Quite an interesting character from years ago, and perhaps best known as a regular guest on the 70's game show "Match Game," Charles Nelson Reilly wants the world to know that he has not since passed on. In this film of his autobiographical one-man-show "Save it for the Stage," he relates a hard life growing up, his dream-crushing mother and artist father. Reilly effortlessly garnishes his audiences' sympathies and rewards them with some moments of truly touching honesty. I got choked up a couple of times. Despite the facts that he's not always so consistently engaging and at times the intensity level wanes, he's always somewhat amusing.

This is not a standard bio-doc as you might expect on cable. It's Reilly himself communicating meaningful highlights from his life, his relatives and his friends. The filmmakers insert-edit black & white clips at appropriate spots, but these do not take over the stage-play feel. There are also a few clips of the man-on-the-street trying to recall just who this Reilly is. The whole production is caught on video in a warm, off-tripod camera feel. I like the dark blacks behind Reilly on a tastefully simple set.

Over all, it's mildly entertaining; although, I would have enjoyed more and longer clips from Reilly's past TV appearances.

Interestingly enough, the director of the film convinced Reilly to pull the show out of retirement to put it on cinematic record. And by the way, here's the synopsis (one of the most tantalizing I've read this year):
If, in 1940, you had a lobotomized aunt, an institutionalized father, a racist mother, and were the only gay kid on the block, what do you think the odds would be that you'd end up a Tony winner, a staple of television, and a generational icon?

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