Mobile Navigation
Dear Heart (1964)
Originally titled "The Out of Towners" and produced as an episode of CBS' Studio One anthology, Tad Mosel's feature adaptation of his teleplay saw its title changed to the name of the bittersweet hit song commissioned for the film, written by Henry Mancini, Jay Livingston and Ray Eva. The wistful romantic comedy, which gently explores the evolving courting and sexual mores of the day, concerns two lonely middle-aged people (Glenn Ford and Geraldine Page) who unexpectedly bond at a convention in New York City. Writer-director Matthew Weiner has cited this mid-century time capsule as a prime inspiration for his landmark television series, Mad Men.
35mm, b/w, 114 min. Production: Out-of-Towners Co. Distribution: Warner Bros. Pictures. Director: Delbert Mann. Producer: Martin Manulis. Screenwriter: Tad Mosel. Cinematography: Russell Harlan. Editor: Folmar Blangsted. Music: Henry Mancini. Cast: Glenn Ford, Geraldine Page, Michael Anderson, Jr., Barbara Nichols, Angela Lansbury.
The Catered Affair (1956)
Originally produced as an episode of the anthology series Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, Gore Vidal's screen adaptation of Paddy Chayefsky's teleplay boasts an all-star cast, including the inspired coupling of Bette Davis and Ernest Borgnine. The dramedy concerns the limited means of a working class family and the misplaced desire of their matriarch (Bette Davis) to provide a lavish wedding for her reticent daughter (Debbie Reynolds). As with his smash hit Marty (1955), Chayefsky's Bronx tale upends classist expectations and Hollywood's usual preoccupation with the rich and glamorous, revealing honor in the struggles and strife that define everyday lives beyond Park Avenue.
35mm, b/w, 92 min. Production: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. Distribution: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Director: Richard Brooks. Producer: Sam Zimbalist. Screenwriter: Gore Vidal. Based on the teleplay by Paddy Chayefsky. Cinematographer: John Alton. Editor: Gene Ruggiero. Music: André Previn. Cast: Bette Davis, Ernest Borgnine, Debbie Reynolds, Barry Fitzgerald, Rod Taylor.
