The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood (1965)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

I generally do not put my two cents into this type of misinformation "free-for-all" but, having read everyone's opinion on what I have always considered to be one of television's finest productions, I couldn't sit by and listen anymore. As a retired university professor (I taught an in-depth course in musical theater history) much of what I read here was written by people with very little love or understanding of the developments of 20th century American musical theater."The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood, or Oh Wolf, Poor Wolf," originally broadcast over the ABC network during Christmas of 1965, proved so popular that ABC repeated the broadcast the following Christmas season. (Most likely the last time it was seen in color; rebroadcasts were rare 45 years ago.) I was only 11 years old at the time, but I still remember watching and enjoying both broadcasts. "Red" was a TV special and not a movie. It was filmed in a television studio using the "live-on-tape" method. (The camera was pretty much stationary and post-production was quick and without much editing or close ups.) The music was performed live in the studio. And so, if you listen to the original cast recording (recorded not in 1965, but a year later in 1966) you will notice some major differences between the performances. On the recording there is now an overture and two full ballets which add at least 15 minutes to the brief running time of the show (neither of which were a part of the broadcast). And the Animals must not have been available for the recording date because they do not sing in the song "Snubbed" with the wolf. (Instead, on the LP, this ensemble piece is turned into a solo for Cyril Ritchard who admirably sings both his and the Animals' parts, making the wolf sound somewhat psycho and much funnier than on the TV special.) The Animals performance of "We're Gonna Howl Tonight" was not re-recorded for the album, but was taken directly off the soundtrack of the broadcast; hence, the sound quality goes from stereo to monaural on the album during that one number. Overall, the performances are first rate on the LP. The "ad libs" are funnier, the orchestra is larger, and even the lyrics received a sprucing up.The show was originally broadcast in color. But, as was the case in much of early TV, the reel of tape that housed the show was worth more than the material it preserved because the color broadcast of "Red" was eventually erased and the reel reused to preserve another ABC show. What exists today on VHS and DVD is an inferior black and white kinescope of the broadcast. (Before the invention of recordable video tape, television primitively preserved its history by placing a film camera in front of a TV monitor during a broadcast.That explains the distorted image.) The entire production was meant to be performed with tongue firmly planted in cheek. We understood that in 1965. Few in today's audiences "get it" now. The art of satire is, unfortunately, lost today and this type of comedy is mistakenly called "corny." And so, the charm of this small masterpiece is also lost. For years, I showed this delightful musical to my music theater students at Christmastime. It is a perfect example of what we came to know as the end of Broadway musicals as we we knew them (falling, as it does, after "Fiddler On the Roof" and "Hello Dolly," but before "Mame" and "Company"). "Red"provides us with the opportunity to observe Liza Minnelli as she evolved from a mass of nervous teenage energy into a confident and well-rounded superstar; hear the brilliant Broadway-quality score of Jule Styne and Bob Merrill; and, best of all, experience one of the world's greatest comic performers, Cyril Ritchard, in one of his most hilarious roles. Yes, pray for a better copy to come alone. But while we wait, let's just be happy that this beat-up copy exists for our enjoyment.

I would be in heaven if someone would release this 1965 ABC TV special " The Dangerious Christmas of Red Riddinghood" on DVD. This is worthy of a DVD reissue. Christmas special on DVD. I hope I'm not 90 by the time SOMEONE decides to release this JEWEL on DVD Given that this was a score by Broadway Greats Jule Styne and Bob Merril and with an equally stealer cast in Liza Minnelli and Cyril Ritchard, and Vic Damone, you just can't go wrong. Eevry time about this year, I wish WISH WISH that this TV special would come out. We can only continue to PRAY. Originally the ABC TV network released this on November 28 1965. The special got glowing reviews in TV guide and the New York Times. Jule Styne was at his PEAK having just finished doing "Funny Girl" also with Bob Merrill as well. UPDATE: On October 30, 2007, the above title was FINALLY released on DVD ( YIIIPPPPEEEEE ). Fans of this Christmas classic REJOICE !( PLEASE SEE BELOW UPDATE ).UPDATE: "The Dangerous Christmas Of Red Riddinghood" was released on DVD October 30, 2007. The DVD also includes the TV soundtrack released originally on abc records in 1965. The film print is not very good but at leaset it's on DVD now.agog over Timmy Everett

This is actually a sparkling little gem, with a lot of wit. The score is terrific, and Cyril Ritchard hams it up wonderfully. Liza Minnelli exudes charisma, and her musical numbers are often electrifying. For a 1965 TV special, it holds up very well.

'The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood' was originally aired on ABC-TV on 28 November, 1965 ... almost a month before Christmas. The material really has nothing to do with Christmas, and it's obvious that a few Yuletide details have been bunged in just to make it likelier that this production would be optioned and scheduled as a 'Christmas' special (which it really isn't) so as to be more commercial and get higher ratings. The script by Robert Emmett isn't very good ... but the score is by the great Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, the same team who wrote the songs for 'Funny Girl'. This isn't one of Styne's best scores (nor Merrill's), but anything written by Jule Styne is worthy of notice.This is a musical retelling of the Red Riding Hood story ... told from the viewpoint of the wolf! That's a very clever idea; unfortunately, it's the only really clever idea in this production. The wolf (renamed here Lone T. Wolf) is played by Cyril Ritchard, which is part of the problem. Ritchard was an extremely effeminate performer. His effeminacy was an asset in some roles, such as when he played Captain Hook (on a ship at sea with all those pirates, whoops!) or when he starred as Kreton the alien in 'Visit to a Small Planet'. But here, his prissy demeanour makes the big bad Wolf seem merely ridiculous. As the wolf, he wears a frock coat and gloves plus a furry headpiece that makes him look like something out of 'Cats' ... plus a long bushy tail that makes him look like Basil Brush gone grey. Even worse are the scenes in which Ritchard's wolf gets dressed up in Granny's nightdress. Drag humour isn't funny if the man wearing women's clothes is just as effeminate WITHOUT the women's clothes.Worse luck, the story is told in flashback. Lone Wolf (Ritchard) is describing his version of events to the other wolves ... who are played by Eric Burdon and the Animals. Get it? The wolves are played by the Animals. Ha bloody ha. It might have been amusing if the Animals had got out their instruments and played 'The House of the Riding Hood', but no such luck.Red Riding Hood is played by Liza Minnelli. I've always disliked this performer due to her extreme archness, but I recognise her talent without enjoying it. In flashbacks, Ritchard's wolf explains that Red Riding Hood was the actual villain, and that everything which happened was her fault, not his. The woodsman (Vic Damone) turns out to be Prince Charming, making this production seem like an early version of 'Into the Woods'.The best things in this production are the Styne/Merrill songs, especially "You'll Need a Song" (sung by Damone) and 'Ding-a-Ling' (sung by Minnelli and Ritchard while the wolf is pretending to be Granny). I'll rate this production 3 points out of 10, and most of that's for the score.