Reviews (7)

BONANZA Restored To Its Original Quality!
Bonanza is at last available as its meant to be...Digitally Mastered, original music, the burning map, and the beautiful watercolor drawings of the opening and closing credits.

The various repeat airings on television since the series ended were edited by up to 10 minutes to allow for more commercial time. This DVD presents the episodes in their original form. And the picture quality is no doubt better than the quality of the then-new color TVs when the series originally aired.

May this Volume 1 sell enough that Republic/Artisan continue to remaster the original prints from the series. There are many classic episodes that have never seen release on video, and were sadly edited in tv repeats...

Springtime, The Hayburner, Hoss and the Leprechauns, The Wooing of Abigail Jones, etc.

The original masters of the Bonanza series need to be restored and preserved on DVD.

For die-hard Bonanza fans only
The class act in classic TV westerns seems to be Have Gun Will Travel, which works on many levels and effectively engages the modern audience. Bonanza fans may appreciate the excellent DVD transfer, gorgeous settings and selection of episodes in this product. But the rest of us would be better advised to select something with vision and adult-level dialogue going for it.

Why not Season Box Sets?
This is a great compilation of classic episodes of one of the best shows in TV History.My only complaint is the lack of the deserved respect for such a show.Many classic shows from the 60s and 70s have been released in wonderful quality season box sets.Why not Bonanza?

A Western classic!
So,the waiting time is over.A beautiful DVD in Top Quality of the great Bonanza TV-Show.I am astonished about the remarkable Choice about the episodes.The Crucible and All about Walter,one dramatic and one funny,are truly some of the greatest from the complete Run.And the Orginal Sound and Opening Sequence let the heart jump.Bonanza Fans,this is the first real deal on DVD.Buy it and lets hope there will be more.And my wish is that there will be more classic shows like Branded,Man called Shenandoah,Lancer,High Chapparal,Bronco,Laramie or Gunsmoke.I think there is a big market for these treats.

great all around dvd
this is the best dvd yet and i would highly recommend. i too will be waiting for future editions from artisan. now if we can only get alias smith and jones by someone like "artisan"!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are one of the funniest comedy teams of all time. And this disc, featuring four episodes of The Abbot and Costello Show from the 1952-53 season is certainly proof of that. Most of the episodes begin with Bud and Lou onstage in front of an audience, providing an introduction to each story. The episodes themselves are stand-alone classics, but the plot lines frame famous Abbot and Costello sketches. The disc is formatted with menus so that you can play each episode or skip to the routines.

The four episodes featured in this volume, "Duck Dinner," "Hillary's Birthday," "Million Dollar Refund," and "Actor's Home," are heavy on physical comedy and rely on familiar supporting characters such as Mike the Cop, Bacciagalupe, and Mr. Fields to propel the stories. In the final episode, "Actor's Home," we are treated with a cameo appearance from comedian Joe Besser (previous to his joining the Three Stooges) as well as a brilliant performance of "Who's on First."

The fact that Abbot and Costello always appear to be in on the gags with their audience (breaking the "fourth wall" with humorous "see what I've gotten myself into now" looks and comments) only adds to the performances. It's also interesting to note that the low-grade special effects and highbrow comedy, which so encompassed the age when these shows were originally filmed, can still entertain audiences all these years later, proving that this pair of comedians, and their style of comedy, is timeless. --Zachary Lively ... Read more

Reviews (2)

ONLY a 4 show-DVD---like the identical 13 tapes(* * * * )?
The 52 Abbott & Costello TV episodes are a rarity. Must be: with only 4 of them to a DVD that'd easily hold six or seven. These are lovingly-transfered from the original 35mm masters owned by Lou's daughter-- Chris Costello, authoress of the excellent book "LOU'S ON FIRST!". In the "olden days" [before VHS], Bud and Lou insisted upon owning the "home-theatrical rights" of their 36 movies, and 52 TV shows on ACTUAL film. MOST television programs from the 1950s no longer even exist beause filming broadcasts was quite expensive...I LOVE LUCY comes to mind as another survivor (who knew the reruns would build Desi & Lucy-- DesiLu-- their own studios with the first TV program to use multiple cameras? In the early 1940s, when the Abbott & Costello COULD've owned Univeral Studios, outright-- and DID save them from bankruptsy-- one of the biggies in their contracts was "home movie rights". Bud and Lou were competative, and enjoyed watching 16mm films, at liesure, IN their own home-screening rooms at a time when watching movies at home wasn't possible to the average "Joe" who probably didn't even own a television yet...or a horse, a pool, restaurants, a nice car. The comedy team, even in their advancing years, really WERE "the boys!" Everyone knows that "Boys like toys." Good enough reason that ALL of these programs-- like Bud and Lou-- STILL survive. In many cases, these, almost plot-less excuses for repeating "old chestnuts" are the ONLY surviving representations of famous vaudeville skits honed and sharpened by A & C-- also my favorite VITAMINS. (My review COULD have rated a "5" if there were five episodes on this DVD-- a "6" if there were six.) => YOU do the math. <= 13 DVDs or 13 VHS tapes!? The only way I'd replace my VHS tapes is if there were LESS "little-video-boxes" to fall off my fairly-full video shelves. The covers on the DVD and VHS tape of "#1 of 13" are identical, and I doubt the DVD-transfer is more pristine than the EXCELLENT tapes in the series. ATTENTION: I do NOT own the DVD-- this review is based on the VHS copy of the same program material. Buy it. WHICH version is up to your wallet-- and shelf!

The routines are still as fresh as ever in great DVD quality
Watching this DVD video is like sitting in front of your television in the 50s. No difference. The routines are as fresh as ever and the DVD quality gives it that first run appearance.

I can't wait to buy volume two of this series. This series is a must have for any Abbott and Costello fan and DVD enthusiast. What a great combination! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Abbott & Costello Show Vol. 6
Video and sound are very good. it's silly, hilarious, zany slapstick comedy. There are four 30 minute shows. #1 Wrestling Match"; A classic, whatch lou as he gets bounced around the ring. #2"In Society"; a society matron named Olga Van Goo hires the boys to impersonate British noblemen. #3"Lou's Marriage"; Lou gets knocked out cold and when he awakes, he believes he has been married to a girl he met in a column. #4"Beauty Contest"; the boys judge the Miss Mud Turtle contest. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

4* for the print! Goodtimes version is the best yet on video
Abbott & Costello made only two color movies and most circulating copies have variable color quality (sometimes so bad that the video is released in black-and-white instead). But this version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" is the best I've seen, and Goodtimes Home Video deserves a round of applause for issuing it on DVD. The original "Super Cinecolor" (less expensive and impressive than Technicolor) is generally very good indeed; I noticed a few instances of Costello's green costume shifting to blue-green, probably owing to different surviving film elements. Goodtimes did a fine job restoring this, and this DVD offers excellent value for the budget price.

The movie itself is a pleasant children's story with music. After a "modern" prologue in monochrome, Bud and Lou adapt their usual sharpie-and-patsy roles to colorful fairytale settings, and Buddy Baer is an excellent foil as the fearsome giant. (Listen for cartoon-voice Mel Blanc playing several roles in the "I Fear Nothing" song.) Makes a nice kiddie matinee, best for small children but older A & C fans will enjoy it, too.

Bud and Lou in the classic fairy tale
Perhaps I'm a bit biased here, but this film was my first exposure to Abbott and Costello, and I've loved them every since. My parents bought the VHS tape of this when I was very young and I was instantly mesmerised -- those guys were the funniest team of comedians I'd ever seen. They still are, really.

In retrospect, this may not be one of their greatest films (it's not on par with Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, for instance), but it's a fun retelling of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk story, casting Lou as Jack and Bud as the crooked butcher who swaps him magic beans for a cow. Transplanting the boys into the fanciful setting works, and although some of the stuntwork and sets seemed pretty threadbare at times the story and the comedy still click well. This is also one of the few films the boys ever made that could be classified as a musical.

For completists who love Abbott and Costello and are still impatiently waiting for the rest of their films to come out on DVD, this is a must-have. Also recommended for folks with kids -- it's a wonderful movie for the young.

Horrible video and audio transfer!
This was a gift. I knew enough to stay away from Madacy products. The quality of the print is just awful with lines, missing frames, terrible contrast, fuzzy focus, washed out color, and the worst sound I 've ever heard on a DVD. I wish I could recommend a good copy of this movie but I don't know where to get one since it's public domain.

Kids enjoy the show, but it's a poor transfer.
You know the story... the film is a faithful retelling. Costello dreams himself (as Jack) and fellow movie characters into the story. The narrative device recalls Dorothy's dream in The Wizard of OZ; it plausibly lands Lou and Bud in character. Be advised that in addition to annoying film artifacts, my Madacy disc was defective (a series of small depressed circles in a ring concentric with the spindle hole) and in the Passport edition, the video is worse still and then is poorly synched with the audio! Stay away from both if you can find better transfers.

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK A CLASSIC
I REMEMBER SEEING THIS MOVIE BACK WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG. IT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES AT TIME. AND VERY RECENT I SAW THE LAST 10 MINS OF THIS CLASSIC MOVIES AND I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT. I THINK THIS MOVIE IS GREAT FOR KIDS AND ADULTS I JUST WANTED TO WRITE A GOOD REVIEW AND RECOMMEND IT TO ALL MOVIE LOVERS OUT THERE. YOU WON'T BE DISSAPPIONTED WITH THIS FILM IS HAS GREAT HUMOR AND SONGS ANY GENERATION WILL LOVE. THANKS FOR LETTING ME EXPRESS MY OPINION WITH ALL OF YOU. ! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Syd Fields romp!
This dvd contains what may be the funniest apiosde of this or any series- Lou's Birthday. Syd Fields proves his versatility and steals the show! His verbal joust with Lou over whether or not he is invited to the party (or if he even wants to be invited) is a comedic gem. Then, when he arrives, his outfit is a must see! Then, watch his obvious pride at his gift to Lou- a picture of himself in the tub! (Please, watch and see for yourself.) With appearances by Joe Besser as Stinky (a 60 year-old man playing an eight year-old) this is a can't miss!

DVD is great, especially with classics
I used to own these on VHS, but the DVD really brings back a quality that I have never seen before with these classics. I hope they release all 13 volumes on DVD soon. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This Cute Sitcom Should Have Complete Season DVD Boxsets!
Petticoat Junction aired on TV about 2 years before I was born and I grew up watching the reruns in the 70's and I thought it was such a cute sitcom and I think it's really good that there is a DVD out with some of the episodes but why haven't complete season DVD boxsets been released yet? Green Acres which I think is a spin-off of Petticoat Junction just had it's first season released in a DVD boxset so isn't it about time they also released complete seasons of Petticoat Junction on DVD?

A must for all Petticoat Junction fans!
Episodes shown on this DVD are:
Bobby Jo and beatnik
Last chance
Please buy violets
Kate's recipe ... Read more

Reviews (2)

it all comes back!
Bonanza was the first series I watched on tv and it's great to see it back. This is a real good buy: eight episodes of good image and sound quality. The stories are a bit too simple for these times, but these episodes sling you right back forty years ago when you were a twelve year old kid. Great! Everything seemed clear and simple then. Hum. Curious but fun.

Bonanza Episodes.
This dvd has two discs with a total of 8 episodes. A snap case and double sided.[Brentwood home video] Episodes are,Disc 1 side A.1. Escape to Ponderosa.2. The Ape.Disc 1 side B.1. The Bloodline.2. Death at Dawn.Disc 2 side A.1. Blood on the Land.2. Badge withouit Honor.Disc 2 side B.1. Day of Reckoning.2. Desart JusticeThe sound and picture is very good you can hear clearly and see clearly but the bad thing is how many times are they going to re..release the same episodes over and over again???Features are simple....play,choose sceen and the story of Bonanza.If you don't have these episodes on dvd or vhs do buy this one, because of the picture and sound it's worth the money.I bought this in a video store just a short time ago and I couldn't pass it up so I thought I'd pass some info to other amazon buyers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What A Wonderful Episode
This is an excellent episode.Hoss finally gets to meet his uncle Gunar who turns out to be a comanchero.Nevile Brand is great playing the long lost uncle who in the end is not what he appears to be after all. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Zombie Film with Humor
I thought the movie was entertaining and humorous. It was a typical zombie movie of the era (Caribbean Island with old house,and a sinster character controlling the zombies) with a plus--humor provided by Mantan Morland (he also starred in some Charlie Chan movies).

dull vintage horror movie, but Mantan MORLAND is fun
Although I am not a fan of vintage horror films I purchased KING OF THE ZOMBIES because of a very favorable review in a German movie magazine.
The plot has an US secret agent, a pilot and their black servant crashland on a small Caribbean island. It turns out that the island is ruled by a German expatriot, who has kidnapped an American general and uses black magic Voodoo Mumbo Jumbo to get some military secrets out of the unfortunate high ranking officer. Of course the zombies of the title are not the flesh-eating ghouls of todayÂ's splatter films, but the living dead of Voodoo magic, will-less slaves of the Nazi, who uses them for his sinister plans. Will our heroes succeed in thwarting the NaziÂ's evil plan? Well, I do not want to give it away, so watch for yourself...
Despite the unusual storyline involving espionage, a sinister Nazi, Voodoo and zombies, I found KING OF THE ZOMBIES rather dull and talky. (I am aware that fans of vintage horror will have a different view and likely rate it higher than I did.)
Despite the brief running time of a little over an hour it drags in places. However black actor Mantan MORLAND was fun and his many funny lines will make you laugh throughout. While I am usually not into comedy, I found his performance a real joy to behold. Be aware that KING OF THE ZOMBIES shows his age. This is evident not only in the choice of the baddie as a German (owing to the propagandistic needs of the time), but also in a few of MORLANDÂ's jokes, which are of a racial nature (like commenting his appearance, when he looks into a mirror, "the tropics sure gives a man a colour"). DonÂ't watch, if you dislike such jokes. However there is no doubt that MORLAND was a great actor. Were it not for him, this film would have been a complete waste of my time. I also liked actor Victor HENRY, who played the baddie. As usual in these films the heroes are bland and boring.
The DVD is a bare-bones release, with no extras whatsoever. And donÂ't expect picture quality to be as good as of a recent blockbuster movie. This is only natural given the filmÂ's age.

Get Zombified With Laughter!
When it comes to Poverty Row horror classics of the 1940s, King
of The Zombies has to rank right at #1, personally that is.
Yet King of The Zombies is not really "horror", it is actually
a comedy with Mantan Moreland as the TRUE STAR of this picture.
The Roan Archive DVD edition of this film is beautifully
restored to crystal clarity. Other DVD versions of this film
I have seen were either too dark or the source material was of
a bad VHS transfer to disc variety. Now, enjoy the film.

OK Copy?
One of the reviews for this DVD actually refers to another edition which was paired on a double feature with 'Revolt of the Zombies'.
I haven't heard any complaints about the print quality on this particular release.

king of the zombies
King Of The Zombies is a very fun movie for the entire family to enjoy...This film stars comedian Mantan Moreland who is one of the funniest men ever in movies...Although the film is very low budget it is well worth watching or buying just to see Mantan Moreland...Watching this film is time well spent and will make you feel better and laugh more than you ever have...I would advise any serious movie fan to watch this almost forgotten classic and enjoy it again and again...thanks...Jeff Johnson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very emotional Bonanza.
But fun. It's about a boy who's struggling to get over his father's death when Ben killed him in self defense. It's fun, emotiomal, dramatic, and many more adjectives I can't think of right now. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Rondo Hatton had appeared briefly in such Hollywood classics as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Ox-Bow Incident, but his later status as a cult icon is kept alive by his roles in low-budget B&nbsp;thrillers. His massive, misshapen head, gigantic hands, and towering presence were the result of acromegaly, a disease that causes bones to be enlarged and misproportioned. The Brute Man was Hatton's last film and only headlining role--he died soon after filming. He stars as the Creeper, a mysterious killer taking his revenge on those he holds responsible for the accident that disfigured him, but whose heart is softened by a blind girl who befriends him--kind of a twisted take on Beauty and the Beast. The slapdash production suffers from an underwritten script and lackluster performances, but director Jean Yarbrough manages to inject some mood and a little style into the production, and even pulls a few surprises out of the otherwise mundane script. Tom Neal, who appears as the Creeper's next target, made his cult reputation with Detour. Hatton was never much of an actor, but he makes a startling presence shuffling through fog-shrouded streets and ducking around corners, and even elicits a little sympathy for a character so filled with hate that he becomes the monster he resembles. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Rondo Hatton at his "best".
Rondo Hatton was a victim of acromegaly whose deformed face (and voice) were tastelessly exploited in several films of the Forties. This one has two distinctions -- it was Hatton's last film (he died before its release) and it was the only Universal horror film which Universal did not bother to release, but rather sold to the ultra-low budget studio PRC for release, altho the film still begins with the Universal logo. The plot involves a handsome college student whose face becomes deformed due to a laboratory accident. Since Hatton actually was handsome and athletic in his pre-acromegaly period, the film has a bizarre parallel with his own life. (But it is difficult to accept that this type of deformity could be caused by a splash of acid.) The nouveau ugly man becomes a brutal killer, proving it is possible to be grotesque on the outside and rotten on the inside, too. He befriends a young blind woman who believes blind people have good character judgment, yet she never suspects he is a brutal killer. This grim, depressing film is interesting in a perverse way.

And now, the DVD technical review
Another customer review very nicely covers the movie itself, so just let me chime in with a few quick words about the technical quality of the DVD release.

You might think that this disc would be grainy, or soft, or with poor contrast, particularly since it's from the legendary poverty row studio PRC, and a few other PRC videos are so-so. Truth is, although the film was released by PRC, it was produced by Universal Studios!

You'll be exceedingly happy to discover that the transfer to DVD is outstanding. Contrast is excellent, and the image is sharp and clean. This is a Criterion-level transfer here! Sound is nice and clean too. Of course, the disc hasn't anything in the way of extras. Running time is just about an hour, the case is a snapper.

If you're interested in the related films, this one is the last of the "Creeper" films. The Creeper is Rondo Hatton's "signature role" begun in 1944 in the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes film PEARL OF DEATH, followed by 1946's HOUSE OF HORRORS, and finally THE BRUTE MAN (which was indeed Hatton's last film).

Below-par B thriller of historical interest only
The Brute Man was the last film of Rondo Hatton, an acromagly sufferer whose disfigured looks were exploited by Hollywood in a series of movies in which he played a psychopathic back-breaker called The Creeper (although none of the movies, including the Sherlock Holmes thriller Pearl of Death, has any link and were not part of any series).

This cheap PRC production has Hatton hunt down the people responsible for his disfigurement (an explosion in his college lab) and also murder various others who get in his way. The victims include a nosy shop assistant and a jeweller who insists that Hatton pay for a broach. Meantime, he falls in love with a blind woman but she eventually betrays him to the police and he tries to kill her too.

One of the amusing things about this movie is that there's supposed to be a huge Dragnet out for Hatton but he's always walking down the street openly despite his looks and appearance. He actually doesn't give a bad performance. Deapite his reputation as The Ugliest Man Alive his looks aren't really bad enough to warrant the screaming reaction he gets from some of his victims. Film is padded out by some silly footage involving the investigating police (at one point playing cards when the Commissioner comes in and then taunting him). A pretty silly script and a general lack of style. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Collectors dream gone bad...
Everyone should buy this dvd......NOT!!!!!!!! This is one of my all time favorite shows and they really made a mess of it. The quality was bad and the theme song...WAS GONE!!!!!
Simply this, don't waste your money. If you never saw "Petticoat Junction", you're in for a treat, but don't watch it this way. Wait for a qulified company to put it out. Doesn't even deserve one star.

The pits
As a big-time fan of Petticoat Junction, I was tremendously disappointed in this DVD. The picture quality is the absolute worst. This is a major rip-off and the company that released it should refund everyone's money. Who's idea was it to over-dub the theme song? Give me a break! I will certainly make a note of the releasing agent of this disc and NOT PURCHASE anything else with their name on it!! Shame on you! Junk, junk, junk!!

I want to see the entire series transferred with SUPERIOR quality and sound, with no rediculous over-dubbing or edits. Whoever owns the rights to the show needs to sell permission to a QUALIFIED DVD entertainment group. I think Mr. Haney had something to do with this fiasco.

Ok but not collector quality
For people who just want to casually view the episodes this is OK, but collectors will be disappointed with the quality. For me the best part of the whole show is missing. The main theme, beginning and end, has been overdubbed with some really hokey banjo music. Unfortunately, the theme was the main reason I bought the disc. Being a rail fan I was also disappointed that none of the episodes featured the train or railroad.

Technically, this is not a good copy. It doesn't look like the film was cleaned and treated before it was transferred. There are white spots and blotches throughout. The master was not aligned well frame-to-frame the background motion makes me feel like I'm standing on the deck of a ship. It is especially noticeable in the introduction still shots of the water tower and hotel. Finally, one can see the jittery 25 fps compression. While being the nature of a DVD I think it is exaggerate by the poor alignment of the transfer. Note, this review is based on viewing on a Pioneer Elite DVL-91.

What happened to the theme song?
I was so glad to get these old episodes on DVD, however, I was extremely disappointed that the theme song had been replaced by some generic banjo music with no lyrics. I don't have a clue why they did this, but it ruined it for me, because the theme song is one of my favorite parts of the show. But, for the extremely low price, it was worth buying despite the absence of the theme song.

Good down home fun!
Petticoat Junction is good viewing for people of all ages.Set in the southern or midwest town of Hooterville (the name of the state is delightfully not given) the show focuses on the Shady Rest hotel.It is run by Kate Bradley, her 3 outstanding looking daughters and their crusty but likable Uncle Joe (Carson). Stories relate to the amusing run ins they have with their guests and the girls' romances. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

4* for the print! Goodtimes version is the best yet on video
Abbott & Costello made only two color movies and most circulating copies have variable color quality (sometimes so bad that the video is released in black-and-white instead). But this version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" is the best I've seen, and Goodtimes Home Video deserves a round of applause for issuing it on DVD. The original "Super Cinecolor" (less expensive and impressive than Technicolor) is generally very good indeed; I noticed a few instances of Costello's green costume shifting to blue-green, probably owing to different surviving film elements. Goodtimes did a fine job restoring this, and this DVD offers excellent value for the budget price.

The movie itself is a pleasant children's story with music. After a "modern" prologue in monochrome, Bud and Lou adapt their usual sharpie-and-patsy roles to colorful fairytale settings, and Buddy Baer is an excellent foil as the fearsome giant. (Listen for cartoon-voice Mel Blanc playing several roles in the "I Fear Nothing" song.) Makes a nice kiddie matinee, best for small children but older A & C fans will enjoy it, too.

Bud and Lou in the classic fairy tale
Perhaps I'm a bit biased here, but this film was my first exposure to Abbott and Costello, and I've loved them every since. My parents bought the VHS tape of this when I was very young and I was instantly mesmerised -- those guys were the funniest team of comedians I'd ever seen. They still are, really.

In retrospect, this may not be one of their greatest films (it's not on par with Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, for instance), but it's a fun retelling of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk story, casting Lou as Jack and Bud as the crooked butcher who swaps him magic beans for a cow. Transplanting the boys into the fanciful setting works, and although some of the stuntwork and sets seemed pretty threadbare at times the story and the comedy still click well. This is also one of the few films the boys ever made that could be classified as a musical.

For completists who love Abbott and Costello and are still impatiently waiting for the rest of their films to come out on DVD, this is a must-have. Also recommended for folks with kids -- it's a wonderful movie for the young.

Horrible video and audio transfer!
This was a gift. I knew enough to stay away from Madacy products. The quality of the print is just awful with lines, missing frames, terrible contrast, fuzzy focus, washed out color, and the worst sound I 've ever heard on a DVD. I wish I could recommend a good copy of this movie but I don't know where to get one since it's public domain.

Kids enjoy the show, but it's a poor transfer.
You know the story... the film is a faithful retelling. Costello dreams himself (as Jack) and fellow movie characters into the story. The narrative device recalls Dorothy's dream in The Wizard of OZ; it plausibly lands Lou and Bud in character. Be advised that in addition to annoying film artifacts, my Madacy disc was defective (a series of small depressed circles in a ring concentric with the spindle hole) and in the Passport edition, the video is worse still and then is poorly synched with the audio! Stay away from both if you can find better transfers.

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK A CLASSIC
I REMEMBER SEEING THIS MOVIE BACK WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG. IT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES AT TIME. AND VERY RECENT I SAW THE LAST 10 MINS OF THIS CLASSIC MOVIES AND I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT. I THINK THIS MOVIE IS GREAT FOR KIDS AND ADULTS I JUST WANTED TO WRITE A GOOD REVIEW AND RECOMMEND IT TO ALL MOVIE LOVERS OUT THERE. YOU WON'T BE DISSAPPIONTED WITH THIS FILM IS HAS GREAT HUMOR AND SONGS ANY GENERATION WILL LOVE. THANKS FOR LETTING ME EXPRESS MY OPINION WITH ALL OF YOU. ! ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Perhaps the Definitive Version of This Lugosi Classic
Among horror fans, Lugosi fans, and fans of psychotronic films in general, "The Devil Bat" holds a special place. Made by poverty row studio PRC in 1940, the film is a wonderfully ridiculous chiller about a mad scientist (Lugosi, of course)who takes revenge on his double-crossers (no, not the producers of this movie) by enlarging a normal bat to gigantic proportions through electrical treatments and using a new shaving lotion he perfected as the bait to attract the bat to its victim. ...)...

The film has kicked around the public domain for the last decade or so, with the result that VHS prints of it were either excellent or hardly watchable. DVD versions in general have been clear, but this version beats the others and comes close to being a definitive version of the picture, if one is possible.

Released by the Lugosi estate, "The Devil Bat" is the first in a proposed series of definitve versions of Lugosi films. (The unjustly overlooked "Bowery at Midnight" is the second movie in this series.)Extras on this DVD include stills from the movie, a poster card (very well done), and a commentary track featuring Bela Junior and film historian Ted Newsom. The commentary track is a laugh in itself as the two quickly run out of things to say about the movie (in fact, one wonders if Bela Jr. even saw it before this)and switch topics to Bela Junior's memories of life with father. As he provides some unusual insight into the life of his father, the commentary track is a must for all Lugosi fans, and, combined with the price, makes for one of the biggest bargains for film fans.

so bat it is goot
This would have simply been a terrible movie with laughable special effects if Bela Lugosi were not the star. As it is, he lends the film his uncanny talent of elevating even the worst flicks into pure entertainment.

It is funny. Some of the stock characters banter and talk real cool. A gigantic furry bat on a string shrieks like a teradactyl. Bela tells each of his victims "goodbye" before he sends them to their deaths at the maw of the devil bat.

Still Lugosi is worth watching as he plays yet another mad scientist bent on revenge. This time a brilliant perfume maker who is also capable of raising and training gigantic bats. There is a high body count for a film of this era, and unlike too many Lugosi films, Bela gets plenty of camera time.

The print looks good to my untrained eye--far better than my video copy. The extras aren't bad-- it's great to have any extras--most Lugosi films don't. The radio show is an interesting curio. I hope this DVD sells well so there will be more films in this series to recieve this deluxe treatment--such as The Corpse Vanishes...

Bela Goes Batty!
Dr. Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) is a scientist who invents new fragrances for a successful aftershave maker. His failure to invest in the company has left him without the millions he feels he deserves. Carruthers is a bitter man who has sworn revenge. How? Does he plan to sue for his fair share of the profits? Nah, the sinister doc creates a small army of giant, mutant, killer bats to exact his vengeance! These fuzzy monsters are attracted by a new aftershave lotion he's formulated in his secret laboratory. He gets his intended targets to splash some on their faces. One by one, the victims are attacked, their throats ripped out by soaring, shrieking, stuffed devil bats! Bela is priceless as always. This movie belongs in every horror collection...

THE povery-row Lugosi film
Here's a nice treat: Bela Lugosi Jr. has acquired to rights to some of his famous father's lesser films, and the first offering is the lovable, laughable PRC programmer THE DEVIL BAT.

Bela is Dr. Carruthers, plotting the death of his enemies by training giant mutated bats to attack those who wear the doc's new experimental shaving lotion. Bela has some great, darkly-comic dialogue. When one intended victim comments on how smooth the new lotion is, Carruthers offers, "I don't think you'll ever wear anything else."

THE DEVIL BAT has, of course, been previously available on DVD and VHS, in various conditions. The best previous DVD release is certainly the one offered by Roan. This new "official" version compares favorably to the Roan disc, though acute listeners might find the sound is a touch clearer on this new disc. Bela Lugosi Jr. partners with genre critic Ted Newsom for an interesting commentary track, which unfortunately shows how little Bela Jr. actually knows about the film.

There are 2 other Lugosi theatrical trailers (but not one for Devil Bat?), some archival photos and a pretty neat audio-only feature: A radio play from the 1940's starring Bela.

If you're a fan of these type of "poverty row" horrors, DEVIL BAT will certainly make your day. If you're a fan of his more popular Universal features, this is a good introduction to a very different career path that poor ol' Bela got stuck on around 1940.

Just a few drops on the neck, where the skin is tender
OK. The plot of Devil Bat doesn't sound that impressive, but Bela Lugosi's performance earns the movie five stars from this reviewer. Lugosi plays Dr. Carruthers, a doctor and scientist beloved by everyone in the village of Heathville; he is the last person anyone suspects when a series of strange murders take place. The first three victims are all sons of the rich and powerful Heath and Morgan families. These two families made their fortunes, it turns out, on one of Dr. Carruthers' formulas, and all the doctor got out of the deal was a measly ten thousand dollars compared to their millions. Ah, yes, we have a motive. Of course, these are no ordinary murders; they seem to have been made by some type of unknown wild animal. It couldn't be a bat, of course, because the killer was definitely a pretty large specimen. Carruthers' plan is hokey but brilliant. He still works for the cosmetics firm, and he has just come up with an experimental new aftershave formula. Naturally, he wants the Heaths and Morgans to try the product out themselves before marketing it-just a few drops spread across the neck, where the skin is always tender. He doesn't bother to tell his victims that bats really, really hate the smell of the formula's secret ingredient, nor does he mention the fact that he has figured out a way to use electrical stimulation to turn a normal bat into a Devil Bat. Everything is going according to plan until a nosy reporter shows up and starts snooping around.

Lugosi is great in this movie. By 1940, he had the whole mad scientist act down to a science, and his secret scowls are enhanced by just the right touch of madness in his eyes. Best of all is the way he tells his victims "Goodbye" in a sinister voice once he has them in the soon-to-be clutches of his Devil Bat. One thing that bothers me about great old horror movies like this is the fact the moviemakers always felt compelled to provide some comic relief in the form of a goofy character-this time around, we have the newspaper photographer "One Shot" McGuire who is more interested in shooting pictures of the Heath's French maid than any silly old bat. The Devil Bat itself isn't very impressive; without the grainy, far from perfect black and white print, I am sure it would look quite ridiculous. It never even moves when Carruthers is handling it, it looks more like a hawk or eagle to me when it is flying, and its swoop attacks on unsuspecting victims make me think of the scene in Naked Gun where Frank Drebbin struggles against a towel thrown in his face. None of that matters, though, because Lugosi is just so much fun to watch. ... 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