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Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II & III • November 27, 2013
DVD releases
(continued from Restaurant page)
content. The only extra on this DVD release is a making-of
featurette. “Here’s Edie: The Edie Adams Television Collection”
(MVD Visual) is a four-DVD set featuring digital transfers
from original two-inch videotapes of the entire 1962-64
run of 21 episodes. After the sudden passing of her hus-
band, Ernie Kovacs, in January 1962, Adams starred in her
own ABC variety show, showcasing her many talents. She
hosted, sang, danced, acted, did comedy, and produced her
own show. Guest stars included jazz greats Duke Ellington,
Count Basie, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman,
and Al Hirt. Popular vocalists included Sammy Davis Jr.,
Bobby Darin, and Johnny Mathis. Among the featured
comedians were Bob Hope, Rowan & Martin, Soupy
Sales, Buddy Hackett, and Terry Thomas. Other guests
included song satirist Allan Sherman, Spike Jones, Peter
Falk, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Andre Previn. The set also has
Adams’ musical numbers from numerous Kovacs shows of
the 1950s with introductions by Kovacs himself, and her
famous Muriel Cigar commercials.
“The Carol Burnett Show: Christmas with Carol” (Star
Vista) contains two complete holiday episodes from Bur-
nett’s long-running CBS variety show, one from 1974 and
one from 1977. Burnett never did a full hour-long Christ-
mas special during her tenure at the network, but celebrated
the holidays in seasonal sketches. They include a Grin-
chy segment of “The Family,” in which Eunice’s younger
brother (Alan Alda) and Mama (Vicki Lawrence) arrive,
and a sketch in which Mr. Tudball (Tim Conway) and the
slow-moving secretary Mrs. Wiggins (Burnett) awkwardly
observe the mistletoe tradition and get more into the holi-
day spirit with every glass of champagne. There are songs
by Carol and bonus sketches such as “Christmas Quarrel”
with Carol and Sid Caesar; “Charwoman: Have Yourself a
Merry Little Christmas,” “The Twelve Days of Christmas,”
and “Q & A with Jonathan Winters.”
“Applause” (Kino Lorber) is the story of recovering
alcoholic stage actress Thea Barfoed (Paprika Steen).
Having divorced her husband, Christian (Michael Falch),
and relinquished custody of their two boys during her heavy
drinking days, Thea wants to start over. As her past alcohol
use and indiscretions still haunt her, the prospect of a new
beginning seems bleak. She uses her charm and manipula-
tion to convince her ex-husband that she is fully recovered
and capable of being a good mother. However, she hasn’t
completely convinced herself. On stage, Thea plays the
binge-drinking Martha in Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid
of Virginia Woolf?” Her stage character bears a striking
resemblance to her personal life.
This is a showcase role for Steen, who can be ferocious
in her emotional portrayal. Steen actually performed the
Edward Albee play, so she knows how to convey Martha’s
multi-faceted personality, and the “life imitates art” theme
offers intriguing parallels between Martha and Thea.
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