The Jack Benny Collection
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Movie Reviews of The Jack Benny Collection
Movie Review: Nice DVD upgrade
Summary: 3 Stars
I had a lot of this on VHS on different collections, but it is nice to have this stuff on DVD.Medicine Man is a must have for Jack Benny Fans.
Nice overall transfer to DVD.
Maybe a little pricey for what you get though.
Movie Review: Nothing new
Summary: 3 Stars
This collection seems to come from what is already available in the public domain market from other home video and DVD sources. Pretty good overall if you're a Jack Benny fan and don't have much of a collection. Medicine Man is an underappreciated Jack Benny film, but I have always been a big fan. It might not be for everybody and is a different performance from Jack Benny than what a lot of people are used to.Movie Review: Not bad
Summary: 3 Stars
Overall some pretty decent stuff...all of it is basically public domain materials that you could get from other shows at a lower price and probably already own.Movie Review: Not too bad, but a mixed bag and could have included more
Summary: 3 Stars
For reference, here's a breakdown of the contents of this set:Disk 1: THE MEDICINE MAN (1930; film)
Disk 2: THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (1/1954): w./ Liberace
THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (3/1954): "Goldie, Fields, and Glide" (Bing Crosby, George Burns, & Bob Hope guest)
Disk 3: THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (2/1958): "Jack at the Races"
THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (4/1959): w./ Ed Sullivan & "Genevieve"
Disk 4: THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (12/1957): "The Christmas Shopping Show"
THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (1/1961): "New Year's Eve"
Disk 5: THE JACK BENNY HOUR (11/1959): w./ Danny Thomas, Raymond Burr, and the McGuire Sisters
As a long-time Jack Benny fan (who first discovered him during the 1980's in reruns on cable), I really found this to be a mixed set: sweets and bitters. There are some true Benny classics mixed in, especially on disk 4, which may have the funniest Benny TV program ever--"The Christmas Shopping Show." In this episode, Benny and Rochester try to go Christmas shopping for the gang, only to have a tangle with both Dennis Day, and, most notably, Mel Blanc, as an endlessly harrassed sales clerk. Best Mel line, said aside so Benny can hear, "Why did the governor have to pardon me?" The ending's rather shocking for its day--jet-black humor--but utterly hilarious. Also on DVD #4, is a very unusual late Benny program (early 1960's), in which his date with a bimbo waitress falls through, and he winds up spending New Year's with Rochester. It's actually somewhat bittersweet at moments, but it worked, and I really enjoyed watching it.
The other highlight in this set's located on DVD #3, "Jack at the Races," and it's unusual in having been filmed off location (not at the CBS studios) and starring Mary Livingston and Dennis Day opposite Benny. For good measure, Sheldon Leonard ("Hey, bub!") and Joe Besser (the least of the Three Stooges) show up and stay in excellent form. Benny heads out to the horse track for the day, where he runs afoul of his show's sponsor (whom he convinces to bet on a losing horse) and Joe Besser in a restaurant (where Sheldon Leonard offers Jack tips on the "best tables"). Wait until you see how Joe clears Jack and Mary's table!
I wasn't as fond of the rest of the Benny shows on the other disks (although "Goldie, Fields, and Glide" and "Liberace" *definitely* have their funny moments), due to the "variety show" syndrome creeping in ever more steadily. To my mind, what made Benny great were his recurring character actors (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Phil Harris--on radio, Dennis Day, Mel Blanc, and others) and once you see Jack opposite performing chimps or in a bad "Carol Burnett" style courtroom skit with Ed Sullivan, the show suffers badly. All of the running jokes we love so much ("Yes?") get tossed out the window also. It may have helped ratings along in the late 1950's and early 1960's, but it was a bad artistic mistake in retrospect.
You will either find THE MEDICINE MAN intensely interesting or hate it and find it dull. I fell in the first camp. However, Benny as actor in the film's nothing like his later "Jack" character, who wouldn't really come along until the radio show hit its stride in 1936 or 1937.
In general, the DVD menus are fun, but there are no extras. The print quality's O.K. for what are obviously public domain shows. Visually, they looked better than the DVD's released by either Alpha Video or Diamond Entertainment. I'm tempted to say you should support this set, as there's very little Benny available on DVD and perhaps the contents will be a bit more generous in future releases if the sales for this set warrant future ones. Unfortunately, MGM's sitting on the original shows hidden away in its vaults, so we can probably only expect P.D. shows for the foreseeable future. As much as I love Benny's show, I must admit that he's not as commercially bankable as he once was, as not as many people are familiar with his work now.
Good night folks, be seeing you soon.
Movie Review: A MISLEADING, TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT
Summary: 1 Stars
Don't even think about purchasing this collection. From its minimal description - or lack of - I expected 5 discs of episodes from the Jack Benny tv show. Wrong.
This is a compilation of films and other shows, wastefully spread out over 5 discs - nothing to do with the beloved series with Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson. All that is included, here, could have been put on 2 discs.
Precisely like the disappointing GEORGE BURNS & GRACIE ALLEN COLLECTION - this is misleading and irresponsible.