Product Description

Movie DVD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28160 in DVD
• Brand: UNI DIST CORP (MUSIC)
• Released on: 2007-05-01
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 570 minutes

Amazon.com
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet? The title alone is amusingly absurd. Unless your idea of adventure includes picnics, hay rides, recreational horseback riding, and square dances, the word hardly applies. As revealed in this four-disc, 24-episode boxed set (the first official Ozzie and Harriet release on DVD) that cherry-picks some of the best moments from the entire 1952-66 run, this was a show so mild it made Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood look like The Wire--and that was a big part of its considerable charm.

Bandleader Ozzie, singer Harriet (nee Hilliard), and sons David and Ricky had already been on the radio for several years before the television show appeared; there had also been a feature film, Here Come the Nelsons (with Rock Hudson). The TV series, likely the only one ever to feature an entire family portraying themselves, continued where the radio show had left off, with Ozzie (who directed, produced, and co-wrote the vast majority of the episodes) as the well-meaning but sometimes confused, bumbling patriarch, Harriet his sensible but gentle foil, David the dutiful, self-effacing older son, and Ricky the mischievous youngster. Things naturally changed over the next decade and a half, as the boys grew up, went to college, and got married, but the dynamic remained essentially the same. Ozzie and Harriet was nothing if not wholesome. The parents were decent, honest folks; never dictatorial or authoritarian, they guided their sons but gave them enough space to make their own decisions, and David and Ricky were as clean-cut as they come. Of course, there was also Ricky's emergence as a singing star. Broadcast in 1957, "Ricky, the Drummer" was his musical debut (he sings and plays the skins with surprising skill), and the boxed set does a decent job of charting his growth from a somewhat wooden 16-year-old into a legitimate musician with a great band (featuring James Burton on guitar) and undeniable charisma; Rick Nelson was no Elvis Presley, but he had far more substance than other teen idols of the era.

Fourteen years is a long run for any TV show (only The Simpsons has surpassed it in the sitcom category), and by the time The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet started airing episodes in color in the '65-66 season, it had run out steam. Still, this is a classic bit of Americana that will find favor with old and new viewers alike. Bonus features include commentary on four episodes by David (the only living member from the original show) and Sam (son of Rick) Nelson, along with a 1949 radio broadcast, home movies, and more. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

DVD CONTENTS
A lot of the shows I have seen on bootleg copies. Here is the line up
DVD CONTENTS : DISC ONE
The Fall Guy - Season One, 10/24/1952
Oz advises David to stand up for his rights and not to let people take advantage of him, but the advice backfires.

David's Birthday - Season Two, 10/23/1953
David Nelson has an unexpected visitor at his seventeenth birthday party.
Optional Audio Commentary with David & Sam Nelson

David's Engagement - Season Three, 9/23/1955
David has matrimonial plans with his steady. Ozzie and Harriet realize that David will get married someday, but think that he is too young to tie the knot.

A Ball Of Tinfoil - Season Four, 11/25/1955
Harriet decides there is too much junk accumulated in the Nelson garage, attic and cellar. Ozzie rents a trailer to haul the stuff away to the junkyard but discovers this is only the beginning of his problem.

Captain Salty And The Submarine - Season Five, 10/10/1956
Ozzie finds out that a kiddie program, Captain Salty and the Submarine, holds a great deal of interest for adults as well. It is not at all surprising that several other fathers in the neighborhood share his enthusiasm.

Ricky, The Drummer - Season Five, 4/10/1957
This is Ricky's night. He gets to play drums in a name band, do a bop dance with a party girl, and sing a rhythm and blues recording to an enthusiastic audience. Ricky performs for his first time on the show.

Featurette:The Ozzie & Harriet Story - The Journey Into Television
Ricky Sings:"I'm Walkin'"

DVD CONTENTS : DISC TWO

Tutti Frutti Ice Cream - Season Six, 12/11/1957
Recollections of Ozzie's high school days bring a sudden rage for tutti frutti ice cream. There is a happy scene in an old fashioned parlor where Ozzie, Harriet, David and Rick sing to the accompaniment of Ozzie's banjo and Harriet's dancing.
Optional Audio Commentary with David & Sam Nelson

The Trophy - Season Six, 1/1/1958
The Nelsons enter the family decathlon at the annual Men's Club picnic. The deciding event is the cross-country obstacle race, which Ozzie must win if he is to uphold the honor of the family and win the coveted trophy. In this episode Rick also sings, plays guitar and does a sensational dance.

Ricky Sings:"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"

Closed Circuit - Season Six, 3/26/1958
Ricky sets up a closed circuit television studio in the basement.

Top Gun - Season Six, 4/2/1958
Ozzie regales the neighborhood kids with his story of his great-grandfather "Six-Gun Nelson." They corner Ozzie into a shoot-out with TV Western star "Tex Barton" at a supermarket opening.

Rick's Riding Lesson - Season Seven, 11/19/1958
When Ricky meets a beautiful riding instructor (Venetia Stevenson) at the local stables, he decides to take some riding lessons. He makes a deal with her -- he'll teach her how to play guitar if she'll teach him how to ride. There is much fun at the Chuck Wagon party where the gang sings "Cindy."

David, The Law Clerk - Season Eight, 10/21/1959
David applies for the position of clerk in a law office. However, when Ozzie, Harriet and Ricky try to be helpful, they almost cost Dave the job. In a dream-filled night, David vividly pictures a hilarious courtroom scene in which he plays all the characters.

Ricky Sings: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"
"I Believe What You Say"
"Trying To Get To You"
"Cindy"

DVD CONTENTS : DISC THREE
The Circus - Season Eight, 1/27/1960
David's duties as a law clerk take him down to the circus where he becomes more than slightly interested in one of the circus glamour girls. In the flying trapeze act presented by David and Ricky, they don't use doubles but actually perform their own stunts.
Optional Audio Commentary with David & Sam Nelson

His Brother's Girl - Season Eight, 10/19/1960
Fraternal bonds between David and Ricky are suddenly threatened when Dave finds himself attracted to his brother's girl. The situation is further complicated when the young lady in question shows her true feelings and the eternal triangle takes shape.

Rick Counts The Ballots - Season Nine, 12/28/1960
Rick's ability to keep a secret is put to the test when he finds himself in charge of counting the ballots for the "Campus Queen Contest" -- especially since his girlfriend, one of the leading contestants, is determined to learn the results.
Optional Audio Commentary with David & Sam Nelson

Ricky Sings:"You Are The Only One" (duet with Linda Bennett)
"I'm Not Afraid"

The Newlyweds Get Settled - Season Ten, 10/12/1961
While David and his new bride June (played by his real-life new bride June Blair) are away on their honeymoon, Harriet, with Ozzie's assistance, decides to fix up their apartment for them. However, with the return of the newlyweds, Harriet suddenly becomes worried that she has overstepped her rights as mother-in-law.

The Fraternity Rents Out A Room - Season Ten, 10/19/1961
When the best room in Rick and Wally's fraternity is vacated, they vote to rent out the room to take in funds for their fast-dwindling treasury. Wally Cox guest stars as the professor who disrupts the easy-going fraternity life.

Making Wally Study - Season Ten, 2/22/1962
Rick and his friends decide to enforce good study habits on Wally when they realize his grades are a threat to the scholastic standing of their fraternity. However, matters become complicated when Wally hits the books and Rick is elected to take charge of Wally's girlfriend, Ginger.
Featurette: Original Promo for "The Circus"
Home Movies: David & Rick practice trapeze
Ricky Sings: "You Are The Only One" (duet with Linda Bennett) "I'm Not Afraid"

DVD CONTENTS : DISC FOUR
Publicity For The Fraternity - Season Eleven, 3/28/1963
Rick and his friends decide their fraternity is sadly in need of publicity go on a campaign to gain some campus recognition. When all their antics are ignored by the school press, they decide to take some drastic measures, which pay off a little differently that they had expected. Directed by David Nelson.
Optional Audio Commentary with David & Sam Nelson

The Swami - Season Twelve, 1/8/1964
When Rick successfully enlivens a fraternity party by disguising himself as a swami and telling fortunes, Ozzie and his friend Joe decide that the same act would prove a huge success at the Women's Club dance. However, even a swami couldn't predict the hilarious results arising from Ozzie in disguise... especially when Harriet and Clara decide to get in on the act.

Rick And Kris Go To The Mountains - Season Thirteen, 10/7/1964
When Rick, Wally and some of the fraternity members decide to hold a poker party at Kris's (Kristen Harmon, Rick's real-life wife) folks' mountain cabin over the weekend, Kris assumes the wives and girlfriends are also included -- the resulting situation is a hilarious mix-up with Rick right in the middle. Directed by David Nelson.

The Ballerina - Season Thirteen, 11/4/1964
Rick and some of his fraternity brothers consent to put on a comedy ballet act for the Women's Club Annual Children's Show. However, when the fellows get discouraged, Kris comes to the rescue by volunteering to perform the real thing. She shows her delightful capabilities as a true ballerina. In a dream sequence, she and Rick present an expertly performed excerpt from "Swan Lake."

The Prowler - Season Fourteen, 10/13/1965 (color)
When Ozzie tries to get out of playing bridge with his neighbors, Joe and Clara Randolph, by pretending to go on a fishing trip, his scheme backfires and an embarrassing and hilarious situation is the result.

The Game Room - Season Fourteen, 3/26/1966 (color)
When Ozzie decides to buy a new pool table and convert David and Rick's old bedroom into a game room, he meets with some opposition from Harriet. To get his way, Oz and his pal Joe come up with some sneaky strategies, including taking the girls to the Billiards-A-Go-Go. This was the last episode made in the series.

Featurette: Nelson Family Trivia Quiz

Ricky Sings: "Just A Little Bit Sweet"

Serious Disappointment Inside
I've purchased many DVD box sets of old TV shows, and this one is the most dumbfounding. Shout! Factory is legendary. Everything they've worked on has been a masterpiece, in particular the magnificent work they did on the SCTV releases. And the presentation and packaging here is up to Shout!'s fine standards. The menus are beautiful and intelligently navigated. The extras are always interesting and makes you want more -- especially in this case! -- of the episodes themselves. (I do wish, however, that the 8-minute "Story of O&H" on Disc One was a lot longer.)

And that leaves us with the problem. Time. And the episodes themselves. I am stunned. Yes, they are 50 years old, so poor prints and mediocre sound is understandable. But the most important thing you should know about this set before buying is this:

THE EPISODES ARE HORRIBLY CUT! Incredible. We read about how much care was taken by David Nelson and family in this presentation. Then why are the episodes the same darn cut-up versions we see in syndication and in all bootleg copies of the show??? Most episodes here are 22 minutes long, instead of the uncut 26-minute originals. Some are less. "David's Birthday" -- a classic episode -- is 19 minutes long!!

How could this have happened? Sure, we've all been anxious for this release, but couldn't David Nelson and Shout! had waited until the full-length episodes were ready to go before releasing this???

Disgraceful.

shame on SHOUT! factory and David Nelson
What a mess....truncated episodes...I can't believe we've waited all this time for the "official" release to get these chopped up episodes with the same syndication opening instead of the correct one per season/show. That was the first clue that there was something wrong...the next one was that the classic Tutti Frutti episode wasn't as long as the bloody VHS available decades ago...they even cut Ricky's singing on that one...ridiculous.
Perhaps this is why Gunnar and Matthew and Tracy aren't involved? A huge disappointment and from a company that normally does better. Still worth owning (at half the price) for what's there...but a shame to represent such a legendary series with such a half *@#sed production.