Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Get your facts straight, mister!, May 12, 2000
By A Customer
Ed Shifres' book is the kind of lurid tell-all that frustrated filmmaker wanna-bes just love. Why? Because it justifies why they just can't seem to make it in tinseltown. (See: "The Rat Race" by Ed Wood, equally delicious!) Originally published as "Space Family Robinson: The True Story" -- and then re-titled "Lost in Space: The True Story" because Shifres and his co-conspiriatorial publisher wanted to "cash in" on New Line's mega-budget motion picture -- the book provides a series of shrill and largely unsubstantiated claims that Irwin Allen ripped-off the concept for "Lost in Space" from Ib Melchior (a modestly successful producer/director during the early 1960s). Unfortunately, Shifres only details Melchior's side of the story. The fact that a comic book called "Space Family Robinson" pre-existed both Melchior's AND Allen's screen treatments is barely examined. Equally suspect, is the failure of the author to mention that, minus the general premise of a "Swiss Family Robinson" in space, the television series called "Lost in Space" ultimately bore little or no resemblence to either the Melchior OR the Irwin Allen/Shimon Wincelberg treatments. (Doctor Smith and the Robot -- easily the series' most popular and identifiable characters -- are not in Melchior's treatment at all!) In any event, a case of coincidence is treated as a smoking gun. (Not very convincingly, I'm afraid.) Worse is the fact that Melchior's "revelations" come out of hiding -- not when Irwin Allen is around to defend himself -- but when New Line is producing a big-budget motion picture. Since legal threats are rampant in Mr. Shifres' book, perhaps the Irwin Allen Estate should take notice. I believe they have grounds for a libel suit.
|
|
|
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lost in Space: Shifres' s Contrived Story, February 24, 2001
While there are some similarities between Ib Melchior's Space Family Robinson and Irwin Allen's Lost in Space, similar comparisons can be drawn between Melchior's idea, Allen's series and Johann Wyss's books.Since Ed Shifres also brings to light that another party also had a Space Family Robinson Concept, he briefly states that this other treatment has no similarities... I would like to see that treatment. Shifres brings to light the struggle of a screenwriter and his failure to sell a story. As Melchior was told 30 years ago, and again at the on-set of Lost in Space the movie, he has no case that would stand in court. It didn't seem to me that Melchior exhausted every avenue to pursue CBS and Irwin Allen, and gave up all to quickly. Shifres all but says Allen stole Melchior's work, but Shrifes does a better job at suggesting Melchior is nothing more than an opportunist seeing a chance to profit from litigation. Shrifes also taints his own credibility by stating that Melchior's first choice to play the mother of the space family was June Lockhart, yet on page 266 where Melchior lists his casting suggestions, June Lockhart is noticeably not on the list. Melchior and Allen had their connections. In the race to see their respective projects to fruition, Allen came in first because his treatment of the concept is far superior than Melchior's. Melchior couldn't sell his product for one reason. IT IS TERRIBLE. As a budding author on a subject of local history, I know for fact that I have competition. We're all racing to be first to complete the project, sell it, and publish it. If I'm not first at the finish line, I won't be looking for Mr. Shifres to do a story on me. Shifres sings Melchior's sour grapes.
|
|
|
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
The True Oxymoron, May 24, 2000
As a devoted fan of Irwin Allen's "Lost In Space" tv series, I read Shrifts book "Lost In Space, the True Story" with about as much as an open mind as I could. I believe that Shrifts were able to prove through his research that Ib Melchior's Space Family Robinson concept was not the same concept as Dell Publishing's Space Family Robinson comic book series, that said comic book series had nothing to do with any never produced Disney version of Space Family Robinson or that Ib Melchior had absolutely nothing to do with either the comic book or the alleged Disney film. Furthermore, why would even Disney be interested in producing such a film after their hugely successful and very faithful adaption of Johann Wyse's original story? However, when it comes to Mr. Allen's Lost In Space concept and Mr. Melchior's, Shrifts' just manages to stir up quite a controversy over said property, and while not directly accusing Mr. Allen of plagiarism, does quite a good job of implying it and therby tarnishing the good name and reputation of Irwin Allen. I read Ib Melchior's screenplay for his Space Family Robinson, and I found nothing similar between his and Allen's Lost In Space pilot script, "No Place to Hide".1.)One family, named Robinson is leaving the Earth in a saucer shaped spacecraft to begin the massive colonization effort of a planet in the Alpha Centauri star system. Meteors damage their ship and they crash land on an alien planet and struggle to survive there. 2.) Another family, also named Robinson, is in deep space when their ship is struck by asteroids and they abandon it via the escape craft and crash land on an alien planet and learn to struggle to survive there. That there is where the similarities end. Both families are quite different. 3.)Allen's script has a father named John Robinson who is a professor of astrophysicists. Melchior's father is named David Robinson who is an astro-scientist. 4.)Allen has a mother named Maureen Robinson who holds a doctorate in biochemistry. Melchior's mother is named Elisabeth Robinson who does not hold a doctorate in biochemistry. 5.) Allen's eldest child is named Judy who is aged 19 and whose interest is in musical comedy and has no interest in science. Melchior's eldest child is a male named Mark Robinson whose interest is in laser surgery. 6.) Allen's middle child is named Penny Robinson whose interest is in zoology. The middle child in Melchior's script is also another male named Frank Robinson who has a strong scientific interest in a number of fields. 7.) Allen's youngest child is a 10-year-old boy whose name is Will Robinson whose interest is in electronics and has no pet companion other than a strange ostrich (and his favorite companion later becomes Dr Smith and or the Robot). Melchior's script has a child who is another ten-year-old boy who's a lover of animals and is a lover of experimenting and exploration and whose favorite companion is a dog named Scout. 8.) In Allen's script last member is the Robinson's friend and co-pilot, Dr Donald West who holds a degree in Geology. (This character is later changed to that of a pilot in the United States Space Corps.) The last member in Melchior's script is the Robinson's voyage is named Crewman Tate who does not hold any sort of degree in geology, nor is he the pilot of the ship. 9.)Also, Allen's ship is named "Gemini 12" and later becomes the "Jupiter 2". Melchior's ship is named the "Alpha" and is not a colonization vessel. And yet, despite these key differences, Shrifts still goes on to say in his book that Allen ripped off Ib Melchior and by also furthering his claim that it was his concept and his characters and he should be entitled to justice and the credit due him. It's clear that despite the charges outlines in Shrifts' book, Allen's Lost In Space concept was distinctly simillar to Melchior's. When Allen was told informed of Melchior's concept, he probably had examined his script analyzed so that there were no similarities and if there were, to greatly change them, such as the title. But Shrifts' doesn't state that in his book, nor do he have detail all of the key differences that I have outlined in from his book, "Lost In Space, The True Story." between Allen's and Melchior's concepts. I believe if Shrifts had done this, he would not have had a reason for writing a book nor would he have made a tidy profit off of it. As far as I'm concerned, Ib Melchior's cannot be credited with creating with the "Lost in Space" that was seen on the CBS television network. His concept and his characters were quite different from Allen's concept and characters and that I believe is the true reason why he did not and could not pursue legal litigation. And as a result, he was not entitled to any of the credit or monetary compensation allegedly due him. Shrfits said it himself in his own book; a name and title cannot be copyrighted. I believe that Allen did have Melchior's script. After Melchior's attorney, Don Leon informed him, he got a copy of Melchior's script and closely examined it for the sole purpose of eliminating any similarities such as the title, concept and format for the TV series. If Allen had stolen Melchior's idea, than the characters would have been exactly the same, which they were not. The whole purpose of the spaceflight was different, as well as the story. I also believe that Melchior's attorney believed that the real purpose he advised his client not to pursue the matter was that he would not have won. Irwin Allen's Lost In Space aptly sabotaged Melchior's Space Family Robinson movie, which is unfortunate, but it's a fact of life. I also believe that the world is not any worse off without Melchior's other "neo-classics" such as his "Columbus of the Stars," "Gulliver's Space Travels," etc. "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" was a pretty dull movie and I hardly impressed with it especially with the more exciting, and original science fiction movies that were yet to come. Ed Shifres wouldn't know the truth if it hit him over the head. His bias towards Ib Melchior is obvious.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
