It was 1973, the taboos of the previous generation were dieing to the general movie going public, but slowly. 40 Carats took a look at one of those taboos - the older woman/younger man relationship (the term "cougar" had yet to be coined). Ullmann plays real estate agent Ann Stanley, recently divorced from an actor (Gene Kelly) and living with her teen aged daughter and mother in New York. While on a trip to Greece she has a chance encounter and one night stand on a beach with a young man. She doesn't bargain on running into him back home or becoming the object of his matrimonial desires. Among her friends and family members she finds skepticism, but eventually acceptance. She, however, is her own worst enemy and is paralyzed with self doubt about the relationship. There's a lot of charm in this film version of the successful Broadway play, but a few flaws as well. Edward Albert (Eddie Albert's son), Gene Kelly and Nancy Walker (Ann's secretary) are just charming in their roles. Binnie Barnes (Ann's mother) and Deborah Raffin (her daughter) are a bit stilted and Ms. Ullmann is a bit bleak. It's also an odd casting choice because she was considerably younger than 40 at the time the film was made, but she seemed to make a career of playing older women in her youth. (She was playing her late 30's in Persona when she was in her early 20's.) The role was originally offered to Audry Hepburn, which would have been much more appropriate casting, but she didn't want to leave her home for a shoot in New York. All in all, it's worth seeing. It's a fun time capsule of the early 1970's in New York and an engaging story. Look for a fun cameo by Natalie Schafer as one of Ann's customers.
There seems to be some confusion about whether this is out on DVD or not. It's listed on Amazon as having been released in 2010, but is unavailable. It can be found on VHS and can be watched on Amazon on demand. There is no video of it on YouTube whatsoever. The poster above can be found on Amazon.com
Obscurity factor: 9 (Confusion about DVD, on VHS, not on YouTube, largely forgotten)
¿¡OMG she divorced Gene Kelly!? That sounds more like 40-NUTS! :P
ReplyDeleteI'll say again what I said about the Visit: leading lady TOO YOUNG. On Broadway, it was Julie Harris, June Allyson, Joan Fontaine, and Zsa Zsa Gabor!
ReplyDeleteAlso, Liv Ullman, when miscast, could really kill a movie stone-dead. I've recently watched the Serpent's Egg. She just ruins that one in a part that should have gone to a Jane Birkin for instance. Imagine Cabaret with Liv Ullman and you have an idea of what the Serpent's Egg feels like.
Cabaret with Liv Ullmann... now that's an image. I agree with you there, too young and too bleak. There was some talk about Doris Day playing the role, and that would have been really remarkable. She probably had the same reaction to it as she did to The Graduate - "vulgar". Ahh well, in a perfect universe...
ReplyDeleteNow, Ingrid Bergman - albeit too young in The Visit - COULD do saucy, witness Cactus Flower. Cactus Flower has its roots in a French "boulevard" play by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy, who also wrote the original 40 Carats play. Ingrid had more versatility than Liv if possibly less depth. Their movie together, Autumn Sonata, is quite the bitter pill.
ReplyDeleteI also have read that Doris Day was offered Mrs. Robinson. Just like with Claudette Colbert as Margo Channing, or Casablanca with Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan, things worked out for the best. Doris Day would have been more appropriate than Liv Ullmann in 40 Carats, however.
And you know what, Ingrid Bergman would have made a good Mrs. Robinson.
ReplyDeleteI love Cactus Flower. It's less obscure than 40 Carats, but look for it on the blog soon!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a sophomore in high school, this was performed as the senior class play of that year! That was my first exposure to it. I saw the movie years later.
ReplyDeleteMy first experience of this play was in Kansas City in the 80's. My mother was cast in the role of the grandmother and Ann was played by Elinore Donahue from "Father Knows Best" and "The Odd Couple" fame. It was a fun production and I saw lots of performances of it.
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