Africa Screams / Jack & the Beanstalk

Description

By the late Forties, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were superstars. And sprinkled among their usual pictures for Universal were wildly original independent films that gave them more control and showed off the influence of their vaudville roots. Africa Screams and Jack and the Beanstalk offer perfect examples of these classics made outside the studio system. This DVD features pristine prints of both films in a package that will certainly entertain as it sparks nostalgia. In Africa Screams (1949), Bud & Lou find themselves on an African safari. And in one of their funniest films. Over the course of the picture, they encounter lions, a giant ape, uncut diamonds, a crocodile, crooks, cannibals and a great cast that includes Hillary Brooke and Joe Besser, who'd both end up in the Abbott & Costello TV show; lion-tamer Clyde Beatty; famed explorer Frank Buck; boxers Max and Buddy Baer; and Shemp Howard, who took time off from The Three Stooges to play a very near-sighted big game hunter. Jack And The Beanstalk (1952) gave Fifties audiences their first look at the boys in color. Managing to work Bud & Lou into a faithful musical adaptation of the fairy tale, the script places less emphasis on the team's burlesque origins and focuses more on their appeal to children. As Jack, Costello gets to show off his pantomime skills. And, naturally, Abbott is the butcher that cons Jack out of the cow.

Customer Reviews:

unwatchable. total ripoff........2006-08-08

if i could give this 0 stars, nothing could get this to play. the audio stunk. the video stunk even more. not worth any price. if anyone knows a way to get a version of this that is watchable, feel free to point it out in your review.

It was really...good!.......2005-01-31

Just before christmas of 2005, my husband started talking about Abbot and Costello movies. One movie he mentioned in paticular was "Jack and The Beanstalk". So I decided to search for the DVD on Amazon. I was so amazed to see how many Abbot and Costello movies and I thought of how my husband would like the selections because he's a movie buff...I am not. So I read the reviews and they made me somewhat nervous because they were VERY mixed. But one thing I found in commom is that those who reviewed said is that the movie transfer was poor.
Well, I watched the movie and I thought ir was GREAT! I hesitated when my husband asked me because I REALLY didn't want to watch some old boring film. It didn't take me long to laugh. Even our children enjoyed it. I said I would buy him more titles soon.
Don't worry about the film quality in the beginning because once you start watching, you'll laugh at the silliness of it all then it won't bother you.

Entertaining for the youth.......2003-10-03

Jack & The Beanstalk...an amusing film for an adult but really good for young children. Basically it's the story of an old woman who lived in a shoe, little boe peep and jack and the beanstalk. All of the kids fairy tales in this amusing movie. Africa Screams here would be the better picture for adults however. Africa Screams which features 2 of the Stooges third stooge(Joe Besser and Shemp Howard)Shemp's character is rather unamusing and Joe Besser's character is ok. But the stars that shine here as always are Bud Abbott & Lou Costello. Very funny picture and this 2 dvd combo is definitly a worthwhile purchase.

If you like quality transfers Don't buy this.......2003-07-18

I have just received my copy of Africa Screams/Jack and the Beanstalk and I'm seriously considering returning it. In this day of computer enhancements and digital restorations why does this transfer look like it was done by a blind, deft Saint Bernard. I have over three hundred DVD's to date in my collection and I have never seen a transfer this bad. It appears to have been copied from a third generation VHS tape originally recorded at SLP speed. The scratches, dropouts' lack of contrast and poor sound quality makes this DVD a waste of money. The color in Jack in the Beanstalk continually shifts and bleeds through each scene and the black and white sequences also shift from B&W to blue at scene changes. Add to that the same scratches and lack of picture quality as Africa Screams gives you two inexcusably bad copies for the price of one. I for one, will not purchase any more transfers from MADACY in Canada

Abbot and Costello - Reallyu Had A Thing Going!.......2002-07-03

Abbot and Costello were a comedy team for a long times until the fought more then they acted. As a result of the on-screen chemistry - many memorable moments in film history were created. (Who could forget Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein? A classic.)

This very cheep DVD features two of their funniest films and great for kids too. Africa Screams and Jack And The Beanstalk. Africa Screams is hysterical. It puts all the stereotypical impressions of the African Culture and mixes them with Abbot and Costello. What could be funnier?

Jack And The Beanstalk was cleverly written and involves music, magic harps and a lot of character performances all mixed in with the humor that is only Costello's brand. He plays Jack and boy do you realize what a mess the fantasy world would be in if he was actually there!

The quality of the transfer is not the best I have seen, but the movies speak for themselves. And, it's a great price!

Average customer rating:
Abbott & Costello Double Feature - Jack & the Beanstalk - Africa Screams

Manufacturer: Family Value Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Abbott & Costello | A | TV Series, A-Z | TV Series | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
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Product Description

Abbott & Costello banter about the pumpkin patch planting the seeds of comedy and the castle at the end of the beanstalk just brings more of the same. It may not be Jack & the Beanstalk the way you remember it, but it's plenty of fun. The second feature takes the team to deepest darkest Africa where they encounter lions, giant apes and a raging river. What do they find....? Diamonds!

Abbott & Costello: Africa Screams/Jack & the Beanstalk

Average customer rating:

unwatchable. total ripoff.
It was really...good!
Entertaining for the youth
If you like quality transfers Don't buy this
Abbot and Costello - Reallyu Had A Thing Going!

Abbott & Costello: Africa Screams/Jack & the Beanstalk
Starring: Bud Abbott , Lou Costello , Clyde Beatty , Frank Buck , and Max Baer
Director: Charles Barton , and Jean Yarbrough
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

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ASIN: B00000IC8F
Release Date: 2000-02-01

Customer Reviews:

unwatchable. total ripoff........2006-08-08

It was really...good!.......2005-01-31

Entertaining for the youth.......2003-10-03

If you like quality transfers Don't buy this.......2003-07-18

Abbot and Costello - Reallyu Had A Thing Going!.......2002-07-03

Customer Reviews:

Best BEANSTALK on DVD.......2005-12-04

This Abbott and Costello Double Feature from the Roan Group offers high-quality copies of AFRICA SCREAMS and JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, two ubiquitous "public domain" titles that can be found almost anywhere DVDs are sold. While it's superior to most copies in circulation, the Roan edition of AFRICA SCREAMS is not as crisp as some others. For example, the $1 disc from Digiview has noticeably sharper picture quality, particularly in an early sequence when Bud and Lou are outside Hillary Brooke's mansion at night. Curiously, both editions seem to have used the same source material for their DVD transfers, although the Digiview version cunningly edits out the copyright notice in the opening credits. (See my review for the Digiview release.)

That leaves JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, and if you've been searching for the best DVD copy currently available, this is it. (It seems to have been taken from the Image Entertainment laserdisc, which also featured some extras not included here.) The print used for this transfer was in excellent shape, and is a faithful representation of how the film was originally released in 1952: the opening and closing sequences are in sepiatone, and the "Super Cinecolor," though not as vibrant as Technicolor, is pleasing to the eye. (In most copies of JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, the color is washed out and dupey-looking.) It also has the original Warner Brothers opening logo and the closing-door "End" title that are missing from other DVD editions.

Both of these films were independently produced by the team. AFRICA SCREAMS is the funnier of the two, but neither can be ranked with their best efforts for Universal. (Although as a kid, JACK AND THE BEANSTALK was one of my favorite A&C pictures, and contains a number of still-amusing sequences.)

Since excellent-quality copies of AFRICA SCREAMS are available on other, cheaper discs, it would depend on how badly you want JACK AND THE BEANSTALK to pay the $19.98 list price for this edition. This is a title most collectors can live without. However, if you want to add it to your library, it is worth the extra expense to spare yourself having to sit through the generally mediocre copies available from other distributors. If you're planning to start collecting the team's films on DVD, I would suggest beginning with one of the first three BEST OF ABBOTT AND COSTELLO "Franchise Collection" volumes from Universal, which contain eight movies per two-disc set. You can generally find them for around $20 each...the same price as this Roan Group disc, which is best suited for completists.

BIG booooo for amazon.com.......2002-03-02

Due to the lack of description I thought this DVD might contain some of their TV work or something like that, oh boy was I wrong.

Product Description

America's favorite comedy duo, scheming straight man Bud Abbott and bumbling comic genius Lou Costello, have entertained audiences for over sixty years. Beloved for their raucous humor, hilarious one-liners, and side splitting blundering, these comic masterminds virtually invented the comedy team for big screen, adapting their vaudeville roots for theater audiences.

Average customer rating:

Africa Screams/Jack and the Beanstalk
Starring: Abbott & Costello
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0000687CN
Release Date: 2002-06-25

[5 DVD Set] Abbott & Costello In: Jack and the Beanstalk, Africa Screams, the Abbott and Costello Show, Abbott and Costello in the Movies "Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis - At War with the Army"

Average customer rating:

[5 DVD Set] Abbott & Costello In: Jack and the Beanstalk, Africa Screams, the Abbott and Costello Show, Abbott and Costello in the Movies "Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis - At War with the Army"

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Digitally Remastered For Superior Picture Quality
Dolby Digital Sound
Chapter Stops
scene selections
interactive menus

ASIN: B000HB0QBK

Average customer rating:

Africa Screams/Jack & the Beanstalk
Starring: Africa Screams , and Jack & the Beanstalk
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc, Llc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000AA4JR0
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Africa Screams/Jack And The Beanstalk/Laurel And Hardy/East Side Kids

Average customer rating:

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello

Africa Screams/Jack And The Beanstalk/Laurel And Hardy/East Side Kids
Starring: Africa Sceams , Jack & the Beanstalk , and Laurel & Hardy
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc Corporation
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0009XRZJC
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Customer Reviews:

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.......2007-02-11

I bought both of these titles on VHS years ago and they are not Laurel and Hardy. They are Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, who are every bit as funny as Laurel and Hardy. I think you will enjoy these films no matter which great comedy team stars.

Jack and the Beanstalk / Africa Screams / Abbott and Costello in the Movies / the Abbott and Costello Show [4 DVD Box Set]

Average customer rating:

Jack and the Beanstalk / Africa Screams / Abbott and Costello in the Movies / the Abbott and Costello Show [4 DVD Box Set]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

See Bud & Lou in four of their funniest from film and TV

DVD:

DVD

DVD