This film is based on
a DuPont Show of the Week in 1962. It was a television drama production with the same material. Lylah Clare was a
flamboyant movie star of the 1930’s.
She died mysteriously and tragically on her wedding night. She had a fear of heights and couldn’t
look down. Lewis Zarken meets a
woman through Agent Bart Langner who resembles Lylah. He wants to direct a biographical film about Lylah starring Elsa (Brinkmann) Campbell.
This film is too
long, there is repetition and a slowness about it. It’s difficult to figure out and not explained how Elsa
(Brinkmann) Campbell would know so much about Lylah? How does she speak another language that she doesn’t know? Why does she fall for the same things
that bring her down if she knows so much about Lylah. Lylah was caught up in the same traps? 2 ½* (This movie is so-so)
130
min, Drama directed by Robert Aldrich with Kim Novak, Peter Finch, Ernest
Borgnine, Milton Selzer, Rossella Falk, Gabriele Tinti, Valentina Cortese, Jean
Carroll, Michael Murphy, Coral Browne, Lee Meriwether.
Note: Imdb 6.0 out of 10, 41% audience on
Rotten Tomatoes, TCM average user rating 2.8* out of 5*, Amazon 4.1* out of 5*
with 26 reviews.
Special
Note: Filmed in Hollywood, Los
Angeles, Culver City. Novak was in
a riding accident and she didn’t want to return to films. This is her first film in three
years. Director Aldrich felt it
was difficult to get Novak interested in her character. He initially blamed her for the film’s
poor performance but later decided that it wasn’t her fault. He failed to communicate her character
properly to the audience. Ursula
Andress turned down the role of Lyla.
Aldrich wanted Jeanne Moreau or Diana Dors for the lead. Performed badly at the box office with
generally poor reviews. Listed
among the 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award
founder John Wilson’s book The Official Razzie.
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