Holiday Affair

Department store worker Steve Mason (Scott Brady) is fired at Christmas time when he takes pity on widowed Connie Ellis (Phyllis Thaxter) after it is discovered that she is a "secret shopper" for a major competitor. Connie's young son Timmy (Chris Olsen) is delighted by the new friend in her mother's life, but Connie's fiancé Carl (Elliott Reid) is not pleased by Steve's presence. Romantic complications arise when Connie must decide between a loveless but financially stable marriage with Carl or a second chance at true love with Steve.

Hosted by legendary actors Walter Brennan and Otto Kruger, this "Lux Video Theater" was performed and telecast live on December 22, 1955. In addition, rare classic commercials and interviews with the performers are included in this vintage broadcast.

DISAPPOINTED

I was looking forward to watching this DVD and adding it to my Christmas viewing collection. The script is very similar to the original 1949 movie; sometimes word for word; though some of the scenes and script were modified and changed for the television broadcast.

The picture quality on this DVD however, is extremely, very poor; and I wouldn't have purchased it, if I had known before hand.

Interviews with the performers and vintage commercials are also on this DVD at the end of this production, which was originally a live broadcast. However, The Truman Show was funny, but this was `for real' blatant, commercial phoniness; constantly conversing about how good LUX soap is and how they didn't use any other brand; and the constant false smile that Otto Kruger wore throughout, looked too painful to uphold.

Many whom enjoy archive viewing such as this, may find the commercialised conversation to be quite amusing and part of the entertainment; and it would be generally recommendable if it wasn't for the almost blurred picture quality throughout this entire DVD.

The sponsorship tooting their whistle at the end of the show would have left me less cynical and more entertained, if it wasn't for the almost unwatchable quality of this DVD which was certainly un-digitally re-mastered.



November 25, 2007

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