JEAN SHEPHERD - 14 DVD MOVIE COLLECTION

JEAN SHEPHERD 14 DVDs VIDEO COLLECTION
 

Includes: Extra Films, Interviews, Documentaries, and Shows with Shep as Host, Guest, and Narrator THE DVDs WILL BE DELIVERED IN A BOX-SET PLASTIC CASES

These films were originally produced long before the advent of High Definition TV, therefore they are best viewed on a small screen. HD TVs tend to stretch and skew the picture. Set your HD TV on 4:3 aspect ratio. (That was the old TV format). Please do not expect DVD or Commercial level DVDs from these films. Email us for any additional info.

The movies quality is acceptable. The movies are old and rare. If you are a Jean Shepherd fan, the enthusiasm will override the quality. ****These films were originally produced long before the advent of High Definition TV, therefore they are best viewed on a small screen. HD TVs tend to stretch and skew the picture. Set your HD TV on 4:3 aspect ratio. (That was the old TV format). Please do not expect DVD or Commercial level DVDs from these films. Email us for any additional info.

The Phantom Of The Open Hearth (1976)
Original length (76 minutes) reduced later to 60 minutes with the cut of the Prom Vomit scene
This comedy/drama was written by Jean Shepherd, who appears at the beginning and the end and narrates it through voiceover. It tells the story of several events as they occur through the eyes of Ralph, a high-school-aged boy. Ralph is anticipating the upcoming prom and is working up the courage to invite Daphne Bigelow, a beautiful and popular student who does not seem aware of his existence. Meanwhile, Ralph's father, referred to throughout as the Old Man, has just been informed that he has won a prize from a Nehi soft drink sponsored contest, which he awaits eagerly. When the prize arrives it is a tasteless lamp, which causes friction between Ralph's mother and father. Ralph's mother is seen going to recurring "Dish Nights" at the local movie theater. Those who attend receive free dishes, but week after week mistaken shipments result in multiple gravy boats, angering the patrons. Finally, Ralph invites not Daphne Bigelow, but his geekish neighbor Wanda Hickey to the prom. He and his friends go out afterwards with their dates and drink heavily. The evening culminates with them vomiting in the stalls of the men's bathroom. "Phantom of the Open Hearth" appears to take place in the 1950's or early 1960's and has a bittersweet feel to it. The anecdotal remembrances of Ralph are both humorous and nostalgic, revealing touching qualities, especially in his father.
By the same creative genius who wrote Christmas Story, this is a hysterical sendup of Ralphie's life as a teenager. James Broderick plays "the old man" in this episode. Haven't seen this since a PBS showing over 30 years ago. One scene that stands out follows: One of the Parker's neighbors orders an entire house by mail from Sears. It arrives in railroad boxcars on a siding in town. All the fathers go down with the premise of helping unload the house kit from the cars. The beer starts to flow and it becomes a drunken ballet of opening hundreds of crates of house parts. Then it begins to rain and the hapless home buyer is abandoned by his inebriated friends.

Jean Shepherd Live at the Clinton Museum (1977)

Jean Shepherd's Pie Disc 1 (1977-1978)
3 episodes:
December 29, 1977 - January 13, 1978 - January 31, 1978
"Shepherd's Pie": a low-budget half hour program that was a masterpiece of simplicity. It had no studio audience, and used a bare set where Jean Shepherd sat on a folding chair, giving his famous monologues, talking about his childhood, commenting on some historical facts, or even talking about the many attractions of New Jersey, past and present. Features often included field taping of Jean in various New Jersey locales, giving his commentary on the area. Often there were rolling landscapes during autumn, strange landmarks, historical sites, or simply him driving his car, talking about a driving trip he took as a child. There were never any guest speakers, but frequently, there were guest musicians who performed at "The Palm Court", a fake restaurant that was the same set, decorated with ornate decor and plastic plants. The acts were as quirky as Jean himself, including a duo of a tuba player and bass singer, and a woman who played jazz music on a harp. This deserves to be re-released onto home video. If not for New Jerseyans (both current and expatriate), then for those who treasure his work, or have just discovered it.

Jean Shepherd's Pie Disc 2 (1978)
2 episodes + bonus:
February 24, 1978 - March 27, 1978
"Shepherd's Pie": a low-budget half hour program that was a masterpiece of simplicity. It had no studio audience, and used a bare set where Jean Shepherd sat on a folding chair, giving his famous monologues, talking about his childhood, commenting on some historical facts, or even talking about the many attractions of New Jersey, past and present. Features often included field taping of Jean in various New Jersey locales, giving his commentary on the area. Often there were rolling landscapes during autumn, strange landmarks, historical sites, or simply him driving his car, talking about a driving trip he took as a child. There were never any guest speakers, but frequently, there were guest musicians who performed at "The Palm Court", a fake restaurant that was the same set, decorated with ornate decor and plastic plants. The acts were as quirky as Jean himself, including a duo of a tuba player and bass singer, and a woman who played jazz music on a harp. This deserves to be re-released onto home video. If not for New Jerseyans (both current and expatriate), then for those who treasure his work, or have just discovered it.
***BONUS***
Greenwich Village Sunday
Exploration of the colorful counterculture of Greenwich Village in the early 1960s. Narrator: Jean Shepherd. Director, producer and screenwriter: Stewart Willensky. Beat life-avant-garde poetry and music: Charles Mills.

The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters (1982)
Matt Dillon plays a young Jean Shepherd (author and narrator of A Christmas Story). Through Matt, Shep tells several humorous stories about his teen years in an Indiana steel town. In the movie, during the 'blind date' scene, Shep and his blind date Pamela, Schwartz and his date Clara Mae, are watching the movie "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing". Clara Mae says to Schwartz "This is so romantic. It's just like us." In the movie William Holden and Jennifer Jones fall in love and Holden goes off to war and never returns. In real life Schwartz goes off to war and never returns.

Jean Shepherd On Route One (1984)
Shep addresses the viewer directly from the back seat of a limousine traveling along the modern version of the first highway in America. He muses on what he observes through the windows.
The quality of this particular TV movie is very low but still good enough to be enjoyed.

The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnowski (1985)
Going to a Polish Wedding Friendly Fred's used car lot Randy plays a turkey in the school Thanksgiving Day play The boys eat at John's hamburger joint Scragging for Polish girls Dedicated to the Memory of James Broderick (1927 to 1982) who played 'The Old Man' in Great American 4th of July and the Phantom of the Open Hearth.

Jean Shepherd's America Disc 1 (1985 Second Season)
4 episodes:
1 Okefenokee Swamp
2 Beer
Episode 2 is a re-run from the 1971 first season
3 Filthy Rich At Last
4 South 

Jean Shepherd's America Disc 2 (1985 Second Season)
4 episodes:
5 Alaska
Episode 5 is a re-run from the 1971 first season
6 Vacations
7 Cruise Ship
8 Death Valley

Jean Shepherd's America Disc 3 (1985 Second Season)
4 episodes:
9 New Orleans
10 Wyoming
Episode 10 is a re-run from the 1971 first season
11 Cars
12 Chicago
(episode 12 is very low quality but good enough to be enjoyed.

Jean Shepherd's America Disc 4 (1985 Second Season)
1 episode:
13 Guam

Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss (1988)
Continuing adventures of Ralphie and family from "A Christmas Story" and "A Summer Story"...aka "It Runs in the Family." Jean Shepard is back as narrator and writer but as in all films, an original cast (they do such a good job capturing the spirit of the actors in "A Christmas Story" that you won't notice the cast change). Note: Though this film was made second, it actually falls third according to the period of the film. 
The quality is acceptable but not the best.

Includes: Extra Films, Interviews, Documentaries, and Shows with Shep as Host, Guest, and Narrator
FULL REFUND IF NOT SATISFIED