Would anyone object if I gave this stray puppy a few additional kicks?
Norman Corwin was a celebrated radio playwright whose work leaned to extremes -- stories about social/political issues, and fantasy/science-fiction. "My Client Curly" (on which this film is based) obviously falls into the second group, and was co-written with Lucille Fletcher (Bernard Herrmann's wife at the time).
I don't know what the radio play was like, but the movie adaptation likely crushed whatever wit or originality there was in Corwn's work. Virtually every plot turn is telegraphically predictable, and the sappy/saccharine ending leaves you wishing Cary Grant had crushed the caterpillar with his shoe -- after having set it on fire with lighter fluid -- as it was dancing. "Help me... Help me!"
The one honest moment occurs when Grant slaps the boy when trying to seize the shoebox with the caterpillar. Grant's anger -- and following guilt -- are nicely underplayed.
The script is shallow and tedious (the writers don't seem to have much of an idea about the /point/ of the story), as is the direction. "Once Upon a Time" is one of the longest and most-irritating 90-minute films I've ever seen.
Woof-woof.
Norman Corwin was a celebrated radio playwright whose work leaned to extremes -- stories about social/political issues, and fantasy/science-fiction. "My Client Curly" (on which this film is based) obviously falls into the second group, and was co-written with Lucille Fletcher (Bernard Herrmann's wife at the time).
I don't know what the radio play was like, but the movie adaptation likely crushed whatever wit or originality there was in Corwn's work. Virtually every plot turn is telegraphically predictable, and the sappy/saccharine ending leaves you wishing Cary Grant had crushed the caterpillar with his shoe -- after having set it on fire with lighter fluid -- as it was dancing. "Help me... Help me!"
The one honest moment occurs when Grant slaps the boy when trying to seize the shoebox with the caterpillar. Grant's anger -- and following guilt -- are nicely underplayed.
The script is shallow and tedious (the writers don't seem to have much of an idea about the /point/ of the story), as is the direction. "Once Upon a Time" is one of the longest and most-irritating 90-minute films I've ever seen.
Woof-woof.