THE COMPLETE MARTIN MULL SERIES
1985 1986 1988

        

FILM ONE
HISTORY OF WHITE PEOPLE IN AMERICA [1985] (48 minutes)
director: Harry Shearer and Martin Mull
starring Martin Mull · Fred Willard · Mary Kay Place with Eileen Brennan · Bob Eubanks · Teri Gar · Steve Martin

FILM TWO
HISTORY OF WHITE PEOPLE IN AMERICA part 2 [1985] (100 minutes)
director: Harry Shearer and Martin Mull
starring Martin Mull · Fred Willard · Mary Kay Place with Jeffrey Tambor · Stella Stevens · Eileen Brennan

FILM THREE
PORTRAIT OF A WHITE WEDDING [1988] (100 minutes)
director: Harry Shearer and Martin Mull
starring Martin Mull · Fred Willard · Mary Kay Place with Robin Williams · Kimberley Kates · Jack Riley

       

When comedian/actor Martin Mull passed away (June 27 2024), he was fondly remembered by all the TV and Cable channels with rather lengthily obituaries - celebrating his debut on Mary Hartman to Emmy-winning work on Roseanne and Arrested Development - but no one mentioned this popular and highly controversial series. How sad. How politically correct (woke?) everyone has become.

Now available in a special two disc collection, all three entries in Martin Mull's WHITE PEOPLE trilogy. The first, HISTORY OF WHITE PEOPLE IN AMERICA, was originally a 48 minute special on Cinemax. This mockumentary caused instant reaction (and some outrage) resulting in an instant sequel that was originally aired on July 4 1985, surprising the fans with all new material, running 100 minutes.

          

Martin Mull returned along with his core cast for PORTRAIT OF A WHITE MARRIAGE in 1988. Despite the 'mockumentary' title, this one is actually a 'movie' with Martin playing host on a vapid Phil Donahue-esque morning show where he interviews everyone from 'faithful lesbians' to a woman who accidentally cut off her tongue. Meanwhile Joyce and Hal Harrison have a seemingly perfect marriage until their kids go away to college and Joyce decides she'd like to talk to Martin again [it's been three years since he made the documentary with them]. She ends ups convincing Martin to bring his daytime talk show to her small city of Pleasantville Ohio. As a result, Hal becomes jealous and puts his marriage in severe jeopardy.

Incidentally, the director Harry Shearer is known for his work with Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons where he is the voice for 21 characters. But he will always be remembered as the bass player Derek Smalls in This Is Spinal Tap.