Book Vs Movie Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Black Klansman (2018) Spike Lee, John David Washington, Adam Driver & Ron Stallworth Feb 26, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie:
BlacKkKlansman
The True Story Ron Stallworth
The Margos visit the world of nonfiction with the too-nutty-to-not-be-true story of retired police officer Ron Stallworth who in the late 1970s infiltrated the Kuy Klux Klan in Colorado Springs, Colorado. On his journey, he met racists throughout the region who were not precisely clever but had designs of terrorizing nonwhites and Jewish people. After his assignment, he transferred to work at the Utah Department of Safety--never speaking about the job until after retirement.
His 2014 book Black Klansman: A Memoir explains how and why he joined the Colorado “Organization” and how it felt to be the only person of color on the police force. We also learn how the KKK planned to bomb gay bars and cross-burnings throughout Colorado Springs. During his recruitment process, Stallworth spoke with the Grand Wizard, David Duke, and even took a photo with the noted racist creep.
Director & screenwriter Spike Lee and producer Jordan Peele adapted the memoir into a 2018 film starring John David Washington, Adam Driver, and Topher Grace that won wide praise was a box office hit and earned Lee an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. This is a case of taking real life and creating an audacious and funny story.
Between the memoir and the adaptation, which did we prefer? Have a listen to find out!
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The real story of Ron Stallworth and his police undercover activities
David Duke and the KKK in the 70s & 80s
Director Spike Lee and his work
The cast: John David Washington (Ron Stallworth,) Adam Driver (Flip Zimmerman,) Laura Harrier (Patrice Dumas,) Corey Hawkins (Kwame Ture,) Topher Grace (David Duke,) Jasper Paakkonen (Felix Kendrickson,) Ryan Eggold (Walter Breachway,) Ashlie Atkinson (Connie Kendrickson,) and Corey Hawkins as Kwame Ture.

Clips used:

The KKK calls Ron
BlacKkKlansman trailer
Stokely Carmichael/Kwame Ture (played by Corey Hawkins)
David Duke finally “meets” Ron over the phone
Sidney Poitier as Jerome Truner
“Ron” gets his picture taken with David Duke
Music: Too Late to Turn Back Now (Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose)

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts. Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.comEmail us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D. @BrooklynMargo www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.comMargo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020) Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, & August Wilson Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie:
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
The August Wilson Play Vs. the 2021 Movie
Pittsburgh native August Wilson (1945-2005) is one of the most successful playwrights of the 20th Century; with a collection of works that came to be known as The Pittsburgh Cycle, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice in his career and was inducted into American Theater Hall of Fame in 2006. His 1984 work Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is the subject of today’s episode.
Gertrude Pridgett (Ma Rainey’s birth name) was dubbed the “Mother of the Blues” for her outrageous stage presence and ability to hold audiences in her trance. The Blues being one of America’s native art forms, the combination of the gospel with jazz music enticed the world with the earliest recordings featuring African American culture and is revered to this day. Rainey learned the ropes of show business through her husband “Pa Rainey” and was a mentor to a young Bessie Smith.
Wilson’s 1984 play is a fictional account of Rainey attending a recording of her work at a Chicago studio in 1927. By this time in her career, her known toughness and business acumen were legendary, and when she takes center stage in the story--it's hard to take your eyes off her. The studio musicians (Levee, Toledo, Cutler, and Slow Drag) watch her handle recording executives getting rich from her talent. The older group members want to warn young Levee of the harsh realities of the early 20th-century world.
The 2021 film is the final film for Chadwick Boseman, who plays Levee Green, and the Netflix production is dedicated to his memory. Viola Davis plays the role of Ma Rainey with a fierceness that emanates throughout the movie.
Between the original play and the adaptation, which did we prefer?
In this ep the Margos discuss:

August Wilson’s career
The significance of “The Pittsburgh Cycle.”
Denzel Washington taking the work of August Wilson to HBO
The cast: Viola Davis (Ma Rainey,) Maxayn Lewis (Ma Rainey singing voice,) Chadwick Boseman (Levee Green,) Glynn Turman (Toledo,) Colman Domingo (Cutler,) Michael Potts (Slow Drag,) Johnny Coyne (Mel Sturdyvant,) Taylour Paige (Dussie Mae,) Jeremy Shamos (Irvin,) and Dusan Brown as Sylvester.

Clips used:

Ma needs her Coke
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom trailer
Ma Rainey sings Black Bottom
Levee confronts the band
“He stepped on my shoe!”
Music by Ma Rainey Moonshine Blues (1923)

Duel (1971) Steven Spielberg, Dennis Weaver, & Richard Matheson Feb 05, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: Duel
The Richard Matheson Short Story Vs. the Steven Spielberg TV Movie
In 1971, a 24-year-old budding director named Steven Spielberg was given a story by his assistant. This fiction story appeared in a recent issue of Playboy magazine, written by one of his favorite Twilight Zone writers, Richard Matheson. The story Duel was about a man driving through the California desert being chased by an evil trucker with a big rig with murder on its mind.
Matheson based it on an incident on November 22, 1963, when he was tailgated by a truck on his way home from a gold game. For years he tried to sell the story to TV but was turned down everywhere he pitched. To prepare for the short story, he drove from Los Angeles to Ventura, California, and recorded everything he saw.
Our protagonist is never named in the story, and we have no idea why the driver is chasing him.
Spielberg was looking to direct TV movies that were giant rating machines then and managed to get the gig with a $450,000 budget and only ten days to make it all work. In the end, he made a masterpiece that became a sensation in the early 1970s, including a 90-minute version released in Europe soon after.
Dennis Weaver gives an intense performance, and the stunt work by Dale Van Sickel and Carey Loftin help make this film a “must-watch” for all fans of Spielberg and/or movie thrillers
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The backstory of Speilberg’s early television career
The outdoor shooting and stunt driving involved
The influence Duel had on movie making
The cast: Dennis Weaver (David Mann,) Jacqueline Scott (Mrs. Mann,) Eddie Firestone (cafe owner,) Lou Frizzel (bus driver,) Eugene Dynarski (man in cafe,) Lucille Benson as the “Lady at Snakerama.”

Clips used:

Dennis Weaver (talks to himself at the cafe)
Duel original TV spot
Dennis Weaver confronts a trucker
Dennis Weaver at the phonebooth scene
Steven Spielberg (behind-the-scenes interview)
The truck crash scene and sounds
Music by Billy Goldenberg

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network.
Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Margo D. @BrooklynMargo www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

12 Angry Men (1957) Henry Fonda, Jack Klugman, Martin Balsam, Reginald Rose, & Sidney Lumet Jan 29, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: 12 Angry Men
The 1954 Teleplay Vs. the 1957 Classic Film
The Margos close out a month of theatre vs. films with 12 Angry Men, which began as a teleplay in 1954 and was adapted to film by Sidney Lumet, with Henry Fonda serving as the lead actor and producer of the 1957 movie. The story centers on a young man who is accused of stabbing his father to death, and a group of 12 jurors must decide if he is guilty of premeditated murder, which carries a death sentence.
Writer Reginald Rose came up with the idea while serving jury duty in New York City and found the process “solemn” and “impressive.” The first airing on Studio One was September 20, 1954, with stars Robert Cummings, Franchot Tone, George Veskovec, Joseph Sweeney, and Norman Fell. Rose won an Emmy Award for his screenplay.
Henry Fonda produced the wok in 1957 with Sidney Lumet, and the low-budget affair failed to make a profit. Until he died in 1982, Fonda never received any money for his work or performance. But he rightly considered it one of his best.
The film stars some of the best character actors of the time and earned multiple Academy Award nominations (Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay) but competed in the same year as The Bridge on the River Kwai, which swept all of the major awards in 1957. In this episode, the Margos discuss the significant differences between the teleplay and the movie and try to decide which we like better.
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The backstory of the original TV production
The strict demands of filming on one set
The case being tried and how it is picked apart
The cast: Martin Balsam (Juror 1,) John Fielder (Juror 2,) Lee J Cobb (Juror 3,) E.G. Marshall (Juror 4,) Jack Klugman (Juror 5,) Edward Binne (Juror 6,) Jack Warden (Juror 7,) Henry Fonda (Juror 8,) Joseph Sweeney (Juror 9,) Ed Begley (Juror 10,) George Voskovek, (Juror 11,) and Robert Webber as Juror 12.

Clips used:

The first count
12 Angry Men 1957 trailer
The knife scene
Kids these days
These days
Music by Kenyon Hopkins

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network.
Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.comEmail us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Margo D. @BrooklynMargo www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

Casablanca (1942) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Peter Lorre, & Dooley Wilson (Play Vs Movie) Jan 22, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: Casablanca
The 1940 Play Vs. the 1942 Classic Film
This January, we are saluting plays that were turned into films, and this episode covers one of the most beloved and celebrated films of all time--Casablanca. Yes, it was a play first by playwrights Murray Burnett and Joan Allison, who was offered $20,000 in 1940 (over $300,000 in today’s costs) for their story about a cafe in Africa helping refugees seek asylum in America during WW2.
The timing between the movie’s release in 1942, as the war effort in Northern Africa, was gaining and America was no longer playing neutral in the international crisis with Germany and Japan, was not a coincidence. The film was rushed into production to promote America’s armed forces and the people fleeing Europe from the Nazis.
Everybody Comes to Rick’s has the basics of the film’s plot, with two former lovers meeting again at Rick’s cafe. Rick and Lois met in Paris before the Germans invaded France and became illicit lovers. Two years later, Rick has a “gin joint” in Casablanca (Rick’s Cafe) and assists people looking to exile into America. His friend is a piano player who goes by the name “Rabbit,” and he gets visits from former Parisian residents like Luis Rinaldo. Lois is married to a man named Victor Lazlo, and they are fleeing from the Nazis.
They have a song, As Time Goes By, and reminisce about their affair in Paris. In the end, Rick helps Lois and her husband leave Casablanca while he takes off for parts unknown with Italian buddy Luis Rinaldo.
Burnett and Alison could not find a Broadway producer for the play, so they sold the rights and went on with their lives, not realizing the movie would go on to be a Hollywood classic, winning several awards and with a screenplay people quote 80 years later. Worse, their contributions would not be recognized. Eventually, they were able to put on their play in 1991.
The film stars Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine and Ingrid Bergman as his love interest--Ilsa Lund. The rest of the cast includes dozens of immigrants and refugees who felt passionate about the project. Casablanca is considered one of the best examples of propaganda in American film. We feel silly justifying how wonderful it is, but that is what we do at Book Vs. Movie!
In this episode, the Margos discuss the significant differences between the book and the play and try to decide which we like better. (It’s not going to be close!)
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The backstory of the play and movie
The international cast and what the world was like during filming
The differences between the play and the movie
The cast: Humphrey Bogart (Rick,) Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa,) Paul Henreid (Victor Lazlo,) Claude Rains (Captain Louis Renault,) Conrad Veidt (Major Heinrich Strasser,) Sydney Greenstreet (Signor Ferrari,) Dooley Wilson (Sam,) and Peter Lorre as Signor Ugarte.

Clips used:

Rick meets up with Ilsa in Casablanca
Casablanca trailer
“Everyone Comes to Rick’s,” an international cast
Rick’s backstory by Renault
Lazlo and Ilsa arrive at Rick’s
Ilsa asks Sam to play “her song.”
Peter Lorre scene
Play it again, Sam
“Die Wacht am Rhein” vs. “La Marseillaise”
Rick sends Ilsa and Lazlo away
As Time Goes By, music and lyrics by Herman Hupfeld and sung by Dooley Wilson

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.comEmail us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.comMargo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

Biloxi Blues (1988) Matthew Broderick, Christopher Walken, Neil Simon, and Mike Nichols Jan 15, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: Biloxi Blues
The 1984 Neil Simon Play Vs. the 1988 Mike Nichols Film
The Margos continue their month of plays in January (we have “Musicals in March”) with Neil Simon’s middle offer of the “Eugene Chronicles” with 1984’s Biloxi Blues. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Simon about Eugene Morris Jerome of Brooklyn, NY, and his time as an enlisted soldier in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Starring Matthew Broderick (who played the role of Eugene in every chapter), the play was an instant hit earning Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Featured Player to Barry Miller (Arnold Epstein.) Broderick was awarded his first Tony Award as Eugene Jerome in Brighton Beach Memoirs in 1983. Miller also won the Theatre World Award and the Drama Desk Award in 1985 for Biloxi Blues, which may be why he was NOT invited to the movie. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert would later pan the film for not hiring Miller.
The critics loved the comedy and performances, as well as Simon’s outward discussion of the treatment of Jewish people at the time.
Mike Nichols directed the 1988 film that was a huge hit as part of a wave of 1980s films set in the military. (See Stripes, Private Benjamin, and Good Morning, Viet Nam.)
In this episode, the Margos discuss the significant differences between the book and the movie and try to decide which we like better.
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The work of Neil Simon & the “Eugene Trilogy.”
The controversy of not casting Barry Miller
The significant differences between the play and the movie
The 1985 Broadway play: Matthew Broderick (Eugene Jerome,) William Sadler (Sgt. Toomey,) Barry Miller (Arnold Epstein,) Penelope Ann Miller (Daisy,) Randall Edwards (Rowena,) Matt Mulhern (Wykowski,) Alan Ruck (Carney,) Geoffrey Sharp (Hennesey) and Brian Tarantina as Selridge.
The 1988 film: Matthew Broderick (Eugene Jerome,) Christopher Walken (Sgt. Toomey,) Markus Flanagan (Selridge,) Matt Mulhern (Wykowski,) Corey Parker (Epstein,) Casey Siemaszko (Carney,) Michael Dolan (Hennesey,) Penelope Ann Miller (Daisy) and Park Overall as Rowena)

Clips used:

Opening Clip
Barry Miller wins a TONY
Biloxi Blues original 1988 trailer
Detail Attention
Epstein combats Toomey’s methods.
Eugene meets Daisy
Toomey threatens Epstein
The “bet scene.”
Biloxi Blues epilogue
Music by Pat Suzuki “How High the Moon”

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.comEmail us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.comMargo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf (1966) Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Edward Albee & Mike Nichols Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf The Edward Albee 1962 Play Vs. the 1966 Mike Nichols Film
The three-hour anger fest that is Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf is one of the most celebrated and controversial of the 1960s. Edward Albee’s 1961 play is about middle-aged couple George & Martha, who have been drinking and battling for years, and one unfortunate evening they have with new friends Nick & Honey. It caused a stir at the time for its “racy” language, the three-hour runtime, and its intense performances by Uta Hagen, Arthur Hill, Ben Piazza, and Melinda Dillon.
The play was a sensation and broke box office records. So much, so that afternoon performances were added to meet the demand. It won the Tony Award and the New York Drama Critics Circle in 1963. The same year, it was up for a Pultizer Prize for Drama but lost due to its “profanity and sexual themes.” (There was no prize given that year.)
Mike Nichols directed the 1966 film with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who ate up each scene with their unique partnership of love, hate, and movie-star charisma. (Their real-life love story is another whirlwind of multiple marriages, addiction, and pain.) George Segal and Sandy Dennis play Nick and Honey, and the entire cast and most of the production received Academy Award nominations. (Taylor and Dennis won)
Jack Valenti of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) said this was his first controversial film under his reign. Words like “screw” and “hump” were considered scandalous and had to be deleted from the script.
The story of George and Martha is one of the significant cultural landmarks of the 20th Century, with several productions over the past 60 years and several parodies, from The Carol Burnett Show to The Simpsons.
In this episode, the Margos discuss the original play and the 1966 adaptation and try to decide which we like better.
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The work of Edward Albee
The legend behind the title of the play
The significant differences between the play and the movie
The 1966 cast: Elizabeth Taylor (Martha,) Richard Burton (George,) George Segal (Nick,) and Sandy Dennis as Honey

Clips used:

Opening Clip
Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? 1966 trailer
Martha degrades George
George “shoots” Martha
Martha and Nick dance
Nick talks about boxing
“I swear if you existed, I would divorce you!”
One day it snaps…
Music by Alex North

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.comEmail us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.comMargo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

The Poseidon Adventure (1972) Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, & Shelley Winters (Replay 2019 ep) Dec 29, 2022

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: "The Poseidon Adventure" (1971)
The differences between the super gross book and the entertaining movie (We are not going to hide our bias here!)
At Book Vs. Movie, whenever people say, "Duh--the book is always better than the movie!" the Margos would say, "yeah--have you ever read Jaws?" Well, now we have another book-to-movie adaptation that features a horrible, racist, sexist, homophobic, and misogynistic novel that became a fun hit film.
Sportswriter Paul Gallico helped many stories become excellent films, including Pride of the Yankees, The Snow Goose, and the musical stage Carnival! He wrote over 40 books, numerous short stories, and dozens of T.V. and movie scripts. He began his career working for the New York Daily News sports desk and later became a prolific travel writer spending 10,000 miles on the road in the U.S. for Reader's Digest.
In 1969, he published The Poseiden Adventure to little fanfare. The tale of a wayward ship sunk while traveling to Africa features some of the most loathsome characters we have ever had the displeasure of reading. (The audiobook featuring narration by actor Dylan Baker makes it slightly more palatable.)
Trigger warning: This story features a character being raped who then comforts her attacker and wishes she was pregnant by him. (Seriously!)
The movie by producer Irwin Allen and director Ronald Neame became an instant classic which began a slate of many disaster films in the 1970s. It would become the highest-grossing film of 1973, grossing over $125 million worldwide. It won an Academy Award for best special effects and best original song "The Morning After."
Our lead actor is Gene Hackman as Reverand Frank Scott who is a renegade preacher who turns into a hero for the passengers of the S.S. Poseidon (partly filmed on the RMS Queen Mary.) at the time, he was a hot property after the success of The French Connection, and his performance is very passionate. Co-star Shelley Winters won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Belle Rosen--a middle-aged swimmer who gives her life to protect the survivors. (Spoiler!) Please listen to find out our real feelings between the book & movie, as this one will go down as one of our biggest takedowns of a horrible piece of work. In this ep the Margos discuss:

The writing career of Paul Gallico
How genuinely terrible this book is and why you should not read it.
The special effects of the film and how it changed disaster films of the future
The cast: Gene Hackman (Reverand Frank Scott,) Ernest Borgnine (Mike Rogo,) Red Buttons (James Martin,) Carol Lynley (Nonnie Parry,) Roddy McDowell (Acres,) Stella Stevens (Linda Rogo,) Shelley Winters (Belle Rosen,) Jack Albertson (Manny Rosen,) Pamela Sue Martin (Susan Shelby,) Eric Shea (Robin Shelby,) and Leslie Nielsen (Captain Harrison)

Clips used:

The Poseidon Adventure trailer
A tidal wave hits the shit
The immediate aftermath of the ship turning over
Stella Stevens's "panties" scene
"Lindaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
Reverend Scott sacrifices himself for the good of the group
The group is rescued
Closing music, "The Morning After," written by Al Kasha & Joel Hirschorn and sung by Maureen McGovern

Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/ Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/

The Homecoming(1971) Patricia Neal & Richard Thomas (Replay of DEC 2020 episode) Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

Book Vs Movie: “The Homecoming: A Christmas Story” (1971)
The Basis of the Waltons TV Series Started as a TV Movie!
The Margos decided to get into the Depression-era holiday spirit with a look at “The Homecoming: A Christmas Story,” which was written by author & creator of The Waltons TV series--Earl Hamner, Jr. Hamner has a fascinating career as a writer with several scripts of “The Twilight Zone” including the famous The Bewitchin’ Pool, (the very last episode of the original American series.) He also created the 80s TV nighttime soap Falcon Crest!) In between, he wrote the 1961 novel Spencer’s Mountain, which became a movie starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O’Hara as Clay and Olivia Spencer. They play a couple living in the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming, and their eldest son “Clay-Boy” is set to become the first in his family to go to college. Ten years later, he wrote “The Homecoming,” which told a similar story with a twist--the Walton family was based in the Blue Ridge mountains during the depression. The TV movie was on December 19, 1971, in the U.S. and was such a big hit--it was immediately turned into a TV series. Hamner narrated every episode, which ran for almost ten years, and started the phrase “goodnight John-Boy!” In this episode, the Margos talk about the author, his original novella, and the 1971 TV movie, and try to decide which we like better. Have a listen! In this ep the Margos discuss:

The interesting life of Earl Hamner, Jr.
The casting of Patricia Neal as Olivia Walton and why she was not hired for the series
The major differences between the movie and the novella
The cast: Patricia Neal (Olivia Walton,) Richard Thomas (John-Boy Walton,) Edgar Bergen (Grandpa Walton,) Dorothy Stickney (Grandma Walton, ) Cleavon Little (Hawthorne Dooley,) Andrew Duggan (Big John Walton,) and Judy Norton (Mary Ellen Walton.)

Clips used:

The Homecoming trailer
An early ad for The Homecoming
Olivia Walton is suspicious of John-Boy
Earl Hamner, Jr opening scene narration

Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/ Twitter @bookversusmovie Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/

The Little Mermaid (1989) "Disney in December" Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes & Pat Carroll Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: The Little Mermaid
The Hans Christian Anderson Story Vs. the 1989 Disney Classic
The Margos continue “Disney in December” with the all-time classic 1989 animated feature The Little Mermaid, which began as a fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Anderson in 1837. The film was responsible for bringing Disney studios back into animation leaders after decades of so-so films and losing top artists to rival companies.
The original story is about a mermaid who lives in an underwater kingdom with her sisters, her father (a Mer-King), and her grandmother, who instructs her that when she is 15 years old, she can swim to the surface to see the world above. Her sisters (who are all older than her) can visit the land for only one day per year. The mermaid (who is never given a name) longs to visit more often and is obsessed with a statue of a human man on the ocean floor.
When she finally rises, the Mermaid can see a man (a prince!) on shore, and she falls in love. As luck would have it, his ship wreaks, and she can save him from drowning. As she waits for him to wake up on the shore, a young woman from a nearby temple comes over. She is given credit for saving him, and the Little Mermaid becomes despondent.
This is when we learn that mermaids can live up to 300 years undersea, and then they turn into sea foam--without a soul to go to heaven. The Little Mermaid visits a sea which tells her she will give her human legs if she trades with her beautiful voice. Mermaid makes this deal and goes to land. Unfortunately, her new legs feel like daggers as she walks, and the prince likes her well enough, but he loves the woman from the temple whom he thinks saved him from the shipwreck.
The Little Mermaid is told by her sisters (who gave up their long hair to the sea witch to get the formula to bring her back underwater) if she visits the prince and his new bride on their honeymoon on a ship, she can stab him in the heart and she will become a mermaid again.
Instead, she throws a knife into the water and becomes an “Air Fairy,” If she does good deeds for 300 years, she will go to heaven.
The Disney version retells the tale with one of the best villains EVER--Ursula, voiced by the fabulous Pat Carroll and supposedly based partly on the late drag performer Divine. This mermaid is named Ariel, and Alan Menken's music and Howard Asman's lyrics are some of the most memorable in film history. (Try getting “Kiss the Girl” out of your head!) It made hundreds of millions at the box office, and little girls have been cosplaying Ariel for decades. She’s not exactly a feminist icon--but the film is a delightful confection and the last of the handpainted Disney films.
In this episode, we get into the history of the 1989 film and the children’s fairy tale and discuss their differences. Then we choose which we each like better!
This episode is sponsored by:
Kensington Books and the Rebecca Zanetti novel You Can Hide.
Set up against the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, FBI agent Laurel Snow strives to navigate her complicated family life when her newly discovered sociopathic half-sister becomes the target of a dangerous killer. The Blacklist meets The Profiler meets Justified is how it is described as laurel believes her sister (Abigail) was behind the mysterious disappearance of their father. Abigail shows up to claim someone is out to kill her, and then dead bodies turn up in the icy Sauk River--her sister seems to be the only connection.
This book has romance (in the form of Fish and Wildlife Captain Huck Rivers), action, family drama, suspense, and thrills.
You can follow Rebecca Zanetti on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
In this ep the Margos discuss:

Hans Christian Anderson’s interesting life
The significant differences between the book and the movie
Disney's post-Little Mermaid success and how it changed the perception of animation
The 1989 cast: Jodi Benson (Ariel,) Christopher Daniel Barnes (Prince Eric,) Pat Carroll (Ursula,) Kenneth Mars (King Triton,) Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian,) Jason Marin (Flounder,) Buddy Hackett (Scuttle,) Paddi Edwards (Flotsam and Jetsam,) Ben Wright (Sir Grimsby,) Edie McClurg (Carlotta,) Will Ryan (Harold,) and Rene Auberjonois as Chef Louis.

Clips used:

Opening Clip with King Triton
The Little Mermaid original 1989 trailer
Ariel sees Eric for the first time
Kiss the Girl
Ariel and Ursula
Sebastian and King Triton
Under the Sea
Music by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
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