The North Avenue Irregulars

For whatever reason, this was one of my favorite movies as a kid. It's the story of a reverend (the same guy who is in Gilmore Girls and who plays President Roosevelt in Annie) who comes to a new town. He and a bunch of church ladies are enlisted by the FBI to help crack down on illegal gambling in their town. The subject matter of the film is probably over the heads of some kids, but they'll love the car chases and general mayhem that abounds.

It's interesting to see that the majority of reviewers deliberately mentioned that this movie has stood the test of time. I think it is an art to create hilarity like this. You have to have an uncomplicated head, which is probably why it is not done today.

The Disney Channel used to air their old great family films on a late night, maybe early a.m. venue called "Vault Disney." It's gone. I taped every one I found. Unfortunately, they went on VHS at that time, and they haven't transferred very well to DVD. However, more of these are showing up on DVD online all the time.

There was one called something like, "The One and Only Family Band." I think there were more words, but John Davidson and Leslie Warren were in it with Walter Brennan and others. "The Happiest Millionaire" was in the lineup, with an older Greer Garson and Fred MacMurray. It's a musical family piece, which is very funny. These were well done also.

"North Avenue" is hilarious, fresh and great fun. Lots of good clean energy.

This film is very entertaining and definitely for all audiences. A group of elderly ladies forms a "neighborhood watch", or better a "neighborhood clean-up crew". They join forces to rid their formerly "nice neighborhood" of the trash that gives it a bad name.

Fearless and determined, the "North Avenue Irregulars" (played by many familiar comediennes) show the bad guys who's boss and reclaim their "turf". Many laughs, and a timely message: Don't let the scum take over your neighborhood!

This kind of story was more timely during the 70s and early 80s, when serious gang violence plagued most of America. In the 21st Century, this once hopeless situation has become much less of a problem. Much of the credit for the "cleaning up" of our streets indeed goes to the countless local "neighborhood watch" efforts, telling the bad guys to clean up their act or be hauled away. Kids will still enjoy this film for its "Home Alone" methods of dealing with "bad guys".

The "Family Film" label is too often attached to children's films, which have nothing to offer adults or more mature adolescence. "North Avenue Irregulars" is still a Disney film, and it still caters to a younger audience, but, unlike other so-called family-films, this movie won't insult the intelligence of the adolescent nor college age film viewer.

Again, even though it has a little more spunk than other Disney films, it is, afterall, a Disney film. As such the topic of locals tackleing organized crime is kept G-rated (clean language, minimal violence, and so forth), but the comic moments and action balance quite well in one of the last of the truly classic Disney Family Films.

Anyone who grew up in the suburban 70's and 80's will feel very much at home with the portrayal of what used to be suburban America; everything from the PTA mom down to the wood paneled station wagon. It's worth a night's viewing.

One of the last of Disney's live-action features that truly appealled to kids and parents, THE NORTH AVENUE IRREGULARS concerns a newly-arrived minister(Edward Herrman)who suggests that his flock look for ways to increase the church budget. When the ne'er-do-well husband of one of the church ladies bets the church funds on a fixed horserace, the minister sets out to recoup the funds and uncovers an illegal betting racket in his town. At the prompting of the local authorities, the good reverend and a group of church ladies go undercover to catch the crooks. What ensues is equal parts car chase/slapstick/G-rated comedy, as the motley assortment of soccer moms, little old ladies, and well-coiffed housewives race thier station wagons, pickup trucks, and Lincoln Continentals towards the inevitable happy conclusion. One sour note is a gratuitous rock group enlisted to liven up church services. The group, Strawberry Shortcake, looks and sounds about ten years behind the times, like the 1910 Fruitgum Co. after having gotten religion. Oh well, it is an Disney flick . . .