Fitzwilly

Why is it not on DVD

Why is this not on DVD! I would love to buy it for my friends and for myself. Dick Van Dyke is a great star. I wouldn't mind buying it on VHS if that is the only option except it is rather expensive. I'll have to wait for the price to go down. September 19, 2008

Old classic still worth your time

Based on the novel by Poyntz Tyler originally titled "A Garden of Cucumbers," this is a delightful and lighthearted caper film from the 60s. The USA working title was "The One with the Fuzz," and the movie was even referenced in "Star Wars: Episode VI -Return of the Jedi" (1983). It's the sort of movie they don't make anymore but still holds its appeal today.

Feldon and van Dyck are absolutely charming in the main roles, and among the rest of the cast you will recognize many of your other character actor favorites, such as John McGiver. (Probably irrelevant footnote--does anyone remember the Gilligan's Island adventure where McGiver plays an eccentric entomologist who briefly visits the island, with Russell Johnson ((the professor)) becoming his student?).

The whole film turns on the ability of the clever van Dyck's character to pull daring capers such as heists at local department stores to keep his devoted and benevolent philanthropist employer flush with cash so she can continue to give it away, which van Dyck does with inimitable panache and style. Eventually, however, Feldon's character discovers his shenanigans and tries to convince him to go straight--he is, after all, as she points out--a Harvard grad whose station in life should be above such things. :-) Overall, a charming and delightful movie from a simpler time that's still worth watching today.

A little trivia on Poyntz Tyler, he wrote only one novel (at least that I know of), and also edited Airways of America as part of the Reference Shelf, Volume 30, No. 6, published by H. W. Wilson Company in 1958. The book was an anthology of 1957 aviation articles from different sources (Time, Atlantic Monthly, Fortune, and so on). Other than that, I have no further information on him, but I'll always remember him for this humorous and lighthearted romp of a movie. October 4, 2007

Bring Fitzwilly to DVD

This is a great caper movie, and my favorite one to see at Christmas. It deserves to be released on DVD in widescreen format. I hope the powers that be release it soon. December 22, 2005

Re-Release this Great Movie!!

Re-release this great movie on vhs/dvd starring Barbara Feldon and Dick Van Dyke so that humble people such as myself can afford it.Distributors both large and small should take note!!! September 15, 2004

A Modern Robin Hood Romp

Videotapes first became popular in 1980, and Fitzwilly, one of my favorite films, had been made 13 years before. So naturally the arbitrary powers that be kept the video version off the shelves for over 20 years!

But finally this lost Dick Van Dyke treasure is available on tape, and we can only hope that its DVD version will not be another pan-and-scan nightmare like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was. Remember that both Chitty and Fitzwilly were shot in Panavison, meaning that only a widescreen format can do them justice on DVD.

Yes, Van Dyke's Mary Poppins and Bye Bye Birdie are available in beautiful widescreen, but they really dropped the ball with Chitty. I was astounded when the DVD of it was finally released, and noticed that they had taken a film about a flying car yet - and reduced half the picture down to dismal pan-and-scan, which also reduced by 50% the feeling the viewer gets of flying.

I can now happily note, however, that the studio finally woke up and later released a widescreen version of Chitty, after their dismal standard frame dud bit the dust. The makers of Willy Wonka also released a far superior version of their film in widescreen - after likewise goofing up by first putting out a similarly lousy pan-and-scan bomb. But sadly, such repenting studios later showing they have "seen the light" about widescreen are very rare.

Tech specs aside, as to the plot of Fitzwilly itself, the Robin Hood bunch does keep some money to maintain their households but funnels the rest of it through the old lady's hands into the hands of the poor. In the end, some rich businesses got stung a bit (but they were insured) and the lives of hundreds of poor folks were enriched. The only one who would gripe about something like that happening would be some other selfish rich businessman.

Dick Van Dyke has for decades been one of the Top 5 comedians of all time, and Fitzwilly is one of his Top 5 movies. Need one say more? Only this - oh great creators of Fitzwilly, please release this movie soon on DVD and make it in WIDESCREEN !!! April 27, 2004

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