Butterflies Are Free *** (1972, Goldie Hawn, Edward Albert, Eileen Heckart) – Classic Movie Review 9374

The 1972 romantic comedy drama film Butterflies Are Free is a stage bound but enjoyable four-hankie tearjerker about a young actress (Goldie Hawn) falling for an unsighted San Francisco lad (Edward Albert).

Director Milton Katselas’s 1972 romantic comedy drama Butterflies Are Free is a stage bound but still enjoyable four-hankie tearjerker, taken from Leonard Gershe’s Broadway hit, about a young actress, Jill (Goldie Hawn), falling for an unsighted San Francisco lad, her neighbour Don Baker (Edward Albert), but held back by his manipulative, bossy, icy, over-protective mom (Eileen Heckart) who won’t let go.

Butterflies Are Free is soft-centred, escapist stuff, but it is easy to succumb to the expert heart-tugging sentimentality and the skill of the playing. Hawn is very bright and jolly, Albert is sweet and appealing, and the formidable Heckart’s impressive sharpness won her an Oscar as Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The overbearing mother role possibly is not a very nice one to have to play, but Heckart is excellent at it.

Also Charles Lang was Oscar nominated for Best Cinematography and Arthur Piantadosi and Charles T Knight for Best Sound.

Edward Albert won the Golden Globe as Most Promising Newcomer – Male and was nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, out of a total of four other nominations.

Also in the cast are Paul Michael Glaser, Michael Warren, Paul Ryan and Debralee Scott.

Butterflies Are Free is directed by Milton Katselas, runs 109 minutes, is made by Frankovich Productions, is released by Columbia Pictures (1972) (US) and Columbia-Warner Distributors (1972) (UK), is written by Leonard Gershe, based on the play by Leonard Gershe, is shot in Eastmancolor by Charles B Lang, is produced by M J Frankovich, is scored by Bob Alcivar and is designed by Robert Clatworthy.

Albert and many members of the crew collaborated again the following year on 40 Carats (1973).

Edward Albert (February 20, 1951 – September 22, 2006).

Edward Albert [Edward Laurence Heimberger] (February 20, 1951 – September 22, 2006), is the son of actor Eddie Albert and Mexican actress Margo. He starred in more than 130 films and TV series, but he is best remembered for his breakout starring role in Butterflies Are Free.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9374

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