CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : THE OPPOSITE SEX .. MGM .. USA 1956 ..

 THE OPPOSITE SEX

Starring
JUNE ALLYSON as Kay Hilliard 
JOAN COLLINS as Crystal Allen 
DOLORES GRAY as Sylvia 
ANN SHERIDAN as Amanda 
ANN MILLER as Gloria 
LESLIE NIELSEN as Steven Hilliard 
JEFF RICHARDS as Buck Winston 
AGNES MOOREHEAD as Countess Grafin 
CHARLOTTE GREENWOOD as Lucy 
JOAN BLONDELL as Edith 
SAM LEVENE as Mike Parker 
BILL GODWIN as Howard Fowler 
ALICE PEARCE as Olga 
CAROLYN JONES as Pat 

Director of Photography - Robert Bronner         Music by George Stoll          New songs- Sammy Cahn  
     Screenplay by Fay & Michael Kahn           Adapted from  "The Women" by Claire Luce Booth
              Costumes by Helen Rose    Produced by Joe Pasternak    Directed by David Miller

(c)  1956  MGM ...  116 MINS ...  METROCOLOR.....

When Kay Hilliard discovers her loving husband is having an affair with a showgirl, she seeks a divorce and must gather her strength to regain her self esteem. But things are not that rosy between her ex and Crystal Allen. Kay decides to fight for the man she loves and with the help of a little gossip, innuendo and the glare of Jungle Red, we soon discover the bare facts about The Opposite Sex!!

This glorious film from MGM, has an all star cast and is a remake of a 1939 Joan Crawford / Norma Shearer film called "The Women", based on a play by Clare Luce Booth. The original was a drama, while MGM decided to add musical numbers to this version and bill it as a musical. It was originally set to star Esther Williams, but she was not interested in the role, maybe the lack of a swimming pool put her off!! The role instead went to June Allyson, who was a favourite with fifties audiences.. Joan plays the role off the vixen Crystal, originally played by another J C , Joan Crawford. Of course much later in her career, Joan would become involved with another Crystal, albeit spelt differently! Carolyn Jones who plays Joan's roommate Pat in the film was living with Aaron Spelling at the time, he been another connection with Joan's later career success. Joan was under contract to Fox, but they were delighted with her performances, so they were more than happy to loan her out to MGM for this film. But glamorous as the finished production looks, it was not all heavenly on set. Joan had a few unpleasant incidents during shooting. Whilst shooting a bath scene, which took three days, she developed a reaction to the detergent they were using to create the bubble bath. This caused her to break out in a rash, which burned her skin... While shooting a confrontation scene where June's character Kay finds out Crystal is seeing her husband, June has to slap Joan across the face. Well June slapped Joan so hard that her earring fell off and Joan had a black eye for a few days. June ended up in a worse state than Joan, with the shock as she had not been instructed to do the scene properly. Between being burned by bubble bath and battered by a fifties sweetheart, the last straw was when Joan's ex-husband Maxwell Reed appeared on the Hollywood scene, as he had just opened a lawsuit against her, claiming she owed him over a thousand dollars a month in palimony. He charged her with cruelty and desertion in his superior court suit. He laughably said he had made her the success she was! She even had to deal with been served a summons on the set to appear in a Los Angeles court over the matter..

However Joan enjoyed making the film, even though there was endless costume fittings. The film is more famous for it's fabulous fashion parade, than anything else. The costumes by top MGM designer Helen Rose, who has two Oscars for her work and has been nominated on eight occasions, are sensational to look at.. The costumes have even influenced today's designers, most famously Isaac Mizrahi, who has commented that they had inspired him! The director David Miller was delighted with Joan's performance and was heard telling Joe Collins, Joan's dad that he thought she was the perfect actress, reliable, co-operative, always on time and wonderfully untempremental... I recently spoke to Leslie Neilsen , who liked Joan and has met her over the years, but he could not remember much about the film.  "The Opposite Sex" was nominated for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy at the 1957 Golden Globe Awards. Even though it got panned by critics and viewers alike, it still is a glorious film to watch, with a sparkling cast of legendary ladies, glorious costumes,not too great songs, but two out of three ain't bad!!

Joan offset with director David Miller, Agnes Moorhead, Ann Miller, Carolyn Jones, June Allyson & others

Grace Kelly & Eleanor Parker were originally in the frame for the role of Kay Hilliard but it was give to June Allyson..

REVIEW :

The New York Times ...

Bosley Crowther  Nov 16th 1956 ...

ALTHOUGH Clare Boothe's "The Women" was staged about twenty years ago and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer filmed it in 1939, it has aged gracefully, to judge by "The Opposite Sex," the remake that arrived at the Capitol yesterday.Most of Miss Boothe's comedy-drama still drips vitriol and the fangs and claws of its decorative vixens are almost as terrifying as they were two decades ago. The venomous mixture of deadly females vs. deadlier females, sharp dialogue and songs is a surface inspection of a segment of Manhattan society rather than the deep dissection it once was. One might not want to live in this plush "jungle" but the principals, who keep the catfights going briskly, make it an interesting place to visit.Although some aspects of the original investigation of the well-endowed Park Avenue-Broadway echelon have changed, "The Women" basically is still the story of "the jaded, frenetic women" whose meat is gossip and whose wine is divorce talk.It is still the soignée tale of Kay Hilliard, former singer, whose ten-year marriage to play-producer Steven Hilliard is the envy of one of her malicious, well-heeled friends. The pointed chatter of beauty salons and bistros that eventually leads to the wreck of the marriage as well as several others, is still highlighted by some bitter satire. Although our heroine's happy home life finally is restored, it is, as has been noted, a feline carnival for the ladies before the villainesses get their comeuppances.Speaking of the ladies, it might be added that it is this corner's opinion that the lush wardrobes, enhanced by excellent color photography, provided for this covey of dames, is enough to drive distaff viewers to distraction. Although the addition of five new songs by the team of Nicholas Brodszky and Sammy Cahn would seem out of place in a comedy of manners and mores, most of them are fitted neatly into the plot. June Allyson, who does an excellent job as indomitable Kay, gives a good, throaty rendition of "Now, Baby, Now."Joan Collins' performance as the two-timing chorus girl who snatches Miss Allyson's husband is eye-filling but hardly inspired. Dolores Gray, as the blonde gossipmonger who loses her mate to Ann Miller; Ann Sheridan, as a sympathetic, unattached writer who knows all about the opposite sex; Joan Blondell, in a brief role as the gentle matron who is making a career of motherhood, and Agnes Moorehead, as a brassy, much-married countess, lend spice to the palaver and punch to the battles.The men—including Jeff Richards, as a handsome Reno cowpoke for whom the Misses Gray and Collins fall; Leslie Nielsen, as Miss Allyson's husband, and Sam Levene, as her agent—try desperately to color comparatively pallid assignments. There's no point in underestimating them. Despite commendable stints by producer David Miller and director David Miller, the ladies dominate "The Opposite Sex." It should be a treat for them.

Joan & June slug it out in the film's infamous scene!

Joan with Dolores Gray

'The Opposite Sex' was recently released on Blu-ray from Warner Archive, it had previously released it on dvd a few years earlier.. The film looks glorious and a feast for the eyes.. The only extra is the original trailer.. 

ORDER THE OPPOSITE SEX BLU-RAY HERE!

You can also order the dvd version of the film at the above link! 

Dvd Sleeve of the Warner Archive release ..

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : THE GIRL IN THE RED VELVET SWING .. 20TH CENTURY FOX .. USA 1955 ..

 

20TH CENTURY FOX

Presents

A Cinemascope Production

THE GIRL IN THE RED VELVET SWING
 Starring
RAY MILLAND       JOAN COLLINS    FARLEY GRANGER

Luther Adler  Cornelia Otis Skinner  Glenda Farrell  Frances Fuller  Philip Reed  Gale Robbins
    John Hoyt  Robert Simon  Harvey Stephens  Emile Meyer  Leslie Parrish.
Assistant Director - Ben Kadish    Director of Photography - Milton Krasner A.S.C
Music by Leigh Harline  Art Director - Lyle R Wheeler & Maurice Ransford  Edited by William Mace
   Written by Walter Reisch & Charles Brackett    Costumes by Charles La Maire
           Produced by Charles Brackett   Directed by Richard Fleischer

True life scandal as showgirl Evelyn Nesbitt becomes involved with two men, who hate each other as much as they love her! Playboy architect Stanford White and millionaire Harry K Thaw, take their jealousies over Evelyn out in public. Jealousy that ends in murder and a sensational trial ensues. A trial that shocked a nation and focused attention on The Girl In The Red Velvet Swing!

(c)  1955  .. FOX .. 109 MINS .. COLOR by DELUXE .. 

"The Girl In The Red Velvet Swing" was originally intended for Marilyn Monroe, but she was deemed too old for the role and she had been put on suspension, she refused to do the role as she felt it too serious a part for her. It then was set to star Sheree North, who was a contract player at that time, but the role finally was offered to Joan. It is loosely based on the scandalous case of Evelyn Nesbitt, the original Gibson girl, who became involved with married, ageing architect Stanford White and the unbalanced young millionaire Harry Thaw. The real Evelyn was employed as a technical advisor on the film, which critics complained gave a sanitised version of the story and portrayed Evelyn as the victim. In reality Evelyn sat on a bottom glass seat for white as she swung knickerless or even naked for him. Where as in the film, she is portrayed as the virginal girl next door, pounced on my worldly wolves! Following the court case, the real Evelyn went on to make eleven movies from 1914 to 1922. But after bad investments she became penniless, until she died in 1967. Joan enjoyed making the lavish film, which Fox spent $1.6 million dollars on. It turned out to be Joan's grandmother Hettie's favourite film's of hers!

Joan with the real Evelyn Nesbitt off set..

While making the film, Joan learned some valuable make-up tips from Hollywood expert Witey Snyder, which she put into use on her subsequent film roles. She also began to take more care in her public appearances, after some harsh words from director Richard Fleischer, who saw her lunching in the Fox commissary with no make-up and untidy hair and clothes. He told her to never go out without grooming herself, as it is a star's duty to always look their best for their public. This is a lesson that Joan has continued to practice, to this day, as she always appears in public looking well groomed and eternally glamorous! It also did not do her any favours when top Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper commented..

" Joan Collins obviously combs her hair with an egg beater!"

The film gave Joan the opportunity to appear on the cover of "Life" magazine, which was something of a prestigious event at that time.
One critic commented... " Joan Collins is startlingly beautiful and sexy as Evelyn. She's a torrid baggage!"

Some reviews of the film at the time included;
VARIETY -

"Joan Collins is a captivating, bundle of sex appeal!"

DAILY SKETCH -

"Joan Collins is a young woman of almost disturbing beauty, technically accomplished, perfectly poised, stylish from the top of her head, to the turn of an ankle. She possesses the capacity to express an eager eroticism, beneath the appearance of virginal innocence and gives a performance as sweet and intelligent as any we have reason to expect."

ROBERT OTTAWAY -

"Joan was the most mishandled actress that ever belonged to the Rank Organisation. Now she is set to join the ranks of top grade international stars!"

Joan was still living with Sydney Chaplin at this time but he still was lounging around, watching TV and playing golf and showing her little attention. The last straw as far as she was concerned came in Palm Springs, where he had agreed to pick Joan up at the airport, but he was too wrapped up in his golfing and his friends that he never bothered! She had enough at this stage and moved out of the Beverly Glen apartment they shared, which she had hated anyway! She then found an apartment on Olive Drive, which coincidently was near to her next beau, Arthur Loew Jr!
Despite it's big budget, sadly the film lost money at the box office. But it still is a glorious film to view today and Joan looks stunning as the ill fated showgirl.

Joan in makeup having her hair done for the shoot

German poster

'The Girl In The Red Velvet Swing' was first released on DVD as part of the Superstar collection of Joan's Fox films in Region 1 USA and was available as a seperate release in 2007.. However this
release is no longer available but you can buy on Amazon from various sellers here!

BUY THE JOAN COLLINS SUPERSTAR COLLECTION FEATURING GIRL IN THE RED VELVET SWING HERE!

Sleeve of Reg 2 release now deleted..

Joan with Farley Granger

CHARITY ALERT : MAIL FORCE COMPUTERS FOR KIDS .. FEBRUARY 10TH 2021 ..

Mail Force Charity, which gave over 42 million items of PPE to the NHS and charitable organisations last year, has launched a new fundraising drive called Computers for Kids.

With schools closed, up to a million pupils are struggling with accessing lessons from home due to a lack of equipment. Computers for Kids aims to ensure all Britain’s schoolchildren are equipped with a laptop or computer tablet – so no child is prevented from learning during the lockdown.
As part of this campaign, companies are donating their old laptops which, for around £15, can be wiped, professionally refurbished and made safe and fit for home schooling. They can then be delivered to a child or young person who needs one.

In addition, the campaign is looking to support children’s needs in other ways such as funding brand new laptops and tablets, and assisting with data access and connectivity for online learning. Any surplus funds will be used to support of the work of UK schools via other means.
The campaign launched on Saturday, and within 48 hours has already raised a staggering £250,000. Thousands of contributions have flooded in from philanthropists and Daily Mail readers, coupled with heartfelt messages of support.

The new initiative was hailed by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, all the main teaching unions, and the Children’s Commissioner for England yesterday.

Robert Halfon, chairman of the Education Select Committee, said: “The deepening divide between the haves and have-nots has been exposed all too clearly by coronavirus. I salute the Mail for all they are doing.”

Please visit mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate to make a donation. Please don’t send us your old device.
Companies who would like to give old tech should go to computacenter.com/daily-mail
Schools can apply to receive equipment here: https://get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk

MAIL FORCE CHARITY

Hundreds of thousands of British schoolchildren are falling behind because they don’t have laptops and cannot follow online lessons – but you can help.

Mail Force is a charity originally set up to help healthcare workers and volunteers obtain essential personal protective equipment (PPE), but now has a new goal of providing much needed school equipment and resources for pupils across the UK learning from home.

As part of this campaign, companies are donating their old laptops which will cost around £15 to be wiped, professionally refurbished and made safe and fit for home schooling. They can then be delivered to a child or young person who needs one.

In addition, Mail Force are looking to support children’s needs in other ways such as funding brand new laptops and tablets, and assisting with data access and connectivity for online learning.

Any surplus funds will be used to support of the work of UK schools via other means.

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : THE VIRGIN QUEEN .. 20TH CENTURY FOX .. USA 1955 ..

 

20th Century Fox
Presents
A Cinemascope Production

THE VIRGIN QUEEN
Starring

BETTE DAVIS   RICHARD TODD   JOAN COLLINS

Jay Robinson   Herbert Marshall   Dan O'Herilihy   Robert Douglas   Romney Brent  Rod Taylor

    Assistant Director - Joseph E Rickards                 Director of Photography - Charles G Clark  A.S.C
Music by Franz Waxman   Art Director - Lyle R Wheeler & Leland Fuller  Edited by Robert Simpson A.C.E
           Written by Harry Brown &  Mindret Lord   Costumes by Mary Wills &  Charles La Maire
                                Produced by Charles Brackett  Directed by Henry Koster

 (c)  1955  FOX ..  92 MINS .. Color by Deluxe ..

"The Virgin Queen" was Joan's first major Hollywood film and it also was Bette Davis's first film in three years
, as she had left Hollywood to star on Broadway in the musical revue "Two's Company". But her run on Broadway was cut short as she had to undergo jaw surgery and it took her sometime to recover. Joan was happy with the role of Beth Throgmorton, a lady in waiting to the domineering Queen. She commented on her part as "Cool. Crazy. Jolly Good!". She was however both in awe and wary of the legendary Bette, as she recently recalled.
" The costumes were terribly uncomfortable, as I was wearing a modified version of the steel corset, the constrictive costumes probably accounted for Bette's bad moods. She stalked up and down the set chain-smoking and she was not too fond of young pretty actresses and she constantly barked angrily as us for minor infractions. In one scene I had to lace up her shoe and she would not keep her foot still, shouting at me then for messing up the scene. Finally the director Henry Koster demanded I play her at her own game. This I did by grabbing her foot between my knees and preventing her from shaking it and finally I could lace up the shoe. After that incident Bette had a bit more respect for me!"

It was Bette's second time to play the role of Elizabeth 1st and she certainly suffered for her art on this picture. Her days began at 5.30, where she had to have her head freshly shaved, eyebrows plucked and her eyelashes bleached. The real Queen had been bald since the age of sixteen and Bette wanted an authentic look. But Bette wasn't the only one suffering for her art as Joan had to spend endless hours standing for costume fittings, as every costume was handmade and they were covered with thousands of tiny seed pearls and other beads. The costumes were so lavish that costume designers Mary Wills and Charles Le Maire were nominated for an Oscar for costume design at the 1956 Oscars. The film had it's gala premiere at The Strand Theatre in Portland Maine. It was a benefit for The Children's Theatre of Portland and was attended by more than 100 stars and journalists from New York. Bette had made her home in Maine for the three years she had been away from Hollywood. Joan at the time was still living with Sydney Chaplin in an apartment on Beverly Glen, near the Fox studios. But things were not all rosy, as she was paying all the bills as Sydney was out of work and spent his days watching TV or playing golf. But although Joan found working with Bette, a sometimes terrifying experience, her co-star Richard Todd had only good things to say about both ladies. He was fond of Bette and admired her greatly. He commented that he thought Joan was splendid, a professional and a nice person. Joan would work with Todd a few more times over the years, in the 60's they co-starred in "Subterfuge" and in the early 80's they would appear in the play "Murder in Mind".  Gossip columnist's had also begun to notice Joan with comments such as:

Earl Wilson - "Joan Collins is the zippiest, unstuffy British actress we know!"

Joan with Richard Todd

Louella Parsons - "I don't see how anybody could be bored with Joan Collins!"

The New York Times review by Bosley Crowther...

"Here in this bold and splendid pageant of Queen Elizabeth's court, which producer Charles Brackett has assembled in colour and Cinemascope, Bette Davis repeats as the monarch that she was to a regal degree in "The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex" back in 1939. Again she is the royal person, stuffed into puffy costumes and striding through swarms of low-gowned ladies in waiting and mincing courtiers! How Miss Davis finds the courage to do again a role that she did with such memorable perfection, when we were all much younger than we are? Well! Miss Davis has assembled such a complex of make-up for this job, that is isn't really herself but a facade that she animates on the screen. From behind all this ornamentation, Miss Davis projects a thing that seems part man, part woman, part monster, part suppliant and part freak! Also as further inducement, she has in Richard Todd, a fine and more aggressive leading man, than she had in Errol Flynn. As for Joan Collins as the court lady whom Raleigh secretly weds, she is pretty and mildly vivacious, adequate to the plot. Henry Koster's direction is consistent with the size of the Cinemascope screen. This is the biggest drama of Elizabeth yet paraded. Perhaps that is why Miss Davis wanted to play the Queen again."

Bette Davis is her usual excellent self in the role of the monstrous old Queen, while Joan is as lovely as ever in the role of her rival. "The Virgin Queen" is classic Hollywood fare and always worth a screening!

Joan off set with Bette Davis & Richard Todd and other film cast and crew

'The Virgin Queen' has been released in the UK & USA on dvd with excellent prints, the 2006 USA version is my favourite as it features original artwork which includes Joan.. The 2012 UK region 2 release only has Bette on the cover.. You can order both at the following links!

BUY THE VIRGIN QUEEN REGION 1 USA HERE!

REGION 1 USA DVD

BUY THE VIRGIN QUEEN REGION 2 UK DVD HERE!

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : LAND OF THE PHARAOHS .. WARNER BROTHERS .. USA ... 1954 ..

 WARNER BROTHERS

Presents
 A Continental Company Ltd Production


LAND OF THE PHARAOHS

Starring

JACK HAWKINS

JOAN COLLINS

DEWEY MARTIN
                  
ALEXIS MINOTIS

JAMES ROBERTSON JUSTICE

SIDNEY CHAPLIN
 
JAMES HAYTER

LUISA BONI

KERIMA

PIERO GLAGNON

Assistant Director - Paul Helmick   Director of Photography - Lee Garmes A.S.C & Russell Harlan A.S.C
   Music by Dimitri Tiomkin   Art Director - Alexandre Trauner  Associate Producer - Arthur Siteman
      Written by William Faulkner & Harry Kurnitz & Harold Jack Bloom   Edited by V.Sagovsky
                          Produced by Howard Hawks       Directed by Howard Hawks

(c)  1955  Warner Bros .. Warnercolor ...  105 Mins ..

With a cast of thousands, ( 9,787 extras in one scene!), this was Joan's first big budget film, directed by Hollywood heavyweight director Howard Hawks.Joan had gone to Paris to do a screen test for a film called "My Kingdom For A Woman", where she met Hawks in the bar of the George V hotel.  Although she did not get the role, her meeting with Hawks must have made an impression on him as he summoned her to Rome to star as the scheming Princess Nellifer. Joan was appearing at the Q theatre in London with Donald Houston in "Claudia & David", where after her last performance, she literally left the theatre and rushed home to gather her belongings to fly to Rome. Hawks had originally cast an actress who was also a model called Ivy Nicholson, but she was becoming too demanding for Hawks, who had no alternative but to fire her! The film was shot in various locations in Egypt, in Luxor, Giza and the Valley of the Kings, with interiors at Rome's, Titanus studios. However Joan's scenes were shot in Rome, where she grew to love it's various restaurants, shops and the night life! It also had the attraction of a certain Sydney Chaplin, son of the legendary Charlie, whom she had begun an affair with.  Joan was still married to Maxwell Reed, but she was anxious to get a divorce, but she had to wait until the marriage had ran a course of three years, before she could apply. Chaplin had just finished an affair with another British star, Kay Kendall. Joan and Sydney spent three months on the film set by day, whilst sampling a bit too much of the Roman food and drink by night. As Joan's costumes were more than revealing, she started to gain weight, with all the pasta dinners they enjoyed.

Joan with Jack Hawkins

The most famous incident relates to the refusal of the Ruby, that was used to cover her navel, to stay in place! As censorship deemed the sight of the female navel too much for audiences, it had to be covered up, but as Joan had gained weight it would not stay in and it continued to pop out causing Joan to collapse with laughter, much to the annoyance of Hawks. Finally they managed to use glue to keep it in, while Joan was ordered to cut back on eating and drinking and lose weight. Joan's stand-in on the film

was the Egyptian star Dalida, who began her career on this film and since went on to become a big star of both films and  music. Although "Land of the Pharaohs" was one of Warner Bros most expensive films for it's time, it was not a box office hit. It was Hawk's first commercial failure and he found it hard to get over that fact by giving up Hollywood for four years to travel around Europe. His reasons for making the film was simply the fact he was approached to make a Cinemascope picture and he wanted a story which would project an astonishing feat of construction. His original plan was to film a story set in China, concerning the building of an airfield for the American army. In the story it was projected to take eight months, but the Chinese supplied twenty thousand men and women and the project was completed in three weeks. But that story was abandoned, due to the political situation at the time, which made co-operation with Red China, impossible. Hawks then decided on the building of the
pyramids, as it had a similar story.

 A.H Weiler wrote this review..
NEW YORK TIMES....
" The grandeur, imperial power and glory of ancient Egypt, seems to have captivated director Howard Hawks."Land of the Pharaoh's", revealed yesterday in vivid hues and the logically vast dimensions of Cinemascope, has scenes as spectacularly panoramic as any since Cecil B De-Mille  began fashioning variations on the old testament. But while it is impressively sweeping in the eye filling pageantry, this saga of the building of a colossal pyramid 5,000 years ago is staged on the creaky foundations of a tale of palace intrigue, that must have been banal even in the first Dynasty! Mr Hawks in short, is more passionate about the archaeological aspects, rather than stirring inventive drama. There is little distinction in the performances of the principals.
Jack Hawkins is merely a grim autocrat driven by selfishness and anxiety, to force his minions to work on a stupendous project!

Joan & Jack Hawkins

Joan Collins as the ill-fated princess is a torrid baggage, in filmy costumes, who obviously is equipped to turn potentates head. Her acting never does!

In journeying to Egypt, Hawks has managed to re-create in fascinating style, a part of the large picture of antiquity. His story is merely ancient!"

Daily Mirror Nov 54

Howard Hawks did return to Hollywood and made the now classic western "Rio Bravo". Joan, however had sealed her fate as a Hollywood star, as Twentieth Century Fox mogul, Daryl Zanuck saw the rushes of "Pharaoh's" and was eager to buy her from The Rank Organisation, by offering her a contract with Fox. Although "Land of the Pharaoh's" was a flop in it's day, it has since become a cult favourite and it is an enjoyable slice of biblical hokum, with Joan looking stunning as the scheming Princess Nellifer and wonderful locations and a cast of thousands, what more do you want!

There are a number of substandard releases of this classic on dvd, the only genuine release is the 2013 Warner Archive dvd as part of their Camp Classic collection.. You can order this release at the following link!

ORDER THE WARNER ARCHIVE - LAND OF THE PHARAOHS HERE!

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : THE GOOD DIE YOUNG .. ROMULOUS .. UK 1954 ..

 

              United Artists
                      Presents  
   A Romulus Production
The Good Die Young

 Starring
Laurence Harvey   Gloria Grahame  Richard Basehart  

John Ireland Rene Ray Stanley Baker Margaret Leighton 

Robert Morley Freda Jackson

Joan Collins as Mary

Associate Producer - Jack Clayton   Director of Photography - Jack Asher B.S.C  Music by Georges Auric
            Screenplay by Vernon Harris & Lewis Gilbert  From the Novel by Richard Macauley
             Art Director - Bernard Robinson       Edited by Ralph Kemplen         Produced by John Woolf
                                                             Directed by Lewis Gilbert

(c)  1954  Romulus   B/W  98 MINS

This 1954 film was Joan's last British film for some time, as she was nearing the start of her Hollywood career. Before starting work on this film, she was considered by Italian director Renato Castellani, for the role of Juliet in a production of "Romeo & Juliet" opposite Laurence Harvey, her old RADA mate.  But even though the role appealed to her, she was not too keen on Castellani's advice for her to shave her eyebrows, cap her teeth and most drastically have a nose job to give her the roman look!! Harvey did make the film but a starlet called Susan Shentall took the role of Juliet and she hasn't been heard of since! Joan refused to alter her looks for a film and instead co-starred with Harvey in this excellent crime drama.  Joan plays the more grown up role of the newly pregnant wife of an American played by Richard Basehart. She looks radiant in the role of the girl torn between her husband, who wants her to leave England and go to live in America with him, while her conniving selfish mother is determined to keep her in her clutches by constantly faking an illness to prevent her leaving.

Joan with Richard Basehart & Freda Jackson

 With an all star cast including Academy Award winning actress Gloria Grahame, who although born in Los Angeles, she had an English mother, the stage actress Jean Grahame.  Director Lewis Gilbert was not too keen on the casting of Grahame in the film as she had quite a reputation as a difficult to work with star! However producer Jack Wolfe was so impressed by her performance in "The Bad & The Beautiful", he felt she was perfect for the role of the trampy actress Denise. Gilbert recalled one day in makeup, Gloria inquired if England had any psychiatrists, as she used a lot of pills and was worried she might not get another supply! Lewis said of her "Gloria wasn't a great star or a great actress. But she had an extraordinary style as an actress, more than many great stars!"  Laurence Harvey stars as the ring leader, who masterminds the robbery at the centre of the story. Harvey plays the son of a rich Sir, played by Robert Morley, who never works and lives off  a rich older woman played by Margaret Leighton. Harvey married Leighton sometime later! He also would team up with producer Jack Clayton for "Room at the Top". Richard Basehart and John Ireland were cast in the film to appeal to American distributors, as was common then to cast American stars to boost overseas sales.

The film's director Lewis Gilbert went on to direct three of the classic Bond films as well as the popular "Shirley Valentine". Gilbert had also directed Joan in the earlier film "Cosh Boy". "The Good Die Young" was shot at Shepperton Studios and on location around London. The British censors at the time, were not happy with the original script and had the scene of the robbery changed from a bank to a post office! To give a moral tone, they had Lewis add voice-overs, as a sort of sermon to the audience on the perils of crime! Away from the cameras, Joan was still suffering in her marriage to Maxwell Reed and it would be only a matter of time before the marriage would be over and she would be on her way to Hollywood! After she finished work on this film, she did more theatre and co-starred with Donald Houston in the American comedy "Claudia & David".

Joan with Richard Basehart

Joan relaxes with Richard on set..

Liverpool Echo Jan 54

'The Good Die Young' has been recently released on blu-ray / dvd from the BFI in a dual format release with many extras.. you can order this release at the following link! 

BUY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG BLU-RAY / DVD HERE!

An older release of the film on dvd from Weinerworld Ltd in 2004 is still available here!

BUY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG ON DVD HERE!

     

PROMO / DVD ALERT : THE STUD /THE BITCH BLU-RAY.. FEBRUARY 15TH 2021 ..

 As we look forward to the limited 2 disc edition Blu-Ray of Joan's 70's classic films 'The Stud' & 'The Bitch' which will be released on February 15th from Screenbound Pictures.. I wanted to flashback to the early 80's when two of the biggest selling and rental video tapes were both these movies, released on Brent Walker in time for Christmas 1979 and were still popular renters well into the 80's. This classic advert instructing gift buyers to pop Joan under the Christmas tree to be unwrapped by their dads! It was obviously not a gift to give your husband!!  You can pre-order the upcoming blu-ray at the following link!

PRE-ORDER 'THE STUD' / 'THE BITCH' LIMITED EDITION HERE!