Darlings, it was only 1965, and they were the right ages, and after their previous year's triumph in "The World Of Henry Orient......."
But I am getting ahead of myself. "The World Of Henry Orient" was a 1964 film adapted by Nunnally Johnson, from his daughter Nora's novel of the same title. Tippy and Merrie play Valerie Boyd and Marian Gilbert. Both attend a posh Manhattan private girls school, and are outsiders; Marian, most likely because she is a scholarship kid, being raised by a single mother. Though how they afforded NYC's Upper East Side, even in 1964, was beyond me. Valerie comes from a wealthy, but negligent, family, so she is starved for attention. She and Marian bond, and are absorbed with the doings of this rather mediocre concert pianist named Henry Orient, played by Peter Sellers.
Cute, teenage nonsense.
I have no doubt Castle saw 'Orient,' because the girls he cast so much resemble both Walker and Spaeth. They were Andi Garrett, as Libby Mannering, and Sara Lane, as Kit Austin. The quartet never went anywhere after their respective film appearances; though Tippy now lives in Connecticut, and is an artist, while Merrie has been a Republican party worker for years; I just hope she was not part of the Trump Era.
Before getting back to the movie at hand, I should notify all Theater Queens who may not know, that 'Orient' was the source for a 1967 musical, entitled "Henry, Sweet Henry," that made Musical Theater Legends out of Neva Small as Marian Gilbert, and Alice Playten, as Lillian Kafrtiz. Robin Wilson, new to Broadway, and with a strong, but not especially distinctive, voice, played Valerie Boyd, and went nowhere.
(Nunnally Johnson once again adapted his daughter Nora's novel for the musical stage, with Music and Lyrics by Bob Merrill. The adults included Don Ameche, Carol Bruce, and Louise Lasser.)
Neither did Andi and Sara, though they did bits here and there. In the film under discussion, they almost caricature 1965 teens, which is why I felt the naturalness of Walker and Spaeth might have been better. But maybe this was what Willliam Castle was going for, because it is impossible to take this film seriously.
The premise is SO simple. The girls are home at Libby's house, babysitting for younger sister, Tess. They start playing a game where they make random calls, saying the titular line into the phone, then hanging up. However....they stumble upon John Ireland, as Steve Marak, who, even before the girls call, has problems.
Castle reverses the shower scene in "Psycho," by having a naked man murder a clothed woman. What is shown of Ireland is not the least bit hot. Then, there is his next door neighbor, Amy Nelson, played by Joan Crawford, who, I am telling you, livens things up.
Joan plays a woman desperate for a man, and she wants Steve. No matter how he treats her, even murders her, Joan stands by her man. She had to have been desperate for a part, to do this, but she is such a hoot, one cannot help admiring her. And she did this after quitting "Hush....Hush, Sweet Charlotte."
The film is so contrived, this is all one needs to know. Even William Castle, I bet, could not keep a straight face.
This was one of the most perfectly suited films for "Svengoolie," darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6 comments:
aww now I want to listen to Henry Sweet Henry songs!!!
especially Here I Am
And of course, Nobody Steps On Kafritz!!
Victoria,
And listen to the plaintive yearning
of Neva Small, singing, "I Wonder How
It Is." Brilliant, for 14!
...being kissed by his eyes
Victoria,
Neva's plaintiveness is so heartbreaking!
I love Henry Sweet Henry and the original
Movie…Great excerpt of the musical on You Tube
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