Customer Reviews

Rich Man, Poor Man: The Complete Collection

5 star:		(97)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I met Peter Strauss for the first time after a staged reading at the Westport Playhouse, in which he, along with several other wonderful actors, gave a superb reading of a new play. Speaking to him, briefly, afterwards, I mentioned the absence of "Rich Man" on DVD - and he agreed. He told me he is asked this a lot and does not understand why a terrific DVD edition of this classic miniseries is not available. My God, it should be! This was one of the first real TV "events" - must see TV before it really existed - with a superb, involving story of two brothers growing up in turbulent times, their lives and loves, and their ultimate search for happiness. The acting could not be better. Peter Strauss has always been an underrated actor, in my opinion. In "The Jericho Mile" he gives a landmark performance. Here, in "Rich Man," he believably ages from a high school student to an older, forlorn Senator trying to reclaim his humanity. It was an honor to speak to Mr. Strauss, who could not have been more gracious. He was eager to see this miniseries on DVD and was also interested in being part of an "extras" package to boot. Can you imagine getting Mr. Strauss and Nick Nolte back to discuss the legendary film that began both their careers? EVERY actor here gives a unique performance. It was one of the unforgettable TV miniseries. It deserves a gold star treatment!

UPDATE on DVD release! "Rich Man, Poor Man" is a five star production, but the DVD release rates barely A STAR AND A HALF - it is almost a travesty. I would like to commend Mr. Strauss, brilliant in the role in both series, for offering an excellent, perceptive, and interesting one hour long commentary track to accompany the first hour of the original series - but that is the ONLY recommendation I can give to this product.

First, the video transfer is poor - there is NO high definition upgrade to the original show at all, so it looks like a typical TV show from the '70's, no upgrades at all. The sound quality is also poor.

Second, and most important, the DVD has been EDITED! Incredibly enough, there are whole scenes missing from the DVD - most grievously, in the final hour of the show, after Rudy nearly loses his career after hurting a college girl, whose photo club had taken nude pictures of a drunken Julie, there is a MISSING SCENE when we see the Van Johnson character return to tell Rudy that his political career can be saved - which leads directly back to the scenes where Julie begins to drink again and, inadvertently, causes a tragedy. The scene is gone! And parts of other scenes, including the introductions to the openings, also appear to be trimmed.

I bought some foreign copies of both series some time ago - and both were better than this product. Make no mistake - A & E did this on the cheap and ended up leaving a tarnished legacy for a landmark series. It is STILL worth watching, for all the wonderful stories it tells, but this DVD product is a disgrace - and you will have to find another DVD or VHS tape to actually see the WHOLE series. The VHS tapes actually seem to have better sound and picture quality and more beautifully packaged as well. I would stick with them, except that Book Two, which has great moments, is not available on VHS tapes, but only on foreign DVD's, which, I'm sure, are of better quality than this disgrace. At least these shows don't appear to be edited.

Too bad. Again, Mr. Strauss's commentaries are worth hearing, but I wish there was more. That's the ONLY extra for the high price you are paying. Such a disappointment. Wasn't there ANYONE of any knowledge working for A & E who could have overseen this transfer? For the price you are paying, you deserve better.

I would have to rate this as the best mini-series ever produced. I recently got to see it again after about 25 years. I borrowed it from the library, which seems like the only place that still might have a copy. I recall when it was first on TV, I think it was an ABC Movie Event. Sitting each week enthralled in the storyline and then waiting for the next episode. This was the most thrilling thing to ever have been on television and it has stayed with me all these years. I became a life long Nick Nolte fan after seeing 'Rich Man, Poor Man'. I only wish this was on DVD! With all the junk that is put on DVD, why not something this ground breaking???

I remember watching this mini-series on TV for something like 13 wks & we NEVER missed an episode..But thats been SO LONG AGO! C'mon lets get it on DVD...This was & is an excellent movie... They put stupid, crappy ones on DVD-VHS...whay can't they put some classic mini sereis on like this one!!??

Although it involves none of the same characters, you could call Irwin Shaw's Rich Man, Poor Man a sequel of sorts to his masterpiece The Young Lions, as he again undertakes an epic story crossing continents and decades, the tale of the two Jordache brothers, and occasionally their sister as they traverse the panorama of turbulent times. The story picks up where The Young Lions left off with the end of the Second World War, chronicling the years from 1946 to the late 1960s in the lives of the lower class Jordache family. At the time of the novel's release, the critics ravaged the piece calling Shaw out of touch with America as he had spent most of the past two decades living in Europe. But the public loved it, turning it into a best seller. Shaw, had as always, crafted a character driven piece, using his immense skills as a writer to pull the reader into the story even if it really didn't go anywhere original.

ABC TV bought the book after the success of turning Leon Uris' QB VII into a mini-series in 1974. In the early spring of 1976 the 12 hour Rich Man, Poor Man debuted to phenomenal ratings success, spurring on the coming decade of mini-series mania that included Roots and Holocaust. The critics loved the story as it translated to the small screen, the often times meandering tale of Shaw's novel having been splendidly reworked for television, making a handful of clever changes. The most notable and powerful change was combining the three major female characters into one, replacing three shifting, often redundant characters with a single powerful one played by Susan Blakely. Also of note was the combining of the two key villains into one played with relish by William Smith, an actor who excelled in such roles.

Peter Strauss, a supporting player in television movies after a failed go at the big screen with Soldier Blue in 1970, played Rudy Jordache and Nick Nolte, a player in B Movies up to then, turned the scene stealing tough guy Tom Jordache into a vehicle that propelled him into movie stardom. Blakely, as Julie Prescott was Rudy's love interest, the sister having been eliminated from the story with all her major story elements folded into the new female lead.

Rudy is a social climbing money maker, the Rich Man of the story, who ascends to the top of the heap landing in the United States Senate (New York State Senate in the book) by the series' end, while brother Tom, a ne'er do well trouble maker, the Poor Man, struggles as a middle weight boxer who is forced to flee the country when he beats up a mob sponsored boxer.

Nolte easily stole the show, not necessarily because of superior acting skills, but because he WAS Tom Jordache in many ways as we were to discover in the years to come. But equally powerful were the amazing performances of the supporting cast, Ed Asner as the father, a force so overwhelming that he overshadows Nolte and Strauss like the moon blotting out the sun during an eclipse in their scenes together. The Brady Bunch's Robert Reed delivers a canny performance as the wealthy Teddy Boylen, Julie lover early in the story and Rudy's mentor. The series is littered with similar performances, Ray Milland, Kim Darby and a surprisingly effective Bill Bixby as Julie's first husband.

I think what made the story so successful was that it was the first time a truly epic novel had been translated onto film, meaning not just television but the features as well, an impossibility for a two or even three hour film. During the course of the series we can see Rudy and Tom aging and changing as Rudy loses his moral center and Tom gains his.

It's a great piece, well worth seeing, but the problem with the new release of the series on DVD is the price. Universal has chosen to tack onto the set the misbegotten sequel series from 1976-77, a 22 episode soap opera that Shaw did not write, Nolte refused to take part in, Blakely left after the initial two hour opener and which even Strauss bailed on by season's end. It was banal and pointless, rarely rising above the level of an afternoon soap, though it did in fact presage the coming prime time soaps, Dallas and Dynasty. Worst of all is that none of the many storylines excepting the one featuring Peter Strauss were resolved at season's end. The only highpoint of Book Two is that it featured the acting debut of Gregg Henry as Nick Nolte's son, a solid player who's produced a three decade career as a supporting actor in roles as diverse as one of the villains in 1998's Start Trek: Insurrection.

So, in order to wring some bucks out of the so-called Rich Man, Poor Man Book II, as they knew no one would buy it on its own, Universal has added on its lame 22 episodes demanding an ungodly $80.00 US, $100.00 Canadian for the show. Even with Amazon's discount, it's still ludicrously expensive, $50.00 US and $70.00 Canadian respectively. The original mini-series would easily fit onto three DVDs with a price of $30.00 before Amazon's discount being more then reasonable.

Despite how good the original mini-series was, my advice is to wait, as this overpriced turkey is bound to end up in the discount bin at Wal-Mart within six months or a year as I can't imagine its sales will keep it in the prime price range for long. Only proceed to the checkout counter if you have money to spare. This really is a disappointment after waiting so long for Rich Man, Poor Man to make its way to DVD.

This was the measuring stick for Mini-Series until Roots came along. Excellent storyline and strong performances throughout. A very young Nick Nolte (although admittedly you have to stretch to accept him as a high school student!) gives the performance that put him on the path to stardom. Ed Asner as the head of the Jordache family gives one of his finest performances in a role mostly against type. All in all a terrific series that finally has made it to US DVD release.

Available on eBay, but be careful that you are ordering the US Region (Region 1) and not a European version (Region 2).

I was 13 years old when the original RMPM first aired in 1976, and I was so enthralled by it that I watched it all over again a year later when ABC reran it after Book 2 completed its run. During both of these broadcasts, Book 1 consisted of seven episodes. Episodes 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 were of two hours duration, while episodes 4 and 5 were one hour each.

During the Eighties, Book 1 was rerun several times in syndication, and I took each opportunity to tape it on VHS. There were two different versions syndicated: one edited the series into eight 90-minute episodes; the other edited it into twelve 60-minute episodes. These format changes created artificial chapter endings that were not intended by the original script and which also altered the dramatic pacing of the story. (The proper ending of Chapter 1 should be Tom being sent away from home rather than Axel and Mary having an argument in the 90-minute version or Julie walking down the street in the 60-minute version.) In addition, the order of several scenes was juggled to fit this reformatting, and a few scenes were cut completely as well, so no syndicated version was ever complete or matched the show's original run. So I kept my tapes of all the different versions -- the earliest of which were recorded using an aerial antenna and not very good quality, while the later tapes were recorded off of cable and far better.

During the Nineties, Columbia House released the series on VHS in the 12-chapter, one-hour episode format... but while they claimed the series was complete, several scenes were missing. So I painstakingly combined the Columbia House footage with footage from the best syndicated version, restoring deleted scenes and restoring the two-hour episode format and proper chapter endings, and I edited a hybrid which came as close as possible to the show's original 1976 7-chapter run. This version is what I have watched over the years since then, enabling me to enjoy this wonderful miniseries as I had originally enjoyed it more than thirty years ago.

After years of waiting for a US DVD release, I was overjoyed to see it had finally happened. I'm ordering my set right now. But I am deeply disappointed to see that apparently the original 1976 format was not used and that Book 1 is edited into the syndicated 12-chapter version. I don't understand why Book 1 couldn't be released as originally broadcast. Surely Universal could have provided A&E with the original format instead of the syndicated version. Re-editing and reformatting the series for various syndicated markets over the years was a necessity, but there was no need to release the official US DVD version in anything other than the original broadcast format and the way Book 1 was originally meant to be viewed.

UNIVERSAL in the UK have it on DVD as well as "Book 2"! Go get 'em!!!

This series would automatically get 5 stars from me from based on pure entertainment value. But unfortunately, even though A&E is claiming this is the complete series, several scenes have been inexplicably edited, and in a few cases entire scenes deleted. (For example one right before Tom's wedding that explains why Rudy's political career was not destroyed by what happened at the campus newspaper's headquaters) There really is no excuse for this type of carelessness, or if it was done intentionally, that is even more inexusable. Next time I see a DVD release from A&E, I will take a pass.

Finally after all this time, RMPM and Book 2 is released in the U.S. format. I'll never understand why it took them 34 years! But, at least it did get released. RMPM to me is the best series that's ever been produced! Chapter One is a treat. It has an interview with Peter Strauss! Also, the series left in the scenes that were cut for time when it originally aired on TV. There aren't many of them. But it's great to see them. The quality is great. The packaging is superb as well.

I have the region 2 sets. But it's great to have them in Region 1 that will play on all US players. I guess there's talk of putting it out on Blu Ray. However, I don't think it'll increase the quality as RMPM was taped 34 years ago. But, if they add extra documentaries it would be worth having it too. RMPM made stars of Peter Strauss and Nick Nolte. The ratings during that time were through the roof. To this day, this series is loved by so many of us! A part of our histories I would say. You can't go wrong at the price either. Retailing for eighty dollars it's still a bargain. But Amazon lowered it to 50, then for a short time to 36. It's worth it!

Don't let this pass you by! Thanks to A&E Video for releasing this. And a big thanks to Amazon for the incredible prices they offer. This is a must have for any RMPM fan!

Oh, how time has flown by. When you watch Nick Nolte in "Rich Man, Poor Man", it really makes you realize how long it has been since this wonderful mini series first debuted on TV--1976! Over 30 years ago! I was 12 at the time and I still fondly remember the show. What a great cast RMPM has: Mr. Nolte (blond and gorgeous and oh so young), Peter Strauss (handsome as the uptight rich brother), Susan Blakely (what a terrific actress she was--haven't seen her in years), Ed Asner (who won an Emmy for his portrayal of Axel Jordache--a character radically different from Lou Grant), the late Bill Bixby (playing the pathetic Willie), Robert Reed (who proved he could play someone other than Mike Brady--he eats up the scenery in a delicious role) and Kim Darby (she's a hoot as the scheming psychotic Virginia Calderwood). The scene where Virginia pounds on Rudy Jordache's mansion screaming his name has stuck in my mind all these years. And the heartbreaking ending is still so sad to watch. I forgot to mention the beautiful Kay Lenz, who ends up marrying Nick Nolte in the final episode. She's a delight (another great actress who has disappeared). Unfortunately, the mini series is not available in the United States for some mysterious reason, but you can buy a Region 2 PAL DVD. If you have fond memories of this show--as I do--get yourself a Multiregion DVD player so you can relive this wonderful mini series. And "Rich Man, Poor Man Book 2" was just released overseas in the last few weeks--I can't wait to begin watching it!