Classic TV and Movies

The Frank Sinatra Radio Collection

2011-11-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

Frank Sinatra began his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. Sinatra quickly became a successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, and was the idol of the "bobby soxers." In May 1941, Sinatra was at the top of the male singer polls in the Billboard and Down Beat magazines. These rare radio broadcast are from the 1940s sponsored by Old Gold Cigarettes. Most every week, Frank is joined by guest stars like Ginny Simms, Frances Langford, Louis Prima, Bob Hope and others. This collection includes 14 original half-hour broadcast. Available from Nostalgia Merchant.

Frank Sinatra Classic TV show

2011-11-05T15:32:00.001-07:00

We now offer 4 volumes of the Frank Sinatra TV Show on DVD. All of the shows are complete with original commercials. Guest include: Ella Fitzgerald, Peter Lawford, Juliet Powse, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and more. Great music and great fun. Shop Nostalgia Merchant for these rare shows. Also checkout the Frank Sinatra Radio Collection.

December Bride Classic TV collection

2011-11-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

December Bride centered around the adventures of Liily Ruskin, a spry widow who was not in fact a "December bride" but very much desired to become one, if the right man came along. Aiding Lily in her search for this prospective suitor were her daughter Ruth, her son-in-law Matt, and her close friend and peer, Hilda Crocker. A next door neighbor, Pete Porter, was a frequent guest. Married miserably himself, according to his constant complaints about his unseen wife Gladys, he despised his mother-in-law. December Bride airded for five seasons, beginning in 1954 and ending in 1959. Starring: Spring Byington as Lily Ruskin, Frances Rafferty as Ruth Henshaw, Dean Miller as Matt Henshaw, Verna Felton as Hilda Crocker and Harry Morgan as Pete Porter. This collection includes 24 episodes on 6 DVDs.Available now from Nostalgia Merchant.

Ozzie and Harriet Classic TV Collection

2011-11-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet was one of the most enduring family-based situation comedies in American television. This is the only collection available with the original commercials exactly as broadcast on ABC. The commercials are just as much fun to watch as the shows.

Family TV Classics Collection

2011-11-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

This is a great collection of Classic TV shows from the 1950s. Return with us to the thrilling days of the 1950s and those wonderful classic TV sitcoms and variety shows. This huge collection includes hundreds of hours of family TV viewing. This collection has a little bit of everything; Sitcoms, variety shows, detective shows, game shows, cartoons, westerns and more. For complete information at titles visit our website.

Amos and Andy 60th Anniversary Collection

2011-11-05T13:22:00.001-07:00

The Amos and Andy 60th Anniversary Collection is available again in our store. This collection is beautifully packaged and ready for Christmas gift giving. Be sure to order early (NOW). This may be your last chance to get this great Amos and Andy Collection. This set includes 16 DVDs with custom menus. And why not add a great collection of Amos and Andy Radio Show. We have two CD collections available. Be sure to read Amos and Andy Banned for more information on the show and the TV cast.

The Lone Ranger Classic Radio Shows

2011-11-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

"The masked rider of the plains" became one of the most popular and enduring western heroes of the 20th century. Joined by his trusty steed, Silver, and loyal Indian scout, Tonto, the Lone Ranger rode forth to do battle with evil western outlaws and Indians, generally arriving just in the nick of time. The Lone Ranger radio program was extremely popular with both children and adults and aired from 1933 to 1956. The Lone Ranger Vo1. 1 and Vol. 2 includes thirty-two episodes from the early 1930s. "Return with us now to those thrillling days of yesteryear..." on The Lone Ranger from Nostalgia Merchant your source for old time radio.

Great Gildersleeve Radio Classics

2011-11-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

The Great Gildersleeve is a wonderful family classic radio sitcom. If you're traveling this holiday season we recommend this collection. Put it in the CD player for miles of smiles. Written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. Built around Throckmorton Philharmonic Gildersleeve, a character who had been a staple on Fibber McGee and Molly, was first Introduced in a 1932 broadcast. The Great Gildersleeve enjoyed its greatest success in the 1940s. Actor Harold Peary played the character during its transition from the parent show into the spin-off and later in a quartet of feature films released at the height of the show's popularity. Check out all the Great Gildersleeve volumes from Nostalgia Merchant.

Old Time Radio Classics

2011-11-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

We've just added several new Classic Radio Collections. Mr. President is one of our best collections yet. This series was created by Robert Jennings. Each week the president was played by Edward Arnold and included a supporting cast of Bea Benaderet, Gil Stratton, Hans Conried, Lurene Tuttle, and Herb Butterfield. Mr. President ran on the ABC Network from June 26, 1947 to September 23, 1953. Each half-hour episode was based on an incident in the life of one of the people who have held the office of President of the United States. The scripts were written in such a way as not to reveal the name of the President until the last line of dialog at the end of the program, when the President would be revealed. The audience was thus encouraged to guess, from the plot of the episode, which President it was. Mr. President Volumes one and two you'll get 32 eipsodes of this rare classic. Got a history buff in your family? Mr. President would make a great gift for the holidays.

The Life of Riley Collection - Volume 2 - Classic TV

2011-10-23T18:23:00.001-07:00

New Release: Life of Riley Classic TV Shows - Vol. 2.
Here is the original Life of Riley collection. Many of these episodes have been uploaded to streaming video services like VEOH, YouTube, and others, without our permission. However, we are the original source of these rare episodes. We are very proud of our Life of Riley collection. You'll love the quality. Televison's classic lovable bumbler, Chester Riley, was played by William Bendix. Marjorie Reynolds portrayed his wife Peg, and Wesley Morgan was Junior. The program first appeared in 1949, with Jackie Gleason and Rosemary De Camp in the leading roles, and was on for two seasons. Bendix started the new series in 1953, and it remained on the air for five years before going into syndication. Volume One is also still available.

War of the Worlds Collection

2011-10-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Announcing a major new release from Nostalgia Merchant Studios. The War of the Worlds Collection. The War of the Worlds was made famous by Orson Wells on his Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938, and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System. Directed and narrated by actor Orson Welles, the episode was an adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds. This collection includes that original radio broadcast on compact disc, two film versions, as well as four more classic science-fiction movies. Check it OUT! ONLY $26.95 WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

The Milton Berle Collection - Classic TV

2010-04-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

Nostalgia Merchant presents, The Milton Berle Collection. The Texaco Star Theater was one of the most popular shows in the history of television. In the first year, Milton Berle was not the permanent emcee, but once he replaced the rotation, the show soared to ratings dominance (number one in 1950-1951, NBC dominated Tuesday night, and Berle became the first great star of television. The basic format was modeled after a vaudeville variety show, spot-lighting Berle’sjokes, sight gags, and costumes. This collection includes 8 hour-long vintage shows from the early 1950s. We've included a couple of Berle-Buick shows. All of these shows contain the original commercials. Hours of great viewing here. Guest stars include: Elvis Presley, Harry James, Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Gale Storm, Vic Damone, and many more. Get it today from The Nostalgia Merchant.

The Man Behind the Badge - Classic TV - DVD

2010-04-23T06:26:00.000-07:00

Nostalgia Merchant releases 8 episodes of this vintage TV series from 1953 on 2 DVDs. Featuring true stories from the casebooks of police departments and courtrooms across America, The Man Behind the Badge brought these stories to life in this gritty crime anthology from the early 1950s. Hosted by veteran Hollywood character actor and triple Oscar nominee, Charles Bickford, these episodes deliver hard-boiled sagas of real criminals and the dedicated men in uniform who work tirelessly to bring them to justice. Check out this collection and other great classic TV shows at the Nostalgia Merchant.

Racket Squad Collection - Classic TV -DVD

2010-04-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

Reed Hadley stars as Captain Braddock of Racket Squad Each episode of this classic cop show was inspired from actual police files on cases involving con men. RACKET SQUAD was nominated for two Emmys. The show aired from 1950 to 1953. The series was filmed at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, California and was sponsored by Cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris, which is why there was a pack of the sponsor's brand on Braddock's desk at the beginning and end of the episode, as well as occasional scenes of him or other characters "lighting up" a good old American cigarette. The Racket Squad Collection is now available from the Nostalgia Merchant. This collection includes 32 episodes on 8 DVDs in chronological order. Many of these shows have been previously released by other distributors in piecemeal fashion. This collection includes all of the episodes known to be available at this time. Check it out now at the Nostalgia Merchant.

Mr. and Mrs North Collection

2010-04-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

Nostalgia Merchant announces the most complete collection of the classic TV series Mr. and Mrs. North, ever released. This awesome collection includes all 45 episodes known to exist at this time. It comes in a 10 DVD album. All episodes have been digitally restored. If you're a mystery/crime-drama fan, you'll love this collection with many hours of viewing entertainment. Best of all the price is affordable... only $38.95. Available now from the Nostalgia Merchant, your source for rare, hard-to-find, classic TV shows and movies on DVD.

Classic TV - Watch FREE episodes - Video on demand

2010-04-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

You can now watch hundreds of classic TV episodes FREE from The Nostalgia Merchant. You can watch on VEOH, or on the Nostalgia Merchant website. You can also watch hundreds of full-length movies FREE from the Nostalgia Merchant. More classic TV shows and movies are being added to the on-demand library as quickly as possible. Other web sites are invited to link to Nostalgia Merchant video on demand pages.

Topper Collection - Classic TV Shows

2010-04-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

The Topper television series was based on the 1937 film of the same name. This series was about a somewhat grumpy and uptight banker, Cosmo Topper, and the ghosts which only he could see or hear, George and Marion Kerby. The Kerbys would often try to get Cosmo to loosen up and enjoy life, but more often they would complicate it. Anne Jeffreys and Robert Sterling were married in real life. Nostalgia Merchant has just released a great collection of 64 episodes on 16 DVDs. Check out the Topper Collection.

The Shadow Collection - Nostalgia Merchant -DVD

2010-04-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

The Nostalgia Merchant has just released a collection of six rare Shadow movies in one 6-DVD collection. These are old PRC and Monograms films that have been rarely seen on television. Carefully remastered and restored... the quality is excellent. Follow this link to learn more about The Shadow Collection.

Charlie Chan - The New Adventures of Charlie Chan

2009-09-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

New Release from The Nostalgia Merchant: The New Adventures of Charlie Chan. The New Adventures of Charlie Chan was a syndicated television crime drama series made in 1957. The first five episodes were made by Vision Productions in the United States, before production switched to the United Kingdom under ITC Entertainment and Television Programs of America.

The series, consisting of 39 half-hour monochrome episodes, followed the investigations of the fictional detective Charlie Chan, the famous Oriental detective, employed as a police inspector in Honolulu. Chan ventures across the globe to handle special assignments, often becoming involved in bafflingly difficult murder investigations. J. Carrol Nash starred as the master sleuth in this classic TV series. This is the complete collection of 39 episodes on 10 DVDs. Purchase in now from Amazon, or from The Nostalgia Merchant.

Mr. Lucky Classic TV Show Collection

2009-09-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

New Release from The Nostalgia Merchant: Mr. Lucky Classic TV Shows - John Vivyan starred in this series as the titular hero, the suave Mr. Lucky, whose full name was never revealed. Lucky was an adventurous, fun-loving gambler who ran a casino out of his yacht — the Fortuna II — which was kept floating in international waters to escape government oversight. Despite his disreputable interest, Lucky was for the most part, an honest, upstanding citizen. He just had a lot of friends who weren't. Ross Martin co-starred as Andamo, Lucky's friend. The two always managed to get themselves into — and out of — all manner of trouble.

This is a collection of 23 episodes of this
very rare TV classic. Order now from The Nostalgia Merchant.

The Mike Hammer Collection - Classic TV Shows

2009-07-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

New from The Nostalgia Merchant - The Mike Hammer Collection, starring Darren McGavin. This collection includes 78 Episodes on 20 DVDs in two albums. All DVDs have interactive menus for playing all or individual episodes.
Mike Hammer gets the cases nobody else wants—the down-and-dirty ones that need his gun... and his guts! Whether he’s helping somebody beat the syndicate or “bending” the law to make sure that justice is done, nothing—and nobody—stands in his way when he’s on the job! Check out this collection now at The Nostalgia Merchant.

Meet Corliss Archer Collection - Classic TV Shows

2009-07-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Nostalgia Merchant has just released the most complete collection of Meet Corliss Archer classic TV shows ever produced. This awesome collection includes 37 episodes on 10 DVDs. As a bonus, Disc 10 has the Meet Corliss Archer Christmas Show, plus 3 other classic TV Christmas shows. This collection is priced at $36.95. All shows are excellent quality, many from 16 mm film. Check it out today at The Nostalgia Merchant.

Watch Classic TV Shows and Movies FREE!

2009-07-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

If you're delayed at the airport or find yourself in a place with no television, you can watch FREE Movies and FREE Classic TV shows from The Nostalgia Merchant. Just click on a title and in seconds you can watch a full-length movie or classic TV Show. Try It Now!
Classic TV show titles include: The Andy Griffith Show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Betty Hutton Show, Beulah, The Bing Crosby Show, Brighter Day, Fibber McGee and Molly, Great Gildersleeve, Jack Benny. Hundreds of movies titles are available on demand, now.

The Lum and Abner Movie Collection

2009-07-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Lum and Abner was one of the most popular radio shows of the 1930s. Created by Chester Lauck and Norris Goff, their homespun, country humor made them as famous as Amos and Andy on the radio. This is the complete collection of Lum and Abner Movies plus an extremely rare TV Episode. Actually the TV episode was a pilot show that never made it on the air. Each movie was carefully transferred from 16 mm film. Our producers decided to put only one movie on each disc to keep the video quality at it's best. Excellent quality video and audio. The TV episode was transfered from Betacam SP format tape. For a list of titles, visit The Nostalgia Merchant.

The Laurel and Hardy Collection - Nostalgia Merchant

2009-07-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Now you can enjoy two of the zaniest characters ever to appear on the silver screen, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.We searched all over for the original Laurel & Hardy shorts released by The Nostalgia Merchant in the 1980s and finally found 10 volumes. These have been carefully transfered to DVD and they are excellent quality. You can purchase them as a set or buy them individually. This collection also includes two classic movies, Utopia and Flying Deuces. It comes in a 12 - DVD set in two volumes. Visit the Laurel and Hardy Nostalgia Merchant page for a list of titles available.

The Amos and Andy Collection - Classic TV Shows

2009-07-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Nostalgia Merchant has announced a price reduction on their famous Amos and Andy classic TV show collection. This very nice set previously sold for $89.95 but is now available for $69.95. The Nostalgia Merchant has the most complete collection of Amos and Andy TV shows available on DVD. Visit the Nostalgia Merchant for more information. This price reduction comes just in time for fall and holiday shopping and it makes a wonderful gift for any classic TV show fan.

The Amos N’ Andy show ran on network television from June 1951 to June 1953 and then in reruns until 1963. It was finally pulled of the air after being blacklisted by the NAACP claiming it was demeaning to blacks. The truth is, Amos N’ Andy was no more demeaning to blacks than the Beverly Hillbillies was to southern whites. The Collection includes: 73 Episodes including the famous "lost episode," on 16 DVDs along with 2 cartoons and the movie Check and Double Check.

Bufallo Bill, Jr. Classic TV Show Collection

2009-07-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

Now available on DVD from The Nostalgia Merchant, Buffallo Bill, Jr. classic TV show collection.

Buffalo Bill, Jr., his feisty kid sister, Calamity, and their adoptive father, Judge "Fair 'N' Square" Wiley, bring justice to the town of Wileyville, Texas in the late 1880s. "Buffalo Bill, Jr." ran on NBC TV from 1955-56, loosely mixing historical characters with rip-roaring western exploits. Star Dick Jones did his own spectacular stunts, from good old-fashioned fist fights to trick riding, usually on the first take, lending an air of authenticity to this action western flick! Buffalo Bill, Jr. aired in syndication from 1955 to 1956 for a total of 42 shows.

There are 16 action-packed tales in this collection. For a complete list of titles, visit The Nostalgia Merchant.

The Gale Storm Show - Oh Susanna - Classic TV

2009-07-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

Now available on DVD, The Gale Storm Show - Oh Susanna! The Nostalgia Merchant has put together this extremely rare collection in honor of our special friend the beautiful Gale Storm. This show was not as popular as My Little Margie but I think it was her best TV show. Gale starred as Susanna Pomeroy the cruise director on the S.S. Ocean Queen that travels around the world. Stopping at many different ports means many new adventures and interesting characters in every show. Zasu Pitts co-stars as Nugie, Susanna's best friend. The Gale Storm Show, subtitled Oh Susanna, premiered on September 29, 1956 and ran until 1960 for 143 episodes. We have managed to salvage these 24 episodes from hundreds of damaged and poor quality prints. Gale, we miss you.

24 episodes on 6 DVDs in this collection.
BEAUTIFULLY PACKAGED, Shrink wrapped and
ready for gift giving. For more information and titles CLICK HERE.

Pete and Gladys TV Shows Collection - Now Available

2009-06-22T05:58:00.000-07:00

Finally, the Pete and Gladys Collection is available from The Nostalgia Merchant. This is a collection of 24 episodes, 16 mm film transfers, excellent quality, from a private collector. This beautiful set of these rare classic TV shows comes in a 6 DVD album with interactive menus. Pete and Gladys was a spinoff of December Bride and stars Harry Morgan and Cara Williams. We guarantee you'll love this collection.

Shotgun Slade TV Shows now available

2009-05-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Shotgun Slade collection of classic TV shows in now available from The Nostalgia Merchant. This collection includes 18 episodes on 4 high quality DVDs. These are full-length episodes with enhance audio and video. Excellent gift for that western TV fan. Complete information and a list of episodes is available from The Nostalgia Merchant, your source for Classic TV Shows and rare classic movies.

Pete and Gladys TV Shows Collection

2009-05-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Nostalgia Merchant is now working on a Pete and Gladys collection of television shows. Pete and Gladys starred Harry Morgan and Cara Williams and was a spin-off of December Bride. We have had numerous request for episodes of this rare television classic. It's unknown how many episodes will be available at this time. Please check back often for updated information. We are currently working to enhance the video and especially the audio of episodes. A release date of mid June is expected. Visit The Nostalgia Merchant for hundreds of rare classic TV titles and rare classic movies.

New Western TV Classics from The Nostalgia Merchant

2009-04-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Several new Western TV Shows are set for release by The Nostalgia Merchant. They will include: Buffalo Bill, Jr. with 16 episodes in a 4 DVD set. The Ranger Rider Collection is also in production and the number of episodes is yet to be determined. However, it is believed there could 24 episodes in this collection. Still in the planning stages for production are the following: Railroad Detective (Stories of the Century) . Judge Roy Bean, starring Edgar Buchanan, and new episodes of Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans. This last series mentioned is not really a western since it was set in New York's Hudson Valley in the 1750s. But it is usually thrown in with the genre of western television. All of these new collections are set for release no later than May 1st, 2009. The Nostalgia Merchant is your source for Classic TV shows and Movies on DVD.

The Shotgun Slade Collection - Classic TV from Nostalgia Merchant

2009-04-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

The Nostalgia Merchant is getting ready to release several new western TV collections including The Shotgun Slade Collection. This collection will include 16 full-length episodes starring Scott Brady as western freelance detective Sam "Shotgun" Slade (must've been a take off on Sam Spade), roaming the Old West. Slade was hired by individuals to track down criminals, return stolen money, and other similar duties. This series is unusual in that it featured a modern jazz score instead of the traditional Western-themed music that was the norm for Western television shows and movies. Another unusual quirk of this series, was Slade's weapon of choice. Instead of packing a six-gun, Slade carried a combination shotgun that has an upper and lower barrel.The lower barrel fired a 12-gauge shotgun shell, while the top barrel fired a .32 caliber rifle bullet. The idea was that this weapon gave Slade the ability to fire at close and distant targets with the same amount of accuracy. Shotgun Slade lasted only two seasons and in syndication and was on the air from 1959 - 1961. You'll enjoy these 16 new episodes of Shotgun Slade from The Nostalgia Merchant. Check back for the release date within a few days. You can also watch classic TV shows and movies FREE on this site.

Ripcord- Classic TV DVD -Nostalgia Merchant - Now Available

2009-04-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

If you've been waiting for the release of the classic TV show Ripcord, announced earlier, it's available now. This collection includes 12 exciting action-packed episodes starring Ken Curtis and Larry Pennell. It comes packaged in a nice 4 - DVD set. Click Here to go directly to the right page, Or visit The Nostalgia Merchant, your source of rare classic movies and TV shows.

Harbor Command Collection - Just Released - Rare Classic TV

2009-04-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

Harbor Command was an action television series about the United States Coast Guard Harbor Police. The main character is Captain Ralph Baxter played by Wendell Corey. The show started on Sept. 26, 1957 and ended on July 16 1958. Here are 35 episodes from that short-lived series just released by The Nostalgia Merchant. Audio and video has been digitally remastered. This rare classic TV collection comes on 10 DVDs, nicely packaged as you can see. Visit The Nostalgia Merchant for more information and hundreds more classic TV shows and rare out-of-print movies. You can also watch TV episodes and classic movies free.

Harbor Command - Classic TV Shows

2009-04-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

Soon to be released: Harbor Command. Harbor Command was an action-packed television series about the United States Coast Guard Harbor Police. The main character is Captain Ralph Baxter played by Wendell Corey and the narrator of the story played by Bill Baldwin. The show started on 26th of September 1957 and ended on 16th of June 1958. Cases involving Capt. Ralph Baxter of the Coast Guard Harbor Police Command range from murder and drug trafficking to arson and lobster smuggling. The prints we are working now seem to be very good quality overall and we hope to make several episodes available soon. Another rare find from The Nostalgia Merchant, you're home for rare classic TV shows.

Ripcord - Rare Classic TV shows

2009-04-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

Remember Ripcord..? Not many people do. Ripcord starred Larry Pennell as Ted McKeever, and Ken Curtis as Jim Buckley - two sky diving crimefighters / rescue workers / free fall instructors. They run Ripcord, Inc, along with their pilot Charlie Kern (who replaced the original pilot Chuck Lambert). Together they find adventure behind every cloud. The youthful heroes of this series literally jumped into a new adventure every week. Ted and Jim ran Ripcord Inc., which taught skydiving and also hired out for rescues, recovery work, and other situations where parachutists were needed. Often they landed right in the middle of a crime in progress, and solved that too-- who would expect the good guys to come floating down out of the sky? Chuck was their original pilot, replaced midway through the first season by Charlie Kern.
The series featured a lot of spectacular skydiving scenes, including one involving a fistfight in midair (shot by a cameraman in free-fall with the stuntmen.) At one point, two planes accidentally crashed while filming scenes for the program. With a little script adjustment, the footage of the crash was later used in the series. We are now working on several episodes of this very rare 1950s classic tv show. Check The Nostalgia Merchant soon to purchase these episodes on DVD.

Dennis the Menace Collection Coming Soon!

2009-03-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

Just a heads-up for you. We are working on an 8 DVD set of Dennis the Menace. Check this blog often for updates from The Nostalgia Merchant.

The Farmer's Daughter Collection - NEW UPDATE!

2009-03-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

GREAT NEWS! We have finally finished our Farmer's Daughter Collection and we managed to save 64 episodes. This collection is now available in two big 8 DVD volumes. Beautifully packaged and wonderful for gift giving. You will be extremely pleased with this collection, especially if you are one of those unfortunate enough to have purchase the set being sold on iOffer. The audio and video has been cleaned up and edited for DVD. Every DVD has an interactive menu allowing you to choose an individual show or play all. Check it out today at this link. We are very proud of this collection. Another fine release from The Nostalgia Merchant.

The Dobie Gillis Collection

2009-03-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

Just in... the new Dobie Gillis Collection from The Nostalgia Merchant. This great collection includes 9 DVDs with 4 shows per disc. Here is a brief synopsis: Dobie Gillis, son of Herbert T. Gillis, a grocery store owner, is an average all-american teenager. Dobie is consumed with the things all red-blooded teenage boys are. Namely, beautiful girls, fancy cars and money. One thing he’s against is work and Dobie along with his pal Maynard G. Krebs to their best to avoid this plague on their girl-watching time. This classic TV show was on the air for 1956 - 1963. The series starred Dwayne Hickman and Bob Denver. This collection includes 36 original episodes. For a complete listing of the shows CLICK HERE!

Farmer's Daughter Update

2009-03-17T05:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, this exciting... we are working feverishly on The Farmer's Daughter episodes. Audio cleanup is going great. We have been able to salvage numerous episodes. Our new audio software is fantastic and we are able to remove most of the noise and hum in the episodes. As you may know, several guys have been selling "the complete collection" on iOffer and they are terrible. I purchased the collection recently just to check them out and was totally dismayed at my purchase. Over 100 episode were being sold and most of them were total junk. ALL of them had severe audio problems to the point of being inaudible. So we are happy to report that our collection of The Farmer's Daughter, will be fantastic. We hope to have Vol. 1 - 32 episodes available within a few days. We are hoping to put together a 3 vol. set of 88 episodes. The Nostalgia Merchant, bringing you great classic television.

Watch Classic TV Shows and Movies FREE!

2009-03-14T08:42:00.001-07:00

The Nostalgia Merchant is now offering a new service. You can now watch your favorite classic TV shows and hundreds of classic movies free. Just go to our web site, then click on VIDEO and select the TV show or click on this link to select the movie you want to watch. This is also a great way to sample our products. Then if you're pleased with what you see, you can purchase the TV show or movie on DVD. Check it out now at The Nostalgia Merchant.

The December Bride Collection

2009-03-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

We finally finished our December Bride Collection. Acceptable prints of December Bride are extremely rare so we were pleased to recently find a few more episodes to put together a collection of these rare shows. Actually we uncovered close to a hundred episodes of December Bride, but again, the majority of them were not salvageable. The December Bride Collection includes 24 full length episodes, some have original network commercials. Shop The Nostalgia Merchant for this collection.
PLEASE NOTE: These December Bride television shows have been carefully selected from archival films.State of the art technology has been used to present the highest quality production. Good quality masters are very hard to acquire. Therefore slight imperfections in image and sound are unavoidable.

The Farmer's Daughter Collection

2009-03-12T07:39:00.001-07:00

The Nostalgia Merchant is currently working on a Farmer's Daughter collection. We have had hundreds of request for The Farmer's Daughter and just recently uncovered several episodes. Unfortunately the audio tracks were in terrible condition. Our production division is currently working on cleaning up the audio of selected episodes. Not all of the episodes can be salvaged but we hope to put together a collection of at least 32 episodes. The video of most episodes we are working on is very good to excellent. So far, we have completed work on 12 episodes. Check back here often for updates on our progress on The Farmer's Daughter.
Synopsis: The Farmer's Daughter starred Inger Stevens as Katy Holstrum, a young Minnesota woman who becomes the housekeeper for widowed Congressman Glen Morley (played by William Windom). Glen also had two sons, Steve (age 14 at the time of its premiere), played by Mickey Sholdar and Danny (age 8 at the time of its premiere), played byy Rory O'Brien. Cathleen Nesbit played the grandmother, Agatha Morely.

The Best of Ozzie & Harriet - Classic TV

2008-12-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

The Nostalgia Merchant is currently working on a new release.. The Best of Ozzie and Harriet Collection. Now, we know there's lots of Ozzie and Harriet collections on the market. But this one will be very different. All of the episodes in this collection will include the original network commercials. That's right, you'll get to see these shows as they were actually broadcast in the 1950s on TV. Sponsors like; Listerene, Kodak, Quaker Oats, and more. These shows are all complete right done to the public service announcements and network logos. And one more thing, we've checked the other collections out there and we're fairly certain you get few or no repeats with this collection. Quality you ask? Answer: Great. This collection is due for release on Jan 10, 2009. Check back often for more information. The Nostalgia Merchant, your home for rare, classic TV shows and movie.

The Best of Jack Benny Collection - Classic TV

2008-12-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

The Best of Jack Benny is a collection of rare classic TV shows starring, of course, Jack Benny. The television version of The Jack Benny Program (which never used the sponsor's name) ran from October 28, 1950 to 1965. The show appeared infrequently during its first two years on TV, then ran every fourth week for the next two years. For the 1953-1954 season, half the episodes were live and half were filmed during the summer, to allow Benny to continue doing his radio show. From 1955 to 1960 it appeared every other week, and from 1960 to 1965 it was seen weekly. Here are 32 episodes of this classic TV show in one collection. Perfect for gift giving. For more information and a list of episodes in this collection visit The Nostalgia Merchant web site or go straight to the Jack Benny Collection.

Four Star Playhouse - Classic TV

2008-12-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

The Four Star Playhouse Collection of 32 rare, classic TV shows is now available on DVD from The Nostalgia Merchant. This is the largest, most complete collection of Four Star Playhouse we've ever seen. There are 8 DVDs in this collection with four episodes per disc. The quality on a scale of 1 - 10 is a solid 9. These intriguing stories range from comedy, to mystery, suspense, and drama.The first episode on Disc 1 is "The Lost Silk Hat," a comendy, starring Ronald Coleman as an Englishman who calls on his love, gets into a quarrel with her and leaves without his hat. He faces the dilemma of returning for it or being seen in the street bareheaded. Another interesting episode is "The Girl on a Park Bench," starring Joan Fontaine as a beautiful, intelligent, and politically savvy young woman takes up residency in the city park to protest the Mayor's decision to end rent control on apartments. The comically ornery mayor seems to have met his match! Sparks fly as the Mayor dispatches the city's handsome attorney in an attempt to oust the young woman, who gives her a friendly warning that she will get evicted and lose in court. The tables get turned as the woman proves she is also good at law, but after some very interesting negotiations, all's well that ends well. Here's a sample of drama and suspense in this collection: Episode title: "The Gun," on Disc 4. Synopsis: A police detective (Dick Powell) returns home to his family one morning only to have his meal interrupted by a constant stream of people: the milkman, his neighbor, the postman, the grocery boy, and a salesman. Afterwards, he finds that his gun is missing. In a panic that slowly turns to paranoia, he realizes that each of the visitors had said something that makes them a suspect. Or, how about "The Bomb" with David Niven. Synopsis: Three members of a romantic triangle are trapped in a cellar with an unexploded bomb. Great Classic TV! Some of these rare episodes have the original sponsors commercials. Singer Sewing Machines was one of the main sponsors of Four Star Playhouse. You'll love every minute of every hour of this rare collection. You can view an episode of this collection on the Nostalgia Merchant's video link. Or click on Four Star Playhouse. For a complete listing of episodes in this collection CLICK HERE!

Joe. E. Brown Movie Collection

2008-12-26T18:56:00.000-08:00

The Joe E. Brown Collection is the utlimate compilation of 6 rare classic movies. Joe E. Brown was one of America's funiest comedians. The collection includes the following hilarious movies: "Alibi Ike," "Shut My Big Mouth," "Earthworm Tractors," "Flirting With Fate," "Wide Open Faces," and "The Gladiator." Add this one to your collection for easy-going, lighthearted humor. Available from The Nostalgia Merchant.

Black Saddle -Classic TV Western

2008-12-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

The Black Saddle Collection of 44 full-length episodes plus the pilot episode is now available on DVD. A total of 45 episodes on 12 DVDs in two volumes. Black Saddle ran on NBC from Jan. 10, 1959 - May 6, 1960 and starred Peter Breck as Clay Culhane as a former gunfighter turned lawyer after his brothers were killed in a gunbattle. Also starring Russell Johnson (the Professor on Gilligan's Island) as Marshall Gib Scott. Available from The Nostalgia Merchant.

After US Navy service on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) Peter Breck studied drama at the University of Houston. Breck made his debut in a film produced by Bert Freed that was eventually released under the title The Beatniks. As well as performing in live theatre, Breck had several guest-starring roles on a number of popular series, such as Sea Hunt, several episodes of Wagon Train, Have Gun – Will Travel, and Gunsmoke.

When Robert Mitchum saw him in George Bernard Shaw's play The Man of Destiny in Washington, D.C. he offered Breck a role as as a rival driver in 1958's Thunder Road. Mitchum set Breck up in Los Angeles and as Breck did not have his own car, Mitchum lent him his own Jaguar. Mitchum introduced Breck to Dick Powell who contracted him to Four Star Productions where he appeared in Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater. In the 1959–1960 season, he starred as a gunfighter-turned-lawyer lead in the NBC Western series "Black Saddle".

Classic TV - COPS and Detectives Collection

2008-12-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

The COPS and Detectives Collection. The greatest collection of classic TV cop and detective shows ever produced. Many of these shows are extremely rare. For example "Manhunt" and "Margin of Fear." The collection also includes several pilot shows that never made it to television. You get eight disc with 4 shows per disc. That's an incredible 32 shows in this collection. Here are a few titles: Richard Diamond "Picture of Fear," State Trooper "Another Chance," Margin of Fear with Brodrick Crawford: Rocky King "Murder In Advance," Public Prosecutor "Case of The Man Who Wasn't There." for a complete list of titles visit COPS.

Classic Movies - Forgotten Noir - Vol. 5

2008-12-16T17:44:00.000-08:00

I love classic movies, especially those I've never seen. VCI and Kit Parker films have released several new movies. I suspect most of these are public domain, although they have a renewed copyright notice on them for the "special contents" of this edition. Special contents include some interviews and commentary, a photo gallery, etc. Anyway just to review a couple of them... Well, the DVD has only two movies. FBI Girl, interesting title and it stars Cesar Romero, George Brent and Raymond Burr. Plot: a state governor hires Raymond Burr to steal a file from the FBI that has fingerprint evidence proving he previously was a wanted criminal. A clerk in the FBI office is killed, and Ceasar Romero is hot on the case. Pretty good flick release in 1951 by Jedgar Productions. "Tough Assignment" is the second movie on the menu..Plot: a newspaper reporter pursues a modern-day rustling gang whose "truck driving cowboys" are more dangerous than their horse riding counterparts. Well, the plot speaks for itself. Reminds me of one of those old Roy Rogers or Gene Autry movies where there's a mixture of cowboys, horses and modern vehicles. Anyway the quality is excellent on these movies and you can purchase them on The Nostalgia Merchant web site.

The Blondie Collection - Classic TV

2008-12-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

This is The Blondie TV Collection. Starring Arthur Lake and Pamela Britton, this rare TV show was on the air for only one season. There were a total of 25 original episodes and we’ve managed to put together 20 of these delightful shows for you. Other collections claim to have 36 episodes, but 11 of these are reruns and there were 5 shows we were unable to salvage from the original assets. Included in this collection is the original Blondie movie that started it all. It first aired on January 4, 1957 on NBC. Although Penny Singleton had starred in most of the Blondie movies, producers chose Pamela Britton for the title role, with Arthur Lake playing the role of Dagwood Bumstead as he had in the Blondie movie series. Available on DVD from The Nostalgia Merchant.

Watch Classic TV Shows FREE!

2008-12-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

You can now watch Classic TV Shows FREE from The Nostalgia Merchant. We are posting lots of new shows daily. Right now you can watch The Life of Riley, Black Saddle, Amos 'N' Andy, Bing Crosby, Death Valley Days, Casey Jones, My Favorite Husband and many more. Coming soon, movies, serials and shorts. You can also watch videos right here.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Fibber McGee & Molly - Classic TV Shows

2008-12-14T19:20:00.000-08:00

The Fibber McGee and Molly TV shows are now available from The Nostalgia Merchant. Fibber McGee and Molly, starring Marian and Jim Jordan, was a radio show that played a major role in determining the full form of what became classic, old-time radio. The series was a pinnacle of American popular culture from its 1935 premiere until its end in 1959 and was one of the longest-running comedies in the history of classic radio in the United States.

The Jordans also portrayed their characters in four movies. In the early years of the radio show, they were supporting characters in the 1937 Paramount film This Way, Please, starring Charles "Buddy" Rogers and Betty Grable. Once the show hit its stride, they had leading roles in the films Look Who's Laughing (1941), Here We Go Again (1942), and Heavenly Days (1944). See Radio In The Movies.

The first two movies are generally considered the best, as they co-star fellow radio stars Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. Harold Peary also appears in both as Gildersleeve, with Arthur Q. Bryan, Bill Thompson, Harlow Wilcox, Gale Gordon, and Isabel Randolph appearing in both their show roles and as other characters. "Look Who's Laughing" (1941) and "Here We Go Again" (1942).

TV version of the 1935-57 radio show debuted on NBC on September 15, 1959 and was cancelled on January 19, 1960. The Fibber McGee and Molly TV series never caught on, probably because it didn't have Jim Jordan and Marian Jordan, the original stars of the classic 1935-1959 radio show. People remembered the Jordans too well and could not accept other actors in the roles of Fibber and Molly. Starring: Bob Sweeney, Cathy Lewis, Barbara Beaird, Roy Norris Elisabeth Fraser, Harold Peary. Purchase 5 episodes of this TV Classic from The Nostalgia Merchant.

Casey Jones - Classic TV shows

2008-12-14T18:53:00.000-08:00

The thrilling adventures of engineer Casey Jones as he rides the rails of the Midwest and Central. Alan Hal, Jr. starred as the engineer of the steam-engined powered "Cannonball Express." Lots of train action scenes in these wonderful rare episodes. You can view an episode of Casey Jones on The Nostalgia Merchant video site and at VEOH.

Alan Hale Jr. played the legendary railroad engineer, alongside his wife Alice (Mary Lawrence) and his son Casey Jr (Bobby Clark). Dub Taylor portrayed Casey's fireman Wallie Sims, while Eddy Waller portrayed conductor Red Rock.

Only shot for one season, in part due to Hale's commitment to filming episodes of The Texan, it ran for 32 half-hour black and white episodes The Nostalgia Merchant has ten episodes of this series in excellent quality on three disc.

Bachelor Father- Classic TV shows

2008-12-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

Bachelor Father followed the adventures of Bentley Gregg, a wealthy bachelor attorney living in Beverly Hills who assumes the responsibility of raising his niece, Kelly (Noreen Corcoran), after her parents die in an automobile accident. Other members of the Gregg household include houseboy Peter Tong (Sammee Tong), teenage neighbor and Kelly's boyfriend, Howard Meechum (Jimmy Boyd) and Jasper, the dog.

Plots centered on Bentley's adjustments to his new role as an adoptive parent, Bentley's search for the right woman to share his life, Kelly facing the usual problems of adolescence and young adulthood as she goes from high school to college, and, less often, Peter's misadventures with some financial scheme. Had the series made it into the sixth season, plots would have undoubtedly extended to Kelly's impending marriage to Bentley's junior partner, Warren Dawson. The series ended prior to the wedding. One hundred fifty-seven episodes were aired. The program never finished any of its five seasons in the top 25 in the ratings. You can puchase Bachelor Father episodes from The Nostalgia Merchant.

Amos 'N' Andy All-Time Favorites Collection

2008-12-14T18:38:00.000-08:00

The Amos 'N' Andy All-Time Favorites Collection contains 16 of the very best shows ever produced on one DVD. BEAUTIFUL QUALITY AND SOUND on all of these shows. This collection comes on 4 DVDs in one case for easy storage. It's shrinked wrapped and ready for gift giving. Here are the titles: "The Rare Coin"; "Income Tax"; "The Girls Upstairs"; "Kingfish Goes To Work"; "The Engagement"; "The Broken Clock"; "Superfine Brush"; "Kingfish Finds His Future"; "The Antique Shop"; "Kingfish At The Ball Game"; "Kingfish's Last Friend"; "Seeing is Believing"; "Kingfish Gets Drafted"; "The Gun"; "Call Lehigh 4-9900"; and their wonderful "Christmas Story." We promise you'll love this All-Time Favorites Collection. If you wish to purchase all of the shows we also sell the complete collection of 71 shows, the movie "Check and Double Check" and 2 cartoons, The Lion Tamer and Rasslin' Match. Available from The Nostalgia Merchant.

Annie Oakley - Classic TV Collection

2008-12-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

Twenty four action-packed episodes are in the Original Annie Oakley Collection. This popular wild-west adventure series featured thrilling stories of the legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley. Chasing outlaws from the saddle of her trusty horse, Target, Annie keeps law and order with Deputy Sheriff Lofty Craig in the town of Diablo. Her little brother Tag is always eager to help solve the exciting mysteries. So sit back in your easy chair and enjoy Annie Oakley. Purchase this collection from The Nostalgia Merchant. Annie Oakley is an American Western television series which fictionalized the life of famous sharpshooter Annie Oakley. It ran from January 1954 to February 1957 in syndication. ABC showed reruns on Saturday and Sunday daytime from 1959-1960 and from 1964-1965. It ran for three seasons, for a total of 81 black and white episodes, each 25 minutes long. The show starred Gail Davis in the title role, and co-starred Brad Johnson as Deputy Sheriff Lofty Craig and Jimmy Hawkins, as Annie's brother, Tagg. He had a pinto pony names Pixie in the series. Gail Davis had been discovered by Gene Autry, who cast her in several of his movies, then in his own series, The Gene Autry Show, in which she played a variety of characters. He then spun her off into her own show.

Black Saddle - Classic TV Show

2008-12-14T15:49:00.000-08:00

The Black Saddle Collection is now available from the Nostalgia Merchant. This complete series includes all 44 episodes from two seasons and the pilot episode aired on the Zane Grey Theater. Black Saddle is a Western TV series that ran on NBC from January 10, 1959, to May 6, 1960 and stars Peter Breck as Clay Culhane, a former gunfighter who turned into a lawyer after his brothers were killed in a shootout. Clay Culhane has one problem U.S. Marshal Gib Scott, (Russell Johnson) doesn't quite believe that Clay has given up the gun for good. Since most of his clients want to hire his fast gun drawing skills rather than his lawyering skills. This collection comes in two albums on 12 DVDs. You can view an episode of Black Saddle at VEOH.

Classic TV and Movies - Nostalgia Merchant logo

2008-12-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

A few customers have complained about our small NM logo appearing on the video they have purchased. The reason we do this is to protect years of work in collecting our video assets, the hours of production time involved in the transfer process, preparing an interactive DVD menu and then enhancing the video and audio of the rare films whenever possible. Not because we want to deny someone access to a PD title. Our Lum and Abner Collection is a good example of this. We have collected 16 mm films of these titles for years and we're not about to leave our video assets unprotected. We try to make the logos in our videos as unobtrusive as possible. But enough with the complaining about our little logo... look at all the junk on your TV screen every time you watch something. If you can deal with that you can deal with our NM logo. Thanks for your business and look for new releases on this blog.

Classic TV shows being discontinued

2008-12-10T18:09:00.000-08:00

The Nostalgia Merchant has decided to discontinue some Classic TV shows from it's catalog effective Dec. 10,2008. Riverboat, is being deleted because Timeless Video now claims to own distribution rights to certain shows including some we had in out Riverboat Collection. Although our collection was much larger, we've decided to discontinue our listing to avoid any infringement problems. Most of our shows were obtained from 16 mm films provided by private collectors but we still think it's best to discontinue the collection at this time. Zane Grey Theater has also been discontinued due to infringement problems with VCI Entertainment. They are due to release a Zane Grey collection soon. We'll let you know when it becomes available. It is with much sorrow that we pull these shows from our library since we have painstakingly collectd some of these films for years when there was very little interst in old TV shows. Now every little DVD company is crawling out of the woodwork to claim their share of the DVD pie. Many companies are claiming they own the rights to certain works, but they really don't. The little known trick is to change something minor in the film... like add an introduction, or a close... maybe change the music somewhere in the video, etc. I recently came across a public domain movie that a company now claims the rights to, their copyright being based on the fact that a scene had been altered in midway through the movie and a brief musical interlude added. Many of these small companies seem to think that all they have to do is slap an FBI Warning on the front of the video, create a DVD menu and that makes the video, classic movie or tv show, their intelluctual property.

One of the largest, oldest, most successful public domain film companies in the United States has pulled many of their videos because the major studios suddenly discovered they could make a buck on these old TV shows and movies. Rat Patrol is a good example. Many of these episodes slipped into public domain and MGM decided it wanted to release the series. MGM demanded that the public domain company discontinue selling the episodes it had, but the company refused and it's still selling Rat Patrol today. Another is the Little Rascals. Most of the Little Rascals, if not all of them, are now PD (public domain). You can even download them from several public domain sites. However, there are numerous DVD companies claiming the rights to their releases of the Little Rascals... what gives?

Here is another example: Nancy Drew... Reporter has been in the public domain for years. It was released by Alpha Video in 2003 and several other companies had released it on DVD and VHS prior to that. I sold this PD title on eBay for five years. Then one day out of the blue I get a cease and desist notice from the big WB and was notified by eBay that my listing of Nancy Drew.. Reporter had been taken down. Why? Because Warner Brothers had decided to release "The Original Nancy Drew Movie Mystery Collection" in connection with a new Nancy Drew movie that was being released. It was a total flop.

What's really funny is that these major studios and some of the mid-size production/distribution companies will spend a small fortune producing, designing and marketing a title that really doesn't sell very well. Nancy Drew... Reporter.. I may have sold ten copies of that title the entire time it was on eBay. I'll bet most people didn't even know Nancy Drew movies existed and most still don't. TV titles... Zane Grey Theater... I'll bet very few people remember that show. I didn't, until an old friend told me one day that he had a few copies on film and video that he had collected over the years. He sent them to me... looked very good... put'em on DVD... put them on my web site for sale.... a month later... VCI says cease...OK, I did, but I can't see for the life of me why they would want to reproduce an unknown title like Zane Grey Theater. I think I sold two DVDs of that title in two months. The only you could make money on a deal like that is to sell Walmart a million copies at a buck a piece.

The Nostalgia Merchant is a small company, collecting and making available rare, out of print titles... TV shows and movies. We do our best to cooperate with the big boys and their demands. We will immediately cease selling any title that causes a problem of infringement on someone's intelluctual property rights, but we maintain the right to sell and distributed known public domain titles.

Good... Night!

50 Years of TV Westerns -New Book Release

2008-12-08T19:52:00.000-08:00

My good friend Doug Abbott has finally finished a project he has worked on for several years. His new book "50 Years of the Television Western" is now available on Amazon, at Target Books and Barnes & Noble. This book is loaded with information and tons of photos about Classic TV Westerns. This is a must for your library. Makes a great gift too. Check out Doug's web site: http://www.westerntvphotos.com/ Doug has given The Nostalgia Merchant invaluable advice over the years regarding Classic TV westerns. Thanks Doug.

Classic TV - Four Star Playhouse - Dick Powell

2008-12-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

More television classics are being released by The Nostalgia Merchant. Four DVDs of Four Star Playhouse are coming out this month. Four Star Playhouse starred Dick Powell.

Born in 1904, Dick Powell was one of the most versatile and handsome movie stars of his or any other generation. His early work saw him as one of Busby Berkeley's favorite crooners in musical classics such as 42nd Street (1933), Dames (1934) and Golddiggers of 1937 (1936). In the late 1940s, Powell reinvented himself as a hardboiled wit in such film noir outing as Murder, My Sweet (1944) and Johnny O'Clock (1947).

Powell's role as a television actor-producer magnate began with the formation of Four Star Productions in 1952. The debut offering of what would become a persuasive and powerful force within the newly developing television industry was the anthology series, "Four Star Playhouse" (1952-1956). Powell oversaw production and appeared as various characters along side alternating stars Charles Boyer, David Niven and Ida Lupino. At the time of this death in 1963, Powell had directed five feature films, Split Second (1953), The Conqueror (1956), You Can't Run Away From It (1956), The Enemy Below (1957) and The Hunters (1958).

Four Star Playhouse - Vol 1: "The Test," "Interlude," "The Lost Silk Hat," "Welcome Home."

Vol. 2: "The Listener," "The Devil to Pay," "Vote of Confidence," "Tusitala.

Vol. 3: "The Girl on the Bridge," "The Gift," "Shadowed," "The Gun."

Vol 4: "Girl on the Bench," "A Place of His Own," "The Adolescent," "The Bomb."

A complete description of these new releases is available on The Nostalgia Merchant web site. Your source for Classic TV and Movies.. Nostalgia Merchant.

Classic TV - Western Ranch Party

2008-12-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

Three more DVDs of the TV classic Western Ranch Party have just been released by The Nostalgia Merchant. These are 60 minute episodes with the great stars of country and western music. Vol. 2 stars Tex Ritter, Johnny Cash and Ray Price, Vol 3, stars Tex Ritter, Johnny Cash and Smiley Burnett. Vol. 4 stars Tex Ritter, Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. More memorable moments in classic television from The Nostalgia Merchant. Vol 1 of Western Ranch Party, released by The Nostalgia Merchant in 2007 stars Tex Ritter, Jim Reeves, Hank Snow and the Sons of the Pioneers. You can purchase all of these great country western videos from The Nostalgia Merchant.

The Rin-Tin-Tin Serials on DVD

2008-12-07T18:41:00.000-08:00

The Rin-Tin-Tin serials are now available on DVD from Nostalgia Merchant. "The Lone Defender," (1930) 12 Chapters in a 2-DVD set, "The Lightning Warrior," (1931) 12 Chapters in a 2-DVD set, "The Law of the Wild," (1934) 12 Chapters in a 2-DVD set, "The Adventures of Rex and Rinty," (1935) 12 Chapters in a 2 DVD set. A more complete description of these new releases are available on the Nostalgia Merchant web site. Packaging may vary on these items depending on distributor.

The Green Hornet Serials - DVD - Classic TV

2008-12-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

The Green Hornet serials are coming to DVD from The Nostalgia Merchant. The original serial, "The Green Hornet," based on the popular radio program was released to theaters in 1939. Story line as follows: Faced with rising crime and increased racketeering activity, intrepid newspaper editor Britt Reid (Gordon Jones) becomes the crime fighter the Green Hornet. Donning a disguise, the Hornet and his brilliant inventor/sidekick Kato (Key Luke) fight an infamous racket that's menacing their city. The second Green Hornet serial, "The Green Hornet Strikes Again," was released in 1940. Both these serials are in the public domain. The Nostalgia Merchant has uncovered some excellent video assets and is currently transferring them from the analog to digital format. They will be available by the end of December. Be sure to look for postings on this site for the exact release date. You'll find more serials available on DVD from Nostalgia Merchant.

They Went Thataway!!

2008-12-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

Though it has been imitated all over the world, it is truly and American phenomenon. The Western.

It began in the movies, with Bronco Billy Anderson, William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Buck Jones, Hoot Gibson, Tim McCoy; then along came Gary Cooper, Randolph Scott, Jimmy Stewart, and many others, who added a touch of class and sophistication to the oaters.

When television came on the scene, the easiest thing to do was cannibalize the movies (and radio, which had also latched onto the western). So television's first cowboy heroes were Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and The Lone Ranger.

Gradually, however, television began to create it's on characters, and in 1955 it was ready to put it's on brand on the western. These television westerns were to be called "adult westerns." Previously, westerns had been primarily aimed at children, telecast during the day and early evening. But beginning in 1955 television wanted to attract grownups in the audience. So a new brand of westerns began galloping across the screen... uh.. the plains—Wyatt Earp, Matt Dillon, (Gunsmoke), Paladin, (Have Gun, Will Travel), Lucas McCain (The Rifleman), Bat Materson. By 1959 there were thirty-two different westerns on television. Hour after hour of pounding hooves, gun fire, street brawls, barrroom fights, showdowns and dauntless heroes. All over America, youngsters were practicing their fast draws and playing cowboy games.

But the adult westerns were not all gunplay. In fact some purists complained that they did not have enough action. "Too much talk," said Gene Autry, "Television westerns drive me nuts. To slow."

In the early film westerns it was all so simple—the white hats vs. the black hats and no problem that could not be solved with a six-shooter. But in television it was different. You never knew what color hat the good guy would be wearing. And that trusty shootin' iron... many was the week when it never left the holster.

I tend to agree with Gene Autry on some of those early TV westerns.. "too much talk." I was watching an episode of "The Restless Gun," with John Payne recently and noticed it was a little to talky for me. And Bonanza was always to talky... frankly Bonanza never really appealed to me. I always opted for one of those great detective or police drama's, like "Hawaii Five-O" or "The FBI."

Speaking of Bonanza.. it was extremely popular with television audiences. It became the most popular television show on the air. And Gunsmoke kept running forever.

In recent years it seems the western has pretty much disappeared from our television screens. You know, I wonder if Hollywood has forgotten how to make them. Because when they do make a western for film or television these days they're just not very good. "Brokeback Mountain,"released in 2005 about two gay cowboys it proof that Hollywood has lost the art of making a good westerns. Talk about a piece of junk! Actually Brokeback Mountain isn't a westerns at all, it's really just another porn movie! If John Wayne were alive today, he would probably have thrown up at the thought of gay cowboys.

So if you want to watch a western... a real western... guess you'll have to shop the internet for some old favorites... Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Allan 'Rocky' Lane, Tim Holt, Randolph Scott, John Wayne and more. Real Westerns, available from The Nostalgia Merchant.

We Love Old Movies

2008-12-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

VCI Entertainment has released some great collections recently, specifically the Forgotten Noir Collections. One of my favorites is Collection 4. There are nine movies in this collection. I've been looking for a good quality transfer of "Mr. District Attorney" for years and this collection has an excellent quality copy. I purchased a DVD several years ago from Thomas Classic Films and the quality was terrible. VCI claims to own the rights to this movie or at least to their version (digitally remastered it says) of this rare flick. Anyway, you an purchase this collection from their website or from The Nostalgia Merchant. This collection also includes "Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard," based on the radio program of the 1940s, "Counterspy." Then there are several rare, but obscure movies that nobody's ever heard of from Weiss-Global Enterprises. Kit Parker Films supposedly recently acquired the rights to these losers from the 1950s. Looks like all of these films were produced in Hollywood and repackaged for England by a British distribution company. Most of the films indicate this in the opening credits. "Motor Patrol" is a pretty good flick to began with and then loses it's steam about mid-way.

Here is the complete list of titles in this collection with the stars:

COUNTERSPY MEETS SCOTLAND YARD: Howard St. John, Ron Randell, Amanda Blake, Lewis Martin, June Vincent, Charles Meredith
RADAR SECRET SERVICE: John Howard, Adele Jergens, Tom Neal, Myrna Dell, Sid Melton, Ralph Byrd
MOTOR PATROL: Don Castle, Jane Nigh, Reed Hadley, William Henry, Sid Melton, Richard Travis
MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY (1941): Dennis O’Keefe, Peter Lorre, Florence Rice, Stanley Ridges, Minor Watson, Charles Arnt WESTERN PACIFIC AGENT: Kent Taylor, Sheila Ryan, Mickey Knox, Morris Carnovsky, Robert Lowery, Sid Melton
HIGHWAY 13: Robert Lowery, Pamela Blake, Michael Whalen, Dan Seymour, Clem Bevans
TREASURE OF MONTE CRISTO: Glenn Langan, Adele Jergens, Steve Brodie, Robert Jordan, Michael Whalen, Margia Dean ROARING CITY: Hugh Beaumont, Edward Brophy, Richard Travis, Joan Valerie, Wanda McKay
SKY LINER: Richard Travis, Pamela Blake, Rochelle Hudson, Steven Geray, Greg McClure

Beulah TV and Radio - Classic TV from the 1950s

2008-12-02T18:32:00.000-08:00

The Beulah Show was the first television sitcom to star an African American. The Beulah Show ran on radio from 1945 to 1954. The Beulah TV show ran concurrently for three seasons, Tuesday nights at 7:30 ET from October 3, 1950 to September 22, 1953, on ABC. Beulah is a housekeeper and cook for the Henderson family: father Harry, mother Alice and son Donnie. Most of the comedy in the series is derived from the fact that Beulah, referred to as "the queen of the kitchen,", has the ability to solve the problems that her white employers cannot figure out. Other characters included Beulah's boyfriend Bill Jackson, a handy-man who is constantly proposing marriage, and Oriole, a befuddled maid for the family next door.

Originally portrayed by Caucasian actor Marlin Hurt, Beulah first appeared in the early 1940s as a supporting character on the popular Fibber McGee and Molly radio series. In 1945, Beulah was spun off into her own radio show, The Marlin Hurt and Beulah Show, with Hurt still in the role. After he died of a heart attack in 1946, he was replaced by another Caucasian actor, Bob Corley, and the series was retitled The Beulah Show. African American actress Hattie McDaniel took over the role in 1947, continuing in The Beulah Show until she became ill in 1952 and was replaced by Lillian Randolph, who was in turn replaced for the 1953-1954 radio season by her sister Amanda Randolph.

In 1950 Roland Reed Productions adapted the radio show into a TV sitcom for ABC. Ethel Waters was seen in the title role from 1950 to 1952. Hattie McDaniel filled in briefly in 1952, and was succeeded by Louise Beavers the same year. Butterfly McQueen portrayed Oriole, a role similar to her character in the film Gone with the Wind. Ruby Dandridge replaced McQueen when the entire television cast was overhauled upon the arrival of Hattie McDaniel. Percy "Bud" Harris originally portrayed Bill, but walked out on the part during the first season, accusing the producers of forcing him to portray an "Uncle Tom" character. He was succeeded in the role by Casablanca pianist Dooley Wilson until until Ernest Whitman followed radio co-stars McDaniel and Dandridge to TV in April of 1952. T

Like the contemporary television program Amos 'n' Andy, Beulah came under attack from the NAACP, which accused the show of supporting stereotypical depictions of black characters.

After Beulah was cancelled at the end of the 1952-1953 television season, black characters virtually disappeared from television, with only small and infrequent roles surfacing. More Classic TV shows are available at Nostalgia Merchant.

Amos N Andy's Check and Double Check (1930)

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Amos and Andy operate a bare-bones taxi service in Harlem, struggling to keep their vehicle running and their tires inflated. When their lodge-master, Kingfish, offers them a lucrative job ferrying Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club Orchestra to a gig in the Upper West Side, they jump at the chance. At the party, the two men run into an old friend, Ralph Crawford, who needs help finding the lost deed to his deceased father's house in order to prove his worth to his prospective in-laws. Amos and Andy spend a spooky night in the dead man's mansion, hoping to locate the papers that will set things right.

Check and Double Check is a rare cultural artifact from the dawn of sound film-making. Freeman F. Gosden and Charles J. Correll had already achieved radio stardom on the "Amos 'N' Andy" show, and their voices had become extremely familiar to American audiences. The two white actors had to don minstrel black-face in order to portray the duo in their first "all-talking" motion picture in 1930. Of course political correctness wasn't event a thought in the 1930s and Freeman and Charles had no thought of offending anyone. They just wanted to star in their own movie playing the characters they had created for radio. Actually, doubt if anyone gave racism much thought in the 1930s. Everybody was too busy just trying to survive. After all, other actors were playing on the stage and in movies in blackface. And there were other black characters on radio being played by whites. The Beulah show, for example. Beulah, brought to life in 1939 when Marlin Hurt introduced the character on Hometown Incorporated. In 1943, Beulah moved over to That's Life before changing employers again and finally settling in at 79 Wistful Vista, the home of Fibber McGee and Molly, one of network radio's most popular (and longest-running) programs. Marlin Hurt died unexpectedly in 1946 but his character eventually came back to radio then later to TV. In 1950 Beulah became the first ever network television series to star an African-American. (See more about Beulah).

The Amos 'N' Andy television show premiered in 1951. The show featured black actors Tim Moore, Alvin Childress, Spencer Williams, Jr. and Ernestine Wade, all hand-picked by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll.

Allan "Rocky" Lane - Bio

2008-12-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

Alan "Rocky" Lane (September 22nd, 1909-October 27th, 1973) starred of dozens of cowboy B-movies in the 1940's and 1950's, and eventually did the voice of the horse on the television series Mr. Ed beginning in 1958. (Bet you didn't know that) Allan "Rocky" Lane appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows between 1929 and 1966, including his voiceover stint as Mr. Ed. From 1929 through 1936 he appeared in twenty four films. In 1937 his career picked up, and he saw success in several films, to include The Law West of Tombstone in 1938. However, beginning in 1940, his career steered him into western films, in which he would see his greatest success. Lane managed to churn out a bucketful of oaters every year (beginning with Silver City Kid (1944)), for nearly a decade, trading blows with the bad guys and seeing justice prevail. Following this chapter of his career, he left films and toured with circuses and rodeo shows until the TV series "Red Ryder" (1956) came his way. He may be better remembered these days not for his dashing good looks and saddle appeal on film, but, to ongoing generations, as the off-camera voice for the talking horse "Mister Ed" (1961) in the classic 60s sitcom of the same name. Lane retired shortly thereafter and died on October 27, 1973 after a six-week bout with cancer. Shop for Rocky Lane movies at Nostalgia Merchant.

Western Movies from The Nostalgia Merchant

2008-12-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

If you love westerns, Nostalgia Merchant has some of the best. Rocky Lane, Tim Holt, and of course Roy Rogers. Speaking of Roy Rogers, we've got a superb Roy Rogers TV Show Collection. Two big volumes with 56 half-hour episodes. Back to Rocky Lane. We've got great titles like: El Paso Stampede, Desperadoes' Outpost, Frisco Tornado many more in our Westerns sections. For more information about Rocky Lane, click here. Also check out the Tim Holt westerns in this same section.

The Rebel - New Release from Nostalgia Merchant

2008-12-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

This Classic TV series is about the adventures of young Confederate Army veteran Johnny Yuma (played by the late Nick Adams). Haunted by his memories of the war, Yuma roams the West in search of inner peace. Yuma keeps a journal of his adventures and fights for injustice where he finds it with the help of a double-barreled sawed-off shotgun. Nick Adams was the star and the sole regular actor of this series. The Rebel Collection includes all 76 episodes. Excellent quality production by The Nostalgia Merchant. It comes in three albums, nicely packaged and ready for gift giving.

Little Rascals - New Release from Nostalgia Merchant

2008-12-01T05:55:00.000-08:00

The Little Rascals is the television name give to the Our Gang comdies produced by Hal Roach in the 1920s and 1930s. Roach wanted a show featuring kids acting like real kids and that's exactly what he produced. My favorite Little Rascals shorts were the ones with Alfalfa, Spanky and Darla and this collection just released by The Nostalgia Merchant is great. It features all of the Little Rascals/Our Gang comedies beginning with Alfalfa's first episode, "Beginner's Luck in 1935. Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer began by playing small parts in the first few epsiodes but quickly became one of the leading stars of the Little Rascals. You enjoy this rare collection of The Little Rascals - Collection of Alfalfa's Favorites from The Nostalgia Merchant. Be sure to watch Nostalgia Merchant Television nightly for more information about hundreds of Classic TV shows and movies available from Nostalgia Merchant.

Nostalgia Merchant TV - Classic Television

2008-12-01T05:50:00.001-08:00

Nostalgia Merchant TV is on the Air live steaming video of your favorite classic TV shows and short features. Some classic TV shows currently on our schedule incude: The Life of Riley, Amos 'N' Andy, The Rebel, The Little Rascals, Laurel and Hardy, Highway Patrol, and many other rare classic tv shows like Bing Crosby, Tony Randall, and more. Check out our broadcast tonight.

Nostalgia Merchant TV - Broadcasting Classic Movies and TV Shows

2008-12-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

The Nostalgia Merchant is now broadcasting Classic TV Shows and Movies nightly on it's web site at www.nostalgiamerchant.biz. Click on Live Stream to start watching the video. Currently the schedule includes TV Shows like The Rebel, Ozzie & Harriet, Casey Jones, Honey West, Amos and Andy, Life of Riley and more. And more videos are being added to the schedule. We also accept request via email. Movies and short features are also being broadcast. What makes our broadcast unique is that we added old TV commercials just to make it more interesting. You'll swear your watching TV from the 1950s. You can purchase these classics on DVD from The Nostalgia Merchant. Please visit our site for more information and to view our products.