The Bachelor Party **** (1957, Don Murray, E G Marshall, Jack Warden) – Classic Movie Review 7,002

The admirable 1957 film The Bachelor Party is another classic Fifties TV drama by Paddy Chayefsky translated to the big screen, and in this one, five New York accountants are enjoying a stag night out on the town. 

After the success of Marty, director Delbert Mann’s admirable 1957 film The Bachelor Party is another classic Fifties TV drama by Paddy Chayefsky translated to the big screen, and in this one, five New York accountants are enjoying a stag night out on the town.

It is based on the acclaimed 1953 television play by Paddy Chayefsky which was adapted by him for the film. The teleplay was produced by Fred Coe for The Philco Television Playhouse on 11 October 1953, with Delbert Mann directing an entirely different cast.

Chayefsky writes an honest, perceptive script getting under the skin of ordinary, disillusioned hard-working folk, and the acting, particularly by Don Murray as Charlie Samson, E G Marshall as Walter, Jack Warden as Eddie Watkins and Philip Abbott as the bachelor boy groom-to-be Arnold Craig, is up to the task.

The British censor slapped it with an X certificate and originally cut a scene showing the men’s reactions to a porn movie.

Also in the cast are Larry Blyden, Patricia Smith, Carolyn Jones, Nancy Marchand and Karen Norris. Nancy Marchand appears in her movie debut. Carolyn Jones was Oscar nominated as Best Actress in a Supporting Role for a lonely party girl known as as The Existentialist. Her five minute appearance in this movie is claimed to be the shortest ever Oscar-nominated performance, though the shortest ever winning performance for Best Supporting Actress belongs to Beatrice Straight, who won an Oscar for her five minutes 40 seconds appearance as devastated wife Louise Schumacher in Network. (1976).

There was a distinct lack of awards, though there were nominations for one Oscar, one BAFTA award, and one award at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival.

Chayefsky’s teleplay of The Bachelor Party was produced by Fred Coe for The Philco Television Playhouse on October 11, 1953. Delbert Mann directed Don Murray as Charlie.

The American VHS cover of The Birthday Party.

The Bachelor Party is directed by Delbert Mann, runs 92 minutes, is a Hecht-Hill-Lancaster and Norma production, is released by United Artists, is written by Paddy Chayefsky, based on the story by Paddy Chayefsky, is shot in black and white by Joseph LaShelle, is produced by Harold Hecht, James Hill, Burt Lancaster and Paddy Chayefsky, and is scored by Paul Mertz [Paul Madeira] and Alex North, with Art Direction by Ted Haworth. Mary Grant designed the costumes.

The cast are Don Murray as Charlie Samson, E G Marshall as Walter, Jack Warden as Eddie Watkins, Philip Abbott as the bachelor Arnold Craig, Larry Blyden as Kenneth, Patricia Smith as Helen Samson, Carolyn Jones as The Existentialist, and Nancy Marchand as Mrs Julie Samson.

Chayefsky later commented: ‘The line of the story is six inches off from beginning to end, and the third-act resolution is hardly an inevitable outgrowth of the preceding two acts.’

Chayefsky was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the 1958 American drama film The Goddess. He is the only person to win three solo Academy Awards for writing both adapted and original screenplays: for Marty (1955), The Hospital (1971) and Network (1976).

Marshall and Warden also appeared together in Twelve Angry Men (1957).

Don Murray (born July 31, 1929) is best known for his breakout performance in Bus Stop (1956) with Marilyn Monroe, earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7,002

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