..............NOW WHY WOULD a burly, blue collar and rather gruff retired ex copper like you be reviewing some picture like this? It has everyday type characters that are put through their paces against what surely would be considered to be some very unglamorous scenario in ordinary, working class settings.WELL THE ANSWER that we must give to Schultz and all the rest of you doubters is a resounding, No! This is far more complex a story than that and cannot be pigeon holed so easily. In fact if one would give it another (or even first) viewing then just what we mean would become apparent.WE FOUND THIS to be a very compelling story, even at the time of its premier telecast over forty years ago. (My God, Schultz, where has the time gone!) No doubt the reason is that it is well mounted with great scenes, intelligently written and is not a bit pretentious. The story is brought to life by a fine cast which is headed up by Miss Maureen Stapleton (Award Winner) and Mr. Charles Durning.IT THE INCLUSION of the latter which is what proved to be a surprise in the cast, essentially stealing the show. Although he had perhaps been under-appreciated for his acting skills, he had established the reputation of being the most dependable of supporting players in so many character acting parts.WITH THIS FILM, a "Made for TV" movie, Charles put himself onto yet another level in his public persona. His skills in bringing off his characterization of Al Green, Letter Carrier, U.S. Postal Department was bolstered by and possibly eclipsed by his skills as a ballroom dancer. Few if any knew that the rather stout physique of his concealed the grace and skills that he had honed up in previous years while working as a dance instructor.ONCE AGAIN, WE must repeat and cannot overemphasize the wide appeal that this story has. It surely could have been made as a theatrical film; but alas, was relegated to the "lesser" venue of the small screen in our living rooms.WELL AS EVEN Schultz and myself have come to realize, this was Oscar's loss and Emmy's windfall.

This was my grandmother's favorite movie and when she passed away two years ago, I was determined to find it and watch it. I was able to locate a copy and overall was very happy to have found it. One thing that was a bit disappointing is that Bea Arthur sings the song 50% on her one woman show CD and speaks of the movie (another reason I wanted to see it), my copy did not contain the song. I can very easily understand why this was one my grandmother's favorite movies, and I have watched it on her birthday the past two years. Both Maureen Stapleton and Charles Durning were fantastic as elderly, single love interests and for a TV movie made in the 1970's it was pretty darn good!

Hard to believe that Maureen Stapleton was only 50 when she made this movie. Charles Durning was two years older. Yet they're portrayed as a couple of frumpy and hopeless old fogies--especially her--grabbing for some last romance before they reach the graveyard. I felt also that even though most of these characters appeared to be Jewish, their ethnicity was played down too much--perhaps to appeal to a general television audience. Regardless, the story realistically portrays a woman rescued at the last moment from her family and friends' expectations. Her children want her to be a sexless grandmother-cum-babysitter living in their spare bedroom, and her sister and friends think she should be a proper widow without an emotional life. Naturally they're disappointed when she decides to live the rest of her life as a free woman who still has desires and dreams. (Durning, on the other hand, was more of a cipher. He confides that he has a wife, but nothing more is said about her. Is she an invalid? Are they living apart?) The ending was a little abrupt, but I liked the film's message that we're never too old for romance. Who would make this movie today? More important, who would go see it? Well, how about all those aging boomers who are wondering about the many loves they found, lost, or never explored in the first place when they were younger.

Love in the autumn years is examined in this tender, yet matter-of-fact, TV-movie that is presented as a quasi-musical. Stapleton plays a widow, used to catering to her husband's needs instead of her own, who begins to blossom under the mirror ball of a local dance hall, The Stardust. Reluctant at first to take part in the festivities, she is approached by sweet-natured mailman Durning and coerced into dancing. Soon, she has revitalized her life and herself, sometimes to the consternation of her sister Rae and her two grown children Sanders and Brandon. She and Durning strike up a late in life relationship that includes an unforeseen challenge or two. Stapleton, an actress who can say more than a lot of other ones with merely a glance or a faraway stare, does an excellent job throughout. The nature of the teleplay forces her to speak-sing a couple of numbers and this takes some getting used to, but once that conceit is adjusted to, it becomes less jarring. Durning, who is excellent as well in an atypical role for him, also has to do an internalized number and, like Stapleton, overcomes the obvious lack of a truly strong musical theatre voice. They make a charming and believable pair worth rooting for. Brandon, in a smallish role as Stapleton's long-haired, caring son, establishes a nice rapport with her. Sanders and Rae are on hand to offer some mild antagonism. The ballroom offers a wide array of amusing types, mostly past-their-prime folks who take pleasure in gussying up and tripping the light fantastic with one another. The dancing sequences (which aren't particularly elaborate, but are appropriate) were staged by no less than Marge Champion! In late 1978, this material was reworked a little (most of the songs replaced and new ones added, including the stunning "Fifty Percent") into the one-act Broadway musical "Ballroom", which starred Dorothy Loudon and Vincent Gardenia and was helmed by Michael Bennett. Compared to the smashing success of Bennett's prior "A Chorus Line", the show was deemed a disappointment and closed after 116 performances.