Comedy Kings 50 Movie Pack [12 Discs]Comedy Kings 50 Movie Pack [12 Discs]

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MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

    Comedy kings like Danny Kaye, Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope and Charlie Chaplin combine with the likes of John Wayne, Bing Crosby and Ginger Rogers to put you in tears! Timelessly funny! Includes Affairs of Cappy Ricks (1937), Flying Wild (1941), The Groom Wore Spurs (1951), Palooka (1934), Escape to Paradise (1939), Three Husbands (1951), When the Girls Take Over (1962) and 43 more doozies! 1932-1982. 12 DVDs. Color-b&w/59 hrs., 31 min/NR/fullscreen.

DVD FEATURES:
  • Number of Discs: 12
  • Screen: Color
  • Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
AWARDS
  • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
  •     Nominated Best Actor - 1947 (William Powell)
  •     Nominated Best Color Art Direction - 1947 (George James Hopkins, Robert M. Haas)
  •     Nominated Best Color Cinematography - 1947 (J. Peverell Marley, William Skall)
  •     Nominated Best Score - Drama or Comedy - 1947 (Max Steiner)
  •     Nominated Best Song - 1947 (Frank Loesser)
  • Film Daily
  •     Won 10 Best Films - 1947
  • Hollywood Foreign Press Association
  •     Won Best Original Score - 1949 (John W. Green)
  •     Won Best Original Score - 1947 (Max Steiner)
  • New York Film Critics Circle
  •     Won Best Actor - 1947 (William Powell)
  • New York Times
  •     Won 10 Best Films - 1947
  • Telluride Film Festival
  •     Film Presented - 1984
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
REVIEWS:
  • A lovely screwball gem that, while not obscure, is also not as widely known as it well deserves to be, The Rage of Paris is a great antidote to the blues. Indeed, this frothy, bubbly, escapist delight is so charming that the only real response is to totally surrender. Sure, there are a few flaws. As with any screwball comedy, one has to be willing to suspend logic a wee bit here and there and to accept extreme coincidences as an everyday occurrence. But this artifice is part of the genre's appeal, and Paris is especially artful in its artifice. As an actress, Danielle Darrieux is perhaps not in the same league as other screwball stars (such as Carole Lombard), but it doesn't matter. She has more than enough acting chops for the part, and more importantly, she has the requisite personality and charisma that enables her to handle the role with the lightest of touches. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is a great foil for her, Louis Hayward is near-perfect, and Helen Broderick and Mischa Auer are dependable as always. Throw in sleek Art Deco sets, beautiful costumes, and well-pitched direction, and the result is an enchanting laugh-fest. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • Although the cynical Nikolai Gogol stage play on which it is based would seem an unlikely vehicle for a musical comedy, The Inspector General is one of Danny Kaye's best and most energetic films. The production is held together by the steady work of veteran director Henry Koster, who was probably happy to be working on a Warner Bros.-sized budget rather than at his usual cash-strapped Universal. In his lesser work, Kaye often veered his buffoon act into self-parody. Here, he benefits from Koster's control, from the solid supporting work of such character actors as Walter Catlett and Walter Slezak, and from the songs of Johnny Mercer. Russian literature purists will likely object to the liberties taken with the source story, but fans of Kaye won't notice. ~ Richard Gilliam, Rovi
  • Although Three Husbands was inspired by A Letter to Three Wives, there's really no similarity between the films, other than the basic idea that three individuals receive a letter indicating that one of their spouses has been unfaithful. Those who come to Husbands expecting more of what they received in Wives will be disappointed, especially since mastermind Joseph Mankiewicz had no hand in the male version. However, if one puts Wives out of one's mind and approaches Husbands fresh, as just a film with no ties to any other film, s/he will likely be fairly entertained. Granted, Husbands is nothing like a great picture; the screenplay is adequate but not special, the dialogue humorous but not witty, the characters appealing but rather on the predictable side. But it has a certain small charm that makes one forgive it for not being a classic. Director Irving G. Reis helps matters by keeping things moving at a bright clip and making sure everything stays lively. As the men, Howard Da Silva, Sheppard Strudwick and Robert Karnes are all fine, but it's dependable Eva Arden who makes the biggest impression. Emlyn Williams also adds zest as the instigator of all the trouble. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • Charles Chaplin's first feature-length film pairs his Tramp character with an orphan boy, forging a life together in a slum reminiscent of Chaplin's childhood London home. Finding humor in the extreme harshness of the Tramp's impoverished existence with his plucky adopted foundling, Chaplin turns the pair's survival into a series of comic set pieces depicting such events as their scheme to sell windows and their daily breakfast rituals. Coordinated in their movements and well-matched in their temperaments, the Tramp and the Kid are the perfect pair, underlining the potential for tragedy when the child welfare authorities step in. Still, having revealed the Tramp's paternal devotion in a bravura chase scene and a whimsical dream sequence, Chaplin reunites the redefined family for a happy ending. Chaplin overcame First National's resistance to his desire to make a dramatic comedy, and he wrote, directed, and starred in a major success. Shot over nine months and accompanied by a score composed by Chaplin himself, The Kid became an critically hailed international hit, launching Jackie Coogan as a major child star. With a blend of social realism and finely tuned physical comedy, Chaplin infuses The Kid with a pathos and sweetness that would later mark one of his greatest features, City Lights (1931). ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
  • Directed by Leo McCarey and produced by and starring Harold Lloyd, The Milky Way is one of the most finely etched and precisely paced comedic romps ever to grace the screen, and a dazzling showcase not only for Lloyd, but also for the entire cast. Naturally, he is the star and the main spark plug for the film, but Veree Teasdale as Ann Westly, Gabby Sloan's smart, long-suffering fiancee, steals most of the scenes that she's in with a wisecracking gem of a performance, like Eve Arden with a sharper edge; Adolphe Menjou's Gabby Sloan is a manic whirlwind of neurotic tics and apoplexy-in-the-making; William Gargan and Lionel Stander as the middle-weight champion and his stooge make a boundlessly funny dumb-and-dumber duo (Stander was so good in the part of the stooge that he repeated it in the Danny Kaye remake The Kid From Brooklyn a decade later); finally, Helen Mack and Dorothy Wilson are refreshing and delightful as two young women who are smarter than most of the men around them and not afraid to show it. The screenplay, by Frank R. Butler, Richard Connell, and Grover Jones, is a marvel of verbal and physical humor in perfect balance, while McCarey pulls it all together seamlessly as a vehicle for Lloyd's eager-beaver, go-getter screen persona. The first time he saw it, this reviewer almost hurt himself laughing at the scene where Lloyd's Burleigh Sullivan explains how the champion came to be knocked out, and most of the movie is just a few notches off from that sequence. The Milky Way wasn't a huge success when it was originally released, but over six decades it has retained its comedic edge and its charm where many other celebrated comedies of the period have faded -- and today, along with The Freshman, Safety Last, and Mad Wednesday, it's essential viewing for anyone who wants to appreciate Harold Lloyd's work, and for any fan of classic screen comedy. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
  • Her Favorite Patient is a moderately amusing little piece of fluff, but the kind of film the improbabilities of which will leave many modern viewers rolling their eyes. For example, I'm willing to grant that the character played by Ruth Hussey could indeed be a brilliant physician, but no doctor can be an expert in an as many areas as Hussey. And, more importantly, any doctor who actually was so brilliant would easily see through the scheme hatched by Charlie Ruggles and John Carroll to keep her in her home town rather than let her go on to fame and fortune in Chicago. Even with these improbabilities, Patient has sufficient appeal to make it worth a viewing, thanks especially to Hussey's well-turned performance. Her timing is quite good, and she knows how to handle the silly elements that are thrown her way; what she can't do is provide the kind of special star charisma that the part really calls for. She's technically excellent -- just lacking that extra "oomph." Carroll is a bit of a bore, but Ruggles is a delight as always and Ann Rutherford adds considerably to the affair. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • His Double Life is an amiable enough way to pass a little bit of time, although modern audiences are perhaps going to find it a bit too tame. Based upon a story which has been adapted to the stage and to film several times, the plot is one that by now will come across as somewhat predictable and more than a bit farfetched. Credibility, of course, does not have to be a major concern in a comedy, provided that the tone of the piece allows for a bit of a flight of fancy and that the dialogue and characters are engaging enough. Life's dialogue is diverting, but it doesn't sparkle as brightly as one might wish, and the same could be said of its characters. This isn't due to the performers, for both Roland Young and the lovely Lillian Gish turn in worthy performances. Young is occasionally a bit too wan, but Gish's timeless charm more than makes up for his momentary lapses. Arthur Hopkins' direction could be sprightlier in places, but it is not damaging. Overall, it's a pleasant, though not noteworthy, little film. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • How a viewer reacts to The Perils of Pauline will probably depend to a large extent on his/her feelings about Betty Hutton. It's a star vehicle for the raucous comedienne, and as usual, she has the volume turned up to 11 and the energy to 12. Fortunately, however, Hutton does find some moments when she can lower her guard and let the audience see a gentler, more tender side, as in her charming rendition of the lovely Frank Loesser ballad, "I Wish I Didn't Love You So." The actress also makes "The Sewing Machine" an enjoyable romp, and if she pushes too hard in "Rumble, Rumble, Rumble" and "Poppa, Don't Preach to Me," the songs themselves are so well-crafted that they withstand the sometimes-rough treatment. Perhaps taking his cue from his leading lady, George Marshall has directed much of the film with an eye on speed, keeping the film moving at a brisk pace, which helps to add emphasis to those moments when things get a little "serious." John Lund is fine in a thankless part, but Constance Collier, William Demarest, and Billy De Wolfe come across quite nicely in their smaller but more engaging roles. Pauline plays fast and loose with historical fact -- not unusual for a Hollywood biopic -- and much of the script is rather routine, but on the whole it's an agreeable confection. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • I'm from Arkansas is strictly from hunger, the type of low budget, low-down programmer that modern audiences watch and wonder how it ever got made. Of course, it's unlikely that the creators had anything on their mind other than filling up an hour or so of screen time with as little effort as possible. With that in mind, screenwriters Joseph Carole and Marcy Klauber came up with an idea -- a pig has a whole bunch of piglets, which draws attention to the small Arkansas town in which they reside -- and then just let the "plot machine" run its course in as simple and unobtrusive a manner as possible. The dialogue serves no purpose other than to set up a "joke," establish stereotype (for it would be stretching it to call any of the roles "characters") and, most importantly, provide some slim reason for a musical number. And it is those musical numbers that provide the only real entertainment in Arkansas (aside from the occasional snide remark from the reliable Iris Adrian). Fans of Mary Ford will spot her as part of the "Sunshine Girls" trio (and relish her short duet with Jimmy Wakely during "You Are My Sunshine." Carolina Cotton does her always interesting yodel routine in a couple of numbers, and the Pied Pipers (sans Jo Stafford) lend their smooth harmonies to a couple of tunes. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • It's all too easy to make fun of creaky old melodramas, and The Villain Still Pursued Her does not accomplish this feat with much originality or style. Contemporary audiences may want to think of this as a precursor to the Mel Brooks school of moviemaking, in which the film is intended to be nothing but a silly riot of gags, but unlike the better films of Brooks, Villain is far often simply silly. It's all intended to be good clean fun, but the fun wears thin very quickly; this was a one-reel gag idea stretched to feature lengthy and the padding shows. Director Edward F. Cline has a certain amount of flair, but it's not strong enough to make the material work; more importantly, it's not VARIED enough to make the material work. He falls into a rut that makes the film, repetitious in nature, drag far too much. The cast is certainly game, but it's disheartening to see the brilliant Buster Keaton reduced again to a part that is far beneath his talents; he does a fine job, but one longs for him to be able to break loose and show what he's really capable of. Still, there are some fun moments amidst the silliness and those who don't mind a belabored premise may find it amusing enough. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • Life With Father is yet another well-made film from the versatile Michael Curtiz, who probably directed more types of films well than anyone else in screen history. This is another "family values" film from the post-WWII era, with William Powell as the loving patriarch and Irene Dunne as the wife who understands her duties to gender traditions. One of the best reasons to watch is to see a young Elizabeth Taylor in an important supporting role. The film does not so much evoke the values of a bygone era as advocate them, and current-day audiences may have difficulty relating to its simplistic world view. As with nearly all of Curtiz' studio efforts, the production is first-rate, the performances strong, and the events fast-moving. The film is perhaps better remembered by reputation than by re-viewing, but it was one of Warner Bros.' top films of the era, and it remains a well-constructed piece of commercial filmmaking. ~ Richard Gilliam, Rovi
  • Mixing murder and comedy successfully requires a very careful hand, something that is lacking in Behave Yourself. Clearly wishing to be a mixture of Arsenic and Old Lace and The Thin Man, Behave falls far short of its goals. One of the reasons for this is simply its casting. Farley Granger is a good looking leading man and when handled correctly is capable of giving a pleasing comedic performance, but he's no Cary Grant or William Powell, who could naturally fall into this kind of part and through sheer charm and presence make it work. AndShelley Winters, while capable of some very fine acting in the right circumstances, can also easily turn into an annoying and irritating persona, which she does here. George Beck's slipshod direction doesn't give them the guidance they crucially need, nor can he conjure up that difficulty mixture of laughter, suspense and quirkiness that is called for. Beck isn't helped by his self-penned screenplay, which strains far too hard for laughs and ends up falling back on some tired (even for the period) mother-in-law jokes. That said, Behave does have the blessing of a marvelous supporting cast, and the likes of William Demarest, Hans Conreid, Elisha Cook, Jr. and Sheldon Leonard keep the film afloat. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • Nothing Sacred is among the best screwball comedies of the 1930s, and one of the few to have been filmed in Technicolor. Carole Lombard and Fredric March lead a strong, versatile cast, and William Wellman's crisp direction keeps the story brisk and peppy. Screenwriter Ben Hecht gives the story an unusually sardonic edge, with fine dialogue and interesting secondary plot twists. Overall, the film plays well for current-day audiences, and the New York location gives the film a distinctive visual texture. One amusing bit of irony is the name and profession of Oliver Stone, the character played by Walter Connolly, a newspaper editor willing to alter facts to fit his needs. Nothing Sacred was released in 1937, nine years before the birth of future screenwriter/director Oliver Stone. ~ Richard Gilliam, Rovi
  • The inimitable and uniquely charming Rosalind Russell makes Never Wave at a WAC a pleasantly diverting way to pass a couple of hours. Russell's contribution to WAC's success is impossible to overestimate, for without her commanding presence, nimble way with a one-liner, willingness to throw herself into any physical demands the comedy requires and ability to turn a double-take into a very peculiar double-and-a-half-take, the film would be seriously deficient in genuine laughs. Russell is not the whole show: Marie Wilson's dumb blonde routine provokes quite a few chuckles, and Paul Douglas, with his ability to be both tough and a softy combined with a finely honed sense of comedic playing, scores heavily. But without Russell to play off of, Douglas would be working in a void, and Wilson's part is too much of a supporting role to fill in were a lesser star in Russell's place. The screenplay isn't bad, mind you, but it's pure nuts-and-bolts, the kind of vehicle that's put together in the way that it's put together because the writers know that Russell's velvet-with-ice voice is going to take the basic they give her and play it for all its worth. Even with Russell, WAC threatens to run out of steam -- but whenever it starts to, Russell girds up her loins and puts it back on track. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • The plot for Road to Bali is pretty thin stuff, even for one of the "Road" pictures. This does, however, place more of a burden on our trio of stars and on the quality of the jokes and songs; while there's nothing really wrong with any of these elements, things still don't really come together to make Bali the boffo fun that it wants to be. Even moreso than in previous entries in the series, there's an abundance of self-referential humor and light genre parodies -- and comic cameo appearances are taken to a bit of a ridiculous extreme. But even so, Bali is amiable and undemanding fun, and if Bob Hope and Bing Crosby don't have the inspired lunacy that they had in Road to Morocco, they still work like a well-oiled machine (with Dorothy Lamour as the lever that often gets them started). Bali also benefits from being shot in Technicolor. There aren't any real location shots, just studio sets, but they positively drip with rich, savory color. Lamour gets the best song, "Moonflowers," and Crosby does quite nicely with the mediocre "To See You." Not the best "Road" show, Bali nonetheless is enjoyable and occasionally very funny. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • The second of Monogram's "East Side Kids" programmers was directed by Joseph H. Lewis and his deft hand is easily detectable. No, this quasi-horror comedy is no forgotten masterpiece -- how could it be with those mugging, language-mangling East Side Kids/Bowery Boys? -- but Lewis does employ a couple of interesting camera angles and obviously attempts to compose a scene with a sense of esthetics, a far cry from "one take" Monogram hacks like William Beaudine or Phil Rosen. Lewis cannot do much with the Kids themselves, of course, and they are mainly left to fend for themselves, but Minerva Urecal makes a creepy housekeeper (she even has a dead "Rebecca" to moon about) and ingenues Inna Gest and Dave O'Brien both perform up to their potential, minor as it may have been. Screenwriter William Lively should perhaps be forgiven for not only plagiarizing Daphne DuMaurier but also, in one or two instances, James Whale's The Old Dark House (1932) --plagiarism, after all, being the sincerest form of flattery -- and with a little help from the casting department, the identity of the killer comes at least somewhat as a surprise. As for the East Side Kids themselves, they remain purely a matter of taste. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

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