| Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | David Acomba |
| Written by | Maynard Collins |
| Starring | Sneezy Waters, Dixie Seatle, Richard H. Campbell, Sean McCann, Jackie Washington |
| Music by | Hank Williams, Sneezy Waters |
| Release date(s) | December 31, 1980 |
| Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | CAD$578,000 |
"Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave" (1980) is a color movie from Canada that runs 86 minutes. It was released by Simcom Limited and made by the production company the Film Consortium Of Canada.
The movie stars Sneezy Waters as Hank Williams Sr. It also stars Dixie Seatle, Sean McCann, Jackie Washington, Joel Zifkin, Sean Hewitt, and (in an uncredited cameo) Richard H. Campbell.
The film was produced by Henk Van Der Kolk and William T. Marshall. Helga Stephenson was the executive producer. It was directed by David Acomba. Maynard Collins wrote it, and it was based on his stage play. The budget was $CAD578,000.
The movie was nominated for "The Tex Ritter Award" at "The Country Music 1983 Awards Show". It lost to "Tender Mercies". It played at the Toronto Film Festival, The London Film Festival, and at FILMEX in Los Angeles, California.
Sneezy Waters sings 23 Hank Williams songs. "Tennessee Waltz", sung by Patti Page, is heard on a jukebox.
The movie is set on December 31, 1952, and has country western singer Hank Williams being driven to a concert in Ohio. As he sits in the back seat of the car, he imagines a show in his mind that he wishes he was giving. In this fantasy show, set in a bar, Hank sings many songs and talks about his personal life and religious philosophies. The movie cuts back and forth from the fictional show to Hank in the car. At the end, Hank sings the song "Men With Broken Hearts" to the crowd. He asks them to pray for him and wishes them a happy new year, then he walks out of the bar as bells toll. Back in the car, the real Hank dies. He was only 29 years old.
Unable to secure music rights for a theatrical release, the movie only played on television. This has caused contradictions for the movie's release date. Many sources list it as being from 1981 or 1982. In fact, the movie was filmed between December 8, 1980 - December 13, 1980. It first appeared on Canadian television on December 31, 1980. This date was chosen because the film is set on New Years Eve. The film was quickly "finished" during the 1980 holiday season to meet the air date.
On EW.COM, "Entertainment Weekly" gave the movie a "B+" when it was reviewed on November 27, 1992. Ken Tucker wrote that the film "still fascinates because it taps into the deep melancholy power of its subject" and noted "dark, eerie and atmospheric, this 'Show' is a heartfelt work".
"The New York Times" Nathan Southern wrote that the movie "enables the audience to see directly into the soul of this self-destructive and emotionally beleagured young man".
Sneezy Waters changed some of the lyrics of "Too Many Parties" (by making it be about the brother of a lawyer instead of a wayward woman) and added new lyrics to "Men With Broken Hearts" ("And even sleep brings no relief to these men who curse their births/they have no dreams of happiness left in heaven or on earth/for how can men have faith in God when faith in fellow man departs") and rearranged other lyrics.
This movie is available on two DVDs; one is from White Star, the other from Echo Bridge. Neither contain any extras. Both are full-screen.
IMDB.COM
TV Guide, December, 1980 issue
HBO Booklet Guide, December, 1980 issue
EW.COM (Entertainment Weekly, reviewed by Ken Tucker, November 27, 1992)
The New York Times