Wiry with an oversized head that looked like it had been stretched in all directions by a taffy-pulling machine, Spike Jones (1911-1965) was a drummer for various orchestras before putting together his own original band. (He was a percussionist on Bing Crosby's original recording of "White Christmas" and reportedly was a studio drummer on The Wizard of Oz.) The band first came into prominence during World War II, partly on the success of Jones's recording of "Der Fuehrer's Face," which apparently was a cover of the song written for the classic Donald Duck cartoon but possibly introduced by Spike before that animated short was released. In any case, Spike and his band became a fixture on radio throughout the forties, famous for such hilarious recordings as "Cocktails for Two," "My Old Flame," "Laura," "The Sheik of Araby," "You Always Hurt the One You Love," and many others.

The neat thing about these TV appearances is the ability to put faces with the songs' vocalists and to members' specific instruments (often more than one): trumpet player George Rock, who secured an acre of immortality singing "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" in a baby voice at odds with his middle-aged features; wild-haired Sir Frederick Gas (who died just last month; many mourned the passing of Gas); brothers Dick and Fred Morgan (banjos) and malapropism-infested Doodles Weaver (Sigourney's uncle), famous for his racetrack rendition of "The William Tell Overture." For television (and presumably for live performances) the band integrated a frenetic barrage of wild sight gags; one memorable bit has a midget emerging from the back of a string bass. These performances were all done live before a studio audience, and some of the gags don't come off due to mechanical glitches, but this only adds to the fun, watching Spike and his gang try to ad-lib their way out of such snafus.

The first two discs of this three-disc-plus-a-CD set offer two Colgate Comedy Hour appearances from February and September 1951, and two All Star Revue guest shots from January and June 1952. (Both shows had a rotating list of mostly comedy stars, including Abbott & Costello and Martin & Lewis.) These Spike shows are very funny and fascinating from a television history perspective, though best enjoyed in small doses. Most of Jones's arrangements involved the same mix of (exquisitely-timed) cow bells, gunshots, broken glass and the like, and in an hour format it borders on overkill. There's a bit of sketch humor here and there, as well as appearances by Spike's voluptuous wife, Helen Grayco, and the occasional novelty act (one show features an interminable performance by trampoline acrobats) but mostly it's The City Slickers performing their most popular numbers.

Mike Wallace, a lo-o-o-o-n-g way from Sixty Minutes is the announcer on the first show, and his attempts to do a live commercial with Grayco are funnier than the intentionally funny one with Spike's gang later in the show. Billy Eckstine (whose vocal style was famously spoofed by Spike), Hugh Herbert (in his last appearance; he died two months later), and Liberace (hilariously lampooned by Billy Barty in at least one Jones recording) turn up in later shows.

The third disc is a slim (25 minutes) but satisfying collection of Extra Features that include a brief Person-to-Person interview with Spike and Helen Grayco at their Beverly Hills home, circa 1960; a not very funny lecture by Spike as "Leonard Burnside" on a 1961 Ed Sullivan Show; a segment featuring "Weird Al" Yankovic acknowledging Spike's influence on his own career while giving Jones and his band credit as accomplished musicians. (He pointedly mentions that Jones did everything live, without the benefit of digital multi-track recording technology. Jones himself later was an innovator in high-fidelity stereophonic recordings and arrangements.) Also included are interview snippets with Grayco and several members of Spike's band. The interviews are most welcome though dated; some appear at least 20 years old but are not identified as such, and overall the extras play like pieces of an unfinished documentary. A bonus CD includes two radio comedy pilots from 1945, where Spike and His City Slickers again perform some of their biggest hits.

Video & Audio

Both The Colgate Comedy Hour and All Star Revue were shot live and preserved as kinescopes for broadcast in other parts of the country. Kinescopes tend to vary widely in quality, both in terms of how well the original image was preserved, and how well their film format elements survived to the present day. Happily, these are among the better-preserved kinescopes this reviewer has seen; the first All Star Revue looks exceptionally good. The audio is okay, given the limitations of the recording technology. The extras are all standard 4:3 stuff; the Person-to-Person interview looks fine. There are no subtitle options.

Extra Features

See above.

Parting Thoughts

If you've never heard of Spike Jones but enjoy classic comedy or are interested in big band music or novelty songs, a rental of this set is heartily recommended. If you're a fan of Spike Jones you'll probably want to get this based on the quality of the performances, the transfers and extras, all of which are well above average. Highly Recommended.

Film historian Stuart Galbraith IV's most recent essays appear in Criterion's new three-disc Seven Samurai DVD and BCI Eclipse's The Quiet Duel.