Copyright 1960 by Mervyn LeRoy Productions, Inc. New York opening at the Paramount: 8 April 1960. U.S. release: June 1960. Australian release: 28 July 1960. 11,294 feet. 125 minutes.
COMMENT: A surprisingly apt title for this overlong, heavy-handed, laborious farce which only comes to life in its climactic courtroom scene where drama is suddenly substituted for foolery. A waste of time and money, here is yet another variant of "The Teahouse of the August Moon" which, like "Cry for Happy", smothers any promising ideas in the script by indifferent direction. In fact LeRoy's handling is especially tedious, with an utter disregard for pace or wit.
Don Knotts' fans are warned that their idol's role is ridiculously small, being confined to just the one paltry scene. The rest of the "comic" slack is taken up by the untalented Dick Shawn, a woebegone, humorless refugee from Las Vegas.
Deserving of better things, Ernie Kovacs struggles vainly against rock-bottom material, whilst Robert Strauss mugs away with unbridled abandon on the flimsiest excuses. Even the girl — supposedly a "tender-hearted buzz-saw" — is a bore.
For this late in the day, the CinemaScope photography is surprisingly grainy. Other credits are likewise below standard — with a special mention for the bleep title tune "sung" by Andy Williams.
OTHER VIEWS: A prolonged and massive bore. — "Monthly Film Bulletin". Witless. — "The New York Times". Too slight to keep up the momentum of a story that is dragged out too long and telegraphs most of its points. — Paul V. Beckley in "The New York Herald Tribune".
COMMENT: A surprisingly apt title for this overlong, heavy-handed, laborious farce which only comes to life in its climactic courtroom scene where drama is suddenly substituted for foolery. A waste of time and money, here is yet another variant of "The Teahouse of the August Moon" which, like "Cry for Happy", smothers any promising ideas in the script by indifferent direction. In fact LeRoy's handling is especially tedious, with an utter disregard for pace or wit.
Don Knotts' fans are warned that their idol's role is ridiculously small, being confined to just the one paltry scene. The rest of the "comic" slack is taken up by the untalented Dick Shawn, a woebegone, humorless refugee from Las Vegas.
Deserving of better things, Ernie Kovacs struggles vainly against rock-bottom material, whilst Robert Strauss mugs away with unbridled abandon on the flimsiest excuses. Even the girl — supposedly a "tender-hearted buzz-saw" — is a bore.
For this late in the day, the CinemaScope photography is surprisingly grainy. Other credits are likewise below standard — with a special mention for the bleep title tune "sung" by Andy Williams.
OTHER VIEWS: A prolonged and massive bore. — "Monthly Film Bulletin". Witless. — "The New York Times". Too slight to keep up the momentum of a story that is dragged out too long and telegraphs most of its points. — Paul V. Beckley in "The New York Herald Tribune".