A childhood favorite to generations of children, "Jack and The Beanstalk" premiered April 12, 1952. One of two independent productions by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello during their time at Universal Studios, "Jack and the Beanstalk" is a fun musical comedy version of the famous folk tale.
The production is not as stellar as "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), the film it tries to imitate in design, but it is fun for children and families. As a 1990s kid who first saw this film on VHS it was an equal to "Oz" or any other live action fantasy film
Initial reviews of the film in 1952 were mixed to positive, and overwhelmingly recommending the movie to kids. Praised among the cast were Buddy Baer as the giant, 6' 2" Dorothy Ford as the giant's housekeeper, and Barbara Brown as Jack's mother. Adding romance and excellent singing were James Alexander, a stage veteran as the Prince, and Shaye Cogan a television vocalist as the Princess.
The songs are fun and well written. Costello is a surprisingly good singer, able to still be funny while bolting a rhyming lyric.
Today after 70 years the film looks and sounds better than ever with new 4K restorations.
Watch Jack and the Beanstalk: 4k Restoration Special Edition on Tubi: https://link.tubi.tv/9mKqvnqjbpb
