This one is sort of like Phantom of the opera meets psycho: the psycho is played by Michael Horton ( Grady from Murder, she wrote) who is besotted with Jennifer, thinking she is the long-dead actress, and is prepared to kill to satisfy his obsession. Jonathan and Jennifer are to perform in an annual charity benefit for children. But a few close shaves occur before that can happen such as a director almost getting electrocuted, the ghost Of the dead stage actress is seen roaming the site, and voices - this is spooky episode, has good atmosphere, plus you see a song and dance number by Jonathan and Jennifer.
3 Reviews
Actors are Cattle
aramis-112-80488028 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers: Hollywood in the studio system produced two famous movies with down and outers. In "Meet John Doe" Barbara Stanwyck picks Gary Cooper out of a room full of people down on their luck to represent a "typical" down-and-out type. We weren't given back stories on the others, but Cooper's story is that he's a former baseball pitcher with a busted "wing." In "Our Man Godfrey" the family "collects" a bum (William Powell) for a scavenger hunt which is bad enough; but it happens the bum is a former socialite. Even when Hollywood tries celebrating the down and out they have to glamorize them. Make them a-typical. A cut above real bums.
Hollywood simply can't imagine actual poverty as I can, having been there. Let's update that. "Bowfinger" (admittedly, a funny movie) presents two of the highest-paid stars of the time, Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, in a tale of how difficult it is to "make it" in Hollywood. True, perhaps, but offensive to people who can't make it . . . Who might or might not be as talented as they but who never got the breaks. Martin and Murphy played failures but in real life went off counting their money.
This "Hart to Hart" episode presents two very rich characters (i.e., the Harts) dressing up as bums to duplicate an old Fred Astaire routine and having a great time playing the down and out.
Whether it's the age of Cooper and William Powell or Steve Martin and Eddy Murphy (or, here, Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers) they really don't "get" real people. Especially poor people. Hollywood squanders money by the buckets full. No wonder so many of them are the types who think social problems or political problems can be solved by tossing money at them. And if that fails, throwing good money after bad. But in that case the money they waste is mine.
Anyway, the routine the Harts do is too early in the episode for it to be a spoiler. The Harts take part in amateur theatrics for charity (professional actors playing amateurs). But, naturally, there's a mad stalker living in the theatre who's obsessed with Jennifer because she bears a striking resemblance to an actress he's already killed.
Every season has Jennifer or Jonathan being stalked by some whack job. How often does that happen in a real person's life? True, it probably happens in actors' lives more often, but it's hardly natural for real people to be stalked that often.
Anyway, I love the theatre. I was a drama major in college (until I changed it for something where I hoped to find money) and loved working on shows (backstage). So I love backstage theatrical stories. But this cross between "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Bad Ronald" is one mad stalker too many for me.
In the end the amateurs are as good as professionals. And why not? They are professionals. Though one has to start with a spark of talent, they inadvertently prove anyone with that spark can be driven through a routine. Actors as cattle.
Hey, isn't the mad stalker in this episode the same guy who played the mad stalker on "Remington Steele"? If not, they could be twins. Naturally, a nice guy. In Hollywood nice guys are always suspect.
Hollywood simply can't imagine actual poverty as I can, having been there. Let's update that. "Bowfinger" (admittedly, a funny movie) presents two of the highest-paid stars of the time, Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, in a tale of how difficult it is to "make it" in Hollywood. True, perhaps, but offensive to people who can't make it . . . Who might or might not be as talented as they but who never got the breaks. Martin and Murphy played failures but in real life went off counting their money.
This "Hart to Hart" episode presents two very rich characters (i.e., the Harts) dressing up as bums to duplicate an old Fred Astaire routine and having a great time playing the down and out.
Whether it's the age of Cooper and William Powell or Steve Martin and Eddy Murphy (or, here, Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers) they really don't "get" real people. Especially poor people. Hollywood squanders money by the buckets full. No wonder so many of them are the types who think social problems or political problems can be solved by tossing money at them. And if that fails, throwing good money after bad. But in that case the money they waste is mine.
Anyway, the routine the Harts do is too early in the episode for it to be a spoiler. The Harts take part in amateur theatrics for charity (professional actors playing amateurs). But, naturally, there's a mad stalker living in the theatre who's obsessed with Jennifer because she bears a striking resemblance to an actress he's already killed.
Every season has Jennifer or Jonathan being stalked by some whack job. How often does that happen in a real person's life? True, it probably happens in actors' lives more often, but it's hardly natural for real people to be stalked that often.
Anyway, I love the theatre. I was a drama major in college (until I changed it for something where I hoped to find money) and loved working on shows (backstage). So I love backstage theatrical stories. But this cross between "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Bad Ronald" is one mad stalker too many for me.
In the end the amateurs are as good as professionals. And why not? They are professionals. Though one has to start with a spark of talent, they inadvertently prove anyone with that spark can be driven through a routine. Actors as cattle.
Hey, isn't the mad stalker in this episode the same guy who played the mad stalker on "Remington Steele"? If not, they could be twins. Naturally, a nice guy. In Hollywood nice guys are always suspect.
Were They Trying for a Hart to Hart Variety Show Pilot?
HilaryElizabeth99 June 2009
I haven't the slightest idea what to make of this thing. The plot centered around a stagehand who was obsessed with an actress who died in the theatre some years before. J&J show up and Jennifer's resemblance to the dead chick puts the guy over the edge. The plot could be interesting, but it was so weak to be practically non-existent. It was all just a prop for RJ & Stephanie's singing and dancing numbers. They are asked by a Broadway director friend of theirs to do an amateur charity show. Um, hello? Been there done that with the exact same show last season. There's a Diva that is way over the top who, of course, has no talent; the director is one of THOSE directors who hates amateurs, so why he's here i have no idea, and then he has a hissy fit; and the Harts are immediately looked to for leadership. Both of them are extremely talented and carry their numbers off well. But to what end? What is the whole point? Were TPTB tying to launch a reboot of the series as a variety show? Stranger things have happened in Hollywood. But honestly, this whole thing was all over the map and just plain silly. Other than the great makeup on the crazy guy? Drek.
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