Norwood

All the makings of a decent movie, at the time the world's most popular athlete and the world's most popular singer come together in a so-so movie. Namath's acting made Glen's Oscar caliber! I love Glen Campbell and that had a lot to do with the 8 rating I gave it. If Glen wasn't in it, I'd have given it a 3. If you can find the soundtrack, get it instead! Dom Delouise is in this movie if that helps your judgement and Kim Darby plays a weaker, pregnant Madie Ross(True Grit). Watch it anyway!

After the success of TRUE GRIT, Glen Campbell and Kim Darby re--teamed for this lighter than air comedy, like TRUE GRIT based on a Charles Portis novel but definitely more of a homespun Andy Griffith-hayseed type flick. The novel was set in the 1950s, so some of the plot devices play like wheezing cliches (e.g., the story's uninteresting pregnancy flap and some of the relationships are straight form TV sitcom land). Yet, a lot of the dialog from the novel made its way into the movie and that makes for some good humor. Carol Lynley practically steals the movie in her brief cameo, and Dom DeLuise has some of the best shtick on view. Campbell is good natured and sings a few decent Mac Davis tunes. He is so like the Norwood character, so typecasting helps here. Darby is wasted. Pat Hingle has a few good moments but Tisha Sterling and Joe Namath are embarrassments. Meredith Macrae makes an impression, but like so many characters in this episodic fiasco, she is buried under the hokum. You could do worse if stuck with nothing to watch in the early morning hours.

Glenn Campbell returns from Louisiana with a single ambition: to appear on the Louisiana Hayride radio show. Before that happens, he goes through several low-key and episodic adventures with sketchy characters, from hot-car smuggler Pat Hingle, to his sister Leigh French and her husband Dom Deluise, to several pretty ladies.

For his follow-up to TRUE GRIT, Campbell sings half a dozen songs. He played it safe, going with a novel by Charles Portis, screenwriter Marguerite Roberts, and co-star Kim Darby. It's a pleasant little bit of fluff, with Jack Haley Jr. As director; Jack Haley Sr. Has a role.

I suspect it was modernized slightly. The Louisiana Hayride ceased broadcasting in 1960.

Having previously done True Grit, star Glen Campbell had something of a reunion with some of that movie's people: screenwriter Marguerite Roberts with her once again adapting from Charles Portis' novel, producer Hal Wallis, and co-star Kim Darby. Since neither of them have John Wayne around this time, Ms. Darby acquits herself quite nicely as the romantic lead while Campbell at least sings some good songs and puts more of his personality around to make up for his lacking acting skills. Making his debut here is Joe Namath-a hot football star at the time-who also uses his persona to mask his lesser thespian talents. Much of the supporting cast, like Tisha Sterling, Meredith MacRae, Leigh French, Pat Hingle, and Billy Curtis provide welcome turns. Dom DeLuise is especially hilarious as Glen's brother-in-law. Only real irritating presence was Carol Lynley as Laverne...actually, Yvonne-a real stick-in-the-mud complainer and I really hated it when she mentioned New Orleans, which is a two-hour drive from where I live, as her home. In summary, Norwood is an amiable pleaser of a comedy. Directed by Jack Haley Jr. whose father Jack Haley Sr. has a nice cameo. P.S. Sorry to hear of Mr. Campbell's recent revelation of Alzheimer's. Hope he doesn't suffer too much from it.

This movie from Charles Portis' novel starts out ok with Glenn Campbell's return to his hometown and some amusing stuff with his obnoxious brother in law and the always oleaginously wonderful Pat Hingle as a con artist. But, paradoxically, as soon as this road picture goes on the road things start to get drained of interest and it is hard to pick a Most Boring among the three girls with whom the title character gets involved; Carol Lynley as a bad tempered, small town floozie, Tisha Stirling as a cynical hippie or Kim Darby's good natured country gal. Campbell's performance is serviceable at best and throughout the film director Jack Haley Jr and screenwriter Marguerite Roberts, the later of whom did such a good job adapting Portis' "True Grit", lays the hick schtick on thicker than congealed Crisco so that you feel at times like you're watching "Petticoat Junction: The Movie". Bottom line: Read the novel and get Portis' quirky insights without all the stupid Hollywood crap, like Central California standing in for Tennessee and being asked to buy Dom De Louise, with his Brooklyn accent, as a Nebraskan. Give it a C.