Producer: David Weisbart. Copyright 18 November 1964 by Venice Productions. Released through 20th Century-Fox. New York opening at the Warner, Cinema 1 and other theaters: 18 November 1964. U.S. release: 18 November 1964. U.K. release: April 1965. Sydney opening at the Regent. 10,397 feet. 115 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: A wild party is underway on the yacht owned by Sir Leopold Sartori (Walter Matthau). Among the revelers is Sartori's wife, Rusty (Laura Devon) who is dancing with Charlie Sorel. When Rusty and Charlie slip below decks, Sir Leopold follows them with a gun. There is a scream and a burst of gunfire as Charlie dives through the porthole into the water. George Tracy (Tony Curtis), a friend of Charlie's, is named executor of his will. After the funeral, which is attended by a few of "Charlie's Girls", the epithet given to the women in Charlie's life, George returns to his home. As he is about to retire, Bruce Minton (Pat Boone) and a dazed-looking blonde (Debbie Reynolds) break in through the patio sliding doors.
NOTES: Running a disappointing 109 performances, the stage play, "Goodbye Charlie", opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre (sic) on 16 December 1959. Leland Hayward produced and George Axelrod directed. Lauren Bacall was Charlie, Sidney Chaplin was George and Sarah Marshall was Rusty. The film characters of Bruce and Sartori were not in Axelrod's original play.
COMMENT: Goodbye Minnelli! Lovers of frenetic farce and rabid fans of Curtis and Reynolds may find something to their taste in this sparingly witty but mostly witless caper. Two or three clever strokes such as Matthau's Kordaesque caricature of a Hungarian mogul and Martin Gabel's clone of "Swifty" Lazar betoken the behind-the- camera presence of film stylist Vincente Minnelli. But even five or six admirable brush strokes do not in themselves an appealing picture make. Alas, Charlie has little else of entertainment value up his/her sleeve.
OTHER VIEWS: "Goodbye Charlie" hasn't lost a bit of its bad taste in transition to the screen. In fact, all the smarmy creepiness and sleazy smuttiness has been expanded. — Judith Crist in the N.Y. Herald Tribune.
Few surprises and even fewer laughs in this sex scramble. There's a tastelessness about it that's deadly. — Time.
SYNOPSIS: A wild party is underway on the yacht owned by Sir Leopold Sartori (Walter Matthau). Among the revelers is Sartori's wife, Rusty (Laura Devon) who is dancing with Charlie Sorel. When Rusty and Charlie slip below decks, Sir Leopold follows them with a gun. There is a scream and a burst of gunfire as Charlie dives through the porthole into the water. George Tracy (Tony Curtis), a friend of Charlie's, is named executor of his will. After the funeral, which is attended by a few of "Charlie's Girls", the epithet given to the women in Charlie's life, George returns to his home. As he is about to retire, Bruce Minton (Pat Boone) and a dazed-looking blonde (Debbie Reynolds) break in through the patio sliding doors.
NOTES: Running a disappointing 109 performances, the stage play, "Goodbye Charlie", opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre (sic) on 16 December 1959. Leland Hayward produced and George Axelrod directed. Lauren Bacall was Charlie, Sidney Chaplin was George and Sarah Marshall was Rusty. The film characters of Bruce and Sartori were not in Axelrod's original play.
COMMENT: Goodbye Minnelli! Lovers of frenetic farce and rabid fans of Curtis and Reynolds may find something to their taste in this sparingly witty but mostly witless caper. Two or three clever strokes such as Matthau's Kordaesque caricature of a Hungarian mogul and Martin Gabel's clone of "Swifty" Lazar betoken the behind-the- camera presence of film stylist Vincente Minnelli. But even five or six admirable brush strokes do not in themselves an appealing picture make. Alas, Charlie has little else of entertainment value up his/her sleeve.
OTHER VIEWS: "Goodbye Charlie" hasn't lost a bit of its bad taste in transition to the screen. In fact, all the smarmy creepiness and sleazy smuttiness has been expanded. — Judith Crist in the N.Y. Herald Tribune.
Few surprises and even fewer laughs in this sex scramble. There's a tastelessness about it that's deadly. — Time.