Customer Reviews

A Trip To Christmas - The Bell Telephone Hour [VHS]

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This video is a rare find...a Christmas program from the classic "Bell Telephone Hour" series,one of the finest music programs ever to hit the airwaves. Some of it may seem downright corny,especially those hard-to-take kids,but this 1961 offering is a glorious example of what good Christmas programs used to be like before rock and country music took them over. Opera stars giving GOOD renditions of carols (NOT making them sound like operatic arias) are featured along with such classic ballet stars as Edward Villella dancing selections from "The Nutcracker". The entire show has been photographed on a set made up to resemble a small town celebrating Christmas.The opera singers sing their selections in informal settings,for example,the beautiful soprano Lisa della Casa is seen singing a child to sleep with the lovely "Gesu Bambino" (which Pavarotti lovers may recognize),and Earl Wrightson and Lois Hunt sing traditional carols in a Victorian setting ,a scene which is capped off by the Columbus Boychoir filing indoors in a procession and singing three carols.The finale of the program is a perhaps now dated,but sincere pantomime representation of the first Christmas,with dignified narration by "Father Knows Best" star Jane Wyatt,who also serves as hostess for the program---unfortunately,her reading of "Yes,Virginia,There Is A Santa Claus" is delivered in a cutesy,condescending,talking-down-to children style(she DOES read the letter to that irritating bunch of kids,who,at first,get in the way of enjoyment of the music). The visual quality of this video is amazing,considering the fact that it has been remastered from a 1961 studio videotape,but the colors WILL look a little too ripe. A warning to the buyer: the info on the box is incorrect--NOT the info on this site. John Raitt and Jane Morgan are listed as singers in the program,but they are nowhere to be seen ---perhaps they were forced to cancel at the last minute.They are not listed in the actual credits,although the credits do mistakenly say "Starring (in order of appearance)"---the viewer has to figure out who's who. Anyone who wants to see what tasteful TV variety programming was like before the networks decided to become more pop-oriented and trendy should not pass this up. They will hear beautiful renditions of traditional Christmas music (except,perhaps,for the Lennon Sisters,but they're on for only a few minutes anyway) all sung without a trace of formality and stuffiness. I remember this show from my childhood,and it's good to see it on video.

I agree with A. Moreno. Apart from the "cuteness" of children with whom hostess Jane Wyatt talks to (and this could be forgiven as it was in 1961 when this was still a cultural family "ideal", the videotape is a masterful transfer).
The production values are high and the professionalism of the well-rehearsed performers compaed to our age of short-scene edits is stunning.
There are long scenes with tracking cameras particularly in the Nutcracker ballet and the extended "English Christmas" ensemble segment.

As well as the Lennon Sisters (whose harmonies have the status of "classicalas far as I am concerned), the glorious Lisa Della Casa and ballet stars Violette Verdy & Edward Villella, I found it wonderful to see and hear the wonderful, robust baritone of Earl Wrightson and his wife soprano Lois Hunt. I was so pleased at last to see an American soprano who never reached the heights I felt she deserved - Phyllis Curtin - who sings "O Holy Night" beautifully (but not as well as she did on an Andre Kostelenetz Christmas LP in 1965).

It is a time capsule of a past era when people and children could be exposed to large chunks of culture by the mainstream media. (The ballet segment is given a generous portion of time).

It is a very highly recommended time capsule.

For any fan of the Lennon Sisters, this video is a must have collectors item!! The Lennon Sisters (in this video it is just Peggy, Janet, and Kathy) sing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". This is one of two Christmas videos they appeared in.