Jean Simmons & Leonard Whiting in Say Hello to Yesterday (1971)

A woman (Simmons), dissatisfied with her life and marriage sits on a crowded train into London. As she muses about her circumstances, she's noticed by a man (Whiting) - a boy really. The boy becomes obsessed with forging a connection to this woman and in attempting to do so, chases her all over London. Eventually she relents and they begin to get to know each other, leading to an inevitable afternoon fling. But what will they learn from this experience?

MoviePosterShop.com

Coming off the huge success of Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet, Whiting plays the bored, high spirited youth with aplomb, sweeping Simmons off her feet in an afternoon of pranks and hijinks with a few thoughtful moments that deepen the meaning. This film is lovingly shot on location in  London. Look for  a wonderfully worldly Evelyn Lane as Simmon's mother.

This film has been released on DVD. The trailer above was uploaded to YouTube by carmanmatt.

Obscurity factor: 8 (on DVD, not well known, rarely shown on TV)

Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum & Jean Simmons in The Grass is Greener (1960)

Yesterday's film (Dream Wife, 1953) paired Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr and reminded me of this one, which also featured the pair. The Earl of Rhyall (Grant) and his wife the Countess (Kerr) are having trouble keeping up the family estate, so they begin offering tours of it for a fee. Charles Delacro (Mitchum) an American millionaire is one who takes the tour and finds more than just history in the house when he becomes smitten with the Countess. The Earl, in danger of losing his wife, invites Delacro down to the estate to stay with them, and also invites Hattie Durant (Simmons), a quirky American heiress of their acquaintance to join them in hopes of making his wife jealous. It's all very civilized, even when it comes to pistols at dawn.

MoviePosterShop.com

This film was based on a successful play by Hugo Williams and Margaret Vyner and fared well in England but bombed in the US. It's got a certain sophisticated charm to it and farcical elements that are fun to watch.

It's available on DVD and can be occasionally seen on TV. It's also available to watch in full on YouTube. The scene above, uploaded by oakjackson is a brilliant piece of choreography and kind of sums up the circumstance.

Obscurity factor: 4 (available on DVD, in the public consciousness because of occasional TV screenings)

Dick Van Dyke & Debbie Reynolds in Divorce American Style 1967

In light of yesterdays post (The Happy Ending, 1969) I thought it would be interesting to discuss a film that was made 2 years earlier, also with Jean Simmons that takes a lighter look at relationships. The plot of this one finds Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds unhappily wed. Through a series of standoffs where neither party is willing to blink first, they end up getting a divorce. This leads to awkward dating episodes, greatly reduced circumstances for Dick, heartless lawyers and another divorced couple (Simmons in a role that could been seen as an extension of her role in The Happy Ending and Jason Robards) scheming to get Dick to marry Jean and get Debbie married off to Van Johnson, so everyone's money woes can be solved. If you like your comedy black with just a touch of sugar, this film will please. Also in the cast are Van Johnson, Shelly Berman, Lee Grant and a young Eileen Brennan. Look for a wonderful cameo by nightclub performer Pat Collins - the Hip Hypnotist.

This film is available on DVD, though it's not well known. There are some scenes from it uploaded to YouTube, but not the whole film. I just love the trailer above, put together by FilmBuff2000. It really captures the feel of the film.

Obscurity factor: 6 (on DVD, partially available on YouTube, largely forgotten)

Jean Simmons & John Forsythe in The Happy Ending 1969

The late 60's found the women's movement in full swing. Housewives everywhere were questioning the scope of their lives, exploring new possibilities, wondering what was possible for them out in the world. Mary Wilson (Jean Simmons) was one of those housewives. Disillusioned with her marriage and with nothing to occupy her time or challenge her intellect, she sinks into depression, drinking and acting out her frustrations in childish episodes of petulance and profligate spending. Her husband (John Forsythe) says he loves her, but doesn't take the time or effort to understand her. So, she runs away to Nassau, and on the way she meets an old college friend (Shirley Jones) who's tried it the other way - as a mistress to wealthy men.

This was one of the first films that took an honest look at the issues of the woman's movement, but it is also a beautiful portrait of relationships. It's told in flashbacks that illustrate the path Mary takes to get where she is, and it's full of poignant moments that are beautifully played by the stellar cast. And the cast is truly stellar! In addition to Simmons, Forsythe and Jones, look for Nanette Fabray, Bobby Darin (billed as Robert), Lloyd Bridges, Teresa Wright, Dick Shawn and Tina Louise. The film is most remembered for the hit song What are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? by Michel LeGrand and Alan & Marilyn Bergman, which was nominated for an Oscar and became a very popular standard. Look for a very young Erin Moran (Jonie from the series Happy Days) as the daughter in one of the flashback scenes.

This beautiful little film has been largely forgotten. It hasn't been released on DVD, but there was a VHS release in the late 90's. The scene above was uploaded to YouTube by JeanSimmonsFan. The poster above can be purchased at MoviePosterShop.com



Obscurity factor: 7 (not available on DVD, available on VHS and YouTube)