Did anyone watch this? How depressing to see what a mess he was at the end of his life. Almost enough to make one put down the bottle--almost

by Anonymous

reply 24

January 7, 2019 2:14 PM

Him listening to a recording of his father, Jack Cassidy, singing was simply devastating and one of the most raw and heartbreaking moments I’ve ever seen in a documentary.

by Anonymous

reply 1

June 12, 2018 3:29 AM

It was riveting. One of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. Sad, that this thread doesn’t have more comments. I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on it.

by Anonymous

reply 2

June 12, 2018 7:40 AM

R1/2 agree with both of you. I am surprised more DLers (apparently) didn't watch--I did a thread search after the show was over, found nothing, so made one.

Those last session segments were just awful--and r1 is spot on about David listening to a recording of his father singing. Especially given all the info in the doc up to that point which basically showed Jack's disdain and jealousy of David's career.

Poor guy--you really can have everything and still not have what's important

by Anonymous

reply 3

June 12, 2018 3:34 PM

I watched the replay, OP, because of your thread. It's a magnificent documentary, beautifully done.

I had to keep getting up and walking away from it though, it was that sad to watch.

by Anonymous

reply 4

June 12, 2018 3:43 PM

Does he nit feel guilty for passing gay gene to David? Or does super stardom make it OK to be gay.

by Anonymous

reply 5

June 12, 2018 3:49 PM

I didn't know about it, but I'll watch.

by Anonymous

reply 6

June 12, 2018 4:00 PM

It was fantastic, OP. Very respectful, too. No exploitation, just a quiet reveal of this fragile, troubled guy.

by Anonymous

reply 7

June 12, 2018 4:01 PM

I'm poor right now and don't have cable. I wish I could see this. Did he really have Alzheimer's (?) at the end, or was he still just drinking?

by Anonymous

reply 8

June 12, 2018 4:30 PM

I"ve never been a fan, but now I intend to watch it based on the comments here.

He always annoyed me in interviews, because much like Donny Osmond, he seemed to spend his lifetime complaining about how awful it was to be a teenage sensation and have to deal with everything that goes with it.

I love documentaries, so I'm looking forward to it.

by Anonymous

reply 9

June 12, 2018 4:45 PM

R8 He was still drinking. The Alzheimer's / Dementia diagnosis was a cover story he used.

by Anonymous

reply 10

June 12, 2018 4:50 PM

It might be too sad for me to see right now. Did he know he was dying during filming?

by Anonymous

reply 11

June 12, 2018 4:55 PM

Maybe he claimed dementia because it was a way to connect with his mother.

by Anonymous

reply 13

June 12, 2018 5:04 PM

Haven't seen the show but he admits he never had dementia. He just kept drinking.

by Anonymous

reply 14

June 12, 2018 7:38 PM

He sounds drunk in all the present-day footage, and lots of people around him look skeptical/cynical, including the medical professionals he's told that he no longer drinks. He must have smelled like alcohol.

Two Qs: -what happened to his throat? Does drinking do that? -was there really any kind of market for a recording of his singing? What were they thinking? I was watching alone, but my mouth was just hanging open in shock. Very sad.

by Anonymous

reply 16

June 12, 2018 9:37 PM

Also, does anyone know what his physical ailments were?

by Anonymous

reply 17

June 12, 2018 9:44 PM

Not like Donny, Donny didn’t have a choice. I’ve watched interviews of many of the Osmonds in their later years on yt. They seem a little more forthcoming, now that their father died. He ran the house military style, with a trumpet waking them up at daybreak and marching them military style for hours every day. I think it was Jay who said it would be called child abuse today, but that’s all they knew. The dad appointed Alan second in charge to the disciplining. The smallest ones, being half the age and nowhere near teenagers struggled with the dance moves. There was a part where Jay confronts Alan to what was dishes out, and Alan - nowhere near apologetic in tone just shrugged and said: Sorry you felt that way.

by Anonymous

reply 18

June 12, 2018 10:28 PM

one of the rawest and most sad docs I've ever seen. I never cared for him as a singer or performer, he had a bit of his dad's phoniness and I don't like dishonest entertainers. But this is really sad.

by Anonymous

reply 19

June 13, 2018 2:38 AM

It was too depressing the first time, and I couldn't really get into it. I rewatched it On Demand last night and it is really so well done. There is a ton that I missed, and it was less depressing than I remember. I knew that dementia was a cover story, and you could totally see the same thought in everyone's faces. So much more about his father than I recall. With a father like that, you're going to be fucked up somehow.

by Anonymous

reply 20

January 7, 2019 12:52 PM

I watched it last year. It was sad, and I felt sorry for him. He was stuck in the "teenie bopper" idol image for many years, and he tried to get out of that. It all just got to him, and his father had his problems.. affecting his life. It was a sad end for him.

by Anonymous

reply 21

January 7, 2019 1:59 PM

David was always so full of himself. He was an average singer who thought he was star material.

Just like his step-mother Shirley going around telling everyone that she got the part in Oklahoma after Rodgers and Hammerstein auditioned every female singer and couldn't find anyone better than her.

No, the whole family had an inflated ego.

by Anonymous

reply 22

January 7, 2019 2:08 PM

Gonna watch it. Always knew this dad passed out drunk with a cig in hand and died in a consuming fire.

by Anonymous

reply 23

January 7, 2019 2:10 PM

Tell us what you thought after you watch it r23. Yeah. I recall his body was found by the door, burnt to a crisp. He was trying to escape, but the smoke and heat won the race. Look for how deceptive David is through the film. No one is buying it, they just feel sorry for him, and slightly...disgusted I guess is the term I am looking for.

by Anonymous

reply 24

January 7, 2019 2:14 PM