Movies Books

I knew that the executives who run the television networks are almost always shortsighted pea-brained idiots, but I did not know originally "The Dick Van Dyke Show" was cancelled at the end of its first season. Granted, the show finished in 80th place in the Nielsen ratings and during that first season Carl Reiner was clearly writing more for himself than Dick Van Dyke (which made sense since Reiner wrote and filmed the original pilot "Head of the Family" for himself), but we are talking about coming "that" close to losing what is one of the classic situation comedies in the history of television. After that first season "The Dick Van Dyke Show" finished 9th, 3rd, 7th, and 16th in the Nielsens and won the Emmy for best show in its category all four years (it was just that the category changed from Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Humor, to the Field of Comedy, then in Entertainment, and finally as Outstanding Comedy Series).

Ginny Weissman and Coyne Stevens Sanders bring the sensibilities of both fans and television historians to this look at "The Dick Van Dyke Show." They benefited from writing with the complete cooperation of every member of the cast, who heartily endorse the end product. This revised and expanded version contains over 130 photographs, synopses of all 158 episodes, and a 500 question trivia section that tax your knowledge of the show. You will also find lists of all the awards won by the show and its cast during its five-year fun, an update on where everyone was as of 1993, the revival of the show on "Nick at Night," and the complete script of "That's My Boy??," the episode always cited as receiving the longest laugh in the history of sitcom taped before a studio audience when Rob opens the door for the couple he is convinced has taken Richie home from the hospital (if you do not know why the audience explodes long and loud in laughter, then you are completely unfamiliar with the show and have no business reading this far into the review).

This book is written for the fans, which explains why the synopses of each episode is provided "in brief," which means a single sentence. The point is clearly not to describe the episode, but rather to remind you which one it is in the grand scheme of things. Given that the cast list for each episode always includes all of the principles every single time, I admit I would have rather had the descriptions of the episodes include choice moments. I would rather know what songs the cast sang on "'The Alan Brady Show' Presents" or be reminded about the big diamond (next to the glass doorknob) Rob and Laura found in Hezekiah's desk in "The Great Petrie Fortune," instead of knowing what episodes did not have Buddy and/or Sally or featured Millie and/or Jerry Helper. I especially liked the details about the original pilot and how Van Dyke and the rest of the stellar cast were eventually assembled for the show. In fact, Weissman and Sanders repeatedly provide insights into some of the most famous episodes on the show. Finally, what makes it clear this book knows what it is doing, Richard Deacon is included on the front cover along with Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam, and Rose Marie. Case closed.

This 172-page volume isn't as detailed as Vince Waldron's "Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book", but it serves as a very nice companion piece to both that Waldron book and to the 5 full-season DVD boxed sets of the Van Dyke Show that were released via Image Entertainment, Inc., in 2003 and 2004 (all five of which sparkle brightly in every respect). Placing those DVDs next to this publication (and the book by Mr. Waldron as well) would certainly serve as an unsurpassable batch of Van Dyke Show video and printed material, providing the owner of said products with just about all he/she could ever need with regard to this never-tiresome CBS-TV sitcom.

The 8.5" x 11.0" paperback book (which was originally released in 1983 and revised in 1993) is crammed with many, many top-notch black-and-white photographs; and the colorful front cover (featuring five main members of the show's cast) perfectly captures the fun and spirit of this classic sitcom.

Plenty of quotes from the show's cast and crew members are on tap here too, as they reflect back on the making of the series. An abundant amount of behind-the-camera information is mixed in amongst the wealth of photographs on these pages.

Synopses of all 158 Dick Van Dyke Show episodes are also included in a separate chapter. Plus there's a chapter entitled "That's My Boy?? -- A Milestone In Television History", which includes the entire script of the 64th filmed episode in the series ("That's My Boy??"), which is one of the funniest of all the Van Dyke scripts (which is really saying something, because they're all pretty darn good). That episode, which was expertly written by Bill Persky and Sam Denoff on May 22, 1963, has Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) practically beside himself with worry in the days following his son Ritchie's birth, as he thinks the hospital gave him the wrong baby. A great episode indeed!

This book also contains a 4-page "Awards" section, which details all of the various awards (mostly "Emmys") that "The Dick Van Dyke Show" won, and was nominated for, during its successful five-year tenure on network TV.

There's also "The Dick Van Dyke 500" -- which is a 500-question trivia quiz. Some real brain-busters here, including Question #41: "How much money had Laura put away in her secret bank account (in the episode 'Bank Book 6565696')?" .... Was it: A.) $294.12; B.) $451.02; C.) $378.16; or D.) $398.26? .... Now THAT'S what I call "trivia"! Can you guess the answer? (I knew the answer to that one right off the bat, which probably makes me a certifiable "Van Dyke Show Geek" of the first order. LOL!) :)

This entire volume is very fun to glance through, with the ultimate prize in the package (in my estimation) being the oodles of great pictures (many of which depict "behind-the-scenes" shots of the cast and crew).

Looking through this book again prompted me to type up the following list of some of my all-time favorite "Dick Van Dyke Show" episodes (every single one of which can be purchased on DVD in the previously-mentioned Image Entertainment seasonal boxed sets of the series). .............

My Top 20 "Most Watched Episodes" list would look like this (what would your own personal list look like?):

1.) "All About Eavesdropping" (Season 2 boxed set).
2.) "Harrison B. Harding Of Camp Crowder, Mo." (S.1).
3.) "The Curious Thing About Women" (S.1).
4.) "My Husband Is A Check-Grabber" (S.2).
5.) "Empress Carlotta's Necklace" (S.1).
6.) "Never Bathe On Saturday" (S.4).
7.) "A Nice, Friendly Game Of Cards" (S.3).
8.) "Punch Thy Neighbor" (S.1).
9.) "Ray Murdock's X-Ray" (S.2).
10.) "The Sick Boy And The Sitter" (S.1).
11.) "The Night The Roof Fell In" (S.2).
12.) "The Ghost Of A. Chantz" (S.4).
13.) "A Man's Teeth Are Not His Own" (S.2).
14.) "The Case Of The Pillow" (S.4).
15.) "The Two Faces Of Rob" (S.2).
16.) "Pink Pills And Purple Parents" (S.4).
17.) "That's My Boy??" (S.3).
18.) "The Impractical Joke" (S.4).
19.) "Coast-To-Coast Big Mouth" (S.5).
20.) "My Blonde-Haired Brunette" (S.1).

Overall Favorite Seasons -- Season 1 and Season 2. (Although all 5 seasons are excellent, as all Van Dyke Show fans can attest.) :)

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Post-Script ..............

Something I thought of recently while watching the "Vic Damone"/"Ric Vallone" episode (titled "Like A Sister") --- during the entire course of the Dick Van Dyke Show series, creator/writer/producer Carl Reiner (plus the other top execs, Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard) never once exploited the "showbiz" angle of the Van Dyke series. What I mean by that is -- Carl & Company never felt the urge to cave in to the "Lucy Show Syndrome", and therefore very seldom brought in major movie stars of the day as guest stars to play off of the rest of the cast.

The "Let's get a big-name guest star on the show every week" scenario could have easily been done (and with a built-in "realism" as well, due to main character Robert Petrie working in show business on a popular variety show). From what I've read regarding the series, many big stars would drop by the show's soundstages to shoot the breeze. It seemed to be the "in" place to be in Hollywood. Well, at least one of the "in" places at any rate.

And I'm guessing that if he would have wanted to bow down to such ratings pressures, Mr. Reiner (et al) would have had no trouble at all garnering many major movie stars as guests on "TDVDS".

I'm very glad, however, that Reiner decided not to go the "Lucy Show" route for bigger ratings or for prestige value (or whatever) -- because relying on the great regular cast was a much better plan, IMHO.

And I find it interesting, too, to note that even when "TDVDS" *did* occasionally include a guest star to sing or dance on the fictional "Alan Brady Show", you'll note that the guest actor was always of a somewhat lesser-known stature, with character names created for them -- such as the aforementioned "Ric Vallone" used instead of Vic Damone's real name. ... And "Jacques Savon", and "Tracy Rattigan", and "Paula Marshall".

I often wonder how good the show would have been if Carl Reiner *had* decided to include huge-name guest stars each week (playing themselves), like on Lucille Ball's shows -- with people like John Wayne, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Sammy Davis, and Jerry Lewis popping in every week to make an "Alan Brady Show" appearance.

I, for one, am just as content and satisfied with the likes of "Janie Layton", "Henry Walden", "Jim Darling", "Valerie Blake", "Max Calvada", "Randolph Eisenbauer", and "Harper Worthington Yates". Plus, of course, the first-rate regular cast members, who didn't need to play second banana to anybody, IMO. :)

In closing, let me just state --- "I haven't had this many laughs since the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre!" ** :)

** = Dialogue from the episode "All About Eavesdropping".

I've had my copy of this book for almost a decade now and I absolutely love it. The authors Weissman and Saunders have covered their subject well and brought together a fabulous treasure trove of information about one of television's most loved golden oldies. You won't find much gossip or other unsavory "warts and all" type material in this compendium, but you will find everything worth knowing about the show and it's stars. You get a good feel for the warmth and personal friendship that the cast has shared with each other since they began working together; each of the regular cast members as well as some of the show's writers and directors were interviewed and they add immeasurably to the book's enjoyment.

Contained inside the pages of this tome is a detailed but concisely written history of how the show came about, beginning with Carl Reiner's original idea for a television show titled 'Head Of The Family' with himself in the lead; his redesign and recasting of the show; his working relationship with Sheldon Leonard, Dick Van Dyke and the rest of the cast members and beyond. Also included within is a complete synopsis of all 158 episodes including guest star appearances, a complete script from one of the shows, over 100 photos, an excellent trivia test with answers in the back and a list of all the awards that the show won during it's initial network run.

Long after it first aired in the early 60's 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' still continues to enjoy phenomenal -but not surprising - success as one of the shows currently seen on TV Land as of this writing. I know people ranging from preteen to senior citizens who list it among their favorite TV shows to watch, even favoring it far above contemporary television programming. Nearly all of them are able to recount the series' most popular episodes to any one who will listen as well as recite the memorable lines of dialogue from each one. If you know someone who truly appreciates this show then this book would make an excellent gift; or if you're a fan don't go another day without it!

I love this Ipod and StoryBook. It is the best the best thing that I ever purchased for our 4 year old. We have two. One for the car and one for home. Very easy for her to figure out. The car rides are nice and quiet now and she says I have an Ipod like mommy now....I would highly reccommend it. Very durable. Not to loud for those small ears. Be prepared to have lots of batteries in the house as you will go through them since they do use it. I am buying another one for x-mas just to have. The stories are wonderful and the music is calming. Enojy!!!

My daughter who is going to be 5 very soon loves this item. It combines her loves - Princess motif and music in an electronic device!

Even though I didn't enjoy the stories that much, I enjoyed the music. It was insturmental music as well as an insurmental version of a song from the movies. I hope someday there will be more MYPODs with books

In this book tarzan outsmarted everyone. In real life you have to be smart to win, you dont have to be strong and be the bad guy you just have to use your brain well. As always parents get mad at acctivities you like and so did Tarzan. Dont you hate it!

In this book tarzan outsmarted everyone. In real life you have to be smart to win, you dont have to be strong and be the bad guy you just have to use your brain well. As always parents get mad at acctivities you like and so did Tarzan. Dont you hate it!

My two year old son loves books.His favorite movie is Disney's Tarzan so this was a perfect choice for him. The book has beautiful pictures and is easy to read to a young child. It is also a wonderful tale for all ages, I have to admit I almost cried at the end!

This is another novel from Disney's The Parent Trap and I just love it! A must buy book or if you prefer more just go to the nearest cinema and see the movie for yourself if it's still showing.

I love reading Disney Books and I'd say this is the best one!!!

I love this movie! The originel book is called: "Lisa andlottie".My favorite actress is "Lindsay Lohan".I alwaysgo on her webpage.

Michael York's Dispatches From Armageddon shares insights on the basics of creating a film. The first person diary entries share moment-by-moment experiences in the making of the movie Megiddo: aspiring actors will relish the insights into how a movie is produced.

We see from start to finish the makings of a great epic apocalyptic film: the care,the mishaps, details details,redos & outtakes.The pleasant suprising bonus is a look-see into the kinder/gentler private side/life of Michael. I would never fly so much or keep all those engagements. Some doubt remains if cutting down the film time to 90 mins. will come out even &/or do justice to a film of such magnitude. Knowing that Michael was @ the helm with advice and agreement of end results must make it all worthwhile. I must see the film to be certain sure.

Dispatches from Armageddon is a wonderfully entertaining and thought-provoking read. Michael York's writing is as engaging as his acting, while he generously shares his trials and triumphs, not only about the day-to-day process of creating a movie, but in the unique and fascinating daily experience of being Michael York. Although a fascinating look into making a film, it is much more than that. For it teems with acting advice, travel adventure, private moments, memorable quotations, humor and humility. And best of all, we are offered not only insight into how an actor works, but, more importantly, how a true gentleman lives. It is sincere and it is human, and each chapter unfolds like letters from a friend. This book is insightful, funny, and often profound.

This was a great book!! Sierra gets to go to California to see her friends! Things start getting turned upside down when Tawni decides t0o go with her. Because of her beatiful looks, Tawni seems to be getting quite a lot of attenion, esecially from a guy named Jeremy. Will Sierra conquer her jealousy and enjoy her trip? You need to read this book!

I loved this book especially since I've read the Christy Miller books. I think it was awesome how Doug proposes to Tracy and Todd & Christy get to be the best man and maid of honor. I really identified with Sierra in this book. I can understand how she felt left out like that and jealous of her sister. She realises that she needs to pray about her relationship with her sister and let God take over it.

It's so neato. It's such a happy book, yeah!!! It is really exciting, esp. if you've read the Christy Miller books before. It's just so hard to describe in words. I just know I really enjoyed it sooo much. It encouraged me in my walk with God!!! I think it's the best of all the Sierra Jensen books. okily dokily!! well, hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!!:0)

My daughters love Dora. They learn so much from the TV show and books.

This is a great "Dora" story book, and it's a bit more lengthy than a lot of these books.

It's Friendship Day! On Friendship Day friends around the world have parties and wear special friendship bracelets. The problem is, sneaky Swiper has been swiping friendship bracelets from all over the world!

Dora's World Adventure follows Dora, Boots, Diego, and Swiper the Fox to four locations: the Eiffel Tower in France, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the Winter Palace in Russia, and the Great Wall of China.

In each country, Dora interacts with various friends, saying "hello" in the native tongue. For example, when in Tanzania, Dora meets up with her friend N'Dari; in that country, "jambo" means hello.

Dora's World Adventure is an excellent book for introducing children to world geography and world cultures. My son has been asking about the various countries, relating various cultural aspects and landmarks that he learned from the book.

In the back of the book is a perforated glow-in-the-dark bracelet that your child can wear, which is a nice added touch.

My son also also has the CD-ROM game of the same name, which is also very good.

Jeffrey Vance's new completist biography of film pioneer Douglas Fairbanks is worth a look. A good long look. Well-written and concise, Vance details the amazing life, and all of the movies, of one of the 20th Century's most incredible icons; the first Motion Picture Superstar. Douglas Fairbanks was born in Denver in 1883. He was raised by his southern mother, who had separated from his father, an attorney, when he was only five. His father, an alcoholic, would desert the family. Fairbanks suffered from depression as a child. Insecurity haunted all three of his later marriages, and affected the up-bringing of his son, Douglas Jr.. But young Doug found peace, and surely promise, in the fantasy world of theater, and later...the movies...Douglas Fairbanks began amateur theater at age 12 in Colorado. He made his Broadway debut in 1902. The hit play, "The Lamb", led to a Hollywood contract. Success would follow. He appeared in "The Americano", for D.W. Griffith, in 1916. He was paid $10,000 a week to star in "Flirting With Fate(1916)". Fairbanks would marry an industrialist's daughter. With Marry Pickford, D.W. Griffith, and Charlie Chaplin, he helped form United Artists in 1919. During a Libert Bond tour he fell in love with Mary Pickford. Eventually married, Doug and Mary became the first residents of Beverly Hills, where they built the Pickfair Mansion. Pickfair was erected on top of Summit Drive in Benedict Canyon. It was torn down in 1979 by Pia Zadora. Using their combined assets, Fairbanks and Pickford bought the old Jesse Hampton studio on Formosa Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood in 1922. There they would produce some of their finest films. This studio today is called "The Lot". Here Fairbanks shot many silent epics, including "Robin Hood(1922)", and "The Thief of Bagdad(1924)". As producer and star, Fairbanks was intricately involved in all aspects of his movies. And Fairbanks did his own stunts. He did all his own, with one exception. In one early stunt, he broke his left hand, and twisted his back and wrists. In 1926, Fairbanks starred in the magical two-strip Technicolor "Black Pirate". For many years, this was a lost film. Fairbanks deposited the "Black Pirate" film elements at the Museum of Modern Art in 1938. But by 1959, the nitrate stock was deteriorating. In 1972, a restoration master negative was produced, yielding a remarkable new full-color version of the "Black Pirate". A beautiful time-capsule DVD, once mis-placed, is now available for all. Douglas Fairbanks and Marry Pickford divorced in 1936, but he never stopped calling her, or needing her love. He married an ex-chorus girl and retired from acting. A heavy smoker, Fairbanks died in 1939 at age 56. This book contains 237 pictures, many never seen before. The 1922 "Robin Hood" begins with an intertitle from Charles Kingsley's "Old and New", a poem close to Fairbank's heart since he was a boy: "So fleet the works of men, back to their earth again;/ Ancient and holy things fade like a dream".

Much has already been written about early motion picture pioneers like D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin, but their invaluable partner, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr has been overlooked and neglected - until now. With this very attractive and professional book, author Jeffrey Vance has given due credit to one of early cinema's most brilliant stars and dynamic personalities who not only had true star power but was a driving force behind the scenes as well. Often remembered these days only for his successful 1920s costume adventure dramas such as "The Mark of Zorro", "Robin Hood" and "The Three Musketeers" to name a few, Douglas Fairbanks had a varied, interesting and successful career well before this period, and also contributed greatly to the development of Hollywood. He was one of the founders of United Artists, he and wife Mary Pickford were the first `golden couple' of Hollywood who established Beverley Hills as the suburb of movie stars; he wrote, directed and produced most of his films, was active in writing books and magazine articles, and his self-styled roles in films like Zorro established the action-adventure swashbuckler genre as well as even inspiring other action heroes like Batman. If you didn't know any of this, then you must get this book! And even for the well-versed Fairbanks fan, this book will be a treat with its thoroughly researched material, filmography and an overall style that befits a great personality of early cinema. There are excellent photos on almost every page, some rarely seen before, and Vance's style is professional, easy and enjoyable to read. Most of the book's chapters deal with definite periods in Fairbanks's life and career, with whole chapters devoted to the grand 1920s productions which deserve detailed coverage. The information covers mainly facts and explanations about the films, such as the making of them and all the people who were involved in the production, as well as interesting details to add spice but never stray too far from solid facts. This is a particularly appealing aspect because some biographies tend to speculate or stray too far from known facts, and unfortunately a more accurate or detailed biography after so many decades is no longer possible. Vance has done a superb job with the available information from a broad range of sources, writing a biography which reads with the same ease, enjoyment and thrill as watching one of Fairbanks's films. There is never a dull passage, and each page is full of information which indirectly paints a picture of early Hollywood and the developing film industry while commemorating one of its principle founders and contributors; Fairbanks himself. The first hundred pages or so cover his career before the landmark year of 1920 which has been unjustly neglected until now, and the release of this book coincides perfectly with the Flicker Alley 5-disc set "Douglas Fairbanks - A Modern Musketeer" featuring eleven of the most important films of this pre-1920 period. This book should be in any serious cinema aficionado's collection alongside those about Chaplin, Griffith and other pivotal personalities of the film industry, and it might be quite eye-opening and enlightening for those only familiar with a few Fairbanks swashbuckling films. Perhaps misjudged, under-estimated or misunderstood in past decades, this wonderful book puts Fairbanks in his proper place up among the great Hollywood luminaries.

Film historian Jeffrey Vance follows his excellent Keaton-Lloyd-Chaplin trilogy with this fascinating pictorial biography on the inimitable Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939). Best known for his acrobatic exuberance in light comedies and swashbuckling adventures, the producer-writer-star was a groundbreaking artist who spared no expense in adapting his vivid imagination to the cinematic canvas. The author places Doug's filmmaking legacy in its proper perspective with a detailed analysis of his finest achievements: "The Thief of Bagdad" (1924), "The Black Pirate" (1926), "The Iron Mask" (1929) and the criminally underrated "The Gaucho" (1927). Separating art from world fame, Vance also examines the integral role Fairbanks played in the development of motion-picture technology, independent production and film appreciation. Augmented by insightful interviews and a wealth of rare photographs, "Douglas Fairbanks" is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of cinema.

I Really Wish that I could read this book. As Far as I'm concerned any book on the Dukes is good to last page. I just hope that maybe somebody could help me locate a copy of this book.

I thought the book about the Dukes of Hazzard was great. I with I could get a copy of it. I loved the book so much and I love the Dukes to.

CANNOT GET ANY INFO ON BARBARA CLAYMAN'S "DUKES OF HAZZARD". CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT, BUT, AM DESPERATELY TRYING TO FIND.

The small group and individual study products associated with Fireproof are excellent. Check out these resources too: The Love Dare and Fireproof Your Marriage Leader's Kit (DVD & Guide) The exclusive video clips from the film are dramatic and thought-provoking, and discussion is really stirred in group members from watching them. The film clips show a very "real" marriage that everyone can relate to on some level. An excellent tool in conjunction with the Love Dare devotional book and the movie experience itself.

Here's a pre-packaged set, ready to go right out of the box, that can help you unpack a highly effective marriage ministry for your church or other organization. Everything you need is right here!

Please be advised: This set does NOT contain a full-length DVD of the "Fireproof" movie. That DVD releases later. Meanwhile, this set DOES include some of the best scenes from the movie, incorporated as video clips within some excellent, high-quality educational materials.

Really first rate! You may already know Outreach as a source of top-quality marketing and advertising material for your church. Here, the creative team at Outreach provides instructional media that ties in beautifully with "Fireproof" and picks up where the movie leaves off.

You might also consider ordering: The "Love Dare" book (available here on Amazon) and "The Soul-Mate Marriage" (available here on Amazon). Both are also excellent tools for following up the movie.

Dr. David & Lisa Frisbie
The Center for Marriage & Family Studies
You might want to consider:The Soul-Mate Marriage: The Spiritual Journey of Becoming One

After going through the Fireproof Your Marriage curriculum, my wife and I learned how to love and respect each other unconditionally. We practiced The Love Dare principles as featured in the film. With the kit, each of us got our own Participant's Guide and we followed along with the video clips that came with the package. You don't need to see the movie to benefit by the material because the video clips fit each section perfectly. We are looking forward to the film when it is released next week. My wife and I highly endorse this and we are going to recommend the small group Leader's Kit to our Pastor.