Les aventures amoureuses de Moll Flanders

It can be interesting to look at films from years ago and see how one's views have changed. I saw this when it came out in 1965, and again when it was revived a few years later. I quite enjoyed it then, although the critics were not impressed, however it must be fifty years since I last saw it, so when I saw that Talking Pictures TV were showing it, I set my TV to record it so that I could watch it at my leisure. Looked at today, my impression is that it has not aged at all well. There seems to be a lot of energy expended to little effect. At times, it resembles a Carry-on movie, and it hardly helps that Kim Novak seems to be miscast. However credit is due to Leo McKern playing Richard Johnson's sidekick, who adds some much needed fun to the proceedings. It has a good supporting cast, but I can't help but feel that with this cast, it really should have been a lot better.

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.

This movie has to be one that shows off Kim Novak at her most luscious. It's too bad there wasn't enough showcasing! It's also too bad that this movie was made as a COMEDY unlike the newer PBS version. The only consolation, once again, is the luscious Kim Novak.

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.

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.