← Back to Reviews
in
Critic's Choice
Bob Hope and Lucille Ball were two of Hollywood's greatest clowns who made several films together but 1963's Critic's Choice was one of their lesser efforts because, as they did in The Facts of Life, play three dimensional characters and aren't looking for the quick laugh, but these talented veterans still provide pretty consistent chuckles here.
Hope plays Parker Ballantine, a New York theater critic who is this film's John Simon...the one critic that every director and playwright pray they receive a glowing review. He has just written a scathing review of a play starring his ex-wife, Ivy London (Marilyn Maxwell), even though his wife, Angela (Ball) didn't think it was so bad. Though she enjoys a comfortable life as Mrs.Parker Ballantine, Angela is restless and unfulfilled and impulsively decides that she wants to write a play. Parker discourages and belittles her at every turn, but Angela manages to churn out a play and asks Parker to read it and, as expected, he tells her it's terrible and hopes that's the end of it. Unfortunately for Parker a producer manages to get hold of the play, reads it, likes it, and agrees to produce it.
Parker now finds himself in a moral dilemma because he's unsure as to whether or not he should review the play when it premieres. Angela likes the idea of Parker reviewing it at first but interference from the eccentric director working on Angela's play, Angela's mother (Jessie Royce Landis), and scheming ex-wife Ivy, she's not so sure as the out of town tryouts approach.
Jack Sher's screenplay is actually based on a play written by Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby) that opened in 1960 with Henry Fonda playing Parker Ballantine. The story has definitely been tailored to suit the stars and Sher does an effective job of opening up the story so that it doesn't look like a photographed stage play. Opening the story up also allowed for more clowning by the stars, Hope in particular. Hope garners major chuckles during the father/son baseball game when his back keeps going out and during his drunken arrival at Angela's opening night. The real surprise here though was Ball, playing it relatively straight as Angela, a role that could have become silly and over the top, but Ball nicely underlays, aided by the smooth and slightly safe direction by Don Weis, and Ball has rarely been so appealing onscreen.
Weis also does a credible job of creating a New York theater atmosphere, though we never really buy that this film was actually shot in New York. Set direction is top-notch, the Ballantine home is beautiful and I loved Landis as Angela's mother and a very funny Rip Torn as the crazy director. Jim Backus, Jerome Cowan, and John Dehner offer fun bits along the way and, if you don't blink, you might even catch Soupy Sales playing a hotel desk clerk. It's no classic, but fans of the stars will not be disappointed.
Bob Hope and Lucille Ball were two of Hollywood's greatest clowns who made several films together but 1963's Critic's Choice was one of their lesser efforts because, as they did in The Facts of Life, play three dimensional characters and aren't looking for the quick laugh, but these talented veterans still provide pretty consistent chuckles here.
Hope plays Parker Ballantine, a New York theater critic who is this film's John Simon...the one critic that every director and playwright pray they receive a glowing review. He has just written a scathing review of a play starring his ex-wife, Ivy London (Marilyn Maxwell), even though his wife, Angela (Ball) didn't think it was so bad. Though she enjoys a comfortable life as Mrs.Parker Ballantine, Angela is restless and unfulfilled and impulsively decides that she wants to write a play. Parker discourages and belittles her at every turn, but Angela manages to churn out a play and asks Parker to read it and, as expected, he tells her it's terrible and hopes that's the end of it. Unfortunately for Parker a producer manages to get hold of the play, reads it, likes it, and agrees to produce it.
Parker now finds himself in a moral dilemma because he's unsure as to whether or not he should review the play when it premieres. Angela likes the idea of Parker reviewing it at first but interference from the eccentric director working on Angela's play, Angela's mother (Jessie Royce Landis), and scheming ex-wife Ivy, she's not so sure as the out of town tryouts approach.
Jack Sher's screenplay is actually based on a play written by Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby) that opened in 1960 with Henry Fonda playing Parker Ballantine. The story has definitely been tailored to suit the stars and Sher does an effective job of opening up the story so that it doesn't look like a photographed stage play. Opening the story up also allowed for more clowning by the stars, Hope in particular. Hope garners major chuckles during the father/son baseball game when his back keeps going out and during his drunken arrival at Angela's opening night. The real surprise here though was Ball, playing it relatively straight as Angela, a role that could have become silly and over the top, but Ball nicely underlays, aided by the smooth and slightly safe direction by Don Weis, and Ball has rarely been so appealing onscreen.
Weis also does a credible job of creating a New York theater atmosphere, though we never really buy that this film was actually shot in New York. Set direction is top-notch, the Ballantine home is beautiful and I loved Landis as Angela's mother and a very funny Rip Torn as the crazy director. Jim Backus, Jerome Cowan, and John Dehner offer fun bits along the way and, if you don't blink, you might even catch Soupy Sales playing a hotel desk clerk. It's no classic, but fans of the stars will not be disappointed.