohan) a veterinarian who, after the death of his wife, has closed his heart to goodness and empathy-- toward his animal patients and his only child. Left essentially an orphan, Mary (Karen Dotrice) finds love from her cat, Thomasina, until a tragedy injures the cat and her father orders it to be killed. A tenderhearted maiden (Susan Hampshire) finds Thomasina, detects a heartbeat, and nurses the feline back to health. Her healing powers eventually move beyond the animal kingdom into the lives of MacDhui and Mary. The stellar cast includes standout performances by Dotrice and Matthew Garber (who plays Mary's loyal chum)--better known as the duo, Jane and Michael Banks, in Mary Poppins. Best watched with kids and Kleenex. (Ages 5 and older) --Lynn Gibson ... Read more

Reviews (16)

FEY SCOTTISH TALE
I remember watching this little gem on television in Concord, California around 1964! I loved this film as a child and just got my kids the video last night for a peek after some 37 (!) years. It's every bit as charming as Disney's earlier GREYFRIAR'S BOBBY (with Donald Crisp), and, thanks to a strong cast led by Patrick McGoohan and Susan Hampshire, infinitely more enjoyable! The film tells the story of a Scottish veterinarian Andrew MacDhui and daughter Mary, whose affection for a beautiful cat named Thomasina comes between them. When the cat is seriously injured, Mary's father "puts the cat to sleep" but Thomasina is disovered by Lori MacGregor, who nurses the cat back to health. Her love and understanding finally reunite father and daughter in the touching climax. Although the film wasn't a huge box-office success, it was considered one of the best foreign productions released by the Disney studio in the sixties.

Paul Gallico's endearing fable turned into a Disney classic
Paul Gallico's charming little story "Thomasina" is turned into an equally lovely little Disney film from 1964 directed by Don Chaffey ("Greyfriars Bobby"). Veterinarian Andrew MacDhui (Patrick McGoohan) is a widower who is raising his young daughter Mary (Karen Dotrice) in Scotland in 1912. Andrew has no empathy for the townsfolk who love their pets and when Mary's beloved cat Thomasina is injured he quickly decides the animal should be killed. Mary is distraught and Andrew simply cannot understand why the logic of the situation is not clear to the girl. Mary and her friends prepare an elaborate funeral for Thomasina, at which point Lori MacGregor (Susan Hampshire) shows up. The children think she is a witch, but in truth she lives in the woods and nurses injured animals back to health using love and common sense. Lori recognizes the cat is not dead and takes it home to help it recover, during which time Thomasina goes to Cat Heaven in a marvelously fanciful sequence. Andrew has a bad reputation with the locals because he killed his daughter's cat and they start taking their pets to Lori. Andrew finally goes to see her and is not so busy being impressed by her healing skills that he fails to fall in love with her. But then Mary sees Thomasina walking outside her house and chases after her in a driving storm and ends up catching pneumonia. The doctors hold out no hope to the frantic Andrew, and Lori tells him that only he can help Mary recover using the power of love.

Lots of Disney movies have a cold-hearted adult transformed into a human being, and "The Three Lives of Thomasina" is one of the best of this type of film, even better than "Pollyanna. " This is mainly because it has the virtue of a first-rate cast, from McGoohan, Hampshire and Dotrice as the three principles to Finlay Currie and Laurence Naismith standing out in the supporting cast. Elspeth March supplies the voice of Thomasina, who gets to comment on the action from time to time, and Matthew Garber, who went on with Dotrice to play the kids in "Mary Poppins," also has a small role. But at the heart of this film is Paul Gallico's endearing fable. I think this is just a nice little film and I am not even a cat person.

The Three Lives of Thomasina
My all time favorite movie! This movie is perfect for all ages!

The best live action Disney movie EVER!!!
I am so excited that this movie is finally coming out on DVD! "Thomasina" is one of Disney's lesser-known films, but it's definitely one of the best. It's a very touching story about a young girl's relationship with her widowed father and her beloved cat. I will be first in line to purchase this DVD on the day it is released!

Paul Gallico's enduring classic turned into a Disney classic
Paul Gallico's charming little story "Thomasina" is turned into an equally lovely little Disney film from 1964 directed by Don Chaffey ("Greyfriars Bobby"). Veterinarian Andrew MacDhui (Patrick McGoohan) is a widower who is raising his young daughter Mary (Karen Dotrice) in Scotland in 1912. Andrew has no empathy for the townsfolk who love their pets and when Mary's beloved cat Thomasina is injured he quickly decides the animal should be killed. Mary is distraught and Andrew simply cannot understand why the logic of the situation is not clear to the girl. Mary and her friends prepare an elaborate funeral for Thomasina, at which point Lori MacGregor (Susan Hampshire) shows up. The children think she is a witch, but in truth she lives in the woods and nurses injured animals back to health using love and common sense. Lori recognizes the cat is not dead and takes it home to help it recover, during which time Thomasina goes to Cat Heaven in a marvelously fanciful sequence. Andrew has a bad reputation with the locals because he killed his daughter's cat and they start taking their pets to Lori. Andrew finally goes to see her and is not so busy being impressed by her healing skills that he fails to fall in love with her. But then Mary sees Thomasina walking outside her house and chases after her in a driving storm and ends up catching pneumonia. The doctors hold out no hope to the frantic Andrew, and Lori tells him that only he can help Mary recover using the power of love.

Lots of Disney movies have a cold-hearted adult transformed into a human being, and "The Three Lives of Thomasina" is one of the best of this type of film, even better than "Pollyanna. " This is mainly because it has the virtue of a first-rate cast, from McGoohan, Hampshire and Dotrice as the three principles to Finlay Currie and Laurence Naismith standing out in the supporting cast. Elspeth March supplies the voice of Thomasina, who gets to comment on the action from time to time, and Matthew Garber, who went on with Dotrice to play the kids in "Mary Poppins," also has a small role. But at the heart of this film is Paul Gallico's endearing fable. I think this is just a nice little film and I am not even a cat person. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Arguably the most intelligently written film to feature the masterful stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen, Jason and the Argonauts is a colorful adventure that takes full advantage of Harryhausen's "Dynarama" process. Inspired by the Greek myth, the story begins when the fearless explorer Jason (Todd Armstrong) returns to the kingdom of Thessaly to make his rightful claim to the throne, but the gods proclaim that he must first find the magical Golden Fleece. Consulting Hera, the queen of gods, Jason recruits the brave Argonauts to crew his ship, and they embark on their eventful journey. Along the way they encounter a variety of mythic creatures, including the 100-foot bronze god Talos, the batlike Harpies, the seven-headed reptilian Hydra, and an army of skeletons wielding sword and shield. This last sequence remains one of the finest that Harryhausen ever created, and it's still as thrilling as anything from the age of digital special effects. Harryhausen was the true auteur of his fantasy films, and his brilliant animation evokes a timeless sense of wonder. Jason and the Argonauts is a prime showcase for Harryhausen's talent--a wondrous product of pure imagination and filmmaking ingenuity. The DVD contains an informative interview with Harryhausen by filmmaker John Landis. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (51)

The Ultimate Classical Greek Adventure is dishonered.
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS may very well be THE classic adventure film. Everything about it shines with sheer perfection in the art of entertainment. Spectacular music by Bernard Herrmann, a sweeping story full of suspense and surprise, and some of Ray Harryhausen's all-time greatest effects work. I cannot commend this film enough.

After giving what was probably Harryhausen's worst film FIRST MEN IN THE MOON an awesome DVD treatment, they completely dishoner his good name with this edition of JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS. This is honestly one of the [worst] DVDs I've ever seen! (Hence the four star rating instead of five.) The picture and sound quality are so unbelievably bad!!! I've seen some VHS copies that easily outshine the print seen here. All other titles in the "Ray Harryhausen Signature Collection" sported digitally mastered audio and video, and looked like pure gold. Shame on you, Columbia!

The special features ..., too. Completely devoid of the documentaries featured on other "Signature Collection" DVDs, all we get is a pretty [bad] interview of Ray Harryhausen by John Landis. I guess it would seem interesting, but only for those who haven't seen "The Ray Harryhausen Chronicles", one of the previously mentioned documentaries. That feature is far more insightful than the one here.

JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS is a masterpiece, and this DVD is worth buying only if you absolutely must own it. If you don't, then avoid it at all costs.

greatest film from a special fx master
I love this film. I first saw it when I was twelve and I've loved it ever since. Especially after seeing this wonderful film butchered for television viewing, I couldn't wait to get the DVD. This is a fairly faithful adaptation of the myth; the script is well-written and the cast does a great job -- this has got to be the best Hercules (Nigel Green) in any classical movie.

The wonderful music is by Bernard Herrman (Fahrenheit 451, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Vertigo), and the effects by Harryhausen are superb, maybe his best. I'll never forget the first time I saw the giant bronze Talos turn his head and step down from his pedestal. Seeing the harpies come to life, and the seven-headed Hydra, the skeletons, Triton, the gods on Mount Olympus .... too many great effects to list!

The DVD version is worthwhile. The picture quality here is very good and the sound quality average. Special DVD features include English, French or Spanish language and subtitles; a great 12 minute discussion between John Landis and Ray Harryhausen (1995); a 1963 trailer.

The fight against the triviality!
Mircea Eliade defined the triviality as the absence of physical tension in the human being.
If we agree this concept ; then the argonauts represent the fight against the triviality. Notice for instance the greek meaning of Argos: the white ship. And the white color means purification.
The seek of the golden fleece means the search for the triumph of the truth ; since the gold symbolizes spirituality and the fleece innocence ; the circle is completed.
Besides the mission has one last goal: to fight against the dragon and exterminate it ; because the fleece is its prisoner . The dragon symbolizes the perversity ; so if you want to access to the sublimity . you must to kill the dragon.
This movie is a winner. Ray Harryhausen inspired to many film makers , specially a teenager called Steven Spielberg who confessed this confidence to James Lipton in The actor's studio .
The mythical monsters are the magnificient background all along the movie. A film conceived as family entertainment but loaded of smart clues , who teachs us the huge wisdom who lives beneath the underestimated term myth: wrong choice as you know.
Great special effects ; and from all standpoints a cult movie since its release.!

Movie deserves a better DVD release....
Well, if you look at only the movie, then you get your money's worth. It's done in widescreen with great picture and sound quality. regretfully, Colombia/Tri-Star did not put in many bonus features, such as a more detailed making of featurette to tell how the movie was made and all the wonderful effects work. Instead, Ray is reduced to talking to a not so bright John Landis about the making of the movie and Landis's interviewing skills are about as professional as a nine year old. Maybe one day, they will give this movie a more worthy DVD release. Then this barebones edition.

More Harryhausen greatness
This is a great popcorn movie - swashbuckling, mythic, and a little quaint by today's effects standards. The effects, acting, and visual style all work together well, though. It can't be compared to today's movies any more than Charlie Chaplain can.

Once you allow yourself into its mood, it's great entertainment. Treasure is captured, danger is faced, and other-wordly foes are defeated. Keep it around for a rainy saturday, and make sure you have popcorn. ... Read more

Description

Get ready to reload as L.A. homicide detective Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) and his partner Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) return to toss out the rulebook and blow away every other cop show on TV! In this explosive second season, Hunter and McCall take on deadly heists, killer porn stars, gangland murders, international terrorists, street hookers, punk rockers, McCall’s rapist and more. Bruce Davison co-stars as Captain Wyler in the legendary Saturday night series that shot down all critics to become one of the hottest action hits in television history! HUNTER – THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON features all 23 episodes – including the shocking two-part "Rape & Revenge"– with such guest stars as Robert Englund, Jane Russell, Robert Davi, Stuart Whitman, Kay Lenz, Sheryl Lee Ralph, John Matuszak and Isaac Hayes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS OF ALL TIME
THIS SHOW IN UP THERE WITH A TEAM AND HAPPY DAYS AS THE BEST SHOWS ON TV EVER I GOT THE FIRST SEASON THE FIRST DAY IT CAME OUTI OWN OVER 2000 DVDS AND BOX SETS AND HUNTER IN THE TOP 2 A TEAM BEING NUMBER ONE GET THIS SET RIGHT AWAY:) ITS AMAZING ... Read more

Reviews (31)

A Classic
One Million Years B.C., is awesome. It has minimum dialogue and creatures a plenty. The musical score that accompanies the dramatic and well shot scenes gives the film a strong sense of emotion, and the viewer gets a feeling of what it would be like to live in the cruel world that is the movie's setting. Best of all, we get to see the lovely Raquel Welch in a fur bikini.

Of couse, this film is a little scientifically inaccurate, but it's still great. Most of the prehistoric creatures were animated using stop-motion techniques, by none other than the great Ray Harryhausen (Mighty Joe Young, It Came From Venus). The special affects are great. A giant lizard and a brief shot of a giant turantula eating some smaller (but still oversized) insect adds to the monstrous mayhem. Watch and enjoy.

Superb Harryhausen effects, and the rest ain't bad either!
Although Fox uses the famous picture of Raquel Welch in her fur bikini on the cover of this DVD, the reason most people will want to watch and this 1966 movie today is because of the dinosaur stop-motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. The film, a remake of a very clunky 1940 movie, "One Million B.C.," starring Victor Mature and Carol Landis, combined Harryhausen's terrific dinosaur effects with a caveman plot heavy with sexual titillation. The combination made the film a big worldwide hit (and without any dialogue in any intelligible language, it translated easily to other countries), but today the sex elements seem tame and often a bit silly. The dinosaurs still amaze; Harryhausen's effects have a sense of wonder to them that never ages. Even away from the animated effects sequences, the film still works remarkably well due to effective performances from the cast and the filmmakers' attempts to keep the story simple but serious (when possible).

"One Million Years B.C." was the brainchild of Michael Carreras, son of James Carreras, the head of Hammer Film Productions in England. Hammer had made its name with its Technicolor gothic horror films, but Michael Carreras wanted the studio to stretch in different directions, and "One Million Years B.C." was one of his most successful experiments. He asked Harryhausen to provide the effects, and the effects man was loaned from his own production company, Morningside, to do the movie. This makes it one of the few films from the period that Harryhausen worked on where he was not one of the producers or involved in developing the project.

The movie was shot on the Canary Islands, a perfect setting for a prehistoric wilderness. In a fictional time where men and dinosaurs lived side-by-side (even six-year-olds know this is ridiculous), Tumak of the primitive Rock Tribe (John Richardson) is exiled from the tribe after a conflict with his brother. He travels through the wastelands until his finds the peaceful (and beautiful and blonde) Shell Tribe by the ocean. He romances the alluring Loana the Fair One (Raquel Welch, in the role that made her star), who eventually leaves with him when the Shell Tribe exiles him as well.

The story is quite simple, following our heroes across the wastes and encountering multiple deadly animals, ape men, plus getting involved in fights and tribal warfare and facing natural disasters like a volcano. There is no intelligible dialogue, only a simplistic, guttural language. A narrator at the beginning lays out the situation, then vanishes, leaving us with the pantomime story. (Strangely, the DVD is dubbed in Spanish, with a subtitle option! Since this only covers the first five minutes, you have to wonder why they bothered.) Welch and Richardson are both very good at the difficult roles, which require heavily physical acting and facial expressions. Also excellent are Robert Brown as Tumak's violent father (the same actor who played M in the 1980s James Bond movies!) and the sexy Martine Beswick (who also appeared in two James Bond films) as Tumak's first love. Yes Raquel and Martine do get into a girl fight -- the filmmakers were not going to turn THAT opportunity down.

Plenty goes on in the human scenes, with many battles and tussles, and Raquel Welch does light up the screen. Mario Nascimbene's bizarre music contributes to the drama. But when the dinosaurs are on the screen is when the film really shines.

Oddly, the first monster we see isn't a stop-motion effect at all, but blown-up footage of an iguana. Harryhausen admits this was his choice, and that it was a mistake. That said, the iguana is well matted into the footage of John Richardson. A giant spider shows up briefly, but the rest of the animals are all stop-motion: an archelon (giant sea-turtle), a briefly sited brontosaurus (originally meant to take part in a full sequence), a juvenile allosaurus that attacks the Shell People camp, a triceratops and a ceratosaurus battling each other, a pteranodon and a pteradactyl and the pteranodon's babies. All the sequences are great, but the allosaurus fights especially stands out. The nine-foot tall dinosaur moves quickly and interacts seamlessly with the human actors, and the result is an incredibly dynamic and exciting scene; the finale is a great stand up and cheer moment.

The DVD is an adequate presentation. The film has been carefully restored from poor sources (the negative is lost), so it looks fairly good, but with noticeable flaws in places. The sound is an adequate stereo. There are barely any extras: the trailers, and a brief split screen comparison of the film before and after the restoration. Considering that the DVDs of Harryhausen films released by Columbia feature interviews with him, the lack of any other special features is disappointing but sadly fairly typical of the way Fox releases its back-catalog films on DVD.

Despite some of those DVD problems, I still recommend "One Millions Years B.C." to any effects and fantasy film fan. It has aged much better than you would think based on those old cheesecake Raquel Welch posters. Raquel looks good, the story holds together, and man those dinosaurs will still make they day of kids of all ages, from six to one million!

This is why Welch was never taken seriously....
With due respect to Ms. Welch, it was taking movie roles like this which caused film makers to typecast her in these rather substanceless pictures where the looks and not the story was the name of the movie. This was a Hammer Production, and to have Ray do the effects work just did not work. Ray was a master of creature effects and his work at Colombia Pictures turned out so much better then this one time deal with Hammer films which always did their movies quickly and on very shoe string budgets. The budget for this movie was so low that they actually have a cheap lizard appear as the first prehistoric monster before Ray's Dinosaur effects take over. I think more people watched this movie because Raquel was in it and Ray's effects work took a back seat. That's too bad, because he desereved to work on better productions then this piece of celliod trash.

These lazy DVDs of grand classics need to end!
I vote everyone who is a big fan of this movie give it the lowest rating imaginable. Hopefully Fox will get the message, take it off the market, and give us the edition it truly deserves. If we all voice together, we can SURELY make a difference!!

I cannot believe that Fox did this to us!!
No special features, no commentary by Raquel or Ray Harryhausen, her biggest film ever! And then they have released the short version of this film. WTF!! I have been waiting years for Fox to release this on DVD and this is what we get! They are in big trouble and need to apologize and redo this DVD right. Who ever are making these kinds of decisions are really OUT! BOO TO FOX! You let us down with this one. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

True Love
Here's a real life story, told with love and compassion. If you love animals, you'll love this movie! Both children and adults will laugh and cry at this movie. The scenery is great, and the acting is great. The phrase, Man's Best Friend, must have been coined with "Bobby" in mind!

Loyalty and the Transformng Power of Love
Greyfriars Bobby is one of the finest children's movies of all time. Based on a true story, it is a deep-feeling, understated exploration of how a "pound-hound" transformed an entire city. In detail it shows the the mutual transformation of a lonely, impoverished older man and the stray dog who befriends him. They become a fixture in their Scottish neighborhood -- the dog greeting schoolchildren, etc. -- until the old man's death. Scruffy-looking Bobby develops a routine of staying on his dead master's grave each day, still taking the time to greet the kids on their way to and from school. Upon the old dog's death, the people of Greyfriar's built a statue to Bobby, by his master's grave: a testament to loyalty and love. A several handkerchief movie but very uplifting, for adults and kids alike.

Wonderful film...too bad it's in fullscreen
I feel tricked and used.
After waiting decades to enjoy this film the way I saw it in the movie theater as a child, what does Disney do? They glibly release the DVD in fullscreen format, even going so far as to list one of the "Special Features" on the jacket as "Fullscreen (1.33:1)". The "breathtaking Scottish countryside" mentioned on the box is nearly obscured in the film due to the cropping on all sides.

While the image and sound quality are superior to the VHS version, poor Bobby would cry at this fullscreen treatment by Eisner and his cronies.Why Disney doesn't offer buyers a DVD with fullscreen on one side and letterbox on the other is a complete mystery.

The DVD of Darby O'Gill and the Little People is coming out in August of 2004. If Disney releases it in fullscreen with the opening titles cut off like on the VHS tape, I think I'll consider breaking the DVD in half.

among disney's best animal films
Originally released in 1961, Greyfriars Bobby is a very tender and beautifull film. It really is right up there with old yeller, and other disney classics. Set in Scotland, the sets are lavish, the production values strong. Performances by Donald Crisp and Laurence Naismith are involving. I saw it recently for the first time in 30 years, since it was broadcast on the disneyland tv show many years ago. I was as equally captivated by it as I was when I was a boy. It isnt overly sentimental as some may think, but it is quite touching. A real classic.

Great movie
I watched this movie as a child and thought it was one of the sweetest Disney ever made. The tale of a little dog who comes to his master's grave no matter who tries to stop him. In the end the whole village of Greyfriar loves him and adopts him as their own. I loved watching the battle of wills between the restaurant owner and the graveyard caretaker who each thought the "wee dog" should be his. But Bobby belonged only to his dead master in the graveyard. After Bobby died he was buried in the graveyard alongside his master, a rare honor for a little dog.

The only reason I gave the video 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the mono soundtrack. I stronly prefer stereo and would really like to see this movie released on DVD or even VCD. ... Read more

Description

"The Prisoner," one of the most remarkable and challenging science fiction series of all time, follows "No. 6," a former government operative sent into a seemingly idyllic but twisted prison known as "The Village," where he struggles to retain his identity in the face of sophisticated and relentless attempts by the powers-that-be (known as "No. 2") to extract his secrets. "The Arrival" (pilot episode)--A first look at the Village, and The Prisoner, Number Six, its newest resident. "Free for All"--Elections are about to be held in the Village, including the position of Number Two. Will Number Six run, and can he win the election, and his freedom? "Dance of the Dead"--Sadistic, secretive experiments are performed on Number Six as the Village prepares for its annual carnival. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

I'm trapped
i've never watched the prisoner when it was on tv the first time (too young) or rebroadcast (didn't know about it). however, in a late night shopping binge, i stumbled across some of the reviews and wanted to know what all the hub-bub was about. after all, there were quite a few well written raves for this show and with so many people tossing about adjectives such as "best", "fantastic", and "favorite" my curiosity was aroused.

so, it was with great excitement i loaded up the dvd player to watch the first episode. after a few minutes of getting used to the 60's sets and dialog, i found myself hooked an anxious to find out more. it really is as good as they say.

rather than go into details on the episodes (other reviews seem to do that well enough), i'll just say that the paranoia that they raise is both frightening and enjoyable. it's amazing how claustrophobic the show was able to make and entire village feel - i mean people are out and about walking around in the sunshine, yet you feel totally trapped. not a bad achievement in direction, writing, and acting.

the one downside - and it is minor - is that i had expected that the discs would have more extra features than they actually do. there are some, but i would have liked to see commentary tracks as well as some documentary on audience reactions. the show seems to have achieved cult status and it would have been interesting to hear about that as well.

other than that, great job and i can't wait to make it through the rest of the episodes.

A new beginning
While I endorse THE PRISONER as one of the truly artistic programs on commercial television, I understand why it makes people angry. It promises to be a straightforward if offbeat spy thriller, but turns into a surrealistic allegory. If you feel it would be easier to accept THE PRISONER's rhetorical left turn had it come earlier and/or been better foreshadowed, you might try watching the series in A&E's revised order. While its primary intent is to present events in the proper sequence, the new order also provides the foreshadowing that makes the final outcome acceptable.

Of course, the first episode MUST be "Arrival," which sets up the basic situation. A British secret agent (series creator Patrick McGoohan) abruptly resigns, is mysteriously rendered unconscious, and awakens in The Village, the location of which is known only to those who run it. It looks like a vacation resort, but it's definitely a prison camp. Those who won't volunteer desired information have it extracted from them in the hospital. Those who try to escape get to meet Rover, a belligerent weather balloon capable of locomotion, and seemingly of independent thought. Rover deals with fugitives by plastering itself against their faces, rendering them unconscious or dead, depending on its mood. Citizens of The Village are identified only by numbers, our protagonist being No. 6. The Village is run by No. 2, who reports to an unseen and unidentified No. 1 -- apparently an unforgiving boss, because No. 2 is always being replaced. No. 6 is informed that he's there for life, and that his captors want to know why he resigned. Of course, he doesn't want to tell them, and does want to escape and find out who's in charge. And therein lies the conflict around which the series is built.

The new second and third episodes are "Free for All," originally shown fourth*, and "Dance of the Dead," originally shown eighth*. To me, these are the weirdest (except for "Fall Out"), most disturbing, and most depressing episodes, which I suspect is why they were originally postponed. A&E begins with these episodes because they both call No. 6 a recent arrival This placement makes sense to me because both episodes show No. 6 trying to get his bearings and learning the hard way about the darker side of Village life. In fact, "Dance" seems more concerned with atmosphere than plot. But to me, the major advantage of starting with these episodes is that their twisted, nightmarish logic foreshadows the surrealism of THE PRISONER's conclusion. There's also a piece of dialog in "Free for All" that might even foreshadow the identity of No. 1, but I won't include it here because "that would be telling."

BTW, "Free for All" shows No. 6 getting the nonalcoholic liquor spiel that he gives Nadia in "Chimes of Big Ben," which was originally shown second*. Another thing that struck me about watching "Free" before "Chimes" was that we see No. 6 getting that whirlpool treatment from Rover before we see it happen to Nadia, so that when No. 6 looks at the unconscious Nadia on the beach in "Chimes," we now see it as a knowing look from someone who's been there.

The picture quality of all episodes is far superior to that of MPI's original VHS release. Especially improved is the scene in "Free for All" where we see No. 6 stumble down a corridor bathed in red light. An inherent problem with VHS is that such red scenes tend to appear grainy.

The sound is also superior as far as fidelity goes,, although it's still mono. I realize you can argue that a movie or television program on DVD should have the same mix in which it was originally presented, and from the standpoint of historical accuracy I agree. From an aesthetic standpoint, however, I think it depends on how the movie/TV program's creators would have presented it if the capability had existed. I can't help but wonder whether McGoohan would have used surround sound if he'd had the option. In any case, I think a few surround effects at strategic moments might have spiced the DVD release up a bit.

Even in mono, however, these episodes are enhanced by a good home theater system with a decent subwoofer. I'm thinking specifically of (a) the marching band sequences in "Free for All," with that booming bass drum, (b) Rover's "awakening" and rising from the ocean floor, (c) the automatically opening doors, (d) the slamming prison door that ends each episode.

Regarding the bonus features, I was mildly disappointed by the "foreign file cabinet" footage, used for the opening sequence in non-English versions of the series. It includes only the cutaways of the "RESIGNED" label on the drawer. I was hoping it would include some part of the opening sequence to provide context.

The "Alternate Chimes of Big Ben" is part of any definitive PRISONER collection (despite its poor sound quality, which I wish A&E had tried to enhance). This is a preliminary cut, using different theme music and sound effects, and including a scene in which No. 6 uses a navigational device to try and determine the location of The Village. However, I think it would have made more sense to package it with the official version. Alas, the "Alternate Arrival" isn't included here or on any of the A&E sets.

The "textless intro" provides an unobstructed view of some shots usually covered by opening credits. The "textless outro" didn't do much for me, though, because the cool thing about the closing is the way the credits are fit in with the construction of the bicycle. The interactive map, I just plain didn't get. The trivia showed me I really haven't been paying as much attention to detail as I should have.

*In both the U.S. and U.K.

This show is about nothing and McGoohan is bi-sexual
Although the show is well acted and well photographed there is no payoff in th last ep. It is all going round in circle (you'll know what I mean if you've seen every ep). And McGoohan obviously has serious problems being around most women (except for his wife and daughters). He's obviously a bi-sexual making up a dumb story about not wanting to set bad examples to kids with romantic scenes.

"We are democratic - in some ways..."
If you have noticed the profound changes society has been undergoing during the past few decades and find them alarming, "The Prisoner" is the TV series for you. Far too complex and ahead of its time when it first aired in 1967, it has become more and more relevant ever since. Typically, the messages of great satires can be applied to an ever-increasing number of aspects of our existence over the time, and indeed, many of the most disturbing features of modern life are being dealt with or at least hinted at in "The Prisoner". This is why this is still highly enjoyable and recommendable TV - it is so much more than just another sixties spy series.

The action takes place in the "Village", a beautiful place; outwardly a luxury seaside resort surrounded by picturesque mountains, it harbours a totalitarian society. Totalitarianism does not necessarily mean "a boot crushing a human face", as George Orwell put it in "1984", another immortal satire. A totalitarian regime may as well present itself as a superficially liberal, affluent society, devoid of the more explicit means of suppression like gulags and concentration camps we normally associate with it. It may just as well crush independent spirits slowly, insidiously with the help of relentless, pussy-footed propaganda and lowering of educational and subversion of moral and cultural standards. The more dumbed-down the citizens become, the more readily they believe every misinformation they are being fed.

The basic outlines of "The Prisoner" are well known. After having been rendered unconscious by sleeping gas, the hero wakes up in "The Village", that colourful luxury prison for people who know too much. A prison it undeniably is, and like the other inmates, the man is first stripped of his name and assigned a number instead - six -, then of his personal clothes and belongings and given one of the Village uniforms, a simple and chilling symbol of being robbed of his individuality. Surveillance is constant, with intrusive cameras observing his every movement, hidden microphones recording every conversation. This sounds familiar, doesn't it? The ubiquitous Village propaganda - TV spots, posters, brought-in-line newspapers, piped messages - is uncannily similar to politically correct language or modern management-speak: verbose, yet at the same time impoverished as regards vocabulary, it conceals its true purposes with veiled, euphemistic expressions.

Already on his first day in the Village, the new Number Six realises that his fellow inmates enjoy every material amenity but not freedom of any kind. He learns that rebellion is nipped in the bud and that only few of the citizens are courageous enough to speak their minds. Sinister things are going on behind the colourful facades of the Village, and the contrast between the utter loveliness of the surroundings and the methods of brainwashing and torture hinted at only heightens the feeling of menace and displacement pervading the whole series. Lewis Carroll's "Through The Looking Glass" comes into mind. The Prisoner soon learns what it means to be brought to hospital for "readjustment". "We have many ways and means," announces one particularly ruthless Village administrator in "Free For All", one of the darkest and most pessimistic episodes.

All the Village authorities wish to know is why Number Six resigned from his confidential job. It is so little they want and so tempting to give in and settle down for a quiet life in the beautiful hell. But Number Six will have none of this and accepts the challenge. He refuses to cooperate; moreover, he fights back whenever possible, trying to escape or, especially in the later episodes, to unmask the powers that run the Village. The stage is set for a dramatic struggle.

This first set contains three of the best episodes. "Arrival" has been called the best pilot episode ever made for television; "Free For All", written and directed by Patrick McGoohan himself, is a critical, scathingly intelligent comment on democracy and the election process, depressing and viciously funny at the same time; "Dance Of The Dead" is weird and wonderful, with stunning, beautifully filmed sequences. The "Alternative Chimes" may not display the highest picture and sound quality but it is a nice extra for true fans.

This series is essential viewing for people who enjoy TV that is more than mere entertainment, who are aware that liberal societies are being assulted by not only one evil but several, and for those fond of satires like "1984", " Brave New World" or Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal".

That bubble is disturbing
I was in a college class where we had to watch this. Being used to television of today, the plot moved comparably slower, making it a little difficult to sit through.

When we discussed the "Arrival" episode, most thought that the bubble was a little distubing. Compared with shows of today (Alias, for example), it was just 'unnatural.'

I did like what I saw. I think that a classic television is good, not only for study (as I had to do), but also because modern television seems to move too quickly at times. They have to tell a complete story in a hour, minus the commercials. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good Set. Fun for the whole Family.
There are eight episodes on this DVD, of seeming various length. They're certainly entertaining, in black & white, which is part of the charm. McGoohan himself is very appealing and fun to watch. The sets are a bit cheesy, and recycled. The hotel in one episode, is, with minor alterations, the hospital in the next and the German apartment complex in the next. The plots don't really make much sense if you think about them for more than five seconds. The third world episodes all seem to be set in Banana Republic #43. But the visuals are fun, from footage, some stock, some not, of London and Paris, and make-up and fashion styles of the sixties, complete with the occasional semi-fashionable thug. And of course, there's the obligatory set of fisticuffs almost every episode. But the atmosphere is nicely paranoid, and, somehow, John Drake, the hero, emerges as slightly less adolescent than his main screen rival. There are some "upsetting" or "ambiguous" endings, though Drake seems more invigorated than drained by the paranoia. And there's funny dialogue like when an adorable Latin American Minister of Culture, a babe in uniform, says "I have read all of your great writers, your Shakespeare, your Dickens, your Upton Sinclair." I wouldn't exactly call this show intelligent, but it is very entertaining, and, by today's standards, remarkably wholesome. And, yes, the episode 'Colony Three' is certainly a precursor to the Prisoner. But Danger Man stands on its own merits.

Danger Man Set 2: The plots need some work...
Patrick McGoohan is back as British secret agent John Drake in further episodes of Danger Man. Here are summaries and/or comments for the episodes in this set. Episode ratings are on a scale from one to five (best).

Volume 3: (Disc 1)

The Professionals (3): An agent in Prague has suddenly vanished. John Drake arrives in Prague, posing as a member of the embassy staff, his mission is to locate the missing man. Very quickly he is taken in, and compromised by a crafty operative, and his lovely accomplice. Drawn into their trap, Drake learns the fate of the missing man, and then takes steps to save him before it is too late.

A Date With Doris (2): Drake is in an unspecified Latin American location to extract an agent in jeopardy, and then rendezvous with the submarine "Doris". His cover is as a reporter sent to interview a prominent General. Things just do not go smoothly for Drake, and he always seems off balance. He barely concludes this messy affair, and is only successful because of luck, and some very fortuitous assistance. He is also guilty of a major error, when he foolishly allows himself to be followed to his "safe house". Count yourself lucky this time, John.

The Mirror's New (3): This one keeps you guessing. Edmund Bearce, a member of the British Embassy staff, chooses murder as a way to cancel a personal debt. Preparing to dispose of the body, he has an accident, and is knocked unconscious. Upon waking, he has a dead body on his hands, and a lost day to account for. Bearce reappears, but can't explain what happened. A suspicious Drake investigates and uncovers a secret life, and much more.

Colony Three (5): Easily the most thought provoking episode on the disc. The plot is similar to an episode of "The Prisoner" or "The Avengers", skirting the edges of credibility. Drake takes the place of a communist sympathizer, just prior to his defection to the Soviets. After arriving in Soviet territory, Drake and two other defectors take a long train ride to a secret location. They arrive at a place named "Hamden", also known as the "village" (sound familiar?). The phony English town is actually a training ground where Soviet agents learn to assimilate into British culture. Drake penetrates security, gathers as much information as he can, and then it is time to leave. This one has a bit of everything, torture, gadgets, death and a tragic end.

Volume 4: (Disc 2)

It's Up To the Lady (2): Sometimes Drake is just not on his game, and this is one of those times. A British diplomat intending to defect vanishes. A rendezvous with his wife (Sylvia Syms), will take place in Greece, near the Albanian border. Drake is on the scene, to try and get the wayward diplomat to return to Britain. Underestimating the local opposition, he is nearly drowned, loses his charges, and carelessly gets himself shot. Topping it all off, he learns once again what it is like to be a pawn in the game.

What Ever Happened to George Foster? (3): Bernard Lee ("M" from the Bond films) guest stars, as Lord Ammandford, a wealthy industrialist who seeks to destabilize the government of a fictitious South American country. In addition, the Lord is a man interested in keeping a mysterious past a secret from a probing John Drake. This is more of a straight detective story.

The Galloping Major (2): Sent to Africa, at the request of the President (Henry Marshall) of an unnamed country, Drake finds himself the pawn in a political power struggle. Makes interesting viewing in light of historical events, but not a great story.

The Colonel's Daughter (4): In India, classified information is being leaked to the enemy. Drake is looking into the activities of a butterfly collecting Colonel, and his daughter, living in a house in the country. Soon, Drake is up a tree, in the middle of the jungle, maintaining surveillance. Later, he uncharacteristically emerges victorious in a three on one brawl, on his way to uncovering those involved in the secret pipeline. Drake finds that the Colonel's daughter is definitely Daddy's girl.

Writing is critical to a good story, and some of the plots of these international exploits just do not quite pass muster. Drake is simply not at his best, making some near fatal mistakes. Perhaps being an operative largely on his own in a foreign land, puts Drake at too much of a disadvantage. He doesn't quite have the fire we have seen before. A few good episodes, but not enough for a ringing endorsement of this set. Give A&E positive marks for addressing a previous complaint, by upgrading to four episodes per disc. Fans of Danger Man, may find my other reviews of interest.

Depressing reminder of when television was intelligent
Watching these 35-year-old shows is a disturbing revelation at how television today has gotten even MORE dumbed-down than when it was referred to as the "vast wasteland". ALL of these shows have interesting characters, exotic locales (from Africa to Greece, South America to behind the Iron Curtain), and PLOT. Compared to "Man From U.N.C.L.E", this is Nobel Prize material! Each 50-minute show has more PLOT than most 2-hour movies foisted on us these days.

As noted above, probably of greatest interest to McGoohan fans will be the episode "The Colony", as the origins of "The Village" are plain for all to see. However, my favorite has to be "What Happened to George Foster", where McGoohan's Drake takes on a millionaire Lord (played by Bernard Lee, no less!) and risks his career, not to mention his life, in a private vendetta that foreshadows #6's battles with the assorted #2's of "The Prisoner".

This is certainly not light-hearted "Avengers"-style material. McGoohan gets roughed up in just about every episode, and there aren't any charming eccentrics or snappy gadgets. But it is nearly incredible that such high quality LeCarre-like material was shown on a weekly basis. Truely, it was a Golden Age.

Excellent spy show!
I have to agree with the last reveiw not as good as the Prisoner, but this is the best spy show I think I've seen. Each episode keeps you guessing on what will happen next. There is enough action in each episode to keep one satisfied. Each story is believable unlike many spy shows. John Drake does not carry a gun and flirt with women. The best episodes in set two are The Mirror's New, Colony Three, and It's up to the Lady.

Gritty British Spy Drama
Not as cerebral as "The Prisoner", nor nearly as simplistic as James Bond, Man from U.N.C.L.E., or any of the dozens of spy shows that were popular in the late sixties, "Danger Man" (Secret Agent in the U.S.) is a fine example of how British drama is often more subtle and ambiguous than anything you're likely to see on American TV.

Modern viewers may scratch their heads, wondering why this show was so wildly popular. At its worst, the pacing is glacial, the narrative larded with long chunks of exposition. At its best, this is chilling, thought provoking drama with plenty of gray areas, reminiscent of the Le Carre adaptions (Tinker, Tailor, etc.) that were produced in the 70s and 80s. These shows are surprisingly cerebral for a TV series; while some episodes are too deliberately paced to work as thrillers, McGoohan is always worth watching, the black and white DVD transfers are gorgeous, and the endings are often startling.

If you're not a McGoohan fan, you'll probably find "The Prisoner" more accessible. If you've already discovered "The Prisoner", and enjoy John Le Carre-style gritty, realistic espionage stories, give this box a try. (The episodes in Volume 2 are generally more absorbing and darker than those included in the first DVD set.) ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Best of Cult TV
A child during the era of british cult tv, I was a serious addict. As an adult, most of those shows now seem simply corny. Danger Man/Secret Agent is an exception...it's as good as I remember with nicely choreographed action and fight scenes, lots of attention to detail, intelligent acting, editing and directing, artful background music, and of course McGoohan's unique charisma and wit. No one else ever brought a secret agent character to life as well as McGoohan does in this series. I'm keeping fingers crossed that A&E and Carlton will release the remaining episodes!

The best Series of the Sixties!!
While most DVD televiewers were first exposed to Patrick McGoohan's magnetic personality with the excellent TV series "The Prisoner", most fail to realize that before it, McGoohan played in this enjoyably realistic espionage series in which McGoohan excels as the dry, cynical agent John drake. The true Bond precursor, the series brought you in a totally different "spying" environment each week, with various fascinating situations in thoroughly more credible fashion than the unavoidable Ian Flemming's cinematographic derivatives. I found that "Secret Agent/Danger Man" has stood the test of time extremely well among cult TV series. Intelligent scripts and superbly cool British actors. There are many more episodes in this long-lived series, all of which I am eagerly waiting to acquire as soon as they come out! - I secretly relish the vision of this whole series on DVD on my shelf! - An absolute must for all Sixties'TV fans!

A must for Prisoner fans
Several folks below have complained about the uneven quality of the episodes--and they're right. McGoohan himself has admitted that some are better than others. But when it's good, boy does it put other shows of the same ilk to shame. And even when it's not terribly good, it's always stylish, with a charmingly retro, nostalgic feel.

And if you really, truly want to know why Number Six resigned, watch "Yesterday's Enemies," contained in Set 1.

A wish fulfilled
... I'm the proud owner of set1 of this video which keeps
me glued to the telly whenever the video is played.The theme
music is thrilling and sets the pace for a fast paced episode.
Patrick Mcgoohan aptly fits into the title role.I could only wish
that the full 48 episodes are published and the danger man fans
have a larger collection to play over and over rather than risking damage to their cherished single set.

As good as I remember
When I first heard the theme it immediately brought back memories of watching this the first time as a relatively young child. I refer to the original theme of Danger Man - I saw these in the UK - not the truly terrible "Secret Agent Man" song that is given as a "bonus".

I was concerned that they would not stand the test of time but was pleasantly surpised. A little dated in places, they still show what good plots and great acting can produce with an obviously limited budget. They do require a certain amount of attention and mental effort by the viewer but I think that's a plus not a negative. The fact that my college age kids watch them and think they are pretty good is a tribute to their quality.

These truly represent a time when British commercial televsion was producing top quality programs. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

"Them Bones, Them Bones, Them... Dry Bones!"
Back in 1967, an allegorical television show emerged that has yet to be topped by any other English television series. The show: The Prisoner. Starring Patrick McGoohan, he plays the role of No. 6, a former secret service agent who resigned for unknown reasons and then finds himself knocked unconscious and trapped in a seemingly peaceful place called "the Village." Each episode features a new No. 2 (with a few exceptions), who watches his every move and strives to find out why he resigned. The only superior is the unseen No. 1, the supposed ruler of the Village. The only other characters that reoccur are The Supervisor (also called Controller), played by Peter Stanwick, and The Butler, played by Angelo Muscat.

In "The Girl Who Was Death," Number Six avoids a series of assassination attempts while "on duty" as a secret agent. An offbeat episode that was probably meant to parody the previous Danger Man series. In fact, one character from that series appears here as the same character, same actor...

... ah... now we get to the last TWO episodes of the series! Finally! How do they measure up you ask? Read on...

In "Once Upon a Time," Number Six deals with the same Number Two from "Chimes of Big Ben" (played by Leo McKern, from "Candleshoe" and "Ladyhawke") as he undergoes Degree Absolute. It is a one-week, last-man-standing psychological struggle in which Number Two hopes to FINALLY break down Number Six. A STRANGE episode, filled with mindboggling clues is meant only to be viewed once you've viewed the others. TRUST ME.

And finally, "Fall Out" has Number Two revived and Number Six placed before an underground court. They allow him the ability to leave whenever he wishes and to lead the Village as he sees fit. Alexis Kanner, who played The Kid in "Harmony," returns in a different role as Number 48. Both Number Two and 48 show signs of rebellion, and the Butler follows Number Six. Most likely represents how people automatically follow the strongest leader like blind sheep.

The final episodes upset the fans... and for good reason! Where is the Village?! Who is Number One?! In the episode, he meets Number One, who is holding a glass ball. In it, it shows The Prisoner's face and suddenly, Number One is revealed to be... him?! How is he Number One, and why? That's never answered. My theory is that it's symbolism for every man's desire to be "Number One" in life, to be the top dog. After all, his address is 1 Buckingham Place. Not a coincidence.

Even if you don't really know why he resigned, McGoohan almost plainly tells you... In "Chimes of Big Ben," he says he "resigned out of conscience." In "Once Upon a Time," he says he resigned "for peace. Peace of mind. I know too much." He probably felt the pressures of his job. Can you imagine the pain of being a secret agent and knowing EVERYTHING about someone, plus on top of that, people will always be out to get you?? This probably represented his feelings at the time. After all, he was fed up with "Secret Agent Man" and wanted to do something different, something surreal. With that theory in mind, I have no qualm about McGoohan revealing why. Of course, at the end, people think the cycle started over. I don't want to believe that; I prefer to believe that he actually escaped the Village, but he has a new "Village" to face... an even larger one.

The song "Dry Bones" is actually taken from a Biblical passage in Ezekial. It talks of Jesus resurrecting skeletons in the desert and then they were covered with flesh and blood again, as if they were anew. When Number 48 sings the song, the underground society grows wild. The Prisoner Companion referred to this as The Prisoner being The Prophet, an unordinary man sent to make change in the world. Whoa, the Prisoner... the equivalent of Jesus? No joking.

Oh man, this series is one of the most mind-warping series ever devised. It's a great allegory and impressively produced. I will never forget it and it's such an inspiration for me to write stories with hidden symbolism and overtures. Mr. McGoohan, I thank thee for such a fine show.

Difficult for younger audiences
Having watched this DVD for one of my college classes, it really was quite confusing, especially when compared to modern, episodic TV (Friends, Law & Order, etc.).

Once Upon a Time - This episode didn't have the bubble, but not being aware of what "absolute zero" was made the show hard to follow. When Number 2 abandons his method to find out why Number 6 resigned, he starts to develop a friendship of sorts, not realizing that Number 6 is really in charge. Number 2 dies and Number 6 wants to meet Number 1.

Fall Out - This is probably the most bizarre episode of them all. With the trial of Number 48 and Number 2, the robed representatives have very strange reactions, maybe the proceedings annoying. When Number 2 gives his speech, they repeat "I" over and over again, making it impossible to understand him. I do like the way this one ends, it is silly, but it makes sense. We are all prisoners to society.

Because of the class that I was in, we only watched "Arrival," "Once Upon a Time," and "Fall Out." Perhaps my opinion would have been different.

True fans will not be disappointed with Fall Out
I remember watching the reruns of The Prisoner when I was a schoolboy, and I have had a fascination with the series (and the village of Portmeirion in Wales, where it was filmed) ever since. The excitement as the screening of the final episode, Fall Out, neared, was palpable. I remembered blitzing every store in my hometown with posters I had made myself, encouraging people to tune in to find out the identity of the mysterious Number One.

I was not disappointed with the conclusion, and don't think any true fan would be. It is in keeping with the spirit of the entire series. Technically, Fall Out is rather a shambles; apparently the episode was put together in a rush, and edited at the eleventh hour; it certainly shows. The continuity is embarrassingly bad. As usual, the dialogue veers between inspired and pretentious. But that is all part and parcel of the unique Prisoner experience.

This final episode is without doubt the most memorable. Kenneth Griffith (The Girl Who Was Death) and Alexis Kanner (Living in Harmony) both make return guest appearances, as does the greatest Number Two, Leo McKern. It is in this episode that Number Two emerges as an equal and fellow-prisoner with Number Six. The conclusion is deliberately ambiguous (perhaps why so many disliked it), and leaves the viewer exhilarated after a climax that is playful, euphoric and victorious at the same time as it is melancholy, foreboding and haunting. The London and Portmeirion locations are a further treat for those who got fed up with some of the studio-bound earlier episodes. The music, as ever, is an eclectic selection of tunes and effects, but is perhaps the most memorably and excitingly scored episode of the series.

Also on this edition are Once Upon a Time (which segues into Fall Out, and follows the final, dramatic confrontation between Number Two and Number Six) and The Girl Who Was Death, an unusual episode which was never intended to be part of the original series, but which is fun nevertheless.

A must watch!
Patrick McGoohan, was a genius in putting this show together. I have viewed the entire series several times now, and I am still mystified by the writting and the acting. For me the last several shows are the most difficult to watch. Ideas are nebulous, and resolution isn't fully sought. Its amazing that over thirty years later this classic remains timeless, and a bar set for other adventure shows to attain.

A&E Messed up...
Don't get me wrong, the series is fantastic. One of the best paranoid fantasies I've ever seen. But A&E messed up when putting the show on DVD. First they used a debatable order for the episodes and now with Set 5 they have taken the final 2 episodes (which really NEED to be viewed back to back in a 2 hour sitting) and placed them on 2 separate discs.

They should have either saved the alternate Chimes of Big Ben from the first disc and moved the order down by one, thus making set 5 the final 2 episodes plus a disc of bonus material OR taken the bonus material and added it to "The Girl Who Was Death", leaving the final 2 episodes alone on the final disc. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It may sound like a gimmick--The Greatest '70s Cop Shows is a compilation of first episodes from Starsky and Hutch, Police Woman, S.W.A.T., The Rookies, and Charlie's Angels--but this DVD anthology really opens one's eyes to the look and feel of dramatic television during the so-called Me Decade. Except for Angels, which never wavered from its self-mocking, glossy action/stiff exposition playbook, these cop-program debuts (four of them from Aaron Spelling) import much of their fluid camera movement, multiple points-of-view, and dynamic, often wordless storytelling from the era's rough-and-tumble action movies (e.g., The French Connection). Which is to say these shows may be dumb but not necessarily cheesy (except Angels' post-modern cheese). There is a lot to admire about the opening ambush in S.W.A.T.'s "The Killing Ground," the hard-boiled camaraderie of Police Woman's "The End Game," and especially the reckless physicality and ironic jokes of Starsky and Hutch's "Savage Sunday." --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (5)

OH.....JUST SHOOT ME!!
It was just GREAT having the chance to own this DVD ! I am a big fan of America's Cop Shows and this item was really a "must -have".I just wish they could release more episodes of "The Police Woman" and "The Rookies" ( with Kate Jackson!!!), which are very interesting and which I had never watched before due to they had never been aired here in Brazil."The Angels" are "foxy" as always and you also get a chance to watch "Starski & Hutch" in the same package.

More Angie, please...!
"Starsky & Hutch" were entertainingly silly for a couple of years, as were "Charlie's Angels", and "The Rookies" looks earnest but dated and tad naive. "SWAT" is essentially a shoot-em-up with few characters you get to know at all.

Interestingly, the one out of the five (and the one NOT produced by Aaron Spelling) that is easliy the most legitimate cop drama is "Police Woman" with Angie Dickinson--- it feels like a damn movie... something the other four certainly do not.

Funny how memories have written-off this series as a single, older version of a Charlie's Angel who still has her badge but does nothing else but turn "tricks", when, in fact, "Police Woman" seems to be the most sophisticated of the lot; it's aged beautifully.

Instead of packaging this mismatch of fun but otherwise unconnected 70s cop-show memories, let's see a DVD release of at LEAST "Police Woman"s first season, as I seem to remember it was the best year of the show--- and certainly quite removed from the other more comic-strip, though watchable, entries.

Back when TV was great
Let me tell you, I LOVE this dvd. I have been waiting for these shows to be released on dvd format for a long time. You get the first episodes of 5 classic 70's cop shows.

1. Charlies Angels
2. The Rookies
3. Starsky and Hutch
4. Swat
5. Police Woman

I love all these shows, but I espacially love Police Woman and Starsky and Hutch. I grew up watching these shows, and there is not a cop show today that can hold a candle to these shows. I have some Charlie's Angels on dvd, and Starsky and Hutch on VHS from Columbia House, but I have missed watching Police Woman in over 25 years. I had a serious crush on Angie Dickinson back in the day. This is a great dvd of classic tv, when tv was entertaining, not all this reality crap that is on now. I just hope they realease more Police Woman and Starsky and Hutch on dvd. Its well worth the price and then some. Get it....

This Is The One I Been Waiting For!!!
I am so glad they are bring out those old cop shows out on DVD. I remember watching those shows like Charlie's Angels, Starsky & Hutch,S.W.A.T, The Rookies and Police Woman back then when I was a child in the 70's. I also watched those shows when they were on TVLand til they took all the cop shows off on TVLand. I brought the DVD and I have too tell you this is the best DVD ever!!! My favorite ones on there are S.W.A.T and Charlie's Angels. You Must Buy this DVD to enjoy!!

Great fun!
If like me, you're a fan of '70s pop culture...you'll want to add this DVD to your collection. Sure, you'll read reviews that refer to the "cheesiness" factor. Forget all that. I hate the word "cheesy." It assumes that everything that's current and hip will always be cool and in fashion. How short-sighted. But I digress. Watching "The Greatest '70s Cop Shows" brought me back to a time when TV was truly exciting. You get the following first episodes:

"Starsky & Huch" - "Savage Sunday"
"Charlie's Angels" - "Hellride"
"The Rookies" - "Concrete Valley, Neon Sky"
"S.W.A.T." - "The Killing Ground"
"Police Woman" - "The End Game"

My favorite out of this bunch is the "Police Woman" episode. I had not seen that show in at least 25 years and it holds up very well. Angie Dickinson is extremely sexy, sensitive, feminine and tough. What an awesome, groundbreaking show.

The sound on the disc is terrific, the picture is probably the best we're going to get...and the price is right. Never mind those big-budget theatrical versions of these shows...they don't hold a candle to the originals. Buy this and go back to the groovy '70s. You'll have a great time! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

"Unmutual!"
Back in 1967, an allegorical television show emerged that has yet to be topped by any other English television series. The show: The Prisoner. Starring Patrick McGoohan, he plays the role of No. 6, a former secret service agent who resigned for unknown reasons and then finds himself knocked unconscious and trapped in a seemingly peaceful place called "the Village." Each episode features a new No. 2 (with a few exceptions), who watches his every move and strives to find out why he resigned. The only superior is the unseen No. 1, the supposed ruler of the Village. The only other characters that reoccur are The Supervisor (also called Controller), played by Peter Stanwick, and The Butler, played by Angelo Muscat.

In "A Change of Mind," Number Six is labeled "disharmonious" and "unmutual" and is therefore shunned by the other villagers. They perform yet another mind game on him to make him "harmonious" and accepted, hoping for him to fit in and reveal why he resigned. Of course, he knows better by now and has a trick up his sleeve...

In "Hammer Into Anvil" (one of my top favorites from the series), the new Number Two is an extremely paranoid official. Number Six starts to play his own mind game in which he utterly convinces the new Number Two that he is spying on him and ready to cause a rebellion. The message here is clear: when you have power, you don't have much trust for anyone.

In "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling," Number Six is switched with a special agent. He finds himself outside the Village and in search of a famous scientist known for the creation of switching minds, but is he still free?

In "Living in Harmony," Number Six finds himself in a Western-style Village... he originally a sheriff who resigns for unknown reasons. An interesting and actually downright creepy episode that is one of the most illogically pleasing episodes of the series. "The Kid" is silent throughout the episode (well, sort of, just watch it...) and his actions are louder than his words. Originally, this episode wasn't aired in America for two years, possibly because of its close connection to the Vietnam War.

By now, The Prisoner has prevailed. He has grown resiliant to the Village, which makes each Number Two even more desperate than before.

Overall, a fantastic series. While I give the series a high rating, I do recommend the megaset as opposed to the individual volumes.

Original and enthralling.
"The Prisoner" remains to this day to be one of televisions most original series. Through it's short run, in England and then on CBS in the USA, this series captivated with it's mind-bending array of unanswered questions. And, the eerie feeling that this kind of thing could happen to you. If a well trained Secret Agent Man can't escape, what hope would you have?

Patrick McGoohan, who also co-created the series, stars as Number 6 a former government agent who won't reveal to anyone why he abruptly quit his position with the agency. Number 2 will stop at nothing to get his answers. Number 6 will stop at nothing to beat the bubble. (You'll have to see it.)

I strongly suggest you get the first edition so that you can see it from the beginning. Otherwise a lot of this won't make sense.

Change that Hammer and Anvil Your Mind, Oh My Darling
This portion of the 5 tape Prisoner set is to my mind, one of the more intriguing, as it includes one of my favorite episodes, "Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling". In this bizarre turn, the Prisoner's mind is transplanted into the body of another secret agent, allowing #6 to see his familiar surroundings, his former lover and the life he left behind when he resigned, but of course, he's barred from enjoying the experience as himself, and to fully realize the joy of being in love. Patrick McGoohan doesn't appear much in the episode, but he narrates the ersatz Prisoner's thoughts, which is just plain strange. "Hammer to Anvil," is a real creep-out, with a sicko #2 that radiates disdain and drips pure evil. Number 2 gets his in the end, in a very inventive twist of fate. The Western episode,"Living in Harmony" is a another trippy expedition, using American t.v. cliches (gunfights, harlots with hearts of gold) to make a powerful anti-violence (and by extension) anti-war statement. Worth viewing, especially today. "A Change of Mind," with its emphasis on mind-control shows just how far the keepers of the Village w