Blake Edwards's disturbing adaptation of J.P. Miller's PLAYHOUSE 90 story, starring Jack Lemmon as Joe Clay, remains an anomaly in a body of work largely devoted to comedy. Clay, a San Francisco public relations man who likes a drink, meets secretary Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick), who doesn't drink at all, and after a short time .. Read more
| Starring | Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Charles Bickford, Jack Klugman |
|---|---|
| Director | Blake Edwards |
| Genres | Drama |
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Blake Edwards's disturbing adaptation of J.P. Miller's PLAYHOUSE 90 story, starring Jack Lemmon as Joe Clay, remains an anomaly in a body of work largely devoted to comedy. Clay, a San Francisco public relations man who likes a drink, meets secretary Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick), who doesn't drink at all, and after a short time they marry. After a few more months, Kirsten is able to put away as much booze as her husband. As the years pass, Joe loses one job after another and his wife neglects their child until he begins to realise that both of them are alcoholics. They move into her father's (Charles Bickford) nursery to dry out, but following a couple of weeks of sobriety, they go on a binge. Joe nearly destroys a greenhouse in a fanatical search for a bottle and ends up in hospital ward. Former alcoholic Jim Hungerford (Jack Klugman) tries to persuade Joe to join an organisation ro help deal with his problem, but Kirsten coaxes him back to the bottle. Lemmon is at his best and Remick has rarely been better in this shattering portrait of a couple consumed by addiction. Refreshingly free of the moralistic cliches of this genre, its depiction of the glamour enjoyed by drinking in previous decades throws light on the ease with which many were able to slide into oblivion.
| Starring | Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Charles Bickford, Jack Klugman, Alan Hewitt, Jack Albertson |
|---|---|
| Director | Blake Edwards |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 53 mins |
| Certificate |  |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | Production year: 1962 To Rent: DVD: 19 Apr 2004 |
Smart satirical comedy confusingly gives way to melodrama, then sentimentality; quality is evident throughout, but all concerned are happiest with the first hour.
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Lemmon is CLASS
For anyone who have never seen Jack Lemmon playing it straight, he still has all the charisma he does in the Apartment and The Odd Couple , but shows a far ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
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Serious Stuff Lemon & Remick
Gripping stuff, but sad. I think thisfilm could be used in educating youngsters on the effects of what can happen to you if you regularly over induldge in ... read more »
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timeless classic
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS | Show review anywayHide
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Brilliant
This film is quietly devastating. You warm to the characters easily and feel for them all the way through. It really should be more widely appreciated as it ... read more »
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