Mail Order Bride (1964 film)

Last updated

Mail Order Bride
Mail Order Bride FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed by Burt Kennedy
Screenplay byBurt Kennedy
Based on"Mail Order Bride"
1952 story in The Saturday Evening Post
by Van Cort
Produced byRichard E. Lyons
Starring Buddy Ebsen
Keir Dullea
Lois Nettleton
Warren Oates
Cinematography Paul C. Vogel
Edited by Frank Santillo
Music by George Bassman
Color process Metrocolor
Production
company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • March 11, 1964 (1964-03-11)
Running time
83 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$700,000 [1]
Box office$1,250,000 (US/ Canada) [2]

Mail Order Bride is a 1964 American Western comedy film directed by Burt Kennedy and starring Buddy Ebsen, Keir Dullea and Lois Nettleton. The screenplay concerns an old man who pressures the wild son of a dead friend into marrying a mail-order bride in an attempt to settle him down.

Contents

Plot

Retired lawman Will Lane promises to look after a dying friend's son. He is given the deed to the man's Montana ranch and instructed not to let the friend's son, Lee Carey, have it until Lee gives up his immature ways.

One provision is that Lee must marry. Will uses a catalog to look for a suitable wife. He ends up finding Annie Boley, a widow in Kansas City with a six-year-old son, working in a saloon for Hanna, who originally placed the ad in the catalog.

Lee agrees to marry her, with ranch hand Jace as his best man, but assures Annie that their marriage will be in name only, with no other marital obligations. Will learns that Jace has been stealing cattle. Lee refuses to believe it until Jace proposes they rustle together and leave the ranch in ruins.

When Jace starts a fire with the boy still inside the house, Lee rescues him and comes to his senses. An angry Will believes Lee conspired with Jace to steal the herd and disgustedly gives him the deed. But Lee realizes he cares for his new family and asks Will to help him get back the cattle. They corner Jace in town and in a shootout Jace is killed.

Lee vows to rebuild the ranch and Will rides back to Kansas City to court Hanna.

Cast

Reception

In his June 11, 1964 review in The New York Times, Howard Thompson described it as “a curious little Western drama… (that) shapes up steadily as a tart, perceptive and amusing character study snugly pegged on reality and real people…” He was less enthusiastic about the ending: “a pretentious, dramatic wind-up all but spoils the picaresque flavoring of some dandy vignettes, such as the slapdash marriage ceremony.” However, “… every line of Mr. Kennedy's lean dialogue edges the picture forward and several scenes are like strung pearls. The best ones involve Marie Windsor, as a wistful saloon owner, and young Barbara Luna, who does a beautifully shaded bit… it is the laconic restraint of Mr. Ebsen, straight from "The Beverly Hillbillies," that continually steadies the picture. If only Grandpa had whipped out a hammer and nailed it down tight.” [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

The year 1964 in film involved some significant events, including three highly successful musical films, Mary Poppins,My Fair Lady, and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy Ebsen</span> American actor and dancer (1908–2003)

Buddy Ebsen, also known as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen, was an American actor and dancer, whose career spanned seven decades. One of his most famous roles was as Jed Clampett in the CBS television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971); afterwards he starred as the title character in the television detective drama Barnaby Jones (1973–1980).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keir Dullea</span> American actor (born 1936)

Keir Atwood Dullea is an American actor. He played astronaut David Bowman in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey and its 1984 sequel, 2010: The Year We Make Contact. His other film roles include David and Lisa (1962), Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) and Black Christmas (1974). Dullea studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He has also performed on stage in New York City and in regional theaters; he has said that, despite being more recognized for his film work, he prefers the stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rex Allen</span> American film actor, singer and songwriter (1920–1999)

Rex Elvie Allen Sr., known as "the Arizona Cowboy", was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many Disney nature and Western productions. For his contributions to the film industry, Allen received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1975, located at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.

<i>Pocketful of Miracles</i> 1961 film by Frank Capra

Pocketful of Miracles is a 1961 American comedy film starring Glenn Ford and Bette Davis, produced and directed by Frank Capra, filmed in Panavision. The screenplay by Hal Kanter and Harry Tugend was based on Robert Riskin's screenplay for the 1933 film Lady for a Day, which was adapted from the 1929 Damon Runyon short story "Madame La Gimp". That original 1933 film was also directed by Capra—one of two films that he originally directed and later remade, the other being Broadway Bill (1934) and its remake Riding High (1950).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marie Windsor</span> American actress (1919–2000)

Marie Windsor was an American actress known for her femme fatale characters in the classic film noir features Force of Evil, The Narrow Margin and The Killing. Windsor's height created problems for her in scenes with all but the tallest actors. She was the female lead in so many B movies that she became dubbed the "Queen" of the genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Carey Jr.</span> American actor (1921–2012)

Henry George Carey Jr. was an American actor. He appeared in more than 90 films, including several John Ford Westerns, as well as numerous television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles</span> 2005 British wedding

The wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles took place in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, on 9 April 2005. The ceremony, conducted in the presence of the couple's families, was followed by a Church of England Service of Prayer and Dedication at St George's Chapel. The groom's parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, did not attend the civil wedding ceremony, but were present at the Service of Prayer and Dedication and held a reception for the couple in Windsor Castle afterwards.

<i>Two Rode Together</i> 1961 film by John Ford

Two Rode Together is a 1961 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring James Stewart, Richard Widmark, and Shirley Jones. The supporting cast includes Linda Cristal, Andy Devine, and John McIntire. The film was based upon the 1959 novel Comanche Captives by Will Cook.

<i>The Comancheros</i> (film) 1961 film by Michael Curtiz

The Comancheros is a 1961 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on a 1952 novel of the same name by Paul Wellman, and starring John Wayne and Stuart Whitman. The supporting cast includes Ina Balin, Lee Marvin, Nehemiah Persoff, Bruce Cabot, Jack Elam, Joan O'Brien, Patrick Wayne, and Edgar Buchanan. Also featured are Western-film veterans Bob Steele, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, and Harry Carey, Jr. in uncredited supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Boot Awards</span>

The Golden Boot Awards were an American acknowledgement of achievement honoring actors, actresses, and crew members who made significant contributions to the genre of Westerns in television and film. The award was sponsored and presented by the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Money raised at the award banquet was used to help finance various services offered by the Fund to those in the entertainment industry.

<i>Nikki</i> (TV series) American sitcom television series

Nikki is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from October 8, 2000, to January 27, 2002. Nikki was a starring vehicle for Nikki Cox, who had previously starred in another WB sitcom, Unhappily Ever After, which ran for five seasons. Looking to capitalize on Cox's popularity, Bruce Helford created a sitcom that featured her as the title character.

<i>Parachute Battalion</i> 1941 film by Leslie Goodwins

Parachute Battalion is a 1941 war film directed by Leslie Goodwins and stars Robert Preston and Nancy Kelly. The supporting cast includes Edmond O'Brien, Harry Carey, and Buddy Ebsen.

<i>Stone Fox</i> 1980 childrens novella by John Reynolds Gardiner

Stone Fox is a children's novella by John Reynolds Gardiner. It is the first and best known of Gardiner's books. Stone Fox was acclaimed and very popular when it was published in 1980. It sold three million copies and was turned into a television movie starring Buddy Ebsen, Joey Cramer, and Gordon Tootoosis and directed by Harvey Hart in 1987. It was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year for 1980, and was included in 100 Best Books for Children by Anita Silvey.

A mail-order bride is a woman who advertises her willingness to marry internationally to better her standard of living.

<i>The Good Guys and the Bad Guys</i> 1969 film by Burt Kennedy

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys is a 1969 American comedy Western film directed by Burt Kennedy. It stars Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Mathers</span> American actor

James Mathers is an American cinematographer and director of photography. He is the younger brother of former child television star Jerry Mathers of Leave It to Beaver fame.

Janet Lee Carey is an American college professor who writes fantasy fiction for children and young adults. Her novels The Dragons of Noor (2010) won a Teens Read Too Gold Star Award for Excellence, Dragon's Keep (2007) won an ALA Best Books for Young adults, and Wenny Has Wings (2002) won the Mark Twain Award (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dora Hand</span> American singer

Dora Hand, her stage name was Fannie Keenan,, aged c. 34, was an American dance hall singer and actress in Dodge City, Kansas, who was mistakenly shot to death from ambush by a young unwanted suitor who was acquitted of criminal charges in the case. Hand was also linked romantically with James H. "Dog" Kelley, the mayor of Dodge City from 1867 to 1871.

The Kenley Players was an Equity summer stock theatre company which presented hundreds of productions featuring Broadway, film, and television stars in Midwestern cities between 1940 and 1995. Variety called it the "largest network of theaters on the straw hat circuit." Founded by and operated for its entire lifespan by John Kenley, it is credited with laying the groundwork for Broadway touring companies.

References

  1. Hopper, Hedda (February 17, 1964). "Wayne Will Play 'Harm's Way' Role: He'll Portray Adm. Torrey; Ebsen Film Setting Records". Los Angeles Times. p. C16.
  2. "Big Rental Pictures of 1964", Variety, 6 January 1965 p 39. Please note this figure is rentals accruing to distributors, not total gross.
  3. "M-G-M Double Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2023.