The litany of comedians from yesteryear appearing in this tribute to the late Milton Berle is impressive: Steve Allen, Red Buttons, Norm Crosby, Buddy Hackett, Rich Little, Art Linkletter and Larry Gelbart. Less impressive is that a) they're all, shall we say, well past their primes in this 1998 celebrity roast--minus the dinner--and b) this is not a compilation of classic clips with commentary by the great star's contemporaries. Unfortunate, since Uncle Miltie at his best is priceless, as are his roasters (wait, does Norm Crosby have a best?), and nobody's at their best here, although the participants do share a few amusing stories. The DVD's special features (a photo gallery and a text bio) are a bit pedestrian, but the photos hint at Berle's greatness as they remind viewers of favorite bits, like his many forays into the world of comic drag. Far from essential stuff, this is only worth considering for archival television history and Berle collections--unless, like me, you simply can't get enough footage of Buddy Hackett in action. A better choice here might be the six-volume set Milton Berle's Buick Hour featuring Berle in his TV series, circa 1953-1954. Optional. Aud: C, P. (M. Tribby)
Milton Berle: An All-Star Tribute to Mr. Television
(2002) 95 min. DVD: $19.95. Eclectic DVD Distribution (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 17, Issue 6
Milton Berle: An All-Star Tribute to Mr. Television
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: