You can put the blame on Mame, boys, because the 7th season of “The Online Movie Show with Phil Hall” has launched with a celebration of the ultimate Love Goddess, the one and only Rita Hayworth. Actor-writer Joe Mannetti returns as the guest for this season premiere episode.
BOOTLEG FILES 825: The TV Cubana Version of “Hello, Dolly!” (1985 Cuban television recording of the Havana theatrical staging of the Broadway musical).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Rights clearance issues and a perceived lack of commercial viability.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nope.
One of the most polarizing films ever made was, oddly, the 1969 musical “Hello, Dolly!” This is not a film that inspires indifference – either you embrace as a grand, old-school screen musical with Barbra Streisand giving one of her best performances or you condemn it as an over-produced mess burdened by a star who was much too young for her role. And if you should ever stumble over a Facebook forum debate on the film’s merits and deficiencies, prepare yourself for one of the most rancorous discussions on social media – trust me, I’ve been audience to several of them!
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On this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” the challenges of bringing Broadway musicals to the movie screen are explored by Michael B. Druxman, author of “The Musical: From Broadway to Hollywood,” published by BearManor Media.
BOOTLEG FILES 801: “Julie & Carol at Carnegie Hall” (1962 TV special starring Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Mostly likely due to music rights issues.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Probably not.
In 1962, Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett were on the cusp of superstardom. Andrews had back-to-back Broadway triumphs with “My Fair Lady” and “Camelot” while Burnett had gained fame from her standout comedy performances in the Broadway musical “Once Upon a Mattress” and on Garry Moore’s television variety show. Surprisingly, there was initial reluctance from CBS to move forward with a proposed TV special starring the two women – the network felt that Andrews was not that well known to the wider American public while simultaneously arguing that Burnett was too familiar from Moore’s weekly show.
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BOOTLEG FILES 798: “Boogie-Woogie Dream” (1944 musical short starring Lena Horne).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On public domain labels.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A lapsed copyright.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: There are no plans for a restored version.
In September 1941, an unlikely group of creative artists converged in a New York City movie studio to shoot an independently financed musical short film. The finished production sat on a shelf for three years before it was seen, making very little impression in its day. But today, this film is considered an invaluable asset for capturing an iconic performer at the cusp of her rise to prominence while providing the only filmed record of two of the greatest jazz performers of all time.
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On this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” we set the clock back to the early 1960s with a celebration of cheerful distractions provided by Frankie, Annette and their beach movies gang -including Buster Keaton! Film historian Tom Lisanti, author of “Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies: The First Wave, 1959-1969,” is the guest on this episode.
BOOTLEG FILES 788: “Godspell at Plimoth Plantation” (1973 PBS production).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.
When the 1971 Off-Broadway musical “Godspell” was adapted into a 1973 movie, it was decided to eschew the black box setting of the intimate theatrical staging and lace the film’s sequences through the streets, rooftops and venues of New York City. In concept, it was a good idea by symbolizing how the parables and philosophy put forth by Jesus in ancient days still had resonance in the contemporary urban world. Whether it actually worked is a matter of opinion.
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“The Online Movie Show” is back with a slate of new episodes! First up: film historian Richard Barrios provides insight on the much-maligned 1968 musical epic “Star!” and traces its journey from box office flop to cult favorite.