Copyright 15 May 1963 by Jerry Wald Productions. Released through 20th Century-Fox. New York opening simultaneously at the Astor, the 72nd Street Playhouse and other cinemas: 19 June 1963. U.S. release June 1963. U.K. release: 26 May 1963. 8,516 feet. 94½ minutes. U.K. release title: WOMAN OF SUMMER.
NPTES: Film debut for TV director Franklin Schaffner. Travilla was nominated for an Academy Award for his black-and-white costume design, losing to Piero Gherardi's 8½. Running a disastrous 25 performances, "A Loss of Roses" opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on 28 November 1959. St Subber and Lester Osterman were the producers and Daniel Mann directed. Betty Field was Mrs Baird, Warren Beatty was Kenny and Carol Haney was Lila. For this film version, Robert Webber and Michael J. Pollard repeat their stage roles.
COMMENT: Anyone expecting anything spicy either because of the film's title or its advertising, is in for a mighty big disappointment here. True, Miss Woodward looks more attractive than usual, thanks to skillful photography and a becoming hair style, but the climactic strip tease is so tame it makes a mockery out of the script. At the conclusion of the so-called "strip", she is wearing more clothes than she usually does to walk down the street!
The screenplay is so talkative, it obviously derives with little alteration from the stage play — and such boring dialogue it is too! The fatal casting of that unattractive and uninspiring actor Richard Beymer in a pivotal role doesn't help matters, though it must be admitted that even Claire Trevor is hard put to get anything out of her banal and commonplace dialogue.
Despite her prominence in the billing, Gypsy Rose Lee has a minuscule role and drops out of the film altogether at a very early stage. Miss Woodward herself brings a bit of life to her part and Robert Webber is adequate as her villainous manager. Michael J. Pollard has a small but recognizable part as Beymer's sidekick. Schaffner's direction is disappointingly dull and unimaginative, almost all the scenes being handled with a maximum of uninspired close-ups. Production values are distinctly mediocre.
This was the last film of the late producer, Jerry Wald — he died before any responsibility at all for this unbelievably sloppy production could be charged to him It was originally intended as a vehicle for Marilyn Monroe, for whom William Inge is said to have designed the play on which it is based ("A Loss of Roses"). Monroe could not have been worse in it than is Joanne Woodward.
Director Franklin Schaffner, who hails from TV, was ill-advised to fix upon this confusion for his movie debut. To add insult to injury, the movie is full of errors. I make it twenty-three! See how many you can find. For example, a woman giving testimony in the witness box is at the very same time shown to be sitting in court among the spectators!
NPTES: Film debut for TV director Franklin Schaffner. Travilla was nominated for an Academy Award for his black-and-white costume design, losing to Piero Gherardi's 8½. Running a disastrous 25 performances, "A Loss of Roses" opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on 28 November 1959. St Subber and Lester Osterman were the producers and Daniel Mann directed. Betty Field was Mrs Baird, Warren Beatty was Kenny and Carol Haney was Lila. For this film version, Robert Webber and Michael J. Pollard repeat their stage roles.
COMMENT: Anyone expecting anything spicy either because of the film's title or its advertising, is in for a mighty big disappointment here. True, Miss Woodward looks more attractive than usual, thanks to skillful photography and a becoming hair style, but the climactic strip tease is so tame it makes a mockery out of the script. At the conclusion of the so-called "strip", she is wearing more clothes than she usually does to walk down the street!
The screenplay is so talkative, it obviously derives with little alteration from the stage play — and such boring dialogue it is too! The fatal casting of that unattractive and uninspiring actor Richard Beymer in a pivotal role doesn't help matters, though it must be admitted that even Claire Trevor is hard put to get anything out of her banal and commonplace dialogue.
Despite her prominence in the billing, Gypsy Rose Lee has a minuscule role and drops out of the film altogether at a very early stage. Miss Woodward herself brings a bit of life to her part and Robert Webber is adequate as her villainous manager. Michael J. Pollard has a small but recognizable part as Beymer's sidekick. Schaffner's direction is disappointingly dull and unimaginative, almost all the scenes being handled with a maximum of uninspired close-ups. Production values are distinctly mediocre.
This was the last film of the late producer, Jerry Wald — he died before any responsibility at all for this unbelievably sloppy production could be charged to him It was originally intended as a vehicle for Marilyn Monroe, for whom William Inge is said to have designed the play on which it is based ("A Loss of Roses"). Monroe could not have been worse in it than is Joanne Woodward.
Director Franklin Schaffner, who hails from TV, was ill-advised to fix upon this confusion for his movie debut. To add insult to injury, the movie is full of errors. I make it twenty-three! See how many you can find. For example, a woman giving testimony in the witness box is at the very same time shown to be sitting in court among the spectators!