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Take Gene Kelly, add some good songs and fun dances, mix in some cartoon animation and combine with the story of Jack And The Beanstalk and you should have an instant classic. That should have been the case with Hanna Barbera's Jack And The Beanstalk, a prime time live action/animated special that originally aired on NBC back in 1967. It was considered good enough to win an Emmy for Gene Kelly at the time, who also Produced and Directed. The highlights are Kelly, his relationship with the boy (Bobby Riha) and of course the music and dances. Unfortunately, where the show trips up is in the animation and combination processes. Viewed on smaller analog television screens with images broadcast from television transmitters, Beanstalk played better on the small screen with its imperfections partially masked back in the 1960s. However today, Viewing the show on a picture perfect 37 inch HDTV, the flaws are crystal clear. Hanna Barbera's animation ranks from poor to good, throughout the show. There's some full and some limited animation, with a good amount of it poorly drafted. Many of the shots with the giant lack any real scale, which would have added to the drama of the show. Acting wise, The giant is really flat in personality, with nothing more than Ted Cassidy's voice driving it. The same can be said of much of the other animated characters. What's even worse is the poor planning with matching the animation to the live action. Process shots are imperfect with a number of flaws in just about every scene. When the live action is supposed to contact with the animated characters, sometimes the matching is way off with Kelly looking in the wrong direction or he's simply on the wrong plane. This is not a fault of Kelly's, but rather a fault of the technical/animation teams. As a result, Kelly was supposedly very unhappy with Hanna Barbera about the lack of animation quality in the program. Kelly must have viewed the show projected on a big screen prior to airing, where all the problems must have seemed absolutely horrendous. Just a few years earlier, Disney made his virtually flawless live action/animation combination with Mary Poppins. But Beanstalk was being made for a much different medium, with tight time and budget constraints. Clearly, Hanna Barbera was saddled with a limited budget for this ambitious special, which had plenty of process shots, and much more animation than Poppins. The reality of producing a show like this is that it is being produced twice. The first time the film is shot with a live action crew, with sets and without. Kelly's dances had to be choreographed, rehearsed then filmed. The second time the film is shot is in animation where costs can escalate, especially when combining the animation to the live action. With all things considered, it was a tremendous undertaking. I saw this show on one of those primitive teevees back in 1967 and really loved it. I was six years old at the time. Today, The show still has its' charms, however the imperfections can have a negative effect on the viewing experience. But on the flip side, we're lucky that Warner Archive put this out on DVD at all. Kelly at this time, still had the goods and there are moments where you're reminded of past glories at MGM. Kelly and Riha make a great team and even though I Can't whole heartily recommend the show for casual viewers, I still believe this is a must for Hanna Barbera and Gene Kelly fans.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
This is a great family film featuring Gene Kelly. I saw this movie when I was a child, and still find the animation and human interactions fascinating. I recommend it 100%. Jack is adorable. Loved the singing and dancing. I wish I could find it in Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Italian languages, too.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I was very fortunate to be at the premier of Jack in the Beanstalk. This brings back wonderful childhood memories. Can’t wait to show to my grandchildren.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I remember seeing this movie on tv when I was a kid, and I loved it. Gene Kelly does some great dancing, and the animated characters and real characters all work great together. I consider this a classic movie from my childhood, a super FAMILY movie to those who appreciate movies from the 60's.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
We watch as a family, and all enjoyed it. When we watch tv half enjoy.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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