One of only two Abbott and Costello movies filmed in color, the two play a pair of goofy swashbunglars. Riotous misadventures begin when Captain Kidd (Charles Laughton) mistakenly exchanges a treasure map for a love letter entrusted to Rocky and Oliver (Bud Abbott & Lou Costello) to be delivered to the lady-fair of a friend. When the mix-up is discovered, the boys offer to make the exchange for a cut of the treasure. Captain Kidd agrees to their terms and carries them off on a pirate ship bound for Skull Island. What follows is the wildest scavenger hunt ever, and a victory for the boys who save the day and win the treasure. The superb talent of Charles Laughton along with the timeless humor of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, makes this feature a Classic Collectable. Laughton, abandoning his usual dramatic roles, brilliantly displays a comic parody of his most famous role as Captain Bligh (MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY) and was said to have accepted the part without reading the script, just for the chance to work with the famed Funnymen.

Universal Studios hit box-office gold when they drafted vaudeville comedians and radio stars Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and turned them into one of the most successful screen teams of the 1940s and 1950s. After a tryout as supporting characters in the musical One Night in the Tropics, they starred in Buck Privates as con artists who accidentally enlist while hiding out from New York street cop Nat Pendleton. Naturally he winds up their drill sergeant and comic foil as they wreak havoc on the armed forces. It's vaudeville in fatigues, with the bare bones of a story provided by spoiled millionaire playboy Lee Bowman, his strapping All-American former chauffeur Alan Curtis, and the girl-next-door they both pursue, Jane Frazee. The lackluster subplot is directed with little verve by Arthur Lubin, and the film's energy comes completely from the snappy by-play of the comedians and Costello's flustered double takes and jumpy physical comedy (including a hilarious rifle drill in which the out-of-step soldier marches to the direction of a different compass). The Andrews Sisters sing "You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," among others, and future Stooge Shemp Howard shows where the "mess" in mess hall comes from as a cook on the receiving end of Costello's KP tomfoolery. This modest comedy became a smash hit and made Abbott and Costello Universal's most valuable commodity, prompting a quick follow-up with another peacetime armed forces comedy, In the Navy. -Sean Axmaker.

There was some amazing, classic animation done for superhero cartoons done as far back as Max & Dave Fleisher's Superman series of the early 1940s (echoes of which can be found in Batman: The Animated Series). Those were done for the big screen; by the mid-1960s, superhero cartoons were being brought to television, and some of Marvel Comics' biggest heroes-Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, and the Incredible Hulk-were the stars. Unfortunately, television didn't have much in terms of cachet-or production values-at the time, and all four heroes suffer for it. The Hulk gets short shrift here; the interesting thing about the character has always been twofold: the misunderstood misfit trying to make a quiet life for himself, and the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde duality of the Hulk and his alter ego, Dr. Bruce Banner. On the two episodes here-"The Power of Dr. Banner" and "The Origin of the Hulk"-the animation is minimal and barely serves to capture a single facet of either character's personality. It looks as if only a couple dozen pictures of the main characters were drawn; for the most part, this is a series of stationary illustrations with voiceovers and plenty of narration. [+]

As those who are old enough to have lived through the Great Depression disappear, the era seems more and more remote; it's nearly impossible for later generations to understand just how desperate things were in the United States in the 1930s. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? captures not only the history but also the culture of the time in a rather unusual documentary format. Totally without the benefit of narration, the movie mixes newsreel footage with clips from Hollywood films to tell the story, from the stock market crash through Pearl Harbor. Movie-minded viewers will easily recognize footage from They Made Me a Criminal, Public Enemy, Golddiggers of 1933, Employee's Entrance, Little Caesar, Lady Killer, I Was a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, and countless other Hollywood films from the time-some classics, some more obscure. The scope of the film covers not only historical landmarks such as the Dust Bowl, FDR's election, and the New Deal, but dance marathons and the Louis-Schmeling heavyweight fight for a comprehensive look at the country's social climate. The formula works well, for the most part; especially before the imposition of the Hays Code chilled Hollywood's tone, the '30s saw the birth of the "social consciousness" picture that dealt with topical issues in straightforward ways. Brother only falls down when it attempts to wrap up the film by bringing it up to the present time (1975, anyway); its ending seems superfluous, tacked-on. Still, for history buffs and movie fans alike, this is an interesting account of a pivotal decade in American history. -Jerry Renshaw The chronicle of an unforgettable piece of American history-twelve crazy, painful see-saw years, from the Wall Street crash to Pearl Harbor. By juxtaposing contemporary news and documentary footage with extracts from Hollywood classics such as "Golddiggers," "Lady Killer" and "Wild Boys of the Road," director Philippe Mora offers an immediate, intricate and evocative scrapbook of the 1930s.

Winky Dink cartoons, popular in the 1950s, are now interactive. This set features a "magic screen": a piece of heavy clear vinyl that clings to 27-inch television screens-it can be cut to fit smaller screens, but those with larger sets won't get full screen coverage. Also included are special crayons, soft cleaning cloth, and the first volume of Winky Dink and You all enclosed in a plastic carrying case. Viewers simply trace an onscreen object and watch as it becomes a vital tool in defeating the dastardly Harem Scarem. Don't tell the kids, but viewer drawings don't actually determine the course of the action-they simply fill in blank portions of the animation. While artwork wipes easily away from conventional television screens, the advisability of encouraging children to write on televisions and other household furnishing is debatable. This compilation contains nine episodes featuring Winky Dink, his dog Woofer, and the villainous Harem Scarem. Whether Harem Scarem is corrupting the King, disturbing the music of the spheres, or stealing precious gems, the collaborative efforts of Winky Dink, Woofer, and young viewers ensures that good will prevail. (Ages 3 and older) -Tami Horiuchi.