Animation Celebration Saturday - The Puppetoon Movie

Expanded Entertainment, 1987

Voices of Rex Ingram, Paul Frees, Dallas McKennon, and Art Clokey

Directed by Arnold Leibovit

Music and Lyrics by various

George Pal was a pioneer of stop-motion animation who began his career in Germany during the early 30's, making shorts in his native Hungary, then Germany. He did two short ads for Dutch electronics company Phillips in the mid 30's, and five more for Horlick's Malted Milk in England before coming to the US in 1940. From 1941 to 1947, he continued the shorts for Paramount. He used wooden dolls in a wide variety of expressions and poses and meticulously detailed backgrounds to create his "Puppetoons," which were especially popular during and directly after the war years. By 1987, stop motion animation had made a comeback on television with advertising characters like the California Raisins, and the Puppetoons were a staple of cable and video showings. Are they still unique today, almost a century later? Let's begin with another favorite stop-motion character, Gumby (McKennon), making a film and find out...

The Story: Gumby is frustrated when Arnie the dinosaur (Frees) won't eat the deer in the film like he's supposed to. Arnie explains he was inspired by George Pal and his creations to not eat meat. Gumby doesn't know who Pal was or why he was important. Arnie and Pokey (Clokey) introduce Gumby to twelve of his most famous shorts (including three Oscar nominees) to explain what he did and how he pioneered techniques that continued to be used for stop-motion cartoons like Gumby's and beyond.

The Animation: You can see shades of everything from Wallace and Gromit to recent Latika releases like Kubo and the Two Strings in Pal's embryonic work. Though sometimes the characters can be a little too creepy when they're supposed to be joyful or cheerful, especially in the earlier shorts, they're generally very expressive for wooden dolls. 

The Song and Dance: The shorts and their accompanying songs are a real mixed bag. The two early Phillips ads has some nice music and nifty glow-in-the-dark effects, but not much else. "John Henry and the Inky Poo" is a largely respectful look at an African-American folk legend, complete with tragic ending and Rex Ingram's touching narration. "Hoola Boola" and "South Seas Sweethearts" are the Horlick's ads, with some really nice water effects for the time along with the obvious product placement. "Tubby the Tuba" is a very sweet adaptation of the famous orchestral song, and Peggy Lee gets to really go to town with a lively orchestra in "Jasper In a Jam."

Favorite Number: Redheaded male puppet Jim Dandy turns up twice, as the young orchestra leader with the glow-in-the-dark instruments in "The Little Broadcast" and a south-seas island beachcomber who falls for a lovely native in "Hoola Boola." Another orchestra livens up the "Phillips Broadcast of 1938" with "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?" Those musical instruments moving by themselves may have freaked Jasper out, but they sure could put on a show! Peggy Lee performs "Old Man Mose Is Dead" as clarinets toot by themselves and totem poles grab at poor Jasper. The film finishes with "Tubby the Tuba" and his frog friend, who want to show that deep voiced animals and instruments are ready for their big solos.

Trivia: In the finale, look for advertising icons Speedy Alka-Seltzer, the Pillsbury Dough Boy, and Mr. Peanut, along with Spike from Gremlins in the last seconds. 

What I Don't Like: Some of the shorts are more than a little dated. The South Seas shorts feature native stereotypes that may offend some folks nowadays. Jasper was a controversial character even in the 40's; this is actually one of his less-offensive shorts. Pal later said he didn't mean anything bad by him, but his big-lipped design looks a little too much like blackface and may sit even less well with folks now. That "When Tulips Grow" begins and ends happily doesn't make the middle any less depressing, or make it less of an obvious allegory for what the Nazis were doing to Europe in 1942. And while it's great to learn about the pioneering Pal, we never do see a dinosaur in any of the shorts, nor learn why they inspired Arnie to stop eating other animals.

The Big Finale: Worth checking out if you love stop motion or Pal's other work, or want to teach your kids about animation history...but make sure you're around to explain the stereotypes and some of the darker moments in "John Henry" and "When Tulips Grow." 

Home Media: This and its follow-up The Puppetoon Movie Part 2 are out of print and incredibly expensive on disc, but can often be found for free on streaming. 

Amazon Prime

Tubi

Bernadine

20th Century Fox, 1957

Starring Dick Sargent, Pat Boone, Terry Moore, and Janet Gaynor

Directed by Henry Levin

Music and Lyrics by various

Boone made his film debut in this movie from earlier in 1957. This is based after a hit non-musical play from 1953, and apparently was originally intended for Robert Wagner. Boone tested for Sargent's role, but he ended up playing his buddy. This movie about four teen boys who meddle in the love life of one was a huge hit in its time, as was Boone's rendition of "Love Letters In the Sand"...but does it still work today? Let's begin with those boys in the locker room of Wingate High School and find out...

The Story: Sanford Wilson (Sargent), Arthur "Beau" Beaumont (Boone), and Griner (Ronnie Burns) are members of the speed boat team who chase girls and hang out together at the Shamrock Club, a local dive. Sanford's not as good with the ladies or his grades as the others, until they try to call the phone number of their ideal "dream girl" Bernadine and get Jean (Moore), a pretty young operator. Sanford is smitten and asks her to a local club to see bongos player Jack Costanzo (himself). He thinks he's found his perfect "Bernadine," but then learns he may not graduate if he can't pass his finals. He's also not crazy about his widowed mother (Gaynor) remarrying a local man (Dean Jagger). Beau and Griner try to help, but their tutoring in love and academics ends up causing more trouble than it solves.

The Song and Dance: I can see why Boone went on to be a star, even just for a few years. He has far more charisma than most of the cast, or really for the part he's playing. Gaynor's sweet and darling as his kindly mother who is rediscovering love for the first time in years. The Technicolor is gorgeous, especially when they're outside during the big speed boat race scene. 

Favorite Number: Our first song has the boys singing an ode to their non-existent "Bernadine" - or at least, a cardboard cutout of her - at the Shamrock Club. Beau teaches Sanford the "Technique" of winning a girl over and keeping her interested. John Constanzo gets a big instrumental "Blue Moon" to himself at the club where he pounds away at those bongos. He's really good - no wonder Sanford wanted to see him so badly.

Of course, the big one here is "Love Letters In the Sand." Boone sings it while hanging around with the others at the club. He's just laying around, his feet on the table. It sounds appropriately dreamy and relaxed...even if it's not really the appropriate song for that character at that moment.

Trivia: Janet Gaynor came out of retirement to play the mother; this would be her last film.

What I Don't Like: Some people think Boone should have had Sargent's lead role, like had been originally planned. I'm not sure it would have made anything better. These boys are some of the most obnoxious little creeps I've ever seen in a teen romance. They pick on a nerdy boy at school (Val Benedict) and spend their time obsessing over a girl who doesn't even exist.  Sargent is a whiny idiot, and Moore is nothing more than eye candy. Even Gaynor doesn't have that much to do, disappointing for her last movie.

The songs don't work, either.  "Love Letters" is a ballad for a character with no love interest and very little to play. "Technique" is not only a bit sexist, but its calypso Harry Belefonte-style beat is all wrong for Boone and sounds ridiculous. I'm a bit surprised they didn't use more of the genuinely exciting speed boat races, too. We see them race once, and it barely figures into the plot. 

The Big Finale: A major disappointment after the charming April Love, and not the best way for Gaynor to go out. I wouldn't come within a hundred miles of here unless you're a huge fan of Boone or Gaynor. Everyone else is better off looking up Boone's commercial recording of "Love Letters In the Sand."

Home Media: Maybe it's just as well that the only place you can find this at the moment is YouTube.

YouTube

April Love

20th Century Fox, 1957

Starring Pat Boone, Shirley Jones, Arthur O'Connell, and Jeanette Nolan

Directed by Henry Levin

Music by Paul Francis Webster; Lyrics by Sammy Fain

Pat Boone was one of the most popular singers of the 1950's and early 60's. In fact, only Elvis Presley got close to him in record sales...but in all other ways, he was as different from Elvis as bubble gum pop is from the blues. He was a nice boy from Tennessee who finished college, went to church, was married to the same girl from 1953 until her death in 2019, and was the type girls brought home to meet their mothers with no hesitation. Ironically, his second movie had him playing a "bad" boy from the city who gets sent to the country to be reformed. How does this work with Boone's squeaky-clean image? Let's begin with the arrival of Nick Conover (Boone) in rural Kentucky and find out...

The Story:  Nick was sent to live with his Aunt Henrietta (Nolan) and Uncle Jed Bruce's (O'Connell) horse farm after he and some friends stole a car for a joyride in the city and was caught. He lost his license and was sent to spend the remainder of his parole in the country. Uncle Jed not only isn't happy to have him, he's not happy, period. He's let his horse farm go since his son, Jed Jr, died in the Korean War. There's only one horse left on the farm, the onery Tugfire, whom he kept because he was his son's favorite. 

Liz Templeton (Jones) meets Nick when she rides her horse over to invite Jed to see her father's (Matt Crowley) horses. Nick doesn't do well with them. He can't get on Liz's horse, Tugfire scares him, and he doesn't know what a sulky - a small racing carriage - is. Liz thinks he's cute, but it's her sophisticated older sister Fran (Dolores Michaels) he's interested in at first. 

He manages to fix his uncle's car and drive it around the fields, but it scares Tugfire. After he rescues the horse from brambles, Jed's convinced he can get Nick to race Tugfire in the county fair sulky race. Nick's more interested in a barbecue with the Templeton girls. He thinks no one will know if he races Fran's beau Al (Bradford Jackson) in their cars...until it gets him into trouble with the sheriff right before the big race.

The Song and Dance: This is far better than I thought it would be. I assumed we'd get a little country romance with a few Boone ballads shoehorned in. To my surprise, it's a full-on musical, with seven songs and two reprises. Boone isn't the only one doing the singing, either. Jones gets numbers to herself, and there's several big chorus routines, including at the fair and a local dance. Boone's so charming, you can understand why Liz falls for him. Nolan and O'Connell do well as the kindly aunt who worries about her nephew's well-being and the taciturn farmer who thought he lost his son, until he saw Nick help Tugfire out. There some gorgeous widescreen cinematography, much of it actually filmed in rural Kentucky. You can almost feel the soft breeze and smell that clover Nick croons about in the opening number.

Favorite Number: Nick gets the first number as he walks to his aunt and uncle's farm from the main road, singing about the "Clover In the Meadow" and that sweet country air. He claims "Give Me a Gentle Girl" after he meets Fran and she and Liz invite him to the local dance. Liz sings her version as she prepares for her shower...for she knows that for all her tomboy ways, she's a far gentler girl than her sophisticated sister. He sings the smash hit title song to earn 15 dollars at the dance. She joins him while driving him home, but is disappointed when he just says she's a "good sport."

The group numbers are even more fun. "Do It Yourself" has Al, Nick, and the girls putting together an old-fashioned barbecue, with a hand-cranked ice cream maker and home-made sauce. "First Meeting" is the chorus routine at the dance. The kids' swinging moves prove to Nick that they're definitely not "square dancers!" Everyone sings about "The Bentonville Fair" as they enjoy the rides and cotton candy on the midway. The entire cast reprises the title song in the finale as they all drive happily home from the fair.

Trivia: Remake of the 1944 Fox film Home In Indiana with Jeanne Crain in Jones' role, which was a more faithful version of the best-selling book The Phantom Filly. 

What I Don't Like: This story is older than the hills of Kentucky. No one would believe for a minute that clean-cut Boone would do anything worse than politely ask to borrow a car; he certainly doesn't look like the type who would go out joyriding. While he does have chemistry with Jones and they work well enough together, their relationship is so chaste, Boone wouldn't even kiss her because of his wife and his religion. It doesn't make their getting together in the end terribly believable. Not to mention, the melodrama with Nick and the race comes on too suddenly and is cleared up much too easily. 

Despite the wide-screen pedigree, this is also pretty small-scale for a mid-century musical, with only two major chorus numbers and a small cast. It's not for people looking for one of the splashier Broadway adaptations of the time. Most of the other songs in the score pale besides the Oscar-nominated title number (though "Do It Yourself" is pretty cute). 

The Big Finale: Far better than I expected, this bucolic charmer is recommended for fans of Boone, Jones, or those looking for a lower-key musical to enjoy on a warm April afternoon.

Home Media: Expensive on disc and not on streaming. You may want to look for this one used.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Musicals On Streaming - Disenchanted

Disney, 2022

Starring Amy Adams, Maya Rudolph, Patrick Dempsey, and Gabriella Baladacchio

Directed by Adam Shankman

Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Talk of a sequel to Enchanted began early as 2010...but it got kicked around to various authors until 2020, when the script was finally ready after over a decade. In the interim, Disney and the movie industry had gone through enormous changes. Disney was back on top, thanks to a series of hits that questioned their older fairy tale tropes (Frozen, Tangled) or ignored them all together (Wreck It Ralph, Zootopia)...but the 2020 pandemic hit them hard. With family movies frequently faltering at the box office, Disney released Disnenchanted to its streaming service Disney Plus. Does the mixture of fantasy, reality, music, and animation still work after over a decade, or should it be shoved back into Andalusia? Let's begin with Pip (Griffin Neuman) the chipmunk explaining how Giselle (Adams) ended up moving her family to the suburbs and find out...

The Story: Giselle is thrilled to move her family to the seemingly bucolic suburb Monroeville, but her husband Robert (Dempsey) and stepdaughter Morgan (Baldacchio) aren't as thrilled. Their Victorian home is falling apart, Robert has to commute long hours to work, and Morgan doesn't get along in her new school. Giselle tries to promote Morgan as the queen of the town's upcoming fairy tale ball. In her enthusiasm, she ends up embarrassing Morgan and causing trouble with Malvina Monroe (Maya Randolph), the head of the town council. She wants her son Tyson (Kolton Stewart) to be prince of the ball.

King Edward (James Marsden) and Queen Nancy (Idina Mentzel) brought a wish-making magic wand from Andalusia as a housewarming gift. Giselle uses it to wish she had a perfect fairy tale life, with no missing husbands or pouting teens. It works...too well. Giselle didn't expect the fairy tale she'd end up in would be Cinderella. Now she's turning into a genuine wicked stepmother who mistreats her daughter, Robert is a knight who is too busy slaying dragons to have time for her, and Malvina is the even nastier queen. Giselle has to remember who she is and why she loves her family before the clock chimes midnight...and Andelusia disappears permanently.

The Animation: Not used as much this time around, and maybe it's just as well. I suspect that, while it still looks 2D, it may have been done by a computer. It's not as lush, with less details in the background and on the characters. It looks less like a Disney movie of the 50's and more like one of their recent TV shows.

The Song and Dance: Adams is really the only reason to see this one. She's having a grand time, swirling around with the chorus and trying to make the best of the situation, even when her family has to live in the master bedroom because their new home is still being worked on. She plays off well against the more dour Balacchio. Randolph does almost as well as the stuck-up head of the town council who isn't used to newcomers challenging her and the spoiled queen who wants to hang on to her power in any way possible. The costumes and sets remain gorgeous; the latter were filmed in a real Irish small town made to look like upstate New York. 

Favorite Number: We open with Pip singing about how things are going in "Andelusia," and giving us the origins of Giselle before and after she came to New York. Giselle sings about how Monroeville will be "Even More Enchanted," but with construction workers moving all around her, her stepdaughter doesn't buy it. Edward and Nancy tell them about "The Magic of Andelusia" and how the wishing wand works. Giselle wants desperately to return to "Fairy Tale Life"...and thinks she has when she wakes up and the appliances and chorus of peasants join in. 

Morgan claims everything is "Perfect" as she shops for flowers in town...then wishes that maybe it wasn't quite so much. Marvina and Giselle contrast and compare their evil powers, as they desire to be "Badder"...and better than the other. Nancy finally gets a number, "Love Power," as she reveals to Morgan how she can restore her stepmother to normal.

What I Don't Like: Nothing else works. Most of the other actors, including Dempsey and Stewart, don't have enough to do. We don't really see enough of Morgan or Tyson to understand why she has a crush on him or why she's acting the way she is, other than the move. There's a kernel of a good idea here, but it's lost under a morass of silly references that aren't worked nearly as well into the script and half-baked characterizations. Not to mention, fairy tale satire is really overworked now, especially with Disney having embraced other types of fantasy and other tropes. 

The Big Finale: Truth be told, the reason I put off reviewing this for so long is I suspected the moment they announced a sequel that it wouldn't work. They tried too hard to make the movie magical, only for it to end up being mundane. Only worth checking out for major fans of Adams, the cast, or the first film. 

Home Media: It's a Disney Plus exclusive at the moment. 

Disney Plus

A Song Is Born

Samuel Goldwyn Productions/RKO, 1948

Starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Benny Goodman, and Hugh Herbert

Directed by Howard Hawks

Music and Lyrics by various

Kaye's movies had been among the top moneymakers for their year since Up In Arms debuted...but A Song Is Born ran into unexpected problems. Kaye was separated from his wife Sylvia, and he wouldn't sing anything that she didn't write. Hawks wasn't happy about remaking his 1941 non-musical comedy Ball of Fire and only did this because Goldwyn offered him a hefty paycheck. With all this going on, how well does the story of seven music professors who protect a nightclub singer come off? Let's begin at the old Victorian mansion that houses the Totten Foundation and find out...

The Story: Professor Hobart Frisbee (Kaye) and seven other professors have been writing a musical encyclopedia for the past nine years. They realize there's types of music even they don't know about when two window washers (dance team Buck and Bubbles) tell them about pop music - jive, big band, blues, swing, and be-bop. Frisbee goes to nightclubs in search of performers who can represent these types of music in their albums.

He returns with some of the most beloved musicians of the day, along with singer Honey Swanson (Mayo). Honey has her own reasons for being there. She wants protection from her gangster boyfriend Tony Crow (Steve Cochran), who wants to force her into marriage so she can't testify against him in court. Hobart and their stuffy housekeeper Miss Bragg (Esther Dale) object to Honey's hotter and sexier type of music at first, until she teaches Hobart about kissing. Hobart enjoys it so much, he falls for her and wants to marry her. Not only does Miss Bragg not approve and wants Honey out, but Crow and his boys are hot on her trail, too!

The Song and Dance: For all the trouble they had making it, this turned out to be unexpectedly fun. Kaye is an adorable befuddled professor, and while Mayo isn't Barbara Stanwyck, she's not bad as the tough-minded tootsie who causes a lot of the trouble. The big attraction here, of course, are the orchestras and singing groups brought together to jam in the second half. If you love swing or big-band music, you'll probably see at least one favorite musician here. Look for drummer Lionel Hampton, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra (and references to his brother Jimmy), The Golden Gate Quartet, and Charlie Barnet and his group. 

Favorite Number: We open with the title number, which is heard over the credits and performed by Virginia Mayo (and dubbed by Jeri Sullivan) at the nightclub. Benny Goodman, who plays one of the professors, joins Ford Washington Lee (Buck) for "B-A-C-H Boogie" and "Anitra's Boogie." Tommy  Dorsey and his band lay into "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," while Mel Powell gets "Muskrat Ramble." Lionel Hampton and Louis Armstrong show off the "Goldwyn Stomp" at the nightclub, while Charlie Barnet and his orchestra go on a "Redskin Rhumba." The professors all sing the old hit "Sweet Genevieve" for Honey, while the Golden Gate Quartet sing "Old Blind Barnabas." 

All the bands join in to ultimately fight off the bad guys - and bring down a drum on them - with the traditional spiritual "Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho." The Quartet performs it first, but when that doesn't make the drum go in the right way, everyone joins in...including Hampton and Kaye's smashing performance on the drums!

What I Don't Like: This is actually a rather unusual role for Kaye. His rift with Fine means we don't get one of his usual patter numbers, and with the exception of the opening folk dance routine with Miss Totten (Mary Field) and the big finale, seems oddly detached from the proceedings. While it's not nearly as bad as Hawks made it out to be later, it lacks a lot of the sharper comedy in the original, as well as the odd juxtaposition between slangy Stanwyck and drawling Gary Cooper. 

The Big Finale: If you love the jazz and big band music of the 40's and early 50's, this is recommended for the cameos by many famous orchestras and musicians alone. 

Home Media: The solo DVD is currently very expensive, but it is available bundled with the other early Kaye Goldwyn movies on a Warner Archives set, and can be easily found streaming for free. 

DVD - Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years

Amazon Prime

The Kid from Brooklyn

Samuel Goldwyn Productions/RKO, 1946

Starring Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen, Virginia Mayo, and Steve Cochran

Directed by Norman Z. McLeod

Music and Lyrics by various

This week, we're jumping from Universal to Goldwyn for two early Danny Kaye vehicles. This was Kaye's third movie, coming after Up In Arms and Wonder Man. It used most of the same cast as the latter, including Vera-Ellen and Virginia Mayo, and the same idea of a mild and meek Kaye going up against tough guys. Classic comedian Harold Lloyd did this in 1932 as the non-musical comedy The Milky Way. How well does the story of a milkman who turns boxer to impress a singer look with Kaye's brand of manic comedy? Let's begin with the Goldwyn Girls, as they doll up their bovine friends, and find out...

The Story: The opening number is actually a commercial for Sunflower Dairy, which is the company Burleigh Sullivan (Kaye) works for. He first encounters Polly Pringle (Mayo) when the horse pulling his milk truck collapses and he borrows her phone to call a vet. He's smitten and tries to get her a job as a singer at the nightclub where his dancer sister Susie (Vera-Ellen) works. That only ends up getting him fired. However, when he catches two guys trying to assault Susie behind the theater, he accidentally knocks both of them out!

Turns out the two guys were champion boxer Speed McFarlane (Cochran) and his bodyguard Spider (Lionel Stander). The story is picked up by local newspapers, which just gets Speed's manager Gabby (Walter Abel) angry. At least, until he sees Burleigh knock Speed out again and decides he wants Spider to train him as a fighter. Gabby wants to fix Burleigh's fights and bet money on them to win. Burleigh's ego inflates when he thinks he's doing it...until his old boss at Sunflower Dairy buys his contract and Gabby convinces him to do a charity fight with Speed for wealthy Mrs. LeMoyne (Faye Bainter). He'll need a little help from both women if he wants to survive in the ring!

The Song and Dance: Kaye's hilarious boxing bouts and his interaction with burly Stander and fast-talking Abel are the highlights of this one. Eve Arden also gets a few good lines as Gabby's sarcastic and knowing girlfriend Ann. Though the story is a bit simpler than Wonder Man, Goldwyn still spared no expense on the production. We get Technicolor, glittering costumes for the ladies, and some interesting sets, especially with the dairy number in the opening. Mayo and Vera Ellen have a little more to do this time, particularly the latter, who gets a romance with Speed and two big chorus routines. Bainter is hilarious in the second half as the patron of the arts who is the one who finally gets to take down Burleigh. 

Favorite Number: We open with the Goldwyn Girls as country gals in flowered hats and checked shorts, singing "The Sunflower Song" as they extol the virtues of dairy products and contented cows. "Hey, What's Your Name?" is Vera Ellen's big chorus number at the nightclub, as she performs with a male choir and the Goldwyn Girls in early 1900's dress. Mayo admits "You're the Cause of It All" once she does finally get a job at a club. Mayo's "I Love an Old Fashioned Song" at Mrs. LeMoyne's benefit gala with a kindly old policeman leads into another early 1900's dance routine for Vera-Ellen and the chorus, "Josie." Kaye disrupts the end of the number with Russian dancers and his homage to famous Russians, "Pavlova."

What I Don't Like: Honestly, the story's even thinner than Up In Arms, and it relies just as heavily on Kaye's brand of manic slapstick. If you don't like him, forget it. The songs aren't terribly memorable, and other than the opening dairy number with the Goldwyn Girls, don't have much to do with the plot. 

The Big Finale: One of Kaye's better Goldwyn vehicles if you're a fan of him or the leading ladies. 

Home Media: Easy to find on DVD and streaming. It's on many free streaming sites, including Tubi. 

DVD - Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years

Tubi

Family Fun Saturday - Enchanted

Disney, 2007

Starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, and Timothy Spall

Directed by Kevin Lima

Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Enchanted began in 1997 as a far racier script, inspired by R-rated comedies of the 80's and 90's like Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It was reworked in 2005 into something more family friendly and closer to the Disney fantasies of old. It's also Disney's first live action/animated hybrid since Who Framed Roger Rabbit from 1988 and a satire on the cliches inherent in Disney movies in particular and fairy tales in general, from the prince and the damsel falling in love in an instant after meeting to the princess being the one rescued. Is it worth saving from an ogre, or should it be left in Times Square? Let's begin in animation with typical Disney damsel Giselle (Adams), waiting for her true love with her animal friends, and find out...

The Story: Giselle first encounters handsome Prince Edward (Marsden) when he saves her from an ogre. They fall in love the moment she lands in his arms and agree to wed the next day. Edward's stepmother Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) will lose the throne if her son marries, so right before her wedding, she shoves Giselle down a well.

When Giselle comes up through the well, she finds herself stepping through a man hole cover in Times Square. Now a live-action woman, Giselle wanders lost and alone through the streets of Manhattan until she's found by cynical divorce lawyer Robert Phillip (Dempsey) and his daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey). Morgan loves fairy tales and believes she's a princess. Robert doesn't believe it initially. He stopped believing in fairy tales after his wife abandoned him and their daughter. Optimistic Giselle, who sees beauty and romance in every squalid corner of the city, shows him New York through her eyes...and gradually, they fall in love. 

Edward and his servant Nathaniel (Timothy Squall) have followed her, though, along with her chipmunk Pip (Jeff Bennett). Edward wants to find his true love and continue the wedding, while Robert's harried girlfriend Nancy (Idina Menzel) just questions what he's doing with this woman. Giselle is learning that, messy as the "real world" can be, it also allows a princess to not only save herself, but those she loves as well.

The Animation: The opening and about a minute or so of the closing sequences are done in 2-D animation that's likely meant to ape the 50's Disney films Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. While not as lush as those films, Andelusia is still colorful and lovely to look at. The animated characters flow well and do resemble their live-action counterparts, and the backdrops are pretty and detailed. It's enough to make me wish Disney had continued turning out full 2D animated films.

The Song and Dance: Adams is the perfect Disney princess in this hilarious homage to their earlier animated films. She's sweet without being cloying, kind without being pushy, and is a ball of sunshine. The sequence where she quarrels with Robert and feels anger for the first time is especially adorable. The opening alone is hilarious, with its literal fall into love plot and stunning animation. Marsden and Squall have almost as much fun as the prince charming who will do anything to get his lady fair back and mousy servant who learns that there's more to life than just following a queen's orders. The gorgeous costumes and authentic New York location shooting adds a great deal of intimacy and elegance to the goofy story.

Favorite Number: We open in animation, with Giselle and her animal friends creating a scarecrow representing her perfect prince. She sings "True Love's Kiss," which Edward eventually finishes before and after the arrival of the ogre. "Happy Working Song" is Giselle cleaning up Robert and Morgan's apartment with the help of the wild animals of New York City - pigeons, rats, mice, and cockroaches. Seeing all those vermin scrubbing toilets would be almost gross if it wasn't so darn funny. 

"That's How You Know" is the big chorus number in Central Park. Giselle starts by singing along with a couple of strolling marimba players as she explains to Robert why he has to tell Nancy that he loves her. It gradually spreads through the whole park, taking in everything from a wedding to tourists relaxing on benches. Robert doesn't get it, but Giselle and everyone else around her happily rolls with the cheerful and adorable song. The remaining two numbers are sung over the soundtrack. The ballad "So Close" provides the backdrop for Giselle and Robert's dance at the ball, while the uptempo Carrie Underwood ballad "Ever Ever After" plays under the closing credits.

Trivia: "So Close," "That's How You Know," and "Happy Working Song" were nominated for Oscars, but they ended up canceling each other out. The winner was "Falling Slowly" from Once. 

What I Don't Like: For all the comic trappings, the story in and of itself is nothing new...which, honestly, is kind of the point. Some of the tropes it discusses, like True Love's Kiss and falling in love at first sight, had already vanished from 90's Disney princess movies like Beauty and the Beast and would be further deconstructed in Tangled and Frozen over the next five years or so. The Shrek movies went into similar fairy tale satire territory earlier in the 2000's, including True Love's Kiss and the damsel in distress who isn't that distressed.

The Big Finale: Bright and fun, with some of Menken and Schwartz's best music and a delightful starring turn by Amy Adams, this is highly recommended for musical fans, princess lovers, and those who have ever wanted to see Disney take their high-falutin' fantasy epics down a peg or two.

Home Media: Easily found in all formats, often for under ten dollars. Disney Plus has it with a subscription. (It also has its sequel, Disenchanted, which we'll discuss next Saturday.) 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Disney Plus

Something In the Wind

Universal, 1947

Starring Deanna Durbin, Donald O'Connor, John Dall, and Charles Winninger

Directed by Irving Pichel

Music and Lyrics by various

Durbin's popularity continued after the war years. She expanded her range with the semi-musical drama The Amazing Mrs. Holliday and the non-musical thrillers Christmas Holiday and Lady In a Train, but the public continued to prefer her musicals. Changes were afoot at Universal as they merged with the smaller B studio International Pictures to become Universal-International. Universal lost interest in musicals, preferring action movies and comedy series that cost less and required less specialized personnel. Durbin wasn't happy when they pushed her back into the same kind of fluff she'd appeared in before the war...but was she right to write off this one, or is there more to this story than meets the eye? Let's begin at the radio station with popular disc jockey Mary Collins (Durbin) and find out...

The Story: Mary is addressed by young millionaire Donald Read (Dall), who thinks she was the mistress of his late grandfather. She was nothing of the kind...but her Aunt Mary (Jean Adair) was. Donald and his grandmother (Margaret Wycherly) have her brought to their home and won't let her go until she signs papers claiming it. His bored younger brother Charlie (O'Connor) is more interested in listening to Mary's protests that she doesn't know anything about it. They hatch a scheme to make Donald look ridiculous in the eyes of his fiancee Clarissa (Helena Carter) and let her go, but Mary doesn't expect to fall in love with him in the process. 

The Song and Dance: Durbin may not have enjoyed making this, but it's actually one of her better later vehicles. Disc jockeys and television, which figures into the finale, were both relatively new concepts at the time, and they make the movie a bit more unique. Maybe it comes from those thrillers Durbin made during the war years, but this also feels a little tougher than some of her earlier movies. Mary willingly joins in on Charlie's extortion plot and has no difficulty attacking the cops who keep dragging her away. Durbin also gets to show her vocal range, singing everything from an opera duet with tenor Jan Peerce as a singing cop to a hot swing number at a nightclub. 

I also give props to O'Connor, who may be the only male co-star Durbin's age to have equal weight in one of her movies. He's clearly happy to be back from his stint in the Army and jumps into his three comic numbers with abandon. His "I Love a Mystery" in particular is an absolute gem, one of the best numbers from Durbin's films to not involve her.

Favorite Number: "The Turntable Song" would be the last original hit from any of Durbin's movies as she sings to all her favorite listeners in the studio. Charlie later reprises it under her balcony with none other than the Williams Brothers, including a very young Andy Williams. Charlie explains to Mary why "I Love a Mystery," and he's enjoying helping her, with him enacting radio mystery shows and showing off his physical dexterity in a way that previews his "Make 'Em Laugh" number from Singin' In the Rain five years later. Durbin sings the title number twice, for Donald after the balcony serenade, and later during the TV show in the finale. 

She tries to annoy Donald and make Clarissa jealous by reminding them why "You Wanna Keep Your Baby Looking Right" after the fashion show, especially when he's already been admiring the models. Durbin performs the duet "Misere" from the opera Il Trovatore with the cop who is watching over her in jail (real-life opera tenor Jan Peerce) in order to distract him and get his keys. Charlie's "Happy Go Lucky and Free" as he trips around the ballerinas in the TV dance number, then attempts to actually sing, before Durbin takes over. 

What I Don't Like: If this were two or three years later, Mary probably would have ended up with Charlie. She has far more chemistry and a lot more fun with O'Connor than she does with the stiff and pompous Dall, but O'Connor was still an up-and-comer at this point. It feels more like their characters fall for each other because the script calls for it and because Dall was the more traditional leading man, not because they worked well together. The story can get too convoluted for its own good at times as well, especially near the end when she ends up in jail a second time and his uncle (Winninger) tries to get her to give him half the money. 

The Big Finale: One of Durbin's best later vehicles is highly recommended for fans of her or O'Connor or someone looking for a truly unique romantic comedy with songs.

Home Media: Out of print on Universal Vault DVD, but the Blu-Ray is available. 

DVD

DVD - Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack

Blu-Ray

Spring Parade

Universal, 1940

Starring Deanna Durbin, Robert Cummings, SZ Sakall, and Mischa Aurer

Directed by Henry Koster

Music by Robert Stoltz and Henry J. Salter; Lyrics by Gus Kahn

We're returning to the world of Deanna Durbin for our first two reviews this week. Up to this point, Durbin's vehicles had all been modern romantic comedies with her performing the occasional song. She was popular enough by 1940 for Universal to try her in a genuine operetta, based on a 1934 German romantic comedy. This would also be Durbin's first try at a period piece. How well does she do in this story of a little girl from a Hungarian town who ends up falling for a soldier in old Vienna? Let's begin as that girl, Ilonka Tolnay (Durbin), takes her goat to a local fair to sell and find out...

The Story: Ilonka is skeptical at first when a fortune teller claims she'll marry an artist in Vienna after he hits her with a stick and meet an important man who'll help her. Her doubts vanish quickly when she falls asleep after a wild dance contest in a hay cart on its way to Vienna. The cart is owned by kindly baker Latislav Tescheck (Sakall), who takes her in and gives her a job. She befriends Tescheck's clerk Jenny (Anne Gwynne), who intends to marry the stuffy Count Zorndorf (Allyn Joslyn). 

Jenny catches the eye of handsome soldier Corporal Harry Marten (Cummings), who tries to woo her. She turns him to Ilonka, who makes the Count believe she's his sweetheart. He asks her to dinner; she almost turns it down due to the fortune claiming she'll marry an artist. Turns out the soldier is a type of artist. He's a frustrated composer who can't write songs in the Army, due to military regulations. The waltz they write that night goes over so well, she sends it in a salt stick to Emperor Franz Joseph (Henry Stephenson) himself. The Emperor thinks Tescheck is trying to poison him and has him arrested. Thanks to a friend of the Count's, Ilonka persuades him to free the baker. She almost doesn't go to the ball he's holding...but there's someone special waiting for her there...

The Song and Dance: Durbin is charming and funny in this lovely middle European romp. Sakall is adorable as the sweet old baker who takes her in. I appreciate seeing how well Jenny is portrayed. There's no animosity between her and Ilonka at all; it's Jenny who convinces the count's friend Wieldemeyer (Franklin Pangborn) to help save Tescheck. Cummings is also far more personable than many of the men who turn up in Durbin's films. He's especially funny trying to find paper and pens to write his magnum opuses at the most inopportune moments. There's also some gorgeous costumes, both the Hungarian peasant dresses in the country, and the lavish frills and starched uniforms of Vienna. 

Favorite Number: We open with Durbin's sprightly comic number "It's Foolish but It's Fun," as she describes things that may seem silly, but still put a smile on her face. She sings it at least three times, including after she's sent her note to the Emperor. The Oscar-nominated "Waltzing In the Clouds" is heard twice, when Cummings and Durbin introduce it during their date at the club, and at the royal ball in the finale. Both feature kaleidoscopes of couples gliding to the waltz as Durbin's soprano soars over them. She performs "When April Sings" a bit later. "Blue Danube Dream" is performed by Durbin at the ball. 

What I Don't Like: The story and title apparently made more sense in its original German version, where Ilonka sent a rousing march, not a waltz, to the Emperor. "It's Foolish, but it's Fun" describes Ilonka in more than one way. Her attempts to push Marten into the spotlight and get him out of the army come off as more annoying and silly than well-meaning, especially towards the end, when it gets the innocent Tescheck into trouble. Dull music doesn't help; the two big songs are performed at least three times each. 

The Big Finale: Not Durbin's best musical, but not bad for fans of her or old-fashioned European operetta.

Home Media: Legal difficulties with the 1934 German film keeps this from being released on disc in the US.  YouTube is currently the only place you can find it. 

YouTube

Easter Short Subject Special - The First Easter Rabbit & The Bernstain Bears' Easter Surprise

Happy Easter! We celebrate the secular side of the holiday with these two lesser-known holiday tales. Most Easter shows of the 70's and 80's aren't nearly as well-known or often seen as their cold-weather counterparts. Do these two deserve a second look, or should they be snowed under? We're going to start at Christmas, as a little girl receives a very important gift, and find out...

The First Easter Rabbit

Rankin-Bass/NBC, 1976

Voices of Burl Ives, Robert Morse, Dina Lyn, and Joan Gardner

Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass

Music and Lyrics by various

The Story: Veteran Easter bunny G.B (Ives) tells the story of Stuffy (Morse), the beloved Christmas present of little Glinda (Lyn). After Glinda comes down with scarlet fever, her mother (Gardner) burns most of her toys to eliminate the germs. Stuffy is spared by Calliope the Fairy (Gardner), who anoints the now-real rabbit the Easter Bunny, symbol of spring for all children. Three slick con-bunnies help him find April Valley, the magical land at the North Pole where it's spring all year-round. His neighbor Santa Claus (Paul Frees) suggests Stuffy bring Easter joy to one town as a "test" subject. Stuffy knows which town he wants to deliver Easter to. He misses Glinda. He may not get to spread it beyond the borders of the Valley if winter sorcerer Zero (Frees) finds the Golden Easter Lily, the flower that keeps the Valley warm!

The Animation: This is the only Rankin-Bass Easter special done in regular 2-D animation. The designs absolutely show Paul Coker Jr's hand. Most of the characters have large round heads with brilliant round scarlet cheeks, wide smiles, and big oval eyes. The backdrops are especially lush here. For the little time they spend in it, April Valley is gorgeous enough to make you understand why Zero wants it.

The Song and Dance: Not bad Easter retelling of The Velveteen Rabbit. I like why Stuffy is chosen to be the Easter Bunny. They boil it down to the essentials - he's a symbol of springtime, and nothing else. They don't get as complicated with his origin as some of Santa's origin stories tend to, and it's refreshing. Frees is a rather adorable Santa, and Gardner is a lovely, warm mother who genuinely seems to care for her ill child. 

Favorite Number: "There's That Rabbit" is heard three times, notably sung by Ives during a colorful montage depicting how Stuffy paints his eggs and links him and Easter to the children. Stuffy's delighted to meet a now-well Glinda at the "Easter Parade" in her town, joined by con-bunnies Flops (Stan Freberg), Spats (Frees), and Whiskers (Don Messick). They have a grand time doing everything depicted in the song, including ending up in the rotogravure. 

What I Don't Like: This should have been an hour, like the other two Rankin-Bass Easter shows. It feels really rushed. Santa and G.B are the only ones with much to do. Zero doesn't do anything but complain and demand until the second half, and even then, he sends his snowball Bruce (Messick) to find the Golden Lilly. We never see him actually take the Lilly, either. In fact, we don't learn much about the Valley or its residents, or why it's so important beyond it being warm all the time. Zero and Stuffy never even meet until the last five seconds. Stuffy's not the one who deals with Zero, either. Santa does that.

And speaking of, did we really need Santa? He seems to mainly be there so Rankin-Bass can shoehorn more holidays into their specials again. He does a lot of things Stuffy should have done, like deal with Zero and figure out about bringing Easter eggs to one town. There's a lot of plot lines that are set up but never explored, like the con-bunnies wanting to steal those carrots and how Zero managed to get the Golden Lilly from April Valley.

The Big Finale: Ironically, this was one of my family's favorite holiday specials during the 80's and early 90's. We had it on the end of a tape with kids' movies and cartoons and watched it even when it wasn't Easter. For all the problems, it's still decent Easter viewing for young kids who need something to do before the egg hunt begins. 

Home Media: Currently DVD only, and the DVD is out of print. You're better off looking for this used.

DVD

The Bernstain Bears' Easter Surprise

NBC, 1981

Voices of Ron McLarty, Pat Lysinger, Knowl Johnson, and Bob McFadden

Directed by Mordecai Gerstein and Al Kouzel

Music by Elliot Lawrence; Lyrics by Stan Bernstain 

The Story: We jump back to when Brother Bear (Johnson) was Mama and Papa's only cub. He's lonely and curious about the world around him, constantly asking his bumbling father questions he can't answer. His friends are all animals who live by the bog and hibernate during the winter, except ever-hopping Bill Bunny (Zachary Danzinger). Brother's eager for winter to be over, especially after Mama (Lysinger), whose lap seems to be growing rather large, tells him about his big Easter surprise. 

Winter, however, seems to be going on for longer than usual. Turns out Boss Bunny (McFadden), the head Easter Bunny, quit and won't come out of his hole or start production on Easter. Papa's (McLarty) is horrified, but his attempt at being the Easter Bunny don't go well. It's up to Brother and Bill to figure out why Boss Bunny quit, and remind him that Easter and spring are the seasons for miracles, including the miracle of birth.

The Animation: Same deal as the Valentine's special. This is nothing flashy, but the characters move well enough, the backgrounds are reasonably detailed, and the characters do resemble their book counterparts at the time. That's probably all this franchise really needs.

The Song and Dance: Adorable story manages to work in the themes of rebirth and miracles without getting too religious, and do it in a charming and sweet way. Papa's "Do It Yourself" song and his brief fling as the Easter Bunny may be his funniest moment from any of the specials. I love how he manages to rig up the conveyor belt in the chicken coop, and his and Brother's "hop hop hops." Check out Mama's hilarious expressions in the background during the number, too. Mama has a lovely moment too when she tells Brother about how spring is a time for miracles...including the arrival of new babies...

Favorite Number: Brother pesters Papa with "I Have Many Questions," as he asks his father about the world around them and how it works. Papa, of course, doesn't really have an answer for any of them. Mama reminds Brother to "Care About Spring," as she explains to him what Easter's really all about. Disappointed after Boss Bunny quits, Papa claims he'll just "Do It Himself" and rig up his own Easter factory. Brother's excited at first, but it ends in a messy disaster. Brother and Boss Bunny reprise "Care About Spring" as Boss relates just why he's given up on spring, and Brother tells him all the reasons he should let it go on. The chorus picks this up when Boss (literally) sees the light; their version turns up again over the end credits.

What I Don't Like: Boss Bunny...kind of has a point. From all his bellyaching, it sounds like he's old, tired, and has been running Spring and Easter on his own for many years without a break. Hopefully, he was able to hire more reliable help after he got the factory going again. 

The Big Finale: Other than it's missing Sister, this is by far my favorite Berenstain Bears holiday special. If you have children who are fans of the series, especially the older books sans Sister, or remember when this used to turn up on cable in the 80's, it's highly recommended Easter viewing.

Home Media: DVD only, along with spring-themed episodes of the original 1985 Berenstain Bears TV show. 

DVD - The Berenstain Bears: Springtime Surprises

Musicals On TV - Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert (2018)

NBC, 2018

Starring John Legend, Sara Bareilles, Brandon Victor Dixon, and Alice Cooper

Directed by David Levereux and Alex Rudzinski

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by Tim Rice

Of course, The Passion was far from the first rock musical retelling of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus Christ Superstar remains one of Webber's most popular shows...but it's also fairly controversial for its depiction of the Crucifixion as a modern rock opera. Does that approach work with a live TV musical, or were audiences right to avoid this one? Let's begin on a bare stage of pipes and wood, as the cast comes out for their performance, and find out...

The Story: Jesus (Legend) is the most popular among God's disciples. Judas (Dixon) worries he's gotten too popular. He's forgotten his mission to spread hope among the poor, and worries his outspoken followers could attract the Roman legions. Judas isn't crazy about his relationship with wordly Mary Magadeline (Bareilles), either. Mary's not worried, but it turns out Jesus and Judas have a good reason for concern. Several priests think Jesus may be priming the people for rebellion, and Jesus himself is becoming overwhelmed with the people's demands. Judas turns him in to the Romans, and he's condemned to die by King Herod (Cooper) and governor Pontias Pilate (Ben Daniels). Jesus knows, however, that even if they kill him on a cross,  his followers will never forget him.

The Song and Dance: This is more like it. This is a fully live staging, with excellent performances across the board. Legend is powerful enough to make you understand why his people follow him, but gentle and kind with Mary. Bareilles is a lovely Mary; her two tender solos are a highlight. The simple and intimate production allowed for an immediacy and an intensity that you don't get from the epic film or many more lavish stage versions. 

Favorite Number: We open with "Heaven on Their Minds" as Judas admits his concerns to Jesus. His followers wonder "What's the Buzz?" while Jesus and Mary comment on these "Strange Things Mystifying." Mary insists "Everything is Alright," but the guys are more worried. Priest Caiaphus (Norm Lewis) hears Jesus sing "Hosanna" and wishes he wasn't quite so popular. "I Don't Know How to Love Him," admits wordly Mary when she admits she has her own fears about Jesus. 

Jesus, Judas, and their followers sit down to "The Last Supper," which takes a turn for the tragic when Jesus reveals that someone among them is a traitor in "Gesthesmane (I Only Want to Say)." Alice Cooper's big number is the vaudevillian "King Herod's Song," complete with showgirls who try to tempt Jesus. Mary and Saint Peter (Jason Tam) ask "Could We Start Again, Please?" before the trial. The show ends with the rock standard "Superstar" as Judas points out his friend was born in the wrong time period, right before "The Crucifixion."

Trivia: NBC ran the show again on Easter 2020. Though it went over well with critics, it wasn't popular with audiences during either of its runs, possibly due to the dark themes and lack of stars. 

What I Don't Like: This show has always been controversial, thanks to its depictions of Jewish priests as the bad guys and religion as a rock concert. If that offends you, don't go here. This is also a rock opera, with no spoken dialogue. It's not for folks who aren't rock fans, or who are looking for a more typical and upbeat fling. 

It's not for fans of bigger shows, either. This is not a lavish, star-filled extravaganza, It's performed on a bare, industrial metal and pipe stage, with everyone in normal modern clothes except for Cooper and his girls. 

The Big Finale: Terrific Easter viewing for fans of rock, Webber, or those who are looking for something different and intense after Easter dinner and don't mind the controversial themes. 

Home Media: Currently found only on DVD.

DVD

Musicals On TV - The Passion: New Orleans

Fox, 2016

Starring Jencarlos, Trisha Yearwood, Sean Daughtery, and Tyler Perry

Directed by David Grifhorst

Music and Lyrics by various

This one stems from an unusual source. This retelling of the Passion Play as a jukebox musical featuring current songs began as a BBC special set in Manchester in 2006. From there, it became an annual event in the Netherlands, played as a musical drama in different Dutch cities. It came over to the US in March 2016 as Fox's second live "event" musical after the wildly successful Grease Live. Does it live up to that show, or should it be sent to prison? Let's begin at a concert in New Orleans with black movie director and impresario Perry and find out...

The Story: Jesus (Jencarlos) is an extremely popular carpenter in New Orleans. He tells his best friends at their last supper together that he believes one of them will betray him. Sadly, he's very right. Judas Escariot (Daughtery) turns him in for the reward money. Though his mother Mary (Yearwood) believes in him, he's put on a sham of a trial by governor Pontieus Pilate (Seal). His rebirth, however, becomes a catalyst for his followers to carry on his legacy.

The Song and Dance: Some decent performances here, mainly from Seal as the judgmental governor, with some of the most passionate singing of the night, and Daughtery as the conflicted Judas. The sequences filmed in New Orleans itself shows off the city fairly well, especially the Last Supper. The Resurrection, staged on top of the Westin New Orleans, was also fairly effective thanks to its use of a powerful chorus. 

Favorite Number: We open with Jesus and his followers on the New Orleans waterfront, banding together for "Love Can Move Mountains." Jesus insists to Peter that this will always be his "Home," and even when he's not there, he's still with him. Jesus gathers his followers "With Arms Wide Open" and questions his own faith with "Calling All Angels." Judas does some questioning of his own in "Bring Me to Life." It's his "Demons" that ultimately come between him and Jesus when the cops come in during the Last Supper. 

Young fisherman Peter (Prince Royce) wonders what "The Reason" for all this is while repeatedly claiming he has no idea who Jesus is. Trisha Yearwood gets four solos of her own on the mainstage as Mary recalls her son's birth and worries about his future, "My Love Is Your Love," "I Won't Give Up," "Broken" and "You'll Never Walk Alone." Pilate reveals why he sentenced Jesus in "We Don't Need Another Hero" at the trial and "Mad World" afterwards.

What I Don't Like: First of all, despite the title, this isn't a fully live musical. The segments in other parts of New Orleans were pre-recorded, and are edited awkwardly with the live segments. Most of the other performances are deadly dull. Jencarlos looks and sounds less like a poor carpenter and more like a guy on his way to Starbucks to hang with his buddies. Yearwood never interacts with the rest of the cast, which makes her songs sound disjointed. Some of the song choices are a little odd. "Walk Alone" is an old Rogers and Hammerstein number that sounds a bit out of place among the rock songs, and some of the rock songs are clearly ballads with little relation to anything religious. Tyler Perry's narration is mostly wooden and dull, though he does perk up when describing the gruesome Crusefixtion. 

The Big Finale: In the end, this is really more of a concert with a story than a musical, and is really too disjointed to be good. Interesting enough time-waster at Easter if you want to see another version of the Passion Play or are a fan of any of the stars involved. 

Home Media: Easy to find on DVD and streaming; the latter is currently free with commercials on Tubi.

DVD

Tubi

Musicals On TV - Snoopy: The Musical

CBS, 1988

Voices of Cameron Clarke, Sean Collins, Tiffany Billings, and Kristi Baker

Directed by Sam Jaimes

Music by Larry Grossman; Lyrics by Hal Hackady

It took nearly a decade for a sequel to the wildly popular You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown to debut. Despite the cartoons still being fairly popular in the late 70's and 80's, this didn't go over nearly as well, either as a cartoon or a stage show...but does that mean Snoopy's big show isn't worth a look nowadays? Let's have a laugh or two with the Peanuts and their favorite Beagle on this April Fool's and see if this special is worth waiting in the pumpkin patch for...

The Story: Another series of skits revolving around the day-to-day lives of the Peanuts kids and their favorite beagle Snoopy (Clarke). Sally (Ami Foster) and Linus (Jeremy Miller) note leaves falling, which leads into them encouraging each other to be the best they can be. Snoopy wonders what the kids do at school all day, while they agonize over the teacher calling on them. The girls discuss all the things they know now that they're older, while Linus waits in vain for the Great Pumpkin to arrive. They're delighted to share what they think clouds are, and surprised when Snoopy is elected Head Beagle. Charlie Brown (Collins) and Peppermint Patty (Baker) talk about love, while Snoopy writes what he thinks is a gripping novel. In the end, the kids will always have each other's backs, as they remind each other how one person (or dog, or bird) can make all the difference.

The Animation: Not great, not bad. The kids move well enough, and they all resemble their comic book counterparts of the time...and that's really all this series needs. There's even some black-and-white western footage edited in during Snoopy's "Great Writer" sequence. 

The Song and Dance: Just as much fun the second time around. If you're a fan of Snoopy or Peppermint Patty, you'll really get a kick out of this one. Clarke has a great time with Snoopy's thoughts, whether he's writing his epic novel or talking about how he's the big dog now. Peppermint Patty makes her musical debut here; Baker is especially effective in the lovely "Poor Sweet Baby" as Charlie Brown dreams of being comforted by someone he loves. 

Favorite Number: The movie kicks off with the kids reminding each other "Don't Be Anything Less Than Everything You Can Be." "Snoopy's Song" has him insisting he's no ordinary dog...until Charlie Brown almost trades him in for a cat. The kids all worry their teacher will call on them and ask about "Edgar Allen Poe." "I Know Now" is the girls' big ensemble number, as they reveal how much they've learned since they were younger. Linus remains on "The Vigil" to wait for the elusive Great Pumpkin. Snoopy dons dark glasses to join him. 

Everyone has some very creative ideas of what they think "Clouds" are, while "The Great Writer" Snoopy uses his imagination to create what he thinks is a masterpiece. Charlie Brown wishes someone would comfort him and call him "Poor Sweet Baby" in a dreamy, soft routine with Peppermint Patty. Snoopy's thrilled to be "The Big Bow Wow." In the end, they all hold hands and remind each other how important "Just One Person" can be.

Trivia: Snoopy: The Musical had a short run Off-Broadway in 1982. It went over far better in London in 1983, running over a year and getting revived there in 2003, and is popular with regional and school theaters. 

What I Don't Like: Once again, we hear Snoopy's thoughts, though the kids don't. If this bothers you or you prefer Snoopy's more traditional pantomime, you probably won't be into the animated specials. The show tune-style songs still sound incongruous coming from actual kids in animation. And the original show was again edited to fit an hour time slot. We lose Charlie Brown's wondering where Snoopy wanders to ("Where Did That Little Dog Go?"), Snoopy reminiscing about Charlie Brown adopting him ("Daisy Hill"), and Snoopy explaining how he sees the kids and their lives ("The World According to Snoopy"). 

The Big Finale: Still worth digging around for if you or your kids are big fans of Snoopy or the Peanuts.

Home Media: For some reason, this one has never been on DVD in the US. YouTube is pretty much the only place  you can currently find it.  

YouTube