Lo strano mondo di Daisy Clover

Brassy, singing tomboy near Hollywood in the 1930s gets a screen test and is soon thrust into the crazy spotlight of Tinsel Town. Ham-handed soaper intends to paint show business as cool, decadent and uncaring, but director Robert Mulligan is unable to set an appropriate tone, and his bad guys are enigmatic shadies who conspire in whispers. This combined with Natalie Wood's raucous rendering of a 15-year-old results in some problems. Still, the look and atmosphere of the film are really extraordinary, and Christopher Plummer gives off sparks of neurotic heat as the head of the movie studio. Robert Redford is a good screen match for Natalie, although his love-interest role is steeped in the hypothetical; Wood herself runs hot and cold, though she has some very strong early moments. The pacing might've stood some picking up, and the movie is much too long, but it looks stylish and has a lot of talent behind it. **1/2 from ****

Last night I had the pleasure of watching my third Natalie Wood film of the week, and it was 1965's "Inside Daisy Clover," which I had never seen before. In this one, Natalie lives with her senile mother (Ruth Gordon, in her first picture since the '40s) in a little shack on Angel Beach, California. She sends a recording of herself singing to studio head Raymond Swan (Christopher Plummer...yes, in the same year that he appeared in "The Sound of Music"...quite a year for him), who sees something in her and turns her, practically overnight, into "America's Valentine," and a movie sensation. Daisy soon starts to realize that the Hollywood life has its perils and pitfalls, and eventually marries another popular star, Wade Lewis (the ridiculously, almost angelically handsome Robert Redford), who turns out to be gay, or at least wildly bi. A nervous breakdown of sorts and a run-in with the satanic Swan lead to a suicide attempt for poor Daisy, before she sees the light. Anyway, this film is not as great as I was hoping it would be, but is still pretty darn good. Like 1963's "Love With the Proper Stranger"--another Natalie film, and one that I watched the other day--it was directed by Robert Mulligan, but is not as fine as that earlier film. And it is not as fine, I thought, as the film that Natalie and Redford appeared in the following year, "This Property Is Condemned." Still, as I say, it does have much to offer. The promotional film that introduces Daisy is a wowser, filled with amazing special FX (especially for the mid-'30s), although the song that Daisy sings in it hardly sounds as if it comes from that era; it almost sounds like a 1960s Vegas lounge act kind of number. As would be expected, Natalie and the other performers are all aces. Almost forgot to mention that Roddy McDowall is in here also, playing Swan's unctuous assistant. All in all, great fun, if nothing classic, but so good to see Natalie once again proving the critics wrong. The gal really COULD act!

It's always amazed me that this movie doesn't get more respect--sure it's campy, but the performances are fantastic: Christopher Plummer's speech to Daisy by the pool after she's been abandoned by her new husband (a super young Robert Redford playing a gorgeous pansexual for God's sake--what more could a person ask?) is stunning and Natalie Wood's "The Circus is a wacky world"-induced breakdown in the sound booth is brilliant and scary. Roddy McDowell's killing smile as he says "Good night, Miss Clover." Redford getting away with lines like "Good night, sweet, sad, lonely lady" and a drunken Malora (great name) screaming at Daisy "They say I've got a headache, BUT I'VE GOT A HEARTACHE!!!" The gorgeous black and white promotional video of Daisy singing and bouncing her way through the cardboard galaxies. All incredible stuff--why isn't this on DVD yet? Wake up, Hollywood, and give us this treasure on DVD!

A rather strange film upon revisit. For those who have loved Aldrich's LEGEND OF LYLAH CLARE and BAREFOOT CONTESSA--This one is for you. Granted Natalie Wood is playing young when the actress was in her late 20's--but her legend is alive and well in this film. Plummer is amazing, as is the actress who plays his manic depressive wife. The film is beautifully shot in and around LA, and the Kurt Weill'ish musical score by Previn is superb. A decidedly campy look inside the film studios of the Forties, but intriguing, interestingly acted, superbly scored, photographed, and one of those strange films in which the leading lady who died tragically offers many amazing moments to remember. The film was horribly reviewed when it was first released--but time and the personal stories, both successful and tragic, of many of its actors, give the film a certain fascination in 2002. Unfortunately it has not yet been released on DVD--but it must be seen in wide screen and not in the pan and scan version available on VHS. Gavin Lambert did the screenplay based on his own novel. . .and it works.

A decidedly odd film that is wonderfully script and filmed, with lovely performances from Natalie Wood, Robert Redford and Christopher Plummer (of course). Upon first viewing this film I thought it to be rather strange because it is very unlike most movies I have seen. It tells the story of the tomboyish Daisy Clover in such a truthful and sometimes upsetting manner that you have to adjust to it. It is also very unsettling and rather thrilling to see Christopher Plummer as a sort of villain or The Prince of Darkness as Robert Redford's character calls him. His manic wife is also brilliant, especially in the scene where she gives her drunken confession to Daisy about her affair with Robert Redford. But of course this film would not be half of what it is without the great and adventurous acting skills of Natalie Wood, who was able to be a convincing fifteen year old when she was in her late twenties. The end of the film is perfect, and shows that Daisy Clover is truly a free spirit. I highly recommend this film to all of those who loved Natalie Wood and such films as Bare Foot Contessa.