Youngblood Hawke

James Fransiscus was Mr. Novak on TV and landed the star role in this film after Jack Warner fired Warren Beatty from this film.. Beatty after 2 weeks of rehearsals on the WB Lot refused to sign his contract. Warner exploded and banned Beatty from the WB Lot. In a jam Warner picked James Fransiscus to star in this film directed by Delmer Davis with a great cast that included Suzy Pleshette and lovely French actress Genevieve Page. I recall Rita Hayworth one of the biggest stars in movies during the 40's and 50's and Queen of the Columbia Lot had to test for the role eventually played by Ms. Page. James Franciscus was at the time of filming son in law of famed director Bill Wellman.

Troy Donahue was the star of Delmer Daves: Summer Place, Pasrish, Susan Slade and Rome Adventure why wasn't he cast as Youngblood Hawke? Troy was at the time a huge star at WB.

This is a fine film with top notch WB production values. After Beatty left the film the studio decided to film it in black and white rather than color.

I have a feeling the back story of this film's production would be more intriguing than the film itself.

Youngblood Hawk is more than just a story about a writer. Similar to Executive Suite, we are shown the "inner workings" of a process that most people at the time were not aware of, and the personal relationships of the people involved; here, we see the book editing process, and how a young writer (James Franciscus) from suburbia comes to New York and takes the town by storm. In one of the opening scenes, a critic, played by Edward Andrews, tells him a story of the stag who must outrun the hounds to survive, an apt lesson for a truck driver trying to make it in the big city. (Andrews always played the Colonel, the General, the statesman, and was a riot in Glass Bottom Boat.) Suzanne Pleshette plays Jeanne Green, Hawk's editor. Pleshette, had just made "The Birds" with Hitchcock, the year before, and will probably be best known as Bob Newhart's wife on the B. Newhart show in the 1970s. Unfortunately, Pleshette's southern drawl comes and goes in this one. French actress Geneviève Page is Frieda Winter, who introduces Hawk to all the right people who can help his career. Viewers will also recognize Mary Astor as Irene Perry, who makes an appearance about halfway through. Also keep an eye out for Martin Balsam and Werner Klemperer. And even Eva Gabor has a couple lines. Good, solid, entertaining, (LONG) story. It's got some flaws, but its entertaining enough. Written by Herman Wouk, who also did Caine Mutiny and The Winds of War. Wikipedia says this is loosely based on Thomas Wolfe... very loosely. Lots of changes in the story and facts. Directed by Delmer Daves, who wrote and directed many of our classic films. His films all have great pacing, and good solid plots.

This soap opera based on a Herman Wouk novel is entertaining in its meandering way but suffers from a less than riveting lead actor, James Franciscus.

Franciscus was a decent actor and certainly movie star handsome but not charismatic enough to carry a big budget film. Although he was quite effective as a series lead in Longstreet and several other shows the character of Youngblood Hawke required a more compelling actor than he. Warren Beatty, who was originally cast but bowed out or George Peppard would have worked much better in the star spot.

As it is the attractive but bland Franciscus is surrounded by high quality actors who all act rings around him. The little known Genevieve Page is cast in the trickiest part as an unhappily married woman who falls for Hawke. Even though she's a bit too young for the role her air of world weariness suits sad Frieda, she makes quite an impression and you miss her when she's off-screen.

The film is loaded with a variable kaleidescope of outstanding performers in every role. Suzanne Pleshette and her volcano of hair are terrific as Hawke's editor, even in her relatively brief screen time she makes something out of a standard part. Same goes for Mildred Dunnock, Eva Gabor, John Dehner and Don Porter all of whom are handed stock characters but still manage to stretch those characters with entertaining portrayals.

Another two old reliables who add some dash to this overlong stew are Mary Astor as a renown stage actress searching for a new vehicle and thinks she sees it in Hawke's novel. This was her penultimate screen appearance, she played a key role in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte later that year then retired permanently, she imbibes her handful of scenes with a class and mastery that only the best actors are able to do with cameo appearances. The other is Edward Arnold as a critic who is both friend and foe, he obviously knows he has one of the better roles in the film and clearly relishes his opportunity. By word and gesture he makes Quentin Judd a memorable character.

This was also almost the end of the line for director Daves, that master of the overblown cinematic soap, and is right in his wheelhouse but his pacing seems rather off. The film is at least 20 minutes too long and is oddly in black and white. While all his other films of this type, A Summer Place, Rome Adventure etc, were in rich Technicolor with sweeping vistas which would have helped here he and cinematographer Charles Lawton Jr. use the shadows indigenous to black & white effectively.

Not anywhere near a great film but the cast makes it worth checking out.

Talented rube from a mining town in Kentucky pens a novel ("Alms For Oblivion"!) and apparently has it accepted by the very first publishing house in New York City that he sends it to. Writer-director Delmer Daves, who adapted his screenplay from Herman Wouk's bestseller, keenly understands the awe and wonderment a trip to the big city can hold for a country kid--and he also handles the circling society sharks and poison-pen critics with aplomb. However, this two hour-twenty minute melodrama is teeming with ridiculousness, some of which is so absurd that one can only scoff. This is the kind of movie in which book reviewers actually turn up on television, or are invited to stand up and read their critiques at major galas. Daves hopes to underline the notion that a few bad reviews can destroy a book's chances at finding an audience (or automatically cause a play to fold), but it's a nonsensical extension of circumstances--and this approach is applied throughout the film, from characters to situations. "Youngblood Hawke" (bad title!) is a glossy, fairly well-acted keg of soap, but not the involving guilty pleasure you may be hoping it'll be. It's too overripe to take seriously, and too slow to be viewed as camp (though it certainly comes close). ** from ****

In the popular subgenre of "cads are irresistible" comes another perfect Paul Newman vehicle: Youngblood Hawke. By 1964, there were plenty of competing actors, and Warren Beatty had been signed to play the heartless bad boy with a charming Southern accent. When he dropped out, Stuart Whitman, George Peppard, and Terence Stamp were considered before James Franciscus was cast. What a cutie pie! If you have pictures of Randolph Scott and Richard Chamberlain on your wall, you'll be in love once you see this movie.

James plays a backwater hick who's written a novel. It's unrealistic, but his dream becomes a reality as his book quickly gets snatched up by a publisher, Lee Bowman, and editor, Suzanne Pleshette. He starts off wide-eyed and innocent, but once fame and fortune go to his head, he turns into a selfish cad. He starts up a torrid affair with Genevieve Page, which really isn't interesting. Not only is there no motivation in the script, but Genevieve carries no chemistry in her performance. James's character is incredibly unlikable, since he constantly makes the wrong choice and hurts people who try to love him. He's also quite spineless. Whenever someone criticizes his work, he agrees with them, and whenever Genevieve crooks her finger, he succumbs even when he's vowed not to. Even though she's a married woman with children. When Genevieve suggests James enter into a business deal with her husband, Kent Smith, he agrees. When she sets him up in a penthouse suite, he quickly ditches the place Suzanne had found for him earlier in the film.

Since sections of the film are a bit uneven, I can only imagine that the original novel is quite lengthy and complicated. After all, it's a Herman Wouk book. The running time is long, but I'm sure swaths of the novel were cut out. This isn't really a movie I'd care to watch again, but if you think James is cute, you'll probably want to watch it. Suzanne fans will be wasting their time since she's made out to be the undesirable one; and I can't imagine anyone being a fan of Genevieve.