Love in a Goldfish Bowl

Love in a Goldfish Bowl
Directed by Jack Sher
Produced by Richard Shepherd
Martin Jurow
Written by Jack Sher
Based on a story by Irene Kamp
Jack Sher
Starring Tommy Sands
Fabian
Toby Michaels
Music by Jimmie Haskell
Cinematography Loyal Griggs
Edited by Terry Morse
Production
company
Jurow-Shepherd Productions
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates
  • June 1961 (1961-06)
Running time
 88 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Love in a Goldfish Bowl is a 1961 teen film directed by Jack Sher starring singing idols Tommy Sands and Fabian.

Plot

Gordon Slide and Blythe Holloway are two platonic best friends at a college, both from single parent families. They are so devoted to each other that the headmaster of the school is considering banning them from seeing each other.

Gordon decides to spend the Easter holiday at his mother's beach pad. Blythe accompanies him, with Gordon impersonating the college headmaster on the phone to Blythe's senator father, so that Blythe gets permission.

Gordon and Blythe settle into a domestic routine. One day they take Gordon's yacht out and get caught in a storm, and the Coast Guard have to rescue them. One of the Coast Guard, Giuseppe, falls for Blythe, which provokes feelings of jealousy in Gordon.

Matters come to a head when Gordon and Blythe have a party. Giuseppe brings along a "fast" girl to set up with Gordon so he can be with Blythe. However this causes Blythe to be jealous. When Giuseppe makes a move on Blythe, she resists. Then another man, a drunken sailor, tries to molest Blythe, but Gordon rescues her.

Gordon and Blythe kiss - only to be busted by his socialite mother and Blythe's father. Everyone has a talk and Gordon's mother and Blythe's father realise how much they have been neglecting their children; they vow to do better. Blythe tells an apologetic Giuseppe that she will continue to write to him.

Blythe and Gordon return to college, now a couple, although the old routines of their relationship are still in play.

Cast

Production

The film was originally known as Beach Pad.[1] It was based on an original script by Jack Sher and Irene Kamp, who had worked on Paris Blues together; they sold it to Martin Jurow and Richard Shepherd, the producers of Breakfast at Tiffanys, who had a deal at Paramount.[2]

Shooting started in November 1960 and took place in Hollywood and on location in Balboa.[3]

Fabian and Tommy Sands were both pop stars at the time and both sing in the film.[4] Sands' hair was dyed blonde to differentiate him from Fabian.[5] Sands later said this was "a big mistake. It looked so phony. Fans who knew me knew that was phony."[6]

Songs

Reception

The New York Times called the film "vapid and transparent" but that at least it "made no pretenses".[7]

Producer Martin Jurow later said the film "didn't come off very well."[8]

A novelisation of the script was issued in 1961.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Fabian Wins New Contract at 20th: Another Rooney Heard From; Lasky Daughter Sells Script Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 24 Nov 1960: C15.
  2. ↑ Biltmore Imports 'A Taste of Honey': Heston to Star in 'El Cid'; Paramount Buys 'Beach Pad' Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 26 July 1960: 23.
  3. ↑ BY WAY OF REPORT: FOX BUYS 'INSPECTOR' -- OTHER NEW ENTRIES By A.H. WEILER. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 09 Oct 1960: X7.
  4. ↑ Felicia Feaster, "Love in a Goldfish Bowl", Turner Classic Movies accessed 18 January 2014
  5. ↑ 'Golden Hours' Don't Glitter By Richard L. Coe. The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973) [Washington, D.C] 24 June 1961: A14.
  6. ↑ "Famous spot glitters at benefit luau for Boys, Girls Clubs" By Michael Donahue The Commercial Appeal 21 August, 2007 accessed 6 July 2014
  7. ↑ Review of film at New York Times
  8. ↑ 'The American Girl' Seen Lost to Films: Males Dominate Producer Jurow Mourns: Tells Plans Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 08 July 1963: D13.
  9. ↑ Review of cover art accessed 18 January 2014
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/30/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.