The first 15 minutes or so are wonderful, a rose-colored reminiscence of small-town America at the turn of the last century that suggests "Ah, Wilderness!" Then the Ben Hecht prototype, played by Beau Bridges with such innocence as to border on retardation, lights out for Chicago, and the narrative loses traction. It's quite a gorgeous, expensive production, and Melina Mercouri helps out as the madam who takes him under her wing (this was right toward the end of the movie era when prostitutes and bordellos were considered automatically titillating and hilarious, hence neither Mercouri nor any of her girls are fleshed out as characters). The always-good Brian Keith is Ben's alcoholic newspaper mentor, and other good actors mill about (Hume Cronyn, George Kennedy), but it's all color and very little forward thrust. Chicago 1910 had to be more interesting than this, and there must be more compelling stories to tell about it.
9 Reviews
Gaily, Gaily was an uneven period comedy that was still pretty enjoyable
tavm5 September 2012
Just watched this Beau Bridges/Norman Jewison film on Netflix streaming. Based on Ben Hecht's memoirs, Bridges plays the author as Ben Harvey who comes to Chicago in 1910 to make it as a writer. There he encounters Melina Mercouri as a madam, Brian Keith as his reporter mentor, Hume Cronyn as a crooked businessman, George Kennedy as another shady figure, and Margot Kidder-in her film debut-as Bridges' first time. Plenty of period atmosphere with some quite funny lines and scenes but I have to admit that I was confused by some of the characterizations and action set pieces. Still, it was fascinating to watch so on that note, Gaily, Gaily is worth a look.
Read The Book
hillari11 December 2000
Ben Hecht wrote a book detailing his experiences as a reporter in Chicago during the early part of the century. It is more entertaining than this mix mash of a movie that jumps all over the place. The film has its moments. However, there are too few of them to see. The colorful characters that Hecht crossed paths with are watered down in this movie.
OK Back In the Day
JackCerf3 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A competent, routine late 60s' Hollywood sex comedy based very loosely on Ben Hecht's memoirs of his youth as a newpaper reporter. Young Ben (Beau Bridges), a horny and painfully naive small town boy, comes to the wicked city of Chicago and gets a job as a cub reporter. There he learns the rudiments of the newspaper business and, not incidentally, finds true love and gets relieved of his virginity. The girl (Margot Kidder), is a teenaged prostitute with the proverbial heart of gold who helps Ben break a big political corruption story by stealing the notebook listing the bribes from the coat pocket of a sleeping John. They live happily ever after.
It's memorable only for one line. The ferocious city editor (Brian Keith) assigns the kid to go out and find a picture of an accused "sex maniac." As Ben is on his way out through the city room, the editor calls out, "Boy, do you even know what a sex maniac does?" Ben, who has no clue, stammers and blushes. The editor bellows, "A good sex maniac -- SELLS NEWSPAPERS!" True then; true now.
It's memorable only for one line. The ferocious city editor (Brian Keith) assigns the kid to go out and find a picture of an accused "sex maniac." As Ben is on his way out through the city room, the editor calls out, "Boy, do you even know what a sex maniac does?" Ben, who has no clue, stammers and blushes. The editor bellows, "A good sex maniac -- SELLS NEWSPAPERS!" True then; true now.
Innocent lost in a biographical film
marantosvassilis6 August 2007
It is a colorful movie, full of wonderful characters. This movie shows the life of a young boy, named Ben Harvey -maybe young Ben Hecht-who tries to succeed as a reporter in Chicago. It features in the cast the beautiful and mercurial Melina Mercouri, who as Madame Lily-owner of a brothel- 'adopts' Ben when he runs to Chicago to prove himself. Melina Mercouri provides the film with one stellar performance, but you can not stop the thought that she is restrained in some scenes, especially in the beginning with an unflattering piece of hair. She even sings a song of Henry Mancini that as far as I know has never been recorded. (Mercouri although never a professional singer, had a wonderful voice that helped here to record some classic songs like 'Never on Sunday'. Keith and Kennedy are good in their but easily forgotten. Bridges provides some somewhat stupid expressions, but his part is never developed, as N.Jewison never gave him directions.
Enjoyable Biographical Piece Turned into a Farce
mike481286 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
First of all, it's the memoirs of Ben Hecht's 1963 book of the same name. His name is changed to Ben Harvey. It has a wonderful cast: Beau Bridges, Margot Kidder, Melodie Johnson, Melina Mercouri, Hume Cronyn, George Kennedy and others. Directed by Norman Jewison in the style of a Blake Edwards comedy. It starts out with great promise. Beau (as Ben Harvey) lusts after George Kennedy's beautiful young "niece" whom ends up being the mistress. Not knowing this, he runs off to Chicago to repent, becomes an "assistant" to cantankerous drunk newspaper reporter Brian Keith, ends up "rescued", by a madam and living at a bawdy house. He is so innocent that he first believes it to be a boarding house for women! He falls in love with the proverbial "prostitute with a heart of gold" (played by a very young Margot Kidder. While some of this actually happened, it is exaggerated, and ends up deteriorating into an unbelievable comical farce during the second half of the movie. It starts out as a very fine film with wonderful period sets, including a famous Chicago landmark, The Sullivan Theater. Sadly, it has little resemblance to the autobiographical book it is based upon. It borrows from every cliché, including Mark Twain, as Ben attends his own funeral, quite alive after being resurrected from a drowning by the then-new wonder-drug Adrenalin. Involves all the standard comic devices: The madcap chase for the climax of the movie, the multiple "switched" prop, (that looks like a small Bible) which in this case is a little black book involving commodity price-fixing and politicians. It ends very slapstick,it wraps up in about 5 minutes at the end and looks rushed; although the movie is 2 hours long. Of course Ben gets the girl, now reformed. Also, "The Madam Queen" Melina gets to belt out a very forgettable tune, in her "gravelly" voice. The uncut "R" version (very brief nudity) is 117 minutes long and can only be seen on TMC at this time. No Region 1 DVD is available.
Atmospheric coming-of-age Jewison comedy
rollo_tomaso30 June 2001
I originally saw this atmospheric turn-of-the-century comedy in the theaters in 1969, and recently saw it during the wee hours on a cable station. It still is charming and a lot of fun. Hume Cronyn is a standout in a key supporting role as a crooked politician. George Kennedy supplies a marvelous counterpoint to Bridges' wide-eyed male inguenue. And Margot Kidder nearly steals the film in her film debut as the prostitute who guides Bridges on his journey to manhood.
FYI -- another reviewer mistakenly referred to this as Beau Bridges' first movie, but he was only 20 years off. As a juvenile Bridges appeaed in 3 films -- most notably The Red Pony. As a teen, he was marvelous in the Explosive Generation as high school sex-ed teacher William Shatner's classroom nemesis. In 1967, he was riveting as the crippled hero in Larry Peerce's classic, The Incident.
FYI -- another reviewer mistakenly referred to this as Beau Bridges' first movie, but he was only 20 years off. As a juvenile Bridges appeaed in 3 films -- most notably The Red Pony. As a teen, he was marvelous in the Explosive Generation as high school sex-ed teacher William Shatner's classroom nemesis. In 1967, he was riveting as the crippled hero in Larry Peerce's classic, The Incident.
Promising period comedy doesn't satisfy
jimjo12165 September 2013
At first GAILY, GAILY (1969) seems to have a lot going for it. An excellent cast, a fine director, a script based on a novel by the great screenwriter Ben Hecht, a unique historical setting, and a loose comedic tone. But the story fizzles out halfway through as the trajectory of the plot is never quite high enough.
Beau Bridges plays a naive young man whose "evil" sexual impulses drive him away from his innocent small-town home and into the bustling city in search of his place in the world. There he is taken in by kind-hearted Melina Mercouri (TOPKAPI - 1964), who runs a brothel, although Bridges is too thickheadedly innocent to make that connection (even after meeting all the female "boarders"). Mercouri hooks him up with a job at the newspaper, working with slick sensationalist reporter Brian Keith (in an Irish brogue).
George Kennedy and Hume Cronyn play rival corrupt politicians, with Wilfrid Hyde-White (MY FAIR LADY - 1964) as the corrupt governor. Margot Kidder (SUPERMAN - 1978) debuts as a beautiful young prostitute who sees Bridges as a knight in shining armor who can rescue her from a life she doesn't want.
Bridges eventually has his eyes opened to the sin and corruption in the world and the climax involves a free-for-all scramble to obtain and exploit Cronyn's little black ledger, which details all the political bribery in the city.
The 1910 Chicago setting gives the film an interesting flavor, and the script is full of irreverent comedy and some (quite literal) gallows humor. (At its wildest, the film calls to mind the even zanier British comedy THE WRONG BOX - 1966.) There are flashes of Hecht's "The Front Page" in the scenes involving the newspaper.
One wonders how much Beau Bridges's character ("Ben Harvey", an idealistic young writer) is a stand-in for Ben Hecht himself. Hecht started out as a Chicago newspaperman before becoming a successful playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. The film is almost over-the-top in its comedy, but the original novel must have been to some degree autobiographical.
It would have been nice to see more of Bridges and Keith at the newspaper after Keith takes the youngster under his wing. The movie could have shown Bridges become cynical with his work, ultimately choosing between a dirty career as a newspaperman or a more fulfilling one as an independent writer. But this film opts for a smaller payoff. At the end it feels like something is missing, or as if the story could continue. But the film is content to end where it does and hope viewers had fun along the way.
As it is, GAILY, GAILY is a lot of fun. The cast is splendid and the characters colorful. Melina Mercouri even sings a song. The black comedy is a hoot and the old-time setting gives the film personality. One just can't help thinking the movie could've been more.
Directed by Norman Jewison (IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT - 1967).
6.5/10
Beau Bridges plays a naive young man whose "evil" sexual impulses drive him away from his innocent small-town home and into the bustling city in search of his place in the world. There he is taken in by kind-hearted Melina Mercouri (TOPKAPI - 1964), who runs a brothel, although Bridges is too thickheadedly innocent to make that connection (even after meeting all the female "boarders"). Mercouri hooks him up with a job at the newspaper, working with slick sensationalist reporter Brian Keith (in an Irish brogue).
George Kennedy and Hume Cronyn play rival corrupt politicians, with Wilfrid Hyde-White (MY FAIR LADY - 1964) as the corrupt governor. Margot Kidder (SUPERMAN - 1978) debuts as a beautiful young prostitute who sees Bridges as a knight in shining armor who can rescue her from a life she doesn't want.
Bridges eventually has his eyes opened to the sin and corruption in the world and the climax involves a free-for-all scramble to obtain and exploit Cronyn's little black ledger, which details all the political bribery in the city.
The 1910 Chicago setting gives the film an interesting flavor, and the script is full of irreverent comedy and some (quite literal) gallows humor. (At its wildest, the film calls to mind the even zanier British comedy THE WRONG BOX - 1966.) There are flashes of Hecht's "The Front Page" in the scenes involving the newspaper.
One wonders how much Beau Bridges's character ("Ben Harvey", an idealistic young writer) is a stand-in for Ben Hecht himself. Hecht started out as a Chicago newspaperman before becoming a successful playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. The film is almost over-the-top in its comedy, but the original novel must have been to some degree autobiographical.
It would have been nice to see more of Bridges and Keith at the newspaper after Keith takes the youngster under his wing. The movie could have shown Bridges become cynical with his work, ultimately choosing between a dirty career as a newspaperman or a more fulfilling one as an independent writer. But this film opts for a smaller payoff. At the end it feels like something is missing, or as if the story could continue. But the film is content to end where it does and hope viewers had fun along the way.
As it is, GAILY, GAILY is a lot of fun. The cast is splendid and the characters colorful. Melina Mercouri even sings a song. The black comedy is a hoot and the old-time setting gives the film personality. One just can't help thinking the movie could've been more.
Directed by Norman Jewison (IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT - 1967).
6.5/10
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
