Two of the stars who shot across public view in the 1950s were Yul Brynner and Kay Kendall. Brynner's career included an Oscar winning role in THE KING AND I, which became his career identifying part, and Kendall became the most popular and promising female comedian from Great Britain. But Kendall died prematurely, and Brynner (although he remained a public favorite until his death in the 1980s) found greater and greater difficulties in getting decent films and properties to appear in. He kept returning so frequently to his role as the the King of Siam that (with Rex Harrison's constant returns to playing Professor Higgins in MY FAIR LADY) it was one of the two running jokes about career parts.
This 1960 film was Kendall's final film. Married to Harrison at the time, she had been getting progressively weaker and weaker for the last two years. In his autobiography REX, Harrison tells how the doctors informed him that she had leukemia and would be dead within two years. He proceeded to make the most intense use of the time as he could - romancing her constantly and even co-starring with her in Vincente Minelli's THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE. He was determined not to let her know her life was going to end sooner than she would ever expect.*
*However, for a slightly less pleasant view of Harrison's feelings in this tragic situation, read the memoirs of his ex-wife Lili Palmer, CHANGE LOBSTERS AND DANCE.
In ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, Brynner is (for a change) essaying his comedy abilities. He could be funny (there are funny moments in THE KING AND I), but usually is brooding and even tragic (as in what I think is his best performance, the Russian officer in THE JOURNEY). Here, as Victor Fabian he is the total egomaniac, who is determined (whatever the cost) to make his orchestra the best in the world. But his ego insists that everyone is secondary to that orchestra and himself. As is pointed out in several of the reviews so far, Victor's home and office are loaded with paintings and sculpture all of one subject - the great him! The use of these pictures are clever, as there are some attempts to copy technique and style of artists (one painting, for example, looks like a Marc Chagall). He is extremely temperamental, throwing tantrums, and getting very physical with his players (he bashes one man with a violin and tears a shirt off another violinist). But he has method to his madness: he hates complacency that is developed by the orchestra liking the conductor - if it fears the conductor it will be more alive to performing the pieces correctly.
Victor has been engaged to Dolly (Kendall) for eight years, and she is fed up with waiting. She has broken with Victor, and started dating a Dr. Hilliard (Geoffrey Toone). Victor is not happy with this situation, which is worsened by a threat to his beloved orchestra. He needs a wealthy backer, and one elderly woman is quite willing to support his orchestra for three years provided he adds one composer to his list of Beethoven, Brahams, Berlioz, and other concert masters - the American "March King" John Philip Sousa. Victor gags at that idea, but his agent Max (Gregory Ratoff) tries to point out that an occasional playing of "The Stars and Stripes Forever" would not be totally amiss. Then Victor and Max learn that Dolly is friendly to the old lady, and realize they need her to try to coax the old lady into supporting the orchestra with or without Sousa.
The film gives Brynner ample opportunities to use his domineering master characterization for comic affect. Note a brief moment when Hilliard has gotten into Victor's house and wants to see Dolly. Dolly (earlier) flung a bottle of cold cream at Victor who shut the door in time. When Hilliard shows up, Victor tells him Dolly is in the room behind the closed door and is expecting him. "Don't bother to announce yourself", says a slyly smiling Brynner, "Just go inside!" The next moment we hear Hilliard getting hit by another bottle of cold cream while Brynner looks beatific.
Kendall shows her comic abilities very nicely movie - at one point Dolly shows Hilliard she is prepared to protect herself with dueling pistols if Victor tries anything on her. "I haven't watched all those television westerns for nothing you know.", she explains to her bewildered fiancé regarding her abilities as a shooter. When left alone, she picks up one of the pistol, twirls it, and "fires" it with loud verbal sound affects.
Ratoff plays one of his sly, conniving types, who manages to mangle English but get his ideas across. A veritable fictional version of Sam Goldwyn in language malfeasance, he says things like, "If I'm not telling the truth now, I'll never tell another lie again!" Even minor characters have good moments. A misused violinist is being calmed down by Kendall (the man wants to hurt Victor in retaliation). She explains that Victor's actions are those of a brilliant man who is frequently misunderstood by lesser people, "Just like the peasants who disliked Galileo." The violinist says (without missing a beat) "Please, I don't know all the Italian composers." The same violinist also notes with approval all the autographed photos on Victor's piano. He sees Casals, Heifitz, Van Cliburn, and then looks at a hidden photograph puzzled. "Who is that?", he asks Ratoff. Ratoff looks and says, "It's President Eisenhower." The photograph is then revealed of Ike. "And a very distinguished looking man.", says our under informed violinist. It is a very droll film.
This 1960 film was Kendall's final film. Married to Harrison at the time, she had been getting progressively weaker and weaker for the last two years. In his autobiography REX, Harrison tells how the doctors informed him that she had leukemia and would be dead within two years. He proceeded to make the most intense use of the time as he could - romancing her constantly and even co-starring with her in Vincente Minelli's THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE. He was determined not to let her know her life was going to end sooner than she would ever expect.*
*However, for a slightly less pleasant view of Harrison's feelings in this tragic situation, read the memoirs of his ex-wife Lili Palmer, CHANGE LOBSTERS AND DANCE.
In ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, Brynner is (for a change) essaying his comedy abilities. He could be funny (there are funny moments in THE KING AND I), but usually is brooding and even tragic (as in what I think is his best performance, the Russian officer in THE JOURNEY). Here, as Victor Fabian he is the total egomaniac, who is determined (whatever the cost) to make his orchestra the best in the world. But his ego insists that everyone is secondary to that orchestra and himself. As is pointed out in several of the reviews so far, Victor's home and office are loaded with paintings and sculpture all of one subject - the great him! The use of these pictures are clever, as there are some attempts to copy technique and style of artists (one painting, for example, looks like a Marc Chagall). He is extremely temperamental, throwing tantrums, and getting very physical with his players (he bashes one man with a violin and tears a shirt off another violinist). But he has method to his madness: he hates complacency that is developed by the orchestra liking the conductor - if it fears the conductor it will be more alive to performing the pieces correctly.
Victor has been engaged to Dolly (Kendall) for eight years, and she is fed up with waiting. She has broken with Victor, and started dating a Dr. Hilliard (Geoffrey Toone). Victor is not happy with this situation, which is worsened by a threat to his beloved orchestra. He needs a wealthy backer, and one elderly woman is quite willing to support his orchestra for three years provided he adds one composer to his list of Beethoven, Brahams, Berlioz, and other concert masters - the American "March King" John Philip Sousa. Victor gags at that idea, but his agent Max (Gregory Ratoff) tries to point out that an occasional playing of "The Stars and Stripes Forever" would not be totally amiss. Then Victor and Max learn that Dolly is friendly to the old lady, and realize they need her to try to coax the old lady into supporting the orchestra with or without Sousa.
The film gives Brynner ample opportunities to use his domineering master characterization for comic affect. Note a brief moment when Hilliard has gotten into Victor's house and wants to see Dolly. Dolly (earlier) flung a bottle of cold cream at Victor who shut the door in time. When Hilliard shows up, Victor tells him Dolly is in the room behind the closed door and is expecting him. "Don't bother to announce yourself", says a slyly smiling Brynner, "Just go inside!" The next moment we hear Hilliard getting hit by another bottle of cold cream while Brynner looks beatific.
Kendall shows her comic abilities very nicely movie - at one point Dolly shows Hilliard she is prepared to protect herself with dueling pistols if Victor tries anything on her. "I haven't watched all those television westerns for nothing you know.", she explains to her bewildered fiancé regarding her abilities as a shooter. When left alone, she picks up one of the pistol, twirls it, and "fires" it with loud verbal sound affects.
Ratoff plays one of his sly, conniving types, who manages to mangle English but get his ideas across. A veritable fictional version of Sam Goldwyn in language malfeasance, he says things like, "If I'm not telling the truth now, I'll never tell another lie again!" Even minor characters have good moments. A misused violinist is being calmed down by Kendall (the man wants to hurt Victor in retaliation). She explains that Victor's actions are those of a brilliant man who is frequently misunderstood by lesser people, "Just like the peasants who disliked Galileo." The violinist says (without missing a beat) "Please, I don't know all the Italian composers." The same violinist also notes with approval all the autographed photos on Victor's piano. He sees Casals, Heifitz, Van Cliburn, and then looks at a hidden photograph puzzled. "Who is that?", he asks Ratoff. Ratoff looks and says, "It's President Eisenhower." The photograph is then revealed of Ike. "And a very distinguished looking man.", says our under informed violinist. It is a very droll film.