The High Cost of Loving

... to put a spin on that old MGM slogan, plus this film is oddly prescient.

Jim Fry (Jose Ferrer who also directs) and his wife Ginny (Gena Rowlands in her film debut) discover that after nine years of marriage they are expecting a child. This is good news for them. But at work, Jim's company has just been bought by a larger firm. Jim is all swaggering and confident with his "law of the jungle" talk about how the larger firm may axe less productive employees until he finds out that perhaps the new owners think he is one of those less productive employees! He gets this idea initially because all of the other employees who have a supervisory role are invited to a luncheon being held by the new owners and he is not. This gets the wheels - and his imagination - turning.

From that point forward he walks in on this or that conversation and hears rumors about possible terminations and thinks this all about him. The audience knows better - we see what happens in every case where Jim does not. In fact the new management intends to promote Jim, but they haven't bothered to tell Jim yet. Not knowing this, he is worried about how he is going to support a wife and now a child if he loses a job at age 40 - too young to retire, too old to find an equivalent position somewhere else.

I don't know how this was received in 1958, but in 2024 it all looks oddly prescient. Layoffs today are a fact of life. If you are over a certain age, it can be hard to find work. Unlike in 1958, it is now illegal to fire someone or not hire them because of their age, so you'll get the excuse that "it's just not a good fit for the organization." Which can mean anything, but it actually means they think you are too old.

The cast has many stars of 60s TV right before they become recognizable faces - Jim Backus of Gilligan's Island, Bobby Troup of Emergency, Werner Klemperer of Hogan's Heroes, Edward Platt of Get Smart, Richard Deacon of The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Nancy Kulp of The Beverly Hillbillies. Several of these folks are not even in credited roles, but skilled performers make the production. Joanne Gilbert is the well-meaning yet shrewish wife of Jim's colleague. Gena Rowlands plays the supportive wife to the point of being almost ridiculous.

With the cast of future TV stars that I mentioned, this thing has more of the feel of a made for TV movie than a theatrical production, but that's not necessarily bad. With the audience being in on Jim's situation it's more of a comedy from the audience perspective and a drama from Jim's. I'd recommend it.

This 90 minute movie could have been over in 30 seconds, if Jim Fry had just gone up to his boss and asked why he wasn't invited to the luncheon.

As it stands, it feels like they really had to struggle to stretch this story out to an hour and a half. The first ten minutes is nothing but opening credits and a long pointless scene of Fry and his wife silently getting out of bed, having breakfast, and getting ready for the day. I was hoping their cars would crash when they pulled out of their garage in that weird way, so there would be some action.

There is no romantic spark between Jose Ferrer and Gena Rowlands, and the ending of the movie is blatantly spelled out for the audience about thirty minutes before the movie actually ends. For a "comedy," there are almost literally no laughs.

But on the plus side, I grew up in the 1950's, and I enjoyed seeing all the old appliances and cars and their dashboards and work desks without computers and even smoking in the office. So there's that.

José Ferrer's 1958 film, "The High Cost of Loving," centers its narrative squarely on the anxieties of Jim Fry, played with a palpable tension by Ferrer himself. As an office manager, Jim finds himself facing the looming threat of a potential layoff, a precarious situation made all the more significant by the recent news that his young wife, Ginny (a vibrant and early showcase of Gena Rowlands' talent), is pregnant. The film meticulously portrays Jim's internal struggle as he grapples with the fear of financial insecurity and the immense responsibility of providing for his growing family during uncertain economic times. Ferrer's performance captures the quiet desperation of a man striving to maintain stability in a world that feels increasingly unpredictable.

Adding a significant layer to the emotional core of the film is the portrayal of Ginny Fry by a young Gena Rowlands. Her performance beautifully captures the hopeful anticipation and burgeoning joy of impending motherhood, creating a poignant contrast to Jim's mounting anxieties. Rowlands imbues Ginny with a youthful optimism and unwavering support for her husband, even as she remains somewhat shielded from the full weight of his fears. Their dynamic forms the emotional heart of the film, highlighting the unspoken pressures that can strain even the most loving of relationships when faced with economic uncertainty and the profound life change of starting a family.

Adding a touch of the era's cultural landscape is a cameo appearance by Nick Clooney. While his role might be brief, his presence offers an interesting historical marker and a connection to the broader entertainment context of 1958. It serves as a subtle reminder of the community in which the Frys reside and the shared anxieties that might have permeated everyday life in a time of economic shifts.

"The High Cost of Loving" unfolds with a deliberate and thoughtful pace, allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in Jim's internal turmoil and the subtle nuances of his interactions with Ginny and his surrounding world. Ferrer's direction emphasizes the emotional weight of the situation, focusing on the quiet anxieties and unspoken fears that can permeate domestic life. The film avoids dramatic sensationalism, instead opting for a realistic portrayal of a man grappling with responsibility and the uncertainty of the future in his specific time and place.

Ultimately, "The High Cost of Loving" offers a compelling and relatable portrayal of the anxieties surrounding job security and the financial pressures of starting a family in 1958. Ferrer's nuanced performance as Jim, coupled with Gena Rowlands' captivating portrayal of Ginny, creates a poignant depiction of a couple navigating a significant life change under a cloud of economic uncertainty. The film serves as a timeless reminder of the universal human experience of fearing for one's livelihood and the profound impact such anxieties can have on personal and familial well-being in any community.

Huge names in this! José ferrer, who had already starred in caine mutiny and moulin rouge. Jim backus is probably best known as thurston howell III, and mad mad world, of course. Gena rowlands made a ton of films with peter falk, and was married to cassavetes. Keep an eye out for ed platt (the chief), werner klemperer was colonel klink! And one of the secretaries is nancy kulp, who will go on to be miss hathaway! Fun scene right at the start, where husband and wife don't speak, but have a perfectly choreographed routine, from getting dressed to eating breakfast. The first words spoken by them come at eight minutes in! The issues of the day are jim thinks they will be making big changes at work, and ginny thinks she might be "with child". It's okay. Kind of slow in the middle, picks up again at the end. It's more interesting for the big names, even though some of these actors weren't so big yet! Directed by josé ferrer. And mrs. Mason was played by henny backus, jim's real wife!

In the 1950s, José Ferrer's career seemed to be charmed. He won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1951, was nominated two years later and with this film, "The High Cost of Living", they not only had him star in the picture but direct it as well. And, in the process proved he was exceptional at both jobs.

Jim Fry (Ferrer) is a simple man...a guy who works hard in a predictable job with a wife who loves him and enjoys this predictability. However, when there is talk of a merger with his company and another, everyone seems to have received an invitation to a big luncheon except for Jim. He soon starts to wonder if they are going to fire him...that WOULD explain why he wasn't invited. The problem is that his wife (Gena Rowlands) just informed him that she's pregnant!

I loved so much about this film. The script seemed honest and realistic, the acting just the same. Overall, they take a movie that SHOULD have perhaps earned a 5 or 6 and made it nearly earn a 9...something I rarely give any film. Well worth your time.