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 | womanizer | peeping jane | sex in public | 

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Taglines:

When two junior size misses meet one king-size nut. It's fun, fresh, welcome as Springtime

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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:

The Brearly School, 610 E. 83rd Street, 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

Shot from June to October 1963.

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Goofs

During his concert, Henry's hair changes back and forth from neat to messed up.

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Quotes

[at a Henry Orient concert]
Erica 'Boothy' Booth: [to Mrs. Gilbert] If this is music, what's that stuff Cole Porter writes?

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Crazy Credits

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

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter (1982)

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Soundtracks

Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
By Sergei Rachmaninoff

User Reviews

An unexpectedly pleasurable gem!

I wasn't quite prepared for how much I enjoyed this sophisticated (but certainly not too much so) romp when I caught it during its first-run release. I thought it so well-executed in every department that I was delighted to note that it's now available in a DVD edition with its Panavision widescreen ratio restored. But unfortunately the audio element is so bad (requiring turning the volume way up to even begin to hear the dialogue, and a music score that's mangled beyond belief) that I had to return the disc for a refund. Fortunately Turner Classic Movies recently showed it and the soundtrack was not a problem, making possible a fairly decent high-fidelity VHS recording.

The two young actresses who played the very natural but entirely madcap duo who precipitate most of the plot's ins-'n-outs are completely charming and they are supported by an extraordinarily well-chosen cast of top-notch professionals. Angela Lansbury, never an actress to shrink from the somewhat less savory aspects of a character she's playing, strikes just the right note as a socialite whose maternal instincts are close to non-existent. I do remember wishing that Paula Prentiss had been given more to do, but I suppose getting mistaken for Jayne Mansfield (in one of the film's funnier sequences) wasn't something to be sneezed at. As the film's title character, Peter Sellers wasn't permitted by director George Roy Hill to unbalance the proceedings. And it certainly seems that scenarist Nora Johnson had inherited more than a modicum of her father Nunnally's professional good taste. This one is a treat for all but the dyspeptic and the excessively demanding.