Review of "The Adventures of Hiram Holiday: Volume 1," DVD version

Review of

The Adventures of Hiram Holiday: Volume 1, DVD version


Four out of five stars

 Wally Cox was one of the actors in the early days of network television, in general he played a man with a timid personality who spoke slowly and with a high pitch. He was small in build, so he could be considered one of the first of the entertainment nerds. However, in the “Hiram Holiday” adventures, while he is cast as a man that is fundamentally an intellectual, he is fully capable of holding his own when the evil ones confront him.

 This is very early television, so the modern viewer has to make allowances for the limited capability for special effects and the dialog that is often a bit childish. It is stated in a separate reference to Cox that despite his projected personality of being weak and timid, he was in fact quite athletic. That is clear from some of the fight scenes, specifically those that involve fencing. Cox moves very well, demonstrating a nimble grace as he moves back and forth using his “sword,” which is generally an umbrella.

 I found these adventures a bit predictable and very dated. Yet, they were interesting, for it is not often that the adventure hero is cast in this manner. Cox plays it very well.