The Bootleg Files: Olivia Newton-John – Hollywood Nights

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 811: “Olivia Newton-John – Hollywood Nights” (1980 TV special).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: The expense in clearing the music and performance rights.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: There is no great call for this one.

In April 1980, Olivia Newton-John was at a career peak – she ended the 1970s as one of the decade’s most popular recording stars and her first Hollywood movie, the 1978 production of “Grease,” immediately established her as a box office presence. Her star power was so strong that ABC recruited her for a one-hour variety special that would air ahead of its telecast of the Academy Awards ceremony.
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The Bootleg Files: Julie & Carol at Carnegie Hall

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Phil Hall

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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The Bootleg Files: The Beatles Forever

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 787: “The Beatles Forever” (1977 all-star train wreck).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No serious person would put this out in front of the public again.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.

Fuck that three-part Disney+ rehash of mountains of discarded footage from the making of “Let It Be” – the real Beatles rediscovery emerged on YouTube last week via someone going by the handle of Denton115. This beautiful individual has brought back one of the most brilliantly embarrassing television specials ever dropped on an unsuspecting world: “The Beatles Forever,” a one-hour atrocity that NBC threw on an unsuspecting America on Thanksgiving night of 1977.
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The Bootleg Files: Jack Benny in Australia

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 776: “Jack Benny in Australia” (1964 television special from down under).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No perceived commercial value.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

In early 1964, Jack Benny received an offer to do a series of shows in Australia, where his radio and television shows had been popular for years. The timing for the offer was serendipitous, as CBS unceremoniously axed Benny’s popular television program at the end of 1963 and he had no other engagements lined up.
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The Bootleg Files: The Carpenters…Space Encounters

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 761: “The Carpenters…Space Encounters” (1978 television variety special).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Music clearance rights are probably at the root of the problem.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

When it comes to kitsch, nothing beats the television variety specials of the 1970s. Between the none-too-special guest stars performing musical numbers for which they were ill-suited, the flashy polyester costuming, the overbaked choreography and the manic need to appear hip, these productions often represent the best of the worst elements from the decade that good taste forgot.
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The Bootleg Files: Woody Allen Looks at 1967

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 753: “Woody Allen Looks at 1967” (1967 television special).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Never released in a home entertainment format.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.

It’s safe to say that no one will ever look back on 2020 with any great fondness, except perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Biden, but that now-closed 12-month span was hardly the first year-from-hell experience. Anyone who was around in 1967 will glumly recall the challenges and tragedies that marked the year’s political and social environments.
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The Bootleg Files: Salute to Sir Lew – The Master Showman

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 732: “Salute to Sir Lew – The Master Showman” (1975 TV special with John Lennon, Tom Jones, Peter Sellers and Julie Andrews).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Music clearance issues are keeping it out of release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

John Lennon fans know that the ex-Beatle’s last live performance took place in a 1975 television special honoring Sir Lew Grade, the British television executive. Oddly, Lennon’s time on stage seemed strangely out of place in a show that offered an overripe line-up of 1970s kitsch.
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