Pinky

Starring:Jeanne Crain, Ethel Barrymore, Ethel Waters, William Lundigan, Basil Ruysdael, Kenny Washington, Nina Mae McKinney, Griff Barnett, Frederick O'Neal, Evelyn Varden, Raymond Greenleaf, Tonya Overstreet, William Hansen, Harry Tenbrook, Shelby Bacon, Jean Inness, Juanita Moore, Rene Beard, Tiger Joe Marsh, Arthur Hunnicutt
Director: John Ford, Elia Kazan
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
It used to be called "miscegenation," and it hasn't been a scandalous or taboo subject for several decades now. (Every other prime-time TV series seems to have an interracial romance going, and nobody bats an eyelash.) These welcome social changes have stranded Elia Kazan's 1949 weepie about a light-skinned African American woman (played less than convincingly by lily-white Jeanne Crain) who tries to "pass"---and falls in love with a white man. Director Douglas Sirk mined similar territory, and got a lot more juice out of it, in Imitation of Life. To his credit, perhaps, the director of On the Waterfront just doesn't have cheap soapsuds in his blood, and he makes the fatal mistake of taking a solemn and high-minded approach to this overheated material. The picture isn't even a hoot. Ethel Waters is the aunt who raises Pinky, while concealing her true lineage; it's a strong performance with a simmering subtext of anger. David Chute
Description
Pinky (Jeanne Crain), a black woman who works as a nurse in Boston, finds she is able to "pass for white." Afraid her true heritage will be discovered, she leaves her white fiancé (William Lundigan) and returns home to Mississippi. There, she helps her ailing grandmother (Ethel Waters) by caring for her employer (Ethel Barrymore), an imperious plantation owner. When she names Pinky heiress to her estate, the community rises in resentment, triggering a sensational court trial.

Description

Two lab mice, ("One is a genius, the other insane") living in the Acme labs seek to formulate a plan for the duo, led by Brain, to take over the world. Watch each episode as Pinky and the Brain take on each attempt with a dry wit and humor and likely a parody of other media. 22 Episodes from the EmmyÂ® Award Winning Series for the first time on DVD.

Customer Reviews:

Mediocre, aged poorly.......2007-07-04

The plans to take over the world are no longer Rube Goldberg-esque concoctions pursued with zeal. In several classic episodes, these plans were brilliant parodies of the concoctions in movies. In this collection, the "best" are but pale, dumbed down imitations of their inspirations. Then there are a few that are minor retreads.

But most episodes use the P&B "plan" simply as a skeleton on which to hang a collection of immediate cultural and celebrity references. I found these episodes to be flat and joyless. Many of the references were short-lived and, although I recognized them, my reaction these many years later is "So what." The references that could have had some legs didn't have a hook to keep them fresh - they came across as old standard jokes.

Nothing illustrates this better than the contrast provided by the standout episode "Just say Narf". It took classic material (Donald O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" from "Singing in the Rain") and put a decided P&B spin on it.

The most telling aspect of this volume is that several of the episodes have P&B as Hollywood actors, mirroring the large shift in perspective of the creative team. In early P&B, the perspective was of rebels and outsiders delighting in ridiculing the ridiculous in Hollywood. In this volume, they have devolved into Hollywood insiders who can only muster smirks.

If you are already a P&B fan, the memories and residual good will will probably make this volume moderately entertaining. But if you are new to P&B, you will likely be perplexed about what all the buzz was about.

NARF!!!!!!.......2007-06-11

pinky and the brain has to be my favorite cartoon of all time. from bizzare plans to take over the world to even more bizarre plans to make those bizzare plans work, pinky and the brains shenanigans never get old. i grew up watching pinky and the brain, and they never get old. Strange and interesting characters, ranging from brains nemesis snowball, to pinky's horse/girlfriend, as well as the occasional anamaniac apperances, round out the outrageous cast of the show. The joy that they seem to take in slamming bill clinton and other famous figure (although mostly clinton), is just so infectious that you cant help but laugh. And even better are the deep themes that appear if you watch closely enough, but dont affect the hilarity of the show if you dont notice them, makes the show fun to watch for everyone. i even wrote a paper on one of the episodes for my compostion class. there will never be another cartoon of pinky and the brains caliber. this show is the perfect thing to enjoy with your children and friends. it may take some convincing to get them to watch, but once they do they will be hooked.
A Pinky and the Brain fan For life!

World Domination -Round 3.......2007-05-31

By the time this show reached its third season, the joke was getting a little thinly spread. The plots became further away from the initial concept of two lab mice wanting to take over the world and more a showcase for the two lead characters' interaction. This however is not a criticism.
In TV the word 'formula' is dreaded. However, here the characters remain so endearing that the blueprint of every plot being vitually the same did not matter.
Most episodes followed this arc: -
1. Brain has a bizarre idea as to how to take over the world
2. To carry out this plan some equipment/money is needed
3. Brain comes up with an even more bizarre way to get said equipment/money
4. The plan fails due to Pinky's stupidity
5. The initial plan to take over the world is abandoned
6. Start over tomorrow night
Although there are exceptions, that basically sums up this and the previous two seasons but as the saying goes - If ain't broke don't fix it - and this formula was one that bore a lot of comedy fruit.
This show certainly beats some of the dross that graces our screens these days and had the nerve to demand that its audience had some intelligence.
Not laugh-a-minute but still a classic.
Ps .
I still can't believe that no-one has decided to revive these characters to star in a live-action movie (with CGI P&B of course).

Mouse Domination .......2007-04-23

Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 3

Great cartoon series co produced by the superb Steven Spielberg. this series is about a lab mouse that is bent on world domination and the other lab mouse pinky who ends up screwing the plans of his beloved friend brain. cheese,world domination, politics,and a witty sense of humour is the name of the game in this great cartoon series. if you like political satire, comedy, with two lab mice then this is the cartoon for you.
thumbs up to steven spielberg and the rest of the crew that were involved in this outlandish series of world events according to mice.
squeak!

Average customer rating:

Small rodents, huge mission.
Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 1
Good, but not great
Proves Its Mousey Worth
Who doesn't love Pinky & the Brain?

Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 1
Starring: Corey Burton , Richard Libertini , Joe Lala , John Vernon , and John Mariano
Director: Rusty Mills , Russell Calabrese , Kirk Tingblad , Jon McClenahan , and Charles Visser
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Kids & Family | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

Animaniacs, Vol. 1
Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 2
Animaniacs, Vol. 2
The Tick Vs. Season One
Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 3

ASIN: B000FA57HG
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Amazon.com

Are you pondering what I'm pondering, animation fans? Yes! Pinky and the Brain have finally arrived on DVD, and they're going to take over the world! Well, at the very least, these genetically engineered lab mice are going to prove, once and for all, that they're the best comedy duo ever created for an animated series aimed at children.... but, why limit their appeal to kids? As executive producer Steven Spielberg said to the show's creators, he wanted this brilliant, Emmy®-winning half-hour cartoon series to lure adults into watching it with their kids, and like the classic Warner Brothers cartoons of the past, it's likely the grown-ups will enjoy it even more! This is largely due to the fact that Pinky and the Brain was produced under the radar, almost as if nobody was watching, so while this delightfully inventive spin-off from Animaniacs is purely entertaining for kids, it also includes a wide variety of in-jokes, movie spoofs, and outrageous dialogue that only older viewers can truly appreciate. It's all innocent fun, but if you watch and listen closely, you'll quickly realize that the writers and first-rate voice cast were having the time of their lives, inventing absurd plots and one-liners purely for their own creative pleasure. How else can you explain Pinky's bizarrely suggestive responses when The Brain asks "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" or the hilarious send-ups of classic movies like The Third Man (spoofed here as "The Third Mouse"), The Manchurian Candidate ("The Pink Candidate"), and the tearjerking TV classic Brian's Song (satirized, of course, as "Brain's Song")?

Better yet, these 22 episodes culled from P&TB's four-season run (1995-98) demonstrate how the show's basic concept--two talking lab mice ("one is a genius, the other's insane") and their nightly attempts at global domination--lent itself to a broad spectrum of hilariously ingenious plots, with no restrictions of timeframe. So you've got episodes in ancient Egypt, Napoleonic France, and 1940s Vienna, along with contemporary schemes and shorter, time-filler episodes (like "Cheese Roll Call") that qualify as mini-masterpieces of educational comedy. "A Pinky and the Brain Christmas" is a bona-fide sentimental classic (offering proof that the Brain's got a soft heart, after all), and the polar-opposite pairing of Pinky and the Brain is just about perfect, largely due to the voice talents of Maurice LaMarche (expertly channeling Orson Welles as the Brain) and Emmy-winner Rob Paulsen as Pinky (both seen, to splendid effect, in disc 2's behind-the-scenes featurette). Additional voice talents include Roddy MacDowall (as the Brain's nemesis, Snowball) and Ernest Borgnine, but the show's primary strength is its go-for-broke writing, brilliant animation (a flawless homage to Warner Bros. tradition, yet uniquely styled to match the material), and music scores (mostly by Richard Stone) that pay tribute to the late, great WB cartoon composer Carl Stalling while incorporating frequent passages from the classical repertoire. All in all, Pinky and the Brain is perfect entertainment for the young and young-at-heart, destined for cult-favorite status as one of the best overlooked TV series of the 1990s. As Pinky might say, "Poit! Narf! Oh, this is SO much fun!" --Jeff Shannon

Description

Customer Reviews:

Small rodents, huge mission........2007-06-30

"One is a genius, the other's insane."

The Emmy-nominated "Animaniacs" spin-off is now available on DVD with 22 great episodes on four discs.

Deep inside the Acme Laboratories live two small lab mice with one big and difficult goal: world domination. With the elaborate and ingenious plans of The Brain and the comic relief of Pinky, these little guys go the extra mile at their vicious attempts at ruling the world at any and every means possible. No matter how dangerous the operations may be, it always ends up in hilarious failure. Still, they always keep trying nonetheless.

Episodes like "Das Mouse", "Brainania", "Napoleon Brainaparte", "The Mouse of La Mancha", "Plan Brain From Outer Space", and "Brain's Song", these episodes will have you laughing and thinking how and why the world would be dominated by two little mice.

Also, check out the special feature, "Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?" with voice director Andrea Romano and the voices of Pinky and Brain, Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche as they discuss some of the great times working on the show with the great Steven Speilberg.

If YOU plan on global domination yourself, you'd better leave that to those tiny professionals. And for more plans and flubs by these guys, get the the show that gave them their big break, "Animaniacs", also available on DVD.

Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 1.......2007-05-16

If you were ever a fan of this show, then this four disk set is for you. I own both Vols. 1 & 2, and I like Vol.1 much better. The extra features on it you can miss, but the content of the disks are well worth the money.

Good, but not great.......2007-05-09

I remember liking the series, which is why I picked it up. However, it was too long and not as good as Animaniacs.

Proves Its Mousey Worth.......2007-03-10

Pinky and the Brain are two of the cleverest animated characters ever developed and the series is just perfect from the theme song to the many clever pop culture/political references. As others have said can be enjoyed at different levels by all age groups. A worthy heir to the dry humor crown of Rocky and Bullwinkle!

Who doesn't love Pinky & the Brain?.......2007-03-10

The producers of Pinky and the Brain faced a challenge when they produced this series: How do you make the gimmick of taking over the world every week and failing entertaining? Poit!

Back in the 70s, DC Comics tried to publish a comic featuring The Joker. At the end of every issue the hero who guest starred was dragging the Joker off to jail, and made him a bigger joke than in the 60s TV series. Troz!

I have to admit that I didn't know I had to own this DVD collection until I watched it. Narf! It is maybe the funniest tv show, besides Animaniacs, produced in the 90s. Every movie and TV genre is parodied with charm. And the hallmark of a great show is that both kids and adults can enjoy it.

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

Maybe it's time for a new Pinky and the Brain series! YES!

Average customer rating:

Of Mice and Mankind.
Narf
Awesome!
Pinky and the Brain Vol 2
Too many mediocre episodes

Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 2
Starring: Corey Burton , Richard Libertini , Joe Lala , John Vernon , and John Mariano
Director: Rusty Mills , Russell Calabrese , Kirk Tingblad , Jon McClenahan , and Charles Visser
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Kids & Family | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

Animaniacs, Vol. 2
Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 1
Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 3
Animaniacs, Vol. 1
Animaniacs, Vol. 3

ASIN: B000HWZ4DY
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Description

Customer Reviews:

Of Mice and Mankind........2007-06-30

"Meet Pinky and the Brain who want to rule the universe..." (Yeah, you know how it goes.)

The little lab rats with a gigantic plot are back in another new 4-Disc DVD set with 22 more episodes that may leave you in stitches. As they scour the globe in hopes of ruling it, the smart mouse, The Brain, and his dim-witted sidekick, Pinky, will finally get their chance. ...Or not.

Either way, witness their latest and perhaps not so greatest plans in episodes like "Hoop Schemes", "This Old Mouse", "Brain Storm", "The Pinky Protocol", "Mice Don't Dance", "Brain Acres", "The Real Life", Brainy Jack", and my favorite, "Pinky and the Brain ...and Larry". These episodes may not guarantee success in taking over the world, but they do guarantee big laughs.

This new set has a brand-new special feature called "The Audition". This has the voices of Pinky and the Brain, Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche, giving a voice-acting lesson to superstars Mark Hamil and Wayne Knight for a casting call of an upcoming movie. (I'm REALLY anxious to see that. The movie, I mean.)

The world may not yet be their oyster (or in this case, their cheese platter), Pinky and the Brain's outlandish schemes for world conquest still continue. Plus, get the new "Animaniacs, Vol. 2" with some more wacky attempts at their ever-difficult goal.

-"Narf !"
-"I am not amused."

Narf.......2007-06-16

Next to Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam, this is the best cartoon ever.

Awesome!.......2007-05-07

This is one of the funniest cartoons ever. I have Volume 1 also, they're both great. Also, free shipping got it here in 3 days. This couldn't be better!

Pinky and the Brain Vol 2 .......2007-04-27

The continuation of this lovable series. So quirky, and funny. Thier ideas are so varied, and while I get the older and "dated" jokes, my young daughter just loves the story lines and characters. This is all of season 2, but ends right before Pinky and the Brain become pets of Elmyra. None of the Pinky and the Brain Volumes contain the original Animaniac P&B episodes, so dont worry about getting duplicates if you also get the Animaniac volumes. If you enjoy P & B you sould also try thier original show Animaiacs.

Too many mediocre episodes.......2007-04-23

If you hadn't seen the first season - or the episodes in the Animaniacs - you would wonder why there was such enthusiasm for this series. The basic P&B formula - intricately plotted schemes involving over-the-top assumptions/requirements and parodying major movies and the like - is missing from too many of the episodes here. It's as if the authors of those scripts had seen P&B, but not understood the concept.

The front-loading of particularly lame episodes emphasizes the problems of this volume: I inadvertently loaned this volume to a friend - instead of volume 1 - and the feedback was "I gets better if you stick with it." My understanding is that the volume represents the original order of the episodes, rather than trying to be something that stands up as an isolated product.

My rating of mediocre is based upon these episodes being more enjoyable to an established fan than to someone encountering the material for the first time.

Average customer rating:

Very Nice
LOVE Steven Spielberg's cartoon characters
Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
LOVE IT!
Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

Pinky and the Brain, Vols. 1 & 2
Starring: Corey Burton , Richard Libertini , Joe Lala , John Vernon , and John Mariano
Director: Rusty Mills , Russell Calabrese , Kirk Tingblad , Jon McClenahan , and Charles Visser
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Kids & Family | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

Animaniacs, Vols. 1 & 2
Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 3
Animaniacs, Vol. 2
Animaniacs, Vol. 3
The Tick Vs. Season One

ASIN: B000HWZ4G6
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Customer Reviews:

Very Nice.......2007-06-26

A few years ago I watched 'Pinky and the Brain'. When I saw it was out on DVD, I knew I had to have it. The best cartoon ever!

LOVE Steven Spielberg's cartoon characters.......2007-05-07

I used to see this on television and LOVED it. The cartoons definitely have the physical humor to appeal to children, and the dialogue to appeal to adults.

It is formula driven, BUT, the writing and the animation are superb.

I like that the producers have begun offering all the episodes in DVD sets. It is a welcome addition to my library.

Don't hesitate if you appreciate good writing, historical references, contemporary references, fantastic animation!

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?.......2007-03-26

YES! I couldn't wait to relive the days of this great cartoon series. The animation may have been for the kids, but the social and political comments and references are definitely for the adults. And hysterically funny. Both volumes are very nicely boxed and the discs have extras. Volume 3 is available for pre-order, and that's great news!

LOVE IT!.......2007-03-25

Are you pondering what I'm pondering? Sure, but horizontal stripes make me look hippy.

A must for any fan. The best part (really!) is the extra material with Maurice LaMarche and Rob Paulsen -- they are as intelligent, witty and friendly with each other as you'd ever hope. Restores your faith in humanity.

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?.......2007-03-25

It's hard to believe, but for a short time in the mid-1990's, there was a prime-time TV show about two cartoon lab mice trying to take over the world. I expect to have a hard time convincing my future grandchildren that I really lived through such an incredible, magical time, but it's true.

That being said, I'm not sure how much the quality of the show benefited from the prime-time slot. For one thing, the Brain's sarcastic put-downs of Pinky got a little more mean-spirited in nature - possibly because the writers thought that they needed the extra "edge" in order to "make it" in prime-time. (They were wrong, as it turned out, because the show was eventually taken out of prime time and put back in the weekend kids' lineup).

I also thought that the addition of the Snowball character hurt the show. One of the things I like best about Warner Brothers cartoons is the complete absence of the clear-cut, black-and-white morality that is so characteristic of Disney cartoons. For example, Wily E. Coyote doesn't try to eat the Roadrunner because he's bad or evil - he just does it because he's a coyote, and as a coyote, it's his nature to try to eat roadrunners. Similarly, the Brain doesn't try to take over the world because he's evil - it's just his nature to try to take over the world. Snowball kind of wrecked that formula, because Snowball actually WAS unremittingly evil. Fortunately, Snowball was only in a handful of episodes.

Overall, though, Pinky and the Brain was a pretty amazingly awesome show. I mean, where else could you watch two lab mice comment on history, human nature, and popular culture while trying to take over the world? And for those of us fortunate enough to have been alive for that brief period in the mid-1990's when it appeared that Pinky and the Brain just might take over the world, this is an incredible reminder of those historic days.

NARF!

Average customer rating:

Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 1-3
Starring: Corey Burton , Richard Libertini , Joe Lala , John Vernon , and John Mariano
Director: Rusty Mills , Russell Calabrese , Kirk Tingblad , Jon McClenahan , and Charles Visser
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Animaniacs, Vol. 1-3
James Bond Ultimate Edition Boxed Sets Bundle
Bobby (Widescreen Edtion)
The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition)
My Neighbor Totoro

ASIN: B000O179J0
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Average customer rating:

AN UNITENTIONALLY RACIST BUT INTERESTING MOVIE
PINKY
Pretty risky for a 1940's movie...
Excellant, right up there with WHITE MAN'S BURDEN
When this film is not Controversial, we'll know we've arrived.

Pinky
Starring: Jeanne Crain , Ethel Barrymore , Ethel Waters , William Lundigan , and Basil Ruysdael
Director: John Ford , and Elia Kazan
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Cabin in the Sky
Stormy Weather
Imitation of Life (Two Movie Collection) 1934/1959
Hallelujah
The Green Pastures

ASIN: B00066FAOE
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Amazon.com essential video

It used to be called "miscegenation," and it hasn't been a scandalous or taboo subject for several decades now. (Every other prime-time TV series seems to have an interracial romance going, and nobody bats an eyelash.) These welcome social changes have stranded Elia Kazan's 1949 weepie about a light-skinned African American woman (played less than convincingly by lily-white Jeanne Crain) who tries to "pass"---and falls in love with a white man. Director Douglas Sirk mined similar territory, and got a lot more juice out of it, in Imitation of Life. To his credit, perhaps, the director of On the Waterfront just doesn't have cheap soapsuds in his blood, and he makes the fatal mistake of taking a solemn and high-minded approach to this overheated material. The picture isn't even a hoot. Ethel Waters is the aunt who raises Pinky, while concealing her true lineage; it's a strong performance with a simmering subtext of anger. David Chute

Description

Pinky (Jeanne Crain), a black woman who works as a nurse in Boston, finds she is able to "pass for white." Afraid her true heritage will be discovered, she leaves her white fiancé (William Lundigan) and returns home to Mississippi. There, she helps her ailing grandmother (Ethel Waters) by caring for her employer (Ethel Barrymore), an imperious plantation owner. When she names Pinky heiress to her estate, the community rises in resentment, triggering a sensational court trial.

Subject of landmark Supreme Court case in film censorship, this story about a mulatto woman's rights against prejudice, became itself, a battle for civil rights.

Customer Reviews:

AN UNITENTIONALLY RACIST BUT INTERESTING MOVIE.......2007-06-20

If a very dark skinned Italian has a child with a blonde haired blue eyed German does that make said child an Italian? No, said child is simply considered white. However, transpose dark skinned Italian with very light skinned African American and the resultant child will still be classed as BLACK!
This movie is the perfect example of deeply seated subconscious white racism that without knowing it views black people as some kind of genetic contaminant.

What the hell is passing for white! Why in the hell should a woman as light as our protaganist in this movie even consider herself black when she is no more black than the hypothetical child I mentioned earlier is Italian.

As a historical document this a very interesting, well executed and very bold for its time movie. But as a morality tale about the evils of racism
it clearly fails because it is itself, racist; albeit quite unintentionally.
Check out my review of "PASSING FOR WHO YOU REALLY ARE" BY A.D. POWELL on amazon.co.uk. Buy yourself a copy of this very interesting book and then you'll understand my point of view more completely.

PINKY.......2007-05-09

very interesting story about a black mother, Ethel Waters, raising her mix color daughter. The mother washed clothes and baked goodies to sale to folks just to make money to send Pinky, her daughter, to nursing school. The old lady in this movie, who was very ill, showed a little racial differences in the beginning of the movie but understood that Pinky was to be a nurse and care for the needed. she dieds and leave the house to Pinky which she changed into a Hospital for children. Lovely story.

Pretty risky for a 1940's movie..........2007-01-11

This was a very good movie for its time. What I love about these old movies is that they don't rely on special effects and explosions to make a good movie. There's a strong story here, good acting, and I was left wondering at the end "what next?". Crain's character, Pinky, is a quarter black and she's been passing for white until she goes home to her southern town. Not used to the ill treatment of blacks at the hands of whites, she slowly adjusts as she begins caring for Miss Em (Barrymore). When Miss Em dies, she leaves her house to Pinky. This incenses her cousin's wife and the villain drags Pinky to court. I will most likely watch this again, as it had a real, honest feel to it, even though Lena Horne probably would have been good for the role of Pinky (I won't argue Crain's talent here, though; she's good).

Excellant, right up there with WHITE MAN'S BURDEN.......2007-01-05

This is a great movie for "Thinking People." Lemmings & Rascists need not read any further.

This movie is a study in humanity and racism in this country. The protagonist is a young biracial woman who "grew up Black" in the deep south during the 30s-40s. When her grandmother sent her to the big city in the north, she "passed" as white. See there is a way of thinking which says that if you have "one drop" of Black blood in you (for those who don't understand DNA) that you are Black. Well, in polite, intelligent society- who cares?

After becoming a nurse, Pinky returns to her hometown and at first she is treated as White and once that her identity is discovered, you see her instant transformation to a Black person.

The movie full demonstrates the lunacy racism and shows you just how differently humans are often treated jjust because of ancestry.

Loved it. A lot to to ponder. It could easily be remade with modern examples.

When this film is not Controversial, we'll know we've arrived........2006-12-11

Let's start with the casting of Jeanne Crain. There ARE mixed race women who are as light as Jeanne Crain, but because of the "one drop rule," they were in 1949, and often still today are considered black. In today's multi-cultural society these women often embrace their heritage, but the issues they face remain sadly the same today in many facets. African Americans today who are educated are often told they are "talking white."
There is a reason that "she's passing" became an understood term. Very light skinned women & men DID try to do what Pinky here does.
I find this film completely, sadly relevant. These conversations of segregation and intermarriage are STILL going strong. There are African Americans who talk about "white women taking our men" or "stay with your own race." This is segregationist, this is racist, and it still exists very strongly in all racial communities.
Dorothy Dandridge and Lena Horne - great talented beauties, are often mentioned as possible contenders for this role. They were NOT light enough to pass for white, it hampered their careers, and they have both acknowledged that.
Hollywood in general likes their races obvious, casting is still largely done by type and stereotype, no matter what race - even today it would be hard to find an actress of stature who identifies herself as black, but who can totally pass as white; the market doesn't hire these women. Even today my dark skinned actress friends have been told they don't "talk black enough" in auditions. Ethel Waters & Ethel Barrymore are cases in point here. Both fine actresses are playing the same roles they have played in other movies. Both are wonderful, both were completely type cast.
The greatness is in little things like the scene with Nina Mae McKinney next to Frederick O'Neal, next to Jeanne Crain, all 3 differnet skin tones, all playing black folks. THAT is the reality of mysogenation in the South, and that is what people still have trouble with: sometimes race is not just black and white. (McKinney is fantastic, and fills every single second of her screen time to the brim, from the pebble in her shoe to coyly playing piano on the top of a fence.)
Jeanne Crain had enormous courage to portray this role. Not only is she perpetually faulted for being a white woman playing this role, but it was a career risk, some people questioned her heritage in a racist age. That is a tribute to the reality and sensitivity she brought to the role, and her acting, which is often maligned because she had reserve. Her "under" acting is actually the preferred style today in tv and film. She was ahead of her time. Even Kazan eventually credited her work.
This movie is sensitively done in all respects with really great performances top to bottom. It is not glossy or simple, neither race is soley good or soley bad. It is a disservice to have the only commentary done by someone who clearly still does not like the film and doesn't appreciate the complexity of Crain's work here. That a New Yorker thought the court trial didn't look real because people were all fanning themselves shows he has never spent time in the south in a public gathering place.
This film is gauling and aggrivating, and unfortunately still very real. While some call it old-fashioned, it is still much too true. This is not a fun film, it is a great film, that speaks just as much to attitudes held today as it did then.

The Pinky Violence Collection - Includes Audio CD (Criminal Woman: Killing Melody/ Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom/ Girl Boss Guerilla/ Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless To Confess)

Average customer rating:

Topless females, do not a movie make!
Japan 70's exploitation at its best!!!
Wow!
YOU NEED THIS...
Totally Worth It

The Pinky Violence Collection - Includes Audio CD (Criminal Woman: Killing Melody/ Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom/ Girl Boss Guerilla/ Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless To Confess)
Starring: Miki Sugimoto , Seiko Saburi , Reiko Ike , Misuzu Oota , and Rie Saotome
Director: Norifumi Suzuki , and Atsushi Mihori
Manufacturer: Panik House Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

Female Yakuza Tale - Inquisition and Torture
Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs
Female Prisoner #701 - Scorpion
School of the Holy Beast
Hanzo the Razor

ASIN: B000BLI5UU
Release Date: 2005-12-06

Description

"Criminal Woman: Killing Melody" (Japanese title: Zenka Onna Karoshi Bushi)
Kicking off the internationally renowned action series known as Zero Woman, Miki Sugimoto electrifies Criminal Woman: Killing Melody with raw sexuality, searing physical prowess and a reckless passion for revenge. The violence is as hard as the women are beautiful and when it comes time for the naked knife-fights - look out!

"Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom" (Japanese title: Kyoufu Joshi Koukou Bouroku Rinchi Kyoushitsu)
Terrifying Girls' High School opens with a female school clique bloodletting a fellow student amidst verbal abuse and harsh accusation. The terrified girl breaks free of the life-draining vacuum syringe and races to the roof, where her tormentors force her off the ledge and stomp on her fingers until she falls to her death. This is all before the main titles! And that clique? They aren't even the real bad girls! This is reform school, and the new crop of inmates (whose apprehension we witness) includes Miki Sugimoto and Reiko Ike. This is like Mean Girls via Caged Heat as written by Jess Franco and directed by Russ Meyer. All those Takashi Miike fans need to check out this film.

"Girl Boss Guerilla" (Japanese title: Sukeban Gerira)
Female bikers! Catfights! Gang violence! Sukeban Guerilla expands on classic exploitation "bad girl" archetypes with an explosive abandon. Fans of Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Switchblade Sisters should brace themselves for the be-all, end-all and show-all of what's possible in the realms of grindhouse girls gone way-past-wild.

"Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless To Confess" (Japanese title: Zubenko Bancho Zange No Neuchi Mo Nai)
This was the final entry in the Zubeko Bancho series, with sexy-and-sweet Reiko Oshida heading up a cast of gangster-girl wannabes in a go-go dancing maelstrom of Japanese music, fashion and kitsch. Truly a film that defies description, but imagine a Jack Hill production of Hair with an unsupervised Riot Girl cast, and you're starting to get the picture. The result is a delicious example of Japanese pop culture in high transition from the groovy '60s to the dangerous '70s.

Brand New 16x9 transfers with completely re-mastered video and audio.
Includes Audio CD, Reiko Ike Sings!
Also Includes 26 page color booklet: Toei's Bad Girl Cinema by Author Chris D.

Customer Reviews:

Topless females, do not a movie make!.......2007-01-24

If you like topless females jumping around, this collection rates a 5 star. The film makers really need to go to school or watch other films and see how to plot and write a action film using very pretty females to keep interest going. I can only say I am glad I didn't pay full price. I am a big fan of japanese movies, I have been buying Asian films for almost 40 years.

Japan 70's exploitation at its best!!!.......2006-07-19

Panik House has done an outstanding job releasing "The Pinky Violence Collection" along with "Sex & Fury" and "Female Yakuza Tale". This has to be the best box set this year. You get great extra items like an awesome booklet, music cd with Ike Reiko singing, huge sticker and more. These films have been remastered and support anamorphic video for 16:9. There was an issue with my "Girl Boss Guerrila" disc, but Panik House replaced it immediately. If you love films like: "Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs" (the original), the "Female Prisoner Scorpion" films with Kaji Meiko, "Lady Snowblood", "Gate of Flesh", the "Stray Cat Rock" films and "School of the Holy Beast", then you will LOVE The Pinky Violence Collection. Ike Reiko and Sugimoto Miki are absolutely GORGEOUS and I bet they still are, just like Kaji Meiko still is. Not to mention, the over the top Yoko Mihara makes some appearences as well. It doesn't get any better than this, trust me. MUST BUY!!! MUST BUY!!! MUST BUY!!!

Wow!.......2006-02-05

A pricey item, but Panik House has gone out of their way to provide value. Fans of Scorpion and Zero Woman (the old films - not the mostly-rubbish shot on video remakes) will be plenty satisfied with the selection. Loads of fun.

My only quibble is that some of Panik House's remastered trailers are without titles. They are probably from original elements, which is nice, but we lose some of the lurid and over the top descriptions used to sell this stuff - which is half the fun of vintage trailers. Still, this is well worth it for fans of killer-babe retro sinema.

The least of these is "Worthless to Confess," which is still a reasonaly entertaining melodrama with some interesting genre elements that pulls out the stops for a wild finale. "Terrifying Girl's High School" is a bizarre sleazefest from Norifumi Suzuki - not as sick as "Star of David" but getting there. Suzuki also gave us the excellent "Girl Boss Guerilla," and "Criminal Woman" was also more than satisfying. The CD is an excellent supplement. Reiko Ike's singing is so so, but can that woman moan! Fans of Italo-lounge, take note.

Honestly, this is a stellar package, and you can't go wrong. 2005 was a fantastic year for the DVD format, and this is like the cherry on the cake.

Girl power!

YOU NEED THIS..........2006-01-23

Wow,what a package Panik House put together for this release!
All four transfers look stunning,with eye-popping colors.The audio cd is a particularly "fun" supplemental one doesnt usually encounter with DVD's - my wife thought I had on a porno with all the moanin' & groanin' leaking outta the speakers!According to the liner notes,this recording is quite rare so this inclusion alone may be worth the price tag for some!
The enclosed notes/booklet is sharp,with many rare stills and a nice introduction to this particular film genre that I suspect many Westerners (like myself) have had very limited exposure too.
These films are pure trash (and i loved every single minute!) -
dont wait until it's too late!!

Totally Worth It.......2005-12-09

Just the packaging alone makes this box set worthwhile. I've never seen anything like it. The exterior is like a Trapper Keeper, slick plastic that's kind of puffy and soft to the touch. It then folds out into four DVD trays and has a really well designed booklet, talking about the films and the genre (Sukeban). I just got my copy and everyone that's been over and seen it has flipped out about the box, `cause it just looks so cool (and is so pink). The bonus CD of Reiko Ike singing is mounted in with the booklet and is weird and kind of a novelty. I put it on at a party a couple of weeks ago and people were way into it.

The movies are cool too. "Criminal Woman: Killing Melody" is my favorite, but the end of "Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless to Confess" is amazing. There's no way that Quentin Tarintino didn't see it before he made "Kill Bill".

I just read on the website of the company that put out the set (Panik House) that they pre-sold 2/3 of the run of 10,000 and they think they're going to sell out soon, so if you're at all interested in getting a copy of this you should. Now. It was totally worth the money.

Average customer rating:

The men were all singing , "I wish I was in Dixie."
A back-stage seat to see that THIS is why Barbara Stanwyck is a star.
AMBIENCE - MURDER - BURLESQUE: WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE !
Play it on the G-string
Crackling, Sparkling, Censor-Teasing Fun

Barbara Stanwyck: Lady of Burlesque
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck , Michael O'Shea , Iris Adrian , Charles Dingle , and J. Edward Bromberg
Director: William A. Wellman
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

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

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

Ball of Fire
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Sorry Wrong Number (1948) (Sub)
Stella Dallas
TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 1 (Waterloo Bridge 1931 / Baby Face / Red-Headed Woman)

ASIN: B00006AUGE
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Customer Reviews:

The men were all singing , "I wish I was in Dixie." .......2007-04-30

For obvious reasons. Barbara Stanwyck is Dixie Daisy, the headlining lady at the old opera theatre, turned burlesque house. She gets the close-ups & plenty of face time in this mediocre murder mystery. She is the only performer in this with a better than average performance. Nothing average about Stanwyck's acting. This movie stalls in several places as some really bad vadvillians get to do their bits. That apparently is part of the charm. They are supposed to be bad. Everybody is aspiring to move up to the big time. Dixie has competition from other "ladies" who resent her recent stardom. They are strangled by their own G-Strings. Dixie is the main suspect & she has motive. The actual murderer becomes quite evident & you will know that moment when you see it. Back stage scenes are fun but not particularly inspiring. Not a well known Stanwyck movie but it's worth it just for her.

A back-stage seat to see that THIS is why Barbara Stanwyck is a star........2006-03-29

I have not always understood the appeal of Stanwyck as a star. She tended to have two channels, the stone cold witch in her film noir work, and in her comedies, the cold business woman with a melty heart.... both got very formulaic.
I believe that every actor or actress who "breaks out" into fame has one film that you can point to and say "THIS is why she is a star." LADY OF BURLESQUE is that film for Stanwyck. It has everything she is known for, plus a vaudevillian side that was not often seen in her other work. She really was an all round talent, a triple threat. She acts, she sings, she dances, and boys, she bumps and grinds. She's lovely and a tomboy. What a treat. It's all here.
What is even better is that this film has all that too. It is a backstage murder mystery set in the seedy world of Burlesque. It has realistic behind the scenes shots that have rarely been equaled. Backstage usually IS this run-down, even in the best theatres, and when you're waiting to go on, this IS what it looks like from backstage.
The murder mystery holds up, although the "princess" is simply a camp hoot, and it has humor throughout. A real treat about a time and type of theatre that is long gone.

AMBIENCE - MURDER - BURLESQUE: WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE !.......2006-02-22

IN A NUTSHELL:

How did this film get past the censors? Nevertheless, an excellent film featuring a very young and steamy Barbara Stanwyck -- 63 years ago!

WHAT "LADY OF BURLESQUE" STARRING BARBARA STANWYCK IS ALL ABOUT:

This dark comedy-drama-mystery, Directed by, William Wellman was also known as "Striptease Lady" or "The G-String Murders", based on the book of that title by Gypsy Rose Lee. Producer, Hunt Stromberg, who purchased the rights for the film, was also the Producer of "The Thin Man" film series. The atmosphere of this film did have a resemblence to that series, but "LADY OF BURLESQUE" is much grittier, and less class-conscious in every respect. Nevertheless, the melding of backstage atmosphere, and burlesque-vaudeville style, stage entertainment, gave the film an urgent immediacy, and a texture of surreal reality, which is hard to create, especially in the era of film censors. For those reasons, this film is rather special, and certainly worth a look. The bonus comes in the form of Barbara Stanwyck [Dixie Daisy] who plays the provocative headliner, and who comfortably goes through the film as scantily clad as a "James Bond Girl". Of course, the murder-mystery is set at the burlesque house itself, which works rather well, and eventually leads the police and Ms. Stanwyck to the killer.

PARTIAL LIST OF THE CAST OF THE "LADY OF BURLESQUE"

-----*- Barbara Stanwyck - Dixie Daisy
-----*- Michael O'Shea - Bitt Brannigan
-----*- J. Edward Bromberg - S.B. Foss
-----*- Iris Adrian - Gee Gee Graham
-----*- Marion Martin - Alice Angel
-----*- Gloria Dickson - Dolly Baxter
-----*- Pinky Lee - Mandy
-----*- Victoria Faust - Lolita La Verne
-----*- Stephanie Bachelor - Princess Nirvena

MAJOR CREW-MEMBERS

-----*- William Wellman - Director
-----*- Hunt Stromberg - Producer
-----*- James Gunn - Screenwriter
-----*- Gypsy Rose Lee - Short Story Author
-----*- Robert de Grasse - Cinematographer
-----*- Art Lange - Composer (Music Score)
-----*- James Newcom - Editor
-----*- Joseph B. Platt - Production Designer
-----*- Bernard Herzbrun - Art Director
-----*- Edith Head - Costume Designer
-----*- Natalie Visart - Costume Designer

BOTTOM LINE:

Excellent old film that has been very well transferred to DVD in both sound, and video.

Play it on the G-string.......2006-02-15

Since "Lady of Burlesque" is based on a Gypsy Rose Lee novel called the "G-String Murders," you can't exactly expect this to be too smart or classy.

But this old Barbara Stanwyck movie is kind of fun to watch -- not only is there a genuinely baffling murder mystery, but there are lots of over-the-top costumes, silly characters, and a street-smart heroine who doesn't let anyone push her around. Oh yes, and the guys will love the jiggle.

At the Grand Ol' Opry, Dixie Daisy (Barbara Stanwyck) is the star burlesque attraction -- she sings, dances, jiggles, and manages not to get embroiled in the backstage catfighting. But soon things take a nasty turn: snotty stripper Lolita is found -- poisoned and strangled with her own G-string. (What a way to go) Perhaps even worse, autocratic Russian diva Princess Nirvena returns to the stage, nudging Daisy off it.

Both the police and Dixie begin investigating who might have killed the dead woman. When Nirvena is found strangled onstage, the Ol' Opry faces indefinite closure. And Dixie begins to uncover a web of blackmail, adultery, suicide and family hatred -- and a very shocking reason why someone has been murdering the girls.

Despite being set in an old burlesque club, don't expect lots of skin. I've seen picnics with a higher sex factor. Instead, the filmmakers had more fun with the murder mystery angle, Stanwyck wittily rejecting a smooth Irish comedian, and the ambitious strippers brawling and verbally slicing each other. It's deliciously catty.

The murder mystery is a pretty solid one, with plenty of suspects and some police chases, only to lose steam near the finale. But the script is tight: the dialogue is as spicy as the 1940s censors would allow, and it's full of snappy one-liners("When I dress for a date with you, it'll be a suit of armor and brass knuckles!"). And the scriptwriters had some fun, with the comics frustrating the cops.

Barbara Stanwyck plays Lee's alter ego, and she does an excellent job. Her Daisy is a street-smart, independent girl who is still warm-hearted and loyal. A few characters -- like the idiot blonde Gee Gee (Iris Adrian) -- are more than a little annoying, but the majority of the supporting cast is solid.

Though "Lady of Burlesque" gets a bit silly at times, it has a solid cast and solid script, making for some fun light entertainment.

Crackling, Sparkling, Censor-Teasing Fun.......2005-07-21

Barbara Stanwyck was the leggiest, midrift-showin'est film diva kicking around in the post-Hayes Code thirties and forties. In the early forties, when the censors were at their heavy-handed meanest, Babs bared her waist in *The Lady Eve,* bared it again in *Ball of Fire,* and bared it again, gloriously, as the headlining stripper in *Lady of Burlesque.* It's almost as if, in Hollywood's golden era of faces, directors thought Babs needed a little help.

Whether she did or not, *Lady of Burlesque* crackles enough in Babs's song-and-dance routines to compensate for whatever the film's flaws, including the grainy picture and criminally poor sound quality. (NOTE: it is **ESSENTIAL** to get a recent DVD transfer--the 2002 is okay--if you want to hear a word.) Watch closely and you'll catch Babs busting out with moves rarely seen again until the 1980s. This dame was a ball of fire.

The mystery plot of *Lady of Burlesque* is almost an afterthought: a hackneyed, slangy, and thoroughly charming romp through every dime-novel cliché imaginable. Some old movies you watch because of their enduring significance; others you watch because you're feeling nostalgic. *Lady of Burlesque* clearly falls into the latter category: it's a two-fold antique that celebrates both 40s Hollywood and the earlier heyday of Burlesque theater. *Citizen Kane* it ain't, but it's as easy to love as a Sunday trek through a curio shop.

Average customer rating:

The men were all singing , "I wish I was in Dixie."
A back-stage seat to see that THIS is why Barbara Stanwyck is a star.
AMBIENCE - MURDER - BURLESQUE: WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE !
Play it on the G-string
Crackling, Sparkling, Censor-Teasing Fun

Lady of Burlesque
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck , Michael O'Shea , Iris Adrian , Charles Dingle , and J. Edward Bromberg
Director: William A. Wellman
Manufacturer: ROAN
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Ball of Fire
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Sorry Wrong Number (1948) (Sub)
Stella Dallas
TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 1 (Waterloo Bridge 1931 / Baby Face / Red-Headed Woman)

ASIN: B00020HAKQ
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Customer Reviews:

The men were all singing , "I wish I was in Dixie." .......2007-04-30

A back-stage seat to see that THIS is why Barbara Stanwyck is a star........2006-03-29

AMBIENCE - MURDER - BURLESQUE: WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE !.......2006-02-22

Play it on the G-string.......2006-02-15

Crackling, Sparkling, Censor-Teasing Fun.......2005-07-21

Average customer rating:

Agreed! Only buy if you just want "an interpretation" of the classics!
Not the same Gumby we saw as kids. Dissapointing.
Horrible soundtrack remake
Hog Wash
It's Gumby Darn it ![.]

Gumby, Vol. 1
Starring: Dick Beals , Art Clokey , Ruth Egelson , Pinky Lee , and Norma MacMillan
Director: Art Clokey
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Gumby, Vol. 2
Gumby's Greatest Adventures
Christmas With Gumby
The Vest Best New Adventures of Gumby, Vol. 2
Gumby: The Very Best New Adventures of Gumby, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0000639HE
Release Date: 2002-04-09

Customer Reviews:

Agreed! Only buy if you just want "an interpretation" of the classics!.......2007-04-17

I don't know who was responsible for this re-dub, but yes this is a total let-down WELL pointed out by others here! Instead of messing around with the classics for a new effect, why not try to edit some of the inconsistent storylines and put them together? Too and Loo, Moon Trip, Robot Rumpus, etc. That is what I always didn't get as a child why the same episodes all seemed to have storyline pieces all over the place!

My suggestion to appease? Maybe make a special feature available like many DVDs do and offer "Original soundtrack". If the original scores aren't that great any more THEN have the re-dubs offered!

I want my Gumby to have the funny girlish voice when I expect it and corny background music! You don't even have the robots making the right mechanical noises in Robot Rumpus any more!! There really should be a warning on the boxes about this! All I could see in the details was something about "original anomalies" about the film quality!

Not the same Gumby we saw as kids. Dissapointing. .......2004-10-04

If you loved the original Gumby then don't buy this item. It will only break your heart. None of the original voices, music, or sound effects are used in this DVD. All the sound is re-recorded and has none of the charisma or excitement as the original sound I loved as a kid. I can still hear the original funky sound effects in my head, and when I heard the sound on this DVD, I was shocked and dissapointed that I had wasted my money. As far as I know, all the episodes are here and in good quality, however without the original sound it is not the Gumby I saw as a kid. DON'T BUY THIS ITEM.

Horrible soundtrack remake.......2003-10-07

It's ok... but the synthesizer track is a disgrace to Gumby fans. I don't understand why Rhino couldn't have used the original. It's very disappointing. THE ORIGINAL IS ALWAYS THE BEST. I would discourage Gumby fans from buying this release and to hunt down the older copies from Family Home Entertainment.

Hog Wash.......2003-02-01

The picture quality is fine. These are 40 year old analog recordings how perfect do you expect them to be. They music is great. Funky and retro. If they would have used the orginal sound tracks there would have been many complaints about the sound quality from the same people who thought they should be preserved. It would have been mono and scratchy.

Nice change from the stupid, over stimulating world of kids DVD's and videos.

It's Gumby Darn it ![.].......2002-12-01

Art Clokey was 33 years old , when he first crudely created the classic clay-mation character that would be embraced and loved by generations of children and then satirized by Eddie Murphy on Saturday Night Live and re-discovered by grown-ups and kids.

Get ready folks, it's a Gumby World all over again. Rhino has released a comprehensive 7 disc DVD Gumby set which collects all of the 130 original Gumby TV. show segments. The first short segments were shown on the Howdy Dowdy show in 1956. Then they became ten minute episodes and a weekly children's program in 1957. The show kept running until the late 1960's when it just seemed too low-tech and simple for modern audiences. Gumby was almost forgotten until David Sheffield and Barry Blaustein wrote a comedy sketch for Saturday Night Live and Eddie Murphy in the mid 1980's. The idea of the sketch was, what if innocent, nice guy Gumby on screen was really a cynical, rather nasty character in real life. It was funny and it also reminded people of the American Icon they had grown up with and almost forgotten-- Gumby.

Art Clokey's Gumby was re-born, and millions were made throughout the 1980's and 90's on toys and videos and syndication and there was a new digital Gumby created. There was even Gumby: The Movie. But this new slicker Gumby didn't have the charm and magic of the original simpler cruder clay-mation episodes made by Clokey in the 50's and early 60's.

Worry not Gumbiacs and Gumbiphiles, Rhino has done a very good thing for everyone who pined to go beyond the Time Warp and travel via the Way Back Machine to a time when balls and slabs of colored clay came alive and were transformed into Gumby and Pokey , Prickle and Goo.

GUMBY VOLUME 1

The first volume of treasures from the world of Gumby includes the earliest episodes of the t.v. shows in which Gumby and his pals travel to the Moon, go through mirrors and into story-books (to battle the block heads), reason with over zealous Gophers, stop bullying black knights, battle crazed toys and much much more.

The animation is simple and pretty crude. The sound-effects are sometimes bizarre. (some but not all have been re-recorded) Watching the episodes for the first time in at least 25 years I was amazed at how surreal it all seemed. Innocent perhaps, but there is a wealth of creative oddness to be witnessed in these earliest of Gumby episodes. Clokey had a wild imagination and sometimes the narratives of his little stories would be set aside if he had come up with an interesting visual ideas. Ideas crudely realized on sets improvised out of art store supply materials, erector sets and available toys. Sometimes it doesn't make much sense at all-but who cares. Someone who didn't know about Gumby might look at these episodes and wonder if they were strange LSD inspired dream sequences from Cheech or Chong movies or part of the Requiem for a Dream film.

No, this is Gumby, the charming clay creature that Art Clokey designed quickly as part of a thesis film he was making for his film class in 1953. He had limited funds and tried clay animation. The short student film he created with more than 4,0000 set ups, a jazz score and no dialogue was called Gumbasia mostly after Disney's Fantasia. A film producer Sam Engle (who's son Art was tutoring) saw and loved the short film in 1954 and thought Art Clokey might create a wonderful children's show for tv with this clay- mation creation of his. Engle (who was also the president of the Motion Picture Producers Association) financed a pilot.

Art Clokey also designed and created the well regarded Davey and Goliath series which recently had some episodes released on DVD too.

Art Clokey's favorite color was Green. Gumby's bell bottom legs came about to keep him balanced. The shape of his head was meant to resemble a 1910 photograph of Art Clokey's dad who sported a fancy pompodour hair style in the photo. The original concept was inspired by The Gingerbread Man, the early voices were performed by Clokey's wife and then later by professional actors doing voice over.

The appeal today is in enjoying the simplicity and crudeness of the segments coupled with the mind boggling creativity, imagination and ideas that poured out of Clokey's
brain.

Gumby is presented in the original 4:3 broadcast aspect ratios. The transfers were made from the original 16 M.M. masters and while they look very good, there are plenty of blemishes and flaws to be seen. The colors are not overly bright and never were.

The DVD's audio is mono and there's plenty of 'noise' and hiss on the track. But you know it shouldn't be any other way. These segments were originally seen by people on crude black and white television sets with tinny little speakers. The new 80's Gumby theme is used on menu's and in intros which is a let down. When the 50's electronic music is used (part of the time) it's remarkable how ahead of its time it was.

There are no DVD extras on Gumby Volume 1. Those are on later and slightly less interesting volumes of the series.

Hey, It's a Gumby World.
Or as Eddie Murphy once said, "I'm Gumby, da[r]nit !"

...

DVD:

DVD

Harder They Come [Special Edition] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: The Thin Man

Tod im Spiegel