In which we pay a visit to the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention

This past Friday, we attended the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention - an annual event which takes place just outside of Baltimore, Maryland.   It features a mix of celebrity appearances, scholarly talks and many vendors offering all sorts of memorabilia and lovingly created fan art. 

We had a great time and took part in many of the activities that the convention had to offer. 

J.A. Morris auditioned for an old-time radio drama (A lost episode of Gang Busters.) produced & performed by the Gotham Radio Players.  Sadly,  he was not chosen, but we enjoyed listening to the final performance -  they only got 1/2 an hour of rehearsal! 

The Gotham Radio Players perform an episode of Gang Busters.

Julie Newmar, the definitive Catwoman and Elizabeth Shepherd, the original Emma Peel were part of a great panel discussion about their careers.  

We also attended award-winning author Garyn G. Roberts' lecture about the life and work of the late, great Ray Bradbury. 

Ray Bradbury and friend

We've been fans of Bradbury's work for some time and found much to enjoy in Roberts' talk.  For the record, we blogged about an adaptation of Bradbury's "The Halloween Tree" last year.  

RigbyMel with K-9 -- but ready to run if that Dalek behind me noticed I was there!

We even got to visit the TARDIS and some Doctor Who prop replicas thanks to the TARDIS Photo Booth. 

J.A. Morris exiting the TARDIS

We got to meet Robert Loggia.  Best remembered from his roles in the movie Big and the series T.H.E. Cat, he's one of the best character actors of all time.    

J.A. Morris and Robert Loggia

And Ed Asner,  who was every bit as salty, and funny and awesome as one would hope he'd be.  Asner has appeared in quite a few Christmas-themed productions (Elf, The X-Files, various holiday episodes of Mary Tyler Moore), we plan to review some of them this season.  

Asner says we're off the naughty list!

But our favorite celebrity that we got to hang out with was our friend Joanna Wilson of Christmas TV History.com.   She gave a lecture entitled "Entertaining Spirits: The Many TV Adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol".

Joanna and RigbyMel 

Her presentation was very informative, even for Christmas junkies like ourselves.  We both met her in 2010, we've done guest reviews on our respective blogs, it was great to see her in person again.

The Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention was a fun experience.  Future MANC events are well worth checking out if you get the chance.

-- RigbyMel and J.A. Morris

Gearing up for the Season(s)!

Hi again, long time no post here.  As you know, there aren't many holidays between 4th of July and Halloween.

But Autumn has arrived (in the air if not on the calendar).  Soon the leaves will be falling and our streets will be filled with ghosts, goblins,witches,superheroes and Miley Cyruses out for trick-or-treating.

The busiest time of year will soon be arriving for Holiday Film Reviews!

So your trusted bloggers are readying some reviews of new and classic viewing material for you.

 

But first, we'll be hitting the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention (MANC) in Hunt Valley,MD.

We're looking forward to checking out the seminars & celebrity guests.  And we expect to have fun interacting with fellow tv & movie fanatics!

Check back in a couple days for our report about MANC,

J.A. Morris & RigbyMel

Maude: "A Tuckahoe Bicentennial"

Maude and friends celebrate the "Spirit of '76"

First aired February 9, 1976

It's 1976 and Americans are swept up in Bicentennial Spirit.  Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur) of Tuckahoe, NY is no exception.  She has booked Tuckahoe's armory and plans to stage a musical variety show that will celebrate the contributions women have made throughout US history.

The cast will feature only women, no men.  She enlists her daughter Carol (Adrienne Barbeau), best friend Vivian (Rue McClanahan) and housekeeper Mrs. Naugatuck (Hermione Baddeley) and others to perform.  They are rehearsing a patriotic medley featuring "I Am Woman" with extra lyrics that mention many women of historical importance.

Maude's husband Walter (Bill Macy) and friend Arthur (Conrad Bain) don't understand why Maude would want to pay tribute to American women this way. Walter's appliance store is one of several local businesses sponsoring the show and he hopes to make a big profit from his "Buy-Centennial Sell-A-Bration".  He believes men will stay home from an all-female show, thereby killing his sales figures.

"You know, that President Ford is a smart cookie.  Just when the economy hits rock bottom, he dreams up this gimmick of a Bicentennial!" - Arthur Harmon

Colonel Reikert (Richard Deacon), who operates the armory, isn't happy either.

He needs to sell tickets to make money as well and threatens to eject Maude and cancel her musical.  Maude is defiant and continues to rehearse her women-centric song & dance numbers.

If that isn't enough trouble, Vivian is determined to perform some solo songs in the show.  Maude finds all her songs to be less than desirable.  

Vivian (dressed as Carrie Nation) REALLY wants a solo number in the show 

The colonel is ready to cancel the event until tickets for the musical sell out.  Walter and Arthur also change their tune.  Maude is disappointed, thinking Walter is only concerned with his wallet.  She threatens to cancel the show causing Walter to have a moment of clarity.  He trashes his store's display and tells Maude she should do the show her way.

Walter destroys his store's display booth

He also requests that the men of Tuckahoe be allowed to do one number in the show to demonstrate their solidarity.

In the new atmosphere of cooperation, Maude relents and allows the show to go on with the additional number from the men.

Maude as George Washington on a horse! 

Will the show be a success?  Will the additional number from the gents celebrate the dignity of American women?  Will Maude's portrayal of George Washington be well-received?   Watch and find out!

J.A. Morris's Review:

First off, let me say that Maude was a great series.  I watched it when it was airing new episodes back in the 1970s, but I appreciate it more as an adult.  The issues that were discussed on the show are still relevant, and it's also hilarious.   Maude currently airs on Antenna TV, check to see if it's part of your cable package.  We hope to review Christmas episodes of the series in the near future.

The Bicentennial was a major event of my childhood.  Red, white and blue products were everywhere, George Washington, Ben Franklin and 'Yankee Doodle' were in seemingly every commercial and it bordered on the obscene.  4th of July parades were bigger than ever.  And who can forget Bicentennial Minutes?

"A Tuckahoe Bicentennial" captures this moment nicely.  In the era of 2nd Wave Feminism, who can blame Maude for wanting to celebrate the overlooked contributions of women since 1776?  And Walter's attempt to cash in on the once-in-a-lifetime event mirrors what most local businesses were up to at the time.

Arthur Harmon (Conrad Bain) and Walter Findlay (Bill Macy) contemplate the financial possibilities of the Bicentennial

The musical performances are still funny 37 years later.  Bea Arthur does a great job singing "You're A Grand Old Flag" in the manner of Barbra Streisand.

Maude channels Barbra Streisand.

Rue Mclanahan is also great as Vivian.  I felt like Maude was a bit rough on her best friend, but Vivian's song choices were weak at best.  While I always supported the goals of feminism, I've never cared for the song "I Am Woman."  But Maude, Carol and Vivian deliver a great version, and the extra "Bicentennial" lyrics make it an unforgettable performance.

Fans of classic television shows will appreciate the presence of Richard Deacon as Col. Reikert. Deacon is best remembered from his roles on Leave It To Beaver and The Dick Van Dyke Show.  He serves as a good foil for Maude in this episode.

There aren't many episodes or specials dedicated to Independence Day.  "A Tuckahoe Bicentennial" is a great episode of an influential series, and I can see myself watching it every year around July 4th from now on.  

J.A. Morris' rating:
4 Flags!

RigbyMel's review:

I was too young to remember much of the Bicentennial festivities, but I suspect that this episode from the fourth season of  Maude captures the ambiance of the time very well. This is a very fun and funny episode of the show.

Maude as George Washington

Being a bit of a music geek, I particularly enjoyed all of the great songs in the episode as well as the fact that it gave Bea Arthur a chance to show off some of her formidable Broadway talent. Her send up of Barbra Streisand is hilariously brilliant as is her impassioned performance of "You're Gonna Hear From Me" - a song (originally written for the 1965 film Inside Daisy Clover) which was covered by luminaries like Frank Sinatra ... and Barbra Streisand!

Maude sings "You're Gonna Hear From Me"

Hermoine Baddeley (who is probably best known nowadays for her performance as Ellen the maid in Mary Poppins) also gets a chance to show off her comedic singing talents in this episode.

Mrs. Naugatuck (dressed as Betsy Ross) takes some direction from Maude

The men's "tribute to women" at the end is utterly cringe-inducing and also utterly laugh-inducing.   If one can't have a little fun with feminism and its vicissitudes, what's the point?

"There is nothing like a dame, nothing in the world ....!" 

Credit is also due to Norman Lear for bringing great topical shows like Maude (and All In The Family, The Jeffersons and others) to television in the 1970s.   They often feel like good stage plays and tackle issues that continue to resonate today with humor and wit.

"A Tuckahoe Bicentennial" is well worth seeing if you get the chance.  It's available on the Maude:The Complete Series dvd boxset and Antenna TV currently airs reruns of Maude.

RigbyMel's rating:

4 Flags

It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown

Premiered March 16, 1976.

"What is Arbor Day? Oh, that's simple. That's the day when all the ships come sailing into the arbor!"
-Sally Brown, incorrectly answering Miss Othmar's question.

Sally (Gail Davis) has been assigned by her teacher to write about the history and meaning of Arbor Day.  Linus (Liam Martin) offers to help her and suggests the library will provide them with the needed information.

They learn Arbor Day was created by J. Sterling Morton, an early conservationist.  Linus reads aloud from a book that states "Arbor Day points out to both children and adults the need to protect certain areas of our natural forests and woodlands."  Arbor means tree, and trees are planted in celebration of Arbor Day.

Sally asks Linus if Spring really does turn a young man's fancy to thoughts of love

Meanwhile, Charlie Brown (Dylan Beach) and Peppermint Patty (Stuart Brotman) are sitting under a tree discussing love and baseball.  They're getting ready for the upcoming baseball season.  Peppermint Patty is confident that her team will soundly beat Chuck's team several times.  But she still wishes Chuck and his team good luck in the upcoming season.

Peppermint Patty is very confident her team will win against Chuck's team:
"Our team plays your team twelve times. We slaughter you twice in April, smash you three times in May, ruin you twice in June, murder you three times in July, annihilate you four times in August, and destroy you altogether in September." (Peppermint Patty's math appears to be off, she's actually just listed off fifteen games, not twelve!)

Sally enlists Linus' help to plant trees in honor of Arbor Day.  They run into Lucy (Sarah Beach), who thinks that's a good idea and joins them.  Sally and Lucy decide that Charlie Brown's baseball field is the perfect place to do some planting.  Linus isn't so sure, he thinks they should ask Charlie Brown first.  Lucy dismisses Linus' worries as "nonsense."  She says Chuck will be glad that they are improving his field.

Lucy tells Charlie Brown that they're fixing up the field, without explaining how they are fixing it.  Charlie Brown informs Peppermint Patty that the field will be in good shape for their opening day game.

The rest of the Peanuts gang (except for Chuck) get to work planting trees and other vegetation, including a new sapling right in the middle of Charlie Brown's pitcher's mound.

Linus is concerned about the tree on the mound, but Lucy says it will provide shade.  She adds that they could use "a little class on the pitcher's mound", a (not so subtle) dig at Chuck.

The Peanuts gang hard at work planting ... on the baseball field!

Lucy decides that they need more plants.  They plant rose bushes, daisies, geraniums, a creeping vine behind home plate and a vegetable garden in right field.

Snoopy runs afoul of a newly planted creeping vine behind home plate

In the meantime, Charlie Brown is working on baseball strategies, blissfully unaware of the havoc that is being wreaked upon his beloved baseball diamond.

What will Chuck's reaction be when he sees his new and "improved" baseball field?  Moreover, what will Peppermint Patty think of the field's condition when she arrives with her team?  Will the new field help lead Chuck's team to their first ever victory?   

J.A. Morris says:

I'm pretty sure I caught this special when it was brand new in 1976.  It's a good introduction to conservation for children and it's a solid Peanuts special.

Lucy celebrates her first-ever homerun:"Another victory for Women's Lib!"

There are several moments that still make me laugh:Woodstock's encounter with a sprinkler, Snoopy's wrestling match with a creeping vine and Charlie Brown screaming "quitters" during the rain-out are highlights.

The baseball game is another high point.  Baseball is often referenced in Charlie Brown specials, but we rarely see Chuck and company play a game.  Watching Chuck and Peppermint Patty's teams square off surrounded by cornfields and tomato plants provides us with some very entertaining action.

There are some minor subplots in It's Arbor Day.  The special opens up with a scene with Linus' brother Rerun (Vinny Dow) riding on the back of his mother's bicycle.  Rerun was a recent addition to the Peanuts comic strip and this was his animated debut.

We also get some funny scenes involving Snoopy and Woodstock (both voiced by Bill Melendez) at the library.  Snoopy finds some books about dog obedience that make him laugh loudly in the library, drawing the ire of the librarian.  Woodstock also has an unfortunate encounter with a photocopier.

The only problem I have with this special is Charlie Brown's voice.  Dylan Beach isn't terrible, but there's something not quite right about him.  According to imdb, this is Beach's only screen credit, so perhaps the producers shared my assessment.

On a sad note, this was the last special that featured new music from regular Peanuts composer Vince Guaraldi.  He died shortly before this special aired and Charlie Brown specials were never quite the same.  But Guaraldi did some nice work here.  During the baseball game, we get some fun organ-based music that will make you feel like you're watching the game in a stadium.  

A chagrined Charlie Brown tries to explain the "improved" field to Peppermint Patty

It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown has a nice story with action and humor.  It's provides a bit of education about Arbor Day and it also celebrates another uniquely American "holiday": opening day of baseball season!
For more information about Arbor Day (and conservation in general), check out the official site of the Arbor Day foundation:

http://www.arborday.org/

J.A. Morris' rating:

.5

3 and a half kite eating trees.

Aaaaaugh!

RigbyMel says: 
This special was seldom aired on TV, so I didn't get around to seeing it until it was released on DVD.   It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown is a very cute and fun special.   I like the educational aspects about Arbor Day and also the fact that Linus and Sally (as well as Snoopy and Woodstock) visit their local public library to do research.

The gang's impulse to plant and beautify is laudable, but one really does feel for Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty's distress at the transformation of the baseball field.

The transformed baseball diamond

There are some wonderful funny details included in this special,  like the use of baseball bats as tomato stakes.

Creative baseball bat useage

And also Snoopy's mirth over the dog obedience training book at the library and inadvertent photocopying of Woodstock are amusing.

Who knew dog obedience training books could be so funny?

I do detect a hint of (perhaps inadvertent) irony in a sequence involving Snoopy and Woodstock using a photocopier (and wasting paper) in a show about trees and conservation.

Age old photocopier silliness

Lucy's "victory for Women's Lib" is pretty funny as well.

My only real complaint would be a desire to see a compromise of some sort allowing the Peanuts gang to keep both the baseball field AND the lovely community garden they plant for Arbor Day!

This is a fun special that has been overlooked.  It's worth checking out on DVD or via Netflix if you've the time or inclination.

RigbyMel's rating:

3 (kite eating?)  trees