All Fall Down (1962)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

James Leo Herlihy (novel)
William Inge (writer)

Release Date:

11 April 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Male enough to attract a dozen women...not man enough to be faithful to one!

Plot:

Ralph and Annabell Willart are a feuding couple who are constantly bickering over their worthless, good-for nothing son Berry-Berry...

Plot Keywords:

Brother Brother Relationship | Love Triangle | Hero Worship | Confrontation | Florida

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Eva Marie Saint	...	Echo O'Brien
Warren Beatty	...	Berry-Berry Willart
Karl Malden	...	Ralph Willart
Angela Lansbury	...	Annabell Willart
Brandon De Wilde	...	Clinton Willart
Constance Ford	...	Mrs. Mandel
Barbara Baxley	...	Schoolteacher
Evans Evans	...	Hedy
Madame Spivy	...	Bouncer
Albert Paulsen	...	Captain Ramirez
Robert Sorrells	...	Waiter in Sweet Shop (scenes deleted)
Paul Bryar	...	Manager of Sweet Shop (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Key West, Florida Keys, Florida, USA

Company:

John Houseman Productions

Quotes:

Echo O'Brien: Just a little trouble with the distributor.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wonder Boys (2000)

Definitely worth a look (with minor reservations)

I saw this one when it was first released, responding to some justly deserved positive reviews. Recently Turner Classic Movies showed it and my memories were confirmed: terrific cast beautifully responding to John Frankenheimer's astute direction; impeccable black-and-white cinematography by Lionel Lindon, especially that opening on-location sequence in Key West, Florida; one of Alex North's most apposite scores, not at all too florid (Was any Hollywood composer better at enhancing a story filled with neuroses in full bloom?); and a story whose downward spiral seems inevitable, despite some slight excesses on the part of the scriptwriter.

Minor reservations: Karl Malden's being required to vociferously refer to his son, Berry-Berry, as "The Big Rhinoceros" and as other assorted wildlife creatures (Why? Never really explained and seemingly inappropriate, given Warren Beatty's rather sleek appearance); the given names of the characters played by both Warren Beatty (Berry-Berry) and Eva Marie Saint (Echo O'Brien) - pure flights of fancy on the part of the writer(s), when compared to the more down-to-earth names given the other Midwesterners in the story; the frustration of seeing the doomed character, Echo, often expressing her affection for the younger brother, Clinton, while pathetically succumbing to the brutish abuse of his older brother, Berry-Berry.

But the interplay of all the cast (including some excellent supporting players) makes this somewhat forgotten gem a real must-see. It's one time when Angela Lansbury, running on all cylinders, is easily and compatibly matched by her fellow actors. This one's a keeper!