Macdonald Carey was too old for his role
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35541m — 15 years ago(September 23, 2010 06:24 AM)
Likely Columbia (the financial backers) insisted that Hammer use an American in the lead role. These people were usually chosen from a list of those who were available. I doubt if Losey had much input other than maybe he could pick from a list (good job Brian Donlevy wasn't available that day!!).
The character was British in the original novel on which the film was based. I suspect he was also quite a bit younger as well. -
chrismartonuk-1 — 15 years ago(October 24, 2010 07:08 AM)
Leading men old enough to be the leading lady's Father are hardly unique to this film. Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly made many such films. Woody Allen never quite came to terms with the fact that it was inappropriare for him to romance much younger girls - especially in the light of his court case.
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35541m — 15 years ago(December 08, 2010 02:43 AM)
Carey was 48 when he made the film but looks older and the filmmakers try to disguise this by dressing him in a trendy figure-hugging polo necked sweater.
In the novel, the character was 25 and English (which makes quite a difference). -
liscarkat-2 — 10 years ago(May 14, 2015 04:20 PM)
"Woody Allen never quite came to terms with the fact that it was inappropriate for him to romance much younger girls - especially in the light of his court case."
Who decides what relative ages are appropriate, among adults? You? If a twenty-year-old woman wants to have a relationship with a forty-nine-year-old man, it's for her to decide whether it's appropriate. As for Woody Allen, after extensive investigation and interviews with the child and mother, the police detectives and psychologists determined that the girl was lying and had been coached by Farrow to do so.
Yes, they did. -
steven-222 — 15 years ago(February 04, 2011 10:11 PM)
Director Joseph Losey made a career of thwarting bourgeois audience expectations. Your expectation that the movie should have a suitably young leading man? Thwarted! Losey cared more about using the character to provide a moral balance to Alexander Knox. Knox is the bad father figure; Carey is the good onea father figure not just to the children, but also to Shirley Ann Field and Oliver Reed. Reeds passion for Field is literally incestuous, and so (figuratively) is Careys. She is confused and reluctant to reciprocate either her brother or her father figure. (Unsettling? Remember the title of this movie!) Reed begins by rebelling against his father figure, but his relationship to Carey begins to change.
In practical terms, the character obviously must be older; hes a retired executive traveling the world. And theres another reason hes older; in 1965, everything was about the generation gap, so when the young teddy boys attack him, its an act of intergenerational violence. Carey was exactly the right age for the role. Youll understand all this when youre older. -
corriganville — 15 years ago(March 19, 2011 08:36 PM)
Geez, I'm already older than MacDonald Carey was when he made this movie. How much older do I have to get before I understand their relationship?
Carey is the "good father" yet you say their relationship is figuratively incestuous?
"bourgeois"? Oh brother!
I still say the relationship was CREEPY. -
alanthomas-2 — 13 years ago(February 28, 2013 02:44 PM)
Never mind the big words like "bourgeois". Give up the mental struggle. If you don't understand now, you never will. I suggest you watch less taxing material.
Using your phraseology, I didn't find their relationship "CREEPY". I'm 52 and regarded Carey's character as a lucky bastard. Come on, most middle-aged men would jump at the chance to bed a woman in her 20s. Many modern middle-aged women (cougars) harbour exactly the same "forbidden" desires towards young, virile 20-30 year old men. Get real! -
Darvidd — 12 years ago(July 30, 2013 07:29 AM)
Watched it again the other night on late night TV here in Australia-I would have first seen it in about 1973-this time no ads and in wide screen on a large plasma panel-an interesting film in which the scifi elements are almost secondary to the psychological interplay between the various adult characters. I must admit that MC appeared more like 60 on the screen, 3 times the stated age of Joan and that did seem very unsettling added to the other dynamics.
'What is an Oprah?'-Teal'c.