Reviews

Being an avid record collector, I came across many copies of the cast album of this special at oldies record shops and record meets. Then around 1995 - when VHS tapes were still popular - I saw a videotape of "The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood" at a dollar store but decided not to buy it. About three years ago, I bought a (stereo) vinyl copy of the cast album and enjoyed the music; it had me longing to see the visual counterpart. Then what should I run across on You Tube shortly thereafter but the special itself. I have now made watching "Red Riding Hood" an annual holiday tradition since buying the DVD late last month.

Of course, Cyril Ritchard as the wolf was funny when he recounts how he attempted to make friends with Red but failed, especially when he puts his own spin on Shakespearean quotes. I also wasn't aware this was Liza Minnelli's TV debut, but she certainly makes quite an impression in the starring role. And of course the Animals were in great form when they sang their big number, "We're Gonna Howl Tonight." (Why didn't ABC Records, who released the cast album of "Red Riding Hood," or MGM Records, to which the Animals were then signed, put out a single of "We're Gonna Howl Tonight?" I'll bet it would have climbed up the charts.)

And, as I'm typing this I can't get some of those songs out of my head, especially "Red Riding Hood," "Snubbed," "Woodsman's Serenade," and "We're Gonna Howl Tonight." Those are guaranteed to stick to your brain until after the holiday season is over - but *I* liked them!

Now, to those readers who asked why there isn't a digitally remastered and color version of "Red Riding Hood," it's because - sadly - when the copyright on this program expired in 1993, ABC neglected to renew said copyright; therefore the show is in the public domain (any TV show or movie made before January 1, 1978 is subject to a renewal since the copyright only lasts for 28 years). Apparently ABC was too preoccupied with their upcoming merger with Disney, so they forgot to renew the copyright (perhaps ABC wasn't also aware they still had "Red Riding Hood" in their archives?). I was also astonished to discover "Red Riding Hood" was originally broadcast in color, but unless Disney/ABC wakes up and gets that copyright renewed, I guess we'll have to be grateful the black-and-white kinescope of "Red Riding Hood" exists on DVD. (If ABC had renewed the copyright, I'll bet they would indeed have been able to digitally remaster - and even *colorize* - "Red Riding Hood.")

Adding insult to injury regarding the cast album is that although Universal Music's Geffen Records label - who succeeded to and now owns ABC Records' catalog - still owns the rights to the album, there is *no* surviving master tape from which a digitally remastered recording (CD or streaming) could be made. This is because in the mid-1970's, when ABC Records was still in business, they threw out many of the mid-1950's to mid-1960's ABC Paramount masters - including this album - in order to conserve warehouse space (Ray Charles, Paul Anka, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, and Jim Croce escaped that fate, however, since they took possession of their ABC masters after they left the label). Therefore, if a rerelease of the "Red Riding Hood" album came out, it would most likely be sourced from a "needle drop" on vinyl. (Spoiler alert to any audiophiles who purchase the Substance DVD of "Red Riding Hood:" the cast album audio *is* included as a bonus, but it was taken from a *mono* copy on vinyl, and some scratches and pops will be heard. If you can overcome those handicaps, though, I'm sure you will enjoy listening to it.)

Despite the above defects, "The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood" was an enjoyable holiday special, and now I'm glad I have the DVD of the show. (I was only 3 years old when "Red Riding Hood" first aired in 1965; my father was not too much of a fan of the Gumm family's (i.e. Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, etc.) work, and he seemed to do a fairly good job of keeping the show's airing a secret from me and my younger sister (lol). But, I'm glad the show was somehow preserved.) I'll give it an 8.

I saw this movie for the very first time on Vudu last night. In 1965, I was only 3 years old, and my folks didn't think my younger sister and I were ready to go to any movies yet.

I thought "Zebra in the Kitchen" was very enjoyable. Sure, the plot was rather simple, but there were some funny moments, such as when the ostrich swallowed the transistor radio and changed stations every time he hiccuped, the citizens of the city ran from the animals in fast motion, and when a young boy thanks his parents for the pony they bought him, which turns out to be the zebra in the kitchen (hence the film's title).

I also enjoyed this film because it took me back to a simpler time in my life, when all I had to worry about was missing cartoons on Saturday mornings, going to bed early, or punishment. And it seemed life in the mid-60's was also simpler (before all the riots that were to come, etc.). Sometimes I think my folks (may they rest in peace) had it good back then also. (I *do* remember when MGM rereleased "Zebra in the Kitchen" in 1971 as part of their "Children's Matinees" series. I had begged and pleaded with my mom to have her take me and my younger sister to see the film, but she couldn't, especially since we only had one car then and my dad was very skittish about my mom wanting to borrow the car for unimportant reasons.)

Also being an avid oldies buff, I sometimes see the 45 of the theme song by the Standells on Ebay or other record-related sites (I believe it *didn't* chart on Billboard's Hot 100). Sundazed Music rereleased the 45 of "Zebra in the Kitchen" as an item for Record Store Day in the mid-2010's. Now that I own a fully-restored Seeburg Sunstar jukebox, I'll eventually seek a copy of that 45. I think that would sound rather cool on the jukebox.

They certainly *don't* make films like this anymore. "Zebra in the Kitchen" is pure family escapism at its best. I'll give it an 8.

(And for the record, the very first movie I ever remember seeing in a theater was Walt Disney's "The Jungle Book." That was in late 1967 and I was only 5 then.)

I remember "Split Second" very well.

When it premiered on ABC in 1972, I had just turned 10, but watched it when I was home during summer vacations or any days off I had from school. Moreover, I had a better appreciation for cars after watching that show; I never really noticed the makes and models of cars I saw on the road before "Split Second." Whenever I saw a Pontiac Grand Prix or Chevy Corvette, for example, I would say, "That's the car I saw on 'The Car Show' (my alternate title for "Split Second")!" And, I also remember for Christmas 1972 I received a model car kit (remember those?) of a 1973 Corvette, which my dad (may he rest in peace) helped me put together and paint. And, many times when I was 11, I remember telling my dad "I want a Pontiac Grand Prix when I grow up!" (Sadly, GM discontinued Pontiac in October 2010, and as of this posting I drive a 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible - but that's *nothing* to sneeze at, and if that's about as close as I get to owning a sports/luxury car in my lifetime, I'm indeed *lucky.*)

To answer kayakkenn's question about the cars "Split Second" featured: They were only *General Motors* products, namely, Chevys one week and Pontiacs the next, although in early 1974 for one month instead of the Chevys they had *Buicks* on one week and Pontiacs the next. (It's too bad when "Split Second" featured the Buicks they didn't have the then-futuristic-looking Riviera among the lineup.)

And I remember some of the (now-lost) episodes very distinctly: In early 1973, a lady who called herself "Beaver" won a 1973 Chevy Monte Carlo after turning the key and the car started; on an earlier episode, a Kathleen Schmidtke won a 1973 Chevy Impala (I believe). And then on four 1974 episodes, a returning champion named Barry Coleman was wearing his family's "good luck pants" (some brown plaid trousers, but then, that was early 70's fashion) and tried to win a Pontiac Grand Safari wagon, but couldn't start the car and on the fifth day was defeated by somebody else.

I was also always hoping that whenever the Chevys were featured the contestants would go for the Corvette, Camaro, Chevelle (especially if it was the Super Sport model), or Monte Carlo, and when the Pontiacs were featured they would choose the Grand Prix or Firebird. I also began to suspect "random" meant "rigged" after a while (at the close of each show, Jack Clark was heard saying, "The car that started today and the cars that were blacked out were selected *entirely at random* just prior to the start of today's program"), because I noticed the cars that started - particularly the Pontiacs - began to follow a pattern; for example, the Ventura would start on Tuesdays, the Grand Safari wagon on Thursdays, and the Firebird on Fridays. Shades of the Quiz Show Scandals of the late 50's I heard about, maybe?

I, too, remember all the blurbs about "It's a Brand New Day on ABC!" and their adding two more soap operas right before the show got canceled in June 1975; I thought, "Well, it may be a brand new day for soap fans (especially the target audience), but it's a *sad* day for me (as well as other "Split Second" fans) now that 'The Car Show' is going off!" But, since I was 13 at that time, that gave me more time to spend outside on nice days during summer vacations, as well as more opportunities to do other things during fall and winter on other days off from school.

I also remember I often fought with my mom when I was home to see "Split Second," as she usually watched "Search for Tomorrow" on CBS, which was on against it (most of the time, she would let me see "Split Second;" you have to remember VCRs weren't around in the early 70's). But I *do* remember seeing that 1975 "Split Second" finale; I distinctly remember my dad was home on a week's vacation and he told my mom, "I don't want to listen to any soap operas." Thanks, dad!

I was sorry to hear recently ABC brainlessly "wiped" (erased) about 97% of all the "Split Second" episodes in 1976 to use the tapes for other programming (boo-hiss!). I was recently able to see those surviving six episodes on You Tube; one contestant chose a 1972 Grand Prix and won it after turning the key. And, I also saw the 1975 finale once again - what memories. (Besides the modification to the intro Richard Wagoner mentioned above, Jack Clark also changed the closing spiel on that last show: "'Split Second' *was* a Stefan Hatos/Monty Hall Production.")

I read at Wikipedia that the UCLA Film and Television Archives has about 15 other episodes of "Split Second" in their collection. I can only hope Monty Hall's production company can strike a deal with UCLA and put those other surviving "Split Seconds" out on DVD or You Tube. (For the record, I *never* had a chance to see the 1986 revival, which *is* still surviving; at that time - after just graduating from college - I was busy trying to get my career off the ground.)

In any event, "Split Second" was great fun. I'll give it a 9.

I remember first seeing "Alias St. Nick" in 1971 when I was in fourth grade at Lewton Elementary School (which I dubbed "Auschwitz I") in Lansing, Michigan. I remember our homeroom teachers (it was one of those "team-teaching" schools then) surprised us with a showing of this short on the Friday afternoon before Christmas break that year. I just ran across this short on You Tube, and was surprised to see it again after so long.

Although I am not really a fan of the MGM cartoons (I always liked the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies better), "Alias St. Nick" ranks as one of those rare exceptions. Especially amusing was the "train" sequence; I always remembered those tracks running across the far-back hallway of the mice's cave home.

(For some strange reason, the print of "Alias St. Nick" I saw in school was in black and white, or maybe the print began to deteriorate and the colors were fading; obviously, in 1971 there *wasn't* any such thing as "digital remastering." And, ironically, *Warner Bros.* now owns this short today; Time Warner, Inc. (now WarnerMedia, a division of AT&T (!)) bought out Turner Entertainment Company in 1998, which in turn had bought out the pre-June 1986 MGM library of films and TV shows in September 1986, including this short subject.)

I give "Alias St. Nick" a 7, especially for the (few good) childhood memories (at that time) it evokes. (To be sure, later Christmases became *much* better.)

Yes, I agree with dbborroughs' comment 100%. This seems like the sort of thing that should have been shown at an elementary school assembly produced by AAA rather than in a cinema.

Especially when - according to Leonard Maltin and Richard Bann's 1992 "Little Rascals" book - you consider this was the 200th (!) film made in the "Our Gang" series, it *could have* been something funnier, such as the upcoming "Going to Press" or "Mighty Lak a Goat" (my all-time favorite "Our Gang" short).

About the only two scenes I thought were funny was when a girl was getting ready to cross the street and as she was looking both ways she seemed as if she was bouncing her head on her shoulders while she was counting aloud, and of course Froggy's closing speech he gave in a high voice so as not to ruin any more microphones.

For those reasons, I give "1-2-3 Go!" a 5.

No, this *isn't* the worst Our Gang short made ("The New Pupil" should take that honor) - it's the most *soporific.*

This film makes you think of the kind of junk that: (1) back in the day, you had to watch in high school during History class; or (2) if your own (personal) TV set was broken or your folks grounded you, this was the kind of boring pap they were watching on PBS and forced you to listen to, whether you were done with your homework or not (and then you wished either your own TV was working again and/or your grounding was rescinded so you could enjoy something *really* escapist *and* funny like "Happy Days," "Laverne and Shirley," or "Welcome Back, Kotter" - I guess you could tell I was a teenager in the late 70's!).

Not even one scene that came close to producing a chuckle, in which Janet Burston told the "mugs" in the audience to keep quiet and then made a face, could save this sleep-inducing exercise.

Since Warner Bros. - via Turner Entertainment Co. - now owns this Our Gang film, and since their Turner Classic Movies channel occasionally runs some of these MGM-produced Our Gangs as short subjects between features, then perhaps TCM should air "Benjamin Franklin, Jr." late at night as a public service to hardcore insomniacs.

Not recommended except for history geeks only. Avoid at all costs.

I remember my dad, mom, and younger sister were anticipating watching this special after seeing the promos for it, which I remember CBS aired practically non-stop. I, on the other hand, remember at the same time that evening I watched a syndicated rerun of a National Geographic special from 1967, "Holland Against the Sea" on the black-and-white TV set in my bedroom, which aired on another local station (I was watching that National Geographic as extra credit for a school assignment; I was 13 years old at that time).

Now, fast-forward to the present day, when I was able to see a few snippets of "Mary's Incredible Dream" on You Tube after reading some comments about the special here at IMDb and also at Shock Cinema Magazine.com.

I can *confidently* say I *agree* with the other reviewers' comments - especially 4-Eyes' and 15231's - and *didn't* miss much.

"Mary's Incredible Dream" *definitely was* nothing more than a vanity vehicle for Ms. Moore. A good portion of the numbers were overdone, particularly that "Come On, Get Happy" one a few minutes into the special (yes, I knew Ms. Moore herself was a dancer; anybody who remembers those production numbers she did with Dick Van Dyke on his sitcom should know that) and the whole concept itself seemed rather excessive for a one-hour special.

But I had to see that "****-kicking portable washboard number" Shock Cinema Magazine.com described in their critique of this special (that song was "Mama's Got the Know-How," which Ms. Moore sang with country singer Doug Kershaw and the chorus) - *that* was rather funny (Ms. Moore was dressed up like a late-60's - early 70's hippie, wearing a headband), and it seemed the only somewhat restrained but good number in the whole show. (The still photo Shock Cinema Magazine.com used of Ben Vereen as Lucifer in the green outfit whispering something to Ms. Moore as she holds her hand to her mouth in dismay was also funny; she somehow reminded me of that British cartoon character Crystal Tipps in that pose, especially her hairstyle.)

The whole program itself was somewhat reminiscent of those Dora Hall musical specials in its production values - particularly in the "Come On, Get Happy" number - except unlike Ms. Hall, who often used that dated John Seely stock music for cues in her specials *in between* other songs that were performed, Ms. Moore went *all out* in the music for her special, especially in using Arthur Fiedler, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and the California Boys Choir. Ms. Moore spared no expense in the visual effects department, either, something Ms. Hall and her cohorts could probably never afford for her low-budget specials.

And also, what was the deal with the sound waves scrawling across the screen introducing each act? I felt as if I was about to read some technical info from the liner notes of one of those vinyl stereo percussion albums from the early 60's my folks had!

It was rather surprising to see "Mary's Incredible Dream" was nominated for three Emmys, mostly in the technical categories. Happily, this special *didn't* win any of them (but, just about *anything* MTM Enterprises churned out back then seemed to enamor the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences).

All told, I *didn't* regret seeing that rerun of the National Geographic special that night while my folks and my younger sister saw "Mary's Incredible Dream" on the big color console TV in the living room. My folks soon shared everyone else's opinion - "Mary's Incredible Dream" *wasn't* all that hot.

20th Century Fox Television now owns "Mary's Incredible Dream," in addition to most of the other MTM Enterprises properties. I'm *very* certain Fox *doesn't* have any plans at this time to resurrect this special on DVD; music royalties for some of those songs could also pose a problem in the special seeing a DVD release. And, since this special was made before January 1, 1978, when the current copyright laws took effect, it's uncertain whether or not Fox renewed the copyrights on "Mary's Incredible Dream."

One funny thought, though: If "Mary's Incredible Dream" was in the public domain, wouldn't it be great if, say, it were spoofed on "Mystery Science Theater 3000?" I can only imagine the funny comments the two robots and that one human with them would be slinging at the screen while watching this show.

I agree with teeshirt51's comment. "The Legend of Lizzie Borden" *should* be put on DVD.

I remember when this first aired in February 1975, I was 12 years old, and I also remember all the controversy surrounding this made-for-TV film; my father watched it but my mother, sister, and I did not (I was worried I'd have nightmares back then, based on all the warnings I'd heard).

Now fast-forward to 1987, when the film was already in syndication and I was 24 years old.

*What was so bad about it?* It certainly was *tamer* than I expected, yet *accurate* in its portrayal of the incident (and, mercifully, "Friday the 13th" it *wasn't*).

But I have to admit, some of the dialogue was so *funny* - unintentionally, of course - I couldn't stop laughing for a while (e.g. when Lizzie says Abby could live off her own fat for six days after Abby said she won't be cast out in the street and - the best lines, I thought - when Abby called Lizzie "Princess Lizzie" and said she knows about how Lizzie would twist people's arms to get her own way. To which Lizzie shot back that if she weren't a lady, she would twist Mrs. Borden's arm "right out of its socket!").

Yes, I do agree with the other readers that this was definitely worthy of some Emmys; pity it didn't win any (what did Katharine Hepburn win the Emmy for that year?).

I had a friend record "The Legend of Lizzie Borden" for me on VHS tape in 1988 when it was on Cinemax; however, the tape has since been (inadvertently) destroyed. The last time I saw "Lizzie Borden" was when I was visiting another friend in New Jersey in October 1992, when it was rerun on WPIX, Channel 11 in New York City; little did I realize that would be the *last* time I'd see it for a while, period.

Paramount Television, who produced "Lizzie Borden," morphed into CBS Television Studios a few years ago (CBS Television Distribution now syndicates the film). Thus, CBS DVD - distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment - would hold the DVD rights.

So, CBS/Paramount, if you're reading this I hope you'll not delay any further and see about getting "Lizzie Borden" on DVD. Funny dialogue notwithstanding, it was a very well-done and suspenseful film!