En lettres de feu

Tony Franciosa lives and breaths for acting on the stage. He is working currently as a waiter to make ends meet when he's in between plays. When he sees an ex sit at one of his tables, he takes us back via flashback to where it all began, with he and his wife trying to make a go of it. He meets Dean Martin who's a stage director of off-Broadway plays. They form a working kind of friendship, one that's convenient and beneficial to each other, but Tony finds over time that Dean is an opportunist who only thinks of himself. Shirley MacLaine is Dino's girl, who's madly in love with him and that's too bad. Tony's wife leaves him when he can't get steady work, so she can find a dependable father for the new baby she's going to have, and Tony and Shirley wind up together. Then there's Carolyn Jones, who used to be a stage actress, but couldn't find work so she became an agent. She develops a silent crush on Tony. "Career" is a very character-driven film and the acting by its stars are nothing less than perfect. They grab your attention and tug at your heart with their eccentricities and dreams, especially Tony and Carolyn's characters. This may just be Carolyn Jones' best performance put on celluloid, save for "King Creole" with Elvis. This film, while reflecting the highs and lows of the acting profession, delivers solid entertainment and gives a very satisfying ending. It's interesting to see how when one person's star is on the rise, another's is down and that by the end of the film everyone's lives or outlooks are completely different than the beginning. Comeuppance is found for those who may need it in very realistic ways and happiness is found for those who deserve it and worked hard for it. "Career" is about listening to oneself and discovering the obvious. Similar in tone to the film in homage to Hollywood acting and backstabbing, "The Bad and the Beautiful," this underrated film has been swept under the rug. Wipe off the dust and discover your "career" today.

I remember seeing this film when it first appeared in theaters, and liked it very much. It was just well acted, by Tony Franciosa and Carolyn Jones. I remember the scene, funny how these things stick in your head, where Dean Martin, as a conniving agent, bums a hotdog off Tony on the street. Haven't seen it in many years, but it impressed me at the time. Always thought that Tony was somewhat underrated as an actor; liked him with Paul Newman in the couple of films they made together, and in a Hat full of rain. Intense, and good. I loved the scene in the Long, Hot Summer where he's trying to lure lovely Lee Remick inside, and she says, "Jody, I sure do wish you would find some other form of recreation." Good films in those days; still among my favorites.

I'll be honest, when I first rented this movie, I thought it was going to be a comedy. After all, Dean Martin got first billing. Despite the billing, and despite my first impression, Dean is the second lead in the heavy, well-acted drama Career.

Anthony Franciosa wants to be an actor. He wants it more than life itself, as he shows the audience in Career. For the most part, this is an incredibly realistic portrayal of an actor's life. He leaves his fiancé and moves to New York; after a year, he's still auditioning and living in a glorified closet with no radiator. We see him beg for the chance to audition, spew hurtful words to his agent when he feels bad, and badmouth a producer when he loses a part. It's realistic.

There's a great scene with Dean and Tony in a restaurant. They're trying to keep their voices down to not attract the attention of other people, and the tension simmers! Tony is making his case for why he deserves a part in a show. "I've got talent!" he insists. Dean shakes his head. "That's what you start with," he says. Tony explains he's not good at the self-selling aspect of being an actor. "Then learn or get out!" Dean says. It's sad, but true. Talent isn't enough in show business.

Tony won a Golden Globe for his dramatic performance that year, beating out Richard Burton, Fredric March, and Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur! He does give a really good performance; even if you love Ben-Hur, you can appreciate it. Carolyn Jones, not a very well known actress, does a particularly good job as Tony's tired and tireless agent who knows the life of an actor very well. The acting and most of the story is really good, but I didn't really care for the ending. If you like realistic show business movies, add Career to your weekend watch list!

Some of the finest work for both Franciosa AND Dean Martin, but Franciosa is extraordinary. More so for the limited but workable script. Carolyn Jones' role should have been larger as her character draws your attention every moment she is on.

On the whole a very good piece, poignant and bitter...

This is the journey of Sam Lawson-from aspiring young actor to aspiring old actor. Along the way he befriends the fair weather couple(McLain and Martin) and unwittingly joins the communist party. A Hollywood milestone, this movie actually flirted with the idea that the Hollywood blacklist might be irrelevant. Franciosa in the best performance of his life, and a great supporting cast make this a must see.