Les naufragés de l'autocar

You would expect a total bitchfest with a movie starring both legendary bombshell Jayne Mansfield and soap opera diva Joan Collins....but what you get is a fascinating film based on the John Steinbeck novel of a bus driver and his passengers and their adventures as they get detoured and sidetracked...both on the bus and in life. Joan Collins is the wife of driver Rick Jason (so gorgeous). It's a small and run down little bus that makes side trips. Joan Collins is the owner of a little restaurant who likes the bottle a bit too much. Unhappy with what has become of her life, she decides to "surprise" husband Jason mid-way through his bus trip. Jayne Mansfield is the shamed burlesque dancer on the way to a heavy paying gig in San Juan and gets caught up in the flirtation by a traveling salesman, played by Dan Dailey. Delores Pritchard gives a great performance as the "fast" daughter traveling with her parents on this trip. Also noteworthy is Betty Lou Keim who plays Norma. A really good ensemble piece that deserves a remastered DVD version.

Concentrating on America only 1957 was a good year for films that were mainstream and yet took on adult issues. ' No Down Payment ', ' The Bachelor Party ', ' Monkey on My Back ' and a ' A Hatful of Rain ' are a few well worth tracking down, and from the Sci-Fi horror movie field there were many delights, and the threat of the Atomic Bomb underlined a lot of them. It seemed like the year people expected to see issues outside the norm. ' The Wayward Bus ' almost ranks among the above mentioned. It could have gone further as the Steinbeck work does, but remains a little timid towards what it had on its hands. Despite that Jayne Mansfield shows that she could overcome being a stereotype if given the chance and Joan Collins manages to look ordinary and both act better than in other films I have seen them in. Rick Jason looked like a contender for being better known but somehow ( he had the looks ) drifted into television. Dan Daily acts the serious buffoon, and the chemistry was not quite there with Mansfield as a ' love ' partner. As for the direction it looks fairly good enhanced by sharp black and white Cinemascope and the action scenes ( especially with the bus on the collapsing bridge ) are well done. I could watch it again quite easily and I think it deserves an 8 for nearly being that adult film it should have been. But only please watch it in Cinemascope because in pan and scan it looks dull and a lot of available copies of it around are not in Cinemascope.

You hear so little about this film although it was taken from a well received John Steinbeck novel which I understand had to be cleaned up for the screen version. Of course in today's world there's nothing particularly shocking about any of the unruly passengers as they get detoured on a rundown bus making a short trip through California.

RICK JASON is the ruggedly handsome driver (whatever happened to him?), JOAN COLLINS is his unhappy wife tipping the bottle, JAYNE MANSFIELD is a showgirl riding to her next strip assignment, DAN DAILEY is a stock character as a traveling salesman with an eye for a pretty girl, and others are strictly cardboard creations.

But it's strikingly photographed in B&W and CinemaScope, briskly directed by Victor Vikas (who won a directing award for this at the Berlin Film Festival), and not as bad as it might seem for all of its obscurity in the realm of classic films.

Probably lacks the punch of the Steinbeck novel in transferring his characters to the screen in accordance with the code of the '50s.

Starting from a backwater bus stop, a load of assorted passengers and their hunky driver have to negotiate terrible road conditions, while dealing with personal problems along the way.

Catch that bus. No wonder it's "wayward". Looks like it was bought at a junk yard sale, but, hey, it proves to be a real trouper. Chicoy (Jason) is the driver and he's got to get his assorted passengers to their destination, come heck or high water, both of which make a scary appearance. Meanwhile, the passengers have to pair up or straighten out, meaning the bus journey is not just literal but symbolic of personal discoveries. That may not be an original plot device, but the road effects are really well done. One thing for sure, except for Mansfield the film has a really drab look to it. Even the usually glamorous Collins is dressed down. Speaking of Collins, she's the only one to go over- the-top amongst a generally well-acted storyline. Going in, I thought this would be a Mansfield showcase, but it's not. She's just one of the passengers with her own personal difficulties to get straight. In fact, her budding romance with an aging Dailey is rather poignant. All in all, the movie adds up a decent time-passer with a few thrills and some non-sappy soap opera to carry the narrative.

I was surfing the channels and came upon this gem. I liked it! Interesting to see Rick Jason out of uniform. The one neat thing about it is the ending. Good movie.