The World of Henry Orient (1964)

A mischievous, adventuresome fourteen-year-old girl and her best friend begin following an eccentric concert pianist around New York City after she develops a crush on him.

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writers:

Nora Johnson (screenplay), Nunnally Johnson (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Sellers, Tippy Walker, Merrie Spaeth

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Sellers	...	Henry Orient
Paula Prentiss	...	Stella Dunnworthy
Angela Lansbury	...	Isabel Boyd
Tom Bosley	...	Frank Boyd
Phyllis Thaxter	...	Mrs. Avis Gilbert
Bibi Osterwald	...	Erica Booth
Merrie Spaeth	...	Marian Gilbert
Tippy Walker	...	Valarie Campbell Boyd
John Fiedler	...	Sidney
Al Lewis	...	Store Owner
Peter Duchin	...	Joe Daniels
Fred Stewart	...	Doctor
Philippa Bevans	...	Emma Hambler
Jerry Jarrett	...	(as Jerry Jerrett)
Jane Buchanan	...	Lillian Kafritz

Storyline

Henry Orient is a madly egocentric and overly amorous avant-garde concert pianist who is hilariously pursued all around New York City by two 14-year-old fans. The girls, Val and Gil chase a harassed Henry all over the city, thwarting his afternoon liaisons with a married woman and leaving utter chaos behind them - until Val's sexually promiscuous mother appears on the scene to put a stop to the girls' shenanigans.

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Plot Keywords:

flirting | female best friends | teenage girls | womanizer | peeping jane | 

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Taglines:

You'll Flip for Tippy Walker and Merrie Spaeth

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 June 1964 (UK)

Also Known As:

Deux copines, un séducteur

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pan Arts

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The phone Peter Sellers uses in his bedroom is called a Ericofon, made by L. M. Ericsson of Sweden. This is one of the very few foreign phones allowed in the US at the time of filming by the then telephone company, Bell Telephone, which held a monopoly on both telephone service and telephone equipment in the US. Bell Telephone felt so threatened by the unique European design (and possible mass intrusion into "their" telephone network) that they designed the "Trimline" phone as a countermeasure.

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Goofs

The balcony audience directly behind the conductor are clearly cardboard cut-outs.

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Quotes

Marian Gilbert: You shaved your legs!
Valerie Boyd: You're the biggest blabber mouth.
Marian Gilbert: You didn't tell me!
Valerie Boyd: I don't have to tell you everything!
Erica 'Boothy' Booth: A little louder girls, some people in the balcony can't hear you.

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Crazy Credits

introducing MERRIE SPAETH as "Gil" TIPPY WALKER as "Val"

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Connections

Featured in New York at the Movies (2002)

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Soundtracks

Henry Orient Concerto
Music by Ken Lauber (as Kenneth Lauber)
Conducted and orchestrated by Ken Lauber (uncredited)

User Reviews

A Stylish Delight!

Who writes screenplays like this anymore? The dialogue between the two young, naive and wildly imaginative girls was so apt that my face almost got tired from smiling. Obviously, father and daughter screenwriters Nora and Nunnally Johnson had the time and took care to get it all just right. The direction could hardly have been better, particularly with the two highly-talented young actresses (who seem to have since disappeared from the screen), but above all else, the cinematography was brilliant. The director and cinematographer unleashed an entire arsenal of corny 60's cinematic devices (the camera swivelling upside down, a lyrical romp through the city streets, slow motion and speeded up bits, etc.) but pulled them off so well that corn never tasted so delicious. Also, the frequently unusual camera placement, for instance, bringing the camera almost down to ground level for many of the scenes between the young girls lent an unlikely, but totally convincing perspective to the story. I went to the theater expecting to see a Peter Seller's film, and while he is brilliant in this role, this turned out to be so much more than merely a vehicle for Seller's comedic gifts. So many of the other reviewers in this thread seem to have interpreted this film through the prism of their own experiences. Obviously the story hit home, but they're missing the point - this was film-making at its finest!