Wheeler and Woolsey - RKO Comedy Classics Collection

Wheeler and Woolsey Collection
At last we have a colection of Wheeler and Woolsey. Some of these titles have been released on VHS and Laser Disc, but a few have not had an offical release. The transfer on most of the films are good having come from 35mm elements, and I have made some notes on the obvious:

Half Shot At Sunrise: This transfer alone makes the collection worthwhile. For years we have put up with washed out PD dupes that were terrible. Here you have a near perfect print that really shows the production values on this film. A near pristine 35mm print was used.

Hips, Hips Hooray: Not a bad print, some light surface wear but generally good. The Laser Disc release from Image Ent in the 1990's was much better, but you can't have everything.

The Nitwits: A BEAUTIFUL transfer from 35mm elements much improved from the Image Ent Laser Disc.

High Flyers: 35mm transfer that has a lot of surface wear, the Image Ent Laser Disc was much better quaility.

Mummy's...

Unappreciated duo finally get their due
Bert Wheeler & Bob Woolsey were a popular cinema comedy team of the 1930s, but are virtually forgotten today. Alhough both Wheeler and Woolsey were veteran vaudevillians (Wheeler was sometimes referred to as the funniest man in America), they were not a vaudeville team; rather they were cast as a team in the movie musical Rio Rita and built their film career on that. They always negotiated and signed separate contracts, never as a team. Their movies were noted for quick vaudeville wit, enthusiastic dancing, and pretty ladies. The latter was often the vivacious Dorothy Lee, a beautiful firecracker from LA who deserves a full autobiography in her own right, but when Dorothy was unavailable (usually due to marriage) her place was filled by the likes of Thelma Todd, Bebe Daniels, Lupe Velez, and Betty Grable. Edna May Oliver shows up frequently as well.
While their humor is often corny by today's standards, they were quite innovative in their time. The film Cracked Nuts, for...

Bert & Bob get their due
Glad these finally showed up ! Collected these on laserdisc way back when. Another of those long lost comedy teams that never got their due. But now thankfully, we can view their antics in all their black and white glory.
The collection, however is still incomplete. Looking forward to see if The Cuckoos, So This is Africa (Columbia Pictures), and the assorted short subjects and individual appearances they made as well.

Click to Editorial Reviews