WEBVTT 1 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:36.759 Where were you on November the nineteen seventy two? 2 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:39.039 I wasn't even born yet. Where were you? 3 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:42.399 I wasn't born either, But you know what was born? HBO, 4 00:00:42.759 --> 00:00:47.679 the very first paid subscription cable television service. It would 5 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:51.159 soon spread like a virus across the United States, although 6 00:00:51.159 --> 00:00:55.479 it began humbly by just showing a NHL hockey game 7 00:00:56.159 --> 00:00:59.759 Vancouver Canucks versus the New York Rangers. Now, the reason 8 00:00:59.799 --> 00:01:01.240 they they were able to show that, the reason that 9 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:03.679 they needed to show that is because suddenly they had 10 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:07.719 their own twenty four hour television station and virtually no 11 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:10.280 content to fill it, so they would fill it any 12 00:01:10.280 --> 00:01:12.840 way they can't. Originally called the Green Channel, did you 13 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:13.760 know that that was that? 14 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:14.959 I didn't know that that was. 15 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:17.640 Their working title? And then when they got funding from 16 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:19.640 Time Warner, they were going to call it the Sterling 17 00:01:19.799 --> 00:01:22.879 Cable Network. And then somebody else said, well, maybe we 18 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:26.319 should make it attractive. And so the idea of buying 19 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:28.280 a ticket from a box office and it's at your 20 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:29.640 home box office, here we go. 21 00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:31.760 So evocative. I love that. I love that name. I 22 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:32.280 always did. 23 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:34.840 I did too, And of course that the ad their 24 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:37.400 their little promotional logo in the nineteen eighties with the 25 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:39.439 miniature city. Cannot be beat. 26 00:01:39.640 --> 00:01:41.079 That theme, I love it. 27 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:01.680 HBO was the first many stations they'd soon spawn. The 28 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:04.079 Cinemax Showtime would jump onto the scene. There'd be a 29 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:07.319 whole bunch of a whole bunch of local cable networks. 30 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:10.599 That Z channel was a paid cable network in Los 31 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:15.000 Angeles pretty famously, but so much time and so little 32 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:16.879 to fill it, so you did it anyway you could, 33 00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:24.120 including on occasion showing filmed versions of theatrical productions. Now, 34 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:28.560 this is our Patreon only subscriber show, but this is 35 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:32.680 our inaugural episode, so we're including everybody. We're welcome everyone, 36 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:34.879 all you midnight viewers. This is what some of the 37 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:36.719 stuff you're going to get over on the Patreon channel. 38 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:41.000 This is Cable Box Theater and my co host is 39 00:02:41.159 --> 00:02:46.319 night mister Walters and Noise Junkies host mister HP. HP. 40 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:46.960 How are you doing. 41 00:02:47.639 --> 00:02:50.719 I'm doing great. I'm so excited that these are real 42 00:02:51.319 --> 00:02:54.039 great memories from when i was a kid watching these 43 00:02:54.039 --> 00:02:56.879 old cable shows, so I'm really excited to talk about 44 00:02:56.879 --> 00:02:58.560 this with you as such. 45 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:00.039 We're we're going to be We're gonna be takes you 46 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:02.120 can look at a lot of these theatrical productions, and 47 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:05.240 you can too, because everything we're going to be talking about, 48 00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:07.000 we're going to be spoiling. But everything we're going to 49 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:10.400 be covering here at Cable Box Theater is available for free. 50 00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:14.319 Our choice tonight is available on YouTube, so you can 51 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:16.479 go watch that right now if you'd like, and then 52 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:19.159 come back and we'll be waiting now. It's actually kind 53 00:03:19.159 --> 00:03:20.719 of a bait and switch here because we are talking 54 00:03:20.759 --> 00:03:24.199 about something that was filmed for television broadcast, and it 55 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:26.879 is a film of a theatrical production, but this one 56 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:29.800 actually aired in nineteen seventy five, and it aired on. 57 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:33.120 It was a late night They buried it in their 58 00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:37.680 late night schedule because they were attempt the theatrical production 59 00:03:37.879 --> 00:03:40.840 was a flop and they were looking to recoup some 60 00:03:40.919 --> 00:03:44.400 of the show's financial losses and boost interest in licensing 61 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:46.240 by putting it on network television. 62 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:51.280 And how coincidental that with the recent resurgence of the 63 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:54.719 DC universe with James Gunn at the Helm and the 64 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:58.039 first character he's decided to tackle his Superman and way 65 00:03:58.039 --> 00:04:00.800 back in nineteen seventy five February the twenty first of 66 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:04.520 nineteen seventy five on ABC, they aired It's a Bird, 67 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:07.479 It's a Plane, It's Superman. 68 00:04:15.159 --> 00:04:44.199 Wide World Special. HP. 69 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:49.639 You're a super fan of Superman, are you not? I? 70 00:04:49.720 --> 00:04:53.560 Yes, I was a big comic book kid growing up. 71 00:04:54.519 --> 00:04:58.600 I wouldn't say I was. I was a huge Superman collector. 72 00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:03.639 I certainly was. I saw the original Christopher Reeve Superman 73 00:05:03.720 --> 00:05:06.199 in nineteen seventy eight. I saw that in the theater 74 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:09.600 as a five year old. He in fact, did make 75 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:12.519 me believe a man could fly. And just in terms 76 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:15.319 of pop culture, I've always been fascinated by Superman. Because 77 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:17.560 well we're not going to go into it here, but yes, 78 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:20.319 I've always loved Superman. So I was really excited. I 79 00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:25.800 own the Broadway cast production of the soundtrack to this 80 00:05:25.920 --> 00:05:30.120 show from nineteen sixty six. To be really honest, brutally honest, 81 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:31.680 I've never been able to get through the whole thing 82 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:34.800 for one reason or another, so I was excited to 83 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:39.839 actually see this production of that show. What were your 84 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:41.959 thoughts going into this? I know obviously you were big 85 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.399 into comics as well, just like I was. What were 86 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:46.120 your thoughts coming into this? 87 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:48.839 I was always a big fan of Superman as a 88 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:53.319 comic character, though preferred to see him cinematically. I wanted 89 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:55.480 to see him fly around. I loved all of the 90 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:58.959 old cereals, you know, in the television series in the 91 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:04.319 nineteen fifties, George Reeves and the old Fleischer cartoons. I 92 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:06.839 was not so much into the comic, but for some reason, 93 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:10.399 I do need to see Superman flying and not a 94 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:11.639 drawing of him doing that. 95 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:15.160 Superman was certainly one of those for me. It was 96 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:17.560 like an old guard. I was always more of a 97 00:06:17.560 --> 00:06:20.360 Marvel kid growing up, because Superman always seemed to be 98 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:23.360 a bit of a fuddy duddy. That's terrible. Only a 99 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:26.360 fuddy dudy would actually say fuddyduddy nowadays, But he was 100 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:30.160 always more of a you know, the boy scout kind 101 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:32.360 of boring as a comic. I think. 102 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:40.279 Superman Man, am I glad to see you? What are 103 00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:41.759 you doing on this deserted road. 104 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:44.000 Some guys from school drove out here and we've got 105 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:46.319 to stop pooling around with drugs. When I told them 106 00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:48.000 all drugs do is mess up your head and get 107 00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:49.800 you in a lot of trouble, they kicked me out 108 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:50.959 of the van and drove off. 109 00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:53.439 You're right not to get involved in the drug scene. 110 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:55.439 Nobody with any sense wants any. 111 00:06:55.319 --> 00:06:55.680 Part of it. 112 00:06:55.879 --> 00:06:56.720 How do I get home? 113 00:06:57.240 --> 00:06:58.360 That's no problem at all. 114 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:03.279 Yeah, And well, that's the thing. The things that made 115 00:07:03.319 --> 00:07:05.000 me think he was a nerd when I was a kid, 116 00:07:05.079 --> 00:07:07.720 or the things I admire about him now, coupled with 117 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:10.360 we're not going to go full into nerddom here, but 118 00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:12.879 you know, coupled with the idea of the last son 119 00:07:12.920 --> 00:07:16.839 of Krypton this, you know, and raised right and then 120 00:07:16.920 --> 00:07:19.879 does the right thing like that, there's something great about that. 121 00:07:19.959 --> 00:07:23.240 My favorite Marvel characters Captain America, He and Superman would 122 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:26.399 be buddies. I think, at least the incarnations of Superman 123 00:07:26.439 --> 00:07:29.160 we got up until the nineteen eighties, when suddenly everything 124 00:07:29.160 --> 00:07:32.120 became gritty and dark, especially in the nineties. Oh my god, 125 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:35.759 he has to die anyway. Back in nineteen sixty six, 126 00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:38.600 no one was really thinking about Superman too much. But 127 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:42.519 you know who was David Newman and Robert Benton, screenwriters 128 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:47.439 of Bonnie and Clyde. They wrote the book, Charles Strauss 129 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:50.959 wrote the music with lyrics by Lee Adams. I would 130 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:55.399 say that they chose to adhere strictly to the idea 131 00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:58.279 of Superman, that they were given in the comic strips 132 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:03.399 in the nineteen thirties and really didn't pay any attention 133 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:06.040 to anything past that decade, even though it was a 134 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:07.480 contemporary set play. 135 00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:10.800 Agreed, But I think I would go further and say 136 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:14.680 I believe they were also influenced by the nineteen sixty 137 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:18.959 six Batman television show. The campiness of that can't be 138 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:24.800 overstated with this production, both the Broadway production and consequently 139 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:27.319 this televised version of it. There's a lot of biff 140 00:08:27.360 --> 00:08:32.080 bang pal at one point, and it's really, honestly, well 141 00:08:32.120 --> 00:08:35.360 we'll get to it, but it's it is almost playing 142 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:40.200 as a slyly sort of satirical look at Superman instead 143 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:44.320 of an actual story in the Superman universe. 144 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:47.960 Basically, well, it's funny you should mention Batman. This was 145 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:50.279 a flop on Broadway and you know, it only played 146 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:53.799 for one hundred and something performances, you know, basically played 147 00:08:53.799 --> 00:08:59.080 for six months effectively. But the creators of it felt 148 00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:01.679 as if The Batman had taken the wind out of 149 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:04.440 their sales, because why do you need to go see 150 00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:08.840 a parody of old cartoons and comic strips at a 151 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:10.840 theater when you can just sit at home every week 152 00:09:10.919 --> 00:09:14.919 and watch your favorite stars guest starring on this can't 153 00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:16.720 be fun romp. 154 00:09:17.080 --> 00:09:19.559 Well. The other thing that I couldn't help thinking as 155 00:09:19.559 --> 00:09:22.879 I'm watching this is well, number one, let's just say 156 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:26.799 like Superman is almost incidental to this production. He really 157 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:29.799 doesn't feature that much in it. It's mostly about his 158 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:32.679 antagonists and the things happening to them. But what you 159 00:09:32.679 --> 00:09:35.279 would get, at least in an average episode of Batman 160 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:39.519 that you don't get here much at all is some action. Sure, 161 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:41.919 it's can't be action in Batman, it's you know, the 162 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:45.720 superimposed Biff Bang pal, but there was a good ratio 163 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:49.480 of action to you know, other happenings in to give 164 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:52.200 an episode this it just seemed interminal. It goes on 165 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:55.120 forever and ever and there's barely any action going on, 166 00:09:55.480 --> 00:09:59.120 and in fact, for most of it, Superman is basically 167 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:02.080 just a sad sec loser. That was my impression as 168 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:02.720 I'm watching this. 169 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:07.080 It was awful as campions. The Batman television series ever was. 170 00:10:07.159 --> 00:10:09.639 They were complete comic book stories in a half an 171 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:12.080 hour or a couple of episodes. Obviously because it was 172 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:15.559 serialized on the same Bat time, same bat channel, they 173 00:10:15.559 --> 00:10:19.600 were telling you a story about Batman and fighting his villains. 174 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:26.240 This is more a satire I think about the sixties. 175 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:30.879 I guess I don't really know. The plot, such as 176 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:36.399 it is, involves Superman pining for Lois Lane, who only 177 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:39.480 has eyes for Superman. Like, that's the same Superman plot 178 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:42.000 we're going to get in everything. But it's really clumsy here, 179 00:10:42.039 --> 00:10:44.240 and Superman is a loser and nobody likes him, and 180 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:47.960 neither does the audience. That plot is going on. Meanwhile, 181 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:51.279 we've got Perry White running the newspaper. Perry White's kind 182 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:55.320 of hip and cool. We have an antagonist reporter named 183 00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:57.960 Mankin here played by Kenneth Morris. 184 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:01.960 Yeah. It was from young frankin Stein and the producers. 185 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:04.919 Yeah, and he is the best thing in the in 186 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:08.240 this production, and evidently in the original Broadway production was 187 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:10.759 played by Jack Cassidy, which I can only imagine how 188 00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:12.039 fucking fantastic that was. 189 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:14.159 That's right, Yeah, yeah, I did. I did come up 190 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:17.399 with that. Yeah, that's he what a gem. That guy 191 00:11:17.559 --> 00:11:20.600 was weird, but a really cool actor. 192 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:24.000 Yeah. He had a pretty spectacular episode of a Night Gallery, 193 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:25.639 which we covered on Midnight Viewing. 194 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:28.000 And he also had a great episode of Colombo. 195 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:31.240 He sure deal with that. He had a few episodes 196 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:32.240 of Colombo. 197 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:33.960 That's true. He was in a couple times. I'm thinking 198 00:11:33.960 --> 00:11:36.120 of the one where he was the Magician. I love 199 00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:37.720 that episode. I can't think of the name of it. 200 00:11:37.799 --> 00:11:40.919 But yeah, okay, So the major plot, such as it is, 201 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:44.879 there's a scientist who wants to get revenge on the 202 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:47.960 Nobel Prize Committee and he's going to use Superman to that. 203 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:53.600 And the villain here is doctor Abner Sedgwick, created for 204 00:11:53.639 --> 00:11:56.600 the Broadway play. Don't know why he's a mad scientist. 205 00:11:56.639 --> 00:11:59.279 He introduces himself as such. Why isn't this Lex Luthor. 206 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:02.159 I didn't nderstand that either. There's one of the big 207 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:04.720 problems I had with this is there's far too much 208 00:12:04.840 --> 00:12:08.799 that was created just for this production. I can't imagine 209 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:12.759 and that sort of period of time that it's not 210 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:14.399 as if there were going to be there was a 211 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:17.960 licensing issue the way they couldn't use Lex Luthor. It's 212 00:12:17.960 --> 00:12:20.759 inexplicable to me because you could have had that character 213 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:23.399 very easily be Lex Luthor with a few tweaks and 214 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:27.200 a few changes to his character and some of the 215 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:29.679 things that he does. But yeah, it didn't make any 216 00:12:29.679 --> 00:12:31.519 sense to me at all, but that kind of runs 217 00:12:31.559 --> 00:12:36.080 through This whole scenario is a lot of things concocted 218 00:12:36.200 --> 00:12:36.720 just for it. 219 00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:42.519 This Professor Abnercentwick is a ten time Nobel Prize losing scientists, 220 00:12:42.919 --> 00:12:45.519 and so his plan is to get revenge on them 221 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:49.759 by destroying the world's symbol of goods, Superman. Ooh, we 222 00:12:49.799 --> 00:12:52.320 said this was pretty much lifted from the nineteen thirties, 223 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:54.879 but even the nineteen thirties plots weren't this thin and stupid, 224 00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:58.519 which makes me, by the way, glad that they invented 225 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:01.759 a character because maybe uller heads prevailed and said, don't 226 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:04.519 use Lex Luthor, don't tarnish him by making him such 227 00:13:04.519 --> 00:13:06.360 a moron as a villain. 228 00:13:06.559 --> 00:13:09.120 But don't forget there's also so there's Abner Cedric, but 229 00:13:09.159 --> 00:13:13.360 there's also this sort of side plot where the mafia 230 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:18.039 also wants to take down Superman. I don't recall exactly 231 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.279 why they wanted maybe because he's just so powerful that 232 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:23.879 they want him out of the way. And one of 233 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:28.320 the mafioso is played by none other than al Malnaro 234 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:31.879 Al from Happy Days. That was quite a shocker to 235 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:36.639 see him there. Yeah, and he's not very good here. 236 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:40.320 No, he can't really sing. Nobody can really in this production, 237 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:41.919 it would seem so Yeah. 238 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:45.840 Leslie and Warren can sing, and no, no, and Loretta 239 00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:48.279 Switt is actually the best singer out of all of them. 240 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:51.360 Okay, didn't mention her. We have to mention her. She's 241 00:13:51.399 --> 00:13:55.440 part of the plot here, another invented character, why you know? 242 00:13:55.879 --> 00:13:58.159 And actually was interesting because I came in thinking that 243 00:13:58.360 --> 00:14:00.720 they were going to play her like would expect a 244 00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:05.720 society columnist to be very devious and sneaky, But truthfully, 245 00:14:05.799 --> 00:14:08.120 she's actually one of the more good hearted people of 246 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:10.120 the whole show. Really. 247 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:13.440 Yeah, right, let's get into this now. Because you brought 248 00:14:13.480 --> 00:14:14.919 up Leslieanne Warren. 249 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:20.000 She's terrible, Well you don't like you don't like Leslie 250 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:22.080 and Warren anyway, because you already are on record as 251 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:24.039 saying you hated her and clue. 252 00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:26.799 This is not our first tango with Leslieann Warren. I 253 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:31.200 thought she's bad and clue, and I think she's fucking dreadful. Here, man, 254 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:42.399 here's my impression of Leslie an Warren. Oh, that's Leslie 255 00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:45.840 and Warren from beginning to end in this Oh, that's. 256 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:46.799 The spirit Sydney. 257 00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:50.639 Oh, I wish I had encourage to feel the same 258 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:51.799 way about Superman. 259 00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:56.960 I'm tired of waiting around for him. She's miscast as 260 00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:01.440 Lois Lane. For me, Lois Lane is well. Margot Kidder 261 00:15:01.480 --> 00:15:04.679 is the epitome of los Lane. She's the driven, smart, 262 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:08.480 motivated reporter who will get the scoop no matter what. 263 00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:11.720 Leslie and Warren plays her more like kind of a 264 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:18.480 bubble headed sort of waif who is obsessed with Superman 265 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:23.399 but doesn't really understand what's going on, or she doesn't 266 00:15:23.399 --> 00:15:26.480 have a lot of agency in this in this production. 267 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:29.279 So yeah, she's maybe miscast, but I don't think that's 268 00:15:29.799 --> 00:15:31.799 she does the best with what she has. That's the 269 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:32.600 part that's written. 270 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:37.840 There's always one cast member in anything that's evoking another 271 00:15:37.960 --> 00:15:42.840 time where they have to fully commit to the other time, like, oh, 272 00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:45.000 this is kind of a screwball comedy we're doing, so 273 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:46.559 I'm going to play it just like they would have 274 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:49.879 played it in nineteen thirty nine. No, don't do that. 275 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:53.240 This play takes place in nineteen sixty six. She seems 276 00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:55.840 like she's like a like she stepped off of the 277 00:15:55.919 --> 00:16:00.200 silver screen. It's way too literal, But I will say 278 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:03.240 it's not entirely her fault because they let her go 279 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:07.200 with her terrible first instinct. By setting up Lois Lane 280 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:09.919 as a fucking moron of a character, she might as 281 00:16:09.960 --> 00:16:13.600 well be Clark Kent's secretary. She does nothing as a reporter. 282 00:16:13.799 --> 00:16:17.799 She just sits around mooning for Superman. At one point, 283 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:21.039 they give her a dream sequence where one of the 284 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:26.360 songs tells us what she really wants. 285 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:35.679 Wanted just to be away that Connie left his brothers 286 00:16:35.799 --> 00:16:36.559 was plot. 287 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:42.919 They then invented this character Sydney, played by Loretta Switt 288 00:16:42.919 --> 00:16:45.320 and originally by Linda Lavin in the original. In the 289 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:50.559 Broadway production, who is Lois Lane? That's Lois Lane. She 290 00:16:50.679 --> 00:16:52.919 goes nose to nose what the fucking villain of the 291 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:54.919 piece and lets him know what a shit he is. 292 00:16:55.240 --> 00:16:58.159 She encourages Clark that he's not a loser at all. 293 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:00.600 He's actually a good looking guy and he's got potential, 294 00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:02.840 and that he can be just as good as Superman. 295 00:17:03.080 --> 00:17:04.279 It's Lois Lane. 296 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:07.039 But you have to admit it is weird that they 297 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:11.079 have this charcause besides doing that, besides being effectively a 298 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:14.440 cheerleader for some of the characters in the picture or 299 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:16.920 in the picture in the show, she doesn't really do 300 00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:20.680 anything else. She doesn't really feature into any of the 301 00:17:20.759 --> 00:17:24.640 outside of the Daily Planet scenarios or scenes or anything 302 00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:28.000 like that. So as happy as I was and pleasantly 303 00:17:28.039 --> 00:17:31.200 surprised because I didn't know that Leretta's switt hot lips 304 00:17:31.319 --> 00:17:35.440 for mash could sing, could dance, could be so charming 305 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:40.240 and really, I think next to Kenneth Mars, I think 306 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:42.599 she was one of my favorite things in this production. 307 00:17:43.319 --> 00:17:46.279 Oh it's the two of them, Like the play comes 308 00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:48.559 alive with those characters. Unfortunately, it's supposed to be a 309 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:51.880 play about Superman, right, and one of big old chunk 310 00:17:51.880 --> 00:17:55.200 of would they got for Superman? Here Ali the America 311 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:56.640 and found the nations everywhere? 312 00:17:56.839 --> 00:17:57.799 Bad? We could get together? 313 00:17:58.000 --> 00:17:58.400 Awful? 314 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:02.279 Was Michael Parraine out of that he actually quits the 315 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:05.759 laure too young at this point or his brother Frank. 316 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:09.400 That's who I was getting flashbacks from. The guy looks 317 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:12.960 just like costUS Mandalore. You know what's interesting, This guy, 318 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:16.920 David Patrick Wilson is the guy who played Superman. I 319 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:19.720 think he was actually in Eddie and the Cruisers with 320 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:22.640 Michael Perey. It's crazy, what what a What a fine, 321 00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:24.480 what a poll you just made Father alone? 322 00:18:24.599 --> 00:18:30.119 You can't sing? I know that much, Man, see you. 323 00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:35.839 Night outdid. 324 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:52.480 This part of his set of skills as Superman is 325 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:53.480 not super singing. 326 00:18:54.200 --> 00:18:57.200 He's so bad. His costume is ill fitting. He's just 327 00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:03.480 a schlubby guy and there's zero charisma going on. It's Superman. Look, 328 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:06.000 we grew up you and I grew up Father Malone 329 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:09.160 with the really up to the at least up to 330 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:14.599 this point, the definitive Superman, Christopher Reeve, the man played 331 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:19.640 Superman beautifully. He played Clark Kent to a t. He 332 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:24.119 was nebbish, but there was a smirk about his performance, 333 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:28.720 Christopher Reeve. But with this guy, David Patrick Wilson, you 334 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:33.640 just get nothing from his performance of Clark Kent is 335 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:37.519 just he's just a schlub. He at one point he's 336 00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:40.920 typing and he gets his tie cat and his typewriter 337 00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:43.559 and he has to sheepishly get up and you know, 338 00:19:44.279 --> 00:19:46.319 to real toy boy. 339 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:51.240 Then he looks the typewriter and walks off set with it. Right, 340 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:55.240 and not only that, speaking of the ill fitting Superman costume, 341 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:58.240 even worse, I don't care what a schlub Clark Kent. 342 00:19:58.359 --> 00:20:00.559 Is he's supposed to look sharp. They've got him with 343 00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:04.480 the undone tie, the top button unbuttoned, so the caller 344 00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:07.599 is open, fedora back on the head, you know, just 345 00:20:07.640 --> 00:20:11.119 like like he seems like Clark Kent at the end 346 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:12.000 of the day. 347 00:20:12.519 --> 00:20:15.640 In every not that Clark Kent is supposed to be 348 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:19.200 mister charisma, but he is, like you said, he's supposed 349 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:21.279 to be sharp. He's supposed to be you know, he's 350 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:23.319 supposed to be a good reporter, is what he's supposed 351 00:20:23.319 --> 00:20:25.279 to be. And you get none of that. You don't 352 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:28.480 get the impression that this guy can add two plus two, 353 00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:32.880 let alone write an effective column about Metropolis. In any sense. 354 00:20:33.400 --> 00:20:34.079 He's terrible. 355 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:38.680 They've chosen to turn Superman into the front page. Well, 356 00:20:38.759 --> 00:20:41.279 it takes place at a newspaper, so we'll just set 357 00:20:41.319 --> 00:20:43.000 the whole thing in the newspaper and then we'll cut 358 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:44.920 away to a couple other things. But really we just 359 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:47.200 we're just interesting what's going on here at this newspaper. 360 00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:50.119 And that's fine. It could have been good if they 361 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:53.039 had somehow figured out a way to make Lois and 362 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:55.839 Clark as interesting as Sydney and Mankin. 363 00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:57.079 You could do it. 364 00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:57.400 You don't. 365 00:20:57.480 --> 00:21:01.279 I mean they're going for, we said, more of a 366 00:21:01.319 --> 00:21:05.599 satirical look at the character, which I guess I've read 367 00:21:05.720 --> 00:21:09.240 enough parodies of Superman and actual comic parodies to know 368 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:11.559 that it could be done. There's a way to do it. 369 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:15.799 But if you're going to if you're going to go 370 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:19.160 to a live show featuring Superman a play like this, 371 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:24.559 I guess I would just expect more Superman and more 372 00:21:24.680 --> 00:21:28.640 action and more interest. But you don't really get any. 373 00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:32.079 I mean, Superman doesn't feature into it until really the 374 00:21:32.200 --> 00:21:36.839 last third of this production, which and even that half 375 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:40.559 of it is him openly weeping on his couch and 376 00:21:40.599 --> 00:21:43.960 sucking his thumb for reasons I think we'll get into 377 00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:47.960 but it's just by the time you actually get his 378 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:51.920 trumphant finale where he beats up all the bad guys, 379 00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:54.880 it's too little, too late. Even that's played kind of goofy. 380 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:56.880 It's very Batman sixty. 381 00:21:56.559 --> 00:22:00.319 Six, very Batman sixty six. And for the television version 382 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.240 here they've got, you know, they apparently cut a bunch 383 00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:07.599 of numbers mercifully and added Gary Owens as a narrator. Also, 384 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:10.920 evidently they updated some of the musical numbers to make 385 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:14.240 it more contemporary for a seventies audience. I did not 386 00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:16.920 go back and listen to the sixty six soundtrack because 387 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:20.920 I heard the songs here and I did not enjoy them. 388 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:24.680 There's some updating of the instrumentation, certainly, I think I 389 00:22:24.759 --> 00:22:28.480 detected a little bit of groovy bass and some chicken 390 00:22:28.839 --> 00:22:31.480 guitar at times. I didn't have the stomach to go 391 00:22:31.559 --> 00:22:34.319 back and re listen to the sixty six soundtrack like you. 392 00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:37.079 Some of the dialogue I think had been updated. I 393 00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:41.240 think there's that whole climax with a Siegel and Schuster 394 00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:44.039 proxies saying how they're freaks. 395 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:45.880 And oh no, that's a stage production. 396 00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:49.279 That part is in nineteen sixty six. Really they talked 397 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:51.759 about freaks and all that. Wow. 398 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:54.640 Yeah, we didn't mention that there are two peripheral characters 399 00:22:54.680 --> 00:22:58.160 who show up on the campus at that Doctor Abner 400 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:03.480 Sedgwick is staging his is villainous plot from Jerry and 401 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:07.480