Don Juan Era Aprendiz

Lawrence Roman's popular stage farce comes to the screen seeming a bit undernourished, with everyone playing 'perky' to perfection but without benefit of any funny lines. With a whole apartment complex full of sexy, single gals, landlord Jack Lemmon becomes fixated on innocuous college girl Carol Lynley, who has just moved in with her boyfriend--a platonic arrangement that has Lemmon up in arms (and on the roof!). A shiny package with nothing inside, and Lemmon visibly strains to give the proceedings some bounce (tough to do since his wolfish character is thoroughly loathsome). The script, adapted by David Swift (who also directed), tries for snappy repartee, but since none of the characters are particularly sharp, the results here lack wit, sparkle and imagination. *1/2 from ****

A skirt chaser manages an apartment complex in which all the residents are beautiful women. He regularly wines and dines the ladies, and is a charming, although rascally fellow. He brings in a new tenant and begins his game on her, much to the annoyance of her boyfriend. Most of the film is spent with the landlord trying to get into the new tenant's pants, and her boyfriend making every effort to keep him out. Fairly funny spoof on the California lifestyle.

Robin Austin (Carol Lynley) is concerned about her compatibility with boyfriend Dave Manning (Dean Jones). She convinces him to live together first. Her divorced aunt Dr. Irene Wilson (Edie Adams) is moving out of her apartment to move in with her boyfriend Dr. Charles Howard. Hogan (Jack Lemmon) is the womanizing neighbor landlord and he's more than eager to rent the place to Robin.

It's a little bit of fun especially with Lemmon. It could be funnier. It should be funnier. Lemmon and Jones could be a fun rivalry but her choice is never in doubt. Lynley is plenty pretty enough and she is fine. There is some attempt at 60's sex comedy humor but the bite isn't sharp enough and it doesn't bite deep enough. This may be edgy for a 50's sex comedy but feels safe for the 60's. For Lemmon fans, this is interesting to complete their list.

I've been catching up on a few of these early sixties semi-sex comedies, while in Covid essential isolation. I'm starting to fall in love with Carol Lynley though sadly, she died about a year ago. Jack Lemmon is always funny and interesting, Edie Adams is forever appealing and Paul Lynde, as the frustrated repressed wannabe letch is amusing to watch.

Yes, I was entertained throughout, yes it was relatively original and yes, I recommend it. However, it does go on for a bit too long without veering direction and there's never a moment when you don't know where it's going to end up. It was, after all, 1963, when the Hays code was starting to be lifted but wasn't quite there yet. Young people in the country were preparing for the sexual revolution but they weren't quite there yet, either. By 1967, the year of Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate and the year after Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, the dynamic between this couple would have been entirely different. And by 1974, the film could have gone in a wide assortment of directions. In 1963, again at the time of the almost sex comedy, there was really only one way this film could go. Watching it get there was entertaining but again, it needed a few more turns and twists to justify the length.

Norman Fell's landlord character from The Graduate ended up as the landlord on Three's Company. It might have been interesting to see this landlord replace him.

Sure, the premise is sleazy, Jack Lemmon is embarrassing but the film is fast paced and certainly bouncy. The main reason to watch is because of a very charming and funny performance by the lovely Carol Lynley. Although she hasn't had many chances during her career to show off her comedic talents, this film contains a wonderfully funny scene in which Ms. Lynley's character is drunk. Her boyfriend, played perfectly by Dean Jones, is trying not to take advantage of her 'accessibility'. She runs the gamut from sexy to goofy with excellent timing. It is a wonderful performance and one that helps to take an edge off of the sleaziness of the main plot (Mr. Lemmon's apartment manager trying to deflower all these attractive young women).