Robert_Wagner62 Reviews

Live Wires (1946)

The Bowery Boys are Born !

[10/10 · 18 September 2024]

Here we go folks - I've read some of these negative Nelly's reviews about this, the very 1st Bowery Boys film "Live Wires" (1946) - and their constant demeaning of the boys sort of gets me ill - so here I'll do my best to give you important info about some of my favorite classic comedies of alltime - "The Bowery Boys" and the boys who brought them out.

Ok you are probably all aware of the timeline but I'll go over it again - these "Boys" were the remaining remnants of the "Dead End Kids" - the original "Dead End Kids" were 6 boys - led by Billy Halop & Leo Gorcey with Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan, Gabriel Dell & Bernard Punsly, who began their film careers in 1937 with the film that gave us their name "Dead End" ... followed by one of the absolute greatest movies of the 1930's - The Jimmy Cagney Classic "Angels With Dirty Faces" (1938) - then a few more runs then the boys went in different ways And - The Eastside Kids were the most popular of the groups incarnations (Billy Halop did "Little Tough Guy" and Huntz Hall - Gabe Dell & Bernard Punsly were also in it as was Leo's bro David was in it too but in 1941 Huntz joined up with Leo, Bobby Jordan, Gabe Dell, Sunshine Sammy Morrison and others to form the Eastside Kids - the Eastside Kids had humor and serious gritty stuff - you can see the mix of The DE Kids & the Bowery Boys. Those films ran from 1941-1945 ...

1946 - Leo Gorcey & Huntz Hall would lead the boys into a new series - and with them over the 12 years of being "THE BOWERY BOYS" would bring with them every Dead End Kid - except Billy Halop & Bernard Punsly. So 4 of the 6 at one time or another would be Bowery Boys. But losing 2 DE Kids the boys gained some Eastside Kids regulars -

Billy Benedict (Benny on the Eastside Kids & Whitey on the Bowery Boys) David Gorcey (Leo's little brother - Pee Wee on Eastside Kids & Chuck on the Bowery Boys).

Their 1st BB film was "Live Wires" (1946) was excellent - they'd smooth out the edges and by their 4th BB film were set and truly the best they'd ever been in regards to comedy films. The old premise of an Old Dark Spooky House with murderers or Nazis or monsters - always worked well with these guys.

Spook Busters had my personal favorite complete Bowery Boys cast -

Slip - Leo Gorcey Sach - Huntz Hall Bobby - Bobby Jordan Gabey - Gabe Dell Whitey - Billy Benedict Chuck - David Gorcey Louie - Bernard Gorcey (Leo & David's real life father.) - Well there's alot more but that's the main storyline - Bobby Jordan left after Bowery Buckaroos (their 8th film).

Benny Bartlett would replace Bobby as "Butch" until 1955.

- Loved these guys who were my Dad's age - when watching it makes remember great times when Dad would introduce me to these awesome films on tv on Saturdays as a kid.

Long live the Dead End Kids ! The Eastside Kids & The Bowery Boys !!!

Sailor Beware (1952)

Absolute Finest Film of Martin & Lewis

[10/10 · 7 July 2024]

This film stands out as not only the top money maker of Martin & Lewis films but simply put it's just the best.

Starring Dean & Jerry with the Beautifully Sexy Corinne Calvet as the romantic interest.

In most other Martin & Lewis films there's always a few spots that just aren't funny - not in Sailor Beware ... nope ... from the opening scene of Jerry standing in the line to be inducted into the US Navy all the way to his boxing scene - which is the funniest Jerry you'll ever see - the preparation to box - when Dean asks him questions trying to scare the listening opponent ... Jerry does his very best Maxie Rosenbloom - HILARIOUS.

I'm a huge fan of Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis - love all their films - My Friend Irma (1949) - My Friend Irma goes West (1950) - At War With The Army (1950) - That's My Boy (1951) - The Stooge (1951) - SAILOR BEWARE (1952) - Jumping Jacks (1952) - Scared Stiff (1952) - The Caddy (1953) - Money From Home (1953) - Living it Up (1954) - 3-Ring Circus (1954) - You're Never Too Young (1955) - Artists & Models (1955) - Pardners (1956) & Hollywood or Bust (1956) - all 16 are gems but Sailor Beware stands out as the very best.

Watch this if you get a chance - and pay close attention to the boxing segment towards the end of the film - a young James Dean is Jerry's opponent's assistant trainer.

The Thing (1982)

Equally as good as the 1951 Original

[10/10 · 30 April 2024]

I don't see how anyone who has seen the 1951 original "The Thing" could think It was bad nor do I think if anyone saw this 1982 remake couldn't say it was EPIC in every way. Maybe Carpenters best ever work.

The 1951 movie is one of the greatest horror/sci-fi films of alltime - And that was made in the 1950's - this one is equally wonderful with its modern retelling with so many new aspects. Carpenter hit a Homer with this film. My favorite non comedy of the 1980's. .

I give the 1951 original 9 stars out of 10 - I give this one 10 out of 10 and the 2011 gets on my nerves.

And remember the '51 THE THING has George Fenneman - Groucho Marx assistant ... you can't beat that. I wish they could've got George for the '82 one.

Blackadder Goes Forth: General Hospital (1989) Season 1, Episode 5

One of the Best in all the series

[10/10 · 3 December 2010]

Blackadder Goes Forth is the best of the Blackadder series, closely followed by Blackadder the 3rd, 1st & 2nd...But this episode, General Hospital is truly hilarious, not the funniest, but very very funny.

When Blackadder is appointed as the Officer given the task of rooting out a German Spy, a lot of great lines follow. One of my absolute favorite parts is when Blackadder is interrogating Cpt. Darling for no other reason but his disdain for the man, and he ties him up in a chair and gives him a cigarette and then lights it, then smacks it out of his mouth and in an increasingly investigative tone, asks, "OK Darling, what was it the Pumpernickel or the thought of hanging around large men wearing leather shorts...?" What a gas, a true British classic...

I own the whole series, including Blackadder Back & Forth, the one part episode made in 1999, but Blackadder Goes Forth is truly the funniest...

Bordello of Blood (1996)

Excellent Dennis Miller Vehicle

[10/10 · 15 November 2008]

What at 1st I thought was going to be a disappointing film, really surprised me and had my laughing as well as almost getting scared. Dennis Miller stole the show, even with the bordello full of beauties, Erika Eleniak, Angie Everhart and others, Dennis is in top notch form as the new Bob Hope in this gore & breast fest of one liners and jabs at the vampire world in general.

You don't need to know the plot, you won't even care, if you want to laugh and get a bit scared, this is a great film to do that. Corey Feldman plays a misguided brother of Sweet Erika and Dennis Miller plays the Private Detective who is as funny as he is broke, hanging out at police stations looking for work...He needs to gain some respectability and Erika gives him the chance...

You need to watch this film if you are a fan of the genre, Dennis had to be ad libbing, and as usual he is a excellent with puns & one liners...plainly the man is a comedic genius.

Slapstick of Another Kind (1982)

2ND WORST MOVIE OF ALL-TIME (Next to Gigli)

[1/10 · 1 February 2006]

With huge talents such as Jerry Lewis & Madeline Kahn I thought this movie was going to be gas, sitting in my favorite chair ready to laugh...NEVER DID. Movie made me ill, The directors & producers of this film should be arrested for letting this "VOMIT" on the screen.

The concept of having Jerry Lewis as a space alien could have been funny (See Visit to a Small Planet) which wasn't that funny either, but it wasn't crap like this. I've seen bad movies, like "Manos Hands of Fate", "Gigli", "Plan 9 From Outer Space", and many other terrible films, but with the exception of "Gigli", this is the worst movie I have ever seen, I truly had to take Maalox after this one. How in the Hell did they get The KING of Comedy, Jerry Lewis, and one of the funniest ladies to ever live Madeline Kahn to star in this bag of Dung?

They must have owed favors to the producers or something, because this movie really bit the big one.

Pardon My French, but It Sucked!

Smugglers' Cove (1948)

DIGGER, NOT SHOVELER!

[10/10 · 21 May 2004]

Maybe the greatest Bowery Boy pic ever, right up there with Ghost Chasers & Spook Busters. Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Billy Benedict & Gabriel Dell join in the hijinks when Slip (Leo) mistakingly believes he inherits a mansion on the Sea Coast in Bayshore Long Island. Although he isn't the true owner of the house the Bowery Boys end up taking over the house & make it their own, only to discover that Diamond Smugglers are using the Mansion as their drop off point.

Well enough on the plot, the best parts of this movie are the Boys destroying the English language at every turn & battling the bad guys into submission. The caretaker, played by the GREAT EDDIE GRIBBON, has a great name that Satch (Huntz) messes up, his name is DIGGER, but Satch calls him SHOVELER... Satch & Whitey (Billy Benedict) have some great performance as Satch says...Whitey, Whitey, Whitey..., see this film, it's GREAT!

Smugglers' Cove (1948)

Terrence Mahoney, Esq. - Esq me another...

[10/10 · 19 May 2004]

This is one of my favorite Bowery Boys comedies, minus Bobby Jordan. Slip (Terrence Mahoney)played by the great LEO GORCEY, "thinks" he inherits a mansion, but he's mistaken, because the letter is addressed to "Terrence Mahoney, Esq.", and Slip just happens to be cleaning this other Mahoney's office when the letter arrives, great pretense aay?

Well then the hijinks begins as Slip, Satch (Huntz Hall), Whitey (Billy Benedict) & the rest of the boys go to the mansion & discover that there's a diamond smuggling racket going on right in the house. One great scene is when the bad guys have our heroes locked up in a room, Satch loses it and begins to jabber "Oooh Whitey, Whitey, Whitey..." but Whitey just keeps on pacing the floor and doesn't notice Satch's frustration.

Well, the real Terrence Mahoney shows up just in the nick of time as does Gabriel Dell, another original Dead End Kid, and the boys get saved & Slip gets the house. If you get a chance to, see this movie, it'll make you laugh.

Journey to the Seventh Planet (1962)

a/k/a Journey to URANUS

[10/10 · 9 April 2004]

I bought this double DVD recently and liked it very much, and then after watching it for like the 2nd time, I started to wonder, why didn't they name this movie Journey to URANUS, and I finally got the joke, I laughed my butt off! They maybe should have titled it Journey to Neptune... But I like Journey to the Seventh Planet just fine.

The whole Sci-Fi genre should be proud of these diamonds in the rough and the DVD which had two movies on it cost me only $9.99, which I thought was a very fair price to take a Journey to URANUS! Oh Yeah thats What I am talking about.

I bought this double DVD recently and liked it very much, and then after watching it for like the 2nd time, I started to wonder, why didn't they name this movie Journey to URANUS, and I finally got the joke, I laughed my butt off! They maybe should have titled it Journey to Neptune... But I like Journey to the Seventh Planet just fine.

The whole Sci-Fi genre should be proud of these diamonds in the rough and the DVD which had two movies on it cost me only $9.99, which I thought was a very fair price to take a Journey to URANUS! Oh Yeah thats What I am talking about.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE

[10/10 · 15 March 2004]

Perfect adaption of the gospels put to film. I saw this movie, knowing full well the story, and afterwards it left me numb. I've seen many stories of the life of Jesus Christ, but never did I know the punishment he went through in such detail, the scourging & the beatings. Some might say that the violence was too much, I say the violence was accurate and needed to be seen, how else can one realize what the Messiah did for us.

I felt no bad feelings towards Jewish people before, during or after this film, It's completely historic that the Sanhedrin & the Pharisees wanted Jesus Crucified, so there was nothing new in the movie, but the Romans enjoyment of beating the Lord was something I hadn't witnessed until this movie.

Great movie, must see, Christian, Muslim or Jew... Maybe the greatest film ever made... no, "IS" THE GREATEST FILM EVER MADE.

Fathom (1967)

FATHOM IS RAQUEL WELCH

[10/10 · 28 August 2003]

Any movie containing a 27 year old Raquel Welch dressed in a bikini is something worth watching. True the story, plot & other characters are boring, but Raquel Welch circa 1967, is a 10, and any film she was in during this time is a 10! BEAUTIFUL WOMAN!

A Day at the Races (1937)

GREATEST COMEDY HORSEFLICK EVER

[10/10 · 2 May 2003]

Without a doubt, the greatest Horse Racing Comedy ever, why? Because Groucho, Chico & Harpo were the funniest men who ever lived, and this was one of their best scripts, produced by (before his death) Irving Thalberg, the genius. Allan Jones provides great romantic lead and the beautiful Maureen O'Sullivan spikes it up also, what a beautiful woman. Then there is the Marx Bros., Scene after scene HILARIOUS! This is one of the top 5 Marxian comedies ever made, along with A Night at the Opera, Duck Soup, Horse Feathers & Animal Crackers.

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT MOVIE!

The Princess and the Pirate (1944)

BOB & VIRGINIA STORM THE SEAS OF LAUGHTER

[10/10 · 19 March 2003]

Bob Hope's classic Princess & the Pirate is a classic in so many ways, but the main thing is it's damn funny, and one line always comes to mind when I think of this movie, V. Mayo to Bob Hope: Why don't you die like a man, and Bob replies, because I'd rather live like a woman!

Says it all!