I never fully understood the reasons that my parents took us to see movies in the 1950s and 1960s. We saw popular films like Disney's "Peter Pan", "The Sound Of Music", "My Fair Lady", and "South Pacific". We saw kid oriented films like "The Incredible Mr. Limpet". We saw obscure films (nowadays) like "Escapade In Japan". But we also saw comedies like "The Great Race" and "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell".
But I have never figured out why my parents took us to see "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You In The Closet And I'm Feeling So Sad". We saw it just a year before I went to high school, so it was the year before I began going by myself to the movies. Was my coming of age at 13 considered the reason to see this avant garde comedy? If so, I consider it a waste of time. That same year we saw "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner", so my parents still could pick good films...but why this?
I am inclined to think it was my father who chose it. Dad could be curious about odd films now and then. Certainly the cast was good: Rosalind Russell, Robert Morse, Barbara Harris, Hugh Griffith, Jonanthan Winters, and Lionel Jeffries were all above average performers. But the film was not a good film.
The story (from a play by Arthur Kopit) skewered sex and money. Russell inherited the fortune of her high-living husband Winters, who died after leaving her with a son. The son grows up (in terms of chronological age) as Robert Morse. Russell travels with him and his stamp collection, and plays the rich widow who everyone else caters too. While in a Caribbean port she is attracted to elderly millionaire sailor Hugh Griffth, or (as she is always looking for the main chance) his impressive multi-million dollar yacht. She begins a romance with him, while a local girl (Harris) tries to reach out to the infantile, socially awkward Morse. The film follows the two resulting romances, as well as Russell's attempts to maintain control over Morse: you see, she is aware of how her husband Winters died - he overdid his drinking, eating, and sleeping around until he was found dead in bed. Russell doesn't want that to happen to Morse.
One of the critiques on this thread mentions that a small positive for this film was Russell had a chance to redo her Mame Dennis characterization. True, but Madame Rosepettle is very status oriented and wealth consumed (she mentions her son's philatelic interest has created a very rare stamp collection - probably purchased at her direction). Mame only looked at wealth as a means, not an end, and did shower affection on Patrick, on Agnes, on Beauregard, and on her friends Lindsay and Vera. Put another way, if Mame met Madame Rosepettle once she wouldn't have sought out the lady again. Come to think of it, one wonders if the Upson Family would have either.
At the time this film came out, Russell was riding a crest. She had managed to keep her female star billing up to the middle of the 1960s, at a time when most of her contemporary stars (Claudette Colbert, Norma Shearer, Jean Arthur) were retiring, or were treading water in horror films (Bette Davis, Joan Crawford...once Olivia De Havilland). Although Russell had never gotten the Oscar De Havilland, Davis, Shearer, Colbert, and Crawford got (one could add Hepburn to that list), she still was packing in fans on Broadway (in "Wonderful Town" and "Auntie Mame") and in decent film lead roles ("Auntie Mame", "A Majority Of One","Gypsy", "Picnic"). But there were signs this was ending. She had just appeared in "The Trouble With Angels", wherein she was a Mother Superior with her hands full from two girl students - and her role supported the two student parts. Shortly after "Oh Dad", Russell was in the sequel film "Where Angels Go Troubles Follow". Her last real star turn would be in the film "Rosie" at the end of the 1960s as a female "Mame" type confronted by a "King Lear" situation. That film would flop.
So with OH DAD, POOR DAD we are entering the twilight of Russell's career. We also are witnessing the brief rise and fall of Morse's film career. He had just made a hit in "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying", and repeated it in the film version. A terrific stage performer (whom I'd see years later as Truman Capote), his film credits were mixed...possibly only "The Matchmaker" and "The Loved One" being worthy of film memory with "How To Succeed". His performance as Jonathan Rosepettle was capably handled as far as it went, but the character seemed a caricature of an infantile young man (literally sucking his thumb and mumbling "I love you mommy!" at the end). Morse never had a real chance in motion pictures after this.
Winters, Harris, and Griffith acquit themselves well. Winters is dead from the start (in the present scenes he is only seen as a stuffed corpse in Mom's closet). He is dead, but enjoying being out of the reach of his wife. He comments on the actions...and gives the last word on the movie (as in the Summary Line above). One wishes the work had better dialog for him. Harris and Griffith pursue their sexual interests in the Rosepettles...to their gradual late realization of their mistakes. Lionel Jeffries (as a local airport official) does the best he can with the paucity of his material.
Interesting that so many characters have "Rose" in their names: Madame and Jonathan ROSEpettle, Commodore ROSEabove, ROSEalie. But a better film based on a play, Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo" did the same thing earlier.
Game cast - mediocre results. Russell's career hurdles to oblivion, and Morse's film career collapses. Just too bad.
But I have never figured out why my parents took us to see "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You In The Closet And I'm Feeling So Sad". We saw it just a year before I went to high school, so it was the year before I began going by myself to the movies. Was my coming of age at 13 considered the reason to see this avant garde comedy? If so, I consider it a waste of time. That same year we saw "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner", so my parents still could pick good films...but why this?
I am inclined to think it was my father who chose it. Dad could be curious about odd films now and then. Certainly the cast was good: Rosalind Russell, Robert Morse, Barbara Harris, Hugh Griffith, Jonanthan Winters, and Lionel Jeffries were all above average performers. But the film was not a good film.
The story (from a play by Arthur Kopit) skewered sex and money. Russell inherited the fortune of her high-living husband Winters, who died after leaving her with a son. The son grows up (in terms of chronological age) as Robert Morse. Russell travels with him and his stamp collection, and plays the rich widow who everyone else caters too. While in a Caribbean port she is attracted to elderly millionaire sailor Hugh Griffth, or (as she is always looking for the main chance) his impressive multi-million dollar yacht. She begins a romance with him, while a local girl (Harris) tries to reach out to the infantile, socially awkward Morse. The film follows the two resulting romances, as well as Russell's attempts to maintain control over Morse: you see, she is aware of how her husband Winters died - he overdid his drinking, eating, and sleeping around until he was found dead in bed. Russell doesn't want that to happen to Morse.
One of the critiques on this thread mentions that a small positive for this film was Russell had a chance to redo her Mame Dennis characterization. True, but Madame Rosepettle is very status oriented and wealth consumed (she mentions her son's philatelic interest has created a very rare stamp collection - probably purchased at her direction). Mame only looked at wealth as a means, not an end, and did shower affection on Patrick, on Agnes, on Beauregard, and on her friends Lindsay and Vera. Put another way, if Mame met Madame Rosepettle once she wouldn't have sought out the lady again. Come to think of it, one wonders if the Upson Family would have either.
At the time this film came out, Russell was riding a crest. She had managed to keep her female star billing up to the middle of the 1960s, at a time when most of her contemporary stars (Claudette Colbert, Norma Shearer, Jean Arthur) were retiring, or were treading water in horror films (Bette Davis, Joan Crawford...once Olivia De Havilland). Although Russell had never gotten the Oscar De Havilland, Davis, Shearer, Colbert, and Crawford got (one could add Hepburn to that list), she still was packing in fans on Broadway (in "Wonderful Town" and "Auntie Mame") and in decent film lead roles ("Auntie Mame", "A Majority Of One","Gypsy", "Picnic"). But there were signs this was ending. She had just appeared in "The Trouble With Angels", wherein she was a Mother Superior with her hands full from two girl students - and her role supported the two student parts. Shortly after "Oh Dad", Russell was in the sequel film "Where Angels Go Troubles Follow". Her last real star turn would be in the film "Rosie" at the end of the 1960s as a female "Mame" type confronted by a "King Lear" situation. That film would flop.
So with OH DAD, POOR DAD we are entering the twilight of Russell's career. We also are witnessing the brief rise and fall of Morse's film career. He had just made a hit in "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying", and repeated it in the film version. A terrific stage performer (whom I'd see years later as Truman Capote), his film credits were mixed...possibly only "The Matchmaker" and "The Loved One" being worthy of film memory with "How To Succeed". His performance as Jonathan Rosepettle was capably handled as far as it went, but the character seemed a caricature of an infantile young man (literally sucking his thumb and mumbling "I love you mommy!" at the end). Morse never had a real chance in motion pictures after this.
Winters, Harris, and Griffith acquit themselves well. Winters is dead from the start (in the present scenes he is only seen as a stuffed corpse in Mom's closet). He is dead, but enjoying being out of the reach of his wife. He comments on the actions...and gives the last word on the movie (as in the Summary Line above). One wishes the work had better dialog for him. Harris and Griffith pursue their sexual interests in the Rosepettles...to their gradual late realization of their mistakes. Lionel Jeffries (as a local airport official) does the best he can with the paucity of his material.
Interesting that so many characters have "Rose" in their names: Madame and Jonathan ROSEpettle, Commodore ROSEabove, ROSEalie. But a better film based on a play, Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo" did the same thing earlier.
Game cast - mediocre results. Russell's career hurdles to oblivion, and Morse's film career collapses. Just too bad.