Maggie Smith at the BBC (The Merchant of Venice / The Millionairess / Bed Among the Lentils / Suddenly, Last Summer)

Includes: 1) The Merchant of Venice ('72, Play of the Month) The Venice of Titian and the Belmont of Botticelli are the visual inspiration behind this lavish production of the Shakespeare play. Maggie Smith as Portia. Also Frank Finlay as Shylock, Charles Gray, Christopher Gable, Nerys Hughes and Edward Petherbridge. 2) The Millionairess ('72, Play of the Month) Bernard Shaw's glittering farce The Millionairess reveals the true relations between class, capital, power and labor. Starring Maggie Smith as Epifania, Tom Baker and Charles Gray, this original BBC production brings the hilarity and searing commentary of Shaws work to vivid life. 3) A Bed Among the Lentils ('88, Talking Heads) Maggie SMITH stars in Alan Bennett's monologue about a vicar's wife who finds a vision of God at the local off-licence. 4) Suddenly Last Summer ('93, Performance) Tennessee Williams's play stars Maggie Smith as Mrs Veneble, whose grief at the loss of her beloved poet son turns to rage against her niece Catharine (Natasha Richardson), his last companion and witness to his gruesome death. Determined to erase the memory of Sebastian's loss, she tries to persuade her pet doctor (Rob Lowe) to perform a lobotomy on Catharine.

This three-disc set celebrates four of Dame Maggie Smith's leading roles for the BBC. The collection begins with two 1972 Plays of the Month, The Merchant of Venice and The Millionairess. In Shakespeare's morality tale, Smith's sharp-tongued socialite Portia disguises herself as a doctor to negotiate with money lender Shylock (Frank Finlay), in the process uttering the immortal line, "The quality of mercy is not strained." In the Bernard Shaw comedy, she plays self-centered heiress Epifania who tries to live like a pauper to please a selfless Egyptian physician (Dr. Who's Tom Baker). The latter production, presented in a more cinematic style, offers a fine showcase for Smith's flavorful line readings. In Alan Bennett's quietly devastating Bed Among the Lentils, one of his Talking Heads monologues, Smith portrays Susan, a deeply disillusioned vicar's wife, and in Sir Richard Eyre's intimate 1993 adaptation of Tennessee Williams's Suddenly, Last Summer, she takes on Mrs. Venable, a grief-stricken mother (a role assumed by Katharine Hepburn in the 1959 film). Rob Lowe, Richard E. Grant, and especially Natasha Richardson, as Venable's niece Catherine, contribute strong work to this Great Performances production.

For some fans, the supplements may surpass the features. They include a breezy 1973 chat with Norman Parkinson and Acting in the '60s, a candid 1967 conversation with Richard Goodwin and narration by Kenneth Tynan, who refers to the actress as "the most versatile girl on the English stage." Actor Kenneth Williams participates in both. Smith also appears in a radio version of The Country Wife, while A Portrait: Maggie Smith, an exclusive profile, offers commentary from Bennett, Eyre, and A Room with a View co-star Simon Callow. The viewing notes include an essay on her career and details about each production. This BBC set presents a worthy tribute to a tremendous talent. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Sometimes, it's best to leave an original masterpiece alone....even if a legendary star (Dame Smith) signs on for a remake.

This uninspired 1993 Richard Eyre for BBC reshoot of the 1959 Tennessee Williams' Katherine Hepburn/Elizabeth Taylor Fag-Hag B#*%ch-fest masterpiece has no sparkle or bite. One can admire Dame Smith for playing Mrs. Venerable very differently from the grand, imperial theatrics of the acid tongued,impeccably groomed Miss Hepburn, but her meek, fragile interpretation has no energy.

The rest of the cast include the effete Dr. Cukrowicz, greedy Mrs.Holly, her even greedier son George and the key eye witness to the scandalous crime, Miss Catherine Holly all seem hellbent on imitating the original stars, word for word, breath for breath.

Miss Richardson does a serviceable job copying all of Miss Taylor's mannerisms (dispite her non existant hourglass figure,which was key to her role in procuring for off screen Sebastian Venerable).I also missed the crisp, funny and cartoonishly efficient secretary Miss fox hill from the original film.

But by far the worst crime is when she identifies her basic (j.c penny's )looking white blouse that she has on for her grand showdown (meltdown/ confession) as being a gift bought for her at a Paris Haute Couture salon....the discerning Sebastian would have never picked such a dull item when making her over....to ready her for his very specific "mission".

I ordered this primarily for the TV movie version of "Suddenly Last Summer" with Natasha Richardson. It is a hauntingly beautiful, painful adaptation of the play by Tennessee Williams. Everyone in it is so very good, and right in their parts. But the entire DVD is a look at some of Maggie Smith's fine work as an actress, mostly culled from actual theatrical plays. It is wonderful to find these put together on a DVD for us.

I bought this set because this is the only DVD recording of "Talking Heads: Bed Among The Lentils" which is the most wonderful, touching monologue which was especially written by Alan Bennett for Maggie Smith. See it and love it.

To many people, Maggie Smith is a legend as a consummate actress. I am one of these people. Accordingly, I admit to possible bias. Nevertheless.....

Her work in these separate stories, is first rate. Importantly, it shows her at her best in many disparate roles. Because of this, it is possible that one - or other - of the roles might be found less to the viewer's taste than another. In my opinion, this doesn't make Smith's acting any the less brilliant and convincing.

A very good buy for, both, acting aficionados and Maggie Smith devotees.

IT IS A PITY I WON,T BE ABLE TO ENJOY

THIS DVD WITH MY FAVOURITE ACTRESS

BUT WITH NO SUBTITLE IT IS NOT

POSSIBLE FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND

ALL THE DIALOGUES

I WONDER WHY SO MANY INTE3RESTING

DVDS ARE FEATURES WITHOUT SUBTITUES,

NOT EVEN IN ENGLISH WHICH WILL BE

VERY HELPFUL INDEED