Roddy-3

"A Table at Ciro's" is one of the most fun episodes in the periodic prestige series, Tales from the Hollywood Hills, presented on PBS. Scene 1, Take 1 begins inside Ciro's as employees ready the club before opening for the evening. Rehearsing on stage is one of my favorite vocalists, Donna Murphy, who later, in 1996, delightfully played Ruth Geddy in an episode of Rupert Holmes' great old-time radio series "Remember WENN."

Darren McGavin is A.D. Nathan, a studio head on rocky ground and, unsure of his own future, keeps his suspicions to himself. Meanwhile, he arranges for dinner at Ciro's inviting a couple from the past (Stella Stevens and Kenneth McMillan) who are hoping to make a comeback. Also in attendance is an up and coming young Latin actor (Steven Bauer), a very new starlet hopeful (Kim Myers) and, of course, his wife Lita Nathan (Lois Chiles). What happens next is.......

I can't describe much more without giving away some important parts of the plot, so I won't. But don't miss this TV movie should it come your way, it's totally enjoyable. The final scene contains one of the best renditions of Richard Rodgers' immortal old standard "Where or When" and, of course, it's sung by Donna Murphy.

Please note all cast screen credits are in order of appearance.

Remarkable how The Lot, with each episode, just keeps sinking to lower and new found levels of incredibility. I put it on a par with "Plan 9 From Outer Space," director Ed Woods' best. This is one of the worst and most thoughtless presentations I've ever seen on TV and it comes from the NYUK channel, American Movie Classics (AMC). This probably explains, as far as I'm concerned, AMC's sudden decline in popularity and aimless descent into le potee. Also gone from AMC is their last remaining air of dignity, Bob Dorian, who always displayed himself as a knowledgeable and truly authoritative presenter. Thus leaving us with Wee Baby Burke and his sluggish monotoned delivery to tell us all about the picture we are about to see. I wouldn't doubt that most of the movies on AMC was filmed before he fell to earth. If you want to see a really good TV show about the struggle to "make it" in the movies, look for "Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's." This one hour show was combined and intercut with another and retitled "Power, Passion and Murder" and still shows up on TV occasionally. As for "The Lot," stay close to the flush handle.

WEAK, WEAK, WEAK! Totally miscast and disinteresting. Whatever happened to those wonderful character faces seen in all those great movies about movies from the time period this half-effort attempts to portray? There has been so many better films and TV shows on this same subject that reigns mountains over this "flick" (to be polite). Remember "Bracken's World" (1969)? It's a shame American Movie Classics (AMC) chose to cancel "Remember WENN" in order to, according to their website announcement, make time available for "The Lot", a 4 part - 2 night time waster. Station "WENN" has everything "The Lot" ain't! Pray that this one goes no further.