Showing posts with label 1950s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1950s. Show all posts

Cartoon Adventures Starring Gerald McBoing Boing (1953) Review

Cartoon Adventures Starring Gerald McBoing Boing (1953)
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I em enthralled that by some godsent miracle, you actually decided to release these wonderful films to DVD! It's certainly about time!
However four 7 minute shorts do not a DVD make!
Why couldn't you have at least included some other classic UPA entries in the Jolly Frolics series, such as the wonderfully creative and artistic masterpiece, Rooty Toot Toot, The Tell-Tale Heart, the many Mr. Magoo theatrical shorts you hold license to, etc..?
Again, I'm very happy to finally be able to own these on one convenient DVD package, but it seems like very little effort was put into this release. These cartoons were not aimed at children and I don't expect the majority of sales to come from them either. These are among the most artistic, innovative, stylized and brilliant animated film productions of all-time!
The UPA cartoons deserve their own comprehensive release so please stop neglecting your animated film library!!!

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CARTOON ADVENTURES STARRING GERALD MC - DVD Movie

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Yoo Hoo Mrs Goldberg (2009) Review

Yoo Hoo Mrs Goldberg (2009)
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For more than a quarter-century, during the halcyon days of radio and early television, actress-playwright Gertrude Berg ruled the airwaves as Molly Goldberg, a kindly Jewish mother dispensing homespun wisdom to her family and neighbors in the Bronx. Berg told Edward R. Murrow that she spent more time as Molly Goldberg than she did as Gertrude Berg, and this was the plain truth: she wrote, produced and starred in more than 5,000 episodes of "The Goldbergs," making her one of the true creative dynamos of American entertainment history. At the peak of her fame, Berg was second in the public trust only to Eleanor Roosevelt. Unfortunately, the blacklist damaged her career, and destroyed that of her co-star, Philip Loeb, who subsequently committed suicide. Also, the poor picture quality and erratic distibution of the kinescopes of "The Goldbergs" guaranteed that Molly Goldberg wouldn't remain a household name, as Lucy Ricardo and Ralph Kramden did.
"Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg!", Aviva Kempner's fascinating and touching documentary, reclaims the story of Molly Goldberg and her creator for modern audiences. Along with vintage clips from the radio and TV programs, Kempner presents interviews with Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Norman Lear, Susan Stamberg and other luminaries who testify to their love of Molly Goldberg and the importance of having a radio and TV character who reflected the reality of their own lives. "Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg!" is an apt tribute to an unjustly forgotten pioneer of situation comedy.

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Studio: New Video GroupRelease Date: 08/24/2010

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My Three Sons - Season One vols. 1 - 2 Review

My Three Sons - Season One vols. 1 - 2
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I would like to state for the record, that I love this show and have been waiting for it's release to DVD for a very long time. The news of it's release made me very happy until I watched a few of the episodes.
The first thing I want to point out is you can find both volumes cheaper than they are listed here together! This 1/2 season set practice (which is an insult to fans) has got to stop! I mean really the studio's should be tickled pink that there is a buying audience for these old classics to begin with. Breaking the seasons into two or more volumes is a slap in the face!
To make matters worse the music has been changed and the episodes are edited! The music used for this release is so bad, it's completely un-watchable for anyone who remembers the original! What's the point of trying to preserve these shows if your not going to do it right!? The fan base for these shows aren't getting any younger and if the studio heads who put this junk together expect fans to be happy, they are sadly mistaken.
I love the show, but I have to say do not buy this sub-par garbage and send a message to these greedy slackers that we will not accept anything less than well transferred shows presented un-edited and with all original content intact!

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MY THREE SONS is a delightful slice-of-life comedy about the American family. The series chronicles the life of the Douglas family; a seemingly simple premise that was a huge hit with audiences and a keystone of the TV family lineup in the ‘60s. Fred MacMurray delivers a standout portrayal as Steve Douglas, an aeronautical engineer and widower raising his three sons alone.

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Auntie Mame (1958) Review

Auntie Mame (1958)
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There are certain roles that are inextricably linked to their portrayors. Bela Lugosi as Dracula, Yul Brynner as The King of Siam, Ethel Merman as Madame Rose, and, of course, Rosalind Russell as Auntie Mame. Rosalind Russell was, in my opinion, a class act. The lady had style, warmth, modesty, and a great acting talent, particularly in comedy, especially the fast-talking kind. Sure, she had some career misfires, such as her unconvincing Jewish mama in "A Majority of One", and her "slumming society dame" Madame Rose in "Gypsy", but Roz reigned supreme in comedies such as "The Women", "His Girl Friday", and, of course, "Auntie Mame" which, having created it on Broadway, it became HER signature role. Her performance is recorded for generations to come in this delighful film. Also on hand from the original Broadway cast are Peggy Cass as the frumpy, would-be butterfly Miss Gooch, and Jan Handzlik as 9-year-old Patrick Dennis, who comes to live with his madcap aunt. Add to this the fabulous, acid-tongued Coral Browne (she would become, years later, Mrs. Vincent Price!), handsome and appealing Patric Knowles and Forrest Tucker (who is extremely charming in this, possibly his best role), showbiz vets Fred Clark, Lee Patrick and Willard Waterman as Mame's snobbish betes noirs, and the largely unsung Joanna Barnes as grown-up Patrick's unbearable, shallow fiance. Her performance, replete with annoying, Gloria Vanderbilt-like accent, is one of those great performances where you laugh at her and despise her at the same time. The costumes, by Orry-Kelly, are superb - classy/crazy creations that are beautiful as well as mad. The same can be said about the ever-changing decor of Mame's Beekman Place duplex-from Japanese to Moderne to Louis XIV to library chic to 50s modern to East Indian-well, there you have it! And, of course, there is the wonderful Betty Comden/Adolph Green script, which is full of so many quotable lines that it has become part of my friends' and mine lexicon! The film is a little episodic, but who the hell cares? I definitely prefer this film to the sadly unfunny, leaden musical version with Lucille Ball. I love Lucy, too, but "Mame" was not for her. Auntie Mame is one of my favorite heroines. She is a woman full of adventure, fun, style, even a little bitchiness, but she is not mean. She has a generous, kind heart and is not a "money" snob or a "social-order" snob. Every parent should make their children watch this film-mine did, and am I glad! Roz rules!

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Rosalind Russell recreates her hallmark stage role as the accentric grande dame of highlife, briging up a 10-year-old nephew. A banquet of laughter, nominated for 6 Academy Awards(R).

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Father Knows Best, Vol. 1 Review

Father Knows Best, Vol. 1
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Watched this show as a child enjoyed it then enjoyed it more now. If you are looking for down home good tv show classic this is the show.

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The First 7 Classic Episodes With America s Premier Sitcom FamilyFather Knows Best premiered on CBS in October 1954 and has been part of the American cultural fabric ever since. The program s depiction of a typical mid-century, middle-class, Midwestern American family is fondly remembered by many of us who grew up watching the show and rather enviously thinking: Oh. So this is what happens in all the other houses. Join Jim and Margaret and Princess, Bud and Kitten in their very first year as everyone s favorite 50s family in Father Knows Best.

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The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till (2005) Review

The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till (2005)
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It was in August of 1955 that 15-year-old Emmett Till was sent from Chicago by his mother to spend the summer with his great uncle, Moses Wright, in Money, Mississippi. On August 24, Till and some other black teenagers who had been picking cotton went to Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market to get some candy. In the store Till allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant. When her husband returned from a trip several days later and heard about the incident, Bryant and his half-brother J. W. Milam decided to "teach the boy a lesson." On August 28, they kidnapped Till from his uncle's house, too him to a plantation shed, brutalized the boy, shot him, and dumped his body in the Tallahatchie river, having tied a seventy pound fan from a cotton gin around Till's neck with barbed wire. The two men were tried and found not guilty by an all-white jury. In January 1956 their confession was paid for and published by "Look" magazine. Both men would die from cancer, Milam in 1980 and Bryant in 1990.
I do not remember when I first heard of Emmett Till, but the story of the black teenager who was killed by white men in Mississippi for the crime of whistling at a white woman was a pivotal event in energizing the Civil Rights Movement and I have known about it for a long time. However, I never saw a photograph of Emmett Till's body until I was at the Seattle Art Museum looking at an exhibit having to deal with depictions of race and gender in art, and there was a small photograph of Till's body on display at his funeral. The photograph was too small to tell any details, but you were struck by the swollen and misshaped head. It did not look human, but then to Milam and Bryant, Emmett Till was never a human being.
The title of Keith A. Beauchamp's documentary is "The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till," not because the story has not been told, but because the people he interviewed, including Till's mother, Mamie Carthan Mobley, along with several cousins and friends from that summer in Mississippi, never had a chance to tell their story in court. Beauchamp provides them with that opportunity, using newsreel footage from 1955 as well. It follows the chronology of events, from Till's birth to the present and Beauchamp's own investigations into the case (his chief claim is that up to 14 other people were involved in the crime in various ways). For just telling the story and covering the facts, Beauchamp keeps things pretty basic in his documentary, letting people speak for themselves.
The most unforgettable part of the documentary is when Mobley tells the story of getting her son's body back home. Officials in Mississippi wanted to bury the body before anybody got a good look at it and when Mobley managed to get it back to Chicago the coffin was nailed shut. But she got it opened and then describes what it was she saw in simple and graphic details, emphasizing not the horrors but the child she remembered (e.g., she smiles as she talks about how she thought Emmett's teeth were the most beautiful things she had ever seen and then remembering seeing only two of them and wondering where the rest of them were). It is only after Beauchamp lets her tell of the pivotal point where she decides to leave the casket open at the funeral so the world can see what was done to her son in Mississippi that we go from a school photograph of a smiling Emmett Till to the wrecked ruin of his face and head. This is the most disturbing image from the Civil Rights movement, but that is exactly why it is the most important one and why its publication in "Jet" was an important catalyst. You really cannot tell the story unless you look at the photograph, and teachers who want to show this documentary to their students should be prepared to defend their decision.
In addition to Mobley, it is Moses Wright, who stood up in court and pointed to the two white men who came and took away Till (there is a photograph of the dramatic moment), who stands out here. But it strikes me that somebody who is not mentioned by name, William Bradford Huie, played a key role as well. A journalist and author ("The Americanization of Emily," "The Klansman"), Huie was often criticized by mainstream journalists for using his checkbook to get stories. But it was Huie who paid the murderers to confess in a national publication five months later. A follow up story revealed that the businesses of Milam and Bryant had gone under because they were ostracized by local whites. I am sure this did not happen because of the murders, which clearly the jury representing the town supported, but because of the published confession that took away the thin veneer provided by the not guilty verdict.
This documentary received a lot of publicity because it fueled an effort to reopen the case. The U.S. Department of Justice did reopen the case to determine whether others in addition to Milam and Bryant were involved. The F.B.I. and Mississippi officials worked on a joint investigation, and while Till's body was exhumed so an official autopsy could be performed, the federal investigation was closed in March of this year. Consequently, justice in this case will not result in anybody ending up in jail, but rather with preserving the testimony of these witnesses for posterity (Till's mother died after the documentary was completed). Carolyn Bryant (now Donham after her fourth husband) is still alive and living in Greenville Mississippi. Signs in her front yard warn that uninvited visitors will be prosecuted, an apparent indication that she believes the law in Mississippi continues to protect her a lot more than it ever did Emmett Till.

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In August 1955, Mamie Till-Mobley of Chicago sent her only child, 14 year-old Emmett Louis Till, to visit relatives in the Mississippi Delta.Little did she know that only 8 days later, Emmett would be abducted from his Great-Uncle’s home, brutally beaten and murdered by one of the oldest Southern taboos: whistling at a white woman in public.The murderers were soon arrested but later acquitted of murder by an all-white, all-male jury.Keith Beauchamp's groundbreaking film is the result of a 10-year journey to uncover the truth behind the nightmarish murder of an innocent African-American teenager. Emmett’s brutal murder - and his family’s brave actions in the horrifying aftermath- served as a major impetus for America's civil rights movement and led to Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to make decisions that changed the course of history.Discover for yourself why the Chicago Tribune wrote, "If you don’t believe film can change the world, you haven’t seen The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till."

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Bewitched - The Complete Sixth Season Review

Bewitched - The Complete Sixth Season
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Opening the 6th Season (1969-1970) with Dick Sergeant, replacing Dick York, was going to be both challenging and somwhat of a gamble to see if fans of the show would continue to be entralled and in love with America's (and the world's!) favorite housewife witch! With some of the most creative and memorable episodes, showcasing all of the actors talents, the season remained a favorite with fans! Here is a list of the 30 episodes in the Season 6 dvd set!
1Samantha and the Beanstalk - As the 1969-1970 season begins, we are greeted by an all-new Darrin Stephens (Dick Sergeant). Tabitha is jealous of the new baby and decides to run away in the storybook of "Jack and the Beanstalk". Phyllis (Darrin's Mother) sees Jack and is very confused about what is going on. Samantha finds out that Tabitha twitched herself into the storybook and goes in to get her back. She finds Tabitha shrinking the story's giant and messing up the entire story. Samantha tells Tabitha to put everything right back where she found it and brings her home. A fun and entertaining first episode that kicks off Season 6, and gets the viewer ready for another magical season!
2Samantha's Yoo-Hoo Maid - A year after Aunt Clara passed on, Esmerelda carries on her memory by being a bumbling witch as well. Esmerelda sneezes up a whole lot of trouble when Darrin has a prospective client over to look at ad layouts. And whenever she gets nervous, she fades out! Darrin uses Esmerelda's magical goof-ups to good use when he presents a unicorn as a design for the client's car company. Samantha tells Darrin that Esmerelda will only visit when she is called.
3Samantha's Caesar Salad - Samantha wants Esmerelda to make a Caesar salad, but ends up bringing Julius Caesar instead! Samantha wants him to go home, but Caesar does not want to leave the twentieth century. So Samantha pops up Cleopatra to lure Caesar back into his own time. Darrin's client sees these two figures together and decides to use these two in her beauty ad campaign.
4Samantha's Curious Cravings - Whenever Samantha thinks of food, it appears in her hand. Dr. Bombay helps her out with her condition, but it doesn't work because now she goes to the food!
5...And Something Makes Four - Samantha gives birth to her second child, Adam! Samantha's father, Maurice makes sure that everyone who passes by falls in love with the baby. He takes it upon himself to put a spell on the new baby. Soon it is a threat to the Witches Council and Samantha tells her father to remove the love spell.
6Naming Samantha's New Baby - Maurice is raging mad because the new baby is not named after him. He storms to the house where the elder Stephens and Endora are adoring the new baby. Maurice freezes Darrin into a mirror until the baby's name is changed. Frank and Phyllis see Darrin in the mirror and think that it is a big moneymaker. After Frank states that he hates the name that was given to the baby, Maurice releases Darrin from the mirror. Darrin comes up with a name that sticks "Adam".
7To Trick or Treat or Not to Trick or Treat - Samantha is working on Halloween costumes for a UNICEF benefit. Endora is dismayed at Samantha for celebrating Halloween. Endora turns Darrin into a witch to get him to see the disrespect of witches on Halloween. After getting into a lot of trouble with his appearance, Darrin apologizes to Endora and she removes the spell.
8A Bunny for Tabitha - At Tabitha's birthday party, Uncle Arthur volunteers to do tricks. He does a classic rabbit in a hat trick, and instead of a rabbit, he pulls out a Playboy bunny! Darrin's new client, A.J. Sylvester, comes to the party with Larry and instantly falls for Bunny. When A.J. and the bunny have lunch together, A.J.'s ex-girlfriend comes up, sees him and leaves in anger. Samantha invites A.J. and Bunny to dinner and A.J. announces that they are to be engaged. But that doesn't last long when Bunny's rabbit qualities finally come to light.
9Samantha's Secret Spell - Darrin is doomed to become a mouse by midnight, and Samantha tries to get him to do some Jackass-style methods to stop this magic happening from occurring.
10Daddy Comes for a Visit (1) - Maurice gives Darrin a magic watch, giving him magical powers, much to the dismay of Samantha.
11Darrin the Warlock (2) - Darrin has a ball with his newfound magical powers. With his powers, Darrin creates a stellar account with his client, Bliss, Jr. and shows Larry his powers. It isn't until Darrin meets his old friend, Dave, and decides to give up his magic.
12Sam's Double Mother Trouble - Esmerelda is reading Mother Goose to Tabitha, and ends up sneezing up the real Mother Goose in question. She is ordered by Sam to get rid of her before Phyllis comes by. Phyllis comes by because of a marital spat he had with Frank and meets Mother Goose. Then Frank comes by and Phyllis runs up the stairs. While he is having a talk with Mother Goose, Darrin and Samantha try to tell Phyllis to go back to Frank.
13You're So Agreeable - Endora puts a spell on Darrin, making him agreeable to everything and everyone. Of course, this results in him getting fired from McMann and Tate. Samantha finds out about the spell and tells her mother to take it off.
14Santa Comes to Visit and Stays and Stays - Esmerelda brings up the real Santa Claus and cannot get him back to the North Pole. So Samantha blinks up his elves and sleigh and reindeer, much to the horror of Gladys, who instantly reports all that she sees to Abner, who does not listen to her.
15Samantha's Better Halves - Samantha and Darrin have a flashback. Darrin has to go to Japan to do business with a client, but cannot leave Samantha's side when her baby is due. Endora breaks Darrin into two people: the fun Darrin and the business Darrin, with strange and hilarious results.
16Samantha's Lost Weekend - Esmerelda hexes a glass of milk for Tabitha so she can eat, but Samantha drinks it by mistake and goes on an eating frenzy!
17The Phrase is Familiar - Darrin is hexed by Endora yet again, this time everything he says comes out as a popular cliche.
18Samantha's Secret is Discovered - Phyllis catches Samantha using her magic powers and doesn't really know what to think. So, after six years, Samantha finally tells Phyllis that she is a witch and gives her a demonstration of her powers. Phyllis tells Frank about Samantha, and she tries to show Frank, but her powers have been taken away! Because of all this, Phyllis commits herself to a nursing home, convinced that she is a lunatic.
19Tabitha's Very Own Samantha - Tabitha wants to go to the park, but Samantha tells her that she has a lot of chores to do around the house. So, Tabitha blinks up an ice cream cone, and Samantha reprimands her for using her powers and sends her to her room. Tabitha decides to create her own "Samantha" and goes off to the park. Gladys sees them there and asks about Adam and gets no response. Gladys calls Darrin, who calls Samantha who doesn't know what is going on. Later, Tabitha gets a stomach ache from eating too much and confesses to her real mother. Seeing that Tabitha has learned her lesson, Samantha blinks away the fake "mother".
20Super Arthur - Uncle Arthur's magic is going out of whack, and Dr. Bombay helps him out by giving him a pill. This pill, however, makes Arthur become anything he thinks off. After being transformed a few times, Samantha decides to take him outside for some air. Arthur states that he feels like Superman, and all of a sudden, he has a Superman suit and flies in the air! This cause major pandemonium in the neighborhood, and Samantha convinces Darrin and Larry that it is great campaign for a client they are working with.
21What Makes Darrin Run? - To give Darrin more ambition, Endora puts a spell on him giving him the push and verve that he needs. He takes it a bit too far when he takes control over an account and he and Larry was working on together. Darrin then has no time for Samantha or the children because of this spell and Samantha gets through to him by telling him that he is under a spell and to undo the damage he caused.
22Serena Stops the Show - Serena wants Boyce and Hart to play at the Cosmos Cotillion, but they are booked "until 1976". Serena puts a spell on them to make them unpopular until they perform at the cotillion and sing her song. Once they perform at the Cotillion, Samantha insists Serena remove the spell.
23Just a Kid Again - A store clerk named Bates wishes that he was a child again. Tabitha makes his wish come true when it actually happens. When Samantha finds out, she makes Tabitha take the spell off of him, but he likes being a kid. Then, Bates finds out that his girlfriend is about to go out with her boss, and proves his love for her by kicking her boss. He decides that he doesn't want to be a kid anymore, and the spell is broken.
24The Generation Zap - With a touch of magic, Endora turns a client's sensible daughter Dusty Harrison into a raving sex machine with the hots for Darrin. Of course, Samantha is jealous and Mr. Harrison cancels his account. Darrin is mad at Endora, but recants when word gets out that Harrison is an embezzler.
25Okay, Who's the Wise Witch? - Samantha, Darrin, Endora and Dr. Bombay are all caught in a magical vapor lock around the house due to Samantha's non-use of powers. How will they get out of this one?
26A Chance on Love - Mr. Dinsdale, a handsome lady-killer client falls for Samantha because she looks like Serena. Samantha tries to get the whole thing straightened out, but it only results in Darrin losing his account. Dinsdale sees the truth for himself when...Read more›

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The magic on Morning Glory Circle continues as Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery), Darrin (Dick Sargent), and Endora (Agnes Moorehead) return in Bewitched - The Complete Sixth Season. Notable for being Dick Sargent's first season as Darrin. Samantha, a powerful member of the society of witches that has lived apart from (and disdained) humanity for many centuries, falls in love with a mortal, Darrin Stephens. Much to the disgust of most of her family, she vows to give up witchcraft and become an ordinary suburban housewife, raising a family (bearing Tabitha and Adam). Never able to give up her heritage completely, the friction between the matriarchal, moneyless society of her birth and the patriarchal, capitalist society of modern advertising drives the comedy over eight seasons and 256 episodes, from 1964 to 1971.

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Agatha Christie's Marple: Series 1 (2005) Review

Agatha Christie's Marple: Series 1 (2005)
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I watched the new Miss Marple series, excited to see what Geraldine McEwan would do with the role. Unfortunately, I don't like what they've done with this latest batch of Christie's. Mrs. McEwan is a fine actress and she brings a "fluffiness" to the role that is missing from the Hickson version. Still, there is too much tampering with the plotlines to suit me. There are significant changes made in a couple of the stories, most notably in "The Body in the Library" so let the buyer beware. This isn't a minor change either as it involves the resolution of the case. They also add an odd, on-going storyline involving Miss Marple's own past love life that is simply not part of the books and isn't even close to being in keeping with the character of Miss Marple. As Agatha Christie is arguably the most acclaimed and accomplished mystery writer that ever lived, these changes were pretty outrageous. Her books stand the test of time and need no updating simply to satisfy 21st century ideas. I was surprised at this as the British are usually the ones who can be depended upon to leave good stories alone. So, if you just want a few hours of light entertainment, have at it, but if you're an Agatha Christie purist, you won't like this dvd so save your money.

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She's back! Proper, demure, and sharp as a tack, Agatha Christie's beloved Miss Marple returns to the limelight in sparkling new adaptations of four classic Christie novels. Geraldine McEwan (The Magdalene Sisters, Mapp & Lucia) is the ladylike sleuth, a wispy senior citizen who blows the police professionals out of the water with her keen insight and shrewdly analytical nature. Fearless and uncommonly wise to the worst in human nature, Marple has lived a long time-and she's paid attention. As seen on the PBS Mystery! series, these lavish 21st-century productions are rich in post-WWII period atmosphere and delicious Christie wit, with star-studded casts that include Joanna Lumley, Derek Jacobi, Tara Fitzgerald, Ian Richardson, Janet McTeer, Zok Wanamaker, Simon Callow, James Fox, John Hannah, and Celia Imrie. The Mysteries: Murder at the Vicarage The Body in the Library A Murder Is Announced 4:50 From Paddington DVD special features include an hour-long behind-the-scenes featurette with cast and crew interviews, a history of Miss Marple adaptations, a photo gallery and more.

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Father Knows Best: Season Two (1955) Review

Father Knows Best: Season Two (1955)
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Season Two arrived today. I watched the episode Kathy Makes Magic. Its great. Uncut with fine video and audio. Much improved over the quality of Season One. As many times as I've seen this episode it was a real treat seeing scenes I'd never seen before.

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Robert Young returns to the head of the dinner table to play the patriarch of America s most beloved family in Season Two of Father Knows Best.During Season Two a growing number of families were tuning in to see what kind of trouble Bud (Billy Gray) was going to get into next, how Kathy (Lauren Chapin) was handling growing up, whether Betty (Elinor Donahue) and her boyfriend would breakup and how Margaret (Jane Wyatt) would inevitably hold the family together. A day in the life of the Andersons was a 1950s suburban dream come true.Bonus Features: The Teacher From Robert Young s very next TV series, Window On Main Street Robert Young Pilot: Stagecoach To Yuma (12/7/1955) Extended FKB Flashback Episode: First Disillusionment (11/16/1959)

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Edward R. Murrow - The Best of Person to Person (1953) Review

Edward R. Murrow - The Best of Person to Person (1953)
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Better known for his radio broadcasts from London during the Blitz, his television show "You Are There," and his confrontations with Joseph McCarthy during the HUAC hearings, Edward R. Murrow was also a fine interviewer. His TV series "Person to Person" gave us home movies of many of the best-known celebrities and public personalities of the 40s, 50s, and 60s.
From 1953 to 1959, Murrow conducted live, remote interviews of famed entertainers and political figures in their apartments or houses, an innovation for the relatively new medium of TV. Lasting 13 or 14 minutes on average, the interviews were carefully staged affairs using multiple cameras and wireless microphones. Interviewees knew the questions to be asked, yet many were obviously nervous about having their inner sanctums invaded by technicians, bulky equipment, and bright lights. As a result, they come across as somewhat stiff at times, but all in all they acquit themselves well. Their imperturbable, chain-smoking interlocutor remains ensconced in his studio, a bit starchy as always but much more relaxed than he was in his role as a hard-hitting journalist.
Murrow's guests, who are simultaneously our hosts, give us choreographed tours of their beautiful homes and prized possessions -- Jonathan Winter's beer steins, Sid Caesar's rifles, Dick Clark's records, Jerry Lewis' paintings, Sammy Davis' suits -- which tell us a lot about their personal hobbies and passions. Winters draws a sketch, Davis does some gunslinging, and both do impressions. Liberace plays a few arpeggios, and Dean Martin performs card tricks. Some of the stars, like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward or Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, come across as completely at ease, revealing why they enjoyed such long-lasting careers and happy marriages.
We meet not only celebrities but also their spouses and, heading to bed, their children, who are invariably coached to greet Mr. Murrow. Certain stars, among them Marlon Brando, Sammy Davis, and Marilyn Monroe, introduce us to their parents, relatives, friends, collaborators, and in the case of Frank Sinatra, his Asian houseboys (who complement his new Japanese-style house).
There are many memorable moments: Liberace and his home are over the top, as is watching him talk about how much he likes women and wants to get married. Marilyn Monroe, on the other hand, seems modest, subdued, and even fragile at the home of her favorite photographer. Watching a young Dick Clark defend rock music and the kids who enjoy it is a great reminder of the social shifts the US was experiencing in the 50s.
The Kennedy brothers display their pre-White-House charisma and talk about their father, Joseph Sr., and brother, Joseph Jr., who was killed in World War II. Jack shows off framed letters by Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln, demonstrating his unabashed political ambition. Watching Bobby and Ethel put their tired children to bed is particularly touching. Eleanor Roosevelt is charming as she discusses her work at the UN and presents us with some of the art and souvenirs she collected from around the world.
These selected interviews are snapshots, so not all of the projects that the featured subjects were working on at the time are of enduring value, nor is every personality scintillating, but they frequently refer to important people and events that should whet the appetite of an attentive viewer for further historical and cultural research. The quality of the film from which these shows are drawn also varies greatly, so the viewer should expect fluctuations in contrast and grain. The images are occasionally overexposed or underexposed, or scratched and dirty, but all of the interviews are clear enough to appreciate.
CBS newsman Bob Schieffer introduces and wraps up each of the DVDs in this 3-DVD set with segments that last a minute or two. Following is a complete alphabetical listing of the personalities on parade in this collection:
Lauren Bacall
Milton Berle
Humphrey Bogart
Marlon Brando
Sid Caesar
Carol Channing
Dick Clark
Tony Curtis
Bette Davis
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Kirk Douglas
Billy Graham
Andy Griffith
Oscar Hammerstein
Helen Hayes
Charlton Heston
Gene Kelley
Ethel Kennedy
Jacqueline Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
Robert Kennedy
Janet Leigh
Jerry Lewis
Liberace
Art Linkletter
Sophia Loren
Dean Martin
Marilyn Monroe
Paul Newman
Norman Rockwell
Eleanor Roosevelt
Frank Sinatra
Elizabeth Taylor
Danny Thomas
Mike Todd
Esther Williams
Jonathan Winters
Joanne Woodward

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From 1953 to 1959, Edward R. Murrow informally welcomed television viewers into the homes of the twentieth century’s most well-known stars and celebrities on PERSON TO PERSON. Utilizing perhaps the simplest set in television – a chair, a table an ashtray and a picture window – Murrow greeted two guests per week in remote interviews that candidly revealed the private lives of such notable figures as John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Sammy Davis, Jr., Milton Berle, Sophia Loren and many more.A television legend, Edward R. Murrow is credited with making broadcast journalism respectable, courageous and sincere. Industry professionals still aspire to the standards he established during his illustrious career.

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My Three Sons: The First Season, Vol. 1 Review

My Three Sons: The First Season, Vol. 1
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NOTE: I had originally written this review before I was aware that CBS/Paramount was altering their product through entire music score replacements and so on. As much as I love programs like "My Three Sons," I can't see the justification for such decisions as split-season releases or soundtrack altering. My five-star rating was originally for the show, not the product, and it can not be changed. That being said:
The color episodes of this show were good too, but the episodes we prefer to watch are the black & white episodes with Mike (Steve's oldest son) and Bub (the boys' grandfather - Steve's father-in-law). It was a very different show, with such plots as Steve's neighbor wanting to take a pleasant Sunday drive with his wife and daughter, but ending up hoodwinked into taking Steve's car and about a dozen others with them; or Bub losing Chip's frog that he was going to use for show and tell. There was an episode where Rob was reading detective novels and became convinced that someone was following him. Another episode had Mike taking an umbrella stand made from a hippopotamus foot to his fraternity house where they used it so as to make it appear as though a giant beast walked into a nearby lake and never came out. One episode took place on the morning that daylight saving time ended, and Bub turned the clocks ahead instead of back, forcing a tired crew to roll out 2 hours early. The whole episode was staged to the narration of a NASA public info film that Chip was watching on TV.
Some of what makes these episodes important is the way we see Chip and Ernie develop a close friendship prior to the 1965 adoption episode. These earlier episodes make that particular one more weighty and understandable. Thank goodness for Nick at Nite back in the late 80's, because I had never seen the black & whites in re-runs before they ran them, nor have I seen them run again. Makes me glad I recorded them! However, DVD season sets would be a very welcome addition to my collection.
UPDATE: JUNE 23, 2008. CBS/Paramount has confirmed a release date for this series. "My Three Sons" Season 1, Volume 1 will be released September 30, 2008.
Update: July 2, 2008: The rear cover art for this series mentions music changes. To what extent? Who knows. It is particularly sad to hear of this happening in this series as Frank DeVol's music was essential to the feel, thus the flow of these shows. One example that quickly comes to mind is an episode that I believe is called "The Horseless Saddle." There are two pieces of music used at crucial points throughout the episode, it's necessary that they be there. The saddle has it's own music, and the pony has it's own music, and I don't recall ever hearing these two pieces used again.
There's also an episode where Mike becomes very serious about a girl he's met in college. He tells Steve about her and arranges for her to come for dinner and meet the family. She immediately becomes infatuated with Steve (Talking about him when she's out with Mike, even comparing him with John Wayne while they're at the movies) and begins phoning him and creating situations that bring them together. Again, there is not only a particular piece of music used each time she gives Steve a "look," but the same sound effect is also used and they really work well together.
These shows without DeVol's music would be like a bun without a burger. Changing or deleting anything that's there would be a huge mistake!
UPDATE: OCTOBER 1, 2008. Still waiting for a legitimate release.


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MY THREE SONS:SEASON ONE VOL 1 - DVD Movie

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My Three Sons - Season One, Vol. 2 Review

My Three Sons - Season One, Vol. 2
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Come back for our money when you decide not to butcher this classic show with your awful music/sound substitutions. I was fooled once with your volume 1 release, but I've learned my lesson.
I'm only giving this 1 star, sadly 0 stars doesn't appear to be an option.

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MY THREE SONS is a delightful slice-of-life comedy about the American family. The series chronicles the life of the Douglas family; a seemingly simple premise that was a huge hit with audiences and a keystone of the TV family lineup in the ‘60s. Fred MacMurray delivers a standout portrayal as Steve Douglas, an aeronautical engineer and widower raising his three sons alone.

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Paradise Review

Paradise
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Frank Pierson continues to create films that are controversial and thought-provoking ('Soldier's Girl', 'Dirty Pictures', 'Truman', 'Conspiracy', 'Citizen Cohn', etc). In PARADISE he examines the workings of a 'showbiz evangelist' family and in doing so opens doors and windows to inspect not only the backstage shennaigans that are gaining more media coverage of late, but also the the very important family values and human frailties that make people support this brand of 'religion'.
With a blistering screenplay by Norman Steinberg and Richard Christian Matheson. PARADISE relates the story of one Bobby Paradise (David Strathairn), a past astronaut who apparently believes he spoke with God upon re-entry into earth's atmosphere while crashing into the Indian Ocean, and has been driven to tell his story and spread the gospel with his wife Elizabeth (Barbara Hershey), his lawyer daughter (Vivienne Benesch) who has a penchant for shady behavior and who is having an affair with a boxer (Kirk Acevedo), his business manager son Matthew (James LeGros) and wife, and his alcoholic mother Isabella (Elaine Strich).
Bobby is haunted by his own demons and feels he is at the breaking point, but his wife and family encourage him to continue is financially successful business (palatial mansion, jets, money to burn and to keep everyone out of trouble, etc). But the media begins to pry and slowly we watch the family power tend to disintegrate as we discover Bobby has a son newly released from a prison term (apparently for justifiable homicide), the boxer's wife and child are 'bought out' so that the daughter can marry, etc.
The film works well primarily because of the quality of performances by Strathairn, Hershey, Srtitch, and all of the cast. Just when the story appears to be going over the top, the understated characters of Bobby and Elizabeth keep it grounded in reality and the possibility that this sort of family CAN exist. Too many questions are left unanswered, as though this movie for Showtime was being considered as a series for TV, but for a dissection of TV Evangelism it is a tasty investigation. Grady Harp, April 05

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Enter the world of Bobby Paradise, a former astronaut who discovered God during a crisis in space and upon his return became a prominent minister. His power and success are jeopardized when he finds his family at the center of sexual scandal, government investigation and a murderous secret.

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Elvis Presley: The Ed Sullivan Shows: The Performances (1956) Review

Elvis Presley: The Ed Sullivan Shows: The Performances (1956)
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For those of who weren't born when Elvis struck America, here's the undiluted wonder. You get all three complete Ed Sullivan shows from his early days. You even get the ads for Mercury cars. Besides Elvis, you get to see the rest of Ed's cast of characters. Even that Senor guy who speaks to his hand. What's amazing is that there are so few ad breaks.
The only bummer is that this is each disc only has 1 show. This could have been a 2 DVD set.
A perfect gift for the Elvis lover. Or just someone who wants to watch Ed Sullivan in a non-highlights format.

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Share the excitement of Elvis Presley's earthshattering introduction to the nation in this collection of iconic performances from "The Ed Sullivan Show," and experience for yourself why Elvis became the legendary King of Rock and Roll! Appearing on the show Sept. 9, 1956, Elvis sent shock waves through a repressed nation with his soulful singing, wild hip gyrations and raw energy, attracting a record-breaking TV audience of more than 60 million people. Presley returned on Oct. 28, 1956, continuing to provoke ecstatic screams with hits such as "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me Tender" and "Hound Dog." In fact, these exhilarating performances were so explosive that Elvis was filmed above the waist during his final Sullivan show appearance on January 6, 1957!SPECIAL FEATURES: Remembering Ed and Elvis; Why Ed Didn't Host Elvis' First Appearance; Elvis and Ed: Intros and Promos; Caught on Celluloid: The First Moving Pictures of Elvis Presley; Special Elvis Moments; Jerry Shillings Home Movies; Documents from the Graceland Archives; Documents from the Sullivan Archives

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The Lone Ranger: 75th Anniversary - Seasons 1 and 2 (1949) Review

The Lone Ranger: 75th Anniversary - Seasons 1 and 2 (1949)
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I just received this set this evening and have spent some time going through it. I did not observe any 11-13 minute episodes that have been mentioned in other reviews, the ones I checked appeared to be full-length. There are quite a few 22-23 minute episodes, but there do not appear to be any significant edits to the best of my knowledge. There is some time compression but nothing that I found to be too distracting from what I've observed so far, and I've barely noticed any jumpiness in the picture or any warbling on the sound that sometimes accompanies severe time compression on other releases and TV broadcasts. In fact the episodes look better than any syndicated TV print I've seen. And of course the 25 minute shows look amazing.
The sections immediately following the main title intro that used to say "Return with us now to the thrilling days of yesteryear" do appear to be removed from the episodes I glanced at. There is also a weird insertion of a close-up of the Lone Ranger sitting still on his horse inserted at the point in the main title intro when he's charging up the hill on his horse and the narrator says "...and a hearty hi-yo Silver", then it cuts back to the standard shot of him rearing up on Silver. I don't ever remember that shot being inserted in syndication, I always recall that it was a continuous shot of him riding up the hill and rearing up. It appears in all of the episodes I glanced at. No biggie, but it still struck me as odd.
Only other quibbles I have are that there don't appear to be chapter stops inserted, and the time counter for the episodes continue to accrue; they don't start at 00:00:00 at the beginning of each episode but instead have one continuous running time from the beginning of the first episode to the end of the last episode on the disc. Makes it difficult to figure out each show's running time.
The extras included in this set are plentiful and nicely crafted. The commemorative book in particular has a lot of material to go through. There is a bonus disc featuring some LR cartoons, a Lassie episode with the LR and some radio shows, a Season 1 and 2 episode guide, a 'signed' photo, a vintage comic book reproduction, a vintage ID card, Victory Corps membership kit, Lone Ranger Safety Club postcard, and trading cards.
I was on the fence about this set for the last several days but several reviews here and at the Home Theater Forum (along with the great job Classic Media did on the Sergeant Preston sets I own) convinced me to take the plunge and I'm glad I did. It is a blast seeing these episodes again and reliving some fond memories from my childhood in the process. I hope we get more seasons released from Classic Media, perhaps one next year for the 60th anniversary of the TV show.
Definitely recommended to any Lone Ranger fan! You get a lot of great material for the price.

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Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear...when with one jaunty call, "Hi-Yo, Silver!" the Lone Ranger solidified his role as America's favorite hero of the Wild West.Mounted atop a white stallion, he remains a steadfast symbol for truth and justice, capturing the hearts and imaginations of generations of fans. Celebrate the Lone Ranger's 75th anniversary with this 13-disc collector's edition DVD, featuring seasons 1 & 2 of the original TV series.

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Father Knows Best: Season One Review

Father Knows Best: Season One
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Father Knows Best was a wonderful television program. A review of the show would get 5 stars. These reviews are not supposed to be testimonials or nostalgic trips back to one's childhood; they should be reviews of the product. That is the reason I am awarding this product a single star. There is no excuse whatsoever for a company to give the buying public edited versions of tv shows that have been in existence for so many years. I wrongfully assumed that since the Young family trust gave its blessing to this project that the dvd set would be top notch and first class. Shout Factory could not even present episode number one in its original form. The first show was barely 22 minutes with complete opening sequence and closing credits. The editing to trim the show by the three minutes was done with a hatchet that a child of four could notice. I suppose this is better than no Father Knows Best at all, but not by much. My advice is to check the manufacturer of dvd's and make sure that Shout Factory had nothing to do with it. Otherwise, you will receive less than you hoped for and less than you paid for.

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Copy: Maybe he didn't always know best, but insurance salesman Jim Anderson (Robert Young) of Springfield, Ohio, was America's favorite head of household. Father Knows Best premiered on CBS in October 1954 and has been part of the American cultural fabric ever since. Every week families gathered around the television set to join Jim, Margaret, "Princess", "Bud" and "Kitten" in their very first year as everyone's favorite 50's family. On DVD for the first time ever, this 4-disc set contains the Complete first season. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BONUS FEATURES*New cast interviews*Robert Young's home movies*Rare behind the scenes color footage*24 Hours In Tyrantland - special episode created for the U.S. government.*Window On Main Street pilot episode - Robert Young's very next TV series.

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Make Room for Daddy: Season 6 (1958) Review

Make Room for Daddy: Season 6 (1958)
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Running from 1953 to 1964, "Make Room for Daddy" a/k/a "The Danny Thomas Show," was one of the key situation comedies from television's golden age, chronicling the humorous experiences in the life of nightclub entertainer Danny Williams (Danny Thomas) and his family. The show went through several distinct changes. From 1953 to 1956, Jean Hagen played Danny's wife Margaret, and Danny's children, Rusty and Terry, were respectively portrayed by Rusty Hamer and Sherry Jackson. Hagen left the show after the conclusion of the 1955-56 season and, for the 1956-57 season, Williams was a widower. For the 1957-58 season, Marjorie Lord joined the cast as Williams' second wife Kathy, who brought along her daughter Linda (Angela Cartwright) into the new family. By the beginning of the 1958-59 season (the 6th season, which this DVD set covers), Sherry Jackson's character was phased out of the principal cast and the show would continue with the regular lineup of Thomas, Lord, Hamer and Cartwright for the duration of the series. The show was produced and frequently directed by the legendary Sheldon Leonard.
Though it's considered by many to be one of the all-time classic family TV sitcoms, "Make Room for Daddy" has not fared well in the digital age . . . . until now. Previous DVD releases of the series have consisted of a handful of episodes from the Jean Hagen years that have fallen into the public domain, as well as the release of season 5 of the series in 2004 which, unfortunately, utilized edited, syndicated episodes losing 3 or more minutes per episode. Many fans of the series criticized that release and, for a while, it looked as if there were not going to be any additional DVD releases of the series. That situation has now been rectified, thanks to a change in the company releasing the DVDs. The new company, S'more Entertainment, has considerable experience in bringing vintage and classic sitcoms to the market, including "Mister Peepers," "Good Morning, World" and "Lotsa Luck." For those who have been concerned about the length of the season 6 episodes, you can put your mind at ease . . . . these are the full-length episodes, including full opening and closing credits, and clocking in at just under 26 minutes per episode. In addition to the full-length episodes, S'more has secured prints that are appreciably cleaner and sharper looking than those utilized for the season 5 release; simply put, the prints utilized for this release are as good as one might expect for a show that was broadcast 50 years ago. The bonus features for this release are also an improvement over the season 5 set and include the following:
'Present day interviews with Marjorie Lord (Kathy Williams), Angela Cartwright (Linda Williams) and Sid Melton (Uncle Charley Halper)
'Photo Gallery (includes 43 promotional, on-set, and behind-the-scenes photos)
'Blooper Reel
'St. Jude's Hospital Promotional Film
S'more has also included brief episode synopses for the 32 episodes contained in this collection, as well as the original broadcast date, and season and series production numbers, so you can either watch the episodes in original broadcast sequence or in the order in which they were originally produced. This type of information is rarely included on TV-on-DVD releases and is a small, but nice touch that more releasing companies ought to consider when issuing television shows on DVD.
Bottom Line: "Make Room for Daddy" is a bonafide television comedy classic that has not received it's just due on DVD in the past. This season 6 collection showcases the series in the way it was meant to be seen on DVD . . . . uncut and with the strongest visuals available for a 50 year old television show; it easily earns my full five stars.


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One of the longest running family comedies of the 1950s, "Make Room For Daddy" ran from September 1953 until September 1964.The series was nominated for 14 Emmy® Awards, winning four, including "Best Situation Comedy" and "Best Actor" for Danny. The series was a reflection of Danny Thomas' own life as an entertainer and the problems created by the frequent absences from his children. Even the title came from a phrase used in the real-life Thomas household: whenever Danny returned from a tour, his 2 daughters (Marlo and Terre) had to shift bedrooms to "Make Room For Daddy". In the series, Danny plays nightclub entertainer Danny Williams, an occasionally loud and cantankerous, but ultimately warm and soft-hearted master of his domain.Constantly being upstaged by his bratty but loveable kids, played by Rusty Hamer, Angela Cartwright and Sherry Williams (whose role was taken over by Penny Parker), the ensemble also included beautiful Marjorie Lord as his understanding wife, and legendary character actor Hans Conreid as irascible Uncle Tonoose. "Make Room For Daddy" was unique for many reasons, including how it portrayed the family life of an entertainer dealing with both industry and ordinary family issues. Another reason was its frequent appearances by top celebrities. In this Season 6 boxed-set, William Demarest, Jack Benny, Dinah Shore, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Shirley Jones, and Bob Hope are but a few legendary performers lending their talents.In addition, upcoming stars had recurring roles, such as Tony Bennett as Danny's cousin Steven from Toledo, and Annette Funicello as Italian exchange student Gina Minelli. "Make Room For Daddy" served as a springboard for then little known talents like Joey Bishop and Bill Dana, both of whom wound up with their own Danny Thomas produced television series.Other Thomas produced series include the Dick Van Dyke Show, Gomer Pyle, Real McCoys and Mod Squad.

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