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| Evening Primrose | |
| Entertainment One // Unrated // $29.98 // October 26, 2010 | |
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| Review by Neil Lumbard | posted February 10, 2011 |
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The
Television Program:
Evening Primrose was an interesting thing to finally experience. It was a broadcast for an ABC series entitled ABC Stage 67 which aired the program back in 1966 and only once.
The reason why this long lost television episode has been dug up for a new DVD treatment is perhaps even more interesting than the show was (in some regards) itself. This special was a unique one act musical (uncommon for television broadcasts at the time) and it was an early work by Stephen Sondheim (famous for writing the music and lyrics to such works as Sweeney Todd and Sunday in the Park with George -- among several others). Sondheim's music for the show is indeed the biggest highlight of the entire production and serves as a good enough reason to view the show at least once.
The plot
sounds like something straight from an
episode of The Twlight Zone. Anthony
Perkins (Psycho) stars in Evening Primrose
as a poet who decides
to start his life over in a department store so that he can at last be
alone
and free of the burdens of society. The only problem he encounters with
his idea
is that there are many others doing the same exact thing already! These
people
have rules and expectations regarding who can and cannot join in their
merry
parade of sneaky livelihoods at the store. The poet sees fit to join
this group
nonetheless. However, he soon notices a lone young woman (Charmian
Carr) who
captures his attention and the two quickly begin a romance. "Fluffy"
love stuff
like that appears to be forbidden for those who dwell in the store as
the 'leaders'
of the movement seem to find pause with their brewing relationship. Can
these
two stay together and should they continue to stay within the confines
of a
department store or try and return to normal society? That very
question is a
main driving force throughout the program.
The story may sound a bit silly... and that is because it is. The main thing that truly makes this stand above a standard episode of television is the music. It is not just the fact that it is a one act musical. The strength lies in the remarkable abilities of Stephen Sondheim. Some of his popular songs are included here: "I Remember" and "Take Me to the World" in particular. The emotion in these songs resonates extremely well and is a joy to experience as the tunes represent a unique voice finding its path to even greater things to come in the future.
The direction by Paul Bogart is also quite good. I had a few qualms with certain scenes and yet I also place a lot of the success of this program on his swift and fun direction which was never pretentious and yet always refined. Bogart brings out some great performances from his actors too, and that is something that shouldn't be taken lightly as an accomplishment.
I was especially impressed by the performances. Anthony Perkins stands out in particular with his role. He plays a lovably odd and kind man who simply feels lost in his world. This is not the kind of performance I was expecting from him as I have only so much familiarity with his roles outside of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Perhaps needless to say -- this role tests his acting abilities in an entirely different way than what most viewers will expect and somehow he manages to surpass and bend those expectations. Perkins truly excels here.
While one can tell this is a dated production (the low-budget nature of the production occasionally stands out) it is also a blast to behold such sheer creativity from a group of talent artists working together. It comes as no surprise then to learn that the program has gained a cult following over time. That status is well earned.
The DVD:
Video:
How
unfortunate... the video
presentation is hardly eye-catching in the way you would want it to be.
What is
'eye catching' is how bad the
video quality looks. The back of the cover
states this: "impeccably restored and re-mastered from a newly
discovered kinescope
print". While I cannot claim to be an expert in restoration, I'm
doubtful of
the "impeccable" nature of this special's restoration. The print is
extremely
soft, sometimes hazy looking, and features specks of what appears to be
dirt or
damage to the film. It is not that pleasing visually and will be
underwhelming for most. It is also worth noting
that this program originally aired in color and that no color versions
of the
film even exists anymore. That is quite a shame and obviously a
disappointing aspect
of this DVD release.
Audio:
The
audio presentation fares about the same as the video does.
While the voices can be heard clearly the overall presentation seems to
not be in the best of shape. The sound design is a product of its
time and I was disappointed in how the overall presentation seemed to
have less restoration
than I had anticipated. This mono soundtrack is merely serviceable.
Extras:
I
should probably begin by stating
just how surprised I was by the amount of extras included with this
release.
Not only is there an entertaining and informative 30 minute long
interview with
director Paul Bogart, there is also test footage (in color) of
Anthology
Perkins practicing for the role, and a new audio-only interview with
Charmian
Carr. Both interviews are enjoyable and essentials for fans of Evening
Primrose.
Another
added bonus is a 28 page
long booklet with more information about Evening
Primrose than I would have ever even thought to ask! It is honestly
one of
the most enjoyable and detailed booklets I have ever seen for a release
outside
of the Criterion Collection. It begins with an introduction by the
Archive of
American Television Director Karen L. Herman, continues with a note by
Stephen
Sondheim, features an in-depth essay on the entire production by Jane
Klain,
and rounds everything off with a reprint of the song lyrics.
Final
Thoughts:
I
was thoroughly entertained by this ABC Stage 67 broadcast
production. It is essential viewing for any fan of the composer Stephen
Sondheim. It is also quite fun for the unique performances by Anthony
Perkins and
Charmian Carr. This DVD release features a ton of interesting extras
too. The
Audio/Video presentation was disappointing but the quality of the
content
helped to make up for some of those shortcomings.
Recommended.