Book Vs. Movie: The Philadelphia Story The 1939 Play Vs. the 1940 Movie " The Philadelphia Story " is a romantic comedy play by Philip Barry that became a successful film. Directed by George Cukor, it follows Tracy Lord (played to perfection by Katherine Hepburn ,) a wealthy socialite about to marry for the second time. Her ex-husband, Dexter ( Cary Grant ,) tries to win her back while a magazine sends a reporter ( Jimmy Stewart ) and photographer ( Ruth Hussey ) to cover her wedding. As Tracy n...
Apr 22, 2024•54 min
Book Vs. Movie: Paddington The 1958 Children’s Book Vs. the 2014 Movie The Margos are feeling very British in this episode! English author Michael Bond created Paddington Bear , who first appeared in Bond's 1958 book A Bear Called Paddington and has since become a beloved character in numerous books, television series, and films. Paddington is a polite and curious bear from Peru who wears a duffle coat and a floppy hat. He often carries a suitcase with a label that reads, "Please look after this...
Apr 15, 2024•42 min
Book Vs. Movie: Mean Girls The 2002 Book vs. the 2004 Movie (20th Anniversary Replay Celebration!) " Mean Girls " is a teen comedy film released in 2004 that follows Cady Heron, a high school student who navigates the social hierarchy and mean girls. The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams , Amanda Seyfried , and Lacey Chabert . " Queen Bees and Wannabes " is a book by Rosalind Wiseman that explores the dynamics of teenage girls' social cliques. In this episode, we replay our 2018 discussio...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Book Vs. Movie: Rent The 1896 Opera Vs. the 2005 Movie (Based on the 1996 Play) " Rent " is a modern adaptation of Giacomo Puccini's opera "La Bohème." It tells the story of a group of struggling artists living in New York City's East Village during the late 1980s and early 1990s, dealing with poverty, love, and the AIDS epidemic. The late Jonathan Larson wr ote the book, music & lyrics for the show and tragically died a few months before its Broadway debut on January 26, 1996. The plot revo...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Book Vs. Movie: Matilda The 1988 YA Novel Vs. the 2022 Musical Film " Matilda the Musical " (based on the 1988 Roald Dahl novel) tells the story of Matilda Wormwood, a bright young girl with telekinetic powers. Neglected by her parents and bullied by the tyrannical headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, Matilda finds solace in books and bonds with her kind teacher, Miss Honey. With the support of her friends, Matilda stands up to injustice, ultimately using her powers to bring about change and find a lo...
Mar 25, 2024•57 min
Book Vs. Movie: The Opposite Sex The 1936 Play V. the 1939 Film Vs. the 1956 Musical " The Opposite Sex " is a musical comedy film released in 1956. It is a remake of the 1939 film " The Women , " directed by David Miller, based on the play of the same name by Clare Boothe Luce . The story revolves around several women's romantic and social lives, with a particular focus on Kay Hilliard (played by June Allyson ). Kay discovers her husband's infidelity and must deal with the consequences within h...
Mar 18, 2024•53 min
Book Vs. Movie: Mean Girls The 2002 Book vs. the 2004 Movie vs. the 2018 Musical vs. the 2024 Movie " Mean Girls " is a teen comedy film released in 2004 that follows Cady Heron, a high school student who navigates the social hierarchy and mean girls. The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert. " Queen Bees and Wannabes " is a book by Rosalind Wiseman that explores the dynamics of teenage girls' social cliques. The "Mean Girls" musical adaptation premiered o...
Mar 10, 2024•46 min
Book Vs. Movie: Tommy The 1969 Rock Opera Vs. The 1975 Movie“Musicals in March” " The Who's Tommy " is a rock opera written by Pete Townshend and performed by the English rock band The Who . It was first released as a double album in 1969 and later adapted into various stage productions, including a highly successful Broadway musical. The story revolves around a young boy named Tommy Walker who becomes deaf, dumb, and blind after witnessing a traumatic event. Despite his sensory impairments, Tom...
Mar 03, 2024•55 min
Book Vs. Movie: The Color Purple The 1982 novel Vs. the 2023 movie musical " The Color Purple " is a novel by Alice Walker that tells the story of Celie, a young African American girl in the early 20th century. Celie writes letters to God, sharing her struggles with abuse from her father and later from her husband, referred to as "Mr."The novel tackles racism, sexism, and the societal challenges of the time. Characters undergo personal growth, and the story emphasizes empowerment, self-discovery...
Feb 26, 2024•1 hr 11 min
Book Vs. Movie: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman The 1971 play Vs. the 1974 movie For Black History Month, the Margos visit " The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman ." Ernest J. Gaines wrote this novel, which was first published in 1971. The book is a fictional autobiography that spans over 100 years of American history, narrated by Miss Jane Pittman, an African American woman born into slavery and lived through the Civil Rights Movement. The narrative provides a powerful and poignant pers...
Feb 19, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Book Vs. Movie: Fences The 1987 play Vs. the 2016 movie For Black History Month, the Margos revisit playwright August Wilson (we covered Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom last year.) Fences premiered on Broadway in 1987 and is a part of Wilson's acclaimed Pittsburgh Cycle , also known as the Century Cycle, a series of ten plays that chronicle the African American experience in the United States throughout each decade of the 20th century. This is a play about Troy Maxson, a former Negro League baseball pl...
Feb 12, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Book Vs. Movie: Ethan Frome The 1911 book Vs. the 1993 movie The Margos have decided to cover a proper novel-to-movie adaptation after a few weeks of pushing the boundaries of what constitutes a "book" on their show. Edith Wharton 's 1911 novel Ethan Frome tells the story of a sickly man who lives in Starkfield, Massachusetts, with his wife and her cousin. The novel explores how they ended up in this situation. It tells the story of Ethan, trapped in a loveless marriage until the arrival of Zeen...
Feb 04, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Book Vs. Movie: Gone Girl The 2012 book Vs. the 2014 movie(From the Book Vs. Movie Vaults!) The Margos take an oldie but a goodie out of the vaults this week!! Gone Girl is a thriller by Gillian Flynn . The story follows the disappearance of Amy Dunne, a woman who goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary. As the investigation unfolds, the story becomes more and more complex, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. The novel was so successful that it was later adapted into a movie dir...
Jan 26, 2024•58 min
Book Vs. Movie: Jaws The 1974 book Vs. the 1975 movie (From the Book Vs. Movie Vaults!) The Margos take an oldie but a goodie out of the vaults this week!! " Jaws " is a classic thriller that originated from Peter Benchley's novel and was later transformed into a blockbuster film directed by Steven Spielberg . The novel was published in 1974, and unfortunately, it is not very good. You will soon find out the reasons why! However, Spielberg's adaptation, which was released in 1975, focuses more o...
Jan 21, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Book Vs. Movie: Priscilla The 1985 Memoir Elvis & Me Vs. the 2023 Sofia Coppola Adaptation The Margos covered Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, pairing it with the 1988 TV movie starring Susan Walters and Dale Midkiff . We loved the fact that she was able to share her truth despite the long-standing canonization of her ex-husband, who died in August 1977. Elvis's pill-popping and extracurricular activities with other women were brought up, as well as how they met when she was jus...
Jan 14, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Book Vs. Movie: An American in Paris The 1928 “Symphonic Poem” Vs. the 1951 Classic Movie The Margos are starting the New Year with a symphonic poem by George Gershwin that evokes France during the Annees Folles (the 1920s era). The piece was also inspired by Maurice Ravel' s "unusual chords." After visiting Paris in 1926, Gershwin sought out teachers, but they all told him that there was no one better than Gershwin himself. He told a reporter that this work was an American's first time in Paris...
Jan 07, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Book Vs. Movie: "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972) (The Margos are taking this week off for the holidays. Please enjoy this 2019 replay!) At Book Vs. Movie, whenever people say, "Duh--the book is always better than the movie!" the Margos would say, "Yeah--have you ever read Jaws ?" Well, now we have another book-to-movie adaptation that features a horrible, racist, sexist, homophobic, and misogynistic novel that became a fun hit film. Sportswriter Paul Gallico helped many stories become excellent f...
Dec 30, 2023•1 hr
Book Vs. Movie: The Gift of the Magi and The Gift of Love The Original O’Henry Shorty Story Vs. the 1978 TV Movie O. Henry 's The Gift of the Magi is a timeless short story that teaches us the true meaning of love during the holidays. The story follows Della Dillingham, who has only $1.87 to buy a Christmas gift for her husband, James. She decides to sell her beautiful hair to buy him a chain for his watch. However, James has sold his watch to buy her a fancy hair comb. The story shows that true...
Dec 23, 2023•1 hr 25 min
Book Vs. Movie: Miracle on 34th Street Valentine Davies’s Story Vs. the 1947 Classic Film "Can you say classic?" In the almost ten years that we have been putting on this show, we somehow missed " Miracle on 34th Street " as one of the most famous adaptations of holiday films. With a story by beloved writer Valentine Davies and direction by his friend George Seaton , the film (released in May of 1947 for some baffling reason!) became a massive hit with filmgoers. Starring Maureen O'Hara as a fra...
Dec 17, 2023•1 hr 20 min
Book Vs. Movie: Christmas on the Square Dolly Parton’s 2014 song Vs. the 2020 Netflix Movie " Christmas on the Square" is a 2020 movie based partly on Dolly Parton’s 2020 “Blue Smoke” album with the track “Try.” Directed and choreographed by Debbie Allen . The story revolves around a “Scrooge” character, played by icon Christine Baranski, who seeks to evict everyone in her hometown and sell off to Corporate Mall Overlords. Parton plays the angel prepped to save her and be a source of inspiration...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Book Vs. Movie: Bell Book and Candle The Original 1950 Play & the 1958 Film " Bell, Book, and Candle, " released in 1958 and directed by Richard Quine, is a romantic comedy that intertwines the ordinary and the supernatural. The movie revolves around Gillian Holroyd , a beautiful and free-spirited witch who resides in Greenwich Village, New York. Her magical world turns unexpectedly when she develops feelings for her neighbor, Shepherd Henderson. This story takes place on Christmas Eve, maki...
Dec 03, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Book Vs. Movie: Home for the Holidays The Short Story by Chris Radant & the 1995 Jodie Foster Film The Margos are getting into the holiday spirit with the cult classic Home for the Holidays , based on a 1991 short story by Chris Radant , directed by Jodie Foster . Radant’s short story appeared in the now-defunct Boston Phoenix and is based on her experience dealing with family issues during the holiday season. (You can listen to it at this clip from the storyteller Kelley Hazen : https://sou...
Nov 26, 2023•1 hr 24 min
Book Vs. Movie: The Old Man and the Sea The 1952 Short Story by “Papa” & the 1958 Spencer Tracy Film In this episode, the Margos review Ernest Hemingway's 1952 novella " The Old Man and the Sea" an d its 1958 film adaptation featuring Spencer Tracy . The story revolves around an aging Cuban fisherman, Santiago, who embarks on a challenging battle with a massive marlin in the Gulf Stream. The novella has been adapted into several films, the most notable being the 1958 movie directed by John S...
Nov 19, 2023•59 min
Book Vs. Movie: Sweet Smell of Success Ernest Lehman was an accomplished writer and adapter of material for the screen, known for his work on movies such as Hello Dolly!, The King and I, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? In 1950, he wrote an original short story, "Tell Me About It Tomorrow,” published in Cosmopolitan magazine. This story became the basis of Clifford Odet’s screenplay for the 1957 classic film Sweet Smell of Success, starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis and directed by Alexa...
Nov 13, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Book Vs. Movie: The Gambler The 1978 Song & Kenny Rogers as The Gambler TV Movie Yee ha! The Margos' latest episode is all about the Kenny Rogers classic " The Gambler ." The song was written in 1976 by Don Schlitz , who was only 26 years old at the time. It took two years before Rogers made it a number 1 hit. The song's lyrics tell the story of a chance encounter on a train between the narrator and a seasoned gambler. The gambler imparts his wisdom about life and gambling to the narrator, o...
Nov 05, 2023•58 min
Book Vs. Movie: Misery The 1987 Stephen King Novel Vs. the 1990 Classic Movie The Margos and special guest Alex Steed of the You Are Good film podcast discuss one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever--1990’s Misery. I n both the novel and the film, the characters of Paul Sheldon and Annie Wilkes are central to the story. However, there are notable differences in their portrayals. In the book, readers get a more in-depth look at the internal struggles of Sheldon, whereas the film focuses mor...
Oct 29, 2023•1 hr 35 min
Book Vs. Movie: I Know What You Did Last Summer The 1973 Lois Duncan YA Novel Vs. the 1997 Movie " I Know What You Did Last Summer " revolves around a group of friends, Julie, Helen, Ray, and Barry, who accidentally hit a stranger with their car on a dark, lonely road. In a panic, they make a harrowing decision to hide the accident, believing they can escape the consequences. However, one year later, their lives unravel as they receive ominous messages from a mysterious figure who knows their de...
Oct 22, 2023•1 hr 24 min
In honor of the recent passing of Piper Laurie, we are replaying our 2018 episode that revisits a classic Stephen King tale--Carrie, which we originally covered in 2014 (using the old, old way we recorded back in the early days.) This is not only King's first movie adaptation but also based on his first published novel. There are so many changes between book & movie that we wanted to give it a modern treatment (meaning better sound and lots of clips!) Just how different is the original novel...
Oct 18, 2023•1 hr 15 min
Book Vs. Movie: House of Usher The Edgar Allen Poe Short Story Vs. the 1960 Vincent Price Movie The Margos continue our month of scary movies with the 1839 short story, The Fall of House of Usher, by Edgar Allen Poe, and how it was adapted by Roger Corman in 1960 for the Vincent Price classic House of Usher . The story of the Roderick family, consisting of siblings Roderick and Madeline, is a gothic tale about their shared traumatic experiences that haunt them in their home. The narrator, who re...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr 19 min
Book Vs. Movie: Wait Until Dark The 1966 Richard Knott Play Vs. the 1967 Audrey Hepburn Film The Margos kick off "Scary Movie Month" by discussing Wait Until Dark , both the play by Frederick Knott and the 1967 Audrey Hepburn f ilm. The movie features one of the best jump scares in cinema history. The original production starred Lee Remick and Robert Duvall as Susy and Roat, respectively. The story revolves around Susy, a blind woman who lives alone in her Greenwich Village apartment, and Roat, ...
Oct 08, 2023•1 hr 23 min
