Reviews (6)

Green Hornet Sting Of Excellence
I loved it when I found this DVD. For many years I had watched the original campy Batman series and eagerly waited for the chance to see the cross-over Green Hornet episode. This DVD is what seems to be three or 4 episodes pasted together. Worthwhile to find, since so little can be found of the Green Hornet of DVD or VHS for that matter. A particular point of interest is the Black Beauty documentary. I think fans of all super hero/crime drama genre will enjoy this program.

"Another Challenge for the DVD Fan"....
First of all to set the record straight to correct a few common mistakes by reviewers here...This DVD is the first of 2 films originally released to theatres back in 1974 to cash in on BRUCE LEE's death in 1973, & the huge popularity of the film, "ENTER, THE DRAGON". FOX took 4+ episodes of their 1967 half-hour television series, THE GREEN HORNET, & chopped & spliced them together into a 90-minute mishmash, making fans think this was an all-new feature starring BRUCE. "THE GREEN HORNET", as titled, was released in some areas as part of a double bill with some AIP-style BlackSploitation vehicle in 1974(I was one who was dropped off on a saturday afternoon at a now long gone theatre at Beach 20th/Cornaga in Far Rockaway, NY, & sat through it almost twice while my mother was shopping for nearly 4 hours. I have no idea what the other film was except I remember an in-bed naked love scene, tons of cursing & shoot-ups, & being the only lone 10-year-old/kid in the theatre. Most likely it was something along the lines of BLACK CAESAR or SHAFT). About a year later, I saw all "5" PLANET OF THE APES films in this same theatre for a buck! What an amazing time to be a kid! I guess this first "Hornet" film did the job cashwise as the second film was released soon-after, titled: "FURY OF THE DRAGON", which sounds like an all-desperate last attempt title to "cover up" that this film is just more poorly-edited GREEN HORNET episodes, & not some newly discovered major unreleased feature of BRUCE LEE in all his glory like the newspaper ads made it seem.(FURY OF THE DRAGON is about to be released on DVD any day now here in the US,& has been on DVD for some time now in JAPAN & is also available in the UK). It would be great for the original "GH" series to be released on DVD(as well as the 1966 BATMAN TV series), yet it seems that TV shows that only lasted One Season(like the G.H.) & were not syndicated well, were considered flops & losers money-making-wise by the studios. If the show was never officially released on video & never syndicated on Cable or Network TV, these two DVD's of the 1974 films may be the only way we are going to see the 1967 GREEN HORNET for a long, long time. Hopefully not. FOX did such a great job of the 1966 BATMAN Feature film on DVD, that a BATMAN/GREEN HORNET DVD BOX would be amazing, & I am sure would sell very very well. This DVD, though, is very good. For a gooey gumbo of a cash-in, this film is presented here in excellant quality on the DVD, & includes a Widescreen matte(as theatrically released), which cuts the top & bottom off a bit, yet is interesting to see in this format. Being that I have about 10 grey market episodes of the Original series, to see it like this is a-plus, for the quality is far way-superior than any copies of the show available on the grey market. Actually, this is the closest & best way to see the 1967 GREEN HORNET for now. So I recommend this & the FURY DVD when released, to see a so-so representation, yet EXCELLANT audio/visual quality. Again, as someone else corrected here,...it is Producer WILLIAM DOZIER's voice who announces the opening narration..."ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR THE GREEN HORNET"...Not Gary Owens. Also, it was Car Customizer DEAN JEFFREYS, not GEORGE BARRIS, who created & built the "BLACK BEAUTY" Car for the show. As someone else mentioned, it would be great to find episodes of other late 60's shows that BRUCE LEE appeared in, like LONGSTREET. Now that's a rare treat.

Very enjoyable DVD, bad format
This DVD (despite it's reference on the cover as a theatrical release in 1974) is actually 4 episodes from the series sandwiched together (including the two parter that actually were the last 2 episodes of the series). I would rather see all the episodes in proper order. By the way, 1 clip from another 2 parter also appears in this disc. This is the dumbest mistake as there is no reference to the particular character. One who hasn't seen the series in 1966 on ABC or the reruns on FX in 1994 would think the Green Hornet just diverted to knock another bad guy down, just for the sake of it, while en route to the real crime. Buy the DVD and it's pending sequel to preserve the series, yes, but know what you're getting first. By the way to the person who quoted the opening above, that opening was done by William Dozier NOT Gary Owens (doesn't anybody watch Batman anymore?)

Great tv series, terrible video/dvd release
I have to echo the comment sof the last reviewer of this movie. First off, the editting of the bits and pieces of the episodes is terrible. The film jumps from one bit to the next with no apparent order. Secondly, the producer promote this product as being made from remastered prints. That's a laugh! The film looks like it was made to resemble an old Hong Kong martial arts film. The lighting was low and dark and the overall color had a yellosish quality. As for the audio, the editors tripped on this one to! There are scenes with Kato fighting where his yells and kicking sounds are conspicuously missing from the final edit. The Green Hornet is a great TV series! Once and for all, if the distributors of classic tv shows want to please the fans, release this and other great shows in the original broadcast format. Anything less is any insult to the fans!

The biggest scam to Bruce Lee fans since "Game Of Death"
The fact that this is episodes of the TV series edited into a "movie" is insulting, but not the worst part. The fact that the cover blurbs make it sound like Bruce Lee made a series of "Green Hornet" movies, and never mentions the TV series, is also insulting, but again, not the worst part. The worst part is that they added black bars to the top and bottom of the screen in a lame attempt to make us think that it's in widescreen format. Did they think we wouldn't notice every time somebody's head disappeared off the top of the picture? Additionally, the editing looks like it was done with an axe. The only thing worse than a scam is a poorly-executed scam. Avoid this. ... Read more

Description

Feature titles include:Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, She-Wolf of London, Werewolf of London, The Wolf Man ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Wolfman: The Legacy Collection
First of all, the credit given to Claude Rains is incorrect. Lon Chaney Jr. is the actor to whom the credit is due. Although Henry Hull made the transformation first in "Werewolf of London" (1935), almost everyone agrees that Chaney's 1941 version "The Wolf Man" is the true origin of the film iconization of the character. The deep tragedy in Chaney's portrayl is nothing short of brilliant.
Frankenstein meets The Wolfman is a moderate film, save Lugosi's performance of the Frankenstein monster, whose facial expressions so closley mimic that of his Dracula (1931), that it seems as though the two characters have merged in a shorter less vivid one.
She-of London is probabaly my least favorite of the four, but all-in-all the performances are fairly solid.
The DVD collection is a must-have for fans of the period and genre. It is beautifully packaged and has cool and interesting extras.

The Hairy Guy Gets His Due...
Another great collection from Universal! This time, it's the Wolf Man who gets the star treatment. In the original WOLF MAN, Lon Chaney jr. is Lawrence Talbott, son of sir Jonathon Talbott (Claude Raines). Larry gets bitten by a werewolf (Bela Lugosi) and starts the whole full-moon-rampage-thing. A classic. Next up is FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN. Lon jr. returns as lycanthropic Larry Talbott, trying to find a way to be destroyed, thus ending his torment. Ends in the legendary battle between the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's monster! Third, we have SHE WOLF OF LONDON, starring June Lockhart as a woman who is either a murderous beast, or is being framed in a hideous plot to drive her insane. Lockhart is great, showing a charm and innocense that make SWOL more than just another gothic mystery. Lastly, we get WEREWOLF OF LONDON, about a botonist attacked by a werewolf while attempting bring a rare tibeten flower back to London. This flower only blooms at night, during the full moon, and can keep a man from tansforming into a werewolf. This should help our hero, but alas, the werewolf who bit him is now in London too, seeking to have the flower for himself! Not a bad entry in the wolftale anthology. Buy this now, before Universal gets stingy again! Highly recommended...

An impressive set of four Universal werewolf classics
I had never really thought of The Wolf Man as being in the same league as Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster - I was wrong. Watching Lon Chaney, Jr.'s portrayal of Larry Talbot in The Wolf Man and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man has opened my eyes. Chaney's Wolf Man is by far the most sympathetic of Universal's three major monsters. Dracula loves being Dracula, Frankenstein's monster is a full-time monster made out of dubious body parts, yet Larry Talbot is a victim of cruel fate. Rushing in to help a damsel in distress, he sustains a bite from a werewolf - hardly the type of reward a hero deserves. Doing the things a werewolf does is bad enough, but Talbot knows he is a werewolf and has to spend all of his normal waking hours wallowing in mental agony, knowing he can do nothing to contain the hairy monster lurking within. Beginning with his resurrection in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, Talbot's overriding ambition and sole wish is to die and be freed from the curse forever, yet he now knows he can never die- not by conventional means, anyway. He truly is a lost soul trapped in a nightmare from which there seems to be no escape. This was the role Chaney was born to play, and he delivered one amazing performance after another in his five werewolf films. The Wolf Man Legacy Collection contains only two of them, the original The Wolf Man from 1941 and the sequel/monster crossover film Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1942). Chaney's Wolf Man also appears in House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula, each of which can be found on the Frankenstein and Dracula Legacy Collections, respectively.

The Wolf Man has exerted a huge influence on the art of horror for over six decades now, thanks to the heralded make-up prowess of Jack Pierce, the tight and powerful script of Curt Siodmak, some impressive photography work, a moving musical score, and wonderful performances from a truly stellar cast of actors and actresses (including Claude Raines in the role of Larry Talbot's father, Maria Ouspenskava as the gypsy woman and surrogate mother figure to Larry, and the great Bela Lugosi in a somewhat minor yet crucial role). Chaney's Wolf Man appearance is amazingly vivid and, one supposes, somewhat frightening to moviegoers of the early 1940s. His emotional performance adds to his character's tragic status; his strange and slightly awkward manner, tempered by a sort of gentle slowness always leaves me mesmerized.
With the success of The Wolf Man in 1941, it didn't take Universal long to trot out a sequel; the following year, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man not only capitalized on the success of everybody's favorite werewolf, it also brought in Frankenstein's monster, thus becoming one of the first Universal monster cross-over films. Lon Chaney, Jr., returns as the ill-fated Larry Talbot, and the legendary Bela Lugosi dons the makeup of the Frankenstein monster - this fact alone makes the film intriguing. Talbot, now afraid he cannot die, longs to be killed and put out of his misery. He ends up at the castle of Frankenstein, where a helpful young doctor promises to help him and destroy Frankenstein's monster in the process - things don't quite work out that way, and the film ends with a monster grudge match between the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster.

Werewolf of London (1935) and She-Wolf of London (1946) could not be more different, and both are unmistakably distinct from the Universal werewolf films starring Lon Chaney, Jr., yet I think they both work marvelously. Many fans don't care for them, especially She-Wolf in London, but I find both films quite compelling. They differ significantly from the storyline running through Chaney's Wolf Man films, but these two films have a great deal of their own to offer fans. Often overlooked and unduly dismissed by some reviewers and horror fans, these are two classic werewolf films.

In terms of extras, you get trailers for three of the four films, a truly excellent commentary of The Wolf Man by film historian Tom Weaver, a well-made 1999 documentary called Monster By Moonlight, and comments on the Wolf Man character by Van Helsing director Stephen Sommers. With only four movies and relatively few extras, The Wolf Man Legacy Collection falls a little short in the value department compared to the Dracula and Frankenstein Legacy Collection sets, but nothing can change the fact that this is must-have material for fans of classic horror movies.

Definately worth the rather low price
O.k., I'm not a big fan of old monster movies, but 30 bucks for four, oh yeah. The extras are definately good too, giving a good deal of information on the Wolfman, and monsters in general. Here are my thoughts on the movies individually:

The Wolfman: Reasonably good, although like all these movies it's very short and the guy doesn't even become a werewolf until it's half over. It becomes incredible to explain about the making, and tell alot of information about the various versions of the movie's script (there were three; one in 1932 that wasn't made because it would have offended Catholics, one that was the script until weeks before shooting and would have left the question of whether or not Larry (Gill not Talbot in this version) was turning into a wolf open (you only saw the wolf as a reflection through Larry's eyes), and the one that was made. He also points out the plotholes (probably left-overs from script changes). There are a good number of holes to laugh at, but I don't blame them since this was probably done on the budget of two or three "Twilight Zone" episodes.

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man: This is actually better in some ways than the original. While the idea sounds rediculous, and the excuse for the final battle seems silly, the opening is actually spookier (I won't say "scarier" because nothing in any of these movies are truly scary in our world) than the original.

She-Wolf of London: This is not a Werewolf movie. It's a murder-mystery in which the murderor is trying to convince a girl she's turning into a Werewolf because the girl believes her family is cursed. While I suppose the various instances in which it was implied she was a werewolf could be explained as part of an elaborate scheme, I can't help but think this was suppose to be more along the lines of the second aforementioned "Wolfman" script until the end when you saw the She-Wolf (or maybe even only saw it as a reflection), but the studio got cheap and wouldn't buy the make-up. I can't prove that, but I suspect it. I did not like this movie, but I don't blame them for having a filler(the only movies with the actual Wolfman are either in this set, in another Monster Legacy set, or "Abbot and Castello mee Frankenstein" which both doesn't have the Wolfman name in the title and was a comedy; the only real other black-and-white Werewolf movie I guess they had was "Werewolf of London").

Werewolf of London: Not much to say about this, it was OK, but I never really got into it.

Where It All Began ... ...
Great classic stuff here. In my mind Lon Chaney Jr. was always my favorite Wolfman. You really feel sorry for Lawrence Stewart Talbot being cursed with lycanthropy. In this set you get:
1) The Werewolf of London (1935)
2) The Wolfman (1941)
3) Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman (1943) By the way is actually
a sequel to both The Wolfman (1941) and The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), continuity wise.
4) She-Wolf of London (1946)
5) a 45 minute documentary, Monster By Moonlight. Pretty much a

history of Universal's Wolfman mixed with actual Werewolf lore.
6) Tom Weaver does commentary on a separate audio track of The Wolfman (1941). Extremely interesting P.O.V..
7) A neat peek at Van Helsing's homage to Universal's classic
Wolfman.
All in all I really enjoyed this set. I just can't wait until
Universal raids their Atomic Age Monster vaults like this. Til'
then, ENJOY. ... Read more

Description

Two years before Thriller, Boris Karloff hosted The Veil, a never-broadcast ten-episode pilot of a TV horror anthology for the Hal Roach Studios in 1958. Boris also starred in nine of The Veil's ten episodes, making this a rare treat for Karloff fans. This special double-disc set includes all ten 26-minute episodes, directed by such genre luminaries as George Waggner (The Wolf Man) and Herbert L. Strock (I Was a Teenage Frankenstein), and starring such familiar faces as Patrick Macnee (The Avengers), Robert Hardy (Psychomania), Niall MacGinnis (Curse of the Demon), Clifford Evans (Kiss of the Vampire), Morris Ankrum (Earth vs. the Flying Saucers), Eve Brent (Gun Girls), and even a young George Hamilton. So please join Boris Karloff for another journey into the world of the unexplainable which lies behind...The Veil. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Quite a Surprise
I had never heard of this program before I found the DVD an Amazon, and decided to order it. When I finally viewed the programs, I was quite surprised at a number of things.

1. The prints are very high quality, especially considering that this was a 1950's made for TV series.

2. The series was never broadcast. This is amazing considering that the episodes could have easily been in One Step Beyond or Twilight Zone if you blinked and missed the opening credits. More to the point, The Veil predates both of its more well remembered cousins.

3. They made 10 episodes as opposed to a pilot and one or two other shoots. As such, there is enough material here to really give the viewer a feel for what this series would have been had it been picked up by one of the networks at the time.

4. Appearances by actors you know. For example, Patrick Macnee (later of Avengers fame) plays a constable in one episode.

5. Karloff's range in the various roles. Having only really having seen Boris in Frankenstein and a couple of Thrillers, I didn't realize how deeply talented he was. You get to see him in a variety of roles here, and when he needs to look menacing, he does, usually through facial expressions and body language. But it left me with the opinion that he was a brilliant actor.

Bottom line is that if you like Twiliight Zone, One Step, even X Files, this is a must have. You''ll never get to see it on TV, and it's a fun DVD to watch with the family.

Interesting Rarity from TV's Golden Age
Although superficial similarities make it tempting to regard the Hal Roach Studios ten-episode series pilot THE VEIL as a sort of trial run for the later TV series THRILLER (a.k.a. BORIS KARLOFF'S THRILLER), that is really an inaccurate and unfair comparison. It's true that both shows are hosted by venerable horror star Boris Karloff and that he appears in several of the dramatizations--in fact, he appears in all but one dramatization on THE VEIL--and it's also true that both series deal with the supernatural. But unlike the stories presented on THRILLER--which are completely fictional horror stories, many based on previously published works by popular horror and science writers of the 1950s and early 1960s such as Robert E. Howard, Robert Bloch, August Derleth, Cornell Woolrich, and the like--the stories on THE VEIL are presented as "true" stories about real people who have had a brush with supernatural phenomenon like ghosts, reincarnation, psychic prognostication, and similar spooky irregularities. But true or not, the stories on THE VEIL are, of course, purely dramatic "reenactments" with no scholarly research or backup information provided to the audience, and it is therefore more accurate to see THE VEIL as a precursor to the more contemporary THE X FILES rather than as a dress rehearsal for THRILLER.

That said, THE VEIL is certainly an entertaining anomaly from television's golden era, and its high-quality production values makes one wonder why it wasn't picked up as a regular series. In fact, the show per se was never broadcast. However, in the late 1960s, 10 years or so after the original production, blocks of three or four episodes each were hastily stitched together--ironically, much like the Frankenstein monster character that originally made host Boris Karloff a star--and licensed to local TV stations for broadcast as movies on late-night TV. So this two-disc DVD from Something Weird video is likely the first time THE VEIL has been made available to the general public in the show's original 10-episode format, and Karloff fans, horror fans, fans of THE X FILES, and, yes, even fans of THRILLER should find the show very enjoyable, and most will want to add it to their DVD collections.

Whether due to restoration or just because the source material was rarely used, the picture and sound quality on the DVD set is just fantastic! The liner notes include a synopsis of each episode, as well as some interesting historical background material about the show. Bonus materials on the discs themselves include a few episodes of 13 DEMON STREET, a foreign-produced TV show in the same vein as THE VEIL and from the same era. That show was hosted by Lon Chaney, Jr., and the production quality is obviously not as high as that of THE VEIL. Indeed, the source used for the DVD transfer is washed and sometimes jittery, but the episodes are, if nothing else, interesting for their historical value.

This DVD set is a must-own for Karloff fans and for those who have a strong interest in or love for classic television. Fans of more contemporary shows like THE X FILES and MILLENNIUM may also enjoy THE VEIL, especially in light of the fact that shows like this are the true progenitors of the modern fare.

For Karloff Fans Only
If you love Boris as I do then this set is worth your time and money. It is nowhere near on a level with the Twilight Zone or it's offshoots such as Outer Limits but Boris is Boris and what more needs to be said?

Great Box!
If you enjoyed old TV shows such as Thriller (clearly inspired by this show), Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Hitchcock Presents you cannot miss this rare release.
The DVD quality is very good and the box comes with a little booklet presenting all episodes. Also it includes all the episodes ever released (plus few episodes of anothere series).
A Great Box not to be missed either by the casual viewer and the collector!

Not great but not bad...
Although I am not sorry I brought it, I find it now where near as enjoyable as the Mr Wong collection.

The sound on this, whilst acceptable is by no means great.. ... Read more

Description

Submarine commander is overly devoted to crew and boat. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Operation Pacific
Since I grew up with this movie, I have seen it at least 30 times. This is one of the best Submarine Movies of WW-II action made. And not everyone knows this but this movie did deal with some truth. When the skipper is shot by a "Q" ship in a surface attack, he uses the command "Take Her Down" which was in actuality used by the CO of the USS Growler, after being critically wounded in action in 1942. And the torpedo trouble in the movie was also true and they did drop warheads from on high to test out various firing options. One submarine mentioned in the Movie was the Corvina, which really was a USN Sub, and she was suck by a Japanese Submarine like the movie portrays. Unlike other Sub Movies, this one has a lot of truth in it and is an excellent watch. It is made more realistic by being in black and white. Sources for the above "Sink em All" By Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, USN COMSUBPAC during WW-II

When things go wrong and one is in harm's way.
This is a chilly saga of an American sub captain plagued by failure-prone weapons and an ocean full of Japanese to fight. They find the reason the torpedoes didn't work and put back to sea, this time, to take good care of the nasty business at hand. One scene that brings the cost of war home is that the Thunderfish loaned another sub a movie, "Washington Slept Here." Sometime later, they find wreckage of an American sub, and the movie tells them who is at the bottom of the ocean. The Thunderfish strikes back at the sub that got their friends, showing how dangerous it was out there and what courage it took to fight this war. The climax scene shows them in a Japanese-controlled harbor, with a waiting task force. They fire their new and deadly torpedoes, and radio back to Cincpac about the taskforce and its location. They run for cover, and barely survive massive retaliation: the outcome is in doubt until the last, as it was for many other submariners. A moving, poignant, and bittersweet tale that stresses the fact that nothing ever comes for free, even in war.

Authentic in Every Detail
What makes "Operation Pacific" stand out is its authentic pigboat crew dialogue and operational procedures. It is also unique in that it took from a real life WWII sub commander's life. Cdr. Howard W. Gilmore (played by Ward Bond as the fictitious 'Pop Perry' in the movie) who actually did speak the words, "Take her down" as he lay mortally wounded on the bridge of his sub, USS Growler", thus saving the lives of his crew. This is an exceptional WWII submarine movie, a huge step above all of the rest.

Classic, but only amongst sub movies
This show depicts JW being handed what he least wants, to be left ashore during wartime to solve a technical problem with torpedos -- something that really happened.

There is much of the standard John Wayne character in the movie -- he's strong and larger than life, even when he faces a ruggedly handsome younger man who is vying for the same woman. John Wayne is, of course, the hero, and that's OK.

The best part about the movie, however, doesn't have anything to do with subs. The best part is the showdown between two nurses when one tells the other how things really are, and to quit whining about things (I paraphrase, badly).

Nevertheless, this movie is a great option for a free Saturday afternoon. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Pleasant, but nothing special
A Kentucky soldier (John Wayne) falls for a French general's daughter (Vera Ralston) and gets mixed up in a battle between unscrupulous river traders and French settlers. Nothing remarkable here. It's pure formula right down to the end, when the cavalry comes to the rescue. Oliver Hardy is entertaining in a rare appearance without Stan Laurel.

Charming western with a few minor flaws
As another reviewer mentioned, the movie is a bit slow to start and leaves some plot points unexplained (yes, why *is* John Breen trying to get out of going with his regiment?) but is overall very enjoyable. Wayne is courtly and charming (nobody says "ma'am" like he does), and Oliver Hardy (showing off his native Georgian accent) is so adorable, I wanted to put him in my pocket. Truly an inspired piece of casting; thank goodness Wayne kept after Hardy when he initially refused to work without Stan Laurel. Vera Ralston as the French general's daughter was not the best choice, and I kept getting the two mustached villians mixed up, but I happily stayed with the movie until the "big calvary rescue" ending, and would watch it again. This DVD also includes some good behind the scenes photos, and plenty of interesting production notes.

Starts slow finishes strong
A very different John Wayne movie as he plays a member of a Kentuckey Milita regement who falls for a French General's daughter in 1818 Alabama.

The addition of Oliver Hardy as his side kick is a very neat trick and works extremely well in this picture. I would have enjoyed seeing the paring more oftern.

The plot suffers as we never really know why he is avoiding his regement at the start but once we get up river it thickens and deepens to the point where we have quite a mystery on our hands, best exemplified when Wayne ask a character "Who's side are you on anyway?", and the answer comes "Mine."

Although some may disagree I think Vera Rawlson is very good in this picture and quite believeable, despite her being the studio heads girl (or maybe because of it, after all she plays the pampered daughter of a French General)

The big fight and chase scenes are pulled off well and the comic relief is pleasent.

An inexpensive movie and a pleasure.

And for those of you who scorn a colorized version, I don't know about you but my TV has a color control and you can turn it off.

Another off-beat role for The DUKE!
"The Fighting Kentuckian" is the second movie that The DUKE produced for Republic Pictures. Unfortunately, while the first project, "Angel and the Badman" was a great success, this movie bordered on disaster.

In order to be given producing credit, DUKE had to hire the studio boss's girlfriend (Vera Ralston), to star opposite him. He knew she'd be no good for the picture, but DUKE's hands were tied.

One problem with Vera Ralston was that she had a Czech accent. The role she was playing was supposed to be a French woman! In the end, all the French characters had to be cast with Czechs and other Eastern Europeans so Ralston's accent would not stand out. While not embarrassing herself too badly here, Ralston was not a real actress, and it shows.

Oliver Hardy is great as DUKE's sidekick, although he was reluctant to do a project without his partner, Stan Laurel. Hardy had worked in a play with DUKE and John Ford just before filming began on "The Fighting Kentuckian", and DUKE really wanted Hardy in his next project. Hardy only agreed after Laurel, ill at the time, talked him into it.

There's quite a bit that's out of place here. Mixing the Louisiana river traders with French Army ex-patriots is a weird bit of psudo-history, made even more weird by the unlikely addition of the Kentucky Regiment that Wayne and Hardy are part of.

DUKE is still DUKE, and Hardy is fun, but otherwise this overblown costume drama is not very memorable.

The print Artisan used for the DVD transfer is pretty poor, too. For DUKE or Hardy completists, only.

Great early movie
One of John Wayne's better early movies where the film isn't too grainy. Has some quality comedic scenes in here with his sidekick being the big guy from Laurel and Hardy. One of the "here come the calvary" endings you'll find.

Not as good the Sons of Katie Elder, El Dorado but a lot better than True Grit and his older movies. Definitely a good one to have. ... Read more

Reviews (68)

A distant howling.
This legendary horror film is the granddaddy of all werewolf movies. The previous "Werewolf of London" notwithstanding, this film set the standard for much that followed. Wolf Man Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney) became a popular member of the classic horror family at Universal Studios. Makeup genius Jack Pierce created the trademark hirsute fright look that has been imitated, but never improved, over the years. The familiar story of metamorphosis, wolfbane, and the autumn moon unfolds quickly. The running time of the film is a mere 70 minutes. Once it gets going, the action doesn't let up. The inspired casting of Maria Ouspenskaya as Maleva the gypsy woman is a memorable event in classic horror flicks. She brings a mystic sense of Slavic fatalism to her role. Her son, Bela the fortune teller, has the mark of the beast and infects Talbot. Bela Lugosi's appearance is brief, but he manages to project the world-weariness and suffering of his peculiar malady as the doomed gypsy who sees the pentagram in the palm of his next victim. The terrific scenes of Chaney in full makeup, creeping amid the gnarled trees and through the foggy night are the stuff of troubled childhood dreams. Scream Queen Evelyn Ankers is the resident threatened female. Claude Rains is cast in the unlikely role of the hulking Chaney's father. American Ralph Bellamy is also a peculiar choice to play the stern local chief constable. Despite these little quirks, it all blends nicely. About the only thing missing, is the dark sense of humor of James Whale, which made the early Universal Frankenstein flicks so richly enjoyable. Every serious collector of Classic Horror 101 needs this addition to their collection. ;-)

Your suffering is over, Bela my son.
Don Smith, Lon Chaney, Jr.'s biographer, states that the most important horror film of the 1940's is "The Wolf Man". This new full screen(aspect 1.33:1) release of "The Wolf Man" is what DVD is all about: A clear, pristine restoration of a cinema classic, an original documentary with director John Landis(written by historian David J. Skal), commentary by expert Tom Weaver, a trailer, and bio's on the major stars, including listing every film by Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi. The Wolfman story, perhaps a classic Greek tragedy, is well-known. Lawrence Talbot returns to his father's estate in Wales. After romancing a local village girl, Talbot is bitten by a werewolf. At the full moon, he suffers the curse of lycanthropy. Like a football team, a movie is perhaps, only as good as it's players. "The Wolf Man" is all first string. Fresh from his accolades for "Of Mice and Men", Lon Chaney, Jr. steps into the leading role with conviction and empathy. This is his finest work. His father, Sir John, is played by Claude Rains. Just one year later, he would be Oscar nominated for "Casablanca". British actress Evelyn Ankers began a long Universal film career here as the love interest. Warren Williams plays the doctor. Williams was once touted as the next Barrymore. Ralph Bellamy appears as Constable Montford. Bellamy was in over 100 films. He won the Academy Award and a Tony for his work. Patric Knowles, a Universal staple, plays the gamekeeper. World famous Maria Ouspenskaya emigrated to the U.S. from Russia, surviving the Revolution and famine. Her role here as Maleva, the old gypsy woman, is pivotal.Finally Bela Lugosi, as Bela the gypsy, is at once riveting and magnetic. Originally considered for the lead, Lugosi's part was sadly cut to 7 lines. It is his only screen appearance as a werewolf. "Wolf Man" director George Waggner creates a frantic pace and eery backgrounds here. Waggner started as an actor, appearing in "The Shiek", with Rudolph Valentino, in 1921. The "Wolf Man" story comes from a taut script by Curt Siodmak. An original music score from Charles Previn and Hans J. Salter was so successful, it popped up in Universal films for years. Some of the track was recycled in 1954 for "Creature From the Black Lagoon". An early "Wolfman" scene in Talbot Castle includes a candlabra prop seen in 1935's "The Raven". In a later segment, Chaney exits a magnificent old church. That set was built for his father in "Hunchback of Notre Dame". "The Wolf Man" finished shooting in November, 1941. Just weeks later it opened in theaters. It was an instant hit, earning over $1 million. Within days, five of the principal actors were rushed into Universal's next opus, "Ghost of Frankenstein". Lon Chaney, Jr.'s grandson, Ron Chaney, lives in Palm Springs, Calif.. I have spoken with him several times. He holds his famous ancestors in high esteem, thanks to his web-site (...). He remembers his grandfather as warm and generous. For "The Wolf Man" commentary, Tom Weaver is detailed and inspired. He makes one error, however,mentioning that Lon Chaney, Jr. died of lung cancer. He's wrong. It was actually his father, Lon Chaney,Sr., who passed away in 1930 after shooting his only sound film, a re-make of his own "The Unholy Three". Lon Chaney,Jr. died in 1973 of a heart attack and liver failure. He was 67. In "The Wolf Man"'s final epic scenes, Maleva, the old gypsy woman, bends over the battered body of Lawrence Talbot, and whispers the words that have echoed down and haunted Hollywood horror film history..."The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own. But as the rain enters the soil, the river enters the sea, so tears run to their predestined end. Your suffering is over, my son. Now you will find peace..."

The birth of Universal's most tragic monster character
Among the pantheon of classic Universal monsters, only Dracula and Frankenstein's monster stand taller than The Wolf Man. This 1941 classic starring Lon Chaney, Jr., is a must-see for anyone claiming any interest in horror movies. The film has exerted a huge influence on the art of bringing horror to life for over six decades now, thanks to the heralded make-up prowess of Jack Pierce, the tight and powerful script of Curt Siodmak, some impressive photography work, and wonderful performances from a truly stellar cast of actors and actresses.

There is just something different about The Wolf Man; I have a hard time viewing him as a monster Larry Talbot is a thoroughly sympathetic and tragic character. Dracula loves being a vampire, Frankenstein's monster is just an unfortunate victim of circumstance whose various body parts have already lived full lives, but Larry Talbot desperately hates the monster he has become. He's already a sympathetic character, coming home after eighteen years following the death of his older brother, trying to fit in among the folks he said goodbye to long ago. Then, when he hears a fateful howl accompanied by a scream, he races off in heroic fashion, taking on a wolf in order to try and save a woman's life, killing the doggoned creature. And what does he get for his noble, self-less act? First of all, suspicion, because instead of the wolf he described, the authorities find the body of a gypsy fortune teller (played by Bela Lugosi, who gets all of seven lines in the film) clubbed to death by Talbot's cane. Then, tragically, he finds himself inflicted with the curse of the werewolf, thanks to the bite he suffered in the struggle. Chaney's performance also adds to his tragic status. He had a style of acting all his own; at times, I watch him and think the guy just couldn't act his way out of a dark room with a flashlight, but his strange and slightly awkward manner, tempered by a sort of gentle slowness ends up leaving me mesmerized. In most horror movies, I'm always ready to bring the monster on and get the party started, but I never look forwarding to watching Talbot turn into the werewolf.

I think everyone is pretty well acquainted with the story here. Man gets bitten by werewolf, man turns into werewolf, man suffers a tragic fate. The Wolf Man, though, succeeds in becoming much more than just the simple tale of a hairy monster. The inimitable Claude Rains lends the film character and class as Talbot's father. The lovely Evelyn Ankers makes a great leading lady in the form of Gwen Conliffe. Lugosi is of course terrific as the gypsy Bela, but the role is a minor one indeed. Maria Ouspenskaya is masterful as the gypsy woman Maleva who tries to warn Talbot and help him deal with the curse that suddenly consumes his life. Siodmak really provided a tight plot; there would be a number of sequels, but The Wolf Man is a completely self-contained movie of great power and meaning.

There are a number of really interesting things about this movie. For instance, we never actually see Talbot's transformation from man to wolf - we see the legs change, but that is it. There is a scene toward the end where we witness the transformation from wolf to man, but you won't see any time-lapse treatment of the change from man to monster. Of much more interest to me is the fact that you don't hear a single reference to the moon in the entire film. Apparently, the transformation happens nightly to Talbot; there is nothing to indicate that a full moon plays any part at all. Thus, some of the core Wolf Man assumptions do not trace themselves back to the original movie.

The commentary by film historian Tom Weaver, included on the DVD, is just superb. It's one of the most engaging commentaries I've heard. This guy is loaded to the gills with facts and trivia, and he barely pauses over the course of the film's 70 minutes, delivering one gem after another. He also asks some of the questions I ask when I watch the movie, and I love that. This isn't a commentary by some stuffy "expert." Weaver is indeed an expert, but at the same time he is one of us, a true fan of classic horror movies.

Lon Chaney and Claude Rains together.
The best thing about The Wolf Man is not the monster itself but the subtle progression of wolfish themes that are brought out from start to finish in the movie. Even though the much dated 'look' of the monster brings this Universal Classic offering a notch down it still happens to be the best screenplay of the Horror Classics. Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, son of Phantom of the Opera's Lon Chaney) shows that he has some of his father in him (not much facial contortions until the transformations) in his way of bringing darkness and madness to a character that is jolly, loving and smitten by local town kitten after he arrives at his fathers estate following a brief period of absence to take care of things. He learns the local legend of The Wolf Man in the village, how strange poems about the moon and wolfs bane can bring out the wolf in a man, the pentagram and how it can prevent werewolf attacks but also how if it appears on someone's skin then that person is the werewolf's next victim.

All of these superstitions come true very quickly when Larry finds himself the centre of a strange murder mystery in the nearby woods where a gypsy man (Bela Lugosi, in a bit of an under-performance [he is only in it for a few minutes]) was found dead without his shoes on next to the corpse of a young woman who had been mauled by a wolf that Larry had killed with his cane after going to visit the psychic gypsies who had stopped there after passing through the village. Larry remembers killing a wolf but no wolf was ever found...

... later after a gypsy funeral Larry learns that there is a werewolf in the village and that the gypsy's are leaving but not before he meets the wife of the dead gypsy who tells him that the gypsy was really a werewolf and that Larry is cursed!

Claude Rains (who also stars in The Invisible Man and the remake of Phantom of the Opera) has a supporting/lead role as Larry's father who means to prove his son's innocents and protect him from self harm as Larry falls slowly into despair with the knowledge that the superstitions are true and that he is a werewolf.

Most lovers of the classics will probably recognise this as the catchiest of the lot probably because it was closer to more supernatural/natural horror than Frankenstein, Dracula, The Invisible Man or Phantom of the Opera. Here we learned about the moon and fascinating facts about the werewolf that have not often been repeated in any other werewolf movie. Also Lon Chaney is the real reason to watch this and along side Claude Rains is to die for, really. The documentaries and extras make this a 5 star package!

Hair¿s an Interesting Look
The Wolf Man is simply one of the greatest horror films ever made. Written by Curt Siodmak and directed by George Waggner this film had the perfect combination of narrative content and visual elements. The Wolf Man was one of a dozen B horror movies that Universal produced within the 1930s and 40s, but remains of an elite category for its excellence. From its release in 1941 and until now I believe this film hasn't been getting the appreciation it deserves. Its reputation of being just another black and white B horror film precedes it unfortunately.
The Wolf Man is the story of a man who takes the shape of an animal, in this case a wolf, to deal with his struggle with sexual repression. Larry Talbot, played by Lon Chaney Jr., returns to his home in England after studying abroad for nearly two decades. Shortly after his return, he falls in love with the daughter of an antique shop named Gwen Conliffe, who is played by Evelyn Ankers. Gwen is the stereotypical country girl. She is pretty, sweet, and moral. Larry is bitten by a werewolf on his first date with Gwen and becomes inflicted with the disease of lycanthropy. As the film prolongs we learn of Gwen's engagement to another man and how it leads to a great deal of Larry's frustration. An interesting aspect of this film is that before almost all of Larry's transformations into a wolf he is either directly or indirectly engaged with Gwen's seemingly unreachable hand until it's too late. This leads me to believe that Gwen is, in a way, responsible for Larry's "liberation" from man into beast; being that she is the object of not only his love, but of his sexual frustrations and repressions.
It is always interesting to see how a leading lady was depicted in the golden years of Hollywood films. In The Wolf Man's case, as in many other cases, she is represented as a stereotype and as an object. Without her character, however, the narrative would not have had its particularly well crafted strength. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Four episodes of The Veil anthology
Presented here are four tales of suspense that I believe were part of a ten episode series created by Hal Roach Studios called The Veil, a series that was never broadcast on television. The show stars Boris Karloff, who presents each story, and then appears at the conclusion to wrap it up. He also appears in three of the four stories available here.

The first episode deals with a bachelor who witnesses from his apartment window a crime that happens in the building across the way. When he contacts the police to investigate, they discover the apartment is empty, and no one has lived there for quite awhile. The police, thinking the man has a screw loose, take him to a mental hospital, where Karloff plays a psychiatrist. When the crime actually happens the next day, the man is considered the prime suspect, even though he can accurately describe the perpetrator to a tee. Can this man see events before they happen? Or is he the actually the man behind the crime?

The second story is about a family living on a farm and the father passes on. After his death, it is discovered that there are two wills, one leaving everything to the older, more responsible brother who wants to keep the farm and care for his mother, and a second that names the younger, reckless, self-involved brother who wants to sell the farm, keep the money, and put the mother into an old folks home. Which one is real? A spectral vision will tell for sure. Karloff plays the family lawyer in this episode.

The third episode tells the tale of a cold-hearted sea captain and his tumultuous relationship with his wife. The love has left the marriage, and the captain sees an opportunity to finance a new ship in the arms of another woman, one who has recently come into a large sum of money. If only he wasn't married...What to do? Karloff stars in this episode as the sea captain.

The fourth and final episode is a story about a man who has dreams about Jack the Ripper. He sees the crimes before they occur, and can give great detail about the events. The police are skeptical, and then believe the man may be the Ripper due to his intimate knowledge of the crimes, but soon discover otherwise as the crimes continue despite the man with the visions being locked up. Do they discover the identity of the Ripper before he kills again? Karloff does not appear in this last episode at all, only prior to the story starting and then again at the end, to wrap things up.

This isn't a bad little collection of made for television stories with a slight, macabre twist. The stories aren't really all that shocking, but I suspect the passage of time may have lessened the overall effect. Of the four stories here, the first two are pretty tame, the third having a bit more juice, and the forth being quite tasty and atmospheric. I really enjoyed seeing Karloff, and he added much to those episodes he was in, always presenting a point of interest for the viewer. The title of this collection, obviously used for the sensational appeal, may be misleading to some thinking that this would be an entire movie or something about Jack the Ripper, but it isn't. Only the last episode deals with that subject. There is another release, one by Image Entertainment called The Veil (1958) that has all ten episodes of the unreleased television show, along with some extras worth looking into, and is available here, on this website. It cost a little more, but you get a whole lot more. Karloff fans and anyone else interested would probably be better off searching that out rather than settling for this partial release.

Cookieman108

3 chilling tales from Karloff's TV show~
Karloff's unsold TV anthology "THE VEIL" is where these 3 spine~tinglers originate from.Story One concerns a father,a son,a will & a message from beyond the grave!Story two (my favorite) Karloff is a sea captain who ignores his wife until,finally,he kills her but she gets revenge from the grave!Story 3 concerns a clairvoyant who can "see" Jack the Ripper's murders as they happen!LOTS OF FUN!

JACK THE RIPPER
This was the best video I have ever seen in my life. A look at the notorious killer. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

If it happens......
It will be the hit of the year!
But for the people who can make this happen, don't forget The Green Hornet, another William Dozier/Greenway Production.
This is a long awaited DVD box set that is overdue.Currently no offical DVD release is available and we all want to see The amazing Bruce Lee as Kato, and Van Williams as The Hornet and the stunning Black Beauty.
Wake up people, this is a must do just like Batman!

WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN
We all love this show. Right? And we want season box sets. Right? Well it may not happen that way. I believe the studio that released the LOST IN SPACE tv series will release this.That's IF they choose to do so. Which could mean split sets. 2 volumes for Season 1 and at least 4 volumes for Season 2 considering that was a whopping 60 episodes, and back to 2 volumes for season 3. And you know what? THAT WOULD BE PERFECTLY FINE WITH ME. Because it's a lot better than not being released at all. In fact, come to think of it.., the split LOST IN SPACE sets may have been a testing of the waters for this show. SO GO! GO NOW! TO THE ATM, HIT THE FAST CASH BUTTON, AND BUY THOSE LOST IN SPACE SETS YOU"VE BEEN PUTTING OFF. Oh! And write nice reviews about LOST IN SPACE on AMAZON. While you're doing all this just keep humming the BATMAN THEME to yourself. IF.. YOU... DO... NOT... OBEY...MY...COMMANDS...IT... WILL.. BE...YOUR... FAULT... THAT... The BATMAN tv series never got released. Then again, what do I know? I could be totally wrong.

Mind-blowingly cool!
Wow! We have a great local station in Chicago that plays only classic TV (MeTV, Channel 23, Chicago). Today, they are playing a 6-hour Batman marathon, and even though it is the sunniest, most beautiful day of the year thus far after a long winter, I am so wanting to stay in and watch. I did have the great pleasure of showing my young children their first Batman, which they greatly enjoyed. I had to drag them away or they too would have watched until 6.

Man, these shows are SO much fun. They are just super cool. Adam West's earnestness is beyond description. The groovy sets, snappy, campy dialogue...all I can say is wow! I love how BM & R are so un -buff in their skin-tight suits. Its not that they're flabby, but by today's standards, they seem to have no muscle definition. I love it.

I was given a box set of the first season of Dukes of Hazzard, and while the camp value was fun for a couple episodes, it just doesn't have much staying power, viewing it as an adult. But Batman...it just keeps getting better. I must get this DVD when it comes out.

Steven Slaughter
Renewed Batman Fan
Chicago

Da-da-da season one!!
Season one of Batman is chock-full of fun for the whole family. Kids are going to love the comic book appearance, and older viewers are going to appreciate the double entendres and in-jokes flying at them faster than the batcopter.

Bruce Wayne (Adam West) is the caped crusader. Together with young ward Dick Grayson (Burt Ward) as Robin, he protects Gotham from crime. Police Commissioner Jim Gordon (Neil Hamilton) and Police Chief O'Hara (Stafford Repp) are incapable of fighting crime on their own.

The dynamic duo lives at Wayne Manor with Alfred Pennyworth (Alan Napier) and Aunt Harriet (Madge Blake). The `Aunt Harriet' character was created specifically for this series so any suggestion that Batman and Robin were gay icons would be defused. Personally, superhero sexuality had never crossed my mind while watching this TV series, I was only interested in seeingBatman and Robin save the day (as usual).

This season (1966) has 34 episodes of comical hjinks. Each episode was a 2-parter which aired on different nights during the same week. This filming technique allowed for a greater scripting depth than would have been expected from a comedy genre made in the pop-wild 60's. Camp was indeed king in this Gotham City.

My favorite episodes include "The purrfect crime/better luck next time" which introduces us to the Catwoman (played by Julie Newmar during both this season and season 2). It also hints at the sexual tension existing between Catwoman and Batman. They are on opposite sides of the law, but this pair still feels for each other.

`Instant Freeze/Rats Like Cheese' has Batman and Robin battling Mr. Freeze (George Sanders) who for the sake of this TV series is really Dr. Shimmel instead of Victor Friese. This episode is memorable because Batman and Robin (despite all of their bat-gadgets) cannot recover from being frozen on their own and subsequently must receive treatment from the `Super-Hypotherm-De-Icifier Chamber Mark VII' machine located at Gotham City Hospital. Batman and Robin are crime-fighting superheroes, but they are not invincible or immortal.

Series aficionados will want to note the important trends begun during this season.

`The curse of Tut/The pharaoh's in a rut' is important because it is the first episode creating all-new villains specifically for this TV series instead of attempting to borrow from the Bob Kane detective series (which WASN'T happy go-lucky). At this point this villain roster expansion does not date itself as being set in the 1960's.

Jerry Lewis provides the first batclimb cameo appearance in `The bookworm turns'. These episodes had ironically aired during National Library week 1966. Lewis sticks his head out a building window to briefly chat with the dynamic duo while they are in hot pursuit of a criminal. A whole galaxy of stars and public figures followed his appearance in later episodes. It became a race to see who could get on the television.

The criminal lairs are always filmed `crooked' but there is not any violence as is measured by today's TV standards. Comic-book exclamations conveniently appear whenever there is a fight and no blood is spilt during any of the scenes.

The bat computer is now-obsolete, but for the 1960's and then to a 1980's child making do with a Commodore 64, it was really hi-tech.

Holy injustice - Batman's not on DVD.
I watched and enjoyed Batman when I was a kid. Back then, I took it seriously. Now, I'd like to get it so that I can appreciate it for what it is. As a side note, I'd also like to see The Flash on DVD as well. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

No thrills or chills to be found here.
PLEASE NOTE: This is in regards to the DVD, which contains 4 TV episodes as opposed to 2 for the VHS version.

It's easy to see why this never became a successful show, even with Boris Karloff attached to it.

"Destination Nightmare" is actually a collection of four TV episodes of about 25 minutes apiece. The writers apparently had very little creativity when compared to such classics as "Twilight Zone" or "Amazing Stories".

The first episode is about a teenage girl who goes to visit her mother's childhood home. When she gets there, she is overcome with the spirit of a girl who had died ten years earlier. This is the best out of the four, but that really isn't saying much.

The second episode is about a young man who sees a ghost while he is flying a plane. The ghost tries to make him crash.

The third episode is too similar to the first. A young Indian woman has been reincarnated and she remembers her past life. She shocks people by knowing things that only her previous incarnation could possibly know. The fact that white people are trying to portray Hindu Indians adds to the tackiness.

The final episode is kind of hard to explain because it is so utterly illogical. In general, a gentleman encounters a young blonde woman having car trouble. He senses that she is in some sort of imminent danger. I won't spoil the "twist" for you but it makes everything that occurred earlier in the episode lack any sense whatsoever.

If these stories were the best that they could come up with at the start, then I would hate to see what they would've come up with if the show was around for a while.

Absolute bore.
Only in case these late 50s (it should be 1958 instead 1968 as listed above) TV-episodes can evoke some personal memories in you, is this DVD worth viewing. Unfortunately I have to describe it, together with some other DVDs from this lot, incredibly boring. Looks poor Boris was in bad need of money, he looks so uninspired. The technical quality of these DVD-s are nothing much to boust about as well. So, don't expect anything but nostalgia here. No nightmares, no destination.

Two excellent tales of the supernatural!
These two seperate stories come from Boris Karloff's 10 episode series "THE VEIL" which was filmed for TV.These are two of the better episodes~~The first story revolves around a strange girl & an even stranger man (Karloff) who,well...you'll have to watch the show!Episode two concerns a fellow who witnesses a murder from his window...or does he? Karloff again plays a role.Great tape! Great fun! ... Read more

Reviews (18)

U .N.C.L.E Deserves to be on DVD
Make no mistake about it - The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was one of the best - if not the best - TV series in the 1960's. And don't forget the TV reunion movies,(was there just 1, or 2?)one of which had George Lazenby spoofing his James Bond portrayal. Isn't it time the powers that be give all the U.N.C.L.E. fans what we want - a DVD release of this superbly written and acted series? Look at some of the stuff that's out now such as The Man Show and series which barely lasted one season and you have to believe the people in charge of issuing series are issuing what they want and not what the viewers want. C'mon folks, give us Napolean Solo (only Sean Connery is a better actor than Robert Vaughn) and let's not forget sidekick Ilya Kuryakin (Navy NCIS's David McCallum) and Alexander Waverly (Leo G. Carroll) who was just as good as James Bond's "M." U.N.C.L.E. fans are legion and don't deserve to be ignored any longer.

Tell me you are kidding, no "Man From U.N.C.L.E." in DVD???
Man, of all the t.v. series in DVD format, to do a search for: "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," to find nothing, not even a single episode or movie, is a huge shock and disappointment, to say the least. The person in charge of deciding which shows to put on DVD really blew it as in "No DUH." Most people who grew up in the 60's, grew up watching and loving the show. That would be the so-called baby boomers who make up a sizeable portion of today's purchasing population, your's included. So, what are you waiting for? What is the hold-up? This series is much better than "I SPY," "The Avengers" or even "The Saint" (even if they, too, are good ones) and you have them on DVD already. I still have to pinch myself, I gotta be dreaming, no Illya Kuryakin or Napoleon Solo? No Mr. Waverly or United Network Command for Law and Enforement, battling Thrush on our behalf??? Woe is me. I'm searching again because I gotta be dreaming this.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
OMG, WHERE is the DVD issuance of this GREAT Spy series from 1964-68? Come on, guys, this addictive program was the most popular TV series THROUGHOUT THE WORLD in the mid-60's, and even today has a huge cult following, loyal fan club base, and show memorabilia collector interest.
This is not just a nostalgic series for the 'baby boomers.' It is timeless for adults and kids alike. MFU sports thrilling around-the-world spy plots, tongue-in-cheek humor and an almost unlimited list of famous guest stars. As must also be noted, its second (and subsequent) seasons, filmed on the now defunct but expensive and gorgeous Kodachrome film, make this series an absolute delight for the eye. Color tints and saturations you do not see on programs filmed later into the 70's!
The writers, producers and directors of the series were certainly some of the most talented and innovative of the period. The show has amazingly well written plots (especially the B&W first season) and in fact even spawned many 'new' photography techniques in its time. These are noted as creative applications utilizing the then-new shoulder-hefted 'portable' film cameras. This program was one of the first such uses of these cameras.
Starring Robert Vaughn as secret agent Napoleon Solo, David McCallum as partner Illya Kuryakin, and Leo G. Carroll as U.N.C.L.E. Director Alexander Waverly, this series brought together three very talented actors to create a well-blended mix of character personalities. Week after week they would save the world, usually from the sinister menace of the evil arch enemy organization THRUSH.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is grand action adventure.
Granted, the series did begin to falter (just a bit) in its final 1967-68 season, but it was still fun to watch and certainly remained at the top of the 'quality' shows of the period.
A 1966-67 cross over spin off, the often times ridiculous Girl From U.N.C.L.E., was also quite popular. The GFU starred Stefanie Powers as agent April Dancer and Noel Harrison as agent Mark Slate. Again, Leo G. Carroll starred as the head of the U.N.C.L.E.
Work on these two series' was quite an accomplishment for the renowned Mr. Carroll, considering that he was not in the best of health at this time in his life. Shows were occasionally and graciously shot around his particular needs, but the producers weren't bothered; they were well aware of their good fortune to have such a respected actor.
In light of many 'garbage' shows being presently marketed on DVD, it is necessary to state that the fantastic Man From U.N.C.L.E. series needs to be given its long overdue consideration for DVD release.
And make certain to keep intact the closing credits, sporting the famous "We wish to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose assistance this program would not be possible."
Great stuff . . . right to the end!

Dated, But Still My Favorite Show
UNCLE is still my favorite show, even if it is dated (and even though I can now see how they re-used that red brick mansion over and over in many episodes). Recently, Film Score Monthly magazine has released two double-CD sets of original UNCLE music, and I've been reimagining the shows in my head as I listen to great, catchy music. I've waited since 1965 for real, original UNCLE music, as heard on the show. Yippee!

Why this show is not on DVD perplexes me. When it was released on tape, they didn't pick the best episodes, but the ones with the biggest guest stars. Bad move, but better than nothing.

For a 1960s show that's not in reruns, it still isn't forgotten. I recently heard Elvis Costello on a talk show describing a recording studio that was unexpectedly located in an old building. He said, "It was like 'The Man From UNCLE'". I could hardly believe my ears! See, people still talk about it. Please release it while we're still around to buy it.

Make My Days ... and Nights
As a long-time fan, I already own the tape set, but would still buy the DVDs in a heartbeat. Man from U.N.C.L.E. fans are still around -- in numbers that would surprise you. And we're not all over 40. My kids love the show, too. It's timeless -- funny, intelligent and features some wonderful co-stars.

I look forward to owning this set. ... Read more