Marco Polo

1950s made-for-television musical gem gets DVD release. Bravo to VAI!
Over the last year VAI Home Video has been releasing some wonderful DVDs of television "spectaculars" from the 1950s ,many from the series "Max Liebman Presents". Most have been TV adaptations of Broadway musicals or operettas, such as "The Chocolate Soldier", "Bloomer Girl" and "Kiss Me Kate". All have been wonderful gems now made available for a whole new generation. The problem - if there is one - with these "adaptations, is that the story had to be truncated to fit into the 80-minutes wallowed on TV. This recent DVD release does not have to deal with that issue and may be why it is one of my favorites in the bunch. "Marco Polo" was not a Broadway show. It was created for television with music based on the musical theses of Rimsky-Korsakov (just as "Kismet" used the music themes of Borodin). And like Kismet, "Marco Polo" stars Alfred Drake, Doretta Morrow, and featured dancer Beatrice Kraft.

This show was presented LIVE on television on April 14, 1956 and sponsored by...

Mostly of historical interest
My guess is that if one is an major Alfred Drake fan one might find this program exciting considering how little of Alfred Drake's performances were recorded. However, I found the plot weak, the lyrics perfunctory and the choreography insipid. Remember that this was genuine "live" TV -- as close to theater as TV ever became. The quality of the images are excellent, particularly when the source is considered. The sound track is clear. My conclusion is that my wife and I watched the entire program, but it is unlikely we will ever watch it again. In contrast, a TV performance from the same period is Mary Martin's Peter Pan -- vibrant, exciting and one we watch at least once a year.

Very old B&W TV, but....
Alfred Drake in his prime was Broadway's most versatile leading man: major musicals, plays, reviews and Shakespeare. This production, filmed live, is frequently cumbersome and dated. Drake, however, is sublime. An excellent performance by one of the great actors of his time.

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