Customer Reviews

Steambath (Broadway Theatre Archive) [VHS]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first saw this TV adaptation of Bruce Jay Friedman's offbeat off- Broadway play on PBS Channel 28 in 1973 and was impressed not only by Valerie Perrine's nude shower scene but by the rest of the cast (Bill Bixby, Herb Edelman, Jose Perez, Shirley Kirkes, et al) and the bizarre story line -- an odd assortment of strangers find themselves in a Steambath, not knowing how they got there or why. The attendant seems to be the only one who has a purpose there. A terrible purpose, we learn as the plot unfolds! I saw this TV play twice back then and as far as I know it has never been shown since. But at least it's available now on DVD. I recommend it to all who enjoy a good comic fantasy with some serious overtones. The image quality is good, though a little soft (perhaps because it's in a Steambath?) but there are no bonus features except for some trailers for other Broadway plays available. Enjoy this effort from the early days of PBS when it was bold, daring and innovative -- you never saw anything like this on network TV back in those days!

This a very funny, irreverent and sharp-edged filming of the off-Broadway show written by Bruce Jay Friedman. A young guy named Tandy (Bill Bixby) wakes up in a steambath. He doesn't know how he got there, and neither do any of the people around him -- an old taxi driver, a gorgeous, somewhat dim-witted young woman (Valerie Perrine), a couple of aging gays, a slob, a gambler who is also a stock broker. The only person in the place who seems to know what's going on is the skinny, Puerto Rican bath attendent (Jose Perez). It slowly dawns on Tandy that he's dead and so is everyone else, except the attendent. Turns out the attendent is God, and the steambath is a holding room while God decides where to send them. He doesn't have a lot of time because there's always new people due to show up.

God turns out to specialize in lame magic tricks and philosophical chatter. He likes the people to tell about their lives and explain why they shouldn't be dead. Perez is great as God who is skeptical of good intentions, has a load of disbelieving come-backs, and who has to keep things moving. Bixby does a first-rate job as a guy who has never done much with his life but who always intended to. And Valerie Perinne does an outstanding job as a sexy young lady sort of unaware of her effect on people. Other excellent actors are in the cast...some of them are Herb Edelman, Kenneth Mars, Stephen Elliot.

Steambath is a dialogue-driven play, and the dialogue is very, very funy. This production was broadcast once by PBS and as far as I know was never repeated. I think it's highly unlikely that the PBS of today would ever take a chance on something like this. It has some nudity and some funny but strong situations. Mostly, it's food for thought while being irreverent...God as a Puerto Rican steambath attendent?

If you're interested in American theater, the American Theater Archive is the place to look. They're saving a number of plays that appeared on television years ago. This is the only place to go if you're interested in seeing how gripping and sad Lee J. Cobb and Mildred Natwick were in Death of a Salesman (they recreate their stage roles), the incredible performances of Jason Robards and Colleen Dewhurst in A Moon for the Misbegotten, or why Robards was one of the great American actors as he stars in The Iceman Cometh. Most of the Archive is now available on DVDs and you can probably get them, among other places, at Amazon.

The DVD is in color and is a respectable transfer.

A fine transfer of a classic television film. Bill Bixby shines as Tandy, a man who refuses to believe he has died and tries evereything to convince 'Morte', the excellent Jose Perez, to send him back for another chance. He is well suported by the gruff Stephen Elliott, the demure Valerie Perrine. Ken Mars does well as the stockbroker and Herb Edelman is also at his best. Full of quoteable dialogue, this is highly recommended.

The basic story has been told in many ways and also some variation. Much more popular when purgatory was a real place. This is a story of a hand full of characters that find them selves at a crossroads or a steambath in their afterlife. Seams that the deity (José Pérez) is the attendant who replaces towels and enjoys a good story.

The attraction on an esoteric level is how the people get along with each other. Then we have individuals contemplating past present. The steamy part of the play is Valerie Perrine; the first woman to show off her accoutrements on U.S. TV (4 May 1973) being in the altogether and filmed showering from the side.

The hinge point of this story is watching Tandy (Bill Bixby) who refuses to believe that the Attendant is the deity and is determent to get back to his former life. One can believe if he does not perturb the Attendant, Tandy just might pull it off.

The intriguing and imaginative plot, the excellent acting, and the tragedy of this TV adaptation of Bruce Jay Friedman's play not being available for today's audiences have been repeated by several reviewers. They are, in my opinion, all correct in their views about this wonderful, thought-provoking "black" comedy.

I know that at least one reviewer lamented the fact that many reviewers seemed to talk more about the "nudity" than the merits of the play/movie. I have not found this to be so. And, of course, in the version shown in the United States, there is not really any frontal nudity. However, I was fortunate enough to see Ms. Perrine not only when she was performing in Las Vegas, but in the uncut version of "Steambath" that was shown in the UK and on Armed Forces Television throughout the European continent in 1973.

Quite some time ago, after months and months of searching, I finally found the censored American version of "Steambath" on VHS at kultur dot com. I could not find it at a site mentioned by another reviewer. Kultur now has this on DVD as of May 2007. I do not know whether it was in response to the requests here and elsewhere to re-release this fine film, but it is now available on sites such as this one, Amazon dot com, and for rental on netflix dot com.

If ANYONE knows where I can obtain the 1973 UNCUT version shown outside the US, would you please contact me (see my review on imdb dot com, or just write to ww1965 at gmail dot com)?

Maybe it's just because I'm a guy, but I think that the uncut version should be made available today because it adds to the impact of this insightful character study of the various personalities of the men (and one woman) who are "trapped" in the steam bath room. The uncut version is still very mild compared to what is available today, and it was all done very innocently. However, you knew that you were in for something unusual when Ms. Perrine suddenly appeared in what was apparently a men's shower/steam bath facility and dropped her towel! (You only see her from the waist up whenever she is turned toward you, of course. After all, this was 1973. Nevertheless, Ms. Perrine was facing the camera enough in the uncut version to make a lasting impression on this reviewer!)

This is a program that I saw on Public Television back in the early 70's.
When I found out this was on DVD I couldn't wait to see it again. I have to say I was a bit dissapointed to notice that some scenes were altered from the original broadcast. Call me a purist, but I love to see things the way they were originaly broadcast.

This program originally had nudity, in particular Valerie Perrine's shower scene. In the original you can see her breasts, in this version you do not. There is a black bar that appeares on the bottom of the screen during the front shot of the shower scene, blocking out the nudity.(There is also another scene with her that is cut)

Now this is not that big a deal as far as the story goes, you can still enjoy the play, and it is a good one. I gave this 3 stars because of the censorship on the DVD version. What made this controversial as far as television was concerned at the time was the language and nudity.

It seems that nowadays just because it's on DVD does not mean it's complete.

I remember this production from my days working in the college media center, when video players were not in everyone's home yet. We had taped this show from PBS and we watched it over and over between classes and while working. I remembered it as being both hilariously funny and terribly thought provoking at the same time. When I watched it again recently I was not disappointed. If anything I liked it better than ever. The characters are mostly believable and interact in a very genuine way. The every idea of God being a puerto rican bath attendant stretches the boundaries of what is acceptable to the max but he does it so well. You almost want to believe it is all that easy...a steambath is not such a bad place to wait for eternal dispensation. Valerie Perrine and Bill Bixby are wonderful. You will enjoy this very original play.

A chance to see Bill Bixby in a real change-of-pace role, playing a recently deceased man who slowly comes to realize that his life, to which he is so anxious to return, was not all it had cracked up to be. Bixby is thoroughly believable in his performance, by changes funny, anxious, fearful, supportive, intense, and even ever-so-slightly sleazy. He's the perfect choice to head this cast in a wildly offbeat story of a group of people who, having died, find themselves in a steambath on their way to their final destination, seeking questions from the Puerto Rican attendant - who just happens to be God.

An amusing, well performed insight into the immediate after-life - with an unexpected twist. Thought-provoking. Denial leads to some superb introspection. Find out that even God has a sense of humor.

This rarely seen video was first aired in the 1970s. It discusses issues that we take for granted today, but were forming at that period of time.

The comedy throughout is satirical and delivers a strong message that crosses the boundaries of races and beliefs for everyone.

I enjoyed all the performances of the cast members and would see it again on stage if presented in a theater.