Years ago I purchased the DVD version of the American Film Theater presentation of The Iceman Cometh, directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Lee Marvin. I thought it was great and that Marvin, as well as the other actors, did a fine job. It is four hours long, and, like some of the other AFT films, has this gauzy diffused look to the picture, with muted colors.
Now I have just seen the 1960 TV production directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Jason Robards. This production is different in many ways. It is of course black-and-white with a TV aspect ratio. The sets are much grittier-looking. There are a few shots showing the shadow of the boom mic and some other technical issues that always arise from live productions, but I will say the sound was captured very well; you get all the dialog.
The main difference, the difference so often argued in reviews, is in the performances of the character of Hickey. Having seen the AFT version a couple of times, I did not see how any actor could do a better job than Marvin had. Now I see it. In Lee Marvin you see the anger and the resignation. In Jason Robards you see the anger and the torment, and it is very much more powerful. Lee Marvin brought to the role what he was able to bring to it, but as an actor he simply could not do what Jason Robards could do.
Another reason for the difference could be the direction. John Frankenheimer was a good director of some fine films, like The Manchurian Candidate and Seven Days in May. Sidney Lumet was a great director of some great films.
A few more comments: Robert Ryan was brilliant as Slade, but so was Myron McCormick. Fredric March was brilliant as Harry Hope, but so was Farrell Pelly. As Don Parritt, Robert Redford was better than Jeff Bridges!
I got to see the 1960 version during my free trial of BroadwayHD via Amazon Prime.
Now I have just seen the 1960 TV production directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Jason Robards. This production is different in many ways. It is of course black-and-white with a TV aspect ratio. The sets are much grittier-looking. There are a few shots showing the shadow of the boom mic and some other technical issues that always arise from live productions, but I will say the sound was captured very well; you get all the dialog.
The main difference, the difference so often argued in reviews, is in the performances of the character of Hickey. Having seen the AFT version a couple of times, I did not see how any actor could do a better job than Marvin had. Now I see it. In Lee Marvin you see the anger and the resignation. In Jason Robards you see the anger and the torment, and it is very much more powerful. Lee Marvin brought to the role what he was able to bring to it, but as an actor he simply could not do what Jason Robards could do.
Another reason for the difference could be the direction. John Frankenheimer was a good director of some fine films, like The Manchurian Candidate and Seven Days in May. Sidney Lumet was a great director of some great films.
A few more comments: Robert Ryan was brilliant as Slade, but so was Myron McCormick. Fredric March was brilliant as Harry Hope, but so was Farrell Pelly. As Don Parritt, Robert Redford was better than Jeff Bridges!
I got to see the 1960 version during my free trial of BroadwayHD via Amazon Prime.