Just what I expected

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Hillbilly comedy casts Glen Campbell as Norwood, a U.S. Marine returned home from service, who finds life changed--and not for the better--in his Texas hometown. He has his sights on playing guitar and singing country music for a program called the Louisiana Hayride, and travels cross-country to New York City for an audition (this section of the movie, with Norwood in a cowboy hat walking the big city streets, feels like a G-rated version of "Midnight Cowboy"). The details in this scrubbed-clean scenario aren't rich and the characters Norwood meets on his journey aren't vividly drawn. Feature film debut for director Jack Haley, Jr. has warmth and a big heart, but no substance. Campbell keeps his face slack (like a rube) and his manners polite, and he's appealing if fidgety. Producer Hal B. Wallis reunites Campbell with his "True Grit" co-star Kim Darby, and the two have a warm rapport (especially in the scene at the food counter). Football star Joe Namath makes his acting debut as a soldier, Billy Curtis is fun as a little person who becomes Norwood's traveling companion, and there's also a college-educated chicken (don't ask). Adapted from a novel by Charles Portis (the author of "True Grit") from "Grit"'s screenwriter, Marguerite Roberts; however, there's nothing gritty about this yokel fantasy, which is completely out-of-touch with reality and presented only as escapist fare. ** from ****

A romantic comedy tailored for Glen Campbell and Kim Darby, at the time popular co-stars of TRUE GRIT. Darby is the better actor of the two, but gets the worst lines and her character is unbelievable; Campbell is barely adequate in an undemanding role of a would be country and western singer who criss crosses the country chasing $70 that Joe Namath owes him. Namath's film debut is forgettable and negligible. In fact, the whole movie drips away from the memory as it plays out. A few good moments, with fun cameos appearances by Pat Hingle and a deliciously foul mouthed Carol Lynley. Meredith McRae provides the appropriate attitude of bubbly fun that seems lost on the other players, and director Jack Haley Jr. just lets the movie putter out. Jack Haley Sr. appears in a few scenes in his final movie role. A few decent pop tunes were written by Mac Davis. Campbell stopped making movies after this, thank goodness.

The only reason I'm aware of Norwood is that I graduated high school in NC in 1970. Our senior class was traditionally treated to a movie on a school morning in the week of commencement. The newfangled Park Theater (long since closed) on the east side of Burlington (now a Hispanic colony) was showing Norwood by night, so that's what we sat and watched. I appreciate the few details other posters made about the Vietnam war and Kim Darby's unwed motherhood. The movie almost sounds interesting, but it wasn't. Glen Campbell was a good musician but a joke as an actor. Broadway Joe looked great, of course, but aside from an occasional cameo on the Love Boat . . . Well, he was an even better quarterback than Campbell was a guitarist. Where'd Kim Darby go? She might have been Molly Ringwald's mother.

I just wrote a long, long review of Sam Peckinpah's The Getaway and I have just about ten lines of blathering left in me, so here goes! I saw Norwood over thirty years ago on ABC and I still have a fond memory of it. I barely remember the plot, but I do know I thought the story of a just-back-from-Vietnam soldier (Glen Campbell) on some sort of road trip was a pleasant use of my time.The film has an interesting cast including Kim Darby, Joe Namath, and Tisha Sterling. There is a moment where Campbell says the "S" word and Darby scolds him for his bad language (ABC bleeped out the word, but you could tell exactly what he said).I won't fool you--this is all I remember, but I intend to add it to my mail-order movie rental queue--not super high on priority, but above The Notebook!