Cass, who got her start in the then burgeoning folk movement of Greenwich Village in the early 1960s with such groups as The Big 3, revisits her musical roots in this special, offering some nice solo moments for Joni Mitchell, Mary Travers (of Peter, Paul and Mary) and her longtime friend John Sebastian. In fact in the Mitchell-Travers segment, it's interesting to contrast Mitchell's sunny brightness (albeit tempered with poetic malaise) in her rendition of "Both Sides Now," with Travers' sort of rinky-tink vaudeville turn in her version of Laura Nyro's "And When I Die." I was just the right age to have twin crushes on Mitchell and Nyro when I was a kid--Joni was the California blonde (or at least I thought so at the time), a soaring vocalist with just the right amount of angst tucked under her unusual guitar tunings. Nyro, on the other hand, was like your mother's worst nightmare for a girl you might bring home--dark, battling some obvious demons, but incredibly attractive in that tortured artiste sort of way. It's fun here to hear their songs done one right after the other, even if Travers' take on Nyro's material is nowhere near as classic as Blood, Sweat and Tears' hit version, or even Laura's own wailed rendition. The three singers then join in a very nice version of Dylan's "I Shall Be Released."

If Sebastian's musical interlude is a little less compelling than the three women together, the obvious fondness Cass has for him shines through their little segment, and Cass' off the cuff, seemingly unscripted anecdote about them staying up all night watching movies in Manhattan and then talking about how someday they'd be stars themselves is decidedly charming.

A little less charming are the "comedy" segments with Buddy Hackett, who actually is a little less schtick-filled than he usually is, sharing his and Cass' Jewish heritage freely in an opening "sit down." Their skit, about two forlorn people at a hospital, is actually quite touching in a kitchen sink Marty sort of way. More bizarre is the quartet of Hackett, Cass, and none other than Martin Landau and Barbara Bain doing an absolutely surreal version of "Meeskite" from Cabaret. No, I'm not kidding. Bain and Landau also do an equally forlorn comedy bit about two elders at a computer dating service. There's a strange undercurrent of sadness in both of these ostensibly funny skits that's rather odd for a major television network special of this era.

The show is also notable for Cass doing a medley of some of the Mamas and Papas' hits, taking lead vocals on both "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday." Unintentionally ironic, considering the supposed reason first attributed for her death (i.e., choking on a ham sandwich) is the name of her backup group, Hamfat, a ragtag assemblage of players and three African-American backup singers who manage to inject a little soul into the proceedings.

Cass is perfectly at ease (in fact, perhaps a bit too much so--she fluffs a few lines here and there and isn't really "formal" in the sense that most television variety show hosts and hostesses were back in the day) and makes a very appealing central figure. The music was all obviously performed live, which is a major plus in my book, and Cass for the most part sounds excellent throughout (there are some mix problems when she doesn't have her microphone placed properly, something obviously in the source material). The set here resembles the second Andy Williams show for NBC in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the audience in tiers surrounding the stage on three sides. All of it, as well as Cass' costumes, are Day-Glo bright, with a multi-screen backdrop that includes everything from photos of Cass and her guests to Bob Peak inspired illustrations.

I couldn't help but feel a little sad watching this special, and not just because of the weird writing of the skits. Mama Cass was a distinctive, warm hearted performer with a lush voice who left us far, far too early. At least we have her recordings (several of which have been surfacing on Lost), as well as her film and television performances to remind us that, as she states to Hackett at the top of this special, true beauty comes from within.

The DVD

Video:
For a television program circa 1969, this full frame DVD presentation doesn't look bad at all. Colors are still sharp and beautifully saturated (especially compared to the blanched Hollywood Palace clip included as an extra). Detail is about what you'd expect from a video master, but contrast is good to excellent throughout. There are some very brief specks of white at the opening and a couple of other places, but they're minimal.

Sound:
The DD 2.0 soundtrack isn't stellar, but certainly delivers the goods in an above average manner. The good news is there was absolutely no noticeable damage throughout the special. As discussed above, the source elements contain some mix problems that occasionally pop up. Fidelity is excellent, if the dynamic range is a little lacking, sounding just a tad compressed at times.

Extras:
Though both the extras are brief (clocking in together at only around 10 minutes), they're both quite good. There's a snippet of a Hollywood Palace with Sammy Davis, Jr., where Cass and Sam do a version of "I Dig Rock 'n' Roll Music" rewritten to honor African American acts of the day (Ike and Tina, Ray Charles, etc.). There's also a sweet, heartfelt reminiscence by John Sebastian, where he tells how instrumental Cass was in the L.A. music scene of the 1960s, helping to forge such supergroups as Crosby, Stills and Nash. The special is featured in its original broadcast version, with vintage commercials, and each of those commercials is separately accessible in the extras menu. Keep an eye out for a very young Stephen McHattie and Clifton Davis in a Listerine commercial . Watch for none other than a very young Bernadette Peters in a Playtex ad. No, I'm not kidding.

Final Thoughts:
Mama Cass was a big sweetheart. That much is abundantly clear in this special. If the "comedy" elements never quite rise to the heights of the musical ones, this is a fascinating time capsule into the merging of folk and rock circa 1969 and should delight fans. Highly recommended.

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"G-d made stars galore" & "Hey, what kind of a crappy fortune is this?" ZMK, modern prophet