Max Shulman is a witty author with
Barefoot Boy with Cheek,
Sleep 'til Noon, and many others to his credit. This novel was not quite so hilarious as those, but it deserved a better fate than this heavy-handed, overdone, inane, and farcical film. Meant to be a slap at "The American Way" and
several other targets, it lays there like a week-old herring most of the time, mainly due to the overplaying of Newman and the clunky direction by veteran McCarey. It's base when it should be subtle, bombastic when it should be gentle, and any light moments are dimmed by Newman's pathetic attempts
to be funny. He should have played it straight, thereby making it fun...
Released:
1958
Rated:
NR
Length:
106 mins