New Neil Simon comedy
Anomer
When the spirited forthright young daughter of a once successful Hollywood writer walks in unexpectedly on the father she has not seen for 16 years, their reunion sets the scene for “I Ought To Be In Pictures," which opens at the Midcity Cinema tomorrow. Adapted for the screen by Neil Simon, from his Broadway hit, the film stars Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, and Dinah Manoff, in a reprise of her Tony award stage role. The director is Herbert Ross, whose previous cinematic collaborations with Simon on “The Sunshine Boys,” “The Goodbye Girl,” and “California Suite,” have earned 16 Academy Award nominations and three Oscars. Herbert Tucker (Walter Matthau) is a once successful Hollywood writer, whose scripts are getting turned
down quite regularly by the television networks. He’s romantically involved with Steffy Blondell (Ann-Mar-gret), a movie makeup artist, but is unable to make any commitment to the relationship. Some 16 years earlier he walked out on his Brooklyn family and has not seen his wife, son, or daughter in all those untidy years.
Suddenly into his life steps his 19-year-old daughter, Libby, (Dinah Minoff). She has travelled across the country by bus with a pack on her back, looking for her
father and his influence to get. her into films. After a stormy first meeting, Herbert and Libby get to like each other, but never quite understand the other’s emotional needs. Libby seems extremely confident, extremely articulate with a tough exterior and a loud mouth, but in reality she is a little girl craving the paternal love she never experienced.
A series of events prompts Herbert to exercise his parental role and brings about a sudden change in his priorities. Libby discovers she’s not really trying to advance herself and get into movies, but actually trying to salvage her father and, she hopes, gather up some of the lost love at the same
As Broadway’s foremost contemporary playwright, Simon has four Academy Award nominations to his credit.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19830310.2.86.8
Bibliographic details
Press, 10 March 1983, Page 14
Word Count
330New Neil Simon comedy Press, 10 March 1983, Page 14
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in