Dear Brigitte ** (1965, James Stewart, Fabian Forte, Glynis Johns, Cindy Carol, Billy Mumy, John Williams, Jack Kruschen) – 2017 Classic Movie Review 5960

James Stewart stars as absent-minded poet American Professor Robert Leaf, whose little boy Erasmus with freckles (Billy Mumy) is a maths prodigy who writes a fan letter to real-life French superstar Brigitte Bardot, in director Henry Koster’s soppy but fairly happy 1965 comedy.

As the iconic Bardot finally appears in a cameo, you can guess the result of sending the letter.

Unfortunately, Hal Kanter’s script, based on the novel Erasmus with Freckles by John Haase, is too often farcical and the handling does not quite get the frothily light-hearted touch it needs.

The amiable performers keep the slightly dodgy, mechanical and uneven screenplay just about on the rails, and the impressive roster of amiable support players helps a lot.

A very young James Brolin plays one of the students. It co-stars Glynis Johns, Cindy Carol, John Williams, Jack Kruschen, Charles Robinson, Howard Freeman, Jane Wald, Alice Pearce, Jesse White, Gene O’Donnell, Ed Wynn, and Orville Sherman.

It is shot in widescreen by Lucien Ballard, produced by Henry Koster and scored by George Duning.

Pop star Fabian’s movie career went in a star ensemble direction, as with High Time (1960), after his star-making Hound-Dog Man (1959) faltered.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5960

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