INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR PETER FOX

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actor Peter Fox, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Peter has acted in motion pictures over the years such as AIRPORT ‘77, MOTHER’S DAY, FRATERNITY ROW [my review of the film can be found here] JAKE SPEED, FM, NIGHT OF THE COMET, and SHADOWS IN THE STORM, to name but a few examples from his filmography. Peter was also the artistic director of the Alliance Repertory Company, and Chairman of the Board for sixteen years. In this interview Peter will be discussing his role in FRATERNITY ROW, acting on television, the theatre, and his career as a visual artist.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Peter!

Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an actor?

Peter: Well, the first time I sort of felt that I had, there's a movie theater in Santa Monica called the Nuart Theatre, where you can see interesting stuff. And I went to see A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, and saw Paul Scofield, who won the Oscar for that film. I was just amazed at his performance.

Having said that, I didn't come to California to be an actor. Where I grew up outside of Chicago was very middle class, very, you know, white bread. It was fun, it was a great childhood. But I didn't go to college to be an actor. I didn't come to California to be an actor. It was just my consciousness. But what happened was, there were eight of us, and there wasn't much money.

My mother got us all modelling, and doing TV commercials in the fifties and sixties in Chicago. Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs were all in Chicago. So anyhow, I had a Screen Actor’s Guild card by the time I was ten and I was out here. I worked at a car wash, and I had a brother out here. I'd never been to California. I had graduated from college and made a film there, so I was kind of interested in that. Acting was not what I came for, but acting jobs started to happen.

Because I wound up at a very upscale restaurant, it was called Mr. Bartender. I had never bartended before. That was an interesting experience. But through that, I met, I ran into a very powerful agent there who I followed up on because I didn't want to be a bartender anymore. He said, well, I could make some money doing TV commercials until I figure out what I want to do.

That actually led to me getting a very high-end agent in Los Angeles. I started getting active working in commercials, national commercials, and one thing led to another. And next thing I know, I'm in FRATERNITY ROW. So I got to star in a movie without ever coming to California to be in a movie. That's what my fate was, that's what happened.

So when did I decide to be an actor? I decided I wanted to make some money with a Screen Actor’s Guild card. And then when I got a lead in a movie FRATERNITY ROW, I was like, well, I better pursue this. I guess I better pursue being an actor. And lo and behold, I started getting more work, and it lasted for quite a while until it stopped.

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Peter: I didn't really at all. I was just, you know, in front of a camera as a kid, I guess I got that. And just through observing, like watching Paul Scofield say, ‘oh, that's what good acting is, what's he doing there? If you want to act, do that.’ I had no formal training as an actor, which kind of as I started to succeed as an actor, that sort of gnawed at me, saying, well, matter[s] you're having some [success] as you never studied, whatever.

I did take a few classes here and there and just prove to myself, oh, okay, this is what actors do. I studied with some very high-end teachers such as Jose Quintero, a very famous New York Broadway director, and Mira Rostova in New York. I took classes in her six-week class there. 

It was interesting and good, but I never really studied acting. What I wound up doing was joining a theater company in Los Angeles to prove to myself, well, if you're in this existence, let's see if you really have the chops, if you're really an actor, because you're getting paid to be an actor, prove to me that you're an actor. So I joined this theater company and I stayed there sixteen years, and wound up as its artistic director. So that's where my acting chops really blossomed there at Alliance Repertory Company in Los Angeles. Terrific little black box theater.

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Athan: Your performance as Rodger in FRATERNITY ROW was excellent, and one of the two pivotal performances in the movie, being a young man with integrity who is inspired by another young man’s aim to cease the practice of hazing in college fraternities. What is it that drew you to the part of Rodger in FRATERNITY ROW?

Peter: What drew me though was simply my commercial agent saying, ‘Hey, there's this movie being cast. Do you want to go? Do you want to audition for it? And, at the time I was, you know, getting some success working in commercials, and it looked like a good opportunity to take it a step up. So that's what drew me to it was, oh, this looks like an interesting challenge.

See if I can go get it. And lo and behold, after weeks of auditioning, I got the part. And once again, that's my fate. Did I come there to star in the movie? No. Looks like I was going to, so don't mess this up. And I just jumped, just jumped in, you know, jumped into, okay, here's the ride, let's go. So basically, I was just a passenger on the ride of my career.

It's like this career ride was going and either hop on, or hop off. So I hopped on, and here's where we're going, and I tried to make the best of it as we went along, and get better at it. But like I say, I didn't come here to do that, but yeah, it's just remarkable. Really.

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Athan: FRATERNITY ROW had a great cast with yourself and Gregory Harrison as the central focus, but with very capable support from Wendy Phillips, Nancy Morgan, and Scott Newman. What was it like working with these performers?

Peter: Well, we were all youngsters, you know, trying to make our mark. But I think all of us had talent. We all got along, we understood what the story was and, you know, it's a pretty basic story. And it was fun, but I could, working with people your age and you get along with, with talent who aren't there to one up you or, or, you know, make themselves better than you, or whatever.

So yeah, I would say it was a good learning experience for me to be around people who are good. And it's like playing a tennis match. You want to play somebody who's good, not somebody who you know is as bad as you are. So, yeah, it was a learning experience. It was fun and all that. Paramount bought the picture.

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about making FRATERNITY ROW?

Peter: Well, being one of the main characters in the movie, which is a very exciting, can be a very exciting arena to be in. Just going to work every day, was like, man, I'm not going to an office today. I'm going down to be on this set, making a movie. And, there's good actors, these single girls, oh wow, look at all these girls.

Hmm, this is interesting. It was a fun summer for me in more ways than one, you know, doing good work. And we shot it at that fraternity house, and I had the insight to rent a room there, so I didn't have to go back and forth every day to Santa Monica and then back to USC. I slept there, I lived there, and I just got to live the, you know, on campus life with all these other young people.

It was a quite unusual summer, like I've never had before.

Waking up every day to go do a leap, a movie that's good. The people are enjoying being there, and you're not having squabbles with anyone. You're actually getting paid to do this. It's like, wow, how did this happen? But it happened. So, yeah, it was delightful, you know, not too many people start, really start off with a lead, in a movie that Paramount bought.

You know, that's where I started. It's like, that's weird. You know, people usually have to climb the ladder to get to this place. Once again, my fate you know, I don't pay credit for it. I showed up and it was meant for me. And, it lasted for as long as it did. It was great. And it didn't last, and that's my fate too.

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Athan: For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming FRATERNITY ROW?

Peter: Well, back to that climax scene where the Zac character dies was intense and, you know, the reaction to it mostly played off of me, my character. So I had to be just distraught that this kid under my wing just choked it down. And just the whole set of emotions that came with that, it was a very, you know, challenging day for an untrained actor.

Well, you know, that was part of what we were talking about earlier was, I know this is coming, you better prepare yourself, however, you're going to do this because the camera's going to be right there on you and you better show up. That was my challenge.

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from FRATERNITY ROW?

Peter: Actually, a couple. Yes. A guy who was a camera assistant, a guy named Dow Griffith, he and I are still buds. It's been a while since I've gotten in touch with Tom Tobin, but he's a terrific guy. And Greg Harrison and I, you know, swap an email here and there, Christmas card, but yeah, that's, that's pretty much. Dow, Nancy, Tom Tobin, and Greg occasionally.

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Athan: FRATERNITY ROW was directed by Thomas J. Tobin, in his only film as director. What was it like being directed by Mr Tobin in FRATERNITY ROW?

Peter: Well, it was his first big step up to the plate and mine as well. I would say that being perfectly honest, we're both just regular guys. Ego was not a thing with him, I don't think. It is not a thing with me it, so it was just two guys, regular guys who wanted to do the best they could with his script.

And so we got along terrific. He has a great sense of humor. I have a pretty good sense of humor too. We enjoyed our company between setup, but he knew what he wanted. There was no ambiguity there. Every day he knew what we were there to do and we did it, and he's a terrific guy. He knew how to speak to actors, and I think when you do, that he knew how to tell that story, which is what the director's job is. And I think he did, yes. Yeah.

Yeah. I don’t know why that didn't happen for him. Whether he didn't pursue it like that or, yeah, it's hard to say. Part of it's that, you know, he's not a showman, he's a regular guy. You know, maybe Hollywood wanted somebody with more pizazz? I don’t know.

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Athan: Aside from cinema, you have also acted in scores of television shows over the years, with Family, The Waltons, Delta House, The Facts of Life, Hill Street Blues, 21 Jump Street, and The Young and the Restless among these. What, for you, are the main differences for you between film, and television?

Peter: Well, TV is more of, for instance, most of those shows I was on, like the Waltons or Murder, She Wrote or whatever, were hit shows. So they were well-oiled machines, right? You show up on the set, you know who your character is. It's a machine to get X amount of work done that day. We'd been doing it for eight years already, so how to do this. Whereas with FRATERNITY ROW we were all just a bunch of youngsters, you know, trying to figure out how to do this.

And like I said, Tom knew what he was doing and he hired the right crews, mostly students, almost all students, to help him achieve it. So the difference is, not for my experience, not that much different. There was just more machinery, and feeling of a machine work moving forward in TV shows, than in an independent film like FRATERNITY ROW.

Peter Fox and Michelle Pfeiffer on Delta House

I did another one called A Minor Miracle with the John Huston, and that was an independent film, so that has a little more urgency to it because of that machine behind it. So yeah, for me it was not that much different going from one to the other, just had a lot more money. Everybody was there, shoot six pages today, let's get six pages shot in general. That's what happened. I mean, there are a lot of Hollywood horror stories about egos and fortunately I didn't have that. I mean, I worked a lot for a long time and you would think, oh, there must be some horror story there.

No, people wanted to do the work, and get the job done. I'm glad for that because I know that there were, that there are, horror stories out there. It could have happened, but it didn't for me.

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Athan: You have been a visual artist for almost twenty years, producing innovative sculptures, and other installations. When did you first begin to create these art pieces, and what do you love about doing this?

Peter: I guess I started to do it a little bit in my last days in Hollywood, when my wife and I lived up in Hollywood Hills and, you know, as an actor, and especially if your career is sort of fading, you have a lot of time, a lot of free time. So I just, over the years, I collected these things on location and, and here and there and around the world. So I had this collection of things and I thought I'd look at them, and I started to put them together.

So that one plus one equals four, not two. And I really enjoyed it was a creative thing. Inspirational, creative. And I just took the free time I had and dug into that. When we moved up here to Ojai, California, I just really started making things. I've probably made two, two or three hundred different pieces of art.

Some of it's art, some of it's just clever and funny, and that's cool. I started when we moved here in 2005, probably started slipping my toe in around 2003 or 2004. I really dug into it and have done museum shows here, galleries up here and whatnot. And it's great, it's creative, you know, and if you can't be creative one way, here's another way you can be creative.

And so that's when things are slow or not happening at all, I can make something. And oftentimes, it's kind of cool. At least it is to me, and some people buy them. I don't make a living at it, but people, most people do.

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Athan: The theatre is also something close to your heart, directing plays at various theatrical companies. You were artistic director of the Alliance Repertory Company, and Chairman of the Board for many years. What is the feeling of overseeing a production, and witnessing all the pieces come together when it is performed?

Peter: Well, that's a really good question. I've enjoyed acting, and I've been astonished that I had some success at it. Like I say, that wasn't why I came here. When I made myself join the theater company, I found out that being in plays, and then directing plays, was really what I enjoyed doing. I enjoyed directing, enjoyed writing, and having joined this theater company, I guess that started me on those paths.

And that's what I mostly pursued these last years. I've written a lot. Since I'm a published playwright with a big play publishing company, I directed things in both in LA and here. And a couple of short films. 

My short film is The Sorrowful Mysteries of Boomer Pastor, check it out on YouTube. I wrote and directed that, and it won at film festivals. And so that was an even more intense want to be creative because when you're the director, it all goes through you, you know. There are so many creative decisions that have to be made, and it's thrilling and scary and really rewarding when it works.

So I made a couple of short films. I recently made another one called Good Vibrations, which I think might be on YouTube as well. But directing both on stage, and short films is really rewarding. You're not, as an actor, you're a piece of this whole thing like, you know, whether it works or not. It can be really rewarding, and it can also be really stressful if It's not working and getting along.

I haven't had that experience of yeah, having thirty people standing, looking at you saying, okay, what are we doing now? And you say, okay, let's do this. Everybody do it. You get it done. It's, you know, you’re making something, I think to me is a really human thing to make something. Whether it's you making these blogs of yours, or me making my art pieces or people making movies. It's just to make things very satisfying. And I suspect anybody who actually makes something that they're proud of knows what I'm about. I think it's a real human drive, all the time.

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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?

Peter: The art center here in Ojai, California, want me to write up an evening to honor them, so that's what I'm doing right now.

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Thank you so much today for your time Peter, and for the insight you have provided into the art of acting, FRATERNITY ROW, cinema, theatre, and visual art. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Peter Fox links

+Peter Fox IMDb Actor Page

+FRATERNITY ROW movie IMDb page

+Peter’s art website

JENNY (1970)

Title: JENNY

Year of Release: 1970

Director: George Bloomfield

Genre: Drama, Romance

Synopsis: A young woman is left pregnant by a man, and befriends a sullen photographer, who agrees to be the father of her child.

Within a film history context: Movies revolving around an unwed mother have been in existence since the silent era. One of the first documented in this vein was Emile Chautard's MAGDA (1917). When a young woman from a small town goes to the city, she marries and has a child with a man. What she discovers is that the marriage was a hoax, and consequently leaves her to support a child. Her downfall begins here, as she drifts into unsuitable employment, and a number of other issues resurface. With IT (1927), directed by Clarence Badger, matters were of another persuasion. A perky department store salesgirl seeks to assist her roommate in a time of need, but this lie causes issues in her private life she never envisioned. Into the sound period, Frank Capra's FORBIDDEN (1932), was about a young woman who meets a man on a cruise, and subsequently falls pregnant to him, but is unaware that he is already married. In A FAREWELL TO ARMS (1932), directed by Frank Borzage, an ambulance driver and a nurse in World War I Italy fall in love, and she falls pregnant. Despite resolving to be together, a number of misunderstandings ensue, building to a tragic end to their affair. Alexander Hall and George Somnes' TORCH SINGER (1933), diverted from others in terms of its story. A woman who has had a child out of wedlock gives it up for adoption, but becomes a torch singer with a questionable way of life in this drama. 

ANN VICKERS (1933), directed by John Cromwell, had the distinction of its main character, a social worker, falling pregnant twice out of wedlock to two different men, finding a measure of happiness the second time around. John Stahl's ONLY YESTERDAY (1933), begins during World War I, when a young woman has an affair with a man, who is slated to fight in the war. When they meet again many years later, he does not remember her, and has a son in tow. DOCTOR MONICA (1934), directed by William Keighley, centered around a female obstetrician, who finds out the hard way that her husband had an affair with another woman, as she delivers the baby of his mistress. In Mitchell Leisen's TO EACH HIS OWN (1946), a young woman in American during World War I has a baby to a pilot, and gives up the illegitimate child for adoption. She watches his life unfold from a distance, but finds out that second chances in life do exist. On the other hand, SIN OF ESTHER WATERS (1948), directed by Ian Dalrymple and Peter Proud, had a young woman in 1870s London fall pregnant to a faithless man, forced to raise the child on her own. 

Mitchell Leisen's NO MAN OF HER OWN (1950), starred Barbara Stanwyck as a woman who befriends two people on a train, who eventually die, and assumes the identity of the wife. She is welcomed into the family, but her former lover blackmails her over her deceit, with which she was uncomfortable anyway, leading to a surprising ending. UNWED MOTHER (1958), directed by Walter Doniger, the title of which left no doubt as to the status of its main character. When a young woman from a farm goes to Los Angeles, she is loved and left pregnant by a Lothario, and has the baby. Giving up the child for adoption, she rues the day she made this decision in this drama. Richard Quine's THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG (1960), featured a young Chinese prostitute who had a child out of wedlock, and was involved with an American architect in this drama. In contrast, the unmarried mother in THE SANDPIPER (1965), directed by Vincente Minnelli, was an artist who lived with her young son at Big Sur, and had an affair with a married reverend, the headmaster of her son's school. JENNY arrived onscreen in 1970, and gave the unwed mother theme its own spin.

The earlier examples of an unwed woman falling pregnant often precipitate the moral downfall of the said character, such as in MAGDA, TORCH SINGER, and ANN VICKERS. The woman either starts drifting into unsuitable employment, or from man to man, as in ANN VICKERS. They are not depicted as being promiscuous, more misguided, just that fate has dealt them an unlucky hand. In many instances, the woman raises her child alone, as in MAGDA, FORBIDDEN, ANN VICKERS, ONLY YESTERDAY, SIN OF ESTHER WATERS, THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG, and THE SANDPIPER. In some of the movies, the woman gives up the baby for adoption, as in TORCH SINGER, TO EACH HIS OWN, and UNWED MOTHER. A FAREWELL TO ARMS stands out as the only entry where the baby dies. DOCTOR MONICA also diverts as the central character has not given birth to an illegitimate baby, but is delivering one for another woman, being her husband's mistress. JENNY belongs to the group of pictures where a man impregnates the woman, and their affair is a mistake, with him leaving her in the lurch. MAGDA, FORBIDDEN, ANN VICKERS, SIN OF ESTHER WATERS, and UNWED MOTHER are prime examples here. 

JENNY is the only picture where a man, not the father of the child, marries the pregnant woman to give her child a parent. Delano in JENNY, though, if of the disloyal male character mold as evidenced by the prior samples such as MAGDA, and SIN OF ESTHER WATERS. Where JENNY again moves away is that the difficulties of compatibility between Jenny, and Delano, make way for real love over time, and this is cemented by the birth of their child. This is unlike the many movies of women who stay single as a mother, or watch their child from afar, as in TO EACH HIS OWN. It adds a positive touch to the trials and travails of the unwed mother, advancing from the sadder portrayals of women whose lives are forever marked by what happened in their lives, to something more life-affirming. In addition, JENNY's leaning towards romance provides it with an ethereal feel that the other narratives, with moral considerations, could not offer. A more modern version of the hardships of an unwed mother, JENNY asks viewers to consider another perspective on this theme. 

Overview: George Bloomfield was a Canadian director who presided over ten motion pictures in a twenty-nine year period. He made dramas, thrillers, family fare, and also ventured into comedy in his output. Mr Bloomfield's second movie, TO KILL A CLOWN (1972), was an unconventional thriller about a couple holidaying on the beach, and how their encounter with a Vietnam veteran changes them forever. CHILD UNDER A LEAF (1974), had a similar, if divergent premise. A woman trapped in an abusive marriage has an extramarital affair, giving birth to her lover's child, but tries to move away from her egotistical husband. NOTHING PERSONAL (1980), was a comedy of an activist professor concerned about the plight of baby seals, and how he is assisted in his mission by a lawyer. Critically roasted in its time, it has sunken into oblivion. Thriller DOUBLE NEGATIVE (1980), showcased a man whose wife was murdered, and how he tries to find her killer, and exactly what happened that fateful night. THE ARGON QUEST (1992), was a family movie with two brothers transported to a magical island, the only way to save it is by finding the giant Argon. JACOB TWO TWO MEETS THE HOODED FANG (1999), was another family picture. A young boy who likes to mention things in twos, goes shopping one day, but is misunderstood by the grocer, subsequently landing in a children's prison. Some friends in the prison assist him, and plan to escape from there in this fantasy movie. JENNY was George Bloomfield's film debut, and a good, if uneven, first movie.

With JENNY, George Bloomfield has crafted a subtle story of a pregnant, unwed young woman who meets a filmmaker whom she eventually marries. The movie ably charts their blossoming relationship through all the obstacles which come their way in light of their decision to wed, and for the photographer to take on the role of husband, and father, to a child which is not his own. It is a film which has an assured pace, and delicately examines its lead characters' feelings about their situation. There is no doubt as to the sincerity of the director in focusing upon the plight of an unwed mother in his picture, and this is one of its best qualities. This is a topic which has been featured in cinema over all time, and here the director adds his own interpretation to this issue. 

Where the movie lacks punch is that sometimes the pace is too slow and languorous, the conflict being too distant in regularity to have an impact. There is a concentration of romantic scenes which suits the material, but the aura of dreaminess does have the tendency to outweigh the more dramatic stretches. If JENNY had extra segments of antagonism between its characters, it would seem even more real as a product. As it is, the film is a little topsy turvy in balancing drama with romance. Nevertheless, in the final analysis, certain things can be said about JENNY as a motion picture. It is a pleasant movie from George Bloomfield that needed some tinkering, but whose overall honesty in what it says about people, and life, is commendable.

Acting: There are two performances which give life to JENNY. In the lead role of Jenny, Marlo Thomas is thoroughly believable as a young woman who has made mistakes in life, and tries in her own way to rectify these. With her warmth, openness, and ability to share her feelings with the audience, Miss Thomas is excellent. As Delano, the photographer who Jenny marries, their relationship not all smooth sailing, Alan Alda is well matched with Marlo Thomas. Although he is usually the good-humored leading man, here Mr Alda takes a dive into darker, more multi-faceted territory, which shows how versatile an actor he is. 

Soundtrack: Michael Small's attractive musical score suits the solemn, leisurely-paced material, always subtle, but never overbearing. It adds a certain flair and grace to scenes, one of the best examples being the scene where Jenny and Delano race merrily around the park.

Mise-en-scene: JENNY has a very good handle on its visuals, thanks to the work of several key personnel. The Deluxe cinematography by David Quaid is lush, and exceedingly easy on the eyes without being garish. It makes everything appear as if it was from a carefully-composed painting which has been turned into a film. Trevor Williams' art direction, and set decoration by Alan Hicks, create an agreeable world of beautiful parks, inviting rooms, and pretty streetscapes. Two key examples stand out in this respect. The home of Jenny's parents is elegant without being overdone, and the apartment which Jenny and Delano share is slightly bohemian, but feels as if real people would indeed inhabit this abode.

Notable Acting Performances: Marlo Thomas, Alan Alda.

Suitability for young viewers: Parental discretion advised. Adult themes.

Overall Grade: C

Link: IMDB Page

THE YOUNG LOVERS (1964)

Title: THE YOUNG LOVERS

Year of Release: 1964

Director: Samuel Goldwyn Jr.

Genre: Drama, Romance

Synopsis: Two university students discover that love is not all that is required to live an authentic existence.

Within a film history context: Movies about college students finding love have been featured from the early sound era. The first main example was Sam Wood's SO THIS IS COLLEGE (1929). Two college friends become rivals over a fellow student, but discover she is nothing but a tease, and again resume their friendship. COLLEGE HUMOR (1933), directed by Wesley Ruggles, had a similar love triangle scenario, but in this instance, a young college student is pursued by not only a fellow college football star, but also, a professor at the establishment. In David Butler's THE GIRL HE LEFT BEHIND (1956), a young college student has a girlfriend also in college, and does not aspire to much. After she leaves him, he fails an exam, and has to join the army, in light of his grades. Once drafted, he learns a thing or two about how to be a responsible person in this romance movie. Comedy TALL STORY (1960), directed by Joshua Logan, followed the life of a young college basketball player, and the fellow college student who uses her wiles to marry him, but their road to happiness is not a smooth one. In contrast to the earlier entries, THE YOUNG LOVERS was the most in-depth representation of college students falling in love.

It was an updated version of the 1930s movies of college students finding love, with similar romantic scenarios, but with 1960s sensibilities in terms of sexuality, and personal responsibility. The dramatic nature of THE YOUNG LOVERS allows for this, whereby the older examples were rooted in a lighter mood and feel in keeping with the censorship of the times. Aside from this, the intense focus on one particular couple also does away with the more simplistic triangles in SO THIS IS COLLEGE, and COLLEGE HUMOR. THE YOUNG LOVERS also differs from both THE GIRL HE LEFT BEHIND, and TALL STORY, with their emphasis on a male protagonist. In THE YOUNG LOVERS, attention floats from Eddie to Pam in the movie, giving each character sufficient airtime. While both Eddie and Pam want love and romance, the journey here is more about finding themselves, and their footing, in life. This is something tackled in THE GIRL HE LEFT BEHIND, with its male character's escapades highlighted, but that film is comic in its intentions rather than serious compared to THE YOUNG LOVERS. A notable take on college students and their lives, THE YOUNG LOVERS is watchable in this respect for the handling of its themes.

Overview: Samuel Goldwyn Jr. was a prolific producer who made only one film, being THE YOUNG LOVERS. His producing credits included THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, COTTON COMES TO HARLEM and its sequel, COME BACK CHARLESTON BLUE, THE GOLDEN SEAL, MYSTIC PIZZA, STELLA, THE PREACHER'S WIFE, and THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY. He was also involved in television, producing two broadcasts of the Academy Awards, a telemovie, and a number of prime-time series. Due to the fact Mr Goldwyn helmed only one picture, this review shall concentrate upon his work on THE YOUNG LOVERS.

With reference to THE YOUNG LOVERS, Samuel Goldwyn Jr. has fashioned a sensitive exploration of two college students, their blossoming love affair, and the events which mark them in their journey. He has produced a motion picture which has a steady pace, and the ability to clearly enunciate its characters' feelings about their lives. There is a certain sincerity about this movie, and its intentions, which is creditable. It attempts to give depth to the lives of college students, and the difficulties which may be faced by them, instead of finding pat solutions to problems. By no means is the film a deep dive into social issues and realism, even though it touches upon these in the narrative. There are views on personal responsibility and family, which are always pertinent ideas for discussion. The movie provides balance by also featuring romantic scenarios and subtle comedy stretches which do relieve some of the lulls in the story. While THE YOUNG LOVERS has qualities to recommend it, there are some flaws which hinder its overall impact.

The love story between Eddie and Pam is the focal point here, but it never feels as if it is live or die for these characters. Even though there is the best attempt by both performers, and the story, to shore up interest in their romance, it does not catch fire as one would expect. The lack of chemistry between Eddie and Pam causes THE YOUNG LOVERS to seesaw in an uneven manner. What occurs is that the second leads, being Tarragoo and Debbie, come off as being much more animated and interesting than Eddie and Pam. The engaging Tarragoo, and his lively girlfriend Debbie, are the stars of the picture, their dominance making Eddie and Pam's plight rather bland in comparison. This is unfortunate, and causes the movie to lose oomph early on, from which it does not recover lost ground. The presence of Pam's mother Mrs Burns also adds drama and punch whenever she is shown, but alas, her appearances are fitful. If a better connection was present between the leads, it would have been a much better product. A satisfactory attempt to review the lives of college students, THE YOUNG LOVERS is only partially successful in its mission of being topical.

Acting: The acting in THE YOUNG LOVERS is very good, but there are two instances of miscasting which derail the movie. In the lead part of university student Eddie Slocum, Peter Fonda does an acceptable job, but the role is too static for him to shine. The same applies to his co-star, Sharon Hugueny, as Pam Burns, Eddie's other half. However much both performers try, they are stuck in limbo with a lack of chemistry not assisting them. On the other hand, Nick Adams, as Eddie's friend Tarragoo, is excellent. With his agreeable manner, gusto, tough guy attitude, and humor, Mr Adams lights up the screen whenever he is present. As Tarragoo's girlfriend Debbie, Deborah Walley is nicely-matched with Nick Adams, their pairing fun to witness. In a more serious vein was Beatrice Straight as Mrs Burns, Pam's mother. With her piercing gaze, perfect diction, and poise, Miss Straight was another great acting interpretation in the picture. The final acting which deserves mention was Malachi Throne as Professor Schwartz, Eddie's lecturer. An actor of authority, with a metalliferous voice, his Professor was on screen for way too short a duration, but, nevertheless, leaves his mark on THE YOUNG LOVERS.

Soundtrack: Sol Kaplan's score is professional, and appropriate to every scene in the movie without being overwhelming. It reinforces the quiet, slightly illicit feel which THE YOUNG LOVERS tries to achieve in its workings.

Mise-en-scene: THE YOUNG LOVERS has a good handle on its mise-en-scene. Cinematography by Joseph Biroc and Ellsworth Fredericks is clean and crisp, never becoming too dark, but is nicely measured. Fernando Carrere's production design, and the set decoration by Frank Wade, are both excellent, with the university classroom, the painter's studio, and, in particular, the Burns home, well done. Costuming by Wesley Jeffries and Rose Rockney ensures each character is different, and that their garments match their personality. Nick Adams' attire befits his role as the likeable, energetic young Tarragoo, with Beatrice Straight elegantly outfitted as the upper class Mrs Burns.

Notable Acting Performances: Nick Adams, Deborah Walley, Beatrice Straight, Malachi Throne.

Suitability for young viewers: Parental discretion advised. Adult themes.

Overall Grade: C

Link: IMDB Page