Love in a Goldfish Bowl

Love in a Goldfish Bowl
Love in a Goldfish Bowl
Directed by	Jack Sher
Written by	Jack Sher
Based on	a story by Irene Kamp; Jack Sher
Produced by	Richard Shepherd; Martin Jurow
Starring	Tommy Sands; Fabian; Toby Michaels
Cinematography	Loyal Griggs
Edited by	Terry Morse
Music by	Jimmie Haskell
Production; company	Jurow-Shepherd Productions
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	June 1961;
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Love in a Goldfish Bowlis a 1961teen filmdirected byJack Sherstarring singing idolsTommy SandsandFabian.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Plot

Gordon Slide and Blythe Holloway are two platonic best friends at a college, both from single-parent families. They are so devoted to each other that the headmaster of the school is considering banning them from seeing each other.

Gordon then decides to spend the Easter holiday at his mother's beach pad. Blythe accompanies him, with Gordon impersonating the college headmaster on the phone to Blythe's senator father, so that Blythe gets permission.

Gordon and Blythe settle into a domestic routine. One day they take Gordon's yacht out and get caught in a storm, and the Coast Guard have to rescue them. One of the Coast Guard, Giuseppe, falls for Blythe, which provokes feelings of jealousy in Gordon.

Matters come to a head when Gordon and Blythe have a party. Giuseppe brings along a "fast" girl to set up with Gordon so he can be with Blythe. However this causes Blythe to be jealous. When Giuseppe makes a move on Blythe, she resists. Then another man, a drunken sailor, tries to molest Blythe, but Gordon rescues her.

Gordon and Blythe kiss – only to be busted by his socialite mother and Blythe's father. Everyone has a talk and Gordon's mother and Blythe's father realise how much they have been neglecting their children; they vow to do better. Blythe tells an apologetic Giuseppe that she will continue to write to him.

Blythe and Gordon return to college, now a couple, although the old routines of their relationship are still in play.

Cast

Tommy Sandsas Gordon Slide
Fabianas Giuseppe La Barba
Toby Michaels as Blythe Holloway
Jan Sterlingas Sandra Slide
Edward Andrewsas Clyde Holloway
John McGiveras Dr. Frowley
Majel Barrettas Alice
Shirley O'Haraas Clara Dumont
Robert Pattenas Lieut. J. G. Marchon
Phillip Baird as Gregory
Elizabeth MacRaeas Jackie
Denny Milleras Oscar Flegler^[4]
Susan Siloas Jenny
"Tiger"

Production

The film was originally known asBeach Pad.^[5]It was based on an original script by Jack Sher and his cousin Louis Kamp's wife, Irene Kamp, who had worked onParis Bluestogether; they sold it to Martin Jurow and Richard Shepherd, the producers ofBreakfast at Tiffany's,who had a deal at Paramount.^[6]

Shooting started in November 1960 and took place in Hollywood and on location in Balboa.^[7]

Fabian and Tommy Sands were both pop stars at the time and both sing in the film.^[8]Sands' hair was dyed blonde to differentiate him from Fabian.^[9]Sands later said this was "a big mistake. It looked so phony. Fans who knew me knew that was phony."^[10]

Songs

"Love in a Goldfish Bowl" byBurt BacharachandHal Davidsung by Tommy Sands (a Capitol Records Release)
"You're Only Young Once" by Russell Faith,Robert MarcucciandPeter De Angelissung by Fabian (A Chancellor Records Artist)

Reception

The New York Timescalled the film "vapid and transparent" but that at least it "made no pretenses".^[3]Varietycalled it "strictly teenage fare that misses the mark frequently but has several values that might attract the interest of young people."^[11]

Producer Martin Jurow later said the film "didn't come off very well."^[12]

According to a review of the film inDiaboliquemagazine:

It's very possible to do a gay reading of this film, with Sands displaying zero sexual interest in Michaels or any woman throughout the film. Or maybe that's too limiting: because when Fabian puts the hard word on Michaels, she is very coy and not keen at all, despite flirting heavily with him until then. So maybe it's more accurate to describe this movie as being about two people with low sex drives who find each other.^[13]

A novelisation of the script was issued in 1961.^[14]^[15]

References

Citations

^Maltin 2015,p. 408.
^Lisanti 2005,p. 10.
^^a ^bThompson, Howard(July 13, 1961)."'Ladies' Man' Heads New Double Bill ".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 28,2020.
^Aaker 2017,p. 1988.
^Scheuer, Philip K. (Nov 24, 1960). "Fabian Wins New Contract at 20th: Another Rooney Heard From; Lasky Daughter Sells Script".Los Angeles Times.p. C15.
^Scheuer, Philip K. (July 26, 1960). "Biltmore Imports 'A Taste of Honey': Heston to Star in 'El Cid'; Paramount Buys 'Beach Pad'".Los Angeles Times.p. 23.
^A.H. WEILER (Oct 9, 1960). "BY WAY OF REPORT: FOX BUYS 'INSPECTOR' -- OTHER NEW ENTRIES".New York Times.p. X7.
^Felicia Feaster."Love in a Goldfish Bowl".Turner Classic Movies.Retrieved18 January2014.
^Richard L. Coe (June 24, 1961). "'Golden Hours' Don't Glitter ".The Washington Post and Times-Herald.p. A14.
^Michael Donahue (21 August 2007)."Famous spot glitters at benefit luau for Boys, Girls Clubs".The Commercial Appeal.Retrieved6 July2014.
^"Love in a Goldfish Bowl".Variety.7 June 1961. p. 20.
^Scheuer, Philip K. (July 8, 1963). "'The American Girl' Seen Lost to Films: Males Dominate Producer Jurow Mourns: Tells Plans ".Los Angeles Times.p. D13.
^Vagg, Stephen (26 August 2019)."The Cinema of Fabian".Diabolique.
^Review of cover artaccessed 18 January 2014
^Sher, Jack(1961).Love In A Goldfish Bowl(1st ed.). New York City: Cardinal Edition.ASIN B002C0WHCK.

Sources

Maltin, Leonard(2015).Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965(3rd ed.). New York City:Plume.p. 408.ISBN 978-0147516824.
Lisanti, Tom (2005).Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies: The First Wave, 1959–1969(1st ed.). New York City: McFarland & Company. p. 10.ISBN 978-0786421046.
Aaker, Everett (2017).Television Western Players, 1960–1975: A Biographical Dictionary.New York City: McFarland & Company. p. 1988.ISBN 978-1476662503.

External links

[FOOTNOTEMaltin2015408-1] Maltin 2015,p. 408.

[FOOTNOTELisanti200510-2] Lisanti 2005,p. 10.

[Thompson-3] Thompson, Howard(July 13, 1961)."'Ladies' Man' Heads New Double Bill ".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 28,2020.

[FOOTNOTEAaker20171988-4] Aaker 2017,p. 1988.

[5] Scheuer, Philip K. (Nov 24, 1960). "Fabian Wins New Contract at 20th: Another Rooney Heard From; Lasky Daughter Sells Script".Los Angeles Times.p. C15.

[6] Scheuer, Philip K. (July 26, 1960). "Biltmore Imports 'A Taste of Honey': Heston to Star in 'El Cid'; Paramount Buys 'Beach Pad'".Los Angeles Times.p. 23.

[7] A.H. WEILER (Oct 9, 1960). "BY WAY OF REPORT: FOX BUYS 'INSPECTOR' -- OTHER NEW ENTRIES".New York Times.p. X7.

[8] Felicia Feaster."Love in a Goldfish Bowl".Turner Classic Movies.Retrieved18 January2014.

[9] Richard L. Coe (June 24, 1961). "'Golden Hours' Don't Glitter ".The Washington Post and Times-Herald.p. A14.

[10] Michael Donahue (21 August 2007)."Famous spot glitters at benefit luau for Boys, Girls Clubs".The Commercial Appeal.Retrieved6 July2014.

[11] "Love in a Goldfish Bowl".Variety.7 June 1961. p. 20.

[12] Scheuer, Philip K. (July 8, 1963). "'The American Girl' Seen Lost to Films: Males Dominate Producer Jurow Mourns: Tells Plans ".Los Angeles Times.p. D13.

[vagg-13] Vagg, Stephen (26 August 2019)."The Cinema of Fabian".Diabolique.

[14] Review of cover artaccessed 18 January 2014

[15] Sher, Jack(1961).Love In A Goldfish Bowl(1st ed.). New York City: Cardinal Edition.ASIN B002C0WHCK.

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