The Brass Bottle

A pleasant surprise- watched 1964's The Brass Bottle last night. Had me smiling from ear to ear. Chock full of supporting actors you'll recognize in an instant along with fine performances by stars Tony Randall, Burl Ives and Barbara Eden of "I Dream of Jeannie" fame. Wasn't expecting much, but the comic plot twists and dialog were top notch. High production values with cars, architecture and clothing us old guys remember well. Even the optical special effects were fun to watch. Highly recommended.

"The Brass Bottle" is a silly film that is well worth seeing...even if it's leading character is a bit of a drip! It all begins when Harold Ventimore (Tony Randall) buys a giant rosewater vessel to give to his father-in-law to be (Edward Andrews). Harold notices that the man already has one of these ancient containers and so he decides to keep it for himself. Later, when he gets home and opens it, out pops Mr. Fakrash (Burl Ives)...a real, live genie!! Now you'd think that Harold would ask him for power, money or a harem of sexy wives but instead he just wants the very affable Fakrash to leave him alone. But Fakrash insists on helping Harold...yet again and again this help only seems to make things worse. Now you sure would think Harold would ask for a few reasonable things...but again and again he just scolds Fakrash! Can Fakrash manage to help Harold while STILL avoiding creating nothing but chaos?!

The film is a cute bit of fantasy and Ives and Randall are quite enjoyable. Likewise, it's wonderful seeing co-stars such as Barbara Eden (just before she went on to TV fame in "I Dream of Jeanie") and the familiar Edward Andrews as her annoying father. Oh, and by the way, Andrews and Randall would be back together for an equally silly film, "Fluffy". Overall, quite fun and a nice bit of fantasy that will please all but the most serious-minded viewers.

Please-If anyone from Universal Studios EVER frequents these boards; it's PAST time for this Tony Randall classic to be released on DVD. Tony Randall and Burl Ives are hilarious, and Barbara Eden sets the stage for her role in I dream of Jeannie. The 60's were a different time for movie studios, and this is indeed a family movie that everyone can enjoy and have fun laughing with. It's a true joy to see Tony Randall who was always a fine gifted actor. Why hasn't Universal ever released this on DVD is beyond me. Universal-you can release every other movie made for over 60 years, why not the Brass Bottle. And folks, write Universal asking them to release this movie from their vaults. Thanks

Very enjoyable, good humor, good acting, a little campy, but so were most comedies of the early 60s era and there is nothing wrong with that.

This should be on DVD - not just VHS. Why studios haven't converted this to DVD especially with rated actors/actresses to DVD is beyond me.The DVD would easily fly of the shelves from age 45 - 65 year group who would love to add it to their vintage collections.

Burl Ives does another classic performance this time as the Genie in the Bottle now freed by someone, Tony Randall, who is tempted, yet morally bound not to be consumed by the offer of "your wish is my command."

I was a child when I last saw this film, probably on television ... remember it as being incredibly funny and charming and would really enjoy seeing it again!

Burl Ives was a perfect genie ... can still recall the name of the great Fakrash el-Aamash after forty years, which is to say that the film made a remarkable impression. It would be interesting to see whether my sense of humor has changed all that much in the interim.

The Brass Bottle seemed quite a bit better than the TV series "I Dream of Jeannie" that was inspired by it ... absolutely delightful, if my memory can be a reliable guide.