JACK & THE BEANSTALK (DVD) DVD

Jack and the Beanstalk
In 1952, the comedy team of Abbott and Costello entered into a joint agreement with producer Alex Gottlieb and Warner Brothers, whereby two color musical comedies would be produced: Bud Abbott would serve as producer--owner of one of the films, while Lou Costello would do same for the other. Costello's contribution to this agreement was Jack and the Beanstalk, a kiddie-matinee adaptation of the famed fairy tale. Constructed along the lines of The Wizard of Oz, the film begins in black and white. Jack (Costello) is a professional baby-sitter, while Dink (Abbott) is Jack's "agent." After a run-in with a gargantuan cop (Buddy Baer) and a statuesque waitress (Dorothy Ford), Jack and Dink show up at the home of Eloise Larkin (Shaye Cogan), there to look after Eloise's troublesome nephew Donald (David Stollery) while the girl and her boyfriend Arthur Royal (James Alexander) rehearse at their community theatre. While reading the story of Jack and the Beanstalk to the bratty Donald, Jack falls asleep, and begins dreaming himself, and his cohorts, into the story as the impoverished boy sent out to sell the family cow. While en route to town with his cow, he encounters a shady butcher (Abbott) who bilks him out of his broken-down bovine for the price of a few 'magic' beans. In keeping with the traditional tale, Jack plants the beans and from them a magnificent vine grows and reaches into the clouds. Along with the butcher, Jack climbs into a fantastic world inhabited by a terrifying giant (Baer) and other magical creatures, including a gold egg-laying hen, a singing harp, and a distressed prince and princess. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Bud Abbott as Dinklepuss Lou Costello as Jack Buddy Baer as Sgt. Riley Buddy Baer as Giant Dorothy Ford as Polly Shaye Cogan as Eloise Larkin Shaye Cogan as Princess James Alexander as Arthur Royal James Alexander as Prince Barbara Brown as Mother David Stollery as Donald William Farnum as The King

Crew McClure Capps - Art Director Jean Yarbrough - Director Otho Lovering - Editor Heinz Roemheld - Composer (Music Score) George Robinson - Cinematographer Alex Gottlieb - Producer Pat Costello - Screen Story Felix Adler - Screen Story Nathaniel Curtis - Screenwriter

Jack and the Beanstalk
Although Abbott & Costello are much loved by children, Jack and the Beanstalk is one of the few films they made that was specifically geared toward that audience. (It is also one of only two color films the comedy team made.) Those adults who are diehard fans of the duo will certainly enjoy Jack, but they may be a little disappointed, as the film keeps the two separated for great lengths of time and doesn't allow for as many opportunities for the discombobulated dialogue routines (a la "Who's On First") that are their strengths. While slapstick is always a part of a "Bud and Lou" flick, there's much more of it in Jack than is usual. There's also a great deal more music than one might expect, and it must be admitted that most of the tunes are rather more perfunctory than inspired. However, the fairytale framework does give Jack a more cohesive feeling than many of the team's outings, and there are a great many memorable moments, including an amusing exploding egg sequence and a very funny dance sequence between little Costello and the Amazonian Dorothy Ford. Although Abbott & Costello, as previously noted, are not allowed to engage in their usual repartee, they are otherwise much the same as usual, which will delight some and annoy others -- although the children at whom the film is aimed will undoubtedly fall into the former category. Shaye Cogan and James Alexander sing well but are otherwise quite dull, and the supporting cast in general is adequate rather but little more. But one doesn't watch an Abbott and Costello film for the supporting cast. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

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General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: DD1: Dolby Digital Mono Additional Features: none specified DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: All Content Length: 82 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. A Good Boy [6:29] 2. The Babysitter [8:15] 3. Worthless Money [6:33] 4. Magic Beans [6:45] 5. Cast a Giant Shadow [6:36] 6. Fe Fi Fo Fum [7:35] 7. Boy Meets Girl [5:33] 8. Dream Weavers [6:37] 9. Golden Eggs [6:11] 10. The Escape [8:12] 11. Catapult Express [5:42] 12. Giant-Killer [7:23]