Reine d'un soir

Maureen Stapleton's husband dies. Her friends start moving halfway around the world to California. One day, the waitress at the coffee shop suggests she join her for a night of ballroom dancing at the Stardust Ballroom. At first, Miss Stapleton has a horrid time; the man her friend fixes her up with is a fancy-schmancy dancer who dances around her. Somehow, she dances with Charles Durning and romance blooms. So do problems.

This award-winning TV movie was clearly aimed at the older demographics. Miss Stapleton was a triple-crown winner (Tony, Oscar, and Emmy for this movie), almost invariably cast in supporting roles; likewise, Durning was no one's idea of a matinee idol. Their aging, ordinary appearances is a primary point in this show.

It's a musical, although most of the numbers are recitatives, expounding on their thoughts. Although this movie is a minor affair, its themes and performances lift it out of the ordinary.

Hard to believe that Maureen Stapleton was only 50 when she made this movie. Charles Durning was two years older. Yet they're portrayed as a couple of frumpy and hopeless old fogies--especially her--grabbing for some last romance before they reach the graveyard. I felt also that even though most of these characters appeared to be Jewish, their ethnicity was played down too much--perhaps to appeal to a general television audience. Regardless, the story realistically portrays a woman rescued at the last moment from her family and friends' expectations. Her children want her to be a sexless grandmother-cum-babysitter living in their spare bedroom, and her sister and friends think she should be a proper widow without an emotional life. Naturally they're disappointed when she decides to live the rest of her life as a free woman who still has desires and dreams. (Durning, on the other hand, was more of a cipher. He confides that he has a wife, but nothing more is said about her. Is she an invalid? Are they living apart?) The ending was a little abrupt, but I liked the film's message that we're never too old for romance. Who would make this movie today? More important, who would go see it? Well, how about all those aging boomers who are wondering about the many loves they found, lost, or never explored in the first place when they were younger.

This was my grandmother's favorite movie and when she passed away two years ago, I was determined to find it and watch it. I was able to locate a copy and overall was very happy to have found it. One thing that was a bit disappointing is that Bea Arthur sings the song 50% on her one woman show CD and speaks of the movie (another reason I wanted to see it), my copy did not contain the song. I can very easily understand why this was one my grandmother's favorite movies, and I have watched it on her birthday the past two years. Both Maureen Stapleton and Charles Durning were fantastic as elderly, single love interests and for a TV movie made in the 1970's it was pretty darn good!

This is a true tear-jerker. The songs are beautifully written and the performances are finely honed by all concerned. The only problem is that you may have trouble finding it, because it's not shown on television very often. But what a find it is! Have a box of Kleenex handy; you'll need it.

The reasons I bought this DVD are because I'd rembered this film as being great fun (having seen it 15+ yrs ago on TV), Maureen Stapleton is a top drawer actress and I'm nearly as sentimental as the film.

But there is so much more. It's done quite creatively. The five or so bits where the two main characters sing their thoughts to themselves worked. Normally that would be difficult to pull off & Hollywood would flub it up. Part of the reason why I enjoyed it (or found it acceptable, which I normally wouldn't) is because it's quite apparent that they're from a generation raised to be selective about the thoughts they share, in stark contrast to today's society. It's also shot in a rather different manner, or have I forgotten how films of the 70s were photographed?

Queen of the Stardust Ballroom raises the moral bar by ignoring unwarranted judgements and dealing with more important matters.

And Maureen Stapleton... she's one class act and a brilliant actress.