| View Larger Image | Mama Cass Television Program | DVDStarring: Various Artists
| List Price: | $14.98 | | Price: | $14.49 | | You Save: | $0.49 (3%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | DVD | | Rating: |  | | Run Time: | 65 minutes | | Format: | Color, Compilation, DVD, NTSC | | Studio: | Classic World | | Number of Discs: | 1 | | Aspect Ratio: | 1.33:1 | | Release Date: | August 25, 2009 | | Sales Rank: | 13,470th |
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FEATURES | - 2009 marks not only the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, but of The Mama Cass Television Program, a colorful 1969 ABC special (not seen since) that uniquely captured not only the free spirit of this iconic festival of music and love, but of the times and a decade of change. Filmed as a pilot for a TV variety series, the show is a joyous celebration of both music and flower power that never air
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
Studio: Infinity Resources Inc Release Date: 08/25/2009 |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 11 reviews)
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Time capsule, Cass revealed by John Ellis (New York, NY United States)  5 Stars
November 02, 2009
The sets are dated, the costumes make Cass look like she's pregnant with no bust (impossible), but the guests are stellar; "Meskite" from "Cabaret" is neutered (the middle cut out of the song where the heart was) and yet this is great stuff. Cass had a quality something like Gilda Radner as a comedienne and she more than holds her own in the 'cool' department with Joni Mitchell, Mary Travers and particularly in the bonus clip with Sammy Davis Jr. (doing "I Dig RnR Music", neatly subbing 'Ike and Tina Turner' for the "Mamas and the Papas" in the lyrics). She sings a medley of Mamas and Papas hits solo with a Raylettes-like trio behind her and nails them.
This was obviously a test shot for a series (produced by the "Gong Show's" Chuck Barris) and as Cass was anti-photogenic (she has no good angle) all that charm and talent meant nothing. At least we've got this. It's a very feminist piece of work too, in an non-confrontational way. In terms of talent this outdoes the "Sonny and Cher" show by miles but Cher was of course beautiful and talented if not on Cass's level. No wonder she crash dieted and hit Vegas. A real pity she's not still around, there was a lot more of her than we ever saw. A valuable record of a very generous spirit.
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Great outfits and costumes, but Cass seems nervous by Kevin Killian (San Francisco, CA United States)  3 Stars
October 28, 2009
Cass' TV variety pilot is great fun to watch, but in some ways also painful.
When Cass and Buddy Hackett were together, the camera cuts in close on the hands in her lap, and she seems like she's pulling her fingers apart, out of nervousness I expect, though she keeps her eyes on Hackett's. She seems like she must have been a wonderful listener; when she listens to Mary Travers sing, or Joni Mitchell play the guitar, she looks as if she is in awe. (Well, she had displayed this lovely quality in the Monterey Pop movie, where the camera catches her mouthing the word "Wow" like a mantra.) I never liked Buddy Hackett, but he is excellent here, and don't fast forward through his scenes, he has that sort of broken down Chaplin appeal that people misguidedly ascribed to Jackie Gleason. Maybe it was a little gauche of him to boast to Cass about how much weight he's lost in recent years: does she look a little wounded, or fatigued, during this part of their interchange?
Bizarre also to see Cass, Mary Travers and John Sebastian all in the same show. Each had been a significant part of a great pop group, but going solo is always fraught with peril, and you might say that none of them were ever as good alone as they were when they were in their groups. But you can see they each had style! Joni seems too smart and eccentric for TV, doesn't she, though she still thought of herself at least in part as an entertainer. She and Cass share a sequined, hippie designer sense of style, while Mary Tarvers, with her long blonde processed hair and her minidress of blue zirconium, looks like Nico in the days of the Silver Factory. Mary Travers' bangs were also copied from Nico. Goodness knows Joni had bangs, but Mary's continue right past her eyelashes! When it's her turn to sing she rises up from her chair as though "I just gotta dance while I sing." Well, it's not reallty dancding but it is really sixties and you got to love it.
Another unfortunate note, Mama Cass' backing band is brilliant and soul-inflected and all that, but it's weird that they were called "Hamfat." You know why.
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STILL ENTERTAINING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS by scifi mep (San Jose, CA) 5 Stars
October 18, 2009
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this DVD. The main reason I purchsed it was after seeing the clip on You Tube with the trio of Cass Elliott, Joni Mitchell & Mary Travers singing Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released", which still to me is the highlight of the show. However, the solos by each of these artists, as well as John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful,the comedy with Buddy Hackett--which was a lot funnier than I expected--and with Barbara Bain & Martin Landau, were also very enjoyable. There is also bonus footage with Cass singing with Sammy Davis, Jr., as well as an interview with John Sebastian recalling the era of Cass & the Mamas & the Papas.
The songs are as follows:
1. Dream a Little Dream of Me--Cass Elliot
2. California Deamin'--Cass Elliot
3. Monday, Monday--Cass Elliot
4. Dancing in the Street--Cass Elliot
5. The River of Life--Cass Elliot
6. I Can Dream, Can't I?--Cass Elliot
7. She's A Lady--John Sebastian
8. Darlin' Companion--John Sebastian & Cass Elliot
9. Both Sides Now--Joni Mitchell
10. And When I Die-Mary Travers
11. I Shall Be Released--Cass Elliot, Mary Travers & Joni Mitchell
12. I Dig Rock & Roll Music--Cass Elliot & Sammy Davis, Jr.
If you enjoy good music & good signing, you will enjoy this DVD.
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Great idea that misses the boat by James P. White (New York, NY United States)  2 Stars
October 11, 2009
I actually bought this dvd because one of the guest stars is Joni Mitchell. Joni and Cass were great friends; in fact the character Estrella in Joni's song "Ladies of the Canyon" is based on Cass Elliot. There is also a well-know B&W photo of the two of them, face-to-face and smiliing, obviously reveling in each other's company. So it's distressing to have to acknowledge that the show itself is so lame. I mean, Buddy Hackett? The musical sequences are wonderful, and there are moments when the Cass' true, irreverent, and quite genuinely funny spirt shines through. But overall it's a mish-mash of all that was wrong with late 60's TV. I mean, Buddy Hackett?
There are a couple of comedy sketches (one with Buddy Hackett and one with Martin Landau and Barbara Bain - riding the crest of their "Mission Impossible" fame no doubt). Neither one of these sketches quite holds together; they ALMOST make it, but not quite. In one, Cass is a patient in a hospital waiting room, talking to Buddy Hackett, a fellow patient. There is great potential for something wonderfully human in this one: warmth, poignancy, human connection. What does it in(for me at least) is the way Cass uses her cane at the end of the sketch (I won't reveal more for fear of spoiling the ending). Clearly a little coaching here would have helped. The sketch with Martin Landau and Barbara Bain also falls a little flat; Barbara Bain tries to play against type as a sort of frumpy, middle-aged Brooklyn or Bronx (well, at least that's the conclusion I reached based on the accent she employed) lady attending a kind of dating service where she meets Martin Landau.
The absolute best parts of this show are the musical sequences. Cass is great - as always - as are Joni and the late and very great Mary Travers. (A show-biz aside: Joni, Mary, and Cass perform a segment where each sings a solo while the other two look on. Note the reactions of Joni and Mary as they watch, and respond, to each other's performance. Does one detect a tiny bit of jealousy on Mary's part? Just axin'!!)
Anyway, if you are a fan of Cass, Joni Mitchell, or Mary Travers you won't be disappointed in the music. Oh- lest I forget- John Sebastian also appears as a musical guest.
As for the rest...
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Great to see Cass by TL (NY, NY)  4 Stars
September 24, 2009
I have mixed feelings about this, largely due to some of the comedy moments.
Thumbs up: Cass singing California Dreamin', Monday Monday, I Can Dream Can't I?, and Dream a Little Dream; solos from Mary Travers, Joni Mitchell and John Sebastian; amazing pairing of Cass, Joni and Mary; nice duet with John; funny and touching sketch with Bain and Landau; Cass closing and somewhat touching comments.
So-so: Sketch with Cass and Buddy is a nice idea but the writing seems forced; Cass's closing song, Dancing in the Streets. She gives it a lot of energy, but it somehow runs out of steam. I also have to say that the budget for the show must have been a relatively small one. The studio was a VERY small, with perhaps 150 people in the audience, and production values are not much. The woman who did Cass' hair must have been coming off a bad trip as neither setting is very flattering (Cass had a long face, made longer by stretch marks under her chin. As such, she alwways looked better with bangs); John Sebastian interview. He looks great for his age, and it is nice to hear what little he said, but it was not much.
Thumbs down: Opening sketch with Buddy Hackett is often not funny, and the song is trite; sketch/song with Cass, Hackett, Bain and Landau is AWFUL, though Bain looks as though she had fun doing something silly; Sammy & Cass - what were they thinking when the producers chose that song? I have a lot of variety shows from sixties and seventies and very often the material chosen was ill-suited for the singers and this is certainly the case for Sammy and nearly as much for Cass. Fun to see, but considering all of the great work she did elsewhere on tv from 1968-1973, I cannot help wonder why they chose to put this on the dvd.
Despite it's flaws, I still think it is worth owning. How much nicer it would have been with a full-length bio on Cass, or clips from her work elsewhere on tv (Burnette Show, Tom Jones, Julie Andrews Hour, etc.)
FYI, the show was filmed in the late summer of 1968, a month prior to her disasterous Vegas appearance and in fact she and Hackett discuss the forthcoming appearance. Odd, as the show was set to air in December 1968, after the Vegas dates. Cass also says her daugher is 20 months old, which she would have been in December 1968 (Owen was born sometime in late April 1967). In any event, airing of the special was pushed back to give her career time to recover from the huge setback of a failed Vegas gig that should have lasted three weeks but lasted two nights. I have to say I am surprised they booked her in Vegas. Cass had only just begun her career as a solo artist, and good though she was, I believe it took her a few years past the time of this program to gain the gravitas it took to perform well as a live, solo act. She is much more secure in her 1973 program. And if reviews are anything to go by, her work in person as a solo was far superior in her later years.
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