Truly Dreadful Film

Fresh and Exciting

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

"From the Terrace" is an example of a type of the melodrama that Hollywood turned out from the late 1950s to early 1970s. Films such as this and "Peyton Place" of 1957, "Home from the Hill" of 1960, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" of 1961, and others came close to being soap operas. They had the good and the bad, often in the same person or people. The stories were different and usually interesting enough to hold an audience's attention. But the plots were definitely more melodramatic than good drama or story telling. Romance was usually a part of all of them, and most often they were about struggles in marriage, infidelity, family breakups, etc. The usual stuff of soapers, under various genres. This one is a lavish production by 20th Century Fox, based on a novel by John O'Hara. It hits on another theme that was common in the Mid- 20th century – after WW II and Korea. A man, striving to get ahead, becomes a workaholic and in the course neglects his wife. Not all wives are unfaithful to hubby, as is Joan Woodward's Mary St. John. And, not all men wind up unfaithful to their wives as does Paul Newman's David Eaton. Having seen this film when it came out in 1960, as I recall, I might have seen Newman as the poor hero and good guy whose wife dumps on him. But, it's amazing how time and a little maturity yields some wisdom. Because the blame for the breakup of the marriage here is definitely Newman's Eaton. He knew the woman he married, and his ambition and drive led him to forget her. It doesn't excuse her carousing and infidelity, but it shows what led to that. This film probably is viewed as very slow by 21st century audiences. It has some glamorous sets. The cast is very good, especially Joanne Woodward. She was one of the most talented actresses of the 20th century. Paul Newman was a fine leading man in a variety of genres, and a good entertainer. But his acting wasn't anything exceptional. The young Ina Balin won a Golden Globe as the most promising newcomer in 1960. She was in some good movies after this, but her star never quite reached to the heavens. She died at age 52 of a heart problem.Others of the supporting cast are very good. Leon Ames has a fine role as Samuel Eaton and Myrna Loy has a small part as his wife, Martha Eaton. Elizabeth Allen is the flamboyant, brassy rich broad, Sage Rimmington. She plays the part well, and it's the only way to describe her. Patrick O'Neal is Mary St. John's lover on the side. Felix Aymer is very good as David Eaton's boss and the head of the blue blood, Wall Street, and wealthy MacHardie's, James Duncan MacHardie. In an exchange with Eaton, MacHardie articulates a wise philosophy that had guided civilization for centuries. James MacHardie, "There are no grounds for divorce. And if you need my personal theology, infidelity is the lesser sin. I will do anything in my power to prevent a divorce." David Alfred Eaton, "Including condoning infidelity?" MacHardie, "I consider your word 'condoning' disrespectful. I condone none of it. The problem of infidelity is between husband and wife and God. The problem of divorce concerns the whole of civilization. What is marriage? An exchange of vows, a contract. It is my duty to myself and to any man who is working for me to demand that he honor all of his contracts. When you came here, you found out that we always honor our word, even if it means taking a loss." Many of these films, of course, are about well-to-do if not outright filthy rich people. In this film, David and Mary live a high life style. One might wonder where they got the money in their early stage. But, they live and socialize in high society, and among the young rich – two different groups. I don't know how that may resonate with audiences in the 21st century, when most people seem to live as much for fun and entertainment as for family or other things. But back then, the folks who lived the high life were quite distant from the vast majority of people, and they often were the envy of the common man.

I wonder if Paul Newman ever got tired of playing "Paul Newman". It seems like he's always cast in the same role: rebellious but still seeking approval, parents don't like him, bad boy, a ladies' man, and a bit of an unlikable edge. However, unlike other Paul Newman movies where this type of character actually captures the audience's attention, From the Terrace is lousy.Paul Newman comes from an unrespectable family, but he wants to make something of himself. He wants to become a member of high society, so he can see the view "from the terrace". In his quest, he pursues high-class Joanne Woodward. In his overwhelming ambition, he works too much and leaves his wife alone too often. She turns to alcohol and humiliates him by having an affair. But why are we supposed to be surprised? When he met her, she was engaged to someone else. She cheated on her fiancé and left him for Paul Newman. Once a floozy, always a floozy! The plot is disjointed and boring, and despite Hollywood's repeated casting of Joanne Woodward in sexy roles, her aura reeked like she didn't know where the bedroom was, not like she spent all her time there. The costars were married by the time they made this movie, but if you really want to see their chemistry, you have nine other films to choose from.The only good scene in this movie is in the beginning. Paul Newman returns home from the war and witnesses an argument between his parents, drunken floozy Myrna Loy and stern Leon Ames. Go ahead and watch the first twenty minutes of the movie, then do yourself a favor and turn it off.

The filmed version of John O'Hara's From The Terrace leaves out the real view of the novel: how a man's monomania for commercial success destroys his ethics and finally, leaves him a rich, but unhappy man. The film covers only first part of the novel. Joanne Woodward's performance (thank God for all the O'Hara dialog left in the script), totally unbalances the film, but emerges as the most interesting part of the film: a woman's frank discussion of her need for sexual fulfillment. Woodward is so good as the adulterous wife, that the viewer should root for her instead of the Newman character whose own affair is condoned because the woman he sleeps with is the nice girl type. It's bitterly ironic that this film was released the same year as Billy Wilder's The Apartment which dealt a little more honestly with business success bought with sexual favors.The film qualifies as 2nd rate Douoglas Sirk melodrama, but looks really great in cinemascope and technicolor and has received a great transfer to DVD.

Yes this is a perfectly awful late 50's movie but I watched the mess until its unbelievable ending. The film is flawed for me from the start with the period set in the late 1940's but hey look its really 1960. The clothes, hairstyles and decor are wrong and annoying for the period that the film is suppose to be set in. I know that this was the general practice of Hollywood in the 50's and 60's and it always bothers me. The film was based on a long novel by John O'Hara, which happily I never read, and the film clocking in at 2 1/2 hours is a bore and a chore. Badly directed by Mark Robson who early in his career directed some nice B movies for Val Lewton but who went on to make such schlocky as Peyton Place and Valley Of The Dolls. This one is no better. It has lots of gloss and smooth hard edges, and its always a joy to see Joanne Woodward who sinks her teeth into the role of Newman's slutty wife and is the real villain of the piece and looks great in all those fabulous late 50's Travilla's gowns and frocks. Newman basically sleep walks through the film wearing a bad hair piece and looking like he would rather be anywhere but here. The film as an able supporting cast including George Grizzard actually quite convincing playing a heterosexual sex hound, An underused Myrna Loy, the very good Ina Balin, and Ted de Corsia as her father who is cast against the type of character he usually played. Look for a bit by the great silent screen star Mae Marsh as the governess. See it if you must.