Jack and the Beanstalk

Buy This Item Jack and the Beanstalk by Good Times Video  Available from Amazon  $4.98  on 8-31-2008     JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (1953) <br /> Warner Bros. <br /> Release Date: April 7, 1952 (New York City, New York) <br /> April 12, 1952 <br /> Runtime: 70 min./USA: 82 min. (restored version) <br /> <br /> Director: <br /> Jean Yarbrough <br /> <br /> Producer: <br /> Pat Costello <br /> <br /> Writing Credits: <br /> Pat Costello <br /> Nathaniel Curtis <br /> <br /> Cast: <br />Bud Abbott.Mr. Dinkel/Mr. Dinkelpuss <br />Lou Costello.Jack/Jack Strong <br />Buddy Baer.Sgt. Riley/The Giant <br />Dorothy Ford.Polly <br />Barbara Brown.Mrs. Strong <br />David Stollery.Donald <br />William Farnum.The King <br />Shaye Cogan.Eloise/Princess Eloise <br />James Alexander.Arthur/Prince Arthur <br /> <br /> Music by: <br /> Lester Lee <br /> Heinz Roemheld <br /> <br /> Cinematography by: <br /> George Robinson <br /> <br /> Film Editing by: <br /> Otho Lovering <br /> <br /> Other Crew: <br /> Milt Bronson.dialogue director <br /> Johnny Conrad.choreographer <br /> Albert Deano.wardrobe supervisor <br /> Clarence Eurist.production supervisor <br /> Helen Holm.assistant to executive producer <br /> Wilton R. Holm..color consultant <br /> Raoul Kraushaar.music supervisior <br /> Norman Lubow.choral direction <br /> Heinz Roemheld.conductor <br /> Bob Russell.songs <br /> Clifford D. Shank.color consultant <br /> <br /> Plot Summary: <br /> <br /> Jack is a farmer boy who is to take his family's last few coins to buy a cow at the local market. Once in town, he is fooled by the slick Butcher Dinkelpuss into buying magic beans instead. He takes the beans home and plants them out in his yard. The next morning, a giant beanstalk stretches into the sky. Knowing that a giant terrorizes the land, Jack decides to climb up the beanstalk to search for his treasures. He is accompanied by the greedy butcher, who also wants to find the giant's treasures. Jack and Dinkelpuss battle the giant and make the land peaceful again. <br /> <br /> ROUTINES & HILARIOUS MOMENTS: <br /> Lou tries to steal the giant's key <br /> <br /> Trivia (from imdb.com):(1)This is the first of only tow color movies that Abbott and Costello made. It begins in sepia tone and then changes to color.(2)Bud and Lou made an independent, two-picture deal in which they agreed that this was to be "Lou's film" and the next to be "Bud's". Lou and Bud retained individual ownership of the respective films. <br /> <br /> Reader Reviews Having not seen Abbott and Costello's "Jack and the Beanstalk" in several decades, I have to say that is so much more than I remember. It is really just inspired in it's, to borrow a style from the Sherman Brothers, "Awfulosity". This film is really a turkey, but a golden one, (or however gold photographs in the miracle of SUPERcineCOLOR?). Clearly this film was influenced by the MGM film "The Wizard of Oz", which incidentally was re-issued for the first time in 1950 or 51. This film was released in 1952. You get the picture. The opening and closing sequences, in the real world, are shot in sepia (though in this print it looks like grainy, contrasty B&W). All the principle characters in the color "fantasy" sequence are introduced in the modern day world and telegraph their relationships in the fantasy later on, some going as far as showing the costumes they will be wearing minutes later. Really, the costumes, the make up (on the cow, Henry), the hair (particularly on Bud and the prince), the songs, the choreography, EVERYthing in this picture is just so wrong it's right. Lou's shtick and acting are really so far beneath him, except in a really funny dance that he and the scullery maid do in which he gets the stuffing smacked out of him. My favorite numbers, however, include the solos with the strange looking, slightly cock-eyed prince and the "big" dance numbers with the innane lip-syncing townsfolk and the "June Terrible Dancers!" And the "Giant", well, you will just have to see him for yourself, but I will say that if I were him, I would have asked for more flattering lighting on my close ups. It was fun revisiting this film after so many years. If you have seen it. See it again. If you haven't seen it, I know you will enjoy your introduction to this classic comedy........ of errors.

Jack and the Beanstalk Available from Amazon Price: $4.98 Updated on 8-31-2008.

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