"My Six Loves" is a comedy with just a little romance at the end, and some subtle and not-so-subtle satire. The satire is buried within the story and the general comedy and overall family plot. Debbie Reynolds and Cliff Robertson have the leads with a very good supporting cast. This is a feel-good film about family, kindness and love. Only, all of that stems from a single over-worked stage and film star and an orphaned clan of kids supposedly in the care of a dysfunctional pair who may be their aunt and uncle.
Reynolds plays popular actress Janice Courtney. When the doctor orders her to take a vacation and a long rest, she retreats to her Connecticut house in the country with her assistant, Ethel (played by Eileen Heckart). She soon discovers six children and their dog holed up in an old shack on her property. The local Rev. Jim Larkin (Cliff Robertson), of Fairmont Community Church, then enters the picture.
Courtney becomes torn between caring for these kids as a family and resuming her career. When derelict no-good caretakers of the kids show up so they can continue to get the welfare check for the kids, Jan and Jim set out to get the children put in her custody.
Jan's agent and manager, Marty Bliss, promotes her career and is at her beck and call. David Janssen plays this part superbly and for great humor, especially when Jan enlists him for tasks for the kids. He puts together a picnic for everyone that comes with a chef and caviar, truffles, pate, etc. And, as might be expected, romance enters the picture as the Rev. Larkin becomes a fixture at Jan's with the kids. John McGiver has a nice role as Judge Harris, and all the rest of the supporting cast are quite good and add to the humor.
The light touch of this film doesn't bear down on the derelict care couple, Doreen and B. J. Smith, for their negligent and criminal behavior. Mary McCarty and Max Showalter play their parts perfectly. The satire comes later when Jan decides to try a stage role that is contrary to her stage persona and personal life. It sounds like it might be X-rated when Jim gives his assessment after Jan asked him to read it and advise her. The play's author is famed playwright Kinsley Kross, played superbly by Hans Conried. The obvious satire is very funny. It covers the theater - stage and screen, and everyone associated with it from writers to actors to studios to agents - even to the audiences that go for low taste entertainment.
This is a fun film that people of all ages should enjoy. The older critics and cynics will enjoy the satire. Here are some sample lines from this film.
Selena Johnson, "It's very important for a budding young actress like Ava to study fine acting." Ethel, "On television?"
Ethel, "Selena, if you have a menu for dinner tonight, I'd like to look it over later." Selena, "Today is Tuesday." Ethel, "What's wrong with Tuesday?" Selena, "Tuesday is Ava's night at elocution. We'll be dining out."
Marty Bliss, carrying Jan's large birdbath pedestal, "I'd like to meet the idiot that buys this thing." Rev. Larkin, "Oh, well, uh, we'll find a sucker."
Janice Courtney, "You mean nobody here wants half a birdbath? Nobody has half a bird?"
Ethel, "I don't think he likes caviar." Marty, trying to feed Sherman a cracker with caviar on it, "At eleven bucks an ounce, he likes it. Don't ya?" Sherman, "Uh, uh." Marty slips the cracker into his mouth as he speaks, and everyone laughs.
Kinsley Kross, "This play breaks with the past, transcending also the trending modern postures which I find equally irrelevant in their persistent search for universal verities. It, uh, springs from a personal ethos that I call generative nihilisms. Do you agree, darling?" Jan Courtney, "Oh, yes, of course I do. Um, how do you feel about it, Ethel?" Ethel, "He lost me at lunch, right after he said, 'Pass me the potato salad.'"
Kinsley Kross, "Well, let me put it into simple language. A civilized woman rebels against the dichotomy of modern society, and seeks her euphoria in.. depravity." Marty Bliss, "Why, it'll make a bombshell at the box office." Ethel, "That explains everything."
Kinsley Kross, "I see you've been reading my play." Rev. Larkin, "That's right." Kross, "Well?" Larkin, "Well, I've always had a grudging respect for your work, Mr. Kross. Even though it's offended some people, it's always had a certain honesty. I wish I could say the same for this."
Kinsley Kross, "Well, I realize this is pretty heady stuff for a man of the cloth, reverend. But there are other days in the week beside Sunday." Larkin, "Trash is trash any day of the week, Mr. Kross."
Rev. Larkin, "Jan, you're an intelligent woman. But I don't know what kind of intelligence it is that makes you wanna play the role of a .. a scheming two-headed sex-pot. If this is an example of, uh, modern theater, I don't think you oughta be part of it."
Jan Courtney, "I'm sorry, Jim, but scheming two-headed sex-pots make great parts for an actress, and no one is gonna talk me out of playing it. I've worked too hard and too long to wind up my career as chief cook and bottle washer in Connecticut." Jim Larkin, "Well, I guess that about covers it."
Kinsley Kross, "And under my brilliant tutelage, every good, healthy, schizophrenic impulse within you will surge to the surface."
Kinsley Kross, "Where's your flaming star going - for a cooling walk in the rain?" Marty Bliss, "Uh, let me put it to ya this way, Kinsley. She's escaping from the dichotomy of modern living and she's going to seek her euphoria in Connecticut."
Reynolds plays popular actress Janice Courtney. When the doctor orders her to take a vacation and a long rest, she retreats to her Connecticut house in the country with her assistant, Ethel (played by Eileen Heckart). She soon discovers six children and their dog holed up in an old shack on her property. The local Rev. Jim Larkin (Cliff Robertson), of Fairmont Community Church, then enters the picture.
Courtney becomes torn between caring for these kids as a family and resuming her career. When derelict no-good caretakers of the kids show up so they can continue to get the welfare check for the kids, Jan and Jim set out to get the children put in her custody.
Jan's agent and manager, Marty Bliss, promotes her career and is at her beck and call. David Janssen plays this part superbly and for great humor, especially when Jan enlists him for tasks for the kids. He puts together a picnic for everyone that comes with a chef and caviar, truffles, pate, etc. And, as might be expected, romance enters the picture as the Rev. Larkin becomes a fixture at Jan's with the kids. John McGiver has a nice role as Judge Harris, and all the rest of the supporting cast are quite good and add to the humor.
The light touch of this film doesn't bear down on the derelict care couple, Doreen and B. J. Smith, for their negligent and criminal behavior. Mary McCarty and Max Showalter play their parts perfectly. The satire comes later when Jan decides to try a stage role that is contrary to her stage persona and personal life. It sounds like it might be X-rated when Jim gives his assessment after Jan asked him to read it and advise her. The play's author is famed playwright Kinsley Kross, played superbly by Hans Conried. The obvious satire is very funny. It covers the theater - stage and screen, and everyone associated with it from writers to actors to studios to agents - even to the audiences that go for low taste entertainment.
This is a fun film that people of all ages should enjoy. The older critics and cynics will enjoy the satire. Here are some sample lines from this film.
Selena Johnson, "It's very important for a budding young actress like Ava to study fine acting." Ethel, "On television?"
Ethel, "Selena, if you have a menu for dinner tonight, I'd like to look it over later." Selena, "Today is Tuesday." Ethel, "What's wrong with Tuesday?" Selena, "Tuesday is Ava's night at elocution. We'll be dining out."
Marty Bliss, carrying Jan's large birdbath pedestal, "I'd like to meet the idiot that buys this thing." Rev. Larkin, "Oh, well, uh, we'll find a sucker."
Janice Courtney, "You mean nobody here wants half a birdbath? Nobody has half a bird?"
Ethel, "I don't think he likes caviar." Marty, trying to feed Sherman a cracker with caviar on it, "At eleven bucks an ounce, he likes it. Don't ya?" Sherman, "Uh, uh." Marty slips the cracker into his mouth as he speaks, and everyone laughs.
Kinsley Kross, "This play breaks with the past, transcending also the trending modern postures which I find equally irrelevant in their persistent search for universal verities. It, uh, springs from a personal ethos that I call generative nihilisms. Do you agree, darling?" Jan Courtney, "Oh, yes, of course I do. Um, how do you feel about it, Ethel?" Ethel, "He lost me at lunch, right after he said, 'Pass me the potato salad.'"
Kinsley Kross, "Well, let me put it into simple language. A civilized woman rebels against the dichotomy of modern society, and seeks her euphoria in.. depravity." Marty Bliss, "Why, it'll make a bombshell at the box office." Ethel, "That explains everything."
Kinsley Kross, "I see you've been reading my play." Rev. Larkin, "That's right." Kross, "Well?" Larkin, "Well, I've always had a grudging respect for your work, Mr. Kross. Even though it's offended some people, it's always had a certain honesty. I wish I could say the same for this."
Kinsley Kross, "Well, I realize this is pretty heady stuff for a man of the cloth, reverend. But there are other days in the week beside Sunday." Larkin, "Trash is trash any day of the week, Mr. Kross."
Rev. Larkin, "Jan, you're an intelligent woman. But I don't know what kind of intelligence it is that makes you wanna play the role of a .. a scheming two-headed sex-pot. If this is an example of, uh, modern theater, I don't think you oughta be part of it."
Jan Courtney, "I'm sorry, Jim, but scheming two-headed sex-pots make great parts for an actress, and no one is gonna talk me out of playing it. I've worked too hard and too long to wind up my career as chief cook and bottle washer in Connecticut." Jim Larkin, "Well, I guess that about covers it."
Kinsley Kross, "And under my brilliant tutelage, every good, healthy, schizophrenic impulse within you will surge to the surface."
Kinsley Kross, "Where's your flaming star going - for a cooling walk in the rain?" Marty Bliss, "Uh, let me put it to ya this way, Kinsley. She's escaping from the dichotomy of modern living and she's going to seek her euphoria in Connecticut."