DVD Review: ‘The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Collector’s Edition’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Collector’s Edition’ on Blogcritics.

I am only 30 years old, so I missed the era of Dean Martin’s Celebrity Roasts, which stopped happening before I could talk. Yet, their presence resonated so much in our society that I am certainly familiar with them, as are many of my generation. We’re in luck now because StarVista and Time-Life have just released The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Collector’s Edition, a six-DVD set of the most memorable of these events.

Dean Martin sure had a lot of pals! The roast subjects in this collection include Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball, Don Rickles, Jack Benny, Sammy Davis Jr., and Jackie Gleason. None of these people are all that relevant today (most have sadly passed away), but they are names every kid was familiar with, the legends of their time.

Dean attracts plenty of attendees, from politicians like Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater, to astronaut Neil Armstrong, to athlete Muhammad Ali, to comedians Phyllis Diller, Bob Newhart, and George Burns, to actors such as John Wayne, Dom DeLuise, Bette Davis, Florence Henderson, Milton Berle, Jonathan Winters, and so many more.

With lineups like these, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts are a veritable time capsule, a look at an era of pop culture and national history. The installments are a bit dated (they aired from 1973 to 1984): nostalgic for the older viewers who remember this stuff, but also informative and fascinating for those of us who weren’t around. It’s a real treat to look back in time so effectively.

Now, being from a period predating the political correctness movement, there are a lot of awful stereotypes and offensive jokes. Sexism and racism are clearly two guests at the show, and not the quiet types that sit in the corner. It is eye-opening to see how, so recently in our past, attitudes were so drastically different than they are today. This is only 30 or 50 years ago, but it seems America has changed a lot.

Overall, though, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts are just plain funny. Not everything holds up, nor would one expect it to, but a lot of it does. After all, Dean brought in the top talent, people whose work still lives on to this day, at least on Nick at Nite. The gags have staying power, and the roasters knew what they were doing, always competing with one another, bringing out the best in themselves.

This particular set boasts a dozen episodes, as well as quite a few special features, certainly welcome for the release. There are comedy sketches included, a couple of Dean’s full-length television specials, and a trio of featurettes about the creation and execution of the roasts. There are also “home” movies of Dean and some of his friends, and interviews with Betty White, Tim Conway, Don Rickles, Jackie Mason, Rich Little, and Ruth Buzzi. For a series so old, one doesn’t expect so many riches.

Besides The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Collector’s Edition, a complete DVD set of all 54 roasts is also available, with 15 hours of bonus features and a Dean Martin action figure. This set was not available for review, so I can’t speak to whether or not it is worth its hefty price tag. My interest has been piqued, but I don’t know if I will have the opportunity to check it out and see if the other episodes can live up to the twelve included in the set I received, of if these are the “best of.” It’s nice they released this smaller set, though, so whether you are a devotee or just curious, there are options.

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Collector’s Edition is available now.

"That Show" with Joan Rivers an unearthed treasure

Before Ellen, before Oprah, there was Joan. Well, briefly.

Synergy Entertainment and Film Chest recently began putting out "That Show" with Joan Rivers on DVD. The most current item, which just recently went on sale, includes Volumes 1-3 of the series, a full eighteen episodes of the daily daytime talk show from 1968. All three volumes were released separately late last year, but are now in a single box set. Each half hour has two guests, as Joan and her friends discuss and laugh about a topic.

"That Show" isn't an unfamiliar format. Each episode begins with Rivers delivering a sort of monologue to prepare her audience for that show's topic. Then she brings out two guests, one an expert on whatever it is they will be talking about, and one a showbiz person. Often that celebrity has no knowledge or connection to the topic, to the chagrin of some of the "expert" guests. Though not all of them are unhappy with the circumstances. Some take the situation with good humor, or even a zeal in getting to educate others of such notoriety. Either way, the three talk about the issue, and Joan and the famous guest often get in some really good zingers, though they are rarely rude. Then, Joan takes questions from the audience.

The guest list for "That Show" is pretty impressive. Among the Hollywood types that appear are Johnny Carson, Jerry Lewis, Soupy Sales, Dick Cavett, Florence Henderson, and Shecky Green. And these are just in the first 18 episodes. Wait until the others make it to DVD!

The topics are varied and interesting, too. For instance, the first episode finds Rivers and Johnny Carson discussing the finer points of nudism with a woman that runs a nudist resort. Carson is asked by audience members about his personal experiences with nudism, and while not particularly interested, he also avoids passing judgment in those that are into such practices.

No topic is too daring, as Joan brings up natural childbirth, hypnosis, catering, teenagers, maids, speed reading, men's furs, and yes, even cosmetic surgery. It's a wonderful time capsule, made all the more relevant by the fact that the issues being spoken of are still things people are interest in today. The set may be dated, as is the guests' penchant for lighting up their cigarettes on air, but the conversations and laughs hold up rather well.

In 1968, few people were as funny as Joan Rivers. For those who think that she's become a bit of a joke now, especially as a plastic surgery and reality show punchline, it will be an eye opening experience to watch "That Show". "That Show" proves just how hilarious Joan can be, riffing on a variety of topics, often about her marriage. Her timeless quips, and keeping current events mostly out of the series, make this collection just as amusing now as it was in 1968. Or so I assume, since my mother was only nine years old then.

It appears that this release covers about 25% of the series (Hulu currently has 65 episodes available for streaming), though its hard to be sure. Information on "That Show" is scarce online, given its age, and the fact that it isn't even a prime time series. Which makes it even more special that this treasure has been released now.

The picture quality is not great. The press materials state that "That Show" has been remastered, and true, there are plenty of times when the video and audio quality appear a bit better than they probably were when it originally ran. Or at least as good. But contemporaries in the earliest days of color TV, such as Star Trek and Doctor Who, have raised the bar high, as more work and money have been put into the releases for those types of shows. Not that anyone expects a talk show to spend as much on restoration as a sci-fi adventure. Still, for its age, and how rare "That Show" is, it's hard to complain at all when someone takes the time to lovingly transfer it onto DVD for public consumption.

There are no bonus features, unfortunately. It would be interesting to hear what Joan herself thinks of the show, given her current reputation in the world, and the history she's had. Sadly, nothing like this is included.
"That Show" with Joan Rivers is a true gem, and a delight to finally get to see, more than four decades after it aired. Thanks are owed to Film Chest and Synergy Entertainment for making this available. For anyone who is a fan of comedy, "That Show" cannot be recommended highly enough. Buy it today.

MORE: If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! To buy this and other DVDs go to amazon.com. Article first published as DVD Review: "That Show" with Joan Rivers on Blogcritics.