Four Star Playhouse (TV Series) A Man of the World (1953) User Reviews

Needs a Re-write

[dougdoepke · 6 September 2020]

Love that opening where spunky wife Leila prepares in detail dull husband Andy for his vacation. As she packs for him, we know right away how utterly staid and predictable he is, while she's a lively whirlwind more like an attentive mother than a wife. But once on the vacation train and sitting alone, Andy thinks over his being in a rut; maybe he can break out if he can find the nerve. And then, as if summoned out of the blue, an aggressively sexy Kathi sidles up to him in the club car, and Andy's put to the test.

What the entry does have is some suspense as we wonder if Kathi can possibly be sincere given Andy's blandness. But then if she's not, what's her game. It's a good suspenseful concept that unfortunately plays out in conventionally contrived 1950's fashion. Reviewer Hafer's right: all in all, the parts don't really fit. Plus there's Niven's uncharacteristic eye-rolling as though he's still searching for the character; then too, why all the big words that are dropped in haphazardly, and what about the loose boy on the train that seems to have no point (maybe I missed something). Anyway, the premise is a good one, but the script needs both a re-write and may be a better director.

Too much uncertainty. And what's with the little boy running around causing a ruckus?

[FloridaFred · 6/10 · 10 September 2020]

Milquetoast businessman Andy Bush (played by actor David Niven) gets his marital fidelity put to the test by a charming, seductive young lady he meets on a train. The suspense is good. Will Andy follow through with the alluring invitation from Kathi (actress Barbara Lawrence)?

This is a tough one to rate. As with so many Four Star Playhouse shows, it ends too quickly, attempting to make some sort of moral statement in the closing moments.

One distraction in this show that serves no discernible purpose is a little brat boy running in and out of the rooms on the train (including Andy's private compartment). The writers could have used the time wasted on that kid to better set the scene for the surprise ending.

"A Man of the World" is watchable, but not worth more than a 6 star rating.

A rare misfire from an otherwise excellent series.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 19 January 2016]

Over the last several years, I've downloaded and watched dozens of episodes of "Four Star Theater" from archive.org...and it's been a mostly wonderful viewing experience. Seeing these accomplished movie stars in these half hour teleplays has been nice and this is because the scripts and acting were generally very good. Unfortunately, in the case of "A Man of the World", the writing and acting were a letdown--but at least the star of this one, David Niven, cannot be blamed.

When the film begins, a man (Niven) is about to go off on his annual three-week vacation without his wife in order to fish and hunt. He worries that she'll be jealous or worry about him...but she seems amazingly content with his trip. And, the more he talks to everyone, he realizes he's an amazingly predictable and somewhat dull fellow. He's obviously longing for some excitement...and finds it when a very pretty and much younger woman begins paying a lot of attention to him on the train. In fact, she appears more than willing to have an affair with him!! So what gives?

The show doesn't work because the plot isn't very believable but more importantly, the young lady simply comes off as 100% fake. The woman's delivery of her lines is poor and the lines themselves seem as if they were written by a teenager who THINKS this is how adults really talk! Don't say I didn't warn you about this one.