The Best Of Mister Ed – Volume Two (MGM DVD)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: D     Episodes: C+

 

 

NOTE: This Best Of volume (one of two) from MGM are out of print and they have decided to issue the individual seasons through Shout! Factory.  You can read more starting at this link:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9089/Mister+Ed+%E2%80%93+Season+One

 

 

Now, the original review…

 

 

MGM continues their definitive releases of episodes of Mr. Ed with a second volume of 20 black and white shows starring a talking horse who is even more impressive in that he talks without digital effects.  Like it or not, the show was a hit and one of the last of its kind in that the gimmick was simple and people bought it.  TV was soon to change radically and when the idea was recycled for the horrid My Mother, The Car a few years later, one of the worst TV shows of all time had debuted.

 

This series has not aged well at all, though the show and these copies have fared better.  Credit goes to Alan Young for his Wilbur Post was not an easy character to keep fresh.  Young in real life always was supportive of the show and never disappointed the fans.  Now, this is like watching an old children’s television show, but its audience went beyond that.  Nevertheless, it was a hit and some kind of minor classic.  The shows here in this double-sided, double DVD set are:

 

1)     Ed Gets The Mumps

2)     Ed Visits A Gypsy

3)     Ed, The Chauffeur

4)     Ed, The Donkey

5)     Mae West Meets Mister Ed

6)     Mister Ed Writes Dear Abby

7)     Like Father, Like Horse

8)     Ed, The Race Horse

9)     Ed, The Pilot

10)  Ed, The Stowaway

11)  Animal Jury

12)  Ed’s Juice Stand

13)  Ed’s Contact Lenses

14)  The Bank Robbery

15)  My Horse, The Mailman

16)  Robin Hood Ed

17)  Ed, The Artist

18)  Ed A Go-Go

19)  Coldfinger (aka Ed Sniffs Out A Cold Clue)

20)  Ed Breaks The Hip Code (aka Spies Strike Back)

 

 

From those titles, you can tell the show was trying to jump on every trend and obvious gag it could.  That they got celebrities only legitimized the nuttiness.  Since TV was still so new and was only on the verge of its color turnover shows just how innocent those innocent days were.  Unfortunately, this was a one trick-pony, er, horse show and it wears thin quickly.  It was an original for what that’s worth and that is why MGM continues to issue these sets.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image was shot on film and looks decent for its age.  As compared to other filmed black and white TV we have looked at, it is not as good as Have Gun, Will Travel, but could hold its own against the filmed Avengers with Diana Rigg.  However, the gray scale is sometimes off depending on the print, but that is still better than you will see them just about anywhere else.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is about what one could expect form a show this old, with the famous title songs in tact on every show.  There are no extras, something many a bootleg could also claim.  MGM really should add extras to the next set, as the series at least deserves to be placed in some context.  Otherwise, it is for fans and the strongly curious.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo