Kathy O' (1958)

A publicity man tries to hide a child film star's brattiness from a magazine writer, who happens to be his ex-wife.

Director:

Jack Sher

Writers:

Jack Sher (screenplay), Sy Gomberg (screenplay),

Stars:

Dan Duryea, Jan Sterling, Patty McCormack

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dan Duryea	...	Harry Johnson
Jan Sterling	...	Celeste Saunders
Patty McCormack	...	Kathy O'Rourke
Mary Fickett	...	Helen Johnson
Sam Levene	...	Ben Melnick
Mary Jane Croft	...	Harriet Burton
Ricky Kelman	...	Robert 'Bo' Johnson (as Rickey Kelman)
Terry Kelman	...	Tommy Johnson
Ainslie Pryor	...	Lieut. Chavez
Barney Phillips	...	Matt Williams
Mel Leonard	...	Sid
Casey Walters	...	Billy Blair
Walter Woolf King	...	Donald C. Faber
Alexander Campbell	...	Bixby
Joseph Sargent	...	Mike

Storyline

In person, child film star Kathy O'Rourke belies her sweet image. Studio publicity man Harry Johnson must keep Celeste, a national magazine writer, from discovering this when writing a piece on Kathy. This won't be easy; Celeste is Harry's ex-wife. To Harry's surprise, Kathy and Celeste make friends; it seems all Kathy really needed was love... But when Kathy runs away to join Celeste, Harry is suspected of kidnapping.

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Plot Keywords:

publicity | film making | runaway | child star | little girl | 

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Taglines:

The Picture That Likes People!

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1958 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Katy karkuteillä

Filming Locations:

Colonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Ben Melnick: There's a law against hitting actresses. Legally, they're considered women.

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Soundtracks

"Kathy-O"
Sung by The Diamonds
Words and Music by Charles Tobias, Ray Joseph and Jack Sher

User Reviews

Everything negative can be redeemed with love

When I read a synopsis for "Kathy O'" and learned it was about a bratty child star who keeps adults rushing around to please her, I pictured something screechy and inane. "Kathy O'" is actually a plush little comedy-drama that does nearly the impossible: it illustrates how the pressures of Hollywood can be painful and frustrating even for a child-actor in the midst of her success. Kathy is not a little tyrant, she's tired and anxious and cranky. A publicist (also all of the above!) reintroduces her to family life and normalcy, and she begins to brighten. Movies about personal redemption always tend to work if the build-up is right, and here it's done tastefully and emotionally. By the end, I was enamored of this youngster who blossoms under the right circumstances. Movies about the movies are usually a little coy, but "Kathy O'" is an exception. It understands the movie world and is quite wise (but not ugly) about actors' lives off-screen. It also recognizes everyday life in suburbia for the grind it can be, but also how much more wonderful it is when shared with people you care about. Kathy learns to care, and, in turn, I came to care about her. *** from ****