Adapt or Perish

With Episode 125 of Adapt or Perish , it's time for us to revisit the Bard and take a look at William Shakespeare's greatest theater kid antagonist, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark! In this episode, we discuss: William Shakespeare's original play , most likely written between 1599 and 1601 The 1948 theatrical movie directed and adapted by Laurence Olivier, and starring Olivier, Basil Sydney, Eileen Herl...

We're steadily working our way through the library of classic stories of orphan children, and in Episode 124 of Adapt or Perish we've finally gotten to Pollyanna "Glad Game" Whittier! In this episode, we discuss: Eleanor H. Porter's original 1913 novel Pollyanna , the 1920 silent movie , directed by Paul Powell, written by Frances Marion, and starring Mary Pickford Pollyanna , the 1960 Disney movi...

In what has turned out to be a mega-episode of Adapt or Perish , we're taking a look at Carlo Collodi's classic children's story Pinocchio! How quickly will these adaptations go off the rails? Give a listen and find out (hint: it's immediately). In this episode, we discuss: The Adventures of Pinocchio , Carlo Collodi's 1883 novel Pinocchio , the 1940 American animated movie , produced by Walt Disn...

It's been too long since we've covered the works of Jane Austen, so with Episode 122 of Adapt or Perish , we're back with a look at Mansfield Park . Join us as we try to answer the question: Fanny Price, total wet blanket or introvert heroine? In this episode, we discuss: Jane Austen's original 1814 novel The 1983 miniseries , directed by David Giles, written by Kenneth Taylor, and starring Sylves...

Seasons greetings from Adapt or Perish! In Episode 121, we're taking our third look at Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol , and 10 more adaptations from the big and (mostly) small screen. In this episode, we discuss: Scrooge (aka Old Scrooge) , the 1913 movie , directed by Leedham Bantock, and starring Seymour Hicks The Stingiest Man in Town , the 1956 musical episode of The Alcoa Hour , d...

It's about time for us to get to another episode that's been on our to-do list since the show first started, so in Episode 120 of Adapt or Perish we're looking at the children's classic The Secret Garden! In this episode, we discuss: Frances Hodgson Burnett's original 1911 novel The 1949 theatrical movie , directed by Fred M. Wilcox, written by Robert Ardrey, and starring Margaret O'Brien, Brian R...

With Episode 119 of Adapt or Perish , after more than 100 episodes, we're finally returning to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, and Death on the Nile! In this episode, we discuss: Agatha Christie's original 1937 novel The 1978 theatrical movie , directed by John Guillermin, written by Anthony Shaffer, and starring Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Olivia Hussey, George Kennedy, Angela Lansb...

Adapt or Perish is back, and with Episode 118, we're taking an extended look at the adventure classic The Three Musketeers! We've also got a new focus for the show, and we can't wait for you to see what we've got planned! In this episode, we discuss: Alexandre Dumas' original 1844 novel The Three Musketeers , the 1921 movie , directed by Fred Nibble, written by Edward Knoblock, Douglas Fairbanks,...

With Episode 117 of Adapt or Perish , these indoor kids are tackling the world of sports again with a look at the baseball classic Angels in the Outfield! In this episode, we discuss: The 1951 original , directed by Clarence Brown, written by Dorothy Kingsley and George Wells, and starring Paul Douglas, Janet Leigh, Keenan Wynn, and Donna Corcoran The 1994 remake , directed by William Dear, writte...

With Episode 116 of Adapt or Perish , we're taking a look at the classic game of whodunit-with-what-and-where, Clue! In this episode, we discuss: Cluedo , the original 1949 board game , created by Anthony E. Pratt and released as Clue in the United States Clue , the 1985 theatrical movie , written and directed by Jonathan Lynn, and starring Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Llo...

It's time for Episode 115 of Adapt or Perish, so grab your binoculars and join us for a look at the classic thriller, Rear Window! In this episode, we discuss: It Had to Be Murder , Cornell Woolrich's original 1942 short story (which may have been inspired by Through a Window by H.G. Wells) Rear Window , the 1954 movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by John Michael Hayes, and starring Jimmy...

In Episode 114, we're traveling back up the mountain for Part 2 of our two-part look at Johanna Spyri's Heidi! Listen to Part 1 on the web , Apple Podcasts , Overcast , or Spotify . In this episode, we discuss: Heidi's Song , the 1982 animated movie directed by Robert Taylor, written by Joseph Barbera, Taylor, and Jameson Brewer, and starring Margery Gray, Lorne Greene, and Sammy Davis Jr. Heidi ,...

After an unexpected delay, we're finally making our way up to the Swiss Alps with Episode 113, the first of our two-part look at the classic novel Heidi! In this episode, we discuss: Johanna Spyri's original 1881 novel Heidi , the 1937 theatrical movie directed by Allan Dwan, written by Julian Josephson and Walter Ferris, and starring Shirley Temple, Jean Hersholt, and Arthur Treacher Heidi , the...

In Episode 112 of Adapt or Perish , we're looking a very devilish look at the comedy classic Bedazzled! In this episode, we discuss: The 1967 original , directed by Stanley Donen, written by Peter Cook, and starring Cook, Dudley Moore, Eleanor Bron, and Raquel Welch The 2000 remake , directed by Harold Ramis, written by Ramis, Larry Gelbart, and Peter Tolan, and starring Brendan Fraser, Elizabeth...

It's time for Episode 111 of Adapt or Perish , which also happens to be our very romantic Valentine's Day episode. We wanted to celebrate the day with a very awkward look at the classic Lady Chatterley's Lover . Enjoy! In this episode, we discuss: D.H. Lawrence's original 1928 novel L'Amant de lady Chatterley (1955) , directed by Marc Allégret, written by Allégret, Gaston Bonheur, and Philippe de...

Welcome to Episode 110 of Adapt or Perish , and this one is completely divine . We're looking at John Waters' camp classic Hairspray , and the musical juggernaut it inspired! In this episode, we discuss: The original 1988 movie , written and directed by John Waters, and starring Ricki Lake, Divine, Jerry Stiller, Debbie Harry, and Sonny Bono The 2002 musical , with music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman...

In this very horrific episode of Adapt or Perish , we're taking a look at the classic story of cover-ups and consequences, I Know What You Did Last Summer! In this episode, we discuss: Lois Duncan's original 1973 novel The 1997 movie , directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Ryan Phillippe The 2021 TV...

Into the woods, it's time to go, with Episode 108 of Adapt or Perish! In this episode, these two theater kids will be celebrating the late Stephen Sondheim with a look at one of his greatest works, Into the Woods . In this episode we discuss: The original 1986 stage musical , with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine The filmed performance released in 1991 , directed by La...

Seasons greetings from Adapt or Perish! With Episode 107, our gift to you is a long-delayed follow-up to Episode 6, our original look at A Christmas Carol! In Part 1 , we discussed: Charles Dickens' original 1843 novel A Christmas Carol (1951) , starring Alistair Sim A Christmas Carol (1984) , starring George C. Scott The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) , starring Michael Caine and the Muppets A Chr...

Avast! With Episode 106, we're finally bringing you a look at something we've wanted to do for a long time: the pirate classic Treasure Island! In this episode we discuss: Robert Louis Stevenson's original 1883 novel Treasure Island (the 1934 movie) , directed by Victor Fleming, written by John Lee Mahin and John Howard Lawson, and starring Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, and Lionel Barrymore Treasu...

We're letting our imaginations run wild in episode 105 of Adapt or Perish as we take a look at the classic tale of escapist fantasy, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty! In this episode we discuss: James Thurber's original 1938 short story The 1947 movie , directed by Norman Z. McLeod, written by Ken Englund and Everett Freeman, and starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, and Boris Karloff The 2013 movie...

In this mixed-up episode of Adapt or Perish , we're looking at the museum stowaway classic From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! In this episode we discuss: E.L. Konigsburg's original 1967 novel The 1973 theatrical movie , also released as The Hideaways , directed by Fielder Cook, written by Blanch Hanalis, and starring Ingrid Bergman, Sally Prager, and Johnny Doran The 1995 televi...

Happy Halloween! We didn't want to break our streak of getting spooky for the holiday, so for episode 103 we're diving into sci-fi horror with the paranoid classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers! In this episode we discuss: The Body Snatchers , Jack Finney's original 1956 novel Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) , directed by Don Siegel, written by Daniel Mainwaring, and starring Kevin McCarthy...

Episode 102 of Adapt or Perish is here, and it's time for our Four Year Spectacular! In it, we'll look back at the best (and worst) adaptations that this past year has given us. In this episode we discuss the episodes in which we discussed: The Addams Family High Fidelity Christmas in Connecticut The Manchurian Candidate The Parent Trap 3:10 to Yuma Emma (and Clueless ) Valley of the Dolls The Day...

What better way is there to commemorate episode 101 of Adapt or Perish than with a look at the Disney classic One Hundred and One Dalmatians? In this episode we discuss: Dodie Smith's original 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians One Hundred and One Dalmatians , Disney's 1961 animated movie, directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wolfgang Reitherman, and written by Bill Peet 101 Dalm...