What Mad Pursuit?

This adaptation of a Noel Coward story is set in a New York socialite's house where writer Evan Lorrimer goes for 'a quiet weekend'. Shades a 'Hay Fever' here with a bunch of horrendous people shouting, screaming, being generally catty and conniving.

A lot of fun and buoyed up by performances from Paul Daneman as Lorrimer, Carroll Baker as his hostess and Clive Swift as her unfaithful husband, and Britt Walker as the black butler who makes killer martinis, Aesop.

Running at just under an hour, this play is diverting enough - nothing special but acidic enough to raise a few smiles.

Based on a Noel Coward story, "What Mad Pursuit" a successful British author, Evan (Paul Daneman) who is somewhat set in his ways, is encouraged by socialite Louise Steinhauser (Carroll Baker) to stay at her home on Long Island for some peace and quiet during his book tour.

She gives him the quiet room, but he has to share a bathroom with one of her friends, Lester (Neil Cunningham) who marches into his room, wants a drink, and calls him "Darling" and "Honey". Evan isn't one to go with the flow. The quiet room turns out to have foghorns blaring all night so he wakes up exhausted.

The next quiet day Louise has a crowd in and then she and Evan go to someone else's house for lunch, which doesn't end until well into the night. Desperate, he sneaks out into a car and lies down, only to realize there are two lesbians in the car pouring their hearts out. So much for a quiet weekend.

At first I didn't recognize Carroll Baker, but as soon as she opened her mouth, I knew who it was. She looks beautiful and does a nice job of being the confused Louise, whose husband lurks around the house (at one point ending up in Evan's bathroom with a blond), when she is in love with someone else.

The rest of the cast is good, with a hilarious concert by a so-called singer (Jane Carr), a gossip columnist, and assorted guests.

You really feel for Evan trying to sneak away from these nuts. Paul Daneman is just right as the somewhat stodgy writer who needs his eight hours.

Fun, adapted by Stanley Price.

Part of the seven-disk Noel Coward Collection from BBC. The only cast member I recognized was Clive Swift (was the henpecked husband Richard on Keeping up Appearances). In our story, British author Evan (Paul Daneman) stays at the home of Louise Steinhauser (played by Carol Baker) in the US. He shares a bathroom with a flashy guest "Lester", (Neil Cunningham) who calls him "Sweet-heart" and "Honey". Clive Swift is the husband of the hostess, and we see him gathering up his golfbag, playing cards, or skulking around with female guests. Evan meets the house-guests, travels to other nearby house parties, and the high-society drama begins. One of the better acting jobs is by Phillip Joseph playing "Don Wilson", who, as of today, is listed in DVD credits, but not yet on IMDb. Some of the party guests are extra friendly towards each other, and towards Evan as well. Will he manage to escape the clutches of the quirky men and women chasing after him? Good story by Noel Coward, directed by Tony Smith. In color.