mrb1980

This episode uses the tired "Beaver's friends talk him into something dumb" plot device.

Gilbert, Alan, and the Beav are bored and hanging around the Cleaver household with nothing to do. Hey, let's call Don Drysdale at the stadium! Despite Beaver's reservations, the boys do just that, a long conversation ensues, and at the end Beaver is stuck with a big phone bill. Later, the story leaks out, inevitably Ward finds out, and he hands out firm justice to the boys. That's it.

This approach has been used so many times that the edge is gone, despite the novelty appearance of Drysdale playing himself. This episode is probably the weakest one in Season 5. It's not really bad, but it sure could have been better.

Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was no hotter comedian than Steve Martin. Critics and fans lavished praise on everything he did, even "The Jerk" (1979) and the TV special "Comedy is Not Pretty" (1980), neither of which I thought were even mildly amusing. Then, even after all of that comedic success, Martin inexplicably decided to star in the 1930s period musical "Pennies from Heaven". The movie predictably bombed at the box office, much to Martin's bitter disappointment.

The plot is pretty cornball, and follows the depression-era story of struggling sheet music salesman Arthur (Martin) and his affair with girlfriend Lulu (Bernadette Peters). Arthur dreams about success in his own private fantasies, and has trouble coping with the real world. As with many musicals, the actors break into song and dance continuously throughout the film, many times at really unusual moments. Finally, Arthur is arrested and condemned to death for a murder he didn't commit.

I should mention that I don't like musical films very much, especially movies like this with many spontaneous and elaborate musical numbers. That being said, the songs are very well acted and well-choreographed, plus the cinematography is excellent. In a really morbid touch, Martin sings his final song from the gallows.

The real challenge for the viewer is comprehending Steve Martin in this kind of thing. People were used to seeing him in silly skits with fake arrows through his head, not singing and dancing in a musical or appearing in dramatic and emotional scenes. The effect of seeing this film is akin to seeing Bill Murray play a dramatic role in "The Razor's Edge". It just doesn't work, although Martin and Peters try hard. Christopher Walken and Jessica Harper also appear in supporting roles.

Many critics praised the film, and many detested it. I watched it, and although I didn't hate it, it just wasn't my cup of tea. In fact, I so perplexed that I wasn't really sure what it was.

"The Big Beat" has something of a tiresome familiarity about it. There were a lot of movies during the mid- to late 1950s that had basically the same approach: some kind of lame background plot (in this case, intrigue at a record company), a few obscure B-movie actors, and numerous musical acts, which of course comprise the main focus of the film.

"The Big Beat" deals, more or less, with the efforts of John Randall (William Reynolds) to promote the recordings of his father's record company by taking a new business approach. Rose Marie and Hans Conreid are thrown into the mix, and Andra Martin and Jeffrey Stone provide additional support. There's an interesting twist ending that most viewers will see coming miles away.

The main interest here is the music, with Fats Domino, Gogi Grant, The Del-Vikings, the Diamonds, the Mills Brothers, and other acts highlighted. Some artists are good, some so-so, but the groups are interesting if you like 1950s music.

A footnote: many people who were involved with "The Thing that Couldn't Die" (Reynolds, director Cowan, Stone, and Martin) are also involved with this movie. The two films are nothing alike but it's an interesting factoid.