Do great movies really need to have sequels, or is Hollywood’s habit of adding Part 2, 3, 4 and more a sign of desperation? Actor and writer Kevin Dolan returns to “The Online Movie Show” to look at the best and worst sequels in movie history.
Author Archives: Phil Hall
The Bootleg Files: Once Upon a Tour
BOOTLEG FILES 824: “Once Upon a Tour” (1972 TV special designed to boost the career of Dora Hall).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: A brief VHS video release.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A music rights clearance issue coupled with an overwhelming degree of obscurity.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Utterly unlikely.
During the 1970s, a series of variety specials turned up on independent TV stations around the U.S. that revolved around a singing-dancing-joking septuagenarian named Dora Hall. If you born after the 1970s passed into the history books, there’s an excellent chance you never heard of Dora Hall. And if you were around during the Decade That Good Taste Forgot, there’s an equally excellent chance that Dora Hall’s name does not ring that proverbial bell.
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The Pros and Cons of Remakes
Remakes are the trickiest movies to create – especially when it is a classic that is getting a second telling. On this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” actor/writer Kevin Dolan offers insight on some of the most successful and most painful remakes in movie history.
The Bootleg Files: The Three Marx Brothers
BOOTLEG FILES 823: “The Three Marx Brothers” (segment for a proposed 1961 animated TV series inspired by the Marx Brothers).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A rights clearance issue has kept this out of circulation for many years.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Maybe as part of a wider animation or Marx Brothers release.
By the end of the 1950s, a few efforts were put forth to reunite the Marx Brothers, who had not worked together as a team since “A Night in Casablanca” in 1946 – the trio were billed together for “Love Happy” in 1949, but that film was mostly centered on Harpo with Chico in a supporting role and Groucho making a few appearances without his brothers during the course of the story.
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Vera Ralston: Queen of Republic Pictures
During the 1940s and 1950s, Vera Ralston was the major female star at Republic Pictures. Often maligned by critics who claimed her stardom was due solely to her relationship with studio boss Herbert Yates (whom she married in 1952), Ralston’s film output was diverse and intriguing, with a colorful mix of productions co-starring major Hollywood talent.
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The Bootleg Files: The Burt Bacharach-Angie Dickinson Martini & Rossi Commercials
BOOTLEG FILES 828: “The Burt Bacharach-Angie Dickinson Martini & Rossi Commercials” (1970s television advertisements for the Italian wine brand).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: There is no commercial reissue channel for old TV commercials.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Maybe someday in an anthology of 1970s commercials.
When Burt Bacharach passed away earlier this week, there were endless tributes to his genius in creating instant-classic pop tunes and the scores for film and stage productions. Personally, my fondest memory of Bacharach came in a series of delicious television commercials for the Martini & Rossi wine brand that paired the composer with his glamorous wife, actress Angie Dickinson.
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Abbott and Costello and the Movies
On this week’s episode of “The Online Movie Show,” we take a look at the cinematic output of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello with Nick Santa Maria, co-author of the new book “The Annotated Abbott and Costello.”
The episode can be heard here.