THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE

Maggie Smith as the airy Miss Brodie

THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE (1969). Director: Ronald Neame. 

In 1930's Scotland Miss Jean Brodie (Maggie Smith) is a tenured teacher at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls. Jean is free-spirited, putting her at odds with the relatively new headmistress Miss Mackay (Celia Johnson of Brief Encounter), who keeps reminding her that this is a conservative school. Jean is one of those teachers who is convinced she can leave a lasting impression on her students and always supposedly knows what's best for them, even though she can be naive, dismissive, and rather stupid at times. She does her best to stay out of the clutches of the art teacher, Teddy Lloyd (Smith's real life husband at the time, Robert Stephens), her former lover, who is married and has six children. Jean encourages one of her charges, Mary (Jane Carr of Something for Everyone) to go off to Spain to fight alongside her brother, something which does not end at all well. Jean may have met her match in young Sandy (Pamela Franklin of The Food of the Gods), who replaces her in Teddy's bed and ultimately helps bring about her downfall.

Smith gets a dressing down from Pamela Franklin

The prime joy of Miss Jean Brodie is the performance of Maggie Smith, which netted her a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar. She fully brings to life all of the different, often maddening facets of Brodie's character and engages your full attention from start to finish. She is surrounded by other wonderful actors: Stephens as the utter pig of an art teacher; Gordon Jackson as the more gentlemanly music teacher with whom Jean dallies; Pamela Franklin, who is ferociously good as Sandy and especially excels in her climactic scene when she really tells off her irresponsible teacher, Jean; Celia Johnson as the long-suffering Miss MacKay, who tries various methods to send her nemesis packing; Jane Carr as the stammering, ill-fated Mary; and others. 

Smith with Robert Stephens

Miss Jean Brodie is by no means perfect. A comedy-drama, there are sequences in the girls' school that , unfortunately, remind one of antics in St. Trinian's! There is something a bit artificial and unreal about the film at times. However, what's amazing is that the particular school girls who form Jean's closest circle all look convincingly like children, despite their real ages, who age gracefully (or otherwise) into adulthood -- Franklin's transformation is especially astonishing. Rod McKuen composed a pretty song for the picture, but he should have been convinced not to sing it, as he has no voice. He had a certain run as a sappy poet and composer. 

Verdict: Smith's Academy Award-winning performance makes this film fully engaging whatever its flaws. ***. 

THE SAINT'S GIRL FRIDAY

THE SAINT'S GIRL FRIDAY (1953). Director: Seymour Friedman.

"I have a hobby of reforming burglars." 

Simon Templar, famously known as the Saint (Louis Hayward), returns to London from New York and learns that a woman he cared for, Julie (uncredited), has died in an accident, plunging her car off a bridge during a high-speed chase. Templar discovers that Julie had somehow gotten involved with a gang of gamblers who blackmailed people into working for them and conveniently resorted to murder for their ends. As Templar investigates -- to the chagrin of friendly adversary Chief Inspector Teal (Charles Victor) -- he encounters a woman named Carol (Naomi Chance of Wings of Danger) and a flirtatious hostess named Kate (Jane Carr), one or both of whom may be working for the mysterious boss of the gang. Templar also has a brief dalliance with a sluttish blonde acquaintance of the chief, an unnamed woman played by Diana Dors (who briefly livens up the picture but not enough to do it much good). William Russell, Fred Johnson and Sam Kydd also have supporting roles in this uninspired late Saint adventure that barely has any suspense or excitement. Hayward is fine as Templar and the other actors are all good.

Verdict: Distinctly minor fifties entry in the shady sleuth sub-genre. **.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE (1970). Director: Harold Prince.

"Let's not talk about the Nazis. It was bad enough when they were all over the place, strutting around, inviting themselves to dinner." -- the countess.

"You can sleep with anyone, can't you?" -- Helmuth.

"If I have to -- but I have my preferences." -- Konrad.

A sociopathic charmer named Konrad Ludwig (Michael York) arrives in the picturesque town of Ornstein and uses his body, wits, and homicidal tendencies to take over the household of Countess Von Ornstein (Angela Lansbury), who lives in a big castle with her children -- but also lives mostly on bluff (by her standards at least). Eliminating anyone who might get in the way of his plans, Konrad beds and romances both the daughter, Anneliese (Heidelinde Weis), of a wealthy couple and the countess' attractive son, Helmuth (Anthony Corlan AKA Anthony Higgins). His plans to marry them both off to one another go awry but the clever fellow may have yet another idea up his sleeve ... The performances and story are compelling in this very darkly amusing comedy-suspense film, although some might feel the ending -- if outrageous and comical -- isn't entirely satisfying. Jane Carr is good if a little weird as the countess' strange and homely daughter, Lotte, who's wiser than she lets on -- at first. Wolfreid Lier makes an impression as the stern  major domo, Klaus. Despite the free-wheeling sensuality, the movie seems to have a kind of old-fashioned sensibility to it. This was loosely based on a novel by Harry Kressing entitled "The Cook;" the screenplay is by Hugh Wheeler, who wrote many musical librettos, and who was also well-known as mystery novelist Patrick Quentin. Stage specialist Harold Prince only directed one other theatrical film and one television movie. Score by John Kander and some nice scenery as well.

Verdict: Fun and games with an ambisexual twist. ***.