As Aventuras Escandalosas de uma Ruiva

Watchable, faintly amusing adaptation of Daniel Defoe's novel "Moll Flanders", chronicling the sexual misadventures of an orphan-turned-servant girl in the 18th century who marries her employer's foolish son and quickly becomes a widow. Working as a maid to a titled lady, she is determined to find a wealthy husband, but instead finds herself attracted to a suave highway robber. Director Terence Young and a solid assemblage of talents can't quite breathe life into this British-made comedy, much of it seeming like a distaff "Tom Jones". There are lively moments along the way, although Kim Novak just squeaks by as Moll (a good sport rather than a star performer, she's upstaged by the randy supporting cast). The production is meant to be plush and the screenplay is meant to be bawdy, yet both are disappointing. Novak and Richard Johnson were briefly married in real life. ** from ****

A desperate attempt to cash in on the wholly unexpected success of 'Tom Jones' that attempts to do for Defoe what the earlier film had done for Fielding, with a fashionably prolix title, a starry cast in fancy dress (including Hugh Griffith from the original), a noisy and overemphatic score by John Addison to keep reminding us how hilarious this all is, flashy direction from Terence Young between Bond movies - what could possibly go wrong?

...and Kim Novak in the title role.

Does the title leave us in any doubt? This is a film in which every man in Georgian England wants to get into bed with Kim Novak. Well - I can understand that.

As a matter of fact very few of the men succeed. Although Novak looks as gorgeous as ever, if you're expecting to see anything, uh, hot, you'll be disappointed. And you'll have every right to be. A film with so little else going for it really ought to make the most of its centrepiece.

All the same she's sufficiently charming to make the film sort of enjoyable to watch most of the time. Moll is not so innocent as she pretends but more innocent than she thinks - she's hard not to like (and, of course, lust after). Some of the other characters are surprisingly well played. Angela Lansbury and Vittorio di Sica are rather touching as the loving but worldly couple with a tenuous toehold on the aristocracy, and Leo McKern does the rogue's sidekick schtick better than anyone else.

The problem is the script. There's not enough wit or spirit to make a comedy, and it's not played seriously enough to make us care about Moll's plight - it doesn't seem important where or with whom she ends up. There's not even, to be honest, enough story to fill two hours.

Still, you may just get some pleasure out of this movie, if you're in a tolerant mood. The question is thus: is Kim Novak enough to put you in a tolerant mood? For me, the answer is yes.

I was in college when this film debuted and I was all shook up watching Kim Novak in this movie.

Kim was a good actress and made some great movies: Vertigo, The Man With The Golden Arm, Pal Joey, Picinic but to me Kim was a Movie Star! A real live Movie Star! Jet setting in private life between Paris, London, New York (where Kim had an apartment), Beverly Hills (where Kim had a house) and Carmel (where Kim had a fabulous home). Kim was a trend setter in fashion too.

Kim nabbed the star role in Moll Flanders and gives a terrific performance co starring legendary Angela Lansbury, pro George Sanders and a handsome leading Man in Richard Johnson who Kim married in a romantic setting in the snow in Aspen holding a small bouquet of daffodils.

Kim liked working with Director Terence Young and referred to him as a "doll" and Paramount released this movie to good reviews.

I recommend this movie and enjoy a Movie Star Kim Novak giving a fun performance and looking gorgeous.

The best things about TAAOMF were the settings and the stream of well- known and not so well-known names and faces from British cinema, some in very small roles. Richard Wattis looked quite handsome in his period wig, but Derren Nesbit appeared a bit ridiculous in his period hairstyle - though, to be fair, his character was a foolish fop.

At 32 Kim Novak was a little too old to portray a Moll whom I took to be in her late teens but she did well enough. The great George Sanders provided some weight to the proceedings.