Item #: 9883DVD Category: BEATLES Format: DVD MPAA Rating: U

Woolly Rating: 6/10 (116 votes)

MEMBER COMMENTS ON THIS VIDEO

Kevin Rayburn

Jan 11, 2006 @ 12:45:38

Pillsbury...Fresh From the Oven
They really did it up right in this DVD set of 4 complete Ed Sullivan shows highlighting the Beatles, dating from 1964 to 1965. The shows are COMPLETE in every way; Sullivan's hilariously dated seques -- "and now here's a special message to all you ladies" -- lead right into the actual commercials for Pillsbury or All detergent, etc., from the period. There are even network promos on the end credits (a youthful Dick Van Dyke pops up with a cheery promo for his sitcom at the end of one Sullivan episode). A lot of the acts on these complete shows are pretty hard to stomach today: original reneenactments of then-popular Broadway plays such as "Oliver!", some strange novelty song numbers, a few clunker stand-up routines, magicians and all the dizzying variety of variable entertaiment that made up the vaudeville-style variety hour in all its debatable glory... You probably wished you had forgotten the comic 'stylings' of Marty Allen and Steve Rossi, but these old episodes force you to confront them again. Nostalgic pining for all this lost stuff can be cured quickly by sitting through these four shows. It reminds us why, in the '70s, variety shows and other old-school TV standbys were relics, and getting rid of them seemed a relief. As for the Beatles themselves, this is all their early period material fo the "yeah, yeah, yeah" school, so your mileage may vary as to entertainment value. I have to admit, seeing the old Pillsbury and Burlington and Anacin commercials was the most fascinating thing for me, especially since memories of these old ads have been buried and dormant deep down on my lizard brain for 40 years. "Pain.. Anacin... Pain... Anacin" Holy crap, I actually remember that damned ad! *** Ed Sullivan with the Beatles reviewed c. 2006 Kevin Rayburn

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