Inside Daisy Clover (1965)

A tomboy turned movie star deals with the cruelty of Hollywood.

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writers:

Gavin Lambert (screenplay), Gavin Lambert (novel)

Stars:

Natalie Wood, Christopher Plummer, Robert Redford

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Natalie Wood	...	Daisy Clover
Christopher Plummer	...	Raymond Swan
Robert Redford	...	Wade Lewis / Lewis Wade
Ruth Gordon	...	The Dealer - Mrs. Clover
Roddy McDowall	...	Walter Baines
Katharine Bard	...	Melora Swan
Peter Helm	...	Milton Hopwood
Betty Harford	...	Gloria Clover Goslett
John Hale	...	Harry Goslett
Harold Gould	...	Cop on Pier
Ottola Nesmith	...	Dolores
Edna Holland	...	Cynara

Storyline

Daisy Clover is a 15 year old Tomboy who dreams of being a Hollywood star. After auditioning for producer Raymond Swan of Swan studios she becomes the toast of Hollywood. Daisy must then come to terms with her new found fame and the 1930's Hollywood star treatment.

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Plot Keywords:

putting one's head in an oven to commit suicide | svengali | reference to shakespeare's hamlet | throwing a radio into water | beware of dog sign | 

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Taglines:

The story of what they did to a kid...

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Daisy Clover was born on August 24, 1921.

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Goofs

50's and 60's cars and trucks can be seen several times. Parked to the left of the pier. On the beach. On the pier itself. And in reflections and through windows.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Daisy Clover: [monologue narration thoughts while sitting on a trash can in an alley] The 24th of August, 1936; Angel Beach California, USA, the world, the universe; Angel Beach. Happy birthday Daisy Clover. I'm 15 today, but I won't let it go to my head. I'm still the same happy, adjusted, polite young lady. People say I'm quite sophisticated for my age. That's only skin deep. Underneath the veneer, Ill bet my simple, healthy instincts against yours any day!
[...]

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Connections

Features Intolerance (1916)

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Soundtracks

The Circus Is a Wacky World
(uncredited)
Written by André Previn
Lyrics by Dory Previn
Performed by Natalie Wood (dubbed by Jackie Ward)
Arranged by Alexander Courage

User Reviews

The Image Maker

Almost everything about this film ... from the casting and acting, to the plot, to the musical numbers, to the costumes and hairstyles ... seems fake.

Natalie Wood, 27 years old, plays 15-year old Daisy Clover, a spunky tomboy/brat/beach bum extraordinaire. Daisy, who lives with her eccentric elderly mom, played by Ruth Gordon, in a shabby wooden trailer near the beach in Southern California, has Hollywood stars in her eyes. And when Raymond Swan (Christopher Plummer), head of The Swan Studio comes calling, Daisy jumps at the chance to be a movie star.

She leaves her mom and lets Swan remake her into America's ideal of a teenage girl. In effect, Swan Studio is Daisy's image maker. Even though surrounded by cold-blooded snakes in the movie business, Daisy is such a brat that she doesn't elicit much sympathy from me. But then I found little interest in any of the characters.

With the exception of Daisy's mom, the characters lack depth of emotion. Maybe that's the point ... Hollywood is filled with emotionally empty people. They're all image, no substance.

Set in the 1930s, the film has visuals that look straight out of the 1960s, especially relative to hairstyles and costumes. The musical numbers, though well executed, trend toward upbeat, bubble gum optimism, which is inconsistent with the film's overall thematic cynicism. I know what they're driving at with these musical numbers. But the abrupt tonal shift is jarring.

Perhaps the worst element of this film is Natalie Wood's performance. She seriously overacts. It's a performance not unlike that of Patty Duke, in "Valley Of The Dolls" (1967).

"Inside Daisy Clover" is filmed in color. It would have been more realistic had it been filmed in 1930s B&W. And the cinematography projects an annoying wide screen image.

The only thing I liked about this film is the presence of the always interesting, and unique, Ruth Gordon. Otherwise, this film is forgettable.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 1966 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Inside Daisy Clover

Filming Locations:

Dijon Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Park Place Production, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1