Description
Australian-born comedian Leon Errol was perhaps best known for his two-reelers produced at RKO during the 1930s and 40s. In these very enjoyable light-hearted comedy shorts, with ingenious and surprising endings, Errol usually portrayed a henpecked husband who was always falling out of favor with his suspicious and jealous wife. Regardless of the good intentions of Leon Errol, he always managed to get into trouble. And all his attempts to avoid these predicaments usually just snowballed into more complicated webs of funny coincidences, which would have audiences rolling on the floor with laughter - even to this day.
Bonus Features: Motion Menus| Two-Reeler Selection| Leon Errol Bio| Classic TV Previews.
Specs: DVD9; Dolby Digital Mono; 180 minutes; B&W; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1938-51; SRP - $19.99.
Customer Reviews:
A lovable schlemiel.......2007-07-17
My introduction to Leon Errol was as a teenager, when a local (New York) TV station broadcast the movie "Higher and Higher," a delightful 1943 musical comedy that introduced Frank Sinatra and featured Jack Haley, Barbara Hale, Dooley Wilson, Mary Wickes, Mel Torme and Victor Borge.
Errol was superb as the schlemiel who's about to be evicted from his 5th Ave. mansion until his staff comes to his rescue.
Several years later another local program called "Reel Camp" showed both Errol and Edgar Kennedy shorts. I've been an erstwhile Errol fan ever since.
The collection on this DVD is a welcome addition to the video library of anyone who appreciates wholesome fun by a wonderful comic who usually finds himself in the dog house when his wife thinks he's seeing other women.
The quality of the 10 selections varies greatly, but the comedy and Errol's antics still come shining through. Recommended for fans and others who have never seen Errol in action.
Great Stuff!.......2004-05-11
Great DVD compilation of Leon Errol's shorts. This man was one of the true "funnymen" of all time. He looks funny, he acts funny, he walks and talks funny. Some people are comics, some are comedians, Leon Errol is just naturally funny. His reactions are priceless and makes me wish there were still comedies being made that really make you laugh out loud. Not grin, not chuckle, but laugh. The only reason I didn't rate it at 5 stars was the picture quality of some of the prints are poor. But to have them at all is a blessing. I know he must have made hundreds of these shorts....more please.
Long Live Leon's Legacy!.......2004-02-01
How can one short, paunchy, bald, old guy get mixed up in so many marital misunderstandings and mishaps? It's easy if the guy happens to be Leon Errol.
I bought this set not really knowing much about Errol except what I had read about him. I was totally surprised at how great these short subjects were! I was expecting fair and I got great.
And what's so amazing is that other stars of long-running short subject series usually experienced a decline in the quality of their series as the years went by (for example, the Three Stooges' Columbia series).
However, Errol's series, which ran from the 1930's until his death in 1951, just got better as he aged. The writing and acting in these episodes were always outstanding.
Errol was 70 when he died and this collection includes his last short subject, "Lord Epping Returns" from 1951, which has Errol playing duel roles. It's really a very funny short subject.
Also, Errol's series didn't rely on tired situations like traveling to different part of the world so that gimmicks and costumes could be utilized.
All ten of the entries presented in this collection center around Leon's home or his office. And the plot lines are some of the most complex I've ever seen in any short subject series.
Many of them center around Leon's wife thinking he's chasing other women, and often Leon drops hints that he's done just that.
While Leon Errol may not be everyone's cup of tea, I feel that he is in a class by himself.
It's sad that today he is almost totally forgotten, but hopefully this set will focus the attention on him that he deserves.
I hope VCI will come out with a second collection of Leon Errol short subjects!
DVD:
- Little Shop of Horrors
- Louis C.K. - Shameless
- Making Mr Right
- Me You Them
- Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous/Two Weeks Notice
- Moonstruck
- Mouth to Mouth
- My Boss's Daughter (R Rated Edition)
- My Life's in Turnaround
- Neil Simon's Jake's Women
DVD
DVD
General
| Comedy
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
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