Search - A Date With the Angels, Vol. 1 on DVD

For the serious Betty White fans

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 07/10/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Fans of Betty White will be very pleased to own this DVD, which contains four episodes from her 1957 television sitcom A DATE WITH THE ANGELS. Very similar in style and format to her earlier show "Life with Elizabeth", Betty White plays newly-married housewife Vickie Angel, with Bill Williams as her ever-patient husband Gus. There are also some good roles for Maudie Prickett and Richard Deacon as wacky neighbours.



A DATE WITH THE ANGELS (1957-58, ABC), is a very gentle and benign comedy, with most of the action revolving around Vickie's various domestic pursuits. Betty White brings a lot of charm and spirit to the show. With a vivacious, troublesome housewife at the core, it was a very pale imitation of "I Love Lucy"; and even "Life with Elizabeth" was a bit more original. However, it's a pretty good show and the four episodes collected here give a good sampling of the entire series. The quality of the episodes themselves come from very clean video masters (complete with the original sponsorship announcements), and the sound is easily heard.



Includes the following episodes:



"Silverstone*" - Vickie's teengaged nephew arrives for a visit and subsequently turns the entire household into an uproar. (*Silverstone was in fact the name of the main production company for the show, and I have strong doubts that this was the original title for the episode).



"The Feud" - Vickie and Gus find themselves in the middle of a fight between their two neighbours.



"Pike's Pique" - Vickie and Gus must contend with a crazy goose-chase involving a missing dog, a fortune teller and a waterside funfair.



"Chip Off the Old Block" - A neighbours' son comes back from the Navy with a whole new attitude.



(Single-sided, single-layer disc)"