Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection - Vol. 1 (The Caddy / Jumping Jacks / My Friend Irma / My Friend Irma Goes West / Sailor Beware / Scared Stiff / That's My Boy)

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A nightclub act with a handsome singer and an anarchic monkey-boy became a potent box-office force in the early 1950s. Although their wild live antics never translated intact to the screen, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were an instant movie hit; they had two films in the box-office top ten of 1951, and another two in the top ten of 1952. Paramount repays this effort with its Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection, Volume One, which gathers most of their early efforts at the studio.

Martin and Lewis were introduced in 1949's My Friend Irma, a big-screen version of a popular radio show. The boys are in support, but their high jinks were the hit of the movie, and their portion of screen time ballooned in My Friend Irma Goes West, which they basically take over. Both movies are enjoyable comedies, and especially in the sequel Lewis's lunatic style of mugging, vocal calisthenics, and physical shtick makes him look like an animal uncaged.

Not included in this set is their first starring vehicle, At War with the Army. The next six consecutive films are here, beginning with one of their best, 1951's That's My Boy. Jerry plays the athletically hopeless son of a famous football hero (Eddie Mayehoff, a funny man). It's a measure of how much Lewis had grabbed the public's imagination that Dino doesn't show up until the film is 20 minutes old. (Lewis later wrote that he arranged for "That's Amore" to be included in The Caddy to bolster Martin's popularity.) Also from 1951, Sailor Beware is a service comedy with some hilarious sequences--Lewis conducting a male chorus, for instance, or undergoing a slightly surreal medical exam--and the team still has a freshness despite the movie formula. Their timing together in the punchdrunk-boxer routine shows some of the chemistry they must have had onstage.

Jumping Jacks (1952) is the least of Martin & Lewis's service comedies, with Lewis as a showbiz performer who pretends to be in the military as a favor to Dean. The Stooge, same year, is one of their best teamings, this time with a touch of pathos along with the laughs: Martin is a self-centered singer who can't acknowledge that his hired stooge is the reason his act is boffo. Along with the backstage stuff, the movie demonstrates how skilled Lewis's singing was, even in a comic purpose.

1953's Scared Stiff is a warmed-over remake of the Bob Hope comedy The Ghost Breakers, and shows that the boys were overworked; the story is lame and the clowning feels more desperate (although Lewis has a few moments imitating co-star Carmen Miranda). In The Caddy, from the same year, Martin indulges his real-life passion for golf, and Lewis plays the neglected caddy. It's a return to form, borrowing a Stooge vibe, and boasts an odd framing story with the boys playing a nightclub act very much like Martin & Lewis.

Unless you're already a fan, your enthusiasm for this set will depend on your tolerance for Jerry Lewis and his manic, childlike dementia. Either you'll laugh, resist, or become fascinated at the naked, look-at-me neediness of his act. Dean Martin can be appreciated for the difficult job of playing straight man to this craziness (notice, too, how his singing voice comes into its own, from imitation Bing Crosby in the first couple of pictures to the familiar, relaxed style of vintage Dino). The DVD set provides no supporting features, but this is the first chapter of a hugely profitable and popular showbiz phenomenon. Just one more thing: "Who's your little whoozis? Who's your toitle dove?" --Robert Horton

Description

This 4 disc set includes 8 movies - My Friend Irma, My Friend Irma Goes West, That's My Boy, Sailor Beware, Jumping Jacks, The Stooge, Scared Stiff, and The Caddy.

Customer Reviews:

Dean & Jerry.......2007-09-15

Great stuff. Dean & Jerry had a really good chemistry and are truley a joy to watch. Although film making has changed over the years, it's still fun to go back in time and see GREAT comedy.

GREAT SET! SOME EARLY FAVORITES , BUT MISSING ONE FILM!.......2007-08-04

This is a really good set for any fan of this classic comedy team's films. This has almost all the early stuff, but where is "At War With The Army"???? it does include the "Irma" films which started it all! The other five films on this set are some of their best! The DVD transfers are very good,but 1/2 star deducted for not including a great movie! 4 1/2 stars.

Sailor Beware.......2007-07-04

Sailor Beware is one of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Funnies movies. But it is very importantly funny to me because my father was one of the sailors in this movie when it was filmed in San Diego Navy. My father was in boot camp at the time. In fact in the seen where they are doing there exercise my father is about the 5th or 6th person behind Dean Martin. We laugh allot about this seen because my father hesitates in going down in one or more of his exercises. My father served 4 years in the Korean War. But this movie is the only thing we talk about. A great movie.

A must have for all Martin and Lewis fans!.......2007-07-01

I am thankful that Paramount took the time to present this collection of the funniest works by the comedy team of Martin and Lewis. Personal favorite...Sailor Beware! I hope that we will be able to see Money From Home and Three Ring Circus real soon on DVD. You will laugh for hours with the works of the crooner and the clown...Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis! Enjoy!

Great movie.......2007-05-21

This is a great edition to add to your Martin and Lewis gallery. The quality is great.

Average customer rating:

Boy is my face red!!!
Does anyone know what a review is?
Martin and Lewis?
FOR JACK HALEY FANS...
"Have you got a woman in this room?"

Scared Stiff
Starring: Jack Haley , Ann Savage , Barton MacLane , Veda Ann Borg , and Roger Pryor
Director: Frank McDonald
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000AGWMV
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Customer Reviews:

Boy is my face red!!!.......2006-05-31

Well, I must say, I'm so embarrassed. I bought this film, not thinking it was the old Jerry Lewis movie, of the same name, but one of ill repute. I find it quite enjoyable to pick up a "blue" movie now and again, to enjoy on the weekend, when I don't have any female accompaniment. Imagine my surprise, when instead of getting "stiff," I got stiffed on the "stinky" movie that was included in this tripe! What a load of rhinoceros droppings.

Let me tell you, I will never again turn to an online ordering firm for my weekend "stag" movie needs. Let me tell you!

Two thumbs down!!!

Does anyone know what a review is?.......2005-11-24

A review is not an entire play by play synopsis of the film. A buyer can look at the actual Amazon info on the film to find out what it's about! A revie is your opinion of the film, and what you liked and disliked about it, and if you recommend it, or not. C'mon people!
This movie is OK, but not as funny as the classic Martin & Lewis classic of the same title. Don't be fooled, this DVD doesn't have dean martin or Jerry lewis in it. I probably wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone, unless you can get it for dirt cheap!

Martin and Lewis?.......2005-10-20

Why is this very old, very bad movie starring Jack Haley, listed with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movies? Is it just to confuse it with the classic Martin and Lewis gem "Scared Stiff"? Someone quick to buy or unaware that this isn't the movie that they are looking for is going to be quite dissappointed.

FOR JACK HALEY FANS..........2005-08-08

This 1945 film stars Jack Haley as Larry Elliott, a chess editor for a newspaper. Unfortunately, when he has to pinch hit as a reporter, he couldn't spot a breaking news story if it were to hit him in the face. He is given a last chance dance to go and cover the crowning of Miss Muscadet at a winery in Grape City. The winery just happens to be the newspaper's biggest advertiser. With admonitions ringing in his ears not to screw things up this time, Larry promptly gets on a bus bound for Grape Center, where he ends up at another winery with an inn for guests. Unfortunately, the person who sat on the bus next to Larry is found dead, still in his seat, and even though Larry realizes the big mistake that he made in boarding the wrong bus, he is made to wait for the sheriff, as guess who the number one suspect is.

While at the inn, Larry enters into a comedy of errors and manages to get involved in a mystery involving a very valuable, jeweled chess set rumored to have been the very chess set that Kublai Khan gave to Marco Polo centuries ago. It is a chess set for which some have been known to kill. While at the inn he runs into a seemingly forward and aggressive blonde (Veda Ann Borg), the Waldecks, twins brothers who own the inn and the chess set in question, an escaped killer and his accomplice, a mysterious professor with an agenda, an obnoxious child prodigy, and a host of others. Of course, there is a love interest, an antiques dealer (Ann Savage) whom Larry already knew and for whom he carries a torch.

The film, which was originally released under the title, "Treasure of Fear", runs a scant sixty-four minutes. It is quite funny, at times. Sometimes, however, it tends to drag and its humor palls. The best moment in the film arrives at the end, when the obnoxious child prodigy gets what's coming to him, although in today's world such a scenario would be unthinkable. As I am a fan of Jack Haley, he does not disappoint, and I enjoyed the film, overall, but more as a curiosity rather than on its merits. The quality of the DVD is bargain basement, as the transfer was made from a dirty and grainy print with its fair share of visual blips, blots, and skips. The audio varies in quality, with just a few inaudibility patches here and there or the loss of a word.

"Have you got a woman in this room?".......2005-06-12

A dead body, an antique chess set, and two scheming women are at the heart of the surprisingly entertaining little mystery, "Scared Stiff." Bumbling reporter, Larry Elliot (Jack Haley) is given an assignment to cover the chess tournament at the Grape City Harvest Festival and interview the new Miss Muscat. This is Larry's last chance to prove himself as a news reporter, and if he fails on this assignment, his uncle, who owns the paper, has threatened to give Larry the boot. Distracted at the Greyhound bus station by beautiful redhead, Sally Warren (Ann Savage), Larry gets on the wrong bus and goes to an Inn at Grape Central. Just as Larry realises his mistake and tries to leave, a body is discovered on the bus. Larry has to stay at the inn until the police arrive to investigate the case.

"Scared Stiff" or "Treasure of Fear" is about 64 minutes long. The film is well paced and full of some great characters. Twin brothers Charles and Preston Waldeck own the inn, and the brothers each own half of an extremely valuable jeweled chess set. There's a pushy blonde, Flo Rosson (Veda Ann Borg) who makes overtures to Larry, and there's an obnoxious bratty child prodigy, a chess player who annoys everyone. Escaped criminal George Markham (Barton MacLane) is also on the loose.

Jack Haley's performance as Larry reminds me a little of the early Bob Hope. Larry has that sort of naivete that gets him into trouble and yet protects him at the same time. The film is saved from mediocrity by its humorous overtones. There's one scene, for example, when Larry has the two female characters hidden in his room, and the landlord takes the moral high ground. The film's finale is a splendid chase sequence through the wine cellars of the inn. The Alpha DVD quality is less-than-perfect. There are some spots where the film skips and the odd word of dialogue is lost. The picture and sound quality, however, are acceptable--displacedhuman

Average customer rating:

Some real "stiffs" here all right!

Scared Stiff 10 Movie Pack
Starring: Philip Michael Thomas , John F. Goff , Mark Polonia , Susannah Devereux , and Kim Farina
Director: Mark Polonia , and John Polonia
Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002DB0JU
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Customer Reviews:

Some real "stiffs" here all right!.......2007-08-20

BRENTWOOD 10 Movie Packs offer a variety of cinematic genres at bargain prices. Video transfers of their "B" movies are pretty decent, as is sound. The manufacturer's hinged boxes house DVDs adequately, but be careful the hinged sections don't pull away from the main spine! They're not that easy to reassemble.

SCARED STIFF consists of ten low-budget indie slasher films. There's no classics here, yet for those who enjoy such movies, these obscurities are sure to please.

SYNOPSES:

"Bloodbath" - Two Los Angeles detectives investigate murdered 'B' movie actresses.

"Blood Revenge" - A martial arts expert is out to revenge his girlfriend's murder.

"Collinsville" - Fifty people are slaughtered in a small Connecticut town.

"Demonsoul" - A girl troubled by frightening dreams discovers through hypnotism that she was a vampire in a past life.

"Evil Sister" - A psychpath goes home after 15 years in an insane asylum. Strange things start happening to her family.

"Hellspawn" - Asked to house-sit in a small town, Mick and Jack soon realize that a killer/grave robber might be targeting them as next victims.

"The Malibu Beach Vampires" - Bikini-clad girls dance while others with fangs wander around in the daytime-- vampires for the modern era. A real stinkbomb!

"Night Crawlers" - A family moves into their dream home, but after they find NIGHT CRAWLERS in the basement, the dream becomes a nightmare. Cheapest special effects ever!

"The Screaming" - Anthropology student studying ancient blood cults encounters the "Crytalanetics," an evil self help group.

"Stigma" - An ex-con African American doctor moves to a racist town plagued by veneral disease.

For more scary fun from BRENTWOOD, check out their CURSE OF THE DEAD 10 MOVIE PACK.

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Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

(4.5) Bloodbath (1999) - Susannah Devereux/Dan Speaker/Anthony Martini
(???) Blood Revenge (?) - (no data available)
(2.9) Collinsville (2003) - Matt Blake/Hayley Brown/Natalina Depina
(1.8) Demonsoul (1995) - Kerry Norton/Pixie Roscoe/Suzanne Ballantyne
(3.5) Evil Sister (1996) - Kim Farina/John McCann/Debbie Ha/Joliebeth Cope
(2.0) Hellspawn (1993) - Brian Berry/Sebastian Barran/Gary LeBlanc
(1.6) The Malibu Beach Vampires (1991) - Kelly Galindo/Christina Walker/Mimi Spivak
(2.2) Night Crawlers (1996) - Mark Polonia/Armand Sposto/Maria Russo
(4.8) The Screaming (2001) - Vinnie Bilancio/Wendi Winburn/Elizabeth Barris/John F. Goff
(1.8) Stigma (1972) - Philip Michael Thomas/Harlan Cary Poe/Josie Johnson/Peter Clune

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