Product Details

• Actors: David Janssen
• Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• VHS Release Date: March 25, 1997
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304340214
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,382 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It's hard to make a lively documentary about someone who's been dead so long that everyone who knew him is dead, too. But A&E succeeds by having an actor read excerpts from Poe's stories, poems, and letters, as well as sharing anecdotes that reveal a more intimate side of this macabre genius. In this video, we see Poe the doting husband, who played games in the yard with his young wife and later cared for her during her prolonged battle with tuberculosis; Poe the joker, who scared small children in the streets of Baltimore by waving his arms and shouting "Nevermore!"; and, finally, Poe the derelict, who showed up for lectures drunk and shamelessly chased married women in his quest to replace his beloved Virginia. As with many of the characters he created, there was far more to Poe than met the surface, and this Biography does an admirable job of shining light on the shadows of the haunted writer's life. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

Product Description

He is the uncontested master of the macabre, a genius whose melancholy nature made his own life as tragic as one of his strange tales. Edgar Allan Poe's haunting poems and chilling stories established him as one of the most important men of American letters. But behind his popularity and artistic success was a personal life defined by broken hopes and failure. This extraordinary program tells Poe's complete story, from the death of his parents when he was three, to his tragic collapse on the street at age 40. Dramatic readings recall the devastation of his broken engagement and the loss of his child bride. And experts explore the bouts of depression and addiction that tormented the man and gave birth to his dark and brilliant art. Take an intimate look at one of literature's most complex and fascinating figures.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, October 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Poetry for Young People: Edgar Allan Poe (Hardcover)

this is a good collection for younger readers who have not been intoduced to poe- there are side notes that define the out-of-date words and a summary at the beginning of each story excert/poem. There are illustrations for each piece of work as well that help younger persons visualize as well.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful Overview of an American Writer, September 29, 2003

By 

A.Trendl HungarianBookstore.com "What should ... (Glen Ellyn, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Biography: The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The legend of Edgar Alan Poe is far from the reality, as we learn in A & E's Biography series documentary of his life. The much misunderstood author is given a fair look in this 50 minute overview. They bring us the sad, broken Poe, stumbling through lectures and readings, but they also show us a good man who loved literature and wanted to succeed as a writer.

Any student of Poe has been inundated with macabre, morbid tales of involving dead women, drug abuse and affairs. What is disregarded by early biographers are the facts between the tales. He crafted stories with careful excellence, depending on technique, and not the lack of sobriety. He drew from his personal life, but also fabricated complex fantasies that became the model for Stephen King, Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and others. His poetry caught the attention of European greats like Charles Baudelaire and Mihaly Babits, who, in turn, translated Poe's works for the world.

We see where Poe lived an, and hear not only from his literary works, but his letters and the writings of those who knew him. We are able to attain a sense that Poe was not a monster only brooding in his woes, but a family man who longed to remain with Virginia, who lived with, as he wrote in "Annabel Lee," "no other thought than to love and be loved by me."

The affect of the tragedies which surrounded him are explored, from his poor relationship with his adoptive father to the many deaths of loved ones, lost to tuberculosis. Many men would have been enfeebled to write, but Poe took his sadness and expressed it as literary art.

I fully recommend "Biography - Edgar Allan Poe." His life has the legendary elements of scandal and addiction, but to know Poe better, it is important to learn beyond the cliches like "master of the macabre." This video does that.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars READ THIS GREAT ADDITION TO THIS SERIES WITH YOUR KIDS. IT IS GREAT!, November 5, 2006

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Poetry for Young People: Edgar Allan Poe (Hardcover)

I cannot think of a better way to introduce the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe than this small volume. The selection is excellent and of interest you the young reader. The commentary is quite relevant as are the pictures which accompany it. I find that often now, our young people go all the way through the early grades in school and many of them have never heard of Poe, much less read his poetry. This was the sort of stuff my generation and the generation before it grew up on and cut our teeth on. I do not feel I am any worse for the wear. I am fearful that we are bringing up an entire generation (rightfully or wrong, although I feel it is the later) of young folks who will have no appreciation to this great art form and will miss a lot. This book helps. This entire series helps, as a matter of fact and I certainly recommend you add this one and the others to your library. Actually, it is rather fun reading these with the young folk and then talking about them. Not only do you get to enjoy the work your self and perhaps bring back some great memories, but you have the opportunity to interact with your child or student. It is actually rather surprising what some of the kids come up with. I read these to my grandchildren and to the kids in my classes at school. For the most part, when I really get to discussing the work with them, they enjoy it. Recommend this one highly.