Bedtime Story *** (1964, David Niven, Marlon Brando, Shirley Jones) Classic Movie Review 5215

Director Ralph Levy’s original 1964 comedy Bedtime Story with David Niven and Marlon Brando as a pair of upstaging rival French Riviera gigolo conmen is now known better as the basis for its 1988 remake Dirty Rotten Scoundrels starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin. But Bedtime Story is generally amusing in its own right, though it is a bit limp and strained in places.

Shirley Jones plays Janet Walker, the soap queen they are both after to swindle her out of her money. Niven and Brando take a bet that whoever dupes her successfully will dominate the Riviera resort as King of the Mountain.

Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning’s screenplay is reasonably pleasant and agreeable, Universal provides a pretty French production, and, best of all, the players perform brightly and breezily. Niven is in his element as Lawrence Jameson and the surprise casting of heavyweight actor Brando as Freddy Benson in such a light comedy confection works.

With wittier writing and sharper direction, it could have been a Sixties comedy classic.

Also in the cast are Dody Goodman, Aram Stephan, Marie Windsor, Parley Baer, Rebecca Sand, Frances Robinson, Henry Slate, Norman Alden and Susanne Cramer.

Another remake is on its way in a 2017 gender-reversal reboot called Nasty Women, starring Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5215

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