Now It All Doesn't Seem that "Far Far Away:" Remembering "Return of the Jedi" Summer, 40 Years Later

 

Fans, and Darth Vader, waiting in line to see

"Return of the Jedi," at the Loews Astor Plaza

Theater in New York City, in 1983.

by Michael Lyons

On the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend of 1983, my dad and I made plans to see Return of the Jedi.

The film, which celebrates its 40^th anniversary this month, had opened just the day before, and I wouldn't have to wait for the weekend. In New York, schools have "snow days" to use during the winter when weather forces the schools to close. If the schools didn't use them, students got the days off in May, tacked on to Memorial Day weekend.

Winter of 1983 must have been mild because Memorial Day weekend meant we would have off the Thursday and Friday before. And that was fine with me because the new Star Wars movie had opened, and now, I wouldn't have to wait until Friday night to see it.

The original "Return of the Jed" poster.

It was a very typical Long Island day in May (60-degree temperatures and rain), so my Dad and I set off to see the 12:30 show of Return of the Jedi on its second day in theaters.  As we walked up to the RKO Twin Movie Theater in Commack, NY, at about 12:15, we noticed only two other people in line.

Could we have been this lucky?  Are we number three and four in line for the new Star Wars film?

My dad asked one of the two guys waiting, "So, you guys are in line for the 12:30 show of Return of the Jedi?"

"12:30?" one of them answered, looking bewildered.  "No...we just bought tickets to the 3:30 show."

My dad and I returned the bewildered look as we slowly realized that the 12:30 show was sold out, so the theater began selling tickets to the next show.  I looked at my dad, and my dad looked back at me, and, being the best dad in the world, he said simply, "Well, I guess we are waiting."

He then walked over to the box office and bought two tickets to the 3:30 showing of Return of the Jedi.

And...we waited...

At first, we went to the Candlelight Diner located next door to grab lunch. But, as we sat there, enjoying the pinnacle of gastronomical cuisine, the diner burger, we watched the line of ticket holders next door at the RKO Twin grow, and grow, and grow, to the point that the line was now snaking around the corner and into the parking lot.

We joined them, and eventually, inside the theater, jammed, elbow to elbow with every other overly eager fan who had been waiting for this day since The Empire Strikes Back in the summer of 1980, we could sense anticipation, the likes of which hadn't been felt since...well...since The Empire Strikes Back in the summer of 1980.

Poor Blue Thunder with Roy Scheider was playing in the theater next door. No one was going in there.  That movie had a good few weeks, but the summer was about to belong to Jedi!

The lights in the theater dimmed, and the packed house audience applauded (oh, the days when a movie theater audience applauded when the lights went down). Then, everyone applauded again when the 20th-Century-Fox logo and fanfare appeared, again when the LucasFilm logo appeared, again when "A Long Time Ago..." appeared on screen, and finally when the title "Star Wars" exploded onto the screen with John Williams' music.

What followed was one of those communal, magical, moviegoing experiences. From Jabba the Hutt's lair, to the partially completed Death Star, and from Luke and Vader's duel to the Ewoks battling the Empire on the planet of Endor, the laughs, cheers, and applause rang out throughout.

As I left the theater, even then, I knew I had seen something special.  When I returned to school the following week and told friends (without spoilers), some responded, "How did you see it? I tried, and it was sold out!"  I simply said, "We waited."

A summer that seemed consumed (at least to me and my friends) by Return of the Jedi followed.  There were glasses at Burger King, Marvel Comics adaptations, covers of Starlog magazine, images of Carrie Fisher in that Leia Bikini and action figures, action figures, and more action figures.

The June 1983 issue of "Starlog" magazine.

I bought none of those action figures. I wish I had and simply just kept them in their packaging. A Gamorean Guard mint in the box could have helped finance my last car.

The Summer 1983 issue of "Rolling Stone."

But I was heading into my senior year of high school, and Star Wars, then, wasn't considered "cool." I had to stay in the "geek closet," hoping none of my friends spied me buying the movie poster at Spencer Gifts.

These were a hot commodity during the summer of '83!

As a fan, Return of the Jedi also had a sense of sadness. At the time, there was talk that this would be the last Star Wars film. Additionally, heading into my final year of high school and then off to college, I felt as if I was saying goodbye to a part of my childhood (I was 11 when I first saw Star Wars in 1977).

Oh, what a different world we live in today. Star Wars is omnipresent, and it seems everyone is a fan.

A similar sense of excitement that circled Return of the Jedi is ongoing in our current world.  It happened when The Force Awakens was released, "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" opened at Disney theme parks, and when The Mandalorian returned to Disney+.

Although, Return of the Jedi seemed like the end of an era. Sure, there were, and have been, plenty of summer blockbusters and movie franchises that have made it through to our pop culture zeitgeist since 1983. But, after Return of the Jedi, home video and cable became part of our worlds, changing the movie release landscape to this day.

Something about waiting in line on a rainy day and sitting in a crowded theater to visit that "galaxy far, far away" forty years ago this summer made everything just a little more exciting.

The RKO Twin movie theater in Commack, NY.

Sources: cinematreasures.org

Interested in reading more of my articles, listening to my podcasts, or purchasing my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance?" Head over to my website, Words From Lyons

 

 

 

Something Funny is Going on Here: TV's Strange Sitcoms

 by Michael Lyons

 

"High concept." Two words in Hollywood that have come to mean a unique concept with a story that's easy to pitch.

It can also mean, "How did this get made?" Some of the latest entries into our realm of televised entertainment, especially on streaming services, are simply carrying on a long history of some of the strangest, and most off-beat ideas that Hollywood has greenlit.

What follows are some of the "high concept" sitcoms from TV's past that also tank as some of the small screen's strangest outings.

My Mother The Car (1965)

This sitcom revolved around a man named Dave Crabtree (Jerry Van Dyke) whose mother is reincarnated as a car, a 1928 Porter to be exact (voiced by actress Ann Sothern).

Yup, you read that correctly. This show emerged in an era of television sitcoms when fantasy reigned supreme with shows like Bewitched and Mr. Ed.  My Mother the Car never reached the popularity of those and other popular outings and has been notoriously panned by critics as one of the medium's worst.

Lasting just one season, My Mother The Car has rightly gained a cult following as a high-concept curiosity.

 

It's About Time (1966)

Sherwood Schwartz, the man behind two of TV's most popular sitcoms, Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch, brought us this series about two astronauts (Frank Aletter and Jack Mullaney) who travel back in time to the prehistoric era.  Here, they find themselves living with cave people Gronk (Joe E. Ross) and Shad (Imogene Coca).

Like Gilligan's Island, this was all pure silly fantasy, assisted by a laugh track. And like Schwartz's other outings, this sitcom came with an earworm of a theme song.

 

Holmes & Yo-Yo (1976)

A detective named Holmes (Richard B. Shull) is partnered with an android, Gregory Yoyonovich, known as "Yoyo" (John Schuck), and wacky misadventures ensue.

Airing during the 70s, when television sitcoms shifted to deal with more realistic issues with shows like All in the Family, Holmes and Yoyo didn't endear itself to audiences (even with Yoyo's computer that popped out of his chest) and was canceled after only 11 episodes.

 

Mr. Smith, (1983)

Just before NBC became the king of 80s sitcoms with series like The Cosby Show and Family Ties, they had a swing and a miss with Mr. Smith.

The sitcom revolves around a talking orangutan who lives in Washington, DC, and is a political advisor.

Despite starring C.J. The orangutan, who had been a hit with audiences in the Clint Eastwood movies, Every Which Way But Loose and Any Which Way You Can, Mr. Smith only hung around for two months before being canceled.

 

Fish Police (1992)

When The Simpsons hit big in the 1990s, networks started jumping on the prime-time animation bandwagon. 

CBS partnered with Hanna-Barbera for this adult-skewed sitcom about cops with an all-fish cast.

Despite being based on a comic book and the talent of the Hanna-Barbera studio, along with an all-star voice cast, including John Ritter, Ed Asner, JoBeth Williams, and Buddy Hackett, Fish Police was given the hook after only three episodes.

 

These are just a few of the many high concept shows the television has given us but fear not, there will no doubt be more in the years and seasons to come! 

For more of my articles and podcasts and to order a signed and personalized copy of my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance, head over to my website: Words From Lyons!

 

 

Keeping the Faith: The 70th Anniversary of "The Robe"

 

by Michael Lyons

Many movies are considered "landmarks," but The Robe truly is.

Without it, big-screen movie spectacles may have never been.  Sure, biblical epics like this were a dime a dozen in the 50s (and all of them truly spectacular), but The Robe was the first film produced and released in Cinemascope.

This was the widescreen format from 20th Century Fox that was one of many used by studios in the 1950s as they attempted to battle the encroaching popularity of television and lure audiences back to movie theaters by creating spectacles.

Had it not been for Cinemascope and other widescreen presentations, audiences wouldn't have enjoyed everything from the 1970s disaster movies to 80s action movies like Die Hard and even last year's Avatar sequel. 

What's so unique about The Robe is how it paired its event-like status with such a powerful, emotional story, filled with faith and reverence from another area in filmmaking that's still impactful today.  Celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, The Robe fittingly finds itself in Easter season rotation, so it's the perfect time to look back and celebrate this special film.

Based on a novel by Lloyd C. Douglas, The Robe tells the story of Marcellus (played by Richard Burton), a Roman tribune charged with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  At the crucifixion, Marcellus wins Jesus' robe in a game of dice, and doing so, and being there at the moment Christ dies, changes Marcellus' life forever.  Emerging from his guilt, Marcellus embarks on a life of faith, becoming a follower of Jesus.

Also starring in The Robe: Victor Mature, as Demetrius, Marcellus' slave, who first opens his eyes to what he has done, Jean Simmons, as Marcellus' love, Diana, who stays by his side during his tumultuous journey; Jay Robinson, as the wicked emperor Caligula, and character actors Dean Jagger as Justus, Richard Boone as Pontius Pilate and Michael Ansara as Judas.

Director Henry Koster guides the cast of The Robe through some powerful performances (Burton received an Oscar nomination) and tactfully helms the more notable moments. The crucifixion scene is brutally impactful, especially considering that the sensitive nature of the film at the time required that most of it be implied or occur off-screen.

Koster remains an underrated director in Hollywood history.  In addition to The Robe, he directed classics such as The Bishop's Wife (1947) and Harvey (1950), consistently delivering a well-crafted story with cinematic flair.

As CinemaScope wasn't widely available in most theaters, The Robe was filmed using both the widescreen and the standard screen cameras to accommodate all theaters, which no doubt added to the film's production.

But the result is worth it. The Robe is a wonderful film.  Is it a tad melodramatic and "of another time?"  Sure, but in addition to its impactful story of faith, it also speaks to how, no matter where our life has taken us or how heavy a "weight" we may bear, we can always turn to a higher, greater power in our lives, and change our direction.

No wonder the film remains a staple for many at Easter time.  Released on September 16, 1953, The Robe remains a potent example of landmark Hollywood entertainment from another time that remains as entertaining as ever, seventy years later.

Happy Easter, everyone!

 

For more of my articles and podcasts and to order a signed and personalized copy of my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance, head over to my website, Words From Lyons !

 

 

Oh My Gods: The Offbeat and Forgotten Saturday Morning TV Show, "The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!"

 

by Michael Lyons

 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods opened last weekend, and the eagerly awaited sequel to 2019's film starring DC's most lovable superhero was said to have a surprisingly lackluster performance at the box office, bringing in "only" $30 million.

Those who may feel this is disappointing and strange for such a popular part of DC's canon of characters have never seen The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!

This short-lived Saturday morning TV show combined live-action and animated segments, along with a musical variety show vibe, providing Shazam! with a most offbeat backdrop.

While Shazam! Fury of the Gods continues its run in theaters; it seems the perfect time to re-visit the superhero's somewhat forgotten entry on Saturday mornings.

Produced by Filmatuion studios (who brought Shazam! to Saturday mornings in a live-action 1974 show and gave us such shows as Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and He-Man) The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! debuted in 1981.

The show centered on two animated segments; one was Hero High, which was about high school superheroes (who looked like Archie Andrews and the gang with capes), and the other was the adventures of Shazam! a/k/a Captain Marvel and his family (or "Shazamily") of superheroes, such as Mary Marvel and Uncle Marvel, as they square off against enemies, such as Black Adam.

What was unique about The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! was that live-action segments introduced the animation. These resembled the Donny and Marie variety show, where live-action counterparts of the Hero High cast appeared on a stage (in front of an audience of cheering kids) like a rock band wearing superhero costumes, playing their latest tune.

And the superhero names? They all seem like something out of a DC brainstorming session: Captain California, Weatherman, Misty Magic, Glorious Gal, Punk Rock, Rex Ruthless, and even Dirty Trixie (!).

Thrown in for good measure were some groan-filled jokes:

Rex Ruthless: "What kind of job is easy to stick with?"

Weatherman: "What kind?"

Rex Ruthless: "Working in a glue factory!"

[Cut to the audience of kids laughing hysterically while a laugh track blares]

At least the Shazam! animated segments of the show feel more aligned with traditional superhero adventures. Oh sure, there's plenty of mildness to action (this was Saturday morning, after all) and cute "cartoony-ness" thrown in. But Filmation's animation, which always seemed a little "fuller" than other TV fare at the time, combined well with a traditional comic book feel.

Long before comics books meant movie franchises and mega-box-office, The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!, even with all of its quirks, is a fun flashback to a comforting era when heroes had the power to make Saturday mornings super.

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Gold at the End of the Rainbow: The Oscars and Irish Films

 by Michael Lyons

When it comes to movies about Ireland and Irish culture receiving recognition by Academy Awards, there truly is a lot of luck there...as well as a lot of deservedly recognized talent.

Through the years, films about the "Emerald Isle" have had a long relationship with Oscar, as evidenced by last year's The Banshess of Inisherin, which has received nine nominations, including Best Picture.

The story of two friends (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleason) living in a small isle on the coast of Ireland, whose crumbling relationships sets in motion a battle that becomes the focal point of their small town, is a powerful parable for everything from toxic relationships to civil war.

It's one of many films set in Ireland that has not only enchanted audiences but the Academy, as well.

With the Academy Awards and Saint Patrick's Day coming up next week, it's the perfect time to look back at Irish films that struck Oscar gold.

 

Belfast (2021)

Kenneth Branagh deservedly won the Oscar for Best Screenplay for this heartbreaking story of a family trying to live their life during "The Troubles," the civil war raging in the city of Belfast in 1969.

Filmed beautifully in black-and-white, Belfast also received seven nominations, including Best Picture, Supporting Actor (Ciaran Hinds), and Supporting Actress (Dame Judi Dench), as it told much more than political history, but is also about familial power and the difficult decisions that must be made to keep a family together.

In the Name of the Father (1993)

Daniel Day-Lewis and Pete Postlethwaite both received acting nominations in this re-telling of the true story of four men wrongly accused and convicted of car bombings by the Irish Republican Army in 1974.

This compelling, frustrating film earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, for Jim Sheridan, who had just been nominated three years prior for...

My Left Foot (1989)

Daniel Day-Lewis won his first of three Oscars, and received a standing ovation on awards night, for his stunning performance in this true-life story of Christy Brown, an Irish man born with cerebral palsy. Brown could only use his left foot and went on to a career as a painter and writer.

It's staggering to watch Day-Lewis in My Left Foot, as well as Brenda Fricker, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, as Christy's mother, Bridget, who shared her son's strength and determination.

Ryan's Daughter (1971)

This epic of Ireland came from director David Lean, who gave audiences such sprawling films as Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Doctor Zhivago (1965).

Set in an isolated village in County Kerry, Ireland, a married woman named Rosy (Sarah Miles) begins an affair with a British Major (Christopher Jones) that culminates in scandal in their small town.

Ryan's Daughter features some opulent sequences of the Irish countryside that won cinematographer Freddie Jones that year's Oscar.  Additionally, veteran actor John Mills took home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his touching performance as Michael, the (for lack of a less offensive term) "village idiot."

The Quiet Man (1952)

A staple of Saint Patrick's Day each year, director John Ford's masterpiece was also a major contender at the 1953 Oscars, taking home awards for its cinematography by Winton Hoch and earning Ford his fourth Best Director Oscar.

The story is about an American, Sean Thornton (John Wayne), who returns to the small town of Inishfree, in Ireland, where he was born, and falls in love with a local girl, Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara). In the process, their romance wreaks havoc on the small village.

Featuring one of film's most extraordinary ensemble cast, including Barry Fitzgerald, Victor McLaglen, and Ward Bond, The Quiet Man illuminates the magic and majesty of Ireland, its culture, and its people like no other film.

 And so, as red carpets give way to green shamrocks, these are just some of many films that can help us all celebrate an Oscar-winning Saint Patrick's week!

 

 

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Fan Fatale: The 40th Anniversary of "The King of Comedy"

 

 

by Michael Lyons    

 In our current world, filled with fandom that ranges from obsessed to "toxic," it's fascinating to watch 1983's The King of Comedy, forty years later.

Director Martin Scorcese's dark comedy is not just ahead of its time; it's almost scarily prophetic. A box-office disappointment that has faded from memory for many over the past four decades, this original, skewed, tragic movie is so worthy of a re-visit.

The King of Comedy centers on Rupert Pupkin (Robert DeNiro), an amateur - very amateur - comedian who is obsessed with talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis), a Johnny Carson-like, legendary TV icon, who has hosted his show for many years.

Rupert desperately wants to appear on Langford's show and perform his stand-up routine, so much so that he works with his friend Masha (Sandra Bernhard), who is equally obsessed with Langford. They hatch a plan to kidnap the talk show host, and as part of the ransom agreement, Rupert wants to be the headlining act on Langford's show.

DeNiro is perfect in a role much different than any he had done before, almost a "gentler" version of Travis Bickle from one of his other Scorcese collaborations, Taxi Driver. He creates Rupert as the ultimate fanboy, seemingly safe one minute and unknowingly dangerous the next.

As a nice, added touch, he still lives in his parent's basement, where he records his stand-up act and even has a recreation of The Jerry Langford show set, where he pretends to be a guest.

Jerry Lewis is, interestingly, the "straight man" to DeNiro's off-kilter performance. This is a role audiences aren't used to seeing Lewis in, and he does a great job at playing the simmering slow burn that eventually boils over.

Then, there is Sandra Bernhard, in her major debut, as a fierce force of nature, as she crafts Macha into a unique, unhinged character. 

This is also a much different outing for director Scorcese.  His sweeping, kinetic camera work is nowhere to be found.  And in its place is a very straightforward, grounded direction, which makes The King of Comedy more realistic, and chilling at times.

While it didn't ignite the box office, The King of Comedy has been very influential for several filmmakers, including Todd Phillips, who has credited the film as an inspiration for 2019's Joker (which featured DeNiro in a supporting role).

Released on February 18, 1983, The King of Comedy speaks to how being a fan, and trying to live out your fantasies, can quickly consume your life. It resonates, even more today, as social media has turned so many into celebrities and has brought celebrities that much closer to their fans.

As critic Roger Ebert perfectly stated, The King of Comedy is "...frustrating to watch, unpleasant to remember, and in its own way, quite effective."

 Source: rogerebert.com 

Looking for more articles and podcasts about movies and TV? Head over to my website, Words From Lyons !

My book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance is currently available at Amazon with signed and personalized copies available at Words From Lyons

 

 

You've Gotta Love Football: Celebrating The Super Bowl and Valentine's Day with "Frasier"

 

by Michael Lyons

 

Just as they did this time last year - worlds are about to collide, as The Super Bowl and Valentine's Day will happen just days apart. 

While these two extremely popular and special days couldn't be more different, there are ways to celebrate both, with none other than the noted psychiatrist Frasier Crane.  Two separate episodes of the hit, long-running sitcom Frasier have centered on the big Super Bowl game, and he day of love, Valentine's Day, along with the love and neurosis that comes with both.

 

"Our Parents, Ourselves," Originally aired:  January 21, 1999

A very poignant episode in which Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Roz (Peri Gilpin) attempt to play matchmaker between Frasier's Dad, Martin (John Mahoney), and Roz's mom Joanna (Eva Marie Saint).

It all falls apart, as Martin isn't interested, and Joanna is.  To make matters worse, Frasier secretly invites Roz and Joanna over to Martin's Super Bowl party, not knowing that Martin has invited another date, Bonnie (Alice Playten).

There lots of good jokes sprinkled throughout, centering on Frasier and Niles knowing nothing about football. This includes a great opening in which Roz has to mime different plays so that Frasier can converse about football with one of the callers on his radio show.

"Our Parents, Ourselves" ends on a very touching note. After their matchmaking has gone awry, Frasier and Roz have a very frank discussion around the fact that they did it because they not only hate seeing their parents alone, but they're also afraid of being alone someday.

A feeling that's as universally shared as the Super Bowl itself.

 

"Three Valentines," Originally aired:  February 11, 1999

This Valentine's Day episode centers on three stories.

In one that opens the show, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) is preparing for a Valentine's Day date, for which Frasier has loaned out his apartment.  What follows is brilliant physical comedy from Hyde Pierce, in a sequence almost devoid of dialogue, where one hysterical mishap after another happens and snowballs out of control.  What starts with Niles looking to iron a wrinkle out of his trousers ends with him setting fire to Frasier's couch, all while Eddie the dog watches on.

The second story is about Frasier, who has been invited out on a Valentine's Day date with the station's new marketing manager (Virginia Madsen), or has he?  Frasier can't quite get a "read" on whether or not Cassandra is interested in him, made funnier by sharp dialogue, where Frasier's hopes are high one second and dashed the next.

Then, in the third story, Martin and Daphne (Jane Leeves) go out to dinner, as they have no plans for Valentine's Day. As they try to cheer each other up, they wind up inadvertently (and humorously) insulting each other.

One of the best Frasier episodes, "Three Valentines," is crafted like a great Hollywood screwball, romantic comedy.

 

So, Frasier can help you gear up for the Super Bowl or get ready for Valentine's Day. If you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate both, to quote this wonderful sitcom's main character, "This is Dr. Frasier Crane. I'm listening."

 

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