Author! Author!

Andy Griffith and John Houseman star in this excellent adaptation of Luigi Pirandello's benchmark play. Six Characters in Search of an Author is about a family of unfinished characters who take over the rehearsal of another work in order to have their own story told. For this made-for-television production, director Stacy Keach wisely moved the action to a television studio, though otherwise the plot remains the same. Pirandello's playful opening moments soon give way to the horror of the story the characters have to tell. Though the characters fight to have their scenes played out at last, they are often at cross-purposes, unhappy with the actors' interpretations and arguing over who is at fault in their tragedy. Beverly Todd gives a fantastic, electric performance as the Stepdaughter, but it is Andy Griffith who gives the most surprising turn. Griffith deliberately uses his well-known amiable television persona, then reveals it as a mask that hides a menacing man within. You would be hard-pressed to find a better adaptation of this classic play. --Ali Davis