"One Last Caress, It's Time To Dress For Fall!!!!!!"

                                     Gag me with a spoon, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Several weeks back, I did a posting on a film that may not have been a big hit, but a lot of us out there remember fondly--"The Other." Recently, it occured to me that its director, Robert Mulligan (brother of the actor Richard Mulligan), had, the year before, in 1971, directed a film that not only has passed its 40th birthday, but was a REALLY big hit--"Summer Of '42!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                         I am sure there are some out there who remember this quite fondly, and will go after me for saying what I am about to say.  The question I have, and had at the time was--why was it such a big hit?????????

                                          Sure, with its Michel Legarand theme, and Jennifer O'Neill looking her most sutnning, it had a quasi-romantic feel. But come on, dolls, that Young-Man-Sleeps-With-Older Woman thing  had been done to death, even by then.  That same year, in Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show," high school football player Timothy Bottoms has a dalliance with his football coach's wife, Ruth Popper, played to an Oscar winning fare thee well by Cloris Leachman. Now, nothing on Cloris; she is a great actress, but I bet even Timothy wished Jennifer had been cast, instead of Cloris!!!!!!!!  And how about "The Graduate" with  Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft?   One can even go way back to the 50s, with "Tea And Sympathy," featuring Deborah Kerr and John Kerr (not related, loves!!!!!).

                                            So, why did people go crazy over this film?  Back when it came out, I was so young, not to metiion young looking, I had a tough time getting in--because the film was rated "R."  One theater denied me admission.  I finally made it into New Brunswick's RKO International 70, with my friend, Doug, on a rainy Saturday night, and the theater was SO packed, you would have thought Judy Garland had returned from the grave to do a concert!!!!!!!!!  And in New Brunswick, yet!!!!!!!!!

                                              Yes, it had that score, which some may find haunting, but, especially 40 years later, is a bit treacly.  And the shots of the waves, the mysterious summer house, evoke a certain mood.   But, aside from that, who the hell cares????????  And would this hold up today??????  I wonder.

                                                 Did you know, darlings, that Katherine Allentuck, who played the plainer of the girls, Aggie, is Maureen Stapelton's daughter????? And that Maureen herself does the off screen voice of Hermie's mother???? And that Robert Mulligan is the off screen voice of the adult Hermie?????

                                                    At the time, the more attractive girl, played by Christopher (yes, that was HER name!!!!!!!) Norris, who certainly stood out, was an up and comer. But after "Trapper John, MD," she vanished fast!!!!!!!!!

                                                    This was just ten years after Robert Mulligan's other important film, "To Kill A Mockingbird," and this was his biggest hit since that one.  From here, he went on to the classic "The Other."

                                                       Of course, the one responsible for all this, was Herman Raucher, who practically shouts from the rooftops about how this is his autobiography, because, as a teen, he slept with an older woman!!!!!!!!!!  What an egotist.  Listen, when I was fifteen, my parents and I visited relatives in Key West, who lived around the corner from Tennessee Williams, whose works already I loved!!!!!  I WAS precocious, darlings!!!!!!!!  Well, I snuck off and knocked on his door!!!!!!!  As it turned out, no one was at home, but had there been, I assure you, history would have told a different tale!!!!!!!   But would I have bragged about it, and put it up on the screen for all to see, like Herman Raucher???????  Of course not!!!!!!
And what is sad, Raucher to this day CANNOT stop talking about it.  Even after being married himself. His poor wife, having to always take a back seat to his goddamn wet dream fantasy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                          Well, now he's too old to have wet dreams!!!!!!  Hell, he is probably even lucky if he dribbles.   So I am still wondering if this dribble he created forty plus years ago, would still hold up!!!!  I have my doubts, because, just go try finding it on video or even DVD today!!!!! It is well nigh impossible!!!!!!!!  Doesn't that tell us something???????

                                                              But, hey, girls, if anyone out there knows more, or feels differently, feel free to tell me!!!!!!!!!!

                                                               Meanwhile, I will go on a sugar free diet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!