While film is great and certainly cinematic, there is something about the old fashioned video tape that made TV plays more intimate and thus giving the viewer an ability to really see into the character's souls. For old time movie star Norma Desmond and down-on-his-luck screenwriter Joe Gillis, this gives a new look at characters the audience was familiar with in the 1950 classic movie. Mary Esther, one of my favorite actresses because of her ability to play a variety of parts, is terrific as Norma Desmond, perhaps even a bit more pathetic in scope than Gloria Swanson's version of her and yet not as insane looking as the musical drama version played by Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Betty Buckley and others. And watching the teleplay, it is obvious that lyricist Don Black took lines directly from the script to add to Andrew Lloyd Webber's music. When the writing is good, you can do that.
Darren McGavin, another one of my favorites from his roles as Bannacheck in "The Night Stalker" and the father in "A Christmas Story", gives a new aspect on the role of the cenacle Gillis who hides out in Desmond's Mansion while on the run from people trying to repossess his car. He ends up looking at her script for an epic about Salome and becomes her kept man. He's more desperate than opportunistic, so that adds some sympathy to what happened to him. Walter Koehler puts a completely different take on the Erich von Stroheim character of Max, and while Stern, he is certainly less severe. Musical comedy actress Gloria De Haven doesn't sing as Betty Schaefer, but she is very good, particularly funny in the scene where she criticizes mcgavin's writing, not knowing that he is in the room.
Today we asked why classics like this were remade on such low budgets, and it's a necessity to remember that other than the Late Late Show on television channels there were, the opportunity to see old movies was rare. It is also obvious that these classic kinescopes are works of art in their own right, and once you get past the familiarity of the story, you can view televised live programs in a different life. All eyes are on Aster who could have easily gone over the top, but she is commanding, not demanding, and is a perfect choice to play such a vital part. Fortunately, it is also less camp although a few moments are of course over the top.
Darren McGavin, another one of my favorites from his roles as Bannacheck in "The Night Stalker" and the father in "A Christmas Story", gives a new aspect on the role of the cenacle Gillis who hides out in Desmond's Mansion while on the run from people trying to repossess his car. He ends up looking at her script for an epic about Salome and becomes her kept man. He's more desperate than opportunistic, so that adds some sympathy to what happened to him. Walter Koehler puts a completely different take on the Erich von Stroheim character of Max, and while Stern, he is certainly less severe. Musical comedy actress Gloria De Haven doesn't sing as Betty Schaefer, but she is very good, particularly funny in the scene where she criticizes mcgavin's writing, not knowing that he is in the room.
Today we asked why classics like this were remade on such low budgets, and it's a necessity to remember that other than the Late Late Show on television channels there were, the opportunity to see old movies was rare. It is also obvious that these classic kinescopes are works of art in their own right, and once you get past the familiarity of the story, you can view televised live programs in a different life. All eyes are on Aster who could have easily gone over the top, but she is commanding, not demanding, and is a perfect choice to play such a vital part. Fortunately, it is also less camp although a few moments are of course over the top.