Ten North Frederick (1958)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Philip Dunne

Writers:

Philip Dunne (screenplay)
John O'Hara (novel)

Release Date:

28 July 1958 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

JOHN O'HARA'S HOTLY-DISCUSSED BEST-SELLER...OF HOW THEY SINNED AGAINST EACH OTHER AND AGAINST THEMSELVES! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

At her father's funeral, Ann Chapin thinks back over the last five years of his life, years of apparent...

Plot Keywords:

Political | Address As Title | Based On Novel | Number In Title

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Joseph B. 'Joe' Chapin
Diane Varsi	...	Ann Chapin
Suzy Parker	...	Kate Drummond
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Edith Chapin
Tom Tully	...	Slattery
Ray Stricklyn	...	Joby
Philip Ober	...	Lloyd Williams
John Emery	...	Paul Donaldson
Stuart Whitman	...	Charley Bongiorno
Linda Watkins	...	Peg Slattery
Barbara Nichols	...	Stella

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #18935) | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Spencer Tracy was originally cast in the lead role, but withdrew due to ill health and concerns over the ability of co-star Suzy Parker.

More effective now...and stellar acting

John O'Hara's book TEN NORTH FREDERICK was hardly the masterpiece of political life, but it had strong characterizations, and the film, also not a masterwork, has a lot more going for it than we initially thought. Still of major consequence are the performances of the supporting players. In this tale of a failed political hopeful, his vengeful wife, his youngish girlfriend, and assorted other characters, the viewer is caught by the superb work of the cast. All seems possible with the effective work. Geraldine Fitzgerald, as always, is a total marvel -- one of the finest of three decades. She should be almost deified. In this, she eschews her sensitive side to superbly capture the nastiness of a woman who want more and more... with less change to get it. But she is matched by young Ray Stricklyn as the confused young son... with at least one scene that should have done for him what the telephone scene in The Great Ziefgeld did for Luise Rainer. His work indicates the hope we all had for him.... but he correctly went to the L.A. stage where he scored enormous successes. Diane Varsi and Stuart Whitman both underscore the acting skills we first saw in them. The love story between the older Gary Cooper and the younger Suzy Parker works better than I had recalled. He tries with his expected skill to show the desperation of the man, but Suzy Parker DOES offer a multi-layered performance -- far superior to the work she had done in other films. This film remains an interesting Hollywood look at the world of politics, and it should not be buried unmarked in the annals of solid craftmanship.