Goodbye Charlie

Director: Vincente Minnelli Vincente Minnelli

Overview

George Axelrod's Goodbye Charlie flopped on Broadway with Lauren Bacall in the lead, but fared a little better as a film vehicle for Debbie Reynolds. Charlie (Harry Madden) is an inveterate philanderer who is shot dead by jealous husband Walter Matthau. Through a celestial fluke, Charlie's soul enters the well-rounded body of Debbie Reynolds. In this form, Charlie/Debbie seeks to settle old scores with her murderer as well as several other enemies. As if these aren't complications enough, Charlie's best friend Tony Curtis falls in love with Debbie, knowing full well that Debbie isn't really Debbie. If you liked Goodbye Charlie once, you'll love it twice: Blake Edwards retooled the whole megillah for Ellen Barkin, added a trendy feminist underlining, and came up with Switch (1991).

Product Details

Release Date:	04/16/2013
UPC:	0024543878728
Original Release:	1964
Source:	ALLIED VAUGHN
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:56:00
Sales rank:	23,305

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Tony Curtis	George Wellington Tracy
Debbie Reynolds	Charlie Sorel/Virginia Mason
Pat Boone	Bruce Minton III
Walter Matthau	Sir Leopold Sartori
Ellen McRae	Franny
Joanna Barnes	Janie
Laura Devon	Rusty
Martin Gabel	Morton Craft
Roger C. Carmel	Inspector
Harry Madden	Charlie Sorel, the Man
Myrna Hansen	Starlet,Germans in Bistro
Michael Romanoff	Patron
Michael Jackson	Himself
Anthony Eustrel	Butler
Donna Michelle	Guest on Yacht
Jerry Dunphy	TV Newscaster
Carmen Nisbet	Patrons at Beauty Salon
Sydney Guilaroff	Patrons at Beauty Salon
Jack Richardson	Party Guest
Ed Wermer	Germans in Bistro
Natalie Martinelli	Italian Girl
James Brolin	Actor
André Previn	Composer

Technical Credits

Harry Kurnitz

Vincente Minnelli	Director
David Weisbart	Producer
Harry Kurnitz	Screenwriter
L.B. Abbott	Special Effects
Emil Kosa Jr.	Special Effects
George Axelrod	Playwright
Elmer Raguse	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Goodbye Charlie is a lot like its Andre Previn/Dory Langdon theme song -- it gives a good impression of swinging, even though, at heart, it's pretty square. Nothing in Charlie really clicks the way it's supposed to, but it's harmless and diverting enough that most people won't mind spending a couple of hours in its presence. The lion's share of the blame for its flaws rests with the George Axelrod play upon which it is based and the Harry Kurnitz screen adaptation. There's simply not a lot to this tale, either in terms of plot, theme, or character development. The authors started with a high concept, but never really gave it enough juice to help it develop a good head of steam. Worse, most of the jokes -- very important in this kind of sex comedy -- provoke smiles rather than belly laughs. Director Vincente Minnelli doesn't do enough to take up the slack; the film is professionally directed, but a little hesitant, as if Minnelli feels uncomfortable with the mildly racy aspect of the material. Still, it does have his flair for creating pleasing visuals, and the production design is smart and sharp. Best of all is the cast, who sail through the goings-on like the pros they are. If Debbie Reynolds is not ideal casting, you'd never know it from the verve with which she attacks the part, swaggering so much that she'd practically dare you to prove there was no hair on her chest. (She also has never looked more stunning in her life.) Tony Curtis and Pat Boone do everything they're supposed to do, and there's nifty support from Martin Gabel, Joanna Barnes, and a young Ellen Burstyn. It's no great movie, but Goodbye Charlie's cast makes it reasonably smooth sailing.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler