What a Fabulous Vintage Christmas Treasure!
Every year, I look forward to new Christmas releases of shows and specials from long ago. This year, I was thrilled to find out that the original Christmas special from Abbott & Costello's Colgate Comedy Hour would be released.
This was long overdue, but worth the wait- it's wonderful. It features a restored, colorized version of the hour long special, as well as the original black and white version, for those who want it just as it was shown. Abbott & Costello's routines are very well timed, as usual. It's fun to see them in a different light, compared to the many Universal monster spin-offs that we all love. Sprinkled in between the acts are original commercials for household items like Palmolive soap, and Colgate toothpaste, and last but not least there are special guest appearances from musical talents such as Margaret Whiting, the Four Pipers, Al Goodman and his orchestra, and other great guests such as Tom and Jerry the acrobats.
The bonus features add a...
Very funny, and very pretty in color! Perfect for holiday viewing
This 1952 episode of "The Colgate Comedy Hour" has made the rounds before, but Legend Films now offers a new colorized version. This writer wondered whether a kinescope (a black-and-white reference copy filmed off a TV monitor) could be effectively colorized, and the answer is a definite yes.
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are at their very best in these Colgates, performing their familiar routines in front of a studio audience. The shows were broadcast live, so the anything-can-happen atmosphere is electric, giving Bud and Lou new spark. This one is notable for three routines: Bud trying to get Lou assaulted so they can collect damages; Lou singing "White Christmas" with Al Goodman's orchestra, leading into the old Milt Britton arrangement of "Poet and Peasant" where the musicians make a shambles of the stage. By far the funniest bit is the "recipe" routine, in which Lou stuffs a Christmas turkey... with Bud! Lou can't stop breaking up when he prepares Bud's "noodle" for the...
A must-have for A&C Fans
The very positive reviews for this disc persuaded me to purchase it, and I was not disappointed. There is a spontaneous, under-rehearsed quality to the sketches and it makes for some hilarious moments. Lou's frequent ad-libs add to the fun, something you don't get to see in their films. The makers of this disc are to be commended for providing great sound and video, and for the inclusion of the original television commercials.
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