Bernardine

He is so handsome and adorable on his parents' TV show now running on Antenna TV, that I'd really like to see this movie. He mentions this picture in the episode entitled Ronnie Gets A Movie Role and it lead me to this site to see what I could learn about it. Ronnie is so affable and good-natured, I was sorry to learn that he passed away in 2007. But I can still see his movie Bernadine, which is based on a successful stage play by Mary Chase. The guy in the NY Times liked it a lot, stating "The original cutting edge of "Bernardine" is gone, but on the whole, you still couldn't find a nicer bunch of people." I can't wait to see it, and when I do I'll revise this review and post my actual opinion.

The first time I saw this movie was 1999 on tv and I thought it was pretty good. I was 13 at the time and I didn't really like old movies (like this one) but this was was different. Pat Boone's character reminded me of an early Ferris Bueller or Zack Morris. He didn't really care about his grades, he was really popular and really cute. The story is about a group of friends that think there is one perfect girl out there named Bernardine. One of the friends finds his own Bernardine and the guys try to get those two together. Their plans flop and a whole bunch of things go wrong. But in the end everything is okay.

The big screen debut of one performer and the farewell role of another. That's how Bernardine will go down in cinema history. Certainly for not any great merit of its own.

I took note that Bernardine was a play on Broadway and was written by Mary Chase who had written the wonderful and whimsical Harvey. I was thinking it would be something like that. Just an average comedy where some of the jokes don't quite come off.

Pat Boone who was the clean cut answer to Elvis Presley back in the day made his debut on the screen in Bernardine. The real lead is Dick Sargent and Boone is one of his pals and both have conceived of their ideal woman as someone they've named Bernardine.

Sargent is really quite the Mama's boy and Mom is Janet Gaynor who made her farewell big screen appearance here. Sargent hooks up with Terry Moore, but later Boone fixes her up with his older brother James Drury of the United States Air Force

When Bernardine was on Broadway circa 1953 rock and roll had not arrived. By 1957 the kids already seemed dated. Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Bill Haley were quite the seismic event musically.

On the plus side Pat Boone revived the 30s hit Love Letters In The Sand in this film, had a hit record and to this day the song is identified with him.

If you're a Pat Boone fan Bernardine will be fine. But definitely don't expect another Harvey.

This is a little movie that is very seldom seen, but is a joy to watch for both the piece of nostalgia it represents and for the many fine character actors and actresses that went on to other things, or had already done fine motion picture work....the plot is quite trivial involving typical (for that time) teen-age schananigans, and great pop music of the era, featuring Pat Boone singing the title tune, "Love Letters in the Sand," "Technique," etc.... There are many fine older character actors such as Janet Gaynor, Dean Jagger, Walter Abel, and younger lesser know ones of the time including James Drury (who went on to become the "Virginian") Richard Sargeant (Bewitched), and Ronnie Burns (the son of George Burns, who was currently on the Burns and Allen show)...The plot is thin, but just sit back and enjoy it for what it is....

Atrocious college comedy follows a group of campus goof-offs, who seem to do little more than chase after girls. One of the most idiotic scenes in movie musicals has to be Pat Boone, in the boys' locker room, instructing Richard (Dick) Sargent on the art of picking up chicks, crooning "Technique" à la Harry Belafonte. Boone, playing the coolest of the kids (!), is repugnant enough in his striped shirts and sweater vests, but if cinematic justice were at all serving, this picture would've put the kibosh on squeaky-voiced Sargent's career ("Ohh, gee!"). Terry Moore plays the telephone operator the guys get hung up on, and her placid demeanor and condescending smile suggest she's no brainier than the boys. * from ****