One can say that this role set the direction of Lemmon's careerestablishing him as an able lead in sex comedies. This one is a screwball of a very delicious finesse and elegance and sense of fun. The cast is above all expectationsLemmon, keeping his character in a nuanced and subtle form. This early Lemmon recital is finely matched by the comedy's naturea sharp and palatable one. More importantthere is this timeless elegance that prevents the movie from being dated.
You know what is does? It enhances the appetite for life and love. Some call this feelgood cinema. Each frame, each scene is somehow delicious and firsthanda lot of talent displayed and intelligently used ,with a sort of an instinct for the good cinematography. It addresses an audience that was more apt to perceive the values of an urbane chic civilization. In this respect, it's not a bit phony. It doesn't pretend to be sophisticated and urban; it is.
Mrs. Novak plays a stupid blonde. She has two very long scenes with Lemmon. Needless to say that she was amazingly beautiful in this film as well.
In a few words, Phffft! (1954) has naturalness, flair, gusto, an enviable purity of line in its comic finesse. It is charming and surprisingly funny and goodnatured. It's certainly better and more charming than many of the things Lemmon made later.
Much of what's good is already there: Lemmon's bizarre laughter; the content and direction of the characters from his future comediesthe social class, men with money, that can afford drinks and fancy bars, etc.; the stylehis refined vitality. All three actors (Lemmon,Mme. Judy Holliday,Mme. Novak) give this impression of vitality, of robustness and vitality.
Elegant, sophisticated, Lemmon's character is created with an exquisite skill, and it's a stylistic achievement. The fact that, three decades later, his place was taken by W. Allen's characters as sophisticated male leads measures the entire gap between two lifestyles. (Not in the sense that W. Allen somehow continued Lemmon's linehe obviously did notit would be grotesque and absurd to suggest that. On the contrarywhat happened was that Lemmon's type was replaced with W. Allen'sthat Lemmon's form of sophisticated urban comic was replaced .) The times replaced Lemmon with W. Allen, with Gere and Cruise and H. Grant and others; the fact requires no comments.
One subtly remarked that Lemmon's finesse reminds that of H. Fonda.
Phffft! (1954) was made in '54the year of It Should Happen to You (1954),and one year before Mister Roberts (1955) and My Sister Eileen (1955). Now for many movie buffs the '50s are the decade of the Actors' Studio starsDean, Brando, Newman, etc.. But the '50s meant also the rise of this fine actor;Lemmon is the other, cuter, nicer face of the '50sand, paradoxically, maybe the more true one.
In a list of screwball comedies, Phffft! (1954) wasn't even included; though it's, aesthetically, one of the most important achievements in this genre. I liked it more than Bell, Book and Candle (1958); and but dare I say it? I liked it more than Some Like It Hot (1959). It's less mechanic, more charming, less perfect technicallybut more inspired and gracious. It is discretely humane in a way that only these nonchalant comedies can afford being. It is genuine fun.
It is particularly pleasing to see that such a comedy knows exactly what it sets itself up tohence, the flawless taste and the purity of line. If you have an enormous appetite for quality comedies, this one comes as a treat. And everybody on set was obviously interested in doing his best. So you have competence allied to inspiration. It is unpretentious yet good cinema.
Lemmon effortlessly (I assume) embodied the genuine hedonism and egoism of a certain social class in the aftermath of WW2. His character is usually basically nice yet egoist and hedonist in a profoundly selfish way. A little sly--boots ,also. Later, he deepened and explored this character and followed his fluctuations in the social history that followed the merry youthful '50s. Maybe it's the hedonism that defines him best. Like the demoniac side that Lemmon explored in a few humorous films, this egoistic side of his character established the behavior deployed in the many sexcomedies he made.
It would not be exaggerated to say that this comedy is a document from a lost civilization. It showcases a certain image of the stylish '50sit does so with charm and finesse.
Early Lemmon recital ;it gains by finesse, naturalness and nonchalant charm
Phffft! (1954) is a fantastically enjoyable filmand artistically and in every way more profound than the crap Hollywood is making today.
It might make one love Judy Holliday if he did not already--or,to love her even more.
You know what is does? It enhances the appetite for life and love. Some call this feelgood cinema. Each frame, each scene is somehow delicious and firsthanda lot of talent displayed and intelligently used ,with a sort of an instinct for the good cinematography. It addresses an audience that was more apt to perceive the values of an urbane chic civilization. In this respect, it's not a bit phony. It doesn't pretend to be sophisticated and urban; it is.
Mrs. Novak plays a stupid blonde. She has two very long scenes with Lemmon. Needless to say that she was amazingly beautiful in this film as well.
In a few words, Phffft! (1954) has naturalness, flair, gusto, an enviable purity of line in its comic finesse. It is charming and surprisingly funny and goodnatured. It's certainly better and more charming than many of the things Lemmon made later.
Much of what's good is already there: Lemmon's bizarre laughter; the content and direction of the characters from his future comediesthe social class, men with money, that can afford drinks and fancy bars, etc.; the stylehis refined vitality. All three actors (Lemmon,Mme. Judy Holliday,Mme. Novak) give this impression of vitality, of robustness and vitality.
Elegant, sophisticated, Lemmon's character is created with an exquisite skill, and it's a stylistic achievement. The fact that, three decades later, his place was taken by W. Allen's characters as sophisticated male leads measures the entire gap between two lifestyles. (Not in the sense that W. Allen somehow continued Lemmon's linehe obviously did notit would be grotesque and absurd to suggest that. On the contrarywhat happened was that Lemmon's type was replaced with W. Allen'sthat Lemmon's form of sophisticated urban comic was replaced .) The times replaced Lemmon with W. Allen, with Gere and Cruise and H. Grant and others; the fact requires no comments.
One subtly remarked that Lemmon's finesse reminds that of H. Fonda.
Phffft! (1954) was made in '54the year of It Should Happen to You (1954),and one year before Mister Roberts (1955) and My Sister Eileen (1955). Now for many movie buffs the '50s are the decade of the Actors' Studio starsDean, Brando, Newman, etc.. But the '50s meant also the rise of this fine actor;Lemmon is the other, cuter, nicer face of the '50sand, paradoxically, maybe the more true one.
In a list of screwball comedies, Phffft! (1954) wasn't even included; though it's, aesthetically, one of the most important achievements in this genre. I liked it more than Bell, Book and Candle (1958); and but dare I say it? I liked it more than Some Like It Hot (1959). It's less mechanic, more charming, less perfect technicallybut more inspired and gracious. It is discretely humane in a way that only these nonchalant comedies can afford being. It is genuine fun.
It is particularly pleasing to see that such a comedy knows exactly what it sets itself up tohence, the flawless taste and the purity of line. If you have an enormous appetite for quality comedies, this one comes as a treat. And everybody on set was obviously interested in doing his best. So you have competence allied to inspiration. It is unpretentious yet good cinema.
Lemmon effortlessly (I assume) embodied the genuine hedonism and egoism of a certain social class in the aftermath of WW2. His character is usually basically nice yet egoist and hedonist in a profoundly selfish way. A little sly--boots ,also. Later, he deepened and explored this character and followed his fluctuations in the social history that followed the merry youthful '50s. Maybe it's the hedonism that defines him best. Like the demoniac side that Lemmon explored in a few humorous films, this egoistic side of his character established the behavior deployed in the many sexcomedies he made.
It would not be exaggerated to say that this comedy is a document from a lost civilization. It showcases a certain image of the stylish '50sit does so with charm and finesse.
Early Lemmon recital ;it gains by finesse, naturalness and nonchalant charm
Phffft! (1954) is a fantastically enjoyable filmand artistically and in every way more profound than the crap Hollywood is making today.
It might make one love Judy Holliday if he did not already--or,to love her even more.