I recently saw this "film" on TCM - mildly intrigued by its central premise - and thought it might be - at the very least - an amusing bit of 1950s culture, with stereotypical (yet charming) characters from a mythically "simpler" time, such as one sees in the entertaining fluff of the "andy Hardy" series. But - no...
This film plays as if it were produced by a small-town (and vastly untalented and humorless) church group who had accidentally come across some film equipment. The cinematography is dull, and the time crawls by like sludge through a small tube, as we are constantly barraged with limp and cliché bits of supposed divine wisdom which appear to come down to such gems as "take it easy" and "don't rock the boat". One wonders why sedatives weren't simply poured into the water supply to achieve such conservative ends, until you consider the acting of James Whitmore and the equally flat Nancy Davis, whose role here explains why she got out of the business. There is a lot of moping, an aggravating child actor, a seemingly insane aunt, and - to my eyes - some of the worst "acting as a drunk" bits I have ever seen.
The utter "preachiness" of this film, combined with its dull look, its duller acting, and a humorlessness that borders on criminal combine to make it an excruciating viewing for anyone who thinks the "old time virtue" was mainly a matter of skewed nostalgia.
When they say such films as "Plan 9 from Outer Space" are the worst films of all time, they must exclude from consideration such draggy fare as this film.
Horrid...
This film plays as if it were produced by a small-town (and vastly untalented and humorless) church group who had accidentally come across some film equipment. The cinematography is dull, and the time crawls by like sludge through a small tube, as we are constantly barraged with limp and cliché bits of supposed divine wisdom which appear to come down to such gems as "take it easy" and "don't rock the boat". One wonders why sedatives weren't simply poured into the water supply to achieve such conservative ends, until you consider the acting of James Whitmore and the equally flat Nancy Davis, whose role here explains why she got out of the business. There is a lot of moping, an aggravating child actor, a seemingly insane aunt, and - to my eyes - some of the worst "acting as a drunk" bits I have ever seen.
The utter "preachiness" of this film, combined with its dull look, its duller acting, and a humorlessness that borders on criminal combine to make it an excruciating viewing for anyone who thinks the "old time virtue" was mainly a matter of skewed nostalgia.
When they say such films as "Plan 9 from Outer Space" are the worst films of all time, they must exclude from consideration such draggy fare as this film.
Horrid...