Sadly Over-hyped

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

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

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Novelist Herman Wouk's Jewish heroine, who rose from girlish camp counselor to college graduate to aspiring NYC actress, provides a meaty role for Natalie Wood, whose usual mannerisms (the breathy voice, the twitching mouth) are nicely modulated by director Irving Rapper. Gene Kelly is terrific as the womanizing theater director whom Marjorie becomes hopelessly stuck on, and the Oscar-nominated song "A Very Precious Love" by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster lends pretty uplift to their romantic scenes. Visually, the film has an uneven appearance; though photographed by the estimable Harry Stradling, the clumsy mix of rear-projection, studio sets, and on-location shooting is a bit of an eyesore. In the supporting roles, Marty (Martin) Milner is excellent as an aspiring playwright and Claire Trevor has some strong early scenes as Marjorie's insufferable mother, but Ed Wynn's bit as an uncle is gratuitous, used weakly for both comic relief and pathos. Martin Balsam's role as a doctor is curiously tossed away (perhaps landing on the cutting-room floor), yet Natalie Wood is the major surprise; although one gets the impression her costume changes and hairstyles were first priority here, Wood excels in a handful of dramatic scenes, creating convincing chemistry with Kelly even if (emotionally) the narrative is all over the place. **1/2 from ****

On her summer vacation, restless college beauty Natalie Wood (as Marjorie Morgenstern) gets a job at a New York camp and resort area; there, she falls in love with attractive older man Gene Kelly (as Noel Airman). Her parents do not approve of the theatrical Mr. Kelly, preferring that Ms. Wood marry a more respectable doctor or lawyer. Kelly's younger assistant, playwright Martin Milner (as Wally) pines for Wood, but she only has eyes for Kelly. Wood and Kelly are all too obviously unsuccessful, in the lead roles. Others in the cast, like supportive Carolyn Jones (as Marsha) help keep it from being a total loss. And, the bit players are fun to spot. The story's moral seems to waver uncomfortably between "Don't reach for the stars" and "There's no place like home." **** Marjorie Morningstar (4/24/58) Irving Rapper ~ Natalie Wood, Gene Kelly, Carolyn Jones

The very beautiful Oscar nominated song A Very Precious Love highlights this great film about a young lady finding love as a summer counselor at a camp.Natalie Wood portrays Marjorie Morgenstern in this classic flick. Gene Kelly is the older guy of her dreams while Martin Milner is memorable as the young man she will find her place with. It is shocking that Bette Davis's favorite director, Irving Rapper, allowed Gene Kelly to be in the title role of Noel Airman (Ehrman). Kelly was more like an air-head in the role. With the exception of a drunken and condemnation scenes of the backers for his play, Kelly showed no attachment to Noel whatsoever. Kelly even sings the Oscar nominated song, A Very Precious Love in a horrible way. No wonder the song lost the Oscar.There is definitely Jewish stereotyping in this one. Can you imagine Claire Trevor as Rose Morgenstern? Yet, she pulls it off with a grace rarely scene. She really plays it well as the typical Jewish mother. Ed Wynn again proves that he was greatly under-estimated as a dramatic actor. Everett Sloane is wonderful as the father. Both he and Trevor are able to project the Jewish parental look and feelings of the post-war Jewish generation in America.With George Tobias and Martin Balsam in supporting roles, the film is well represented by a Jewish presence. See it for yourself. You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy it. This is definitely one for the young at heart. Hollywood kept making the same mistakes and no one caught it. The scenes of sabbaths at an Orthodox temple show woman carrying pocketbooks. This is a definite no-no on the sabbath. Notice that they were trying to show an orthodox synagogue as the men and women were totally separated in seating arrangements. The same mistake was made in 1952's "The Jazz Singer" with Danny Thomas and Peggy Lee.

I find Marjorie Morningstar curiously affecting but I'm not exactly sure why. I must have seen the movie twenty times from its original release in 1958 to 2004. When I first saw it it seemed a coming-of-age movie of a very beautiful New York Jewish girl. It also seemed prissy and prudish. The best thing about the movie was Ed Wynn as Uncle Samson. I felt at the time he gave an Academy Award perfor mance. I still do! When I saw the movie in the 1960s I thought it was the dumbest, squarest most ridiculous movie I'd ever seen. Natalie Wood camping around in clothes her Grand Mother would have been embarrassed to wear. Gene Kelly, [who I used to idolize} looking fat and pale with an obvious rug on. And talk about lack of chemistry! Kelly and Wood acted like they hated each other. Marty Milner was just absurd. Would anyone want to marry this nerd? Within the last five years I've probably seen it ten times and even made a a trip to Schroon Lake, N.Y. where it was filmed and stood on the beach where Kelly and Wood went swimming. I now see the movie in two ways. First, it's about values and once again Ed Wynn seems sensational because he believes in what he is saying. I doubt if any of the other Hollywood cynics believed a word of it.Second, and this has a lot to do with the haunting song, "A Very Special Love" which Kelly keeps singing.It speaks to me of my youth and my Summer loves with a wistfulness that calls me back to a gentler time. I'm sure I'll see this movie again.