Sweet November *** (1968, Sandy Dennis, Anthony Newley, Theodore Bikel) – Classic Movie Review 8,814

The sweet 1968 romance film Sweet November stars Sandy Dennis as a kooky New Yorker who has a new boyfriend every month to pack as much into her doomed life as possible. Mr November is Anthony Newley.

Director Robert Ellis Miller’s sweet 1968 romance film Sweet November stars Sandy Dennis as Sara Deever, a kooky New Yorker who has a new boyfriend every month to pack as much into her doomed life as possible.

Mr November is successful British box manufacturer Charlie Blake (Anthony Newley), who wants her for a bit longer than just sweet November. The duo meet when they take a driver’s exam in New York City  later and go out on a date. All Sara’s lodger boyfriend lovers are emotionally addled, and she thinks she can help them to repair their lives in a month, and then move on.

Director Robert Ellis Miller’s plush and heartfelt 1968 romantic tearjerker goes to show that there is nothing wrong with a bit of sentimentality, even a bucketload of it if you are in the mood.

The skilfully made film charms and beguiles, the ideal composer Michel Legrand provides the ideal musical backdrop, while Dennis is a smashing delight, though Newley can be a bit irritating. Theodore Bikel plays Sara’s older, vegetarian friend Alonzo, who turns out to be Mr October in Sara’s special therapy programme.

Herman Raucher provides a good screenplay, from his own story. You don’t get many films about box manufacturers, but here one is.

Also in the cast are Burr DeBenning, Sandy Barron, Marj Dusay, Martin West, Virginia Vincent, King Moody and Robert Gibbons.

It was remade as Sweet November in 2001 with Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron.

Herman Raucher wrote it as a stage play but, before it was performed, the studio paid him $100,000 to adapt it as a screenplay, which was pretty good as the box office take turned out to be $1.1 million.

The cast are Sandy Dennis as Sara Deever, Anthony Newley as Charlie Blake, Theodore Bikel as Alonzo, Burr DeBenning as Clem Batchman, Sandy Baron as Richard, Marj Dusay as Carol, Martin West as Gordon, Virginia Vincent as Mrs Schumacher, King Moody as Digby, and Robert Gibbons as Sam Naylor.

Sweet November is directed by Robert Ellis Miller, runs 114 minutes, is released by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, is written by Herman Raucher, is shot by Daniel L Fapp, is produced by Jerry Gershwin and Elliott Kastner,and is scored by Michel Legrand.

Release date: 8 February 8, 1968.

Michel Legrand (1932–2019).RIP three-time Academy Award-winning French composer Michel Legrand, who died on 26 January 2019, aged 86.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8,814

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