High Time *** (1960, Bing Crosby, Fabian Forte, Tuesday Weld, Richard Beymer, Nicole Maurey) – Classic Movie Review 5959

Director Blake Edwards’s 1960 musical comedy stars the 57-year-old Bing Crosby as the rich American widower and hamburger restaurateur Harvey Howard who dresses up as Scarlett O’Hara to join in with the other students (these American college initiation ceremonies!) when he enrolls for the college education he had never enjoyed as a kid.

Just to keep things nice and neat, he chases the French tutor Professor Helene Gauthier (Nicole Maurey) and leaves young Joy Elder (Tuesday Weld) to the charms of young Gil Sparrow (Fabian Forte).

Crosby and his director Edwards make it go with a bit of swing, with the help of the decent screenplay by Tom Waldman and Frank Waldman, based on a story by Garson Kanin. Weld and Fabian are sweet. And the movie’s highlight (apart from Crosby’s drag appearance as the Scarlett lady!) is the Oscar nominated Sammy Cahn (lyrics) and Jimmy Van Heusen (music) song ‘The Second Time Around’.

Also in the cast are Richard Beymer, Patrick Adiarte, Yvonne Craig, Jimmy Boyd, Gavin McLeod, Kenneth McKenna, Nina Shipman, Paul Schreiber, Angus Duncan and Dick Crockett.

It is shot in widescreen by Ellsworth Fredericks, produced by Charles Brackett and scored by Edwards’s regular composer Henry Mancini.

Pop star Fabian’s movie career went in a star ensemble direction, as with North to Alaska, after his star-making Hound-Dog Man (1959) faltered.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5959

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