Search - Bobby Breen Musical Double Feature: Fisherman's Wharf (1939) / Rainbow On The River (1936) on DVD

RAINBOW ON THE RIVER

JOHN ZOLLBRECHT | WOODINVILLE, WASHINGTON United States | 05/05/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THIS IS A MOVIE MORE THAN SEVENTY YEARS OLD.
OBVIOUSLY, PHYSICAL QUALITY HAS IMPROVED
DRAMATICALLY IN THE YEARS SINCE. A STORY,
HOWEVER, TRANSCENDS TIME AS THIS ONE DOES.
IT MAY BE TOO SIMPLE AND EMOTIONAL FOR SOME,
BUT IT REFLECTS AN ERA AND DOES SO VERY WELL.
"

Don't waste your money . . .

G. Alan Hicks | 02/13/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Through trial and error, I have finally learned my lesson and come to the conclusion that the only decent prints of Bobby Breen films are to be found in the Roan Group releases of "Fisherman's Wharf" and "Way Down South". Though these are only two of the six or seven films Breen did at RKO, the quality of the Roan Group's releases far surpasses any other public domain offerings.

ALPHA's double feature release of Bobby's films should be avoided. It is no improvement over the myriad of other versions already on the market.

And, to whoever owns the rights to these wonderful pictures, whether it be Bobby Breen Productions or Warner Home Video, how about a break -- please release these titles for us fans to enjoy again."

Boy soprano extraordinaire

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 08/05/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Specialists in niche market material such as vintage programmers and TV shows, Pennsylvania-based ALPHA VIDEO is owned by Jerry Greene, founder of Collectable Records. Quality of their unrestored movie transfers varies from fair to good, based on condition of source material stock (often old 16mm broadcast prints). The only extras provided are a catalog insert and DVD-accessible title list.

According to imdb, total running time for this double feature is 159 minutes. That 90 on the product description may be a typo.


Bobby Breen had a stellar (if brief) movie career: eight starring roles from 1936 to '39, plus one final 1942 appearance (in "Johnny Doughboy") along with other former child phenoms Jane Withers, Spanky McFarland and Alfalfa Switzer. In his youthful prime, Bobby was the most famous boy singer of the 1930s, performing songs in English, French, Italian and Spanish.

The soprano-voiced Canadian-born Breen got his start in nightclubs at age 7, appeared on the Eddie Cantor radio show in 1936 and quickly moved on to Hollywood. Four short years later with the onset of puberty, Bobby suffered the fate of many child stars-- his remarkable career was virtually over. In 1967, the Beatles used his image in their celebrity collage on the "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover.


SYNOPSES:

FISHERMAN'S WHARF-- An orphan abondoned on San Francisco's docks is adopted by a fisherman. When the man's wife dies, his sister-in-law and her obnoxious son move in. The orphan is so upset by this he runs away, setting off a citywide search for him. In this one Bobby sings "Fisherman's Chantey," "Sell Your Cares for a Song" and "Blue Italian Waters."

RAINBOW ON THE RIVER-- A Southern child's parents are killed during the Civil War and he is sent north to live with his grandmother, where the boy meets with much resentment. He eventually charms her and the family with his singing and sweet personality.


Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll ratings.

(5.7) Fisherman's Wharf (1939) - Bobby Breen/Leo Carrillo/Henry Armetta/Lee Patrick/Rosina Galli/Leon Belasco

(7.8) Rainbow on the River (1936) - Bobby Breen/May Robson/Charles Butterworth/Alan Mowbray (uncredited: Matthew 'Stymie' Beard/Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson)"