Abbott and Costello Rarities Blu-ray/DVD combo

The COLGATE COMEDY HOUR stuff on ths set is nice enough. Of course quality of these is limited as source material is antique kinescopes. Images tend to appear a bit fuzzy but watchable, especially if you remember the days of TV antennas and out-of-town signals.This box is absolutely worth owning simply for its fine dub of the charming modern fairytale, JACK AND THE BEANSTALK It looks wonderful! Vibrant colors, sharp image, clean sound. I have never seen a better copy anywhere.In the sepiatone opening, babysitter Lou falls asleep and dreams in Cinecolor that he's Jack of the fable. Bud plays avaricious Mr. Dinklepuss in a dream that includes a few musical sequences, the giant, a prince and princess, a goose that lays golden eggs and a harp who speaks with a brogue. Lou's song, "I Fear Nothing When I Am In The Right" is a favorite moment.The equally good-condition AFRICA SCREAMS has a cast of comedy favorites going on African safari with famous explorer Beatty and big game hunter Buck. Many here were Season One regulars on THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO SHOW. This independently made comedy long ago fell into the public domain. It's vintage A&C.Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 (IMDb viewer poll ratings.(5.7) Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) - Bud Abbott/Lou Costello/Buddy Baer/Shaye Cogan/James Alexander/Dorothy Ford/William Farnum (uncredited: Joe Kirk, Mel Blanc--voice)(6.1) Africa Screams (1949) - Bud Abbott/Lou Costello/Clyde Beatty/Frank Buck/Hilary Brooke/Shemp Howard/Joe Besser/Max Baer/Buddy Baer

To chime in with other reviewers, this is for A & C completists. I am agnostic as to whether others would like it. Many outtake "bloopers" (which of course are often forced just for the hell of it) that I haven't seen on other blooper reels.A few technical issues: the menu for the bloopers ("blow ups) requires a return after each segment -- there is no "play all" option as there is for the trailers. And about two or three minutes of bloopers are flat-out repeated. How does an error like that slip throughThe footage of the boys with Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia unleashes the old regrets that Lou never played him. I am not referring to the Broadway musical; there was talk of a film bio long before that. No, I don't know if Lou had the acting chops for a decent biopic (unlike that absurd Bob Hope one about Mayor Jimmy Walker), but I definitely would have wanted to see it.The bond tour footage could have been a great color look at 1940s "fly-over" America (no offense intended), but the 16mm camera man was schooled in amateur mistakes, such as moving the camera as much as possible. You will get the impression that America had a sweetness in that decade that is gone. (I know this is mythology at both ends, but I can't help it.)

Not everything is great here,but there are some gems.The highlights for me are THE COLGATE COMEDY HOUR;TIME TO SMILE,ABBOTT AND COSTELLO's first radio show under their names;the KODACHROME WAR BOND TOUR FOOTAGE.It would have been nice to have a narration by members of the family.As for the trailers,you can easily find them on YOU TUBE.The CHRISTMAS SEALS promo with CHARLES LAUGHTON is very short.If you really love ABBOTT AND COSTELLO,get THE COMPLETE UNIVERSAL PICTURES COLLECTION and the 10 cd collection(LEGENDS OF RADIO) with 20 radio broadcasts.ABBOTT AND COSTELLO were great guys who deserved to be remembered well.

Funny stuff never seen before footage.

This set is absolutely amazing if you are an Abbott and Costello fan. Full of rare moments. The picture quality is top notch! Especially the Bud Abbott solo Colgate Show.I wish this company releases complete seasons of the Colgate Comedy Hour.

Filled with material and gems I have never seen and now am so proud to own!

a great behind the scenes look at one of Comedy's funnest Duo's , a must for any A&C fan, lovingly presented by Thunderbean Animation,

Would've helped if the description of what was in the set was in the 'ad'. Two of the discs I already had; the other two I had nointerest in. I am looking for two specific A&C movies and had been hoping they were part of the set.