Eleanor and Franklin Double Feature (1977)

He was one of America's greatest presidents leading the nation out of its darkest years and guiding it through one of its most difficult wars. She was his wife a First Lady who declined the role of White House hostess and instead devoted herself to public service. This exclusive HBO Double Feature brings together the two critically acclaimed films ("The Early Years" and "The Whitehouse Years") detailing the Roosevelt's saga presenting an intimate portrait of their public and private life with award-winning performances from Jane Alexander and Edward Herrmann.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 026359908927 Manufacturer No: 99089 Product Description

A television landmark...at an incredible bargain price.

I was thrilled to see that this landmark television movie, originally broadcast on ABC more than 30 years ago, is available on DVD. I was truly surprised at the low price for the set, which includes not only ELEANOR AND FRANKLIN, but the follow-up telefilm ELEANOR AND FRANKLIN: THE WHITE HOUSE YEARS. Jane Alexander and Edward Herrmann are unforgettable as the Roosevelts, and they are surrounded by an exceptional cast of fine character actors, including Ed Flanders, Rosemary Murphy, Mackenzie Phillips (in a superb turn as the teenage ER)and Linda Kelsey. This is some of the best television of the 1970's, always involving and quite moving. It is Jane Alexander, in her extraordinary tour de force as the adult ER, who proves with her work here that she was one of the finest, and most underrated actresses of her generation. This is top-notch work that surely rivals any of the great big-screen leading roles of the decade. August 26, 2008

Excellent Historical Drama

This is one of the best historical dramas I have ever seen. I believe this to be a fairly accurate portrayal of President and Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt's life before and during the White House years, as based on the Joseph Lash biographical book, "Eleanor and Franklin."

This is a two disc set...the first disc "Eleanor and Franklin" originally debuted on TV in 1976. The first disc focuses on their early life, Eleanor's sad childhood, her meeting and marrying Franklin, their early life and tragedies, including Franklin's contracting polio. This first disc ends with Franklin's triumphal return to public life after years of learning to deal with his disability.

The second disc, "Eleanor and Franklin, the White House Years" debuted in 1977. The story continues as Franklin, now President, deals with the issues of the Great Depression and World War II. Eleanor becomes Franklin's ears and eyes as she travels around the country, having overcome her shyness to turn into an advocate for the poor, minorities, soldiers, and more.

The movies star Edward Herrmann as Franklin and Jane Alexander as Eleanor. These two actors give outstanding performances. The supporting cast is also excellent, as are the beautiful, lush interiors and scenery. The movies won a combined 18 Emmy Awards.

I love historical drama, especially if it is accurate. This one blew me away. I highly recommend this movie set. August 17, 2008

Eleanor and Franklin

This is an excellent DVD. I saw the show when it was first on TV and loved it. I was happy to find this and purchase it. It's very accurate historically, from what I've read. Well acted and produced. June 14, 2008

Entertaining and educational

As a Brit, who has lived in Hawaii for the last 22 years, I am embarrassed to say that I know very little of recent American political history; by that I mean the early part of the twentieth century.
This HBO double feature was one of the film recommendations that appeared for me when I did a recent search; the price was right and the reviews were encouraging. I am so pleased that I took a chance on acquiring this DVD package. The attention to detail is fantastic and the performances by Jane Alexander and Edward Herrmann seem incredibly accurate from what I remember of old newsreel broadcasts. This is a `warts and all' profile of a married couple and family that may have been dysfunctional to some degree, however, they seemed to put America first and have become highly respected for their public service. On top of that the presentation is wide-screen, colors are excellent for their vintage, the audio is more than acceptable and, even though there was a small amount of overlap in the details that were covered, both films are entertaining and educational.
April 2, 2008

Great History Lesson

I have always been fascinated with the US Presidency and the women behind these powerful men. In 1976, this wonderfully written and well acted movie appeared on network television during that memorable Bicentennial year. So sad that today's children know little or nothing about history because "Reality" trite and crime ridden dramas have succeeded in the "dumbing" of America. This historical gem takes us from the beginning to the end of the strong partnership and lives of the FDR's. The uncanny resemblance of actor Edward Hermann to FDR is stunning and Jane Alexander gives a brilliant performance as Eleanor who was reserved and painfully shy, however, she blossoms under the tutelage of Mme. Souvestre while at boarding school and goes on to become our beloved First Lady. She worked just as tirelessly as her husband in getting the country through the dark days of the Depression and WWII. I have such great respect for the memory of this great lady who overcame alot, her parents early deaths, FDR's philandering, and the loss of a child among other things. This movie is a great family film and history lesson all rolled into one great collection. March 17, 2008

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