The betrayal of a figure head by their children is a powerful story whether its a medieval monarch or a mod matriarch. What starts out as a fun romp through a sexagenarian's last fling at life - driving recklessly, wearing outlandish clothes, standing on her head - turns suddenly dark with an oppressed Russell held captive in an insane asylum. Her realization of what's happened to her results in a powerful dramatic scene as only Roz could do it. The end is a little loopy, but it's worth it for the fun of the rest of the film. Look for a young James Farentino as Sandra Dee's love interest. The poster above is available at MoviePosterShop.com.
There is no footage of this one on YouTube, but if you're obsessed by it, it can frequently be found on iOffer.com.
Obscurity factor: 10 (no DVD or VHS, Rarely screened on television, no footage on YouTube)
Very good, but I remember watching it on NBC back in the day which use to show a lot of Universal Pictures.
ReplyDeleteYes, I saw it for the first time on some cable channel back in the late 80's or early 90's. The shift from light comedy to heavy drama was a bit disconcerting to the casual viewer.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why this was never released on VHS or DVD. Rosalind Russell has enough of a fan base to warrant that. Most, if not all, of her other movies of the time have been on VHS and/or DVD. I did see it on TV about 20 years ago, but do not remember it in detail at this point. It is interesting to note that at the time of its release, Roger Ebert gave it a fantastic review, while the New York Times critic (I forget which one offhand) thought it was awful. It was dumped into New York theaters on neighborhood double bills a couple months after it opened in Chicago. That must have been a real slap in the face to both Ms. Russell and Ross Hunter.
ReplyDeletebelieve it or not, this is one of my most favourite movies of all time. I saw it at the drive-in with my sister, that's going back some. I was told by someone that after she had passed away, her family took over a lot to do with her movie history. I don't know if that's true or not but I do know that I've been searching for several decades to get a copy of the movie. Finally ordered one from this blog and I'm waiting for it to be delivered. I really recommend it as a good comedy drama combination.
DeleteYes, it's really Roz's forgotten film. There isn't even any web video of it available. It's a shame, really.
ReplyDeleteHere are links to the Roger Ebert and "New York Times" reviews of this movie that I mentioned in my previous posting: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19671128/REVIEWS/711280301/1023
ReplyDeletehttp://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9904E7DA1430EE3BBC4053DFB4668383679EDE&scp=3&sq=Rosie!%20Rosalind%20Russell&st=cse
Unfortunately, the links I just posted have to be copied-and-pasted. I did not realize at the time I posted them.
ReplyDeleteRoger Ebert frequently goes against the grain in his reviews, and is often times proven right by time. Rosie stands up...
ReplyDeleteNow available on Youtube (not by me)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2GqVqnWdNo
Great news! Thanks for the update...
ReplyDeleteIt's based upon a play by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin entitled "A Very Rich Woman" that had an extremely short run on Broadway in the early/mid sixties. I beleive that Roz did her own singing in it of "Everybody Loves My Baby " . It doesn't deserve its obsurity but it ain't great.
ReplyDeleteHuh, I didn't know about the play. Thanks for the background. Yes, it's not a great film by any standards, but it does have some great moments in it.
ReplyDeleteOne great moment in the film is when Roz's bitch daughter (played by Jayne Meadows) is complaining about her mother's servants and says "As for that Mae (the maid) she could fly away on a broom!" A wonderful joke considering that Mae is played by Margaret Hamilton, the wicked Witch of the West in person! I've often wondered if the line was in the original play, and that's why they cast Hamilton, or if they added it because she was playing the role.
ReplyDeleteI love this movie and continue looking for it's release. Why it hasn't been either shown lately or made available for purchase is a mystery because it's a darling movie. If your looking for something serious, this isn't it, Rosie is just a very enjoyable Rosalind Russell/Brian Aherne/Sandra Dee movie.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting for a copy of it to be delivered now it's March 29th 2021 I ordered it from a company on this blog called Zeus DVD dot-com it was only 999 + delivery. I hope it does show up, I've been wanting to get a copy of it for several decades.
DeleteWe need to see this movie again. If ever shown on tv again, please would some please record it. I would love to see it again. One of my all time favorites.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you can get a DVD of it on Zeus: https://www.zeusdvds.com/rosie-1967-dvd/
DeleteThanks for letting people know that, I'm waiting for my copy as I write this.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, too many people love to hate this movie for much hope of it being released to home video or streaming, let alone restored to its original Techniscope glory. It's an odd movie, but Rosalind Russell is always watchable, and about the only female film star of her time who was willing to play grandmother to a grown woman (Sandra Dee). In her autobiography she wrote that they "tried to mix comedy and tragedy and only succeeding in confusing the audiences."
ReplyDeleteThe copy that's available for purchase on DVD on sites like zeusdvd.com is taped off TV (AMC played it once or twice in the late 1980s) with the opening credits letterboxed against a blue background the the rest pan and scan; about a 7 out of 10 quality-wise, but better than nothing.
Yes indeed, Russell is always fun to watch, but the film itself doesn't know what it wants to be.
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