Walt Disney Treasures: Davy Crockett - The Complete Televised Series (1956) Review

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(More customer reviews)Davy Crockett is one of Walt Disney's most endeared and remembered live action characters. He was presented to American audiences by Walt Disney on the Disneyland TV Show in 1954. He was personified by Fess Parker beloved ever after by his sincere portrayal. This colorful and entertaining character was first seen in three episodes from the TV show ("Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter," "Davy Crockett Goes to Congress" and "Davy Crockett at the Alamo"). Parker, with his coonskin cap and homespun drawl and witticism created a nationwide phenomenon in 1954. Who can forget "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" composed by George Bruns and Tom Blackburn. Buddy Ebsen played his sidekick George Russel, whose adventures take them from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. to the Alamo in the first three episodes. The series' third episode focusing on the defense of the Alamo, though well remembered, is somewhat labored until we see the final image of Davy Crockett passing into legend and glory. This straightforward and beautifully photographed series expounds the virtues of honesty, integrity and bravery. The country could not get enough of Davy so he and George Russel returned in 1955 for two more episodes ("Davy Crockett's Keel Boat Race" and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates"). For Davy Crockett's second season on television the show was retitled "The Legends of Davy Crockett." The necessary title change came about because we had seen Davy come to his end defending the Alamo and Walt Disney wanted to continue bringing us his adventures. "Davy Crockett's Keel Boat Race" is about a riverboat race between Davy and another American folklore hero Mike Fink. "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" is about Davy's attempt to stop an Indian uprising with Mike Fink's assistance. In some ways these two episodes are the best. Davy Crockett appears less the frontier fighter and more the good-natured peacemaker in these episodes. The riverboat race with Mike Fink is very entertaining and a high point in Disney's American frontier live action adventures. I don't even think John Ford could have filmed this sequence any better. Kenneth Tobey, who worked with John Ford, is excellent in a great comedic part (Fess Parker made note of Tobey's performance in a supplemental interview on the DVD). Walt Disney gave this actor a chance to demonstrate his great versatility and range as an actor. Also, Mike Fink's boats may look a little familiar since they are the basis for the riverboat ride at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. That's a nice nostalgic tie in! Bert Glennon's cinematography is beautifully picturesque as ever and is matched seamlessly with some very effective glass shot special effects by Peter Ellenshaw. This is one of the best DVDs to come from the Disney vaults. Walt Disney introduces each of the five episodes exactly as they were originally presented on the Disneyland TV Show. The Supplemental Features on this DVD are above and beyond what I had expected. Most of Disney's DVD extras seem to concentrate on the technical aspects of the feature presentation. This DVD focused more on the phenomenon that the legend of Davy Crockett created and the affect it had and continues to have on those who were brought up in those times. There are two exceptional Features: "A Conversation with Fess Parker" and "The Davy Crockett Craze." "The Gallery" of photos and memorabilia is also excellent. "A Conversation with Fess Parker" really hit home with me. Fess Parker appeared to be the genuine article that he was. In a world of eroded morals filled with dirt and filth everywhere you turn it was more than comforting to hear Fess Parker's fond recollections of his portrayal and the ideals that Walt immortalized through the tales of this legendary character. If your eyes feel a little watery its because your remembering a time not so long ago when our heroes were real heroes. This is one of the best and should help keep the legend alive for those that lived it, those that loved it and for those that will someday be touched by it.

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All 5 episodes of Walt Disney's Davy Crockett series chronicling the adventures of the King of the Wild Frontier. Beginning with Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter and featuring Davy's adventures all the way up to the Alamo, these classic adventures are fun for the whole family. Introduction by Leonard Maltin. Episodes: Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter; Davy Crockett Goes to Congress; Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race; Davy Crockett and the River Pirates; Davy Crockett at the Alamo.

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Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Goofy (1941) Review

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(More customer reviews)Here is a list of all forty-six Goofy cartoons--year by year--contained on this new Disney Treasures collection:
1939-"Goofy and Wilbur" (Goofy's first official "solo" short)
1940-"Goofy's Glider" (The first in the long-running "How-to" series)
1941-"Baggage Buster", "The Art of Skiing", "The Art of Self-Defense"
1942-"How to Play Baseball", "The Olympic Champ", "How to Swim", "How to Fish"
1943-"Victory Vehicles" (Could have been released under the delayed "Wartime Cartoons" Disney Treasures collection)
1944-"How to Be a Sailor", "How to Play Golf", "How to Play Football"
1945-"Tiger Trouble", "African Diary", "Californy er Bust", "Hockey Homicide"
1946-"A Knight for a Day", "Double Dribble"
1947-"Foul Hunting"
1948-"They're Off", "The Big Wash"
1949-"Tennis Racquet", "Goofy Gymnastics"
1950-"Motor Mania", "Hold That Pose"
1951-"Lion Down", "Home Made Home", "Cold War", "Tomorrow We Diet", "Get Rich Quick", "Fathers Are People", "No Smoking"
1952-"Father's Lion", "Hello Aloha", "Man's Best Friend", "Two Gun Goofy", "Teachers Are People", "Two Weeks Vacation", "How to Be a Detective"
1953-"Father's Day Off", "For Whom the Bulls Toil", "Father's Weekend", "How to Dance", "How to Sleep" (the last of the "How-to" series made for the big screen)
1961-"Aquamania"
Though this collection is "The Complete Goofy", it would have been nice to include the two cartoons Goofy did with Donald Duck ("No Sail" and "Crazy with the Heat") in 1945 and '47, respectively (probably saved for a later Donald Duck collection in the DT series). Also, "How to Ride a Horse" and "El Gaucho Goofy" (taken from "The Reluctant Dragon" and "Saludos Amigos", respectively) were re-released in an animated short format in the 1950's, but are obviously unnecessary to include in this collection. Goofy also appeared in "Freewayphobia" and "Freewayphobia #2" (both in 1965) which also appears to not be included here (probably because these were educational films produced extensively during this time by the Disney company).
Many of the above-mentioned Goofy shorts contained controversial scenes that have been removed and/or altered by the Disney company in recent years. This collection is promising that they will all be uncut--so let's hope they will be seen the way they were originally seen if only for the historical context. Last year's "Mickey Mouse in Living Color" and "Silly Symphonies" collections lived up to that promise, though the "Disneyland USA" set had some perplexing cuts.
This collection is one of three exciting, new releases this December in the second wave of the continuing Disney Treasures series (and extremely limited edition--125,000 appearing to be made instead of the 150,000 last year). There were supposed to be four releases again this year, but the intended fourth (Disney Wartime Cartoons) was delayed for reasons--as of this writing--unexplained by host/compiler of the DT series, Leonard Maltin.
The other two releases for this year: "Mickey Mouse in Black and White", and "Behind the Scenes at the Disney Studio."

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With a gentle, childlike innocence, Goofy has delightedaudiences for 70 years. For the first time ever, celebrate Walt Disney'slumbering, lovable, and eternally loyal everyman in this retrospectiveof his classic animated shorts and enjoy the heyday of one of the mostpopular characters in cartoon history. Unlike the rest of Disney's"mouse pack," Goofy didn't become a major movie star overnight. Thiscompilation of shorts begins with the Goof's first starring role. Thevolume also includes animator Art Babbitt's original descriptivereference of all things Goofy, the original voice behind the Goof, PintoColvig, and an exclusive interview with the current voice of Goofy, BillFarmer. You'll also have the opportunity to see theatrical posters andother memorabilia, a selection of story drawings, and backgroundpaintings. After all, it's the Goofy thing to do. Featuring exclusiveintroductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.

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I Love Lucy - Season One (Vol. 9) (1951) Review

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(More customer reviews)Depsite all the negative comments aimed at Paramount Home Video recently, I want to give them some credit. Yes, I also would have loved to have been able to get Lucy in complete season box sets (but not for anything over $50) yet I had resigned myself to pick them up in these four-episode-per-disc volumes - similar to how the original Star Trek series was released on dvd. (Star Trek got two shows per disc.)
To Paramount's credit, these Lucy dvd's have lots of extra goodies on them...and that is more than many other TV shows on dvd can say. (Most other TV shows on dvd are just the episodes, with NO extras of any kind.) I love that these Lucy dvd's include any of Lucy's old radio show, "My Favorite Husband" that correspond to or inspired the "I Love Lucy" episodes on the disc. How many of us have had the opportunity to hear these classic shows anywhere else? And it's really fun comparing them to their I Love Lucy counterparts.
Also, there are scenes and music cues which have been restored, most of which haven't been seen since the show's original broadcasts in the '50's - especially any footage referring to the show's then-sponsor, Phillip Morris. No, I don't like all the smoking references, but since this was how the show was oringally made, it's great to see all this footage restored for historical interest and accuracy.
Each dvd has included sections on "Flubs" which are very amusing. Some of them I've noticed over the years watching the show, and others I never would have noticed without these supplements pointing them out.
There are "Guest Cast" sections on each disc too. These are wonderful as they give us some little bit of background on the many regular and one-time-only guest cast members that have appeared on the show. Also, for people who made multiple appearances on the show, this section includes a list of all their I Love Lucy appearances. Very nice.
The inclusion of the original animated opening is also very welcome. Before these dvd's, many of us never had a chance to see this footage either. Some of the discs include interesting Production Notes, and Behind-The-Scenes footage or stills. Again, very welcome and interesting.
The most recent disc, Season One, Volume 9 includes a special End-of-Season tag which was only broadcast one time, when the last episode of season one ran back in 1952. While it's mostly a plug for the show's summer replacement that year, and for Phillip Morris, it's still extra footage of Lucy and Desi as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo that I for one had never seen or even heard of before this dvd. What Lucy fan doesn't want to see more of that kind of "lost" footage?
I hope that Paramount is not dissuaded from continuing on with the other seasons in the I Love Lucy show. As far as I'm concerned, Paramount has been doing a grand job with these Lucy discs. Please keep 'em coming!

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In VOLUME NINE of I LOVE LUCY: SEASON ONE, Lucy: manages to get herself and Ricky on the radio in "Lucy Gets Ricky On The Radio," teaches her time-conscious hubby a lesson in "Lucy's Schedule," comes up with an unorthodox treatment for baldness in "Ricky Thinks He's Getting Bald," and convinces Ricky to pressure his boss into giving him a raise in "Ricky Asks For A Raise."Now that all 9 volumes of Season One are available, there is also an I LOVE LUCY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON DVD set available.

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I Love Lucy: Season One Vol. 8 (1951) Review

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(More customer reviews)Volume 8 of Season One of "I Love Lucy" on DVD includes what has been universally recognized as the funniest episode of the classical sitcom. Need a clue? How about one word: Vitameatavegamin (and it's tasty too!). Even without that biggie the other three episodes by writers Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. are way above average as well:
Episode 28, "Cuban Pals" (April 21, 1952) finds Lucy insanely jealous about the gorgeous Latin dancer (Rita Convy) who was Ricky's dancing partner back in Cuba. Whatever will the redhead do about this floozy?
Episode 29, "The Freezer" (April 28, 1952) contains another classic "I Love Lucy" sight gag. Lucy and Ethel have a new walk-in freezer that is not as big as think. As a result, the girls have to go into the meat business. Meanwhile, there is that walk-in freezer with a lock on teh door and that can only mean one thing with Lucy around.
Episode 30, "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" (May 5, 1952) is an absolute classic. Lucy has been trying to get into showbusiness and she may have finally found her opportunity as a TV pitchwoman for Vitametavegamin, a cure-all tonic (that is only 23 percent alcohol). What is interesting is that Lucy is pretty good when she starts practicing. But with each rehersal using the actual product she descends into a drunken stupor and ascends to the heights of hilarity. Note: Lucy appeared in the 1946 MGM movie "Ziegfeld Follies," in which Red Skelton did a burlesque routine in which he was peddling a product called Guzzler's Gin. Whether this was indeed the inspiration for this "I Love Lucy" episode or not, it indicates the Lucille Ball's gift was not in originality but in performance.
Episode 31, "The Publicity Agent" (May 12, 1952) has Lucy "helping" Ricky's career by posing as a Middle Eastern princess who is Ricky Ricardo's biggest fan. Of course, no publicity stunt by Lucy goes unpunished.
During the first season of "I Love Lucy" in 1951-52 the show had a Nielsen rating of 50.9, which means on Monday nights literatlly half the television sets in the United States were on and tuned to CBS at 9:00 p.m. (and the show only finished THIRD in the ratings). However, the next year the show would make it to the top spot in the Nielsens with a rating of 67.3 as Lucy, both the actress and the character, gave birth. Today you can take the ratings from the four main networks and probably throw the two minor ones into the mix and still not come close to that number during any hour of the week. This is why there is "I Love Lucy" and then the rest.

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I Love Lucy - Season One (Vol. 5) (1951) Review

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(More customer reviews)'I Love Lucy' is one of my favorite shows and I want to someday collect every episode but, the way these episodes are being distributed is just terrible. There are so many other television shows being released as complete seasons. Why can't Lucy be that way too? I am dying to get Lucy on dvd but, I will not buy any episodes until they are released as complete seasons on as few dics as possible.

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Studio: Paramount Home VideoRelease Date: 06/10/2003Run time: 105 minutesRating: Nr

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Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Volume Two (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)Mickey Mouse in Living Color Volume 2 is great. It features a multitude of Mickey/Pluto shorts and some really cool extras. Each cartoon has its good points and bad points (some more than others) but overall a very, very awesome set. The best part is having Mickey and the Beanstalk, Mickey's Christmas Carol, and The Prince and the Pauper all together in one set :)
Unfortunately, when you use the Play All feature, it doesn't just play the cartoons. Many of the cartoons feature a brief introduction from DVD host Leonard Maltin. Now, you would think these introductions would tell you a bit about the history of the short, how the story was conceived, who directed it, whatever. But, no, all these introductions are for is to warn viewer about possible "offensive" material found in the shorts. It really saddens me that we live in a world where people cannot see the past as past and accept they way things were at the time. Instead, we have these really annoying clips of Maltin telling us how much more "enlightened" we are nowadays. He says the same repetitive things in each intro.
The public domain releases of old cartoon from the '30s and '40s that you can get at Wal-Mart for a dollar have the same type of supposedly offensive material (actually, probably more of it than anything Disney would ever have). We don't, however, have Leonard Maltin there warning us of the dangers of supposedly un-PC material. Whatever. Aside from that, this set is awesome! :)

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The celebration of Mickey's color capers continues in this second volume of shorts -- from "Society Dog Show" in 1939 to his last short, "The Simple Things," in 1953 -- and feature film appearances, giving you a decidedly colorful history of the most famous mouse in the world. This outstanding review of Mickey's color career spotlights some very special features, including his groundbreaking performance in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." You'll also get an inside look at Mickey's recent career through the eyes of his most recent animators, Mark Henn and Andreas Deja, and voice actors Wayne Allwine (Mickey) and Russi Taylor (Minnie). Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.

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I Love Lucy - Season One (Vol. 7) (1951) Review

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(More customer reviews)It is interesting to rewatch the 1951-52 first season of "I Love Lucy," where the scripts were exploring the screwball possibilities of Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) trying to break into the world of entertainment like her husband, Ricky (Desi Arnaz), bandleader at the Tropicana Club. The first half of the season was okay, but the second half finds the cast and writers Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. really hitting stride. The theme of Volume 7 is on more about husbands and wives (or husbands versus wives) rather than on Lucy's show business aspirations:
Episode 24, "The Gossip" (March 24, 1952) offers another battle of the sexes as Fred (William Frawley) and Ricky bet they can keep from gossiping longer than Ethel (Vivian Vance) and Lucy. The outcome is predictable, but the journey is half the fun.
Episode 25, "Pioneer Women" (March 31, 1952) is, quite simply, the one with the twelve-foot loaf of bread. Everybody remembers the sight gag, but do you remember the premise? Fred and Ricky challenge Ethel and Lucy to a contest to see who can survive the longest without the conveniences of modern life. This means having to bake your own bread and figuring out how much yeast to use.
Episode 26, "The Marriage License" (April 7, 1952) has Lucy finding out that her marriage license to Ricky is not legally binding. The simple thing to do would be to have the paperwork done right, but Lucy insists that Ricky play out their entire courtship. Not as funny as the how the same situation played out on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" ("Laura's Little Lie," October 9, 1963), but then Petrie's had a kid, which gave that classic episode a bit more edge. Note: Elizabeth Patterson, who would play Little Ricky's baby-sitter Mrs. Trumbull appears in this episode, but as a different character.
Episode 27, "The Kleptomaniac" (April 14, 1952) hinges on Ricky finding a whole bunch of goods that Lucy has collected for a charity bazaar. Since Ricky does not know about the bazaar, he jumps to the conclusion that Lucy is a kleptomaniac and needs psychiatric help. The psychiatrist is played by Jospeh Kearns, who would go on to play Mr. Wilson on "Dennis the Menace."
This solid quartet puts Volume 7 in the top four of the nine volumes that collect the first season and the original unaired pilot (36 episodes in all). However, the top volume is the next one up, which contains one of the most famous "I Love Lucy" episodes of all time, "Lucy Does a TV Commercial." Still, what we have here is ample reason why every Monday night literally half of the nation's television sets were tuned to this classic situation comedy.

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I Love Lucy - The Complete First Season (1951) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love "I Love Lucy." Whenever I find it on TV, I watch and find myself laughing no matter how many times I've seen the episode. Naturally, it was one of the first shows I knew I wanted on DVD. I wished I'd waited for this set, however.
When season one was first released, it was huge and expensive. Knowing how much I wanted the show, I ignored the price and bought it. Now, over a year later, we get a set more in line with the other three released to date. Now there are only seven discs, and it's much thinner. This takes up a fraction of what the original did on my shelf. Yet all the extras and quality are still there. Believe me, I checked.
So what do you get? You get the 35 official season 1 episodes plus the "lost pilot" that was found and released several years ago. The episodes have been restored and they haven't looked this good in years. Picture is original full frame black and white and sound is original mono. While there is occasional dust and such in the picture, for something 50 years old, this is pretty amazing. Bonus features include behind the scenes trivia and photos, guest cast information, restored footage (some of which is a hoot), the original animated opening, and a total of thirteen episodes of Lucy's radio show "My Favorite Husband" that inspired certain episodes.
For me, I find some of the episodes near the start of season 1 to be rather slow and not as funny. This is a common complaint of mine with most TV shows. The writers and actors need time to find the characters before things really take off. Still, there are some early gems like "The Diet" and "The Fur Coat." The second half more then makes up for the first with many classic moments and hilarious episodes like "The Ballet," "Breaking the Lease," "The Gossip," "Pioneer Women," "The Freezer," and "Lucy's Schedule." I can watch these episodes over and over again and laugh myself silly every time.
Of course, this doesn't mention the single most famous episode of season 1 - "Lucy Does a TV Commercial." If this title doesn't ring a bell, I have just one word for you. Vitameatavegamin.
This is the set that should have been released originally. If you waited, hoping that Paramount would see the light, your patience has been rewarded big time.

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I Love Lucy - The Complete Third Season (1951) Review

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(More customer reviews)Over 50 years ago during the early years of broadcast television, the very inspired talents of Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and her then husband Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) were showcased on their hilarious television show "I Love Lucy". TV execs had initially rejected the plausibility of the show because of Desi and because they intended to tape the shows. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lucille Ball and Desi's obvious talents, the show first aired in 1951 and quickly became one of the most successful TV shows during all six of its regular seasons. As Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy", Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were joined by William Frawley (1877-1966) and Viviane Vance (1909-1979) as their best-friends/apartment landlords of Fred and Ethel Mertz.
The fourth season of "I Love Lucy" that aired between 1954 and 1955 has 30 memorable episodes:
1. "The Business Manager": Ricky's hired business manager (Charles Lane) for Lucy's household budget only allows her $5/month to spend.
2. "Mertz and Kurtz": When Fred poses as a real-estate tycoon to impress an old vaudeville partner (Charles Winninger, 1884-1969), Lucy helps by posing as the Mertz' maid.
3. "Lucy Cries Wolf": Lucy's multiple phony attempts to see if Ricky will rush home to save her finally backfires.
4. "The Matchmaker": In spite of Ricky's objections, Lucy tries to get two singles to propose to one another.
5. "Mr. and Mrs. TV Show": Ricky's reluctance to do a live morning TV show with Lucy from their apartment backfires for Lucy when she tries to get back at him by sabotaging what she believes is only a dress rehearsal.
6. "Ricky's Movie Offer": When a talent scout comes to audition Ricky at the Ricardo's apartment, Lucy isn't about to give up her big chance.
7. "Ricky's Screen Test": Lucy wants more than a bit part in Ricky's audition for "Don Juan".
8. "Lucy's Mother-in-Law": Lucy tries to impress Ricky's mother on visit from Cuba by having a Spanish-speaking translator on an earphone.
9. "Ethel's Birthday": Fred asks Lucy to pick out Ethel's birthday gift, Ethel's reaction angers Lucy with hilarious results at a play.
10. "Ricky's Contract": Overly anxious to hear back from Hollywood, Fred leaves a phony message that Ricky got the part, but Ethel can't get there fast enough to prevent Lucy from telling Ricky the "good" news.
11. "Getting Ready": When the gang decides to drive to Hollywood, Fred purchases an old used car.
12. "Lucy Learns to Drive": When Ricky gets a new convertible, Lucy insists that she learn to drive; but when Lucy wants to teach Ethel, uh oh!
13. "California, Here We Come": Confusion ensues when Lucy's mother (Kathryn Card, 1892-1964) decides to join the car trip to California, but a better decision is made as Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel head west!
14. "First Stop": With everyone tired of riding in the car, Lucy pulls over to a run-down restaurant/hotel.
15. "Tennessee Bound": When Ricky is arrested for driving too fast, it's up to good ol' Cousin Tennessee Ernie Ford (himself, 1919-1991) to save the day.
16. "Ethel's Home Town": When the gang stops in Albuquerque to visit Ethel's family, Ricky, Lucy & Fred aren't happy when the whole city thinks that Ethel is the star.
17. "L.A. at Last": Lucy, Fred & Ethel eat the famous Brown Derby where Lucy makes a mess of William Holden (himself, 1918-1981) in a nearby booth.
18. "Don Juan and the Starlets": Lucy wants a divorce when it appears that Ricky stayed out all night with five starlets.
19. "Lucy Gets in Pictures": Lucy finally gets her big chance to appear in a film thanks to Ricky, but the headdress is too much to handle.
20. "The Fashion Show": Lucy finds a way to get a free original Don Loper (himself, 1906-1972) dress; but she quickly learns that sunburns and wool don't mix.
21. "The Hedda Hopper Story": Lucy tries to further Ricky's career by trying to impress the rumored hotel guest Hedda Harper (herself, 1885-1966).
22. "Don Juan is Shelved": When Ricky's movie is shelved, Lucy tries too hard to make Ricky popular and get him another role.
23. "Bull Fight Dance": When Ricky lets Lucy appear with him on a TV show, she's not too happy about being a bull.
24. "Hollywood Anniversary": Ricky frantically attempts to find out his forgotten anniversary date and plans a huge surprise nightclub party for Lucy, who is miserable thinking that he's forgotten it.
25. "The Star Upstairs": Desperately wanting to see Cornel Wilde (himself, 1915-1989) whose hotel room is directly above the Ricardos, Lucy will do anything to see him and ends up trying to climb back down using bedsheets.
26. "In Palm Springs": With Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel bored with other, Lucy & Ethel travel to Palm Springs and meet Rock Hudson (himself, 1925-1985).
27. "The Dancing Star": To impress the visiting Carolyn Appleby (Doris Singleton), Lucy convinces Van Johnson (himself) to let her dance with him.
28. "Harpo Marx": Again to impress the visiting Carolyn Appleby, Lucy pretends to be Harpo Marx, but the real Harpo (himself, 1888-1964) shows up!
29. "Ricky Needs an Agent": When Lucy poses as Ricky's agent, she accidentally has his movie contract cancelled.
30. "The Tour": Lucy & Ethel leave their Hollywood tour bus so that Lucy can pick a grapefruit from Richard Widmark's (himself) garden.
Paramount Home Video's superb job of packaging all 31 episodes of the third season of "I Love Lucy" onto 5 DVD's is a good indication as to how they will similarly package the fourth season. Overall, for superb packaging and a great price, I rate the "I Love Lucy: The Complete Fourth Season" DVD box set with an anticipatory 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it!

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Enjoy I Love Lucy's entire Emmy-winning third season on five DVDs filled to the brim with classic TV comedy! Laugh out loud as Lucy and Ethel rip each other's dresses to shreds during their televised duet of Cole Porter's "Friendship." Watch the fireworks when Lucy has to go 24 hours without telling a fib. Follow Lucy as her quest to recover a contest-winning dollar bill lands her in a giant starch vat. Tune in to Lucy and Ethel' s unforgettable TV commercial for "Aunt Martha's Old Fashioned Salad Dressing ." Learn golf the way the pros never played it, as Ricky and Fred teach the girls their own unique rules of the game. And revisit two much-loved episodes featuring guest star Tennessee Ernie Ford in his star turn as "Cousin Ernie."

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I Love Lucy - The Complete Second Season (1951) Review

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(More customer reviews)Over 50 years ago during the early years of broadcast television, the very inspired talents of Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and her then husband Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) were showcased on their hilarious television show "I Love Lucy". TV execs had initially rejected the plausibility of the show because of Desi and because they intended to tape the shows. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lucille Ball and Desi's obvious talents, the show first aired in 1951 and quickly became one of the most successful TV shows during all six of its regular seasons. As Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy", Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were joined by William Frawley (1877-1966) and Viviane Vance (1909-1979) as their best-friends/apartment landlords of Fred and Ethel Mertz.
The fourth season of "I Love Lucy" that aired between 1954 and 1955 has 30 memorable episodes:
1. "The Business Manager": Ricky's hired business manager (Charles Lane) for Lucy's household budget only allows her $5/month to spend.
2. "Mertz and Kurtz": When Fred poses as a real-estate tycoon to impress an old vaudeville partner (Charles Winninger, 1884-1969), Lucy helps by posing as the Mertz' maid.
3. "Lucy Cries Wolf": Lucy's multiple phony attempts to see if Ricky will rush home to save her finally backfires.
4. "The Matchmaker": In spite of Ricky's objections, Lucy tries to get two singles to propose to one another.
5. "Mr. and Mrs. TV Show": Ricky's reluctance to do a live morning TV show with Lucy from their apartment backfires for Lucy when she tries to get back at him by sabotaging what she believes is only a dress rehearsal.
6. "Ricky's Movie Offer": When a talent scout comes to audition Ricky at the Ricardo's apartment, Lucy isn't about to give up her big chance.
7. "Ricky's Screen Test": Lucy wants more than a bit part in Ricky's audition for "Don Juan".
8. "Lucy's Mother-in-Law": Lucy tries to impress Ricky's mother on visit from Cuba by having a Spanish-speaking translator on an earphone.
9. "Ethel's Birthday": Fred asks Lucy to pick out Ethel's birthday gift, Ethel's reaction angers Lucy with hilarious results at a play.
10. "Ricky's Contract": Overly anxious to hear back from Hollywood, Fred leaves a phony message that Ricky got the part, but Ethel can't get there fast enough to prevent Lucy from telling Ricky the "good" news.
11. "Getting Ready": When the gang decides to drive to Hollywood, Fred purchases an old used car.
12. "Lucy Learns to Drive": When Ricky gets a new convertible, Lucy insists that she learn to drive; but when Lucy wants to teach Ethel, uh oh!
13. "California, Here We Come": Confusion ensues when Lucy's mother (Kathryn Card, 1892-1964) decides to join the car trip to California, but a better decision is made as Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel head west!
14. "First Stop": With everyone tired of riding in the car, Lucy pulls over to a run-down restaurant/hotel.
15. "Tennessee Bound": When Ricky is arrested for driving too fast, it's up to good ol' Cousin Tennessee Ernie Ford (himself, 1919-1991) to save the day.
16. "Ethel's Home Town": When the gang stops in Albuquerque to visit Ethel's family, Ricky, Lucy & Fred aren't happy when the whole city thinks that Ethel is the star.
17. "L.A. at Last": Lucy, Fred & Ethel eat the famous Brown Derby where Lucy makes a mess of William Holden (himself, 1918-1981) in a nearby booth.
18. "Don Juan and the Starlets": Lucy wants a divorce when it appears that Ricky stayed out all night with five starlets.
19. "Lucy Gets in Pictures": Lucy finally gets her big chance to appear in a film thanks to Ricky, but the headdress is too much to handle.
20. "The Fashion Show": Lucy finds a way to get a free original Don Loper (himself, 1906-1972) dress; but she quickly learns that sunburns and wool don't mix.
21. "The Hedda Hopper Story": Lucy tries to further Ricky's career by trying to impress the rumored hotel guest Hedda Harper (herself, 1885-1966).
22. "Don Juan is Shelved": When Ricky's movie is shelved, Lucy tries too hard to make Ricky popular and get him another role.
23. "Bull Fight Dance": When Ricky lets Lucy appear with him on a TV show, she's not too happy about being a bull.
24. "Hollywood Anniversary": Ricky frantically attempts to find out his forgotten anniversary date and plans a huge surprise nightclub party for Lucy, who is miserable thinking that he's forgotten it.
25. "The Star Upstairs": Desperately wanting to see Cornel Wilde (himself, 1915-1989) whose hotel room is directly above the Ricardos, Lucy will do anything to see him and ends up trying to climb back down using bedsheets.
26. "In Palm Springs": With Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel bored with other, Lucy & Ethel travel to Palm Springs and meet Rock Hudson (himself, 1925-1985).
27. "The Dancing Star": To impress the visiting Carolyn Appleby (Doris Singleton), Lucy convinces Van Johnson (himself) to let her dance with him.
28. "Harpo Marx": Again to impress the visiting Carolyn Appleby, Lucy pretends to be Harpo Marx, but the real Harpo (himself, 1888-1964) shows up!
29. "Ricky Needs an Agent": When Lucy poses as Ricky's agent, she accidentally has his movie contract cancelled.
30. "The Tour": Lucy & Ethel leave their Hollywood tour bus so that Lucy can pick a grapefruit from Richard Widmark's (himself) garden.
Paramount Home Video's superb job of packaging all 31 episodes of the third season of "I Love Lucy" onto 5 DVD's is a good indication as to how they will similarly package the fourth season. Overall, for superb packaging and a great price, I rate the "I Love Lucy: The Complete Fourth Season" DVD box set with an anticipatory 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it!

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From its 1951 premiere to the present day, I Love Lucy has never been off the air! You'll see why in this hilarious five-disc DVD collection, containing the show's entire second season. Laugh out loud at such gems as "Job Switching"—in which Lucy and Ethel do unforgettable battle with a chocolate factory conveyor belt; " The Handcuffs"—in which Lucy cuffs herself to Ricky and then loses the key; and "The Operetta"—in which Lucy's money problems bring down the curtain on her role as "Queen of the Gypsies." This collection also includes the groundbreaking "pregnancy shows," including the touching moment at the Tropicana when Lucy breaks the news to Ricky that they are going to have a baby; and "Lucy Goes to the Hospital"—the record-setting episode that garnered the highest rating in the history of television!

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I Love Lucy - The Complete Sixth Season (1951) Review

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(More customer reviews)Over 50 years ago during the early years of broadcast television, the very inspired talents of Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and her then husband Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) were showcased on their hilarious television show "I Love Lucy". TV execs had initially rejected the plausibility of the show because of Desi and because they intended to tape the shows. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lucille Ball and Desi's obvious talents, the show first aired in 1951 and quickly became one of the most successful TV shows during all six of its regular seasons. As Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy", Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were joined by William Frawley (1877-1966) and Viviane Vance (1909-1979) as their best-friends/apartment landlords of Fred and Ethel Mertz.
The sixth & final season of "I Love Lucy" that aired between 1956 and 1957 had 26 memorable episodes and one special:
1. "Lucy and Bob Hope": After Lucy spots Bob Hope (himself, 1903-2003) at a baseball game, she attempts to contact him by pretending to be a hotdog vendor and a pitcher.
2. "Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums": Thump. Thump. Thump, thump, thump. Little Ricky (Keith Thibodeaux) learning to play the drums starts to drive everyone crazy; including Fred & Ethel with his persistent rhythm.
3. "Lucy Meets Orson Welles": After Lucy gets to perform with Orson Wells (himself, 1915-1985) at the Tropicana, she tries to turn his magic-act into Shakespeare to impress her old drama teacher in the audience.
4. "Little Ricky Gets Stage Fright": Little Ricky appears fine before he debuts his drumming skills in front of an audience, but then panics immediately before the show.
5. "Visitor from Italy": Mario (Jay Novello, 1904-1982) from Italy comes to visit on his way to San Franchesca to see his brother, but Lucy thinks it's supposed to be San Francisco so she helps Mario get a job in a pizza parlor to raise money, only to have to flip some pizza dough herself.
6. "Off to Florida": To visit Ricky & Fred in Florida, Lucy & Ethel carpool with Mrs. Edna Grundy (Elsa Lanchester, 1902-1986) and her watercress sandwiches, but they come to think that she is a murderer after hearing a report on the car radio.
7. "Deep-Sea Fishing": Still in Florida, the gang goes out on a boat to go fishing with the women betting the men on who can catch the biggest fish.
8. "Desert Island": To stop Ricky & Fred from judging a Florida beauty contest, Lucy & Ethel make it appear that their boat runs out of gas, leaving them stranded on seemingly deserted island.
9. "The Ricardos Visit Cuba": Finally visiting Cuba after many years, Lucy gets the opportunity to meet more of Ricky's relatives, but ends up trying to hide while rolling cigars.
10. "Little Ricky's School Pageant": Ricky, Lucy, Fred & Ethel appear in Little Ricky's school show with Lucy as a wicked witch.
Special: "'I Love Lucy' Christmas Show": A.K.A. "Jingle Bells" or "The Lost Episode", this special has the gang reminiscing as they decorate a Christmas tree.
11. "Lucy and the Loving Cup": Lucy gets a trophy stuck on top of her head.
12. "Lucy and Superman": Lucy pretends to be Superman for Little Ricky's birthday, but then the real Superman (George Reeves, 1914-1959) shows up.
13. "Little Ricky Gets a Dog": When Little Ricky gets a puppy, no one is happy with its non-stop, late-night barking.
14. "Lucy Wants to Move to the Country": After Lucy wants her, Ricky & Little Ricky to buy a home in Connecticut, she starts to have second thoughts and gets help from Ethel & Fred to sour the deal with the sellers: Mr. & Mrs. Spaulding (Frank Wilcox, 1907-1974, & Eleanor Audley, 1905-1991).
15. "Lucy Hates to Leave": The Ricardos with their belongings temporarily move in with the Mertz's until they can move into their new Connecticut home.
16. "Lucy Misses the Mertzes": Alone in their new home, Ricky & Lucy decide to visit Fred & Ethel in New York, but Fred & Ethel decide to visit Ricky & Lucy.
17. "Lucy Gets Chummy with the Neighbors": Like Lucy ever needed an excuse to buy new furniture, her new friend & next-door neighbor Betty Ramsay (Mary Jane Croft, 1916-1999) helps to convince Lucy that she needs to.
18. "Lucy Raises Chickens": To help pay their bills, Lucy & Ricky decide to get chickens and sell the eggs; so Lucy & Ethel buy 500 baby chicks that Little Ricky finds hidden away and accidentally lets loose.
19. "Lucy Does the Tango": After Ricky threatens to sell their chickens that won't lay eggs and he & Fred aren't speaking to each other, Lucy plans to plant store-bought eggs in the nests; but she also has to hide them and practice the Tango with Ricky with some sticky results.
20. "Ragtime Band": When Ricky refuses to perform with Lucy, Fred & Ethel for a benefit, she gets Little Ricky on the drums instead.
21. "Lucy's Night in Town": Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel plan to see a New York play, but problems arise, including Fred getting nervous about carrying $500 in cash.
22. "Housewarming": Ethel's jealousy of Betty Ramsey's friendship with Lucy quickly becomes Lucy's jealousy of Ethel when Ethel & Betty find out that their both from Albuquerque. Things get worse when Lucy thinks that Ethel is planning a surprise housewarming party for her & Ricky.
23. "Building a Bar-B-Q": Ricky & Fred build a wonderful brick barbeque, but Lucy thinks her wedding ring fell into the cement; so she & Ethel take it apart looking, then attempt to put it back together with hilarious results.
24. "Country Club Dance": Lucy, Ethel & Betty get mad at their husbands that all become smitten with a young blond (Barbara Eden) at a dance.
25. "Lucy Raises Tulips": Tulips and riding lawnmowers don't go together, which is what Lucy finds out when she tries to mow her yard and takes out Betty's prize tulips. Lucy also discovers that wax tulips don't do well in the sun.
26. "The Ricardos Dedicate a Statue": In the very last regular "I Love Lucy" episode, after Lucy accidentally destroys the statue to be dedicated, she pretends to be the statue. The real children of Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz (Lucie Arnaz & Desi Arnaz, Jr.) made uncredited cameo appearances.
To date, Paramount Home Video has done a superb job of packaging the various episodes of the first five seasons of "I Love Lucy" on DVD, so it's a good indication that they'll do as good a job with the sixth season. Overall, for superb packaging and a great price, I rate the "I Love Lucy: The Complete Sixth Season" DVD box set with an anticipatory 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it! Hopefully the 13 hour-long "The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show" episodes from 1957 to 1960 will follow in another DVD box set.

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They say all good things must come to an end, but the sixth and final season of I Love Lucy's leaves a hilarious legacy with this four-disc, must-have DVD set. Season Six of this classic television sitcom sees the Ricardos longing for a less-hectic life in the country, so they make plans to move to rural Connecticut . . . but not before Lucy leaves The Big Apple reeling with some riotous escapades. To help further her "showbiz" aspirations, Lucy attempts to get chummy with comedian Bob Hope at a baseball game – by masquerading as both a hot dog vendor and a tobacco-chomping pitcher. Then, with Little Ricky's birthday approaching, Lucy makes a superhuman effort to have Superman (George Reeves) appear at the festivities. And only Lucy could somehow wind up with jockey Johnny Longden's loving cup stuck firmly on her head! Will life in rural Connecticut be more tranquil? Well, not when Lucy believes that her wedding ring has fallen into the mortar Ricky has used to build a new patio barbecue. And in one of the funniest TV episodes ever, Lucy learns the hard way that you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket …er, um … blouse! Here are all 27 "Final Season" episodes of I Love Lucy – television's timeless, unforgettable comedy series.

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I Love Lucy - The Complete Fifth Season (1951) Review

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(More customer reviews)Over 50 years ago during the early years of broadcast television, the very inspired talents of Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and her then husband Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) were showcased on their hilarious television show "I Love Lucy". TV execs had initially rejected the plausibility of the show because of Desi and because they intended to tape the shows. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lucille Ball and Desi's obvious talents, the show first aired in 1951 and quickly became one of the most successful TV shows during all six of its regular seasons. As Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy", Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were joined by William Frawley (1877-1966) and Viviane Vance (1909-1979) as their best-friends/apartment landlords of Fred and Ethel Mertz.
The fifth season of "I Love Lucy" that aired between 1955 and 1956 has 26 memorable episodes:
1. "Lucy Visits Grauman's": With Ethel's help, Lucy steals John Wayne's footprints from Grauman's Chinese Theater.
2. "Lucy and John Wayne": Lucy and Ethel try to return the footprints that they stole, but they break; so Ricky enlists the help from John Wayne (himself) to make a new set. More than one may be needed.
3. "Lucy and the Dummy": After Ricky backs out of a party where Lucy wants her big break, Lucy makes a dummy of Ricky to dance with at the party.
4. "Ricky Sells the Car": After Ricky sells the car, Fred & Ethel think they'll have to ride a motorcycle back to NYC; but Ricky buys train tickets for all.
5. "The Great Train Robbery": Thinking there's a jewel thief on board the train to NYC, Lucy can't stop pulling the emergency brake cord. (Train conductor played by Frank Nelson, 1911-1986.)
6. "Homecoming": Upon returning to NYC, Ricky is a big star, but Lucy initially doesn't share in everyone's worship of him.
7. "The Ricardos Are Interviewed": Ricky & Lucy consider moving and Ricky is to be interviewed on a prestigious show.
8. "Lucy Goes to a Rodeo": After Ricky can't help Fred with a rodeo-themed show for his lodge, Lucy & Ethel volunteer to help.
9. "Nursery School": After Lucy's fear of Little Ricky getting sick at nursery school comes to pass, she is determined to stay with him at the hospital.
10. "Ricky's European Booking": When Ricky can't afford to take Lucy on his European tour, she & Ethel dream up a raffle to help the "Ladies Overseas Aid", which they think is themselves.
11. "The Passports": Lucy can't find her birth certificate so that she can get her passport.
12. "Staten Island Ferry": To help Fred overcome seasickness, Lucy takes him onto the Staten Island Ferry; but she gets seasick herself and may be late to the passport office. (Passport clerk played by Charles Lane.)
13. "Bon Voyage": When the ship leaves port for Europe, Lucy is inadvertently left behind; so she'll have to get to ship via a helicopter. One of the best fifth-season episodes!
14. "Second Honeymoon": Lucy wants the Atlantic cruise to be a second honeymoon, but Ricky is too busy with the band.
15. "Lucy Meets the Queen": After Lucy misses seeing the queen at Buckingham Palace, Ricky gets invited to met the queen, but not Lucy. Of course, when has "no" ever stopped Lucy?
16. "The Fox Hunt": Bragging that she can ride, Lucy gets to show how well she can actually ride a horse in a fox hunt.
17. "Lucy Goes to Scotland": Lucy wants to travel to Scotland to meet her distant McGillicuddy relatives. The dream sequence that unfolds is unforgettable.
18. "Paris at Last": Not having any French currency, Lucy, Ethel & Fred exchange money with a so-called French artist (Shepard Menken, 1921-1999), who turns out to be a counterfeiter. The translation sequence is priceless, as is Lucy's introduction to escargot!
19. "Lucy Meets Charles Boyer": Lucy & Ethel are star-struck when they encounter Charles Boyer (himself) at a sidewalk cafe.
20. "Lucy Gets a Paris Gown": When Lucy goes on hunger strike to force Ricky to buy her an expensive French-designed dress, Ricky & Fred have dresses custom-made out of burlap. (A fantastic episode!)
21. "Lucy in the Swiss Alps": Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel get trapped in an avalanche while mountain climbing until they here "La Cucaracha" being played.
22. "Lucy Gets Homesick in Italy": In this heart-warming episode, Lucy misses Little Ricky during his birthday, so a little Italian shoeshine boy (Bart Bradley) and his friends get to celebrate with her.
23. "Lucy's Italian Movie": In one of the best episodes of all time, Lucy takes "getting some local color" a little literally when she travels to an old-fashioned Italian winery to press grapes to impress an Italian film director. (Italian wine stomper played by Theresa Tirelli, 1907-1989).
24. "Lucy's Bicycle Trip": Lucy has trouble crossing back into France when she can't find her passport.
25. "Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo": When Lucy picks up a chip in a Monte Carlo casino, she inadvertently wins thousands of French franks.
26. "Return Home From Europe": To sneak home a 30-pound cheese, Lucy dresses it up as baby to fly home to NYC; but the passenger (Mary Jane Croft, 1916-1999) next to her flips out when the cheese disappears.
Paramount Home Video's superb job of packaging all 30 episodes of the fourth season of "I Love Lucy" onto 5 DVD's is a good indication as to how they will similarly package the fifth season onto 4. Overall, for superb packaging and a great price, I rate the "I Love Lucy: The Complete Fifth Season" DVD box set with an anticipatory 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it!

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It's I Love Lucy's fifth hilarious season, as Lucy manages to find trouble in Hollywood, Manhattan, Paris, London, Rome, and everywhere in between. Before leaving Tinseltown, Lucy bags the ultimate souvenir—John Wayne's cement footprints from Grauman's Chinese Theatre! Then, on board the train back to New York, Lucy can't resist adding a few unscheduled stops—courtesy of the train's all-too-convenient emergency brake cord. Next, Lucy goes to extremes to catch a luxury ocean liner when it sets sail for Europe with Ricky and the Mertzes aboard—but with Lucy still on the dock. On the Continent, Lucy's madcap escapades include getting thrown in a Parisian jail, modeling a French "designer" potato sack, causing an Alpine avalanche, hitting an accidental jackpot in Monte Carlo, and—in one of TV's funniest scenes ever—soaking up a whole lot of "local color" in an Italian grape-stomping vat!

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