THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT
US, 1964, 106 minutes, Colour.
Peter Sellers, Paula Prentiss, Angela Lansbury, Tom Bosley, Phyllis Thaxter, Bebe Osterwild, Merrie Spaeth, Tippi Walker, John Fiedler, Al Lewis.
Directed by George Roy Hill.
The World of Henry Orient was a star vehicle for Peter Sellers. It was adapted from a novel by Nora Johnson with veteran screenwriter and director Nunally Johnson. At this time Peter Sellers was moving from his British career with such films as The Wrong Arm of the Law, Heavens Above, Waltz of the Toreadors into an international career. He had appeared for Stanley Kubrick in Lolita and was to make Dr Strangelove in 1963. It was also the period in which Blake Edwards created Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther in 1963 and its sequel, A Shot in the Dark in 1964. The World of Henry Orient fits into this range of films. The next year Peter Sellers was to be in What’s New Pussycat, written by Woody Allen.
The film focuses on two star-struck adolescents played by Merrie Spaeth and Tippi Walker. They chat together in a gawky teenage adolescent way and decide to follow Peter Sellers as a celebrated musician, Henry Orient, but watch him in his illicit relationship with Stella Dunnworthy played by Paula Prentiss (who had emerged on screen as a fine comedienne in a lot of lightweight MGM comedies). Angela Lansbury and Tom Bosley are the parents of one of the girls. Phyllis Thaxter, a veteran of 40s films, is the mother of the other girl.
The film recreates the atmosphere of New York in the 60s, the world of celebrities – but also indicates the kind of permissiveness that was developing in the world and becoming more open in the changes of the 60s.
The film was directed by George Roy Hill who was to win an Oscar for The Sting and who directed such popular films as Period of Adjustment, Hawaii, Slaughterhouse Five, Slapshot and, best known, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
1. How suitable was the title for this film? How much did it concern Henry Orient's world? What did the film show of his world and how did it comment on it?
2. How much importance was given to the world of the two children? The fantasy world and its reality? How was there an irony in the contrast between the world of Henry Orient and that of the two girls? What judgement was made on Henry Orient's world by the presentation of the world of the two girls? How successful was this for the comedy and irony for audience enjoyment?
3. How important was the New York world for this film? How well was it presented visually and for atmosphere? The parks, Buildings, homes, seasons, Christmas etc.? The music of the world of New York? The pace of life in New York and the continual running, especially of the girls? The frantic nature of these worlds?
4. How typical were the girls as schoolgirls? How well did the school background give a real dimension to the film? How?
5. How important was friendship in the film? The quality of the friendship between the two girls? The ups and downs of friendship? Why? How was it visualised in their games, spying, crushes, make believe, visits to each other's homes and sharing?
6. How did the film give insight into girls minds? Via the fantasy and make-believe? Via the troubles at school and at home? The anguish in the girls' lives and yet their happiness? Their yearning for something more? Did this explain make-believe? Or was it just a phase in girls growing up?
7. How attractive a girl was Marian? Her background at home? Her mother and her kindness, the background of divorce yet strong enough to sustain it? Boothy and her wisecracking friendship? Friends and style of life at home? No preoccupation with money etc.?
8. How did she contrast with Valerie? Valerie as attractive yet erratic, as rich and unhappy, absorption in her world of music, imaginative and yet with the need of a psychiatrist, her involvement in games and in her emotions? How valuable was Marian's friendship for Valerie? How well were parents presented in the film? Mrs Gilbert as attractive and unsympathetic? The Boyds as repulsive? Mrs Boyd as rich and arrogant and unloving? How successful was this portrait of Mrs Boyd in presenting an unloving parent? The weakness of Frank Boyd? His inability to stand up to his wife? His love for Valerie? What did the film show of parental effects on their children?
10. How interesting a character was Henry Orient? Did Peter Sellers do the character justice? How much comedy was there in the performance? How did this bland with the repulsive nature of the character? His selfishness and self-absorption. his mediocrity in music, the irony of his avant garde concert, yet he seemed romantic to the children? Why? His interpretation of their following him ? the way this was presented visually? His self-centred fear? Its effect on his selfish love life?
11. What did Stella add to the film? Paula Prentiss’s humour? Her fears of being found out? And the consequences on her life? The effect of fantasy on adult fantasy and self deception?
12. What effect did Henry Orient have on the girls themselves? How did it change them?
13. How central was the encounter between Henry Orient and Mrs Boyd? Mrs Boyd's severity on Valerie and her scrapbook? Her confrontation of Henry Orient and her succumbing to him? The cruel effect on Valerie of her disillusionment?
14. How traumatic was this effect on Valerie. the effect of the lies and the cruelty? The atmosphere of Christmas (too sentimental?) Her reliance on Marian?
15. How realistic was the ending? Mr Boyd going away with Valerie? Mrs Boyd being left to herself? Is this how life is lived?
16. The humour of the ending with the girls growing up, lipstick etc, their preoccupation with boys? How did this give a light touch to all that had gone before? How did the film show that stages of life are serious but yet are forgotten at the next stage?
