The Idol (1966, Jennifer Jones, Michael Parks, John Leyton, Jennifer Hilary, Natasha Pyne, Guy Doleman) – Classic Movie Review 11,776

Director Daniel Petrie’s disastrous 1966 British black and white drama film The Idol stars Jennifer Jones, Michael Parks, John Leyton, Jennifer Hilary, Natasha Pyne and Guy Doleman.

The Idol is a spectacularly terrible, hideously soapy version of a familiar plot in which an American divorced mother Carol (Jennifer Jones), although she has a mature lover (Guy Doleman), falls for her medical student son Timothy (John Leyton)’s buddy Marco (Michael Parks), an arrogant American art student who is also playing around with his pal’s girlfriend (Natasha Pyne).

Taking place during the Swinging Sixties in London, The Idol is just the sort of silly thing to damage the careers of a waning great star and a couple of players trying to rise.

Jones and Parks seem embarrassingly out of place in England, and the film is breathtakingly bad.

Also notable in the cast are Jennifer Hilary, Jack Watson, Jeremy Bulloch, Caroline Blakiston, Fanny Carby, Michael Gordon, Gordon Gostelow, Philippa Hare, Renee Houston, Ken Howard, Priscilla Morgan, Edna Morris, Peter Porteus, Terry Richards, Derek Ware, Rita Webb, Tina Williams.

Millard Lampell’s awful screenplay is based on a story by Ugo Liberatore, who wrote the original screenplay.

The soundtrack by John Dankworth includes ‘The Idol’, ‘Empty Arms and Empty Heart’ and ‘The Party’.

Marco plays a record of Vivaldi’s ‘Winter’ from The Four Seasons during the seduction scene.

Italian producer Carlo Ponti sent Jennifer Jones a screenplay by Ugo Liberatore to star with her son Robert Walker Jr as mother and son but she disliked the idea and declined. Joseph E Levine acquired the screenplay and had it rewritten to star Kim Stanley, who fell ill three days before filming. Levine sought Jones out again.

John Leyton (born 17 February 1936) is known for his hit song ‘Johnny Remember Me’ which reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 1961 though banned by the BBC for its death references. His follow-up, ‘Wild Wind’, reached number two.

The cast are Jennifer Jones as Carol, Michael Parks as Marco, John Leyton as Timothy, Jennifer Hilary as Sarah, Guy Doleman as Martin Livesey, Natasha Pyne as Rosalind, Jack Watson as Police Inspector, Jeremy Bulloch as Lewis, Gordon Gostelow as Simon, Priscilla Morgan as Rosie, Edna Morris as Mrs. Muller, Fanny Carby as Barmaid, Renee Houston as 1st Woman at Party, Caroline Blakiston as 2nd Woman at Party, Michael Gordon, Gordon Gostelow, Philippa Hare, Ken Howard, Peter Porteus, Terry Richards, Derek Ware, Rita Webb, and Tina Williams.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,776

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