The Mothers-in-Law: The Complete Series

• MOTHERS-IN-LAW, THE (DVD MOVIE)

HAZEL:THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON - DVD MovieHooray for Hazel! Shirley Booth stars as the irrepressible housekeeper Hazel in the endearing family TV series that ran from 1961 to 1966. A brilliant character actress, Booth wisecracks her way through Hazel's life, solving the problems of her employers, the often-befuddled Baxter family, as well as of the community (busting a shoplifting ring, finding homes for stray dogs, exposing a group of financial swindlers). All this Hazel does with her cheerful working-class enthusiasm, without getting so much as a stray wrinkle in her crisply pressed maid uniform (complete with little head thingy). When she gets into her own scrapes, she shrugs them off with Brooklynese cracks like, "Looks like I'm in the soup again!" The show is a perfect snapshot of early 1960s America, complete with frozen-in-time décor (did eve! ryone have that same print of the little-girl ballet dancer framed in their living room?) and a lovely leisurely pace. Hazel can make an entire episode out of one single premise, as when Mr. Baxter decides that an unlisted phone number might cut down on the number of crank phone calls. And who wouldn't be nostalgic for a time when middle-class households had a working dad, a mostly-stay-at-home mom, perfectly behaved kids--and live-in housekeepers? Part of the appeal of Hazel, though, is that it's clear her life is much broader than her occupation. She knows everyone in town, from the balloon guy at the local park to the most powerful judge on the bench--all of which eventually comes in handy. And did we mention she's a cham-peen league bowler? Booth won two well-deserved Emmys for her portrayal of Hazel. The boxed set includes all 35 25-minute episodes, and you won't want to miss a one. I'm talking to youse! --A.T. HurleyThe Complete First Season 1959 ! 1960, All 32 Original Episodes


The comic misa! dventure s of television’s most well-meaning but misguided boy are back! The lovable Dennis Mitchell (Jay North) left a trail of chaos throughout his suburban neighborhood. Yet along with his friends and classmates Tommy (Billy Booth) and Margaret (Jeannie Russell), Dennis managed to pry his way into the hearts of millions from week to week. Based on the long-running comic strip by Hank Ketcham, this beloved CBS television series (1959 1963) stayed true to form, as Dennis’s youthful curiosity always managed to get him into heaps of trouble . . . especially with his crotchety old neighbor Mr. Wilson (Joseph Kearns). Herbert Anderson and Gloria Henry starred as Dennis’s parents who were always on hand with love and guidance but not necessarily the required supervision.

Here for the first time on DVD are all 32 uncut episodes from the first season of Dennis The Menace!The first season of Dennis the Menace, a black-and-white sitcom based on the comic strip by Hank Ke! tcham that ran on CBS from 1959 to 1960, featured an energetic, curious young boy who was simply a magnet for mischief. Dennis (Jay North) is essentially a good boy who always wants to be right in the middle of whatever's going on in his suburban neighborhood and has an insatiable desire to "help" his friends and neighbors. His loving, but exasperated parents (Gloria Henry and Herbert Anderson) never seem quite able to anticipate what kind of trouble Dennis might get into next, but one can bet that it will probably have something to do with their grouchy neighbor Mr. Wilson (Joseph Kearns). Whether it's planting flowers, pouring a concrete walk, camping out in the backyard, finding a buyer for a neighbor's house, or talking on the neighborhood (telephone) party line, Dennis always seems to inadvertently make a mess of things. In some ways, this sitcom is surprisingly timeless in its portrayal of a young boy and his abundant energy and overwhelming sense of curiosity, but de! tails like the prevalence of cap guns and shooting games in De! nnis's p lay, firecrackers tossed casually into the garbage and incinerator, and the stereotypical portrayal of a "woman's role" are startling reminders of how much has changed since the late 1950s and early 1960s. Bonus features include a 2010 interview with Henry and Jeannie Russell (Margaret) about everything from casting to the weekly shooting schedule and various troubles on the set; a 2007 audio-only radio interview with Henry and Russell; the 1960 Donna Reed Show episode "Donna Decorates," which guest-starred Dennis the Menace; and the original show promo, credits, and commercials. --Tami HoriuchiIt's a funny family feud from Desi Arnaz and the writers of I Love Lucy
Set in the swinging late 1960s, THE MOTHERS-IN-LAW centers on the laugh-filled misadventures of longtime neighbors in suburban Los Angeles who become related to each other when their children suddenly get married.

Legendary actress Eve Arden (Our Miss Brooks, Grease) stars as Eve Hubbard,! the sophisticated wife of straight-laced lawyer Herbert Hubbard (Herb Rudley). Veteran comedienne Kaye Ballard plays Kaye Buell, the outspoken wife of bombastic television writer Roger Buell (Roger C. Carmel and Richard Deacon). To the dismay of their hapless husbands, the strong-willed mothers are determined to meddle in the lives of  newlyweds Jerry (Jerry Fogel) and Suzie Hubbard (Deborah Walley).The Mothers-in-Law is one of those "You had to be there" shows, best appreciated by those who dimly but fondly remember this short-lived series. This was Desi Arnaz's last TV series as a producer. As a swan song, it's more "We're Having a Baby, My Baby and Me" than "Cuban Pete," but for a show that was hopelessly square even back in 1967 (as witness the cringe-worthy episode featuring the one-hit wonder band the Seeds, who perform said one hit, "Pushin' Too Hard"), it rates as a found treasure thanks to the crack timing and expert clowning of its stars. Show biz troup! ers Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard star as reserved and sophistica! ted Eve Hubbard and histrionic and overly emotional Kaye Buell. They are neighbors with an odd-couple friendship whose lives become further bound when their children, Eve's daughter Susie (Deborah Walley) and Kaye's son Jerry (Jerry Fogel), get married and move in to the Hubbards' garage. Arnaz did not attempt to reinvent the wheel with The Mothers-in-Law. Created and written primarily by I Love Lucy scribes Bob Carroll Jr. and Madelyn Davis, the series takes several pages from the Lucy playbook. Arden and Ballard have a Lucy-Ethel chemistry. Arnaz, who directed many of the episodes, deftly stages the ladies' slapstick shenanigans. And just as Lucy never stopped plotting to get into husband Ricky's act, so do Eve and Kaye insist on meddling in their children's lives, much to the eye-rolling annoyance of their long-suffering husbands (Herbert Rudley and Roger C. Carmel). Several episodes also manage to work in comical production numbers to showcase the cast's tal! ents. Fan-favorite episodes include those in which Arnaz guest stars as matador Raphael Del Gado from Barcelona. Other memorable guest stars include Don Rickles, Ozzie Nelson, Paul Lynde, and a pre-All in the Family Rob Reiner. Despite being sandwiched between Disney's The Wonderful World of Color and Bonanza, The Mothers-in-Law was not a ratings smash. In season 2, Carmel left the show in a salary dispute and was replaced Darrin-style with Richard Deacon, and not even the addition of grandchildren to the family mix could save the series. The extras on this eight-disc set are impressive. Baby boomers will get a nostalgic kick out of seeing the NBC peacock unfurl its feathers in "living color," as well as period commercials. There is a newly filmed interview with the gracious Ms. Ballard, the original unaired pilot featuring Kay Cole as Susie, two failed Arnaz series pilots for The Carol Channing Show and Lands End, and solo variety ! show performance clips featuring Arden and Ballard. Unlike the! intrusi ve Mrs. Hubbard and Mrs. Buell, TV buffs should welcome The Mothers-in-Law into their homes. --Donald Liebenson