Izzy & Moe

Customer Reviews:

A light and enjoyable historic comedy.......2007-03-12

I show this movie to my 8th grade social studies students. It gives a nice flavor of the 1920's lifestyle and the paradox of prohibition. Gleason and Carney are great.

A little known gem, based on a true story!.......2007-01-02

This came on on late-night tv-- local station only gave it two stars, but my video guide gives it four, and the guide is right! This is a little gem of a made-for-tv-movie (video quality isn't so good, unfortunately)-- directed by Jackie Cooper, this film stars Jackie Gleason and Art Carney as two vaudevillians who become prohibition federal agents. They use their vaudeville skills to sneak into many "speaks" and shut them down-- including a stint with Moe (Carney) in a dress!

The two oldsters are funny and charming as ever in this 1985 film. The period feel is fun and there's a breezy quality keeping it all light and pleasant; it never bogs down.

And if you think it's too implausible? Go look up "Izzy and Moe" and see what you find! These are based on two real cops and the wildest shenanigans depicted are based on true incidents-- including the dress! Terrific fun. My 80-something dad stayed up to watch it, too, smiling at the performers-- and at the terrific old cars going by.

Izzey & Moe.......2005-07-24

Simpley Great from the return of GLEASON & Carney & a good diction by Cooper.

I WAS ON THE SET OF IZZY AND MOE! BOWERY N.Y.C. CBGBS........2005-07-17

Many of the exterior shots in "Izzy and Moe" were actually shot on the corner of Bleeker Street, and the Bowery in N.Y.C. right across the avenue from the cul-de-sac that is CBGBS.
I know because I was actually there to witness this rare event. I was also a high school student down the block from CBGBS. What was remarkable about the experience was witnessing JACKIE GLEASON & ART CARNEY in the flesh (in 1920's clothes) and ACTUALLY ACTING for a "one-camera shoot" complete with JACKIE COOPER DIRECTING under a white umbrela. GLEASON & CARNEY stepped out of two different trailers. JACKIE TOOK A VERY GRACIOUS BOW when we first saw him appear and applauded. It was OLD SCHOOL! Old-timers were coming out of the wood work to gawk at ART CARNEY (hiding hearing aids behind a wig and cap, and make-up). Even the junkies at the flop houses came out to see this. I ran around the set and managed to get COOPER'S autograph! He signed a piece of paper I thrusted at him, and then he told his techies like an old-time movie actor: "All right get these kids outta here so we can shoot this thing." Wrestling legend BIG JOHN STUD suddenly appeared, and me and my school friends are standing behind a police line watching JACKIE COOPER DIRECT JACKIE GLEASON & ART CARNEY in a "stake-out" scene. Watching the TWO HONEYMOONERS (very tall, commanding men), was like looking at a couple of vintage monuments on that gritty old street corner. The street was painted up in WATERCOLORS to hide the modern graffiti, and give the street corner a vintage aura, complete with a Model T Ford parked near the entrance of the old "YIPPIE" buiding. LOW BUDGET THE OLD FASHION WAY. It was very simple set up, small film crew, with 3 legends on the same street corner across the street from CBGBS, plus BIG JOHN STUD. And: then AMAZINGLY: I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP: A Black Lincoln Town car pulls up, and all 3 rappers RUN DMC step out to watch the movie being made!! They were like us, just watching, and they said their hellos to the very small crowd of fans alike that had just assembled on the street between the film's shooting. JACKIE and ART never spoke any lines. They just stalked a building entrance and entered. Cut. A couple of autographs, and back into the trailers they went.
This was a time when you made movies the old-fashion way. And if that wasn't enough: When the shot was over, and it was time for me to head home and take the subway, FRED GWYNNE was on subway platform of BLEEKER STREET, like me, waiting to take the uptown 6 train. He was a serious writer and illustrator of children's books during his "post-Herman Munster" days, and was appearing in movies like "Cotton Club". People on the train just stared at him and smiled. He never smiled back.

Nicely done Movie!!.......2003-02-25

Jackie Gleason and Art Carney again team up as two unemployed vaudiville actors who become prohibition agents and become targeted by the mob.It's a must see, nicely done movie!!

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