The World of Henry Orient (1964)

Truly Dreadful Film

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

*SPOILERS*The 60 year-old women on IMDb who recall this as a favorite childhood memory should perhaps re-watch this from the jaded 21st century point of view, knowing that the filmmakers squeezed as much sex as they thought they could get away with in this film.I recently watched this for the first time, and was surprised at the blatant and not-so-blatant innuendos.The first thing that struck me was the opening scene, where director Hill got as many up-skirt panty shots as possible. If you pay attention, he does this again later. Why were panty shots needed, George?One of the reviewers here asked about the necessity of Boothy. It was pretty obvious to me this was a closeted lesbian relationship.Paula Prentiss wants to commit adultery, and c**k teases Henry Orient quite a bit.Henry Orient becomes the sex fantasy of mother and daughter, with one having intercourse, and the pubescent one thinking about it to the point of tears.The end of the movies shows the pubescent girls putting on heavy make- up, including "lipstick the color of a scarlet gash".Now that I have all of you prudes up in arms, let me say this-- It was an enjoyable film, mostly due to Tippy Walker. She showed such promise I'm sorry she didn't get into more films.The music and cinematography were great.Many reviewers here say they wanted more Peter Sellers, and that he wasn't funny enough. I disagree. Just the right amount, and he was very funny, especially the accents.I watched this movie because it got 3 1/2 stars out of 4 on Xfinity. Sorry, but it doesn't hold up that well. And denying the constant message of sex, however undertone, is simply wrong.

Intermittenly charming and funny courtesy of the 2 young actresses who perform with commendable believability and whose friendship supplies the film's most captivating and original moments. Unfortunately, the adults are less interesting and the girls' infatuation with Sellers is not persuasive. Sellers who starred in Lolita, The Pink Panther and Dr. Strangelove has nothing to do, but is forced by the script to do it over and over while Paula Prentiss and Angela Lansbury have their moments, but Tom Bosely, Phyllis Thaxter and Bibi Osterwald bring the film down. Location shooting on NYC streets help, but the film feels overly long. Directed by George Roy Hill whose 1972 film Slaughterhouse-5 is a neglected gem.

From the director of Butch Cassidy & The Sting, Director Hill does a good job with the photography here. While this is a good solid film, the script could have been better. Still this is a worth while film to view.Peter Sellers is Henry Orient, a classic pianist who appears to be messing up his work because he is being distracted by Paula Prentiss. The towering Paula is a great distraction & his lack of practice at the keys begins upsetting audiences. I would have loved being distracted by Prentiss.The main story is of two young girls who are musically inclined, develop a crush on Henry & follow him all over town. This stalking is presented as perfectly harmless though more than once they catch Henry & Paula in the position. There is a strong supporting cast here including Angela Lansbury, Tom Bosley, Al Lewis and others who add to the quality of the film. When the film concentrates on the main story, which is a coming of age story of two young girls & how their problems are handled by the parents who are split themselves, the story is very good. There is plenty of humor too. Once in a while, the film gets side tracked by a couple of minor plots. That is where the film weakens a bit. Still, seeing this cast & laughing at & with Peter Sellers is a very entertaining way to watch a movie.

I have good memories of this film! I mean, there was a young, rich, hip,cosmopolitan protagonist with her equally cosmopolitan, badly behaving mother played by Angela Lansbury, running around New York City ... and ... Peter Sellers!! What more could you want? Plus, it has some hard lessons in it ...I think all tweeners should see it!I especially like the scene when they show up outside Henry Orient's window in bamboo hats and bow to him when he looks out the window ... charming!I wonder whatever happened to that actress Tippy Walker-?