mgmstar128 Reviews

Once Upon a Mattress (1964 TV Movie)

This 1964 version is the best version of Mary Rodgers' Once Upon a Mattress

[10/10 · 19 July 2023]

This was the first television adaptation of this musical, which originally aired June 3, 1964 on CBS. The production was videotaped in black and white in front of a live audience and featured Carol Burnett as Princess Winnifred, Joseph Bova as Prince Dauntless, Jack Gilford as King Sextimus the Silent, and Jane White as the Queen, from the original Broadway cast.

New principals Bill Hayes, well known as Doug on Days of Our Lives, as the Minstrel, Shani Wallis, known to many as Nancy in the 1967 movie Oliver!, as Lady Larken, and Elliott Gould (in his first appearance on any screen) as the Jester were added to the cast.

Due to the reduced running time of 90 minutes, several songs, characters, and scenes were either cut or shortened. Some differences between the 1959 stage version and this 1964 version are:

There is no Sir Harry. The character of Sir Harry, who made Lady Larken pregnant, from the stage version has been omitted and replaced by the Minstrel as Lady Larken's love interest.

The pregnancy conflict concerning Sir Harry and Lady Larken from the original stage play was downplayed to the two lovers having been secretly married against the laws of the kingdom in this television version.

Lady Larken and the Minstrel sing Normandy as a place to escape the kingdom to as their new home. In the stage version, it is sung by Lady Larken, the Minstrel, and the Jester.

The Minstrel is fired for mocking the Queen in song.

The Minstrel is to be beheaded since he attempted to take Lady Larken out of the kingdom.

The King discovers the plot of the pea while in the stage version it is the Minstrel who does.

The Queen uses only the revolving mirror and the warm milk with opium. She doesn't use the incense, so there are only two ladies in waiting.

Songs Used:

Shy (first number sung in this production); Normandy (sung by the Minstrel and Lady Larken); Sensitivity; The Swamps of Home; The Spanish Panic (with a different melody); Song of Love; Quiet; Daddy's Soft Shoes; Man to Man Talk; Nightingale Lullaby; Finale (A princess is a delicate thing...).

Songs Not Used:

Many Moons Ago; We Have an Opening for a Princess; In a Little While; Happily Ever After; Yesterday I Loved You.

Overall, I think this 1964 version of Once Upon a Mattress is the best version. There were two other versions with Carol Burnett: a color version in 1972 where she once again played Princess Winnifred and a 2005 Disney version where she played Queen Aggravain.

It is fun to watch all three and compare them and see the many changes made in each version.

Once Upon a Mattress (1972 TV Movie)

Fun color version once again starring Carol Burnett

[9/10 · 19 July 2023]

I have seen all the versions of Once Upon a Mattress that Carol Burnett made: she played Princess Winnifred in the 1964 black and white version and this 1972 color version, and then years later in the 2005 Disney version where she played Queen Aggravain.

The Mary Rodgers & Marshall Barer musical is fun and filled with some wonderful songs. I enjoyed the 1972 version, but I think I prefer Carol's performance more in the 1964 version. I thought this version was a bit more slapstick than the 1964 version. This version also used some camera tricks, most notably in The Polish Panic dance. Overall, it was still a solid and entertaining production.

In addition to Carol Burnett, I did enjoy Ken Berry and Lyle Wagonner in their respective roles as Prince Dauntless the Drab and Sir Studley. It was also great to be able to see Jack Gilford and Jane White repeat their Broadway stage roles and then again in 1964 and then once again in 1972. Bernadette Peters and Ron Husmann in their roles as Lady Larken and Sir Harry both turned in charming performances as the young lovers who are expecting a baby out of wedlock. Wally Cox also was in the cast as the Jester, and he fit in with the rest of the kingdom.

There were some differences between the original 1959 Broadway musical and this 1972 version:

There is no Minstrel in this version. The Jester takes over for most of the Minstrel.

There is no Wizard. Sir Studley has his lines and job responsibilities, including being Queen Aggravain's lover and confidant.

In the Broadway version, the Minstrel, the Jester, and the King attempt to convince Sir Harry to cheat. Here in the 1972 version, it is Lady Larken.

The King discovers the Queen's pea plot when he is hidden in a suit of armor, while in the Broadway version it is the Minstrel.

Lady Larken does not attempt to drown herself in the Broadway version. She only attempts to run away and leave the kingdom.

There are only two ladies in waiting versus three from the Broadway version helping the Queen with her devices to provide Winnifred with a good night's sleep. The revolving mirror and the extract of opium and warm milk are included in this version, but the incense has been left out.

There is no Nightingale of Samarkand sequence.

For those who are interested in the musical score, the songs used in this 1972 production were: Many Moons Ago (Parts of it sung by Carol Burnett as a mother singing to her child in a prologue and also partly sung by the ensemble) ; Shy (only done with a male ensemble); In a Little While; Sensitivity; The Swamps of Home; The Polish Panic (changed from The Spanish Panic); Song of Love; Quiet; Happily Ever After; In a Little While (reprise); Man to Man Talk; Finale.

So, in conclusion, all three versions of Once Upon a Mattress are worth watching and comparing them. We are fortunate that the great Carol Burnett was involved with each version, so we will always be able to enjoy her talent and ability.

Once Upon a Mattress (2005 TV Movie)

Enjoyable version of Mary Rodgers' Once Upon a Mattress

[8/10 · 18 July 2023]

I have been in four community theater productions of Once Upon a Mattress: twice as an ensemble member and twice as King Sextimus the Silent, so I think I can offer some inciteful comments. This Disney adaption is relatively faithful to the original 1959 Broadway version with a few differences:

There is no Minstrel in this version.

The King discovers the test while hiding in a suit of armor which is not in the original stage version. In the original, it's the Minstrel who discovers the Queen's plot.

In this version, Queen Aggravain only gives Winnifred warm milk and opium. In the Broadway version, there is also a revolving mirror and incense used to help Princess Winnifred go to sleep.

The songs used in this version are:

Queen Aggravain sings a small section of An Opening for a Princess; In a Little While; Shy (with a male ensemble only); Sensitivity; The Swamps of Home; The Spanish Panic; Song of Love; Happily Ever After; Man to Man Talk; Normandy (used as a future place for Lady Larken and Sir Harry to go to live after they are married); Queens Aggravain sings a new song: That Baby of Mine (The song was written by long time Carol Burnett show writers Ken and Mitzi Weich specially for Carol to sing as Queen Aggravain in the 2005 version. It was nominated for an Emmy but it did not win.) and a bit of Happily Ever After; The Nightingale of Samarkand (The Wizard is also the nightingale. He sings part of Many Moons Ago, which is the Minstrel's song.); Finale.

It is fun to see a pre-Glee Matthew Morrison as Sir Harry.

Carol Burnett's royal outfits are stunning; they were created by Bob Mackie, one of her favorite designers.

It is an enjoyable version to view. However, as good as Tracey Ullman is, Carol Burnett in the black and white 1964 version is still the best Princess Winnifred. Carol also played the role in a 1972 color version, but she, in my opinion, is better in the 1964 version.

Cheyenne: Trial by Conscience (1959) Season 4, Episode 4

Interesting use of Shakespeare's Hamlet in this episode

[10/10 · 15 September 2022]

A troupe of actors performing Shakespeare's play Hamlet ends up visiting a town that Cheyenne Bodie is currently working in as a United States Marshall. Hamlet's plot device having the killer be pushed to show his guilt is also used in this installment. In this episode, no one gets shot, but one man is killed. It is a nice change of pace having a story-line be less filled with guns and violence.

Cheyenne uses his brains, and figures out who the murderer is before anyone else does.

It is interesting to see Richard Garland make his third and final appearance in a Cheyenne episode. I thought he looked familiar, so I looked up his credits, and I did realize I had seen him before.

It was fun to see Pat Crowley, who became more well known as the mother in the short lived tv series PLEASE DON'T EAT THE DAISIES (1965-1967).

And for those fans of Clint Walker being shown shirtless, he doesn't disappoint. Once again, he shows off his hirsute physique.

Lost in Space: The Dream Monster (1966) Season 2, Episode 14

Faulty script shows writers monkeying around with characters

[5/10 · 29 September 2021]

As a child, I watched Lost in Space in reruns. Lately, I have been watching the series on DVD since receiving the entire set as a birthday present. However, as many viewers know the series turned from being a more science fiction oriented show into one of fantasy and comedy. Season one was its best, but there were some good episodes in seasons two and three. This one is not one of its best examples.

What really amazed me was the lack of concern, apprehension, and vision that Professor John Robinson has by agreeing to let his entire family go off with Sesmar the alien to his laboratory. John (or Major West as well) doesn't bother to take a laser gun along for protection either. Then after having been briefly told by Sesmar about the transporator image plates, John allows his family and himself to shake Raddion's hand. In other episodes, John Robinson would never have shown these behaviors. I blame the script writer. There is no way John Robinson would ever have been that trusting and naïve.

So, every episode is worth watching, but when the characters' personalities are tampered with by the various screenwriters, one has to suspend one's disbelief that the characters would actually behave in an unbelievable manner.

The Dream Merchants (1980)

In many ways an accurate view of Hollywood and its growth as an art form

[9/10 · 13 April 2021]

Based very, very loosely on Harold Robbins' 1949 novel, this 1980 mini-series moves well, and it features many names from the golden age of Hollywood and several newer performers at the time.

The storyline focuses on the introduction of the nickelodeon, silent pictures, and the transition to talking pictures. There are also allusions to Shirley Temple and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, the murder of director William Desmond Taylor, and a possible sex scandal involving an underaged girl.

My favorite performers from the mini-series Mark Harmon and Morgan Fairchild play a mismatched couple, full of heat and passion. The following year they would reteam as a romantic couple for N. B. C.'s prime time soap opera FLAMINGO ROAD. Both give wonderful and believable performances in their portrayals of Johnny Edge and Dulcie Warren.

The mini series uses the names of Harold Robbins' characters and a minimum of his storyline. The mini-series, for now, can be found on You Tube.

Despite the many changes made in the mini series, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also decided to read the novel before watching this mini-series, so here is a list of differences:

First Half In the novel, the action begins in Rochester NY, not Albany as in the movie.

In the novel, Johnny Edge's parents died when he was ten years old. His parents worked in a travelling carnival, and his father tried to save his mother, who was in a burning tent. Both died, and Johnny was raised by a carnival worker. In the movie, Johnny says his father was a gambler, and his mother dropped him off at an orphanage very soon after he was born.

In the novel, it is Johnny's idea to start a nickelodeon, not Peter Kessler's. In the movie, Peter is the one who starts it all.

In the novel, Peter's children, Doris and Mark, are young children at the start of the story. In the movie, Doris is about 15 and Mark is about 20.

In the novel, Mark is the younger child. In the movie, Mark is older than Doris.

In the novel, Dulcie Warren is a stage actress when Johnny meets her. In the movie, she is a movie extra.

In the novel, there is no pregnancy scare and no abortion for Dulcie.

In the novel, Dulcie never marries Mark.

In the novel, Mark gets killed in World War I.

In the novel, Johnny loses a leg in World War I.

In the novel, Johnny's friend Rocco Salvatore is a barber by trade, not a future bootlegger as in the movie.

In the novel, Johnny and Dulcie get married.

In the novel, Warren Craig never makes the film version of The Bandit.

In the novel, Dulcie and Warren Craig are first cousins, who have an incestual relationship. When Johnny walks in on them in bed, it ends both his marriage to Dulcie and not long afterwards Dulcie and Warren's relationship.

In the novel, there is no partnership with Henry Farnum and Magnum Studio. Farnum never goes to go to work for Peter.

In the novel, Peter throws Mark, who has been in control of the studio when Peter is in Europe, out of his house and his life when he discovers that Mark has been making a movie using funds for several other movies behind his back and laughing at his father. In the movie, Peter throws Mark out of his house and his life when Mark announces he and Dulcie had gotten married the day before Johnny and Doris marry.

Second Half: Johnny and Doris have a son named Bobby.

Conrad Stillman, a director, and Astrid James, his star, are caught in bed by Helene, Conrad's wife. She shoots and kills them both.

Dulcie is invited back to Magnum to replace Astrid in The Flapper, even though Peter is not happy with Dulcie marrying Mark.

Bobby falls off a horse, and Johnny couldn't be notified since he is unreachable due to having some afternoon pleasure with Dulcie.

Doris is tempted by Zac Larsen, who had replaced Craig Warren when Craig quits during the filming of The Bandit. Zac makes a pass at her, but Doris stays faithful to Johnny.

Bruce Benson, a film comedian, is accused of sexual misconduct with a supposedly underage girl, but Johnny threatens the parents with a lawsuit claiming their daughter is much older than fourteen as they claim.

Peter has fought the conversion to talking pictures. Once he accepts the inevitable, the movie shows the difficulty of sound issues when sound is put on a record and also when filming occurs too when working with the new invention.

George Pappas, the Greek man from Rochester, who has bought the nickelodeon at the start of the novel, commits suicide in Farnum's office bathroom when the bank controlled by Henry Farnum, Charles Slade, and Lawrence Radford threaten him since George has missed his last two payments. The three men later move the body to be found in the basement of one of George's theaters, and Farnum makes a call to sell all of their Pappas stock to avoid any possible connection to his death.

Dulcie and Mark are killed in an automobile accident when Dulcie starts hitting Mark while he is driving. She tells him she is leaving him and going back to Europe to continue her career since Peter has ended it. Peter has threatened he would renew her contract but never cast her in a film ever again. He wants her to stay home and have babies.

Peter almost gets replaced as President of Magnum Studio, but Johnny finds out the truth of when and how George died. He informs Farnum, Slade, and Radford that he will go to the police with proof that they sold all their Pappas theater stock shares. Plus, with the testimony of Farnum's secretary and Bruce Benson's, who was waiting to see Farnum in his office, they will be in legal trouble with moving a body, obstruction of justice, and insider trading information.

Johnny, with his information, changes all the stockholders' minds, who have wanted to remove Peter from his position.

Peter decides to retire, he offers Johnny the opportunity to run the studio, Doris wants him back, and Magnum makes its first talking picture.

(In the novel, Peter dies before Johnny and Doris hope to marry.)

Snow White and the Three Stooges (1961)

Not a great musical but enjoyable and very pretty to watch due to gorgeous color

[8/10 · 16 October 2020]

I remembered watching this movie as a child, and when I found it in a thrift store I decided to purchase it. It was fun to revisit a movie I recalled seeing so many years ago.

As a Three Stooges movie, I agree with many other reviewers that it didn't serve them well. They were charming and loving protectors of both Quatro/Prince Charming and Snow White. Unfortunately, the trio didn't have much to do in the movie, but it was nice to see them in color and at least together again in one of their last appearances.

What I enjoyed most about the film were two things: Edson Stroll as Prince Charming and Carol Heiss' skating. Edson Stroll later appeared in two wonderful episodes of The Twilight Zone. They were "Eye of the Beholder" and "The Trade-Ins." He then went to become seen by many as part of the cast of McHale's Navy. He was a handsome, muscular man with a wonderful speaking voice.

There were three skating sequences which were enjoyable to watch: one at the start of the film, one in the middle of the film, and one at the end. They were aided by the gorgeous color used in the movie.

As a musical, the songs in the movie were mostly forgettable with vocals provided by two professional singers for Edson Stroll and Carol Heiss. Bill Lee dubbed Edson's vocals, and Norma Zimmer dubbed Carol's vocals.

I also have to say that I enjoyed the two evil portrayals of the Queen and Count Oga. Patricia Medina and Guy Rolfe both turned in appropriately malevolent performances. They added greatly to the plot of the film's dramatic sections.

Snow White and the Three Stooges may not be a great movie that goes down in film history, but it was a nice alternative version to the Snow White cannon.

Brave New World (2020)

Fun to watch but inferior version of the novel and of the 1980 and 1998 tv versions of Brave New World

[3/10 · 24 August 2020]

I have read the 1932 novel many times, and as a high school English teacher I have taught the novel many times as well. As a film version of Brave New World, this is a poorly executed attempt. This version only hints at what the novel's main themes were about. This version eliminates huge parts of the novel that were essential to its structure. This version changes many of the characters' motivations. This version changes the ending of the film and adds situations that never occurred.

If you have not read the book, and I doubt many of the reviews before me have, you don't know how much better this version COULD have been. The 1980 version is still the best, followed by the 1998 version, and now this inferior 2020 version in third place.

What many previous reviewers don't know or don't remember about the novel are the following:

How do the leaders of New London (World State) manufacture the different levels of each caste? What do they use to make each caste?

What makes an Alpha physically different than an Epsilon or any other caste?

Why is Bernard Marx not the typical Alpha? What went wrong with his creation?

How do they condition the castes to be happy in their caste?

What happened to the sleep teaching hypnotic technique hypnopaedia shown in the novel to have each caste be happy and content in their caste?

What happened to the sleep teaching hypnotic technique hypnopaedia shown in the novel to teach the castes to understand New London's educational philosophies: Ending is better than mending; A gram is better than a damn; and Everyone belongs to everyone else. I bet most reviewers don't even understand why many of these characters spouted these slogans or even what they mean.

Cloning. In the novel, Alphas and Betas are not cloned, but the other castes are cloned to about 96 (maximum) replicants. (In the novel, to ensure a safer and healthier supply, the number is actually in the 70s.) That whole magnificent plot was totally left out. Having the same face on those bodies. Having the same emotions on those bodies. With CGI today, how easily that could have been done.

What importance does Mustapha Mond play? What does she (he in the novel) do to maintain the level of society's balance?

Now I do understand adding new concepts to a plot for today's audiences. I liked the idea of each character linking into a Borg like mental state with the use of the contact lens eye device. I liked how each caste's identification was able to be seen. I liked the sexual imagery of naked bodies enjoying each other. I liked the special effects. I got a kick out of seeing the London Eye still there as part of London's landscape.

However, by omitting so many of the novel's themes and much of its plot, most of the BRILLIANCE of Aldous Huxley's work has been dissolved into this visually stunning but empty work. I also felt that many of the characters were not given proper lines to speak to have the audience truly understand WHY they were feeling the way they did.

I DID watch all nine episodes. I am glad I watched it. Overall, I thought the acting was fine. I would recommend fans of the novel to watch it, but not to expect anything more than to laugh at its insipid presentation.

Aldous Huxley himself would be gravely disappointed by the 1998 version and even more by this 2020 version. However, he would be pleased, I bet, to know that his vision has inspired filmmakers and fans for 88 years.

The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour: Milton Berle Hides at the Ricardos (1959) Season 3, Episode 1

This is one of the weakest of the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hours

[7/10 · 28 July 2020]

I have watched all the episodes of the original I Love Lucy series and the 13 Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour episodes. At its zenith, I Love Lucy was brilliant. That's why we still watch and laugh at the series decades later. However, the show worked better with its half hour format, instead of stretching it out to an hour. Like The Twilight Zone, it was better when it was thirty minutes, not sixty. Adding extra minutes just seemed like extra padding.

The episode starts off well enough with Lucy trying to figure out a way to get Milton Berle to host a P.T.A. benefit. However, instead of telling Ethel, her best friend and partner in crime, that Milton is hiding out there finishing up his latest book during the day, the viewer has to watch Lucy smoking Havana cigars and demonstrating her masculine fashion sense wearing Milton's hat and overcoat in an attempt to fool Ethel that the cigar and clothes belong to Lucy. Even in 1959, I don't think this sequence was funny to audiences.

Then halfway through the episode, a sequence where Lucy, Ricky, and Milton are swinging hundreds of feet off the ground from a skyscraper in the air is ridiculous. The obvious use of body doubles in certain shots makes the sequence boring and tedious. I found it more uninspired and predictable than funny.

Watching this episode made me think how the show had reached its time to come to an end. The writers, as wonderful as they were, really had probably exhausted most of the plot lines that they could have come up with for Lucy's antics. What could have been a great episode with Milton Berle was rather mediocre at best.

At the end, there is musical sequence for the P.T.A. benefit which is pleasant but not very memorable. As a previous reviewer stated in these more politically correct days, some might be offended by Lucy playing an Indian squaw.

So, in the end, this episode, to me, was one of the weaker installments, despite its having Milton Berle as its guest star.

Here Come the Brides: A Jew Named Sullivan (1968) Season 1, Episode 8

A fish out of water in Seattle

[9/10 · 21 April 2020]

Being Jewish, I found this episode to be quite touching and realistic. I knew about the hoopa (the covering over the bride and groom), the breaking of the glass, but I didn't know about the cleansing of the bride.

The only thing I would have liked would have been to see a longer scene between Amanda and Jason that was a bit more showing in how and why she changed her perspective. The scene switched to the wedding on Clancey's ship too quickly for me.

The episode shows that love between two people is what counts. It doesn't matter what race, religion, or sex is involved. Rachel and Sully, both being in the minority in Seattle, show everyone what it is like to be a fish out of water. At one point or another in our lives, we all experience that feeling somehow.

Here Come the Brides: And Jason Makes Five (1968) Season 1, Episode 3

Transformation is the Key

[10/10 · 19 April 2020]

At one point in the story line, Jason Bolt attempts to turn Holly into a more refined lady. As I watched this episode, shades of "Annie, Get Your Gun!" and "Calamity Jane" came to my mind. In both movies, the female protagonists Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane transform from being a backwoods naive and rather ignorant woman into a more refined and ladylike creature that society would approve of at that time. I also thought of "My Fair Lady" and its inspiration "Pygmalion" with this theme of transformation.

This third episode of the series helped to add to the development of the characters. It continues to show Jason Bolt to be a smart, caring, and upright man in the growing town of Seattle.

Sid & Judy (2019)

A Judy fan will gain more insight into Judy and her marriage to Sid Luft

[10/10 · 3 January 2020]

This is a fascinating documentary on Judy Garland's career and marriage to Michael Sidney Luft. What I most loved about this documentary was its presentation of rare, rare, rare footage showing Judy from A Star is Born and her 1963-1964 tv series not shown before. For example, alternate takes of Judy's second attempt (wearing a brown dress) singing "The Man That Got Away" were shown. Also shown was with an alternate take and the final version of the song where she is wearing the black dress. There are also scenes of Judy on the set of A Star is Born interacting with the crew or getting ready for a take.

As for her tv series, there were scenes of her not shown presented here that might be found on the dvds of her tv shows as shots edited out from the televised sequences. Some with guests Martha Raye, Lena Horne, and herself solo are examples.

Also presented are color home movies of Judy at her Hollywood home with Sid at the time, one of Liza as a child, and one of Judy getting out of a car she was driving and then greeting some fans.

Judy was a genius when it came to her singing talent, acting ability, and dancing skills as well. She was one of the most talented people the world has known. She was a bright woman with great incite, but she was also a woman who never seemed to grow up and face reality and accept responsibility. She allowed her mother, business managers, agents, and husbands to manage her affairs. Now I totally understand that she was busy with everything she had to do and dealing with her drug habit which kept her health in jeopardy. Emotionally, at many times in her life, she seemed to remain a child, despite being a grown adult.

However, after being burned a few times, one would think she would herself take a look at contracts, for example, and make demands on her own without anyone else there. Sid, it seems, did try to help and run her career, but what is not mentioned in this documentary is that Sid and Judy didn't file income taxes during some of those years. It has been written that Sid often spent lots of time at racetracks, but if he were really as astute and caring as he claims, how come he didn't stay on top of that? We will never know since so many people who knew them are gone forever.

In the documentary, it was stated that in 1959 Judy was told to get to a hospital immediately when she was extremely bloated and overweight with a damaged liver. If the story is true, Judy stated she would not go to the hospital without first stopping at their hotel to have a triple vodka with water. If she didn't get it, she wouldn't go. Sid gave in to her so that she would enter the hospital. As much as I admire and adore Judy's talents, I have a difficult time respecting this kind of puerile behavior. Judy was in many ways from the many, many bios I have read about her a wonderful person who loved life and laughed often. However, she turned a blind eye to things she didn't want to deal with. From Sid's words (taken from his book which I have read), he said Judy claimed she didn't want to be bothered with worrying about money. If she had had a more mature nature, perhaps she would not have ended up in the sad financial state she was in towards the end of her life.

I did learn a lot about Sid Luft and his marriage and his managing Judy's career, but I suspect that some of the more unflattering things about Sid were left out in an attempt to make him appear more faultless.

Overall, this is an excellent documentary worth seeing and buying and adding to one's own library. I recommend it without hesitation.

Flamingo Road (1949)

Everyone strives to wind up on Flamingo Road but it doesn't always end up as expected

[8/10 · 19 December 2019]

Since many other reviewers have provided a summary of the movie's plot, I won't rehash all that here. However, I will say that Joan Crawford turned in a professional and solid performance, despite being too old for the part of Lane Bellamy, who should have been in her twenties, not her forties.

I will also say that Sydney Greenstreet's performance was excellent; I don't understand those other viewers who wrote negatively about him. His portrayal of Sheriff Titus Semple was evil, manipulative, shady, furtive, and totally believable as a corrupt politician.

I recently read the original novel of Flamingo Road written by Robert Wilder, so I decided to share some differences between the book and the movie.

1. In the book, Lane's last name is Ballou, not Bellamy. 2. In the book, the town is Truro, not Bolden. 3. In the book, it is clearly established that Lane becomes a prostitute working for Lute- Mae Sanders, not just as a barmaid. 4. In the book, Lane and Dan Curtis never get married since he is a married man with children. 5. In the book, Field commits suicide by cutting his throat with a razor, not with a gun as in the movie. 6. In the book, Field commits suicide at Lute- Mae's brothel, not at Lane's mansion on Flamingo Road. 7. In the book, Field and Lane have sex, but in the movie all they do is kiss and the audience has to decide how far the relationship has gone before Lane becomes involved with Dan Curtis. 8. In the book, Dan's last name is Curtis, but in the movie it is Reynolds. 9. In the book, Dan builds a mansion for Lane, but in the movie the married couple seem to purchase a house already built on Flamingo Road.

The 1942 novel, the short lived 1946 Broadway play version of the novel, and the 1949 movie helped to inspire the creation of the NBC night time soap opera Flamingo Road. I loved the tv show, and in reading the novel and viewing the movie, I was fascinated by what the producers of the tv series took from each source.

I recommend all fans of the 1949 movie to read the novel and check out the tv series as well.

Flamingo Road (1980–1982)

A night time soap that deserved to be renewed for a third season

[10/10 · 15 August 2019]

I recently purchased the series, which is not commercially available, and I have enjoyed re-watching one of my favorite television shows from my college days back in the early 1980s. The show featured some terrific performers: Howard Duff, Barbara Rush, Peter Donat, Stella Stevens, and Kevin McCarthy from old school Hollywood; relative newcomers like Cristina Raines and Woody Brown; and others like Morgan Fairchild, Mark Harmon, and John Beck who had been working a bit longer than the newcomers. David Selby joined the cast in the second season playing antagonist Michael Tyrone who seeks vengeance on many of the denizens of Truro for the death of his father.

There were several plot twists and turns over the two years the show ran, and several relationships began and ended. The show itself ended in a cliffhanger, which unfortunately was never resolved due to its cancellation.

Interestingly, Flamingo Road was first a novel by Robert Wilder, then a short-lived Broadway play, then a 1949 Joan Crawford film, and finally the 1981-1982 NBC series.

Someday, some tv station will show reruns once again of this series, but I am thrilled to be able to have purchased the series from a seller on You Tube for a very reasonable price.

Flamingo Road deserved to be on for a lot longer than it actually ran.

The Mothers-In-Law (1967–1969)

Puerile and silly scripts but saved by the cast of talented actors

[8/10 · 17 February 2019]

I remembered seeing a few episodes of this show growing up, most likely in reruns, and thanks to Amazon Prime, I was able to watch both seasons.

What made this show enjoyable to view were the actors, not the scripts. I found most of the story lines to be childish, dopey, and often predictable. I know the team of writers, who wrote most of the scripts, was the same team from I LOVE LUCY, but the times had changed. What worked for Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz didn't always work here for this series. Many times, I felt as I were watching a retread of a Lucy episode. I often found myself saying "This was such a dumb episode." In the show's defense, I had to keep reminding myself that I was watching a show that ran from 1967 to 1969, and that so much had changed in society over those decades. However, what always made me keep watching to its final episode was the talent displayed by its cast. When you have great actors involved, it certainly raises the levels of many mediocre scripts. Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard certainly raised the level of many of these episodes with their experience, personality, and talent. They were a great team, and they really played off each beautifully. Plus, it was fun to hear Kaye Ballard singing in many of the episodes. The series is worth watching, and it has to be viewed knowing it is a piece from the late 1960s. It is certainly a time capsule look at the time.

Logan's Run: Fear Factor (1977) Season 1, Episode 8

Another connection to an episode from Star Trek's first season called Dagger of the Mind

[9/10 · 20 January 2019]

Once again, Star Trek fans can see another connection to the episode Dagger of the Mind. Captain James T. Kirk and Helen Noel are beamed down to a rehabilitation facility for the criminally insane, where Captain Kirk is tortured by a machine capable of giving the subject memories, both pleasurable and painful; Jessica is also tortured in a similar manner in this episode.

Ironically, the actor Morgan Woodward played a character tortured in Dagger of the Mind named Dr. Simon van Gelder; in Logan's Run the actor played the head of the elder committee named Morgan.

Logan's Run: The Innocent (1977) Season 1, Episode 4

Shades of yet another Star Trek episode called Miri

[9/10 · 19 January 2019]

Miri from the original Star Trek series has actress Kim Darby as Miri falling in love with James T. Kirk and feeling jealous towards Janice Rand. Janice gets kidnapped, and is in danger for a while until she is rescued by Captain Kirk.

This was an interesting episode, and I have enjoyed watching the series for the first time. It is always fun to see D.C. Fontana's Star Trek connections resurface in several of the episodes.

Logan's Run: The Collectors (1977) Season 1, Episode 2

Similar theme found in Star Trek's The Cage/The Menagerie

[9/10 · 19 January 2019]

Since D.C. Fontana was involved with the original Star Trek series, several themes popped up in many of the episodes of this fun but short lived series. I noticed when watching this episode that our three heroes were under the illusions set forth by their captors and that they and the other kidnapped victims were all placed in cages/holding cells in a hallway similar to that of the Star Trek pilot The Cage and then the episode based on the pilot which was The Menagerie.

Father Knows Best: Follow the Leader (1957) Season 4, Episode 1

Every teacher's worst nightmare is not being accepted

[10/10 · 15 September 2018]

As a retired high school English teacher who taught for 27 years, this episode certainly hit home. It even made me shed a tear or two at its conclusion. Having a class work together to defeat a teacher's sole purpose which is to educate, enlighten, and even entertain a bit is a teacher's greatest fear.

In this first episode of season four made in 1957, Mr. Beckman, the new social studies teacher, has replaced a popular teacher named Jeff whom the kids all adored. One student says that Jeff left since the school wasn't paying him enough. Mr. Beckman didn't cause Jeff to leave the school, but Mr. Beckman is certainly paying the price for his absence. A plan by some of Bud's classmates is concocted where no student will answer any question asked by Mr. Beckman in the hopes that he will quit or get fired. Bud, once again learns to do what is right, even if it means going against his friends. Bud responds to a question about the Jamestown settlement, which gets the class finally coming to see that Mr. Beckman is not their enemy.

Some critics and other reviewers have found Father Knows Best to be unrealisitic and corny. I have discovered watching this series episode by episode that even though some of the storylines are rather fanciful, the majority of them are believable in many ways. Great morals and lessons from this series, even though it's decades old, can still be taught and appreciated.

As a final note, I was amused to learn that I had previously seen the actor Wright King as the soft spoken paperboy who is kissed by Blanche DuBois in the 1951 movie version of A Streetcar Named Desire. Having taught the play several times and having shown the movie version as well to my students, I am pleased to learn that he had a long and successful career.

The Goldbergs: Brief Encounter (1955) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

After 25 years of marriage, Molly is flattered by a stranger's attention

[10/10 · 4 January 2018]

This is one of the best episodes of The Goldbergs I have seen. I have been on a Goldbergs kick, and at this point I have seen 40 episodes so far out of the 71 episodes available on The Ultimate Goldbergs DVD Collection.

Molly has been having dental problems, so she goes into Manhattan three times a week. On her way there one morning, she meets a widower named Bernard who works as an accountant. They discover they both know the Bronx well, and they become friendlier with each trip Molly takes. Molly even has coffee in Manhattan with him. While she and Bernard are at the coffee shop, Molly's next door neighbor Daisy happens to be there too. Daisy visits Molly the next day and gently advises Molly not to jeopardize Jake's love and her family's love and respect for her as well. In a scene where the viewer gets to hear Molly's thoughts, it really shows how someone like Molly and for that matter how any of us could feel. She says her heart races when she hears a train whistle causing her to think of Bernard. She feels like she is a young girl feeling infatuated, experiencing those first feelings of lust and attraction to someone.

At the end, of course, Molly stops seeing this gentle and kind soul, but she does confide in Jake that it is necessary, even more necessary, after 25 years for him to tell her that he loves her.

This episode shows how perceptive Gertrude Berg was in being able to show how not just a Jewish middle-aged woman could feel but any of us.

Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg (2009)

An excellent introduction and reminder of Gertrude Berg, a woman and genius sadly forgotten about today

[10/10 · 11 December 2017]

I won't rehash most of what has been written about this terrific film already, but there are some things I would have liked to have learned about from the filmmaker.

For example, the audience gets to see Gertrude Berg's grandson and granddaughter both being interviewed, but what happened to Berg's actual son and daughter? Had they passed away? Did they decline to be interviewed? {January 7, 2018: I discovered when reading Glenn D. Smith Jr.'s detailed and fascinating book "Something on My Own" Gertrude Berg and American Broadcasting 1929-1956 (2007) that her son Cherney and her daughter-in-law Dorothy both died in 2003 (as stated in the notes section in the back of the book on page 230). He also states that her daughter Harriet Berg-Schwartz also died in 2003 before his book was published (as stated in the preface). This explains why none of her children were shown speaking in the film itself.}

Another point not mentioned was that the FBI cleared Philip Loeb's communistic attack as false. His reputation was cleared not long after Loeb committed suicide. Why was that not included in the film?

I also found it surprising that there was NO mention of a Broadway musical starring Kaye Ballard called MOLLY which also featured Eli Mintz once again playing Uncle David. The musical ran on the Broadway stage at the Alvin Theater beginning September 27th for 40 previews to its opening on November 1st in 1973 for a total of 68 performances, later closing on December 29th. I know it may not be a lot of performances, but it is certainly worth mentioning.

I actually wanted to recommend to viewers to take the time to watch the film twice: once by itself and once with the audio commentary by Aviva Kempner, the filmmaker. It is filled with much information that added to my appreciation and enjoyment of learning about The Goldbergs and about Gertrude Berg.

Room 222: Operation Sandpile (1970) Season 1, Episode 17

Is anyone of us merely average? Aren't we all average in some ways and above average in other ways?

[8/10 · 27 November 2017]

This was not an outstanding episode, but I felt it was interesting enough to write about it. The episode deals with Sara Olson, a C student, who feels that since she is average, she will someday end up getting a job before settling down to being a wife and mother. She doesn't see the value of history class and many other classes as well. When the principal starts a nursery staffed by volunteer students, he gets Sara more motivated so that she could be able to get a certificate in being an aide in a nursery until she does get married. Obviously today, a school might try even harder to offer more opportunities for a student to see, but this was 1969 according to the copyright date on the episode and the times were different.

When I was teaching, I often used this poem, which I feel really connects to Sara. Maybe someone who reads this post might share this poem with a student, their child, or someone at any age who feels they are invisible and not at all noticed or important.

"Average" (anonymous)

I don't cause teachers trouble.

My grades have been okay.

I listen in my classes.

And I'm in school every day.

My teachers say I'm average.

My parents think so too.

I wish I didn't know that.

'Cause there's lots I'd like to do.

I'd like to build a rocket.

I've a book that tells you how.

And start a stamp collection.

Well, no use in trying now.

'Cause since I found I'm average,

I'm just smart enough to see

It means there's nothing special

That I should expect of me.

Nobody ever sees me.

Because I'm in between.

Those two standard deviations.

On each side of the mean.

I'm part of the majority.

That "hump" part of the bell.

Who spends his life unnoticed.

In an "average" kind of hell.

Room 222: The Exchange Teacher (1969) Season 1, Episode 14

Have you ever been lucky to have had a teacher who opened your eyes up in different ways?

[16 November 2017]

If you are lucky as a student, you get to have a teacher who likes to do things differently and wants students to think outside the box.

In this episode, an exchange teacher from England doesn't believe in having permanent seats, taking daily attendance, or assigning specific writing assignments. The teacher involves her creative writing students with the lyrics of the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel. I recall one of my own Junior High School 194 English teachers Richard Greene doing the same thing with the lyrics of Simon and Garfunkel, and I recall the impression he and his class made on me since I too became an English teacher.

This episode ends not as happily as it should have. The teacher resigns and returns home, but the episode could have shown how she could have adjusted her style with the rules of Walt Whitman High School so both sides could be winners.

Room 222: Seventeen Going on Twenty-Eight (1969) Season 1, Episode 13

How does a teacher handle a student who develops feelings for him or for her?

[7/10 · 16 November 2017]

Every teacher's worst nightmare is having a student develop feelings for them, and having those feelings develop into a situation that could jeopardize their career.

This episode shows rather innocently how a situation like that could be resolved all too easily, but in today's world in no way would it have gone down like that. Today, an accused teacher would be most likely removed from the school to a place like a district office when the situation and possible charges could be reviewed and then the teacher (if lucky and found to be innocent) would be allowed to return to his or her school, even it was under a cloud of suspicion. Too often an innocent teacher is sent to a new school instead.

This episode shows how handsome Pete Dixon, who is not even the teacher of the student who develops an interest in him, has to handle the situation with the student, the principal, and the guidance counselor, who is also Pete's love interest.

Even though the episode is 48 years old, some things never change over the years.

Room 222: Alice in Blunderland (1969) Season 1, Episode 11

Neophyte Alice Johnson and the first episode of the series really showing Alice in her student teaching experience

[9/10 · 15 November 2017]

Student teaching in the past and today as well is an important time for someone who is thinking of pursuing a career in education. Some don't have the time to do it as they enter the profession years after college. Some pursue teaching coming from programs like The Teaching Fellows with a few months of preparation and then being thrown into the lion's den too often without proper support. Student teaching does show someone if they are cut out for the career, and if they are motivated and prepared to handle the incredible pressure and work load a good teacher has to face.

I was fortunate to have had a wonderful student teacher experience way back in 1984 in Snyder, New York at Amherst Central Senior High. My cooperating teacher was like Pete Dixon: encouraging, helpful, informative, and positive. He corrected me when I needed it, and encouraged me when things didn't go well. For many years during my own high school teaching career teaching English, I used to write to him every year about my experiences.

Over my own teaching career from 1987-2016, I had the good fortune to mentor 16 student teachers of my own. Overall, they were all excellent, and two of them were even able to acquire jobs at the high school where they student taught. One even had gone to that particular high school himself only a few years earlier.

In this episode, Alice Johnson is faced with handling Pete Dixon's class one day alone and then the next day having to perform in front of her college student teacher supervisor. The episode does show what we teachers have to face when beginning as neophytes. Will Alice succeed in her observation? Does she form her own style of teaching and discipline? Since I recall the character appeared for all five years of the series, I imagine she did succeed.

The episode made me smile and think back to my own first time standing in front of a class with my heart beating so quickly that I still recall how nervous I was. With the proper support and guidance, student teaching can help turn a person with a desire to teach into a professional who can really educate and motivate, despite the nonsense like the Common Core and Charlotte Danielson rubric forced down many educators' throats today.

Now happily retired, I still enjoy talking shop and hearing about the changes my colleagues have to face, but as much as I enjoyed my teaching career, I am thrilled it is over!