Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys
by John Erman
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Edie Falco, Liev Schreiber, Michael McKean, Peter Falk, Woody AllenDirector: John Erman
Cinematographer: Tony Imi
Producer: John Erman
Editor: John W. Wheeler
Producer: Gerrit van der Meer
Producer: Robert Halmi Sr.
Writer: Neil Simon
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-08-17
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Platinum Disc
Movie Reviews of Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys
Movie Review: A second generation removed from vaudevillians Smith & Dale
Summary: 2 Stars
Alan Arkin directed the original Broadway production of Neil Simon's THE SUNSHINE BOYS. It had 538 performances between 12/20/72 and 4/21/74. Opening night cast included Jack Albertson as Willie, Sam Levene as Al and Lee Meredith as their buxom sketch nurse. Lewis J. Stadlen was Willie's nephew, Ben Silverman (his original last name). Stadlen, a dead-ringer for Groucho Marx, portrayed him in the off-Broadway musical, MINNIE'S BOYS (1970).
The DVD pictured here is a TV movie misfire of the Neil Simon play that updates the start of Lewis & Clark's stage act to the 1960s, which makes little sense as vaudeville was long dead by then. Falk and Allen can't come near George Burns' or Walter Matthau's charisma in the original film. Also, changing Willie's nephew to a niece smacks of political correctness.
Simon's play is based on real life vaudevillians Joe Smith and Charlie Dale. The skit they fail to perform on a nostalgia TV special is directly lifted from Smith & Dale's "Dr. Kronkheit and his Only Living Patient."
As a fan of both Woody Allen and Peter Falk I had hoped this rehash would offer some laughs. Alas, in the end there was only hash. The weakest moment of all was Falk pretending to be convalescent and making Allen walk ALLLLL the way across the room to see him. Matthau did this bit brilliantly; Peter 'Falked' it all up. If you've seen the 1975 movie, don't bother with this one!
Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.
(5.8) The Sunshine Boys (TV-1995) - Woody Allen/Peter Falk/Sarah Jessica Parker/Michael McKean/Edie Falco/Liev Schreiber
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