User Reviews

Jack and The Beanstalk is of course from the 1950s, but the message about bullying still rings true. Jack (Joel Grey) lives with his mother on a farm. Their neighbor, (Billy Gilbert) is a bully. One day, Jack goes to town to sell the family cow. He is bullied by other boys and saved by the girl next door. She is in love with jack, but he just thinks she is a nice neighbor. While on his way to sell the cow, he meets The Peddler (Cyril Ritchard) tricks Jack by distracting him. He takes the cow but leaves the beans behind. When Jack comes home and tells his mother what happened, she accepts it and says that Jack is weak, just like his father. Jack falls asleep on a haystack and dreams that he is not a weakling, but a brave man. He climbs a giant beanstalk and conquers the giant bully (Billy Gilbert again). Arnold Stang has a hilarious role in the dream as almost a Wizard Of Oz character, but his role is undefined. I suppose in a dream, things don't have to make sense. The special effects are amazing considering when this show was produced. The songs are okay, but not very memorable. Young kids will enjoy it.