A Safe Place *** (1971, Tuesday Weld, Orson Welles, Jack Nicholson) – Classic Movie Review 2880

Writer-director Henry Jaglom’s 1971 drama stars Tuesday Weld in an affecting performance as a strange girlish young woman named Noah, a disturbed, free spirited flower child living alone in New York City. She is locked into a childish fantasy world where she can never grow up, while being nasty to nice boyfriend Fred (Philip Proctor) and falling for roguish Mitch (Jack Nicholson). But neither is able to fill all her needs.

Noah retreats into the past, yearning for a ‘safe place’ in the lost innocence of her childhood. Orson Welles appears to be enjoying himself (and indulging his real-life hobby) as the magician who counsels Noah as a child when they meet in Central Park and he gives her a magic levitating silver ball, a star ring and a Noah’s ark. 

This baffling, hippyish 70s film festival and art circuit experimental movie is offbeat to the point of not being there at all. But it still definitely has its rewards. It remains one of Jaglom’s more intriguing curios and, with this cast, it couldn’t help being at least interesting, certainly at least to those who appreciate Seventies counter-culture movies and Jaglom’s work.

Also in the cast are Gwen Welles, Dav Lawrence, Fanny Birkenmaier, Barbara Flood, Roger Garrett, Jordon Hahn, Francesca Hilton, Julie Robinson and Jennifer Walker.

Disappointingly, Tuesday’s real name is plain Susan Weld.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2880

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