Nothing But Trouble

Starring:Danielle Aykroyd, P.H. Aykroyd, Peter Aykroyd, Daniel Baldwin, Raymond J. Barry, Valri Bromfield, John Candy, Chevy Chase, Bertila Damas, John Daveikis, Earl Dixon, Brian Doyle-Murray, Deborah Lee Johnson, Richard Kruk, Demi Moore, Taylor Negron, Jim Staskel, Karla Tamburrelli, John Wesley
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Description

Whether serving their country in wartime or serving multicourse mealtime mayhem, Laurel and Hardy serve up laughs in this classic twofer. First, the nation calls out in its hour of need, Stan and Ollie answer...and Uncle Sam changes his mind. Rejected by the military, our heroes become Air Raid Wardens. Lights-out laughs include a donnybrook with slow-burn comic Edgar Kennedy and a run-in with a nest of spies. In Nothing but Trouble, the boys fuss and finagle as World War II-era domestics who rally 'round an exiled boy king when danger arises. Sam Taylor, co-director of Harold Lloyd's famed hanging-from-the-clock-high-above-city-traffic movie Safety Last!, guides this romp that includes a gem of a ledge-hanging sequence. Hold tight for fall-down funny fun.

Customer Reviews:

Great B&W flicks with very good DVD quality........2007-01-23

Both movies on DVD are fine showings of Laurel's and Hardy's talents. As always there is plenty of laughs and stants. Even my 7-year old daughter was laughing to tears. The quality of DVD - audio and video - is excellent, and maybe there are not too many extras, the movie itself is very satissfying. Highly recommended for Olie and Stan buffs and new-comers.

GOOD FOR SOME LAUGHS .......2006-12-17

This is a pretty good effort for a Warner home video dvd release.You get two Laurel & Hardy feature films on one single sided disc with nice artwork.Considering that these films are over 60 years old the audio & video quality is surprisingly good.If you're a fan of Laurel & Hardy, this dvd is definitely for you.This is good clean fun from one of the best comedy teams ever.

U.K. buyers - this L & H DVD plays on R.2 coded machines!.......2006-12-15

The most important information for U.K. buyers here is that this Air Raid Wardens / Nothing But Trouble Laurel and Hardy DVD plays on region 2 coded machines without any problems whatsoever.

The picture quality is fantastic and movie trailers are also included - so buy with confidence from Amazon.com!

Five stars for releasing these to DVD: this pre-release review just mentions the content.......2006-09-18

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy made two feature films for M-G-M in the 1940s, which were overlooked when the rest of the team's M-G-M output was released to DVD earlier this year. These two films are often missing pieces in a Laurel & Hardy fan's collection, and having them both on one disc is a convenient and economical way to enjoy them.

AIR RAID WARDENS and NOTHING BUT TROUBLE have more heart than usual for wartime L & H comedies, and the scripts paint the "Stan and Ollie" characters as being conscientious underdogs instead of oblivious idiots, for a welcome change. Most fans' basic complaint is that both films use M-G-M's inflexible formula for comedy, as repeatedly applied to Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers: the comedians reach a humiliating "low point," when things can't get any worse, only to bounce back to triumph and vindication. Be prepared for some scenes where Stan and Ollie are greatly humbled by a depressing turn of events. Good, straight acting by the leads, but not typically found in a Laurel & Hardy comedy.

AIR RAID WARDENS (1943) has our heroes trying to help their community in wartime by putting up posters (messily), attending a town meeting (distractingly), administering first aid (disastrously), asking Edgar Kennedy to please turn off his house lights (unsuccessfully), and finally foiling an enemy sabotage plot (and very successfully). A huge box-office hit in 1943 and a real "audience" picture: for best results watch this one with some friends.

NOTHING BUT TROUBLE (1944) has Stan and Ollie as the world's worst butler and chef, from a long line of bad butlers and chefs, who steal a lion's lunch, preside over Mary Boland's important dinner party with their usual aptitude, try to protect an exiled boy king from political assassins, and wind up being forced onto a window ledge high above the city streets (very well staged).

The "serious" plots weigh these films down at times, so try not to pay too much attention to them and concentrate on the L & H gags instead. The team's timing and comic skills are most of the show here, overcoming M-G-M's relentlessly stately pacing. Print quality should be outstanding, based on the usually impeccable M-G-M vault elements.

one great movie and one o.k. movie(also a message toHALLMARK).......2006-08-31

I want to say that with this dvd (along with the new 2 part box sets) we now have the complete post hal roach movies,except for a remastered officially released first generation unedited version of "atoll k" which is commonly known s "utopia" which I hope sees the light of day soon,so listen up HALLMARK get on the ball with the hal roach movies,we've seen more laurel and hardy releases in the last year than what HALLMARK has released in the last 6 years,since HALLMARK owns the rights to all the hal roach films and shorts I think two dvds in 6 years is just pitiful...now for the reviews of these two movies....."air raid wardens" is an o.k. movie but seems to be more like abbott and costello then l&h,but the movie that makes this disc is "Nothing but trouble"-which is in my opinion the best post hal roach movie PERIOD!!!!!

Average customer rating:

The sets are a mess and act as a metaphor for the rest of the movie
The Sorry, Sad and Ugly Yet Perversely Addictive Head-Shaker
HERE'S A FILM YOU WILL EITHER LOVE OR HATE
Nothing But Boredom and Shallowness...
Nothing But Trouble

Nothing But Trouble
Starring: Danielle Aykroyd , P.H. Aykroyd , Peter Aykroyd , Daniel Baldwin , and Raymond J. Barry
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Black Comedy | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Who's Harry Crumb?
The Great Outdoors
Spies Like Us
Summer Rental
Armed & Dangerous (Ws)

ASIN: 6305162018
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Description

Get spooked silly when Chevy Chase and Demi Moore take a wrong turnpike exit and find "hanging judge" Dan Aykroyd and "constable" John Candy in a bizarre New Jersey burg. Year: 1990 Director: Dan Aykroyd Starring: Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Demi Moore, John Candy

Customer Reviews:

The sets are a mess and act as a metaphor for the rest of the movie.......2007-03-16

Dan Ackroyd has sure had a wide ranging movie career. He has done the brilliant roles in "Trading Places", "Ghostbusters", and several others. However, he has also laid some eggs such as "Dr. Detroit" and this very strange work. On the whole, I think he has done more good work than bad. I know he has his detractors, but I like him and enjoy his work even when it is as odd as this thing. While this movie only did $8.5 million in box office in 1991, it has become a staple on cable TV and is all but unavoidable.

This thing, however, is hard to fathom. The story makes little sense. Chevy Chase and some friends get stopped for a very minor traffic violation and face imprisonment, death, and a forced marriage to a crazy old man's mute and huge (John Candy) granddaughter.

The sets are all a mess. I know it is supposed to be a kind of junkyard from hell, but still, everything is a mess. And wouldn't someone begin to question all the human bones lying about in piles?

Still, the movie has its moments. The very image of Ackroyd as the impossibly disgusting Judge Valkenheiser is unforgettable. The scene with the Digital Underground and the Judge's playing a fake little organ riff is pretty memorable. I never understood the fake nose and glasses of the lead rapper of that group (Humpty Hump?). Note: Tupac Shakur is in that group and a second or two of screen time.

John Candy makes what he can of the dual roles he is given, but they aren't that good. Chevy Chase is, well, Chevy Chase as Christ Thorne - the what passes for a hero in the movie. Demi Moore looks cute as the love interest Diane.

Watch it for the curiosities, but make sure you don't have anything near you that you could throw at your TV screen or this could end up being expensive.

The Sorry, Sad and Ugly Yet Perversely Addictive Head-Shaker.......2007-02-16

It's always: how to come down on this one? Is this film an unbelievably schlocky, poorly acted, horribly scripted, under-budgeted, lamely produced film striving for transcendent comedy? Or is it the blackest of black humor, the wacky, loopy side of mass murder and extra-judicial killing a la "Eating Raoul?" I just dunno, but every time this thing pops on cable I'm there for the duration. Before I know it the end titles roll and I'm confused and conflicted, and giddy that it's over.

First, Chevy Chase as the headlining straight man? After his best in "Caddyshack" and "Fletch?" It's like director Aykroyd is setting him up for failure, and Chase appears to bristle at it through the entire film.

For historical novelty we've got the pre-"Deh-Mee" Moore, back when she was normal, even attractive, despite that horrible pasty-white makeup they've piled on her, somehow missing her neck, shoulders and chest. Her off-white outfit is just as nonsensical, with those so stupid post-80s half-heeled pumps, the lame semi-formal dress shorts, and the faux country club halter.

And then there's John Candy as a self-loathing deputy somehow turned hero, as well as mute drag-queen. His incarnation as Eldona is the only interesting character in the whole film. His Dennis character finds escape with the tacky Latins to Brazil, but what of redemption? What of his direct and knowing complicity in the hundreds of extra-judicial murders over the years? Does the fact that he leaves Aykroyd and Demi to their fates compromise his redemption?

Who other than me notices early in the film, after that excruciatingly lame, low-budge, non-high-speed chase that beautiful southeastern California landscape through which they tour? Note the dry creek beds, the eucalyptus trees, the barren brown mountains in the distant sunset background--this is New Jersey? And on they travel, through the desert scrub, the pinon pines, down the dry washes and through the beautifully wooded vales that I remember so well as the bucolic Hazzard County of yore. Awful.

Okay, a forgotten "shire" in "rural" New Jersey, just off the interstate between NYC and Atlantic City, where a coal fire has been burning for decades? Who thought up this garbage, and what producers swallowed it? Check the facts; NJ doesn't produce coal.

And what's with the Rube Goldberg house, the slides the go and go but still end up in the house? Who loads the traps and maintains them? What are the piles of bones doing in the house? Why are they all femurs? Where are the humerusses, the ulnas, the scapulae?

Note the young and thankfully dialog-less Tupac, and the so unfairly busted Digital Underground homies. It's clear in this overly long vignette that the DU's label coughed up plenty so the band could badly lip-sync their hit. And just like in "Doctor Detroit" and "Blues Brothers," Aykroyd can't pass up the opportunity to show us how terribly down he is with black music culture by having his feeble and shaky-handed JP suddenly belt out a wicked-cool organ solo as the video bimbos paw him like he was wearing a suit made of cocaine and cash. Puh-leeze.

And then there're the two mutant diaper-babies, Li'l Debbull and Bobo (one of them is Aykroyd), so obviously latex bodysuits, utterly unlikable and truly grotesque. Are they supposed to be cute, the lovably disgusting successors to Sloth in "The Goonies?" Are we to feel some kind of deep moral dilemma of whether we should like them or not? They're filthy, neglected, with full, sagging diapers. They're both clearly clinical morons, and have been left to fend for themselves in the junkyard, which says a great deal about the overall Valkenvania approach to child-rearing.

And finally, Aykroyd. This was his first and only directing effort, and you can tell why. There have been many interviews in which he's laid blame on the script, upon the unwillingness of the producers to give him what he wanted, the subtle shots at the actors and their performances (he's top-billed), and even the fact that the working title of "Valkenvania" was not used as the release title. Yeah, like these were reasons this film tanked.

And, please, someone, what is with the JP's nose? Just what in the name of St. Alfonso's pancake breakfast is that thing all about? Is it just a really, really bad sight gag, or is thee some kind of deeply mystical significance that is escaping me?

And at the end we are caught in the big joke, that all of New Jersey law enforcement knows about Valkenvania and have been in on the grand conspiracy for years, apparently fully aware of the JP's extra-judicial killings. As they swarm the building, it's sadly right out of "Blues Brothers," the only thing missing is the troopers yelling "Hut, hut, hut, hut!" as they advance clumsily all over the compound.

There is one thing I like, though: the shot where fleeing Demi is in the forest of scrapped Mr. Muffler signs. Their sheer size, grinning faces, outstretched arms devoid of their beloved oversized car parts is some very nice composition, surreal, eerie and menacing, highly reminiscent of Tim Burton's nod in "Mars Attacks" to the unplugged glamour and glory of the old Glitter Gulch in Vegas when he has Danny DeVito, Tom Jones, Jim Brown, and Annette Benning flee through the marquee graveyard.

Bottom line: this film seems to be an interesting black comedy concept which somehow took on a life of its own. It's a last-gasp 80s kind of thing, with Aykroyd going so obviously back to wells which have been emptied already, by him and prior co-stars. Overall, it's a serious stinker, but it's still got enough wacky train-wreck mojo to pull me in, every single flippin' time.

HERE'S A FILM YOU WILL EITHER LOVE OR HATE.......2006-10-26

FIRST OFF: WHY LOVE OR HATE THIS FILM?

Even in our household the opinions are divided on this one. I'm giving it a 4 [instead of a 5] in recognition of everyone else in our family who can't stand to see this film.

IN A NUTSHELL: 'NOTHING BUT TROUBLE' IS NOTHING BUT RIDICULOUS

'Nothing But Trouble' features John Candy, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, and Demi Moore, with Aykroyd and Candy actually playing two roles each. Candy plays a strange female mute, Eldona, in addition to Sheriff Dennis and Aykroyd plays 'J.P.' the hanging judge and 'Bobo', a huge outdoor only frankenstein-esque relative. This is a film that is obviously a bit too over-the-top for many viewers and also a bit on the gross side for many others. Nevertheless, it strikes me as a very goofy film that features three of my favorite comedians [Akyroyd, Chase & Candy], so obviously I am going to like the film. Nevertheless, I liked 'Nothing But Trouble' enough to add a DVD to my collection where I already had several video copies of the film.

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT: [could be plot spoilers below]

Chris Thorne [Chevy Chase] takes a detour off the N.J. Turnpike to see some of the scenery and accidentally goes through a stop sign in the Village of Valkenvania and right into the twilight zone.

After a rather absurd chase scene Thorne is apprehended by Dennis [Candy], and along with his eclectic party, is escorted to the Village Reeve, 'J.P.' and into custody for an indefinite stay. Their stay in custody is punctuated by strange people behaving rather strangely while Thorne tries to wise crack his way to freedom, never really taking the gravity of the situation seriously. In fact, they are all in danger of being executed, because that is the usual punishment for bankers, which Thorne has been labeled, as well as for other undesirables.

By the time Thorne realizes that he and his party may never leave the judge's custody, it may be too late to do anything to save Diane Lightston [Demi Moore] and himself from being executed. To escape this plight is what this film is all about. It is silly, perhaps too silly to be taken seriously.

WHY SOME IN OUR HOUSEHOLD DON'T SHARE MY FONDNESS FOR THIS FILM:

I do enjoy this film, but many others in our household do not share my opinion. They feel that there are scenes that are gross for the no good reason and that the film is silly in a way that seems unmotivated. Also, Demi Moore seems to have been included for window dressing rather than as a serious female lead, which she is quite capable of delivering.

ABOUT THE DVD: NO SPECIAL FEATURES BUT IT PLAYS BETTER THAN THE VHS EDITION

This DVD plays quite well and is in Full-Screen Format. With the exception of 'Scene Selections' there are NO Special Features whatsoever, which was a big disappointment for me, since I was hoping at least to have a commentary track by the Director and Star, Dan Aykroyd.

Nothing But Boredom and Shallowness..........2006-10-09

How could two such great talents as John Candy and Dan Ackroyd and the beautiful Demi Moore (I expect garbage out of Chevy Chase, so 'that' was no suprised) agree to do such an unfunny, stupidly written, shallow pile of crap is beyond me..
If you are suffering from insomina, watch it..You'll be cured in five minutes...Jack Schlatter

Nothing But Trouble.......2006-07-22

An all-star cast really pulls all the plugs on comedy and light drama. John Candy plays a very controlled straight man while Dan Ackroyd keeps the laughter at its max, in his multi role performance. You will want to view this comedy-fantasy more than once.

Average customer rating:

Spies Like Us/Nothing but Trouble
Starring: Spies Like Us , and Nothing But Trouble
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Three Amigos
Fletch (The "Jane Doe" Edition)
Fletch Lives
Funny Farm
The Great Outdoors

ASIN: B000E8QVCY
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Description

What pencil pushers Emmett (Chevy Chase) and Austin (Dan Aykroyd) don't know about spying they make up for in laughs in Spies like Us (Side A). The two desk jockeys fake their way into becoming spies with limitless limitations in this funfest that plays like a Bob Hope-Bing Crosby Road movie. John Landis (Trading Places) directs. The comedy cohorts team again in a movie that asks: What do Chevy Chase and Demi Moore get when a wrong turn lands them in a strange New Jersey burg? They get Nothing but Trouble (Side B), with Aykroyd as a cranky 106-year-old Justice of the Peace and John Candy playing a dutiful lawman. With direction by Aykroyd, appearances by members of hip-hop's Digital Underground, plus two more Aykroyd and Candy roles, this binge of giggles and guffaws is anything but predictable!

Classic Comedy Teams Collection (Abbott & Costello in Hollywood / Air Raid Wardens / Gold Raiders / Lost in a Harem / Meet the Baron / Nothing but Trouble)

Average customer rating:

Mayron57
A nice way to round out a comedy collection...
Kudos for putting these on DVD
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO A MUST; OTHERS OKAY
Rarely seen films of classic comics! NOT Public Domain junk.

Classic Comedy Teams Collection (Abbott & Costello in Hollywood / Air Raid Wardens / Gold Raiders / Lost in a Harem / Meet the Baron / Nothing but Trouble)
Starring: Bud Abbott , Lou Costello , Frances Rafferty , Bob Stanton , and Jean Porter
Director: S. Sylvan Simon , Sam Taylor , and Edward Sedgwick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection (Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mad Love / The Devil Doll / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu)
Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol. 2 (A Haunting we Will Go / Dancing Masters / Bullfighters)
The Tarzan Collection Starring Johnny Weissmuller, Vol. 2 (Tarzan Triumphs / Tarzan's Desert Mystery / Tarzan and the Amazons / and the Leopard Woman / and the Huntress / and the Mermaids)
Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 2 (Charlie Chan at the Circus / Charlie Chan at the Olympics / Charlie Chan at the Opera / Charlie Chan at the Race Track)
W.C. Fields Comedy Collection, Vol. 2 (The Man on the Flying Trapeze / Never Give A Sucker An Even Break / You're Telling Me! / The Old Fashioned Way / Poppy)

ASIN: B000HWZ4F2
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Amazon.com

This three-disc set is perhaps not the ideal introduction to Abbott and Costello, the Three Stooges, and Laurel and Hardy, but vintage comedy buffs and fans of these legendary teams will welcome the opportunity to fill in their collections with these lesser-known and rarely seen films, packaged as three double features (each volume also available separately). Abbott & Costello fare best with two films they made for MGM while they were still relatively in their prime. Lost in a Harem(1944) is sublime silliness as hapless entertainers Bud and Lou, stranded in the Middle East, who become embroiled in a plot to dethrone an evil king. This film features a knockabout version of the vintage vaudeville routine "Slowly I turn," as well as bizarrely gratuitous numbers by Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra, whom the king has kidnapped and hypnotized (!). In Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (1945), the duo are barbers-turned-agents who run amuck on the MGM lot. Less star-studded than the title promises (Rags Ragland, anyone?), there are some great routines, including a sequence in which Lou must act as a prop dummy to elude studio guards.

This collection is a particular treasure trove for Stooges fans, unearthing two of the trio's obscure features. The first, Meet the Baron (1933) captures Moe, Larry, and Curly at the beginning of their screen careers with original partner Ted Healy. The film itself is more a vehicle for radio comedian Jack "Vas you dere, Charlie?" Pearl as his signature character, Baron Munchausen. Gold Raiders (1951) was the only feature the Stooges made with Shemp. It's a slaphappy "C" western costarring George O'Brien as, yes, a lawman-turned-insurance salesman. Despite the premise, it's played mostly straight, and is not an all-out spoof like the later, The Outlaws Is Coming. Laurel and Hardy, who began in silent films, were in sad decline by the time they made Air Raid Wardens (1943) and Nothing but Trouble (1944), but these two films at least manage to recapture some of the magic of this most beloved of comedy teams. Wardens is a wartime "we must all pull together" homefront comedy in which the blundering boys stumble upon a Nazi sabotage plot. Pathos does not become the team ("I guess we're not smart like other people," a dejected Stan says at one point), but a poster-hanging sequence and an all-too-brief tit-for-tat encounter with the great Edgar Kennedy will evoke fonder memories. In Trouble, Stan and Ollie are in another fine mess as a butler and chef who make a shambles of high society and foil a plot to murder a boy-king. Whether as sheer nostalgia for a bygone era or as the simple provider of family-friendly laughs, this welcome collection fits the bill. Donald Liebenson

Description

THE THREE STOOGES DOUBLE FEATURE Available sundry through Saturday! Larry, Shemp and Moe are sundries salesmen in the comedy Western GOLD RAIDERS. Larry, Curly, Moe...uh-oh! They're janitors at an all-girl college in the romp MEET THE BARON, also starring Jimmy Durante. ABBOTT AND COSTELLO DOUBLE FEATURE You ought to be in pictures: Tinseltown barbers Bud and Lou take their cut as aspiring talent agents in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN HOLLYWOOD. Sand and silliness. The guys face an evil potentate with hypnotic powers when they're LOST IN A HAREM. LAUREL AND HARDY DOUBLE FEATURE The army's loss is our gain. Rejected by Uncle Sam, the fellas become AIR RAID WARDENS. Soup and nuts. It's a comedy banquet when Stan and Ollie play household servants in NOTHING BUT TROUBLE.

Customer Reviews:

Mayron57.......2007-04-10

Not all of these six movies are as widely known as others by these three great comedy teams; but all are must haves for any serious Stooges, L&H, or A&C fan. If, like me, you're a fan of all three comedy teams, for less than $20 U.S. this is a great addition to your DVD collection. I have been trying for years to get these movies, especially Abbott & Costello in Hollywood and Gold Raiders. Now I have them and am very pleased with my purchase. If you love these three great comedy teams, definitely buy this six-movie collection. These six movies are spread across three single-sided disks. NOT Flippers!!!

A nice way to round out a comedy collection..........2007-02-12

This smorgasbord of film comedy offers a little bit of everything. The main entree has to be Abbott & Costello: two films (outside of their home studio of Universal)showcase the team in their prime here. Both were made at MGM where, coincidentally, Lou worked as a Hollywood stunt man when he was young.
The Three Stooges are shown in different form: one rare feature film was made with Shemp, and another early one, as they were "stooges" for another vaudvillian, Ted Healey. It's interesting to see them outside of their usual short film venue.
The great team of Laurel & Hardy are on their way down in these two films, and it's a shame they're not shown in their heyday here. Working for larger studios, they were not allowed to tamper with the scripts given. But still, they manage to have some funny moments in each.
This package is a curious offering for any collector, but worth it.

Kudos for putting these on DVD.......2007-01-26

While these films aren't exactly for a new or casual fan, they are very worth the while for more seasoned fans. Finally these long-overlooked films are being released on DVD instead of languishing away on out of print videos or not even available on that format to begin with (I don't believe 'Gold Raiders' was ever issued on VHS). Yes, the bonus features are very minimal (just trailers for 'Meet the Baron,' 'A&C in Hollywood,' 'Air Raid Wardens,' and 'Nothing But Trouble'), and the print used for 'Lost in a Harem' does seem a bit worn at times, but those complaints should be minor when considering how great it is that these lesser features of these great comedy teams finally got a proper DVD release. Who even thinks to complain about something like a dearth of bonus features or less than perfect prints when talking about the long-awaited release of rarities? (And since they are such rarities and non-essential features except for seasoned fans, it makes sense that there really isn't much in the way of bonus materials.)

A lot of people tend to dismiss L&H's post-1940 features as though they're completely unfunny, awful, and not worth one's time, but I rather like the two they did for MGM, as well as their Fox features. It's like one of those things that's been said long enough, by so many people, that even people who have never gotten to see these features to judge for themselves start to parrot this rhetoric, which creates a self-fulfilling prophecy by the time they finally see said features. But if one takes them on their own merits instead of unfairly judging them by the golden standard of their Hal Roach years, one might actually come to see that they're not half-bad and indeed have many funny moments. They're different from the films at Hal Roach, with a lot of that heart and soul being gone (such as in how they're now aware of their stupidity and don't want to try to change their low station in life, like when Ollie actually says, "I guess we're not smart like other people," and one of the jokes in 'Air Raid Wardens' is supposed to be the sight of Stan struggling to write his own name, as though he's borderline retarded and not just a childlike man in his own special magical world), but the two main ingredients are still there, even if in a different format. My favorite of the two is 'Air Raid Wardens' (1943), featuring the boys as hopeful air raid wardens trying to do their best for the homefront effort, only to be dismissed from their jobs with disgrace after screwing up one too many times. When they learn of a group of Nazi spies in their town planning to take over and blow up a magnesium plant, it's up to them to save the day and convince the locals that they're not so stupid and incompetent after all. 'Nothing But Trouble' (1944) features them as a cook (Ollie) and a butler (Stan) working for a high-society matron, but are also dismissed from those positions after ruining a dinner party and being accused of kidnapping a boy king in exile. They also have to try to save the day in this picture when King Christopher's evil uncle Prince Saul tries to have his nephew poisoned and to take power for himself. Though I quite enjoyed this film the first time I saw it, it didn't wear as well the second time around. While I still liked it (particularly the scene near the end when they're holding onto the side of the building and Stan, hanging onto Ollie for dear life, manages to pull his friend's pants down), it just didn't seem as inspired as it had before.

'A&C in Hollywood' (1945) features the duo as barbers and shoeshine boys who decide to start working as agents in order to get their buddy Jeff, a promising singer, into an upcoming movie. His rival Gregory has other ideas, however, and tries to sabotage their efforts even after Jeff's contract has already been written up. However, this film seems to be more a series of gags and funny scenes without a solid unifying story holding them all together. Some of these jokes, such as the insomnia scene, just go on too long and don't add anything to the story. Probably the funniest scene is the one near the end when Gregory is chasing Lou on the runaway roller coaster. 'Lost in a Harem' (1944) features the boys as Peter Johnson and Harvey Garvey, who are magicians performing in North Africa, along with their friend Hazel Moon, who is a singer. After Harvey screws up their act, all three of them are thrown into jail. A man who turns out to be an exiled prince, who has a thing for Hazel, gets them out of prison, and takes them to his kingdom to try to win the throne back from his evil uncle Nimativ. Things get complicated when the evil king sees Hazel and falls in love with this beautiful blonde, holding her hostage in his harem and ordering their marriage for the next day at sundown. He also becomes wise to the schemes of his nephew and two friends, who find themselves in and out of trouble on their way to trying to save the day. While this is an enjoyable film, there are a bunch of rather boring song and dance numbers. Why did MGM think so many comedies they produced needed these superfluous musical scenes? It's also not consistently energetic or funny, though that perhaps can be attributed to how Lou had had rheumatic fever the previous year and was also dealing with the tragic loss of his one year old son to a drowning accident.

'Gold Raiders' (1951) is notable for being the only full-length feature the Stooges made with Shemp (apart of course from 'Soup to Nuts' in 1930), although unlike a lot of the features they guest-starred in in the Thirties and Forties, here they actually are front and center for most of the action and play major roles instead of serving as periodic comic relief or just appearing for one brief scene. I thought this film wasn't too shabby, though while it is better than its reputation, it's not exactly solid gold either. It's quite obvious that this was a low-budget picture and shot in a very short timespan, not even of the same calibre as a B-Western. While normally I find Westerns boring at best and offensive at worst, I thought this one was pretty good, even in the few scenes without the Stooges. George O'Brien (who uses his real name in the film) is a sheriff turned insurance salesman who is inadvertently saved by the Stooges, who have a travelling general store. Once in town, he proceeds to get permission to insure and guard shipments of gold, since the existing sheriff is kind of a buffoon. Problems arise when O'Brien's secretary Laura's drunken grandfather accidentally gives the bad guys information about the gold shipment. Although it's only a bit under an hour long and not really memorable, and quite obviously not a big-budget picture, it is a fun way to pass the time. One wishes they had been allowed to make starring features while they were still in their creative and physical prime instead of having to wait until 1959, since this film shows a lot of promise for what could have been. 'Meet the Baron' (1933) was made while they were still working with their original leader Ted Healy (an incredibly funny and talented performer, with a lot of screen presence and personality, in spite of the vicious decades-old rumors about how he was some untalented mean moneygrubbing abusive jerk). It's actually a starring vehicle for Jack Pearl and Jimmy Durante, who are mistaken for Baron Munchausen and his sidekick Joe McGoo, respectively. They are taken back to the United States, where they wind up appearing at Cuddle College. "Munchausen" falls in love with one of the maids (ZaSu Pitts), but this budding love affair is threatened when he and McGoo face exposure as frauds when the real Baron Munchausen shows up, irate at having his identity stolen. Healy and His Stooges are the funniest people in this film, and steal the show. They play janitors who work at the college, and in one very risqué scene are called in to fix the plumbing after the water goes out during a musical number the women performed while in the showers, covered up only by the water. It's also kind of charming to see how young and fresh-faced they look in this film.

While these films aren't the greatest representatives of what these three great comedy teams were capable of, they're still far from completely devoid of interest and entertainment. Kudos for finally putting these rarities on DVD.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO A MUST; OTHERS OKAY.......2006-11-25

The real reason for buying this reasonably priced set from Warners is the Abbott and Costello MGM film, Abbott and Costello in Hollywood, one of the funniest in their entire series for Universal, MGM, and Warner Bros. The "dummy" scene alone is worth the price of this set. Lost In A Harem is also worthwhile, especially for the "Slowly I Turned" sketch that they performed often in Burlesque. But the quality of the print is poor in spots, compared to the excellent remastering of "Hollywood." Don't throw away your VHS copy of "Harem." As for L&H, most fans realize the DVDs to buy are their silent and earliest sound films, not the recent releases from TCM and Fox that are overpriced to begin with. The remastering of these films is excellent. The Stooges "Meet The Baron" is a pre-code anomaly and worth seeing for a few scenes, but Durante and Pearl are not at their best. The Stooges 1951 western is well mastered but, again, depend upon their Columbia shorts for your greatest enjoyment.

Rarely seen films of classic comics! NOT Public Domain junk........2006-11-10

Make no mistake by the generic title of this box set, this is not one of those cheaply made public domain collections that every one releases again & again. These are RARELY seen films from three classic comedy teams being released by their copyright owner.

ABBOTT & COSTELLO: "Lost In A Harem" & "A & C In Hollywood" were both produced during Bud & Lou's heyday of the 1940's, they are at their top here. Bud & Lou had a clause in their Universal contract that allowed them to make one movie a year for another studio. These are two of their three films that they made for big-budgeted MGM Studios. A must for any Abbott & Costello fan.

LAUREL & HARDY: "Air Raid Wardens" & "Nothing But Trouble" were both made after Stan & Ollie's departure from Hal Roach Studios. True that this is the declining period for the boys, but these films made near the end of their career are still worth a look. A must for the devoted Laurel & Hardy fan.

THE THREE STOOGES: "Meet The Baron" & "Gold Raiders" are rarely seen feature films of the original 3 Stooges, not the Joe De-Rita films with the aging stooges of the 1960's. Not as fast-paced & joke filled as their Columbia shorts, these were made when the stooges were still early in their careers and willing to try anything. Ted Healy is in charge of them in "Meet The Baron" and it plays more like their vaudville act, it also features Jimmy Durante. "Gold Raiders" is made in 1951 after Curly left (due to his stroke) and Shemp re-joined the team. This is Shemp's second feature film as a stooge and it feels more like a 3 Stooges film than the first. These are a MUST for any devoted Stooge Fan.

Nothing But Trouble / Mars Attacks (Two-Pack)

Average customer rating:

Nothing But Trouble / Mars Attacks (Two-Pack)
Starring: Warner 2pak
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

DVD:

DVD

Bravo (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Western Classics Triple Feature, Vol. 5 (Judge Priest /

Trekkers Scrapbook - Trek Movies