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Waging the Cold War with maximum cool, Robert Culp and Bill Cosby played offbeat secret agents for the U.S. Department of Defense in the classic mid-1960s TV program I Spy. Using the cover of "tennis bums on the circuit," the two roamed the world on unusual and very dangerous assignments that inevitably brought them into contact with plenty of action, romance, and tongue-in-cheek humor. The program was novel at the time for casting an African American in a lead role, but for the most part the show wasn't meant to be terribly serious. In the episodes in this collection the agents do clandestine battle with various bad guys and even face a dangerous international villain played to the hilt by the show's producer, Sheldon Leonard. The individual plots hardly matter, of course, as the point is that the dashing undercover agents get into fistfights that are accompanied by jazzy soundtracks, meet up with dangerous ladies in evening gowns, and manage to make sardonic comments no matter the danger. Yet one surprising episode does inject a bit of dark reality into program, as it begins in an office in the Pentagon, and involves Culp parachuting into jungles somewhere in Southeast Asia. Films of B-52s flying in formation may bring some seriousness to the proceedings, but for the most part these I Spy episodes are classics of escapist television. --Robert J. McNamara ... Read more

Description

Episodes:
Pinwheel - Melanie, a somewhat scatterbrained but highly effective agent, becomes an unwelcome third member of the Robinson and Scott team on an Acapulco assignment. Co-Starring Arlene Galonka.
Name of the Game - A deranged former Army officer uses Robinson and Scott as quarries in a macabre version of a big game hunt. Co-Starring Lloyd Nolan.
Suitable for Framing - A routine assignment to accompany a government VIP on a trip through Mexico erupts into an international incident. Co-Starring Dan Tobin and John Fiedler.
The Spy Business - Robinson and Scott investigate the actions of a fellow agent and close friend suspected of being a traitor. Co-Starring Dane Clark and Paul Richards. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: " Lisa" - Wedding plans of a pretty mail-order bride from Greece are marred soon after her arrival in the United States when she is suspected of being an enemy courier. Co-Starring Linda Marsh. "So Coldly Sweet" - A beautiful enemy agent's alleged defection to the United States becomes a cause celebre assignment. Co-Starring Diana Hyland. "Trial by Treehouse" - Agents Kelly Robinson and Alexander Scott participate in a desparate masquerade in an attempt to thwart the sabotaging of a Stateside hydroelectric plant. Co-Starring Cicely Tyson and Douglas Leonard. "Will the Real Good Guys Please Stand Up" - Two enemy agents assume the identities of Robinson and Scott in a deadly plot to kidnap a United States rocket scientist. Co-Starring Anna Capri and Lee Phillips. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "Sophia" - While vacationing in Rome with co-agent Kelly Robinson, Alexander Scott gets involved and jailed over the impending marriage of his Italian foster-daughter. Co-Starring Caterina Borato and Gordon Mitchell. "Rome Take Away Three" - Investigating a serious security leak in Italy, agents Robinson and Scott encounter a blackmail plot involving a U.S. embassy employee who is threatened with scandal. Co-Starring Ulf Kjellin and Nehemiah Persoff. "Tonia" - Tonia is used as a pawn in a plot by Italian revolutionaries to turn agents Robinson and Scott against each other. Co-Starring Leslie Uggams. "One of Our Bombs is Missing" - An unmanned American plane goes down somewhere in Italy and agents Robinson and Scott are assigned to retrieve its cargo--an atomic bomb. Co-Starring David Mauro and Dewey Martin. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sights and sounds of Italy in the 60s
This DVD for I Spy marks one of the better episodes -- Sophia. Scotty's visiting his adoptive daughter, and finds she has a lout for a boyfriend. There's some humorous moments in Rome. In Rome Take Away Three, Culp showcases his talents in transforming Kelly Robinson from a happy go lucky tennis player to a hard agent. There's little humor and some good drama here. Real spy stuff. In Tonia, Cosby gets to play the spy pawn with a girl who is being used by the Italian Communists. Good drama, and mix of humor for this episode. In One of Our Bombs is Missing, the episode mirrors a real life event that had happened in 1966. The agents are looking for an Atom Bomb that had been swiped by Italian villagers after a USAF bomber crashed in the mountains. There's too much humor for this episode. It seems to be modeled after Italian "over the top" acting, too. The U.S. Air Force really did have a B-52 that went down off the coast of Spain, in 1966, and lost something like four H-bombs that had to be recovered. If you are a fan of the show, this is a good DVD. If not, there are others that showcase the I Spy TV show better. Namely I Spy - So Coldly Sweet or I Spy Sparrowhawk. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I'm very dissapointed with this pack
I though I have made a good election but this 2 dvd pack has two lenght episodes but the sound is quite bad is very hard to hear some sentences and the most important the famous theme has been changed by a ridiculous country theme.

Gladdly I didn't pick the 5 dvd pack made by the same studio.

Don't buy this please,try something else.

Could have been much better
Good story and good acting, but audio is quite poor. The familiar theme music is missing entirely and the dialogue is spotty at best. Several sentences were hard to hear, and then the background music would blast you out of your chair. Glad I didn't buy the 5-pack. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good eps, so-so quality
These are classic "Bonanza" episodes. I would prefer that the videos include the original theme music, but I understand that copyright issues prevent that. The technical quality of the video is not the best, but the DVD is quite watchable. I'm happy to see "Bonanza" being released in DVD format, and look forward to more eps on DVD!

Struggles for justice amidst violence and lawlessness
Bonanza is the famous television western series, set in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada, during the years of the Civil War, soon after the discovery of the fabulous Comstock Silver Lode. Bonanza is the saga of the Cartwrights, a prosperous family of ranchers. The stories relate their struggles for justice amidst violence and lawlessness as they attempt to maintain and operate their timberland ranch, known as the Ponderosa Ranch. Many of these classics were produced in the early years of filmmaking. This means that primitive audio recording technique will be more noticeable in the DVD format, so will glitches in picture. These movies ("Desert Justice" & "Badge Without Honor" have been rescued from the film vaults in most cases and have not been restored. "Desert Justice" is the story of Dave Walker, one of Ben's ranch hands. Dave is accused of murdering the wife of Marshall Dowd. After the Cartwrights discover that Dave was beaten while in jail, they decide to accompany him to Los Angeles where his trial is to be held. "Badge Without Honor" is about a man named Gerald Eskith who comes to town claiming to be a Deputy Marshall. He wants to take the Cartwrights friend Jason Blaime to San Francisco to testify against the Murdock Gang. Adam, however, has his suspicions and decides to go along with them..... On the DVD (one episode on each side) you'll also find Interactive Menus, Interactive Film Trivia about Bonanza and information about the actors. A pity is the missing well-known "Bonanza"-tune. Now all the episodes start with a nasty kind of music. See Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright, a three time widower; Pernell Roberts as his eldest son Adam; big Dan Blocker as son Hoss; Michael Landon as the youngest son, Little Joe. It's nice to see all the famous characters back on the screen. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Why No Season by Season DVD Sets?
The Andy Griffith Show is a pretty good sitcom, it's a shame that this DVD was botched because it does contain some good episodes and I'm also very surprised that you can only find DVD's with a few episodes and that they haven't released season by season sets yet. And what's the deal with not including the original theme song? Hopefully if The Andy Griffith Show ever gets season by season DVD sets they will put the original theme song with the uncut episodes.

Poor Quality - 5 minutes missing from one of the episodes!
I bought this DVD expecting to see some of my favorite episodes, and yes some of the episodes are uncut. But overall the picture quality is terrible, additionally one of my favorite episodes (the one with the English Butler) is missing 5 critical minutes of he episode where the butler talks about how he likes staying with Andy and Opie, but overhears Andy and Barney talking on the porch that night. The scene obviously is missing when the butler just disappears right in the middle of the episode.

Watch TV land instead, and you'll get a better quality result.

Disapointing...
The Andy Griffith Show is one of my favorite television shows... This DVD is not one of my favorites!! I bought it at Ross (heh...), I was excited and when I got home to watch it was terrible!! Yes, the shows are uncut, and the original air length, but the picture quality would porably sicken you!!

If you want to see uncut episodes, you might want to buy this DVD, but if you want good quality, might as wee watch TVLand, or... find a different DVD>

Great content, poor quality
I've been a longtime fan of The Andy Griffith Show and I was excited to see some episodes released on DVD. Unfortunately, the video quality on this selection is EXTREMELY poor. It looks like the DVD was made from a dirty 16mm film; lots of abberations and gunk throughout. Even more disappointing is the fact that the original theme is NOT on this item. Instead, LaserLight decided to incorporate another version of "The Fishin' Hole" that is clearly not the original song.

On a positive note, this DVD does contain the full, uncut episodes (unlike what we see on TVLand). All in all, this DVD gives one the notion that it was released with the intention of making some quick cash for LaserLight with no effort put forth on their part to present a quality product in return.

I would LOVE to see a company release all of The Andy Griffith Show episodes on DVD that are original, uncut and of the same video quality as is seen with TVLand. When/if that happens I'll be the first in line. For now, however, we have to make do with these cheaply made releases on the market.

Some what disappointed
As an long time Andy Griffith fan, I was excited to receive this DVD to show my kids. However, I really was expecting the original source material to be broadcast quality like the episodes that WTBS showed several years ago. (They showed episodes that were in mint condition completely uncut, unlike the ones you see in syndication). This looks like they found some old 3/4" copy that was left in the cellar for a several years. The video is dim and washed out but the audio is OK. The opening fishing hole walk is not consistent in each episode and the whistling just doesn't sound like the original (In at least one it's left out completely). But other than that, you just can't beat the story content of these episodes. And besides, my kids didn't pick up any of that stuff that I found offensive!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A very different type of Bonanza.
They don't mean ape literally. They mean a man who has lived like an ape all his life and is now scaring everyone in Virginia City. Nobody likes him when they meet him, except Hoss. The ape loves a girl, who he thinks loves him back, but is really laughing behind his back. After the law goes after the ape, it's up to Hoss to lead him the right way. I'm pretty sure you will find this weird Bonanza entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

And boy, don't forget to finish your homework
"The Rifleman" was No. 1 on television in the late 1950's, when 20 Western Oaters floated over the airwaves. ABC's genius was the casting of Chuck(Touch) Connors, former baseball player, as father Lucas McCain, Johnny Crawford as his son Mark, and veteran movie actor Paul Fix(long-time friend of John Wayne) as Micah, the town sheriff. Connors would go on to star, co-star, or narrate 5 more TV series. This Volume 4 DVD is one of the best, featuring 5 episodes. The first stars Robert Culp as a bounty hunter in a flimsy, slow story, with Culp mugging and hamming all the way. He would write the next episode, then move on to star in TV's "I Spy". Episode 2 stars Hollywood Rat Pack's Sammy Davis, Jr., as a flashy gunfighter with an agenda. His mock death-scene in the arms of Lucas McCain is nearly risible, with both actors on the verge of laughter. Episodes 3 and 4(perhaps the best) star TV veteran Vito Scotti as a Mexican bandit leader, with McCain and company stranded in a desolate ghost town. The 5th episode features Connors in a dual role, portraying McCain and his evil twin, hard-drinking Earl Bantry. Connors literally fights and talks to himself with the aid of an optical printer and trick photography. This marvelous DVD package is an enchanting window on a 1950's America that no longer exists. Then it was a simpler world. Good men were good. Bad men got shot. Everyone loved it. And in the end, there was America's favorite father counseling his son..."Boy, don't forget to finish your homework..."

Prime Chuck...
Chuck Connors stars as Lucas McCain, also known in some parts as "The Rifleman". McCain lives on a small ranch outside of the town of North Fork, New Mexico, with his son Mark (Johnny Crawford). His good friend is Marshal Micah Torrance (Paul Fix). This is the fourth collection of their adventures. Here are summaries and/or comments for the episodes in this set. Episode ratings are on a scale from one to five (best).

Man From Salinas (4): Lucas is acting marshal, when a bank robber drifts into town. McCain wounds the man when he attempts to escape, after robbing the town bank. The news that the man is badly hurt and expected to die, is telegraphed to Salinas, the town the man just came from. There, an unscrupulous fellow (Robert Culp), aware that there is a large reward on the dying man, schemes to come and claim the body. A suspenseful episode, featuring the acting of the charming, smooth-talking Culp.

Two Ounces of Tin (4): Sammy Davis Jr. guest stars as "Corey" a trick shooting gunfighter. Out to avenge the death of his father, he has a huge grudge against the lawmen of North Fork. Corey threatens to kill whoever wears the Marshal's (tin) badge. Unaware of this, Mark does the stranger a good turn, and in return he receives a jaw-dropping exhibition of lightning fast gunhandling and trick shooting. Lucas however is not impressed. As acting marshal, he is Corey's next target. Davis's fine performance as a lonely man with too much pride is both emotional and tragic.

Waste (4): This two-part adventure finds Lucas, Mark and Micah traveling near the Mexican border where they run into a gang of banditos in an abandoned town. Veteran character actor Vito Scotti, who specializes in portraying ethnic characters, is truly loathsome as the leader of the banditos (lovely dental work). They capture Lucas and Mark, and lead them to Micah who is buried up to his neck in the ground. Soon McCain is digging a hole preparing to join him in the dirt. Only Lucas's quick action saves them from the ruthless band of outlaws. McCain has all he can handle trying to save their lives, and is also called on to do an unexpected service, receiving feminine gratitude for his trouble. Mark is a real pain, not following his father's instructions and constantly asking questions. Micah is too injured to be of any help whatsoever. Of interest, is the fact that this tale was written by actor Robert Culp.

The Deadly Image (3): It seems almost every TV program from the 60's used this gimmick sooner or later, as Chuck Conners plays a dual role. "Earl Bantry" is a lookalike for Lucas McCain. When Bantry commits murder, a witness believes that McCain is guilty. The lookalike and his partner reach North Fork, causing a ruckus. Marshal Torrance gets careless, and winds up unconscious on the floor. Then the men head for the McCain ranch for more "fun". "Bantry" is particularly dislikable, and it is probably a safe guess that Conners enjoyed being the "bad guy" for a change.

The Rifleman Volume 4 is the best of the collections in this series so far. The stories are well written, and action packed. The guest stars are excellent, with depth to their characters. Justice is swift and McCain exceeds his average of one kill per episode. As usual, women are almost nonexistent. The transfer to DVD is excellent, the only complaint about this series is that there could easily be more than five episodes per disc. At this rate, it will take 34 DVD's to present all of The Rifleman episodes. Do you have the shelf space? ... Read more