DVD The Best of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Vol. 4
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Review(s): DVD The Best of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Vol. 4 | |
| more classic Dick Van Dyke memories |
Image has released a series of specially-priced discs showcasing some of the all-time classic episodes of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW. Volume Four includes:
"Oh How We Met the Night We Danced" - Rob and Laura remember their courtship days, and how Laura ended up with a broken foot.
"My Blonde-Haired Brunette" - When she fears the spark is waning from her marriage, Laura decides a change in hair-colour just might be the ticket.
"Four and-a-Half" - Whilst on their way to visit the obstetrician, Rob and Laura are taken hostage in the elevator by a disgruntled ex-con (Don Rickles).
"The Alan Brady Show Goes to Jail" - When Buddy, Sally, Rob and Laura do a charity performance at a prison, Rob gets accidentally mistaken for one of the inmates. This was the followup episode to "Four and-a-Half".
Fantastic bunch of episodes with Dick Van Dyke as Rob, Mary Tyler Moore as Laura, Morey Amsterdam as Buddy, Rose Marie as Sally, Carl Reiner as Alan, Larry Mathews as Ritchie and Ann Guilbert as Millie.
The bonus features include awards telecast footage, cast biography pages and a special clip of Dick Van Dyke performing the theme song.
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| The question is whether you want a double dose of Don Rickles on the "DVDS" |
Watching the last pair of episodes on "The Best of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show,' Volume 4" begs the question, what situation comedies did Don Rickles not appear on? Although he had been on "The Twilight Zone" and "Wagon Train" before he did these two visits to "The Dick Van Dyke Show," his first sit com appearance was on "The Addams Family" earlier that year. After that he was on "The Munsters," "The Beverly Hillbillies," "The Andy Griffith Show," "F Troop," "Gilligan's Island," "The Lucy Show," "I Dream of Jeannie," "Get Smart," and "The Mothers in Law"--and that was just in the Sixties. Actually he has not been on one since he was Leonard (Secretary #90) on "Murphy Brown" back in 1998. But if you are into Don Rickles, here are a couple of relatively early examples of his television work. I just like the first two episodes where the focus is on Rob and Laura a whole lot more and chances are you will too:
Episode 6, "Oh, How Me Met on the Night That We Danced" (Written by Carl Reiner, First aired October 31, 1961), is the first of the classic flashback episodes that "The Dick Van Dyke Show" used to great effect. As you can tell from the title, this is the story of the night that Rob and Laura first met. Then danced together to the song, "You Wonderful You," and during the dance he broke her foot. For familiar faces in this one we have Marty Ingles as Sol Pomeroy. If you want to enjoy this one even more, keep in mind that in the third season we learn "Laura's Little Lie," that she lied about her age on their marriage license: she said she was older, which means in this flashback she is a "young" teenager.
Episode 9, "My Blonde-Haired Brunette" (Written by Carl Reiner, First aired October 10, 1961 because it was the 9th episode shot but the 2nd to air) has Laura convinced that the magic has gone out of her marriage. So Millie comes up with the bright idea of Laura having dying her hair blonde. Of course, we know that there is nothing you can say when your wife show up looking like another woman, but Rob is spared that because the die job is horribly botched. Then we have the problem of deciding whether to laugh or cry when Laura starts blubbering incoherently in what is the first of many memorable examples of Mary Tyler Moore as the greatest comic crier in television history. No wonder Rob loves her.
Episode 102, "4 1/2" (Written by Jerry Belson and Garry Marshall, First aired November 4, 1964) takes a twist on the statndard sitcom episode of a pregnant woman trapped in an elevator. Although Laura does not give birth to Ritchie, she and Rob are held up by hapless stick-up man Lyle Delp (Don Rickles), when the elevator breaks down between the fourth and fifth floor (hence, the title). If you want more of Don Rickles as Lyle, then you will be happy with the next episode (which really is the next episode).
Episode 103, "'The Alan Brady Show' Goes to Jail" (Written by Bill Persky and Sam Denoff, who had written material for Rickles's nightclub act, First aired November 11, 1994) has Rob and the gang entertaining at the prison where Lyle Delp is serving time. But Rob makes the mistake of dressing up like a con for one of the bits and he ends up locked up with the other inmates whose idea of a good time is for him to tap dance to "Camptown Races." If you thought Rob was cornered in the previous episode, then this one will force you to make a reappraisal of that decision. One of the more familiar faces in the history of situation comedies Allan Melvin appears as Guard Jenkins in this one.
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| Laura's Funniest Crying Jag; Don Rickles' 2-Parter; & More! |  |
Are you ready for 4 more funny programs with the Petries and assorted neighbors and friends? If so, this 4th installment of "The Best Of The Dick Van Dyke Show" won't disappoint you.The four episodes housed on this digital disc are ............ 1.) "Oh How We Met The Night That We Danced" (From Season 1; Air Date: 10/31/1961). 2.) "My Blonde-Haired Brunette" (From Season 1; Air Date: 10/10/1961). 3.) "4-And-A-Half" (From Season 4; Air Date: 11/04/1964). 4.) "The Alan Brady Show Goes To Jail" (From Season 4; Air Date: 11/11/1964). -------------------------- The video and audio shine brightly on this 4-episode "Best Of" disc! The black-and-white images are crystal-clear, with very little "noise" or other video distractions. Menus: An "episode" menu comes on screen right away. There are separate "Chapter" listings for each of the four shows on the disc. A "Play All" feature is also included on this disc. In addition -- A few special bonus features are also present here. ..... TV footage from the Emmy Awards, cast interviews, and a nifty bonus featuring Dick Van Dyke singing the show's theme song. Plus -- A "Meet The Cast" section of text "bios" and "The Ottoman Tripper" (a cool trivia game that features a funny video clip after answering the quiz question). Here are some more details about this disc ............... Subtitles -- None included.
Video -- Full Frame (Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1).
Audio -- 2.0 Dolby Digital Mono (English).
Paper Insert? -- Yes.
Packaging -- Keep Case.
DVD Region Code -- "Zero".
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