Thoughts about Uni's W.C. FIELDS 18 Film Collection

[jrcasey1960]

W.C. FIELDS COMEDY ESSENTIALS COLLECTION

I was very reluctant to pick this 5 disc set up, both for concerns of pricing ($100 MSRP for 5 discs) and compression (4 movies/disc). Recently, I had the opportunity to pick the set up for $40 and went for it.

In terms of compression, the average bitrate is around 4Mbit/sec. Strangely, there are few compression artifacts like those seen with the old Passport/Echobridge Hopalong Cassidy discs (5 films/disc). In fact, I saw nothing that really bothered me. These discs are dual-layer.

Yes, 4 of the 5 discs have 4 movies each on them (the 5th only has 3). Granted, many of the titles are just a bit over an hour long with a few as long as 80 minutes.

The set brings Uni's W.C. Fields holdings together from disparate sources (several were only released on DVD-R Vault Series discs, 1 from a TCM set, 1 from a Bing Crosby set, 1 from a Burns & Allen set, etc.). Plus, you get the complete IF I HAD A MILLION (the previous laserdisc only included the Lubitsch segment).

So, the set contains:
MILLION DOLLAR LEGS
IF I HAD A MILLION
INTERNATIONAL HOUSE
TILLIE & GUS
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
SIX OF A KIND
MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH
YOU'RE TELLING ME!
THE OLD FASHIONED WAY
IT'S A GIFT
MISSISSIPPI
MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE
POPPY
BIG BROADCAST OF 1938
YOU CAN'T CHEAT AN HONEST MAN
MY LITTLE CHICKADEE
THE BANK DICK
NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK

Sole extra feature:
"Wayne & Shuster Take An Affectionate Look at W.C. Fields" seen on a previous set.

MIA here, but included on the UK set from a few years ago is the variety film FOLLOW THE BOYS (1944).

Overall, not the horror I expected this set to be--although I would have naturally preferred higher bitrates.

I still find it amusing how little the folks know who put these sets together.......right there in black and white on the inner sleeve......"Paramount Pictures presents NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK"

Now I notice that they've got a MAE WEST collection on the way..........

[Jim Roots]

Captioned?

Jim

[jrcasey1960]

It claims so, but I'll have to personally check on captions.

[earlytalkiebuffRob]

The nine-disc Region 2 set was a lot cheaper over here in England as it was heavily discounted. I was very pleased with the image quality and the chance to see films which have been very difficult to see over here for a long time. The disappointments [SIX OF A KIND, YOU CAN'T CHEAT AN HONEST MAN] were more than compensated by TILLIE AND GUS, MISSISSIPPI and THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY, not forgetting INTERNATIONAL HOUSE which has to be one of the loopiest things I've set eyes on...

This particular set was lacking MRS WIGGS and ALICE IN WONDERLAND, although the latter did get a budget release on its own.

[Donald Binks]

not forgetting INTERNATIONAL HOUSE which has to be one of the loopiest things I've set eyes on...

I love this picture perhaps for just this reason. (A good indication of the state my mind must be in). Franklin Pangborn is at his best and the picture has some of The Great Man's best scenes ever in a picture. I don't know how many times I have seen it, but I can still raise a hefty guffaw each time.

[Jim Roots]

It claims so, but I'll have to personally check on captions.

I would appreciate that, thanks. The listings on Amazon, etc., do not indicate it has captioning.

I've got the two earlier collections, and I got Six of a Kind on VHS a couple of decades ago. Got the Criterion set just a few months ago, amazingly enough from someone in Calgary -- I had assumed I would have to order outside this country even for a used copy.

In short, there isn't much on this new set that I don't already have, but I'll support Fields as long as it's captioned. I still haven't seen Tillie and Gus, after all!

Jim

[jrcasey1960]

Jim:

I've only spot checked several titles for it, but the release does appear to be English SDH captioned. It also states so on the cover.

[jrcasey1960]

Also of note.....Warner Archive just released HER MAJESTY, LOVE with Marilyn Miller, Fields' first "talkie" appearance.

[Jim Roots]

Jim:

I've only spot checked several titles for it, but the release does appear to be English SDH captioned. It also states so on the cover.

Great, thanks!

Jim

[earlytalkiebuffRob]

Also of note.....Warner Archive just released HER MAJESTY, LOVE with Marilyn Miller, Fields' first "talkie" appearance.

Surely THE GOLF SPECIALIST (1930) has that distinction, albeit in a short.

I first saw THE GOLF SPECIALIST (unfortunately cropped and widescreened) paired with Derek Jarman's JUBILEE (1978). It was actually an ingenious way of attracting two audiences and getting people to watch films they would not normally go to see. Was pleasantly surprised by JUBILEE, though don't know what I'd make of it now.

[Scoundrel]

The SIX SHORT FILMS collection from Criterion was a godsend in it's day in the LD and DVD format.

THE DENTIST and THE FATAL GLASS OF BEER are best represented on Flicker Alley's
MACK SENNETT COLLECTION.

[jrcasey1960]

Surely THE GOLF SPECIALIST (1930) has that distinction, albeit in a short.

You are, of course, correct! I should have specified as first sound feature.

[MattBarry]

I just bought this collection a few days ago and have been extremely pleased with it so far. The Fields comedies are among my very favorite movies, and I have so many great memories of watching these films over the years, so I'm grateful to have all of these films together in one set, especially given how difficult it was to find home video copies of many of these films just 15-20 years ago when I started looking for them (MISSISSIPPI was even omitted from the Fields tribute on TCM back in 2001). I had purchased the previous Fields collections that Universal had released on DVD in the US, but the addition of gems like TILLIE AND GUS, MILLION DOLLAR LEGS and especially IF I HAD A MILLION made this set a welcome upgrade for me.

The first film I watched on the set was IF I HAD A MILLION, which has always fascinated me for its multi-story approach and the variety of talent involved. I'm always struck by what an odd film it is, too, veering so sharply in tone between the different segments. I have to agree with William K. Everson's assessment (in "The Art of W.C. Fields") that the Charlie Ruggles China Shop segment is the best, though I love the Lubitsch/Laughton contribution for its sublime simplicity. What a perfect model of economic expression!