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I was introduced
to John Ritter like most people were. I
saw him for the first time as Jack Tripper
on a little mid-season replacement show
called “Three’s Company.”
It was 1977 (Geez, was it really that long
ago?) and from that first pilot episode
I was hooked. Sure, I was a teenager and
a part of what drew my attention was the
‘jiggle factor’ that was Chrissy
(Suzanne Somers), but I was even more taken
in by Ritter’s likeability and unbelievable
comedic timing.
Even though the show suffered in later seasons
due to some of the now famous conflicts
amongst the cast, Ritter never failed to
keep the laughs fresh. I made sure to catch
everything I knew he was going to be in.
To this day I still love the movie, “Hero
at Large”, though I’ll bet I’m
the only one. Later, as his career had a
resurrection with roles in Stephen King’s
“It”, “Slingblade”
and a memorably chilling guest shot on “Buffy
the Vampire Slayer” I was there to
watch. It seems so unfair that he would
pass away just as his career was hitting
a new high with the TV series “Eight
Rules for Dating My Daughter”.
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Even before his untimely passing last year, I
considered myself to be a big fan. Not a fan in
the respect that I joined clubs, or wrote to him,
or even collected memorabilia. I simply enjoyed
the man’s work. I was constantly impressed
by his natural acting abilities, sense of humor
and surprising range. It never mattered if it
was a comedy or drama, the man could act. And
even more important, he was a really nice guy.
Whether or not the stories of his pleasant nature
were true, I cannot imagine him as having been
any other way.
Back in 1980, during the height of Ritter’s
newfound fame, he filmed a television special
for ABC. It was rather ironically called, “John
Ritter: Being of Sound Mind and Body.” Somehow
I missed seeing it when it aired, and to be honest
I don’t even remember ever knowing it existed.
Thanks to Kultur Home Entertainment however, I
was given a second chance to catch it as it is
being released on DVD. The show itself is made
up of several ‘skits’, and offers
Ritter at his funniest. Watching the special,
I was immediately reminded of how incredibly talented
Ritter was, whether he is portraying an awkward
man looking for a date or another who’s
attempt to get past airport security gets, shall
we say, a little ‘hairy.’
Yet, as funny as he could be, there was a very
down to earth presence about the man. This is
again evidenced by the final skit where he plays
a man trying to put his baby to sleep. Funny as
it is, there is a certain poignancy in his performance.
Granted, I might have been especially sensitive
to the scene as I have a new little baby girl,
and there have been many a nights I’ve tried
to get her to sleep, but I’d rather think
that the way I felt while I was watching it was
more a testament to the man’s talent.
I certainly didn’t mean for this little
review to turn into a love fest for John Ritter,
but considering the vast number of zero-talent,
egotistical actors in Hollywood, it saddens me
when we lose one of the good ones.
Starring: John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, Suzanne
Somers, Vincent Price, Howard Hesseman, David
Doyle
Extras: None
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Kultur
Release Date: 12/7/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give John Ritter: Being of Sound Mind
and Body an A.
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