Joe E. Brown: Comedy Collector's Set

Joe E. Brown, a robust comic personality, gets a terrific DVD showcase from CVI Entertainment. One can see why he was one of the top box office draws of the 1930's---equipped with a wide slot of a mouth which could be contorted into any comic mask, and a penchant for bumbling in & out of trouble, Brown was an ideal movie clown. Often cast as an underdog or "local boy makes good" type that silent comedian Harold Lloyd built his career on, Brown projected that same type of silent movie innocence. Yet, he didn't directly rely on wisecracking jokes or dialogue. Therefore, his screen personality fell happily somewhere in the middle. However, his distinct voice could turn a regular line into a funny one, combined with great facial reactions and that trademark yell.Three of the four films here are when Brown left Warner Bros. to work for independent producer David Loew; a move that Brown himself said was "bad advice and a disastrous move", for he soon became known as a "B-movie" star at the box office. The production values & scripts occasionally looked & felt second-rate. But despite all this, Brown gave it his all & turned out some pretty good comedies."The Gladiator" (1938) is arguably the best of the Loew films; an irresistible comedy casting Brown as a nerdy outcast type at college who's injected with special serum from a campus scientist which transforms him into a super-human athlete! The script mines every comic opportunity as Brown haphazardly breaks furniture, walls, floors, and nimbly leaps over & pushes away players during football games! The big climax is Brown wrestling Man Mountain Dean & must use his brains when the formula wears off!"Wide Open Faces" (1938) is less successful but extremely pleasant as Brown plays the town soda jerk (Brown displays startling dexterity here doling out drinks & sundaes) who inadvertently captures a notorious crook & becomes famous. Helping to restore an old hotel, crooks from all over converge on it once they discover that the original crook stashed a fortune there. It's climaxed with a daffy chase via car, railway cart, and boat."Flirting with Fate" (1938) is a lively comedy with Brown as head of a theatrical troupe coming into South America. Desperate for success--and money--a despondent Brown tries to commit suicide so his troupe can collect on his life insurance, which leads to a series of comic misadventures...trying to shoot himself, drinking ant poison (it's really hard liquor), throwing himself into a lion's den, and asking a dangerous bandit to kill him. Climaxed by a bull chase & an "explosive" ending, it's dizzy fun!"Earthworm Tractors" (1938) is one of Brown's last comedies for Warner's. A dandy comedy about an independent salesman who invests in earthworm tractors...in spite of the fact he knows nothing about them! Playing a pushy "go-getting" type, Brown manages to be likable/funny without being annoying as he optimistically pushes forward while seemingly oblivious to the comic devastation he leaves in his wake. Highlights include Brown demolishing the countryside (and the would-be investor's truck) during a demonstration; towing the investor's home to a new address (and narrowly missing a train); and another tractor ride through a dynamited, rickety bridged area that goes for thrill comedy.The menus created for this DVD are quite impressive. It just goes to show that even "B-movie" material can't hold down a great talent like Joe E. Brown!

I bought this set because I saw Earthworm Moving Machine on TV years ago and LOVED IT! IT truly is one of the most hilarious, uproarious comedies I've ever watched. If you love old movies, can handle black and white and don't mind the lesser quality and occasionally unstable movement of older filming, you will be engrossed in very fine, nearly slapstick comedy. Joe Brown acts the part of the inflated ego driven, bumbling idiot as well as any actor who ever lived. He is zany Lucy in masculine form. The other comedies in this series may fall along these lines as well but could lack some of the sheer vigor of EMM. These movies represent the typical era mini dramas of falling in love, trying to impress the girl of your dreams (clean enough for children of all ages) and eventually succeeding...but perhaps not with the girl of your dreams but a real dreamgirl. Earthworm is amazing because there do not appear to be any stuntmen or standins and to see what these actors were willing to do for a laugh is shocking. Some of the footage is so riotously funny you may literall split a gut laughing. I borrowed this film to my sister, a nurse, who played it for a friend who had undergone surgery...she literally split her stitches laughing. That's my only caution, otherwise enjoy it in good health!

Funny as always.

RECEIVED JOE E BROWN COMEDY COLLECTORS SET....THE 1ST DVD WAS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT.....BOTH FILMS ARE MINOR LEAGUE... THE GLADIATOR IS TECHNICALLY JUST OK ... TRANSFERRED FROM A 16 MILLIMETER ORIG FILM PRINT.... FUNNY IN SPOTS BUT JUST AVERAGE IN THE LAUGHS DEPT. THE OTHER ONE WITH JANE WYMAN IS UNWATCHABLE DUE TO THE TERRIBLE SOUND TRACK .. DIDNT MATTER.. THIS IS STRICTLY A 'D' MOVIE....ON DISC 2 THE QUALITY OF BOTH WERE MUCH BETTER BUT JOE E. BROWN WAS OVERSHADOWED BY THE SUPPORTIMG CAST.... ESPECIALLY LEO CARILLO WHO WAS VERY FUNNY..... AS FOR THE FINAL FILM ' EARTHWORM TRACTORS' THE QUALITY OF THE PRINT IS EXCELLENT AND THIS IS ONE OF JOE E. BROWNS BEST FILMS... HE AND GUY KIBBEE ARE GREAT TOGETHER... THIS ONE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH FILM IS KEEPING ME FROM RETURNING THE SET......

A GOOD OLD MOVIE. I REMBER IT FROM MY TEENAGE YEARS AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS CLEAN,FREE FROM CURSING AND BLOOD.

Joe E Brown was a great comedian in the 1930's and on usually playing the nice guy that is dragging everyone to straight to Hades with his good intentions. Mix ups, mis-heard, assumptions and trying to do the right thing has Mr. Brown crossing paths with contractors, football players, boxers and of course his girl to be. Some of it is madcap and other parts are tounge in cheek, but if you are in tune with the era you'll laugh and smile at the antics. (Also, if you're interested in vintage clothing and fashion this film has a lot to see and Joe's suits are outstanding!) There are some thrills and chills for the day but rest assured it will all work out ok. Our Gang-Little Rascals fans will spot a young Dickie Moore in the one back to college film.If you're in tune with the time these films were made, you should have some good laughs.

Joe E. Brown ALWAYS makes me laugh. A true classic which is well worth the money spent.