Happy Passover! - Fiddler On the Roof

United Artists, 1971

Starring Chaim Topol, Norma Crane, Rosalind Harris, and Leonard Frey

Directed by Norman Jewison

Music by Jerry Bock; Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick

We celebrate the last day of Passover, the Jewish spring holiday celebrating the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt, with one of the most famous movies about the Jewish faith ever made. The Broadway musical adaptation of the book Tevye and His Daughters by Sholem Aleichem was one of the biggest hit shows of the 60's, and the first to run over 3,000 performances. United Artists eagerly bought this and Man of La Mancha, another dark mid-60's stage hit, with an eye for a big roadshow adaptation. They knew they were taking a big risk after too many huge epic roadshow musicals in the late 60's and early 70's failed to make their money back, but they still threw everything they had into making this one as realistic and gritty as possible in a musical. Did they succeed, or should this one be sent to Siberia? Let's begin with Tevye the milkman (Topol) as he introduces the people of the Russian Jewish village of Anatevka and their "Traditions" and find out...

The Story: Tevye is hoping Yente the Matchmaker (Molly Picon) will find good husbands for his older daughters Tzeitel (Harris), Hodel (Michele Marsh), and Chava (Neva Small). His daughters have their own ideas. Tzeitel is promised to wealthy butcher Lazar Wolf (Paul Mann), but she falls for Motel (Frey), a poor but ambitious tailor. Tevye eventually gives in and agrees to the marriage, and finds a way to convince his wife Golde (Crane) that they're made for each other, too. He's less happy when Hodel falls for the handsome revolutionary Perchick (Paul Michael Glaser) but eventually accepts the marriage, even when Hodel follows her husband to Siberia after he's arrested. 

Tevye really hits the roof when book-loving Chava falls head over heels for Fyedka (Raymond Lovelock), a Russian Christian Orthodox scholar. Her eloping with him means she'll have to give up her faith. Her father thinks this is the worst of his problems, but then, the town's rabbi (Zvee Schooler) announces that their lives are about to be upended forever, and Hodel isn't the only one who is going to be "far from the home I love."

The Song and Dance: What I love about this movie is only The Sound of Music inhabits the world of the characters as much as this one does. The bleak landscape of Yugoslavia in the 1970's may not be much to look at, but it's as much of a character as Tevye and his family. The stunning cinematography, including gorgeous shots of that fiddler on the roof, won a deserved Oscar in 1972. Unlike most of the huge epic musicals that came out in the late 60's and early 70's, Fiddler really needs those three hours and the widescreen vistas to tell its entire story of how both a family and a town's "traditions" are upended by outside change. 

Topol was a bit of a controversial choice for Tevye after Zero Mostel won acclaim for the role on Broadway, but he's having so much fun shaking along to "If I Were a Rich Man" and is so lovely with his daughters, it's hard to complain now. Crane is equally good as his sensible wife Golde. Frey and Harris are especially touching as the adorably dorky tailor and the sweetly awkward young woman who loves him anyway.

The Numbers: We open with Tevye introducing us to the residents of Anatevka and their "Tradition" even before the credits begin. The fiddler (Tutte Lemkov) plays the overture over the credits while perched on that roof. The sisters dress and do the laundry as they sing about "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" and their hopes for their future husbands. Tevye really gets into wondering what he'd do "If I Were a Rich Man" in the barn, shaking and shimmying with absolute glee. Lazar Wolf joins Tevye's family for their "Sabbath Prayer." Wolf and Tevye announce "To Life" when they treat each other to drinks at the local bar and every man in town gets in on the spree, including the military and local students.

"Tevye's Monologue" is heard in his head as he recalls Tzeitel's childhood and realizes that she does love Motel and he wants her to be happy. Thrilled when Tevye agrees to their marriage, he hurries through the woods with Tzeitel, singing about their "Miracle of Miracles." The surreal "Tevye's Dream" is a black-and-white sequence where Tevye tells Golde about a dream he had where their ancestors and Lazar Wolf's wife claim Motel is the man for their daughter. Their wedding ceremony is a joyous occasion, including the touching "Sunrise, Sunset," men performing with bottles on their heads, and men and women dancing together holding hands for the first time in Anatevka...until local peasants, backed by the Tsar's men, attack and destroy the party.

After the fiddler performs the Entre'Acte, Tevye gives us a brief reprise of "Tradition" and explains what's changed. He has another monologue very similar to his first when Hodal insists on marrying Perchick. Feeling sentimental, he asks Golde "Do You Love Me?" Hodal admits at the train stop that while she does want to be with her husband, she's scared about being "Far From the Home I Love." There's a brief ballet segment shot in silhouette as we see Chava the way her father remembers her...and her in love now. His third monologue after Chava asks to marry Fydeka is briefer and far less congenital. It's one thing to go against an arranged marriage and follow a revolutionary, but very religious Tevye draws the line at giving up one's faith for love. The movie ends with the cast singing about their feelings on leaving their beloved "Anatevka." 

Trivia: Sadly, this would be Norma Crane's final film. She died of breast cancer two years after its release.

Fiddler On the Roof opened on Broadway in September 1964 and was a huge success, becoming the first Broadway show to run over 3,000 performances. Its stars Zero Mostel and Maria Karnilova won Tonys, as did the show as a whole. It was an equally big hit in London. The show been revived many times on both sides of the Atlantic since then, most recently on Broadway in 2015 and in London in 2019.

Two stage songs were cut from the film, a duet for Perchick and Hodel, "Now I Have Everything," and a number for Yente and the women of the town, "The Rumor/I Just Heard." Another song, "Any Day Now," was written for Perchick to replace "Everything," but was ultimately cut. 

What I Don't Like: This is not your typical lighthearted musical romp. This is a three-hour epic revolving around the fracturing of a family and of a society. It's not for someone who is looking for something more fun and upbeat. There's also that run time. Admittedly, once you get to the third daughter's marriage, you start looking at your watch and wishing some of this could have been trimmed. On the other hand, we don't get to know some folks as well as you'd like, including the rabbi and the hilarious Yente. 

The Big Finale: Families with older children and teens looking for thoughtful Passover viewing and who can handle the violence and fairly dark story and have time on their hands (or can split this into two night's viewing) may enjoy discovering Tevye, his family, and their "traditions." They may even be willing to discuss similar traditions and their importance in their own families.

Home Media: Easily found on disc and streaming, the latter usually for free with commercials.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Tubi

Family Fun Saturday - Muppet Musicians of Bremen

Robert Laurence Productions/The Jim Henson Company, 1972

Voices of Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Phyllis Marshall

Directed by Jim Henson

Music and Lyrics by Joe Raposo

Our final Family Fun Saturday review returns to the Muppet well one more time. This is the last of the three Tales from Muppetland specials that Jim Henson developed before he started working on The Muppet Show. This one is slightly more realistic and less romantic, despite the talking animals. It almost seems like a comic preview for Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas five years later, which also had more realistic-looking animal puppets. How does the German folk tale of three unwanted animals who form a band, then accidentally scare off robbers look now? Let's begin with Kermit as he introduces us to our music-playing quartet, and that they weren't always as happy as they are now, and find out...

The Story: After years of faithful service, the old donkey Leroy (Nick Nichols) runs away from his owner, the grouchy thief Mordecai (Francois Klanfer), when Mordecai tries to kill him. The instruments Mordecai stole that he accidentally runs off with inspires him to become a traveling musician. Three other older animals, TR the Rooster (Nelson), Rover Joe the hound dog (Klanfer), and Catgut the cat (Marshall), also join him after their robber owners throw them out. When they come upon a little house in the Lousiana bayou, they think it's the home of a charming family...but it's really their former masters divvying up their spoils. The animals think they're saving a family, but they really end up scaring the thieves off and discovering they make a nice musical family on their own.

The Song and Dance: I give this one credit for going with a more unique and slightly more realistic story than the fantasy specials. The Grimm's fairy tale "The Musicians of Bremen" isn't often adapted for the screen in North America, even in animated or puppet form. Klanfer, Nichols, and Marshall are hilarious whether they're playing music, singing the blues, or dodging their obnoxious or less-than-brilliant owners, and Rasposo's music is almost a catchy as his songs for The Frog Prince. 

The Numbers: We open with the animals briefly playing an instrumental Dixieland number under Kermit's narration before we meet Leroy. He sings the first version of "I'm a Traveling Musician," which is reprised and added to as he's joined by more animals. TD laments "The Cock-a-Doodle-Doodle Blues" to the chickens in the farm before he leaves. Catgut has similar complaints to the rats on the farm as she claims "You've Got to Know Your Friends." Leroy claims that the people living in the old shack are "A Family Together." The others think they see "A Family Together," too...but it's really the robbers fighting over their stolen goods.

Trivia: The animals would be used in other Henson projects, including the special Muppet Show: Sex and Violence and The Muppet Show. 

What I Don't Like: This is a bit simpler than Frog Prince or The Muppet Show. It lacks the heartwarming sequences of Emmett Otter or the romance of Frog Prince. It also lacks the humans - this is an all-puppet project. Kermit is the only familiar face - no later Muppets appear - and unlike Frog Prince, he's only on in the beginning. 

The Big Finale: If your kids love animal projects and/or the Muppets, they'll have a wonderful time with the four best animal musicians in the bayou.

Home Media: Alas, this is YouTube-only at the moment. 

YouTube

Cult Flops - Scott Joplin

Universal, 1977

Starring Billy Dee Williams, Clifton Davies, Art Carney, and Margaret Avery

Directed by Jeremy Kagan

Music and Lyrics by Scott Joplin and others

This week, we dive into Black History Month with biographies of two popular composers, one who would be unjustly forgotten for sixty years, the other who vanished to avoid the spotlight. We're going to start with the long-forgotten one. "King of Ragtime" Scott Joplin was brought back into the spotlight when his music was featured on the soundtrack to the hit 1973 comedy The Sting, and his "The Entertainer" leaped to the top of the charts. This biography was originally intended to be a TV movie, but Universal was so impressed with the results, they rushed it into theaters. Were they right to do this, or should this have been left on the piano roll? Let's begin with Joplin's (Williams) departure in the late 19th century over "The Entertainer" and find out...

The Story: Joplin's father wanted him to work on the railroads, but he had his heart set on music. He ran away from Texarkana, Texas to become a piano teacher in Missouri. It's here that he befriended Louis Chauvelin (Davies), a fellow pianist who worked in a brothel. They join a piano-cutting contest on a lark. Chauvelin wins, but it's Joplin's playing and original music that impresses music publisher John Stark (Carney). He publishes Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" in St. Louis, allowing Joplin to share the profits. 

Joplin's music is wildly popular, and he becomes a wealthy man. He even marries lovely widow Belle (Avery), and they buy a lavish home and plan a family. His hands, however, are starting to disobey him. They'll frequently shake when he wants them to play. It turns out to be more than nerves. Joplin has contracted syphilis. So has Chauvelin, and it kills him. Belle too passes shortly after her marriage to Joplin. He throws himself into his magnum opus, a folk opera on African-American themes, with more accessible American music. He's never able to fully stage it in his lifetime, but his music eventually outlives him.

The Song and Dance: The performances are what makes this worth watching. Williams is excellent as the mercurial musician who was determined to make something he could be proud of, before he couldn't do anything at all. Davies nearly matches him as his equally talented but less ambitious best friend, and Carney also does well as the older man who is determined to prove to the world that "ragtime" is more than music for one race. Some of the costumes aren't bad, either, at least well representing the late 19th-early 20th century setting. 

The Numbers: In fact, we open over the credits with "The Entertainer." We first get "Hangover Blues" at the brothel. There's some pretty wild pianists at the piano cutting contest, including a Civil War vet who plays one-armed. Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" is what puts him and Chauvelin over, topping even a wild guy who plays while jumping around. We get "Solace" and the duo writes "Heliotrope Bouquet" together. "Courtship," as Scott dates and weds Belle, is based on "Elite Syncopation." We get "Peacharine Rag" and "Pleasant Moments" as well. "Weeping Willow" from Joplin's opera Treemonisha is performed by a very serious choir...but Joplin is so frustrated with their performance, he ends up singing everything himself for the backers. He switches to "The Entertainer" when they aren't interested, giving him a montage of memories and segments from the movie as his hands fail him.

Trivia: This was originally made for TV, but Universal was so impressed with the results, they released it theatrically. 

Look for another famous early Black composer, Eubie Blake, as one of the judges at the piano cutting contest, and R&B group the Commodores (including Lionel Richie) as The Minstrel Singers. 

Treemonisha finally had first complete performance in 1972. It was so well-received, Joplin got a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1976. 

What I Don't Like: I'm afraid this looks and sounds like a TV movie from 1977. Nice costumes aside, the sets are cramped, and there's those stills montages. Normally, most Hollywood musical biopics go on for much too long...but this one is too short to really include all of the facts about Joplin's short but eventful life. He had two wives, one of which did die young, but not from heartbreak after a baby's death. He not only played in brothels early-on and taught piano, guitar, and mandolin, but also sang with boys' groups. He wrote an earlier opera, A Guest of Honor, that was so badly received, it's now lost.  I wish they'd expanded it when they moved it to theaters! As it is, what's here is standard biopic cliches with a very dark ending (something a lot of critics complained about in 1977).

The Big Finale: Worth seeing at least once if you're a fan of Williams, Davies, or Joplin and ragtime. 

Home Media: Available in all formats; DVD is from the made-to-order Universal Vault.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Animation Celebration Saturday - Frosty's Winter Wonderland

Rankin-Bass/ABC, 1976

Voices of Jackie Vernon, Shelley Winters, Andy Griffith, and Dennis Day

Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass

Music and Lyrics by various

For the next three Saturdays, we'll be looking at vintage winter and Valentine's Day specials from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, starting with this lesser-known sequel from Rankin-Bass. The original Frosty the Snowman was one of their bigger hits in the late 60's, so it was likely inevitable that they would want to follow that up. They got the folksy Griffith to replace original narrator Jimmy Durante, who had a stroke a few years before and had retired, and concocted a story that gave Frosty a wife and a slightly more likely villain than an annoying and rather silly magician. How does all of this look today? Let's begin with Griffith and the kids as they try to build a snowman who'll come to life like Frosty and find out...

The Story: Frosty (Vernon) is glad to be back with the kids, but he's lonely when they're not playing with him. Since he can't go inside with them, they make him a wife to be his friend and partner. Trouble is, they can't figure out what will make her "all livin'" at first. Meanwhile, Jack Frost (Paul Frees) is jealous that the kids associate Frosty with winter more than they do him. He tries to blow Frosty's magic hat away, but gets a substitute. Frosty is the one who finally figures out what will bring Crystal (Winters) to life...and she saves him in turn after Frost returns and does get his hat. Frosty and Crystal want to be married, but they end up needing a snow priest (Day) to do the job. 

The Animation: As a later Rankin-Bass special, this absolutely shows the hand of Paul Coker Jr. It's much more rounded and anime-like than the original special (as per its Japanese origins), and definitely looks like it was designed by the man who would later do artwork for MAD Magazine. 

The Song and Dance: Vernon and Winters make an adorable couple in one of the better Rankin-Bass specials of the 70's. This is one of the few times the weirdness that marks their later efforts really works. Winters' crusty demeanor compliments Vernon's innocent cheerfulness well, and Frees makes a perfect impish Jack. I also like that this may be the only Rankin-Bass special that doesn't needlessly attempt to tie a holiday in. It doesn't mention Christmas, Valentine's Day, or even Groundhog's Day. It's just about the wonders of winter, making it perfect to watch during the colder months when other Rankin-Bass specials are sitting on the shelf. 

The Numbers: Griffith performs "Frosty the Snowman" in the opening as the kids build their new wintry friend and wish for Frosty's return. They sing it again when they're out skating and sledding with Frosty and realize that Frosty really isn't very good at counting. Day and Griffith share "Winter Wonderland" later on, during Frosty and Crystal's wedding. It really is very sweet, with the animals carrying Crystal's train and the snowman that no one has to pretend is Parson Brown.

What I Don't Like: Er, what is this a sequel to again? There's no mention of Karen, the little girl from the first special, though they do continue the running gag with the kid wrapped in that huge scarf and his weird snow people names and the cop who swallows his whistle at the sight of the snow people. While this does make more sense than such late 70's and 80's Rankin-Bass specials as The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold or Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July, it's still a little strange. The kids make Frosty a wife, and Jack Frost is jealous because they aren't paying attention? Sometimes I wonder what the writers at Rankin-Bass were on in the 70's and early 80's. 

The Big Finale: One of the better Rankin-Bass specials from the mid-late 70's deserves a look during the winter months for its unique story and charming performances.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.

DVD

DVD - Frosty the Snowman/Frosty's Winter Wonderland

Amazon Prime

Family Fun Saturday - The Frog Prince (1971)

Robert Laurence Productions/The Jim Henson Company, 1971

Voices of Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, and Richard Hunt

Directed by Jim Henson

Music and Lyrics by Joe Raposo

We end the month as we began it, with the Muppets. This time, we jump way far back, to when Jim Henson was trying to prove that his felt characters could be more than commercial announcers or filler between variety show numbers. This is the second of three fairy tale-based specials Henson did featuring Kermit, and probably the best-received of the three. It was so popular, four of the Muppets used in this special would go on to appear on The Muppet Show three years later. Does it still cast a spell today? Let's begin with our narrator Kermit the Frog (Henson) by the well and find out...

The Story: Sir Robin the Brave (Gordon Thomson) is turned into a frog by the wicked witch Taminella (Jerry Juhl). Kermit and his friends by the well in the castle garden don't believe him, even when he tells them he can't swim. He has to befriend a princess and get her to kiss him, and the lovely Melora (Trudy Young) would seem to be the perfect candidate. Trouble is, she too is under a spell. Her words are twisted backwards by the evil woman who claims to be her father King Rupert (Henson)'s sister. Robin recognizes her as Taminella, who wants to take Melora's throne on her birthday and become queen. Robin and Kermit try to translate Melora's backwards warnings and dodge Taminella's big, dumb ogre Sweetums (Carl Banas).

The Song and Dance: This is by far my favorite, not only of the Muppet fairy tale specials, but of the specials Henson did before he developed The Muppet Show. Robin and Sweetums were so adorable and hilarious respectively, they've been used in Muppet shows and films ever since. Raposo's songs are a delight, too, especially Young singing with Robin the Frog (Nelson) and Sweetums' noisy number. Nice costumes too, on Muppet and human alike. I like that Kermit's a little more involved with this than he would be with The Muppet Musicians of Bremen and the later Christmas specials, too. 

The Numbers: We open with the "Frog Chant" from the frogs at the well and the chorus. Robin explains what happened to him to turn him from "Sir Robin the Brave" into a little frog. Kermit and his friends insist that it's great to be "Frogs." Robin interprets Melora's turned around "N'I'm Ineteen" ("I'm Nineteen") in a charming duet. After he gets into the castle, Robin is almost stomped on by Sweetums, until he manages to insist "Sleep, Sweetums." "Sweetums," for his part, isn't happy with having been manipulated and just wants his frog dinner. "Anthems of Joy" is the happy ending, as Melora and Robin embrace, the people of the country are glad to have the right queen, King Rupert is happy for his daughter, and Kermit misses his froggy friend.

Trivia: Robin and Sweetums aren't the only Muppets from this special who would turn up on The Muppet Show. Featherstone and King Rupert made occasional appearances in royalty-themed skits during the first season. 

What I Don't Like: While we do get Robin and Sweetums here along with Kermit, don't expect the rest of the Muppet gang like Piggy or Fozzie. This came out three years before that show debuted. Young's adorable as the Princess, but what little we see of Thomson is a bit stiff for a dashing prince. Frankly, Taminella is more annoying than she is threatening. How the king fell for her, I will never know. 

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of the Muppets or of fairy tales like me, this is worth swimming a well for if you can find it.

Home Media: Alas, at press time, it can only be found on out-of-print videos and a blurry copy on Dailymotion. 

Dailymotion

Musicals On TV - Queen of the Stardust Ballroom

CBS, 1975

Starring Maureen Stapleton, Charles Durning, Charlotte Rae, and Michael Brandon

Directed by Sam O'Steen

Music by Billy Goldenberg; Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman

First of all, this review is dedicated to my good friend Linda Young, who suggested it a month ago after I mentioned listening to the Ballroom cast album. Thanks, Linda. 

Let's jump-start the cold winter months with a double-dose of small-screen nostalgia from the 70's and 80's that have a lot in common. They fondly recall the nightclubs and ballrooms of the 30's and 40's at a time when ballrooms were the home of elderly dancers reliving their younger years and nightclubs were more likely to feature DJs playing disco than big bands. We'll put on our dancing pumps and head to the ballroom first with this sweet story of a widow who learns life really does begin after fifty when she starts going to a local ballroom regularly and falls for an equally lost mail man. Does this story still resonate, even long after the ballrooms have long vanished? Let's begin with Bea Asher (Stapleton) and her family at the hospital as they receive devastating news and find out...

The Story: Bea is numb at first after her husband dies, until she decides to be her own boss and opens a thrift shop to sell all the things they accumulated over the years. She's even more devastated when her beloved son David (Brandon) and his family move across the country to Los Angeles after he gets a better job. Her waitress friend Angie (Jacqueline Hyde) insists on taking her out to the Stardust Ballroom for a night of dancing. Bea hasn't danced in years, and she feels frumpy and out of place among the beautiful older women there...until she meets Al (Durning). Al has been looking for the right partner, and he's enchanted by gentle, kind Bea. 

One date at the Stardust becomes many, and Bea becomes far more confident. She dyes her hair, wears brighter clothes, and stands up to her pushy sister Helen (Rae) and uptight daughter Diane (Beverly Sanders) who disapprove of all the time she spends not bowing to them. Al and the ballroom become her second home and her lifeline, even after she finds out the truth of why Al is there. She's never been happier, even competing in the big dance show to become the annual Queen of the Stardust Ballroom with Al by her side. 

The Song and Dance: This was a huge hit for CBS in the winter of 1975...and it's not hard to see why. The simple, touching story is unusually and refreshingly realistic for a musical. Stapleton is devastating as the woman who has spent her whole life kowtowing to her husband and family's wishes and finally discovers who she is on the dance floor. During equally matches her as the dashing mail man she falls for with secrets of his own. The gritty cinematography contrasting the glamorous ballroom with Bea's Bronx neighborhood won an Emmy, as did the lovely choreography by Marge Champion.

The Numbers: We open with Bea's devastating sung-spoken "Who Gave You Permission?" as she wanders around her Bronx home, wondering what she's doing to do without her husband. She reprises it later, actually singing this time as she changes her hair, updates her wardrobe, and realizes she doesn't need anyone's permission to enjoy life. She's hoping "Pennies and Dreams" will be enough to get her through when she realizes how much of life she's been collecting and not living and wonders if her new life is "A Big Mistake." Singer Martha Tilton performs "Call Me Yours" at the ballroom when Al tries to get Bea to dance. Al, for his part, realizes how "Suddenly It's You" and that Bea is the dance partner he's been waiting for. "I Love to Dance" is their charming duet in the finale at the Queen dance off as they sing about the delights of couples dancing. There's also all of the instrumental chorus numbers at the ballroom, including the one after Bea dyes her hair where Bea and Al win third place in a contest for free ballroom passes.

Trivia: The musical was so well-received, it was expanded into a full Broadway show, Ballroom, in 1978. Alas, it had a lot of trouble on the road in previews. Director-choreographer Michael Bennett wanted to emphasize the dancing and had most of the character songs from the film, including "Suddenly It's You" and "Who Gave You Permission," cut. The show barely ran two months and lost a ton of money despite featuring Tony-nominated performances by Dorothy Loudon and Vincent Gardenia in the leads. It would be reworked in 1998 for a Chicago production under the title Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, restoring the cut material and once again focusing on Bea and Al. 

What I Don't Like: The ballroom dance sequences aside, this is not a big, brassy musical. This is the small, sweet story of one woman's self-discovery and working through grief. Some people may wonder why she stuck with Al, despite him being married. Others may find the entire story dated. I wasn't enamored with the tragic ending. In fact, this is one place I think the stage version actually works better. The stage musical ends with Bea becoming the queen and accepting Al despite his marriage. Her sudden death doesn't really jive with all the self-discovery that came before it, even if it does give Durning one last, touching scene leaning over her while realizing he'll never have another partner - or love - like her.

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of ballroom dance or either of the leads, or are looking for a sweet, lower-key musical, I highly recommend this lovely look at one woman's journey through grief and into self-love via dance. 

Home Media: Easily found in all formats, but the discs do tend to be pricey. Your best bet here may be streaming. It can currently be found for free at Tubi with commercials.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Tubi

Animation Celebration Saturday - Santa and the Three Bears

Tony Benedict Productions, 1970

Voices of Hal Smith, Jean Vander Pyl, Christina Ferra-Gilmore, and Bobby Riha

Directed by Tony Benedict and Barry Mahon (live-action segments)

Music by Joyce Taylor; Lyrics by Doug Goodwin

This charming short film was originally pitched as an animated TV special. Apparently, networks at the time wouldn't buy a cartoon with no villains, so this ended up as a theatrical release instead. It later became a public domain staple, seen frequently during the holidays on independent stations throughout the US, and then on family cable networks. How does the charming tale of two bears who learn about Christmas from a well-meaning park ranger look today? Let's begin with two live-action children (Beth Goldfarb and Brian Hobbs) as their retired park ranger grandfather (Hal Smith) tells them the story of how three bears discovered Christmas and find out...

The Story: Mr. Ranger (Smith) tells the story of Christmas and of Santa to baby bears Nikomi (Ferra-Gilmore) and Chinook (Riha). They're so excited about Christmas and everything they'll get from Santa, they even get a tree for their cave. Their mother Nana (Vander Pyl) wishes they'd just go to sleep for the winter. She's not happy when she confronts Mr. Ranger and discovers Santa isn't real. Mr. Ranger decides to dress as Santa to make Christmas happy for the cubs. He's waylaid by a violent snowstorm, but someone else still gets through...

The Animation: You can tell this wasn't originally made for the big screen. The animation is no different from your average Hanna-Barbara TV show from this time period. In fact, I thought it was Hanna-Barbara until I checked Wikipedia. Admittedly, the bears look fairly realistic for a kids' cartoon - no exaggerated Yogi and Boo-Boo here - and they move pretty well. There's some pretty colors, too, especially during the cubs' dream sequence.

The Song and Dance: This ended up being much better than I thought it would be for a low-budget cartoon from the early 70's. Like This Christmas, it's charmingly low-key for a holiday that doesn't usually do quiet and sweet. The cubs are adorable, Smith is lovely telling them the story of Christmas and Santa, and Vander Pyl makes a nice concerned bear mother. It has a cozy, gentle air to it that's quite lovely and very welcome. 

The Numbers: The animated segment opens with "When Winter Comes" as the animals around Mr. Ranger prepare for colder weather. "Wintertime" provides the backdrop for the cubs' antics as they play and slide in the snow. The cubs learn about "The World of Toy People" as Mr. Ranger tells them the story of Santa and his elves and reindeer. The chorus lulls the cubs to sleep next to Nana with the "Sleepytime Song," with their pastel dreamscapes and hopes to see Santa. The credits end with "The Wonder of Christmas Time" after the cubs get their gifts, but before we see the live-action children again.

Trivia: Most TV versions (and some older streaming copies) delete the opening and closing live-action sequences.

Movie parody group Rifftrax spoofed it in 2023.

What I Don't Like: This might be a little too quiet for people expecting a noisier, better-animated show. It's just two cubs and their mother learning about Christmas from an elderly ranger with a slightly sentimental twist in the end. To be honest, though the gentle ballads are pretty, they do seem a bit out of place in the calm, laid-back story. It moves a bit on the slow side for something that runs for 45 minutes, too. 

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The Big Finale: Not the greatest thing ever, but it's worth your time this holiday season if you want to show your littlest ones something relatively calm and adorable. 

Home Media: In the public domain, so it's easily found anywhere.

DVD

Tubi

Family Fun Saturday - Peter Pan (1976)

ITV/NBC, 1976

Starring Danny Kaye, Mia Farrow, Briony McRoberts, and Virginia McKenna

Directed by Dwight Hemion

Music by Anthony Newley; Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

This month, we'll be exploring vintage TV musicals for families on Saturdays, starting with this rarity. This was actually Kaye's second go-around that year in a made-for-TV family musical where he starred alongside a young woman playing a boy's role. I did Pinocchio with Sandy Duncan two years ago. Does this more delicate, slightly darker confection with Mia Farrow as the Boy Who Never Grows Up and Kaye as his most famous rival reach the same heights, or should it stay in Neverland? Let's begin with an unseen Julie Andrews singing the lullaby "Once Upon a Bedtime Story" over the credits as we see children at play in London of the 1900's and find out...

The Story: Peter flies in one night after a frustrated Mr. Darling (Kaye) has banished the Darlings' dog Nana outside. He's hoping to regain his shadow and hear more stories to tell the Lost Boys. Wendy stitches his shadow on and insists they all to to Neverland with him and his fairy friend Tinkerbell. The jealous Tinkerbell tells the Lost Boys to shoot Wendy down. They regret it when Peter tells them she's to be a mother for them. 

Peter is perpetually at odds with mincing Captain Hook (Kaye), who lost his hand to a ticking crocodile and has been avoiding the creature ever since. Hook first captures Princess Tiger Lily (Paula Kelly) of the Native tribe to bring Peter out of hiding, then tries to poison him and captures Wendy and the children. Tinkerbell takes the poison instead, with Peter calling the viewing audience to help save her before they take off to rescue Wendy and Peter's Lost Boys. Even after Peter frees them, Wendy and the boys do insist on going home...but Peter stays behind, preferring childhood to an uncertain real world.

The Song and Dance: There's a lot that's good here. The Native group looks a bit more realistic (and slightly less offensive) than usual for this story, including their decent ballet with an excellent Kelly as the regal princess. The Lost Boys are hilarious, and McRoberts is an adorable and sweet Wendy. Kaye works equally well as the flustered father in the opening and the elegant, flamboyant, villainous pirate. 

The Numbers: We open with that lovely "Once Upon a Bedtime Story" performed by Julie Andrews over the credits. "Sleep, My Sleepy Heads" is Mrs. Darling's (McKenna) lullaby to her children before she and Mr. Darling leave for the night. "We Should Be Together" Peter insists as he encourages Wendy to join him in Neverland. "When You Can Fly" is Peter's song as he teaches the children how to join him in the air. We get some (rather bad and obvious) special effects as they soar across London. The Lost Boys admit reluctantly that they miss their "Mothers, Mothers." 

Hook's first patter number is "They Don't Make Them Like Me Anymore," Hook's bragging about his adventures with the pirates. "Neverland" is the Tiger Lily's song as she and her tribe sing of their need to protect their home from pirates and perform a relatively intricate ballet. The Boys build a house for Wendy with "Windows of Hope." Peter wishes he understood his feelings for Wendy as he admits "I Wish I Had a Dream." Captain Hook's "By Hook or By Crook" is his kidnapping Tiger Lily. Wendy teaches the Lost Boys how to create their own fantasies as they "Just Pretend" they're a family. Peter's not ready for things like families. He'd rather never experience "Growing Up." 

Hook's last big number has him bragging about his villainy putting him in the "Hall of Fame." The pirates reprise "Mothers, Mothers" as they admit they miss their own parents as well, even Hook. The children sing the title song as Peter and Hook have their big duel in the end. Peter tosses in his own version of "They Don't Make Them Like Me Anymore" after he gets Hook in the water. 

What I Don't Like: Mia Farrow is completely miscast as Peter. She's too dainty, delicate, and feminine to be believable as a boy, and her singing isn't any better than it would be almost seven years later in The Last Unicorn. Tinkerbell is portrayed as a tiny light, which gets annoying after a while. The sound she makes is worse, more like a broken bell than a tinkle. Nana being played by an actor in a dog suit comes off far better onstage than it does on screen, where it just looks awkward and silly. While the Natives are treated slightly better here than in most versions of this story, they're still played by actors in bad red makeup (and their costumes are rather brief for a children's fantasy, too). Newley and Bricusse's songs are good but not great, with only "Once Upon a Bedtime Story" making any impression.

The Big Finale: Worth checking out mainly for fans of Kaye or Peter Pan in general. Everyone else will probably be fine with the Mary Martin or Cathy Rigby versions. 

Home Media: Which makes it just as well that the only place this can currently be found is on YouTube.

YouTube 

Cult Flops - The Great Waltz (1972)

MGM, 1972

Starring Horst Buchholtz, Mary Costa, Nigel Patrick, and Yvonne Mitchell

Directed by Andrew L. Stone

Music by Johann Strauss Jr; Lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest

Despite Song of Norway's critical drubbing, Stone still had epic operettas on the brain. This time, he raided MGM's vault to come up with one of their more notorious flops. Despite being sumptuous and romantic, The Great Waltz was one of the studio's biggest failures of 1938. Apparently, Stone had learned nothing from his difficulties with Norway. Does this biography of "The Waltz King" Johann Strauss II soar to the heights of his greatest compositions, or should it be dumped in the blue Danube? Let's begin with shots of lavish Vienna and a singing narrator (Kenneth McKellar) introducing us to Vienna in the 1850's as everyone waltzes across a polished floor and find out...

The Story: Johann Strauss Sr. (Patrick) wishes his son would get a more respectable life and not go into music, especially after a spat with his wife Anna (Mitchell) and mistress Emeilie (Susan Robinson) over Emilie naming her son for Johann. He even sends friends to heckle him during his violin performances. Johann's determination to play and his dedicating one of his songs to his father changes the elder Strauss' mind about his son's abilities.

After his father's death, Strauss takes over his orchestra position and becomes an enormous success. He has numerous affairs until he meets singer Jetty Treffz (Costa) one night at a concert. They fall in love, despite her being the mistress of Baron Moritz Tedesco (Rossano Brazzi). She's resistant at first, but eventually returns to sing in his concert. Strauss is smitten and marries her over his mother's objections. She inspires him to write some of his best-known music, including "The Blue Danube." His original lyrics for this are not well-received, but the song was a smash anyway. He's invited to sing at the Paris Exhibition in 1867, but then he learns that his beloved Jetty is being forced by her grown son into blackmail...

The Song and Dance: I will say, at the very least, this was slightly better - and less cutesy - than Song of Norway. The gorgeous Austrian scenery was at the service of a relatively adult plot, the editing was more fluid, and the historically accurate costumes were simply stunning. Women glide around in enormous cream-puff ruffled ball gowns, while men sport tight early Victorian suits with lavish ascots. Costa does the best as the woman who falls for charming Strauss despite his reputation with women. The music, at least, is gorgeous, and Costa and others more than do it justice, their voices soaring like those gowns swirling through the waltz in the opening.

The Numbers: We literally put our best foot forward with that swirling waltz in the opening as narrator Kenneth McKellar describes a world of "Crystal and Gold." Emilie dances with a partner in the second chorus routine, her red dress standing out like a ruby among that crystal. Strauss Sr. tries to make it faster, only for a more romantic finish than I'm sure he would have preferred. His son's first concert is disrupted by friends of his father's booing his small combo, but they eventually win everyone over - including Jetty and his father. McKellar sings of "Nightfall," as rain chases all but one ardent admirer away from Strauss Jr's outdoor concert.

"Warm" is Strauss' duet with his most recent admirer as they drive a sleigh through a snowy Austrian winter wonderland. The chorus sings "Merry Christmas" to their new waltz hero, even as Strauss spends the holidays down with a fever. We then move to a boat in the summer, with another new lady and a spirited dance among young couples, "Wine, Women, and Song." Mary Costa's first number is "Love Is Music" as she sings at one of Strauss' concerts, flirting playfully with him. The first half ends with "Louder and Faster," as Jetty plays the piano at an outdoor dance, inspiring the dancers in traditional garb to move with the music. McKellar describes how the Baron feels about losing Jetty, "With You Gone."

"Through Jetty's Eyes" gets oddly psychedelic for this old-fashioned movie as Jetty and Strauss waltz and the film suddenly goes negative as we see Jetty dream of waltzing with her new husband. Jetty starts singing "The Blue Danube" as she and Strauss work on the song, which becomes a brief number for the chorus with odd, dark lyrics. Jetty's delighted to see that the song does much better as an instrumental waltz for the chorus. Strauss dallies with a girl at a cafe (Joan Baxter) who wants to "Say Yes." "Six Drinks" becomes a spirited romp in a pub for the chorus. We end with the chorus at Strauss' operetta. The film ends with McKellar explaining how the Boston Exposition was a success, with the chorus reprising "The Blue Danube." 

Trivia: Shown internationally in Cinerama, the last film to play in that format. 

Andrew L. Stone's last film. 

What I Don't Like: This is a very pretty movie totally out of its time. They didn't take to this in 1938, let alone the gritty early 70's. The story is beyond dull. You really don't care what most of these abrasive and uninteresting people are doing. Butchholtz has no personality and certainly doesn't suggest a driven musician. Problems are settled much too quickly, destroying any conflict or momentum the film had. It's a 2-hour slog wrapped in stale pastry and bitter cream. It also shares the same problem as Song of Norway - most of the musical numbers are badly edited, feature stilted dancing, and have nothing whatsoever to do with the plot.

The Big Finale: The lavish production and lovely melodies make this a small improvement over Song of Norway...but that doesn't mean this should have happened in the first place. No wonder Stone gave up and retired after this. Only for the most ardent Strauss enthusiasts.

Home Media: It's probably just as well that the only place I found this online was copied onto a website.

Rarefilm.com

Song of Norway

ABC Pictures/Cinerama Releasing Corporation, 1970

Starring Toralv Maurlstad, Florence Henderson, Christina Scholin, and Frank Poretta

Directed by Andrew L. Stone

Music by Edvard Grieg; Lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest

The phenomenal success of The Sound of Music brought a wave of huge Broadway adaptations to the big screen. Though a few did come out well and were hits in their own right, most either got too big for their britches or were too dated and slow for jaded late 60's audiences or both. Our first two reviews this week fall into the "both" category. Operetta, the most fanciful of all genres, had fallen out of fashion on the big screen in the early 40s when World War II made all-American stories and music more popular. It saw a minor revival in the 50's when several operettas turned up on the big and small screens, but by 1970, even less lavish musicals were having a rough time of it. How does the story of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg look on the super-wide Cinerama screen? Let's begin with our first of many, many (many) shots of the rugged beauty of Norway and find out...

The Story: Edvard Grieg (Maurlstad) would do anything to get his music heard by other musicians or producers in Norway and Denmark. He's encouraged by the woman he loves, Therese Berg (Scholin), but her father (Robert Morley) has already promised her to a wealthier man. Making friends with Richard Nordraack (Poretta), who shares his enthusiasm for the music of their homeland, helps. So does marrying his comely cousin Nina Hagerup (Henderson). Therese subsidizes a series of concerts with the two, inspiring Greig to write for a travel grant to Rome. Nina refuses to go with him. She's happier making friends with Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (Henry Gilbert). Even as Grieg writes an opera and music for Ibsen's (Frederick Jaeger) play Peer Gynt, he receives news that makes him realize how much he misses his homeland...and where he really wants to be.

The Song and Dance: Some good numbers, pretty scenery, and lovely voices are all there is to recommend this. At least everyone sings with their own voices, even those like Maurlstad who aren't known for warbling. Henderson's attractive soprano makes you wish she was able to do a few musicals on the small screen after she hit it big with The Brady Bunch. Opera singer Poretta also has a gorgeous voice that does justice to the soaring title song "Three There Were." And yes, that frequently-seen Norwegian scenery is stunning, with its endless vistas of frosty fjords and orange sunsets against craggy mountains.

The Numbers: We start off with the lively but random chorus routine "Life of a Wife of a Sailor" on the boat after Therese hauls Edvard on deck. "Midsummer's Eve" takes the chorus across the spectacular green Norwegian countryside and up into the mountains. "Freddy and His Fiddle" starts out as a cutesy dance routine for children in native Norwegian costume that's eventually picked up by young people in similar outfits. The show's hit, "Strange Music," is given a spin by Maurlstad's charmingly raspy voice as he composes it for Therese. Nordraack's title song to Grieg at a local cafe is a gorgeous song performed in an absurd setting. He also gets to briefly lavish his tenor into a reprise of "Strange Music." 

Nina's introductory number is explaining to the ever-present children why everything has a "Rhyme and a Reason" as they wander through their small town. She gently sings "Little House" while accompanied by Grieg for a small but important audience. "Hill of Dreams" has Nina and her two male friends dashing through the town as they celebrate their success. "I Love You" is a montage of Nina and Edvard's courtship as she realizes her deep feelings for him. "Church Bells Ringing" is the song for the chorus during their wedding. "Be a Boy Again" has Nordraack happily running through the street, playing with children as he acts as one himself. The trio reprise "Hill of Dreams" on an actual hill, wandering among the wildflowers. Nordraack watches his friends over a blazing fire later that night, observing "Three There Were."

Poor Nina is a "Solitary Wanderer" as she plays the piano for kindly Krogstad (Edward G. Robinson). "Christmas Time" is an adorable Norwegian folk song that takes Edvard, Nina, and the chorus into a snow-covered Norwegian holiday wonderland. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" becomes a very peculiar live-action/animated instrumental number as three of the kids fight off badly-animated trolls. Edvard and Nina give out "Ribbons and Wrappings" (and the lovely things inside) to the children. She sings the gentle "Wrong to Dream" at the sparsely-attended concert. "John Heggerton" is Therese's song at a dinner in Rome. The chorus begins "Hand In Hand" just before she confronts Grieg in the hall.

Trivia: Song of Norway opened in 1944 and ran for two years, not bad for the time. Later ballet diva Maria Tallchief was one of the featured dancers. It also managed a substantial year's run on the West End. It's been seen regionally since then, but has not reappeared in New York or London at press time.

This was the last movie filmed and exhibited in Super Panavision 70mm. 

Toralv Maurlstad's only movie in English and Frank Poretta's only film. 

There were quite a few changes from the original musical, starting with Grieg was lured to Italy by an opera singer, not by an old flame, both of whom were fictional. 

Richard Nordraack really did write the Norwegian national anthem. 

There seems to be some argument as to whether or not this did well at the box office. Some sources say it was a huge flop; others claim it was never a blockbuster but did manage to turn a small profit. 

The Song and Dance: There's a reason the original play hasn't been seen anywhere but the occasional light opera house since this came out. It was dated in 1944, much less 1970, and certainly doesn't come off any less so now. Grieg's gorgeous melodies and the pretty voices singing it don't begin to paper over a movie that suffers from a dull script, The dancing is clumsy, the choreography dull, and what is with the endless parade of children where they aren't needed? They turn up everywhere. I understand giving gifts to them at Christmas, but they don't add much to either "Freddy and His Fiddle" or Henderson's "Rhyme and Reason" number. It's likely someone's idea of making everything more heartwarming, but it just looks crowded. 

Speaking of, they're not the only element that's overused. Stone, who was best known for tight thrillers, is out of his element in a musical epic. Even Henderson complained about his bland direction. Though the scenery is pretty, it turns up far too often in numbers like Poretta's title song where we should be seeing the person perform, not the fjords again. The dialogue manages to capture every cliche in the book and then some. Although the producers do say they tried to stick closer to Grieg's life story than the show, that doesn't make it any less annoying. We don't even meet Nina, the love of Grieg's life, until more than 40 minutes into a 2 and 1/2 hour movie. And yes, this movie is way too long. All those pretty backdrops could have been trimmed with none the wiser.

The Big Finale: Unless you're a huge Brady Bunch or Robinson fan or love operetta or kitsch like I do, you can easily skip this one.

Home Media: This is on DVD, but it's out of print at the moment with a jacked-up price to match. If you must see it, you're better off checking it out on YouTube. 

DVD

YouTube

Family Fun Saturday - Donkey Skin (Peu D'Ane)

Cinema International Corporation, 1970

Starring Catherine Denveuve, Jean Maris, Jacques Perrin, and Delphine Seyrig

Directed by Jacques Demy

Music by Michel Legrand; Lyrics by Jacques Demy

Jacques Demy's first two musicals The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort were huge international hits, but for his third musical, he went with something a little less prosaic. Having done a bleak drama in Hollywood that didn't go over well, he returned to France for a full-on fantasy. This adaptation of a Charles Perrault fairy tale went over far better in France, where it was one of the bigger hits of 1970. Does it retain the same magic today? Let's begin with the introduction of the Blue King (Maris), his lovely wife (Denveuve), and their beautiful and gentle daughter (Denveuve) and find out...

The Story: After his wife dies, the King is encouraged to find a new wife and produce an heir. The queen insisted that he marry someone even lovelier than her...and the only person he can find is his daughter. On the advice of her godmother the Lilac Fairy (Seyrig), she holds her father off by asking for dresses the color of a good weather day, the moon, and the sun. She then demands that he kill and skin the magical donkey who has been excreting jewels and coins for him. The Fairy gives the princess her wand and a trunk with the three gowns, then covers her in dirt and wraps her in the donkey skin.

Fleeing her father's kingdom in this disguise, she manages to find a job as a pig keeper and a little hut in the woods. The prince of the kingdom (Perrin) sees her in the hut and falls so much in love with her, he becomes literally lovesick. He begs that Donkey Skin be told to bake a cake that will restore his health. She bakes her ring into it, proving her love for him. All the women in the kingdom are called to see if the ring fits their finger. No one thinks it could fit Donkey Skin, but the prince has his suspicions...

The Song and Dance: Like Demy, I've always been fascinated by fairy tales. The original version of this story comes off as rather dour. After all, it does involve incest and death. Demy manages to make all this sweet, whimsical, and even playful. Perrin and Denveuve are a charming royal couple, and Seyrig is hilarious as the Lilac Fairy who has her own reasons for keeping the princess from marrying her father. 

The production is nothing less than stunning, with the two kingdoms dressed in all cobalt blue and scarlet red. Even the faces of the couriers are blue and red. The costumes are acres of puffs, ruffles, and bows, with puffed sleeves that dwarfs the actors' heads. Gorgeous cinematography too. Real French castles and the actual French countryside glow like those incredible sun and moon gowns. 

The Numbers: We open with "Amour, Amour" performed on the piano by the princess as we're introduced to her family, the blue kingdom, and the magical donkey. The Lilac Fairy explains why it's a bad idea for a princess to marry her father in "Conselis de la Fee des Lilas." Our first chorus number has the peasants throwing "Les Insultes" at Donkey Skin for being so dirty and different. 

"Chanson du Prince" is the Prince's song when he sees her at the hut. The princess explains about her plan to put the ring in the cake in "Recette Pour un Cake D'Amour." The Prince and Princess dream of rebelling against their parents and being together in "Reves Secrets d'un Prince et d'une Princesse." The last number is also the second chorus routine. Every woman in town tries to make her finger slender enough to fit that ring in "Les Massage des Doights."

What I Don't Like: First of all, same deal as Demy's other movies. There's no dubbed version of this. If you don't speak French and aren't willing to use subtitles, you may have a hard time understanding a lot of what's going on. Second, while the incest subtext isn't pushed too hard, it is there. The original version of this story was a lot darker. In some versions (including the short "Sapsorrow" from Jim Henson's The Storyteller), the father dies in the end. Some details border on goofy for silliness' sake, like the Lilac Fairy and Blue King turning up in a very anachronistic helicopter in the end.

The Big Finale: Highly recommended for families with pre-teen princess lovers who are willing to read a few subtitles or those who love French cinema or who are big fairy tale fans like me. 

Home Media: Only on disc in the US as part of a pricey Jacques Demy blu-ray set from the Criterion Collection. You may be better off streaming this one.

Blu-Ray - The Essential Jacques Demy

Amazon Prime

The Buddy Holly Story

Columbia Pictures, 1978

Starring Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith, and Maria Richwine

Directed by Steve Rash

Music and Lyrics by Buddy Holly and others

Jim Morrison was hardly the first or last rock star to die young. Buddy Holly was one of the seminal rock pioneers. His songs were international hits in the late 50's, including classics like "Peggy Sue," "Rave On," and "That'll Be the Day." He pushed for more control over his music, including writing and producing his own songs. He might have done more, if it wasn't for his death during that fateful and poorly-organized Winter Party Tour. I reviewed a later version of that fateful night, La Bamba, last September. How does this slightly more upbeat take on Holly's side of the story look now? Let's begin with teens roller skating at a rink in Lubbock, Texas and find out...

The Story: Buddy Holly (Busey) and his friends drummer Jesse Charles (Stroud) and bassist Ray Bob Simmons (Smith) play at the skating rink and for a local radio station as the Crickets. Buddy's been experimenting with that brash, jangly new sound known as rock. The teens at the rink love it, and Riley, the manager at the station (William Jordan), is interested enough to recommend them to Coral Records. 

The Crickets don't last long with Coral after they learn they're expected to play country music, not rock. Fortunately, Riley also sent a tape of their skating rink performance to producer Ross Hunter (Conrad Janis) in New York. He's so impressed, he releases the tape without knowing the Crickets aren't under contract. After it's a hit, Holly convinces Hunter to sign them up and let him produce their output. 

That gets them up and running. They're so popular, they even become the first white act to play the Apollo Theater in Harlem after someone mistakes them for a black band. Buddy's more interested in Turner's secretary Maria Elena Santiago (Richwine). He convinces her aunt to let them go out, then marries her after their first date. 

Buddy's now writing hit after hit, but Jesse is feeling in his shadow and resents the time he spends with Maria. After an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, he and Ray Bob quit the band and return to Texas. Buddy wonders how he can make music without them. Maria encourages him to go on the Winter Party Tour to bring his confidence level back up again. She and the Crickets even plan on seeing him in the next stop after Clear Lake...or would, if he hadn't chartered a plane to get them there in a snowstorm...

The Song and Dance: This has some things in common with La Bamba and The Doors. They're all anchored by terrific performances from actors who threw themselves into the lead roles, beautifully recreating the performing styles of the singer in question. Gary Busey was so perfect as Buddy Holly, he landed a Best Actor nomination. He looks as gangly as he did in real life and does his own singing and playing so well, you'd think that was Buddy Holly there. Smith and Stroud also do well as his band mates who eventually feel overshadowed by his success. The low budget and decision to film all musical numbers right on the soundtrack actually works to the film's advantage, giving it a slightly gritty, raw warts-and-all feel that's very welcome in a biopic.

The Numbers: We open with Buddy and the Crickets performing the country ballad "Mockin' Bird Hill" at the skating rink before switching to the far more upbeat "Rock Around With Ollie Vee" and "That'll Be the Day." He's not as happy when their attempt to record "Day" for Coral Records comes out sounding a lot more country than he wants. Paul Mooney makes a not-bad Sam Cooke singing "You Send Me" at the Apollo before Buddy and the Crickets come out and tear up the place with "Everyday," "Oh Boy!" and "It's So Easy." The audience has so much fun, they end up dancing in the orchestra pit.

"Words of Love" and "I'm Gonna Love You Too" show us the Crickets in the studio. "Love You Too" almost ends with fisticuffs between Buddy and Jesse when the latter makes a racial comment about Maria. "Rave On" and "Listen To Me" go better, until Buddy gets so into his duet with Eddie Cochran (Jerry Zaremba) on "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," he makes the other two Crickets feel unappreciated. "Well...All Right" and "Maybe Baby" are their numbers at The Ed Sullivan Show, but the damage has been done. After the Big Bopper (Gailord Sartain) performs "Chantilly Lace" at Clear Lake, Buddy proves he still has it, even on his own, with a final medley of That'll Be the Day," "True Love's Ways," and "Not Fade Away."

Trivia: This wasn't the first attempt at a Buddy Holly movie. Gary Busey actually played the drummer for the Crickets in another biography made for 20th Century Fox, Three-Sided Coin, that was ultimately canceled. 

What I Don't Like: While more accurate than The Doors, this is still full of cliches. The original Crickets had already sold the rights to their names for another biopic, which is why fictional names are used and the band is reduced from three to two. "Peggy Sue" was named for the girlfriend of original Cricket Jerry Allison, not Buddy's girlfriend. Buddy's time recording country songs in Nashville went far smoother than what we see here and didn't end with him punching anyone. 

I'm also not a fan of the film's too-pat ending. They allude to the fatal crash in a quick paragraph after the Clear Lake Finale medley, but we don't see it. It wasn't until La Bamba debuted almost a decade later that someone finally detailed the events leading up to that tragedy on the big screen.

The Big Finale: Though not as dynamic as The Doors, it's still worth checking out for Busey's terrific performance as the title musician and the sensational numbers, especially if you're a fan of early rock. 

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming in the US.

DVD

Amazon Prime

The Harder They Come

New World Pictures, 1972

Starring Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw, and Ras Daniel Heartman

Directed by Perry Henzell

Music and Lyrics by Jimmy Cliff and others

We head across the Atlantic Ocean from England to Jamaica for our next musical drama. Jimmy Cliff was, along with Bob Marley, one of the major stars who helped spread reggae around the globe in the 60's and 70's. By 1970, he was successful enough to star in the first feature length film made in Jamaica. 

This was a very big deal at the time. Though Jamaicans were proud to have achieved independence from England just twelve years before this movie came out, they were also aware of the enormous inequality in their little island nation, especially among the urban poor. This was one of the first movies to reflect this inequality in Jamaica, and the first to use the Jamaican Patois - their English dialect. How does the tale of a singer who comes to Kingston for a career but turns to a life of crime look today? Let's begin with Cliff's major hit "You Can Get It If You Really Want" as Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin arrives in Kingston and find out...

The Story: Ivan doesn't have the easiest time in Kingston at first. He loses everything he owns to a street vendor the moment he arrives. His attempts to get a job end up with him working for the local preacher (Basil Keane), but those jobs are hardly exciting. He falls for the preacher's ward Elsa (Bartley), which the preacher doesn't approve of. He's even less happy when Elsa gives Ivan the keys to the chapel so he can rehearse an audition song with his band. Ivan tries to retrieve the bike he put together from Longa (Elijah Chambers), who works for the preacher. He attacks Longa with a knife when he won't give it up and ends up whipped by local police.

Things start to look up when he and Elsa move in together and he finally records his song "The Harder They Come." The studio owner Hilton (Bob Charlton) has a stranglehold on the local industry and holds Ivan to an exploitative contract. Desperate for money, Ivan ends up drug running for his friend Jose (Bradshaw) and buying guns for protection. His notoriety after he kills a cop and Jose's girlfriend brings him the fame he badly wants and finally gets his music played on the radio...but it also makes the police more determined to capture him.

The Song and Dance: The real interest in this dark crime drama is seeing a side of Jamaica you won't read about in any travel brochure. For all the glowing tropical colors, Henzell's Kingston is a dusty, dirty network of narrow streets, old clapboard structures, narrow alleys and ancient palm trees bending in the sea breezes. The glowing cinematography grounds the almost fable-like story in the reality of a Jamaica that was still finding its way after splitting from England. The soundtrack was so influential, it helped spread the popularity of reggae outside of the Caribbean and remains one of the biggest reggae albums ever. 

The Numbers: We hear "You Can Get It If You Really Want" three times, notably over the credits as Ivan arrives in Kingston. "Rivers of Babylon" is a gospel number for the chorus at the church. Cliff and his band record the title song in the church before they're caught, and later in the studio. We also get "Many Rivers to Cross" and "Sitting In Limbo" from Cliff. The Maytals give us "Sweet and Dandy" and "Pressure Drop," and we hear "Johnny Too Bad" from the Slickers. 

Trivia: Ivanhoe Martin apparently was a real-life Jamaican criminal and folk hero in the 30's and 40's, though apparently he was neither a musician nor a drug dealer.

This has twice been adapted into a stage musical, in England in 2005 and in New York in 2023.

What I Don't Like: Jamaicans may have been thrilled to see their culture and language reproduced accurately onscreen, but those thick accents make the movie very difficult to understand at times. You may need subtitles or to know something about Jamaican language and culture yourself in order to figure out what's going on. The acting is not wonderful - Cliff had only starred in a few school productions before this - and can sometimes come off as stiff when you get what they're saying. This is also a very violent and dark movie, especially towards the end. Let younger kids listen to the soundtrack first.

The Big Finale: If you ever wanted to learn about reggae and how it became an international phenomenon or see Jamaica in a very different light from the usual travelogues, this movie isn't a bad place to start. 

Home Media: Easily found on all formats.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Animation Celebration Extra - Shinbone Alley

Allied Artists, 1970

Voices of Carol Channing, Eddie Bracken, Alan Reed, and John Carradine

Directed by John David Wilson

Music by George Kleinsinger; Lyrics by Joe Darion

Cockroach poet Archy and his alley cat girlfriend Mehitabel go back to 1916, as comics by Don Francks in the New York Tribune spoofing city life in the 1910's and 20's. The comics remained popular in the 1950's, enough for a concept album based around the characters featuring Bracken, Channing, and David Wayne to be released in 1954. It was expanded for the stage in 1957, retaining Bracken as Archy and with Eartha Kitt replacing Channing as Mehitabel. Despite featuring some of the first stage work of Mel Brooks and the use of animal characters and an integrated cast, it was not a success, but the songs and the original stories retained enough fans for British animator Wilson to try them as an animated film. How well does he do bringing the trials and tribulations of two very different animal friends to life? Let's begin with a splash, and the voice of Archy (Bracken) as he jumps off a bridge, and find out...

The Story: Archy's suicide attempt ends with him being reincarnated as a cockroach. He's horrified by this at first, until he figures out how to write poetry by jumping on the keys of a reporter's (Byron Kane) typewriter and finds a muse in alley cat Mehitabel (Channing). He and Mehitabel become friends, despite her going off with tough tomcat Big Bill (Reed). Archy tries to convince her to get a better job after Bill drops her, but she just goes off with shady producer cat Tyrone T. Tattersall (Carradine) instead. 

Tattersall finally kicks her out when he's angry over her upstaging him by singing Romeo and Juliet. Mehitabel briefly ends up back with Big Bill, inspiring heartbroken Archy to lead the other bugs to a near-revolution. He eventually learns that Mehitabel has been abandoned with kittens and finally convinces her to take a respectable job as a house cat. Her children have a home, but she's bored, and Archy isn't allowed in the house. He takes up with decidedly unladylike ladybugs before he finally realizes that being a real friend means accepting your friends for what they are, bad choices and all. 

The Animation: The sketchy style is pretty common for animated films from this era. The characters move very well, and the backgrounds in particular are quite detailed, with its depictions of down-and-dirty New York in the 1910's from an animal's point of view. The animation is bumped up for the musical numbers. Archy's attempt to incite his fellow bugs to revolt against humankind is drawn in the sparer style of the original George Herriman artwork, indeed looking like a hand-drawn strip literally come to life.

The Song and Dance: Terrific performances anchor this odd adult animated musical. Bracken comes off better (and a lot less annoying) here than he ever did in live-action, especially screaming for bugs to riot in that revolution number! Channing more than matches him as the wild and fickle kitty who follows her heart - and her libido - first and her best friend a distance second. Alan Freed is so good as self-centered Bill, you'd barely recognize him as the long-time voice of Fred Flintstone. The animation is limited but occasionally gets fairly creative, as in that revolution sequence. And honestly, just the unique subject matter of a poetry-writing cockroach falling for a wild-living alley cat makes this more interesting than most animated films from this era.

The Songs: We open with "I Am Only a Poor Cockroach" as Archy explains his situation and how he ended up in a roach's body. Mehibital and her ladies sing "Come to Meeoww" as their introductory and the introduction to life as an alley cat. Big Bill and his buddies have more positive feelings about their home in the jaunty ragtime title song. "Archy's Philosophies" covers everything from the human race to poetry, which segways in to "The Moth Song" as he describes what happens to a moth when they do "the conventional thing" and play with fire. 

Mehitabel comes back after Bill drops her, determined as ever to say "Cheerio My Deario" and sing and dance her trouble away. Reunited, the two claim "Who Cares If We're Down and Out?" "Ah the Theater, the Theater" introduces Tyrone and shows him to be the fake we and Archy know him to be and Mehitabel doesn't want to believe he is. Her version of "Romeo and Juliet" is hilarious, singing her idea of the words and annoying Tyrone more and more.  

The background cat girl singers croon a "Lullaby for Mehitiabel's Kittens," even as the mother herself laments constantly having to sacrifice her career for children. "Blow Wind Out of the North" finally convinces her to take a real job and seek shelter for herself and her children. "The Lightning Bug Song" is another bittersweet Archy story, this one about a flashy lightning bug who got above his station. Mehitabel is used to the wild life and gets very tired of the constant "Here Pretty Pussy" from her new owners. Archy ends up dancing with "Ladybugs of the Evening" when he gets drunk after his best friend throws him out, reminding him that roaches aren't allowed in the house. Mehitabel reprises "Cheerio My Deerio" when she returns to Shinbone Alley with her buddy Archy, then goes into the finale reprise of the title song.

Trivia: As mentioned, the stage Shinbone Alley was even less of a success than the film, barely lasting three weeks. It was filmed for TV in 1960 under the Shinbone Alley title with Bracken and Tammy Grimes, but only audio survives. 

Director John David Wilson mostly did shorts in England. This would be his only feature.

What I Don't Like: No wonder this never seems to have worked as anything but a concept album. What audience did they intend this for again? The semi-cute animated bugs and their antics are for kids, but the subject matter - including two attempted suicides and kittens born out of wedlock to parents who don't want them - is decidedly adult. They couldn't figure it out in 1957 onstage or on film in 1970, and I doubt anyone could now. The songs are ok, not horrible, but nothing that memorable, and the animation leans heavily on the barely-moving sketchiness that was common in this time period. Not only that, but frankly, neither Archy nor Mehtiabel - or anyone they meet - are all that pleasant to begin with. 

The Big Finale: If you can talk your young teens into an animated film with singing animals or are intrigued by the cast or are familiar with the comics this is based on, the performances here are good enough to make this worth checking out at least once. 

Home Media: The DVD is in print, but is currently expensive. You might be better off looking for copies on YouTube or elsewhere. 

DVD

YouTube

Tommy (1975)

Columbia Pictures, 1975

Starring Roger Daltrey, Ann-Margaret, Oliver Reed, and Elton John

Directed by Ken Russell

Music and Lyrics by Pete Townsend and others

Having enjoyed the unique film biographies I watched last week, I thought I'd dive further into the stranger side of rock with two really weird movies from the 70's and 80's based around groups of the time. Townsend wrote the original Tommy in 1968. It debuted a year later on a two-disc record and was a massive success. Music producer Robert Stigwood, who specialized in rock spectacles like Jesus Christ Superstar, bought the rights and brought in Russell. Russell wasn't a fan of rock, but he knew weird extravaganzas like no one's business. How did  his peculiar sensibilities shape this story of a young deaf, dumb, and blind pinball player who becomes a messianic-like figure? Let's begin with Tommy's mother Nora Walker (Ann-Margaret) and father (Robert Powell) during the early days of their courtship and find out...

The Story: Nora is pregnant with her son Tommy (Barry Winch) when her husband goes missing during World War II. Five years later, she falls for Frank Hobbs (Reed), whom she met at a summer camp. Tommy looks up to Frank, until he sees him murder his returning father reflected in the mirror. Frank and Nora insist that he didn't hear or see anything, making him withdraw into a deaf, dumb, and blind state.

By the time Tommy (Daltrey) is in his early 20's, Nora is in despair of him ever being cured. Frank takes him to a faith healer (Eric Clapton) and a drug dealer (Tina Turner), but nothing works. Leaving him with a bullying cousin (Paul Nicholas) and an abusive uncle (Keith Moon) doesn't help, either. Tommy eventually discovers he's a pinball protege, beating even the reigning champ (Elton John). This brings him a great deal of money, but it does nothing to help his condition. 

Frank finally takes Tommy to a doctor (Jack Nicholson) who suggests he confront his reflection in the mirror. His mother is fed up and shoves him through it...which does the trick. Tommy is not only cured, he wants to transform the entire world. He travels with a band to spread his word, turning his home into a religious camp. That makes him wildly popular with young girls especially, at least until they demand he do more than talk and sing. He loses everything in the ensuing riot...but gains an understanding of the true meaning of salvation.

The Song and Dance: Even just that plot description tells you what you're in for. The Who's music and simply amazing imagery carry the day here. There's also some fabulous costumes, going from the austerity of World War II through the glittering "glam rock" popular in the mid-70's. Russell spared no expense, and the result is a jaw-dropping mish-mash of all-star cameos (look for Turner's "Acid Queen" number and Jack Nicholson in one of his only two musicals to date) to the expansive cinematography and massive sets and pinball machines. Ann-Margaret did so well as Tommy's desperate mother, she won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar. Reed nearly matches her as the seemingly cheerful holiday worker she falls for, until she discovers his dark side. 

The Numbers: We open with Nora and Captain Walker's romantic courtship, her husband's disappearance, and Tommy's birth in "Captain Walker/It's a Boy." "Bernie's Holiday Camp" shows Tommy's childhood and introduces Frank, showing why mother and son both come to appreciate him. Nora and Frank hope "1951" will be their year, but they worry "What About the Boy" when he sees them kill his father. Tommy's "Amazing Journey" begins and ends with the mirror as he shuts himself in his head. His mother laments that he can't even appreciate his birthday on "Christmas." 

"Eyesight to the Blind" and "Acid Queen" are Frank and Nora's attempts to find someone to heal their son. "Eyesight" takes them to a cult that worships Marilyn Monroe, while the "Acid Queen" deals in drugs and Iron Maidens. Neither "Cousin Kevin" nor Uncle Ernie who "Fiddles About" do much to help Tommy's condition. Tommy eventually finds the "Sparks" that brings him to an abandoned pinball machine. Pete Townsend himself narrates "Extra, Extra, Extra," on Tommy's rise to fame, bringing us to the famous "Pinball Wizard" sequence. Elton John stomps out in massive boots (that he asked to be allowed to keep) in a lavish sequence with the two of them surrounded by fans in probably the show's best-known song.

"Champagne" depicts Tommy's rise as a media sensation. Nora watches in her pristine white room, furious that her son can't experience all of this for himself. She imagines herself covered in the beans she sees on TV and the chocolate she's been eating, writhing in her misery. "There's a Doctor" brings in Frank to explain they're seeing another doctor, and the doctor telling them what's really wrong with Tommy. "Go to the Mirror" leads Nora to the edge, taking us to "Tommy Can You Hear Me" and "Smash the Mirror." 

"I"m Free" finally releases Tommy, letting him enjoy everything he's missed over 20 years. "Mother and Son" and "Miracle Cure" is his becoming that messiah figure. "Sally Simpson" is the young girl who believes in his cult and is hurt defying her father to see him. "Sensation," "Welcome," and "TV Studio" shows Tommy's rise to cult figure. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" brings his people together, but they rebel, claiming "We're Not Gonna Take It." It ends with Tommy fleeing the destroyed home and following the sun in "Listening to You/See Me, Feel Me."

Trivia: Tommy's continuing popularity led to Townsend adapting it to the stage in 1992. It opened on Broadway a year later and ran for two years. The London production in 1996 didn't do nearly as well, not even making a year. It was revived on Broadway briefly in 2024.

Two real-life pinball machines were made by Data East that were inspired by the film, one featuring Roger Daltrey, the other Elton John.

There's quite a few changes from the album (and would be more for the stage version). For one thing, Captain Walker kills his wife's lover on the album and onstage, not the other way around, and he came back from World War I rather than World War II. The order of many songs are reversed, new lyrics were written, and "Bertie's Holiday Camp," "Extra, Extra, Extra," "Champagne," "Mother and Son," and "TV Studio" were added.  

What I Don't Like: Your interest in and appreciation of this film will depend on how big of a Who and hard rock fan you are and your tolerance for Russell's in-your-face style of direction. This is not a subtle movie. It's also not a traditional romantic family musical. It's not for those who aren't fans of hard rock in general and the Who in particular, who can't handle or don't like Russell's wild camp spectacles, or who are looking for a quieter show. Fans of the album and the stage show may not appreciate some of the changes or the weirder casting. 

The Big Finale: Necessary viewing for fans of the Who and Elton John, this is also recommended for those who like their rock musicals huge, lavish, and completely off-the-wall. 

Home Media: Easy to find in all formats, including streaming. The two-disc 4K set will be released on March 18th. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

4K

Amazon Prime

Merry Christmas Eve! - Christmas Eve On Sesame Street

PBS, 1978

Starring Bob McGrath, Debbie Chen, Will Lee, and Roscoe Orman; Muppet Voices of Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Carroll Spinney, and Jerry Nelson

Directed by Jon Stone

Music and Lyrics by various

We celebrate the holidays in New York with the 70's cast of one of the most beloved children's shows on television. By the time this and the prime-time show A Special Sesame Street Christmas debuted in 1978, Sesame Street was an institution that taught children numbers, letters, and many life lessons via short clips, skits, cartoons, and its diverse cast of Muppets and humans. Many of the most famous Muppets and humans appear in this lovely special that was one of the big holiday offerings on PBS that season. Is it still as much fun over 45 years later? Let's head to a skating rink in New York City as the Muppets, their neighbors, and skaters from the professional show Holiday On Ice show their stuff and find out...

The Story: After the skating party, Oscar the Grouch (Spinney) tells Big Bird (Spinney) and little Patty (Chen) that if Santa can't get down those skinny New York chimneys, no one will get any presents! The duo spend the rest of their Christmas Eve trying to figure out how Santa does it. They ask Kermit the Frog (Henson), but his and Grover's (Oz) interviews of local kids don't produce the desired results. Having Mr. Snuffleupagus (Nelson) pose as Santa only ends with him stuck in a trash canister. Big Bird finallydecides to go to the roof and find out himself...but when Patty realizes he's gone, the entire neighborhood turns out to find him.

Elsewhere on Sesame Street, Bert and Ernie want to buy presents for each other, but they have no money. They turn to Mr. Hooper (Lee) to exchange the things they love most for them. Mr. Hooper, however, knows what they really want. Cookie Monster would love to tell Santa what he wants for Christmas...if he could stop eating the writing utensils!

The Song and Dance: This couldn't be a greater contrast between this and Special Sesame Street Christmas. Made by Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) on PBS with the regular cast and most of the regular Muppet characters of the time, it's heartwarming, adorable, and very funny rather than too cheesy or over-the-top. Spinney has the most fun as the wistful Big Bird, who just wants to know if Santa will get through, and the cynical Oscar. Ernie and Bert's side plot is just as sweet, especially if you're familiar with the famous O.Henry short story it's based on. Cookie Monster has a few good gags with him getting so into thinking about cookies and treats, he eats anything he could use to write Santa.

The Numbers: We open with the skating party and the Holiday On Ice ensemble. Full body puppets of Ernie, Bert, the Count, Oscar, and Cookie Monster show off, while a child helps Big Bird skate to the tune of "Feliz Navidad." "True Blue Miracle" is a chorus number, performed by all the human neighbors as they buy their trees and wreaths on the way home from the skating rink. Big Bird spends the song telling an unimpressed Oscar his ideas for how Santa gets down those chimneys. 

Bob Johnson (Bob McGrath) performs "Keep Christmas With You" as local kids do the song in sign language for his deaf girlfriend Linda (Linda Bove). Oscar's not a fan of holidays period, as he complains in "I Hate Christmas." Bert and Ernie sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" after they open their gifts and realize how much they mean to one another. The entire cast reprises "Keep Christmas With You" just before the end credits, after they find Big Bird. 

Trivia: This won an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program in 1979. 

What I Don't Like: This might seem slow or corny compared to many children's holiday specials today. I'm not sure what younger children will think of this now. It was made well before the debut of such popular recent Muppets as Elmo, Julia, or Rosita. Most of the neighbors are very different, too. Maria's with David rather than Luis, Bob has a girlfriend, and there's Mr. Hooper, who has been gone for so long, many adults may not remember him, let alone their kids. 

The Song and Dance: If you have fond memories of seeing this one on TV or video in the 70's and 80's or have children who love Big Bird and won't mind the lack of recent characters, this sweet trip to Sesame Street during the holidays is very highly recommended. 

Home Media: It's on Amazon Prime and Max, but most streaming copies cut either the "Feliz Navidad" skating sequence or the end stinger with Cookie Monster after having eaten Olivia and Gordon's Christmas tree. You may be better off looking for this one on DVD, either solo or paired with the much later holiday special Elmo's Christmas Countdown.

DVD

DVD - Holiday Double Feature: Elmo's Christmas Countdown/Christmas Eve On Sesame Street

Amazon Prime