VCI Entertainment Preps 4K Film Restoration Of Abbott And Costello's Jack And The Beanstalk For DVD And Blu-ray Release On Oct. 13

VCI Entertainment announced this past week that director Jean Yarbrough’s 1952 Eastman Color fairytale classic, Jack and the Beanstalk — starring Abbott and Costello — has been given a stunning new 4K restoration from the original 35mm archival print and will be ready for release as newly-minted Blu-ray and DVD editions on Oct. 13.

Lou Costello’s production company, Exclusive Productions Inc., worked out a deal with the Hal Roach Studios to film the production in Culver City, which took place just after the July 4^th holiday and wrapped by the first week in August of 1951.    

Although Lou Costello and Bud Abbott were under contract to Universal Pictures, they had a clause that allowed them to produce on “independent” film each year.   Jack and the Beanstalk was that film … Warner Bros. handled the distribution of the film, which kicked off with its world premiere in Costello’s hometown of Paterson, New Jersey on April 4, 1952 … a press opening took place in New York City three days later and the film went wide the following week.

The story-within-a-story frames the film, with these opening sequences deliberately shot in black and white.   Once Jack (Lou Costello) lets Donald (David Stollery — who is probably best remembered as Marty of The Adventures of Spin and Marty Disney series of 1955), who he is supposed to be babysitting, take over the reading of story, Jack falls asleep and the story about Jack, the Giant and the Beanstalk unfolds in color.   Everyone that is in the story is part of Jack’s world in real-life.

As to bonus goodies, VCI Entertainment has a bonus second feature, director Charles Barton’s 1949 adventure/comedy, Africa Screams.