An American Dream [See You in Hell, Darling] ** (1966, Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, Eleanor Parker, Barry Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan) – Classic Movie Review 11,290

The 1966 Technicolor thriller film An American Dream is based on the novel by Norman Mailer, and stars Stuart Whitman and Janet Leigh. After it bombed at the box office, Warner Bros re-titled it See You in Hell, Darling.

Director Robert Gist’s 1966 Technicolor thriller film An American Dream [See You in Hell, Darling] is based on the 1965 novel by Norman Mailer, and stars Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, Eleanor Parker, Barry Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan, J D Cannon, Murray Hamilton and Susan Denberg.

Norman Mailer’s compelling tale of a tough TV talk-show host commentator, Stephen Richard Rojack (Whitman) nagged into killing his impossible, rich viper of a wife, Deborah Kelly Rojack (Parker), pretending that it is suicide, and then being revealed by his former lover Cherry McMahon (Leigh), gets scant respect and lumpen treatment here from William Conrad Productions and Warner Bros, who do not really seem to know what to do with it.

Whitman gives an insecure performance as the hero and the excellent Parker is despatched much too quickly as the splendidly drunken slut of a wife, but Leigh is on the money and there is a good support cast. The film’s best section is the start with Parker, but it crumbles after the fine sequence of her murder. It ends up as a watchably pulpy B-movie when it seems to be aiming at something classier.

An American Dream is scored by Johnny Mandel, whose song ‘A Time for Love’ was Oscar nominated (lyrics by Paul Francis Webster). It is performed by Janet Leigh but her singing voice is dubbed by Jackie Ward.

Also in the cast are Les Crane, Warren Stevens, Joe De Santiis, Stacy Harris, Paul Mantee, Harold Gould, George Takei and Kelly Jean Peters.

After it  bombed at the box office, distributors Warner Bros re-titled it See You in Hell, Darling, and it was released in the UK as See You in Hell, Darling, which is also the US reissue title.

On the set of An American Dream: Eleanor Parker and Stuart Whitman (actors), Robert Gist (director, behind them) and Sam Leavitt (cinematographer, in white hat).

An American Dream is directed by Robert Gist, runs 103 minutes, is made by William Conrad Productions, is distributed by Warner Bros, is written by Mann Rubin, based on the novel by Norman Mailer, is shot by Sam Leavitt, is produced by William Conrad (executive producer) and Jimmy Lydon (uncredited), and is scored by Johnny Mandel.

Release date: August 31, 1966 (New York).

The cast are Stuart Whitman as Stephen Richard Rojack, Janet Leigh as Cherry McMahon, Eleanor Parker as Deborah Rojack, Barry Sullivan as Lt Roberts, Lloyd Nolan as Barney Kelly, Murray Hamilton as Arthur Kabot, J D Cannon as Sgt Walt Leznicki, Susan Denberg as Ruta, Les Crane as Nicky, Peter Marko as Hoodlum, Warren Stevens as Johnny Dell, Joe De Santis as Eddie Ganucci, Stacy Harris as O’Brien, Paul Mantee as Shago Martin, Harold Gould as Ganucci’s Attorney, George Takei as Ord Long, Kelly Jean Peters as Freya, Hal K. Dawson as Apartment House Guard, Richard Derr as Undetermined Role, and James Nolan as Monsignor.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,290

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