Philips, Lee

Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.: The Fourth Season

Gomer Pyle a naive country boy leaves his home in Mayberry NC to join the U.S. Marine corps. His perpetual wide-eyed innocence frequently gets on the nerves of his tough loudmouthed sergeant. A successful spin-off from THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW.System Requirements:Running Time: 749 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 097361327242 Manufacturer No: 132724

In a representative moment from Gomer Pyle's fourth season, Gomer, on a weekend pass, enthusiastically anticipates a glass blowing demonstration. Not for him the local bar or burlesque club favored by his barracks mates. "Sounds like a 'don't miss,'" he proclaims. And between a visit from Aunt Bea, a trip to Washington, D.C., a commanding guest star turn by Carol Burnett, and a return to Mayberry, so is Gomer Pyle's fourth season. Far from lagging in its penultimate season, this series had not lost a step (it was the No. 3-rated show that year), thanks to Jim Nabors' indelible embodiment of sweet and simple Gomer, who, to quote Sgt. Carter (Frank Sutton), has "a soft heart and a soft head." Gomer may still be "a lunkhead" at times, but he can always be counted on to do the right thing. In "Gomer and the Privileged Character," he pulls all-nighters to make up for the work he misses during the day while rehearsing for a concert. In "Gomer, the Good Samaritan," he is compelled to come to the aid of distressed strangers while en-route to pick up a general. The showcase for this season is the four-episode story arc that packs Gomer and Sgt. Carter to our nation's capitol for a concert to be attended by the President of the United States. The stirring Capra-esque climax finds Gomer, hoarse from stage fright, taking inspiration from the Lincoln Memorial, and regaining his voice while reading aloud the Gettysburg Address. Another standout episode features a welcome appearance by Frances Bavier as Aunt Bea, who insists on helping Gomer with barracks duty (anyone who's ever fantasized about what Bea would look like in fatigues, here's your chance). Carol Burnett is hard-driving "Corporal Carol," whom the unwitting Gomer sweeps off her feet, causing a rift with his girlfriend, Lou-Ann Poovie (Elizabeth MacRae; she of the honey-dripping voice). Gomer endearingly wears his heart on sleeve, and in the episode, "The Better Man," he declares his love for Lou-Ann to her initially disapproving father. By the fourth season, the great Ronnie Shell is gone, but a pre-M*A*S*H William Christopher appears as a fellow private, while Roy Stuart makes a fine straight man for Sutton as Cpl. Boyle. Too bad that Andy, Opie, and Goober are out of town when Gomer visits Mayberry (nitpick: Wouldn't someone have written him that Floyd had retired and Emmett had set up shop?), but keep your eyes open as Gomer gets on the bus out of town. With nary a topical reference (you'd never know the Vietnam War was raging) these episodes hold up well. There is no one like Gomer left in prime time, and he is dearly missed. As a grateful panhandler whom Gomer helps out in one episode observes, "I'm glad there's a few kind people left in this world." Or at least on DVD. --Donald Liebenson

Gidget - The Complete Series

Catch a wave with America's favorite southern California beach teen in GIDGET: THE COMPLETE SERIES. Join two-time Academy Award® winner Sally Field as perky 15-year-old Frances Elizabeth Lawrence - better known to her family and friends as Gidget - Don Porter as her ever-loving father Russ and a host of such soon-to-be-famous faces as Richard Dreyfuss Barbara Hershey Bonnie Franklin Harvey Korman and Henry Jaglom for 32 winning episodes of fun-in-the-sun comedy romance and adventure.System Requirements:Run Time: 768 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 043396129252 Manufacturer No: 12925

Gidget launched the career of the ever-perky Sally Field (who decades later still looks like the sweetie-pie beach bunny she played in the mid-'60s series). The show is a valentine to Southern California, surfing, and plucky girl power--in fact, Gidget's self-aware musings and intrepid ways of getting out of trouble lay the groundwork for later TV heroines like Buffy and Veronica Mars. The show's aged surprisingly well, mostly because of the undeniable charms of Field, who seems to take her teenage "horror stories"--as when squeeze Jeff (a.k.a. Moon Doggie) is poised to return to Princeton and suggests they date other people--with a knowing grain of salt. The teen drama is all a bit tongue in cheek, since it's clear nothing will get our Gidget down for long. The dialogue is a real treat, a crazy mix of late film noir ("How old's the underripe tomato?") and pre-Summer of Love hipster California-speak ("Well, look at all the wiggy birds around here!"). The set includes all 32 episodes, with a short interview with Field, who has a lot of affection for her young persona--as do we all, Daddy-o. --A.T. Hurley

Kung Fu - The Complete First Season

He is a man of peace in a violent land. He is Kwai Chang Caine schooled in the spirit-mind-body ways of the Shaolin priesthood by the blind avuncular Master Po and the stern yet loving Master Kan. Caine speaks softly but hits hard. He lives humbly yet knows great contentment. He is the Old West's most unusual hero. But hero is not a word Caine would use. He would simply say "I am a man."Running Time: 780 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 085392425020

Everybody was kung-fu fighting after the 1972 premiere of this mystic western starring David Carradine (snatching the role from Bruce Lee) in his signature, Emmy-nominated role as Caine, a stoic Shaolin monk forced to flee China after killing the royal family member who slew his Master. Our wandering hero roams the west in search of his long-lost brother, while eluding American and Imperial bounty hunters, and imparting his ancient wisdom on those he encounters and is compelled to aid. Kung-Fu was never a ratings force, but its cult status was assured long before Samuel L. Jackson referenced it in Pulp Fiction. Along with the inaugural 15 episodes, this three-disc set contains the feature-length pilot that establishes the series' iconography: the inscrutable aphorisms ("When you cease to strive to understand, then you will know without understanding"); the flashbacks to Caine's youth, where the orphaned half-American and half-Chinese boy served as disciple ("Grasshopper") to the Old Man; and, of course, the anticipated moments when the peaceful Caine, like Billy Jack, is reluctantly compelled by some frontier bigot to use his fighting skills. Look for appearances by father John Carradine and brothers Keith and Robert in the episode, "Dark Angel." That's 11-year-old future Oscar-winner Jodie Foster in "Althea." Other notable episodes include the Emmy-winning "An Eye for an Eye" and "Chains," featuring an Emmy-nominated turn by Michael Greene as a not-so-gentle giant to whom an imprisoned Caine is chained. "With each ending," Caine observes in the episode, "The Third Man," comes a new beginning." Kung Fu's new beginning comes on DVD. Thanks to the timeless frontier setting and the uniqueness of its genre-bending concept, Kung Fu dates better than other '70s series. As these episodes demonstrate, the show still has plenty of kick. --Donald Liebenson

The Partridge Family - The Complete First Season

Come On Get Happy! TV's favorite family of rock n' rollers are back on the bus and ready to groove to the songs you remember: "I Think I Love You" "I Woke Up In Love" and "Somebody Wants To Love You." The group's six members feature Mom Shirley Partridge (Shirley Jones) always trying to keep home life normal and the kids: Keith (David Cassidy) the teen idol; Laurie (Susan Dey) a junior feminist; Danny (Danny Bonaduce) the financial wizard; Chris (Jeremy Gelbwaks) the family drummer and Tracy (Suzanne Crough) the constant questioner. Let's not forget their exasperated manager Reuben Kinkaid (Dave Madden) always trying to help push their careers along. The series debuted in September of 1970 and helped sell millions of records along the way. Jump back on the bus and get happy again with THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY you remember.Includes a 4-song music sampler CD from the Partridge Family CD in stores now.System Requirements:Starring: Shirley Jones David Cassidy Susan Dey Danny Bonaduce Jeremy Gelbwaks Suzanne Crough Dave Madden Copyright Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2005Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 043396056565 Manufacturer No: 05656

Like a groovy Family von Trapp, The Partridge Family arrived in 1970 with matching velvet outfits and wholesomeness bursting from every pore. Watching it now, you expect little more than kitsch--but the show, though certainly a sitcom representation of the world, is curiously fresh and appealing. This sheer likeability comes partly from the cast--Shirley Jones (The Music Man) looks foxy in miniskirts while still being the cool mom everyone wishes they had; teen idol David Cassidy is unexpectedly engaging as an actor (his charisma is all the more apparent when another teen idol, Bobby Sherman, makes a wooden appearance); and Danny Bonaduce's child-star rise sprang not from cuteness but his genuine comic timing. It doesn't hurt that many of the troubles the characters faced--swelled heads, rivalry, groupies (!)--were undoubtedly problems the actors were facing as their show became a hit.

Sure, there are utterly ridiculous episodes, such as when Danny is tutoring a mob boss's girlfriend about the stock market and the gangster, not knowing Danny is only 10 years old, gets jealous--but most episodes feature ordinary show business conflicts or straightforward family issues, like how the kids cope when their mother starts dating or how teenager Laurie (Susan Dey, who later went on to L.A. Law) feels ugly when she gets braces. This simplicity, combined with some classic vaudeville-style humor, proves surprisingly durable. Plus, the list of guest stars ranges from Ray Bolger (best known as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz) to a young Richard Pryor, as well as other soon-to-be-famous folk like Charlie's Angels' Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith and a pre-Star Wars Mark Hamill. The first season collection includes a bonus CD with four of the Partridge Family's actual radio hits; their sound, a fusion of the Monkees and the Mamas and the Papas, is pure pop sugar (created by a host of Brill Building songwriters like Neil Sedaka). If the Mondrian-inspired paint job on the Partridge Family bus gives you childhood flashbacks, you'll happily regress when you watch this box set. --Bret Fetzer

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Second Season

Gomer Pyle a naive country boy leaves his home in Mayberry NC to join the U.S. Marine corps. His perpetual wide-eyed innocence frequently gets on the nerves of his tough loudmouthed sergeant. A successful spin-off from THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW.System Requirements:Running Time: 761 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 097361225845 Manufacturer No: 122584

Thanks (but no thanks) to Full Metal Jacket, the name of "Gomer Pyle" is associated with a demented, suicidal screw-up. That's not the Gomer (Jim Nabors) we know and love! Sure, our Gomer may be, in the mentoring words of his bellowing Sgt. Carter (Frank Sutton), a "lunkhead," "yo-yo," "knucklehead," and "meatball," who invariably "pulls some beauts." But his heart is always in the right place, as in the episode "PFC Gomer Pyle," in which the newly promoted Private First Class unwittingly cancels Carter's Hawaiian furlough thinking it is a request for a permanent transfer. Our Gomer is unfailingly honest. In "Gomer and the Phone Company," he is arrested for trying to put back ill-gotten money he received from a malfunctioning pay phone. And, our Gomer is forthright, as in "Gomer and the Beast," in which he stands up to a feared, abusive sergeant (guest star Michael Conrad) who takes his waitress girlfriend for granted.

Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, was one of the "surprise, surprise, surprise" hits of its day. In this second season (its first in color), it ranked second to Bonanza in the Nielsen ratings. That Nabors and Sutton were never even nominated for Emmys is a TV Land injustice. Nabors, especially, finds new music in what could have been a one-note bumpkin character (he even demonstrates his unexpected baritone singing voice in "Arrivederci, Gomer"). Providing expert support are Ted Bessell (That Girl) and Ronnie Schell (who demonstrates his standup comedy chops in "Duke Slater, Nightclub Comic") as Gomer's Marine buddies. Look sharp for two future M*A*S*H stars, Jamie Farr in "Gomer Pyle, P.O.W." and, in a couple of episodes, William Christopher. Making welcome visits from Mayberry are George Lindsay in the mistaken-identity episode, "A Visit from Cousin Goober," and Ron Howard in "Opie Joins the Marines," in which Carter bonds with the runaway Opie and, movingly, hints at a less than nurturing relationship with his own father. "The world has changed a lot since I was a kid," he remarks when Andy (Andy Griffith) arrives to retrieve his son, and puts a reassuring arm around the boy's shoulder. Television has changed, too, in the more than 40 years since these still funny episodes were first broadcast. Prime time could use another Gomer, with his boundless optimism, unwavering character and try, try again attitude. --Donald Liebenson

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete First Season

Gomer Pyle was a sweet but not too smart Marine from Mayberry North Carolina who was stationed at Camp Henderson near Los Angeles California. Gomer's innocence naivete and low-key demeanor often got him into trouble most frequently at the hands of his loud-mouthed superior Sgt. Carter. Duke Frankie Lester and Larry were some of Gomer's pals and fellow enlisted men at Camp Henderson and Lou Anne Poovie was his sometimes girlfriend who worked as a singer at the Blue Bird Cafe where Gomer and the boys often hung out.DVD Features:Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)Commentary by: Jim Nabors (select episodes)Dolby Digital 2.0All 30 episodes from the 1964-65 season on five discsGomer Pyle U.S.M.C. pilot episode from The Andy Griffith ShowAudio introductions by Jim Nabors on select episodesJim Nabors interview on The David Frost ShowThe Jim Nabors Hour clipFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 097360788648 Manufacturer No: 078864

Golll-eeeee! The '60s' favorite TV country bumpkin, Gomer Pyle, won the hearts of viewers on The Andy Griffith Show, and spun off in to his own wildly popular series, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.. As the eternally cheery and clueless Gomer, Jim Nabors gives a comic tour de force performance as a newbie Marine under the command of the short-tempered Sgt. Carter, played with demonic fervor by Frank Sutton. Are Pyle and Sgt. Carter bitter foes or comedic sidekicks? "Surprise, surprise, surprise"--the secret to their chemistry was that the actors and characters were both, inseparable and adorable in their signature ways. The scrapes Gomer gets into are fairly routine and never exactly threaten national security, but Nabors' guileless delivery makes viewers tune in for more; the belly laughs are real. The boxed set includes engaging audio commentary by Nabors, who clearly still holds a lot of affection for his hapless alter-ego, as well as all 30 first-season episodes, and the pilot, which actually aired on The Andy Griffith Show. Other gems from the archive treasure trove include appearances by Nabors on The Lucy Show, The David Frost Show, and Nabor's own variety show, which also showcased his accomplished singing. Shazam! --A.T. Hurley

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season Four

Pratfall-prone Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) and his plucky wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) along with wisecracking co-workers Sally (Rose Marie) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) captured America's hearts in this TV favorite that irresistibly combined wit and slapstick. EPISODES: My Two Showoffs and Me / My Mother Can Beat Up My Father / Ghost of A. Chantz / The Lady and the Babysitter / The Vigilante Ripped My Sports Coat / The Man from Emperor / Romance Roses and Rye Bread / 4 / The Alan Brady Show Goes to Jail / Three Letters from One Wife / It Wouldn't Hurt Them to Give Us a Raise / Pink Pills for Purple Patients / The Death of the Party / Stretch Petrie vs. Kid Schenk / The Impractical Joke / Brother Can You Spare $2500? / Stacey Petrie # Part I / Stacey Petrie # Part II / The Redcoats Are Coming / Boy #1 Versus Boy #2 / The Case of the Pillow / Young Man with a Shoehorn / Girls Will Be Boys / Bupkiss / Your Home Sweet Home Is My Home / Not Now Anthony Stone / Never Bathe on Saturday / 100 Terrible Hours / A Show of Hands / Baby fat / Br-room Br-room / There's No Sale Like WholesaleSystem Requirements: Length: 810 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/CLASSICS Rating: NR UPC: 014381156027 Manufacturer No: ID1560PBDVD

Kung Fu - The Complete Third Season

He is a man of peace in a violent land. He is Kwai Chang Caine schooled in the spirit-mind-body ways of the Shaolin priesthood by the blind avuncular Master Po and the stern yet loving Master Kan. Caine speaks softly but he hits hard. He lives humbly yet knows great contentment. He is the Old West's most unusual hero.System Requirements:Running Time 1221 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 012569681477 Manufacturer No: 68147

While it may not rank with Richard Kimble's fateful meeting with the One-Armed Man in the series finale of The Fugitive, Caine's reunion with his long-lost brother, Danny, brings Kung Fu, to quote the title of the four-episode story arc's conclusion, "Full Circle." The series' rich iconography and episodes featuring returning characters may make this final season heady going for newcomers. But those who have faithfully followed Caine (David Carradine in his iconic role) on his nomadic adventures will be richly rewarded with some of the series' best episodes. The season begins with a stellar two-parter, "Blood of the Dragon," in which Caine seeks the truth about his grandfather's murder, while Imperial assassins are dispatched to kill Caine. The venerable Patricia Neal guest-stars as the grandfather's iron-willed, cold-hearted former lover. Eddie Albert also stars as a doctor who sides with Caine. Other memorable guest stars this season include William Shatner broguing it up, Scotty-style, as a sea captain who arrives with an Imperial pardon for Caine (but at what cost?) in "A Small Beheading." Barbara Hershey portrays an aspiring Shoalin priest in the two-parter, "Besieged." In "The Brothers Caine," a pre-Airplane Leslie Nielsen is a ruthless magnate who puts a $10,000 price on Danny's head, making for an awkward reunion when Danny thinks that Caine is a bounty hunter. David's father, John, returns as blind preacher Serenity Johnson in "Ambush."

This season was distinguished by innovative episodes set in China during Caine's "Grasshopper" tutelage. In "The Demon God," the youth, poisoned by a prince, experiences mystical visions of his older, wandering self, who is stung by a scorpion. In "The Thief of Chendo," young Caine's Master imagines an adventure for the aspiring priest. Two Carradine commentaries, and a near-hour long chronicle of Carradine's 30-years-on visit to a Shoalin monastery in China (an incredible journey that ends with Carradine's soulful rendition of "America the Beautiful") help to give Kung Fu a worthy DVD send-off. --Donald Liebenson

Kung Fu - The Complete Series Collection

David Carradine stars as a Buddhist monk and hunted man who wanders the American West in the 1870s fighting intolerance and injustice with his mastery of an ancient form of high combat known as Kung Fu. System Requirements:Running Time: 999 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 085391165378 Manufacturer No: 1000025495

The Partridge Family - The Complete Second Season

By the second season (1971-72) of its four-year run, America's favorite rock 'n' roll television family found its groove, with well-honed comedic timing and familial chemistry that helped secure The Partridge Family as one of the brightest sitcoms of the decade. This three-disk set includes all 24 episodes where most of the action remains close to home; Keith's role expands (as David Cassidy's real life stardom as teen idol crystallized); and the stories exploit the acerbic banter between Danny (Danny Bonaduce) and Reuben Kincaid (Dave Madden). By year two, Simone, the family dog, has come and gone, the theme song has changed to the familiar "Come On Get Happy," and Brian Forster replaces Jeremy Gelbwaks as Chris. Always cool and self-assured, Shirley (Shirley Jones) gives college life (and romance) a try; Chris and Tracy (Suzanne Crough) run away after their mom helps them pack; Laurie (Susan Dey) accidentally hands over her diary to the school newspaper editor; and Keith has a crush on "Dora, Dora, Dora" (season opener) and discovers that love is not so much blind as it is tone deaf. Genuine comedy reigns during episodes such as "Whatever Happened to Moby Dick?" when Danny decides to incorporate a whale into their musical act; or "Fellini, Bergman, and Partridge," where Keith produces a home movie (with Reuben making his "screen debut" in gossamer wings) and Danny tries to turn it into a money-making scheme. Especially heartwarming is the Christmas episode, "Santa, Don't Bring Your Guns to Town," with a memorable stint by guest Dean Jagger. Other guest appearances of the season include Rob Reiner, Howard Cosell, Meredith Baxter, Rosemary DeCamp and Ray Bolger. Surprisingly durable, the show's groovy songs and likeable cast have great appeal making this nostalgic dose of pure pop well worth the investment. The lack of bonus material is disappointing—audio commentaries, cast interviews, or outtakes should be de rigueur—but fans should be forgiving because the essential remains: solid family entertainment of a bygone era, still brimming with good vibes. (All ages) --Lynn Gibson

Television's grooviest family hits the road again in Season 2. This second year brings more of Danny's schemes, Keith's girl troubles, and rock 'n' roll. Plus, a dancing bear takes center stage, Laurie dates a biker, two Partridges run away and harried manager Reuben gets his fair share of headaches. In this family the adventures never stop, but with mom Shirley at the wheel, they always have plenty to sing about.