Golden Classics DVD Review
Video Follies

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This was the second collection of programs released on DVD by HBO Video. There are four programs in this 2 disc collection and you'll find the links for each program in the right hand column of this page. There's also a link for the bonus features.

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Cast: This program contains no cast or credits at the end, except: Producer – Director: Dennis Kirkland

Review

This program starts with Benny singing "The Gay Caballero". He is surrounded by the whole cast including Louise, Jane Leeves, Jo Thomas, and other unknown girls. Look for Bob Todd in drag asking Benny to try a recipe. Jackie Wright is a "wanted" Mexican bandit. Jo Thomas does a seductive dance behind prison bars for Benny. Louise is a poor peasant wearing rags and turning a chicken rotisserie.

"The Eye Doctor" is a short skit with Benny examining Jackie Wright. "Talking Point with Humphrey Bumphrey" features Benny interviewing Henry McGee about Youth In Asia.

Up next is the spectacular "Street Party" featuring Hill's Angels. It begins on a typical street set with the incredible Allison Bell walking past Benny to pick up a dog, Benny expecting a hug. Alison is always smiling and beaming and she really brightens any sketch she's a part of. The song playing is "Hands Up". Benny also plays a gardener and Jon Jon Keefe and Jackie Wright play umbrella salesmen. Sue and Julie Kirk go into their shop for umbrellas. Allison Bell passes by just as the rain lets up. Henry McGee is a traffic cop who gets wrapped up in Bob Todd's turban. Benny also plays a sign painter, painting a Hill's Angels poster, who gives directions to Henry McGee. Benny is then dressed in a green military uniform, and gets a smile from Allison Bell from behind a hedge. Unfortunately, she's already with Jackie, a higher-ranking military officer. Next, Benny writes graffiti on a wall, enters the YMCA but gets chased out by 2 girls since it is really the YWCA. Sue and Sam Lane walk by and they spin in front of Jackie Wright. Jackie gives directions to an Oil Sheik played by Jon Jon Keefe. Henry McGee and Bella Emberg are husband and wife in a car and Benny gets a light from Henry's cigar, but gives his cigarette back to Henry.

Next, Hill's Angels dance in their famous "red hot outfits". The first shot is on the beautiful Sam Lane. Jo Thomas is featured in this one as well. Sue Upton is easily spotted and there are 3 other unknown Angels in this one.

Bob, Benny and Jackie, wearing sailor uniforms chase two girls. Tabloid photographers get snapshots up Alison Bell's dress. Benny offers flowers to Alison, but she throws them away and reads the newspaper they were wrapped in instead. Benny throws the flowers to the ground, and a trash man (Jon Jon Keefe) tells Benny to pick them up. Benny then picks them up and gives them to the trash man…look for his reaction!

The Angels then do their famous "Can-Can Dance" dressed in meter maid uniforms with short skirts, black stockings and garters. Because of the poor lighting and the age of the film, it's hard to pick out the girls, but I do believe I can see Sam, Sue, Jo Thomas, and Alison Bell among them. Watch Benny eat a hot dog and get ketchup on Jackie Wright. Alison Bell looks stunning in a Bristol University T-Shirt. The girls whoop, cheer, roll on the street, do cartwheels, summersaults, and come to an exciting finish doing the splits.

Jane Leaves gets unexpected news from Dr. Benny in "Egyptian Flu". "The Shadow" features Benny as a man who discovers he can control people and objects by using the shadow from his hands. At a bus stop, Benny "pinches" Sue's bottom, but Jackie Wright gets the slap in the face. Gillian Adams can be seen behind them. With the use of proper lighting, Benny's Hand shadows are easily seen. "Me and My Shadow" is the background music. Corinne Russell takes a seat on a park bench with Benny's shadow hands supporting her until Bob Todd asks him the time.

Then Benny cheats at checkers with Henry McGee. The kitchen scene between Benny and his nagging wife is hilarious. Watch how he kills her without laying a finger on her. Corinne is stunning in her police uniform, but Benny blows his cover when his shadow hands seem to grab her breasts in front of Henry McGee and Bob Todd. A brilliant and original sketch!

"Friends to Tea with Henry McGee" features Henry interviewing Mr. Chow Mein as head of a Chinese Opera Company, with Louise as his choreographer. Benny is of course hilarious as the famous China Man and it's great to see Louse in a role like this. She wears a black wig with a flower and an oriental dress with a long slit up the side. She gets a strong speaking part and uses the same oriental accent that Benny does. There's lots of great wordplay and misunderstandings. Also, there are excerpts of the Opera Company performances, including a karate demonstration by Bob Todd. Henry McGee watches from the side of the stage, and Benny does a knife trick with Jackie Wright under a sheet. Watch Jackie's body get pulled offstage…very dark.

"You've got To Go To School", has a woman telling Benny he must go to school. Wait till you see why. "Take These Pills" features Benny giving a prescription to Jenny Lee Wright dressed as a prostitute. "The Art Thief" features Jackie and Benny as bumbling art thieves. "Pay Cut" has Jackie Wright as an inept negotiator for union wages. "The Resemblance" features Bob Todd and Jackie Wright in a museum, and both of them noticing their resemblance to each other. Watch the expression on Bob Todd's face.

"Superteech" is a classic send-up of super heroes, with Benny as Professor Arnold McFudpucker who is also our hero. Jackie Wright is his sidekick "Prefect". Louise English plays the young Princess Jasmine, kidnapped by "Wanda The Wicked West Wickham Whip Woman", played by Alison Bell in a sexy dominatrix uniform. In the school grounds Louise is whipped and then abducted by Alison.

The Professor and the Prefect are told by the other students of the kidnapping and they change clothes in an outhouse to become their superhero alter egos. I love it when Jackie runs with his arm out. Wanda's vixens, along with some solders, guard Louise Nazi style with the famous German goose-step. Watch Wanda whip Jackie Wright, snarling and bearing her teeth. Plenty of great visual gags throughout this segment. Unfortunately, the credit roll chase, which usually ends this sketch, is not included here.

"The Masked Bandit" has Abigail Higgins picking Benny out of a police line up. "Missing Persons" features Jackie Wright telling Henry McGee (a police officer) that his wife has finally come back. "Customs" has Benny getting his baggage checked and getting arrested for smuggling watches. "No Smoking" features Benny smoking in a non-smoking area and a young maid telling him to put it out. "The Zoo" features a gorilla picketing to free another gorilla. "The Hedge" has Benny as a street urchin taking a nap near a hedge.

"Strip Tease" is another great Hill's Angels moment where the girls pretend to remove their clothing. It starts with Jo Thomas "removing" her gloves while gazing into our eyes while the classic "Stripper" music plays in the background. A girl "removes" Jo's stocking, the lights come up and Sam Lane "unzips" Sue's dress. Four girls line up and "remove" their bras and are joined by Jo Thomas and another girl. They all dance in their speckled outfits, the camera giving a close up of each girl, finally revealing Benny in clown make up. Benny then performs a strip tease of his own and his whole routine is a send up of strippers. Watch him remove everything, even his skin and bones! Brilliant!

"The Tiger Hunter" features Henry asking Benny about how he shot the tiger whose head is mounted on the wall.

"The Traffic Warden and The Street Cleaner" features Bob Todd as the evil Jack Daniels. He's the Traffic Warden and Benny plays Al the street cleaner who "cleans up" Dimpton town. Jack Daniels and the street cops give out illegal tickets. Benny stops to help Alison fix her car and gets a ticket. Benny curses and everyone hears, but wait until Alison starts cursing! Benny provides the narration.

As the tension between the Traffic wardens and the street cleaners grows, it erupts into a war. The street cleaners set up a base of operations and what appears to be an "underground" system of communications. Look for Jackie Wright in the trashcan with headphones. There's a wonderful World War II motif, complete with war costumes and girls saying goodbye to their sweethearts. The silent film adds to the poignancy when Jon Jon Keefe is asked by his sweetheart if he has to go and you can you can clearly read his lips say, "I must!"

The guys push their dustbins that hold their weapons. The girls spin the brooms as propellers and pull bricks from the wheels like preparing an airplane for takeoff. They wave goodbye to their heroes. Listen for Wagner's "Ride of The Valkyries".

Benny captures Alison, they kiss long and deep and they fall in love. Watch Benny throw flowers gleefully as the "Spring Song" by Felix Mendelssohn plays at high speed. Love conquers all. Benny marries Alison. Lucky guy! They run off into the woods together at the end as all of the other street cleaners do with their girls!

"The Park Bench" features Benny, Jon Jon Keefe and Jackie Wright all offered to go behind the bushes with Alison Bell. Watch what happens when Benny goes with her!

"The Cruise" is another Hill's Angels feature and starts with a view of the Cruise Ship. Benny shows Jackie Wright and Jenny Lee Wright to their cabin.

Keep Fit Classes have the Hill's Angels dancing on deck and includes Corinne Russell performing some incredible contortions for us. Watch her start from a bent over backwards position where she can touch the floor, come up straight, lift her right leg straight up over her head and reaches up to it with her left hand. Amazing!

Louise, Jane Conaway, Sue and Gillian Adams are all easily spotted dancing. I like the close-up of Gillian. Just watch Corinne doing the splits and then laying on her stomach all in one movement!

Benny is a waiter removing tablecloths without disturbing the dishes. Jackie Wright gets seasick when Benny and Bob Todd stand beside him swaying back and forth while he's trying to eat. Watch them dive-bomb for Jackie's food when he gets up.

Jackie approaches Gillian Adams when she gets a beach ball in the bum. Watch Benny slap her butt and Jackie take the blame. Gillian is cute when she's angry. I like the "woop, woop" sounds when she shakes her rear. The "Tea Dance" features Benny and the guys on the bandstand trying to perform and messing everything up.

Up next, Hawaiian style music plays and we see Hill's Angels once again on deck but this time wearing flowers on each breast and a short skirt on each girl. Louise rises up out of the middle of the girls and sings "Paradise", a song made famous by Edith Piaf. Directly to Louise's right is Maria Whittaker. Corinne Russell is to the left of Louise.

Louise dances away from the other girls and into our hearts while singing to us with all of the other girls lining up behind her. We can see Corinne, Sue, Julie Kirk, and in front the bewitching Gillian Adams. The low level of lighting, the green skin tones, the romantic atmosphere of a cruise on the ocean makes this routine unique, since it's main goal is to create a more intimate atmosphere. Look for Jane Conaway getting her hair in her face, yet they kept the cameras rolling.

I love when all the girls lay on the floor and Louise rises up out of the middle of them, arms outstretched. It's not hard to see now why she has become so popular in the theatre.

The scene then changes to Benny as a waiter serving several people who are watching the entertainment. Some good gags here. Next, the girls exchange their flowers for lingerie. Louise sings another great number, "Pour un flirt avec toi". The girls dance slowly and their graceful motions create an atmosphere of sophistication, style and sensuality. You feel that they are singing and dancing just to you.

Next, Benny cons Bob Todd, sits down to a dinner and spills everything on the table while cutting his food and a group of priests and nuns share a drink.

Finally, Louise, wearing a beautiful Spanish dress, comes out and sings "Casanova" with passion and fire. Benny pops into Jane Conaway's cabin, throwing her a gift. The routine ends with everyone dancing together to the end. Just like the "Hotel Splendide", this routine features our Angels in a romantic setting and of course is designed to fulfill our fantasies of a night of passion and romance. Another wonderful Hill's Angels moment.

"Well Shod" features Benny as a stable-hand who misunderstands Bob Todd's instructions to have his horse "shod".

"Duck Sauce" has Benny playing waiter to Henry and Louise and giving their duck a 'bit of sauce'.

"Missing Vehicle" features Benny and the guys telling Henry McGee as a policeman about their missing vehicle.

We have yet another treat with a great Hill's Angels segment with "Hotel Splendide". It starts with Benny and Jackie watering plants and Jackie watering Benny's crutch instead. Jo Thomas gets a good laugh at Benny's expense. This routine could not only qualify as the one with the most girls in it, but also as the one that is the longest of them all.

Benny plays Chow Mein as a waiter serving food poolside. Sam Lane plays a nun who orders haggis, Jon Jon Keefe gets a "rose on toast", Bob Todd complains of a "fly in his soup" and Henry McGee says his spaghetti isn't cooked.

The excitement begins when we hear the first chords of "I Love To Love" played on a Fender Rhodes while Benny seems to be "pissing" into the pool. While he's doing this, Sue and an unknown angel walk by.

Perhaps the most stunning shot is next, with two unknown girls showering in their bikinis in a fountain. Beautiful.

Next is a wonderful shot of Jo Thomas and an unknown girl together (is that Gillian Adams?) and behind and above them is the stunning Abigail Higgins with her beaming personality and another unknown girl. To the left in the foreground, Sam Lane and a mystery girl walk by and we get a wonderful shot of Sue dancing with an unknown girl. Then Alison Bell and her friend join Sue and her friend and all four of them dance together.

Benny and Henry sit poolside while a man in the pool is drowning and screaming for help in French. Benny translates for Henry and eventually throws him a life preserver. Jon Jon Keefe is a painter catching the drowning man's hand in canvas. There is also another quick sequence of gags with Benny as Chow Mein causing several quick accidents in his wake.

Next, we get a look at the folks in the Hotel Splendide bar. Benny propositions a woman with disastrous results. Benny, Bob and Henry also play drunks in the bar in several short and hilarious spots throughout this routine. Benny accidentally drinks a fish. He also tells Bob Todd about the call girls in the hotel. Bob also tries to freshen up his drink by holding his glass out as Benny and Henry shakes their glasses, spilling their booze into the air. Look at the expression on Henry's face. Hysterical! Bob Todd also shows his girl his "winning smile".

That night there is a "Fancy Gala Dress Party" featuring Hill's Angels. You can spot the poster for this if you look. Jon Jon Keefe serves everyone drinks and you'll see Alison Bell in a sexy "poofy" skirt if you look for her. Bob Todd dresses as a pirate with a hook on his right hand. Watch the girl in the Egyptian costume, sit on Bob's hook and slaps him in the face. It's when Bob's eye-patch pops up and we see the look of shock on his face that's hysterical.

Benny gets shot down trying to score with a sexy girl in a yellow bikini and then another girl steals his drink! Benny also plays an older man who looks rich and gets snagged by Jenny Lee Wright who drops her purse and says, "You look like my third husband!"

Benny plays the drunk at the bar again who gets a call from his wife who says he told her he'd be home after six. I love the way he stutters and blubbers his excuses to his wife.

"This Will Be" starts up and we have another great routine from the Angels. Look for Sam Lane, Jo Thomas, Alison Bell and Sue in their stunning bikinis! Just watch the girls shake and bob their heads, tossing their long hair into the air as the music swells. Watch for that winning smile from Sam Lane. Alison Bell is shown in a wonderful close-up with a smile to break your heart. She lays on her back and another girl hands her a drink and she turns and smiles at us, almost as if asking us to join her. The girls have a general dance to the end. Alison and Sam Lane are absolutely beaming and look like their having a great time. This is truly a great routine and like so many of them, has a setting which suggests exciting night life and the possibility of romantic encounters. What more could you ask for?

At the end, Benny catches Bob spying on Alison Bell for being a "peeping tom". After they watch her disrobe to her garters, bra, stockings and undies, the lights go out and they're off. Then Jackie Wright falls out of the tree with his binoculars and a big smile on his face. Classic!

"Vasectomy Clinic" has the guys running out of the clinic when two nurses follow them, apparently ready to rip off their manhood. The girls are actually eating their lunch.

"The Waiter" is a quickie with Bob as a "slobby" waiter in a high class restaurant. "Customs II" shows Jackie Wright asking for help to close his suitcase. "The Dungeon" features Bob discovering Benny and Abigail all chained up. They aren't very close together, yet Abigail has a big stomach. Watch Benny laugh with modesty and pride in his achievement.

"The Police Chase" features cars marked "Coppers" and "Robbers". "The Hitchhikers" features girls thumbing rides. "The Cyclist" has a bicycle rider having some bad luck with some packages. "Student Driver" features an idiot who drives on the sidewalk and is forced to wear a dunce cap. "Wanted" features Benny as a thug on the run who teams up with Bob and Jackie to rob a jewelry store window. A big car chase ensues until a group of female policewomen chase them across a field. Until the girls catch their clothing on barb wire fencing and lose everything except their bras, panties, garters and stockings. The guys then give chase to the girls. This would get us guys in shape pretty fast. A classics ending to a classic program.

Overview

This is probably the best of these four excellent programs as it features many excellent Hill's Angels segments along with some truly inspired comedic material from Benny. "The Traffic Warden and The Street Cleaner" is definitely a highlight and Alison Bell really adds to the fun of that sketch. "Superteech" is also excellent with Benny and Jackie as the heroes and Alison as "Wanda the Wicked West Wickham Whip Woman". Corinne Russell catches our attention when she performs her amazing contortions in "The Cruise". The Hill's Angels segments in this program are all highlights: "Street Party", "Strip Tease", "The Cruise", "Hotel Splendide" all add to the excitement and variety of this program and really shows all of the hard work that went into the Benny Hill Show. Self-recommending.