--- 100 MINUTES --- BLACK AND WHITE ---
DVD: $16.95 / VHS: $17.95
1. THE LIFE OF RILEY stars a young, thin Jackie Gleason in his first TV outing from 1949.
2. MY LITTLE MARGIE (1952). Gale Storm and Charles Farrell star in an early episode.
3. THE BURNS AND ALLEN SHOW (1952). A classic live episode involves Gracie's party plans.
4. THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE (1955). Jackie Cooper stars in this series, along with his dog, "Cleo", who thinks out loud.
--- 100 MINUTES --- BLACK AND WHITE ---
1. THE RUGGLES (1950). Charlie Ruggles stars in this domestic comedy kinescope, as an old-fashioned man trying to raise his family. One of the first shows to be live from Hollywood.
2. LIFE WITH ELIZABETH (1955). Here's Betty White's first series, adapted from her live shows of the same name produced locally in Los Angeles. She plays a typical scatterbrained housewife.
3. THE GOLDBERGS (1953). Gertrude Berg wrote and stars in this classic sitcom.
4. DUFFY'S TAVERN (1954). Ed "Archie" Gardner stars in this television version of the popular radio show. Also stars Alan "Fred Flintstone" Reed as Archie's slow-witted friend.
--- 100 MINUTES --- BLACK AND WHITE ---
1. MY LITTLE MARGIE (1952). Another early episode from the series, starring Gale Storm and Charles Farrell. This episode is complete with original Philip Morris commercials, plus a long promo at the end for the return of "I Love Lucy". Margie meets an FBI man in a restaurant, and in order to get close to him, pretends to be a spy.
2. DUFFY'S TAVERN (1954). Archie rents the bar's basement out to two women who turn out to be counterfeiters.
3. THE GOLDBERGS (1954). Molly takes a bus trip and meets a new friend - who promptly accuses her of stealing her purse.
4. DUFFY'S TAVERN (1954). Archie decides to run for City Alderman.
--- 100 MINUTES --- BLACK AND WHITE ---
1. DUFFY'S TAVERN (1953). Archie visits his old pal from high school, and tries to impress him by providing him with a rich date.
2. MAMA (I REMEMBER MAMA). A kinescope from 1954, complete with original commercials for Maxwell House. This episode features Dick Van Patten. Nels becomes a camp counselor. His girlfriend misses him so much, she decides to become a counselor for the camp at the other side of the lake. Now, if only they could arrange their schedules to meet once in a while....
3. HEY MULLIGAN! (1953) stars Mickey Rooney as a page at a major television network. In this episode, Mickey tries to ask his supervisor for a raise. There's a cameo appearance by Angie Dickinson.
4. LET'S JOIN JOANIE (1950). This was a pilot for Joan Davis' first attempt at television, two years before her "I Married Joan" series. Joan plays herself, an employee of a hat shop owned by Joseph
VHS: $17.95
246 VINTAGE SITCOMS, V
1. MY FAVORITE HUSBAND (1955) stars Barry Nelson and Vanessa Brown in the TV version of the popular radio show, complete with original Frigidaire commercials. Liz enters an art contest.
2. MEET McNUTLEY (1953), starring Ray Milland as an English professor at an all-girls school. This episodes contains original General Electric commercials.
3. LIFE WITH LUIGI PILOT (1952). The rare first TV program based on the radio show of the same name. With Vito Scotti as Luigi; also starring Frank Cady and Herb Vigran. A kinescope.
4. PROFESSIONAL FATHER (1955). This was sort of a "Growing Pains" of the 1950s, with Steve Dunne as a child psychologist in complete control of his practice, but in no control at home. The show also stars Barbara Billingsley as his wife, in her pre-"Leave It to Beaver" days.
VHS: $17.95
247 VINTAGE SITCOMS, VI
1. I MARRIED JOAN (1954), starring Joan Davis and Jim Backus. Joan gets involved with the mob when Brad is put on gangster Big Louie's parole board.
2. DUFFY'S TAVERN (1953). Duffy decides to sell the bar.
3. HEY MULLIGAN! (1953). Mickey tries to persuade his acting coach to start letting him go on.
4. THE BEULAH SHOW (1952). A rare episode from the series featuring Hattie McDaniel as the star. Beulah gets put in charge of the family garden, and promptly ruins the Hendersons' rose bush.
VHS: $17.95
250 VINTAGE SITCOMS, VII
1. THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE (1955). Here's a rare episode from the short-lived TV series. Willard Waterman stars as that ever- womanizing bachelor who cares for his niece and nephew.
2. MR. PEEPERS (1953). Wally Cox stars as the mild-mannered school teacher of the 1950s. Also stars Tony Randall and Marion Lorne. A rare kinescope.
3. MY FAVORITE HUSBAND (1955). Another episode of the series, complete with original commercials. George gets hooked with a piece of junk when he bids at an auction.
4. THE GOLDBERGS (1955). Molly wants Rosalie to become a concert singer, but Rosalie's voice teacher thinks otherwise.
DVD: $16.95 / VHS: $17.95
266 VINTAGE SITCOMS, VIII: Celebrity Sitcoms
1. THE THREE STOOGES SHOW (1949). In 1949, Moe, Larry, and Shemp attempted to bring their screen slapstick to ABC-TV. This kinescope pilot is the result. In it, the boys play interior decorators and the show plays much like one of their films. Emil Sitka and Simona Boniface (from their films) co-star. RARE! (Note: This show quality is not up to our usual standards, however it is still watchable and enjoyable.)
2. THE GEORGE BURNS AND GRACIE ALLEN SHOW (1950). An early episode from the live years of the show. Blanche and Gracie are jealous of Harry Morton's new secretary, so they invite her to dinner to check her out. Director Bob Fosse has a cameo; original commercials intact.
3. THE BING CROSBY SHOW (1954). This pilot was produced for CBS, and features our favorite crooner doing several songs, while guest star Jack Benny takes his date Sheree North to see the filming (a cheap date, no doubt!)
4. DATE WITH THE ANGELS (1957), starring Betty White and Bill Williams, complete with original commercials. Vicki spots Liberace dining at the Brown Derby while the Angels are there, but Bill doesn't believe her. Then Dennis Day shows up at their house to make matters worse.
DVD: $16.95 / VHS: $17.95
269 VINTAGE SITCOMS, IX
1. I MARRIED JOAN (1952), starring Joan Davis and Jim Backus. Joan vows not to mess up another phone message for Brad by writing all the information down. Now the problem is finding a piece of paper!
2. MEET CORLISS ARCHER (1955). The Archers and their neighbors get involved with building a boat in their garage. Ann Baker stars as Corliss.
3. THE BUSTER KEATON SHOW (1952). Two big game safari hunters come into Buster's sporting good store to purchase supplies, and the next thing he knows, Buster's accompanying them to Africa!
4. I MARRIED JOAN (1952). Another great episode! Joan wants to join an exclusive country club, but first she has to prove that she and Brad are descended from American pioneers.
DVD: $16.95 / VHS: $17.95
270 VINTAGE SITCOMS, X
1. THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (1958). Jack invites himself and his hot date out with guests Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Stewart.
2. WHERE'S RAYMOND? (THE RAY BOLGER SHOW). A 1954 series that features Ray as dancer Ray Wallace, who also runs a neighborhood diner. In this show, complete with commercials, Ray insults a health inspector and may lose the diner as a result.
3. LIFE WITH BUSTER KEATON (1952). Another of Buster's rare filmed shows has him substituting for the lead in a major play when he injures the star.
4. TOPPER (1953). A rare episode of the classic series complete with commercials. Topper's wife decides to sell the house, much to his and the Kirbys' dismay. Leo G. Carroll, Robert Sterling, and Anne Jeffries star.
DVD: $16.95 / VHS: $17.95
273 VINTAGE SITCOMS, XI
1. SUSIE (aka PRIVATE SECRETARY) (1956). Ann Sothern stars as Don Porter's girl Friday in this classic show. Susie's friends try to keep her from going on constant spending sprees.
2. HEY MULLIGAN! (1954), starring Mickey Rooney as a TV network page. In this episode, a government error saddles Mickey with an experimental robot.
3. LOVE THAT BOB! (1958). Bob pretends to be his friend Harvey to help him get a raise. The DVD version contains original commercials. Bob Cummings, Ann B. Davis, and Rosemary De Camp star.
4. WHERE'S RAYMOND? (1954), with original commercials. Ray is mistakenly drafted when he agrees to entertain the army. Ray Bolger stars.
DVD: $16.95 / VHS: $17.95
276 VINTAGE SITCOMS, XII
1. TOPPER (1953). George Kirby gets jealous when Topper entertains his former girlfriend (Frances Rafferty). Starring Leo G. Carroll and Robert Sterling.
2. MY LITTLE MARGIE (1954). Margie thinks it's high time that Vern ask his boss for a raise. When he refuses, she tries a little sleep-teaching.
3. IT'S ALWAYS JAN (1955). Janis Paige stars in this series as a struggling nightclub singer hoping to make it big. Sid Melton plays her manager. In this episode, a hot shot agent wants to sign her to an exclusive contract.
4. THE BETTY HUTTON SHOW (1959). Betty stars as Goldie, a lady whose former employer, a millionaire, dies and leaves her in charge of his estate and his children. Goldie thinks the kids are spoiled, and tries to teach them a lesson by pretending that the family fortune has been spent.
ALL 4 SHOWS ARE COMPLETE WITH ORIGINAL COMMERCIALS, AND ARE FROM THE COLLECTION OF MICHAEL HALPRIN.
DVD: $16.95 / VHS: $17.95
287 VINTAGE SITCOMS, XIII
1. MY HERO (1953). This was Bob Cummings’ first TV series, and he plays Robert S. Beanblossom, agent for the Thackery Realty Co. In this episode, which is complete with Dunhill cigarette commercials, a teenage girl develops a huge crush on Bob, and try as he might, he can’t get rid of her.
2. THE GOLDBERGS (1955). Gertrude Berg stars as the family matriarch in this classic program. Molly and her women’s club decide to put on an opera...now only if only of the women could sing!
3. PRIVATE SECRETARY (1955) stars Ann Sothern as the assistant to Don Porter in a talent agency. 10-year-old Harry Shearer guest stars in this episode as a clever con artist that Susie catches stealing money from the office.
4. THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE (1955). Cleo the basset hound makes comments to the audience in this show that stars Jackie Cooper as Sock Miller, a city councilman. Sock tries desperately to get his boss married off so he can work in peace and quiet. Richard Deacon guest stars.
DVD: $16.95 / VHS: $17.95
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