The Best of Everything
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Movie Reviews of The Best of Everything
Movie Review: The more things change....
Summary: 5 Stars
"Caroline Bender: What is it about women like us that make you hold us so cheaply? Aren't we the special ones from the best homes and the best colleges? I know the world outside isn't full of rainbows and happy endings, but to you, aren't we even decent?" ~from "The Best of Everything" (1959)
The more things change, the more they stay the same. When watching "The Best of Everything" it is striking how much things have indeed changed from the days when women went to work in offices wearing with hats and gloves to go with their tailored suits, even in the summer. It is interesting how the girls mostly saw the secretarial jobs as something to do while waiting to get married, not as careers. Some of the older executives took liberties which today would result in a lawsuit. On the other hand, the way women allow themselves to be used by men under the guise of romance and independence is an element of the film which finds an echo in our own time.
Based upon the novel by Rona Jaffe, "The Best of Everything" deals with the lives of three young women in the jungle of Madison Avenue in the late fifties. Considered scandalous in its time, in some ways it was prophetic of things to come, followed by films such as "The Apartment" (1960) and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961) about other young females lost in Manhattan. Hope Lange stars as the Ivy League heroine, Caroline Bender who, abandoned by her fiancé, has to find a way to occupy her time, so she takes a secretarial job at a publishing house. Of all the girls, she becomes enthralled by the challenge of the work itself and begins to aim for success. She is befriended by Mike Rice (Stephen Boyd) who is one of the few gentlemen in the film, in spite of being a bit of a drunk. He does not take advantage of Caroline when, in a heartbroken and intoxicated state, she throws herself at him. Caroline finds herself turning into her boss, Amanda Farrow, played with ferocity by Joan Crawford. Miss Farrow is an independent, powerful executive whom Caroline aims to be and yet, like the other young women, dreads to emulate. Miss Farrow has a glamorous and successful life but no domesticity, which the trio of heroines, whether they want to admit it or not, all long for. Caroline has to decide whether she wants to devote herself totally to glittering success, with uncommitted lovers on the side, or whether she wants to make the compromises demanded by marriage.
Caroline's friend April (Diane Baker) is the type of girl who hardly exists anymore, a total innocent. Even the guidance of her slightly more savvy friends cannot deliver her from the seductions of wealthy playboy Dexter, the absolute creep of the movie. April thinks she has found a great romance but in the end, as she says from her hospital bed, "Now I'm just another person who has had an affair."
Suzy Parker, who was a model and Dorian Leigh's sister, plays the most truly modern heroine, Gregg, of whom there are legions of contemporary counterparts. In her quest to become an actress, Gregg works as a secretary to support herself, but otherwise she wants nothing more from life than fun. The product of a broken home, Gregg, with zesty independence, is willing to play the field in the same way as the men, no strings attached. When she does fall in love, she casts all ambition, dignity, and self-respect aside to become the obsessed handmaid of her lover. When her boyfriend, a Broadway director portrayed by Louis Jourdan, tires of her, Gregg is shattered. Some commentators have said that the Gregg's breakdown is a bit too melodramatic. However, having witnessed friends in the past go through similar anguish, I would hesitate to say that her mental state is entirely far-fetched.
By the end of the film, marriage with a respectable man looks almost too good and too unattainable to be true. Ultimately, it is what the heroines were all striving for in their own way, along the crooked paths of modernity, which promise success and sex without enduring love and happiness.
Movie Review: THE BEST OF EVERYTHING.... AND THEN SOME!
Summary: 5 Stars
The time and place is 1959 New York City and lovely Caroline Bender (Hope Lange "Peyton Place,"(1957) "Pocketful of Miracles," (1961) has just joined the steno pool at Fabian Publishing Company. Also in the office is beautiful Gregg Adams (Suzy Parker "Kiss Them for Me" (1957) and sweet, but a tad bit scatterbrained, April Morrison (Diane Baker "Marnie" (1964) "Strait-Jacket" (1964) who are working 9 to 5 while searching for Mr. Right. This is a glossy soap opera of sorts, which reminds me a lot of films like "Peyton Place," and "Valley of the Dolls." The best scenes in the movie, however, are the ones with "bitch boss" Ms Farrow (played wonderfully by screen legend Joan Crawford). In one memorable scene Joan is on the telephone with her lover, who won't leave his wife for her, so Joan screams into the phone: "You and your rabbit faced wife can go straight to hell!" Classic! And the funny thing is she slams the phone down before she completely finishes her sentence! Hilarious!
Caroline is torn between her dreamy ex-fiancée Eddie Harris (Bret Halsey "Return to Peyton Place" (1961) and office hunk Mike Rice (Stephen Boyd "Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964) while moving swiftly up the corporate ladder and into Ms Farrow's office! Gregg Adams wants to become the toast of Broadway by allowing herself to fall into the hands (and the bed) of the play's director, David Savage (Louis Jourdan "Gigi" (1958) which ends in tragedy. April is seduced by rich and suave Dexter Key (Robert Evans) and believes after she tells him that she is pregnant, they are off to be married -sorry, another tragedy! It seems Ms Farrow has come to her senses and is giving up the glamorous life for the married life -but then she returns to the office for her old job and says, "it's just too late for me." Caroline comes to her senses and realizes she must give up her dream of winning back Eddie and she and Mike go walking together down the busy New York streets as the credits roll.
The dvd transfer is clear and the Technicolor brilliant! You'll enjoy the soundtrack (especially Johnny Mathis' song at the first of the movie "The Best of Everything.") with a clear and crisp track. Dvd includes theatrical trailer for "The Best of Everything" and several other 20th Century Fox films. This one is for the "Peyton Place" and "Valley of the Dolls" fans (like me!) and belongs on the same dvd collection shelf nestled comfortably between the two!
Movie Review: One of the BEST Best 9 to 5 Type Movies Ever! - Who Let The DAWG's OUT!
Summary: 5 Stars
Nice movie about an office in the pre-feminist era... 1959 early 60's. Almost all the men in this picture were either boozers or just total DOGS! Often the men were both boozers and dogs. Ths movie had such bad stereotypes of old boy sexual harrassment that it likely could not be made today. The thing that shocks me most about this movie is that it got made at all. I mean this movie talks openly about shallow self absorbed rich boys who tell ladies whatever they want or need to hear just to go all the way with them. Then when a baby results they force the young lady of now soiled virtue to sneak off to some back alley abortionist.
In this case the young lady in question bolted but not without losing the baby rseolving the rich jerks issue. Of course this was a 1950's era movie so all the bad girls had to meet somewhat tragic ends or be scared for life. The star of the picture is dutifully rewarded at the end of the picture by seeming to achieve the beginnings of a beautiful friendship with a co-equal at work after reaching success in business. She is last seen leaving her office for the night having won the respect of the typing pool ladies from which she came. She makes firends with the office sour puss, who finds weird solace in the arms of the booze hound womanizer, who I suspect has a rabbit faced wife.
The movie ends with her finding solace in the arms of a hard drinking but lovable clod of a co-worker. Is the acting wooden for the most part you bethcha. Joan Crawford really did carry this picture. Her few moments in the picture tried it together in a rather masterful way. Joan did not have very much actual FACE time on the picture but her small parts had so much power that she stole the show. If you wanted to see what male sexist pig really means that you must buy this DVD because its all here. The ladies butt pinching letch boss who is always drunk and thinks nothing of plying nice girls with drink to further his unwholesome causes.
The only thing you can say about the men in this picture is Who Let The DAWG's OUT! Buy this its funny, serious and well done on many different levels.
Movie Review: Transcends Its Genre
Summary: 5 Stars
Most insist on lumping The Best of Everything into the "soap" category but I think labeling anything this well acted, written, directed, and scored as anything less than simply a drama is doing the movie, and it's potential viewers, a huge disservice.
The stunning cinematography in the opening sequence makes me long to have been able to experience New York City as it was in 1959 but The Best of Everything captures the wide-eyed wonder of it all so well I think you would need a time machine to do better.
I had been interested in the movie ever since seeing a clip from the film in TCM's fascinating Joan Crawford bio (which coincidentally comes as a bonus on the flip side of the 2003 Mildred Pierce dvd). I expected a fun movie but was thrilled with the fine performances of so many in the film, particularly Diane Baker. The movie also makes me sad there weren't more big film roles for the lovely Suzy Parker. The scene in which she first appears in the film will bowl you over.
After you've watched the film treat yourself to watching it again with the Sylvia Stoddard/Rona Jaffe narrative turned on. All the fun things you'll pick up about the movie, the cast, the set, and the times in general are priceless.
Tip: If after watching the movie you have the wonderful soundtrack stuck in your mind you'll want to grab a copy of the 2002 CD right away as they are already getting pretty hard to find.
I bought The Best of Everything early last fall and have already watched it 4 times, or 6 if you count the times with commentary on.
Movie Review: "Joan Crawford In Color!"
Summary: 5 Stars
After Joan Crawford's husband Al Steel died in 1959 Joan was left broke and she needed a job. Jerry Wald, who helped to get Joan the starring role in "Mildred Pierce", hired Joan for a minor role in "The Best of Everything". The film featured a bunch of new Hollywood stars with Joan starring as Amanda, the head of a publishing house in New York City where the movie was set. Amanda was a tough-as-nails woman who put her employess though hell. Many critics and fans felt that Joan's role in this film was a step down for her as she didn't even receive top billing, but Crawford would go on to believe, and rightly so, that she stole the movie from her younger co-stars because she had the experience and the guts they didn't have.
"The Best of Everything" would spawn an ABC daytime soap opera of the same name in 1970 that only lasted six months. Another Joan Crawford film would also spawn the primetime serial "Flamingo Road", and would debut in 1980 starring Morgan Fairchild.
Diane Baker, who plays one of Joan's employees in "The Best of Everything", would become a Crawford friend and co-star with her in 1963's "Straight Jacket" and the 1964 TV movie "Fatal Confinement", also known as "Della".
This DVD comes in beautiful widescreen format and looks impeccable.