Mon séducteur de père

The Pleasure Of His Company finds Fred Astaire playing a jet setting, globe trotting playboy who has come to see his daughter by one of his marriages get married. Astaire's first wife was Lilli Palmer and she's raised their daughter Debbie Reynolds with her second husband Gary Merrill. But now Astaire has come to assert his fatherly prerogatives.

He asserts more than that as Reynolds is completely fascinated by him, the father she never knew. But his mere presence and abundance of charm is completely upsetting everyone else around including Tab Hunter whom she met in college. He's a rather plain spoken individual who was an All American in college and now has a ranch. When his prize bull gets sick and he has to go home and tend him before the wedding he leaves Astaie an open field and he moves in for the kill.

All this is rather amusing to Palmer's father Charlie Ruggles who just sits back and enjoys the conflict. Ruggles was the only one of the Broadway cast to do the movie version. The Pleasure Of His Company ran for 474 performances during the 1958-59 season and author Cornelia Otis Skinner played the Lilli Palmer role. Skinner no doubt cast the rest of the Broadway production with Cyril Ritchard, Dolores Hart, Walter Abel, and George Peppard playing the parts that Astaire, Reynolds, Merrill, and Hunter play on screen.

Skinner's collaborator on the play Sam Taylor did the screenplay and transformed it well from a two act play only the setting of the living room of the house on stage. He utilized the city of San Francisco quite well in his endeavor.

As for the work itself the dialog is exquisite, sophisticated, and elegant and The Pleasure Of His Company has a cast to match. One you'll enjoy.

I have probably seen this movie 40 or 50 times since video has been in existence, and I have yet to tire of watching Mr. Class, Fred Astaire, weave his way through this Cornelia Otis Skinner/Samuel Taylor gem of a light comedy that engages you from start to finish.

Everything about this production from the opening credits appearing over what could be the finest still photography of San Francisco ever put on the screen to the ensemble of endearing characters to the heart-warming musical themes, fashion PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY into a film that after forty years still spins an enduring tale of a long, lost playboy father turning up unexpectedly to attend his daughter's wedding.

Lili Palmer is a perfect fit as Astaire's spicy, estranged wife who may have never quite doused the flames for her ex; Debbie Reynolds is a natural as the naiive daughter pining for the real father she never had; Gary Merrill offers a rather patient detachment from most all of Astaire's antics as his current wife nearly loses her heart all over again to her ex-husband's charm. Charley Ruggles is the aloof, wise grandfather, who seems to be amused by Astaire's manipulations and really has little to do or say until uttering a few choice observations near the end. Tab Hunter turns in a surprisingly solid performance as Reynolds' rancher-fiancée--especially when considering that in 1961 Hunter was still pretty much stuck in his "teen idol" phase.

The fun of this movie, before it turns to sad lessons of regret, lies in catching the dialogue repartee and the meddling contrivances of Astaire. For some of the exchanges between Astaire and Palmer on second marriage and "dull, domestic life," get a solid side swipe by playboy Biddiford Poole, before he himself gets the final comeuppance. In all, the treatment of a long-lost dashing second husband appearing without warning for his daughter's wedding who throws a monkey wrench into the settled lives of well-to-do San Franciscans is, in many ways, wonderfully witty.

THE PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY simply does not age. It is one of those enduring pieces that weaves its own charming spell from Astaire's bon-vi-vant arrival at SFO to his grim realization before leaving again: "I've missed the boat in oh-so-many ways." THE PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY is a light-hearted comedy with a solid message about regret that hits home for many. But lest Astaire become too much an object of sympathy, he has the last laugh on Palmer and Merrill that caps the film with just the right touch at the end.

Trivia: Cyril Ritchard starrred in the original Broadway production, but Astaire, who had just about retired in '58 after the death of his wife, was cast as Biddiford Poole....Delores Hart was originally cast as Jessica, his daughter in the stage play. After making a number of films and earning about $50,000 a picture, Hart stunned Hollywood in 1964 and announced she was entering a convent. She became a nun and remains one to this day...Gary Merrill, who plays Palmer's second husband, also played the husband of Bette Davis in the film classic ALL ABOUT EVE...The exterior of the Dougherty home where some of the action is shot was, in fact, the Spreckle's Mansion, a San Francisco landmark....Tab Hunter was about at the end of his teen idol days when he made this film. He had recorded "First Love" which was a top 40 hit in the late '50's....

Dennis Caracciolo

The entire cast of this film is sparkling. And although its small compared to most feature films, most of the cast give performances worthy of nominations for awards. Indeed, Fred Astaire was nominated as best actor for a Golden Globe by the Hollywood foreign press association. Astaire's performance surely is one of his very best, outside the musical genre that dominated his first three decades.

But "The Pleasure of His Company" includes sterling performances by Lili Palmer, and Gary Merrill, and Tab Hunter, and Debbie Reynolds, and Harold Fong. If Charles Ruggles's Mackenzie Savage had had just a little more screen time - or at least a few more lines of dialog, his performance would also be worthy of a nomination.

One can see after a few minutes into the film that it comes from a stage play. And that's okay. The fact of very few scene changes allows playwrights and screen writers to put more substance into their characters, especially with dialog. This is a comedy and a family film - of sorts. It centers around Astaire's romantic gadabout character with a diabolical scheme or two up his sleeve.

Astaire's Biddeford 'Pogo' Poole hasn't seen daughter Jessica (played by Reynolds) since she was a little girl of 5 or 6. Yet, now she is getting married. Her mother, Katherine Dougherty (Palmer) and step-father, James Dougherty (Merrill) have sent telegrams around the world trying to find Poole to invite him and have him give his daughter away. The tab is more than $540 for wires to Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and Australia. Yet, Poole hasn't answered or acknowledged a one.

Now, with the wedding but a few days off, Pogo shows up at the Dougherty house overlooking San Francisco Bay. And, he turns the household upside down. He's not a crude or flamboyant character, but the master charmer of all time. In the midst of all this, the one person he can't fool is Katherine, his first wife. He has had two more since her. But they all get left behind and play a distant second fiddle to his wanderlust. Part of his charm - as he now plies Jessica with thoughts of adventure before marrying her fiancé, Roger Henderson (Hunter), is the allure he puts on exotic locales and the excitement of seeing the world. And Jessica is very gullible, having kept a scrapbook with clippings of her father's escapades and adventures. Yet, she's also in love with Roger.

Ruggles plays Mackenzie Savage, father of Katherine and Jessica's grandpa. He lives elsewhere in California and had planned to stay at his club because the atmosphere is more exciting there than the quiet and mundane evenings with James and Katharine. But, since Pogo's arrival, Savage has decided that it will be more exciting after all to stay with the family. And, he is quick to point out that he has never called Poole "Pogo," but has always called him by his given name, "Biddeford." Indeed, he does so throughout the film.

The one thing that's never clear is Pogo Poole's source of money. He couldn't be traveling the world, going on safaris, scaling peaks, and cruising for months at a time without some source of income. He doesn't work and has no permanent home anywhere, apparently. So, he must be an heir with money that allows him to lead a life of constant adventure and pleasure. In spite of his charm, one doesn't quite trust him -- or take to him personally, because the life he lives is completely selfish. So, the concern that develops once he shows up is what everyone's relationship will be when he leaves - and with whom.

Katherine is worried he may lure Jessica away. James is lured that he may lure Katherine away. Roger is worried that he may botch their wedding. Mackenzie is watching with interest. And Toy laughs at Pogo's jokes that he tells in Chinese.

The exchanges between the characters at times is brittle with intrigue. This is a fantastic film of sophisticated comedy and family drama. Here are some favorite lines.

Katharine Dougherty, to their Chinese cook and all around house man, "Toy, he was my FIRST husband, not my Number One husband."

Pogo, "If I was your age and not her father, I'd make you fight me for her, boy." Roger, "I wish I could." Pogo, "Hmmm?"

Pogo Poole, "I am not suggesting I be your guide on your honeymoon."

Jessica Poole, "But what about Roger?" Pogo, "Send him a postcard." Jessica, "Father, we're getting married Saturday." Pogo, "You can always get married." Jessica, "But, what would I say to him?" Pogo, "Good-bye." Jessica, "Father!"

Jessica, "And then you deliberately gave him the wildest horse on the ranch." Roger, "I didn't deliberately. He's not the wildest horse on the ranch. I can ride hm. Every one of my hands can ride him. The Chinese cook can ride him."

Jessica, "And that wild steer, mother. He egged him on. He dared father to ride him." Roger, "He insisted on riding him. Why would I dare a man to ride a wild steer? I'm not out of my mind. He might have been killed." Katherine, "Oh, yesss!"" Pogo, "Nonsense. I just didn't get settled on him, that's all. I'd like to try that again some time, Roger." Katherine, "Tomorrow?"

Roger Henderson, "Mr. Savage, you know her well. She will come out of this won't she?" MacKenzie Savage, "Uh, not unchanged. She'll never be the same." Roger, "Why?" Savage, "And the serpent said unto Eve, enjoy yourself - and she was never the same. It's not accurate but it's apt."

Savage, "I don't mean to be clinical, but you're limping on the wrong leg." Pogo, "Heh, heh, you caught me unawares."

Pogo, "It's a far, far better thing I do." Savage, "Heh, heh, you really are a scoundrel, Biddeford."

PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY was a PLEASURE to watch from beginning to end and LILLI PALMER is totally ravishing and steals the show.. Fred may have been a bit too old and ditto Debbie but it worked anyway and it was charming, from beginning to end and Lilli was absolutely marvelous as usual..Charles Ruggles was hilarious as always and repeated his Tony award winning performance from the original stage play. I highly recommend this bright comedy and San Francisco,such a beautiful city, added to the pleasure of their company. This was not a musical and so Fred danced with his daughter and his wife as he should, a normal man, not a show dancer....but with grace and elegance as usual and he does sing a tiny bit while dancing with Lilli, his ex-wife whom he stills appears to be in love with, who wouldn't be. If you are looking for a Fred musical, look up one of the MGM or RKO films he did.

Well written, intelligent and elegant: Oscar Wilde in the sixties in San Francisco. It's a pleasure to see all the fine actors play out the nuances of their lines. Especially Lilly Palmer, who is absolutely wonderful and attractive.