Amazon.com essential video

They don't make 'em like this anymore. Well, John Waters might, if he ever had a big enough budget. A steamy "inside look" at the alternately sleazy and glamorous world of catfighting, backbiting show-biz starlets, this Hollywood hit from the bestselling novel by Jacqueline Susann is a high-gloss camp artifact--a time capsule (or some kind of capsule, anyway)--from the screwy '60s, when a broad was a broad, a bitch was a bitch (whether "her" name was Neely O'Hara or Ted Casablanca), and a "doll" was a prescription drug. These dames of whine and poses obsessed over their bust lines, booze, and barbiturates. The once-shocking and scandalous language and behavior of these Broadway babes has been eclipsed by Dallas, Dynasty, and Melrose Place, but time has only enhanced the stature of Valley of the Dolls as a classic--and it still puts Showgirls to shame. With Patty Duke, Susan Hayward, Sharon Tate, Lee Grant, Barbara Parkins, and Martin Milner (and juicy, scene-chewing dialogue such as the infamous: "They drummed you out of Hollywood, so you come crawling back to Broadway. But Broadway doesn't go for booze and dope--now get out of my way, I've got a man waiting for me!"), Valley of the Dolls is the Mount Rushmore of backstage movie melodramas. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (106)

Patty Dukes it out in Dolls
This is truly the ultimate Camp Classic film of all time. Patty Duke gives a mezmerizing performance as Singer Neely O'Hara and creates an unforgetable character in the process. It is HER film all the way, although Susan Hayward does an excellent job in a supportive Role. And, as Neely O'Hara Patty gets the opportunity to perform such songs as "It's Impossible", "Give a Little More" and of course the memorable "Come Live With Me". Just for these moments alone, the film is worth viewing. It will be interesting to see if the DVD will contain some out-take footage for the film's many many fans to see. Judy Garland, who originally was slated to portray Helen Lawson, was too ill at the time of filming to complete her scenes. Thus, Susan Hayward was called in to replace her and does a good job with the tough-as-nails Helen Lawson character. If you want to be totally entertained and mezmerized, buy or rent this video. And remember, you're not nutty, you're just hooked on Dolls.

RELIVE THE MOVIE IN YOUR CAR OR W/ YOUR WALKMAN!
I would most definitely recommend this soundtrack for anyone is who is a big fan of the movie! The music is perfectly matched to each scene and when you listen to the soundtrack you can, as one of the previous reviewers said, picture each scene in your mind. I get a good chuckle listening to "Neely's Career Montage" and picturing Patty Duke's "workout" and rise to fame! And when I hear "Jennifer's French Movie", I see the beautiful Sharon Tate tossing around under the covers and speaking French! Barbara Parkins's distinguished and elegant narration make the first track a priceless, campy gem that sets the tone for the festivities. While it is disappointing that the title track ("Theme from 'Valley of the Dolls'" - apparently Dionne Warwick's record label had a dispute with the record label that released this soundtrack) and "I'll Plant My Own Tree" are not the versions heard in the film, they still sound similar enough that they manage to convey the same feelings of nostalgic joy! Interestingly enough, the songs Patty Duke's character sings are not really Patty's voice, but the singer they used was a great match for Patty's persona in the movie and both fabulous songs appear here! What more can I say?! If you aren't a big fan of the movie, then this soundtrack probably won't do a thing for you, but if you LOVE the movie like I do, then I a certain you will LOVE this delightfully cheesy soundtrack!

More Quoteable Quotes
I can't resist....More Quotes:

"Ted Casablanca is NOT a fag. And I'm the dame who can prove it."

"You're not the breadwinnah either."

"Tony! Tony! To-neeeeeeeee!"

"Miriam.....I'm pregnant."

"Sparkle Neely...Sparkle."

"She's the one who wanted the kiddies and the vine covered cottage."

"My beautiful little doll. Just one, and one more."

"We're closing now Miss O'Hara."

"Oh God you've got your costume on for the second act!"

"Lyon? He's in the shower. I'll have him call you back."

"I've done pills, booze and a funny farm. I don't need anybody or anything!"

"The song goes, and the kid with it"

"I know all about run-of-the-play contracts."

"Neely, just a few short years ago you were an unknown little girl singing for her supper. Now because of the lush, warm notes that have emerged from your throat, you have become the idol of record buyers and movie goers all over America."

I need more than 5 stars
Heck - the quotes alone will cover a page. See if you can add to this list:

"I wanted a marriage like mom and dad's, but not yet. First I want new experiences, new faces, new surroundings. Lawrenceville will be there foreveah."

"I remember the night I told them I was going to New York. They said it was a dreadful place for a vacation. I announced I was going to work there."

"George Washington didn't sleep there but he did dip a bucket of water from our well."

"I can still see them standing there waving. Aunt Amy, Mama and Willie. Poor Willie, he didn't know I was leaving his life forevah."

"Queenie's pregnant again. My Siamese. Drat! I hope its not that beat up black Tom."

"Black Siamese should be very pretty. I'm Anne Wells."

"Oh yes, the agency phoned about you. A BA in Radcliffe. Mr. Bellamy will like that. He will thin it will gives the office tone."

"Don't give her that I loved you when I was a little girl routine or she'll stab you in the back."

"Neely never had that hard core like me. She never learned to roll with the punches."

"Find yourself a wife. Have kids. Or one day you'll wind up alone like me. I wonder what the hell happened?"

"They drummed you right out of Hollywood.....
...so you come crawling back to Broadway"....

Just one of a myriad of oh-so-quotable lines from the classic VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, based on Jacqueline Susann's steamy pulp-fiction bestseller of 1966. The acting is pure cheese, the script is a paler, watered-down imitation of Susann's text and the songs are God-awful. But there is something about this little gem that draws me in time after time. I could easily watch it once or twice a day and never get bored with it.

The story recounts three girls in New York: Anne Welles (Barbara Parkins - BEAR ISLAND), Neely O'Hara (Patty Duke - THE MIRACLE WORKER) and Jennifer North (Sharon Tate).

Anne has just arrived from small-town Lawrenceville, and landed a job as secretary in an entertainment law-firm. This leads Anne to the acquaintance of Neely, a young up-and-coming Broadway singer who's just been dumped from the new musical starring Helen Lawson (Susan Hayward - I WANT TO LIVE). The reason?...Neely would easily steal the show, and the only star of a Helen Lawson show is Helen Lawson...!

Anne also meets Jennifer, a sweet but by her own admission, talentless showgirl/model. Anne's boss Lyon Burke (Paul Burke) arranges for Neely to sing on a charity telethon, and she quickly lands her own revue at a prominent nightclub. Jennifer marries handsome crooner Tony Polar (Tony Scotti) against the wishes of his sister/manager Miriam (Lee Grant - VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED). Anne then gets discovered by a cosmetics firm and becomes the glamorous 'Gillian Girl'.

The story moves to Hollywood where both Neely and Tony are turned into movie stars. Success comes too fast and easily for Neely who disappears into a heady world of dolls and alcohol. Tony is tragically struck down with a mysterious disease which leaves him paralysed in a sanitarium. To make ends meet, Jennifer becomes an adult-film star.

After going through two failed marriages, Neely hits bottom and is admitted into a rehab center, at Lyon and Anne's behest. With the offer of a new Broadway musical, Neely emerges and quickly finds her feet again, only to break Anne's heart when she claims Lyon for herself. Jennifer quits the porn business and discovers she has breast cancer.

At a party for Helen Lawson's new musical, which bombed out-of-town, Neely and Helen duke it out in the ladies' room, resulting in the famous wig-ripping scene, which is probably the greatest piece in the whole film.

Another great moment is Susan Hayward singing "I'll Plant My Own Tree" standing in the middle of a huge mobile, constructed of broken traffic-lights! Margaret Whiting provided Hayward's singing, though the role of Helen Lawson was originally earmarked for Judy Garland (and the song reeks of Garland influence).

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS is a campy little gem, one that has a HUUUGE and dedicated following. Patty Duke has never eaten so much scenery in any of her subsequent films, Sharon Tate is luminous and Barbara Parkins (aka the Living Mannequin) is just what is called for the role of Anne.

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. A true classic. Accept no substitutes. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

One of Roman Polanski's more overt comedies, this 1966 monster spectacle stars Jack MacGowran and Polanski as a clunky but heroic pair of vampire killers. Called upon to rescue the beautiful and buxom daughter (Sharon Tate) of an innkeeper from a Draculalike bloodsucker, the duo muddle through all sorts of scrapes, the most intense being a scene in which a room full of dancing vampires realize the human interlopers are the only ones in the room who are reflected in a mirror. Scary and funny, the film has some unforgettable set pieces, a terrific score, one of the few records of Tate's extraordinary beauty, and vibrant performances. Not exactly Polanski in a relaxed mode, but clear evidence of his estimable skills as a director of both brilliance and polish. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (60)

First Class Entertainment
I first watched this film on the television at Christmas in about 1982 (under the title "Dance Of The Vampires"), and even then, as a 12 year-old, was impressed by this superior vampire 'caper'. The film starts with a beautifully haunting score (by the late Christopher Komeda) and the arrival of a pair of intrepid vampire killers to a Transylvanian Inn. Throughout the film, the viewer is treated to a visual and musical feast, enhanced by brilliant acting from the likes of Ferdy Mayne, Jack MacGowran, Alfie Bass, and of course, Iain Quarrier as the token gay vampire! The enchanting qualities of Sharon Tate as the inn-keeper's young daughter, Sara, add to the overall enjoyment of the film; which, in my opinion, is easily the best vampire and/or Polanski movie to date.

A Comedic Rendition of Bram Stoker's "Dracula"
"The Fearless Vampire Killers" is producer/director/screenwriter/actor Roman Polanski's comedic rendition of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" legend. The bumbling Professor and his timid assistant Alfred (played by Roman Polanski) travel to Transylvania to study vampires. The Professor and Alfred rest at an inn festooned with garlic. That evening, the innkeeper's daughter (played by the *stunningly beautiful* Sharon Tate) is kidnapped by the Count (played with a characterization combining elements of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing). The distraught innkeeper (played with a Zero Mostel characterization) runs out into the night to rescue his kidnapped daughter and never returns alive. The Professor and Alfred seek the Count's castle. The Count invites the Professor and Alfred to stay at his castle and to study in his library. The Professor and Alfred agree, they learn that the Count and his flock are planning a formal dress ball, and the real fun begins ...

This film's scenic vistas and its theatrical sets are impressive -- they are complex, ornate, and convey a somber atmosphere. And Sharon Tate's beauty is impressive -- previously an unknown actress, this film gave general public recognition to Sharon Tate. Roman Polanski was involved in *all* aspects of this film's production, and his quality touch is visible throughout the film.

It is ironic that this film's plot revolves around Sharon Tate's kidnapping by the Count and his flock. After this film was released, Sharon Tate and her real life friends were murdered in their home by members of the Charles Manson family.

Not his best
... when u compare it with Rosemary`s Baby, Repulsion and Frantic. But it DOES have its moments... What really saves this film is the music by Komeda, choreography by Norwegian Tutte Lemkow, the scenary, the make-up, the off-key characters, Sharon Tate and the costumes... Too often u find yourself wondering what-the-heck this is all about and why doesn`t Polanski move a bit faster into the action??? Still; it`s watchable and I`m glad that so many have found it to their hearts:-)

A Timeless Classic
This is one of my all-time favorite films. I first saw this movie as a young girl and never forgot it. I was thrilled when I found it on VHS years later and am now excited about owning the DVD. This film is a mixture of an early silent film and a Laurel & Hardy-type comedy. Our "fearless vampire killers" keep getting themselves into tight spots and then must work to get themselves out again. The sets are terrific, especially the castle. You can get wrapped up in this film, it won't bore you for a minute. It's a subtle spoof of a vampire movie keeping the thrills while adding comic relief. A must-see and a must-have.

A Vampire Classic
Late one night many years ago I had the pleasure of watching the great Roman Polanski vampire film. Now, many years later, I have added the complete and uncut edition to my collection.

This tongue-in-cheek begins with Professor Abronsius and his assistant (Polanski) arriving in Transylvania. The professor, who has one of the silliest mustaches of all time, is researching the legends of vampires. He is convinced that they really exist and that he can eliminate them. Shortly after their arrival it becomes apparent that there are indeed strange creatures about. All of the evidence convinces the professor that his suspicions are correct.

When the inn they are staying in is hit by a vampire the two journey to a bleak castle. There they encounter the local lord, who is a vampire. The lord and the professor hit it off quite well as both are men (ahem) of learning. During the day the professor and his assistant search for the vampires tomb. They find it but are unable to dispatch the creatures and wind up losing all of their tools in the process. Then night falls.

With the fall of night the two become targets and must avoid their vampiric hosts. then they make a startling discovery. There are more vampires in the castle than just the lord and his son. There is a graveyard filled with generations of bloodsuckers. As the vampires hold an annual ball at which they will feast on a number of locals, the professor and his protégée manage to make off with one of the victims and successfully flee into the night pursued by a hunchback sledding in a coffin.

The film then ends with a very dark note. The woman they have saved makes the complete transition to vampire while they are fleeing and she bites the young assistant. It is in this way that the bumbling Professor Abronsius enabled vampirism to spread out of Transylvania into the rest of the world.

This edition restores the twenty minutes that were cut out when the film was first released in America. This is an unusual film in that much is communicated through action. The dialogue is rather sparse throughout. But with the almost exaggerated actions of a silent film combined with a haunting score result in a richer movie than had it been full of dialogue. The special effects, what few there are, are quite effective and possibly more effective than current effects. In one scene the vampire killers and the woman they are trying to rescue are leading a dance at the ball. The procession advances towards a mirror and only the three are reflected although dozens are in direct line. Spectacular. The rest of the film uses small dashes of comedy to season an otherwise dark story. This is a true classic among vampire films. If you have not seen it you should. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Sharon didn't have enough lines!
This movie was cute but the action didn't flow logically. The ending threw me off, how everyone got stuck in a house that was sliding down the hill, and how the three couples went off into the sunset with each other.

Sharon Tate's role was one where you just gawked at her because she was so beautiful. She played the typical beach bunny, where not much came out of her mouth and what did was nothing short of empty chatter.

I enjoyed it but I like The Wrecking Crew a whole lot better.

Wonderful Offbeat Beach Comedy
What do you get when you mix a conniving Tony Curtis as a shady grifter with an accident on two legs like Claudia Cardinelli in a plot that involves beach front house along a gorgeous stretch of Malibu Beach? The kind of outrageous pandemonium that only a Hollywood screenwriter could imagine. Yet it is also an interesting character study of a number of individual minor characters, and it is this aspect of the film that makes its histrionics and dumb jokes somehow more palatable. Watch for the scenes with the late and beautiful Sharon Tate and big bodybuilder Dave Draper, who ignite on screen together in a sweet and almost innocent way in front of the camera. Big Dave never made a career in fims, but this movie shows he could act, and that he had a unique sort of charisma on-screen at that. I save this one for cold winter nights when my California dreaming is at a fever pitch. I always seem to enjoy it. I hope you will too.

Not perfect, but so little is--See it anyway
Alexander Mackendrick has one of the oddest film careers imaginable, lurching from brilliant satire (THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT), to smashing melodrama (SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS) to off-beat swashbuckler (A HIGH WIND IN JAMAICA), and finally to this eccentric romantic comedy about a hustling drifter (Tony Curtis) adrift amidst various California oddballs. It never quite works, but there is so much offbeat charm, particularly in Sharon Tate's deadpan takeoff of a California beach bunny, that you finally don't care if it doesn't work. And Curtis is in there working, by the way, giving yet another of his deft, underrated comic performances. But so few people appreciated comedy--until it's too late . . .

Malibu is calling you!
This really is a pretty good little movie, it's just too bad it's been so overlooked. It's just plain FUN. Perfect 60's mind candy. The music's pretty good, the cinematography is A1, and the performances are all good. I'm no Tony Curtis fan, but he's really good here. Playing a self-serving opportunist you still can't help but like him. Ironically, he utters the film's best line"If you look at things realistically you'll never fall in love. You just eliminate everyone you can't stand, and see who's left-if anyone". Claudia Cardinale is magnifico as the accident-prone Laura. Not only is she beautiful, she's a fine comedienne too boot. Robert Webber and Joanna Barnes step into their roles of the bickering married couple as if they were written especially for them. They truly make these roles their own. David Draper is oddly appealing as the dim-witted muscleman Harry. He actually makes you care about him, giving a lot more depth than usual to such a throwaway part. But the film really belongs to Sharon Tate. She steals every scene she's in effortlessly, and she also looks pretty damn good in a bikini too. In the skydiving sequence when she tells Carlo(Curtis' character) to "hold on tight" he looks as if he's more than happy to oblige. He looks as if he's died and gone to heaven. Somehow I couldn't help wondering how much real acting he did in the scene. You'd have to be a eunuch not to react to her. I had trouble with the landslide sequence at first, but it makes perfect sense. All the plots loose threads are effectively tied up here. Rod and Diane(Webber and Barnes) are able to come to a new understanding of each other. Harry and Malibu(Draper and Tate) are reunited, their love stronger than ever. And after an hour and a half of fighting it Carlo and Laura(Cardinale) finally stop fighting it and realize they were really meant for each other. If you look at it, there's a real twinge of irony in the ending. In the beginning Carlo is effectively wiped out by the hapless Laura. Figuratively speaking. (He's also literally wiped out by Malibu. But that's another sequence)In the end he's still a pauper, with Laura at least partially to blame. Yet he doesn't seem to mind at all this time. You'll like this movie. I promise

Something else Sharon Tate should be remembered for!!!
Tony Curtis has obviously made some bad choices in film roles and has been pretty bad in most of them. BUT Not this one. While this film is dated it is still actually funny and would be a perfect companion with the upcoming video release of the Austin Powers sequel. Sharon Tate reveals a lot more than skin in this. She shows that while sexy you could be vunerable and the promise of what may have been had she not been stopped. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Another Camp Classic for Sharon Tate
Final Installment of the Matt Helm series ( although a fifth Matt Helm movie was schelduled but never filmed. Dean Martin plays U.S counterpart to James Bond in this swinging plot to steal 1 billion in gold . Cheesy songs by Dean but great score by Hugo Montenegro ( wish the soundtrack was on vinyl or CD)and very funny performance by Sharon Tate- this has to be her best film role of the six films she co- starred in. Great 60's fashions, 60's glamour and even Tina Louise in a small role. Kung Fu Action as Bruce Lee was the advisor for the fight scenes . Look for Chuck Norris in a bit part.

It Only Took Them Four Tries
To get it right, that is. The fourth, last and best (by far) of the Matt Helm series. It improves upon The Silencers, the only one of the previous three Helm movies with any merit whatsoever. Here, the main villain remains threatening throughout, whereas the main villain of the Silencers, Tung Se, becomes a complete joke after awhile. This film also employs a faster, "James Bond" editing pace and remains exciting throughout, wheras TS tends to bog down at times. Also, Sharon Tate was more convincing in the goofy female sidekick role than Stella Stevens was in TS. Nancy Kwon was also fantastic as the bad-girl spy. Furthermore, the soundtrack and especially the fight/action choreography were light years ahead of those in all the other Helm movies. And this time, the attempts at humor don't get in the way or lessen the believabilty of the characters. And those attempts are actually funny this time. This movie certainly marked a new direction in the Helm series. In fact, its hard to believe that the people who made the previous two Helm films, Murderers' Row and The Ambushers, made this one. For that reason, I urge all potential viewers not to get scared off by the Matt Helm name, otherwise you'll be missing a very funny and exciting film.

SHARON TATE stands out in her BEST COMIC effort
The fighting scenes and the idea that Denmark has MOUNTAINS makes this in the class of a turkey - I mean - a spoof is OK - but you still have to do your research.... What if we found a wonderful beach in the film The Sound Of Music(with Austrian locations???)???

What saves this film is the comedy of Sharon Tate. She`s right on target every time she appears and the film should be granted many TV-screenings because of her... The music is pure 60s(quite amusing...) The scene in¨which Matt Helm, upon seeing a dead Linka(Elke Sommer), informs Freya Carlson "That could have been you" - and her stubborn denials - puts tears 2 1s eyes - knowing what happened to Sharon a year later....

It is campy but by now I enjoy the film because it is so hilarious.... If you watch Sharon`s films... you`ll see she works on her magic differently in all her six films..... She`s a diabolique witch in EYE OF THE DEVIL, a fragile starlet in VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, and a teasing ill-fated-teenager in THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS(all 1967)....

Fun movie! I need this on DVD!
I saw "The Wrecking Crew" when I was kid on TV in the 80's. I only saw it once but never forgot it. It was funny and a bit like "Austin Powers" meets "James Bond". Sharon Tate was beautiful, I think she was wonderful in comedy. She plays a tough but sexy undercover agent like "Charlies Angels", she does some great leg kicks! I think Dean Martin was a bit tipsy during the filming LOL! Seems like he was having alot of fun in the Matt Helm movies. I'm hopeing this will come out on DVD soon, I'd love to see it again!

A classic masterpiece
I'm not familiar with the other movies in the series but, apparently, this is the only one I need to see.

Sharon Tate is the star of this film. This is her best role, finely displaying her talent for comedy. From the moment she comes on the scene as a clumsy Danish tour guide to the last, where she seduces Dean Martin (Matt Helm), she was well suited for her role.

To all serious movie collectors, this is a must have for your collection. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Granny wants to serve kangaroo and ostrich for supper
Volume 6 of "The Beverly Hillbillies" collection offers a pair of episodes in which Granny (Irene Ryan) mistakes some big city animals for the critters she knows back home. First up, Episode 52, "The Giant Jackrabbit" (January 8, 1964) sees an escaped kangaroo and starts telling Jed and the rest of the family that she has seen the biggest jackrabbit in the world. They will not believe her, so Granny is determined to catch that jackrabbit and serve it as vittles. This episode features Sharon Tate as Janet Trego. Episode 126, "The Big Chicken" (February 2, 1966) is basically the exact same story except this time Granny is trying to catch an ostrich to cook for dinner. Watching them back-to-back instead of with a two year gap, these episodes are obviously going to seem redundant and repetitive, but then the chief attraction here is Granny and not the varmints.

"Hopping" funny
From the looks of the cover, it looks like it has the episode where Granny finds a kangaroo that escaped from the zoo. She sees the kangaroo, thinking it's a giant jackrabbit, and goes to tell Jed. But by the time he gets there, it's run away, so he thinks Granny is crazy. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Funny!
This is the best three episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies I've seen.Especially the part when Jethro thinks the flamingo is a turkey!Overall I just like it!

Hilarius!
When I first saw it,I have to admit it was kinda lame.But when I saw more episodes,I finally understood the jokes and humor!That was truly hilarius!

Hilarius!
When I first saw the first three episodes I didn't really understand them.But then I finally started to understand the jokes and gags.Now I think they are HILARIUS! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fellini in the 60s
This is an interesting behind-the-scenes depiction of Fellini's film-making process during the juggernaut that was the Italian film industry during the '60s. Gideon Bachman is a gifted journalist who has been published in Playboy, among others. He lived in Italy and knows Fellini personally. Ciao Federico is an insider's look at the genius of Fellini. How can that be bad?

Bad!!!!!!!
This is one of the most boring videos I've ever seen. Don't waste your money or time to view it. Instead, see a Fellini-directed movie rather than one ABOUT Fellini!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The first two episodes of the classic rural situation comedy
Here is your opportunity to go back and watch the first two episodes of the story of a man named Jed Clampett (Buddy Ebsen), a poor hillbilly living in the Ozarks who discovered a fortune in oil while out shooting for some food. Paid $25 million by John Brewster of the OK Oil Company for drilling rights, the Clampetts moved to Beverly Hills where they moved into a mansion with a big cement pond right next door to their banker, Milburn Drysdale (Raymond Bailey). Jed brought along his daughter Elly Mae (Donna Douglas), a gorgeous blonde who loved all sorts of critters; his mother-in-law Daisy Moses (Irene Ryan), called Granny, who was always working on potions and was the meanest rassler in the world; and nephew Jethro Bodine (Max Baer), a giant of a man who was as stupid as he was strong. Fortunately, Jed has more common sense that everybody else on the show put together, so even though the Clampetts did not understand big city ways, they would always triumph in the end. The show made Buddy Ebsen a star, almost a quarter of a decade after the old song and dance man missed his opportunity for stardom when he was originally cast as the Tin Man in "The Wizard of Oz"; the silver makeup poisoned him and he was replaced.

"The Beverly Hillbillies" was an instant hit, finishing in the top spot for the Nielsens its first two seasons, and one of CBS' longest-running situation comedies, running from 1962 to 1971. The show defined the Rural Sitcom Era of prime time programming ("The Andy Griffith Show," "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.," "Green Acres," etc.) and its cancellation marked the new emphasis in demographics for Madison Avenue, where young adults with disposable income mattered more than rural families. This video provides the first two episodes of the classic sitcom, which taken together establish the premise of the series: (1) "The Clampetts Strike Oil" (September 26, 1962, written by Paul Henning & Phil Shuken) is the pilot episode where Jed discovers that underneath his swamp there is a giant lake of oil. John Brewster (Frank Wilcox) strikes a deal for the drilling rights and Jed's cousin Pearl Bodine (Bea Benaderet) convinces him to move his family to a 35-room mansion in Beverly Hills. (2) "Getting Settled" (October 3, 1962, written by Henning) finds the Clampetts arriving at their new mansion where they are mistaken by Miss Hathaway (Nancy Kulp) as backwoods servants. This sets the pattern for the entire series, as the big city folks assume the country folks are yokels, but the hillbillies win out in the end. Yes, it got redundant and repetitive over the years (most sitcoms do), but Jed Clampett had dignity, Granny was feisty, Elly Mae was beautiful, and Miss Jane has spunk (Jethro and Mr. Drysdale quickly wore on my nerves). Final Bit of Trivia: Buddy Ebsen's given name is Christian Rudolph Ebsen.

One of the best T.V. shows of all time!
I love this video! I watch it over and over again! It is so funny ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Incredible Christmas Consolidation of Three Shows!
It's a rare moment in TV history as the corny casts of three rural sitcoms unite for a Christmas extravaganza. The characters from "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Green Acres" and "Petticoat Junction" gather for a wild romp. Banker Drysdale plays Scrooge and gets the Dickens in a dream sequence. Farmhand Eb courts bucolic beauty Elly May. Granny schemes to snag Sam Drucker, the general store keeper -- and goldigger Uncle Joe contemplates money-motivated matrimoney to the elderly hillbilly. Fun for the whole family, this show was "lost" after its first run in 1968 and only uncovered a few years ago. Well worth discovering!

Christmas In Hooterville
It's funny,especially when Granny dresses up as a girl. Excellent
choice for a Beverly Hillbillies lover. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

More attempts by Phil Silvers to bilk the Clampetts...
During season 8 of "The Beverly Hillbillies" the Clampetts visited to New York, where Jed ended up buying Central Park and several landmarks from Shifty Shafer, the con-man played by Phil Silvers. Early on in season 9, the final year of the show, the Clampetts basically did the exact same thing except this time around the setting was Washington, D.C. Episode 252, "The Clampetts in Washington" (September 22, 1970), has the Clampetts visiting the capital so that Jed (Buddy Ebsen) can give away his fortune to help the government fight air pollution. That is until the family runs into "Honest John" Shafer again. Kathleen Freeman plays Flo Shafer and you might recognize character actor Richard Erdman as the guard. Episode 253, "Jed Buys the Capitol" (September 29, 1970) continues the story in what is essentially a two-part episode. The fact that the two Washington, D.C. episodes were selected for Volume 2 while the New York City episodes show up on Volume 3, is interesting. Although the opportunity for political humor in Washington, D.C., is exploited for a couple of good jokes, I think the whole bit worked better the first time around. Whichever set you see second is going to suffer in comparison, even though we are talking Phil Silvers as the guest star. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Elly May likes Henry Gibson and Jethro plays Robin Hood
Volume 13 of "The Beverly Hillbillies" collection is a rather odd combination of episodes. Episode 51, "A Man for Elly" (January 1, 1964), turns out to be the rather shy Quirt Manly, played by Henry Gibson. You just know from the start that this one is not going to work out, although I guess he does sort of remind Elly Mae (Donna Douglas) of one of her critters. Episode 173, "Robin Hood and the Sheriff" (October 4, 1967) is really the second of two episodes dealing with the Jethro (Max Baer) dressing up like Robin Hood. In the previous episode when the Clampetts return from England Jethro, Elly and her chimp, Bessy, have moved out to Griffith Park to rob from the rich and give to the poor. There they meet up with a hippie named Buddy (Alan Reed, Jr.) and his girlfriend. In this particular episode everybody else on the show comes to park to try and find Jethro and Elly Mae. Buddy brings his hippie friends to party and the big goal becomes smoking crawdads. The police show up and when Granny (Irene Ryan) explains that she "needs a little pot" so she can smoke crawdads, you can imagine what happens next. The first episode is the better of the pair because it is more character driven than the comedy of errors and "drug humor" of the second. ... Read more

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Granny has a couple of reasons to get her shooting iron
For Volume 4 of "The Beverly Hillbillies" collection Granny (Irene Ryan) goes back to the days of her youth, fighting Indians and Yankees. First up, Episode 158, "The Indians Are Coming" (February 1, 1967), because of a boundary dispute. There is an Indian reservation bordering the O.K. oil fields back home and Chief Running Wolf (Stanley Waxman) wants to discuss the boundary with Jed. But when Granny hears Indians are coming she is convinced they are on the warpath and coming to Beverly Hills to scalp them all, so she gets her gun. Of course Mr. Drysdale (Raymond Bailey) helps things along by hiring actors to pretend they are Indians and attack the mansion. John Wayne has a cameo appearance at the end of this episode. Then, Episode 181, "The South Rises Again" (November 29, 1967) offers similar confusion when Granny sees actors from a Civil War movie and spies that low down, no good General Grant (William Mims). She remembers him from the Civil War and if she can just capture him then she came make those Yankees surrender and the Confederacy will rise again. I just never understood how the South lost if they had Granny in the first place. I always liked the episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies" where Granny got her dander up and the feisty old lady went off on some weird storyline that involved winning the Civil War, catching a kangaroo that she thought was a giant rabbit, or whatever. These are a pair of better episodes from the show's 5th and 6th seasons respectively. ... Read more

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How about "The Manhattan Hillbillies" instead?
During the 8th and penultimate season of "The Beverly Hillbillies," after the marriage of Elly Mae (Donna Douglas) to backwoodsman Matthew Templeton (Roger Torrey) is called off, Jed took the family to New York City to continue the quest to find his daughter a husband. Volume 3 of this video tape series of the classic rural sitcom offers up the first two of the three episodes set in the Big Apple: (230) "Jed Buys Central Park" (October 29, 1969) from conman Honest John (a.k.a. Shifty) Shafer (Phil Silvers). (231) "The Clampetts in New York" (November 5, 1969) finds the family fixing to work on their cabin in Central Park while Shifty Shafer sells them several other New York City landmarks. The third episode in the New York trilogy, "Manhattan Hillbillies," is not included, but that is where Mr. Drysdale (Raymond Bailey) and Miss Jane (Nancy Kulp), show up to persuade the Clampetts to come back to Beverly Hills so they do not have to change the title of the show. These two shows are a mixed bag; on the one hand there is nothing new here in terms of the stories except for the new location in New York City. But on the other you do have Phil Silvers hamming it up while he tries to bilk the Clampetts (oh, come on, you saw that one coming). These are not classic episodes of the show, with the Clampetts interacting as you would expect with stewardesses and muggers, but they do rise to the above average standard. At least these confirm that Beverly Hills was indeed the place they ought to be... ... Read more

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The Clampetts entertain some country music singers
These volumes in "The Beverly Hillbillies" collection make every attempt to be thematic (the Clampetts go to New York, Granny tries to cook large varmints for dinner, etc.), and for Volume 5 the common denominator is country music. Episode 97, "Flatt, Clampett, and Scruggs" (March 31, 1965) gives Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, who wrote and sang the show's theme song "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," some more time in front of the camera. The guitar and banjo pickin' duo showed up from time to time throughout the first five seasons of this classic rural situation comedy. Episode 198, "Cousin Roy" (April 3, 1968) offers a visit by Roy Clark, who does double duty as both cousin Roy Halsey and Mother Myrtle before finding time to entertain everybody with a little bit of good ol' mountain music. The stories in both of these episodes are just excuses to play some music and have the Clampetts do a little fancy stepping at the end. Certainly Roy Clark has a lot more fun with his parts than Flatt and Scruggs, who were already a couple of elder statesmen for country music. The music is fine within the context of each show, but these episodes are still nothing to get really excited about even for die-hard fans of the series. ... Read more