Act One (1963) User Reviews

The Creative Process

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 7 December 2011]

Four years before his death in 1961 Moss Hart wrote his incredibly successful autobiography Act One where he detailed the story of his life as the son of a cigar maker until the opening night of his first Broadway success, Once In A Lifetime. The film skips all of his childhood and early adulthood and concentrates on the creation of that first success and the process that went into it.

With Dore Schary producing and directing the film for Warner Brothers it certainly could be said that this was someone who knew the creative process and could empathize with Moss struggling to write that first success, accepting the help of George S. Kaufman who had already achieved success on Broadway as a collaborator with such folks as Morrie Ryskind and Edna Ferber and Marc Connelly. Two heads are often better than one when it's right two heads.

As this was written way before Stonewall, the gay side of Moss Hart was certainly not explored. Moss Hart married Kitty Carlisle and they did have two children, but Moss was forever a man on the prowl as any number of Broadway folks could have attested to back in the day. Young George Hamilton may not have looked Jewish, but he certainly gave off some attractive vibes.

With his hair styled as a straight up flat top and a pair of glasses, Jason Robards, Jr. was the spitting image of George S. Kaufman who probably put more wit into the mouths of actors than anyone else in the last century, not to mention some of the offhanded cracks he was credited with. Ruth Ford played a sympathetic first wife who was soon to be an injured innocent party when Kaufman got dragged into Mary Astor's divorce case via her diary. According to her Kaufman had more than wit available in his arsenal.

Eli Wallach puts in an appearance as a producer who was supposed to be based on Jed Harris who was one of the most disliked men on Broadway, the spiritual father of David Merrick later on. He doesn't get much to work with so it's not one of his better portrayals.

You also had to love that delicatessen round-table that included such folks as Jack Klugman, George Segal, and Bert Convy playing a young actor named Archie Leach. As Cary Grant said in His Girl Friday, no one ever heard from him again. Sort of a warm up for Hart of the famous Algonquin round-table where he and Kaufman were charter members.

Moss Hart probably came along at one of the peak times for creativity in the American theater and he became a very big part of it. He also got over his distaste for musicals being associated with quite a few good ones in his time, the last being Camelot. Maybe had he lived we might have seen an Act Two. But his whole life was one big creative process.

interesting story not very well done

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 6 June 2014]

Moss Hart wrote one of the great books on theater, Act One, and here it's turned into a film starring George Hamilton as Hart. The film also features Jason Robards as George S. Kaufman, Eli Wallach as a producer, George Segal as Hart's friend Lester, Sam Groom as a student, Ruth Ford as Mrs. Kaufman, Jack Klugman as a good friend to Moss, and Bert Convy as "Archie Leach," another friend, whom film fans know became Cary Grant.

The story goes from Hart's days as a young, serious playwright to the Broadway opening of Hart's first play, "Once in a Lifetime," co-written with George S. Kaufman. They became one of the finest Broadway writing teamsin theater history.

George Hamilton is a handsome man who has become a wonderful parody of himself and his tan in later years. He was never really much of an actor though he does an okay job here. Someone certainly thought a lot of his looks here - he is photographed in closeup with a special light in his eyes, the kind designed for Dirk Bogarde in the '50s.

I don't know if Dore Schary, the director, had a limited budget or what, but casting Bert Convy as Cary Grant was such an insult to probably the biggest male film star of all time. Convy was nice looking, but he made no attempt at an accent. The problem is, it was too small a part to cast someone like John Gavin. The rest of the performances were fine, but Jason Robards as Kaufman was a true standout. Wallach didn't have much to do.

The film has been criticized for being too sentimental. I didn't find it sentimental, I found it unexciting, when there's probably nothing more exciting than preparing a show for Broadway. It's possible that the book wasn't really adaptable as a movie. It's hard to make writing exciting on screen. Hart was a huge talent who wrote some fabulous plays. I just don't think that somehow, his story made for an impressive film.

A Showbiz Yarn

[marylois-788-910304 · 7/10 · 18 May 2014]

The movie, unlike the weighty memoir upon which it was based, is a typical showbiz-in-the-1920s yarn about a young man making it big on Broadway in spite of his own insecurity and the many setbacks in the production of his first play. It is satisfying as such, with memorable performances by Jason Robards as the grumpy genius George S. Kaufman, Bert Convy as the struggling Archie Leach, and Eli Wallach as a Jed Harris-like obnoxious producer, and many other cameos of well known actors playing legendary New Yorkers of the day.

George Hamilton was too suave, too dapper, and just too damn pretty to be all that convincing as Moss Hart, but he was at his peak here, and he does a pretty good acting turn.

The story is predictable, but the movie still works, depicting a legend in an industry that loves legends about itself. There is a show playing in New York now based on the same material, and it is a huge hit. Maybe it portrays more of the poverty and the agony from which the real Moss Hart sprang, I don't know; but this movie hardly attempts to do that. Instead it gives us another fantasy of a time and place we love to think about and a life we would love to live. If you're not interested in that, this movie is not for you.

Charming but too sentimental

[mgconlan-1 · 18 September 2011]

"Act One" was a 1963 Dore Schary production, released through Warner Bros. and written and directed, as well as produced, by Schary, based on Moss Hart's entertaining memoir of his start in the theatre. After having had five of his plays — all serious dramas modeled after the works of Eugene O'Neill — rejected, Hart (George Hamilton) decides to take the advice of his friend and patron Joe Hyman (Jack Klugman) and his sort-of agent Richard Maxwell (Sam Levene) and write a comedy instead. He has no idea what he's going to do for a comedy plot until he reads an issue of *Variety* and notes that the featured story in it is the turmoil being caused in Hollywood by the advent of talking pictures. He concocts a story called "Once In a Lifetime" and drafts a play on it, only to get the runaround from a producer named Warren Simon, who keeps him waiting in the lobby of Simon's hotel for two days (during which time he's nearly bitten several times by an obnoxious small dog one of the bellboys is walking for a guest — I kept waiting for the payoff of the gag to be that it's Warren Simon's dog, but somehow Messrs. Hart and Schary missed that one). A friend of his who has a contact with the legendary producer Sam Harris (the man who partnered with George M. Cohan for years, gave the Marx Brothers their first major hit, "The Cocoanuts," and was reportedly so wonderful and sweet to everyone that the nastiest thing anyone could ever remember him saying about anybody was in 1933, when the Nazis took power in Germany, about which his comment was, "Hitler is not a nice fellow") gets Hart's play a reading in Harris's office, whereupon Harris's verdict is he'll produce it if Hart can get the legendary George S. Kaufman (Jason Robards, Jr.) to rewrite and direct it.

Work starts on the script, accompanied by a lot of bouncy underscoring by Skitch Henderson that doesn't sound anything like the real pop music of the 1920's and 1930's (and the "source" music heard throughout the film is only marginally closer!), and Schary proves utterly unable to make the on-screen act of writing seem dramatic. He may also have been hamstrung by being unable to quote more than snippets of the actual play Hart and Kaufman wrote: "Once in a Lifetime" was bought by Universal and filmed by them in 1932, and in the early 1970's PBS showed the film and hailed it as a major rediscovery — then it got stuffed back in the vaults and hasn't been let out since then! (The actual film of "Once in a Lifetime" and "Act One" would make an interesting double bill, and it definitely goes alongside "The Power and the Glory" and "The Man Who Reclaimed His Head" among the early-1930's movies that remain frustratingly unavailable on DVD.) Hart called the book on which the film was based "Act One" to denote that he wasn't writing his entire life story — just the start of his career — and it's full of wonderful Jewish character actors (including an unrecognizable George Segal at the start of his career as Hart's nihilistic friend Lester Sweyd). "Act One" the book I remember as a charming but also thrilling memoir that made the act of writing seem as vertiginously exciting as watching a tightrope walker; "Act One" the movie is charming but also awfully sentimental (a flaw in Hart's writing generally; just compare the well-made but sometimes sugary script he wrote for the 1954 version of "A Star Is Born" to the marvelously acerbic one Dorothy Parker co-wrote for the 1937 original), and George Hamilton doesn't look particularly Jewish (especially by comparison with the real-life Jews playing his parents, Martin Wolfson and Sylvia Straus!) but he acts the part well enough within limits — Charles commented that Hamilton's acting skills actually seemed to deteriorate as he got older and lost his boyish good looks! — and the supporting cast is a delight, especially Robards (though one wonders how someone that curmudgeonly could come up with so many great funny lines in his plays!) and Klugman.

Missing the juice that creates a hit.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 8 January 2019]

Perhaps if I had seen this movie before seeing the 2014 Broadway play at Lincoln Center based upon Moss Hart's autobiographical novel, I would have ranked this a bit higher. Everything is good here; the cast, the script, the pacing, the direction. However, it's all about the theater and little about the creator. The play expanded the story to include anecdotes about his family life which really made you feel like you got to know Moss Hart as a person. What the movie essentially turns out to be just a generic look at life of a theatrical hopeful, a musical without the songs, even though the opening score sounds like a Broadway overture. I am not calling for any theatrical version of the novel to become a full-fledged musical (ironic considering that within the film, Hart is asked to contribute to the book of a Broadway musical), but that element is that create spazazz is strangely missing.

The opening scene of heart, played by the young George Hamilton, sitting in an empty theater, creates a great opening, especially when Hart is called out by the man removing the ghost light from the stage. It is haunting as the audience is taken back to the glory days of the Broadway theater when 100 or so productions would open each season. From there, you see Hamilton associating with various friends (one of whom is the future Cary Grant), expressing his dreams and listening to everybody else's woes. Readings of his plays with cast of minor theater companies follow, but it isn't until heart needs fellow playwright and actor George F. Kaufman that you really begin to see a story of how the process of getting a play produced is put together.

The ensemble of supporting actors is terrific, especially Jason Robards as Kaufman, Jack Klugman as his agent, Ruth Ford as coffman's party giving wife, and Eli Wallach and Sammi Smith as rival producers. Look for George Segal in a small role as well as Bert Convy as Archie Leach aka Cary Grant, and David Doyle of "Charlie's Angels". As far as the New York atmosphere of the 1920's goes, I didn't really feel that I had gone back in time to that period which should have been much grittier then what is presented on screen.

It is all good-natured, but there is never any doubt that Hart will cross the lines from obscurity to success, and become a part of the theatrical community he can only be amazed by when he goes to the Kaufman's "tea party". one scene has him encountering a nasty Alexander Woolcott, and I truly wanted to see a moment after heart strikes at Big where he is as rude to Wolcott as Wolcott was to him earlier. Under the direction of Broadway producer Dory Schary who had earlier co-run MGM Studios with Louis B. Mayer, this is simply just a pleasant look back at one successful man's rise. Had there been more grit and conflict and realism about the toughness of the industry, this would be far more remembered than it is now.

Interesting Background Of Play, Once In A Lifetime

[lchadbou-326-26592 · 6/10 · 11 August 2015]

Act One is of interest for, among other things, being the only film directed by producer Dore Schary. As previous reviewers have commented, it is somewhat bland and disappointing.Perhaps instead of pretty boy,but not much of an actor,George Hamilton in the lead as budding playwright Moss Hart, the original casting possibility of Anthony Perkins, who could have drawn on his own theatrical background as the son of actor Osgood Perkins, would have been better. I am though a big fan of the 1932 movie version of Once In A Lifetime and this biopic focuses on the production, and somewhat tedious rewriting process, of this first Hart comedy and finally his first Broadway success. I hadn't realized that in the original play Hart's collaborator George S Kaufman (played here by Jason Robards Jr) trod the boards himself in the part of the playwright, done in the 1932 film by Onslow Stevens. It was also noteworthy that Hart was able to write a satire on Hollywood without ever yet having been to California. Act One makes a bit too much of Hart's nervousness during the performances and constantly having to go to the bathroom. The best scene is a "tea" party put on by Kaufman's wife (played by Ruth Ford) in which the young Hart is suddenly introduced to a group of celebrities. Except for his yet to be famous friend Archie Leach (played by Bert Convy) whom we see several scenes with, we are frustrated that Act One doesn't make more of these other remarkable people.

Maybe I liked this better than most...

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 4 September 2021]

... because I've actually seen "Once In a Lifetime" filmed by Universal in 1932 and thought it hilarious. Plus I just have an affinity for the early talkies. Since this film focuses on playwright Moss Hart's efforts to birth his first hit, the play by the same name about the birth of the talkies, I was quite interested in it.

I've also read the book "Act One", and it is going to be impossible to incorporate all of Hart's comic and insightful remarks about the creative process into one less than 120 minute film, so I managed my expectations.

George Hamilton works as the fresh faced Hart, still living in his cramped apartment with his impoverished family at age 25, with high expectations of writing a drama who has to pivot to comedy, thus "Once in a Lifetime". And watching somebody have to sit for days in an office to see an important producer when they actually have an appointment, only to have that meeting finally take place in the producer's bathroom was quite funny.

The second half is focused on his partnership with George S. Kaufmann, with a great performance by Jason Robards in that role. He got that less was more in this part. It really is a strange marriage, but the film avoids sentimentality by not trying to say that the two ever really bond in any kind of way. Instead, Kaufmann slowly grows to accept and respect Hart, even introducing him to his Algonquin roundtable friends.

Hart has his own kind of Algonquin roundtable, always meeting in restaurants. The most recognizable name will probably be Archie Leach, played by Bert Convy. You might also recognize Mr. Leach under his stage name - Cary Grant.

The struggling artist as a young man trope is well-trod ground, but some low-key performances make this a jovial enough time, so I'd recommend it.

One of the worst movies I have ever seen

[godfreye · 1/10 · 26 June 2013]

I am an actress and the book "Act One" is one of my favorites and a must-read for every actor, director, producer, etc. I know. The kind of book I re-read every 5 years or so. This movie was a disgrace. Although it had some good actors in it: Jason Robards, Jack Klugman, George Segal. Just awful and a slap in the face to the great Moss Hart. Bert Convy as "Archie Leach", a.k.a. Cary Grant and no English accent? What was that? Also, Moss Hart's family lived in grinding poverty and that was not shown accurately. The apartment they lived in looked much too nice. One of the many horrible things about it was the score! Intrusive, inappropriate, childish. Shame on you, Skitch Henderson!

Less than stellar offering from Dore Schary

[mollytinkers · 5/10 · 11 August 2021]

Although I recognized the name Moss Hart, I had to do some quick research to learn exactly why it rang a bell. I've never read the source material, so I can't comment on any correlation between the film and book. This review is based solely on my take on the movie in and of itself.

It pains me to write that this film is like drinking a glass of tepid water. It will keep you hydrated, but the impact on the taste buds is negligible. Just when I wanted to rate it a 5.1, something would bump it back to a 4.9. But then this is typical of a Schary project that never seems to rise above.

Hamilton does his best with what he has to work with. Robards isn't given much of a meaty role, but he delivers. I enjoyed Klugman's performance the most. Sylvia Straus, as Hamilton's mother, does a fine job, too.

What I like best about the film is that it does give a glimpse into just how hard it is to achieve major success in the entertainment industry, as told from the point of view of someone already making a semi-living in the business. The tales about an artist being plucked from obscurity and becoming an overnight, wildly successful sensation are fun but don't truly represent reality. Many, many people work for years and years and never witness the accolades due them, regardless of occupation.

This movie shows what happens if you don't give up. Unfortunately, it does so in an unforgettable, bland, and slightly boring fashion. Don't expect too much from it.

dull

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 10 August 2021]

It's 1929. Moss Hart (George Hamilton) is a young struggling playwright in Brooklyn. He writes five serious plays but there is no taker. Joe Hyman (Jack Klugman) is his best friend and tireless supporter. He teaches a class where he befriends student Lester Sweyd (George Segal). Eventually, he comes up with a comedy about the transition into movie talkies. It attracts director George S. Kaufman (Jason Robards).

George Hamilton has a deliberate speaking style which gives the performance lesser intensity. He should be a desperate man but I only sense that in a couple of scenes. He's the opposite of the emotional acting of James Dean. There is a sense of staleness to the movie. The guys are doing some kind of Algonquin Round Table without the witty banter and sharp takedowns. It's an autobiography of Moss Hart but it could take some liberties if only to inject some drama into this dull production.

Good intentions, limited appeal

[gerdeen-1 · 2 June 2013]

Playwright Moss Hart delighted readers with his bestselling memoir of his early career. But when producer Dore Schary turned the book into a script after Hart's death, something got lost. This is a bland movie. While people interested in the literary scene of the 1920s will surely enjoy watching it, there's not much to enthrall the average viewer.

George Hamilton plays the young Hart, a talented guy with big dreams and little money. His close-knit Jewish family inspires him to push on with his writing career, but his equally penniless friends can sometimes be more discouraging than supportive.

After many disappointments trying to market his plays, Hart gets a foot in the door when the famed George S. Kaufman agrees to collaborate with him. But Hart soon finds that writing as part of a team can be harder than working alone. Jason Robards Jr., as the maddeningly eccentric Kaufman, is the best part of this movie.

"Act One" is about a man's struggle to come up with a good story to tell, but the story it tells is disappointingly weak. Especially in the early portion, it seems more like a series of anecdotes than a narrative. That may be because the film was adapted from a memoir, but a better writer than Schary might have been able to make it flow better.

Besides Kaufman, there are lots of real historical personages portrayed in the film, such as writers Dorothy Parker and Alexander Woollcott and actor Archie Leach, who would later become film star Cary Grant. But they come and go so fast that the effect is often more like name dropping than characterization. Some of them don't even have any lines. (Bert Convy does have a few lines as Leach, but he speaks them without a trace of a British accent.)

Despite its flaws, this picture will appeal to viewers who are really interested in the people and events depicted. Otherwise it's hard to recommend as entertainment. Though it gets considerably better, more intense, toward the end, I suspect that many people won't stay with it that long.

Act One- The Curtain Falls **1/2

[edwagreen · 19 September 2011]

In this movie, the play seems to falter with the 2nd act, even after 2 rewrites.

The first part of the movie is quite good as Moss Hart writes a comedy and tries to get people to sign on to it. The problem is when they do sign on and that problem with act 2. At least, we hear that the play itself provides for the foundation of whether or not it shall be successful. The thespians and others involved in the production are only of secondary importance.

George Hamilton, as Moss Hart, is terribly miscast here. We possibly needed a Dustin Hoffman for the role.

The ending is really a slap in the face of the life he had led prior to his success.

Who Played Kitty Carlisle?

[rusher-3 · 25 January 2020]

She was more famous as a TV game show panelist than Moss Hart ever was.