The Jack Benny Program: Guest Starring Dorothy Shay and Bob Crosby
Originally broadcast on CBS on Sunday, November 4, 1951 at 7:30 PM ET.
Plot: There really is none here, it’s basically the traditional Jack Benny show with music acts hosted around some skits.
Analysis: Where do I start on this one? It’s so difficult to really analyze a show like this because, much like with the contestants on You Bet Your Life and later guest stars on The Tonight Show, it is going to be different with every episode and humor is, after all, subjective.
As for Benny, well, what can be said beyond that he was probably one of the most influential comedians of the 20th century. Born in 1894 in Chicago, he started studying and playing the violin when he was six years old. By 1911, he was in vaudeville theaters with varying success and partners over the years until the entry of the United States in World War I. Benny would serve in the U.S. Navy and continue to play to entertain until, as the story goes, he had a bad performance and was forced to ad-lib his way out of it, which led him to add comedy to the act.
After the war up until 1932, Benny would continue to play vaudeville until he was given a shot at hosting a variety show on the radio. Shifting networks and sponsors, Benny would be on the air almost continuously from 1932 until 1955, pulling down some of radio’s highest ratings throughout this period. In 1950, he was given a television contract for five specials. By this year, 1951, he had been extended to an episode every six weeks for the 1951-1952 season. Strange as the structure may seem, this was the only way Benny could appear on television and still do his weekly radio broadcasts.
A few words on our guest stars, if I may, and I will adopt this policy for all featured guest stars on these variety and talk shows going forward: Dorothy Shay, born in Florida in 1921, was trained as a classical singer, but sang with her natural Southern accent songs based on rural settings when they proved to be more popular. We’ll be seeing more of her as television rolls along, so, as they say, stay tuned for that. As for Bob Crosby, yes, this is Bing Crosby’s brother, whom you may have heard of. Bob was born after Bing in 1913 and had a voice at least as good as Bing. Bob Crosby would perform with various groups as a front man from the 1930s forward and, like Bing, would pick up his own radio show between 1943 and 1950. He would continue to do guest shots like what we saw here in early television until landing his own television show in 1953. I am not sure if we will be seeing more of him or not, so I will play it save and leave it at that.
The Bottom Line: Like I said, humor is subjective in scenarios like this. Some may find it hysterical, some may wonder what the big deal is. Regardless, it is one of radio’s biggest names on television and that, by itself, is significant in showing the movement of radio to television.
The episode of the Jack Benny Program can be found on The Best of Jack Benny from Mill Creek Entertainment (http://www.amazon.com/Best-Jack-Benny/dp....97357409&sr=1-1). This is a very inexpensive collection with a lot of classic Benny that I will be referring back to as we go along. Unfortunately, we have yet to have an “official” release of Jack Benny television material, so groups like Mill Creek and Timeless Media are all we have, although more does exist, but is being held back for a variety of reasons. One may hope that someday we will see more.
Next time, more Lucy.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
I Love Lucy: The Diet
I Love Lucy: The Diet
Originally Broadcast on CBS on Monday, October 29, 1951 at 9 PM ET.
Plot: Lucy wants to be in Ricky’s show when his regular dancer quits, but has to lose 20 pounds to fit the costume.
Analysis: This is great fun to watch as Lucy’s physical comedy is on full display here, between trying to fit the costume and trying to lose the weight, her timing is just fantastic to watch. One does wonder whatever happened to Butch given I do not think we ever saw the Ricardos' dog after this episode. Must have joined Chuck from Happy Days in “college.”
A brief look at Desi Arnaz now, if I may. Something that needs to be noted up front is, as funny as Lucy is, I am not certain it would have worked nearly as well if she did not have as good a straight man as Desi was. We will see some examples of Desi and his brand of comedy in later seasons. It is enough to note that, like his character on I Love Lucy, he emigrated from Cuba to the United States in 1933. Picking up English along the way, he found work in show business where he met Lucy on the set of Too Many Girls in 1940, marrying shortly thereafter. He was drafted for US Army service in World War II, but suffered a knee injury prior to enlistment. He did complete his training, but due to the injury was stationed mainly working for the United Service Organization until the end of the war. After the war, he would tour with his orchestra while Lucy worked on radio and pictures until the opportunity to work with Lucy on television came along and the rest we all know by now.
As is part of the notes by now, if you want to have an idea how the show originally looked as originally broadcast, the original opening is included as an extra on the DVD, so simply watch that first, then jump to the beginning of the episode after the opening.
The Bottom Line: Funny, but not hysterical. The Diet is an entertaining half hour between Lucy’s antics and Ricky’s reactions. If you are interested in checking out the show, you have two choices: either I Love Lucy: The Complete First Season (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lucy-Complete....97198253&sr=1-4) or if you want it all, I Love Lucy: The Complete Series (http://www.amazon.com/I-Love-Lucy-Comple....97198253&sr=1-1). The Complete Series may be more expensive, but it is a more efficient way to get the show if you are planning on doing the whole show.
Next time, a radio institution comes to television.
Originally Broadcast on CBS on Monday, October 29, 1951 at 9 PM ET.
Plot: Lucy wants to be in Ricky’s show when his regular dancer quits, but has to lose 20 pounds to fit the costume.
Analysis: This is great fun to watch as Lucy’s physical comedy is on full display here, between trying to fit the costume and trying to lose the weight, her timing is just fantastic to watch. One does wonder whatever happened to Butch given I do not think we ever saw the Ricardos' dog after this episode. Must have joined Chuck from Happy Days in “college.”
A brief look at Desi Arnaz now, if I may. Something that needs to be noted up front is, as funny as Lucy is, I am not certain it would have worked nearly as well if she did not have as good a straight man as Desi was. We will see some examples of Desi and his brand of comedy in later seasons. It is enough to note that, like his character on I Love Lucy, he emigrated from Cuba to the United States in 1933. Picking up English along the way, he found work in show business where he met Lucy on the set of Too Many Girls in 1940, marrying shortly thereafter. He was drafted for US Army service in World War II, but suffered a knee injury prior to enlistment. He did complete his training, but due to the injury was stationed mainly working for the United Service Organization until the end of the war. After the war, he would tour with his orchestra while Lucy worked on radio and pictures until the opportunity to work with Lucy on television came along and the rest we all know by now.
As is part of the notes by now, if you want to have an idea how the show originally looked as originally broadcast, the original opening is included as an extra on the DVD, so simply watch that first, then jump to the beginning of the episode after the opening.
The Bottom Line: Funny, but not hysterical. The Diet is an entertaining half hour between Lucy’s antics and Ricky’s reactions. If you are interested in checking out the show, you have two choices: either I Love Lucy: The Complete First Season (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lucy-Complete....97198253&sr=1-4) or if you want it all, I Love Lucy: The Complete Series (http://www.amazon.com/I-Love-Lucy-Comple....97198253&sr=1-1). The Complete Series may be more expensive, but it is a more efficient way to get the show if you are planning on doing the whole show.
Next time, a radio institution comes to television.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Tales of Tomorrow: Test Flight/Blog Status
Did you all miss me?
Sorry about the inconsistent blog posts, but working on college classes can sometimes get in the way. So, what I'm going to try and do now is when I have some days off is build up as many of these reviews as I can and post them when I find a moment or two. For me, nothing is more important then maintaining the quality of the blog and I simply will not post if I do not think it is up to my standards.
I also got some news that, in the not too distant future, season sets of The Gene Autry Show, which we discussed some posts back, will be coming out. This is something I was always worried about, being forced to backtrack. To be honest though, with so many shows I did not get a chance to cover (Suspense, The Lone Ranger, Howdy Doody and so on), I really do not mind a chance to take another pass. I know there are people out there who are dying to get to eras that are more familiar to them and I cannot begrudge them that. One way to look at this is an opportunity to expand horizons and give older shows that you may not have known about a chance. That is, after all, the entire point of the blog: to introduce the history of television through any and all broadcasts and get a snapshot of what the world was like not so long ago.
OK, covered all that. I do expect to update the blog with some more regularity as long as I have time so I do request patience if I am gone a while. I will not abandon the blog anytime in the future, I can promise you that.
So... to business and our next show:
Tales of Tomorrow: Test Flight
Originally broadcast on ABC on Friday, October 26, 1951 at 9:30 PM ET.
Plot: One of the world’s richest men is determined to be the first man in space, no matter what it costs him.
Analysis: After the Thunderbird quality of an I Love Lucy, it’s almost archaic to go back to Tales of Tomorrow, which feels like a Model T by comparison. Technically, the show has always had some issues and that is to be expected for the ambitions of the stories on a bi-weekly basis, but they seem to show up more by contrast. That being said, knowing how the show is usually plotted, you can guess where we’re going with this pretty quick since this show loves to throw curve balls and shock endings.
I talked about Lee Cobb once before, in connection with the Red Channels scandal that was brewing at the time. This is our first chance to see him as an actor and, once you get him away from bewildering techno-babble, he delivers a very competent performance. Then again, it is not much of a stretch that once someone has a fortune and control to pursue a passion no matter what might happen. The only drawback is you know at some point, he’s going to make a mistake and we’re all just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The Bottom Line: As long as you know going in there are limitations because of the time period and the occasional technical mistake, this isn’t bad. Test Pilot is the traditional cautionary tale of ambition and reaching too far, especially when the bill comes due. If you want to check it out, it’s included with twelve other Tales of Tomorrow episodes on Tales of Tomorrow: Collection One (http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Tomorrow-Col....3424148 &sr=1-1). No matter where you shop for it, it is not too expensive.
Next time, more laughs with Lucy.
Sorry about the inconsistent blog posts, but working on college classes can sometimes get in the way. So, what I'm going to try and do now is when I have some days off is build up as many of these reviews as I can and post them when I find a moment or two. For me, nothing is more important then maintaining the quality of the blog and I simply will not post if I do not think it is up to my standards.
I also got some news that, in the not too distant future, season sets of The Gene Autry Show, which we discussed some posts back, will be coming out. This is something I was always worried about, being forced to backtrack. To be honest though, with so many shows I did not get a chance to cover (Suspense, The Lone Ranger, Howdy Doody and so on), I really do not mind a chance to take another pass. I know there are people out there who are dying to get to eras that are more familiar to them and I cannot begrudge them that. One way to look at this is an opportunity to expand horizons and give older shows that you may not have known about a chance. That is, after all, the entire point of the blog: to introduce the history of television through any and all broadcasts and get a snapshot of what the world was like not so long ago.
OK, covered all that. I do expect to update the blog with some more regularity as long as I have time so I do request patience if I am gone a while. I will not abandon the blog anytime in the future, I can promise you that.
So... to business and our next show:
Tales of Tomorrow: Test Flight
Originally broadcast on ABC on Friday, October 26, 1951 at 9:30 PM ET.
Plot: One of the world’s richest men is determined to be the first man in space, no matter what it costs him.
Analysis: After the Thunderbird quality of an I Love Lucy, it’s almost archaic to go back to Tales of Tomorrow, which feels like a Model T by comparison. Technically, the show has always had some issues and that is to be expected for the ambitions of the stories on a bi-weekly basis, but they seem to show up more by contrast. That being said, knowing how the show is usually plotted, you can guess where we’re going with this pretty quick since this show loves to throw curve balls and shock endings.
I talked about Lee Cobb once before, in connection with the Red Channels scandal that was brewing at the time. This is our first chance to see him as an actor and, once you get him away from bewildering techno-babble, he delivers a very competent performance. Then again, it is not much of a stretch that once someone has a fortune and control to pursue a passion no matter what might happen. The only drawback is you know at some point, he’s going to make a mistake and we’re all just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The Bottom Line: As long as you know going in there are limitations because of the time period and the occasional technical mistake, this isn’t bad. Test Pilot is the traditional cautionary tale of ambition and reaching too far, especially when the bill comes due. If you want to check it out, it’s included with twelve other Tales of Tomorrow episodes on Tales of Tomorrow: Collection One (http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Tomorrow-Col....3424148 &sr=1-1). No matter where you shop for it, it is not too expensive.
Next time, more laughs with Lucy.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
I Love Lucy: Be A Pal
I Love Lucy: Be A Pal
Originally broadcast on CBS on Monday, October 22, 1951 at 9 PM ET.
Plot: Lucy thinks Ricky is ignoring her and seeks advice from a book to regain his attention.
Analysis: I hate to keep repeating what I say from review to review of this show, but this is another great example of the genius of the writers and Lucy’s talent as an actress to take believable situations and make them so extreme that you laugh, but it does not cross the line into the absurd. Highlights here include a toaster gag and Lucy’s version of Carmen Miranda, one where she actually got the permission of the original to do a parody of. Of note is while the characters of Lucy, Ricky and Fred are established, Ethel is still being refined a bit, not quite being as genteel as we would see in later episodes.
A few words on Lucy, or rather, Lucille Ball the actress. Ball was born in 1911 and for most of her early life was encouraged to enjoy the theater and vaudeville. She attended the School for the Dramatic Arts in New York, actually being a classmate of Bette Davis before being sent home when her professors thought she had no future as an actress. Despite missing two years of work to illness, she managed to make some headway as a fashion model and work on Broadway, but never with a huge amount of success. From there, she moved west to Hollywood, picking up small rolls in movies as well as appearances on radio. In 1940, she met Desi Arnaz while working on a movie together, hit it off off-camera and ended up eloping later that year. The two would continue to work in Hollywood and radio throughout the war years of 1941 through to 1945. Ball finally hit her biggest success with My Favorite Husband and the rest, as outlined yesterday, was history.
The Bottom Line: With a few real laugh out loud moments in the episode, besides the fact that it’s I Love Lucy, this is an easy one to recommend and enjoy. As to getting the episode, it is included with all the episodes from the first season on I Love Lucy: The First Season (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lucy-Complete....94171617&sr=1-3). In addition, I Love Lucy: The Complete Series (http://www.amazon.com/I-Love-Lucy-Complete/dp/B000TGJ8B2/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1294171617&sr=1-1) includes this episode, plus the entire run of the show.
Next time, we return with another Tale of Tomorrow.
Originally broadcast on CBS on Monday, October 22, 1951 at 9 PM ET.
Plot: Lucy thinks Ricky is ignoring her and seeks advice from a book to regain his attention.
Analysis: I hate to keep repeating what I say from review to review of this show, but this is another great example of the genius of the writers and Lucy’s talent as an actress to take believable situations and make them so extreme that you laugh, but it does not cross the line into the absurd. Highlights here include a toaster gag and Lucy’s version of Carmen Miranda, one where she actually got the permission of the original to do a parody of. Of note is while the characters of Lucy, Ricky and Fred are established, Ethel is still being refined a bit, not quite being as genteel as we would see in later episodes.
A few words on Lucy, or rather, Lucille Ball the actress. Ball was born in 1911 and for most of her early life was encouraged to enjoy the theater and vaudeville. She attended the School for the Dramatic Arts in New York, actually being a classmate of Bette Davis before being sent home when her professors thought she had no future as an actress. Despite missing two years of work to illness, she managed to make some headway as a fashion model and work on Broadway, but never with a huge amount of success. From there, she moved west to Hollywood, picking up small rolls in movies as well as appearances on radio. In 1940, she met Desi Arnaz while working on a movie together, hit it off off-camera and ended up eloping later that year. The two would continue to work in Hollywood and radio throughout the war years of 1941 through to 1945. Ball finally hit her biggest success with My Favorite Husband and the rest, as outlined yesterday, was history.
The Bottom Line: With a few real laugh out loud moments in the episode, besides the fact that it’s I Love Lucy, this is an easy one to recommend and enjoy. As to getting the episode, it is included with all the episodes from the first season on I Love Lucy: The First Season (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lucy-Complete....94171617&sr=1-3). In addition, I Love Lucy: The Complete Series (http://www.amazon.com/I-Love-Lucy-Complete/dp/B000TGJ8B2/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1294171617&sr=1-1) includes this episode, plus the entire run of the show.
Next time, we return with another Tale of Tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
I Love Lucy: The Girls Want To Go To A Nightclub
I Love Lucy: The Girls Want To Go To A Nightclub
Originally broadcast on CBS on Monday, October 15, 1951 at 9 PM ET.
Plot: Lucy and Ethel want to go to a nightclub for Fred and Ethel’s wedding anniversary, but the boys want to go to the fights instead.
Analysis: Let me admit to a bias right away before we even get started – I love Lucy. Honestly, I think it is one of the best things ever produced by television and rarely a time goes by when I watch an episode and wonder why some television sitcoms cannot be as funny as this one was. It speaks very well to how well the writers of the show and all the actors involved really got it right on the first shot.
Lucy technically got its start on radio as My Favorite Husband, starring Lucille Ball as Lucy. Running from 1948 into the spring of 1951, the show was popular enough and Lucy was so good in her performances that a jump to television was logical. But, Lucy wanted two things before agreeing to make the jump – the writers on My Favorite Husband had to go with the show and she wanted her real-life husband, Desi Arnez, to play the role of her husband in the show. Initially, CBS objected, feeling that no one could credibly believe an All-American type girl like Lucy would be married to a Cuban singer. Making a long story short, Desi and Lucy used a vaudeville run in the summer of 1951 and its success to prove CBS wrong.
There was really nothing quite like Lucy on the air in 1951 for a number of reasons. First, most television shows were done live on two cameras at most. Lucy broke ground by using three cameras to capture all the action and be in position for reaction shots for the jokes. Second, to make the show look cleaner, the producers opted to shoot the shows on film over a live shoot. It was far more expensive (to the tune of 35,000 dollars an episode) to produce, but is part of the reason why Lucy looked cleaner and also is the reason why it has ended up lasting so long, holding up to modern standards.
As to this particular episode, it really is fantastic to see the dynamic between the four principals, how they play off each other and how true the situation rings, especially with Lucy’s plan to keep an eye on their husbands. As I said earlier, they got it right early, keeping it funny and believable.
The Bottom Line: It’s I Love Lucy, so I’m pretty sure everyone and their mother has seen this at least once by now and don’t mind watching it again. I don’t think I need to sell too many people on the show, but if you have never seen I Love Lucy, this is not a bad place to start at all.
Something to know in advance is, in order to approximate the original 1951 broadcast, you will need two DVDs: the first disc from I Love Lucy: The First Season (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lucy-Complete....94171617&sr=1-3) and I Love Lucy: The Movie (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lucy-Movie-Ot....4171617&sr=1-10). The reason for this is the original opening for the show is an extra on the movie disc while the episode itself is in the first season collection. The original opening, featuring sponsor Philip Morris, was cut from rebroadcasts since the original sponsor no longer applied. This was true of all the openings for the first three seasons of Lucy, but those original openings are included on the season sets. If you really love Lucy and want to save some time, another option is to get I Love Lucy: The Complete Series (http://www.amazon.com/I-Love-Lucy-Comple....94171617&sr=1-1) since that has everything included.
Next time, more laughs with Lucy.
Originally broadcast on CBS on Monday, October 15, 1951 at 9 PM ET.
Plot: Lucy and Ethel want to go to a nightclub for Fred and Ethel’s wedding anniversary, but the boys want to go to the fights instead.
Analysis: Let me admit to a bias right away before we even get started – I love Lucy. Honestly, I think it is one of the best things ever produced by television and rarely a time goes by when I watch an episode and wonder why some television sitcoms cannot be as funny as this one was. It speaks very well to how well the writers of the show and all the actors involved really got it right on the first shot.
Lucy technically got its start on radio as My Favorite Husband, starring Lucille Ball as Lucy. Running from 1948 into the spring of 1951, the show was popular enough and Lucy was so good in her performances that a jump to television was logical. But, Lucy wanted two things before agreeing to make the jump – the writers on My Favorite Husband had to go with the show and she wanted her real-life husband, Desi Arnez, to play the role of her husband in the show. Initially, CBS objected, feeling that no one could credibly believe an All-American type girl like Lucy would be married to a Cuban singer. Making a long story short, Desi and Lucy used a vaudeville run in the summer of 1951 and its success to prove CBS wrong.
There was really nothing quite like Lucy on the air in 1951 for a number of reasons. First, most television shows were done live on two cameras at most. Lucy broke ground by using three cameras to capture all the action and be in position for reaction shots for the jokes. Second, to make the show look cleaner, the producers opted to shoot the shows on film over a live shoot. It was far more expensive (to the tune of 35,000 dollars an episode) to produce, but is part of the reason why Lucy looked cleaner and also is the reason why it has ended up lasting so long, holding up to modern standards.
As to this particular episode, it really is fantastic to see the dynamic between the four principals, how they play off each other and how true the situation rings, especially with Lucy’s plan to keep an eye on their husbands. As I said earlier, they got it right early, keeping it funny and believable.
The Bottom Line: It’s I Love Lucy, so I’m pretty sure everyone and their mother has seen this at least once by now and don’t mind watching it again. I don’t think I need to sell too many people on the show, but if you have never seen I Love Lucy, this is not a bad place to start at all.
Something to know in advance is, in order to approximate the original 1951 broadcast, you will need two DVDs: the first disc from I Love Lucy: The First Season (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lucy-Complete....94171617&sr=1-3) and I Love Lucy: The Movie (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lucy-Movie-Ot....4171617&sr=1-10). The reason for this is the original opening for the show is an extra on the movie disc while the episode itself is in the first season collection. The original opening, featuring sponsor Philip Morris, was cut from rebroadcasts since the original sponsor no longer applied. This was true of all the openings for the first three seasons of Lucy, but those original openings are included on the season sets. If you really love Lucy and want to save some time, another option is to get I Love Lucy: The Complete Series (http://www.amazon.com/I-Love-Lucy-Comple....94171617&sr=1-1) since that has everything included.
Next time, more laughs with Lucy.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Cisco Kid: Ghost Story
The Cisco Kid: Ghost Story
Originally broadcast in first-run syndication on Monday, October 15, 1951.
Plot: Cisco and Pancho try to help the daughter of a rancher after the rancher is murdered under mysterious circumstances.
Analysis: Pretty plain vanilla Cisco episode here. We know who did the dirty deed early and it is just a case of waiting for Cisco and Pancho to figure it out. Oh, and the “Ghosts” in the title are basically the Western equivalent of Scooby-Doo and even that is a push.
The Bottom Line: This is what it is – another by-the-numbers Western for the young folks staring the Cisco Kid. The plot overall is nothing to challenge anyone’s brain and nothing that cannot be solved before dinner.
Ghost Story is among 20 episodes on The Cisco Kid: Collection Two (http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Kid-Collecti....86758713&sr=1-3). Prices are pretty good right now if you want to give the show a try.
Next time, a show I personally have been looking forward to since I started the blog.
Originally broadcast in first-run syndication on Monday, October 15, 1951.
Plot: Cisco and Pancho try to help the daughter of a rancher after the rancher is murdered under mysterious circumstances.
Analysis: Pretty plain vanilla Cisco episode here. We know who did the dirty deed early and it is just a case of waiting for Cisco and Pancho to figure it out. Oh, and the “Ghosts” in the title are basically the Western equivalent of Scooby-Doo and even that is a push.
The Bottom Line: This is what it is – another by-the-numbers Western for the young folks staring the Cisco Kid. The plot overall is nothing to challenge anyone’s brain and nothing that cannot be solved before dinner.
Ghost Story is among 20 episodes on The Cisco Kid: Collection Two (http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Kid-Collecti....86758713&sr=1-3). Prices are pretty good right now if you want to give the show a try.
Next time, a show I personally have been looking forward to since I started the blog.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Tales of Tomorrow: The Crystal Egg
And our first show of 2011 is...
Tales of Tomorrow: The Crystal Egg
Originally broadcast on ABC on Friday, October 12, 1951 at 9:30 PM
Plot: An academic professor becomes obsessed with what he sees inside of a crystal egg.
Analysis: Finally, we got a good one here! This is a very tight suspenseful script with one real good jump moment before the act break. True, it seems none of these sci-fi tales can have a happy ending, but where the story takes us is interesting, plus the staging rarely leaving one location and one character helps to heighten the feeling of claustrophobia and paranoia.
Also of note is the first “name” on Tales of Tomorrow so far, Thomas Mitchell. He has a lot of television work ahead of him that I will be covering, so I’ll leave just the bare thumbnail sketch here. Mitchell was a very talented actor who achieved the triple crown of acting, winning an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony. Trained as a Shakespearean actor, he began work in Hollywood in 1923. By this point, in 1951, he had racked up a series of memorable roles in Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Gone With the Wind and, in the role he may be best remembered for, as Uncle Billy in It’s A Wonderful Life. He already had a Best Supporting Actor Oscar under his belt by the time he was on Tales of Tomorrow, so this was no small ‘get’ for the show. His performance here as the professor whose whole life is brought to a standstill by the egg is wonderful to watch, seeing a smart cultured man just slowly going to pieces because he cannot solve the puzzle and when he finally does, no one believes him.
As to the show itself, like other Tales of Tomorrow, there are problems with shadowing and we actually have a fault in the film where we lose the picture in the middle of a commercial, but it returns in time for the second act of the show. Nothing that ruins the show, but these are still some small faults to be aware of.
The Bottom Line: Well, with a character actor of such pedigree in the title role and a story that I found interesting, even if the end was a bit predictable, how can I not recommend this one? Not the greatest show I have ever seen, to be sure, but consider this an advisory to check out if you can. I think you will find it well worth the effort.
The Crystal Egg is one of twelve episodes on Tales of Tomorrow: Collection Two (http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Tomorrow-Col....3581521 &sr=1-3). It’s not too expensive, generally going for between 10 and 15 dollars depending on where you look.
Next time, more Cisco Kid. And once again, Happy New Year to everyone!
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