''Inside Daisy Clover'' is a 1965 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

based on Gavin Lambert's 1963 novel of the same name, directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Natalie Wood. It follows a tomboy becoming a Hollywood actress and singer.

Plot

In 1936, Daisy Clover is a tomboy living with her eccentric mother in a ramshackle trailer in the seaside town of Angel Beach. Wishing to become an actress, Daisy submits a recorded song to studio owner Raymond Swan. Swan signs her to a contract for five years and arranges to commit her mother to a mental institution. Daisy meets and spends time with fellow actor Wade Lewis, but Raymond fears that the romance will interrupt Daisy's career. Wade asks Daisy to marry him and the ceremony is held at Raymond's house. During the honeymoon, Wade disappears and leaves Daisy in

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

. When Daisy returns to California, Raymond's intoxicated wife Melora reveals that she had an affair with Wade, who is bisexual. Raymond confirms Wade's secret life to Daisy and begins an affair with her. Daisy removes her mother from the institution to a house on the beach. When her mother unexpectedly dies, Daisy suffers a nervous breakdown. Unable to work, she spends her days at home under the care of a private nurse. Impatient with Daisy's long recovery, Raymond angrily asserts that she must finish her contract and pending film. After Raymond and the nurse leave the house, Daisy attempts suicide, only to be foiled by constant interruptions. Daisy decides to leave everything behind. Before departing the beach house, she sets the oven's gas to full power and the house explodes behind her as she walks along the beach. When a passing fisherman asks her what has happened. Daisy replies, “Someone declared war.”

Cast

* Natalie Wood as Daisy Clover * Christopher Plummer as Raymond Swan * Robert Redford as Wade Lewis * Ruth Gordon as Lucile Clover *

Roddy McDowall Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 – 3 October 1998) was a British-American actor whose career spanned over 270 screen and stage roles across over 60 years. Born in London, he began his acting career as a child in his n ...

as Walter Baines * Katharine Bard as Melora Swan * Peter Helm as Milton Hopwood * Betty Harford as Gloria Clover Goslett * John Hale as Harry Goslett * Harold Gould as Cop on Pier * Ottola Nesmith as Dolores * Edna Holland as Cynara

Reception

Upon its release, the film was a

box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicket. ...

and critical failure. However, the film later gained a cult following when it was shown on television and released on home video. The ''

New York World-Telegram and The Sun The ''New York World-Telegram'', later known as the ''New York World-Telegram and The Sun'', was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966. History Founded by James Gordon Bennett Sr. as ''The Evening Telegram'' in 1867, the newspaper began ...

'' found much to criticize: " he filmconducts a spectacular travesty of some of Hollywood's preposterously lush nooks without stirring any notable amount of mirth. And it follows Hollywood's predatory smothering of an impulsive, endearing Cinderella without stirring much sentiment or sympathy... Oh! This pathetic innocent is hurt, hurt, hurt but no one cares, cares, cares so long as her picture is finished and rolls in dough, dough, dough... The makers of the picture do not care to make themselves altogether clear but there are hints of the depravity of its Hollywood in fleeting insinuations of dope and homosexuality. The orgies of sex and liquor are much more explicitly presented... atalie Woodseems about to become the movie's biggest dubbing job since

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...

made her long series of musicals, coming equipped with a different voice for nearly every picture." Redford reportedly insisted that his character, gay in the original novel, have some interest in women. Warner Bros., fearful of the potential controversy, insisted that the film only acknowledge the character's

bisexuality Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, ...

through brief and oblique lines of dialogue. The house that was destroyed at the climax of the film was once owned by actress Barbara La Marr.

Accolades

Soundtrack

Wood's singing voice was dubbed by session singer Jackie Ward with the exception of the introduction to the song " You're Gonna Hear from Me" (by Dory Previn and André Previn, who composed the score). The song was later recorded by

Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero ( ; born December 12, 1937), known as Connie Francis, is a retired American Pop music, pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. She is estimated to have sold more th ...

in English for the album '' Movie Greats of the 60s'' (1966) and one year later in Spanish as "Ya te hablarán de mi" for the Spanish version of the album, '' Grandes Éxitos del Cine de los Años 60.'' It was also recorded by

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...

for the album '' The Windows of the World'' (1967), by Scott Walker on his debut solo album '' Scott'' (1967) and by

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

for '' The Movie Album'' (2003). Wood's vocal recordings, completed for other songs, were unused and unheard on commercial recordings until the '' Film Score Monthly'' CD #187 was released in April 2009.

References

Sources

* Lambert, G. (2004) ''Natalie Wood: A Life'', Alfred A. Knopf. . * Lamparski, R. (1981) ''Lamparsaki's Hidden Hollywood'', Simon & Schuster: New York. .

External links

* * * * {{Robert Mulligan 1965 films 1960s musical drama films 1965 LGBTQ-related films 1965 romantic drama films American LGBTQ-related films American musical drama films American romantic drama films 1960s English-language films Films scored by André Previn Films about actors Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles Films based on British novels Films directed by Robert Mulligan Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe–winning performance Films set in the 1930s Films set in Los Angeles LGBTQ-related musical drama films Warner Bros. films LGBTQ-related romantic drama films 1960s American films English-language romantic drama films English-language musical drama films