Barefoot in the Park

I was captivated by this play (on HBO) 24 years ago (13 years old) and surprised to read comments by others with the same enthusiasm. This play opened my eyes to the theater, how truly wonderful it is to see great actors perform on stage (and even be so enchanted seated on a couch in my own home). I rented the movie with Jane Fonda and Robert Redford and did not think much of it. I have been looking for this version from HBO and have not had any luck. If a version does come out on DVD, I would love to own a copy to show my daughter, also. I have seen Richard Thomas also in TV movies and have enjoyed his acting abilities in every one of them. Bess Armstrong as well.

I love this version. One review gave an address for a DVD of it, but in checking, it is no longer available. Hoping one will come in the future. By far much funnier, and less snobbier than the original movie. Richard Thomas is great!

I have been looking for this version of Barefoot to come available for years now. Barbara Barrie was brilliantly funny. Richard Thomas was also exhaustingly funny. The whole cast works together so well. I saw this version of Barefoot on HBO as an 8th grader and was so captivated by the play and the actors performance that 23 years later (I enjoyed it that much) I am still in hopes that one day I will find this released to DVD. This play, but more especially the actors performance made me want to be an actor. This is such fun to watch. From memory it moves very quickly, is full of energy, full of love and full of fun. I thought the Redford/Fonda version would suffice in lieu of finding this version on tape or DVD, but it really didn't. Not to say that the Redford/Fonda version wasn't good - I just liked this better. HBO, please release to DVD is all that I request.

I love this version as well and would love to once again see this production. I was pretty young when this aired but I remember seeing it all the time and even though I was only around 7 at the time, I enjoyed it and would like to view it as an adult.

If someone is willing to send me a VHS copy I'd be happy to preserve it onto DVD at no cost. Just so that the deteriorating VHS tapes can be preserved in some fashion, I may even be able to clean it up a bit. I can do this all on my computer and make it look very professional with menus, chapter stops etc.

I'm trying to preserve lots of 80's HBO features not on DVD, for instance HBO short takes etc. Anything that I can remember from HBO in the 80's I'd love to preserve.

I saw this when it first aired on HBO - and found it MUCH funnier and more entertaining than the bland, drab, and, in my opinion, un-funny Fonda/Redford film. Perhaps it was the fact that it was a stage production with a live audience, but the acting and chemistry are far superior. Hans Conreid and Barbara Barrie are delightful, and Richard Thomas and Bess Armstrong give Neil Simon's material the comedic flavor it deserves. (Look for James Cromwell in a memorable small role as the telephone repair man).

The "fight" scenes alone have twice the energy and comedy than the film version. Example:

Corie: "You're very nearly perfect!" Paul: "That's a rotten thing to say!"

The delivery of this in the stage version is SO much more fun than Redford's ho-hum delivery of the same line. (anyone having seen both will know what I mean . . . ) I would HIGHLY recommend this version over the more "famous" Fonda film. I only wish that whatever studio owns it would put it out on DVD! I'd watch it again and again . . .