An Ultimately Tragic Story

The surviving Cowsills have come to terms with their pasts, I agree. Still, they went through what no child should ever have to. There may have been many abusive, alcoholic, WW 2 vet, fathers in the 50s and 60s, but that still doesn't excuse what Bud Cowsill did to his family. Remember that two of the sons died well before their time due to hard drug use.

The 20 million dollar issue is interesting. In the doc, they say that the Cowsills sold 20 million dollars worth of records. But in those days, the actual performers din't recieve any royalties from record sales. They had to make their money by touring, and getting a share of the publishing rights. So, there was a lot of money unaccounted for (probably stolen by Bud), but it was nowhere near 20 million.

Yes, it seemed that Bud really did put his children in the worst possible spot as young adults, in debt, and not prepared to cope in the real world.

I wish the documentary would have focused a little bit more on what happened to the individual kids and the mother in the aftermath of the break up. We are given snipets of information, such as Susan going to live with one of the brothers after Bud's attempted sexual assault. But they don't go into any detail regarding this time period. Perhaps this was the most painful time for the family, and they don't feel comfortable talking about it. This is understandable.

Still, more information about the life of the mother would have been helpful. Some questions linger, such as, were all the children estranged from their parents (or just the father) after the break up? She sadly died at the age of 56, and no doubt her life was a living hell. But her voice and perspective are missing from this story.

Another thing that struck me was how close the family was. In the interview with Bill, he says he had lived his entire life in a fish bowl before his father "fired" him from the family. So when the Cowsills scattered in the years following the break up, it must have been even harder on the kids to be separated from their family. Its almost a miracle that the surviving Cowsills are as well adjusted as they are.

Who's High Pitch?

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I've watched this three times now because I think its such a good and honest documentary. I also wanted to be able to identify all the male Cowsills, it was driving me nuts!

One thing that strikes me is that the mother never should have been in the band. She obviously didn't contribute anything musically, and the idea was just a publicity stunt dreamed up by the father. I don't think their mangers or the kids wanted her in the band, and I doubt she wanted to be there either. She always seemed worn out by the rigors of touring 200+ days per year.

The mother is an interesting character in the whole story, but never really get her perspective. She passed at 56, which is very sad. No doubt, she had a very difficult life.

Who's High Pitch?

Thanks for your thoughts. I'm not sure the abuse pattern of WW2 veterans is as widespread, but I'm of a different generation. I suppose those who witnessed the unthinkable violence of war, bring those ghosts home with them. Its another horrible aspect of war's destruction of the human soul. But, this doesn't excuse anything Bud did to his family.

Everything you say about Bud is correct, he was a monster. This documentary tries to be upbeat, but ultimately, its about Bud and what he did to each child, and the aftermath.

I find it hard to pass judgment on Barbara, as her voice is completely absent in this piece. She was a victim as well as an enabler, but did she really have a choice? Being constantly pregnant (and/or caring for newborns) puts her in a weak and vulnerable position. In that day, did she have anywhere to turn? Did you notice the scene where they interviewed Barbara's sisters? They were in constant fear of being raped by Bud.

I agree with what you say, the remaining Cowsills are not ok, as much as they try to put a happy face on things. The two brothers who did hard drugs are gone, Richard is a miserable person and Susan still has her issues.

This documentary is about much more than the Cowsills, as musicians. Its ultimately about a family tragedy.

"For dark is the suede that mows like a harvest"

What got under my skin was the aunt (Bud's sister) who knew why Bud was so angry and could have contributed to ending the cycle and healing these kids if she would have just spoken up but like all of that generation, just kept the secret and took it to her grave. My guess is that Bud and his sister were severely neglected and/or abused by their father while their mother just sat by and watched it happen. I would bet my pension that the sister and perhaps even Bud were somehow molested by their father which is the reason why Bud was so angry and the sister kept her lips sealed.

Two of the kids are dead and were heavy drug users, Richard is an emotional wreck, as is Susan and Paul. So only 2 of the kids became successful adults.

Save me from the people who would save me from myself