13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yes, Master, it's a fun read!, April 8, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Dreaming of Jeannie: TV's Prime Time in a Bottle (Paperback)
Although I'm too young to remember watching "I Dream of Jeannie" during its first run on network tv, I grew up laughing aloud to years of reruns, and this book, full of great photos (where else can you see Jeannie and Dr. Bellows hanging at a Hollywood part with Ringo Starr! ), especially the beautiful color shots which jump off the page, told me everything--and even more than that!--I needed to know about the series and its stars, from Hagman's wierd quirks to Eden's "jeannie-al" personality to Bill Daly's dedication to his craft.
The author does a great job in his research, and interesting tidbits (related and unrelated) are plentiful and keep your interest as the pages turn (by themselves, if this were the tv show). The episode guide is a detailed reference source, and if you're a "Bewitched" fan as well, there's lots of info on that series (just don't be gullible enough to take those three "lost" episodes as gospel truth--I certainly didn't!)--pick up a copy and you'll see what I mean.
After I read this behind-the-scenes look at "Jeannie," it had me hunting for some of those episodes in syndication, just to laugh again watching poor ol' Dr. Bellows trying to figure out the whole damn thing!
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Dreaming of...Bewitched?, February 12, 2001
This review is from: Dreaming of Jeannie: TV's Prime Time in a Bottle (Paperback)
By the very text of the title, one would expect that this book is completely dedicated to its 1965-70 namesake. Sadly, this is not the case. There are constant references to other television series, most notably, Bewitched. In fact, the final chapter is entirely devoted to this series.
Why the constant exposure of Bewitched? The author attempts to justify this by linking the two series together, citing references by TV Guide and others to reinforce his claim. The appropriation of other themes and plotlines in the entertainment industry is nothing new, and hardly worth the amount of space the author utilizes to cover it. Harlan Ellison, in his 1996 book City on the Edge of Forever, states succinctly in one paragraph what Cox does in many pages. But then again, Steve Cox is no Harlan Ellison.
Another reason for the inclusion of Bewitched may be the author's affection for the show. While there is nothing wrong with this, misrepresenting a work through misleading advertising is unethical. Two decades ago, Larry Commons staged a similar stunt. He published a fan magazine advertised as entirely devoted to one series, but when the subscriber count was up, he decided to "bait and switch." One irate reader wrote, "...'Superman' seems out of place here... My real point, Larry, is that you may like 'Superman,' which is fine, and so is an article and episode guide. But go beyond that and you may befuddle and isolate many of the readers." The situations are so similar that this letter could easily apply to Cox (substituting Bewitched for Superman, and Steve for Larry, of course).
Cox seems to have little fondness for "I Dream of Jeannie," though. He attacks the quality of the series from the first page, and continues to throw poisonous barbs (in the form of editorial asides) throughout the remainder of his book. For instance, when Hagman turned to a psychologist in order to deal with the mounting pressures, he adds, "(Obviously Dr. Bellows's sitcom psychobabble wasn't doing the trick.)" When he discusses the impact on young people by television, Cox adds, "(Not to shatter your force field, but Star Trek probably inspired more adolescents than both of the former combined. C'mon - Bones is, without a doubt, cooler than Bellows.)" And when the author mentions that Sheldon sent scripts to NASA in order to solicit their input, he adds, "(Whether the scripts nauseated NASA officials is classified information.)"
Although Cox nailed interviews with both Sheldon and Hagman, he glossed over the most intriguing question, why did the latter refuse to be a part of the 1985 reunion movie, 'I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later'? Hagman's pedestrian response about the pay issue seemed somewhat suspect. Why couldn't he have validated this with Sheldon, or using his Bewitched connections, with director Bill Asher?
Unfortunately, too many of the cast have now passed on, and were unable to share their insight. Barton MacLane died in 1969, Vinton Hayworth in 1970, Emmaline Henry in 1979, and Hayden Rorke in 1987. Yet in the acknowledgments, Cox expresses gratitude "for your insight, your warmth (applicable to some), your time, and your recollections" to "Hayden Rorke." Unless the author has the ability to converse with the dead, this would seem rather unlikely. He does speak with Rorke's brother, James Hayden Rorke, but not the actor who portrayed Dr. Bellows. However, assuming he did, why were no quotes printed?
One of the prerequisites to writing a quality book is to be enthused about your chosen subject. Cox freely admits he wrote this book because his friends "put him up" to it. At $16.95, I presume money provided powerful motivation as well (although he was not quite arrogant enough to admit it). Perhaps this explains the mediocrity of his publication. This is unfortunate, because a book about I Dream of Jeannie written by someone with intimate knowledge of the series and exemplary interviewing skills could produce an outstanding publication. Perhaps someday a book of this quality will surface.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Blink of an Eye, March 25, 2000
This review is from: Dreaming of Jeannie: TV's Prime Time in a Bottle (Paperback)
This Book was a wonderful read. I breezed thru it in a blink of an eye. There is alot of information jam packed in it about the show and the people in it. I am a huge fan of the show and didn't know alot of the stuff that is in this book. Surprisingly the book has some great interviews from several of the stars, co-stars and people involved with the show, including Larry Hagman, which is a shock. The pictures are just incredible, it even has a color section with shots I have never seen before. There is lots of behind the scenes info and other rare black and white pictures also. I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy the classic tv shows. I found I could not put this book down and it really kept me interested at a fast paced level with new and interesting things around each chapter. You will love the book if you are a fan of the show. Check it out and have fun reading.
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