This film didn't really come together for me until Edward Andrews as a book publisher makes his speech about the first novel to be released from Hawk House, the publishing company opened by James Franciscus's title character. This adoption of the novel by Herman Wouk could have used a good deal of trimming in addition to color and yet a little bit more continuity as well. So much of it has the potential of greatness with a small town mining employee with a desire to write going to New York and hitting it big.
Franciscus gives a decent performance as the hopeful young writer who find success probably too fast, goes overboard with living the big life, and has a great deal of impact on the lives of the women around him which include mother Mildred Dunnock, editor Suzanne Pleshette and the young and wealthy Genevieve Page who has a troubled young son. His biggest chance at finding happiness with Pleshette is derailed by his ambitions, and he finds that his artistic ambitions aren't necessarily appreciated by the critics.
The film goes from episode to episode with weak continuity, scoring a bit of nostalgia when it brings in veteran actors Mary Astor and John Emery to play to veteran stage Stars cast in the Broadway production of one of his novels. I longed to see more of Astor who is surprisingly youthful-looking as she glows over the potential of another stage success. There also should have been more detail concerning his relationship with his mother who shows up at a precarious time when he is alone with Page and realizes what type of a person her son has become.
The late 1950's and 60's had dozens of sagas of rises to success that resulted in tragedy or shocking downfalls. Some work, but most missed, and this one is both overproduced and under-produced, showing insecurities regarding the project and becoming a disappointment in the career of veteran director Delmer Daves. Eva Gabor, Don Porter, John Dehner, Werner Klemperer and Diane Sayer (unbilled in a role that would have been perfect for Barbara Nichols) stand out in supporting and minor roles. This is one of those novels that probably looked great on paper but most likely was unable to be transferred to film properly.
Franciscus gives a decent performance as the hopeful young writer who find success probably too fast, goes overboard with living the big life, and has a great deal of impact on the lives of the women around him which include mother Mildred Dunnock, editor Suzanne Pleshette and the young and wealthy Genevieve Page who has a troubled young son. His biggest chance at finding happiness with Pleshette is derailed by his ambitions, and he finds that his artistic ambitions aren't necessarily appreciated by the critics.
The film goes from episode to episode with weak continuity, scoring a bit of nostalgia when it brings in veteran actors Mary Astor and John Emery to play to veteran stage Stars cast in the Broadway production of one of his novels. I longed to see more of Astor who is surprisingly youthful-looking as she glows over the potential of another stage success. There also should have been more detail concerning his relationship with his mother who shows up at a precarious time when he is alone with Page and realizes what type of a person her son has become.
The late 1950's and 60's had dozens of sagas of rises to success that resulted in tragedy or shocking downfalls. Some work, but most missed, and this one is both overproduced and under-produced, showing insecurities regarding the project and becoming a disappointment in the career of veteran director Delmer Daves. Eva Gabor, Don Porter, John Dehner, Werner Klemperer and Diane Sayer (unbilled in a role that would have been perfect for Barbara Nichols) stand out in supporting and minor roles. This is one of those novels that probably looked great on paper but most likely was unable to be transferred to film properly.