I know it was relevant for Hollywood to keep people away from their televisions in the early 1950's but the use of satire against it is still applicable for today. The main thrust of the satire is the tiring and obtrusive advertisements that waste so much of viewer's time, and in this case its splitting up films ( I personally had to endure them while watching ' Dreamboat .' ) The plot is simple; Clifton Webb in one of his best roles is a teacher of literature who was once a silent film actor known as Dreamboat by his fans. Ginger Rogers who starred with him has without his permission got a television channel to both show these films and also to promote her perfumes cutting up the films. Webb decides to take action along with his outraged young daughter played to perfection by Anne Francis, ( why was she not seen more often in good films ? ) and the fun begins. End of spoilers. I like this film a lot despite the improbability of Webb being a sex symbol for a vast public, but I got over it by the sheer comedic timing of his performance. As for Rogers she seemed to have less screen time, but the time she has makes this also one of her best films. Jeffrey Hunter plays the young love interest for Anne Francis. But in my opinion he was not at his best. I am not sure what the well known critics of the day thought of this really entertaining film, but I feel it should be better known for its witty script, and its fine acting from Webb, Francis and Rogers.
Review of Dreamboat
