The History of Talk Radio

Starring:History of Talk Radio
Studio: White Star
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
Talk Radio is unquestionably the fastest growing radio format in America today. The History Of Talk Radio is a comprehensive and entertaining documentary which provides an in-depth look at this incredibly popular medium. This informative program focuses on the little -known facts which surround the early years of Talk Radio and features never-before-seen archival material of the darling pioneers of this radio format including: Joe Pyne, Alan Burke, Long John Nebel, Barry Gray and many others. This unique show also features interviews and fascinating live interactive clips of today's leading talk show personalities including: Larry King, Bob Grant, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Ollie North, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Morton Downey, Jr., G. Gordon Liddy, as well as an inside look at superstars, Howard Stern, Don Imus and Rush Limbaugh. The History Of Talk Radio is a provocative and revealing overview of this controversial broadcast medium which has captured the attention of all Americans by its proven capacity to entertain, as well as its ability to affect the course of our political history.

A Talk With Hitchcock
Average customer rating:

Informative

Great Insight

Great for Hitchcock buffs

DVD Trouble

A Talk With Hitchcock
Starring: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Used DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
Similar Items:

Alfred Hitchcock: More Than Just a Profile - A Documentary

Lifeboat (Special Edition)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season Two

Alfred Hitchcock's Bon Voyage & Aventure Malgache

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season One

ASIN: B00004TJOU
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Amazon.com

Come back to the year 1964 for an interview with Hitch himself. This conversation initially appeared on the '60s CBC program Telescope, with director Fletcher Markle pinning down the genial horror maestro for some very interesting insights. Hitchcock discusses his early career path, beginning as an editor for silent-movie title cards and nearly stumbling into assistant director and director positions. Other topics include the difficulties of wrangling 28,000 birds for The Birds, the infamous shower scene from Psycho (78 separate camera shots in 45 seconds), and the closing scenes of Shadow of a Doubt (the director's personal favorite). More revealing, however, are Hitchcock's takes on the building blocks of film language and theory (Arbogast's death in Psycho is dissected by the director). He also discusses the impact of horror films on society and their influence on behavior; his remarks are still fresh and relevant today. Composer Bernard Herrmann is also interviewed and delves into his relationship with Hitch and the particular way that they cooperated in scoring his films. This should be of interest not only to Hitchcock fans and students, but to anyone who's a fan of horror and suspense genres in general. The auteur is captured in his '60s prime, in an unusually candid setting. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

Sit down for a two-part chat with The Master of Suspense. Alfred Hitchcock told stories using a mixture of intelligent plots, witty dialogue and a spoonful of mystery and murder. In doing so, he inspired a new generation of filmmakers and revolutionized the thriller genre, making him a legend around the world. This archival interview from 1964 is a rare treat for fans of the legendary director and a fascinating glimpse of the creator of some of film's best loved classics.

Customer Reviews:

Informative.......2004-10-29

It was rare for Hitch to do interviews and this is quite a good one. Definitely a must see if you are in any way a fan. I found his comments about film in the year 3000 with hypnotism being used quite fascinating. The only weakness is the "interviewer" who seems to be very pleased with himself and speaks in a effected and cockamamie television interviewer voice that grates on you after awhile. It also could have been longer. But Hitch is the reason to see this and as always he delivers. On a sidenote there is some very cool footage of Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery on the set of Marnie in this and one segment where Hitch discusses the tricks of editing(they cut from Hitch smiling and looking at a mother and her child to Hitch smiling again the same way but this time a cut to a young woman in a bikini)left me laughing hysterically.

Great Insight.......2001-08-07

This resource is a treasure for anyone who is a fan of the cinema, especially, Hitchcock and his technique. A definite must-have for your collection.

Great for Hitchcock buffs.......2001-04-27

Got this dvd recently, did not experience any playback problems mentioned by another reviewer. There is some jerkiness, but I don't think it's a problem with the transfer, but rather because this is an interview on film that is decades old. The real point of this title is not sound/picture quality (which are fine, to me) but the content, and Hitch's anecdotes and discussions of his techniques are real gems for die-hard fans, especially those who haven't seen the master himself talking about his work.

DVD Trouble.......2000-11-08

I am very sorry to report troubles with this DVD. The encoding is not up to par, causing serious jerkiness, and the interview stops dead in its tracks about 15 minutes into the film.

Amazon.com

In just five years, Jack Paar changed the way Americans watched television. The first successful host of the Tonight Show (Steve Allen, Ernie Kovacs, and others were given chances prior to Paar), from 1957 to 1962 Paar made the late-night talk show a staple. In an era when celebrity still carried a measure of dignity, Paar both treated his guests with respect and got them, for the first time, to open up to the American public.

As I Was Saying... breaks up Paar's career between three videos. The first tape concerns itself mostly with Paar's pre-Tonight Show life: his start in radio, his stint in the Army, and his early days in Hollywood, where Jack Benny served as his mentor. Paar's Army hitch proves to be a turning point in his life--it was then that he first performed in front of an audience, and his job hosting the acts that come through to perform for the troops brought him national fame and Benny's attention.

The second tape shows the development of Paar's conversational humor, along with plenty of clips from the Tonight Show. There are early clips with Bill Cosby and Woody Allen, clips with Jonathon Winters and Buddy Hackett, and a sampling of Paar's own monologues. Paar's defining moment is explained in detail: after NBC censored a joke he made about a water closet (the British term for a restroom), Paar walked off the show; his return, a month later, is considered one of television's classic moments. He strolled onstage, struck a pose, and looked right into the camera. "As I was saying, before I was interrupted...," he said, and the audience erupted.

The third tape is hosted by Paar himself and is an edited tour through his post-Tonight Show career and life. Almost no mention is made of his failed variety show or brief stint as a Johnny Carson competitor; instead, there are clips of Paar as a guest on Carson's show and on Pat Sajak's short-lived program. There is also footage from Paar's African excursions, which are little more than well-filmed and -narrated home movies. They're nice for Paar completists, but hardly as entertaining as the first two tapes. --Randy Silver

Description

Jack Paar, a pioneer in late night television, brought conversation, comedy, and wit to millions of Americans who tuned in nightly to watch Jack, his celebrated guests, and their antics. This exciting, two-hour documentary takes the viewer on a journey through the life and career of this TV originator; from his early days in radio, in the army, to his pre- Tonight Show years in Hollywood, through the golden era of the late 50's and 60's when television was live and unrehearsed. Includes rare, vintage television clips with Judy Garland, John F. Kennedy, and Jonathan Winters, the comedy of Paar guests Bill Cosby, Godfrey Cambridge, and Woody Allen, as well as many insights, provocative and original segments, including Paar's famous walk-off incident from The Tonight Show following being censored. This special edition DVD is like a visit to a television museum and a look at TV's best. It's a must for any collector!

Customer Reviews:

Paar's Television Legacy.......2007-04-30

"As I Was Saying & More" is a long-overdue appreciation of Jack Paar's influence on the television medium. As host of "The Tonight Show" from 1957 to 1962, he paved the talk-show road followed by Johnny Carson, David Letterman and numerous others. Paar was a brilliant monologist, cultural observer and undisputed master in the art of TV conversation. Happily, this VHS set includes a generous selection of rarely seen material, with a special video devoted to Paar's guest appearances and later work. The overall collection represents a landmark in television history that should be viewed by all generations.

Classic Paar.......2007-04-27

Really enjoyed seeing Jack once again. Superb retrospective and I found it well worth the money.
Mike
San Diego, CA

BUT...A TERRIBLE VIDEO TO DVD TRANSFER ! ! !.......2005-06-26

KULTUR, the company responsible for tranferring this video to DVD, should consider refunding the buyer's money, removing it from the market, and do the transfer over again using state-of-the-art video equipment. It is bad...VERY bad. However, Paar himself is tremendous, as well as the overall program material.

Even though I'm a HUGE fan of the late and great Johnny Carson,
Jack Paar not only was the innovator of the talk show format, but also had the talent to back up those staunch critics who claim he remains #1. I'm among those many.

His classic exchanges with Judy Garland and Jonathan Winters have never been equaled. They're priceless.

Buy this DVD...terrible transfer and all.

The REAL King of Late Night.......2004-06-22

First of all I want to say that I'm only 22 years old. I grew up - being born in 1982 - as a child of the Johnny Carson generation. So obviously I never had the opportunity to enjoy Jack Paar in his prime, so that makes me appreciate this DVD so much more that it is available for the younger generation like myself - who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to appreciate his genius. For years I've heard my father talk about how great Jack Paar was so my jaw dropped when I found another DVD set, "The Jack Paar Collection" at Best Buy a few weeks back. I purchased it and became a quick Paar fan. I then jumped on the internet and tried to find everything I could about Jack and that led me to Amazon and this DVD, "As I Was Saying...And More!" I'm very impressed with this DVD and it contains some very rare footage - including actual kinescope footage of Jack leaving the Tonight Show (Jack tearfully thanked the audience and said "There has to be a better way to make a living") after a joke had been wrongfully censored. A few weeks later, he returned to the show after practically being begged by NBC executives. Upon returning to the show, Jack slyly grinned and looked into the camera and said ever so calmly: "As I was saying before I was interrupted..." All of this footage is on this DVD! There is also a treasure chest of other footage contained in this 2-hour documentary. As for extras, there's a photo gallery and a documentary that Jack hosted about John F. Kennedy. But I think my favorite extra is the actual audio footage (the video is presumably lost forever) of the famous Water Closet joke that caused so much controversy. Hearing this hillarious story (about a misunderstanding between "WC" meaning "Water Closet" - which is a term the British use for a toilet facility, or meaning "Wayside Chapel". This leads to a hillarious story that is not offensive in any way, shape, or form but NBC felt they should censor it, which led to Paar walking off his show the next night. The audio of this water closet segment is on this DVD as an extra so you can judge for yourself how idiotic the NBC executives were for cutting the segment in the first place!

The only beef I have at all with this DVD is actually Amazon's manner of advertising it. They use the description for the VHS version to describe the DVD version. The VHS and the DVD versions are slightly different. The VHS version consists of 3 videos, with one video hosted by Jack talking about his Post-Tonight Show ventures. The DVD does not contain any of this footage (I didn't see any footage of Jack on "The Pat Sajak Show" and the Johnny Carson footage is very brief). So I think Amazon needs to write a better description for the DVD version as its NOT quite the same as the VHS version.

But for any of you out there who are like me and too young to remember anyone else hosting the Tonight Show other than Johnny Carson, you owe it to yourself to pick up this DVD as well as "The Jack Paar Collection". Jack is the real King of Late Night, but that's not to take away from Johnny Carson. If anything, I can see where Johnny has copied many of his mannerisms and his delivery style from Jack.

Please don't provide just "clips"!!!.......2004-05-10

I agree with the other reviewers about the high quality of Jack Paar's shows. He was the best talk show host ever. He makes Jay Leno look like a real twit. I especially agree with reviewer John Ellis that snippets of the show are just not the same as whole programs. Fans of Jack Paar don't want CLIPS, which are someone's interpretation of what is worth watching. Put the whole series on DVD and let us see them uncut, as they were originally broadcast, commercials and all. Now that would be a worthwhile product!

Average customer rating:

History Of Talk Radio

The History of Talk Radio
Starring: Howard Stern , Don Imus , and Larry King
Manufacturer: White Star
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Talk Radio
Larry King Live - The Greatest Interviews
Born into Brothels
An Inconvenient Truth

ASIN: B0009GV99G
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Description

Talk Radio is unquestionably the fastest growing radio format in America today. The History Of Talk Radio is a comprehensive and entertaining documentary which provides an in-depth look at this incredibly popular medium. This informative program focuses on the little -known facts which surround the early years of Talk Radio and features never-before-seen archival material of the darling pioneers of this radio format including: Joe Pyne, Alan Burke, Long John Nebel, Barry Gray and many others. This unique show also features interviews and fascinating live interactive clips of today's leading talk show personalities including: Larry King, Bob Grant, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Ollie North, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Morton Downey, Jr., G. Gordon Liddy, as well as an inside look at superstars, Howard Stern, Don Imus and Rush Limbaugh. The History Of Talk Radio is a provocative and revealing overview of this controversial broadcast medium which has captured the attention of all Americans by its proven capacity to entertain, as well as its ability to affect the course of our political history.

Customer Reviews:

History Of Talk Radio.......2005-09-20

Too much New York bias (and I'm an ex-New Yorker who listened to the profiled personalities in my youth) hurt this effort. Tom Leykis and the late great Jean Shepherd were conspiciously missing. The Chicago School (Studs Terkel) wasn't on this video tape at all. In short, this film was a flawed effort, a disappointment.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

The Flower of Evil

Winnie The Pooh : The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh :

Man's Favorite Sport (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Brain That Wouldn't Die

Zurück zu Gott!