GREAT AMERICAN DREAM MACHINE, THE: HIGHLIGHTS {PROGRAM B} (TV)
Summary
One in this weekly series examining the gulf between American promise and reality in a magazine format of short features, sketches, and songs. This special highlights program is prefaced by a close-up of two mimes who interpret a symphony with wild facial gestures. The program includes the following segments: a montage of interviews with various people who offer their views of the ideal man or ideal woman; "Great American Hero," a profile of veteran roller-derby queen Ann Calvello that includes interviews with Calvello, friends, fans, and critics, as well as clips of her performance; the sketch "Out to Lunch," in which two lonely and quirky individuals meet in Central Park and have an unfulfilling conversation full of non-sequiturs; a video art piece that pairs the music of a "Tarantella" with dozens of images of dancing feet; "Fascinating Womanhood," which examines a course in which women develop "traditional" feminine traits in order to be more pleasing to their husbands; singer Carly Simon's performance of the song "That's the Way I've Heard It Should Be"; an interview in which Artie Shaw comments on the myth of Cinderella, Hollywood marriages, his own experiences with marriage and divorce, and parallels between his own life and that of King Henry the VIII; a comical animated piece in which a calypso band performs "The Banana Boat Song" with some difficulty; Food for Thought," a spoof of highbrow television discussion programs; and "Of Etiquette and Aging with Miss Amy Vanderbilt," a commentary by Amy Vanderbilt on appropriate behavior in the home, eating manners, and aging. The program concludes with Elaine Stritch's performance of the Stephen Sondheim song "The Ladies Who Lunch" and a preview of the next week's program.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS WNET New York, NY
- DATE: 1974
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:50
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T81:0331
- GENRE: Magazine
- SUBJECT HEADING: Calypso; Conductors; Etiquette; Femininity (Psychology); Music, popular (songs, etc.); Musical revues, comedies, etc. - Excerpts; Roller derbies; Satire; Video art
- SERIES RUN: WNET (New York, NY) - TV series, 1971-1972
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- A.H. Perlmutter … Executive Producer
- Lou Soloman … Coordinating Producer
- Groove Tube … Producer
- Arthur Holch … Producer, For "American Dream Montages"
- Ron Finley … Producer, For "Ann Calvello"
- Peter Lance … Producer, Writer, For "Ann Calvello"
- Fritz Roland … Producer, For "Out to Lunch"
- Aram Boyajian … Producer, For "Fascinating Womanhood"
- Sheila Nevins … Producer, For "Carly Simon," "Artie Shaw," "Amy Vanderbilt," and "Elaine Stritch"
- Paul Glickman … Producer, For "Calypso Singer"
- Nola Safro … Producer, For "Food for Thought"
- Norma Davidoff … Co-Producer, For "Fascinating Womanhood"
- Don Mischer … Director
- Joe Bologna … Director, Writer , For "Out to Lunch"
- Renee Taylor … Writer, For "Out to Lunch"
- Martin Mull and His Midget Band … Music by, Composer
- Stephen Sondheim … Composer
- John Adams … Music (Misc. Credits), Music Supervisor
- Diane Sharon … Researcher
- Chevy Chase … Performer , For "Singing Faces"
- Ken Shapiro … Performer, For "Singing Faces" and "Food for Thought"
- Richard Castellano … Performer, For "Out to Lunch"
- Ardell Sheridan … Performer, For "Out to Lunch"
- Dennis Helfend … Performer, For "Food for Thought"
- Peter Blaxill … Performer, For "Food for Thought"
- Fred Stuthman … Performer, For "Food for Thought"
- Lincoln Harrice … Performer, For "Food for Thought"
- Carly Simon … Performer, For "Carly Simon"
- Elaine Stritch … Performer, For "Elaine Stritch"
- Ann Calvello
- Henry VIII, King of England
- Artie Shaw
- Amy Vanderbilt