Sylvia (1965 film)
Sylvia | |
---|---|
Directed by | Gordon Douglas |
Written by | Sydney Boehm |
Based on | Sylvia by E. V. Cuningham |
Produced by | Martin Poll |
Starring | Carroll Baker George Maharis Peter Lawford |
Cinematography | Joseph Ruttenberg |
Edited by | Frank Bracht |
Music by | David Raksin |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date | February 10, 1965 (US) |
Running time | 115 minutes |
Country | United States |
Languages | English French Spanish |
Box office | $1,500,000[1] |
Sylvia is a 1965 American drama film directed by Gordon Douglas, written by Sydney Boehm, and starring George Maharis, Carroll Baker, and Peter Lawford.[2][3] The film is based on the novel of the same name by E. V. Cunningham in 1960.[4]
Released by Paramount Pictures, it was filmed in Pittsburgh.
Plot
Sylvia West seems just about perfect in the eyes of middle aged California millionaire Frederic Summers, who proposes marriage to her. She is beautiful, brilliant, financially independent, writes poetry, and seems to personify exactly what he wants in a woman.
But as a precaution, Summers brings in a private investigator, the young Alan Macklin, to do a background check. Macklin travels to Sylvia's hometown of Pittsburgh, where to his surprise he learns that Sylvia has a history of selling sexual favors to middle-aged men. Librarian Irma tells Macklin that Sylvia always liked to read and helped her select literature from the library. She reads books in between clients to numb out her feelings. Raped by her stepfather, Jonas, she is an incest survivor who has a hard time setting boundaries. After her rape she turns to a fanatic priest who takes her to Mexico; he is later killed. She pays Oscar Stewart through sexual services to get her back to the United States on a road trip.
Back in the US, Sylvia becomes friends with Jane, a sex worker, and helps her out after a life-threatening accident. To pay her medical bills, Sylvia sells sexual services through a transvestite madam. Sylvia is raped and assaulted by one of the clients, Bruce Stamford III, who buys her off to keep quiet about it. She invests the payoff, using advice from Jane's husband; these investments help Sylvia become financially independent and she publishes her poetry.
Macklin meets Sylvia and says he is interested in her poetry; the two of them fall in love. He confesses that he has been investigating her for her husband, and she is upset. He refuses to give his report to Summers, Sylvia eventually forgives Macklin, and they get together in the end.
Cast
- Carroll Baker as Sylvia West aka Sylvia Karoki
- Peter Lawford as Frederic Summers
- George Maharis as Alan Macklin
- Joanne Dru as Jane Phillips
- Viveca Lindfors as Irma Olanski
- Edmond O'Brien as Oscar Stewart
- Nancy Kovack as Big Shirley
- Ann Sothern as Grace Argona
- Jay Novello as Father Gonzales
- Aldo Ray as Jonas Karoki
- Lloyd Bochner as Bruce Stamford III
- Paul Gilbert as Lola Diamond
- Anthony Caruso as Muscles
- Paul Wexler at Peter Memel
- Majel Barrett as Anne (Uncredited)
Production
The film was based on a novel by E. V. Cunningham, a pen name for Howard Fast. The novel was published by Doubleday in 1960, and was popular enough for Fast to write other suspense-mystery novels under the pseudonym of E. V. Cunningham, with titles that were women's names. (Others included Penelope.)[5]
Film rights were bought by producer
Reception
Critical response
The staff at Variety wrote in their review: "Carroll Baker is joined in stellar spot by George Maharis as the private eye who ultimately falls in love with the woman he is tracing. Actually, although hers is the motivating character, top honours go to Maharis for a consistently restrained performance which builds, while actress suffers somewhat from the spotty nature of her haphazard part."[3]
See also
References
- ^ Anticipated rentals accruing distributors in North America. See "Top Grossers of 1965", Variety, 5 January 1966 p 36.
- ^ a b Crowther, Bosley (February 11, 1965). "Drama at Loew's State and at Other Houses". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ a b "Sylvia". Variety. December 31, 1964. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ASIN B0006AWMWI.
- ^ "Howard Fast: E.V. Cunningham's Women".
- ^ A.H. WEILER (Apr 30, 1961). "PICTURES AND PEOPLE". New York Times. p. X9.
- ^ "Impact Films Plans 3 More This Year". Los Angeles Times. June 17, 1961. p. A6.
- ^ "Of Local Origin". New York Times. June 27, 1961. p. 23.
- ^ Scheuer, Philip K. (Jan 27, 1964). "Son of 'Defenders' With Carroll Baker: London in Industry Crisis as Backlog Still Piles Up". Los Angeles Times. p. C11.
- ^ Scheuer, Philip K. (May 8, 1964). "Servant' Director Fast Winning Cult: Losey Acclaimed in Europe; Carroll Baker 'Sylvia' Star". Los Angeles Times. p. C15.
- ^ Scheuer, Philip K. (May 29, 1964). "David Miller Signs to Direct 'Sylvia': He'll Spread Love Around; A Female 'Tom Jones' Next". Los Angeles Times. p. D7.
External links
- Sylvia at IMDb
- Sylvia at the TCM Movie Database