Joseph E. Levine (THE GRADUATE, THE LION IN WINTER, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE) picked a winner when he elected to present this very funny film about infidelity in London. Segal is an American insurance executive living in London with wife (Neil) and children. He's playing softball in the regular
Sunday game near the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park one Sunday when he meets Jackson, a divorcee with two children of her own. Segal suggests that they have a tryst in Spain and is very surprised when she agrees. Making excuses to his wife, Segal takes Jackson to Malaga for what he hopes will be a
sexual idyll. But Segal's friend Sorvino is on the same plane. Farcical complications, and romance, ensue.
The company behind the film was Brut Productions, part of the Brut cosmetics firm headed by George Barrie. Barrie always fancied himself a composer and cowrote the film's Oscar-nominated song (lyrics by Sammy Cahn), "All That Love Went to Waste," as well as two other tunes. Shot on location in
Spain and London, and interiors were done at Lee Studios in London. The picture did quite well at the box office. Segal is charming, but everyone knew he could play comedy. The big surprise was Jackson's impeccable comic timing, which some likened to that of Katharine Hepburn. The softball scene
at the start of the film features many of the expatriate Americans who lived in London at the time and played regularly. Frank was not nominated for his direction, but he should have been. The film is in excellent taste and is a tribute to Frank and his cowriter, Jack Rose. Later, George Barrie
would team up with Frank's former partner, Norman Panama, and produce I WILL, I WILL...FOR NOW with less than spectacular results. leave a comment
