eggheadjon Reviews

Shower of Stars: A Christmas Carol (1954) Season 1, Episode 4

Worth watching - if you can find it

[23 December 2002]

I remember watching this for several Christmases when I was a young boy. Basil Rathbone as Marley scared the bejesus out of me, and I had nightmares.

I never thought I'd ever see it again until a friend found it in a big catalog and gave me a print for Christmas. What a wonderful cast and what a shame this version wasn't better preserved. Maxwell Anderson, the adaptor, was born just a few miles from here and is buried in Crawford County.

The cast is superb. Whoever hears of Ray Middleton any more, or Bob Sweeney. Frederic March's reputation has held up a little better, but any would-be actor could do a lot worse than to watch him work.

The songs were corny and had the sound of being tossed off between breakfast and lunch. The boy soprano in the beginning had the same effect on me as a dentist's drill.

It was neat that the print I got has the Chrysler commercials, spaced out a heckuva lot further apart than they are today. Sadly, they made a fuss about telling viewers the show was in living color, but mine came through in black and white - just like our TV did in 1955.

The Babe (1992)

Forget history, just have fun

[29 September 2002]

As someone familiar with the historic record of Babe Ruth's life, the many "playings around" with the facts were noticeable. In some of the cases, presenting the story accurately wouldn't have changed the filmmakers' intent at all. Example: In the movie, Babe already is married to Clare when Dorothy dies in the fire. Dorothy died a couple of years before Babe got married. He was a Catholic, remember; they weren't living together.

I'm still pretty sure the Baby Ruth candy bar was named for Grover Cleveland's daughter, not the Babe. I am old enough to have attended many ballgames in Forbes Field, and they didn't even try to make the park in the movie look the same. Where was the ivy?!

In real life, Clare wanted Babe to retire after the 3 homers in Pittsburgh, but Babe had promised people he would appear in several more games. Nothing happened in those games, and, dramatically, having him quit after Pittsburgh made good sense for the movie.

I'm also glad the picture ended when it did, not showing Babe in his last frustrating years waiting vainly for the Yankees to call him. We didn't need to see his - and Clare's - decline.

I take serious issue with the critic here who apparently likes the William Bendix movie better. Keep in mind that was made while Babe was still alive. The Babe they presented there was so perfumed and sugar-coated as to be completely unrecognizable.

Born in Freedom: The Story of Colonel Drake (1954)

Historically accurate account of the birth of the oil industry

[8/10 · 10 August 2002]

As a resident of the town depicted in this movie, I can vouch for its accuracy. For some reason, you only list Vincent Price in the cast. There were several well known character actors of the period who made appearances: Alan Hale Jr.,Andy Clyde, Will Wright and a couple of others whose names don't come to mind. The movie is shown daily in the Drake Well Museum.

Psycho (1998)

An unexpected pleasure

[14 April 2002]

I was apprehensive about watching this because I don't believe in messing around with the classics. For this reason, I ignored the updated versions of "Sunset Boulevard" and Sgt. Bilko," believing it would be a waste of time to try and top either Gloria Swanson or Phil Silvers in those roles.

This "Psycho" was different, however. Actually, "Norman" is the only character that couldn't be convincingly played by any professional character actor. Tony Perkins was so perfectly superb as the geeky nut. Vince Vaughn was OK, but all I could see was a strapping former football player with none of the innocent-appearing innocence Perkins brought to the role.

I have to agree with the other critics, though, that it's probably a good idea to recycle these classics and use actors who are currently popular and recognizable. Remember, at one time Clark Gable and Tyrone Power were current and popular.