Jack and the Beanstalk (1952)

Good Deal, Great price

This was exactly what I was looking for. In this day of anime violence and off-color innuendo in kid's programming, I have been picking up DVDs of entertainment from my own childhood to share with my grandchildren...and they love it!!! They even go around singing the songs from the movie, corny as they are. April 21, 2008

You NEED to know Jack!

Having not seen Abbott and Costello's "Jack and the Beanstalk" in several decades, I have to say that is so much more than I remember. It is really just inspired in it's, to borrow a style from the Sherman Brothers, "Awfulosity". This film is really a turkey, but a golden one, (or however gold photographs in the miracle of SUPERcineCOLOR?).

Clearly this film was influenced by the MGM film "The Wizard of Oz", which incidentally was re-issued for the first time in 1950 or 51. This film was released in 1952. You get the picture. The opening and closing sequences, in the real world, are shot in sepia (though in this print it looks like grainy, contrasty B&W). All the principle characters in the color "fantasy" sequence are introduced in the modern day world and telegraph their relationships in the fantasy later on, some going as far as showing the costumes they will be wearing minutes later.

Really, the costumes, the make up (on the cow, Henry), the hair (particularly on Bud and the prince), the songs, the choreography, EVERYthing in this picture is just so wrong it's right. Lou's shtick and acting are really so far beneath him, except in a really funny dance that he and the scullery maid do in which he gets the stuffing smacked out of him. My favorite numbers, however, include the solos with the strange looking, slightly cock-eyed prince and the "big" dance numbers with the innane lip-syncing townsfolk and the "June Terrible Dancers!"

And the "Giant", well, you will just have to see him for yourself, but I will say that if I were him, I would have asked for more flattering lighting on my close ups.

It was fun revisiting this film after so many years. If you have seen it. See it again. If you haven't seen it, I know you will enjoy your introduction to this classic comedy........ of errors. May 4, 2006

ONE OF THE TEAM'S BEST FILMS

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (1953)
Warner Bros.
Release Date: April 7, 1952 (New York City, New York)
April 12, 1952
Runtime: 70 min./USA: 82 min. (restored version)

Director:
Jean Yarbrough

Producer:
Pat Costello

Writing Credits:
Pat Costello
Nathaniel Curtis

Cast:
Bud Abbott....Mr. Dinkel/Mr. Dinkelpuss
Lou Costello....Jack/Jack Strong
Buddy Baer....Sgt. Riley/The Giant
Dorothy Ford....Polly
Barbara Brown....Mrs. Strong
David Stollery....Donald
William Farnum....The King
Shaye Cogan....Eloise/Princess Eloise
James Alexander....Arthur/Prince Arthur

Music by:
Lester Lee
Heinz Roemheld

Cinematography by:
George Robinson

Film Editing by:
Otho Lovering

Other Crew:
Milt Bronson....dialogue director
Johnny Conrad....choreographer
Albert Deano....wardrobe supervisor
Clarence Eurist....production supervisor
Helen Holm....assistant to executive producer
Wilton R. Holm.....color consultant
Raoul Kraushaar....music supervisior
Norman Lubow....choral direction
Heinz Roemheld....conductor
Bob Russell....songs
Clifford D. Shank....color consultant

Plot Summary:

Jack is a farmer boy who is to take his family's last few coins to buy a cow at the local market. Once in town, he is fooled by the slick Butcher Dinkelpuss into buying magic beans instead. He takes the beans home and plants them out in his yard. The next morning, a giant beanstalk stretches into the sky. Knowing that a giant terrorizes the land, Jack decides to climb up the beanstalk to search for his treasures. He is accompanied by the greedy butcher, who also wants to find the giant's treasures. Jack and Dinkelpuss battle the giant and make the land peaceful again.

ROUTINES & HILARIOUS MOMENTS:
Lou tries to steal the giant's key

Trivia (from imdb.com):(1)This is the first of only tow color movies that Abbott and Costello made. It begins in sepia tone and then changes to color.(2)Bud and Lou made an independent, two-picture deal in which they agreed that this was to be "Lou's film" and the next to be "Bud's". Lou and Bud retained individual ownership of the respective films.

March 29, 2006

cute

What can I say about these movies abbott and costello made in the 50's. They did a cute job on this fairy tale story. Always good to see again and again. March 2, 2006

Not much annoying A&C schtick, but not much to redeem it either... not even the kids would watch it.

I bought this expecting (based on reviews) something more...

Granted, the usual irritating mannerisms weren't plentiful - but there was still plenty of, "Why, you..." and fist shaking.

This movie most notably lacked a good script. It took some good ideas (the Jack story is embedded in a modern-day tale of babysitting for a bratty little kid, some potentially charming embellishments on the fairy tale itself), but the writing (this thing must have been churned out in a week or two) didn't do anything with them. The songwriting and choreography are similarly uninspired.

The other thing that wasn't there was quality acting/directing (for example, the giant spends most of his time standing around looking threatening).

My sons (4 and 5) are big movie fans, and will sit and watch almost anything - they lost interest in this within a few minutes. I made the mistake of continuing to watch, waiting for something good to happen. It never did. February 11, 2006

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