Peter Pan starring Mary Martin on blu-ray

Hi there,

Has anyone viewed the new Blu-Ray release of Peter Pan starring Mary Martin? Thoughts?

-Eddie

I can't imagine it will look any better on Blu Ray than it has on DVD. It was recorded on videotape, not film. There is only so much you can do to clean that up.

I opted to just buy the DVD of the 1956 version and skip the blu-ray edition. I decided if the 1955 version is offered as a special feature to the 1956 version, then the 1955 footage must be in bad condition. Knowing it is video taped from the kinescope, I can't imagine there will be much of a quality boost on blu-ray. In any case, it is cool to have. I wish they would re-release the 1960 color version, as it has been out of print for far too long now.

I've had these on VHS for years. Don't expect high quality, but they are amazing to watch.

Before viewing, take a moment to think back to 1955. TV is still new. Broadway shows and their tours are considered just as prominent of entertainment in society as film and radio. Newspapers around the country have reviewed the new Broadway musical of PETER PAN which stars Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard. Word is that it's a great musical with spectacular flying effects. Great for the entire family. AND NOW NBC IS GOING TO BROADCAST THE SHOW TO YOUR TV LIVE FROM NEW YORK.

The country freaked out! It was a highly anticipated EVENT. Neighbors went to each other's houses to watch it if they didn't own a TV. PETER PAN was a ratings SMASH. One of the highest ratings of all time. It was such a success!

People who missed it were anxious to have a chance to see it. But there was no DVR back then. No VCRs. No way for the home viewer to see it if they didn't watch it live. So due to the demand, NBC repeated the event again the following year, again LIVE.

The demand for PETER PAN continued, however Mary Martin was moving onto other shows and couldn't reprise it again. The demand never went away. In 1960, four years after this second live broadcast, the musical was recorded on a sound stage, in color, so that it could be broadcast year after year and the cast didn't need to reassemble. Families fondly remembered this color production and in the 1980's, it became one of the first (and only!) recorded stage musicals to be released onto VHS.

The success of PETER PAN also led the TV networks to demand more Broadway shows to air live on TV. In fact, competitor CBS actually COMMISSIONED Rodgers & Hammerstein to write a musical based on CINDERELLA. Disney had animated PETER PAN in 1953 (a year before the Broadway show), which was very popular and was one of the reasons why the entire country was so immediately compelled to watch the stage musical on TV. CBS chose CINDERELLA because it was another family story that Disney had also done originally in 1950, but a theatrical re-release was planned for 1957...the same year that CBS aired the R&H musical starring Julie Andrews.

When NBC knew PETER PAN couldn't air in 1957, and knowing that CBS was planning CINDERELLA to compete with them, executives struck a deal to air ANNIE GET YOUR GUN live from Broadway. In 1958, CBS aired WONDERFUL TOWN.

So when you watch the 1956 broadcast on PETER PAN, keep in mind how significant that production was. For Broadway. For Television. For families. For tradition. For musicals. For history.

Updated On: 9/2/15 at 12:46 AM

jimmycurry01 said: "I opted to just buy the DVD of the 1956 version and skip the blu-ray edition. I decided if the 1955 version is offered as a special feature to the 1956 version, then the 1955 footage must be in bad condition. Knowing it is video taped from the kinescope, I can't imagine there will be much of a quality boost on blu-ray. In any case, it is cool to have. I wish they would re-release the 1960 color version, as it has been out of print for far too long now.

"

The appeal of the 1955 one is that it was the only one personally supervised by Jerome Robbins. At least one of his biographers claims that makes a big difference, but I've yet to compare the various versions.