Jackie Gleason: Genius at Work

MPI has produced a DVD which should win an award: the kinescopes are so clear you might think they were first generation "film" negatives, sound is fine. The clips are presented in longer form than one might expect - so many documentaries/TV Specials use short takes which emphasize alot of mugging and carrying on - sight gags, often tired and grating, in favor of the more graceful and dialogue-driven segments.It is a pleasure that just one interviewee is present, and of course she is someone was there, professionally, and later, personally, Marilyn Taylor Gleason, still beautiful. Her dialogue is wonderful, sounding *unscripted* - yes, she must have learned from the Master. Live action and stills of her and her also-famous sister, June Taylor, capture two extraordinarily sensuous dancers, who often shared the spotlight with The Great One. As prodigious a figure as JG was, the ladies definitely added that vertical dimension (wise guy.....). Her descriptions of her husband's characters is spot-on.A unique approach is sucessfully achieved here: the most popular character, Ralph Kramden is actually given only "equal time", meaning that there is more concentration on other Gleason characters, some actually more well-defined that the occasionally ebullient Bus Driver from Brooklyn.The funniest sketch, in a long excerpt, is on Rudy The Rapairman, absolutely hilarious in an obviously under-rehearsed bit, involving installation of an early-era air-conditioner in a busy midday restaurant.After assuring maitre-d' Art Carney (almost unrecognizable from his own Ed Norton and Clem Finch characters) that he'll be quietly fastidious, the total chaos comes hard and heavy. Brilliantly conceived, from the staging, to the lighting, to the live cutting. Makes modern day TV comedy look stilted and mechanical.MPI has added a rare Jackie Gleason Show, celebrating JG's 25th year in show business, and concentrating on his many characters, as featured on his new (apparently) 10-inch album of character songs.I hope that this is Volume One, and a future Volume contains his June 1, 1957 farewell telecast, including the last Honeymooners' sketch of the decade.

The rotund "Great One" was well into his career long before I was born.In the late 1950's early 1960's, I sat up close to the black and whitetelevision, sometimes with a blanket over the television and my head,as I had been ordered to go to bed, but Jackie Gleason's Honeymoonerswere too great a gravitational pull. I was always amazed by the opening,and asked everyone "Where are these tall buildings? Why do they getfireworks over them? Where do the Honeymooners live?" I so wantedto be a next door neighbor, wherever they lived. The rest of the cast,just beautiful, comedy giants in their own right! These are my memories starting in grammar school, and have loved and appreciated the "Great One" even now into middle age.I was thrilled to see this DVD available, "Genius at Work" allows themost devoted fans, another glimpse into the life and work of Herbert JohnGleason; to quote a line penned by Woody Allen, "He gave us many a laugh and tear!" There will never be another Jackie, I appreciate having beenable to stroll down memory lane and 'to the moon' once again with this DVD. And away we go.,..,!!

Along with Bert Williams, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Harpo Marx, and Louis Jordan, JG rules in my view among the Kings of Comedy.This DVD does him well. Originally airing on television in 2006, this set has his widow Marilyn Taylor Gleason (also sister of his choreographer June Taylor) talking about JG in the midst of some really brilliant clips that shows that our man should be remembered for more than just Ralph Kramden. Those who are my age and older who remember watching JG's Saturday night variety show remember his amazing array of characters such as Joe the Bartender, the Poor Soul, Fenwick Babbitt, Reginald Van Gleason (mmmm, that's good booze!), Rudy the Repairman, etc. etc. The man was a one man theatrical troupe! But since his show has not been available in its entirety since going off the air in 1970 (when I was six years old), most people know him only as Ralph Kramden.This DVD presents some brilliant skits of the above mentioned characters and then some. The Poor Soul skit, where Art Carney teaches him how to bowl, is a SCREAM and the sight of JG flying down the bowling lane when he aims his ball is a marvel to watch, as is Rudy the Repairman's destruction of a fancy restaurent while installing an air conditioner, Fenwick Babbit's acrobatics during a BEAT THE CLOCK type game show, and Reginald Van Gleason's OUTRAGEOUS dance scene with Audrey Meadows (in a role other than Alice Kramden).Trust me, these are some of the funniest and most creative moments ever caught on film! You will HOWL and pound on the floor laughing at this stuff.Okay, so why do I give it 4 stars? Well, this is the DVD age and there is no reason why these wonderful sequences shouldn't be presented in their entirety. One tantalizing sequence has the Poor Soul performing an fascinating ballet with Marilyn Taylor (before she was Mrs. JG), but we only see about two minutes of this! A bonus feature has segements of a 1954 JG show with our man discussing and performing his menagerie of characters, but once again we only see portions of this!Be that as it may, this is indeed entertaining and whets the appetite for MORE to be released from the JG archives. Genius is right! AND AWAY WE GO!

Much of this material I didn't have before, but I think I enjoyed seeing Jackie Gleason backstage, so to speak, getting into his different characters. He still doesn't get the respect he deserves for his work and I have to admit, loving Ralph Kramden above all others and will watch and enjoy The Honeymooners until my last breath. Maybe even after, but any Jackie Gleason fan should like this DVD.

It was mildly interesting to see Jackie Gleason's life potrayed bya TV actor, but it could have been made more intresting.I would rate the DVD version as "so-so". A better directormight have made an improved version.

boring. not a good video