Product Description

George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber collaborated on this 1927 hit comedy about an eminent and slightly eccentric theatrical clan. A Barrymore-like brood, the Cavendishes are as flamboyant offstage as they are on. Their real-life family drama occurs in a Manhattan apartment when the grand matriarch, Fanny Cavendish, learns that her daughter and granddaughter may both be giving up the stage for marriage. Theatre legends Rosemary Harris, Eva LeGallienne, Sam Levene and Ellis Rabb have great fun portraying characters they know all too well from their years on stage.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49041 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-02-05
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 120 minutes

Amazon.com
Elegantly written by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, The Royal Family had more impact in 1927, when its similarities to the Barrymore clan were readily apparent, but this frequently witty drama remains relevant in exploring the blessings and curses of life on the stage. An affectionate portrait of a multigenerational family of eccentric American thespians, the play draws its lifeblood from Lily Cavendish (a perfect role for stage veteran Eva LeGallienne), now in her final days and still yearning for greasepaint and footlights. Her children followed her into theater, but marriage now tempts them away, and flamboyant son Tony (played by codirector Ellis Rabb, channeling John Barrymore) faces legal problems from Hollywood. What's a matriarch to do? Rabb favors Ferber's familial drama over Kaufman's comedic precision, and the play mildly suffers from that imbalance. Still, its purebred pedigree remains intact, and The Royal Family lives on as a celebration of the acting fever that never goes away. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Great classic comedy -- GREAT cast
This one is a treasure. I saw it first many years ago on Great Performances on PBS. The cast is amazing, and the direction is superb. The talents of Rosemary Harris and Keene Curtis and all the rest are unparalleled. There are too few chances to enjoy these mostly stage actors. But most satisfying is the rare opportunity to watch the magnificent Eva LaGallienne in action. She was one of the all time greatest performers on the American stage. She started in the '20s as an ingenue -- playing on her youth and good looks while learning her craft to perfection. Later she became a producer, built theaters, and took on other roles traditionally closed to women of the time. Here she was already in her mid-70s, but her talent is unmistakeable. She remained active until her death at 93. (Look her up on the Internet if you don't believe me.)
Few televised plays have ever been this successful. It is classic comedy in its truest sense. I'm excited that this marvelous comedy has made it to DVD. Get it and enjoy.

Le Gallienne treasure
This is a must video to see.
The play is good, but the main reason for everyone to see it is because it is one of the very few chances you can see the Great Eva Le Gallienne at work, since she only did a few moments available to view as 99.9% of her work was the stage.
If anyone is interested in seeing the work of the greatest actress that has ever lived, watch Eva Le Gallienne.

DE-LIGHTFUL
This staged production of the 1927 George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber hit play, about a theatrical clan towering over Broadway from their Manhatten penthouse, is still a comedic gem, with knock-out performances from Rosemary Harris, as Broadway's leading lady who regards every doorway as a grand entrance, Ellis Rabb, who also co-directed, as her John Barrymore-ish brother, a tempermental actor who remains just this side of frantic measures, and Keene Curtis, a leading man past his prime, grasping at roles with shoe polish adorning his graying hair. The biting 1920's theatrical sarcasm is still very funny, and serves as historical document of what was relevant at a time when emerging radio, silent movies, and sensational staged productions were Broadways's only competition. The foreign collection of exotic people and animals accompanying brother Tony, (Rabb), on his return trip from Europe, gives the production an authentic 1920's global glitz. I would have preferred to see this play filmed before a live audience, which would have comforted the sometimes hollowness of a filmed staged play, but "The Royal Family", is a real treat for lovers of theatre, and historical Broadway.