Search - Tennessee Williams' South on DVD

Williams' South

W. Oliver | Alabama | 06/23/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Tennessee Williams is interviewed in Key West and New Orleans, and talks about his childhood, family, religion, race relations in the south, his eccentricies and demons and his love for Chekhov. His observations are often illuminating and provide good analysis for some of his writings. He also reads some of his poetry and prose (the poem from "Night of the Iguana" and "Life Story" and a section from "The Glass Menagerie"). This odd film also contains dramatic pieces at intervals with Williams commenting on the characters and their motivations. The dramatic clips are about 5 minutes each and include Burl Ives in a scene from "The Last of my Solid Gold Watches," Jessica Tandy in "A Streetcar Named Desire," William Hutt in "Small Craft Warnings," Colleen Dewhurst and John Colicos in "Night of the Iguana," and Maureen Stapleton, Michael York, James Naughton and Carol Williard in "The Glass Menagerie.""

Meet Tennessee Williams!

Robert F. Monement | Sylvan Lake, MI USA | 10/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the best way to meet T.Williams and his works. Better than a Biography, it combines live interviews with TW along with clips from his most important plays. In just 80 minutes, you will understand TW and his genius without having to read or watch movies. 10 times better than Cliff Notes...99% more entertaining than most documentaries.
HIGHLY RECCOMMEND.
-Bob Monement, Sylvan Lake, MI"

Flawed but valuable

Jeffrey Sweet | NY | 10/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The disc is worth grabbing if only for the opportunity to see Jessica Tandy do a chunk of STREETCAR. She created the part of Blanche (it was written for her), but, because of the omnipresent film, the performance everyone knows is Vivien Leigh's. It is excellent, of course, but it's illuminating to see the different take Tandy brings. Also, there is precious little film of the late great Canadian actor William Hutt, and the chance to see him should be precious to anyone in the theatre. The excerpts from the plays are not great cinema, but they do offer flashes of undiluted Williams. And then there's Williams himself, playing host to his own life. There are all sorts of ways to pick this program apart for what it lacks, but what it offers cannot be replaced or duplicated by anything elsewhere."

The Great Tennessee Williams Speaks and Others Perform His W

"Tee" | LA | 05/23/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an outstanding 1974 Canadian television documentary on America's greatest playwright, Tennessee Williams which consists of a detailed exclusive interview with Tennessee and excerpts of his work performed by, among others, Burl Ives, Jessica Tandy, Colleen Dewhurst, Maureen Stapleton, Michael York, and James Naughton. These little dramatic segments were also performed exclusively for this production. This remarkable film took several years to cross the American border because Tennessee talks frankly, if briefly, about being gay which even PBS was uncomfortable with at the time. (The excerpt from STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE with Tandy also features the unedited monologue about discovering her beau's homosexuality that was watered down in the film version).

It's really wonderful to see and hear Tennessee talk about his work. He seems friendly, lucid, and amusing. I am a huge fan of Tennessee's work and have wanted this DVD for years and finally bought it. This DVD is also in the Warner Bros. collection of film adaptations of Tennessee's plays, that set is often on sale so you might want to get the "full" collection and not just this documentary. This DVD is a must for fans of the American theater."