Tales of the Unexpected (TV Series) A Girl Can't Always Have Everything (1980) User Reviews

Money is very definitely the root of all evil.....

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 13 February 2016]

Two Stage actresses and friends Suzy Starr and Pat Lewis are working for a dying Theatre company, the Director tells the girls after the performance that a backer has been found, and wants to make their acquaintance. Herbert, a rich enthusiast falls for Suzy and takes her for dinner, sidelining Pat. Suzy, dazzled by his wealth soon becomes engaged to Herbert, the green eyed monster hiding in Pat's eyes. Suzy can't help herself when it comes to handsome young men, but is Herbert as gullible as she thought.

Pauline Collins and Joan Collins make a fantastic double act, two names you'd never think of combining. Pauline being an undoubted talent, and Joan putting in a top notch performance too, possibly the best of her three on Tales, she's so calculating and devious.

A cracking episode, Series three has been a quite high standard overall, Flypaper is the standout, but there's a case for this one being the next best. 8/10

An unexpected tearjerker

[sajamor · 8/10 · 9 February 2020]

It's strange that an episode based around theatricals (in both senses where Joan Collins' character is concerned) should be grounded in a sad reality. The best of human nature often attracts the worst of its using and abusing kind.

If there's one criticism I would level at this episode, it's that some of Suzy and Pat's dialogue should have been better suited to women of Joan and Pauline Collins' ages. Yes, they do look younger than their years but even so their most giggly and girly moments sit a bit immaturely on them.

However, both actresses do make their characters completely believable with brilliant performances. Joan Collins in particular was a revelation. I grew up with her having a campy, overblown performing image from Dynasty but this showed her capable of great range.

In fact the story overall offers a bit of everything - comedy (particularly during the first backstage scenes), drama, suspense and a character twist that sets off a triple whammy.

The totally selfish, heartless Suzy certainly doesn't deserve Pat's loyal friendship and treads all over her quite sensitive feelings. Expecting anybody to support and assist the evil scheme she comes up with is also way too big an ask. Yet ultimately what Pat does isn't making a stand but descending to the same level for the same self serving reasons.

You can't feel sorry for Suzy's actions backfiring on her but I felt so sorry for Herbert that Pat got away with worse ones. My heart broke at the thought of his kind and caring one being taken advantage of all over again. First I couldn't believe my eyes were welling up, then I was flooding the tissues!

Two Collins in one Tales of the Unexpected episode

[safenoe · 7/10 · 7 November 2016]

I don't know if Pauline and Joan are related, but they feature in this episode featuring Pauline Collins and Joan Collins.

This is Joan's third appearance in Tales of the Unexpected. She was also in Neck and Georgy Porgy. Soon after she made her mark on Hollywood as Alexis in Dynasty, which propelled the series to smash ratings.

This episode also features Sylvester Williams, probably one of the few black actors to feature in a Tales of the Unexpected episode (this was during the era of Thatcher by the way). Sylvester later went on to star in Eastenders.

"You can't eat your cake and have it."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 21 September 2021]

The ending of the story is pretty well telegraphed here. Underneath her veneer of support, you can sense Pat Lewis's (Pauline Collins) jealousy at the prospect of her friend Suzy Starr (Joan Collins) reeling in a wealthy big fish with money to burn while he escorted her. Did you happen to catch all the fancy celebrity name dropping by Suzy that inspired her taste in men - Paul Newman, John Travolta, Steve McQueen and Alain Delon? That's why Herbert Millette's (Brewster Mason) appearance at their dressing room door only stimulated Suzy's taste in the finer things in life even more. As for Suzy's game plan after she'd been discovered by Herbert to be a player, well, I thought it was almost as dumb as old Botibol's scheme in the first season's "A Dip in the Pool". That one was truly moronic, but this one was a close second. With so many things that could go wrong, this time it did, with a little help from Pat's negligence. Okay, she gave it a half hearted try, but then went for broke. Apparently it worked, and by no means was it unexpected.

OK Tales of the Unexpected episode.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 4 February 2008]

Tales of the Unexpected: A Girl Can't Always Have Everything starts as stage play director Patrick (James Faulkner) informs two of his female stars Suzy Starr (Joan Collins) & Pat Lewis (Pauline Collins) that their production of The Importance of Being Earnest might have a new rich backer. Rich toymaker Herbet Millette (Brewster Mason) wants to invest in the play & takes a shine to Suzy who senses her opportunity to get rich herself & strings him along, soon she has reeled Herbert in & they get married. Suzy admits to Pat that she hates Herbert, is sleeping around & only staying with him for his money. However Herbert finds out that Suzy is sleeping with other men & threatens to divorce her, Suzy turns to Pat for help but Pat senses her opportunity & gives Suzy a taste of her own medicine...

This Tales of the Unexpected story was episode 5 from season 3 & originally aired here in the UK during November 1980, the fourth of twelve Tales of the Unexpected episodes to be directed by Graham Evans this is alright but nothing special. The story by Tonita S. Gardner was dramatised by Julian Bond & is a neat enough little self contained story of greed with a suitably macabre & coldly cynical twist at the end. Most of the build up is actually needed to get across how unlikable Joan Collins character is & it does a decent job, in fact she is portrayed as a money grabbing heartless bitch who sleeps around which probably wasn't too far from the publics perception of the five time married Collins back in the 80's! She is also well know for her affairs with other men so I guess this was the ultimate typecasting! I mean I'm not being funny here but I doubt she had to research the role that much, she was born to play someone like this. The end is nicely cynical & cold which I liked, I don't think this episode would have great replay value as once you know the twist that's pretty much everything the episode has to offer gone.

Like most Tales of the Unexpected shot on a combination of 16mm film & videotape the two formats can be quite jarring at times when it switches between the two. There's a black stage hand in this who in one scene is dressed in a bright yellow outfit which looks hideous in 2008 although maybe back in 1980 it might have been considered cool. I doubt it though. Again the cast stands out here, Joan Collins makes her third & final appearance on the show after Neck (1979) from season one & Georgy Porgy (1980) from season two. Oscar nominated actress Pauline Collins OBE no less is no relation to Joan despite sharing the same surname & has been in lots of stuff for both film & TV.

A Girl Can't Always Have Everything is a watchable Tales of the Unexpected episode with a decent story & a decent twist, it's not the greatest thing ever made but it's far from the worst. I doubt I'd ever want to see it again though.