Whenever I'm in the mood for a good cry, I pop in Marjorie Morningstar. From Max Steiner's and Sammy Fain's themes, to the beautiful dialogue, to the timeless and haunting love story between Natalie Wood and Gene Kelly, this movie just makes me cry. Everything about it (besides Martin Milner, sorry pal) is top-notch, making it one of the best movies (and certainly one of the great romances) of the 1950s.
At its heart, the story is simple. But it's so universal, even six decades later; every woman who watches this movie will relate to it. A young girl falls in love with a more experienced man she idolizes, her family disapproves, but she gives everything to make the romance work and lift him "up where he belongs" - oh, sorry. Wrong song. Speaking of songs, Natalie spends the summer after high school graduation at a kids' camp and falls in love with the resident actor/dancer/songwriter Gene Kelly. Gene is the proverbial big fish in the small pond, and he loves being adored by teenie-boppers who have no more expectations than a summer fling. Natalie, however, wants more from him. . .
Normally, I can't stand Paul Francis Webster's lyrics, but he did write "A Very Precious Love", which miraculously ties in with the movie, referencing colored lanterns and summertime. It's not the greatest song ever written - which does work to its advantage. Since Gene's character in the film was supposed to have written it, it had to be a mediocre song; although I doubt Webster was savvy enough to incorporate that into his composition.
When I watch a movie in which every actor gives his or her career-best performance, I tend to give credit to the director. Irving Rapper must have coached his cast very well. Natalie Wood, Gene Kelly, and Everett Sloane all earned Hot Toasty Rag nominations for their excellent performances. Natalie is so raw, reaching into the heart of every girl who's ever fallen in love and tearing it open. She's sweet and innocent, and yet so trusting and idealistic, it's understandable why Gene can't resist her. Gene is fantastic, showing acting chops no one knew he had. It's as if he really was Noel Airman in real life, and he was relieved to finally open up to the camera. This isn't the same man you saw in Anchor's Aweigh. He doesn't mug to the camera or play to the back row during a performance. In fact, he doesn't even have a dance number in this film, just a couple of minutes of a rehearsal. But, as we discover in this movie, he doesn't have to dance to be sexy. Everything about him is irresistible, even when he's pushing Natalie away and telling her to find another, regular man to make her happy. With one arm he pushes her away, and with the other, he brings her in for a kiss. He's the sort of man you never get out of your system, and his inner demons are so captivating you'll want to help him just as much as Natalie does.
Carolyn Jones plays Natalie's daring friend, and though she's normally either over-the-top or deadpan in her other movies, she strikes a great balance in this role. Martin Balsam has a small part, but I absolutely love him in it. He's a kind man, the kind every girl hopes to meet and marry - unless they've already caught a glimpse of Gene Kelly in his tight pants. Claire Trevor, whom I'm normally not a fan of, comes across exactly as she's supposed to, and Ed Wynn inserts some drama in his normally comedic antics. There's a favorite scene where Ed has a poignant talk with Gene before a dinner date with Natalie. He asks Gene what he wants out of a relationship with his niece, and Gene admits he's not a forever type of guy. To him, a summer feels like a lifetime, so he can't offer anything more than a season's fling. Ed cautions him that his niece is a good girl and expects (and deserves) more, so Gene breaks things off before they get started.
It was a labor of love, but I read the entire Herman Wouk tome of Marjorie Morningstar because I loved the film so much and wanted to read the original version. My hat is off to screenwriter Everett Freeman for his adaptation. His Rag Award was more than earned. The novel is so different! If you love the movie, stay very far away from it. It's so depressing, I can't imagine what the point of Wouk's story was. There was no meaningful ending, no lesson learned, no great love story or anything else worthwhile. A good portion of the text focuses on the Morgenstern family unit: their background, their religion, the father's business and finances, the different places they've lived, and their friendships with other Jewish families. Marjorie is written to be far less likable, and the huge passionate connection she feels to Noel is basically nonexistent. In an ironic twist, he's physically described as looking like Fred Astaire, but in 1958, Fred would have been too old to play the part. If Wouk based Marjorie on a real woman he knew, he must have had a lot of contempt for her. If he completely imagined her, he must have felt all women were fickle and lacked dedication. Years later, I'm still puzzled as to why he wrote it.
I do highly recommend the movie if you haven't already seen it. Tragic, poetic, romantic, and nostalgic, it's just about as good as it gets.
At its heart, the story is simple. But it's so universal, even six decades later; every woman who watches this movie will relate to it. A young girl falls in love with a more experienced man she idolizes, her family disapproves, but she gives everything to make the romance work and lift him "up where he belongs" - oh, sorry. Wrong song. Speaking of songs, Natalie spends the summer after high school graduation at a kids' camp and falls in love with the resident actor/dancer/songwriter Gene Kelly. Gene is the proverbial big fish in the small pond, and he loves being adored by teenie-boppers who have no more expectations than a summer fling. Natalie, however, wants more from him. . .
Normally, I can't stand Paul Francis Webster's lyrics, but he did write "A Very Precious Love", which miraculously ties in with the movie, referencing colored lanterns and summertime. It's not the greatest song ever written - which does work to its advantage. Since Gene's character in the film was supposed to have written it, it had to be a mediocre song; although I doubt Webster was savvy enough to incorporate that into his composition.
When I watch a movie in which every actor gives his or her career-best performance, I tend to give credit to the director. Irving Rapper must have coached his cast very well. Natalie Wood, Gene Kelly, and Everett Sloane all earned Hot Toasty Rag nominations for their excellent performances. Natalie is so raw, reaching into the heart of every girl who's ever fallen in love and tearing it open. She's sweet and innocent, and yet so trusting and idealistic, it's understandable why Gene can't resist her. Gene is fantastic, showing acting chops no one knew he had. It's as if he really was Noel Airman in real life, and he was relieved to finally open up to the camera. This isn't the same man you saw in Anchor's Aweigh. He doesn't mug to the camera or play to the back row during a performance. In fact, he doesn't even have a dance number in this film, just a couple of minutes of a rehearsal. But, as we discover in this movie, he doesn't have to dance to be sexy. Everything about him is irresistible, even when he's pushing Natalie away and telling her to find another, regular man to make her happy. With one arm he pushes her away, and with the other, he brings her in for a kiss. He's the sort of man you never get out of your system, and his inner demons are so captivating you'll want to help him just as much as Natalie does.
Carolyn Jones plays Natalie's daring friend, and though she's normally either over-the-top or deadpan in her other movies, she strikes a great balance in this role. Martin Balsam has a small part, but I absolutely love him in it. He's a kind man, the kind every girl hopes to meet and marry - unless they've already caught a glimpse of Gene Kelly in his tight pants. Claire Trevor, whom I'm normally not a fan of, comes across exactly as she's supposed to, and Ed Wynn inserts some drama in his normally comedic antics. There's a favorite scene where Ed has a poignant talk with Gene before a dinner date with Natalie. He asks Gene what he wants out of a relationship with his niece, and Gene admits he's not a forever type of guy. To him, a summer feels like a lifetime, so he can't offer anything more than a season's fling. Ed cautions him that his niece is a good girl and expects (and deserves) more, so Gene breaks things off before they get started.
It was a labor of love, but I read the entire Herman Wouk tome of Marjorie Morningstar because I loved the film so much and wanted to read the original version. My hat is off to screenwriter Everett Freeman for his adaptation. His Rag Award was more than earned. The novel is so different! If you love the movie, stay very far away from it. It's so depressing, I can't imagine what the point of Wouk's story was. There was no meaningful ending, no lesson learned, no great love story or anything else worthwhile. A good portion of the text focuses on the Morgenstern family unit: their background, their religion, the father's business and finances, the different places they've lived, and their friendships with other Jewish families. Marjorie is written to be far less likable, and the huge passionate connection she feels to Noel is basically nonexistent. In an ironic twist, he's physically described as looking like Fred Astaire, but in 1958, Fred would have been too old to play the part. If Wouk based Marjorie on a real woman he knew, he must have had a lot of contempt for her. If he completely imagined her, he must have felt all women were fickle and lacked dedication. Years later, I'm still puzzled as to why he wrote it.
I do highly recommend the movie if you haven't already seen it. Tragic, poetic, romantic, and nostalgic, it's just about as good as it gets.