|
|
 |
Doris Day Show (The) - Season 4 (1971-1972)
R0 - America - MPI Home Video Review written by and copyright: Jari Kovalainen (23rd February 2007). |
|
The Show
 American actress and singer Doris Day was a very popular female star during the 1950s, when she made several romantic comedies and musicals. Day´s signature from the start was to make “feel good” and joyful films, but she did some more dramatic roles also. Her co-stars were often acclaimed and popular male actors: “The Winning Team (1952)” with Ronald Reagan, “Calamity Jane (1953)” with Howard Keel, “Young at Heart (1954)” with Frank Sinatra, “Love Me or Leave Me (1955)” with James Cagney, “The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)” with James Stewart, “Teacher's Pet (1958)” with Clark Gable, “Pillow Talk (1959)” with Rock Hudson (where she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress) and “It Happened to Jane (1959)” with Jack Lemmon. During the 1960s Day´s film stardom was fading, but she appeared in “That Touch of Mink (1962)” with Cary Grant, “The Thrill of It All (1963)” with James Garner, “Caprice (1967)” with Richard Harris and a few others, again with her friend Rock Hudson. After that she moved solely to television, where her successful sitcom “The Doris Day Show” ran for 5 seasons from 1971 to 1973. The origin of the series was rather unique, since it was actually Day´s husband/agent Martin Melcher who made the deal for the show with CBS - without the prior knowledge of his wife (!). When Melcher suddenly passed away, the whole deal came out in the open. Day still agreed to do the show. You may think that it would be a bit difficult to start watching TV-series from “Season 4” (which ran originally from 13.9.1971 to 6.3.1972), but fortunately for me (but probably not for all the long time fans) the series is quite known for its format changes over the seasons. In many ways, “Season 4” has a fresh start. Where Doris Martin (Doris Day) was the widow with two children in the first season and they were living in the ranch outside the city, now the children (and her father, along with the dog) are gone just like that and Doris lives in the heart of San Francisco alone. She has also gone up in the world. She is no longer the secretary, but a lively reporter, working as associate editor in the “Today's World” magazine. She also has a new boss, the editor Cyril “Cy” Bennett (John Dehner) and the third regular in the show is the new secretary and friend Jackie Parker (Jackie Joseph). Later on Martin´s boyfriend, Dr. Peter Lawrence (Peter Lawford) is introduced and there are a few characters - like Martin´s neighbour Willard Jarvis (Billy De Wolfe) and old friend Angie Palucci (Kaye Ballard), that appear in more than one episode. It´s a bit awkward that there are no references to the earlier seasons and the “past life of Doris Martin”, but the viewers just have to get used to the single career woman now, who´s mainly chasing some “hot scoops” or is traveling to another assignment from her editor. In the process, she occasionally gets romantically involved with handsome men and is arguing with her boss, who is at the same time firing and praising her. The “Season 4” by “MPI Home Video” is a 4-disc set (foldout digi-pack, in the cardboard slipcover), including all 24 episodes (each running approx. 23:30 minutes) and with extras on “Disc 4”. The brief descriptions of the episodes are as follows: DISC 1 1) *And Here's Doris Dir: Norman Tokar Doris will have to do a cover story of the popular talk show host Bob Crane (playing himself), who wants Doris to be on her show. Things get complicated when her editor Bennett wants to be in the show too. 2) *Mr. & Mrs. Raffles Dir: Norman Tokar Doris and her neighbour Mr. Jarvis (Billy De Wolfe) are in the wrong place at the wrong time and are being suspected of jewel robbery. 3) *When in Rome, Don't Dir: Jerry London Doris and Jackie Parker (Jackie Joseph) end up together in Rome for a weekend, where Doris meets the famous artist Carlo Benadetti (Cesare Danova), mixing work and love. 4) *Charity Begins at the Office Dir: William Wiard Doris is about to leave for a vacation, but instead is ending up helping out the important charity ball and working with the suspicious Mr. Sidney (Joey Forman). 5) *A Weighty Problem Dir: Bruce Bilson Doris has to dig up a story in the health spa, where $2 million might be hidden from the old robbery. Her depressed friend Angie Palucci (Kaye Ballard) goes along for the ride and Doris has her hands full in both in the story and with Angie, who can´t control her eating habits. 6) *The People's Choice Dir: Jerry London Doris reveals the illegal bookmaking syndicate in the local launderette and ends up helping her neighbour Mr. Jarvis (Billy De Wolfe) on his run for the councilman against the crooked opponent. 7) *A Fine Romance Dir: Norman Tokar Doris is making a story of the computer dating (yes, even back then it was already popular, it seems) by being a guinea pig herself. After some moral regrets she ends up having real emotions towards Sgt. Winston (Robert Lansing), who is working undercover. DISC 2 8 ) *The Albatross Dir: Irving J. Moore Doris is meeting her cousin Charlie (Van Johnson), a sailor, after many months and receives a gift (elephant statue) from the bartender. This gift brings nothing but bad luck to Doris, which she´s about to discover. 9) *Have I Got a Fellow for You Dir: Bruce Bilson Angie (Kaye Ballard) tries to find a man for Doris and airline pilot Nico (Nico Minardos) is a good contender. Doris is also chasing a story of two killers escaping from penitentiary. 10) *To England with Doris Dir: Lee Philips Doris travels to London to persuade the acclaimed writer Sir Robert (Jon Cypher - excellent in the role) to hand over the publishing rights to his book. Well, it won´t be long until Sir Robert has a crush on Doris and also Cy Bennett rushes to the scene. 11) *The Sheik of Araby Dir: Richard Kinon While chasing another story, Doris is accidentally kidnapped by the “Kurdamen” rebels and taken somewhere in the Middle East. One of the rebels Omar (Richard Gautier) tries to help Doris, but it´s Doris who is actually helping the rebels. 12) *Doris and the Doctor Dir: William Wiard When Cy Bennett gets sick, Doris is meeting his personal doctor, Peter Lawrence (Peter Lawford) for the first time. The story of the “high doctor´s fees” is changing to budding love story between Doris and the doctor. 13) *Happiness is Not Being Fired Dir: Irving J. Moore Doris is suddenly fired and, with Angie (Kaye Ballard), she goes to an art exhibition to find Vito Carlotti (Bruce Kirby), the cousin of Angie. Something fishy is going on, when the “real Carlotti” is missing and the phony one is on exhibition instead. 14) *Whodunnit, Doris? Dir: Marc Daniels Doris ends up in the middle of a murder mystery when Harry Miller (Cliff Norton), in the Santa Claus suit, is found near the dead body with a gun in his hand. Cy Bennett smells the big story, Doris smells that something ain´t right and the police don´t smell anything without the witty Doris. This was the Christmas episode, as you can see from the ending message. DISC 3 15) *The Wings of an Angel Dir: Richard Kinon After the letter of the known Mafioso Frankie Fury (Marc Lawrence), Doris is visiting him in the prison. Her goal is to get the life story from the man, but things don´t always go as planned. 16) *Doris at Sea Dir: Marc Daniels Doris is following her (now) boyfriend Peter Lawrence (Peter Lawford) to the yacht of the rich and famous Nicholas Kavros (Anthony Caruso), where Peter has to make a surgical operation. Doris is in for the story, but things get complicated when Kavros has a romantic eye for her. The first episode which shows a few other workers in the “Today's World” magazine. 17) *The Sorrow of Sangapur Dir: William Wiard A bit of an “Agatha Christie”-inspired episode, where Doris and Cy Bennett are on the train from Paris to Nice and are soon in the middle of the international jewel theft plan. Doris is also helping the Scotland Yard man Stephen (Lloyd Bochner) - or at least so she thinks. 18 ) *The Blessed Event Dir: Bruce Bilson Cy Bennett is having a great opportunity to move in New York, where he could be the editor of the respected magazine. He wants Doris to come along, who is in the middle of a “baby shower” for her friend Angie (Kaye Ballard). All of this comes together when the publisher of New York, Chandler (Henry Hunter) is meeting Cy and is getting in the middle of the “dog puppy shower”. 19) *Who's Got the Trench Coat Dir: William Wiard The old and trusted trench coat (which has e.g. “the bullet hole from D-Day”) of Cy Bennett is given away by the well-meaning staff. Since Cy is furious, Doris has to do some detective work and she tracks down the jacket to the hamburger diner, where the cook Charley Smith (Regis Toomey) has obtained it. It happens to be that Charley and Cy have more in common than at first appears. 20) *Doris' House Guest Dir: Bruce Bilson Doris is getting in the middle of a love montage, when Cy is sneaking his problem Thelma King (Barbara Hale) onto Doris. Broken hearted Thelma is trying to get over with the rejection by her ex-fiance Henry Thurston (Jack Dodson). It won´t be long before Henry is also another problem that Doris has to deal with, when he´s rushing to the scene. If this all isn´t enough, her neighbour Mr. Jarvis (Billy De Wolfe) has his eye on Thelma. 21) *The Crap Shooter Who Would Be King Dir: Edward H. Feldman Doris and Cy travel to “San Riata”, where the Prince is almost a “prisoner” in his own home and the palace coup could be possible. As usual, Doris gets the interview with the Prince, but the problem is that the “Prince” is actually his butler Bruno (John Banner), pretending to be “his highness”. Trouble ahead. DISC 4 22) *Cover Girl Dir: William Wiard Doris is getting the idea to spice up the “Today's World” magazine with a painting that will be done exclusively for a future cover of the magazine. An old flame of Doris, the Italian artist Carlo Benadetti (Cesare Danova) will take the job and flies to San Francisco, but is more interested in Doris and dinners than painting. This episode also has another co-worker Matt (Rory Calhoun) in a more prominent role. 23) *Gowns by Louie Dir: William Wiard Doris is assigned to do the coverage of a big fashion show, led by the French snob Jacque Moreau (Werner Klemperer). When one designer drops out, Doris sees the opportunity to “show these French snobs” and slips her own designer Louie Salkawitz (Joseph Mell) into the show - who is pretending to be French of course. Mr. Jarvis (Billy De Wolfe) makes a brief appearance in the dry cleaners. The good setting is partly ruined with the overly long fashion show scenes with Doris herself at the stage. 24) *There's a Horse Thief in Every Family Tree Dir: Norman Tokar Doris writes a fine - but slightly negative - article in the paper, and the wealthy Mr. Townsend (Robert Emhardt) is furious. Since Doris is about to be fired, he wants to see Townsend, but getting in to his mansion is not that easy. It also seems that it´s Mrs. Townsend (Harriet E. MacGibbon) that is running the show, not him. Although I have always enjoyed selected sitcoms (with “laugh track”), I haven´t been a huge fan. Too many times they´re quite “hit or miss”, but obviously many very good ones have originated from the US. From my youth I remember “The Cosby Show (1984-1992)”, “Kate & Allie (1984-1989)” - even “The Golden Girls (1985-1992)”, later on “Mad About You (1992-1999)”, “Frasier (1993-2004), “3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001)”, and “That '70s Show (1998-2006)”. I was too young to watch 1970s sitcoms from the TV, so it was interesting to delve into one whole season of “The Doris Day Show” - to my knowledge one of the “partly forgotten” series (it didn´t end up in such a heavy syndication in the American television as many other shows). To many, these DVD sets are the first proper opportunity to see the show. I can´t really comment on the earlier seasons, nor how they compare to the “Season 4”, but the show is quite enjoyable, entertaining and worth a look. It may be a bit “too light” and repetitive for some tastes - and there are a few rather forgettable episodes - but the slapstick humour and the warm “glow” and laughter, to which Doris Day is surrounded with, guides the episodes through without any major rocks. Day is truly a natural actress, with a good sense of comical timing. The shows recurring theme is the spicy (professional) relationship between Doris Martin and her boss Cy Bennett, who is my favorite character of the whole show. TV-veteran actor John Dehner is just what the series needs and Bennett is frequently incorporated into the story, when he´s travelling with Doris (or following her for some odd reason) to many of her assignments - usually only to confuse things more than help. This “love/ hate” relationship gives many funny moments, and as actors Day and Dehner work great together, probably also improvising in some scenes (when you look at some of their reactions). This is one of those times, when one film or TV-show triggers the interest to see more work from the certain actor and I´ll definitely seek more from John Dehner. As a huge “Rat Pack”-fan, it was nice to see one of its original members (all the way to the unfortunate fall-out with Frank Sinatra) Peter Lawford in the show, who´s also doing (almost surprisingly) a good job. Granted, his job is mainly to be “the handsome and well mannered boyfriend” of Doris and smile, but this he does well. Kaye Ballard (Angie) is a bit of a mixed pack, since her character could´ve been more memorable, but after a while you get used to her loud persona. Featuring actors are usually also very solid and most likely known faces from the TV and movies (a few of them were familiar to me also, but not everyone). In the world of sitcoms, these featuring actors are quite important and can give to the episode (and the whole show) a fresh look and approach. The machine is there (regular actors of the show), but the featuring actors are the oil that the machine needs to run smoothly a season after season. Of course, there is plenty of silliness and always that quick “happy ending” - no matter how tricky the situation would be, but “The Doris Day Show” is definitely one of the better sitcoms out there. Note, that the famous song “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” can be heard as a main theme. The song also won the Academy Award for “Best Music, Original Song” in 1956 for “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (which also featured Day).
Video
The presentation of the show is ultimately somewhat disappointing. The OAR 4:3 is not looking very natural, since the skin tones tend to lean on the red and brown and the colours strike me as very exaggerated (believe me, the clothes of Doris Martin are as colourful as I´ve probably ever seen in the TV-show). The image is usually also soft and this softness also varies within the shots (many close-ups are generally blurrier). Fortunately, overall the show is rather clean and some film artefacts can be mainly seeing on the exterior shots (usually quite short bits, since the show is shot primarily on studio) only. Black levels are also decent and some film grain is visible. The show doesn´t look “bad”, only that it could be better. Then about the running time; the running time per episode is roughly 23:30 minutes and there are rumours that it´s approx. 1:30 minutes less than the original running time. This has caused some speculation that perhaps something it´s “cut” or the show is so-called “time-compressed” (to reduce the length of the content time - without cutting anything, by removing video frames from the recorded content and adjusting the audio). This “time-compression” was usually done to the “syndicated versions” of the older TV-shows, since more time were needed for the commercials. Some of these versions have ended up to the DVD (e.g. some seasons of “Combat! (1962-1967)”). Now I can´t personally say whether “The Doris Day Show” is “time-compressed” or not (I´m quite sure that it´s not cut), but it´s true that some movement of the show does look very slightly sped-up, at least if you concentrate/look for it (which the casual viewer rarely does). In any case, this isn´t a deal breaker and definitely not something to make you skip the show altogether. All discs are “dual layer” and encoded “R0”. One episode is always “one chapter”.
Audio
The show offers an English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono-track and there are also optional English HoH subtitles (which is great addition by the company). The show has a bit of a “lifeless TV-track” from the 1970s, but the dialogue is clear and there are no major hisses or pops in the audio track. All in all, rather basic Mono-track which suits just fine for the show. Possible audio “speed-up” issues didn´t really strike my ear.
Extras
All extras can found from the ”Disc 4” and there are no subtitles. -"The Pet Set (1971)"-talk show ran for one season in television and was hosted by Betty White (from e.g. “The Golden Girls (1985-1992)”). In the series the celebrities and other guests would bring their pets and discuss the animals in generally. Here we have the episode (running 23:02 minutes) “Doris Day on the Pet Set Show” (dated 9 August, 1971) where Day is a guest - along with Billy De Wolfe - and they obviously talk about the dogs. Day still is a serious animal welfare activist and after retiring she founded “Doris Day Animal League” group. The first part of the show is focused on the different dogs that Day has (with her at the studio and back home), while the second part of the show adds two more guests and the discussion changes to endangered birds, such as hawks and vultures (some of the birds are actually on the stage). The last part introduces different “international” dogs (e.g. English bulldog, Saint Bernard, etc) - also on the stage - and gives tips on how to handle different breeds. The episode is directed by Bill Bennington - as William Bennington). -“Doris Day Animal Shelter” -commercial (01:03 min) dates probably the same era as the show. -“Doris Day Fashion Show” -outtakes (running 36:41 minutes) is an overwhelming collection of material from the episode “Gowns by Louie”, meaning probably most of the footage that was shot for the “fashion show”-scenes. I would´ve taken some other collection of “outtakes” instead of this (as some related to “outtakes” are included in the Joseph and Ballard-interviews), since I don´t fully see why so much material is just focused on a few scenes of one episode. -“Actress Jackie Joseph Interview” -featurette runs 16:34 minutes and is a very interesting one. Joseph is still a good-spirited woman and probably not very far from her character Jackie Parker. She tells how she was involved with the show (she was pretty much a full-time mother at the time and reluctant to take any roles, but after her husband hinted that his show might be canceled, she did take the role), her background (she was a semi-regular in talk shows, series like “The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966)” and “The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)” and in smaller films like e.g. “The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)”), about Doris Day (she was mainly “herself” on the screen, an honest actress passionate about dogs), about Peter Lawford (he directed one episode in “Season 5” and was very excited about it) and she points out how nice the atmosphere was on the set, since they made the show mainly “among friends” (it´s easy to believe that). It´s almost a bit touching when she mentions actors like John Dehner and Billy De Wolfe, now already passed away. -“Actress Kaye Ballard Interview” -featurette runs 12:02 minutes. It´s another good interview and underlines a few similar issues about Doris Day like the previous one; Day was a “natural” as an actress with a great sense of humour and a love for the animals. Ballard says that sometimes she was confused whether Day was saying her lines or just talking out of character. She and Day met in the antique shop, while Ballard was making “The Mothers-in-Law (1967-1969)” (the semi-successful sitcom was still canceled since NBC didn´t own the show and it was replaced by “The Bill Cosby Show (1969-1971)”). At that moment Day promised to have Ballard on “The Doris Day Show” as a guest and this happened when she played “gangster´s wife” in “Season 1”. From “Season 3”, she started to be a semi-regular of the show, by playing a feisty Italian-American woman and a good friend of Doris, Angie Palucci (interesting note is that many people thought she was a regular, so she didn´t get other offers because of that). Among the very warm things she mentions about the show and the actors, she also points out that it was a very scheduled show and Doris was always on time. Day also knew her lines inside out. -“Season Five Preview”-promo (3:39 min) includes one scene and the updated opening credits. At least Doris, Cy and doctor Peter Lawrence are back. -“Special Footage” includes “Season 4” commercial bumpers (1:31 min), this time meaning the 6 short spots from the sponsors, that were shown after or in-between commercial breaks. Sponsors include: “Bold”, “Zest”, “Prell Concentrate”, “Secret”, “Downy”, and “Kraft” - all vintage products. -“Movie Trailer” includes a quite random Doris Day film Theatrical trailer “Twinkle and Shine (1959)" (AKA "It Happened to Jane"), running 1:52 minutes. All discs also include “The Love Album “-CD promo after the episodes and the case includes a booklet, containing the listing of all of the episodes, with descriptions and original airdates.
Overall
“Season 4” delivers another big change for the show, which can be a bit frustrating for the long time fans. For the newcomers it´s still a good way to start watching the sitcom and fans must also enjoy it, since Doris Day and John Dehner (absent from “Seasons 1-3”) are on great form - everything is funny and “feel good”. “The Doris Day Show” gives a nice, warm feeling from the 1970s TV and is another reminder, that there has been more on TV than “Lost” and “Prison Break”. Note that if you´re interested with the music of Doris Day, seek the definitive box sets from German-based “Bear Family Records”. For more info, please visit the homepage of MPI Home Video.
|
|||||
|