MovieChat Forums > The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945) Discussion > The TV remake (with Benny) on DVD

The TV remake (with Benny) on DVD


In the '50s "The Horn Blows at Midnight" was adapted as an episode of the anthology show "Omnibus," with Benny reprising his role. If you order "The Jack Benny Program: The Lost Episodes" direct from Shout Factory's website, it comes with a bonus DVD of the Omnibus episode.

http://www.shoutfactory.com/node/217408

The Omnibus episode was adapted from the 1949 radio show, which greatly deviates from the film. There's no dream sequence bookends; Athanael is indeed an angel sent to destroy the world. This time he's dropped in the middle of Manhattan and after interacting with various people on his way to the hotel, he concludes that humanity is worth saving. There are some crossover jokes, but all of the film's antagonist characters are omitted and they toned down the anti-war sentimentality that was prevelant in the radio show. There are a lot of funny self-references and a great cast that includes Anne Doran (Rebel Without a Cause), Rolphe Sedan, Jeff Donnell, Byron Foulger, Benny Rubin and kid actors Harry Shearer (Spinal Tap) and Beverly Washburn. The teleplay was broadcast live (there are a few flubs) and preserved on kinescope (essentially a camera pointed at a TV screen) so the quality's not crisp and dazzling, but it's a fun companion to the film as well as a great glimpse at the early days of TV. Shame that it didn't get a bigger stand-alone release.

Below is a link to the imdb page; I wasn't able to pinpoint the identity of the man who portrayed the bellboy in the hotel lobby ("Mr. Caesar...") but the rest of the speaking actors are now credited.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0664947/

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