|  | Actors: Anne Francis, John Ericson, Bruce the Ocelot
Studio: Vci Entertainment
List Price: $39.99
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Rating:  72 reviews
Sales Rank: 16573
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
Condition: Five Star Seller!!! New, factory sealed US Region 1 DVD. Item is 100% guaranteed not to be a bootleg or import. Item is shipped directly from our warehouse. Easy exchange if item defective or damaged in shipped.
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Showing reviews 56-60 of 72
 Karate in an evening gown September 24, 2008
The Movie Man (Maywood, New Jersey USA)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
"Honey West" is a pioneer in many ways. Honey, played by Anne Francis, is the first cop or private detective to use martial arts on TV. Most people of a certain age remember Diana Rigg as Mrs. Peel on "The Avengers," but that series bowed two years after "Honey West." The TV networks hadn't yet gone to all-color broadcasting, so the 30 "Honey West" episodes in this set are in black & white.
The half-hour format moves the stories along pretty quickly, but many of them are just routine. To pep them up, Ms. Francis is given elaborate clothes to wear. In one scene, she may be sporting a mink, in another a sequined gown, in yet another a slinky black cocktail dress, so she always keeps the eye entertained. And it's not unusual for her to utilize her martial arts skills while dressed in tight-fitting formal wear as she faces assorted bad guys who cross her path.
Influenced by the James Bond films, which were themselves in their early years. "Honey West" features many gadgets, including earrings that are actually tear gas pellets, a garter belt gas mask, and a compact that doubles as a radio. Honey's pet is Bruce, a playful ocelot, a scene stealer if ever there was one.
John Ericson, a bland, square-jawed actor stars as Honey's partner, Sam Bolt. Ericson is handsome enough but often seems extraneous, since Honey is quite capable of handling herself. She's brave, agile, intelligent, sexy, and tosses off a wisecrack with finesse. It's fun watching Anne Francis in this role after having seen her in such feature films as "Forbidden Planet," "The Blackboard Jungle," and "Funny Girl."
For a stroll down TV Commercial Memory Lane, check out the montage of original commercials on Disc 4, including Dippity-Do, El Producto cigars (hawked by George Burns), Sweeta, and Mennen High Sierra After Shave Ice.
 CUTE CAT WHAT'S IT'S NAME? BRUCE September 24, 2008
STEVEN SCHNEIR (SOUTH CAROLINA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I can remember 1966 on Friday Nights watching Honey West and having my first television crush.
Anne Francis was so beautiful.
Really enjoyed the show 42 years later but what I didn't remember was Honey West episodes were only 30 minutes long.
This show was a Trailblazer in the fact that Honey was a Judo chopping, Smart, Sexy,Private detective before The Avengers hit the airwaves in the States One Year Later.
Just wish the show lasted more than one season.
To THINK in Honey West's time slot the competition was Gomer Pyle.
GOLLLLLY!
Honey West was very stylish and cool and would make an interesting Retro movie.
Would be very curious to see who'd be in the title role.
The origins of jiggle September 23, 2008
G. Ware Cornell Jr. (Weston FL)
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
Before Aaron Spelling produced cop shows like Starsky & Hutch - The Complete First Season or The Mod Squad - Season 1, Volume 1, he produced series featuring glamour cops. Honey West followed close on the heels of Burke's Law: Season 1 - Volume 1 (First 16 Episodes) the cop with the chauffeured Rolls.
Like Burke which starred Gene Barry, Honey West was a society detective albeit a private eye. She wore sequined long dresses and dazzling earrings which were in reality cleverly disguised tear gas canisters that could be set off to incapacitate bad guys who were always trying to kill Honey.
Arlene Francis who embodied Hollywood's idea of mid-century cool used her looks and judo skills to get the edge on crooks. She had a sidekick Sam Bolt ,played by John Ericson, who was smart enough never to upstage his leading lady.
No one today would mistake this series for quality television. But that was not the point. The point was outwitting the censors and getting more jiggle out over the air. We know that ultimately Spelling was successful since ten years later he brought us Charlie's Angels - The Complete First Season and Fantasy Island - The Complete First Season.
Honey West must be seen as a transitional series. If you keep that context in mind, you will enjoy the jiggle and the glamour. Besides where else can you watch a car chase featuring a bathtub Porsche and a Bentley?
Fine work of TV nostalgia with some good stories September 23, 2008
C. Fischer (Bloomington, IN United States)
In these days of 10-season shows on DVD for hundreds of dollars, it's kind of nice to be able to say you have "the whole series" for just $20! The four DVDs are packed with every episode but the pilot, which was really an episode introducing Honey West as a character on "Burke's Law". Other than some period TV commercials and stills of the cast, there aren't any real extras to speak of, but again, the price is right. The black and white transfer is decent, comparing with those from "Secret Agent Man" and the early "Avengers". It was kind of misleading for the producers to package the set with a richly colored portrait of Anne Francis on the cover, but I don't suppose too many people will be fooled.
Anne Francis made a fairly compelling female action lead, certainly a pioneer for the mid 60's along with Diana Rigg. The writing varies among the episodes and occasionally stimulates, but more often is there just to move the plot along, as character development is not the series' strong suit.
This set is self-recommending to those who watched it during their youth, and is also valuable as part of TV history. Whether it can compare with other series will certainly depend on your taste but the shows are probably more watchable than the later, also Spelling-produced, episodes of Charlie's Angels, which seem more gimmicky.
Interesting look back at tv in the 60's September 23, 2008
Harold Harefoot (Tucson, AZ United States)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The show is somewhat dated. In fact, even at the time, the slicker, funnier Avengers was a marginally better show. But considering how well that show holds up over time, Honey West isn't far behind. Besides, how can you not like Anne Francis and Bruce (the ocelot) - they were absolutely adorable - and the episodes were certainly entertaining. Plus, this was a huge step forward for women playing leading roles on tv - and Anne made the most of it. It is unfortunate that there's not dvd commentary or an interview of her for this release. However, for anyone interested in what she had to say about it (years after the fact), check out the Twilight Zone season 4 dvd set. There is an extensive interview of her in that set (she was on TZ twice) where she talks not only about TZ, but also about Honey West and what it was like to be the leading character in the show - and how much she really liked Bruce.
Showing reviews 56-60 of 72
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