USA
Shown in 1971
CREDITS
- dir
-
Harold Prince
- prod
-
John Flaxman
- scr
-
Hugh Wheeler
- cam
-
Walter Lassacy
- cast
-
Angela Lansbury, Michael York, Anthony Corlin, Heidelinde Weis
- source
-
National General Pictures
-
COMMENTS
Shown as part of the New Directors series.
OTHER
One supposes that the art of motion pictures attracts everyone, from spectator to mogul, to imagine himself as a director, but it is indeed a miracle, in the most joyous sense, that Harold Prince actually took the plunge, so to speak. Already famous as Broadway’s most creative producer of musicals and multi-winner of the Antoinette Perry Award for his theatrical achievements, Mr. Prince’s first film, Something for Everyone is the closest thing the cinema has had to sophisticated comedy since the days of Lubitsch and Sturges. It is a rather “dark” comedy, with its malice behind the laughter, but one feels that its reception (and distribution) was not entirely perceptive enough to herald its excellences quite loudly. Mr. Prince is definitely a cinematic discovery; he seems to understand all there is to know about it and, perhaps today, he can share some of his joy with the Festival audience. Something for Everyone, which was shot in parts of Austria and Germany, describes the exploits of a wily young adventurer, Conrad, who manages to work his way into the affections of the inhabitants of Castle Ornstein, in order to better his position in life. Exactly how he does this is the crux of the matter, and delightful as this is in the telling, it is Mr. Prince’s sense of satire that enriches everything. Comedy of manners is skewered forever in a garden-party sequence; Ruritanian musicals are parodied in depiction of the peasantry and a glimpse of Tristan and Isolde might make it impossible for one to ever seriously see this opera again. Unlike most new directors, Mr. Prince used established stars in his leading roles, but even they are utilized in a fresh, perfectly apt manner, so that Miss Lansbury and Mr. York seem merrily astonished behind the masques of their characterizations. A new outlook on the future of film comedy, of charm and style, arrives with the directorial debut of Harold Prince.
—Albert Johnson
FACTOID #92
In 1997, the 40 th anniversary of the Festival, four films shared the spotlight for opening night: Bliss, Love Valour! Compassion, Wake Up Love and When the Cat’s Away.
