Thursday, August 07, 2003
THE 1960s MOVIES (part 2): I drug my feet on this one, but now, to cover the second feature on the thick-of-the-60s double bill, What's New, Pussycat? A starring vehicle for Peter O'Toole, Pussycat also gave featured roles to Peter Sellers and Woody Allen, and not only was this Woody's first major film role, but also was the first one he had a hand in scripting.
As Michael James, O'Toole was in full-on charming mode (think Hugh Grant), which carries the film through the occasional shaky spots. The conceit behind the whole operation is another one of those leap-of-faith plot points, and since I can't say how well it went over back in the day (1965, pre-women's movement) , I'll have to assume it did go over. The initial flashback scenes in the psychiatrist's office are hilarious, and grease the tracks for what is to follow; basically, beautiful women have been drawn to Michael as long as he can remember, and he's just a guy who can't say no. Considering his lack of libido control, Michael's fiancée Carole (Romy Schneider) obviously has supernatural powers of forgiveness. The given here is that true love does that to some people, and whether you find that the horse chestnut or not, it's a pretty big part of the story.
Peter Sellers plays Dr. Fassbender as a mod analyst in a crushed velvet suit, pudding-bowl haircut, and (of course) thick, thick accent. Fassbender is one of a long line of movie/TV psychiatrists who just needs someone to talk to, and considering the establishing shots with his hyperjealous wife, he has very good reason. She has very good reason, too, since (as stated above) Fassbender is on the make for one of his female patients, who in turn is drawn to Michael. Woody Allen, as Michael's friend Victor, has an eye for one of Michael's cast-offs, hangs around 60s-type exotic dancers, and cheats wildly at chess.
There are a few other interesting interesting characters filling in the edges, although some get more time than others. The Paula Prentiss character's penchant for trying to kill herself with an overdose at the slightest bit of trouble doesn't feel like the surefire laugh getter now it would've been in days past, although the medal the doctor gives her for the most survived attempts is typical nightclub-era Woody. Ursula Andress, who gets feature billing in the opening credits, doesn't have very much to do (bad thing), but most of what she DOES do is in an advanced state of undress (good thing). The doctor's Wagner-obsessed wife pops up here and there, and the sight of her charging around the Chateau Chantelle in full valkyrie gear sets the tone of the film's endgame.
Oh yeah, that endgame... When we reach the Chateau Chantelle on a weekend where everybody is there, but nobody knows that everybody ELSE is there, we shift into door-slamming farce mode, and the shift, as they say, hits the fan when everybody gets acquainted in all kinds of haphazard ways.
It was said that Woody didn't like what they ended up doing to his script, and insisted on fuller control in future projects. I get the feeling the go-cart track scene wasn't his idea; I have second sight about things like that sometimes. Still, it's a fun film, and if I had to choose between the Pussycat and Royale, Pussycatworks better for me overall.
So there you are. Hope it was worth the wait.
As Michael James, O'Toole was in full-on charming mode (think Hugh Grant), which carries the film through the occasional shaky spots. The conceit behind the whole operation is another one of those leap-of-faith plot points, and since I can't say how well it went over back in the day (1965, pre-women's movement) , I'll have to assume it did go over. The initial flashback scenes in the psychiatrist's office are hilarious, and grease the tracks for what is to follow; basically, beautiful women have been drawn to Michael as long as he can remember, and he's just a guy who can't say no. Considering his lack of libido control, Michael's fiancée Carole (Romy Schneider) obviously has supernatural powers of forgiveness. The given here is that true love does that to some people, and whether you find that the horse chestnut or not, it's a pretty big part of the story.
Peter Sellers plays Dr. Fassbender as a mod analyst in a crushed velvet suit, pudding-bowl haircut, and (of course) thick, thick accent. Fassbender is one of a long line of movie/TV psychiatrists who just needs someone to talk to, and considering the establishing shots with his hyperjealous wife, he has very good reason. She has very good reason, too, since (as stated above) Fassbender is on the make for one of his female patients, who in turn is drawn to Michael. Woody Allen, as Michael's friend Victor, has an eye for one of Michael's cast-offs, hangs around 60s-type exotic dancers, and cheats wildly at chess.
There are a few other interesting interesting characters filling in the edges, although some get more time than others. The Paula Prentiss character's penchant for trying to kill herself with an overdose at the slightest bit of trouble doesn't feel like the surefire laugh getter now it would've been in days past, although the medal the doctor gives her for the most survived attempts is typical nightclub-era Woody. Ursula Andress, who gets feature billing in the opening credits, doesn't have very much to do (bad thing), but most of what she DOES do is in an advanced state of undress (good thing). The doctor's Wagner-obsessed wife pops up here and there, and the sight of her charging around the Chateau Chantelle in full valkyrie gear sets the tone of the film's endgame.
Oh yeah, that endgame... When we reach the Chateau Chantelle on a weekend where everybody is there, but nobody knows that everybody ELSE is there, we shift into door-slamming farce mode, and the shift, as they say, hits the fan when everybody gets acquainted in all kinds of haphazard ways.
It was said that Woody didn't like what they ended up doing to his script, and insisted on fuller control in future projects. I get the feeling the go-cart track scene wasn't his idea; I have second sight about things like that sometimes. Still, it's a fun film, and if I had to choose between the Pussycat and Royale, Pussycatworks better for me overall.
So there you are. Hope it was worth the wait.
|| Eric 2:12 AM#
