Honey West: The Complete Series (4pc) (Full B&W) | 
| Actors: Anne Francis, John Ericson, Bruce the Ocelot
Studio: Vci Entertainment
List Price: $39.99
Buy New: $19.84
You Save: $20.15 (50%)
New (35) Used (9) Collectible (1) from $19.84
Rating:  69 reviews
Sales Rank: 5060
Format: Box set, Black & White, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 4
Running Time: 900 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 8515
UPC: 089859851520
EAN: 0089859851520
ASIN: B001B0H7DG
Release Date: September 2, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Video Communications Inc. Release Date: 09/02/2008 Run time: 900 minutes Rating: Nr
Amazon.com
"A girl's place is in the home." Someone forgot to tell Honey West (Anne Francis), a "private eye-ful" unlike any character American television had ever seen. Created in the 1950s by Skip and Gloria Fickling for a series of steamy pulp fictions, Honey was introduced on TV in an episode of Burke's Law, in which she matched wits with Gene Barry's playboy chief of homicide (that would have been a nice extra in this set). A woman of exotic charms, Honey was seriously sexy, glamorously outfitted, proficient in karate and judo, and kept a pet ocelot. Who wouldn't want to see her in her own weekly series? Honey ran her late father's Los Angeles detective agency with hot-headed Sam (John Ericson), a former junior partner, who provided her with such Bondian gadgets as tear gas earrings and an radio transmitter disguised as a martini olive. The first episode, "The Swingin' Mrs. Jones" establishes the show's cool vibe and cult appeal. Honey sets herself up at a resort as "blackmail bait." And over the course of the 30 episodes, it only gets hotter, as Honey pursues a gang of thieves that includes a Honey look-alike (and is fronted by Alan Reed, the voice of Fred Flintstone!), solves the mystery of a kidnapped rock and roll musician (Bobby Sherman), protects a woman receiving death threats, and foils an insurance fraud scam (in the award-winning episode, "The Grey Lady," written by future Columbo collaborators William Link and Richard Levinson). Along the way, she inevitably runs afoul of the police ("When your father was head of the agency, I never had any trouble") or enrages Sam with her impulsive actions. The cleverly plotted half hour black-and-white episodes feature witty dialogue, jazzy scores (dig the accordion!), and great action (Honey is a knockout in more ways than one). By 1965, when Honey West premiered, spies and detectives rivaled cowboys in popularity. Honey was the first female detective to front her own series, and certainly the first detective to be spied luxuriating in a bubble bath. Honey West only ran one season. For this, we can reportedly blame the top-rated Gomer Pyle and the arrival on the same network of The Avengers, with Diana Rigg's Emma Peel. But Honey West still delivers retro kicks. As one high society hostess remarks to Honey in one episode, "You're welcome at any party of mine." --Donald Liebenson
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 69
 Heavenly June 26, 2009
Rob See (Danville, CA US)
I love this compilation. It's nice to have the complete series together, instead of in multiple volumes. It's such an important precursor to strong, adventure seeking women. It's one of the most stylish television shows of all time.
 Nostalgia May 27, 2009
Only-A-Child
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The "Honey West" 4 single-sided disc DVD release contains all 30 (half-hour) B & W episodes, which ran on ABC during the 1965-66 television season. Also included are some vintage commercials and several promos for other ABC shows. The set is nicely made from high quality recordings of the original episodes.
If you are unfamiliar with the show it is like a blend of Honor Blackman's "Avengers" episodes and Gene Barry's "Burke's Law" stuff. In fact, the title character and her associate Sam Bolt (John Ericson) had been first introduced to television audiences in the "Who Killed the Jackpot" episode of "Burke's Law".
It did not approach the imaginative whimsy of Diana Rigg's "Avenger" episodes. It was played pretty straight, putting it a bit behind the times as shows like "The Wild Wild West" and "The Man From UNCLE" were following "The Avengers" down the self-parody road. This odd disconnect was one reason the series never made it past its first season.
Another problem (obvious at the time even to a pre-teen like myself) was the casting of a high mileage actress like Anne Francis in the title role. Francis had been tantalizing eye candy back in the 1950's (see "Forbidden Planet" and "Susan Slept Here"). Unfortunately by 1965 she looked like my Cub Scout den mother, but with too much make-up and a much more tacky wardrobe. Poor Anne had gotten a little chunky by this time and you felt sorry for her trying to go after the same demographic as the svelte and much younger looking Diana Rigg. And they wonder why these things get weak ratings.
The half-hour format also hurt the series as there was not sufficient time for either character development or interesting misdirection. The production design was pretty basic and generally low budget. They did manage a few gimmicks like a pet ocelot (named Bruce), high tech gadgets, and a nicely understated attraction between Honey and Sam.
Honey is more Cathy Gale than Mrs. Peel, using her feminine wiles and a few judo moves. Francis and her stunt coordinator were not up to Mrs. Peel's fighting skills so Honey mostly resorts to a gun. The action sequences are generally pretty lame, so you can imagine that after a few tries at staging fights the producers decided that it would be a good idea to give Honey marksmanship ability.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
Fun shows rich in mid-1960s nostalgia March 19, 2009
Rudolf Schmid (Kensington, CA)
HONEY WEST was telecast in the U.S. starting 17 Sep. 1965 on ABC TV in 30 episodes, each the then standard half hour. The show starred Anne Francis as Honey West (30 episodes), John Ericson as Sam Bolt her side-kick (30 episodes), Irene Hervey as Aunt Meg (16 episodes), and Bruce as Bruce the Ocelot (16 episodes). The series is now issued complete on 4 DVDs. Total time is a claimed 15 hours, actually less sans commercials, which are viewable as extra features. These also include two photo galleries. Unfortunately, the DVD set offers no background information on the show. Also not included is the pilot, where Honey West was introduced on a 1965 Burke's Law episode, "Who Killed the Jackpot?"
Capitalizing on the new James Bond craze, Honey West was a female Bond type with sexy outfits, snappy dialog, gadgets galore (e.g., tear-gas earrings and a radio transmitter disguised as a martini olive), and fast-moving, often contrived plots. The shows are fun to watch, as are the mid-60s cars and fashions and the separate vintage commercials. Highly recommended, especially if you were a mid-60s male teenager.
Fast Honey From The Sixties March 7, 2009
Wiser Now (Everett, WA United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Just finished the final episode of "Honey West" The complete series. (Once started, and immediately falling in love with Ms. Francis, I kept running them night after night).
Apologies to her sidekick, John Ericson, but the series really belongs to it's star. For me, it was an increasing joy to watch her as a sex doll on the outside, and a delightfully shrewd actress on the inside - charmingly far ahead of the stories she was playing, or the actors with whom she played them. She radiated a very attractive, (natural?) abiding satirical humor beneath the story events, in a way strongly enhancing, not subtracting audience enjoyment. (If it wasn't natural, it was a sadly uncommon acting achievement)
The episodes rip along at a pace quite appropriate to distracting audience attention from the admittedly rapidly written 26 minute storylines of the era. The idea behind the series was to provide never-too-serious fast fun, and with Ms. Francis out front in so many admirable ways past surprising, it becomes smile-inducing warp-speed escapism (which also featured a number of imminently famous guest stars).
This is a unique show March 6, 2009
TexanInWashington (Monroe, WA)
Because of when this show was produced, and because of its producer's involvement with other shows of more comedic genres, it is unique. Honey West lies somewhere in between light-hearted Gilligan's Island and the totally serious Mission Impossible series. The plots are always serious at their hearts, but the whole show is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. As we've grown more accustomed to serious shows of destruction, explosions, and death, viewing this series will remind you of a time when America was more innocent. Honey West is somewhat like a ten-year-old's attempt to describe really serious events. The episodes involve a potentially serious situation but go on to treat it with an optimistic, childlike solution. It's cute, and it's old-fashioned, whole-family-can-watch-it entertainment. Even if you're a guy that has grown to expect Hollywood's current action thrillers, you'll still enjoy watching Anne Francis. She's hot!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 69
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