Two Weeks in Another Town (1962)

Strong and Moving!

Admirable film.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

If you stop and really think about the picture, it's one scalding indictment of celebrity life and phony stardom, the carving up of one's life by managers, agents, writers and whoever else can get their grubby hands on the one who's currently in the limelight. The picture, though often brilliantly filmed in lavish color, is cynical and dark, with twisted and duplicitous characters, and doesn't leave you feeling all that cheerful even with the manufactured happy ending.That scene when director Maurice Kruger (Edward G. Robinson) unloaded on his wife Clara (Claire Trevor) was really something wasn't it? If you're contemplating divorce you might want to borrow from the man's vocabulary describing his lawful wedded nightmare as a 'worn out, dried up, whining, meddling old hag'. I think that just about covers it, don't you think? Well good old Clara returned the favor at the post-film wrap pretty nicely, drove the old guy into a heart attack. Put these folks on the guest list for your next party, should be a smash.Washed up actor Jack Andrus (Kirk Douglas) also has some interesting insights into the human condition as befits his also ran status - "Anybody can live with anybody", but the better one that frames the entire story is when he laments "How can a man go wrong and not know why"? Seems like everyone was going wrong here, as Jack's fling with Veronica What's the Difference (Dahlia Lavi) offered a measure of solace for the brief amount of time he put in finishing Kruger's picture.Considering the principals involved, and I haven't even considered them all here, this had the makings of a stellar flick, and it wasn't all that bad really, but it will just leave you stunned, especially after Jack's thrill ride with ex-wife Carlotta (Cyd Charisse). One more character that lived up to Kruger's description of the fairer sex - "All women are just pure monster".

Vincente Minnelli tries to go all hyper-modern in this widescreen adaptation of an Irwin Shaw novel, which I hope made more sense. Washed-up actor Kirk Douglas, all clenched teeth and dimple, is let out of the loony bin to rescue a faltering big-budget movie in Rome being directed by a manipulative, but somehow pitiable, Edward G. Robinson. Unsympathetic supporting characters abound: Douglas's awful ex-wife (Cyd Charisse, looking great and giving rather good shrew), Robinson's hysterical spouse (Claire Trevor, who is, for perhaps the only time in her life, dreadful), an insecure method actor (an OK George Hamilton), a starlet inexplicably drawn to Douglas (Daliah Levi, all bust). The histrionics, including a wild and wildly unbelievable Douglas-cracking-up-at-the-wheel car scene, are entertaining, but that the whole thing could somehow end happily is ludicrous. What's fun are the Rome trappings, with Douglas's fabulous car, the gowns, the locations, and some imaginative use of the wide screen. Also, some attractive old-Hollywood rumblings from composer David Raskin. Not one for the ages, but worth a look.

Two Weeks in Another Town (1962) * 1/2 (out of 4) The star, writer, producer and director of THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL re-teamed for this film but sadly the end result is somewhat of a disaster. Former star Jack Andrus (Kirk Douglas) leaves a mental hospital three years after a nervous breakdown when his former director (Edward G. Robinson) calls him to Rome for a chance at a comeback. Once the actor arrives in Rome he realizes that everything with the production is a disaster and soon he goes from actor to sound dubbing to directing. TWO WEEKS IN ANOTHER TOWN apparently was a disaster when director Vincente Minnelli turned it over to MGM who pretty much took the film away from him, re-edited the picture and threw out several key scenes. Who knows how good or bad the original version was but what's available today is quite hard to sit through. Had it not been for the terrific cast this film would probably be unbearable and rank as one of the worst films to come from such a talented group of people. For the life of me I can't understand how bad this thing turned out but I've heard the novel by Irwin Shaw would be nearly impossible for anyone to get to work. The entire film is a major mess as it simply tries to tell too many stories and not a single one of them is of any interest. The Kirk Douglas character just never makes too much sense and there are countless other characters that come in and out of his life without much information. We don't get many stories on why Douglas is the nut he is and we really don't understand the relationship between the director and his alcoholic wife play by Claire Trevor (her and Robinson re-teaming after KEY LARGO). Another problem is that none of the actors seem all that interesting in what's going on. Douglas and Robinson, two great actors, pretty much sleepwalk through their roles. Trevor is just a poor version of previous performances she's given. George Hamilton just really sinks in the film and Cyd Charisse doesn't get much to do. The over-dramatic melodrama going on in this film just makes it downright annoying to sit through and this is only for fans of really bad movies.

If you liked the "Bad & The Beautiful" with Kirk Douglas,( Jack Andrus) this picture is pretty close to the same story line, however, there is plenty of color, drama and romance. Great actors appear in this film, Edward G. Robinson,(Maurice Kruger), "The Red House" puts his heart and soul into the role and yells and screams his head off as a big shot movie director. Kirk Douglas still plays the role as an abusive drinker who is reformed and is placed in some rather difficult situations from actor to assistant director. Cyd Charisse, (Charlotta) adds plenty of sexy charm to the various scenes and George Hamilton, (Davie Drew) gives a great supporting role. For some reason over the years, I seemed to have missed viewing this film and found it quite enjoyable and also seeing how very young all the actors appeared in 1962. Enjoy