Walk on the Wild Side (1962)

A man arrives in New Orleans searching for his former girlfriend, an artist who now works in a bordello.

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Nelson Algren (novel), John Fante (screenplay)

Stars:

Laurence Harvey, Capucine, Jane Fonda

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laurence Harvey	...	Dove Linkhorn
Capucine	...	Hallie
Jane Fonda	...	Kitty Twist
Anne Baxter	...	Teresina Vidaverri
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Jo / Jo Courtney
Joanna Moore	...	Miss Precious
Richard Rust	...	Oliver
Karl Swenson	...	Schmidt
Don 'Red' Barry	...	Dockery (as Donald Barry)
Juanita Moore	...	Mama
John Anderson	...	Preacher
Ken Lynch	...	Frank Bonito
Todd Armstrong	...	Lt. Omar Stroud (as Todd Anderson)
Sherry O'Neil	...	Reba
John Bryant	...	Spence

Storyline

At the Doll House, a 1930's New Orleans bordello, Hallie is the main attraction both for clients and for Jo, the madame. Her comfortable if tedious life is disrupted by the arrival in town of Dove Linkhorn, her true love of three years before who is now searching for her. When Linkhorn learns the truth of her profession he triggers a chain of events involving a number of people, including the young Kitty with whom he travelled from Texas and who is now the Doll House newest recruit.

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Plot Keywords:

1930s | great depression | prostitution | brothel | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

a new kind of love story from the best-seller by NELSON ALGREN

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Opening credits: The characters and incidents and the names used herein are fictitious, and any similarity to the name, character or history of any person is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

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Goofs

Dove arranges to meet Hallie "the day after tomorrow", but when they meet, he says, "You look different, even since yesterday."

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Quotes

Kitty Twist: I run the candy concession.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: Texas, The Early Thirties

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Connections

Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Jane Fonda (2014)

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Soundtracks

Walk on the Wild Side
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Lyrics by Mack David
Sung by Brook Benton

User Reviews

MEEE-OOOWWWW, a potboiler in the best sense of the word featuring Elmer Bernstein's substantial music over a terrific title sequence by Saul Bass.

This sleazy bit of melodrama, loosely based on a racy Nelson Algren book, is now dated kitsch; but can be enjoyed for what it is, thanks to the Hollywood team that put it all together. It's trashy intentions and heavyhanded delivery work in it's favor nowadays, so the brilliant Columbia DVD transfer is well worth checking out. The highlight of the movie is the Elmer Bernstein score; a masterwork with a life all it's own. The cast is a hoot: Barbara Stanwyck standing out as a lesbian brothel owner, a stiff dyke, hardly correct as a New Orleans Madame; Jane Fonda is a pouty, sultry slut, overdoing her overaged, nubile nymphette act; Laurence Harvey stretches all credibility as the good-boy Texas heartthrob searching for his lost love; an utterly miscast Capucine, playing an artsy, elegant whore-with-a-heart-of-gold; and Anne Baxter is quite humorous as a Mexican cafe owner. It's hard not to enjoy a movie with lead characters whose names are Dove and Kitty Twist, and a title song performed by Brook Benton with lyrics like: "Chances of goin' to Heaven, 6 to 1!".

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1962 (UK)

Also Known As:

Walk on the Wild Side

Filming Locations:

Jackson Square, French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Famous Artists Productions, Columbia Pictures, Famartists Productions S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1