Gilda Live (1980) User Reviews

This was the First Saturday Night Live Movie

[Sober-Friend · 8/10 · 23 March 2017]

Gilda Live is a filmed version of the comedic one-woman show performance of Gilda Radner Live on Broadway. Originally titled Gilda Radner: Live From New York (renamed Gilda Live for the film debut), it had a steady success as a play but the movie itself and the record as well, both released in March 1980, were complete flops with critics and the public.

To me however I had no idea this film existed until HBO ran it in 1981. I do not know why Wikipedia states "The Film was a flop with Critics and audiences alike". If the public did not show up for the film then maybe its because "They had no idea at the time there was film to begin with".

Long before her death this film developed a cult following with not only "Saturday Night Live Fans" but other people as well. The film was readily available for years on VHS and was a popular rental. For some reason it took 12 years after the initial release of the DVD format that Warner Brothers finally released it on DVD.

Now when I first saw the film in 1981 I loved every minute of it. Now 37 years later the film is still funny. Most of the sketches hold up and you really see "Gilda at her best and what a hard show this was for her to do".

Even you are not a huge "Gilda Radner Fan" you will still find this funny. The pace of the film is quick and if you don't like one sketch it there will be another you will love.

I would highly recommend buying this film and passing it around to friends for them to watch. Trust me when Summer hits and SNL is in re-runs this is a valuable alternative.

A Comedic Gem!!!

[ToTo2025 · 8/10 · 29 October 2018]

As one of the first female performers for "Saturday Night Live" back when it premiered in 1975, Gilda Radner help shape the face of comedy. "Gilda Live" is a nostalgic look back on comedienne Gilda Radner live show from 1980. Bringing to life many of the characters she made famous on SNL, Gilda Radner's performance on stage is highlighted by the fact that it's live and uncensored. Many fans have noted that even with it's R rating at the time of it's release, the mostly "Adult" oriented performance was way more refreshing than watching it on TV. Many film critics in 1980, did not care for the movie at the time. However, after many years later...the film has become a true attestment of it's time in comedy. Though the material may seem some what dated and old, fans of the actress look back on it with such fond memories. "Gilda Live" is such a precious treasure of a film showing the late comedienne at her best both on and off the stage. A must watch for die hard fans!!!!!

Amusing, not hilarious

[gbill-74877 · 6/10 · 8 October 2021]

Gilda Radner was such a sweetheart and there was a sort of purity to her comedy, which made the spicier bits she would occasionally drop in funnier. To me her characterizations were hit and miss though, and rarely more than amusing. The highlight was the fast-talking Rosanne Rosannadanna, the lowlight, the mean-spirited version of Nadia Comaneci, which reeked of Cold War stereotypes. Seeing her play characters like the drunk rock 'n' roller flailing about on-stage or the little girl making a lot of noise in her room just didn't have enough cleverness either. To be honest, I liked Don Novello's Father Guido Sarducci character more, and was glad he got several slots. As for Gilda, it's a case where I love the person more than the comedy, at least for a full-length show.

Huge delight!

[buffy-34 · 17 May 1999]

I tremendously enjoyed Gilda Live. A lot of her most loved characters from SNL in a broadway show, what more could you want? You get to watch this amazingly talented actress do what she did best: making people laugh.

It's Gilda

[DrPhibes1964 · 7/10 · 6 July 2021]

I envy anyone who had the opportunity to see this performed live. From Emily Littela to Lisa Lupner we get to see Gilda at her comedic best. The highlight for me is the song that closes the show titled Kiss Me With My Clothes On. It is a very sweet and touching song about being in love and the joys of the first intimate moments whilst remaining fully clothed. But it is difficult to watch this and not feel sad at what we loss with her passing. You needn't be a fan of SNL to enjoy this performance. It reminds us what an amazing talent she was.

Saw it at a theatre

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 16 April 2007]

I was one of the (very few) people who saw this in a movie theatre. It was a filming of her comedy act on stage with unfunny Don Novello popping up so she could go backstage and change costumes. When I first saw it I hated it. I had never watched SNL so I was completely at a loss at who these characters were she was playing. The only funny part I found was her song "Let's Talk Dirty to the Animals" (which alone gave the film an R rating).

Years later I saw it again after seeing reruns on the original SNL. This time I knew who the characters were and I loved it! I was laughing out loud a few times and came to realize what a great comedienne she was. The only bad part is this comes across as (obviously) a little stagy and Novello's segments are just horribly unfunny. Still it's worth seeing for Radner's comedic talent. However you SHOULD have a basic working knowledge of the characters she played on TV. Otherwise you might not enjoy it.

I give it a 7--Novello is horribly unfunny and the staginess does wear you down.

Gilda makes me laugh....

[Mister-6 · 9/10 · 22 August 1999]

It's no more complicated than this: of all the comediennes that came from the early days of "Saturday Night Live", Gilda Radner was the funniest.

"Gilda Live" shows her doing what she does best. Not only is there a sketch featuring our old friend Emily Litella telling an interesting children's story but also a menagerie of other characters in routines that are funny, touching and somehow heartbreaking.

The biggest scene has to be Gilda singing the song "Let's Talk Dirty to the Animals". Just watch it "Gilda Live"; you'll see why.

Nine stars. Big laughs for the little lady.

she's great

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 28 October 2018]

Celebrated comedienne Gilda Radner stars in her own Broadway show featuring many of her famous SNL characters. Father Guido Sarducci, Paul Shaffer, and others join her in this mostly sketch comedy show. It's directed by Mike Nichols and includes dressing room behind the scene stuff. Like the SNL skits, this is a lot of hit and miss. It's fun when it hits. No matter what, Gilda is full of presence which powers the show when she's on stage. Even when the material isn't that great, she is and at least, she makes it interesting. This is for the Gilda fans and comedy fans in general. It's a comedic time capsule.

her most famous characters are displayed on this video

[dizzyizzy · 10/10 · 21 October 2001]

I have been a huge Gilda fan forever and if you really want a taste of her humor and see her most famous characters, then this is definitely the video to rent. This is as close as we can get to a movie solely about her!!

See it on video--with one finger on the fast-forward button

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 2 September 2001]

For years I watched this movie on a personal videotape with all the dross edited out---most of which contains Don Novello (aka Father Sarducci) filling up time while Gilda Radner changes costumes backstage. Recently seeing the film "uncut", I cannot begin to say how Novello drags this down. He is the worst kind of unfunny comedian, with smug, pothead observations about life stemming from the obviousness of the human condition and dated bits of politics which are no longer topical. Radner, on the other hand, is amazing in her sets: rarely frantic or desperate for laughs, she plows right through if a joke happens to bomb. If only Hollywood could've tapped into this bottle of unabashed energy and self-delight, we might've seen Gilda in some hot comedies. Her takes on Emily Litella and Roseanne Roseannadanna are outrageously funny, her timing so sweet when she sings "The Way We Were" as Lisa Loopner, her wit sharp but always tempered with love. She clearly was one-of-a-kind, proving that Hollywood does make mistakes--one of them being its inability to turn this crowd-pleasing woman into a star. **1/2 from ****

A mostly painful watch

[pmtelefon · 3/10 · 14 September 2021]

"Gilda Live" is a real endurance test of a movie. It's almost impossible to watch without taking a break. Gilda Radner was a lot of fun on Saturday Night Live but she shared screen time with a very strong cast. She was never the main attraction on that show. On her own, ouch. That's why the producers of the Broadway show threw in a bunch of Father Guido Sarducci. He helps but not enough. After watching "Gilda Live", any young person (meaning under the age of 60) will have a hard time trying to figure out why Gilda Radner was popular in the first place.

"Gilda Live" is always something!

[lee_eisenberg · 8/10 · 12 August 2005]

"Gilda Live" may be the best concert movie ever. It's got Gilda Radner performing some of her "SNL" skits on stage. Whether it's nerdy Lisa Loopner playing "The Way We Were", Emily ("Never mind!") Litella, or Roseanne ("It's always something!") Roseannadanna, she always has something. Don (Father Sarducci) Novello gives some of his usual commentary; notice the "coincidenza". It's really too bad that Gilda Radner died. She was really funny (her song at the beginning of this movie is truly something else).

I never would have envisioned Mike Nichols directing a concert movie. Now that's always something!

Okay comedy concert film

[Wizard-8 · 6/10 · 27 October 2018]

Before sitting down to watch this comedy concert film, I hadn't really seen much of Gilda Radner before, except for a few fleeting glimpses. After watching this movie, I was struck by how talented she really was... despite the fact that I don't think all of the material she works with in this film is up to her talents. The movie is quite uneven. The best parts of the movie are the musical numbers, which are full of energy and are quite amusing. The other segments are amusing enough at times, but there are also some segments that fall quite flat. The segments that fall flat are usually those that are stretched out past the breaking point and go on for too long. Despite the uneven quality of the movie, I am glad that I did see it, enough that I will definitely pay close attention to any Gilda Radner routine I might come across in the future.

P.S. - While the movie got an "R" rating for some adult language, the sunny and upbeat tone coming from Radner doesn't make the movie feel very raunchy at all. In fact, the movie feels more like a "PG-13" at most.

Gilda Radner lives

[Genkinchan · 6/10 · 11 August 2021]

After watching the days of the Dolphins and The fortune respectively and met with disappointment the next one to watch is Gilda live finally yes it is entertaining and fresh with a one woman show Gilda Radner still can make me laugh from the musical number ranging from let's talk dirty to the animal, the way we were and Honey touch me with my clothes on

RIP the multi talented Gilda!!

I Was There For The Filming!

[marshotel-2 · 6/10 · 10 February 2009]

I was a student at NYU when Gilda Live was in production. The production company wanted a college age audience to fill in the seats of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where the show was filmed. They sent a bus to the dorm & a group of us excitedly left Greenwich Village for Brooklyn. The filming was tedious, boring, long, repetitive (due to many takes of the scenes) and hard to sit through. The ONLY aspect of the night that was in the least bit entertaining was Don Novello both in character as Father Guido Sarducci and out of character as his hysterical self. He kept the audience laughing and in good spirits all night long. Gilda Radner on the other hand was difficult, angry, impatient with the staff and audience, and very acting spoiled. Luckily for her, none of this behavior translated into the final edit. I have seen the final version and enjoy Novello's segments while I recall how he made a potentially unpleasant experience end as a memorable one.

It really is a triumph!

[Kakeru-2 · 10/10 · 28 May 2000]

I love Gilda Radner, and was very pleased to be able to get this video. The first time I saw it, I was about 7 and it was on TV at 1 AM in the morning, and I thought it was the funniest thing. This tape of her live theater-like performance is a must-keep, I only hope it comes out on DVD sometime, although I don't know why, but it'd be nice :) There is also a soundtrack to this, and I suggest getting it if you like this tape, there are longer versions to "I Love to be Unhappy" and "Goodbye Saccharin", and also a new song before "Gimme Mick" that do not appear on this tape. So go get both! :) Now only if I could find a poster for Gilda Live...

You had to be there!

[DarylJGittings · 6/10 · 19 January 2024]

Gilda Live brings many of Gilda Radner's most popular Saturday Night Live characters to the big screen. Gilda has a little help from her friends too.

In the confinement of Saturday Night Live, Gilda Radner is funny and amusing. Even in her own show she is funny and amusing. She's just not funny and amusing enough to fill a ninety minute stage show! We've seen many of these characters on Saturday Night Live already, so unless you're a die hard fan of Gilda you probably aren't going to stay interested in this feature. I found it kind of slow and boring. I think that Gilda live would work better as an hour special. I enjoy her skits on SNL, but I can't get into them enough to enjoy 90 minutes of them.

Worthwhile for diehard fans, but casual fans should stick to SNL.

Gilda R.... so funny.

[ksf-2 · 9/10 · 9 November 2018]

Poor Gilda. She was a genius, and like Madeline Kahn, she died so early, way before her time. She co-stars with Don Novello (Father Guido Sarducci), and Paul Shaffer. The awesome comedy of Gilda. We watch Lisa Leubner play "The Way we Were" on piano. and Novello talks about his theory of getting into heaven. Emily Litella talks about a terrible "stubbing" that occurred at the school, the third one this week. and Nadia Comenici makes an appearance. and of course, the HA-larious Roseanne Rosanadana gives a graduation speech at Columbia. All funny stuff, from her five years on Saturday Night Live. Gilda would only live another ten years, and thank goodness we were able to see her comedy while she was here. Clearly, she went waaaaay too young, but gave us so much while she was here. Currently showing on Turner Classic Movies. Watch it, whether you never saw her perform live, or maybe just to relive her great humor.

So much fun!!

[erl-79626 · 9/10 · 11 July 2018]

An undiscovered gem of sketch comedy. Every moment of this is pure hilarity, never meanspirited, great for, well, most ages. And it's not just Gilda! Father Guido Sarducci and others add so much, plus there's tons of singing and dancing. If you're a comedy fan you have to check this out. Gilda was one of the greats.

Don't Believe the Bad Review here the Reviewer is a liar

[Hollywoodwhore99 · 8/10 · 23 March 2017]

He says that h was there when they shot this in New York. Well what a liar this was shot in Boston. So you can trust his opinion. He lied about the location so that tells me he most likely has not seen this film or he hates women comedians!

In this show "Gilda Radner" does R Rated Material of her famous characters we first were introduced to on "Saturday Night live".

Gilda Raner works her butt off in this show. She was a very gifted comedian. The standout here is "Roseann Roseannadanna".

Genuine laughs every minute. Available on DVD. You need to see this. Once you watch this you will see that "Gilda Radner" was the best female cast member that "Saturday Night Live" ever had.

Gilda Radner is adorable

[lodger1313-782-58547 · 10/10 · 11 September 2021]

If you are not completely charmed by Gilda Radner, then there is something wrong with you... she's so adorable... so cute and funny and genuine. This films shows her at her peak. Sure, there are tons and tons of episodes of SNL where you can see her do what she did best... but this is really the cream of the crop. She was beautiful. She was hilarious and she was real. The opening song of this piece proves exactly what was so adorable about her. The "Let's Talk Dirty to the Animals" song could be so silly and gross and crude in the hands of someone without Gilda's charm and charisma... but she makes it a delight.