A PRIVATE AFFAIR
US, 1959, 93 minutes, Colour.
Sal Mineo, Christine Carere, Barbara Eden, Gary Crosby, Terry Moore, Jim Backus, Jessie Royce Landis.
Directed by Raoul Walsh.
A Private Affair is an enjoyable piece of escapism. It is quite dated now and of interest as being directed by Raoul Walsh at the end of a very long and successful career. Sal Mineo leads a very young and enthusiastic cast who are on the enterprise of putting on the successful television act The material is conventional, the atmosphere of the 50s is very much to the fore with entertainment and television. Pleasant entertainment.
1. Indications of the title? Entertainment, Americana, American morale booster? A reflection of the atmosphere of entertainment of the 50s?
. The army genre and its tradition? Comic, patriotism, farcical situations, romance, making heroes of the men? Usual treatment, different?
3. Importance of colour, Cinemascope? Army locations and situations, barracks, exercises? Officialdom? Washington? American TV in the 50's and the army? Musical effects?
4. How important was the credibility of the plot? A romance and the army for the purposes of the conventions? An attractive plot? Three different heroes and their environments at the beginning? The ladies and their different backgrounds? The twist of the plot for their meeting? The importance of the television programme. The audition? The humour of the complications with the tax secretary of the army and her marriage? How well did all these ingredients blend for comedy?
5. The youthful appeal of the principal characters: their different backgrounds? Their characters and personalities? Bright, humorous? Typical young men and women of the 50s? Differences now? Luigi and Louise? Marie and Jerry? Katy and Mike? In the army, their various positions? For the musical? Romantic ambiguities and complications? With the secretary of the army? Happy ending? Convincing conventional characters for this kind of film?
6. The portrait of the army way of life? Expectations, attitudes in favour of army training, the American in his army? The officials, the psychiatrists, the secretary herself?
7. How interesting was the sub-plot of the secretary for the army and her concern for the orphan, the farcical aspects of the marriage mix-up, Jerry and his being continually taken to Washington? The musical side of the film - songs, dancing, television? How enjoyable an entertainment? As an illustration of American attitudes in the 50s? How similar are they now, changed?
