Love in a Goldfish Bowl

A talky, frenetic teen comedy in Technicolor that passes the time pleasantly enough. The picture of Eisenhower on the wall of Edward Andrews' office and one of the character's reminiscences about Fiorello la Guardia indicate just how long ago this all was.

In addition to former bad girl Jan Sterling as the hero's mother who "took up surfboarding at 39" and "read Scott Fitzgerald once and nothing else since" and Majel Barrett - later famous as Nurse Chappell in 'Star Trek' are two future bad girls: Susan Silo who later played The Riddler's devoted moll Mousey. And Elizabeth MacRae, as the party girl who was greeted with only slightly more enthusiasm thirteen years later as Meredith, the woman who picks up Gene Hackman at the wiretappers' convention in 'The Conversation'.

I saw this film way back when it first came out and the only thing I remembered about it was that Tommy Sands dyed his hair blond for this production. Seeing it now I think it was clear that they wanted both him and Fabian to have a distinct look. Tommy's hair was as black as Fabian and they could have been related. Since Jan Sterling was playing Tommy's mother it was Sands who got to become a blond like her.

The other thing I learned that the title song which is sung by Sands over the opening credits was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David one of their early numbers. The song Love In A Goldfish Bowl is hardly counted as one of their masterworks, pleasant though it is.

With the Code still firmly in place the film is an innocuous teen comedy about a boy and girl with parent issues who run away from school in Colorado and live at the boy's mother beach house in Balboa over spring break. The boy being Sands and the girl being Toby Michaels. You might best remember Toby Michaels whose career wasn't long as the ill fated trading post owner's daughter in Sergeant Rutledge. Her father is a rather well meaning but pompous US Senator played by Edward Andrews as only Andrews can play it.

Tommy's mother is Jan Sterling a jet setting socialite who probably didn't halt partying even having Tommy. He's a free spirit like his mother.

Things go all right until a sailing accident brings in the Coast Guard and a handsome sailor played by Fabian. After that all kinds of complications set in.

Love In A Goldfish Bowl was no strain on any of the performers. I'm only guessing about Tommy Sands's blond hair. Someone ought to ask him about it.

"Love in a Goldfish Bowl" was a sex comedy which is meant to appeal to young people of 1961. However, it came at a time when mores were changing...though the film manages to be very hip and sexy...as well as chaste and sexless...at the same time!

Gordon (Tommy Sands) is a college student who drives the director of the school batty. However, his rule breaking and schemes all seem incredibly dull...even when they COULD be very sexy. His latest scheme is to sneak off during Spring Break with his girlfriend, Blythe (Toby Michaels). He has told his mother in Honolulu that he's staying on campus during the break and he has Blythe tell her father she's staying on campus to get tutored in order to bring up her Geometry grade. But both instead head to the beach in California, as Gordon's mother owns a beachfront house...and the pair can be there without a chaperone and get into all sorts of nonsense. Weirdly, however, they get into absolutely NONE...with them both sleeping in separate rooms and behaving more like friends than lovers.

This very dull arrangement is thrown for a loop when the pair are sailing and their boat capsizes. The Coast Guard save them...and one of the sailors (Fabian) is smitten with Blythe and begins spending a lot of time with her at the beachhouse. And, the more time he spends there, the more prudish and fatherly Gordon behaves towards Blythe. At the same time, Gordon's plan is unraveling. The dean has discovered the ruse and both of the co-eds' parents are going in search of their errant children.

The early 1960s was an odd time in Hollywood. Since the 50s, films began to be marketed more and more to young adults and teens. But by the 60s, the sexual revolution began sneaking into movies...but in very small increments compared to the late 60s, when all bets were off! This film shows this strange time where sexual topics weren't exactly taboo but were very tastefully and chastely done! It might come off as a bit naive when you see this today.

Overall, this is a mildly amusing time-passer. It definitely starts off well enough but loses steam as the film progressed. You wonder how much different the film might have been had it been made just 5-6 years later!

By the way, you might be surprised to see Sands in this film as he's a blond. Perhaps the filmmakers thought he and Fabian looked too similar to each other. Either way, it was jarring to see Sands' hair!

A good movie with Tommy Sands headlining..but where is the release? If this was released and made available to the public, they would be acquainted again with Mr. Sands and enjoy his talent even more. He was a really good singer and one who broke many molds in the recording industry and is not receiving the recognition. He was first with the MTV style, he was discovered by the Colonel long before Elvis, he made movies with true acting ability, and he married a famous singers daughter who tried to sing. His story is out there for the telling and now can be told since the strong hold is gone. Tommy deserves more. He has paid his dues and its time this country embraced him and declared him a national treasure.

Seeking a peaceful Easter vacation without parents, handsome blond Tommy Sands (as Gordon Slide) and likewise cute light-haired Toby Michaels (as Blythe Holloway) decide to spend their break at Mr. Sands' empty Balboa beach house. The two college students are not lovers; they are, and appear intent on remaining, platonic. After moving in, Ms. Michaels sends out signals she may be available for intimacy, but Sands doesn't seem interested. Following a boating mishap, Sands and Michaels are rescued by the Coast Guard. Leading the group, handsome Hampton Bays, LI clam-digger Fabian (as Guiseppi "Seppi" La Barba) is attracted to Michaels. The two begin dating, which leads Sands to question his feelings for Michaels...

Whatever made Sands bleach his hair for this one erred. If the goal was differentiate Sands from Fabian, it wasn't needed; young viewers of the time would certainly know Tommy Sands from Fabian. If anything, they made Sands look like a blond Frankie Avalon. Sands sings the title song (by Burt Bacharach and Hal David) and Fabian is credited with singing the chorally-sung "You're Only Young Once"; both were at the end of their hit record careers, and neither song made the national charts. Adults Jan Sterling (as Sandra Slide) and Edward Andrews (as Clyde Holloway) are adept as the parents who just don't understand. Elizabeth MacRae (as Jackie) is an older floozy who amusingly tries to get Sands aroused.

***** Love in a Goldfish Bowl (7/12/61) Jack Sher ~ Tommy Sands, Fabian, Toby Michaels, Jan Sterling