By Steve Marinucci
Published on December 7, 2006, San Jose Mercury News (CA)
MAN OF STEEL IN MULTIMEDIA
TV AND FILM VERSIONS OF 'SUPERMAN' COMIC SPAN GENERATIONS
Stores are loaded with holiday merchandise, including DVDs that may be just right for someone on your shopping list. Here's a sampling of the more intriguing items:
For Warner Bros., it's a super season, or rather a ''Superman'' season.
Available now are rereleases of all four Christopher Reeve movies in multi-disc sets. ''Superman: The Movie'' (list price $34.92) has been expanded to four discs, including both the original theatrical release and the expanded 2000 version of the film, plus screen tests and an audio-only music track. There's also the 1951 George Reeves feature ''Superman and the Mole Men'' (available, too, on an earlier release, the first season of TV's ''The Adventures of Superman'').
''Superman II'' ($26.99) comes in two versions, a two-disc Special Edition and the previously unreleased single-disc ''Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut'' ($24.98), assembled by the director from footage shot before he left the project because of ''creative differences.'' Donner handed the reins to Richard Lester, who presided over the version seen in theaters.
The Lester and Donner versions are significantly different. Marlon Brando, playing Jor-El, gets little screen time in the theatrical version but much more in Donner's cut, where the additional scenes establish the nature of the father-son relationship. Donner's version also dramatizes a scheme at the beginning by Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) to unmask Superman. ''The Donner Cut'' was assembled from footage he had planned to use in the film, as well as material from the cutting-room floor.
The weakest films with Reeve as the Man of Steel, ''Superman III'' and ''Superman IV,'' are available on single discs (list price $19.98 each).
Each of the ''Superman'' films (five, in all, counting the two versions of ''Superman II'') comes with a wealth of extra features. Both cuts of ''Superman II'' offer audio commentary, and all the films include behind-the-scenes documentaries.
With ''Superman: The Movie'' and ''Superman II: Special Edition'' comes the superb collection of Dave Fleischer/Famous Studio Superman cartoons dating from the mid-1940s, some of them spectacularly politically incorrect for the 21st century. These animated shorts, more serious in tone than today's cartoons, display crisp, realistic animation. The first short, ''Superman Comes to Earth,'' was nominated for an Academy Award.
The Superman-mania doesn't end here.
''Superman Returns,'' with Brandon Routh as the latest Man of Steel, is available in both single- ($14.98) and double-disc versions ($19.98), and, as you would expect, most of the extras are on the double disc, including more than 10 deleted scenes, commentary and behind-the-scenes documentaries.
For the Christopher Reeve completist, all of the Special Edition releases (excluding the Donner version) are packaged together in the eight-disc ''Christopher Reeve Superman Collection'' (list price $68.92). And if that's not enough, the 14-disc ''Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition'' (list price $99.92) includes all four films, as well as the Donner version, ''Superman Returns'' and the documentary disc ''Look Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman.''
None of the above packages, however, offers the rest of the recent Warner non-feature film ''Superman'' releases: the final two seasons (five and six) of the George Reeves TV series ''The Adventures of Superman'' (list price $39.98); Season Four of TV's ''Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (list price $59.98); and the two-disc Kirk Allyn ''Superman: The Theatrical Serials Collection'' ($39.98).
The Allyn serials, which predate the Reeves TV series, feature Noel Neill in her first role as Lois Lane, before she appeared in the TV series. The serials also are noteworthy for their flying sequences, done via animation.
On Feb. 6, Universal Home Video plans to release Focus Films' ''Hollywoodland,'' an account of a fictional detective's investigation into the death of actor George Reeves. This film, notable for its period realism, stars Ben Affleck as Reeves and Adrian Brody as the detective.
Also recently released
(box) ''Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 4'' (list $64.92) with 60 digitally remastered cartoons.
(box) Also out is the seventh and final season of ''The West Wing'' ($59.98), which includes the climactic election campaign between Texas Congressman Matt Santos and California Sen. Arnold Vinick. A combined set with all seven seasons of the series (Warner, $299.98, 45 discs) includes a copy of the series' pilot script.
(box) ''The Sopranos, Season Six, Part 1'' (HBO, list price $129.95) offers 12 episodes and four audio commentaries.
(box) ''The Dick Cavett Show'' series continues with ''Hollywood Greats,'' featuring the talk-show host's interviews with Katharine Hepburn, Groucho Marx, Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock and others. The set (Shout Factory, four discs, list price $39.98) also offers outtakes from the two-part Hepburn interview.
(box) ''Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'' is available in two versions, a single disc with audio commentary and bloopers, and a double disc with several documentaries on the making of the film and on the amusement park attraction, limited-edition packaging and a photo diary.
(box) ''Goodnight, We Love You: The Life and Legend of Phyllis Diller,'' is a documentary by Gregg Barson, which includes Diller's final stand-up performance at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in May 2002.
CAPTION: PHOTO: DAVID JAMES -- WARNER BROS.
Kate Bosworth and Brandon Routh in ''Superman Returns.'' The two-disc version includes deleted scenes, commentary and behind-the-scenes documentaries.
PHOTO: WARNER BROS. AND DC COMICS INC.
The final two seasons (five and six) of the George Reeves TV series ''The Adventures of Superman'' are available on DVD.
PHOTO: WARNER BROS. AND DC COMICS INC.
Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder in ''Superman: The Movie,'' which has been expanded to four discs and includes the original theatrical release and the expanded 2000 version of the film.
Thursday, December 7, 2006
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Something Funny
Published on November 23, 2006, San Jose Mercury News (CA)
SOMETHING FUNNY
SEVENTH SEASON OF 'SEINFELD' AGAIN PROVES COMIC POTENTIAL OF A SHOW ABOUT NOTHING
By Steve Marinucci
''Seinfeld'' admittedly was ''a show about nothing,'' but even people to whom it meant nothing found something to like during its seventh season (1995-96).
Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, who played Elaine, took home the Emmy for ''outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series,'' and the show garnered 10 other nominations that year, which featured some of its best-known episodes.
On Tuesday (while cast member Michael Richards was struggling to explain racist remarks he made a few days earlier to hecklers in a comedy club audience), ''Seinfeld -- Season 7'' made its DVD debut in a four-disc set (Sony, list price $49.95, though many retailers offer it for less).
In the first episode, George (Jason Alexander) gets engaged to Susan (Heidi Swedberg), launching a story line that spans the whole season. But what should be a joyous event begins to unravel almost immediately.
By the last episode, the comedic tone has turned dark, and Susan dies after licking the glue on the cheap invitations picked out by skinflint George.
The engagement material, however, is overshadowed in the sixth episode, ''The Soup Nazi,'' which was hailed by critics and fans alike as possibly the best one in ''Seinfeld's'' nine-season run.
In it, Larry Thomas plays Yev Kasem, the tyrannical owner of a soup restaurant who dictates just how his patrons must behave to receive their orders. If someone ignores him, he blusters, ''No soup for you!'' The over-the-top portrayal earned Thomas his own Emmy nomination.
Series fans will cheer about the DVD bonus features, which include more than 13 hours of commentary, cast interviews, factoid tracks, deleted scenes and new stand-up routines. Viewers also will find two animated re-creations of the show, using voices of the original cast.
''Seinfeld'' became a phenomenon thanks to its ''everyman'' situations and the sheer ingenuity of its writers. This new box set is a superb testament to both.
CAPTION: PHOTO: COLUMBIA/TRISTAR
Jerry Seinfeld and his co-stars keep the laughs coming in the DVD from the show's seventh season -- which introduced the Soup Nazi to network TV.
SOMETHING FUNNY
SEVENTH SEASON OF 'SEINFELD' AGAIN PROVES COMIC POTENTIAL OF A SHOW ABOUT NOTHING
By Steve Marinucci
''Seinfeld'' admittedly was ''a show about nothing,'' but even people to whom it meant nothing found something to like during its seventh season (1995-96).
Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, who played Elaine, took home the Emmy for ''outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series,'' and the show garnered 10 other nominations that year, which featured some of its best-known episodes.
On Tuesday (while cast member Michael Richards was struggling to explain racist remarks he made a few days earlier to hecklers in a comedy club audience), ''Seinfeld -- Season 7'' made its DVD debut in a four-disc set (Sony, list price $49.95, though many retailers offer it for less).
In the first episode, George (Jason Alexander) gets engaged to Susan (Heidi Swedberg), launching a story line that spans the whole season. But what should be a joyous event begins to unravel almost immediately.
By the last episode, the comedic tone has turned dark, and Susan dies after licking the glue on the cheap invitations picked out by skinflint George.
The engagement material, however, is overshadowed in the sixth episode, ''The Soup Nazi,'' which was hailed by critics and fans alike as possibly the best one in ''Seinfeld's'' nine-season run.
In it, Larry Thomas plays Yev Kasem, the tyrannical owner of a soup restaurant who dictates just how his patrons must behave to receive their orders. If someone ignores him, he blusters, ''No soup for you!'' The over-the-top portrayal earned Thomas his own Emmy nomination.
Series fans will cheer about the DVD bonus features, which include more than 13 hours of commentary, cast interviews, factoid tracks, deleted scenes and new stand-up routines. Viewers also will find two animated re-creations of the show, using voices of the original cast.
''Seinfeld'' became a phenomenon thanks to its ''everyman'' situations and the sheer ingenuity of its writers. This new box set is a superb testament to both.
CAPTION: PHOTO: COLUMBIA/TRISTAR
Jerry Seinfeld and his co-stars keep the laughs coming in the DVD from the show's seventh season -- which introduced the Soup Nazi to network TV.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Pie in Your Face: "The Soupy Sales Show" was more than a kids' show, as adults enjoyed the fun
By Steve Marinucci
Published on October 12, 2006, San Jose Mercury News (CA)
PIE IN YOUR FACE
'THE SOUPY SALES SHOW' WAS MORE THAN A KIDS' SHOW, AS ADULTS ENJOYED THE FUN
It's funny how many of the shows we watched as youngsters are still as much fun to watch as adults.
''Beany and Cecil,'' ''Rocky and Bullwinkle,'' ''The Three Stooges'' and ''Quick Draw McGraw'' all had humor that worked on levels for both kids and adults, though few of us kids probably realized it at the time.
Then there was ''The Soupy Sales Show.'' It was billed as a kids' show, but Sales' show was full of slapstick, horrible puns and physical comedy that could also be enjoyed by adults, topped by Sales' penchant for getting pummeled by whipped cream pies, estimated to number a staggering 25,000 during his long career.
The show's best period is warmly recalled in ''Soupy Sales: In Living Black & White,'' released in late September by Morada Vision.
''The Soupy Sales Show'' first ran in 1953 at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, and later moved to Los Angeles, and then New York's WNEW-TV in 1964, from where it was syndicated all over the country in black and white. (A color version followed later in 1979.)
It was during his time in New York in the '60s that Sales (real name: Milton Supman) had probably his greatest success, garnering a radio hit with ''The Mouse'' and even appearing on a 1965 edition of ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' that also featured the Beatles.
Soupy's shows were one surprise after another. You never knew what was coming when Soupy opened the back door on his set or encountered one of his two dogs -- White Fang and his counterpart Black Tooth -- or his other puppet friends Pookie the Lion and Hippie the Hippo (all four puppets were voiced by Clyde Adler).
The jokes were bad -- and the cast knew it. Soupy would often banter with the crew and could ad lib jokes a mile a minute.
Not everyone found his antics funny all the time. The most notorious was the 1965 New Year's Day show where Soupy told his young viewers to quietly reach into Daddy's wallet and take out the ''little green pieces of paper with pictures of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lincoln and Jefferson on them. Send them to me, and I'll send you a postcard from Puerto Rico.'' The angry reaction from parents caused him to be suspended for two weeks.
The fun of those early days is all here on this disc, which features more than 2 1/2 hours of vintage antics. Among the highlights: Soupy plays a surprising game of fetch with White Fang, finds a surprise guest -- Fess Parker -- and sings his big hit, ''The Mouse.''
A bonus track -- really nothing more than some miscellaneous clips -- is highlighted by a Three Stooges-like romp starring Soupy and a young Donald O'Connor outwitting two bad guys.
The quality on these vintage shows, which aren't taken from master tapes, is not the greatest, but the comedy holds up marvelously. This single disc release follows a three-disc set of color episodes from the late '70s the company issued last year.
The color episodes don't have the razor-sharp comedy of the black-and-white episodes. But the color set is notable for two great Soupy moments: a skit featuring Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in which the Chairman of the Board takes a pie in the face; and a notorious outtake that finds Sales opening his door and finding a naked woman and trying to keep from letting on to his young audience.
A spokesman for the company says public response for Soupy DVD sets has been so strong that the company is considering putting together more releases.
CAPTION: PHOTO: BOB WYNNE GRAPHICS
Expect the unexpected in ''Soupy Sales: In Living Black & White,'' released in late September.
PHOTO: JANET OSEROFF -- SOUPY SALES ARCHIVES
Pookie the Lion and Soupy Sales put their heads together on ''The Soupy Sales Show,'' available on DVD.
Published on October 12, 2006, San Jose Mercury News (CA)
PIE IN YOUR FACE
'THE SOUPY SALES SHOW' WAS MORE THAN A KIDS' SHOW, AS ADULTS ENJOYED THE FUN
It's funny how many of the shows we watched as youngsters are still as much fun to watch as adults.
''Beany and Cecil,'' ''Rocky and Bullwinkle,'' ''The Three Stooges'' and ''Quick Draw McGraw'' all had humor that worked on levels for both kids and adults, though few of us kids probably realized it at the time.
Then there was ''The Soupy Sales Show.'' It was billed as a kids' show, but Sales' show was full of slapstick, horrible puns and physical comedy that could also be enjoyed by adults, topped by Sales' penchant for getting pummeled by whipped cream pies, estimated to number a staggering 25,000 during his long career.
The show's best period is warmly recalled in ''Soupy Sales: In Living Black & White,'' released in late September by Morada Vision.
''The Soupy Sales Show'' first ran in 1953 at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, and later moved to Los Angeles, and then New York's WNEW-TV in 1964, from where it was syndicated all over the country in black and white. (A color version followed later in 1979.)
It was during his time in New York in the '60s that Sales (real name: Milton Supman) had probably his greatest success, garnering a radio hit with ''The Mouse'' and even appearing on a 1965 edition of ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' that also featured the Beatles.
Soupy's shows were one surprise after another. You never knew what was coming when Soupy opened the back door on his set or encountered one of his two dogs -- White Fang and his counterpart Black Tooth -- or his other puppet friends Pookie the Lion and Hippie the Hippo (all four puppets were voiced by Clyde Adler).
The jokes were bad -- and the cast knew it. Soupy would often banter with the crew and could ad lib jokes a mile a minute.
Not everyone found his antics funny all the time. The most notorious was the 1965 New Year's Day show where Soupy told his young viewers to quietly reach into Daddy's wallet and take out the ''little green pieces of paper with pictures of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lincoln and Jefferson on them. Send them to me, and I'll send you a postcard from Puerto Rico.'' The angry reaction from parents caused him to be suspended for two weeks.
The fun of those early days is all here on this disc, which features more than 2 1/2 hours of vintage antics. Among the highlights: Soupy plays a surprising game of fetch with White Fang, finds a surprise guest -- Fess Parker -- and sings his big hit, ''The Mouse.''
A bonus track -- really nothing more than some miscellaneous clips -- is highlighted by a Three Stooges-like romp starring Soupy and a young Donald O'Connor outwitting two bad guys.
The quality on these vintage shows, which aren't taken from master tapes, is not the greatest, but the comedy holds up marvelously. This single disc release follows a three-disc set of color episodes from the late '70s the company issued last year.
The color episodes don't have the razor-sharp comedy of the black-and-white episodes. But the color set is notable for two great Soupy moments: a skit featuring Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in which the Chairman of the Board takes a pie in the face; and a notorious outtake that finds Sales opening his door and finding a naked woman and trying to keep from letting on to his young audience.
A spokesman for the company says public response for Soupy DVD sets has been so strong that the company is considering putting together more releases.
CAPTION: PHOTO: BOB WYNNE GRAPHICS
Expect the unexpected in ''Soupy Sales: In Living Black & White,'' released in late September.
PHOTO: JANET OSEROFF -- SOUPY SALES ARCHIVES
Pookie the Lion and Soupy Sales put their heads together on ''The Soupy Sales Show,'' available on DVD.
Thursday, September 7, 2006
A "Family" reunion: Groundbreaking for its time, Lawrence clan is worth revisiting
A 'FAMILY' REUNION
GROUNDBREAKING FOR ITS TIME, LAWRENCE CLAN IS WORTH REVISITING
By Steve Marinucci
Published Thursday, September 7, 2006, San Jose Mercury News
When prolific TV producer Aaron Spelling died in June, obituaries listed his long string of hits. ''Charlie's Angels,'' ''Dynasty,'' ''T.J. Hooker,'' ''Hart to Hart,'' ''The Love Boat,'' ''Fantasy Island'' and ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' were among them.
Though many of his series did well in the ratings, they often were built on escapist or soap opera themes and generally weren't hits with critics. One notable exception was Spelling's ''Family,'' a well-crafted, sharply written dramatic series on ABC from 1976 to 1980. The first two seasons have just been released in a six-DVD boxed set (Sony, list price $49.95).
Produced by Mike Nichols (''The Graduate''), with Spelling as executive producer, the series originally was planned for a six-episode run. But it became popular with audiences -- and a rare critical success for Spelling, winning four Emmys (out of 17 nominations) over what turned out to be a four-season run. Kristy McNichol won twice for supporting actress in a drama series ('77 and '79), Gary Frank for supporting actor ('77) and the superb Sada Thompson for lead actress ('79).
For audiences who had grown up with TV families like the Nelsons (''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''), the Cleavers (''Leave It to Beaver'') and the Andersons (''Father Knows Best''), the Lawrence clan of Pasadena, on whom ''Family'' focused, came as a shock.
The pilot, included in the package, sets up the situation: Daughter Nancy (played in the pilot by Elayne Heilveil and in the series by Meredith Baxter, before she took the married name Birney) finds her husband Jeff (John Rubinstein) in bed with another woman and walks out.
After some disagreement between her parents, Doug (played by James Broderick) and Kate (Thompson), Nancy moves back home to a family that also includes her brother Willie (Frank), a high-school dropout, and Leticia, a tomboyish ''tween'' nicknamed Buddy (McNichol).
In families like the Nelsons, the crises rarely concerned anything more weighty than the filling for the pie Harriet was baking; on ''Family'' things were decidedly more serious. Among the revelations during the first two seasons: an adulterous affair by Doug, a breast-cancer scare for Kate, Jeff's attempts at reconciliation with Nancy, a car accident in which Doug is blinded, and alcoholism. The problems lacked the usual sugarcoating for family dramas of that period, so the series came as a breath of fresh air for audiences.
While ''Family'' may not have quite the edginess of today's TV dramas, those who remember the series fondly will find those feelings rekindled by the DVDs.
The only drawback is that the set offers no bonus features to accompany the 28 episodes. It would have been nice to hear from some of the principals, looking back from today's perspective.
Still, it would be a shame if, even without extras, ''Family'' gets overlooked amid the flood of TV shows coming to DVD.
CAPTION: PHOTO: SONY PICTURES
''Family'' starred, from left, Meredith Baxter, Gary Frank, James Broderick, Sada Thompson and Kristy McNichol.
GROUNDBREAKING FOR ITS TIME, LAWRENCE CLAN IS WORTH REVISITING
By Steve Marinucci
Published Thursday, September 7, 2006, San Jose Mercury News
When prolific TV producer Aaron Spelling died in June, obituaries listed his long string of hits. ''Charlie's Angels,'' ''Dynasty,'' ''T.J. Hooker,'' ''Hart to Hart,'' ''The Love Boat,'' ''Fantasy Island'' and ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' were among them.
Though many of his series did well in the ratings, they often were built on escapist or soap opera themes and generally weren't hits with critics. One notable exception was Spelling's ''Family,'' a well-crafted, sharply written dramatic series on ABC from 1976 to 1980. The first two seasons have just been released in a six-DVD boxed set (Sony, list price $49.95).
Produced by Mike Nichols (''The Graduate''), with Spelling as executive producer, the series originally was planned for a six-episode run. But it became popular with audiences -- and a rare critical success for Spelling, winning four Emmys (out of 17 nominations) over what turned out to be a four-season run. Kristy McNichol won twice for supporting actress in a drama series ('77 and '79), Gary Frank for supporting actor ('77) and the superb Sada Thompson for lead actress ('79).
For audiences who had grown up with TV families like the Nelsons (''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''), the Cleavers (''Leave It to Beaver'') and the Andersons (''Father Knows Best''), the Lawrence clan of Pasadena, on whom ''Family'' focused, came as a shock.
The pilot, included in the package, sets up the situation: Daughter Nancy (played in the pilot by Elayne Heilveil and in the series by Meredith Baxter, before she took the married name Birney) finds her husband Jeff (John Rubinstein) in bed with another woman and walks out.
After some disagreement between her parents, Doug (played by James Broderick) and Kate (Thompson), Nancy moves back home to a family that also includes her brother Willie (Frank), a high-school dropout, and Leticia, a tomboyish ''tween'' nicknamed Buddy (McNichol).
In families like the Nelsons, the crises rarely concerned anything more weighty than the filling for the pie Harriet was baking; on ''Family'' things were decidedly more serious. Among the revelations during the first two seasons: an adulterous affair by Doug, a breast-cancer scare for Kate, Jeff's attempts at reconciliation with Nancy, a car accident in which Doug is blinded, and alcoholism. The problems lacked the usual sugarcoating for family dramas of that period, so the series came as a breath of fresh air for audiences.
While ''Family'' may not have quite the edginess of today's TV dramas, those who remember the series fondly will find those feelings rekindled by the DVDs.
The only drawback is that the set offers no bonus features to accompany the 28 episodes. It would have been nice to hear from some of the principals, looking back from today's perspective.
Still, it would be a shame if, even without extras, ''Family'' gets overlooked amid the flood of TV shows coming to DVD.
CAPTION: PHOTO: SONY PICTURES
''Family'' starred, from left, Meredith Baxter, Gary Frank, James Broderick, Sada Thompson and Kristy McNichol.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Vintage sitcoms on DVD: Various seasons of "Hazel," "Flying Nun," "Good Times" available
DATE: Thursday, August 3, 2006
VINTAGE SITCOMS ON DVD
VARIOUS SEASONS OF 'HAZEL,' 'FLYING NUN,' 'GOOD TIMES' AVAILABLE
BY STEVE MARINUCCI
Mercury News
While nowadays many sitcoms are rooted in realism or at least realistic situations, that wasn't the case in the '50s, '60s and '70s, when sitcoms like ''Hazel,'' ''The Flying Nun'' and ''Good Times'' were popular.
'Hazel'
This show was based on a comic strip by Ted Key and starred veteran actress Shirley Booth as the title character. In the show's household, it wasn't the father who knew best; it was Hazel, the family's maid.
The DVD of the first season, which ran 1961-62, was released Aug. 1. The three-disc set contains 34 black-and-white episodes and one in color that was used to showcase a story line about, not surprisingly, color TV.
In the 35 episodes of the first season, she shows she knew how to cook, teach kids how to play sports, get the local kids a new playground, win a bowling tournament, catch shoplifters and swindlers and publish a cookbook.
The supporting cast included Don DeFore (the neighbor of the Nelson family on ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'') as George Baxter, Whitney Blake as his wife and Bobby Buntrock as son Harold.
Booth, who won both Tony and Oscar awards before coming to television, was advised by Burt Lancaster not to take the role on the sitcom, which became a big success.
'The Flying Nun'
The second season of ''The Flying Nun'' (1968-69), which comes out on DVD Aug. 15, proves that shows with goofy premises can be entertaining.
Sally Field played novice nun Sister Bertrille (real name: Elsie Ethrington), who flies around (thanks to her aerodynamic cornet) and helps others.
What's funny was that the show actually worked and still has some charm today. In the previously released first-season set, Field says in an interview that she came close to not taking the role. But as Sister Bertrille, she manages to give an earnest effort and display the beginnings of the talent that would be more evident later in her career.
The second season features guest appearances by Paul Lynde, Jamie Farr, Rich Little and others.
'Good Times'
The good times were fast disappearing from ''Good Times'' as the sixth season began in 1978. The show lasted only one more season before its final airings in August 1979.
That season, released on DVD Aug. 1, begins with a four-episode story in which Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) marries a football player.
Esther Rolle, who played matriarch Florida of the Evans clan in the series, isn't seen in the opening episode until the final moments because of a contract dispute that had kept her out of the series the year before. She objected to the way J.J. (Jimmie Walker) had been developed into a stereotypical buffoon.
The dispute had caused John Amos, who played her husband, James, to also leave the show in 1976.
But Walker's antics, punctuated by his ''dy-no-mite'' trademark line, still played a big part in each week's story lines, and fans of the series won't find this season very satisfying, especially if they are annoyed by Walker's antics, which seemed to dominate each week's plots. The show's cast members include comic Johnny Brown and a very young Janet Jackson as an adopted neighbor.
The three-disc set includes guest appearances from Gary Coleman (''Diff'rent Strokes'') and Kim Fields (''The Facts of Life'').
None of the three sets include any special features such as bonus interviews or outtakes.
CAPTION: PHOTO: SONY HOME ENTERTAINMENT
''Hazel''
PHOTO: SONY HOME ENTERTAINMENT
''The Flying Nun''
PHOTO: SONY HOME ENTERTAINMENT
''Good Times''
VINTAGE SITCOMS ON DVD
VARIOUS SEASONS OF 'HAZEL,' 'FLYING NUN,' 'GOOD TIMES' AVAILABLE
BY STEVE MARINUCCI
Mercury News
While nowadays many sitcoms are rooted in realism or at least realistic situations, that wasn't the case in the '50s, '60s and '70s, when sitcoms like ''Hazel,'' ''The Flying Nun'' and ''Good Times'' were popular.
'Hazel'
This show was based on a comic strip by Ted Key and starred veteran actress Shirley Booth as the title character. In the show's household, it wasn't the father who knew best; it was Hazel, the family's maid.
The DVD of the first season, which ran 1961-62, was released Aug. 1. The three-disc set contains 34 black-and-white episodes and one in color that was used to showcase a story line about, not surprisingly, color TV.
In the 35 episodes of the first season, she shows she knew how to cook, teach kids how to play sports, get the local kids a new playground, win a bowling tournament, catch shoplifters and swindlers and publish a cookbook.
The supporting cast included Don DeFore (the neighbor of the Nelson family on ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'') as George Baxter, Whitney Blake as his wife and Bobby Buntrock as son Harold.
Booth, who won both Tony and Oscar awards before coming to television, was advised by Burt Lancaster not to take the role on the sitcom, which became a big success.
'The Flying Nun'
The second season of ''The Flying Nun'' (1968-69), which comes out on DVD Aug. 15, proves that shows with goofy premises can be entertaining.
Sally Field played novice nun Sister Bertrille (real name: Elsie Ethrington), who flies around (thanks to her aerodynamic cornet) and helps others.
What's funny was that the show actually worked and still has some charm today. In the previously released first-season set, Field says in an interview that she came close to not taking the role. But as Sister Bertrille, she manages to give an earnest effort and display the beginnings of the talent that would be more evident later in her career.
The second season features guest appearances by Paul Lynde, Jamie Farr, Rich Little and others.
'Good Times'
The good times were fast disappearing from ''Good Times'' as the sixth season began in 1978. The show lasted only one more season before its final airings in August 1979.
That season, released on DVD Aug. 1, begins with a four-episode story in which Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) marries a football player.
Esther Rolle, who played matriarch Florida of the Evans clan in the series, isn't seen in the opening episode until the final moments because of a contract dispute that had kept her out of the series the year before. She objected to the way J.J. (Jimmie Walker) had been developed into a stereotypical buffoon.
The dispute had caused John Amos, who played her husband, James, to also leave the show in 1976.
But Walker's antics, punctuated by his ''dy-no-mite'' trademark line, still played a big part in each week's story lines, and fans of the series won't find this season very satisfying, especially if they are annoyed by Walker's antics, which seemed to dominate each week's plots. The show's cast members include comic Johnny Brown and a very young Janet Jackson as an adopted neighbor.
The three-disc set includes guest appearances from Gary Coleman (''Diff'rent Strokes'') and Kim Fields (''The Facts of Life'').
None of the three sets include any special features such as bonus interviews or outtakes.
CAPTION: PHOTO: SONY HOME ENTERTAINMENT
''Hazel''
PHOTO: SONY HOME ENTERTAINMENT
''The Flying Nun''
PHOTO: SONY HOME ENTERTAINMENT
''Good Times''
Rolling Stones tickets on sale Aug. 28
ROLLING STONES TICKETS ON SALE AUG. 28
BY STEVE MARINUCCI
MERCURY NEWS
Published Aug. 21, 2006
The Rolling Stones return to the Bay Area at 6:45 p.m. Nov. 5 at McAfee Coliseum, 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, as part of the American encore of their ''A Bigger Bang'' tour, it was announced today by promoter Live Nation. Van Morrison will open the show.
Tickets, priced at $60, $99 and $150, go on sale at 10 a.m. Aug. 28 at www.ticketmaster.com and local Ticketmaster outlets, www.livenation.com or by calling (408) 998-8497, (510) 625-8497 or (415) 421-8497. A $20 student discount is available online at the $99 level. There is a four-ticket limit in the first 10 rows, and a two-ticket limit in all other locations. All ticket sales include a membership in the group's Web site www.rollingstones.com. The new shows will include a b-stage to bring the fans closer to the music.
''We're very excited about coming back to the U.S. and Canada,'' said Mick Jagger in a statement released by the band. ''Most of the shows are going to be on the big stadium stage with fans in the balconies behind us. We're going to play many cities we didn't get to before and also return to some of our favorite places. There is plenty of time for rehearsals and to be able to make some set changes. We'll have a variety of material ready so we can keep it fresh.''
In a nod to band mate Keith Richards, who sustained a head injury in April that later required surgery, he added, ''Keith's fine, his head's better, he's playing well and enjoying himself so we're all looking forward to this leg of the tour.''
The seemingly unstoppable Richards, in the same statement said, ''I'm feeling great and can't wait to get there. We're going to have the b-stage to get that very close thing happening with the band and the fans.''
The tour will feature big name guest stars opening for the group. Van Morrison opens for the group in Oakland and Vancouver, the Dave Matthews Band in Seattle and El Paso and Kanye West at the tour opener in Boston, East Rutherford, N.J., and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The Stones last played in the Bay Area Nov. 5-6, 2005, at SBC Park, since renamed AT&T Park. They've played in Oakland several times over the years. Their 1969 show at the Coliseum became a bootleg album called ''Live 'R Than You'll Ever Be'' that became well known among Stones fans for its sound quality and passionate performance.
BY STEVE MARINUCCI
MERCURY NEWS
Published Aug. 21, 2006
The Rolling Stones return to the Bay Area at 6:45 p.m. Nov. 5 at McAfee Coliseum, 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, as part of the American encore of their ''A Bigger Bang'' tour, it was announced today by promoter Live Nation. Van Morrison will open the show.
Tickets, priced at $60, $99 and $150, go on sale at 10 a.m. Aug. 28 at www.ticketmaster.com and local Ticketmaster outlets, www.livenation.com or by calling (408) 998-8497, (510) 625-8497 or (415) 421-8497. A $20 student discount is available online at the $99 level. There is a four-ticket limit in the first 10 rows, and a two-ticket limit in all other locations. All ticket sales include a membership in the group's Web site www.rollingstones.com. The new shows will include a b-stage to bring the fans closer to the music.
''We're very excited about coming back to the U.S. and Canada,'' said Mick Jagger in a statement released by the band. ''Most of the shows are going to be on the big stadium stage with fans in the balconies behind us. We're going to play many cities we didn't get to before and also return to some of our favorite places. There is plenty of time for rehearsals and to be able to make some set changes. We'll have a variety of material ready so we can keep it fresh.''
In a nod to band mate Keith Richards, who sustained a head injury in April that later required surgery, he added, ''Keith's fine, his head's better, he's playing well and enjoying himself so we're all looking forward to this leg of the tour.''
The seemingly unstoppable Richards, in the same statement said, ''I'm feeling great and can't wait to get there. We're going to have the b-stage to get that very close thing happening with the band and the fans.''
The tour will feature big name guest stars opening for the group. Van Morrison opens for the group in Oakland and Vancouver, the Dave Matthews Band in Seattle and El Paso and Kanye West at the tour opener in Boston, East Rutherford, N.J., and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The Stones last played in the Bay Area Nov. 5-6, 2005, at SBC Park, since renamed AT&T Park. They've played in Oakland several times over the years. Their 1969 show at the Coliseum became a bootleg album called ''Live 'R Than You'll Ever Be'' that became well known among Stones fans for its sound quality and passionate performance.
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