Benny Hill: Golden Classics [DVD]

It's been said that "a clown makes you laugh at him; a genius makes you laugh at yourself." I've always found this a rather narrow-minded view; it's quite possible to be both. Red Skelton & Benny Hill were two such examples. Indeed, one could call Benny Hill "The British Red Skelton." We of the English-speaking world spit on our clowns & mimes too much; we'd do well to take an example from the French & Italians (check out Fellini's awesome '71 documentary, "The Clowns").TV comedy had two great auteurs: Ernie Kovacs & Benny Hill. By "auteur," I mean both had complete ability to time, pace & frame a good pantomime sight-gag. But at the risk of being a Benedict Arnold to my fellow Americans, I have to say Benny Hill's achievements outstrip Kovacs'--if mainly for the reason Kovacs died too young. Both men literally drank themselves to death: Kovacs, while driving home drunk from a party; Hill, from ITV's cancellation of his 21-year-old show, represented in the present volume.....his enforced early retirement had him smoking, eating, and drinking himself to death.Forget Rowan Atkinson; he's a rank amateur compared with Hill's acumen for laugh-till-you-cry, uproarious slapstick entertainment. Here are the classic sketches that solidified his reputation....."Charlene's Angels"; "Super-Teech"; "Horny Boy-Scout Picnic"; "Hill's Angels: New York, New York"; "Hill's Angels: Enough Is Enough"; "The Stripper Clown"; "Clown & Ballerina"; "Wonder Granny Vs. Dr.Jekyll & Mr.Hyde"; "Mr. Chow Mein: Chinese Opera Company"; "Hill's Angels: Pleasure Cruise"; "The Gay Caballero"; "Benny's Place"; "Hill's Angel's: Workout!"; "The Brat With His Slingshot"; "The Scarlet Pimple"; and many more.But, by way of an open letter to Thames TV/HBO Video: PLEASE, people, may we have a DVD release of the great Hill sketches that NEVER made it onto home video?......Gems like "Foreign TV Commercial Goof-Ups"; "Wonder Granny Vs. Count Dracula"; "Mr. Chow Mein: Kung Fu Movie Director"; "Leprechaun Television (The Irish Independent TV Station)"; "Eurovision Song Contest"; "Lovely Lulubelle (The W.C.Fields Song)"; "Charlie's 92nd Birthday Celebration"; "The Woodstick Music Fair"; "Tex Cymbal, Rock Star"; and lots more??

One of the funniest men of his time!!! Remember watching him when I was younger. Can't find on TV anymore. Had to buy!

Benny Hill holds a special place in my heart. I used to watch it on channel 9-WOR TV here in NYC (about 20 years prior to the UPN age)..boy oh boy! that channel and tv in general has really changed But then at time I could always look forward to watching Benny Hill at about 730...I used to get all happy when the Big Ben-Thames logo would pop up and then the do-doo-do-doo theme would play. Then it was on...I'd look at Grampa and then Benny would hit that baldguy on his head and then i'd pat my grampas head...that chase was always the best i used to drive my grandmother nuts running all around the house like a little lunatic...jumping on the bed and all that good stuff...yep i used to make believe I was getting chased around by Benny and crew too.Benny Hill was a happy childhood memory.May you Rest in Peace Mr. Hill, thankyou for keeping me laughing all these years.

Benny Hill is a comic genius.This collection so far out of all of the DVD's I own, has the BEST skit/episode compliation yet. I can't tell you how hard I laughed during the first viewing. It brought back memories of my teen years. However this time, I understood a lot more of the humorous things he said.If you like Benny Hill, then this is THE collection you MUST have.I have not seen some of these episodes in over 20 years, and I'll tell you, they are even MORE funny now! The comic Genius of Benny Hill has staying power, and will continue to be funny decades from now.If you don't have this particular compilation - GET IT!

i like english humor

What more can I say when it is Benny Hill there is NOTHING than can sell then man better than himself. This is vintage very funny stuff which I can remember in some cases and was completely new to me in others. I was amazed to find sketches of Benny's which I hadn't seen previously and that was a real bonus. This is not an expensive DVD but you won't regret the money spent on it. It is already in my "do not lend you won't get it back" DVD collection and there it will stay.Great stuff, he was and is the best in the business.

Good skits. I have always found Benny Hill funny. I am having trouble finding any dvds with the skits he did as a little boy. He says a word with an accent that sounds very bad and then the people come up with the correct word. Always loved his little boy but has not been on any the the Benny Hill dvds I have gotten. But still love the humor.

This is a nice collection.