Bernardine

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.

"Bernardine" was a vehicle for Pat Boone, a singer turned actor who was at the height of his popularity then. Today, anyone breaking into music would make a video to showcase whatever song was popular, but back in those days they made full length features trying to cash in the teen idol's appeal.

This film, directed by Henry Levin, was according to the credits a play before being adapted for the screen. This is above all, a piece of nostalgia. It says a lot about the way American teens of the era looked at life. It's hilarious to see a Terry Moore, who shows up as the main interest in the life of Dick Sargent wolf down a couple of hamburgers without any guilt at all! Everyone had such a wholesome look about themselves, reflecting the tastes of the times. Also in an era that was not as commercial as the present times, Coca-Cola probably did not have to pay to have the beverage displayed for it was the drink of choice.

Pat Boone gets to sing his big hit "Love Letters in the Sand" in dreamy fashion. The interesting thing about this movie is how a few of the actors went to establish themselves in television in popular series, which is the case of Dick Sargent and Natalie Schafer. Other familiar faces in the cast were Janet Gaynor, Walter Abel and Dean Jagger.

This is a trip in memory lane for many and it serves also as an observation about the fashions and the way Americans lived during that period of time.

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....

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.

I am amazed at the 'good reviews' given to this movie. I saw it in 1957 when it came out and the whole audience in London yawned their way through it. I saw it again in 2000 on TV just to see if it really was as hopelessly bad as I remembered it. Believe me, it was. In fact, it was worse than I recalled. It is PAINFUL to watch Dick Sergant and the others. The film was advertised as a vehicle for Pat Boone - all he did was sing a few songs alone on screen and utter a couple of words. I still do not understand the point of this movie. American white middle class kids could NEVER have been this dumb - I think that this is what the executives wanted them to be - stupid and willing to watch this rubbish. How on earth did Janet Gaynor and Dean Jagger get themselves involved in it? I am only giving it ONE out of TEN since there is no zero or a negative number.