5/5 Eleanor anf=d franklin: a Definate Keeper
  by Jerry Hensley (Hyden, KY)
I took a chance on this because of the incredible price of seven bucks plus shipping, and boy am i glad I did. I was only 7 years old when it origionally aired so I was a bit apprehensive. I have to say that both the mini-series are wonderful. I had purchased Warm Springs earlier and found it to be beautifully done, but it can't hold a candle to this. This dvd has both The Early Years and The White House Years and the running time together is nearly six hours and I must say I was never bored. I planned on watching the first part one day and the second the next, but was so completely drawn in I watched it all in one Sunday afternoon. Jane Alexander and Edward Herrmann are the Roosevelts and the film, to be over 30 years old, looks as good as anything new. The direction by Daniel Petrie is first rate and the script and acting flawless. It says on the box that both won a combined 18 Emmy Awards and I don't know what the other nominees were but this is some magnificent television. Hooray to HBOVideo for putting them both into one DVD and to Amazon for the fantastic price. A fine addition to any DVD library. Bravo!

3/5 History Buffs
  by JAMES R. TAYLOR (Albuquerque, NM USA)
Have seen other films I enjoy more but this one was okay. Little hard to stay with at times.

2/5 ANTI-FDR BIAS
  by Professor Emeritus P. Bagnolo (DOWNTOWN NYC/Chic. NM USA)
THE 18 EMMY AWARDS NOTWITHSTANDING, they apparently knew far less about FDR when HBO made this Made for TV movie OR INTENTIONALLY MADE A BIASED FILM.Eleanor and Franklin Double Feature (The Early Years / The White House Years)

The movie was well acted however, the writing and direction displayed either a strong ant-FDR bias or ignorance of the reality of the relationship between the couple. After their sixth Child, Eleanor told Franklin in no uncertain terms, that she was DONE with sex and she moved to a separate bedroom. She also informed her daughter, (who thereafter felt sorry for her dad) that sexual intercourse was a thing to be merely endured. However, when the frustrated FDR took a mistress ( Lucy Mercer) Eleanor supported by Sarah, FDR's mother forced him to give up her up or be disinherited. While this resulted in the greatest president in our history, it was at his great personal expense.

Nor did FDR in real life, express the short-tempered anger toward Eleanor which the movie displayed, even though Eleanor constantly badgered him for her pet projects (though sometimes those projects represented good causes) even though he was stressed out with the war and the depression.

Roosevelt was exceptionally tolerant for the woman who bore him six children and cared for him in his decades of paralysis and struggles ad FDR was ever the jolly host, though on rare occasion they did spat, he showed her exceptional patience even building a cottage for her and her female friend on his estate.

I suggest instead of buying this pair of DVD's, one read the two books, FDR, by Jean Edward Smith and Traitor to His Class, by HW Brands. Within those 1900 pages is the true story of their life together. One might add, FDR and Lucy: Lovers and Friends, by Resa Willis. For a more accurate film on his earlier years one might try the film SUNRISE AT CAMPOBELLO.

5/5 Makes history enjoyable
  by S. McBrayer
I saw this back in the 70's on PBS and thought it was excellent. I wanted to add it to my growing home collection.

5/5 The best DVD for its price in all of Amazon.com
  by 1 WOLF CITY PLAZA (Baltimore, Maryland USA)
This story of Eleanor and FDR is simply a masterpeice in every way. The quality of the transfer is second to none. The story both written and told with so much sensitivity their love of history of the WW2 period shines through in every word. I remember the series when it first aired in the 1970's and I saw the price. I figured they butchered the movies or the transfer was aweful. I was wrong on both counts. The DVD transfer was beyond first rate.

The run time for The Early Years is 204 Minutes.

The run time for The White House Years is 156 Minutes.

While there is no way to pardon FDR's love affair with his peice of fluff on the side, I understood the man. FDR was wheelchair bound. This young beautiful secretary was interested in him back when he was a scrapping virile able bodied man full of energy and hormones. Nice as she was on the eyes, this scretary was no where near FDR's intellectual equal. FDR especially after his cotracting polio needed the rich intellectual stimulation only a lady of quality like Eleanor could give. FDR's love of Eleanor was sexual but it was vitally intellectual. Eleanor was FDR's safe harbor and unfortunately he took her role for granted.

The DVD shares all the raw emotions with you. If shares good points and bad. If offers insights into the country and world at these most trying of times. This is one of the best DVD I sets have ever seen at this level of quality. Generally everything HBO sells is overpriced but for the quality this DVD set is actually the best bargain I can remember going from HBO. This is not just history it is love story told by people who also love history and that blend is unbeatable!